All of this blogging is seriously cutting down on my internet surfing time. Ha! Tim set up an easier, faster way for me to upload pictures. Yay! Thanks, Tim! He also fixed it so I can create thumbnails for all the pictures I’ve uploaded at one time, to the size parameters I prefer. So wonderful to have a computer guru husband! Here he is working at his desk upstairs.

He has to rotate his desk throughout the day as the sun comes through the windows. Telecommuting is awesome!! We like having Tim at home.

Daniel, Rachel and I worked hard finishing up our workbook pages for Korea. After a LONG (read several years) emphasis on American history, we have moved on to Sonlight Level 5, Eastern Hemisphere this year. We LOVE Sonlight and have been using it since Joshua was in kindergarten. The history spine for SL5 is World Book Encyclopedia’s on CD. Joshua does his reading and Exploration Guide Book independently. I help Rachel and Daniel on their log books. We take turns (try not to fight) using Joshua’s laptop.

I have to be careful that we don’t end up skimming the articles,
trying to find the answers to the questions in the log book, instead of reading each of the sections carefully. Hmmm. Joshua is more interested in the different countries than Daniel and Rachel and reads each of the chapters in depth. The encyclopedia tends to be a bit dry which is harder for Daniel, in particular, to understand.

I try to make sure we find supplemental books at the library on each country. We read picture books written by native authors or look at illustrated guides to the different countries. The Sonlight forums have an excellent resource section on the different levels and people are very willing to share titles they have discovered. The extra books, I’ve found, add to the richness of our lessons and allow the children to put pictures to the people and places we are studying.

Here we are doing some school reading on ‘big blue’ (our beloved recliner loveseat that is comfy, cozy and roomy enough for three or four).

It continues to be COLD here in WA!! Brrr. This is NOT typical winter weather. Look at this ice!

The kids were all very impressed with Tim’s new, wide-screen monitor. David was excited to try out a game on the “new computer.” We had to explain to him that the computer was the same, it was only the monitor that was different. Hard to understand how it could be the same, old, boring computer with such a fancy new monitor. Ha!

David tries out the new monitor.

Rachel and I went to the library this evening. I begged Tim to go along and drive us–the roads are mostly clear except for our neighborhood which continues to have streets of solid ice. He agreed and the three of us set off. Raise your hand if you LOVE the library!!!

Searching for a good book.

Found something. Looks like a new Patrick McManus.

I managed to find a few picture books for the kiddos. I like to have a good collection of library books on hand, ready for Joshua, Rachel, and Daniel to read to David and Sarah. They are excellent helpers!

My three boys!! I love them all.

The big excitement of the evening was a phone call from Thailand!!! Hooray, a call from the Burts. We managed to figure out how to use the Skype program and enjoyed a FREE phone call. Sykpe runs through the internet. It requires high speed access and a headset that plugs into your computer. The software is free and, as long as you are using your computer and calling another person on Skype, the entire phone call is free. Whee! Daniel and Rachel talked and talked to the Burt children before passing the phone back to me. All in all we were on the phone/computer for 2 hours. That would be one expensive phone call!! I’m so delighted the Burts were able to hook their computer up as well. The children miss their friends and having the luxury of a LONG conversation was wonderful. Nothing brings a loved one close like hearing their voice.

We love the Burts!

Tomorrow we are having friends over to play Settlers of Catan. Should be fun. I have a LOT to do beforehand–laundry, cleaning, school scheduling, etc–so I hope it is a good, productive day.

Kathy

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