Weekly Wrap -Up

I love doing these Wrap-Ups.... I love spending moments to look over our week and remember all we did;) Usually at the end of each day I look at the needing attention house and try NOT to look at the crazy. messy. school room, I am a little discouraged at all that didn't get completed each day.

But on Friday afternoon/evening to look at the week... it's encouraging!! Gives me the motivational push to plan the next week!

And while you may not be officially holding me accountable.... it's also a degree of accountability! I take the time to take pics and to help the kids finish the tasks we start (something I struggle to do a lot more than I realize).

So thanks for reading my incredible long Weekly Wrap-Ups:)

Bible
Again, our Bible Time was spent working on Awana verses and activities;) We also reviewed Psalm 19 daily...

and this week I got to use an example of how one of our verses encouraged me to do the right thing since it had already been hidden in my heart. My kids KNOW when I have a bad attitude... and it was a very teachable time for them and me.

Reading/Language Arts
In an effort to start "engaging" Lydia more at her level, she and I have continued to work on Bob Books.

I found with Chris (and now Lydia) it was helpful to sound out the words found in a book before we started it and then read through when he was familiar with the words. Using the wipe board and letting them erase the words they sound out has been the method what works the best here... they LOVE doing it that way:)


She has also started using some Kumon workbooks for the handwriting basics.... she's soo cute when she works:)

I do handwriting "practice" when they are first learning how to write (and the again at cursive). And I'm super lenient... as long as I can read it, I"m good! I know I was taught good "penmanship" in grade school, but honestly I write how I write and everyone is soo different in their handwriting... so while they are young and just learning clearance/cheap workbooks work for me.... and then lots of copywork to practice keeping it neat:)

Chris had a normal week... I think we read 3 out of the 5 days, but at least one of those non-reading days he brought me a book to read to him about 'how his eyes work' LOL!! I LOVE that he is getting to the point where he wants to know what books say....

after that night, he did his reading very cheerfully... yay!!

And Anna has had a normal week, too... with copywork, cursive, spelling lessons/practice, alone reading, reading with Mommy, daily Grammer lessons and a "book report".. she's been busy:) She'll tell you 2nd grade is tough;)

BTW... we DO have a table that we use as a desk... but for some reason the floor and couch are sometimes more used;)

Math
Chris and Anna are continuing to work through Saxon, one lesson at a time!! I just LOVE Saxon though... it's the perfect amount of hands-on/teaching for us. And we usually only use one side of the practice worksheets, unless they get it wrong on the 1st side or need some extra practice;)

I often wondered how people can school multiple age groups at one time.... one of Chris' Saxon activities was easily adaptable for Lydia. So they did the activity at the same time with differing levels:)

Ordering the cards... smallest to biggest
notice Chris has 1-20 while Lydia only has 1-10

Matching the cubes and then adding 1 extra
(learning the plus 1 addition facts)

Science
This week we read through a couple of Venus books. We filled in our Venus chart and did the little planet order song. We meant to look up more facts/pictures about Venus on the Internet, but that was the morning my computer wouldn't connect :(

I have plans of making planet models... hoping to get put together soon. But I really need to beef up our science lessons!!!

During a math lesson, Chris was practicing counting backwards and we got sidetracked into a conversation about how they count backwards when they launch rocketships;) Little did we know it was the DAY of the Discovery launch.... so Friday morning we watched that launch via YouTube;)

History
We had a very fun history week:) YAY!! It's soo much fun to be able to incorporate activities and projects into our history learning;) So we were very thankful for the fun and simple activities in Story of the World this week, as we looked at the start of feudalism, roots of English and castles:)

One of the 1st activties was using Play-Doh to show all the different influences on the English language;) It was a visual I'll remember and the kids will definitely remember the day Mom let them MIX the Play-Doh!!


We also learned how to play Fox and Geese... a Medieval kind of Checkers game. Anna obviously was at the better age to learn this game;) She challenged Brian and I to play:) She beat me twice and then I finally got a turn to be the Fox;) She's ready for Brian now;)

And on Friday as we read the section on Stone Castles we got to work making one (of cardboard, of course). We had inspiration from some blogs, here and here:) ACtually it was the inspiration, along with our readings, for Anna and I... Chris created his own masterpiece, very Chris-like;)

Here are the 'works in progress'...

And then our final products:)

Chris wanted to create the Dark Knight's castle;) Too much reading;)

Other
On Thursday we ventured out to meet our homeschool group at a Dunkin Donuts. We were met with a HUGE crowd... like 39 kids total;) Inside with such a big group meant we had to wait our turn as they took in groups of 6!!

We waited and waited (the bored pics in the collage).

AT first it was a little annoying, but when we finally went I was thankful we were the last group. The tour guide (aka the amazing DD staff member who was soooo patient with the kids) saw that we were the last group and that my kids COULDN"T have the donuts they were letting the kids make, so she actually gave us a tour telling the kids what each step was and what the equipment they used was and did:)

Definitely worth the wait and the lesson on patience;)


After the DD adventure, we met up another family at an indoor fast food playground:) Next time we'll have announce earlier that we can all meet up at McD's:) But it was great to sit with another mom and enjoy a semi-quiet lunch:)

We also visited another homeschool family and let the kids play a bit:) The kids LOVED being at her house and have already asked numerous times when we can go back:)

I also tried to stop by the mall... but by then it was after 3:30... with 4 kids with no naps (Nate had only cat napped) and a tired mom... the few things I had hoped to try on, I hung back on the rack and left before any of us had a "meltdown" :)

A Great week:) Looking forward to another;)

I'm linking up to Weekly Wrap-up at Weird, Unsocialized Homeschoolers