Week-end: links & life {vol. 43}

“Sometimes, the smallest things take up the most room in your heart.” ~A.A. Milne

Highlight of my week: doing my grandson’s photo session! I miss playing with squishy newborns – and he’s the CUTEST EVER! Photos coming next week.

from around the web:

• How to Talk to Teachers about Adoption-Related Issues :: Although I haven’t dealt with having to talk to teachers about behavior since we homeschool, I nodded along with this whole post.
• This Hipster Barbie Account Perfectly Mocks Every Annoying Person on Instagram :: Hilariously poking fun at the ridiculous side of social media.
• If Disney Princesses Were Moms :: Another funny. Which one do you most identify with?
• Make Kindness Rocks with Kids :: Making them would be fun, but putting them out in the world for other folks to find would be even more fun.
• Homeschooling through disruption :: I think this was written from my future self. All about surviving as a homeschool mom during a move (and other life disruptions).
• BONUS: a little video I found hilarious.

on the blog (in case you missed ’em!)

• Giveaway on Instagram :: this is the LAST DAY to enter to win $500!
• Ice buckets & ALS :: A disease that robs victims of life even while they’re still living; I want to put REAL faces with the brave souls who help raise awareness.

right here at home:

We’ve had four showings of the house this week; that’s great, but it’s a bit of a pain to wrangle 3 kids and 2 dogs and vacate the premises every time. One day, we took advantage of good weather and an empty schoolyard to play, and the other days we were able to visit with my mom at her house house. I keep a tidy house, but it’s hard keeping it looking show-ready as a homeschool family; I’ve found a few new hiding spots for our essential stuff when I need to put it away fast.

Scout’s reading and spelling are improving greatly. She was doing well last year but has a bad habit of rushing through and randomly skipping over words, and guessing words she didn’t know instead of taking time to sound them out. Now she’s slowing down and it’s allowing her to learn new words and actually read more interesting books. This week in science class she dissected an owl pellet, which is something we’ve never done here at home. Next week the class is dissecting a frog — also something we’ve never done (and don’t plan to do!) so I’m glad she gets to do it there.

I’ve been homeschooling for ten years, but I’ve never taught a child to read before now. Weird, isn’t it? Kathryn learned just from me reading with her, and Scout learned to read (albeit with a few bad habits) before she came to us. So this is all new for me, but Jem is doing great and is still highly motivated.

Kathryn is enjoying Apologia’s Physical Science (though admittedly not as much as last year’s Marine Biology), and Khan Academy math is working well for her right now. She’s just started dipping her toes into NorthStar Geography but I think she’s going to enjoy it as well. Sometime in the next week or two, we’ll add in Latin!

–> I’m linking up with my friends Kris and Mary.