Second Grade- The Series

In May we had a party to celebrate the end of second grade. My kidlets thought that summer would be a time of blissful forgetfulness.

That is...until today.

I started seeing the classic symptoms last week. The diagnosis was easy: Nintendo has sucked their brains dry.

So this morning I welcomed them to Second Grade, the Series! We did some light school to get their brains ready for third grade. Everything was going fine until handwriting time.

The door bell rang.

Oh no- Neighbor kids.

I cracked the door just a hair, trying to prevent my children from being sucked away from my "Son of Second Grade" experiment.

"Can the triplets come play?", asked two innocent boys from across the street.

"No, they are doing their handwriting right now.", I said.

Oops... As soon as it slipped out I knew I was in trouble.

"They are doing what?", the two exclaimed as if I was admitting to some sort of social debauchery.

"Um, they'll be out in about 45 minutes.", I said as I quickly shut the door. But it was too late. The neighbors knew. My secret was out. It is July and we are doing... SCHOOL!!!!

Call the authorities!!!

So this morning was homeschool light. I always start with a brain booster. Today it was from the book Analogies Ready to go reproducibles.

This book is an easy way to slide into schooltime and wake up their brains. Occasionally you even learn something about the kiddo in the process.

I read one of the examples aloud, "Okay, kids, here's the first one. Flour is to *blank* as Tools are to Carpenter."

Birdman shouts out, "Millner!"

There was utter silence as we all tried to process the word "millner".

Rocketman looked at him incredulous and said, "Why would you put flour on a hat?"

Birdman's face was a blank stare. He had no idea what RocketMan's problem was. That's when I realized my southern accent had slipped out without me noticing.

After all, a Millner would use a FLOWER on a hat just like tools are used by a carpenter, right?

Bwah-ha-ha-ha! BirdMan gets an A today!

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Feline Trouble

This is Jo-Jo. She has been with me for 13 years. She lasted longer than my marriage and I'm very, very attached to her.

She has stopped grooming and won't jump up on anything or climb stairs. Her abdomen has ballooned up.

I took her to the vet yesterday and he called today to tell me that she has diabetes. Her blood sugar is supposed to be 130 or so. It was over 700. I picked her up, got her prescription for insulin filled at the pharmacy and drove her home. The vet said that he thinks there is something else wrong with her because of all the excess fluid in her abdomen. If you look at the photo you can see how big her tummy has gotten. I've got to take her back to the vet next week for a follow-up.

I brought her home and took her to the food bowl. Then I went looking for Yogi. He's been an indoor cat since we've moved into my parent's home due to the divorce.

He's not in the house.

I can't find him. Yogi is GooseyGirl's kitty. She carries him around and keeps little kitty treats in her clothing drawer for him. She absolutely adores this cat.

I can't find him!!!

The kids are with their dad today and when they get back, GooseyGirl is going to be absolutely devastated. She tears up just thinking about life without him.

Life has been so unsteady and hard for these kids the past few months. She has reacted by absorbing every one's emotions and worrying for them. This isn't going to be easy for her.

Please, please hold a vision of him safe and in her arms. I'm hoping he just snuck outside and will be back before she returns from her visit with her dad today.

***********************UPDATE*************************
Seven hours went by and I still couldn't find Yogi. Every hour my mom and I would shake his little kitty treat jar and call for him. We tore apart the house looking for him. We walked around the neighborhood calling for him.

I finally decided that we had to eliminate the possibility that Yogi had died in the house. GooseyGirl simply couldn't be subjected to finding her kitty's body if he had perished somewhere in the house.

My mom and I steeled ourselves as we decided it was time to find the body.

However, we aren't very bendy.

There are lots of crevasses, underbed areas and general low lying pockets of darkness in the house. All of these places needed to be searched. But again, we aren't very bendy.

That's when it occurred to me that the two seven year olds across the street were very, very bendy. I thought that with a well placed flashlight, they could find the body. In fact, I had my hand on the doorknob ready to head out and ask their mom who was in the garden.

Thankfully I shared my plan with my mother.

!!!!!!

"You're going to ask our neighbor to have their kids do WHAT?!?", she exclaimed.

Hmmmm.... maybe that's not such a hot idea. I decided to take my mother's advice and bypass harassing small children that aren't blood related. On the positive side, I saved the neighbor's family from some unwanted mental health bills. That's good, right?

Meanwhile, I turned to begin my gruesome search.

I turned the corner into the hallway and guess who was looking at me?

YOGI!!!

He was standing there in the middle of the hallway, tail in the air, looking at me like, "You rang?"

Sigh... cat catastrophe averted and mental health of neighborhood children are safe.

I think I'm ready for a nap.

*************UPDATE*************
First dose of kitty insulin has gone well. JoJo was walking around and purring while I petted her.

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Final Grade in my Marketing F504 class

I got an A!!!


I would have been unbelievably ashamed if my grade came in lower than that considering marketing is my background!

Now I have to figure out if I want to continue pursuing my MBA. The problem is that once you get an MBA, you actually have to use it.

The types of positions that require an MBA don't mix well with being a single parent of triplets.

What I want is a job that allows me flexibility, insurance and a reasonable work hours. Sounds like a lot to ask, eh?

Divorce brought my homeschooling journey to an abrupt halt. I'm thankful that the kids are excited about attending public school this fall.

Last night they were looking through the school's website and clicking on all the clubs and activities offered. BirdMan wants to join the science club and the chess club. RocketMan is set on the basketball team. GooseyGirl wants all things artsy.

I still haven't processed all the emotions I have about the upcoming changes to their education. I know it is going to be a difficult adjustment for all of us.

One of the things I will miss are the field trips to the zoo during a weekday when we can have the whole place to ourselves.

Here are some photos of an outing this past spring to feed the lorikeets. You may wonder why you can't see GooseyGirl in the photos. It is because she was hiding inside her Grandma's jacket so a bird wouldn't land on her. She is okay with our single conure but flocks of birds scare her to pieces!

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Apollo Speaks!

Our green-cheeked conure has started talking! I never imagined it would be so much fun to converse with a feathered friend. His most active time is at night right after you put on his cage cover.

We call the cover his "invisibility cloak". All the books say that with his cover on he should feel secure and nested. He is supposed to settle down and go to sleep without worrying where his flock is. He hasn't seen this book.

Once his invisibility cloak is on he starts clicking. It sounds like kissing the air. After a few clicks you'll hear, "Hello". Even though we are supposed to ignore him, I can't help responding. I'll repeat it back, "Hello".

Then he'll say, "Apollo" and "Good Bird".

My dad is working on teaching him, "Here, kitty, kitty, kitty."

Once Apollo has that down it should get interesting around here, eh?

MBA and pet photos

I just finished my final exam for my Marketing F504 class which is a prerequisite required for the MBA program. I'm still unsure about pursuing an MBA due to that pesky GMAT thing.
I think I did well on the exam and should know my score in about a week.

Meanwhile, GooseyGirl and BirdMan have been taking pictures with Grandma's digital camera. I don't think they are ready for National Geo- although the picture of our bird, Apollo does capture his essence quite well.

I like the picture GooseyGirl caught of Yogi- it makes him look like he's smiling. CHEESE!!







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Tinkering

Well, can you tell I've been tinkering? The new look is compliant with the new Google Blogger. I'm still working on getting the banner photo on the top.

Meanwhile, I've got to study for my Marketing F504 class. The final is tomorrow. I'm trying to knock out the pre-requisites for an MBA and this class was the first.

Wish me luck!

********UPDATE****************
I got a 96% on the multiple choice part of the exam. Now I've got to complete the two hour essay exam. YIKES!
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Case Study

I took GooseyGirl to a second hand clothing shop on Saturday in hopes of finding a few good deals on shorts. That's when I discovered it.

It has begun.

You know.... the "Mom-you-are-so-uncool-I'm-going-to-roll-my-eyes-at-you-whenever-you pick-up-a-garment-so-that-you-will-know-how-completely-out-of-touch-you-are" look.

I'm a pseudo anthropologist at heart and I couldn't pass up this opportunity to flesh out the budding fashion opinions of my little eight year old. That's when I started experimenting to see how far I could push her.

Case Study #1:
The cute matchy, matchy Hanna Anderson-esque pants combo.
Result? Eyeroll with lip snarl.









Case Study #2:
The Gymboree-esque strawberry smocked dress.
Result? Eyeroll, lip snarl and sharp exhale.







Case Study #3:
The Laura Ashley-esque gingham ribbon bedecked sundress.
Result? GooseyGirl looked at me much the same as one would do to someone fatally injured but they just don't know it yet. She didn't roll her eyes at all. This time she reverted to overt passive aggressive kindness as she said, "Um, Mom, why don't you go help the boys?"

I walked over to BirdMan and RocketMan who were playing with the random baby toys sprinkled throughout the store. Soon enough Miss Opinionated was done and brought her much acclaimed fashion choice over to me for purchase. Guess what she picked out?? Camo!!! Moss green camo!!!

No, I didn't buy it.

Then I got home and found a raging email from my soon-to-be-but-not-soon-enough-for-me-ex-husband. He wrote, "The kids need to have clothes that are not 2 years old, or stop only sending them to me with their worn out clothes if you have bought them new things. You would not be that vindictive to your children."

At least he is good for a giggle every now and then.

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Their Crystal Ball

Overheard from the backseat of the minivan this morning.

BirdMan: "Hey, brother, what job are you going to get when you're a grownup?"

RocketMan: "Oh, I'm either gonna be a basketball player or a basketball coach."

BirdMan: "Well, if you are a football coach I can teach you a good defense but I don't know a good basketball defense yet."

GooseyGirl: "I think you should be a coach. How much money will you get?"

RocketMan: "Oh, about a million dollars. Then I can buy, 'ya know, extra stuff like a kitten."

GooseyGirl: "Yeah, one from the kitty shelter. And if you decide not to be a coach, you can come work in my pet shop."

RocketMan: "Okay."

Thank goodness they've got their futures all figured out!

Who is the teacher?

Sixty years. Sixty! That's how long the Persian War with the Greeks lasted. Sixty! Considering the average life span at that time I just can't imagine being in a conflict that long. Then after the Spartans and Athenians drove out the Persians they turned on each other and fought for another 25 years during the Peloponnesian Wars.

Today during history we talked about the war between Sparta and Athens. The kids were especially intrigued by the story of Alcibiades (whom I'd never heard of). He wanted to be King and talked the Athenians, weakened from the plague, into fighting the Spartans. They lost horribly so he deserted Athens and turned traitor. What a scoundrel! The kids decided he was very, very naughty. Words like loyalty, trust and leadership were flying around the schoolroom.

What I like most about the classical approach to education is the chronological study of history that moves forward with great depth and repeats the cycle every four years. This year the kids are studying the ancients which covers from the nomads to about 400AD. They've had such fun with Greek history that we've sort of camped out here in the book and wallowed in the Greek myths and gods for a bit.

They know that Athens was dedicated to the goddess Athena and that the Spartans refused to help Athens fight Persia at the Battle of Marathon due to an ongoing religious festival they were having. Today Gooseygirl said, "Mommy, each side thought their gods would look out for them and help them to win their wars."

I said, "Do you think their gods really did help them win or lose?"

She said, "No".

I said, "Well, even today people believe that God is involved in the outcome of war and battles that countries have with each other. What do you think?"

She said, "I think it just makes Him sad."

Some days I teach my kids but most days my kids teach me.

Aliens have landed and they look like my kidlets

When my kidlets were little we couldn't go anywhere without stares and open curiosity from the general public. Once I made my friend Juliet, push our six foot long stroller in the mall just so that she could get a feel for how it felt to draw gaping stares everywhere you go. I found it amusing to walk behind her and watch others watch her. The pointing, the questioning looks, the gasps, it was fun just to see what I must look like when I pushed them in their stroller.

Now that they are six our stroller has been retired and the stares have diminished. Few people can pick out that they are triplets. However, I'm starting to get stares and gapes again but it isn't due to their multiple birth.

It is because they are aliens.

Last summer we took them to the Kentucky State Fair. There was a HUGE world map laid out on the floor and there weren't any people around. So for fun, I had them stand on Kentucky. Then I called out a country or state and they would run to put their foot on that country or state. "Italy!", I shouted. Off they'd go to hop on Italy. "Canada!", I called and they'd run to Canada. I glanced around and saw that no one was anywhere near us so I decided to have a little fun. "Sri Lanka!", I said. They scampered to Sri Lanka. "Belize!", "Madagascar!", "Turkey!". At this point my three were giggling and having a ball running all over the world to the different countries I was calling out.

Suddenly a male voice behind me said, "Mongolia!". I turned around and found a crowd had gathered behind me. There was one man grinning like mad. I turned back around and my alien children were perched on top of Mongolia. "Bosnia!", he shouted next. More and more people were gathering. "Saudi Arabia!", "Poland!", "Norway!". He was trying to trip them up but they just kept running to each country with glee. I was getting uncomfortable and yelled out, "Kentucky!". Once they got there I said, "Okay, time to leave!".

I turned around and a couple was staring at us open mouthed. I smiled and started moving quickly away. I was concerned that my alien children had exposed themselves and not at all comfortable with the public display that had just occurred.

Well, yesterday my alien children exposed themselves again.

We were standing in the olive oil aisle at Whole Foods Market a few steps behind another man who was looking over the myriad of oils and vinegars. GooseyGirl turns to me with her little girl voice and says, "Mommy did you know Athena was born from Zeus' head? His head just split right open and she popped out! Before that he had swallowed her mommy, Metis. Isn't that wired!?!"

At this point I glanced around to see who might have overheard my little alien. Oops... too late. The olive oil man heard. He stopped, turned fully around and gaped at us.

I quickly ducked into the spaghetti sauce aisle and kept moving.

The Little Red Lighthouse

During our character education time this week we've been reading The Little Red Lighthouse and the Great Grey Bridge each morning. The book is about the pride the lighthouse feels as he goes about his job. However, at one point his pride goes to far and becomes the wrong kind of pride. The lighthouse declares, "I'm MASTER OF THE RIVER".

We started talking about the kind of pride that says, "I'm smarter or better than anyone else." We discussed how that type of pride sometimes leads to a fall or disappointment.

In the story, just after the lighthouse declares himself Master of the River, a great grey bridge is built right next to him. The lighthouse feels very small and unimportant next to this huge structure, with it's giant light flashing from the upper reaches of its steel columns. He gives up until the bridge calls to him during a storm and asks him to shine his light for the ships, since the bridge's light is only for the ships of the air. "To each his own, little brother", the great grey bridge tells him. The lighthouse returns to his work and now feels pride in his job but it is the proper kind of pride.

This is a pretty complex idea and so I waited until we'd read it a few times before I brought this to their attention. I thought maybe I'd tell them a story from my own life that could illustrate this.

I told them about how I was recognized in high school as a good singer. I was picked to be a part of elite vocal groups, sang solos and competed in state singing competitions. In college I joined a group and was the only non-music major and the only freshman allowed in the small acappella ensemble. However, they wanted me to sing alto instead of soprano which I'd never done. But I decided that since I made it into the group and I'd won awards in high school, I didn't need to practice or prepare. I could read music after all and was accomplished at sight reading.

Pride.

I was asked to sing four part harmony with three upperclassmen during a week long concert series. I was the only alto and I had to stand next to a soprano. The song was Silent Night and I thought, "I've been singing that song all my life. I need to just review it a couple of times but I'll be fine." We stood up to sing and after four notes the soprano reached over and gently put her hand on my hand. The message was clear. My notes were WAY off. I was so disappointed and embarrassed. I had set myself up for a fall with my pride. The next day I practised and rehearsed and when I sang the song again I got it right. My pride was back in check.

I told this story to my kidlets and I could see the wheels turning. BirdMan and GooseyGirl were quiet and really thinking about my story. Then RocketMan turned to look at me with his big brown eyes and I could see a question forming in his head. I felt this was a pivotal moment to connect with his forming moral consciousness. I was about to influence with my little man's thoughts.

"Mommy?", he said, "Can you believe how big this hole is in my sock?"

Arrrrghhhhhh......

Well, at least 2/3 of my children got it. Of course, RocketMan is the one who could most use this lesson but it went right over his head.

The War is Over

The Greeks won and Troy has been sacked. We finished the Iliad. The version we read was a condensed kiddo version by Kingfisher. I skipped over most of the gory middle part and we finished up with the last chapter which was about Paris shooting an arrow through Achilles' heel and killing him.

GooseyGirl was especially fascinated by this. There was a picture in our book of Achilles' mom, Thetis, holding onto Achilles as a baby as she dipped him in the protective waters of the river Styx. The picture clearly shows her holding him by his heel, thereby leaving that area of his body unprotected by the magical waters. GooseyGirl thought of other ways Thetis could have dipped Achilles without leaving a weak spot. It was fun to listen to her creative ideas like putting him in a basket with a lid and dropping that in.

RocketMan loved the part about the Trojan horse being pulled into the city with the dangerous warriors hiding inside. I've caught him sneaking into my office to take the Iliad down and reading it himself. He really enjoyed this story. In fact, they are acting it out as I type this in the other room. BirdMan is Odysseus and RocketMan is Achilles.

I loved how it gave us a chance to talk about how "Good" guys may not always be good and "Bad" guys may not always be bad. Throughout the Iliad they found themselves rooting for Greeks one minute and then for the Trojans the next. They saw how the heroes and gods had huge character flaws and sometimes act horribly. This was the first book they've read whose characters had a mixed bag of traits like that. Now that is a life lesson!

One of my top goals in their education is to provide pegs for them to hang future knowledge upon. Homer, Greeks, Trojans, Achilles' heel, Trojan Horse, Zeus, Poseidon, Odysseus, Paris, Helen , Hector. CHECK!

Resistance is futile. You will be assimilated.

Today during our grammar lesson we talked about the pronoun "I". The children were asked to dictate a story about themselves to me and I typed it on the computer as they spoke. What I discovered is that they rarely speak in the first person. Instead they speak in a collective voice.

It isn't, "I found a frog". It is "We found a frog".

It isn't "My mom gave me a cookie". It is "Our mom gave us a cookie".

It isn't "I am 6 years old". It is "We are six years old".

The tiny psychologist within me is fascinated by the notion of growing up in a group setting. I was an only child until I was 16 so, as the poem says, "It was I, I, I. It was me, me, me." The proportions of my teenage self-centeredness astound me.

I didn't have to share my toys, share my room, share my clothes. Everything in the house that was for children was there for me and me alone. It took a husband and three kids to break the selfish cycle that I lived in. Now, my life is spent on others. I have to remind myself to take time out just for me and my interests. That transformation was a huge life lesson which is why being a triplet is so fascinating to me.

How will their development be impacted by being a part of a collective? What does it mean to consider yourself as a part of a whole? I can see the good and the bad side of this issue. There are many books written about birth order and how that affects your personality on a fundamental level. But there aren't many books about being a triplet and how that impacts your self worth and identity.

The next 14 years should be an interesting ride, eh?

Gnome Migration documented by Flat Stanley

"Whilst not native to Australia, Gnomes are reportedly migrating from Europe and Britain to make a new start in 'new lands' where the impact of pollution is less. " This bizarre phenomenon was heralded by the Australian Gnome Convention.

It seems acres of land have become the new Gnome commune for smiling face, pointy hats, and red pants. GooseyGirl's Flat Stanely got to visit Gnome land in Australia and is considering starting a new Flat Stanley Village of his own.

The first inhabitants would be these two friends he met while traveling. Apparently, taking small flat men on vacation is a common endeavor in the land down under.

Stanley believe this is due to lenient zoning laws on creatures below 2' tall. No word yet on what the Kangaroos think of the blatant encroachment of their land.

Out of the mouth of Moms..

A few acutal quotes originating from me (a.k.a. life with boys):


"Boys, do not lick the piano."


"Stop that! We are not in the middle ages."

"Please quit eating my sweater." Okay, so I said that to our parrot and not my boys. It is still weird!

Kiwi Christmas

Way back in October, some friends from New Zealand asked the kidlets to host their Flat Traveler, Caroline. I'm embarrassed to say that we STILL have her and life is finally settling down enough to show her around this town of ours.

Last weekend it was wonderfully warm so we treated Flat Caroline to a trip to Indiana so she could see our pretty skyline. She enjoyed watching the Ohio River and hunting for fossils.

The big bat is in front of the Louisville Slugger factory/museum on Main street. Flat Caroline said she felt smaller than usual next to that big ol' thing!

She also stopped by the Fraiser Historical Museum and ran into a medieval warrior. She was a bit unnerved but we assured her that he was friendly.

New Christmas Traditions

I'm starting to craft new Christmas traditions for our changing family. I decided to invite over some of the kidlet's friends for a cookie making party. I know, not real original, but 5 seven year olds and a bucket of flour makes cookies a very WILD affair.

The two girls in the picture are twins who live nearby. I'm so thankful that their family found a way into my life.

The twins and my kidlets are only 6 weeks apart in age, so it is always fun when they get together. In fact, their first play date was when the girls were about 8 weeks old.

Their mother has helped me through the years to think things through and see the blessings of my daily life.

This picture is from one of their playdates when they were babies. I think they are about 9 months old in this picture. Thankfully their playdates now don't have quite as much drool involved!

Outback Adventures Continued!

GooseyGirl's Flat Stanley was treated to the adventure of a lifetime on his trip to Australia. He enjoyed meeting a bunch of native animals.

It makes me giggle every time I look at these pictures and imagine all the other tourists looking at my friend Bert, holding a paper doll everywhere she went. I wonder what they thought of the crazy American with her pretend friend!

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Look closely at the bundle Bert is holding. It is a kangaroo!

Deep Sea Diving and Baby Showers

GooseyGirl's Flat Stanley just returned from an amazing tour of Australia wearing a new swimming suit! Apparently just after this picture was taken, he was swept into the Indian Ocean. His host family bravely fished him out and dried him off. He will be forever grateful.

Rumors are floating that he got to pet a kangaroo and a koala! Pictures will follow soon.

For now, here he is enjoying a baby shower. He's a real renaissance man, eh?

Technorati Tags: parenting, homeschooling, homeschool, secular homeschooling, flat stanley, multiples, triplets