We never homeschool

told me William earlier this morning.

I had to laugh but I understand. To a 7yo, four days must feel like an eternity. The kids have been quite sick these past few days. Sick enough that we took a few days off from homeschooling. Add the weekend and voilà, he says we never homeschool.

I am going to homeschool him so much today, it will remind him that it is ok to take a few days off when we are not feeling well. Even if he does not like it, lol.

Le Festin de Jules et César

When I placed an order at my bookclub last week, I got this really fun book for the kids:



It is the story of two mice brothers who live in a huge house. They decide to go look around for food. One brother cannot help but see all the food around for them to feist on and the other only sees the dangers lurking all around them.

Just about every page has some little doors to open so you can see what is behind the supposed danger. In the end, there really is danger: a big, HUGE, cat, trying to catch them!!

The kids loved the book and had fun reading it again, by themselves. It is when they do that that I know I picked the right book.

A new tool

I have finally gotten a brand new laminator!!! It is small and even has an handle. And I love it. I can use it cold or hot and there is a place to store the wire in the back. I think this is going to make our activity books much better.



Next purchase, a binding machine. I have already chosen one, just waiting for it to go on sale. I just might go see the store manager and ask him to make me a price. I cannot wait, it will be so much fun for the kids to make their own book covers then I can laminate them then bind all the activity pages together for one very special book. We already have several waiting to get binded. I know I could go ahead and just buy the machine now but really, why pay full price for something when I can wait a while and get it maybe at 1/2 price? That is how I get to buy more things than most people. I wait for sales.

My daughter's new obsessions

Yes, she has two new ones. Well, sort of.

Catherine always wants to learn more about arts. Recently, she learned in her plainting classes that Leonardo da Vinci was one of the very best artist ever. She has been asking me to learn more about him. We have several books on arts but nothing specifically on him. She asked to get some for her birthday. I have found several ones that she will certanly enjoy.

Her second new obsession? Jack & Annie from the Magic Tree House books. I gave her a book for Valentine's day. As soon as she read that there was a little girl named Annie in that book, she was hooked. She wants to read all of them. Good thing we already have 14 books, lol. The best part is that #19 is titled Leonardo da Vinci :) All the English books at the toy store are 1$ so I plan on getting #15-28 soon. The others, I will get them for her birthday. I sure hope she keeps on reading them because she has not been too excited about reading chapter books in English.

She started reading the first one a few days ago. So far, so good.

We were supposed to homeschool

yesterday afternoon. But, it was so nice outside, with the sun shining and no wind at all. I suggested to the kids to go play outside for a while. A few moments turned into over three hours! They were having so much fun, enjoying the sun and fresh air, the sliding, the running, making snowmen, playing with each other and the cats. I just could not ask them to come back inside to finish our schooling.

When they came back inside, they were exausted. It was almost time for dinner and all they wanted to do was put their pj's on and read a book. So, they did.

I envy the freedom they get with our lifestyle. They do not always realise it but they have what many children would love to have. I know, I talked to a friend recently and she says her son tells her often how my daughter is so lucky to be homeschooling. How he would love to be too. Yes, she is thinking about it :) I sure hope she decides to do it, it would be so much fun to have someone close to me homeschool. I could teach her kids English and she could teach math to mine :D

Beginning Geography - Land Forms and Bodies of Water

Today, we started this exciting book of geography. My kids have been hooked with learning more about our great planet and how it looks.

So, they learned about the continents the lands. They got to draw a boat and a house.

I will take pictures of their pages tomorrow and show them off. I will also take pictures of their pages from the last book and share them under the title of the book.



I think we will start the last book of the series on Wednesday.

My list for next year

I have been thinking of this lately and today, I decided to sit down and write a list of what I want to get for the next year. Turns out that I still have lots to get, lol.

So far, here is what is on my list:

New activity books of Singapore Math for the oldest four.
New activity books of Handwriting Without Tears for the oldest four.
SOTW2 - Text, activity book and cd along with all the books I will find to go wiht it and the cd from Jim Weiss
Teaching Tank - at least several books
Lyrical Life Science 3 and Earth Science 1
Biology, Botany coloring books
Math Unplugged cds (addition, substraction, multiplication, division)
Latin Primer
Vocabulary from Classical Roots
English from the Roots Up - book & cards
Sequential Spelling (depending on where Catherine is at come June)
Wordly Wise 3000 (see above)

I might get more books and another core from Sonlight but again, it will depend on where Catherine is at come June. I also want to get the third and last series of French books of Ratus and more reading books from Usborne. I would also like to get the collection of The Boxcar Children (only have the first one so far) and other reading books for the kids, in English.

Then, I wold like to get Pockedfull of Pinecones because it seems like a book we would enjoy. I also want to re-organise our craft corner and have found exactly what I want.



There are two different ones of this model (different supply) then two other models for smaller parts (all jars filled with supply).

I am sure I will find a lot more to get as I get through the new books, which is why it is such a good thing that I am starting to look and buy so early, lol.