Tuesday, June 14, 2016

SL Core G Week 27 "D" (BAND CAMP WEEK) June 6-12, 2016

SL Core G Week 27 "D" 
(BAND CAMP WEEK) 
June 6-12, 2016

Hello Friends!!!  
What a week!  This was Dd's Band Camp week, which is 40-45 minutes away from our home, at the Homeschool Building, so I drove about 3 hours each day.  Dd was there from 8:30 to at least 3:30 each day, which is seven hours, but I bet she only marched/played about five hours of that time, but that was a LOT of marching!!! This was a music week, not an academic week.  Her first parade will be next week!!  It took me two tries to get her uniform passed inspection!  I had to hem the complicated arms of her uniform.  I'll post pictures of her in her uniform next week.



 She had a blast!  It was very hard, especially since her allergies have really been harsh this year and her lymph nodes have been really swollen.  Their band's name is "Northern Lights," Homeschool Band--and they got cool t-shirts on the last day to commemorate their accomplished week.



Band Camp took up just about all of Dd's energy for the week.  I had hopes of her doing half a lesson of math each day, but that only happened on Monday.  I also hoped for real progress on her Reader (The Shakespeare Stealer), but that was very limited.  Note to self: Don't expect much from Dd next year during Band Camp!!!


I spent the whole week driving back and forth, volunteering at the camp, and prepping some of our books for the upcoming Homeschool Building Annual Used Book Sale!  I spent a good six or seven days sorting, organizing, and pricing about 500 books.  Dd helped me on Saturday, which was greatly appreciated!

Thursday Dd and I went swimming in our pool for the first time this year; though it was only 74 degrees...brrrrr!  Dd has been calling Giz and Grampy and getting educated on how to prep the pool, check the pH, and get our pool up and going, since her parents have been too busy!!!  She did great! 


Dh has been diligently working on the outside chicken run by himself this week. 

Dh is building the support for the roof, that will be coming.  We are going to have one super safe section for the chicks to have access to, then a wider area that isn't as safe for when we are home and with them.

 Dd and I couldn't help much this week.  


I just helped about one hour, holding up the eight foot posts and getting them level and balanced while he refills the holes with dirt. 

Dh dug out a deep trench and then buried the welded wire, so no animals can try to burrow under the fence.  You can see the hole in the building where the chickens will be coming in and out.

Dh has been doing such a great job on making this plan very critter-proof.  


There has been a bear sighted roughly in our area...not that a bear couldn't get in, but we are making it challenging!

Weekly Summary:



Band Camp: 35 hours at least

Violin Practice: 1 hour
(We canceled her private violin lesson for this week.)

Library: 1 visit

Math: TT Algebra I:
1/2 lesson, Lesson 37 re-do

Chickens:
Dd helped feed and water the chickens

Cooking:
1 batch of Rice Crispy Treats

Swimming:
3 swims
(plus pool prep and work)



Computer:
Dd Generated a Star Wars themed birthday card for Lexi: see pictures above and below:






Drawing:
Manga week: 1 1/2 hours

Over-Night with friend on Wed. 

Birthday Party on Sunday

Reader:
The Shakespeare Stealer:
1 hour

Dune:
10 minutes



Church and Sunday School on Sunday


Helped prep for used booksale---taping prices on books:
4 hours, or more.


It would have been interesting to take pictures throughout the week of the progress of going through so many boxes of books and picking and choosing...hours of it, but I was too busy!  
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Wednesday, June 8, 2016

Leaves of Three, Let it Be....Poison Ivy, Oak, and Sumac

Leaves of Three, Let it Be....Poison Ivy, Oak, and Sumac
.................

Mark Case to Michigan Kayaking / Canoeing
Keep an eye out folks,
“Leaves of three, let it be”
"Longer Middle Stem, Don't Touch Them"
“Berries white, run in fright”
“Hairy vine, no friend of mine”
...................

Monday, June 6, 2016

Core G Week 27 "C" (BP 16) May 30-June 4, 2016

Core G Week 27 "C"
 (BP 16) 
May 30-June 4, 2016 

 
We have been enjoying a Barred Owl couple in our yard!


Hello Friends!  This week Dd *finally* started violin lessons this week.  Giz had bought a violin at a yard sale, while visiting here last summer, but Dd decided to start with 'band' and her alto sax before starting orchestra, so the violin was put on hold.  The violin also needed some repairs before it would be ready to play.  One of the best parts is that our teacher lives 3 miles away!  So much better than the 1 1/2 hours of driving for Dd's thirty minutes of sax instruction!  I'm so glad her violin teacher lives so close!  Dd's goal is to try-out/audition for the orchestra at the end of the summer, but the goal is possibly too big.  The Beginner classes are at the same time as her Intermediate Band class, so she would have to be accepted into the Intermediate Orchestra, with only a few months of practice.  This is highly unlikely to happen, but she is going to at  least try.  This week Dd also had private lessons with her band teacher, Mrs. March.  They have switched from sax lessons to piano lessons, and plan on incorporating piano from here on out.  They are going to focus on piano for now, so she only had to do her National Emblem song on sax one time. 

Dh took some pictures this week--all the Hummingbird and Dragon Fly pictures are from him this week!
You can see how close the owl is to our pool fence.
Band Camp Coming Up: 
Dd's lymph nodes were back to being very swollen this week.  Looks like she over-did it helping with the chicken coop over Memorial Weekend.  She thinks it is her allergies---so I'm doing everything I can to help her immune system get built up for Band Camp next week (starts June 6th).  Band Camp is 8:30 to 3:00 each day---outside---marching and learning choreography while playing their instruments.  I sure hope and pray she can continue to build up her immune system while attending Band Camp!  I hate to see her throat lymph nodes so swollen (no fever though). 
 Prayers Appreciated for her this big, big week!!!!


Due to Dd being sick and run down, I wanted to help her recover, so I encouraged daily nap time--even if she didn't sleep---just to give her body the chance to recover.  So, she didn't get much accomplished this week---plus Monday was a holiday and Pappa was home all day working on the chicken coop.  But, she did get a few things progressing forward.

4-H
Wednesday I took Dd to her first "Poultry Meeting" with our  new 4-H group, or at least the ones that are in the Poultry group!  It was really interesting and very educational.  They went over how to show your chicken during the fair, and each one got to do a presentation to an older/experienced leader.  I am **SO** glad we finally got into this group!  They really know what they are doing!  Our last group offered no help on explaining what we need to do and how to do it!  I've always wanted Dd to actually participate and had asked our leader, but didn't get connected to another 4-H girl to show Dd the ropes.  I think this time, we really may be able to really participate!  We found a book at our library that was specifically on "4-H Chicken Showing."


Link Homeschool Co-op:
Thursday was the Track and Field Day, and I had signed up to do the food for the event.  I had Dd stay home and rest.  It was a LOT of work!  This was the last thing I was expected to do for the group, unless we change our minds and sign up for next year...but at this point I think we are too busy.  We really had a very hard time making friends with such a tight-knit group.  I was hoping for some local friends, but perhaps that could happen with 4-H??!?  

Still planting!  We bought a little more wood so we can build another raised bed soon.
Chicken Coop:


We are making progress!  We are very close to getting the fencing started--as we put in six posts.
Here is where the security run, and then the bigger run will be...soon!

Dh used post-hole diggers to dig out three feet holes for the posts.




Pool:
The two tarps are off, and the new Solar Tarp is on!

 Dd put the diving board on, all by herself!  She really, really wants to go swimming, but I wouldn't let her with her swollen lymph nodes--maybe soon.

The fencing has to start underground.

Invited over a fellow homeschooling family this week:
For the past six months I kept getting this feeling that I should reach out to her---make an effort to befriend her--and finally did so. She picked to come out on Friday afternoon, and I spent so much time cleaning up our house in preparation.  With all the chickens and gardening time, our counters and tables were piling up with things that needed to be sorted.  She never showed up, but our house did get a good tidy and scrub in the process.  I am glad I listened to my gut and invited her over, but sorry that she didn't come.

Dd painting the coop with Kilz on Monday

Lessons this week:

No bible this week, besides church.


Math:
Teaching Textbooks Algebra I
Dd had a really difficult week with math.  I don't know if her being run down made her brain not click enough or what, be she struggled.  Monday she had off (holiday), then she did lesson 37, 38, 39, and then repeated 37 to improve her grade (and got a 100% the second time!!)

Check out this massive spider!

History Reading:
The Shakespeare Stealer by Gary Blackwood.
I read The Shakespeare Stealer this week, and then passed it on to Dd to read.  It was hard to put down, and a fast read for me.  Dd is still working on it, but got through half of it this week.  I recommend this historical novel.



The Magna Charta: by James Daughtery
Dd asked to stop reading this book---and I agreed.  She doesn't normally ask to stop reading a book, but feels she has this material down and not liking the book.



The Samurai's Tale: by Eric Christian Haugaard
Not liking this book, and has read a few books on the Samurai that she did like already, but says she will continue to give this book a chance to come around.

Music:
Piano:
Lots of piano this week.  Mrs. March has assigned piano homework for Dd, and she performed that music at her private lesson on Tuesday.  Three hours this week.


Violin:
Private Lesson on Thursday, she has two books of music to practice, and has been focused on learning it.  With her throat sore and swollen she hasn't played much sax.  Three hours this week.


Sax:
Played a few times this week, but only about one hour combined.  Sore throat, swollen lymph nodes, so I advised her to rest her throat.



Item #: 043585
Foreign Language:
Rosetta Stone: French
10 Minutes Monday through Friday


Drawing:
Dd has been really enjoying drawing each day.  Plus, it is something she can do in bed while she has been recooping.


Science:
Magic School Bus (Beehive episode)
I've pulled out all our MSB video tapes!  I was telling Dd how much I miss watching those, and she was agreeing!  So, we are going to try to watch them again! Fun!


Dd planted all the HERB plants she has been growing.  She has been helping with the chickens.  We went to the library and found 5-6 chicken books to help prepare for 4-H.  She also checked out a bunch of 'wildlife, wilderness, survival training, edible plant identification, trap building'...types of books this week.


Dd's Fun Reading:
Product Details

The Last Girls of Pompeii

May 17, 2007

The Last Girls of Pompeii by Kathryn Lasky

Product Details

Hunting and Gathering Survival Manual by Tim MacWelsh

The Encyclopedia of Survival Techniques by Alexander Stilwell

Bushcraft 101: A Fieldguide to the Art of Wilderness Survival

I'm still breaking up all the tree branches from the trees we cut down back in April.
The Peony that Giz and Grampy brought from home is doing so well!!!!



I can't delete this photo--glitz...oh well, at least it is a pretty picture!



Agnes has learned how to open the screen door and help herself outside...did I mention she is NOT allowed outside!


My Favorite time of year....when the Red Poppies are blooming!  I brought these from Indiana.  So far, all of the plants I brought (except one peony and one blackberry bush) have survived the tr

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