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September 14, 2007
Weekly Update
Okay, we'll try something new here, since I haven't been blogging about homeschooling (or anything), and since my parents kind of subtly mentioned that my blog no longer let them see what their grandkids were doing.
So here is a synopsis of our week.
In terms of academics, we, ah, didn't really get much done. This was the first week our activities were in full swing, plus there was a doctor's appointment, half a day at the mall to get glasses fixed, and the car in the shop.
On Mondays we have piano. With four kids, piano lessons consumes nearly three hours of our day.
On Thursdays we have karate and drama, and I took no pictures. I did take a picture of the "nature walk" the little boys and I went on while the big boys were in their class. "Nature walk" means trying to identify and avoid poison ivy, right? We did also see an actual caterpillar that I could, actually, identify. Kids never give you kudos for that because they assume you can always identify whatever it is.
Although History Odyssey was a flop last year, I purchased it again for this year (I liked the program, Connor didn't.) So far it's going better this year, although we did not forsee the cat's interest in history, or his desire to "help."
Connor wrote a retelling of "Peter Rabbit." Aidan wrote a retelling of "Bruce and the Spider." Neither retelling involved either Borg or Klingons, which I think is progress. However, Aidan did write his story in a Klingon font, switching to Helvetica only when the spell checker told him he had a problem.
Both of them read Rober Nye's "Beowulf: A New Telling," inbetween Timothy Zahn books. They also read a few Horrible Histories - Romans and Celts, I think - and suffered through me reading some of the real "Beowulf" to them.
I did, of course, speak too soon about science. The math involving speed and rate went quickly over Aidan's head, and he dropped out of those lessons. That's fine. Connor can learn the math, and Aidan can tag along for content. The little boys can't do any more science until we get a jar and go dig up worms.
In history we're studying the medieval period this year. We've already read the first couple of chapters of Story of the World. However, we break there and study Arthur for awhile. Along with Story of the World I am reading aloud a book of Irish fairy tales, Kevin Crossley-Holland's "Arthur: The Seeing Stone," and Laura Ingalls Wilder's "By the Shores of Silver Lake."
This week we also discovered that Griffin's eyes are terrible. Gosh, maybe that's why he has a hard time with learning to read? Yep, I am an idiot. But hey! We went to a well-child appointment. This is big, for me. I hate taking the kids for checkups. Hate it. But we went. One down, three to go. And now ophthalmologist appointments all around. Whee!
Posted by lynx at September 14, 2007 5:07 PM
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Comments
Sounds like a good week to me.
Lovely family!
And I like your table too!
Posted by: LH at September 15, 2007 6:24 PM
Great week.... I love your cat! Animals make homeschooling more interesting!
Thanks for posting your blog... I love the name! lol
Lisawa~ WTM board
Posted by: Lisawa at September 15, 2007 7:56 PM
Not a grandparent, but I liked the peek at your week, especially the photos; the nature walk one is gorgeous. And what I wouldn't give for a table that big, or a room big enough for a table that big!
We've just discovered Horrible Histories and I stumbled across this DVD at AmazonUK (I was looking at this, which I got my father to order for the kids; about $500 less and 25 fewer discs than what's available in North America, go figure).
Posted by: Becky at September 16, 2007 12:37 PM
We love the horrible histories!
How did you get the boys to completely omit the Borg and change from Klingon? N. is currently reading Hamlet in Klingon (someone gave him an Amazon Gift Certificate for his Bar Mitzvah. Guess what he spent it on?). I think he's too young to really "grok" Hamlet, let alone in Klingon, but, hey! It's great literature. Right?
All in all, despite the car in the shop and the Dr. appointment, it sounds like you have a good week!
Posted by: Elisheva Levin at September 16, 2007 7:42 PM
Elisheva, I have no idea. But Hamlet in Klingon is just an amazingly cool thing.
Becky - thanks for the link! Have you seen these yet? How are they?
For those who mentioned the table - it's Ikea. We wanted a big space to do our schoolwork, or spread out games, or have people over and actually be able to sit at one table.
Posted by: Stephanie at September 19, 2007 10:49 PM