June 17-23, 2018 Garden, Migraines, Zeus, Iowa Test results

June 17-23, 2018 

Garden, Migraines, Zeus, Iowa Test results

I finally took a few pictures of the hummingbird nest over our driveway.  I had seen two babies last week, but this photo looks like the momma and one baby (on right).

Hello, Friends!

Dd and I started a new Read Aloud (RA) this week; 

The Great Gatsby 

by F. Scott Fitzgerald.  

We are struggling with Dd getting her homework done so I've stepped back in to get more involved.  Even if she had been doing better I always like having an RA going together.  I'm excited to re-read a lot of the books I had to read in high school!!!!  It's always nice visiting an old friend!  Now I can share those same friends with Dd!

Core 100:

Dd is still not clicking with Core 100---American history.  She LOVES American history, so I know that isn't it, she says she just isn't interested in the books in this core.  We have never stopped a core in the middle, but I'm thinking about it.  Prayers Appreciated, we sure are struggling with this book list and interest.  My goal for the summer was to focus mostly on Science, Bible, and Writing as those were the subjects that more often were skipped during the 'school year.'  But, I was *hoping* Dd could get some Core 100 reading done as well.  Unlike some homeschoolers that do eight hours of homeschooling during the school year, we are not so strict, which I balance out by doing year-round homeschooling.  This only works when Dd keeps working in the summer though!!!

This picture doesn't portray just how small the nest and two birds are, but I can't really figure out how to show that!

IOWA Results:

Last month Dd did the standardized testing from the Iowa Testing company through a local hs organization and we got the results this week.  Dd did super well, which is great!  I had been preparing for neutral results, but she did better than I hoped.  Her one major weak spot, which she knew ahead of time, was fractions!  Fortunately, she got right on Khan Academy and started at the very beginning of fractions and is working her way up.  She wants to bring up that one weak link and improve her results next year.  I hope she can stick with it and master fractions.  I sure do appreciate the reassurance I get from these tests.  I often struggle with being okay with the more laid-back education I've designed for my Dd.  My heart loves our approach, but I always hope that there won't be an academic price to pay for so much reading and so little testing.

We put three squash plants, from the last hoop house, in the closest box.  The farthest boxes were the Yukon Gold potatoes.

House Problems: 

Geothermal water leak and pool

Poor Dh has been struggling to get things fixed.  He thought he had the geothermal leak fixed and then on Monday I had to tell him there was a big puddle in the utility room when he got home from work.  He really was super frustrated at things not going right.  Along with his job not going well, he had a super hard week.  The up-side to all of this is that Dd see's for herself how important choosing a good solid career is to her future happiness and stability.  I so desire her to graduate college with a specific career in mind; hopefully, one that she can be her own boss; like an Orthodontist or something similar to that.  It hurts us to see Dh struggle under the management of other people and hopes she can avoid that mess.

Dd Volunteering at Library:

Dd is learning a lot at the library, it is part of their teen volunteering program they do each year.  This week she got to just do work around the library instead of helping out with a program like she did last week.  This has been a good idea.  I am finding is so fun hearing Dd say "I've got to get to work!!!"  

It has to perfectly plumb, of course!

Helping Church Friend:

The Youth Group from church volunteered to go work at a member's home this week.  The family had lava rocks all along their driveway and the Home Owners Association decided it all had to go.  The family struggle with health issues so they asked for help and the Youth Group were called in.  We had a great time---after the work the girls swam in the neighborhood pool followed by pizza and ice cream!  We picked up Hailee and her friend, M, to go along with us so we had company!

Dh built the big bed for Dd to plant her desired corn plants.

New Raised Beds:

Dh built four new beds, parallel to the new corn raised bed he had made last week.  These beds, at least two of them, are for the rest of the potatoes we had left to plant--Yukon Gold potatoes!  

Corn bed

Garden:

Our garden, all of sudden, hit its peak!  The turnips are poking up out of the dirt and appear ready to be pulled; that goes the same for the onions.  The potato plants are invading on the Purple Basil, Fennel, Basil, and Thyme.  I'm going to have to figure out something for that as the herbs won't do well if they don't get any sunlight.  I always forget just how enormous potato plants get!  I planted about 15 small tomato plants out beside the compost.  We don't need any more tomato plants in our garden, so thought we'd try putting some out in the woods - if nothing else, the chickens adore tomatoes!

Zeus having a seizure

Chickens:

The chickens are the same as last week--Zeus is having weird seizures and there is a white Amber Link hen that has been broody (staying in the nest box constantly).  I've decided to name her, Sharona, because of how funny she has been acting. Each time I pull her out she starts plucking around and clucking and fussing; it's really something.  I've been taking her outside the pen to eat greens while I do my morning weed gathering.  In her state she only scratches for a few minutes and then starts acting weird again.  Zeus hasn't improved any this week.  He has been waiting for me to carry him down into the inside coop each evening, instead of him falling down the ramp, and to carry him up and outside each morning.  I bet it is just about impossible for him to do so with his seizures happening so frequently.  As soon as his seizure is over, he pops back up, stands there looking quite content.  I'm hoping whatever is wrong with him will improve, at least he isn't doing any worse.  This may take a while.

The potato plants are coming along nicely

Strings Group:

We are in full swing trying to get ready for a July performance of American songs (This Land Is Your Land, America the Beautiful..).  Our little group is happy Alice is back, she is in her 90's and plays the ukulele, but had been sick often over the winter.  Our group is a split between people over 50 and teenage girls, though a few of us are younger.  Joe-fancy guitar, Chuck-base, Cookie-piano, Alice-Uke, Sarah-Uke, Martha-Singing & Uke, Dale-singing, Ron-singing, Ethlyn-singing, Nancy-mandolin, Joy-guitar, Becca-guitar, Hailey-Uke, FaithAnne-Uke, and me.  It seems like a lot of people but so many miss here and there that we are almost never all together at the same time and our group size is always smaller.

Bible:
Church, Sunday School, and watched Session Two of the Entrusted DVD by Beth Moore.

The goal is for Dd to do one page of the workbook each day, but that doesn't always happen.  Dd has an excellent Sunday School teacher that does an amazing job teaching the Bible and not being a 'fluff' type of teen group.  She really appreciates the studious class.

Fun Reader:

War Storm by Victoria Aveyard: Completed (672 pages)

The Thousandth Floor by Katharine McGee: In Process

The Glass Castle by Jannette Walls: In Process

The Happiness Animal byWill Jelbert

Art:

During our Read Alouds Dd has been knitting and crocheting - making some gray bags/containers.

Ice Crown: Dd made it with her hot glue gun and this week she painted it.

Physical Exercise:

Workouts: 3 x this week

Gardening: Dd planted corn seeds into her new raised bed

Science: Apologia Biology

Fractions: Khan Academy

Spanish: Workbook- easy

Bible-Entrusted (2nd Timothy) 

Music Practice--cello and piano

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