Today Sheth and I learnt about how special vowels are. We started off by making a vowel caterpillar. This is hanging on the wall so that we can see it all the time. We have a tiny tail piece that has Y in it, for those special occasions.
I then told Sheth that every word has to have a vowel in it. I asked him to give me words to write down and then he underlined the vowels. This was fun and he loved doing it.
We then sang our vowel sounds and we tried to hold the sound as long as possible.
He proceeded to read 4 early readers to me. When he was finished I gave him a treat and sent him outside to play.
Thursday, May 26, 2011
Wednesday, May 25, 2011
Recipes
My basic bread recipe| 4 cups flour | 2 Tbsp olive oil | 2 Tbsp honey | 1 egg | 1.5 tsp sea salt | 2 tsp dry yeast | 1.5 cups tepid water | optional: raisins, cheese, olives and/or sundried tomatoes
Mix all ingredients together and knead for about 8 min. You can do this in your Kenwood. It is very easy. Cover dough in the bowl with a damp cloth or oiled cling film. Allow to rise till double for about 2 hours. Knead for about half a minute. Shape it, and put it into well greased bread tins. Let rise again till double. You can brush egg and milk over the top and sprinkle with seeds. Heat oven till 180C. Bake for about 30 min, until golden brown.
This recipe works well for Challah, a traditional plated bread served at Shabbat meals.
Monday, May 23, 2011
Frugal living
With the way the world is going economically, we need to look back to when our grandmothers, and even our great grandmothers, were moms. They were not able to just go to the shop and buy everything that we have available now. Most of the clothes people wore were handmade by mom. If a garment got torn it was put in the repair basket for the evenings when people still sat around, speaking about their day and the things they dreamed of doing, instead of being glued to the TV every evening.
When we tear a garment we throw it away and buy a new one! Realistically, the clothes we are buying are such bad quality that it is the only thing to do. We need to realise that the media has made it a new trend to buy, buy, buy. If I look at my Oma she has very good quality clothes that she has been wearing for forty years or more. When something finally wears out she will replace it with a new one of good quality.
How can we go back a generation or more? Well, how I am starting, is by knitting jerseys and socks for my family. I choose pure wool over acrylic as it is a better product. It does not stretch out of proportion. In general, I use an Aran tweed wool. My sock wool is 95 percent wool and 5 percent nylon. This gives it strength so that I do not ever have to darn socks. Yes, it is more expensive, but it is warmer, stronger and lasts much longer.
My eldest son passes his jerseys and socks down to his younger brother who pass them down to a friend or family member, and then it is still passed on further. The garments can go through five kids or more!
Every year we are blessed with pajamas from our cousins in England. Wow, it is good quality! Marie buys it on special as our seasons are different. When they get too short for the kids I crochet around the arms and legs of the pajamas and they get another season out of it. You can also add a nice cotton lace to it if you can not crochet.
When Hannah's nightie got too small she did not want to pass it on as she loved the fabric. I thought about it for a while and then made panties out of the fabric for her. She was well pleased with them. I also keep old t-shirts to make undies with.
Last month my hubby bought me some everyday panties from a clothing store that are meant to be good quality. Well, three of the five pairs are broken! As I said, sometimes making it ourselves may take a bit longer and cost a bit more, but in the long run it will cost less and last longer.
1. We could buy vegetables on special and deep freeze them, ready chopped, sliced or diced.
2. We could grow our own veg. Everyone could have spinach in their garden!
3. Buy good quality things and look after them. Yes, it will cost more initially, but in the long run it will be much more cost effective.
4. Repair things when they get broken. Do not throw them away! They probably has a few more years life in them.
If we do more and more of the things our great grandmothers did, we would realise that more moms could stay home with their children. There would be less rubbish on the earth, and a lot less wastage.
When we tear a garment we throw it away and buy a new one! Realistically, the clothes we are buying are such bad quality that it is the only thing to do. We need to realise that the media has made it a new trend to buy, buy, buy. If I look at my Oma she has very good quality clothes that she has been wearing for forty years or more. When something finally wears out she will replace it with a new one of good quality.
My eldest son passes his jerseys and socks down to his younger brother who pass them down to a friend or family member, and then it is still passed on further. The garments can go through five kids or more!
When Hannah's nightie got too small she did not want to pass it on as she loved the fabric. I thought about it for a while and then made panties out of the fabric for her. She was well pleased with them. I also keep old t-shirts to make undies with.
What are some of the things we could all do?
1. We could buy vegetables on special and deep freeze them, ready chopped, sliced or diced.
2. We could grow our own veg. Everyone could have spinach in their garden!
3. Buy good quality things and look after them. Yes, it will cost more initially, but in the long run it will be much more cost effective.
4. Repair things when they get broken. Do not throw them away! They probably has a few more years life in them.
If we do more and more of the things our great grandmothers did, we would realise that more moms could stay home with their children. There would be less rubbish on the earth, and a lot less wastage.
Saturday, May 21, 2011
Grade 5 curriculum: Greek History
Ancient Greece by Charles Kovacs
Cost is about R100 to R150 depending on the exchange rate. Book Depository does not charge for shipping. Loot shipping is free for orders over R230 so even if the exchange rate is not doing too well, it might still be cheaper to buy from Book Depository if you are getting a single book.
Greek Mythology
1. The Red Flower of the GodsThe Argonauts
2. Pandora's Box
3. An Apple for Aphrodite
4. Helen's Abduction
5. The Battle for Troy
6. The Great Wooden Horse
7. Odysseus the Wanderer
8. No One and the Cyclops
9. Circe the Sorceress
10. The Sirens' Song
11. Return to Ithaca
12. Jason, Heir to the ThronePerseus
13. The Golden Fleece
14. The Voyage of the Argo
15. Sowing the Dragon's Teeth
16. A Gift for the KingThe Twelve Labours of Heracles
17. The Gorgons' Cave
18. Perseus to the Rescue
19. A Fateful Throw of the Discus
20. The Milk of a Goddess
21. The Path of VirtueTheseus
22. The Oracle's Advice
23. Hydra Beheaded
24. The Augean Stables
25. Taming the Twelve Mares
26. Fearless Amazons
27. The Oxen of the Sun God
28. Cerberus, the Hound of Hell
29. Heracles the Immortal
30 The Labyrinth of MinosGreek History
31 Flight to Freedom
32 The Road to Athens
33 Ariadne's Thread
34 Success and Sorrow
35 A Royal SacrificeAlexander the Great
36 Spartan Warriors
37 Athenian Orators
38 A Slave for an Eye
39 The Sunlight Tree
40 Hippias the Cruel Tyrant
41 The Wrath of Darius
42 The Battle of Marathon
43 Xerxes' Mighty Army
44 Treachery at Thermopylae
45 Ships of War
46 The Judgment of the Shards
47 The Golden Age
48 The Love of Wisdom
49 Alcibiades the Traitor
50 The Death of Socrates
51 Taming Bucephalus
52 Dreams of Conquest
53 The Gordian Knot
54 The Last Battle
Friday, May 20, 2011
Grade 5 curriculum: Ancient Mythology
by Charles Kovacs
Cost is about R100 to R150 depending on the exchange rate. Book Depository does not charge for shipping. Loot shipping is free for orders over R230 so even if the exchange rate is not doing too well, it might still be cheaper to buy from Book Depository if you are getting a single book.
"Stories of gods and demons, noble heroes and epic adventures from the world's great myths and legends retold for children. Through colourful characters such as Buddha, Krishna, Zarathrustra, Gilgamesh, Isis and Osiris mankind's development from hunters of wild animals to builders of magnificent cities and the great pyramids spring to life. Yet beyond the historical narrative the stories reveal an ancient wisdom: the timeless source and substance out of which all myths and legends are woven."
India
Manu and AtlantisPersia
King Sangara's Horse
Baghira and the River Ganges
Indra, the Warrior God
The Fishermen's Catch
The Sons of Pandu
The Hermit and the Elephant
Rama and Hanuman
Buddha, the Enlightened One
Krishna, A God in Disguise
The Peasant's Reward
The Tiger and the Monkey
Ahura Mazda and AhrimanBabylonia
Hushhang Discovers Fire
King Djemshid's Golden Dagger
Zarathustra and the Kingdom of Light
The Land of Two RiversEgypt
Marduk, the God Who Knew No Fear
Gilgamesh and Eabani
The Gift of the Nile
Isis and Osiris
This must be our favourite book of all so far that Charles wrote. It is great.
Grade 5 curriculum: Natural Science / Botany
by Charles Kovacs
Cost is about R100 to R150 depending on the exchange rate. Book Depository does not charge for shipping. Loot shipping is free for orders over R230 so even if the exchange rate is not doing too well, it might still be cheaper to buy from Book Depository if you are getting a single book.
"Charles Kovacs characterizes different plants, from fungi, algae and lichens, to the lily and rose families. He describes the parts of each plant and their growth cycle."
The Families of Plants
1. The Plant Between Sun and EarthThe Plants We Use
2. The Dandelion
3. Fungi
4. Algae
5. Lichens
6. Moss
7. Ferns
8. Conifers
9. Trees and the Earth
10. Flowering Plants
11. Lower and Higher Flowering Plants
12. The Blossom
13. Pollen
14. Flowers and butterflies
15. Caterpillars and Butterflies
16. The Tulip
17. Seeds and Cotyledons
18. The Rose
19. The Rose Family
20. The Cabbage
21. The Nettle
22. The Oak
23. The Birch
24. The Palm Tree
25. Tea, Sugar and Coffee
26. Grass and Cereals
27. Leaves and Blossoms
28. Bees
29. Life in a beehive
30. The Spirit of the Bed
Caleb and I did this last year. We both really enjoyed it. We went outside and looked at our various plants as we were doing this block. We watched the bees as they collected pollen from our sweetpea's.
What a wonderful way to learn!
Friday, May 13, 2011
Grade 4 curriculum: Norse Mythology
by Charles Kovacs
Cost is about R100 to R150 depending on the exchange rate. Book Depository does not charge for shipping. Loot shipping is free for orders over R230 so even if the exchange rate is not doing too well, it might still be cheaper to buy from Book Depository if you are getting a single book.
"Charles Kovacs' enchanting retelling of Norse mythology include myths on creation, Odin and Mimir, Thor and Thialfi, Idun, Sif and Loki, as well as stories of tyrannical giants and greedy dwarfs."
Contents
The Stories of the Gods
1. The creationThe Sagas
2. Yggdrasil
3. Human Beings Are Made
4. Odin and Mimir
5. Thor and Thialfi
6. Freya's Necklace
7. The Valkyries
8. The Story of Idun
9. The Story of Sif's Hair
10. The Making of Miolnir
11. Loki's Punishment
12. Frey and Gerda
13. Thor and Thrym
14. Loki's Children
15. Thor and the giants
16. Thor and Hrungnir
17. Thor and Hymir
18. Thor and Geirod
19. Odin's Justice
20. The Story of the NibelungThe Twilight of the Gods
21. The Story of Gudrune
22. The Story of Frithiof
23. The Story of Kvasis
24. The Death of Baldur
25. Loki's Punishment
26. Ragnarok
Caleb and Hannah are enjoying these stories. They can not believe that people actually believed them. We have come to the conclusion that myths are fun.
Friday, May 6, 2011
Grade 4 curriculum: Natural Science / Zoology
by Charles Kovacs
Cost is about R100 to R150 depending on the exchange rate. Book Depository does not charge for shipping. Loot shipping is free for orders over R230 so even if the exchange rate is not doing too well, it might still be cheaper to buy from Book Depository if you are getting a single book.
"This is a resourse book for teaching about animals in comparison to human beings."
Contents
Part One
1. The Head, Trunk and LimbsPart Two
2. The Cuttlefish
3. The Seal
Miss Farr's pet seal
4. The Snail
5. The Harvest Mouse
6. The Red Deer
Corrie, the little deer
7. The Hedgehog
Prickles, the hedgehog
8. The Eagle
Kiah, the golden eagle
9. The Limbs
10. The ElephantSongs
Tembu, the Indian elephant
11. The Horse
Blackie, the horse
Ann in the prairie
12. The Bear
Gerard and Denys in the Forest
Jessie and the grizzly bear
13. The Lion
14. Buddy, the Guide Dog
I bought this book as a zoology study for my kids. It is written in story form and therefore I read it straight to my kids. They absolutely loved it. It is much more than just a zoology book.
We did two blocks, part one was a four week block and part two a three week block, using this book. If you are interested, contact me and I will give you my lesson plans for this.
Starting a new term
We went away for two weeks. It was a good two weeks - emotional, constructive and family bonding.
Greg built our bathroom. It took him seven days of work. Two of the walls were there already built in rock and he built two walls with corrugated iron. He started by doing a foundation and layer of cement blocks. Caleb helped with building the blocks. Greg then built a wood frame. In the frame he fitted in the two window and door frames. He then moved on to do the wood beams for the roof. We were all helping by passing him tools, holding things up and passing him a beer every so often. Then he started to attach the corrugated iron sheets. First the walls, then the roof.
While we were working Grandpa made all our meals except breakfast, which was instant anyway. We sat eating supper around grandpa's fireplace, talking and enjoying seeing grandpa. My nieces and nephews visited us all the time. They are so special; each so different from the other.
Now we are back and our rhythm is starting again. Wake up, make beds, get dressed, tidy rooms, eat breakfast, brush teeth, free time till school begins at 8.30, and then the school rhythm begins.
Hannah is doing a five week block on Norse Mythology. After, we move on to "Footprints on our land" which is a South African curriculum. It is the history of S.A. with all the other subjects integrated in a holistic way. The only subject I have to add is maths.
Caleb is busy with a six week block on Roman history. We have learnt about Romulus and Remus and are moving through to Hannibal. We can not wait to read more and learn more. When we finish Rome we will be doing "Footprints on our Land". This will make it easier for me with schooling as Caleb and Hannah will be doing the same thing.
Sheth and I are still working on our Christopherus grade one.
Greg built our bathroom. It took him seven days of work. Two of the walls were there already built in rock and he built two walls with corrugated iron. He started by doing a foundation and layer of cement blocks. Caleb helped with building the blocks. Greg then built a wood frame. In the frame he fitted in the two window and door frames. He then moved on to do the wood beams for the roof. We were all helping by passing him tools, holding things up and passing him a beer every so often. Then he started to attach the corrugated iron sheets. First the walls, then the roof.
While we were working Grandpa made all our meals except breakfast, which was instant anyway. We sat eating supper around grandpa's fireplace, talking and enjoying seeing grandpa. My nieces and nephews visited us all the time. They are so special; each so different from the other.
Now we are back and our rhythm is starting again. Wake up, make beds, get dressed, tidy rooms, eat breakfast, brush teeth, free time till school begins at 8.30, and then the school rhythm begins.
Hannah is doing a five week block on Norse Mythology. After, we move on to "Footprints on our land" which is a South African curriculum. It is the history of S.A. with all the other subjects integrated in a holistic way. The only subject I have to add is maths.
Caleb is busy with a six week block on Roman history. We have learnt about Romulus and Remus and are moving through to Hannibal. We can not wait to read more and learn more. When we finish Rome we will be doing "Footprints on our Land". This will make it easier for me with schooling as Caleb and Hannah will be doing the same thing.
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