Trying to read out loud:

Oh goodness.  If there is just one thing that is hard about homeschooling, it's sweet little Cora.  :)  Since so much of our schooling is heavily linked to reading out loud (by me), and since Cora no longer takes a nap (reliably...maybe 2X a week, at most), I am having to be creative in what I DO with her while I try to get a few minutes of reading in!

Today, we tried all sitting at the dining room table while Layla and Finn did a big space puzzle, Cora played with playdough, and I (attempted to) read.  It worked long enough for me to read about 1 chapter in "Little House on the Prairie."  

Then I just put her in the toy room with my Kindle paying a movie and the door shut.  She tolerated that for about another half a chapter.  Sigh.  

If you have any good ideas for keeping a 2-year-old quiet, let me know!  I'm all ears!  :)

That face says "You think this thin strap is going to keep ME here??"

They are really into puzzle right now, and work very well together putting them together.  I love that.  

SQUISHING something.  

A new issue has come up, and I'm not quite sure what to do about it.

We are on page 150 (approx) of Little House on the Prairie, and man...I'm having a hard time with a few things:

1.  Ma Ingalls, and her attitudes/blatantly racist statements she says, and 

2.  The racist recollections of little Laura.

I mean, GEEZ guys.  I have no memories of this, from when I read the books, but I am so uncomfortable reading these thoughts and ideas out loud to my kids right now!  Maybe I should just read it all as it's written, then have some serious talks about how this was probably *accurate* for how settlers thought about Native Americans, but it is not a Christian way to look at another human being who has been created in the exact image of God, just like everyone else.  Sigh.  NOT sure what to do here, yet, but I am struggling with this.  I clearly can't just keep reading it and letting my kids think that is an okay way to think or talk, no matter how old you are.  Wish me luck!!

Finished today:

Today we finished the book Stuart Little, with illustrations by Garth Williams (the best, of course).  The kids liked it quite a bit and always asked for more chapters, so that's my measure of their enjoyment.  :)

After we finished The Lion, the Witch, and the Wardrobe we watched the movie...BIG hit by the kids.  Even though they'll never quite measure up to the books, it's a fun way to celebrate the completion of a book.  Tonight they are eating a late dinner and watching the movie version of Stuart Little.  Hearing Finn laugh is one of my most favorite things in the world. 

Just finished:

We just finished this yesterday afternoon, during a rare nap for Cora:

It's such a delightful book to read out loud, and frankly tons easier than the Wind in the Willows...haha!  I only cried in one part, which surprised me:  it's was the part where the 4 children were crowned king and queens of Narnia, and they were describing how each of them was as a ruler.  The description of Edmund had me in tears..."Edmund the just."  Ah, redemption.  Layla wanted to know why I was crying, and all I told her was "because these are beautiful words to describe a beautiful change of heart."  *happy sigh*

Good literature is worth a mountain of gold.

Some reading for me:

http://www.cam.ac.uk/research/discussion/school-starting-age-the-evidence

https://www.psychologytoday.com/blog/freedom-learn/201505/early-academic-training-produces-long-term-harm

Interesting that the one below comes from the NEA:
http://neatoday.org/2015/06/19/the-reading-rush-what-educators-say-about-kindergarten-reading-expectations/

The beginning:

Today was our first official day of home school for Layla.  She will finish up the last 2.5 months of Kindergarten here at home, and then for sure do 1st grade at home next year.  After that, we don't have any official plans, but we're loving what we've done so far...haha!  Truly, though, it's been a great first day, which I appreciate so much.  Layla is happy, and all of the kids are playing peacefully together upstairs, which is why I'm able to blog right now.

The main emphasis of our education at home will be reading, and I'll be doing a ton of reading out loud to the kids in the early year(s).  So, I want to use this page to keep track of some of the book we read and possibly the kids reactions to them.

Our read-aloud books so far:

Charlotte's Web was a big hit.  Just the right level and interest point for ages 4 and 6.

I truly thought the Wind in the Willows was a bit above their heads, vocabulary wise, but when we stopped half way through to try a different book they begged to return to this one!

Little House in the Big Woods did not draw them in very fast in the beginning (I think they are more into fantasy type stories right now, less realistic fiction), but they ended up loving it in the end.  We'll return to this series later on for sure.

A childhood classic..who could not love it?  We finished it last night and Finn especially was very engaged.