Week in Review: Sept. 12-16, 2011

This week was about 4 days too long. I got easily spoiled with two short weeks in a row.

Math Please rejoice with me! High-fives! Tears of joy! He got it! He really got it! BamBam took his test on estimation at the beginning of the week. He got all the estimation problems correct! We've been working on estimation for almost two weeks. Every day he'd get some answers wrong. We would review, I taught a gazillion mini-lessons on estimation, we kept working. And by the time test day arrived - he got it. *insert HUGE sigh of relief*.  Homeschooling Moms can probably identify with the pressure I had placed upon myself.

The rest of this week included multiple digit addition. And again, why, oh why, does MUS combine two skills into one lesson? Can we first teach the child notation form and then move onto addition. Gratefully, notation form was an easy concept for BamBam. He's settled into multiple digit addition nicely.

Primpress had an uneventful +1 week. It's too easy for her, but I appreciate all the review, especially with Math Mammoth. She'll have a better grip on her addition facts. I would speed up her math, but I think this pace will be perfect for her in the next few weeks as she learns her +9 and +2 facts.

Language Arts I know I've said it before, but I'll say it again. I *heart* Writing with Ease. SWB knows her stuff. Another successful week for both children. BamBam is getting better with his dictation work (the picture is his copywork, it was also his dictation work for the week). Primpress is doing so well with narration. Her listening skills are improving.  I can see WWE working for her when we read our family read aloud book.

Reading is going well. BamBam will finish The Littles this next week. Primpress will spend most of the year reading her Bible. Spelling is, well, spelling. The kids don't balk at it, but it's not the most exciting subject. :) BamBam loves R&S Grammar, as long as we do most of the work orally. I make him write one assignment per week. Primpress thinks FLL is a party. She skips over to me with her FLL book every morning. Gotta love her enthusiasm!

History More Mesopotamia (Ch. 7 SOTW 1). A little Hammurabi. Ziggurats. Map work. It's allllll good. Also included is a pic of BamBam in his I-started-this-project-and-got-bored-with-it Joseph's coat of many colors.

Other The kids were supposed to start a lapbook on astronomy with Daddy Jayhawk, but that hasn't happened yet. We'll probably start it this weekend. It's supposed to be rainy and yucky, so some inside activities will be nice. In place of any real scientific learning, we got to watch a praying mantis hang out on our front porch for three days. It was always exciting to see who would find him each morning.

Since our art is unavailable, we colored. Ha - how original. Well, we did talk a little bit about shapes and patterns.

Game playing is still going strong for the Million Minute Challenge. Bonus: lots of addition and subtraction practice while playing children's Monopoly.

Seamus has had both of his bottom teeth break through in the past three days. Primpress loves to rock him in her little rocking chair. And he's needed lots of rocking this week because of the new teeth.

The Punk was promoted to Petty Officer First Class this week. He also did Color Guard for the first home football game of the year last night. He's having a lot of fun with NJROTC.

 Punk's new rank.

I read a good parenting book this week called Negotiation Generation. It was recommended on the WTM homeschooling forum. A lot of the advice was common sense, but it was always good to hear it again. My take-away is that I need to shut-up. Haha! I talk to Baby Bear too much, especially when it's time to put him down for a nap. I've quit talking, guided Bear to bed without saying a word, and for the most part, nap time is easier.

In other news, a nice little cold front has come through. We've enjoyed chilly mornings, hot cups of tea, and a cinnamon-clove-nutmeg mixture simmering on the stove. Today definitely calls for a warm loaf of cinnamon bread. Does anything smell better than fall?! Have a great weekend!