I thought I'd focus on the formal schooling we do and how that strews too!
Becky is working her way through The Life of Fred series. She's in the middle of Edgewood where she's encountering geometry. She comes and tells me on her own what it is she's reading about. She's fascinated by learning about trapezoids and rombuses (Rombi???).
We continue to work through the weekly visual aids and the worksheets for Aquinas Learning. This week, Week 17 of Cycle C, we are learning in each of the 8 categories: Virtue - compassion; Catechism - 5 types of prayer, History- Slavery Divides the Nation (Dred Scott decision, abolition, Underground Railroad); Civics - 3 qualifications for President; Latin/Greek - 5 Greek words; Grammar - what is a rhetorical question?; Science - what is a chemical element?; Geography - Florida and Texas (we are working our way through all 50 states).
I focus on Geography, Latin/Greek and Catechism. The other things are fun possibilities for rabbit trails. Geography because Becky really enjoys it, Latin/Greek because I'm geeky that way! And Catechism - well, because it's the Catechism!
We've been much more formal with Sean as the year goes by because of the whole Trinity school thing next year. Right now we are in the painful process of filling out the Candidate Questionaire. I think this will be the hardest aspect of applying and the one Sean hates the most! I plan to use it as copy work for the next three weeks. We are working on the answers together. He pretty much dictates to me and then I write it down. He's going to copy it over for handwriting practice. It's painful!
Sean enjoys the writing program we are using, as I've mentioned a couple of times already, I'm sure. He had to read excerpts from a biography of George Washington Carver and then another one about Jenner, the guy who discovered the Smallpox vaccine. He finds all this very interesting. Also, he's enjoying studying Latin too. He seems to like the vocabulary games at Headventure Land. He also seems to be enjoying the Ecce Romani book. And I can see how all this studying is suddenly consolidating as we work through the National Latin Exam practice tests. He's getting much faster at it.
So this isn't the unschooling part of our day but it leads to lots of learning anyway, LOL! My kids thrive best when there is a mix of formal and informal learning going on each day.
So has your family embarked on some structured learning recently? Or what are you consciously or unconsciously strewing?
Showing posts with label strewsday tuesday. Show all posts
Showing posts with label strewsday tuesday. Show all posts
Tuesday, February 14, 2012
Tuesday, February 7, 2012
Strewsday Tuesday - 2/7/12
No conscious strewing going on at all here lately.
However, Josh, my introverted, quiet one, got himself elected to the position of Secretary for his Catholic Life Community group at Church. He was pleased with that! The group always goes on an overnight retreat to vote, which they did Friday. They use the same voting methods as the cardinals do to vote for a new pope! I think being an officer for the group will be a good opportunity and teach Josh a little responsibility.
I don't know what this may lead to in an academic sense, Becky got found a bunch of old photo albums and left them out on the coffee table. So everyone's been looking through them. It made both Becky and Sean very sentimental and teary-eyed. The awful thing is I managed to make a baby book for each child except Sean! Sean was really hurt when he noticed this and he kept asking us things like 'What was my first word?' and "When did I first walk?" and both Rick and I were mortified that we couldn't remember. Oh dear. So we've been trying to make it up to him ever since. I think Rick has promised him the moon by now. Poor kid is going to be in therapy for years because of his lousy parents.
Becky also found the Multiplication Rock cd and has been listening to that as well as the CD from The Story of the Orchestra. That girl is so easy to unschool!
Sean's been obsessed with comparing Buster Keaton movies with Charlie Chaplin movies. He's having his own private movie marathon comparing the two. He was also anxiously waiting for the Annie awards on Saturday night.
That's all I can think of. What's going on in your house?
However, Josh, my introverted, quiet one, got himself elected to the position of Secretary for his Catholic Life Community group at Church. He was pleased with that! The group always goes on an overnight retreat to vote, which they did Friday. They use the same voting methods as the cardinals do to vote for a new pope! I think being an officer for the group will be a good opportunity and teach Josh a little responsibility.
I don't know what this may lead to in an academic sense, Becky got found a bunch of old photo albums and left them out on the coffee table. So everyone's been looking through them. It made both Becky and Sean very sentimental and teary-eyed. The awful thing is I managed to make a baby book for each child except Sean! Sean was really hurt when he noticed this and he kept asking us things like 'What was my first word?' and "When did I first walk?" and both Rick and I were mortified that we couldn't remember. Oh dear. So we've been trying to make it up to him ever since. I think Rick has promised him the moon by now. Poor kid is going to be in therapy for years because of his lousy parents.
Becky also found the Multiplication Rock cd and has been listening to that as well as the CD from The Story of the Orchestra. That girl is so easy to unschool!
Sean's been obsessed with comparing Buster Keaton movies with Charlie Chaplin movies. He's having his own private movie marathon comparing the two. He was also anxiously waiting for the Annie awards on Saturday night.
That's all I can think of. What's going on in your house?
Tuesday, January 31, 2012
Strewsday Tuesday - 1/31/12
It's Strewsday Tuesday again!
Two websites that Becky really likes to visit: American Girl
Girlsgogames
We actually learn some stuff from the American Girl site. Becky especially likes the quiz games. We've learned all sorts of facts about different subjects, candy, for instance!
Thought I'd do a review of the books everyone's been reading:
Me: Right now reading aloud The Creed in Slow Motion (we are going really slowly through this), A Tale of Two Cities, Meet the Austins (almost done!), A Little History of the World, Henry V.
Independent reading:
Josh - a series of Star Wars books that his friend keeps lending him. Can't say I'm up to date on what they are exactly. He's also reading a lot of Shakespeare for his class. Recently finished MacBeth. And he also reads on line a lot of fanfic for the Naruto graphic novels.
Sean - recently finished reading the whole Scott Pilgrim series. We are reading Henry V together. I read it aloud and he follows along in his own book.
Becky - She's almost done reading the Mysterious Benedict Society trilogy. She's also working her way through the Life of Fred series. She's almost finished the Edgewood book. She's reading a book on line at the American Girl site as well. And she has a tendency to pick up any book lying around and read it for a while. She started Little Women the other day, but I don't think she's read too much of it.
Rick - has been reading Walter Isaacson's biography of Ben Franklin. It's his third Isaacson book in a row!
Me - well I didn't finish any books for this past Sunday's Read 52 Books in 52 Weeks, but I will definitely have finished them by next week! So stay tuned. I'm posting my reviews this weekend.
Any book or website strewing going on at your place?
Two websites that Becky really likes to visit: American Girl
Girlsgogames
We actually learn some stuff from the American Girl site. Becky especially likes the quiz games. We've learned all sorts of facts about different subjects, candy, for instance!
Thought I'd do a review of the books everyone's been reading:
Me: Right now reading aloud The Creed in Slow Motion (we are going really slowly through this), A Tale of Two Cities, Meet the Austins (almost done!), A Little History of the World, Henry V.
Independent reading:
Josh - a series of Star Wars books that his friend keeps lending him. Can't say I'm up to date on what they are exactly. He's also reading a lot of Shakespeare for his class. Recently finished MacBeth. And he also reads on line a lot of fanfic for the Naruto graphic novels.
Sean - recently finished reading the whole Scott Pilgrim series. We are reading Henry V together. I read it aloud and he follows along in his own book.
Becky - She's almost done reading the Mysterious Benedict Society trilogy. She's also working her way through the Life of Fred series. She's almost finished the Edgewood book. She's reading a book on line at the American Girl site as well. And she has a tendency to pick up any book lying around and read it for a while. She started Little Women the other day, but I don't think she's read too much of it.
Rick - has been reading Walter Isaacson's biography of Ben Franklin. It's his third Isaacson book in a row!
Me - well I didn't finish any books for this past Sunday's Read 52 Books in 52 Weeks, but I will definitely have finished them by next week! So stay tuned. I'm posting my reviews this weekend.
Any book or website strewing going on at your place?
Tuesday, January 24, 2012
Strewsday Tuesday - 1/24/12
Let's see, what's strewing around here?
Becky has been using the Apple computer's video capability to play newscaster. She stood a gymnastic mat we have on its side and put it behind her while she sits at the computer. That's so you can't see the rest of the room. I guess it gives a more official looking background while she's reporting! I think she was inspired by this because we've been watching the caucuses and primaries in the news. (We don't watch the news much around here). Also we watched Keenan Kampa being interviewed (Becky is friendly with her little sister). In Becky's own newscasts, she's reported on both the primaries (where she keeps pronouncing Gingrich as Gringidge LOL!) and Keenan as well as things going on in our family, the weather and silly things like interviewing our cat. She's been playing newscaster every day for the past several days. It's her new, very absorbing game.
I've been reading A Tale of Two Cities out loud to everyone. During the chapter with the courtroom scene where we first meet the characters of Sidney Carton and Charles Darnay, Becky drew s great picture of a courtroom on our whiteboard, complete with judge, jury and audience. Wish I knew how to upload a photo of it to this blog! Grrr.
Sean has started playing Minecraft and his vocabulary is suddenly full of words like ore, smelting and resources. He's really into it and it is leading into a lot of discussion, especially with Josh about all sorts of things geological as well as basic economics principles. Pretty neat game!
Yesterday, we all went to the March for Life which inspired many a discussion all day long. Before the March we attended a Mass at the parish the bus was leaving from. Becky and Sean got to carry up the offertory gifts. I realized that they have never gotten to do this before! My older kids all have done this several times, at one time or another. They were a bit pleased to be asked.
That's all I can think of right now. It was cold and damp at the March yesterday and I fear I have come down with a cold as a result. So it is taking a while for the fog to clear in my head this a.m.
Will left us yesterday right after the March to fly back to Berklee in Boston. He called when he arrived safely and he sounded very glad to be back. I think his winter break was just about a week too long for him. He really was ready to go back. He's made some good friends there already and he loves studying music! He got all A's and one B in his classes. He's very excited to start the new semester. I find coming home for breaks is very hard on my college students! They've made their own lives on campus where they feel more independent and then they come home and feel like a high schooler again. I think it is a bit of a strain for them, until they work out how to balance these aspects of their lives. We will miss William heartily until spring break!
So what's strewing in your home?
Becky has been using the Apple computer's video capability to play newscaster. She stood a gymnastic mat we have on its side and put it behind her while she sits at the computer. That's so you can't see the rest of the room. I guess it gives a more official looking background while she's reporting! I think she was inspired by this because we've been watching the caucuses and primaries in the news. (We don't watch the news much around here). Also we watched Keenan Kampa being interviewed (Becky is friendly with her little sister). In Becky's own newscasts, she's reported on both the primaries (where she keeps pronouncing Gingrich as Gringidge LOL!) and Keenan as well as things going on in our family, the weather and silly things like interviewing our cat. She's been playing newscaster every day for the past several days. It's her new, very absorbing game.
I've been reading A Tale of Two Cities out loud to everyone. During the chapter with the courtroom scene where we first meet the characters of Sidney Carton and Charles Darnay, Becky drew s great picture of a courtroom on our whiteboard, complete with judge, jury and audience. Wish I knew how to upload a photo of it to this blog! Grrr.
Sean has started playing Minecraft and his vocabulary is suddenly full of words like ore, smelting and resources. He's really into it and it is leading into a lot of discussion, especially with Josh about all sorts of things geological as well as basic economics principles. Pretty neat game!
Yesterday, we all went to the March for Life which inspired many a discussion all day long. Before the March we attended a Mass at the parish the bus was leaving from. Becky and Sean got to carry up the offertory gifts. I realized that they have never gotten to do this before! My older kids all have done this several times, at one time or another. They were a bit pleased to be asked.
That's all I can think of right now. It was cold and damp at the March yesterday and I fear I have come down with a cold as a result. So it is taking a while for the fog to clear in my head this a.m.
Will left us yesterday right after the March to fly back to Berklee in Boston. He called when he arrived safely and he sounded very glad to be back. I think his winter break was just about a week too long for him. He really was ready to go back. He's made some good friends there already and he loves studying music! He got all A's and one B in his classes. He's very excited to start the new semester. I find coming home for breaks is very hard on my college students! They've made their own lives on campus where they feel more independent and then they come home and feel like a high schooler again. I think it is a bit of a strain for them, until they work out how to balance these aspects of their lives. We will miss William heartily until spring break!
So what's strewing in your home?
Tuesday, January 17, 2012
Strewsday Tuesday - 1/17/12
No intentional strewing going on right now. Lots of unintentional though. Since Will is still here on his winter break, he's been spending lots of time with Sean and Becky. I overheard a conversation yesterday. Sean asked Will who exactly was Martn Luther King. Will, to my surprise knew a ton about him and then launched into an in depth recounting of Malcolm X and compared the two men and why we have a day named after MLK but not Malcolm X.
Will has also been teaching Becky how to play Linus and Lucy on the piano. Becky works very hard at it. Ever since Thanksgiving or even before she's been practicing little pieces on the piano. Rick showed her how to play Good King Wencelaus and she still plays that. Then she made up a couple of her own little pieces and then there is the Linus and Lucy piece. Everyone keeps asking her if she wants piano lessons, but she doesn't. She just wants to sit at the piano and teach herself. Fine with me!
Becky went on her first sleepover this past weekend. It was what they call a 'lock-in' with her American Heritage Girls troop. It must have been at least 100 girls. They slept in classrooms on bedrolls and sleeping bags. She had loads of fun. They got ot play basketball in the school gym, make crafts, tell stories. They rejected watching a movie and decided to play games instead. Last night Becky read me a little book they made of many different car games. Apparentely yesterday, when Rick took the kids to see The Adventures of Tin Tin, she forced them to play the car games going to and from the theater.
Oh one tiny bit of intentional strewing on my part. I got out the book This is Paris by M. Lasek and put it on the coffee table. And everybody who comes by at one point or another has picked it up and looked through it. I also found my Spanish Made Simple book but I've yet to put it out. Keep forgetting! Going to go do it now!
I've informed the kids of my plan. Hannah, William, and Josh are the Spanish language people. Becky, Sean and Rick are the French people. I'll be both. So we are dividing and conquering. Each group has to learn the phrases travelers need to know in their assigned language. Important stuff like Where is the bathroom and how much does this cost?
So any strewing going on in your neck of the woods?
Will has also been teaching Becky how to play Linus and Lucy on the piano. Becky works very hard at it. Ever since Thanksgiving or even before she's been practicing little pieces on the piano. Rick showed her how to play Good King Wencelaus and she still plays that. Then she made up a couple of her own little pieces and then there is the Linus and Lucy piece. Everyone keeps asking her if she wants piano lessons, but she doesn't. She just wants to sit at the piano and teach herself. Fine with me!
Becky went on her first sleepover this past weekend. It was what they call a 'lock-in' with her American Heritage Girls troop. It must have been at least 100 girls. They slept in classrooms on bedrolls and sleeping bags. She had loads of fun. They got ot play basketball in the school gym, make crafts, tell stories. They rejected watching a movie and decided to play games instead. Last night Becky read me a little book they made of many different car games. Apparentely yesterday, when Rick took the kids to see The Adventures of Tin Tin, she forced them to play the car games going to and from the theater.
Oh one tiny bit of intentional strewing on my part. I got out the book This is Paris by M. Lasek and put it on the coffee table. And everybody who comes by at one point or another has picked it up and looked through it. I also found my Spanish Made Simple book but I've yet to put it out. Keep forgetting! Going to go do it now!
I've informed the kids of my plan. Hannah, William, and Josh are the Spanish language people. Becky, Sean and Rick are the French people. I'll be both. So we are dividing and conquering. Each group has to learn the phrases travelers need to know in their assigned language. Important stuff like Where is the bathroom and how much does this cost?
So any strewing going on in your neck of the woods?
Tuesday, January 10, 2012
Strewsday Tuesday - 1/10/12
Well, I am getting kind of excited! It looks like we are going on a trip to Europe this summer!
It all started when Hannah, who previously spent a semester in Rome with the University of Dallas, asked us if she could study Spanish at the Catholic University of Avila. UD apparently has a relationship with the Universidad Catolica de Avila and often sends students there. Somehow we thought that maybe Will could go too and then Joshua got tacked onto the end of that. Well, we've been talking about it for a couple of months now. Will checked with Berklee and in order to get credit, he has to go through some organization that validates credits, but Berklee seems very open to that. And for Josh, I think it will be a great, broadening experience for him. Hannah already had her passport and UD is taking care of her paper work, but for the other two there's more work involved, for instance, they need passports! While thinking about getting them passports, Rick said why not all of us get them now, just in case. So then we started thinking that maybe we'd all go, the oldest three to study for a month and the rest of us just for a two week vacation. Rick doesn't want to take anymore than that off from work. And in fact, he's always nervous about taking time off from work.
So here's what's going on with this:
1) Today we go and get our passport photos taken and we have to fill out all the forms, we've printed out and make sure we have everything ready, because,
2) Tomorrow we have an appointment to go to the post office and finish applying for our passports. You have to bring a slew of things with you! Birth certificates, forms, driver's licenses, photo copies of driver's licenses, a check for each application and proper passport photos.
3) This a.m. I just got notice that we can stay on a houseboat on the Seine! So we are planning to go a week earlier than the Avila program starts and spend six days in Paris! Then we'll take a train to Madrid and then onto Avila. Avila will be our base camp for Spain and while the three oldest kids start their program there, Rick, Sean, Becky and I will explore Spain!
I think this is really going to happen! We had thought about traveling to Italy when Hannah was there last winter, but Becky was so frightened of the idea of flying and going so far away and I just was afraid that we'd spend tons of money and have a rotten time. But she has matured so much. Rick took her up in a plane at the beach and she loved flying! So now she's over that fear. And she has always loved the idea of learning French. I don't know why she latched onto that particular language, but she likes it. I got her a French workbook at Barnes and Noble and she gets in moods where she sits and studies it! She's only learned a little bit, of course, but the idea of going to France has made her study more.
I'm excited to go to Spain. I've been to France before and I am sure I'll love going back, but it will be neat to go to a new country. I've never thought much about Spain before, but now I am kind of obsessing over it!
And one place I never made it to when I was in France 33 years ago (oh my goodness, that is long time!) was Lourdes. I really hope we get to Lourdes!
So that's what's brewing (rather than strewing!) in our household right now! What's going on in yours?
It all started when Hannah, who previously spent a semester in Rome with the University of Dallas, asked us if she could study Spanish at the Catholic University of Avila. UD apparently has a relationship with the Universidad Catolica de Avila and often sends students there. Somehow we thought that maybe Will could go too and then Joshua got tacked onto the end of that. Well, we've been talking about it for a couple of months now. Will checked with Berklee and in order to get credit, he has to go through some organization that validates credits, but Berklee seems very open to that. And for Josh, I think it will be a great, broadening experience for him. Hannah already had her passport and UD is taking care of her paper work, but for the other two there's more work involved, for instance, they need passports! While thinking about getting them passports, Rick said why not all of us get them now, just in case. So then we started thinking that maybe we'd all go, the oldest three to study for a month and the rest of us just for a two week vacation. Rick doesn't want to take anymore than that off from work. And in fact, he's always nervous about taking time off from work.
So here's what's going on with this:
1) Today we go and get our passport photos taken and we have to fill out all the forms, we've printed out and make sure we have everything ready, because,
2) Tomorrow we have an appointment to go to the post office and finish applying for our passports. You have to bring a slew of things with you! Birth certificates, forms, driver's licenses, photo copies of driver's licenses, a check for each application and proper passport photos.
3) This a.m. I just got notice that we can stay on a houseboat on the Seine! So we are planning to go a week earlier than the Avila program starts and spend six days in Paris! Then we'll take a train to Madrid and then onto Avila. Avila will be our base camp for Spain and while the three oldest kids start their program there, Rick, Sean, Becky and I will explore Spain!
I think this is really going to happen! We had thought about traveling to Italy when Hannah was there last winter, but Becky was so frightened of the idea of flying and going so far away and I just was afraid that we'd spend tons of money and have a rotten time. But she has matured so much. Rick took her up in a plane at the beach and she loved flying! So now she's over that fear. And she has always loved the idea of learning French. I don't know why she latched onto that particular language, but she likes it. I got her a French workbook at Barnes and Noble and she gets in moods where she sits and studies it! She's only learned a little bit, of course, but the idea of going to France has made her study more.
I'm excited to go to Spain. I've been to France before and I am sure I'll love going back, but it will be neat to go to a new country. I've never thought much about Spain before, but now I am kind of obsessing over it!
And one place I never made it to when I was in France 33 years ago (oh my goodness, that is long time!) was Lourdes. I really hope we get to Lourdes!
So that's what's brewing (rather than strewing!) in our household right now! What's going on in yours?
Tuesday, January 3, 2012
Strewsday Tuesday - 1/3/12
I do believe that's the first time I've typed /12 like that! Happy New Year!
Strewing.....strewing.....trying to think of any strewing going on lately here.
Really it is still Christmas presents. Becky got a camera and Sean a little video recorder. Becky's been using hers more. Lately our neighborhood has suddenly become a place for turkey vultures to hang out. There have always been a few in the area but since they've started building a new fire house about 1/4 mile away towards the main road, the turkey vulture numbers have increased to a kind of scary degree! I feel like they must have uncovered an old grave site or something when they dug up the earth to lay the foundation for the station. At least that's what my overactive imagination thinks! Why else would so many turkey vultures move into the area. Every afternoon about 2 dozen of them just circle around in the sky above us (or rather slightly to the east of our house) for a couple hours. One day as I was driving into the garage I saw one perched in a tree in our side yard with its wings extended. I swear it looked just like a gargoyle!
Anyway, Becky's been taking pictures of these birds. And a day or two ago she saw a hawk perched in a very low branch in our yard. The hawk let her get pretty close to it and she snapped a picture. I wish I could put the pictures on here! And that inspires me to again renew my efforts to put photos back on my blog. I'm going to have my 19 yo home from college work on this! He's not been doing anything but sleeping (well, he did come down with a cold).
Let's see what else. Sean really wants to start cheesemaking. He's asked me two days in a row, but I just haven't gotten myself prepared in terms of materials and emotionally (LOL!) to do it. I'm thinking I'll get all the stuff today at the store and we'll work on it tomorrow.
We got a cheesemaking kit from this company.
It finally got cold out and Rick's been home for four days! He something huge due at work right before Christmas so now he's actually been able to be home and relax a bit. But cold weather plus Rick being home means fires in our fireplace. He loves to haul in wood and build fires. Anyway, he taught Becky how to make a fire. Last night she made one all by herself. She loves to sit in her little rocker (she still fits; she's so petite!) and stare into the flames. I joked that she'd make a great Girl Scout and she got very insulted because her loyalty lies with American Heritage Girls. Lately, you have to be very careful with her or she gets offended.
So I'll stop rambling and ask any reader out there who might mosey along and actually read this, what are you strewing these days?
Strewing.....strewing.....trying to think of any strewing going on lately here.
Really it is still Christmas presents. Becky got a camera and Sean a little video recorder. Becky's been using hers more. Lately our neighborhood has suddenly become a place for turkey vultures to hang out. There have always been a few in the area but since they've started building a new fire house about 1/4 mile away towards the main road, the turkey vulture numbers have increased to a kind of scary degree! I feel like they must have uncovered an old grave site or something when they dug up the earth to lay the foundation for the station. At least that's what my overactive imagination thinks! Why else would so many turkey vultures move into the area. Every afternoon about 2 dozen of them just circle around in the sky above us (or rather slightly to the east of our house) for a couple hours. One day as I was driving into the garage I saw one perched in a tree in our side yard with its wings extended. I swear it looked just like a gargoyle!
Anyway, Becky's been taking pictures of these birds. And a day or two ago she saw a hawk perched in a very low branch in our yard. The hawk let her get pretty close to it and she snapped a picture. I wish I could put the pictures on here! And that inspires me to again renew my efforts to put photos back on my blog. I'm going to have my 19 yo home from college work on this! He's not been doing anything but sleeping (well, he did come down with a cold).
Let's see what else. Sean really wants to start cheesemaking. He's asked me two days in a row, but I just haven't gotten myself prepared in terms of materials and emotionally (LOL!) to do it. I'm thinking I'll get all the stuff today at the store and we'll work on it tomorrow.
We got a cheesemaking kit from this company.
It finally got cold out and Rick's been home for four days! He something huge due at work right before Christmas so now he's actually been able to be home and relax a bit. But cold weather plus Rick being home means fires in our fireplace. He loves to haul in wood and build fires. Anyway, he taught Becky how to make a fire. Last night she made one all by herself. She loves to sit in her little rocker (she still fits; she's so petite!) and stare into the flames. I joked that she'd make a great Girl Scout and she got very insulted because her loyalty lies with American Heritage Girls. Lately, you have to be very careful with her or she gets offended.
So I'll stop rambling and ask any reader out there who might mosey along and actually read this, what are you strewing these days?
Tuesday, December 27, 2011
Strewsday Tuesday - post Christmas 2011 edition!
Lots of strewing going on in the shape of Christmas gifts. However, the one I'll mention here is the game Hannah gave Josh and that Rick, Hannah, Sean and Becky and I sat down to play (I think Will and Josh were taking their siestas at the time.)
It's a fun game called Chronology. Check it out!
Merry Christmas!
It's a fun game called Chronology. Check it out!
Merry Christmas!
Tuesday, December 20, 2011
Strewsday Tuesday - 12/20/11
Well, we've decorated for Christmas. And tonight is the first night of Chanukah. We are ready for our potato latkes. And also tonight, William comes home! So we'll all be together again. Hannah got home last Thursday. Not much intentional strewing going on at the moment, but while tidying up and going through piles of stuff to make the house look nicer for decorating (it is not worth it to decorate a messy house!) I rediscovered this book. It is now sitting on the coffee table and every one who sits down there thumbs through it usually making comments. Last evening Becky and Sean sat and looked through it for a good long while. So check out Hungry Planet! It provides a good perspective, especially in this Christmas season, which magnifies the contrast between being charitable to those who don't have much vs. the crass commercialism and present-fest the Feast of the Nativity of our Lord has become.
Got any good strewing stories to tell?
Got any good strewing stories to tell?
Tuesday, December 13, 2011
Strewsday Tuesday - 12/13/11
Two books both Becky and Sean have enjoyed and which have inspired a lot of fun and little projects are The Encyclopedia of Immaturity, Volumes I and II (subtitled How to Never Grow Up; The Complete Guide). I kind of hate the title. I think it is a vestige of the baby boomer attitude that somehow one stays young by being immature rather than just delighting in life! However, these books are very clever compendiums of all sorts of interesting tricks, riddles, activities, factoids. I'm looking at the first volume right now, it lists things like how to make a chewing gum wrapper chain, how to walk the dog (with a yo yo), how to make a paper dollar ring, how to do various magic tricks, how to juggle, etc.
What reminded me of these books is that last night Becky informed me of how many days she's been alive. This book has the formula for figuring it out. The girl who has declared she hates math figured out how many days since her birth for fun!
Some of the stuff is a little crass (cuz you know this is by Baby Boomers, the ones who think crass stuff is hysterical and has made sure potty humor is everywhere in anything for children), but in spite of that, the books are great. They provide lots of amusing, creative things to do but do not involve any form of computer or TV screen!
What reminded me of these books is that last night Becky informed me of how many days she's been alive. This book has the formula for figuring it out. The girl who has declared she hates math figured out how many days since her birth for fun!
Some of the stuff is a little crass (cuz you know this is by Baby Boomers, the ones who think crass stuff is hysterical and has made sure potty humor is everywhere in anything for children), but in spite of that, the books are great. They provide lots of amusing, creative things to do but do not involve any form of computer or TV screen!
Tuesday, December 6, 2011
Strewsday Tuesday - 12/6/11 - Feast of St. Nicholas
Happy St. Nick Day! We never do anything special for St. Nick. I just didn't grow up with that tradition and by the time I realized that other people put out shoes, etc, well, our December celebrations had already developed to the point that I couldn't handle much more. We celebrate Hanukkah too. However, when we first started homeschooling our support group had a St. Nick's Talent show. It was great fun, but exhausting and added exponentially to the chaos building towards Christmas. We moved the talent show to St. Joseph's day in March (it seemed like a less chaotic time and we wanted to emphasized St. Joseph since he often gets overlooked because of St. Patrick's Day).
Anyway, we had a wonderful 'strewing' thing happen over this past weekend. Josh and Sean are in a 4H project group that is focused on building things that launch. They made slingshots for the first project. This past Sunday they had to show up with catapults they had built. I thought Josh would get more into this sort of thing than Sean. I'm always prepared for Sean to complain and reject things because for about 95% of stuff, that's what he is inclined to do! Each boy approached their project differently:
Josh googled around and found this great website, which is a treasure chest of great ideas for building different types of catapults. Josh had been overwhelmed by his academics this past week. He just didn't have the energy to work on another big something, so he picked the catapult design that involved craft sticks and masking tape. He followed the directions exactly and built a very serviceable catapult, great at launching nuts from an old can of party mix he found in the kitchen.
Sean, though, got inspired. I was amazed at how he took off! He started thinking about building his catapult. We had a couple of brief discussions about it. He decided he needed something to launch with and wondered if he could use a wooden spoon from the kitchen. So I gave him an old wooden spoon. He stood in the kitchen holding the spoon and said with a great sense of purpose: "This is what I'm going to build my catapult around!"
First he wanted to somehow drill through the handle of the wooden spoon but I told him that it would surely splinter. So then he took his art pad (his art tutor gave him) and sat down and sketched out a design. He would have a square wooden board. He'd drill holes in it for the spoon and two dowels. The spring would be rubber bands and the brilliant part of the design was that Sean would make a trap door of sorts so that the spoon could be lowered down, stretching the rubber bands and allowing the projectile to launch.
I was kinda doubtful. But he took off. He found a scrap piece of plywood in the garage, measured it and spent a long time sawing it. It was the first time he'd ever sawed anything and he was very diligent about it and very proud of himself when he finished. After that, he was a bit stymied. He figured he really needed his dad's power tools for the rest, but Dad was taking a nap! So he waited for Dad to wake up and then things took off! Rick helped Sean saw a dowel in half and to the right heights; he showed Sean how to drill holes in the wooden base. Rick drilled one and helped Sean drill the other two. Then he showed Sean how to use his jigsaw and Sean, himself, cut the trap door for the spoon. In order to make the trap door stay attached but drop completely, Rick found some hinges he'd bought a while ago and had laying around. So Rick, with Sean's help, screwed in the hinges.
It worked beautifully! Great shouts of triumph issued from the kitchen (I was upstairs trying to take my own nap!). I came down to everyone laughing heartily as Sean launched grape after grape with his little machine. There was a little glitch. As Sean was demonstrating for me especially, his wooden spoon broke. This precipitated a trip to the grocery store to get more wooden spoons. They also decided that the dowels needed to be glued in to make them more stable.
Josh and Sean had a good time at their 4H meeting. Josh said he thought Sean's catapult was the best one there. Sean is so proud of himself for designing and building it. He says he feels manly now because he built a weapon. LOL!
So how is strewing going at your house?
Anyway, we had a wonderful 'strewing' thing happen over this past weekend. Josh and Sean are in a 4H project group that is focused on building things that launch. They made slingshots for the first project. This past Sunday they had to show up with catapults they had built. I thought Josh would get more into this sort of thing than Sean. I'm always prepared for Sean to complain and reject things because for about 95% of stuff, that's what he is inclined to do! Each boy approached their project differently:
Josh googled around and found this great website, which is a treasure chest of great ideas for building different types of catapults. Josh had been overwhelmed by his academics this past week. He just didn't have the energy to work on another big something, so he picked the catapult design that involved craft sticks and masking tape. He followed the directions exactly and built a very serviceable catapult, great at launching nuts from an old can of party mix he found in the kitchen.
Sean, though, got inspired. I was amazed at how he took off! He started thinking about building his catapult. We had a couple of brief discussions about it. He decided he needed something to launch with and wondered if he could use a wooden spoon from the kitchen. So I gave him an old wooden spoon. He stood in the kitchen holding the spoon and said with a great sense of purpose: "This is what I'm going to build my catapult around!"
First he wanted to somehow drill through the handle of the wooden spoon but I told him that it would surely splinter. So then he took his art pad (his art tutor gave him) and sat down and sketched out a design. He would have a square wooden board. He'd drill holes in it for the spoon and two dowels. The spring would be rubber bands and the brilliant part of the design was that Sean would make a trap door of sorts so that the spoon could be lowered down, stretching the rubber bands and allowing the projectile to launch.
I was kinda doubtful. But he took off. He found a scrap piece of plywood in the garage, measured it and spent a long time sawing it. It was the first time he'd ever sawed anything and he was very diligent about it and very proud of himself when he finished. After that, he was a bit stymied. He figured he really needed his dad's power tools for the rest, but Dad was taking a nap! So he waited for Dad to wake up and then things took off! Rick helped Sean saw a dowel in half and to the right heights; he showed Sean how to drill holes in the wooden base. Rick drilled one and helped Sean drill the other two. Then he showed Sean how to use his jigsaw and Sean, himself, cut the trap door for the spoon. In order to make the trap door stay attached but drop completely, Rick found some hinges he'd bought a while ago and had laying around. So Rick, with Sean's help, screwed in the hinges.
It worked beautifully! Great shouts of triumph issued from the kitchen (I was upstairs trying to take my own nap!). I came down to everyone laughing heartily as Sean launched grape after grape with his little machine. There was a little glitch. As Sean was demonstrating for me especially, his wooden spoon broke. This precipitated a trip to the grocery store to get more wooden spoons. They also decided that the dowels needed to be glued in to make them more stable.
Josh and Sean had a good time at their 4H meeting. Josh said he thought Sean's catapult was the best one there. Sean is so proud of himself for designing and building it. He says he feels manly now because he built a weapon. LOL!
So how is strewing going at your house?
Wednesday, November 30, 2011
Missed Strewsday Tuesday!
Yesterday, for some unexplainable reason, I could not access the internet on my laptop. I could on my ipad but that is so awkward for posting anything more than a few sentences. But it turned out okay because yesterday was busy just living and I really didn't have time to sit and post much.
The only Strewing that seems to be going on right now is that I brought back some library books the other day. Becky picked Skating Shoes by Noel Streatfeild to read. She's very proud of herself because this is her very first chapter book that hasn't been read to her first (like Harry Potter, they were read to her over the years and now she's reread them all a couple times over!) or a book she'd listened to on audio first. Yesterday morning she asked if she could go back up to bed after breakfast and just read. So she did. I love Noel Streatfeild!
Sean is still into physics and he LOVES his math tutor! Poor Josh is snowed under by school work. Poor guy. And it's all because he's been neglecting things and playing on the computer. Ongoing issue here! I'm letting him skip Latin class today so he can catch up in other subjects. Which reminds me, I'm out of time! Gotta go finish up my homework and get my aunt up!
Any strewing going on in your neck of the woods?
Tuesday, November 22, 2011
Strewsday Tuesday - 11/22/11
I took a little break from this for the past two Tuesdays, didn't I. Not that it was intentional; Strewsday Tuesday just sort of swam out of focus for a bit there!
Anyway, some fun strewing has been going on around here lately:
Anyway, some fun strewing has been going on around here lately:
- Becky climbed a tree and gently brought down a bird's nest she says she's been eyeing for a while. We don't know what kind of bird though, but that is the second bird's nest she's now collected. So I guess nature strewed that one!
- I've been on a housekeeping kick which inspired me to go to the bookcase in the dining room and pull out this charmer. Becky discovered the paper dolls in the back of the book and we've had several charming hours where I've read from the book while she's played with the dolls. The one caveat to this book is the dated characterization of Lucinda the maid. "Cinda" is right out of a minstrel show. I don't get why America thought this stereotype was so amusing. I think Margaret Mitchell must have used Cinda as her model for Prissy. I keep waiting for Cinda to burst out with "I don't know nothin' about birthin' babies!" The very interesting thing is that we noticed these books were published in 1912, so that's pretty much 100 years ago. We've had fun noticing what they call different things, for instance there is a piece of furniture in the kitchen called the kitchen dresser. Nobody has a kitchen dresser anymore.
- Becky found this old book that Hannah left behind and it inspired her to clean her room! Yep! All on her own one day she spent several hours working away on her room, incorporating many of the ideas in this book.
- Becky continues to play on the piano a lot; practicing Christmas songs and making up little melodies.
- Rick has been reading a biography of Einstein (he just finished one on Steve Jobs; he's on a biography kick) and he's been talking a lot about it with Sean. Sean has been interested in physics for a couple months now, but he got really into trying to understand Einstein's Theory of Relativity and he gets it! I don't get it. My 12 yo has to explain things to me and then I only see it dimly, but he gets all excited about it. He's been reading The Cartoon Guide to Physics, off and on as a result. Rick, kind of joking around, said to Sean, "hey maybe you'll grow up to be a theoretical physicist one day." Sean kind of beamed about that, but then thought about and decided no, he still wants to be some kind of artist instead.
- Our 4H club we were starting up has fallen apart due to circumstances beyond our control, so we've gone independent but at the last minute we were able to join in a project at our former 4H group. It is a project based on projectiles. The kids (mostly boys) made slingshots and met on Sunday afternoon to shoot them. They also got to shoot arrows. The next project is building their own catapults.
- Josh went on a weekend retreat (getting home just in time for 4H). He made some resolutions to change certain poor habits, got home and immediately broke them; this is all due to his computer addiction. I firmly believe he is addicted. He will play on the computer and deprive himself of sleep, food, and neglect, to his own shame, his duties. He gets disgusted with himself and wants to do better but then immediately loses control again. I think that he would be much more social if he wasn't so trapped. I think he lost his good friend due to the computer. I am chagrinned at all the advice I took now on letting kids self-regulate. I feel like we've reached the point where we are doing an intervention to try to help him get ahold of his problem. The kid really is struggling to control himself. Bah! He has asked us to be more strict with him. He was without computer for the weekend retreat but I believe he must have spent 10 hours yesterday on it. He was supposed to be doing his Precalc but he didn't even finish a lesson. I would go down and check on him occasionally, asking him what he was doing. He is very deceptive with me about it and then he's terribly ashamed that he's been deceptive. I'm not even mad at him because I can see he's not able to control himself. So......as soon as Rick has time, he's absolutely got to put a timer on that machine. In the meantime, Josh will do his precalc on my computer (the program is online so what happens is Josh gets on to watch the videos, gets tempted to look up other stuff on the computer and before you know it, hours have passed and he's not done what he set out to do. All this is good though because he's learning about himself and we are coming up with a plan to deal with the problem. But it's a tough nut to crack and I wish I had never let it fester so long. . . .
Tuesday, November 8, 2011
Internet Strewing for Strewsday Tuesday
My 12 yo does a lot of research on the internet. Lately he's been into minutephysics. I'm wondering how accurate these are? They do seem to leave out an awful lot. However, the fact that he enjoys watching them shows Sean's growing fascination with the topic. And they are really cool! I'm assuming most of the science is fairly good. I had trouble with the thought experiment of the cat in the bunker though. Just couldn't grasp that one. They seem to make a jump in their thinking that doesn't follow logically (at least to my little ole brain!).
He's also been going to blogs like this:
http://blogs.voices.com/voxdaily/
He continues to be fascinated by voice actors. He practices different voices all the time. He and Becky have a host of characters they play, all with different voices to match their personalities. Yesterday, we went on a long walk and I had to listen to many of the voices. Now, I'm sure this is a good thing, to have such a passionate interest and to have a sister who plays along so well, so I appreciated it at that level. However, it was a gorgeous fall day and I would have like to have a nice, peaceful, let's look at nature kind of walk. Instead it was anything but peaceful! The kids could have been anywhere so wrapped up were they in their own little world of characters and voices! But at least we got some fresh air and exercise.
And lastly, he's been into Popeye and Tom and Jerry. In fact, this past Saturday we got a really early (1930s?) Popeye cartoon on the Apple TV. It was the first animated telling of Aladdin. Sean marveled at how cleverly they got the whole story in. He praised the humor, the pacing, even the music was good! He said he thought it was much better than the Disney formulaic retelling. Early Tom and Jerry cartoons have always been a favorite and he's been revisiting them, too.
All this is Sean driven. I have been having issues with my kids' access to the internet, but on the whole it really has been an blessing to us, all that free information out there, free for the taking!
He's also been going to blogs like this:
http://blogs.voices.com/voxdaily/
He continues to be fascinated by voice actors. He practices different voices all the time. He and Becky have a host of characters they play, all with different voices to match their personalities. Yesterday, we went on a long walk and I had to listen to many of the voices. Now, I'm sure this is a good thing, to have such a passionate interest and to have a sister who plays along so well, so I appreciated it at that level. However, it was a gorgeous fall day and I would have like to have a nice, peaceful, let's look at nature kind of walk. Instead it was anything but peaceful! The kids could have been anywhere so wrapped up were they in their own little world of characters and voices! But at least we got some fresh air and exercise.
And lastly, he's been into Popeye and Tom and Jerry. In fact, this past Saturday we got a really early (1930s?) Popeye cartoon on the Apple TV. It was the first animated telling of Aladdin. Sean marveled at how cleverly they got the whole story in. He praised the humor, the pacing, even the music was good! He said he thought it was much better than the Disney formulaic retelling. Early Tom and Jerry cartoons have always been a favorite and he's been revisiting them, too.
All this is Sean driven. I have been having issues with my kids' access to the internet, but on the whole it really has been an blessing to us, all that free information out there, free for the taking!
Tuesday, October 25, 2011
Strewsday Tuesday - 10/25/11
Found about this on the Well Trained Mind board - NPR has started a kids book club. The first author is Neil Gaiman. You can listen to him read his book The Graveyard Book. Then he'll be interviewed on the radio. Sounds cool!
Here's info about it: http://www.npr.org/2011/10/21/141473961/read-graveyard-with-our-new-back-seat-book-club?sc=tw
I strewed this for Seano, the 12 year old. Maybe Becky will enjoy it too. She loved Coraline. (she loves anything spooky!).
Here's info about it: http://www.npr.org/2011/10/21/141473961/read-graveyard-with-our-new-back-seat-book-club?sc=tw
I strewed this for Seano, the 12 year old. Maybe Becky will enjoy it too. She loved Coraline. (she loves anything spooky!).
Tuesday, October 18, 2011
Strewsday Tuesday - 10/18/11
Right now my two youngest are downstairs recording their own songs on the computer and having a blast.
So I guess the gradual accumulation of computer/recording equipment, fueled by older brother's love for music and daddy's penchant for anything electronic strewed that for them. Very unconscious on anyone's part!
Consciously though, I did e-mail my 12 yo a link to Homeschool Connections' new Middle School Writing Class. It looks good to me and I was hoping he'd think so too. He seems favorably open to the idea but I haven't sign him up yet or anything. January is so far away!
Any strewing going on around at your place?
So I guess the gradual accumulation of computer/recording equipment, fueled by older brother's love for music and daddy's penchant for anything electronic strewed that for them. Very unconscious on anyone's part!
Consciously though, I did e-mail my 12 yo a link to Homeschool Connections' new Middle School Writing Class. It looks good to me and I was hoping he'd think so too. He seems favorably open to the idea but I haven't sign him up yet or anything. January is so far away!
Any strewing going on around at your place?
Tuesday, October 11, 2011
Strewsday Tuesday - 10/11/11
I have not been focused on strewing at all this past week. However, we have been involved in starting up a new 4H club in our town. I gotta get all my enrollment forms and such in soon! This club is for teens and is service oriented. The kids will plan a service project a month. Each student also needs to do at least one project this year. A nice sampling of the many possible projects are listed here:
http://www.extension.umn.edu/county/Swift/news/4-HProjectIdeas.pdf
Another good list is the directory of curriculum at this site: http://www.4-h.org/resource-library/curriculum/
Both Josh and Sean are trying to decide exactly what kind of project they want to embark on. It's kind of fun musing about it. They have yet to come to a decision though. We'll see what they pick!
So. . . any strewing going on in your neck of the woods?
http://www.extension.umn.edu/county/Swift/news/4-HProjectIdeas.pdf
Another good list is the directory of curriculum at this site: http://www.4-h.org/resource-library/curriculum/
Both Josh and Sean are trying to decide exactly what kind of project they want to embark on. It's kind of fun musing about it. They have yet to come to a decision though. We'll see what they pick!
So. . . any strewing going on in your neck of the woods?
Tuesday, October 4, 2011
Strewsday Tuesday - Feast of St. Francis of Assisi
Strewing these days seems to take place via outside activities. Joshua's new Shakespeare class got the younger two interested in him. I spent several days looking for this book. Finally, found it last night and put it out on the coffee table. We'll see if anyone nibbles!
Poetry for October is by Edgar Allan Poe (cuz he's spooky!): I meant to only read Annabelle Lee to Becky and Sean yesterday morning, but they liked it so much they wanted another poem. So I read them The Bells. Sean thought it was excellent, except that Poe says the word 'bells' too many times. LOL!
Speaking of spooky, Becky found a collection of Goosebumps stories that I bought from a discount table at B&N a long time ago (maybe when Will was her age). She's been reading them voraciously. I remember Goosebumps being maligned as 'twaddle' on Charlotte Mason homeschool lists way back then. I have to most heartily disagree. The ones I've read are very carefully crafted and excellent at building suspense or having some kind of shocking ending that is not too graphic or adult. I think they are very well done. Becky felt compelled to read a whole story out loud to me. She said she could read it out loud very well because she could imagine the kids voices in her head. And she did a great job. Maybe she should be an actress!
Sean said he wanted to learn about World War II. I don't know what prompted this. He, however, said he would do his own research via Wikipedia. I couldn't resist though and put out some books on the coffee table. Don't know if that got a nibble either.
So what are strewing around your home?
So what are strewing around your home?
Tuesday, September 27, 2011
Strewsday Tuesday - Funny/disturbing Strewing Story!
Poor neglected blog!
But I just have to tell you this story!
So I've been reading poetry to Becky and Sean at breakfast time. This month I've been reading Longfellow. And one of the poems was his The Children's Hour. Very sweet and lovely poem.
At our Aquinas Learning Center, Becky was studying a retelling of Shakespeare's A Midsummer's Night's Dream. She got really into it! This made her daydream about writing her own play (which she is doing, it's about a princess named Sophie!). But it also got her interested in plays in general.
So yesterday both she and Josh awoke with nasty coughs. I decided that they could stay home while I went to Latin class. While I was gone she was looking through my collection of books and came upon one entitled Twenty Best Plays of the Modern American Theater. This is an old book from 1950. Glancing through the table of contents, to her delight, she saw one named The Children's Hour! Must be a good one, right?
It's the one by Lillian Hellman about the student who accuses two professors of having a homosexual love affair.
Not exactly what I want my 10 year old to be reading!
Luckily, she hadn't gotten too far into it by the time I got home.
Whew! Strewing can be dangerous! LOL!
So what are you strewing this week?
But I just have to tell you this story!
So I've been reading poetry to Becky and Sean at breakfast time. This month I've been reading Longfellow. And one of the poems was his The Children's Hour. Very sweet and lovely poem.
At our Aquinas Learning Center, Becky was studying a retelling of Shakespeare's A Midsummer's Night's Dream. She got really into it! This made her daydream about writing her own play (which she is doing, it's about a princess named Sophie!). But it also got her interested in plays in general.
So yesterday both she and Josh awoke with nasty coughs. I decided that they could stay home while I went to Latin class. While I was gone she was looking through my collection of books and came upon one entitled Twenty Best Plays of the Modern American Theater. This is an old book from 1950. Glancing through the table of contents, to her delight, she saw one named The Children's Hour! Must be a good one, right?
It's the one by Lillian Hellman about the student who accuses two professors of having a homosexual love affair.
Not exactly what I want my 10 year old to be reading!
Luckily, she hadn't gotten too far into it by the time I got home.
Whew! Strewing can be dangerous! LOL!
So what are you strewing this week?
Wednesday, September 21, 2011
Strewsday Tuesday
I'm having trouble getting used to my MacBook Pro. For instance sometimes it lets me link and sometimes no. And I can't figure out why. And I can't remember how to post photos. And I keep losing my word documents. I mean I save them but then I can't figure out where they went!
So I'm frustrated. Between being a dunce on my Mac and how busy I've been, I just can't keep up with blogging very well. Boo hoo. I so wanted to create a little button for Strewsday Tuesday and Elisa was helping me. Thank you, Elisa. This was weeks ago and I still haven't gotten around to it. Stuff like that takes me forever.
Anyway, in the spirit of feeling overwhelmed and frustrated I'll bear my soul and mention three things I'm currently Strewing that don't seem to be going over very well right now:
I bought Clean Water Science back when we were at the beach a few weeks ago. I thought it looked interesting. It's been sitting out in the open for any child to come along and inquire about it or break it open and get started, but nary a bite.
Tonight, we watch the first unit in Exploring America's Musical Heritage. This is by Professor Carol Reynolds. I would link to her site but I'm doing something wrong and apparently because I can't get the link to copy! Anyway, I thought it was fasincating. Seano was bored and in a bad mood and said he didn't like it. However, I noticed he stayed and watched the whole thing. If he really didn't like it, he'd have gotten up and left. So I think maybe he was just being contrary, as is his wont, when he is in one of his moods.
Lately, Becky has shown more interest in learning French, so I bought this for her
. She read through it for a couple of minutes, reading phrases out loud but then she put it down and it has been gathering dust for the last several days. However, she just now came to me all excited to realized that Fleur means flower in French and a French character in Harry Potter is named Fleur. She got the connection. So maybe she'll get around to picking up the book again.
So I'm frustrated. Between being a dunce on my Mac and how busy I've been, I just can't keep up with blogging very well. Boo hoo. I so wanted to create a little button for Strewsday Tuesday and Elisa was helping me. Thank you, Elisa. This was weeks ago and I still haven't gotten around to it. Stuff like that takes me forever.
Anyway, in the spirit of feeling overwhelmed and frustrated I'll bear my soul and mention three things I'm currently Strewing that don't seem to be going over very well right now:
I bought Clean Water Science back when we were at the beach a few weeks ago. I thought it looked interesting. It's been sitting out in the open for any child to come along and inquire about it or break it open and get started, but nary a bite.
Tonight, we watch the first unit in Exploring America's Musical Heritage. This is by Professor Carol Reynolds. I would link to her site but I'm doing something wrong and apparently because I can't get the link to copy! Anyway, I thought it was fasincating. Seano was bored and in a bad mood and said he didn't like it. However, I noticed he stayed and watched the whole thing. If he really didn't like it, he'd have gotten up and left. So I think maybe he was just being contrary, as is his wont, when he is in one of his moods.
Lately, Becky has shown more interest in learning French, so I bought this for her
. She read through it for a couple of minutes, reading phrases out loud but then she put it down and it has been gathering dust for the last several days. However, she just now came to me all excited to realized that Fleur means flower in French and a French character in Harry Potter is named Fleur. She got the connection. So maybe she'll get around to picking up the book again.
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