Our “Spring Break”

Nope, not really!  We had a lovely “winter break” in Feb. so we schooled through this week that the PS has off here.  If the kids start to complain (which they don’t much) I remind them we get time off at other times and they usually give up complaining.

We had a great week!  We’re in the groove…

Reading

Bryson completed Funnix lessons 54-57.  He does very well, but sometimes has a hard time focusing.  I’ve really noticed his “youngness” this year being that he turned 5 right at the beginning of school.  I’m glad we didn’t have to make the decision whether to send him to school or not.  It would have been difficult.  Academically he’s doing super…. maturity wise….he’s all boy and all 5 years old!

Here are the books we’ve read this week:

I’ve started having Bryson read some Abeka readers to me.  First he reads the book with me.  Then he reads it on his own that day.  The next day he comes back and reads it again to me.  Then we go onto a new book.  This is going well!  He also chooses his own book to read on his own each day.

Tiny the Dog books

Why Benny Barks

Ruby’s Perfect Day

M&M books

Loose Tooth

Sports!  Sports!  Sports!

Cowgirl Kate and Cocoa books

War of the Worlds (Jay finished this)

Gulliver’s Travels

Great Expectations (Ky finished this)

Isabel (Girls from Many Lands series)

We finished Tales of Desperaux last week and we're now listening to Ginger Pye.  I got Rylan a couple of Hank the Cowdog CD's and he and Bryson are loving those too!

Math

Everybody completed the next lessons in math.  Nothing huge to report here.

Bryson using pencil erasers as manipulatives for his math.

Writing

Jayden, Kylie and Rylan completed their next lesson in WWE1, 3 and 4 respectively.  Rylan started learning cursive on the board for now.  It’s going well and once we got past “magic c” Rylan was a little more impressed and it’s a bit of a challenge.  I’m glad we’re working on the board right now.  That cuts down on some of the frustration.  Bryson gets his writing through Funnix.  He does very well with the dictation of words in there.

Spelling

Jayden and Kylie each completed steps this week in AAS.  Rylan finished lesson 1 in SWO B  and went onto lesson 2.  Bryson started spelling!  He is SO excited about it.  He completed lesson 1 and started lesson 2 in SWO A.  He is also playing some games on Spelling City with his words.  Right now this is adding time in with me, but my hope is as we ease into 1st grade that he will start to be a bit more independent.

Grammar

Everybody completed their next lessons in their respective grammars.  Kylie does not find this subject amusing and still hates diagramming.  We did some work together this week to address some things she’s not remembering when she works on her own. 

Science

Jayden completed weeks 8-9 in chemistry.  We did a couple fun experiments that corresponded to his lessons.

 

We learned about acids and bases using cabbage juice as an indicator.  Our cabbage juice ended up being blue, not purple so I’m not sure if everything turned out as it should, but we got the basic idea.

We also made “slime” with glue and borox.  Rylan felt the slime once and had a fit!  With his sensory issues I don’t think he’ll be a scientist!  (Or change many diapers for that matter!)

 

On the other hand, Kylie LOVES messes and dove into hers.  Even Jayden, who usually hates to be messy dove into his… but then had a hard time cleaning up his hands so I’m not sure that he was convinced that was a good idea after all.

Kylie continued in her Periodic Table lapbook.  She learned about atoms and alkali metals (specifically sodium and hydrogen) this week.  Her lapbook is coming along nicely.

Rylan and Bryson finished Squirts and Spurts.  Here are some fun experiments we did from their book…

  

We talked a bit about air pressure today.  We started with a balloon and talked about how rubber is special because it remembers it’s shape even after it’s changed.

Everybody then got to fill and empty their own balloon.

This
last experiment was a literal “BLAST!”
 
We tried making our own “propellant” like spray cans.  We started with a bottle with a water bottle top, vinegar and baking soda….(you know where this is going)
 
Shaking it to build up the gas pressure.   Ready, aim….

FIRE!!! 
Okay, so not much happened except a noise.  So, I figured our bottle was too big and there wasn’t enough liquid to shoot out.  So…. forget the proportions in the book… fill the bottle with vinegar dump some soda in and….

Well, before we could even shake it (or move outside!) our bottle exploded all over the kitchen!  It sprayed the ceiling, wall, window, cabinets, landed several feet in every direction!!  I didn’t catch the explosion on camera, but this was Kylie’s reaction!
    
The kids and I went crazy!  Daddy even came up from working downstairs to make sure we hadn’t blown away the house!  It is certainly a science project that will be remembered!

History

Jayden completed lessons 12 and 13 in SOTW3.  I’m speeding up a bit to get the book in.  He did all his normal work for lesson 12 and just listened to 13.  We then review what he listened to just to make sure he’s got it. 

Kylie can’t process as much information as fast so I’m going to have to be creative with how to get her through the book faster.  We may just skip some chapters.  I can’t “cram it in” with her at all.   I’m not too concerned as I know she will get the cycle 2 more times during her schooling.

I was stuck with what to do with the younger boys until we start SOTW1 next year, but I had a new friend over this week and she gave me a great idea!  Her kids have been watching Liberty’s Kids and then she just picks books based on the people they learn about in the show.  Perfect!!  I thought this would be the perfect thing to do with these boys… engaging and satisfying!  So… we’ve watched the first 4 episodes this week with much success.  I checked out some books on Benjamin Franklin and Phillis Wheatley that we’ll read next week.  The older kids even want “in” and everybody hangs out in our room watching the episode.  I even figured out this was a good way to get the kids up and breakfast eaten…

Watching Liberty’s Kids in our room.

Latin

Jayden and Kylie each completed their next lesson.  No big things to report here.  Jayden is improving in his translations though!  Fun to see!

Bible

We finished the lesson on Jesus’ trial that we didn’t finish last week.  He’s being led off to be crucified.

Music

We continued to work on the D major scale with the tin whistle.  Jayden and Kylie are doing well.  It’s a little much for the younger guys…

Memory Work

We’ve crashed and burned a bit on memory work.  I’m trying to find the CC science memory CD’s used, but so far no luck.  I may just buy them outright soon… we did review more of our history timeline though.  No new material this week.

Here are some other fun moments at our house this week:

We invited a new family friends over to visit this week.  We all hit it off great! This is Kylie teaching her new friend to rollerblade.  Sadly, this wonderful family will be moving back home in June, but we will enjoy them while we can!

The “rear end” shaped hole in the wall that now resides in the younger boys’ room.  It’s a long story….

 

Another lost tooth!  This one he didn’t literally lose like the first one!

The tooth fairy “forgot” though so he later found $2 instead of just one because of the mistake!

The bird nest the boys made on the back cement slab.  Funny thing is Rylan looked out the next morning and actually saw a bird in it! 

 

Julie’s new “do” by Kylie.

And… a couple things heard around our house:

“I’m so glad I don’t have to do dictation from Dr. Suess!”  --Kylie (who was frustrated with her dictation having words she didn’t know in it!)

Mom:  What is the word for when chemicals respond to each other and one or more are changed in the process?

Kylie: regurgitate?

Mom: um… nope!  I was looking for reactive!

Bryson when looking at the words on his spelling list (I think I can’t quite remember where he was reading) and he says, “Fry!!  Mom, a baby fish is a fry!” 

(I was so impressed because 3/4 of the time I’m not convinced that kid hears ANYTHING!  He had read that on his own within the past 2 weeks.)

I’m about **this** close to subscribing to Discovery Streaming.  I’m mainly looking at the Spanish program in it, but of course there is a lot more!  Anyone want to push me one way or the other?  Anybody have this and NOT feel it’s worth it?

Have a great weekend!