Currently #20

Reading: In the middle of The Compound by Aisling Rawle. I really don’t know what I feel about this book. Definitely have mixed feelings.

Watching: We’ve made it to S4 of Babylon 5. We are completely flying through the seasons. We might actually finish the series by the end of the year.

Listening: Stray Kids’s new album has been on repeat since it dropped on November 21st. But in particular, I’ve been loving “Divine” so much. It’s my current favorite SKZ song.

Making: Feeling so accomplished that I’m currently working on my November Memory Planner Pages. They are already over halfway completed.

Feeling: Trying to plan a debrief and planning meeting for Academic Co-op and it’s very frustrating to find a date that works for most if not all members. At least point, I don’t think 100% attendance will be possible.

Planning: I’m still working on planning our events this Holiday Season. The calendar is starting to fill up.

Loving: J made a chocolate tart for Thanksgiving. It is just so good! We finished out the tart last night with one last slice. So rich, but so good.

Next up on the TBR pile:

Odds and Ends

Here's my randomness for the week:

• In the middle of a giant note-taking app transition for planning homeschool lessons and it’s going slow and painfully. I may not recover…

• On a brighter note, been loving all the new SKZ content being dropped every single day.

• On the other hand, I cannot keep up with all the content.

• I might need time to stop for like a week so I can catch up…

Next up on the TBR pile:

Homeschool W13-14: Two Weeks of Normal

What We Studied

Another two weeks down! We’re getting closer to our Christmas break here. Managing to get a lot of work in during this in-between month.

Literature and Poetry

Arthur is primarily using Hearth and Story G6 for his language arts this year. While I love H&S, there’s never enough literature in there. Thankfully we have a stack of books just waiting to be picked up and read. Beyond H&S, we are focusing on expanding vocabulary and reading comprehension this year. We continued with our book club selection and I lined up our next read.

• Poetry: Hearth & Story G6

• Poetry: A Child’s Introduction to Poetry by Michael Driscoll

• The Vocabulary Workbook for 6th Grade by Kelly Anne McLellan

• Granted by John David Anderson

Quentin is primarily using Blossom & Root G3 for his language arts this year. We will pull some elements from Build Your Library Level 3 and random books that we have around the house. We are also starting the Reading Explorer series to focus on reading comprehension and word choice. We continued with our read aloud, getting very close to finishing. I’ve had to slow down our reading time a bit to accommodate our general pace.

• Poetry: National Geography Book of Nature Poetry

• In the Beginning: Creation Stories from Around the World by Virginia Hamilton

• The Girl Who Drank the Moon by Kelly Barnhill

Math

Arthur is using Singapore’s Math in Focus Course 2. Effectively this is Singapore’s 7th grade math text. We finished up our textbook for this semester and spent time catching up. We will be playing a bit of review and catchup until January. We don’t have formal logic book this year, but are focusing on lots of critical thinking and math puzzles.

• Math in Focus Course 2 Book A

Quentin is using Singapore’s Primary Mathematics Common Core edition 3B and 4A. We finished up our logic book before moving to more complicated puzzles. We covered a chapter reviewing time. We still have a few short chapters left in this textbook for the semester. Hoping we can get the, finished before Christmas.

• Primarily Logic

• Singapore Primary Common Core 3B

Social Studies

Arthur is using Curiosity Chronicles Modern History Vol. 1. Unfortunately CC only has volume 1 published so far. This will take us to Christmas break. If they don’t release volume 2 by then, I’m going to have to do it myself.. The last four chapters of Volume 1 are all about aspects of modern society as opposed to regional history. We covered a chapter about Inventions, one about art.

• Curiosity Chronicles Modern History Vol. 1

• DK History

• DK Timelines of Everything

• DK Timelines of Everyone

• DK A Child Through Time

• A Journey Through Art

• DK When on Earth

• Her Right Foot by Dave Eggers

• Ice! The Amazing History of the Ice Business by Laurence Pringle

• The Eiffel Tower by Russell Roberts

• Eiffel Tower by Kristine Spanier

• Now That's Big: Eiffel Tower by Kate Riggs

• Action! How Movies Began by Meghan McCarthy

• The Fantastic Ferris Wheel: The Story of Inventor George Ferris by Betsy Harvey Kraft

• The Secret Subway by Shana Corey

• Lives of the Scientists by Kathleen Krull

• Who was Marie Curie? by Megan Stine

• No Horses in the House!: The Audacious Life of Artist Rosa Bonheur by Mireille Messier

• Paul Cezanne: A Painter’s Journey by Robert Burleigh and the National Gallery of Art

• What the Artist Saw: Claude Monet: He Saw the World in Brilliant Light by Amy Guglielmo

• What the Artist Saw: Paul Cézanne: He Saw the World in Spectacular Shapes by Amy Guglielmo

• Sarah Bernhardt: The Divine and Dazzling Life of the World’s First Superstar by Catherine Reef

• Carmen and the House that Gaudí Built by Susan Hughes

• Gaudí: Architect of Imagination by Susan B. Katz

• The Art and Life of Hilma af Klint by Ylva Hillström

Quentin is using Build Your Library Level 5 to begin our two year exploration of American History. We covered the run-up and beginnings of the American Revolution.

• History Quest United States History

• DK When on Earth?

• DK History

• DK Timelines of Everything

• DK Timelines of Everyone

• DK A Child Through Time

• DK American History

• We were There Too

• Words that Built a Nation

• King George: What was His Problem? by Steve Sheinkin

Science

Arthur is using RSO Earth and Environment 2 and later RSO Astronomy 2 for science. We kept up with our physics prep for co-op. Arthur also covered two chapters about faults and earthquakes. Mostly it was review for him, but we watching some good videos in the process.

• RSO Earth and Environment 2 (August-November; March-May)

• RSO Astronomy 2 (November-March)

• DK Eyewitness Energy

Quentin is using RSO Physics 1. We worked through a chapter about air pressure. Beyond our RSO, we read more chapters in our Story of Science covering Alexander, Euclid, and Archimedes.

• RSO Physics 1

• The Story of Science Vol. 1 by Joy Hakim

• Physics: Investigate the Mechanics of Nature by Jane Gardner

• Physics for Curious Kids Introduction

• The Way Things Work Now

Enrichment STEAM Co-op /Academic Co-op

Oof! These two weeks were a struggle in Academic Co-op. The littles classroom was chaotic and loud. The bigs classroom was full of snark and commentary. Here’s hoping we get back on track with attitudes and behavior.

Art and Music

We are doing something a little different this year. Instead of trying to do music and art every week, we will be trading off. I realized last year these subjects were always the first to be cut when we had time constraints. We spent one of our weeks covering Beethoven for music. The other week was spent covering frames for art.

• DK Music and How it Works

• DK The Arts

• Why is Art Full of Naked People? by Susie Hodge

• The Story of the Incredible Orchestra by Bruce Koscielniak

• DK Art and How it Works

• 13 Art Techniques Children Should Know

• The Story of Paintings

• Ludwig van Beethoven by Mike Venezia

• Iconic Composers by Nicholas Csicsko and Emi Ferguson

• Music is My Life by Myles Tanzer

• Welcome to the Symphony by Carolyn Sloan

Field Trip/Activities

Arthur wasn’t feeling good the first week so we scrapped our big activity plans.

High

We are getting very close to finishing all the schoolwork I had planned for the fall semester. I love being on track!

Low

Sickness. Always with the sickness in November.

Next Week

• Finishing our read aloud (Q) and starting a new read aloud (A)

• Moving forward with our math chapters - Close to finishing our current textbooks

• Learning about the Consumerism (A) and 1775-1776 (Q) for history

• Covering volcanoes (A) and how planes fly (Q) for science

• Taking a small break for Thanksgiving week

Next up on the TBR pile:

Currently #19

Reading: Another random library read with A Land So Wide by Erin A. Craig. I went in blind and am so glad that I did.

Watching: I still have three episodes left of The Nice Guy. I don’t know why it’s taking me so long to watch this series I have been really enjoying it. Maybe this week I will finally get through it.

Listening: While waiting for new Stray Kids music, I have been just hitting shuffle on my entire Apple Music library. Sometimes it’s a bit like whiplash when genres change, but I have had fun rediscovering some music in my library.

Making: We’re doing a Friendsgiving next week which means I need to start planning the menu. We have a few food restrictions on tap, but can definitely work around them. Definitely making twice baked sweet potatoes and another vegetable.

Feeling: I don’t really know why, but I am so cold this week. I will admit that this is a nice change from being so hot all the time, but I am very cold.

Planning: A friend and I are making mini travel plans for this Friday to find our preferred Stray Kids album. I cannot wait!

Loving: Stray Kids are dropping their new ep this week and I cannot wait!!! Not so patiently waiting for the music to be released.

Next up on the TBR pile:

Odds and Ends

Here's my randomness for the week:

Next up on the TBR pile:

Currently #18

Reading: I randomly picked up This House is Haunted by John Boyne from the library shelves. It’s a homage to Dickens and gothic ghost stories. I’m really enjoying it so far.

Watching: We’re continuing our binge of Babylon 5. We’re up to S3 and things are so incredibly tense int he series.

Listening: After branching out to other K-pop bands and metal bands, I’m back to binging Stray Kids. I’m prepping for their comeback in a week and a half.

Making: I’m still enjoying the fall flavors by making apple desserts. Last night I made some pretty janky apple bourbon hand pies. They did not look good, but were definitely tasty. I’m thinking a vegan apple crisp for Thanksgiving.

Feeling: After the craziness of October, I’m very excited to just be cozy and sleepy. November is always a nice break from the busy season.

Planning: This holiday season our travel plans are very much up in the air. I think we are staying home, but Nick is going to Indiana and my mother is coming here. Maybe… Things are still very much in limbo right now.

Loving: With the cooler temps, I’m very much loving my cozy bed. My blankets are just so very very comfortable.

Next up on the TBR pile:

Homeschool W11-12: October is My Favorite Month!

What We Studied

This is actually two regular weeks and a Flex week all in one. But as expected, the end of October was crazy busy and we had to adjust. Now that we’ve reached November, everything slows down and we can get more schoolwork in our regular weeks.

Literature and Poetry

Arthur is primarily using Hearth and Story G6 for his language arts this year. While I love H&S, there’s never enough literature in there. Thankfully we have a stack of books just waiting to be picked up and read. Beyond H&S, we are focusing on expanding vocabulary and reading comprehension this year. We finished our current book club selection which is perfect for fall spooky season. In between we read some classic Grimm’s fairy tales. And we started the next book club selection.

• Poetry: Hearth & Story G6

• Poetry: A Child’s Introduction to Poetry by Michael Driscoll

• The Vocabulary Workbook for 6th Grade by Kelly Anne McLellan

• The Bellwoods Game by Celia Krampien

• Grimm’s Fairy Tales

• Granted by John David Anderson

Quentin is primarily using Blossom & Root G3 for his language arts this year. We will pull some elements from Build Your Library Level 3 and random books that we have around the house. We are also starting the Reading Explorer series to focus on reading comprehension and word choice. We took a break from our read alouds to catch up on some other language arts work. But we are back to our read aloud with a great fantasy read that Arthur read for book club two years ago.

• Poetry: National Geography Book of Nature Poetry

• In the Beginning: Creation Stories from Around the World by Virginia Hamilton

• The Girl Who Drank the Moon by Kelly Barnhill

Math

Arthur is using Singapore’s Math in Focus Course 2. Effectively this is Singapore’s 7th grade math text. We covered a chapter about algebraic expressions. And then we paused so Arthur could catch up on math work before we finish out our current textbook. We don’t have formal logic book this year, but are focusing on lots of critical thinking and math puzzles.

• Math in Focus Course 2 Book A

Quentin is using Singapore’s Primary Mathematics Common Core edition 3B and 4A. We finished up our logic book before moving to more complicated puzzles. We worked through a chapter about fractions. We spent more time on this chapter than I had planned, but we do lean towards mastery over here, so it was a good use of our time.

• Primarily Logic

• Singapore Primary Common Core 3B

Social Studies

Arthur is using Curiosity Chronicles Modern History Vol. 1. Unfortunately CC only has volume 1 published so far. This will take us to Christmas break. If they don’t release volume 2 by then, I’m going to have to do it myself. We covered multiple sections for history these few weeks. We’ve mostly caught up to where I wanted us to be. We learned about Colonization in Southeast Asia, Colonization in Africa, and Displacement and Migration.

• Curiosity Chronicles Modern History Vol. 1

• DK History

• DK Timelines of Everything

• DK Timelines of Everyone

• DK A Child Through Time

• A Journey Through Art

• Suez Canal by Valerie Bodden

• Who Were Stanley and Livingstone? by Jim Gigliotti

• Leopold II: Butcher of the Congo by Tod Olson

• Gittel’s Journey: An Ellis Island Story by Lesléa Newman

• I Am an American: The Wong Kim Ark Story by Martha Brockenbrough

• At Ellis Island by Louise Peacock

• Ellis Island and Immigration for Kids: A History with 21 Activities by Jean Daigneau

• Ellis Island: An Interactive History Adventure by Michael Burgan

• Ellis Island: Immigration and the American Dream by Felipe Galindo Feggo and Tait Howard (History Comics)

Quentin is using Build Your Library Level 5 to begin our two year exploration of American History. We covered the formation of the colonies.

• History Quest United States History

• DK When on Earth?

• DK History

• DK Timelines of Everything

• DK Timelines of Everyone

• DK A Child Through Time

• DK American History

• We were There Too

• 1621: A New Look at Thanksgiving

• Words that Built a Nation

Science

Arthur is using RSO Earth and Environment 2 and later RSO Astronomy 2 for science. We managed to do all our prep for Academic Co-op’s Physics class. We focused on those videos and lessons and pushed our other science over for awhile.

• RSO Earth and Environment 2 (August-November; March-May)

• RSO Astronomy 2 (November-March)

• DK Eyewitness Energy

Quentin is using RSO Physics 1. We worked through all the simple machines chapters. We’re ready to switch to Air Pressure next week. We also read multiple chapters from our Story of Science volume.

• RSO Physics 1

• The Story of Science Vol. 1 by Joy Hakim

• Physics: Investigate the Mechanics of Nature by Jane Gardner

• Physics for Curious Kids Introduction

• The Way Things Work Now

Enrichment STEAM Co-op /Academic Co-op

We had our third, fourth, and fifth weeks of Academic Co-op. Week three was chaotic. I was not on board with the kids and their non-listening. Week four was better. Week five was quiet with multiple families out for sickness. On a bright spot, I got my regional history class caught up to where I want them. Quentin’s class has transitioned to learning about ocean biomes for November.

Art and Music

We are doing something a little different this year. Instead of trying to do music and art every week, we will be trading off. I realized last year these subjects were always the first to be cut when we had time constraints. We covered a few art sections about sculptures and early Christian art.

• DK Music and How it Works

• DK The Arts

• Why is Art Full of Naked People? by Susie Hodge

• The Story of the Incredible Orchestra by Bruce Koscielniak

• DK Art and How it Works

• 13 Art Techniques Children Should Know

• The Story of Paintings

Field Trip/Activities

We visited the SAC Museum for a co-op field trip. The planetarium show about Exoplanets was fascinating. The “lesson” if you can even call that was a joke. No actual information. The kids make paper rockets and launched them. No discussion about aerodynamics or anything. I don’t know why I thought this year would be different. I’m always so disappointed by their field trip offerings.

We also had a park playdate randomly on a beautiful warm day and our monthly zoo day. The zoo day included a ton of friends and the kids had a great time exploring the buildings that we skip during the summer.

High

Beyond multiple Vala’s visits, we had the Co-op Halloween Party. This year, we did a Trunk or Treat style and it worked out perfectly. I decorated the van (and myself) all in spiders. The kids enjoyed their time.

Low

Vala’s is closed for the year. Until next fall...

Next Week

• Continuing our read alouds

• Moving forward with our math chapters - Close to finishing our current textbooks

• Learning about the French and Indian War and Prelude to Revolution (Q) and Modernization (A) for history

• Covering Earthquakes (A) and Air Pressure (Q) for science

• Listening to Beethoven for music

• Going to Academic Co-op for Week 6

Next up on the TBR pile:

Odds and Ends

Here's my randomness for the week:

• Super tired from all the activities, but we are sneaking in two more Vala’s visits before they closed this weekend.

• Speaking of spooky, I’ve decided that November will also be spooky book/movie month. I’ve still got some things I want to read and watch hanging around.

• Academic Co-op went really well today. I wasn’t as tired as I thought I would be!

• My meal planning is all over the place this month. I need to do a fridge cleanout and an eat from the freezer week. Maybe I will feel better after that.

Next up on the TBR pile:

Currently #17

Reading: I grabbed Alma Katsu’s new book, Fiend, hoping for another great horror read. I’m about a third of the way in, but it’s not quite hitting the mark. We will see where this book goes.

Watching: J and I have made it to S2 of Babylon 5. I didn’t think I would be, but I am very into this series now.

Listening: Stray Kids announced a comeback in November. Seriously! We just Karma in August. But until then, I have found some other K-pop bands new-to-me and added them to my playlist. I’m trying to be selective, but if I find someone I like, I add it.

Making: I finally found some time to dive into creating my September Memory Planner pages. I like being up to date.

Feeling: The temperatures had cooled to actual fall temperatures. I am so excited by this change! Beyond being cooler in body, I get to be cozy with blankets again.

Planning: Co-op Campfire Night is coming up in less than two weeks. I need to finish making my shopping list and decide if we need a second campsite.

Loving: I had a tattoo appointment last night. This is the first time that I impulse bought a tattoo. I chose from a collection of Halloween inspired flash. And I do not regret it at all!

Next up on the TBR pile:

Homeschool W10: A Wild Week

What We Studied

Another week full of fall fun. We didn’t get a ton of school work done, but did make some progress on certain things. But we had a ton of fun with friends and catching up on life. So I will say that we had a good week.

Literature and Poetry

Arthur is primarily using Hearth and Story G6 for his language arts this year. While I love H&S, there’s never enough literature in there. Thankfully we have a stack of books just waiting to be picked up and read. Beyond H&S, we are focusing on expanding vocabulary and reading comprehension this year. We started our current book club selection which is perfect for fall spooky season.

• Poetry: Hearth & Story G6

• Poetry: A Child’s Introduction to Poetry by Michael Driscoll

• The Vocabulary Workbook for 6th Grade by Kelly Anne McLellan

• The Bellwoods Game by Celia Krampien

Quentin is primarily using Blossom & Root G3 for his language arts this year. We will pull some elements from Build Your Library Level 3 and random books that we have around the house. We are also starting the Reading Explorer series to focus on reading comprehension and word choice. We took a break from our read alouds to catch up on some other language arts and math work.

• Poetry: National Geography Book of Nature Poetry

• In the Beginning: Creation Stories from Around the World by Virginia Hamilton

Math

Arthur is using Singapore’s Math in Focus Course 2. Effectively this is Singapore’s 7th grade math text. We covered a chapter about algebraic expressions. We don’t have formal logic book this year, but are focusing on lots of critical thinking and math puzzles.

• Math in Focus Course 2 Book A

Quentin is using Singapore’s Primary Mathematics Common Core edition 3B and 4A. We finished up our logic book before moving to more complicated puzzles. We began a chapter about fractions.

• Primarily Logic

• Singapore Primary Common Core 3B

Social Studies

Arthur is using Curiosity Chronicles Modern History Vol. 1. Unfortunately CC only has volume 1 published so far. This will take us to Christmas break. If they don’t release volume 2 by then, I’m going to have to do it myself. We skipped history this week in favor of science.

• Curiosity Chronicles Modern History Vol. 1

• DK History

• DK Timelines of Everything

• DK Timelines of Everyone

• DK A Child Through Time

• A Journey Through Art

Quentin is using Build Your Library Level 5 to begin our two year exploration of American History. We skipped history this year in favor of science.

• History Quest United States History

• DK When on Earth?

• DK History

• DK Timelines of Everything

• DK Timelines of Everyone

• DK A Child Through Time

• DK American History

Science

Arthur is using RSO Earth and Environment 2 and later RSO Astronomy 2 for science. We managed to do all our prep for Academic Co-op’s Physics class. The videos and practice problems took an entire science block but it was a good lesson. We even had time to fit in our next Earth Science lesson in between.

• RSO Earth and Environment 2 (August-November; March-May)

• RSO Astronomy 2 (November-March)

• DK Eyewitness Energy

Quentin is using RSO Physics 1. We covered our next chapter about planes and wedges. We will stay with simple machines for the next month or so.

• RSO Physics 1

• The Story of Science Vol. 1 by Joy Hakim

• Physics: Investigate the Mechanics of Nature by Jane Gardner

• Physics for Curious Kids Introduction

• The Way Things Work Now

• Energy by Matt Mullins

• Energy by Nancy Dickmann

• Physics by Jane Gardner

• Life, Mix, Fling! Machines Can Do Anything by Lola M. Schaefer

Enrichment STEAM Co-op /Academic Co-op

We had our second week of Academic Co-op. Things went much better this week than the previous week. Hopefully we are getting our groove. Arthur had a good week learning about physics and prehistoric Nebraska and playing chess and mancala. Quentin learned about bats and played some games.

Art and Music

We are doing something a little different this year. Instead of trying to do music and art every week, we will be trading off. I realized last year these subjects were always the first to be cut when we had time constraints. We managed a short lesson about Ancient Asian art for this week.

• DK Music and How it Works

• DK The Arts

• Why is Art Full of Naked People? by Susie Hodge

• The Story of the Incredible Orchestra by Bruce Koscielniak

Field Trip/Activities

We had another visit to Vala’s for our weekly fun.

High

On Friday, a friend hosted a curriculum planning event. It’s a chance for us adults to body double and/or socialize while planning our homeschool journey. It’s also a chance for the kids to hang out without any agenda or activity planned. It was a short event, but a lovely event.

Low

I ended the week very tired. Still struggling with our balance of activities and school.

Next Week

• Continuing our read aloud (A) and starting a new read aloud (Q)

• Moving forward with our math chapters

• Learning about the New England and Atlantic English colonies (Q) and Colonization in Southeast Asia (A) for history

• Covering Newton’s Laws (A) and more simple machines (Q) for science

• Going to Academic Co-op for Week 3

• Visiting Vala’s, celebrating the Co-op Halloween Party, and exploring the SAC Museum for a field trip

Next up on the TBR pile:

Odds and Ends

Here's my randomness for the week:

• I’m so busy this week!!! Between activities, school, and prepping for the birthday party (and this pesky cough), I am toast.

• Getting excited for my tattoo appointment on Monday. And I have an idea of a second one for maybe November…

• Still trying to embrace the fall and all the flavors. I love all things fall.

Next up on the TBR pile:

Homeschool W8-9: Two Light Weeks

What We Studied

Fall is such a busy time for us. Between homeschool, the switch from enrichment to academic co-op, and fall activities such as Vala’s, we have lots of packed weeks. Instead of two full school weeks, we had two light school weeks with lots of activities and such. And our second week was plagued with sickness from me. I caught that stupid cough that everyone I know has had this fall.

Literature and Poetry

Arthur is primarily using Hearth and Story G6 for his language arts this year. While I love H&S, there’s never enough literature in there. Thankfully we have a stack of books just waiting to be picked up and read. Beyond H&S, we are focusing on expanding vocabulary and reading comprehension this year. We finished our current read aloud and stated on some spooky reads for the month.

• Poetry: Hearth & Story G6

• Poetry: A Child’s Introduction to Poetry by Michael Driscoll

• The Vocabulary Workbook for 6th Grade by Kelly Anne McLellan

• The Story Collector by Kristin O’Donnell Tubb

• The Legend of Sleepy Hollow and Other Stories by Washington Irving

Quentin is primarily using Blossom & Root G3 for his language arts this year. We will pull some elements from Build Your Library Level 3 and random books that we have around the house. We are also starting the Reading Explorer series to focus on reading comprehension and word choice. We finished one of my favorite reads.

• Poetry: National Geography Book of Nature Poetry

• Howl’s Moving Castle by Diana Wynne Jones

• In the Beginning: Creation Stories from Around the World by Virginia Hamilton

Math

Arthur is using Singapore’s Math in Focus Course 2. Effectively this is Singapore’s 7th grade math text. We covered a chapter about algebraic expressions. We don’t have formal logic book this year, but are focusing on lots of critical thinking and math puzzles.

• Math in Focus Course 2 Book A

Quentin is using Singapore’s Primary Mathematics Common Core edition 3B and 4A. We finished up our logic book before moving to more complicated puzzles. We started and finished our next chapter about money and followed up with some practice and review.

• Primarily Logic

• Singapore Primary Common Core 3B

Social Studies

Arthur is using Curiosity Chronicles Modern History Vol. 1. Unfortunately CC only has volume 1 published so far. This will take us to Christmas break. If they don’t release volume 2 by then, I’m going to have to do it myself. We covered Modernization in East Asia focusing on Japan and China.

• Curiosity Chronicles Modern History Vol. 1

• DK History

• DK Timelines of Everything

• DK Timelines of Everyone

• DK A Child Through Time

• A Journey Through Art

Quentin is using Build Your Library Level 5 to begin our two year exploration of American History. We dove into the European colonization of North America.

• History Quest United States History

• DK When on Earth?

• DK History

• DK Timelines of Everything

• DK Timelines of Everyone

• DK A Child Through Time

• An Indigenous Peoples’ History of the United States for Young People by Roxanne Dunbar-Ortiz

• Turtle Island: The Story of North America’s First People by Eldon Yellowhorn and Kathy Lowinger

• What the Eagle Sees: Indigenous Stories of Rebellion and Renewal by Eldon Yellowhorn and Kathy Lowinger

• DK American History

Science

Arthur is using RSO Earth and Environment 2 and later RSO Astronomy 2 for science. Instead of focusing on Earth Science, we shifted to preparation for Physics in Academic Co-op.

• RSO Earth and Environment 2 (August-November; March-May)

• RSO Astronomy 2 (November-March)

• DK Eyewitness Energy

Quentin is using RSO Physics 1. We took a break from Physics to continue reading our Story of Science chapters. These chapters focused on discoveries of the Greeks. We also watch the two part documentary A to Z about the beginning of alphabets and writings.

• RSO Physics 1

• The Story of Science Vol. 1 by Joy Hakim

• Physics: Investigate the Mechanics of Nature by Jane Gardner

• Physics for Curious Kids Introduction

• The Way Things Work Now

Enrichment STEAM Co-op /Academic Co-op

We officially finished the 2025 of Enrichment Co-op with a light week exploring math and art. This past week we jumped right into the Academic Co-op. We had a few hiccups (mostly technology), but that’s to be expected. Beyond that, we really did have a great week. Here’s to having eight more great weeks of learning.

Art and Music

We are doing something a little different this year. Instead of trying to do music and art every week, we will be trading off. I realized last year these subjects were always the first to be cut when we had time constraints. We covered our next composer and the classical era by focusing on Wolfgang Amadeus Mozart.

• DK Music and How it Works

• DK The Arts

• Why is Art Full of Naked People? by Susie Hodge

• The Story of the Incredible Orchestra by Bruce Koscielniak

• Mozart Finds a Melody by Stephen Costanza

• Mozart: The Wonder Child by Diane Stanely

• Great Lives in Graphics: Mozart

• Welcome to the Opera by Carolyn Sloan

Field Trip/Activities

We went to Vala’s for our weekly visit, but had to skip this past week because I was sick.

High

We managed to get a ton of school done in between activities and sickness.

Low

On Tuesday two weeks ago, we got a flat tire coming home from school pictures. We ended up waiting four hours for roadside assistance wiping out our entire afternoon’s plans. Taking care of getting a new tire bled into Wednesday morning disrupted our day’s plan. Overall, my entire week was derailed trying to take care of car crap.

Next Week

• Starting our new read alouds

• Moving forward with our math chapters

• Learning about the New England and Atlantic English colonies (Q) and Colonization in Southeast Asia (A) for history

• Covering erosion and weather (A) and motion (Q) for science

• Going to Academic Co-op for Week 2 — Arthur’s class is covering prehistoric Nebraska for my class

• Visiting Vala’s

Next up on the TBR pile:

Currently #16

Reading: After hearing about it from retreat friends, I picked up Heartless Hunter by Kristen Ciccarelli. It’s a whole fantasy enemies-to-lovers YA story. Not my absolute favorite, but I’m interested to see where this goes.

Watching: J and I started Slow Horses S5. It’s such a well-done spy thriller show.

Listening: For whatever reason, I’ve been putting my entire Apple Music collection on shuffle. I have very eclectic tastes in music.

Making: My brain is getting cluttered again with all the to-dos, so I’ve been making lists. Homeschool lists, life lists, projects lists, household lists, etc. All the lists!

Feeling: Sick. I caught a cold this past week and it was resulted in a nasty cough. Hoping it clears up soon. We have things to do!

Planning: The boys’ birthday party is coming in less than two weeks. I have a rough outline of what we’re doing (video game tournament) but need to make all the definite plans.

Loving: Being sick, I’m loving getting some decent sleep. Seriously loving my bed right now.

Next up on the TBR pile:

Homeschool W7: Two Weeks of Pushing Through

What We Studied

We’ve actually had our first Flex Week and a regular week these two past weeks. Our Flex Weeks are unplanned curriculum weeks that we can use to catch up with anything we got behind in and/or give us a break. We also had two weeks of activities and errands.

Literature and Poetry

Arthur is primarily using Hearth and Story G6 for his language arts this year. While I love H&S, there’s never enough literature in there. Thankfully we have a stack of books just waiting to be picked up and read. Beyond H&S, we are focusing on expanding vocabulary and reading comprehension this year. We started our next read aloud, getting close to the end, but not quite finishing it. This is actually our co-op book club selection for September.

• Poetry: Hearth & Story G6

• Poetry: A Child’s Introduction to Poetry by Michael Driscoll

• The Vocabulary Workbook for 6th Grade by Kelly Anne McLellan

• The Story Collector by Kristin O’Donnell Tubb

Quentin is primarily using Blossom & Root G3 for his language arts this year. We will pull some elements from Build Your Library Level 3 and random books that we have around the house. We are also starting the Reading Explorer series to focus on reading comprehension and word choice. We started one of my favorite books getting about halfway through the book in these weeks. We should be able to finish next week without a big problem.

• Poetry: National Geography Book of Nature Poetry

• Howl’s Moving Castle by Diana Wynne Jones

• In the Beginning: Creation Stories from Around the World by Virginia Hamilton

Math

Arthur is using Singapore’s Math in Focus Course 2. Effectively this is Singapore’s 7th grade math text. We continued Chapter 2 focusing on integers. I think this book will force us to slow down a bit and take more time for mastery. We don’t have formal logic book this year, but are focusing on lots of critical thinking and math puzzles.

• Math in Focus Course 2 Book A

Quentin is using Singapore’s Primary Mathematics Common Core edition 3B and 4A. We finished up our logic book before moving to more complicated puzzles. We started our next chapter about money.

• Primarily Logic

• Singapore Primary Common Core 3B

Social Studies

Arthur is using Curiosity Chronicles Modern History Vol. 1. Unfortunately CC only has volume 1 published so far. This will take us to Christmas break. If they don’t release volume 2 by then, I’m going to have to do it myself. We covered two sections: one on Latin America and one on the failure of Reconstruction and end of slavery.

• Curiosity Chronicles Modern History Vol. 1

• DK History

• DK Timelines of Everything

• DK Timelines of Everyone

• DK A Child Through Time

• A Journey Through Art

Quentin is using Build Your Library Level 5 to begin our two year exploration of American History. We finished our study of indigenous cultures in North America. We also finished watching Native America S2. I really enjoyed the documentaries in the series.

• History Quest United States History

• DK When on Earth?

• DK History

• DK Timelines of Everything

• DK Timelines of Everyone

• DK A Child Through Time

• An Indigenous Peoples’ History of the United States for Young People by Roxanne Dunbar-Ortiz

• A Kid's Guide to Native American History by Yvonne Wakim Dennis and Arlene Hirschfelder

• The Earth Under Sky Bear's Feet: Native American Poems of the Land by Joseph Bruchac and Thomas Locker

• Turtle Island: The Story of North America’s First People by Eldon Yellowhorn and Kathy Lowinger

• What the Eagle Sees: Indigenous Stories of Rebellion and Renewal by Eldon Yellowhorn and Kathy Lowinger

• Native American Stories for Kids: 12 Traditional Stories from Indigenous Tribes Across North America by Tom Pecore Weso

• The Girl Who Helped Thunder and Other Native American Folktales by James and Joseph Bruchac

• Native Americans: A Visual Exploration SN Paleja

Science

Arthur is using RSO Earth and Environment 2 and later RSO Astronomy 2 for science. Arthur covered the chapter about absolute dating in geology. He also completed his first science test.

• RSO Earth and Environment 2 (August-November; March-May)

• RSO Astronomy 2 (November-March)

• DK Eyewitness Energy

Quentin is using RSO Physics 1. We covered the chapter about friction exploring some topics and terminology.

• RSO Physics 1

• The Story of Science Vol. 1 by Joy Hakim

• Physics: Investigate the Mechanics of Nature by Jane Gardner

• Physics for Curious Kids Introduction

• The Way Things Work Now

• Why Do Moving Objects Slow Down? A Look at Friction by Jennifer Boothroyd

• Energy by Andi Diehn

• Give It a Push! Give It a Pull! A Look at Forces by Jennifer Boothroyd

• All About Forces by Angela Royston

Enrichment STEAM Co-op

We’re so close to finishing Enrichment for the year. The boys had fun exploring geometry and art in these weeks. Only one more to go before we are done!

Art and Music

We are doing something a little different this year. Instead of trying to do music and art every week, we will be trading off. I realized last year these subjects were always the first to be cut when we had time constraints. We covered a short lesson about stick figures and realistic figures in art.

• DK Music and How it Works

• DK The Arts

• Why is Art Full of Naked People? by Susie Hodge

• The Story of the Incredible Orchestra by Bruce Koscielniak

Field Trip/Activities

We visited Vala’s multiple times these past weeks. .

High

Um… Vala’s I guess. I do love going there in the fall.

Low

Changes in Nick’s work schedule caused changes in my activity schedule interrupting our plans. Oh well. Sometimes things do not go as planned.

Next Week

• Finishing our read aloud and possibly starting new ones

• Moving forward with our math chapters

• Learning about the European invasion of North America (Q) and the Reservation System (A) for history

• Covering erosion and weather (A) and motion (Q) for science

• Prepping for Physics with Academic Co-op (A)

• Listening to Mozart

• Visiting Vala’s and the Zoo

• Getting school pictures taken for the year!

• Attending the last week of Enrichment Co-op for 2025!

Next up on the TBR pile:

Odds and Ends

Here's my randomness for the week:

• Stormy weather has thankfully broken the high temps. I am much more comfortable now.

• I think my reading mojo is back. I have blown through multiple books this week, even while still reading fan fiction. I’m so excited! I might actually get to 230 books this year.

• All my dinner recipes have celebrated fall flavors. I cannot get enough of fall!

• I should really pull out my fall home decor. I pulled the bins, but did nothing with them last weekend.

Next up on the TBR pile:

Homeschool W6: Sickness Ugh!

What We Studied

Sickness derailed our activities plans, but it did allow for us to get a ton of school work done. This leaves us with more time for activities in the next few weeks.

Literature and Poetry

Arthur is primarily using Hearth and Story G6 for his language arts this year. While I love H&S, there’s never enough literature in there. Thankfully we have a stack of books just waiting to be picked up and read. Beyond H&S, we are focusing on expanding vocabulary and reading comprehension this year. We finished our read aloud. Arthur enjoyed it even with the 19th century language. .

• Poetry: Hearth & Story G6

• Poetry: A Child’s Introduction to Poetry by Michael Driscoll

• The Vocabulary Workbook for 6th Grade by Kelly Anne McLellan

• Around the World in Eighty Days by Jules Verne

Quentin is primarily using Blossom & Root G3 for his language arts this year. We will pull some elements from Build Your Library Level 3 and random books that we have around the house. We are also starting the Reading Explorer series to focus on reading comprehension and word choice. Quentin finished his read aloud, loving every page of it. We’ll have to work in the last book in the series at some point this year.

• Poetry: National Geography Book of Nature Poetry

• The Wild Robot Escapes by Peter Brown

• In the Beginning: Creation Stories from Around the World by Virginia Hamilton

Math

Arthur is using Singapore’s Math in Focus Course 2. Effectively this is Singapore’s 7th grade math text. We continued Chapter 2 focusing on integers. I think this book will force us to slow down a bit and take more time for mastery. We don’t have formal logic book this year, but are focusing on lots of critical thinking and math puzzles.

• Math in Focus Court 2 Book A

Quentin is using Singapore’s Primary Mathematics Common Core edition 3B and 4A. We also are finishing up our logic book before moving to more complicated puzzles. We finished a chapter about Capacity.

• Primarily Logic

• Singapore Primary Common Core 3B

Social Studies

Arthur is using Curiosity Chronicles Modern History Vol. 1. Unfortunately CC only has volume 1 published so far. This will take us to Christmas break. If they don’t release volume 2 by then, I’m going to have to do it myself. We covered two sections: one on European Nationalism and one on Slavery and the American Civil War. We are officially caught back up to where I thought we would be when I planned the year back in July.

• Curiosity Chronicles Modern History Vol. 1

• DK History

• DK Timelines of Everything

• DK Timelines of Everyone

• DK A Child Through Time

• A Journey Through Art

• Stories of the Spirit of Justice by Jemar Tisby

• Louisa May's Battle: How the Civil War Led to Little Woman by Kathleen Krull

• To the Front!: Clara Barton Braves the Battle of Antietam by Claudia Friddell

• Stitch by Stitch: Elizabeth Hobbs Keckly Sews Her Way to Freedom by Connie Schofield-Morrison

Quentin is using Build Your Library Level 5 to begin our two year exploration of American History. We covered the indigenous peoples of the Northeast. We will stay with indigenous peoples for the first six weeks or so. In fact, we wrapped up our big unit this week. After we com back from our Flex Week, we will be diving into the European invasion of North America. We also continued watching the documentary series Native America. We have two episodes left that we will hopefully watch next week.

• History Quest United States History

• DK When on Earth?

• DK History

• DK Timelines of Everything

• DK Timelines of Everyone

• DK A Child Through Time

• An Indigenous Peoples’ History of the United States for Young People by Roxanne Dunbar-Ortiz

• A Kid's Guide to Native American History by Yvonne Wakim Dennis and Arlene Hirschfelder

• The Earth Under Sky Bear's Feet: Native American Poems of the Land by Joseph Bruchac and Thomas Locker

• Turtle Island: The Story of North America’s First People by Eldon Yellowhorn and Kathy Lowinger

• What the Eagle Sees: Indigenous Stories of Rebellion and Renewal by Eldon Yellowhorn and Kathy Lowinger

• Native American Stories for Kids: 12 Traditional Stories from Indigenous Tribes Across North America by Tom Pecore Weso

• The Girl Who Helped Thunder and Other Native American Folktales by James and Joseph Bruchac

• Native Americans: A Visual Exploration SN Paleja

Science

Arthur is using RSO Earth and Environment 2 and later RSO Astronomy 2 for science. Arthur covered the chapter on sedimentary rocks with a focus on fossil fuels. While much of it was review, we did go deeper in how fossil fuels were formed. And we covered a chapter about relative dating in geology focusing on big concepts. My favorite part was the Famous Science Series on Yellowstone. We also watched a documentary: Inside Planet Earth.

• RSO Earth and Environment 2 (August-November; March-May)

• RSO Astronomy 2 (November-March)

• DK Eyewitness Energy

• The Sun and Renewable Energy by Kaitlyn Duling

• Making Cities Green by Jeanette Leardi

• All About Green Tech by Clara MacCarald

• Volcano Dreams: A Story of Yellowstone by Janet Fox

• Welcome to Yellowstone National Park by Teri and Bob Temple

• A Weird and Wild Beauty: The Story of Yellowstone, the World's First National Park by Erin Peabody

• Yellowstone National Park by Chris Bowman

• Earth's Incredible Places: Yellowstone by Catherine Ard

Quentin is using RSO Physics 1. Well, that is our plan, but I’m waiting on the plans for Academic Co-op to be solidified before I start. There’s a possibility that the younger kid class (if we get the second classroom) will be doing Physics in a collective fashion. We covered Newton’s Laws of Motion this week. Taking baby steps through this curriculum.

• RSO Physics 1

• The Story of Science Vol. 1 by Joy Hakim

• Physics: Investigate the Mechanics of Nature by Jane Gardner

• Physics for Curious Kids Introduction

• Understanding Newton's Laws of Motion by Barbara Martina Linde

Enrichment STEAM Co-op

We’ve entered into the last four weeks of Co-op which means the lessons are focused on math and art concepts. Arthur’s class covered fractals and Sierpinski triangles. Quentin’s class covered Seurat and dot paining.

Art and Music

We are doing something a little different this year. Instead of trying to do music and art every week, we will be trading off. I realized last year these subjects were always the first to be cut when we had time constraints. As we are ahead, we did not do art or music this week.

• DK Music and How it Works

• DK The Arts

• The Story of the Incredible Orchestra by Bruce Koscielniak

Field Trip/Activities

All of our activities were canceled due to sickness.

High

We managed to get a ton of schoolwork down. That’s my win this week.

Low

Sickness really puts a damper on our flow.

Next Week

• Next week is our first Flex Week. We will hopefully catch up on science, ELA, and math before starting out next section.

Next up on the TBR pile:

Odds and Ends

Here's my randomness for the week:

• Feeling better today, but yesterday was rough. No idea what I had, but I could hardly function.

• Entering into the last four weeks of Enrichment Co-op. And I’m still feeling a bit stressed about the lack of communication from some families.

• I should start working on my Academic Co-op lessons on Regional History. But first, we need to finalize which families are actually in.

Next up on the TBR pile:

Homeschool W5: A lighter, but productive week

What We Studied

In terms of bookwork, we had a lighter week. Activities got in the way a bit, but we still managed to accomplish most of what I had planned. We are still figuring out our ebb and flow, but I’m always excited when we knock out our core subjects and still have fun with friends.

Literature and Poetry

Arthur is primarily using Hearth and Story G6 for his language arts this year. While I love H&S, there’s never enough literature in there. Thankfully we have a stack of books just waiting to be picked up and read. Beyond H&S, we are focusing on expanding vocabulary and reading comprehension this year. We are still working on our way through a 19th-Century class. Getting close to the end, but we didn’t quite finish it this week.

• Poetry: Hearth & Story G6

• Poetry: A Child’s Introduction to Poetry by Michael Driscoll

• The Vocabulary Workbook for 6th Grade by Kelly Anne McLellan

• Around the World in Eighty Days by Jules Verne

Quentin is primarily using Blossom & Root G3 for his language arts this year. We will pull some elements from Build Your Library Level 3 and random books that we have around the house. We are also starting the Reading Explorer series to focus on reading comprehension and word choice. Quentin dove into The Wild Robot Escapes after loving the first book two years ago. We’re about halfway through the book.

• Poetry: National Geography Book of Nature Poetry

• The Wild Robot Escapes by Peter Brown

• In the Beginning: Creation Stories from Around the World by Virginia Hamilton

Math

Arthur is using Singapore’s Math in Focus Course 2. Effectively this is Singapore’s 7th grade math text. We continued Chapter 2 focusing on integers. I think this book will force us to slow down a bit and take more time for mastery. We don’t have formal logic book this year, but are focusing on lots of critical thinking and math puzzles.

• Math in Focus Court 2 Book A

Quentin is using Singapore’s Primary Mathematics Common Core edition 3B and 4A. We also are finishing up our logic book before moving to more complicated puzzles. We moved onto a chapter about Capacity while also finishing our Alice in Numberland book.

• Primarily Logic

• Singapore Primary Common Core 3B

• Alice in Cumberland

Social Studies

Arthur is using Curiosity Chronicles Modern History Vol. 1. Unfortunately CC only has volume 1 published so far. This will take us to Christmas break. If they don’t release volume 2 by then, I’m going to have to do it myself. Our current section really moved into discussing the effects of the British Empire. We covered a chapter about British control of Canada and South Africa.

• Curiosity Chronicles Modern History Vol. 1

• DK History

• DK Timelines of Everything

• DK Timelines of Everyone

• DK A Child Through Time

• A Journey Through Art

• The British Empire by Ellis Roxburgh

Quentin is using Build Your Library Level 5 to begin our two year exploration of American History. We covered the indigenous peoples of the Northeast. We will stay with indigenous peoples for the first six weeks or so. We also continued watching the documentary series Native America. I love how we get to hear about the history of various Indigenous cultures and then see how they are still living today. It’s so well done! And in between the years, a second season was released. I cannot wait to rewatch Season 1 and move onto Season 2. This past week we explored more regions. Getting close to finishing this big unit.

• History Quest United States History

• DK When on Earth?

• DK History

• DK Timelines of Everything

• DK Timelines of Everyone

• DK A Child Through Time

• An Indigenous Peoples’ History of the United States for Young People by Roxanne Dunbar-Ortiz

• A Kid's Guide to Native American History by Yvonne Wakim Dennis and Arlene Hirschfelder

• The Earth Under Sky Bear's Feet: Native American Poems of the Land by Joseph Bruchac and Thomas Locker

• Turtle Island: The Story of North America’s First People by Eldon Yellowhorn and Kathy Lowinger

• What the Eagle Sees: Indigenous Stories of Rebellion and Renewal by Eldon Yellowhorn and Kathy Lowinger

• Native American Stories for Kids: 12 Traditional Stories from Indigenous Tribes Across North America by Tom Pecore Weso

• The Girl Who Helped Thunder and Other Native American Folktales by James and Joseph Bruchac

• Native Americans: A Visual Exploration SN Paleja

Science

Arthur is using RSO Earth and Environment 2 and later RSO Astronomy 2 for science. We ended up pushing science this week. That’s okay, we’re catch back up soon enough.

• RSO Earth and Environment 2 (August-November; March-May)

• RSO Astronomy 2 (November-March)

Quentin is using RSO Physics 1. Well, that is our plan, but I’m waiting on the plans for Academic Co-op to be solidified before I start. There’s a possibility that the younger kid class (if we get the second classroom) will be doing Physics in a collective fashion. We pivoted to our Story of Science and read about calendars, Ionia, and some famous early scientists.

• RSO Physics 1

• The Story of Science Vol. 1 by Joy Hakim

• Physics: Investigate the Mechanics of Nature by Jane Gardner

• Physics for Curious Kids Introduction

Enrichment STEAM Co-op

This week was a break week for Labor Day.

Art and Music

We are doing something a little different this year. Instead of trying to do music and art every week, we will be trading off. I realized last year these subjects were always the first to be cut when we had time constraints. We moved back to music and covered Bach, one of my absolute favorites. I had planned on finishing half the lesson this week and half next week, but we got so into it that we finished it all. Works for me!

• DK Music and How it Works

• DK The Arts

• The Story of the Incredible Orchestra by Bruce Koscielniak

Field Trip/Activities

We spent Wednesday morning exploring the zoo. We got to see a ton of animals and hang out with some friends. We had a lovely time and it wasn’t too hot (bonus!).

High

We managed to squeeze in multiple friend activities this week. Q had a friend over for playdate on Tuesday (long time coming). Both boys went to a friend’s birthday party on Thursday (rescheduled due to prior illness). And we all went to Vala’s on Friday. We had planned to just stay 1pm-6pm as that was when Nick was working, but ended up closing down the park at 10pm. A friend and her kids join us for dinner and evening fun. Everyone was having so much fun that we just rolled with the night. It was so lovely!

Low

Nothing. I think this week was great!

Next Week

• Finishing our classic (A)

• (Maybe) finishing our current read aloud (Q)

• Learning about European Nationalism (A) and finishing with Native Nations (Q) for history

• Exploring Newton’s Laws of Motion (Q) and climate change (A) for science

• Learning about art at the Joslyn

• Taking a road trip to Beatrice for the Homestead National Monument

Next up on the TBR pile:

Currently #14

Reading: I randomly picked up Of Monsters and Mainframes by Barbara truelove off of my Unread Shelf. And I must say that it is a delight. It’s a strange mix of fantasy, science fiction, and horror that is definitely my sweet spot.

Watching: We’ve entered into spooky movie month. We started of the month with some Japanese horror and the moved to French surrealism last night. I have a list of almost 50 potential movies to watch through October.

Listening: Absolutely obsessed with the new Stray Kids album Karma. I’ve had it on mandatory daily listening since it dropped. There’s not a single track that I skip. But I must say that “Ghost” is my favorite followed by “Half-Time.”

Making: I had a meal plan for September and then the month started. Things went a little off track and we’re just two days into the month. I need to make a more realistic meal plan to not waste money on food that will go bad before we eat it.

Feeling: Spooky Season and Fall have started and I’m so excited. This is definitely my favorite season of the year. I cannot wait for all the fall activities and flavors.

Planning: I did a big calendar update task this weekend and added some potential Vala’s visit dates. I’m so excited to go to my happy place soon. We may actually on on Friday.

Loving: The weather has turned cooler and rainy this weekend. I am loving the cooler temperatures. 60s to low 80s is my sweet spot. Temperatures in the 90s are just terrible.

Next up on the TBR pile:

Homeschool W4: Our groove is back!

What We Studied

Four weeks in and I feel like we are finally in the groove. I’m still a bit frustrated about some attitudes, but we got through a ton of curriculum. And we still managed to take our time and make time for friends and activities.

Literature and Poetry

Arthur is primarily using Hearth and Story G6 for his language arts this year. While I love H&S, there’s never enough literature in there. Thankfully we have a stack of books just waiting to be picked up and read. Beyond H&S, we are focusing on expanding vocabulary and reading comprehension this year. I thought I had bought the first Hearth and Story literature selection, but could not find it anywhere… Very annoying. More annoying considering the local library does not have a copy. So, I had to pivot to something else. I latched onto picking up a classic written in the late 1800s to coincide with our history lessons.

• Poetry: Hearth & Story G6

• Poetry: A Child’s Introduction to Poetry by Michael Driscoll

• The Vocabulary Workbook for 6th Grade by Kelly Anne McLellan

• Around the World in Eighty Days by Jules Verne

Quentin is primarily using Blossom & Root G3 for his language arts this year. We will pull some elements from Build Your Library Level 3 and random books that we have around the house. We are also starting the Reading Explorer series to focus on reading comprehension and word choice. We finished our reading of the Alice books.

• Poetry: National Geography Book of Nature Poetry

• Through the Looking Glass and What Alice Found There by Lewis Carroll

• In the Beginning: Creation Stories from Around the World by Virginia Hamilton

Math

Arthur is using Singapore’s Math in Focus Course 2. Effectively this is Singapore’s 7th grade math text. We started onto Chapter 2 focusing on integers. I think this book will force us to slow down a bit and take more time for mastery. We don’t have formal logic book this year, but are focusing on lots of critical thinking and math puzzles.

• Math in Focus Court 2 Book A

Quentin is using Singapore’s Primary Mathematics Common Core edition 3B and 4A. We also are finishing up our logic book before moving to more complicated puzzles. We continued with our chapter about mass and weight; not quite finishing it.

• Primarily Logic

• Singapore Primary Common Core 3B

• Weight by Julie Murray**

• How Heavy? Wacky Ways to Compare Weight by Mark Weakland**

Social Studies

Arthur is using Curiosity Chronicles Modern History Vol. 1. Unfortunately CC only has volume 1 published so far. This will take us to Christmas break. If they don’t release volume 2 by then, I’m going to have to do it myself. Our next section really moved into discussing the effects of the British Empire. We covered a chapter about India and a chapter about Australia and New Zealand.

• Curiosity Chronicles Modern History Vol. 1

• DK History

• DK Timelines of Everything

• DK Timelines of Everyone

• DK A Child Through Time

• A Journey Through Art

• The British Empire by Ellis Roxburgh

Quentin is using Build Your Library Level 5 to begin our two year exploration of American History. We covered the indigenous peoples of the Northeast. We will stay with indigenous peoples for the first six weeks or so. We also continued watching the documentary series Native America. I love how we get to hear about the history of various Indigenous cultures and then see how they are still living today. It’s so well done! And in between the years, a second season was released. I cannot wait to rewatch Season 1 and move onto Season 2.

• History Quest United States History

• DK When on Earth?

• DK History

• DK Timelines of Everything

• DK Timelines of Everyone

• DK A Child Through Time

• An Indigenous Peoples’ History of the United States for Young People by Roxanne Dunbar-Ortiz

• A Kid's Guide to Native American History by Yvonne Wakim Dennis and Arlene Hirschfelder

• The Earth Under Sky Bear's Feet: Native American Poems of the Land by Joseph Bruchac and Thomas Locker

• Turtle Island: The Story of North America’s First People by Eldon Yellowhorn and Kathy Lowinger

• What the Eagle Sees: Indigenous Stories of Rebellion and Renewal by Eldon Yellowhorn and Kathy Lowinger

• Native American Stories for Kids: 12 Traditional Stories from Indigenous Tribes Across North America by Tom Pecore Weso

• The Girl Who Helped Thunder and Other Native American Folktales by James and Joseph Bruchac

• Native Americans: A Visual Exploration SN Paleja

• Shawnee by Sara Tieck

• The Story of Jumping Mouse by Amanda St. John

• Brave Wolf and the Thunderbird by Joe Medicine Crow

Science

Arthur is using RSO Earth and Environment 2 and later RSO Astronomy 2 for science. The next chapter moved onto rocks and the rock cycle. It was mostly review for us, but a good review. Our Famous Science Series covered Uluru which connected nicely to our history chapters. We also watched a great documentary about caves from NOVA. Fascinating discussion about cave formations.

• RSO Earth and Environment 2 (August-November; March-May)

• RSO Astronomy 2 (November-March)

• DK Eyewitness Rocks and Minerals

• Science Comics: Rocks and Minerals by Andy Hirsch

• Nat Geo Kids Weird But True: Rocks and Minerals by Michael Burgan

• DK Nature Guide: Rocks and Minerals

• Stories in Stone by Kevin Cuff

• Sedimentary Rocks and the Rock Cycle by Joanne Mattern

• Metamorphic Rocks and the Rock Cycle by Joanne Mattern

• Igneous Rocks and the Rock Cycle by Joanne Mattern

Quentin is using RSO Physics 1. Well, that is our plan, but I’m waiting on the plans for Academic Co-op to be solidified before I start. There’s a possibility that the younger kid class (if we get the second classroom) will be doing Physics in a collective fashion. We covered a short section in RSO about matter, density, and water displacement.

• RSO Physics 1

• The Story of Science Vol. 1 by Joy Hakim

• Physics: Investigate the Mechanics of Nature by Jane Gardner

• Physics for Curious Kids Introduction

Enrichment STEAM Co-op

Arthur covered his last week about knots. Overall, his class was not locked into the lesson and gave the teacher way too much sass this week. Quentin covered homemade rockets, but noped out halfway through. Neither kid was into co-op this week.

Art and Music

We are doing something a little different this year. Instead of trying to do music and art every week, we will be trading off. I realized last year these subjects were always the first to be cut when we had time constraints. We talked about Islamic Art and geometry. I love the styling and variety.

• DK Music and How it Works

• DK The Arts

• The Story of the Incredible Orchestra by Bruce Koscielniak

Field Trip/Activities

We planned a nature hike to Platte River State Park for a trip to the waterfall. Unfortunately, the waterfall trailhead was closed and the other trails are more complicated to reach the waterfall easily. We waited for the attendees to arrive, but they all ghosted us. So we picked a few random trails to follow for a bit and then visited the pond before going home.

High

We covered a good chunk of curriculum during ur home days.

Low

Being ghosted at events is a terrible feeling. I hate it. The boys hate it because they are waiting for friends to come and play. It’s a longly feeling.

Next Week

• Continuing our classic (A)

• Starting a new read aloud (Q)

• Learning about British Empire (A) and continuing with Native Nations (Q)

• Listening to Bach

• Exploring Newton’s Laws of Motion (Q) and Sedimentary Rocks (A) for science

• Spending more time at home

Next up on the TBR pile: