Chickens Spring 2017 Week One

Chickens Spring 2017 

Week One

 Dd asked to go to Tractor Supply this week....endlessly!  Then when we finally got there, the ducks she had been wanting hadn't arrived! She has spent HOURS researching ducks online, learning which ones to get and how to care for them!  Tractor Supply did have a few tanks of chickens already.  This is the area where they sell the critters.  They don't know when the ducks will come in, so we've been going back every 2-3 days to see if they are there.

Dd made the brooder box last week, with her new updated design that has a pull-out window in the side of the box.  Here Dd is putting the new chicks into their new home.

Aren't they adorable?!!!

It was around 30 degrees outside, so they were happy to snuggle-up under the heat lamp when they got home.  

Agnes our cat can't get into the Sun Room, as she might hurt our chicks, but Sophie just loves to look at the chicks!  She doesn't have access when we aren't with her though!  Have to be safe!

We bought six Amber Link
and six Tetra Brown - they should all be female chickens that lay brown eggs.

And the pooping begins.........

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Sonlight Core H Week 7B Feb. 20-26, 2017 (Time 1600's)

Sonlight Core H 

Week 7B 

Feb. 20-26, 2017 

(Time 1600's)

Dd putting our new chicks in their new home.

Hello, Friends!  

Baby Chickens:

We had a good week, and a step closer to getting back into our rhythm after our trip to Italy.  Our biggest thing this week....baby chickens!  Yep, Tractor Supply received their baby chicks a few weeks early and Dd couldn't wait any longer.  In truth, she is really wanting baby ducks and we went there with that as our primary goal, but they hadn't received the ducks in yet.  So, we keep going back every few days to see if the ducks have come in, and they still haven't arrived.  This year we bought six Tetra Brown girls and six Amber Brown girls.  They are super cute and are growing SO fast!

Tractor Supply--the chicks are arriving, but the ducks haven't arrived yet.

House work:
We have been working hard on cutting down some scrub trees in our 'front yard.' Eventually, we will plant some White Pine, apple tress, and blueberry bushes in that (now) open area.

Carhart sale:

This weekend we made another stop into Tractor Supply to check for ducks, and happened to walk in on their 50% off their discounted Carhart coats!  Now maybe Dd will go collect eggs in her new Carhart and not in her new church coats!  She's all set now for taking care of our critters in snowy Michigan!

I don't know who is the most excited about the new chicks....Sophie, our dog might win this one!  

Violin update:

I don't remember if I shared our problems with our violin teacher in Grand Rapids, but we decided to call and ask to switch teachers.  We were scheduled to start up with our new woman on Monday, but we got a phone call on Monday morning that she was out of town.  I had Dd practice her violin as we waited for our new class next week.

Dd at our church's Strings Group.  The young lady behind the music stand is Dd's violin friend.

Speaking of Violin and the Strings Group:

Dd's best friend at church plays the violin for her public school orchestra and is more advanced than Dd.  We've had her over to practice with Dd and share a pizza.  She helped Dd with her 'intonation' and shared a few tricks.  It was nice for Dd to have this friend over, she is a really sweet young lady.  After pizza I took both girls to the "Strings Group" on Thursday night for practice.  The Strings Group played the church's' Valentine's party, but Dd had missed the new material when we were traveling and so didn't play with them.  Hopefully when the group plays next, at a Sunday morning service, Dd will also play.  Dd has been learning to play the guitar with this group, but one of the women in the group has an extra ukelele and Dd asked to try it.  

Not many people came to Strings Group was few this week, a flu bug has been going around this week.  Some public schools actually canceled classes for two days this week due to the bug hitting people so hard.  

Band:

Dd moved up a chair in her Intermediate Band, playing her Alto Sax.  This week the girl behind her has challenged her to get her old chair back....I hope Dd can keep her spot, but we'll have to wait and see!  The chair tests are really good for giving the students reasons for practicing often. Dd is "first chair" in Beginning Band (Tenor Sax), and she hasn't had anyone challenging her, so her hours practicing that instrument is less than her Alto.

Our lessons this Week:

Bible:

Church and Sunday School on Sundays

I had been looking for: "How the Bible Came To Us" by Meryl Doney for a long time, and finally found it used for $3.00!  So we started this book for our together bible time this week.

Dd has been working on a devotion by herself, and is thinking about doing this as a group, teen girls group/bible study at our home---perhaps in the summer.  

Praying for Your Future Husband: Preparing Your Heart for His by Robin Jones Gunn

(she is really liking it, and wants me to buy her a copy so she can return this one to the library!)

Wrote Bible Verse in Cursive in her copy book

Dd made the brooder box last week.

Art: 10 hours
Dd has been doing some really nice watercolors of women in dresses.  Her goal is to try and get the texture of the dresses.  She easily spent ten hours on her drawings and watercoloring this week.

Read Aloud:

The Ravenmster's Secret: Escape From The Tower of London by Elvira Woodruff

Set in London, England in 1735...good reading!

Dd putting the new chicks in our box.  Tractor Supply crams 12 chicks in that tiny box to keep them warm while in transit.

Read Aloud:

BiblioPlan Companion Early Modern History - 

Ch. 7: New Netherland; the Thirty Years' War : Completed

Ch. 8: The Puritan Migration; the English Civil War : In Process

Geography:

BiblioPlan Advanced Mapping:

Week 5 New France

Week 6: Pilgrims Plymouth Colony

Week 7: The Voyages of Hudson

Week 7A: Thirty Years War

Sonlight Week 7 Timeline and Mapping: Completed

Dd designed a window in the side of the brooder, and upgrade from last years box!

Science: 

Apologia: Physical Science:

Module 3: Completed

Last week she re-studied this material and this week she took a warm-up test and then the final test to pass. 

Math:

Math U See: Geometry

Correct incorrect problems from Lesson 9 on Monday

10 A-E

Dd just loves her snuggly cat, Agnes, and her cuddling ways!  Mom- do you recognize this blanket?  You and Don gave it to for Christmas over 20 years ago.  It has all sorts of Craftsman tools on it...Thanks!  I still love it!

Writing:

IEW SWI-B

Lesson 14: Completed

Brain Inventory 

Audio:

Story of the World, Early Modern

Chapter 15

The chicks were glad to see the heat lamp after being out in the cold on the route home.

Independent Work:

Reader 1: In Process
George Washington's World by Foster: 

pg 140-160

Reader 2:  In Process

Stowaway by Karen Hesse

Our high stress home!  I was reading aloud to Dd and when I saw how cute everyone was being, I decided to snap a pix.

Poetry:

Henry Wadsworth Longfellow

reading a mini-biography and these two poems this week:

Excelsior

Mezzo Cammin

Volunteer:

Olympians, Games 1:30 hours on Wednesday nights

Music Practice:

Flute: 30 minutes

Tenor: 2:30 hours

Alto: 4:00 hours

Piano: 1:30 hours

Violin: 2:00 hours

Music Classes:

Wednesday Dd had Begining Band class: 1:30 hours (Tenor Sax)

Intermediate Band class: 1:30 hours (Alto Sax)

Piano Lesson with Mrs. March: 30 minutes

Strings Group: 1:10 hours (guitar)

All twelve in the box.  This years box is smaller than last years.

Home Economics:
Cous-Cous

Chicken and Cat Care

Kitchen - Dishes

Vacuuming and Laundry

Another good week of learning and growing closer to the Lord.

Agnes is a great student!

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Montagnola Park Jan 29, 2017

Montagnola Park, Bologna Italy

 Jan 29, 2017

You can see the old brick in the center of this photo.  I believe this was part of the ruins of the citadel of the Pope from back in the 1500's.  Bologna built around old historical ruins, it isn't odd to turn a corner and see some odd section of some wall that is obviously really old.

  

You can see the man beside Dd and Dh, there were a few shady characters at this park.  There was a 'green' park like area that had more people that seemed homeless.  I wouldn't recommend this park after nightfall.

..

Sonlight Core H Week 7A Feb.13-19, 2017 (Puritans & Separatists, Plymouth Colony, Iroquois Confederacy--1600's)

Sonlight Core H Week 7A 

Feb.13-19, 2017 

(Puritans & Separatists, Plymouth Colony, Iroquois Confederacy--1600's)

All the drawings on the black paper are pictures of the Valentine cards that Dd made for us this week.  We really enjoyed our cards!

Hello, Friends!

Our first week back to lessons was a slow one.  Dd never has done well with transitions, so I knew to just keep this week easy and plain basic.  To make matters worse, I started my migraine on Saturday and it grew a bit worse each day until it hit its peak of pain on Thursday.  Friday and Saturday were a bit easier and I seem to be over this battle.  Luckily, I had all Dd's instructions filled in and she just had to follow the sheet on Wednesday and Thursday.  I was able to work with her the other days, even though I had tolerable pain.  I guess eating gluten and all the stress from the trip finally caught up with me this week.  Dd seemed to be feeling fine, though tired this week.  

Our first music lesson for the week was on Monday, at Meyer Music, with the violin teacher.  Things did not go well, not well at all.  The long and short of it is that the teacher was very condescending to Dd.  She mocked how Dd has played for "years" and should have songs that she wants to learn for the violin.  I had to re-state (again) that Dd has only had some lessons this past summer, that ended in September.  Dd is just a beginner!!  Each time Dd would play a note wrong the teacher would make that screechy sound and mock her.  It was painful.  As we walked out, Dd said, "I'm done!" and I couldn't agree more!  We won't be seeing her again!!!!  Then Dd did not want to practice her violin for the rest of the week; so we actually lost ground.  The teacher managed to suck the joy out of playing the violin.  I hope we can find a new teacher that can undo the harm done...sad.

Spring Birds

Can't say how happy we've (Dd and me) been to wake up to hearing the birds singing outside!!!!  Not only that, but we have also heard and seen flocks of Sandhill Cranes flying over our home!  Dd went out to our newly planted bulb garden areas to look for, and find, new green sprouts coming up from the ground!  I know we will have a few more snowy days; it is Michigan after all, but, spring is really knocking on our door!

Garden

Saturday, Dh tilled up some of our raised beds, added some of our aging compost, and planted one section with Swiss Chard.  It is so exciting to think about gardening already!  We need to build more raised beds this spring, to have more space for more veg.

Dd made a new brooder box for the upcoming chicks and ducks.

Chickens and Ducks

Soon it will be time to buy more chickens (to replace the ones that were mysteriously taken by hawk or ?) and this year, Dd really (obsessively) wants a duck or two!  She is spending a lot of her screen time researching duck information and breeds.  It looks like Tractor Supply will have chicks as early as NEXT week?!!  I was thinking it wouldn't be until the first week in March!  I bet get busy figuring things out!

Church

Saturday our church held our Valentine's (catered) Party!  And one of the men in our congregation gave a really great talk on LOVE.  He works for Billy Graham's group that go out to wherever there is conflict, trouble, or weather related disasters and is there to help, in the capacity of being a man of God...not sure what they call this technically, but you get the gist.  He really did an awesome job sharing how Christianity is first, and foremost, about sharing love with everyone!  I couldn't have said it better.  I couldn't fall asleep for a long time that night, as I was so excited at his presentation.  I always think about how love is what Christianity is ALL about, but often don't hear that message through other Christians (often I hear judgments and nit-picking).  I was so glad to hear from another Christian that was on the same page as I am, and not only that, but was publically reminding us all to love each other--no matter what political side you are on, or race, or creed, or anything.  To meet each other with love regardless of the circumstance.  Anyway, I was so blessed to hear his talk! 

 Then on Sunday, we had some guests come to our church to share---one fellow was a former prison inmate that had found the Lord through the efforts of a group that our church is heavily involved in- New Creations Ministries, a prison outreach program.  It was interesting to hear his story of how this group changed his life.  We have a large number of people in our church that are very active in this group.  Then we had a wonderful woman, that periodically visits our church, share a song with us, called: "The Power of Prayer."  She touched a lot of us with her voice.  It was just an awesome weekend for our church!  I'm so blessed to be apart of such a loving, heart-filled church!

Our lessons this week:

Bible:

Dd is reading: Praying for Your Future Husband by Robin Jones Gunn and Tricia Goyer.  She is wanting to host a Girl's Bible Study at our house and is researching this book as a spine.

Bible: Matthew- Chapter 5

Church and Sunday School

Olympians (Wed night group, Volunteer for Games portion)

I'm enjoying a bible study--"Gideon: Your Weakness, God's Strenth" by Priscilla Shirer.  I'm learning a lot!

Math:

Math U See: Geometry, 9A-E

Art:

Dd spends hours drawing each week, but this week Dh and I both received beautiful Valentine's cards from her!

Poetry:

Dd had been sharing how she hasn't been liking "Painless Poetry," but wanted to finish the book.  Well, I finally decided to put a stop to poetry that isn't clicking with her!  I looked through some of my poetry shelves and picked Henry Wadsworth Longfellow - we are getting close to his time period AND he was born (and raised) in Portland, Maine.  I was born just outside of Portland!  I printed up a small booklet of biography on Longfellow to go along with the book I have.  I assigned her to start the biography and read these two poems:

The Wreck of Hesperus

The Village Blacksmith

(which she liked!!! Yay!  Can't have her not finding good poetry in our school!!)

Chores:

No chores this week; except leaf blowing on Saturday.  Dd hurt her back roller skating on Saturday and still can't bend.

Baking:

Dd made Chocolate Chip cookies to bring to the Girl's Night party.

Writing:

Book report for her last Reader: Parcel of Patterns by Jill Paton Walsh

Science: 

Apologia: Physical Science, Module 3

Study to re-take test

History:

BiblioPlan Companion on Early American History:

Ch. 5: The Iroquois Confederacy

Ch. 6: Puritans and Separatists: The Plymouth Colony

George Washington's World by Genevieve Foster

pg's 108-139

Can you see how extra large the one egg in the front row is?  It was crazy large, but still only one yolk.  It is interesting to see how unique some eggs are, and realize that those odd eggs never get sold in stores, only those 'perfect' ones.

Fun Readers: 

LOTS of fun reading this week

Etiquette & Espionage (The Finishing School series) by Gail Carriger

King's Cage (Red Queen series) by Victoria Aveyard

Music Classes/Lessons:

Violin: 1:00 hour lesson

Beginning Band: Tenor Sax 1:30 hour class

Intermediate Band: Alto Sax 1:30 hour class

Piano lesson with Mrs. March: 30 minute lesson

home practicing:

piano: 1:00 hour

alto 2:30 hours

tenor 2:30 hours

violin: 0

flute: 0

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