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 8, Term 2, Exam Results

These are my 9th grade ds' Y8 T2 results. I'm fixing all spelling errors. I just cannot type them incorrectly; any that remain are mine  I've put the questions and the answers here. 

Bible
1. Discuss in detail two of God's attributes.
A- I don't remember specific attributes. I do remember some things that were stated. God is omnipotent, omniscient, and omnipresent. He is merciful and kind, but set against sin. God will not change. How he was and is, He will be that way forever. God wishes none should sin and suffer the consequences, but rather join him in Heaven. 

2. Recite all verses learned thus far.
A- Recited. We use SCM memory box. Just a couple were not well memorized.

3. Relate a passage from your Bible reading that has been especially profound to you, and tell why.
A- I have been reading in Job. I am amazed at how Job reacts. He is complaining, yet never blaming God for any of his suffering. Job knew that he had done nothing wrong yet said "Blessed be the Lord." Job really shows how we should be when God gives us a trial. I found it inspiring how Job knew God's laws and rules so well, that he could say without a doubt, that he had done no wrong when others told him to repent.

Writing/Penmanship {he wrote in print, executed "perfectly." This is is own original poetry.}
Write 8-10 lines of poetry in your choice of verse.
A-
The Dishwasher

Off in the kitchen, there is a loud crack.
A plate had slipped right out of his hand.
It fell to the ground, almost hitting the cat's back.
The man sighed, this wasn't going as planned.
He was of noble blood, from the house of Asher.
As he picked up the pieces from the ground,
The cat rubbed itself against the noble dishwasher.
The man smiled, the feline was his only friend still around.
The End

Composition
1. Tell one episode from Westward Ho!
A- After sinking the Rose, Amyas and crew wandered the large island for three months. Out of the original 80 of the crew, only 50 or so remained. The Indian boy they had held captive decided to join them. The crew had been sick shortly after heading inland, killing a few. As they crossed a river, Indians shot some. Later they were going through a mountain pass and more Indians attacked them. Jack Brimblecombe and some others held them off so the others could escape. They all died heroically. Amyas remained calm and collected through all of it. Amyas decided the best path would be to try the mountain path again. The crew remains faithful and would follow their captain to the end of the world. The crew no longer has any shot left, but with the help of the Indian boy, have a large collection of bows and arrows. They head towards the mountains at the end of the chapter.

2. "All the world's a stage." Explain.
A- I believe this means that inspiration comes from everywhere. It could also mean that life is a story that we can watch others "act" in. Oh, the quote is from Shakespeare.

3. Tell something of Sir Walter Raleigh.
A- Sir Walter Raleigh was an author during Queen Elizabeth's reign. He wrote a book about a boat called the Revenge. It was a recording of a real battle. The Revenge held off many Spanish ships until there was little crew left. Only five or six lived to tell the tale. Raleigh wrote this book in memory of the men who died and as a sort of "it's the least I could do" type of thing, for Raleigh was originally called to go on the voyage with them, but had been sent back shortly before it left. Raleigh was thrown in the tower after Elizabeth died by the new king. The new prince would visit Raleigh. The two became good friends. Raleigh started to write a book for him, but as he was in the middle of writing it, the prince died in a riding accident. Raleigh was heartbroken and never finished his book.

English {we aren't doing grammar this year- working through POWA}
A- Worked in POWA.

History
2. Give an account of The Mayflower.
A- When Queen Elizabeth was in power, Puritans were very persecuted. A group of Puritans, wishing for peace, fled to Holland.They were there for 10 years before they decided they wanted to go to the new colonies in America. They talked with the Virginia Company, who was going to help them get over there. But first, they had to have the king's permission. The king, James I (for Queen Elizabeth had died whilst the Puritans were in Holland), asked them what they would do for a living. They told him fishing, and he granted them allowance to go. 101 people got onto a boat called the Mayflower. It took 2 1/2 months to get across but they did. They survived a tough first winter. That's all I remember.

4. Describe the New Model Army and trace the growth of Cromwell's power.
A- Cromwell's new model army was really simple. Back then, each general had their division. They all did what they thought was best. It caused confusion. Cromwell made it so there was a base attack plan for the entire army. This division did one thing every battle. And it worked quite well.

6. Tell about Johannes Kepler.
A- Mr. Kepler was smart and into astronomy. He often short sold himself. One example is when he was offered a position as an astronomy teacher. he worried that he couldn't do it. His friends rolled their eyes and told him to take the job. Kepler did and he enjoyed it immensely. 

Geography
1. Explain the theory Heyerdahl set out to prove. 
A- Heyerdahl lived in a group of islands that worshiped a god named Tiki. The natives believed that Tiki had come from far away by boat. Heyerdahl had found out that in South America, Tiki was worshiped there as well. Tiki had a different name, though. Heyerdahl knew about rafts that South Americans used out of balsa logs. Those rafts had been in use for as long as they had recorded history. Heyerdahl's theory was that Tiki was a South American who sailed to the islands on a balsa raft. 

2. Contrast Quito with the jungle of Quevedo. 
A-I don't recall where or what Quito is/was. So I will just explain the jungles of Quevedo. It is a jungle in South America. It is where Balsa trees grow. The jungle was hot and infested with bugs. Once, the author woke up and was going to put his shoe on, when a scorpion crawled out. 

3. "Not a day passed but we . . . were visited by inquisitive guests which wriggled and waggled about us . . ." What were some of these creatures?
A- If I recall correctly, this would be talking about the flying fish. "Not a day passed but we...were visited by inquisitive guests which wriggled and waggled about us." The "wriggled and waggled about us" is talking about how the fish would jump onto their raft and flop around until they died. One of the daily tasks of the chosen cook, would be to gather the fish on the deck up and make food out of them. The fish were silvery and shiny. They had large, long fins. Flying fish are not very large. 

Natural History and Chemistry
1. Write, in the style of Susan Fenimore Cooper about trees in your area.
A- The Red Maple. A red maple grows behind our house. It looks about 40 feet tall. These trees, Acer rubrum, can grow up to 89 feet. It can be used for maple syrup and lumber. The leaves are gone now, but they are in a W shape when grown. In spring it has fruit called Samara. We often call them "helicopters" due to the fact that they spin as they fall. 

2. Write an entry in your Nature Journal.
completed

3. What are some elements that you have learned and their abbreviations? Tell what else you know about the elements or the Periodic Table.
A- Over the term we have learned about many elements. First I will talk about Hydrogen. It is the lightest and first element on the periodic table. Its abbreviation is H. It has 1 proton. Hydrogen is an odorless, clear gas. Next I will talk about Silver. On the table it's abbreviated Ag. It is a metal, much like another element Gold, Au. It is known for its shine and softness. More metal elements are: Copper, Cu, Platinum, Pt and Iron, Fe. On the far right of the table are the 'noble gases'. These elements are nonreactive gases, meaning they don't combine easily with other elements into compounds. Some of the noble gases are Krypton, Kr, Argon, Ar and Neon, Ne.

4. Tell what you know about Sir Humphry Davy, Dmitri Mendeleev, or Ernest Rutherford.
A- Dmitri Mendeleev (De-mi-tree Men-de-lay-ev) {this was for *my* benefit because I cannot seem to pronounce the last name correctly lol} was born in Russia. He had many other siblings. His dad died whilst he was still young. After his siblings left home, Mendeleev's mother took him to a college. they denied allowing Mendeleev to study there. The two tried another college, and this time he was accepted. Whilst Mendeleev took a large pile of blank notecards and wrote down an element on each. He also wrote the atomic weight on each as well. He arranged them by weight and left gaps for elements that hadn't been discovered. He had created the first periodic table. using this he predicted the missing elements' weights and properties. He was spot on with all of them. 

5. Why does science matter?
A- Why I think science matters, is that it helps you understand how things work. Most humans desire to know things, especially how or why this does that. It also, for Christians, helps us to understand even more how great God is.

Citizenship/Government 
1. What is the difference between democracy and liberty?
A- Democracy is very different than liberty. Liberty is not being watched over by the government. Democracy is being "taken care of" by government. The founding fathers of the US did not want democracy. They wanted liberty-free of government, except for law enforcement. The government was not to add laws or tax people. They were simply to protect. 

2. Explain how the institution of slavery works in Utopia.
A-Slavery in Utopia was quite different than how normal slavery was. Slaves, first of all, were people who owed someone or broke certain laws. One way to become a slave was to travel twice without a permit. Slaves were given gold and jewelry as a sign of being a slave. Normal Utopians did not wear gold and jewels. Slaves were treated like a human, not some inferior life form. They could work out of slavery by meeting requirements. The requirements changed for each slave, as not all slaves had become slaves for the same reason.

3. Talk about "The Ways of Love".
A- One of the ways to love is pity. It is feeling sorry for someone. Another way to love is benevolence. This is forgiving and being kind to those who did something wrong to you.

Arithmetic
Do math for the day. {He did Khan Academy.}

Foreign Language
1. Have a conversation in ASL with Colleen and Mom. 
We did but... it was very short... need to work more on ASL.

2. Describe a picture from your German reader book, in German.
A- Die Katze un der Junge. 
Der Junge ist zeigt die Katze auf ein Zauberstab. Der Junge sagt "Hund ist Katze." Der Junge setzt sich auf der Stuhl. Die Katze setzt sich auf der Tisch.

Art/Picture study
1. Describe a picture from this term's picture study.
A- The Voyage of Life: Childhood
The picture was painted by Thomas Cole, one of the Hudson River school founders. It is the first in a series of paintings. This painting is set on a river. Behind the river are large cliffs. At the bottom of the cliffs are plains. As you get closer to the river you can see some purple wild flowers. On the river is a boat of wood. On the front of the small boat is an angel figure head. In the boat are an angel and an infant. The rivers comes out of a cave.

2. Submit any artwork completed this term.

Recitation
Gettysburg Address

Music Appreciation
1. Tell about your favorite piece of music from this term.
A- Prelude to the Afternoon of a Faun
This is a piece by Debussy. It is quiet and pleasant to begin with. As it goes on it gets more exciting. You can hear a wind instrument very well. The the strings come in. It jumps in volume here and there. 

2. Tell about your favorite composer from this term.
A- Debussy was my favorite composer from this term. I liked how his music was different from the other music of his time. His music was upbeat and energetic. He wrote piano pieces and a few ballets. We listened to his Prelude to the Afternoon of a Faun.

Weekly Wrap-Up -03.07.14- Week Before Term 2 Exams

I attempted to start a weekly wrap-up last week but that didn't fly at all. The Weekly Barden didn't even get done! Not sure what was so different about last week but oh well; moving on. 

*This post contains Amazon affiliate links. See Disclosure/Policies.

Sunday I was sick. Stuffed head, achy in my bones, just not well. Stayed home all day and finished a paper for the last week of my classes. Should have put it off until Monday perhaps because I reread it {after I turned it in...yeah...} and it isn't very clear. But it's done.

I did get some more reading in of The Living Page*, Praying for Boys*, and a review book that is a verse by verse study on the book of Hebrews {I don't care for the book I'm reviewing, so it's difficult to make myself read it}. 
*affiliate links

Monday started well with Round Table and a chemistry experiment. We separated water. Fox had done it before at a homeschool co-op but Lee and I had not so that's what we did. Pretty neat! Fox suggested trying it with a car battery...I'm sure that would pretty awesome but it ain't happenin'.

It was fun to do this experiment. And super easy *wink*.

Oh, yes, and from reading in The Living Page, I was reminded that I've not put an entry in my Nature Journal in so long. This morning I could actually see some light in the window when I woke up so I decided to record that in the journal. I'd like to make it a habit {so many habits I'd like to make a habit *sigh*} each morning to record what I see and/or hear.

Tuesday has started... but I'm so very tired. I could not sleep last night, for whatever reason. I had heartburn which I've not had in a very long time, and a headache. I blame the Jelly Belly jelly beans I ate earlier in the day along with the peppermint patties around bed time... I do learn from my mistakes; I just don't always apply what I've learned.

I put an entry in the Nature Journal. I wanted to add a drawing but I'm just so tired, it wouldn't come out right to be sure. 

Today is Friday of sorts because tomorrow there is no school. Well, we are going on a field trip so there still is school but no book work. We are going to the Auto Show that runs March 1-9 this year. 

Wednesday we did what we planned. It was fun and exciting but I didn't find my car. LOL I'm on the lookout for my "next" car and was hoping for "the" car at the auto show. Last year we went and I really liked the Toyota Venza. This year, not so much. It's bigger and smaller at the same time, with much too much going on inside of it. Dh likes the Toyota Highlander which is way too big imho. 

I had a GoPro* for taking videos and photos. Perhaps dh will let me share the compilation video he makes of mine and his footage. He does great work with video stuffs. 
*affiliate link

I finished up the last bits for my two college classes. I am officially done for this term; just waiting for the grade the instructors will give. I already have registered for Summer term and ordered my books. It's funny; there are the same number of classes but more books for half the cost as last term. Eh well. The courses are titled Foundations of Exceptionality and Foundations of Education. I'm looking forward to them. I feel I've learned a lot in the two I just finished. Although what I learned was pretty much that Charlotte Mason hit the nail on the head way back before many. Also I learned that technology is crazy and being seen as the magic bullet for education. 

Thursday I woke up at 5:55 am but refused to get out of bed until 6:30 am. I think that I should actually get up every morning that I wake early; but I rarely do it. Even though I got up at the same time as most mornings, it felt like there was more accomplished. Coffee was made (I put Redmond clay and FCLO in my bulletproof coffee {coconut oil and butter} this morning for added nutritional value- wasn't too bad), discussion boards for classes checked, email checked, AO forum checked, and The Living Page read. It was a good morning. And I even got a shower in before the kids were up. That's an accomplishment! 

Reading Bestvater's book made me realize- again- that I need to supply my kiddos with the materials they need. Not cheap ones that I myself would not want. I've done this before, often, because I *know* that they will not take as good care as I would. Perhaps, though, they do not because I give the impression that that is what I expect to happen, rather than trusting them to care for the things as I would want them to. I bought a set of woodless colored pencils* for Fox today. A set all his own. He generally shares my Prismacolor* or Lee's set that she got for a birthday gift. And we are usually harping on him to be careful; don't drop them; don't sharpen them too roughly; etc. I don't know how good of quality the pencils I chose are but the description sounds nice and the reviews are favorable. I want him to have nice things that he will cherish and treasure. And use of course. 
*affiliate link

Tonight for dinner it's going to be a whole chicken cooked in the crockpot. I've never cooked one in the crockpot like this so I'm a little nervous. I started it at 10:00 am to be done by 6:00 pm. It was mostly thawed when I put it in the pot. I can smell it starting to cook now. Yum. If it doesn't get done by 6:00 pm that is fine; we usually eat dinner a little before 7:00 pm. 

{Edited: It's done by 5:00 pm! Now I have to figure what goes with it. Uh, I need to figure out what to do with it. I stripped the meat off and put all the 'sludge' and bones back in the crockpot with some more water and some apple cider vinegar to make chicken broth. When it's done, I'll strain all the bits out and mash them for the cat's food.} 

This morning after Round Table I all of a sudden decided next week will be Term 2 exam week. I don't recall us ever having a Term 2 exam. Lee asked if I had enough time to prepare and if the term was actually over yet. We've been a bit behind 'schedule' all year. I answered yes to both. 

I know what I will be doing when we are not doing school. {Edited: I'm going almost exclusively off of the AO exams for Y8 and Y10. How easy is that? *smile*}

I went grocery shopping by myself today. Normally the kids go with me and are a big help. They still had quite a bit of school to get done with so I opted for them to stay behind. The cost for the "week's" groceries was over $100. That's the highest it's been for quite awhile. I did get a double size of fish though, which will run into next week. And since I'm trying to get everyone on the THM plan, I had to buy more of what I'd consider "special" food {by that I mostly mean things like cottage cheese and greek yogurt}, and a lot more fresh veggies! That's something I've been trying to do for awhile. I actually purchased a bag of kale. At some point I am going to attempt to make kale chips. 

Later in the day, since it was so nice, being in the low 30s, I begged bribed convinced the kids to go out on a bike ride with me. It is much colder riding a bike but it was nice and fun. I want to take my camera out now and shoot some stills of nature. {Edited: I did take my camera out to the backyard. I posted my photos in this post.} 

Friday Yay! It's not like the week has been long though. We had two days on, one day off, and the last two days on. It's been a good week. And Friday has tea-time, pizza and a movie. It's a great way to end the week.

This morning the radio weather forecast says it will be 40s today. That means o.u.t.d.o.o.r. weather! We'll see how it goes. Also this morning for some strange reason, I remembered someone close mentioning that in the municipality that I live in we are allowed to have chickens. That makes me so very happy. I just need to convince hubby...well, just as soon as I figure out the rules. There really don't appear to be many. Keep them on your property, don't let them destroy others' property, keep them sanitary and keep the noxious odors down. Sound doable.

We had tea-time, and then Fox and I had a quick bike ride. For tea-time I made shortbread cookies. Normal recipe {uh, well, I used honey in place of sugar- not so normal?} and a gluten free recipe for me {yes, I shared}. We read from Eragon* again. 
*affiliate link

Gluten-free spiced shortbread {here's the original recipe}
1 1/2 TBS coconut flour*
1 1/2 TBS almond meal*
2 TBS butter
1/2 TBS honey & 1 stevia packet
cinnamon, pumpkin pie spice, cloves {or 1/2 TBS cocoa powder for chocolate shortbread}
*affiliate link

Preheat oven to 365F. Mix all well and separate into 8 balls. Cover cookie sheet with parchment paper and space the 8 dough balls on the paper. Press them down into whatever shape you'd like. 

Cook for 9 minutes. Watch them 2 minutes til the end; they brown {burn} quickly. Remove from oven but let cool completely before removing from the cookie sheet. 

They were good. Next time I will either not use the stevia and even less of the honey or...well, I'm not sure. I like my shortbread to be butter more than sweet. 

Then we had to run an errand. Uh, the errand was to buy a new bookcase. I have books stacked too many places and books stacked on books on the existing bookshelves.

And now the day is just about done as it's almost 9:00 pm. Dh and I watched an episode of Ancient Aliens* {Amazon Instant Video link; affiliate}, while the kids watched some of Batman* {the old tv series; affiliate}. It was a night for laughter apparently *wink*. I have some reading I'd like to get done before heading to bed so off I go. Have a great weekend!

Exam Results, Term 1, 2013/2014 School Year, Day #5

For two of Fox's I changed the questions last minute. He put them off each day and was quite honest with me when he said he could recall nothing to adequately answer the question. Now I know he doesn't know about those, but I wanted to see what he does know. 

I did correct all spellings on this day; there were simply too many for me to transcribe without twitching uncontrollably. Just keeping it real. 

I also noticed as the days went on, Fox's answers become more flamboyant (?) and less detailed. 

Y8

Bible

Verses memorized to this point of 100 Bible Verses in 2013.

1. One of the arguments that stood out to me was the one about Jesus being a hypnotist. In this section the idea was that Jesus had merely hypnotized his followers into thinking he rose from the dead. This point was pushed aside as impossible because no one person can hypnotize so many people into seeing him after they died. Another argument that stood out to me was where they talked about the crucifixion. This chapter was graphic but interesting. It helped me understand what Jesus went through. It was very not cool. The chapter's point was to show how there was no human way that Jesus could have survived the cross. Overall the book has done its job well. It has left very sure answers to the questions presented. The people the author interviews are very precise and sure of what they are doing. I enjoyed it, though the author is a bit annoying; he interrupts a lot.

Literature

1. A morality is a play with a moral. Everyman is an example of a morality play.The plays often displayed character traits. Sometimes the plays were funny, sometimes serious, but they all had an overall purpose: to tell you something. Everyman's moral was that our riches and worldly works aren't important to God, our Good Deeds are.

Geography

3. Christopher Columbus had set out to discover new lands and to find a passage to China. He landed at various islands and met the people who lived there. He often gave gifts of beads and glass to them, which they liked very much. Columbus liked the islands a lot, especially one he named Beautiful Cape, in Spanish. He is planning to go to Cuba next, currently waiting for a good wind to sail with.

{Changed this question: Tell about your readings in The Life of Christopher Columbus.}

World History

6. In the book: The New World, I'm reading about a poet named Spencer. He wrote the Faerie Queene. He planned to write 12 books, but only wrote 3 before he died. I'm reading his first book Fierce Wars and Faithful Loves, and I think it's awesome! I'm hoping to read all of them eventually. Anyway, back to the narration. Spencer's writing were liked by all, even Queen Elizabeth like it. In fact she liked it so much she gave Spencer a good salary. Best part of it was she never read any of his books. 

{He got a little distracted here and this is one of the questions that I changed last minute. Here's the revised question: Relate a previous reading in The New World. What he has written here appeared in History of English Literature, although the chapter he is reading in The New World does talk about Spencer; the chapter is titled "Gloriana".}

Chemistry

2. The ancient metals were gold, iron, bronze, and silver. Gold and silver weren't used for useful things, just for looks. Iron and bronze could be used as tools and weapons. What's more is that iron and bronze could be mixed with other metals such as tin to make stronger material like steel. These are the ancient metals that are used in times like the Old Testament. Bronze and tin make copper which is a very helpful metal used even today. 

{Note: Gold, iron, silver are correct; he's switched copper and bronze. Tin is mentioned in the paragraph so I'd take that to mean he includes it in the ancient metals, although he doesn't state that. He's missing mercury and lead.}

5. Phlogiston is a made up gas. It was lighter than air and as this was before they discovered oxygen, they believed it was the most important gas. They got it backwards when they said they were removing the phlogiston from something. Truthfully they ended up adding oxygen! And when they said they were adding phlogiston they were removing oxygen! Even though phlogiston was a fake element it did prove useful. While experimenting with phlogiston a chemist found oxygen. This ended the fake reign of phlogiston and began the true reign of oxygen!

Health

8. Bones allow us freedom by letting us move. If we couldn't move we couldn't do anything at all! So if we couldn't move we would have no freedom. The bones on the body of Christ represent the unbreakable structures. These are the truths of the Bible that everything is based on.

Citizenship

2. The Body is equipped with Servants such as Hunger and the Senses. Hunger tells us when to eat, it helps us to be healthy. But there are Daemons who try to take over. Hunger's Daemon is Gluttony. He makes you eat just to eat without any care of cost or consequences. To overcome a Daemon isn't easy and all are different. Gluttony must be controlled and you must limit yourself.

Y10

Bible

Verses memorized from 100 Bible Verses in 2013.

English/Grammar/Editing

4. First you have to secure a contract with the author; the contract will detail who 'owns' it, who gets credit, and who gets how much money. After that is done, an editor is assigned. You have to determine if the manuscript is hard-copy or on-screen, and work accordingly. Then you must figure out what level of editing it needs and what level time will allow. You go over it three times, then return it to the author, who decides what edits to keep or reject. Then from there, you may have to edit more, or it may be ready for publishing.

Citizenship/Government/Worldview

2. Lawful plunder is plunder that the law allows. When you think of plunder, you may think of pirates. Plunder is stealing. Things like tariffs, taxes, and the like are examples of the government forcing us to give them money. Things like Obamacare. {she drew a weird face}

5. The starting point is the base for your entire worldview. If your starting point is that something came from nothing, life came from non-life, then your views will probably follow an "anything goes," miracle-based line. Your starting point is what you 'stand on'. It must be stable, or you might fall. 

Chemistry/Nature Study/Health

7. Nature journal entry for Nature Study.

Math

Completed the next lesson in Life of Fred: Geometry.

Geography

8. Seterra work.

World: Mountains and Volcanoes- 80%

More Exam Results, Term 1, 2013/2014 School Year, Day #4

Contemplated just combining Day #4 and #5 but then decided against it. Here's their work from today. Oh, and the second complaint so far: "there's so much writing!" {The first 'complaint' was that is was so hard to choose which to do each day- oh gee, that's so terrible...}

Y8

Literature

2. Everyman was a popular morality play in the olden days. It was about a man, Everyman, who was visited by Death. Death says let's go. Everyman didn't want to go though. Death told him he did need [not] to go alone; he could take some friends Everyman went to one of his friends Riches. (Not the name used but that is what he represents.) Riches refuses to go with him. Everyman talked to more friends all who refused to go. He went to an almost forgotten friend, Good Deeds. She was weak but still went with him. Everyman reached the gate to death. Good Deeds stayed with him. The two went through. Morale: When we die God only judges our Good Deeds. (And the fact if we are saved or not.)

World History

5. One of the major conflicts for Galileo was when he said the Earth revolved around the sun. Not only did other scientists get mad at him, the church did as well! They thought that the Earth was at the center of the world and the sun and other planets revolved around it. The Church even accused Galileo of blasphemy. They made him promise not to mention this for two years. Perhaps they thought it would make him forget about it. He didn't mention a word about it for two years. As soon as the years were up, though, he immediately started talking about it again.

Chemistry/Nature Study

6. This term we did an experiment where we tested various material to see if they were an acid or a base. To do this we made an indicator using purple cabbage juice. We used a jar for each test item, labeling each of them. We tested lemon juice, vinegar, soap, tea, sour milk, baking soda, and baking powder. All but the baking soda and baking powder were acids. The acids turned pink or red and the bases turned blue. The soap turned blue first then after a while it turned red. 

7. Thursday 24th 2013 October

It snowed for the first time this season. It snowed quite a bit, may have reached an inch in some spots. I saw a bird in the bird feeder. Mom says they need more from the feeder this time of year because food is hard to come by.

Citizenship

6. Sir Francis Bacon's essay on Revenge was short but very interesting. In it he calls Revenge a "perverted type of justice." To get revenge is not a good thing, especially if you bring harm to another individual. We should try to bring the wrongdoer to justice, but not necessarily issue the punishment. We should obey the court's decisions. The wish to get revenge is one of the first feeling we feel if someone wrongs us. We shouldn't let it get ahold of us and to want what is right instead. 

Music

3. My favorite composer this term was Tchaichovsky. I liked his name ever since I learned it and was looking forward to studying about him. I was bummed to find the only well known work was his Nutcracker. We didn't listen to those because they are not something we haven't heard. We did listen to this 1812 Overture, which I liked. He was Russian and lived during the "Romantic Period." 

Y10

English Grammar/Editing

1. The copyeditor's chief responsibility is to edit a manuscript so that it is clear to the readers. The readers are why you edit- you don't edit for yourself or the author. Another responsibility is to get it done by the deadline. Going with the 'reader is king' thought, you have to check all cross-references to make sure they are accurate, make sure all facts are accurate and consistent throughout. You also have to watch out for quotes from other's works and make sure permission has been obtained.

Chemistry/Nature Study/Health

2. The ancient metals were gold, silver, copper, iron, mercury (?) and lead (?). Gold seems to have been known practically forever, along with silver and copper. Copper and iron were used for tools, while gold and silver were used for decoration (much as it is today). People eventually learned to refine metals in the fire, and then learned to make copper and iron stronger by combining them and making bronze. 

6. We performed an acid test, where we used a liquid indicator to test various substances to see if they were acids or bases. We tested vinegar (acid), lemon juice (acid), baking soda (base), baking powder (base), sour milk (acid), tea (neutral), and dish soap (unknown). The dish soap first turned blue (indicating a base), then later turned light purple (indicating an acid). That was a bit curious. 

Citizenship/Government/Worldview

4. There are many basic principles that make up a good market system.Voluntary exchange is probably the biggest thing- two parties agree to exchange items and money, and each (probably) go home happier and better off than before. Producers know that the consumer is king, so they make what they want, and however much they want. That's how there is almost always everything we need available. Voluntary exchange applies to employing people also- one party agrees to exchange their work in return for money. 

6. Statists believe government is wonderful, and would like more. They tend to believe people can't do anything without a higher power guiding (more like controlling) them. One statist viewpoint is that child labor laws are very good. The other side is that children who want or even need to work -can't. The apprentice system is no longer around, so kids have almost no experience by time they are old enough to work. (There are internships, though, that are similar to apprenticeships, but even those are for young adults rather than children.)

Geography

6. Feiler was visiting Jerusalem and some of the other ancient cities that still thrive today. There is a lot of tension between Jews and the other tribes. Everybody argues and fights over who rightfully owns the land. The Israelites claim the land is theirs, because God gave it to them; the other tribes claim it because they lived there first. Jews living there are often attacked. Driving is dangerous, walking would be suicide, because stones and rocks are thrown at them. It's a really dangerous area, yet Jews continue to move there, swelling the population.

Latin

Finished section 28 in Lesson X of First Year Latin.

Composition/Literature/Poetry

6. 

It falls

With a steady drip, drip, drip.

Rings dance

On the glass-like puddles as

Rain falls.

It pounds

With an incessant drum, drum, drum.

Wind whips

Harassed victims left outside as

Rain pounds.

It falters

With an undecided drip, drum, drip.

Clouds break

To show sky, then form dark again as

Rain falters. 

--

And that's our school day. 

More Exam Results, Term 1, 2013/2014 School Year, Day #3

More exam results for Y8 and Y10, Term 1. Lee said today that it's funny how she thinks most students dread 'exams' but they {her brother and her} are all excited for them. I'm fairly certain it is because school takes a fraction of the time during exams. She did ask me, Monday I believe, what I intended to do with the exam results. She thought I threw them away! No, I don't throw them away; I enjoy reading them at later dates, and I think she will enjoy having a look back at them as well some day. But what I answered was: I will look to see how well they were able to answer the question. If there is an area that needs work -are they able to name names of people and places, are dates given, are the details good- then I will work on focusing their lessons in the coming term. There is also the benefit of coming to terms with a book; should it be continued, should it be dropped; has it been too difficult, too easy; was information retained or was it a stretch to get much out of it. 

They've both really liked the format of the exams. They've been able to choose what they do each day. They've done quite well with alternating their subjects, as well as doing chores and other activities in between subjects. 

And now, onto the results.

Y8

Literature

3. Amyus and his friend Rayleigh are in Ireland (I think). They are walking through a bog when they hear a woman's wailing. Rayleigh thinks it's a banshee but Amyus just laughs at him. "I'm not scared of a banshee. Besides they aren't even real." Amyus told him. "What is it then?" Amyus shrugged. "How should I know?" They keep walking for a bit when they hear it again. "I don't like this Amyus. We should go." Amyus smiled at Rayleigh "What is there to fear? Look, there is a house yonder." Amyus headed to the house. Rayleigh reluctantly followed. They found a lady wailing over a man's body. Upon inspection they found the dead guy was a well known, no well liked {not well liked?}, priest. Amyus and Rayleigh were happy to see him dead. "Good riddance I say." Rayleigh commented. Amyus nodded in agreement. "Let's get going."

World History

4. The Spanish Armada was, obviously, from Spain. At their time they were the best Armada in the world. Their rivals, the British Armada, had been in disarray for a long time. Spain and Britain got into war with each other. Spain thought; Oh, this'll be a walk in the park since our armada's so wicked awesome! Britain realised that they were in trouble. They had some guys fix the Britain armada in hopes it would be good enough to go against the Spanish Armada. And it was. The Spanish and the British clashed in a massive sea battle. The Spanish were utterly defeated. The Spanish Armada never was as impressive again. The British Armada had started to become the best Armada the world would see for a long time.

Citizenship/Government/Worldview

4. Utopia is a fictional world created by Sir Thomas More. It is set on an island. There are multiple cities. The people of one city rarely  go to another city. The people wear simple clothes. Slaves wear gold and other precious materials. But to the Utopians there is little value in gold in silver, that is why slaves wear them. The people war very rarely and when they d they use animals instead of people. Their houses are alabaster and rounded. People all switch houses every year. They pick lots and each moves into their new home, no arguing or questions. To travel you have to have a permit and if you are caught traveling without one you get sent home. If this happens a second time you are given the wonderful position of slave. 

{Note: I find that Utopia is better suited to the "Literature" category. Sir Thomas More never intended this story to be used as 'citizenship' or a guide for an actual way of living. But I've left it where it is in AO's line-up.}

5. An important news story this term was the government shut-down. The government shut-down for 16 days, after they could not reach an agreement about Obamacare. This shut-down closed national parks, monuments and memorials. In Washington, D.C. veterans pushed away barricades to the WWII memorial. Places such as Yellowstone were closed. People couldn't go to certain jobs. The shut-down cost about $24 million! In the end the Senate caved in to what Obama wanted for Obamacare. During the shut-down the Senators still got paid. {He drew a little 'annoyed face'.}

Math

He did one lesson in Life of Fred: Beginning Algebra.

Sign Language

We all had a nice, albeit short, conversation in ASL.

Picture Study

This term all our pictures were painted by Degas. The one I will talk about today is his work titled Race Horses. There or 4 or 5 men on horses, each wearing a jocks outfit. It looks like it is summer; the grass is brown and dying. There are stands with people on them. Most of the painting is tan. 

Y10

Bible

5. The concept that struck me most strongly was when she was talking, in various chapters, about how we may doubt over our salvation for various reasons, and how our doubts don't change the fact that we are saved. I used to have doubts about that- I thought, "Am I truly saved? I don't always act it," and various other thoughts. My doubts don't matter, don't change fact. I learned to say with a firm voice that I am saved, no matter what doubts come into my head. That's just Satan trying to weaken me- but he'll never succeed again!

Composition/Literature/Poetry

4. Monsegniur (don't know how to correctly spell that!) Bienvenu, the kind Bishop who is the main character, went to visit an old man who used to be a revolutionary or something, and had had a hand in disposing of monarchy in France. As almost perfect Bienvenu was, he did have a few hard feelings about the gentleman's actions. They had a chat, in which Bienvenu's feelings are changed. The old gentleman dies later, alone and despised by others for who he had been- but Bienvenu feels more kindly toward him.

English Grammar/Editing

2. Completed a page in Editor in Chief.

American History

1. Washington was still young when slavery ended; he really didn't remember much of life from then, except the bare cabin his family lived in. After they were freed, they went to Virginia, where his father worked in the coal mines. Washington started going to school, and he always had a hunger for education. He saved money to go to Armstrong's school (I forget the school's name) and there he not only 'book learned' but learned some essential skills of life, such as keeping clean and working hard. These values he learned, he later taught at his own school in Tuskegee. 

Geography

3. The beliefs of the people at the time were that the plague was passed by physical contact. So most people stayed home all the time, or when they had to go out, avoiding touching others like the plague (pun intended, that's probably where we get the saying). It was a bit of a mistake to believe that, because if you did touch someone, you would literally worry yourself sick! Also, staying home didn't help much either. One man Kinglake visited stayed home the whole time, but still caught the plague and died.

Chemistry/Nature Study/Health

9. Excess insulin has several effects. Having excess insulin gradually makes your muscles insulin resistant, meaning everything goes to your fat cells instead. Excess insulin comes from eating too many carbs, too often. Insulin gets used to having to work harder, and it may work too well sometimes, making you go from sugar high to sugar low.

Sign Language

Had a 'conversation' in ASL.

Picture study/Music appreciation

2. You probably saw this one coming! My favorite piece of music is the folk song "On Ilkla Moor Baht 'At". It is a traditional Yorkshire song, and it is a bit silly. It's about someone who goes courting Mary Jane on Ilkley Moor without his hat. The singer says he'll catch cold and die, then worms will eat him, ducks will eat the worms, and we'll eat the ducks, so we'll be eating him! And that is "wheear we get us oahn back." I wonder if the singer liked Mary Jane too?

----

The number of questions they have for the week, in total, was divided up over 5 days to come to a daily number of questions they had to do. I'm not opposed to them doing more one day than another; they've chosen to spread it out over the entire week. I am thinking that tomorrow, Thursday, they might be tempted to do a couple more so that Friday is even lighter for them. Friday is movie night at our house. And since they've done quite well this week {good attitudes, helpful, consistent with school work and chores}, I'm going to let them get some candy to have with their movie. I think that will pretty much tip the scale. I have a feeling Friday will be a very light day.