Monday, July 25, 2016

Sonlight Core G Week 31 "B" July 18-23, 2016

Sonlight Core G 
Week 31 "B" (31/36)
July 18-23, 2016
92nd Week on this Core...getting close to completing it now!
Four chickens in one hole! The rooster is trying to go under the pile!


Hello Friends! 
A very quiet week for us in Michigan.  This was my second week with headache's and migraines, which kept our week very quiet.  My GERD was horrible this week too.  Dd and I both just didn't feel good for most of the week, and we even took a nap on Thursday.  We probably needed a stay at home week after so much going this summer.  



Homeschooling comments:
When we were at the Sparta parade last week, the people next to us were talking as our homeschooling band came marching up the street.
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=KaC1wEenU68&feature=youtu.be
The mother asked her son if he would want to be homeschooled; and he immediately said, "YES!" Then the mom, in a very ugly tone, says: "No, you wouldn't!  You wouldn't have ANY friends!"  It was really ugly the way she snapped at him, and then made such an erroneous comment.  I wanted to point out that my Dd was there, in the middle of almost 200 kids, many of whom are her "friends" and that her son was standing there all alone!  How can people think homeschoolers don't have friends?  I guess that is better than saying the truth--which is sometimes all our social things get in the way of our lessons!!  I guess it is better they don't know!  But, I guess I could also say, that many of our social things are "educational." Either way, it really struck a cord with me, how so many people have so many pre-conceived thoughts about those of us that educate our children at home.  I love homeschooling!  I love getting to share my day with my Dd!  I am so thankful for this wonderful decision we made all those years ago, and don't regret it for a minute--even on the hard days when math isn't clicking!


Our garden is doing really great!  This is our kohlrabi, but I couldn't digest it this year.  Dh enjoyed it though.

Africa:
Educationally, this week we focused on AFRICA.  Our Story of the World, add-in Reader: Glorious Age in Africa, movie: The Good Lie, and Kingfisher Encyclopedia all focused on Africa during the Middle Ages.  I didn't go on to Week 32 so we could stop and visit African history at this point.  I *think* Sonlight use to have the Glorious Age in Africa as part of their Core G package.  Either way, I've heard many SL'ers mention the importance of this book and wanted to fit it in, especially since we didn't with Core F.



Chickens: 


We are working hard on the "Chicken Run."  This is a second run that we can open a gate to let them out of their first run, into the bigger (less safe) run. We want free-ranging chickens, but can't really let them go traipsing around while we have neighbors with multiple big dogs; not to mention all the wild-life in our area (barred-owl pair...).  This second run won't have a fence above them, but it will only be when we are home and around.  The have access to the "safer and smaller" chicken run 24/7.



This was our second week of getting eggs.  We had a plastic cube shaped tub in our garage that I put straw in to see if they would use that as a nesting box, and a few hours later there were two eggs in it!  I couldn't get the eggs at that time, so I came back about an hour later and the eggs were gone!  I wonder if our 'eat-anything' dog happened to find those eggs.  Sunday was rainy and predicted to storm all day, so we left the chickens in the coop and small run.  When we went in to feed them before bed there were five eggs in the brand new nesting box Dh had just finished building (and I had put in on Saturday).  It appears our egg counts are getting higher, and that we need to watch our dog, Sophie's newly acquired esteem for chicken eggs!  The new nesting box is very nice! 



New Nest Box: Dh completed this week.


So happy the chickens are going to actually use it, as I read many chickens don't like the official types of places to lay their eggs.

OUR LESSONS THIS WEEK:

Bible:

Product Details
Veritas Press: Gospels (5 hours)
I haven't reviewed our bible program lately-so here is a link if you are interested in the Veritas Press Bible Program.

Card 119: Completed
Jesus and the Young Ruler
We read the story of when Jesus talked to a rich young man that wanted to know how he could go to heaven.  The rich man held his riches above the love for his neighbors, and couldn't bare to give away his riches to follow Jesus. We read the same story, in three Gospels, and compared them.
*Matthew 19:16-30
*Mark 10:17-31
*Luke 18:18-30
*Dd completed the worksheets


Product Details
Journey Through the Bible: pg 297



Product Details

Do Hard Things by Alex and Brett Harris: Completed
Well, we finished our third reading of this book.  I really recommend this book, that encourages teens to expect more from themselves than they are now.  I have to admit, each time I read this I feel the same push for me to work harder and do more.  For our last time through, I made this book stretch out as much as I could.



Library: 1X

Physical Education:
Swimming: 3x (4 hours)
Workout: Leslie Sansone: (20 min)



Math: (5 hours)
Product Details
Teaching Textbooks, Algebra I:
Lesson 46, Test, 47, 48, and re-do of parts of 48

The chickens were not too excited with all our hole digging and post planting going on!  


Foreign Languages:
Product Details
Rosetta Stone: French
75 minutes (1:15 hours)

Sign Language:

Product Details
Review this week, 1-9

After putting in all our lines for the addition to the chicken run, we changed our minds!  It is going to be smaller up on the grass, but go behind the out-building so the chickens get more running space.


Sonlight History:

Kingfisher Encyclopedia of History
210-211, 212, 220-221, 222



Story of the World: Middle Ages
Ch. 33 & 34



Favorite Poems Old and New
444-446

Sonlight Reader:
Product Details
Leonardo da Vinci by Emily Hahn: Completed

History Add-In: (4 hours)




Product Details
A Glorious Age in Africa by Danial Chu

History Add-In: (120 min)

Product Details

The Good Lie (PG-13 DVD): This is a movie about the story of a few of the Sudanese "Lost Boys."  The group eventually came to the US (Kansas City).  It was very interesting to see how the group must have lived in Africa, and how odd their transition would be coming to the U.S.  I should mention there was one scene, after the group had grown up and were adults, one smoked pot.  I don't know if youngers would catch that scene or not, but wanted to mention it.  Half way through the movie, Reese Witherspoon, does say a few cuss words.  All-in-all, it was a good story and good movie.


Remember a few weeks ago, we put these vines in water to watch the root hairs grow?  Here is an update on how that experiment is going!

Science:
 Apologia General Science
Product Details

Module 11: The Human Body: Completed (6 hours)
*What a great chapter!  I know I had so much fun re-learning all this information.  Dd passed her test perfectly, except she said "bacteria" instead of "pathogenic bacteria."  I pulled in some of my science add-in books to go a bit deeper.  Our How Your Body Works book has a good section on goosebumps and your epidermis, dermis, and hypodermis.  

Product Details
Student Notebook for Apologia General Science: Completed pages that coincide with her text book.
(I really think adding the Student Notebook forces the student to mentally process the information.)


Experiment 11.1 results...a chicken bone in a jar of vinegar turns the hard bone to rubber!


YouTube:
We spent 45 minutes looking up video's on CELLS.  There are some really good video's available.

Bill Nye's: Human Body: Skin : Completed


Digging holes for the additional chicken run - in process.


Music:

Another "Instrument Fitting" class was held on Monday, and we drove up for it--2 hours--of Dd getting to try various instruments.  This time there were ORCHESTRA instruments!  Dd got to try the cello, violin, base, flute x 2, tenor sax, oboe, clarinet (1 hr of playing there).


Marching Band class:
9:30-11 (1:30 hours)



Private Baritone (Mrs.March) lesson: 30 min 
Private Violin (Mrs. Reed) lesson: 30 min

Practice times:
violin: 2 hours
piano: 2  hours
sax: 3:30 hours

Digging holes for the additional chicken run - in process.

Busy Hands:
Dd made Egg Salad for us this week.

I bought a dehydrator, and Dd picked many herbs out of her garden and dehydrated the herbs, then put them in ziplock baggies.  Herbs: Chamomile, Basil, Oregano, Catnip, and Sage.


Dd made a poster, on the computer, of her favorite Hobbit poem, "Not all Who Wander are Lost."


Dd playing the cello at the Instrument Fitting on Monday.  She likes the cello best, but she owns a violin and has to be content with that...for a while at least!

Fun Books:
Infinite Sea by Rick Yancey
and another Hardy Boys book


(Timeline highlights, as we are ending the Middle Ages, and beginning the Renaissance: Henry VI becomes king of England, Richard III is king of England, War of the Roses, Ferdinand and Isabella marry, Jews expelled from Spain, Prince Henry the Navigator, Mansa Musa of Malli has pilgrimage, Ibn Battuta visits Mali, Byzantine Emporor Justianian defeats vandals in N. Africa, Teutonic Knights conquer Prussians, Stephen makes Hungary a peaceful Christian nation, Pope asks German king to defend Europe, Sonhay Empire expands under Sunni Ali, Portuguese begin trade in W. Africa, Babur the Turk invades India, Christopher Columbus, Vasco da Gama, Ferdinand Magellen, New World, Pope sets Line of Demarcation, Leonardo da Vinci, Tenochtitlan is built, Huana Capa rules Inca's, Aztecs arrive in Mexico and build Tenochtitlan on Lake Texcoco, Toltecs are powerful in Mexico, Francisco Pizarro conquers the Incan Empire...)
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Thursday, July 21, 2016

Apologia General Science Experiment 11.1 Minerals in Bone

Apologia General Science Experiment 11.1 Minerals In Bone




This experiment was similar to the one we did a few months ago--where we put a limestone in a glass of vinegar and the vinegar ate the lime from the stone.  In this experiment the vinegar is eating the calcium/minerals and leaving the collagen behind.  The stiff bone will turn into a flexible/bendable bone.  
*Update: wow, is the bone like a rubber-band now!  It is completely bendy and rubbery.  

We had to specially buy a whole chicken to get a wishbone, to do the experiment how it was specified.  Easy experiment to do, once you have the bone!


After a week in the vinegar, the bone went all rubbery!
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Sparta Parade July 16, 2016 Northern Lights Homeschool Band Sparta, MI.

Sparta Parade 
July 16, 2016 
Northern Lights Homeschool Band

Patriotic Parade Sequence:

National Emblem:





Saturday was our fourth parade this summer.  Our band was in the Sparta, MI. parade.  We used their bleachers to take this years band photo.

There are over two hundred students in the marching band this year.  There was an announcer describing the band as we marched through the center of town, and she said that we are the largest homeschool band in the United States.  She also shared that there are three other homeschool bands---but, I don't know where they are located.  It is nice to know there are other homeschool bands out there!







It is hard to capture their dance routine in photo's, but this picture does a little.

Here is Dd marching along!


I always show the front, older color guard, so this week I wanted to focus on the younger color guard that brings up the rear.


This picture shows the comparison between a Tenor Sax and Dd's smaller Alto Sax.  Dd is on the right side, playing her sax.




After the actual parade, the band performed a "special" music program dedicated to patriotic songs.  I'm not sure who the special was planned for, but, all of us parents and families really enjoyed our special show.  Dd had been practicing for weeks, learning the new material.  It was one of my old Fleur de Lis Girls Camp songs: This is MY Country...Land of my birth...This is MY Country...grandest on earth!...


These six fellow's were jamming up a storm before the parade.  It was really great hearing them enjoy music so much.
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Monday, July 18, 2016

Sonlight Core G Week 31 July 11-17, 2016 (Middle Ages to Renaissance) 91st week on Core

Sonlight Core G 
Week 31 
July 11-17, 2016 
(Middle Ages to Renaissance)
 91st week on Core

We bought Dd a Tenor Sax this week.  She will play it in Beginning Band, and then play the super-big Baritone Sax in Intermediate Band.  She is playing the small Alto Sax in Marching Band (the Baritone isn't in this picture).

Hello Friends, 
another summer week with all it's 'a little bit of this' and a 'little bit of that.'  We invited the "V" family over on Monday--to swim and play.  Then the eldest daughter, "A," stayed on when the rest left.  "A" stayed with us until Wed's marching band class.  The girls planned to go camping in our woods.  Monday night they camped out--bonfire dinner and lots of music practice, as they are both in WMHFA together.  They each tried each other's instruments.  Tuesday I took the girls to the library and out for ice cream.  We ended up having a big storm in the late afternoon, which put off their camping / sleeping out on Tuesday night, but they had a lot of fun together.  Then on Wednesday I took them both in for their band class. I was polite enough to not take ANY pictures of the girls and their fun 'roughing it,' but, boy did I want to!  They borrowed our big hiking backpacks (as big as they are!) and loaded them up with all their supplies, and hiked down into the woods like they were going to be gone for months!    The other big highlight was the
Sparta Parade 
in Sparta, MI. on Saturday.  This was a special parade because the head of the band, Mr. Stiles, use to teach band there and was invited back especially.  He had the band learn a small concert of patriotic music and do a little special show after the parade to a few of his old friends.  

Chickens:
Dh is on the last steps for the "Nest Box" construction.  I've already stepped on one hidden egg this week.  This week we had a few days where we had TWO eggs per day.  On Monday, Alpha, our top rooster went home with our friend, Michele.  Now, Beta is crowing up a storm in his place...ugh.  Speaking of Beta, his wound is SO much better.  I pulled out the tin of Bag Balm and applied it at least once per day, and that really did the trick.  He still doesn't want to let me pick him up, and runs to the other side of the tractor, which makes getting him his ointment rather difficult.

GERD:
I haven't mentioned my reflux problems in a few weeks---my update is that I am still taking my supplements (Marshmallow Root, Super Enzymes, Licorice Root....papaya chewables...and drinking Kefir daily...and Kombucha, here and there...and exercising...no gluten and trace dairy...and I'm still not without some problems.  I'm not sure what I will do.  I've decided to try to work this out for a year, and then decide.  From some of the online reading of other people with digestive issues, when they went to supplements and off their heavy medications (GERD meds/proton prohibitors) it took them a fairly long time before their body was able to heal and recover.  I'm trying to be patient and give my body a real chance at healing before I go back to those meds.

House:
This was a very full week, I didn't get any painting or work done on the house.  

Music:
Dd has been processing quite a few different options regarding next years music opportunities.  VIOLIN: She wanted to be in the intermediate orchestra (violin), but doesn't feel she is strong enough to try out yet.  So we will continue her violin lessons, but every two weeks instead of every week.  That will give her more time to process the new material, and hurt our wallets less too! 


As far as Band goes--Mrs. March had offered Dd to play their Baritone Sax (super big sax) in the Intermediate Band class.  That is a done-deal, and Dd loves the "Bari."    



A few weeks back, Dd went to a "band instument fitting," where ALL the band instruments were introduced and tried by the kids wanting to try these things out.  Well, Dd had never tried the Tenor Sax before, and fell in love with it.  It is similar to the Alto Sax (what she plays now), but the Tenor is bigger and plays lower notes.  Mrs. March told Dd, at her private lesson on Wednesday, that someone brought in a Yamaha Tenor Sax for her to sell.....guess who now owns a Tenor Sax?!!  So---Dd will be playing that Tenor Sax in the Beginning Band next year.  Dd will play the Baritone Sax in Intermediate Band, and the Tenor Sax in Beginning Band.  Right now she is playing the Alto Sax in Marching Band.  



Dd will just have TWO band classes on Wednesday's next year.  Last year she had two classes too--only one was a Choir class.  She will have to practice both instruments each week, but she usually doesn't have a problem with this.  So, our band/music dilemma is over and we have a plan!  She will try out for orchestra next year (violin), and we will have to figure that problem out when it comes around again!

Our lessons this week:

Bible:
Veritas Press: Gospels: 1:30 hrs
card 118: completed
Lazarus Rasised From the Dead, John 11
read with Bible and Believer's Bible Commentary
(this week's Believer's Bible Commentary was very long and detailed.  This was the last public miracle that Jesus did before He was crucified.)
Dd completed the Student Notebook pages for this card.

Journey Through the Bible
pg 292-293

Do Hard Things by Alex and Brett Harris ( 45 min)
pg 199-209
Purposefully re-reading this book very slowly--like a devotional book because it is so full of good ideas/concepts for us to think on.

Math:
 Teaching Textbooks Algebra I: 3 hr
Monday and Tuesday were off---"A" was here
Wed-Lesson 43, Thur-Lesson 44, and Fri she re-did the questions she got wrong on 43 & 44.  SLOW and steady.

Sonlight Reader:
Shadow of a Bull by Maia Wojciechowska: completed

Sonlight Read Aloud:
I, Juan de Paraja by Elizabeth Borton de Trevino: completed

new Sonlight Read Aloud:
Leonardo da Vinci: in process

SL History: 45 min
Kingfisher History Encyclopedia & Favorite Poems Old and New: completed Week 31's assignments
also
Story of the World: Middle Ages: Ch. 31 & 32 

SL Timeline and Mapping: 45 min
I had fallen behind, as I write out an assignment sheet for each weeks specific timeline and mapping items.  This week Dd had some catching up to do!  She did "Weeks 28-31."

Foreign Languages:
Sign Language: 45 min
ABC's of Manual Communication (my high school sign language book):
Lessons 7, 8 & 9.  Tested & passed Lesson 7

Rosetta Stone: French: 1 hr.
instead of doing 5, 10 minute lessons, she did an hour in three days (friend over on Mon & Tues)

Science: 
Apologia General Science: 4 hrs.
Module 11 (week 1 of 2): Human Body
Experiment 11.1 Minerals in Bone: in process, as our chicken wishbone is in a glass jar of vinegar.  We decided not to do the experiment 11.2: Phototropism & Gravotropism, as we have experienced this for years with all my growing plants and grow-lights--we really already "get" this!
Experiment 11.3: Skin Color: another experiment to pass on--Skin Color--they wanted Dd to put a watch or a band-aide on, then get "a lot of sun" and notice the difference between the white un-burnt skin and the red of her now burnt skin...no thank you!  We haven't passed on hardly any experiments, so I don't feel too bad about these two.

Computer Typing:
 45 minutes 
(letter to the "L" family)

Physical Exercise: 
 8 hrs minimum 
Swimming:
2 hours on Monday, 1 hour on Sunday

Sparta Parade: Marching: 9:30-2pm

Hike with "A": 2 hours

Music: 
a very musical week!
Band Class (Wed. 9:30-11): 1:30 hrs
Piano Lesson w/ Mrs. March: :30 min
Practices:
Alto Sax: 30, 5-10 min, parade: 4 hrs, :30, 1:00 :30= 7:30 hours
Tenor Sax: :45,  3:00= 3:45
piano: 45, 2:00, :30 = 3:15
"A's" piccolo= 2 hrs
violin: :30, :30, :30 (plus 30 min lesson)= 2 hrs

Fundamentals of Piano Theory by Keith Snell & Martha Ashleigh:
weekly assignments from Mrs. March.  For the past 4-6 weeks, I've  forgotten to list these assignments each week.  Dd really enjoys this workbook and wants to get more after she finishes this one.


Activities:
Library 2x, Ball's Ice Cream with "A," Sparta Parade, hiking in woods with "A," Swimming, Chickens....

Busy Hands:
making a doll, sewing: 2 hrs
drawing- 2 hrs
made "A" dinner: spaghetti and chicken- 1 hr
bonfire and grilling out: ham, baked beans, and S'Mores

Fun Reading:
The Book Thief by Marcus Zusak

Hardy Boys Chaos at 30,000 Feet

(Timeline highlights, as we are ending the Middle Ages, and beginning the Renaissance: Henry VI becomes king of England, Richard III is king of England, War of the Roses, Ferdinand and Isabella marry, Jews expelled from Spain, Prince Henry the Navigator, Mansa Musa of Malli has pilgrimage, Ibn Battuta visits Mali, Byzantine Emporor Justianian defeats vandals in N. Africa, Teutonic Knights conquer Prussians, Stephen makes Hungary a peaceful Christian nation, Pope asks German king to defend Europe, Sonhay Empire expands under Sunni Ali, Portuguese begin trade in W. Africa, Babur the Turk invades India, Christopher Columbus, Vasco da Gama, Ferdinand Magellen, New World, Pope sets Line of Demarcation, Leonardo da Vinci, Tenochtitlan is built, Huana Capa rules Inca's, Aztecs arrive in Mexico and build Tenochtitlan on Lake Texcoco, Toltecs are powerful in Mexico, Francisco Pizarro conquers the Incan Empire...)

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