Accountability Thread: 3/6-3/12

[Critterfixer]

Outside the sun is practically shouting that spring is here. Tomorrow the sky is supposed to be falling. That's March for you.

Today's schedule:

French-review 

Latin-Lesson 17 (Unit 3 review)

Math-Lesson 9, 1 page of Key to Fractions

Composition and Grammar-New spelling words from the model for the Wretched Excess plot, read model through.

We need a new poem for spring--something about buckets of rain, I think.

 

For me: French, Latin, Algebra, Laundry and some cooking. DH is going to work on taxes this afternoon and do some work for my folks with the tractor. I plan to order Grammar of Poetry. It's more than I want to spend on a poetry program, but after looking through CW Poetry B, I think that I could use some additional support in teaching anything other than iambic and trochaic rhythm. That's as far as my poetry skills ever went. I'm rediscovering poetry as enjoyable writing, and would like to listen and learn along with the boys this summer. I'm thinking that a tall cold glass of lemonade and a few tasty cookies while watching our poetry lesson is going to be a nice treat for grammar and composition, summer style!

[mama25angels]

Good morning critterfixer! Not much going on here today, not going to church because dd needed my vehicle to get to work and her shift is smack dab in the middle of our service time. Last week was horrible, I think we got two days of school done, I was sad and really missing my Ds, whose away at basic training and just generally worrying about him, I couldn't stop myself from worrying. We also had a ton of appointments and impromptu allergy testing. We'll still finish most of our work by the end of June, thank goodness co op is nearly over and we can reclaim our Thursday afternoons. I have plans to finish out the rest of the year and I've even figured out our plans for next year.

 

Critterfixer-please review Grammar of Poetry, I've been thinking of adding it, but I'm not at all sure. I really think that I just want to enjoy and memorize it and not analyze it, but things could change.

[Critterfixer]

 

Critterfixer-please review Grammar of Poetry, I've been thinking of adding it, but I'm not at all sure. I really think that I just want to enjoy and memorize it and not analyze it, but things could change. 

 

 

Will do. :001_smile:

[Penguin]

This is our last full week in the USA. We travel back to DK on a weekday next week, and then five days later we will leave on a road trip to Poland. So we need to really buckle down this week.

 

It is NLE week.

 

Hugs, mama25. I will have to say goodbye to my oldest boy next week. It is so hard, and I worry about him a lot, too.

[Aurelia]

Quiet day. DD is skipping chapters 7-10 in her math book because she knows the concepts, so she felt good about that, but was more let down that she didn't get to skip the entire rest of the book (chapters 7-21). I think adding the AOPS videos to her book is working! She also watched her first lecture on "How to Be an Excellent Student" at Homeschool Connections. It was kind of long and boring for both of us, and she bombed the quiz. Part of it is lack of experience, I think. She's never had a class like that before, but I wanted to try it out, since I'm considering HC for math and ASL, and maybe writing next year. Also, one of the lectures teaches how to take a test, and I want to have her try out the CAT, and maybe the ITBS this year. We're not required to test, but I feel like I need to let her practice before she starts taking the SAT and ACT, and DH has mentioned he'd like to see test scores. I'm kind of worried because DD has some focusing issues, and I'm afraid it might impact her score, plus it would be disheartening for everyone if she bombed. 

[Critterfixer]

I went to bed early and woke up still tired. And I'm a little crabby. I need to get my attitude adjusted before school starts!

Today's schedule:

French-Unit 10

Latin-Unit  Review, grammar recitation and workbook

Math-Quiz 2, page of Key to Fractions

Writing-Read the model again, discuss, plot summary and begin the scene index. And spelling practice, too.

History-OUP chapter 10, pg 135-142, answer questions, additional reading Mills Cp 18, pg 283-293

Science-Sci. Explorer Astronomy Cp 1, Sec 1, answer questions, additional reading Planet Guides Earth pg 6-34

Literature-Lang's King Arthur "The Fair Maid of Astolat"

Geography-Lesson 26, Northern Andes

Poetry Reviews all week and next, I think.

 

For me: French, Latin, Algebra, Writing, Housekeeping

And reading through Image Grammar as a treat when I'm done with all that!

 

Edited March 7, 2016 by Critterfixer

[Soror]

Waiting on ds to wake up here, not the best night sleep wise for me. I think we might go ahead and go take a walk without him. The kids stayed at moms 2 nights and they always come back sleep deprived, staying up too late playing with their cousins.

[Aurelia]

I'm supposed to be at work. Got fully dressed and everything. Instead, I'm nibbling crackers and hoping the stomach bug my mom had this weekend doesn't hit me quite as hard.  :001_unsure:

[mama25angels]

((Aurelia)) I hope if you do get it, it's over quickly.

 

Well, it's raining and grey here which means my mood is sour. Gonna take youngest to his music lesson and then decide what to do for the remainder of the day school wise. Today is my mom's birthday!!

Edited March 7, 2016 by mama25angels

[MrsRobinson]

Saturday morning we were getting ready to leave the house and the baby coughed. I said "uh oh. That's trouble." Dh said I was over reacting. Everyone coughs. Ha! By Saturday night, it was a full blown virus and dh was setting up the humidifier in the baby's room while I bit my tongue and didn't say anything about the accuracy of my prediction.

 

He's still coughing, runny nose, super cranky. He fell asleep in my arms a few minutes ago and I don't have it in me to move him. He hasn't slept well at all the last few days.

 

So I think school work will be limited to what dd can do without me. She's had her nose in a book all morning so that's something.

[mama25angels]

Day 103 done! We got music lesson, math, handwriting and literature done. We're trying out a new pencil grip with my oldest, I'm hoping it works.

[Aurelia]

Definitely, definitely got it. So did DD. We are basically miserable and bedridden. I've managed to keep down some crackers and water, but DD had to run to the bathroom at the mention of the word "crackers." On the upside, school is canceled today. On the downside, so is tumbling. Oh, and our water heater died yesterday. The bottom rusted out. DH has been out all day looking for a replacement that will fit in the tiny hole the old one is in. No luck. I'm pretty sure he's going to have to cut into the wall to get a new one installed, while dealing with a house full of sick females.

[mama25angels]

Aurelia--I'm so sorry you guys are sick, I do hope that your dh is able to find a water heater that fits.

 

 

We are now going over some easy Spanish words, lol! I can see that by next year he's probably going to need a tutor.

[Critterfixer]

 

Definitely, definitely got it. So did DD. We are basically miserable and bedridden. I've managed to keep down some crackers and water, but DD had to run to the bathroom at the mention of the word "crackers." On the upside, school is canceled today. On the downside, so is tumbling. Oh, and our water heater died yesterday. The bottom rusted out. DH has been out all day looking for a replacement that will fit in the tiny hole the old one is in. No luck. I'm pretty sure he's going to have to cut into the wall to get a new one installed, while dealing with a house full of sick females.

 

Yuck. Hope everyone gets to feeling better soon.

[Jean in Newcastle]

Monday - did school at the library.  Today was language arts emphasis day.  Dd had three different short writing projects that she did a very good job on. I had been thinking of one more but pulled it at the last minute because I thought that it would be too much.  But now I'm wondering if I should have had her do it! 

[Soror]

(hugs) Aurelia- I hope it passes quickly for you :(

 

Yesterday, well, we made it through! It was a good day I guess I just would have liked to have had some free-time in there but that didn't happen. We took a morning and afternoon walk with the weather being so gorgeous. We didn't get started until 9 since ds slept in (I'm getting rather spoiled to them starting early and finishing early). 

 

I had mentioned that I dropped the extra math I'd added for ds, well I went through the schedule today and dialed it back even more. He is now just doing JA and just 1 pg a day. He still worked a full hr on math, even just doing 1 pg. In hindsight it worked well that I went ahead and had us do more when the work was easier. I've been experimenting with where we do our work and the order I work with them, nearly through with this year I'm still working on how to best balance all 3 of them (I'm sure I'll get it figured out in time to add #4). 

 

Today is Art Class- I have a few things scheduled to do before we leave and when we get home but overall it is a lighter day. 

[Critterfixer]

Waiting on rain. They are saying 6-8 inches over the next two days.

Today's schedule:

French-Unit 10

Latin-Unit Review, vocabulary cards, workbook

Math-CLE lesson 11, 1 page of Key to Fractions

Writing-spelling practice, grammar lesson from Harvey's, finish the scene index and work on the WP

History/Science-swap

Literature/Geography-swap

 

For me: French, Latin, Geometry, Writing, Housekeeping, Library day. I also have to pack up everything at the end of the day for school with Nana tomorrow. 

[Laura Cook]

I haven't checked in here for awhile! We took the second week of February off and then limped along for the two weeks after that. Crabby kids, crabby mama. Last week was good though! We finally settled back into a good routine. I needed a change of scenery so we decided to spend the weekend in Branson. It's only a little over an hour away from us and we haven't been there in years. My sister and BIL have a condo there and decided to come with us. We wanted to stay away from the really cheesy tourist places so we ended up going to a museum, saw the dam and the new visitor's center there, sat by the lake talking with my sister while we watched DH, BIL and the kids play in the water and skip rocks for quite awhile, explored the downtown area and ate at a couple of good local restaurants. We had fun and it was so relaxing to just drift from activity to activity with no schedule and nowhere that we HAD to be! We ended up not doing school on Monday, I had a bad headache all day. Not a migraine, just a bad headache that none of the over the counter medicine I took helped much.

 

Today the headache is gone and we have jumped back into our routine without much fuss. Yay! To be done today:

 

• Morning Meeting - read aloud, memory work, cursive       DONE!
• Individual Work - math, reading, writing and spelling for each    DONE!
• Family Work - history, art, more read aloud
• Extra - archery for DS10, ballet for DD7

[Soror]

After lunch check-in, ds got up early and has been working hard today, I had to make him stop working to head to art today and then he brought work with him. He is determined to get as much work as he can done today for an easy day tomorrow. Dd1 hasn't been quite as dilligent but got her scheduled work done too. Hooray for good days. The girls are now outside enjoying the weather and ds is still working away- although I told him he could stop at any time. We hit the park for a short spell and had lunch with dh. If they were only so motivated every day!

 

[Critterfixer]

We are closing in on the day. History and science are getting done right now. I've finished all but my writing and some sweeping. Library trip is coming up and after that we should have a relaxing evening. It ought to be good sleeping weather with all the rain coming in.

I got some book sorting done this week. Hopefully this should make it easier to get the cabinet restocked for the upcoming spring quarter. I also worked through 10 pages of the first geometry book in Key to Geometry today. And I learned stuff! Very basic stuff, but let's just say that I can draw a straight line or line segment and hit the middle of the point every time. May not seem huge, but that was driving me nuts when trying to solve problems by graphing.

[Jean in Newcastle]

Tuesday - School at the library again.  Today we couldn't score the conference room so we were sitting next to a group of teens working on a group project for school.  Basically two people were doing all the work but it wasn't because the others weren't trying.  I saw them shut down after trying to make suggestions and being ignored every single time.  Interesting sociology observations for me.

 

Today was science emphasis day for us. 

[mama25angels]

Today was hard for me, our kitten is in heat and kept me up most of the night, Ds was up for an hour and a half between 3 & 4 so I got very little sleep. Right now I'm just thankful that our tom cat is neutered and glad that we got math, music practice, Latin and lesson 1 done in GSWS.

[Aurelia]

No school or gymnastics or choir today, though DD said she was feeling great. I guess she can go to tumbling tomorrow. I'm not 100% better yet, I only managed a half day at work before coming home completely drained and taking a nap, but at least the worst has passed. I'm still struggling to eat "real" food, though. It's mostly been broth and crackers. I made jello this evening.

 

I'm finally getting to peruse the new math books that came in - Real World Algebra and The Number Devil. I think DD will like them. I'm trying to find ways to make her hate math less, so I've been ordering different books for alternative approaches. In addition to the ones that just came in, I also have Patty Paper Geometry and Family Math. Now I just have to get enough energy back to plan things out.

[Soror]

Aurelia- I hope your recovery speeds up, being sick sucks :( Please keep us updated with reviews of your math books. I've considered those here. FWiw Ds is doing well with JA, he doesn't love it or gush over it by any means but it fits him very well (he style, the amount of problems, etc.). It is expensive compared to other programs but he is so hard to fit well I don't care, as long as it works.

 

 

I started feeling a bit icky last night and have woke up feeling blah. Throat is sore and feel tired, hopefully this is short lived. Of course I had mentioned to a lady the other day how we had got off pretty lucky this winter IRT sickness, of course b/c whenever you say that you get sick. 

 

Ds only has writing and math but I won't be surprised if he goes ahead and does some of tomorrow's work so he can stay ahead, which is fine by me.

 

We might try and do nature time this am b/c it is the only time that it is not supposed to rain in the next few days. I plan on using the rainy time to watch some art videos- will be good time for me to rest as well :)

[Aurelia]

I'm finally eating solid foods again, so that's nice. I hope I can get through a full day of work tomorrow without being completely exhausted. DD says she feels fine, but is still running an intermittent fever, and was therefore banned from tumbling class today. She keeps saying she is bored. If that's the case, she's going to be miserable next week, when she's healthy but it's spring break and all her outside activities are closed. 

 

I got Spelling You See in the mail today. It's cute, which I usually hate, and the sentences are super-formulaic, but I've got hope that it will help DD learn to spell. I've read through the very slim TM, and it's pretty much open and go with no further explanations necessary, which I like. 

[Critterfixer]

The boys had school with Nana today. It sounds like they were super productive, plowing through their work in about four hours. Now back home, I'm completely done in. Hoping for an early bedtime.

[Soror]

Aurelia- Ya for food :)

 

Good day here, ds did not do any extra school he did what he had to and then read the rest of the day. The girls just kept with the short list as well. This am we got in a nice walk and found a bunch of snails and a giant slug and came back home to learn about them and do our nature journalling. I love it when things come together like that- I meant to look up what we were supposed to study but I forgot and then lo and behold the snails were there so it was perfect. I've got to buy another copy of the Handbook of Nature Study, I got rid of it b/c I didn't use it but I find myself referring to it all the time now, I don't think anything modern compares in completeness. This afternoon they watched Turbo while I rested, coincidentally they had picked it out from the library yesterday. I'm definitely not 100%, I took 2 naps and had a fairly low key day.

 

Hopefully tomorrow I'm on the upswing and not the down swing, I don't want to be sick! We don't have any plans all day tomorrow, I love Thursdays BUT we have plenty of school. Dd2 has a sewing class Fri so I really want to get done any work scheduled for Fri so we don't have to bring it with us.

[Jean in Newcastle]

Today was a doctor/ sick day.  No school.

[MrsRobinson]

Aurelia- good to hear you and your dd are on the mend!

 

Bzymama- we're practically neighbors! We live just a couple hours from Branson too! Every time we go, it's with a big group of extended family and all we do is SDC. I strongly dislike theme parks. :( I keep telling dh I want to go just our family for the weekend to explore the other sights.

 

The baby kept getting worse so I took him to the DR this morning and he has RSV. :O

3 babies and first time to deal with this particular bug. Dr said 5 more days of misery.

 

Dd has gotten nothing done for school work except free reading. Baby cries and coughs constantly. Wants to be held constantly. I feel like I haven't spent any quality time with the bigger kids. Dh has been playing games with them after work, making dinner with them and doing their bedtime routine and stories. I'm missing out on all of it! I know baby needs me and I do feel really bad for him, he's so miserable. I just miss my other kiddos!

 

Hopefully, tomorrow I can get my act together enough to guide dd through a few lessons.

[Critterfixer]

It's still raining. 

Today's schedule:

French-Unit 10

Latin-Unit Test (wish me luck-I may make it open book)

Math-CLE Lesson 13, 1 page of Key to Fractions

Writing-Spelling test, diagramming, free write

History/Science-swap from yesterday

Literature/Geography-swap from yesterday

 

For me: French, Latin, Geometry, Writing, Housekeeping (not much to do today-just sweeping and putting the new steamer together) and I might try to get a nap. I woke up teary eyed, with a stopped up nose and a cough. Better right now, and might just be allergic, but I don't feel that great and should probably try to rest.

[Sahamamama]

I'm so very late to the thread this week! We've been busy!

 

Sunday

Church

 

Monday

Outdoor Exercise + Rabbit Chores + Garage Spring Clean Out + Yard Work (We were outside nearly all day on Monday)

Showers

Math

Awana

 

Tuesday

A ton of school work, but I can't remember everything we did!

Star-gazing at a local park with the Youth Astronomy program from the local observatory. So much fun.

 

Wednesday

Another strong line-up of school work

Park half-day (met up with friends, sunny, 80 degrees, no humidity)

Showers

Church midweek

 

Thursday

Outdoor exercise, breakfast, chores, showers

School work -- We're aiming at the usual line-up today, math, Latin, composition, History, independent work, and bunch of other things.

Choir practice

 

Friday

Following the usual chores, I think we'll do a Fun Friday ("choose from this list")--

• The Obligatory Math Lesson
• Finish up our Book Club read aloud (Tucker's Countryside)
• Beautiful Memories Poetry Recitation
• Instrument Lessons (at home)
• Junior Bible Quiz--Review & New
• Composer Study (Haydn)
• Strategy & Games (we love a game day)
• Painting small decorative bird houses (just for fun)
• Run around the yard for a while
• Showers
• Community Bible Experience Reading (we're a wee bit "behind" but trudging along)
• Family Movie Night--Kung Fu Panda 2

[Sahamamama]

Outside the sun is practically shouting that spring is here. Tomorrow the sky is supposed to be falling. That's March for you.

Today's schedule:

French-review 

Latin-Lesson 17 (Unit 3 review)

Math-Lesson 9, 1 page of Key to Fractions

Composition and Grammar-New spelling words from the model for the Wretched Excess plot, read model through.

We need a new poem for spring--something about buckets of rain, I think.

 

For me: French, Latin, Algebra, Laundry and some cooking. DH is going to work on taxes this afternoon and do some work for my folks with the tractor. I plan to order Grammar of Poetry. It's more than I want to spend on a poetry program, but after looking through CW Poetry B, I think that I could use some additional support in teaching anything other than iambic and trochaic rhythm. That's as far as my poetry skills ever went. I'm rediscovering poetry as enjoyable writing, and would like to listen and learn along with the boys this summer. I'm thinking that a tall cold glass of lemonade and a few tasty cookies while watching our poetry lesson is going to be a nice treat for grammar and composition, summer style!

 

Are there any samples of the video of the actual teacher of the course? The only clip I could see on the IEW site was of A.P. How do you like the actual instructor?

 

[Critterfixer]

 

 

Are there any samples of the video of the actual teacher of the course? The only clip I could see on the IEW site was of A.P. How do you like the actual instructor?

No clue, but the DVD's came in yesterday evening! So now I get to watch my poetry DVD's tonight and see if I wasted my money or if I'm as happy as a duck on a rainy day.

[Soror]

Things are moving along here, ds is finishing up his grammar which is the last thing on his list. Dd1 is making cookies for our poetry time, she still has a LoE lesson to go and I want to finish my RA on Michelangelo but everything else is done. I want us to do some cleaning this afternoon but first we are going to have relax time, plenty of time being busy these days I'm trying to be purposeful with building rest into our days as much as I can- as sometimes we can't get that chill time in.

[Jean in Newcastle]

Thursday -

 

Dd did her school at the library without me.  I had a dental appointment.  Neither of us like having her do all her work independently all the time but once in a while it works out great. 

[Critterfixer]

Initial impressions of the Grammar of Poetry DVDs are good. I got to watch a lecture or two this evening, and had to elbow my way between two little boys to watch the second, because they were hogging the bed so that they could watch the lecture. It very much mirrors what I was trying to teach last year, but Mr Whitling is a lot more confident in his lecturing than I am! 

[mama25angels]

Critterfixer thank you for that review! Our week is done and I'm glad it's over, got some character building I need to work on this weekend. We got math, morning time and music practice done all week, need to work on getting to the other stuff. Can I just tell you the difference learning the Star Wars theme song has made in my DS' playing? It has improved dramatically!!

[Jean in Newcastle]

Friday - we finished up the How to Think like Sherlock book today.  We had put it aside for a long time for other things. 

[Critterfixer]

I continue to be impressed with Image Grammar. I keep coming across places where I can't help but nod and agree. I am delighted by the number of exercises that call for students to look at pictures prior to writing. It fits with what I've been learning about creativity in writing being related to stocking the mind with plenty of visual images.

[Sahamamama]

Initial impressions of the Grammar of Poetry DVDs are good. I got to watch a lecture or two this evening, and had to elbow my way between two little boys to watch the second, because they were hogging the bed so that they could watch the lecture. It very much mirrors what I was trying to teach last year, but Mr Whitling is a lot more confident in his lecturing than I am! 

 

I wonder why the website has NO SAMPLES of him teaching? I'd like to see him before I buy him, ya know?

 

At least, I can't seem to find any samples. Shoot.

[Sahamamama]

Ah, ladies, I am in a MOOD tonight! I will just stay off all other threads and not read any more anything and just.... :chillpill:

 

Yeah.

 

Sorry.

 

I just can't fathom how "we have no currency" as parents if our poor little darlings lose their motivation to play video games. Someone enlighten me, please. And, like, hello? The third or fourth identical thread this week? :banghead:

[Critterfixer]

Wouldn't help me out, anyway. My two don't have video games to play. Not here, anyway. They get to play at Nana's.  :laugh: I don't exactly buy into the whole currency for cooperation thang anyway. But I don't have difficult kids, so I probably wouldn't know.

 

I just can't fathom how "we have no currency" as parents if our poor little darlings lose their motivation to play video games. Someone enlighten me, please. And, like, hello? The third or fourth identical thread this week?  :banghead:

 

 

I think that I saw video of the teaching somewhere other than the website. It might be the Golden Grasses blog? Because I did watch him teaching before I bought the DVD. Hmm. Where did I see that? Yes, joyinourjourney.com. There is a 10 min preview there with sections of teaching in it.

[Sahamamama]

Wouldn't help me out, anyway. My two don't have video games to play. Not here, anyway. They get to play at Nana's.  :laugh: I don't exactly buy into the whole currency for cooperation thang anyway. But I don't have difficult kids, so I probably wouldn't know.

 

I think that I saw video of the teaching somewhere other than the website. It might be the Golden Grasses blog? Because I did watch him teaching before I bought the DVD. Hmm. Where did I see that? Yes, joyinourjourney.com. There is a 10 min preview there with sections of teaching in it.

 

Thanks, Critter. I watched the samples, and I like his teaching style and his speaking pace. So many video instructors talk too fast! It looks like a great course.