Raisin Up a Godly Seed!

Apr. 10, 2008

Rainy Days and Thursdays

It actually took most of the year. Yes, this is April. And we finally had a very productive day. I guess we need more rainy days --which I love-- second to hot, humid, sunny days. But let's pretend that today our home is a ship, ard we are stowed away in the quarters, cuddled up, encountering our school subjects through books. Here is a tally of our day.

After getting up and morning chores, yes, I did have to go out for a milisecond to drop off child #3, :\ we quickly vaccuumed up the kitchen, back door, family room and dining areas; had breakfast duties, piano practice and began our seatwork rather early. Then hunkering down with books began in earnest.

First on our journey was the continuing saga of "The Biography of A Grizzly" by Earnest Thompson Seton (1899). It's the story of a grizzly bear (a baby right now) who lost his mother to a hunter and his many attempts for shelter and food.

"There were several quite new smells in the woods, too. Whab followed one of these up, and it led to a place where were some small logs piled together; then, mixed with the smell that had drawn him, was one that he hated--he remembered it from the time when he had lost his Mother. He sniffed about carefully, for it was not very strong, and learned that this hateful smell was on a log in front, and the sweet smell that made his mouth water was under some brush behind. So he went around, pulled away the brush till he got the prize, a piece of meat, and as he grabbed it, the log in front went down with a heavy chock.   It made Wahb jump; but he got away all right with the meat and some new ideas, and with one old idea made stronger, and that was, 'When that hateful smell is around it always means trouble.'"

We then moved along to "Old Mother West Wind" by Thornton W. Burgess (1918) The first chapter was "Mrs. Redwing's Speckled Egg".

"So one of the Merry Little Breezes whisked Tommy Brown's old straw hat off his head over into the Green Meadows. Of course Tommy rant after it. Just as he stopped to pick it up another little Breeze ran away with it. Then they took turns, first one little Breeze, then another little Breeze running away with the old straw hat just as Tommy Brown would almost get his hands on it. Down past the Smiling Pool and across the Laughing Brook they raced and chansed the old straw hat, Tommy Brown running after it, very cross, very red in the ace, and breathing very hard. Way across the Green Meadows they ran to the edge of the wood, where they hung the old straw hat in the middle of a thorn tree."

We had learned and read in Science about 'complete and incomplete' metamorphosis last week. We drew pictures in our nature journals and talked about the changes some insects go through and some that are born live looking just like their adult mothers "nymphs". With that information still fresh, I read out of Joanne E. Ed Jonge's "All Nature Sings - Discovering the Wonders of God's World" (1985) We had previously read about Worms, Scorpions and Daddy Long Legs; today the adventure was on the Pill Bug.

"It isn't a pill and it isn't a bug, yet we callit a pill bug. To most of us, any little thing that crawls is a bug. This little crawler, when disturbed, will curl up and look like a pill. Hence, the pill bug. Some people call it a wood louse. It's only one kind of wood louse; there are other kinds. None are lreally lice. Other people call it a sow bug. None of these names are very complimentary. Unaware of the confusion surrounding its name, the little pill bug ambles through our lives more often than we know. And it does more good than we realize."

Then we traveled through our Vos Children's Story Book and learned about Samson and watched a Children's Great Adventure Video about him while I moved the laundry from the washer to the dryer.

Next we moved onto to History. We had been exploring Pirates, sunken ships/treasures, the Lost Colony of Virginia and the New England colonies in Geography, so it was good that I started reading chapter 1 of "George Washington's World" by Genevieve Foster. We had been reading "This Country of Ours" by H. E. Marshall but I will have to tell you, that since I am wishy-washy and get board with books that get a little slow, I put it down and begin another until I decide to come back to it again later. :P So here we are reading the first chapter and it just so happens to be about the Virginia Colony. (Thank you Lord!) We also talked about how George Washington was a land surveyer (just like big brother) and how George obtained his job from working alongside his family where he was "discovered" when Lord Fairfax noticed his hard-working character qualities. (Almost the same way big brother--no. 2 son--got is land surveying job). Isn't God good?

Then we read about George Washington's book "Rules of Civility & Decent Behavior In Company and Conversation". We used the following as our Copywork for today "Labour to keep alive in your Breast that Little Spark of Celestial fire Called Conscience".

Next we followed the next chapter in "Carry On Mr. Bowditch" by Jean Lee Latham. Actually this whole reading time of each of the above books took all of about 1 to 1-1/2 hours; I wasn't really counting; I just read until I got tired.

By this time, the little's brains are about full (a fun full) and we head back into the dining room to correct the seatwork which takes about an hour. I turn on "The World of Peter Rabbit & Friends" Musical Soundtrack. I just love the song "Perfect Day" by Miriam Stockley World of Peter Rabbit & Friends Soundtrack it is interwoven in between the "Peter Rabbit Theme", "Songs from Glouchester", and Mrs. Tiggy-winkle". The notes matched the rain dripping down the windowpane.....it set a very peaceful mood.

While I was correcting the 3rd and 5th graders' Math & Language Arts, they read out of 3rd and 4th grade Christian Liberty Academy Nature Readers.   One on Poison Ivy and the other on Ants and their escapades on an ant hill. We clean up the dining room and go onto their SSS (as Ramona Quimby Age 8 would say) Sustained Silent Reading.

"American Tall Tales" by Adrien Stoutenburg (1972) - Sky-bright Axe/Paul Bunyan was the first to be discovered. Tomorrow we will read about Pecos Bill.

Onto lunch and picking up middle sister. (Yuck, had to go out for another milisecond). So, its 1:30 p.m. and we are all finished up with our schoolday. (Lord, can it always be this good!??) Then it is quiet time at our house while middle sister has her two piano students and Surprise!!! daddy came home from the rain and took a little nap. (Oh good---I can keep the quiet going) :o) (Piano students over, little brother's lesson under her belt and then on to take dd #3 to Driver's Ed).

3rd grade ds is reading "Robinson Crusoe" retold by James Baldwin (1957) and 5th grade dd is on an easy reading book (since she just finished "Stepping Heavenward" and "Freckles") called "Betsy & Tacy Go Downtown" by Maude Hart Lovelace (1943).

I wish I could read some more to them, cuddling up next to me, but as Charlotte Mason would say, short lessons and time for much play, which we did not get to today, is best for little brains. How nice, a day with not too much play. If I had my way, as you can see, we would just read and read all day. So, now my dd will play dolls (hanging them from the loft and tying string to their necks off the fireplace mantle) and ds will be off in living room building with legos and duplo (that were left out from the little kids we had over last night) while running up and down the basement stairs, where he has a moon sand project going and I sit here with the priviledge of adding to my on-line scrapbook. How fun. Can all days be this great???

Time to get up from the quiet respite and get dinner going. Darling older son will be coming home from a conference in IN, Darling older daughter will be coming home from work and Darling middle daughter will be arriving back from Driver's Ed. And the lovely sounds of family will begin.

The Lord worked it out that I have a whole meatloaf left over from company last night (I made two) so we will be having that, along with green beans, mashed potatoes and apple sauce. :P I need to fix up a dessert for the home school support group leaders' meeting at our house tonight and then hubbie and I will have our quiet time devotion and go off to bed. Oh! I forgot, got to watch the taped Idol. Don't tell me who gets sent home! :( They sang an awesome version of "Shout to the Lord". You wonder who was really worshipping the Lord with that song when they sang it.

                .............tomorrow we add high school to the mix.

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