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:

Odds and Ends

Here's my randomness for the week:

• Finally unboxing my Karma albums today with a fellow STAY. So excited to see what I get!

• Relatedly, my SKZOO editions are still in transit somewhere. Apparently, there were manufacturing issues so everyone’s packages are delayed.

• Looking forward to another pool afternoon at a friend’s house after homeschool co-op.

• Feeling the need to do a brain dump this weekend.

Next up on the TBR pile:

Homeschool W3: I think we are finally getting there...

What We Studied

We might be finally getting our footing for this year. We ended up doing schoolwork three out of the five days without much complaint and fuss. We completed our lessons and still had time for social activities. Overall, I think it ended up being a decent 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. Our first book is a sequel of sorts to Where the Mountain Meets the Moon we read back in 3rd grade. The third book in series is featured in H&S, but we wanted to read the second first. I really love how Lin incorporates Chinese folklore and myth in these quest stories. We finished it this week and chose to hold off on our newest book until next 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

• When the Sea Turned to Silver by Grace Lin

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 Lewis Carroll and started reading the sequel to Alice.

• 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 covered the first chapter which mainly focused on review and basic math vocabulary. 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. We started the next section focusing on Darwin, Pasteur, and all the scientific advancements in the 18302s-1850s.

• Curiosity Chronicles Modern History Vol. 1

• DK History

• DK Timelines of Everything

• DK Timelines of Everyone

• DK A Child Through Time

• DK Science Year by Year

• A Journey Through Art

• Gregor Mendel: The Friar Who Grew Peas by Cheryl Bardoe

• Pollen: Darwin's 130 Year Prediction by Darcy Pattison

• Charles Darwin’s Around the World Adventure by Jennifer Thermes

• Charles Darwin’s On the Origin of Species: Words That Changed the World by Anna Brett

• Darwin's Rival: Alfred Russel Wallace and the Search for Evolution by Christiane Dorion

• A Shot in the Arm! by Don Brown

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

• The People Shall Continue by Simon J. 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

• 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

• Indians of the Northeast by Lisa Sita

• Iroquois by Sarah Tieck

• The Iroquois of the Northeast by KaaVonia Hinton

• Algonquin by Sarah Tieck

Science

Arthur is using RSO Earth and Environment 2 and later RSO Astronomy 2 for science. We moved on to Minerals and dove into how they create rocks. It was a short lesson, but much more in depth that we’ve covered before.

• 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

• All About Rocks by Alessandra Potenza

• Geology: The Study of Rocks by Susan H. Gray

• All About Minerals: Discovering the Building Blocks of Earth by Cody Crane

• Minerals by Ann O. Squire

• Researching Rocks by Sally M. Walker

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. So, we started our Story of Science Volume 1 book and did some general review about the scientific review.

• 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

• Mass and Weight by Barbara A. Somervill

Enrichment STEAM Co-op

Arthur got to make marble roller coasters for his engineering unit. Quentin created building structures with toothpicks and marshmallows. I think Arthur had more fun than Quentin, but it was still a good week for co-op.

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 first art lesson about Medieval Art. This connected with our visit to the Joslyn Art Museum last week.

• DK Music and How it Works

• DK The Arts

• The Story of the Incredible Orchestra by Bruce Koscielniak

Field Trip/Activities

We visited Fontenelle Forest for a playdate at their new Acorn Acres playground. It was terribly hot and humid, but we made it almost two hours before heading home. It was nice to see some friends and chat with some new members of the group.

High

On Wednesday, our sister homeschool group held it’s We’re Not Supposed to Be in School Picnic. We spent over four hours connecting with new and old friends and celebrating the start of the school year.

Low

The heat really got to me again this week. It’s terrible. Thankfully the temperatures are heading below 80 degrees for next week. So excited for the change.

Next Week

• Starting a new one (A)

• Finishing our current read aloud (Q)

• Learning about British Empire (A) and continuing the Natives of the Northeast (Q)

• Looking at Islamic Art

• Exploring Newton’s Laws of Motion (Q) and the Rock Cycle (A) for science

• Spending more time at home

Next up on the TBR pile:

Currently #13

Reading: I finally dove into Omniscient Reader’s Viewpoint series. I’m really enjoying it. Unfortunately, the library only has the first four volumes. I will need to find an alternative way to read the rest of the volumes.

Watching: I finally finished Hometown Cha-ch-cha this week. It took me forever; not because I didn’t like it, but because of time and focus. It was such a lovely story. Now I need to figure out which series to start next. Maybe The Nice Guy or The Divorce Insurance or S-Line or Tastefully Yours or When Life Gives You Tangerines or The Potato Lab or My Demon. I apparently have a ton of K-Dramas that I want to watch soon…

Listening: I’m so incredibly excited about the new Stray Kids album dropping this week! To help tide me over, I’ve been listening to the album mashup track on repeat. I cannot wait to hear the full songs!

Making: With my obsession with fan fiction, my physical book reading tanked. I am determined to move back to reading my books. To do that, I’ve been casually pulling books here and there that are peaking my interest again.

Feeling: The first two weeks of this year’s homeschool routine has been rough. Ooofff! This week hasn’t started out much better, but I’m attempting to adjust to help all of us.

Planning: I’m working on our September activity calendar. Things are starting to fill out a bit. I’m just waiting on a few other people to confirm activities before releasing the new Co-op calendar.

Loving: I randomly grabbed a few mini chocolate cheesecakes at Aldis. So good!

Next up on the TBR pile:

Homeschool W1-2: Kicking Off Our Year in Hard Mode

What We Studied

We’ve officially started our 6th year of homeschooling and I will admit that it’s been difficult. For whatever reason, the boys had a really hard transition back to our normal schedule. We usually do not take a long summer “break” as we like to have many smaller breaks during the regular year. But between travel, activities, and my mental health, we ended up taking a longer break. Bad idea! The transition was difficult. I think we are finally settling in, but it’s been difficult.

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. Our first book is a sequel of sorts to Where the Mountain Meets the Moon we read back in 3rd grade. The third book in series is featured in H&S, but we wanted to read the second first. I really love how Lin incorporates Chinese folklore and myth in these quest stories.

• Poetry: Hearth & Story G6

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

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

• When the Sea Turned to Silver by Grace Lin

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 the year with my absolute favorite childhood classic, Alice’s Adventures in Wonderland.

• Poetry: National Geography Book of Nature Poetry

• Alice’s Adventures in Wonderland 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 covered the first chapter which mainly focused on review and basic math vocabulary. 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. These two weeks, we covered a chapter about mass and weight.

• 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. Despite time constraints, we finished the first Section focusing on Queen Victoria and the British Empire. For our documentary selection, we watched the NOVA episode “What Darwin Never Knew” connecting our history study with our science study.

• Curiosity Chronicles Modern History Vol. 1

• DK History

• DK Timelines of Everything

• DK Timelines of Everyone

• DK A Child Through Time

• Ground Breaking Guys: 40 Men Who Became Great by Doing Good by Stephanie True Peters

• A Journey Through Art

• The Story of Buildings by Patrick Dillon

• The Great Stink: How Joseph Bazalgette Solved London's Poop Pollution Problem by Colleen Paeff

• Ada Byron Lovelace and the Thinking Machine by Laurie Walmark

• Ada’s Ideas: The Story of Ada Lovelace, the World’s First Computer Programmer by Fiona Robinson

• Ada Lovelace, Poet of Science: The First Computer Programmer by Diane Stanley

• Florence Nightingale by Demi

• DK Timelines from Black History

Quentin is using Build Your Library Level 5 to begin our two year exploration of American History. We started with a basic geography lesson and moved to an introduction of indigenous peoples before European contact. We will stay with indigenous peoples for the first six weeks or so. We also started 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

• If America were a Village by David J. Smith

• The Scrambled States of America by Laurie Keller

• D is for Drum: A Native American Alphabet by Debbie and Michael Shoulders

• 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

• The People Shall Continue by Simon J. Ortiz

• Moon Mother by Ed Young

• We are Still Here: Native American Truths Everyone Should Know by Traci Sorell

• 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

Science

Arthur is using RSO Earth and Environment 2 and later RSO Astronomy 2 for science. We begin with a basic overview of earth science and quickly reviewed the Four Spheres and Plate Tectonics.

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

• RSO Astronomy 2 (November-March)

• Investigating the Scientific Method with Max Axiom by Donald B. Lemke

• From a Super Continent to Seven

• Plate Tectonics by Stephen M. Tomecek

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. So, we started our Story of Science Volume 1 book and did some general review about the scientific review.

• RSO Physics 1

• Where Did We Come From? by Chris Ferrie

• How to Think Like a Scientist by Stephen P. Kramer

• The Story of Science Vol. 1 by Joy Hakim

Enrichment STEAM Co-op

We’re entering into the second half of Session B for the 2025 Session. Arthur focused on two weeks dealing with knots. Quentin learned about engineering skills while making paper roller coasters and then balance toys.

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. So far, we managed to still do music for the first two weeks of school. We’re talking a lite approach to music appreciation and some musical theory built in. As our backbone, we are using the Music Comes Alive curriculum. While it’s not strictly secular, it’s neutral, I’m okay with their approach to music. It was the best for what I have time for and wanted to expend energy toward.

• DK Music and How it Works

• DK The Arts

• The First Notes: The Story of DO, RE, MI by Julie Andrews and Emma Walton Hamilton

• Iconic Composers

• Hildegard of Bingen by Demi

• The Story of the Incredible Orchestra by Bruce Koscielniak

Field Trip/Activities

No formalized field trips, but we did have quite a few activities these first two weeks. We had our monthly zoo visit with two friends on the first Wednesday. We mostly stuck to the outdoor buildings and rode the train. We also visit Heron Haven for a quick nature walk with friends on Friday. The second Wednesday was our monthly Josly Art Explorers visit. Two friends joined us to look at the human form in paintings and sculpture. We focused primarily on the Medieval gallery through the Neoclassical gallery to compare and contrast. I had a lovely conversation with an eight year old about realism and the human body. And a friend hosted the first monthly Curriculum Planning meeting. While I didn’t do much planning, it was nice to chat with other homeschooling parents while the boys hung out with their friends at a lovely coffee shop. Looking forward to doing it monthly!

High

If wasn’t on my plan, but we ended up going to our favorite pool twice the first week of school. The pools closed August 10th, so it was our last chance to visit! We went on Tuesday, but it was a bit chilly. So we all decided to come back on Friday to celebrate the hot weather and the last few pool days. As the boys are much strong swimmers this year, it’s been a great summer of being at the pool but not having to constantly watch them. I love this new level of parenting!

Low

Everyone was struggling to get back into the routine and feel comfortable with our homeschool schedule this year. Hopefully W3 and beyond goes better.

Next Week

• Finishing his read aloud and starting a new one (A)

• Starting a new read aloud, in fact the sequel to our first book (Q)

• Learning about Science in 1850s and the British Empire (A) and Ice Age and Natives of the Northeast(Q)

• Looking at Medieval Art

• Exploring Rocks and Minerals for science (A)

Next up on the TBR pile:

Odds and Ends

Here's my randomness for the week:

• Wow! Fan fiction really has a hold on me this month. It has tanked by “official” read report, but I don’t care. I have found some great writers on AO3 and have started to follow them on other platforms.

• Related, I have started buying the previous Stray Kids physical albums. I just bought Oddinary, Ate, and Hop. I have Rock Star and Maxident coming. Debating on the rest. (I have already preordered two different versions of Karma. And 5 Star is coming with those preorders.)

• On the weather front, it is way way way too hot this week. I hate.

• Tonight we are heading to the Orpheum to see Penn and Teller. All five of us are going. Very excited!

Next up on the TBR pile:

Currently #12

Reading: I finally started a dark romance, Feathers So Vicious by Liv Zander, that a friend recommended to me months ago. There are definitely multiple content warnings attached to this book. I am enjoying the world building. Not sure about the romance part yet. But I’m only about 30% of the way through the book.

Watching: I fell back into watching Stray Kids content from the past. I’m up to March 2022 in the big watch. And I’ve made a ton of progress in just a few days.

Listening: I’ve put ATEEZ’s new album Golden Hour: Part 3 In Your Fantasy on repeat. So good! I think my current favorites are “Legacy” and “Slide to Me.”

Making: Working on multiple dinner plans for this week.

Feeling: Between home tasks, social acitities, school, and my own mental health, I am feeling very stretched right now. I really need to find a better balance.

Planning: I’m deep into planning homeschool lessons. I’m equally excited and stressed out in starting our new school year this week.

Loving: We are into the height of summer and I am loving fruit. Seriously, I cannot get enough.

Next up on the TBR pile:

Odds and Ends

Here's my randomness for the week:

• Thank goodness the weather has turned! It has been absolutely terrible for the last week. I feel so much better.

• I really need to put myself on a library ban. I really want to get to some of my Unread Shelf.

• Craving gazpacho this week for lunch.

• Fan Fiction has really interrupted my regular reading, but I have loved it so much.

Next up on the TBR pile:

Currently #11

Reading: I have officially fallen down the fan fiction rabbit hole. A friend and I have been sharing our favorite stories, series, and authors. It has wrecked my regular reading stack, but I am okay with it. Just excited to read the next story every day.

Watching: We dove back into our Nic Cage quarterly. In the last week, we’ve watching four of his movies.

Listening: ATEEZ’s new album In Your Fantasy is on repeat this week. I am loving all the solo songs but especially Mingi’s and Yeosang’s songs. So good!

Making: For brunch yesterday, I made apricot and coconut and ham and cheese scones. I do love baking scones.

Feeling: The temperatures have skyrocketed and I am hot and uncomfortable. It’s going to be a terrible week.

Planning: I’m putting the finishing touches on our Homeschool plans for this coming year. I need to do one last run through and then put library books on hold.

Loving: Yesterday on the way back from the park, my Stray Kids shuffle had a string of five absolute bangers! God’s Menu, Topline, Wolfgang, Domino, and S-Class!

Next up on the TBR pile:

Odds and Ends

Here's my randomness for the week:

• How can we have so much food in this house and yet I have no idea what to make for dinner?

• Looking forward to my fall plans for homeschool and our social group. So many great ideas on tap these next few months.

• Multiple pool days this week are great but also tiring.

• I’m still reading, but will admit that I’ve been reading a ton of fan fiction instead of traditionally published books. I’m okay with that; I’ve found so many good ones. But it does mess with my reading wrap numbers.

Next up on the TBR pile:

Odds and Ends

Here's my randomness for the week:

• I’m way too hot and sticky this week… Thank goodness for pool days.

• I started an actual novel and I’m really into it. My reading may actually be getting back to normal.

• Loving my new(er) jean shorts. I actually like jean shorts again?

• Started a new-to-me K-drama and it’s so good! It’s Hometown Cha-cha-cha in case anyone was actually wondering.

Next up on the TBR pile:

Currently #10

Reading: I got back into the Jujutsu Kaisen manga series. And holy cow, the story took a turn this week! I am floored.

Watching: I only have 5 episodes left of S1 of Goblin. I am so invested in this story.

Listening: Stray Kids’s new song “Hollow” and ATEEZ’s new song “Lemon Drop” have been on repeat. I cannot wait until tomorrow when Stray Kids’s new EP drops.

Making: I’ve got multiple lsat minute lists created for the retreat. Just a few tasks left.

Feeling: The retreat is on Thursday and I am so ready to go!

Planning: Tomorrow is my last prep day for the retreat… I am making my last grocery lists.

Loving: I was craving some good iced tea, but didn’t want all the sugar in the regular sweet tea. Thankfully Gold Peak sells a Slightly Sweet version. Perfect for a hot day!

Next up on the TBR pile:

Currently #9

Reading: I’m deep into Water Moon by Samantha Sotto Yambao for the retreat book selection. It has a beauty dreamy quality to the story. I’ve hit a bit of a lull in the story, but pushing through to see how it ends.

Watching: I finally started watching S1 of Goblin and it is amazing! I am lovely every single episode. It’s my new obsession.

Listening: Still Stray Kids all the time. It’s my happy place.

Making: Still working on my May Memory Planner pages. And hoping to get started on my June.

Feeling: It’s been very warm the last few days, but a storm rolled in last night. I’m so much cooler!

Planning: We’re going on our Iowa trip next week and finishing our itinerary. We’re planning ahead to save some money and avoid a ton of fast food.

Loving: I got back into SKZ Code from 2022 and have loved every episode. Watching those 8 guys do silly things make me so happy.

Next up on the TBR pile:

Odds and Ends

Here's my randomness for the week:

• It’s Field Day! It’s always a super chaotic day, but we love doing this event every year.

• I may have gotten my reading mojo back this past week. I haven’t just been reading manga but also regular novels.

• I think it’s an iced coffee kind of day. Good thing I bought some concentrate earlier this week.

• Looking forward to my leftover kimchi jjigae for lunch today.

• Maybe I will try some other Korean recipe next week.

Next up on the TBR pile:

Currently #8

Reading: I’m deep into the Jujutsu Kaisen manga series. I want to read a few more volumes before we start the anime.

Watching: We started the current season of Welcome to Wrexham. Who knew that I would enjoy a reality show about a football team so much?

Listening: All K-pop all the time. I recently branched out again and added J-Hope’s albums to my playlist.

Making: I made banana bread on Sunday and forgot how much I love it. So yummy!

Feeling: I’ve got so many projects ongoing, but very annoyed by some others’ inability to do the simplest things that I ask of them. Lots of annoyance…

Planning: We’ve finished our big curriculum pieces, so it’s time to plan our summer lessons. We slow down a bit, but add in some fun units.

Loving: With my weird mental health lately, I turned to silly Stray Kids videos. They have really helped give me those little doses of dopamine to get my brain back on track.

Next up on the TBR pile:

Homeschool W32-33: Lots of Travel!

Arbor Day Farm

What We Studied

We completed one regular school week and then a few days of another week before leaving for Indiana for Alex’s graduation. So I decided to combine these two weeks into one post.

Literature and Poetry

Arthur is primarily using Hearth and Story G5 for his language arts this year. Arthur started and finished another Applegate book. We have loved every book that she has written. We also covered more grammar and extra language arts assignments.

• Willodeen by Katherine Applegate

• Where the Sidewalk Ends by Shel Silverstein

Quentin is primarily using Blossom & Root G1 for his language arts this year. We will pull some elements from Build Your Library Level 2 and random books that we have around the house. We finished reading two classics.

• Poetry: A First Book of the Sea by Nicola Davies

• Matilda by Roald Dahl

• Pippi Longstocking by Astrid Lindgren

Math

Arthur is using Singapore’s Math in Focus Course 1. Effectively this is Singapore’s 6th grade math text. We finished the textbook and will be doing review for the summer.

• Math in Focus Course 1 Book B

Quentin is using Singapore’s Primary Mathematics Common Core edition 2B and 3A.We are close to finishing 3A, but not quite there.

• Singapore Primary 3A

• Primarily Logic

Social Studies

Arthur is using Curiosity Chronicles Early Modern History Vol. 1 and Vol. 2 this year. Beyond random documentaries and museum visits, we will be pausing our history study until August.

Quentin is using History Quest Middle Times with Build Your Library Level 2 as his main history curriculum. We will be pausing history until August.

Science

Arthur finished his RSO Biology 1 course with the end of the academic co-op. We switched gears a bit and covered a few BookSeeds from Blossom & Root.

Quentin finished RSO Earth & Environment and RSO Astronomy 1 as a base. He started a side unit about oceans. We got through multiple topics and watched a few episodes of Blue Planet to reinforce.

• A First Book of the Sea by Nicola Davies

• Ocean Anatomy by Julia Rothman

• DK Earth's Incredible Oceans by Jess French

• DK Ocean

• DK Eyewitness Ocean

• The Ocean in Your Bathtub by Seth Fishman

• The Girl Who Built an Ocean: An Artist, an Argonaut, and the true Story of the World's First Aquarium by Jess Keating

• A Turtle's View of the Ocean Blue by Catherine Barr

• Oceanography: The Study of Oceans by Susan H. Gray

• Manfish by Jennifer Berne

• Marie's Ocean: Marie Tharp Maps the Mountains Under the Sea by Josie James

• Solving the Puzzle Under the Sea by Robert Burleigh

• Ocean Speaks by Jess Keating

• Life in the Ocean: The Story of Oceanographer Sylvia Earle by Claire A. Nivola

Enrichment Co-op

We covered our fourth week of co-op. Arthur covered slime chemistry. Quentin wasn’t feeling it and stay home that day.

Art and Music

Art will be very sporadic this year, but we do have some fun excursions planned. And I will incorporate art projects into a lot of other subjects and unit studies.

For music, we are using Music Lab: We Rock! as our spine. Each week we will be learning about a different rock musician and focus on a particular song. I have also created Spotify playlists so we can listen on the go. We listened to Blondie, David Bowie, The Smiths, and Depeche Mode these weeks. Many winners for our listening.

• Music Lab: We Rock!

• DK Music and How it Works

• DK The Arts

Field Trip/Activities

Before leaving for Indiana, we had our twice a year visit to Arbor Day Farm. We absolutely love that place and can spend all day exploring and playing. A ton of homeschool friends joined us for a full day.

High

Thankfully we have reached the point in the year where we can slow down the lessons to allow for travel and activities.

Low

Arthur hasn’t gotten to all the literature pieces that I had hoped for this year. Not a huge deal as we will just continue, but I think I need to recalibrate for next year’s plans.

Next Week

• We are currently in Indiana and not covering any big lessons. We brought a bag of work to complete and will just fit it in here and there.

Next up on the TBR pile: