Well, after a long absence, we are ready to update our online presence again!  We have moved to Tucson, AZ.  So lots of new things are happening to us.  The trip out here went well.  I hope to tell about it soon.  On the trip, I had no internet access or my computer was out of commission or both at the same time, so I didn't get to do things like update as we traveled.  Hopefully, I have a few photos.  We tend to get caught up in the moment and forget to take photographs of things.  I kind of think that is the way it should be.  Nonetheless, I will see if there are any nice ones and post them soon.

Right now, we are getting all settled into our new home.  It is fun to do, but I like to organize things as I go and go through stuff, so it takes time.  The girls are enjoying the sunshine for now.  They like to take their work outside and sit in the sun to do it sometimes.  Later, when it gets too hot, that won't be an option, but for now it works.

We are getting cranked back up into math and spelling now.  We had tapered off a little on the frequency, but we were still doing math during the trip... just not very often.  Today the girls each did two pages of their math workbooks as they also did yesterday.  Freyja did a few phonics worksheets as well and they both did some Cool Math 4 Kids games on the computer.  Freyja also did some spelling games and tested herself on Spelling City.

So, I will try to write more often now that the big move is over.  Hello to all my dear friends and family who might be reading.  I love you all and miss you!

Been a Long Time!

Well, I have not written anything in here for about a month.  We have been so busy having a life and fitting in all our fun school stuff.  Plenty of things going on, but no time to write.  However, I am cranking back up now and we are getting ready for a big life change.  We are moving to Tucson, AZ in a couple of weeks.  I plan to document our trip out.  Maybe I can write every few days or so and add photos.  We will be traveling to GA first in our trip and then out west.  Look for fun things then.  Right now, for the next two weeks, there will be all the packing to get through.  I hope I can write a few lines now and then until we are ready to go.

Thursday + Kids = Math

So, today my girls worked on their math.  Juno worked in her math book and Freyja did several worksheets. Juno used the Scratch program on my computer for a while.  We also went out to do a little shopping.  Other than that, not much today.

Tuesday and Wednesday Activities

Tuesday:

• Kosho class
• Watched the first episode of Discovery: Atlas about the Great Rift Valley in Africa, plus part of the next episode on the geologic creation of Hawaii
• Art (Drawing)
• Read aloud to the children from the book I am currently reading on health/nutrition:  Eat to Live by Joel Fuhrman, MD.

Wednesday:

• Read half of Tin Tin's Travel Diaries:  Africa
• Looked at a map of part of the west coast of Africa and the children showed me/told me what they learned yesterday about the Great Rift Valley
• Discussed the different continents on a map
• Almost finished watching the second episode of Discovery: Atlas on Hawaii
• Read more of Eat to Live aloud
• The girls created some art with ATCs and business card magnets
• Read a couple of short articles from the magazine: mental_floss  volume 2, issue # 1

That is the stuff I can think of right now.  They also played a lot with our housemates' children.

Mid-Way Through the Holidays

So, sorry for the skip in entries, but the holidays intervened.  There were Hanukkah parties,  Solstice crafts and stories, a Christmas gathering, and all that pre-Christmas stuff before the actual day.  Juno and Freyja have been reading, working on crafts (pom-pom maker and chenille stem craft kit), and doing the occasional computer learning-games.

Today, they are still working with their new craft kits.  Juno got Pom-Pom Monster Salon from Klutz and Freyja got Twisted Critters:  The Pipe Cleaner Book.  The girls have been making stuff from these kits for a couple of days now.  Klutz books are good purchases.

The girls have been extra fractious, too, since the holidays have started.  I hope to get them to settle down now.  The combination of too much sugar and not enough sleep is very bad for their tempers.  Sigh.

So, we are still taking time off of specific math, spelling, etc. this week and just unschooling for the week.  The girls are learning all the time.

List of things they have done today:

• Geography DVD about Canada (maps, history, culture, etc.)
• Crafting
• Drawing
• Watched Martha Stewart segment on handmade Christmas ornaments
• Listened to Kate DiCamillo's Mercy Watson books on CD.
• Went out for a special lunch with their big sister, Ereshkigal, to New Fortune for Asian foods.

Tuesday and Wednesday

  

Tuesday was the first night of Hanukkah, so our housemates had a party with lots of latkes with dinner (complete with sour cream and applesauce) and a doughnut for desert.  My children joined in with the lighting of the menorahs and played the dreidel game with the other children.

During the day on Tuesday, there was reading time and the girls also used the computer.  Freyja did some games on Cool Math for Kids, which also has science and geography games as well as puzzles.  Freyja did some of everything.  She was on a roll.  She even put together a puzzle-map of Mexico!

Today, Wednesday, the girls listened to the second CD of the third book from the Penderwicks series.  It is called The Penderwicks at Point Mouette.  They are really enjoying it.  They listened to the whole book yesterday evening, it seems (after bedtime, I  might point out...).  

Juno has been working on logic puzzles in a workbook called Math Perplexors (Deductive Logic Puzzles) Level A.  I got it for her a while back.  She just picked it up today and started figuring them out.  Earlier, she was also reading a book on astronomy, called The Practical Astronomer (published by Dorling Kindersley), which we got for the girls last Yule.

Earlier today, we also watched the end of episode three of How The Universe Works, plus episode four of the same show.  The first one was about Galaxies.  The second show was about Stars.  The girls are mesmerized by these shows and well-versed on these subjects, for children their ages.  I am thrilled they love documentaries as much as I do.

Freyja also played Kinectimals on the X-Box Kinect and Cool Math for Kids games on the computer.  Juno played some games on Cool Math for Kids as well.  Their favorite today was about building a bridge and it is called Cargo Bridge: Xmas level pack and I am not sure if anyone was able to build a bridge which would hold the little santas/elves as they walked across.  However, they sure had fun trying!
Over and out.

Monday Morning

Today, we are making holiday decorations for the Yule Tree.  Last night, when we got home from the second birthday party of the day, we had dinner. Then Noah and Ereshkigal put up the tree with Juno and Freyja.  They added the pink and white LED lights and some candy canes.  Today we plan to make a long red paper chain to decorate the tree.  The girls also got some little glittery ornaments for the tree and they are putting them on it today.