Homeschool W11: All the Fall Fun!

What We Studied

Another combo post of a Flex Week and the regular week. These Flex Weeks are really working out well for my compulsion to schedule and check off boxes. We fit in a few activities but also a lot of relaxing time at time following a few appointments.

Dentist appointment!

Literature and Poetry

We started Howl’s Moving Castle as our next main read aloud. Of course, we are still continuing our creation stories and our Nature Poetry. We have been reading a collection of scary stories before bed each night. Arthur and I started The Westing Game, our coop book club selection. We need to read it quickly as the meeting is on Tuesday night.

• Nat Geo Book of Nature Poetry

• In the Beginning by Virginia Hamilton

• Howl’s Moving Castle by Diana Wynne Jones

• The Cabinet of Curiosities

• The Westing Game by Ellen Raskin

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 Europe and covered stories from Scandinavia. We also started and finished the My Father’s Dragon collection. Q really liked it, so I call is a success.

• Nat Geo Book of Animal Poetry

• A World Full of Animal Stories by Angela McAllister

• Around the World in 80 Days by Saviour Pirotta

• My Father’s Dragon by Ruth Stiles Gannett

• Fox and the Jumping Contest by Corey R. Tabor (Quentin reads)

• The Mystery of the Dragon Eggs by Maggie Testa (Quentin reads)

• Sir Ladybug by Corey R. Tabor (Quentin Read)

• FriendBots: Blink and Block Bug Each Other by Vicky Fang (Quentin Read)

• Fox is Late by Corey R. Tabor (Quentin Read)

• Ola by Ingri and Edgar Parin d'Aulaire

• The Three Billy Goats Gruff by Jerry Pinkney

• Agnes's Place by Marit Larsen

• The Troll with No Heart in His Body and Other Tales of Trolls, from Norway by Lise Lunge-Larsen

• D'Aulaires' Book of Norwegian Folktales

• The Pancake Boy by Lorinda Byran Cauley

• The Dragon's Hoard by Lari Don

• Master Maid: A Tale of Norway by Aaron Shepard

• Nat Geo Treasury of Norse Mythology

• The Most Beautiful Story by Brynjulf June Tjønn and Øyvind Torseter

• Boots and His Brothers by Eric A. Kimmel

• The Kalevala: Tales of Magic and Adventure

• The Princess Mouse by Aaron Shepard

• A Little Bitty Man and Other Poems for the Very Young by Halfdan Rasmussen

• Fat Cat by Margaret Read MacDonald

• The Whispering Town by Jennifer Elvgren

• Coffee Rabbit Snowdrop Lost by Betina Birkjær

• Hans Christian Andersen: The Journey of His Life by Heinz Janisch

• The Mouse Bride by Linda Allen

• The Sinking of the Vasa by Russell Freedman

• Now that Night is Near by Astrid Lindgren

• The Little Old Woman and the Hungry Cat by Nancy Polette

Weekly LEGO creation - a Star Wars speeder that crashed

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). We played a lot of math packet catch-up this week. We had been pushing hard and it was nice to slow down a bit and work on mastery of skills. I also pulled out the Autumn tangrams to play with on a rainy day. The boys always love when I pull those out and it helps them work on their spatial relations.

• Logic Liftoff (Arthur)

• Singapore 4A

• Lollipop Logic Book 2 (Quentin)

• Smart Start Math Grade 1

Proof we did do some bookwork

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 the Plymouth colony and the settlement of New England. We’re slowing moving through the timeline, but it’s a good pace for us.

• A Kid’s Guide to Native American History by Yvonne Wakim Dennis

• An Indigenous Peoples’ History of the United States by Roxanne Dunbar-Ortiz

• What the Eagle Sees: Indigenous Stories of Rebellion and Renewal by Eldon Yellowhorn and Kathy Lowinger

• We were There Too by Philip Hoose

• Words that Built a Nation

• History Quest: U.S. History

• DK American History Visual Encyclopedia

• 1621: A New Look at Thanksgiving

Quentin continued his study of the world with Build Your Library Level 0. We did an overview of Europe and moved into the Scandinavian countries. We even had an Atlas Crate for Sweden, so extra fun was had.

• Skill Sharpeners Geography Grade K

• 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

• D is for Dala Horse: A Nordic Countries Alphabet by Kathy-jo Wargin

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. We covered wheels and axles.

• RSO Physics

• The Story of Science: Aristotle Leads the Way by Joy Hakim

• The Way Things Work Now

• Wheels and Cranks by David Glover

Quentin will be focusing on animal science with BYL Level 0. We did just a little overview of the animals of Europe.

• Nat Geo Wild Animal Atlas

• DK Animal

• Lonely Planet: The Animal Book

• The Tarantula in My Purse by Jean Craighead George

Honey Brown Butter, Chocolate Fudge, Cherry, and Salted Caramel Apple

S’mores and Bourbon Pecan

STEAM Coop

We had a very strange two weeks of coop. The first week, Arthur finished up the Telecommunications unit. Unfortunately things conspired against the middles and littles and so we pivoted to show and tell and board games. The kids still got some time to socialize and see their friends. The second week, I had a dentist appointment and the kids weren’t feeling great, so we skipped coop that week.

Art/Music/Crafts/Cooking

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. This week music just didn’t happen. But that’s okay. Arthur’s continued with the Outschool drawing class. He made a great picture of a dolphin and sea turtle and one of a sparrow. He is really loving this class and it’s really keeping up his skills.

Field Trip

We ventured out on the coldest day of the year so far (25 degrees!) to Arbor Day Farm. We spent all day there exploring nature and hanging out with some friends. it was very chilly, but we did have a good day.

We also had a virtual park ranger program where a Park Ranger from Petrified Forest talked to the kids about the National Parks and specifically her park. It was a good hour discussion. And we got to stay home and enjoy the program from our couch. Extra win!

High

• We hit Vala’s three times to get the most out of our season passes. Monday was rough as it was raining the entire time, but we redeemed ourselves with Friday’s visit. We hit all our favorite places and enjoyed lots of treats. Loved it!

• On the general life front: The kids finally got access to the bivalent COVID booster. A small worry taken off my plate for this season. And the boys had their regular dentist appointment with no issues. They’ll be back in 6 months.

Low

• Rainy and cold on our field trip days messed up our flow. And the kids had a touch of a cold, so that wasn’t fun.

Next Week

• Finishing Howl’s Moving Castle (A)

• Moving to the French, Dutch, and Spanish settlements for US History (A)

• Moving to pulleys for Physics (A)

• Covering Western Europe for social studies and science (Q)

• Reading some Halloween themed books (Q)

• Covering genetics, (A) and anatomy (Q) for coop

Next up on the TBR pile:

October 2022 Wrap

October TBR Pile (20/27): It’s spooky book month!

1. Bookworms BC: The Book of Cold Cases by Simone St. James ✓

2. Friend BC: The Midwife’s Revolt by Jodi Daynard

3. Nerdy Bookish Friends BC: Her Majesty’s Royal Coven by Juno Dawson ✓

4. Nerdy Bookish Friends BC: Fledgling by Octavia E. Butler ✓

5. Currently Reading Bookish Friends BC: The Book Eaters by Sunyi Dean

6. Fantasy: The Essex Serpent by Sarah Perry

7. Fantasy: A Court of Frost and Starlight by Sarah J. Maas ✓

8. Fantasy: Beastly Bones by William Ritter ✓

9. Fantasy: Moon Called by Patricia Briggs ✓

10. Mystery: A Curious Beginning by Deanna Rayburn

11. Fairy Tale: Once Upon a Curse ✓

12. Horror: Reliquary by Douglas Preston and Lincoln Child ✓

13. Horror: You May Now Kill the Bride by R.L. Stine ✓

14. Horror: The Wrong Girl by R.L. Stine ✓

15. Horror: Something Strange and Deadly by Susan Dennard ✓

16. Horror: A Dawn Most Wicked by Susan Dennard ✓

17. Comic: My Favorite Thing is Monsters by Emil Ferris ✓

18. Science Fiction: The Rise and Fall of D.O.D.O. by Neal Stephenson

19. Nonfiction: The Yoga Store Murder by Dan Morse ✓

20. Nonfiction: The 1619 Project

21. Poetry: The Girl and the Goddess by Nikita Gill ✓

22. Kid Read Aloud: The Wild Robot Escapes by Peter Brown ✓

23. Kid Read Aloud: Blood on the Water by Elisa Carbone ✓

24. Kid Read Aloud: My Father’s Dragon by Ruth Stiles Gannett ✓

25. Kid Read Aloud: The Cabinet of Curiosities ✓

26. Kid Read Aloud: The Westing Game by Ellen Raskin ✓

27. Kid Read Aloud: Howl’s Moving Castle by Diana Wynne Jones

1,000,000 Page Goal:

Monthly Total: 6557 pages
Pages Remaining: 374,900 pages

Current Read - What Moves the Dead by T. Kingfisher; Fairy Tale by Stephen King

Books I Gave Up On (0)

Books Bought/Received (3)

BOTM had some great selections this month and I ended up buying two of them.

• Spells for Forgetting by Adrienne Young

• Foul Lady Fortune by Chloe Gong

UnRead Shelf Progress

• Starting Number: 338

• Books Read: 8

• Books Acquired: 2

• Books Unshelved: 0

• Finishing Number: 332

November TBR Pile:

1. Bookworms BC: Wrong Place Wrong Time by Gilliam McAllister

2. Bookworms BC: Lessons in Chemistry by Bonnie Garmus

3. Friend BC: The Midwife’s Revolt by Jodi Daynard

4. Nerdy Bookish Friends BC: Fairy Tale by Stephen King

5. Nerdy Bookish Friends BC: Mrs. Caliban by Rachel Ingalls

6. Currently Reading Bookish Friends BC: Comfort Me with Apples by Catherynne Valente

7. Fantasy: The Essex Serpent by Sarah Perry

8. Mystery: A Curious Beginning by Deanna Rayburn

9. Horror: What Moves the Dead by T. Kingfisher

10. Science Fiction: The Rise and Fall of D.O.D.O. by Neal Stephenson

11. Nonfiction: The 1619 Project

12. Kid Read Aloud: Howl’s Moving Castle by Diana Wynne Jones

13. Kid Book Club: The Girl Who Drank the Moon by Kelly Barnhill

Movies watched

• Morbius - Terrible mess of a movie. Only the scenes with Matt Smith were good.

• Underworld - A rewatch so we can finish this series. Not terrible.

• Underworld: Evolution - Worse than the first one definitely, but I don’t think absolutely terrible.

• Underworld: Rise of the Lycans - Thought we had watched this one, but I remembered nothing. Still enjoy Michael Sheen, but that’s about it.

• Underworld: Awakening - The low point in the series. The narrative was a jumbled mess with lots of retconning throughout. Charles Dance was a joy.

• Underworld: Blood Wars - Better than the last one, but not great. There were so many larger mythology issues, but the movie’s plot line was tighter.

• Blade - Decent superhero movie pre-MCU

• Blade II - Somehow I never actually watched this one. A mess of a plot and terrible CGI.

• Blade: Trinity - Decent conclusion to the trilogy. Of course I love the inclusion of Ryan Reynolds.

• Mad God - Phil Tippett’s passion project. Very weird and disturbing in parts, but a vision of animation of imagination.

• Alien - Always enjoy watching this one.

• Aliens - A very decent sequel. Much more action than horror, but still a great movie.

• Predator - Haven’t rewatched in years. I actually enjoyed this one mostly.

• Predator 2 - A new watch for me. Pretty terrible characters (and seriously egregious female nudity scene), but I did like more content focused on the Predator.

• Alien 3 - Not sure that it’s a favorite, but interesting. Totally forgot that Charles Dance is in this one.

• Alien Resurrection - Never saw it. Definitely a interesting one. I was rooting of the xenomorphs throughout this one.

• Alien Vs. Predator - Oof Don’t think about the plot line too much. I did enjoy a few of the action sequences.

• Alien Vs. Predator 2 - Not good. Not good at all.

• Predators - Decent movie. We’ve found that the Predator series is more consistent than the Alien series (but I think that Alien is the best movie still).

• Alien: Prometheus - Very pretty, but the plotline left much confusion. Not quite sure how it really fits into the original Alien series.

• Alien: Covenant - Like this one better than the previous, but still confused abut the larger timeline/plot. Did love Michael Fassbender’s David!

TV Shows watched 

• Archer

• Batchelor in Paradise

• Below Deck: Mediterranean

• Last Week Tonight

• Lower Decks S3

• Ghosts S (UK)

• Avenue 5 S2 - I didn’t even realize that they were making a second season.

Comments - A very decent showing for Spooky Book and Month month! We ended up watching three big sci-fi/fantasy series and I read over 50% from my shelves. I had so much fun leaning into the spooky that I am going to carry it into next month as well. Used to stop on November 1st, but it’s my favorite time of the year, I’m going to continue.

Next up on the TBR pile:

Life Right Now #32

Thinking and pondering: How much pain is too much? I’m glad that I have an appointment made for early December, but goodness I don’t know if I can make it that far. I’m having 4 pain days for every 3 good ones.

On my bedside table: Fairy Tale by Stephen King; Tunnel of Bones by VE Schwab

On my tv this week: We are continuing our spooky movie month with the rest of the Alien and Predator series.

Listening to: I finished S1 on Limetown and am ready to reading the prequel book before moving onto S2.

On the menu for this week:

• Monday - Charcuterie Board

• Tuesday - Chicken and Dumplings

• Wednesday - Leftovers

• Thursday - Swedish Night

• Friday - Pizza Night

• Saturday - England and Ireland Night

• Sunday - Teriyaki Shrimp

On my to do list: Beyond the house tasks below, I need to make eye appointments. I also need to make my November TBR pile I need to do some other long range planning for the rest of the semester.

Happening this week:

• Monday - Halloween! We have the coop party and then trick-or-treating.

• Tuesday - Coop Book Club

• Wednesday - Science

• Thursday - Coop; Lit Society

• Friday - Haircut for me; Outschool drawing class

• Saturday - Home Day

• Sunday - Home Day

What I am creating: I’m need to finish my October Memory Planner pages and I would like to think about Christmas cards.

My simple pleasures: One last visit to the pumpkin patch; warm chocolate chip cookies; horrifying books

Looking around the house: I really need to vacuum. I was going to do it yesterday, but I had a very bad pain day so no go. Maybe I can get it done today. I also need to do laundry and put away all those clothes.

From the camera: Book club by the fire pit. I love fall!

Moon Called by Patricia Briggs

Title: Moon Called (Mercy Thompson #1)

Author: Patricia Briggs

Publisher: Ace Books 2006

Genre: Urban Fantasy

Pages: 288

Rating: 4/5 stars

Reading Challenges: Unread Shelf Project

Mercy Thompson is a shapeshifter, and while she was raised by werewolves, she can never be one of them, especially after the pack ran her off for having a forbidden love affair. So she’s turned her talent for fixing cars into a business and now runs a one-woman mechanic shop in the Tri-Cities area of Washington State.

But Mercy’s two worlds are colliding. A half-starved teenage boy arrives at her shop looking for work, only to reveal that he’s a newly changed werewolf—on the run and desperately trying to control his animal instincts. Mercy asks her neighbor Adam Hauptman, the Alpha of the local werewolf pack, for assistance.

But Mercy’s act of kindness has unexpected consequences that leave her no choice but to seek help from those she once considered family—the werewolves who abandoned her...

Finally started this series after being encouraged by a friend. Very solid urban fantasy featuring a strong heroine, sexy men, a big mystery, and lots of action. I was very hooked about 30 pages in the book. I had to orient myself to the world before really diving in, but once I got it, I sped through the rest of the book. I really fell for Mercy. She’s a loner but has a wide net of acquaintances. I loved seeing how she connected and reconnected with various people throughout the book. There’s a ton of action in this volume and we learn quite a bit about Mercy’s world. I am very intrigued to keep reading these books.

Mercy Thompson

• #1 Moon Called

• #2 Blood Bound

• #3 Iron Kissed

• #4 Bone Crossed

• #5 Silver Borne

• #6 River Marked

• #7 Frost Burned

• #8 Night Broken

• #9 Fire Touched

• #10 Silence Fallen

• #11 Storm Cursed

• #12 Smoke Bitten

• #13 Soul Taken

Next up on the TBR pile:

Beastly Bones by William Ritter

Title: Beastly Bones (Jackaby #2)

Author: William Ritter

Publisher: Algonquin Young Readers 2015

Genre: YA Historical Fiction; Horror

Pages: 296

Rating: 4/5 stars

Reading Challenges: Fall TBR

In 1892, New Fiddleham, New England, things are never quite what they seem, especially when Abigail Rook and her eccentric employer, R. F. Jackaby, are called upon to investigate the supernatural. First vicious shape-shifters disguise themselves as a litter of kittens, and a day later, their owner is found murdered. Then in nearby Gad’s Valley, bones from a recent dig mysteriously go missing, and an unidentifiable beast starts attacking animals and people, leaving mangled bodies behind. Charlie calls on Abigail for help, and soon Abigail and Jackaby are on the hunt—for a thief, a monster, and a murderer.

Another fun adventure story! I’m really enjoying the mix of The Nutty Professor and Sherlock Holmes in Jackaby. We don’t learn a ton more about him, but we do explore a bit more about others in his orbit and unveil a bit of the larger mystery. I love that we get to follow Abigail through these stories. We learn things as she learns them. We get to see everything from her very reader-like viewpoint. For this particular story, we move out into the country and encounter a dragon? It might be a dragon, or it might be something else. We have to solve the mystery along with the characters. I was glad that Charlie was an important part of this book and hope to see hime in the next one. A thoroughly enjoyable series.

Jackaby

• #1 Jackaby

• #1.5 The Map

• #2 Beastly Bones

• #3 Ghostly Echoes

• #4 The Dire King

Next up on the TBR pile:

Odds and Ends

Here's my randomness for the week:

• Dentist appointment this morning and surprisingly I had very little pain.

• Unfortunately, I had pain elsewhere due to my scar tissue. Can’t have an entire day pain free…

• I did make a doctor’s appointment to start the long process of figuring out everything that’s wrong with me, but it’s not until early December.

• Thinking about extending Spooky Book Month through November. There are so many good ones on my stack that I am not going to get to by Tuesday.

• I really need to make a clothing shopping list for myself. Underwear and socks are a must. I want some new Pjs also and my sneakers are getting very worn.

• The area around my chair is mess. I haven’t had a chance to clear up the curriculum piles, library books, magazines, and assorted items. Guess what I’m doing Saturday morning.

Next up on the TBR pile:

Reliquary by Douglas Preston and Lincoln Child

Title: Reliquary (Pendergast #2)

Author: Douglas Preston and Lincoln Child

Publisher: 1997

Genre: Horror

Pages: 464

Rating: 4/5 stars

Reading Challenges: Unread Shelf Project

Hidden deep beneath Manhattan lies a warren of tunnels, sewers, and galleries, mostly forgotten by those who walk the streets above. There lies the ultimate secret of the Museum Beat. When two grotesquely deformed skeletons are found deep in the mud off the Manhattan shoreline, museum curator Margo Green is called in to aid the investigation. Margo must once again team up with police lieutenant D'Agosta and FBI agent Pendergast, as well as the brilliant Dr. Frock, to try and solve the puzzle. The trail soon leads deep underground, where they will face the awakening of a slumbering nightmare... in Reliquary, from bestselling coauthors Douglas Preston and Lincoln Child.

Finally read this one after picking it up at a used book store a few months back. I enjoyed the character of Pendergast in Relic so it seemed that I would enjoy the sequel to that book and the next in the Pendergast series. And I did! Overall, this is a very Michael Crichton style science adventure story. We get another excursion to the New York Natural History Museum’s labs to solve the murders of multiple headless corpses. Along the way we encounter some familiar faces and meet new ones. I especially loved the team up of D’Agosta and Pendergast against the majority of the NYPD. There are some super creepy scenes in this book, mostly the underground ones. They kept the story moving along and not get mired in the techno-babble in the lab. The last 50 pages are one big suspenseful scene. I have another in this series sitting on my Unread Shelf. I may have to push it to the top part of the stack. I probably won’t ever read all 30 books in this series, but I might just knock off a few more in the upcoming years.

Next up on the TBR pile:

A Dawn Most Wicked and Something Strange and Deadly by Susan Dennard

Title: Something Strange and Deadly (Something Strange and Deadly #1)

Author: Susan Dennard

Publisher: HarperTeen 2013

Genre: YA Horror

Pages: 416

Rating: 4/5 stars

Reading Challenges: Unread Shelf Project

Sixteen-year-old Eleanor Fitt’s brother is missing. And when she discovers that the Dead are rising in Philadelphia and wreaking havoc throughout the city, she knows that her brother is involved.

So Eleanor enlists the help of the Spirit-Hunters. This motley crew, hired to protect the city from supernatural forces, is after the necromancer who has been reanimating corpses. Their skills can save her brother. But as Eleanor spends time with the Spirit-Hunters, and their handsome inventor, Daniel, the situation becomes dire. Now not only is her reputation at risk, but her very life may hang in the balance.

This volume has been sitting on my shelves for a few years now. Of course I had to read it during Spooky Book Month to stay on theme. The first few chapters were a bit confusing as we don’t get the backstory of the Dead or the current state of the world. Once I settled in and started following Eleanor’s storyline, I slowly got a handle on the world and began enjoying myself. This is a typical YA adventure fantasy full of slightly whiny characters and some predictable light romance. I really got into the story once we meet the Spirit Hunters and the mystery starts unraveling. From there, I sped through the rest of the book. This volume ends on a bit of a cliffhanger but the main mystery is concluded before the end page. I imagine that I will finish this series, but probably not right away.

Title: A Dawn Most Wicked (Something Strange and Deadly #0.5)

Author: Susan Dennard

Publisher: HarperTeen 2013

Genre: YA Horror

Pages: 150

Rating: 4/5 stars

Reading Challenges: 

Daniel Sheridan is an engineer’s apprentice on a haunted Mississippi steamer known as the Sadie Queen. His best friend–the apprentice pilot, Cassidy Cochran–also happens to be the girl he’s pining for … and the captain’s daughter. But when it looks like the Sadie Queen might get taken off the river, Daniel and Cassidy have to do whatever they can to stop the ghosts that plague the ship.

Fortunately, there happens to be a Creole gentleman on board by the name of Joseph Boyer–and he just might be able to help them …

My paperback copy of the first book in the series included this prequel novella at the end. I didn’t realize that Daniel had a big backstory, but I did enjoy following him during his first encounter with Joseph and Jie. the ghost scenes are truly creepy and I definitely want more from that angle in the next book.

Something Strange and Deadly

• #0.5 A Dawn Most Wicked

• #1 Something Strange and Deadly

• #2 A Darkness Strange and Lovely

• #3 Strange and Ever After

Next up on the TBR pile:

Music Monday - Paramore "This is Why"

This is the month for my fave bands of the 90s and early 00s to come back with new music apparently. Loving this sound from Paramore!

Next up on the TBR pile:

Life Right Now #31

Right now I am: Deciding what to make for brunch today…

Thinking and pondering: How many more books can I fit in this month? Or maybe I should just continue Spooky Book Month into November.

On my bedside table: Still Life with Crows by Douglas Preston and Lincoln Childs; Beastly Bones by William Ritter

On my tv this week: We are continuing Spooky Movie Month. We’re in the middle of watching the entire Alien and Predator series (in release date order).

Listening to: After listening to an episode of All Things Murderful with Meredith, I had to download and start listening to Limetown. I also requested the prequel book to read after listening to S1.

On the menu for this week:

• Monday - Fancy BLT Grilled Cheese

• Tuesday - Book Club

• Wednesday - Book Club

• Thursday - Lemon Ginger Turmeric Chicken and Rice Soup

• Friday - Swedish Meatballs

• Saturday - Smothered Pork Chops

• Sunday - Teriyaki Shrimp and Rice

On my to do list: I got a new PCP assigned to the boys and myself, but now I need to call the office and make appointments.

Happening this week:

• Monday - Vala’s Day (possibly the last visit of the season)

• Tuesday - Virtual Park Ranger Program; Book Club

• Wednesday - Science; Book Club

• Thursday - Coop

• Friday - Outschool Class; Kids’s COVID Boosters

• Saturday - Home Day

• Sunday - Home Day

What I am creating: Working on a puzzle this weekend and my October Memory Planner pages.

My simple pleasures: Family time at the pumpkin patch; less pain; hot tea

Looking around the house: Apparently our patio furniture will just be staying int he living room for this winter Extra seating I guess.

From the camera: Beautiful sunset at the pumpkin patch and a view of one of the old barns.

My Favorite Thing is Monsters by Emil Ferris

Title: My Favorite Thing is Monsters Book 1

Author: Emil Ferris

Publisher: Fantagraphics 2017

Genre: Comic Horror

Pages: 416

Rating: 4/5 stars

Reading Challenges: Fall TBR

Set against the tumultuous political backdrop of late ’60s Chicago, My Favorite Thing Is Monsters is the fictional graphic diary of 10-year-old Karen Reyes, filled with B-movie horror and pulp monster magazines iconography. Karen Reyes tries to solve the murder of her enigmatic upstairs neighbor, Anka Silverberg, a holocaust survivor, while the interconnected stories of those around her unfold. When Karen’s investigation takes us back to Anka’s life in Nazi Germany, the reader discovers how the personal, the political, the past, and the present converge. Full-color illustrations throughout.

This volume has been on my radar for awhile now, but I finally picked it up to enjoy. I dove straight in to this book not knowing the premise at all. Right away we learn that we are reading a murder mystery, but one filled with internal musings from our protagonist as well as observations of life. We follow Karen who thinks of herself as werewolf. We learn about her life in a small urban apartment with her mother and brother. We slowly meet the neighbors and learn about the rhythms of life in the particular neighborhood. All throughout, at the heart of the story is the question of who killed Anka Silverberg. I was a bit upset to learn the the story does not actually conclude with this volume, but intrigued enough to continue reading.

Next up on the TBR pile:

Fall Bucket List Update #1

My favorite season of the year. We’re diving into the spooky season and planning on soaking up all the fall fun.

1. Visit Vala’s 5x ✓

2. Celebrate Friendsgiving

3. Read 50 Books (23/50)

4. Complete Spooky Movie Month - in progress

5. Execute a Halloween Party for Coop

6. Have an Art/Craft Day

7. Two State Park Visists

8. Two Zoo Visits

9. Pick Out and Carve Pumpkins

10. Go Trick-or-Treating

11. Jump in a Pile of Leaves

12. Go Through a Corn Maze

13. Make 5 Fall Recipes

14. Make Leaf Art

15. Go Pick Apples ✓

16. Go on a Fall Forest Hike ✓

17. Make 3 Pumpkin Recipes

18. Go Bowling

Next up on the TBR pile:

The Wrong Girl by R.L. Stine

Title: The Wrong Girl (Return to Fear Street #2)

Author: R.L. Stine

Publisher: HaperTeen 2018

Genre: YA Horror

Pages: 328

Rating: 3/5 stars

Reading Challenges: Fall TBR; Unread Shelf Project

Poppy Miller swears she will get payback for Jack Sabers’s cruel prank that humiliated her in front of all her friends.

Then her classmates start turning up dead.

All eyes are on Poppy. Is Poppy being framed? Or did the kids of Shadyside High mess with the wrong girl?

In this Fear Street story, only one thing’s for sure—someone is out for DEADLY revenge.

After the high of the last book in this series, I was hoping for more of the same. Unfortunately, this one just fell flat for me. We don’t get the first death until way past the 50% mark. That’s unusual for these books. From there things move quickly, but I wasn’t really into the story. I thoroughly disliked Poppy and her narration was very grating at times. Even the narrations from other characters were not intriguing. I was not impressed and definitely felt disappointed when I reached the end of the book. Not for me.

Return to Fear Street

• #1 You May Now Kill the Bride

• #2 The Wrong Girl

• #3 Drop Dead Gorgeous

Next up on the TBR pile:

You May Now Kill the Bride by R.L. Stine

Title: You May Now Kill the Bride (Return to Fear Street #1)

Author: R.L. Stine

Publisher: HarperTeen 2018

Genre: YA Horror

Pages: 344

Rating: 4/5 stars

Reading Challenges: Fall TBR; Unread Shelf

Two sisters, divided by time. Each with a terrible resentment she can barely contain.

Two Fear family weddings, decades apart... Each bride will find that the ancient curse that haunts the Fears LIVES ON. It feeds off the evil that courses through their blood. It takes its toll in unexpected ways, and allows dark history to repeat itself.

In this Fear Street story, family ties bind sisters together—till DEATH do they part.

Super duper fun pulpy horror novel just like the ones from the original Fear Street series. I really loved all of those books as a preteen and early teen and was super excited to see a new series revisiting the old stomping ground. This one starts off with a story set in the early 1920s in which we meet a branch of the Fear family. Of course, we know that things are not going to end well for at least some members of the family. And then we jump to present day to almost repeat the story but with new characters and a few twists. I sped through this book enjoying all the pages. This gave me all the nostalgic feels that I wanted this month.

Return to Fear Street

• #1 You May Now Kill the Bride

• #2 The Wrong Girl

• #3 Drop Dead Gorgeous

Next up on the TBR pile:

The Book of Cold Cases by Simone St. James

Title: The Book of Cold Cases

Author: Simone St. James

Publisher: Berkley 2022

Genre: Mystery, Horror

Pages: 352

Rating: 5/5 stars

Reading Challenges: Fall TBR; Unread Shelf

In 1977, Claire Lake, Oregon, was shaken by the Lady Killer Murders: Two men, seemingly randomly, were murdered with the same gun, with strange notes left behind. Beth Greer was the perfect suspect—a rich, eccentric twenty-three-year-old woman, seen fleeing one of the crimes. But she was acquitted, and she retreated to the isolation of her mansion.

Oregon, 2017. Shea Collins is a receptionist, but by night, she runs a true crime website, the Book of Cold Cases—a passion fueled by the attempted abduction she escaped as a child. When she meets Beth by chance, Shea asks her for an interview. To Shea’s surprise, Beth says yes.

They meet regularly at Beth’s mansion, though Shea is never comfortable there. Items move when she’s not looking, and she could swear she’s seen a girl outside the window. The allure of learning the truth about the case from the smart, charming Beth is too much to resist, but even as they grow closer, Shea senses something isn’t right. Is she making friends with a manipulative murderer, or are there other dangers lurking in the darkness of the Greer house?

Another absolute win from St. James. I really loved The Sun Down Hotel and really hoped that this one would be another winner. It was! We get a decades old murder cases, a heroine with past trauma, an intriguing possible villain, and a creepy creepy locale (in this case a house stuck in time). I dove in and read this book in just about three days. I was obsessed with figuring out the details of the murders and understand Shea’s present and potential future. St. James keeps up the suspense all throughout the novel, not letting up until the story concludes. Her writing creates those visual scenes in my head that I want in a paranormal thriller. I cannot wait to discuss this later this month at book club.

Next up on the TBR pile:

Currently #19

Reading: I finally grabbed My Favorite Thing is Monsters by Emil Ferris from the library. I’m really loving the drawings and the mystery involved in the passages.

Watching: We transitioned from Spooky Movie Month to Spooky Movie Series Month. We watched the Underworld series and Blade series. Now we are in the middle of the Alien and Predator series.

Listening: Catching up on the back episodes of Currently Reading. Somehow I got behind by 6 episodes or so.

Making: The weather turned chilly, so that means that I’m making all the soups this season. We had very yummy baked potato soup last night.

Feeling: Today the high is 45 degrees and we are planning on being outside all day at Arbor Day Farm. I foresee being very chilly today.

Planning: We’re fast approaching Halloween and I’m filling in our activities.

Loving: I pulled out a puzzle for this weekend. Haven’t done of these in awhile. I was very excited to get back to puzzling.

Next up on the TBR pile:

Homeschool W10: A Very Chill Week

What We Studied

After the epic birthday party weekend, we decided to have a very chill week. We went minimal places and didn’t go so heavy on the schoolwork. It was nice to have a bit of a break from everything. We still managed to get some work and lots of reading done.

Literature and Poetry

We finished The Wild Robot Escapes (oh so good) and paused before our next read aloud choice. We have been reading a collection of scary stories before bed each night.

• The Wild Robot Escapes by Peter Brown

• Nat Geo Book of Nature Poetry

• In the Beginning by Virginia Hamilton

• Poetry for Young People: Robert Frost

• The Cabinet of Curiosities

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 wrapped up South America. We also started and finished the first book in the My Father’s Dragon series. Q really liked it, so we plan on reading the next two volumes over the next two weeks.

• Nat Geo Book of Animal Poetry

• A World Full of Animal Stories by Angela McAllister

• Around the World in 80 Days by Saviour Pirotta

• My Father’s Dragon by Ruth Stiles Gannett

• Fox at Night by Corey R. Tabor (Q reads)

• Captain Cat Goes to Mars by Emma J. Virján (Q reads)

• Hop on Pop by Dr. Seuss (Q reads)

• Bunny Will Not Jump! by Jason Tharp (Q Reads)

• Bunny Will Not Smile by Jason Tharp (Q Reads)

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). We played a lot of math packet catch-up this week. We had been pushing hard and it was nice to slow down a bit and work on mastery of skills.

• Logic Liftoff (Arthur)

• Singapore 4A

• Lollipop Logic Book 2 (Quentin)

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 paused on the larger history timeline to finish reading a historical fiction book about the founding of James Town.

• A Kid’s Guide to Native American History by Yvonne Wakim Dennis

• An Indigenous Peoples’ History of the United States by Roxanne Dunbar-Ortiz

• Turtle Island: The Story of North America’s First People by Eldon Yellowhorn and Kathy Lowinger

• What the Eagle Sees: Indigenous Stories of Rebellion and Renewal by Eldon Yellowhorn and Kathy Lowinger

• We were There Too by Philip Hoose

• History Quest: U.S. History

• DK American History Visual Encyclopedia

• Blood on the Water: James Town 1607 by Elisa Carbone

Quentin continued his study of the world with Build Your Library Level 0. We finished our study of South America. Next up is Europe.

• 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

• Mia’s Story by Michael Foreman

• Ada's Violin: The Story of the Recycled Orchestra of Paraguay by Susan Hood

• The Magic Bean Tree: A Legend from Argentina by Nancy Van Laan

• Abuelo by Arthur Dorros

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. We covered the sections about levers and made a few levers.

• RSO Physics

• The Story of Science: Aristotle Leads the Way by Joy Hakim

• Levers by Sally M. Walker

Quentin will be focusing on animal science with BYL Level 0. We talked a lot about the southern part of South America and the animals who live there. We also continued reading our true book about wild animals.

• Nat Geo Wild Animal Atlas

• DK Animal

• Lonely Planet: The Animal Book

• The Tarantula in My Purse by Jean Craighead George

STEAM Coop

The older class continued their telecommunications theme. They finally learned about the internet and wireless communication. Quentin’s class focused on the structure of our government. They got to vote on some issues and see democracy in action.

Art/Music/Crafts/Cooking

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. This week music just didn’t happen. But that’s okay. Arthur’s continued with the Outschool drawing class. This week they made a picture of a gazelle. He even decided to trace over the lines in marker and then color it a bit afterward. Love it!

Field Trip

None this week for us

High

• The quiet time was nice

Low

• Sad to miss out on the homeschool fall dance on Thursday, but the boys really were not feeling it. Hopefully the organizer does it again in spring. We would definitely attend!

Next Week

• Starting Howl’s Moving Castle (A)

• Moving to the Pilgrims for US History (A)

• Finishing levers for Physics (A)

• Introducing Europe for social studies and science (Q)

• Continuing to read the My Father’s Dragon series (Q)

• Traveling to Nebraska City for Arbor Day Farm field trip

• Getting out to Vala’s (with J) at least once this week

• Covering telecommunications, one last class, (A) and government (Q) for coop

Next up on the TBR pile:

Music Monday - blink-182 "Edging"

A new blink-182 song and the original line-up. Is it 1998? I love it!

Next up on the TBR pile:

Life Right Now #30

As I look outside my window:

Right now I am:

Thinking and pondering:

On my bedside table: The Wrong Girl by R.L. Stine

On my tv this week: We completed our rewatch of the Blade series. Turns out, I never actually watched number two, so it was a completely new experience for me. I’ve also been keeping up with Bachelor in Paradise, Below Deck Med, and The Great British Baking Show (Mexican week was in very bad taste).

Listening to: The usual podcasts. My brain has not been able to take much audio input this week, so not big music binges.

On the menu for this week:

• Monday - Baked Potato Soup

• Tuesday - Firecracker Chicken

• Wednesday - Leftovers (possibly out at Vala’s)

• Thursday - Blackened Salmon

• Friday - Beef Stew

• Saturday - Apple Bacon Stuffed Sweet Potatoes

• Sunday - Buffalo Chicken Nachos

On my to do list: Now that bivalent COVID boosters have been approved for kids, I’m waiting for the local pharmacies to change their policies so I can make the kids appointments. Beyond that, I need to take care of the dentist bill, prep curriculum for November, do my biweekly coop checks, switch out my summer/winter clothes, and set up some playdates.

Happening this week:

• Monday - Home Day

• Tuesday - Arbor Day Farm

• Wednesday - Kid Dentist Appointments; Vala’s

• Thursday - Coop

• Friday - Outschool Drawing Class

• Saturday - Home Day

• Sunday - Home Day

What I am creating: Now that the party is over, I’m catching up on my Memory Planner pages. I also would love to maybe think about Christmas cards this month, but not sure if I will have the bandwidth for that.

My simple pleasures: Hot cup of coffee, uninterrupted reading time, a cozy blanket - I’m leaning hard into the fall vibes right now.

Looking around the house: I still have patio furniture in my living room (from the party last weekend) and it may just live here for the winter. Where I usually put it in the garage is full of other stuff now. I do need to get the boys to pick up some of their piles though and their room is a disaster.

From the camera: Loving the new drinks and decor at Edge of the Universe

Once Upon a Curse: 17 Dark Faerie Tales

Title: Once Upon a Curse: 17 Dark Faerie Tales (Once Upon #1)

Author:

Publisher: Fiddlehead Press 2016

Genre: Fantasy

Pages: 360

Rating: 4/5 stars

Reading Challenges: 

Seventeen magical stories from NY Times and USA Today bestsellers and award-winning authors that will entice you to the darker side of faerie tales. More Grimm than Disney, in this collection you’ll find twists on Snow White, Hansel & Gretel, Rumpelstiltskin, The Snow Queen, Cinderella, The Pied Piper, Alice in Wonderland, and Red Riding Hood, plus new tales paying homage to the old traditions. Shadows cannot exist without light, however, and you’ll find enough happily-ever-afters to lift your spirits in this anthology full of adventure, dark powers, and ultimately the enduring power of true love.

YARROW, STURDY AND BRIGHT by Devon Monk – Sweet music cannot hide a wicked heart…
FAE HORSE by Anthea Sharp – Faerie bargains can grant any desire, but be careful what you wish for.
THE QUEEN OF FROST AND DARKNESS by Christine Pope - Her heart is the only thing colder than a Russian winter….
BONES by Yasmine Galenorn - Sometimes, your most cherished dream can turn out to be a nightmare.
MAGIC AFTER MIDNIGHT by C. Gockel – The Wicked Stepmother is about to meet her match…
DANCE WITH THE DEVIL by Donna Augustine - When the devil makes a deal with a dancer, he gets more than he bargained for.
NO GIFT OF WORDS by Annie Bellet - Never steal from a witch...
THE GRIM BROTHER by Audrey Faye – Not all walks in the wood end well…
BEAST INSIDE BEAUTY by Danielle Monsch - Happily Ever After ain't guaranteed when Once Upon a Time is here.
FAESCORNED by Jenna Elizabeth Johnson - The Morrigan, Celtic goddess of war and strife, must relive a painful memory that reminds her of what she can never have.
DRAWN TO THE BRINK by Tara Maya - Sajiana's job is to hunt down monsters brought alive from paintings. She never expected to meet one so handsome... or to need his help.
THE VARIANCE COURT by Alexia Purdy - Anna, a struggling college student, discovers a mysterious ring that turns her quiet life chaotic when the ring's magic doesn't do what it's told.
THE MORRIGAN by Phaedra Weldon – A young man discovers he has leprechaun blood – and is wanted by dark faerie forces.
ALICE by Julia Crane - A twisted tale of Alice and Wonderland. Facing madness and an ominous prophecy, Alice chooses to follow her heart despite knowing her world is about to change forever.
STILL RED by Sabrina Locke – When the Hunters come, can there be any escape?
THE FINAL STRAW by Jennifer Blackstream - To banish a gold-spinning demon, first you must guess his name...
THE UNICORN HUNTER by Alethea Kontis – Only Snow White knows what really happened in the forest…

I was scrolling through my Kindle app (boy is that a colossal mess!) and stumbled upon this collection I bought a few years back. I wanted something light but spooky and this seemed like the perfect choice. Like with every short story collection, this one is a mixed bag. But overall, I really enjoyed these short snippets and takes on new and old fairy tales. Some definitely fall on the horror side of things while others were more light-hearted and only slightly spooky. Decent collection that I’m sure I got for nearly free during some sale.

Next up on the TBR pile: