What happened in school today

Charlie Reads, Emma Writes, Lucy Abstains.

Teaching is not all about breakthroughs. Some days are just ordinary days where, if you measure progress with graphs and charts, nothing changes. I have many days like that.

In many ways, today started like that. Charlie and Emma worked on their Bible, Math, and Art with the same strengths and weaknesses they exhibited yesterday.


Then Lucy bought me a pile of books she wanted me to read to her and I got an idea. I called Charlie to join Lucy and me at the couch. He thought that I was just inviting him to listen to the stories, which I often do. But I had other plans.

Charlie is not reading to his second grade level. One could almost say he didn't read at all. In fact, early this summer we were afraid if he didn't start reading soon, at some point we would need to enroll him in public school for special education. This summer we engaged a teacher friend of Amy's to tutor Charlie twice a week.

At first it seemed like he wasn't gaining any ground. By the end of the summer we could see him making a steady progress. Once the school year began, he seemed to reach a wall and the progress ended. About 2 weeks into the school year, I tried a new approach and he began reading better every day. It was so exciting to see him progress. Last week with some help from a very kind librarian I found a website that suggested books based on your child's reading level. I checked out some of those books and Charlie has been reading to me from them this week.


The bunch of books Lucy gave me included a title that was a favorite of Charlie's at Lucy's age: Go Dog Go by P.D. Eastman. I asked Charlie to read it to her. He did awesome! Now, Go Dog Go is not hardest of books to read, but for a kids' book it is rather long:64 pages. He just barrelled right through it. Now as part of our Friday schedule Charlie is going to read to Lucy. I am so proud of him!

My daughter Emma, is a reading machine. She read two of the Laura Ingalls Wilder books in less than 1 week. She is always reading. Writing is a different story. She is taking a Chronicles of Narnia class I am teaching at our home school co-op. The assignment this week was to write a 5 paragraph essay on the Magician's Nephew. She finished it yesterday and typed it up today. It is the story of the Magician's Nephew from the perspective of Polly, a young girl from late 19th century England. It is not the best paper in the world and it is certainly not the breakthrough that Charlie is having, but it may well be an early step on a path to a breakthrough that is yet to come.

Before I share that story with you, let me tell you about my youngest's achievements. She went a whole day without drawing on the walls. This is an achievement in itself. She loves drawing and is prolific in how much much art work she can put out in one day. The problem is the world is literally her canvas. She draws on paper, sure. But she also draws on tables, walls, computer screens, floors, books and herself. I fear for our bunny. We hide all the markers and crayons and yet she finds them. I have included a picture of the masterpiece Lucy colored on her wall last week and another of her washing off said masterpiece. Last Saturday she lost all coloring privileges (among other things) for a week. This week, since coloring seems to be her love language, I have eased the coloring restrictions to crayons only as long as she was supervised. Today, she did get a hold of a marker, but chose to use it on paper rather than on her usual victims.

So that is how my day went reading, writing, and no vandalism. Before you head back to Six Word Saturday at Show My Face Dot Com or just go on with your day, I invite you to enjoy my Daughters Essay:

Polly's Adventures

By Emma Roller

My name is Polly. My friend, Digory and I had many adventures together. These are some of them: We got into other worlds. We found the witch. We found Narnia and had adventures inside.

One day, Digory and I were in the rafters when we found a door. We walked into the room and the big chair moved. Digory’s uncle stepped out and he offered me a yellow ring. I vanished when I touched it. Digory came after me. Then, we realized we could get into other worlds.

We found ourselves in a ruin of sorts that I did not like. In another room, we saw lots of people. Digory liked this lady so much, that he called her a queen! I called her a witch. She was a witch and a queen!

Later we found ourselves in a empty world. Then a singing began that seemed to create the world. We liked the song until we knew the singer was a lion named Aslan. After he made the animals, he sent us to get a special apple. When we came back, he took us home.

That is my story. We got into other worlds. We met a witch. We found Narnia. I learned a lesson: Do not take yellow rings from old men! The End.

Today's post is part of a special 200th anniversary of the Carnival of Homeschooling hosted at Consent of the Governed.

Next Time: In Praise of Out Walking.

3 Fears This Thursday

Have no fear 3 Things This Thursday is here.

This is a special themed edition being the third Thursday of the month.

This week I'd like you to blog about any 3 things that you are concerned or scared about. They can be serious, somber or silly. When you have click on Mr. Linky below and add it there.

My 3 fears this Thursday are in no particular order:

1) I am afraid that when Chuck returns to the NBC Line-Up after the Olympics this winter that it won't be as good as it was the past two years. I have shared previously how in order to keep certain regulars on the show that I am afraid they will have no choice but to have Chuck return to the Buy-More a gig he is obviously grown out of. When a show is not doing great in the ratings there is often a tendency to tweak it to help it catch on. I think the word of mouth campaign that kept Chuck from being cut last year shows that what it needs is not wholesale changes but better backing by the brass at NBC.

2) I am afraid of what my wife and children would become if and when I do not stand up and lead them in the ways of God. I want to have a wife who knows how much I love her and who can trust me to lead our family. I want my children to know my by involvement in their life, that they are special, loved and that I am proud of them.

3) I am afraid that I am completely ruining this excellent meme that Michelle at Psalm 104:24 began. Here is an example of one of her previous editions of 3TTT. My manifestations hardly ever get comments or links. I don't really mind as I just love this 3 thing format. But in truth, I would much rather be a participant than a host. At least that way I'd be assured that there would be at least one link a week.

So those are my 3 fears TV wise, blog wise and real life wise. If you have fears : shout shout let them all out, these are the things that we blog about! Come on, I'm talking to you!

Next Time: In Praise of Out Walking

Apple Butter Day

Fall is a busy but fantastic time in our family. We usually visit an apple orchard and generally have many family related fall outings. One that we do every year when possible is called Apple Butter Day. Apple Butter Day is hosted by Gerald & Mary Jane White of Tennessee, IL. Gerald is a retired math professor at Western Illinois University where Amy and I went to college. Mary Jane is related to almost everyone in Mcdonough County. They are also the parents of one of my closest friend and the PIL's of one of Amy's closest friends.

In 1976 the White's celebrated the bicentennial by making Apple Butter in the same cauldron that according to Gerald's grandmother was used by her grandmother for the same purpose. This became an annual event on the White's farm each fall. The Whites would invite family, neighbors, church friends, WIU associates and students, and assorted others to a pot luck dinner and especially to take turns stirring the apple butter throughout the day. As the afternoon progressed the apple butter is put into glass containers and distributed to the guests. I have attended about a dozen times in the last 20 years. The above picture is of Amy and I from an AB day in the early 90's.

There are many distinctives about Apple Butter Day and these distinctives have evolved with the event, and as Amy and I have made the transition from college students to family friends. The highlight during my student days was playing football and volleyball and getting off campus. After we graduated, going was more of an opportunity to catch up with old friends. The past few years as our family has grown, the focus has also included keeping tabs on 3 kids and making sure they enjoy themselves. Our friends (Gerald's son & daughter in law) has 10 children and AB day gives Amy and I a chance to hang out with their family. The main highlights for our children besides hanging with the other kids, are eating funnel cakes, going on a hay rack ride through prairie land that Gerald is developing on his property and hunting for geodes.

Geodes are a type of geological formation common in volcanic and sedimentary rocks. The geodes that we find at the White Farm are part of a creek bed. The geodes have crystal formations that have developed within rocks. At first glance it is difficult to know whether you have found a geode or just a rock. A geode will break much easier than a rock and the crystalline formations are a give-away. Here is a picture of a geode found at Wikpedia. Here is a picture of a geode we found this past Saturday . . .

Apple Butter Day is generally held the first or second weekend in October and the weather is usually unusually gorgeous for the event. This year, according to Gerald the weather was the worst in the history of the event. It was actually below freezing when we left our house 5:45 Saturday morning. It warmed up to about 50 degrees and sunny but much chillier than we have been blessed with in the past.

Geodes aren't the only precious commodity that is easier for our family to get their hands on in Mcdonough County. Each year we stop my Macomb's Hy-Vee super market on our way in or out of AB Day and snag the following essentials: Caffeine free Mountain Dew and Sterzing Potato Chips. Now not everyone agrees with my gastronomical choices. Many people, including my dear sister, wonder why you would ever want to put up with Mountain Dew if not for the caffeine. I actually enjoy mountain Dew for the taste and there is little discernible difference in my opinion between the caffeine free and regular variety. For whatever reason caffeine free Mountain Dew has not been available in the Chicago area since the late 80's early 90's.

Sterzing's Potato Chips (click on the chip bag for more product information)are made in Burlington Iowa and are are in my opinion one of the seven wonders of the snack food world. They are a kettle cooked variety of chip that people either love or hate. Amy hates them I love them. They developed a less fat variety a few years back which are okay but since I am 4 hours away from being able to eat them on a regular basis, I don't mind at all getting the not-so-good variety once every year.

Apple Butter Day is a fantastic day for our family. Enjoyable day outings anchored in family traditions certainly work for us. Going down memory lane for junk food is just a perk. Special thanks to, Katherine at No Fighting, No Biting, for featuring this at the Carnival of Home Schooling; to see what works for others head on over to We Are That Family.

Next Time: Three Fears Thursday

What to do With Half a Bagel.

It's Thursday and that means it's time for another edition of 3 Things This Thursday. It's been a good week so far. I hope it has been for you as well!


1. Bagels were on special at the grocery store on Sunday so I bought 2 5 packs and we had them for breakfast on Monday and Tuesday. On Tuesday evening we had 1 bagel left so I told the oldest 2 kids (the bagel eating 2) that they could split the last bagel for breakfast on Wednesday morning. Well come lunch time Wednesday I was whipping up lunches for everyone and when it came to my turn I was going to make a toasted triple decker chicken sandwich with cottage cheese on the side. I noticed there was still 1/2 a bagel left. So here's what I came up with. . .


2 pieces of toasted wheat topped with a sesame bagel top. It was delicious.


2. Office Merger.
I will skip reviewing a new fall t.v. show this week and instead point out the special Jim and Pam wedding episode of the office tonight.

I did not always love the office. The year it first came out I caught a couple episodes and it took me a while to pick up on the humor of it. But somewhere in the second season, everything clicked for me. I worked in an office at the time and a lot of the stuff really resonated with me.

Also, I am not sure if I am the first one to observe this but Michael Scott is the Archie Bunker of the 21st century. An iconic bumbler rather than bigot. I have loved watching the developing relationship of Jim and Pam and am looking forward to catching the wedding.


3. Three Things Third Thursday

Next week we are going to have a themed edition of Three Things This Thursday. Same drill more defined. What you do is this. . . Blog any time between now and next Thursday about 3 things you are or have been scared about and then link up next Thursday as part of a special 3 Fears Thursday.

The third Thursday of each month I will have a special themed edition. October 15th it's fear. November 19th: 3 Thanks Thursday where you blog about 3 things you are thankful for. Then to end the year off we will have 3 gifts Thursday where you blog about 3 gifts you have given or received over the years. I will post reminders in advance at my blog. Participation especially on these themed weeks will help me gauge how this meme is doing at it's new home. So I encourage you to participate every week but especially on the third Thursday of each month.

That's it for this week. Now it's your turn. Blog about 3 things that are on your mind this Thursday and link your blog below. Have a great week and I will catch up with all of you soon.


Next Time: Apple Butter Day

Penny Winners

A couple of months ago, I had a crazy idea. I would give away 200 pennies to celebrate the bicentennial of Abraham Lincoln's birth year. 100 pennies to a commenter on my original post and 100 pennies to a follower of my blog. The contest was supposed to end on 9/23/09 I picked winners and emailed them to get their addresses so I could send the pennies and now a fortnight later I have still not heard from either of them.

I have decided to change course a little. I have picked new winners will announce they're names now as well as e-mail them. I also picked a third winner from all my post comments from the original announcement to 9/23/09. Confused? So am I.

Without any more hoopla here are the winners. The first winner is Georgie. The winner from my commenter's is Lizze and the third winner is Jennayouknow that blog. Hopefully they will all contact me so I can give these pennies away. Otherwise my life seems so incomplete.

Next Time: What to do with half a bagel