So very far behind in documenting the activities of educating the children!

It seems nearly impossible that it has been over a month since I did log daily information and at the same time I am VERY relieved to know it was not longer...

I will not attempt to recreate our days here but will say the following:

Since our third week, which seemed to overwhelm me with the projects, schooling has changed a bit.  The projects were not getting done, I could not seem to find any time to do them, they continued to stay on my list, continued to stress me and then, distract me.

In addition, I noticed Minnie was really needing some spelling attention and reminders.  Reading several different books was not enough in guiding her even with some words she should have no difficulty in spelling.  Spelling is not her strong suit but it is not her weakest area either...so I added spelling words, out of a book that had some long lists of commonly misspelled words...this seems to be helping.

As a result of my disappointment in not getting "EVERY" project done that was suggested, we have scaled waaayyy back!

Our focus is reading most of the suggested reading of our current curriculum, math (of which last year we did not get much done and so we are quickly getting through what we missed!), home economics such as sewing, knitting and other related items.

We are also involved in a co-op that meets on Fridays from 9:30 to 12:30.  They do presentations and P.E. every week...and 4-H activities inbetween those two activities.

For 4-H our projects are ecology, consumerism, and sewing.

Here is our week:

Monday, October 30, 2006

Monkey (M):  He has been feverish and not feeling well all weekend and so he did not attend school today.  He complained of his stomach despite nothing ever coming up and now he seems to have a rattle, I cannot tell if it is in his throat or chest, however.

MrMaggo (MM): My guy was very excited about school this morning as it is Spirit Week and each day this week the school has a different theme.  Today was "crazy hair day".  I could not find the spray in hair color and so I purchased a colored "pixie" wig for him...it is several shades of blues and cut in all different lenths like a shag!  He thought it was very cool, "just really itchy mom!"

After picking him up from school, we learned that he did, in fact, wear the wig all day long!  He was so darn cute!

MM is definitely having trouble with writing letters backwards, which is somewhat normal for his age...but in addition he sees them backwards, frequently and in all areas...he has to really think and really focus to get the numbers or letters read/written correctly.  He happens to be left-handed so this may be part of it.

Minniemee (MME): We had etiquette and knitting today. MME made it clear that she had no intention of knitting and was a bit pouty throughout our Monday morning visit with Pril.  I am considering making the month of November and December baking mornings in place of etiquette and sewing/knitting in order to get our baking done with certainty and have fun too!

Upon arrival home I gave MME her spelling test, she received a C...she only missed six of 25 but I think I need to find a new means of teaching spelling.

She read one chapter in Louis Pasteur. 

We then worked on home economics...The Cleaning of a Younger Brothers Room, chapter 126!  (hers was done by me last night...yes, I am cleaning their rooms because they have gotten beyond acceptable and my sister and her neighbor/our friend will be staying in those rooms in a week and a half!!!

Tuesday, October 31, 2006

Well, already, I didn't keep up with this week.  We did get through chapter 7 of Little House in the Big Woods.  We are moving quickly through math.  I've decided that we will take through the first week of December to finish the current math book (Math-U-See Beta) and then take the next three weeks of December to prepare her by watching the DVD of the next book (Math-U-See Gamma) and actually start the work after New Years.

Magoo got his first progress report for the end of the first quarter.  He has done well but even though the teacher isn't concerned about some of his backwards printing, I am concerned about the backwards thinking involved behind the writing.  We'll see how this next quarter pans out with that.  He is not voluntarily raising his hand for answering questions, which surprised me a bit...but only confirmed what I have been seeing in other areas.  Overall it was a good report and I am so very proud of my boy.

Monkey is also getting rave reviews at his school.  He decided to be helpful with a little girl this last week (one who has difficulty walking) and held her hand, got her what she needed, helped her up, helped her to keep moving to the next area in class...his teacher was very impressed with his efforts.

He got to go on a fire engine two days in a row at his school this last week and he LOVED it!  The second day they gave out red plastic fireman hats and it is his prized possession.

Wednesday night Gordon wasn't feeling well and by Thursday morning was truly too ill to go to work (which happens maybe once a year for him).  Friday morning, he was no better, in fact worse.  Second day of no work.  Friday wasn't such a hot day for me physically either.  I kept trying to attribute it to lack of sleep Thursday night...but that was not to be the case.  Saturday morning brought the deep pain in joints, back ache, body ache, head ache and my throat felt as it I was trying to swallow my swo**en gla**s.

I still left the house to go to a prayer meeting I felt God had called me to.  By the time I got home I was not feeling well at all, and Gordon was back in bed despite having felt better in the morning.  The children let me know he had gone to the doctor.

What a smart husband have I!!!  He went on Saturday afternoon, got right in and discovered he had a bad case of Strep Throat.  So, that meant, that's what I had.  I began taking his antibiotics and this morning (Monday, Nov 6.)  decided I 'd better keep children out of school (Minnie was not feeling well) and get them into the doctor.

By 4:00 pm we had confirmation that all three tested positive for strep throat and she even gave me a prescription for me to replace what I had used of Gordon's.  By the time we got home, all three were actually beginning to complain of not feeling well.

Got the ickly pink medicine in all three of my babes and got them all down to bed!

One more day of all three home for tuesday....(heavy sigh)  The boys are a bit difficult together all day, every day!