MFW, Spelling Power and Rosetta Stone

We just finished day 32!!  I can't believe that we are that far along.  I love being ahead of the game.  It makes things like ... sick days ....  hockey tournaments ... possible.  We are very ahead of the public school and have lots of opportunites for flexibility. 

Since we are 32 days along, I thought it would be a good time to review some of the new curriculum that we are using this year.  So, here it goes.

My Fathers World - We are loving the geography this year.  Traveling to different countries and learning through crafts, games and even meals has been a blast.  I really think that the kids are learning their geography (as well as there mother).  We have made homemade pinatas for Mexico.

 

The kids loved this.  Especially when they got to hit the pinatas and candy went flying across the kitchen. Plus, they could wear the destroyed pinatas as hats. 





They had a blast making homemade tortillas and we actually may do that again.  It was very easy and super cheap!  We also just got done making clay suns and we are making Inuit soap sculptures tomorrow.  Lots of fun!

I am not as excited about the Science in MFW.  I think that after using Apologia last year ... nothing else compares.  The Science is included in MFW and coincides with the Geography lessons ... but it does seem dry and a little boring.  I am still thinking about adding an Apologia Science.

Spelling Power has been great!  I love how easy it was to place the kids and spelling is super easy each day.  I mean easy in a not time consuming  for mom kinda way.  The placement of the kids worked perfectly and I do feel that it is a great way for them to learn spelling.  It is also very easy and straightforward for me ... which is an extra super bonus. 

Lastly, we just started using Rosetta Stone for Latin America Spanish.  It has been great so far.  We have been doing about 15 minutes a day for the past two weeks and the kids love it.  I think part of the excitement with it is the cool headphones with microphone ... but I'm not complaining.  If it gets them excited about learning a language I am all for the cool headphones!!  I am also learning along with them.  This way they don't all learn Spanish and then have secret conversations that I don't understand.  It could happen. 

What was I thinking??

So, today was one of those days.  The ones where I wonder why I brought all three of my kids home this year.  Last year was peaceful and rewarding with just me and B.  What was I thinking??

We have had a couple of these not so good days.  Not to point fingers... but they usually involve a very strong-willed, adorable (lucky for her) little 7 year old.  Last year was calm.  B and I had some tough days but they were few and usually resolved quickly.  My little ball of ... um ... energy and attitude ... is different.  There are many tough  (disruptive to the boys) days and few are resolved quickly.  I have seriously considered sending her back to public school for a few more years.  Did I pull her out too early?

Then I remember why I am doing this.  It is not supposed to be easy, right??  It will get better and we will all benefit from this time together, right??  I will miss this time when they are all grown up, right??

Thankfully, I have a very supportive husband who calms me when I have these days.  He reassures me and tells me that it will be OK and to pray.  I am so thankful for him.  I am thankful that I am able to homeschool and that I have this choice when others do not.  I am thankful for my precious (I didn't grind my teeth too hard as I typed that) little girl who is EXACTLY like I was when I was her age. 

Now I think I am going to go pray ...

"Be joyful in hope, patient in affliction, faithful in prayer."
Romans 12:12

Scary Science

We are on Day 21 of our school year and things have been going pretty well.  The major issues have been time and scheduling with three students.  My two youngest love to get up early (before I am out of bed) and start while my oldest usually crawls out of bed at about 8am ... which is about an hour or more later than his siblings. 

Our schedule has been flexible and we usually do our together work at 9:30.  This gives them some time to get individual work done before 9:30 and then they go back to it after we work together.  So far so good! 

Today, while we were doing schoolwork, the kids noticed a large bug on the screen outside (thankfully) our window.  Of course we stopped what we were doing to catch the bug in a tupperware and investigate it with a magnifying glass.

Isn't this bug scary?  It was actually pretty big too.  Over an inch long!

So, I was pretty happy about out impromtu science lesson ... until ... we found the bug on the internet.  Here is an excerpt of what we read ... and no I did not add any commentary to this.  It is exactly the way that it was written...

COMMON NAME:  Wheel Bug   (Awesome ... so happy we found the bug!)

CHARACTERISTICS:  This insect is well-noted for its incredibly painful bite when disturbed or nonchalantly handled.  (Gulp)

A member of the Assassin Bug family, this insect attacks its prey (other insects) with vicious stabbing motions using the ‘fang’ at the front of its head.  This is the same fang that stabs humans who handle it or disturb it.  (What did we just do!!)

The Wheel Bug is best identified by the ridged, or spiny, wheel on its pronotum (back), which gives the insect its name.

So, we did have an interesting Science lesson today!  Maybe next time we will take the picture and look the bug up before trying to capture it.  Luckily no one was injured in the lesson!

First Day of Year 2!!

Well, it is finally here!  The first day of year two of homeschooling.  Last year it was just B and I and we had a fantastic year.  I was (and still am) a little nervous about homeschooling all three kids ... especially my youngest who is very strong-willed.  Some say she is just like her mom.  Not sure where they get that but whatever.

It started this morning with me getting up very early (7am) with the intentions of making a big breakfast to celebrate our first day.  When I walked downstairs I saw my two youngest (the homeschool newbies) at their desks already doing their math!  They woke up early with anticipation and wanted to get started even if mom was still asleep at the late hour of 6:30am.    So, instead of making breakfast I went in and started to help with any questions they had and next thing you know sleepyhead older brother stumbled downstairs and into the schoolroom.  I think it was about 8am at that point.  I then decided to remove myself for a couple of minutes to put a quick baked oatmeal in the oven after I realized that we were out of eggs.  Poor planning on my part.  You can't make pancakes without eggs.

Needless to say, our day did not go as planned.  We stayed in pajamas for school had unbrushed messy hair and finished extra early.  I will take that! Not bad for a first day. 

We even had a special visitor to the classroom.  E brought her three dolls to class and also brought her guineau pig, Julee. 

A Real Man

The recent book Fifty Shades of Gray and movie Magic Mike are being called "mommy porn".  What is most disturbing about this is the amount of women, even Christian women, accepting these forms of (so called) entertainment as ok.  Personally, I think that I am probably in the minority but I feel that they are  disrespectful to not only women but especially men.  At first I thought I was crazy because it seemed like no one found anything wrong with this recent trend!   I have absolutely no desire to see the movie or read the book.  I know what a real man is.  He can't be found in either of these.  Thankfully, God has blessed me with a real man.  My husband is a real man.  A Godly man.  And I am so thankful for Godly men! 

Here is what a REAL man is:

• He loves God.
• He works hard so that he can provide for his family and his wife can stay home to be with the kids and homeschool them.
• He coaches every sport that they play.  Not because it is easy or for the glory (because it definite is not easy and there is no glory!) but because he loves his kids and the other kids on his team. 
• He respects his wife and all women.  Teaches his sons to do the same.
• He is kind and loving.  Always doing things for others.
• He waters the plants because his wife has a black thumb.
• He makes breakfast for his family on the weekends because his wife is not a morning person.
• He takes his kids to birthday parties when his wife can't.
• He walks or rides bikes with his daughter because she loves to spend that quality time with him.  And so does he. 
• He doesn't go golfing or do boys nights out.  He would rather spend time as a family.
• He is committed to his marriage even when it's hard.
• He is committed to God even when it's hard.
• He compliments his wife and tells her she looks pretty ... even after 12 years of marriage.
• He paints a bedroom with his wife, even though he hates to paint.
• He drives all over creation to take his kids to hockey games because they love to play hockey.
• He does things that glorify God and doesn't care what is 'in' or 'cool'.
• He doesn't wear gel in his hair (ok, even if he had hair he wouldn't!), get waxed, or manicured.
• He would rather go on a date with his wife than any other woman in the world.   

I could go on and on .... My husband is a real man.  More of a man than any character in Magic Mike or Fifty Shades of Gray.  And check out that picture.  He is pretty darn handsome to boot!  I am a very blessed woman and I know it! :-)



Another benefit of homeschool - Confidence

We are officially done with year 1!!  :-)   In PA we have a lot of hoops to jump through in order to homeschool.  Today, I had my affidavit notarized and handed all required documents plus my portfolio into the district office.  It felt so good!  I have to say that I am little sad that the first year is over, but I am really looking forward to next year.

This year has been such a blessing for me and B.  We have grown closer and he has become such a happier kid.  I feel like he has grown up a lot and matured more than I would have ever expected.  People always talk about kids socialization and how homeschooling is detrimental.  B is living proof that homeschooling can be such an incredible gift.  Throughout the year, I have seen him talk more comfortably with adults, do his work responsibly and without a whine (well - maybe some days a little whine - but it was rare), and confidently jump into new environments.  As a shy kid, I am so proud to see him grow in confidence and come out of his shell.  When we started this adventure, I never imagined all the benefits that I would see.  I was focused more on what good things would happen academically. His growth in confidence, not only in school but in life, has truly amazed me! 

My youngest two are finishing up their public school years this week.  I have most of my curriculum and I am looking forward to getting ready for next year.  I hope to start in early August so that we can take some breaks year round.  This summer I am having them do some reading and a little bit of math to keep their minds working until we get started. 

Although I am nervous about having 3 kids at home instead of 1, I try to remind myself that that is how I felt at this time last year.  Although, I do have more confidence than I did last year.  I guess we both have improved in that way! ;-)

Lazy Dog Days

Here are two of our dogs sleeping in the schoolroom.  This is a bean bag chair that I bought to use as a reading spot.  Needless to say the dogs quickly turned it into their new dog bed.  By the way, Ladybird is fast asleep in this picture and actually snoring ... loudly ... in that position!

Almost Done with Year 1!!!

I can't believe that we only have 4 weeks left!  We did it! :-)

B and I have had a great first year.  We have learned a lot.  I think that I have learned just as much as he did.  It's like going to school all over again ... but much more fun! 

I have most of my curriculum for next year.  But I have a lot of planning to do this summer!  Next year will bring many new challenges.  Homeschooling three kids will be much different than homeschooling one.   I will need to be organized ... not one of my strong points.  I need to figure out more storage for our schoolroom... I need to get organized ... did I already say that? 

Our evaluation is on the 24th.  I am really interested in seeing what it is all about.  I am slightly nervous (see above lack of organization comments) but excited to show our evaluator what we have done. 

We are going to finish our Math, Singapore Math 5B, this week.  I am planning on going back through 5A and doing all of the reviews again.  This way I will know that he has a strong foundation for next year. 

We completed our Science, Apologias Exploring Creation with Human Anatomy and Physiology, on Friday.  After having Science every day, I thought we might miss it so I am filling in with nbclearn.com's free resources.  They have 10 videos on the Science of NHL Hockey.  We watched the first 5 minute video today called Hockey Geometry.  I know it's supposed to be Science but they include Math in the videos as well as Science.  At first B said, "I don't use geometry in hockey!"  but he quickly realized that he uses it all the time.  It was fun to learn that when he passes a puck off the boards to a teammate, he is actually using Geometry (angle of incidence and reflection)!  Or when he is trying to score a goal ... he is using Geometry (angles)!  I was worried that the videos would be over his head because the lesson plans that they offer are for middle or high school kids.  I don't know if it was his love of hockey but he loved the video.  He wanted to watch it again ... then he wanted to watch another one ...

Tomorrow we will be learning about Newton's Three Laws of Motion .... through hockey! 
Happy Homeschooling!! :-)

Time for Curriculum Choices and Decisions!

I have been thinking about curriculum all year but it is starting to get close to buying time.  The final countdown.  This year I had curriculum for one.  Next year I need curriculum for three.  I am trying to not get too overwhelmed. 

This year I quickly realized that if something doesn't work it is easily changed.  We changed Science curriculums early on.  We tried several language arts books.  We tried two math programs (completed both of them). 

The research for curriculum is actually fun.  I enjoy looking through catalogs and websites to see all of the different options.  Maybe I am odd but I have a feeling that most homeschool parents enjoy it too!

I think that I have come up with our curriculum for next year... this may change .... several times. 

MFW Exploring Countries & Cultures (includes Bible, Social Studies (Geography and International Cultures), Science, Music, Art, and Read-Alouds)  and can be used for all three kids!  WooHoo!!

Singapore Math 2A/B  4A/B and 6A/B
Additional math workbooks (B loved Mind Benders this year.  He actually was disappointed when we finished one and wanted the next book right away.)

Language Arts ... not completely sure about this.  We tried the books that MFW recommends and they didn't work for us.  Might try Abeka Language Arts ... maybe something else... still looking.  I am going to get Spelling Power though.

Spanish - Rosetta Stone for LV1 Latin America Spanish.

I am also contemplating adding an Apologia Science.  We really loved our Apologia Science (Exploring Creation with Human Anatomy and Physiology) this year! 

Getting finished with our current books!  And yes, we have Lego Stormtroopers protecting our books.  Don't you?

Silly String, Shredded Paper & Peanut Butter Pie

My oldest turns 11 today.  I am amazed at what an incredible kid I have been blessed with.  11 years ago, early in the morning, B was born 6 weeks premature at a tiny 4 1/2 pounds.  You would never know it by looking at him.  He is strong, athletic, smart, and probably about to overtake me in height.  Ok, so that last part is not too tough.  I was never known for being tall. 

This morning we woke him up ... at 6:30 ... by singing Happy Birthday and then attacking him with silly string.  We each had our own can and luckily he woke up with a smile and laughed.  I was hoping that we wouldn't terrify him.  I thought of dressing up as clowns and waking him up ... but that idea scared me too much.  I don't hate anyone and try to remember that all people are God's children but ... I hate clowns.  And I don't feel bad about it.  They are just asking for it with their scary makeup, honking noses, and big shoes.

I asked B what he wanted to do for his birthday.  Since he is homeschooled, his birthday is a school holiday and he had off today.  Do you know what my newly turned 11 year old wanted to do?  Yep, go to the office with his dad and shred paper.   Just like every other 11 year old, right?  Ok, I never said he was normal.  But who wants to be normal.  Normal is boring.  I think I wrote a post about that a couple months ago...

And who could forget peanut butter pie.  This was B's other request.  He wanted breakfast for dinner and peanut butter pie for dessert.  Nothing like pancakes and syrup then a little peanut butter pie... YUM!

And the Results Are ...

So I got B's PIAT-r test results back today.  I think he did well?  I'm not really sure?  Our evaluator sent a detailed explanation of the results I just can't seem to wrap my head around them!  It says that B did better than 70% of kids his age that took the test.  That seems OK.  Maybe I am expecting too much?  I guess I wanted him to do better than 90% of kids his age...  Too much?   :-)

It also says that his scores were consistent with the scores of someone who was 11-10 (11 years and 10 months old) or grade 6.5.  He is 11.  Well, he will be in 2 days.  :-)  And we are about 3/4 of our way through 5th grade.  Does that mean that 30% of the kids do better than this?  I guess that makes sense.

Does anyone out there have experience with the PIAT-r standardized test?  I guess that next year it will be easier because I will have prior tests to compare scores with.  All I have from the past year are PSSAs. 

Standardized Test ... done!

Yep, B took his standardized test this morning.  I don't have the results yet.  Am I wondering how he did?  Of course.  But I keep reminding myself that it really doesn't matter.  He isn't the best test taker.  I don't feel that the PSSA's ever showed his ability.  Why would this be any different?  In fourth grade he was kept out of the top math group because of his PSSA score ... even though he had the grades (all A's) and prior teacher recommendation.  Why a PSSA score whould matter that much is beyond me ...  but that is a whole other story.

We were lucky enough that our evaluator administers this test and actually came to our house for him to take it.  I wasn't sure what it would be like but B didn't seem to mind it at all.  He didn't even need a pencil.  It was a series of questions that he answered verbally and was mostly multiple choice.  At least that is what I could tell.  I tried to stay out of the room (but of course listened at the top of the stairs - I'm only human!)  B is shy and I was a little nervous about him taking a verbal test but he seemed comfortable and spoke clearly.  I could even hear him at the top of the stairs where I was cleaning the spindles of the railing.  Don't judge me ... they needed cleaning! 

While our evaluator was here, we scheduled our evaluation day.  Now I can start putting a portfolio together over the next two months.  Thankfully, the evaluator seemed really nice and B seemed comfortable with her.  This is the first time that we all have met face to face.  Next obstacle ... portfolio.

Schoolwork Helper

Our dog, Trooper, was helping B do his Grammar work today. 

B was impressed that Trooper was pointing to the correct answer.  He is thinking about using his help for his next test.  :-)

... and more hockey

I am starting to get so excited for next year!  All of my kids will be home with me and I am starting to look into curriculum and wondering how much more difficult it will be with three at home.  Is it exponential or only a minor adjustment?  I am guessing that it will be exponential ... Especially since I have been spoiled with my oldest (10 years old).  He can do a lot on his own and I realize that that probably won't be the case for my 7 and 9 year old.  Has anyone used My Fathers World?  I am looking into their curriculum and I really like that I could use it with all the kids. 

I can't wait until next year!!  I am really looking forward to the flexibility.  The boys had a playoff game last Friday at 5:00pm (2 hours away) so I had to take C and E out of school early.  We have the same situation this Friday at 4:00pm and it is even farther away.  I always feel a little guilty pulling them out of school.  I know that I shouldn't.  They are my kids, right?  But I can't help feeling like I am getting judged or looked down on for having my kids miss school.  Ah ... next year ...

As I mentioned, we are deep in playoffs for hockey right now.  Last weekend we went into the playoffs in third place and finished in first place.  The boys did so well!!  Although, they kept the games way too close for my comfort, winning both in overtime.  We now will be going to the finals next weekend where we play another team (the team rank first in the league) three times to see who will be the league champions.  I don't know if my heart can take many more nail biting games!!  At least then the season will be over ... then lacrosse starts ... then hockey tournaments start ... It never really ends does it! :-)

I am so proud of these boys!  :-)

Proud Momma

I recently purchased a Singapore Math word problem book to supplement our math.  We don't do it everyday but I thought that it would be great practice and B sometimes struggles with logic and word problems.  We are doing Singapore Math 5B and I ordered the level 5 word problem book not realizing that it is for 6th grade.  The word problems are difficult for him but we do them together.

Today the word problem was best done with a little Algebra.  I started to explain to B how to do it with an easy Algebra equation.  At first he was confused but when he got it .... he got it!  He actually said "that is fun can we do another one?"   I wanted to jump up and do a little dance while cheering but I didn't want to spook him.  So I  calmly said, "Sure."  and wrote 5 easy algebra equations on the whiteboard for him which he excitedly did quickly and correctly!!  I love that I get to share these moments with my son! :-)

Algebra was a favorite subject of mine so I am such a proud momma!! 

Mathematics is the language which God has written the universe. 
- Galileo Galilei

Constitution 101

I am so excited to be taking a class of my own for the next 10 weeks!  Hillsdale College is offering Constitution 101 "The Meaning and History of the Constitution" free of charge (although they do suggest a donation to cover costs).  The class is online and started yesterday.  Each lecture is about 40 minutes and is taught by professors that teach the course at the college.  It is a course that Hillsdale College students are required to take.  I have wanted to teach B about the Constitution and now I will be much more confident when I do!  What a perfect time to get a refresher course!  :-)

If you haven't heard about Hillsdale College ...  It is a small, independent (they do not accept federal or state taxpayer subsidies for any of their operations - yes, it can be done!)  college in southern Michigan.  I did not go there, nor did anyone that I know.  We receive their free monthly newsletter called Imprimis and that is how I found out about the course.

If you are interested, it is not too late to sign up for the course! 
Check out the website:
http://constitution.hillsdale.edu/

National Civil War Museum

We've finally gotten over the winter illnesses and we got to take our first field trip!  What better way to spend a cold February morning.  We are learning about the Civil War and Abraham Lincoln and we happen to have a great Civil War museum 20 minutes away.  B is really interested in history and especially the Civil War, Revolutionary War, WWI, WWII, Vietnam War ... ok, so he is interested in anything military. 

The National Civil War museum was nice.  The building is beautiful and it was really easy to find our way around.  It was not crowded on a Thursday morning and it only took us about 1 1/2 hours to walk through the entire museum.  I loved all of the old artifacts.  There is something really cool about seeing Robert E. Lee's Bible and Abraham Lincoln's hat box.  Not to mention the weapons, medical kits, uniforms and other paraphernalia used by men in the war.  B loved all of the dioramas of the different battles.  It was right up his alley.  We are hoping to make it to Gettysburg and Valley Forge when it gets a little nicer out.  This is one of the benefits of living in PA.  Lots of local history to explore!

B also completely a project on the Vietnam War last week.  I let him choose the subject matter and  also what type of project he wanted to do.  My only input was the paper.  I wanted him to write a paper (outline, first copy, rewrite, final draft) and he chose to do a clay diorama and poster board.  I am really proud of the work that he put into this project! 

All in all a fun start to February!  I just calculated that we are on day 111 of school today.  In PA we have to account for 180 days per school year.  We are on pace to finish the school year (hopefully) at the end of May.  We'll see what happens!

Hope that everyone had a happy Valentine's Day! (-:

The Science of NHL Hockey

So, if you are a hockey fan you may know that the NHL All-Star game and skills competition was this past weekend.  In our house it is bigger than the superbowl.  While watching this weekend, there was a commercial for the "Science of NHL Hockey".  They are free videos online and soon to be released lesson plans!  Imagine my excitement!!!  :-)  I immediately looked them up online and watched the first video.  They are definitely above my 5th graders head (they talk about vectors, statistics and averages, kinematics) but I figure that if he is interested in watching them .... we can make some use of them.  The lesson plans are not available yet and are supposed to be available soon.  If you are interested, check out the website  http://www.nbclearn.com/portal/site/learn/science-of-nhl-hockey

If you are not hockey fans like us, they also offer Science of NFL football, Olympic Games, Changing Planet ... just to mention a few. 

Brother congratulating brother after a goal.  Love this picture.

Homeschool Mother's Journal

I'm linking up with the Homeschool Mother's Journal after a long hiatus.  Stop by and check out what other homeschool moms are up to.

In my life this week…  Almost the entire house has been afflicted by sickness.  My boys have been suffering from a horrible cough.  The hubby came back from Canada with bacterial bronchitis and a double ear infection.  I have an annoying cold which has pushed off a fun field trip that I had planned until next week.  Such is the misery of winter.   
In our homeschool this week…  Things are getting back to normal after the Christmas break and then another break for a trip to Canada.  I just ordered a new grammar workbook to supplement what we are currently doing.  I keep wondering if we are doing enough grammar.  And I have come to realize that B is a horrible speller.  I must work on this... If he spells there, their, they're wrong one more time, I may explode.  I also just scheduled his standardized test for this year.  In PA he has to take one in 5th grade.  I need to stop worrying about it but I know there is spelling on the test ... they might even ask him to spell there, their or they're.  But I keep reminding myself that they won't make him go back to public school for atrocious spelling.  After all, that is where he was taught for the first five years, right?
Helpful homeschooling tips or advice to share…  I've got nothing ... I am a newbie remember?  Although, I think I would advise everyone to not stress over standardized tests ...
Places we’re going and people we’re seeing…  The boys all went to Canada for a hockey tournament last weekend.  They had so much fun!  You know you are a hockey family when the kids always wanted to go to Canada.  They won the regional hockey tournament and the trip to Canada was for the finals.  They did well and ended up with 1-1-1 record.  I think they ended up 6th out of 16 teams.  I am so proud of them! :-)  And E and I got to spend some quality girl time.  We went shopping, saw a movie, went to dinner.  And my bed was overtaken by E and 40 of her favorite stuffed animals while the boys where away.  Add the two dogs and I am surprised that I slept at all! 
My favorite thing this week was… B is making an anatomy board game today and he has been really creative with it.  I love to see what he comes up with. 
Questions/thoughts I have…  Am I doing enough grammar?  How do I know that he's learning proper grammar and writing skills? 

I’m reading…  Way too many things at once.  I am trying to get done two books that I started so that I can start a book called The Resolution for Women.  The hubby is going to read The Resolution for Men.  They are both by the people who created the movie Courageous.  We are going to watch this movie this weekend and I am looking forward to it.

I’m cooking…  Nothing recently.  I did make chicken soup at the beginning of the week since everyone was under the weather but that has been the extent of it.  I need to get back to cooking!

I’m grateful for…  The opportunity to homeschool my kids!!
I’m praying for…  A dear friend who will be giving birth to a baby girl any day now.  Can't wait to meet her!  :-)

Happy New Year!

So, I have been away from the computer celebrating the holidays with my family for the past two weeks.  It was wonderful but way too short.  My youngest two are still in public school and they barely had a break.  They had a half day on the 23rd and then they where supposed to be back in school today!!  Way too short!!  We decided to keep them home today so we could enjoy one last day together.  I can't wait until next year when we will determine our own schedule! 

I am really excited to get back to school!  B will be starting Singapore 5B this week and we only have about three weeks left of Teaching Textbooks 5.  We are ahead of schedule! :-)  Even after having an extremely light end of the year ... I counted baking cookies as our math class one day ... there are fractions ya know!  And I didn't want to start the new Singapore book before the break. 

I can't believe that it is already January!

Happy New Year from my family to yours!