Weekly Wrap-up: Portfolios, Plans, Patience, Practices, and Progress

It's PORTFOLIO time! 

Piles of papers, completed lap books, finished workbooks, notebook pages, art creations, 3-hole punch, and 3-ring binders with page dividers have been scattered across the dining room (and sometimes the coffee table in the living room) this week. Fortunately I only have to assemble 2 portfolios this year, next year will be 3, and I've been sorting papers on-and-off since about October. After STUFFING J and C's 2" binders with examples of their work, I've come to the conclusion that next year I need 3" binders instead! Their binders are "bursting" open! Or perhaps I need to be more SELECTIVE? Our portfolio assessment reviews are on the 22nd...and I'm ready!

J and C's Bursting Open Portfolio Binders

SUMMER VACATION!

So, even though it's vacation and we're enjoying warmer temperatures....well, this week it's been RAIN, RAIN, and RAIN...the kids will continue to work on a few areas. J will continue sharpening his typing skills using Jumpstart: Typing, C will continue with All About Spelling Level 2 and Spelling City to improve her Spelling, and C will continue with Hooked on Phonics: Learn to Read. 

A huge, HUGE chapter finished in S's Life Book - He was discharged from Occupational Therapy! After almost 2 years of therapy, he has met most of his OT goals. He will always have Sensory Processing Disorder and we will continue his "sensory diet" activities at home and help him to recognize what his body needs in appropriate ways, but OT has done what it can.  He's made INCREDIBLE progress and we're very proud of all he's accomplished! Special thanks to Ms. E for everything that she's done for S and us!

S with Ms E During Last OT Session

J headed off for another weekend of Boy Scout camping. He has SUCH a great time on these camping weekends (even if the weather is COLD or RAINY). Nothing more fun than camping in tents with friends! I snapped a quick photo of him in his uniform right before he left. (Were the mosquitoes and the little black flies ever bad that afternoon! Ack!)

J in his Boy Scout Uniform

C's been having an AWESOME softball year! Her hitting confidence has returned and she been getting some GREAT swings! Her team is 2-1. And S started t-ball this past week.

C Before Her Game

Playing 3rd Base

And it's a foul tip!

S Learning to Hit off the Tee

Right Before Catching the Ball

Ready in the Outfield?

We're still CRAZY busy with activities (through June), but the kids have even more time to read, garden, ride bikes, watch movies, and build with Legos. C tackled the MUCH NEEDED weeding in the strawberry bed. (Our strawberries are starting to flower.)  J got the bike tires and balls aired. And S created some AWESOME Lego spaceships.

S with his Spaceship

We also received our first Timberdoodle review product, How to Draw the Life and Times of Grover Cleveland, which combines American History AND Drawing into one handy-dandy hard-cover book. We had fun coming up with verbal trivia questions from the reading to stump each other! Watch for the review next Friday!

How was your week? I'm linking up to Forever, For Always, No Matter What, Weird, Unsocialized Homeschoolers and Hip Homeschool Hop!

Weekly Wrap-up: Wrapping Up! And Continuing to Incubate!

Our 7th year of homeschooling is complete...almost! We have a few more days to finish up, but some fun, educational field trips in June will take care of that. It's been a year of curriculum trial-and-error, good days and frustrating days, and a lot of learning! And now it's SUMMER VACATION and SCHOOL PLANNING. Bring on the new curriculum! LOL

S Reads ALL These Readers Now!

We continued to incubate our 4 chicken eggs, recording temperature and humidity levels and turning the eggs manually throughout each day. And we were able to see the air sac, chalazea, and the membrane inside an egg when making breakfast sandwiches one morning. 8 more days!

Eggs Inside the Incubator with Humidity Gauge

We were REALLY excited to see some new birds visit our feeders - 8 new species this month already! Check out this male wood duck! Isn't he cool?

My kids do chores everyday. We all pitch in to get what we can each day, but especially on busy days when together we can accomplish more. One of C's chores this week was to brush our Golden Retriever. I had to share these photos - she was one H-A-P-P-Y retriever! LOL

There's nothing like sitting through a 2 1/2 hour long softball game when it's 40 degrees, breezy AND raining! Brrrr! C had 2 games this week and a practice.

C Reading After a Shower

J's Accomplishments

Teaching Textbooks Pre-Algebra

Jumpstart Typing

Chicken Study

Gardening

C's Accomplishments

Daily Grams

All About Spelling

Reading Comprehension workbook

Chicken Study

Gardening

C with Their Home Depot and Lowe's Building Projects

S's Accomplishments

Hooked on Phonics: Learn to Read

Houghton Mifflin Math

Language Arts File Folder Games

Chicken Study

Garden

Out-and-About

Home Depot Kid's Workshop
Lowe's Build and Grow Workshop

Brownies

Boy Scouts

Softball Practice and Game

Dodgeball

Occupational Therapy

Boy Scout Camping Trip

Hanging out with Friends

I'm linking up to Forever, For Always, No Matter What, Weird, Unsocialized Homeschoolers, Tiggerific Tuesday, and Hip Homeschool Hop. Check out other homeschooling families by clicking on the sidebar buttons!

Weekly Wrap-up: Days 152-157 A Different Kind of Week

Maine's public-schooled kids were on April vacation this week, and although we don't follow public school vacations, it was a different kind of week for us. 

S REALLY Wanted a Bird

C had an eye doctor appointment on Monday and J had one on Thursday. And J needed glasses. He picked out 2 nice pairs and will get them sometime late next week or early the following.

How Did That Happen? Wrapped up in the Hammock!

S had "Astronaut Training" at OT on Tuesday and then we drove to LL Bean for some shopping. We picked out some snazzy new water bottles for our walks in the woods and got J a new mess kit for all the Boy Scout camping he does.

Our Snazzy New Water Bottles

J had a Red Cross Babysitting course at the Rec Center on Tuesday and Thursday. He learned about CPR, first aid and what a responsible babysitter does and doesn't do while caring for kids. I paid for this course in exchange for 30 hours of FREE babysitting! LOL

J Reading in the Hammock

J's friend T stayed overnight Tuesday and Wednesday. (They're the only boys taking the babysitting class.) They stayed up until 11:00pm watching History Channel's America: The Story of Us videos, studied for their course, played basketball and boardgames, and conquered Risk II on the computer.

J, S and J's Friend T playing Survive!

C had basketball day camp Thursday through Friday. She had a blast playing ball, hanging out with new and old friends, but did it tucker her out! She's ALREADY asking about NEXT year!

Foul Shot! (Missed the Focus Though!)

And inbetween classes, therapy, appointments, and camp, we did some learning activities!

• J played middle school Grammar games on the Teacher's Cafe, Apologia General Science Mod 14 Circulatory and Respiratory Systems, Teaching Textbooks Pre-Algebra Lesson 105-106, Jumpstart: Typing, Home Ec: Cooking, and Literature Study: Animal Farm

• C completed pages 75-76 in Handwriting Without Tears Cursive, Saxon 54 supplemental practice 76, Daily Grams Days 68-69, AAS Lesson 14 /er/, and Apologia Zoo III Ticks and Mites

• S practiced writing his FULL name, read 3 Big Hats, Ann's Hat, Pop Fox, and Sam and the Mitt, Handwriting Without Tears: Q, Houghton Mifflin Grade 1 Math Subtraction, Hooked on Phonics: Learn to Read pp 64-69, Literactive Road to Reading CVC Vowel Games, and Softschool Counting Addition Game and Subtraction Game 

Look! A Crocus Popped up!

 I'm linking up to Forever, For Always, No Matter What, Weird, Unsocialized Homeschoolers, Hip Homeschool Hop, and Triggerific Tuesday blog hops. Want to see what other families are up too? Check them out!