Bad Parking

After a softball game, Dad, Hannah, and I went to Culvers for dinner. After we ate we got come ice cream and were getting ready to walk out the door. This other couple was leaving too and we both motioned for each other to go. So there was awkward politeness happening as we all eventually walked out the double doors. As the three of us walked out to the truck, we saw this other truck parked in front of Dad's. It was parked completely sideways, like the driver had just swooped in not caring about parking space lines. So I stopped in front of this car and I yell (to be funny) "WHO PARKED HERE?". Then I hear from behind me "I did". I turned around to see that guy we passed when we were leaving. I thought "Oh my goodness I can't believe I said that" and I turned back and ran and hid behind our truck 😂😂!!! We were laughing hysterically the whole way home!

Homeruns!

Something super cool happened to Hannah and I on March 11th!

The two of us were at our softball game. It wasn't going very well. The first two innings were pretty terrible. Our team couldn't hit or field. They were really down. 

So its the last inning and its the bottom of the line up. The girl who you would least expect to get hits started getting on base. Once the top came it was long bombs over the outfielders heads! We started scoring runs like crazy. I was batting 5th and Hannah was batting 6th. I got up to bat and hit a homerun over the outfielders heads! It was really cool. Then Hannah gets up and hits another homerun over the outfielders head! That was just incredible! Hannah and I just hit back to back homeruns!!!! The whole team was super pumped up not to mention Hannah and I! We still ended up loosing the game but it wasn't quite as terrible of a loss.

 (Hannah and I with our homerun balls and crazy hair)

That was super fun! (By the way mom lost her voice for the next few days because of screaming so much. The day after she had to direct he Challenge A class. Perfect time to loose her voice, right?)

Nicole's New Job!

Hello Everyone! This is Nicole! So I thought you all should know that I recently got a job! I'm working at Kilwins for one of my dad's customers. It's a lot of fun! My main job is scooping ice cream but I also sell chocolates and fudge and run the cash register and do inventories. I've really enjoyed it so far. I'm being paid 10 dollars and hours so its pretty good.

This was me on my first day.

Unfortunately I do have to wear a mask the whole time. And gloves, but it doesn't bother me a whole lot so its bearable. 

Like I said my dad's customer is the owner. And his son or stepson is the manager. Mr. Leslie (the owner) kept asking my dad if I wanted to work there. So eventually I decided I would try.  I don't see Mr. Leslie very often though. Ian Moyer (the manager) is there all day everyday. And he likes baseball!!! So its fun when we talk about that.

Since I'm a minor there are like a whole bunch of rules for me working. It's kind of crazy and too long, boring, and confusing to share now.

Oh! I forgot! Harper Lackey, a really close friend of mine, is also working there! So sometimes we get to share shifts which is fun!

So, yup! Its been really fun!

Science Fair 2019

This year, Nicole participated in a full fledged Science Fair.  After 10 weeks of working through all stages of the scientific method, converting her research plan into a research paper, and creating a display, she and her classmates had one night to present their experiment to two groups of judges.  This is their big project for Challenge A, and one they were all prepared for.

In all honesty, there wasn't much inspiration for an experiment, so she picked something from sciencebuddies.com .  She thought it would be neat to learn about spherification. 

Spherifi- what? haha.  I'm a few months into this, and I'm still not 100% sure what it is exactly.  Basically, spherefication is taking a liquid or watery food item and adding sodium citrate to it to make the food alkaline.  Then you drop it into a bath of sodium...something, I forget...and it stays in little balls.  Maybe I should have had her write this blog! haha!  She was suppose to be testing how the pH affects the food's ability to become spheres.  Chefs use this technique quite often. 

Spherified Coca-Cola

Measuring the width of the spheres

Spherified Gatorade

Nicole shines at public presentations, and Friday was no different.  She loves this.

Giving her presentation to the first set of judges.

They were bold enough to taste her gatorade spheres.

Nathan & Hannah participated in the community's Geo/Science Fair.  Hannah studied sugar in food and learned how to measure out how much sugar is in some of her favorite foods. 

Nathan decided to learn about volcanoes.  Let's me honest....who can say they have graudated school without making a homemade volcano ?!? 

Cycle 1 Weeks 1-3 Geography Drawing

We are in the middle of week three in Classical Conversations Cycle 1.  Our geography has focused on the Fertile Crescent, Assyrian Empire and the Hebrew Empire. Earlier this summer, we were going through My Father's World- Grade 1 curriculum.  On Day 31, we learned a fun and easy way to draw the water features of this area of the world.  All of the water features have now been identified in CC.  I wanted to share the story which My Father's World adapted from The Old Testament Express by Terry Hall with my children and the students in my CC classroom.  I thought it may help you and your children as well.

As you tell the story, draw the map, using the photo below as a guide.  Do not put the numbers on your map or mention them as you tell the story.  They are just to help you draw in the correct sequence.

"A man went fishing one day.  This is the front of his boat (1).  His fishing lines are hanging down from the boat and they got all tangled up (2).  The man looked over the side of his boat and fell into the water!  These are his two fingers under the front of the boat (3).  He sent up a distress signal to call for help -- a balloon with a string, and a mitten tied on the end of it (4, 5,6)!  In this corner (point) there is the head of a huge water bug (7), with two long feelers coming out of its head (8,9)."

 

***Key to map***
1. Mediterranean Sea
2. Nile River
3. Red Sea
4. Sea of Galilee
5. Jordan River
6. Dead Sea
7. Persian Gulf
8. Tigris River
9. Euphrates River

Tell this story to your CC class, or your own children as you draw it on the board and they draw it as well.  (With the younger ones, you could have them trace one you've already drawn if you want).  Then, they can go home and use this little story as a way to remember where the water features are and review more details such as Judah, Israel, Sumer, etc.  Once my children become more comfortable drawing the map, I will ask them to include more geographical points on it.

With ours, we labeled our map with letters and abbreviations.  Today as the first day I told the story and this was the work my four year old and six year old.

This was my Four Year old!

And, my 6 year old...we'll have to work on placement a little more tomorrow ;)

Tomorrow I will tell the story again while they draw it...and hopefully by the end of the week, they will be able to draw the water features and label them correctly and we can begin adding more details.

Week 2 or 3 of school

The timing of Nicole's accident worked out well with CC.  Our group got canceled the Monday after she broke it because of a Tropical Storm in the area.  And then we had the next Monday off for Labor day.  So...it was a needed break for her.  I have no idea what week of school we are on, hahaha...but there were certainly sick days in there.

We have been learning about Ancient Egypt.  I found this great book called The Ancient Egyptians: Dress, Eat, Write and Play just like the Egyptians.  We couldn't do a lot of the activities in the book with only one arm, but we certainly were able to do some. 

Our Mummy Dogs, eh...kinda lame ;)

Egyptian Collar- Nicole's, Hannah's and Nate's (from the book above)

The girls showing off their collar

Egyptian Name Plaque - Nicole wrote Cleopatra

Hannah wrote Wosent


 We also talked about the first form of writing, Cuneiform, in Mesopotamia.  This lesson plan helped us make Cuneiform tablets. The girls first wrote their name on paper in Cuneiform, then they pressed it into the dough tablet. 

Nicole writing her name in Cuneiform

The picture is sideways, but this says "Nicole" in Cuneiform ;)

We wanted to mummify a barbie doll, but we'll have to come back to that in a few months when Nicole has two functioning arms. 

We tried doing a lapbook on Ancient Egypt.  I don't know if it was her not feeling well, or just that lap books aren't her thing, but I couldn't get her "into it".

In fact, I really couldn't get her "into" anything.  Now, the first week after her break, we did almost nothing except watch TV...but the following two weeks, I've been trying to get back to the school routine.  I am really struggling with her right now.  I feel like she just doesn't care.  I think (well...let's be honest, I KNOW) I have discouraged her in some areas, and I'm trying to change that.  There is just no motivation there, and I can't get to the root of it.  She tries to think of every possible excuse to get out doing work. 

I sort of think it's because she's not reading well.  I have voiced (not negatively...just in casual conversations) about her lack of reading, and I think that was a mistake.  Maybe she's embarrassed?  Maybe she thinks she can't do it?  Maybe she's really truly struggling and is tired of trying.  I don't know.  I really don't.  I feel so ill-equipped in this area.  Obviously, reading has been the biggest issue.  We are using Spell to Read and Write.  I really like the concept, and I am determined to hang in there...but it's tough for her.  It has to be.  I want it to be!  I want to teach my children to think, because if they can think, then they can learn anything.  Unfortunately, she doesn't want to think...or maybe it's just to hard. 

I have been hearing "I forgot" a lot lately...and it's driving me bonkers!  Tonight, after her American Heritage Girls meeting I asked what she learned about.  "I don't remember".  What????  We just walked out.  She finally remembered that they watched a movie about the Pilgrims.  So, I asked...why did you watch that movie?  What did they want you to learn?  "I don't know".  There is NO THOUGHT in that answer, or in that moment.  I want her to THINK.  Just think...that's all.  I want her to sit and listen wherever she's at...church, school, civil group, gymnastics...wherever and think about what is being said.  Think about it and determine what the message is.  I'm feeling lost in this goal right now though. 

So...it's been a rough few weeks.  I'm trying to stay motivated and positive.  I'm trying to pick up my sweet girl and encourage her and let her know that she is smart and that she is capable of "remembering" these things she forgets. 

I feel like I need a prayer team.  You know...a group of people who rally around you and support you and pray for you.  This homeschooling business is not easy.  It's hard...but exciting and rewarding.  I am glad I get to do it...but I need Jesus.  I need Jesus to help me love my children through schooling, and to show himself to them and help them understand that they CAN bring glory to Him through their work.  Pray for me ;)

The one armed girl!

We are 1 week and three days out from Nicole's broken arm.  The first few days were rough...she was in a lot of pain and worked really hard to get better.  However, since then....she's been doing great!

She has now learned how to do everything on her own again (except cut paper, because she can't hold it, haha). 

Earlier this week, she made lunch for us.

We figured out how to wash her hair without getting the cast wet.

She even went on a little bike ride!

I try to get her outside for a little while each day, but she usually doesn't last long.  Her arm begins itching really bad.

Wednesday she got a new cast, and got to pick out the color she wanted too.  This cast is much nicer...not as big and bulky.

Her poor little elbow :(

A close up of the two pin...healing well.

The Dr. drew a picture for me of the fracture.  The top drawing shows how the tip of her humerus broke off and bent backwards.  The bottom picture is a cross section of the pin placement

We were learning about mummies the week Nicole got rewrapped...so, this is her...the real live arm mummy ;)

Her beautiful new cast.  She won't let anyone write on it because she wants to see the pink.

Nicole has also received quite a bit of "fan mail" which has been fun for her.  She even got a Dunkin Donuts gift card (Thanks Aunt Tiffy). 

A trip south- Beach Night

We recently headed south for the week to visit friends and family.  We had a great time and crammed a lot into those few days :)

My favorite evening was at the Pier.

 Poor Nicole couldn't really play in the sand because we didn't want to get sand in her cast.  But, Hannah and Nate went for it ;)

The kids had fun looking for shells, and inspecting jellyfish that were being washed ashore. 

Love kisses from this little guy

Oh Nate, you're embarrassing me!

I love my Hannah-girl

She was being so silly...and I had no idea!

Can you hear the laughter?

Trying to squeeze a smile out of her ;)

Seriously...where did my baby go?  Such a beautiful young lady!

haha, she let me stick my finger in her hole;)

Blessed beyond what I ever dreamed

I do believe I have the best family in the world.

The sun is melting

Almost gone

Gone!

Nicole simply adores her daddy!

Looking for dolphins

I think Hannah is going to hock a lougie!