End of our Civil War Study

We have spent a month and more doing our American Civil War study.  I know my kids have learned a lot but they are ready to move onto science next week.  But here is a quick review of what we covered.

Sophie's completed projects.

I used History Pockets Civil War as a, sort of, guide and for activities and coloring sheets. While I did enjoy having the coloring sheets and the direction in our studies I felt like they (the publishers) did most of the work and didn't leave a whole lot up to the kids to think about. Most of the "activities" were coloring something in, cutting it out and gluing it according to to their directions. A lot of the text was already there they just had to cut it out and put in in the right places. I guess I am used to lapbooks where they just give you an empty mini book with a topic and the child fills in the rest. But for our purposes this worked out pretty well. I didn't use every page from the book but we did cover everything that was included in the program.

I also had a Dover civil war coloring book that added a few more coloring pages into the mix. Henry especially liked these because there were battles scenes to color.

Working on some Morris code

We spent a lot of time learning about Abraham Lincoln. We read a bunch of books about his early life and of course the years he was president. I was especially struck with how unlikely it was for him to go from back woods boy that only had a year of formal schooling to shop keeper then to lawyer and politician and then to President. It is amazing! I know my kids never get tired of hearing his story and neither do I. It is fascinating. Here are a few of the books we read. I know we have gone through a few more than these on Lincoln. They must have been taken into bedrooms or returned to the library before I took this picture.



Speaking of books... Here is the pile of books we have been making our way through.

These are some of the ones we read about the underground railroad

and here are the others we read about the war.

We really liked the Brown Paper School US Kids History of the American Civil War. It was a series of stories from the perspective and experiences of many different people. It started before the war and explained a lot of the reasons behind the fight and the feelings of each side.

While we colored we often listened to music and stories. My kids listened to Bull Run, Lamp of freedom (a short story about a girl who helps slaves along the Underground Railroad. I can't find any links for it. But it was something our Library had in the catalog)  and Civil War songs.  They can often be heard singing "Peas, peas, peas, peas, eating goober peas". That is the song that seems to have stuck with them.

Ian's completed projects.

We haven't covered anything about reconstruction or anything expect Lincoln's assisination after the war so I know we will be back to this time in history again. I am looking forward to a few weeks off of war and fighting. It should be fun to do science everyday for a change of pace.

Beautiful day for a field trip.

It had been a few years since we last went to the San Francisco zoo. It had been our first Wednesday of October tradition for a while but I think we missed the last two years for one reason or another. I almost didn't take them this year. I didn't evem tell the kids until Wednesday morning that we were going. I wanted to skip it yet again but in the end we drove up into SF to see the animals.

Evidently they have stopped their first Wednesday of the month Free day last year. You have to be a San Francisco resident now to get in free. But thanks to being a member of a kids park near us, we didn't pay full price to get into the zoo. It wasn't free like I had planned but we still got in for a doable price.

The zoo hadn't changed much. Sophie remembered where everything was located.  How could I doubt my Zoo Tycoon! Of course she would remember how this one was laid out. She was our tour guide for the day telling us what we were going to see next. But Ian was the map keeper. That boy loved being able to read the words on the map this time.  Henry just was in heaven being outside and not having to sit and do school work. Molly was actually pretty content to ride around in the stroller and get glimpses of animals. Mostly she pointed out the balls that were in each exhibit and say "bauw....bauw,".  She is getting closer to actually using words.

I think we saw every animal. We covered the park and looked in every cage or space.

They are slowly updating many of their exhibits to have these glass walls rather than fences. The fences were hard to look through some times and in many places there were two fences between us and the animal. So when we came to the ones with the thick glass where we could get right up close to the animals (if they were so inclined to come up that close) it was really nice.

One of the highlights of our trip was getting to see the snow leopard. We went into the observation area that had the big glass panels and soon the snow leopard came down out of its rocky terrain and paced right along the glass.

It even took a moment to really check out my kids. It was us on display for him perhaps?

It stayed right there next to the glass for a long time. It even rubbed up against the glass where my kids were pressed. It was just like Grandma's cat does when she wants to be pet. It acted a lot like a kitten but was just a lot bigger!

We had a great time at the zoo. It was perfect weather and the park wasn't crowded. Henry wants to go back again next week.  I had to tell him that perhaps next year.

Harry Potter Book Report

Throughout the month of September Sophie was reading and taking notes to write another book report. She choose the book and with some guidance, wrote this report. I had to correct some spelling as I typed but the grammar is all hers. 

This is a picture of the final draft that she did for me.

I really should make her rewrite it. It looks more like a rough draft than a finished product.  I don't think she capitalized any of the proper names throughout her work unless it was the beginning of a sentence. (She must have that rule down. We will work on the others.) There are also quite a few scribbled out words and many misspellings but I am going to let it go for now. I am just glad that she is willing to write something for me. She had been fighting it so much in the past.  Besides she will be typing reports before too long and that will help with the writing and some of the misspellings... I know I depend on spell check a lot.

                                                                                    

I read Harry Potter and the Prisoner of Azkaban. As I was reading this third book, I found out more about the characters. This one seemed scarier than the first two. There were more dangerous things in this story. Harry also is more scared because of the things in this book than in the others. He has to learn how to deall with his fears.

At Harry's care of magical creatures class, Hagrid introduced Buckbeak. Hagrid said that hipogrifs were dangerous and didn't like to be insulted. Buckbeak could really hurt Harry with his sharp claws. Malfoy didn't listen and got hurt. Harry was able to touch Buckbeak, because he listened to Hagrid. Harry did not need to have any fear because Hagrid knew how to deal with Buckbeak.

She illustrated her report too

Harry was on the train when it was stopped by dementors. Professor Lupin knew how to stop them. Harry asked Professor Lupin to teach him how to stop dementors. Lupin says yes. So Harry learns how to defend himself from dementors. He practices on a bogart. Harry now can stop dementors by learning to defend himself with a patronus charm.

Everybody said Sirus Black was evil and dangerous. Harry learns that Sirus was not a spy for Voldemort and was not involved in Harry's parents murder. Sirus was his Godfather and wanted to protect him. Harry was very excited! Harry eventually saves Sirus from the dementors.

Through the experiences in this book Harry learns that to overcome fear he had to learn and prepare himself. I can overcome my fear by learning more about what I am afraid of. I enjoyed this book and watching the character's abilities grow.

                                                               

She is doing pretty well. The 5 paragraph essay is coming along. 

A Typical Trip to Library

Thursday is library day. So I sorted through the many books on the shelf and even had the kids gather the library books from their rooms so we could load up the bag and head out to the library.

The shelf looks a little bare once I have the bags full of all the books we need to return. This one cube on our big bookshelf is where library books are supposed to stay. It doesn't always happen. Often we have too many to fit in one cube and the one above also has a bunch of library books as well. A few books also end up in bedrooms and a few seem to live in the car.  We have been pretty lucky so far. We haven't lost any books yet. This is amazing considering how many books, cds, DVDs and such we check out.

The kids are always excited to go to the library. For a number of reasons. But the biggest reason is that they get to play the computer at the library. I started this a few weeks ago. The library has a number of computers in the children's section that are reserved for children to use to go onto the internet. I decided to let my kids do this at the library instead of at home since this way all three can be on at the same time rather than spend the entire afternoon asking how many more minutes until so and so's turn is over.

 
 The only downside to this plan is.... Molly.  I have to find something for her to do for an hour or so, while the other kids play on the computers. We first comb the library for the books I need. Then I let her loose (free of the stroller) to play puzzles.

She likes this for a few moments. Then she discovers the rows and rows of books on the shelves all around her.

This is where she spends a few minutes pulling books off the shelf and I try to reshelve them back into the right places. It is hard to keep up with such an expert book puller. I often try sit and read a book with her but it is just too exciting, being in such a colorful, book and toy filled place.

She runs over to the little kid computer that has a few games on it for the small kids. I guess she figures everyone else gets to play so why not her.

She quickly looses interest in this since she has no idea what the mouse does. She just likes to copy what she sees others doing. Once she is done she runs back to the shelves.

Audio books this time.

Then she pushes the stroller down the aisles and randomly picks books off the shelves and puts them in the basket. (I think we came home with a few good ones that she picked out)

Back to puzzles again. Today she decided to keep a binky in her mouth. Usually she only uses it for bedtime but I relented and let her have it today because last week she did a lot of screeching while we were at the library. That excited screech is just too much in the "silence" of the library. So for a quieter trip today I figured we would give it a try. It seemed to keep her quieter but not any less busy!



Next we checked in on the other guys to make sure everything was still alright. They were lost in the world of Webkinz or Lego star wars.  I don't think they even noticed us walk by. 

The library has a display case that is filled with a child's collection of something. It is often legos. It was Littlest Pet Shop or something last I remember.  This week it was some little painted figures, mostly cats. Molly took a few moments to look at them and bang on the glass.

Return to the kids and give them the 5 min warning. Molly.... or I should say... I can't go on much longer.

Molly and I sit down and do a coloring page. She is surprisingly good at scribbling. I don't remember the others being that interested in coloring.  Molly knows right where the crayon boxes are and likes to take out and put crayons back into the box.  I just have to make sure they don't get dumped out and all is well.

Finally all checked out. Each kid has their own bag of books. They have their own sections of the library that they visit to gather their favorites. Sophie goes for the math books like G is for Google. She also picked out another American Girl book to read.  Ian loves the non fiction section and brings home books about airplanes, tools and some random animals that he found interesting. Henry filled his bag with a few Clifford books and I believe a Berenstain bears book or two.  I picked out a few of the Halloween books from the pulled aside Halloween stash. (I can't believe it is already time for Halloween books!?!)

The shelf is full again. It never sits empty for long. I didn't have many new books to gather for school so most of these are just fun books for us to give a read through.

Sophie wasted no time digging into my book bag to see what I brought home.  She loved the drawing book I picked out.

She set right to work on a unicorn. It turned out really well.

Ian too jumped right into one of the books we brought home.

Henry was thrilled with the Halloween books and had me read each one to him before they could be put away on the shelf.


A successful trip to the library. Everyone has had a good time.

A message to the Tooth Fairy

Dear Tooth Fairy,

My kids wanted to leave you a note to explain a few things. They are tired of you forgetting to come. They don't accept excuses like "There were so many kids to visit she has to spread them out a little" or "Perhaps she was broke and needed to come when she had a little more cash on hand".  I understand completely. They are loosing teeth so quickly it is hard to keep up. And money is tight for everyone.

These kids also are starting to leave you "invoices" or notes explaining what they are expecting to find under their pillows. I think last week Sophie said she so excited that she was going to get a charcoal grey Webkinz cat. She was disappointed when all she found was a dollar under her pillow the next morning.

This morning Ian woke up, having left his 2nd lost tooth in a week under his pillow and was also upset that it was "just a dollar". He explained that he got $1.50 for his last tooth.  He felt like he should have gotten at least that much. I tried to tell him that he should be happy that the tooth fairy visits at all. She doesn't have to come and leave a bit of money. She doesn't come to every kid in every country.  He was still a bit disapointed as he put his measly bill in his piggy bank.

Poor Henry is often having me check his mouth for loose teeth and still I can't see any wigglers.  Start saving those quarters and dimes because I am only guessing his demands for cash and prizes will be even greater than those of these other ungrateful children.  We may need to come up with a better plan. Either that or make these kids stop growing up so fast.

I think you are doing a great job. I will have to try to teach my children better manners and some gratitude.

Yet another week.

I don't know where the time goes. I haven't posted since my last weekly report. This blog isn't just supposed to be these boring record keeping type of posts. Hopefully I will do better.... at least I will try to do better. Life just seems to fly by. I have been reading a lot of great posts about family on the blogs Chocolate on my Cranium and We Talk of Christ. I especially enjoyed this post. It was just what I have been feeling this week. I know I have been a bit of a bear. I think Cranky,highly irritable and easily provoked would sum up my state the last few days. I don't know exactly why but, my goodness, I have just felt wrung and worn out.

Anyway... on to what we actually accomplished.

Henry -

• I read to him every day. He got to choose any book on the shelf and I read it to him. This may sound like a easy thing but often he just gets sucked into the books I am reading to Sophie and Ian for history or something and he get forgotten so I have been trying to make an effort to read him something that he chooses and asks me to read. Luckily most of the books on our shelves are good ones so I don't feel like we are wasting our time at all. In fact a lot of them are Before Five in a Row books and Five in a Row books that he has been picking so I informally do some of those FIAR things with him. His favorite book this week was The Red Carpet. Our library system only has one copy of this great book.  I will be so sad when I can't check it out anymore!
• He did a few pages of the Explode the Code 1 book. I think he is doing about 2 pages everyday. That feels good to him and I think anything he is willing to do it good.
• He read to me. Sometimes it was Bob books and I have started to introduce the McGuffey primer. He seems to be doing alright with the short McGuffey lessons so that may work out better for him.
• He did a little coloring, cutting and pasting with our History Pocket stuff.

Ian

• Explode the code each day. He is doing 4 pages everyday which means he goes through 2 lessons each week. 
• One Singapore Math lesson each day. 2A doesn't seem too challenging for him yet.
• Finished reading My Father's Dragon to me and started Elmer and the Dragon  as well as the First McGuffey reader. He is reading really well now. 
• Participates with all our history reading and activities
• Copywork each day from The Family proclamation

Sophie

• So, so close to finishing Singapore Math 4A. She loves getting to use the triangles and protractors to measure and create angles.
• Is reading to me from the McGuffey reader each day. I think she is reading the Third one to me and then Narrates to me. I am trying to actively do narration with each of the kids when they read aloud to me. It is one of the Charlote Mason skills I have sort of done but now I am actively doing it with the kids.
• Copywork from the Family Proclamation each day. 
• Participated in the reading and activities we have done with our Civil War studies.

Now one thing I have changed recently is to stop hitting myself over the head about not doing science. I am going to try something new. Rather than alternate days with history or add it in when we can, I am just going to do a unit of history for a few weeks and then a unit of Science. So when we finish our Civil War study in about 2 or so weeks we will then do our science about motion and simple machines.  I am hoping this way we can do our study and not be so distracted by feeling like I should be doing the other subject as well. I have just been having a hard time doing both. So one at a time sounds good right now.  I may even get around to adding in some Latin and such back in. Not this week though.