May Garden

• Apr. 16, 2008 - An Update Ramble

It's been too long since journaling our days here at the blogger! I recently went back and started filling in the things we have done toward some of the units we'd started in the past. Now it is time to start journaling about all the new areas we've studied! Since I have been with much morning, noonday, and evening sickness and the children have had one of their first experiences with a stomach bug we have picked up double, triple the amount of reading!!! The TV has been closeted until the boys cement their reading skills and cooler weather comes.  And you should see the interest pick up especially in Timothy! He is a busier boy than Luke and thrives on the action of the moving pictures of his favorite videos... but take away that TV although already limited and he wants to read and is willing to sit and listen to books on tape! We have started reading the Five Little Peppers series about a family with five young children and all their adventures.  I think we will pick up the Little House series again in the fall or winter. Also though we have enjoyed Pinky Pye a story about a young family and their cat it seems the interest wains a bit so I might hold that one back as well. It has been special to just say okay today I give us permission to all pile into the KING sized master bed and read, read, read! Right before we went through this phase we'd attended the China Days at the local library -this was a very neat program to fill in the grade school children's spring vacation days. The group hands on stuff was refreshing. So of course this fueled a unit study on China which is really God ordained because for some reason my son Luke has especially had an interest in the asian-oriental peoples. So I ordered a whole group of books on China from the inter library exchange after we read the one book we had. I also started an outline for the unit which will include more discussion about missionary work, geography, foreign culture and American Culture with a neat study on "who Really Discovered the America's first" There has been some evidence that the Chinese did some exploration first but did not claim any of the lands... documents were destroyed when Chinese government made a decision to stop all out ward exploration disbanding their navy -the most well organized and advanced Navy that has ever existed! Which leads to the further studies we've done on Christopher Columbus. I have been reading the Light and Glory book by Peter Marshall and I love it! I then relay much to the boys. I admit I have always loved reading and learning and it just thrills me to be able to do all this with my kids! We also have added to our knowledge more about the American Indians and other Indians around the world thus having fun as well with cowboy and cowgirl themes even a few tale tales like Pacos Bill! Ships and Sailing!!! I have an great book for a unit study and so we have just been reading about early exploration and had a few days  we just poured over all the picture books showing and describing the types of water crafts that have existed since some of the most primitive days and from all cultures and parts of the globe. Lighthouses -couldn't forget the brave souls that manned the lighthouses answering the S.O.S. calls from the tempest! And the spiritual applications are all naturally there to expound on. So more days on the stacks about lighthouses. Again I have a unit study for this we can expound on. Space- the other frontier. We have had fun starting to learn the constellations. I really want to continue this through the clear better weather nights! One fun book we played with was a glow in the dark publication with stars, milkyway, moons, and planets glowing as we read through! Animal and plant life have been in our days too. As spring has sprung we have enjoyed watching the birds ( cardinals, chickadees, robins, and starlings ) empty our bird feeder off of our kitchen window. The squirrels have been a riot too as they find some of their old stash digging here and there for -you would think long forgotten acorns. The grass is finally green and life has been more sunny. though to my husband's chagrin our weekends have been yucky with rain or even slight flurries! Patience! Outdoor 'things'- When Lina brought a fist full of worms and slugs in the other day I knew the fun has begun. How do you get a 3.5 yo to keep her 'pets' in the proper place -outside not sitting next to her at the kitchen table joining her for lunch! We haven't been doing as much baking and cooking I just don't have the energy but we are looking forward to Luke's Birthday when we will take the time to make a cherry cheese cake amongst other yummies! I should be fully over the picky eating I am doing now. And MIke is really excited about his son becoming an older boy of eight so wants to have some really nice things planned. We simply have not been doing much for birthdays for sometime... So we are very excited for the future and all the neat doing and learning ahead. Well all for now!

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