Happenings from the Bush homestead

A few things going on in the garden.  We've an huge amount of rain which has kept me from weeding the grass/weeds.  I did not get out there today again because of the rain.  Maybe tomorrow it will be dry and sunny to get out there and finish the hoeing job.

Anyway, in the photos....

top: the lone surviving watermellon plant.

next: one of the many many bean plants and one of the many bell pepper plants.

then: one row of tomato plants and then a couple of the pea plants.

So instead of garden work, we've been working on moving our oldest daughter to the upstairs 'dormer' sort of room.  She wants her own room of sorts.  She won't be having it to herself, since there are 5 girls so far, but atleast she can share it with child #2 and be out of the babies room.  So we're making the house into a 3 bedroom instead of 2 bedroom.  We will have to replace the windows up there.  Either this fall or next spring.  A bonus for her, is that is has purple shag carpet straight from the 70's? I think.  I hate it.  But they love it. 

And working on laundry too.  Sheets and that sort of thing.  But it all fits in one load with the bigger washing machine now :-)

I've implimented a new summer reading plan.  We don't do the "book it" program from Pizza hut or anything like that.  So I thought we would do our own :-)  For every 5 full pages of reading books for their reading level, they get a sticker on their reading chart.  So after 150 pages, they fill up one sheet.  When 3 sticker pages are filled up, they can go choose their own mini pizza OR get an ice cream cone.  Since the flu is going through our house again, they've been sorting the books shelves and making piles of what exactly makes 1 sticker.  Many of our books are minimal words becasue of the ages of our children.  Though, the oldest is getting quite a collection of 'real' books for her third grade level.  But if she reads a stack of books to her sisters, they get 1 sticker.  After today she will have to read books that challenge her reading ability to get stickers. 

I bought a new large chore chart to keep stickers on too.  A month per child is on the chart.  And they'll get the star sticker at the end of the day when the cores are done.  I sure hope it kick starts their drive.  With summer upon us, it's harder to be excited abotu doing chores.  It's nice from dawn to dark.  I don't want to be in the house either all day doing chores.  So some incentive might be fun :-)

Something else we are doing is the ABC memory verse program.  Obviously, we're starting with A this week.  In 26 weeks, we'll have learned 26 verses to memory.  And have a good way to remember them by too.  It was kind of expensive at $8 for the book, but it's reproducable, so I can scan it for each child paper and mini book.

Laundry is calling again.

Untitled Comment

6:30 PM, Tuesday 20 June 2006 .. Posted by happymama

I love looking at photographs, and I love love love charts...that is a great idea to have a reading chart of your own, I think I'm gonna have to do that!! Thanks!
Blessings, Rossie

Thanks!

2:48 PM, Thursday 22 June 2006 .. Posted by abundantblessings

Thanks for visiting my blog!!!
I love your blog!! The photos are wonderful!!!

Blessings,
Laurie