Weekly Wrap-Up: The Kids Talk Me Into Hermit Crabs
Friday, March 18, 2011 at 7:21AM 
It's amazing what a difference a little warm weather can make. I do love a bit of cold, but at heart I am a native Floridian and I just think I am happier when it's warm outside! Much of our week was spent outside - so everyone slept well this week (and LATER, because of the time change) and I did more laundry due to the dirty clothes from playing outside!
If you didn't catch the posts about music this week, you can catch them here (piano advice) and here (general music resources). Hopefully they were helpful and I'm so grateful to many people who left comments with additional thoughts, ideas, and resources. The blogging community is an endless font of knowledge!
In our homeschool this week we finished our study of seashells, using a Download n Go unit. The children REALLY enjoyed this, and on the last two days of the study I let them do it together while I disappeared. They sat with the iPad and completed their questions, watched videos, and just learned a lot in general. We went to the pet store and purchased everything for our crabitat, and tomorrow we will be the proud owners of hermit crabs. (Am I crazy?) If you have any hermit crab tips, please leave me a comment!
Gman has been going through First Language Lessons - we love this program! He has been reluctant to narrate for me verbally, but I know he loves to write and draw. When we got to the lesson with The Boy Who Cried Wolf I had him write a little narration for me. I was SO PROUD of him...although he can be your typical six year old - all over the place and quite energetic - (what boy isn't?) most of the day, when he sits down to write he means business.
Miss B has been writing letters to a penpal in Ohio a couple of times a week and I need to get her journaling and writing more. That is my goal for next week. I have a book here called "The Magic Pencil" and we are going to do some of those activities.
Our Story of the World chapters this week were about Moses and the Ten Plauges... fascinating stuff for kids, and moms! We read the chapter in SOTW, but also are reading through the section of Exodus where it occurs. I know I say it every week, but SOTW is a hit!
Miss B has bumped up into the next math book, and the first 20 lessons are a gentle review of concepts from the previous book. Here is where I see a benefit in year round schooling, because we didn't stop for two months between grade levels, and she has transitioned so easily into this new level. Thank you, Horizons Math!
Yesterday was crazy hats and shades day at our co-op. We didn't go so much on the crazy end of things, but the kids did make their own hats here at home, and Miss B sewed all of the buttons on hers, which was quite a task. I love how they turned out!
Lots and lots of reading was done this week. The kids each have a favorite series right now. For GMan, it is the Cul-de-Sac Kids, by Beverly Lewis. GREAT books, similar in length to Magic Treehouse books, so perfect for first chapter book readers.! For Miss B, she is enjoying The 39 Clues. She started these last year and read the first five, and picked up the next three at the library this week. I love the way they incorporate history.
Read-alouds include The Wonder Clock, Mara (Daughter of the Nile) , and any Matt Christopher baseball book GMan can get his hands on! Yesterday we went to the doctor and we were all in the waiting room with our books - the nurse complimented the children on their behavior and reading and I was very proud of them. Oh -- I'm reading The Read Aloud Handbook. I highly recommend this!
Music is humming right along. Last weekend Miss B earned a superior at a piano competition. This was her third year in a row, so she earned a gold cup trophy. We have also been preparing music for GMan's co-op class each week. I'm having so much fun teaching this. When it's all over I'll do a post about what we've been up to the past ten weeks.
We are reviewing a PE curriculum, so that's gotten us out and moving ~ in addition to tennis and baseball. Both kids are enjoying it, but I need to be more active myself. This is something I struggle with, so please encourage me if you can!
A final thought - the longer I homeschool, the more I realize one of the largest goals I have is bringing our family closer together. I want our children to depend on their FAMILY for support, and not a network of friends. Friends are good to have - in monitored doses. I believe, however, that children today are "farmed out" too much and begin to see their peers as the experts on life. It warms my heart to see my children playing with each other and depending on each other so much. When it comes down to it, this is what is truly important. If I can nurture their relationship with God and their relationship with each other, I feel I have done my job well. Believe me, this week I've heard some "unsocialized" comments about homeschoolers and it initially makes my blood boil, but then I take a deep breath and look at my own kids and realize the naysayers have NOT A CLUE!
Here they are trading baseball cards - probably not Miss B's favorite activity, but she wanted to spend time with G and she knew he would want to do this. They sat outside for a good thirty minutes one afternoon trading cards. Wow, I love homeschooling.
I'm linking up today with Kris - check out other homeschoolers' weeks, too!
Reader Comments (15)
Hermit crabs?? We had some for a while. Creepy cute things...LOL.
A fun unit to do that goes along with the hermit crabs is A House for Hermit Crab by Eric Carle - the unit is free over on Homeschool Share AND has a lapbook! Tons of fun!
Just wanted to drop by and say thank you for visiting Mommy D's Kitchen. New GFC follower :)
Have a wonderful weekend!
We used the Homeschool Share unit Tristan mentioned last year (dd was 7 at the time) and loved it! We also became the proud owners of hermit crabs after studying them. One did not last very long but we still have the other one almost 9 months later! Gook Luck!
I'm a new follower and I look forward to reading your posts!
Jess
quinsmomma.blogspot.com
We used to have hermit crabs. I wasn't a good hermit crab mom. We're going to start some triops next week for science. I sure hope that'll be easier. As for the naysayers, they don't know what they're talking about.
Congratulations on the hermit crabs! I think they're a GREAT first pet! And I believe that you can decorate their shells! We have a dog, a cat, a hamster, and a fish tank. Stopping by from Weekly Wrap-up!
Jessy
We have never done hermit crabs, we did have a gold fish that lived for six years. I know it is awful but I thought that thing would never die! I hated cleaning the fish tank.
I loved your post and look forward to reading more in the future.
Not sure how much I'd like a hermit crab. Too spider-ish for me. My girls are begging for another dog. Or another child. We'll see which happens. ;)
And pen-pals are great! My 10yr old LOVES having a pen-pal.
I think I saw that you are in the Atlanta area; we are, too!
i have side stepped the hermit crab thing for a while, and hope to for a bit longer ;-) i can't wait to hear how it goes.
i have not hit your links for music yet, but we are starting music this spring and hoping to gain a piano for the house. i can't wait, we love music here but i can't play well enough either.
What a FANTASTIC wrap up !!!
You your children might enjoy a video I took for my niece and nephew's when they were doing the shell study.
http://tribeof11.blogspot.com/2011/02/kellets-whelk.html
I agree about the Read Aloud Handbook- it is one that I always try to give to new parents. It was life changing for me.
Great week!
Good luck with the hermit crabs. My kids are always asking for a pet. We had fish last year and they were so excited at first, but then I was the only one feeding them and cleaning the tank. I was glad when they were gone.
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Hi Mary,
First I have to say that I love the picture of the kids with the ice cream cones. It makes me think of summer. Wow, it sounds as if you have had a great week. I love all the reading your kids are doing. I really need to get the kids doing more free reading. They tend to focus on just lesson reading. Tay, my oldest, fights me the most on this subject. I am on my way to check out your link on The read aloud guide. It sounds like something I would be interested in. Have a wonderful evening!
Wow, what a great week! We had hermit crabs for awhile but we have now moved on to bigger things like snakes. lol
He'll get the hang of narration. Give him time.
I love the relationship part too. It warms my heart when I see my teenager playing with his little sister.
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