Bill of Fare

Ham

Chicken Pie

Raw carrots, celery, and radishes

Beef stew

Hard-boiled eggs

Bread and butter

Sliced cheeses

Turnips

Lentils

Apple cider

Sliced pound cake with honey or jam

Medieval Feast

For our Y2U2 unit celebration we chose to have a Medieval Feast using the guidelines in the Teacher's Notebook introduction.  Since we were going to the grandparents for Thanksgiving, it was an opportunity to have my sister's family and ours join in the celebration together.  Grandpa and Grandma were king and queen.  The cousins were a squire, pages, ladies, and jesters.  We kept the menu fairly simple since we were traveling from out of town to be there.  Our bill of fare came from "Days of Knights and Damsels".  Each student gave speeches on topics they had learned including falconry, heraldry, knight ceremonies, feudal society, and medieval manners.  The children presented the upper crust and the salt cellar to King Grandpa and Queen Grandma.  We sang the "Wassail Song" too.  Then Grandpa knighted the squire and presented banners for 'the Order of the Renaissance' (their next era of history to study).

The year in review - 2009

January 2009

LP:  These are present strings.

present strings - a bag full of ribbons and bows

OBT:  We might have our power if we didn't live out in the boonies.

Sarah:  Yes, we live in the Daniel Boonies.

February 2009

LP:  When I grow up, I'm going to be a Mom. 


LP:  It's juicy.  (said in reference to our water-logged backyard after all of the snow and ice from the ice storm melted)


Sarah:  Momma, who do you think will be famous first - Leora or me?


LP:  Sarah and Leora are my sweethearts.


LP:  Leora, you put the whisker in the wrong drawer.

whisker - another name for a whisk

March 2009

LP:  This is the best (dinner, church, place) ever!

LP:  What are you doing, my little dear?


Lepidoptera:  Sarah, you are really getting the hang of your math facts.

Sarah:  Yes, I get the hang of most things.

   
LP:  Is Bob at Bob Evans?

April 2009

LP:  Did someone cut a hole in my tummy and make a belly button there?


Sarah:  This is home sweet home.

May 2009


Leora:  If I read lots of books, will I be wise?
  
June 2009


LP:  That doggy is ruffing.


LP:  I'm getting weller.

Leora:  Remember when we did our experience and wore our goggles?

July 2009

LP:  How did you get those circles in your hair?
circles - curls

September 2009

Leora:  It (meet) has a double-decker 'e'.


LP:  Those are mans.

November 2009

LP:  I know their names.  The eggs are scrambled; the sausage is fried; and the grits are cheese.


LP:  Daddy, you're my best friend!


December 2009

LP:  Then I put my armsleeves on.


Sarah:  Momma, LP and I are common.  I have cheese, and he has cheese.  I have crackers, and he has crackers.


LP:  They took the shortcut.  We took the long cut.


LP:  When you cook the old rooster, can I have the chicken arms and the chicken legs?

Lepidoptera:  Your A's are backwards.

Sarah:  I'll make them rightwards.

That's all, folks! 

       

     

Apple Dumplings

Apple Dumplings

2 or 3 thinly sliced apples

1 can crescent rolls

1 cup orange juice

1 cup sugar

apple pie spice (I used cinammon, nutmeg, and allspice)

Flatten crescent rolls.  Fill center with apple slices.  Then carefully wrap in roll.  Put in casserole dish.  Bake at 350 degrees until brown or done (about 30 minutes).  While baking, melt butter.  Add sugar and orange juice to butter, and pour over dumplings.  OBT's father and mother shared this recipe with me a while back, and I finally got around to trying it this week.  It is really easy and really good!

Winter Wonderland

The Winter Wallop has delivered two inches of snow here in southern Ohio, and more is falling. We woke up this morning to a day at home and a beautiful sight.

Boxes and cards, where are you?

(sung to "Mr. Sandman")

UPS man, bring me a box.
It can be big or little,
heavy or light.

Delivered in your big, brown truck,
UPS man, bring me a box.

UPS man, where can you be?
Why aren't you bringing some boxes to me?
I know you're busy this time of year,
but will you turn your truck my way and appear?

UPS man, patient I'll be
while you are making those deliveries.
Some day you will to my driveway come.
Until then I'll just sing this song.

/////////////

Mail lady, bring me some cards.
It doesn't matter if from near or far.
Please fill up my mailbox.
Mail lady, please bring me some cards.

Eggs!

Yesterday we brought home six chickens that friends of ours gifted us with - two roosters and four hens. This afternoon while I was helping OBT reassemble the 10' X 10' kennel, I went and peeked in the chicken coop. Two tan eggs smiled back at me. I whooped for joy - eggs! Fresh eggs! Our hens are laying on their first day here. OBT and I paused to thank the Lord for His goodness in blessing us again with good friends and good eggs.

Dry as a bone

Burnout. Why has it taken me so long to figure this out? Why does it creep up on me and then rear its ugly head every now and then? Why haven't I learned how to conquer and prepare for it yet? It dawned on me today that the stress of the season has resulted in a feeling of burnout once more. The usual daily doings coupled with the added 'tis the season preparations have brought me to the brink once more. I admit it.

Now how to counteract and return to my other self? First I am clinging to the One who can save me when I cannot save myself. I cry out to Him for strength to get through my day quite frequently of late. His faithfulness sees me through. Why wasn't I leaning heavily on him before and donning His armor to prepare for this fight? Where has my mind been? Not close enough to Him. Time to draw nigh again.

Next week we are taking a break from school. That should help, but until then, Lord, give me what I need - even it is burnout that brings me back to You.

What we read - November 2009

Over the River: A Turkey's Tale by Derek Anderson, based on the song by Lydia Maria Child

A fun picture book twisting the tale by having a turkey family go to Grandmother's house while being chased by a hunter and dog on a quest for their own Thanksgiving dinner. We read both this book and the original poem/song.

Toot & Puddle: Wish you were here by Holly Hobbie

The creator of Toot & Puddle is also responsible for the American Greetings namesake character, Holly Hobbie. In this book three young pig friends share an adventure to another country. Two from home and one traveling and sending back postcards to update them on his experience. A humorous tale of adventure overseas and caring.

A Father's Song by Janet Lawler

A lovely picture book about a father and son's shared day and the love and devotion the father has for his son.

How I Learned Geography by Uri Shulevitz

This book, based on the author's boyhood memories, details a World War II experience of a hard time when there was little money for food and a father brings home a map. Opening a new world to his son full of new places, this Caldecott Honor book is a winner at our house.

If I Were Your Father and If I Were Your Mother by Margaret Park Bridges

The children's hands-down favorites this time. These fun books tell what a son and daughter respectively would do if they were the parent.

Big Red Barn by Margaret Wise Brown

A revisited favorite and one that I never tire of. Simple, poetic, classic - wonderful.

Growing Vegetable Soup by Lois Ehlert

How to grow and make vegetable soup with colorful, vibrant pictures in the author's own style. The children liked the fact that most of the items in the book are labeled so they did not have to guess or wonder what things are.

All About Turkeys by Jim Arnosky

In honor of Thanksgiving, this book came home to help us learn more about the traditional November bird. We all learned something from this book, and Arnosky's illustrations are true-to-life and fantastic. A truely talented man who has apparently also produced I'm a Turkey, both book and song which sounds like something that would be perfect for next November if not before.

A Kitten's Tale by Eric Rohmann

Four kittens have never seen snow. Three are worried; one is excited. As they journey through the seasons, their anticipation and concern grows.

Cynthia Coppersmith's Violet Goes to the Country by Melanie Cecka, presented by Jan Karon

Read about a cat and her owner who go visiting family in the country. Based on the author character Cynthia Coppersmith in Karon's Mitford series, this book shows us that people love in different ways.

Library Mouse by Daniel Kirk

Sam, an avid reader mouse, lives in a library and decides to write his own books. Then his books are discovered, and everyone wants to know who Sam is.

We are thankful

The Thankful Song - by Sarah

Be thankful for the house and blessings in it.
Be thankful for us and our history.
Be thankful for Jesus who came this day.

Thank the Lord for Jesus.
Thank the Lord for goats and dog's protection.
Thank the Lord for learning things I've learned all section.
Thank the Lord for our house, the things in it.

Thank the Lord for pianos and books with good things in it about You.
Thank the Lord for dolls and scarves for them too.
Thank the Lord for summer, spring, winter, fall too.
Thank the Lord for magazines, ones we look at, so good.
Thank the Lord for numbers like one, two, and three.

//////////////////////////////

Thanksgiving Song - by Leora

Thank you, God, for the blackberries that grow in our yard,
for the birds that sing to You.

Thank you, God, for my Grandma and Grandpa.
Thank you, God, for the cards they gave
and for everything that You are in Your worthiness.

Thank you, God, for the things we have done for you.
Thank you, God, for the blessings You give to us.
Thank you, God, for the things we have and the clothes we wear.

Thank you, God, for what we have in our home made of bricks.
Thank you, God, for everything we have for the computer, for the crafts.
Thank you, God, for everything You give us.

Thank you, God, for school, for our mother who teaches us of You above.
We love You, and we always give thanks to Thee
only if our minds love the Lord, if we praise Him
though we don't sometimes do it.

"It is a good thing to give thanks unto the Lord, and to sing praises unto thy name, O most high:" - Psalm 92:1

Lions and tigers and snakes! Oh, my!

Our family drove down to TN and were sitting on the front porch enjoying the fresh air when Sarah told me that she had seen a snake. Now unlike some women, I find snakes interesting. My Dad was a country boy, and it must have rubbed off on me at an early age as I have always enjoyed God's creation. I asked her where it was, and she showed me - under the border around the strawberries and butterfly bush in front of the sunroom. Well, I lifted one of the brick, and lo and behold, there he was. A little, long light gray fellow with dark spots all along him. After getting a look at him, I replaced the brick and let him be. Then LP came and wanted to see too. He thought that he had found him (I was watching carefully. While I find snakes interesting and beautiful, I do not want myself or anyone else to get bit) so I came over, and he showed me a bit of snake sticking out from under one of the bricks. I let him know that he had found the snake and then lifted that brick so that LP could get a better look at him. Then I suggested that we leave him alone as he was resting there, and we did not want to further disturb him. So we did.

Growing greens

Last night we ate greens. Turnip greens with diced turnips. Our first homegrown batch, and they were good. Everyone, even the children, enjoyed them. When we planted our first attempt, we hardly knew what we were doing. Since then we have learned that greens work better in patches than in rows. OBT did know that a good frost will help take the bitterness out of the leaves. We have had more than one of those by now. The turnips were small, but we made the decision to pull the plants anyway. The decision was not so much out of impatience as out of readiness to sample them.

I have cooked greens a few times before and so started with a little water and some salt pork. As the greens cooked down, I stirred and added a bit more water for the little turnips to boil in. After testing them with a fork for tenderness, it was time to turn the heat off. Then to the table they went.

While there were not a lot, there was enough for our family of five, and even enough for us to have more than one serving. I think that everyone had seconds. Next time we will do things differently. Next time we will plant more, but this time we tasted and saw that the Lord is good. He blessed our crop and blessed us with the ability to enjoy that small harvest. We thank His holy name.

All I want for Christmas is my two front teeth

God answers prayers!

The day before yesterday OBT came home after work and playing golf with his co-workers dejected because he had lost his keys on the golf course. He had to have someone else bring him home and leave his truck at the golf course too. After getting the spare truck key, we went with him back there to pick up his truck. When he went in to check with the office to see if someone had returned his keys, I asked the children if they were praying for their Daddy's keys to be found. They said "no" and asked if I had been. I told them that I had been. My prayer was that those keys would be found on that day.

Troy came back from the office, and I could tell that they had not found his keys. He got in the truck, and I followed him with the van. We were maybe halfway home, and my cellphone rang. It was OBT calling to tell me that the golf course had called. They found his keys, and he was going back to get them. I then told the children what had happened and prayed aloud in thanksgiving to God for what He had done. He is more than able to do exceeding abundantly above all that we ask or think.

What we read - July 2009

As the crow flies: a first book of maps by Gail Hartman

With our geography studies, an introductory cartography book is something we enjoy.

Earl the squirrel by Don Freeman

Many know Don Freeman for his "Corduroy" books. We expand our horizons by reading some of his other writings. "Earl" is recomendable and will endear himself to you as he learns about squirrel life.

The minister's cat abc by Lynley Dodd, New Zealand's best known and most highly respected author and illustrator of children's picture books

A vocabulary-rich walk through the alphabet cat by cat.

Hairy Maclary, sit also by Lynley Dodd

A fun classic canine romp.

Secret place by Eve Bunting

Why has it taken me this long to find this author? I am looking forward to reading more of her books!

Please bury me in the library by J. Patrick Lewis

Poems celebrating books, reading, language, and libraries. Titles include Otto the Flea's "Ottobiography", "The Big-Word Girl", "Great, Good, Bad", and "What If Books Had Different Names?".

Ohio wildflowers

http://www.ohio-nature.com/ohio-wildflowers.html

My wise mother advised me to find a book on OH wildflowers to help in the identification process. Instead a web search turned up answers by the names of horsenettle, bee balm, spotted touch-me-not (gorgeous!) also known as jewelweed, and Pennsylvania smartweed (which I thought was lady's thumb). The yellow wildflowers are harder to identify for sure without having them right in front of me.

Our flower collection (part two)

fleabane

???

Queen Anne's lace

???

???

???

???

red clover

honeysuckle

What we read - June 2009

Pinkalicious by Victoria Kann & Elizabeth Kann

An absolutely favorite, cute, clever little book with a message on healthy eating.

Ballet Kitty by Bernette Ford & Sam Williams

A hit with the girls.

Bats at the Library by Brian Lies

Wonderful tale of bats' nightly visit to the library with winning vocabulary.

When lightning comes in a jar by Patricia Polacco

A family reunion with story-telling and traditions passed down from one generation to the next.

A good day's fishing by James Prosek

Fishing necessaries are detailed in this well-illustrated children's book.

Little 1 by Ann Rand

A classic numbers book.

Adele & Simon in America by Barbara McClintock

A brother and sister travel across America in the early 1900's.

Now I know my A, B, C's

A pop-up book from Parisian designer Marion Bataille

Our latest addition

Any guesses on the breed and age?

Our flower collection (part one)

This spring I have been keeping a collection of the flowers blooming in our new home. With each passing week, new ones appeared to my great delight. Some are familiar and others are not, but they are all beautiful and remind us of our great Creator who made all things. If you know the names of any that are not already labeled, please leave a comment so that we can learn their names too. Thanks!

wild blackberry
Indian strawberry

English plantain

orange daylilies

???

spotted touch-me-not or jewelweed

???

???

fleabane

red daylilies

???

???

TOGY1U4 celebration

To finish our schoolyear and our Ancient Roman study, we celebrated by displaying projects. We also prepared and ate a meal based on foods the Romans would have eaten.

a Roman standard - their equivalent of a battle flag
Sarah wearing her stolla
cinammon raisin rolls
artichoke, an Ancient Roman favorite and hard-boiled eggs

bean salad

The Rights of the Reader

While at the library yesterday and what better place to find the rights of the reader, I was perusing the May/June 2009 copy of "The Horn Book" and came across a mention of Daniel Pennac's "The Rights of the Reader". Being unfamiliar with this author and his list, I looked them up today. Here is what I found.

What we read - May 2009

I love you! A bushel & a peck by Frank Loesser

My grandmother and the children's Gigi (great-grandmother) sang this song from "Guys and Dolls" to us. Sweet song.

The perfect pony by Kimberly Brubaker Bradley

A fun book about a mother and girl's search for a pony that is just right for the girl.

The bunnies' trip by Lezlie Evans

An enjoyable read concerning a family of bunnies preparing for a journey.

Fancy Nancy - Bonjour, butterfly by Jane O'Connor

We have yet to meet a Fancy Nancy book that we do not like.

Miss Bindergarten has a wild day in kindergarten by Joseph Slate

Another fun alphabet book in this series.

Cowardly Clyde by Bill Peet

Though one of the longer picture books this time, a particular favorite for Leora who read it repeatedly.

Angelina and Alice by Helen Craig

An Angelina Ballerina books emphasizing friendship.

Ste-e-e-e-eamboat a-comin! by Jill Esbaum

Fun poetry picture boat about an earlier day and time.

Nashville - April 2009

the Parthenon

Athena

Athena's shield

The train at Centennial Park where we picnicked by the waterside

Nashville Zoo

Goat watching and then petting

The biggest jungle gym I have ever seen

More four

The boy

The food
Cake closeup

Birthday boy

The Hall of Valor

In February 2009, we visited the Hall of Valor Museum in New Market, VA.

Stained glass window

John Rogers, American sculptor
Click here to see his work.

In front of a cannon

The VMI cadets killed in this battle

The Bushong Farm

The Johnny Appleseed Restaurant in New Market. He really talks when you push a button. The children enjoyed him!

What we read - April 2009

The Giving tree by Shel Silverstein

LP's hands-down favorite this time around.

Don’t let the pigeon drive the bus by Mo Willems

Everyone's favorite. A fun book!

The 20^th century children’s book treasury selected by Janet Schulman
Lots of good books in one volume here.

Mr. Putter and Tabby row the boat by Cynthia Rylant

Her books are great for beginning readers. This one stands out for Mr. Putter and his neighbor Mrs. Teaberry's funny antics that made us laugh.

Cecily G. and the 9 monkeys by H.A. Rey

The original "Curious George".

The rainbow fish by Marcus Pfister

Ella by Bill Peet

Snow in April

Snow in April.
What do you know?
The temperature's dropped,
and the wind does blow.

Spring has sprung.
Winter is gone,
but weather does not know
time nor season.

Snow in April.
Unexpected. Surprise.
Look out the window
and believe your eyes.

Little snowflakes falling
once again
remind us God's in charge
and not the whims of men.

- written on this snowy Spring day while watching the flakes fall outside our windows

Shenandoah National Park

A scenic view from the Shenandoah National Park (Note the snow in the foreground.).A funny tree - who is he?Deer - up close!Still for a secondWe made it!

Easier? On this day it was icy, slushy, snowy, and muddy. With the children it's a wonder we made it, but we pressed on and did. Good thing we didn't try one of the harder hikes to a fall. We never would have made it on that day.