Weekly wrap up -- April 10

As we race off towards summer our calendar has more and more events pulling us away from home one or two days a week. The pace doesn't appear to let up until June when we set up the pool and cut down school to three days a week. For now, we seem to get an amazing amount of work done for the time we do school at home in our regular spots.


We have now added gymnastics to the routine each week and Brooke enjoys the new challenge.

We learned we didn't want to fall in -- the tanks are 22 feet deep!

On Thursday we had a double whammy of outings. First, we joined other homeschoolers for a trip to the water treatment plant. Magic School Bus at the Waterworks come to life (minus the magic bus and snorkeling gear). It gave us a greater understanding of where our water comes from and what it looks like throughout the process.

Some of the many chemicals used to purify the water
in its journey from river water to drinking water.

My only minor complaint was the guide trying to keep the information in simple terms for the younger kids in the group. He had a wealth of information to share, but seemed to skip some of the large words and more complex processes as he spoke. At one point one of the other moms said, "It's okay, they're homeschool kids, you can tell them about the infrastructure. It will give us more to talk about on the ride home." I don't know if he really believed her, but I was thankful that he left in some of the more complicated topics. It was great to have someone who really knew what they were talking about, and the kids absorbed a lot of the information.

Water in the first tank that filters out the big debris, largely through settling.

Home for lunch and a couple hours of book work in the afternoon and then off to the movies. Movies? Yep, sometimes homeschooling can be tough.


The IMax theater near us offers a free educator's screening once a month or so. Often the films are educational in scope - Lewis and Clark, marine life, etc. But, this month they featured Monsters vs. Aliens. Obviously a just for fun movie. We can bring one guest with for free, and since my husband works in a school he could also attend and bring one guest.


So, we went with two of our children and enjoyed the film. In addition to some of the distasteful humor (not too much of it, but you can read more about what would have been better left out on the Plugged In movie review), I was bothered by the portrayal of women's roles.


Initially, I was pleasantly surprised when Susan stands by her groom as he shares they must skip their honeymoon for a job interview (although later he shows his true, rather selfish, colors). However, later in the movie she "discovers" all that she let herself miss out on by not recognizing her own strength (both physical and emotional). While I agree we need to have confidence in ourselves, there is nothing weak about a woman willing to take on the role of wife and mother. A common misconception in our society that I did not expect a Hollywood production to disagree with, but one that we discussed on the car ride home.



Some things we learned this week:

- Don't overlook some of the ordinary places around you for field trips
- Enjoy opportunities to grow together and treasure those special moments even throughout the regular school day.
- Summer will be here before we know it!


All in all, a week with fun and memories, great books and some quality time with the Greatest Book of all

Enjoy celebrating our Risen Lord this weekend.

More weekly wrap ups here.