John's Curriculum for Grade 1

Math-Horizons Math 1 Book 2/ Math 2 Book 1
Language Arts- Explode the Code Books 4,5&6, Climbing to Good English 1, Alpha phonics, Days Go By and More Days Go By
Hand Writing- Getty-Dubay Italic Printing Book 6
Reading- a variety of books
History- Story of the World Volume 1
Science- 5-10 days of a subject of choice, like frogs, with books form the library. Then fill in with the Burgess Bird Book for Children on days when we are waiting for library books.

Wallace's Curriculum for Grade 7

Math- Saxon 8/7
Spelling- Natural Speller
Grammar-Climbing to Good English 5
Handwriting- Getty-Dubay Italic Handwriting Book D & E
Critical Thinking- Building Thinking Skills Level 2
Composition-Jump In
Literature- Step by Step
Vocabulary- Working with Words 6
History- Story of the World Volume 3
Science-Exploring Creation with General Science
Canadian Studies- Story of Canada and Our Home and Native Land

John's Grade 1 Schedule

8:00-8:30 Math
8:30-8:45 Piano
8:45-8:55 Handwriting
8:55-9:15 Explode the Code
9:15-9:30 Break
9:30-9:45 Grammar/Days Go By
9:45-10:00 Reading/Note booking
10:00-10:15 Break
10:15-11:15 Science or History
11:15-11:45 Arts and Crafts

Science: Monday, Tuesday and every other Friday
History: Wednesday, Thursday and every other Friday
Arts and Crafts : beads, play dough, craft books, mazes and puzzles

Wallace's Grade 7 Schedule
8:00-9:00 Math
9:00-10:00 Spelling, Grammar, Handwriting and Critical Thinking
10:00-10:15 Break
10:15-10:45 Composition
10:45-11:15 French
11:15-11:45 Literature
11:45-noon Vocabulary
noon-12:45 Lunch
12:45-1:00 Subject of the Day- Instruction
1:00-2:30 Subject of the Day

Subject of the Day
History weeks 1-4, 17-20, 33-36
Science weeks 5-8, 13-16, 21-24, 29-32
Canadian Studies weeks 9-12, 25-28

Can't blog much tonight, feeling rather tired because I stayed up way to late last night. It seems like it is only after 10 o'clock that I get to sit down and if I turn on the t.v. it over, I will pass the hours endlessly before I get up and go to bed. Tonight I am going to bed early, with hubby, he has to get up very early for his commute into the big city.

Random Thoughts
I didn't seem to get much done, but at least Wallace is already (on my part, anyway) for school on Tuesday.

Had a light supper of homemade tomato soup with dumplings. Wallace informed us that dumplings were not his favourite food. We also had broccoli salad, Hubby's favourite.

John and I are reading Little House on the Prairie, looks like I'll be as teary eyed as often as I was when I was a kid and watching the t.v. show. John seems to be enjoying it, I can't see yet why it is supposed to be a girls book.

Mom and Dad left today on an 2 week train trip to the West Coast. It will be a trip of a life time, I pray that they have a great time. Life is to short to waste.

Today was a quite day at home. Wallace and John played quietly, sometimes alone and sometimes with each other. Wallace is going thought a pre-teen phase where his little brother is sometimes a real bother to him. He is working on it but it is definitely a journey of more than a few steps.

I didn't seem to get as much done as I would like and am totally out of energy tonight. I have the boys started on their evening (and morning) routines to help get us ready for school next week. John is loving it, I made him little cue cards with short phrases on them so he know what to do next. Right now he is upstairs read in bed, I'll go up and tuck him in a few minutes. Wallace isn't as keen on the routine, or at least not that keen that mom is checking up on him. One part of the routine that he does like is the reading aloud part. I take 15 minutes and read to him each night. He doesn't need it, he can read just about anything but he enjoys the one on one time. Even if he doesn't directly say so he won't let me skip that part of the routine. Guess if he has to do it, so do I. Right now Wallace and I are reading a biography of William Booth, we are both enjoying it very much. I love christian biographies because it shows us how ordinary flawed people can make such an impact for God.

Hubby came home from work tonight and told us that his work schedule was going to be changing at the end of the month. There seems to be both good and bad about it. He would be working 10 hours a day but only 4 days a week. The schedule hasn't been fleshed out and if there is one thing I have learned about the organization that hubby works for is that nothing happens until it does so there is no reason to get stressed or worry about it until then. It won't change the schedule that I have for the boys and I, at least not at this point, so we will just keep on trucking.

Another day to say, Thank you Lord for all you've given me.

We just got back from vacation. It was two and 1/2 weeks of bliss! Well at least it was a whole lot of fun!!! We went back to our old stomping grounds after almost a year of being away it was so much fun to reconnect with everyone.

The first week was church camp. Our old church rents a camp for a week and has a youth and and teen camp. Hubby and I helped out in the kitchen, it was hot and a lot of hard work but we enjoyed who we worked with and we got to visit will lots of people from the church. Wallace got to attend both portions of the camp because he is on the bubble this year, he qualified for both the youth and teen portion. It was interesting to see him interact with all the kids. When he left it felt that he only really had one friend but when I watched him I noticed just how much he has changed. He 'hung out' with young and old alike and both guys and girls. John just hung out with mom and dad and all his friends, who parents were also helping out at the camp. He came back so dirty at the end of the day that I joked with our friend that we were staying with that we had left a beach in her tub. I figured the dirtier he was the more fun he had.

The second we we split between two friend's homes and we did a lot of visiting. We went out to dinner for our anniversary with some friends. They took us to our favourite local place, a tiny yet delightful German restaurant. Many of our friends had us in for dinner and a visit, in typical east coast style we did lots of visiting around the kitchen table, not quite kitchen parties but close. One of our friends hosted a huge sleep over for the boys, there were 7 boys and 2 girls. They stayed up all night and swam, played the Wii and watched movies. Wallace was exhausted and slept till noon the day after, a first for him I think. Hubby even got to play a round of golf with a friend and boys got to swim in the ocean at a friend's beach.

When it was time to leave the boys cried, John just broke down and bawled, Wallace held it in till we were out of site the then just let it go. I felt bad but in a way it was good to know that they didn't feel as if they had to go on holiday with mom and dad and could wait to get home.

Today was spent unpacking and running errands. Tomorrow is back the 'schedule', hubby has to work and we need to start getting ready for school next week. It will be a holiday to remembered by all.