Structured days work well for us.

Our curriculum involves a whole lot of reading. That means a whole lot of ME reading to my boys!

I am learning loads.... I mean what did I actually learn at school? I remember enjoying Maths and Art...... but the rest, well...... best left unsaid.

We have a rather structured day and week. I feel it is important to plan your day, and your week. It is also good to set goals for yourself, so I encourage my children to set small goals.

For example, we have a Reading Challenge....... When you have read 1000 pages you get to have a Macdonalds MacFlurry.

When you have read 2000 pages, you get to go to a movie of your choice. When you read 3000 pages, you chose a book for R60.00. When you reach 4000 pages, you get to buy a new 'board game'....... and so on !!!!!! Last year my 10 year old read over 9000 pages and he loved every minute of them!

Well, let's get back to our day.....

At 7:45 we start with Devotions

8:15 -9:15 Maths

9:15 -10:00 History

10:00-10:30 BREAK

10:30 - 11:30 Language

11:30-12:00 Hand Writing

12:00-12:30 Afrikaans

12:30-1:00 Read-A-Aloud

Most often Read-A-Loud gets extended into LUNCH time........

The day normally ends just before 2:00.......And then the sports begin!!!!!!!!!!!!!!

Jamie (my 10 yr old) has swimming 3 times a week, cricket once a week, and soccer once a week .

Codey (my 7yr old) has swimming twice a week, tennis twice a week, cricket once a week and soccer once a week!

OUR DAYS AND WEEKS ARE INCREDIBLY FULL !!!!!!

Speak to ya all soon

Fiffi

Tanzi, Tape and Tinky boys!

I phoned a friend in desperation this week.........

" HOW D0 YOU TEACH YOUR OLDER KIDS WITH A TODDLER ON THE PREMISES?

Her answer ......."I have just the tape for you". She gave it to me at church today.

This seems to be quite a relevant question, and a common challenge to overcome.....

Well , tomorrow, I will find out what to do when I hear the experts advice.

Tanna-Jayde just wants to be 'in on the action!' I set up her own little table and chair for her.....stuck flash cards on the wall around her corner, gave her some jumbo crayons, sticky taped paper to the table (as she kept on tearing the pieces up) and placed a few of her books on the table. ................. She proceeded to draw all over the table and the books! And then THROW the crayons at Codey, who was trying not to pay her any attention (instructions from Mom) and finish his reading of 'Little Bear and Emily'.

When we have devotions, she is in her element! She sings, dances and lifts her hands in worship. But when Bible story begins...... she tries to out do me in volumne!!!!! As she gets louder..... I get louder......so she gets even louder...until I feel like I am screaming The Word at the 2 older boys!!! It's exhausting.

She's overwhelmingly bright.... it is frightening. At 16 months she is speaking beautifully. I sit her down on her chair and I point with a ruler to her flash cards that are pasted on the wall. And she says ' spider, bucket, flower, book, cake, phone, car, kite'.

The other day I was joking with the boys and I was saying "Please go have a bath, you are stinky boys!"...... she cottoned onto the phrase and now says" Hayo tinky boys'.( Hello stinky boys)

I do have hope........ in fact often I find it all quite amusing. But the responsibility of educating the older boys concerns me........... thus ....the necessity of the tape!!!!!

Fiffi

Boys MUST be boys!

I have two boys.....

Two really handsome boys who are incredibly clever, wise and mature. You might be thinking "YEH MAMMA.... Stop blowing your childrens horn!

Well I ask you....who else will !!!!!

I am reading this fanastic book by Steve Biddulph called "RAISING BOYS", and I realise that Boys have an incredible need to be affirmed and recognised! { we all do, but particularly boys)

Unfortunately there has been such an assault on men and their maleness that even our boys are feeling the brunt of it! Their self image needs a GOOD BOOST!

I read this in "Raising Boys":......

"The Media continually portrays males as rapists, murderers, or inadequate fools. So a boy may feel quite bad about himself as a masculine being. Mothers can do a lot to overcome this. I've heard beautiful comments from mothers to their sons : telling them from the age of about ten and upwards, 'Boy, you're a good looking hunk!!' when they try on their new clothes; ...... or ' The girl who marries you is going to be SO lucky, when they do a good job around the house; ........and 'I really enjoy your company', ......'You're interesting to talk to', and .....' You have a really great sense of humour'.

I want my boys to be strong....yet gentle.... courageous....yet merciful.

They need good self images.... and Mothers can do alot to help their dear sons!!!

It is such an awesome thing to raise boys!

Males have been designed by God to be pioneers that forge ahead...... to have 'hair brained schemes' that sometimes never come to anything!....And yet sometimes do!!

A male, man or boy..... needs to be part of 'a cause worth fighting for'.

Humbled, I am again.... this is a task I cannot achieve without Christ. I will rely on Him a whole lot more!

Fiffi

Friends in the USA.

This year we will be studying American History through the Sonlight curriculum. We are all SO excited and cannot wait to begin this coming Monday! I am wanting to find a couple of friends in each state that will let me know a few interesting facts about their state and some great sight seeing places. This is a two fold exercise............ firstly to learn about a different continent and secoundly to prepare for a trip we are planning to the USA in 2008! I might even get to meet a few of my blogger friends! SO.... tell me why I should visit your part of the USA, and I might even drop in!!!!!!!!!

Love Fiffi

New horizons in the hands of God

We have just returned home from a fantastic holiday in Durban, Natal. We spent Christmas and New year with family.

It was humid and hot , but the sea was refreshingly cool.

My 1 year old daughter is besotted with monkeys. Where we stayed, the monkeys would visit every morning for breakfast! They took apples and carrots out of hands and even tried to scrummage through the kitchen.

My 2 older boys flew kites, ate, bogey boarded, ate, played play station, ate, visited couzins and grandparents, ate and ATE some more!!! They must be about to grow a whole lot!

I don't have photos....SORRY!.... I left my digital camera at home. But my Mumsee lent me her 'normal' camera. These photos of family will mean alot to me as we are probably immigrating to New Zealand early this year!

My Hubby has been offered a job in Auckland and with the situation in South Africa as it is.... we feel our children would have a lot more opportunities in NZ. Don't get me wrong.... South Africa is beautiful! When I do my 'Shout Out' for other people to visit my homeschool site, this is how I describe S.Africa........

"Come visit me under the beautiful, sunny skies of Africa, where the Lion are Fierce, the Giraffe are Graceful and the Taxis are FEARLESS!"

The city we stay in - Johannesburg - is vibrant and fast. Most people have very good work ethics, and live by the slogan " Work hard, Play hard".

This is our home, our incredibly beautiful land!.........But we are planning to leave.

Why? You may ask. Well, unfortunately there are very few job opportunities for white males, and having two sons , this obviously concerns us! Crime, rape and murder is a huge problem and is NOT getting any better.

Boyd and I have prayed, and believe that if we are not meant to leave then doors will close and the process of immigration will be stopped! But if God has other plans then he is welcome to (as the song goes) "Swing wide those heavenly gates". Either way we will make the best of what ever happens!

Well, I must go and order the Sonlight Curriculum for this year, as we start in two weeks!

Will be writing soon

Fiffi

Christmas bauble thief!

"Is any one looking?" wonders Miss Tanzi.

The coast is clear.... she grabs her 10th Christmas bauble...............

.........................and makes a run for it !!!!

hahaha ..... ain't she precious!

The Queen's english.

Boy, this has been a busy week.........

not only are we finishing off Grade 1 ,but my 7 yr old son has decided that..."There shallith be no schoolith on Mom's Birthdayith!"( which happens to be tomorrow the 18th). Therefore we have had to cram two days work into one. He adopts this way of speaking when he is trying to be in charge! I hear him say to his 1 year old sister..." Now sittith down and eatith your foodith!"

Jamie, my eldest son, has an entrepenural project to do. So for the last four days we have all been spending the afternoons threading beads on safety pins to make these really cute 'brooches'. Have a look.... www.makingfriends.com/ponybead/jewelry.htm#Beaded%20Safety%20Pin%20Swaps

Just to throw me right over the edge...................I had to take Jamie to the doctor to have his knee stitched up. He fell on a rock, split his knee open and had to have 7 stitches.Yugh!!!!!

Nelly, my maid, has been sick and very weak, and Tanna-Jayde's( 1yr) tantrums are becoming more frequent and alot louder!

They come-ith to carry me off-ith to the Loony Bin!!!!!!

Signing off from..........

"One Seriusly Cracked Pot"

Mom needs a holiday!

We have 4 weeks left till the end of our school year........and I now understand why public school teachers long for the break up bell and to hear those precious words 'SCHOOL IS OUT!' Yahoooooo !!!!!!

Don't get me wrong ....... our first year of homeschooling has been GREAT. My son, Codey-Reece, has come into his own. His confidence has returned and he has experienced the power of being able to read!.............and I feel totally fulfilled in knowing that I am making a difference in my childs life!

I am so blessed to be able to teach my children!
But........................bring on the party.

"Ding Dong Ding Dong.".....I here those school bells ringing................. I look forward to the 6 weeks of holiday they herald!

Bye

Love Fiffi

"Best you listen to Mama!"

We have endless laughs in our Devotions each morning. Miss Tanzi (in pic) hears our singing and escapes from Nelly (our domestic worker). She makes a bee line for the school room so as to join us for singing and clapping. Boy, she has the cutest little wiggle ...... and the bossist little finger!

All you need is a tree and a book ..

Today was EXTREMELY hot! Our little school room heated up like an oven.

With book in hand we relocated to the bottom of the garden, next to the Koi pond, under a shady tree. Codey-Reece got so engrossed in his Dr Seuss Reader "One Fish, Two Fish, Red Fish, Blue Fish" that before he knew it, it was finished!

That's it for today....I'm off to search Ebay for some "lekker" deals!

(Lekker means 'nice/good' in Afrikaans. Afrikaans is our second language in S.Africa.)

Love Fiffi