Tag Archive | Magic Tree House

Back Together Again

August 2-3

With the kids back from their camping and our classroom full again it was back to the same schedule as before! Lots of reading, writing, math and fun together learning. Trinity had ANOTHER completion. We are really getting our letters down. I love the old Dick and Jane stories… I remember reading them as a child. This was a book that we found in Canada years ago.101_3923

Miss Echo is really getting in on the learning lately. Though for the most part she is colouring and working on her art talents. I love that she will lay down in the middle of it all and ask to DRAW.101_3925

We had not yet put away the pool so with another sunny day we kicked the kids back out to the backyard. We should have more days than we did in Alberta but who knows with this (I am told) unusual weather we have been having.101_3926

101_3927I am determined to make EACH weekend count in some way. With a busy week and Ken having quite a bit of work to do with limited this Saturday to a picnic and a visit to a park, all near ANOTHER lake. This one was a bit of a let down for the kids, more meant for fishing than swimming.101_3929

101_3930101_3932101_3938101_3942We made up for it with the pool out back.101_3945

Of course I had to stop at a local garage sale where I made an amazing find of Magic Tree House books AND a lovely green dress I am going to use first for Trinity’s princess costume and then keep for her to grow into. I do so love a good sale.101_3944

101_3947We finished our week and started our weekend in the sunshine… the best way in my mind! I wish I could freeze some of these moments forever! They are growing up so quickly!

Gotta get the stitching time in too!

Gotta get the stitching time in too!

Work… Play and Inbetween

The ability to keep busy is definitely a great one to cultivate in the pursuit of home education! And Tuesday was no exception. I wish I could say it all went smoothly but with kids involved… NEVER! We started the morning with… breakfast… then time with Ken (gotta get it in before he is gainfully employed here in Minnesota) working on Minnesota… and that is where we hit a wall. Sadly when Ken read to the boys from the lapbook I found on Currclick they really didn’t listen so when Ken asked questions about it they guessed and really refused to try. So the response was a 5 min cool down in the bedroom to see if they could remember what was read to them, and then a redo… which didn’t work so Ken tried 10 min and a redo… nope… so the final solution was actually a rather smart one… he gave THEM the reading matter (which was rather advanced for them), their observation journals and some pencils and told them to read each word and write it out as they do. Every 3 words or so they came back to Ken to reread what they had written until the first couple sentences were done and amazingly enough they not only TRIED but succeeded both in reading the words (with some assistance, silent K’s are RUDE) and writing it down legibly! Although in the end there was an unfinished word I had to squeak a few letters onto for them! 

So while the actual lapbook progression was short and sweet we did get the boys TRYING and that is HUGE! I made sure to take advantage of that and jump right into the rest – workbooks, Farmer Boy (I think we have TWO chapters left) and of course reading their books. We have a new plan in action… each day each of the children has a chance to earn a check mark. Once they get TWENTY FIVE of those they get something special. Trinity is doing a workbook page PROPERLY a day, Emanuel 2 letters or numbers a day in his copybook, and the twins reading a book a day to myself or their daddy. I am hoping this will foster motivation and maybe even some special one on one moments with our busy family. Day 1 went VERY well!

Working on their check marks

Baby on the go

Animal Planet has become a family favourite as has Turtle Man and today’s marathon of Steve Irwin (remember the crocodile hunter??) on the anniversary of his death. Emanuel absolutely loves the snapping turtles and was excited to record some knowledge about it and the show in his journal. I figure if it has him on the edge of his seat wanting to know more it is all good! There is another show the kids have latched onto, by the way, on Animal Planet. This one about people making extreme fish tanks called Tanked. The boys were very impressed by the tanks and LOVED seeing all the fish! 

Gavin at work

The Perler bead pieces that the kids were working on over the weekend and such are FINALLY ironed. Gavin finished the last one Tuesday. Ken had quite the job to do with all that ironing!!

Terrific job!!

I actually finished my very first crochet project Monday night! The single stitch piece which is now going to be a headband once I get a nice strong snap to finish the back! I think it looks rather nice for a first project and have already jumped into my second project – learning the (US) double stitch with a ball of white yarn… the jury is still out as to what it will be, depends on how far the yarn goes! Thank goodness for Facetime and Karyn who was able to sit with me Monday night and watch me go. The best part about it is that the camera reverses  you so when she was stitching it looked lefty to me (though from the wrong side) and was much easier for my mind to wrap around. I found a great vid for cementing the turning of the row in my mind.

 

The new piece… dolly blanket?

We are still working our way through the registration process… it is very frustrating that we had to wait until last week Thursday to receive the information packet from the district we HAVE TO register in. In fact the packet only just sent us to a website. Not overly helpful yet. I am still attempting to figure out things like the age to the grade, the immunization records we have to submit and of course how much information we are LEGALLY required to send in to the district. I have asked on Facebook and lucked out with a lady who has a friend who is registered and homeschooling here in the state so I am hoping with her help, our research and hopefully talking to the lady who has the position here as liaison we can get all our ducks in a line in the shortest time possible!!

Reading with Zander

Today was one of those best laid plans going askew sort of days… Our morning actually was PACKED with stuff done! I was surprised at the get up and go. It helps that everyone was excited about having another set of letters to respond to! Jimmie’s Gammie is a TERRIFIC pen pal. Each of the kids got a letter and they all were more than willing to respond! Emanuel even included one of the completed Perler bead creations (an Emanuel original tiny snake) in his letter! And of course we had to send out two of our Moo cards! 

Zander working on his response

Sadly we were not able to take our nature walk as Echo went for nap over the span of time Ken had his phone interview (which went VERY well, he just needs to do his test code for them and then do the tour and then… second interview we hope!). So we couldn’t leave her in case Echo woke up while he was on the phone. So we are hoping to go once Ken finishes his code as a family. We did have ANOTHER completion of the review books… EMANUEL!!

Completion!

Sneaking in a pre-interview moment with Daddy

I think we are starting to find a rhythm… varying what we do is helping as is keeping track of what IS easy to accomplish and what we struggle with. And now, two nights in a row one of the twins has read their story over the IM on our iPad to Karyn! I love them including someone ELSE in their learning and progress!

Echo chatting with Aunty Karyn and visiting with her kitties

Gavin reading to Emanuel

With our new year begun and Ken’s job hunt progressing, well we are settling in and able to say that we are putting down some new roots this week. AND I am going to look into the Magic Tree House series for the boys. Apparently there are resource guides and fact books. Something new to think about! And on that note… back to my solo evening. 

I HAVE TO share this one… Gavin spent an hour or more outside with nothing but sticks… he made this table type thing!!!

Creative huh!!!