Boy howdy, did he ever grow a garden this year! Since our backyard did not work so well on our first attempt (too much shade), he tilled under most of our front yard for Round 2. We have a winner! The tomatoes did really well. He got two huge pumpkins for Halloween. The fennel was as tall as he is. Not so much with the melons, and the broccoli and peas got a fungus. It was a lot of work for everyone - we had to do extra watering a lot in the spring because it didn't rain for weeks. But it was all worth the effort.
The garden at the end of June - everything got taller after this, and we had a row of 10-foot sunflowers at the far end.
TK's 2015 goal: make at least one quilt big enough for a twin-sized bed.
I finished my first quilt top, but haven't yet gotten the batting for it or put it all together into a finished quilt for a bed. The pattern is called hobo rails, and I did it completely random. The only guideline was that I wanted all various shades of pink. This one took me forever and isn't even done yet, but I really enjoyed doing it and have plans for more quilts.
the pieced quilt top, destined for Birdie's bed
SUNNY's 2015 goals: open a family art gallery, learn how to cook and bake, learn cursive
None of the above! Ack! Slacker Mom, more than anything, admittedly. Her personal art gallery is that her bedroom has her artwork all over the walls, and we've gone through an awful lot of tape. She's on a streak of drawing mermaids, and has made a number of little mermaid figures with her polymer clay. We're still working on a way to display the clay figures.
Her newest form of art is that she learned to finger-knit this summer.
POSY's 2015 goals: start a Planet Earth club, learn about animals
We have a "clubhouse" in the cubby under the stairs in the playroom, which Posy has wallpapered with the large posters made in her Planet Earth science class at co-op. It's the Planet Earth Clubhouse! We keep all the science books in the bookcase there, Dad put up lights, and there's a rug and pillows. We've made lots of zoo and aquarium trips this year, so there's been a lot of animal observation. (And at this point, someone will ask why we don't have a pet so I'll just answer now. Because I say No, for a lot of reasons. This is a point of contention in our family, but so far, I've been utterly unconvinced to make that step.)
We have a "clubhouse" in the cubby under the stairs in the playroom, which Posy has wallpapered with the large posters made in her Planet Earth science class at co-op. It's the Planet Earth Clubhouse! We keep all the science books in the bookcase there, Dad put up lights, and there's a rug and pillows. We've made lots of zoo and aquarium trips this year, so there's been a lot of animal observation. (And at this point, someone will ask why we don't have a pet so I'll just answer now. Because I say No, for a lot of reasons. This is a point of contention in our family, but so far, I've been utterly unconvinced to make that step.)
At the penguin exhibit, Mystic Aquarium, July.
BIRDIE's 2015 goal: memorize the skeleton song
I think she memorized the song - we heard it often enough over the past year. In the fall, Birdie very abruptly transitioned from preschool/kindergarten to being ready for actual schoolwork and activities. She was extremely bored at our co-op being with "the babies" and the last couple of weeks, she outright refused to attend the preschool group. She tagged along with Posy to the 6-8 year old classes. I was going to wait until next fall to move her up since she doesn't turn 6 until the end of the spring session but nope. She'll move up in the spring. She will LOVE it. Right now, she reads beautifully, she draws constantly, and she always wants to use electronics to do math or play games.
in art class at the fall session of co-op
MAGNOLIA's 2015 goal: learn to read by herself
Magnolia, like Birdie, is kinda killing me here. I'm trying to wait to start my kids with formal education. I very strongly believe in NOT rushing children, letting them play and develop at their own pace, and not starting academics until they're at least 6 or 7. But ... true to form for our family, she is learning to read on her own right at her 4th birthday. She wants her handwriting worksheets NOW, thank you very much. She puts puzzles together very quickly. She loves her dance class. She's ready to go. She will probably start Year 1 as soon as she turns 5 rather than waiting another full year.
When she opened her birthday presents, she started reading her new book right away!
AZALEA's 2015 goal: draw and color on paper rather than the wall or furniture
Little Miss Youngest is two this year, and is every bit a typical 2-year-old! She wants so much to be a big girl with the rest of her sisters, with her coloring pages and looking at books. She talks as well as everyone else and keeps up like you wouldn't believe. For what it's worth, I homeschool all 5 kids now. None of this - formal school for the older girls while the younger ones play. They're all in.
Ready for the corn maze when we were at the apple orchard in October
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