It was a dark and stormy night....

Actually, it was the best weather ever for trick-or-treating. I couldn't believe we could be out in shorts sleeves and sandals--that is a first!

The storm was during the day when Brynn and I were sick and throwing up!

Everyone managed to get a little trick-or-treating in by the end of the day so it wasn't a total dud. Kate and Adrie went to a neighborhood Halloween party earlier in the day.

All the anticipation of the candy-filled holiday made it just a bit harder to concentrate on school work this week. Kate did some extra lessons at the first of the week so she could have Friday off.

Kate has been doing awesome with her spelling words (ae, ai, ae, and ay words) and moving right along to more challenging words. We reviewed verbs, past, present, and irregular. Also, we reviewed what it means to proofread: check spelling, capitals, periods, and putting sentences in correct order.

The Long Way to a New Land was a chapter book Kate read about a family who immigrated to America from Sweden during the "hunger years." The girls were grateful they didn't have to eat bitter bread made from moss in the woods. The follow up to it was The Long Way Westward .

It continued the story of the same family traveling in rough conditions on the "emigrant cars" on their way to settle the Midwest.

The mathletes are working on counting money and telling time. Kate is very adept at counting money because almost every day she gets out her stash and counts it--just to make sure it is all there. Right now she has $30.00 plus we owe her $7.00 in school rewards, $1 for practicing all week, and $3 that I borrowed earlier this week. Yeah! I know, it's sad when your 7 yr old is lending you cash. She has been saving money for 3 months now waiting for that perfect thing to buy.....will it still be rockstar microphone?

Online, we have a fun activity with other k12-ers called "Who wants to be a millionaire." It is an game that the 2nd graders can log-in to and play together to review math and language arts. The goal is to help them prepare for end of year testing. Kate really was excited to participate so I'm sure we'll be logging in to join every Tues. and Thurs. and adding up more "cash."

For science we are studying Animal Life Cycles. We acted out the life cycle of a butterfly. First rolling up into an egg then hatching into a larva (caterpillar) then wrapping up in a blanket cocoon in the pupa stage and emerging out as a butterfly (with tinkerbell fairy wings.)

We also learned about the reptile life cyle using modeling clay. First the egg, then the hatchling (we made baby snakes) then they grew into adult snakes. I made a big snake to eat their snakes and we I gave them a good n gory description of how constrictors first sneak up on their prey, then strike and bite it, then squeeze it to death, and finally swallow it whole. Kate had invited her friend Emily over to join us for Thurs. science. They both made a steady diet of cute little mice for my snake to devour again and again.

Spanish has been a lot of fun with the PowerGlide program. The other day we went to Wal-Mart and Adrie was delighted to hear a Spanish speaking mom yell to her son, "MALO!" She has been telling everyone about it. That has to be the favorite foreign phrase around here, along with CUIDADO! NO! and NUNCA! I like to have a little fun with that last one. Sometimes when they ask a question, "Can I have a snack? NUNCA "Can we get a TV?" NUNCA and "When is it going to be Christmas? NUNCA. Try it! It's lots of fun because it makes anyone sound like a wicked step-mother.

Last of all, for Art we looked at some paintings of animals and studied how they are depicted in art: using tiny brushstrokes for fur, for example. The girls painted their own animal pictures. Brynn's was a turtle, Kate did a bear and a bird, Adrie is good at bugs. Their favorite things to make and color however, are MERMAIDS. We made mermaid paper dolls that the girls colored making faces, hair, and seashell bikinis.

And that's the week in a wrap: Next week we'll be having a little Fall Vacation to Sunny St. George! Travel is the best education afterall ;)