School: This week we started to document what we did in the past school year. Although this is not required in our province, it’s nice to do anyhow. We have the rough daily and weekly records, but having everything listed neatly in just a few pages per child makes for a wonderful set of memories. I also have to make a proper report card for Miss 17, since she’ll need that for university entrance as well as driver’s insurance.
We had planned to start some summer-school work next week, but have decided that holidays are just too much fun and too full of learning to stop already. Besides, I want to clean my desk first….
Gardening: We had two cool days that were perfect for gardening, and we enjoyed them hugely, as mentioned in a previous post. Current tasks are to pick raspberries, harvest herbs, and keep up with the weeding…and I’ll be working on those today. It may also be time for the children to go after wild blackberries, but there are usually very few.
Books: Miss 17 read The Sea Captains’ Wife by Beth Powning and told me not to read it before going to bed. She hasn’t yet decided whether or not she likes it. Mr 15 has been reading science fiction that his daddy gives him and computer books. Miss 12 is devouring Marjorie Bowen’s trilogy about William and Mary. I got lost in the first volume, I Will Maintain, one day while making supper. (Oops!) Miss 10 loves Encyclopedia Brown and also whizzed through most of Hillyer’s A Child’s History of the World. We’ve also been reading Rebecca Caudill’s Schoolhouse in the Woods aloud and are still working on The Little Princess.
As for me, I’ve been reading two e-books. Although I much prefer paper books, Real Foods on a Real Budget is worth sitting at the computer for. I like it so much that I’m thinking of getting it printed and bound at Staples, something I’ve never done before. I’ve also begun scrolling through The Art of Education by Linda Dobson, and it looks interesting.
Outings: We went to a Canada Day afternoon celebration where the younger girls played mini-golf, tried out the bouncy slides, got their faces painted, practiced archery, and went on a ride with friends.
In the evening we went back to visit the fireworks, and they were magnificent this year. It’s too bad that you can’t really, truly remember something like that. An extravagant snack is part of our family’s fireworks tradition—a whole tub of ice cream this time! We carry plastic spoons in the car, but no bowls, so my husband and the kids just ate from the big tub, sitting there in the dark, waiting for the fireworks to start.
Kitchen: We froze 53 packages of soup herbs, and quite a few raspberries. Miss 12 baked and decorated a lovely Canada Day cake which she hopes to post on her blog sometime soon. My husband made a huge pot of tomato-quinoa-beef soup on Sunday, and I made an equally huge pot of curried bean and ham soup later in the week. Both of these fed us for several meals and really simplified food preparation. (Hmm! Something to keep in mind for the future.)
Reviews: I submitted my first review to Curriculum Choice, and will let you know when it is posted. I’m also working on several others for this blog, but slowly. Soon I will get back to writing a review a week.
Other Stuff: Miss 12 has been working hard on her blog. Mr 15’s website is almost ready to go online. Miss 17 has been busy with her cows and her friends. Miss 10 has discovered the joys of reading outside. And Miss 7 has been busy everywhere and with everything.
This post is linked to both Canada Girl’s Weekly Wrap Up and Wierd Unsocialized Homeschoolers Weekly Wrap Up.
That’s a great — and busy — week! I wish we’d have more cool days around here so i could do a little work in the flower garden without melting!
What a busy week! I love hearing what y’all are reading. Most of mine love to read, also, and I need to leave more good books around the house:)
Will you be posting about Mr. 15’s website? I realized that Nick is 15 as well and might enjoy that.