Sunday, March 1, 2015

SL Core G Week 8 "G" Feb. 23-27, 2015



SL Core G
Week 8 "G"
26th week on Core G
Feb. 23-27, 2015

The Unproductive Week!

Trip to Indiana

 
Cedar Waxwings at our complex!





I was planning on driving Dd, our dog Sophie, and myself to Indiana this week to visit our friends, the “L” family, but didn’t know how the weather was going to affect how and when we left.  When I tried to take Dd to the library on Tuesday my auto wouldn’t start, and Dh had to jump it.  Then on Wednesday when we tried again to go the library, it wouldn’t start again, so Dh took it to his work to put on a charger all day and let us use his car to make our errands, and finally get to the library.  So, we didn’t leave until Thursday for our trip south to Indiana.  It snowed ALL day on Tuesday, which was a surprise to me as the weather hadn’t forecast that weather.  Besides waiting for the right window to leave Michigan for Indiana we were also at a very low point and really didn’t have any motivation to work on our studies much.  We basically got our math and some audio’s done this week.  I guess everyone has low weeks, and this was our weakest week yet.  Our winter started with so much snow back in November that by this week I was just SO done with winter and snow.  Dd had no desire to go on any nature hikes with me this week.  She did spend all day Monday on her felt kit that I bought her from Rainbow Resource, to no avail….I guess we were due a failure.

Dh’s work schedule has been crazy; he seems to be needing to put in more hours as each week goes by.  He gets to our apartment in time for a short visit with us before bedtime each day. 

TWO Fire trucks to our building


Thursday, Dd, Sophie, and I cleaned our apartment for the Maintenance crew to come back in.  Last week they came again with a new microwave, as our last microwave died and they had to order us a new one.  It took almost 2 weeks before they could receive the replacement.  Then this week the buildings hot water heater started putting out so much gas that someone called the fire department to come check it out.  It was rather exciting and scary to have two fire trucks outside our building this week. They said we needed a new heater.  So this week (unlike the two previous weeks) we did have a microwave, but didn’t have hot water for  2 ½ days.  Then when it did come in, it wasn’t hot in our apartment, but ‘tepid’.  Dh put in another request for the temperature to be turned up in our apartment, which they did after we left for Indiana.  Luckily I have a electric kettle to boil water for my tea and could use that to get hot water to do dishes and wash my hair in the sink, in a big bowl.  It was easier to deal with than not having our microwave for the previous weeks, boy, that was difficult!  I didn’t realize how often each day I use that to warm up things, or to cook oatmeal each morning.  At least we didn’t have any mice in our apartment this February!  It has been a really difficult month for us!!!!!

Thursday, after we cleaned and tidied up our apartment, we loaded up and drove to Indiana.  Our heater is set to 52 degrees, so first thing we had to turn up the heat, turn on the water, and water heater there.  We were so tired we went to bed at 8PM on Thursday and 8:30 PM on Friday after our visit with the “L” family.  It was bright and shining in Indiana, but it was super cold—like 12 degrees, give or take.  Indiana and Michigan are both setting records for how cold it is; and having the ‘coldest February in history’.  Boy, what I wouldn’t give to lay down on some green grass and close my eyes in the sunshine!

Our visit with the “L” family was fantastic.  We had such a good time, I didn’t even think to take a photo, which I so regret now!  I would have loved to have a few pictures to remind me of all the good times we had on Friday together.  Heather and I talked and talked, and started a crochet bird pattern that we had seen on Attic24’s site.  I found this great blog and shared it with Heather, and she also liked the Bowery bird, so we started working on it together. 

For lunch we had some of Heather’s homemade pizza (24 hour/overnight crust, without yeast I believe), this was SO good!  Then for dinner, Heather made a chicken, Italian sausage, kale, and veggie soup—while I watched and took mental notes.  I really think I might be able to make this soup too.
Heather and I had lovely tea during our visit.  The first pot was an Earl Grey (and Rooibos, I believe), and the second selection was a mixture of different teas, that had a wonderful fennel taste, I just love that licorice flavor!!  So nice to have tea and friendship together throughout the day!  Dh said I looked so much better when I got home!  He could see what a good visit I had!!!  He immediately noticed how much better I looked.
Dd brought her 3 big cold-presses swords and a few wooden swords, and they battled it out throughout the day.  Yes, there were a few hand wounds by the end of the day!  The kids had a blast playing together!  They also played A Ticket To Ride board game, and watched Percy Jackson and the Lightning Thief movie for a break in the action. 

Saturday, was the morning to head home, I mopped the kitchen, cleaned the toilets, vacuumed, and loaded the auto.  Poor Dd wanted to sleep in, but I had to wake her up, though she was pretty tired after her big day.  We got on the road by 9:45 AM and got home before 3PM.  We found Dh totally exhausted from his long work week.  He had nothing in him!  I will be thankful when things settle down and he has some energy for a home life again. 

I have to say, I am thankful the Lord is keeping us going---paying our monthly rent here in our TINY apartment costs us more than our monthly mortgage for our home in Indiana; but it is costing us double what we normally pay having to pay for two rents, two electric bills, two gas bills for heating, two water bills, etc. etc...  We are taking a financial hit each and every month, and are so hoping our home will sell soon!  It has been on the market since last July, this is our ninth month straddling both home expenses. I know it will all work out eventually and I have to be patient; losing so much money isn’t the end of the world.  I do have faith that all of this was planned and the door to our new future will open eventually.  However, this week I have felt particularly weighed down by ALL of the different things that are difficult, and these difficulties are far outnumbering the good things at this particular time.  With feeling so overwhelmed right now, it was good that I got away from it all for one day, and spent that day with a friend that I could talk with.

Our lessons this week, or lack thereof!

Bible:

Item #: 049786
BiblioPlan: Ancients:
Ch. 9: Egypt’s New Kingdom
Ch. 10: The Exodus




Math: Pre-Algebra: 21 A-E
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Pre-Algebra Instruction Manual

2009
by Steven P. Demme



Audio 1:


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39 Clues (book 2): Completed
Review: I have to say, I listened to each of the four disc’s repeatedly, trying to figure out what was going on, and who was who.  We had not heard Book One before finding Book Two, and so we knew we would have to accept not knowing some of the inside things; but it took forever to get a foothold, and then it ended extremely abruptly with no loose ends being wrapped up!  I was aghast at how poorly they chose to end this book!!  This isn’t like some series where you can read stories out of sequence and enjoy individual books.  I was very frustrated at how this book ended!!! 

Audio 2:
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House of Hades by Rick Riordan: In Process
we’ve heard this audio before, and are listening to it again.

Busy Hands:

Item #: 026660
Grade 5


Felt Kit from Rainbow Resource
**Failure for us to use this kit, it was too difficult, and the instructions were not good enough for us.** 


Crocheting multiple striped scarves—
Orange and black, and burgundy and yellow

Library:
Twice this week
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The Random House dictionary of the English language.

1966
by Jess Stein and Laurence Urdang
 Hardcover: 2059 pages
I found this for $1.00!


 Current Events:
CNN Student News:
2-3 times this week



Fun Books:

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Legacy of the Force: Invincible
 by Troy Denning:  in process
Dd is really, really, really liking this SW's book!


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Piratica by Tanith Lee: in process



More icicles for Chelle!

PLANS:

Plans for next week--- well, now that we've had our slacker week, we plan on doing better next week.  I had planned to continue our "Review of what we have covered so far in Core G", but I've changed my mind.  I am going to move us on to Week 9 and do some of the readings for that week, but, also add-in what I also wanted to have us read---The BiblioPlan Ancients: Chapters 11-14 this week, and continue with The Book of the Ancient World (Memoria Press) pages 37-89.  Then for the next 3 weeks we will continue to add those 2 resources in until we have finished the book (The Book of the Ancient World) or caught up with where we are in history (BiblioPlan: Ancients) and continue to add that material in as we go forward.  So Week 9 will take about 3 weeks to complete...give or take.