Spelling Fun

Following the advice of Pioneer Woman, we held our first weekly spelling bee today. The girls and Liam loved it, though I suspect it may have been more because of the skittles and dum dums I hurled at them than for the sheer fun of spelling words correctly. Liam even correctly spelled his name (he already knew how to do that) and is beginning to learn the sounds for "a" and "e". They begged for more, which I always figure is a good sign. :)

Summer Break

We are on "summer break" now, so what does that mean this year? Here is what we are doing:

• review math 2 days per week
• review phonograms and spelling rules 1 day per week
• spelling bee once a week
• learn to type
• read library books together
• have the girls read to me!
• continue reading chapter books together (we are currently in Little Women)
• plant and learn about sunflowers (and the bees that visit them)!
• learn about managing our money with Dave Ramsey and Larry Burkett
• read a Magic Treehouse book each week and learn about whatever topic the book covers
• read and pray through Window on the World, mapping as we go
• read and learn about different animals using Thornton Burgess's Animal Book for Children
• make and enjoy art with The Great Big Art Activity Book
• learn to sew, giving the girls sewing kits and scraps of cloth, like my grandmother did for me, as well as possibly a few machine lessons
• hone some cooking skills by learning to prepare some of their favorite dishes
• lots of nature walks outside!
• movies on Mondays!
• library summer clubs! (even for Liam)
• classes at our local arboretum (even for Liam!)
• summer music camp!
• crafty afternoons!
• play with our neighbors outside in the afternoons!
  

Busy and fun!! Yay for summer!!

Magic Treehouse #4: Pirates Past Noon

Here are our book reports from the fourth Magic Treehouse book:






Books used:
Pirates Past Noon, Mary Pope Osborne
Pirates, Will & Mary Pope Osborne