Thanksgiving Week

   We did get some work done last week. Really. I didn't take many pictures, though. We spent Thanksgiving Day playing, building, chatting, and reading aloud. That evening we had a scrumptious dinner at our neighbor's home. We had our own Thanksgiving meal on Sunday, and finished up most of the leftovers for dinner this evening. Mashed potatoes, gravy and a pile of turkey make a great soup starter. ;-)

Little Crew

   Faith started adding three numbers together, does sums up to 7 with one arm tied behind her back, and is beginning simple addition story problems. Her reading leaps on a daily basis, I'm certain. She's miffed that she doesn't get to have a spelling subject, too. This came from being highly offended that she always has to have a partner to play Scrabble with her siblings.

   Valor has developed the -cutest- hands on hips pose when he's being serious. Complete with a sassy walk. Judging from his reaction, he's not amused with our falling over laughing at his antics.

Middle Crew

   In history they've been reading about our country's forefathers, such as Thomas Jefferson, Patrick Henry, and James Madison. The Big Little Madison by Jean Fritz is up next on their queue.

   In science they finished skeletons, and have begun the muscular system.

   They're still drawing maps regularly for geography. Homelands Around the World has moved onto studying one particular country on a different continent, but we're keeping the daily map drawing focused on North America.

   Grace adores multiplying. The very concept tickles her. In writing she barely has to think about cursive, and gets herself unstuck with a tiny glance at the poster in our school area. I started transitioning her over to copying a selection from a text (With Pencil and Pen) instead of having me write it on her page for her. So far so good. Her Latin and grammar are steadily moving forward.

   Honor can do long division blindfolded with one arm tied behind his back. He rarely makes even simple computational mistakes. Multi-step word problems don't stand a chance, either. His Latin and grammar just flow. His composition has made tremendous progress since the beginning of the school year. Two short months ago getting a couple/few sentences out of him would have elicited groaning. Now he straightens his shirt and puts his big boy voice on, "Now I could do three of those in a day. No problem." (Score! Love that attitude!)

Big Crew

   History really will get out of the Revolutionary War sometime this year. They know their stuff inside out and backwards though.

   Science was slowing down and well on it's way to a painful full-stop. I started glancing through the optional worksheets, which just review the same concepts in the textbook. They're much more visual than the exercises in the textbook though. On a whim I copied off what they needed for the chapter they're in. Both kids said they were easier to understand, and please do that again. Okay. That I can do.

   Art of Poetry, Latin, logic, and American government went well. And they all actually got done. The quad notebooks I switched them to for math awhile ago have been working out splendidly. I wish I did that years ago. The Middle Crew will start with them when they transition to textbook based math.

   Joy and I have thoroughly enjoyed getting into Where the Brook and River Meet. She hasn't missed the dystopian bunny trail one little bit. Her first main handiwork project is an afghan. She chose the Giant Granny Square Afghan pattern. She adores having so many extra subjects revolving around a book.

  Justice still says The Hobbit is the best subject ever. He found himself in over his head in math for awhile, and went too far ahead without making sure he understood the mistakes from multiple lessons. We put the brakes on, and had him walk over each missed problem with a parent at his side. We, Justice, DH and I, are being more vigilant about making sure that doesn't happen again, and making sure he's done the "class practice" at the beginning of each lesson with us before he gets into the exercises. That means more math, more time, and often two math blocks a day, but he's moving forward again. =)

This Week

   Justice's birthday was today. They all managed to get some math and reading done, and a bit of Latin, but mostly we let him play his new CDs a little louder than usual, talked like Gollum a lot, and walked around the Lego masses.
   Tomorrow we need to start getting the house ready for Grandma's extended visit to begin this weekend. As well as get some school work done. We'd discussed going to a core subject only schedule while Grandma is here, but I think we'll go back to a loop schedule. If we get a day's worth of work done in a day, fabulous. If not, we'll finish it the next day. If doing school with Grandma here crashes and burns I'll drop us back to math and literature daily. We'll see how it goes.