After months of consideration and hours of work organizing herself and 8 other girls, Seven Cool Homeschoolers launched this week! If you have not had a chance to check it out, please do. If you would like to subscribe and comment and tell your kids about it so they can watch it--I would be totally thankful!!
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Homeschooling
What We Are Doing
Allie wrote an essay about Rosa Parks. She is very interested in civil rights and the Civil Rights Movement--anyone have any other suggestions for books she may like/other resources?
Piper wrote a report on the Diary of a Whaling Captain's Daughter.
I set goals for both girls in their Spanish software, Allie achieved the goals, but Piper got busy with the launch of Seven Cool Homeschoolers this week.
The girls completed August in Pet Shop Math.
On Thursday we had Mother-Daughter Book Club and discussed Lemonade War by Jacqueline Davies. The book discussion is always great, but the time with friends is priceless!
What We Are Creating
Allie can simply not get enough of Zenntangles, she is making them all the time.
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| Zenntangles--so soothing to make! |
I also bought this great book Surface Treatment Workshop and we spent a lot of time playing around with different painting techniques in our art journals :)
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| We played around with paint and mists and things--so fun! |
What We Are Reading
Through My Eyes by Ruby Bridges (Allie - she is all about Civil Rights right now & this is why I LOVE homeschooling, Allie is reading these books, looking things up, searching out non-fiction on this topic and discussing it because SHE is interested; it means so much more than if this were assigned)
Candymakers by Wendy Mass (Piper)
A World Away by Nancy Grossman(Theresa)
13 American Artists Children Should Know (read aloud)
What We Are Watching
- The National Endowment for the Arts Why Shakespeare documentary on how Shakespeare affects different aspects of people's lives by relating to the human condition
- Argo - I was dying to see this! I wanted to see it in the theater and it never worked out--I was 8 when the hostages were released in Iran and I remember tying yellow ribbons around trees and watching the ceremony when they returned home in my third grade classroom. I never knew the whole story--what an amazing story it is!
- Wreck It Ralph (A & P)
- Norman Rockwell: An American Portrait - we have been learning about American artists, we read about Winslow Homer a few weeks ago and this week we learned about Norman Rockwell and how he painted the world the way he wanted it to be
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| The Shakespeare documentary was ok. Piper asked to play these games this week & she and I spent an afternoon playing them when Allie was at her job tutoring my friend's daughter. This documentary on Norman Rockwell was excellent. I love The Scrambled States of America. We are keeping with our yoga practice--even if they wear boots and jeans to do it! |
Favorite Apps/Websites
- Temple Run (ipad)
- PopTropica (ipad)
- Webkinz (computer)
Homemaking
I got back on the wagon with 40 bags in 40 Days. I went up to the attic and collected a lot of things that I could hold on to for sentimental reasons, but really, why? There were some things I kept, but many that I got rid of. Some I took a photo of and then tossed. There are still a couple of piles up there to go through, but I think I should have it done by Easter!
Parenting
Allie and I watch an episode of Christy almost every night. It's our special time, we talk, we cuddle, we bond over our love of this show.
The girls and I really want to get a dog. Allie and I have mild allergies, but we have encountered a few dogs that have not triggered a reaction. We have met several poodles that we did not react to at all and we did have dogs for years with no reaction. Jason is our hold-out. He likes that we can travel, have family sleepovers, go camping...we have a lot of plans this summer and having a dog may make some of them more difficult, some impossible. We don't like to kennel our dogs...some of the families in our homeschool group have offered to do a Dog Sitting Exchange. The girls and I would give up traveling for a dog. It's quite the dilemma. Lots of family conferences and discussions happening here.
Marriage
Jason and I got to get dressed up Monday night and go out on a date to California Pizza Kitchen, where we enjoyed some nice cocktails and good food and great conversation. We cook together and we have our beer after work and we watch "House of Cards", but nothing takes the place of getting dressed up and lingering over a meal alone together with no distractions. Our girls were invited to spend the night tonight at a friend's house and we are planning to have a second date night!!
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| Our friend made rainbow jello for St. Patrick's day. My awesome, sweet friend Dr. JJ sent us chocolate croissants--so yummy!!! Such a treat!! Jason and I enjoyed a date night at California Pizza Kitchen--I had no idea what to expect, but it was very reasonably priced and the food seemed healthy--not a lot of fats and oils. I had a quinoa and arugula salad that was excellent! |
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