This week was quite simple. For the fact that our school week consisted of only Wednesday, Thursday and Friday. Daddy left to go back to work on Tuesday and the rest of the week I’ve been feeling under the weather with a cold.
...booo
No crafts, projects or even much reading aloud.
Just a bit of math, copy work, bible study, latin, scripture memory and history this week.
Eagle shot an arrow into the trees and is trying to throw a long piece of wood to retrieve it. He says he's waiting for a really windy day to get the arrow and the long piece of wood down from the tree. haha -boys!
Alba writing up a storm.
New books came in the mail. Yay!
Colouring page from history
Cheesy spinach goodness
Home-made tomato soup
Here's hoping that next week is full of healthy bodies in this house.
Monday is quite vague. I do know that all week Eagle has been enamoured by Tolkien's Lord of the Rings.
Tuesday Daddy went back to work We cleaned and organized the basement most of the day, unpacking more boxes, and setting aside a box for a garage sale in hopes to purge. Wednesday felt like a Monday. Oh true it was. Slow. Day. I had to just go with it. Watching for cues from children is sometimes all we can focus on in a day to avoid melt downs or fits, hey Moms?
We started back into History (finally), after a four month hiatus. Zazu is now joining us with our History study. What joy it was to pull out our Story of the World materials.
I prefer the CD's, the narration is far beyond what I'm capable of. I toyed with the idea of purchasing the CD's for Volume One but waited till Vol. 2 to purchase. I have a bad habit of not completing books or painfully dragging out curricula if it's left to me to read aloud. I know... my secret is out. I read aloud for Geography, Science and Math (Zazu). I chose to let Eagle mostly read SOTW alone in our first years, to give myself a break when I had a toddler and small baby to care for. I realized last year in preparing for Zazu to join Eagle with history this year that the CD's would be wonderful for all of us to listen to. And hopefully complete in a timely fashion.
I took my camera out, after being packed away for over three months. And when I dusted off the nikon this week the objects through the lens looked even more appealing. It felt so good to click, click, click.
It will be an even more momentous occasion when we make a space for me to work (make art)! It was going to be the loft because of all the natural light. But unfortunately the combination of home school library, a cream leather love seat, light high pile carpet; just doesn't jive well with making art. It will happen, God willing. We'll figure it out, soon I hope. Carrying on... Thursday The morning was hurried along because of an invite to tea and play that afternoon. A highlight of the morning was teaching Zazu millions place value. It was a hard concept for him. He's got an understanding of hundreds, so hopefully soon what I diagrammed will reach him. This chart reminded me to have him make an entry in his math journal, but his (I'm done) ques were telling me otherwise.
The boys individual studies were completed before I allowed us to leave the house. I found that I needed to remind them of our engagement continually for them to stay on task. I reminded (hopefully not nagging) to get back on task or I would consider leaving them home while I went out for tea. The Thursday afternoon get-togethers have been a God sent for me since moving here. It was so refreshing. Friday My plans were to read most of our school time. I had an interrupted night because Alba was having growing pains in her legs. So the morning started slowly with me out of my room by 8:30 and tried my best to get everyone on task with morning chores without grumpy Mommy making an appearance. The younger two had a bath, while Eagle took the dogs for a walk. I quickly made myself a shake and to the computer I went to photocopy some things for school. All was going well considering our very late start, when the phone rang and it was a girlfriend from where we previously lived. We had a wonderful chat and touched on issues we're struggling with. She means a lot to me! I did one of those multitasking things, where I bathed the children and got them dressed all while on the phone without even knowing I did. Similar to driving and forgetting you were driving. It's humorous to think that I really multitasked this morning. Unfortunately Zazu and Aylah were enjoying my long conversation with my friend too much, so much that they got into much trouble. I found them throwing clean laundry into the pile of dirty, down the laundry shoot. Then grabbing clean mixed with dirty laundry (whatever they could grab) and carrying it back up the stairs and throwing that pile down, and so on. So, I was obviously now pleased. I then gave the job of re-sorting the laundry to Zazu (lesson learned I hope). When all the commotion ended the digital clock in my room displayed 11:00 am. WOW. Oops. Already time to prepare lunch and we hadn't even began the PLAN for the day. But God's plan is so much better, isn't it?! Long talk with a friend and character building moments for Mommy and children. We did eventually get down to our studies, just not in the morning. Afternoon came along after kitchen chores were completed and we listened to our first piece of music by our second composer of our school year, which is Handel. While listening we coloured Latin vocabulary sheets, started math lessons and of course the time sucking bathroom breaks... you know those? When 2-3 kids simultaneously seem to need to use the bathroom, get a drink or "I'm hungry...!". These afternoon school days seem to just drag on. blah! Most days I wonder if we get anything accomplished with all the delays and daydreaming out the window. When I reflect back on our week without journalling throughout our days, I'm discouraged with the thought that we are only sitting down to our studies twice a week. With my husbands work schedule the way it is, it can be frustrating to work around and what makes things worse is my lack of focus (distractions even for me, I know) and time management. But I'm learning. So here's a little joyful listen to Handel to ease the pain.
And... I ordered books today. Enter Happy Dance! Here are a few books from my order.
Roughly twice a month we have a Saturday school day to complete things which weren't in the week.
I longed for a good chunk of time to just sit and read to the kids. It's difficult with our school days to fit it all in plus reading aloud. I wanted Friday to be a day where we got the basics done and read aloud. I had Zazu colour a latin vocab sheet while I read from the Jesus Story Book Bible with Alba cuddled up yawning on my lap, and Eagle typing up a book review on the computer; all in the same room. I also read the first chapter from All-of-a-kind-Family. It was cute the way Eagle interupted to tell me what a "whatnot" was. I didn't have a clue. He said he read it in one of the Little House books.
We finally used our digital recorder for school. I had Zazu record his narration of Chapter 14 from Story of the World vol.2 and we also had some laughs with it. If you listen to the audio book of SOTW, you'll get the following videos.
Eagle doesn't get stuck with a new math concept very often. Eagle had to balance equations in Life of Fred - Pre-Algebra 1 with Biology. And well, I'm no help.
In the photo Eagle is holding a bow he made from some willow from the river near our house. The boys chose to talk about that event for the project.
The Zoo
We took an afternoon trip with the two younger kids to the zoo. Here they are looking at the otters (Daddy's favourite zoo creature).
Valentines Day
We don't usually do anything extra during school time for holidays. If I would even consider Valentines an actual holiday. It's extra effort on my part and in the past with the boys, it's never really been an issue not to do anything. Sometimes Eagle would prefer not to in all honesty. We recognized St. Patrick day with home schooling friends of ours a few years back, which was good, but that's about all.
This year for Valentines Day, we made fruit loop necklaces only because we were invited to a little V-Day party hosted by another HS family. It was great to get out of the house to a "pink and red" themed get together. On the fly, we brought a jube jube guessing game (fun) and our couple dozen fruit loop necklaces. It was sweet how my kids went around and placed a necklace on each child at the party.
Planting Touch Plant seeds.
Last Valentines Day (2012) our church had given a small packet of seeds and a special note for each family.
I bought this book when we first started home educating after reading into Miss Charlotte Mason's idea of handiworks and life skills, and Eagle finally picked it up and started something.
Eagle made his own sling shot.
Water Tea Party
The Snowy Day
A little while ago I mentioned printing a bunch literature studies and lap books from the web.
Zazu is joining in with Alba's fun with The Snowy Day here.
At Alba's request we've read the book and watched the video reading many times. Let's say she has it memorized quite well.
Q-Tip painting her snowflakes
Zazu reading Henry and Mudge (his first chapter book)!!
Sorting colour and size with Alba. She enjoyed the flower cards.
Letter Fun
Alba and I are going through the ABC's together. We started talking about the alphabet together exactly a year ago when she was two years old. Now at three I find it's not just repeating what I say out of mimicking but she can actually understand now that letters are associated to people, places and things. I'm trying to make a real effort at this with her at this.
I made verse strips (idea from 1+1+1=1) using the A-Z Memory Verses from Confessions of a Homeschooler. Alba loves going to the A-Z printout and asking if we can work on her memory verses!
Letter C& P for pink ...she loves pink!
(video)
I finally decided to make a letter sensory bin. It really adds to the fun of letters.
Sensory Bin Play with Alba & Zazu
(videos)
We pressed the number 3 cookie from Counting Cookies into her pink play dough. (photo credit to Alba)
Sorting yellow "C" things from the sensory bin.
I used to stress about finding items by theme and having a place to put anything. Now that we've moved up in square footage, it's much easier to store and create fun bags and bins for Alba. I'm having fun with it and well, ...I'm sure she is too.
Zazu shovelling snow off the front porch.
We were going to start Exploring Creation with Anatomy, but Eagle suggested that we just finish Botany and then start a new topic. I agreed, and off to our Botany book we went. I'm glad we did because we found pictures on the internet of a really amazing plant. The Banyan Tree in Maui. Amazing!!
I walked in to the school room to an impromptu lesson in multiplying fractions with Eagle. I had to take a photo to remember this cute little moment. Zazu, if you know, is only seven and is currently working on the clock and odd and even numbers, so I think multiplying fractions was a little over his head. But it was a cool moment of Eagle teaching what he knew to Zazu. Wonderful moment!
For a little laughter. Eagle thought it would be a grand idea to put some masks on the poor dogs. And of course I included photos on here.
DINO KAYLEE
KERMIT KAYLEE
On a more serious note. I'm becoming more thankful that God moved us here; out of the city and deeper into His creation. We've all, not just the kids, had many wonderful experiences in the last three months. Which I really couldn't anticipate. Like building a slingshot, chopping wood, building a bow (with a neighbour Dad), walking along the river, sliding down river banks, counting blue jays, watching deer, learning how to care for dogs, Eagle working for our friends landscaping company... etc.
I'm sorry for doubting what you have in store for this family. Help us to be ever thankful for how you have extremely blessed this household. Thank you Lord
