Thursday, April 18, 2013

Week 31 ~ Field Trips, Garden and Computer School

What a great week we had! We were very busy. However, I can see the fruits of our labor coming through into our everyday lives.

Field Trips ~ We had a wonderful time going to a science festival this week. The kids studied coins under a microscope, studied water displacement by pushing pencils through a small plastic bag filled with water, made slime and did lots of other fun science experiments. Tom Sawyer spent most of his time playing in the Lego science area.


We also visited out local extension office with lots of cuttings from trees in our yard. They were able to help us figure out what kind of trees we have. They also gave us soil sample kits so we can find some great places to plant blueberry and raspberry bushes.

Lastly, we went on a field trip to see a local private school's spring performance. They do a play or musical each year and invite homeschoolers to the dress rehearsal. This time, they did The Little Mermaid. We were disappointed that they did the Disney version instead of sticking to the original story. Oh well, the props, costumes and acting was GREAT!

In the Garden ~ We were shocked to find asparagus growing in the middle of our strawberry garden this week! Boy, it grows fast and was ready to cut for dinner in just a few short days. We only got a couple stalks. It will be very exciting to see what treasures the yard will reveal over the coming months. We also are finding tons of rocks all over the yard. I am building a stone wall at one end of the secret garden. It is coming along nicely.



Computer School ~ Goldilocks started Time 4 Learning this week. She is really enjoying it. I have her in second grade across the board. I think I am going to need to lower the math or ditch the math completely. It is shocking to see how much she is struggling with this grade level when she is supposed to be leaving 6th grade. I do worry about her future. What will become of this child? On the bright side, she is sitting still for three hours a day and really paying attention to the computer program. Also, I can see how much easier school is for the other children without her constant interruptions. I will continue with this way of schooling Goldilocks for the next few weeks. She is still doing literature, art, music, science experiments, CNN Student News, and Life of Fred math with us.

What We Are Reading ~
  • The Story of George Washington (finished)
  • Brick by Brick ~ About how slaves built the first White House
  • The Little Mermaid
  • American Girl Doll books
  • A Boy Called Dickens
  • Why is Milk White and 200 Other Curious Chemistry Questions
  • Life of Fred - Dogs
Other School ~
  • Teaching Textbooks
  • Squilt lesson #8 ( We do these lessons very much like FIAR and listen to the piece of music all week long).
  • G.W. Carver unit study
  • Paragraph Writing
  • Journals
  • Biology ~ The structure of flowers
  • DVD on the building of the Brooklyn Bridge
  • CNN Student News
  • We are taking care of a newly hatched baby turtle that my Mother found.

Where We Are Going ~
  • Field Trips
  • Choir
  • Dance classes
  • Orthodontist (round two of braces is just weeks away for Goldilocks)
  • Doctor for Tom Sawyer's 11 year check up (He is 72 pounds, which is finally back on his growth curve at 25th percentile.)
Last Thoughts ~ Between the Boston tragedy and the terrible factory explosion in Texas last night, there have been lots of conversation about these events around our home. I am using this opportunity to discuss with the children that they can only control themselves. They must choose joy every day and spread joy as often as they can (Psalm 43:3 "Send forth your light and your truth"). We talked about having a servant's heart and how they can serve and spread light into the dark corners of this world.

Blessings, Dawn

8 comments:

  1. Hi Dawn=, Happy Friday to you! Oh I would love to find asparagus growing anywhere in my backyard - what a treat! Love the turtle.. 8) Enjoy your weekend!

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  2. I don't believe I have ever seen such a tiny turtle! May he grow and prosper :)

    How fantastic to find asparagus growing......it will be such an adventure to discover other treasures in your new yard this year. Glad the extension office was able to help you id the trees and soil conditions. I can't wait to see how your secret garden comes along. I plan to make a sunflower house for the kids this year and a hummingbird garden under the kitchen window.

    I hope the computer school continues to work well for Golidlocks.

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  3. What a fun week you had! I'm so glad that you found something that Goldilocks likes. I really understand the concerns about the future.

    How exciting to find asparagus! We grew it once, and it was so delicious when it was fresh out of the garden. I can't wait to hear about what else you find!

    Lots of tough lessons this week...we have quite a bit of anxiety going on as a result. I like your focus on spreading joy and being the light.

    Hope you have a wonderful weekend!

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  4. Your weeks are always so full! How do you get it all done?

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  5. I LOVE all the outdoorsy, nature things you did this week Dawn. I would have loved going to that Science Festival and the extension office. I need to check into going there.
    I so hope Goldilocks loves Time 4 Learning. Keilee did that a few years ago but I bet it has changed a lot. She liked it. Everything you do each week is so wonderful. I hope you have an amazing, blessed weekend friend. :)

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  6. How funny about the asparagus! LOL Wonder how it got there? It should spread a bit every year! Do you know what species of turtle that is? It looks a lot like a snapper! We had one in our brook a few years ago, only VERY big and grumpy.

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  7. Asparagus? What a great surprise! I love it:)
    We've got to do some work on our garden this week!

    Looks like a great week. The Science Festival sounds like a lot of fun, and that little turtle is so cute!

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  8. What a full, fun week! My kids would go crazy over those turtles.
    Thanks for stopping by my blog. We just moved from Charlotte last month so my kids had really missed having snow too.

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