7 Quick Takes, Volume 43

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The five AIRY5 children are all sick.  That's 5 stuffy noses, 5 sore throats, 5 aching heads.  Time for 5 little shots of whiskey, all for mom to make it through the day!

Since everyone is sick, this will have to be the quickest 7 takes ever.  So for the remaining 6, here are some homeschooling takes I've been thinking about lately:

~2~

I highly recommend Draw Write Now for Language Arts for young children.  My girls are all enjoying these activities immensely, and ask to do them even when we aren't "doing" school.  Here are some of our creations:

~3~

Reading out loud is magical.  We are currently reading By the Great Horn Spoon, by Sid Fleischman.  Reading out loud makes us slow down and spend time together.  By reading out loud to my kids, I have discovered that my reluctant readers are amazing listeners: their comprehension is outstanding, and I would not have known that without taking the time to read to them.

~4~

When I showed the kids on an atlas that in order for gold-seekers to get from Boston to San Francisco, they had to sail all the way down to and around Cape Horn at the bottom of South America, my son said "Why didn't they just cut a channel through THERE???" pointing directly at the spot where the Panama Canal is today.

Great idea kid!

~5~

Tuesdays are movie day at our little escuela.  I usually pick a movie that has some (but not oodles) of educational value.  I mostly just look for great stories.    This week, we watched Chariots of Fire.  Last week, it was Maverick.

But this take is about Netflix.  Oh Netflix, WHY is it that 95% of the movies we want to watch are not available via Instant Streaming?    It's making me crazy.  I think of a great movie, we get all excited, and then BAM!  Our hopes are dashed by seeing the dreaded "not available" in the Netflix search results.  Curse you, Netflix!

~6~

In a few weeks, we are going to the Monterey Bay Aquarium for a field trip.  I'm a native Californian and I've never been there.  I might be more excited than the children.  If you've been there, please share a highlight: what should I be sure to see?  What was your favorite part?

~7~

My little 5 year old is soaking up the learning.  

Yesterday, I was flipping through Brain Quest cards with her older sister, and we came to this question:  "If you have 12¢, and then you find 4 pennies, how much will you have?"  The 7 year old guessed 14, and when I said "Nope!  Try again!" the little one piped up: "16!"  All 5 of us in the room did a double take.  

She probably memorized it from hearing the same question before, but it was pretty darn funny, I must say.  We all got a big kick out of it, and now, everywhere she goes, she's telling people she meets what 12 + 4 is.

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Visit the original 7 Quick Takes at Conversion Diary.  Click on a few links.  Throw out a few comments.  Enjoy your Friday.

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