Rachel's Ramblings




Week 8

Posted by DanielleW
9:11 PM, Saturday, October 4, 2008 .. Posted in Week in Review .. 0 comments .. Link

This was a short week because of our field trip and some other factors, so we only did three days of actual school  But it is easy to make up.  I had already been planning on a short week due to our field trip to Phipp's Conservatory.

Bible:

  • Job fears God
  • Job's first test, he loses his possessions and his children
  • Job's second test, looses his health and wife tempts him
  • Job's friends

Memory:

  • Psalm 95:6 O come, let us worship and bow down: let us kneel before the LORD our maker.
  • added Ecclesiastes and Song of Solomon to OT list

Phonics/Reading:  We have almost finished with the short vowels.  Next week we will catch up in the "Fun with Pets" book to where the long vowels are introduced. 

Math: We focused on adding and subtracting this week.  We also did mirror images of problems.  Ex:  7+8+15, 8+7=15, 15-7=8, 15-7=8

Literature:

  • Understood Betsy ch 7  "Elizabeth Ann Fails in an Examination"  Betsy was very upset that she didn't do very well when the superintendent came to school.  But Cousin Ann shows her that it is no big deal and that she will do better next time.  It was not the end of the world.  Also, another little girl come to live with them at the farm and it brings out Betsy's braver side.
  • Pilgrim's Progress "House of the Interpreter, Picture on the Wall, Parlor of Dust"  Christian has made it to the wicket gate and is now on the inside.  Cameron had a very good narration on this, especially the "Room of Dust"  The dust represents sin.  Someone came in with a broom (the law) and tried to clean it up but all it did was make Christian realize how dirty and dusty the room was and almost chocked him.  Then a servant came in with water (the Gospel) and washed the dust away.

History Lit:

  • The Little Duke ch 4a in which a young vassal comes to live with the Duke and provides a playmate.  Richard has to learn how to play fairly and not use his being Duke to make unfair advantages. 

Geography Lit:

  • Tree in the Trail ch 13 "Post Office Tree"  The hollow in the tree becomes a post office.  Jed and Buck become wagon masters leading groups west each year and look forward to the stop at their tree.  ch 14 "Cottonwoods Don't Live Forever"  Each year Jed and Buck notice more and more dead branches in the special tree.

Nature Lit:

  • Burgess Book of Animals ch 15 about the deer mouse and field mouse and ch 16 about the banded and brown lemming and the jumping mouse. 

Poetry of Walter de la Mare:

  • The Song of Shadow
  • The Song of the Mad Prince
  • The Song of Finis

Additional reading:

  • We started Five Little Peppers and How They Grew.  So far, I do not like this book.  We are forging ahead with it.  I have had to change it as I read it.  I can't read all those missing letter words.  It was making it too choppy while I was trying to figure out how to read their conversations.  It is a little better since I started reading it proper. I will give it a few more chapters and see what Cameron things.  We may have to save it for later.

Copy work:

  • Memory Verse
  • Hallelujah! what a Savior! Hallelujah! what a Friend! Saving, helping, keeping, loving, He is with me to the end. (Our Great Savior)
  • Buck was forever finding the tree worse off than the year before.  He would count dead branches.  Each season there were more. (Tree in the Trail)

Spanish: Worked more with our professions: student, police officer, bus driver, doctor, nurse, mechanic, chef, secretary, manger and teacher

Artist/Composer:

  • Viewed a portion of "Birth of Venus" by Botticelli.  He is getting better at picture studies.  We could not see "Venus" in our picture.  We could see a part of her hair and a little of what she was standing in.  He noticed the hair and the shell.  Very observant.
  • Church cantata by Bach. 

Hymn/Folk:

  • Our hymn for this month is "Our Great Savoir" by J. Wilbur Chapman and Rowland W. Prichard
  • Our folk song choice, "The Star-Spangled Banner", is not a folk song but I did want him to learn it because it is our national anthem.  We had such a great talk as we worked through the song.  I think I learned some things as I was explaining to him some of the words and how they came to be. 

Nature Study: Phipp's Conservatory



Phipp's Conservatory

Posted by DanielleW
11:02 AM, Thursday, October 2, 2008 .. Posted in Field Trips .. 0 comments .. Link

We had a great field trip to Phipp's Conservatory.  I was a little concerned because the last time I was there we got horribly LOST!!  But thanks to my very EXCELLENT co-pilot and direction reader extroidinarre, Ashlee, we got there with only one almost wrong turn and one stop sign mishap. (I still don't know where it was and why I didn't see it.)

We had lunch at playground near to Phipp's and let the children run around for awhile.  The weather was a little on the cold side but, praise God, there was no rain. 

We walked across a bridge to get from the park to the conservatory and my friend, Lisa, almost got dive bombed by a red tail hawk.  (Actually I'm pretty sure that it didn't almost run into her but it sure looked like it from my angle.)  That was pretty exciting because it decided to perch near us and we all got a great view of this big bird.

We were able to see a lot of different plants and flowers and even trees at the conservatory.  My favorites were the fruit trees: lime, giant lime, banana, kumquat...

I also liked the Discovery Garden that was geared more towards the children.  We saw some Venus fly traps and pitcher plats.  They even had an entire room dedicated to butterflies!  We didn't see any monarchs but we did see some of their chrysalises.  Cameron was the one that pointed that out.

The big disappointment of the day was my camera, or more specifically, my batteries.  I had charged four batteries just the day before so that they would be charged, fresh, and would take a ton of pictures.  They were dead.  ::sigh:: 



October

Posted by Abiga
5:57 PM, Oct. 7, 2008 .. 0 comments .. Link

Hurrah! I now have a library card from the local town. It turned out it is one dollar cheaper than the other local town where I did not get one last week. I figure it is worth it since I read a lot evenn in one year. The librarian also mentioned that Indiana libaries are great. We live in Illinois. She said that all of them are free in the state of Indiana. You do not have to have local taxes and township taxes etc but the state funds them somehow.

Hmmm... that is something to think about here in Illinois for the next governmental elections. Our governor is closing state parks because of money issues here. That hurts the economy since so many jobs are tied to the state parks whether working at the park or at local stores that supply the needs for patrons of the parks. At least the county parks are still going to be open.

 I don't know what is going on her but this is cute anyway. Big sissy with little sissy.

Porch is decorated for the fall.

Blessings.

Allergic Reaction?

Posted by Sarah
10:09 AM, Oct. 7, 2008 .. Posted in Family .. 2 comments .. Link

I am wondering if I am having an allergic reaction and if anyone knows anything about sudafed please share your information :)  I usually take sudafed for my sinuses or if I am not sure I am pregnant or if I am then I will take it to get some relief from 1st trimester migraines.  Since one can't take imitrex while pregnant.  Anyone lately when I take a dose of sudafed I become overwhelming hot and sweaty, can't think straight, and VERY irritable.  My DH is thinking I am suffering a adverse reaction and should quit taking the stuff but there isn't much left to take that is safe to control migraines should I become pregnant.  I know my children have all shown extreme agitation from taking OTC sudafed when it was still on the market and I no longer give them that even if it's presribed.  So just curious, what do my readers think?  An allergic reaction and should stop taking it?  What do I do for my repeated sinus infections and migraines that is safe for pregnancy.  I AM NOT pregnant yet, but I am praying that the Lord blesses us again soon.

 



Tightwad Tuesday~ Drying Fruit and Making Do

Posted by Canadagirl
10:49 PM, Oct. 6, 2008 .. Posted in Tightwad Tuesday .. 13 comments .. Link


Each year for the last 10 years we have been drying pears. apples, and plums for the winter.  We have participated in  a gleaner's program.  In this program we  picked the persons fruit tree and give 1/3 to the tree owner , 1/3 to the food bank, and 1/3 to us.  Plus we put the word out if people have too much we are looking for fruit to pick.  You would be amazed what you will find if you put the word out.  Some people have fruit trees but don't want to be bothered with preserving it. (((GASP)))

I wanted to show some pics I took while preserving some of the fruit we have picked on our orchard and other places. ( plus what some generous people have given us)  I still have to show what we have been doing with our apples yet.  That is to come next week. 



In the pic down below is when I had so much fruit at one time but didn't want to see ANY wasted.  I cut up the peaches for pies but only freeze them in the pie pan then slide them into a freezer bag and suck out all the air to prevent freezer burn.  Till I can make them into pies later.  I also cut up fruit that I want to make jam into later and freeze them into bags of the amounts of what I need for a batch of jam.  I love doing this b/c it buys me time and helps prevent me from getting overwhelmed.  My Handsome and I tend to make jam when it cools down and we want to heat the house a bit but not have to turn the heater on or light a fire in the wood stove ...yet.


Now if you look carefully you will see that I don't have everything all together and some thing had to give during this time of food preserving and seed savings.....yes it was my house. ((sigh))

Before drying ....




....after drying.


I wanted to show one extra thing about living and bringing tightwadary to the next level.  Make do with what you have.  Make it last longer and work with the glitches.  Here the lid had been cracking for the last couple years.  I finally found a GOOD way to fix the cracks.  Yes this is the red duck tape that you use in house construction.  It has A LOT more stick to it and it worked GREAT in this project !  LOL Now I am hoping this will last till the motor dies one day.  I just bought myself some time till we can afford another one one day.



Here is the next project that we are working on...dried apples
and canned apple pie filling.  These are the ones that weren't deemed as eating apples and will be baking apples.  This is a pic I took as I was sorting them after we picked when we were having baby cub issues.


"There are only a few big ways to save money but there are a lot of small ways....that all adds up."

 Please go visit these lovely ladies and glean some good tightwad tips from them.  

Remember:  The best way to get a comment is to give a comment


One of those days

Posted by Sarah
4:51 PM, Oct. 6, 2008 .. Posted in Family .. 0 comments .. Link
Have you ever had a day that you couldn't even run a brush through your hair? I have and today it was it. Thankfully when I throw it back in a bun you can't really tell LOL so that is my hair today. I finally got all the clothes out of the hamper, the last two loads are in the washer and dryer - now just to fold it all and put it away. I also need to wash our comforter and sheets. Finally got the cat little scooped - I can days without scooping and it's not pretty - have to get better at it, maybe once all the boxes are out of the way it will be easier. The other day I made cookie dough, lots and lots of cookie, why you ask? We enjoy cookies but I hate having dozens and dozens laying around so the next best thing is to freeze them. So I made a trip batch of chocolate chip cookies, put them in balls and froze them - I have almost close to 4 dozen!!!! When we want one or two (the limit) after lunch or dinner (not both) we just pop them in as needed and voila homemade cookies! I made 50 oatmeal cookies, those I actually baked and once cooled I froze them. All I have to do is again pull one or two out, let them thaw and again homemade cookies. The only problem with this is that my house doesn't smell like baking on the days I just thaw them LOL. These are also good to grab on the go for Hannah's ballet rehearsals, they thaw while she is rehearsing then on break she has a somewhat healthy snack. Also, this is just today - I have cooked up 3lbs of hamburger and made 18 burritos w/ beef, cheese and salsa. Yep those are now being frozen as well. I can eat one for lunch without spiking my blood sugar, a little sour cream and a water and lunch is served. These will last us about 3 weeks depending on how many we eat (the children won't eat them). Also freezing right now is 50 (yes, 50) homemade, from scratch (no store bought baking mix) biscuits! I made a triple batch. This will help limit how much we eat of them so instead of having them laying around waiting to be eaten I can just say a couple a person. I will be posting a tutorial later on how I make my biscuits, so come back for that! Hannah helped take some pictures so hopefully they came out as I am not making anymore for now. I am off now to make dinner then cook up a 1 lb of sausage for breakfast burritos. I also plan on making some apple cobblers to freeze as well - - - - but not tonight LOL. God bless.

Monday recess

Posted by Tonya Reddin
1:43 PM, Oct. 6, 2008 .. Posted in homeschooling thoughts .. 1 comments .. Link
Kids are playing outside and I'm zappin' a cold cup of coffee.
Just beeped; let me go get it.

There's that's better.

Well, we have an event Friday.  It is a Mother/Daughter Tea Party.   I've got 2 games planned.  One game is "What is that Nursery Rhyme?" in which a line from a nursery rhyme is given and participants guess the title of the nursery rhyme.  Doesn't that just sound like fun?  The other one is "What can we bring to the tea party?"  The leader will name some things that can be brought (e.g. spoons, butter, cookies) and other participants come up with something that can be brought.  If they give a correct guess (cheese), the leader will say "yes, you can come to the tea party."  If they say a wrong item (fruit), "I'm sorry.  You cannot bring that."  Participation goes around the circle once, then the participants give another correct answer and then can guess as to the rule it follows (double letter).
  Because there may be young ones there that will need help, older ones are welcome to give clues to help them out.

Also, I've asked a friend to come speak.  She is a wonderful woman who I knew in my high school years as a wife and homeschool mother that was in a way a mentor to me.  A lot of the mentoring that took place was by example.  I loved how her family was--how they related to each other.  It seemed like it was the way it was supposed to be.  Those were the years that started that desire to homeschool in me.  It was because of home, not because of intelligent children (even though hers are), and not because of bad schools (it wasn't all that bad where I was--at least some parts), nor because of support (I knew of no one else in our church that home schooled).  She went against the culture I'm sure.  This is about home/family--being there and helping each other and learning with each other--doing things together.  Certainly God has called me to do this, but how would I have had a picture of what it looked like if I had not ever seen her family, if she had not opened her home and her family to me.  I'm very thankful.

Oh and if anyone wants to come to my house--there are no guarantees what it will look like. 


A Simple Woman’s Daybook: Week 9

Posted by Miss Jocelyn
12:39 PM, Oct. 6, 2008 .. Link

Grandma Starr got here last Friday, and we spent the previous days cleaning up the schoolhouse for her and then after she got here we spent Friday and Saturday unloading the moving truck. It’s been fun having her here, especially not having to get to the “end” when she would usually leave after only a few days! Right now Amanda is helping her set up the network card in her computer so she can be online and update her blog!

I have a lot to get done today and hope that I will be able to accomplish it all. PLease enjoy my daybook (you can find the original daybook at Peggy’s blog)!

For Today…October 6th, 2008 at 12: 06pm

Outside my Window…grass that I wish was fenced in so the I could let the goats out.

I am thinking…of how Christ continually forgives us and how much I need to learn to be forgiving.

From the learning rooms…more on the wordpress front. Thanks for your help, Joe.

I am thankful for…Christ’s grace and love. For a dirty house when I’m mad.

From the kitchenRachel making lunch (beans, rice, and tortillas!!!)

I am wearing…blue shirt, skirt, barefoot, and my green robe.

I am reading…Psalms 50-57 “Create in me a clean heart, oh God.”

I am hoping…Wilbur will get better soon! To buy the shirts at TSC that I found. The ladies at GGM will be able to put up their weeklies. *grin*

I am creating…a template, a list of things that need to be done to the barn for winter, another list for everyone to follow to get the house CLEAN.

I am hearing… my playlist

Around the house…DIRT!

One of my favorite things…accomplishing things and creating designs of any sort

I am praying for…wisdom on my part for certain issues

A Few Plans For The Rest Of The Week…to make the cracker recipe out of the Seasons At Home magazine. Complete the Blessed Girlhood article for next GGM Issue. Email companies for the GGM Ads, finish Page’s template, homeschool memoirs, and The Homesteading Carnival

I accomplished since last week…a lot, but nothing on my list.

Here is a picture thought I am sharing with you...

http://i301.photobucket.com/albums/nn63/sillydreamer91/post%20photos/barn.png

Our yard taken from the upstairs window. The sidewalk there leads up to the front porch. You can see behind the barn the railroad tracks (across) where our neighbor lives. The bean fields off to the right. You can also see plenty of toys and chickens! Click for large view.

I cannot put a Mr.Linky on anymore so please leave your daybook link in a comment so I can find it and visit you from there!

Blessings!

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Serenity

Posted by Sarah
8:12 AM, Oct. 6, 2008 .. Posted in TEACH reviews .. 1 comments .. Link
I don't know about most of you but I dream of having serenity in my life, I imagine a peaceful home - no yelling, fighting, arguments, tension - but I also know some of that comes along with being in a small home with five people, three of whom are children 6 and under. I am working on getting my yelling under control and we need to work on the children's, I admit they learned it from my husband and I. I am trying to find the inner peace that comes from knowing Christ and forwarding that on to my children in hopes that they too will work on controlling themselves in like manner. I am at a point in my life where there are some things that are bothering me within our four walls, I will not go into detail since that would not be honoring to myself or my husband, suffice to say sometimes I find it hard to be a Godly wife. My current issue of http://www.teachmagazine.net/home.php arrived the other day and it's theme for this one was Serenity. What does serenity mean? the quality or state of being serene (taken from Miriam Webster Online Dictionary) what is serene? 1 a: clear and free of storms or unpleasant change b: shining bright and steady 2: august —used as part of a title 3: marked by or suggestive of utter calm and unruffled repose or quietude (Again from MWOD) Doesn't that sound wonderful? Free from storms; well we know as followers of Christ that our lives will not be free of storms or trials but His yoke is still light so we can focus on Him and let Him carry our storms (remember the poem Footprints?). If you are free from storms and letting them get to you then you can shine bright? How is that for a complexion helper and while I know that isn't exactly what that part of the definition means it is surely true. Have you ever seen someone who is truly at peace that has worry lines or a frown? Not me, and surely not frowning or yelling will work wonders not only for our face but for our inner and spiritual well being as well. Unruffled response or quietude? I KNOW that isn't me! I get mad at uncourteous drivers, frustrated at my children for not doing something exactly as I WANTED it done (how many times does our Father direct us to do something and we mess up but yet He forgives us and still loves us). I definitely am not known for my unruffled responses or quietude. I know that is what is supposed to come as a Godly wife and woman, a soberness, chaste manner but some days I am definitely needing more work. Thankfully I am the clay and the Father is the potter and He is constantly working on forming me to His image! Praise the Lord!!!!! Serenity in my house? I'd love to eventually have this, that when my husband walks through the door in the late afternoon, the children are calmed and composed playing well with each other, not constantly picking on our ancient 20 year old cat and me yelling at them. A healthy dinner in the oven, crockpot or stove and me smiling because it has been a good day, while not without it's storms, I can approach it serenly with the help of my Lord Jesus Christ. I want to enjoy spending time with my husband with a clean house, children who are quiet but still children :) yes it is possible I have seen it first hand. All this from reading the current TEACH magazine, and which if I may so is a great building up of homemakers and homeschooling moms who are stiving to do their best for Christ and their homes, families and husbands. I no longer read the secular magazines that tout how parents NEED time away from their children or how schools are so great, I read magazines that tell us this is indeed how God wants our homes, the mom at home, the children at home and the husband as protector and caretaker of them all, why read magazines that all they make me do is to question what I am doing, be unhappy and depressed after reading their articles or even becoming angered because of their lack of information? A part of being serene is also watching what comes into your life - if a show is causing turmoil turn it off! We did this recently as a cartoon that was allowed by one of us was talking about how a character was s***, I promptly turned the channel. What is serene about that? Nothing. If the book you are reading causes you to be discontent and unsettled close and throw it away (I know in my past life I would never suggest that but it's becoming easier as I don't want trash in my house) or return it to the library. Lets see what we can each do to become serene and exude that serenity to those around us, wether it be a visitor, a stranger in the store, or our own children, husband and families (who knows when our last days to be with them will come) and pass on a heritage of calmness and serenity made possible by having Christ in our lives. God bless.

Another construction project!

Posted by earthenvessel
5:52 PM, Oct. 5, 2008 .. 0 comments .. Link

www.homeschoolblogger.com/earthenvessel/

I figured that DH would wait till next weekend to tackle Maiden's bedroom. I was wrong! He went in there this afternoon and started working on it!

He finished cleaning up all the stuff out of the room. The kids had started that yesterday. He then took the time to label the flooring tiles. We had the rubberized excersize mats on the floor in both Maiden's room and the boy's room. When DH went to pull the mats up, he found/smelled mold on the bottom side of them! Oh, great!

Here is a picture of the the big spot of mold we found on the floor. Apparently the kids spilled water in there and it didn't get cleaned up properly.

DH decided to go ahead and tear into the walls just to make sure that there was no mold hiding in there.

My hero! He is such a hard worker!

And making more progress. He finished up taking the walls down and just finished getting all the debris bagged up. I think he is headed for a well deserved shower now.



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