Girl Scouts

Faith has been enjoying her journey into Brownie Scouts this year.

Here are a few photos from her induction ceremony.  This is the ceremony Ben was so happy was over that he cheered, "Woo Hoo, it is Finally OVER!"

School at Home

Here are a few pictures of what a day may bring for Hannah at home this year.  She has found that sometimes, she enjoys working outside.

Below, she is working on her Sonlight time line.  She enjoys coloring in the figures as we put them on the time line.  It is great to help remember when these events we are studying occurred.  We have already covered from the Nomads' life to Sumerians inventing cuneiform (ca. 2800 BC) to the Great Wall of China being built (221+ BC) in our history studies.

 Above, is one of the Sonlight readers that tells about the life of Archimedes, an important Greek mathematician and scientist we studied.  Under the book are some of her Latin studies.


Recently, we went on a field trip to study a little more recent South Carolina history and visited and toured a local mansion.  Ben came with us instead of going to preschool on this day.  He still talks about the South Carolina cotton museum field trip!

We are really enjoying the year so far as we figure out how to make homeschooling work for us.

Biking- Many Faces

Promotion

Here are a few pictures from Brian's recent promotion.  We were sorry we didn't get to join him in celebrating but glad that he finally got to have his day!  Way to go honey!  I can't believe he is pinning on this rank already as I can't believe we are old enough to be here!  I guess we are.

It has been awhile...

We have been busy since school and activities are in full swing.

Here are a few random shots...

Ben's new haircut

The kids participated in a deployment event.  Ben loved that he was able to ride a bus out to their "deployed" location.  Also, they all enjoyed the free MRE's (lunchables) they received.  They enjoyed watching a police dog work, seeing a fire truck, working the hose, and viewing robots.  The only sad part, was watching the free Elmo DVD when Elmo's dad deploys after we got home.  There was not a dry eye in the house.  

A few bush beans from our garden.  Yum.

Here is whiskers hanging out on his cat tree this morning.  

Still Reading ... Just Slower, Book 34, Week 36

I finished book 34 which puts me behind by two weeks.  I finally finished "He Leadeth Me by Fr. Walter J. Ciszek, S.J..  It was a book full of wonderful insight by a man who went through tremendous hardships and pain yet retained and strengthened his faith during the process.  He was an American Jesuit priest captured during WWII and served time for some 23 years in prisons and labor camps in Siberia.  I complain about much less significant hardships than he faced.  I need to discover the peace he was able to find and cling to for myself.  He had many points that challenged me to think about my own faith.

I am certain I can catch back up on my reading goals.  (Somehow, lately my time is not as free as it used to be!)

Cotton Pickin' Field Trip

A few of the military home schooling families in the area invited us to join them on a field trip.  Since we are living in the south, we were able to travel to a nearby cotton museum.  We were able to learn how cotton is used today - it's many uses are surprising.  Also we took the seeds out of the cotton.  It takes a long time to remove those seeds by hand!  Thank you Eli Whitney for the cotton gin!  I have a whole new appreciation for the cotton growers and workers of old.  That was not a fun job.

Here Ben helps me remove the seeds.  I believe the tour guide said that you end up with more seeds than you do cotton.  It is a good thing for cotton growers that they can sell the seeds too.  It is used to make cottonseed oil which is in a surprising amount of purchased products (i.e chips, goldfish, lipstick, etc) and is also used in animal feed.  Not so sure about the nutritional value of the stuff - I would say it is questionable.  Sorry cotton growers.

Whose table will remove the most seeds?

Here are some students trying out the small gin.

Ben studying the inner workings or the cotton gin - or just looking at the moving mules in this display.  :)

First field trip - a success!