We’ve been working hard at our weather unit and we’re loving it!

First we made a rain gauge and placed it outside.

Every day we check how much water is in it, and make a new guess about tomorrow’s weather.

We didn’t get much rain! But we got plenty of snow, which melted. Then we measured that precipitation too!

We checked the temperature, it was too warm for more snow, but still pretty cold!

We watched the thermometer go up with hot water and learned how it works to tell the temperature.

 Bug took notes of everything he learned for his science notebook.

Science and Math are Bug’s favorite subjects. He asks every day if he can “do school”, even on weekends. We don’t mind because Mom and Dad are having fun with it too!  Next week we are going to learn about measuring the wind speed and checking the direction of the wind.

(Unit is a combination of RSO, MBtP and Scholastic printables)

Today we took the kids to DC to see the museums and monuments. We started the day at the Smithsonian Museum of Natural History to check out some animals and learn about habitats. I am planning on starting moving beyond the page with the kids as soon as we get settled into our new home, and I thought it would be the perfect introduction to the first unit, “Environment”.

The boys really enjoyed it, especially the great big dinosaurs, and the mammoth!

However, the biggest learning moment of the day had nothing to do with habitats.

Bug had an epiphany at the white house!

We were standing there talking about how the white house was where the president lived, and the conversation went just like this:

Bug: “Wait! You mean President Obama is REAL? That’s so COOL!”

Me  “Well, of course he is real, he’s the president.”

Bug: “I thought President Obama was imaginary. He’s on TV.”

Me: “They show him on TV because he is important. He’s real and he lives here”

Bug: *pause* “so, does Batman live here too?”

Me: *smacks forehead*

I hope he was just being goofy. But if not, I would call today a success. Knowing the president isn’t imaginary is probably an important lesson for a five-year old.

I have no idea what I am doing.

We ordered our Moving Beyond the Page (5-7 unit 1) first unit now, so when we get to Germany, ideally, we can jump right in. It should arrive just a couple of days before we get on the plane to go, so I will have the plane ride to look it over and figure out what I really got myself into.

In the meantime, we are trying to focus on learning to read, so when we do get started, he’ll be able to keep up. (the website says it’s for “gifted” kids and I think Bug is pretty darn bright, but I don’t know if they expect him to be able to read at all)

For the last week or so, I have slowly introduced what it means to do “learning at home” with Mama, and he seems to really like it. We have been using starfall.com’s phonics workbook, and progressive phonics alphabetti readers. He’s happy, but I feel a little bit anxious about HOW to teach him, and if this is really going to work.

I’ve spent HOURS *read: I’ve been downright obsessive* pouring over curriculum options, state requirements, teaching plans…. everything, trying to figure out how NOT to ruin my child. So far, I haven’t purchased anything other than the one MBtP unit, and I am trying to not get sucked into the black-hole that is the homeschool market, but holy CRAP. I want to do this RIGHT.

No wonder everything is so expensive, they are preying on a Mama’s conscience here!

Check out the curriculum tab to see what we have “decided” to use for now…. I’m sure it will change frequently!