Weekly Wrap-Up: T Is for Testing and Tea

A couple of days ago, I wrote about this being our CAT/5 standardized testing week for Tiny Girl.  There are ten tests, and she has completed nine.  Yesterday's mathematics computation wore her out, so we're waiting until Monday to do the second math test, mathematical analysis, or some such.  She's maintaining her perfect testing equlibrium with cups of peppermint tea and sometimes a few Rich Tea biscuits.

Despite the testing, we still managed to keep up with our AO readings.  We are continuing Diane Stanley's biography of Leonardo da Vinci, and we began "The Invention of the Electric Engine and Electric Locomotive" in Great Inventors and their Inventions.  We also read the chapters "Prince Henry, the Sailor" and "The Invention of Printing" in The Discovery of New Worlds, by M. B. Synge.  In This Country of Ours, we learned how America got is name.  The girls were astounded to learn that Christopher Columbus never set foot in our country, and we all enjoyed learning about Amerigo Vespucci.  I recall learning the name when I was in middle school, but never the story behind how our country (and the two new continents) came to be named after the Italian explorer.  And some of the suggested names, such as "Fer-Isabelica," after the Spanish monarchs who financed Columbus's voyages, made us laugh out loud.

It's been a little ticklish trying to keep Miss Priss on track during her sister's testing, but we've managed okay.  She still did her spelling lessons as scheduled, worked on math all but one day, and studied French three days and Latin two days.  Since she's only attacking two tests per day, Tiny Girl completed several math lessons and her grammar lesson this week.  Both girls practiced the piano as well.  The spring recital is in May, and they've begun working on their "special" pieces.

The girls have also read a lot this week. I'm so pleased they are developing into avid readers (just like their mama -- ahem). They are even reading in bed in the mornings when they wake up. Miss Priss is tearing through Mrs. Frisby and the Rats of NIMH, and Tiny Girl began the fourth book of Avi's Poppy series, Ereth's Birthday, this morning. She read the first three in record time.  Both girls are wanting to read all the time, and, while I applaud their enthusiasm, I've had to rein them in -- especially Miss Priss -- on a few occasions.  It's a sad fact of life that sometimes one has to work before one can read.  But I feel their pain.


I'd rather read than do math, myself.