Frontsite Trip

We all went to Frontsite last week. Dwayne went ahead of us and did a few rifle classes. Once we arrived, he did a few tactical handgun classes. Norah and I repeated the same four day defensive handgun training we did in the spring, and the littles attended the youth achievement class. Here are some photos from our range.

 

Thanksgiving Break

It's Thanksgiving Break, so I put a new puzzle out on the dining room table. 

We like to do puzzles to start all our vacations. 

This one was a gift from my sister in law. 

We are all working on it on and off. 

I am listening to the audio book of The City of God by Augustine as I work on it. 

Update

It's the middle of the homeschool year, so there isn't much time to blog.

Here's a brief update.  

I'm directing Challenge 4, so I'm constantly rereading portions of whatever books we are discussing at the moment. Right now, it's The Iliad, The Discoverers, the Old Testament, Invitation to the Psalms. I'm also devoting some time each week to Physics and/ or Advance Math. 

My oldest is such an independent student at this point, she rarely needs my help with her work. I usually just serve as her advisor her at this point. She comes down to chat about interesting stuff at least once a day. She has transitioned to working in her room at her desk or bed. It feels natural, since she'll be going to college next year. 

She and I spent some time the last several weeks driving and/or flying to visit colleges, making incredible memories, and having important conversations. She is done applying to her top three choices. Now, she waits to see whether or not she is accepted and what kind of scholarships she will merit.  

I'm taking my middle daughter through Challenge A and my youngest through Foundations and Essentials, so I'm always helping someone do math, or write a paper, or diagram a sentence, or drill vocabulary, or research for science fair, etc.  It fills up my day. 

The younger girls have started basketball at the recreation center, something they've never done before.  We go outside for half a hour and practice together if it's sunny.  I lead them through the same drills their coach does, so their skills improve between practices.  

I don't have a lot of margin for free reading, but nevertheless, before bed or early mornings before breakfast, I read portions of several books. I am rereading The Silmarillion and all the books in the Stormlight Archive.  I'm also reading portions of Ourselves by Charlotte Mason and Homeric Moments by Eva Braun.  I don't make a lot of progress in any one book, but I progress through them eventually. 

Everyday, I am also currently listening to portions of the audio of Surprised by Oxford by Carolyn Weber while I do housework.  

Of course, I also schedule all the appointments and do the shopping and make the meals. 

The pace of our lives is relentless right now and it's becoming mind-numbing, so I am looking forward to a break at Thanksgiving.