Sunday, September 16, 2012

Week in Review week 2 2012-2013

This week was a weird week for us.  We finally got the rental car, drove to pick up our insurance check, did shopping required, set up a new home for the salamander, did a ton of swaps, worked on renovations and basically had a limited school week.

The big kids finished off lesson 1 in mapping the world through art by creating an edible Babylonian map.  Well technically they were to make a map, instead they made cunieform.  The youngers joined in with the left over dough and just made random pictures.

Their online classes went well.  H's class discussed Aesop's Androcles and though he was really scared to talk into the mic he did a great job participating.  A and C first had their intro to great books class where they discussed the first 8 chapters of the Hobbit.  They are to finish off the book for next class.  The next day they had their poetry class. A was not as into that one as C but they both seemed to get something out of it, and participated in the discussion surrounding the poems studied.

While out yesterday running errands we saw a moose which the kids were very thrilled about.  They are drawing and writing about it in their nature journals today.

After we had picked up the rental car (not easy when the closest rental place is 20 minutes up the highway in another town and we were here without a car, and they don't have pick up for out of town clients), we picked up the materials needed for the slamandar to have a better home than what he was in last week.  He seems to really enjoy it. 

Art this week the kids used a crayola glow in the dark sand art kit.  Very cool, but very messy.  Every surface and person near the table was glowing by the end.

Swap-bot was fun this week.  I got my second package for the candy swap and 4 postcards.  I sent out a stack of postcards and packages as well.  I also joined postcrossing this week so that will be bringing in even more postcards.
We also picked up the large rabbit cage that we will be transforming into a tortoise table and new hanging plants for the livingroom. 

Here are some pictures from this week.  Next week we will be back to a proper school schedule as we will not have nearly as many errands to tend to.
















Sunday, September 9, 2012

He followed me home! Can I keep him?

 While taking the puppy out for a potty break last night my teens found this little guy next to our front door step.  Welcome Fred the Tiger Salamander to our home! A new terrestrial tank will be set up for him this week, for now he is in a temporary home while we get organized.  I have some peices of drift wood in there for him to hide under and crawl on but removed them for the pictures.

Week in Review week 1 2012-2013

 Every year I start posting weekly reviews and then life gets too busy. Following that pattern here we are again this year.

This first week was different from other years in that I only had my 2 oldest kids home.  The youngers were on a trip to Disneyland with Uncle R and Aunty TL.  As well since we started the day after Labour Day it was only a 4 day week.  We did a half schedule this week and will do so again next week and then onto full schedule starting week 3.

This week I sat in H's online lit class.  It is a parent and child class and though he was on a trip we still needed his homework assignment and to make sure the mic worked etc.  A and C also began their online classes.  They had their first class in both Introduction to the Great Books and Classical Poetry.  They are beginning their study in Introduction to the great books by reading the Hobbit.  This week the first 8 chapters are to be read and ready to discuss in the next class period.  In Classical poetry they are to read the poems assigned as well as the page posted by the teacher about similes and metaphors again ready to discuss and work with for the next class period.

Aside from the online classes the two of them were busy with the basics.  This term math and composition are the key subjects as I am trying to catch them up and solidify their skills in those 2 things.  In math they completed 2 lessons on Khan Academy, 1 chapter in MUS Delta and 2 lessons in jump Math fractions.  They each completed 4 lessons in Meaningful Composition. 

We began our new geography program "Mapping the World with Art".  The first unit focused on ancient maps, specifically Mesopotamia.  This is a map they are comfortable with already thanks to past study of ancient life there.  They did the reading, and drew the map.  We will be baking the edible babalonian map next class as I had run out of cocoa. 

They are enjoying their new science curriculum as well.  They completed 1/2 of chapter 1 in Apologia Physical science.  No lab this week due to the shortened week though.

Of course the usual other topics such as grammar, spelling, penmanship, bible etc were also covered.

I have recently joined www.swap-bot.com  It is great fun to have postcards, letters and parcels arrive from around the world.  This week a parcel with candy from Finland arrived and was greatly enjoyed by all 3 of us.

A and C also learned to bathe the dog without my assistance this week.  Both kids and the bathroom were absolutely soaked at the end, but at least the dog was clean again.

Excited to leave for Disneyland!

Leaving me to head to Disneyland, plane left very early the next morning


Candy from Finland! So yummy!

A created a separate desk space for himself by setting up one of our folding tables
A's map of Mesopotamia