Happy Dance!

Will add photo later but wanted to say that Dacia Grace is so excited because she just finished her first Singapore Math Book!  WOOOHOOOO!

Week 3 – Soap Making and WWJD

Lots of hands on projects this week as we learned how soap would have been made in the early 1600’s.  After learning how water would displace the air in a submerged bottle, Dacia Grace enjoyed “making soap” for us. 

This week also saw the start of Community Bible Study.  Every year I take a picture of the first day but totally forgot this year.  Next week! 

The rest of the week we spent quite a bit of time talking about how Jesus came to earth and fulfilled prophecies that had been foretold for 1000’s of years.  We talked about how He came for one purpose:  to suffer and die on the cross for our sins so that we can spend eternity with Him in heaven.  So at the end of the week, she made a necklace to remind her to walk as Jesus walked on this earth…..whole heartedly loving others to the point of complete sacrifice.

The finished result!  So proud of it!

P-L-E-A-S-E!!!!!!!!!!!!

No one feeds me anymore.  P-L-E-A-S-E feed me! P-L-E-A-S-E!!!!!!!!!

Hood River Pear Festival – Part 4

From Kiyokawa Family Orchards’ we race back down the valley to the Apple Valley Country Store.  They have jams and jellies that are sooo good!  We also enjoy the tire swing in the front area.

By this time our car is loaded with pears and peaches as well as tomatoes, butternut squash and a variety of other vegetables.  We are tired.  We are hungry for some ……Chinese food.   And boy did we hit the jackpot at…the China Gorge restaurant.   Just off I-84, the China Gorge is owned and operated by Grace Su.  The restaurant has been there since the late 70’s.  The food is the best you can get outside of San Francisco!  It truly is that good!

Hood River Pear Festival – Part 3

We are working our way up the valley.  As we go we are climbing in elevation and Mt. Hood is becoming closer and closer.  We must stop at Draper Girls Country Farm where they have

……well……

you’ll see………

We spend quite a bit of time here before heading to the farm that is the farthest up in the valley…Kiyokowa Family Orchards……Believe it or not, I forgot to take a single picture there.  They have a magnificent fort for the children to play in as well as many wagons.

Hood River Pear Festival – Part 2

Next we headed over to Rasmussen Farms where they have fields of u-pick vegetables, a corn maze, old tractors to play on, and a very old dog.  Every year we wonder if he will be there when we come the following year.  He always is….although I did not get a photo of him this year.  He was not very cooperative in the heat this year.  ;)  Enjoy your tour of the farm!

We began our tour of the farm by picking about 20 pounds of tomatoes.  They are delicious!

Hood River Pear Festival – Part 1

We have been going to the Hood River Pear Festival for about eight years.  We love going.  It is always the third weekend in September.  We go rain or shine.  This  year it was sunny and HOT!  We had so much fun. 

The first stop was The Gorge White House where we loaded up on Starkrimson Pears.  They are the best!  The Gorge White House also grows flowers and has a wonderful garden for you to walk through……so enjoy!

        

Week 2 - Christopher Columbus

Completing her morning math sheet

This combines place value, time, number bonds, money and counting

After studying all about Christopher Columbus and his desire not only to find a passageway to the East Indies but to also bring the Gospel to the people of the East Indies, we created a "lapbook" on his journey.

Completed lapbook

Lunch time break during the notebooking of Christopher Columbus.

Happy Anniversary

Nine years ago today I married my best friend.  We had plans for a weekend away but alas circumstances did not allow us to get away.   We did get to spend the day together although Arthur was very tired from having to work the graveyard shift a few days in a row. 

Week 1 - Addendum - History, Art and Science

History/Art: 

After learning about Leif Ericsson, the Vikings and Viking Longships, she drew this for us.

Science:  An introduction to the scientific process and to writing science reports as a result of this simple experiment on density.  Will an unboiled egg float in water?  In salt water? What causes it to float in salt water?

Carefully pouring the water.

Making sure the glasses have the same amount of water.

Adding the salt.

It work!  It really FLOATS Mom!  I did it!

First Fieldtrip of the Year

Daddy surprised Dacia Grace with a grip to the Oregon Zoo as the first field trip of the year. We packed a lunch and left early so that we could spend the entire day at the zoo. Upon arrival instead of going left like normal we went right. This allowed us to see many zoo animals in the morning that we would normally see in the late afternoon or not at all because they don't like the hot afternoon sun.

We were disappointed to miss the wolves and the meercats as the exhibits were no longer on display. But we sure enjoyed the African Crested Porcupines. But, they were not very cooperative about being photographed. ;) By the time we arrived home that day, we were "pooped puppies" as Dacia Grace says. We had so much fun that day!

Here is Amur Leopard enjoying the cool morning on its heated rock bed.  Also Dacia Grace tracking the footprints to the next exhibit.

The lorakeets were hungry this time!  First time ever we have been able to feed them or hold them!

They are beautiful!

WOW!  What a height difference between the gazelles and the giraffes!

A Turkey Vulture from the Birds of Prey Show

The Bald Eagle was close enough to my head when it flew over, that I had to duck

or get hit by the eagle's wings!

Up close and personal after the show!

A Barn Owl that just showed up one day at the Oregon Zoo.

It had an injured eye so the employees nursed it back to health;

now it is part of the Birds of Prey Show.

Leopard napping in the warm afternoon sun.

One of four baby elephants at the zoo.

Hunting for dinner in the hay.

Just moments before this orangutang had been swinging on the exhibit walls.

Three Banded Armadillo