It’s a K-Pop summer! After doing my Top 10 Stray Kids songs, I decided to focus on some other K-Pop groups and people that I enjoy.
This song is just so incredibly catchy. I cannot help but sing along every time it comes up on shuffle. So good!
Next up on the TBR pile:
As I look outside my window: Another bright and sunny morning. Thankfully the temperatures aren’t going to be super high today.
Right now I am: Getting ready to head out the door to the academic co-op working meeting. We start October 9th, so we need to get on it!
On my bedside table: A stack of spooky books including many from own shelves.
On my tv this week: We watched a few spooky-ish movies. J also got me to start watching Babylon 5. He’s been asking for years.
Listening to: Mostly the new Stray Kids album, but also my big K-pop shuffle.
On the menu for this week:
Monday - Smothered Pork Chops
Tuesday - Ajiaco
Wednesday - Baked Potato Soup
Thursday - Mississippi Pot Roast
Friday - Dinner Out
Saturday - Chicken Pot Pie
Sunday - Apple Bacon Stuffed Sweet Potatoes
On my to do list: Oh my goodness, I have no idea what is on my to-do list any more. I think I need to do another brain dump later today.
Happening this week:
Monday - Home Day
Tuesday - Home Day
Wednesday - Joslyn Art Explorers
Thursday - Enrichment Co-op
Friday - Homestead National Monument Field Trip
Saturday - Home Day
Sunday - Home Day
What I am creating: I finished my July Memory Planner pages yesterday. I hope that I can get to August’s pages this week.
My simple pleasures: Music, time at the pumpkin patch
Looking around the house: Things are okay. I do want to get the kitchen put away more. Things are kinda everywhere.
From the camera: My new Stray Kids SKZOO pulls came. I immediately attached them to my backpack. Yeah!
Title: Of Monsters and Mainframes
Author: Barbara Truelove
Publisher: Bindery Books 2025
Genre: Sci-fantasy Horror
Pages: 411
Rating: 5/5 stars
Reading Challenges: Spooky Season; Unread Shelf
Where I Got It: Afterword Books and Tavern, Kansas City MO - Bookish Retreat June 2025
Demeter just wants to do her job: shuttling humans between Earth and Alpha Centauri. Unfortunately, her passengers keep dying—and not from equipment failures, as her AI medical system, Steward, would have her believe. These are paranormal murders, and they began when one nasty, ancient vampire decided to board Demeter and kill all her humans.
To keep from getting decommissioned, Demeter must join forces with her own team of monsters: A werewolf. An engineer built from the dead. A pharaoh with otherworldly powers. A vampire with a grudge. A fleet of cheerful spider drones. Together, this motley crew will face down the ultimate evil—Dracula.
On a whim, I picked this one up during this year’s Bookish Retreat. Something about the vibes of the summary gave me pause. I wanted to understand exactly what type of book this was. Thankfully it was an utter delight and a wild ride. I loved every single page of it. We get a cross between the Universal Monsters and the Murderbot series with a mash-up I didn’t realize I needed. Demeter and Steward are great narrators as we span time, space, and realities. We get a beautiful found family story wrapped up in horror and blood. Every chapter felt like a surprising new adventure for me. I kept turning the pages with glee. Ultimately I sped through the book desperate to find out what would happen next. Definitely going to be going onto my year’s Top 10.
Next up on the TBR pile:
Title: Worth Fighting For (Meant to Be #5)
Author: Jesse Q. Sutanto
Publisher: Hyperion Avenue 2025
Genre: Romance
Pages: 320
Rating: 3/5 stars
Reading Challenges: Finishing the Series; Romanceopoly - The Highpoint (Workplace Romance)
Spice Rating: 3
Following one’s heart isn’t easy when family honor is at stake.
As the right hand of her father’s hedge fund company, Fa Mulan knows what it takes to succeed as a woman in a man’s world: work twice as hard, be twice as smart, and burp twice as loud as any of the other finance bros she works with. So when her father unexpectedly falls ill in the middle of a critical acquisition, she is determined to see it through. There’s just one hitch: the family company in question is known for its ultra masculine whiskey brand, and the brood of old-fashioned aunts, uncles, and cousins who run it—lead by the dedicated but overworked Shang—will only trust Mulan’s father, Fa Zhou, with the future of their business.
Rather than fail the deal and her father, Mulan pretends she’s Fa Zhou. Since they’ve only corresponded over email, how hard could it be to keep things moving in his absence?
But the email leads to a face-to-face meeting, which leads to an invitation to a week long retreat at Shang’s family ranch. One meeting she can handle, but a whole week of cattle wrangling, axe-throwing, and learning proper butchering techniques, all while trying to convince Shang’s dubious family that this young woman is the powerful hedge fund CEO they’ve been negotiating with? Not so much—especially as she finds it harder and harder to ignore the undeniable spark between her and Shang. Can she keep her head in the game and make her father proud, all while trying not to fall into a trough, or in love with Shang?
Rom coms are really not my jam right now. I mostly felt bored while reading this one. I got all the Mulan references, but they seemed very off-putting to me. I truly dislike the miscommunication trope and this entire plot hinged on that. I just kept yelling at the characters to talk to each other. And then there is the family. Patriarchal bullshit really makes me angry. Shang’s family was absolutely trash and I wanted all of them to go away. And then we get to the insta-love trope. I just couldn’t really understand why our main characters loved each other. Not the book for me.
Meant to Be:
#3 Kiss the Girl by Zoraida Córdova
#5 Worth Fighting For by Jesse Q. Sutanto
Next up on the TBR pile:
Reading: I randomly picked up Of Monsters and Mainframes by Barbara truelove off of my Unread Shelf. And I must say that it is a delight. It’s a strange mix of fantasy, science fiction, and horror that is definitely my sweet spot.
Watching: We’ve entered into spooky movie month. We started of the month with some Japanese horror and the moved to French surrealism last night. I have a list of almost 50 potential movies to watch through October.
Listening: Absolutely obsessed with the new Stray Kids album Karma. I’ve had it on mandatory daily listening since it dropped. There’s not a single track that I skip. But I must say that “Ghost” is my favorite followed by “Half-Time.”
Making: I had a meal plan for September and then the month started. Things went a little off track and we’re just two days into the month. I need to make a more realistic meal plan to not waste money on food that will go bad before we eat it.
Feeling: Spooky Season and Fall have started and I’m so excited. This is definitely my favorite season of the year. I cannot wait for all the fall activities and flavors.
Planning: I did a big calendar update task this weekend and added some potential Vala’s visit dates. I’m so excited to go to my happy place soon. We may actually on on Friday.
Loving: The weather has turned cooler and rainy this weekend. I am loving the cooler temperatures. 60s to low 80s is my sweet spot. Temperatures in the 90s are just terrible.
Next up on the TBR pile:
Four weeks in and I feel like we are finally in the groove. I’m still a bit frustrated about some attitudes, but we got through a ton of curriculum. And we still managed to take our time and make time for friends and activities.
Arthur is primarily using Hearth and Story G6 for his language arts this year. While I love H&S, there’s never enough literature in there. Thankfully we have a stack of books just waiting to be picked up and read. Beyond H&S, we are focusing on expanding vocabulary and reading comprehension this year. I thought I had bought the first Hearth and Story literature selection, but could not find it anywhere… Very annoying. More annoying considering the local library does not have a copy. So, I had to pivot to something else. I latched onto picking up a classic written in the late 1800s to coincide with our history lessons.
Poetry: Hearth & Story G6
Poetry: A Child’s Introduction to Poetry by Michael Driscoll
The Vocabulary Workbook for 6th Grade by Kelly Anne McLellan
Around the World in Eighty Days by Jules Verne
Quentin is primarily using Blossom & Root G3 for his language arts this year. We will pull some elements from Build Your Library Level 3 and random books that we have around the house. We are also starting the Reading Explorer series to focus on reading comprehension and word choice. We finished our reading of the Alice books.
Poetry: National Geography Book of Nature Poetry
Through the Looking Glass and What Alice Found There by Lewis Carroll
In the Beginning: Creation Stories from Around the World by Virginia Hamilton
Arthur is using Singapore’s Math in Focus Course 2. Effectively this is Singapore’s 7th grade math text. We started onto Chapter 2 focusing on integers. I think this book will force us to slow down a bit and take more time for mastery. We don’t have formal logic book this year, but are focusing on lots of critical thinking and math puzzles.
Math in Focus Court 2 Book A
Quentin is using Singapore’s Primary Mathematics Common Core edition 3B and 4A. We also are finishing up our logic book before moving to more complicated puzzles. We continued with our chapter about mass and weight; not quite finishing it.
Primarily Logic
Singapore Primary Common Core 3B
Weight by Julie Murray**
How Heavy? Wacky Ways to Compare Weight by Mark Weakland**
Arthur is using Curiosity Chronicles Modern History Vol. 1. Unfortunately CC only has volume 1 published so far. This will take us to Christmas break. If they don’t release volume 2 by then, I’m going to have to do it myself. Our next section really moved into discussing the effects of the British Empire. We covered a chapter about India and a chapter about Australia and New Zealand.
Curiosity Chronicles Modern History Vol. 1
DK History
DK Timelines of Everything
DK Timelines of Everyone
DK A Child Through Time
A Journey Through Art
The British Empire by Ellis Roxburgh
Quentin is using Build Your Library Level 5 to begin our two year exploration of American History. We covered the indigenous peoples of the Northeast. We will stay with indigenous peoples for the first six weeks or so. We also continued watching the documentary series Native America. I love how we get to hear about the history of various Indigenous cultures and then see how they are still living today. It’s so well done! And in between the years, a second season was released. I cannot wait to rewatch Season 1 and move onto Season 2.
History Quest United States History
DK When on Earth?
DK History
DK Timelines of Everything
DK Timelines of Everyone
DK A Child Through Time
An Indigenous Peoples’ History of the United States for Young People by Roxanne Dunbar-Ortiz
A Kid's Guide to Native American History by Yvonne Wakim Dennis and Arlene Hirschfelder
The Earth Under Sky Bear's Feet: Native American Poems of the Land by Joseph Bruchac and Thomas Locker
Turtle Island: The Story of North America’s First People by Eldon Yellowhorn and Kathy Lowinger
What the Eagle Sees: Indigenous Stories of Rebellion and Renewal by Eldon Yellowhorn and Kathy Lowinger
Native American Stories for Kids: 12 Traditional Stories from Indigenous Tribes Across North America by Tom Pecore Weso
The Girl Who Helped Thunder and Other Native American Folktales by James and Joseph Bruchac
Native Americans: A Visual Exploration SN Paleja
Shawnee by Sara Tieck
The Story of Jumping Mouse by Amanda St. John
Brave Wolf and the Thunderbird by Joe Medicine Crow
Arthur is using RSO Earth and Environment 2 and later RSO Astronomy 2 for science. The next chapter moved onto rocks and the rock cycle. It was mostly review for us, but a good review. Our Famous Science Series covered Uluru which connected nicely to our history chapters. We also watched a great documentary about caves from NOVA. Fascinating discussion about cave formations.
RSO Earth and Environment 2 (August-November; March-May)
RSO Astronomy 2 (November-March)
DK Eyewitness Rocks and Minerals
Science Comics: Rocks and Minerals by Andy Hirsch
Nat Geo Kids Weird But True: Rocks and Minerals by Michael Burgan
DK Nature Guide: Rocks and Minerals
Stories in Stone by Kevin Cuff
Sedimentary Rocks and the Rock Cycle by Joanne Mattern
Metamorphic Rocks and the Rock Cycle by Joanne Mattern
Igneous Rocks and the Rock Cycle by Joanne Mattern
Quentin is using RSO Physics 1. Well, that is our plan, but I’m waiting on the plans for Academic Co-op to be solidified before I start. There’s a possibility that the younger kid class (if we get the second classroom) will be doing Physics in a collective fashion. We covered a short section in RSO about matter, density, and water displacement.
RSO Physics 1
The Story of Science Vol. 1 by Joy Hakim
Physics: Investigate the Mechanics of Nature by Jane Gardner
Physics for Curious Kids Introduction
Arthur covered his last week about knots. Overall, his class was not locked into the lesson and gave the teacher way too much sass this week. Quentin covered homemade rockets, but noped out halfway through. Neither kid was into co-op this week.
We are doing something a little different this year. Instead of trying to do music and art every week, we will be trading off. I realized last year these subjects were always the first to be cut when we had time constraints. We talked about Islamic Art and geometry. I love the styling and variety.
DK Music and How it Works
DK The Arts
The Story of the Incredible Orchestra by Bruce Koscielniak
We planned a nature hike to Platte River State Park for a trip to the waterfall. Unfortunately, the waterfall trailhead was closed and the other trails are more complicated to reach the waterfall easily. We waited for the attendees to arrive, but they all ghosted us. So we picked a few random trails to follow for a bit and then visited the pond before going home.
We covered a good chunk of curriculum during ur home days.
Low
Being ghosted at events is a terrible feeling. I hate it. The boys hate it because they are waiting for friends to come and play. It’s a longly feeling.
Continuing our classic (A)
Starting a new read aloud (Q)
Learning about British Empire (A) and continuing with Native Nations (Q)
Listening to Bach
Exploring Newton’s Laws of Motion (Q) and Sedimentary Rocks (A) for science
Spending more time at home
Next up on the TBR pile:
It’s a K-Pop summer! After doing my Top 10 Stray Kids songs, I decided to focus on some other K-Pop groups and people that I enjoy.
Of all the girls in Blackpink, I really like Jennie’s solo music. This track is hands-down my favorite from the album. It’s got a groove and sound that I really love.
Next up on the TBR pile:
August TBR Pile (14/17):
Bookworms BC: Is She Really Going Out with Him by Sophie Cousens ✓
Friend BC: (already read)
Nerdy Bookish Friends: Un Lun Dun by China Mieville (couldn’t easily find)
Kid Book Club: Two Roads by Joseph Bruchac
Kid Read Aloud: Alice in Wonderland by Lewis Carroll ✓
Kid Read Aloud: Through the Looking Glass and What Alice Found There by Lewis Carroll ✓
Kid Read Aloud: When the Sea Turned to Silver by Grace Lin ✓
Thriller: Cold Eternity by SA Barnes ✓
Romance: Feathers So Vicious by Liv Zander ✓
Fantasy: A Letter from the Lonesome Shore by Sylvie Cathrall ✓
Horror: The Bewitching by Silvia Moreno-Garcia ✓
Comics: Omniscient Reader’s Viewpoint Vol. 1 ✓
Comics: Omniscient Reader’s Viewpoint Vol. 2 ✓
Comics: Omniscient Reader’s Viewpoint Vol. 3 ✓
Comics: Omniscient Reader’s Viewpoint Vol. 4 ✓
Comics: Jujutsu Kaisen Vol. 26 ✓
Comics: Lore Olympus Vol. 8 ✓
1,000,000 Page Goal
Monthly Total: 4354 pages
Pages Remaining: 135,960 pages
Current Read - Worth Fighting For by Jesse Q. Sutanto
Books I Gave Up On (0)
Books Bought/Received (2) - I grabbed two books from Book of the Month.
Hemlock & Silver by T. Kingfisher (auto-buy author for me!)
Immortal Consequences by I.V. Marie
UnRead Shelf Progress
Starting Number: 305
Books Read: 0
Books Acquired: 2
Books Unshelved: 0
Finishing Number: 307
September TBR Pile:
Bookworms BC: The Antidote by Karen Russell
Friend BC: Lone Women by Victor Lavalle
Nerdy Bookish Friends: The Strange by Nathan Ballingrud
Kid Book Club: The Story Collector by Kirstin O’Donnell Tubb
Kid Read Aloud: Around the World in Eighty Days by Jules Verne
Romance: Worth Fighting For by Jesse Q. Sutanto
Movies Watched
Superman (2025)
Mission: Impossible
Mission: Impossible II
Mission: Impossible III
Mission: Impossible - Ghost Protocol
Mission: Impossible - Rogue Nation
Mission: Impossible - Fallout
Mission: Impossible - Dead Reckoning
Mission: Impossible - The Final Reckoning
TV Shows Watched
Sandman S2 - We finished the series!
Foundation S3
Hometown Cha-cha-cha S1 - Finally finished! So good!
It’s Always Sunny S17
Resident Alien S4 - We finished the series!
Game Changer
Um, Actually
Below Deck S12
LuLaRich
Native America S1
SKZ-Talker
SKZ-Talker Go
SKZ Code
Comments - I’m still obsessed with fan fiction and it really impacted my reading the past month. I still managed to cover 11 books and a few homeschool reads. J and I rewatched the entire Mission Impossible movie series to then watch the last one that just got released. We also finished a few television series.
Next up on the TBR pile:
Title: Lore Olympus Volume 8
Author: Rachel Smythe
Publisher: Inklore 2025
Genre: Fantasy Comic
Pages: 416
Rating: 4/5 stars
Reading Challenges:
Where I Got It: Library
“You have no authority here.”
Revelations rock Olympus as Persephone’s trial ends, threatening to throw the gods into a new war.
Though Persephone and Hades become closer than ever after she opens up to him about all she has endured, their peace is shattered when another truth is revealed: Apollo is Zeus’s son. The announcement shocks the pantheon, and the king of the gods realizes that the would-be usurper wants Persephone’s power to take the throne.
Zeus banishes Persephone to the Mortal Realm and, out of fear, cuts it off entirely from the rest of the gods. This decree succeeds in undercutting Apollo’s plan, but also inadvertently begins a decade-long divine cold war when Hades strikes back by shuttering the Underworld. With the gods scattered and weakened, Kronos uses the ensuing bedlam to finally escape his imprisonment and begin staging his own coup.
Persephone has only one choice when she discovers all the realms on the verge of collapse: Descend into the Underworld to try to defeat the power-hungry Titan, claim her rightful place as queen, and reunite with her one true love.
Finally! We get to see Persephone as the Queen of the Underworld. I’ve been waiting for eight volumes to see her come into her power. After a terrible trial and a forced separation, we finally get some major movement in the larger storyline. And we get to see true communication between our main characters. I really despise when characters purposely keep important information from each other “for their own good.” It’s so incredibly annoying and drags out the drama. Thankfully we get to see characters talk and share the important information. And now we’ve set up everything for the last act of the story.
Next up on the TBR pile:
Title: Omniscient Reader’s Viewpoint Vol. 4
Author: singNsong
Publisher: Ize Press 2022
Genre: Manwha
Pages: 264
Rating: 4/5 stars
Reading Challenges: Finishing the Series; Books to Movies
Where I Got It: Library
At this rate... Junghyeok Yu will die today. Dokja has his hands full dealing with relentless monster attacks, as well as the Landlord Coalition’s tyranny. But when Junghyeok disappears amid the chaos, Dokja is faced with a chilling question―when the main character of this universe dies, what happens to the rest of the world? Not wanting to find out, he ventures into the Cinema Dungeon to find the missing Regressor!
We finally get to see what happens with the Landlord Coalition and the monster scenario. I loved how the story has really started to pick up and movement is being made. I loved the addition of Jihye to the group and the move to the Cinema Dungeon. I cannot wait to see how this new scenario evolves and involves Junghyeok Yu.
Next up on the TBR pile:
Title: Omniscient Reader’s Viewpoint Vol. 3
Author: singNsong
Publisher: Ize Press 2021
Genre: Manwha
Pages: 248
Rating: 4/5 stars
Reading Challenges: Finishing the Series; Books to Movies
Where I Got It: Library
IF YOU HAVE A SHRED OF PRIDE LEFT, STAND UP AND FIGHT!Inside the ruthless scenarios of TWSA, something as simple as getting a meal is a life-or-death struggle. With all the food destroyed by the goblin, Dokja’s group is forced to venture into the dark tunnels full of vicious creatures. But in the cruel new world, monsters are not the most dangerous enemies...Fear and desperation among the survivors cause Geumho Station to erupt into wanton bloodshed. And amid the chaos, Huiwon’s true power awakens―the Time of Judgment is here!
I’m still really enjoying this series. We get to see the conclusion of a scenario involving a Death Warden. Also, we get to see characters level up and evolve in pretty interesting ways. I’m very interested to see how the group around Dokja changes as the scenarios get deadlier and more complicated.
Next up on the TBR pile:
Here's my randomness for the week:
Finally unboxing my Karma albums today with a fellow STAY. So excited to see what I get!
Relatedly, my SKZOO editions are still in transit somewhere. Apparently, there were manufacturing issues so everyone’s packages are delayed.
Looking forward to another pool afternoon at a friend’s house after homeschool co-op.
Feeling the need to do a brain dump this weekend.
Next up on the TBR pile:
Title: Is She Really Going Out with Him?
Author: Sophie Sousens
Publisher: G.P. Putnam’s Sons 2024
Genre: Romance
Pages: 368
Rating: 3/5 stars
Reading Challenges: COYER; Romanceopoly - Starlight Cinema (Group read)
Where I Got It: Kindle deal
Spice Rating: 3
Columnist Anna Appleby has left her love life behind after a painful divorce. Who needs a man when she has two kids, a cat, and uncontested control of the TV remote? Besides, she’d rather be single than subject herself to the hell of online dating. But her office rival is vying for her column, and no column means no stable source of income. In a desperate attempt to keep her job, Anna finds herself pitching a unique angle: seven dates, all found offline, chosen by her children.
From awkward encounters to unexpected connections, Anna gamely begins to put herself out there, asking out waiters, the mailman, and even her celebrity crush. But when a romantic connection appears where she least expected it, will she be brave enough to take another chance on love?
Our in person book club selection this month. My reading has really been impacted with life and fan fiction, but I was determined to read this one before the meeting on Tuesday. I started on Sunday night and finished Monday night. So a very quick read for me. Unfortunately, this book was a little too predictable and bland for me. I found it to be reminiscent of Bridget Jones’s Diary. Which would have been okay, but it’s 2025. I just didn’t want to read about a beautiful woman who complains about how frumpy and disheveled she is. The conceit of the dates set up by her kids was kinda fun, even if it was aborted halfway through. I liked the glimpses of Anna’s columns, but felt like we spent too much time talking about how print media is dying. Yeah, it has been for decades… Will was a fine MMC, but didn’t find him particularly swoony. I didn’t hate this book, but it really was not for me.
Next up on the TBR pile:
Title: A Letter from the Lonesome Shore (The Sunken Archive #2)
Author: Sylvie Cathrall
Publisher: Orbit 2025
Genre: Fantasy
Pages: 384
Rating: 4/5 stars
Reading Challenges:
Former correspondents E. and Henerey, accustomed to loving each other from afar, did not anticipate continuing their courtship in an enigmatic underwater city. When their journey through the Structure in E.'s garden strands them in a peculiar society preoccupied with the pleasures and perils of knowledge, E. and Henerey come to accept—and, more surprisingly still, embrace—the fact that they may never return home.
A year and a half later, Sophy and Vyerin finally discover one of the elusive Entries that will help them seek their siblings. As the group's efforts bring them closer to E. and Henerey, an ancient, cosmic threat also draws near...
I absolutely adored the first book in this duology. I loved how quiet the mystery was. I loved how atmospheric the writing was. I love the epistolary nature to the structure. I had such high hopes going into the second book. And for the most part, I really loved it. We get pick up right where we left off and dive into the mysteries. We catch up with E and Henerey in their new world. We see Sophy and Vyerin attempt to understand what happened their siblings. We get the same structure and atmospheric writing. But about halfway through the book, the revelations of the “mysteries” of the larger world starts getting a bit muddled. It became harder and harder to follow exactly what the universe was and the characters’ place in it. The book wraps up well, but I will admit to not loving parts in the middle.
The Sunken Archive
#1 A Letter to the Luminous Deep
#2 A Letter from the Lonesome Shore
Next up on the TBR pile:
It’s a K-Pop summer! After doing my Top 10 Stray Kids songs, I decided to focus on some other K-Pop groups and people that I enjoy.
I mean, I had to include the women of Blackpink in here! And this song is hands-down my favorite from them!
And a live performance from Coachella 2023!
Next up on the TBR pile:
We might be finally getting our footing for this year. We ended up doing schoolwork three out of the five days without much complaint and fuss. We completed our lessons and still had time for social activities. Overall, I think it ended up being a decent week.
Arthur is primarily using Hearth and Story G6 for his language arts this year. While I love H&S, there’s never enough literature in there. Thankfully we have a stack of books just waiting to be picked up and read. Beyond H&S, we are focusing on expanding vocabulary and reading comprehension this year. Our first book is a sequel of sorts to Where the Mountain Meets the Moon we read back in 3rd grade. The third book in series is featured in H&S, but we wanted to read the second first. I really love how Lin incorporates Chinese folklore and myth in these quest stories. We finished it this week and chose to hold off on our newest book until next week.
Poetry: Hearth & Story G6
Poetry: A Child’s Introduction to Poetry by Michael Driscoll
The Vocabulary Workbook for 6th Grade by Kelly Anne McLellan
When the Sea Turned to Silver by Grace Lin
Quentin is primarily using Blossom & Root G3 for his language arts this year. We will pull some elements from Build Your Library Level 3 and random books that we have around the house. We are also starting the Reading Explorer series to focus on reading comprehension and word choice. We continued with Lewis Carroll and started reading the sequel to Alice.
Poetry: National Geography Book of Nature Poetry
Through the Looking Glass and What Alice Found There by Lewis Carroll
In the Beginning: Creation Stories from Around the World by Virginia Hamilton
Arthur is using Singapore’s Math in Focus Course 2. Effectively this is Singapore’s 7th grade math text. We covered the first chapter which mainly focused on review and basic math vocabulary. We don’t have formal logic book this year, but are focusing on lots of critical thinking and math puzzles.
Math in Focus Court 2 Book A
Quentin is using Singapore’s Primary Mathematics Common Core edition 3B and 4A. We also are finishing up our logic book before moving to more complicated puzzles. We continued with our chapter about mass and weight; not quite finishing it.
Primarily Logic
Singapore Primary Common Core 3B
Weight by Julie Murray
How Heavy? Wacky Ways to Compare Weight by Mark Weakland
Arthur is using Curiosity Chronicles Modern History Vol. 1. Unfortunately CC only has volume 1 published so far. This will take us to Christmas break. If they don’t release volume 2 by then, I’m going to have to do it myself. We started the next section focusing on Darwin, Pasteur, and all the scientific advancements in the 18302s-1850s.
Curiosity Chronicles Modern History Vol. 1
DK History
DK Timelines of Everything
DK Timelines of Everyone
DK A Child Through Time
DK Science Year by Year
A Journey Through Art
Gregor Mendel: The Friar Who Grew Peas by Cheryl Bardoe
Pollen: Darwin's 130 Year Prediction by Darcy Pattison
Charles Darwin’s Around the World Adventure by Jennifer Thermes
Charles Darwin’s On the Origin of Species: Words That Changed the World by Anna Brett
Darwin's Rival: Alfred Russel Wallace and the Search for Evolution by Christiane Dorion
A Shot in the Arm! by Don Brown
Quentin is using Build Your Library Level 5 to begin our two year exploration of American History. We covered the indigenous peoples of the Northeast. We will stay with indigenous peoples for the first six weeks or so. We also continued watching the documentary series Native America. I love how we get to hear about the history of various Indigenous cultures and then see how they are still living today. It’s so well done! And in between the years, a second season was released. I cannot wait to rewatch Season 1 and move onto Season 2.
History Quest United States History
DK When on Earth?
DK History
DK Timelines of Everything
DK Timelines of Everyone
DK A Child Through Time
An Indigenous Peoples’ History of the United States for Young People by Roxanne Dunbar-Ortiz
A Kid's Guide to Native American History by Yvonne Wakim Dennis and Arlene Hirschfelder
The Earth Under Sky Bear's Feet: Native American Poems of the Land by Joseph Bruchac and Thomas Locker
The People Shall Continue by Simon J. Ortiz
Turtle Island: The Story of North America’s First People by Eldon Yellowhorn and Kathy Lowinger
What the Eagle Sees: Indigenous Stories of Rebellion and Renewal by Eldon Yellowhorn and Kathy Lowinger
Native American Stories for Kids: 12 Traditional Stories from Indigenous Tribes Across North America by Tom Pecore Weso
The Girl Who Helped Thunder and Other Native American Folktales by James and Joseph Bruchac
Native Americans: A Visual Exploration SN Paleja
Indians of the Northeast by Lisa Sita
Iroquois by Sarah Tieck
The Iroquois of the Northeast by KaaVonia Hinton
Algonquin by Sarah Tieck
Arthur is using RSO Earth and Environment 2 and later RSO Astronomy 2 for science. We moved on to Minerals and dove into how they create rocks. It was a short lesson, but much more in depth that we’ve covered before.
RSO Earth and Environment 2 (August-November; March-May)
RSO Astronomy 2 (November-March)
DK Eyewitness Rocks and Minerals
Science Comics: Rocks and Minerals by Andy Hirsch
Nat Geo Kids Weird But True: Rocks and Minerals by Michael Burgan
All About Rocks by Alessandra Potenza
Geology: The Study of Rocks by Susan H. Gray
All About Minerals: Discovering the Building Blocks of Earth by Cody Crane
Minerals by Ann O. Squire
Researching Rocks by Sally M. Walker
Quentin is using RSO Physics 1. Well, that is our plan, but I’m waiting on the plans for Academic Co-op to be solidified before I start. There’s a possibility that the younger kid class (if we get the second classroom) will be doing Physics in a collective fashion. So, we started our Story of Science Volume 1 book and did some general review about the scientific review.
RSO Physics 1
The Story of Science Vol. 1 by Joy Hakim
Physics: Investigate the Mechanics of Nature by Jane Gardner
Physics for Curious Kids Introduction
Mass and Weight by Barbara A. Somervill
Arthur got to make marble roller coasters for his engineering unit. Quentin created building structures with toothpicks and marshmallows. I think Arthur had more fun than Quentin, but it was still a good week for co-op.
We are doing something a little different this year. Instead of trying to do music and art every week, we will be trading off. I realized last year these subjects were always the first to be cut when we had time constraints. We covered our first art lesson about Medieval Art. This connected with our visit to the Joslyn Art Museum last week.
DK Music and How it Works
DK The Arts
The Story of the Incredible Orchestra by Bruce Koscielniak
We visited Fontenelle Forest for a playdate at their new Acorn Acres playground. It was terribly hot and humid, but we made it almost two hours before heading home. It was nice to see some friends and chat with some new members of the group.
On Wednesday, our sister homeschool group held it’s We’re Not Supposed to Be in School Picnic. We spent over four hours connecting with new and old friends and celebrating the start of the school year.
Low
The heat really got to me again this week. It’s terrible. Thankfully the temperatures are heading below 80 degrees for next week. So excited for the change.
Starting a new one (A)
Finishing our current read aloud (Q)
Learning about British Empire (A) and continuing the Natives of the Northeast (Q)
Looking at Islamic Art
Exploring Newton’s Laws of Motion (Q) and the Rock Cycle (A) for science
Spending more time at home
Next up on the TBR pile:
Title: The Bewitching
Author: Silvia Moreno-Garcia
Publisher: Del Rey 2025
Genre: Horror
Pages: 357
Rating: 3/5 stars
Reading Challenges: Read Around the USA - Massachusetts; I Read Horror - Folk Horror
Where I Got It: Library
“Back then, when I was a young woman, there were still witches”: That was how Nana Alba always began the stories she told her great-granddaughter Minerva—stories that have stayed with Minerva all her life. Perhaps that’s why Minerva has become a graduate student focused on the history of horror literature and is researching the life of Beatrice Tremblay, an obscure author of macabre tales.
In the course of assembling her thesis, Minerva uncovers information that reveals that Tremblay’s most famous novel, The Vanishing, was inspired by a true story: Decades earlier, during the Great Depression, Tremblay attended the same university where Minerva is now studying and became obsessed with her beautiful and otherworldly roommate, who then disappeared under mysterious circumstances.
As Minerva descends ever deeper into Tremblay’s manuscript, she begins to sense that the malign force that stalked Tremblay and the missing girl might still walk the halls of the campus. These disturbing events also echo the stories Nana Alba told about her girlhood in 1900s Mexico, where she had a terrifying encounter with a witch.
Minerva suspects that the same shadow that darkened the lives of her great-grandmother and Beatrice Tremblay is now threatening her own in 1990s Massachusetts. An academic career can be a punishing pursuit, but it might turn outright deadly when witchcraft is involved.
Moreno-Garcia is such hit or miss author for me. I absolutely loved a few of her books and then I really really disliked a few of the books. The summary of this one really caught my eye. I love witch themed books and was looking forward to a fun spooky mystery book. The first few chapters were intriguing. But as the book went on, I was less and less interested. The story seemed to just drag and drag. There were a few spooky things here and there, but mostly nothing for the longest time. I just wasn’t compelled to keep reading. I kept at it because it was a book club selection, but mostly I was just really really bored.
Next up on the TBR pile:
Title: Jujutsu Kaisen Vol. 26
Author: Junji Ito
Publisher: VIZ Media 2024
Genre: Manga Horror
Pages: 192
Rating: 4/5 stars
Reading Challenges: Finishing the Series
Where I Got It: Library
In a world where cursed spirits feed on unsuspecting humans, fragments of the legendary and feared demon Ryomen Sukuna have been lost and scattered about. Should any demon consume Sukuna’s body parts, the power they gain could destroy the world as we know it. Fortunately, there exists a mysterious school of jujutsu sorcerers who exist to protect the precarious existence of the living from the supernatural!
The battle between the two strongest sorcerers—Gojo and Sukuna—unfolds on a mind-blowing scale! The combatants repeatedly open their domains and repair burnt-out cursed techniques. Their back-and-forth clash continues, but when Sukuna summons Mahoraga, will the balance of power tip his way?
Ooof that one was rough! We basically spend the entire volume focused on the battle between Sukuna and Gojo. I could have used some more other story or at least more from the other characters. But I still enjoyed following along with the great battle.
Jujutsu Kaisen
Next up on the TBR pile:
Reading: I finally dove into Omniscient Reader’s Viewpoint series. I’m really enjoying it. Unfortunately, the library only has the first four volumes. I will need to find an alternative way to read the rest of the volumes.
Watching: I finally finished Hometown Cha-ch-cha this week. It took me forever; not because I didn’t like it, but because of time and focus. It was such a lovely story. Now I need to figure out which series to start next. Maybe The Nice Guy or The Divorce Insurance or S-Line or Tastefully Yours or When Life Gives You Tangerines or The Potato Lab or My Demon. I apparently have a ton of K-Dramas that I want to watch soon…
Listening: I’m so incredibly excited about the new Stray Kids album dropping this week! To help tide me over, I’ve been listening to the album mashup track on repeat. I cannot wait to hear the full songs!
Making: With my obsession with fan fiction, my physical book reading tanked. I am determined to move back to reading my books. To do that, I’ve been casually pulling books here and there that are peaking my interest again.
Feeling: The first two weeks of this year’s homeschool routine has been rough. Ooofff! This week hasn’t started out much better, but I’m attempting to adjust to help all of us.
Planning: I’m working on our September activity calendar. Things are starting to fill out a bit. I’m just waiting on a few other people to confirm activities before releasing the new Co-op calendar.
Loving: I randomly grabbed a few mini chocolate cheesecakes at Aldis. So good!
Next up on the TBR pile:
We’ve officially started our 6th year of homeschooling and I will admit that it’s been difficult. For whatever reason, the boys had a really hard transition back to our normal schedule. We usually do not take a long summer “break” as we like to have many smaller breaks during the regular year. But between travel, activities, and my mental health, we ended up taking a longer break. Bad idea! The transition was difficult. I think we are finally settling in, but it’s been difficult.
Arthur is primarily using Hearth and Story G6 for his language arts this year. While I love H&S, there’s never enough literature in there. Thankfully we have a stack of books just waiting to be picked up and read. Beyond H&S, we are focusing on expanding vocabulary and reading comprehension this year. Our first book is a sequel of sorts to Where the Mountain Meets the Moon we read back in 3rd grade. The third book in series is featured in H&S, but we wanted to read the second first. I really love how Lin incorporates Chinese folklore and myth in these quest stories.
Poetry: Hearth & Story G6
Poetry: A Child’s Introduction to Poetry by Michael Driscoll
The Vocabulary Workbook for 6th Grade by Kelly Anne McLellan
When the Sea Turned to Silver by Grace Lin
Quentin is primarily using Blossom & Root G3 for his language arts this year. We will pull some elements from Build Your Library Level 3 and random books that we have around the house. We are also starting the Reading Explorer series to focus on reading comprehension and word choice. We started the year with my absolute favorite childhood classic, Alice’s Adventures in Wonderland.
Poetry: National Geography Book of Nature Poetry
Alice’s Adventures in Wonderland by Lewis Carroll
In the Beginning: Creation Stories from Around the World by Virginia Hamilton
Arthur is using Singapore’s Math in Focus Course 2. Effectively this is Singapore’s 7th grade math text. We covered the first chapter which mainly focused on review and basic math vocabulary. We don’t have formal logic book this year, but are focusing on lots of critical thinking and math puzzles.
Math in Focus Court 2 Book A
Quentin is using Singapore’s Primary Mathematics Common Core edition 3B and 4A. We also are finishing up our logic book before moving to more complicated puzzles. These two weeks, we covered a chapter about mass and weight.
Primarily Logic
Singapore Primary Common Core 3B
Arthur is using Curiosity Chronicles Modern History Vol. 1. Unfortunately CC only has volume 1 published so far. This will take us to Christmas break. If they don’t release volume 2 by then, I’m going to have to do it myself. Despite time constraints, we finished the first Section focusing on Queen Victoria and the British Empire. For our documentary selection, we watched the NOVA episode “What Darwin Never Knew” connecting our history study with our science study.
Curiosity Chronicles Modern History Vol. 1
DK History
DK Timelines of Everything
DK Timelines of Everyone
DK A Child Through Time
Ground Breaking Guys: 40 Men Who Became Great by Doing Good by Stephanie True Peters
A Journey Through Art
The Story of Buildings by Patrick Dillon
The Great Stink: How Joseph Bazalgette Solved London's Poop Pollution Problem by Colleen Paeff
Ada Byron Lovelace and the Thinking Machine by Laurie Walmark
Ada’s Ideas: The Story of Ada Lovelace, the World’s First Computer Programmer by Fiona Robinson
Ada Lovelace, Poet of Science: The First Computer Programmer by Diane Stanley
Florence Nightingale by Demi
DK Timelines from Black History
Quentin is using Build Your Library Level 5 to begin our two year exploration of American History. We started with a basic geography lesson and moved to an introduction of indigenous peoples before European contact. We will stay with indigenous peoples for the first six weeks or so. We also started watching the documentary series Native America. I love how we get to hear about the history of various Indigenous cultures and then see how they are still living today. It’s so well done! And in between the years, a second season was released. I cannot wait to rewatch Season 1 and move onto Season 2.
History Quest United States History
DK When on Earth?
DK History
DK Timelines of Everything
DK Timelines of Everyone
DK A Child Through Time
If America were a Village by David J. Smith
The Scrambled States of America by Laurie Keller
D is for Drum: A Native American Alphabet by Debbie and Michael Shoulders
An Indigenous Peoples’ History of the United States for Young People by Roxanne Dunbar-Ortiz
A Kid's Guide to Native American History by Yvonne Wakim Dennis and Arlene Hirschfelder
The Earth Under Sky Bear's Feet: Native American Poems of the Land by Joseph Bruchac and Thomas Locker
The People Shall Continue by Simon J. Ortiz
Moon Mother by Ed Young
We are Still Here: Native American Truths Everyone Should Know by Traci Sorell
Turtle Island: The Story of North America’s First People by Eldon Yellowhorn and Kathy Lowinger
What the Eagle Sees: Indigenous Stories of Rebellion and Renewal by Eldon Yellowhorn and Kathy Lowinger
Native American Stories for Kids: 12 Traditional Stories from Indigenous Tribes Across North America by Tom Pecore Weso
The Girl Who Helped Thunder and Other Native American Folktales by James and Joseph Bruchac
Arthur is using RSO Earth and Environment 2 and later RSO Astronomy 2 for science. We begin with a basic overview of earth science and quickly reviewed the Four Spheres and Plate Tectonics.
RSO Earth and Environment 2 (August-November; March-May)
RSO Astronomy 2 (November-March)
Investigating the Scientific Method with Max Axiom by Donald B. Lemke
From a Super Continent to Seven
Plate Tectonics by Stephen M. Tomecek
Quentin is using RSO Physics 1. Well, that is our plan, but I’m waiting on the plans for Academic Co-op to be solidified before I start. There’s a possibility that the younger kid class (if we get the second classroom) will be doing Physics in a collective fashion. So, we started our Story of Science Volume 1 book and did some general review about the scientific review.
RSO Physics 1
Where Did We Come From? by Chris Ferrie
How to Think Like a Scientist by Stephen P. Kramer
The Story of Science Vol. 1 by Joy Hakim
We’re entering into the second half of Session B for the 2025 Session. Arthur focused on two weeks dealing with knots. Quentin learned about engineering skills while making paper roller coasters and then balance toys.
We are doing something a little different this year. Instead of trying to do music and art every week, we will be trading off. I realized last year these subjects were always the first to be cut when we had time constraints. So far, we managed to still do music for the first two weeks of school. We’re talking a lite approach to music appreciation and some musical theory built in. As our backbone, we are using the Music Comes Alive curriculum. While it’s not strictly secular, it’s neutral, I’m okay with their approach to music. It was the best for what I have time for and wanted to expend energy toward.
DK Music and How it Works
DK The Arts
The First Notes: The Story of DO, RE, MI by Julie Andrews and Emma Walton Hamilton
Iconic Composers
Hildegard of Bingen by Demi
The Story of the Incredible Orchestra by Bruce Koscielniak
No formalized field trips, but we did have quite a few activities these first two weeks. We had our monthly zoo visit with two friends on the first Wednesday. We mostly stuck to the outdoor buildings and rode the train. We also visit Heron Haven for a quick nature walk with friends on Friday. The second Wednesday was our monthly Josly Art Explorers visit. Two friends joined us to look at the human form in paintings and sculpture. We focused primarily on the Medieval gallery through the Neoclassical gallery to compare and contrast. I had a lovely conversation with an eight year old about realism and the human body. And a friend hosted the first monthly Curriculum Planning meeting. While I didn’t do much planning, it was nice to chat with other homeschooling parents while the boys hung out with their friends at a lovely coffee shop. Looking forward to doing it monthly!
If wasn’t on my plan, but we ended up going to our favorite pool twice the first week of school. The pools closed August 10th, so it was our last chance to visit! We went on Tuesday, but it was a bit chilly. So we all decided to come back on Friday to celebrate the hot weather and the last few pool days. As the boys are much strong swimmers this year, it’s been a great summer of being at the pool but not having to constantly watch them. I love this new level of parenting!
Low
Everyone was struggling to get back into the routine and feel comfortable with our homeschool schedule this year. Hopefully W3 and beyond goes better.
Finishing his read aloud and starting a new one (A)
Starting a new read aloud, in fact the sequel to our first book (Q)
Learning about Science in 1850s and the British Empire (A) and Ice Age and Natives of the Northeast(Q)
Looking at Medieval Art
Exploring Rocks and Minerals for science (A)
Next up on the TBR pile: