Usually February in Indiana is an ice-cold, dark and miserable, make-me-want-to-move-to-Florida, kind of month.  This year, we had just enough warmth and sunshine to give us delusions of grandeur and cause numerous sinus/cold viruses!  Still we persist...

We continued our study of Christopher Columbus using the d'Aulaire book and Pilgrim Institutes Study Guide.  We are really enjoying this study and learning a lot! We've examined the character of Columbus, including his perseverence in his goals, patience with his crew, courage in the face of uncertainty, and unfailing devotion to sharing the gospel in new lands.  We will finish this study in the next couple of weeks.  It has been hard for me, mentally, to take so long on a relatively short book, but the rewards have been worth it!  Columbus, and his mission, have truly become a part of us!

For Bible, we have spent the month getting to know Elijah & Elisha, focusing on how God hears us when we pray; He's faithful when we obey.  Son's drawings, for his notebook, of different scenes in Elijah's life have been great!  He is really getting more confident in his drawing. 

We made true progress in math--yeah!  We did lots of review and didn't let math conquer us!  We focused on counting by 1's, 2's, 5's, 10's & 25's and switching back and worth, as in counting money.  We checked out some Greg Tang math books from the library and really enjoy them!  I never knew there were living books for math, but this great recommendation set us on the right path! 

We've begun adding more definitions to our spelling, which has been a nice change, but added a tougher dimension to our word review.  What son really enjoys with spelling is making up the sentences himself.  He's definately Mama's boy--usually thinking of song lyrics or poems, bible verses or family-ism's! 

We've stepped up our science with a study of Thomas Edison; more brief than I would have liked (but we'll get to that again!).  We also tackled friction.  Boy thinks it's hilarious when he wears holes in his socks.  That must be a boy thing! 

We have begun our study of the continent of Europe and are slowly planning our 2nd lapbook.  Our lapbook for Asia turned our pretty good for our first attempt.  Boy recognizes that so many of the people we have studied came from Europe and we usually end up talking about them, but that has been encouraging that he recalls and thinks so fondly of those we've studied like Martin Luther, William Tyndale, etc. 

For literature we began a study on William Shakespeare and Romeo and Juliet.  This was in the Noah Plan curriculum.  After the intro of Shakespeare and the Globe theatre, which we enjoyed, we read the first pages of the play.  I decided not to continue with it.  I felt there were too many references to issues that are not appropriate for his age. 

Instead, we picked up The Lion, The Witch and The Wardrobe, which he'd been asking to read.  We flew through it, with son begging for more each day!  Conversation was great!  I believe I mentioned in an earlier post that he totally saw Jesus in Aslan.  We used the Roar book some, but mainly just enjoyed the book.  After we finished it, we listened to the Focus on the Family Radio Theatre version.  Fabulous!  After son through a huge fit that the four Pevensies were not in the next book (which is really book one), The Magician's Nephew, I convinced him to give it a try and, of course, he loves it.  We're about half through.

We continued with our art/craft lessons, finishing up the elements of design.  Of course, this is a favorite time for both of us, though I'm severly challenged in this area. 

Baby sister has been promised her own "school" time, as I begin to prepare for including her more and having more "preschool" type learning for her.  She will be three in the fall and I don't know where the time has gone!  I plan to use the Stonebridge School preschool guidelines, starting her right off with the Biblical Principles.  I lament that I need to be more prepared, organized and scheduled (a work in progress).

For now, she is progressing with her Jump Start computer game.  She is enjoying more and more books every day.  I'm excited to have both my kids be such book lovers!  Hallelujah! 

Boy finishes up his first winter of basketball with questionable results.  Unfortunately, he missed the last couple of weeks with his pneumonia.  He learned a few skills, but still thinks of games as a free-for-all play time.  I can see how he would be confused--there hasn't been much order in the league he's been in.  He has learned some valuable lessons regarding sportsmanship, but he still has a long way to go for the whole picture.  I'm not eager to do more basketball for a while!  Sometimes it was just downright painful to watch!  But that's little kids for ya!  I know it will improve--eventually! LOL

Februarys come and go, but they always lead to Marches!  Onward!