Fave pic – 
We finished our first full week of homeschool and he still loves me. I’ll take that as a win.
Highlights of the last few weeks…What a blur they have been! We started homeschooling on Monday and it’s been an learning and stressful week for both of us. He gets frustrated when I expect too much from him and I get frustrated because I’m not sure how much to push.
We had one morning that was a total bust with tears, but I put us both in time out and after lunch pulled out something I had saved for a rainy day. We read The Boy Who Drew Birds: A Story of John James Audubon. We went online and learned about some of the things the Audubon society is doing for birds and nature today, bought a few things from their store in support, used the book How Many Guinea Pigs Can Fit on a Plane to figure out how many birds it would take to fly off with Gage (about 960 hummingbirds or 6 eagles) and how many twigs are in their nests. And then I gave him the Lego set I had up my sleeve of three different birds to build. We both had a reset and he had a great two days after. Sometimes you just have to go with it.
Also, homeschool related because that’s what’s going on right now, I signed him up for his first Outschool class on Zoom and he loved it! It was about the Titanic and it was 55 minutes every night this past week. On Friday they had to give a short presentation on the passenger they chose. It was good for him and I’d like to do one a month. They have hundreds of class offerings and they’re very affordable.
I had planned the first 30 days of homeschool, but after the first week have decided to drastically alter how we’re doing things, lol. As part of this redo Gage will be providing a review of a picture book we read every day in September.
Books we finished in homeschool the last two weeks…
I’m so glad that he loved Bunnicula as much a I did. 
Water Protectors was great.
Currently reading…
Currently listening…
Reviews posted…Evvie Drake Starts Over, Gone Tomorrow, This Blessed Mess (my favorite of this list), H is for Homicide.
On the TV…We watched the first season of The Umbrella Academy on Netflix and really liked it.
Movies watched…
Watched this mainly because it had Chadwick Boseman in it. I’m so sad that he is gone so young. 
Plans for the weekend…since I’m switching things up for homeschool I’m swamped with planning yet again. Gage has two doctor’s appointments this week, one virtual, one in person. That should be fun.
Stay well, my friends.
Stacy's Books 
The Outschool sounds lovely! Glad he enjoys it so much.
The stone girl has an interesting cover, will have a look.
Good luck with your week, take care of yourself too. Here’s my The Sunday Post #9
The Stone Girl started slow for me, but I’m really liking it now. I just need to find the time to read adult books!
I love the pic of Gage! I’m sure homeschooling is full of challenges but it sounds like you’re meeting them in good form. Wishing you all the best with it. Love the supplemental options (Titanic). I can see why that would be a hit!
It’s been an interesting week. I started using some grade four worksheets and an online curriculum for reading, language, and math and have found his frustration points. Now I’m scrapping the online curriculum, which was only and hour and a half of a 5 hour day anyway, and trying to find a way to work on his weaker areas. Dare I say it’s like a puzzle and I’m enjoying the process?
It may feel jarring to you to shelve your plans sometimes, but that’s exactly what I would do with my lessons as a classroom teacher. It sounds like you are doing great. In some ways, it’s the perfect school, following the interests of your son.
I read The Water Protectors recently, too, and I thought it was great. I love the idea of having him review picture books. I’ve started reading a couple of picture books a day in anticipation of the Cybils. In the past, I would visit nearby libraries and sit and read a dozen books while I was there, but I won’t be able to do that this year. I hope it will help to start early.
Good luck with your homeschooling. Kids (and maybe all people) seem to learn best with a little structure and a little play. I think I learned the most about teaching when I worked in a Montessori public school. You are doing a great job.
The Water Protectors was a little young for him, but beautifully done and a starting point for discussion. The real interest for him was in the author’s notes when she explained the two different Native American paths. I do need to find the right mix of play and work. He loves when I read to him so I’m trying to do a little more of that.
We just finished watching the second season of Umbrella Academy and loved it!
Glad your first week of home schooling went so well.
Have a great week!
I’m excited to start season 2 this week!
Stacy, I am always so impressed how you seem to have a plan, a way to reengage, Gage, when things don’t always go as planned. Your programs and lessons always sound so varied and interesting. Congrats to both of you, sounds like homeschooling is working. I think occasional meltdowns are natural, heck, I have them now and then and don’t have any kids around LOL
Thanks Diane! The meltdowns aren’t always his which is why we both got put in time out this week 🙂 My frustration is often because I feel the pressure to do what I think he would be learning in school. I need to let that go and do what works for us. It’s a lesson I’ll be continually learning, I think.
Bunnicula is the book that made me realize that I don’t like scary books. I couldn’t make it through the book as a child and I don’t read horror to this day. I’m sure my older sister added to the terror.
I only read Bunnicula as a 48 year old woman and fell in love with Harold and Chester. I never even considered it scary. Gage liked the hint of danger that was always lurking 🙂
I’m firmly of the belief that children learn best when it’s based on their interests, so it may have been a time out activity but I can see he learned a lot from it. I’m sure you will soon find a balance that will work for you both.
I love Sue Grafton!
Wishing you a great reading week
Yes, I think the time out activity was a learning opportunity and a way to get back on the same page. I don’t have any more LEGO sets hidden in the house so I’m going to have to get creative 🙂
Great picture of Gage! Glad to hear about your homeschool journey. Yes, I think most people who try it have to alter some of their preconceptions of how it is ‘supposed’ to go. From what I read here, you’ll do wonderfully. The Titanic class seems great and how nice that there are many more. Take care and give yourself a little grace – it’s a learning curve (for both of you).
Today I made him work until 4 and he let me! So, I feel like the good days make up for the
rough ones 🙂 There’s another Outschool class by the same teacher about the 1916 shark attacks that I’m thinking about signing him up for. She really gets boys!
What a darling photo of your son. I’m sure homeschooling will have its challenges! I remember trying to help my daughter with her 5th grade math (back in the mid-90s) and there were lots of tears and slammed doors. My heart goes out to all the parents trying to cope with this new normal! I do love the way you switched gears with the Audubon book and activities. Educational and fun!
We’re going to try The Umbrella Academy once we finish Bosch. It looks entertaining!
Have a good week, Stacy!
I’m sad that we zipped though all of Bosch so fast. Love that show.
The math so far I can handle, but it’s because I’m teaching him myself and I’m not held to the common core standards. I envision issues before the end of the year and an ‘opportunity’ for dad to turn teacher for a bit, lol.