Sporadic posting to continue

Thanks for all of the compliments on my fisk. It only took about half an hour to pound out. Husband's usually take longer, but I felt inspired.

Things are busy around here. Even though we're on a light load for school, there's still plenty to do and one of those is keeping the kids occupied. I know there are only so many days of summer and, while I want the kids to enjoy them, I don't want them to forget everything they've learned. So there's a time drain.

We're trying something new with Dale for reading. The familiar practice of "read independently, do the questions, Mom will check them when you're done" resulted in hours--as in nine, some involving bouts of tears--of non-production. For seven questions.
So we're throwing a little Charlotte Mason into the mix. He reads the questions to me before the passage. I make sure he understands all of the vocabulary (last time he thought a "regiment" was a poor person or beggar--big problem). We use the Mason "narration" practice to be sure he's understanding the material. When I hear the answer to each question, I stop him and ask the question. Since he's just read the answer, it doesn't take him long. Last, he then has to write the answers to the questions.
It only took two hours today, from beginning to end. Yes, it was still a long time for seven questions, but it's a lot better than nine.

I'm also kind of re-prioritizing. We limit the kids' computer time to half an hour per day, and even have a timer on the desk for it. At this point in life they aren't doing research; they're playing games. What does it say if I'm there for hours? Reading blogs, news sites, Facebook status updates, comments, chatting with friends, writing blog entries? I mean, I do have other things to do. Like Laura Ingalls Wilder said in one of her books, "Man's work ends with set of sun; woman's work is never done." And it's true.

So I'm taking a tip from myself with my kids. Yes, I'll still be posting, but don't expect a dramatic uptick in frequency. Thanks for your attention, folks.