Homeschool Discoveries

It was definitely a different sort of “busy” in our lives this week than last week.  Last week was full of on-the-go activities.  Other than the usual library and grocery store errands and our bi-monthly homeschool co-op meeting, we stayed at home this week.   We still weren’t as productive school-wise as some of those winter weeks when there was nothing better to do than stay inside the house.  🙂  That’s really okay though — I don’t have a formal “spring break” planned this year, so we’ll just take advantage of the nice weather as needed.

I’m also in the midst of my first quarterly editing deadline since I started this blog.  I am an assistant editor for a devotional published by our association of churches.  Two of my four deadlines fall during times when we are “in session” for school, and I always find myself a bit distracted during the couple weeks before those two deadlines.  We don’t usually take any extra time off from school, but it weighs on my mind (and blogging is a distraction from editing…but that’s another story!).

Here are a few highlights from our week:

Row #1:  We welcomed spring by climbing a tree across the street with neighbor friends (their tree may only be climbed on special occasions) and painting a tree stump that is scheduled for removal.  Miss M also built this “fairy house” in the upper right corner. The “first day of spring” rarely feels like spring in MN (last year we still had plenty of snow on the ground), so this year’s weather is a real treat! The kids spent a lot of time outside again this week.

Row #2: Reading, reading and more reading.  Miss M is reading books on horses for her Expert Day project at co-op.  She also decided to read the “Pooh” books this week.  I had purchased the original “Winnie the Pooh” at a Half Price Books clearance sale, but Miss M showed no interest in it…that is, until her best friend told her how good it was! Then she immediately read the first one, and found the second one at the library.

Row #3: We got out the watercolor crayons for the first time in months.  Works by Mr E and Miss M are on the left.  Miss M also made a “make believe world” book (on the right), with elaborate drawings and collages of the castle she wishes she lived in.  🙂

I tried to offer a Phonics lesson (middle picture) to Mr. E every day this week.  I think we ended up reading together 3 days this week.  I need to be more diligent to find a good time to sit down and do it, since he really is eager to learn to read.  In Phonics Pathways, we practiced four letter words with short vowels, as well as adding a “Y” to the end of words.

Row #4: In RightStart Math, Miss M and I worked on 2-digit mental subtraction, subtraction on the abacus, as well as a review lesson.  I think I am getting the hang of the mental subtraction strategies, which helps me to feel at ease in teaching them to Miss M.

Tony built us a new “display” bookshelf out of an old VHS rack (middle picture).  I’m so excited to have a place to put books for the kids with covers facing out.  I envision rotating through books on various themes in this spot.  This book shelf is so cool, I think it will get its own post sometime.  🙂

Finally, tomorrow is Mr. E’s 5th birthday! Yea!  We had a Star Wars themed birthday party with friends today.  Getting our house ready for the party was a definite distraction from school late in the week! He wanted a “Clone Troopers and Battle Droids” cake.  The cake in the picture, my friends, is “cake decorating for non-decorators”!  I printed out pictures, laminated them, and stuck them in the “mud” (aka chocolate frosting).

I’m linking up with Collage Friday @ Homegrown Learners and the Weekly Wrap Up @ Weird Unsocialized Homeschoolers!