Looking Back, Looking Forward

August is slipping through my fingers like water! The first time I really checked it was Sunday the 12th! We are slowly shifting back to the slightly more academic track again, after 2 months of pure swimming. But my two little cute and tanned fish have really taken to the water; "more swimming, more swimming!!". Katie runs to find her swimsuit at the mention of swimming pool. Those $15 goggles even go into the bath tub. Swimming lessons end with Amy swimming underwater and front floating. The back float needs a bit more help, which we will try to re-visit in the winter or spring next year.

She completed the library reading program and took home all the pirate prizes, and of course, immediately redeemed the Graeter's ice-cream coupon. We wrapped up the Wind in the Willows, and are beginning Heidi for our read-aloud time. Next week we are going to dive back into phonics and probably repeat the Zaner-Bloser handwriting - I don't feel we are quite ready for copywork; maybe when the new year starts?

Time and money didn't get as much attention as I thought it might. We did a lot of reading and talking about the grocery flyers and ads, i.e., prices, prices per lb., buy one get one free, blah, blah. Playing Jr. Monopoly, using her own money to buy Wendy's cheeseburgers and little minutia at the dollar store is how we addressed money.

She continues to work on learning responsibility and when she wants to see me fall on the floor (out of shock, of course), she gets up, dresses, makes her bed, brushes her hair and teeth and shows up at the table for breakfast.

Autumn Goals:
Continue Ballet
Improve handwriting, move into copywork
Continue Ordinary Guide to Teaching Reading for phonics instruction
History: Ancient Times to Romans with emphasis on Bible history this year
Continue Piano Adventures
Start Prima Latina
Math: counting to 100, skip counting, add/subtract with manipulatives, time, money
Responsibility: personal(care of self) and family(chores)
Art/Gym/Music: weekly participation in WAHA
Memorization: pledge of Allegiance, books of the Bible (OT/NT), poems (still TBD), Ten Commandments