Weekly Wrap-up: 4/22/16

Spring weather has finally come to our corner of the world so we took the opportunity to get out and do some geocaching.  There are about 100 (literally!) geocaches within 5 miles of our house.    The first two we looked for we couldn't find.  I was using an app on my phone and a very old TomTom gps.  We were supposedly close but then the gps would start jumping around.  When we came home, I did some research and evidently that is not uncommon.  I downloaded the "official" geocaching site app and I'm hoping next time we try we have better luck.   The one we did find, I didn't use the GPS, I knew where it was going to be (I guess that's cheating but I wanted the kids to have one success) and only contained a log, that Squidy filled out for us. 

We had a nice walk in the woods, discovered some nice meadows with bird houses, a quiet sitting area right by the river, and finished up with some ice cream.  It was a pleasant way to spend an afternoon even if our quest wasn't successful.

Squidy finished Gregor the Overlander series.  This series is the first one that has really touched him.  He said that he was feeling sad it was over, and that it didn't feel right to do school right after finishing it.   I did tell him he could take a break before doing the rest of school if he wanted.  I also told him that it was perfectly okay to reread a favorite series of books, even though it won't be exactly the same since you know what's going to happen.  Since I have seen him pull out the last couple of books to read portions of them over again.  I LOVE that he was so touched by a story.  For his next reading, I let him go lighter.  He read Harriet the Spy and some of his comic and Pokémon books.

Vicki LOVES the Thea Stilton books so I usually let her read them when she gets a new one.  In addition to the latest, she's also read Mrs. Frisby and the Rats of NIMH and just started From the Mixed up Files of  Mrs. Basil E. Frankweiler.

The kids really like doing school using their clipboards.  They like being able to sit in the comfy chairs to do their work.  I've also found it makes it really easy to bring school on the road when we need to.   They've done school at the Y, at gramma's house, and outside in the sunshine in the past couple of weeks.  And of course, in their pj's. :-)

We've been continuing to work our way through Liberty Kids and reading about the Revolutionary War in preparation for our visit to the Valley Forge Homeschool Days in May.  We were going to go to a reenactment weekend at Jockey Hollow/Morristown Historical Park but my ankle was bothering me too much for a day full of walking cross country (I badly sprained it a few weeks ago and it's slow to heal fully).  

A few years ago when we were participating in a postcard exchange, we took a visit to Washington's Headquarters in Morristown because it seemed that the only postcards available locally were for New York City or Atlantic City.  Not really what I was looking for.  The gift shop at Washington's Headquarters had a great selection of historical themed postcards.  As we were looking around, I chatted with the park ranger working in the gift shop and happened to mention that we homeschooled.  He gave me the full kit they provide to local schools before they come on field trips, usually in 4th or 5th grade.  It contains a ton of information on the Revolutionary War, especially as it was fought locally.  We've been reading through the primary book and we will be taking a trip to Washington's Headquarters and Jockey Hollow in the next few weeks. 

The kids had belt testing last week and they both moved up to their orange belts.  Tai Kwan Do has been great for my not-so-athletic/not-into-team sports/but really need regular exercise kids. 

We had a 4-H STEM meeting last week.  This meeting we learned about earthquakes, discussed the best building designs for stability, and were challenged to build the tallest "earthquake-proof" structures out of straws and tape.  We simulated earthquakes using pans of jello.

Steph is in her final semester at college!  Completely unbelievable because of course, I am not old enough to have a daughter who's a college graduate. ;-)

She recently choreographed and taught (to a bunch of non-dancers!) an amazing routine for her sorority for Greek Week.  They won First Place!  Check it out!:   https://youtu.be/YUtjWxAyixk

She also had what will possibly be her last dance performance ever, with the MSU dance team.  She choreographed a tap routine and did an amazing job with the rest of the routines.   https://youtu.be/Bn2BamSzjR8