Where Has Summer Gone? Taking Time to Reflect.

Where has summer gone?  The question seems to be hanging in the air these days.  I'm running into it everywhere I go.

And, I have to admit the familiar fall chill in the air the last few mornings, combined with the boxes of books arriving on our doorstep daily now, have left me wondering the same thing.  Where has summer gone?  Did we actually do anything this summer?  Or, were we so busy, that I just didn't take the time to be present in the moment with the family?

After some reflection, I decided this has been a normal summer, with the normal amount of activity, togetherness, and fun - with the only differences being, having older children has meant their summer activities have been more self-directed, and I've been less involved in the planning - and blogging less this summer, I haven't stopped daily to reflect, with purpose, on what we've done each day, which has allowed the summer days to blur together in my mind.

So, before we plunge back into our fall studies, I decided to stop for a minute and reflect:  where has summer gone?

It started for us with a trip to Oregon.  G (age 17) and A (age 15) and I, took the train out for G's boyfriend's (hereafter known as "the boyfriend") graduation.

We took the train for a fun experience.  I'm not sure about fun, but it was definitely experience. We rode coach on the way out, and had a sleeper car on the return - we recommend the sleeper car.

We got back just in time to check D (age 13)'s bags, before he headed off for a week of summer camp...

...and to sign E (age 11) and C (age 10) up for their first week of VBS.  They attended four different weeks of Vacation Bible School, at four different churches throughout the summer (really three VBSs and one basketball camp), and despite the picture below (with sun in their eyes) they had a fabulous time at each one.

They did enough crafting at VBS to satisfy their creative urges for the summer, so we didn't do much in the way of art projects at home. 

And, instead of baking lots of different goodies throughout the summer, A (age 15) and I, filled in as the "snack ladies" for at our church's week of VBS, while D (age 13) helped with games.

We held our annual family water balloon fight on the 4th of July...

...which was only slightly overshadowed by A (age 15) getting her toe slammed in the front door (loosing a nail) and G (age 17) putting a fresh dent in the Man of the House's old truck (a few weeks and a little negotiating later, and G was the proud owner of a new-to-her, and only slightly dented truck, and the Man of the House had blood pressure returning to normal levels).

G (age 17) and T (age 19) took advantage of the break from studies to work full time.

But, still had enough time left over to catch a few movies, and plenty of Pokemon.

Grandma (my mother) joined us for a few weeks.

 C and T celebrated birthdays.

A (age 15) made it to the state fair with friends.

And we made it together as a group to a couple of museums, and a few homeschool park days.

Oh, and we continued to spot some cool things outside, like this 15-Spotted Ladybug (anatus labiculata)...

...and some awesome, bug catching, common night hawks (which it turns out are not hawks at all, but part of the Nightjar family).

The teens hosted an anime marathon.  The younger girls made it swimming twice, and put in a fair amount of time on their bikes.  We didn't set foot in our brick and mortar library once, but did make use of the online collection to download books from home.

So, where did our summer go?  Into trips, camps, fairs, museums, church, visiting with family and friends, reading, video games, movies, and summer jobs.  Or in other words, the business and bustle of daily life, with just enough room left over for an end of summer concert, and Shakespeare in the Park, before we slow back down into fall (Lord willing).

How about you?  Do you know where your summer's gone?

Logic Puzzle - Fun With Isosceles Triangles and some Good Books to Boot

Summer has completely gotten away from me, between the younger girls' continual cycle of church camps and Vacation Bible Schools (this week has been a church-based basketball camp, that they've really enjoyed), and my search for the perfect "text" books for the fall - a fun but completely distracting pursuit for any bibliophile/homeschool mom, and one of the hazards of homeschooling high school students, when the texts become absorbing to teacher as well as (or hopefully for) the students.

This week I've found myself lost in geometry (Head First),

physics (...of Superheroes),

and Die Tribute Von Panem 1. Tödliche Spiele (The Hunger Games in German - for me...not so much for the children, but what a kick).

Anyway, while I haven't had a great amount of time left over to post about our summer fun, this year, I have tried to keep up with fun for the children - mainly by proving an endless supply of cookies, scattering games around the house, and keeping fresh puzzles on our board.

I'm especially happy with this week's puzzle - found (with the solution included in the comments - pictured at top of page) at smart-kit.com.  It's a perfect follow up to Dragon Box Elements - more puzzle than math, needing some basic algebra and geometry skills (I provided some hints for my own children - worded with them, rather than proper math rules, in mind), but more thought than anything else.

I worked through the problem first - just to be sure it wasn't too hard.  And, to be honest (truth in blogging, you know) had to offer up a milkshake to anyone willing to take on the puzzle...

...before I had takers.

But, since it is summer, and I like milkshakes too - I figured it wasn't a bad trade off for getting to see my teens wrestle through this one. 

Summer Boredom Busters - Don't Forget About VBS!

Vacation Bible School (VBS) season has officially started, and is already in full swing (the pictures above represent just a few being offered around the country, this summer). 

Depending on the size of your town, you could conceivably keep your children (ages K-6th grade, in most cases) busy for at least half the day for every week (with the possible exception of the week of the 4th) from now until the end of summer - for free!

I like free.  And, I love Vacation Bible School - with the crafts (these are a few from our summer so far)...

...the songs...



...the snacks (I get to be the "snack lady" at our churches VBS this year, so I'm especially psyched about the snacks)...

from www.vbs.lifeway.com

...and best of all the stories and verses (which are different from VBS to VBS, so children can attend several without repeating stories during the summer).

If you're not familiar with Vacation Bible School - think church based day camps. 

They run one week, usually from 8:30 or 9:00 in the morning to around noonish, or for a couple of hours each evening, depending on the church. 

You will get a little different teaching from church to church - you can check out a churches website to see the particular things they believe (and teach) if you're unsure - and you can find sample lessons and songs on the publishers' sites, by searching for a VBS by name.  For the most part though, if you stick with the major denominations - Baptists, Methodists, Lutherans, Presbyterians, Faith Evangelical Free, Assembly of God, Christian Missionary Alliance (CMA), Mennonite Brethren, or Evangelical Mennonite (this is not a comprehensive list), you'll get pretty much the same style of teaching - Bible stories, such as those above, with a simple salvation message, something like the one below.  You can also check with individual churches to find out about how they screen workers (most have very good policies in place, to keep children safe).

You do not need to attend a church regularly to send your children to their VBS - they are open to the community - and generally very welcoming. 

At the end of the week, there might be a parent night, to show off the songs and verses the children have learned through the week, often with an ice cream social, or swim party thrown in just for fun. 

You will probably receive a flyer with information about that church's children's programs for the fall - but you won't be on any type of "please bug me" list.

There is no cost (usually, and if there is - I'd say skip that one), but there is often a missionary type offering during the week, where the kids are giving money towards a school in Africa, or a local homeless shelter, or something along that line.  Children do not have to give money - but there is often a competition between girls and boys, to see who will raise the most for the project by the end of the week.

To find a Vacation Bible School, check out church websites (just google "churches and your town's name), their Facebook pages, your local paper (under summer day camps),  or watch for flyers on bulletin boards around town at grocery stores, the library, or ice cream shops.

E (age 11, and in her last year for most VBS's) and C (age 10) have made it their personal goal to attend as many Vacation Bible Schools, this summer, while they still can.  Their currently on week two, with hopes of hitting several more - and making lots of new friends from all around town, before school starts back up in the fall.

Movies and Books to Kick-Off Summer Reading

This year, to kick-off our summer reading, I think we'll be turning to a few of our tried and true, family favorites for inspiration.  Such as the book filled flick, The Pagemaster, which we've watched pretty much once a year since T(age 18) was about 4 years old.

Except that this year, I'm ready with a few of the classics mentioned in the movie, already on hand, in both "Junior Classic" form (for the younger girls)...

...and full blown versions (just in case we find enough time altogether for a family read aloud).

Then, of course, there's Inkheart...



...which I'm hoping will inspire the younger girls to pick up at least one more classic children's story...

...while leading the teens to check out the Cornelia Funke series it's based on.

Edward Eager's Half Magic is another story we've listened to summer after summer (for long enough now, that our audio book is in cassette form) to set the scene for long, lazy summer days full of the promise of adventure and all the books we can carry home from the library.

We have never, until now though, read the other books in the series.  I'm hoping this will be the summer.

And, if there's any summer left after we've read all of the above, I noticed, while passing through our local bookstore, that Chris Grabenstein has added a couple more book themed tomes to follow-up on his Escape from Mr. Lemoncello's Library - which we enjoyed quite a bit as a family read aloud, a few summers back.

Sidewalk Chalk Circles

I slipped out early this morning to freehand a few lopsided circles, of varying sizes, on the sidewalk...

...for the girls (and I) to color in today.

They hadn't taken their box of sidewalk chalk from our box of summer yet...

...so I thought a fun and fanciful project might help spark some creativity.  There's something whimsical, aesthetically pleasing, and hard to resist about a large number of circles grouped together. Even the Man of the House smiled when he saw them, and he generally dislikes sidewalk chalk projects in the front yard.  He didn't even make a comment about the risk of tracking chalk in through the front door - so I know he liked them.  Coloring them in was amazingly relaxing (therapeutic even).

Not to mention, that squatting down to draw, and color in, all those circles was a great workout for our quads.  And, it was a long enough project to keep the girls outside in the sunshine and fresh air, on and off, throughout the day.

But really, best of all, I was afforded the biggest belly laugh of the week, when my 18 year old appeared at the door, wondering when I was coming in.

"Maaahm, are you ever coming in?  Everybody's up in here, and there's no Mom - who's going to make breakfast?"

As there were neighbors within earshot, I restricted my answer to semi-quiet laughter, holding my stomach and rolling in the grass, letting tears of pure mirth fall freely.  I think he got the message.

Anyway, tips for engaging your children in sidewalk chalk art:

• provide a nice selection of colors of chalk
• if the chalk sits idle for too long, provide a structured project (you can find several here, from summers past)
• keep it simple and doable
• try not to have a completed "look" in mind
• join in the fun - children are much more likely to enjoy a project if they see you're interested in it as well.

Making Messy Ice Cream Cone Clowns

It's been a few years since we tried our hand at decorating ice cream cone clowns.  If you haven't tried them yet, let me encourage you to add them to your summer fun list.  They're messy and imperfect, but super simple, and a lot of fun to make (and to eat).

To get started, clear a flat spot in your freezer, with enough "headroom" for the cones. 

Cover a cookie sheet with tinfoil (anything to help reduce the washing up is a plus).

Place flat cookies of your choosing (we went with a soft chocolate cookie this time, but have made our own sugar cookies in the past) onto the cookie sheet.

Scoop ice cream onto the cookies...

...top with cones, and place into the freezer for a few hours, or until the ice cream has had a chance to harden back up.

 Prepare your decorating paraphernalia (maraschino cherries, marshmallows, chocolate chips, candies, sprinkles, frosting, whipped cream, etc.) and pull the cones back out of the freezer.

Move each cookie/cone onto a plate for decorating, and have at it.  Just remember, it's dessert - not a work of art - so have fun, and don't worry about perfection.

Pop the decorated clowns back into the freezer to firm up once again.

Serve, and enjoy.