Weekly Report before Spring Break!

This week has been a huge blur! Not sure if it is because we have been spring cleaning our 2 attics and getting ready for a yard sale, the kids pending Spring camp they leave for at 5 today and not return till Tuesday evening, or just the busyness of Dr. appointments and life! Its just been a slamin week!

School went well. We got a lot done, and finished some things up so we can enjoy spring break next week. Did I mention Spring break next week? *Ü* Kids going to camp?? *Ü*

Honestly though, they know I am joking... I have never ever been one of those moms who waited for the big yellow bus to come get them or couldn’t wait to get rid of them.......The kids think this one is the best camp the youth group has, and they do a camp in each season. They will be missed...

On to the school work....

Science Happened once this week. :( Sad but true.... I figured we can handle Astronomy next week, even though its break... or if not... we will finish after... this sets us back further, but honestly... I’m not worried and don’t really care! lol We are so close... its all good. When we are done, I thought I would take it to Kinko’s and have it made into a book! That will be fun for RyLee to see all her hard work in a book.

Christian took this week off from science, so we don’t break the module up over spring break. *Ü* Could you here her cheering Monday? *Ü*

Math The girls did really well this week. Christian even did an extra lesson w/o my asking... go team! RyLee... I don’t think she is being challenged. She has not missed anything on her math for a few weeks now... not sure what to do about that?? Do I have her do more lessons each day? 2 instead of 1? Suggestions??

Bible study: Both girls are still covering Explorers bible study. They also have 30 minutes each morning reading their bible alone and have quiet time. RyLee was excited because she has finished her bible I had her read for quiet time. Its the picture bible. She loved it. After break, she will read her regular NIV bible for her quiet time and work through the bible best she can. I think I have forgotten to mention this in our last few posts...


Tapestry of Grace Monday we covered what was left from last week. Charles Finney, Martin Van Buren, and Daniel Webster. Just couldn’t fit it in last Friday.

I just realized I never changed our books over to our new week here on the blog... oops...*Ü* Its been a busy week.... We are now learning about Australia.. studding its History and geography through the 19th century. We took it light…… Again because of break... Christian read from Bob Jones p420-426 and 478-479 on Australia. Ry read from Streams of civilization pgs 211-214. They both wrote a narration of what was read. Other than this, that was it...

Literature: Christian is STILL on Emma.... she is so bored, but I refuse to let her stop. She is plugging away. She has next week to finish or else! Not sure what the for else is yet!lol I did let her watch the Masterpiece theater episode of Emma. I Tvod it.... it was pretty good...

yes I know it ruined the story for her, but I was trying to encourage her... she still has to finish. *Ü*

When we start up again after break we begin Les Miserables!! I can’t wait! We will cover this book in depth over the next 5 weeks. RyLee is supposed to read a Christmas Carol, but she did that at Christmas time, so I will have to pick something else....


Spanish! We had fun with vocabulary this week. But honestly that’s as far as we got folks.

Sketch Tuesday was fun! Dan, RyLee and myself had something to show this week! Christian was not feeling well, so we let her slide. *Ü*

Nature study:


This can be seen over at Sticks and Stones, our 2nd blog. It sadly needed the update!! We sort of did challenge 5... and have not begun 6 yet. I know challenge 6 will be great! We just need to "do" it. Especially since 7 is coming up!




Art study


Yup! This is a new one! One I have wanted to add for a few weeks now! Almost 3 weeks ago, I bought an art study from Amanda at Hearts and trees.



We began the study with a painting from Van Gough. It was called Wheat Field Under Threatening Skies. I liked it! I never really liked Van Gogh’s work... like I "knew" his work, lol... but the paintings I have seen before, they never really appealed to me. I enjoyed this one, and a few other we observed in the books we have. They are Great Themes in Art by John Walford and The story of painting by Sister Wendy.

The other paintings I enjoyed were " The artists bedroom", "Farmhouse in Province" and " The Night Cafe at Arles"

The girls and I both decided we don’t care much for most of his work, but we did appreciate his passion for painting, and I think we all agreed that anyone who would continue in a passion and have so much disappointment... must be worthy of some admiration. He was a strange, sad man, disappointments through most of his life...mental illness... sad life really... and he only sold 1 painting while he was alive.

The only fact that I knew before we began this study was that he cut off his ear ( the lobe part)and gave it to the woman he loved, but was betrothed to some one else...how gross is that?

We completed the notebook page that Amanda created and then did a project she suggested at the end. I have my own notebook and made my own picture along with the girls. I am not the creative sort, so I just tried to copy... Here are our drawings though.

The idea behind this was to create our own cloud picture.... and we were to try and "do it" Van Gough style.... First is RyLees, then Christians and mine...





We all enjoyed this. I thought they might not like it, but it went great. Looking at the pictures in the books I had, then reading what the books had to say, made filling out the notebook pages more enjoyable for the girls, myself included... we knew more about Vincent and his style... a little more about him personally too.

I also used some other questions found at Looking at art and asking questions. This was linked on Amanda’s site. This added a lot to what we were doing, not only that, but it just got the girls looking at other artists and comparing the paintings and what they liked and did not like and why.

It really was a good time. it might have taken us an hour, maybe a little longer... but that’s it... We will use 1 painting and artist a week. Next time we will cover Monet. 2 paintings actually. This has been a gentle way to introduce us to studying artists and I think after this one, we can handle going on our own... maybe. *Ü*

RyLee also baked this week. She has not done that for a while. She made scones! They were so good! They didn’t last long. Her brother has been home during the day, due to spring break. *Ü*


That’s our week, it was long and its not even over yet! I still have to prepare our craft/project for Sunday School, finish pricing stuff for the sale on Saturday, organize my paper work and payments people are sending in for a field trip on an Amtrak train I organized for May, Make a flyer for the used curriculum sale I host each year with my family and friends help.... ( I need the flyer done by Sunday)finish school today and get the kids off to camp...

Is it Monday yet?? *Ü*