WR16 - 100 more days ?

School is settling back into a nice little routine. Handwriting, Poetry, Math, Grammar, Writing, Literature, History, Science. As I was marking off days this week, I noticed that we squeaked past day 80. Wow, 100 more days of school. Handwriting, Poetry, Math, Grammar, Writing, Literature, History, Science, Rinse, Repeat - 100 more times?

Despite how that sounds, our week was great. The weather was beautiful so we spent many days enjoying 70's in January - biking, hiking, long walks, story time on the trampoline and a picnic breakfast. LB learned a new word - Volunteer.

For second grade, we are in a nice pattern in math. We review multiplication with either skip-counting or fact problem searches. Next,we do an addition square. CC is finally to the point that the 4x4 square is easy. She adds 3 four-digit numbers in her head then subtracts that number from another number in her head. I like it. Addition Squares rule!

She had her first spelling test this week. Of course she didn't study. The only two words she had trouble with were courage and language, but she got them. She was very proud.

CC grumbled about grammar everyday but sped through each lesson. She grumbled about the IEW writing the two days we did it, but both lessons went well. I think that we will work through FMFT with no trouble at all.

We enjoyed the Darwin book outside this week. CC also spent several hours working on an Illuminated Letters coloring book. We just finished reading about Justinian and Theodora and are progressing nicely through the Middle Ages even though she still hates the fact that Rome fell.

LB joined us one day this week for school and worked on the number 4. Another day she only sat with us about ten minutes then decided to run off and play. This week she and I volunteered at CC's school. We spent almost three hours at school helping the art teacher. LB was excellent. She helped me fill glue bottles, wash paint brushes, clean plastic frog posters, thread needles, mark mittens for the kindergartners to sew, and assisted while I cut glass. Three hours is a very long time for a 4 year old to be quiet, but she was excellent. She was very proud that she was able to help and learned about the word volunteer.

BB is doing great is school from what we hear. He is loving Tokyo and already thinking about jobs for next semester when he will be able to work. We still miss him terribly.