The Plague!! The Snow!! The Recreational Past Times!!

What a week!! Not a whole lot physically has changed for us; we are not attending classes or meeting our co-op, however spending lots of time at home isn't a new concept for our family. In fact, I am feeling a great relief at just being home with no responsibility of meeting people or being somewhere on time. Maybe we will get around to lots of projects!

Last week we studied about the plague in Story of the World! It started in China, and later was discovered to have come from fleas, riding on rats, who traveled the world on boats and wagons, spreading the disease quickly throughout the world. It was interesting to watch the boys make connections and see differences, between the bubonic plague and Corona Virus. They both started in China, it doesn't come from fleas (actually we need to read up on that, I dont know if they know how corona started yet), and they both spread fast. Being quarantined and things closing is an interesting thing to discuss with our children. I made a point to say this has never happened in modern times and compared it to 9/11 and Pearl Harbor; how one was a huge historical event for my grandparents, that 9/11 was a huge occurance in my childhood and how this will be a huge historical event in theirs. (Obviously war and disease are separate things, however those are the biggest things that shook the United States and effected everyone in the country all at once.)

Our free writing assignment was writing something about the plague. We also did handwriting without tears books, math books from Usborne, read our Spanish readers, had a lesson from All About Reading, as well as All About Spelling. The boys read a lot. For Christmas I ordered used copies of this Minecraft comic book series we have the first of and have read so many times it fell apart. They were SO excited when they opened them, and then never read them. Haha. BUT this last week they have poured through them all. Still enjoying all these little independent reading milestones as it all clicks for them.

 Technology has been minecraft! Michael is creating a world thst demonstrates the biomes we have been studying. We also painted pictures of our tundra biome to finish it off. The library has closed its doors for the time being, so trying to think outside the box to learn about our next biome.

We also went skiing again last week! Again it was beautiful sunny weather and the boys improved significantly from our first trip. They have asked for lessons for next year and I am excited to learn we most likely will be able to use charter funds for it! Avery has been fighting a cold for the last two weeks so skiing wiped him out! Also a reason for staying home, as we dont know what he has and having him coughing in public doesn't seem like a good idea!

On Saturday it snowed at our house!! We went out and fenced a new portion of property for the cows, giving them some of our yard to munch on and a whole new space to explore. And we sadly did not get to gardening, which I am super hopeful we will get to start planting this weekend! And finally, still waiting for more calves to be born! Come on cows!!

Stay healthy!
The Dillman's