three.

Today is what homeschooling is all about! I got up early, ran to the grocery store, everyone was still sleeping when I got back so I spent a few minutes enjoying the quiet house. Little Love was the first one up soon followed by Big Mak and then finally Mess about 20 minutes later. W had a show last night and was able to sleep in just a little bit but I'm glad the girls were up early enough to see him since they didn't see him yesterday. It was just a quick kiss good morning before he headed out the door for another long, hot day at work. While the girls ate their cereal we had a science lesson brought to you by Bill Nye the Science Guy. Mess and Big Mak think he's hysterical! Yes, science was taught today using a DVD from the library. Hey, whatever captures their attention, right? In fact, the big girls have enjoyed his DVD and have learned things that we've implemented at home. The series their watching is about ways you can be greener within your home, like using less electricity (unplug the tv's at night), how to use leftover food in the kitchen (we save W's coffee grounds and put them in the soil of my plants and outside and plan to start a composting bin in the backyard) and we, myself included, have learned about many chemicals found in every day things that make a large and negative impact on the environment. Big Mak especially thought that the coffee grind idea was great since she's the one who helped distribute the coffee grounds to the plants. The large ferns we have loved them and have several new growths coming up already! After that 30 minute show we quickly did our chores and decided on going for a walk. That walk ended up lasting nearly an hour with some playtime at a park in the middle of it and Little Love gathering rocks and acorns to bring home. Big Mak wanted to do some fraction worksheets while Mess downstairs doing her own thing.
I helped Big Mak with her fractions and afterward she and Mess went back outside while Little Love took a nap. Big Mak and Mess asked if they could gather leaves from different trees and come home to look them up in a book. I asked that they didn't yank the leaves off the trees and only gather ones along the ground. The complied and also brought home pecans, and other items from along the ground, a couple locust shells, acorns, etc. To see the girls play with each other and work as a team all day makes my heart swell. There can be so much bickering and arguing but things seem to be getting better between them the more time they spend together and the less they're around people who think it's "uncool" to hang with your little sister. I hope this is a sign that they'll continue to grow in their relationship together and have a strong sisterly bond the older they get.

It is amazing how many people are fascinated with us homeschooling. Big Mak went and played with a little friend yesterday whose mom is a teacher at a local elementary school. She teaches kindergarten and was telling me how she's already had to send 2 different kids, multiple times, to ISS in the office. IN KINDERGARTEN! I'd ask the question, "What in the world is happening to our youth?!", but I already have a pretty good idea and that is one reason why our kids are not in public school anymore. The mom was saying how she could write a book on all the trouble she's already had this year. She said it might be time to start considering other options, including homeschooling her children. Most of the kids that the big girls talk to think it's "awesome" that they're homeschooled. The kids usually say how cool it is that they get to see and hang out with their mom all day. That puts a big 'ol grin on all of our faces!

Now it's time for Big Mak's soccer practice and Mess's basketball practice. I hope your day was as wonderful and as enjoyable as ours.