Week in Review

Some of what we did this week...

Reading

In addition to our nightly My Book House read alouds, I also read Gemma Pocahontas by the D'Aulaires.

She's currently reading The Magic Tree House: Dingoes at Dinnertime to me.

Math

She did a few pages from Mathematical Reasoning, but she also enjoyed two chapters from (newly arrived) Life of Fred - Apples.

She drew while I read. If you're familiar with the series, you might be able to recognize her drawing of Fred (the square-headed face above the ellipses). The figure to his left is Kingie.

I only ordered Apples, because I want to see if she likes it before I buy more. I have a feeling we'll be buying more.

Nature/Science/Out-of-Doors Life

Here is her window garden after two weeks...

You can't see them, but there are actually have three tiny carrots growing with the bean plants. 

Springing forward means more daylight hours to dig up bugs...

...and rocks...

Bible

We started our Resurrection Eggs on Wednesday. We're doing one egg per day, through Easter.

Also, the Cherubs practiced a song for Palm Sunday called Just Give Me Jesus.

Here is the link to the Shout Praises Kids video with lyrics:

https://m.youtube.com/watch?v=Rijx0BFvrrk

Leprechaun Trap

One of my friends organized a "Leprechaun Trap" party. Each preschooler designed a leprechaun trap, and brought them to the party. In addition to showing off their traps, the preschoolers hunted for gold coins, ate rainbow jello, and played on the jungle gym. Gemma's trap was the least elaborate, but she made it without any help (the night before). In my defense, I had parent conferences all week. I have promised myself that next year, at the 2nd Annual Leprechaun Trap Engineering Challenge, I'll plan better. 

Gemma was very happy with her trap, which she made from a Swiffer box. She filled it with rainbow colored feathers, "because leprechauns like rainbows," and a Ziploc baggie. Once inside the box, the leprechaun would "feel very cozy" on all those soft feathers and fall asleep. After the leprechaun fell asleep, Gemma said she would shut the lid, and lock it with the pink wooden anchor. Finally, she would grab the leprechaun and seal him in the Ziploc baggie.

Daddy Has The Best Job

Monday, Daddy took Gemma to Classical Conversations. Tuesday, Daddy took Gemma to the Getty to see Van Gogh's Irises (while Mommy had to stay at work until 7 pm for Open House). Wednesday Daddy took Gemma to Church Mice, and then to the Farmer's Market for strawberries. Thursday, Daddy took Gemma to see a children's play at a nearby theater's homeschool day.

Kiss Me, I'm (Scots) Irish

Happy Saint Patrick's Day!

History/Geography

I ordered her a new Usborne sticker book - Explorers. It has Magellan, Leif Ericsson, Marco Polo, Captain Cook, Roald Amundsen, Columbus, Livingstone, Neil Armstrong, etc. Because of Classical Conversations, she's familiar with many of the names (from the timeline song) and places (from the geography memory work). 

She told me that when she grows up, she's going to be an explorer.

All the Time in the World

I took Gemma to her first documentary Saturday afternoon. It was called All the Time in the World by Suzanne Crocker. The filmmaker and her husband take their children (ages 10, 8, and 4) to live in the Yukon wilderness for nine months without electricity, a phone, or a clock. They "disconnect to reconnect." I highly recommend seeing this if it comes to a theater near you, or renting it when it comes out on DVD. They - obviously - homeschooled for those nine months, and in that time, they read aloud 52 books including Anne of Green Gables, To Kill a Mockingbird, Watership Down, and the entire Little House series (which Suzanne and her husband - in a Q&A after the film - said was like a how-to manual because of how detailed a writer Laura Ingalls Wilder was). Suzanne and her husband would make great guests on Sarah Mackenzie's Read Aloud Revival podcast!