Current 1000 Books Project Total: 78/1000

Another first at the house this week: in the middle of the night, Mark and I woke up to this crazy screaming sound.  Half asleep and disoriented, we couldn’t see anything through our window and were really creeped out.  A little research later and we think it was a fox!  (It sounds like this if you’re curious)  Always learning something new with this country life!

Notes and highlights:

+ We fit in a small review lesson on the solar system this week in M’s science.  He made a replica using a pre-painted solar system kit and practiced the planet’s order using a mnemonic: My Very Excellent Mother Just Served Us Nachos.  We also played a little planet trivia!

+ We are so excited for December and the change of pace.  We’re putting almost everything on hold (except for math, sorry kids) and diving deep into Advent.
+ Day 1: The kids each received a shiny new sketchbook.  The plan is that everyday, they will draw one of the illustrations in that day’s picture book as well as copy a part of the story (sentence or paragraph, depending on age).  Today’s book was Merry Christmas, Strega Nona and the little ones were especially into Strega Nona and Big Anthony.  We made puppets using this coloring page to reenact the story.  We also learned a little about Tomie dePaola and watched a few Youtube videos about him.  We especially loved this one and this one.

Current 1000 Books Project Total: 73/1000
Poetry Teatime Treat: cookie cake for J’s birthday

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MORNING BASKET

• Take Up & Read’s “Rooted in Hope” Journal and the free Kids Edition
• Daily Picture Books (most from our Literary Advent Calendar)
• Copywork and Art
• Christmas Around the World
• Traditions in Italy
• Traditions in Mexico
• Read-alouds
• Hark! A Christmas Sampler
• A Christmas Carol
• The Lion, the Witch and the Wardrobe
• Truce
• Activities/Crafts/Baking/Movies

Spine: Beautiful Feet’s Modern and US History program

I’m stretching this guide out a bit and estimating that it will last us over a year, maybe two.  

Books, Field Trips and Projects:

K-THIRD GRADE HISTORY

Spine: Beautiful Feet’s Early American History program

I was hoping to stretch this guide out too, but they keep asking for more!  We’ll most likely finish this year.

Books and Projects:

MATH

BIG KIDS LANGUAGE ARTS & WRITING

LITTLE KIDS READING & PHONICS

FIFTH GRADE SCIENCE

Spine: Beautiful Feet’s History of Science program

Books:

K-THIRD GRADE SCIENCE

Spine: Sassafras Science Vol.1 – Zoology & Sassafras Science Vol.2 – Anatomy

• DK Encyclopedia of Animals
• Lapbooking through Zoology with the Sassafras Twins
• DK Human Body

RELIGION

The three big boys will also be attending religious education at our parish.

GEOGRAPHY

We are focusing on the continent of Africa this year, learning about one country a week.  

Spine: The Africa Book and the Discover Africa Notebooking Packet 

Term Two Countries: Ethiopia, Zambia, Somalia, Kenya, Malawi, Uganda, Madagascar, Mozambique

Books and Projects:

ART APPRECIATION

POETRY TEATIME

Trying this again!  Hopefully we can find the balance between delicious treats and reading poetry.

Spine: Child’s Introduction to Poetry: Listen While You Learn About the Magic Words That Have Moved Mountains, Won Battles, and Made Us Laugh and Cry

TGIF!  Week 12 was rough.  I’ve been burning the candle at both ends, trying so hard to do it all, and I finally hit the wall.  As I look back at my neurotic lack of self-care, I can only shake my head and sigh.  Poor eating, poor sleeping due to a teething baby (but still staying up late for a little silent “me time”), intense training runs, full days of school and chores and project after project…what am I thinking?!  I’m also dealing with a few hormonal issues, which hasn’t helped either.  Ironically, I came across and listened to a talk about Mary and Martha and letting Jesus gaze upon us (linked below).  Oh man, a sucker punch to the gut.  I’ve been thinking about it all week.  33 seems like the right age to stop trying so hard and to start accepting my own imperfection.

Notes and highlights:

+ M (5th grade) has spent eleven weeks immersed in different aspects of the Civil War.  He has learned about everything from important battles to ironclad ships to Abraham Lincoln’s assassination to the Underground Railroad.  We wrapped up all of this learning with Project Week, a chance for him to show us everything he learned!  As an educator, I found the process really interesting, seeing what things stuck in his memory and what facts just didn’t click.  I think it will be helpful for both of us going forward. 

+ For memory’s sake, the seven tasks on his list were:
1. Write a report about an important Civil War battle.  Please write a rough draft and then see Mom for any corrections.  You may either write neatly or type your final copy.
2. Create a map that explains the battle you chose above.  Be creative!  A few ideas to get you started: paint a map on big paper, make one out of salt dough, or construct using Legos.
3. Eat like a Confederate and bake Johnny Cakes.  Look on page 61 of your Civil War Projects book for the recipe and instructions.
4. What are your Top 10 favorite facts about Abraham Lincoln?  Make a file folder presentation with your list.
5. Use your best voice and recite the Gettysburg Address.
6. Create a wanted poster for John Wilkes Booth.
7. Imagine that you were a part of the Underground Railroad and create a paper “quilt map” to lead the slaves to freedom.

+ We squeezed in one more movie about the Underground Railroad on Friday morning: Follow the Drinking Gourd.  

+ We finished Nim’s Island early this week.  The kids would excitedly ask for “Just one more chapter, please Mama?  We have to know what happens!” and how do you say no to that?  To celebrate, we watched the movie on Amazon Prime and it’s quickly become a new favorite.  The movie is quite different from the book, but still so good.

Current 1000 Books Project Total: 70/1000
Poetry Teatime Treat: Chocolate Chip Cookies

What a whirlwind of a week!  The highlights include a fun Halloween celebration, All Saints Day mass and coming thisclose to hitting a deer on the way home (talk about adrenaline!), and meeting a friend’s brand new baby girl.  My house is looking a little rough and the laundry pile is high, but some weeks are like that, right?

Notes and highlights:

+ Halloween is never a huge deal around our house, but we do have certain years where we go big and other years where it’s a little lean.  Financially, we’re on the lean side this year and couldn’t swing decking out five kids with new costumes at the store.  So instead, Mark suggested that we all come up with costumes that we can make from the dress-up box or around the house.  The kids were all about it!  To make the day extra special, we decided that instead of trick-or-treating (since we’re in the middle of nowhere with miles between houses), we would have “Halloween School” and a big family party.

+ We had ghost pancakes for breakfast, already dressed in our costumes.  We played a couple of fun games I found through Pinterest: a Roll a Pumpkin game and one that had you drawing with your eyes closed.  (We only had one kid crying, so I call that a success, hah.)  We also made a pumpkin pinata and lots of spooky crafts to decorate our dining room.  After a dinner of chili and cornbread, we knocked down the pinata and had a blindfolded candy taste test.  It was a full day, but so so good. 

+ The little kids started Pocahontas this week.  I’m embarrassed to say that I remember very little about her (and most of it probably comes from the Disney movie) so it’s been fun for me to learn along with them.

+ M is finishing up his Civil War unit with a small study on slavery and the Underground Railroad.  I feel like we only hit the tip of the iceberg, but it was a strong start.  He read Dear Austin: Letters from the Underground Railroad, Barefoot: Escape on the Underground Railroad and Sweet Clara and the Freedom Quilt.

Current 1000 Books Project Total: 59/1000
Poetry Teatime Treat: Candy Bar Cookie Bars

The weather finally felt like fall this week.  The brisk mornings had us all bundled up in quilts and blankets.  We’ve had a lot of hot cups of cocoa or coffee in our hands.  P wore fleece footie pajamas for the first time and we all died at the cuteness.  Nature walks around our property to see the leaves has become one of our favorite things to do.  Fall, I think we love you.   

Notes and highlights:

+ We started a new unit using a book called Grammar-Land by M.L. Nesbitt. (I found the audiobook version for free on LibriVox!) It’s an old one from 1877, but still really interesting.  I love that the parts of speech are told within the context of a story – such a gentle way to introduce even my littlest ones to grammar.  This week, we learned about Mr. Noun, Little Article and Mr. Pronoun.

+ The little kids finished Columbus.  Their final project was to paint a big world map of Columbus’ first voyage.  They worked so hard and I loved how it turned out!  J and his big imagination wanted to add a sea monster to the map, because, “Well, Mama, you never know, right?”  The boys also did a little oral presentation for their dad about all they had learned.  On to Pocahontas on Monday!

Sassafras Science took us to Australia this week.  We watched an episode of Bear Grylls’ Man vs. Wild (the Kimberly, Australia episode from Season 1) which is always an adventure.  I watch more than half of that show behind my hands, but the boys really enjoy it.  Even Sophie seems to have a stronger stomach than I do, hah!  The kids also learned how to draw a koala.

MISCELLANEOUS

Current 1000 Books Project Total: 55/1000
Poetry Teatime Treat: Cheddar, Chive & Ham Biscuits (we went savory this time!)

What a weird week.  Even after taking Monday off and checking off a ton from my to-do list, I still had this lingering feeling that I was behind on life.  Our weeks have been extra full lately, especially on the weekends, and I think that may be the reason I’m so overwhelmed.  I need a little downtime for my own sanity!  Add on some bickering brothers and a clingy, teething baby and I’m just happy I made it to Friday.  I’m hoping a little more sleep and a lot more running will help me get me back on track.

Notes and highlights:

+ We changed things up with the two oldest boys and did three lessons from Brave Writer’s (free!) Writing Blitz.  I’m really enjoying shaking things up when a subject is feeling dry and this was such a great way to get them excited about writing again.  Lots of laughter as they shared what they wrote!  I think we’ll finish the last few activities next week.

+ M’s Medieval Science unit in his History of Science had him learned all about Leonardo da Vinci this week.  In general, da Vinci is an interesting historical figure, but I think M was most fascinated with his inventive mind.  He copied this quote from the book into his keeping journal this week: “And yet this gentle man invented, among many other weapons, three different models of machine guns, grenades that threw shrapnel, a very modern looking bomb, and a steam powered gun.  He improved on an old idea to create an armored car with a complex motor and cannons pointing in every direction.  More than a hundred years later, with the addition of a modern engine and caterpillar treads, it was called a tank and became an important weapon in the first World War.” (p22)    

Current 1000 Books Project Total: 53/1000
Poetry Teatime Treat: Easy Pumpkin Bread (I used about a cup less sugar, though!)

Holy cow, this week flew!  Mark was away on business, my mom slept over to celebrate my birthday, I was able to get in my last couple runs before the race on Sunday and we had a great week of school too, of course.  Our life seems full and exciting and exhausting all at once, but I really wouldn’t trade it.  If only the (teething! again!!) baby would let me sleep, hah.

Notes and highlights:

+ Despite the weather being so warm and muggy, I pulled out and read some of our favorite fall books:
– The Little Old Lady Who Was Not Afraid of Anything
– Those Darn Squirrels!
– How to Make an Apple Pie and See the World (we even made the apple pie from the recipe in the back!)

+ We started a little apple unit with A Year of Playing Skillfully and the biggest hit of the week was making homemade play dough for the first time.  Sophia and TJ played with it for days!  Recording the recipe here, so I don’t forget:
Whisk 1 cup flour, 1 cup water, 1/3 cup salt, 1 T. oil, 3 T cream of tartar and a few drops of food coloring in a medium saucepan until smooth.  Cook over medium heat, stirring constantly.  When it comes together in a lump, remove from the pan and let it cool.

+ Sassafras Science took us to the Amazon rainforest, where we learned about sloths and toucans.  We fell down a little Youtube rabbit hole, listening to toucan sounds!  The kids also drew both the sloth and the toucan from Art for Kids tutorials – we’d be so lost without those tutorials.

+ M began a Medieval Science section in his History of Science course.  The first scientist was Johann Gutenberg and his printing press.  We watched a really interesting documentary called The Machine that Made Us and it inspired him to try to make his own “type” from oven-bake clay.  I love when that happens without any prompting.

+ I started a little reading challenge to help J (1st grade) with his fluency.  He’s at that hard stage where he can read, but it’s still a lot of work.  Lots of sounding out and the going is slooooow.  We have these little books and he reads one book every day: once to me and once to any family member he chooses.  Once completed, he can color in the number on his challenge sheet.  And when he’s gone through all 27 books, he can pick out a candy of his choice.  (And he doesn’t even have to share with his siblings, which is huge.)

MISCELLANEOUS

+ D has been reading through the Series of Unfortunate Events books – we started reading them together this summer and I just couldn’t keep up!  He finished the last book on Monday and I was able to watch him as he read the very last page.  I will never forget the look on his face…it was almost like saying goodbye to good friends.  Next up on his reading list: Escape from Mr. Lemoncello’s Library.

Current 1000 Books Project Total: 48/1000
Poetry Teatime Treat: Apple Pie

Another week complete.  I spent the majority of Thursday morning at the DMV, renewing my driver’s license.  It’s been about ten years since I’ve entered one (thank goodness for the internet!) and it was interesting to see what had changed (…not much).  While I did enjoy the people watching, I’m looking forward to another decade before I have to go back, haha!

Notes and highlights:

+ My kindergartner wants more school.  MORE.  She tearfully told me that she wasn’t getting enough time with me during school time and maybe, could she just have a little bit more to do?  Oh my heart.  She’s just newly five, so I was content with a little bit of formal lessons and a lot of play…but I guess that’s not going to fly with my girl.  My little overachiever…Mark said, “Hmm, I wonder who that sounds like?”  #guilty

+ I changed her math to the (free!) MEP program and she seems to enjoy it.  I’m thinking it’s because it’s more teacher/student interaction and less workbook?  I’m starting at the beginning with Reception, but I think she’ll zip right through it.  We’re adding more MathStart stories to the mix too.

+ I’m also taking care to add more A Year of Playing Skillfully activities to our day.  This week, she made an “All About Me” minibook, played “Mother, May I?” with her brothers and made a life-size Sophie by tracing her on butcher paper.  A solid start for October.

+ M (5th grade) has started a mini-unit on Abraham Lincoln.  He and I are reading Lincoln’s Last Days together and are narrating each (short) chapter in the form of a one or two sentence review.  (I’m narrating in my own notebook too!)  Condensing a chapter into its main point has been an effective method for processing information for both of us.  

+ The littler kids and I finished Viking Adventure – this book proved much more exciting (and a tiny bit scarier) than we expected!  Now we’re back in our Beautiful Feet guide and starting on Columbus.

+ Once or twice a week, I have the big boys read about a saint and then narrate about his/her life.  They usually draw the picture in their book (we use this one for third grade and this one for fifth) and will color with watercolors or colored pencils.  This week, we changed things up and made trading cards.  The smaller size has been less intimidating for written narration and they really have to concentrate while drawing.  When they finish, I cover them in packing tape (until I get myself a laminator…someday!) and they look really cool.

MISCELLANEOUS

+ Favorite art supply of the week: Sculpey oven-bake clay!

Current 1000 Books Project Total: 40/1000
Poetry Teatime Treat: Pumpkin Chocolate Chip Cookies

Week five.  This week finally felt like that feeling you get when you put on your favorite pajamas at the end of a long day: comfortable, familiar, normal.  I know there will be weeks in the future where the school week will feel hard, so I’m enjoying it while it lasts.  This week also kicks off birthday season in our house – maybe the excitement of celebrations helped a bit too.

Notes and highlights:

+ Once a week during morning time, I read a story from Once Upon a Time Saints.  The stories are so good and really make these individuals come alive!  This time, we read about St. Barnaby and the spontaneous conversation that came afterward was so fruitful: our unique gifts we can give to God, how Mary points us to Jesus, and on and on.  I always feel so humbled for the opportunity to answer their questions and hear their hearts.

+ We traveled up the coast to Senegal!  We read Kofi and His Magic and made Cinq Centimes, which are peanut butter and peanut sugar cookies (we used this recipe for the cookies).

MISCELLANEOUS

+ I ordered Teaching Textbooks 6 after realizing that 5 was waaaay too easy for M.  Definitely wasn’t prepared to make another math curriculum purchase, but I know D is right behind, so it won’t go to waste.

+ I bought two more packs of modeling clay for the kids to use while I read out loud.  I have a few wiggle worms and they listen much better when their hands are busy.  Also!  Thank goodness I bought two – TJ managed to take 90% of one pack and mix the colors into one big ball.  

+ I started looking into hiking in Shenandoah State Park, which isn’t too too far from here.  I borrowed a bunch of books and pamphlets from my dad and I’m excited to dig in and pick a few trails.  This website has been helpful too.

+ Sophie likes to watch Creative Galaxy on Netflix and she has been in an inspired flurry of creativity all week long.  Construction paper and scissors and glue everywhere!  

Current 1000 Books Project Total: 33/1000
Poetry Teatime Treat: Apple Cobbler Muffins

Since moving to this house, I tend to think of things in terms of “firsts” – the first summer, the first school year, etc.  This week, we added two more firsts to the list: my first illness (a head cold and sore throat) and the first time we saw a bear!  Mark and I were chatting while he was getting ready for work and I casually looked out the window only to see a BEAR on the porch.  My first reaction was, “Hmm, someone’s hairy black dog must have gotten loose.”  Oh no no.  We think it was a “yearling” (says two clueless people who have to Google these things because we’re fresh from suburbia) and he must have jumped up quickly on the porch before running off for the woods.  So crazy.

Notes and highlights:

+ The little boys weren’t ready to leave the Vikings yet, so we started reading Viking Adventure.  The chapters are short but engaging.  I love hearing them make connections from Leif the Lucky – it’s encouraging to know that they aren’t totally tuning me out as I read!  D (3rd grade) started working on the coordinating notebook work from Homeschool Share.  I was about to scrap it two days in, thinking it was a bit too much busywork for my liking, but he insisted that he wants to continue.

+ We started Egyptian desert animals this week: camels and king cobras!  The Sassafras Science book is definitely story-driven and I like how it opens up an opportunity to dig deeper and learn more.  We’ve been poring over the DK Animal Encyclopedia, reading the facts and looking at the photographs.  That book is probably one of my best purchases so far.
Movie we watched with an Egyptian connection: Treasure Buddies on Netflix

+ M (5th grade) and I are completing the Learning with Fulton Sheen curriculum together.  We finished up the documentary, Archbishop Fulton Sheen: Servant of All (we rented and streamed it through Ignatius Press) and it was SO good.  I got goosebumps at least three times.  

+ We traveled further west to Liberia this week.  We read Head, Body, Legs: A Story from Liberia, made smoked ham and green bean jollof for dinner and plantain gingerbread upside down cake (we used bananas we had at home) for dessert.  So delicious.  It’s hard to say for sure, but our African studies just may be my favorite part of homeschooling.

MISCELLANEOUS

+ We worked on our states and capitals by playing Scrambled States of America.  It’s fast paced and fun…except when you have a houseful of crazy competitive players (ahem…my entire family).  There were a few tears, but we ended up relatively unscathed.  

Current 1000 Books Project Total: 31/1000
Poetry Teatime Treat: Chocolate Chip Scones