So for the last 6 weeks or so, we have had a lighter school load. After we finished up Adventures (My Father's World), it seemed right to take a bit of a break. Also, we have enjoyed some family time as you have seen on the blog. :) We have continued with our math. Olivia finished up 1st grade math this past week. She wanted to know when she could be getting her next math book. Also, we have not stopped reading practice, using McGuffey Readers, Languages Lessons for the Very Young (Queens Homeschool), and the library. We have been working through a bible study together and also working on the habit of personal daily bible reading. We have been reading aloud The Burgess Bird Book for Children. Gabe has been joining in to do some "school". His favorite things right now are his letters, numbers, library books and singing nursery rhymes.
We have enjoyed all the walks and outdoor time that Spring afforded us and are trying to keep it up even with the summer heat. Gabe is now able to walk more which is wonderful and desires to be where he can be involved in the exploring. It is a balance though, because sometimes he really needs to ride in the stroller still so that we can cover some ground. That goes against his 2 1/2 year old independence, let me tell you. But I will admit that we have the best time when we slow down anyway and I am not trying to cover so much ground. Here is a nature walk we took last week.
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| Headed down the trail. To be honest, I don't remember the trail's name off hand. It is the one next to one of our local library branches. That makes learning all the more conveinent as one can take a trip into the library on the same stop. :) |
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| Some of our gear. That is Olivia's finished journal entry. |
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| This trail is in a mixed forest. There is a sign at the beginning identifying some of the trees found there. It has a shape/color legend and some of the surrounding trees are marked. We continued farther down the trail. We saw lots of great things. Leaves of all shapes, ants, spiders, and all kinds of other interesting things the kids wanted to explore. Then the kids found a tree they liked. |
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| I helped Olivia use the field guide and we identified it as an American Beech. We spent some time feeling and observing the roots, the trunk, the bark, and the leaves. |
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| Olivia and Gabe sat down to do some drawing. |
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| He is my current attachment! :) Sadly he often misses getting into pictures at times like these as it is not the easiest to manuever and get good shots. |
