Feeling Septemberish ...
September 26, 2014
"I guess I'm just feeling Septemberish," sighed Chester. "It's getting towards autumn now. And it's so pretty up in Connecticut. All the trees change color. The days get very clear - with a little smoke on the horizon from burning leaves. Pumpkins begin to come out."
~ Chester Cricket, A Cricket in Times Square
*🍂*
This is a lovely quote from the audiobook we're listening to this month. I've read this book a few times before, but listening to it with Earlybird - in the van as we drive around town, running errands and/or bringing Crackerjack to and from his classes - I'm absorbing it on a whole different level. For one thing, we listen to it over and over again - and we backtrack, constantly. Which is perfectly ok and to be expected. Honestly I am just so thrilled that Earlybird is truly paying attention and enjoying it!
September's a fine month to learn about crickets - we hear them all around town and especially in our own back yard. A few things we've done ...
* Read library books about crickets and grasshoppers.
* Colored pictures for the science notebook.
* Listened to cricket vs. grasshopper song online.
* Mimicked cricket song with a comb and a stick.
* Added a dead grasshopper and field cricket to our nature shelf (found in the driveway).
* Checked the temperature by counting cricket chirps.
* Read aloud a poem called, "Crickets."
* Hopped like a cricket along a number line.
* Befriended a real-live grasshopper ...
:)
So it's been a busy month so far, but I'm happy to say, things have been pretty balanced. I'm doing a lot of advance planning and prep and that's helping a lot. I do feel like I'm getting back into the swing of things ... :)
(And p.s. the older boys are also doing well ... Bookworm is a sophomore in college and Crackerjack is a sophomore in (homeschool) high school. What that means for CJ is he takes some classes with other homeschoolers and does the rest of his studies at home. Small classes and independent study - the best of both worlds!)
So that's all for now, but I have several other posts in draft form ... I thank you for your patience as my blogging very sloooowly picks back up again. I hope you and your loved ones are having a great start to the "new year!" Have a great weekend, and ...
See you here again very soon ...