9 weeks down...

We're 1/4 of the way through school for the year!  So far, it has been a very engaging, fun year with lots of hands-on projects, activities, and lots of new skills that are being learned.

Noah and Kadin are both working through their own level of Math-U-See...Noah working on his multiplication and Kadin working on addition and subtraction.  We're covering subjects such as Writing, Grammar, Spelling, Spanish, and Latin, which are exciting and challenging at the same time.  Aaron is doing a great job learning his alphabet, numbers and other preschool things and tagging along with his big brothers when he can with their schoolwork.

There have been a couple of highlights in our curriculum this year.  One of these highlights is our Apologia Human Anatomy and Physiology course.  Noah and Kadin are studying the human body together, reading all assignments and illustrating their own Science Notebooks.  This curriculum incorporates so many cool projects to drive the learning home.  Our first two weeks were spent on the human cell...learning about its parts and functions.  The final project was making an edible cell out of Jello and candy.  Let me tell you, the boys were in heaven!  Here are some pictures from that project:

In addition to the cell, the boys have learned about the skeletal system and are now learning about the muscular system.  Lots of fun things planned for Science this year!

We are using an amazing curriculum for History, Geography and Bible this year called Tapestry of Grace.  It is a classical, Christian curriculum which uses the history of the world as the core educational theme.  Noah and Kadin are working on Year 1, which explores the Ancient World from Creation to the Fall of Rome.  They are learning so much, and it's all in order from the very beginning of history to current day, spread over 4 years.  We are anxious to learn about the United States, but I really feel that in order to appreciate what we have been through as a country for the past couple of hundred years, it's important to know where we've come from.  The world is an enormous place with a lengthy past and lots of history!  So we're starting at the beginning.  Here are a few pictures from one of the projects from Tapestry of Grace:

A pyramid scene that Kadin built with his Math-U-See blocks

Noah's Mummy

Kadin's Mummy

The dead guy... :)

The jars for the organs with the gods on top

Final project!

For our final Unit 1 Celebration, we will be celebrating Shabbat which is the traditional ancient Jewish Sabbath.  Al will be making homemade Challah bread, and I bought an inexpensive Kiddush Cup, Shabbat Candlesticks and candles.  It will be a wonderful way to remember our God and what He has done for us.  We are also going to have a traditional Passover Feast.  Pictures to follow...  :)