Meet Alpha, our first chick! Feb. 29, 2016

Meet Alpha, our first chick! aka: Catherine

Feb. 29, 2016

Dd has named this feisty chick, Catherine!

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Snow, Snow, Snow Feb.22-25, 2016

Snow, Snow, Snow 

Feb.22-25, 2016

Anyone want to see some SNOW pictures from Michigan?  We got a lot of heavy, wet snow this week.  We lost our power (again, third time this winter) and were thankful for our generator!  Imagine our poor baby chicks inside the incubator without heat (still inside the eggs).

Before the snow arrived; we were visited by this Pileated Woodpecker (my favorite!).  We had two last week, but I didn't have my camera handy--this time I was prepared.

This is a Hairy Woodpecker, we've had a lot of great birds this week.

Here is the first few hours of the snow--You can still see the purple snow brick makers on the ground.

Our ground was at least 36 degree's, so the snow didn't want to stick at first.

The news said we had a foot of snow, but it was so wet and heavy it kept condensing.  I think we got more than 12".

Our back driveway, I shoveled it the whole way down on Thursday and Dd shoveled it the whole way down on Friday!  it is a l-o-n-g drive!

Our back driveway, with Dh's car at the very bottom.  Even though I shoveled for 2 1/2 hours, he still couldn't get up the hill.  Boy were my muscles sore!

Here's the main road into our neighborhood.  You aren't surprised that we all lost our power!

The tree's down, blocking our front drive way.  We had to clear the trees; luckily Dh took the day off work to help us get righted.

Don't worry, I cleaned off all the feeders and filled them up for the birds (and squirrels).

Sophie helped with the feeders!

We shoveled again, and again, and again...then the sun came out and it started melting!

We were able to get our back driveway and road clear by the end of the week; but the front way looks like it will be blocked for a while!

I took Sophie on a hike in the woods and got this big paper wasp nest down (and brought it home with me).

Ever wonder what wild turkey tracks look like in the snow?

It was a really hard week, but the beauty really helped.  Dd went for a walk with me and Sophie on Sat.

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Brooder Box Construction Feb. 2016

Brooder Box Construction 

Feb. 22-26, 2016

We took most of our lessons off this week to focus on our upcoming chicks! They should be hatching around Monday, Feb. 29th!!!!  Here are a few pictures:

This was the form I wrote up to make sure we didn't have our eggs up on the "X" two nights in a row.  By following my chart, we were sure to have them alternating each night; regardless of the day's rotation.  We only had to turn the eggs three times per day, but we rotated them more than that.  When we got closer to the 18th day, we started slowed down how much we touched them.  

At their 18th day, we have to put them all alike, but more vertical, rather than laying down flat, with the bigger/rounded end on the top, and the pointy end down.  Their egg sack should be in the rounded part, and having that on the top should help their hatching.  You can see the humidity monitor; where we make sure we focus on keeping it higher these last days.

We were keeping the incubator's humidity at around 60%, starting the 18th day the humidity has to be around 80%.  I brought in our humidifier to help keep the whole room more humid.

Dd made the brooder house this week.  You have to design the brooder box with rounded corners so the chicks can't pile up on each other, and possibly crushing a chick.  

We haven't put in the newspapers yet.  Dd put in a temperature reading prob and then kept working until she had the heat light placed exactly high enough to get a 95 degree reading on the floor.  She put the heating lamp to one side, so if the chicks are hot they can go over to the cool side to cool down, or get right under the lamp to warm up.

Now all we need are the chicks!  We bought the feed, the watering thing, and pine shavings for the bottom cover.  First we are to use something not slippery for the floor cover the first few days; just not newspaper since that is slick and slippery.  I have some "painting shirts" and lots of those red rags you buy for home projects--I'll have to get those out and ready.

I was also thinking I might put up a door and cardboard to block the air drafts that could come in the sun-room from our front door.  The books all say to have the room be draft-free.  Also, perhaps Dd could build us a second brooder home to put out in the garage (or outbuilding), so we can move our chicks out there after their first few delicate days in the sun-room.  I keep reading how we shouldn't have the birds in our house due to 'chick dust' that is very unhealthy for people to inhale.  But, I do want them inside the first few days where we can keep a constant eye on them.

My main post about our chicken adventure:

https://www.blogger.com/blogger.g?blogID=8025075226297820820#editor/target=post;postID=2080276436476933318;onPublishedMenu=allposts;onClosedMenu=allposts;postNum=2;src=postname

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Sonlight G Week 21 "B" Middle Ages BiblioPlan Wk 7 Feb.15-20, 2016

Sonlight G Week 21 "B" 

Middle Ages 

BiblioPlan Wk 7 

Feb.15-20, 2016

Guess who got up from her nap to help me check on the chickens?!  Good ol' Agnes, that's who!

Such a good helper! Don't worry, she won't have access to the chicks once they come out of the incubator!

Hello Friends! another week of learning has come and gone, as has my SAD.  The warm weather and extra exercising has been helping.  We are taking next week off from most of our lesson, to work on our chicken co-op/chicken prep, and we are, SO very much, looking forward to it! Exciting!!!!

Band:

This week at band, Dd had to play due to a challenge from the boy in the chair behind her.  Since she had to play already, she decided to challenge the girl in the seat above her.  We have to wait until next week to find out how she did.  She also had her second 1:1 tutoring session with her band teacher; and seems to be benefiting from this focused instruction.  She is asking for piano lessons, but we will have to wait and see on that.  

LINK Co-op, aligning with Supreme Court Scalia's death:

Ironically Dd's LINK Co-op Government class was focused on Supreme Court Justices this week.  She has to pick a justice and write a paper about them.  This class has actually been really good!  I'm so glad.  Her Cake Decorating class has been a lot of fun.  This week they made cupcakes with Oreo frosting.  Yesterday I went ahead and threw three different batches of frosting that was taking up space in our refrigerator.  The only bad thing about having her love cooking and baking is all the wasted ingredients!  But, it is still worth it, and she is getting much better about washing up her dishes and cleaning up her messes in the kitchen.

Crazy weather:

For the past two weeks our weather has gone from one extreme to another! Arctic cold, followed by spring-like temps.  We enjoyed a walk out in the woods, stomping around in the snow, and found a huge paper wasp nest up in a tree canopy.  Most of the snow has now melted off, as it got up in the 50's!

Sandhill Cranes:

Each spring, in Indiana, we always managed to catch flocks of these cranes flying over our home, and we SO excited yesterday when we heard and saw a small flock flying over our Michigan home!  Two years ago we drove out and visited one of their sanctuaries/reserves; which was great!  We just love hearing them make their unique calls from way up in the sky!

Dd and I on a winter hike

GERD: 

Week six of being off my GERD medications; and things were better this week.  I've been off coffee too--having switched to green or black tea for my morning wake-up.  I'm drinking my first batch of Kombucha, and although it has a bit of a vinegary taste, it does make my stomach feel better.  I'm still buying Trader Joe's plain Kefir, but hope to find a friend who will share a starter of that for me, so I can stop paying too much for it.  

Truck still in garage:

Dh is spent all day Saturday working on his truck, and only has one nut left to remove; and successfully got the previous five off!  He is making progress and ordered a new part that should be in soon.

I just love this section of Spruce woods...so majestic.

Social Visit and Girl's Night /movie/bible study: 

Friday we were invited over to a friends (EV) house on Friday.  It was a really, really nice visit!!!  "E" let me see her parent's chicken coop, which was great to see.  Then I drove the girls over to "S" house, for their "Girl's Night," and saw her chicken coop.  The Girl's Night was to go to another hs families house to watch War Room; which we had just watched last week.  But, the club also has a bible study after the movie.  Dd is so thankful for meeting some really nice Christian girl friends here.

Chickens:

(for Chelle, my chicken / critter friend) -I think it has been thirteen days of having the second batch of chicken eggs in the incubator now.  Dd and I are taking most of our lessons off next week so we can read and research on our chicken coop.  We found out today that Dh thought he was going to help--though I did tell him we would do it ourselves.  The truck isn't running, so we will see if we can get the lumber in our mini-van.  It would be great if we could get some of the construction started; but I know how fast a week will slip by.  But, we are going to be as focused as we can be, considering band/choir, and co-op.

We got the humidify thingy, to monitor the humidity in the incubator.  It is suppose to be 60% right now.

4H:

 At the co-op classes this week; I mustered up my courage and asked someone I don't know very well about 4H, as I heard her family was deeply involved.  "H" was fantastic about talking with me about their group, and her personal focus is CHICKENS!  How great and awesome is that!  (She is also majorly into entomology; another love of mine.) I fessed right up and told her how I know nothing about showing anything in the fair, but have always hoped we could pair up with a family that could walk us through it; and she responded like that was perfectly normal and acceptable.  Wouldn't that be so great!  She was saying how Dd would have to build up her arm muscles because showing Buff Orpingtons were a challenge due to their average weight of 8 pounds, and Dd having to hold the chicken up for an extended amount of time.  I have to say, I was really, really pleased with how well she responded to my questions.  I'll keep you posted on how this turns out; hopefully it will be as fantastic as it could be!~

We found LOTS of turkey sign...we have a lot in our woods.

Church:

 (I know Heather would like an update on this subject!) We are still enjoying our new church.  It is NOT perfect; but I think we are finally old enough to realize that we really won't find a perfect church, but are content with finding a very loving congregation, that really do try their best to follow the bible and Jesus in all their actions.  We can overlook so many things, but having a solid congregation is so important.  We've been to SO many churches, and seen so many different styles over the years.  You can have the most amazing sermon, or the most spectacular music, but if the congregation isn't acting like Jesus in their immediate stretched arms towards new people; it really doesn't feel right.  Again, not perfect, not perfect at all...but none of us are!  They are preaching the Word, and the congregation is amazing---so glad!

Dh's work: 

This was a really big week.  So many prayers from my mouth to God's ears on the big meeting Dh had with the biggest boss on Friday.  I'm so pleased to say that God did bless the meeting, and it is in the works that Dh get a supervisor to work under him to take some of the burden off his back.  This will be a major blessing; can't say that enough.  Praise the Lord!  I've been praying so hard for this, and am so appreciative for the answered prayer.  Now I guess I'll start praying for the right supervisor; one that totally helps, and not one that brings more strife and work for Dh.

Our Lessons:

Bible: New Testament

Veritas Press: Gospels

Card 102: Completed

The Visit of the Magi, Matthew 2: 1-12, 3 BC

Read with Bible and Believer's Bible Commentary

Journey Through the Bible: pgs 205-207

VP Gospels Student Workbook pages

Card 103: Completed

The Flight to Egypt, Matthew 2: 1-12, 3 BC

Read with Bible and Believer's Bible Commentary

Journey Through the Bible, pg's 208-210

Card 104: Completed

Jesus as a Boy, Luke 2: 39-52, 1 BC- AD 9

Journey Through the Bible, pg's 211-212

Survey of the Bible, by William Hendriksen, pg. 141

My additional content:

What the Bible Is All About, by Dr. Henrietta C. Mears

pg's 420-434

Hymn of the Week:

Dd picked: All Things Bright And Beautiful this week.

Church History:

Monks and Mystics: A Divided Church: The Great Schism of 1054

Do Hard Things by Alex and Brett Harris

(daily excerpts) 

Study Skills:
SOAR Study Skills

Exercise:

Dd has been doing various Leslie Sansone DVD's (Mon, and Tues) and had two or three basketball sessions.  Sunday, she and I played for a good thirty or forty minutes---what fun! She is also working out on her own at night, trying to prepare for marching band in the summer.

Music:

Lots of piano this week.  The Star Wars book I gave her has really been a hit.  She played for about four hours this week, maybe a bit more.

Alto Sax: about three hours this week

Choir: 15 minutes each day.

*She "challenged" the girl in the chair above her this week.  This was her first time to challenge anyone.*

Busy Hands: Cooking/Kitchen/Art:

Dd has started her fort

Not much cooking this week, she makes us protein shakes each day, sometimes twice per day.  She has been very much into drawing this week, again.  Her friend, A, draws a lot and that has encouraged her to draw more.  I think I should try teaching her art again...ponder, ponder.  She worked on her moccasins on Monday.  I guess putting up a fort in the woods could be considered "Busy Hands" material.

LINK Co-op:

Government class: always lots of homework and papers to write for this class.  I am so impressed with the caliber of teaching for this class. Still memorizing Romans 13: 1-2

Cake Decorating Class: Oreo cupcakes this week

Nursery Volunteering: one hour each week

Library:

Twice this week

She checked out a movie: MAX, about a dog that served in the Afghanistan war and, long story short, came to live with a boy whose brother had been matched up with the dog to work with. 

Language Arts:

 All About Spelling 7, Step 10

This step had over forty extra words, that I split up into four lists and we finally finished all those words this week,  We can move onto Step 11 next.  

Easy Grammar, Plus:

Pg'ls 263, 267 (Possessives/Nouns)

Dd has been working on a new blog about our new adventure into chickens.  She is writing and posting; which I think falls into 'writing.'  Here is the link to her blog:
http://michiganchickens.blogspot.com/

History:

Read Aloud:

Otto of the Silver Hand: Completed

Such a good story, definitely hard to put down at the end of each chapter.  Knights, castles, dungeons, monks, maidens, jousting....all in here!

The Great and Terrible Quest by Margaret Lovett: In Process

So far this has been really good!  This was our first week reading it, but I'm hooked.  Even though we are taking the week 'off' from lessons, we will still read our chapter each day.  I just admire the main character, a young boy, who had been living with an evil monster of a grandfather.  The boy, Trad, had been acting like he was a simpleton to create a false impression for his mean grandfather.  He still got beatings, but Trad managed to save a few people from certain death by keeping his wits unknown.  Now Trad has runaway to help a knight that was sure to die if he hadn't helped him.  The knight has lost his memory...and the clues have started dropping to find out his identity!  Good story!

The Kingdom Strikes Back (SL):

pg. 17-19

Add-In Reader for Dd:

Good Masters! Sweet Ladies Voices From a Medieval Village: in process, she just started this week, borrowed from our local library as I can't find my copy!

I guess finding a big paper wasp nest would fall into the "Science" category of the week.  We found it just over the line, off our property.  Dd didn't want me to take the few steps to capture this photo, but I really think it is okay, as the neighbors have said they are easy with letting people hike through on walks in the woods.  I've yet to be shown the actual trail they talked about, hope that happens soon.

Science: another good week!

Apologia: Exploring Creation with General Science:

Module 5: The History of Life: Archaeology, Geology, and Paleontology-- In Process

This week we had NO experiments, so no post on what we didn't do!  

General Science: pg's 90-131

Student Notebook: pg's 90-97

Here the graph assignment I created for Dd to do Mon-Thur, for a bit of a review.  I've done these pages for about three weeks now.

Math: 

Math U See: Lesson 11: in process

We had Pappa teach a lot of this lesson, and we are still trying to figure it out.  Not a good math week.  I've ordered Teaching Textbooks to see if they might come at Algebra from a different angle than Steve Demme is, and perhaps we might understand that style better?  It can't hurt; but it is super expensive, but, what else can we do?  I'm fine with taking two years to totally wrap our brains around this subject, I just really want her to truly get all the concepts--no matter how long we are at it.

Math Extra's:

*I also made her a graphing exercise page, to do four times this week, and she did well. I just wanted to keep repeating that process to get it into her long-term memory.*

*Repeat Test 9, and missed one question*

Rosetta Stone: French

Somehow each day Dd managed to put off RS until it was time for bed....oh my....I don't suppose other hs'ing mothers have ever had this happen?!!  We'll try again after our week off to focus on chickens!

Chores:

went fine this week

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