A full week of no school has been just what the doctor ordered.
The kids have been working SO HARD, and when I stopped to relax I realize I had been working hard, too.
Dad was working this week so the kids and I spent our mornings sleeping in and our days reading, relaxing, and doing things we enjoy.
I like this idea of schooling for 6 or 7 weeks and then taking a full week off, and I'm glad our Classical Conversations community has a calendar that follows this schedule.
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Time To Do Other Things
Fall is my favorite season. I spent an evening decorating the front porch. My orange lights on the topiary don't show up well in the picture, but they are orange, trust me.
I enjoy cooking, but with our busy schedule this school year meals have been quick and simple. This week I had time to cook a little more. One of my favorites was a Ginger Chile Pork with Brown Sugar Ginger Squash. YUM. This was a Publix Aprons Meal, and it was a hit with everyone in my house!
We met friends from Anna's Challenge A class at a local lake and just enjoyed lunch and visiting. Younger siblings played and a good time was had by all! I looked over at one point and the kids had their shoes and socks off and were wading in the lake, playing happily. It was one of those moments I wanted to freeze. (You know what I mean.)
Anna is my reader. She would rather read than do anything else, so on the first day of fall break we went to the library and she stocked up on her favorite series, Dear America. I am so thankful both of my kids love to read.
I also started reading The Trumpeter of Krakow to the kids at lunch time each day - it goes right along with our Cycle 2 history studies. When the book mentioned the Carpathian Mountains Grant practically jumped out of his skin because he KNEW exactly where they were (thank you Cycle 2 geography memory work!).
No matter the mood people are in, we can always come together for a read aloud. It soothes the savage beast (so to speak) in my house. We ALWAYS have a good read aloud in progress.
More Goodness from LEGO Education®
Do you see that smile on Grant's face? I'm so grateful to LEGO Education® for creating so many products that fit homeschoolers perfectly!
*Disclaimer: I receive all products from LEGO Education® free of charge in exchange for my honest review.
The WeDo curriculum teaches kids all about how to program their creations.
Grant went to a camp about this last year in Atlanta. Truth be told, I was intimidated and thought it was something I would leave to other people (surely anything with the word ROBOTICS in it was too complicated for my creative music brain!) - but the camp was pricey and the more I learned about WeDo the more I saw how easy it was to do at home.
All you need is a LEGO builder, a computer, and the ability to read instructions.
Your kids will then be on their way to making fun models that respond to different sensors, make sounds, and do so much more. LEGO Education® WeDo Robotics is a perfect science and technology curriculum for homeschoolers!
Another plus: for the price of just four sessions of Grant's WeDo camp, I could have bought the WeDo system for our homeschool. I think it's actually a very good investment if you have a child who loves LEGO.
I will be sharing more with you about WeDo next week (and I might have a giveaway for you, too)!
Blogging
This weekend my husband and I will be attending Blogging Concentrated in Atlanta. I met Dan Morris at The Beech Retreat last year and learned so much from him. I am excited to learn from he and Crystal Collins!
The kids are each spending the weekend with a friend. This means TIME ALONE for my husband and I.
Great Homeschool Convention
Are you attending The Great Homeschool Convention this year?
Last year I attended the Greenville, SC convention. It was one of the best investments in our homeschooling year. The speaker line-up this year is impressive, and of course the vendor hall is amazing.
Early Bird Registration is going on - $30/individiual and $45/family. Register now! If you're going to be in Greenville, let me know and I'd love to meet you!
I am very thankful for this Collage Friday community. I learn so much from each of your blogs - Friday is my favorite blogging day of the week!
If you'd like to link, you can do so in a couple of ways:
- Enter your link below. Be sure to link to your post with photo collages and link back to this post (or include the Collage Friday button on your blog).
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