Currently #4

Reading: I’m halfway through Mary Roach’s Gulp all about the alimentary canal. I love her dry wit while sharing so much science.

Watching: As we finished Andor S2, we finally started Fallout S2. Love the ridiculousness of this series!

Listening: ATEEZ’s new album has been on repeat lately. At first I wasn’t so excited by “NASA,” but it’s really grown on me. I still like my favorite is “Adrenaline” followed by “Ghost.”

Making: February I was all over the place when it came to the books I wanted to read. I want to go into March with a better plan. I am working on a short list of library books and unread shelf books that I want to read.

Feeling: The last two weeks have been full of pain as I battled a (maybe) kidney infection. Thankfully I am feeling a lot better this week.

Planning: I’m working on our list of March social activities. I want to add a few nature walks and maybe a Lincoln based excursion for the month ahead.

Loving: Despite my illness and the myriad of house tasks and activities, I have managed to fit in a decent amount of reading time lately. It’s so nice to get back into reading even its it’s still less than last year.

Next up on the TBR pile:

Homeschool W24: Change of Plans

What We Studied

We started off the week thinking that it would be a normal week of a park playdate, dentist appointment for me, academic co-op, and a parent info meeting. Most of those plans got interrupted. I can down with a kidney infection that required a trip to urgent care. Co-op was cancelled due to the threat of weather that decided to actually hold off until way after co-op would have let out. And my parent info meeting was cancelled as the only RSVP didn’t want to drive in the aftermath of the storm. (It wasn’t bad, but whatever.) All this meant that we simultaneously got a ton of work done and not enough. It was a strange 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. Arthur officially switched to the graphic novel version of Watership Down. He and I started reading a different read aloud. But… I think this one might be a dud for us also.

• Poetry: Hearth & Story G6

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

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

• Watership Down by Richard Adams

• The Vanderbeekers of 141st Street by Karina Yan Glaser

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. Instead of starting a new read aloud, Q and I focused on his religion book this week. He also independently read a graphic novel.

• Poetry: My America

• One World, Many Religions by Mary Pope Osborne

• El Deafo by Cece Bell

Math

Arthur is using Singapore’s Math in Focus Course 2. Effectively this is Singapore’s 7th grade math text. We dove into the second book for the year. We moved onto geometric shapes. Currently into surface area and volume of a variety of 3D shapes. 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 B

Quentin is using Singapore’s Primary Mathematics Common Core edition 3B and 4A. We are taking a bit of a break from our regular math books to dive into some financial literacy before we circle back. We finished the lessons in the Financial Literacy book. We are starting 4A next week.

• Logic Countdown

• Evan Moor Financial Literacy G3

Social Studies

Arthur was using Curiosity Chronicles Modern History Vol. 1. Unfortunately the company has yet to release the next volume. Instead, I decided to use Build Your Library L4 and Story of the World Vol. 4 to get us through Modern History. We covered multiple history chapters this week. We talked about the Easter Uprising in Ireland, Indiana Nationalism and Gandhi, the Peace of Versailles, the rise of Joseph Stalin, Egypt’s First King, and the rise of Mussolini.

• Story of the World Vol. 4

• DK History

• DK Timelines of Everything

• DK Timelines of Everyone

• DK A Child Through Time

• A Journey Through Art

• DK When on Earth

• Where Poppies Grow

• Smithsonian World War I Timeline by Pamela A Dell

• Living Through World War I by Nicola Barber

• DK Eyewitness World War I

• DK Find Out World War I

• World War I by Steven Otfinoski

• The War to End All Wars: World War I by Russell Freedman

• 1919: The Year that Changed America, by Martin W. Sandler

• Mohandas Gandhi: A Life of Integrity by Sheila Rivera

• DK Eyewitness: Gandhi

• A Taste of Freedom: Gandhi and the Great Salt March by Elizabeth Cody Kimmel

• Grandfather Gandhi by Arun Gandhi and Bethany Hegedus

• Woodrow Wilson: Twenty-Eighth President, by Mike Venezia

• Spanish Flu by Kenny Abdo

• More Deadly Than War: The Hidden History of the Spanish Flu and the First World War, by Kenneth C. Davis (I actually read this one this week)

• Joseph Stalin: A Wicked History, by Sean McCollum (

Quentin is using Build Your Library Level 5 to begin our two year exploration of American History. We managed to catch back up a bit with lessons about the presidencies of Madison, Monroe, Adams. Jackson, and Van Buren. We covered the War of 1812. And we also talked about the Trail of Tears.

• 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

• The White House is Burning by Jane Sutcliffe

• Long May She Wave: The True Story of Caroline Pickersgill and Her Star-Spangled Creation by Kristen Fulton

• Our Flag was Still There: The True Story of Mary Pickersgill and the Star-Spangled Banner by Jessie Hartland

• The Star-Spangled Banner by Peter Spier

• The National Anthem by Elaine Landau

• James Monroe by Mike Venezia

• Cobblestone: John Quincy Adams

• Cobblestone: James Monroe

• Priscilla and the Hollyhocks by Anne Broyles

Science

Arthur is using RSO Earth and Environment 2 and later RSO Astronomy 2 for science. We are taking a break from Earth and Environment to start Astronomy 2. No astronomy lesson this week. Arthur did his prep for academic co-op, but that was cancelled. No idea what the schedule looks like now.

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

• RSO Astronomy 2 (January-March)

• Astrophysics for Young People by Neil DeGrasse Tyson

• DK Timelines of Nature

• DK Space

• DK How Space Works

Quentin is using RSO Physics 1. We covered the chapter about magnets.

• RSO Physics 1

• Physics for Curious Kids Introduction

• The Way Things Work Now

Enrichment STEAM Co-op /Academic Co-op

Co-op was cancelled 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 got back into it and had two mini art lessons: one on storytelling in art and one of portrature.

• 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 had planned on a lovely park playdate on Monday afternoon when it was so warm. Unfortunately that got cut short by my medical needs.

High

Despite the problems, I am amazed at how much school work we actually got done!

Low

Going to urgent care and the subsequent nonsense was not fun.

Next Week

• Starting a new read aloud (Q) and continuing our current read aloud (A)

• Continuing with our math textbook (A) and starting 4A (Q)

• Learning about the 1920s-1930s (A) and slavery (Q) for history

• Covering our solar system (A) and atoms (Q) for science

• Week 7 of Academic Co-op!

Next up on the TBR pile:

Odds and Ends

Here's my randomness for the week:

Next up on the TBR pile:

Homeschool W22-23: Weirdly Abbreviated Weeks..

What We Studied

These past two weeks ended up being filled with activities. That meant that we didn’t get as much book work done. But I am glad that we could take advantage of the good weather and hagn out 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. Arthur start a classic, Watership Down, but hasn’t really been loving it. It is a long book. I picked up the graphic novel version this weekend from the library. We might switch to that that for him. And then move on with another read aloud selection. I must say that I am enjoying the story. I never actually read this book before now. I will probably continue independently.

• Poetry: Hearth & Story G6

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

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

• Watership Down by Richard Adams

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 dove into one of my favorite elementary school reads. I’m not sure that Quentin is really loving it, but I am definitely enjoying reading it again. We finished the book. I’m still not sure that Q really loved it, but he didn’t complain out loud so I’m taking the win.

• Poetry: My America

• One World, Many Religions by Mary Pope Osborne

• The Phantom Tollbooth by Norton Juster

Math

Arthur is using Singapore’s Math in Focus Course 2. Effectively this is Singapore’s 7th grade math text. We dove into the second book for the year. We moved onto geometric shapes. This chapter is a lot of review but good review. 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 B

Quentin is using Singapore’s Primary Mathematics Common Core edition 3B and 4A. We are taking a bit of a break from our regular math books to dive into some financial literacy before we circle back. We only have one more week in the Financial Literacy book and then we are starting 4A.

• Logic Countdown

• Evan Moor Financial Literacy G3

Social Studies

Arthur was using Curiosity Chronicles Modern History Vol. 1. Unfortunately the company has yet to release the next volume. Instead, I decided to use Build Your Library L4 and Story of the World Vol. 4 to get us through Modern History. Arthur finished the major sections on World War I. We still have the Treaty of Versailles to cover next week, but before that, we have Indian and Irish Nationalism to cover.

• Story of the World Vol. 4

• DK History

• DK Timelines of Everything

• DK Timelines of Everyone

• DK A Child Through Time

• A Journey Through Art

• DK When on Earth

• Where Poppies Grow

• Smithsonian World War I Timeline by Pamela A Dell

• Living Through World War I by Nicola Barber

• DK Eyewitness World War I

• DK Find Out World War I

• World War I by Steven Otfinoski

• The War to End All Wars: World War I by Russell Freedman

• 1919: The Year that Changed America, by Martin W. Sandler

Quentin is using Build Your Library Level 5 to begin our two year exploration of American History. No history for Q these weeks. We just couldn’t fit it in.

• 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

Science

Arthur is using RSO Earth and Environment 2 and later RSO Astronomy 2 for science. We are taking a break from Earth and Environment to start Astronomy 2. We covered planetary motion. Not a big week for astronomy, but we managed at least one chapter. We also kept up with our physics prep for co-op.

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

• RSO Astronomy 2 (January-March)

• Astrophysics for Young People by Neil DeGrasse Tyson

• DK Timelines of Nature

• DK Space

• Recentering the Universe: The Radical Theories of Copernicus, Kepler, Galileo, and Newton by Ron Miller

• DK How Space Works

Quentin is using RSO Physics 1. We finished the Story of Science Vol. 1 this week. Next week we will be doing some review and packets before jumping back into Physics.

• 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’ve fully settled into our new rooms at the college. I am liking them so much better than the basement rooms. I think all the classes went really well. Looking forward to our last four weeks.

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 didn’t have any music or art 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

• DK Art and How it Works

• 13 Art Techniques Children Should Know

• The Story of Paintings

Field Trip/Activities

We had a few activities these two weeks including a random park playdate (it was almost 70 degrees), curriculum planning (more for me, but the boys hung out with their friends), Joslyn Art Explorers, Medieval Putt, Prehistoric Putt, and Lost in Fun. I wanted to use the rest of our Get Out Pass before it renewed on the 15th so we managed to sneak in a few more things.

High

Tuesday was the co-op’s annual Valentine’s Day exchange and bowling party. It went so much smoother than last year’s party. We really enjoyed ourselves this time!

Low

Sickness in the Academic Co-op made us rearrange some things. I also really feel bad for the sick families. They have missed so much and we only meet for 9 weeks.

Next Week

• Starting a new read aloud (Q) and switching to the graphic novel version of our read aloud (A)

• Continuing with our math textbook (A) and financial literacy (Q)

• Learning about Indian and Irish nationalism (A) and starting the War of 1812 (Q) for history

• Covering our solar system (A) and magnets (Q) for science

• Week 6 of Academic Co-op!

Next up on the TBR pile:

Currently #3

Reading: I picked up one of my Unread Shelf books, The Everlasting by Alix E. Harrow. I was super excited to get it from BOTM lsat October. Finally getting to reading this one.

Watching: I’m making my way through the first half of Bridgerton S4. I have one more episode left. Thankfully I only have to wait until the end of the month to get the second half.

Listening: ATEEZ’s new mini album dropped last Friday. Really digging the collection of five songs. They have been on repeat this weekend.

Making: Nothing too exciting, but I have been making more complete to-do lists. I feel like a brain dump was necessary to help me organize all the random tasks.

Feeling: It’s been a busy few weeks. I’m tired…

Planning: I’m working on our March activities idea post. What do we want to do in March beyond the regularly scheduled events?

Loving: I’ve spent a decent amount of time lately with friends and it was been delightful! I even got to spend some time with new friends. Feeling like I recharged!

Next up on the TBR pile:

Odds and Ends

Here's my randomness for the week:

• I have some ideas for activities during this Sunday’s Galentine’s Day party, but now I need to narrow things down.

• My current read started out really strong and then kinda faltered about 65% of the way through. Kinda disappointed…

• At least my chosen television shows this week were all good.

• The last two days my body has been angry. Really hoping this doesn’t turn into a common occurrence.

• Looking forward to some good food and friends tonight at a dining for all event.

Next up on the TBR pile:

Homeschool W21: So Much Curriculum

What We Studied

The weather was terrible, which meant that we spent most of the week at home. Plus we had a broken washer that I had to stay and wait on the repair man. This all translated to a lot of curriculum over the course of the 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 spent the week covering one Shakespeare’s plays, As You Like It. I didn’t want to bore Arthur, but we did cover the story, read some of the original text, and watched som performance bits. I even found a great video where the actors discuss how they want to play a scene and then try a few variations.

• Poetry: Hearth & Story G6

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

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

• As You Like It by William Shakespeare

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 dove into one of my favorite elementary school reads. I’m not sure that Quentin is really loving it, but I am definitely enjoying reading it again.

• Poetry: My America

• One World, Many Religions by Mary Pope Osborne

• The Phantom Tollbooth by Norton Juster

Math

Arthur is using Singapore’s Math in Focus Course 2. Effectively this is Singapore’s 7th grade math text. We dove into the second book for the year. We moved onto geometric shapes. This chapter is a lot of review but good review. 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 B

Quentin is using Singapore’s Primary Mathematics Common Core edition 3B and 4A. We are taking a bit of a break from our regular math books to dive into some financial literacy before we circle back. .

• Logic Countdown

• Evan Moor Financial Literacy G3

Social Studies

Arthur was using Curiosity Chronicles Modern History Vol. 1. Unfortunately the company has yet to release the next volume. Instead, I decided to use Build Your Library L4 and Story of the World Vol. 4 to get us through Modern History. We continued through the bulk of World War I and even took a side step to discuss the Russian Revolution. We should finish World War I next week.

• Story of the World Vol. 4

• DK History

• DK Timelines of Everything

• DK Timelines of Everyone

• DK A Child Through Time

• A Journey Through Art

• DK When on Earth

• Where Poppies Grow

• Smithsonian World War I Timeline by Pamela A Dell

• Living Through World War I by Nicola Barber

• DK Eyewitness World War I

• DK Find Out World War I

• World War I by Steven Otfinoski

• The War to End All Wars: World War I by Russell Freedman

• The Harlem Hellfighters by Walter Dean Myers

• The Harlem Hellfighters, by Max Brooks

• Knit Your Bit: A World War I Story by Deborah Hopkinson

Quentin is using Build Your Library Level 5 to begin our two year exploration of American History. Quentin covered John Adams and Thomas Jefferson along with the Corps of Discovery. He even watched a great documentary from National Geographic about the expedition.

• 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

• Which Way to the Wild West by Steve Sheinkin

• Lewis and Clark: A Prairie Dog for the President by Shirley Raye Redmond

• The Journey of York: The Unsung Hero of the Lewis and Clark Expedition by Hasan Davis

• Sacagawea by Christine Platt

Science

Arthur is using RSO Earth and Environment 2 and later RSO Astronomy 2 for science. We are taking a break from Earth and Environment to start Astronomy 2. This week we covered the Stars and related bodies. We also kept up with our physics prep for co-op.

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

• RSO Astronomy 2 (January-March)

• Astrophysics for Young People by Neil DeGrasse Tyson

• DK Timelines of Nature

• DK Space

• Fire of Stars: The Life and Brilliance of the Woman Who Discovered What Stars are Made Of by Kirsten W. Larson

Quentin is using RSO Physics 1. We finished the Story of Science Vol. 1 this week. Next week we will be doing some review and packets before jumping back into Physics.

• 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

After cancelling last week due to sickness, we finally got back into it this week. Unfortunately the college made a mistake and we had to switch rooms. Thankfully they had rooms. And these rooms are actually bigger and brighter! Once everyone got there, co-op went well!

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 didn’t have any music or art 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

• DK Art and How it Works

• 13 Art Techniques Children Should Know

• The Story of Paintings

Field Trip/Activities

No field trips or activities for us this week.

High

Not really homeschool related, but our washer got fixed. A working washer does let me focus on actually school stuff without anxiety.

Low

The weather really put a damper of life this week. Hoping for slightly warmer temps this week.

Next Week

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

• Continuing with our math textbook (A) and financial literacy (Q)

• Wrapping up World War I (A) and starting the War of 1812 (Q) for history

• Covering our solar system (A) and review (Q) for science

• Week 4 of Academic Co-op!

Next up on the TBR pile:

Odds and Ends

Here's my randomness for the week:

• We’re back from our three day trip to Great Wolf Lodge and I need a serious nap. Lots of fun with friends, but I am now exhausted.

• Speaking of friends, I’m meeting three other Stays on Sunday for dinner. Excited to chat with other Stray Kids fans over hot pot.

• Academic Co-op is currently in our second week of the semester. I think we are settling in nicely. Should be a good couple of weeks.

Next up on the TBR pile:

Homeschool W19-20: January Blues...

What We Studied

We managed to get two weeks of school in before taking a break to visit the Great Wolf Lodge with friends. I will admit that we were really dragging our feet at the beginning of this semester, but we’re getting back into it!

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. He started and finished our first read aloud of 2026. I enjoyed the fantastical take on Thailand and the story of resilience and understanding.

• Poetry: Hearth & Story G6

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

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

• A Wish in the Dark by Christina Soontornvat

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 and finished our first read aloud of 2026. I chose a historical fiction book to go along with our history study. .

• Poetry: My America

• One World, Many Religions by Mary Pope Osborne

• Fever 1793 by Laurie Halse Anderson

Math

Arthur is using Singapore’s Math in Focus Course 2. Effectively this is Singapore’s 7th grade math text. We dove into the second book for the year. The first chapter was all about angles. 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 B

Quentin is using Singapore’s Primary Mathematics Common Core edition 3B and 4A. We are taking a bit of a break from our regular math books to dive into some financial literacy before we circle back. .

• Logic Countdown

• Evan Moor Financial Literacy G3

Social Studies

Arthur was using Curiosity Chronicles Modern History Vol. 1. Unfortunately the company has yet to release the next volume. Instead, I decided to use Build Your Library L4 and Story of the World Vol. 4 to get us through Modern History. We dove into World War I these past two weeks.

• Story of the World Vol. 4

• DK History

• DK Timelines of Everything

• DK Timelines of Everyone

• DK A Child Through Time

• A Journey Through Art

• DK When on Earth

• World War I: Causes by Nathan Sacks

• Truce: The Day the Soldiers Stopped Fighting, by Jim Murphy

• Where Poppies Grow

• Life on the Western Front by Nick Hunter

• The Christmas Truce of 1914 by Tom Streissguth

• Smithsonian World War I Timeline by Pamela A Dell

• Living Through World War I by Nicola Barber

• DK Eyewitness World War I

• DK Find Out World War I

• World War I by Steven Otfinoski

• The War to End All Wars: World War I by Russell Freedman

Quentin is using Build Your Library Level 5 to begin our two year exploration of American History. We covered the Constitution and the Presidency of George Washington.

• 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

• A More Perfect Union: The Story of the Constitution by Betsy Maestro and Guilio Maestro

• The U.S. Constitution by Norman Pearl

• If You Were a Kid at the Signing of the Constitution by Janel Rodriguez

• Shhh! We're Writing the Constitution by Jean Fritz

• The Constitution of the United States by Christine Taylor-Butler

• Our Country’s Presidents

• Brick by Brick by Charles R. Smith Jr.

• George Washington by Mike Venezia

• George Washington: The First President by Sarah Albee

• George Washington's Spectacular Spectacles: The Glasses that Saved America by Selene Castrovilla

• Smart About the First Ladies by Jon Buller and Susan Schade - Martha Washington

• Don't Know Much About the Presidents by Kenneth C. Davis - Washington

Science

Arthur is using RSO Earth and Environment 2 and later RSO Astronomy 2 for science. We are taking a break from Earth and Environment to start Astronomy 2. We also kept up with our physics prep for co-op.

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

• RSO Astronomy 2 (January-March)

• A Hundred Billion Trillion Stars by Seth Fishman

• Star Stuff: Carl Sagan and the Mysteries of the Cosmos by Stephanie Roth Sisson

• Astrophysics for Young People by Neil DeGrasse Tyson

• DK Timelines of Nature

• Red Rover: Curiosity on Mars by Richard Ho

• Curiosity: The Story of a Mars Rover by Markus Motum

• DK Space

Quentin is using RSO Physics 1. We are taking a short break from Physics to focus on finishing 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 started back to our Academic Co-op this past week. Getting the room situation straightened out was a mess, but we made it. The classes for Week 1 went really well. Arthur has Physics 2, Hand Crafts and Art, and Wonders of the World. I’m teaching Wonders. Quentin has Wonders of the World, Gameschooling, and Independent Hour.

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 composers with Peter Ilyich Tchaikovsky and George Gershwin.

• 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

• George Gershwin by Mike Venezia

• The Music in George's Head: George Gerswhin Creates Rhapsody in Blue by Suzanne Slade

• Gershwin's Rhapsody in Blue by Anna Harwell Celenza

Field Trip/Activities

We had a lovely trip to the zoo with some friends. It’s always nice to go when it’s cold outside and less crowded.

We had another visit to the Joslyn Art Museum. While the boys were not that excited, I’m always excited to look at the art. It’s a lot of fun to be able to take the time and pick out a few pieces each visit to deep dive.

Quentin helped make dinner using his Christmas present

High

A few friends and us visited the Great Wolf Lodge in Kansas City for a few days. We took advantage of some great winter deals. Monday was busy as it was a holiday, but Tuesday and Wednesday were absolutely dead. So nice to be there without any crowds.

Low

Unfortunately, half the people came home from the lodge sick… Arthur was feeling off, but after some good sleep, seems to be fine now.

Next Week

• Starting new read alouds for everyone

• Continuing with our math textbook (A) and financial literacy (Q)

• Moving into the meat of World War I (A) and onto John Adams and Thomas Jefferson (Q) for history

• Covering stars (A) and more history (Q) for science

• Hopefully getting back into Academic Co-op!

Next up on the TBR pile:

Currently #1

Reading: I’m in the middle of Sphere by Michael Crichton. It’s been so so long since I read this book. I’m thoroughly enjoying it!

Watching: I diverted from the K-dramas and finally started Agatha All Along. I’m over halfway through. Hoping to finish by the end of the month.

Listening: Black Veil Brides dropped a new single and I am obsessed with it! I cannot wait of the new album to drop later this month.

Making: I’ve been working on lesson plans for co-op past few days. I’m teaching Wonders of the World to the big kids this semester. Lots of wonder projects, lots of notes, and lots of slideshows to prepare.

Feeling: We’re still waiting on the college to get back to us about rooms for Academic Co-op that starts on Thursday. Needless to say that I am very anxious right now…

Planning: We are heading to Great Wolf Lodge in KC next week with friends. It should be a great couple of days, but it requires some planning and organizing. I need to pull our clothing. But I also need to review our food spreadsheet we made for the group to see what I need to add to the grocery list this week.

Loving: After the Christmas rush and some deliveries, I’m just so excited to look at all my Stray Kids merchandise. My PCs and posters have been partially displayed. My purse has been decorated. And I’m waiting not so patiently for the last few packages to arrive.

Next up on the TBR pile:

Homeschool W15-18

What We Studied

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.

• Poetry: Hearth & Story G6

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

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

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 ___________.

• 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 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.

• 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.

• 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

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

• 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.

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

• RSO Astronomy 2 (November-March)

• DK Eyewitness Energy

Quentin is using RSO Physics 1.

• 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 were off for Thanksgiving week. Last 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.

• 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

High

Low

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:

Odds and Ends

Here's my randomness for the week:

• It’s our last week of Academic Co-op which means I need to transition to heavy planning until January.

• Excited about teaching Wonders of the World next semester for Co-op.

• Hoping that the weather holds out for my mom’s visit later this month.

• Saturday is going to be super busy. Looking forward to it, but also it’s going to be a lot…

Next up on the TBR pile:

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: