Homeschool W25: Midwest Weather Changed Our Plans

What We Studied

We had a schedule with a few field trips, but those changed due to the weather. After last weekend’s storm, the temperatures dropped dramatically and didn’t recover. It was cold and the wind made it even colder.

Our Book Outlet finally came! Lots of things for next year (except for the Beatrix Potter books).

Literature and Poetry

Finally finished Aru Shah this week and concluded our American Tall Tales unit. I really enjoyed both and I think Arthur did also.

Aru Shah and the End of Time by Roshani Chokshi
Poetry Outside Your Window by Nicola Davies
When Green Becomes Tomatoes by Julie Fogliano
American Tall Tales by Mary Pope Osborne
The 12 Most Amazing American Myths and Legends by Anita Yasuda
Casey Jones by Stephen Krensky
Mike Fink by Steven Kellogg
Pecos Bill Tames a Colossal Cyclone by Eric Braun
Pecos Bill by Stephen Krensky
Pecos Bill, Monster Wrangler by Benjamin Harper
Pecos Bill Colossal Cowboy by Sean Tulien
John Henry Vs. the Mighty Steam Drill by Carl Meister
John Henry: An American Legend by Ezra Jack Keats
Ain't Nothing but a Man: My Quest to Find the Real John Henry by Scott Reynolds Nelson
John Henry by Stephen Krensky
John Henry, Steel-Drivin' Elf by Benjamin Harper
Paul Bunyan by Steven Kellogg
The Tall Tale of Paul Bunyan by Martin Powell
The Bunyans by Audrey Wood
Paul Bunyan's Sweetheart by Marybeth Lorbiecki
Paul Bunyan and Babe the Blue Whale by Penelope Gruber
Paul Bunyan and Babe the Blue Ox: The Great Pancake Adventure by Matt Luckhurst
Paul Bunyan vs. Hals Halson: The Great Lumberjack Challenge! by Teresa Bateman

Both boys had successful dentist appointments

Math

We sped through Unit 10 about time. Really it was a big review while ago doing some more adding and subtracting time.

Logic Countdown

Social Studies

We ended up not actually doing our history unit this week. No big deal, we’ll just push it a week. This is why I add in “break” weeks to our schedule. Gives us a lot of flexibility.

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

We didn’t have coop this week due to our scheduled break week. We’ll be back next week with our First Responders theme.

For science, we started our big Earth Science unit focusing on geography, geology, and volcanoes and earthquakes.

When Planet Earth was New by James Gladstone
Earth by Quinn M. Arnold
Home on the Earth by Laura Purdie Salas
Dirtmeister's Nitty Gritty Planet Earth by Steve Tomecek
Stickmen's Guide to Mountains and Valleys in Layers by Catherine Chambers
The Magic School Buss Inside the Earth by Joanna Cole

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. Quentin started his next unit on the farm. Basically that means a ton of farm themed books, some themed ELA and math pages, and a few mini crafts and projects.

ELA

Winter Story by Jill Barklem
On a Farm by Alexa Andrews (Q reads)
Life on a Farm
Farmyard Beat by Lindsey Craig
Biscuit's Snow Day Race by Alyssa Satin Capucilli (Q reads)
Farm by Rebecca Pettiford
My Farm Friends by Wendell Minor
Going to a Farm by Rebecca Rissman
Dinosaur Farm by Penny Dale
Busy Bug Builds a Fort by David A. Carter (Q reads)
Song of the Wild: A First Book of Animals by Nicola Davies
Old MicMickey Had a Farm
I Like the Farm by Shelley Rotner
The Farmer by Ximo Abadia
Amara's Farm by JaNay Brown-Wood

Math

Lollipop Logic Book 1
Smart Start Beginning Coding Grade 1

Other

High Five January 2018

Field Trip

The weather was not cooperating with us this week. We again got below zero a few of the days. We did venture out to the zoo on Wednesday. It was chilly, but we got to visit the elephant babies (and they were right up front!) and warm up in the jungle and the desert dome. We also had a park day on the one slightly warmer day. The boys had fun, but more importantly, I had a lovely conversation with two coop moms. (The boys also had their dentist appointments this week.)

Documentary Selection

I have carved out a one hour time block each week to watch a documentary related to our studies.

Misc. Picture Books Read

Letters from Bear by Gauthier David
Snickerdoodle Takes the Cake by Ethan Long
A Child of Books by Oliver Jeffers
The Paperboy by Dav Pilkey
A New Green Day by Antoinette Portis
How to Catch a Star by Oliver Jeffers
In the Half Room by Carson Ellis
If I Were the Sunshine by Julie Fogliano
The Boy with Big, Big Feelings by Britney Winn Lee

High

Getting out to the zoo on Wednesday was delightful. We got to spend 15 minutes observing the new elephant babies. They are incredibly adorable.

Low

Super cold temps cancelled our planned hike on Friday. I was looking forward to getting out into nature more. Thankfully, we have rescheduled for Wednesday.

Next Week

Starting 3B Unit 11 (Data Analysis) for math
Beginning City of the Plague God for our read aloud
Analyzing a few picture books for literature
Covering the Renaissance for history
Getting acquainted with the paintings of Rosa Bonheur
Continuing with our farm unit for Quentin
Exploring rocks and minerals for science

Next up on the TBR pile:

Currently #4

Reading: A Marvellous Light by Freya Marske. I’m really digging this book full of magic, romance and mystery.

Watching: We finally watched Train to Busan and it was amazing! Of course, I had to pick a zombie movie for my birthday movie choice.

Listening: Been rocking my Apple Favorites playlist. Sometimes the mix is a bit strange, but I love it.

Making: I have a video chat scheduled with another coop member to discuss strategies moving forward. We’ll see how it goes…

Feeling: My birthday day out was amazing and felted me feel slightly refreshed.

Planning: I’ve been thinking about what events we want to plan for this spring. Of course, I’m banking on the pandemic to continue to get better. I’m hoping that we can do a couple day trip to Des Moines or KC and maybe a family trip to Chicago.

Loving: I bought myself some great presents on my birthday day out. I think my favorite might be my Frida Kahlo doll.

Next up on the TBR pile:

Homeschool W24: 5 1/2 Hours Outside in One Day!

What We Studied

Arthur started the week sick canceling out planned zoo day. We did spend all day Tuesday outside and had our usual coop.

**Turns out I took basically no pictures last week. It was a strange week for us (mentally) and I just didn’t get pictures taken. Oh well. I promise we still did things.

Literature and Poetry

While continuing to read Aru Shah, we also started our unit on American Tall Tales. We’re focusing on one character per tale and reading a variety of tales and information while working through a companion packet I found. We’ll be continuing this into next week also.

Are Shah and the End of Time by Roshani Chokshi
American Tall Tales by Mary Pope Osborne
The 12 Most Amazing American Myths and Legends by Anita Yasuda
Davy Crockett Saves the World by Rosalyn Schanzer
Davy Crockett and the Great Mississippi Snag by Cari Meister
Sally Ann Thunder Ann Whirlwind by Steven Kellogg
Thunder Rose by Jerdine Nolan
Johnny Appleseed by Steven Kellogg
Johnny Appleseed by Reeve Lindbergh
The Story of Johnny Appleseed by Aliki
Johnny Appleseed by Rosemary and Stephen Vincent Benet
Johnny Appleseed Plants Trees Across the Land by Eric Braun
Outside Your Window by Nicola Davies (Winter and Spring sections)

Math

Arthur’s still sitting with 3B Unit 9 covering fractions. We finished the lessons and did some extra practice. We’ll be wrapping this up next week, but I’m sure we’ll revisit later this spring.

Logic Countdown

Social Studies

This chapter of History Quest focused on the Inca Civilization. We’ve watched enough documentaries previously, that this was almost a review for Arthur. He still learned a bit about their farming practices, and we still had a good time reading and looking up pictures.

DK Timelines of Everyone
When on Earth
DK History
DK Timelines of Everything
DK Explorers
Where is Machu Picchu? by Megan Stine
Inca by Lawrence Kovacs
Ancient Civilizations: Aztecs, Maya, Incas! by Anita Yasuda
Ancient Incas by Michael Burgan
Myths, Legends, and Sacred Stories

Arthur Independent Time

Science and STEAM Coop

Coop was all about space. The littles group made watercolor salt space paintings and talked about space travel. The other older group finished their lap books about the solar system. At home, we did some review about space.

For our actual health unit, we talking about our senses and how they work. Lots of pointing out examples of using our senses throughout the week.

My Five Senses by Aliki
iDiscover the Body by Carolyn Scrace
My Amazing Body by Ruth Martin & Allan Sanders
My Body by Martha E.H. Rustad

House down the street had to remove a tree and now has a holiday themed inflatable every month. We stopped by after our park day.

Art/Music

None this week

Quentin

ELA

Nick and Nack Blow Bubbles by Brandon Budzi
There is a Town by Gail Herman
Little Penguin and the mysterious Object by Tadgh Bentley
The Day the Crayons Quit by Drew Daywalt
High Five August 2018

Math

Lollipop Logic Book 1

Other

I Spy Learn and Go

Field Trip

None this week

Documentary Selection

I have carved out a one hour time block each week to watch a documentary related to our studies.

Misc. Picture Books Read

Snow Dance by Erica Farber (Q read to me)
This Book is Gray by Lindsay Ward
The Love Letter by Anika Aldamuy Denise
Big Snow by Jonathan Bean
Love by Matt de la Pena
Eyes that Speak to the Stars by Joanna Ho
Goldi Rocks and the Three Bears by Corey Rosen Schwartz
If You were a Panda Bear by Wendell and Florence Minor
Puppy by Keith Graves
Negative Cat by Sophie Blackall
The Great Puppy Invasion by Alastair Heim

High

We had a park playdate on Tuesday morning and then added another park playdate that afternoon. We basically spent all of Tuesday outside and it was amazing! We added to our outside hours and just enjoyed the break in the weather. For reference, last night it froze and snowed almost 2 inches. A little different from the temps in the 60s this past week.

Low

Arthur got sick on Monday morning (food related, not COVID related) and we had to cancel our zoo day. We’re hoping to go again this Wednesday, but it really put a damper on our day.

Next Week

Starting 3B Unit 10 for math
Finishing reading Aru Shah and covering American Tall Tales
Covering the Renaissance for history
Diving into the farm for Quentin’s big unit
Exploring the paintings of Rosa Bonheur
Taking a break from coop (scheduled week off)

Next up on the TBR pile:

Odds and Ends

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:

2021-2022 Desserts and Snacks - January and February

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

March 2022 Life Goals

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:

Homeschool W23: A Break and a Regular Week Combined

What We Studied

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

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

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).

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

High

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.

Low

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.

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:

Winter Bucket List Update #2

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:

Currently #3

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:

Odds and Ends

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:

Homeschool W22: Guess We Focused on ELA and Math...

Making Valentine’s for our mail exchange

What We Studied

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

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

Arthur Independent Time

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

High

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!)

Low

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:

Currently #2

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:

Homeschool W21: Two Documentaries Related to Our Studies

What We Studied

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

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

High

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.

Low

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:

Odds and Ends

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:

February 2022 Life Goals

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:

Homeschool W20: Getting Used to Winter Walks

What We Studied

We ended up with a light week, but covered some ground.

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

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

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

High

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.

Low

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:

Winter Bucket List Update #1

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:

Homeschool W19: Winter Hikes can be Refreshing

What We Studied

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

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

High

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.

Low

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:

Life Right Now #2

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.

Odds and Ends

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: