Thursday, August 11, 2011

The First Week

...has gone pretty good! It hasn't taken all that long because we are only reviewing in spelling and math. So, it has been somewhat easy on us this first week back. I am in love with our curriculum choices still, and can't wait to get everything ready for next week.

And in other news:


  • I'm trying to decide about some piano lessons that are sort of far away, but affordable. The teacher is a mom from our homeschool room, but not exactly someone I know. So...I would need to wait there at her house during the lessons. Need to go meet this mom and make a decision about that soon. I really want Sweetheart to continue piano. 
  • Little Bit is loving Sonlight. I chose an easy core for her as we mostly just need to focus on reading and math this year. So, her Sonlight doesn't take up too much time. But The Boxcar Children? She is LOVING. (Turns out she doesn't remember it from a few years ago when we read it.) We are making a diorama to go along with the story and her imagination is absolutely on fire about this project. We started painting some peg people for the characters today:
Henry, Jessie, Violet, & Benny

And here is the boxcar we covered:


And our attempt at making "pine needle beds" that will not be so messy. We'll see if our idea works. 

Big blobs of glue on wax paper...hoping they will peel off when dry.
  • Sweetheart is enjoying her independence in school. I was hoping she would. Math discouraged both of us today but we shall plod on. Maybe her summer brain hasn't completely woken up? In everything else, she is rockin' it. 
Working under her loft...
  • Scripture memorizing is harder than I thought! Scripture memory is built into their curriculum so I finally....finally implemented the system I have been planning to implement for 2 years. Well, Little Bit got her verse down in 2 days but Sweetheart is having a harder time. Perhaps this is related to how long it took her to memorize math facts? Hmm...But again, we will not give up!
This girl LOVES writing time!
  • I'm excited about sharing some school stuff with friends this year. Carrie and I will be meeting every other week to do Physics together and I'm hoping to share some Zoology field trips with some other friends. Yes, we are doing 2 sciences this year---call me crazy!
  • Been keeping up with the house OK-not great, but OK. I'm glad to be back on school schedule again. And starting earlier makes the day so much longer and I feel like I do have time to do other things besides school. 
  • I love Pinterest. I think I have only begun to scratch the surface of it's usefulness!
How has your week been?

4 comments:

  1. I'm glad your first week has been a good one!

    I just signed up with Pinterest this week too, and I don't think I quite have the gist of it yet. I'm not totally seeing the point quite yet, but I'm hopeful to learn what it is!

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  2. pinterest is dangerous. dangerous, i tell you. ;)

    two sciences? that idea sounds great in my head. but really... i'll be doing well to keep my head screwed on straight. i'm signing the girls up for theater that will require 12 hrs of practice a week {during the daytime}. not counting piano or dance. i'm a home-body, so this will be new for us. lord. help. me. thankfully theater is only 6 wks. i think i can...

    we take piano from a local teacher. i can email you her info if you'd like.

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  3. on the scripture system.. I love it However... I will say it is really great for review once you have memorized the verse but for minds like kate and Sweetheart they need more time on memory verse to learn it in the first place. So I have incorporated activities for this. Writing every word on a card and laying them in order. making a sheet with missing words and having them fill in blanks. reading it, saying it three times each, reading with inflection to help "remember" key words, Writing the scripture three times. etc.
    THis helps not only Kaitlin and but the other two also... IT does not however help me! I am a bad memorizer!

    bravo on the good week--- we are going pretty strong here too! and I got my "schedule" up too! WE shall see if it works for us... I am was doing most of it-- just sending them to do differnt things but this way I wont have to THINK-- who still needs to do what!

    Pinterest-- signed up-- don't know or understand how it works and have not taken the time to learn! must take time!

    btw.. LOVE your red box car, TOO cute!

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  4. loved reading this! can't wait to do that same project with the boxcar children with the boys. i read them a chapter in one of the books every night before bed...they're gonna love it!!

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I don't get to talk to a lot of actual grown-ups during the day, so your comments make me really happy! :)