13/14 Week 19 Day 4

The kids were troopers today. The lesson plan for all the subjects was rather relaxed and we got done with everything rather fast. One needs days like that too. Especially when the approaching front makes the teacher feeling rather slow. A good rest for me tonight and then we will tackle the last day of the school week tomorrow.

'13/14 Week 19 Day 3

The day was so busy, I had no time to take any photos. Nothing spectacular, just a lot of good-old schoolwork.

Science/PE. It was a perfect day for some outdoor exercise (as if the kids do not get enough every day when they are outside running, climbing, jumping, etc.) we went for a bike-ride (Andrew), jog (Saara), power-walking (Mom). I was proud of Saara who ran 1.5 miles and walked the rest of the way home. Our exercise session turned into a science class when we found some dry cattails by the road.

Saara's science reading today was all about seeds and how they travel. Weren't the seed-packed cattails just a perfect find?

'13/14 Week 19 Day 2

As expected, the ballet class was canceled. No snow fell, just a slight shower of sleet. But still, it was terribly cold outside.

We had a full day of schoolwork instead of the usual shortened 'ballet' version. Andrew took his seventh math test and scored 80 points out of 81. Well done! 
In history, we are bringing the Middle Ages to the end. Andrew and I read a lot about Gutenberg and how his invention started to change Europe. It was a lot to take in. I will have to dwell on the effects of the printing press a bit more to make sure Andrew does get how important it was.

Tomorrow is the first day of baseball registration. 

Bible. The prophesy about the future of Solomon's kingdom. The tribes are about to be divided up.

Ten pieces of fabric represent the ten pieces of the prophet's robe he tore up. Cutting fabric is not like cutting paper. It takes practice.

13/14 Week 19 Day 1

After a nasty cold spell, we had a couple of truly nice days. We used them to stomp around in our forest. And as usual, we found something. This time the something was hard evidence of a beaver family who obviously had decided to make their residence on our property. 

We had enough snow left on the second day that Andrew managed to build a miniature snowman.

Beavers. No doubt about it.

Andrew checking out the teethmarks.

And, of course, the dam itself.

We started our week as usual - by looking at the calendar and jotting down all the things that will take place this week. It feels like some board planning meeting. :)

I was rather surprised to see how well everything flowed today. We were able to finish EVERYTHING in good time (including lots of additional materials I inserted here and there in almost every class and a 'curiosity' break we took to watch a power company crew chop down some trees on our property).

Now, we are waiting for a second cold wave. It may well mean that Saara will not have a ballet class tomorrow.

Bible. The kids received their new memory verses this morning. Their song was ideal to sing in the sign language.

Math. Our math class was rather intense today. Saara needs some more practice in measuring a perimeter. So, we practiced, practiced, practiced.

Andrew is grasping the times table rather well, but he needs more practice with finding the missing number in problems. So, we practiced, practiced, practiced.

LA. In phonics we stepped into a new territory: the silent consonants. The kids have dipped their toes into this area before, but now we launched a full blown study on them.

The beaver-damaged trees were too close to the power lines, so the crew was out this morning finishing off the work the beavers had started. Andrew and Saara found the traffic cones quite spectacular.

'13/14 Week 18 Day 4

Snow Day! Seriously. Half the schools in our county started their day two hours later. Some pre-schools were closed altogether.
We, however, did a full day's worth of work and that included spending a lot of time outdoors playing in the snow (or in what resembled snow). The kids were clad warmly, but still after a while they got cold and came in for a cup of hot cocoa. And school work.

We were up long before the dawn. As soon as it got a bit lighter outside, we dashed out to check out the snowfall. Not much, but better than nothing.

Big chunks of ice.

Andrew piled up all the snow on the trampoline and he and Saara made snow angels.

"Mom, there's snow on the roof!"

I think, we have used the 'snow' tile only once before.

To contrast the dirty whiteness outside, I opened a box of brand new pencils for our Bible time activity.

Saara's vocabulary learning, science, and math happened to be all about measurements. So, I combined them all into one big class of measuring and weighing stuff.

The measuring continued in Andrew's science. We read and learned about owls. Here, from pencil to pencil, is the Eagle Owls wingspan (about 2 m).

This red-bellied woodpecker put a nice touch to the end of our school day. We have a family of owls living in the woods too. We hear them all the time. I suggested to the kids, we should go pellet hunting one day. Andrew is concerned if he would recognize a pellet when he saw one  "They look just like dog poop." :)

'13/14 Week 18 Day 3

The cold front is coming and may bring some SNOW! Now, wouldn't that be a treat.

Meanwhile, we had a very industrious school day despite the plummeting temps outside or the clogged up septic system that got a thorough service this afternoon. The kids were outside watching the men work until their fingers got too cold. I counted this as a 'get to know the different jobs around you ' experience.

Saara's Science. The deep sea creatures. After watching a few videos of the odd looking fish in the darkest parts of the ocean, we had to stumble over the Octonauts once again. A short video on the gulper eels would not hurt, I thought. So, I let them watch it.

Deeply focused on the deep sea creatures.

LA. Continuing with the tree-letter/consonant blends. Today, we were building bug jars.

'13/14 Week 18 Day 2

Today was filled with Legos. Not only did the kids play with their Legos during the breaks, but I found a few illustrative videos that were animated using Lego characters. 

Like the story of Absalom in the Bible. A fun little Lego-work I found on thebricktestament.com. I browsed through the other material on the website. Some interpretation I found a bit overdone and not appropriate for kids at all (purely my opinion). But the bits I used for today worked beautifully with the story I was reading from the Bible. 

Another Lego-themed video we watched was that of the battle of Crecy between England and France in 1346 - http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=0VBDGLlSIcw  I thought, it was a 'fun' introduction into the 100 Years War. We will get more serious from here.

Bible. Andrew's Bible song is kind of mellow and 'balletish' (the whole Psalm 121), so while we listen and sing along to it, Saara is treating us to a performance of interpretive dance. :)

'13/14 Week 18 Day 1

Yesterday was MLK Day and we spent it with our family and also caught up on some school reading tasks. 
Today then, we started our brand new week. As it was Saara's ballet day, we did as much schoolwork as we could fit it. It was good. 

Science. Reading Andrew's science book without watching some videos is not an option. :)

Geography. This Kindergartener can point out a number of countries in the world.

'13/14 Week 17 Day 4

The kids have been fantastic students these past few days. They are trying their best, putting a lot of effort into their work, enjoying themselves, and handling mistakes without frustration. All this helps me to be a better teacher. 

Today, we had a sparkling start to the day. We concluded our Bible reading time with a craft. As we were learning about David becoming the king of Israel, the kids made their own crowns with stick-on 'jewels'.
In Math, Saara is mastering place value and Andrew the easier numbers in multiplication (the 0x, 1x, and 10x). 

In Science, Andrew enjoyed watching videos of various waterbirds. It so much more fun to read his science book when we can pull up some clips to actually see the birds in action and hear the sort of sounds they make. Like Fairy Turns. Never thought a chick can hatch and grow on a bare branch, nestless.

LA. Puzzle time for three-consonant blends.

'13/14 Week 17 Day 3

Another busy day. The longest class turned out to be Language Arts. I had the kids cut out words with three consonant blends, sort them and glue them in the appropriate boxes and then write them out one more time. They took their time with every step. Not because they were dragging their feet, figuratively speaking. Rather they were enjoying the process and trying not to just 'fly through it'. I have some more activities ready for tomorrow's LA. And if they take longer than I expect then let it be - I do not have a school bell bullying me to end the class. 

'13/14 Week 17 Day 2

Saara's ballet class started up again and we had a shortened school day because of that. I would have been a shame to sit indoors while the weather outside was absolutely gorgeous anyway. Andrew has been sharpening his baseball skills and is getting a fair share of exercise too. 
Andrew also took a animal knowledge quiz today based on the book we have been reading. We both did.

She loves her ballet class.

Saara discovered I had downloaded some children's books on my Kindle. It was nice having it for as long as I did. :)

The view from my window this afternoon.

'13/14 Week 17 Day 1

It was a quiet day. Saara (and Andrew) learned a few facts about the Industrial Revolution in England during the Victorian Era. Also, in her history class, we read a few facts about the fashion of the times. Andrew ended up with a bunch of homework which he did not mind. 

The highlight of the day for me came while we were out and about this afternoon. In the waiting room at a doctor's office, I had a good chat with another homeschooling mom. It was like a tiny teachers' conference comparing notes and learning more about different materials, exchanging experiences, etc. I always get so excited when I get a chance to talk about education and teaching. Passion and calling. I am in the right place doing the right thing. :)

'13/14 Week 16 Day 5

The day went pretty fast today. Both kids were eager to go to the library and to the choir after school. So, we were motivated and even the driving rain did not sway us one bit.

My chess partner at the library.  He is learning.

At the first choir practice this year.

'13/14 Week 16 Day 4

It was a rather ordinary day. The kids worked hard. 
For Andrew, the highlight was definitely learning about Genghis Khan. He was pretty fascinated with some of the facts. The mongols were excellent with bows and arrows. Galloping on horseback they released the arrow right when the horses hooves were not touching the ground, or their ability to bend over in their saddles and shoot arrows backwards. Pretty impressive.

Geography. Some countries she knows well, some she is learning, and there's still a multitude waiting to be discovered. When we revisit a country which location she knows well, we add another nugget of information to it.  Like today, Saara learned about 'sushi'. She promised to try it to see if she likes it or not.

LA. I had both kids sort out words ending with '-ck'. Little did I know, they turned the simple task into a game.

'13/14 Week 16 Day 3

A full day of everything. It is one of those times I feel like we did not leave any stone unturned. Being true to myself, I even found the time and energy to haul over more stones to peek under. 
Like in Andrew's history class, which did not have any assignments for today. I went ahead and introduced Andrew to the Northern crusades which were not as 'glamorous' as the Holy Land ones, but they have everything to do with his ancestors. In fact, Andrew has stood on the ruins of one of the crusader castles. 

Saara's science class surprised me a lot. It turned out to be more hands on that I had anticipated. The subject was 'Flowers' and it being January and the fact that we just got a licking from 'the polar vortex', talking about blooms seemed kind of out of place. However, in God's mercy, I was able to produce a few blooms that survived the cold outside and we ended up having a decent study of flowers.

This used to be the largest castle of the Knights of the Order in these parts.

I have shared this pic before, but it was a rare chance for Andrew to stand on the Medieval history.

1208 AD. Estonians still consider it a sad date. Yes, the Crusaders came and brought along the Christian faith, but up to this day there survives the saying that Christianity was forced upon the people with 'fire and sword.'

Estonians and other tribes around us were the last people groups to be converted into Christianity. For most of them it meant slavery for centuries to come. 

Saara has taken it upon herself to write down the date every morning. She uses tiles from her calendar to copy the words.

Andrew is learning multiplication for real.

Science. Flowers in January. Nothing short of a miracle.

We even managed to gather some pollen.

Which, of course, brought us to the process of pollination.

LA. Building questions and working with the 'wh' digraph.