Read Alouds for 2015-2016

I am so glad that I logged everything that we read together this year in our homeschool.  I felt as though I was doing the minimum in terms of schooling all of this year, but keep this ongoing list is a nice way to look back and see some of the fruits of reading just a few minutes each day for a year.  Most of these books were targeted to my 1st grader, though my 4-year-old was definitely listening in on many.  And this does not include any picture books-- we definitely read hundreds of those thanks to our local library!  

Literature

The Railway Children by E. Nesbit

A Day on Skates by Hilda van Stockum

Little House on the Prairie by Laura Ingalls Wilder

On the Banks of Plum Creek by Laura Ingalls Wilder

By the Shores of Silver Lake by Laura Ingalls Wilder

The Long Winter by Laura Ingalls Wilder
Columbus by Edgar Parin D'Aulaire

The Moffats by Eleanor Estes

The Twenty-Four Days before Christmas by Madeleine L'Engle

The Red Fairy Book by Andrew Lang

Baby Island by Carol Ryrie Brink

The Sword in the Tree by Clyde Robert Bulla

Little Pear by Eleanor Frances Lattimore
The Book of Virtues by William Bennett

Catholic Faith Read-Alouds

Catholic Tales for Boys and Girls by Caryll Houselander

More Catholic Tales for Boys and Girls by Caryll Houselander

Catholic Stories for Boys and Girls, Vol 1-4

More Once Upon a Time Saints by Ethel Pochoki

A Little Book about Confession for Children by Kendra Tierney

Artist/ Composer studies

Joseph Haydn The Merry Little Peasant by Opal Wheeler

The Story of Peter Tchaikovsky by Opal Wheeler

My First Classical Music Book by Genevieve Helsby

Saint Studies

Saint Isaac and the Indians by Milton Lomask

Saint Francis of the Seven Seas by Abert Nevins

Patron Saint of First Communicants: The Story of Blessed Imelda Lambertini by Windeatt

Saint Martin de Porres and the Mice by Eva K Betz

Saint Brigid and the Cows by Eva K Betz

A Story of St. Catherine of Alexandria by Brother Flavius

Science/Nature Lore

Treasury for Children by James Herriot

Pagoo by Holling C. Holling

The Adventures of Peter Cottontail by Thornton W. Burgess

The Adventures of Danny Meadow Mouse by Thornton W. Burgess

Audio Books

Story of the World Volume 1 by Susan Weiss Bauer

One Hundred Dresses by Eleanor Estes

Rufus M. by Eleanor Estes

Happy Little Family by Rebecca Caudill

All-of-a-Kind Family by Sydney Taylor

All-of-a-Kind Family Downtown by Sydney Taylor

More All-of-a-Kind Family by Sydney Taylor
The Lion, the Witch and the Wardrobe by C.S. Lewis

Adventures of Unc' Billy Possum by Thornton W. Burgess

The Adventures of Reddy Fox by Thornton W. Burgess

Ginger Pye by Eleanor Estes

Pinky Pye by Eleanor Estes

Children of Noisy Village by Astrid Lingren

The Hundred and One Dalmatians by Dodie Smith

My Father's Dragon by Ruth Stiles Gannett

Mary Poppins by P. L. Travers

The Henry Huggins Audio Collection by Beverly Cleary

Mrs. Piggle Wiggle by Betty McDonald

Nim's Island by Wendy Orr

The Cricket in Times Square by George Selden

Charlie and the Chocolate Factory by Roald Dahl

Other Audio Sources

Tchaikovsky Discovers America by Classical Kids

Sherlock Holmes for Children by Jim Weiss

Greek Myths by Jim Weiss

Three Musketeers/Robin Hood by Jim Weiss

King Arthur and his Knights by Jim Weiss

The Jungle Book by Jim Weiss

Egyptian Treasures:  Mummies and Myths by Jim Weiss

Baseball Season

It's Little League season!  

This is our first year of managing the balancing act of two teams.  Gabriel is playing his first year of tee-ball and Dominic has moved up to the Rookie (Coach-pitch) division.  It has been a busy couple of months with baseball generally filling up three or four days in our week, but the end is in sight with just one month to go.  It also helps that the boys are having a BALL.  They are working hard, practicing their skills and just LOVING the game.  So it has sincerely been a joy to make the sacrifices to get them to their practices and games.  I am very proud of both of them!  

Family Field Trips

We are slowly easing into our homeschooler identity and starting to seek out new ways to enrich our learning through our regular family time.

One of our goals for 2016 is to accomplish sixteen nature walks.  We've finished three so far, so we still have quite a ways to go, but its fun to intentionally plan time together enjoying God's creation.

We also recently enjoyed a day at the Los Angeles Natural History Museum.  The boys have been asking to see a dinosaur exhibit.  It was a worthwhile experience and I am so glad we made it happen!

6-months old

Happy half-birthday to our beautiful girl, Marie Celeste Claire.

6-months well visit stats:

14lbs 7oz 

These past six-months have been intense, to say the least.  Celeste followed her NICU graduation with three-plus months of colic.  She is, after all, not even 4-months-old in her adjusted age. Although it has often felt like living in Newborn Neverland, Celeste's personality is steadily emerging and things are getting easier.  And I am slowly clawing my way out of overwhelm and exhaustion...

My saving grace is that she is a good night sleeper.  She wakes up to nurse, but goes right back to sleep, mostly uninterrupted.  Easy peasy, as Dominic would say.  I do have to give a shout-out to my hubby, who wakes up daily before 5AM with Nicholas, to give me a chance to keep snoozing with our littlest one.  I am not sure I would be managing as well if I was getting up with both babies!

Naps are not as easy, but she is still too young developmentally to be on much of a routine.  I am really looking forward to a more predictable napping rhythm in the near future.

Celeste is still breastfeeding exclusively, which is appropriate for her development.  We will plan to try solids when she is closer to 6-months adjusted to her due-date.

Favorite activities include watching her brothers play, chatting and talking, fist sucking, tummy time, being held, being held, and did I mention being held?  She also loves being propped into a standing position, which makes us laugh because she looks like a tiny little lady.  This also happens to be her pooping position, which makes us laugh harder.  Hoping this is a sign that potty-training will be a breeze.

Celeste has physical therapy every other week, and although she still has about a 3-month delay (normal, based on her due date), she hasn't missed any milestones along the way so far.  This little baby truly is a lesson in gratitude in every way.  May God continue to bless her.

Celeste, Celeste, you're the best!  We love you more than you could ever know.