Weekly Wrap Up – Back to Normal

Ok, vacation (hahahaaa) is over and we’re back to the normal routine here!  We did find time to have two field trips this week. 

On Tuesday our homeschool  group went on a field trip to a local grocery store.  The tour was based on the Food Pyramid.  We stopped in the bakery, deli, dairy case and the produce sections along the way.  In each area the kids learned about different types of foods in the particular category, number of servings needed per day, and what those foods do for our bodies.   The store also provided samples in each department as well (bagels, cheese, soy milk, ham, watermelon, apples and snap peas).  Each child was given a goodie bag as we left as well.  This started us on a mini nutrition unit study that we’ll be finishing up next week.

As part of our Virginia study, on Friday we visited the Woodrow Wilson Library.   We all had a great time, learned a lot and will add this to our “to do over list”!  To read more, and see more photos, click here.

Also in our Virginia studies this week we worked on our state map, state coin, state flag and learned about the state bird the cardinal.  We reviewed our Pocahontas lapbook (from before I started blogging) and also reviewed Jamestown.

Books we used:

The Virginia Colony; by Elswyth Thane
Virginia 1607-1776; by Sandy Pobst
Virginia Facts and Symbols; by Bill McAuliffe
Pocahontas; by Andy Holmes

In our First Language Lessons we learned a new poem “Hearts Are Like Doors”.   Both girls are doing a great job with this program and I’m so glad we made the change in this area.

Spelling is going smoothly.  I’ve slowed us down to 1 lesson per week with lots of review now.  We’ve finished Level 1 and are half way through Level 2 so I’m trying to make it last the remainder of the year.  I’ve also added spelling quizzes on Friday’s just to see if we need to review more diligently in any area.

Latin continues to be fun for us all.  The jingly little songs do tend to get stuck in one’s ear after a bit though!   But, it’s good to hear the girls singing the songs to themselves throughout the day.

In science we spent the week studying about the earth’s atmosphere as well as the various layers inside the earth!  Quite honestly I don’t expect either child to remember those big words that went along with the atmosphere, but they do remember the names of the earth’s layers so that’s a plus!

Olivia hit another math wall this week with the fraction 1/4. She totally understands halves, but fourths are a hang up.  She understands dividing shapes into fourths, but it’s when we start working with numbers that her eyes glaze over and she stares blankly. So we’ll be camping out on this until the issue resolves.   I’m still looking or fun ways to help her with the addition and subtraction facts as well.

Lindsey is plugging along nicely in her phonics, writing and math.  Nothing major to report good or bad.

Awana is in full swing and the girls are having fun.  Olivia memorized and recited 6 verses for this week.  Lindsey should be getting her book this week (not sure why it’s taken 2 weeks for her to get it) and then we’ll be progressing with her as well.  They both invited friends for this week and both were super excited to see that they showed up for club.

Ballet and tap are bopping right along.  Tomorrow is Olivia’s costume fitting for the "Nutcracker”.   I’m excited to see what role she has, most likely she’ll be a “ginger snap” since this is her first year in the production.

Be sure to check out the Weekly Wrap Up!