Week of May 7-13, 2012

I was perusing old computer files and found a few that I did years ago----a summary of my week with the kids in words and photos.  And so, I present our week in review:

School-wise things are really winding down for us and we're sort of tired of "doing school".....this happens every year around now, as the weather turns glorious and all we really want to do is start summer vacation.  So, things have relaxed a bit but we're still continuing with our formal studies for another few weeks. 

Ella:  continuing to journal, work through spelling study (really a study of the way our language works---we use Spell to Write and Read), math (she is studying decimals, fractions, median/mean), and pratice violin for a long time everyday.  Add to that our US History study of the American Revolution/Colonial Times (including reading Johnny Tremain aloud), and her reading (this week she finished Kidnapped and narrated it through illustration---see photos below). 

Asher:  also does daily journal, spelling study and math (he's doing multi-digit subtraction with borrowing).  Add to that our family US History study and his own reading (he's really enjoying Magic Treehouse...I think he's in Tonight on the Titanic at the moment). 

 Ethan also does daily journaling, practicing his writing and reading and joins in for history.  He also does a lot of coloring and jungle gyming on the couch. 

Our week was pretty full.  Ella had state testing all morning on Thursday (math, language, science)....she said she thinks it went really well. Then we played with friends at a favorite park in the afternoon:

  We went to a play at BYU on Friday morning:  "Fancy Nancy and Other Stories".  It was fun, hilarious, and Scott got to come, too.  We met our homeschool group at the park, as we do every Friday during warm weather.  We went to a ward party up in the canyon Friday night.  We watched the groundbreaking ceremony for the Provo City Center Temple on Saturday morning and then dashed to Ella and Ethan's violin recital----Ethan played Twinkle with Tukka Tukka Stop Stops and Ella played the 1st Seitz in Book 4. 

Today was Mother's Day. 

I got barraged with gifts and home-made I love Mom signs this morning, got to spend the morning in bed reading, and then we spent time up in the canyon this afternoon:

Mother's Day Breakfast

We'll catch a snake and put him in a cake and then we'll let him go......

Sitting in stillness he catches minnows with his hands.

It was a good week.  The peonies and roses are in full-bloom.  Everywhere it is beautiful.

I've been reading the kids awake every morning this week----an idea I got from a friend.  Ella's book is Unicorns of Balinor.  Asher has Pinnochio (such an odd, odd story....can't say that I enjoy this one.  I think we'll switch it) and Ethan has the Magic Treehouse Leprechaun book.  It's a lovely start to the day (I'm trying to exercise first) and I hope something that we will continue to do. 

This week we begin to join friends for a new (for us) weekly co-op that will include history, science and Latin.   

Our read alouds:

Redwall (oh, it's so exciting!)--at bedtime

Johnny Tremain ---during history

I'm reading:

The Lady of the Rivers (Philippa Gregory)

Elizabeth I (Margaret George)

The Read Aloud Handbook (Jim Trelease)