Thanksgiving (99/180)

R went to Parkour:

We celebrated Thanksgiving at home.  W made great mashed potatoes.  The girls helped a lot with a lot of the cooking and setting up.  J took leftover pie crust and blueberries and made cup-pies for everyone:

D and J attended a performance of The Nutcracker, with most of the performers members of J's ballet school!

D and J attended their religious education class.

All the kids worked with LOF.

W read independently.  R read with support.  D and J practiced reading.

W watched a variety of YouTube videos on physics topics.

W stationary biked.  All the kids went to a Laser Tag birthday party.

I read to the girls:

The Littlest Owl by Caroline Pitcher


Seababy: A Little Otter Returns Home by Ellen Levine


If You Decide To Go To The Moon by Faith McNulty

This week included 5 days of instruction.

Hawk Mountain Sanctuary (94/180)

We went to Hawk Mountain Sanctuary, taking the fairly boulder-y Inner Loop up to the North Lookout.  We didn't see any hawks, but it was a great hike, and we learned a bit about birds of prey.

All the kids attended their MAHC classes.

An unseasonably early snowstorm created a chance to practice snowboarding on the hills around our house.  R, D, and J had a great time!

J went to dance.

W played D and D.

All the kids attended a multigen worship service, hearing live music and participating in ritual.

W cooked a roast beef dinner for the family.

All the kids worked with LOF.

W read independently:
First Lord's Fury by Jim Butcher.

R read with support.  He also read independently without us telling him to for the first time I'm aware of, parts of
The Dangerous Book for Boys by Conn Iggulden.  D practiced reading:
Funny Bunny by Bobby Lynn Maslen.  J practiced reading too.

D worked with Handwriting Without Tears and J worked with Explode the Code.

D and J went to the library.  I read to them:
Frederick's Journey: The Life of Frederick Douglass by Doreen Rappaport


Once Upon a Starry Night: A Book of Constellations by Jacqueline Mitton


Sea Clocks: The Story of Longitude by Louise Borden

This week included 5 days of instruction.

Soccer Champions! (89/180)

R went to Parkour.

D and J observed me vote.

D went to circus.

J went to dance.

R played in the championship for his soccer league and his team WON!

All the kids attended their religious education classes.

All the kids worked with LOF.

W read independently:
Princeps' Fury by Jim Butcher


Captain's Fury by Jim Butcher



R read with support:
I Survived the Joplin Tornado, 2011 by Lauren Tarshis



D and J practiced reading.

I read to the girls:
Ruth Bader Ginsburg: The Case of R.B.G. vs. Inequality by Jonah Winter


Betsy and Tacy Go Over the Big Hill by Maud Hart Lovelace.

This week included 6 days of instruction.

Halloween! (83/180)

R went to Parkour.

J went to Ballet.

All the kids attended their MAHC classes.

Halloween was a rousing success!

D went to circus.

R attended soccer practice and games - his team is in first place in his division!

All the kids attended their religious education classes.

I was away from Thursday - Sunday so again, not a lot happened outside regularly scheduled events.

I read to the girls:


The Music of Life: Bartolomeo Cristofori & The Invention of the Piano by Elizabeth Rusch


A Tree is Growing by Arthur Dorros


This week included 4 days of instruction.

Braces (79/180)

R went to parkour.

J danced several times.

All the kids attended their MAHC classes.

D attended circus class, and tried out a dance class.

R, D and J attended a Halloween party.

W got braces!  Here's a before and after (he also got a haircut.)

(Never mind the nose.)

In other news, I hurt my back and so we didn't do much besides the absolute necessities this week.

This week included 4 days of instruction.

Hip Hop (75/180)

R went to parkour.

J went to dance a couple of times.  Here she is in Hip Hop:

All the kids attended their Fall 2 session classes at MAHC including:

J: 4s & 5s, Science Experiments You Can Eat
D: Map Making, SEYCE, Yoga
R: Games, Teen/Tween Storytime, Chess & Checkers
W: Games, US Government, Literary Magazine

D went to circus.

R played soccer several times.

W had a doctor's appointment, learning more about asthma.

All the kids attended their religious education classes.  R's youth group served 'weird' foods and learned a bit about them; W's youth group attended a Planned Parenthood speakers event.

All the kids worked with LOF.

W read independently.  He also received feedback about a paper he wrote for his US Government class, and listened to Science Friday podcasts.  He cooked dinner for the family and made Latkes from scratch and baked several (some more successful than others) batches of cookies.  W rode his stationary bike.

R read with support.  He watched some documentaries.

D and J practiced reading.  D worked with Handwriting Without Tears and J worked with Explode the Code.

I read to the girls:

Wind Flyers by Angela Johnson

This week included 6 days of instruction.

Academ, Pompeii, and Clay (69/180)

W played D and D several times.

R went to parkour.

J went to dance several times.

We finished our Fall 1 session at MAHC.

D went to circus.  R played soccer several times.

J, D and W attended their religious education classes.

W, R, D and J worked with LOF.  W read independently: Academ's Fury by Jim Butcher.  R read with support:
The Destruction of Pompeii, AD 79 by Lauren Tarshis.  D and J practiced reading.

D worked with Handwriting Without Tears.  J worked with Explode the Code.

I read to the girls:


Sweetest Kulu by Celina Kalluk


Quit Calling Me a Monster! by Jory John.

W watched two episodes of VSauce.

This week included 6 days of instruction.