Weekly Wrap-Up and Finding my MoJo

Trying to implement a weekly meme on  Saturday for wrap-up and mojo will be challenging for me. (mojo = mother's journal) I don't know how I will do, but here goes for today!



This week in our homeschool we did:

Bible: Awana's work and Bible readings from Ephesians;

Math: Horizons 6, Lessons 81 through 85

Ambleside Online, Year 4, Week 29. This included:
Nature Walk: Silent Nature Walk (I'm like so behind on these challenges -- this is the one from three weeks ago!)  - The boys opted for taped mouths to remind themselves to keep silent! (I have not yet made my "Friday" Nature walk post, or I would have linked to it. It is still upcoming.)

 A little ice on the water. Note the child on the right is only in a hoodie sweatshirt. This was two days before our little storm. We now have a 1" layer of snow covered with a light icy crust. I'm too lazy to take that photo right now -- it might be the straw that keeps me from getting this post done...

Okay, back to the wrap-up, AO 4 week 29 also included some:

Composer Study: Felix Mendelssohn, listening to

Songs Without Words Op.19 No.1 in E Major

I have learned that unsupervised YouTube use by the kids will not be permitted. For example, next week I want them to listen to Mendelssohn, the original Wedding March, but I found offensive comments had been posted below it on YouTube. How sad.


Artist Study: Focused on the life and works of Albert Bierstadt, particularly:
Facts from Wikipedia biography;
The Wetterhorn;
The Rocky Mountains;
Looking Down Yosemite Valley;
Among the Sierra Nevada Mountains;
Seal Rock; and
Butterfly

Science:
We read Madam How and Lady Why, chapter 8

We read The Story Book of Science, chapters 32, 33 and 34 (we're playing "catch-up" to where we are supposed to be in the book, which would be chapters 62 and 63)

We began our co-op studies of Bob Jones Life Sciences. We independently did chapters 1 and 2 last week, and this week together we did a quiz on Chapter 2, and moved into readings and activities in Chapter 3. Yesterday we did a lab from the Student Activities book on acids and bases, using litmus paper. The kids seemed to enjoy it, and one of the boys, at least, was disappointed that the designated teacher did not choose to test saliva for its acidity, so he took some litmus paper to test it on his own. Sorry, we didn't get photos this time. We are hoping the kids will be able to enjoy this Science more, now that we are getting into the hands on stuff.

Literature: This week we finished our reading of the book Kidnapped, by Robert Lewis Stevenson. I found it's ending abrupt and unexpected... "That's all? But what about... What happens to..."  ::sigh::

We also finished listening to the recorded book of On The Banks of Plum Creek, by Laura Ingalls Wilder. We're scrambling, hurriedly, trying to get to where we are supposed to be, which is to be reading By The Shores of Silver Lake, but we're not there yet. You might think that's next, but we skipped and are going back to Farmer Boy, because we have the recorded book checked out, and we're getting these done so nicely by listening to them when we're in the car!

We read, "Cupid and Psyche" (Chapter X), from Bullfinch's Age of Fable.

We read The Incredible Journey, Ch. 5.

We read At the Back of the North Wind, by George MacDonald, ch. 1 

We read poetry by Emily Dickinson (we're trying for a poem a day, but not there yet...)

Social Studies:

We read George Washington's World, pages 234 - 255 (playing catch-up - somehow my assignments had gotten off the correct schedule)

We read This Country of Ours, chapter 56 ("The Darkest Hour, Trenton and Princeton")

We read Our Island Story, Ch. 95: George III—The Story of How America was Lost

Geography: No mapwork. We discussed country of origin of both our composer and our artist.

Physical Education: We did a lot of walking.

Health: (Our state requires we are educating regularly and diligently in Health and P.E.) We washed our hands a lot, drank lots of water, and ate healthy meals.

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So, there's the wrap-up. Here comes the MoJo!

Here's what I'm laughing at today:

In Our Homeschool This Week: See Above

What's Working/Not Working in our Homeschool This Week:

I was having certain subjects I was struggling to get done in my homeschool this past fall. In my area I have only one other mother I know of using Ambleside Online, and she and I were chatting about how things were going. She was experiencing the same thing. She has certain subjects that she is strong in getting to, which are not mine, and I have certain subjects which I am strong at getting to, which are not hers.

It looked like a puzzle. So... guess what? After some talk, some Parent/Teacher conferences, and some prayer, we have teamed up, and this was Week 1! How did it go? Ups and downs, but compared to previous weeks, it was smashing! Amazing! Wonderful! Lots of good assignments done, character issues appearing and being worked on, and mommy fellowship to boot! We're both happy campers today. :) (Shouts out to you, NM, you know who you are! :)

See "Composer Study" above

Is anyone hosting a button for "Artist Study" posts?