Weekly Wrap Up: The One with the Halfway Mark

Last week, we finished up our second quarter, so we are officially halfway through our school year.  It seems like a good time to recap what each of our three test subjects are up to in homeschool.  (You can check out a complete list of our curricula here, if you're interested.)

TS 1 has moved on to the second book in the Apologia worldview series, Who Am I?  It really holds his interest and is doing a great job of helping him apply biblical priniciples to real life situations. He is still enjoying the Dialectic level of Tapestry of Grace for history.  He did well on the Unit 3 Test, and is keeping up with the readings each week.  We continue to have a discussion at the end of each week plan, too.  We are on to Unit 4 now, the Age of Revolutions.  In Math, he is almost halfway through the Zeta book on Decimals and Percents, which keeps him on course to finish the book by the end of this school year.  This will allow him to move on to Pre-Algebra for seventh grade next year.  We are planning on participating in a Spelling Bee in the near future, so we have put aside our Spelling Power curriculum for awhile to study words from a spelling bee list.  TS 1 is working on writing five paragraph essays in his Following Narnia composition curriculum.  He seems to enjoy writing and this curriculum in particular.   His co-op enrichment class for the second half of the year is Geography and since TS 1 has developed a love for this subject recently, he is thoroughly enjoying this class.

TS 2 continues full steam ahead with the Gamma book for Math.  He has mastered all his multiplication facts and is working on multi-digit multiplication now.  He continues to enjoy history, though not as much as his older brother.  I have found myself reading most of his history assignments aloud this year so that TS 3 can join in with the lessons, too.  We have been focusing quite a bit on improving reading comprehension recently, so reading aloud the history assignments allows for extra practice with this.  While he does a lesson twice a week on SmartTutor for this skill, most of the work with reading comprehension has been accomplished through reading together and asking him to narrate back the main idea, to answer questions about the characters, setting and plot and to give predictions about what might happen next.  I have taken a gentle approach with reading comprehension, in the hopes of increasing his interest in reading.  As a result of this approach, coupled with a very helpful librarian and some high interest books, TS 2 seems to  be looking forward to reading now!  Writing is going well, too.  He has moved from writing his compositions with me to writing on his own with my edits and suggestions coming after he has completed the composition.

The boys are studying science together again this year using Apologia's Exploring Creation through Anatomy and Physiology.  It is considerably more complex than last year's study of Astronomy, which has made it more challenging to teach to both levels.  It can be easy to water it down too much for TS 1 or get too in-depth for TS 2.  We are going to try to do more of the hands on activities and experiments in the course and find more related YouTube videos to customize the learning to each boys' level more.  They have just begun studying the Nervous System, and we made models of the brain and a neuron this week.  (I have no clue how that little yellow guy got in the shot- lol!)

TS 3 is my most challenging test subject to teach, which might seem strange since she is only a Kindergartner.  However, she learns so differently from the boys, who seemed to progress in a (mostly) straight line without much regression at any given point.  TS 3, however, will have mastered something for a long time and one day out of the blue seem to have lost that knowledge.  This is a pattern we have seen since she was very small and beginning to learn simple concepts such as colors and shapes.  Because of these challenges, we have changed (or put on hold) quite a bit of her curricula since we started.  Looking back at where we started this year, though, her reading has come along beautifully.  She is reading CVC words, some blends and sight words very well.  She can spell the majority of the CVC words we have worked on, many blends and sight words as well.  She uses context clues while reading and is learning to use different inflections for dialogue, questions and exclamations.  In all, I am trying not to worry when I see regression, and just take time to review until she regains mastery and then return to the curriculum when she is ready.  

We are in the midst of a blizzard tonight, so weekend plans include hunkering down with my loves, good books, movies and comfort food!  

Weekly Wrap Up: Homeschool Mother's Journal Style

In my life this week…

I had quite a bit of paperwork and phone calls to catch up with this week.  I still have more paperwork, phone call and appointments to take care of, but I'm beginning to see the light.  

In our homeschool this week…

We began Unit 4 of Year 2 of Tapestry of Grace this week, the Age of Revolutions.  We all learned about Benjamin Franklin.  TS 1 also read about England's colonization of India, while TS 2 and TS 3 learned about John Harrison and how his sea clocks solved the problem of sailors knowing their longitude at sea.

We also spent some time learning more about Martin Luther King, Jr. this week thanks to the ideas Mary posted on her blog, Homegrown Learners.  If you are looking for at your fingertips ideas you can carry out easily to teach about MLK, that post is the place to go!  The boys have been working on the copy work pages Mary created.  They both read Who Was Martin Luther King, Jr.?  this week, too.  We all watched MLK's "I Have a Dream" speech on You Tube.  I'm planning for us to watch the documentary Mary mentioned next week.

Some computer learning 

 TOG Unit 2 Lapbook Complete

One of TS 3's journal entries

Helpful homeschooling tips or advice to share…

Slow down, read aloud more and listen to your children.  (Reminding myself here, too!)  I am certainly guilty of speeding around and being too "busy" to really listen.  I've been making more of an effort to do just that, both during the homeschool day and during our family time.  It's been a blessing, not just to my children, but to me as well!

I am inspired by…

From Benjamin Franklin to John Harrison to Martin Luther King, Jr., this was an uplifting week for all of us as we studied these interesting, inspiring and world-changing men!

Places we’re going and people we’re seeing…

Dance class, gymnastics, basketball practices and games, baseball clinic and playdates- oh my!

My favorite thing this week was…

Returning to co-op!  I am not teaching this semester, and as much as I loved teaching the U.S. Government and Elections classes in the fall, I am grateful for the semester off.  No prep work the night before, no lugging posters and bags back and forth the morning of, and no rushing out the door to arrive early for set up on Friday mornings.  The kids seem to love their new classes as well as the ones that are continuing from first semester.  

What’s working/not working for us…

We seem to be chugging along fairly smoothly overall right now, except for TS 3's math.  We are floundering a bit, and I am trying to decide what to do.  As you may remember, TS 3 was in Kindergarten at school last year, and we are doing Kindergarten here at home this year as well.  She is on the younger end of the spectrum for her grade, so I wanted to give her more time for some basic concepts to gel. I did decide on the Alpha level of Math-U-See, however, for her this year, rather than the Primer level because that seemed too basic for her.  She has been doing well up until now.  It seems we need to shore up some of her fundamental math concepts before going on with the addition facts, though.  I have been supplementing with games and ideas from friends, but I am thinking about getting the Kindergarten or 1A level of Singapore Math as a supplement as well.  I would use it to build up some fundamental skills and when she seems ready, we would return to Math-U-See.

Things I’m working on…

Getting back to a more consistent Quiet Time routine each morning.  I am a night owl by nature, so I struggle to get myself to bed before 11 p.m. on any given night.  That makes rising at 6 a.m. very difficult for me.  I know how important it is for me to spend time alone with the Lord before the demands of the day begin, so I am trying to reset the body clock to do just that.

I’m grateful for…

Endless resources and helps for homeschool, both online and real life.  The opportunity to learn alongside my children, and to be (with my husband) the primary shapers of their worldview.

Friends that make me laugh, and the ability to stay connected with them through texting and social media right in the midst of this homeschool experiment of ours.

A photo, video, link, or quote to share (silly, serious or both!)…

"The ultimate measure of a man is not where he stands in moments of comfort and convenience, but where he stands at times of challenge and controversy."  

-Dr.  Martin Luther King, Jr.

Weekly Wrap Up: The One with 2 Baptisms and a Birthday

Phew!  Homeschooling three test subjects is kicking my butt!  Moving from two to three students has increased the demands and busyness of my day exponentially.  I am still trying to find a schedule that seems fair and manageable for each of us.  In addition to the hectic school day, a few after-school activities, namely dance and baseball, started up again this week, too.

I am still working with TS 3 first thing in the morning for about an hour, and then sending her off to do centers and computer work while I rotate among the boys.  I have decided, though, that TS 1 must get to his math in the morning, so meeting with him in the morning is also a priority.  He doesn't really need me to teach him the material.  My presence at math time is usually more for moral support than anything else.  If he has to wait until the afternoon to begin math though, it usually ends in tears or conflict.  

I am also re-evaluating how much work I have been assigning TS 2.  He is an industrious worker for the most part and does not waste much time, yet he is often the last to finish each day.  Considering he is only in third grade, while big brother is in sixth, I need to figure this out.  As I mentioned last week, I am contemplating moving him back to Lower Grammar in TOG to see if that helps.

Moments like these, make all the frenzy of this adjustment period worth it:

TS 2 reviewing sight words and phonograms with TS 3 

Switching gears for a bit, I have to share that both of our boys decided to get baptized this Sunday!  TS 2 was the first to tell us that he wanted to be baptized when he heard an announcement at church about upcoming baptisms.  TS 1 was not sure if he was ready even up to Sunday morning.  We want our children to take the step of baptism out of of obedience to God and of their own accord and not under pressure from us, so we talked to him about why a believer gets baptized and we helped him decide if the reasons he had for and against baptism were valid.  In the end, though, we left him to wrestle with the decision on his own.  Of course, we rejoiced that they both decided to enter the waters of baptism.  It was a beautiful day!

Today is TS 3's sixth birthday!  SIX years ago today, the most beautiful little girl in the world was born in Guatemala!  A little girl, 2,000 miles away, was born in our hearts and changed our lives forever. 

We started the day today with her requested breakfast treat: chocolate chip pancakes.

Tonight we will celebrate as a family with her birthday dinner at the local Mexican restaurant we go to for all our birthdays.  Obligatory birthday girl in sombrero picture forthcoming :)  Cousins and friends will join us on Sunday afternoon for a gymnastics birthday party.

Well, friends, I think this is about all I can muster today.  I am wiped out!  And next week, co-op starts!  I think I can, I think I can...

TOG for Dummies, I Mean Minimalists

Tapestry of Grace, affectionately known by its initials- TOG- here at the lab, is more than just a history program for our family.  In fact, in my 2012-2013 Curricula post, I refer to TOG as our "humanities core" since that more aptly describes how we use the curriculum.  Using TOG, we cover history, geography, fine arts, literature and church history at three learning levels- lower grammar, upper grammar and dialectic (beginning this coming school year.)  If you have ever used or even simply perused TOG, you are well aware that the curriculum can be a bit intimidating- what with all its pages per week of learning threads, reading plans, writing plans, teacher notes, etc.  It does not have to be, though.  Really, I promise! 

In this post, I want to describe how we are using TOG in our homeschool in the hopes of encouraging you who might be doubting whether you can manage this program in your homeschool.  Of course, our way is not the only way to use TOG.  It's certainly not the best way to do it either.  A friend jokingly calls me the "minimalist homeschooler" because I don't spend a great deal of time planning our lessons week to week.  Call me crazy, but I'd rather use my time and energy executing those plans!  And you know something?  By the end of the school year, we had actually completed all the lessons I had planned for, the test subjects (and I) had learned a great deal in each of the above subjects in the time period covering the Fall of Rome to the Reformation, and we all enjoyed both the content and the process. That's got to count for something, right? 


So, for what it's worth, here is how we use TOG in our homeschool: 


1.  Using the reading assignments grid from the TOG week plan, I determine the read aloud we will use and which books the test subjects will be reading in each category for the week on Sunday evenings.  Since we are only completing two of the four Year 2 units, we usually have the time to complete both the history core and in depth assignments each week as well as the literature and church history selections. (In the 2013-2014 school year, we will switch to a regular pace of one TOG year per school year, and may have to drop some of the history in depth selections at that time depending on the amount of reading assigned each week.)  Since I am a newbie to homeschooling, I simply used whatever reading resource TOG suggested for each subject area, but you can certainly make changes to book selections as you see fit.  My humble suggestion, however, would be to use the curriculum as much as possible!  Unless a book is objectionable in some way, or you know off hand of a better selection, trust the resources laid out in the week plan.  I literally spend about 15 minutes choosing and typing the assignments into my planner for the week.  Remember, save your time and energy to execute the plan not to plan the plan :)

2. We work on TOG every day of our four day week.   Even if for only 20 minutes of a read aloud and map work, or 15 minutes reading a lower grammar book, or 30 minutes reading an upper grammar core history selection.  Working through a portion of the TOG week plan each day is key to our success in navigating the curriculum without feeling overwhelmed.  On Fridays last year, we attended a co-op art class based on the art from the historical time period we were studying in TOG. 


3.  Our weekly plan usually looks something like this:

• Day 1: Read Aloud and Map Work
• We used the Story of the World selections found under the alternate resources column within the TOG curriculum fairly consistently as our read aloud last year.  We also used the SOTW maps, as I found them more teacher friendly at the lower and upper grammar levels than the TOG maps.  Some weeks we also read the suggested TOG read aloud if we had the time and interest.
• Days 2-4: History Core and In Depth Reading
• Days 5-6: Literature Reading and corresponding Student Activity page for literature
• Days 7-8: Church History Reading, Lapbooks or Timeline, Dialectic Discussion

This plan varies with the amount of reading that is actually assigned per week.  Some weeks the history reading can all be completed in a day or two and other weeks, they will stretch out for four days or so.  However, the order of the assignments- reading first then the lapbooks, timeline and discussion- always  remain the same for us.  In this way, I am able to use the lapbooks, timeline and discussion as an evaluation tool at the end of each week plan.  Of course, if you are working on a full pace- one TOG week in 4-5 days of school, you would tweak the amount of reading assigned per day.  Your week might look something like this:

• Day 1:  Read Aloud, Map Work and History Core Reading
• Day 2: History and In-Depth Reading
• Day 3: Literature Reading and Student Activity Page
• Day 4: Church History Reading, Dialectic or Rhetoric Discussion
• Day 5: Lapbooks, Timeline, Evaluations

4.  We use field trips and other real life experiences to teach without the test subjects knowing they are learning :)  There is nothing like a fun experience or natural conversation to reinforce what has been learned "in the classroom."  Last year, we learned more about Medieval Art, Architecture and Daily Life through museum visits, a trip to a Medieval feast, a unit celebration and countless dinner table conversations about the things we were learning about in TOG.  For this coming school year, I am looking forward to field trips that will provide hands on experiences with life in colonial America and the events of the Revolutionary War.  

5.  We determine our goal for TOG and used the curriculum to achieve that goal.  Last year, with only a lower grammar and an upper grammar student, my goal for our TOG studies was simple- to give the test subjects an overview of world history from the Fall of Rome to the Reformation and to do so in a way that was engaging and fun.  I did not want history to be a dry presentation and recitation of dates and facts, but a living testimony to the people and events that shaped the world.  With this goal in mind, I could rest at ease a bit when we did not get to an assigned reading selection or we rushed through a lapbook or two.  Completing assignments was not the goal-understanding the general scope of the historical time period was!  Next year, with a young dialectic student, I will add the goal of beginning to see and understand connections between historical events and people.  Determine your goal for TOG and then use the curriculum to meet that goal.  

6.  Try not to get bogged down in checking everything off on the list.  Believe me, this is not easy for this Type-A mama to say, but say it I will, because letting go of that checklist mentality is what gave us the freedom to learn a great deal and enjoy the process to boot!  What didn't we do?  Arts and activities (some was covered in our co-op class or field trips), evaluations (we used the lapbooks and will add timeline and discussion for our dialectic student), vocabulary or people/event lists.  Now, you might do all those things we skipped and simply read less.  Prioritize your assignments with your goal in mind!  


7.  We will use the Pop Quiz CDs to catch me up on the week's learning this year.  There were times last year when I felt as if I had not gotten a clear picture of what the test subjects were studying over the course of a week plan.  When I mentioned this to a friend, she remarked that she uses Pop Quiz to get an overview of the week when she does not have time to read the Teacher Notes.  Since I hardly ever make time to read all the Teacher Notes each week, I purchased Pop Quiz and plan to listen to it each week to stay caught up with what the test subjects are learning week to week.

And that, dear readers, is how we use TOG here at the lab. I hope I offered you some tidbit of useful information :)

Are you a TOG family?  How do you use the curriculum?

Weekly Wrap Up: The One with Energy and Focus

Since Monday was Memorial Day, we all took the day off- even Daddy who is rarely able to do that!  We passed the morning together playing in the sprinklers and riding bikes.  In the afternoon, we joined some friends at their place for a BBQ.  The kids wore themselves out in all manner of fun including wiffle ball, a water balloon fight, digging in the dirt and various other amusements.  The adults took refuge inside in the air conditioning as it was oppressively hot and humid in our neck of the woods on Monday.  

It was back to the books on Tuesday and the test subjects seem to have a renewed energy and focus for their school work right now.  I'm pretty sure that this is due to the fact that we are rapidly approaching summer break.  Either way, I'll take it!  

TS 1 is finishing up his last essay for writing class, a persuasive piece.  It is a bit more challenging than the other essays he has written for the class, but not so much so that he is frustrated.  The rough draft is due on Monday.

TS 2 finished Math-U-See Beta on Thursday.  He was stoked!  He is going to take the final exam on Monday.  I plan for all three (yes, three!) test subjects to do a little math everyday during the summer, so we are not saying good-bye completely to math.

We are starting our last Tapestry of Grace unit for the year today, Elizabethan England and the Scottish Reformation.  From what I can tell from a quick browsing of the week plan, we will be learning all about Good Queen Bess, reading more Shakespeare (which we have loved) and studying a little more church history.  


Over the summer, I will try to share how we have used TOG in our home school.  It's going to change a bit next year with the addition of TS 3, so it will be helpful for me think it through again.  Speaking of TOG, our curriculum arrived last week and the books are due to be delivered today.  I did not order all the books like I did last year.  With three test subjects at three different levels, the cost for the books for TOG alone would have totaled almost $1200.  I checked our local library system and they have the vast majority of books available to borrow.  I spent less than $300 on TOG books, a $900 savings!!! 


We have a busy weekend in store for us.  We are having friends over tonight.  Baseball games Saturday morning and afternoon, followed by our homeschool group's annual recognition night.   On Sunday we have church followed by a baby shower for my sister's baby, who is set to arrive in a few weeks.  I am hoping to steal a few moments here and there to read more of this:

I'm loving it!

Wishing you a weekend full of fun, friends, family and maybe even a good book!

Convention Recap and Tips

About two weeks ago, I attended my first homeschool convention!  I went with a friend from church who is considering removing her children from public school to homeschool them next year.  It was a great experience for a number of reasons, not the least of which was the opportunity to be alone with another adult, a dear friend, for two whole days :)

The convention was wonderful- well organized and informative with a vendor hall chock full of great resources. Over the course of the two days of the convention, I attended a variety of workshops that ranged from vendor-sponsored workshops to workshops focused on encouraging and inspiring the homeschool teacher to those focused on helping children with special needs.  There were many other interesting workshops I was unable to attend due to the time conflicts or my desire to shop in the vendor hall.  Fortunately, I was able to purchase a CD recording of everything I missed and have been listening to those workshops over the last couple of weeks.  The convention also had a kid's program and a teen track, but since I left the kids at home, I did not take advantage of these resources.  They also aired the documentary IndoctriNation both days in the middle of the day.  So, as you can see, there was plenty to keep us pretty busy the entire time!


Because all of the workshops were recorded, I was able to spend quite a bit of time shopping knowing that I could get a CD to listen to later.  It made sense to shop at the convention because the shipping is always free- even if an item is not in stock, if you purchase it at the convention, they will ship it to you at no charge.  I got almost everything on my list for next year except for Tapestry of Grace and Growing with Grammar, as they did not have booths at the convention I attended!

Here is the whole kit and caboodle!

For TS 1

For TS 2

For TS 3

If you plan on attending a homeschool convention in the near future, here are some tips I think might help make your experience even more fruitful:

• Utilize the Convention's Website
• Find out if audio recordings will be available for all workshops
• Check out the workshop schedule beforehand and decide which workshops you will attend and which you will purchase a recording of
• Determine when you will shop and make sure you leave ample time for it as the vendor halls can be overwhelmingly large
• Decide on which vendors you definitely want to visit, find them on the vendor hall map and mark it clearly
• Go with a Plan
• Determine what you definitely want to buy beforehand as much as possible by perusing materials online, browsing a friend's materials and reading product reviews
• Make a list of the products you want to buy and be sure to visit those vendors as soon as you have time to shop
• Make a list of the products you want to learn more about and the questions you have for the vendor and visit those vendors as soon as you can
• Browse the rest of the vendor hall as you have time and interest
• Buy, buy, buy!
• For the reasons I mentioned above, it makes sense to buy as much as you can at a convention
• Check out the Used Curriculum Sale before you buy full price.  While I was unable to find anything I needed at the Used Curriculum Sale, you never know when you might stumble just what you were looking for at a fraction of the retail price!
• Bring a rolling crate or suitcase
• This is a must if you plan on buying almost anything at the convention!  As I mentioned, the vendor halls are very large and even a few paperbacks in your purse can feel like lead after a while.  
• I didn't have either with me and it was not ideal.  Fortunately, the convention I attended had a book check booth, where for a very nominal fee, they boxed and stored my purchases and brought them to the curb for pick up when we were leaving.  What a blessing that was!  Find out if the convention you are attending has one.
• Skip the vendor sponsored workshops if you already own and use the product
• I attended three vendor workshops and only one of them was worth the time.  If you own and are using a curriculum already, chances are you can get any questions answered more efficiently by stopping by the vendor booth and chatting with an associate.  If you are researching the product and know very little about it, then one of these workshops might be worth your time.  Chances are though, you could still get the information you need at the vendor booth without using up your precious workshop time.

I hope these tips have been helpful and you have a wonderful time at a convention near you :)

Weekly Wrap Up: Two for One Special

The Weird, Unsocialized Homeschoolers are already on Christmas break but I'm still cracking the whip over here...

You may have noticed that there was no Weekly Wrap Up post from last week.  As I mentioned the week before, I spent the weekend out of town visiting family who are going through a very difficult time.  It was a wonderful weekend and I am so thankful I had the opportunity to go.  At the same time, there were some hard moments both during the weekend and after I returned home.  We had a full week of school and it went well, but I simply did not have the emotional energy to blog about it.  Once again, without putting the details of their situation out here, I simply ask that you pray for my loved ones as they walk through this time.  Thank you!!!

Last week was a typical week here in our homeschool.  The big news from last week is that I decided to slow down and modify parts of both test subjects' language arts curricula.  TS 1 is using Growing with Grammar, Level 5.  He has been doing fine with it up to this point.  However, we hit a wall once we reached the lesson on Predicate Nouns.  (I mean, who wouldn't?)  I realized, in trying to explain this concept to him, that although he did fine on the tests and worksheets from the previous lessons, he had not completely mastered some of the earlier concepts he studied.  As hard as it was for me to do this, knowing that he might not finish the grammar book by the end of the year (gasp!), I decided to put the brakes on this curriculum for awhile.  We  have gone back to the beginning and are reviewing each lesson by writing notes in a notebook.  We are also working on putting the main points of our review together in a Mini-Office that he can reference when working on grammar once we return to the curriculum.  

TS 2 has been working through Writing with Ease, Level 2 (WWE), and it has been a challenge for him from the beginning.  I love the curriculum for so many reasons that I believe it is worth working through the frustration. If you are not familiar with it, WWE is a four day a week composition/reading comprehension program.  Each week the student learns the skills of narration, copywork and dictation through the exploration of passages from fantastic works of children's literature.  WWE has spurred TS 2's interest in reading for pleasure tremendously.  He has asked for and read several challenging chapter books such as books from the Doctor Dolittle and Mrs. Piggle Wiggle series as a result of being exposed to them in WWE.  

Last week, however, the frustration was building to the point of him crying during the lessons.  It broke my heart!  I still wasn't sure how to handle it, though.  If I modify the curriculum, will he still be learning all that he needs to learn?  (I know- duh!- but in the moment I was worried.)  So I did what I hope every confused homeschool mom has the option of doing, I called my dear friend turned homeschooling mentor to ask for advice.  She reminded me that learning cannot take place when the frustration level is too high, and that I need to find the point between challenging TS 2 and frustrating him.  Of course, this will require modifying the curriculum to bring the lessons to the point at which he will be learning new skills AND achieving success.  This week, I did that and he did really well.  He was still challenged to comprehend, discuss and retell the passages but in smaller, more manageable segments.  He was challenged but not frustrated, and not a tear was shed!  


The highlight of last week was our Co-Op Christmas Party.  It began with a sweet play performed by the children that told the Christmas story.  

Then the children rotated through three activities with their similar aged peers: Gospel Presentation/Christmas Craft, Cookie Decorating and Games.  I led TS 1's Craft class and we made cards to send to children with life threatening illnesses.

The party was great fun for the kids, while maintaining the focus on the true meaning of Christmas: God with us!  After the party, we met up with other local homeschoolers for the monthly ice skating play date.

This week has been a different week for the test subjects.  I took some time over the weekend to look at the overall picture of the school year and their progress.  It seems we are ahead of schedule in many subjects areas (LA, Science, Spanish and Keyboarding), right on target in Math and Bible and a smidgen behind in History.  Since we are about to start our Christmas vacation anyway, I thought it would make sense to treat this week as a lighter week in the areas in which we are ahead, which gave us time to do more History and to slow down and review in Language Arts.  It's worked out well and we've all enjoyed a slower pace going into Christmas!

Merry Christmas and Happy New Year to you and yours from the Research Team at Our Great Homeschool Experiment!  See you in 2012!!!