Friday Mash Up - Lots of Little Things

This week was a mix of school, swimming, sick kids, and 8 dental appointments. Blah. School went fine this week. We explored crystals and polymers in science with lots of experiments. We started listening to Peter and the Starcatchers for Homeschool Book Club. Kids did math, read various books, and discussed so many topics I can't even remember them all. A few highlights:

Makayla with her snake Olympia.

Makayla is almost finished with Biology. 4 days of lessons left. Wednesday she did 4 days of lessons in one day instead of spreading it out over the week. She also spent lots of time with her reptiles and even had them out where siblings could pet them some of the time.

Daniel is doing much better with long division. Thank goodness! I don't know why long division throws kids for such a loop but I am always grateful when they figure it out.

Oliver is still reading Grasshopper on the Road. I want to pull him into All About Reading level 2 lessons again but he wants to finish this book first, so that's what we're doing. I think he'll be able to fly through a number of lessons when we do. Reading aloud to me for a month from regular books has done a lot for his reading fluency.

Caleb is happily reading CVC words to me every day using AAR level 1. This week he had an activity with gifts on one side of a paper and words on the backs. He would choose a gift, decide who he was giving it to, and read the words to see what they got. There were things like a wet map and a red hen.

Joseph is happily reading the third book in the Ranger's Apprentice series. I asked if he liked it and he said, "Yes. No. It's complicated, Mom. A little stressful right now."

Samuel's potty training has been pretty easy. He pees in the toilet with only an occasional accident. He pooped in the toilet for the first time today, so we're well on the road to being finished.

Emma's first drawings of Tinkerbell

Emma has been drawing a lot this week. When she was home sick from church a sweet friend named Eden sent home a drawing book for Emma to use. Tinkerbell was the first one she tried from the book.

Mason has been building with Legos a lot this week. He's creating weapons and contraptions with long, involved explanations of what they do.

Tobias has been sick all week. Clingy. Usually whining too. But always cute.

Tobias is literally holding my leg while I try to do other things.

I am knee deep in school planning for next fall. I usually begin this process in January or February in years where I will be attending a homeschool convention. The convention is in April and before that time I need to decide what each child will be using and price out the items I need. Then I purchase things at convention if it makes sense. I also watch Amazon and Ebay for used copies of books. Next fall I will have 7 official students and 2 preschoolers. I am not sure how that is possible. I remember when we started with just one little preschooler more than a decade ago.

The new bunk.

Three of the boys were excited to get a triple bunk bed this week. We have 5 boys in one bedroom and once we get a second triple bunk bed we will move Samuel into the boy room as well. We're saving up money for one now. That will just leave Tobias, who will be able to move into either the girls' bedroom or the boys' bedroom when he moves out of the crib and into a toddler bed.

Books I Read This Week:

• North and South - I'm still listening to this one.
• Brentwood's Ward by Michelle Griep - Finished. This one was good! Bow Street Runner hired as temporary guardian of a spoiled young woman, mystery, murder, and a change of heart or two.
• The Healer's Apprentice by Melanie Dickerson - Finished. This is the first in her series of fairy tale retellings. It is the story of Sleeping Beauty.
• The Merchant's Daughter by Melanie Dickerson - Finished. Book two in the fairy tale series. This one retells the story of Beauty and the Beast.
• The Fairest Beauty by Melanie Dickerson - Still reading. Book three in the fairy tale series. This is the retelling of Snow White.

I'm linking up at Weekly Wrap Up, Homeschool Blog and Tell, Homeschool Highlights.