April 29- May 3rd, 2013 SL Core E, Week 24 LOW "A"

In process--

April 29- May 3rd,  2013 SL Core E, Week 24 LOW "A"


I would say we had an unusually busy week, but we have had so many busy weeks that this is normal for right now...but our LHE events are to come to a close on May 17th with the End of Year Party and that will be really the end of it all!

This week's activities in a nutshell:
Monday-lessons
Tuesday-lessons & Swim & Gym (Jr. Lifeguard Training) *next to last class
Wednesday-lessons
Thursday-field trip 1: Wilbur Wright's Birth place
 http://www.wwbirthplace.com/
                 field trip 2: Levi Coffin Museum *Conductor of the Underground Railroad   
 http://www.waynet.org/levicoffin/
Friday-lessons & Field Day with LHE hs group
Saturday-all day gardening (planting):

We had a massive yard/planting overhaul.  We moved the big bushes that were under our front windows to a new flower garden beside a birch tree on our side yard.  We moved 3 rose bushes to the back yard.  Moved one bush to the back yard.  Planted 2 NEW lilac bushes to the empty spots under the windows in front of the house.  broke up the iris's and put them up against the house in a long line under both sets of windows on each side of the front.  Moved a ton of cone flowers and black-eyed susan's to various spots.  Moved 3 Sage plants to a NEW flower garden under the new Beech tree (the maple tree is dying and will need to be cut out asap). Planted the 10-12 new bulbs we got under the new side birch tree garden.  Moved some daisy clumps--a few clumps to various places...etc. etc..oh, and I started by mowing the front and back--bag mower and dumping the grass clippings into our garden....My fingers are even sore as I type this.  I started at 8:30 and stopped for a short lunch; but didn't stop until dinner at 6:30pm.  It was a big day!!  The very, good Lord has blessed me by not making me bedridden with all the back trouble I sometimes get when I have to dig, dig, dig big deep holes and tug, tug, tug on old, stubborn bushes that don't want to budge!  I am so happy that I am not "paying for it" by being miserable!  I feel stiff; but I am not as miserable as I was after that one workout from Leslie Sansone with all the squats and lunges!!  That was really worse! much worse!  Eric and Larkin worked too--the did the planting in the backyard.  They planted the roses I dug up in the front and they planted them in the back yard.  They also planted the bush in the back yard.  And they planted more peas in the garden---and perhaps something else....I heard them saying something didn't come up and needed re-planting.

Sunday-we made it to church and had a really great visiting minister---the same one I really liked from 2 weeks ago!



 Our lessons for the week:

Bible:
We finished Proverbs with 30 & 31
Ezekiel 8-16

Language Arts:
AAS: Test passed for Step 18, worked on Step 19 all week and passed the test on Fri.  We also had a big review on  Wed.

FLL: 4: Lessons 60, 61, 62, 63

First Language Lessons for the Well-Trained Mind: Level 4 Instructor Guide (First Language Lessons) By Jessie ...

Fix-It: 10, 11, 12

Fix it! Grammar and Editing Made Easy with the Classics

Geography:
States & Capitals Songs--focus on song #10: "Northern Border"
Dd also filled in the whole blank SL Markable Map with all 50 states while listening to this CD.

States and Capitals Songs by Kathy Troxel

Math: MUS: Epsilon: 19 A, B, C, D, E
 Skip-Counting Family - 3 family

Music:
Meet the Great Composers: focus on: Johann Sebastian Bach 

Meet the Great Composers Book 1 (Learning Link) by June Montgomery and Maurice Hison

Science: Apologia:Zoology 1:Flying Creatures: pg 51-63 and some work in her Notebooking Journal that goes with this.

Exploring Creation with Zoology 1: Flying Creatures of the Fifth Day -- Young Explorers Series (Apologia Science... by Jeannie Fulbright

Family Read Aloud: All's Quiet on the Western Front

All Quiet on the Western Front: A Novel by Erich Maria Remarque

Audio: Lamplighter:
in van: Sir Knight and the Splendid Way

Sir Knight of the Splendid Way Dramatic Audio (Lamplighter Theatre) by W.E. Cule and John Rhys-Davies

in library: Sir Malcolm and the Missing Prince

Sir Malcolm and the Missing Prince ; Lamplighter Theatre (Dramatic Audio) by Sidney Baldwin

Dd alone in room: The White Gypsy--finished 

The White Gypsy Dramatic Audio (Lamplighter Theatre) by Annette Lyster and John Rhys-Davies

Dd Reader: 
Hero Over There  by Kathleen V. Kudlinski (finished)

Hero Over Here: A Story of World War I by Kathleen V. Kudlinski and Bert Dodson

FUN READERS:

A Gum For Hire- A Chet Gecko Mystery by Bruce Hale

This Gum for Hire: A Chet Gecko Mystery by Bruce Hale

Narnia- Chronology

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

Amelia's Family Ties by Marissa Moss

Amelia's Family Ties (Amelia's Notebook) by Marissa Moss

Dd also reads her magazines--she really enjoys her subscriptions to Cricket, Cobblestone, Ranger Rick, and Nat'l Geo for Kids. 
  
Read Aloud: Value Tales Treasury: Chapter 1: Louis Pasteur
 

A ValueTales Treasury: Stories for Growing Good People by Spencer Johnson and Dan Andreasen

 

 
DVD's: Magic School Bus: 

The Magic School Bus - Human Body Starring Lily Tomlin, Daniel DeSanto, Erica Luttrell and Maia Filar 

 

The Magic School Bus: Super Sports Fun

Sports  and Human Body sets   

How to fit it all in???

I cut and pasted this question and answer from the SL chat (Core E weekly chat) b/c  I thought it would be a good one to keep here too.  I pretty much feel very exposed having shared that much of me there on the SL forum, and am tempted to delete my response now that the person who asked the question has read the answer....but spent so much time and energy answering her that I hate to delete all that effort!  So--here it will sit.

Tracy, do you mind me asking how your dd gets everything done in your signature line?  Do you require a lot, can she keep up with it or do you let her do
it at her own pace?  Didn't she just turn 11.

Even without all my ds special needs, if I required him to do all that or try he'd have a major meltdown.  Just curious, I know some kids thrive on a lot and others
just get overwhelmed with lots of things to do.

Hi Cathy,

That is a big question for me.  I'll try my best to answer it. I'd like to invite anyone else to share in trying to answer this very common question of "How do you fit it all in?" b/c Cathy, I think the same thing when I see what other people in this forum get accomplished---like Pam, for example!  I am going for a shot-gun -wide/net answer and hope that something that I say might be of use to you or someone.

First thing--we don't do everything every week or every month.  We've had a few months of not wanting to do Teaching Textbooks, and that is okay.  I bought the extra math programs b/c last year while doing Gamma, Dd needed some time for her brain to absorb some of the NEW concepts before moving to the next lesson.  I didn't want to just do 4-5 math problems a day, working on just that ONE concept, so I often use LOF or TT as a way of distributing our math time during difficult phases.  DD hasn't had many issues with Epsilon, so I haven't used TT or LOF as much this year; which I guess is good.  But, after we finish our Epsilon book in a few months, I plan on going back to our TT to see what we can get out of that material.

I teach in chunks often.  So, I will do a month where we do a lot of science.  Then a month where we do a lot of art.  Then a month when we do a lot of IEW.  I have a hard time jumping from subject to subject to subject and being on top of it all, so I prefer to do "chunks" or "sections" of electives at a time....with the exception of BIBLE, Math, and Language Arts---those 3 things are daily for the most part (LA can be put aside on super busy days).  This also keeps our lessons having variety!  I like variety.  I was just adding "Meet the Great Composers" to our schedule for the next 4 months--and I am so excited!  Dd found an article on Bach today in her Cricket magazine, so she is excited already too!

If you were to ask me if we get MORE done than most homeschooler's, I'd actually say probably not.  B/c of the way we hs we probably get less done.  I do the work and reading right alongside with her, so she doesn't do much independent work.  I actually need to work on that, and that is on my agenda to find some subjects for her to do alone, for her own benefit.  The problem is that I really LOVE learning all this stuff and want to learn it all with her--I really don't want to miss anything myself!!! But, the people that do "workboxes" and have independent learners, probably get more accomplished.

My Dd does a lot of reading on her own---but that is material that is not SL, not official reading material---we get a lot of magazines for her (Cricket, Cobblestone, Jack and Jill, Ranger Rick, Nat'l Geo Kids) and we go to the library at least every week, plus we own so many books...so, she just loves to read, read, read.  I think what I am trying to say-she does a lot of things that would be considered 'educational' by most on her own.  But, I have worked hard to create an environment that was very conductive for her growth. She does a lot on her own--having no tv on throughout the day.  No screens on.

For our lessons each day: at 10am we go to our "library" in a spare bedroom and we are there until lunch.  Then after our lunch break we go back until we are done.  If she wants to go play, or go read----well, then, let's finish our lessons!

I've literally read to her for hours each day since she was literally a baby---honestly.  I started taking her to "story time" at our library at 11-12 months old--honestly.  I've slowly, slowly, slowly built up her attention span.  She use to just flip the pages as I would get 3 words out, flip, flip, flip. But, I just tried every single day, and SLOWLY each day I would get a little, teeny, tiny bit more in each day.  I just try to slowly do better and use our time better.

Since I don't know what the Lord has in store for my Dd, I am trying my best to prepare her with as many "tools" and "talents" as I can to make her a useful "tool" for His service.  That is my first and foremost thought.  I always think in analogies, and I think of her as a tool box--(I know that is silly!) and I want my daughter to have as many tools in her tool box as I can fit in there, so He can use her for His service.

A lot of the stuff in my signature line are my Dd's hobby's--and those are just fun things she loves to do.  She is just a kid that is always doing something--or making something..that is just her.

I'm not very strict or hard--we are a slow and steady type of hs'ing family.  If you go to my blog, I type out what we actually get done each week--which some weeks is a lot, and some weeks isn't much!  But, we always try!

Also, a lot of the other women in this forum have a LOT more experience than I do--and have more children than I do--and more Core experience than I do---so, I am NOT the best person to answer this question.  But, you asked and I try to answer in the hope that maybe something may be  helpful or useful.  The worst thing is when someone gives "help" or advise that makes other people feel WORSE or inadequate, and I don't want to do that!!  I have so much to learn and that is why I have been on these forums every week since 2008!!!  I have learned a lot; but I have SOOO much more to learn!

I've been reading your posts for a few months now--and it seems like you are adding more things in and spending more time each day.  It seems like you are slowly, gradually building up his tolerance to include more interesting things into his day and that is great!!!  I can see improvement and wanted to say that to you!!  Slow and Steady wins the race!  I hope something I've shared helps in some way!

Edited by reader19, Today, 01:28 PM.

April 22-26th, 2013 SL Core E, Week 24

April 22-26th, 2013

SL Core E,

Week 24

This was the big IOWA Testing week; so very much unusual for us.  Last year Dd really was nervous and out of sorts about doing 'real' testing, so I had set it up that after each day we would play, play, play.  So, this year she actually looked forward to testing---which was a wonderful change!!!  And to keep my word, we did play and have a very FUN week.  Monday and Tuesday we had our normal schedule--Monday lessons, and Tuesday lessons and Swim & Gym (Junior Lifeguard Training).  Wed., Thur., and Fri. we both spent the mornings at BPL for testing.  I volunteered to be a "proctor" and give testing to other students.

Wed. after testing we went to a friends house to eat our picnic since it was cold and rainy.  Dd got to play with her friend and I got to have tea and chat for over an hour!

Thur. we took one of Dd's friends to Arbuckle Park and hiked the trail after we ate our picnic lunch.  Then we invited her back to our house and played board games and had a good afternoon.  We also did the Rocket Car with our friend again in the street.  It worked better when Dh helped; but Dd had fun being the director of it, I think.  I'll add pictures of this later!

Fri. we brought that same friend, and her younger brother (who is the same age as Dd) to Blast Off Park.  Many of the hs'ers from our testing group went there to eat lunch and play together.  We had a good time with all our friends.  Afterwards I took Dd to Orange Leaf for ice cream and then to Lowe's to pick up some flowers for our yard.  We had a nice afternoon together.  

I have to say somewhere how awful it was to test at my beloved BPL.  I have lived in Brownsburg since 2006 and have sung the praises of my library since my very first visit, until this week.  As our group of students and mothers arrived in a back section, not part of the library, and waited for our leader to arrive--the "President of the library" yelled at our group to be quiet...in the most rude and offensive ways.  It was really horrible.  I was very much ashamed of "my" library, TRULY.  To say my feelings were hurt by this, is an understatement.  She yelled at us Wed. and Thurs. morning and afternoon.  By Friday we all were all very much improved and MUCH quieter.  There were still a few loud students and one loud toddler, but luckily we didn't get yelled at on Friday!! The oddest part is we all arrived a little before our testing started at 9am, and the library opens at 9am.  We were yelled at because "People are trying to study...."  when really there wasn't practically anyone else in the whole library at 9:05am!!!  How odd is that?!!!  I have always felt so comfortable and at home there---and this week was really a bummer to experience such a response from "my" library.  I guess it really isn't "my" library after all!!!  What a reality check for me...

Last Sunday we (Dh, Dd, and I) had a great time with our Rocket bottle kit.  Dd put it together and then we all went out into the street in front of our house to set it off with vinegar and baking soda...over and over again!  It was fun! 

Serious Fun

    
Wednesday we had a minister apply for our opening at our church, so we had dinner and a special service.  He was very young- 20's or early 30's--and is in the running for the position.  It was nice to go to church on Wednesday.  I wish we had that option every week.

Here is our lessons for the week:

Bible:
Proverbs 27, 28, and 29
Ezekiel 1-10

History:
Landmark History of the American People, Vol. 2
The Story of the USA, Book 3
South America 12-15

Oxford Illustrated Book of American Children's Poems

Add-in Reader: in process

Behind Rebel Lines: The Incredible Story of Emma Edmonds, Civil War Spy by Seymour Reit

Language Arts:
AAS: 4: Step 18--worked on Mon. & Tue.

Math:
Math U See: 18 F (Mon.)

Art:

Dd just came up with this all on her own---no kit, I was really surprised to see this completed!  She did this while we listened to our Lamplighter audio this week.

Painted a frog- Giz & Grampy wanted their bird bath frog repainted for the summer.

Sand paintings--this was a birthday gift kit

Audio:
Lamplighter: A Peep Behind the Scenes by Mrs. O.F. Walton---finished
http://store.lamplighter.net/da---peep-behind-the-scenes-a---dramatic-audio-cd-p64.aspx

DVD:
Magic School Bus:
Going Batty,
In A Haunted House,
Flexes It's Muscles

Movie:

Life of Pi Starring Suraj Sharma, Irrfan Khan, Tabu and Gérard Depardieu

Life of Pi---what an odd movie.  The first 1/4 of the movie is about the main character's search for God.  He looks to Islam, Christianity, and Hinduism and figures a way to incorporate ALL into his own religion, all at the same time.  This was very interesting to me, and reminded me of my college years when I researched all the religions and tried to see which one was 'right' for me.  His family (with the exception of his mother) really doesn't understand his quest for morality.  I wish the movie would have kept going down this very interesting path for the rest of the movie; but it made a sharp turn and left his religious pursuit by the side of the road.  There were a few mentions of God, and in his darkest moments he did cry out to God---but the story became more about his survival than about his pursuit of clarity regarding God.  


History: Family RA:

All Quiet on the Western Front: A Novel by Erich Maria Remarque

Dh has been reading to us most evenings a book he thought would be good to add in due to us getting to WWI.  I don't think he realized how much he would have to edit, or how graphic it can sometimes get.  I'm not sure we are sure we picked a good book to read to our 11 year old; but we are pecking away at it carefully.

April 15-21st, 2013 SL Core E, Week 23

April 15-21st, 2013 

SL Core E, 

Week 23

Happy Sunday.  We lost our Aunt Judy last Sunday night/Monday morning.  Tuesday we all drove to Mitchell to attend her funeral and viewing service.  The service was very loving, only 'family' were invited--or people that were practically family.  It didn't get over until late, so our 2 hour drive got us home late.  Dh drove back the next day to be a pall bearer at the grave side service but didn't think we should go.  He didn't realize they were going to have a special lunch and family get together afterwards; which would have been nice for all of us to have been there.  It is sad to say, it was nice to see Aunt Marilyn and other relatives at the funeral--I wish we saw our family more often and didn't need a sad reason to have an April get together.  

Dh's other aunt, Aunt Marilyn has a very advanced form of cancer, so it was so good to see her.  She and Aunt Judy have been in our prayers each morning and evening for so long.  It seems so odd to NOT pray for Aunt Judy now.  The doctors told Aunt Marilyn last year she would be very lucky if she made it to Christmas---and look at her now!!!!!  Christmas is way behind her and she is still sewing and cooking along.  She certainly has many bad days; but she has so much to live for.  Dh's other aunt, Aunt Johnny,(the youngest one-in her 50's-) died last fall suddenly (heart attack).  So, our family is going through a bit of a hard spell. 




For activities this week we had our Swim & Gym--Jr. Lifeguard training class. 

On Thursday, our small hs group went to the Eiteljorg Museum to see a wonderful exhibit on Western Hemisphere Indians.  My favorite room was dedicated to the Arctic Indians.  I will be posting pictures soon.
 http://www.eiteljorg.org/
 http://www.eiteljorg.org/explore/collections/native-american

Add caption

Add caption

Saturday Dd and Dh worked on the car all day, which is great training for Dd.  They changed the brakes and rotated the tires.

Bible:
We read from the book of Proverbs this week--specifically: 17-25
We used this book too:

Know Your Bible: All 66 Books Explained (VALUE BOOKS) by Paul Kent

:Sing the Word: The Heavens Declare: we listened to this week too--we were only suppose to listen to track 8; but it was too good to stop!

History: Family RA:

All Quiet on the Western Front: A Novel by Erich Maria Remarque

Dh has been reading to us most evenings a book he thought would be good to add in due to us getting to WWI.  I don't think he realized how much he would have to edit, or how graphic it can sometimes get.  I'm not sure we are sure we picked a good book to read to our 11 year old; but we are pecking away at it carefully.

History: (SL's Read Aloud)

The World Wars: An Introduction to the First & Second World Wars by Paul Dowswell, Ruth Brocklehurst and Henry Brook

We actually read ahead.  Dd is liking this book MORE than me to be honest.  We read pages 100-131.

Geography:

South America (Geography Mini-Unit Series) by Jo Ellen Moore

pages 10-11

Read Aloud:

The Oxford Illustrated Book of American Children's Poems by Donald Hall

SL Reader: **FINISHED THIS WEEK**

All-Of-A-Kind Family (All-Of-A-Kind Family (Pb)) by Sydney Taylor and Helen John

Fun Readers:
I saw her reading a lot--but I really didn't keep track this week...

  
Language Arts:
AAS: Step 17 completed - plus a big review of past words.  We reviewed on two days this week.  Thursday we reviewed Step: 1-9, Friday Step: 9-16.

Thank you letters: Dd wrote 9 Thank you letters this week.


First Language Lessons: Lesson 58 & 59

Math:
Math U See: 18 A, B, C, D, E

Art:
If this week has been one thing; it has been an ART week!!  I'll have to post all the pictures later!  She has been one busy, busy, beaver!!!  Her friends mostly got her Art supplies for gifts and she has had a wonderful week MAKING things!!  Joy for her! 


In a Nutshell:
Mon. lessons
Tues. swim & gym--Mitchell-funeral
Wed. lessons
Thurs. Eiteljorg Museum--Indian cultures from Western Hemisphere.
Fri. short lesson day b/c after lunch we were invited to go and visit with friends after lunch!!!
Sat. work on the car in garage-brakes and tires.   




We rec'd our EIGHT Painted Lady Butterfly larvae this week.  They are TINY!  But, we are enjoying watching them grow---here is their first picture in our blog:

Swim and Gym--Junior Life Guarding Class:

...