Getting ready for the new school year: Cati

I continued back-to-school preparations today.  I cleaned out a closet that I store a lot of homeschooling things that we are not currently using.  It had gotten REALLY bad.  It looks so much better now.  But, of course, the room that the closet it in is a gigantic mess.  I hope to finish it up tomorrow.

Today, I'll show you Cati's responses to my back-to-school questionaire. 

Cati is 9 years old and it starting 4th grade.  If you are interested in seeing her curricula, then click on the link on the right side of the blog.

Favorite color:  black (news to me!)
Favorite season:  winter..."snow=I like to play in it."
Favorite saint: St. Catherine of Siena because "I was named after her."
Favorite song/hymn:  Lord of the Dance (This is a hymn that she learned during the Lent & Easter season.)
Favorite subject:  science
Least favorite subject:  grammar
Most looking forward to learning:  Italian
She drew a picture of her feeding a mallard duck.  She says that she loves their green heads :)

Getting ready for the new school year: Maria

Guest post here from Momma!  We're busy getting ready to begin school next Monday.  I've done a lot of planning this summer, but there is still some organizing and other preparations to take care of this week.  I have to put away old books, organize new ones, plan activities for the little ones during school time, put up some bulletin boards, print some papers, pick up library books, prepare notebooks, find the top of my desk...I'm sure I'm forgetting something.



Today I gave the kids this quick activity to do to give us something to remember about their likes and dislikes, handwriting, and drawing abilities at this age.  I'll post one each day for a different child. 

Here is Maria.  She will be in 7th grade this year.  You can click on the link on the right side of the blog to see her curricula for this year if you are interested.

Since you won't be able to read this little picture (maybe you can click on it to see it larger), I'll type out her answers below.

Maria says that she's 12 years old, but she's a few weeks ahead of herself.  She will celebrate her birthday in less than 3 weeks!

Her favorite color:  Blue

Her favorite season:  Summer because "it's not cold and our flowers bloom."

Her favorite saint:  Mary because "I was named after her and she was closest to Jesus."

Her favorite song/hymn:  "Sing of Mary"

Her favorite subject:  math, science, and history

Her least favorite subject:  "don't know"

What are you most looking forward to learning this year:  history

Her hobbies:  "sewing, writing poems, drawing, learning things that Mom doesn't teach, reading...(maybe there's something I'm forgetting)"

I asked them to draw their favorite things in nature.  She drew a cat and said, "animals" and a flower and said, "flowers."  You'll have to squint really hard (or try clicking on the picture) to actually see her drawing :)

Giuseppe

Now that Giuseppe is thirteen months old he's starting to do several new things. Giuseppe is walking almost all the time and has added new words to his vocabulary. He has started saying Mommy instead of Mama, says Cati's name, and calls me Ra Ra.  He also knows cracker, cup, yogurt, bear, and baby.  He also learned that if he "asks" for things he'll usually get them.  The picture below was taken at Dave and Busters where he tried to play a couple of games.

These two pictures was taken at the Tellus Museum where Giuseppe tried a few activities.

Now Giuseppe's trying out swinging like the rest of us.  I think he liked it.

Giuseppe also tries to play Wii like his brother.