Book Group --- A Door in the Wall

Our book for this month was 'Door in the Wall" by  Marguerite de Angeli.  We had fun going back in time playing a few games that would have been played during the medieval ages.  We changed a game that was mentioned in the book to a game of Duck, duck Goose.

John-go-in-the-Wind always said that if you should visit his mother she would most certainly offer a bannock.   Well, we just had to find out what this was and found that it was simply flat bread that was baked on a stone, if you're from Scotland.  We also learned that it was very common in Native American cuisine too...only they fried theirs in oil.

We decided to go with the scrumptious fry bread option.  It was all about taste.  When you cook something in oil, it just tastes scrumptious!

The dough turned out to be a bit sticky, but the kids learned to manage.  It actually turned out to be a good cooking lesson.  The older one's learned how to cook with oil in a safe way.

Mmmm, spread with honey or peach jam it was definitely very, very good!

A Punch and Judy show was also mentioned in the book.  So we Google and learned about the Medieval shows.  We were even able to watch a few renditions of some.  We pulled out the puppets and the younger one's took their hand at creating a show.

We're going on a Safari...and what will we see?

Last Friday, we went to a Safari Park in Wytheville....75 acres of land with animals from 6 continents.
Delaney, Liam and I have been learning about the classification system of animals...namely the vertebrates and Delaney wanted to go to a zoo to see all the animals she could see.  A friend from our lds homeschool group set this field trip up...before we could get to the zoo..so we definitely said yes to this offer.

We were greeted by monkeys, ostriches, and wallabies (which was really fun because we just read a book for FIAR called Katy-No Pocket about a kangaroo with out a pouch for her baby joey).

Brianne, who hates our pets to get anywhere near her, has found the perfect animal to love...one of stone.

We boarded a bus with the windows taken out to ride throughout the park.  The kids were given a cup of food, so they could "feed" the animals.  What really happened was that they had to learn how to let the animals eat some of the food from the cup without the animal taking the entire bowl from their hands...and some of these animals were quite bossy, persistent and very, very grabby.  This ostrich was quite tenacious about getting his food.

as was this camel....

I was amazed at how close this camel came to Brianne...and she didn't get upset once!

This one really liked to be petted too.  Delaney gladly gave it muzzle and head rubs.

This older water buffalo definitely learned how to get the most food...be calm and loving.  Many of the kids enjoyed touching and petting this one...and he received lots of yummy food for his affection.

Our day at the part was beautiful...warm pleasant weather and lovely scenery.
Even the turtles enjoyed sitting in the sun enjoying the warm day.

They all wanted to pet the bison and the zebra, but those animals were a bit skittish...yet they had lots of fun touching the water buffalos.

Darn my camera...I tried to get a photo with Cailin feeding the animals...but the animals always moved before I could get the shutter to operate.

A happy day for all...and now it's time to feed these hungry mammals...be careful, they too, can bite and spit just like the zebras and camels...thank goodness, they don't!!

"Hurrah!" (It's finally over.) as quoted by Connor concerning CC this year.

In the course of  everyone's life, (especially in school), there are those certain times when we are just waiting for the trial, misery, and boredom, of said trial to end.  Fo Connor, this was one of those years.  He HATED  this year with the Classical Conversation class....not the people, just the program.  They use the Trivium or classical method, which means the first years of education are heavy with memorization, they focus on creating pegs of information--learn the dates and grammar of a subject, and later learn how it all works and applies.  This, I've come to find out (wish I would have know this sooner) is not the way he learns.  He need immersion into the subject, learning not only the grammar of a subject, but how and why too.  

However, he did learn much---perseverance, enduring to the end, even when you just want to quit. How to accept "no" as an answer graciously and not pout when you've begged and begged Mom and Dad to quit, . I hope he comes to realize these learned lessons  in life and  use it to his advantage to help him through similar situations, which will undoubtedly come.  He learned how to push through on a subject he just doesn't like--anatomy and Latin (yes, Latin the one subject he hated--he learned he didn't like it so much after all, but he did finish)

His tutor, Mrs. Quek sent these photo's of him and his classmates...pretty cool!  I'm also impressed, she got a semi-smile out of him.

Anthea, Sarah, Asia, Connor, Noah, and Mrs. Quek

Mrs Quek, his tutor sent this to summarize what they have learned:

Latin
• a total of 170 vocabulary – nouns, verbs, prepositions, adverbs, interjections,
pronouns
• different cases of a noun
• how to identify a noun (which declension) and to decline it accordingly
• how to identify a verb (which conjugation) and conjugate it accordingly in the
active present indicative tense
• using the flashcard method to help memorizing the vocabulary
• English derivatives from Latin to help with learning the vocabulary and widening
their English vocabulary
• learning to translate simple Latin sentences to English and vice versa


Exposition:
• 1st semester – starting with key words outline and one paragraph, we introduced
ways to dress up sentences, ways to begin a sentence, clinchers and various
structures and styles.
• vigorous writing every week starting from one paragraph progressing to a 5-
paragraph paper at the end of the semester
• 2nd semester – read a total of 7 Newsbury award books
• Introduced literary terms and device; discussions about plot, conflict, theme,
characterization, point of view of a piece of literature
• Every other week, students wrote a paper ranging from compare/contrast,
characterization, changes in characters, opinion, to plot and conflict.
• Students learned to develop a good thesis statement in their 5-paragraph paper,
supporting their topic sentences with quotations and examples from the assigned
book.

Research:
• 1st semester and part of 2nd semester – students researched, wrote and illustrated
about an assigned topic starting with the simplest organism to the most complex
mammal.
• Students learned to cite the sources using the MLA format.
• Students were encouraged to use only one internet source and one other paper
source.
• Students presented their research orally using only the fused key word outlines
• 2nd semester – students studied the human anatomy, defined the terms and were
quizzed every week.
• Students were expected to draw from memory the parts of the body learned that
week.

Rhetorics:
• Studied and discussed the book It Couldn’t Just Happened.
• Students used key words outline and summarized a chapter every week.
• Students memorized questions and answers pertaining to the book.
• Read and discussed Don’t Check Your Brain at the Door.
• Students were brought to a higher level of thinking about what they believe in, their
faith and their relationship with God.
Study skills learned:
• the ability to study a new subject
• the ability to do research and cite references
• the ability to handle larger quantities of material
• the ability to manage their time
• the ability to integrate all the subjects learned
I hope they have learned to use the tools well. Like garden tools, educational tools make
a job easier. But the more you use a garden tool, the more it’ll get blunt and has to be
sharpened. Educational tools are different, the more you use them, the sharper they will
get. So keep using those tools and keep them sharp. Study hard and study smart.
"Study to show thyself approved unto God, a workman that
needeth not to be ashamed, rightly dividing the Word of Truth."
--2 Tim. 2:15.

The Jungle Book

 

Every year, Mr. McCoy, the director of the local highschool drama department, produces and directs a play in which grade schoool and middle school kids are cast in all the parts.  With the help of his advanced drama class students as assistant directors, they guide and lead these kids into performing quite a wonderful show.  This year, they performed Disney's stage performance of The Jungle Book.   Cailin was cast as one of six girls to play Kaa, the snake.  Delaney was cast as an old monkey--who, introducded King Louie to all the stage and world.
They loved learning the music and dance moves...and especially enjoyed making new friends and meeting up with friends from last years performance.

The kids were divided up into two casts.   When Cailin wasn't Kaa, she became an elephant in the jungle brigade.  Delaney remained a monkey for all four showings of the play.

Here's Delaney, with Mogli (Jared Mattson) and the other monkeys telling us all about King Louis need for the "red flower"  (fire)

Here's Delaney, introducing to all...."King Louis, King of the Jungle!!"

The entire cast!  What a wonderful job.  The auditions and practices begin in February and culminate mid April with the performances.  Towards the end the schedule gets to be a bit busy, but we wouldn't miss it.  What an opportunity for us all. 

Kaa, the snake..."I don't want to hurt you...I just want to give you a B...I...G HUG!"   so she says...

With our friends the Mattsons...Krystal and Amber were bees.  Clarissa was also a part of Kaa for the opposite performances that Cailin was in...she too, once the Kaa song was over became an elephant for the remainder of the night.

Groovy man....crazy, just plain crazy fun!!

Easter Egg Hunt

For

On Easter weekend this year, Barry was working the midnight shift and I needed to travel to Charlottesville to pick up our new Honda Accord from my sister Elizabeth.  She is moving back to Spokane to keep house for my parents while they are in Africa serving a mission. 

Thus, I waas not around to take the kids to the annual easter egg hunt at our friend's the Buchinsky's.  However, I have some really great friends...(thanks so much Christine!!)  She brought Cailin, Delaney, and Liam to the egg hunt...and watched them for the day while I was busy traveling and helping family.  (Also, thanks Becky for traveling with me and helping me get there and bring furniture back!  It's great to have good friends)

Anyway, the kids had a great time searching for eggs and spending time with their friends too.

.....on the hay ride ....meanwhile, parents hide the eggs.

It was such a gorgoius day.

Cruis'in

 It's starting to happen....she's starting to cruise around furniture in the house, and "walk" with hand holding help.   She loves to walk behind her push toys...especially the shopping cart (as long as it's weighted down with canned goods.) She will also pull up to these toys all by herself to walk.  She will even let go of a furniture support with one hand as she tries to move from chair to chair  (or chair to person)...She's getting there!!  It's not too far off when this girl will walk.

22 years...and going strong

 Before we had kids, our anniversaries were spent traveling to various European country or cities...Paris, France, Holland, Switzerland, (because we lived in Germany), but once we had kids, that changed!   We haven't gone away for a night alone (in the name of our anniversary--and only once other time besides that) since then.   Usually we get away for the night for dinner, and maybe a nightly stroll in the park, but that's it.  

This year, we were bound and determined to have some time with just the two of us.  Our friends, (the Mattson's) took our kids for the night and we slipped away to Leah's Bed and Breakfast  ( In our past, when we didn't have any money for a date night, I'd put the kids to bed a bit early and make a nice dinner and tell Barry that we we're going to Leah's Restaurant for dinner. My fancy name for our make believe getaway.) 
   Okay, so we didn't get away for a romantic night alone in a hotel...but we did have the night alone with out kids sharing our bed with us...and kicking us or their heads in our backs.

So the night of our anniversary we went to dinner at Macado's--a real restaurant of yummy sandwiches and nachos. Plus, we splurged and saw a movie...The Hunger Games.  I've read the book and was so saddened by it that I couldn't bring myself to read the sequels.  But, I've heard such great things about the movie that we decided to watch it.  I'm glad we did, it was great.  We both enjoyed the movie greatly and had lots of good discussion about it at dinner.  I think I'm ready to read the remaining two books in the trilogy and when Barry has time after school ends in a few more months, he'll read it too.

Afterwards, home to our wonderful kid less home....except Ryan, but I was missing my kids so much that I'm glad he was there.  (I'm weird, I need time alone with my husband and away from my dear children, but I miss them when they're not there too)

The next day, rainy and cold, we hopped in the car and took off for Columbia South Carolina Temple.  While traveling, and passing many accidents, we enjoyed time alone talking and discussing our wonderful life...problems, joys and all.  I had the wonderful moments to realize once again how very lucky, blessed and happy I am to have this magnificent man for my eternal companion. He's so kind, generous and patient...really patient with my intense...gotta get it done now--solve this problem go, go go personality.  He's been through enough to know that "why hurry, we'll deal with it when we get there, no reason to stress along the say. No need to hurry up and wait."  (I'm sure the military has instilled that in him.)  I really do love that man!  He's so good for me. 
We discussed politics, school--his and our kids, each of our kids and their needs, projects to complete around the house...our past and our future.

We had a wonderful time enjoying time in the temple, feeling of the spirit.  It's been a while since we've been there...we also made a promise to be back in June.

After a stop or two at some stores, we were on our way home.  Back to the normal hum of life....but together, we wouldn't have it any other way!