Weekly Wrap-up: Could someone please tell me where that month went?!?

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It has been a month since I wrote my last weekly wrap-up.  I had intended to stay on top of things and include Olive Plants in this great meme every week without fail, yet God had other plans for me.  The last month has been busy, and this was the first week we were back at our home, doing a "normal" week.

Monday we got back on track with History Revealed.  Before we began our school year, I planned to complete 5 units before Christmas break and 4 units after.  When I found out Mom would have surgery and need my help for a few weeks, I decided to take a month off and swap that plan.  This week we began unit 2, completing the reading work and listening to Diana Waring's CD recordings about Babel and early civilizations.

Tuesday included the most interesting lesson of the week.  We have reached the point in Lively Latin that the boys are learning questions and answers, like what is your name/my name is.  To encourage study and conversation, I allowed them to role play a conversation between their Webkinz plush toys.  Many times this week, I have found myself conversing with a barred owl named Titus as follows:

Titus:  Salvete!
Me:  Salvete, Titus.
Titus:  Quid nomen tibi est?
Me:  Nomen mihi Dawn (or Aurora) est.
Titus:  Quid agis hodie?
Me:  Optime!   Quid agis hodie?
Titus:  Pessime!

Maybe, we're a little more classical than I would like to admit, hmm....

Wednesday was an independent study day because our house was a disaster zone, and I needed a cleaning day. 

Thursday was such fun because of my sweet tutoring students!  I tutor on Tuesdays and Thursday after public school dismisses.  My first student was in a bad mood.  He came home hungry and tired and didn't want to work on English.  I can understand.  The public school day has been increased by an hour each day, and my dh, who teaches high school Spanish, is exhausted by the time he arrives home.  I can only imagine what it is like for six-year-olds.

Anyhoo, his mom gave him a good snack, and I gave him a good pep talk and pulled out the AAS board.  That thing's like a magic board...good magic, like the Wardrobe (which we finished 10 chapters of this week... more in a minute).  It turns frowns upside down and gets little boys busy learning English.

Then I went to student 2's house.  He had made a 100 on a test I had helped him prep for.  Orville, Wilbur, and I all cheered for him, we had a good tutoring session (with AAS, too), and then his mom invited us to stay for a few minutes so the boys could play together.  She served us Asian pears, at least that's what I think they were.  Her English is very limited and conversing is difficult, but with God's help, we are becoming good friends despite the language barrier.

I thought this a good time to insert pictures of my students and introduce them to you.  Please excuse my hair and shiny face.  These pix were taken on the last day of the summer tutoring program.  It was over 100 degrees outside, and I had dressed as a ninja that day since we were completing the book Night of the Ninjas.  Hair and make-up didn't stand a chance.  :)

The student pictured above wrote this letter

and gave it to me on the last day of summer classes.

  

Aren't they cuties?!?  Can you see why I love them so?

Our week ended on Friday with tennis lessons, swimming, Omnibus, and chapters 9 and 10 of The Lion, the Witch, and the Wardrobe.

Tennis is just fabulous!  The coach is a gifted teacher and very encouraging.  It seems that Orville has a better-than-average backhand, and Coach calls him Backhand Orville.  That nickname works a lot better with his real name.  Oh, well.

Orville finished a four-week study of Homer's Odyssey in Omnibus this week.  He wrote a very long, very thorough essay, a huge step for him.  Omnibus is fitting him like a glove, and we are seeing him grow leaps and bounds as a student.  Thanking the Lord for this curriculum.

We have continued to read 1-2 chapters of the Narnia books each day.  We finished Magician's Nephew last week which I admitted in an earlier post I had never read before.  It is now one of my favorite books.  This week we entered the spare 'oom with Lucy and travelled into the Wardrobe with the Pevensie children.  We take turns reading aloud, and I have to admit that I really enjoy reading as the White Witch!  Should I be concerned???  lol

Dawn