Summer... Summer... Summertime....

As previously confessed here on this blog, we do NOT take a real summer break. In Mrs. Kastner's Klass we just keep plugging along almost ALL summer, occasionally taking a few weeks off in August. "Sooooooo," you might ask, "what do you DO all summer then?"

Math

1. Math: We finish our math curriculum. Some homeschoolers just get through as much of the book as they can in a school year. I (the QUINTESSENTIAL penny-pincher) prefer to work cover-to-cover, getting EVERY cent out of the curriculum I purchased. So we finish our math books. Often I allow them to take off on their own working at their own pace once summer comes. (Noah POUNDS it trying to finish because he knows that means more time to play Xbox once he finishes Math. Jeremiah just takes his time. Elijah has to be forcibly encouraged to do ANYTHING even Math which he is GREAT at.) Once they are done with their Math books that is one less school task they have to complete each day (until fall comes and bring a brand new book... hee hee hee!). 

Reading

2. Reading: We always have to keep on reading.  This year I started a summer reading program. I gave the older two boys a "Summer Reading List" filled with classic books I had recently stocked my library with (from the $1 section at Target!  OHHHHH do I get GREAT deals there!).  They both just finished Oliver Twist and are now independently taking on The Jungle Book (Noah) and The Adventures of Tom Sawyer (Jeremiah). I gave Elijah and Hannah blank lists to fill in a specified number of books they read this summer. I will admit that I had to offer a monetary reward (well actually it is Gamestop $$$ for the boys and Barbie $$$ for the princess), but for the FIRST time ever, I have caught BOTH of my older boys doing the Jami/Jodi (walking around the house while still reading a book). I welled up with a tear in my good eye!

Fun Fonix

3. Mechanics: This is what I call the bare bones things they need to keep up on in the summer. All my kids pretty much ROCK at math; therefore, this is typically something in the language arts family. (The irony of this fact is NOT lost on me.... the former Grammar Teacher with the English minor.... but my boys just do NOT enjoy reading, spelling, grammar, etc... *sigh*) This summer Noah and Jeremiah are pounding away at some spelling while Elijah and Hannah are doing some phonics work.


4. Bible: We never stop teaching the Word either. We are currently reviewing several passages of scripture we have memorized over the past few years while we take a walk through the Bible. In fact last week, I found a GREAT book for this purpose.... before we were just kinda doing it on our own... this book helped us get a framework to work from.

5. Martial Arts: John is still working to start his Christian Martial Arts ministry Rising Sons Martial Arts. He is using a form of Martial Arts called, Christjitsu. Our 4 kiddos and 1 neighbor kid are his cornerstones. They haven't done Christjitsu since before we went to Georgia as they train outdoors and the heat has been pretty dangerous lately, but typically they do Christjitsu 2x per week.


6. FUN STUFF: We keep on learning through fun stuff in the summer too. Our trip to Georgia to see my brother graduate from basic training was FILLED with learning adventures:  


*first airplane ride for Elijah & Hannah
*first terminal train and monorail ride for many 
*first getting separated in the airport and watching mommy BREAKDOWN in front of tons of people as well
*the graduation ceremony was CHOCK FULL of history and instruction

Tanisha & Dustin took the kids to the Zoo. 

We are also SOON planning trips to the museum and the domes now that mommy finally got her new driver's license (worst DMV photo EVER! I'd rather go to jail then show a cop my ID!)


So anyways.... before you start feeling too bad for those poor Kastner Kids who have to go to school ALL summer long, remember that a lot of what they do in the summer is FUN too (yesterday I read on FB: reading is like dreaming with your eyes open!) and don't forget that all year long the Kastner Kids get to go to school in their pajamas!

Stay cool everybody! 

Fall Vocational Break

This week we took a short Fall Vocational Break... It was inspired by our NEED for John to finish up the bedroom he is remodeling for his niece, but it turned out to be a different kind of "school." See that's one of the things I love MOST about homeschooling! The classroom NEVER closes!  Here are the vocational courses completed this week during our "break" from school:

Noah... Having a Job 101... Noah arose at 6 a.m. each day of "break" and headed off to work with dad. He worked a full day, hanging, mudding, sanding (and other things I can't begin to understand) drywall. He measured, cut and nailed. He worked HARD! The first day he slept all the way home in the van.

Jeremiah.. Big Brother 101... Jeremiah typically gets to hang out in the background. Being ultra responsible and reliable, doing his thing, but not having as much on his shoulders because he is second in line. This week, he learned how to be THE big brother. He stepped up and took Noah's place while he was off working away and it was a great learning experience for Jeremiah.

Elijah... Prayer 101... Elijah's vocational course was COMPLETELY unintentional... instigated by waking a little too early... he went on a prayer walk with me... it was DIVINE seriously it WAS... as we walked I would tell him what/who I was praying for and then we would walk in silence a little, each praying silently to ourselves... when I told him I was praying for him, he asked, "For what?" I said I was praying that he would love Jesus all the days of his life. He said, "I'm gonna mom! I'm gonna be a pastor you know." with a little exasperation in his voice, like how could I NOT know that??? (baby book moment... hope I remember to write that in there when I find his baby book)

Hannah... Princess 101... seriously is there any other course for this one? She did step it up a bit in the area of chores... REALLY loves getting the chance to do other people's chores, but refuses to do her own... true princess material.

So Fall Vocation Break was a SUCCESS with some intended and some unintentional victories...  I'm glad we did it, but I'm also glad that today is BACK TO SCHOOL for the Kastners!