Homeschool Week 2: Finding a rhythm.

This is the boring part of the week.  This is his math and while he "gets" it, he isn't interested in doing it.  So, I need to research some ways to make the concept more fun.  We did look through the newspaper to find big numbers (in the Business section) and then we played around with those numbers based on how they were written in the paper.  If they were in word form, we wrote them numerically.  If they were numerical form, we wrote them in word form.  That's about the best I could do for place value up to the 100 millions.  Next week will be interesting because we are doing measurements.  That'll be fun!

Then we spent a great deal of time reading The Double Life of Pocahontas"  by Jean Fritz.  A chapter a day this week and since we are studying the events at Jamestown this week we made a scale model of Jamestown.  I've realized we do want to spend much more time on colonial history.  He's loving it and there is SO much to learn and do. 

On a personal note, with Jamestown on our minds, Cooper and I had a discussion, which truly makes you think about eternity on Wednesday.  The book we are reading is long winded and so we take turns.  When we began and he started huffing and puffing about having to read, I told him..."This story you are reading may be historical fiction but it doesn't mean that these people and events weren't real."  We talked about that these people were moms and dads, brothers and sisters, children and grandchildren.  That the cried when they were hurt, afraid and overwhelmed by love.  They held their babies and read their Bibles and worshiped God.  While the story of Jamestown is quite horrific and most where the laziest men ever in history; the town eventually grew and new towns sprang from it and more people and families arrived as settlers.  These people were real.  

Then, later Wednesday evening I was dancing in the kitchen with Jake.  It was a slow dance, mostly to keep him interested so he would stay in my arms longer than he would if I just stood there holding him.  I tried to make an impression in my mind that his arms were small, soft and warm and his little body was so small.  I eventually cried later thinking about this moment and how many moments in history moms have done this very thing, even maybe in Jamestown.  The feeling of his little arms and the loving hug...that's the treasure I want in Heaven. 

P.S.  Here's a picture of the big project for the week.

Click on Image for Close Up