Looks like Winter has arrived a little early this year!  The kids had a great time enjoying several days of snow this week.  They also spent one day in Chewelah at Greenwood Institute d'Art, one day at their classes at Riverwood, a day at home helping Dad, and a few days at home with Mom doing schoolwork and getting outside to sled as often as possible.  Here's a bit of the fun and learning we've been up to:

Caleb is learning to add more than 2 numbers together, and doing "mental math" when possible.  He got the hang of it quickly and is pretty good at it.  He also practiced subtraction and story problems.

Smiley practiced writing and counting numbers and we played different games with math blocks and number cards.  We count and sort everything, while building with lincoln logs, cooking, etc., counting forward and backward.  He traced his 10 fingers for his 10 page.

Smiley practices with letters, everything from writing them in his notebook and drawing pictures to playing active games with letter cards.  The pictures here show the owl in a tree he drew for his "O" page, a collage of things shaped like O's, and a pirate boat for a "P" page.

Caleb wrote about stories we read.  We finished Farmer Boy and began reading The Tale of Solomon Owl, in addition to a book of fables and other short stories we pick out from the library.  He also works in his handwriting book which is really good practice for him to slow down and write neatly.

We began studying Thanksgiving, which has included lots of stories about how and where the Thanksgiving Holiday was started.  The kids also worked on crafts, including a lantern Smiley made in his weekly class.  Caleb finished making his wooden knitting needles and began learning how to knit.  We started listening to the third book in the Percy Jackson and the Olympians series, as well as read from other books, studied icicles and weather, made homemade tortillas, colored, went sledding and took walks in the snow, and lots more!