Beautiful Bugs!

Sometimes not.  Yeah, I know.  But we really enjoyed the section on insects in the Apologia Flying Creatures of the Fifth Day, Zoology 1 book.  We started this study in mid-summer as we were dipping our feet into homeschooling.  It is actually the second section in the book, but author Jeannie K. Fulbright suggests working through these later chapters when insects are out and about!  The initial  “ick” factor has almost been dispelled by knowledge (interesting how that works!) and an informed appreciation of God’s creatures and the amazing way they fit into God’s design!

We developed an increased awareness of the amazing variety of insects and enjoyed our new desire to actually stop and take a look at them!  And take a picture of them!   Although it’s obvious that orders Lepidoptera and Odonata are our two favorites! 

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Back tracking…

Thanks to all of you who are praying and asking about Ian!  We have found the last week or so an interesting journey into the world of Sports Medicine!   The most recent test was an MRI at Children’s Hospital of the King’s Daughters, which was last night, September 22, and we hope to know more about the test results after Ian’s first physical therapy session this afternoon.  The doctor has promised to stop by and brief us while Ian is getting his therapy. 

To provide perspective, you should know that Ian rowed yesterday without pain, and helped carry the boat up to the boat house as is the norm, albeit with his now-very-familiar limp.  

Finding the reason Ian has pain when he runs, and oddly, when he is completely still in bed, and yet can happily row,  has involved side tracks and back tracks much like sourcing a leak in the roof of a 90 year old house, something else we unfortunately have learned a lot about!  After you scurry to  place buckets at the point(s) where rain is actually dripping into your house, the next logical step is to fix the area directly above said point(s), only to find later that the leak originates somewhere else…

first day of the third week…

History and Dunkin Donuts!

Okay, so I might have panicked just a little yesterday when I opened my Instructor Guide and saw that on Friday we had not finished a few things.  Friday is Chesapeake Christian Homeschool Group Park Day so we were out at the VB City Park  in the afternoon, and then ran a few errands for weekend events and projects.  We left Chesapeake just a tad later than we should’ve and got seriously stuck in traffic.  By the time we got home it was after five o clock.  Saturday was paint day (different post) and Sunday is SABBATH – Thank you God! 

So Monday morning was a big “Oh Yeah!”  Grace was  a trooper – not that she really minds doing two days worth of History!  But it got a little old as we had to go back over her math (because mom had not checked her work) and make corrections, and then we had to finish up our reader questions (Om-kas-toe by Kenneth Thomasma), our  read-aloud questions (Walk the World’s Rim by Betty Baker), and Pedro’s Journal  by Pam Conrad.  We also needed to map them all (love my World Atlas that Ian gave me for Mother’s Day 2008), note our time line and then write a reading log entry.   Fortunately Grace is all over her articles and pronouns, and vocabulary and knocked those out quickly, (and correctly! )  By the time we picked up Ian for piano lesson, we were finally ready to dive into our newest book The Witch of Blackbird Pond  by Elizabeth George Speare.  So a trip to Dunkin Donuts near ODU for donuts: chocolate with sprinkles and raised sugar, coffee for mom, and then feasting while mom read about Kit Tyler on the deck of the Dolphin as she arrives on the coast of Connecticut, was not a bad end to the first day of our third week of homeschool!  

Today she made a list of her subjects and worked her way through them independently so that I could work on another project.  (Isn’t she wonderful!) Now she’s telling me she’s done with school for the day because she’s done everything on HER list!  Guess I’d better go and grade some papers!  Math first!

Taking tests…

 

We asked if he felt any radioactive super hero changes coming on...

 

This would be not the usual homeschool test!  Actually this is my “government” schooled son getting ready for a bone spect scan to see if he has any sort of stress fracture in his back.  He enjoyed watching Michael Jackson videos during the procedure at the Children’s Hospital of the King’s Daughters.

We are hoping that this will have been a very expensive rabbit trail on the way to finding out why he is having pain in his back that is preventing him from running.  Crew club season is picking up and he’s anxious to row!  At minimum it seems Ian will be needing some therapy to stretch out and get his muscles loosened up. 

So we’re asking for prayers for Ian!  And pray for us too!  He is REALLY GRUMPY!