The Week that Was!!

I know, I promised to come back and post what we would be doing this week. Only now it is Thursday and we only have one day of school left this week. One of the reasons why I didn’t get back is because of the animal in the above picture.


“Trigger” as he is affectionately called, got out of his pen yesterday and we had a “slow speed” chase going on! It took some searching, but he was finally found in the neighbor’s pasture socializing. It took a little longer to persuade him back to his home turf and he invited friends to come along. (Why do we have a horse who acts like a teenager?)


Trigger is now back home and the fence is repaired.


The cold, hard facts are - one day was dedicated to animal husbandry, life skills, and fencing. Interruptions are a part of life. Sometimes, you just have to deal with it!

The picture is my friend Frannie’s schoolhouse. Cute, isn’t it? I love it!

When we haven't been chasing animals or running errands, we have been studing words that rhyme, the five senses, graphs, along with reviewing math and reading skills. One afternoon was spent on computer science and we finished gathering all the materials we need to complete our paper making project.

This afternoon, Papaw is going to give a demonstration on changing inter tubes in bicycle tires. We will double up on kitchen duty tonight in preparations for having all eleven kids here tomorrow night.

We also have the materials Gabby needs for her primative doll making project and the earth provided us with an earthquake late last night/early this morning, so we will be taking a look at earthquakes and how they are measured in intensity. Here is a really great site for information written on a level that is easy to understand.

http://earthquake.usgs.gov/learning/kids/

Next week, I will try to do better!

Until then,

Cheryl

This Week's Memory Verse

Trust in the Lord with all thine heart; and lean not unto thine own understanding. ~ Proberbs 3:5

Poetry

This past week we read some poetry, including one of my favorites, Stopping by the Woods on a Snowy Evening by Robert Frost. I read the poem, the kids illustrated what they saw (in their minds) while I read.



My question is, how do such smart kids end up drawing apple trees, complete with apples, when listening to:


Whose woods these are I think I know.
His house is in the village though;
He will not see me stopping here
To watch his woods fill up with snow.


My little horse must think it queer
To stop without a farmhouse near
Between the woods and frozen lake
The darkest evening of the year.


He gives his harness bells a shake
To ask if there is some mistake.
The only other sound's the sweep
Of easy wind and downy flake.


The woods are lovely, dark and deep.
But I have promises to keep,
And miles to go before I sleep,
And miles to go before I sleep.


Then I remembered, besides being 90 plus degrees outside, they had been picking pears the evening before!


Maybe we will give this another shot in January!! For now we will stick to "that dirty little coward, that shot Mr. Howard. And laid poor Jesse in his grave."


I'll be back to post about the coming week.


Until then,
Cheryl

The Coming Week ~ August 17 to 21

I am sitting here preparing for next week. Usually, I am not so efficient. Many thoughts are running through my mind, some of which will find their way into our homeschooling experience.

Will Rogers along with Wiley Post died 74 years ago today, on August 15, 1935, when their plane crashed near Barrow, Alaska Territory. This coming week we will be studying a little about Oklahoma’s favorite son.

We will also continue to look at the sky and how the moon affects life here on Earth.

We have two projects lined up for the next few days. First we will be dying T-shirts with a little help from the sun and then we will begin the process of making paper.

Our Liberty’s Kids dvd’s arrived, which we will begin watching and part of our reading will be the American Adventure Series! These two studies will go hand in hand and I am very excited about both. Also, we will be studying England and why people wanted to make that dangerous move in coming to America. Tea and cookies, anyone?

Our world map is now hanging and the boys are anxious to play “Geography Bowl.” This involves a bowl (surprise!) containing note cards. Each card has the name of three countries or two countries and an ocean. The deal is for each student to pick a card (randomly) and see who can find the places listed on their card first.

To the above mix, we will add our daily math assignments, penmanship, commuter skills, and a little cooking. And we will be memorizing The Lord’s Prayer. Elijah is ready to start writing the book he has been planning. The other three still need to select a special project they would like for individual study.

For now, this is a glimpse of what we will be working on in the days ahead!

May you studies, whether at home or in a public school setting, be blessed!

Until next time,
Cheryl

Quote for the week ~

All I have seen teaches me to trust the Creator for all I have not seen. ~ Ralph Waldo Emerson

This week's Bible verse:

As for me, I will call upon God, And the LORD shall save me. ~ Psalm 55:16

Happy Birthday, Michaela!!!

Spirograph Nebula

A dying Star. Only God could something dying so beautiful. It almost looks like a beautiful rose, doesn't it?

Greetings!

We are nearly at the end of our second day of school. We are beginning to find our rhythm, even though yesterday was a bit unusual.

We really enjoyed viewing the meteor shower yesterday. It was certainly worth the effort of getting up early. Some things are better experienced, rather than to merely read about them.

In keeping with this weeks memory verse (Psalm 19:1) we are continuing to fine unusual things in the sky to learn about. I thought I would post a few to share with you. The above photo is a picture of the Ruby Galaxy or Messier 83. The picture was taken by the ESO/MPG 2.2-meter (7.2 feet) telescope in Chile's mountainous Atacama Desert on August 25, 2008.

Enjoy looking at the pictures and if you would like more information, be sure and leave us a message in the comment(s) area.

Blessings!
Cheryl

This week's Bible verse:

The heavens declare the glory of God; and the firmament sheweth his handywork. Psalm 19:1
David had quite a way with words!

Quote for the day ~

“Summer’s lease hath all too short a date.” ~ Shakespeare (Maybe he was home schooled!)

School begins promptly at 5:00 a.m.!

Rise and shine! Tomorrow, Wednesday (August 12, 2009) beginning at around 5:00 a.m. will be the best viewing for the Perseid Meteor Shower. What better way to begin our study of science and astronomy, then to view 100 meteors flying through space!

Up to 100 meteors per hour are expected to paint the sky with fiery streaks as the Earth passes through the dust trail of Comet Swift-Tuttle, which was first discovered in 1862 when Abraham Lincoln was president. The display could be the most vibrant in years.

The comet is a giant iceberg made up of ice, rock and dust particles. Dust particles the size of sand slowly have been eroding away from the comet every time it approaches the sun, leaving a trail of debris that the Earth's orbit intersects once every year.

Praying for clear skies!