How We Spent Our Free Week

With books and conversations and joyous appreciation of the lovely weather we've been having lately.

Some of what was freely read/ written/ played with (with absolutely no cajoling from Mom, really!):

1. My Side of the Mountain and The Far Side of the Mountain, both by Jean Craighead George
2. Ginger Pye by Eleanor Estes
3. Robert Wolke's What Einstein Didn't Know
4. The Smithsonian Rocks and Minerals Handbook
5. MindBenders A1
6. Time For Kids' Ready, Set, Write
7. Snap Circuits
8. Interesting invention ideas/drawings in his journal (one of which looks like a promising version of a telescope)

Some of what was discussed/ discovered/ questioned/ researched (obviously with DH figuring more actively in the first three than yours truly) and practiced:

1. Diamond and graphite both being allotropes of carbon
2. Ferromagnetism
3. The Dad and Son periodic table mnemonic chant
4. The foreclosure/ real-estate market: why we're resuming our house-hunting (because there finally seems to be hope for our low, low budget)
5. The stock market: what's a bull and a bear, and predicting trends
6. More number relationships and patterns
7. Why one should read with the dictionary right next to him (so that one will have a more cheerful female parent).
8. Swimming!

Where we went:Beautiful Mori Point by the coast of Pacifica in the SF peninsula with other volunteering homeschoolers to pull out ripgut grass and other invasive weeds.
Sunny (at this time of the year, at least) San Ramon and its eye-catching, but sadly overpriced, housing estates.
What was not practiced:Wushu forms...with his belt test just around the corner! It will be interesting to see what happens. Will he finally put two and two together and realize that lack of regular practice often equals disappointment?
It was a very full, satisfying yet relaxing week that has made me seriously reconsider following any curriculum at all for Year 2.