Our third week of school brought the start of a few more extra-curricular activities. RileyAnn started Fall Ball last Sunday. Also, Riley and Ruben both kicked off the first semester of choir. It was great to see friends and get back into the swing of things.
Academics went a bit smoother this week. The kids are starting to get into a routine. Ruben was excited about starting choir and seeing friends so he worked extra hard to complete his studies. Their student planners are helping them stay on task.
Wow, did we ever have rain this week! Wednesday night local rainfall ranged from 5-11 inches in a few short hours. Several roads, culverts, and bridges were washed out including a road running parallel to our property. Thursday morning, we found ourselves in a traffic jam while enroute to choir. A four-lane state highway was reduced to one lane with several inches of water running across. We were delayed by twenty-five minutes waiting in the two mile back-up to get through. Thankfully, the predicted rain since has held off giving the initial blast a chance to subside.
Around the Web
Early in the week, I listened to Homeschool Snapshots Podcast 34 with Pam Barnhill and Missy Andrews. The first half gave much needed encouragement and inspiration. The second half reinforced teaching from good literature. It was a great pick-me-up and just the boost I needed to jump start Monday morning.
I actually don't think I've listened to a podcast all summer so I'm a bit behind, but it's OK because WI winters are really long! Wednesday morning, I went back and listened to BiblioFiles Episode #2, The Great Conversation, in which the Andrews family discussed the meaning of the Great Conversation. There was also a bit of a squabble as to whether or not modern movies and lit can or will become part of that conversation. I'd love to hear your thoughts. Feel free to leave a comment below after listening to the discussion.
I also read Assigned reading, free reading, and raising readers by Mystie Winckler and Old Enough to Bless Others by Brandy Vencel. Last year, I assigned Riley and Ruben to read to Levi daily, which was great for all involved. Riley and Ruben got practice reading aloud and Levi benefited from being read to. It was a win/win! Unfortunately, it ended with the academic year and I failed to schedule it this year. I'm still thinking on this one, whether or not to schedule. I'd like to see it become a habit, not a chore. The Farmer and I are both readers so hopefully our modeling excites and ignites that fire for our children.
Teacher Training
Our CM study group met last night to discuss Chapter One of Consider This, Charlotte Mason and the Classical Tradition by Karen Glass. It was great to be back together! The camaraderie was fabulous and we had some new moms, bringing our total to nine. I do intend to blog through the book as I did with Charlotte Mason's A Philosophy of Education so stay tuned for future posts.
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