Weekly Report: Acutally, a monthly report

Well, there's no way I can write about all the things we've done this past month. We haven't been officially been doing school, but that doesn't mean we can't learn things while we have fun!

Here are some of the highlights:

Claire surprised us all by riding a two-wheeled bike. My parents have an old bike (the one Elise learned to ride on) and one day Claire said, "I can ride this bike." And she did. I helped her get on and then she just took off. Just like that. The next few days she learned to stop and start all by herself. It was really fun to watch her.

My parents live in the woods on the Wisconsin river, so there is a plethora of wild life and nature to observe. Unfortunately, I didn't take many pictures of the wild
life. We were fascinated by all the birds. A few that we recognized were:

chickadees
nuthatches
wood peckers
hummingbirds
gold finches
cardinals
owls
wild turkeys
cranes
herons
larks
swallows
warblers
crows
and even a bald eagle!

We also observed all the different trees around us. We made lovely leaf rubbings, which I did not take a picture of or bring home with us.

There were, of course, the forest animals as well. Plenty of squirrels and chipmunks. We also saw deer and frogs. On my jogs along the country highway I saw lots of other animals, but they were all squished pretty flat a long the side. I think one was a porcupine and another I'm sure was a skunk.

Sam wrote a poem about nature. I had him sit outside and observe for 10 min. then come in and write about all the wonderful things he saw:

One unbearably hot summer Tuesday,
I sat outside and roasted.
While I roasted I heard birds
and crickets chirping.
How can they chirp in the heat?
The wind blows
but it spreads the heat and
does not cool me.
The waves cool me down
not the wind.
The roasting sun makes the
blue waves
sparkle.

He also learned a new piano song and is getting pretty good at kayaking. He wrote a little on his blog about his camping adventure.

Elise was in heaven in Mummu's attic. She LOVES to explore all the forgotten toys and nick nack treasures that my parents have hung on to all these years. She did some writing but not much. She practiced some piano, but not much. Elise did do a lot of reading, imagining, exploring, dancing, drawing and even tried kayaking.

Anna thoroughly enjoyed herself. She had fun playing with her cousin. It was good for her to have to share and Henrik tolerated her bossiness pretty well. She loved playing with mummu and pappa too. Poor child number 4 doesn't always get that much individual attention at home, but at mummu and pappa's I'm sure she felt like the most important child.

Book Reviews:

The Sign of the Beaver by Elizabeth George Speare
Matt is a young boy on the brink of becoming a young man in colonial America. He is left alone in a small cabin in Maine, while his father goes to fetch his mother and sister. Matt befriends an Indian boy whose father wants him to learn English. In return, the Indian boy teaches Matt about the forest, the animals, and what it means to become a man. After months Matt wonders if his family will return. As winter approaches he must make the difficult decision to go with the Indians or stay and wait for his family.

My children and I really enjoyed reading this book. It took several attempts to get going, but once the plot started moving we were anxious to see how Matt and Attean faired against bears and foxes and cultural barriers. Matt and Attean are the type of characters you want your kids to read about and emulate.

The Read-Aloud Handbook: Sixth Edition by Jim Trelease
This book is one of the most inspiring books I've read! If you are a parent, I'm going to say this is a must read. As if you needed any more reason to read to your kids, Jim Trelease, makes a compelling argument for taking the time to do so. In a very approachable and often witty voice he tells of his own experience reading to his children and well as those of countless educators and parents.

His book list is a real treasure. I especially enjoyed his argument in defense of Harry Potter. Hooray! Can't say enough good about this book.

Austenland: A Novel by Shannon Hale
This was exactly the kind of book I wanted to read on vacation. It's a quick read, maybe a few days. Very light and entertaining, especially if you are an Austen fan. I felt that Shannon Hale's writing was a little juvenile in some spots, but that's not always a bad thing. It made me feel giddy and younger. The few reviews I'd read said the end had a nice twist, and I was not disappointed.






Saving Fish from Drowning: A Novel by Amy Tan
I really enjoyed Tan's "Joy Luck Club" and "Bonesetter's Daughter." This book does not resemble much of either. It is narrated by the ghost of a recently murdered woman whose voice I found tedious to read. There is mystery and Tan is still very much the weaver of rich words, but the plot didn't feel focused. I ended up skimming most of the chapters to find out what happens in the end and still felt like I wasted my time. But look at that lovely cover! It looks so inviting. Just goes to show you, you can't judge....



Bleak House by Charles Dickens
I am currently reading Bleak House. My mother warned me of the all the technical, legal language Dickens uses in this novel that takes frequent jabs at the corrupt Victorian legal system. It's a little slow going, but like most Dickens, I'm sure it will pick up. I want to watch the PBS mini-series, but I have to read the book first.







BBC's Martin Chuzzlewit by Charles Dickens
Ok, now I'm going to cross myself here...I watched this excellent mini-series last week, without having read the book. It is the story of a very rich old man and all of his relatives and acquaintances; conniving, repentant, evil, saintly and all (except a few) with an eye on his money. It is also about very patient love and forgiveness. I really loved this production.