Husband, Dad, Mechanical Engineer, Bass
Player ...
Obsessed with all things Engineering.
AMY
Wife, Homeschool Mom, Webmaster ...
Obsessed with all things Political.
RACHAEL
Daughter, Sister, Sophomore ...
Obsessed with all things Geological.
NICHOLAS
Son, Brother, 8 year old ...
Obsessed with all things Historical.
(especially Egyptian!)
Favorite Books/Curriculum
The Well-Trained Mind Singapore Math Greenleaf Guides Apologia Science AIG Science curriculum Story of the World
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Day 240 - New Harmony park & Labyrinth
Wednesday, August 27, 2008
Today we visited New Harmony with Heather, Sophia, & Mary. First, we went to the massive play structure at one of the parks. The swings were a big hit with the younger kids, while the older kids amused themselves by amassing an assemblage of bugs. Unfortunately, there weren't a lot of rocks to keep them occupied.
After several hours at the park, we traveled over to a labyrinth of shrubs. It definitely wasn't anything spectacular, but the kids entertained themselves by playing tag while romping through the maze. The center of the maze had a really cool round structure which lent itself nicely as a photo backdrop.
After giving Rachael a choice between several books, she chose to begin this one. It looks pretty interesting. It won the 1994 Batchelder Award and I believe it might actually be a Sonlight book. It's a Spanish authored historical fiction novel about a young tailor's son who becomes an artist's apprentice. According to what I've read, it appears to give a good account of what an apprenticeship of that era would entail, then quickly escalates into a mystery. Rachael flew through the first couple of chapters today and said that it's a very easy read.
I also went through her science notes that she's taken thus far and tried to work with her on pulling out the important information. Taking notes is one area that I think homeschoolers really need to be taught. I think it's something that comes more naturally to kids who have to silently listen to lectures, but not so much to kids who come from a one-on-one/give-and-take kind of environment.
In math, VideoText Algebra is going pretty well. Today she was turning story problems into algabraic equations and learning the "grammar" of math.
After taking a week off from actual book work while our family was visiting, we picked up where we left off. On the agenda for science today was an experiment on chemical reactions. Unlike the last experiment, we actually got pictures this time! Rachael boiled red cabbage to make a pH indicator. This was added to white vinegar which turned the liquid pink, followed by the addition of baking soda (which was inside the balloon). Of course, this caused the build-up of carbon dioxide which 'blew up' the balloon. Rachael wrote up an awesome lab report. I had to correct some spelling/punctuation errors, but she definitely demonstrated an understanding of the concepts!
My mother-in-law called this morning before church and asked if we wanted to go out to eat this evening. We agreed, and then she told us that she wanted to take the kids to Chuck E. Cheese...the very place that we went to yesterday for Sophia's party! Oh well, the kids had a fun time - you can never get enough Chuck E! Nick had a breakdown after watching Uncle Brian (Jeff's brother) on an old video. He started crying and saying that he missed him...the strange thing is that he's only seen him a few times! Brian has been in Hawaii, Alaska, & Iraq since Nick was born. I guess the few times that he's been around must have really made an impression!
Today was Sophia's 10th Birthday party. She had an orphanage party, which meant instead of gifts, we brought gently used items for donation to an orphanage in Africa. Sophia & Mary (& Heather) have been sch a blessing to our family in recent weeks. Even though we still trek up to visit our friends in Bloomington every week, it's so nice having good friends close by!
After the party, we went to the movies to see "Meet Henry Poole." It was an interesting movie. It kept my interest, but I can't say that I 'enjoyed' it. It was more of a character study (which Jeff loves!)
After a huge breakfast (including some of the fish that they caught in the lake!), Grandma, Norma, Fred, Sammie, & Gabe left for St. Louis this morning. Mom and I played cards until Jeff arrived from work. We were planning on taking the kids to the movies, but decided instead to just grab a bite to eat, then head home to watch Monk...
The cMoe was on the agenda for today. I knew the kids would enjoy it, but I think some of the adults had just as much fun! I'll have to post more pictures in another post, because I took so many. Even 83 year old Grandma Re got in on the action!
The kids and I spent the night at my mom's house last night. My grandma is visiting from St. Louis, and my aunt & uncle are visiting from Hawaii. They brought my cousin's two kids, Gabe (3) and Samantha (11). Despite the suffocating heat, we decided to go to the zoo. It wasn't as bad as I thought it would be, but it was still pretty hot and muggy! The kids have had fun playing together. It actually works out perfectly that Rachael & Samantha are only about 6 mos. apart, and Nick & Gabe are only about 4 mos. apart. After the zoo, we headed to Hardee's for a late lunch. I imagine that we'll be having a small dinner followed by a night of card-playing...
Today was Nick's first appointment at Shriner's Hospital. We weren't really sure what to expect. He was first checked in, weighed (41 lbs.), measured (3 ft., 6 in.), and examined by a resident who ordered x-rays of his hips, legs, and spine. Then, the doctor examined him, showed us the x-rays, and discussed what they look for in patients with his form of cerebral palsy (spastic diplegia). He gave us the most thorough explanation of the condition (from an orthopedic perspective) that we've ever had. From there, we went to the physical therapy department where the PT examined him and gave us a daily stretching regimen custom tailored to his needs. According to the doctor, Nick will have follow-ups every 4-6 months. When he is a little older, they will perform computerized monitoring of his gait and muscle tone. This will allow them to pinpoint any changes and alter the physical therapy routine or determine when Botox or surgery is needed.
Since his birth, Nick has been in several different hospitals, clinics, etc. receiving treatment for his prematurity and CP. We've spent thousands of dollars on treatments, but everything at Shriner's is 100% FREE!!!!!
NEVER has anywhere been more thorough, professional, and kid-friendly! Our appointment was approximately 3 hours long, but we were never rushed, and EVERYONE took the time to make sure all of our questions were answered. If you have a lot of money that you're looking to donate to a good cause, Shriner's Hospitals would be that place. I will never again complain about the price of Shrine circus tickets or souvenirs!
Jeff left the house before 4:00am this morning so that he could leave early and pick Rachael up at Darla's house. When he got home, we had to go pick up the car from the shop (we got new struts & tires), drop Rachael off at his parents, and head to Lexington, KY for Nick's appointment at Shriner's hospital. We arrived at our hotel (Crown Plaza-Campbell House) at around 9:00pm. When we got to the hotel, they had upgraded us to a deluxe room (which basically meant that it had a little sitting room attached.) The best part was that I booked it on Priceline for $40! If you've never used Priceline, you don't know what you're missing! I wish I would have gotten pictures of the exterior of the hotel. It looked like an old plantation. It was beautiful!
Our morning began with hopping into the car to drive to church, only to discover that our battery was dead. Apparently, Nick's seat belt got caught in the door which caused the interior light to drain the battery. We called Progressive's Roadside Assistance line and were told that there was no one on their list who had the equipment to help us. Um... equipment?!? Heck, even WE have jumper cables! I should have just told them to send a truck and we'd jump it ourselves...unless the motorized vehicle WAS the missing equipment. I know I'm not the most observant person in the world, but I don't recall too many horse-drawn carriage towing companies in the area. Anyway, after about 3 more phone calls from Progressive, they found a company - over 40 miles away! At least the elderly gentleman that showed up was prompt, professional, and polite.
Our evening was exponentially better. We went to dinner with my parents & step-sister to Jillian's. None of us had been there before, but it was a neat place. It's sort of like an adult's Chuck E. Cheese. They have games (and even a bowling alley!) for families until 9:00pm, and then it turns into an over 21 establishment. The games were entertaining, albeit expensive, and the food was wonderful. I had the grilled chicken which was yummy, and the caramel cheesecake which was double-yummy!
After dinner, Jeff, Nick & I went to the Riverfront. It was a gorgeous night (which also meant that it was exceedingly crowded). I did manage, however, to snap a few pictures of Nick at sunset...
Day 229 - Visit & Long (vast right wing!) Political Post
Sunday, August 17, 2008
I met my dad's first cousin this morning for breakfast. He is a Virginia Tech professor who had been in Chicago for a conference. He was able to stop by for a short visit on his way home to Virginia. He is an avid genealogist, and I was able to give him several old family pictures that I had found in my dad's things.
After breakfast, Jeff and I had some errands to run before we headed to his parents' house for a visit. While at their house, Nick got the idea that climbing into the dryer would be a good idea. It made for a cute picture, but his incessant need to be in a confined space is a little intriguing.
Later in the day, we drove past a local gas station and saw the My Man Mitch RV. It was a good photo opportunity, even if we didn't have time to stop. Go Mitch!
Speaking of politics - Because of my passion for all things political, I receive numerous political e-mails nearly every day. For the past few days, I have been bombarded with messages regarding this evening's Presidential forum at Saddleback Church. As much as I LOVED Pastor Rick Warren's book "The Purpose Driven Life," I have disagreed with him on several political issues as of late. I was less than enthused about the forum, yet my curiosity got the better of me. I actually ended up watching it TWICE! I found it to be the absolute BEST example of how a political forum should be held. Both candidates received the exact same questions - neither one having the benefit of hearing their opponent's responses. There was no mud-slinging, no cross-examining, just their opinions on the issues. My initial fear would that it would be "touchy-feely" politics with no hard hitting questions. In reality, it was exactly the opposite. I think the differences between the candidates were stark.
I went into this election season being lukewarm (to say the least!) Being a conservative, I was not a fan of McCain. I disagree with his stance on embryonic stem cell research, the Constitutional Marriage Amendment, and Campaign Finance laws - just to name a few. However, I was determined to vote for him simply based on his Pro-Life, Pro-Defense views.. (but I was not happy about it!) After tonight, I am actually getting excited about him. His answers on taxes, Supreme Court Justices, abortion, adoption, off-shore drilling, education (I never realized he was pro-homeschooling...hooray!), and National Security just blew me away! He was direct, concise, and deliberate.
In contrast, I think Obama came off as "wishy-washy" - either too afraid to state his opinion or not knowing what his opinion actually was! The only point that he really drove home was that he was pro-choice. He said that knowing when a baby should be awarded basic human rights was "beyond his pay grade." If that is true, and he doesn't really know when life begins, wouldn't you naturally err on the side of life?
He also said that anyone making over $150k annually was "rich." While that may be true in some parts of the Midwest, as a former Bay Area resident, I found that disconcerting. Another scary statement was his response regarding the mandatory hiring of faith-based employees whose values don't align with the organization which they'll be representing.
I did have to laugh, however, at his comment that he wouldn't have nominated Supreme Court Justice Clarence Thomas (who, in addition to Scalia, happens to be one of my favorite Justices...) because of his inexperience! If I were him, I certainly wouldn't be bringing up lack of experience for higher office!
In his defense, I truly believe that Obama is doing what he thinks is best for our country. He is a good public speaker and motivator as long as you don't listen to WHAT he actually says and only listen to HOW he says it. I don't agree with those who judge him by the color of his skin, call him unpatriotic, or try to associate him with radical Muslims (or worse!) I do, however, think that he is horribly misguided in several ways, for example:
1. Attempting to figure out the psyche of and trying to negotiate with terrorist madmen . You can't reason with unreasonable people. Protecting our country and the freedom that it represents needs to be our #1 priority. 2. Capitalism (not socialism) is what built our nation into what it is today. You cannot continue to raise taxes to support inefficient government waste, and you cannot EXPECT to be able to support a family working at McDonald's or living on welfare. 3. You cannot continue to pump million of dollars into failing schools and expect different results. Money is not what builds a great education. Get rid of the P.C. propaganda and "feel-good" educational philosophies and start focusing on the basics...
Sorry, this post ended up a lot longer than I had intended. I am just so excited that I saw a spark of hope in McCain after all...(!)
As promised, here are more animal pictures from yesterday's trip to the zoo.
On a different note, Jeff took Rachael to Darla's house to spend the weekend. There is a concert tomorrow at our old church up in Bloomington. The church has asked our homeschool co-op to provide food for the concert volunteers and bands (pureNRG & Mission Six). The adults will be cooking the food on Saturday, and the kids will help serve it before the concert. Rachael has been looking forward to meeting the bands for weeks! I would have taken her, but I'm meeting a cousin tomorrow who will be stopping by on his way home to Virginia from a conference in Chicago...
Name: Amy Home: Indiana, United States About Me: I am a Homeschool Mom of 2 awesome children. This is my attempt at Project 365 - to chronicle our world through daily photos... See my complete profile
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