I am playing catch up for the last two weeks. The first week started out like the last couple except this time it was me with barfs. Ugh, so glad it only lasted a short time.
Jonathan continued to learn his letters and sounds. We did bible reading each day and Aesop Fables. In math we started to learn about place value, numbers above 10 and played games. The week was short since we spent a long weekend in Prescott with Grandma and Grandpa. Here are some pictures from our trip up north. The boys went on hikes and we visited a pumpkin patch.
Here are the boys hiking near a lake.
Jonathan got to hike up Thumb Butte with Daddy and Grandpa.
Here are the pumpkins the boys picked at the pumpkin patch.
What a great weekend in Prescott!
This week no one was sick...yippeee! To help Jonathan learn his letters and sounds, I pulled out the McGuffey readers. They have the alphabet with pictures and words and he loved "reading" the words. Since he was showing so much interest I decided to try some word building. I put 'at' out and told him it was "at". I then added a 'b' and he had no clue what to do (even after I sounded it out). He knows the 'b' sound but he is still not ready for reading lessons. I learned very quickly that the pictures on the McGuffey readers were key. He loves reading the words and for now that is just fine with me.
In math we continued with place value and played games.
We read from our bible each day and many Aesop Fables. We also read some from the Wizard of Oz since Jonathan and I are going to a play this weekend. Our cousin is in the play and I wanted Jonathan to have a basic understanding of the story.
We are almost through all the letters in Delightful Handwriting but his interest in handwriting is not what it used to be. He is still only 5 and I think we are going to take a break for a month. If he starts to ask for lessons again, I will pull it back out.
For Science this week we read about the golden rod in Outdoor Secrets and looked at pictures of the golden rods on wikipedia. He then drew a picture in his nature journal.
Thanks again for sharing our week!
This week was our week to learn about earthworms. We started the week with reading The Life of and Earthworm and The Uninvited Guest from Outdoor Secrets. Then we went to Walmart and purchased 12 earthworms and a couple of magnifying glasses. I wanted this blog to be the good and the bad so here goes. The instant I poured the earthworms in the bowl, there was a very audible ewwh from me:( The boys instantly stepped back and wanted nothing to do with them. So I thought 'come on just pick one up and the boys can see it close up'. ahem, I touched one with the tip of my finger and that was literally all I could make myself do. By then the boys were off with their magnifying glasses looking at all the plants and rocks in the yard. Sooo, then we (I mean I) tried to get them some dirt to make tunnels in. Well, let's just say I think I killed 12 earthworms:( I think I will stick to plants and leave the bugs and slimy things for Daddy.
My main goal this week was to work on Jonathan's letters and sounds. We played a game called guess my letter. He actually made the game up from a Right Start math game. One person writes on a dry erase board a letter and then has to tell the other person the sound so they can guess it. The board is shielded by a file folder. It really works well and I always start with the first few being easy for him to build his confidence.
For math this week we started to learn about solving problems with parts. He did ok but still struggles a bit and definitely will need some more practice.
For our read alouds, we continued with our daily Bible reading, Aesop Fables and The Wizard of Oz. Every day we read outside in the backyard and it was fabulous!
I know I am beginning to sound like a broken record, but Christopher was the one this week with the barfs and fever, ugh:( Apparently they both needed to have it twice. Daddy and the boys decorated for Halloween to end the week. Thanks for visiting!
Sick again...ugh:(
The week started off with Jonathan having a tummy ache and the barfs again. At least this time we did not end up in the ER. It lasted about 48 hours and even though he did not feel good he wanted to do lessons each day. I am amazed that we did several math lessons, handwriting lessons and of course bible reading and story time.
Starting next week I am going to make scheduled time for more practice on letter recognition and sounds. He has made great strides over the last few months. I don't feel he is ready for word building or reading lessons (nor is he asking to learn to read), but it is time to really see where he is on his letters and sounds.
Also, next week we are planning on learning about earthworms. Should be a blast for the boys and I will post pictures of our earthworm farm.
This week in math Jonathan used his geoboard to make patterns.
When Jonathan was feeling better we made one of the boys' favorite lunches. Make your own pizza!
One morning was spent doing some cleaning and of course the boys love to help:)
That wraps up another week of our journey. Thanks for sharing it with us!
This week started out rough. The first few days of the week the boys were grumpy and tired. It must have been catch up from being sick and out of town. Several story times and math lessons were almost to tears but we plowed along. Our Friday lessons were so great and Jonathan was very attentive. It was a nice way to end the week.
This week we read from Luke 1 about the angels visiting Joseph, Mary and Elizabeth. We ended the week with the birth of John the baptist.
We also read from Aesop Fables and Jonathan is slowing becoming more attentive to the stories.
For math Jonathan is learning about 10's. He made a ten triangle and we played many games.
Grandma and Grandpa bought a neat birdhouse in Prescott. The house has cars and the perch is a spark plug. We hope a family moves in!
This week was also the boys' other Grandma's (mom L) birthday. She turned 86 and Jonathan made her a card and flowers. We had a nice visit with her on her birthday. This weekend we are taking a cake when Daddy can go with us.
We don't do any formal geography but we love to do geopuzzles. Here is Jonathan doing the world puzzle. They are so fun since the pieces are shaped like the country. It is even helping mommy's geography:)
Jonathan has a little desk that he likes to sometimes use for lessons. Here he is doing his delightful handwriting.
We hope your week was fabulous. Thanks for sharing ours!
We have had a very busy few weeks so I am having to do some catching up. The first week was busy with lessons and getting ready for a trip to Prescott to see Grandma and Grandpa and attend church camp.
Our second week started with a very rainy trip to Prescott to attend an area wide ladies retreat that my church was hosting. It was a great time of bible study and fellowship with my fellow sisters in Christ.
The boys and I then stayed the week in Prescott with Grandma and Grandpa. We did do some lessons each day but the boys probably learned more out for daily hikes and adventures. Jonathan even hiked up Thumb Butte Mountain with Grandpa. First order of business was getting to play in the dirt.
After lunch one day Grandpa and Jonathan picked this huge leaf from a tree (of course I forgot to write down the name of the tree).
One of the highlights of the trip was Jonathan learned how to play the game Sorry. Sorry was a family favorite growing up. He is hooked!
As many of you know, Jonathan loves to vacuum. We of course had to use Grandma's vacuum and help clean up while we were there. Jonathan and Christopher also helped to dust the furniture.
It rained the first couple of days we were there but when it cleared up we went to Watson Lake for play and a picnic lunch. Grandpa and Jonathan enjoying the swings.
There was a field of dandelions so I showed the boys how to blow them.
Here is Grandpa and the boys walking to the picnic area and the to climb on the rocks around Watson Lake.
Down the street from Grandma and Grandpa's house is a ponderosa pine tree that the wood peckers have filled with holes. Each hole has been stuffed with an acorn. The tree is filled with these holes from top to bottom. My dad has not seen another tree like it on his numerous hikes. They must really love this tree!
When we were visiting a cedar tree was planted behind Grandma and Grandpa's condo. I took a picture with the boys so we can document how big they are getting as the tree grows. This picture also shows Jonathan's walking stick that Grandma and Grandpa bought him for hiking the trails.
At the end of the week we celebrated Grandpa's birthday with chocolate cake!
Most evenings the boys loved to sit in Grandma's lap:)
Here is Jonathan drawing the cedar tree in his nature journal.
On Friday Dave (Daddy) drove up to Prescott to meet us for our church's family encampment in Prescott. It was a great time of exploring and playing with our friends.
After a great week in Prescott, Jonathan woke up Sunday morning with the barfs:( Needless to say it made the 2 1/2 drive home not so fun but we all survived. Unfortunately he was still vomiting 17 hours later so we ended up in the ER with an IV and spent one night in the hospital. He was so much better the next day! I forgot to mention that Christopher woke up Sunday with a fever. Fortunately he only vomited once. So our last week was very relaxed since Jonathan (and I from no sleep) were recovering. Christopher's fever finally broke on Thursday.
Well that has been our adventures for the last 3 weeks. I am looking forward to a "normal" week:) Thanks for stopping by!
The weather is finally cooling down a little. The boys were able to get out and ride bikes a couple of times this week (which means it is cool enough for mommy to sit out with them). We also ran in the sprinklers a couple of times. Here is a picture of the fun.
Jonathan loves Rightstart math! The games are so fun and he wants to play them over and over. His favorite is guess my number. Here is a picture of him working with his abacus to guess the number behind the rooster file (screen) in the background.
We also worked on squares and rectangles with our 1" tiles.
He is doing well with the Delightful Handwriting and is almost through all the capital letters.
For science this week we read the story 'A Century Plant's Wish' from Outdoor Secrets and looked at pictures on the internet of the century plant. Then he drew century plants in his nature journal.
We also brought out the paints for some art time.
Scripture memory and reading books were done throughout the week. We read some Aesop Fables this week and they are much easier for him try out his narration. We hope you had a blessed week!
This week came with some resistance from Jonathan on a couple of the days. When he gives me resistance I let him go play for a while. He usually comes back within 30 minutes wanting to do some lessons. Some of the problem has been the hot temps and not being able to get outside. Finally later in the week some storms came and gave some relief. We even got out to ride bikes and play for the first time in seems like forever. The kids took off their shoes and just ran like crazy through the grass.
Friday morning we woke up to rain and the boys just loved being outside and running their cars through the mud puddles.
In our math he has needed some extra practice learning tally marks. The games so far have not interested him so I had to get creative. He loves science so I had him get his nature journal, cardboard brick, ruler, tally sticks and a pencil. He measured different things all over the house to see how many brick long it was and used his tally sticks to keep track. Then he drew the tally marks in his nature journal. He loved it and and did not complain at all about using the tally sticks.
He also used the geoboard for the first time.
Since we had some rain this week, Jonathan wanted to make an umbrella. Daddy helped one night after work and made both the boys umbrellas for their puppies.
We continued in our reading of Winnie the Pooh and our daily scripture memory verses. We also read aloud Johnny Appleseed by Lindbergh. It was fabulous and Jonathan loved the illustrations.
To end the week Jonathan earned his yellow belt in Kenpo! This picture is of Jonathan with his instructor, Grand Master Vernon Kam.
