Sunday, August 24, 2008

One Week Down

We just completed our first week of school!  The girls had a good time this week and so did I.  It was nice to get back into a routine.  The routine still needs some tweeking and a few things added to it but nice none the less.

Monkey flew through her week of phonics.  She is reading so much better.  I really think all the reading for fun over the summer did it.  Now for Bible her and Lulu have been taking turns reading our selection for the day.  Lulu reads from the Old Testament one day and Monkey reads from the New Testament the next.  It is working out really well.   Math also went well for both girls. 

Lil has been wanting to do her school work each day too.  She has done some of her activity bags, a sequencing page, painting, and handwriting.  Last year when I would try to get her to do some pre-writing worksheets she would just scribble on them.  She had no desire to follow the dotted lines.  This time, though, she did really well at tracing the lines.  She is very excited about her work.  This week we are going to start on the letter A.  I want her to be able to recognize the letters and their sounds.  Lil is going to be making an ABC Notebook this year.   She is 3 1/2 so all of this will be done as her desire stays with it.  If she does not want to or looses interest we will put it away for another day. 

JBQ will be starting soon for Lulu and Monkey.  They are looking forward to it this year.  We have just briefly begun to review the 10 point questions.  Lulu will also be learning 20 point questions this year.  We have to really get started on those.  Their first match will not be until the first of October.  So we only have about five weeks. 

I hope everyone has a great start to their school year.

Tuesday, August 12, 2008

Three Girls and a Boy

Last week my niece, B, went home and her brother, Junior (as my husband lovingly called him all week),  came to visit.  The girls hated to see B go home.  Lulu told her she could just live with us and be her big sister.  It was sweet.  But as much as they hated her leaving, they were equally excited for Junior to be here.

The first thing they did to the poor boy was do his hair.  I was very proud of him.  Not many 13 year old boys would let three little girls put hair bows in his hair.  Junior just sat there with the occasional "Ouch".  To protect his coolness I won't post any pictures of the outcome...although I do have the pictures for the future if necessary!

We were able to take the kids to the Louisville Science Center.  When we got there we were happy to find out that the Car Art Festival was going on right outside the science center.  There were some pretty crazy looking cars there.  My favorite one was the red telephone.  It was really cool on the inside too.






When we left we saw this great mirror wall.  It was concave in shape with lots of mirrors attached.  The results were some neat echoes and really cool pictures.



This past weekend my Dad and his girlfriend came to visit.  When they left on Sunday they took Junior home with them.  The girls, once again, hated to see him go.  He and his sister do not start school until the 26th, so they have two more weeks of summer left.  But while my Dad was here their hotel had a pool. My girls are really improving on their ability to swim.  Lulu has gotten the freestyle technique down.  She is doing really well.  She also loves to go underwater.  Monkey is the doggie paddle queen.  She is starting to do the freestyle but only with one arm.  She also loves to go underwater.  This is huge for her.  Only about a year ago and she would have a fit if water got on her face.  It was very fun washing her hair the first 5 years of her life!  Then there is our fish....Lil.  Lil can swim the whole length of the pool with no help...at 3 years old.  She loves every aspect of the water.  She has her own technique.  I'm not even quite sure what to call it, but it works.  They had a great time.


Saturday, August 2, 2008

Our Curriculum for 2008-2009

Lulu is in 3rd grade this year, Monkey is in 2nd grade, and Lil is in Preschool. We will be using Ambleside Online for our History, Literature, and Poetry readings. I want to implement more of Charlotte Mason's way of doing things. I really hope to do more nature study, artist study and composer study. What changes I have made so far the girls really seem to be responding well to.
Curriculum For All
Bible - The girls do their own readings each day. Lulu is currently reading through the New Testament. Monkey is starting in the Old Testament.
Artist Study - Van Gogh, Michelangelo
Composer Study - Beethoven, Mozart
Geography - Tree in the Trail, Seabird
Chemistry Experiments - Molecules
Science - Pagoo
Nature Study
Parables from Nature
Poetry - Walter de la Mare, Eugene Field, James Whitcomb Riley
Shakespeare
Handicrafts - Spool knitting, crocheting, knitting, painting, etc.
History For All
This Country of Ours
Our Island Story
A Child's History of the World
Trial and Triumph (Church History)
Lulu's Curriculum
RigthStart Mathematics Level C / D
Daily Grams 3
Copywork - Cursive
Spelling Workout Level D
Touch Typing
Monkey's Curriculum
RigthStart Mathematics Level C
Saxon Phonics 2
Daily Grams 2
Copywork - Print, Learning Cursive
Spelling Workout Level B
Lil's Curriculum
Rod and Staff Preschool Books
ABC Notebook
Felt Stories
Preschool Activities in a Bag
Updated 1-31-09: We are having such a good school year. We are really enjoying the readings from Ambleside. I feel inadequate at times with what we do. But I know we are progressing and I hope to do even better next year.

Our Curriculum 2008-2009

Our Curriculum Choices for 2008-2009
Lulu is in 3rd grade this year, Monkey is in 2nd grade, and Lil is in Preschool.  We will be using Ambleside Online for our History, Literature, and Poetry readings.  I want to implement more of Charlotte Mason's way of doing things.  I really hope to do more nature study, artist study and composer study.  What changes I have made so far the girls really seem to be responding well to. 
Curriculum For All
Bible - The girls do their own readings each day.  Lulu is currently reading through the New Testament.  Monkey is starting in the Old Testament.
Artist Study - Van Gogh, Michelangelo
Composer Study - Beethoven, Mozart
Geography - Tree in the Trail, Seabird
Chemistry Experiments - Molecules
Science - Pagoo
Nature Study
Parables from Nature
Poetry - Walter de la Mare, Eugene Field, James Whitcomb Riley, Christina Rossetti
Shakespeare
Handicrafts - Spool knitting, crocheting, knitting, painting, etc.
History For All
This Country of Ours
Our Island Story
A Child's History of the World
Trial and Triumph (Church History)
Lulu's Curriculum
RigthStart Mathematics Level C / D
Daily Grams 3
Copywork - Cursive
Spelling Workout Level D
Touch Typing
Monkey's Curriculum
RigthStart Mathematics Level C
Saxon Phonics 2
Daily Grams 2
Copywork - Print, Learning Cursive
Spelling Workout Level B
Lil's Curriculum
Rod and Staff Preschool Books
ABC Notebook
Felt Stories
Preschool Activities in a Bag
Updated 1-31-09:  We are having such a good school year.  We are really enjoying the readings from Ambleside.  I feel inadequate at times with what we do.  But I know we are progressing and I hope to do even better next year.