Long time, no post

Well, we have moved.  Yes it was in November, but moving takes so long.  The unpacking, settling things in their place, creating an "organized" home. We are still running around like chickens with our heads cut off... Speaking of chickens... Not only did we move to a small acreage, but we gained two cats, two ducks (a gift), and twelve hens (actually we think one may be a rooster). We raised the ducks from one week old.  The chickens we hatched. Originally there were 18, but we are just wanting hens.  We gave the roosters back to my sister-in-law's dad, he was the one who lent us the incubator and gave us the eggs. We have also been busy with a huge garden and a bunch of berry bushes. I still don't "have time" to be posting, yet... But I'm doing it anyway. Maybe out of excitement for the new Classical Conversations year starting so soon.  Yes, we have more than a month before our community will meet for week one, but I will be gone for most of August.  Because I'm not busy enough already, probably like most of you. I hope you will forgive me for my long absence thus far, and that I'll be MIA in August.

My dearest dad is taking my sister, myself, and our husbands on an Alaska fishing trip. This is wonderful for many reasons.  Time with family, fishing, first time in Alaska, and... I have gone fishing with my dad every summer that I can remember (save one).  Mostly on lakes where we used to live in Wyoming.  I didn't think I'd get a chance to go with him this year.  Instead, he's taking us to Alaska. Yipee!!  My mom will be watching my girls since she's not as big on fishing as she is grandmothering.

Then my oldest daughter, Claire, age 9 (just barely) will be going to Burkina Faso, Africa to help some missionary friends of ours.  What!?!?  I get to go to Africa! with my daughter!  On a missions trip!  A.maz.ing!!!  The Lord has been great in accomplishing this trip, but that's another post. 

Let's get week one of cycle three kicked off with some fun memory work.  

BTW- we have our first day of CC less than 48 hrs after we get home from Africa.  What!!?!  Not sure how I'll pull it off, except for planning and prayer... And probably coffee. Though I just got some homeopathic stuff that's supposed to help with jet lag.  Maybe I'll review that product since I'll definitely be putting it to the test after being in like seven time zones within three and a half weeks.

But I digress...

For English I may have heard this on c3?? I downloaded a bunch of mp3s and may have heard it when I did that.  However, I can't remember. I'll try to find out so that I can give credit if it's due to someone.  But I also want to get it up on the blog while I can. I looked on c3 and couldn't find this chant.  So apparently it may be one I made up. This is the brain of someone who's always singing and making up songs... I never know where they come from. Our home is sometimes like a musical ;). 

This is a step clap back and forth with a chant. The girls decided to do the crossed arm pose at the end.

For science memory work we added some motions and a little tune.  This is originally from the youtube channel Remole Reels.  They do a great job.  I hope she doesn't mind I just removed the intro and end.  Just to make it more concise for my class- we are always running short on time.  But this is her song. She's got lots of great videos you should check out!

Actions: blow your nose with the word tissue

Link fingers for connective 

Rub arm for epithelial

Flex for muscles

Give shaky scratching-chalkboard- type hands for nerves. As in it gets on your nerves.

Latin is a made up song. With each time you repeat, you take the song up a half step. Also, get a little faster each time as they learn the words.  Get so fast you get tongue tied and giggle.  Which means you may want to save it for last if your class is hard to reign back in.  Though you may not know your class on week one ;).

I have plans for some pictures to help remember some of the geography. But I'll hopefully post them tomorrow. I will be using the song on c3 I believe by Classical Conversations for the geography.