Here's my randomness for the week:
Unexpectedly warm temperatures this week meant that we spent almost all Tuesday outside.
Really need to reschedule our zoo day.
Trying to organize my itinerary for my birthday day out. I might have too many stops on my list.
Speaking of, I’m really hoping that I can squeeze in some clothes shopping.
I’ve finished 4 books in like 5 days. Crazy reading lately!
Next up on the TBR pile:
Week 27: Blueberry Croissant Puff
This ended up being a slightly less sweet blueberry danish and I loved it! I think I was the only one who actually ate it, but it was lovely.
Recipe used from The Girl Who Ate Everything
Week 28: Margarita Cake
This was very yummy! I will definitely make it again. And maybe this time, one of my sponges won’t break in half out of the pan making icing it a pain in the butt.
Recipe used from Southern Living
Week 29: Orange Cardamom Crumb Cake
The crumb ended up being really thick compared to the orange cake portion, and I just didn’t love it. Next time, I will cut the crumb down by at least 1/3 to help balance the flavors.
Recipe used from The View from Great Island
Let’s check in on February’s goals and my progress. Wow! I actually ended up meeting all my goals for this month.
Read 15 Books ✓
Finish my 2021 Memory Planner ✓
Log 10 Hours Outside ✓
Finish Coop Tasks for Winter ✓
Have a Movie Month ✓
Have a Valentine’s Day Party ✓
March Goals:
Read 15 Books
Two Zoo Visits
Four Park Visits
Organize the Rest of the Homeschool Read Alouds
Plan a Two-Day Spring Trip
Next up on the TBR pile:
Weekly LEGO Creation
We had our “winter break” two weeks back. Instead of continuing our regularly scheduled studies, we focused on some side projects and other activities. Plus, we had multiple outings that week. Arthur wasn’t a huge fan of our alternative schedule, but that’s okay, it helped me catch a breath. Last week, we were back to our usual routine.
Literature and Poetry
We started our fill-in read aloud of Aru Shah. It was nice to see Arthur make some connections to our previous history units about India. We also covered Immigrant Trickster Tales. I especially loved the Creole versions of stories.
Aru Shah and the End of Time by Roshani Chokshi
ICE! Poems About Polar Life by Douglas Florian
Scranimals by Jack Prelutsky
Trickster Tales
Math
We moved through 3B Unit 9 on fractions. Mostly it was a review, but at the end the chapter moved into different denominators and simplifying fractions. We are going to stay with that topic into next week. We also did some winter shape tangrams (always a hit!) and LEGO challenges,.
Logic Liftoff
Social Studies
During break week, we learned about bit more about Black History and specifically how black people were (and still are) treated in this country. Tough subjects, but a good small introduction for the kids.
28 Days: Moments in Black History that Changed the World by Charles R. Smith Jr
Your Legacy: A Bold Reclaiming of Our Enslaved History by Scheme Williams
Born on the Water by Nikole Hannah-Jones and Renee Watson
The ABCs of Black History by Rio Cortez
This chapter of History Quest focused on the Aztec culture. Arthur really enjoyed learning more about them and what Mexico City looks like now.
DK Timelines of Everyone
When on Earth
DK History
DK Timelines of Everything
The Aztec Empire by Sunita Apte
The Aztec Empire by Ellis Roxburgh
The Princess and the Warrior: A Tale of Two Volcanoes by Duncan Tonatiuh
Ancient Aztec: Archaeology Unlocks the Secrets of Mexico's Past by Time Cooke
Ancient Civilizations: Aztec, Maya, Incas! by Anita Yasuda
Arthur Independent Time
To allow for one-on-one time with Quentin, I have added an hour of independent work time for Arthur. Each week, he will have a mix of packet work (mostly grammar and math review), independent reading time, and special projects. Many of his projects will be aligned with our literature selections (some taken from B&R Language Arts curriculum) and history.
Science and STEAM Coop
For coop we finished our Black History theme with stations about some famous people and their accomplishments. Last Thursday we started our space theme and Arthur got to show off all this random space facts. The actual meeting was a bit chaotic due to other issues, but the lesson itself was great.
In our own studies, we talked about anatomy and did some basics. Quentin loved the StoryBots episodes about the human body. We will continue this a bit into next week.
Art/Music
We covered Pierre Auguste Renoir and the idea of the Impressionist movement. We looked at a ton of his paintings, read about his life, and made our own versions. Q likes looking at the art, but not really making his own.
Katie Meets the Impressionists by James Mayhew
Quentin
I have scheduled at least four 1-hour time blocks for one-on-one time with Quentin. I bought Blossom and Root’s Early Years Volume 2 curriculum to use as our base. I love the variety of activities and some of the bigger projects included.
ELA
Biscuit Visits the Big City by Alyssa Satin Capucilli (Q reads)
Miffy Can Play by RJ Cregg (Q reads)
Max Finds an Egg by Wiley Blevins (Q reads)
Nick and Nack See the Stars by Brandon Budzi
Fox in Socks by Dr. Seuss
A Potato on a Bike by Elisa Gravel
Truck Parade by Melinda Melton Crow (Q reads)
Monkey Play by Alyssa Satin Capucilli (Q reads)
Nick and Nack Float a Boat by Brandon Budzi (Q reads)
Biscuit Flies a Kite by Alyssa Satin Capucilli (Q reads)
I Like Fish by Margaret Wise Brown (Q reads)
Math
Lollipop Logic Book 1
Winter Shape Tangrams
Other
The Sun is My Favorite Star by Frank Asch
Field Trip
We visited the UNO Planetarium for a private showing with our coop friends. We got to see a fun video about the Parker Solar Probe, an in-depth look at the solar system, and some constellations. I do enjoy planetariums and super excited that we got to secure a private showing for the group (and the pricing wasn’t bad).
Head, Shoulders, Knees, and Toes
Documentary Selection
I have carved out a one hour time block each week to watch a documentary related to our studies. During break week we watched a NOVA episode about “The Ship that Changed the World.” Fascinating look at how shipbuilding changed in the age of exploration.
Boys joined us for Lord of the Rings trivia
Misc. Picture Books Read
Thankful by Eileen Spinelli
My Pet Wants a Pet by Elisa Broach
The Thank You Letter by Jane Cabrera
Arlo Draws an Octopus by Lori Mortensen
Can Anybody Hear Me? by Jessica Meserve
The Word Pirates by Susan Cooper
The Zebra-Riding Cowboy by Angela Shelf Medearis
Tad and Dad by David Ezra Stein
Wild About Books by Judy Sierra
It Fell from the Sky by The Fan Brothers
What Will Fat Cat Sit On? by Jan Thomas
Sheep Count Flowers by Micaela Chirif
Truck Stop by Anne Rockwell
Wolves by Emily Gravett
Into the Snow by Yuki Kaneko
There was a Cold Lady Who Swallowed Some Snow by Lucille Colandro
The Pied Piper's Magic by Steven Kellogg
During our break week, we visited the zoo, had a park playdate, and attended the coop Valentine’s Day party. We packed multiple outings into one week! By the end we were tired, but happy.
Unfortunately, Arthur scratched his glasses during our park playdate. Not great at all. They are still under the protection plan, so new lenses have been ordered and should be here early next week.
Selfie at the Planetarium
Next Week
Finishing 3B Unit 9 for math
Finishing reading Aru Shah and starting our American Folk Tales unit
Covering space for coop again
Going south to the Andes Mountains for the Inca civilization for history
Introducing the paintings of Rosa Bonheur
Continuing to work on phonics for Quentin
Fitting in one zoo, two park playdates, and a grocery run
Next up on the TBR pile:
After taking a bit of a break from bucket lists in 2021 (seriously, that year was a trash fire), I’m back this year. We have a variety of projects that we want to accomplish this coming year and I want to make some intentions for each season. For winter:
Check off 150 hours of our 1000 hours outside project - No way that we are going to rack up 150 hours this season, but we do have almost 20 hours so far. It’s been incredibly cold this past month. Way to go to be outside for more than 5-15 minutes.
Have a birthday day out for my 40th! - I have it scheduled!
Weekend trip to Chicago
Read 50 books (33/50)
Day trip to Des Moines
At least 6 zoo visits (2/6)
Trip to see the frozen waterfall at Platte
Movie Month February ✓
Weekly Game Day/Night with Arthur ✓ — We’ve been playing HeroQuest on a weekly basis now. The kids really got into the role playing aspect.
Make winter crafts
Design board for future kitchen renovation
Make Valentine’s ✓ - We had a fun Valentine’s Day party with our coop friends.
Have a monthly (indoor) picnic
Finish one craft project ✓
Monthly bingo/trivia nights ✓
Go sledding
Buy a new Nebraska State Park permit ✓ And we’ve even used it once already.
Do a donation drop - I’ve done a toy cleanup, just need to gather some more things before doing the drop.
Take the kids bowling
Dye my hair purple
Log 50 miles on the treadmill
Learn to knit
Replace 50% of my socks ✓
Make homemade cinnamon rolls
Complete 3 television series - We finished The Witcher S2 and It’s Always Sunny S15, but no big series yet. I really want to finish Hustle something this season.
Up Next on the TBR:
Reading: Fuzz by Mary Roach - I’m enjoying this nature writing book even if it’s not as funny as some of her others.
Watching: Continuing our February Movie Month. Our viewings have been incredibly varied.
Listening: Found a new band on the Apple Music New Hard Rock playlist. Loving the punk sound of The Rumjacks
Making: I got on a kick last weekend and made three different baked goods for D&D and the weekend. I made Alton Brown’s Blueberry Muffins, Earl Grey Tea Bread, and Sicilian Orange Cake.
Feeling: My back has been very sore this week. Not sure what I did, but it’s not been feeling good. I’ve been trying to do more yoga this week to help.
Planning: Pulling all my piles for March’s homeschool curriculum. We’re moving through the semester.
Loving: My comfy bed has really been calling me this week. I love it when it’s a bit cold so I can snuggle.
Next up on the TBR pile:
Here's my randomness for the week:
The temperatures are all over the place this week. It’s currently about 10 degrees but is supposed to be 60 degrees tomorrow afternoon. Wild times in the Midwest.
I forgot how much I loved Just One Damned Thing After Another
90s Music Bingo is just amazing. I definitely needed that last night. Very excited that they are repeating Musicals Bingo in late March.
Picking up 70 library books at one time is a challenge when you have three bags and two kids. I ended up carrying them all. 70 books are heavy.
Coop is such chaos some weeks, but is still great.
Next up on the TBR pile:
Making Valentine’s for our mail exchange
Overall, we did a big focus on ELA and Math for this week and left some of the other subjects be put on pause. I really love the flexibility of home schooling to go with our flow instead of forcing subjects or time.
Literature and Poetry
We finish our read aloud. By the end of the book, Arthur claims that he didn't really like it, but believe me, he kept asking for “one more chapter” every day. I think he did like the book.
The New Kid on the Block by Jack Prelutsky
Where the Mountain Meets the Moon by Grace Lin
The Legend of Rock, Paper, and Scissors by Drew Daywalt
View of the Missouri River
Math
Arthur started Unit 9 all about fractions. The first lesson was a basic review (“Mom, I already know this!”), but lesson two started exploring equivalent fractions. A bit harder! The second half of the unit will talk about adding and subtracting fractions and getting into simplifying and finding common denominators.
Logic Liftoff
Social Studies
We covered the Age of Exploration for history this week. Our HistoryQuest chapter focused on four different explorers: Zheng He, Ibn Battuta, Christopher Columbus, and Ferdinand Magellan. Sad to say that even with my background I knew little to nothing about Zheng He and Ibn Battuta. This week rectified that gap and then some some. I loved learning about the Chinese Treasure Fleet in particular.
DK Timelines of Everyone
When on Earth
DK History
DK Timelines of Everything
Explorers
Turkeys down by the river
Arthur Independent Time
To allow for one-on-one time with Quentin, I have added an hour of independent work time for Arthur. Each week, he will have a mix of packet work (mostly grammar and math review), independent reading time, and special projects. Many of his projects will be aligned with our literature selections (some taken from B&R Language Arts curriculum) and history.
Videos about explorers
Science and STEAM Coop
For coop, we learned about some famous African Americans. Ms. Anna put together some great stations to explore and participate in activities. Arthur loved pretending to be FloJo and sprint through the yard.
Art/Music
None this week
Quentin
I have scheduled at least four 1-hour time blocks for one-on-one time with Quentin. I bought Blossom and Root’s Early Years Volume 2 curriculum to use as our base. I love the variety of activities and some of the bigger projects included. Q focused on basic phonics and math skills. We are going to dive into more focused phonics lessons and started Singapore Math soon, so I wanted him to get a good foundation this week. As a bonus, his pencil skills are improving!
ELA
Old Hat, New Hat by Stan & Jan Berenstain
Duck and Cat’s Rainy Day by Carin Bramsen
30 Minutes a Day Preschool
High Five Magazines
Math
Lollipop Logic Book 1
Arithmechicks Add Up by Ann Marie Stephens
Other
Kumon Tracing Book
Field Trip
On Tuesday, we spent over 4 hours outside in nature at Fontenelle Forest with some friends. The weather was going to be decent and it seemed like we needed some outdoor time. A few coop families joined us for most of the time. We even decided to buy a membership for the year. My goal is to go to Fontenelle at least once a month. If we go three times, the pass is more than paid for. Twelve times would be an awesome value!
After Fontenelle, we had to drive over to Council Bluffs to get the coop basket and stopped at the Golden Spike Monument while there. This monument erected in 1939, commemorates the Eastern Terminus of the Union Pacific Railroad put into place in Abraham Lincoln back in the 1960s. It’s the strangest random monument between the railroad tracks and a road and trailer park. But we added it to our collection of random roadside markers.
On Friday, we joined some other coop families for a visit to the Great Plains Black History Museum for our Black History theme. The museum is small, but a treasure trove of interesting artifacts and information. Overall the kids were bored, as it was geared toward an adult audience, but I’m hoping that at least the exposure of different places will sink in a bit.
Documentary Selection
I have carved out a one hour time block each week to watch a documentary related to our studies. we had planned on a documentary morning, but we pivoted to puzzle hour this week. Still, a good time.
Misc. Picture Books Read
A Chair for My Mother by Vera B. Williams
How Big is the World by Britta Teckentrup
Snow by Cynthia Rylant
Louise Loves Art by Kelly Light
An almost whole day in nature was great! We only covered the boardwalk, Raptor Rescue, and play area, but it was just lovely to be outside for a time. With that 4 hours, we added a 60% of our January outside hours to our big goal of 1000 Hours Outside. February is looking to be a much better month. (We’re planning a zoo day for this coming week to get in some more hours!)
Due to COVID, I had to host coop on Thursday. Not a huge deal, but I just came off teaching the first four weeks of the semester. I was beyond tired on Thursday afternoon.
Next Week
Taking a “break” week - not really a break, just a break from our usual routine for some special projects and subjects
Beginning Aru Shah and the End of Time for read aloud
Deciding coop plans for the week (am I hosting? not certain yet)
Getting acquainted with Renoir for art (didn’t get to it this past week)
Hoping to spend more hours outside
Having a fun Valentine’s Day Party with coop friends!
Next up on the TBR pile:
Reading: Nearing the end of Cloud Cuckoo Land by Anthony Doerr. it’s just so so good…
Watching: It’s February Movie Month. So far, it’s been a mile bag, but we are committing to a varied list of movies to watch.
Listening: Definitely moving back to my hard rock playlists. They are my favorite.
Making: I finished my 2021 Memory Planner and have started working on collages for my 2022 Memory Planner. I am waiting for photo paper to be delivered so that I can print them.
Feeling: The past four days I had a huge scar tissue flare-up that resulted in a ton of pain. Thankfully it is subsiding. I’m feeling a lot better. And hoping that our walk in the woods today helps loosen everything.
Planning: We don’t have a full extra events calendar prepped for February yet. Guess I need to add some extra fun to our plan.
Loving: J has been making cognac sazeracs and I have been loving them! Definitely my current cocktail of choice.
Next up on the TBR pile:
A fairly normal week for us. We covered a decent amount of work, and had an outing between it got really cold again.
Literature and Poetry
We continued our new read aloud. There’s a dragon, a journey, and a collection of folklore stories. I’m digging it. After a rocky first few chapters, Arthur become invested when the dragon appeared.
The New Kid on the Block by Jack Prelutsky
Where the Mountain Meets the Moon by Grace Lin
Fact vs. Opinions vs. Robots by Michael Rex
Math
Arthur worked through the end of 3B Unit 7 about capacity. And we covered Unit 8 about money. Basic addition and subtraction. Both boys also begged to do some Khan Academy math, so we covered that
Logic Liftoff
Social Studies
This chapter of History Quest focused on the Yuan and Ming Dynasties in China. We already covered Marco Polo’s travels a few chapters ago, but we remet him again and his involvement with Kublai Khan.
DK Timelines of Everyone
When on Earth
DK History
DK Timelines of Everything
Kublai Khan, The Emperor of Everything by Kathleen Krull
No Year of the Cat by Mary Dodson Wade
Ancient China by Brian Williams
Arthur Independent Time
To allow for one-on-one time with Quentin, I have added an hour of independent work time for Arthur. Each week, he will have a mix of packet work (mostly grammar and math review), independent reading time, and special projects. Many of his projects will be aligned with our literature selections (some taken from B&R Language Arts curriculum) and history.
Science and STEAM Coop
For science, we did a bit more of a weather unit and kept tracking the weather throughout the week. In coop, I taught the older kids about climate change. We made greenhouse gas molecules out of gumdrops and toothpicks and talked about ways that we could combat climate change.
Climate Change and Rising Temperatures by Kevin Kurtz
The Magic School Bus and the Climate Challenge by Joanna Cole
Stand Up! Speak Out! A Story Inspired by the Climate Change Revolution by Andrew Joyner
We also covered more about emotions and various socio-emotional states and strategies. We’ll be finishing this unit next week.
Rock n Roll Soul by Susan Verde
Good People Everywhere by Lynea Gillen
What Does It Mean to Be Present? by Rana DiOrio
Try a Little Kindness by Henry Cole
Be Kind by Pat Zietlow Miller
Each Kindness by Jacqueline Woodson
Incredible You! by Dr. Wayne W. Dyer
What Were You Thinking? by Bryan Smith
You Get What You Get by Julie Gassman
Art/Music
None this week
Quentin
I have scheduled at least four 1-hour time blocks for one-on-one time with Quentin. I bought Blossom and Root’s Early Years Volume 2 curriculum to use as our base. I love the variety of activities and some of the bigger projects included. Q finished Sh, Ch, and Th digraphs and started moving into Level 1 readers. We kept working on math skills and pencil control.
ELA
Biscuit Phonics Books
Saturday by Oge Mora
Last Stop on Market Street by Matt de la Peña
Math
Lollipop Logic Book 1
Other
Big and Little: A Story of Opposites by Cheryl Pilgrim
When the Snow is Deeper Than My Boots are Tall by Jean Reidy
Over and Under the Snow by Kate Messner
Field Trip
On Monday we took a walk at the OPPD Arboretum. We invited our coop friends, but no one could actually make it. Still, we had a lovely walk enjoying the park in wintertime. Another hour for our 1000 Hour Outside challenge!
On Tuesday, we had a virtual field trip with the National Weather Service. The presenter did a great job teaching the kiddos and dealing with all the interruptions that come from smaller children on zoom. The presentation covered a lot of the information we covered in coop last week and there was time for questions.
Documentary Selection
I have carved out a one hour time block each week to watch a documentary related to our studies. We watched two different documentaries this week. For history, we watch NOVA S44 E15 Secrets of the Forbidden City. For science, we watched NOVA S49 E5 Arctic Sinkholes.
Misc. Picture Books Read
Oops Pounce Quick Run! An Alphabet Caper by Mike Twohy
Except Antarctica by Todd Sturgell
A House that Once Was by Julia Fogliano
The Smart Cookie by Jory John
Seeds Move by Robin Page
Another outdoor walk really helped all our moods. No one else joined us, but we still enjoyed a lovely hour at the OPPD Arboretum. It was nice to see the park in the winter as last time we were there it was 95 degrees and late summer.
By the end of the week, attitudes has taken a downward trajectory. I don’t think the boys are getting enough sleep. We’re trying to push up their bedtime, but they are resisting…
Next Week
Starting 3B Unit 9 for math
Finishing reading Where the Mountain Meets the Moon
Changing our plans to have Black History theme for coop at our house.
Covering the Age of Exploration for history
Getting acquainted with Renoir for art (didn’t get to it this past week)
Working on phonics for Quentin
Hoping to spend more hours outside
Next up on the TBR pile:
Here's my randomness for the week:
One last coop to teach for the (hopefully) semester. I taught the first four weeks of the spring semester and I’ve going to relish taking the b real.
About 25% of the way through Cloud Cuckoo Land and it’s oh so good! I just want to curl up and read for the entire day.
The big winter storm missed us, but it has been super cold the past few days.
We have an early morning to switch out the library books before driving to coop. I hate early mornings.
Next up on the TBR pile:
Let’s check in on January’s goals and my progress.
Read 15 Books ✓
Map Out My Year ✓
Work on a Craft Project ✓ - I’ve almost finished with my 2021 Memory Planner.
Get a Jump on Our 1000 Hours Outside ✓
Plan a Few Trips - Nope. Not yet.
Plan Out Homeschooling for January - March - Working on it.
Pull Down Christmas Decorations ✓
February Goals:
Read 15 Books
Finish my 2021 Memory Planner
Log 10 Hours Outside
Finish Coop Tasks for Winter
Have a Movie Month
Have a Valentine’s Day Party
Next up on the TBR pile:
We ended up with a light week, but covered some ground.
We found a visitor at Heron Haven
Literature and Poetry
We started our new read aloud. There’s a dragon, a journey, and a collection of folklore stories. I’m digging it. Not sure how much Arthur is, but we’ll keep going.
The New Kid on the Block by Jack Prelutsky
Where the Mountain Meets the Moon by Grace Lin
Math
Arthur worked through 3B Unit 7 about capacity. We discussed milliliters and liters. We’ll be finishing the unit this coming week.
Logic Liftoff
Social Studies
We covered two Indian Empires for our middle times. Specifically, we learned about Razia Sultana.
DK Timelines of Everyone
When on Earth
DK History
DK Timelines of Everything
Arthur Independent Time
To allow for one-on-one time with Quentin, I have added an hour of independent work time for Arthur. Each week, he will have a mix of packet work (mostly grammar and math review), independent reading time, and special projects. Many of his projects will be aligned with our literature selections (some taken from B&R Language Arts curriculum) and history.
Science and STEAM Coop
For science, we did a mini unit on weather to coincide with our coop theme. At home we learned about the weather and various weather states. We tracked the weather and working on some activities. In coop, I taught the older kids and we discussed what makes the weather and made a weather station.
Snow is Falling by Franklyn M. Branley
One Snowy Morning by Kevin Tseng
First Snow by Nancy Vlau
Some Snow Is... by Ellen Yeoman
Snow Day! by Candice Ransom
The Snow Day by Komako Sakai
Sizing Up Winter by Lizann Flatt
What Will the Weather Be? by Lynda Dewitt
Watching the Weather by Lisa J. Amstutz
Weather Words and What They Mean by Gail Gibbons
What Makes a Blizzard? by Kathleen Weidner Zoehfeld
Kate, Who Tamed the Wind by Liz Garton Scanlon
Come On, Rain! by Karen Hesse
The Fog by Kyo Maclear
Art/Music
None this week
Quentin
I have scheduled at least four 1-hour time blocks for one-on-one time with Quentin. I bought Blossom and Root’s Early Years Volume 2 curriculum to use as our base. I love the variety of activities and some of the bigger projects included. We covered a variety of snow activities, shapes, colors, and math.
ELA
Biscuit Phonics Books
The Snowy Day by Ezra Jack Keats
Math
Lollipop Logic Book 1
Other
Field Trip
On Monday we had a nice walk at Heron Haven. It was a bit icy, but it was lovely to get outside for an hour. This wasn’t a big coop field trip, but a more spontaneous outing to take advantage of the weather.
Documentary Selection
I have carved out a one hour time block each week to watch a documentary related to our studies. We ended not watching anything particular.
Misc. Picture Books Read
The Koala Who Could by Rachel Bright
Let's Pop, Pop, Popcorn! by Cynthia Schumerth
Jackrabbit McCabe and the Electric Telegraph by Lucy Margaret Rozier
Interrupting Cow and the Chicken Crossing the Road by Jane Yolen
Interrupting Chicken by David Ezra Stein
Max and Marla are Going on a Trip by Alexandra Boiger
Snow Falls by Kate Gardner
Interrupting Chicken: Cookies for Breakast by David Ezra Stein
Interrupting Chicken and the Elephant of Surprise by David Ezra Stein
In My Heart: A Book of Feelings by Jo Witek
I am by Human: A Book of Empathy Susan Vrede
I am Love: A Book of Compassion by Susan Vrede
I am Courage: A Book of Resilience by Susan Verde
I am One: A Book of Action by Susan Verde
I am Peace: A Book of Mindfulness by Susan Verde
When the Snow Falls by Linda Booth Sweeney
Tidy by Emily Gravett
Tuesday morning we had a lovely relaxing playdate with a friend. The friend had to leave the coop, but it’s nice to continue the friendship.
We lost a whole afternoon of school because I decided that we needed to clean up the playroom. It needed to be done, but involving the kids meant that it took almost four hours.
Next Week
Finishing 3B Unit 7 for math
Continuing reading Where the Mountain Meets the Moon
Concluding weather and climate change for coop
Covering China for history
Getting acquainted with Renoir for art
Working on phonics for Quentin
Spending more hours outside
Next up on the TBR pile:
After taking a bit of a break from bucket lists in 2021 (seriously, that year was a trash fire), I’m back this year. We have a variety of projects that we want to accomplish this coming year and I want to make some intentions for each season. For winter:
Check off 150 hours of our 1000 hours outside project - We officially have 4 hours posted. Not a great start, but the weather has really been hindering us.
Have a birthday day out for my 40th!
Weekend trip to Chicago
Read 50 books (16/50)
Day trip to Des Moines
At least 6 zoo visits (1/6)
Trip to see the frozen waterfall at Platte
Movie Month February .
Weekly Game Day/Night with Arthur — We started this, although terrible attitudes caused us to miss a week.
Make winter crafts
Design board for future kitchen renovation
Make Valentine’s
Have a monthly (indoor) picnic
Finish one craft project - I’m currently 70% of the way finished with my 2021 Memory Planner. Hoping to finish soon!
Monthly bingo/trivia nights - Our last one got canceled, but I’m making up for it with a trivia and a bingo night in February.
Go sledding
Buy a new Nebraska State Park permit ✓ And we’ve even used it once already.
Do a donation drop - I’ve done a toy cleanup, just need to gather some more things before doing the drop.
Take the kids bowling
Dye my hair purple
Log 50 miles on the treadmill
Learn to knit
Replace 50% of my socks ✓
Make homemade cinnamon rolls
Complete 3 television series - We finished The Witcher S2 and It’s Always Sunny S15, but no big series yet. I really want to finish Hustle something this season.
Up Next on the TBR:
We ended up having a few outings this week, but also
Literature and Poetry
This week’s theme was trickster tales of Africa. It went along nicely with our history unit covering Mali. We also did a mini lesson on Dr. Martin Luther King Jr. to honor his legacy.
Martin Luther King Jr.: Preacher, Freedom Fighter, Peacemaker by Pamela Hill Nettleton
Be a King: Dr. Martin Luther King Jr.'s Dream and You by Carole Boston Weatherford
Poetry: The New Kid on the Block by Jack Prelutsky
Trickster Tales of Africa
A Ring of Tricksters by Virginia Hamilton
Stegothesaurus by Bridget He’s
Math
We continued with our Logic Liftoff book and the various logic puzzles that I’ve found. Arthur finished Unit 6 from 3B and is ready to move on.
Social Studies
We covered the middle times chapter on the Mali Empire. We learned about Mansa Muse the famous city of Timbuktu.
DK Timelines of Everyone
When on Earth
DK History
DK Timelines of Everything
The Magic Guard by Baba Wague Diakite
The Fire Children: A West African Creation Tale by Eric Maddern
The Hatseller and the Monkeys by Baba Wague Diakite
Arthur Independent Time
To allow for one-on-one time with Quentin, I have added an hour of independent work time for Arthur. Each week, he will have a mix of packet work (mostly grammar and math review), independent reading time, and special projects. Many of his projects will be aligned with our literature selections (some taken from B&R Language Arts curriculum) and history.
Science and STEAM Coop
For science, we are covering emotions and socio-emotional traits. Quentin has really taken to discussing the various books.
DK My Mixed Emotions: Anger
Millie Fierce by Jane Manning
Be Positive! by Cheri J. Meiners
The Way I Act by Steve Metzger
Do Unto Otters by Laurie Keller
Wiggles, Stomps, and Squeezes Calm My Jitters Down by Lindsey Rowe Parker
Don't Be Afraid to Drop by Julia Cook
I Can Handle It! by Laurie Wright
In coop, we had our second week about Famous Nebraskans and Iowans open house. The boys had fun and we met some new friends.
Art/Music
Nothing this week
Quentin
I have scheduled at least four 1-hour time blocks for one-on-one time with Quentin. I bought Blossom and Root’s Early Years Volume 2 curriculum to use as our base. I love the variety of activities and some of the bigger projects included. We covered some simple phonics lessons featuring the digraph Th. We did more alphabet review. We also covered the months of the year, opposites, and shapes.
ELA
The Story of Ferdinand by Munro Leaf
My Papi has a Motorcycle by Isabel Quintero
Math
Lollipop Logic Book 1
Fish, Swish! Splash, Dash! by Sure MacDonald
Other
A Little Book About Opposites
Field Trip
We met our coop friends at the SAC Museum to learn about air travel. The boys had extra fun the play areas. And I had got to chat with some of my friends.
Documentary Selection
I have carved out a one hour time block each week to watch a documentary related to our studies. We watched more PBS Eons videos. Eventually we will finish watching all of the published videos.
Misc. Picture Books Read -
365 Penguins by Jean-Luc Fromental
Unicorn is Maybe Not So Great After All by Bob Shea
Unplugged by Steve Antony
That's My Carrot! by Il Sung Na
I Feel Teal by Lauren Rille
When Sadness is at Your Door by Eva Eland
Girl Versus Squirrel by Hayley Barrett
We went on a winter hike at Schramm State Recreational Area. The temps were hovering around 35 degrees and the skies were clear. We were careful to walk on the edges of the path avoiding the ice. We also stopped at the fish hatchery ponds and the geologic formation. It was a good couple of hours outside enjoying nature.
Night time reading didn’t really happen this week due to bad attitudes (and books falling on my head). Here’s hoping next week goes better.
Next Week
Starting a new read aloud
Learning about Indian Empires
Covering Unit 7: Capacity
Exploring weather and climate change for coop
Continuing emotions for science
Hoping to cover Renoir for art
Next up on the TBR pile:
As I look outside my window: It’s clear and bright, but probably very cold. I haven’t decided if I’m leaving the house today.
Right now I am: Getting ready to dive into my reading hour. I’ve got a graphic novel and a nonfiction business book sitting here ready for me to pick up.
On my bedside table: Enjoy the View by Sarah Morgenthaler; Far Sector by NK Jemisin
On my tv this week: Wr continued with The Witcher S2 and The Great S1. And we finally started watching The Righteous Gemstones.
Listening to: Lots of hard rock playlists. I’ve been mixing it up. Somehow the hard rock has been calming me done while I’ve been making dinner and doing house chores.
On the menu for this week:
Monday - Sausage, Potato, Spinach Soup
Tuesday - Chicken Shawarma Fries
Wednesday - Leftovers
Thursday - Jalapeño Popper and Bean Soup
Friday - Peanut Sauce Chicken and Broccoli Bowls
Saturday - Maafe
Sunday - Italian Noodle Soup
On my to do list: Laundry, put away laundry, vacuum, make a cake, make dinner, prep dinner for tomorrow (chicken needs to marinate), print some photos, organize some photos, maybe do a library run
Happening this week:
Monday - Winter walk at Heron Haven
Tuesday - Playdate at Friend’s House; Book Club
Wednesday - Regular Home Day
Thursday - Coop
Friday - Regular Home Day
Saturday - Regular Home Day
Sunday - Currently Reading Zoom
What I am creating: I’m still working through my 2021 Memory Planner. I’ve completed up through July and I just started at the new year. I’m hoping to be done by mid-February. I did hit an obstacle in that I didn’t clean out all the photos from our road trip in September. That’s going to take a minute.
My simple pleasures: Time with friends (even all masked up and cautious), continuing to be healthy, less headaches this week, reliving our road trip by cleaning out the pictures.
Looking around the house: J has been tackling some random projects including getting a bookcase for his books, removing some random old things (like the radio in the bathroom), and buying garage door insulating kits. Here’s hoping he can finish something today.
From the camera: We visited SAC Museum this week during a very cold day. We haven’t been in almost two years and it was nice to visit again.
Here's my randomness for the week:
We’ve been out and about multiple days this week. I am thoroughly peopled out.
Took the opportunity to replace most of my socks this week. Funny how the little things make me happy.
Caramel lava cakes are delightful. That’s all.
Thinking about dyeing my hair for my birthday. Maybe?
Next up on the TBR pile:
Reading: Black Sun by Rebecca Roanhorse - I don’t know why I put this off for so long. I finally started it and it’s very intriguing.
Watching: We’ve been slowly working through The Great S1. It is at times hilarious and heartbreaking.
Listening: We haven’t been going out that often, so no music stretches for us. But I have been catching up on my podcasts.
Making: I started my 2021 Memory Planner pages and am now up to May’s spreads. I’m hoping to get all of these months finished by the end of February. Then I can move onto 2022’s pages.
Feeling: Temperatures have been all over the place. It is fairly warm outside, but I am very chilly right now.
Planning: I wasn’t planning on it, but I am going to be teaching our next coop theme for the older kids. I need to get moving on our lessons.
Loving: Even with weird random days, I am getting stuff done around here and it’s great.
Next up on the TBR pile:
Getting back into a homeschool routine was very difficult this week, but we did it! We managed to finish a majority of my planned curriculum and worked in a impromptu field trip;
Literature and Poetry
This week’s main literature selection was Trickster Tales from Asia and Polynesia. The collection coincided nicely with our history chapter. The boys made a ton of connections to the movie Moana and really loved some of the stories. We also read a ton of picture books and some poetry. The boys are digging the silliness of our current poetry collection from Jack Prelutsky.
Voices on the Wind: Poems for All Seasons selected by David Booth
Trickster Tales
Hooray for Hat by Brian Won
The Cow Loves Cookies by Karma Wilson
The New Kid on the Block by Jack Prelutsky
Kit Flying by Grace Lin
Math
We fell into a routine of taking Monday to focus on logic puzzles and I’m really love the change. We will keep this in our regular routine. Beyond those, Arthur started Singapore Math 3B with a unit on mass and weight. We’ll be finishing that particularly chapter next week.
Logic Liftoff
Social Studies
Still plugging along with our History Quest Middle Times. Chapter 16 was all about Polynesia. We learned about how and when various island groups were settled. The text focused then on three different cultures: New Zealand, Hawaii, and Rapa Nui. Arthur really got into the few travel videos I found detailing the Maori culture.
DK Timelines of Everyone
When on Earth
DK History
DK Timelines of Everything
Oceania by Martha London
Myths, Legends, and Sacred Stories
DK Explorers
Arthur Independent Time
To allow for one-on-one time with Quentin, I have added an hour of independent work time for Arthur. Each week, he will have a mix of packet work (mostly grammar and math review), independent reading time, and special projects. Many of his projects will be aligned with our literature selections (some taken from B&R Language Arts curriculum) and history.
Science and STEAM Coop
For science, I decided to start our health unit this week. We are starting with a week long study of emotions and then moving onto other aspects of social emotional learning. I’m sure we will also through in some basic anatomy and probably hygiene afterwards. And I we started to do some simple yoga to tide us over during these super cold months.
DK How Do I Feel? A Little Guide to My Emotions
The Crayons' Book of Feelings by Drew Daywalt
Big Feelings by Alexandra Penfold
Visiting Feelings by Lauren Rubenstein
Exploring Emotions: A Mindfulness Guide to Understanding Feelings by Paul Christelis
This Makes Me Happy by Courtney Carbone
This Makes Me Sad by Courtney Carbone
This Makes Me Angry by Courtney Carbone
This Makes Jealous by Courtney Carbone
This Makes Me Scared by Courtney Carbone
This Makes Me Silly by Courtney Carbone
We kicked off the spring semester of coop with the theme of Famous Nebraskans and Iowans. As the first two weeks will act as our open house meetings, I made stations instead of our usual structure. Each station featured a person with biography and a related activity. Everyone who came seemed to really enjoy the activities. Next week we are continuing the theme with six new people. For this week, we covered:
Shawn Johnson East - gymnast, learned to do a summersault
Malcolm X - Civil rights activist, made protest signs
J. Sterling Morton - founder of Arbor Day, planted herb plants to take home
Norman Borlaug - agronomist, learned about what kids eat around the world
Evelyn Sharp - WWII pilot, made paper airplanes
Hartley Burr Alexander - iconographer, drew our own versions of the Nebraska State Capitol building.
Basic geography and maps of Nebraska and Iowa
Art/Music
I am determined to bring back art and music this semester. Our science will be slightly lighter in the spring and I think we can find some time. This week we studied the woodcuts of Hokusai. (Arthur covered him last year, but this year Quentin is joining in.) We did a big overview of his life and them focused on three pieces to study and appreciate. I chose one piece for each day that we did art. We studied the piece for a few minutes and then made our own drawings. They could be copies or something inspired by the piece. While drawing (I set a 20 minute timer to help my routine and schedule focused kids), we listened to nature sounds (ocean and forest) to keep us in the mood. I really enjoyed this technique and will be carrying it through to the next weeks.
The Story of Paintings: A History of Art for Children by Mick Manning and Brita Granstrom
Hokusai: Genius of the Japanese Ukiyo-e by Seiki Nagata
Quentin
I have scheduled at least four 1-hour time blocks for one-on-one time with Quentin. I bought Blossom and Root’s Early Years Volume 2 curriculum to use as our base. I love the variety of activities and some of the bigger projects included. I gave Quentin the same pre-test from August to see progress. He has made a ton of progress, but it doesn’t necessarily show on the test. I did notate the progress I have seen and changed a few of the tests to make them more challenging for him. His biggest stumbling block is fine motor control. Writing is still a mountain that we are working to climb. Now that we have covered all the letters, we are focusing on sounds and moving into beginning reading. Q already knows so many words, so we are going to focus a bit more on phonics so he can figure out ones he doesn’t know. For math, we did a lot of puzzles, games, and practice sheets. We also covered a mini unit on diversity and the hijab and the months of the year.
ELA
The Magic of Letters by Tony Johnston and Wendell Minor
The Alphabet Tree by Leo Lionni
Math
Lollipop Logic Book 1
Other
The Proudest Blue by Ibtihaj Muhammad with S.K. Ali
What Color is My Hijab? by Hudda Ibrahim
Under My Hijab by Hena Khan
Please Try to Remember the First of Octember! by Theo LeSieg
The Months: by Sara Coleridge
A Year with Friends by John Seven
Jump into January: A Journey Around the Year by Stella Blackstone
Field Trip
We didn’t have a field trip on the schedule, but a friend suggested a trip to the zoo on Wednesday. The temperature high was going to be 50 degrees, so perfect for walking around. We ended up visiting the desert dome, aquarium, gorilla house, and butterfly house (plus a pit stop at the okapis who were outside). It was a fun day reconnecting with a friend and her son. The boys had a ton of fun. I want to incorporate more mini impromptu activities with them this semester.
Documentary Selection
I have carved out a one hour time block each week to watch a documentary related to our studies. We didn’t watch one big documentary, but we did watch some more PBS Eons videos while I was doing a workout. Eventually we will finish them all. Arthur requested them instead of a NOVA episode. My work here is done!
Misc. Picture Books Read
The Artists by Canles Porta
There’s an Alien in Your Book by Tom Fletcher
The Dinosaur that Pooped the Past by Tom Fletcher
If I Had a Little Dream by Nina Laden
Max and Marla are Flying Together by Alexander Boiger
Just in Case You Want to Fly by Julie Fogliano
Memoirs of a Goldfish by Devin Scillian
Let's Go to the Hardware Store by Anne Rockwell
Letter for Leo by Sergio Ruzzier
The Tickle Test by Kathryn White
Hungry Bunny by Claudia Rueda
Ellie in Concert by Mike Wu
I'm My Own Dog by David Ezra Stein
First Snow by Bomi Park
Pinduli by Janeell Cannon
Ducks Overboard! A True Story of Plastic in Our Oceans by Markus Motum
The Love Letter by Anika Aldamuy Denise
Restarting coop was a treat. We missed our friends and it was nice to get some social interaction again. Can’t wait for next week!
I had a big dentist appointment on Tuesday morning (2 1/2 hours!) and ended up punting on school after that. My entire mouth was sore and I was grumpy. We ended up making up the time, but I still feel like we wasted an entire afternoon.
Next Week
Covering Mali Empire for History
Reading Trickster Tales from Africa and the Near East
Finishing 3B Unit 6 for math
Focusing on reading for Quentin
Choosing a new artist to study for art time
Completing W2 of Famous Nebraskans and Iowans for coop
Visiting the SAC Museum for coop field trip
Maybe taking a hike at Platter River State Park?
Next up on the TBR pile:
As I look outside my window: Clear and bright. After the snowstorm on Friday afternoon/evening, the sun has come out. Yesterday was still very cold, but it’s going to warm up today. I’ll miss the snow, it has been very pretty.
Right now I am: Getting ready to dive back into curriculum planning for the week. I finished 80% of it yesterday but still need to tackle Quentin’s preschool and our health unit.
Thinking and pondering: Should I go to the library today? I’m comfy in the house, but I should at least drop off books and grab our holds. But then I would have to finish cleaning off the van. And if I’m out, I should probably stop at the grocery which means that I need to make a list. So many things!
On my bedside table: Northanger Abbey by Jane Austen (it’s been years since I reread her novels); Far Sector by NK Jemisin
On my tv this week: We finished watching Around the World in 80 Days (with David Tennant!) and continued with The Great S1, It’s Always Sunny S15, and The Witcher S2.
Listening to: I caught up with a ton of politics podcasts. I also spent some time listening to Octane and Alt Nation.
On the menu for this week:
Monday - Chicken Pad Thai Nachos
Tuesday - Lemon Butter Fish
Wednesday - Leftovers
Thursday - Fettuccini Alfredo with Chicken, Broccoli, and Bacon
Friday - Blackened Salmon
Saturday - Sausage, Potato, Spinach Soup
Sunday - Chicken Shawarma Fries
On my to do list: Randomly the student loan was locked again. I swear they just do it every few months. I need to call and get it unlocked so we can pull tax information for this year. I really really hate dealing with them. Beyond that, I have all the usual house stuff on my list.
Happening this week:
Monday - Normal school day
Tuesday - Possible hike at Platte River State Park
Wednesday - Normal school day
Thursday - Coop
Friday - SAC Museum Field Trip
Saturday - Home day
Sunday - Home day
What I am creating: I dove back into my 2021 Memory Planner (hadn’t started at all), and have managed to complete January through March’s spreads. I’ve got some momentum going and really want to keep it up. I have April’s photos printed (except one annoyingly), but I need to get May’s around.
My simple pleasures: A good book, a decent night’s sleep, watching the falling snow and not having to be anywhere.
Looking around the house: Nothing has really changed from last week. I did finish taking down all the Christmas decorations, but I need to put those tubs away in the garage later.
From the camera: Current state of my desk. Messy, but I’m actually doing a project!
