Homeschool Weeks 11 and 12 [mosquitoes and crickets]

The last two weeks we’ve wrapped up our insect studies with more on mosquitoes and a little about crickets.  Joe completed his lapbook, read some new and old books, made some cool crafts and pretended to be a mosquito.  He made a mosquito mask from a paper plate.  I attached a straw to it and he drank blood (Crystal Light) just like a mosquito.  OK, he LOVED this, and it was so much fun to watch!

He made a really fun cricket using a comb, green craft wire (legs), pipe cleaners (antennae), googly eyes, and green craft foam (wings).  He thought this was “so cute” as he put it–I do too.

We went to the bait store and got some live crickets to observe.  This was another highlight of our insect studies.  We watched them eat, burrow, and listened to them chirp.  I didn’t realize that they actually nibble their food.  They are pretty strong too.  From our Science Experiments in a Bag we conducted an experiment on how temperature affects a crickets chirping.  Joe asked to do this several times over the course of the week.

Here are some of the books we’ve been reading the last two weeks (you can see all of our reads in my Shelfari):

Joe completed Book 1 from Explode the Code and did super on the post test!  He is doing so well with his reading and writing.  We are still using Progressive Phonics and games from Happy Phonics too.  I like having this variety so neither of us gets bored and we cover things from different angles.  He had fun using our blend ladders and was pretty quick to come up with words on his own.

We read a the Value Tale on Sacagawea in our History studies.  This was perfect to follow up with after Thomas Jefferson.  I loved this particular Value Tale.  The story of Sacagawea was so interesting and so emotional for me as we read.

In Math we moved right along with Abeka daily lessons.  We are covering multiple lessons each day and moving through the book pretty fast.  I am very impressed with what Joe can do so far in Math:

• simple addition on paper and mentally
• count by fives and tens
• knows the value of all coins
• can make change with the least amount of coins up to one dollar (and beyond if asked)
• tell time to the hour

Joe loves Math and asks to do it first each morning.  I am proud of him, and enjoy teaching him and watching him learn new Math skills.

I kept art simple for the kids.  We used oil pastels and watercolors again.  I am going to make sure we move on to something different next:-).  Jack painted his first real picture!!  I was so, so excited to see him actually paint purposefully on the paper trying to make a picture.  He didn’t sling the paint into the air or try to fingerpaint with the watercolors this time!!

Hanna painted a butterfly.  This butterfly to me is how I think of Hanna–bright, happy and colorful.

Jack played more with his rocks and construction trucks–surprise, surprise:-).

And, he decided to branch out and use pom poms in his trucks too.

Jesse discovered the pots and pans cabinet.  I love it when my kids get to this stage and start exploring and discovering like this!  My bottom cabinets, by the way, are completely unorganized because all the little ones have free play in them while I cook.  Mom, I know you are cringing as you read this:-).

Hanna moved right along with her lessons in all subjects.  No problems with any areas.  Do you know what a relief it is to finally have curriculums for all subjects that she is enjoying and excelling in?!  She has been studying about vikings in history which has required her to read articles and watch videos online at BBC.

In Science she has been studying leaves.  She had Joe help her with leaf classification one afternoon.  As you can see, Joe is still having a problem keeping his shorts on.  He says his legs “get sweaty” in them.  I’ve bought him boxer shorts, but he still insists on wearing his briefs saying even the boxers “make his legs sweaty”–cracks me up.

Teaching Textbooks is a dream for any homeschooler!  We LOVE this Math!  Grammar is still going well.   Hanna is learning to diagram sentences with ease and is doing great with labeling parts of speech.

We will be on break from school for the month of August.  We’ll start our next quarter Sept. 2nd–the day after Hanna’s birthday, per Hanna’s request to have her birthday off:-).  I plan to spend our time off record keeping, relaxing, working on my 365 album, baking, playing, and crafting lots and lots with the kids.

School is going so well this year!  This time of year especially I am so, so thankful for homeschool.  For so many years at the end of Summer I would be sad because I knew Hanna would be going off to school, and be faced with who knows what each day.  It was also like a countdown of sorts for me as to how much time I had left with Joe before he wasn’t mine anymore.  Now, each day is exciting.  School is a highlight of our time together at home.  I cannot put into words how much I thoroughly love teaching my children, planning their lessons, choosing their curriculums, watching them grasp new concepts.  Being able to homeschool my children is a task I thought I would never be able to handle with confidence.  I thank my Heavenly Father for blessing me with the ability to be able to do this, Jamie for supporting and encouraging me every step of the way, and my children for just being so sweet and full of love.

To see what others are doing visit Homeschool Creations, and Weird, Unsocialized Homeschoolers.