{1}
They’re back! Too little sleep and some colds and homesickness, but I think they had a good time overall. 🙂
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My main project this week was to clean out up the big boys’ room so we could rearrange it. No more bunk beds in there – we bought a Twin XL mattress for D, because he’ll need it at the rate he’s growing. 😉 We moved the dresser out and put the clothes in plastic drawers in the closet. I like having all their clothing in one place and freeing up space in the rest of the room.
There’s still some work to be done (I’m awaiting an online order), but at least it’s (temporarily) neat and clean. 🙂
{3}
It was a bit quieter around here with just the two little guys – some of the time. We took them out for a treat on Monday and Friday:
And they had a lot of fun in the wading pool (when they weren’t fighting 😉 ):
{4}
Thanks to a friend, hubby and I had a delicious dinner at Olive Garden on Wednesday night. Their Steak Gorgonzola-Alfredo was amazing – probably the best thing I’ve ever eaten there (leftovers the next day were great, too). And we tried out a different Half Price Books location on the way home.
{5}
I’m trying to think of ways to make the most-used bookshelf in the homeschool room more functional, so I was excited to find these book bins (made in Canada!) yesterday:
They are quite deep, so they do stick out from the shelf a bit, but that also means they can hold big books and binders. It will be much better than the disorganized stacks of workbooks and teacher’s guides and such that were there!
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I’m behind on sharing School Education quotes, so here’s one from Chapter 16 (I think I’ve shared it here before, but it’s a good one):
I think we should have a great educational revolution once we ceased to regard ourselves as assortments of so-called faculties, and realised ourselves as persons whose great business it is to get in touch with other persons of all sorts and conditions, of all countries and climes, of all times, past and present. History would become entrancing, literature a magic mirror for the discovery of other minds, the study of sociology a duty and a delight. We should tend to become responsive and wise, humble and reverent, regcognising the duties and the joys of the full human life. We cannot of course overtake such a programme of work, but we can keep it in view; and I suppose every life is moulded upon its ideal.
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And from Chapter 17 – I thought this was wise advice, especially with all that has been going on in the world recently:
I am not sure that we let life and its circumstances have free play about children. We temper the wind too much to the lambs; pain and sin, want and suffering, disease and death – we shield them from the knowledge of these at all hazards. I do not say that we should wantonly expose the tender souls to distress, but that we should recognise that life has a ministry for them also; and that Nature provides them with a subtle screen, like that of its odour to a violet, from damaging shocks. Some of us will not even let children read fairy tales because these bring the ugly facts of life too suddenly before them. […]
But we may run no needless risks, and must keep a quiet, matter-of-fact tone in speaking of fire, shipwreck, or any terror. There are children to whom the thought of Joseph in the pit is a nightmare; and many of us elders are unable to endure a ghastly tale in newspaper or novel. All I would urge is a natural treatment of children, and that they be allowed their fair share of life, such as it is; prudence and not panic should rule our conduct towards them.
