Sonlight Core G Week 23 "C"
Middle Ages
BiblioPlan Week 9-10
March 27- April 3, 2016
Hello Friends,
Unexpected Weather...snow! and freezing temps:
When we woke up this morning it was 20 degrees! It still was spitting some snow, but nothing like all the snow we had yesterday. We had been in Grandville yesterday; which is closer to Lake Michigan, and it was even worse there! The snow was so blinding and heavy it was really hard to drive. Enough of the weather----but it was so surprising to have this much snow (1-5 inches) in April. But, this has been SUCH a week!
CHICKS: doing well in their new Chicken Tractor, and already grown so much that I need to make another one asap! Boy, are they growing. I'll put a chicken post up soon, showing how big they are!
GERD: This has been a super week on this regard. I think I have found a good mix of supplements; except when I clean out the chicken tractor, any upside down work always causes heartburn! Awful too. I'm still doing the Kefir, Kombucha, supplements, and this week, since I'm finally over our flu/cold bug, I could go back to my daily Leslie Sansone 'walking' DVD's! I love those silly workouts, and they are easy enough and short enough that I can always fit them in! Dd joined me twice this week, before our lessons started. Dd found out she will need to do 50 push-ups for 'Band Camp' so she wants to start trying to do more.
Alto Sax:
You might have seen my post earlier this week, about my Dd's alto sax getting taken---not sure if this was an accidental taking or a purposeful stealing---but, I am hoping for the accidental taking and hopeful return. I don't know what to say about this. I'm waiting for next week's class, perhaps when it comes time for classes again, someone might notice they have the wrong case. On Saturday Dd and I found a music store in Grand Rapids and rented another Alto Sax for her to use while we wait to see the outcome.
Homeschool Helps:
Each morning I've been going over to my friends blog, and listening to a podcast that she recommended. I highly recommend checking these out---and enjoy the friendly kindness from my friends blog also:
http://www.last-in-line.info/2016/03/encouragement-to-take-homeschooling-tod.html
Activities for the Week:
We drove downtown to the Grand Rapids Public Library!!! So awesome, we haven't been there in months! So much marble; so little time! We can only stay for one hour or parking costs! I hope we can go more often now that LINK co-op is done! We also went to our local library and to the Grandville Library too--three libraries in one week, we don't normally do that.
Band/Choir classes at the Homeschool Building---went well until **Dd's sax went missing.
**1:1 lesson With Mrs March (Tuesday)
**Meyer Music store--that was neat, they had a glass room full of cello's, double bass, and other big string instruments.
I had scheduled for us to hike through the woods, but that didn't happen unfortunately.
Middle Ages
BiblioPlan Week 9-10
March 27- April 3, 2016
Hello Friends,
Unexpected Weather...snow! and freezing temps:
When we woke up this morning it was 20 degrees! It still was spitting some snow, but nothing like all the snow we had yesterday. We had been in Grandville yesterday; which is closer to Lake Michigan, and it was even worse there! The snow was so blinding and heavy it was really hard to drive. Enough of the weather----but it was so surprising to have this much snow (1-5 inches) in April. But, this has been SUCH a week!
CHICKS: doing well in their new Chicken Tractor, and already grown so much that I need to make another one asap! Boy, are they growing. I'll put a chicken post up soon, showing how big they are!
GERD: This has been a super week on this regard. I think I have found a good mix of supplements; except when I clean out the chicken tractor, any upside down work always causes heartburn! Awful too. I'm still doing the Kefir, Kombucha, supplements, and this week, since I'm finally over our flu/cold bug, I could go back to my daily Leslie Sansone 'walking' DVD's! I love those silly workouts, and they are easy enough and short enough that I can always fit them in! Dd joined me twice this week, before our lessons started. Dd found out she will need to do 50 push-ups for 'Band Camp' so she wants to start trying to do more.
Alto Sax:
You might have seen my post earlier this week, about my Dd's alto sax getting taken---not sure if this was an accidental taking or a purposeful stealing---but, I am hoping for the accidental taking and hopeful return. I don't know what to say about this. I'm waiting for next week's class, perhaps when it comes time for classes again, someone might notice they have the wrong case. On Saturday Dd and I found a music store in Grand Rapids and rented another Alto Sax for her to use while we wait to see the outcome.
Homeschool Helps:
Each morning I've been going over to my friends blog, and listening to a podcast that she recommended. I highly recommend checking these out---and enjoy the friendly kindness from my friends blog also:
http://www.last-in-line.info/2016/03/encouragement-to-take-homeschooling-tod.html
Activities for the Week:
We drove downtown to the Grand Rapids Public Library!!! So awesome, we haven't been there in months! So much marble; so little time! We can only stay for one hour or parking costs! I hope we can go more often now that LINK co-op is done! We also went to our local library and to the Grandville Library too--three libraries in one week, we don't normally do that.
Band/Choir classes at the Homeschool Building---went well until **Dd's sax went missing.
**1:1 lesson With Mrs March (Tuesday)
**Meyer Music store--that was neat, they had a glass room full of cello's, double bass, and other big string instruments.
I had scheduled for us to hike through the woods, but that didn't happen unfortunately.
Lamplighter Audio:
http://lamplighter.net/c/
I finally remembered that Lamplighter has an ongoing audio going on, and I went over to see if they were still doing it; and they were! Click on Theatre, then Listen Online, then click on the RED CIRCLE with a white arrow in it, for whichever audio you'd like to start listening to. We listened to the first episode of : "TITUS: A COMRADE OF THE CROSS: EPISODE ONE"
http://lamplighter.net/c/lamplighter-theatre/
I can't recommend Lamplighter books and audio's more! I absolutely love them and my admiration grows each year as we listen and read more! Their books and audio's are a bit pricey; but I have been able to find both at my library in Indiana. I don't know about every library, but we always had great luck.
Writing:
I don't know enough about this, but Dd has started back with Nanowrimo again. Something about being in the same "cabin" as her friends here. This is the site if you are interested in looking into it:
http://nanowrimo.org/
Dd finally got to join her friends in their Writer's Club on Saturday at a library. I'm really glad she has found some fellow "writers" that have encouraged her to create her own stories...now, if she could FINISH some of those stories! Sorry to The "L" family, as I don't think she has ever finished her Christmas stories she started for you all! I guess I will go ahead and mail your box without them.
Dd was given a break on her Writing With Skill this winter, and is begging to try something different. Luckily I had picked up a copy of The Creative Writer (from Peace Hill Press) and we will start looking into that program. I still think IEW is the best, and will probably go back to that after The Creative Writer.
Birds:
On the way to church on Sunday, we stopped to watch a couple of Sandhill Cranes!!! This is the third or fourth time I've seen them around our neighborhood!
We also saw a Killdeer!
Our first one in Michigan. They were everywhere in our area in Indiana, but not here. I've seen lots of Robins, and each day I see one or two Phoebe's on our feeders and deck. I don't know if it is the same bird I am seeing, or if there are two. Last July, when we moved in, there was a couple with a nest ON our house, and they raised a broad while we were here. Once the chicks flew off, the whole family was gone...sad. I just love their bobbing tails.
Bible:
Veritas Press: Gospels
http://www.rainbowresource.com/product/sku/VB5KIT
What I am really liking about this particular set is that we are going through bible stories that are in each of the gospels, but we are studying just that story (example: Merchants Driven From the Temple ) in each of the gospels. I've always just read Matthew, then Mark, then....but, never comparing each version all at the same time. This has been great!!! Not every story has a duplicate, but some do.
Believer's Bible Commentary [BELIEVERS BIBLE COMMENTARY -SS] [Hardcover]
by MacDonald, W.(Author) ; MacDonald, William(Author); Farstad, Arthur L.(Editor)
Card 110: Jesus Turns Water Into Wine, The First Miracle,
John 2:1-12, AD 27
along with reading the bible, then we read that section in our Believer's Bible Commentary, we were also assigned to read:
Journey Through The Bible
pg's 216-217
Survey of the Bible
pg 145
Card 111: Merchants Driven From the Temple
Mark 21: 12-13
Mark 11: 15-18
Luke 19: 45-46
John 2: 13-17
(Each Read from Bible and Believer's Bible Commentary)
Journey Through The Bible:
pg 218-219
Survey of the Bible:
pg's 145-146
Card 112: The Woman at the Well
John 4: 1-42
(Read from Bible and Believer's Bible Commentary)
Journey Through the Bible
pg's 222-223
Survey of the Bible
pg's 147-148
Do Hard Things by Alex and Brett Harris
I consider this book part "Character Study" and part "Bible" book. This is our third time through it, and I enjoy taking daily sips of it, reminding my Dd that she can do so much more than she thinks she can! It is hard to teach children to WANT to choose the HARD, but *right* way---these fellow Christian homeschoolers, in their language, and their examples, do such a great job of inspiring us to do more. High Recommend, and I also encourage this book to be read really slowly--giving time to absorb each thought. I've been reading about 2-4 pages each day. I remember the last time we finished it, I immediately thought to myself: "I wish I would have taken more time on this book, and NOT rushed through it." So, this time I am really forcing myself to slow down!
Math:
Dd has been learning a lot, and almost enjoying her switch to Teaching Textbooks: Algebra I. We had spent about twelve months on MUS Algebra I and struggling so much, so I did what I have done twice before, and ordered the Teaching Textbooks curriculum to help us get our minds around the new material. When you have multiple people, showing you multiple ways of working through math, you eventually find someone that can speak it to you in "your language," in a way that YOU specifically can understand.
The other thing I like---I could tell there were a few area's that Dd hadn't fully grasped, and now she is going over that area a good second time! I think she will really lock this material into her long-term memory with all this review and practice.
This week Dd passed lessons 11-15.
Macbeth:
BiblioPlan suggested adding in Macbeth in this area, so I had Dd read this short adaption of Macbeth from Nesbit:
Beautiful Stories From Shakespeare
by Edith Nesbit
We are not done on Macbeth yet, I've ordered a few things from the library, and we will see what works best. I know we will be coming up to Shakespeare in a few months, so we will do a more in-depth study of him when that comes.
Current Events:
CNN STUDENT NEWS is a ten minute review of major news events throughout the world. Monday-Friday
http://www.cnn.com/studentnews
Audio 1:
How to Read a Book, Revised
How To Read A Book by Mortimer Adler and Charles Van Doren. We bought this audio version on Aubible, and I have the book, so I can highlight and 'own' the book myself! I'm trying to teach Dd how to 'own' a book, how to underline, highlight, circle, star, and cram in notes in the margin. I have to admit the first few pages were a bit dry for her, but it is picking up as we go along. I want to do this book in a slow, sipping way too. This isn't really material to push through. I have set my goal as 15 minutes each day, but we have listened a bit longer each day since it never is in a good place to stop at 15 minutes! But, you get the idea of the pace I am going for. This week we read/heard: Part One: The Dimensions of Reading: Elementary Reading, Inspectional Reading, Note Taking..
Pg's 1-56
next is analytical reading!
Audio 2 "FUN":
Red Queen
Feb 10, 2015The Red Queen:
this is Dd's THIRD time through this, and she has commented on how she is picking up things (like 'foreshadowing') on this third reading, and finding, for herself, the value of re-reading books.
Audio 3:
Titus: Comrade of the Cross
Audio 3: Lamplighter's, Titus: A Comrade of the Cross
We are listening at Lamplighter's website--see above.
Sign Language:
When Dd was old enough to start signing; around 6 months maybe? I started signing with her. She was fantastic at it, and so good she didn't want to start talking, and our pediatrician said I was to stop signing with her, but I didn't! When she finally did start talking, she stopped signing...to my dismay! I took sign language in high school, and had a lot of good friends who were deaf - as our town was where the state school of the deaf was located. I've been waiting all these years for Dd to WANT to sign with me---and she seemed really excited to start this week. But, I am not getting my hopes up...or I am trying not to! This week I taught her Finger Spelling and the first four chapters of lessons. I've kept my old Sign Language book from high school and doing it how my teacher taught us. She has already picked out a song that she will learn the signs for, and then show me, in a few weeks.
Science:
I found this in one of my searchings this week--looks like a lot of educational links that could be fun:
I found this in one of my searchings this week--looks like a lot of educational links that could be fun:
Apologia General Science:
Module 7: The Fossil Record
Pg's 160-178
I've made a few posts on the the experiments: 7.1, 7.2, and the Mineral Hardness Test experiment that I added in.
Notebooking pages: 118-122
I'll say it again, I am SO glad I bought the Student Notebook for this, and the Kit with *most* of the supplies for the experiments.
History Read Aloud (Sonlight):
The Second Mrs. Giaconda by E.L. Konisburg
We are LOVING this book!!! It is told from the point of view of an apprentice to Leonardo Da Vinci. As an art student, I've read a fair few books on Leonardo, but this is a very interesting perspective! I am really liking this so far. The only bummer is that we will be finished within two weeks, so not much stretching to be done on this one.
Dd's History Reader's (I added in):
The Saga of Erik the Viking: COMPLETED
Archers, Alchemists and 98 Other Medieval Job
Archers, Alchemists and 98 Other Medieval Jobs You Might Have Loved Or Loathed: COMPLETED
pg's 70-93
The Kingfisher History Encyclopedia:
144-149
The Kingdom Strikes Back:
20-22
Favorite Poems Old and New
424-426
BiblioPlan: Medieval, Renaissance & Reformation Companion (2 Book Set)
BiblioPlan Companion: a Text for Medieval History
Chapter 9: The Norman Conquest
Module 7: The Fossil Record
Pg's 160-178
I've made a few posts on the the experiments: 7.1, 7.2, and the Mineral Hardness Test experiment that I added in.
Notebooking pages: 118-122
I'll say it again, I am SO glad I bought the Student Notebook for this, and the Kit with *most* of the supplies for the experiments.
History Read Aloud (Sonlight):
The Second Mrs. Gioconda
Jun 1, 2005The Second Mrs. Giaconda by E.L. Konisburg
We are LOVING this book!!! It is told from the point of view of an apprentice to Leonardo Da Vinci. As an art student, I've read a fair few books on Leonardo, but this is a very interesting perspective! I am really liking this so far. The only bummer is that we will be finished within two weeks, so not much stretching to be done on this one.
Dd's History Reader's (I added in):
The Saga of Erik the Viking
by Terry Jones and Michael Foreman
The Saga of Erik the Viking: COMPLETED
Archers, Alchemists and 98 Other Medieval Job
Archers, Alchemists and 98 Other Medieval Jobs You Might Have Loved Or Loathed: COMPLETED
pg's 70-93
The Kingfisher History Encyclopedia:
144-149
The Kingdom Strikes Back:
20-22
Favorite Poems Old and New
424-426
BiblioPlan: Medieval, Renaissance & Reformation Companion (2 Book Set)
BiblioPlan Companion: a Text for Medieval History
Chapter 9: The Norman Conquest
Rosetta Stone: French
Mon-Fri this week! So glad, she is due another prize for getting through another week of it! So glad! This has been such a hard thing to get her to do that I am fine with offering her a reward if she gets 10-20 minutes of practice in each day.
Music:
Sax practice, each day but Thurs and Friday. The new sax we have rented seems to be doing okay.
Piano and Choir, each day
New Music obsession:
The Two Cello's on YouTube
Cooking:
Double-Baked Potatoes
Asparagus, twice
Eggs, numerously
and a great dish of beans---she really does a super job of getting the flavorings just right.
Computer Time:
Working on her blog--so glad.
She made signs for her "missing saxophone" for us to post around the Homeschooling Building.
Summary:
This was a really weird week, while we got through a lot more 'academic' things than we have in months (basically b/c we didn't have our co-op classes to do anymore-or co-op homework to do) but losing the sax and Dh having to work so much made this a very draining week for me. Instead of doing the Sunday School class with my Dd and Dh in the main room I went downstairs to the basement and joined the "Women's Bible Study." They were working on a Beth Moore class, with the book Breathe. More importantly, we had a really sharing prayer request time. I shared with them all about our sax being taken, and asked for prayers for it's return. I was not feeling sure if I could share that---it isn't like a major health crisis or life threatening, right?! But, those wonderful ladies empathized and were SO supportive. They understood the under current of being disappointed in our Christian homeschool group, and losing the trust we had with this group, and how Satan can jump on that opening. I have really felt that nagging wearing down that Satan can tug at you during those disappointing times. I feel so much better knowing these ladies are going to be praying for us---regardless of whether we get the sax back or not. I was really surprised at how much I really *felt* disappointed in our sax being taken, it feels like a personal attack. Yes, it is a really expensive problem, but it also has effected my heart. I am really excited and glad that I got out of my comfort zone in church and went downstairs to the basement (my first time to venture down there) the join a small community of fellow like-minded women. Maybe the Lord needed to have the sax thing happen to push me downstairs and get in that circle of support---maybe now that I am in the group the sax can be returned?!! His ways are a mystery to me, and I never know why, but I know it is for our benefit.
New Church: Started here on Nov. 1st, 2015
I encourage you all to find a good church. Even back in Indiana we tried church after church after church----never finding a LOVING, welcoming church. Then when we moved here, we tried numerous churches---and no click! It really is a big effort to go church hunting, and not getting feed for so long, but very worth it in the end!!! Continue searching until you find your right church home--the rewards are awesome and will help to grow you spiritually closer to the Lord. We *finally* found this little church, and they opened their hearts to use immediately. It really shouldn't be so hard to find a church that is open to going over and welcoming new friends!!! We honestly wouldn't have people welcome us (beyond handing us the bulletin) 85% of the time! Crazy, at a house of God, whose main point is to LOVE one another! But, after all those years of searching it is so nice to feel at home somewhere. I should state that biblically they are spot-on, and that is totally important too. So many churches have the biblical part down, but the making the congregation a family seems to be harder to find.
In my aging, gaining a tiny bit of wisdom, I know that in the future we will have some beliefs that are a tad different than this church, but I think we are going to be able to not make that a 'deal-breaker' issue. For example, we went from having a very special, beloved Communion every Sunday at our last church---and this church only has it FOUR times a YEAR! This is not what we hoped for, but it isn't the end of the world. There are a few things like this, that we don't really prefer in our church, but, you know what----having a loving church and a congregation that really has a heart for the Lord and each other means so much to me. I remember one time while visiting a church in Indiana, we walked away from a church because of silly things, that I now realize were not big things. I'm glad that we are getting old enough to see the real issues and benefits and not superficial things. I'm so thankful for this church--as we tip-toe slowly into becoming a part of it, in our slow, timid way! Anyway, I just want to encourage others to keep trying, keep being a church "pirate," searching for a church home!
Sax practice, each day but Thurs and Friday. The new sax we have rented seems to be doing okay.
Piano and Choir, each day
New Music obsession:
The Two Cello's on YouTube
Cooking:
Double-Baked Potatoes
Asparagus, twice
Eggs, numerously
and a great dish of beans---she really does a super job of getting the flavorings just right.
Computer Time:
Working on her blog--so glad.
She made signs for her "missing saxophone" for us to post around the Homeschooling Building.
Summary:
This was a really weird week, while we got through a lot more 'academic' things than we have in months (basically b/c we didn't have our co-op classes to do anymore-or co-op homework to do) but losing the sax and Dh having to work so much made this a very draining week for me. Instead of doing the Sunday School class with my Dd and Dh in the main room I went downstairs to the basement and joined the "Women's Bible Study." They were working on a Beth Moore class, with the book Breathe. More importantly, we had a really sharing prayer request time. I shared with them all about our sax being taken, and asked for prayers for it's return. I was not feeling sure if I could share that---it isn't like a major health crisis or life threatening, right?! But, those wonderful ladies empathized and were SO supportive. They understood the under current of being disappointed in our Christian homeschool group, and losing the trust we had with this group, and how Satan can jump on that opening. I have really felt that nagging wearing down that Satan can tug at you during those disappointing times. I feel so much better knowing these ladies are going to be praying for us---regardless of whether we get the sax back or not. I was really surprised at how much I really *felt* disappointed in our sax being taken, it feels like a personal attack. Yes, it is a really expensive problem, but it also has effected my heart. I am really excited and glad that I got out of my comfort zone in church and went downstairs to the basement (my first time to venture down there) the join a small community of fellow like-minded women. Maybe the Lord needed to have the sax thing happen to push me downstairs and get in that circle of support---maybe now that I am in the group the sax can be returned?!! His ways are a mystery to me, and I never know why, but I know it is for our benefit.
New Church: Started here on Nov. 1st, 2015
I encourage you all to find a good church. Even back in Indiana we tried church after church after church----never finding a LOVING, welcoming church. Then when we moved here, we tried numerous churches---and no click! It really is a big effort to go church hunting, and not getting feed for so long, but very worth it in the end!!! Continue searching until you find your right church home--the rewards are awesome and will help to grow you spiritually closer to the Lord. We *finally* found this little church, and they opened their hearts to use immediately. It really shouldn't be so hard to find a church that is open to going over and welcoming new friends!!! We honestly wouldn't have people welcome us (beyond handing us the bulletin) 85% of the time! Crazy, at a house of God, whose main point is to LOVE one another! But, after all those years of searching it is so nice to feel at home somewhere. I should state that biblically they are spot-on, and that is totally important too. So many churches have the biblical part down, but the making the congregation a family seems to be harder to find.
In my aging, gaining a tiny bit of wisdom, I know that in the future we will have some beliefs that are a tad different than this church, but I think we are going to be able to not make that a 'deal-breaker' issue. For example, we went from having a very special, beloved Communion every Sunday at our last church---and this church only has it FOUR times a YEAR! This is not what we hoped for, but it isn't the end of the world. There are a few things like this, that we don't really prefer in our church, but, you know what----having a loving church and a congregation that really has a heart for the Lord and each other means so much to me. I remember one time while visiting a church in Indiana, we walked away from a church because of silly things, that I now realize were not big things. I'm glad that we are getting old enough to see the real issues and benefits and not superficial things. I'm so thankful for this church--as we tip-toe slowly into becoming a part of it, in our slow, timid way! Anyway, I just want to encourage others to keep trying, keep being a church "pirate," searching for a church home!
..............
