Homeschool Highlights #6

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Well, I have 11 posts in my draft that should come out this week, 2 of which are reviews. Here's hoping to a real quick highlight of our week. (A girl can hope.)
  • I posted the solutions to our first Instant Challenge: Bridge Builder. I am thrilled with the response to the Instant Challenge and hope to see participation again this week.
  • I was excited to find out that I'm Nominated. How fun that was to find out. I shared more about my thoughts in my post. ( I am also getting spam comments now, whereas I never had any before. So on any post older than a week, the comments will now be moderated).
  • All About Spelling ~ we are half way through level one, and while the spelling is all review, we are filling in a few missing gaps in phonics. I will be sharing about this in an upcoming review, but I will give you a peek into our week of spelling and segmenting vowel sounds:
A kinesthetic approach to spelling.
  • We switched gears in Science {again}. Back to my original plan! I am shelving the chemistry book, but hope to use it as a supplement down the road. I will share what we did in another post (hopefully before we finish the next lesson).
  • Prepare and Pray ~ we actually picked this up this week. It has been awhile and I am ready to keep on keeping on.
  • Nature Explorers ~ we wrapped up our study on habitat, but not on forests. I will share more soon.
  • Tot school ~ well, our dvd player crashed (or more likely something crashed into it) and we had to replace it. I had the wonderful idea to replace it with a portable player that will also plug into the television. I can have Eliana watch her Baby Signing Time dvds on the couch with headphones now. We are all learning to sign because she is teaching us. She will quiz me ~ it is so cute. She did one other Tot School activity, but we mostly read books played with the kittens and her "girls." She is giving them names now and our girls have some great discussion when they play.
  • Preschool ~ Malachi continued with Mathletics and Kinderbach and started Roller Typing (at his request). He is learning the placement of the letters on the keyboard as well as the symbols and numbers. Luke plays speed drills in the morning with all the boys and he is having fun playing too.
  • Math ~ The boys participated in the American Math Challenge and there was a lot of excitement here and not much computer time (maybe that is why I am behind on posting).
This is me this week: "You can do your math when your chores are done!"
To which my son, Dylan replied, "That's not something you hear everyday."
ha, ha. Seriously, I am glad to temporarily have this problem.
  • Biblical History ~ We have been lingering on one particular lesson (not because of anything exciting, mind you) but because we are doing this study as a family and the last two weeks have been full. We are caught up and ready to share what we have been doing and have already started the next lesson.
  • Character Training ~ I should share more about this in another post, but it should have been at the top of our week.
  • There has been some serious chess playing in our home this week.
Mr. "4-Move Checkmate" has met his match.
Seriously, Luke said that it won't be long before Dylan's ability outmatches his. He said we need to invest in a computerized chess board to challenge him. All the boys enjoy playing chess with their Pop.
  • Nathan and Dylan had their first basketball games this week:
The race is on.
The reach.
The pivot.
The race down the court.
The shot.
Too bad he missed. It was still a great game against a tough team that they thought they would lose to. {Yep, they won!}
I was happy that I went to the game. Truthfully, I do not go to every single game (my boys play about 63 games a year combined) and I finally let go of the mommy guilt to make it to every single game this past year. But at least one of us does try to be at each game. (My husband referees as many games as he can so he can watch them too. I try to make the games he can't. Sometimes that means watching from the car when it is too cold for the little ones. But when the weather is nice, we make it to most of them). All this to say, Luke and I both got to watch the game and it was more fun watching with him - he knows every single play, call, kid and parent there!
Well, so much for short. If you are new to reading my highlights, you may not know that this is an experiment for me. I am leaning towards an "I want to do this for me" sorta thing. I can hardly remember all that we did (and I certainly do not blog everything I do - I wouldn't have time to do anything). So, this helps fill in the gaps. I can hardly believe I am on #6. It is starting to grow on me.

5 comments

  1. Hooray Horray Hooray! I am so glad you are enjoying these weekly review posts. It looks like you all had a great week. We are loving the Instant Challenges here so keep them coming.

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  2. I love your homeschool highlights, and have thought of doing them myself on my (cough cough) homeschool blog. I just might do it...as usual, you're an inspiration! : ) Congrats on the nomination!

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  3. I always enjoy reading your highlight posts. Glad they are growing on you.

    Are you going to be posting anymore about "Biblical History" for the younger ones? Your post on Creation for the younger ones was wonderful.

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  4. Funny you mention chess. Will has been playing chess on the computer, and he loves it! In less than two weeks he has taught himself to play, from where he didn't understand it at all and was stomped by the computer every time, to where he's overwhelmingly beating the computer every time!

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  5. Chel - I still owe J. a chess game, and Dylan is a card:) I love reading your hightlights, well I enjoy reading your whole blog..lol.

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