A Baking Day!

The sun might be shining but it is still very cold outside, so we decided to do some baking this morning after our school work.

The girls made brownies and I made a raspberry-lemon loaf. Yummy!

A friend for Pixie

Meet Opal, our new little guinea pig. Pixie now has a friend to squeak with! She is very tiny, the runt of the litter, but she seems very healthy so far. Pixie and Opal already seemed to be comfortable with each other.

Handicrafts Saturdays

This morning we started our January handicraft project...a little late but, sometime, life gets in the way, lol! If you would like more information on handicrafts, check here. Personally, I much prefer taking the time to teach our children skills that they could use in the future.


We are making a rag quilt for our first project, since I have made them before, I thought it would be easier. Instructions for making a rag quilt can be found here.

Fairy is making a rag quilt for Nathalie, her doll and Dragon is making one for his puppy.

First, I taught them how to measure and plan out the fabrics they will use, figuring out how big they would like these blankets to be. These quilts will each be approximately 35 x 25 inches.

Next, I showed them how to safely use the rotary cutter and how to cut the squares of fabric. They both cut quite a few squares.

We will be continuing this project next Saturday. I hope you will come back to see our progress!

Our second term plan - January to March 2008

Here is our plan for this term, with a couple of changes from the first term. I added a star in front of the new or changed subjects.


Fairy (5th Grade):

Math - Saxon 5/4

English - Bob Jones 5 Writing and Grammar

Spelling - Spelling Workout

Handwriting - A Reason for Handwriting, when complete, will move on to copywork

* Literature - The Princess and the Goblin, suggested in Ambleside Online Year 3 with narration required

* Geography - Literature Unit Study from Trail Guide to World Geography with Around the World in 80 Days

* History Tales - Michelangelo, Bard of Avon, Good Queen Bess

* Science - Weather, the forces of nature that shape our world (Fairy is fascinated by the weather)

* Free Reading - I didn't use to suggest reading material for their own free reading time, but this time I have given each of them one book to finish by the end of this month, Fairy's is On the Banks of Plum Creek.



Dragon (3rd Grade):

Math - Saxon 3

English - Bob Jones 3 Writing and Grammar

Spelling - Spelling Workout

* Handwriting - Copywork -Marco Polo selections

* Literature - Tales from Shakespeare, then Parables from Nature, suggested in AO Year 2, narration required

* Geography - Paddle to the Sea, then Tree in the Trail both by Holling C. Holling, narration required

History - finishing Story of the World 2 - Middle Ages

Science - finishing Rod & Staff Science 3rd grade

Free Reading - The Door in the Wall


Saturdays are our Handicrafts Days, this month we are working on a rag quilt, Fairy and Dragon will each be making a doll size one, Fairy for her American Girl dolls and Dragon for his Webkinz. I will probably end up making one for Princess too!


A new little helper has been this narration cube . We have used it when Fairy or Dragon have trouble coming up with their own narration. It has been great!

Great start of the new year!

Dragon won the award at hockey today. He was very proud to get the award! He also volunteered to be goalie, his second time, and did very well.