books and horsies and picnics and figures and pioneer days and even a goat or two

[ciroccoj]

• I keep seeing people recording what they're reading, and it occurred to me that maybe if I write down what we're reading, I'll get some sort of feeling of accomplishment. Or nostalgia. Or something. Or maybe I'll just discover why other people list what they're reading, because I always find it really interesting but never know why they're doing it. So:
  
  
  • I'm currently reading: Hawaii, James Michener (we're on Pearl Harbor right now), Explorer, C.J. Cherryh (we have not yet arrived back at Reunion Station), and Aztec, by Gary Jennings (we're probably having sex or ripping out people's hearts and utterly grossing out a bunch of Spanish priests, since that appears to be 90% of the action, and I haven't picked it up in a while).
    
  • Chris is currently reading psychiatry texts that he bought years ago but never had the chance to read.
    
  • Daniel is reading Harry Potter and the Goblet of Fire, and a whooole mess of gaming books, including the Star Wars RPG book.
    
  • Justin recently borrowed How the Cat Swallowed Thunder, by Lloyd Alexander, and often requests it.
    
  • Chris is reading Harry Potter and the Chamber of Secrets to the boys at bedtime.
  
  
  
• Week 1 of home schooling went fairly well, considering that the first day was Labour Day and the second was the HBLN picnic. Daniel finished his Math, English, Social studies and Spanish goals. Not too bad.
  
  
• Justin doesn't want to do ballet again this fall. We'll see how he feels about it in January.
  
  
• Boys went horseback riding at a home schooling mom's house, out in Hammond. It's far. They loved it. They also loved playing with her kids and their dogs (2), chickens (8), and goats (2).
  
  
• Our friends Todd and Susan, who moved to Owen Sound, are going to move to Belleville!!! I'm turning cartwheels. We've missed them, and their kids, who are our godchildren.
  
  
• Random sad quotey bit from Justin: (a bit tearful) And Daniel's faster than I am, and he's smarter than I am, and he's just better at everything! And he always wins all the games, and he's stronger than I am, and [sudden chuckle pierces the tears] but I'm much better at not freaking out [more chuckles, then back to sad] - and he's better at reading than I am..."
  
  
• Random snippet from the picnic:
  Mom #1: So the next class you do will be biology?
  Mom #2: Yeah. I've still got to get the supplies together.
  Me: Oh! I almost forgot to tell you: I have a pickled fetal pig in my basement!
  Mom #2: Oh, you have no idea how often people tell me that.
  
  
• Went to my first Evidence class. Really cool. And I got my texts, and am speeding through the readings like the geeky mature student that I am :)
  
  
• Daniel goes to Upper Canada Village for a three-day pioneer immersion camp on Monday. Ever cool!
  
  
• Chris is doing figure painting with the boys, to improve their hand-eye coordination and to share a hobby he loves. It's very cute.
  
  
• How cute is it?
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
• Our bedroom inexplicably smells like pea soup. It's possible nobody needed to know this.

Comments

[leaper182.livejournal.com]

Oh, poor Justin! I know the feeling -- my older brother always seemed better at everything than me.

*sits the Justin plushie next to the Cirocco plushie for cuddles*

[mynuet.livejournal.com]

*snork* Really? Yeah, that wasn't the case.

[ciroccoj.livejournal.com]

*sits the Justin plushie next to the Cirocco plushie for cuddles*
Yeah, there's been a lot of cuddling re. this issue. And a lot of words of wisdom from Chris, a little brother himself.

[neonnurse.livejournal.com]

I liked those pics! Kids having fun and learning things is always a good topic!

[ciroccoj.livejournal.com]

Kids having fun and learning things is always a good topic!
Always gives my mommy-heart a little glow :) :)

[lizzie-omalley.livejournal.com]

Figure paint is so cool. I still have the figures that I painted from my former D&D days.

[ciroccoj.livejournal.com]

I still have the figures that I painted from my former D&D days.
Yeah, so does Chris. The boys are Not Allowed to touch them. Except when Chris says they can. Happily, they're now old enough that this command can stay in their heads longer than five minutes, even when Chris' figures whisper Shiny! at them :)

I loved...

[culturevulture7.livejournal.com]

Evidence. It's one of the few textbooks I kept.

The horse looks like my old horse from when I rode, Mr. Burr. He looked like one of those Prezewalksi (sp) horses from Mongolia...

Re: I loved...

[ciroccoj.livejournal.com]

Evidence. It's one of the few textbooks I kept.
Nobody really knows why it's not mandatory at Ottawa U. We all take it anyway. And just looking over the syllabus I can certainly see why.

Re: I loved...

[culturevulture7.livejournal.com]

It's like Law & Order for real (or I'd've thought that if L&O had been on when I took Evidence ::g::)

[officerjudy.livejournal.com]

I've always had a major complex about my older brother, so I feel Justin's pain. It's hard being the youngest.

And the boys are lucky that they get to be around horses. I grew up being absolutely terrified of them.

[ciroccoj.livejournal.com]

It's hard being the youngest.
Yeah, Chris is pretty sympathetic too, having been in his shoes. I can't really relate, what with being an only child.

And the boys are lucky that they get to be around horses. I grew up being absolutely terrified of them.
Yeah, we're really lucky. I took horseback riding classes as a kid, but we were somewhat more, um, comfortable when I was a kid than Chris and I are now. We lucked out with this home schooling mom, though. And it's a win-win scenario; we get affordable riding lessons and social time with her kids, and she gets a bit of extra cash and playmates for her kids.

[mynuet.livejournal.com]

Awww, that's the first time I've seen pictures. Cute! I've considered letting Milo's hair grow long like that, too.

[ciroccoj.livejournal.com]

Cute! I've considered letting Milo's hair grow long like that, too.
Hee - thanks :)

Be prepared for people to assume Milo's a girl, though, if you do that. And to be mortified when you correct them. Which puzzles me; I mean, most little kids with long hair are girls; what's the big deal about making the obvious assumption? Really, other than hair length, there's not that much to differentiate boys from girls anyway, not at that age. Why be horrified that you got it wrong?

People are funny.

[ladystarstruck.livejournal.com]

Can that horse see where it's going???

I think I'm going to have to ask you to stop talking about homeschooling in such fun and glowing ways, Jim! You're making me jealous, and I'll never be able to homeschool Rohan myself without a lottery win or something.

[ciroccoj.livejournal.com]

Can that horse see where it's going???
Oh I know! It totally creeped me out at first. But yeah, she can see just fine; it's a mesh to keep the bugs out of her eyes.

I think I'm going to have to ask you to stop talking about homeschooling in such fun and glowing ways, Jim!
LOL! Will do!

I'll make sure to go on and on about the frustration of trying to keep Daniel on-task. Or the difficulty with trying to get him enough social time with other kids. Or the annoyance of driving all over the place for different activities.

...yeah, no, I'm not convincing myself either ;)

Although who knows, if Justin joins us in the new year, I may not have to work at downplaying the positives. Can you tell I'm a little nervous about attempting to home school both of them?