Our week in review:
Language Arts: Ryan is finally writing his story (Young Writers Program). He has blazed through a thousand words already, so he is well on his way to accomplishing his goal. Nathan has started his short story as well. David completed a grammar and vocabulary lesson. He also continues to practice for the ACT test he will take later this year.
Literature: This week they read/covered: Our Country's Presidents (John Quincy Adams), Amazing Impossible Erie Canal, Out of Darkness: The Story of Louis Braille, My Side of the Mountain and Hunter Brown and the Consuming Fire. David is finishing a paper on The Last of the Mohicans.
History: I blog about our weekly history lessons in detail at the beginning of each week. This week we covered John Quincy Adams and Political Realignments.
Science: Nathan and Ryan attended Co-op this week. You can see what they did here. At home this week, they continued studying Module 3 and are finishing the study guide. David is continuing with his chemistry lessons and working with his weekly lab group.
Math: Nathan and Ryan are working on a couple of small math projects and playing fraction games. David is continuing to work through his Algebra II lessons.
4-H projects: Nathan and Ryan are working on finishing their projects for 4-H this week. The farm city poster project and woodworking project are both due.
Outdoor Pursuits: The boys have been playing with their friends and riding their bikes. Plus they have been blowing and raking leaves. We have a lot of large maple trees in our yard, which are beautiful, but there are SO many leaves.
This was the first week that we have worked with a project style schedule. The boys seemed to enjoy it, so I feel it will be a good change up that will keep us busy until the holiday break.
Showing posts with label Weekly Review. Show all posts
Showing posts with label Weekly Review. Show all posts
Saturday, November 7, 2009
Monday, November 2, 2009
Week 13 Review
Our week in review:
Language Arts: This looks just like last week - grammar, vocabulary, spelling, handwriting, writing and reading lessons. Ryan is still finalizing his story/novel outlined for next month (Young Writers Program). Nathan is still busy outlining his ideas for his short story. David completed a vocabulary lesson and continues to practice for the ACT test he will take later this year.
Literature: This week they read/covered: Frankenstein, Simon Bolivar: Statesman and Liberator, In the Land of the Jaguar: South America and It's People, Adoniram Judson: Bound for Burma, Our Country's Presidents (Monroe) and Hunter Brown and the Consuming Fire. David is working on a paper on The Last of the Mohicans.
History: I blog about our weekly history lessons in detail at the beginning of each week. This week we covered Monroe and the American Hemisphere.
Science: Nathan and Ryan attended Co-op this week. You can see what they did here. At home this week, they continued studying Module 3 and are working through the study guide. David is continuing with his chemistry lessons and working with his weekly lab group.
Math: Nathan and Ryan are still working through a unit study on fractions. We are almost done with it and I'm gathering resources together for several math projects to work on for the next few weeks. David is continuing to work through his Algebra II lessons.
Other: Continued working on logic worksheets, a Latin and french lesson.
4-H projects: Nathan and Ryan are working on a farm city poster project and a woodworking project that are both due in next week. Yikes!
Field Trip: We took a field trip to Burritt on the Mountain for hiking and mining. I blogged about this field trip here.
Outdoor Pursuits: The weather is still a bit rainy, so the boys have been playing with their friends and riding their bikes. Sunday, we went hiking because the weather was gorgeous!
I'm still looking forward to the change up next week. I think the boys will really enjoy their projects.
Language Arts: This looks just like last week - grammar, vocabulary, spelling, handwriting, writing and reading lessons. Ryan is still finalizing his story/novel outlined for next month (Young Writers Program). Nathan is still busy outlining his ideas for his short story. David completed a vocabulary lesson and continues to practice for the ACT test he will take later this year.
Literature: This week they read/covered: Frankenstein, Simon Bolivar: Statesman and Liberator, In the Land of the Jaguar: South America and It's People, Adoniram Judson: Bound for Burma, Our Country's Presidents (Monroe) and Hunter Brown and the Consuming Fire. David is working on a paper on The Last of the Mohicans.
History: I blog about our weekly history lessons in detail at the beginning of each week. This week we covered Monroe and the American Hemisphere.
Science: Nathan and Ryan attended Co-op this week. You can see what they did here. At home this week, they continued studying Module 3 and are working through the study guide. David is continuing with his chemistry lessons and working with his weekly lab group.
Math: Nathan and Ryan are still working through a unit study on fractions. We are almost done with it and I'm gathering resources together for several math projects to work on for the next few weeks. David is continuing to work through his Algebra II lessons.
Other: Continued working on logic worksheets, a Latin and french lesson.
4-H projects: Nathan and Ryan are working on a farm city poster project and a woodworking project that are both due in next week. Yikes!
Field Trip: We took a field trip to Burritt on the Mountain for hiking and mining. I blogged about this field trip here.
Outdoor Pursuits: The weather is still a bit rainy, so the boys have been playing with their friends and riding their bikes. Sunday, we went hiking because the weather was gorgeous!
I'm still looking forward to the change up next week. I think the boys will really enjoy their projects.
Sunday, October 25, 2009
Week 12 Review
Our week in review:
Language Arts: We wrapped up another week of the usual grammar, vocabulary, spelling, handwriting, writing and reading lessons for the week. Ryan is finalizing his story/novel outlined for next month (Young Writers Program). Nathan will write a short story next month, and he is busy outlining his ideas. David took his PSAT test last week, but continues to practice for the ACT test he will take later this year.
Literature: This week they read/covered: Frankenstein, Simon Bolivar: Statesman and Liberator, In the Land of the Jaguar: South America and It's People, Adoniram Judson: Bound for Burma, Young Abe Lincoln and we are still slowly reading (savoring) Hunter Brown and the Consuming Fire. David is finishing up The Last of the Mohicans.
History: I blog about our weekly history lessons in detail at the beginning of each week. This week we covered South America in Transition.
Science: Nathan and Ryan attended Co-op this week. You can see what they did here. At home this week, they took the quiz and test for Module 2 and started Module 3. David is continuing with his chemistry lessons and working with his weekly lab group.
Math: Nathan and Ryan are still working through a unit study on fractions. I am still getting them ramped up for a larger cooking with fractions project. We will also be adding other projects and games in the upcoming weeks, because we will be changing to a project based schedule for a few weeks. David is continuing to work through his Algebra II lessons.
Other: We worked through a couple of logic worksheets, a Latin and french lesson this week. Things are still moving slow in this department. I'm not sure how much we will accomplish in these areas this year, but we will continue to plod through it ever so slowly.
4-H projects: Nathan and Ryan are working on a farm city poster project and a woodworking project that are both due in November.
Outdoor Pursuits: The weather has been cold and rainy lately, so the boys have been hanging out around the house and playing with their neighborhood friends. David spent all day Monday at True Adventure Sports going through an official "try-out" process to see if he is ready to be a paid part time contract worker. Up until now, all of the work he has done for them has been done on a volunteer basis. Although he would continue to do volunteer work with them, he would like to have a few paying jobs once in awhile as well.
We will be finishing up a few things this coming week and then switching to a project style schedule. I'm looking forward to the change up. I think it is just what we need to spice up our studies.
Language Arts: We wrapped up another week of the usual grammar, vocabulary, spelling, handwriting, writing and reading lessons for the week. Ryan is finalizing his story/novel outlined for next month (Young Writers Program). Nathan will write a short story next month, and he is busy outlining his ideas. David took his PSAT test last week, but continues to practice for the ACT test he will take later this year.
Literature: This week they read/covered: Frankenstein, Simon Bolivar: Statesman and Liberator, In the Land of the Jaguar: South America and It's People, Adoniram Judson: Bound for Burma, Young Abe Lincoln and we are still slowly reading (savoring) Hunter Brown and the Consuming Fire. David is finishing up The Last of the Mohicans.
History: I blog about our weekly history lessons in detail at the beginning of each week. This week we covered South America in Transition.
Science: Nathan and Ryan attended Co-op this week. You can see what they did here. At home this week, they took the quiz and test for Module 2 and started Module 3. David is continuing with his chemistry lessons and working with his weekly lab group.
Math: Nathan and Ryan are still working through a unit study on fractions. I am still getting them ramped up for a larger cooking with fractions project. We will also be adding other projects and games in the upcoming weeks, because we will be changing to a project based schedule for a few weeks. David is continuing to work through his Algebra II lessons.
Other: We worked through a couple of logic worksheets, a Latin and french lesson this week. Things are still moving slow in this department. I'm not sure how much we will accomplish in these areas this year, but we will continue to plod through it ever so slowly.
4-H projects: Nathan and Ryan are working on a farm city poster project and a woodworking project that are both due in November.
Outdoor Pursuits: The weather has been cold and rainy lately, so the boys have been hanging out around the house and playing with their neighborhood friends. David spent all day Monday at True Adventure Sports going through an official "try-out" process to see if he is ready to be a paid part time contract worker. Up until now, all of the work he has done for them has been done on a volunteer basis. Although he would continue to do volunteer work with them, he would like to have a few paying jobs once in awhile as well.
We will be finishing up a few things this coming week and then switching to a project style schedule. I'm looking forward to the change up. I think it is just what we need to spice up our studies.
Sunday, October 18, 2009
Week 11 Review
I should have known that after getting so much done last week, it wouldn't last...
This week looked like this:
Monday - Columbus Day: Covered short Columbus day activity and the basics (reading, writing, math, science, and history). Nathan and Ryan had music lessons then played with their friends.
Tuesday - Co-op and 4-H meeting (with photography contest)
Wednesday - David had PSAT testing all morning. Nathan and Ryan got school done early and played that afternoon.
Thursday - Field Trip to Birmingham Children's Theatre with Nathan and Ryan. David stayed home to get his work done.
Friday - Boys got the basics covered and David had a music lesson. I cancelled the chemistry lab group for the week, because I had a migraine.
Saturday - Woke up to cold weather (probably the reason for my migraine the day before) and dh starts a fire in the wood burning stove. Next thing I know, there was apparently a down draft which caused a smokey haze to fill the house. By the time the boys alert me (I had gone back to bed), the smoke was enough to set off the smoke detector - which, of course is tied in with our alarm system. This happened once last year, so I knew I had to get a fan in the hallway to clear the haze because it is the only way to get the alarm to stop blaring. The boys opened all of the windows and doors. Dh went to check on the fireplace but didn't pick up the phone when the security center called. He came upstairs and asked if I picked it up. Huh? I couldn't hear anything over the alarm. Ugh, now I have to call the company so that the fire department doesn't come blaring up to the house looking for a fire. We called in time for the fire trucks to be called off (they were on the way - oops), but the Fire Marshall did stop by to make sure everything was alright. Well, after all that excitement the rest of the day was spent with a much safer activity - watching college football.
Sunday - Quiet day, thankfully - church, chores and looking over lesson plans for next week.
This week looked like this:
Monday - Columbus Day: Covered short Columbus day activity and the basics (reading, writing, math, science, and history). Nathan and Ryan had music lessons then played with their friends.
Tuesday - Co-op and 4-H meeting (with photography contest)
Wednesday - David had PSAT testing all morning. Nathan and Ryan got school done early and played that afternoon.
Thursday - Field Trip to Birmingham Children's Theatre with Nathan and Ryan. David stayed home to get his work done.
Friday - Boys got the basics covered and David had a music lesson. I cancelled the chemistry lab group for the week, because I had a migraine.
Saturday - Woke up to cold weather (probably the reason for my migraine the day before) and dh starts a fire in the wood burning stove. Next thing I know, there was apparently a down draft which caused a smokey haze to fill the house. By the time the boys alert me (I had gone back to bed), the smoke was enough to set off the smoke detector - which, of course is tied in with our alarm system. This happened once last year, so I knew I had to get a fan in the hallway to clear the haze because it is the only way to get the alarm to stop blaring. The boys opened all of the windows and doors. Dh went to check on the fireplace but didn't pick up the phone when the security center called. He came upstairs and asked if I picked it up. Huh? I couldn't hear anything over the alarm. Ugh, now I have to call the company so that the fire department doesn't come blaring up to the house looking for a fire. We called in time for the fire trucks to be called off (they were on the way - oops), but the Fire Marshall did stop by to make sure everything was alright. Well, after all that excitement the rest of the day was spent with a much safer activity - watching college football.
Sunday - Quiet day, thankfully - church, chores and looking over lesson plans for next week.
Saturday, October 10, 2009
Week 10 Review
Our week in review:
Language Arts:
We worked through the usual grammar, vocabulary, spelling, handwriting, writing and reading lessons this week. Nathan and Ryan are still enjoying utilizing spelling city (online) and it makes my job a little easier.
Ryan is also getting his story/novel outlined for next month (Young Writers Program). Nathan will probably write a short story or essay next month, I haven't decided which yet. David is practicing for the PSAT test next week.
Literature:
This week they read/covered: The War of 1812: Second Fight for Independence, Our Flag Was Still There, The Great Little Madison, Our Country's Presidents (James Madison) and we are still slowly reading (savoring) Hunter Brown and the Consuming Fire. David is also working through The Last of the Mohicans.
History:
I blog about our weekly history lessons in detail at the beginning of each week. This week we covered James Madison and the War of 1812.
Science:
We had a break from Co-op this week because we are half way through our fall term. Even with the break, Nathan and Ryan still had science assignments to complete. This week they worked through the Module 2 study guide. David is continuing with his chemistry lessons and working with his weekly lab group.
Math:
Nathan and Ryan are currently working through a unit study on fractions. They also applied their math skills to the test by baking chocolate chip cookies. They turned out pretty good. I am getting them ramped up for a larger cooking with fractions project. David is practicing for the PSAT test next week.
Other:
We worked through a couple of logic worksheets, a latin and french lesson this week. Things are moving slow in this department. But, there are only so many hours in a day and basics come first.
4-H Photography projects:
Nathan and Ryan are finishing up their photography projects and getting ready for the photo contest next week.
Outdoor Pursuits:
The weather has not been cooperating much lately, but DH did take Ryan out hiking in the canyon (Little River National Preserve) where they marked some waypoints on our GPS. Nathan and Ryan have both been riding their bikes quite a bit this week... when it wasn't raining outside. David white water kayaked part of Little River Canyon because the water level was very high (due to all of the recent rain). He also did a little bouldering at Cherokee Rock Village with a friend.
Even though we had a break from our Co-op group this week, we were still quite busy.
Language Arts:
We worked through the usual grammar, vocabulary, spelling, handwriting, writing and reading lessons this week. Nathan and Ryan are still enjoying utilizing spelling city (online) and it makes my job a little easier.
Ryan is also getting his story/novel outlined for next month (Young Writers Program). Nathan will probably write a short story or essay next month, I haven't decided which yet. David is practicing for the PSAT test next week.
Literature:
This week they read/covered: The War of 1812: Second Fight for Independence, Our Flag Was Still There, The Great Little Madison, Our Country's Presidents (James Madison) and we are still slowly reading (savoring) Hunter Brown and the Consuming Fire. David is also working through The Last of the Mohicans.
History:
I blog about our weekly history lessons in detail at the beginning of each week. This week we covered James Madison and the War of 1812.
Science:
We had a break from Co-op this week because we are half way through our fall term. Even with the break, Nathan and Ryan still had science assignments to complete. This week they worked through the Module 2 study guide. David is continuing with his chemistry lessons and working with his weekly lab group.
Math:
Nathan and Ryan are currently working through a unit study on fractions. They also applied their math skills to the test by baking chocolate chip cookies. They turned out pretty good. I am getting them ramped up for a larger cooking with fractions project. David is practicing for the PSAT test next week.
Other:
We worked through a couple of logic worksheets, a latin and french lesson this week. Things are moving slow in this department. But, there are only so many hours in a day and basics come first.
4-H Photography projects:
Nathan and Ryan are finishing up their photography projects and getting ready for the photo contest next week.
Outdoor Pursuits:
The weather has not been cooperating much lately, but DH did take Ryan out hiking in the canyon (Little River National Preserve) where they marked some waypoints on our GPS. Nathan and Ryan have both been riding their bikes quite a bit this week... when it wasn't raining outside. David white water kayaked part of Little River Canyon because the water level was very high (due to all of the recent rain). He also did a little bouldering at Cherokee Rock Village with a friend.
Even though we had a break from our Co-op group this week, we were still quite busy.
Friday, October 2, 2009
Week 9 Review
We have made it half way through our first semester. Yeah!
My oldest son David is working well independently (for the most part) and is currently busy getting ready for the PSAT.
In addition to his regular studies this semester, David has been active in our local Co-op with a political science class, homeschool band practice, electric bass lessons, chemistry lab group, church youth group and volunteering with True Adventure Sports. After this weekend he will probably have around 40 volunteer hours for this school year. He also completed a rappel basics course and received his drivers license. Thank goodness he can drive now, because his schedule is becoming increasingly hard to keep up with.
Nathan and Ryan have been involved with a science class with our local Co-op group, 4-H club, piano/violin lessons, Sunday school, field trips, plus plenty of free time to play and explore. Ryan also completed a kids triathlon.
I've been brainstorming this week, trying to figure out how to teach, while encouraging my younger boys to put forth their best effort (the first time), learn/work more independently, and trying to keep it some what fun. Apparently, that's a tall order. So, this is what I've come up with for the next term:
My oldest son David is working well independently (for the most part) and is currently busy getting ready for the PSAT.
In addition to his regular studies this semester, David has been active in our local Co-op with a political science class, homeschool band practice, electric bass lessons, chemistry lab group, church youth group and volunteering with True Adventure Sports. After this weekend he will probably have around 40 volunteer hours for this school year. He also completed a rappel basics course and received his drivers license. Thank goodness he can drive now, because his schedule is becoming increasingly hard to keep up with.
Nathan and Ryan have been involved with a science class with our local Co-op group, 4-H club, piano/violin lessons, Sunday school, field trips, plus plenty of free time to play and explore. Ryan also completed a kids triathlon.
I've been brainstorming this week, trying to figure out how to teach, while encouraging my younger boys to put forth their best effort (the first time), learn/work more independently, and trying to keep it some what fun. Apparently, that's a tall order. So, this is what I've come up with for the next term:
- 3 weeks on our regular schedule
- 3 weeks using a unit study/project style schedule
- 3 weeks on our regular schedule
I'm hoping this combination will work well for us. Of course, I might continue to tweak it as we go along. We will just have to see how it works out.
Friday, September 25, 2009
Week 8 Review
Well, we are 8 weeks into the school year and things are going relatively well. We are only off by a few days from my semester schedule. So, I should feel pretty good about our progress. But, as soon as we start to fall behind, I start feeling rattled. Hum... Maybe it's time to change things up a bit.
Just as there is no such thing as a perfect homeschool curriculum, I know that homeschooling isn't ever going to be perfect. There is no "normal" day. However, I can tell things are starting to slip - just a little (hence the stress). The initial fun factor of a new school year has worn off. Sometimes, we don't get to every lesson scheduled because the boys are dragging along. Or, the boys don't do their best, so I reassign the same lesson the next day (insert groans and complaints).
It doesn't help that we have had rainy weather for two weeks straight. The boys are literally climbing the walls. Next week the weather is supposed to beautiful. Yeah, can't wait for that!
Next week will also be the end of our first 9 weeks. So now I'm brainstorming for some ideas to liven thing up a bit. After all, learning is supposed to be fun, right?
Just as there is no such thing as a perfect homeschool curriculum, I know that homeschooling isn't ever going to be perfect. There is no "normal" day. However, I can tell things are starting to slip - just a little (hence the stress). The initial fun factor of a new school year has worn off. Sometimes, we don't get to every lesson scheduled because the boys are dragging along. Or, the boys don't do their best, so I reassign the same lesson the next day (insert groans and complaints).
It doesn't help that we have had rainy weather for two weeks straight. The boys are literally climbing the walls. Next week the weather is supposed to beautiful. Yeah, can't wait for that!
Next week will also be the end of our first 9 weeks. So now I'm brainstorming for some ideas to liven thing up a bit. After all, learning is supposed to be fun, right?
Saturday, September 19, 2009
Week 7 Review
Finally, a full week of school. Sometimes it is hard to get back into the groove after a short week, but we were ready to get back to our routine.
We accomplished our school goals for the week, attended Co-op, music lessons, chemistry labs, band practice and the first 4-H meeting of the year.
Nathan and Ryan are working on a 4-H project (photography), which will be due next month. David is enjoying his driving privileges and looking for a part time job.
I should have scanned some of their work into the computer to get better pictures, but here are a few quick snap shots of handwriting and math. I keep forgetting to do this before I grade it and file it away. Ugh...
A page from Ryan's handwriting assignments
Nathan's fraction math review sheet
The house is clean (for the most part), I have laundry going, chili simmering on the stove and college football on TV. I love fall.
We accomplished our school goals for the week, attended Co-op, music lessons, chemistry labs, band practice and the first 4-H meeting of the year.
Nathan and Ryan are working on a 4-H project (photography), which will be due next month. David is enjoying his driving privileges and looking for a part time job.
I should have scanned some of their work into the computer to get better pictures, but here are a few quick snap shots of handwriting and math. I keep forgetting to do this before I grade it and file it away. Ugh...
A page from Ryan's handwriting assignments
Nathan's fraction math review sheet
The house is clean (for the most part), I have laundry going, chili simmering on the stove and college football on TV. I love fall.
So, what have I not finished this week- closets. I have started, but I'm no where close to being done. So far I have one bag of clothes that I need to give away. I will probably have at least 8-10 bags by the time I'm done. At this rate, I'll be done by Halloween.
DH and David are kayaking down part of Little River Canyon today. Nathan and Ryan had a friend sleep over last night and are busy playing. So that leaves me time to research on the computer, read, finish my lesson plans for next week and work on those closets.
Friday, September 11, 2009
Week 6 Review
This was a short week.
Monday (Labor Day), the boys were still camping. In fact Ryan joined DH and David on the extreme night hike as a "junior helper."
Tuesday, we had Co-op classes.
Wednesday, was David's 16th birthday and I had to spend most of the morning at the DMV.
Thursday and Friday were our only normal school days this week.
We are now six weeks into the school year and I'm trying to do an early assessment of our curriculum hits and misses.
So far we are loving Tapestry of Grace, Spelling City, Khan Academy math videos (as a supplement) and Netflix. These are all new to us this year.
Rod and Staff and Vocabulary from the Roots Up are both staple items that we have used for several years and continue to enjoy.
I don't think we have really had any real misses yet, but I am reconsidering some of David's curriculum. The Apologia Chemistry is not meaty enough for him, so I'll have to work on this.
Ryan found an interesting Caterpillar in the yard and took this photo. I believe it is a Polyphemus Moth. They like to feed off hardwood trees, and we have several large maple trees in our yard.
The boys play a friendly game of airsoft.
Monday (Labor Day), the boys were still camping. In fact Ryan joined DH and David on the extreme night hike as a "junior helper."
Tuesday, we had Co-op classes.
Wednesday, was David's 16th birthday and I had to spend most of the morning at the DMV.
Thursday and Friday were our only normal school days this week.
We are now six weeks into the school year and I'm trying to do an early assessment of our curriculum hits and misses.
So far we are loving Tapestry of Grace, Spelling City, Khan Academy math videos (as a supplement) and Netflix. These are all new to us this year.
Rod and Staff and Vocabulary from the Roots Up are both staple items that we have used for several years and continue to enjoy.
I don't think we have really had any real misses yet, but I am reconsidering some of David's curriculum. The Apologia Chemistry is not meaty enough for him, so I'll have to work on this.
Ryan found an interesting Caterpillar in the yard and took this photo. I believe it is a Polyphemus Moth. They like to feed off hardwood trees, and we have several large maple trees in our yard.
The boys play a friendly game of airsoft.
Friday, September 4, 2009
Week Five Review
Although we are on our regular school schedule now, we did not complete everything on our list this week. Somehow, we didn't get to our Latin lessons - at all! I had them scheduled for Tuesday and Thursday. I figured they could do their Latin lesson and attend Co-op on Tuesday. In my mind, I felt that it should work. However, I now know that the lesson needs to be done before we leave for Co-op. Because, by the time we get home from Co-op on Tuesdays, they are eager to go outside and play. I don't normally have a problem with getting lessons done on Thursdays, but I had to move David's chemistry lab group from Friday afternoon to Thursday afternoon this week because of a conflicting field trip. So, Latin got dropped because I needed to get the kids started on their chemistry labs. Hopefully, I've got this figured out now and we will get to our Latin lessons from now on.
What else did I not get to? Well, I have not started cleaning out the closets. I really need to since summer is quickly coming to an end and fall is almost here. But, somehow it was all I could do this week to get the school work (minus the Latin), basic house cleaning, laundry and cooking done.
I would like to think that next week will run more smoothly, but I know better. Monday is a holiday (Labor Day) and on Wednesday, my oldest son David, turns 16! So, at some point we will need to go down to the DMV so he can take the road test and (hopefully) get his drivers license.
Also, David has informed me that one morning this week, he along with one of his homeschool friends and church youth minister are being interviewed live, via Skype, on Fox News in Cleveland, Ohio. Apparently, they made a funny (spoof) video to one of their news stories and they want to interview them. I don't know which day it will be yet, but David said it will be early, around 6 am. (yikes!)
This weekend, we plan to go camping. We will probably do some rock climbing or rappelling if the weather holds out. I'm going to try to enjoy the long weekend because I know this week will be a busy one.
What else did I not get to? Well, I have not started cleaning out the closets. I really need to since summer is quickly coming to an end and fall is almost here. But, somehow it was all I could do this week to get the school work (minus the Latin), basic house cleaning, laundry and cooking done.
I would like to think that next week will run more smoothly, but I know better. Monday is a holiday (Labor Day) and on Wednesday, my oldest son David, turns 16! So, at some point we will need to go down to the DMV so he can take the road test and (hopefully) get his drivers license.
Also, David has informed me that one morning this week, he along with one of his homeschool friends and church youth minister are being interviewed live, via Skype, on Fox News in Cleveland, Ohio. Apparently, they made a funny (spoof) video to one of their news stories and they want to interview them. I don't know which day it will be yet, but David said it will be early, around 6 am. (yikes!)
This weekend, we plan to go camping. We will probably do some rock climbing or rappelling if the weather holds out. I'm going to try to enjoy the long weekend because I know this week will be a busy one.
Saturday, August 29, 2009
Week Four Review
Wow, I can't believe it has been almost a month since we started school. We have been very busy. This week we added history to our studies. Did I mention that we are using Tapestry of Grace? This is the first year that I've used the curriculum. But, I finally feel that I'm at a place where I can edit or tweak a curriculum and be happy with it while not trying to do everything. Trust me, that would never work with Tapestry of Grace (TOG), because you just can't do it all.
There are a couple of free resources that we have started using on a regular basis. The first is called Spelling City. I just put in the weekly spelling list and the kids do the rest, including taking the test online. It's great for me and they are really enjoying it. Another is Kahn Academy for math. The boys have been watching short videos that correspond to their math lessons.
Next week I'll be adding in Latin and French. We will finally be schooling on our regular schedule. I think the only thing I still have left to purchase is the art book. I need to place an order for that.
Besides school work, the boys still managed to get in some play time. They are still enjoying our pool and practicing for the triathlon. This morning, we were able to get in some rock climbing at Cherokee Rock Village before it rained. Although it has been very humid here lately, there is a cool breeze in the air. I think fall is just around the corner.
There are a couple of free resources that we have started using on a regular basis. The first is called Spelling City. I just put in the weekly spelling list and the kids do the rest, including taking the test online. It's great for me and they are really enjoying it. Another is Kahn Academy for math. The boys have been watching short videos that correspond to their math lessons.
Next week I'll be adding in Latin and French. We will finally be schooling on our regular schedule. I think the only thing I still have left to purchase is the art book. I need to place an order for that.
Besides school work, the boys still managed to get in some play time. They are still enjoying our pool and practicing for the triathlon. This morning, we were able to get in some rock climbing at Cherokee Rock Village before it rained. Although it has been very humid here lately, there is a cool breeze in the air. I think fall is just around the corner.
Friday, August 21, 2009
Week Three Review
Well, another week has flown by again. We are continuing to ramp up our studies. This week we added grammar, logic and science (first full week of study with Co-op class). David also started his Political Science class at Co-op. Plus, I'm working on our history lesson plans, since we will be starting those next week.
It has rained here off and on this week, so the boys haven't had the opportunity to do much outdoors. All three boys did get in a little bit of swimming in our pool, but that's about it. Nathan and Ryan are planning on competing in a kids triathlon next month, so in addition to the swimming, they have been riding their bikes around the neighborhood. At some point I need to take them up to the track at the recreation center so they can practice running. Hopefully, the weather will improve next week.
As far as my projects go, I tackled the ironing last week. I was able to finish and actually found the bottom of the basket! Hopefully, I'll be able to keep it up. Next, I need to work on cleaning out the closets. This will probably take a few weeks to complete. But, it really needs to be done. Especially with fall just around the corner. Now, I just need to get motivated...
It has rained here off and on this week, so the boys haven't had the opportunity to do much outdoors. All three boys did get in a little bit of swimming in our pool, but that's about it. Nathan and Ryan are planning on competing in a kids triathlon next month, so in addition to the swimming, they have been riding their bikes around the neighborhood. At some point I need to take them up to the track at the recreation center so they can practice running. Hopefully, the weather will improve next week.
As far as my projects go, I tackled the ironing last week. I was able to finish and actually found the bottom of the basket! Hopefully, I'll be able to keep it up. Next, I need to work on cleaning out the closets. This will probably take a few weeks to complete. But, it really needs to be done. Especially with fall just around the corner. Now, I just need to get motivated...
Saturday, August 15, 2009
Week Two Review
This week has flown by. In school, we continued with Bible, reading and writing while adding in spelling, vocabulary and math.
On Monday, the boys had their music lessons. Tuesday, we had our Co-op orientation meeting where I handed out the first assignment for my science classes. The assignments are to be completed by the first week of Co-op. So, Nathan and Ryan (who are both in my class) have also started their science studies this week. We are slowly but surely easing into our school schedule.
David went camping and rock climbing with some friends at Cherokee Rock Village. Nathan and Ryan have been playing with some neighborhood friends, swimming (in our pool) and playing disc golf.
While we are still schooling lite, I'm trying to catch up on some housework. At our house, as a general rule, when we get a lot of school work done, then the housework seems to suffer. And, if the house is clean, then we probably didn't get as much school work done. So, this week I've concentrated on finishing the never ending ironing basket. I feel like if I can tackle one project a week, eventually I will be caught up.
Sunday, August 9, 2009
First week review and reflections
We have finished our first week of school, and are doing well. We schooled lite, only concentrating on Bible, reading and writing. Next week we will add in vocabulary, spelling and math. We also have a Co-op orientation meeting on Tuesday.
Besides our academic studies, we have had plenty of time to enjoy several outdoor activities. In addition to rock climbing earlier in the week, David went to Six Flags with some friends to use his free return ticket from Homeschool Day in May. He also spent time teaching some friends how to roll a kayak in our pool. Saturday, DH took Nathan and Ryan to swim at Blue Hole in Little River Canyon National Preserve. I stayed home to finish some planning for my science class while David completed his chores. This afternoon we plan on going to Cloudland Canyon State Park to play Disc Golf.
David practicing his kayak rolls in the pool.
Video clip of Ryan on a rope swing.
Video clip of Nathan jumping from a tree.
They find this to be more fun than just going out in the backyard and swimming in our pool - go figure :)
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