Currently #5

Reading: I picked up The Drift by CJ Tudor after a recommendation from my favorite book podcast. It is definitely a thrill ride!

Watching: J and I finally started the documentary series McMillion$ about the McDonald’s Monopoly fraud scandal. It just took a very serious turn and we are floored.

Listening: I went back to the beginning of 99PI (over 10 years ago) and started listening to the very old episodes. The oldest ones are around 5 minutes each, so I knocked out a ton this weekend. It’s easy to throw in a few while making dinner and picking up the house.

Making: I made a meal plan for this week and into next’s and now I’m just not feeling the meals I put on there. Scrapping it and making new plans this week.

Feeling: Not sure why, but I’m feeling really strung out and at my limit this week. I should probably take a few minutes today to figure out why.

Planning: I’ve moved on to starting the basic planning for next year’s homeschool curriculum. My favorite companies had their spring sales this month so I grabbed some things I knew we would use. Now I’m working on our literature lists.

Loving: We’ve been on a library hold tear this month. So many books! But I love going and getting a new bag of books to check out and work through.

Next up on the TBR pile:

Spring Bucket List

Another season, another bucket list. Our main goal is to get out in nature weekly.

Read 45 Books
Movie Month February
Go on 12 Hikes
Have an Indoor Picnic
Make a Snow Globe
Check Off 50 Hours Outside
Visit the Zoo 3 Times
Monthly Bingo/Trivia Nights
Use the GetOut Pass 3 Times
Make Homemade Cinnamon Rolls
Make a New Dessert
Have an Ice Cream Sundae Night
Two Lincoln Excursion Days
Three State park Visits
Day trip to Des Moines
Plan out curriculum for next year
Plan an Indiana trip for summer complete with mini trip

Next Up on the TBR Pile:

Winter Bucket List Finish

Not quite the showing I was hoping for, but we did get out and about a ton this season.

Go Sledding ✓
Read 45 Books ✓
Bake Some Bread ✓
Make Winter Crafts
Movie Month February
Make Valentines ✓
Go on 5 Winter Hikes ✓
Have an Indoor Picnic
Make a Snow Globe
Complete 3 Puzzles ✓
Buy Some New Cozy Pajamas ✓ - I was actually gifted some cold weather ones for my birthday and I bought some warm weather ones.
Check Off 50 Hours Outside
Have a Birthday Day Out ✓
Visit the Zoo 3 Times (2/3)
Monthly Bingo/Trivia Nights ✓
Take the Kids Bowling ✓
Make Homemade Cinnamon Rolls
Make a New Dessert
Make a Bird Feeder
Have an Ice Cream Sundae Night

Next Up on the TBR Pile:

Odds and Ends

Here's my randomness for the week:

I’m in the middle of three not very fun books. My next read really needs to be fun.
Craving some comfort food this week. Not sure exactly what, but comfort food.
On second thought, I really want some gummies this week… Guess I need to pop back into Target for some Albanese gummy bears.
My brain is telling me that I’ve forgotten to do something this week. I cannot remember.

Next up on the TBR pile:

Homeschool W25: Mad Scramble Disrupted My Life

What We Studied

(See my Low later on to explain the title of this post.) In general, we flew through a ton of curriculum. In fact, I’m getting a little concern that we are going to run out of our current curriculum choices soon. I may need to pull some unit studies and extra stuff to throw in soon.

Literature and Poetry

We ended up only getting about 60% of the way through the coop book club selection before we gave up. It just did not work for us at all! In fact, it didn’t work for any of our book club families, so we were in good company. We picked up the next selection and thankfully it is so much better right away.

Argos by Ralph Hardy
The Strangers by Margaret Peterson Haddix

We finished with our read aloud. As next week is a Flex Week, we are actually going to take a break before tackling Shakespeare.

Nat Geo Book of Nature Poetry
Poetry for Young People: Emily Dickinson
The Mighty Miss Malone by Christopher Paul Curtis

Quentin focused on reading animal stories from around the world. I’m trying to line them up with our continents as we move across the world. We started the next in the Pooh series and will be sprinkling in the stories when we don’t have a country specific book.

Nat Geo Book of Animal Poetry
A World Full of Animal Stories by Angela McAllister
Around the World in 80 Days by Saviour Pirotta
The House at Pooh Corner by A.A. Milne

Math

For both boys, we have scheduled math for three days a week. One day is focused on logic, games, puzzles, and special projects. The two other days are focused on covering the main math curriculum (Singapore 4A and 4B for Arthur and Singapore 1A and 1B for Quentin). Arthur finished 4B last week. We will be taking a break and doing a review course before moving onto 5A. Quentin is close to finishing 1A and we are planning on jumping right into 1B afterwards.

Logic Liftoff (Arthur)
Lollipop Logic Book 2 (Quentin)
Singapore 1A

Social Studies

Arthur continued his large study of United States history using a combination of Build Your Library Level 5 and History Quest United States History.

A Kid’s Guide to Native American History by Yvonne Wakim Dennis
An Indigenous Peoples’ History of the United States by Roxanne Dunbar-Ortiz
We were There Too by Philip Hoose
Words that Built a Nation
History Quest: U.S. History
A Different Mirror
DK American History Visual Encyclopedia
Heart and Soul: The Story of America and African Americans by Kadir Nelson
Nat Geo Our Country’s Presidents
What the Eagle Sees
A is for Abigail: F for First Ladies
Smart About the First Ladies
Race to Chimney Rock by Jesse Wiley

Quentin continued his study of the world with Build Your Library Level 0. We started Africa and covered North Africa.

Nat Geo Beginner’s World Atlas
DK Countries of the World
DK Children Just Like Me
DK Children Just Like Me: A School Like Mine
Africa by Mel Friedman
Africa is Not a Country by Margy Burns Knight and Mark Melnicove
A Visit to Grandad: An African ABC by Sade Fadipe & Shedrach Ayalomeh
Nelson Mandela’s Favorite African Folktales
Jaha and Jamil Went Down the Hill: An African Mother Goose by Virginia Kroll
The Storyteller by Evan Turk
Follow Me Around Egypt by Wiley Blevins
Living in Egypt by Chloe Perkins
The Arabic Quilt by Aya Khalil

Arthur Independent Time

We are working on following a checklist in a planner for weekly independent work. There’s usually some math workbook pages, an ELA packet, weekly writing prompts (1-2 times a week), independent reading time, and a special creative project. There has been many drawing projects lately.

Science

Arthur is focusing on Physics this year. We are covering the text and related videos at home and then joining friends for experiments and extra projects. Our joint science class was cancelled due to sickness with the other family. We covered electromagnetism at home and watched a few episodes of Bill Nye: The Science Guy.

RSO Physics
The Story of Science: Aristotle Leads the Way by Joy Hakim
The Way Things Work Now

Quentin will be focusing on animal science with BYL Level 0. We continued watching a new documentary series called Magic of Disney’s Animal Kingdom. It’s a behind the scenes look at caring for the animals at the park. Each episode is less than 30 minutes, so it’s a perfect length for Q.

Nat Geo Wild Animal Atlas
DK Animal
Lonely Planet: The Animal Book
The Tarantula in My Purse by Jean Craighead George
The Amazing African Alphabet by Kristina Jones

STEAM Coop

Both groups continued the Engineering Challenge. The big kids made straw towers. It was a heated competition right until the end. The oldest group will be doing a different challenge each week. The youngest kiddos made a marble run with toilet paper rolls.

Art/Music/Crafts/Cooking/Documentary

We’re planning one doing on art project and one cooking project each week as well as picking a composer or musician to listen to and enjoy.

Field Trip

No field trip this week.

High

We had our first Nature Explorers meeting at Hummel Park this week. It was super cold, but the kids had fun exploring with friends.

Low

Construction began on our nearby main street and caused some massive issues. No big deal, but then random no parking signs appeared all up and down my street. No parking 24/7 until October 30th. Um what!?!?! I was supposed to host coop on Thursday, but people would have to park on street. I had to scramble and we switched to another’s house, but I was very upset. Thankfully by the end of this week, they clarified the signs. There is now no parking on the north side of my street, but we can still park on the south side. So coop is now back at our house for next week.

Next Week

Flex Week! We are catching up on some units and adding more games, outings, and documentaries.

Arthur contemplating going down the slide…

Next up on the TBR pile:

Currently #4

Reading: The Mountain in the Sea by Ray Nayler - I’m so in deep into this science fiction adventure. It’s so good.

Watching: We’re finishing Brave New World and it’s just so dramatic.

Listening: I finally downloaded the Gorillaz new album. Definitely a masterpiece.

Making: Instead of scones, I’m making banana bread this week. I might end up making a chocolate chip version also.

Feeling: I had my birthday day out on Sunday and I’m feeling refreshed.

Planning: With the huge increase in attendees, I’m updating my games plan. We’re going to spread out the activities and maybe make some new games.

Loving: I did a bit of shopping on Sunday and bought some pieces to update my closet. I ended up with just some basic pieces, but they should be good replacements for some things that are being worn out.

Next up on the TBR pile:

Homeschool W24: Quite a Normal Week

What We Studied

It was a simple normal week. Nothing too out of the ordinary or special. But sometimes, that’s exactly what we need. We need the routine and the ordinary.

Literature and Poetry

We finally started the coop book club selection. It’s not exactly a favorite, but we’ll keep plugging along.

Argos by Ralph Hardy

We continued with our read aloud and will finish early next week. This has not been my favorite of our read aloud, but it has been an interesting read. I need to decide on our next one before we move on to Shakespeare.

Nat Geo Book of Nature Poetry
One World, Many Religions by Mary Pope Osborne
Poetry for Young People: Emily Dickinson
Emily Dickinson: Letters to the World by Jeanette Winter
The Mighty Miss Malone by Christopher Paul Curtis

Nat Geo Book of Animal Poetry
A World Full of Animal Stories by Angela McAllister
Around the World in 80 Days by Saviour Pirotta
The House at Pooh Corner by A.A. Milne
Bread and Jam for Frances by Russell Hoban

Math

For both boys, we have scheduled math for three days a week. One day is focused on logic, games, puzzles, and special projects. The two other days are focused on covering the main math curriculum (Singapore 4A and 4B for Arthur and Singapore 1A and 1B for Quentin). Arthur finished 4B this week. We will be taking a break and doing a review course before moving onto 5A.

Logic Liftoff (Arthur)
Singapore 4B
Lollipop Logic Book 2 (Quentin)
Singapore 1A

Social Studies

Arthur continued his large study of United States history using a combination of Build Your Library Level 5 and History Quest United States History. We moved onto James Monroe and John Quincy Adams. We’ll be moving onto Andrew Jackson and Indian Removal.

A Kid’s Guide to Native American History by Yvonne Wakim Dennis
An Indigenous Peoples’ History of the United States by Roxanne Dunbar-Ortiz
We were There Too by Philip Hoose
Words that Built a Nation
History Quest: U.S. History
A Different Mirror
DK American History Visual Encyclopedia
Heart and Soul: The Story of America and African Americans by Kadir Nelson
Nat Geo Our Country’s Presidents
What the Eagle Sees
A is for Abigail: F for First Ladies
Smart About the First Ladies
James Monroe by Mike Venezia

Quentin continued his study of the world with Build Your Library Level 0. We’re continuing with our Asian country study. We covered more of Asia and moved into the Middle East. We wrapped up Asia with this week.

Nat Geo Beginner’s World Atlas
DK Countries of the World
DK Children Just Like Me
DK Children Just Like Me: A School Like Mine
Riding a Donkey Backwards: Wise and Foolish Tales of Mulla Nasruddin retold by Sean Taylor
What About Me? by Ed Young

Arthur Independent Time

Science

RSO Physics
The Story of Science: Aristotle Leads the Way by Joy Hakim
The Way Things Work Now

Quentin will be focusing on animal science with BYL Level 0. We started watching a new documentary series called Magic of Disney’s Animal Kingdom. It’s a behind the scenes look at caring for the animals at the park. Each episode is less than 30 minutes, so it’s a perfect length for Q.

Nat Geo Wild Animal Atlas
DK Animal
Lonely Planet: The Animal Book
The Tarantula in My Purse by Jean Craighead George

STEAM Coop

Both groups started the Engineering Challenge. The big kids made houses out of various materials while the littles made bridges out of straws. The oldest group will be doing a different challenge each week.

Art/Music/Crafts/Cooking/Documentary

We’re planning one doing on art project and one cooking project each week as well as picking a composer or musician to listen to and enjoy.

Field Trip

We had a zoo day with a few friends. We hit our favorite places and even got to see the baby elephants. The third elephant calf was born two days after our visit.

High

Friday we had lovely 3 mile hike at Schramm with some friends. It was strenuous, but it felt nice to get outside for a few hours.

Low

We attempted a mini golfing and things were very difficult. The boys were not interested in listening to my instructions or advance but kept getting frustrated by not making their shots. It was a trying afternoon.

Next Week

Finishing a new read aloud (A)
Starting a math review workbook (A)
Covering our next unit for physics
Moving to Jackson and Indian Removal for US History
Maybe planning a random outing
Joining the first Nature Explorers meeting

Next up on the TBR pile:

Odds and Ends

Here's my randomness for the week:

it’s week one of the engineering challenge I’m teaching for the oldest group. We’re building houses out of a variety of materials this week.
I really need to meal plan for the rest of the month.
Getting very excited for this Sunday and my birthday day out. Still working out my itinerary…

Next up on the TBR pile:

March 2023 Life Goals

Let’s check in on February’s goals and my progress.

Read 18 Books ✓
Get Back into Our School/Social Routine ✓
Plan Another Homeschool Seminar ✓
Set Up Coop Events for February through March ✓
Go on Four Winter Hikes - Not quite. The weather conspired against us.

March Goals:

Read 18 Books
Make Progress on Planning the Retreat
Make a Watch List for TV and Movies
Preliminary Planning on a Family Weekend Trip

Next up on the TBR pile:

Homeschool W23: A Super Cold Week Caused Some Cancellations...

What We Studied

We were excited to start our week off with a bowling date and wanted to continue the fun with other activities. Unfortunately, we got hit with an ice storm (minor) and below zero temperatures (major). Our outside activities were all cancelled for the week. Here’s hoping next week is a bit more mild and offers opportunities to get outside.

Literature and Poetry

For the coop book club, we received the book (from the library), but have been reading a Terry Prachett book instead of starting it.

Another read aloud was started. This time, I started the book, but have been Arthur read it independently during his work time. We’re attempting to do more retelling and comprehension.

Nat Geo Book of Nature Poetry
One World, Many Religions by Mary Pope Osborne
Poetry for Young People: Emily Dickinson
Emily Dickinson: Letters to the World by Jeanette Winter
The Mighty Miss Malone by Christopher Paul Curtis

Quentin focused on reading animal stories from around the world. I’m trying to line them up with our continents as we move across the world. We finished our read aloud. He didn’t seem super sad that it was over, but we did a conversation about the characters and the plot. So win!

Nat Geo Book of Animal Poetry
A World Full of Animal Stories by Angela McAllister
Around the World in 80 Days by Saviour Pirotta
Heartwood Hotel: A True Home by Kallie George

Math

Logic Liftoff (Arthur)
Singapore 4B
Lollipop Logic Book 2 (Quentin)
Singapore 1A

Social Studies

Arthur continued his large study of United States history using a combination of Build Your Library Level 5 and History Quest United States History. We covered the Presidency of James Madison and the War of 1812. I’m not going super in-depth with a lot of these topics, but we are hitting the high points.

A Kid’s Guide to Native American History by Yvonne Wakim Dennis
An Indigenous Peoples’ History of the United States by Roxanne Dunbar-Ortiz
We were There Too by Philip Hoose
Words that Built a Nation
History Quest: U.S. History
A Different Mirror
DK American History Visual Encyclopedia
Heart and Soul: The Story of America and African Americans by Kadir Nelson
Nat Geo Our Country’s Presidents
What the Eagle Sees
The White House is Burning by Jane Sutcliffe
Long May She Wave: The True Story of Caroline Pickersgill and Her Star-Spangled Creation by Kristen Fulton
Our Flag was Still There: The True Story of Mary Pickersgill and the Star-Spangled Banner by Jessie Hartland
Words that Built a Nation Pg. 66–69 – The Star-Spangled Banner and Francis Scott Key
The Star-Spangled Banner by Peter Spier
The National Anthem by Elaine Landau

Quentin continued his study of the world with Build Your Library Level 0. We’re continuing with our Asian country study. We covered more of Asia and moved into the Middle East.

Nat Geo Beginner’s World Atlas
DK Countries of the World
DK Children Just Like Me
DK Children Just Like Me: A School Like Mine
Everybody Says Shalom by Leslie Kimmelman
Snow in Jerusalem by Deborah Da Costa

Arthur Independent Time

Science

RSO Physics
The Story of Science: Aristotle Leads the Way by Joy Hakim
The Way Things Work Now

Nat Geo Wild Animal Atlas
DK Animal
Lonely Planet: The Animal Book
The Tarantula in My Purse by Jean Craighead George
A Drop Around the World by Barbara McKinney

STEAM Coop

Arthur’s group finished their stop-motion animation project with finished videos. So exciting! Quentin’s group covered the moon and planets this week and then played some board games. Next week, all the groups are moving to Engineering Challenges.

Art/Music/Crafts/Cooking/Documentary

We’re planning one doing on art project and one cooking project each week as well as picking a composer or musician to listen to and enjoy.

Field Trip

We didn’t have a coop field trip and our first Nature Explorers meeting was cancelled due to weather.

High

I took the boys bowling for the first time on Monday! We met ups with two friends and their kids to have two hours of bowling. The alley was packed as it was Presidents’ Day. Thankfully I prepid for a lane so we slid right in. The boys really enjoyed it. We will have to take advantage of our Get Out Pass that includes a free monthly game at a local bowling alley.

Low

Super sad that our first Nature Explorers meeting was cancelled. I didn’t particularly want to be outside for a few hours in below zero temperatures, but still we were sad to cancel.

Next Week

Continuing a new read aloud (A)
Finishing Singapore 4B for math (A)
Covering electrical circuits for physics
Moving to J. Monroe for US History
Watching a few more animal documentaries
Hoping to get outside for a hike

Next up on the TBR pile:

Winter Bucket List Update #2

Entering into another winter bucket list.

Go Sledding ✓ - Backyard, but we still did it!
Read 45 Books ✓
Bake Some Bread ✓
Make Winter Crafts
Movie Month February
Make Valentines ✓
Go on 5 Winter Hikes ✓
Have an Indoor Picnic
Make a Snow Globe
Complete 3 Puzzles
Buy Some New Cozy Pajamas
Check Off 50 Hours Outside
Have a Birthday Day Out
Visit the Zoo 3 Times (1/3)
Monthly Bingo/Trivia Nights (2/3)
Take the Kids Bowling ✓
Make Homemade Cinnamon Rolls
Make a New Dessert
Make a Bird Feeder
Have an Ice Cream Sundae Night

Next Up on the TBR Pile:

Currently #3

Reading: In the middle of Death in the Air by Kate Winkler Dawson. It’s a narrative history weaving together the killer 1952 London smog and a serial killer. Interesting, but the writing structure could use a bit of work.

Watching: While looking at something else, I stumbled across a limited series that adapted Aldous Huxley’s Brave New World. Of course, we had to start watching. Only two episodes in, but the creators have done an interesting job trying to fill out the world. We’ll keep watching.

Listening: I finally downloaded Paramore’s new album, and it’s been my go-to listen this week.

Making: I’m hosting one of my book club’s this month and need to make some discussion questions. Of course the book I chose does not have premade questions. That’s okay, I can do this, just need to sit down and collect my thoughts.

Feeling: All weekend and into this week I’ve been very tired. Not sure why…

Planning: We’ve cycled back and I’m up for teaching science for the next two weeks. We’re covering electricity - static and circuits.

Loving: Finding the time to sit in silence and read these past few days have been a life-saver.

Next up on the TBR pile:

Homeschool W22: We Caught Up with Our Week!

What We Studied

We had a Flex Week and a regular week encompassing the last two weeks. Adding Flex Weeks into our yearly schedule has been a game changer! They allow us to take breaks that make sense to us and then use the Flex Weeks to catch up on the units.

Literature and Poetry

For the coop book club, we finished our selection and had a great book club meeting.

Winterhouse by Ben Guterson

We started and finished our read aloud. Arthur really got into it and we hd some great discussion about homelessness and financial difficulties. It’s a fairly gentle story that really touches on some serious topics. Great pick!

Nat Geo Book of Nature Poetry
One World, Many Religions by Mary Pope Osborne
Poetry for Young People: Emily Dickinson
Crenshaw by Katherine Applegate

Quentin focused on reading animal stories from around the world. I’m trying to line them up with our continents as we move across the world. We also started a new read aloud. He’s been slow to warm up to it, but I think we’re really going to enjoy this one.

Nat Geo Book of Animal Poetry
A World Full of Animal Stories by Angela McAllister
Around the World in 80 Days by Saviour Pirotta
Winnie the Pooh by A.A. Milne
Heartwood Hotel: A True Home by Kallie George
The Cat in the Hat by Dr. Seuss (Q reads)
The Velveteen Rabbit by Margery Williams
FriendBots: Blink and Block Make a Wish by Vicky Fang (Q Reads)

Math

Logic Liftoff (Arthur)
Singapore 4B
Lollipop Logic Book 2 (Quentin)
Singapore 1A

Working on lighting his animation project

Social Studies

Arthur continued his large study of United States history using a combination of Build Your Library Level 5 and History Quest United States History. We took a week off from history (Flex Week) and then covered Thomas Jefferson’s Presidency minus the Lewis and Clark expedition. That portion will be covered with a larger unit about exploring the west. I also found a great documentary about Monticello (The History of Home: History’s Greatest Homes).

A Kid’s Guide to Native American History by Yvonne Wakim Dennis
An Indigenous Peoples’ History of the United States by Roxanne Dunbar-Ortiz
We were There Too by Philip Hoose
Words that Built a Nation
History Quest: U.S. History
A Different Mirror
DK American History Visual Encyclopedia
Heart and Soul: The Story of America and African Americans by Kadir Nelson
Nat Geo Our Country’s Presidents
What the Eagle Sees
Thomas Jefferson and the Mammoth Hunt: The True Story of the Quest for America's Biggest Bones by Carrie Clickard
Thomas Jefferson Builds a Library by Barb Rosenstock
Thomas Jefferson: A Day at Monticello by Elizabeth V. Chew
Jefferson Measures a Moose by Mara Rockliff

Quentin continued his study of the world with Build Your Library Level 0. We’re continuing with our Asian country study. We covered more of Asia and moved into the Middle East.

Nat Geo Beginner’s World Atlas
DK Countries of the World
DK Children Just Like Me
DK Children Just Like Me: A School Like Mine
Nasreen's Secret School: A True Story from Afghanistan by Jeanette Winter
A Sky-Blue Bench by Bahram Rahman
The Sky of Afghanistan by Ana Eulate & Sonja Wimmer
Count Your Way Through Afghanistan by Jim Haskins & Kathleen Benson
I am Malala Yousafzai by Brad Meltzer
Malala’s Magic Pencil by Malala Yousafzai
I See the Sun in Turkey by Dedie King
Silent Music: A Story of Baghdad by James Rumford
The Librarian of Basra by Jeanette Winter
Joha Makes a Wish by Eric A. Kimmel

Arthur Independent Time

Science

Arthur is focusing on Physics this year. We are covering the text and related videos at home and then joining friends for experiments and extra projects. Continuing our physic study with lessons on atoms and sensors. We were going to watch a Modern Marvels episode about radar but our copy was very wrong. Instead, I found a Mythbusters episode of them trying to beat a speed radar. Adjacent, but good addition to our science. And we watched a classic episode of Bill Nye: The Science Guy about atoms and molecules.

RSO Physics
The Story of Science: Aristotle Leads the Way by Joy Hakim
The Way Things Work Now

Nat Geo Wild Animal Atlas
DK Animal
Lonely Planet: The Animal Book
The Tarantula in My Purse by Jean Craighead George
Over and Under the Snow by Kate Messner

STEAM Coop

Arthur’s group is continuing its big stop-motion animation project. They were supposed to finish filming this past week, but coop was cancelled due to weather. We made the decision to shift the next three weeks so the kids could finish out their project. The littles started their unit on stars and astronomy. They are also going to finish next week.

Art/Music/Crafts/Cooking/Documentary

We’re planning one doing on art project and one cooking project each week as well as picking a composer or musician to listen to and enjoy.

Field Trip

We took a trip to the SAC Museum. The lesson they provided wasn’t that exciting, but we had lots of free exploration time. The museum has updated the kids exploration area adding in lots of new games. All the kids were very excited to design their own jet and then fly it on the flight simulator. They each did it about three times. Lots of fun!

We also got back on our 52 Hike plan with a lovely (and cold) morning at Heron Haven. Glad we wore our snow boots as the drifts were about 5 inches deep.

High

We had our coop Valentine’s Day Party. It was a great time and the kids got lots of time to hang out with their friends.

Low

A snowstorm put a wrench into our coop plans. Oh well, it happens living in the Midwest.

Next Week

Starting a new read aloud (A)
Getting close to finishing Singapore 4B for math (A)
Covering static electricity for physics
Moving to Madison and the War of 1812 for US History
Continuing our current read aloud (Q)
Watching a few more animal documentaries
Joining a friend’s new Nature Explorers group on Friday morning.

Next up on the TBR pile:

Odds and Ends

Here's my randomness for the week:

We’re supposed to get a winter storm today, but I’m unsure that anything is really going coming down.
My current book is amazing, but slow going. Still, I am really enjoying it.
Getting Valentine’s candy on clearance is my favorite.
I need to set up my science lessons for the next two weeks.

Next up on the TBR pile:

Currently #2

Reading: Babel by R.F. Kuang - We’re reading this for my Nerdy Bookish Friends buddy read and it’s amazing so far. Definitely speculative fiction mixed with historical fiction with a dash of fantasy. I’m slowly making my way through it, but loving every page.

Watching: We’re finishing our big rewatch of His Dark Materials. The television series is a great adaptation of the books.

Listening: I’m catching up to Currently Reading. Only about three episodes behind.

Making: I keep forgetting about various documentaries we own that would be perfect for our homeschooling. So, I’m making a master list to slot into the places they belong.

Feeling: I’m almost fully recovered from the cold that I caught last week. It was my first true cold since the pandemic started and it was awful. I couldn’t breathe for three days.

Planning: Working on the plans for the bookish retreat and I’m having so much fun. I’ve got some ideas for great treats and surprises as well as a few games.

Loving: Dealing with multiple instances of people not reading the instructions and it’s really been getting to me. I try to be as clear as possible with instructions when it comes to coop, the retreat, and everything else I plan. Just read the instructions people.

Next up on the TBR pile:

Homeschool W21: And Now I Have a Cold!

What We Studied

Another week with basically no photos. I think I need to set a few reminders.

The start of 2023 has not been going well for us school wise. Between my surgery, the kids getting a cold, and then then giving me their cold, we’ve had more half weeks than I care to think bout. We’re still trying to keep up with our read aloud and our math, but lots of the other subjects have slowed down to accommodate lots of rest for everyone. We’ve also had to cancel a ton of activities. I know that we will make up for it laster this semester, but it’s a bit discouraging to deal with all the delays and setbacks.

Literature and Poetry

For the coop book club, w'e’re continuing our current selection. I’m really really enjoying this book and I know that Arthur is also. We’re also at the end, but it’s been pretty slow going this past week.

Winterhouse by Ben Guterson

Arthur and I started our next read aloud. Instead of a literature selection from our language arts curriculum, I chose a historical fiction selection from our history curriculum. It’s an intense story, but I thought it would be interesting read about a plague in our country’s history. And it fits nicely with the time period we are studying in U.S. History this month. We finished that read aloud, although Arthur still needs to do some of his wrap-up work for it.

Nat Geo Book of Nature Poetry
Fever 1793 by Laurie Halse Anderson
One World, Many Religions by Mary Pope Osborne
Poetry for Young People: Emily Dickinson

Quentin focused on reading animal stories from around the world. I’m trying to line them up with our continents as we move across the world.

Nat Geo Book of Animal Poetry
A World Full of Animal Stories by Angela McAllister
Around the World in 80 Days by Saviour Pirotta
Winnie the Pooh by A.A. Milne

Math

Logic Liftoff (Arthur)
Singapore 4B
Lollipop Logic Book 2 (Quentin)
Singapore 1A

Social Studies

Arthur continued his large study of United States history using a combination of Build Your Library Level 5 and History Quest United States History. We covered the Presidencies of George Washington and John Adams. We also learned a bit more about the conflicts with the Indigenous peoples west of the Appalachian Mountains.

A Kid’s Guide to Native American History by Yvonne Wakim Dennis
An Indigenous Peoples’ History of the United States by Roxanne Dunbar-Ortiz
We were There Too by Philip Hoose
Words that Built a Nation
History Quest: U.S. History
A Different Mirror
DK American History Visual Encyclopedia
Heart and Soul: The Story of America and African Americans by Kadir Nelson
Nat Geo Our Country’s Presidents
What the Eagle Sees
Brick by Brick by Charles R. Smith Jr.

Quentin continued his study of the world with Build Your Library Level 0. We’re continuing with our Asian country study. This week we covered Southeast Asia. Along with our study of the geography and people, we went to the Asian Market and bought a ton of foods from Asia. We did multiple tasting nights. The boys really enjoyed the steamed custard buns.

Nat Geo Beginner’s World Atlas
DK Countries of the World
DK Children Just Like Me
DK Children Just Like Me: A School Like Mine
Mela and the Elephant by Dow Phumiruk
I See the Sun in Myanmar by Dedie King
A Different Pond by Bao Phi B&R 14 (Vietnam)
My Night in the Planetarium by Innosanto Nagara (Indonesia)
Nana, Nanek, and Nina by Liza Ferneyhough (Malaysia)
Wishes by Muon Thi Van
The Umbrella Queen by Shirin Yim Bridges (Thailand)
The Floating Field: How a Group pf Thai Boys Built Their Own Soccer Field by Scott Riley (Thailand)
Peek! by Minfong Ho (Thailand)
I am a Little Monk by Mi-hwa Joo (Thailand)
My First Book of Tagalog Words by Liana Romuto (Philippines)
Judge Rabbit and the Tree Spirit by Lina Mao Wall (Cambodia)
My First Book of Indonesian Words by Linda Hibbs (Indonesia)
When Lola Visits by Michelle Sterling (Philippines)
Hush! by Minfong Ho (Thailand)
Cora Cooks Pancit by Dorina K. Lazo Gilmore (Philippines)
Mango Trees by Tae-yeon Kim (Philippines)
Ten Mice for Tet by Peggy Deitz Shea (Vietnam)
Grandfather's Dream by Holly Keller
An Elephant in the Backyard by Richard Sobol
Fly Free! by Roseanne Thong
Nine-in-One by Blia Xiong
Mali Under the Night Sky by YOUME
Where are You, Sun Bear? by Eun-mi Choi
Mommy Sayang by Rosana Sullivan
Brother Rabbit by Minfong Ho & Saphan Ros

Arthur Independent Time

Science

Arthur is focusing on Physics this year. We are covering the text and related videos at home and then joining friends for experiments and extra projects. We ended up skipping out shared science lesson (sickness), but did cover another chapter in The Story of Science and watched another episode of the BBC documentary series: How the Earth

RSO Physics
The Story of Science: Aristotle Leads the Way by Joy Hakim
The Way Things Work Now

Quentin will be focusing on animal science with BYL Level 0.

Nat Geo Wild Animal Atlas
DK Animal
Lonely Planet: The Animal Book
The Tarantula in My Purse by Jean Craighead George

STEAM Coop

Arthur’s group is continuing its big stop-motion animation project. The kids are continuing their planning and prep for actual filming next week. Quentin’s group focused on learning about nutrition. There was a sorting game that he really liked.

Art/Music/Crafts/Cooking/Documentary

We’re planning one doing on art project and one cooking project each week as well as picking a composer or musician to listen to and enjoy.

After dinner game of Guess in 10: Dinosaurs

Field Trip

No field trip this week.

High

. We managed to sneak in a few family game times this week.

Low

Because of being sick, we had to cancel a board game day and a winter hike.

Next Week

We’ll be using our Flex Week to catch up on some subjects and start our new read alouds.

Next up on the TBR pile:

Odds and Ends

Here's my randomness for the week:

I finally caught the cold that the boys had. It’s terrible. I hate not being able to sleep.
As such, I will not be going to coop tomorrow, but hoping to drop off Arthur as he’s fully recovered.
Halfway through our rewatch of His Dark Materials and it’s just as good as I remembered.
Two dud reads in a row was not fun at all. Thankfully I started a fun romance that’s making me want to read.

Next up on the TBR pile:

February 2023 Life Goals

Let’s check in on January’s goals and my progress.

Read 18 Books ✓ - I blew this out of the water!
Make All the Appointments! (Medical related)
Plan Out Curriculum and Coop for Spring
Execute a Homeschool Seminar ✓
Clean and Organize My Office!
Take it Easy after a Minor Surgery ✓

February Goals:

Read 18 Books
Get Back into Our School/Social Routine
Plan Another Homeschool Seminar
Set Up Coop Events for February through March
Go on Four Winter Hikes

Next up on the TBR pile:

Homeschool W20: Getting Back into Our Routine

What We Studied

Another week with basically no photos.

I’m finally mostly recovered from surgery, so we started to get back into our regular routine this week. We managed to have a bit of school every day along with a few activities and outings. Plus, I managed to squeeze in a dentist appointment and trip to the grocery story.

Literature and Poetry

For the coop book club, w'e’re continuing our current selection. I’m really really enjoying this book and I know that Arthur is also.

Winterhouse by Ben Guterson

Nat Geo Book of Nature Poetry
Fever 1793 by Laurie Halse Anderson
One World, Many Religions by Mary Pope Osborne
Poetry for Young People: Emily Dickinson

Quentin focused on reading animal stories from around the world. I’m trying to line them up with our continents as we move across the world.

Nat Geo Book of Animal Poetry
A World Full of Animal Stories by Angela McAllister
Around the World in 80 Days by Saviour Pirotta
The Bears on Hemlock Mountain by Alice Dagliesh
Pig and Pug by Laura Marchesani (Quentin Reads)
I Can Read with My Eyes Shut! by Dr. Seuss (Quentin Reads)

Logic Liftoff (Arthur)
Singapore 4B
Lollipop Logic Book 2 (Quentin)
Singapore 1A

Social Studies

Arthur continued his large study of United States history using a combination of Build Your Library Level 5 and History Quest United States History. We covered the Articles of Confederation era as well as the creation of the U.S. Constitution.

A Kid’s Guide to Native American History by Yvonne Wakim Dennis
An Indigenous Peoples’ History of the United States by Roxanne Dunbar-Ortiz
We were There Too by Philip Hoose
Words that Built a Nation
History Quest: U.S. History
A Different Mirror
DK American History Visual Encyclopedia
Heart and Soul: The Story of America and African Americans by Kadir Nelson
Shhh! We’re Writing the Constitution by Jean Fritz

Quentin continued his study of the world with Build Your Library Level 0. We’re continuing with our Asian country study. This week we covered the rest of East Asia then hopped on over to the Indian subcontinent.

Nat Geo Beginner’s World Atlas
DK Countries of the World
DK Children Just Like Me
DK Children Just Like Me: A School Like Mine
Follow Me Around Japan by Wiley Blevins
Living in South Korea by Chloe Perkins
Follow Me Around South Korea by Wiley Blevins
The Korean Cinderella by Shirley Climo
The Discovery of Ramen by Phil Amara and Oliver Chin
Grass Sandals: The Travels of Basho by Dawnine Spivak
One Leaf Rides the Wind by Celeste Davidson Mannis
The Origami Master by Nathaniel Lachenmeyer
I, Doko by Ed Young
Chibi Samurai Wants a Pet by Sanae Ishida
Ba-chan The Ninja Grandma by Sanae Ishida
A Pair of Red Clogs by Masako Matsuno
Gigi and Ojiji: What's in a Name? by Melissa Iwai
Living In India by Chloe Perkins
Leila in Saffron by Rukhsanna Guidroz
Mama's Saris by Pooja Makhijani
I See the Sun in India by Dedie King
I See the Sun in Nepal by Dedie King

Arthur Independent Time

Science

Arthur is focusing on Physics this year. We are covering the text and related videos at home and then joining friends for experiments and extra projects. This week was all about magnets! We did some simple magnet experiments. Next week, we will play some games with magnets and make a compass.

RSO Physics
The Story of Science: Aristotle Leads the Way by Joy Hakim
The Way Things Work Now

Quentin will be focusing on animal science with BYL Level 0.

Nat Geo Wild Animal Atlas
DK Animal
Lonely Planet: The Animal Book
The Tarantula in My Purse by Jean Craighead George
A Little Round Panda on the Big Blue Earth by Troy Christie

STEAM Coop

Arthur’s group is continuing its big stop-motion animation project. The kids are planning and storyboarding before they get to actually film the movies. Quentin’s group focused on learning about nutrition. There was lots of sorting different foods and even trying a few.

Art/Music/Crafts/Cooking/Documentary

We’re planning one doing on art project and one cooking project each week as well as picking a composer or musician to listen to and enjoy.

Field Trip

No field trip this week.

High

Another great winter walk this week! We joined some friends at the OPPD Arboretum and tromped through the snow and the woods.

Low

The cold temperatures kept us inside more than I would have liked this week.

Next Week

Continuing our historical fiction read aloud
Keeping on with our math curriculum
Covering Southeast Asia for SS (Q)
Learning about our first two presidents (A)
Playing with magnets for physics
Going on another winter hike

Next up on the TBR pile:

Winter Bucket List Update #1

Entering into another winter bucket list.

Go Sledding ✓ - Backyard, but we still did it!
Read 45 Books (25/45)
Bake Some Bread ✓ - I’ve actually made multiple loaves so far this year.
Make Winter Crafts
Movie Month February
Make Valentines
Go on 5 Winter Hikes (3/5)
Have an Indoor Picnic
Make a Snow Globe
Complete 3 Puzzles
Buy Some New Cozy Pajamas
Check Off 50 Hours Outside
Have a Birthday Day Out
Visit the Zoo 3 Times (1/3)
Monthly Bingo/Trivia Nights (1/3)
Take the Kids Bowling
Make Homemade Cinnamon Rolls
Make a New Dessert
Make a Bird Feeder
Have an Ice Cream Sundae Night

Next Up on the TBR Pile: