Thursday October 10

We had a great day today!

We had a friend of Nathan and Genevieve's over who just started homeschooling this year too.  We were going to go on a hike today, but Nathan was not up to that.  So we had our friend over to our house.  I quickly did some teacher prep before he arrived.  

We started by watching a movie on discovery.  The movie was sadly out if date, but the content was excellent!  I could see the kids thought it was boring as soon as they saw it was made in the 80's, but 5 minutes in Nate and Gigi were engrossed.  They learned about why deciduous trees loose their leaves, and how it happens.  

We then went upstairs to the dry erase board and we did some review of the movie.  Nathan and Genevieve also explained the movie to their friend as he had missed half of the movie. 

We then got on our shoes and went for a little walk/hike in the forest beside our house.  Our object was to collect leaves and observe how the trees loose their leaves.  First thing we saw was this picture

That little bud, goes intbetween the branch and the leaf, when the leaf falls off it protects the branch.  The kids thought this was pretty cool to see!

Oh when we were leaving the house Nathan exclaims oh my goodness I'm still in my Jammie's!  We told him it's okay, no one will see ya, they are all at school, I didn't tell him, his shirt was inside out too lol

When we got back we had lunch and then we used hammers on the leaves to make some art!

Nathan's masterpiece 

Now we only had one problem with this project, the paper got stuck to the concrete, I should have had them hammer on a piece if wood.  Better luck next time, Nathan was pretty disappointed. 

Next up was contact paper and leaves.  Both Nathan and Genevieve were excited about this one. 

Nathan's

Genevieve's 

The kids then had 1 hour if free time, Nathan played video games, Genevieve watched a Jane Goodall movie. 

Gigi then went to cheer practice

I purchased a neat math game from learning resources, we played it at dinner, and I think we will try to play this one frequently.  I will take a picture tomorrow.  

Tuesday October 8

Today we started with piano practice.  Nathan and Genevieve were even trying to make up their own duet to play :)

We then went to art class with Jessica.  Today the kids did a self portrait and made some apples from clay. 

Inspecting their apples

And here is a picture of Genevieve's painting she did last class.  Hers is the one on the end, but you can see how they were supposed to work all together. In the style if Monet 

After art we went to their piano lessons. 

We came home and played a few math games.  Genevieve finished her book little woman, and Nathan read a book to finish the afternoon too. 

Monday October 7

Today we went on a field trip to the honeybee centre.  Nathan and Genevieve both had a great time.  We carpooled with some new friends which was fun!

October 6 sunday

We went to see the Chinese acrobats at the cultural centre.  The kids had an amazing time.  We had read about them in our top secret adventures.  This was a great ending to our study on china.  I loved watching Nathan and Genevieve's reactions to the performance. 

I just wish we took pictures of us all dressed up!

Thursday oct 3

Well, we are all still feeling affects if illness.  Jeff managed to come home with a cold!  I hope we don't get plagued with colds in October.  We had a very relaxing morning with the kids playing with daddy, while I read a book.  Daddy and the kids played mousetrap (wasn't this everyone's favorite game?), watched a movie, and I am sure a video game must have been played.  

School was done this afternoon when my headache mostly subsided.  Genevieve when I had come down had already grabbed Nathan's computer, found the word processing program and began writting her story.  She was pretty proud of herself.  I loved how she was able to take the notes she made and make sentences and a story out of it.  If I had been there to help direct her I probably would have taught her how to decide how to group her ideas together more, like have the things that are alike together.  We would have printed but I just bought a new wireless printer yesterday, and it was really giving me a headache trying to set up eprint.  I know I didn't need to do this yet, but of course I have to do it now!!!   Nathan had decided  he wanted to read a book first, he then put up a little fight about not wanting to do anything else.  Fight then ensues, Nathan says we should go back to regular school because I'm not a very good teacher.   Ouch yes that did hurt :). Jeff talked to him, he came down grugenly and we discussed he can pick whatever he wants to learn about today.  Explained to him we have all these books, all these topics we can learn about together, we can do fun things to learn about them, but we need to try.  He grabbed a new linkology game called the human body linkology.  I LOVE these games!  I can not believe that in such a short duration we learn so many things playing this game!  Another thing I love about this game is that you never feel dumb while playing this game, if you don't know if a card you have will work you look it up!   We usually remember the next time, so in this way who wins is more a matter of chance, it is teaching it is okay if you don't know the answer.  Genevieve and daddy joined in the linkology game again. 

Wednesday October 2

IThis morning we worked on math, total of about 1 hour.  Nathan was wizzing through his math worksheets after starting off slow.  This gave me some time to review with Genevieve to make sure she was understanding these number concepts.  

Nathan and I went to physio, while Jeff and Genevieve did some school work, some math and working on her story. 

When we got back home it was supposed to be a quick lunch before hockey, Nathan was not feeling well enough to go :(.  So we ate lunch then Jeff took Genevieve to skating lessons.  Nathan and I stayed home and watched the bbc earth series life.  Nathan loved it we watched I think 3 or 4 episodes. This movie tied in nicely to our science we are studying classification of living things.  One episode was on amphibians, one about reptiles, and another about mammals.  Nathan loves these bbc shows and gets so involved when he watches, I really think he learns so much from watching them.  

I love that I can get these movies at the library, and free too!  Well free if I remember to return on time.  My last trip I owed $60 oops, I look at it that I am donating to a good cause every time I have late fees.  Good thing kids books don't have late fees, if you remember to use the kids cards!

October 1st

Well it's the start of a new month!  Yeah for that, I am glad to see September gone, it was quite the learning curve to get back into schooling!   We have been plagued by sickness and medical appointments.  

I have not been able to post in a week because guess what, I got sick.  We went to a wedding just before I got sick and we had a great time.  Genevieve and I danced the night away!   Nathan on the other hand moves like Jeff, we need to do some practising.  Nathan said he didn't want to practice at the wedding, we have to practice at home first.  So I guess this year we have to practice, so he will dance with his mommy at the next wedding.  

Last Monday, I was out with the flu, but managed to take Nathan to his ocupational therapy assessment.  Found out some interesting things, like he doesn't hear out of his left ear!  Nathan has managed to compensate like he does with everything.  We had an appointment with audiology this morning, which confirmed what we as parents already knew, Nathan has supersonic hearing.  So it's not the ear that's the problem, his ear hears fine, it's the brain!

So Tuesday was ophthalmologist for Nathan at children's.  Guess what we heard there again.  It's not the eye, it's the brain :).  She was very adamant we need to see neurology again.  She wants to recheck his visual field in six months, and would like me to bring in Nathan's medical binder, as she would like to review, to see if she can help in any way. She is a Neuro ophthalmologist :). I didn't bring the big binder with me as I feel some if his drs are looking at me like I am dr google when I come in.  

Genevieve stayed at my parents house Sunday Monday and Tuesday.  She played a lot of Lego!  That counts as something right?

Wednesday was physio,skating and hockey.  Then Nathan was supposed to go to soccer.  Instead we went to the er for a dislocated knee cap.  Don't I live an adventurous life :).  No damage to anything thankfully and he was walking the next day, and could run by Friday!  Today I think is the first day it has been pain free, at least he has not told me it hurts today.  

Thursday we had piano lessons this day, we also did some other work I don't remember ackkkkk.  Genevieve had cheer, and Nathan and I went to the library.  Nathan and I worked on some math and then he picked out some books. 

Friday kids went to school at tla. 

Monday we worked on our top secret adventures china, wow it's taking us a while, but we are learning a lot about china. We have read a few books on china from the library too.  Nathan had a soccer game as well

Tuesday Genevieve's assignment was to pick a bug that she would like to be and research the bug, so far she has a bunch of notes on the board.  

Genevieve went to art class (Nathan is at home sick), in art class genevieve studied the style of Claude Monet.  Jessica pauls (her teacher) read a book about Monet, and then she worked beside a partner to create a cohesive work of art. I wish I took a picture!  We then went to the library picked up a couple of books on butterflies and a couple on flies. (Nathan choose a fly). Genevieve then had piano lessons.  When we got home both Nate and Genevieve read their bug books.  Genevieve continued to work on her research and Nathan and I delved into math.  I think Nathan and I are finally making some headway in this subject, he shuts down every time we start it.