Winter Tree and Snow

Our selected tree, picture taken by Q

Last week we decided to combine our Outdoor Hour Challenges and have two nature studies in one week.  We neglected to do our nature study the previous week so it all worked out.  We began a winter tree study and a winter weather study.

Ms. Q won rock paper scissors and was the official tree picker.  The only stipulation was that the tree had to be inside the backyard fence.  She chose the tall maple tree that sits to the side of the back door.  It was an interesting choice given that this tree is the one that holds our clothesline, had a birdhouse on it that Ms. Q made, and provides much of the shade we use when playing outside in the summer.  What was interesting is that even though this tree provides all the above uses, Ms. Q and I noted that we really never look at it.  It's just always there.  So this study allowed us the opportunity to really study something that we always look at but rarely ever see. 

For winter weather we studied snow.  The east coast has had more than it's fair share of snow this year.  In New Jersey we received more snow in the first month of this winter than we did in the entire three months of winter last year!  This is of course fun for the kids but I find as I grow older that snow has lost some of it's funness. Now that Little M is big enough to go outside with Ms. Q I don't usually go play in the snow.  Snow has become dangerous roads, closed offices, and higher utility bills.  It means cancelled activities and the possibility of a power outage.  But with a closer look at the snow this week some of that wonder has come back.  We measured the snow fall from the morning and discovered that 5 inches had fallen already that morning.  We filled a measuring cup with snow and waited for it to melt.  Each of us wagered a guess at how much water would be in the cup when the snow melted and we were all surprised.  More than one cup of snow melted down to about 1/2c. of water. Who would have thought?  This is one of the joys of homeschooling - learning together as a family.

5 inches of snow in 2 hours

More than 1 cup of snow

Melted to about 1/2 cup of water

Weekly Wrap-up: Pretend

Baby C dressed as a chef

Except for the announcement of his birth, Baby C just doesn't make it in the blog that often.  So I figured on his 8 monthiversary I would start with him.  He and Little M had a great week of playing pretend.  Here he is dressed up as a chef.  He also dressed up as a princess, a dragon, a wolf, and Mom this week.  He had a little help from his big sister and brother but he thought each costume was just hilarious.  He is beginning to be quite the comedian and, much to their delight, is starting to interact with Ms. Q and Little M.  I am so happy to be able to spend this time with my children and I am glad that they are able to spend this time with each other and build, what I hope will be, very close relationships with each other.

LittleM dressed as a knight

For school this week we finished up a lesson about ancient China and tried our hand at some Chinese style painting and calligraphy.  I think Ms. Q did an awesome job on her art work!  We started some readings about the Greek Wars (you know the Peloponesian War right?) and found a cool craft at Lesson Pathways to make Greek style shields.  Little M and Ms. Q really had a blast making them and I barely got a picture taken of their work before they starting using them.  Sometimes I'm not sure if Ms. Q is listening to my lesson and I get angry when I ask her questions and she says she can't answer them.  What I keep in mind is a stuffed horse named Juliet, a car named Albert Einstein, King Narmer's throne, Ashurbanipal's library, and a message from Marathon.  All of which I have witnessed being acted out in our play room this week.

Ms. Q's Chinese style painting and calligraphy

Greek shields

Weekly Wrap-up: Yoga Time

So far so good I guess with that New Year's resolution thing.  I mean it IS Thursday and I am writing a post.  So I'm going to toot my own horn for a second.  Bear in mind of course that the future of this is uncertain.

Anyway, we had a pretty fun week.  We started out the week celebrating the Eastern Orthodox Christmas at Babcia's house.   For school, we talked a little about Ancient India and Ancient China.  Now that we are following a chronological study plan for history we only get a little snippet, unlike when we would do a whole unit.  But we did learn about Confucius and the Buddha as well as the caste system.  Both the kids enjoyed learning some animal yoga poses (see picture above) and we have had plenty of snow this week.  Each day  the kids have spent some time outside playing in the snow.  Which I think is wonderful but I also wonder about.  Why do they complain about going out to play when there is no snow and it's only slightly cold but when it is utterly freezing outside with snow they plead to go out?  I won't complain though.

We finished our week with a play date with some new homeschooling friends we met recently.  The kids enjoyed a fun craft and an afternoon playing.  I would call this week a great success.

New Year, New Resolutions

I usually stay away from New Year's resolutions but I think that this year calls for one.  I have been struggling with writing new posts for this blog and I would like to make a change.  I have had some difficulty deciding when to write since we are longer doing unit studies and lapbooks.  It was so easy to create a post when we had finished the unit and add some pictures of the lapbooks. 

So here is my resolution: I will commit to writing a new blog post each week on Thursday evenings. 

There, that feels better.  I am also going to change my idea of what I want the blog to be about.  I started writing to chronicle our homeschool but what I've realized in the last year and a half since we started homeschooling is that there is not always a line between our lives and our homeschool.  Therefore, I am going to chronicle not only our homeschooling but are lives.  This blog will be more than a homeschooling blog it will be a family blog.  Hopefully something my children will enjoy reading and something that will help our extended family feel more connected.  Hopefully this will be a resolution I keep.

New Year, New Ideas

We're back!  It is the start of third grade.  I can't believe how quickly the summer went by.  We did not do much "school" during the summer but we spent a lot of time outside, took a few trips to the zoo and aquarium, and read a lot of books.  Ms. Q has decided that she does not want to make lapbooks this year.  I am more than a little disappointed about this.  I really, really like lapbooks.  I like looking for templates for minibooks, I like getting colored paper and cutting out intricate shapes and folding them.  But alas, Ms. Q has said no.  I guess I will have to wait to get my fix until M is old enough for lapbooking!

So what ARE we doing this year?  I thought about using a boxed curriculum but I had difficulty finding one that can be used in a Charlotte Mason style and is secular.  Creating one from scratch just seemed too difficult with a toddler and an infant taking up most of my time.  We are totally loving Lesson Pathways.  We will be using the majority of units in 3rd year History, Science, and Language Arts. Lesson Pathways provides many of the resources for each unit as well as great hands-on projects and assignments and is FREE!  We will be supplementing with "living books" from the library and there is plenty of room for Q to follow her passion of the moment.  Ambleside Online has a great schedule of artists, composers, and topics for nature study.  I'm not sure if we will follow it exactly but it's a good start. We are also trying out Math U See, we kept Growing with Grammar, Handwriting Without Tears, and Explode the Code.  I know the workbooks are not in keeping with the CM style but Ms. Q likes workbooks and she really needs some help with these subjects.

Little M is starting "school" this year.  He is only two years old so it will not be actual school but he is too interested in what Ms. Q is doing for her to get much done.  He likes to climb up on her work table, lay on top of her papers, a grab her pencil out of her hand.  He loves it when she screams about this and it takes almost a half hour for the chaos to end.  So Little M is going to school.  I bought some large plastic tubs and I filled them with all sorts of goodies that Little M likes.  Each one has different items inside like puzzles, flash cards, paints, markers, play dough, glue sticks, safety scissors, you get the idea.  He gets a different box each morning and he can only use the items inside during school time (from 9am until lunch).  So far so good.  He has not bothered Ms. Q while she is working, although sometimes she gets distracted watching him work on something, and he is quiet while she and I work together on a lesson.  Every morning he asks if there is school today and he actually cried on Saturday when I said there was no school that day!

Well that's my plan for the year: here's hoping for a great year!

He's here!

Baby C has arrived.  We have been busy welcoming our newest family member and adjusting to the many changes a new baby brings.  Little M is being a great big brother and Ms. Q is awesome as a big, big sister.  We are enjoying just hanging out as a family unit.  I braved our first outing alone with three kids and our trip to the library this week was splendid! Little M showed Baby C all around the library and read him some books.  Ms. Q was very helpful with carrying books and helping me maneuver the large double stroller.

We are not doing any "schoolwork" right now although Ms. Q has been reading on her own and we have done some reading aloud.  She is also using her new multiplication knowledge to show off.   The weather has been great and we are spending as much time as we can outside, so nature is of course providing some learning opportunities.

Hopefully I will be able to get the pictures of her tiger lapbook up this week because next week Ms. Q wants to learn about bats (so of course I borrowed Stellaluna from the library).   I should be starting plans for summer learning and next year too.  Well off to our busy day!