Core G Week 19 "A" BiblioPlan Wk 5 Middle Ages Jan 11-17, 2016

Core G 

Sonlight Week 19 "A" 

BiblioPlan Wk 5 

Middle Ages

 Jan 11-17, 2016

Bluejay



Another week of winter under our belts, and we are getting closer to spring.  This week I really got my workout with shoveling snow!  I literally spent hours doing it.  The old, 1960's or perhaps 1970's snow-blower that had been left here broke.  Dh went to Lowe's and bought new pins, and fixed it.  Then it broke again, and he fixed it again, and then it broke again.  Therefore all the shoveling on my part!!!  I don't think it much of anything this week, except taking time out of Dh's few hours off.

Dark-Eyed Junco

I'm not sure if I mentioned in my post last week that Dh took us for a long drive towards Lansing last Sat. to look at a used truck that was in our price range.  I think it was about one hour and twenty minutes each way to the place.  The truck rode well, and we bought it, but the tires were BALD!  Poor Dh couldn't get up our hill with those old, useless tires---he had to walk up our hill each night, in the dark.  I prayed and prayed for him to find a place that would sell snow tires that fit his truck and that he could get there before they close.  Monday, Tuesday, and Wednesday yielded no tires, so I prayed more, and then on Thursday evening he got the right place, the right time, and was their last customer.  This past year has been such a testimony to the power of prayer.  Last year we were in the apartment, with two cars that were not good in the snow, and this January we are in our home---with TWO cars that can drive in the snow! 

This is a Red-Bellied Woodpecker.  

I have to admit I have been kicking myself for picking such a treacherous location for our home.  I'd guess our front driveway is 4-500 feet, and our back driveway is three-times longer, but with a bit of a less steep incline---but, either driveway is steep!  I really didn't think it would be SO difficult and have been regretting my ignorance.  Couldn't we have found a woodsy house without such a hill???!

This is a Tufted-Titmouse.  I have a hard time getting a good picture of them b/c they are so shy.

Monday was particularly snowy, as it had started Sunday morning and snowed all day.  I called our dermatologist to see if I could get out of our appointment without charge due to the road conditions, and they actually were okay with my canceling.  So thankful that I didn't have to make a long drive on such a snowy day.

This is a Dark-Eyed Junco---we have a lot of these!

Wednesday had been our band/choir, but Dd received an email about it being canceled, and so we didn't go.  We found out later that that email was for the classes in Kalamazoo, not Grand Rapids!  Thursday's co-op classes went well, and the roads were pretty good.  It seems much of my prayers this week were about the roads and/or snow!  

This is a Downey Woodpecker---we also get the Hairy Woodpecker, which looks like the Downey; only larger.  Can you see the red spot on the back of his head?  When they have a red spot on the back of their head that signals they are males, the females do not have the red spot.

I could still use prayers for our driving.  And this week I have gone off my GERD medications.  The news came out with a new study that my medicines cause kidney disease, and my doctor told me to stop my medications and try to change my diet.  As I sit here, I am having bad heartburn, but it is my fault....after church we had a big 'Pitch-In" or as they call it in Michigan, "Pot Luck".  I ate too much and am now regretting it!  I also took the advice of a new book I'm reading and tried eating raw potato slices...just a few....but, boy was that a horrible idea.  Raw potatoes, in my stomach at least, do.not.digest! Awful, awful, awful...no details to share.  I am still trying to get over it.

We have LOTS of Bluejays!

This has also been a migraine week for me, I am enjoying a bit of a break right now, but the past two nights have been horrible as the pain keeps waking me up.  Saturday I spent the whole day in bed with ice packs throughout too.  It was the worst spell I've had in a long time--perhaps since G&G were here last summer.  I'm so thankful for my Maxalt prescription, and my nausea medication was 100% necessary.  

I am going to have to accept that we are not going to get lots of material read and this winter, and hope for redemption by our year-round lessons, for it seems that Michiganders don't let the winter slow them down any!

Friday night was Dd's "Girl's Night," and they watched a movie: Do You Believe.  She made cupcakes, and her new special recipe for frosting.  She came home with an empty dish!

Bible:

We finished the book of JOB!  That was a long study!  I'm glad we did it.  It certainly makes it clear that misfortune, bad health, money, and difficulties are for our refinement.  And how important it is to be uplifting to our family and friends during their hard days.

We read each chapter in our bible, then in our Believer's Bible Commentary.
Job: 39-42 (completed Job)

Peril and Peace: Vol. I: Chronicles of the Ancient Church (History Lives) by Mindy and Brandon Withrow

Augustine 

John Chrysostom

Other  Early Christians

(COMPLETED!!!)

Memoria Press: Christian Studies IV: 

pg's: 4 & 5, 14 & 15

repeated reading and trying to memorize info

Trial & Triumph

Middle Ages: Pope Gregory:  

Pg's 53-60

Our Hymn of the Week:

I Surrender All

(youtube had a nice version that we sang along with.)

I really love this hymn.  I just love how it helps us to remember that we must give up ourselves, and our steering in life, and surrender ourselves to being guided and directed by our Lord to do His will.  It is so easy to invite Jesus into our hearts, and still continue to be our own master---it takes a while to get to that next level of understanding in what it means to be a Christian.  It is one thing to hear someone say they are a Christian, but if they have no "fruit" (or loving/kind actions and words) it is hard to see that as the truth.  I do so want to be Jesus's hands and voice in my area--sharing His love and tenderness.

Language Arts:

Thank You Cards

We have been working on our Thank You cards!  

Writing With Skill

Instead of expecting Dd to get through one week in one week, Dd has asked me if she could take two weeks to complete it, as she is working on her own stories already.

All About Spelling 7:

Step 7's additional words, group 2

next week, we will do the last 12 words in the additional words section to wrap this step up.  There were 32 additional words in step 7.

Easy Grammar: Plus

pg:257

This is a Black-Capped Chickadee---we have a lot, but they are very shy.  They are small and very cute!

The Everything American Government Book: From the Constitution to Present-Day Elections, All You Need to Understand...

Jun 4, 2004

by Nick Ragone

Homeschool Co-op Gov't Class (weekly):

Memorizing Romans 13:1

and had a lot of reading to do for her homework--I think she had to read three chapters.  I'm so glad she is getting a good Government class, and I don't have to teach it!  The teacher's youngest daughter is in the KinderKids class that I help in.

Homeschool Co-op's Cake Decorating Class (weekly):

Dd made one batch alone, make the cupcakes and the butter frosting, and then decorated them with different tips to stylize the frosting, for her Girl's Club on Friday night.  Then on Sunday she decorated the cupcakes Pappa made for our lunch with the church (Pitch-In/ Pot Luck).  She is excited that this week, in class, they are suppose to spend the whole class making decorative roses!

She really did a good job on her roses.

Math: Math U See: Algebra I

Lesson 8: all week, and will repeat

We worked on Lesson 8 this week, and will be continuing to get it down next week.  I've figured out to print out the A, B, & C pages BEFORE she writes on them and then I can have her work on the specific parts that are to be learned each week.  This way I can give her a few extra questions that are specific to getting the point down.

Family Read Aloud (Pappa is reading to us):


Do Hard Things: A Teenage Rebellion Against Low Expectations

Alex Harris, Brett Harris

This is our third tour of this great book.  I highly recommend it.  Instead of thinking teenagers are too moody to make real contributions to our world, the Harris brothers think teens are the perfect age to make this world a better place.  This book really encourages ME (way old, not a "teen") to aim my sights at being just like them, and for me to Do Hard Things!  I can't tell you how many times I've prayed: "Lord, Help me to do hard things, and not take the easy path..."  Even if this book if for teens, I read it to my Dd before she was a teen, and now am so happy to read it to her again when she can understand it in a new way.


Geography:

BiblioPlan Advanced Maps:

Invasion

Justian's Empire

Islam

Current Events:

http://www.cnn.com/studentnews

CNN Student News each morning--each episode is ten minutes long.  They go over some of the main topics that are in the news, and add in some character studies as well.

Music:

Alto Sax--30 minutes per day

Our band gets free access to "Smart Music", which is an online site that helps music students.  It really seems great--they can tune their instrument, have their playing marked as they play to see if they are hitting the right notes, in the right time.  Also, she can learn how to play some of her favorite songs from LOTR and SW! and Emma!  She will play one of her assigned songs, get her score--like 67% and then play it again and improve and get a score like 87% and keep practicing with this, and it shows her what she is doing wrong, and she can keep practicing until she gets it right!

Piano- about 1-2 hours per week

Choir: 15 minutes per day.

I succeeded in keeping Science as a focus for this week.  I am so glad I was able to do it!  I didn't get the MOH or SOTW readings done that I had scheduled, but I will have to live with that.  I'm hoping to keep science as a priority.

Science:

Apologia's Exploring Creation with General Science

Module 2: completed!!

Mod. 2: Scientific Inquiry

Pg's: 49-58

Exploring Creation with General Science: Student Notebook:

pg's: 55-60

Exploring Creation with General Science

MULTI-MEDIA COMPANION (disc)

We watched the animation episodes on the disc for Module 1 & 2

The shows were short and interesting.

Busy Hands:

This is Rey, from the new Star Wars movie.  She is making Ben now.  This picture shows this piece while it was in process---she finished it this weekend.

Dd has been making dolls out of felt.  She finished one that is Rey from Star Wars, and started a second one that is Ben (the bad guy) in Star Wars.  

This picture shows the hair of her doll, Rey.

I've been crocheting a camo yarn scarf.

  
Below is a WREN.  They are so small and adorable!  I never saw a Wren living in Indiana, and am so pleased I have some around our house here in Michigan.  They are just so lovely!  I still have only seen them about 4-5 times, they are a rare sight; which makes it all the more special.

Wren!

 More snow and more sledding this week:

 

 

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