Week 6 - Check!

WOAH!!!  

I can hardly believe it is time to do my weekly wrap up again!

We are about to complete another week.  It flew by at light speed.  It seems it was just Monday morning, and now, it is Friday.  

I think that is because, not only have the days been FULL, but the nights as well!  Monday night was the only night we did not have an official evening activity.   Robert and I did walk over to the neighborhood store to get bread and have a little 'date' at the coffee shop housed therein.  :)  Tuesday night, we had a second brief date in the form of a steak dinner for the PSU Faculty.  (Two dates in one week is a RARITY to say the least!  FUN!!!)  Then, he was off to buy milk and pick up a boy from soccer practice, and I was off to Worship Team practice.  Wednesday night, he had class, and the rest of us had AWANA.  Thursday night, another class for Robert, another soccer practice for Seth, plus a youth gathering for Josh and Erik.  And tonight, Robert and I will be attending a dinner at church to appreciate us and other volunteers for our service, while Isaac will be attending soccer practice.  (We're being brave and taking Erik with them and then having them both walk home from the practice field, about 20 minutes.)  Finally, tomorrow, Robert and I will be attending a leadership training conference at church and trying to work around 2 soccer games.  So, on Sunday, I think a nap will be in order!

As for school, we have steadily plodded along through the week completing regular math, English, history, Spanish, Bible, spelling, and penmanship exercises.  We've made our way through the insect orders: hymenoptera (ants, bees, wasps) and isoptera (termites) in the 4th grade and through preparing for and taking a test in the 8th grade.  Several discussions about study skills being life skills occurred.  Isaac and Seth and I have started to make our way through The Cricket in Times Square by George Selden.  It has been quite enjoyable so far.

Today, we are covering Rafael, another Renaissance painter and listening to the musical works of Clementi.  Here is an amazing video of a very small child playing a Clementi piece with NO music in front of her.

 WOAH!!!

We are also attempting to draw insects.  I found a book that shows how to form many different insects.  Joshua and Erik can take their pick.  Isaac and Seth will be attempting insects that are in the Orders we have been covering this week.

Isaac

Seth

Erik

Joshua isn't finished yet, so...T.B.P.L. 

(to be posted later)

Isaac and Seth are finishing up their 

science chapter by creating a 'Bee Book'.  

Joshua and Erik have grammar and history to work on today.  

Joshua and Erik made empanadas for a Spanish assignment:

Master Chefs - thinking in progress:

Now, let us begin:

(What looks like a peaceful process

was actually laced with much

bickering, but working was

going on as well...)

TA-DAA!!!

I'll let you know if the end result

was tasty or not!

Isaac and Seth are memorizing a new poem, A Tragic Story by William Makepeace Thackeray.  It involves a man with a pigtail trying to figure out why it stays behind him no matter what he does.  We made a 'pigtail' out of rope and attached it to a hat and tried it out.  However, I made the 'pigtail' too long, and it would NOT stay behind them like it was supposed to.  The sage in the poem just needed to grow his longer apparently!  :) 

They did finally recite the other poem they learned to Daddy, which they hadn't been able to do yet.  I will try to record it when I get the proper equipment.

One highlight for me last week was Friday night.  Robert covered a progression of styles in musical history, as driven by the African American community.  It was great!  He had to stop because we ran out of time and out of the ability to sit still and pay attention.  I think he will try a bit more later on.  I love it when I can find a way to incorporate him into teaching the boys in areas that are a natural skill for him and don't create too much extra work for him.  I think he liked that assignment.  :)

And....

they really are quite tasty!

Way to go Josh and Erik!


(Of course, with all this going on,
I have NOT tweaked my
Lesson Plans for next week
nor graded today's papers,
and therefore, of course,
have not entered them in 
the grade book either.
Oh well, I'll get there!
With the Lord's help!)