SL Core H Week 29 A Oct 8-14, 2017

SL Core H Week 29 A 

Oct 8-14, 2017

Trip to Indy-Giz has Surgery

Dd finished her first oil painting.  It is Anne and Diana walking together; from Anne of Green Gables, one of Dd's favorite series.

Hello Friends!

Zeus, keeping an eye on me!

We started our week, Sunday, driving up to visit Giz in the hospital.  We returned back home Tuesday--and our normal homeschooling classes and work. After Giz was rushed to the hospital last Friday to heal her latest infection, she stayed there until her scheduled operation on Monday.  We had packed, cleaned, cooked, and got a babysitter for our critters all prepared last week for this upcoming trip.

I didn't find time to make any birds last year, so I am getting an early start for this year's Chrismas lavender birds.

 I started my Christmas felt birds, stuffed with lavender, while we took turns with our new Read Aloud: Under the Egg by Laura Marx Fitzgerald.  



 On Sunday morning we woke up and loaded up our van and headed south to Indiana.  I woke up with a headache and was glad Dd and Dh could do the driving for me. I did 90% of the driving on the way home while Dh read our new RA for us (Under the Egg by Laura MarxFixgerald--loving it!).

Ms. Lemon

The drive went fairly well, though there was lots of construction; especially in Indiana.  We eventually made our way to Giz's hospital--IU Medical Hospital in Indy.  It was very difficult finding a parking spot that was free, but we managed with help from Grampy over the phone!  He had all the streets memorized and was a big help.

Don't these two girls look like they are up to some serious chatting?!  Good chums!

Giz looked pretty good on Sunday night, I think we arrived around 3:30pm.  She had been on her IV antibiotics for two days and had the infection knocked out so the surgery was still on for Monday morning.  We got to meet all the nursing staff that had been helping take good care of Giz over the weekend.  I think the weekend staff seemed nicer than the weekday staff.  

One of the three new kale spots, this is the second best spot.  On the right, flowering, is the Cilantro.  On the left of the baby kale is another variety of kale that I've been putting in my morning smoothies too.

After visiting for a few hours Grampy took us to the hotel for dinner.  We warmed up the ribs and pork Dh grilled/smoked for Grampy.  He really enjoyed all the food we made (Dd made potato salad and egg salad for the trip). 

Left is Merry and on the right is Pippin...two adventurous boys.

 Grampy said he had eaten out all but one meal for the past week and was glad for some family food.  Dh had made a cinnamon GF coffee cake that Grampy enjoyed for a dessert.  After dinner, we all loaded back up and headed back to the hospital to visit with Giz a few more hours.  

Merry, looking cute!

Uncle Greg called to say he was going to come up and spend the night in Grampy's hotel room, on the pull-out sofa bed.  It was a good thing he did because Grampy had left his suitcase at home! So, Greg went over and got Grampy's clothes before driving up! Greg missed dinner with us but met up with us all at the hotel around bedtime. 

The Buff Orpington's are all molting and growing new feathers!  Even the Black Sex Link are molting now!  It is interesting seeing the new feathers coming in.

The short, extra dark feathers are the new ones.

Nervous:

Giz was nervous about the big surgery in the morning and would make conflicting comments--half the time saying we should go back to the hotel and gets some rest, but whenever it looked like we go she would draw us back to stay.  Eventually, she started falling asleep and we slowly worked our way out.  I don't think any of us got much sleep though, we were all worried about the upcoming day and didn't get much rest.

If only I ever sat in the hammock this summer!  Too busy! It looks welcoming though!

Giz's Surgery was Successful:

We set our alarms for 5:30 am on Monday morning, to get to the hospital early enough to be certain to get to see Giz before they were scheduled to take her.  We didn't know it, but she didn't actually get taken back until much later than they had scheduled, I guess the patient before her took a lot longer than they had anticipated.  

Our very last potatoes of the year!  I really dug out the potato areas to get every single one, no matter how small!!

Uncle Jeff and Kate made it to the hospital before we did, so Giz had all three sons with her in the hours before her surgery.  Eventually, they took Giz back and our time in the waiting room began.  We spent from 10am to 3:30 in that area, and it dragged on and on!  I had plenty of time to catch up on my reading lists, though the waiting room wasn't very quiet.  I think I re-read some paragraphs four times because of all the distractions there!!!  I read the other Reader that Dd had just finished: Snow Treasure by Marie McSwigan and then started Escape From Warsaw by Ian Serraillier.



Then I read her second Reader: Escape From Warsaw.  It was hard waiting for so long, but the doctor did come out and share such fantastic news with us---He said that he "FIXED" her problem!!!!  "FIXED!!!"  We were so glad!!  

These Amber Links are such sweet girls!  I think they may be the nicest birds we have.

Then we all moved back to her hospital room, crowded all in!  Giz was beyond thankful for the success of the surgery.  She asked us all to join hands and try to sing, "God is So Good."  We didn't get to our hotel until around 9pm, which made for such a long day.  The good results of the surgery sure did wonders for all of us getting such a good nights sleep!  I slept so soundly!  What a huge relief that Giz will be fine!!  

The tomatoes are showing little signs of slowing down! Too bad there aren't as many red tomatoes on the vine these days.

Tuesday we got up early and packed up all our stuff and put it in our van.  We checked out of the hotel and rode to the hospital with Grampy.  To get back to our van we called the hotel's shuttle service which took us through Indy on a lovely sightseeing tour of the town before finally dropping us off back at our hotel.  I think we finally got on the road around 1pm.  Giz was obviously doing great and looked very good!  It is amazing how quickly she rebounds!  We made it back home around 6:30pm on Tuesday evening.  We were so glad to be back home with all our critters.  It felt like we had been gone for a week!  

Poirot (Black and White Bantam rooster) and Ms. Lemon (black and gold Bantam hen)

Wed: WMHFA Orchestra & Band

Wednesday was fully scheduled---Intermediate Orchestra at 8:30, piano lesson at 10:30, Intermediate Band at 11:30---they are working on the Hot Chocolate song from the Polar Express movie!!!  They sound great!!!  After our classes, we had Olympians at church from 6:30 to 8:15!  What.a.day!

This kale has been so easy to pick, strip, and put in my smoothie blender in the mornings.  If only the worms didn't like it so much!

Fri: Grace & Girl's Club

Friday was Dd's Grace Academy classes starting at 10am.  She had her Painting Studio, then Botany Art class, and finally her Saxon Geometry math class.  Afterwards, Dd went home with Lexi.  Lexi was hosting a Girl's Club--a campfire and roasting hot dogs.  Then they spent the night our in their camping trailer for extra fun!  They had a great time together!

I canned this week's green beans so Dh can bring them along for his lunches.  He wouldn't take a quart of green beans, but he would a pint!

Canning:

I managed to can 8 pints of green beans this week.  Tomato paste is about ready to can.  I've been adding and working on the mixture in my crockpot.  Saturday night I finally got the tomato/carrot sauce canned!  After stewing in the crockpot for three days it was really cooked down and flavorful.

Garden:

This year celery really was much more successful.  I moved it to shady garden spot and kept it fairly moist.  Far to the left, in this shaded bed, is the new kale that is getting eaten by slugs.

The new kale is coming in very well in this bed, the best of the new, but in one of the other beds something is eating it...perhaps slugs?

The garden was getting hit by worms again on the Brussel sprouts and kale, but I worked really hard to pick off as many as I could before I left for Indiana.  I thought I got them, but as soon as I walked out to check the garden when we got home on Tuesday night I could immediately see all the damage that had been done in the three days away!!!!  It amazes me just how quickly those worms can clean out leaves---big ouch! 

Our Brussel sprouts are almost fully grown.  I don't think we will grow these next year.  I also think I will skip the cabbage too.  They take too long, attract too many bugs, and we could use the space for veggies that we can eat on more often.  

 Luckily the weather continues to be very good for our garden and the tomatoes are still turning red, just not nearly as fast as when it was warmer.  

Chickens/Ducks:

Nothing new to report---they are all doing really well.  I struggle to try to bring in as many greens and vegetation as I can to feed them.


  
I am not letting them free range anymore, as they had been preyed upon when out, so I have been foraging for them most days and bring the greens to them inside their runs.

Agnes and Dickens sharing a window together!  This is a first!

Kittens:

They are doing great and getting bigger each hour!  

Academics for the Week:

Bible:

Sunday we drove to Indiana, so we all missed going to church this week.  It was very unfortunate as this Sunday was our special Strings Group's presentation that we didn't get to be in.  I'm sure they did great without us!

Beets still growing well!

We are continuing to read the New Testament in chronological order with our new Integrated Bible.  I use the Integrated Bible to give us the sequence, but then I read the passages in our normal bible.

The Faith of the Centurion: Matt 8:9-13 & Luke 7:8-10 & John 4:50-54

Jesus Raises a Widow's Son: Luke 7:11-17 & Matt 11:2-3 

Jesus and John the Baptist: Luke 7:18-21 & Matt 11:4-19 & Luke 7:22-35

Woe on Unrepentant Towns and The Father Revealed in the Son: Matt 11:20-21 & Matt 11:22-30

Jesus Anointed by a Sinful Woman: Luke 7:36-44

Jesus Anointed at Bethany: Matt 26:6-13 & Mark 14:3-9

Jesus Anointed at Bethany: John 12:1-8 & Luke 7:45-8:3

See the mounts of dirt---that is from all my digging up of potatoes!

Olympians at church: 

Dd volunteered to co-lead the Games portion on Wed night (1:30 hours)  The kids in the group have been acting a bit unruly so Dd and her co-leader met up at our house on Thursday night to discuss tactics on how to handle and move forward towards improved behaviors.

SL Bible: Daring to Live Life On the Edge: Ch's 7-10

Bible Reader: 1 Corinthians Ch's 12 - 15

Read Aloud:

Under The Egg by Laura Marx Fitzgerald: In Process

I am loving this book!!!!  We read it in the van on the drive to Indy and back!  Such a fun RA!  Dh is also enjoying it!

I dumped some of the grass from our yard for our chickens to eat.  We don't add any chemicals to our grass so this is great for them to peck at. 

Reader:

Snow Treasure by Marie McSwigan: Completed

I also read this one---really fun easy read!  

Math:

Saxon Math through Grace Academy:

Lessons 17-20

*still very difficult, the teacher isn't helping explain these lessons any more than just reading the chapters out loud in class.

Zeus and his girlfriend!

Science: 

Apologia Physical Science Student Notebook:

pgs 126-134

Here Zeus's girlfriend is pecking at his beak...she loves him so!

Home Economics:

Dd made a special Lemon Cake with lemon juice frosting...yum!

Music Classes:

Violin Lesson with Christie: 30 min
Intermediate Band: Alto Sax 1:30 hours
Intermediate Orchestra: violin: 1:30 hours

(we had to miss Strings Group b/c of Driver's Education class)



Art:

Doesn't this odd potato look like a Henry Moore sculpture!!!

Drawing: 2 hours
Painting Studio (Grace Class) 2:00 hours
Botany Art Class (Grace) 2:00 hours

Molting Petal

Girl's Club: Friday

campfire, games, hot dogs, and spent the night!

We definitely had fewer red tomatoes this week.

I've added some carrots to this weeks tomato sauce.  Dh makes a wicked Tomato Soup that consists of tomatoes, carrots, and celery that is one of our family favorite meals.  I thought adding some carrots would give a different tone of flavor on some dish in the future.

Isn't this a pretty spider on our kale?!

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