Home: August 2010

Sunday, August 22, 2010

Little Quote

" I want to be a mommy so I can eat chocolate."

-Collette

Of Compost and Eggs

Sometimes even compost can make me smile.

Also, this week, a petite hen has laid her very first miniature egg. While it is diminutive, she must get a 'A' for effort!

My wee little boy was quite enthralled with it's teeny tiny size.

Monday, August 16, 2010

Eastern Hemisphere Adventure II

The long list continued...

Russia (wks. 16-18)

SAINT: Saint Vladimir of Kiev http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Vladimir_I_of_Kiev

MARY: Theotokos, draw an icon

ANIMAL: Wolves, Brown Bear, Swan
HABITAT: Tundra
ART: Paper Nesting Dolls http://www.activityvillage.co.uk/russian_dolls.htm

*paint set of nesting dolls,

BOOKS:

-Stories of the Child Jesus (Russia)

-The Wolfhound

-The Magic Nesting Doll

-Once There was a Tree

-Eyewitness Russia (libr)

-Another Celebrated Dancing Bear

-The Littlest Matryoshka

-Rechenka’s Eggs

-Babushka’s Doll

RESOURCE: http://candacemercyisnew.blogspot.com/2009/12/russia-bound.html

MOVIES: Anastasia, Stories From My Childhood, Dr. Strangelove

Thailand (wk. 19, 20)

SAINT: Bl. Nicholas Bunkerd Kitbamrung http://www.catholic.org/saints/saint.php?saint_id=5684
MARY:

ANIMAL: Asian Elephant

HABITAT: Tropical Rainforest (cont.)
ART: Loy Krathong Boats (Global Art p. 71)

BOOKS:

-Thailand (Countries of the World)

-An Elephant in the Backyard

-Hush! A Thai Lullaby

-The Girl who wore too Much

-The Man who Caught Fish

MOVIE: Rudy Maxa’s World: Thailand

India (wks. 21-27)

SAINTS: Blessed Mother Teresa, St. Thomas the Apostle (http://www.pitara.com/discover/5wh/online.asp?story=100)

MARY: Our Lady of Vailankanni

ANIMALS: Saluki Hound of the Bedouin, Indian Rhinoceros

HABITAT: Mangrove Forrest, Ganges River

ART: Henna Tattoos, Taj Mahal, Sacred Cow

BOOKS:

-DK Eyewitness: India

-One Grain of Rice

-Just So Stories

-The Gifts of the Wali Dad

-Stories from India

-Anklet for a Princess

-Once a Mouse…

-Finders Keepers

-The Road to Mumbai

-The Drum: A folktale from India

-Monsoon

-Elephant Dance

-My Mother’s Sari

-Lily’s Garden of India

-The Monkey and the Crocodile

MOVIES: The Story of India, Chuck Jones Collection – Rikki Tiki Tavi, Mowgli's Brothers, The White Seal, Gandhi, Iqbal, Mother Teresa

RESOURCES: National Symbols http://india.gov.in/knowindia/national_symbols.php

Middle East (wks. 28-30)

Wk. 28 Jordan, Syria, Saudi Arabia

Wk. 29 Israel, Iraq SAINT: Jesus, Mary, Joseph, St. Paul & St. Peter

Wk. 30 Turkey SAINT: Nicholas

Mary: Our Lady of Madhu (Sri Lanka)

Our Lady of Lebanon

Our Lady of Arabia (Kuwait)

HABITATS: Arabian Desert and India's Mountains

ANIMALS: http://www.wildlife-tour-india.com/animals-in-india.html

Arabian Horse

Peacock

Cobra

ART: Israel: Silverware Bells (Global Art p. 60)

BOOKS:

The Hungry Coat: A Tale from Turkey

One City, Two Brothers (Israel)

Tunjur! Tunjur! Tunjur! A Palestinian Folk Tale

The Enchanted Storks: A Tale of Baghdad

The Legend of the Persian Carpet

The Persian Cinderella

Rumi: Persian Poet, Whirling Dervish (Turkey)

Snow in Jerusalem

Sitti’s Secrets (Palestine)

The Librarian of Basra (Iraq)

Silent Music (Iraq)

Silly Chicken (Pakistan)

Four Feet, Two Sandals (Afghanistan)

MOVIES: Children of Heaven, Bashu, The Little Stranger

Africa (wks. 31-36)

SAINTS: St. Tekla A Saint and His Lion

St. Bakhita of Sudan

Modern Saints Vol. 1 and Vol. 2 (Not to miss: St. Charles Lwanga and Companions, vol. 1 p. 86, Bl. Edel Quinn, vol. 2)

MARY:

Our Lady of Africa

Our Lady of Keitun

Our Lady of Kibeho

HABITAT: African Savanna

ANIMALS: Lion, Giraffe, Gorilla, African Elephant

SCIENCE:

The Water Hole

Honey, Honey Lion (Jan Brett videos: Jan Brett in Africa, How to Draw a Stork)

One Small Square: African Savanna

African Critters

ART:

Zebra http://thatartistwoman.blogspot.com/2010/07/zebra-resist.html

Giraffe http://thatartistwoman.blogspot.com/2010/07/giraffe-project.html

RESOURCES:

A is for Africa

Africa is Not a Country

Eyewitness Africa (DK)

One Big Family: Sharing Life in Africa

BOOKS:

South Africa:

Jambo Means Hello

Galimoto (Mulawi)

My Painted House, My Friendly Chicken, and Me

West Africa:

I Lost My Tooth in Africa (Mali)

Kente Colors (Ghana)

East Africa:

Masai and I (East Africa)

Mama’s Panya’s Pancakes (Kenya)

Bringing the Rain to Kapiti Plain

For You are a Kenyan Child

Beatrice’s Goats (Uganda)

Folk Tales:

A Story, a Story (East Africa)

Anansi the Spider (East Africa)

Zomo the Rabbit (West Africa)

Why Mosquitos Buzz in People’s Ears (West Africa)

Mufaro’s Beautiful Daughters (Southern Africa)

Beat the Story Drum Pum-Pum

Rat-Catcher’s Son

MOVIES: Duma, The Lion King, Hatari

Sunday, August 15, 2010

An Eastern Hemisphere Adventure

This is my first time posting plans for my little home school, so I am a little nervous. However, I am deeply indebted to all the moms who have spent hours planning and sharing, especially Elizabeth Foss. My children have reaped the benefits of their generosity. Thus, I pray that another homeschooling mom may benefit just a little from my time spent plunking away on the keyboard.

These plans are for those looking to merge Sonlight's Core 5, Eastern Hemisphere, with studies for their younger children. My own children will be in grades K, 2nd, 5th, and 7th this September.

I have taken most of the recommended books from a list compiled by Elizabeth Foss and Co. for her Serendipity learning adventure entitled Continents and Cultures. Please, please check out her site at Serendipity and click on the Continents and Cultures button at the top to see a full and beautiful Catholic world tour. Also, Candace at His Mercy is New has many wonderful resources for a complete world tour. Many thanks to both of them as we start our own journey.

Okay, little background information:
*These plans are for the younger two girls. The older ones will be following along with Sonlight. Almost all the books are picture books or very short chapter stories. The movies come from a wide variety of suggestions. Most I have never seen and will preview as I go, but at least I have a list to start with this way.

*The scope and sequence follows Sonlight. (I needed a planned curriculum to keep me on track this year but I am an out of the box teacher at heart. I am hoping this will satisfy both my needs. We'll see.)

*I have added saint stories while removing many of the missionary stories. Please let me know if there is a wonderful saint or Marian apparition that I have missed.

*The children will compile an Adventure Notebook over the course of the year. All of their art, maps, papers, and geography work will be spiral bound at the end for a keepsake. And, yes, they do look back through these books all the time.

*This is still a work in progress, of course. :-)

*This a LONG LIST. Loooonng List. Wow! I needed to break it up into two post for manageability. This is weeks 1-15. Look for Weeks 16-36 next.

AN EASTERN HEMISPHERE ADVENTURE
Make one notebook for each child. Include:

*country pages

*animals

*saint and Marian apparition

*important maps and facts

Ideas to suppliment your studies:

Continent boxes

Montessori for Everyone Continent downloads

Make a felt world for sorting

Make wooden saints of the missionaries

Memory Game: I never forget a face

Passport Book for all children

Resources:

-Hungry Planet

-Material World

-Children Just Like Me

-Usborne World Religions

-Draw Write Now Books (DWN)

GEOGRAPHY RESOURCE: Trail Guide to World Geography

Introduction Week

*Make map of world

*Study continents, name all

*Put together passports (As we travel to each country the children will add the flag sticker, color a picture of the country bird or flower, stamp the page, and add the date arrived. Maybe add an outline map of the continent so the children can draw in the country and color)

*read Seabird

Pacific Islands (wks. 1,2)

*Study Hawaii

SAINT: Fr. Damien of Molokai (Fr. Damien and the Bells) All Kids

ANIMAL: Green Sea Turtle

http://earthtrust.org/wlcurric/turtles.html

Nene the Hawaiian Goose http://www.enchantedlearning.com/subjects/birds/printouts/Neneprintout.shtml

http://www.honoluluzoo.org/nene_goose.htm

HABITAT: Tropical Island, Volcano (Two Tales of Hawaii)

ART: http://deepspacesparkle.blogspot.com/2010/06/hawaiian-dancers-art-project.html

http://www.artprojectsforkids.org/search?q=turtle

BOOKS:

-Tales of Tutu, Nene, and Nele

-A is for Aloha

-Pippi in the South Seas

MOVIES: American Aloha, Hawaii-Songs of Aloha

Australia (wk. 3 & 4) Skip New Zealand

SAINT: Mother Mary MacKillop

ANIMAL: Kangaroo, Kookabura (Strange Animals of Australia) http://www.honoluluzoo.org/kookaburra.htm

http://www.ausinternet.com/ettamogah/kookaburrasong.htm

HABITAT: Coral Reef (One Small Square) Outback Desert

ART: Dot Painting http://www.freekidscrafts.com/australian_kangaroo_dot_painting-e1021.html

BOOKS:

-Ehmet the Emu

-Koala Lou

-Katy Kangaroo

-Dingoes at Dinnertime

*use DWN #7

-Pumpkin Runner (http://www.homeschoolshare.com/resources_pumpkin_runner.php)

INTERNET RESOURCE: http://www.ausinternet.com/ettamogah/kids.htm

http://www.activityvillage.co.uk/australia_day.htm

MOVIE: Discovery Atlas: Australia Revealed

Australia: Rabbit Proof Fence, New Zealand: Whale Rider

Antarctica (wk. 5)

SAINT: None

ANIMAL: Penguin

http://www.enchantedlearning.com/subjects/birds/label/empenguin/

HABITAT: Antarctica

ART: Kids Soup: Cork Penguins, Styrofoam ice sheets play set

Potato print penguins

http://thatartistwoman.blogspot.com/2009/01/penguin-printmaking.html

BOOKS:

-Penguins by Gail Gibbons

-Penguin Chick

-Where is Home Little Pip?

-Mr. Poppers Penguins audio

-365 Penguins

*HHS polar animal resource

*DWN #4

MOVIES: Planet Earth: Antarctica

RESOURCE: http://candacemercyisnew.blogspot.com/2010/05/antarctica.html

Asian Science Resources:

-Animals Marco Polo Saw

-Animals of Asia Series

Orangutan

Komodo Dragon

Camels

Elephants

Tigers

Japan (wk. 6 & 7)

SAINT: Saint Philip of Jesus http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Philip_of_Jesus
Saint Francis Xavier (St. Francis of the Seven Seas)

MARY: Our Lady of Akita

ANIMAL: Snow Monkey

HABITAT: Study cherry tree instead

ART: Fish Prints (Global Art p.62), Kites http://www.thetoymaker.com/AroundtheWorld/Japan/TMKoiKites.html

Dessert sushi, *Origami Treasure Chest

http://www.thecraftyclassroom.com/ThemeJapaneseCrafts.html

BOOKS:

-I Live in Tokyo

-A Pair of Red Clogs

-Grandfathers Journey

-Cool Melons Turn to Frogs (haiku poetry)

-Grass Sandals

-Under the Cherry Blossom Tree

-Silkworms

*Alan Say books from library

-Sadako and the Thousand Paper Cranes

MOVIE: Spirited Away, Sadako and the 1000 Paper Cranes, Secrets of the Samurai Sword

China (wks. 9-14)

SAINT:

MARY: Our Lady of China

ANIMAL: Panda, Siberian Tiger

HABITAT: Bamboo Forest

ART: Lots of ideas http://www.artistshelpingchildren.org/chineseasianjapaneseartscraftsideaskids.html

BOOKS:

- DK Eyewitness China HISTORY

*Ancient China Treasure Box HISTORY

-Made in China HISTORY

-The Magic Horse of Han Gan ART

-We’re Riding on A Caravan SILK

-Red Butterfly SILK

-Stone Soup FOLK

-The Weaving of a Dream FOLK

-Five Chinese Brothers FOLK

-Tikki Tikki Tembo FOLK

-Lon Po Po FOLK

-Liang and the Magic Paintbrush FOLK

-The Empty Pot CULTURAL

-The Story about Ping CULTURAL

Yeh Shen CULTURAL

-A Grain of Rice CULTURAL

-Daisy Comes Home CULTURAL

-Kites: Magic Wishes that Fly Up to the Sky KITE

-Emperor and the Kite KITE

-Kite Flying by Grace Lin KITE

*Let’s Fly A Kite (math tale) KITE

-The Dancing Dragon NEW YEAR

-Sam and the Lucky Money NEW YEAR

-Moonbeams, Dumplings, and Dragon Boats NEW YEAR

MOVIES: The Amazing Panda Adventure, The Last Emperor

The Inn of the Sixth Happiness

The Keys to the Kingdom

Not One Less

Kung Fu Panda

Mulan

6 weeks

1. Silk/Art

2. Kites

3. Chinese New Year

4. Folk Tales

5. Cultural Stories

6. History

Mongolia (wk. 15)

SAINT: none, discuss why ANIMAL: Bactrian Camel

HABITAT: Gobi Desert

ART: Felt Painting

-The Mongols

-Horse Song: The Naadam of Mongolia

-Brave Little Mongolian Sisters

-Suho's White Horse: A Mongolian Legend (R.I.C. Story Chest)

-Mongolia (Vanishing Cultures)

-Marco Polo for Kids

-Marco Polo by Demi

-Genghis Khan by Demi

MOVIE: "The Weeping Camel" (2003)

"The Cave of the Yellow Dog" (2005)

Friday, August 13, 2010

7 Quick Takes Friday (vol.11)

1. My sister gave us a few straw hats when she was here visiting from Hawaii. Thank you Lisa! I love little girls in straw hats!

Although, Olivia is not so little anymore is she?

2. We went bowling with the Murphys. What fun on a hot summer day! I think this past time fits in very well with our new country hick image.

The big kids were quite competitive.

Gracie was happy when the ball made it all the way down the lane without stopping.

And Dominic cheered at the fall of every pin.

Collette had pretty good form.

Shoes- you knew it was coming didn't you Claire? :-)

3. Grace is starting kindergarten this year. Where, oh where, did the time go? Just yesterday we were looking to build a house when this little pumpkin arrived:

And now the little boy is nearing the end of elementary school and the baby is beginning. September, it takes my breath away every time.

4. Another first for my family- Stephen slaughtered one of our roosters for dinner. He was quite tasty. The chicken, of course. The little ones and I did not watch. Oh no. I'm okay with the whole chicken thing so long as it looks like a chicken ready for the pot. However, the blood and feathers are left up to the man of the house.

For posterity.

5. A prayer to start the day:

What is your will for me, O God?

I await your plan.

I want to live only for you

and be guided by you always.

Grant that your holy will be done in me.

~St. Jane de Chantal

If only this prayer could be answered with a quick and concrete checklist.

6. Grace

7. I'm off to plan and plan and plan for the new school year. We will be traveling through the Eastern Hemisphere with books and food and art. Collette will prepare for her First Holy Communion and Dominic will take his place as a preschooler-in-training.

Host by Jen @ Conversion Diary

Thursday, August 5, 2010

Xavier's Baptism

A very special birthday present for Xavier- He was baptized!

I promised Olivia that this would happen before Xavier turned one. Well, we made in just the nick of time. He was born right around 6pm and he was baptized right around 6pm.

Quinton carried the special boy into the church.

Olivia and Grandma Ricky. Don't they bear a striking resemblance?

While we waited for Fr. John, Adam snapped lots of photos of the children.

Collette

My mom made this beautiful baptismal gown just for Xavier. He was much too big to wear the antique gown worn by all of the other children.

This was our first baptism in the Old Rite. It begins in the narthex signifying that the child has yet to become a member of the church.

The Imposition of Hands

While Stephen and I were truly impressed with the strong and solemn nature of the baptism with its focus on the remission of sins, Xavier was not. He found all the attention quite delightful!

He loved kicking at the gown and chewing on my veil.

After the imposition of blessed salt, exorcism, sign of the cross, and final imposition of hands, Xavier is admitted into the church with Fr. John laying his stole upon the baby's head.