What's Up in Our World...

As always, there are good things, and not so good.

On the good front...

Both kids are doing well with math. The Girl is going to start a Math Mammoth unit on measuring this week. I think after all the multiplication work, she needs some good hands-on math, though we will continue reviewing multiplication, and division right alongside it. I was going to have her try out some geometry, but then reviewed the recommended sequence for the Blue Series, and chose measuring. The Boy will continue working through chapter one of Jacobs Elementary Algebra over the next several weeks.

The Boy has been doing a lot of independent work in his German studies. He's been taking the end of lesson tests, and then reviewing before retaking them. I love his dedication and independence with this subject! He's also been working hard on U.S. geography, mapping out the ultimate road trip for a future day, with his best friend. This involves looking up all the capitols and points of interest, so they can be added to the trip, and calculating mileage. He's finishing up The Maze Runner in the next couple of days, so that he can start The Scorch Trials.

The Girl has, at long last, the orientation for the puppy petting program this Friday! She's been waiting for about a year or so. This is a program designed to help puppies designated to become service animals get used to people. The two hour orientation is a requirement before she can do the volunteer work, and since a litter of pups is expected at the end of the month, she's totally willing to get through the training!

We got a jump start on the holiday season and roasted up a smallish turkey last week. We've enjoyed it so far as roast turkey, and turkey sandwiches, and will enjoy it again tonight with turkey posole -- I have the stock going right now in the crock pot, which, by the way, as a heavenly aroma to wake up to this morning!

The kids signed up for a beeswax candle-making workshop at the library this week, along with several of their friends. These might make good gifts at Christmas time for relatives!


And on the not so good front...

The Girl and reading. She was very enthusiastic about it at first. And she still enjoys it when she does it. Now though, she's just not "getting around to it", AND, she doesn't want me to require it, as that makes it more like work. I think this week I am laying down the law. Half an hour a day, we will all have a quiet reading time.

Science hasn't been at the forefront of our studies lately either. The Boy did finish chapter 5 in Conceptual Physics last week, but he hasn't done the project I assigned (designing a virtual roller coaster to explore motion, velocity, etc.), and he hasn't been watching Cosmos. We will try again to accomplish these things this week. The Girl has been doing a little better -- she did watch an episode of Life in the Undergrowth last week, and we did read about worms, so I am just hoping to keep that momentum going!

And I'd really love to be reading to them daily from The Marvellous Land of the Snergs, so I need to make that a priority. After that, I hope to get through either The Princess and the Goblin, then The Hobbit, before Christmas, OR The Story of Siegfried and The Hobbit. A tall order, I know, and not too likely to happen.

More writing needs to happen too. I am at a crossroads with The Girl on this one. She does write short stories, but I am wondering if I need something a little more structured for her? Maybe something vintage? And The Boy needs to get cracking on a new essay, as that is our focus for the year.


Also in homeschooling this week...

History: another chapter or two of Poop Happened  , and a chapter from Human Odyssey (I think...).

Geography: We have finished with Africa for now, and are moving on to Europe! We'll start in the cold northern lands, and move our way down to the UK, followed by western Europe, then the Mediterranean, and finally eastern Europe. I have this book on hold, as well as this documentary series, to see if they are useful. Our library also has a fair number of Rick Steves' videos. And we'll read from The Complete Book of Marvels for fun.

Other reading: Math reading with The Man Who Counted, science reading with the Lives of Scientists. Maybe some more of Edward Lear's poetry.

Hopefully this will be a good week. I do have a NINETEENTH wedding anniversary coming up on Wednesday! 19 years already....