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Thursday, November 26, 2009

Gratitude :: Thursday Thirteen

Our family

Being connected to our heritage

The comfort of a warm home

Our good health

The freedom to educate our children

Our security

Our friends

The ability to travel

Our past opportunities / experiences

The abundance of food

Our freedom

His employment - which makes much of this possible

Wednesday, November 25, 2009

Old Favorites :: Wordless Wednesday


Tuesday, November 24, 2009

Something with Ears :: Sketch Tuesday

A cheetah in the African savannah by Sweetie

Monday, November 23, 2009

India the Moonstone Fairy :: Book Sharing Monday

I have to share with you a series of books called Rainbow Magic by Daisy Meadows (a pen name, I am sure). My daughter received the jewel fairy books a year ago from her cousin as a gift. At the time, she wasn't reading and despite my many efforts to engage her, I constantly encountered roadblocks... which, of course, lead to power struggles and headaches. [... to the point in which I was even doubting my decision to homeschool.] A few weeks ago however, not long after Sweetie sat down with the neighbor (a retired teacher) for an objective evaluation, the girls in the neighborhood re-introduced Sweetie to the fairy books.

Sweetie was excited to share that she in fact had all the books in the jewel fairy series... but sadly she hadn't read them. The enthusiasm of the other girls sparked her interest and she immediately began to struggle through the first one, India the Moonstone Fairy. It took her some time to finish but she was determined to read it on her own. As she progressed through the chapters, she exclaimed to me on several occasions how much she enjoyed reading. "I love reading more than math, now!" [I'm not convinced and I hope she hasn't lost her zeal for math - but I was delighted to hear it, nonetheless.]

Granted, these books are far from the living books (see Jimmie's Squidoo lens Charlotte Mason Basics for more information on living books) that we as homeschool moms and teachers look for in quality literature. Yet, they have succeeded where I failed... sparking an interest in my daughter to read independently.

As a result of her newly discovered passion, she was eager to go to Barnes & Noble last week whereby she spent over $20 on books. I couldn't resist - I, too, love to buy books - our home library is testament! Additionally, she asked for assistance in updating her GoodReads account and invited all her friends to join as well so that they could share with one another the books they enjoy.

Sunday, November 22, 2009

Weekly Report #13 ~ Third Year

Math, Logic & Problem Solving
  • Flashcards & 24 Game throughout the week
  • Sweetie completed Singapore 3A lessons #24; Buddy completed Singapore 1A #26-27
Science, Geography & Nature Study
  • Nature Study :: Canada Geese
  • GEMS :: Mystery Powders
Literature & Reading
  • Sweetie completed DOL Weeks #8 & 9
  • Sweetie completed reading India the Moonstone Fairy independently and renewed interest in her GoodReads account, inviting all her friends to join
  • Read aloud: Larry Gets Lost in San Francisco by Michael Mullin and John Skewes
  • Continued reading The Lost Years of Merlin
Writing & Research
  • Cards for friends
  • Copywork for The First Thanksgiving mini-book
Foreign Language
  • Mandarin w/ Tinsel 1x
  • BetterChinese.com games (review of books 1-12) for 90 min
  • Practiced reading book #31
Culture, Heritage & History
  • Read aloud: Three Young Pilgrims by Cheryl Harness, The First Thanksgiving by Jean Craighead George, This is the Feast by Diane Z. Shore
  • Sons of Norway social
Sports & Extracurricular
  • Taekwondo 2x
  • Kicking techniques - flashcards in the car
  • Playdate with friends 2x
Art, Handcrafts & Music
  • Piano w/ Janellybean 1x
  • Watercolor painting - attempting to do 'Fall Reflections' but we all struggled
  • Listened to the folk music of Romania in the car
  • Made paper Christmas ornaments at the lodge social
Adult Skills, Current Events & Service Learning
  • Lefse prep at the lodge

Wednesday, November 18, 2009

At Last ... Cool Chemistry is Complete!


Life had me derailed for a while ... illnesses, obligations, holidays, etc. but I am now delighted to share that I have completed writing the lessons for the first of the Physics Logic series of units... Cool Chemistry.

A free sample is available for download and purchasing information can be found on my Science Logic website. For those who have purchased previous releases (Our Dynamic Earth and / or Ecology Explorations) you will soon receive an email with a discount code!

Monday, November 16, 2009

Larry Gets Lost in San Francisco :: Book Sharing Monday

Coincidentally, we discovered another very enjoyable book at the library, Larry Gets Lost in San Francisco by Michael Mullin and John Skewes. This delightful story gives the reader a dog's-eye view of San Francisco. During a family trip to the city, Larry accidentally wanders off and becomes lost among the grand sights of the city. This was a fun book to read after our own adventure in the city famous for the Golden Gate Bridge, Chinatown, Alcatraz, Nob Hill, Fisherman's Wharf, and the Mission District.