Weekly Wrap-Up: Math, Rain, and Hands-On Work

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In my life this week…It rained.   And rained.  Somehow that always makes life a little bit gloomy…unless inside is neat and cozy and under control.  It wasn’t, but it’s getting there!  And just to cheer myself up, I’m including sunny pictures from last week.

In our homeschool this week…

• Miss 13 finished Key to Algebra book 10. Not only did she finish a booklet (worth 2 candies to her and 1 to everyone else), but she also finished a course (worth the same), and the whole Key To series, begun 5 years ago (worth the same again). Now she’s reviewing and consolidating the learning using Singapore’s New Elementary Maths curriculum, just as our oldest two did.
• Miss 11, having finished the elementary part of the Key to Series, is reviewing and consolidating all that using Singapore Math’s 4A to 6B books. In the level four books she did only a few reviews; in the level five books, she’s practicing concepts as well. Some of it’s too easy and some of it she has forgotten, but we’ve always found it worthwhile to do this review.
• Miss 9 is succeeding with Calculadder and Quarter Mile Math. Once she knows the basic math facts, she can succeed at her usual curriculum. Finger-adding just doesn’t work beyond a certain stage.
• Now that I’m no longer too busy with the harvest, there’s time for individual French studies with both my teens every day. What a difference that makes! I’m almost ready to begin with the Little Misses as well.

Helpful homeschooling tips or advice to share…

Just do it.  Forget about the theory, philosophy, charts, records, and evaluations.  Just go learn together.

Places we’re going and people we’re seeing…

• Judo, including a special meeting for ladies.  Even Miss 11 was invited to that one!
• The librarians.
• Friends and new friends—Mr. 16 and his buddies are at a youth conference.
• The optometrist, since Miss 9 has a hordeolum in her eyelid.  We need to use hot compresses many times a day.

My favorite thing this week was…

The sun came out and flooded our world with golden light for a few glorious moments here and there.  What bliss in the midst of so much rain!  What’s more, we had rainbows, morning, afternoon, and evening.

Questions/thoughts I have…

A few weeks ago a window washing company called, wondering if we needed help with our windows.  I don’t think I would hire them even if we did have the money.  There’s a lot of joy in doing (and being able to do) a variety of jobs yourself.  As a break from learning, we all need the real-life work of gardening, cleaning, and making things.  Hands-on work is good, as the Apostle Paul pointed out.

Things I’m working on…

• Apples and other harvest odds and ends.
• Fall cleaning, including washing all the old bed sheets we used as frost protection on the garden.
• Hand mending—like the judo outfits that I darned at a weak spot with canvas thread.
• Learning about soaking/sprouting/fermenting foods. 
• A project with my husband…only about 50 hours more.
• Writing down my daily exercise.
• Lots and lots of reading.

I’m reading…

Hosea, Fyodor Dostoevsky by Leithart, A Jane Austen Education, Henry V, Wild Animals I have Known, Body Ecology Diet (recommended by my doctor), Behind the Veils of Yemen (finished), House of Hope, and The Reason for God. 

The children and I are reading Saint Patrick by McHugh and, while we’re enjoying the story, the English makes us cringe.  The author uses too many words and seems to be afraid of little ones like “said” and “he”.  Realizing this is, I suppose, a good preparation for NaNoWriMo. We’re also almost finished Jan en Janneke in Canada. 

I’m grateful for …

A warm, dry house.  How the Indians in their tipis and wigwams, the pioneers in their crude log and sod homes, and, indeed, most people throughout history survived, is a marvel to me.  And, even now, people throughout the world suffer from lack of shelter.  We do have such a very, very comfortable life!

Just one picture…

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This post is linked to The Homeschool Mother’s Journal  and to No Ordinary Blog Hop.