Our literal garden is just taking off, growing lush in this mild and temperate spring. The daisies will bloom in another week or so and hopefully the heat of summer will accompany them. Our May and early June have been filled with
finishing well. Whether it was with character development, academics, club responsibilities, or saying goodbye to long-term tutors, each day has held with it bittersweet moments of completing the tasks God set before us this year.
Isaac accomplished a character-building goal in completing his "
Happiness is a Choice" chart (yes, you read that right). As I believe discontentment can become a habit, when I see it show itself in the character of my children, I work to correct it either through motivation or work (and sometimes both). When Isaac began to display this negative character trait, I created a chart with 21 spaces to fill in on days when he displayed a joy-filled attitude in his work and his play. His reward -- starting a savings account in his own name. Isaac has always enjoyed counting, earning, and saving his money. Doing this was motivation indeed! And, we all reaped the benefits of his improved mood!
This year, in addition to our "big kid" Science Club, I also held a Jr. Science club at the same time for the younger siblings. We studied Apologia's Zoology text and delved deep into the world of animals. The kids gave multiple presentations throughout the year as well as read, took field trips, enjoyed guest speakers, took quizzes, played games, and had a blast learning with each other. This was the last year for our "big kids" ... after 8 years, they closed off the sequence with Chemistry.
Now .... we start all over again next year with Isaac studying General Science. Josiah will serve as a student teacher alongside Joe, while Isabelle and I will be their assistants. We have 12 kids with their families lined up to join us in our next academic year, and 4 more on a waiting list!!
Our final two modules involved spiders and worms (as in the kind that grow
inside of YOU!). Here Isabelle is reading her report about the jumping spider while simultaneously displaying her home-drawn picture. She had some funny stories to go with it (we have a
lot of jumping spiders where we live) and kept the kids (and herself) laughing.
I just had to show off my precious Lily of the Valley which has now grown a bit rampant in one of my perennial beds. The smell of these and so many flowers is just out of this world. I love gardening for the distinct purpose of enjoying such fragrant and unique flowers. God's creation daily astounds me . . . Our gardens are growing well including massive amounts of fruit on our trees. Lord willing, I will be doing a lot of canning this year. Applesauce, apricot and berry jams, peaches, green beans, spaghetti sauce ...... I'm getting inspired (and tired!) just thinking of it!
Isabelle raided my closet, dressing in everything white she could find as well as my wedding veil, growing aged and dingy hanging in my closet. She is so creative -- every day coming up with a new idea, project, or find. I recently (and accidentally) hoed the legs off the side of a toad in my garden (I thought it was a weed!). Isabelle was thrilled and begged to keep the frog until it died for the specific purpose of dissecting it with Daddy. Unbelievably, this is exactly what they did within a day or so of its capture! She spent a full 20 minutes that evening giving me detailed descriptions of its lungs, heart, spine, and leg muscles. She definitely did NOT get this ability and interest from me!
The boys went through their trimester karate testing and did excellently, receiving many positive remarks from their judge. They both passed and earned their green belts (one level away from brown). This was a great accomplishment and one that they worked toward with nearly daily practice at home or at the dojo. Check out the smile on Isaac's face (you can click on the picture to make it larger)! That is one proud green belt.
As with everything in karate, there is ceremony and respect shown to both instructor and student. Here Josiah is receiving his green belt from his Sensei with a bow of honor.
With the sun and the green came a variety of accomplishments and finishings for Josiah. He finished Algebra II (praise God!) and said goodbye to his weekly tutor. In addition, after receiving two years of private instruction from our beloved Spanish tutor Haline, Josiah completed his third year of high school Spanish and was able to receive one full year of college level Spanish by taking a College Spanish CLEP test (to date, Josiah has received 66 college credits -- his first two years of undergraduate work are now complete at age 15 1/2). This was bittersweet for us as Haline has become a welcomed member of the family! Josiah also completed his Research and Report Writing class culminating in an 8 page (single spaced) research paper entitled "The History of the U.S. Military Small Arms" (smile. Only
my son would choose a topic like this).
We also participated in our Idaho state homeschool convention last weekend. My favorite author and mentor for many years -- Sally Clarkson and her husband, were the featured keynote speakers. Our family was privileged to provide taxiing for them to and from the convention each day, as well as hosting them for a meal in our home. God has and continues to use Sally in a mighty way as she gently guides moms worldwide, through her six books and many speaking engagements, to seek to live out Godly and joy-filled motherhood (to learn more, see my sidebar to the right. Her ministry is Whole Heart Ministries. Check out the website I list).
Along with the academic year drawing to a close, our musical year also celebrates the year with recitals galore! Last night, Josiah and Isabelle performed beautifully for a small audience. Josiah closed out the concert with an incredibly moving performance of "La Folia" by Corelli.
Isabelle about gave me a heart attack when practicing the morning of the recital and seemingly forgetting the notes that needed to be played!!?! But, alas! She performed beautifully the Boccherini Minuet with poise and intonation. She is now beginning Suzuki's book 3 and will be attending Idaho Suzuki Institute later this month. She will hold a small, informal performance and brunch gathering to celebrate her graduation from Book 2 this coming weekend. Isaac has his piano recital tomorrow night and then we will all take a well-deserved break from our instruments, resuming lessons in August.
Although we are officially on "summer break", we never stop learning alongside eachother. Isabelle (under Isaac's guidance) is learning to type this summer, Josiah is hoping to finish 4 high school credits through the summer as well as take Driver's Ed., and Isaac wanted to begin his 8th grade math (pre-Algebra) early this summer so as to get a head start on next year. Everyone will enjoy hours of long walks, reading hours, bike rides, and stories under the willow. The weeds and gardens beckon every day as do the ever-growing menagerie of animals. Friendships will be strengthened and enjoyed, family night BBQ's will continue (we had our first of the summer this evening), and camping trips planned and lived out.
God is so good to give us summertimes! I cherish them. Nothing is more important than the gift of today.
It's hard to believe that Isabelle and I just concluded our third Suzuki Institute since she has been studying violin. The 37th Idaho Suzuki Institute held in Nampa was a great learning experience by three of us this year. Isabelle and I attended her Book 2 level classes, I attended parent classes, and Isaac enjoyed attending in the afternoon and taking enrichment classes.
Isabelle enjoyed arts and crafts as one of her enrichment classes. They did some very interesting and creative projects this year (but mostly she just enjoyed visiting with the other little girls while they worked on detailed tasks with their hands besides playing their violins!).
Isaac loved his chess class and received some good instruction to help him polish his (already excellent) skills. He told us tonight, after the final concert, that he never lost a game during the entire week!
We were very privileged to work with out-of-town teachers including one of our very favorite from so many years past -- Diane Austin. Mrs. Austin spent three years in Japan working with and being taught by Mr. Suzuki. Her soft spoken nature, sweet spirit, and encouraging words are always a real boost to our morale each year. A majority of the violin technique we have learned and put into practice during our 8 years studying with the Suzuki method can be attributed to her capable teaching.
Both Isabelle and Isaac had a blast learning basic drumming skills using buckets. Yep -- buckets. They worked like a charm, were easily moveable, and gave a tremendous sound. After the first day, they were hooked (it was like a "Stomp" concert each day of class). Isabelle was two beats behind all of the other (older) students her first two days, but she pressed on with a determined spirit and conquered this class with a great attitude and a joy-filled spirit. In the end, it was her favorite class of the day.
Orchestra is always a challenge for my Suzuki ear learners and this year was no exception. As always though, it ends up being a favorite hour once the music is learned. Isabelle's teacher for orchestra is a gifted lady with enthusiasm through the roof! What a great atmosphere for my children to learn the gift of playing with others.
Our final day held a series of various concerts throughout the afternoon. We were entertained by the immensely talented Suzuki piano students (Isaac was relieved to hear that he has already learned and played several of their repertoire songs in spite of taking traditional piano). Next, the enrichment classes entertained us (choir, musical theater, folk dance, and fiddlers) including the drumming "bucket club" which Isaac and Isabelle performed in. They did awesome! It was really cool.
And finally, came the final strings concert of cellos and violins. It is an exhausting (lots of waiting and squirming and being shhhhhh'ed by the teachers) but also exhilarating and inspiring as level by level, beginning with the most advanced students, all of the violins join one another through a myriad of repertoire songs . . . all of which are memorized and deeply ingrained in the students through years of listening and playing and performing.
Isabelle played beautifully when her turn came. At her first Institute concert (at age 4), she got on stage and began playing, only to become completely engrossed in all the musicians playing around her. She ended up playing that early concert completely turned away from the audience and facing her fellow musicians, watching them with complete joy as she played with them. The only problem was .... she was in the front row!! :-) But alas! She's grown and matured and this time faced the audience like a good little musician.
The concert ends the way every Suzuki student begins -- playing Twinkle, Twinkle, Little Star. No matter how many times I hear that song or see this concert played out ... I always cry. This journey towards musical excellence has been such a rewarding challenge every step of the way. I am so incredibly blessed to walk this path alongside my children. I praise God for His gift of music and for enabling us to give this gift to our children as we train them up.
