since I wrote on this blog. I have another that I started in preparation for the fast approaching gremlin season in our lives—you know for the boring, daily, keeping in contact stuff. But in an effort not to bore you with all that (not that it is terribly up-to-date just yet) I have definitely neglected this one.
So let’s recap the last couple of months…
Homeschooling—no we are not where I want to be with things, but we have had to shift some thinking (mostly mine) and discover different paths.
The Hawaiian Princess has her own rhythm of things and it truly is best to do school when she asks for it, a habit I am slowly trying to shape. She is our resident artist and recently supplied Grandma and Grandpa with a large envelope of treasures (just so I wouldn’t have to round file them and risk being found out). She also loves to read and is chomping at the bit to read the Racing Princess’ books—she pretty much reads whatever she can get her hands on (which is amazing and awesome all at once—I mean she is 5!!)
The Racing Princess hit a brick wall in math this year. It’s not that she can’t do it, it’s that she has been blessed with stubbornness from both sides of our family and decides that she won’t do it and math then became a multi-hour agony—daily!! So we totally switch how she does math. She LOVES the Life of Fred. It’s short reading, just a little bit of practice—leaving time for flashcards—since that is something that I was not faithful in doing when she was younger—something I need to remember to make a priority for the other two as they begin to learn their math facts. We also found flashcards for the computer, kindle and iPad—since our kids love electronics :) Our other stumbling block is writing/handwriting. She does not care to write—at all. And her handwriting needs help. So we have had to come to a bit of a compromise with that as well. Creative writing she can dictate to me and copy work has been reduced.
The Baby Princess demands to do “scoo wook like the gurls” which is a blessing and a curse. She really wants to do stuff when I am trying to work with someone else—so she doesn’t get the educational attention that she deserves. We have haphazardly covered colors since the new year and some shapes. This fall we will school her “for real” as we work our way through the alphabet. When Grandpa is out this summer, I plan to steal a few hours here and there to get all her stuff ready (copied, printed, etc) so that I have no excuses :)
Traveling: Daddy and I went to Berlin for a long weekend while the girls stayed with Auntie and Uncle and the Cousins! That was fun—just the two of us. We did a TON of walking! We are looking forward to going back next year and taking the girls with us---and hopefully Grandma too!! Berlin is so different than it was the last time I was there over 20 years ago (ouch that makes me feel old!). The last time I was in Berlin, the Wall was still up, we went through Checkpoint Charlie and had to show our passports. The day I was there, it was raining. It was like going from color TV in West Berlin to black and white TV in East Berlin, from happy, fun loving to dreary, sad and depressed. Berlin is a beautiful city, with loads and loads of history!! We had an awesome weekend! And we ate at KFC and had mashed potatoes!!
For spring break earlier this month, we went to France. WOW!! What a whirlwind trip that was. We started in Verdun, France—we had studied WWI last summer—heartbreaking cemeteries, Sacred Way, trenches, etc. Next stop was Pierrefonds, France where the castle used in the filming of the BBC TV show Merlin takes place. We are studying Middle Ages this summer and that was an amazing castle to see!! There were trebuchets and a catapult out front and even cannon balls imbedded in one of the walls!! And it’s in a cute, non-touristy town. Then we headed to Paris: Eiffel Tower, Statue of Liberty replica, Arch de Triomphe, Louvre (we didn’t go in), Notre Dame, bridges, beautiful buildings, crepes, train rides to and from our hotel. We also visited the Palace of Versailles just outside of Paris—tourist trap for sure—loads and loads and LOADS of people! Beautiful artwork, marble, flooring, painted ceilings, gold EVERYWHERE! Then to the region of Normandy, France. We stayed in Bayeux and saw the Bayeux Tapestry that depicts the 1066 Battle of Hastings where William of Normandy takes over England—amazing piece of work!!! And the audio guide describes each scene on the Tapestry in story form which was awesome!! We also took a Normandy Beach tour which included St. Mere Eglise, the 82nd Airborne museum, Omaha Beach, Pont du Hoc, Utah Beach, a German cemetery, a British cemetery and an American cemetery. While we were in Normandy, we also took a quick jaunt over to Mont Saint Michel—an island monastery off the coast of France. You have to park on the continent and walk the causeway to get to the island—that’s a hefty hike. We were there on Easter Sunday and there were loads and loads and LOADS of people there! Some folks make a pilgrimage to Mont Saint Michel and walk across the sands at low tide—we were not up for that challenge with our three kids—we would have found the quicksand in the area for sure! We had a great trip, great food (croissants, crepes, St Eve pastries, baguettes, various breads, etc).
Everything Else: When we are home, we continue with our normal pattern of life: PWOC, Awana, Chapel on Sundays. We are also trying to maximize time with Auntie, Uncle and the Cousins before they PCS to Tampa in June.
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