2017-2018 6th Grade Curriculum Choices

My oldest son is starting 6th grade this year... not sure if that is considered Middle School or Elementary School out here.... but around our house it is considered the last year of Elementary.
This means it is his last year of doing the same science as his siblings... And he is going to have to start working more independently next year.  So this year, we will be spending some time working on his independence and responsibility... well more than normal I should say.

6th Grade Curriculum Choices:
Bible: Apologia What We Believe Series - This year we are starting with Volume 2, Who am I?
Literature: Prairie Primer, with lots of other stuff added
Writing: Shurley English, Level 5
Spelling: All About Spelling, Level 5 & 6
Science: Apologia - Zoology I
Math: Math-U-See - Epsilon
Geography: Finishing up Asia and then starting Europe, hopefully in January
History: Mystery of History Volume 4 and Time Travelers for more in depth on the wars
Civics: Amanda Bennett's American Government Unit Study with more added :)
Other: Still hoping to add Guitar and Hunting/Trapping
Extracurricular Activities: Homeschool group and 4-H

Right now he still isn't quite sure what he wants to do when he is older, which is okay with us.  He still has lots of time!!!  He is interested in Engineering as well as possibly some type of wildlife rescue work.  I do not know enough about engineering to know if there is a way to combine the two loves.  I'm also not sure how we would direct his path for schooling for either of these interests, so if anyone has any suggestions, I'd love to hear them!!!

2017-2018 9th Grade Curriculum

As our new year of school begins, all of our excitement rises!  While we technically school year round, the Fall always introduces new curriculum, with extras added in that we were not doing in the Summer.  It is hard to believe my oldest is in High School this year!  Her enthusiasm for school and desire to learn is unsurpassed!  I always give her an option in what she wants to spend the year focusing on, and more often than not I have to try to reign her back a little!  This year was no different, as she wanted to learn THREE foreign languages!  She had planned to do all three, all year long!  So far I have her convinced to narrow it down to two!


9th Grade Curriculum Choices:
Bible: Apologia What We Believe Series - This year we are starting with Volume 2, Who am I?
Literature: Excellence in Literature - Literature and Composition
Writing: Institute of Excellence in Writing, finishing Continuation Course Level B, and then Elegant Essays and Speech Boot Camp
Grammar: Fix It Grammar, Book 4
Spelling: Phonics Zoo Level B and C
Science: Apologia - Biology
Math: Math-U-See - Geometry
Geography: Finishing up Asia and then starting Europe, hopefully in January
History: Mystery of History Volume 4 and Time Travelers for more in depth on the wars
Civics: Amanda Bennett's American Government Unit Study with more added :)
Foreign Language: Spanish - CD courses, German - CD courses
Other: Still hoping to add Keyboard and Horse Riding Lessons
Extracurricular Activities: Homeschool group, Teen Bible Study, and 4-H

In addition to all of that, she also plans to focus more on her baking.  She has been working on refining her designs with fondant, and wants to take a Wilton Cake decorating class (or five) through Joanns.

It will be a busy school year for her, with lots of activities.  As she narrows down her dreams more, I'm hoping to curtail her school more towards those.  Right now she wants to be a doctor that writes and has a baking business :)

Weekly Menu for Sunday, May 9th - Saturday, May 13th

A few of you have e-mailed me about what in the world I cook for our crew.  Many of you know we suffer from food allergies... This includes gluten, dairy, and weird stuff like beans and squashes!  We TRY to eat real food most of the time... I also generally incorporate what we are studying in our homeschool to work with our menu.  So I finally decided to type up this week's menu.  I often try new recipes, so most of these recipes we have never had before!!!  Maybe at the end of the week I will write what we think about the recipes... but all of you know that I'm not the best at keeping up with y blog right now.   What can I say - life is busy!!!

Sunday:
     Breakfast: Oven Baked Eggs in Tomato Cups, with Fruit
     Lunch: Peanut Butter and Jelly Sandwiches (we are going grocery shopping after church, so we need to bring lunch with us, and this will be convenient)
     Dinner: Hawaiian Pork Burrito Bowls

Monday:
     Breakfast: Allergy Friendly Cinnamon Rolls, Mixed Fruit, Sausage Links
     Lunch: Sizzling Cilantro Lime Fajita Salad with Honey Lime Vinaigrette
     Dinner: Pesto Chicken Pasta with Mushrooms, Salad

Tuesday:
     Breakfast: Mushroom and Goat's Cheese Omelet with Spinach and Avocado, Bacon
     Lunch: Leftovers
     Dinner: Salmon Teriyaki over Rice,  and Peas (For studying Japan in Geography)

Wednesday:
     Breakfast: Breakfast Quinoa
     Lunch: Barbecued Pork for Sandwiches, Cucumber Slices, Applesauce
     Dinner: Jamie's Minestrone - without the beans (For studying "Grandfather's Journey" - FIAR),
          and Sourdough Einkorn Bread

Thursday:
     Breakfast: Cherry Tomato, Leek, and Spinach Quiche
     Lunch: Leftovers
     Dinner: Down Home Chicken (Civil War recipe for History), Mashed Potatoes, and Vegetable

Friday:
     Breakfast: Strawberry Baked Oatmeal Recipe with Bananas
     Lunch: Spaghetti with Broccoli, Garlic, and Chili
     Dinner: Grilled Venison Loin with Rosemary, Thyme, Red Wine, and Olive Oil, Thyme Roasted     
          Radishes with Potatoes, Peppers, Zucchini, Carrots, and Onions (Goes with the sound of the
          week - the "long I" sound of the "Y")
     Dessert: Pineapple Cream Pie

Saturday:
     Breakfast: Western Omelet Casserole
     Lunch: Leftovers
     Dinner: Cuban Mojo Marinated Pork, Rice, and Vegetable

So this is the plan.  Let me know if any of you have cooked any of these recipes!  What is on your menu for the week?

Gardening in the Northwest

So I guess we count as the Northwest now... I've tried googling it, but that just confuses me, ha.  Some sites say we are Midwest... but when you order foraging books, we don't count for that (yeah ask me how I know).  In fact, for the foraging books, we are considered the Mountain west... but we are full of prairies, so how does that work???  So I guess I will stick with saying we are in the Northwest...

Anyways, life is much different here in many aspects, especially when it comes to gardening.  I'm sure eventually we will be gardening year round, just not like we were in South Carolina.  But for now, we are looking at a very short growing season.  So how will that work with wanting to grow the majority of our veggies for the year?  I truly do not know!  All I know is we have a LOOOOONG list of seeds we want to plant.  Here is our list... which includes herbs we want to grow as well...

• Basil
• Bush Beans (Blue Lake, Provider, and Slenderette)
• Beets (Detroit Dark Red and Golden Detroit)
• Bok Choy (Canton)
• Borage
• Broccoli (Waltham and Purple Sprouting)
• Brussels Sprouts (Long Island)
• Cabbage (Brunswick, Kolobris, and Golden Acre)
• Calendula
• Cantaloupe (Hale's Best 45 and Hearts of Gold)
• Carrots (Cosmic Purple and Nantes Scarlet)
• Catnip
• Cauliflower (Erfurter)
• Celery
• Chamomile
• Chili Peppers (Cayenne, Jalapeno, Lemon Drop, Poblano, Serrano, and Thai Red Chillies)
• Chinese Cabbage
• Chives
• Cilantro
• Comfrey
• Cucumbers (Ashley, Beit Alpha, Boston Pickling, Crystal Apple, Early Fortune, Marketmore, and Russian Pickling)
• Dill
• Echinacea
• Eggplant (Black Beauty and Listed de Grandia)
• Endive
• Feverfew
• Garlic
• Gourds
• Lavender
• Leeks
• Lemon Balm
• Lemon Verbena
• Lemongrass
• Lettuce (LOTS)
• Marigolds
• Marjoram
• Mint
• Nasturtiums
• Onions (Yellow, Red, and Green)
• Oregano
• Parsley
• Peas (Green Arrow, Little Marvel, Oregon Sugar Pod, Sugar Daddy and Wando)
• Peppers (California Wonder, Canary Bell, Chocolate Beauty, Emerald Green, King of the North, Marconi, Orange Sun, and Mini Red Bell)
• Potatoes
• Pumpkins (Jack O Lantern)
• Radicchio
• Radishes (Cherry Belle and Purple Plum)
• Rosemary
• Rutabaga (Champion Purple Top)
• Sage
• Shallots
• Sorrel
• Spinach
• Stevia
• Sweet Potatoes
• Swiss Chard
• Tarragon
• Thyme
• Tomatillo (both purple and green)
• Tomatoes (Amish Paste, Beefsteak, Black  Krim, Cherokee Purple, Costololo Genovese, Hungarian Heart, Martino's Roma, Red Pear, Riesentraube, Rutgers, San Marzano and Solar Flare)
• Turnips (Seven Top)
• Valerian
• Watermelon (Blacktail Mountain, Cream of Saskatchewan, and Jubilee)

The thing is, I really have no clue what I am doing!!!  I've gardened in the past and have been pretty successful... but I know there is a science behind gardening and I simply do not understand what it is!  So I'm trying.. and praying... and hoping for the best!

MIA - CO Poisoning

I've had a few questions lately regarding me "slacking off" on posting on my blog.  I'm sorry for being MIA!!!  A couple weeks ago we had a huge scare, that has thrown me off my kilter a little.  Let me tell you the story...

It was a Thursday evening and we all headed to bed a little later than normal.  I had a headache and couldn't seem to shake it, even after using essential oils and taking an herbal tincture (both by themselves usually take care of it!)  For the next few hours, I was up, sick to my stomach, with a killer headache, stumbling around, thinking "gosh is it going to be a rough day."  I had no idea how true that statement was!  At around 3:30, the 17 month old woke up throwing up.  I stumbled into their room, with my hubby right there as well.  We started getting her cleaned up and in the process woke up the older two girls.  They complained of the same thing I did... nauseousness and a headache, with the oldest barely being able to walk.  "Carbon Monoxide" immediately came to mind.  We took the girls to the back door and opened it up wide.... The chilling 7 degree air and bone chilling wind nearly made us close the door back up, but instead, we ordered the girls to sit there as I went to go get blankets for them.  Hubby went down in the basement and opened up the windows down there.  After covering the girls that were awake up, I went and told the boys to get up and bring their blankets.  They too felt off.  The 5 year old was carried from his bed to sit with the others, as he did not arouse as easily.  Then I realized the three year old was still asleep in her room, so I went to go get her and carried her out to the door as well.  At that point, I could hardly walk!  Dizziness was taking over.  I could only manage a few steps and then would hit my knees, pull myself back up, and repeat.  In the meantime, hubby grabbed the kitten, put her in her cat carrier and brought her up to the door, as well as having the dog lay down with the children.  Hubby opened and stood at the front door breathing in the fresh air as I joined the children at the back door.  By 4:15, we were no better... the oldest and I still could not walk.  We knew we needed to get checked by the ER... 45 minutes away.  We grabbed the dog's crate and put her in it and the open backdoor, put a fire screen at the back door to keep any wild critters out, and let the kitten free in the basement, keeping the windows wide open.  The children were handed their snow boots, and we all went to the ER... in our pajamas ;)

Oh if I could explain the looks on the ER staff's faces when we told them all nine of us needed to be seen... and only two had ever been to that hospital!  Between trips to the restroom to be sick and keeping all the children comfortable, the information for each of us was given including past medical histories and symptoms.  Thankfully some of the children by this point had started to feel better!  Hubby and I had already discussed the fact that the maximum number of rooms we wanted to be split into was three... if they were going to do more than that, neither he nor I were going to be seen.  Praise God, they decided to put us in two rooms!!!  The doctor talked with each one of us, did some tests, and then put in the order for blood work.  Honestly, there didn't seem to be too much concern... we had woken more than 1.5 hours before at that point and were feeling better.  Then the blood work results came back and panic was in the air!  All nine of us had CO poisoning... and it was pretty bad!  Our three year old was the lowest at a little over 15... three of us were over 21.  Had we been at 25 or higher, we would have had to been flown out!  Instead, we were all put on oxygen.... for over FOUR HOURS! 

While on oxygen, the police came in.  At first, I couldn't understand why the police came in... then it dawned on me... this was a poisoning incidence.  So we answered all his questions, he said the fire department would be checking out the house, then he left.  At this point, those of us that were on oxygen tanks, had used them all up.  So we got split into four rooms, so that each of us could be on a wall unit.  Thank goodness one of the rooms had three set-ups!  The four hours seemingly crept by.  The children colored and watched cartoons.  I went from room to room checking on everyone, as Brad had the sleeping baby.  Finally time was up, and they ran more blood tests.  Only four of us were retested and all of us were below ten... so we got to go home.

In the meantime, the fire department came and investigated the house.  The decision was it was from the wood stove.  Yes - the wood stove.  I didn't realize it was even a possibility, but there were a few factors... the biggest was the pipe that leads from the woodstove to the chimney was leaking.  Add to that the chimney needed cleaning (though it was not blocked, so that alone did not cause it), and later we figured out that due to the amount of wind in the area, it was causing our draft to be off, as the chimney needed to be taller.  So we replaced the pipe, cleaned the chimney, and installed three CO monitors.  We also, later, added an additional three feet to the chimney. 

Overall, it was a blessing... Once again God demonstrated His sovereignty.  He had complete control over the situation, He had E1 wake up at the right time, He helped us know what was wrong, He enabled my husband to drive, and helped us stay together rather than completely apart.  He also helped the fire department find the issue, as well as helping us to fix it.  God is good!!!

And so this is why I have been MIA.  I'm still fighting a little "brain fog" and some fatigue, but overall, everyone is doing beautifully!  I'm hoping to start posting more about what is going on, on the homestead as well :) 

Geography - Introduction

This year for geography, we restarted going over the continents, looking more specifically at some countries.  Before jumping into that, however, we took three weeks to do an "introduction" unit, introducing basic geographical terms.

The main text for our unit was Maps and Globes.  Each day we read over portions of this book.  This book was great for my younger children, as it is geared towards preschool through early elementary aged students.  As this was a review for my older children, I wasn't as concerned about it being at their reading level.

In order to help the children understand the idea of an atlas versus a map, I used an orange.  I drew a rough outline of the continents on the orange with a marker.  I then peeled it and attempted to lie it flat... this demonstrated for them why continents look so far apart but are actually next to each with just an ocean in between, as well as why some countries look so elongated.  We also labeled continents and oceans on a worksheet.

We also reviewed the compass directions.  We completed a directions worksheet as well as completed numerous "treasure hunts."  I did this by simply putting the treasure in a location, then giving them directions to get there, such a 7 steps North, 3 steps east, etc.  We took this a step further and made a community map.  I then wrote out direction and they had to use their map to figure out where I went (everything was measured by blocks).  For the last day that week, I had my children tell me which direction to drive, attempting to get us to the park (using north, south, east and west), and then back home!  On the way home they figured out our rearview mirror says what direction we were going, and used that to help them :)

Part of our time was also spent on the different water and landforms.  I made a chart as well as a matching game.  They had to match the water or landform to the name.   We also went over the poles, equator, hemispheres, oceans and continents.  There are some really catchy tunes for learning the continents and oceans that my children quickly memorized, including A3.

The last couple days were spent reading There's A Map On My Lap! and doing activities with it.  The one day we made a "Where I Live in this World."  This was a great way to help the children understand how tiny our town is in comparison to the rest of the world!  We also made paper plate continent maps... where we took paper plates and glued the continents on in the right locations!  I also had the children label the five oceans.

Overall, the introduction was a success.  By telling my children which way is north, they can figure out the other directions.  They can also identify the seven continents and five oceans, though many of them would probably sing their answer to you.  We are still working on the actual location of the continents and oceans.

FIAR - Katy and the Big Snow

Katy and the Big Snow, by Virginia Lee Burton is one of my favorite Five In a Row books!!!  It is about a tractor named Katy that pushes a snowplow during the winter, clearing the way for all the emergencies, when no one else can get the job done.  It is a great reminder that the "important people" such as the hospital, police, etc all depend on the "little people" to do their job.  It is also a great story to show determination and endurance!  With so much underlying meaning in this book, I wanted to keep the activities pretty low-key.  I figured this was a great time to review the different jobs in the community that are mentioned in the book.  Unfortunately, I was horrible about taking pictures for this week!!!

Our first day was just about different jobs people have.  We read Richard Scarry's What Do People Do All Day, by Ricard Scarry, Berenstain Bears Jobs Around Town, and Whose Hat is This, by Sharon Katz Cooper.  For our activities, we built a town with the Melissa and Doug Wooden Town Blocks Set. 

The first occupation we discussed was police.  We read Curious George Visits the Police Station, by Margaret and HA Rey.  We then watched "Kid Vision VPK Sheriff's Office Field Trip" on youtube.  This is also a great time to take a field trip to the local police station and to check out the police cruisers, which it seems like all young children enjoy!  We practiced calling 911 on a toy phone, and acted out different scenarios, letting the children use their imagination.

The second occupation was the post office.  We read Delivering Your Mail, by Ann Owen.  We then watched "Kid Vision VPK Post Office Field Trip" on youtube.  Rather than going on a field trip to the post office, we decided to just take a trip down to our mailboxes and get the mail, which happens to be a favorite pasttime for the kids.  They also wrote letters and mailed them to their friends, as well as pretending to play post office at home.  Melissa and Doug actually have two great sets out that would have been a great addition to this day - Stamp and Sort Wooden Mailbox Activity and My Own Wooden Mailbox Activity Set.

The third occupation we discussed was doctors.  We read Berenstain Bears Hospital Friends, then watched "Mister Roger's Neighborhood - Families - A Visit to the Pediatrician."  We worked it out so we had a well-check on that afternoon with our family practice doctor.  We also played "doctor" with our toy medical kit.  I pulled out my stethoscope, blood pressure cuff, and thermometer, as well as first aid supplies to let the children help me put a first aid kit together for the cars and the house.  We then played "Doctor Says" - think "Simon says" but say Doctor instead of Simon :)

The final occupation we took a closer look at was the firefighters.  We read Curious George and the Firefighters, by HA Rey and Margaret Rey.  Then we watched "Sesame Street and the FDNY - Fire at Hooper's Store."  We discussed what to do in case of a fire in the house, and practiced fire drills.  We also practiced "Stop, Drop, and Roll."  We checked out the website Sparky the Firedog, and did some activities from there.  Then we played "Firefighter's Ladder Hopscotch" where I basically drew a ladder and we turned it into an easy hopscotch game.

The Center for Birds of Prey - Field Trip

W9 LOVES birds!  I'm not sure what started his fascination with them!  But anything bird related, and he is all over it!  Even his tea mug has birds on it and his ornaments he chooses each year is usually a bird.  He hopes to one day own a couple birds.  With this in mind, we decided to treat him to a field trip to the Center for Birds of Prey in Awendaw.  The weather was absolutely perfect for a day out in the sun, exploring these glorious winged creatures created by God!  Most of the birds here are injured in some manner - most often by a car.  They will never be able to return to the wild :(

When we first went in, we started with the tour, and learned about some of their birds.  Be warned... this post is going to be picture heavy!

After the walking tour, it was time for the flight demonstration.   While we had been there before, this was the best flight demonstration we had seen there!  One of our boys even got to participate!

Next up was walking over to the owl section.  They brought out some of the babies, and oh my goodness they were so precious!!!

After we walked through there, we headed back over to another section that we hadn't visited yet, and saw more birds... along with a special "guest" that K13 spotted!  Then as we headed out, we got to see a few more, closeup.

Overall, W9 was in "bird heaven."  He absolutely loved the field trip that was especially geared towards him!  It is pretty costly for our family to visit there, but it is so worth it!  I encourage you, if you are in the area, to explore their facilities and donate towards the work they are doing!

FIAR - Owl Moon

Owl Moon, by Jane Yolen is a lovely story of a little girl and her father quietly going owling.  We enjoyed a week full of owl based activities!  We kept this week pretty low-key and fun, as we were all fighting some sinus issues.  We went on a lovely field trip to The Center of Birds of Prey during the week, primarily for W9, but it worked perfectly with our rowing!

We read a few extra books that went along with Owl Moon.  These included:

• The Moon of the Owls, by Jean Craighead George
• Barn Owl, by David Chandler
• Owl Babies, by Martin Waddell
• Book of North America Owls

Our activities included:

• Completing an owl coloring page

• Making a paper plate owl

• Watching youtube videos
• Owl video for Kids
•  National Geographic Wildlife Wonders, Owls - The Silent hunters
• More Than Birds Field Trip - Owl Banding Episode 1
• Drawing an owl
• Making a Pine Cone Snowy Owl

• Painting baby owl pictures
• Making an owl Christmas ornament
• Making an Owl cut out picture

• Making an owl bookmark
• Completed an "Owls Are, Have, Can... Paper"

• Making tubular owls
•  We had hoped to dissect owl pellets, but honestly I didn't want to mess with it that week!  So instead we cheated and did it online

I think our favorite part, however, other than the field trip, was the food!  Per the FIAR cookbook, we had chili, corn muffins, and root beer floats.  In addition, however, we made an owl pizza (with gluten free pizza crust and goat mozzarella!  yum!) with an owl veggie tray!  Fun times!