School days

Let's just say that school has been quite interesting these days with the recent quarantine over the coronavirus.  DJ has been working from home (or shall I say the kitchen table) and it is a bit distracting at times.  He takes calls there and also has his zoom video calls.  It wouldn't be so bad if we were in the classroom, but this teacher is 9 months pregnant and over climbing up down those stairs for school.  I park it in my chair at the table and we have been making do.  It's that time of year when the weather is warming up and we all want to be outside anyway!  Here are a few things we've been up to lately.

Mumbs was shown the spindle rods today (even though she doesn't know all of her numbers.)  I just couldn't resist her when she brought it up from the classroom.  She did really well and is actually capable of working with it.  Ideally, the child has mastered the red rods, number rods and cards, and the number sandpaper letters.  However, following the child usually takes priority!

Bubs worked with fractions.  He was struggling with the concept of adding fractions with unlike denominators.  He persevered though and ended up doing 10 equations by himself.

Ok, I'm not sure if this painting is Mumbs or Belle's or actually a combination.  All I know is that I was on a phone call and then I got word from an older child that they were painting in the classroom by themselves and there was paint on the floor, all over the easel, and on themselves!  #wherewastheteacher

Nito worked on the sensorial decanomial.

T-Man working on the small bead frame.  He was shown dynamic subtraction and has taken off with it.  I tend to underestimate his capability.  He is still little T-Man to me.

Mumbs has been very interested in the sandpaper letters so I am trying to not lose this sensitive period without taking full advantage of it.  I neglected T-Man during this phase and he is not quite where I would like him to be with his reading.  Hopefully, I can keep it up after the baby comes and with summer approaching. 

Nito and T-Man love the new clock I got.  Ok, it's a bit huge and obnoxious, but it has some cool features.  The dial can be turned and the small circles will change to roman numerals, a 24 hr clock, or it will have words like "half past".  

Ok so then this happened!  Our daily walk while we prayed the rosary.  Although I give DJ a hard time sometimes, it has been such a blessing to have him at home during his busy season as a tax accountant.  He is home for all of our meals and we sneak in extra daddy time when he isn't on a call.  Mumbs loves pushing Belle in the stroller.  

The kids are on a home school cross country team through our church, but practice has been cancelled for the spring season.  I decided to take matters into my own hands and try to recreate some of the things they do in their spring conditioning practices.  We happened to have two random tires from the van and some logs from when we lost branches from our tree.  I created different obstacle courses with cones, balls, a soccer goal, wheelbarrow, etc and then timed each of them to make it competitive.  You would be surprised how hard it is to push a tire!

Kui working hard to not let her younger brothers beat her.  She beat Bubs by 6 seconds!

Nito jumping through tires and over logs.  He then had to go kick a ball in the soccer goal and push the wheelbarrow around the blue spruce tree.

In the end, all of the children, even Belle, were doing the obstacle course in their own way.  It was a lot of fun to watch and those boys really need to get their daily dose of jumping and climbing out of their system.  

We will probably take Holy Week off or we may persevere since school will essentially be over for the year once the baby comes in a few weeks.  I will continue to post about our weekly Sunday dinners as I can. China is tomorrow.  Very fitting for our current lockdown situation.  Mumbs picked the country this week.  Stay tuned!