Weekly Wrap-Up: Colonial Tempers and the Weather Are Heating Up

 I was a slug-a-bed this week, as was Tiny Girl. The time change, which has never bothered me before, cooked my goose this week! But education continued apace, thank goodness! And so did the arrival of spring. Ah, books and spring. Two of my favorite things!

In many of our subjects, we are clicking along smoothly, e.g., Bible study, poetry, copywork, piano, and French. Once the girls complete their current Spelling Power levels in a couple of weeks, we'll wrap up spelling for the year. We focused on pronouns and their referents in grammar. In math, Miss Priss worked on long division, with and without remainders, graphs and charts, and basic operations. Tiny Girl practiced basic operations and word problems, as well as more fraction work.

The weather's not the only thing heating up. It was excitement galore in our readings this week. In George Washington's World, we read about the French and Indian War, the Seven Years' War in Europe, and Britain's strong presence in India. Abigail Adams: Witness to a Revolution painted a vivid picture of colonial discontent with the mother country. What with the Stamp Act and the Townsend Acts -- taxes, all -- tempers are running high. And in This Country of Ours, we learned about the French exploration of the mighty Mississippi River and the many trials, struggles, and heartbreaks the early explorers endured. I appreciated how this particular chapter underscores the difference between the French and British attitudes toward the New World: for the French, America loomed large as a land for exploration and adventure; but for the British, America was a new homeland.

To accent our readings, we began the Daily Life pocket from History Pockets. We focused this week on colonial dress:

Each paper doll featured separate articles of clothing, such as a shift, petticoat, gown, apron, pockets, and coif for the colonial woman.

Once colored and cut out, the clothing could be placed atop the doll in order and glued at the top only. That way, you can see all the articles of clothing. It looked to me like they would have been sweltering in the summer!

In our literature readings, Miss Priss finished Anne of Green Gables and is halfway through with an adapted version of The Last of the Mohicans, by James Fenimore Cooper, which is set during the French and Indian War. She continues to enjoy Redwall, by Brian Jacques, and The Peterkin Papers. Tiny Girl finished The Borrowers and continues The Princess and Curdie. I reserved Calico Captive at the library; it's also set in the French and Indian War. You can read my earlier review of this book here, if you are so inclined.

Together we are reading Robinson Crusoe, which the girls are enjoying more now that I'm reading it aloud. they know there are cannibals in the story, and Tiny Girl anxiously awaits their arrival on the scene. I'm wondering if that should worry me. . . .

And of course there were tumbling class, Wednesday night activities at church, and horseback riding going on this week as well. This weekend are two sleepovers, World Thinking Day with the Girls Scouts (our troop is hosting a booth on Ireland), and a birthday party. Whew!

Pop over toe Weird, Unsocialized Homeschoolers to read more fab Wrap-Ups!