Home Learning:
- History--Began a new study on ancient thought/ideas beginning with Confucius. So far, we've just covered the introduction, but I'm really excited about diving into this topic with A and Z.
- Science--A and E began a study of human anatomy. On Friday we went to the Museum of Science. I purchased a membership and plan to take advantage of it throughout this year. Our next visit is planned for the Friday after next. E loved the butterfly garden best. A loved the exhibit on human reproduction. Z liked the lightning show and electicity/weather exhibits. L was captivated by the lunar landing exhibit and the space capsule replica. --Lots of learning topics to follow-up on and expand upon.
- Writing--I bought new blank moleskines for everyone to begin a journaling project. I plan to use some of the ideas from the book, Rip the Page! Adventures in Creative Writing. We write a lot, but I want my children to see the play and endless possibilities in writing.
- Record Keeping--I've redesigned our weekly checklist to follow a by-subject format instead of our usual by-day format. I hope that this will provide my children with a greater sense of independence and more control over what they do when.
Homemaking:
A bought a new cookbook of vegetarian recipes. She made us a delicious dish called Potato Cake for supper one night.
I re-decorated our upstairs bathroom, with my older children's help. A and S went with me to pick out new shower and window curtains, and bathroom accessories, and Z helped me paint. The bathroom is now a soothing pale aqua with sprout green accents. (It used to be a deep taupe color with plum accents.) I love the new look, especially the lightness of the colors we chose. The room is small, so it's hard to get a good photo, but these show the colors pretty well:
My favorite accessory is this soap dispenser. When you push on the pump he croaks:
Family:
My father went into the hospital on Tuesday for frost-bitten toes (yes, he lives in Syracuse) and ended up having vascular surgery on his left leg on Thursday. There was some arterial blockage (he's a diabetic). He's still in the hospital. The doctor is waiting to see whether his toes will recover or not. The past year my dad's had a lot of health challenges. Last spring he was diagnosed with cancer and had a large segment of his colon removed. It's been very stressful for my mom. I'm actually more worried about her than I am about him. My dad's like a rubber ball; he always bounces back.
Fun:
- We made decorations and exchanged Valentine's on Monday.
- We enjoyed playing outside in the sunshine two days this week when the temps soared to nearly sixty degrees! About half of the snow melted (there is still about a foot and a half on the ground).
- We had a popcorn party to kick off the new season of Survivor on Wednesday.
- Z, S, and I went to see Robert Randolph and The Family Band perform at The House of Blues Thursday night. It was AWESOME! I'm so glad that I went.
- Paul took Z and S to see Liam Neeon's new movie, Unknown. They all enjoyed it, but S advised me to wait for it to come out on DVD.
