Solar System! {School This Week}

I didn't originally write lesson plans for this week, because I was going to have a baby instead.  By Tuesday, when I was still pregnant and everyone was cagey with the rain, I sat down and wrote out plans for the rest of the week.  I'm glad I did because it's given us all something to do with our day and taken my mind off my pregnant self.  I don't do well with dwelling on my own woes.  Too much wah wah wah makes me selfish and crazy!

Mike was home Tuesday morning when the kids got dressed.  I take no responsibility for their outfits!

This week:

• we studied Greek Myths 
• Xavier is learning to count by 2's and is learning to blend in preparation for learning to read
• Natalee is continuing to memorize addition facts and working through her Rod & Staff with stories of Jacob/Israel
• we continued learning about the solar system (and are loving it!)

In my new love of magnetizing everything, I printed and laminated two sets of solar system photos and put magnets on the back for the big kids to play around with.

There's a "big set" that they have to just line up, because of space on the board:

 and also a small set that they can put in orbit, with the sun properly in the middle:

I like the small set because the planets aren't labeled so they have to know a bit about what they should look like to put them in the correct order.  Keeping them properly spaced in "orbit" is hard but they are getting there!  Both sets also have an asteroid belt to put between Mars and Jupiter. 

I'm very impressed with what the children are retaining about the solar system and love their excitement in learning new things.  I've started making a list of random facts so we can play Q&A buzzers!  This morning I supplemented our lesson on the sun with a few pages from Usborne's Beginning Reader Sun, Moon and Stars. 

Natalee reads these books all the time - to herself and her brother - and is always saying, "Mom/Dad, did you know....?"  Often we didn't know!

Except for being a bit behind on our Greek Myths read alouds (that Xavier thinks are hilarious, by the way) we are all caught up with a full week of school.  Tomorrow is co-op and we are going unless...well I won't say it out loud lest I jinx myself.  Let's just say we're going unless we can't!  I'm thankful we (I) didn't waste this week in self pity and instead enjoyed my children and their educations!