Scottish Games & Festival
We went to this event last year, but this year was even more exciting because Daddy was competing! (And everybody wants to see their daddy wear a kilt and throw a telephone pole, right?) The athletics lasted all day, and the girls and I watched four of the events. They got so excited when it was Daddy's turn to throw! Of course, eventually even that excitement wears thin, so we took several breaks to explore the rest of the festival: Monkey and Bug and I danced around a Maypole with the Queen's maids

(Goose just wanted to watch). The girls tried their hands at a kids version of the throwing games, and Bug made two perfect caber tosses in a row! (using a caber about the size of a fence post) She was
thrilled--apparently, it was first time that had happened this weekend. The had a great time filling out clan passports just like last year (a bunch of Scottish clans have information booths set up, and the kids can go around collecting stamps of each clan crest). They loved seeing all the images on the crests and were fearless about asking when they couldn't figure out what it was. We met Daddy for meat pies for lunch and a quick tour of the vendors before meandering back through the clan booths to watch the end of the games. Then we headed for what was perhaps the highlight of the girls day: cookies with the Queen. The

reenactors had an impressive royal tent set up, and "Mary, Queen of Scots" arrived with quite an entourage of guards and ladies in waiting. The girls did an excellent job introducing themselves to "Her Majesty" and receiving favors (beribboned pins). So much fun!

"Wave to the School Bus, Kids!"
Public schools started up here this Wednesday, so  the girls and I celebrated the freedom and joy of homeschooling by buying a box of donuts for breakfast and spending the morning at the playground. They had a blast, of course--creating ninja warrior courses and making up elaborate pretend plays, aided this time by a pine cone branch that bore a remarkable resemblance to Thor's hammer (apparently Goose is worthy of wielding it), also a "sword" and a "magic torch." For the record, the playground no longer has any evil magicians or super villains in residence.

The Usual Events
Just in case you were wondering what busy little homeschoolers do all day, here's the roundup:

• We continue reading through a children's Bible over breakfast (Moses just received instructions for building the Tabernacle). I've also been listening to hymns while doing chores. Goose particularly enjoys this ("Can we listen to those songs that talk more about Jesus? You know, the hums?")
• For the three Rs, Bug is reading The Secret Garden, Monkey just finished Mouse Soup, and Goose has completed lesson 6 of Alpha-Phonics. The big girls continue working on Khan Academy and doing timed drills for simple addition and subtraction, while Goose does some worksheets and math with manipulatives. This week the girls wrote notes to Grandma, and the big girls have started doing spelling units again. 
• Visits to the library continue to be a weekly event; although, the story/music time is on a break for August. We usually come home with 10 to 15 books.
• Every day also includes a reading time, usually after lunch when I read aloud. We use this time to read a selection of picture books (the girls' choice) and my choice of literature (currently international fairy tales from the Colored Fairy books) as well as books from our special studies, such as science topics (currently birds), artist studies (currently Georgia O'Keeffe), and history (no topic at the moment). 
• We're still working through our states workbook for our civics studies.
• The big girls continue their weekly jujitsu lessons. We all get in the pool once a week, and all three girls have been riding their bikes almost everyday. Even Goose has pedals again and no training wheels!
• The girls' instrument lessons are finally settling into their usual time slots now that the school kids are back into their usual routines.
•  Bug is still dabbling in Spanish, and Daddy even remembered that we have an old Rosetta Stone program she can do!
• The paints and craft supplies are pulled out on a regular basis as well. Everybody loves painting, and this week Bug built a skyscraper out of popsicle sticks.