Weekly Report

We have enjoyed a week of Spring Break this past week, since Derek has had some time off of work. We didn't do anything particularly special. Just hung out together. And we always continue with our library visits and reading. That's just as much fun as it is educational for us. Lauren went ahead with piano lessons and practice this week; Cameron's eye still was not healed enough to do something that strenuous on the optic organ.

I have picked up a copy of First Language Lessons 3 (hereafter known as FLL3) for Lauren simply because I couldn't resist! I am thinking I'm going to switch her over from the Abeka to that for the rest of this year. The publishers are coming out with a FLL 4 very soon, and I was planning to use that for fourth grade anyway. I'm very excited about that! I'll have to add a Spelling program to this curriculum...still looking at a couple of different ones. Next week is the Midwest Homeschool Convention, and Derek and I are really stoked about going! Not only for all the things we're looking forward to learning during the sessions, but also because we're looking forward to fellowship with dear friends.(at least Julia and Becca that I know of, and maybe a meet-up with Sonja for dinner!) I know many people also look forward to conventions like this because it is their only opportunity to actually "get their hands" on curriculums that they would otherwise only see in catalogs or online. I feel very blessed to have a Christian bookstore *a hop and a skip* away that also has a "homeschool headquarters" section. I can sit and flip through all these resources to my heart's content. And anything they don't have, they will order for me. (and at a discount, no less!). So I'm planning to be a very good girl and not spend too much money "shopping" at the convention! :)

The children have almost finished memorizing the Latin prayer, "The Sanctus". I hope to post a video of them reciting it together by next week.

A note of interest: we have had a couple of classical Christian schools move into our general area. I don't know if I'm just paying closer attention to details like that now, or what......Anyway, one of them looks wonderful. They are latin-centered, and work in conjunction with families. Three days of the school week are spent under the parents direction at home, and students report to the classroom for 2 days per week from September through May. A summer reading list is in effect for homeschooling families to follow. I read about them and found it very impressive overall. Here's the part of most interest: they are using nearly all the same curriculum that I am using already here at home, and definitely following the same pattern of learning. THE COST FOR THIS??? For all 3 of my school-age children next year it would be OVER $7000!!!!!! YIKES!! So, while I'm impressed, I'm also encouraged to know that my kids are getting a "hoity toity" education for a substantial FRACTION of what we'd have to shell out. Oh, and the other classical school, which runs 5 days/week???? Would be nearly $14,000.!

Looking forward to getting back to a full-swing school week come Monday. And when we do, you'll read all about it right here. Speaking of which, aren't you impressed with my hubby's blog designing skills? I thought that was a pretty cool looking crest up there. :)

Blessings!