Science Experiment

We set up a science experiment using Catholic Heritage Curricula's Behold and See Grade 3. It involved a large bucket of water in the back sink dyed blue.

 The girls had to push a glass jar with a dry paper towel inside straight down into the water. As long as there was no angle on the direction the jar was pushed down on, the towel stayed dry even when the jar was fully submerged.

All of these experiments so far have been great. I usually find the experiments in science books to be too much trouble to do but these are easy and really teach concepts in simple ways.

After the experiment, soapsuds were added to the water for fun,

and the Polly Pockets had a great swim.

Helping Grandma Dolly

Juby and I like to visit Grandma Dolly at least every other week to see how she is and to enjoy her very pleasant company. Her niece now gets her groceries but I am still in charge of her medicines and Doctor visits. On this occasion, Miss J. had the privilege of cutting all of grandma's pills in half using a little plastic slicer.
I didn't mind at all that Grandma Dolly took a call while we were there! She has two sisters and a few nieces that she is very close to. They all keep in touch with each other by phone.

You can imagine how much fun this is for a kid to get to cut up all these pills exactly in half!

 We try to bring in a little something for Dolly when we visit because she only goes out to church. On this day, we brought her orchard apples, homegrown tomatoes and bacon and cheddar biscuits we picked up at a new bakery in town. Dolly is a real Country Girl and garden produce makes her very happy. She is very cheerful and enjoys stellar health for her age which she doesn't discuss because she is a lady.

It has been eight years now that we have been blessed by helping Grandma Dolly on almost a weekly basis. She is very fun to be with and is always grateful for any help she receives. She is a Prayer Warrior and prays for us which is worth more than a million dollars and I'm not kidding!  I am glad that helping her out and visiting her can be a part of our homeschool. That is a little insurance for me that my kids will probably remember my needs if  I am a homebound senior someday.

Trombone Player

John is taking advantage of the music education offered at school in the beginner band. For his instrument, he has chosen to play the trombone. The student rental from the music shop is very reasonable.

He is brand new to the world of reading music, and when his band director asked him what note he was playing, John responded "D minus."  To this the director quipped, "I didn't ask you about your grades! That's a D Flat"!

Cheerleader

Patience came over dressed for the game but it was too pretty to sit indoors!

She can stand well and was very content to play with Princess as she wandered past.

It was cute to see a little child express herself  by petting the cat!

Autumn Acorns

It has been a real treat to share one morning a week with Greg and little Handsome this fall. They have made it a point to visit when our other grandchildren are here, to foster close cousin bonds.

We have had a ball collecting fat brown acorns together. They are plentiful and it takes no time to fill a bucketful.

 

We've done a lot of hiking in the woods together. Fall brings some of the best weather of the year!

This little guy fell asleep while out in the fresh air with his Daddy. A Nature Walk is great fun for all of us and it has become part of our routine when this hunter comes over.

I have really enjoyed Greg's visits on weekday mornings while he is caring for his son. We have had opportunities to hike, chat and hang out. Thanks, guys! See you soon!

Marching Band

Without a doubt, Sam's favorite subject this year is Band. Practice started in late July and continued for more than half of August. Although he would like to be playing the drums, he is paying his dues by playing the cymbals which is also part of the drum line. He has learned a lot about drumming and practices that at home. His ambition is to work his way up to the "quints", a five piece set on the right.

I attended a festival that the band played at and watched them perform four songs from "Phantom of the Opera."

 

The band director, who is very passionate about excellence, does not lead the kids while they perform. That job is done by the Drum Majors. This young woman, probably a senior, is a real beauty who's posture was terrific as she directed them in the first two songs. The male Drum Major wore a tuxedo and he directed the other two.

I

The Band has a highly choreographed show that they put on during Home football game halftimes and at competitions. I had no idea that there was so much marching and moving around that goes on while they play their songs.

Additionally, I didn't realize that The Color Guard's job is to interpret the music with their flags.

This group of girls had four different flags that they used to express moods of the music. I heard the Band Director explain all that or I wouldn't have picked up on it.

It certainly is wonderful to see so many young people working together to put on a great show. The music is very good. I  am learning a lot about band culture especially because the Band Boosters call often  to ask for volunteers for their many activities! The band parents seem to work as hard as the kids. Every event that Sam has participated in so far has been well organized, with the kids well fed on long days.

This show was judged and the comments were used by the director to improve their performance for the next time.

Our Little Pony

Our pony, April, was ridden in her first horse show by Miss J.

Juby didn't win but handled the pony well and safely so in our minds, it was a total success!

Our friend's granddaughter rode Deca in the Lead Line.

Natalie rode two different horses in her division but not at the same time!

The best part of the morning was hanging out with our Trainer and her family,

and our family too! Tori, Brandon, Leigh and Morgan came to watch the show.

Donna and Natalie ride together often and really enjoy each other's  company.

In between classes,we hung out at the trailer enjoying the weather and a chance to sit down and relax outdoors.

The little girls had some fun handing out the ribbons after each class.

 The girls paid for their classes with their allowances and had a great time. It was a pleasure seeing this little girl be able to ride and have fun on our little pony.

Back To School 2012

We were all sooo excited for the school year to begin. John began school away from home for the first time. We spent a lot of time discussing, praying, and thinking about which school and which grade to put him into. There was a sense of peace when the decision was made, and then pure excitement while preparing for the big day.

One of the preparations included trading ownership of three bedrooms in the house. Sam and John each got their own room and Natalie moved into a room with a very big closet. This switch facilitated and necessitated some heavy cleaning and also decluttering of items and clothing.

After taking a good inventory of what we had, it was easier to see what we needed to buy. A few new outfits added to the fun and and is a great confidence booster to students starting a brand new year.

Larry chose to go into work late so that he could see everyone off on this very special occasion.

 

The summer was so hot, that we are ready for a touch of fall. This pretty morning offered just that!

Our High Schoolers posed for a picture while waiting for the bus.

 Our youngest, and my only student this year was also beginning a new term on this day.

 

I had already ordered her books and planned her lessons. Now, I am looking forward to spending a wonderful year together.
Dear Lord, Please help all students, teachers and parents to grow in age and grace and wisdom this year. Please keep us safe and pure of heart and mind. Please help us all to know, love and serve You each day. Amen.

Bieber Fever

This is Natalie's Birthday cake made by our neighbors, featuring her special love, Justin Bieber!
Fresh roses surround his picture which they printed out and placed on top of the cake.
For her birthday, she received a notebook binder with his picture on it which she picked out. This she takes to school with her Justin Bieber lunchbox.
 Did I mention that she turned 17?  We support her interest in this pop star as this is the best kind of boyfriend to have!!! Happy Birthday, sweetie! I hope he never breaks your heart!