Our Homeschool Week(s) in Review

The last couple weeks have been spent getting back into a normal routine of school.   The girls keep plugging away on their math.  DD10 is about 2/3 done with the Delta book of Math-U-See.  We've hit a point where we are slowing down.  We both like the way the material is being presented....hopefully this program will be the one that works for her!    DD13 is still doing Saxon 8/7, as well as slowly working her way through the Life of Fred: Pre-Algebra 2 with Economics.  She does complain sometimes that trying to remember all the necessary math concepts is overwhelming, but she's holding her own.  (Not bad for a child who was once at least 2 years behind in math!)

For our language arts, DD10 is still doing the Calvert Grammar CD.  We took a break from All About Spelling, but we've come back to it and will soon be finished with Level 1.  I ordered Level 2 this week, so we'll be able to continue the program.  Even though Level 1 was pretty easy for her, it's been good to build a firm foundation.   DD13 does her Daily Grams, which she actually enjoys (especially analogies!).    We also do IEW's Fix-It....for some reason this turns into a giggle session.  I'm not sure what's so funny, but the girls seem to have doing it and they're learning, so who am I to complain????   Unfortunately, HWOT's Cursive for DD10 went by the way side....really need to pull that back out!  We also got out of the routine of IEW's Writing program...MUST get back on that!!!

The last couple weeks of science for DD13 has been finishing up the sections on earth science in Apologia's General Science.   She prefers geology, but we're now headed into the life science section.  We are now coming together at co-op for discussion and labs for the remainder of this course.  Another mom and I are teaching it.  I had the first class......I was 15 minutes late and finished 15 minutes early......maybe I should work on my timing a bit more! LOL.  I was able to show a couple short videos from The Truth Project by Focus on the Family that tied into our discussions.    DD10 has a break from science right now...with the exception of what she's learning in our Bible time.

For our school Bible time (as opposed to our personal devotion/reading time), we have been going through Answers in Genesis' It All Begins with Genesis.    We're about half way through.   This has really enriched our science class as well!  When we were studying fossils in General Science, IABwG had a great illustration that the kids acted out to learn just how difficult is to become a fossil.  Now that we're on the life section of General Science and discussing DNA...our discussions in Bible time ended up being on DNA.  Don'tcha just love it when God coordinates your school lessons!!  (You don't think that *I'm* that organized, do you!!!!)

A little extra Bible time we had this week was watching the video The Star of Bethlehem.  I had ordered it from the library awhile back, but was in line waiting for an available copy that finally came in this week.  It was just FASCINATING!!!!  It's the story of one man's mission to determine what exactly the Star of Bethlehem was--was it really an astronomical event and could he prove that it happened?  Well, what he found was amazing--the symbolism is undeniable!  I whole-heartedly recommend watching it! (Probably best for about 12 and up--it's a bit on the technical side.)

On to history......we are still working on Mystery of History, Volume 1.  We're now on King Solomon.  Not a lot of options for read-alouds, but we are reading Rachel's Secret Journal from the Bible-Time Kids series.  The girl's father is one of the Temple workers for King Solomon.  It's an OK read...certainly not great literature.  The diary format makes it a bit cumbersome as a read-aloud.

I guess that's about it, I think, except for our co-op.   During these winter months, we continue to meet weekly, but with a reduced schedule.  Our main focus is to keep the upper sciences going and allow the younger kids an organized time of educational games and a gym time with more time for socializing ('cause ya know we're unsocialized!)  I had the 4-6 grade kids at co-op this week for the educational game time, and we broke into two teams (7 kids each) did some Bible trivia.   I think for next week, I'll make a ZONK game for them that covers multiple subjects.

Have a blessed week!

B90 Update

I am so excited that there are ONE THOUSAND people committed to reading the Bible in 90 days over these winter months!!  Isn't that great.....1,000 people all reading the Bible all the way through at the same time.

I've never been very good at keeping resolutions.....which is why I usually don't bother....but this time around I'm determined to keep this one!  So far, so good.   I'm a bit ahead of my schedule (I started about 10 days ahead of the rest of the group, as I needed to finish at least 5 days ahead of the scheduled ending).

I will be starting 2 Kings today!!!   Every time I've tried reading the Bible through before, I have gotten bogged down somewhere in the Leviticus/Numbers/Deuteronomy area and then gave up.   I made it through this time....and it was not nearly as bad I remembered it being!!!

I love that I'm getting this big overview of the Bible rather quickly....yet, at the same time, I'm reading things I've never read before....all those lesser known things that are asked in the Bible trivia games!  LOL.

I didn't do it the first several days of reading, but at some point I decided to start highlighting different verses or words that strike me.  Words God said.  Who did right/Who did evil in God's eye.  Just whatever jumps out.  I look forward to going back through those later and spending more time.

My B90 mentor Debbie wrote this great article about using the Fruit of the Spirit to read through the Bible,

If your goal is to read the Bible this year (whether in 90 days or just to get it finished before the end of the year), I want to encourage you to keep going.....you CAN do this!!!  God's word is waiting to speak to you in ways you can't even imagine.  So pull out your Bible, and draw close to Him.......He's waiting.

Today is officially Day 1 of reading the Bible in 90 Days...

However, I'm on day 9.   I needed to start a bit earlier, as I need to be finished before the end of March (and this group reading officially ends on April 1.)

I just wanted to thank my mentor, Debbie in Alaska....it was her blog where I accidentally came across this program.  When I clicked on a link for more info, I learned there was a new 90 Day Reading starting at the beginning of this year, so I signed up.

A quick hello to all Group 8 participants who might be stopping by my blog......I look forward to getting to know more about y'all.  I won't be blogging every day, but I'll pop in once in awhile with my progress.

I'm excited to be reading through the Bible for the first time!

Read with me!

A New Year is beginning

Another CHRISTmas is over, and  a new year is beginning.

We had a great CHRISTmas, spending the day with family...and, as usual, receiving far too many gifts.  The girls got Nikon Coolpix cameras and have been having a blast with them.  I got the latest version of Corel PhotoShop...and a book to help me learn it!  Everybody got books to read (of course!)......and I've already read one of them, The Reluctant Prophet by Nancy Rue.  (If you liked the Yada Yada Prayer Group/House of Hope series, you'll like this one too!)

We finished our 5th year of reading the Jotham's Journey Advent books.....this year was our second time through Bartholomew's Passage.  We also did our Noel Calendar......despite that my girls are older now, it has become a beloved tradition.

CHRISTmas Eve service is my favorite church event, and this year was no different.  DD13 was honored to play Mary during our church's CHRISTmas Eve service.  She brought tears to my eyes.

We're slowly getting back into the school routine.  We finished Mara, Daughter of the Nile during our CHRISTmas break.  DD13 loved the entire book (she continually begged me to read more!), and both were kept on the edge of the their seats as I finished it.

As the year is winding down, I naturally find myself looking ahead to the coming year....2011...wow.  Seems like just yesterday it was turning to the new millennium and here, we've completed an entire decade of it!   I don't make New Year's resolutions, as I just break them anyway (often before I truly even get started!), but this year I have decided I am going to read through the entire Bible--something I have never done.   So, I purchased the 90 Day Bible, as I like the idea that the reading will be during my less busy months of winter.  To read the Bible in 90 days, I need to read 12 pages of the 90 Day Bible each day.  Definitely doable, requiring about an hour each day.  Anybody want to join me in reading through the Bible?

A very blessed New Year to all my family, friends, and readers!

Catching up....

Wow, where did the time go?

We've been plugging along with school, though not getting as much done as I would like.  We've just been so busy.  I purchased some apples from our neighbors (in public school) and it took them a week before they could catch us at home to deliver them!



We've all been involved with church events....special musical events, funeral dinners, and the like.  The library ministry (which I'm involved in) and the youth ministry worked together to host a public showing of the Veggie Tale's It's a Meaningful Life.  We held a coloring contest and made a ton of different kinds of popcorn,,,we had almost 100 people show up for it!  It was a great family night.  The girls are in the puppet ministry, which performed before the movie started.

The girls were also scheduled to do a Christmas program with the puppet ministry for special needs kids at a local Rotary event.  DD10 ended up with an ear infection at the last minute and was not able to perform!  We had packed up the theatre and all the paraphernalia that goes with puppets (and you wouldn't believe me how much there is!!!) and set up the day before.  About an hour before were were to leave, she complained that her ear hurt.  Bad mom that I am, I figured--since this was the first she had complained of it--that she could get through the performance and then we'd have it checked out the next day.   Well, we no longer got through the door for the event when she has tears in her eyes at the pain and I had to call dh to come get her and take her to stat care.  Yep, a pretty  bad ear infection and a round of antibiotics.  And guess who had a crash course in running sound and doing the backgrounds for the puppets????  Yours truly.   Wow, do I have a new appreciation now for what puppeteers have to do!!!!!!  It's a crazy scramble behind the scenes of each performance!  Fortunately we had a forgiving audience who enjoyed the show despite all my mistakes!




Let's see what else has been going on??    Oh yeah, it's Advent time, so we are in our fifth year of the Jotham's Journey trilogy......which means we're doing Batholomew's Passage this year.  This has become a favorite Christmas tradition.  Even though this is the second time through the trilogy, the girls continue to beg me to read more of the story each night!  (I was excited to announce to the girls that I have pre-ordered the long-awaited Easter story of Jotham's son.......Amon's Adventure!!!  We cannot wait for it!)

What else.......oh yeah, it's bitter cold and snowy and icy here in Ohio.  One day last week I quite suddenly found myself on the ground at the base of the deck.....having somehow missed the four steps from the deck to the ground!  Ugh.  Yeah, I'm still feeling that one.  The chiropractor is slowly getting me back in shape.....praise God nothing was broken!  \o/

And, just in time for the single digit temperatures.....the thermostat on the van is on the blink.  Brrr.....

Another reason I've not been on the computer as much is that it just plain hurts to type these days.  As my flare (dermatomyositis) gets worse, my muscles have weakened greatly.  I think I hurt the wrist of my right hand trying to lift something and have caused a tendon to become inflamed......either that or I have developed carpal tunnel.   Whatever the case, all I can is OUCH and I pray it heals soon!

And of course, as with so  many, we are getting ready for CHRISTmas.  Our tree is up and most of the presents have been purchased.  Still need to make some cookies. We are looking forward to a theatrical performance of A Miracle on 34th Street later this week.

Well, I guess that's about it.  Hope y'all have a very blessed CHRISTmas!

Oh, a PS......a bit of good news that I almost forgot......dh has become our Deacon of the Sound Ministry at church!  I love our church and am so happy we are involved!  We have an awesome minister, wonderful music, and a lot of great folks there!

Our Week in Review: November 22-24

A short week with Thanksgiving tomorrow.

We finished The Hittite Warrior, so we're on to Mara, Daughter of the Nile for history.  I also finished pre-reading Rise of the Golden Cobra by Henry T. Aubin.  It was a good Ancient Egypt story, but there are a couple parts that I will edit as I read (for instance, one of the main characters is called b@$t@rd.....seriously, can't authors just leave things like that out of the stories!?! Especially when cussing is not a habit in the story.....there was only this one incident in the entire book!)  I will save this book for a bit later in history, since it takes place about 728BC and is about Pharaoh Piankhy (Piankhi/Piye).

This week, dd10 finished up the Missionary biographies from Fortunately for You that she started last week.  She's into missionaries right now, having just finished the Benges' George Mueller.  Now she's reading the one about Eric Liddel.  She's even asked for more of the YWAM biographies for CHRISTmas!  I'll have to work in the Hands of A Child's Missionaries lapbook sometime soon.

She's had a long time interest in learning Spanish, so I today purchased a subscription to a new website called Discover Spanish.   Using a Homeschool Buyers Co-op coupon, I was able to purchase a 36-lesson year for just over $35.   So, we'll start incorporating that into our day next week.

She's still plugging away on her Calvert Grammar.  She started Math-U-See Delta this week, having completed the Gamma book with an 88.3%.  We also managed to get in an All About Spelling lesson, #17 I think it was.

DD13 finished up reading Module 6 of Apologia's General Science and doing the corresponding On Your Own Questions, but she still needs to finish her lapbook components for the Study Guide and take her  test.

She is finishing the final bridge for the Pre-Algebra with Biology Life of Fred book.  Guess that means I better purchase the next one!  Fred is such a riot....who knew math could be so much fun!  She continues to plug away on Saxon 8/7, her Ultimate Grammar book, and Phonetic Zoo as well.

The girls did puppet practice this week, preparing for two public appearances coming up soon.  DD13 also had drama practice.  She's in a short skit for worship service this Sunday....she'll be playing the ear in a skit about the "body" of Christ.  She also had practice for her part (Mary) in our Christmas Eve service.

Guess that's about it for the week, other than getting ready for Thanksgiving dinner.  Dh's mother is making the turkey, green beans, and some pies.  I'll be making scalloped corn and the sweet potato casserole.  Dh's sister will be bringing potatoes and a pumpkin roll.

I purchased some spelt dinner rolls for Thanksgiving...yummy!  (I am not a celiac, but do tend to eat gluten-free as I am avoiding wheat.  Although spelt is an ancient form of wheat and does contain gluten, I can eat it...someone with celiac would not be able to eat it.)

I just pulled a batch of bread out of the oven....yummy rice and flax sandwich bread.  I'll cut it when it cools and freeze it.  It's easy to pull out and toast for a quick sandwich!  The house always smells so good when bread is baking!

Well, that's it for this week....may you have a blessed Thanksgiving Day, surrounded by your loved ones.  We have so much to be thankful for!

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