1st Quarter 2013-2014

Our first day of school for the 2013-2014 school year was August 13. Dennis was heading back to school for meetings, so we chose this as our starting time. I decided to start slow the first week. We began with Bible, science and math. The second week we added in history and then language was brought in the third week. Our first four weeks of school were all four-day weeks. This allowed us to have a couple of final summer activities, plan for Dennis' birthday party and celebrate Labor Day.

Tommy was ready to go the first day before the kids!

 

Josh is a 3rd grader this year.

Ellie is a 5th grader.

We have really enjoyed covering the story of creation in our Bible study. It has been teaching the kids how to cross reference and look at context. We have been finding evidence for a divine Creator, the days of creation being 24 hour days and for a young earth. Even as we discussed other possible answers for the latter questions, we were still left with the foundational truth that God is the Creator and that He had an ordered plan for Creation.

Science is still the kids' favorite subject. This quarter we covered aquatic animals, whales, seals and aquatic herps (sea turtles, snakes, toads and frogs). I am happy though that they are enjoying the Mystery of History curriculum. The activities for each chapter, making timeline figures, and creating maps for the areas we are learning about are keeping them interested. We have covered from creation to the Shang Dynasty in China.

The kids seem to be doing well with the Saxon curriculum as well as the Learning Language Arts Through Literature. The investigations in Saxon are fun for them and they are getting the hang of using a notebook to copy their problems and do their work instead of writing in the workbook. Learning language skills in the context of good literature is more interesting and less tedious than repetitive workbook activities.

We had seen this comic on the Internet. Ellie drew this on the white board when we read about the flood.

The kids made cuneiform tablets. . .

 

 ziggurats. . .  

 

made mummies out of each other. . . 

 

and made their own version of Stonehenge.

We enjoyed two field trips this quarter - the L.A. County Fair and the Aquarium of the Pacific.

Both kids began a homeschool bowling league in September. Then Ellie began volleyball shortly after. She has done well and is one of the stronger players on her team.

And our first rainy day was spent doing school in front of the fire with our favorite kitty.

Good start overall so far. It hasn't been without attitudes and squabbles; but we are moving along and getting it done.