My day off is on Wednesdays. I think it’s kind of funny that my day off is spent teaching three classes at the homeschool co-op, beating cheeks to get Miss K. to dance on time afterward, and basically running around like the quintessential chicken without its head, etcetera, etcetera, but is weirdly calming; it’s a good day that gets me out of the house and off of the computer. (She says two weeks into the semester, check back in in six more).
In Discover Africa, we visited the Democratic Republic of the Congo, talked about the initiation rites some of the boys go through (ouch), and made ceremonial animal masks.
In Out of this World we learned about the dead planet Mercury, calculated what we’d weigh there if we could visit (and bring along a scale), made craters in flour, and fashioned little Mercurys out of clay – which we pelted with rocks to crater-ize. Fun.
In Sparrow Girls we made beaded name bracelets, and pounded leather bears (oh how I wish I could have found bird shapes!) with leather tools, practiced our law, promise, and song, and worked on our Arts & Crafts patch (which I really wish was called “Handicraft” but oh well).
I ran K. to dance, took N. out for a mom’s day evening at the library, came home to gape at how well the giveaway went on Pioneer Woman – thank you Heather! Awarded the winners, and fell into bed with Yesult, a retelling of Tristan & Isolde, a book I chose as it appeared to be heavy on the history from the time period. Last night I discovered it also includes some, erm, steamy love scenes. Erp. I enjoy the history in the book, but overly detailed descriptions of all the yearning manhood and rapes I can do without.
How’s your week been so far? Whatcha reading?
This all looks fantastic! I was wondering, why don’t you just start a Girl Scout Troop, instead of (the adorable) Sparrow Girls? Your sons are in scouts, correct?
(I’m a GS Troop leader, that’s why I’m asking :)
See the comment thread here: http://balancingeverything.com/2012/09/11/sparrow-girls/#comment-4100
I had no idea there would be so much confusion over our little 12 week co-op course! To briefly recap: I’ve been trying to get in touch with the GS in my area to start a troop for my little girl. I have had great difficulty getting a hold of anyone, so I started my own little thing. Sparrow Girls is a short, 12 week course for our homeschool group, as a kind of test run. If I still can’t get ahold of anyone at our GS district, I’ll continue w/ Sparrow Girls.
Have you looked into American Heritage Girls? I know almost nothing about it as my daughters are a Brownie Scout and a Venture Scout (BSA), but it looks kind of like a cross between GS and BS. Maybe they would at least call you! http://www.ahgonline.org/
Hope my reply didn’t sound cranky! I didn’t mean it cranky at all but my friend told me tonight I sounded snippy.
Oh, how I wish my kids were in your classes…in fact I wish I were in your classes. LOL
Ha, thanks!
looks so awesome! That little africa book, can I make one too? (with all your hard work?) Are you going to share files? I don’t know your policy on that.. and I understand if you don’t want to… but I wonder if we can get someone (me?) to teach it at our coop if it were all gathered together. (isn’t it the most time consuming to gather all the material for the classes?!?) Thanks. :) I love the pounded leather bears. so cute!
Everything is here: http://balancingeverything.com/notebooking-packets/ which booklet are you wanting to make? The one I’m using for Africa is a combo of my freebie packet plus six pages from my $15 packet.
And thanks!!
busy is good :) I’m not reading anything fun these days–just nursing textbooks and MORE nursing textbooks ;). I told my mother-in-law today that if she doesn’t hear from me for a few days, she should come over because I’m likely dead under a pile of very heavy textbooks, ha ha. I’m in awe over all your packets and all the neat-o stuff for the Sparrow Girls–that is awesome!!! Besides, your ‘troop’ has a better color scheme going on versus the lovely orange/brown of the Brownie scouts (is it still orange/brown? It’s been many many years…I do fondly remember the zip-up brown polyester jumper with coordinating brown nylon knee socks with BRIGHT orange tassels that I got to wear to school one day a week for Brownies, lol).
The color scheme is not blue (shirt) and brown (skort & beanie) with no socks or jumper (oh, how I remember that jumper!). The blue is much better than the orange of our era, but the brown still leaves a bit to be desired visually.
I thought the blue shirts were the daisy scouts… oh wait, that’s a vest.
Yes, the Daisy Scouts wear a blue (royal) vest or smock for their insignia, badges and patches. They also may wear matching blue shorts or pants and a Daisy shirt (normally white with a Daisy logo on the front). The Brownie Scout shit is a lighter (Robin’s Egg?) blue.
Did you see DRC was in the news today? They found a new species of monkey there, well, new to scientists, the people living there have known about them. Super cute little guys.
Ooh! No, off to look it up, thanks!