Module 9 & 10 Story #2

I think I usually post like everyday when I do science stories, in which case it’s high time I posted Part 2! 🙂

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Katie ran her comb through Mandy’s silky blond hair, the wet locks spattering a gentle mist behind it. Katie stood up and patted her sister’s shoulder. “Done.

“Alright, girls, get your shoes on then and let’s go get something to eat,” Dad answered.

Mandy hurried to the door at once, while Katie ran to put the comb away in the bathroom. Brian, whose hair required a little less time to be gotten presentable, stood already in his sandals, with the air of having done his good deed for the day. Katie slid into her flip-flops and grabbed her purse—she didn’t really need it, it wasn’t like she was buying lunch or anything, but she liked to have it with her.

Continue reading Module 9 & 10 Story #2

Randomness from My Life

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We went to the Omaha Cystic Fibrosis (or CF) Walk on the sixteenth with some friends from our home-school group whose daughter has CF.

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The whole family got T-shirts!

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There were some little ponies there!  Lucy was a little scared of them, but I think she enjoyed taking pictures.

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We got Mama new mulch as a Mother’s Day present.  We also added the rocks right here.  I love the way they look!

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We had some mushrooms growing in our yard.

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I’m a fan of mushrooms.  They’re cute. #IKnowImCrazy

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And no, we don’t have different colors of mulch.  It just looks like that in the pictures. 🙂

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And we went over to our friends’ house last Sunday, and their daughter found a rabbit’s nest while we were there–with baby rabbits in it!  We tried to count how many, but I don’t think we ever came to an absolute.

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Their eyes weren’t even open yet!  They were sooo cute!

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Lucy tried on one of their dress-up dresses while we were there.  It looked lovely on her, but this picture turned out blurry and the lighting was horrible. 🙁

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We bought a professional popsicle mold. . .

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. . .and Mom and Michael made popsicles today!

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We ate them before they were really frozen!  They were still good though! 🙂

I just noticed that older post I linked to up there included my first reference to The Sacrifice on here!

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Mom and Michael cooking together a few days ago.

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Mom’s pan. . .

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. . .and Michael’s  bowl.  That’s water, elbow noodles, cinnamon, a few confiscated potatoes, and who-knows-what-else! 🙂  He likes to mix things–anything.

 

Lucy: Good job, Michael!
Me: Can you say thank-you, Michael?
Michael: Thank you, Lucy!
Lucy: You're welcome
Michael: You're welcome too!

Hmm. . . not exactly proper grammar, Michael!  He likes to say you’re-welcome. 🙂

Happy Friday, guys!  What have you been up to?

 

May Book Reviews: Fair Wind to Virginia

This is technically my first week of summer break, but I am still finishing up history.  When I get done with it, we will take a break from 18th century historical fiction. 🙂

Anyway, I do not think I had ever heard read or even heard of Fair Wind to Virginia by Cornelia Meigs before I read it for school last week.  I was not sure how much I would like it, but I really enjoyed it!

It is about two children (Eleven and thirteen) who are sent to Virginia simply to get out of England because their father made the mistake of speaking his mind about King George.  In America though, they are rejected by the governor whom they were supposed to go to for help, and are begin looking for a way to live on their own until their parents can join them.  Thomas Jefferson plays a big part in the story, but I believe most of the main characters are fictional.

And for anyone who starts it and begins to wonder how things are going to work out (spoiler alert) it has a wonderful ending–a practically picture-perfect, satisfying, Cinderella-like ending.  So don’t give up. 🙂

To Peggy and Hal it seemed, for the first time, to represent what men dreamed of when they spoke of the New World. (142)

??? {Mystery Quote #8} ???

“Mystery Quote” time again! 🙂

Last week’s quote came from The Lord of the Rings: The Return of the King by J.R.R. Tolkien.

Wow.  I finally managed to ‘stump’ you guys (to quote Leah 🙂 ).  Though that part of the book doesn’t have a lot to do with the problems being faced in the rest of the books and was left out of the movies, and isn’t as popular.  Also, like I said, the second character only comes in in that chapter, so that probably threw some people off.  Anyway, our next quote:

But when tomorrow came, the children had more than bread and milk, as you will soon see.

Hmm. . . this might be a hard one too.  I know it’s a popular book though!  Happy guessing!

 

P.S.  Click here to read Spencer’s Memorial Day post.  Just sayin’, it’s really good!

P.P.S.  You should totally watch this!  “Jesus Loves Me” in Chinese, with a little cartoon to go with it.  It’s so cute!  There’s also English, Spanish, and Russian versions by the same people you could look for.

Happy Memorial Day!  A bit of a sobering holiday, isn’t it, remembering those who sacrificed to give us what we so often take for granted?  I’ve been praying for these  people today–that they would come to know Jesus, that He would bless them, that He would protect them, and just thanking Him that they’re there. . .  and apologizing for the times I forget them–asking Him not to let me forget again.

Module 9 & 10 Story #1

I haven’t been posting a whole lot lately.  Not sure why.  Anyway, I got an ending for my next science story, so I thought I should get posting it.  This is my first science story I didn’t write in first person, and it is also the first one that divided into parts naturally as I was writing it–and there’s no long conversations that got broken up into different parts.

Also, this is going to be my last science story.  There is another story I’m planning on writing that is sort-of scientific, is. . . very different from my other science stories!  I’m hoping to post that one too. . . And after that, my next story should be The Sacrifice!!!!  I’m super excited–though at the moment I’m kind of having writer’s blog. *sigh*

Anyway, my last science story:

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Fort Myers Beach, FL

Katie stood quietly in the wet sand, letting the cool water gently lick her toes; smiling as her eight-year-old brother Brian ran straight into the waves, and flung himself down on his stomach—soaking himself from head to foot in seconds.

“Aren’t you coming in, Katie?” shouted ten-year-old Amanda from waist-deep.

“Yes. At my own pace I am,” she answered, smiling at her younger siblings’ enthusiasm. It was her first time seeing the Ocean as well as theirs, but she did not feel inclined to break her habit of starting a bit slow.

Continue reading Module 9 & 10 Story #1

May book reveiw: Cinnabar

Cinnabar: The One O’Clock Fox by Marguerite Henry.  Yet another book I had read before, but read again for history this year anyway. 🙂

It’s an interesting book.  It is about a fox named Cinnabar, and the ‘bad guy’ is actually George Washington because he goes on fox hunts.  Notice I said interesting.

Cinnabar is an fun book, and it was not necessarily disrespectful of George Washington and his role in the Revolution, he just went on fox hunts.

He squinched his eyes and gave his brush [tail] a flick and a flirt just to tell himself he was not dreaming; that he was, in fact, Cinnabar, the One O’Clock Fox.  And today was his.  For fun. (42)

I loved Cinnabar’s relationship with his family.  He had huge responsibilities, trying to feed four fox cubs; and he did go meet up with the hunters on purpose (because he knows they cannot catch him) for a holiday–but I still think he was a good father, and he was very careful about saving up food for his family while he was gone.

It didn’t have a lot of moral value, but it was entertaining, and I remember loving it when I was little!

??? {Mystery Quote #7} ???

Number seven!  Sorry I didn’t get around to posting this sooner.  Better late than never, I guess.  But anyway,

Last week’s quote was from Strawberry Girl by Lois Lenski.  The first [she] was ‘Essie’ and the second was ‘Birdie’.

Ellen, Becca, and Katie got it right.  This week’s quote is a departure from historical fiction, by the way.

‘If I hear not allowed much oftener,’ said Sam, ‘I’m going to get angry.’  ‘Can’t say as I’d be sorry to see it,’ said Robin lowering his voice.  ‘If we all got angry together something might be done.’

Hint: I decided to leave in the names this time, because they're pretty stereotypical; but the second person only comes in in one chapter, so you might not recognize it.

Happy guessing!

What the littles have been up to

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M and L couldn’t wait for our home-school group’s Talent Exhibition…

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So we had our own in the living room.

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Setting up the tripod so L could film it.

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Announcing the performers!

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~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*

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We’ve been having a lot of rain!

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I LOVE how those pictures turned out!

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M discovered that he liked bowties. . .

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. . . and got a pet horse! 🙂

Pretending to be cats:

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I think this was inspired by the movie Aristo Cats.

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But Lucy is still ‘into’ Cinderella.  Like crazy.

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Thanks for the dresses, Grandma.  She loves them.

Never a dull moment with those two around! 🙂

May Book Reviews: Judge

So. . . I just kinda’ launched into May without thinking about it, and then realized I never officially made ‘book reviews’ a permanent thing.  I thought that after the third month I’d ask if you guys wanted to make it permanent.  But I’m out of patience, so what do you say to doing them every month until further notice?

You can read a review of Prophet by R.J. Larson here.  I came across it a while ago while digging through Leah’s ‘fantasy’ tag.  Looking back at it now, I feel like there’s a lot that could be said about that book, but reviews can only be so long and it was enough to get me interested.  Leah mentioned later that the Kindle version was free (I also read Waltz Into the Waves because of Kindle’s free, Leah-recommended version), and Spencer got it (because I’m pretty much helpless around computer, Kindles, and all electronics).  And I loved it!

My reader Savannah recently let me borrow her copy of Prophet‘s sequel, Judge.

“Not that I’m questioning matters, but isn’t this Ela of Parne’s role?  She’s the prophet and messenger. . . or have you turned prophet as well?”  “I hope not.” (19)

I felt like the romance was more of a drag than in Prophet, and there was one part that I felt was un-creatively close to a Bible-story; and it does cover some pretty adult-level topics, so I would definitely recommend children seeking parental guidance.  I also did not feel like the author resolved some of these tough situations very well–just pulled the main characters out and moved on.

But over-all I really enjoyed it, and found it spiritually encouraging.  I think it helped me grasp more of God’s character, and it also challenged me to make Him the center of my life.

As well as for the other Parnians who were rushing up to the wall walk, against her warnings, brandishing their swords and bows and arrows.  Infinite?  Why won’t they listen?! (187)