The Week in Review {Y10 second time around}

Fox's school schedule- every subject marked as done and each day complete

I wonder when it was that we felt we needed to plot and plan our schedules. It's become second nature- at least for the school areas. The plan is in place, thanks to Ambleside Online. We've also figured out our folksongs for the year {keep forgetting to ask Lee for suggestions}.

The week's distribution. 

Physics, I think, will prove to be the most difficult even though it is not calculus based. It assumes I believe that the student has had both Algebra 1 and 2! Fox has gone through Algebra 1. We will continue, and seek help when we need it. In the other post of the year's plan, I linked to a physics classroom site that we'll use, as well as Khan Academy and some others I found on Pinterest. I may even get some Cliff Notes from the library for myself. I should know these math bits but it's been awhile.

I wonder which books will be his favorites from this year. It's a great year {Y10} to go through, albeit no doubt trying and stressful for those who lived during the times we are studying {1815-1902}.

Perhaps someday I should have him tell me what books were his favorites from previous years, and why. 

School Plans- Y10 AO, 11th Grade {Fox}

How strange to be planning for only one student; for just one year. So, so strange. He has two years left of high school. I will try to just enjoy this.

We are still with Ambleside Online, going into Y10 for Fox's 11th grade. This is a year that Lee really liked and I am hopeful Fox will as well.

*This post is Amazon affiliate link heavy (those with an * are the affiliate links). See Disclosure/Policies.*

We have most of the books but for science. Last year he did biology with an assortment of resources. This year he will do physics. We have nothing for physics and so I am searching for resources. The first is to find living books, then maybe textbooks. {Actually it appears we have one book on physics: The Cartoon Guide to Physics by Larry Gonick and Art Huffman* -that I bought at a used book sale many years ago.}

These are the ones I have purchased recently and am awaiting their arrival:
Secrets of the Universe by Paul Fleischer* {still waiting}
Six Easy Pieces: Essentials of Physics Explained by Its Most Brilliant Teacher by Richard Feynman* {arrived}
Physics Around Us: How and Why Things Work by Ernest Henley and J. Dash* {arrived}

I still would like to get {but really not sure if we will}:
Mr. Tompkins in Paperback by George Gamow*
Physics 101

Now that I have that there, the schedule for these is still to be determined; pending arrival and perusal of the books. But if it is listed on AO's Y10, I'll follow that schedule most likely.

Otherwise, the year will be as written on AO's site with these possible exceptions or notes:
Bible: The main devotion book will be The Christian Life by Sinclair Ferguson* Lee struggled a bit with this book but I thought it very well written and the doctrine good. The other book will be Pilgrim's Progress*. I do have Imitation of Christ* (or look here*) but haven't read it myself to add it to the list.
History: We'll use both Churchill and Johnson. I was going to drop Johnson because I'm concerned there is just too much reading this year but Fox really doesn't want to.
We'll use Lincoln in the World* for biography, and the Douglass, Crockett, and Washington listed.
Worldview: We are only going to be using The Deadliest Monster by Baldwin*. It is listed in Term 2 but we will use it in Term 3, after Frakenstein and Dr. Jekyll and My Hyde are finished.
Literature: The new scheduled Y10 utilizes Invitation to the Classics, which is probably an excellent book {I do not doubt it is}. We will still use Marshall's History of English Literature as both of my kids have really appreciated the book, and we have it on the shelf already.
Grammar/Composition: We aren't really doing any formal grammar this year and will continue with POWA* We will continue with written narrations and he'll do a weekly research/report. By now he has these down; he knows what is needed. If there are any other little things that need work, we'll bust out one of the many writing handbooks we have. But I'm confident he's doing just fine in this area we won't spend much formal time on it.
Math: We are going to use a Contemporary Math book that Lee used in a college class not long ago. We'll also be utilizing Math According to Mike. It is very short, but with the math he'll be getting in when working on Physics, I'm satisfied he will be doing enough math. Also, he's continuing on with the Recordkeeping book he started last year from Rod & Staff {not wonderful program but it has its good points. If nothing else, he is having the idea of being neat, thorough, and consistent solidified!}. It covers some personal finance as well.
Science: We are adding in the books I mentioned above. I'd wanted to use Secrets in a previous year {perhaps 7?} but the cost was outrageous! I found a copy recently for around $25.
The cartoon physics book I have mentioned will be available but not actually scheduled. This website, Physics Classroom, is {I hope} going to be helpful to this mom who barely understand simple laws of physics let alone the technicalities.

I think that is about the extent to the differences from AO and my tweaked schedule. It's fairly close to the curriculum. It will make exams super easy, too! I'm determined to get all three this year.

I am going to give it a real good try to get Shakespeare into our week. It's been tough every year but I'm convinced it's my own lack of consistency and focusing on the society promoted more important subjects {math...}.  Also, geography often got left behind. We have Seterra on the computer which he really likes to compete with himself. But this year, I really want to focus more on being sure he is acquainted with an atlas and what these places look like. We're going to work more on map drills.

The photo below are all the physical books for the next year. There are speeches, documents, short stories, poetry, etc., that are on the Kindle or online.

One thing about this Y10 is that I've 'gone through it already'. *smile* This will be such a help to me going through it with Fox.

I'm really looking forward to Y10!

Exam Week, Term 2- Weekly Wrap-Up 03.14.14

The week is rather uneventful and with it being Term 2 exams, there are only a few hours for school each day. 

Monday- Round table: sung hymns, kids recited all verses learned this year, and their recitations, ended with prayer. They both have six things to do each day this week for exams. I am undecided if I will put their work on the blog yet. Honestly, I've felt this term has been somewhat slacking and I'm sure it will be evident in their work. Vanity on my part, perhaps. It's undecided still. 

The weather is nice again but deceiving since we are in for another snow storm at some point. I went outside today for a bit but the kids didn't want to after 'school' was done. Their loss...but I probably should have made them. I put two entries on the Nature Journal page. The kids did go out later to ride their bikes.

We went to Goodwill in Eastlake today so that Lee could get in some driving time. Yes, that is truly why we went. But we found a full size iron board which I've been keeping an eye out for. Then we stopped at the library and came home. It was over an hour's driving for her. Only 23 more hours to go...

Tuesday Day #2 for Term 2 exams. Round table: hymns and prayer. Lee and I are planning on driving down to Akron for the Charlotte Mason book discussion group that meets at Barnes and Noble {Fairlawn, I think}. Edited: We went but uh, not much was covered. Lee and I mostly just sat and drank our tea. Long drive for tea...

Since the kids are 'busy' with exams- and that doesn't require much of me really- I want to get some made-ahead meals in the freezer. I don't really know why. I really like to have some meals premade and just need to be reheated or popped in the oven -or crockpot. Edited: I got some things made and in the freezer. I'd attempted a coconut flour biscuit recipe and wasted almost all of the coconut flour I had. They were not good. At all. Anyway, I made 12 bean and cheese burritos, 12 sausage, egg, and cheese on biscuit sandwiches, and a batch of scone 'biscuits'. Not even close to what I'd hope.

Wednesday Rain this morning and dark even at 8:00 am. It is partially because of daylight savings, but the clouds were full of rain. It did get to snowing about 9:00 am and now at 1:00 pm, we have lots of it again. 

No Round table this morning because I wanted to get to making stuff for the freezer. I got going slower than I'd planned though so when it was all said and done, all I got done was a batch of {strange} granola and pancakes. There is more granola to be made. The first batch of granola has no oats, just nuts and seeds, with egg white powder, coconut oil, cinnamon, stevia and erythritol. I'll eat it and they can have the other when it's done.

I was scouring the 'net for diy gf flours. I dislike using just what's at the store, which is primarily starches and rice flour. There are others, I know, but I have to go far to get the others. Finally, I found this site that has different diy gf flour mixes. I chose the Ancient Grains GF Blend. If I had a grain mill I might try the Milled GF Flour Blend. But honestly, I don't plan on ever having a grain mill. I wouldn't use it enough to justify the cost. 

While searching for gf related recipes, I was directed to Tammy's blog where I found a link to an article about Gluten Sensitivity and the Impact on the Brain. Interesting! Some other gf sites: Gluten Free Cooking School, A Year of Slow Cooking, and Marine Corps Nomads.

Thursday Shouldn't have had those sugar cookies yesterday... Fox made cookies in the afternoon and I had just a few. I didn't eat 'well' {which doesn't mean I ate poor choices- except for those cookies- but didn't eat enough} and suffered for it this morning. Headache and so. very. tired. Slept on the couch for a couple hours after the kids were up. 

The kids got their exam work done, their chores done, and some shoveling done. Now it's noon and Lee is making blondies. I. am. not. eating. ANY. Nope. They are actually for tomorrow's tea-time anyway. {Edited: I ate some. Of course.}

I started another book discussion post series. I really need to finish Amusing Ourselves to Death first but The Living Page is just so good. 

Dear hubby came home early with a migraine so the rest of the night was spent reading The Devil Walks in Mattingly {my review will be live 3/22/14} and starting The Book Thief. 

Friday Last day of Exam Week. It's such an easy week for me, this exam week thing. Lee said that it's a bit like having a week 'off' of school, although they still have hours of 'school' they do. Funny how the perspective is on that. Dh stayed home from work; still not 'well'. That meant I got to sleep in :) I forgot it was Friday and not Saturday, though. The kids didn't really want to get up and get going. They were done with their exams by about 11:00 am. I posted the results here and here. 

We did have tea-time. I'm sure it is because of the blondies set aside for today but Fox was practically sing-songing that tea-time was today. Silly boy. We played Stare and had tea. With blondies of course. 

The Weekly Barden still needs finished and some of my 'chores' need done. Hubby is still spending most of the day in bed so I might get out of those chores. 

I did get a box of foodstuffs I ordered on Wednesday {fast shipping!}, and am impatiently waiting for the other to arrive so that I can attempt some gf bread. I chose sorghum flour, brown rice flour, buckwheat flour, white rice flour, millet flour, and quinoa flour- all from Bob's Red Mill {from Amazon}. Hopefully I'll have some posts about my baking soon.

Tomorrow we are going to a police car auction, just because we can. None of us have ever been so it'll be an experience. Sunday is church and Monday is Pearls meeting. Those are the plans. 

And that's the week for us. How's your's been? 

Year 10, Term 2, Exam Results

I decided to go ahead and post the exam results for Term 2. I was overly concerned that they would be 'shabbily' done and I'd be embarrassed. I seem to have forgotten that this isn't about *me* necessarily. It is about what they have learned and retained. They did just fine, although I do see some areas that are in need of attention. That is, after all, the purpose of assessments.

These are my 11th grade dd's Y10 T2 results. Both questions and her responses. You can see the original AO exam questions at their website. 

Bible/Devotional (The Attributes of God and The Christian's Secret to a Happy Life)
1. Discuss in detail two of God's attributes.
A-One attribute is God's knowledge. An interesting point to this that I'd never thought about is that He knows all things because He has decreed them to be that way. It makes sense.

Speaking of decrees, that was another attribute. They are clearly linked with the omniscience of God. From the beginning of the world, God made decrees. All the universe follows them.

It's like planning an event. You say, "At this time there will be lunch." You know there will be lunch at a certain time because you planned it that way. Of course, we don't have the power to enforce things like God does.

2. Recite all verses learned thus far.
A- Recited. We use SCM memory box system.

3. Relate a point made in The Christian's Secret to a Happy Life that has been influential to you, and tell why.
A- There was a chapter on doubt about salvation. Many people don't get the 'feeling' that they are saved, and so feel that they have to recommit themselves again and again. First of all, we are not to base our spiritual position on emotions. Emotions are misleading, of the flesh. Second of all, picture someone who signed a contract. They don't worry and doubt and try to sign it again, because they don't 'feel' like it happened. Salvation is an act, not a feeling. The devil tries to weaken us by making us doubt our salvation. We must rest in the fact, and not the feeling, of our salvation.

This was helpful to me because I could not remember the exact time I was saved. It led me to doubt my salvation sometimes, and I felt I had to recommit myself. Reading that chapter, I learned to respond to the doubts by saying: "I AM saved." God has saved me; whether I 'feel' it all the time or not does not affect that.

Writing/Penmanship
Write 8-10 lines of poetry in your choice of verse. {She chose to write in cursive; executed 'perfectly'. This is her own poetry composition.}
A-
Why poetry? you ask.
Why beauty? I say.
Poetry is the beauty of life
In simple words.

Why poetry? you ask.
Why thoughts? I say.
Poetry is the deep thoughts
of the mind.

Why poetry? --
Poetry is life.

Composition 
1. Tell about John Keats, Charles Dickens, or Alfred Tennyson.
A- Unfortunately, I don't remember any of them well. 

'Born poor, managed to go to school, didn't finish college, considered being a lawyer or preacher, found he had no taste for it, got married, didn't have a good marriage, was a popular writer, but still struggled financially, an died in debt, loved and missed.' --This seems to be how most of the writers' lives went, and may or may not apply to the authors above.

2. Narrate an episode from Les Miserables.
A-The encounter of Jean Valjean with the Bishop of D-- (the town is written as that; I've taken to calling it Don in my head), or Monsieur Bienvenu (Bienvenu means 'welcome'), changed the former's life. Jean Valjean had run into deep poverty; desperate, he ended up stealing bread from a bakery. He got landed in jail for that, 5 years, I believe. But he tried to escape jail, and ended up more time. By the time he got our, Jean Valjean's time in jail was 20 years. He was very bitter inside. Jean Valjean had a yellow passport, which labeled him as a former convict. People, seeing this, wouldn't let him dine anywhere or lodge anywhere. Someone, however, told him of the good Bishop. Jean Valjean went to the Bishop's home, not really hoping for kindness at all. The Bishop gave him dinner and a bed for the night. However, Jean Valjean kept note of the silverware used for dinner, which were truly silver. He ended up stealing them and leaving in the early morning. The Bishop wasn't upset; he felt he had kept the silver from the poor, who needed it, and Jean Valjean needed it. Police caught Jean Valjean and brought him to the Bishop, automatically assuming he had stolen the silverware. Monsieur Bienvenu, however, said Jean Valjean had forgotten some other thing, and sent him on his way. This had such an impact on Jean Valjean. Before, he had been wicked as a matter of habit, but now he realized his wickedness. 

3. Summarize a poem you read this term by Elizabeth Barrett Browning.
A- The poem, I believe, is called "He Giveth Sleep," or something along those lines. Browning writes about how life can be wearisome, but she can always know that "He giveth his beloved, sleep." She ends each 6-line section with that line. The very last section talks about when she dies; her friends should not mourn, because "He giveth his beloved, sleep."

Editing
Complete the next assignment reading/exercise in The Copyeditor's Handbook. Give narration for reading.
A- The chapter I read was on capitalization. There were several sections. Proper names are rather simple- they are capitalized, no matter where in the sentence they are. Now, trademarked names like Jell-O, Post-It, Frisbee, and Teflon are a little different. If you are referring to the specific brand, capitalize it. These terms, however, have become very generalized, and so need not always be capitalized (e.g., 'he shook like jello'). 

Titles, subtitles, and captions- there are several different styles for capitalizing these. There's UP/lc (uppercase/lowercase) style (How to Read a Book) or sentence style (How to read a book). For prepositions and transition words (e.g., an, the, in, out, by), there are three styles. Don't capitalize prepositions (Gone with the Wind), capitalize prepositions of four letters or more (Gone With the Wind), or capitalize prepositions of five letters or more (Literature Through the Years).

History 
2. Explain "the South saw itself as the slave of a Union dominated by Northern capital."
A-Banks, factories, export, import, schools- the North had these, but the South did not. Certainly, the South had slavery, but it could not live forever on it. They were very dependent on the North's economy. The Capitol of the Union was even in the North! Really, everything for a nation's success was in the North, and so the South was subject to it.

3. Tell what you know about the Battle of Gettysburg or George B. McClellan, or Jefferson Davis.
A-I will tell about Jefferson Davis. Davis was the President of the Confederacy during the Civil War, but he wasn't an excellent choice. Certainly, he was a Southern, a slave owner, and had a military background, but the rest of his character did not match up to a typical Southern man. Davis owned only about 70 slaves, as much as he could care for. He never split families, and preferred to let the slaves deal with matters of justice. Davis was not a man made for politics. (Continuing on the note of slavery,) Davis pushed for the South to not depend so heavily on slavery, and to have factories and schools and railroads. The only reason Davis was elected President was because of his forceful character. He had one opinion, and that was his, and he wouldn't hear anything to persuade him otherwise. That I know, Davis did not even pursue the Confederate Presidency; he was nominated and elected by others. 

4. Discuss the role of Uncle Tom's Cabin in the American slavery debate.
A-Uncle Tom's Cabin fueled the North's dislike of slavery, while the South felt that it was an attack by Northern abolitionists. Many Northerners were shocked by the scenes described in the book; some thought they were exaggerated. Stowe later published a Key to the book, showing the real side of the book. It did prick the South in their moral sides, but they felt Stowe was accusing them of all being evil. Stowe blamed the institution, which hurt both slave and master.

Geography
1. Describe Damascus.
A-I don't remember it well, it blurs with all the other middle-east places that the author of Eothen visited. The inhabitants were likely Islamic, likely eager to please anyone British because the British were the higher power, and likely had camels that the author borrowed. More definite details escape me. 

2. Describe the "great American desert," the prairie.
A-I can describe from reading and from experience. It is not your 'typical' desert, in that it's not just sand dunes and mirages. A desert is classified by how much rain a place gets yearly (by this classification, Antarctica is a desert). I would say, by that definition, the prairie isn't really a desert. There are thunderstorms almost daily during the summer, giving plenty of rain. But how much that amounts to over a year, I don't know. Anyways, the prairie is a large, featureless expanse. There are hills, gently rolling, and the occasional rivers, but for the most part you see tall, brown grass. You may see antelope, maybe buffalo (more so in the olden days). Like a typical desert, it's hot during the day, cold at night (the evening rain makes it especially cool).

3. Detail some "scenes from Fort Laramie," or at the camp.
A-From what I remember, Fort Laramie was made of mud bricks. It [was] two sections, sort of an outer 'box' and an inner 'box'. The innermost 'box' was designed as a final retreat in case of emergency. The gate to it had only a small opening, for passing items through. 

Many of the inhabitants were Indians, or Frenchmen. From the author's view, the Indians spent all day in idleness, just lounging around. 

'Feasts' at Fort Laramie consisted of dried buffalo meat and bread (the bread is what made it a 'feast').

At one point, Fort Laramie was visited by traders and Indians. They didn't get along very well; the Indians started demanding things of the traders, and violence threatened to break out. I think of the groups left before it did get violent.

Natural History and Chemistry
1. Write an entry in your Nature Journal.

completed

2. Describe a scene from "A Hundred Miles of Warblers" or "Mountain Meadows".
A-[she missed this one; will do later]

3. What are some elements you have learned and their abbreviations? Tell what else you know about the elements or the Periodic Table.
A-I don't remember abbreviations very well. Here's some I do: Hydrogen (H), Oxygen (O), Chlorine (Cl), Potassium (K), Iron (Fe), Gold (Au), and Silver (Ag). Elements are abbreviated for ease of use in formulae, such as the well-known H20. In the Periodic Table, elements are arranged by number of protons. The number of protons determines what element an atom is. Hydrogen is 1, then Helium (He) is 2, all the way to element 118 (which is a man-made element that I don't know the name of). At the far-right side of the Table are the Noble Gases, which are elements like Neon (Ne?), Xenon, and Argon, that don't like to mix with other elements.

4. Tell what you know about Sir Humphry Davy, Dmitri Mendeleev, or Ernest Rutherford.
A-Dmitri Mendeleev is often credited as the discoverer/maker of the modern Periodic Table. Of course, in realms like science, it's rarely (if ever) the work of a single person that leads to such discoveries. Anywho, Mendeleev built on the world of another man who had tried to organize the elements into a Table. The other man (I forget his name) had recognized groups of elements that were similar, such as the noble gases. He had tried to organize the whole Table that way, by an element's properties. Mendeleev got the key to the Table's organization a little more correct. He organized by weight. Mendeleev's Table even included gaps, for elements not yet discovered. His Table was so accurate (not perfect, though), he could predict the weight and properties of any missing element. 

5. Why does science matter?
A-Science matters because of the age we live in, which is largely centered on science. Technology is constantly moving forward. What makes technology possible? Science. Well, actually, science makes everything possible.* And, so, if we want to understand, perhaps, how the batteries in our cameras work, how the tallest buildings don't fall over, or how the newest supercar gets its power, an understanding of science can help us.
*A note: Perhaps I should clarify this. Science is the study of what makes things possible. Applying this knowledge is also science. Science itself, however, does not 'make the world go 'round.'

Citizenship/Government
1. What does "Temperance avoids every excess" mean?
A-It seems a rather redundant phrase. Let's follow a dictionary trail:
temperance: moderation and self-restraint
moderate: not excessive or extreme
excess: an amount or quantity beyond what is required
Using these, to be temperate is to be moderate, which is to be not excessive. So, it is a bit of a restating of 'temperance,' though this phrase does emphasize 'every excess.' What does this mean for us? Well, some people say temperance is not drinking (the dictionary lists this as a second definition), but true temperance is to be moderate in all things. Food, speech, sleep, all of these you can have excess of; this phrase says to be moderate in these things.

2. How many races are there? Why does our stance on racism matter?
A-Let's turn to our handy dictionary again, since I'd like to know the 'technical' meaning of 'race':
race: 1. a group of people distinguished by genetically transmitted physical characteristics.
2. a group of people united by a common history, nationality, or tradition.
3. a genealogical line; lineage.

Well, there are two different views on this. Evolutionists will claim that there are totally separate races, ones that evolved in Africa, some in Asia, etc. And by evolution standards, one race may have evolved to be better than another race, thus giving us a 'legitimate' reason for racism and assumed white superiority.

Now, on the other hand, Creationists know that we are all descended from Adam and Eve, and from Noah. After Babel, people split into language families and spread across the Earth. Over time, certain traits formed strongly in different groups. I think of it similar to cats; all breeds of cats are still cats, but some cats in Turkey tend to be white and orange and water-loving, while cats from the streets of America tend to be brown tabbies. We are all the same race, because we all come from the same source, and no one of us is better than the other.

3. Choose an issue from Evaluating Books and present the statist and "other side of the story."
A-The statists say that child labor laws are for the good of children. Now, the 'other side' says that, while the laws may have been necessary at one time, when working conditions were truly dangerous and harmful, nowadays the laws are a hindrance. Employers want people with experience, but kids can't get the experience they need, because they can't work. The old apprentice system has been done away with. Internships are similar, but you still have to be older. Once a person is old enough to work, they probably need to work, but finding a job with what little experience they have hard.

Arithmetic/Geometry
Do math for the day. {She did Khan Academy}

Foreign Language
1. Have a conversation with Jeffery and Mom. (Sign Language)
completed

2. Do a day's work in either Second Form or First Year Latin.
A- Completed Lesson XIV in First Year.

Art/Picture Study
Describe a picture from this term's picture study.
A- 'The Fifer,' by Eduord (?) Manet. It's a painting of a fifer boy against a plain tan-gray background. He's wearing a very fancy uniform, a black jacket with gold buttons and red pants with a black stripe down the sides of the legs. His shoes are those fancy kinds, black with white on the top. He has a fife holder strapped to his chest, and he has the fife raised to his lips, ready to play. He wears a triangular hat, which is red and black and has a golden tassel. 

Submit any artwork completed this term.

Recitation
Declaration of Independence

Music Appreciation
1. Tell about your favorite piece of music from this term.
A-I liked Claude Debussy's Prelude to the Afternoon of a Faun. It is a very quiet, calm, pleasant piece that makes me think of spring. It almost sounds at first as though the faun is waking up from a nap, and birds are flying above him. The piece is mostly with wind instruments, flutes and clarinets. After the faun wakes up, the music gets a little louder and stronger for a bit, as though he has awoken in an amazing spot, maybe by a waterfall in the middle of a forest. It definitely sounds like music for a spring or summer forest. 

2. Tell about your favorite composer from this term.
A-None of the composers particularly stood out to me this term, but the one I liked most was Sir Edward Elgar (I may have gotten his first name wrong). He composed Pomp and Circumstance, which is often played during graduations. Elgar was an English composer (or should I say British?) who came at a time when England had long gone with [out?] any composers of its own. He wasn't born 'Sir', but later was given that title by the queen because of his great music.

Circle Time...Not Just for Littles

Okay perhaps I wouldn't call it "Circle Time" with my kids. Although I'm not sure they know that's what it's called in elementary school. When we get together as a family for thanksgiving and prayer, hubby calls it "Round Table". {I like that.} 

The first time I can recall really paying attention to another homeschooler's "Circle Time" was through Cindy Rollins posts about their Morning Time. Reading her posts are always encouraging. I read her posts but, uh, I'll admit I don't pay attention to her posts. Does that make sense? Much like I read Charlotte Mason's books but don't pay attention. If I paid particular attention, I would think I'd have the little seeds planted in my brain, ready to bring forth some sort of fruit. I must pay some attention though, because I keep thinking about this thing Cindy calls Morning Time. {And of course I pay some attention to Charlotte Mason *wink*}

We've started something in the mornings that I would like to expand more into a "circle time". We {the kids and I- hubby is off to work hours before we get started} begin our day with prayer. Actually it goes breakfast, Bible reading and then prayer. We are still a little disconnected when it comes to when we do these things. I eat at 6:30, Fox eats at 7:30 and Lee eats about 8:00-ish. Bible reading is done while eating breakfast. The reason for that is that we are all in different places in our reading. We are all following different schedules. {Note to self: might be a good idea to get us all on the same schedule next year.}

Our prayer time is spent praying for our family, individuals we know and prayer requests that have come to us through our church's prayer bulletin. I've found it has really made a difference in our days. We miss our together time at least once a week, unfortunately, and those days just seem to go poorly. 

I want to include more in our Round Table time. More of the things that, as Cindy points out, I want them to not miss. I can't honestly say that I know that CM talked about a morning meeting but this comment has me wondering if I've just missed the references:

"...as a result of my early home school adventures and the reading of For the Children’s Sake (Susan Schaeffer Macaulay) followed by The Original Home school Series by Charlotte Mason, I began a morning meeting with my children as a way to incorporate subjects that were important to me but easily lost in the shuffle of conventional schooling."

I've read Macaulay's book, but it was a library book with a short loan time. I may have read it faster than I would have liked. I have not read all of CM's works either. They are always in my 'currently reading' pile.

I don't know yet what I will include in our Round Table because Cindy's list looks so long and daunting! She does say though that she's built it up to 2 hours. My kids are clockwatchers *sigh* and if our Round Table {read: prayer time} takes 30 minutes they feel it's been a long time. There's a reason they are clock-watchers- they are also addicted to their screen time {ah, as am I}. When school is done, they are allowed to play their video game. Something to work on...living life not playing video games or living in the virtual world. 

Well, this is something I'm going to be thinking more about and probably {hopefully} posting more about. I sure do wish I could have homeschooled from the start but I am so very glad that I can do it now.

Glimpse of Week #5- 2013/2014 School Year

An attempt at a weekly wrap up. I wanted to title this "Week of Mondays" but refrained. I'll try to keep this real but not too whiny.

Monday- school-wise was not too bad. It definitely felt like a Monday though. The kids and I went grocery shopping and I did some freezer cooking. Narrations are going well. Still work to be done.

I placed the order for the next math for Lee: Life of Fred Geometry.

I also placed my very first BIG Mary Kay order. I am excited and nervous about getting things going.

Tuesday- I FINISHED MY TAX COURSE! whew...that was the highlight of my day. Honestly don't recall much else lol.

Fortunately, there are records of what we did that day. Chemistry! We don't do it well... I wish we could have some fancy curriculum or chemistry set for our class ...but we don't. And even if we did, I'm still me. We read from a few books that are interesting and informative. And we attempt science experiments. What else do we really need? {don't tell me about this or that program... shhhhh...let me have my bliss} This isn't the best photo- somewhat blurry and there's still part of the label stuck to the jar. But I think you can see the strings in the syrup {sugar water that Fox wants to use on his pancakes- gag!}.

Wednesday- The kids and I had to go to Mentor to check on a bird and some plants {Lee's bird sitting and plant watering while a family is away on vacation}. We found good deals at the Walgreen's there: 2 dozen eggs for $1 and 2 Arizona teas for $1. Fox had taken some money out of the bank to buy himself paper and we discovered it's not make from trees. Oooooo. Lol. It is made from sugarcane husks and bamboo. Other than the smell it's just like other paper. It was on sale, too. *wink*

I got a heads up for a free student ID card site- with free shipping! It's called Alphacard, and the free shipping is always but the free student ID card is until 9/30/13 or until supplies last. It says it takes 2-4 weeks for delivery. They are not really fancy but better than what we personally had before. I love the ones from Homeschool Buyer's Co-op that can be printed out and I've never purchased one from them. I'm thinking Alphacard's will work perfect for us. Lee chose a blue bubble/splatter background and Fox chose the books background. Looking forward to getting them! 

Fox went back to Young Marines after almost a month. His platoon had gone to Washington, D. C., at the end of July. Fox didn't go because we plan on going as a family later in the year. Well, we were a little guilt ridden for saying he couldn't go {he didn't mind; he wanted his first time there to be a family affair}. It's a good thing he did not go. His platoon was the worst they've ever been. Apparently two of the boys that went actually got in a physical fight in front of high ranking officials. The boys were apparently flat out rude to others as well. Things were so bad that one of the volunteers who'd been with this group {not the same individuals, just the platoon} for four years, quit. I feel quite sorry for the Commanding Officer of my son's platoon. He tries hard and seems he gets nothing but grief in return. Apparently there was some 'restructuring' of the platoon when they got back. We are praying that things turn around for the platoon.

Lee and I made it to prayer meeting. We talked about baptism on our drive home.

Thursday- My computer made me mad. Yep. I was so not happy with it. I decided to wipe it clean. It took quite awhile. Things did not go smoothly. I think I should have waited to do the deed until after school requirements were out of the way...but no. I did not. I wiped it clean and it wouldn't work! That'll teach me to get mad at an electronic, right?

Since I am on it now {this is Friday}, it did eventually get worked out but was just such a hassle. I don't know which was worse; it's horrid slowness followed by crashing programs or having to redo the reboot more than once and then reinstall, repair drivers. Eh, it's done now. But anyhow. Two days {since it was funky on Wednesday as well} of "No, you cannot use the computer" kind of put a cramp on The Weekly Barden. It's been postponed until... maybe Saturday?

We went to Willoughby this morning for the kids' ASL Club meeting. I learned the sign for turtle! 

Friday- It's Friday...although it's felt like Monday for a good portion of it. School went quite well even with the kids walking to the library. They were gone for 2 hours and still managed to get school done by 2 something.

I'm still unhappy with my computer. 122 updates later and it has multiple issues. 

Oh here is our science experiment today.

And I think that's as far as my wrap up will go for this week. Overall, really, I guess it's not been too bad but for some reason it's felt like it has been. Now I'm off to watch some homemade flying videos my hubby made. Here's one that has all his videos and photos but someone else's edits and music {ahem, my hubby does better}.

Just for Fun- Stephen Foster

This is the most recent 'composer' we're studying about. When we (here at North Laurel Home & School) think 'composer' we don't usually think this sort of music; we think of classical, orchestral. But we are expanding our ideas. At first we were a little taken back by the music but we rather like it now. I remember "Oh Susanna!" from when I was younger, and "Camptown Races". I just didn't know the names or remember them until now.

School and In General -the Bad and the Good

It's not Friday so it's not a weekly wrap-up but it feels like there needs to be an update. For some reason, I don't know why.

Today is Thursday- not Monday although it's felt like it all day. Week 4 and...but... I feel like it's week 29! I'm not at burnout but I feel a tad whelmed. Yes, that's probably the best word for it. I'm not quite overwhelmed. There just doesn't feel like there was any rest. We've not gone all gung-ho into school again and we did have almost 2 months off from last year to this year.

Too much on my plate? Too much on their schedules? Too much... something? Not enough of something else? I just cannot put my finger on it!

In this post, I'll share what's been good ... and I'll be honest and share what's been not so good.

First, let's just get the not so good out there. As homeschoolers {oh gee, let's face it: as parents} we all have hours, days, or even weeks and months when things are just not going so well. It's not good to just pretend that everything is peachy. It's not healthy!

Chores... not getting done as well as they should. That goes for the kids and myself. Although I did get the table cleaned off ...for a chemistry experiment that didn't happen.

And although the table got cleaned off...the stuff just migrated to different spots.

As

I was going to take a photo of the kitchen area and then thought better of it. It's a little scary at the moment...but the dishwasher is running. There is hope.

Attitudes...they are lacking to put it nicely. We have a little 'helper' on our whiteboard but uh, I'm not sure he's visible enough and obviously not vocal enough to help us when we need it.

Lee has contemplated making Mr. Awesome and Mr. Negative badges for us to wear when we are being one or the other.

Inconsistency...I think this is mostly my doing. However, both kids know what they need to do and know how to do it. We're all responsible for ourselves. Sloppy school work, sloppy chores, incomplete tasks, etc. Constant works in progress!

Computer issues... it's been awhile so I'm mostly used to it by now. It's just getting old. Next month some time my internet contract is up, so I'm considering no more home internet. That means much less computer usage. I don't know if that's a good or not so good thing. Another on my list of things that overwhelms me. 

And finally, things that are somewhat beyond our control: unavailable resources for school. Fox has been doing German since last school year and Lee wishes to continue with Latin. I had resources -free for Fox, have to purchase for Lee- for both of these. Now the German resources aren't doing what we need them to do. It's looking like I will need to purchase a program. And for Lee, I don't have the funds yet to purchase her next Latin level! She's just about done with her math as well. The next level will need to be procured ASAP. It's always tough when we can't provide something. I don't want to short-change their education. It'll come together, I know, but in the meantime it's one of the things adding to my feeling of 'overwhelmed'. 

Now for the good! It's good to end on a positive note. 

I'm very happy {still} with our school choices. The curriculum at Ambleside Online is very challenging but interesting at the same time. Both of the kids, although not always, are enjoying their books. I honestly couldn't say without asking right at the moment which books are their favorites. But it's evident when they do their readings and narrations that they are 'getting it'.
I had a website through weebly that I'd compiled books from AO/HEO that are Kindle Ready but AO has updated their site recently to include a lot of the links {or better ones} that I'd found. I'm going to be giving up that site and the work that it entails. It was a sporadic source of income for me but I'd been changing the links to free sites as much as possible. That caused a drop in revenue. I won't get rid of the site -the address- but it's focus will probably change.  I did renew my domain name here at blogger but... I may be switching it all to the weebly site. I won't pay for a domain name again, I don't think. I'm still in the 'considering' stage. 

I've been doing really well with THM and am at the lowest I've been since I was in my early 20s. I don't want to go much lower and need to work on strength and endurance now. This morning's breakfast was a THM recipe: Trim Healthy Pancakes. I tweaked the recipe to include garbanzo bean flour as well as oats. Some of our dinner meals have als been THM and for the most part, acceptable to the rest of the family. Absolutely NO cooked radishes in any of the dishes that are meant for the entire family. It's been firmly requested by dear hubby.

Speaking of radishes! that's the only thing that has grown in our garden this year. It's quite discouraging that nothing else has BUT it hasn't really bothered me enough to fit in my list of overwhelming things *wink*.

I am hoping the cool weather will be good for the broccoli that is still in the garden. It hasn't grown large enough to even produce any florets. It's still warm enough, I think that it could still give us some good produce. It remains to be seen.

As silly as this may sound to others who are followers of Christ: I have just recently come to the understanding -true, in my heart as well as my head- that prayer before a decision is necessary. I may have a delayed understanding but the light bulb has finally come on and wow! it's bright! The way the light bulb was turned on? My Mary Kay Director prayed for me, on the phone, before I took her challenge to sell 25 items to get my business going.

I did not pray before I made the decision to rejoin Mary Kay. I did not pray when I signed up for a website. I did not pray when I first put myself out there that I'd made the commitment. And the result? Nothing. I got nothing. So what happened after prayer? I am 10 items closer to my 25 item goal, and I feel more peace about the endeavor. I believe prayer works but senselessly I've not been utilizing it very well. In this business aspect or other aspects of my life. It's a work in progress but now that the light is on, I hope to keep it shining.

I've been studying my Bible more consistently and it's amazing how much I missed by trying to make sure I got it read in a year. I am enjoying it. I'm not pressured to get it in and mark off the day's reading. I've started a notebook with my studying. Following a chronological schedule still, I'm not concerned about what day I'm supposed to be on. I'm learning what God has for me to learn from his Word. Someday I'll even be able to think of verses off the top of my head for situations and circumstances (Deut 6:7? teach them diligently unto thy children...talk of them when you sittest in your house...when you walkest by the way...when you liest down...and when you risest up- how'd I do? I'll have to look!).

And I think I will leave this post on that note. I started this post with the feeling of heaviness; I feel relieved. I write my blog posts for a number of purposes: to get the words out of my head, to reflect on our homeschooling and life in general, and to possibly help others if even a small way.