SAC Museum

Yesterday, we went on a field trip to the SAC with the entire homeschool co-op.  It was really fun.  A bit much for FigNewTon, but worth the expenditure of energy I think.

We enjoyed the warmth and the sunshine waiting to go in.  

A little more waiting for the presentation to begin.   

They had a special display up for the students to learn about our solar system with an inflatable planetarium even.

Then there was a time of learning about our solar system.  

Lastly, we went to a hands on room where they learned about comets, meteors, and asteroids.  It was nice to see the older children interacting with the younger children and teaching them.

I think it is so good for children to be together in a learning environment like that.  I am always blessed by how respectful the older children treat the younger children, how patient they are with them, and how much the younger ones adore the older children and teens.

May 2011 Summary

Butterfly

• 68.5 hours
• Community Service 4 hours

FigNewTon

• 59.5 hours
• Community Service 5 hours

Both girls are on target to finish their hours for the year.  The librarian the girls worked closely with went to work at a different library so their opportunities for service became more limited.  Co-op ended for the year marking an end to Speech and OT Survey.  The girls continued to work on their dance for nationals.  The middle of the month we had the opportunity to have dinner at a friend's house and learn about Indian cuisine and culture.  We also spent several evenings at the YMCA swimming.  At the end of the month, we spent a few days camping and at the lakes to celebrate Butterfly's birthday.  

April 2011 Summary

Butterfly

• 87 hours
• Community Service 26 hours

FigNewTon

• 74.5 hours
• Community Service 24 hours

The month of April was good overall.  There were a lot of doctor appointments that always seem to detract from school hours, but what can a person do?  The girls both put in a disproportionate amount of service hours, too.  We had quite a few service opportunities at church.  I started the month sick as well, too sick to really teach for just over a week.  Thankfully, even with all of that, the girls are still on target for hours for the school year.  Regrettably, they will more than likely have to put in a full month of school in June.  Nothing really notable happened in the month of April.  

March 2011 Summary

Butterfly

• 120.5 hours
• Community Service 12 hours

FigNewTon

• 98.5 hours
• Community Service 9 hours

Both girls are ahead on expected school hours for the year.  Both girls are doing well.  The girls spent a lot of time in the month of March preparing for fine arts festival.  They did really well and are going to nationals for dance and A is also going for ASL.  They are a little behind on course work, but that should be rectified this month.  

Making An Art Easel

How to make an art easel:

1. Gather four sturdy sticks that are about the same size
2. Remove excess bark and dirt
3. Tape three of the sticks together in the shape of a tee-pee
4. Tape the straightest stick across the front two sticks to create a ledge
5. Test for sturdiness, adjust as necessary

Amos: A Prophet

Amos’s name means “burden bearer.” He was a minor prophet. He prophesied from about 760 B.C. to 750 B.C. This would be during the reign of Jeroboam son of Jehoash in Judah, and King Uzziah who was reigning in Israel. Amos was a shepherd, and a “dresser of sycamore trees.” This basically means that he farmed sycamore trees. His hometown was Tekoa, a small town in the wilderness of Judah about six miles south of Bethlehem, and 11 miles from Jerusalem. Because of his occupations, he moved around a lot. Then God called him to prophesy to several towns in Judah and Israel.

Amos was known as the prophet of visions because of the five visions he saw. He did not want to be called a prophet because he wasn't like the other prophets. He was just a herdsman and had not been taught to prophesy. God told him to tell the people to repent of their sins, and that he was going to bring judgment upon the land. He describes the five visions he has seen; a plague of locusts, a devastating fire, a plumb line which symbolizes how far the people have deviated from God's standards, a basket of fruit which symbolizes the short time left before the judgment, and a vision of Jehovah striking the top of the false temple in Bethel and destroying it. He then prophesies the eventual restoration of the land.

The people rejected Amos’s message. At this time, the nation was at peace and had forgotten that it was God who had given them their blessings. They were lazy, wicked, and worldly. The upper classes lived in luxury, and the lower classes struggled to meet their basic needs. We do not know what happened to Amos after he was done prophesying. Maybe he went back to his former jobs.

All Teens Need Cell Phones

The Monster At The End Of This Book

Ibzan - A Judge of Israel

Ibzan’s story can be found in Judges twelve verses eight through ten. His father was Salmon, also known as Salma. His mother was Rahab. Ibzan’s hometown was Beth-lehem. This would be Eprath, not Jerusalem. Ibzan became judge after Jephthah’s death. He was the twelfth judge of Israel.

Ibzan had thirty sons and thirty daughters. A large family suggests that he was polygamous, meaning that he had more than one wife. This was tolerated, but never in God’s plan. Large families were a sign of wealth and power. He gave his daughters away in marriage to those outside of his clan, probably outside of Israel. For his sons, he brought in thirty young women from outside of his clan to be married to. This would suggest that he was seeking political alliances and to extend his sphere of influences. He encouraged his sons to have only one wife.

Ibzan is also known as Boaz. He married Ruth the Moabite. Ruth had previously been married to Ibzan’s cousin. When she was widowed, she moved to Judah with Naomi, her mother in law. There she met Boaz. She was his last wife, and together they had a son named Obed. They are the ancestors of King David who was born four generations later. Nothing is said about his adversaries, so there was probably not a threat to Israel during his lifetime. Therefore, Ibzan never fought any major battles.

Ibzan judged Israel for seven years. When Ibzan died, he was buried in Beth-lehem, his hometown. Elon judged Israel for ten years after Ibzan’s death.

February 2011 Summary

Butterfly

• 76.5 hours
• Community Service 9.5 hours

FigNewTon

• 118.5 hours
• Community Service 9 hours

FigNewTon is ahead on expected school hours for the year.  Butterfly had a tonsillectomy on the 8th.  That made it difficult for her to do school for over a week and understandable that she did not accomplish as many hours as needed.  She is almost caught up and should have all required hours in by the end of March.  Butterfly took a field trip without her sister when we toured the hospital prior to her surgery.  She learned a lot about hospitals that day.  We all went to the zoo on the 19th.  Both girls are doing well.  Grade level work is still a struggle for Butterfly, but she is able to accomplish it.  Sometimes I am not sure if the material I am teaching is truly being absorbed by her brain, but I know she is trying.  It takes her approximately 4 times as long to do her assignments.  FigNewTon has made some significant strides in maturity and attitude.  February was a good month for school even with all the distractions and outside appointments. 

Hezekiah - The Best King

Hezekiah's mother was Abijah. His father, Ahaz was king before him. Hezekiah was twenty-five years old when he became king. He reigned in Jerusalem for twenty-nine years.

Hezekiah did what was right in the eyes of the Lord. He removed the high places, smashed the idols, and cut down the Assherah poles. He trusted in the Lord, the God of Israel. There was no one like him among all the kings of Judah, either before or after him. The Lord was with Hezekiah, he was successful in everything he did.

Hezekiah rebelled against the king of Assyria. In the fourth year of Hezekiah's reign, the king of Assyria laid siege against Samaria. Samaria was captured in the sixth year of his reign because they had violated the covenant of the Lord; they had neither listened to nor obeyed His commands. In the fourteenth year of Hezekiah's reign, the king of Assyria attacked the fortified cities of Judah and captured them. Hezekiah said to the king of Assyria that he had sinned, to withdraw from Judah, and he would pay whatever he asked. The king of Assyria exacted from Hezekiah three hundred talents of silver, and thirty talents of gold.

Later, Hezekiah became ill. He was told by the prophet Isaiah that the Lord had said to put his affairs in order because he was going to die, he would not recover. Hezekiah wept bitterly, and prayed that the Lord would remember his faithfulness. The Lord heard his prayer and saw his tears. He added fifteen more years to Hezekiah's life. When Hezekiah died he was buried on the hill where the tombs of David’s descendants were. Manasseh his son succeeded him as king.

Manasseh - A Bad King

Manasseh was born to Hezekiah. His father, Hezekiah, was king before him. When he was twelve years old, his father died and he became king. Manasseh was the thirteenth king of Judah. He reigned in Jerusalem for fifty-five years. This was about 697 B.C. to 642 B.C. Manasseh was the longest reigning king of Judah. He was also the most wicked. Manasseh did evil in the eyes of the Lord.

Manasseh erected altars for Baal, and to all the starry hosts in the temple of the Lord. He also made an Assherah pole. Manasseh sacrificed his own son to the fire. He practiced sorcery and divination. He led the people to do evil in the eyes of the Lord.

Then the Lord said through the prophets that he would bring disaster to the land of Judah. He would hand them over to their enemies, wipe out Jerusalem, wiping it and turning it over. The Lord would forsake the remnant of their inheritance; they would be looted and plundered by their foes. This would happen because of the evil they did in the eyes of the Lord.

Manasseh paid no attention to the warnings of the prophets. After Manasseh had been taken prisoner, Manasseh cried out to the Lord. The Lord heard his pleas, and brought Manasseh back to Jerusalem and his kingdom. Manasseh then knew that the Lord is God.

Manasseh turned from his wicked ways. He got rid of the foreign gods. He also removed the images from the temple of the Lord, and from all the high places. He restored the altar of the Lord, and told Judah to serve the Lord, the God of Israel.

Manasseh died and was buried in his palace garden. The garden was called Uzzah. Manasseh was succeeded by his son Amon.

January 2011 Summary

Butterfly

• 81 hours
• Community Service 9 hours

FigNewTon

• 73.5 hours
• Community Service 8.5 hours

January was a hard month for school.  There were doctor appointments every week.  FigNewTon struggled with her attitude because she wasn't sure she wanted to be homeschooled.  She goes through this at least once a year, sometimes worse than others; usually about the time she doesn't want to do a particular assignment or when she thinks she isn't getting to skate enough.  Again, both girls are just over the amount of required hours for this time in the school year.  On the 14th, I took the girls to a Library of Congress traveling exhibit.  On the 18th, Butterfly and I spent the day at the zoo and the Durham, including an exhibit on Abraham Lincoln.  Both girls continue to volunteer at the library and cleaning our church.  We are still playing catch-up on some assignments from while I was so sick in the fall.  At co-op, they began an Old Testament survey class and a Speech class.  Their first speech was a Brown Bag Special.  They are not in Art class this semester.

December 2010 Summary

Butterfly

• 60 hours
• Community Service 5 hours

FigNewTon

• 69.5 hours
• Community Service 4 hours

Traditionally in December we do a full school month, but with me still recovering from the illness and surgery, it was necessary to modify that a bit this year.  By the end of December, both girls had put in just over 1/2 of the required hours for the school year.  I also decided that grading attitude like I had been doing wasn't going to work.  Overall, it was a good month.  In addition to seasonal activities, the girls were able to job shadow a cake decorator one day in December.  Butterfly thinks that is a job she could enjoy doing in the future.  In co-op, they finished up Apologetics and Lit class. 

November 2010 Summary

Butterfly

• 99 1/2 hours
• Community Service 3 hours
• Attitude 95%

FigNewTon

• 97 hours
• Community Service 7 hours
• Attitude 83 %

The girls really had a good month. They spent most of the month in OH, returning home on the 21st. Autumn did a great job keeping up with the hours of school that they put in as well as giving any help they needed. She also took them on several field trips. They went to the art museum, the Air Force museum, the Presidential Annex, a paper making class, and to see a movie. They also had the opportunity to attend youth group with Songbird and participate in a few service projects. They took the opportunity to honor Mr.D on Veteran's Day by making a center piece for the table and expressing their gratitude for his service to our country. While they were there, they each received a hair cut from Nano and both of them were able to complete a sewing project. This was a blessing because I am not good at sewing. The week they returned home was designated as a week off from school, knowing it would take some time for them to rest up, get unpacked, and settle back in to life at home. In addition to that, it was Thanksgiving week. On Wednesday, they did most of the prep work for making Thanksgiving dinner and on Thursday they cooked the meal with minimal help from me. FigNewTon jumped right back in to her volunteering schedule at the library. The following week, Butterfly was sick and was not able to accomplish much school work. We are all looking forward to a more normal school schedule in the weeks ahead.

A Midsummer Nights Dream

1. They are planning for a marrige. This is because Hermias dad wants her to marry Demitrus and they are betrothed to each other.
2. They must elope because Hermia's dad wants her to marry Demetrius not Lysander. Hermia is betrothed to Demetrius not Lysander.
3. Titania loves Theseus and Oberon loves Titania. Oberon is jealous of Titania and she knows it.
4. Oberon puts a love spell on her

Evil Star

Evil Star by Anthony Horowitz

Evil Star is the 2nd book in the Gatekeepers series.  In this book, Matt goes to peru to prevent another gate from opening.  While there, he meets Pedro, another one of the five children meant to save the world.  They must together stop the gate from opening.

On My Honor Day 4

Original Definitions

• agitated - (v) - to have stired things up  
• indistinct - (adv) - different; apart from everything else; not clear
• lunges - (n) -a sudden forward thrust with the legs
• prodded - (v) - poking; trying to get the attention of using physical contact
• realigned - (v) - put yourself going in the right direction
• spewing - (v) - liquid coming forth out of the mouth in a flood or gush

Journal Activity

In this situation, I think that first I would try looking for my friend while working toward the shore. Once I got to the shore, I would calmly mom or another grown up. Then I would search some more. When my mom got there, I would explain what had happened and hope they found my friend. I would probably be panicked by now. If my friend was not being found, I would start thinking that he/she was dead. I think that Tony has drowned. He was not a very good swimmer, and with everything that is in a river, it would be very hard to stay up. If he ran into a sinkhole, it would be even harder. There is also the current to deal with and if you are having a hard time swimming, the current would make it worse.

Raven's Gate

Raven's Gate by Anthony Horowitz

Raven's Gate is the 1st book in the Gatekeepers series.   In this book, Matthew Freeman learns of his powers and must find a way to stop one of the five gates from opening and the Old Ones returning.

On My Honor Day 3

Original Definitions

• clenching - (v) - closing really tight
• emerging - (v) - coming up out of 
• flailing - (v) - swinging your arms round and about; trying to catch your balance using your arms; clumsy
• gawk - (v) - to stare at
• goose flesh - (n) - being very cold; so much so that your arms have bumps on them; goose bumps
• immersing - (v) - going completley under 
• prehistoric - (n) - old; before this time
• scornfully - (v) -feeling or showing anger
• slog - (n) - slush through; go in a slow manner

Corrected Definitions

• flailing - (v) - moving or waving about
• slog - (v) - to work in a steady determined manner

Journal Activity

I think that there are several reasons Joel issued the challenge. One of the reasons might be that he didn’t want to climb the bluffs, and thought that swimming was safer. Another would be that he was tired of being pushed around by Tony. Even if Tony didn't accept the challenge, he would have still have the right to maybe tease him about being chicken or scared. This might give him leverage on a later date to avoid something he didn't want to with Tony. Joel is smart, caring, adventurous, enthusiastic, obedient, truthful and kind. He likes to do something’s a lot. Sometimes he will try something new and then go back into his comfort zone. He asks his dad for permission, but doesn't know how to say no. I am like both of them. I am adventurous, but not stupid about it. I am smart, caring, kind, enthusiastic, and obedient. I like to try new things, but there are things that I like to do more than once. I ask mom's permission and listen to her answer.