Posted in Schoolday Doings
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Christmas crazyness is threatening to bring school to a halt before our planned break starting next week. I won't let it! We did some math and history today, but both took forever, plus Violet had a dentist appt., so Chinese and piano went undone. We'll try to do piano tonight -- Violet is trying to get a 30-days-in-a-row photo up on the wall of the studio, but it is hard for all of us. Math today = percents. History = The Vikings, Hurray! We are, after all, in Minnesota. Here's a tidbit that might not be found in your average history book: The Vikings invade the Frankish empire When Charlemagne died, his three grandsons got to be king. But Charlemagne had said: “ We are like the previous Roman Empire—peaceful, prosperous, and we shall not give it up. Not like the previous Roman Empire all the way, the previous Roman Empire said: ‘Oh, we will give up our Roman Empire just to live. Go ahead, take it, but do leave us alone!’ We will not give up our Roman Empire. Neeeeeevvvvvveeeerrrrr!!!!!!” Well that, that was indeed about to change. Norsemen were coming. And I’ll show you what I mean. You are a Frankish maiden. You have your water-buckets. Ahhh….not a sound but the gentle, lapping waves. Wait. You see something. Something large. Extremely large. And then a huge Dragon head emerges out of the waves! Tall, broad Warriors step out of the strange flat-bottomed boat. They stare at you, looking as if they had nothing to do with you. You stand there, terrified and looking up at the fierce Warriors. They ignore you and step out onto the fresh, green land. The lush, green grass seems to cringe away, as if it is frightened. You have been invaded by Norsemen, Vikings from the Scandinavian Penensula! ‘Charlemagne!!!’ you cry. ‘Charlemagne! you lied!’ The Vikings raided so often that the kings said, ‘There, do take a piece of our land and do leave us ALONE.’ So the Vikings took a piece of the Western Frankish Empire. It was called ‘Normandy’. Some of that you might recognize from the SOTW book, but the frightened grass (!) and the fist-shaking anger at the hubris of Charlemagne (a bit of poetic license about Charlemagne there) are pure Violet-y goodness. We also got a bit off schedule for a happy reason, which was a visit from grandparents, during which we enjoyed: These guys  And the fabulously rocking  Which really made me want to get both Violet and myself one of these  Also saw the World's Largest Gingerbread house, as below. The structure is wood, but covered in giant gingerbread bricks piped together with icing, in addition to the darker Hershey bar bricks, and window lead made of red licorice. Sixty feet high, it was. Mighty strange and impressive. 90% edible, as Violet keeps telling me. The armless gingerbread men on the facade suggest that someone has been testing out that claim. 
[Edited to add: since I rarely post pictures of the adults in the family, I feel I should point out that Mimi and Papa are posting with the girls, not Mom and Dad.] |
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Posted by Anonymous
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