Thursday, September 30, 2010

WEEK IN REVIEW - WEEK 4

We finished up our first month of school this week! We certainly had a very full week.

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In science we are still learning about the skeletal system.
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Did you know that if you measure your arms straight out, it will be very close in size to your height? Amazing.
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And did you know that I am completely in love with Boo's hair like this? She is such a good student.
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She tries sooo hard to make her letters perfectly.
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While Banana tries hard to teach her stuffed bunny how to write. He's coming along nicely. However, Banana is still dilligently working on her spelling...
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Love, love, love the bear ears in her hair
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We are continuing to work on all of our memorization pieces - Boo loves the singing best of all.
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And this week we began our studies of famous composers and artists. This week we studied about Monet and impressionism. We also listened to Beethoven Lives Upstairs - the girls really enjoy it.
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We tried our hand at making our very own "Monet's".
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While they painted, I read to them some stories about Monet's life through living books.
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We experimented with tube tracks - always fun!
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We worked dilligently on spelling...sigh... anyone know of a really good spelling program for those who are "spellingly challenged"???
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Boo worked on spelling out words by looking at some flash cards and then using her set of Magnet Letters to spell them out on the board.
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We even dressed up like a Medieval Princess!
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The highlight of the week for Banana was making a quill ink pen using a real turkey feather and ink as part of our history studies. It was a very interesting process to transform the feather into a pen. We were so surprised when it actually worked!!
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Banana enjoyed writing all of her grandparents letters, and then properly addressing the envelopes for the mail.

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I think we killed a few trees with all the paper the girls used up - this activity went on all afternoon and into the night until I finally had to put a stop to it. One Mommy can only tolerate so much black ink in the kitchen. You can be sure these feathers will be coming out again soon!
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Boo was determined to write in cursive - I guess a quill pen just begs to be used in cursive.
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No - she didn't write the word "Jesus" - she asked me to do that, but she did write her name in cursive there at the top!
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And I received a wonderful love letter.
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We also created our own mossaics just like those in Byzantine era. Well, maybe not JUST like them, but we did our best! Plaster of Paris in the kitchen is also a lesson in patience and self-control. But the smiles on their faces make it all worth while.
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Of course - we did SOOO much more than just what you see here, but most of it is not as exciting to look at. Lots of reading, dictation, narration, copywork, co-op classes, workbooks, critical thinking, and much more! If only we had a few more hours in the day. Hope you had a great week too!

RAIN

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Rain on the rooftops
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Rain on the trees
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Rain on the little nests
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But not upon ME!!!
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Rain - By Enola Chamberlin
I like to watch the rain come down.
It wets the roofs all over town.
It shines along our own wide street,
And far away it wets the wheat
And makes it grow. It wets the trees
Where plums and peaches hang, and these
Grow big and ripe till they become
The sweetest kind of peach and plum
Oh, rain may not let me go out
Upon the walk to run and shout,
But it is good for one and all,
And I thank God who makes it fall.
This poem was scheduled in Banana's curriculum today - isn't God so infinitely amazing to send us this poem in the middle of a monsoon?

Monday, September 27, 2010

THE LOFTUS FAMILY

I don't think I have ever enjoyed a photo session as much as this one! I just had to share it here on my personal blog. This family attends the same church that we do. All of these children belong to them, all 17 of them, (and yes, she delivered every one!)
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Like me, they probably remind you of a popular family right now from the show 19 Kids and Counting. I just had to ask them - "Do you watch the show?". Their answer - "No - we don't have a TV". I should have known that - just like the Duggar family. That show, in my opinion, is just about the only thing worth watching on TV these days. What an inspiring family! And yes, they are homeschooled. I just happened to have my regular scheduled client cancel for this weekend - and this weekend was the last time the Loftus family (all 19 Lofti) will all be together for quite a while. One of their older sons and his wife are moving out of state as he is joining the Air Force, he was also our youth group intern leader for the summer at church. Their oldest married son is just about to finish up at medical school, and then has plans for the mission field. So - there are technically "19" kids including the two young ladies who have joined the family by marriage.
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Their kids are absolutely beautiful - inside and out!
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I just had to line them up by birth order....Photobucket
Did I mention they know how to have fun?
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Cause they definitely do!!
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Next to oldest boy and youngest boy....
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Oldest girl and youngest girl....
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Thanks for such a FUN evening Loftus family - I was honored to capture such special memories for you! And now that I have a picture to study - I think I finally know all the names now!
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Incredible cuteness!
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You can see the rest of the images at my website HERE, entering the password "loftus" under the CLIENT section.