Sonlight Core H (World History Year 2 of 2)
Week 16
April 24-30, 2017
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| We got the chicken wire up, after taking down the picket fencing; which will keep the chickens out of our garden, which we are hoping to extend. |
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| Dd made this pillow for Agnes last year. Agnes seems to like it well enough! |
Hello, Friends!
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| Dh cut down two trees so we can extend our garden. |
Another so-so academic week, but we had some good ‘life’ advances. For example, a church member, who is also homeschooled, got to spend Friday with us.
Dd did an awesome job of being a great hostess! She let the friend try out every instrument she has, and gave her little mini-lessons on how to play them. We took our friend along with us to Dd’s dental visit, adventuring for yard sales in our area (3-4), ice cream, a hike, and our library. I was so glad that Dd really made an effort to think how to make our friend feel comfortable with us, throughout the day, which is something I place a lot of value on. Can’t help but thank Heather L. for modeling such good hostess behavior to us!
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| We all went on a hike in our woods |
Dd did an awesome job of being a great hostess! She let the friend try out every instrument she has, and gave her little mini-lessons on how to play them. We took our friend along with us to Dd’s dental visit, adventuring for yard sales in our area (3-4), ice cream, a hike, and our library. I was so glad that Dd really made an effort to think how to make our friend feel comfortable with us, throughout the day, which is something I place a lot of value on. Can’t help but thank Heather L. for modeling such good hostess behavior to us!
Migraines and full schedule:
Monday we had to drive to GR for a violin lesson. Tuesday we had to drive out to Mrs. March for a violin lesson. Wednesday was a good lessons day. Thursday I had the worst migraines of the year this week, luckily Dh took Dd to spend the day with her friend, Lexi, and she missed out on all my misery and vomiting. Friday we hosted a church friend all day, we had a great time and got a lot accomplished, even some academics in between the fun.
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| Dd mowed all the side yards |
Another highlight this week was Dd got up on Saturday and got right out to mow all our yards; the first mowing of the year! She worked hard until around 4pm, only breaking for lunch. The best part was that all the work was her idea and done with a happy heart. These little steps this week were so appreciated we took her out to Chinese after church on Sunday; which we usually do not go out for meals, so it was a big deal.
Garden & Fence:
Dh has taken off all the picket fence sections, so we can paint them. He figured we should wrap chicken wire around all the posts before attaching the sections back to keep the chickens out of our garden.
Those chickens LOVE our garden dirt, worms, and whatever is growing---we found that out last year and hope to keep more of our veg this year! Lesson learned!
On Saturday, we got all the fencing put up and have an enclosed garden now! Yay! Our forecast is rain for the next week, so we will have to wait until probably next weekend to do any planting. Our region in Michigan puts May 5th as the last date for ‘frost warning’ so it is probably good for us to wait anyway. It has been really cold, and our heat is back on again. Three chicken heat lamps are working day and night keeping our poultry warm.
Those chickens LOVE our garden dirt, worms, and whatever is growing---we found that out last year and hope to keep more of our veg this year! Lesson learned!
On Saturday, we got all the fencing put up and have an enclosed garden now! Yay! Our forecast is rain for the next week, so we will have to wait until probably next weekend to do any planting. Our region in Michigan puts May 5th as the last date for ‘frost warning’ so it is probably good for us to wait anyway. It has been really cold, and our heat is back on again. Three chicken heat lamps are working day and night keeping our poultry warm.
Potato Patch:
Dh has been busy on YouTube watching videos on how to grow potatoes and sweet potatoes, in a layered / tiered approach. We got the frame built Saturday, and the first layer of cow manure and chicken poop straw; now we only need dirt to get started.
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| Look at all those new feathers coming out! I'm so glad! |
Zeus, our Buff Orpington rooster:
Our sweet boy has really made great progress this week!
We let Zeus sleep out with the ladies, and he got another bloody peck, so we brought him back to the garage for his safety, but by the end of the week, the pecking ceased. The spiky shafts are beginning to open and feathers are starting to show, here and there, especially on his undercarriage.
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| I kept Zeus on the outside of the chicken coop for most of the week. The first part of the week was difficult because the chickens wanted to pick his backside which isn't good! He got his steps in pacing up and down the fence talking with the girls!!! |
We let Zeus sleep out with the ladies, and he got another bloody peck, so we brought him back to the garage for his safety, but by the end of the week, the pecking ceased. The spiky shafts are beginning to open and feathers are starting to show, here and there, especially on his undercarriage.
New Chickens:
I took the six Amber Links and six Tetra Brown chickens to one of our outside coops for the girls to get to scratch around and spend some time in our coop for their first time.
They stayed within four - five feet from the front door, and enjoyed scratching the dirt. All chickens seem to be very similar--they all want to scratch out as hole in the dirt, and scrunch down into it, and all the chickens try to push the other chickens out of that same hole! They all want to be in the same hole!
They spent a few hours out there, just a little introduction to them and the older chickens watched them on the other side of the wire.
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| You can just see, in the shadow, that the older chickens are in the inside coop watching the new chickens scratch around in 'their' coop! I'm hoping by exposing the groups to each other so often that perhaps the adjustment of living together won't be too violent. |
They stayed within four - five feet from the front door, and enjoyed scratching the dirt. All chickens seem to be very similar--they all want to scratch out as hole in the dirt, and scrunch down into it, and all the chickens try to push the other chickens out of that same hole! They all want to be in the same hole!
They spent a few hours out there, just a little introduction to them and the older chickens watched them on the other side of the wire.
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| I began working back in the Rec Room this week. This is with just a Kilz coat on the floor. |
Rec Room:
Monday and Wednesday I painted the floor of the Rec Room with an oil based enamel, the color 'stone'. It warmed up enough on those two days to get two coats down.
It still needs some touch-ups before I can start on the polyurethane coats, which need to be painted when the weather is warm enough for me to open the windows and for it to dry.
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| The supervisor, Agnes, took her business seriously! |
It still needs some touch-ups before I can start on the polyurethane coats, which need to be painted when the weather is warm enough for me to open the windows and for it to dry.
Music:
Band classes are over until September, but we signed Dd up for at least another month of violin classes at Meyer Music. We are really liking the teacher, Christie, and her teaching style is a perfect match. Dd also has another six weeks of piano lessons left with Mrs. March. Dd bought a new ligature for her Alto sax, which makes her sax sound much better, so she practiced more than I thought she would on her first week ‘off.’
Academics this Week:
Bible:
Walking with Bilbo by Sarah Arthur, chapters 5, 6, and 7
Chapter 5 shared this bible verse:
“Be sure of this: I am with you always, even to the end of the age.” Matthew 28:20
The BBC Manuel (Sonlight’s Bible): pg 78-81
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| Buckbeak |
Church Activities:
Church, Sunday School, Youth Group, and volunteering to help at the Olympians program.
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| Zeus, and the older chickens come in the garage to steal spilt grain and have a look at the new additions to our family. Hoping they will all get along when we unite the crew. |
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| Haven't these ducks just grown so big in just a few weeks?!! |
Math:
Math U See: Geometry
We are working together figuring out lesson 15, and will probably work some more on it next week.
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| Pauline, not as big as Henny Penny, but doing pretty well! |
Fun Audio from Audible:
The Complete Works of Sir Arthur Conan Doyle
(The Sign of Four)
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| Our two Isa Browns, Mrs. Marple on the left, and Agnes on the right. The two bantams are in the background (Hummer on L, Hades on R) You'd never guess it, but these two Isa Brown's seem so much more aggressive than the other new birds (Amber & Tetra). |
History:
George Washington’s World by Foster: COMPLETED
Pg 312-349
(French Revolution)
Reader: In Search of Honor by Donnalynn Hess: Ch. 2-9
Goodreads Review:
Fourteen-year-old Jacques Chenier is drawn into the tumult of the French Revolution as he struggles to free himself from the prison of his own bitterness and find the true meaning of honor.
Literature:
Add-In from old Core H: Great Expectations by Charles Dickens- Ch 8-17
I am loving reading each chapter with Dd, then reading SL's notes, vocabulary, questions, and then the Christian Guides to the Classics book on GE. We are really dissection this book and enjoying the process of really getting to know the material well. I hope I can find more guides to use as we read more classics in our future. I've decided to add-in more classics to the SL line up of books to make our core more enjoyable, without hopefully adding too much time.
Christian Guides to the Classics: Dickens’s Great Expectations by Leland Ryken
Ch 8-17
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| Dh had Dd drive our car to stretch out the fencing with the help of a rachet. Dd was happy to help and get some time in driving! |
Science:
Apologia Physical Science
Module 5: The Hydrosphere: pg 116-127
Student Notebook Study Guide completed
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| Dd driving up to help! |
Poetry:
The Best-Loved Poetry of Jacqueline Kennedy Onassis:
This book has a nice selection of poetry, we last read it in 2008. |
| A picture of the woods during our hike this week. |
Poems:
Hunting-Song of the Seeonee Pack by Rudyard Kipling
The Road Not Taken by Robert Frost
Song by John Donne
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| This is a Tetra Brown, scratching up the dirt and looking for something tasty! |
Fun Reading:
Battle of the Labyrinth by Rick Riordan (reread)
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| Sophie is always overly interested in our critters. If only she could lick them she would happy! This Amber Link looks as if she is telling Sophie something...not sure what though! |
Life As We Know It by Susan Beth Pfeffer (In Process)
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| Dd is just as excited about our spring flowers as I am. She has started a section for "her" garden. She dug out some random spring flowers that were in odd places and put them together in her new spot. It is great to see her being as interested in growing things as I am!!! |
Music Lessons:
Violin: 30 min
Piano: 30 min
Music Practice:
Violin, alto sax, tenor sax, piano, flute, and ukulele
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| Zeus, visiting the Buff Orpington's and Black Sex-Links |
Chores/Home Economics:
Yard work: 7 hours, chicken care chores, kitchen-dishes, etc.
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| Dd helped with the new fencing |
Physical Exercise:
Leslie Sansone Pilates DVD: 30 minutes
Evening workouts (10 min each)
Mowing the yard: 3 hours
Hike in the woods 20 minutes
Art:
Dd rec’d new alcohol, fast drying markers for Easter and has been using them each day. Giz gave her one of those ‘adult coloring books’ and she has been having a blast coloring some pages from that book.
Crochet: Dd has been working on a cowl/scarf from the yarn we bought at JoAnn Fabrics a few weeks back. She is almost done already!
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| The previous owners had planted this Bleeding Heart, and it is so lovely! |
Next Week:
Dd starts Drivers Education, which is six class hours each week on Monday, Tuesday, and Thursdays, for four weeks. I'm not sure how much homework she will get and how much of our lessons we will get done.
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| We are SO enjoying the bulbs we planted in the fall...so worth all the time and effort we put in! |
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