I'm still doing phonics with my youngest.  We are in that tough phase where it feels like we aren't making progress and she doesn't like reading. But I stay consistent with practice, so as not to let her regress. If anything, she is learning to sit still, focus, that mom believes she can do it, that reading is important, etc. This is the third child I will have taught to read, so this is quite familiar territory. The other girls were at different ages when they went through this, but it was the same process. We seem to stay in short vowels forever, then we pass into long vowels and special sounds, and at some point, it all becomes a blur and I can't keep them from the easy readers and then the easy chapter books and then that's it- they can read anything! And they read everything! So I know that will happen in time. I keep a positive demeanor and try to snuggle up and keep our sessions short.  I remember I was not always this confident about teaching reading.  But what I lacked in confidence years ago, I made up for in zeal and determination.  It feels much better to be confident and at rest.  I can remember when I dreamed of teaching my children to read. By God's grace, I have/ I will.  Thank you, Lord.

Our neighbors gave the girls bags of treats for Halloween.  We feel so blessed with our neighbors.  The girls keep all their Halloween candies in the dining room cabinet, eating one piece after lunch and another piece after dinner. It lasts for months, usually until Easter, when it gets restocked by the candy from Easter baskets and various egg hunts, etc.

The middle daughter is warming her feet by the fire and doing some schoolwork. We're all in a good routine now, so we usually move 'round one another like this, sitting (or lying on the floor), chatting, and working.  It's delightful to share my life with these girls.

My youngest doesn't have as much school work as her older sisters.  So some days that means she is playing alone for a few hours while her big sisters work.  She likes to be in her room with all the toys, but sometimes, I'll encourage her to get a puzzle or some other activity so she can be in the same room as us and not so isolated upstairs.  I love to watch and hear her play nearby me.

Look behind those chairs.  A fox is running through our yard.  Windows on all sides of the house look out to the woods, so someone, on some side of the house, will spot movement and shout to the rest of us.  Then we call go running to the closest window.  We've seen him a few times now, so we must be on his route.  He is delightful with paws big, flat, and black. His tail is long and fluffy and one can see how easily it might wrap 'round to be a blanket like pictures of foxes show. He can be very fast, once he decides to take off, but he seems to like sniffing around our house, perhaps for chipmunks, etc. so we have gotten some good looks at him before he moves on.  We love our home in the woods!

One daughter is practicing piano. The other is working on an essay.  Moments like these make me smile. 

It's the first day of Thanksgiving Break, so I put a brand new puzzle out on the dining room table. This one is called "Vintage Library" by Ravensburger.  Each book cover was quite distinct, so that made it easier and more fun.  We eagerly helped one another and finished this in just a few hours.