October Butterflies and Flowers

October Butterflies and Flowers

It may seem like the same 2 butterflies---but these pictures are of at least 6-8 different butterflies! Today is Wednesday, Oct. 17th and in the last 2 days we have had 6-8 butterflies hatch!!!  What fun!!

Many of the sticks in the cage have 2 chrysalises on them.  On the right you see a white, paper funnel---a caterpillar crawled out of the cage and decided that was the place to build his home...so I put the funnel in the tank so I would be able to keep track of it better.

This butterfly has just emerged from his cocoon.  You can see the case below where she is on the stick-about 2 inches down.

I found a new butterfly on these books--- I didn't even know there was a chrysalis on the side of those books! LOL!!! Can you see the chrysalis on the lime green book-about an inch and a half above the carpet??

This is the girl butterfly that was from that book!

Dd picked some of my orange Poppy flowers.  She is making up a pulp to try to make her own paper.  She saved enough flowers to make me a pretty vase---what a nice daughter!  And she hammed it up in front of the camera too!

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Oct. 8-13, 2012 Core E - Wk 8 Civil War

Oct. 8-13, 2012 Core E - Wk 8 Civil War

Dd did a drawing like this one; but spilled her tea on it--so she had to do a second one (this one).  Our LHE hs group is having a competition.  They wanted a lighthouse, an anchor, and a sand dollar.

Well, on 10-4 thru 10-10 I had a migraine everyday.  I was in bed or laying down last Fri., Sat., and Sun. to help get over the worst of it.  By Mon. I had the strength to do lessons during my good hours (with Maxalt).

Here's a look at what we worked on this week:

Bible:
Mark & Matthew
Psalm 103:
 
 Sing the Word: The Heavens Declare - CD
(*Heather L. ** the "Sing the Word: The Heavens Declare" CD is what I was telling you about last week.)
12 songs based on verses from both the New and Old Testaments. In Bible package only for Levels 4 and D+E.
CD features 12 songs based on verses from both the New and Old Testaments.
Performed by the Harrow Family. Helps students memorize assigned verses.
  1. Psalm 103
2. His Compassions Fail Not
3. The Name of the Lord
4. The True Vine
5. Go and Make Disciples
6. Was I Not Joking?
7. Slow to Anger
8. Faith Is
9. Run the Race
10. Bring the Tithe
11. I am Persuaded
12. Psalm 19

 I think this is our fifth Sing The Word CD that we have done repeatedly with our Sonlight curriculum so far; and we really, really like this product. You might research them and see what you think.   It has been 5 years since I did the research myself; all I remember now is that I was very impressed...how vague can I be?!

Lincoln : A Photobiography by Russell Freedman

History/Geography:
Lincoln: A Photobiography--Ch. 6 to finished.  I don't know why; but I never looked forward to reading this book.  I think b/c the chapters were so long and too good to stop in the middle.  But, the material was very good and I did like the book.  I have no idea why it didn't get a five stars type of feeling from me; but it didn't--maybe a four stars book.  I'm sure many would disagree with me; but it just was missing something to me.  It did have really fantastic photo's and the content was excellent; just no big bells and whistles.  I did have a chocked throat during the whole last chapter...but made it through without crying.

These books I've moved to Dd doing on her own b/c I am not really into them.  I really loved the poetry book in Core D; but this one hasn't connected with me.  So, Dd is reading it aloud to me so maybe it will grow on me.
*Oxford Illustrated Book of Poems-check
*American Tall Tales-check

Read-Alouds:
No RA this week; we finished last week.

Reader:
Seven Wonders of Sassafras Springs--Dd finished this week


Dd added & finished this add-in Reader too:

Meet Caroline: An American Girl by Kathleen Ernst, Robert Papp and Lisa Papp

Music:

Piano-Giz is trying to get Dd to learn: Away in a Manager and My Country Tis of Thee on the piano.  She has been practicing like crazy...if she passes her 'test' I think she gets a little money.

Math:
MUS:Delta: 24E, 24 F, 25 A, 25 B
Skip Counting Family -12's 3 times written and said aloud three times this week.
LOF:Edgewood: Lesson 14, 15, 16

Language Arts:
AAS: Lesson 26 (Mon,Tues,Wed-tested and passed)
AAS previous test retests:Mon-18-20, Wed-21-23
FLL: Lesson 8, 9, and 10
Typing Instructor: Tues (50 min-made it to the "castle"), Wed (30 min)
Write the definition of a Pronoun (Mon, Tue, Wed) repeatedly
Spellingcity.com-since we are really close to finishing AAS 3, I have been going over all the previous tests and having Dd do them again and noting which words she hasn't retained.  Then I am taking those words and letting her work on those on Spellingcity.com.

DVD: Ansel Adams-we've only watched 1/2 so far; but it is really good.  I'm not sure Dd is getting all of it.  It would be better for kids 12 and older.
 

American Experience: Ansel Adams Starring Barbara Feldon, Josh Hamilton, David Ogden Stiers, et al.

 

Our activities for the week:
Monday-lessons
Tuesday-Swim and Gym
Wednesday-lessons
Thursday-LHE Co-op: Gym/Picture Day, Nature In Art, and Geography
Friday-lessons

My new book: What the Robin Knows

With the cool wintery chill and frost on the ground; there will be time for me to read more.  Every summer between all the mowing, watering, weed whacking, and gardening I never get much time for reading (besides all the books I read aloud to Dd).  But this past week we have had a few HARD freezes.  Don't you know, the book I had requested 2 months ago from our library finally came in!!!!  What great timing!!  I have started it and I am really liking it so far.  A book that encourages us to go outside and just sit, listen, and observe.  It is a very interesting book!

What the Robin Knows: How Birds Reveal the Secrets of the Natural World by Jon Young

Oct 1-5, 2012 Core E / Week 7 "LOW"

Oct 1-5, 2012 Core E / Week 7 "LOW"

In Progress-

After such a big weekend (drove to Mitchell, IN on Sat for Christmas party and didn't get home until 9pm and Sunday was the church's "Ground Breaking" party) we had a lot of cleaning up to do on Monday.

Math:
Math U See: 24 A- 24E
Skip-Counting Family -12


Bible:
We started the Veritas Press Bible Program-Genesis - Joshua.  I am so thankful Michelle explained to me how the schedule works.  It isn't nearly as difficult as I thought it was going to be.  We also did Chapter 6 from Starting Strong

Starting Strong by Paula Rinehart

 

Dd's Reader: Finished - The Perilous Road by William O. Steele

Read Aloud: Across Five Aprils

Spelling:
All About Spelling-reviewed tests 14-17
Retaught Lesson 26, words and sentences

DVD:
 

Johnstown Flood narrated by Richard Dreyfuss Starring Richard Dreyfuss, Patrick Jordan, Jennifer Lee Dake, et al.

 

This movie was a bit gory and I wasn't that impressed with it.  My Dh read :

The Johnstown Flood by David G. McCullough

He really thought this book was much better than this movie we watched.  I was just hoping to add in a quick little tid-bit and not a whole book about this one event.
 
Grammar flashcards--reviewed all our grammar terms

Piano daily- Dd is working on some new songs with Giz.  There is some new challenge that Giz has put up for her---something about learning x amount of new songs and then she will receive $5.00!  I'm not involved in this one; but I hope it goes well!

 Monday- Library

Thursday-Field trip to Tuttle Orchard and 4H
Tuttle Orchard was really amazing.  I have a separate post just for describing it.


 4H
The kids made small robots during the meeting.  I think the robot was called a "Toothbrush Robot" or "Cleaning Robot".

  Books:

 

Gettysburg: The Graphic Novel by C. M. Butzer

 

Abe's Fish: A Boyhood Tale of Abraham Lincoln by Jen Bryant and Amy June Bates

 

The Littles and the Big Storm (The Littles #9) by John Peterson, John Lawrence Peterson, Roberta Carter Clark and Roberta Cart Er Clarke

 

Narnia Chronology: From the Archives of the Last King by C. S. Lewis, Mark Edwards and Pauline Baynes

Tuttle Orchard-Oct. 4, 2012

Tuttle Orchard-Oct. 4, 2012

We had a GREAT time at Tuttle Orchards!  They really gave a wonderfully informative tour.  I learned a lot myself; and I thought I knew a bit about this type of thing.  Some of the information was more appropriate for this year; since we had an early spring followed by a late/ surprise frost that left a "frost ring" on some of their apples.  Then because of our drought this summer, the size of their apples (and quantity) were directly affected.  She held up a specific variety (I forget now which 'crisp' it was) and it was about the size of my hand and she said normally they are at least twice bigger than it was.  I had been wondering how exactly the drought would affect an apple farm.  The pumpkins seemed fine though.

This was my favorite stop--See her puppet bee!!  She gave the best lecture on bee's I've ever heard.  Both sides of the room were full of big, blown-up pictures/posters on bees and apples.  There is a pvc pipe that goes out behind the glass case of bees.  These bees can fly in and out of this glass exhibit.  They put a little colored spot on the Queen Bee so we could easily find her in the middle of all those bees.

This is one of the many rooms/buildings the newly picked apples go through after they are picked. 

This is the back of their gift store.

Isn't this a funny "Hay Ride"!!!!  We were pulled by a tractor out to a pumpkin patch.

Good talk on pumpkin blooms--some are girl blooms; and some are boy blooms-- I didn't know that.

She showed us many pumpkins and gourds and gave a good description of each

Last stop--the playground!!

Tuttle Orchard was really amazing.  They had us go to different educational stations.  One station was on how pumpkin plants get fertilized.  They showed us around 20 different gourds and pumpkins and discussed them.  There was a bee station-- this was probably my favorite.  They covered how bees make honey; and all sorts of great details about bee life.  They had a live bee exhibit--with a tube for the bees to fly out and back.  They walked us through each stop the apples go through--from being on the apple tree, being picked, washed, sorted, sorted and washed again, and then to their different locations as a result of their sorting--the apples with any imperfections are turned into cider, the pulp that is left over is taken back out to the trees as compost.  One thing I didn't know, was that cider is actually a special mix of different apple juices mixed together to create a full, rich flavor.  The most perfect apples are sold in bags at their store. 

We had a late frost this year; so many of their apples that had started early had a 'frost ring' that makes the apple look un-perfect.  Hay ride through the pumpkin patch and we picked out a pumpkin to bring home.

Sept. 24-28, 2012 (Core E :Wk 7)

Sept. 24-28, 2012
Core E
Week 7

We still had parts of Week 6 still to do; but officially moved forward a week.  Monday, Dd officially had a cold and was puny.  On Tuesday, the farmer harvested the corn field behind our house.  We also went to the library. On Wednesday, we walked through it gathering some bits of missed corn.  Thursday, we had our LHE classes, followed by a picnic at Krannart Park.  Friday we stayed home.  Dd and Dh made Peanut Butter Fudge for the Christmas party that was held on Saturday at Spring Mill Park.  Saturday, we drove to Mitchell and had a lovely time at that park and enjoyed our visit with our family.  Sunday, we had the "Ground-Breaking" party for our church.  Things seem to be moving forward with that proposal!

Dd finished her "Reader" The Great Turkey Walk, and started The Perilous Road.  We are still reading Across Five Aprils and enjoying it very much.

Math:
Math U See: Lessons 23D, 23E, 23F, and Teaching Textbooks 5--lesson 12
Skip-Counting: 12 family

All About Spelling 3--lesson 25
Since we are so close to finishing this book; I've gone been going back over all the prior tests.  I do a few tests per day to see what Dd's retention is for the entire book.  We re-tested lessons 1-13 this week and passed lesson 25.  We started lesson 26, completing the lecture portion and some words and sentences from that section.

First Language Lessons
Lesson 7

Book of Time
Cut out and glued for about an hour on Core E events

Typing
40 minutes

Audio:
The Last Battle by C.S. Lewis

Piano:
daily--she has been making up some really beautiful songs as well as the songs we is practicing with Giz.

Add-in books:

Gettysburg: The Graphic Novel by C. M. Butzer

Spring Mill Park Sunday Sept. 30, 2012

Spring Mill Park Sunday Sept. 30, 2012


Spring Mill Park:

• Historic Pioneer Village featuring a working 1817 Grist Mill. Open Spring through late fall. In season, park interpreters in period dress recreate daily village life of the mid 1860's.
• Donaldson Cave open year ‘round. Flashlights recommended!