It's Friday!
And I have a whole week of favorites to share with you!
(I think this is how it's probably going to happen on the blog this year since I'm finding it harder to find time for individual posts for everything! So if you see something you want to know more about, please - ask away!)
Our days were very full but we got so much accomplished!
One day was rather difficult.
A certain little girl just didn't want to do her lessons and it kind of threw me into a panic that I had chosen all the wrong curriculum or something!
Alas, it was simply a bad day.
My girl went on to conquer a story she had been working on, finally grasped a math concept she'd found difficult and printed the alphabet and numbers 1- 10 like a pro!
In the end, these words from my friend Heather's blog greatly encouraged me and helped me to focus on what we are aiming for:
"I don't want learning to be fun. I want it to be interesting and satisfying, and at times it will be exhausting, but completing difficult work is rewarding and it stretches our minds in good ways. A well written narration, a carefully drawn map, a successful Latin translation, a verse or poem recalled from memory, all of these take effort but give so much satisfaction when completed."
I have so much to learn myself when it comes to this whole homeschooling gig!
But I can honestly say that despite the struggles and difficult days, teaching my kids is so rewarding and such a blessing!
Here is a peek at the week gone by:
This is my very favorite picture from our nature walk!
Taitum yelled, "Mom, look what I found! Can I bring it home?!"
Pure excitement over a stick!
The path we took was a little rugged and full of puddles so Ren travelled in my arms - delighted to have a whole apple to munch on!
Nature walks are not always as peaceful as they sound!
Poor Piper was well loved by the mosquitos and she made sure we all knew about her misery.
Note to self: ALWAYS bring bug spray!
Our findings in a jam jar!
Golden rod and cow vetch really brighten up the kitchen!
We had leftover cake batter and icing from the girls' birthday party last Saturday so I used it to make mini cupcakes for our tea time.
(You know what they say -Waste not, want not!)
Their task was to learn how to pipe icing onto the tops.
They loved doing this!
And insisted on sprinkles to make them extra pretty.
Tea time and artist study.
This week we looked at another painting by Copley - Watson and the Shark.
This one is very captivating and a little eerie if you ask me!
It did, however, capture the girls' attention and imagination.
Piper's take on it - "Maybe the man was a mermaid but then he got turned into a person with legs and so he couldn't swim and so got attacked by the shark!"
Hmmm, remind you of anything? A particular Disney princess perhaps?
It gave me a good chuckle anyway!
Piper's art project for this week was this smiling sun!
She was pretty proud of the final product and is seriously obsessed with the Home Art Studio lessons!
We finished our week with our co-op group at a trail that encircles a beaver pond.
(We've been there before and love it! Worth checking out if you're in the area!)
The kids had an opportunity to go 'critter dipping'!
They were provided with nets that they used to dip into the pond and haul up all kinds of different critters!
In the first picture Piper is observing a leech that the guide is showing to her.
Those things can move fast and are huge!
We even got to see one attach to a minnow and fill its belly.
Pretty interesting stuff (but I kept my distance! Yuck!)
Piper caught some minnows herself as well as a snail and other critters.
The guide led the group in some games to learn about the wetlands and the importance of each element found there.
A selfie of Ren and I having a grand ol' time.
I'm pretty sure her favorite part was snack!
This is my favorite picture of the trip.
Piper was so into this activity.
She would have stayed there all day, catching critters!
When we got home I had to wring the water out of their socks and turn on the heat so I could dry their boots out!
If those aren't signs of a successful field trip, I don't know what is!
