Wrap Up: (Sem. 2) Wk 1

We have just completed our first full week back after our awesome two (three?) week break. We jumped right in on Monday, with a full day of work. What is changing this semester? We began our new math program, Singapore Primary Math (Stds. Ed.) 3A which is going great so far. (El just took the Unit 1 test this morning and got 100% correct, so that was encouraging!) We began a basic vocabulary workbook and an intro to architecture/engineering book written for specifically for elementary kids. Both of these are a huge hit! We also began a geography workbook which is just okay. I guess it's a great value since there are 352 pages and I think I paid $7 for it, but it is really easy stuff. Looking at the Evan Moor Daily Geography Practice preview, I probably should have spent the extra 12 bucks and gone that route. Oh, well. Live and learn.

Red-Breasted Nuthatch: We have been visited by a few of these little guys lately. El drew this picture inspired by the picture in our bird guidebook.

El's drawing of the Parthenon. We voted: We prefer Athens over Sparta, 3-0.

Here are two more drawings inspired by Ames's fantastic Draw 50 Buildings book (El's Parthenon drawing above was also inspired by this book.)

Overall, we had a ton of work to do but El flew through all of it. Writing is the only subject he absolutely fights me on (handwriting, copywork, dictation, structured/creative writing.) Gah! Things like punctuation and writing on lined paper are torture to that child. He will write a few words and then switch to a comic-book style of writing with mostly pictures and some phrases written in captions, to just talking: "And then let me tell you how it ends..."

Me: "No. Write it. Please!" 

Him: "AAAaahrhhrrekggh! Fine!" (and then he draws a picture.) 

Sigh.