I didn’t post a weekly report last week, so this is a two-for-one!

First, a bit of camera phone fun:

1) Last Friday Kathryn and I watched Lindsey and Ken perform in a community production of “Snow White and the Two Princes” — a more old-fashioned and less-Disneyized version of the story; 2) Kathryn’s first little loom-knit hat; 3) a chilly homeschool day with a mug of hot cocoa.

Last week Kathryn had a lot of studying to do for a test in her bat mitzvah last Saturday. She’s still waiting to hear back on her grade, but she felt like she did well. The kids must have an overall B average in order to complete the class and be able to go through with their bar/bat mitzvahs, and there is a whole lot of history to learn! Kathryn is excited that this week’s class is one when they’ll be learning more Hebrew because that’s her favorite part of the classes.

We made goodies for the GA’s bake sale for the Lottie Moon offering last week (indoor s’mores = yum!), and this week the GA’s went to a local nursing home to visit the folks there and take little gifts they made.

This week we survived the loooong registration process for next semester’s enrichment classes. We didn’t get the schedule we went intending to get, but with a bit of scrambling, we were able to get classes that Kathryn and I are both pleased with. One of the ones she wanted was a beginners’ loom knitting class, but that filled up before we could sign up. However, the teacher was sitting next to us at the registration table and said that if we bought a basic loom kit and started learning over the Christmas break, she’d be okay with Kathryn signing up for the more advanced class. We did, and Kathryn pretty much hasn’t put it down since.

We started doing Daily Paragraph Editing last week, and Kathryn loves it. She said if it was cuddly, she’d sleep with it (like her favorite stuffed animals). Clearly, she’s a word nerd like me. We breezed through a week of lessons on the first day, and then I had to make her do only one lesson each day after that. Half the fun is referring to the chart of which editing symbols to use, and getting to use my red “teacher’s pen.” I knew she’d do well at it, but it’s great to reinforce what she knows and to find any weak areas. So far the only thing we’ve seen that she needs a little guidance on is exactly where to put commas.

In our history readings, we learned about the invention of the sewing machine, and the struggles Elias Howe went through before ever making any money from his great invention. We’ve talked about the Underground Railroad, and the admission of California as a state shortly before the big gold rush. And when I picked up to read this week about Millard Fillmore becoming president after the death of the prior president, I had to scan the previous chapter to remember the name of the former president who had died suddenly — but Kathryn remembered that it was Zachary Taylor. She seriously blows my mind with how much she learns from our readings, even when I think she isn’t paying close enough attention. 😉

We’ve also been reading about another inventor, Alexander Graham Bell. We love the photos in this photobiography, Always Inventing, and Ken enjoyed listening in one day when we were reading outside “normal” school hours. We’re all impressed with the kind of man Alec Bell seemed to have been.

Finally we found the right paper to get back to doing our state maps from Homeschool in the Woods. We’d run out and I couldn’t find the right paper for a few weeks since our local Walmart must’ve stopped carrying it.

Math with Teaching Textbooks is still review, but even if we review all year, I am totally okay with that as long as Kathryn overcomes the math malevolence she had developed. We’re definitely heading that way, and I am so glad. Currently, she’s working on things like multiplying more than two numbers, and getting into some basic geometry. But she’s actually kind of liking it.

We still haven’t finished King Arthur, but we’re almost there, and enjoying the journey. We’ll be a little sad to say goodbye to the adventures of the Knights of the Round Table. But then we’ll get to meet new friends in our next book; part of why I love good literature.

** I’m linking up with Kris’ Weekly Wrap-Up; with Sue’s A Homeschool Mother’s Journal; and with Dawn’s Camera Phone Fridays! Come join the fun!

Jamie

Wife, mom, J-ma. Introvert who enjoys good books, sunshine, and authentic conversation. Often seen with a steaming mug of tea in hand – unless it’s lost yet again in the microwave. Read more »