Sonlight
Core F
Week 30
June 16-20th, 2014
Our first week in Grand Rapids went fine. On Monday we went to Grand Haven State Park http://www.tripadvis...y_Michigan.html, and had to pay for a "non-resident" sticker since we have Indiana plates. It was a big beach that seemed to go on and on! There was also a lighthouse, but we didn't go to it. We walked the shore for about an hour. Tuesday we found the Wal Mart and did some shopping there. The Wal Mart's patron's were not as fancy as the Meier we had been to the week before. Then Thursday we went to the downtown library and checked out some new books (see the Readers for the week below) then in the evening after Dh got home we went to another park--the Comstock Riverside Park. We walked the grassy shore around the lake, and looked at the view of the Grand River. It was nice---too many people there; but nice. We saw lots of geese and ducks in the lake, and a BEAVER!
That was really neat! We walked around the lake, and looked at the
Grand River beside the lake. Grand River is the big river that goes
through (and gave GR it's name) Grand Rapids. Oh, and the ducks and
geese had all their babies with them--so great to see. One geese couple
had 11 babies! I don't know if they all belonged to one mom or not;
b/c there were 3 adults swimming with the babies.I'll post pictures of all we saw next week. Friday Dd and I drove back to Indiana after successfully seeing Dh off to work.
Dh completed his first week at his new job. He see's that he has a lot to offer the company and has some things in mind that he wants to work on to improve things. I am glad we got him off on the right foot. This week Dd and I will stay in Indiana and work on packing up the rest of our house. One week in the apartment has really been different. Trying to get use to such a small space has been difficult. Instead of doing our lessons & reading in our 'library' we have been doing it in our beds. The apartment really is basically a large hotel room, and there isn't space to do much. I also succeeded in using a dryer for my clothes, instead of using my drying racks like I am use to. It makes the clothes really soft, but the dryer takes forever to dry our clothes--even splitting the small load in half and drying one half at a time. I think our dryer and our microwave are either old or have a lower energy level than we are use to.
This week Dd had a lot of bad days and feeling like she "had nothing to look forward to". We tried to go to the two parks and find our new library in hopes that we could show her some of the positive things of Grand Rapids---but she stuck with her 'not happy' attitude. Between you and me, she really liked the downtown library. The library was beyond huge---I am not sure how many stories, but it was big! The two things she really liked--they have a big "teens" section filled with lots of Rick Riordan books and graphic books. Also, she loved the mosiac tile floors and marble columns. There was so much marble! The library is really beautiful, old, and built with so much care!
This week Dd had a lot of bad days and feeling like she "had nothing to look forward to". We tried to go to the two parks and find our new library in hopes that we could show her some of the positive things of Grand Rapids---but she stuck with her 'not happy' attitude. Between you and me, she really liked the downtown library. The library was beyond huge---I am not sure how many stories, but it was big! The two things she really liked--they have a big "teens" section filled with lots of Rick Riordan books and graphic books. Also, she loved the mosiac tile floors and marble columns. There was so much marble! The library is really beautiful, old, and built with so much care!
We have a "library" in one of our spare rooms that was floor to ceiling books, on all four walls. I never would have imagined how long it would take, how many boxes it would take, and I'm still not done!!! It just goes on and on! I could use prayer on this---we still have a lot of things to pack, and a small space to fit all the boxes into. I don't know how all our stuff is going to fit into our garage! I have a LOT of work ahead of me this week!!! We are going to take next week off from lessons, so I don't get distracted from the job I need to focus on. I'd rather be reading to Dd, but I *have* to get things packed up---and wish I had a team on my side!
Living in a house, with a fence, we are use to just opening the back door and letting out our dog, Sophie, out. Now that we are in an apartment, we have to take Sophie for walk after walk after walk! I am really surprised by how lovely and natural the grounds of our apartment neighborhood are. It seems every other tenant has a dog and walking your dog is very common. In our neighborhodd in Indiana, few people have dogs, and those that do don't walk around our neighborhood. I always felt like I was on show when talking Sophie for a walk, and I don't get that feeling when walking Sophie in our new neighborhood. That really is very nice. But, the downfall is that Sophie doesn't get to RUN and do her laps like she could in our backyard.
We had a very light "lessons" week. Our Read Aloud's consisted of Star of Light by Patricia St. John. I really liked this book a LOT. It was similar to a Lamplighter book in that it was a wonderful testimony to Christian growth. We are really enjoying Star of Light, a Core F book. We didn't do any spelling, science, or language arts---just some reading and math (and bible).
Star of Light (Patricia St John Series) by Patricia M. St. John (completed)
Yesterday it had a really touching part in it; a boy who had stolen eggs from the English woman who had been feeding him and the other orphaned boys. She was walking with him to see another boy, at night, and had a beamer/flashlight to show the way. But, the guilty boy stayed out of the light and walked in the dangerous gutters. He eventually tripped on something and fell hard on his face, which cracked the eggs on his chest. She then realized why he wouldn't walk with her. It lead to a really great and meaningful section. He knew he deserved to be yelled at or beaten (those kids seem to get beaten a lot in this book), and definitely he figured he lost his free dinner each night and wouldn't be allowed back in her house. Instead she acted like Jesus, and lovingly cleaned him up and replaced his thread-bare clothing with much better, clean, dry clothes. She cleaned and wrapped his bloody knees. She made him feel loved. Then she described how b/c of his stealing the eggs, he couldn't walk in the light or on the path---and how our sins do the same thing with our walk with the Lord. He needed to ask for forgiveness from her, but also from the Lord. The events of this one night changed his life and his relationship with the Lord. The story gives a lot more details, but you can get the idea from the little I wrote here. The next thing he did was to care for a starving kitten. Her actions opened a part of his heart so much that he now cared for others beside just his attention for himself. What a really good lesson for children (and adults) to read about---a very visible and tangible lesson that we can all understand. Another one of those books that has a cover that doesn't really draw you in, but the story has been very good. We are only a bit over half way through--so I don't know how satisfying the ending will be yet...but, wanted to share. It is like the Lamplighter books that have a good story PLUS have such a good 'sermon', for lack of a better word, for the Lord's grace and goodness to us. Just thought I would share in case anyone might be looking for an extra book to add in that will also help with Christian Character building.
For our bible this week--we did read a few Psalms, but we are still reading the book:
Readers:
Star of Light (Patricia St John Series) by Patricia M. St. John (completed)
Yesterday it had a really touching part in it; a boy who had stolen eggs from the English woman who had been feeding him and the other orphaned boys. She was walking with him to see another boy, at night, and had a beamer/flashlight to show the way. But, the guilty boy stayed out of the light and walked in the dangerous gutters. He eventually tripped on something and fell hard on his face, which cracked the eggs on his chest. She then realized why he wouldn't walk with her. It lead to a really great and meaningful section. He knew he deserved to be yelled at or beaten (those kids seem to get beaten a lot in this book), and definitely he figured he lost his free dinner each night and wouldn't be allowed back in her house. Instead she acted like Jesus, and lovingly cleaned him up and replaced his thread-bare clothing with much better, clean, dry clothes. She cleaned and wrapped his bloody knees. She made him feel loved. Then she described how b/c of his stealing the eggs, he couldn't walk in the light or on the path---and how our sins do the same thing with our walk with the Lord. He needed to ask for forgiveness from her, but also from the Lord. The events of this one night changed his life and his relationship with the Lord. The story gives a lot more details, but you can get the idea from the little I wrote here. The next thing he did was to care for a starving kitten. Her actions opened a part of his heart so much that he now cared for others beside just his attention for himself. What a really good lesson for children (and adults) to read about---a very visible and tangible lesson that we can all understand. Another one of those books that has a cover that doesn't really draw you in, but the story has been very good. We are only a bit over half way through--so I don't know how satisfying the ending will be yet...but, wanted to share. It is like the Lamplighter books that have a good story PLUS have such a good 'sermon', for lack of a better word, for the Lord's grace and goodness to us. Just thought I would share in case anyone might be looking for an extra book to add in that will also help with Christian Character building.
Mary Slessor: Forward into Calabar (Christian Heroes: Then & Now) by Janet Benge (completed)
Another Core F Read Aloud we have been enjoying is entitled Mary Slessor: Forward into Calabar. My only problem is that I know her story so well, and don't remember which book I had previously read! But, Dd doesn't remember the story so she thinks she is reading it for the first time. It is an amazing story of how this little Irish red head puts all her faith in the Lord and He takes care of her time after time in impossible situations. It shows us how much the Lord is involved in our lives and the most minut details of it.For our bible this week--we did read a few Psalms, but we are still reading the book:
A Shepherd Looks at Psalm 23 by W. Phillip Keller
We are really liking this book, and even though I have read it before, I am just as pleased as the first time. This is the type of book that has such deep things to think about you don't want to rush through it. It may take a while to read it all...we will see.Readers:
The Odyssey by Gareth Hinds
Odyssey
Hawksmaid: The Untold Story of Robin Hood and Maid Marian by Kathryn Lasky
Hawkmaid by Kathryn Lasky
Audio:
Little Town on the Prairie (Little House) by Laura Ingalls Wilder
completed LTOTP
By the Shores of Silver Lake (Little House) by Laura Ingalls Wilder
(in process)
Narrator: Cherry JonesEHN: Africa worksheets & Worldbook:
1 hour
Pre-algebra Test Booklet Math U See by Steven P. Demme
Math:Math U See: Pre-Algebra
3 A-E
We have taken so many pictures this week (so has Dd), but I don't have time right now to compress and add them in right now. I will get some pictures as soon as things settle down a bit.
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