It's Reportin' Time

Let's see, we've been so busy around here with life and such but school always gets done in one way or another. I just haven't taken the time to sit down and put fingers to keys to get it documented.

Today I'm going to do just that . . . so here's what Baby Boy has been up to:

• Composition - We're still moving steadily along with SWI-C. We just completed lesson 7 of 15, so I guess that means we're officially not quite but just about halfway through. We just covered note taking and study skills, which are essential for any young person who intends to make his move into college courses in a few weeks. I'm wanting to finish up this entire program by Christmas break, so we really need to pick up the pace. A lot of the lessons don't really take the entire week, but I guess I've been kind of lazy implementing them. Sometimes it has gotten pushed to the back burner, and although I love my son, I'll admit that initiative in schoolwork isn't one of his glowing attributes.
  

• Vocabulary - Still loving it. We finished up section 6. I've been making up the quizzes using this website instead of using the reviews from the book. I find them to be more challenging and also more in line with how the SAT presents questions. It takes a little time to get them together, but time is all we homeschooling Moms have. Right? ;-)

• Literature - We FINALLY finished War of the Worlds! For a short book, it sure was a long read. I'm not sure who it was that said the movie is better than the book, but it certainly is the truth. That book was so dry and boring that Baby Boy and I have just barely been limping through a chapter here and there. I thought we'd never get finished. Seriously, H.G. Wells spent about one hundred pages describing the narrator's walk from here to there. He got there, OK! Let it go. Next week we are going to listen to the Orson Welles radio broadcast that scared everyone silly in 1938 and probably watch both the 1953 and 2005 movie versions of the book. Of course, writing assignments will be involved. It can't be all fun and games. ;-)
  

• Shakespeare - Baby Boy's group has decided to re-vamp and re-perform The Comedy of Errors. Baby Boy will be doing some behind the scenes assistance as well as playing the part of Duke Solinus. For those of you who've been reading for a while, they performed this play about a year and a half ago, but the director is feeling a little overwhelmed with other projects, so she wants to revisit it instead of starting a new play from scratch. There are several new students and most of the former students have chosen different parts than they originally played, so I think it will have a new flavor and energy from the last time. I guess only time will tell.
  

• Pre-Caluculus - We just wrapped up chapter 3 on rational functions. Baby Boy has gotten very good at using the graphing calculator. I sit and nod and smile during all the lessons and thank goodness for the detailed video explanations. My specialty is checkbook math. Once they passed over that, well . . . I became quite useless in the whole mathematics equations, LOL. Next chapter up is Exponential and Logarithmic Functions. Anyone wanna trade lives with me for a few weeks?

• Chemistry - Well Baby Boy came home from class extra excited because they melted magnesium this week. I'm not sure what magnesium is or why he had so much fun melting it, but I do know I had to send additional funds for a different high powered butane burner because the alcohol burner that was provided at the beginning of the year didn't get hot enough for all the stuff they plan to burn, liquefy and evaporate for the rest of the year. They just finished up a chapter on "The Mole" and I think I understand what a mole is now after listening to the Teaching Company DVD explaining it to me. Thank goodness for Mr. Cardulla or I'd be in the dark about everything going on in chemistry class. I'm also pleased to announce that Baby Boy made a 95.5% (isn't that a 96%) on his first 6 weeks review. I definitely think I made the right decision to outsource this class. I'm sure that would have never happened with me in charge!

• Extra-Curricular - Baby Boy invited his friend-that's-a-girl-but-isn't-his-girlfriend to our bowling group this month. I got to meet her Mom and the two younger siblings. They all seem very nice. I don't have any photos, because I couldn't seem to get them very discreetly. Next time I'm just going to pop out from behind the ball return and scream "SAY CHEESE" when everyone least expects it. Baby Boy is also plugging along in tae kwon do . . . still going strong with the brown belt. I wonder how long it takes before he gets to test for his black belt. He's supposed to be finding out for me, but so far he hasn't, so I guess we may never know. Also, the boys were having so much fun with Ultimate Frisbee that we are meeting twice a month instead of once a month. We had to move it to an earlier time slot because, since the time change, it gets dark so early. Baby Boy has a light-up Ultimate Disc, so sometimes they play in the dark, but I don't like sitting out there being mosquito bait, so I like when they finish before dark.
  

I think that's it. Well, actually that's only about the half of it, but this is a super-long post already, so let's just say that's it for now, LOL.


I hope everyone has a fantastic weekend. We have beautiful weather here so I'm going to try to get outside and enjoy it a bit.


Until next time . . .