This Week at Home

I'm wrapping up my week, I am, indeed.  It's a good thing too, as it was a long week for me.  Thankfully, I was able to keep going, getting the basics done, despite this cold.  The lovely Mary, my hostess of Weekly Wrap Up, is thinking of giving up her station.  I am planning to keep writing them for my own use, not linking elsewhere.  I like having a written account of my week.  I will probably change my "categories" and content as pleases my whims, too.

On the Heart and Mind:

My heart is so thankful.  We were blessed above and beyond this past Christmas. I am still marveling at all we were given.  I am humbled that so many people love us and want to bless us.  Also, I am thankful how my children have jumped back into the full load of lessons. Last week we did three days of the basics.  Maybe that helped.  This week they were eager little students.

My dear grandma was diagnosed with pneumonia this week.  Thankfully, she has a treatable kind and seems to be doing well.  I certainly had her on my heart and mind a lot this week.  Here she is coloring when my mom visited her this week.

On the Home Front:


We had more family over on Sunday for more Christmas, so the house was totally clean for Monday's start of lessons.  We've kept up with things and so at this point, it is not in bad shape, considering how I've felt this week.  I was able to keep the laundry going, dishes done, trash emptied, dinner on the table, and little else.  The kids kept their clutter under control.  It's so nice when we all work together.

Purging has begun!!!  I have a big load to take to Good Will tomorrow.  More will be purged from our Christmas decorations today.  I went through my clothes and tossed all that are tattered and torn.  Because I was blessed with new clothes for Christmas, I can finally feel free to toss the old.  I needed to do this long ago.

Learning and Life: 


What can I say?  I love learning at home with my kids using Sonlight!  This week we finished two books and started three new ones.  We finished Genghis Khan.  I am glad we stuck it out, although it was a harder read, all those Mongol names!  We also finished Homesick.  I really wish there was a follow up book for the rest of her life.  She moved to America from China and that is that.  It was still a very good book.  I just wish she wrote more!  


We started the book Whatever Happened to Penny Candy?  It's a book on economics.  Excellent!  They beg for more.  Yes, they do!  We find ourselves talking about it at odd times, too.  I am learning a lot myself.  I like a book that says that the main problem with our government is ethics!  


We also started Water Sky.  Set in modern day Barrow, AK, a teen named Lincoln goes to find his uncle who has gone missing for two years.  We only just finished chapter 3.  The first chapter was a bit disorganized, but the last two have been more interestingly written.  The Inuit, his long lost relations, take Lincoln whaling in order for him to get in touch with his inner Eskimo. They want him to see their side of the whaling issue.   


Wolves of Willoughby Chase is the last book we started this week, getting all the way to chapter 8!  It is a page turner full of twists and turns and dangerous wolves!  It has everything for both boys and girls to enjoy this book.  The wolves are always on the prowl with lots of chases.  The two little girls are sent to a orphanage when the parents are suspected to be lost at sea.  The girls' governess takes over the estate and ends up getting every thing she deserves in the end!  (Although I had to read ahead to find that out.  I do not like not knowing!)    Trevor and I found the movie online at YouTube and watched it today.  It is about 80 minutes and closely follows the book.  Netflix and Amazon did not have it yet, as it is being released on DVD this month, I heard.  


Earlier in the week, I posted Grace's personification poem. Now here is Ryan's.  


Happy


Siamese cats are the best example of happy.  
Happy sleeps next to the heater or on my bed in the sun. 
Happy purrs as she is petted.
"I wish you would never stop," she says.
Happy licks her fur after her long nap in the sun. 
Happy waits for me to come pet her again.
"I wish you would never stop," she says.
How can I say no to such a cute face?

In the Kitchen:


No baking this week.  I did manage to make homemade chicken and dumplings.  I am making plans to make yogurt in my crock pot soon.  And I'd like to make some strawberry jam in my bread maker. I have a recipe that looks interesting.  I will report back if I do these things.

On the Nook:
Just finished reading The Basket of Flowers by Christoph von Schmid.   James, the king's gardener, teaches his 15-year-old daughter Mary all the principles of godliness through his flowers. She is falsely accused of stealing, and the penalty is death.  It's a beautiful tale of godliness.  I found it free here. I need to find time to read it aloud to my children.  


Currently reading A Double Story, by  George MacDonald.  Another excellent character book.  This one is a fairy tale of sorts.  A spoiled princess learns a lesson from Lady Wisdom.  Another one that I need to read aloud.  


Lamplighter Publishing.  Lots of these books are free at Project Gutenberg.  

Quote of the Week:

"The ablilty to simplify means to eliminate the unnecessary so that the necessary may "speak."
Hans Hoffman (1880-1966) 

That's my week.  I hope yours has been a good one, too.
~Jenn