20 days complete

It feels good to know we have 20 days of lessons under our belt. Yahoo! 

Here are 8 reflections/observations from our school time this week. 

1) Aaron is less interested in all the activities I put in his workboxes. The novelty has worn off. He can be encouraged to work on his boxes, but is very happy listening to a book on tape, playing with Lego duplos or pushing cars. I'm thankful for his imagination and ability to play independently! You know what they say about the best laid plans...  :)

2) I've changed around our "Circle Time" routine this year and it's working! I hadn't stopped to realize this until right now. This was a challenging time for us last year. The boys are enjoying singing our school theme song, "This is My Father's World."

3) Ethan has really flourished in his fine motor skills and handwriting. For now, he seems to like most of the lessons we do. It's amazing to me how distractible he can be at times and how focused he can be at other times. His favorite school assignments are: math and explode the code (phonics). I need to remember this blessing.

4) We are all really enjoying the hands on history lessons we are doing with Luke.  This week we made a wigwam, teepees and the Jamestown settlement with Lincoln Logs and Jenga pieces. 

5) It was so fun to pull out this leaf mosaic craft to do with Aaron. I did the same craft with Luke and Ethan when they were 3 or 4. I was really pleased with Aaron's focus in laying his dried beans in the glue. (We did this project while L & E were at their homeschool co-op art class.)

6) On Wednesday's due to our morning Community Bible Study commitment, we do our lessons in the afternoon. I was nervous about lots of resistance to do school at a different time of day, but so far Ethan is being a great leader in this. We have had our moments and will probably have many more, but Wednesday afternoon school was mostly successful this week. (It helped that it was raining and dreary outside and the boys didn't feel like they were missing anything!)

7) Love to see the coloring this boy does. He has a gift!

8) I treasure these smiles. :) 

Sometimes you just have to look for the rainbows! :)