Day 20

And so ends the first four weeks of school. Doesn't that seem like it should be a big milestone? Most importantly, I survived the first four weeks of schooling three kids, with a needy baby underfoot. And a dog. And two cats. And two rabbits. And two tangerine trees. And a move to a new house. Don't I get a parade or something?

We started today with a craft for Coral, and Ibis wanted to join in. Together we made paper bag puppets in the form of dogs (for Coral's letter D week), which took a lot longer than I would have imagined, partly because the baby kept trying to eat all of the pieces. Mmmm, paper.

Coral glues her dog puppet

doggy kisses

Then we got through all of the kids' regular lessons, and ended with our Friday ritual of an art lesson. This week called for studying the elements of sculpture, and using aluminum foil to sculpt an animal of choice. Alexei went with an alligator, Ibis a duck, Coral a princess (after some discussion we agreed that yes, technically that qualified as an animal),  and Hobie sat under the table and chewed on things.

4 kids pursue the arts

alligator, chomp!

Ibis and her duck

the alligator under the table

I also found a new use for the Superyard XT (aka the baby cage) we went and spent $70 on, which the baby won't touch with a ten foot pole.

Snowball in the baby cage

Make that two uses.

Fuzzy checks things out

Sure, now he wants in.

Hobie eyes that rabbit longingly

Alexei, Grade 4
read book of choice : Ice Drift


Ibis, Grade 2
math p 57-60 : comparing tens and ones to whole numbers
reading practice pages 26-28 : preparation for Dogs
reading p 116-134 : Dogs by Jennifer Cline
science p 64-71 : read about reptiles, amphibians, and fish, and journal about an animal from one of them

Coral, pre-K
color and glue paper dog puppet
listen to Ibis read Dogs


all grades
art p 89 : sculpt an animal with aluminum foil