Homeschool Recap, Jan 7th (Wk 15)

In my life this week...

Oh my word, where are we?  Let's see... my laptop is still not really fixed.  We replaced the back-light lamp and then couldn't get the computer parts all back together.  After a friend's help and then just trying anything possible, we got all back into order.  Only... the lamp only partly works.  I'm sure it's the way we put it back together, or the wiring was loose.  Something easily fixable... BUT, taking it apart and putting it back together again sounds like the WORST IDEA EVER at this point.  So, it's kinda just sitting in a box.  =/

The car is back!  THE CAR IS BACK!  We had our car (yeah, our ONLY car) in the shop from Dec 23rd and just until yesterday.  Geez.  Thankfully, my father-in-law let us borrow his car so Michael could work.  There was all kind of work that had to be done to the engine block.  Long story short, $1600 later - our car is back!  ANNNNDDDDD, it still has problems.  Different problems?  Oh my heavens.  'Scuse me while I hurl. 

And, my in-laws found out their house sold and have been frantically trying to pack and prepare for a move ACROSS THE COUNTRY.  Sorry for all of the CAPS in this post so far, but my gosh... it's been a trying couple of weeks.  We're excited for them to get to do what they want and get to move back to Michigan, but it's extremely sad to know that they won't be just down the road anymore.  They'll be more than 1,000 miles away!  Wow.  Just wow.  It's... crazy.

Questions/Thoughts I have...

God, what are You doing?  I know Your plans are always best, but why do they always have to be so mind boggling to us?  Let us in on a little of it, huh?  A hint?  Please?

I'm cooking...

I usually don't have anything exciting to share in the cooking department, aside from some desserts.  But, I found this recipe for Cowboy Stew on the DutchOvenDude's website (I receive a Dutch Oven for Christmas, LOVE IT!), and it was a huge hit in my house!  It seemed super easy, and I have never really gotten very good at making stew, so I figured... why not?  Well, it was super easy and DELICIOUS!  Preston doesn't usually like that kind of stuff, but he ate two bowl fulls the first night and then requested it as a snack the next day.  I'm serious... that's saying a lot!  Yum!

I'm praying for...

A lot of friends going through sticky situations right now.  2012 is off to a very interesting start for a lot of people!

In our Homeschool this week...

Tot School:  Callen is in his "big boy" bed (a toddler-sized bed) now.  He's saying more and more words every day.  I believe he's getting pretty close to really want to start potty-training.  Things are going well.  He is still as boogery as ever, of course.  Always in trouble!  But then, he's almost two, I have to expect that, right?

Bible: Proverbs 11:25, "A generous man prospers; he who refreshes others will himself be refreshed."  We also talked about the books of Ecclesiastes through Jeremiah.  Preston is starting to have trouble with the last half of the Bible books we've learned so far.  And we went through the stories of Abraham and Sarah finding out about Isaac and then Isaac and Rebekah.  We also read about Esau and Jacob, and ate Lentil Stew!

Abraham, Laughing Sarah with Baby Isaac

Giving some Lentil Soup a try!

Reading/Writing: Preston is reading so well lately, I'm very proud.  His writing is nice when he's interested.  When he's not... it's like pulling teeth to get him to do write something.  Something we still struggle with on a daily basis. 

Math: This week's theme was time.  This is something we covered in Kindergarten, but he certainly needed reminding.  We read several books we already owned like The Grouchy Ladybug and Telling the Time (an Usborne book!).  We used some clock face flash cards I have, and I asked him what time it was over and over, till he was tired of hearing it.  Haha!

Science:  Snow and Ice was the theme for science.  Unfortunately, we haven't had any ice or snow yet this Winter, not sure if we will!  Had to live vicariously through books about it.  We had a really fun time doing some activities like cutting snowflakes, watching a video on Wilson Bentley (the first guy to photograph snow crystals), and playing in snow.  What?  I had this little kid of Insta-Snow, and when you add water to the powder, it fluffs up and acts like snow.  Preston LOVED that, of course.

Unique Snowflakes!

What's gonna happen?!

Cool, snow!

Bury my hand!

Music/Art: This week's musical instrument was jingle/sleigh bells.  Easy enough.  We looked at a portrait painted by Eduard Manet called The Railway.  And we discussed positive and negative space from Drawing with Children.  And our hymn was the same as several weeks ago, "How Firm a Foundation."

Spanish: This week, we started working on the face, la cara!

We are using My Father's World First Grade. See our curriculum here.

Blog Hoppin' with: