Summer, Summer

 We have finally began our home addition; we are adding on a shoe room off the mud room that leads to the garage and a two bedroom apartment over the garage. The original plan was Alei was going to rent it, but she is on the track to buy herself a starter home, so we are building it for future unknown need. The cost of building, however, is a small mortgage, so a renter (that we would enjoy living in our driveway!) will need to be in the plans. We just know that we will have different children at different times that will appreciate an affordable rental option. (They aren't living there rent-free; they can do that in the main house!)

Anyway, the well for the apartment went in a few weeks ago. The excavator comes next week. After the concrete is poured, the Amish are coming to frame and roof it.

Since I am home from Brain camp, I have so much to do to plan for our "summer school" and to get ready for fall. Tori is joining CC and our homeschool this fall, so Julia is the only one that is questionable about homeschooling. She seems to have far less struggles at school than she does at home, but our brain  schedule is going to be pretty demanding and I feel like she will not benefit as well as she could if she is not home. Plus honestly, to structure our whole family around the school schedule is exhausting when the majority homeschool.

I have instituted our first step in summer organization - new chore charts. It was time to shift the chores down as the younger children are capable of more. Since I get weary of asking people things, I print a morning, evening and weekend list for each day and the children highlight the item once it's done. I then can tell with a glance who has not done what is assigned to them.

Here's some shots of summer school that is short and takes place after swim team most day.

Here is Selah today when she ran by me wildly upstairs for the third time. I told her to choose a book and sit on the couch. She refused to open the book, but sat pouting and glaring at me until she feel over asleep. So many stubborn, stubborn children at times. Who won that round? She never opened the book but the running stopped? I'm not sure.

For some reason, Blogger won't let me enlarge the pictures or move my name to the right.