August Activities

We had a busy August! At the last minute, I registered our home school as GrandOak Classical Academy in honor and memory of my dad. Our neighbor gifted us three tickets to an off Broadway performance of the Lion King for my birthday, and we thought it was AMAZING. It was Caitlyn's first "big" play. Our family along with my mom, nephew, and niece spent a week at Big Canoe in Georgia where we played in the lake, hiked, letterboxed, and visited my college roomie. On the way home we experienced the Cabbage Patch hospital as well as Helen, Georgia - a town that pretends to be a German village. On Elijah's birthday, the plan was to celebrate at the picnic scheduled to kick off our home school group's year. When a torrential downpour hit, my friend and director invited us over to have a mini party at her house. Close one! At the end of the month, we headed to my grandparents to celebrate C and E's birthday's with the family.

Here are some of my status updates to further recap the month:

8 August 2013
Love my son who, out of the kindness of his heart, decorated the stairs with toilet paper in honor of my birthday.#cheaperthanstreamers

9 August 2013
The day after my birthday - Caitlyn question: So, is it still your birthday?
Me: Not for 364 more days.
C: Oh. Will you still be alive then?
Me: Well, that's the plan.
C: Good, because if you die the only person to take care of us will be Daddy! (concerned look)


17 August 2013
Happy 4th birthday to my sweet Elijah! He insists on being called his full name, likes to kiss but not be kissed, cracks us up with made up phrases like "Pasaquesetz?", calls me his "dynamite gal", makes the best faces, and certainly wants things his way. We love him so much!

21 August 2013

Today Caitlyn was asking me about heaven and if we would die again once we were there. I replied that the Bible says that in heaven there is no more death, or sickness, or sadness. After a moment she asked, "What do you think Granddaddy is doing in heaven?" I replied, "I don't know, what do you think?" She answered, "Probably talking to Jesus."

Love her. Miss him.

23 August 2013

Confessions of a first grader:

"Meredith and I were looking at a Justin Beiber magazine at the pool. The kids in my class were talking about him before. I didn't know who they were talking about, but I just pretended. One time I said, 'I'm going to marry Justin Beiber!'" (breaks into peals of laughter)
(dramatic pause)

"Actually at first I was pretty sure they were talking about a beaver."

#wereadnarnia #peerpressurealready

8-14 - Click for a video of Elijah breaking a stick on our hike
8-17 - Click for Elijah's Happy Birthday video
8-21 - Click for a video of Caitlyn singing at her Mission Friends graduation
8-29 - Click for a video of Elijah eating Chinese noodles

Click here for more pictures

First day of first grade!

It's so cliche, but I can't believe I have a first grader! Our first day of Classical Conversations was amazing. My class of 4-6 graders really meshed and had fun learning. (This even when we had to switch the science experiment due to the rain and I was FLOUNDERING as an instructor!)

I am always a bit concerned about Elijah, as he can be a handful. But we have an experienced childcare worker grandmother as his teacher. She is fantastic! He cleaned up, listened, and came home with a craft and knowledge about anteaters. Did anyone know they eat worms and spiders?

Caitlyn loved her new class. Her best friend is with her in the morning and afternoon. (The child has three "best friends", one for each location - school, home, church.) In the afternoon she is taking a 2nd grade grammar and writing class. She learned to make a keyword outline by taking 3 words from each sentence of a paragraph then retelling it in her own words. It's such a great method! I wish I had learned to do that. College would have been easier!

Our homeschool is officially registered now and named in honor of my dad and our commitment to classical education. It's going to be a great year at Grand Oak Classical Academy!