Computer Difficulties

I have been off line for about a week now. My laptop has been overrun with viruses for some reason and until I can get it to my dad in Eugene to clean up, I am without my main computer. Our other computer is located in our basement and is used by all three kids for their math instruction, spelling, typing, and blogging and is not easily assessable to me during the day...so except for checking email, I have been off line.

As I am using this for a "scrapbook" for our school year, I regret that I have missed documenting some of the events of the past week. Quick highlights:

1. Todd and the boys traveled to Corvallis to watch the Beavers upset #1 USC.
2. Natalie and I took a 4 hour Introduction to Bee Keeping class at Ruhl Bees.
3. Our sweet hens have turned into vicious, attacking poultry. One drew blood on Ethan's foot today and we are not quite sure what to do about them.
4. Natalie and I went to the Oregon Flock and Fiber Festival at the Clackamas Country Fairgrounds where we saw a lot of yarn, spinning wheels, and sheep. It was interesting but probably not a hobby we'll pick up.
5. I went to a 4-H Leaders training class so that I can start a 4-H club with my kids.
6. We watched the movie "The Sting" starring Paul Newman and found out that he died the next day. It led to a good discussion on life and what is most important.

I am probably missing something. But I wanted to get these listed before I print out our September blogs to put in a notebook.

Fencing

I cannot believe the paper I signed yesterday so that my three babies might participate in a fencing class. It listed possible injuries "including but not limited to death; damage to interior organs; serious injuries to bones; ligaments, joints and tendons; eye injuries; and general deterioration of health." The instructor also informed the class that if you point a sword at another person with intent to harm, it is "attempted assault" and if you actually stab a person with intent to harm, you could be charged with "attempted murder." He made a point of emphasising that dueling is illegal in the United States although when I googled it today, wikipedia stated that it is only explicitly illegal in 20 states. (Oregon is one of them.) I think my boys were a little disappointed. They did perk up though when the instructor emphasised that fencing is a sport and therefore, there are winners and losers. "On Guard!"

"He plays the violin..."

The kids had their first violin lesson yesterday. Their lesson books were not in yet so they have no music to practice this week. They learned very basics such as parts of a violin, how to hold and care for the instrument, and the string names. The boys got out their instruments and some of their piano books and attempted to play some tunes. Right now I can hear the "Twinkle Twinkle Little Star" and "Baa Baa Black Sheep". Are they the same song??? We need to buy music stands now.

There is a musical called "1776" about the American Revolution and in it, Benjamin Franklin asks Thomas Jefferson's wife for the secret of Jefferson's romantic appeal and she burst out in a song called "He plays the violin..." So we've been teasing the boys about this.

Busy Monday

Levi's Weekly Reading and Nan and Ethan's. Levi gets to read another "girl" book but so does Ethan so he's not complaining too much.

On Mondays, the kids wake up and the first thing they want to know is "What are we doing special this week?"
This morning, I had a packed schedule to list for them. Today they have their first violin lesson and Bible Study Fellowship. Tomorrow, we have fencing and Natalie and I will begin a a Bee Keeping Intro Class. Then Wednesday is the usual but they like youth group and Awanas so they look forward to that. On Thursday, they'll go to the seminary with their dad, while I go to a 4-H leaders training. While there, the boys will have their piano lessons. At 3:00, Todd will take them and head to Corvallis for the OSU/USC game. Our friend, Trent, will be going with them so they are especially excited about that. Friday, we want to pick apples or pears somewhere. This is all in addition to our full school days. They were all pretty happy with this week before them.

I am trying something else this week. They handled reading one book a week the first week of school ; last week I made it two and they did fine. So, I am trying three books this week. Ethan wants to read a more advanced book in addition to the above books, so I said he could try "Old Man and the Sea" to start with. (Natalie has been reading classics and then going out with her dad to discuss them.) I told Ethan I'd take him to get a pastry at my latest favorite spot, Le Petite Provence, if he reads it.

Saturday Morning

Since I have tied piano and guitar practice to Saturday morning computer game time, I have not needed to remind the boys to practice. In fact, this morning Levi was up at 7:00 at the piano. Ethan quickly jumped out of bed when he heard the noise, and grabbed the guitar to practice in the basement.

All this effort for a few moments to play Backyard Baseball on the computer.

Now, if I could only find a like motivator for Natalie... although I think Todd is on to something. He told Natalie she should read "To Kill a Mockingbird" and that if she did he would take her out to lunch to discuss it. She loved that. She picked up "Of Mice and Men" last weekend knowing her dad had just finished reading it, and asked "If I read this, will you take me out to lunch and discuss it too?" He told her he would. She got through that book this week and is waiting for her lunch date. Hmmm. What should he ask her to read next?

Beware "The Epic of Gilgamesh"

One of Nan and Ethan's readings for this week is "The Epic of Gilgamesh." It is considered to be a masterpiece of ancient literature and recounts the great adventures of the Mesopotamian King Gilgamesh. I purchased a translation recommended in our Veritas Press Omnibus curriculum.

We read it and discussed it. So far, so good...until I decided that to reinforce what we are learning, I would also have the kids listen to the book and perhaps double their retention. I checked it out on tape from the library and on the way to church last night, I put in the first cassette. The kids sighed and, I am pretty sure that they rolled their eyes as well. (I was driving and unable to see.) As the classic tale of friendship, love, and revenge began I noticed the terms were a little more descriptive than our book. An early event in the tale is the beast/creature Enkidu is seduced by a prostitute from the temple of Ishtar in order to tame him and make him like a man. Our official version uses "biblical" language such as "they lay together." This version must have been the R-rated one...I nearly ran off the road trying to hit the stop button. The kids were laughing. Nan said "I didn't read that part." And Ethan joined in "What are you teaching us, Mom?" Yikes. They got more education than I bargained for.

Movie Night

We are moving our movie night to Thursday this week as we will have overnight guests tomorrow.

Our movie tonight: Arsenic and Old Lace

Interesting fact for the kids: Frank Capra the director of this movie, also directed "Mr. Smith Goes to Washington" our family movie two weeks ago (to which the kids gave a thumbs down). He also directed the Christmas classic "It's a Wonderful Life" which we will view in December. This is the first film the kids have seen with Cary Grant. I'll have the kids review it on their blogs tomorrow.

Inspired by the Rosetta Stone

Ethan likes mysteries, secret codes, and problem solving. We are reading "The Riddle of the Rosetta Stone" this week to learn the story of the deciphering/translating of Egyptian hieroglyphics. Strange codes have been appearing on scratch paper around the house. And when I looked over Ethan's English assignment, this is what I saw...

Books, books, books!

If you described the "theme" of our home, I think it might be books. There are shelves of books on the walls, piles of books on the piano, stacks of books on the tables, and usually a book or three on the floor. We read books, spend money on books, check out lots of books, and decorate with books.

This year, I decided to have each of my kids read a book a week (apart from assigned curriculum reading). And they did this so well, that I changed my goal for them to two books a week. So far, so good. Here are the books for this week.

Wednesday Fun

Ethan's pepper plant is finally yielding a harvest. It was overrun by a yellow squash so we weren't sure about it's survival. Now we need to find a recipe which calls for these hot peppers.

Levi is still under the weather but continuing to do his school work... "School on the Couch"... he built this ziggerat yesterday while I read to him about Sumerian culture.

Tuesday's Casualty

Ethan got up and attacked his Algebra 2 book. Look what a good night sleep does for his disposition.
Natalie enters the day gradually... usually we insist on her showering and dressing before beginning her school day, but we let that slide a bit this morning.

Levi likes to be first at everything... and he can chalk up another first today. He is the first Miles kid to get sick this school year. Somehow, somewhere he caught a terrible cold. I could hear him sniffling all night. He felt feverish earlier but I think the medicine has kicked in and he's a little cooler. Now the question is...do I make him do his school work when he wakes up? Probably.



Poor Baby.

Busy Sundays...

Busy Sundays don't make for productive Mondays.

We had a packed day yesterday. We left the house for church around 8:45 am and did not arrive back at home until almost 9:00 pm. We have been playing catch-up all day. I had to get up and finish lesson plans early this morning and the house isn't in its usual "ready-for-the -week" order. I think we'll get through all our work but with no time to relax. We have Bible Study tonight at 6:55.

We were at the Keller fountain yesterday afternoon to listen to Todd's cousin's group "Third Angle" play while a dance troupe performed in the fountain. It was our first taste of modern music and dance. It didn't go over well with the family. No modern music lovers here, nor modern dance fans. Some good has resulted though: the boys, who have been a little lukewarm to our classical music listening assignments, are a little more enthusiastic. And today, as we all sat in on a group violin lesson to see if the boys are interested in pursuing that instrument, Levi leaned over and asked "If I play the violin, I'll get to play classical music, right mom?" "Yes, Levi." ...and he thought that was a good thing.

2 Weeks down ... 34 or so to go

We finish up week 2 of school today and so far everything is going well. Here are some of the positives:

• Writing out detailed lesson plans has been great. The kids know exactly how much has to be accomplished before they are done for the day. They don't have to keep asking me "Are we done yet?"
  
• Saxon Math Dive Cd's are working well. (Thanks for the recommendation Michele!) With Ethan in Algebra 2, Nan in Algebra 1, and Levi in Math 7/6 it would have taken me forever to go over each lesson every day. Instead they go to the computer, put their headphones on, and listen to an instructor go over the lesson and work practice problems. Then they get their textbooks out at the table and do their 30 problems. I grade it and they are done.


• The Omnibus Curriculum is great. So far, we've read, discussed, and debated the books of Genesis, Exodus, and Chosen by God (by Sproul). Next week we will read The Epic of Gilgamesh and begin "Till we have faces" by C.S. Lewis. I know "Till we have faces" will be a challenge, but I bought the book on tape and we'll read and listen both.


• "The Mystery of History" with Levi is a hit. He likes having his own curriculum. We've covered creation though the Flood and talked about the Fall of man, dinosaurs, and the ice age. He is making a neat timeline to go along with each lesson.


• I think I have finally figured out how to motivate the piano practicing. Not wanting to be a nag but knowing my boys will avoid practicing, I decided I didn't want to make this a daily battle. This week, I told them, they will practice 45 minutes each day and record it on their practice sheet. If they miss a day, then on Saturday and Sunday there would be no watching football or playing computer games. Guess what? I have not had to remind them to practice once. They love watching games with their dad.

Weekends are a treat now that we are working so hard on school days.

A slide in my house

Yesterday, I asked the boys to move a mattress from their room to the basement. I didn't pay any attention to how they got it there...until I noticed these photos a moment ago. Caught red-handed...I have photos of all three. I thought I heard a lot of giggling and laughter yesterday while checking my email.

Fieldtrip to Ikea

My mom and dad stopped by for several hours yesterday and wanted to go to Ikea. So we took a "fieldtrip". Ikea isn't usually the boys favorite place, but they had fun trying out chairs and having Grandpa take pictures of them. They also enjoyed an ice cream cone so they can't complain too much.

Exodus

This week's reading for Nan and Ethan is Exodus and we are discussing questions like "What is freedom?" "What is free will?" "How did Pharaoh's heart get hardened...did he harden it or did God harden it and what that means?" It is a lot to wrestle with but the kids are enjoying it I think.

An optional assignment for Exodus was to watch the "10 Commandments" (long, old epic version) and compare it to the biblical account. So we watched about 45 minutes last night and will watch a little more today. The boys didn't like the added romance between the future wife of Ramses and Moses. But they were still thoroughly entertained.

Guitar Boy

Levi and Ethan have been taking guitar lessons, but recently their instructor started classes at Multnomah and had to reduce his teaching hours so we are in need of a teacher. I am hoping we can find a student from Western Seminary or someone from our church to continue their lessons but so far haven't had much luck. Until then though, the boys are practicing 15 minutes a day to keep their fingers in shape and to retain what they have learned in the past 5 months. Does anyone have somebody to recommend?

Sermon #2 Revelation: God Speaks

Tonight is our family's Tuesday Night Sermon night. Todd doesn't have an elders meeting so he gets to listen with us. We are listening to the second in Mark Driscoll's sermon series entitle "Doctrine: What Christians Should Believe" and this sermon is called Revelation: God Speaks.

At dinner I asked the kids what they remembered from last week's sermon and Natalie said "I remember him saying "Jesus prayed to Our Father in heaven not our Papa in the shack."" Driscoll was alluding to the popular book The Shack which he called heretical for the way it deals with the Trinity. That got their attention last week but I do hope the kids remember more from the sermon than just that. I am looking forward to tonight's message and I'd better get started. It is already 8:30. Yikes.

Friday's Movie

A head's up for any friends who want to hang out with us on Friday for our "Pizza and a Movie Family Night." This week's movie is "The Great Escape" and is summarized below:

Director John Sturges's Oscar-nominated adventure classic follows the true tale of a group-escape attempt from one of Germany's toughest prisoner-of-war camps. Hundreds of Allied POWs join Roger "Big X" Bartlett (Richard Attenborough), Danny "The Tunnel King" Velinski (Charles Bronson) and Virgil "The Cooler King" Hilts (Steve McQueen) -- who tries to a jump a barbed-wire fence on a motorcycle -- in a quest for freedom.

I know my boys will love it. Next week I will have to pick our film with Natalie in mind.

About Ethan...

Ethan has been captured by the astronomy bug. For Christmas, his grandparents gave him a telescope and this summer he has put it to good use. Most evenings with a clear sky, he is out in our backyard searching for the planets or other night wonders. Last night after Bible Study, I wanted him to get in bed but he begged me to allow him just a few minutes to look at the sky. He called me outside to show me Jupiter in his telescope and then to show me twin stars.

When I finally drug him inside, he said "Can I have just a few minutes to write my observation down, Mom?" What! I asked him if he had been doing that all along and he told me that each evening he records in one of his little notebook the interesting things he was able to find.

We were in Borders a couple weeks ago and he was looking through the astronomy books. He decided they were all too expensive (he is frugal as well) and when we got home he asked to get on Amazon. He was able to find the two books he liked on Amazon, used, at about a fifth of the price they were at Borders. And since he had a $20 gift certificate from his birthday, he was able to purchase them both and still have money to spare. And he had the joy of anticipating their arrival for the next week. He has read them thoroughly and every evening studies the sky map that came with one book.

It is a joy to have a child that is so interested in learning something and through no effort on my part. Ethan has always had a bent towards the sciences. It will be interesting to see where it takes him. I had a doctor's appointment yesterday where they were going to test my wrists for Carpal Tunnel. It involved hooking me up to a machine and sending electrical shocks down my arms. I thought Ethan would want to go watch. He absolutely refused though. I said "But I thought you wanted to be a doctor Ethan." He was indignant. "I hate hospitals and being around sick people. I won't be that kind of doctor. I want to do research mom...in a lab." Well, well. We'll see.

(I just noticed his PJs...all in keeping with this theme.)

The Music of the Night...

We had a great time at Phantom of the Opera even with backrow seats. The boys looked handsome dressed up to go to the show. Natalie was especially glamorous.

The Phantom of the Opera

We have a great day planned.

Sunday school begins this morning (after a break for the month of August). Levi gets donuts because he's in a children's class. Todd will be teaching our class which Nan and Ethan will attend. Youth SS doesn't begin for another week.

Then we get to listen to one of our favorite preachers Art Azurdia preach on Isaiah 53.

Then we come home and I get to take my Sunday nap and write lesson plans for the week. The kids will practice piano and play a computer game.

And then....we get to go to "Phantom of the Opera" at the Keller Auditorium. YAY! We are very excited. Nan, Ethan, and Levi know all of the songs. The boys have been playing music from it on the piano. Unfortunately, we have seats in the very, very back row on the second balcony. I put a call into a friend last night asking to borrow binoculars so we can at least know what the actors look like, especially the Phantom when Christine pulls off his mask.

I am sure we will be humming "Music of the Night" and "All I ask of you" for days.

Greg Oden

Levi got Gred Oden's autograph today at the Rose Garden. Levi was impressed (so were Nan and I) by his size. Seven feet tall!!



Levi took this picture. I think Greg Oden is playing Guitar Hero here.

Here is Levi (center, little guy) and Nan (in gray sweatsuit). Greg Oden is signing Levi's paper in this photo.

Now he's a Greg Oden/Trailblazer fan for life!

Bee Keeping

I am going to start a 4-H club for my kids this year. I have filled out the application to be a leader and just need to get it sent in to the extension office. I will attend a Leader Orientation later this month and then the fun begins. I have a list of possible 4-H projects. They range from Dairy Cattle to Lego Robotics. We can rule out any involving farm animals or plants, but that still leaves an enormous range of possibilities. I am considering right now photography, clothing and textiles (sewing for Nan), art, rocketry, foods and nutrition, among others. I need to narrow it down because there are fees for each area in which a kid is involved.

I had an intriguing offer from a colleague of Todd's at the seminary yesterday. His boys, who are grown up and in grad school, kept bees when they were younger. They still have all the equipment...the gloves, the hat, the netting, the boxes, plus whatever it is a person needs. I think we would just have to buy bees to start with. He tried to convince me that I could raise them in my backyard but just that might push the neighbors over the edge. I don't know how happy they are with us right now for our noisy hens who crow like roosters. But Norm also said we could keep them at his place where they have a few acres with chickens and sheep. I talked with the boys about it yesterday and they seemed to like the idea. I think we will go to a bee keeper supply store today and ask some questions.

Mr. Smith Goes to Washington

We begin our Friday Night at the movies tomorrow. We will be watching the 1939 movie "Mr. Smith Goes to Washington" starring Jimmy Stewart, directed by Frank Capra. I thought we'd open our year with a "political" classic given the season. We are getting our movie via Netflicks and it should be in the mail today. I am hoping we get the colorized version.

Natalie was hoping for a movie with some romance in it, but I think she will have to wait until next week...although I don't think "The Great Escape" has any either.

Here is a summary of the plot:

Appointed by the governor of his state to team up with presidential hopeful, Senator Joseph Paine, Jefferson Smith heads to Washington where he discovers the many foibles of the political process. With an earnest goal to establish the Boy Rangers as a national boy’s camp, Smith meets confrontation via corrupt political aficionado Jim Taylor who sets out to undermine Smith every step of the way.

Politics

Our family has been discussing the presidential election a lot lately especially since McCain selected Sarah Palin to be his running mate. Usually politics annoy me but I have to admit I am a bit intrigued by Palin.

Our discussion tonight was on whether (in another universe, life, and time) I would accept a position as Vice President. I said I think that I would. Todd immediately disputed that and said that I wouldn't. Levi and Ethan said emphatically they would not want me to be VP. When asked why, Ethan said if I was VP I wouldn't be able to teach him and he would have to go to school. Levi said "You are not going to be so why ask me?" So I listed all the benefits to being a child of a VP and Ethan began to soften... But he said "Mom, we would lose all our freedom. We couldn't go for a walk or anywhere without being guarded." I have a cousin who is a Secret Service agent so the kids thinks they know a little bit about all that. Natalie thought that maybe it would be good to be the daughter of the Vice President because she would get better clothes.

Levi concluded this debate saying "What I think is that Dad should be president...actually I should be president."

We were going to do a school unit on the election...I think I'll skip it for now.

Life is Good T-Shirts

Note to mom and dad:
Notice both boys are wearing "Life is Good" t-shirts that you gave them. They usually wear them if they are clean and if it isn't a Beaver game day. They really like them.

Science and Sermons

We learned about the scientific method today. We put the steps into practice experimenting with the best sweetener to add to yeast. We tried molasses, brown sugar, and white sugar. Molasses produced the most dramatic results.

Tonight is our first theology/sermon evening. We will begin tonight listening to the first in a sermon series by Mark Driscoll on basic theology. Tonight's sermon is entitled "Trinity: God is". I just downloaded it to the computer to be ready and noticed that it is over an hour.

I've heard of people pushing for shorter sermons arguing that people today just can't sit through more than 30 minutes of preaching. I find it interesting that Driscoll's church is full of people many young and recently saved who eagerly sit through his hour long messages. I wonder if they are trained to sit that long, or if perhaps his preaching is so engaging that time flies by, or perhaps they are just hungry to hear from God, or perhaps ... who knows. Anyway, I am going to "train" my kids to listen for that long and I hope they will learn to listen well and attentively to preaching and that it will develop in them a hunger to hear good teaching.

We'll see... this is all a big experiment.

The Point of Poetry

Levi asked me today what was the point of memorizing poetry. I gave him a great explanation about the beauty of poetic language and its ability to convey emotion and human experience in a unique and powerful way. He said "So. I don't get it. What's the point?

Then he proceeded to argue "Mom, suppose I want to be a policeman when I grow up and I go to interview for the job. If the guy asks me what I know how to do and I tell him I can recite 'The Spider and the Fly' he'll think I am crazy. So mom...what is the point?"

I laughed at him and said maybe the interviewer would be more impressed if Levi knew "Casey at Bat". Levi agreed with me and that was the end of that discussion.

Back to work...

"The roots of education are bitter, but the fruit is sweet." Aristotle

DAY ONE

It is 2:45 and we have accomplished everything on our lesson plans. Yippee!