Something Schoolish

We've been puttering along through our days, fitting in our school work and reading where we can.

We should finish Little House On The Prarie today. Raiden is not enjoying it except for bits and pieces here and there. He chose a book at the library that he'd like to read...it was an odd choice for him, but we'll try it. It's called Hoot.

I made a cuneiform tablet out of Model Magic yesterday while the kids were eating their lunch. Mostly for demonstration purposes. The kids did not want to try it out. Until, of course, I was ready to move on with something different for the afternoon. Then they pulled out the Model Magic and rolled tablets. They poured over the cuneiform alphabet for a while, trying to decide which figures would be the easiest to reproduce. They couldn't decide on an 'easy' word that made sense, so Kori used the stylus to mark in her name. In English letters. Gotta love independence.

We reviewed our chapter in SOTW while they coloured a map - that seemed popular. Today they will dictate a narrative to me about the chapter and I will type it for them, print it out and they will have it for their binders.

The pomanders Kori and I made are drying well!! They smell wonderfully spicey and 'holidayish'. The cloves are staying in the orange well and the spices are adhering to the orange. I had thought we were going to have cinnamon dust all over, but apparently not. They will definitely be ready early in Advent.

Speaking of Advent, I have signed just a couple of books out of the library in preparation for our Advent study. Last year I found a website that explores a different Christmas/Advent symbol every day of Advent. We stopped all school work and get ready for Christmas while studying a different symbol everyday. It worked really well. December is busy with activities and events to attend. Family visits, Kori's birthday. It's just a busy time. The kids get a kick out of decorating and making Christmas presents for our extended family...it's all time consuming. So, I am planning and preparing in my head for the coming season.

We're taking a week off of our lit. studies. We'll get back to them next week. In the meantime, we're talking about Candian art in preparation of the kids' Museum Day on Friday. They will attend 8 - 4 (long day for us!) and the theme is 'The Group of Seven'. Kori was refusing to go until she learned that it was all about art, painting and artists. Raiden wasn't going to go until he heard 2 of our fellow homeschooling friends are also attending. The schooled kids have a day off and the Museum is hosting a whole day program in light of that. Should be an interesting dynamic...usually is when we throw a couple of un-schooled kids into the mix. I really shouldn't be amused by that, but I am.

I should say that I'm feeling a little lost about Friday. I will have no kids 8 - 4. That's, like, a whole day. I have arranged to have coffee with a fellow homeschooling mom - we'll be dropping the kids at the Museum at the same time, so it's convienient. Then Brian will need lunch. But that still leaves me 6 hours. I will do some Christmas shopping here in town. That should use up some time. And since I'll be on my own, it may very well take me 6 hours. I'm sort of slow when I'm shopping on my own. I need to make a list....