No curriculum, no lesson plans, no grades, no tests, no textbooks...
just living, learning, and finding joy together...
{don't be fooled, there are plenty of rough patches...
but we get through and learn from those, too!}
Snippets from our week
* Jenna found an inchworm on Lauren's shirt outdoors, which sparked us looking up info about inchworms and what they eat. The girls created a habitat for their new friend :) They also made rings of rocks around many anthills they found in our yard, and spent time observing them with magnifying glasses. Interest-led learning all the way!!
* As always, lots and lots and lots of reading happens around here: classic Nancy Drew, books in the 39 Clues: Cahills vs. Vespers series, math puzzle books, Poop Happened: A History of the World From the Bottom Up, new issues of National Geographic Kids and Ranger Rick magazines, and a wide assortment of other books the girls are reading individually (I can never keep up!). Read alouds = The Adventures of Penrose, the Mathematical Cat; A History of Us, Volume 1; The Children of the Longhouse, and The Mark of Athena on audio book in the car.
* We watched a movie version of The Secret Garden since we finished reading the story aloud not very long ago. The girls have also been watching Nancy Drew/Hardy Boys episodes on DVD from Netflix (from a TV version that aired in the 1970s).
* Jenna is super interested in getting a betta fish, so she's been researching this. We made a trip to a pet store so she could get an idea of the cost of everything she would need.
* Jenna worked on a quilt block for the Sunbonnet Sue applique quilt she is making (of her own design).
* Lauren has been writing stories on her own...she uses Google Drive to type and store her work.
* CNN Student News
* Trivial Pursuit Junior (I love trivia games!)
* The girls decided to bake cut-out sugar cookies together...they did it pretty much all on their own, from start to finish...including clean up!
* We had a "spelling bee" and did some Mad Libs...the best way to practice spelling and learn grammar, in our opinion ;)
* The girls are both still working on their Pet Shop Math.
* Cousin time! All of Friday, in fact, was spent entertaining my 6-year-old niece...the girls did an amazing job and had a lot of fun :)
* Loads of outdoor time this week...exploring nature, riding bikes, playing ball, practicing doing flips over the bar on the castle swing set, going to the farm to play with the puppy and seeing calves being born.
* There also might have been a bit of LEGO creating and storytelling ;)
* Using the microscope to look at blood and fingerprints...Lauren also did some research into how best to lift fingerprints so they can be examined.
* As always, lots and lots and lots of reading happens around here: classic Nancy Drew, books in the 39 Clues: Cahills vs. Vespers series, math puzzle books, Poop Happened: A History of the World From the Bottom Up, new issues of National Geographic Kids and Ranger Rick magazines, and a wide assortment of other books the girls are reading individually (I can never keep up!). Read alouds = The Adventures of Penrose, the Mathematical Cat; A History of Us, Volume 1; The Children of the Longhouse, and The Mark of Athena on audio book in the car.
* We watched a movie version of The Secret Garden since we finished reading the story aloud not very long ago. The girls have also been watching Nancy Drew/Hardy Boys episodes on DVD from Netflix (from a TV version that aired in the 1970s).
* Jenna is super interested in getting a betta fish, so she's been researching this. We made a trip to a pet store so she could get an idea of the cost of everything she would need.
* Jenna worked on a quilt block for the Sunbonnet Sue applique quilt she is making (of her own design).
* Lauren has been writing stories on her own...she uses Google Drive to type and store her work.
* CNN Student News
* Trivial Pursuit Junior (I love trivia games!)
* The girls decided to bake cut-out sugar cookies together...they did it pretty much all on their own, from start to finish...including clean up!
* We had a "spelling bee" and did some Mad Libs...the best way to practice spelling and learn grammar, in our opinion ;)
* The girls are both still working on their Pet Shop Math.
* Cousin time! All of Friday, in fact, was spent entertaining my 6-year-old niece...the girls did an amazing job and had a lot of fun :)
* Loads of outdoor time this week...exploring nature, riding bikes, playing ball, practicing doing flips over the bar on the castle swing set, going to the farm to play with the puppy and seeing calves being born.
* There also might have been a bit of LEGO creating and storytelling ;)
* Using the microscope to look at blood and fingerprints...Lauren also did some research into how best to lift fingerprints so they can be examined.
Remembering Gratitude
"Be thankful for what you have; you'll end up having more. If you concentrate on what you don't have, you will never, ever have enough."
-- Oprah Winfrey
Gratitude highlights from this week:
Gratitude highlights from this week:
* the hummingbirds found our feeder! I love watching the hummingbirds :)
* I was able to finish the baby afghan for my new niece...I am quite proud of myself for this! I completely taught myself how to crochet granny squares and then how to put them together to make this blanket. Thank goodness for YouTube and the internet!!
* David and I spent much of Saturday alone together....my grandparents had the girls at their house, while we went out to do some shopping and get some lunch. I really needed to do a bit of clothes shopping {which I HATE!!!}, and David had offered to take me. We had a really nice day, and the girls enjoyed their time with Nana and Papa...a total win! :)
| time to ourselves happens very rarely...I think we often forget that we need it! |
* taking the time to truly notice the beauty in nature...it's all around us, and sadly we can get so busy that we forget to experience it deeply
* good books: I am reading Mrs. Lincoln's Dressmaker by Jennifer Chiaverini
* laughter: the girls and I roared with laughter over I Love Lucy episodes :)
* having all we need, and then some...
and the freedom to live and learn on our own terms!
What are you grateful for?


