Tuesday, February 26, 2013

Week 6

This was a week of Big Brother's choice - a kind of "mid term break" for me, really.

He has played a lot of minecraft and is building up his recipe book.  He also started writing a minecraft-based story.

Lots of Chess was played, and books about chess read.  He had a go at some painting, drawing amd making shadow pictures and watched some Suzy's World (science) on DVD.

Life of Fred continued and the stile trays were produced for some spelling and reading comprehension review.

  A tray of chickpeas with an ice cube tray, tongs and a spoon was great fun,



and he even had a go at drawing, using the instructions from here.

 This was his first recorder lesson, which he seemed to enjoy, first week back at choir and he started his "Fun Theory" class as well.  It seems to have all been very much enjoyed.  On the computer I heard some Spanish, French and Japanese and lots of practice for the World Education Games.

In a slight cheat I introduced BB to the "Hands on Equations" programme which he has loved to bits and we'll continue with this next week.


There was lots more reading, plenty of trampolining and even a nature walk squeezed in there... we followed a trail of ants to see where they lived, and watched a dragonfly darting about.

Little Sister has been loving kindy, and has made a new friend this term.  She even got to do some allergy safe baking on Thursday which she was thrilled about.  She is enjoying her music lessons and likes to practice every day















Both kids completed their "introduction to Star Wars" course by watching The Return of the Jedi and liked it a lot.


Wednesday, February 20, 2013

Conversations in Shops


In the shop this morning the checkout chick was having issues making change.

DS: you need to count it back, like this, $12.50, 10 is 12.60, 20 is 80 and 20 to make $13, then $2 to make 15 and $5 makes $20.
CC: Blank look
DS: you need to give me $7.50 change.
CC: Are you a genius or something?
DS: no, I just really like Fred.  (Life of Fred maths - he's just been learning about counting back change)
CC: you like Fred?  Who's Fred?
DS: He's a five year old maths professor?
CC: There's more of you??
DS: no, there's only one of me.  I'm unique.
CC: yes, very unique
DS: that's redundant.


Sunday, February 17, 2013

Week 5

Week 5 and our last week before our Unschooling - midterm break week!

Topic:  a brief look at the story of St Valentine and why Valentine's day exists.

Mathematics: integers - practice adding, subtracting, multiplying and dividing negative numbers.  LoF JellyBeans

Typing: typingweb.com for touch typing

Spelling: AAS and topic words... Valentines, February

Writing: Main Focus for the week... publishing "Mud on Turtle's Back".. this will be finished and ready for sharing at the end of next week I hope!

Outside classes have started in earnest... drama, piano, gymnastics, penguins, martial arts, sports group. Only choir / theory and recorder to start next week... phew!  Big Brother would REALLY like to fit in a Chess club somewhere in there.

Fine Motor / scissor skills / patience training ;)
We made "Lovely Monkeys" - monkeys who are full of love for us :-)










BB and LS had a wonderful time exploring "Magic Sand" too... great fun!








Next week... midterm break / unschooling week.  I'll be interested to see what Big Brother decides to pursue.

Saturday, February 16, 2013

Feb - March Menu

28 meals in no particular order:

roast chicken and veges (twice)
fresh spring rolls (adults) / chicken patties (kids) with salad (twice)
corned beef, mashed potato, peas, carrots
spag bol (kids) / steak and chips (adults)
chicken drumsticks with potatoes and veges (twice)
mince and pasta
lamb rogan josh on rice (twice)
garlic honey chicken on rice with cucumber
mince pie with salad
mac'n'cheese (kids) / sausages (adults) with salad
ham, cucumber and bean salad
hawaiian pork with mashed potatoes and veg
deviled sausages
chicken jalfrezi
homemade burgers
chicken and kumara casserole
beef stirfry
homemade pizza
teriyaki chicken
chicken noodle soup
chickpeas and zucchini
vermicelli soup
ants in trees 
sweet'n'sour pork

Baking this month:
berry lemon muffin
oatmeal bars
coconut slice
chickpea muffins with chocolate hummus topping

GF Bread (Maree's recipe)
Maybe the GF Gobsmacked wrap recipe if I get around to it.  


Friday, February 8, 2013

Week 4

Our friends are back at school now, so this was a taste of a "real" school week before all of our outside activities start back next week.

Maths: decimal review - ordering, addition, subtraction and multiplication.  Division of decimals is on the cards for next week.  Ice Cream is finished and we've moved on to Jellybeans... yay!

Spelling: topic words inspiring, necessary, pianos, apologise, celebrate, signed, signature, Waitangi, chief, Maori, February, treaty, bruise, cruise, juice, recruit.  All About Spelling is moving along nicely - we should be finishing up level 5 in a couple of weeks.

Typing: Big Brother is pleased to see it's getting a little easier not to look for keys in the home row... lots of practice still to come.

Writing: BB is working on a retelling of the Native American creation story, "Mud on Turtle's Back"  he's nearly finished, so we'll share that in the nest week or two.  We're working on building up stamina and focus during writing time and making some progress on that.

Handwriting: an, au and ao family joins.  Concentrating on quality, not quantity.

Wednesday was Waitangi Day, so we did a little research into the Treaty and Waitangi for our timeline book:



 Gotta get in some of that looped cursive he loves so much...
 and had a go at some Maori inspired art.  
 (Koru inspired patterns)


We're starting to learn about paint programmes and drawing with the computer. 

Little Sister wrote another story all by herself "I went to kindy today.  I played mums and dads.  It was fun."


Penguins was supposed to start... but when we got there no one was there!  I hope I just had the week wrong, otherwise next week I'll have to start calling cellphones to find out where they've gone.

 At the Waitangi Day celebrations in Kaiapoi Big Brother made a putiputi (flower) out of harakeke (flax)

 and Little Sister got her face painted like a butterfly... what can I say, she's three.

This afternoon (Friday) we headed down to the local park to do some kite flying. 

That's about it for the week... lots of chess, lots of reading (he's gone back to Roald Dahl this week), lots of Minecraft.  A little practice for the World Education Games, gymnastics has started back and ots and lots of bouncing, running, riding and pretending to be ponies.  (I don't know either - they're mad).

Friday, February 1, 2013

Little Sister's Trip to Hospital

Little Sister headed off to hospital for her gastroscopy this week.

We had to be there at 8am with no breakfast beforehand, so Little Sister and Puppy headed off nice and early.

When we arrived we met all of the doctors and other people involved, and then we waited for our turn. Because Little Sister was the youngest person she got to go first, so it wasn't long before she headed off.  She climbed up on the bed and breathed into her special mask.  A toy pig sang her a song, and by the time that was finished she was sound asleep.  It didn't take very long and soon she was waking up with mum and dad, having cuddles and meeting her brand new Princess Luna pony.  She got an ice block and two pieces of toast for breakfast and then she was allowed to go home.

Little Sister is very excited that she got to keep her special hospital bracelet, and she even got to bring home her masks 

Now we wait for the results and maybe a plan for her for the future!  

Week 3 2013

Edging back to a more "normal" week, but with playdates instead of afternoon work.  School friends will be back at school next week and the week after, and term activities kicking off, so we'll be back in the swing of it in no time.

Theme of the week: 
THINK before you speak.  Opportunity to practice scissor skills as well as learning to be a little kinder with our words.  Big Brother has been desperate to try some fancier cursive than the plain italic style he's learning, so he got a chance to do that too.  

Maths: We're nearing the end of Ice Cream!  This week's topics included graphing functions, reviewing long division,  and counting back change.  BB is still very much in love with the Fred way of Maths.  He's also embarked on his "real" textbook for the year - Beta Mathematics and this week reviewed order of operations, factors and multiples and prime numbers.  It turns out he's never actually made a sieve of Eratosthenes, only read about them, so he enjoyed making one this week, and liked finding "patterns" in the numbers.  I think you're supposed to use it to find the primes though, not show why they are after you already know them... ah well!  He's enjoyed revisiting Kahn Academy too, and is getting into the groove on that.  

Spelling: topic words this week... true, helpful, inspiring, necessary, kind, piano, apologise, celebrate.  Two lessons of All About Spelling (5) completed.  

Typing: we only managed to get onto typing web once this week, but next week we'll try again :-)

Writing: was completed with out crying or complaining... woohoo!  We've worked through first part of WWE(3) and we'll ass in some more challenging stuff as we get into the swing of it.  

Handwriting: review of the oecs family and also adgq.  Taking care to form letters carefully and working on slope.  

Other stuff... playing with friends 

Enjoying the summer afternoons




Arty Things:
Crayon Rubbings
 
 

Little Sister calls this "The Spiral Bridge Between the Gardens"

And she calls this one "Stars Over the Sea"

We made Puppies today... more scissor practice!  



Introducing Sparkly Super Rainbow Flying Dancer Dog... he looks like a happy guy. 

Books Big Bother's been reading include (lots of chess and...) Me and My Dog Gary Crew, Birdmagic Holly Webb, Gods Goddesses and Monsters Sheila Keenan, DK Puppy Care Kim Bryan and Where Did I Come From Peter Mayle

Little Sister decided to surprise me this week and have a go at writing her own story:

"I am in my cot"
Great spelling!

Movies watched: Harry Potter #2
Websites enjoyed: wonderopolis, PhET, Kahn and Chesskid
Read Aloud: The Secret Mountain... nearly done!