It's Raining...

image courtesy of itsmeithink

It's pouring...

Well, not really pouring, but definitely wet out! And it is supposed to rain the next five days running. I'm kind of glad -- yes, that means the kids won't get to play outside as much, but at the same time, we need the rain! And I love cozy days inside, the fire crackling in the fireplace, soup simmering on the stove... good days and evenings for board games, stories, family movie time with popcorn... my kids like their (air-popped) popcorn with nutritional yeast sprinkled on it, along with smoked black pepper.

How do you/your kids like your/their popcorn?

I think in place of today's park day, we'll catch up on a little homeschooling I wanted to get done this week, and then we'll watch Shrek Forever After, since we recently finished up the first three in the series. That does mean a trip to the library, where I have it waiting for me, but then we don't have to go tomorrow! And it means I can pick up the book for my 12-14 page seminar paper due in mid-December. I'm thinking of getting this Kindle edition as well - the annotations could prove to be very helpful! Maybe the library will have my science materials on hand as well... our first BFSU topic will be gravity, so I have a few books and a video (Disney Imagineering) picked out.

Speaking of books, I'm throwing together a Harry Potter lit study, at the impassioned request of the kids. We did listen to books 1-3 on audiobook a couple of years ago, but they would like the whole series, and somehow they are just not excited, right now at least, about the Narnia lit study. I love all things Harry Potter, so I am not complaining! I am sure too that I will be able to find plenty of resources, starting with The Sorcerer's Companion and The Magical Worlds of Harry Potter. I think I'll change up my Narnia Lit Page and turn it into a general book list page. I really don't know quite yet if we'll do this as a full-blown lit study, or something more casual...

A Brief Run-down of This Week

The Girl: We worked through 4 chapters in Life of Fred Apples. When your kids giggle all the way through math, it is a very good thing! (At least it is when they get the answers right) I'm going to have to sell this one soon, and get the second book! She also read several stories from Reading Pathways; worked in Explode the Code; painted a few pictures; helped with baking and cooking; listened to some stories from a lovely library book she picked up... I am glad there is a pronunciation guide in the back, as Irish names are not my forte.

image courtesy of suite101

The Boy: He worked through another lesson in Primary Challenge Math, as well as a lesson in Life of Fred Fractions. He also completed another spelling lesson; did a free write; worked on computer animation/modeling (he taught himself to animate hair this week!); finished reading The Headless Cupid, and started reading The Famous Stanley Kidnapping Case; and started a science experiment that involves vinegar, rubber, and plastic. I made a lab sheet for him, and he's recording all his data on it. Basically, the idea is to see if vinegar can break down either the rubber (model car tire), or the plastic (small plastic toy). He weighed the objects before submerging them, and will be re-weighing them daily for a week, as well as making note of any changes. He conceived this project himself, and I am happy to support him in it!

With Both Kids:

We finally finished The Lightning Thief (audiobook) and are ready to start The Sea of Monsters. I have been pleasantly surprised at how rich and in depth the book is in comparison to the movie! We also finished The Graveyard Book, and are happily back in Oz with Dorothy and the Wizard In Oz (book 4). We read about Austrolopithicus afarensis and, specifically, Lucy this week for history, as well as The Wall, which is a story about the Memorial Wall, in honor of Veteran's Day. We watched Disney Imagineering's video on fluids, which was pretty interesting! Then there was housework, yard work, lots of Frisbee playing, some art, and so forth.

I think as long as we hit the basic at least 4 times a week, I'm pretty comfortable with what we are doing. History, art, science... all important yes, but I consider them "gravy", and as often as not, even if I don't actually schedule them, we get everything in those areas worked in somewhere!

Hope you all had a good week as well! Happy Friday!