Sneak Peek of the Coming Week

 planning for next year

 

Around the House

Mom's work -

• Read chapter 1 of Weapons of Mass Instruction for the Mindful Parenting Virtual Bookclub (facebook)
• My Operation 2012 tasks, including working on the daily decluttering calendar from My Simpler Life.
• Planning for next year:  fifth grade for Jillian, kindergarten for Max (age 6), preschool for Lucy (age 4). For fifth grade, I'm going to use A Little Garden Flower's fifth grade book as my anchor for fifth grade, as well as their geometry book.  We'll use Oak Meadow for Max, which we've used off and on this year.  We'll continue to use our beloved Little Acorn Learning themes, as well.
• I have a little painting project I'm working on that I think will enhance our weekly rhythm. If I work on it for a short time every day, it shouldn't take very long to complete.
• Start thinking about, and begin creating, the Valentine's gifts I want to make for the children this year.  Gather supplies, as needed.
• We've been hanging out up upstairs more, where it is easier to keep the house warm. (Over the years, we've come to call this the "Winter Apartment" and it has become a part of our yearly rhythm)  I'd like to move the nature table upstairs to the loft so the children can keep interacting with it on a daily basis.
• We're not going to make candles this year for Candlemas, as I'm just not sure how I could accomplish it joyfully for my older kids with the baby and a three year old around.  Maybe next year?  But, we have pretty tea lights I want to make sure and set out for Thursday's dinner.

The last week of January's weather has been so mild,

a walk around the yard can still provide peeks at green and growing things.

I'm sure Winter still has a few tricks up her sleeve for us, 

but we've been enjoying the sun while we can.

Homeschool

Preschool (Lucy, age 3) and Kindergarten (Max, age 5)*:
Candlemas, Cleaning with Little Acorn Learning

(note: we are using the LAL Enrichment guide.  Noramlly I use both the enrichment and the early childcare guides. I purchase the LAL early childcare guides as we have extra money over the years, and somehow February has never been one I've purchased.)

Oak Meadow Kindergarten
*Max is having an age 5 kindergarten year and will officially start kindergarten at age 6

 

4th Grade Main Lesson block:
Jillian's main lesson is on Language Arts, using Dorothy Harrer's English Manual
reading for at least 30 minutes a day  
items from her Brain Food page

Jillian is also joining in with Little Acorn Learning when she wants to and has been doing very well as my "helper" with the younger children.

In the Book Basket

• Winter board book - by Gerda Muller
• Brigid's Cloak by Bryce Milligan
• The Snowy Day - Ezra Jack Keats
• The Tomten by Astrid Lindgren
• The Three Snow Bears by Jan Brett
• The Story of the Snow Children by Sibylle Von Olfers

Rhythm

Monday - Purple Day

• Nature Study - a walk around the yard, with our sketchbooks, to see what we can find
• Enrichment - listening to Sparkle Stories (my kids love the Martin and Sylvia stories), tell a King Winter story
• Artist Study - we've been following along with Confessions of a Homeschooler's The World's Greatest Artists Unit Study, Vol. I and really enjoyed it.  Now we're branching out on our own, continuing with these wonderful books introduced to us by the unit study.

Tuesday - Red Day

• Painting day - watercoloring with red
• Enrichment - start dough for St. Brigid's Oatcakes (Little Acorn Learning)

Wednesday - Yellow Day, St. Brigid's Feast Day

• Coloring - coloring with beeswax crayons
• Enrichment - bake St. Brigid's Oatcakes (Little Acorn Learning)

Thursday - Orange Day, Candlemas

• Handwork/Crafting - Jillian and I are creating a felt map as we continue to discuss geography.  This is our inspiration. 
• Enrichment - eating dinner by candlelight
• Games - Uno Moo, which is Lucy's current favorite

Friday - Green Day

• Practical Life - spend time straightening the library/office, especially our homeschool bookshelves
• Snack - Cleansing Green Smoothie (Little Acorn Learning)
• Quaver Music
• Friday Night Nest - family movie night  

What are you going to be up to with your kids this week?