"Insta"-replay #38

This week was pretty typical for us.

We spent time waiting for dance class.  Someone brought a DS so they were the center of attention.

We had some creative play with paper, crayons and Pokemon.

We went over to my inlaws and had a delicious s'more ice cream cake.  It was even toasted.

And the girls played dress up.  This is becoming a rarity, they only seem to play when there is a smaller child to play too.

It was nice to have a "normal" week thrown into the mix.

"Insta"-replay #37, mom-cation!

Last week I was able to take an unplanned break!  My sister was wonderfully flexible.  She rearranged her schedule not just to give me a break from babysitting her kids but also to watch my kids.  Thanks Kim!

I went with my hubby to the high dessert of Oregon.  He had to work but I got to relax and enjoy the quiet.

Ground Squirrels are common out there. The crazy creatures don't climb trees, instead they burrow in the ground.  I loved watching them duck around rocks then trying to figure out where they had gone.

On our way home we stopped at DQ.  Not as nice as our neighborhood DQ, but still nice (it is owned by the same family.)

My kids were thrilled to see me when I came back.  I could tell by the way they hid under the table and cried, "But we thought you weren't coming home until tomorrow."

Also thrilled to see us was the mouse who had moved in to our closet while we were gone.  Peanut butter left out may not stink up the house but it still is a bad idea.

The weekend got better.  We went to my Aunt's wedding, a happy occasion.

It was the first time since we were adults that all the cousins were together.  We had fun lining up by age.  There is about 20 years between the oldest and the youngest.

My vacation was relaxing, my home coming was not.  But the wedding fun made up for any frustration.  So this week still counts as a great one.

"Insta"-replay #26, happy birthday Aunt Katie

My sister-in-law Katie has really grown on me over the years.  When I first met her I was skeptical, we had very little in common.  But now I consider her a friend and would gladly hangout with her even if I didn't have to.

This weekend was her 30th birthday and I was happy to help her party.

The week was pretty normal leading up the big weekend.

We made cute bento dinners for the kids on dance day.

Merry was tired enough to sleep through wake up call.  So I let her sleep in a bit.

We're working on wrapping up our school year.  I'm much better at starting than finishing.  Eventually I'll just call it good for the year.

Prepping for Katie's party was a family affair.

Decorations were colorful and fun.  I enjoyed helping set up.

Katie had fun, I think.  She loves getting her friends together and a party was a great reason to gather.

After the late night partying we had a relaxing Mother's Day, Chinese takeout so I didn't have to cook and What's in the Bible with Buck Denver.

I hope your week had fun and friends as well.

Whatchadoin? #11, end of year review: Math

It is no secret that I love math!  When I discovered "Life of Fred" I was ecstatic!  Using the Fred books has worked well for us, at least mostly.

Merry was working her way through the elementary series quite quickly at the beginning of the year.  And while I liked her learning at her own pace I was concerned that the pace of the books might be a little too quick.  So when she finished book "Goldfish" I had her start back at "Apples" to review.

As she rereads the books she is still enjoying the story.  She is also making connections that she had missed the first time around.  I have more confidence that this time when she finished. "Goldfish" she will be more that ready to start "Honey" and to start memorizing her multiplication table.

Charry also started the year reviewing.  She had a bumpier year.  First she flew through "Fractions" only to struggle with the final quiz.  After a week of trying to find what she had missed I had her restart the book.  The second time around I made sure to work with her daily until I knew she understood the concepts.

Having to redo the book was a struggle for Charry.  She felt stupid for not understanding the first time, and I felt stupid for not realizing she was missing things.  So I started looking at other math curriculum for next year, something with a different approach.

Taking a placement test helped both of us to see we were overreacting.  Charry did great, easily scoring a level above where I had hoped to put her.  The boost in confidence did wonders and she is now working through "Decimals and Percentages" with determination.

Beside "Fred" we also have been working through "daily math practice."  The grade level workbooks help me to see where the girls are at and help them prepare for state testing.  I wanted to make sure they had been exposed to the style of questions and the vocabulary that will be used on tests.  When Charry takes her test next month we will see how well I did.

The true measure of a curriculum is whether you will use it again next year or not.  Yes I will!  Next year Merry will once again be on the Elementary Series, this time starting at "Honey" and multiplication.  Charry will be working on pre-algebra, looking at other choices made me feel even more sure of the one we had made.  Our goal will be to work slowly and review often!  We will also be using the daily practice books again. 

If you are interest in "Life of Fred" you should check out the authors website: http://www.stanleyschmidt.com/FredGauss/index2.html

This review is of course just my own opinion and I am not being paid or compisated in anyway for expressing it, although I wouldn't mind free stuff to review.

"Insta"-replay #35, May Days!

I can't believe how fast the year is going! I love spring!

Besides just a great reason to redecorate spring inspires me to head outside and enjoy the sun.

In Oregon spring is still cool weather, and usually rain, so we have to dress accordingly.

But that didn't stop us from heading out to our local AgFest (I think it stands for agriculture festival, but that's hard to spell.)

The best part of the AgFest was watching my mom clog.  She's pretty amazing especially since she's only been taking the classes for about a year and a half!

I was also able to see my mom preform in another way, singing with the Festival Chorale.  This year my sisters are also a part of the choir.

Getting out of the house included a trip to the Gilbert House when my nephews had a day off school.

It's great to see the kids growing up and able to have fun together.

It's also great to see them playing together, teaching each other new games they've discovered.  Like the Pokemon card game.

The highlight of last week was AWANA awards night!  Merry finished her third and final Sparks book, earning the Sparkie Plaque.

Charry finished her third TNT book, earning a Challenge Trophy.  She's graduated from the church's program so we're not sure what next year will look like yet.

And the highlight for the girls was the AWANA store.  A chance to spend their hard earned AWANA bucks on awesome toys!

Happy spring!