School has ended and summer break is here!!  Trenton is now a 1st grader!  I can already feel a lighter load on my shoulders and am planning on totally embracing the more relaxed atmosphere of SUMMER BREAK.  Before I share all that we have planned for summer, let's review graduation!

The graduate:


He also had a speaking role in a skit.  He did a wonderful job!


Just a fun one I love:


So, summer:  We have two new workbooks to work out of.  Trenton wrapped up the others in the past month. These workbooks are meant for summer academics and bridge the gap between 2nd and 3rd grade.  I'm excited to provide a challenge for him and see how he does.  We will also continue with journal writing, reading daily (taking advantage of a few reading programs locally), French, and piano lessons.  Horse riding lessons have come to an end.  The fun addition is our Summer Passport adventure.  We will be studying a country a week, centering activities around that country, and completing a little homemade passport booklet.  We will dine on that country's food one night during that week and stretch our palate.  Week one starts today and it is Italy!!  Trenton's grandparents just happen to be there right now, so that is fitting.



Since Trenton's been out of school, he's been thirsty to learn and create.  Here are a few examples.

He created a balancing pencil at a local science museum:


Discussions about weapons, specifically bayonets, at a history museum:


Some great Lego creations such as Snowy, his flying dragon:


And a graph we made together (I spelled) based on data found online on the deaths of our Presidents.  Trenton requested the info and compiled the data for the graph.  This was a wonderful project that combined reading, spelling, history, a little science, and math.


So stay tuned for our weekly posts on our Passport Adventures!

- bought something from our General Store. Mom went to the dollar store and stocked up on tons of little treasures. She keeps them in a bin up in her closet. She made a sign showing me how many cents each item costs. I really wanted the lacing shapes and they cost 5 cents. Mom told me I needed 5 pennies or 1 nickel. So I ran off to find a nickel and then came back to buy those lacing shapes. I was so happy. Once I had the shapes I played for hours...sorting them by color, then by shape, then stacking them by shape into towers, or laying the square ones end on end making stepping stones, then I played like they were recycled garbage in my WM dumpter and can.

- played the picture/word matching game, twice. I like this game because I can use the glue stick. We do not play this game very often. Here is a video of me playing the game. video

I wanted to play outside this weekend but it was rainy for most of it. Maybe next weekend.