Catching up On the Recording Keeping

…and I just wanted to see my blog background again It’s just so…pretty!

I’ve been sick the past two days, not sure what the deal is but I’m up now not feeling well so I figured I would do something productive {that doesn’t require actually ‘doing’ much}.

So how long has it been? I think the last time I kept record was when we had 45 days left of school. I lied about that, I might add. Not intentionally, of course. Today, March 26, 2012, was actually day #140. There was a day here and a day there that we did no school that I forgot we had to tack on at the end. The kids were disappointed but…I have warned them: put it off today, it’ll have to be done tomorrow…or maybe later than that but it will be done!

For Fox:
Bible: Reading Joshua 3-8, John 11-14; verse Romans 12:1-10 ; Who Am I?, read 109-139, did {some of} pages 78-101 in notebook; Saints & Heroes- William the Silent and Brewster {1/2 of Laud today}
Math: Saxon Algebra 1, up to lesson 10
English: Jensen’s Grammar Lesson 23-30 and Test 5; Age of Fable finally finished chapter 37; The Aeneid for Boys and Girls by Church (finished reading); Bronze Bow (still working with Progeny Press study guide {it’s slow goin’; that’s an in depth study guide!}); Pictures in Cursive (Level E); Animal Farm {finished! and watched the 1954 version cartoon}
Science: Creek Edge Press Task Card #12 {for some reason this was set aside for almost a week- he finished #12 today and will do #13 this week}; The Story Book of Science up to chapter 47; The Sciences (pages 230-262); Archimedes chapter 6 & 7; started The Sea Around Us (for Young Readers) {I’m liking it}
History/Geography: Story of the Romans chapter 10-22 (written narration); A Journey Through Learning notebooking pages; Asia Hands of A Child notebook pages (finished the packet); Around the World in 180 Days questions; Albert Einstein and the Theory of Relativity has been moved to a ‘free’ read {like he has a choice LOL}
Foreign Language: Review (up to Lesson 14); started some simple German lessons
Ohio Study: Gave presentation on the Wright brothers.

And here is Lee’s work:
Bible: Reading Joshua 14-20, Romans 8-11; verse Psalm 139:1-8; Esther commentary
Math: Life of Fred Advanced Algebra Lesson 15-24
English: Excellence in Literature (Connecticut Yankee in King Arthur’s Court); Progeny Press, The Screwtape Letters, working on Letters 5-9; Utopia (finally finished!); History of English Literature (chapter 55); still chuggin’ along with Westward Ho!
History/Geography: Western Civilization pages 421-439 (PowerPoint Presentation on Thirty-Years War; wrote on Peter the Great); Kon Tiki chapters 4 & 5
Current Events Weeks of 3/9, 3/16, 3/23
Foreign Language: Greek Level 5, Lesson 22-31; Latin review (up to Lesson 14)
Government/Civics: Whatever Happened to Justice? chapter 38 & 39; Francis Bacon’s “Of Truth”
Science: Biology, chapter 8 (took test); “Cells” by Ellen McHenry, chapter 8
Ohio Study: researched the ‘creation’ of Cleveland, OH, has to give presentation still

We also managed to get Composer Study in last week, finished up with Mozart. Art study as well {we’re still on Bierstadt because we just love his work!}.

So that’s how it’s gone- on paper. In reality, it’s been okay. I’m trying to work on getting good narrations out of both of them. It seems like it’s a take two steps forward, one step back deal. I prefer to discuss what they read and are learning rather than just write it down because they do not interject what they think in writing. They write the facts; this happened and that’s that. When they narrate orally they are more lively {well one of them has a problem with being too lively} and they give the impression of what their opinions are a lot of the time simply by the way their voice goes up, what words they stress while narrating and also their body language. Both can efficiently write out a general summary of what they read. That’s not what I’m looking for –not completely. So it’s a work in progress –still –and perhaps always.

I am trying to focus more on their education while re-teaching myself. I watched Simply Charlotte Mason’s All Day Seminar {that may not be the correct title} and really have been impressed how important it is for us as parents to have the habits discussed in Charlotte Mason’s work. We can expect them of our kids but if we do not have them ourselves, it will be evident and it will be a struggle. So I am trying one thing at a time; one habit at a time.

First is habit of attention. The goal is to say it quietly and only once. That’s my first habit that I’m working on. I must pay attention to my surroundings {that means my kids when I’m busy lol} so that I do not have to say “what?” If I can do this and get it down, then it will be easier to expect it from them. I’ll figure out the next habit when I’m close to mastering the first

Well, my stomach feels like it’s settled enough for me to try to sleep again. Goodnight!