Homeschool Week 19: Anticipation

I seriously cannot believe we got as much done this week as we did since tomorrow begins our week-long vacation at Disney World!  Actually, the kiddos think we aren’t leaving until Sunday, but as a surprise we are leaving tomorrow and spending a day at Universal Studios (our first time ever!)  I honestly thought this week would be a bust as far as homeschooling, but it’s been pretty productive.

Both boys keep logging in and doing Mathletics daily (most of the time they do more than one lesson, unprompted.)  They like doing as much as is required to earn a “certificate” and thus more points for “spending” on their avatars.  Ds3 actually completed his grade level and moved up to 5th grade work.  It seems to be a lot of the same material with some new lessons added in.  I can really see his progress, especially in adding large numbers.  Ds3 is also still using Times Alive! and making much progress with his multiplication tables (one of my goals for him this year.)

Ds3 has also begun his HWT cursive writing book.  He is doing well with it so far, and I credit HWT for really turning his writing around.  Love it!

Ds4 working on his HWT book.  Here you see him on a lesson for lower case e.  He has three e’s in his name, and while he can write an e, he often writes them backward and in a different manner each time.  With the HWT method (“Hit the ball, run around the bases”) to remind him of the steps, his e’s have improved 100 fold.  :)

Ds4 is still doing well with First Language Lessons.  He has memorized his second poem in the program.  I have recorded him reciting his poems so he can see his progress thorough the year.  We’ll start our new poem when we get back from our trip.

We continue our study of the human body, this week covering the digestive and nervous systems.  The boys are coloring and labeling a worksheet of the digestive system parts.

The stuff is sinking in, as this is ds4 showing me his drawings of the brain (on the left) and the heart pumping blood (on the right.)  He drew these on his own while he was “testing out” a new box of crayons.  :)

It has been so cold and gloomy and we are so so ready for this vacation!  I think a few of the days we will be there will be a little chilly as well, but I don’t even care.  A week away from the ordinary, spent in the company of my beautiful little family…I’ll do that anywhere, anytime, anyhow.  :)