TOG Year 1 Week 15-16

I think that one of the most difficult times to homeschool is that month between Thanksgiving and Christmas.  We've come off of a one week break, and are looking at a two week break. Not to mention all of the pre-Christmas business that seems to take over our lives during the month of December.  This year has been no exception.  While some things are working well, others are not at this point.  So we are looking at a few changes for our second semester.  Technically our second semester doesn't start until mid-January, but for sanity sake we are making some of these changes after Christmas.  So here is a brief synopsis of the last two weeks.

Princess M - Pre-TOGGLER
For some reason, I can't seem to find photos for this last week.  I may have accidentally deleted them. We have been working on the letter F - for fish.  She has really been doing well identifying letters, both capital and lower case, and remembering the sounds for the letters we have already studied.  I am trying to decide what we are going to do next year.  I am waffling between doing IEW's PAL at a slow pace, or doing All About Reading.  We will start on MUS Primer next year, as I already have her book.  It will be biter sweet, as it will be the last time through the program.  I know it seems early to be contemplating, but I like to have those decisions made before the homeschool convention.  I usually take our two week spring break to make a list of everything that I hope to find used, or that I need to purchase new without paying shipping.  So really, those decisions need to be made soon.

Princess L - 1st Grade - LG
These last two weeks have been full of reading.  She is still working on her +9 Calculadder facts.  She has received a 9 every day this week so far.  So, if she gets another one tomorrow, I'm going to call it good and move on.  She is usually about ten seconods slow of getting a 10.  Here are the photos we took after she finished reading her books.  (For any book you see more than once it is because we read half the chapters one day and the other half the next.)

Princess S - 5th Grade - UG
SPD issues have been plaguing this princess for a long time.  Lately, she has had an even harder time than normal.  Part of that might be attributed to allergies during fall and early winter, and part of that is excitement for the holidays.  She has been holding her own in math, and has just finished up her Unit Three Test.  She will be starting on Lesson 22 after Christmas.  She is also holding her own in Latin, though she refuses to ask for help when she doesn't understand something.  I keep explaining that it will affect her grade as well as take longer doing things her way.  But what do I know, right?  She is learning a lot more from her Caesar's English than her grade would reflect, as I hear her using some of the words in conversations.  Writing, however, is definitely not her strong suit.  She is extremely creative, but following a checklist as is required in IEW is not something she is good at.  But we keep on because I am convinced that it will someday become easier.

 Princess E - 7th Grade - D
What can I say - frustration doesn't begin to cover it.  We are going to be making most of the changes we are making because of this princess.  I will be praying over the break about how to handle a few issues with her. Ultimately, it is a change of the heart and better choices that are necessary.  And those aren't my area of expertise.  Those belong to the Father above who created her with such a strong will.  He is going to have to do the work in this princess in order to change the direction she is going.  It is a spiritual battle that I feel very inadequate to fight.  So any additional prayer support is greatly appreciated.  About the only subject that she seems to do well at is IEW writing.  She is also very creative, and does a bit better with a checklist.  It comes down to attitude and choices and her attitude toward writing and her choices to work at it are the least resistant.  So I cling to the one positive we have right now.