Zoe has been writing poetry all week. In her Lightening Lit class she is studying Shakespeare's Sonnets and she wrote a rather nice sonnet yesterday.
She is also taking an online class with Michael Clay Thompson this week. She is really enjoying it. He is really teaching them to think about poetry, to listen to the sound, think about the choices the poet makes.
She has written at least two poems a day in that class. She likes the assignments MCT is giving her.
Then, this afternoon is wrote a piano song and recorded it on Garage Band.
Thursday, January 21, 2010
Monday, January 18, 2010
MLK Day
We didn't take a break today. We worked on some projects. Zoe started on a five paragraph essay about DNA. She attended an online seminar about poetry with Michael Clay Thompson. (She is a huge fan and MCT is a celebrity in her world.)
We watched two really good episodes of Dr. Who, including Blink. We played Quelf. And I worked on my book while she played some fairy game online.
We listened to some news and talked about MLK, though not as much as we did last year when we watched his speech and did a whole unit on it.
We watched two really good episodes of Dr. Who, including Blink. We played Quelf. And I worked on my book while she played some fairy game online.
We listened to some news and talked about MLK, though not as much as we did last year when we watched his speech and did a whole unit on it.
Sunday, January 17, 2010
Week End
We had a good weekend.
Friday night we took Zoe and her friend out to dinner, then the girls came back and played and Pere and I watched a DVD.
Saturday Zoe and her friend had dance class. Then the friend came back over for a play date. In the evening we went to a neighbors house for a chili party.
Today Zoe had Sunday school and then in the afternoon Brian and I went to see Lovely Bones, which we both thought was good.
I am pretty happy with my progress this new year. I have been trying to keep under 1500 calories a day and work out 3 days a week. I'm doing a running program called Couch to 5K. So far so good to both of my goals.
My third goal is about my writing and I have been doing well on that too. I am really happy with my book. I wish I could spend more time writing than I get to. But, all in good time.
Friday night we took Zoe and her friend out to dinner, then the girls came back and played and Pere and I watched a DVD.
Saturday Zoe and her friend had dance class. Then the friend came back over for a play date. In the evening we went to a neighbors house for a chili party.
Today Zoe had Sunday school and then in the afternoon Brian and I went to see Lovely Bones, which we both thought was good.
I am pretty happy with my progress this new year. I have been trying to keep under 1500 calories a day and work out 3 days a week. I'm doing a running program called Couch to 5K. So far so good to both of my goals.
My third goal is about my writing and I have been doing well on that too. I am really happy with my book. I wish I could spend more time writing than I get to. But, all in good time.
Monday, January 11, 2010
homeschool today
Math - Algebra word problems
Language Arts - New vocabulary words and a test
History - The Puritans, Anne Hutchinson, Mary Dyer and the Quakers
Science - Sudoku - she solved her first real sudoku and kakuro puzzles
Japanese - more Kanji, getting ready for a big kanjo test
Art - Painted clay model figures
Read Aloud - Poetry by Ralph Waldo Emerson - The Sphinx, A Letter, and Each and All - discussed rhyme scheme, metaphor, simile and meaning. Added vocabulary words Benison ad Cumber.
Lightning Lit
Piano - she really loves her Ragtime piece.
Language Arts - New vocabulary words and a test
History - The Puritans, Anne Hutchinson, Mary Dyer and the Quakers
Science - Sudoku - she solved her first real sudoku and kakuro puzzles
Japanese - more Kanji, getting ready for a big kanjo test
Art - Painted clay model figures
Read Aloud - Poetry by Ralph Waldo Emerson - The Sphinx, A Letter, and Each and All - discussed rhyme scheme, metaphor, simile and meaning. Added vocabulary words Benison ad Cumber.
Lightning Lit
Piano - she really loves her Ragtime piece.
Actual lecture I just gave Z
Zoe, life isn't always going to come to you easily. Sometimes it is going to be frustrating and difficult.
Right now you are not just practicing piano. You are practicing how you are going to deal with things that are frustrating. You are practicing for real life. One day you are going to have a child and they are going to be frustrating and huffing and crying and getting yourself even more worked up is not going to help the situation.
Someday you will have a job and it might get frustrating and the frustration might not go away quickly. So you are going to have to learn how to deal with it. You are training right now for that day.
So, think about who you want to be. Think, who is Zoe and how does she handle things when they don't go well or when they are difficult. Think about the person you want to be. Feel it inside you.
Now, when you are ready, start the piece again. And if you can't get the piano piece right, you can feel still feel good because you are also practicing becoming the person you want to be.
Right now you are not just practicing piano. You are practicing how you are going to deal with things that are frustrating. You are practicing for real life. One day you are going to have a child and they are going to be frustrating and huffing and crying and getting yourself even more worked up is not going to help the situation.
Someday you will have a job and it might get frustrating and the frustration might not go away quickly. So you are going to have to learn how to deal with it. You are training right now for that day.
So, think about who you want to be. Think, who is Zoe and how does she handle things when they don't go well or when they are difficult. Think about the person you want to be. Feel it inside you.
Now, when you are ready, start the piece again. And if you can't get the piano piece right, you can feel still feel good because you are also practicing becoming the person you want to be.
Happy Birthday Pere
We celebrated Pere's birthday last week. He got presents for his main two hobbies, music and cooking.
Zoe started doing dance again. I wanted her to take a break from gymnastics and try something else for awhile. This new dance school as a performing dance group that she can audition for. She is looking forward to doing that.
Last week was also our first week of school for the new year (that went well!) and my first week back running for the Couch to 5K program. I also got very close to hitting my goal of writing for 4 hours a day. I fell a little short do to a banking error that had me on the phone for hours over two days.
Zoe started doing dance again. I wanted her to take a break from gymnastics and try something else for awhile. This new dance school as a performing dance group that she can audition for. She is looking forward to doing that.
Last week was also our first week of school for the new year (that went well!) and my first week back running for the Couch to 5K program. I also got very close to hitting my goal of writing for 4 hours a day. I fell a little short do to a banking error that had me on the phone for hours over two days.
Snowing Again
This is what it looks like outside already. And it is snowing again. The snowflakes are falling slowly. It's beautiful.
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