J in Front of Juilliard

4/16-4/22

This weekend (and almost all week), W played with his friend Matt from next door (who turns 10 this week).  Nerf gun wars is still the game of choice and thankfully we have a nice backyard to play in.  He also went to the playground for hours, playing basketball and manhunt.

Tuesday Wayfinders in Central Park was lots of fun.  It was a rainy, muddy adventure, and W loved every second of it.  There looked to be about 40 kids - mostly boys between the ages of 9 & 12 (with some older and younger thrown in too).  The premise is a sort of game like Capture the Flag.  Each were given a foam sword (think: pool noodle) and were told to battle and then die like you mean it, rolling on the ground, writhing.  I thought the guides were hysterical.

W went home with one of his best friends and slept over.  On Wednesday, they had an awesome Pokemon party at the house.  Tons of Pokemon decorations, prizes, goody bags, pinata, etc.  The kids wore Pokemon T-shirts, Pokemon was playing on the TV, there was a table with How-To-Draw Pokemon books and tons of paper and colored pencils, and I counted more than 15 kids there.  I got there at around 4pm to pick W up and then go to work. I was so impressed at how this mom put together such a cool party so quickly.  I have party-planning-phobia and get nauseous even thinking about throwing parties.  She inspired me, though.  I may have one myself one day.

Academics this week included the new math workbook.  Flash Kids 4th (and 5th) grade gives a great review of what W has already done in TT5.  The thing I've learned about math is that my kids may have seemed to master a concept, but without continuous practice, it fades a bit.  The review workbook ($6.95 - $5.25 after discount) is a great idea for now before we continue onto pre-algebra.  He'll be reviewing addition, subtraction, multiplication, division, place value, angles, perimeter, area, decimals, graphing, & inequalities.  Then we'll finish up TT5 before the fall and combine that with Flash Kids Grade 5 and he'll do fractions, measurement, percents, exponents, and more advanced versions of the basics (like multiplying with exponents and graphing coordinates).

We also read more of Robin Hood.  The original language is difficult (reminiscent of Shakespeare with it's "dost thou art"s), but I decided to stop paraphrasing.  I now read it as is - with as much inflection as possible - and W gets it.  I asked him what he thought was going on in a certain part and he gave me a great narration, along with his own thoughts on what might happen next.   We're also continuing with Joan of Arc.  We're almost done with that one.  It's not his favorite, but I do try and make the bloody battles really exciting for him, lol.  He did a whole page in the Spelling Skills book.  As he read me the new words, I noticed he said behind for beyond, cannon for cotton, button for bottom.  If I have him slow down and try again, he usually gets it right.  He is definitely getting more right than wrong, though. The 2 spelling activities were classifying and answer the questions.  This gets W to write out the words which helps him remember how they're spelled.

In the Spectrum Phonics & Word Study book W looked at a picture and circled the word as to what the picture was.  Now that sounds simple and I remember similar activities being done in preschool, but again, it was like it was made for him.  One of the pictures was of a desk.  The 4 words given were:  deck, disk, dock, and desk.  W tends not to look beyond the first and last letters, so he chose "deck".  I told him to look at it again and he caught the mistake.  So this is the kind of thing he needs to overcome.  I feel it's because he rushes through his reading and skims over words too quickly, and that causes one word to look like something else.  Thankfully when he reads books he has to backtrack and correct himself or it won't make sense.  The other activity in that book was changed the given word with a new vowel so it makes sense in the sentence.  This can get tricky for him, but he got them all correct.  I love this book. (The one I have is the OLD version with the pig on the cover - NOT the new one with the light blue cover.  The new version has changed the inside contents as well.  I just prefer the 1999 version not the 2006 version).

W also read a few pages of Cricket in Times Square.  He's taking his time with it, which is ok since it's all about understanding.  I'm also thrill about him still loving those Pokemon cards.  He reads them constantly.  One very popular method of helping a slow reader is by having them read nonsense words.  This way they have to use more than just the immediate picture of the word, they have to actually sound it out.  Pokemon is full of that and I don't even have to schedule it into our day! 

The girls love having the week off.  K is more than ready to get to the end of senior year.  She has a meeting next week with an advisor at college to create a schedule for the fall.  Prom is on K's mind all the time, too.  She chose this beautiful dress and MIL offered to pay for the shoes and hair.  In lieu of a limo, about 15 of K's friends will take a party bus to the venue.  I love that idea.  It's huge inside, with a great stereo system, flat-screen TV, refrigerator, and bathroom.  Way cooler than a limo.  The picture to the left shows what the inside generally looks like.  K has also been working and hanging with friends all week.  And we joined a gym together!   We've been going every other day.  I love going with her.   

J has been busy with dance and friends all week.  I spent some more time planning her summer.  Her school requires continuous dancing throughout the summer.  She'll certainly be busy all summer.  She's starting with a workshop in Manhattan for a week, then Nationals for a week with her team, then the rest of the summer is dance almost every day - in Manhattan.  She's so comfortable navigating through Manhattan now.  Subways are easy and she revels in the whole atmosphere. 

On Tuesday this week J was part of a master class with Ellenore Scott (top 4  in season 6 of SYTYCD).  Not many knew about it and only 5 people were in the class.  J brought 2 friends and 2 older girls showed up. Later in the day, Ellenore was giving a master class at Broadway Dance Center, which I know was packed, but this earlier class was at a lesser-known studio.  I thought it was the luckiest thing ever.  So much individual attention and focus.

Happy Easter.

4/9-4/15

Tuesday's Wayfinders was rained out, but he enjoyed time with friends the whole afternoon anyway.

Wednesday was an all-day set of classes on the Upper West Side.  W checked in at 9:30am and started his day with Cake Decorating.  He learned a lot of new words (like "fondant") and got to eat what they made.  After that was Chess.  It was great that he finally had some good, formal chess instruction.  He plays well, but loved learning some new strategies.  After that was lunch, then Photography.  I gave him my small camera to use in the class.  The instructor showed them how to center a photo, cool things a regular camera can do, etc.  The last class was Cartooning and Graphic Design.  Needless to say, this was his favorite.  The kids came up with ideas for their own comic books and W said he learned some great things.

I spent the whole day in the nearby Barnes & Noble.  6 whole hours to relax and read and browse.  Ah...heaven.  It was Educator's Week, so I got 25% off my purchases.  I got this really cool science book, 2 new novels for W to read (at around the same level as his current book), & 2 Flash Kids math workbooks.  The math workbooks are basic review.  I want him to go over all the 4th grade and 5th grade math.  We still love TT5, but he'd like to switch it up a bit.  We'll go back and forth.  The novels I got for him are:  Hatchet by Gary Paulsen (because he's been on a survivalist kick) and Maniac Magee by Jerry Spinelli.   The listed reading levels for these books are 6.3 and 5.4 respectively.   This is right where W is right now.   I'm so proud of him.

Friday's music class was called "Mock Rock Band".  The kids got to alternate playing bass guitar, acoustic guitar, and drums trying to make some sort of music with those, lol.   W thought it was really fun.  He's still leaning toward the bass guitar as something he'd like to maybe continue with. 

At Cub Scouts W is working on his Athlete Badge.  There are 20 activity badges for the Webelos to earn - 4 in each category:  Physical Skills, Mental Skills, Community, Technology, & Outdoor. W has already earned most of these.  In the fall he'll move up to being a Boy Scout. 

I'm looking forward to a full academic week.  The girls are off from school, so I don't have too much running around.  W has Wayfinders and a science class scheduled, K will be working, and J has some dance stuff going on.  I can't believe summer's only 2 months away.  This school year went extremely fast.

4/2 to 4/8

We spent last weekend at my moms's in Long Island.  My hours at work changed so I actually have the weekends off now.

Monday we spent time on some academics - a few readings, narrations,and some math.  He's doing great and seems to be right on track (and above) for just about everything.  We're getting the academics done, but we're spending more time outdoors since the weather has been nicer. 

Tuesday was W's last film class on the Lower East Side.  He had fun with it and learned a lot.  The finished product was cool - a short film with cool effects, lots of explosions, and cute acting.  We start something new on Tuesdays next week - Wayfinders!

Wednesday W started a new series of science classes here in Queens.  It's one-and-a-half hours of classroom time and trail walking each week.  He loves this place and lots of his friends are there, too. 

Thursday we relaxed at  home.  W spent the day modding a few of his Nerf guns, organizing Pokemon cards, and playing his new DS games he got from Grandma on the weekend.

Friday was music class.  This week was voice.  I love when my kids sing and I was right outside the door listening.  I stayed out of sight, lol.  I gotta give a hand to the awesome teacher they had - teaching 3 10-year-old boys to sing can't be easy.  So far they have done violin, piano, guitar, drums, and voice.  I think the idea of getting an introduction to each instrument is so wonderful.  W would never have gotten this anywhere else.  I'm hoping he likes at least one enough to continue.  He's leaning toward bass guitar, but we'll see.

K and J are both doing incredibly well in school.  They both stepped it up a higher notch this spring.  K is so excited to start college in about 4 months.  She took a math placement exam, chose a foreign language, and went to find the dean of the business department to discuss her major and her classes.  In the meantime, she looking forward to prom, graduation, and summer.  J's grades have been in the 90s and 100s and I couldn't be more proud.  She's adjusted to high school beautifully and (knock on wood) there have been absolutely no issues whatsoever.  She has made tons of friends and has been keeping busy.  In addition to the 15 hours a week of ballet & modern at school, she is at her studio taking tap, hip-hop, contemporary, and pointe.  She still teaches her new ballerina babies on Saturday mornings.  There are 3 more regional dance competitions coming up, then the big dance recital, and then Nationals.  I'm really looking forward to a fabulous spring and summer.

Sorry for the lack of pictures lately.  I keep forgetting to bring my camera out with me.

Academics This Week

W took a TT5 math quiz.  It had a little of everything - addition, subtraction, multiplication, division, word problems, inequalities, decimals, and fractions. He knows how to do all those types of problems, but will make the avoidable mistakes like adding wrong or mistaking his messy 0 for a 6.  I gotta start reminding him to take his time and stop getting distracted.  We're starting to really get into division now.  The few lessons he's had so far have pretty much sunk in.  He still enjoys Teaching Textbooks.  I was thinking about trying another spiral program, like Saxon or maybe even a mastery program like MUS, but he seems content to stick with TT for now.

This weeks readalouds were:  Joan of Arc (Stanley) , Macbeth (Lamb), and Robin Hood (Pyle).  The latter two have very difficult language, but I can see that he's finally starting to see past it.  Until recently, W would usually focus on the fact that he didn't  understand certain words and meanings - and that frustration prevented him from even trying to understand the stories.  Now he realizes that these words and phrasings aren't going away and that he has to push through and get underneath them in a sense.  This weeks narrations showed me he is doing just that.  I love seeing things click for him.  With Joan of Arc we used maps to point out England, France, towns, and rivers. Learning geography through the context of our readings is effective and well-retained.  It doesn't even feel like a lesson.

He's also doing great with that Word Study and Phonics workbook.  One page this week was all about words ending in "ind" and "old".  Another was putting the correct word into the sentence from a choice of 3 similar-looking words.  And another one was putting the correct long vowels into certain words in a paragraph.  It is truly unbelievable how this book is hitting on every area W has been struggling with.  Out of everything we've used so far, this workbook is W's favorite thing to do.  I already see so much improvement in his reading ability.  With 'A Cricket in Times Square' he reads silently, but has gotten faster.  I hear him read his math word problems out loud and you'd never know he has an issue with reading.  I'm so proud of how far he's come.

We're reading poetry every day and W still does his copywork from that.  Two lines.  I've notice his  handwriting is getting sloppier as the months go by.  I think it's time to get more focused on that.  He can write neatly if he wants to.  But then again, I'm the same way, lol.

First Dance Competition!

We all spent the weekend out in Jersey for J's first dance competition!  As usual, the first is always my favorite, as we get to see all the number on stage with full costume.  J was in 8 numbers and received all Gold and Ultimate Gold awards, which are the two highest given.  J was thrilled when Diane Gudat (a prominent figure in the competitive dance world and who writes books and articles on dance) called her up for a special award for her solo.  She praised J's intensity and she went on for a good minute about it.  I was so proud.

The hotel was lousy, the days were long, and I left there feeling like I'd run a marathon.  But I wouldn't trade it for the world.  My daughter shines on stage.  Her studio owner pointed out how beautiful her lines have become, how much she has grown as a dancer, and that she was definitely meant to do this. 

K spent the 2 mornings doing everyone's hair.  She definitely has a knack for getting it just right.  Moms were even slipping her money to ensure they were one of the first done the next morning, lol.  W enjoyed hanging out with the other boys his age there - one a performer, one a twin brother.  The grounds were nice and grassy, so the boys got to run around outside.  

Next one is in a few weeks!

Piano, Film, & Phonics

W's music class this past week was all about the piano.  The kids got a basic introduction to it.  They talked about different types of pianos.  They learned about chords and melody and Beethoven and Mozart.  W was lukewarm about the piano, just like he was about the violin.  I'm waiting to see what will capture his interest.  He's looking forward to the next class.  Not sure what instrument is next, but he's excited.

Today at film class, W learned more about editing.  The kids went to the playground across the street and filmed some more of their movie.

The updated version

I found a new workbook that I absolutely love.  It's called "Word Study & Phonics" by Spectrum.  I had it in my closet from when J was in 3rd grade. She didn't like it then because it was too plain looking and too easy for her - even though it is a 4th grade book.  But it's exactly what W prefers.  It's on his grade level and the fact that it's plain makes it all the better for him.  The exercises seem to exactly focus on what he struggles with regarding his dyslexia.  To him, the words "these" & "those" look the same, "for" is still "of", and "want", "went", and "what" are so confusing.  The workbook had him read a sentence like:  "We all (chase, chose) a topic for our report."  It makes him look inside the word and distinguish between vowels.  There are all different types of exercises where you have to stop and really think about and look at words.  This is already so helpful for him.   Oh and he enjoys it so much, he does 2-3 exercises in one sitting.

Charlotte Mason

Every now and then, I like to take a "refresher course" on the Charlotte Mason method.  We have always incorporated some CM into our homeschooling ever since 2005.  I feel like I know all there is to know about it, but when we fall into a regular routine, sometimes key things get neglected.  My favorite place to start is right on the Ambleside Online website.  I just pull up the page for beginners and read everything in order, clicking on all the links and reading those pages through as well.  Doing this reminds me why I love Charlotte Mason.  It also gives me new ideas for when we hit different stages of learning.  We do things differently with W now than we did 2 years ago. 

I have been neglecting things like artist study, composer study, nature study, Spanish, timelines, - even copywork sometimes.  The funny thing is that we love those activities, but pushed them to the side, being in such a hurry to get through AO Year 2.  The problem with trying to rush through this curriculum, is that it defeats the purpose of the whole CM method.  I'm promising to now make time for these no matter what. 


Reading Charlotte Mason's Original Home Schooling Series lays out her whole philosophy.  It's a great idea to read this to understand the hows and whys of the method and how she implemented it in her own schoolroom.  She believed that children were so capable.  She believed learning should be very child-led, but also parent-guided.  "Education is an Atmosphere, a Discipline, a Life" is one of her mottos. This means that,  1.  A child absorbs a lot from his home environment,  2.  It's important for your child to cultivate good habits,  and 3. We should give children living thoughts and ideas, not just dry facts.  The other quote always associated with Charlotte Mason is "I am, I can, I ought, I will".  It seems so wonderfully unschooly to me and is what my kids always innately believed about themselves.  I like this explanation from the Simply Charlotte Mason site:  ["I am" means that we can know ourselves and understand what we're really like. "I ought" means that we have a moral judge inside us. We feel like we're subject to it. It lets us know what our duty is and compels us to do it. "I can" means that we know we have the ability to do what we know we're supposed to. "I will" means that we resolve to use the ability we know we have to do what our inner moral judge has urged us to do.]  

I also love to google "Charlotte Mason" and read various websites and blogs and discussion boards for any new ideas or suggestions.  But mainly I like to be reminded of how much we love homeschooling and living this way.

Some of the other things I'm reminded of are that: 

• Reading through books slowly over a few months makes them so much more enjoyable.  
• Good literature and an incredibly gentle entrance into writing and composition are things that W responds so well to. 
• W went from a first-grade reading level (and having 25 out of 26 symptoms of dyslexia) when he was 8 to now being able to read a book with  "RL 6.2" on the back, silently and quickly with full comprehension (and enjoyment).
• W doesn't want to part with most of the books we finish
• There are so many ways to correspond an art project with any reading
• Having short lessons and afternoons free allows us to do so many classes & field trips and for W to pursue his interests.  And he has lots of interests, lol.
• Living books are so much cooler than textbooks
• Narrating after reading shows so much more of what they got from the story than any test could show  - plus it seems to create fuller and lengthier retention of info.
• Getting outside every day is really needed, no matter the weather
• I love the word "handicrafts".  :)

Violin, Friends, & Fun

W started a 7 week series of music classes yesterday in Brooklyn.  Every week he and a few other kids get to try one new instrument for an hour.  The first instrument the kids got to try was the violin. The instructor gave them a brief overview on how to read notes, what strings are what notes, how to hold the bow, how to position the violin under the chin, and how to play a few notes in sequence.  I watched a little bit of it at the end and was proud of how W gave it his all.  He looked adorable with the violin.  Then the moms got to try it!  W said the violin was ok, but he wouldn't want to continue with it.  So onto a different instrument next week!

No one in my family plays an instrument.  K did some violin and clarinet in middle school and she has a guitar that she tinkers on.  Piano keyboard was a regular class in J's gifted school (2nd & 3rd grades).  I can play a few things on the piano by ear and all of us sing.  Nothing really substantial, though.   I'm excited for these classes because W may find something he'll want to stick with.  He's looking forward to trying out more instruments.

After the music class, we enjoyed a fun few hours at a nearby Chuck E Cheese. We haven't been to one of those in years and W had a great time.  He and a friend payed tons of games, ate pizza, and sat together sharing Pokemon cards and playing Pokemon on the DS.   When we got home (remind me not to drive to Brooklyn anymore.  The train would have been much easier, lol) I picked up the rest of the family and W's friend Matt, who lives next door, to go bowling!  We did a "Family Bowl" which is $78 for 6 people, shoe rental, pizza, pitcher of soda, and 2 games of bowling.  Great price.

Today, K is working, J has dance, then both girls are hanging out with friends into the nighttime.  B & W are going upstate for a birthday party and I'm working at 5:30pm.  My work schedule is changing next week and I'll have both weekend days off!  I can't wait.

Film Class, Birthday, Reading

W went to his film class yesterday in the Lower East Side.  This time they learned all about editing.  The kids (6 boys, ages 10-12) broke up into 2 groups and filmed some scenes a few weeks ago based on their own ideas for a story.  They took that footage and learned how to add music, fade in and out, add lighting effects, cut pieces out, and more.  We moms came back just in time to see the 2 films.  I was impressed with their acting!  I also loved how the instructors asked the kids questions on their feelings about the movies, what they liked, and what they didn't like.  It was fun hearing them be film critics. 

After the class a bunch of us went to the playground for a while.  We got home around 6pm and ordered Japanese food in honor of W's 10th birthday.  It's his favorite.  Everyone was home around 9pm and we did cake and presents.  Due to all our busy schedules, we decided to do our usual birthday outing on Friday evening.  W decided he really wants to go bowling with all 5 of us.  I can't believe my youngest baby has hit the double-digits. 

Today we hit the books again.  Like I said before, I'm no longer in a rush to finish AO Yr2.  It's a lot more comfortable taking our time with it and allowing for all the time we need for field trips, classes and other outings.  We have about 9 weeks left in the schedule.  We're up to Lesson 63 in TT5 - starting division.  I know most math programs start with basic division, but I know W.  He is more of a "big picture first" kind of kid.  So, I gave him a brief overview of what basic division is (recapping from our Times Tales days a couple of years ago) and how to do fact families.  Then we did some with the division box and some with fractions.  After that, I went right into long division.  To me, it's easier to bring that in early, show him how it's done, let him do a few problems (with and without remainders), and then go back to basic division, working our way quickly back up to long division.  It worked.  He understands it and actually thinks it's fun (for now, lol).

We also read some of Joan of Arc & Seabird (with oral narrations), learned about subject and predicate in Spelling Skills, he wrote out a few lines from a Christina Rossetti poem for copywork, and he read 2 pages from A Cricket in Times Square.  He's doing well with that book so far.  I purposely made "Read to Me" part of our homeschool schedule since W does have mild dyslexia and I'd like to keep tabs on his progress.  His reading aloud is ok, not great, but he gets through it.  He's been asking to just read the 2 pages to himself instead, but I was reluctant since his "Read to Me" is full of skipped words, backtracking, and confused looks.  But I figured we could give it a shot.  He read silently on Monday and today.  Both times I would then read those pages myself and ask him to tell me back what he just read.  Would you believe that not only did he have full comprehension, but he was narrating back almost verbatim?  It blew my mind.  He even stopped to ask me what "scornfully" meant (he knew that word??).  I guess I should listen to him more often, huh? 

Stonewall & Streams

 

  On Tuesday we went to our usual homeschool get-together at the pool hall in the West Village.  There's so many kids there his age and there's so many things to play.  Afterwards we went across the street to a small "park" where all the kids played tag, Nerf war, cops & robbers, and relay racing.  It was a gorgeous day out.  Right next to us was the infamous Stonewall Inn and in the park were life-sized statues of gay couples.  It seems to be a big tourist attraction.  The kids were climbing all over them while people were trying to take pictures, lol. 

Yesterday W and I went out to the Garvies Point Museum for a really nice class on stream erosion.  It was basically all about how streams are formed, why they curve, how they shape the land and move the sediment, deltas, alluvial fans, etc.  The instructor had this large sandbox which illustrated the movement and effects of both young and mature streams.  W enjoyed it.  Then we walked around the museum a bit.  It's major focus is on American Indian artifacts and ways of life.  It's right near the water and the woods, too, so you really feel like you're a part of it.

Oh, and three LaGuardia High School alumni (alumnae?) are in the top 24 of American Idol!!  Go Pia, Karen, & Rachel! 

FOOTBALL!

So, W went back to football practice this week and decided he wants to join the team again.  It was a good few hours and W felt he did really well.  They're practicing in a school gym for a few weeks and then they'll move out to the park.  I'll admit, the drills are tough.  But W is tough, too.  I told him that in order to be really good at anything, you need to work hard at it.  It might not be fun all the time, but it will be worth it in the end.  He thought about that and agreed.  He may eventually hate football, but at least for now, he's giving it a chance and putting his all into it.  Back in the summer of 2008, W played defense. I kinda think he'll be doing that again this time.  :)

Football, Scouts & Dance

It's been a nice week off so far.  The girls are enjoying the break from school, and W gets an almost-free week as well.  Last Saturday, W wanted to give football another try.  He loved it a few years ago.  It's really rough and tumble, with full-on tackling and brutal practices.  For not being there a while, he got through the whole 2.5 hours of off-season practice.  He was hurting for a few days afterward, though, and isn't sure he wants to get back into it.  We'll see.  His Boy Scout Blue & Gold Ceremony was on Friday and W is now officially a Webelo.  At next year's Blue & Gold, he will be a full Boy Scout.

J has been so busy with dance.  The weekends are filled with pointe class, teaching new babies, and 3-4 hours of perfecting the new choreography for the upcoming competitions.  On Monday and Tuesday this week, She was one of six kids from her studio to get to go to the High School Dance Festival at Hofstra University.  Both days went from 10am-5pm with classes in Modern, Ballet, Jazz, & Hip Hop.  On Tuesday they got a nice dinner at 5:30pm, then were part of a performance from 6:30-7:30pm.  B, W, & I went out to see it.  They performed a routine from each of the classes they took.  It was impressive.

Film Class & Tyce

W went to this great film class on the Lower East Side yesterday.  This is perfect for him since he's been making films for what seems like forever.  The class had about 8 boys from age 10-14.  For over 2 hours the kids discussed, created, acted, and filmed different scenes.  The instructor is a professional filmmaker.  He and his assistant were so good with the kids.  W absolutely LOVED it and can't wait until the next class.

J went to Broadway Dance Center today after school.  She took an advanced jazz dance class taught by TYCE DIORIO!!   She said it was amazing.  Tyce gave them a hard-core workout and then they did some choreography.  He's one of my favorites on SYTYCD.   Being the youngest in the room, J and her friend from school held their own.  The 30 or so others in the class were mainly in their late teens and twenties.  This was such a wonderful experience for her.  I'm so glad she got to be a part of it.

Weekly Recap

This week W and I read a few chapters each from:  Pagoo, Seabird, An Island Story, A Child's History of the World, A Cricket in Times Square, The Merry Adventures of Robin Hood ($0.99 on the Nook!), & Joan of Arc.  W is half-way through the 4th grade Spelling Skills book, still loving the proofreading sections.  He also did dictionary skills, analogies, and definitions.  Math was money (decimals) word problems and subtraction (regrouping/borrowing) with 4 digit numbers.  Copywork was from a few different poems.

He spent time with his friend next-door, went to Cub Scouts, and got a "new" Game Boy Advance SP (old school, lol) with a few games.  He's made lots of drawings and videos with his Flip.  He's training one of the parrots and creating flying machines with his Legos.  He spent $5 on 3 new mini Nerf guns that he already modded to shoot faster and farther.  We watched a few scary movies together and he decided his new favorite shows are Dog, The Bounty Hunter and Man vs Wild.

J's new school (spring) term began so all her classes have a "2" in front of them now.  School is still awesome, she says. Today J and her friend S were the paid entertainment at a 10-year-old's birthday party.  They taught dance moves and basic choreography for an hour and made $30 each.  Now J is at another birthday party (as a guest this time, lol) and having a sleepover.  Last night I met her at school (with my mom and sister) to see the Senior Dance Showcase.  It was amazing, as I knew it would be.  In junior year there, the dancers do a "Junior Project" where they choreograph their own numbers with all original movements and based on a certain theme or idea.  Several of those were performed as well - the kids originally performed these last spring.  The talent these kids have is mind-blowing.  Then we walked around the Lincoln Center area and had dinner at Ollie's Noodle House.  So beautiful over there.

K is currently on her senior trip.  Paintballing, snow tubing, rollerblading, dance clubbing, swimming, and having a blast with all her friends.  She's ready for summer - and college.  We should be getting the college letters sometime this month.  Eeeeek. 

Museum Time

Early Sunday Morning  --Edward Hopper

I took W to a cool class at the Whitney Museum of American Art on the Upper East Side.  We discussed a painting by John Sloan called Backyards, Greenwich Village from 1914 and two paintings by Edward Hopper.  One was called Barber Shop and the other was called Early Sunday Morning.  With this last one, the kids were told to imagine what they thought might be inside the shops along the street.  They were given art stix and paper to draw with.  We never went to the Whitney before.  It was really nice to be with our friends there.

After that, W, a few friends, and I walked over to the Metropolitan Museum of Art.  It's been 4 or 5 years since we'd been there, so I figured it was time.  Outside, we all got some hot dogs from the street cart and took a few pictures.  It's such a gorgeous building.  My corporate membership got my friend and me in for no charge and all kids under age 11 are free - so that was cool.  We started in the Egyptian gallery (my favorite) and ended up in Ancient Rome.  Of course we hit the gift shop before we left.

Sushi

Yesterday W had a great time making sushi in the West Village.  It's always fun getting together with our homeschool group and thanks to some really creative moms, we usually get to do these interesting activities.  We had all the tools and ingredients - bamboo mats, avocado, cucumber, rice vinegar, soy sauce, fake crab, nori sheets, teriyaki eel, and a rice cooker.  We were shown how to layer on the ingredients and then how to roll it using the mat.  The kids did such a great job with it.  I tried one too, but my roll sort of fell apart, lol. 

When we got home, we decided to do a few of those extra subjects we often neglect.  So we listened to each of Vivaldi's "Four Seasons" while looking at the beautiful paintings of Caravaggio.  We did this for over 30 minutes with great discussion about the time periods in which they lived, what the style of dress was, Italy, how religion seemed such a big part of life, etc.  Then we researched a few things about trees for about 20 minutes.  It was late in the day, so we didn't get to Spanish or Dictation, but we'll figure that out by next week.  It was fun and reminded me to make a stronger effort to fit these subjects in every week.  

Busy Busy Busy

Beautiful pink winter sunrise on my block

I haven't posted our homeschooling schedule since the beginning of December.  This is the one W thought of and we've been using it.  I still love it and so much gets done.  Here's how it's laid out:

Mon, Wed, Fri
Math
Spelling
Read-to-Me
1 AO Reading w/narration
1 Free Reading
Poetry
Copywork


Tue
Read-to-Me
Artist Study
Composer Study
Dictation
Spanish
Nature Study


Thu
5 AO Readings w/narrations
Spelling
Read-to-Me

W's duct tape wallet...and what his work table usually looks like

And W's new "Read-to-Me" is A Cricket in Times Square.  Yes, that's right.  He picked it and he is actually reading 2 pages each day out loud to me from that 6th grade-level book.  I cannot tell you how proud of him I am.  Backtracking to an easy reading book then up again to something harder tends to work with him. 

W chopping onions.  He did wash his hands, but the paint wouldn't come off, lol.

W has planned and made his meals for his scout project.  I did one with him.  He knows a lot about cooking.  Besides that, he has been modding Nerf guns, making new crossbows, and even made himself a trifold wallet out of duct tape.  All the while he continues to make tutorial videos about cartoon drawing, Super Mario Bros. on the Wii, and different ways to change-up Nerf guns - I should suggest making a cooking one!.




J had finals this week at school.  Then today her English quiz was to perform a monologue from "Fences".   And tonight is her school dance.  Thankfully, she enjoys keeping busy.  Tomorrow is her 9am pointe class, then she teaches her new baby class, then there's 3-4 hours of solo, duet, and group numbers rehearsal with her dance team.  After that, she grabs a quick lunch with her friends and heads to another friend's house to spend the day.  I'm exhausted for her, lol.

Scouts

At scouts last week, W has another cool project to do.  He is working toward getting his Family Badge (or something like that).  He has to plan out 3 meals, make a shopping list for those, and prepare everything himself.  He knows how to do this already, having done it a few times, but now it includes writing things down and thinking of whole meals instead of just one dish.  He's excited to get started.  Since B is the chef in the house, they will be doing everything together (there's never enough dad and son bonding).  I hope I remember to take pictures.

The scouts also went ice skating yesterday.  They went to a brand new place that was just created this winter.  It seems like they just sealed off an area, filled it with some water, put some plastic railings all around, and called it a rink.  Simple, yet so nice.  There's a mall across the street and a huge cemetery across the other street.  They had the whole place to themselves and had a great time.


I re-organized my entire apartment (again, lol) and I'm so please with how it looks now.  We threw out so much stuff - it looks so much bigger in here!  An open, clutter-free home does wonders for my motivation.  I have so many plans brewing!

Justified.

J did an essay for English the other day.  When she handed it in, the teacher read the first paragraph and told J it was VERY good.  Most of the kids didn't understand the assignment (and didn't do it), so the teacher told them to look at J's "because she did an excellent job".   Ok, now, what I'm finding incredible is that J has never really had any sort of real writing instruction.  She writes from her heart and how she'd tell someone a story out loud.  The teacher is probably used to the cookie-cutter way of writing all kids learn in elementary/middle school and I would think it's refreshing to see more of someone's personality in their work.  Another hat-tip to homeschooling.  Best decision we ever made.