Our Homeschool Journal: Changing Furniture and Curriculum Already!

In our homeschool this week…

It was a great week!  After last week with my husband gone and lots of extra activities, this week felt like a breeze.

1. We worked on decorating cardstock to slip into the clear covers of our school binders.  Note to self: do not leave a mischievous six year old boy with an ink pad while you put in a load of laundry.
2. In our study through American History we’re at the War of 1812.  My son loves to build things and here is his version of the U.S.S. Constitution, a.k.a. “Old Ironsides.”  Since he used geometric shapes can that count as math and history?
3. Our formal science curriculum (RSO Life) and nature study aligned perfectly this week and it was all about arthropods.  Barb’s suggestion in her Getting Started ebook of choosing a nature study focus area worked out extremely well for us this month, and it was just good luck that our science studies coincided.  This large spider was one of our study subjects that we noticed.  I’ll have a full post on our study of insects and spiders coming up.
4. Geography Club focused on Brazil and we brought these Brazilian treats called “Brigadieros” …and dropped the leftovers off with my husband at the fire station so I wouldn’t have to bring them home and possibly eat them all.
5. I rearranged the furniture…again.  Our large schoolroom table is now in the family room and provides a great together workspace to really stretch out.  We are supposed to eat meals there so I’ll have to clean it up now and then.  The desks the kids had upstairs in their rooms (that they never used) are now in the schoolroom.  I’ll have to take a photo once I clean it all up!

Places we went and people we saw (which is also my favorite thing this week)…

Our favorite activity this week was geography club.  Last year I was part of a small group that met for a book club once a month.  We decided to meet every week this year with one meeting a month still being a book club, and the other meetings being a geography club where we’ll spend the month focusing on a country.  We all bring something to share at the meeting:  a food, a bit of knowledge, a game or activity.  Our first meeting we discussed Brazil and had such fun!  We’ll be continuing to study Brazil throughout the month, so I’ll post our resources and what we shared at the end of October.

My favorite resource this week…

By chance we ended up watching several videos on National Geographic Kids, and I realized it’s a treasure trove I should check more often!  We watched a very informative short video on Brazil and then clicked over to the animals section and watched short clips on some creatures we’ve come across in our science studies.  The site has gorgeous pictures and an information slideshow for various animals and countries, and many items also have quality videos.

What’s working and not working for us…

Our schedule really is working well.  We have four weeks under our belt and I feel like we’re rolling along nicely.  I never get everything done on my own to-do list and my house seems to be constantly messy, but I’m really happy with the learning taking place for both of my kids.  Their individual work is going so smoothly, and my daughter’s weekly assignment sheet is helping her be more independent and productive.  As always our studies together are favorites and we’re knee deep in exciting topics!

As far as something not working, that would be our math plan for my daughter.  This deserves a post of its own, which I’ll get to later this week.  I’ll just share this photo, and tell you that my daughter and I practically ran to meet the mailman on Thursday for this box:

Things I’m working on…

I think I may have a sickness to be rearranging furniture again when it’s been just over a months since I rearranged the whole house for those cool lockers.  Why rearrange again?  No good reason except my daughter (mini-me) and I got an idea and just had to try it out.  It involved yet another multi-step furniture moving process, and one can never be sure how it will work out until everything is in it’s new spot.  My husband made me promise not to carry any heavy furniture up or down the stairs when he left for his 24-hour firefighter shift, so currently all I accomplished was making the house look like it traveled through a tornado like in The Wizard of Oz.  Why do I do this to myself?  Why can’t I leave well enough alone and actually give myself time to dust or clean the bathrooms once in a while?

We’re reading…

Same books as last week:

• I’m still working through For The Children’s Sake by Susan Shaeffer Macaulay.
• My daughter is reading Poppy by Avi for her book club and Sacajawea: Guide to Lewis and Clark by Della Rowland and has shared many interesting tidbits with me.
• We’re reading Treasure Island and listening to Cherry Jones read On the Banks of Plum Creek by Laura Ingalls Wilder.  We just got to Nellie Olson and are cracking up.  We’re enjoying both books immensely and I’m constantly begged to read “Just one more chapter!”
• For poetry we’re reading through Julie Andrews’ Collection of Poems, Songs, and Lullabies, a nice mix of verses with beautiful watercolor artwork.

Other Happenings…

I shared our recipe for homemade play dough this week.  It’s almost time for a new batch and I’m thinking orange or red for fall.

We celebrated Johnny Appleseed Day by watching the Scholastic video for the book Johnny Appleseed by Reeve Lindbergh (it’s on the Scrambled States video) and eating apple bread.  Do you subscribe to the Homeschool Share blog and get their “Making the Days Count” monthly activity calendars?  We always find something fun to add in to our schedule!

Thank you to the wonderful hostesses with fun link-ups on Fridays. Be sure to join the fun and see what other homeschoolers are up to!