Weekly Wrap-Up

In which I decided to do my wrap-up a bit different.

Eastern Hemisphere, our focus of study this year.

Monday: 

Enjoyed homeschool gym at our local community center.  The instructor quit a again, so this week the director led the class.  It was funny to see her in high heals leading a big gym class.  Her helper was about 9 months pregnant and could not bend over to set up the bases.  But they try!

I took 2 big bags of the boys clothes and gave them to a new friend.  I could not believe there were so many thing in their closets that they had outgrown.  I was glad to bless my friend.

We came home and started a few new books:  Prudence with the Millers, A Glorious Age in Africa, and Beat the Story-Drum, Pum-Pum.  We are sointinuing with the biography on David Livingstone. 

Monday afternoon I took Grace to dance and enjoyed an hour of silence by myself in the van.  The sun was shining and I really loved that time alone. 

View of the new addition at church. 

Tuesday:

Ran to the store before lessons for one thing.  Had Trevor with me.  The nice clerk asked if he was enjoying spring break.  Took a moment to educate clerk about his questions about home education.  Spent too much money and felt guilty about my post that was published on keeping to a budget.  *blush*  But I had to buy grapes for the lunch I was invited to and while I was there I saw meat half priced and six other things we were out of.  This is why I don't go for one thing!  *ugh*

After morning lessons, I met with 3 friends to have lunch.  I have never done this during a school day before.  Wow!  It was great.  Until I came home to find out there had been a fight.  So, I guess that won't be happening again.  I will take "the" child with me next time.

Wednesday:

Just two things on my mind... BLUEBIRDS and eating fruit!  My ten day fast came to an end.  Really, I do not crave white flour or refined sugar at this point.  What I really missed was fruit.  I am continuing on to Wave Two of Sonoma.  I get to eat fruit!  (I'll skip the wine though.)

Love you, banana. 

Thursday:  

Decided that getting lessons done and the house in order was a bigger priority than getting groceries.  Waiting another day won't hurt us since I made a mini trip on Tuesday. 

Speaking of the house getting in order, it occurred to me that I have lost the help of my children somehow again.  It happens very slowly.  And then one day I wake up and notice that they are having all the fun and I am doing all the work.  I am wise to them and called a family meeting.


Ended up that being home was a wonderful idea because our huge box of books for next year arrived from Sonlight!  The kids and I looked through the books.  No one can wait until next year.  We will probably have to start early.  The boys had a paper fight with the packing materials.  I put together my new binder.  Hooray! 

Friday:

Took a planned day off from school to get groceries and a new coffee grinder.  Speaking of school, it was a great week.  Here is Ryan's Arabian Tale.

The Story of Akil and Aswad

A long time ago, there lived in a large city a wise, strong man who was very rich. His name was Akil, which means ‘The one who uses reason’. He inherited his riches from his hardworking father, and lived with his wife, Zahrah, who was the most beautiful woman in the city, and his children. The men of the city praised Akil for his wisdom, and his four sons and two daughters loved him.

But one day, as he was sleeping, fifteen robbers, who were stronger than they were wise, silently broke into his home, robbing and kidnapping him. He was taken far north, to the oasis west of the mountain. The chief robber was Aswad, a man who was as evil as he was smart. Akil was put in a tent, alone with guards at the door.

At night, Akil (who was a wise man, do not forget) sharpened a stick and made a knife. With his knife, he cut a whole in the back of the tent. Stealing one of the Aswad’s horses, he made his way south to his city, knowing the route because he had been to the oasis many times as a child, and had brought his own sons hunting the gazelle that lived there.

After he had ridden for almost two hours, he was home. His wife and children had missed him, but not knowing where the robbers took him, they could not look for him. Akil knew that Aswad would move camp so that his thieves could not be found, but helped the city’s men ride out to capture Aswad’s robbers.

When they got to the oasis, it was clear that Aswad had moved camp the day before, and that they moved west. The group of men rode after the robbers, as fast as they could. In an hour, they overtook Aswad’s men, who attacked Akil’s men, hoping to escape. But the city’s men outnumbered the robbers, and soon they were led back to the city to be punished.

Akil’s vast riches were recovered, along with the riches of other men who had been robbed. The city secretly increased security, and although Aswad tried to escape to murder Akil, he was stopped. 
The end.  

I thought he did a good job with this assignment.  Grace is writing her story in the African style and will have hers done soon.  Perhaps she will let me publish it here.  It's about a Prudent Turtle, I think. 

Love that face!

So there you have our week.  I hope yours was good as well.
~Jenn