+ TJ has been asking for more math, so I picked up this workbook.  He is so serious about his work and loooves putting the gold star sticker on his page when he’s done. 

+ D (5th grade) is working on his Lincoln’s Last Days matchbook folder project and it’s turning out great! 

+ Overheard from my seventh grader: “My two favorite subjects are Vocab Roots and Fallacy Detective…but not math.” 

a gorgeous tree decked out in orange leaves by our driveway
chilly mornings
putting away my flip flops and taking out my slippers
when the kids make dinner for me all on their own (a huge help!)
a clean kitchen
dainty twinkle lights
steady sales on Poshmark
a possible new opportunity for Mark
new shoes for all of the kids (thanks Mom and Dad!)
Lucy

+ New read aloud: The Borrowers!

+ In Around the World, we learned about India.  We read and loved The Story of Little Babaji.

+ M (7th grade) is still plugging away at his Egyptian unit, but is struggling because he says it’s soooo boring.  He’s currently reading The Golden Goblet.  I have some research to do this weekend for ideas to make Ancient History a little more interesting. 

+ We got D a book called Coding for Beginners with Python for his birthday and it has been amazing to watch how much he’s learned already!  The book is informative without being overwhelming and shows what to do step-by-step.  His enthusiasm makes me want to learn to code too!

a working oven
having the A/C officially turned off for the year
a new candle I’m obsessed with
warm and cozy sweaters
Sophie’s joy at the arrival of the most rainbow unicorn-y pajama set I could find
hearing P call me “Mummy” (I was Dada or Coco for a solid two years)
how excited the kids were for my birthday
my parents, who came to hang out with the kids while Mark and I had a date
two new bike-riders in the family (no training wheels!)
answered prayers

+ In Around the World, we went to Thailand!  Our favorite book from this country was Hush: A Thai Lullaby.  We also learned about the bumblebee bat, which only has a wingspan of five inches!

+ M’s (7th grade) Ancient History studies have been a little dry, so I tried to liven things up by having him “mummify” one of his brothers in toilet paper.  It definitely wasn’t a very academic activity, but the amount of laughter was 100% worth it.

+ We were gifted a set of Polydrons and while there was a bit of a learning curve, the kids figured it out and now are hooked!  They’ve been making 3D shapes galore all week.

small room changes that have a big impact
my hard working football player
a fixed lawn mower (finally!)
when Lucy lays her head in my lap
hot cups of peach tea
crunchy leaves all over the driveway
pink sunsets
when P takes a nap
a book I can’t put down
our home warranty policy

+ In Writing, J and S (3rd and 1st grade) wrote stories about what it would be like to take a trip to outer space.  Afterward, they created rocket ships (made from Pringles cans!) for their final drafts to slip into.  This turned out to be such a fun little project.

+ We scrapped our science plans for the week to check out the new chemistry set that Sophie got for her birthday. 

+ D (5th grade) finished reading The Perilous Road this week.  His final project was to create a comic strip showing how the main character eventually changed his prejudiced opinions.  He did a great job!

seven years with our best girl!
a new milestone reached on the Amerithon Challenge
heart-to-heart talks with my big boys
falling leaves
being able to button a pair of jeans that have not fit for over six years!
a string of sales on Poshmark and ebay
watching the kids all play outside together before school
apple galette
a minor house repair that I did all on my own
wonderful news from a friend

+ I changed Sophie’s reading after watching her struggle for weeks.  She responds much better to phonics, so we’re going to go back to that.  I pulled out an old set of Sing, Spell, Read & Write readers and while the first ones are definitely too easy for her, I’m hoping it will help her confidence and get some momentum going.

+ In Around the World, we read The Tale of the Mandarin Duck and then they sculpted and painted mandarin ducks from Sculpey clay.  Sculpture has been a big hit so far this year.

new homes for some of our outgrown clothing
open windows
five years with our TJ!
rearranging rooms and furniture to better serve our family
P’s long eyelashes
the healing of a bug bite on my leg after I had a weird reaction (nerve-wracking!)
new social opportunities for my big boys
laughing until I cry
pulling out just a few seasonal decorations
words of affirmation from my husband

+ New country in Around the World: Japan!  We read Crow Boy and had a really great discussion afterwards.

+ We learned how (and tried!) to make clouds come out of our mouths.

+ Highlight of the week: we had our first Family Adventure Field Trip of the school year!  Mark took the day off and we drove to our old hometown and went apple picking.  We always seem to plan outings when it’s boiling outside (that day had record-breaking temps in the 90s!) but between the breeze and the shade of the apple trees, we still had a fun time.

Sophie’s toothy grin (another tooth lost this week!)
falling leaves
watching D teach Lucy a new trick
a new year of Trail Life for the boys
the taste of a crisp apple straight from the tree
reminiscing about memories from the early years of parenthood
finally getting some clear answers about why our lawn mower keeps breaking down
a good veterinarian
a successful surgery for Lucy
big bowls of popcorn

+ Our final week of Chinese studies had us learn all about animals that live there.  The kids drew pandas with an Art for Kids tutorial one day and sculpted pangolins with Sculpey clay.  To top it off, we watched a Wild Kratts: China Adventure that featured all of the animals we learned.

+ Finished off our study of China with a special lunch.  I wish we would have had the time/money to take everyone to a traditional Chinese restaurant, but the freezer section from Walmart had to do.  Keeping it super real over here this week, hah.

+ In science, we discussed states of matter and watched this Youtube video.

a relaxing three day weekend at home
a new houseplant
Labor Day sales that help me save a little money on clothing for my rapidly growing children
finally being done with dental appointments for awhile (what a nightmare…)
hot cups of coffee first thing in the morning
when Mark surprises us and arrives home early from a business trip
how much the kids love their puppy
seeing forward progress as we chip away at another student loan

artwork proudly taped to bedroom walls

M’s new “series” of super hero art, inspired by famous paintings
open windows and a cool breeze
6 sales from Poshmark and Ebay
family card games around the dining room table
a freshly laundered bed
cinnamon raisin swirl sourdough bread
finding new purposes for old things
my blood pressure starting to drop (still high, but getting closer to normal range)
a new book
when Mark makes me laugh