A Christmas Folksong with a new twist: Go Tell it on the Mountain!

Have a great Christmas!

Ambleside Online Year 2 with an 8 year old

Moozle started AO year 2 just as she turned eight years of age. I basically followed the Ambleside Online recommendations with some adjustments to suit our situation and location. (I wrote about her Year 1 here.)
It was a big year for our little girl with the sadness of seeing her Grandad for the last time, the excitement of her older sister and brother both getting engaged within a couple of weeks of each other and the experience of being a flower girl for the very first time when her big sister got married about 6 weeks ago. And now she's anticipating being a flower girl again at her big brother's wedding early next year.

This is the Word document I made as a guide to schedule each week, changing chapters numbers etc as needed. Bible, Maths, Copywork and Piano were done everyday. Occasionally I had to remind her to get these done before lunch. I go over the maths lesson with her beforehand, check her copywork, and listen out when she does piano practise. Although her reading ability is very good, I read most of the scheduled books aloud.

Maths

We continue with A Beka and have just begun their Grade 3 Arithmetic but this year I added Singapore Maths 2A.  I'm using the material put together by Our Father's World which includes teaching suggestions and ideas for hands on activities which I don't have for A Beka (their teaching manuals for home educators are horribly expensive.) A Beka moves very quickly and I've used some Rod & Staff alongside with some of her siblings but I thought Singapore might suit her better.

Reading

Reading presented a challenge this year only because her reading has just taken off and she reads so quickly. My husband couldn't believe she'd read a book properly in so short a space of time but she can tell us all about what she's read.

Some of her free reads:

The Little House Books - I've only let her read the first five as I think the others are more suitable for older readers content-wise. I'd read the first few in the series aloud to her a while back. 

Redwall books:

Swallows & Amazons books 

Wulf the Saxon and The Young Carthaginian by G.A. Henty 

The Sugar Creek Gangseries by Paul Hutchens 

The Lion, the Witch and the Wardrobe; Prince Caspian (I'd read these aloud last year) and The Horse and His Boy.

The Complete Adventures of Blinky Bill by Dorothy Wall

Spindles series by Barry Chant. Well written; all my kids enjoyed them around this age.

And these books that fitted the AO time period we studied in Year 1 & 2:

Augustine Came to Kent by Barbara Willard

This book commences in 585 A.D. with the story of Pope Gregory the Great passing through Rome, and seeing some fair-haired slaves being sold in the market place finds out they are 'Angles.' In 597 A.D. he sends the man who would later be known as St. Augustine of Canterbury to take the Christian faith to the land of the Angles (England).

Son of Charlemagne by Barbara Willard

The work Charlemagne began was nothing short of the founding of the Holy Roman Empire - the re-forging of a Roman Empire in the West, in alliance with the church.

I read this book aloud years ago and thought it was an unusual look at Charlemagne. The story is told through the eyes of his son Carl and allows us to see the King as a son might, with love and candour. Moozle's 18 year old brother told her he loved this book and suggested she read it. It's interesting to hear what my older children remember about books and I'm often surprised by some of their favourites. (A.D. 781)

Beorn the Proud by Madeleine Polland

Ness, a young Christian girl in Ireland is taken captive in a Viking raid by Beorn, a young man on his first raiding trip around middle of 800 A.D. and is taken back to his homeland in Denmark.

She told him of the first Christmas and the the coming of the Baby in the stable, while the star blazed in the East and the angels sang above the cowering shepherds on the frosty hill.

Beorn banged his bare brown knees and shouted with laughter, to think that a King should come so low and still hope to keep his subjects.

"But He has," Ness said, offended. "That was eight hundred years ago, and He is still our King. Can you tell me a Viking chief who has reigned eight hundred years?"

Beorn looked at her and was silent...

If All the Swords in England by Barbara Willard

This is the story of the events surrounding the life and death of Thomas Becket from 1164-1170 A.D. The narrative is told through the eyes of twins Simon and Edmund, one In the service of the King and the other in the service of Thomas Becket, when he was chancellor and afterwards when he was the Archbishop of Canterbury.

He pulled himself up to his immense height and his great powerful voice rang out over their heads.

"I make God my shield. If all the swords in England were pointed against my head, your threats could not move me. Foot to foot you will find me in the battle of my Lord."

Some additional notes:

We persevered with Parables of Nature even though she often said she didn't understand what it was about but she did engage with a number of the stories and didn't mind listening to them. I sometimes spaced a chapter out over a couple of days as some of the chapters seemed much more difficult than others.
She didn't like Joan of Arc by Diane Stanley; loved the Burgess Animal Book even though we don't have any of the birds here in Australia - she read this one herself as a free read (ie. no narration required).

We're just finishing the seventh week of Year 3 as I write this. We've done the first six chapters of This Country of Ours by H.E. Marshall  because these chapters deal with a broader look at history and not just the American side. The book becomes more detailed about the individual American states from about here onwards so we've stopped using it now.

Poetry

We're using the book we used in Year 1, Kings and Queens by Eleanor and Herbert Farjeon, to go along with our history readings and other poets, some scheduled at AO and others not.

 

Art & Music

Linea in Monet's Garden by Christina Bjork & Lena Anderson is a wonderful way for a child to connect with the art of Claude Monet.You can have a look inside the book here.

Artistic Pursuits - Book 2: Stories of Artists and Their Art - we're spreading this out and covering it slowly (we've done 10 out of the 32 lessons.) I think the key to using these books is having all your supplies ready and waiting. If I have to skip projects because I don't have the supplies I don't feel I'm getting my money's worth by the time I pay for the book and postage.

Edward Grieg by Wheeler and Duetcher. I'm fairly certain this is out of print but we managed to find an old hardback copy for a reasonable price (at Abebooks I think). Very good authors for children about famous composers. Grieg was one of the composers we listened to during the year. Wonderful music.

Favourite Read Alouds

Pilgrim's Progress by John Bunyan.

The Merry Adventures of Robin Hood by Howard Pyle

Otto of the Silver Hand by Howard Pyle

The Swiss Family Robinson by Johann Wyss (an AO Year 6 free read) I wrote about it here.

Nature Study

Treasury of Nature Stories by Leslie Rees


                

Bush Calendar by Amy Mack. I've been reading this aloud to everyone at the beginning of each month as it tells us what flowers are in bloom, which birds are breeding or are around at that particular time of the year and has interesting bits of information on our wildlife. I posted a page with links to free downloads of books including this one at Australian nature study.

Handicrafts

Moozle learnt to use the sewing machine this year (she can now thread it by herself and asks me to get it out for her a couple of times each week) and finished two projects: a bag for her dancing shoes and the wheat bag below which was a present for her big brother's fiancée. I put instructions for making it here.

The Childcraft Encyclopedias I picked up cheaply at the op shop give her lots of ideas for making doll's house furniture and she continues to practice her knitting & cross stitching.

English paper piecing - I like doing this so Moozle has joined me and this is her little finished article, a coaster for her dad:

                             
Other things:

Swimming

Scottish Highland dancing - a very aerobic dance form.

Cooking - she makes these pancakes on her own, either in the omlette maker or frying pan, and has tried many different variations, and they've all been edible.
My sister-in-law, courageous woman that she is, comes over and cooks with Moozle and Bengy every couple of months. Last month she looked after them so we could go to an engagement party in the afternoon and while we were out they made a three course dinner for all the family. They used recipes from the Jamie Oliver 15 minute Meals Cookbook. It took them nearly 3 hours to get it all ready, tripling recipes and whatnot, but it was very impressive!

Some firsts:

Highland Dance display - this is the first time she'd danced before an audience wearing a kilt with all the trappings.
Piano exam - her first was a couple of weeks ago.
A drive across to South Australia to see her Grandad and meet some extended family for the first time.

Free stuff for the Study of the Human Body - Updated

Some free stuff we're using for studying the human body:

A detailed colouring book on anatomy:

This website contains articles by Dr. J. D. Ratcliff, the author of I Am Joe's Body:  

'Your body organs talk to you and explain their function in simple easy to understand detail.'


11 major muscle groups: This quick video goes over 11 major muscle groups in the body. Rishi is a pediatric infectious disease physician and works at Khan Academy.




The next three videos cover Genetics. They are done quite well but if viewing with a younger child check the third one as it explains fertilisation. It's tastefully done and shouldn't be a problem:
















The next two are videos on the Integumentary System. The first one explains the layers of the skin and the second how first, second and third degree burns affect the skin.












This one is a journey through the human eye which I thought was one of the simplest and best explanations I've come across. It only covers the main parts of the eye but enough to make its function clear.

A Walk on the Wild Side - Nature Study

We had an impromptu walk this afternoon, only three of us today. Our mission - to find a cicada or its shell. We know there are many around at this time because we can hear their incessant noise.

 So off we went, Bengy showing Moozle the mountain bike trail he'd been on earlier in the week which is marked out on a plaque at the beginning of our local fire trail.

 I hadn't planned to go off the beaten track but we followed a couple of bush trails...

 

We sang (or I should say dirged) this song as we tramped through the ferns and the shaded parts of the bush. Not quite the misty mountains cold but parts of the bush do have a mysterious feel to them and at this spot it was very quiet. We couldn't hear any cicadas and only the occasional twittering of little wrens.






And in keeping with The Hobbit theme...a real live dragon

Another dragon, a much smaller one, having a sunbake

 


A quick look at our local waterfall, which is rather dry at present, and the rock pool at the bottom. One very wet day earlier in the year two of the boys ran down here in their shorts and went for a dip in the rain. The waterfall was quite impressive that day.





Still no cicadas but there's a rustling in the bush and Bengy spots an echidna. We always hear these before we see them. At the base of the rock below you will notice some yellowish tipped spikes - that's him burrowing into the dirt.

We head home, mission unaccomplished but hey, we're happy. The cicadas will wait for another day.

I get out my copy of Nature Studies in Australia by William Gillies and over some afternoon tea (leftover chocolates after stocking up the Advent calendar the other day) we learn a bit more about this unique egg-laying mammal.

Wednesday with Words

Advent - a reminder of Grace...He is not ashamed to have us in his family...

When we look through the list of people in Jesus' ancestral line, we see people famous for their faith - like Noah and Abraham and David. But we also see people with tarnished reputations - like Judah, who was intimate with his daughter-in-law; Rahab, who was a Canaanite prostitute; and Manasseh, the king who put false idols in the Temple. Even Noah, Abraham, and David, as faithful as they were, we're sinners, and all of them needed a Savior.

We find hope in the ancestry of Jesus that no matter what we've done or where we come from, we too can be included in Jesus' family. Jesus does not look for people who are perfect and have never failed or made mistakes to be in his family. Instead, he is drawn toward people who recognise their failures and see their need for him.

'Let Every Heart Prepare Him Room: Daily Family Devotions for Advent,' by Nancy Guthrie

I Saw Three Ships - A Christmas Folksong

I saw three ship come sailing in,
On Christmas day on Christmas day.
I saw three ship come sailing in,
On Christmas Day in the morning.

And what was in those ships all three?
On Christmas day on Christmas day.
And what was in those ships all three?
On Christmas Day in the morning. 

Our Saviour Christ and His lady,
On Christmas day on Christmas day.
Our Saviour Christ and His lady,
On Christmas Day in the morning.

And where they sailed those ships all three?
On Christmas day on Christmas day.
And where they sailed those ships all three?
On Christmas Day in the morning. 

All they sailed in to Bethlehem,
On Christmas day on Christmas day.
All they sailed in to Bethlehem,
On Christmas Day in the morning. 

And all the bells on earth shall ring,
On Christmas day on Christmas day.
And all the bells on earth shall ring,
On Christmas Day in the morning.

And all the angels in heaven shall sing,
On Christmas day on Christmas day.
And all the the angels in heaven shall sing,
On Christmas Day in the morning.

And all the souls on earth shall sing,
On Christmas day on Christmas day.
And all the souls on earth shall sing,
On Christmas Day in the morning.

And let us all rejoice again,
On Christmas day on Christmas day.
And let us all rejoice again,
On Christmas Day in the morning.

Words: Traditional

It's easier to be a fanatic than a faithful soul... Driven vs Resting - Part 3

The test of a man's religious life and character is not what he does in the exceptional moments of life, but what he does in the ordinary times, when there is nothing tremendous or exciting on. The worth of a man is revealed in his attitude to ordinary things when he is not before the footlights...

It is easier to be a fanatic than a faithful soul.

 Oswald Chambers

A good tree bears good fruit. Fruit is one of those things that can't be rushed and it takes time for it to develop so we don't get to see the results of the fruit of our actions or those of others immediately. This is something I hang on to when I get tired of being faithful. I'm not going to see the fruit for a while but it will come. It also stops me from jumping to the sound of other voices.

I've learnt from many different people and in many different ways, but to know someone whose life exhibits good fruit - in their family life, marriage, other relationships and character - and to learn from them has been most valuable for me. You'll know them by their fruits is the ultimate test of how we've lived our lives because the fruit displays the end result of many small acts of faithfulness over a long period of time.

Some things to think about:

His divine power has given us everything we need for life and godliness. 2 Peter 1:2

I do all these things (being a wife and a mother, homeschooling) calling on the grace of God.

•   Home education - is this a priority for me or am I neglecting it for other things?

•   Am I trying to please others to get their approval?

•  How many times have I changed what I was doing, not because it wasn't working, but purely because someone else raved about something they were using or said it was the best?

•  Do I now find I'm dissatisfied with what I've changed to??

•  Am I being faithful where I am at this time?

• Do I get easily distracted by what everyone else is doing?

• Am I comparing my family with another and feeling anxious that we're not doing things as well as they are?

• If so, do I personally know this family and haven't just read about them? Or do they only have girls and I have a houseful of boys? 

• Am I a fanatic? (I have tended to be at times...) or am I a faithful soul? (That's what I want to be)

Anxiety never releases tomorrow of its problems. It only empties today of its strengths.

Charles Spurgeon