Thursday, November 7, 2013

Core F Week 6 Nov. 4-8, 2013



Reminder: I am putting a review of each of the books we have read from Core F on a post; it is located in the October 20th 2013 file--located on the right; if that would be useful to anyone.

         Core F         
Week 6
Nov. 4-8, 2013



After spending another weekend at the farm; our house was quite messy--so we spent a lot of time trying to play catch-up on chores.  Dd and I spent a lot more time on cooking this week too.  We are getting really good at taking chicken breast and cutting them up into strips, dipping in egg batter, then a mix of flour/bread crumbs/and spices, and placing on a cooking pan that has canola oil and baking.  We did that twice this week; along with sweet potatoes in aluminum foil in the oven at the same time----so yummy.  I made a tofu/veggie soup in the crock pot using our celery that we grew out of our garden as the main ingredient on day.  Dd made a potato, carrot, and black bean soup in the crock pot another day this week.  We both made them up from our own imaginations!  and luckily both soups were very good!

The weather was very nice this week; so I did get to mow the and work in the garden.  It was great to spend time outdoors---even when we "should" have been doing our lessons!  It is always such a struggle; trying to balance doing our lessons and the very real need to spend time OUTSIDE.  I so wish we could do both; and feel the need to both equally. With the weather getting cold and miserable the struggle gets harder; but yesterday we bought Dd snow boots--so one step closer. 

We were still focusing on CHINA during our homeschool lessons-Core F.

Dd went to Swim & Gym this week - rec'd her Lifeguard training and had her important visit with G.G.  Now that our co-op is over; it is nice to have a scheduled visit with peers.

Bible:
Veritas Press Bible Program: Genesis Through Joshua

http://www.rainbowresource.com/products/vbgjcd.jpg
We finished up Card 14 (Jacob & Esau)

We spent the week and completed Card 15: Joseph as a Slave: Genesis 37-40
Read our Bibles together Genesis 35-40
Our Veritas Press Workbook pages
Believer's Bible Commentary-pg 69-74 Genesis 35-40
Greenleaf pg 25-28
Journey Through The Bible 42-45

Reader for Dd:
Anne of Green Gables by L.M. Montgomery---completed



Apologia: Zoology 1: Flying Creatures of the Earth-pg 207-212 COMPLETED
I have to say how much I LOVED this book!!  I underlined and scribbled in the borders, and talked to anyone who was willing to listen about the great stuff I learned from this book.  I could not recommend this book higher!!  Such a great book.  The first chapter was very technical and talked about the orders and classes; and we thought the whole book was going to be THAT complex; but it isn't!!!  We read the first chapter 3 years ago, and put it aside - thinking it was too difficult for us.  Then we tried it again 2 years ago; with the same impression...then finally about 7 months ago when I read the first chapter I didn't let the complexity of the material stop us; I just kept reading past it and realized it was just laying the foundation.  I am glad we did it; but I also regret not having done it sooner!!!!  Dd is as excited about Zoology 2, as I was about Zoology 1---these animals are more to her liking!

NEW:
Apologia: Zoology 2: Exploring Creation with Swimming Creatures: Introduction through pg 4


We are still really, really enjoying our "bunny trail" of getting to know as much as we can about the Period Table of Elements.  We have been reading a book entitled The Mystery of the Period Table by Benjamin D. Walker ( we read chapters 15, 16, &17 this week) and we have been watching video's online at YouTube & the University of Nottingham- Periodic Table of Elements:
  http://www.periodicvideos.com/videos/012.htm

Videos:
I know these titles sound strange; but they are actually all science related...and very educational--no, really!!
Fr Francium (named after France)

How Much Caffeine in Coffee

Chemistry Nobel Prize 2013
The Elements Song
The Barking Dog
Blood Halloween Special 2010
Death Mix and Guy Fawkes Night--Nov. 5, 1605-(the plot to blow up the Houses of Parliament)

Very Fast Death Factor

Pumpkins-Halloween Special

Blowing Up The Cake




Language Arts:

All About Spelling 5:  Lesson 16 : Completed
I was glad Kendra shared with me Merry's All About Spelling Blog.  I realized that I sometimes forget to do the reviews; and need to made sure I do them VERY thoroughly!!!  I kind of breeze through those.  I could  improve in that area; and will try to do that.  This week's lesson was on making words plural---which was a topic that area that Dd doesn't really need any help with...but, she did a good job doing the lesson anyway.

First Language Lessons: 4: Lesson 82
These last lessons are 'reviews' and they are very long lessons--and take about 2 days to complete.

This week we specifically worked on fully grasping ADVERBS:
The Magic of Language: Adverbs  by the Child's World, Ann Heinrich
The Official Guide School House Rock by Tome Yohe - section on Adverbs-"Lolly, Lolly, Lolly" (this is a book; we have the VHS too; which is great to watch).

MADLIBS--Daily!!  We 3 have had a BLAST with Madlibs lately!!  We finished one book we had on Scooby Doo; and have one on Star Wars and another on Scooby Doo left (time to order more!).


Percy Jackson: The Last Olympian by Rick Riordan: Book 5: Completed
We listened to this out of order b/c the library didn't have Book 4 ready before Book 5; so we listened to Book 5 --then started Book 4.
(We read these aloud a year or two ago--so we already know the story.)

Percy Jackson: The Battle of the Labyrinth by Rick Riordan--in Process
The Seekers: The Great Bear Lake--in Process


Core F: We are still behind in some of our World Book pages for finishing up in China.  We are  reading Young Fu of the Upper Yangtze; and enjoying this book.  Did I tell you all that I found a 1932 version and the illustrations are terrific!  So much better than the other 2 versions/editions that I have.  It is too bad that as we "PROGRESS" our progress has really been a regression as far as I can tell.  The binding isn't sewn in--it is a cheap glue that comes undone quickly and books become trash or recycling instead of a treasure.  I look at the wonderful older editions that I have been fortunate to find--and for MUCH less; and they are printed on THICK paper; with numerous illustrations, and sewn binding that will last much longer--like decades longer than books printed 50 or 100 years afterwards.



Books we've added-in this week to Core F:
Through Time Beijing by Richard Platt
I recommend this book.  It is a visual book that shows you the history of China.

Religions of the World-the sections on Christianity-The Church During The First Millennium, ...etc.



Extra's from this week:
LOTS of knitting done by Dd.  She has figured out to do some little shawls for her dolls--kind of in a triangle shape.  She has excelled at cooking this week; with helping with 3 meals---one being a crock pot soup she made entirely on her own with ingredients she decided upon; in amounts to her liking; and spices & flavorings to her choosing----I have to be completely honest and admit her soup turned out better than my soup.  I was thinking of being "healthy" and using up as much celery as I could; where she was thinking of making a tasty soup.  She also made a batch of granola cereal from scratch too----perfectly done as well.  This was a big K'nex week...she made a boat, a tractor, and a house.


And As ALWAYS--we always, always, year after year--always enjoy our BrainPop, BrainPop Jr., and now BrainPop U.K. each day.  Monday was Guy Fawkes Day; so we saw an episode on BrainPop U.K. on Guy Fawkes, and then went to the University Nottingham and they had an episode on Guy Fawkes too!!!

It was a good week--we didn't rush around all over the place and didn't get distracted too much by life and it's constant buzzing.  It is funny how we have thought about the moving and Dh taking a job somewhere else and if that could happen.  That has been so much weight for me.   And I don't even know if it will happen or not! Then I realize that I have had this false thought that I have been somewhat in control of my life; when really I haven't had any control of it at all.  We SAY that God is control; but I think we really think that we are actually still "driving the car" (metaphorically, running our life) most of the time...we decide if we are going to stay in our current jobs or current homes; etc. etc. and it finally  really sunk in to me that I have NO CONTROL over my life.  He, the good Shepherd, has complete control and I have been lying to myself b/c it is easier for me to live thinking I am 'driving' and that I am in control.  Don't get me wrong---the Lord gives us free will; but I choose to turn over my life to His will--willingly.  I keep thinking how my life might change, and how hugely scary that is to me...things might...change.  But, you know life is always changing whether I have to prepare and meditate on it or not.  It is just that this time, I know and realize how much He is in control and actually always has been (whether I realized it or not!)  And I have moved my whole life, and if we moveagain or if we stay, it won't really matter -- I shouldn't be afraid of either path.  I guess I was afraid of losing the friends I had made here; but really I can count on my hands how many friends I've made in Brownsburg in the almost 8 years that I've been here.  I guess the Lord wants to keep me fully relying on HIM.  And He has provided me with the wonderful ladies on the SL forums---and Christie--who is good enough to check up on me, and me on her--no matter what...and that has been such a wonderful blessing to me; a real friend..a REAL friend.  I count her as a blessing; a blessing that only the Lord could have connected us two together with such similar personalities. 






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Pictures this week--farm


Coming Soon!

 Pictures from the farm--
November 2nd & 3rd 2013


One of the many nice things about the farm is the Persimmon Trees!  Have you ever eaten Persimmon Pudding? or Pie?  Here are a few pictures of the fruit still on the tree.  Deer LOVE to come and eat them after they have fallen onto the ground....but, so do we!!!  Unfortunately, there weren't any ripe ones on the ground yet.






The bark of a Persimmon Tree



We have had our 160 acres certified as a "classified forest and wild land reserve".  We had to remove some weeds and meet some requirements.  It was pretty easy for us to do as we already were doing a lot of the things they wanted.




Our property has not one; but TWO cemeteries.   There are Civil War vets here.  I can easily see the date 1790 on this stone.  There are stones that are from the 1700's and some are so old the carving has worn off because of erosion; all that you can see is bumps.


 This gravestone has lasted the test of time well---I can see 1783 as the birth year clearly.  It is really interesting to walk around and see the dates, names, and details.  Yes, there are some of my  husbands relatives buried here too.




Dd in one of the 'cabins'



See this lovely lady beetle?!  So cute!

 Dd and Dh walking up one of our trails~

 Here Dh is swinging Dd on a swing Grampy made her a few years ago...this is a walnut tree that we got married under 15 years ago.



 I just love looking at the woods this time of year!  The sun is so low and the shadows are so dramatic.



 Here is one of the blinds they moved this year; they move them to new locations each year.


One of my favorite things----FERNS!



Another one of my favorite things---lichens!  The farm has LOTS of ferns and moss out in the woods!  So, that makes me happy!

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