We’ve had one of those weeks where most of the learning has been happening outside any curriculum. We have contractors working on the house and they have unearthed last season’s bird nests and tons of feathers. The kids have watched demolition, power washing, painting, and carpentry. They are loving it! We have also taken advantage of the last days of summer to play in our kiddie pools and read great books outside!
“R” Fledgling Home School
Mother Goose Time –
The kids are loving their Invitations to Create with Mother Goose Time.
Exploring Nature with Children by Lynn Seddon – Week 1/2
We started seeds last Friday and have had a ton of fun opening various seed pods 🙂 The one pictured above is from a Moon Flower.
The image below is of the bird nest we found in our front porch.
This hawk feather was inside. Ladybug is a fan 🙂
This Friday we started week 2 of the nature study, which is focused on mini-beasts.
We found tons of caterpillars in our own backyard and at the park.
A Year of Playing Skillfully
We haven’t had tons of time to try lots of September’s activities, but we did make some wood stumps from the neighbor’s felled tree and get in some gross motor fun!
Around the World – Build Your Library
We read some of the Animal Atlas and Me On the Map. Next up is drawing a map of our home, but we’ve been too busy watching the repairs and updates going on around the house.
All About Reading
We completed the Letter E coloring/craft page and associated ear training activity. The kids love Ziggy Zebra. I keep forgetting to use the letter sound app to help with phonics, so if I type it here maybe I’ll remember next week 🙂 Maybe.
“R” Weekly Rhythm
Morning Basket
- Morning Prayer
- We are reviewing our music repertoire
- Canon in D by Pachelbel
- Chaconne for Organ in g minor by Couperin
- The Prince of Denmark’s March by Clarke
- “Spring” by Antonio Vivaldi
- Gloria in excelsis Deo by Antonio Vivaldi….
- Calendar
- Letters: A, M, T
- Numbers: 1,10,11
- Character Trait: Loving
- Spanish: Weather
Poetry Tea Time
Opening Prayer
“Table Blessing” by Mary Leonnna Frost from Poems and Prayers for the Very Young **a Ladybug favorite
Ladybug Recitation
“Mary, Mary, Quite Contrary” from Nursery Rhyme Treasury – Classic Nursery Rhymes to Share
Poetry Read Alouds
- Introduction to the Songs of Innocence by William Blake from Poetry Team Time Companion
- A Midsummer Night’s Dream (Act 2, Scene 1, lines 257-266) as suggested by How to Teach Your Children Shakespeare **a Ladybug Favorite
- “The Swing” from Robert Louis Stevenson’s A Child’s Garden of Verses
- “Hiding” by Dorothy Aldis from A Child’s Anthology of Poetry ** an Owl favorite
- “Do You Carrot All For Me? by Anonymous from from A Child’s Anthology of Poetry
Campfire Thursday
De Colores and Other Latin American Folksongs for Children and CD from Jose-Luis Orozco
Get Outside
There’s nothing more fun to photograph than an adorable child, a high bounce ball, and a shadow 🙂
Here’s our very own, home grown pumpkin!
Painting the jungle gym.
Setting our sweet nature study caterpillar free!
Enjoying some reading time with my sweet “big kids” in our tree house.
This boy and his cars, they go everywhere with him!
More bouncy ball fun!
He’s learning to swing all by himself, but still needs a stool to get up on the swing unassisted 🙂
He uses the swing to transport items up to the tree house 🙂
Anybody else have a pumpkin growing in their conifer tree? We do!
I’m seriously fascinated by this feat of nature!
We are also loving our last of the sunflowers this year and so are the bees!
Mama Corner
Mama Homework
- They want to know what every animal in the entire world eats this week.
- Reading “The Big Friendly Giant” has created more questions than I can even list here 🙂
Mama Moments
I love watching the kids interact and chat about what’s happening around the house. Even our littlest is joining the big kids at the door to watch the contractors!
Having my mom here continues to be a huge blessing.
Guppy loves this book! He giggles and smiles and loves to scratch his fingernails across the rough owl tail.
My sweet Owl loves to help Daddy. He asks everyday if they are going to “work” today. He means with tools!
Mama Projects
- I’m reading the classically educated mind and thinking about making a list of books to read.
- I’m researching the schole sisters.
- I’m cleaning and organizing like a bandit, trying to get everything moved out of the way of the contractors.
Mama Gratitude
This week, in addition to all the big things I have to be thankful for, I am also grateful for
- a chance to support a friend in need,
- a safe backyard for my kids to play,
- and access to an amazing library collection!
Fabulous Finds Around the Net
- iHomeSchool Network is having their 8th Annual Back to Home School Blog Hop!
- This week is Curriculum Week!
- $800 Cash Giveaway on Instagram until through September 14th!
- Members of iHomeSchool Network donated $20 a piece to a jackpot meant to bless one home school family with an $800 bonus this year!
Our Family’s Week In Books

Our Current Family Read-aloud is


Dad is reading


Mom is reading


The Kids are Reading







What has your family been doing and reading this week?