Week in Review: Week 6, Sept. 7-13, 2015

Week 6 brought us a printer that was working and allowed me to be organized. I finally feel like I have this homeschooling thing under control this year.  I have a schedule that is working for all three of the boys and I feel like we are actually accomplishing a lot of the goals I had set for us.  It only took 7 years, and I am sure it will all change in a few weeks, but at this moment we are in a nice routine.  

Virtue

Our virtue of the week was to work on being obedient.  This is a hard one because two of my children love to question everything I say.  Not in a disrespectful way, but just always questioning.  Which is good, but also exhausting.  

Morning Work

The boys are continuing to add a chain for every completed chapter book they read.  This year their reading choices have become more difficult and they are not getting through the books as quickly as last year, but they are really enjoying the books they are choosing.   They are required to read alone for 30 minutes a day, but I do find them reading other times throughout the day. 

After school schedule for Monday.  Thankfully, we are not as busy as last year and have a couple afternoons off.

Lincoln all bundled up on a cold morning in Thailand...I'm joking. We live on the sun. 

 Britton completed his workbook on reading maps.  I am amazed at his ability to figure out what direction we are heading in.  

 All three boys are still loving the Draw, Write, Now program.  

 Lincoln working diligently on his morning work packet. 

Tea on Tuesday

One of our favorite times during the week...Tea on Tuesday.  Although this week it was Lemonade. More Shel Silverstein and the boys started color poems. 

100 Book Challenge: Book #50  

We are still working on Roll of Thunder, Hear My Cry this week.  This is a tough book and has topics that are hard to even get the boys to comprehend.  One benefit to growing up in another county, especially Thailand, is that the boys have grown up as a minority.  They have friends with all different backgrounds, religions, and skin colors.  The idea that skin color decides who you could speak to or where you could shop is almost unbelievable to them.  We do run across racism here, but never towards the boys.  My very favorite is the two price system here in Thailand.  One price for Thais and double or triple the price for foreigners.  Living as a minority really makes you understand to a small degree and appreciate our history as Americans. I really believe everyone should live as a minority at some point in their life.  It is eye-opening. 

                                              


Geography

This week we learned about Pennsylvania and Rhode Island. We had fun learning about Hershey, Pennsylvania and had to make peanut butter kiss cookies (although I could not finds any Hershey's kisses at the store.) 

 We made Philly Cheese Steaks, which none of us had ever had before.  I could not find roast beef here, so I made my own.  It was really good.  I have no idea if that was what they were supposed to taste like, but they were delicious.  

 We also learned about the Liberty Bell and the boys did a Liberty Bell craft. 

History

This week we took a break from Story of the World to start our Story of the World Minecraft Class.  They are just reviewing the first few chapters we have already gone over.  They are loving the idea that they get to use Minecraft in school! Classes available at Homeschool with Minecraft. 

Spanish

I really love the Spanish for Kids program we are using. I have the songs stuck in my head all the time.  They are very catchy!  The boys were playing color dominoes to practice their color words.  I have also been reading simple Spanish stories to them.

Typing Club

The boys are also still really enjoying Typing Club.  They are all doing really well with it.  I love that this program is so simple and only takes a few minutes a day. 

FIAR- Make Way For Ducklings


Make Way for Ducklings has been described as "one of the merriest picture books ever" (The New York Times).  I think Britton would agree with this statement.  We had so much fun reading this book together and learning all about Ducks and about Boston.  We also learned that Make Way for Ducklings is the official Children's book for the State of Massachusetts.  

We read a book about ducks and Britton worked on his very first lapbook.  

We watched a video on types of ducks raised in America and also a video on ducklings hatching.  

Finished lapbook.  He learned a lot about ducks!

The boys started brainstorming their own city for FIAR Friday.  They are going to have to create a map of their city over the next couple of weeks.  This goes along with the route the ducklings took around the city of Boston.  

FIAR- Make Way for Ducklings Pinterest Page

Artist Study- Georgia O'Keefe

We are still studying the artwork of Georgia O'Keefe this week.  The boys began drawing out their large flowers that they will finish by adding water color paints to them next week. Idea found HERE.

Science

This unit has completely surprised me.  I never expected that they boys would enjoy Chemistry as much as they have been.  Chemistry was not a subject that I could ever understand and I was really nervous about starting this unit up with them.  Thank God for wonderful teacher's manuals!  Our Chemistry unit is only one more week and I think I am going to be searching for an additional Chemistry curriculum to continue with the boys.  I figure if they are enjoying, we should take the opportunity to keep on learning.  I'm a little nervous, but I am learning so much along the way with the them.  

Special Moments

Practicing everyday to reach their goal of finishing book one by Valentine's Day!

We started off the weekend with over 20 kids at our house for monthly movie night. We have done this for the past 3 years and always have fun.  This was our biggest group yet.  They watched Home.

I made biscuits and gravy this week and no one liked it...

More fun with K'Nex

I couldn't stop looking at the sky this day.  It was absolutely beautiful. 

Every Saturday my floor looks like this.  Planning and Prep takes most of the weekend.  Trying to figure out how to cut down on this time so I can have a day off.  I'm not very good at working ahead, so I am always playing catch up.  

How do you get all of your planning completed in order to have a life? I would love to know!!


Linking up with Weird Unsocialized Homeschooler's Weekly Wrap-Up