Sonlight Core H Week 12 March 26-April 1, 2017 (World History Year 2/2 1600-1700's)

Sonlight Core H Week 12 

March 26-April 1, 2017

(World History Year 2/2 1600-1700's) 

A picture for Christie!  I'm so glad you enjoyed seeing this orchid finally re-bloom!  For you, friend!

Hello, Friends! 

March 30th- even the little Bantams are jumping out of the brooder box, so I had to stop everything and put the second chicken tractor in the garage for the 2 Bantams and 2 ducks.  It was a LOT of work but I got them moved out of our sunroom and into the garage.

What a dreadfully busy week:
Square Dance, Band Classes, Music Lessons, Dentist appointment, Strings Group, Church and Sunday School, and Olympians (Awana-like group).  

We simply had too much going on for one week, but things will be winding down soon.  The Olympians (church program similar to Awana) will be ending on May 24, so only seven nights left.  Beginning Band, Intermediate Band, and piano lessons will all end in three weeks! Three weeks!  So things will lighten up soon.  I guess I should mention one thing we are going to add next month (May), since Dd doesn't have any band or piano in May we figured this would be the perfect month to do Driver's Education, which meets three days a week, for four weeks.  I am really glad Dd is going to have a seriously tough class, with lots of information she has to memorize, with a different teacher than me!  I think Dd could use some perspective from having other teachers.  On Monday, Dd went with me to the dentist, and last Monday she went with us to Dh's doctor appointment.  Monday's are usually a very big lessons day, and losing those two Mondays, back to back, has made the rest of the week harder for her than normal.

Merry, our smaller duck

"Books too easy":

Dd was stretched too thin this week, and her attitude was a bit frazzled.  For the past few weeks, Dd hasn't been liking her Sonlight books.  She says they are written for younger students and wants better books.  I'm just not sure what to make of that, but I do see that she is overwhelmed with too much going on this week and that effects how she sees her lessons. Yes, we are on the high end of the grade level for this core, which is designed for grades 7-9, and we are nearing the end of her 9th-grade year.  I'm trying to figure out how to proceed now.  Honestly, this has never happened to us before as she has always like the SL books.  I had been stretching out our cores, and adding in BiblioPlan, but I am weeks behind in the BP when lined up with our core. 

Pippen, our bigger duck

 I think I am just going to keep moving forward and try to finish our core in normal speed, one week at a time, with minimal stretching.  I plan on following up Core H with Core 100, and hope those books will match up better with her.  Another option is that I could add-in a few books from Core 200 or 300 or British Literature, that would satisfy her desire for more advanced books.  I'm thinking about our possible options....surprised by Dd's recent feelings about her books!  Thoughts and prayers appreciated (Chelle, Heather, or Christie feel free to send me a note if you have any idea's!).

The wing feathers are starting to come in--such an interesting stage.

Teeth:

One of my teeth went wonky and I couldn't eat or drink without setting off a major nerve shock of pain.  After I ate my eggs on Saturday morning it started, and that was my last meal until Monday.  I never thought I could fast before, but it actually was very easy to not eat all weekend when the outcome of eating was going to be pain!  Long story, but it all turns out in the end.

Chickens/Ducks:

All poultry in the garage, and doing really well!  Things are going really well with the new critters! 

The ducks are growing super-fast!  I'm bringing them in for a swim in my bathtub.

 The ducks are getting so huge it isn't funny!  I'm still bringing them in to my bathtub for baths.  My bathtub has never been cleaner since it is getting a thorough scrubbing after each of their baths, so it is enjoying all the attention!  I didn't mention that a few weeks ago, one of my older chickens didn't come back after foraging.  There was not one feather left behind!  Whatever 'it' was, it took her and left our property, maybe a raccoon or fox?  I kept waiting, day after day, thinking she might find her way home, but I have finally accepted she isn't coming back.  That is the one bad part of letting our chickens out of their coop, they can get taken.  I'm making sure I round them up by 5:30 pm so the chances of a critter taking them goes down since most things come out to hunt at dusk.

Square Dance:

Friday night we took Dd's church buddy, Hailee, to the homeschool square dance!  We took her the last time too.  The girls had so much fun!  The square dances are just good, clean fun!

Usually, there are five young ladies in the Strings Group, this evening we only had four of the youth.  The woman in the purple vest has only been playing her ukelele for the past few months, she switched to a Baritone ukulele b/c it is bigger and easier to play.

Strings Group:

Our church's Strings Group practiced on Thursday for the upcoming performance.  There is a "Singspiration" scheduled for Sunday night.  Dd has really figured out the ukulele.  Our group leader, Sarah, offered to let me borrow her banjo ukulele this week, and for Dd to teach me how to play it. 



 But, for now I am just going to be singing with Martha while all the band members play.  We have a regular banjo, a few guitars, and a variety of ukulele's.  Our band has a Tenor Ukulele, a Concert Ukulele, a Bass Ukulele, and whatever it is that Dd's has!

A guitar lesson, before we start, in the front pew.  It is great how much mentoring happens each night.

Our lessons for the week:

(another week where we didn't get all our assignments fit in!)

I chop up some lettuce, or any green, for the ducks to eat while they swim and play.  My yellow bathtub makes for harder picture-taking.

Bible:

Walking With Frodo by Sarah Arthur

pg's 123-148

I love how the book has 5-8 bible verses to look up in our bible each day that correspond with the days' lesson.  We only have a few more lessons left, and I am going to miss this book!

Bible Verse in Cursive

Church, Sunday School, Olympians (volunteer for 1.5 hours)

Dd enjoying watercoloring

Music Classes:

Beginning Band: Tenor 1:30 hours

Intermediate Band: Alto 1:30 hours

Piano lesson with Mrs. March: 30 minutes

Violin lesson with Christie: 30 minutes

Strings Group: 1:15 hours

Music Practices: (rough guess as she often forgets to document)

Piano: 30 minutes

Alto Sax: (she had a challenge this week- about 3:30 hours

Tenor Sax: 15 minutes? that doesn't seem right

Ukulele: 30 minutes or so



Math: 
Math U See: Geometry
14 A-E




Science:
 Apologia: Physical Science



First Quarterly Test: half done
Text: 105-116
Student Notebook: 60-69



Fun Science:
Dd made a projector out of a shoe box and two magnifying glasses and my cell phone.  Fun project.

Another watercolor, on the wrong paper, but Dd likes using the wrong sketchbook!

History:

Story of the World Early Modern History: 
Ch. 30: Freedom in the Caribbean
Ch. 31: A Different Kind of Rebellion

BiblioPlan Early Modern History:
Ch. 11: Bacon's Rebellion; King Phillips War

BiblioPlan Advanced Maps:
Map 12: The Middle Colonies
Map 13: China

(Reader) George Washington's World by Foster
pg's 231-255
(Dd was so tired of reading Kingfisher's History Encyclopedia and asked to read the Foster history books that use to be used in the older Sonlight Core H, and she really enjoys the Foster's writing.  She is almost done with George Washington's World, and then she will start Abraham Lincoln's World next.  She really loved Augustus Caesar's World, which we read in Core G.  The stories in these history books are very engaging and offer so many great details about the times, people, and places we are studying.  They make history reading fun.)



(Reader) The Kidnapped Prince: The Life of Olaudah Equiano by Ann Cameron
Dd is complaining about this book, unfortunately.  She thinks it was written for younger students.  She is dragging this book on too long, for such a simple-easy reader.



(Reader)The Scarlet Pimpernel by Emma Orczy
Dd was curious about this book that focuses on the reign of terror following the French Revolution.  She read three chapters this week, and thought of reading it instead of the book that Sonlight wants her to read; In Search of Honor.  After discussion at the end of the week, we decided to push ahead with the books Sonlight picked and not add this book it now, though she was liking it.

(Read Aloud) The Sherwood Ring by Elizabeth Marie Pope
*We are enjoying this book very much!*



Poetry:
Henry Wadsworth Longfellow: COMPLETED
We finished this book this week!
Chaucer
Milton
Killed at the Ford



Language Arts:
Word Roots:
pg 74-77

Easy Grammar:
pg 299-303



Fun Reading:
Finishing School Series by Gail Carringer
Book Three: Curtsies & Conspiracies: COMPLETED
Book Four: Waistcoats & Weaponry: COMPLETED
(Dd is really  into this series, and of course they are really big, long books.  Luckily, she only has one book left and then she promises to focus better on her Sonlight books.  She said this series has great vocabulary and fantasic writing.  I'm glad she is liking it so much, but am anxious for her to return her focus on our lessons!

From School Library Journal:

Gr 6-9-Sophronia is far from the proper Victorian young lady she is expected to be. She would rather climb, take apart machinery, and cause a general ruckus than sit for tea and crumpets, making her a blight on her mother's reputation. She is enrolled in Mademoiselle Geraldine's Finishing Academy for Young Ladies of Quality to learn proper decorum. But she soon discovers that its students are learning more than a proper curtsy. The school is a floating airship charged with teaching the skills of espionage. Sophronia is an early savant of sorts and quickly learns to use her skills to help thwart a fellow student in an attempt to steal a prototype essential to communications. The author touches on themes of gender identity and racial and social equality, though they are not developed thoroughly enough to either add to or distract from the story. Carriger's leading lady is a strong, independent role model for female readers. There is still more to be learned about the relationships of other characters who are integral to the story, perhaps in a sequel. Ladies and gentlemen of propriety are combined with dirigibles, robots, werewolves, and vampires, making this story a steampunk mystery and an adventure mash-up that is sure to intrigue readers who can get past the language of the time period.-Betsy Davidson, Cortland Free Library, NYα(c) Copyright 2011. Library Journals LLC, a wholly owned subsidiary of Media Source, Inc. No redistribution permitted. --This text refers to an alternate Paperback edition.

Physical Exercise:
Trying to get ready for Band Camp coming up.  Dd is doing push-ups, crunches, etc each night to prepare.

Art: Drawing:

3 hours this week

Home Economics:
Fish Chowder: AMAZING!  She makes the best soups!!



Cherry/Raspberry Cheesecake!
Dd did spring chores outside on Saturday--cleaning the gardens and yard.  
Plus, her normal chores-chicken care, ducks bath, dishes, etc.

Well, it was a hard week academically.  For the first time, Dd isn't enjoying our core very much, and I am going to have to figure out how to improve this, if I can.  It is hard to tell what is fact or if she is just tired.  We are due a week off, but the weather has been raining and I want to wait and take our time off when we can actually go do something; like visit Lake Michigan again.  



Next 'year' she will be dropping her Tenor Sax and only playing her Alto Sax in Band and *hopefully will pass her audition to gain entry into Intermediate Orchestra playing her violin.  I'm sure she will still want to continue her piano lessons with Mrs. March and playing the ukulele or guitar in the church's Strings Group.  Not having the Tenor anymore should be helpful at decreasing her load.
...........