We have not fallen off the face of the earth !

peanut butter playdough using extra robot cake parts :)

Finally, a chance to sit down & update the happenings of homeschool from the last couple months. They seem like a complete blur and quite frankly the thought of trying to sit down & cover everything is sooo overwhelming that I have just been deciding not too :) But I can do a somewhat brief overview.
Zane & Zoe started an online program in January. I thought this would give them the challenge and freedom from me that they were looking for. Learning the system and starting a new curriculum was surely a challenge for us all but don't think for a moment when things got tough and the words " mom, we should've stuck with you . Your stuff was more fun ! " were uttered from their lips that I didn't delight in every second ( okay probably more like millisecond ) ! They are pretty much independent now just needing help & the occasional kick in pants to get things done :)

Carson ,Vania & I have been winging it and having fun!
For Carson we did a robot study & dolphin study using unit studies by Amanda Bennett. Now we are going through the Core Knowledge series , What A Third Grader Needs to Know and covering various science topics, working on writing , geography and anything else we can fit in before the end of the year. Carson is still using the same math curriculum Teaching Textbooks 3 and learning multiplication. We switched up language arts, so now he is using Language Lessons For The Well Trained Mind level 3 for grammar. For reading we are doing the Magic Tree House Club ( free ) from the site Currclick. Last but not least we will finish up ancient history, using the book Story of Our World, covering Rome.

For miss V we are just keeping it light. She did her own robot & ocean study using preschool packs from the site 1+1+1. New things since January include....writing her last name & memorizing her address & phone number. So we just do whatever we can think of, read & play on abcmouse.com alot. She is definitely ready for kindergarten work , but no rush :)

We are also back in co-op, which we LOVE. Carson is taking gym, nature enrichment & weather. Vania is taking geography , music and a story book class. The older 2 opted out this time because they would still need to work on their assignments online that day. So we miss them :(

Other than that the older kids start soccer at the end of the month . Yeah!!! By the time winter is over I am ready to see them come out of hibernation !

The weather here is CRAZY & we get out enjoy the nicer days as much as we can. I 'm counting the days until summer . Never thought I would say it , but really considering a trampoline to set them loose on when cabin fever is just too much :)

Carson's robot from recycling

Robot Day at COSI

our robot cake