Sunday, June 5, 2011

Summer Bummin'

There is nothing more beautiful than settling down with a good book and then looking up to see all your kids doing the same! 3 quietly reading girls in various spots in the living room--it's like honey for a mother's heart!
When Cannon saw what was going on he got a book and wedged himself between 2 of his sisters, although, his reading wasn't exactly quiet...

Now take this scene and flip it upside down and shake it like a game of Boggle. Earlier in the week, when I presented my marvelous summer reading and job schedule the place erupted with shouts of protest, tears of complaint, "I thought summer was supposed to be FUN, " and so on.

Much to everyone's surprise (especially mine) once implemented, our schedule made for a pretty darn good first week of summer. A trip to the library was key and then it went like this:

Family scriptures, prayer, jobs and practicing done before 10 a.m. (thought that was pretty generous time-table except that now they're waking up at 9!)

Each of the girls takes a turn choosing and preparing lunch at noon. While eating, I read aloud. This week we started and finished STONE FOX, only Brynn had to finish it for me because I was sobbing. Beautiful story.
After lunch silent reading. Kate set the timer for 20 minutes the first day, but the beeping was ignored. The girls read and read and read and we didn't have to set the timer for the rest of the week.

Some of Brynn's favorites this week: The Chocolate Touch, and Frindle (which Kate recommended)
Adrie finished Sarah Crewe, Enormous Crocodile by Roald Dahl, and Alice's Adventures in Wonderland.
Kate has been reading junior fiction murder mysteries and Cannon? He likes the same books over and over, We're going on a bear hunt and Clifford the big red dog.
I am finishing up The Read Aloud Handbook which I just want to HUG for inspiring our summer reading program. LOVE THIS BOOK.

We'll need another read-aloud selection this week and I don't think I have the emotional stability for "Where the Red Fern Grows."
Do you have any memories of being read aloud to in school or at home? What were your favorite reads?

Besides reading the days away, here's what made the list of summer goals.
Adrie
  1. play Super Mario brothers
Brynn
  1. go to the swimming pool
  2. watch Rio
  3. go ice skating
  4. play Wii
  5. do Jymnastics
  6. go to Lagoon
  7. go to 7 peeks
  8. go to Disneyland
  9. go to Florida
  10. go to the beach
Kate
  1. go to a BYU game
  2. go to Disneyland
  3. go to Disneyworld
  4. have a sleepover with Anika
  5. make homemade suckers
  6. go to Lagoon
  7. go hunting
  8. go camping
  9. go fishing
  10. ride bike to Taco Time
  11. save up money
We're looking for foster parents to fulfill Kate's 7,8, and9. We're also accepting donations for Brynn's #9 and Kate's #3. I think the rest might have a chance.

4 comments:

Sherie Christensen said...

Ha! I wondered who was going to take Kate hunting! Maybe you can just take her on a snipe hunt and call it good -- or have a treasure hunt. Maybe that would count. I love the Little House books for read aloud and my Mom read us one called The Unwilling Pirate which I read to my kids. You can borrow it. I found out I'm not very good at pirate voices or ship words that I've never heard of. I should read a book to my kids. I think I'll add that to my program. Things have been better today than last week when I was figuring everything out. Now that I have a plan my attitude is better and everyone else is getting used to the idea that they can't just be slugs this summer.

Megz said...

I remember some reading aloud moments at the dinner table. I wanna say The Great Brain series or some old pioneer book but obviously it wasn't super impressionable.
Our golden hour is 1:00 where my three boys all go read in their rooms, the girls nap and I can finally get the house quiet and tidy for the first time all day. That thar is my little slice of heaven.

cold cocoa said...

Good lists! We have similar ones. Isabelle keeps asking me when she can have a sleepover with Brynn.
Good idea on the books out loud. I am looking up books at my library right now! I am also having the girls do little oral reports on their chosen first lady..we got a book from the library on them. How exciting to break out the non-fiction!

stephanie said...

I think I am an awesome mom and then I read and hear what some of you other moms are doing and then I think hmmm I am not so awesome after all.

I have not been able to get Addie to read a minute longer than her 30 minutes. It bothers me because I remember reading all summer long. it was a highlight for me. "Summer of the monkeys" was one of my faves when I was little.
I hope you are able to accomplish all from your girls' lists. Wouldn't that be an awesome summer?!