A Glimpse of Our Week: September 10-16

 

In My Life This Week

The deciduous trees are starting to put on their colors. Splashes of reds, golds and oranges are spreading through the leaf cover. Our days are comfortable, but our nights are chilly. Windows are being closed in the late afternoons and evening darkness arrives around 7:00pm. Soon, it'll be dark 5:30pm! Autumn has arrived and with it thoughts of warm stews and seasonal pies. And what better way to celebrate Fall then with a sweet 6-year-old Sous Chef helping to make a pumpkin pie!

Homeschool Happenings

It was one of those weeks - a week of interruptions (me), curriculum changes (J) and pessimistic attitudes (C) - so we only completed 2 days. ((sigh)) Perhaps next week will go a little a lot smoother! But learning still goes on even without textbooks!

 

Nicole from Journey to Excellence has created a WONDERFUL curriculum around "America: The Story of Us" videos from The History Channel, and a new American History Linky party on Saturdays, so I thought we would join up this week!

C is working on History Pockets: Explorers of North America, and her focus was Christopher Columbus this week (and probably next).

C And I Read This Aloud

C Did Map Work Showing Columbus's Exploration Routes

C Baked Hardtack - a Tasteless Bread Staple of Early Explorers

And since J's Around the World in 180 Days is STILL back-ordered - a new publisher is revising the current edition - I revamped his History/Geography. We're going to use some of the same materials that Nicole is using: "America: Story of Us" videos with accompanying illustrated history book and episode guides from The History Channel with historical fiction and non-fiction literature, WonderMaps and Sheppard Software Geography games. He's a TOTAL American History buff so this works out just right for him!

J's Revamped History Videos and Book

Oh, and I had to share S's self portrait! Don't you just love the spiky hair?! LOL

We ended our challenging week with a "reset" - a crisp, early fall morning spent exploring the state park near the lake and a picnic lunch. ((contented sigh)) 

Deer Prints!

Oak Galls - Inside Are Growing Wasp Larvae

 People We Saw And Places We Went

• With our neighbor's 3 sons, the kids traipsed through the woods and rode bikes on Saturday, and then that night J and C went to the Rec Center to play basketball. LOVIN' Saturday ball!
• J and C spent the afternoon with friends on Sunday.
• Soccer, Soccer, Soccer! J had 3 games and 2 practices this week while C and S each had a practice.
• C and I went to Band Info Night at the school on Monday and had her first lesson on the clarinet on Tuesday.
• J and S had Scout meetings. S was SO EXCITED to don his cute Cub Scout uniform and head off to his 1st meeting! 
• My doctor. Again. ((sigh)) 

My Favorite Thing(s) This Week

C and S slipped on some "hospital" gloves and hung plastic grocery bags off their bikes and rode around the neighborhood picking up aluminum cans and trash. I LOVE that they're responsible for our environment even though others aren't! 

Photo(s), Video, Link, or Quote to Share

Isn't Stripe a Hoot? She Fell Asleep Playing With a Stick!

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