Week 2: It happens...

Every school year, it happens. Labor Day weekend we try to eek out that last bit of summer, exhaust ourselves, then catch a cold. On Tuesday morning we began our Tapestry of Grace group, and by the afternoon the black circles under the eyes, the whining, and the complaints of strange pains and miseries of various types had begun. By Wednesday we were cancelling piano lessons and watching documentaries on the sofa with lots of fluids being taken in. On Thursday there was boredom, bickering, and minimal school work accomplished. By Friday there was a delayed school day, but stuffy noses and general malaise still prevailed, causing there to be a need for schoolwork to be done on (gasp!) Saturday.

On top of it all, the monsoon also named Tropical Storm Lee dumped about 12 inches of rain on Thursday. There had been rain in significant amounts every day since Monday, and local flooding closed the schools for two days.

In spite of it all, we made the best of our situation. We watched a delightful documentary on the Lewis and Clark expedition which I highly recommend, especially for kids. They do an excellent job of combining the action and adventure aspect of the journey (which my kids loved) and the voices and first-hand experiences of the members of the Corps. I also highly recommend this video, done by Ken Burns, and is appropriate for all ages but will not likely hold the interest of the youngest viewers due to its length. I enjoyed it so immensely that I even shed a tear or two near the end of it.

Even though we did not do the daily stuff of math and grammar this week, we did focus on getting the "fun stuff" done. Matty and Molly completed their first presidents book pages, and we started our science. It has been a difficult decision for me as science does not factor into my normal mode of thinking. (I tend to be a humanities gal when it comes to what excites me in teaching.) Even so, I have long known that my kids adore fish, as do I. We were blessed with some free fish, and so we put together our old fish tank and were off and running. The first ones died, but a few days later were given more! One of these lived, and a week later we decided to go to the pet store and add a few more fish. The lady at Petco handed me a bag of fish that someone had brought in to exchange, which they don't do. Ta Da! We had a bag full of about fish valued at about $40! Suddenly the kids were all about studying fish, so we decided to do a study on the biology, chemistry, and physics involved with underwater creatures, keep a log of our own fish tank's daily statistics. I already had the Apologia Swimming Creatures book, and so we pulled that out and started reading. The kids were completely thrilled with the idea. (Phew! I love when school happens naturally!)

Apple seeds were sprouting in the Pink Lady apple

Later in the year, I had hoped to cover botany, particularly in the spring when we plant our garden. Serendipitously, Molly was eating an apple the other day that she complained tasted "moldier and moldier" as she got further in. Daddy, who is not so picky (think of the rat dad in Ratatouille), ate the strange-tasting apple down to the core, and this is what he found (which could also explain the weird taste.)

We popped the seeds in a pot and today, I found them sprouting. It would be so exciting to see them to maturity! Even better, they were from "pink lady" apples, our favorite!

Apple seeds two days later

*Faith builder moment* I have to pause here and reflect. In the spring when I was considering what to cover this term, I once again felt as if I was selling my kids short on science. I prayed earnestly that the Lord would show me how to approach science with them and give me a plan for it. I really didn't know how to continue. All summer I pondered it, but decided not to worry (imagine that!) and here in these two situations, I have my answer. Do I believe that God cares about the smallest details and concerns of our lives? Absolutely!

Psalm 139:16, 17
"...In your book were written, every one of them, the days that were formed for me, when as yet there were none of them. How precious to me are your thoughts, O God! How vast is the sum of them! If I could count them, they outnumber the sand. I awake, and I am still with you."