BV Rodeo and Fair

      This was our third time to go to the rodeo and fair that is held annually at the local Expo center. Last year, we were not able to see all the shows we wanted. So this time, we decided to arrived early and planned our timetable carefully. I am glad we did! We had the time of our lives watching a show after a show, tasting yummy food, and, of course, the kids were running from one carnival ride to another, braving to try new faster rides.

Our tour of the fair grounds started with the 4H chicks and other animals we were able to pet.

This baby camel became my friend as long as I had food.

A very educational show about how milk ends up on our table. 

My kids make new friends wherever they go. These two were equally scared when they tried our new carnival rides.

One of the fair's celebrities: Sara Carson and her dog Hero. They finished in the 5th place in AGT show.

'17/18 Week 10

      There were two big events that the children were looking forward to in the beginning of the week. One of them made them very nervous, the other hyper-excited.
      On Thursday, both children were tested on their knowledge and skills they had learned in two months of taekwondo classes. Both of them were very nervous, but they did well and earned their next belt. 
      We took the celebration mood with us to the annual rodeo and fair that was held this weekend. Among all the fun carnival rides and shows, I squeezed in something educational as well. A dairy farm had a short class and demonstration on how milk ends up on our tables. I had to reach for a pen and paper to jot down some interesting facts I did not want to forget. The kids eyed me suspiciously thinking they would have to write an essay on cow facts. Well, maybe. It is not a bad idea, is it now? 

Math. Drawing circles, measuring angles, etc. 

LA. Creating our own crossword puzzles with the week's spelling words.

A morning visit.

Science. Still no experiment, but more circuit building.

The kids received their first badges as a part of passing their orange belt test.

My favorite nine-year-old on the court brought the last winning points to the team.

'17/18 Week 9

      Fall is finally here! We have had some cooler mornings, and once even, the northern wind was rather nippy forcing us into long sleeves. The school week went by rather uneventfully which was fine by us. The weather was inviting us outside.        Shorter days also mean longer evenings which we often spend reading. Andrew, my reluctant reader, finds himself so engrossed in his book, he often reads more than he is supposed to. He just finished The Hittite Warrior by Joanne Williamson, and is currently reading Theras and His Town by Carolin Dale Snedeker. I, too, find myself reading to them more chapters than I am supposed to (The God King, another brilliant book by Joanne Williamson). The stories are just so captivating. This is one of many reasons I like our Sonlight curriculum - I would not have found all these great books on my own.
     Cooler weather, longer evenings, and a stack of good reading material makes up for the lack of 'earthshaking' happenings during our study hours, I believe.

Taekwondo. It is getting harder.

The children were so excited when they were introduced to ssang jeol bongs (the Korean nunchuck)

Science. Andrew separating pharmaceutical powder from iron sulfate. 

Separating the mixture from its residue.

 

Pure iron sulfate.

Saara did not have any experiments this week. She learned how to draw electrical circuits instead.

LA. Alphabetizing over a dozen words with identical consonant clusters proved to be one of the toughest challenges this week.

Volleyball. It was a picture day and a good game for Saara on Saturday.

We ended the week attending a beautiful wedding. It should count as a Big Event of the week, I suppose.

'17/18 Week 8

      Three of the kids' classes were cancelled this week. So we had some extra time on our hands to walk in the woods and notice signs of fall around us.  Or stumble over wildlife like never before. 
      I have had close encounters with numerous frogs, lizards, spiders, and even mice in my garden, but never yet a snake. One afternoon, as I was watering the massive jungle of cucumbers, I noticed a small garden snake in the cucumber vines. I called Andrew to grab his camera and take pictures of this pretty snake. Thankfully, the critter was obliging and let us take a number shots before it slithered away. 
      The kids experienced a few new things in the 'classroom' as well. For the first time they had to write a serious news article. Writing a piece for a newspaper is so different  from an ordinary essay or story - the style and even the appearance of it is all so peculiar. Andrew loved designing the layout of his article on Microsoft Publisher. I have never seen the boy so eager to accomplish a writing assignment! 
      Also, for the first time ever, Andrew gathered a jarful of carbon dioxide. For one afternoon our kitchen resembled more a 'moonshine' still than a kitchen. We had tubes and pots with water and jars and a whole lot of bubbles occupying the space. At the end of the long wait for the gas to collect in the jar and a rather fast experiment before the gas mixed with air, we learned that CO2 is heavier than air and that it extinguishes fire. Pretty cool stuff.

Everything is still so green, no major signs of fall yet.

Bible. From our nature walk, the kids and I brought back a few smooth stones. We used them for a memorial, just like the Israelites did after crossing the Jordan. These stones are to remind us of the times when God helped us and answered our prayers.

An afternoon surprise in the garden.

Almost every day, Andrew has been bringing home wild mushrooms. This kind is edible and very delicious.

     

Science. Part of Saara's studies of electricity is also learning about electrical safety.

LA. Andrew's first writing assignment about his favorite season was just a prelude into the world of clip art and Publisher. Later, he was having a time of his life designing his article for a pretend Canaanite Post.

Saara built a simple switch.

Gathering CO2 is in full swing.

Although it does not look like it, the jar is full of carbon dioxide.

As we lowered the candle into the jar full of CO2, the flame went out by itself. 

'17/18 Week 7

      The most amazing thing this week was nothing short of a miracle. At least, I consider it a miracle. So far, Language Arts, especially the spelling part, has been the least favorite among all others. To our surprise, the most relaxed and fun classes last week were the LA classes, especially the spelling parts. Something is going right and we intend to keep it that way. 
      The most challenging classes seemed to be the kids' taekwondo classes. They are getting more intense as the kids learn more moves. On taekwondo days, both children are properly exhausted and in the evening fall asleep super fast. 

LA. Cutting up during our spelling activity. 

Honing those dictionary skills in the age of internet.

A morning respite. We had two visitors on our pond on morning.

Science. Building a simple circuit.

Spanish. No escaping from math, even in the Spanish class.

Volleyball. Game two.

Debriefing and snacking with teammates after the game.