After spending a week keeping track of what we're accomplishing, I've decided to only record what happens before lunch so that I can have a more relaxed afternoon. As you can see, plenty is happening just in the morning, and this is only what I happen to see/hear/participate in.
Monday:
Today is the official holiday off for New Year's, so it's been a pretty laid back day. It's Husband's last day home, so we're enjoying it.
Tuesday:
Wednesday:
Monday:
Today is the official holiday off for New Year's, so it's been a pretty laid back day. It's Husband's last day home, so we're enjoying it.
- QL went to the store with me, and we had a nice conversation about opportunity cost. The toy she wants is $40. I told her she could either save her money and buy it herself, or get it for her birthday instead of a hamster. We talked about sacrificing one thing for another, and then we talked about which one she should choose: which one will she enjoy more? Which one will she enjoy longer? She went with the hamster. Then we drove through and got a drink, which she squeezed too hard, and the lid popped off. She said, "Man, I'm learning a lot today! I learned about opportunity cost, and about squeezing cups to hard!" : )
- JC started scooting today!
- Em started playing his new game on his VTech, and he played a DS game by himself.
- IW gathered 12 items from the backyard when I asked him to get 5! I thanked him and told him that he had done more than what was expected of him, and that was honoring to Mom and Dad.
- Husband showed the kids how to open and use Microsoft Word and Paint on the downstairs computer. They took turns playing Mario Kart while the other typed notes of the outcome. QL also typed her birthday wishlist.
- QL and I talked about the difference between deciduous and coniferous trees. Later I looked up the tree section of the Handbook of Nature Study and told her about tree sap and annual rings, and the purpose of leaves.
- The kids watched Spy Kids
- We watched the Rose Bowl Parade, and talked about all the different flowers and floats.
- The big kids talked to Grandpa and Grandma on the phone and told them what they got for Christmas.
- QL and I talked about how many days there are in a year, and how those days are divided up into 12 months.
Tuesday:
- the kids have spent most of the morning huddled around the downstairs computer, thinking of things to type. This is IW's "new favorite thing".
- the big kids played Spy Kids
- We read a chapter from The Sword in the Tree.
- we started our Little House in the Big Woods lapbook!
- I showed Em his name in print
- IW practiced writing his name in cursive. He got very frustrated with his lack of instant perfection, so we made a plan to practice writing it 3 times a day for 2 weeks and see if there isn't some progress made.
- IW typed an email to Jarrett. Lots of computer skills, spelling, and grammar were touched on.
- QL and I made a rudimentary pop-up card. Then she made one for each member of the family, and one for our neighbor who is having a baby.
- Em practiced using a glue stick, he showed me how he could walk back and then forward, and helped me match socks.
- the boys played outside
- IW got out his play money and cash register, and doled out money to QL and me.
Wednesday:
- IW worked on typing.
- IW measured an entryway for me so we can order a gate for JC
- IW read a book to JC while I read a book to Em. Em is starting to participate when reading books.
- IW and Em worked on building a fort out of JC's playmat. They decided it was too small.
- QL spent most of the morning in her room working on self-control
- QL and IW both counted the money in their piggy banks and talked to each other about what they could buy with the amount of money they had, and how much they would need to save to buy the other things they wanted. I helped QL identify coins and IW add the totals together.
- QL sorted and organized her Star Wars trading cards
- QL read one of Em's dinosaur books
- I worked on addition flashcards with IW. (This was the result of the rule, if you can't find something productive to do, I will find something for you. Lesson learned.)
- The kids made lists of stuff on the computer.
- Our lunch time conversation touched on why most things are made in China (IW wishes everything we used was made in the US), the invisible line around the middle of the Earth (equator), the logistics of traveling with 19 kids and 2 adults, and where last names originate. There is a very small town in Germany that shares our (long and uncommon) last name, so that really helped me in this discussion! Oh, and QL asked if we could put cut celery in colored water again like we did last year and see what happens.
Thursday:
- This morning turned out to be a huge battle of the wills between IW and me. He is spending the ENTIRE day in his room on his bunk.
- QL and Em spent the morning outside playing together.
- Em is spending some time playing Starfall.
- QL is painting. I helped her get the supplies out and pretty much left her to it. She's using a paint knife, fan brush and stipple brush for the first time. Since she's using my brushes and not the cheap kid brushes, I did show her how to clean them.
- I tried to do yoga this morning, but I only got about 5 minutes in. QL and Em came in to join/take over. Over breakfast QL asked why I do yoga, and I explained to her, with the use of a rubber band, how muscles can get tight and then can't do their job very well, and that yoga helps stretch them out and make them looser again. IW got a kink in his neck yesterday, and when he came in, QL explained to him (with the rubber band) that his muscle was too tight. : )
- IW told me all about what to do if you're outside in a thunderstorm (which he learned while reading our new Dr. Suess book while he spent the day on his bed yesterday.).
- QL read the new Dr. Suess book to IW again while he sat alternating heat and ice packs on his neck.
- Our homeschool group is having a park day today, so that's the plan for the afternoon.
