Why I'm Loving This (most days)

    Yesterday was a Monday through and through. A couple of the boys were what I'd politely say "less than motivated" to do any school work, and we had both a dishwasher and a toilet issue. But, a new day is here, and it's also the first day of Autumn. The 6 year old is yearning for a porch full of pumpkins, spooky Halloween decorations, and my stash of Halloween books stored in the basement. I keep telling him we'll do all of that, but not until October 1st. So he and his brother got to work with their craft supplies and have been decorating the school room.

    This morning was a good school day for us. 3/4 of the boys were in good, motivated moods. I've been working with my 1st grader for about 30 minutes before the others get started, and that's been really good for all of us. He gets the one-on-one time he really needs, and the others aren't annoyed at him for taking me away from the help they need. He's usually done by 8:45, and then he is happy to draw or play until the 8 year old is finished. 

    I'm really loving most of the assignments the boys have. They like that the assignments are fairly predictable in most subjects, so now that they've done this for several weeks, they know what to expect. They've also decided to pick their own subject to start the day, and that's helped a lot. I think it gives them confidence to power through their work load if they know they can easily breeze through Spelling and Vocab, thereby knocking out two subjects in 15 minutes. Our boys are strong readers, and that's helped immensely. Seton is very heavy on reading in every subject.

    My oldest is a 6th grader and part of his Reading grade this quarter is to read (for him to re-read) The Swiss Family Robinson and write a book report about it. Seton is wonderful because they give the kids very clear expectations and guidelines for how to write an outline and support their evidence for the topics. Today, H and I had a really nice conversation about the three topics he's covering in the book report: the family's values, God's providence, and the family's strong faith in God. I love listening to his ideas; he is a talented writer and a quiet kid who is overshadowed by his louder brothers. I wanted to record this little story so I can remember our quiet moments together this morning.

    I suggested/forced a walk this afternoon, so we walked to a small park half a mile from here to stretch our legs. As we made our way home, I noticed a hedge row of burning bushes along the side of a house in the neighborhood. Looking to incorporate a bit of Science into our afternoon, I pointed it out to my youngest. 

Me: Look, buddy! It's a burning bush! The leaves are just starting to turn red. Why do you think it's called a burning bush?

Him: ....WAIT. Is that where Moses saw the burning bush?!

Can you tell we've been talking about Moses and the Ten Commandments in Grade 1 Religion? Haha!

    Looks like we've got Religion covered! Thanks for reading!