I always have a difficult time writing this post, so I am going to write a little each day so I remember what we did.
This was a really great week! I think the key was that I got up before the girls and was able to get in my workout BEFORE we started school! I just feel better all day if I get a workout in in the a.m. . This was made possible by NOT having a lights off rule and allowing the girls to read as late they wanted. P discovered Judy Blume and A discovered Nancy Drew! A is reading a Nancy Drew novel a day!
Sunday - P just finisheddevouring reading the Fudge series by Judy Blume. A just finished the Mother Daughter Book Club series by Heather Vogel Frederick. I asked them to each write a detailed report on each series, summarizing main ideas, characters and plotlines. I provided a rubric. They both did really well and their reward was a Math pass to be used on a day when they don't feel like doing math. (When the girls were in public school I never let them use the homework passes, but I thought this was a fair trade since they would just do the math assignment on a different day; I don't want to allow them to get away with not doing things just because they don't enjoy them, but earning "passes" for special projects is a way that they can get out of something one day but understand they will have to do it the next day).
Monday - We started Easy Grammar! I was so excited to buy this program and to teach the girls grammar. I love everything about this program and totally think memorizing the prepositions first is the key. When we started back in September, however, it seemed more natural to teach grammar through writing. But now we are taking a break from a formal writing program and paraphrasing the stories of the Greek Gods as our writing, so it was the perfect time to start grammar!
We began by memorizing the prepositions that begin with A.
Normally, I assign the girls something and then run around the house doing my morning clean up routine.
On Monday, as I washed the breakfast dishes and threw in laundry, A & P choreographed a complex dance to the chant of the 8 prepositions that begin with A!
Our plan was to do History and then Science...but our history lesson was about Atlantis...we began at 12:30pm. We looked up at 4:30pm. I have always been fascinated with the Lost Cities. My curiosity was contagious and we searched the internet for information. The girls learned how to search and to use meta search engines. We went to the library, we pored over books. We put books and DVDs on hold.
For someone who makes their living as a reference librarian, research is TRUE LEARNING. We all learned a ton.
And Science did not happen on Monday, so immersed were we in Atlantis that by the time we felt saturated, Jason was home and it was time to start dinner.
Tuesday - Girls memorized the prepositions that began with B and worked on their choreographed routine--ahh, girls :) We *finally* did our Spa Day (a movie pre-empted our time Friday night...but spa was supposed to be fun, so if they would rather watch a movie...). It was awesome. We rubbed a banana oat concoction on our feet and wrapped them in plastic bags and warm towels. We tightened our pores with an oatmeal-yogurt-lemon juice mask. Then we used a salt scrub and soaked in the tub with bath fizzers. P blogged about it here.
In addition to that, we read another chapter of The Lightning Thief and perused several books on Ancient Greece that we got from the library. P made a list of facts (Women except slaves wore their hair long; In 500 BC Women dyed their hair; Men played women's roles in theater...) and A copied an illustration of an Ancient Greek dwelling complete with the Family Altar.
AND...after a month off, choir and Open Cave resumed at church and the hubs and I enjoyed a night alone...we may have spent it making a yummy soup and perusing Science curriculum, but a bottle of pinot grigio was involved!!! ;-)
Wednesday - Worked on memorizing more prepostions; did math with no problems once again; P wrote a blog post about our spa day; read another chapter of Percy Jackson AND worked on our Literature Pockets "Perseus and the Gorgons" -- this was great because the girls realized that The Lightning Thief is based on a real myth! We also read a chapter in The Answer Book About YOU! and watched the National Geographic video "The Miracle of Life".
Thursday - We had a quiz on the first twenty prepositions; watched a travel video on Greece; continued to work on our literature pocket of "Perseus and the Gorgons"; read the final chapter in The Answer Book About YOU!; did math and had sewing lessons with Mama. The girls also each wrote a book report on the books they had just finished.
Friday - We are armed with several of the books and DVDs that we put on hold about Atlantis and we will spend some time on them today...otherwise, it's a holiday around here. What? You didn't know today was a holiday? Not sure what the holiday is called, but the rituals are this:
And putting together one of these:
Yup, I guess it's My Parents Just Cleaned Out Their Attic and I Took Home All Of My Old Barbie Stuff for My Girls Day around here!!!!
(and psst...don't tell anyone, but I am as excited as my girls...I can't wait to play with Dallas the horse and see if Barbie's afghan hound still smells like onion dip from the time my cousin accidentally dropped her in the onion dip and she Always smelled like it! Also the Jeep and Western Barbie and Angel Face Barbie and the salon....hee hee! It's going to be a fun day!!)
This was a really great week! I think the key was that I got up before the girls and was able to get in my workout BEFORE we started school! I just feel better all day if I get a workout in in the a.m. . This was made possible by NOT having a lights off rule and allowing the girls to read as late they wanted. P discovered Judy Blume and A discovered Nancy Drew! A is reading a Nancy Drew novel a day!
Sunday - P just finished
Monday - We started Easy Grammar! I was so excited to buy this program and to teach the girls grammar. I love everything about this program and totally think memorizing the prepositions first is the key. When we started back in September, however, it seemed more natural to teach grammar through writing. But now we are taking a break from a formal writing program and paraphrasing the stories of the Greek Gods as our writing, so it was the perfect time to start grammar!
We began by memorizing the prepositions that begin with A.
Normally, I assign the girls something and then run around the house doing my morning clean up routine.
On Monday, as I washed the breakfast dishes and threw in laundry, A & P choreographed a complex dance to the chant of the 8 prepositions that begin with A!
Our plan was to do History and then Science...but our history lesson was about Atlantis...we began at 12:30pm. We looked up at 4:30pm. I have always been fascinated with the Lost Cities. My curiosity was contagious and we searched the internet for information. The girls learned how to search and to use meta search engines. We went to the library, we pored over books. We put books and DVDs on hold.
For someone who makes their living as a reference librarian, research is TRUE LEARNING. We all learned a ton.
And Science did not happen on Monday, so immersed were we in Atlantis that by the time we felt saturated, Jason was home and it was time to start dinner.
Tuesday - Girls memorized the prepositions that began with B and worked on their choreographed routine--ahh, girls :) We *finally* did our Spa Day (a movie pre-empted our time Friday night...but spa was supposed to be fun, so if they would rather watch a movie...). It was awesome. We rubbed a banana oat concoction on our feet and wrapped them in plastic bags and warm towels. We tightened our pores with an oatmeal-yogurt-lemon juice mask. Then we used a salt scrub and soaked in the tub with bath fizzers. P blogged about it here.
In addition to that, we read another chapter of The Lightning Thief and perused several books on Ancient Greece that we got from the library. P made a list of facts (Women except slaves wore their hair long; In 500 BC Women dyed their hair; Men played women's roles in theater...) and A copied an illustration of an Ancient Greek dwelling complete with the Family Altar.
AND...after a month off, choir and Open Cave resumed at church and the hubs and I enjoyed a night alone...we may have spent it making a yummy soup and perusing Science curriculum, but a bottle of pinot grigio was involved!!! ;-)
Wednesday - Worked on memorizing more prepostions; did math with no problems once again; P wrote a blog post about our spa day; read another chapter of Percy Jackson AND worked on our Literature Pockets "Perseus and the Gorgons" -- this was great because the girls realized that The Lightning Thief is based on a real myth! We also read a chapter in The Answer Book About YOU! and watched the National Geographic video "The Miracle of Life".
Thursday - We had a quiz on the first twenty prepositions; watched a travel video on Greece; continued to work on our literature pocket of "Perseus and the Gorgons"; read the final chapter in The Answer Book About YOU!; did math and had sewing lessons with Mama. The girls also each wrote a book report on the books they had just finished.
Friday - We are armed with several of the books and DVDs that we put on hold about Atlantis and we will spend some time on them today...otherwise, it's a holiday around here. What? You didn't know today was a holiday? Not sure what the holiday is called, but the rituals are this:
And putting together one of these:
Yup, I guess it's My Parents Just Cleaned Out Their Attic and I Took Home All Of My Old Barbie Stuff for My Girls Day around here!!!!
(and psst...don't tell anyone, but I am as excited as my girls...I can't wait to play with Dallas the horse and see if Barbie's afghan hound still smells like onion dip from the time my cousin accidentally dropped her in the onion dip and she Always smelled like it! Also the Jeep and Western Barbie and Angel Face Barbie and the salon....hee hee! It's going to be a fun day!!)
