Fun with Summer School!

Three weeks into summer and also three weeks into a very flexible summer school. So far we are progressing okay. Possibly a little two flexible since I had a pain flair and it threw us out of wack and then had some appointments. Yet, that is the point of being flexible and we are trying to keep summer fun too. Not that the summer school isn't fun. Ha!

As mom this is really helping me see where the boys are having problems at in school and where they are strong at. I can see where they enjoy different subjects and why too. It is very eye opening seeing where my strong readers are and where my strong math guys are. Then also seeing who is more likely to give up when it gets a little hard and who is likely to dig in and get to it.

This summer is not just helping the boys with their academics, it is also helping us see who our children are. I believe it is a blessing and I am already of the opinion that every parent should give a home school summer at least once, if not every summer. After all, it helps the kids maintain during the summer to keep them stimulated and it doesn't really take a whole lot.

My prayer for the boys is that by doing this they will be more than ready for school this fall. Plus I am praying we can get past some of the problem areas. Hopefully.

Keeping Mom's Sanity

Sometimes I think I am the only mom out there that really doesn't enjoy summer. I know that it is not the case. I just get overwhelmed with everything that is going on and my desire for a stress free and relaxing break never happens.

So this year, we are going about the summer a little different. With the economy the way it is we have had to cut back on going to the zoo and the adventure museum, gas is expensive and our people mover does not get good gas mileage. We have decided to stay home for the most part.

In our area (home) we have a bowling center that is participating in KidsBowlFree.com, the local movie theater has free movies on Wednesdays for the kids (check your local theater), we have a couple playgrounds nearby plus a large state park that we can go to with a swim area that is free. These are all things that we are able to take advantage of to keep the kids busy and we have done in the past.

This year, for the boys we are adding a summer home school curriculum. We started with The Complete Book of Bible Activities, Grades 2-4 mainly for B2 and B3 but I think B1 can use it too now that I have flipped through it. I really like how it incorporates Biblical values, morals, and characters into the activities so that the kids are learning multiple things at once. Then I found The Original Summer Bridge Activities 1-2, The Original Summer Bridge Activities 3-4, and The Original Summer Bridge Activities 4-5 for all three boys. These books will last about eight weeks, which is also the length of our summer (we have an altered school schedule). Each book 'bridges' the grade that the student just completed and prepares them for the next year. I am hoping with the new standards that our schools have put in place that we will at least keep the kids from regressing. Then when I was picking up some office supplies in town, I saw Summer Splash Learning Activities Grades 1-2 for B3. I went ahead and got the extra book for him because he likes the challenge and really needs to work on focusing. We are hoping that in addition to the work keeping them from "being bored to death" it will also keep them from the typical summer regression that occurs. An added bonus is that the Summer Bridge books and one of the other books also have activities that can be accessed online too.

How does your family plan to combat summer boredom? Do you have a problem with keeping the kids busy during the summer?

Disclaimer: In text links are affiliate links to Christianbook.com. The widget is an affiliate link to Amazon.com

I Can See Clearly Now

My GOODNESS!!

In the last eight weeks seven of us have had our vision checked. Of those seven, six of us need glasses. That is a lot of glasses. I wanted to share with you a website a friend told me about. It was right after I ordered my glasses from Coastal that I had gotten a very good deal on. (Your first pair are free you just pay shipping. There are some stipulations.) The other site is Zenni Optical.

The glasses I ordered from Coastal are a high quality and worth the $30 I spent. I added the coatings bundle which is the UV coating, anti-reflective coating and the scratch resistant coating. I really enjoy the glasses and they are what I call my 'work glasses'.

Zenni, however has very inexpensive glasses and when you have kids that are rough on their frames and you have to replace them, they are the place to go.  Instead of worrying if the boys are going to come home from school or Tae Kwon Do with their glasses in a baggie, I know that we can replace them if needed. The other advantage about Zenni though is that, they are inexpensive enough to let the kids pick out what they want frame wise. That means they take better care of them.

B1 has had his for a little over a month now and he loves them. They are a unique camo type color and they are plastic frame. There are no nose pads for him to complain about being too tight and the ears fit perfect. Between this pair from Zenni and the pair that the insurance covered at the eye doctor, I've got to say he wears his Zenni pair a lot more.

B1's Zenni glasses were $6.95 plus shipping and it included the UV coating and the anti-scratch coating. I think in my personal opinion it is well worth the buy. It did take about 2 weeks to get the glasses once ordered. That would be the down side to the experience with Zenni.

Overall I am happy with both Coastal and Zenni and would be glad to do business with either company again. Obviously, as long as I have rambunctious little boys that are rough on their glasses I will be visiting Zenni.

Disclaimer: The link to Coastal is an affiliate link. I have not been paid to do a review of either company and all opinions and views expressed have been solely mine and mine alone.