Weekly Wrap- Up: The Week We Dismantled the DVD/VCR Player

Our weeks are getting even more busy!  Every week I keep thinking that this is the week I am going to figure out how to scale back either our lessons or our outside commitments and find our way back to a nice relaxed homeschooling routine but that just isn't happening.  We are all having wa-ay to much fun with all our homeschooling groups and extracurricular activities that I just can not bear to give any of them up; in fact we signed up for a new weekly commitment that will be starting next week so things will probably get even more hectic!  That's OK though; I have learned that each season of homeschooling is vastly different from the next and as long as we are all having fun, getting some learning done, and keeping ourselves healthy I can deal with a hectic schedule.



The boys and I could not wait to leave and meet up with our hiking group on Friday.  We were heading to one of our favorite hiking spots and the weather was beautiful.  They did work on math, writing, and reading before we left.  We hiked for two hours!!  The boys had a great time talking, playing with all the other kids, and climbing on all the rocks.  We went grocery shopping on our way home and once I had everything put away I sat down to work with Evan on his spelling test (that we had forgotten all about!).  He has also weaseled his way out of writing in the morning by making his math work last forever so we sat and worked on his writing his own story.  We finally settled on him dictating the story to me, me writing it down for him, and then him copying the story into his book.  I was quite pleased that he was so cooperative!  Alec left after dinner for a sleepover while my husband and Ian played a game or two of ping pong.

Waiting for our friends to show up; Alec decided to read while playing with Evan 



Water was running high after the storm and we saw lots of little waterfalls 





Saturday the younger two boys had a birthday party in the afternoon.  Ian was helping my husband around the yard.  They were cleaning out the shed and moving things around.  He was pretty excited that he got to drive the skid steer!  The younger boys were excited to play laser tag and had a great time with the arcade games.  At dinner we all sat and drafted up a new plan for chores.  We wrote up a list of nine chores that need to be done daily and it was decided they would swap jobs each month.  I am really excited to put this plan into action and see how it works.


Alec and Evan came in 5th and 4th for round 1 & they were quite pleased!





First thing Sunday morning Alec helped me put together a meatloaf for that night's dinner.  One of his new chores is to help cook dinner each night.  Ian headed off to work with his grandfather and after breakfast the two younger boys were put to work cleaning up the yard.  We had a few large branches that came down in last week's storm and we needed to clean them up.  They each took turns driving the tractor (Evan was thrilled to finally weigh enough to give it a try!).  We found a preying mantis and observed him crawling through the leaves for a bit before we rescued him and put him in the woods. After were were done cleaning Ian, Evan and my husband headed to the movies to see Thor while Alec and I stayed home with a fire in the fireplace and enjoyed a quiet day alone.




My husband walked alongside Evan the whole way with the tractor on the lowest setting so he could coach him on what to do and keep him safe

Alec even tried backing up the tractor with the trailer hooked up to it

He determined it's not an easy skill to get the hang of!
Ian and Evan had dentist appointments on Monday morning but the boys all got to work quickly on their schoolwork and had just about everything done by the time we had to leave.  They worked on math, reading, and writing.  We stopped by the library to drop off some books and movies while we were out and then headed home to finish up our schoolwork.  Ian worked a bit more on his metal model while Alec did some reading and Evan finished up his schoolwork.(while wearing his Charmander costume).  It was a rainy day and after doing some reading together we decided to also do a quick science experiment called Disappearing Coin.  We played around with the way water bends the light and plays with our perception.  The boys then dragged out an old broken DVD/VCR we had lying around and decided to use tools to dissect it.  Evan and Ian had so much fun discovering all the nooks and crannies, checking out the circuit boards, and breaking it down into the littlest bits they could.





Now you see it 

Now you don't!

The light and water make the straws look broken 



The boys managed to get all their schoolwork done on Tuesday before Alec left for karate.  The other two boys went with my mother- in- law to Dunkin Donuts for a fun morning out.  The boys all worked in their math books, cursive books, and did some reading.  We also worked together to learn all about lines of longitude and latitude.  After karate we finished up our civil rights movement and read a few more chapters in our family read aloud.  Before heading out to Alec's art class Ian worked a bit more on his mini model and played Legos with Evan.  After art class we came home for an early dinner and then the younger two boys went to get their haircuts.




We had a quiet day at home planned for Wednesday.  The boys worked on math, grammar, and reading then worked together to clean a small portion of the house.  I had them find and try on winter gear.  After lunch we decided to head to the store to see if we could find winter pants and boots for the older boys.  While we were out the boys asked to stop at the library.  Once home we went for a short walk through the neighborhood to get some fresh air and exercise.  Alec made us all pasta and sauce for dinner and the other two boys helped clean the kitchen when supper was over.  These new chores are working out great!

We were heading to Co-op on Thursday so we settled right into our schoolwork nice and early.  The boys all worked on math, reading, science, and writing first and then we settled together to learn a bit of world history.  While the boys were working I printed out a few materials to bring with me to co-op for a mini class on Zentangle drawing.  They swept and vacuumed most of the floors downstairs and then I let the boys play video games until it was time to leave.  Ian spent a bit more time working on his mini model.  At co- op all three boys worked a bit on Zentangle drawings and Evan even made a Zentangle scratch art leaf.  Alec and Evan spent a bit of time playing relay race type games that one of the moms organized on the spot.  When co-op was over we were asked to meet up with a few families at the park and we spent a good 30 minutes enjoying the dwindling sunshine and getting some fresh air.  Alec was so engrossed in his book though that he elected not to play and just spent the time reading.






Linking Up With:

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The Blogger's Pit Stop



Comments

  1. This makes me wistful for homeschooling and thinking I should have taken a lot more pictures. lol ;)
    Loved this and had to share, education comes in many forms and the best one, learning to love learning, each and every day. :)
    Dropped by from #BloggersPitStop and so glad, you made me smile. :)
    Hope this weekend treats you kindly. :)

    ReplyDelete
    Replies
    1. Aw, thank you for the reminder. I do try so much to focus on the love of learning.

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  2. I bet it was a lot of fun to take apart the DVD player! that's one my boys never did deconstruct. They took apart all kinds of things, and burned many more. o.O Lots of great hands-on adventures in your homeschool, as always. Thanks for linking up!

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    Replies
    1. It was a lot of fun! So far we have taken apart a few broken things like the old WiiU and an ancient computer but I rarely think to offer up any other small appliances before throwing them away. After seeing how interested they were I am definitely going to try keeping that in mind.

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  3. You are amazing and it looks like the kids do such fun & entertaining things.

    -Natalie A.

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  4. wow nice post. you children seems very polite and hardworking.

    ReplyDelete
    Replies
    1. Thank you, they usually are very hardworking and polite.

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  5. Great week. I find that things get busier and busier as the kids grow older. The seasons of homeschooling vary and it is all great.
    Blessings, Dawn

    ReplyDelete
    Replies
    1. It is all great. I'm sure as soon as I adjust to it all and get so used to being busy something drastic will change and we'll have a new routine to get used to. I have learned that's just how it goes.

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  6. You look as if you had a dun and education filled week. All while making great family memories.

    ReplyDelete

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