We are trying to do less structured plans.† Thanks to online friends like Theresa, Jessica and Helena, we are trying to get away from the “so many lessons each day or else” way of homeschooling.

Now there are still plans, they are just less rigid.

This week we did fractions.† We have done fractions most of the year because so much stems from knowing how to use fractions in any situation.† We also did lattice multiplication thanks to Estherís recommendation.† We both had paper and pencil and multiplied much larger numbers than Kei had ever done and I have done in a while.†† If you havenít checked out Khan Academy it is a MUST see!

We read and learned about Ursidae [Bears] †and I laughed at Keiís cartoon of what to do if you see a bear.† We added to our chart on classifications of animals.† We watched videos on brown bears, American black bears, polar bears and more.† We watched bears catching salmon in the stream and discussed the salmon migration upstream once a year.

We read in our ìFabreís Book of Insectsî, which is the most wonderful book about insects ever written.† †Jean Henri Fabre was a French entomologist and teacher.† He studied insects for years and years.† We have learned so many fascinating things about them.† This is how his book begins:

We all have our own talents, our special gifts. Sometimes these gifts seem to come to us from our forefathers, but more often it is difficult to trace their origin.† A goatherd, perhaps, amuses himself by counting little pebbles and doing sums with them. He becomes an astoundingly quick reckoner, and in the end is a professor of mathematics.† Another boy, at an age when most of us care only for play, leaves his schoolfellows at their games and listens to the imaginary sounds of an organ, a secret concert heard by him alone. He has a genius for music. A third so small, perhaps, that he cannot eat his bread and jam without smearing his face takes a keen delight in fashioning clay into little figures that are amazingly lifelike. If he be fortunate he will some day be a famous sculptor.

To talk about oneself is hateful, I know, but perhaps I may be allowed to do so for a moment, in order to introduce myself and my studies. From my earliest childhood I have felt drawn towards the things of Nature. It would be ridiculous to suppose that this gift, this love of observing plants and insects, was inherited from my ancestors, who were uneducated people of the soil and observed little but their own cows and sheep. Of my four grandparents only one ever opened a book, and even he was very uncertain about his spelling. Nor do I owe anything to a scientific training. Without masters, without guides, often without books, I have gone forward with one aim always before me : to add a few pages to the history of insects.

I have a wonderful copy that my boss gave me.† Ok if Stan happens to read this, he didnít actually GIVE it to me, he let me borrow it when I lived in California and I sorta never returned it. †Thanks Stan!!† My copy is the 1936 edition filled with wonderful illustrations.† There is a free download copy here.

We learned about the Early Greeks and the Barbarians.† We read about The Trojan Horse and read Myths.† Kei did a hysterical interpretive dance while I read the Myth, ìZeus, Hera and Little Ioî.† We love Mr. Donn for History of any kind!†† We continued reading myths and stories and fables.

We learned about building the Tabernacle from Exodus 36.† We learned what a cubit is in modern measurements.† We learned about how much gold and silk and animal skins were used in the building of The Tabernacle and looked up reconstruction pictures of it in all its magnificent glory.

Kei made a pair of pajamas for her Barbie.† Hand sewed and lovely.† She made a clay bathing suit for her doll and is working on several goodies for our favorite Oregon blogger. ::waves to Ami::. † She baked a cake and made wonderful, yummy breakfasts and lunches.

She had play practice 3 times this week and every week until the week before the play.† Then we have daily practices.† They are performing this play 9 times for an audience.† She is beyond giddy.† We drove home Thursday night with snow coming down so hard we could barely see!

We played and played with our silly dog.† We laughed at him running in his sleep and snoring!† He has gotten so much better, calmer.† The last 8 months have been a little crazy but I think he is finally settling down.† We both love him so much.† He loves his girls too.

She wrote a lovely blog post that had me crying

I love the quote I picked for this week.† Kei and I were just talking about learning all the time.† I have heard all my life that you should learn something every day.† I went for a long time without being aware of doing this.† I am sure, along the way, I did learn new things, but I didnít actively seek it.† Now with homeschooling, I actively seek learning.† I find myself in awe of life around me.† I love insects and Nature in a way I didnít think I ever would.† I love History and Science and even Math.† Homeschooling I hope, is making my daughter a wonderful, learned person; but it is also making me one.

“Anyone who stops learning is old, whether this happens at twenty or eight. Anyone who keeps on learning not only remains young, but becomes constantly more valuable regardless of physical capacity.” ~ Harvey Ullman