The Arrowood Zoo: Weekly Wrap Up 9

This week we are on break week number 1.

We are still doing some things like the kids spent some time doing a Pilgrim Story lesson. DS2 and DD has completed a little piano from Kinderbach. We have played several games and just had family time. This next week my husband is off all week!! WOOHOO. So I can't wait to spend time with him and the kids all week long. Perfect timing for vacation. I actually didn't plan it that way but it worked out great.

Ohh can't forget Halloween was this week. Our church had a Harvest 4 Him festival so that's where we were all evening. We played games like darts(popping balloons), bingo, musical chairs,(huge hit), spin the bottle, ring toss and just fellowship and snacks! Having a blast in Gods house is always easy!

I normally use the 2 weeks we are breaking from school to re-gather myself. I have decided I am going to go back to the old way we schooled. Maybe some call it Lightly Directed, Eclectic or just plain everything! LOL. I'm tired of keeping up with others. I need my groove back!

So I asked the kids what topics for this 8 week period, which is actually going to be more like 6 weeks because of Holidays.

DS1 requested:

First Automobiles

How we get Oil?

First Model Airplanes

DD requested:

(no shocker its all animals)

Giant Pandas

Toucan

Peacocks

DS2 requested:

Volcanoes

Space

How we get power?

So we will keep going with Classical Conversations Timeline and maybe that will be all for this 6 weeks.

Science I think we have covered. Math we always have covered however I'm feeling we may need a change there as well. We have used Math U See for 3 years and while I love it. My smallest and oldest sons are struggling more with it this year than I can remember. My smallest is bored. My oldest just isn't "getting it" I'm afraid. All About Spelling I should be ashamed of myself, I'll leave that one alone! Because of course we don't like to admit when we fail. I have miserably at AAS this year and well half of last!!

I'm just proud of DS2s improvement in reading. He's doing great so we will keep up the work with 4 sight words weekly and All About Reading Level 1.

With it being the beginning of November we started our Thankful Tree. I love the thoughts we've gotten so far. I've done something different this year. I've given each of us(yes even hubby and I) notebooks. After writing our word on our leaf I have asked that everyone take a minute to explain what it means personally to them. Day 1 I was thankful for "forgiveness". So in my journal I wrote why forgiveness was so very important for me and why I was thankful for it in my life. My children are old enough that they really need to be held accountable for their thoughts and actions at this point. Hopefully it will be something they cherish.

My husband has some exciting while scary news. He has surrendered to the call to preach. I've been very scared to be honest about this simply because of the degree of responsibility that comes with it. However I would like for you to please pray for him and my family while God leads my family in a new journey. He has fought the feeling since April. Funny story on how God works. I was sitting in bed one night while he was reading a magazine and I looked over at him and laughed because in my heart and mind all of a sudden God spoke to me and said "Kevin is going to preach". I looked over like did you hear that and he thought I was crazy and so I never said anything further to him I kinda just pondered the thought, personally laughed a little (sorry just sharing my heart) and prayed over it. It was about 4 weeks later my husband said we needed to talk... Guess what it was about... Preaching. At this point I did tell him what I went through and we had a good little laugh over it. God has a sense of humor and I'm glad for that! Simply friends pray for him to do only what God would have him do.

We voted early!! Praying Gods will in this election.

A wonderful Krispy Kreme trip!

More free play! Tents and Kids = Happy

Yes the door is half painted and finally found a home for the extra mattresses that we have had in our living room for 3 months. A family's home burnt and they need a couple beds and I'm happy to supply our extra to them.

Last but not least... We made Pineapple Jelly. Can't run out of that stuff!