Making the Grade

Little Zachary was doing very badly in math. His parents had tried everything.. tutors, mentors, flash cards, special learning centers. In short, everything they could think of to help his math.
Finally, in a last ditch effort, they took Zachary down and enrolled him in the local Cat holic school. After the first day, little Zachary came home with a very serious look on his face. He didn't even kiss his mother hello. Instead, he went straight to his room and started studying. Books and papers were spread out all over the room and little Zachary was hard at work. His mother was amazed. She called him down to dinner.
To her shock, the minute he was done, he marched back to his room without a word, and in no time, he was back hitting the books as hard as before. This went on for some time, day after day, while the mother tried to understand what made all the difference. Finally, little Zachary brought home his report card. He quietly laid it on the table, went up to his room and hit the books. With great trepidation, his Mom looked at it and to her great surprise, Little Zachary got an 'A' in math. She could no longer hold her curiosity.



She went to his room and said, 'Son, what was it? Was it the nuns?'



Little Zachary looked at her and
shook his head, no. 'Well, then,' she r eplied, was it the books, the discipline, the structure, the uniforms? 'WHAT WAS IT ALREADY?'
Little Zachary looked at her and said, 'Well, on the first day of school when I saw that guy nailed to the plus sign, I knew they weren't fooling around.'

Home Economic Project

Gingerbread Recipe

Gingerbread today is quite different from what it used to be. Once upon a time, “gingerbread” simply meant preserved ginger. By the fifteenth century it was a “cake” made from a dense dough of breadcrumbs or ground almonds mixed with honey or spices. Often this dough was pressed into moulds with very intricate designs. There were many varieties of gingerbread in medieval times: ‘coarse’, ‘fine’, white, red (coloured with red wine or sandalwood), and gilded (with real gold).

Here is a small sample recipe

Grasmere Gingerbread.
8 oz. wholemeal flour
½ teaspoon bicarb soda
½ teaspoon cream of tartar
2 teaspoons ground ginger
6 oz butter
6 oz brown sugar
1 level tablespoon

Golden Syrup.

Mix the flour, bicarb soda, cream of tartar and ground ginger. Rub in the butter. Add the sugar and Golden Syrup and mix well. Press into a greased 8 inch diameter tin. Bake in a cool (325oC) oven for 45-50 minutes. Leave in the tin 15 minutes. Cut into wedges.

Yorkshire Parkin.

4 level tablespoons Golden Syrup
4 level tablespoons Treacle
3 oz soft dark brown sugar
8 oz butter
¼ pint milk
8 oz plain flour
2 teaspoons ginger
2 teaspoons bicarb soda1 teaspoon salt
8 oz fine or medium oatmeal.

Melt the syrup, treacle, sugar, butter and milk together gently. Sif the flour, ginger, bicarb, salt together and add the oatmeal. Add the melted mixture to the dry mixture and beat till smooth. Pour into a greased and lined 11 x 7 inch tin. Cook in a cool (325oC) oven 40-45 minutes. It will shrink back from the sides of the tin, and look a bit sunken, but will spring back when cooked. Cool in the tin ten minutes before turning out.

Quotation for the Day ...

And I had but one penny in the world. Thou should’st have it to buy gingerbread. William Shakespeare, Love’s Labours Lost

Not the Public School!

Guess what? Daughter has decided she does not want to go into th epublic school system. I called the school & they directed me to their school web site ... we read through it together & she didn't like all the rules/regulations & the punishment that went along with the rules if broken. Although I don't let my kids get away with much I'm very open to them speaking their minds & letting them get things off of their chest without much reprocation. Well, the school site says any derogatory remarks will result in after school detention. The number one derogatory no-no is using shut-up. It's my daughters favorite saying. She says public school isn't important enough to make her change the way she speaks. he he he

We got back into church so she is around kids there. She reconnected with some old home school buddies via the computer, she's called them up a couple times to and then theres still girl scouts which I'm trying very hard to get a hold of someone who says they can help me out. It's very frustrating to say the least. I'm still looking into homeschool groups since our cover school is so far away. =(

School is over today but we bought crafts for the kids to play around with. They made a gingerbread tree today ... they've already dove into it but not before I got cute pics to go with it. I'll have to come back & add a slideshow of all the pics. Some of them were really wild looking. I also purchased felt so they can make stockings. I'm hoping they'll want to give them to their cousins (twins) but I have a feeling daughter will want to keep hers. She's the type who wants to save all the things she makes whereas son loves to give all the things he makes to others.

Well, I guess that's all for me today ... have a few things to take care of before my day comes to an end. Have a blessed day.

Thanksgiving Memories

Public School?

My daughter informed me the other day that she wants to go to the public school next year. I think she was afraid we were gonna freak out on her or something cause she waited until hubby went off to work. No freaking out! At the end of ever year we give them the option of home school or public school ... they always seem to know that they will learn more at home in less hours then they will at the public schools.

This year ... we'll have to compromise though. After daughter came out saying she wanted to go then son came out saying the same. He's since changed his mind but daughter is still holding firm. We told her we will have to go to the school to see what their learning ... if it isn't up to par with what she will be learning at home then I'm sorry ... she won't be going. I want a better education for her then what the public school systems have to offer and IMO I believe sending either on to school for a less stimulating education is child abuse. Of course, this is just my opinion.

Anyway, I get the feeling that it has more to do with them wanting more friends then what they currently have. I admit it, I've been slacking in the socialization part of home schooling. We used to go tot he youth service center for somputer/PE class but I took them out of it this year after they complained of having no real kids their age last year. Daughter was taking lessons with a buddy but her buddy dropped out ... then their girl scouts ... I let her drop out when she completed brownies but I knew this was her way of getting her friend interaction. Dumb on my part. So I'm rectifying the situation ... I'm looking into a home school group. We have a cover school but it's located all the way in Birmingham so we don't go on field trips or anything like that cause it's a 3 hour drive. I'm also getting them back into the church activities so they will be around kids like them & girl scouts is back on the table. That is if I can ever get someone to contact me. I've contacted 3 different people for information on how to get her back into the program & NO ONE has contacted me yet. I sent the e-mails out on Monday. Doesn't anyone check their e-mails anymore?

Ok, so I vented enough this morning. I'm gonna have to get with the school to see what their curricula is so I know what I'm doing next year with daughter. Son told me this morning that no matter what daughter does ... he's NOT going to the public school unless I have to take a job & he has no choice. If you are in my area & know of any good support groups ... I'm willing to look into it. We need kid interaction.

Christmas Card Exchange

Every year I do a Christmas Card Exchange with all my online friends & I didn't want to stop the tradition just because AOL journals went under. A few of you have already sent me your e-mail but just in case the first entry was over looked I wanted to do a new entry on it.

The Christmas Card Exchange is really easy & a lot of fun. You e-mail me privately with your home mailing address ... I send you mine in return & we exchange Christmas cards this year.

I DO NOT share your addresses with anyone else and as soon as I use them I shred the list.

PLEASE ... do not leave your address in the comments section cause that's just to dangerous. If your interested in exchanging cards please send me an e-mail with your addy.

E-mail me!

My grand mother has Cancer in her Neck, Breast, Hip Bones, Adrenal Glands, Spline & on her Lung. (10-Tumors)
She just took her first Radiation treatment yesterday, which made her very sick. Dr. told us that without Kemo & Radiation she would have 3- months to live. With Kemo & Radiation she has 6-Months to a Year, God makes miracles, myself and the family are looking for one. Keep her in you're prayers. Her name is Pauline.

The 4th Ammendment

A home school legal advocate is disturbed by the recent actions of a social worker in Florida.

According to Kris Klicka of the Home School Legal Defense Association (HSLDA), a social worker in Miami, Florida, overstepped the boundary of law when she demanded to interview a home schooler's children. He says the social worker showed up at the family's home when the father was at work -- and out of fear and intimidation, the mother let the social worker into the home to interview her children, even though the worker neither had a warrant nor would disclose why she was there. The social worker -- according to HSLDA -- then partially stripped the children and searched them, but found nothing.

During the ordeal, the mother called Klicka for legal advice. Klicka was able to talk with the social worker and inform her that she was violating federal law. "[E]very family needs to realize that the Constitution of the United States has a Fourth Amendment that states that no one from the government can enter a home unless they have a warrant [that has been] signed by a judge," Klicka explains. "And the judge cannot sign it unless there is probable cause -- and most of the time these social workers do not have probable cause or credible evidence."

According to HSLDA, the allegations the social worker was supposedly following up on were based on an anonymous tip concerning a situation from eight months earlier. After the social worker could not find any evidence to support those allegations, she suggested that the entire family get psychological evaluations -- which the family declined.

Klicka says the family is considering a civil rights lawsuit alleging the social worker broke the law by (1) entering the home and interviewing the children through intimidation; (2) not letting the family know the allegations at the initial visit; and (3) interviewing children whom the allegations did not concern.

Know your rights ... you do not have to let anyne into your home for any reason. You do not have to show the work your children are doing ... you don't have to show attendance records to anyone at your door ...

Peanut Festival

Computer Project

http://www.mediafire.com/?qxtoq0mkjom

This is a game that I have been working on for about a week. It is called SonicGM. It's still in "testing" right now.

I used a program called game maker and I also made all the physics. The game is about Sonic the Hedgehog ... to play it you use the arrows & spacebar. The object of the game is to try to catch all the levels rings and try not to lose them. You can lose them by getting hit by a droid.

Thanks for viewing. Let me know what ya think about it if you decide to play it. Nick

World War II

World War II Report
by Nick J.
11/5/2008


After the cost of the World War I, no one thought Germany would be willing to risk war again. however, the harsh conditions caused by the armistice created a fertile environment for many radical politicians. So out of the bitter depths of Germany rose Adolf Hitler. He quickly marshaled the resources of the entire nation for their military.

At first instead of risking another was, Europe simply gave in to Hitler. After Hitler attacked Poland in 1939, England and France quickly declared was on Germany. Less than a year later France was captured and England besieged. Just a year later saw the invasion of the Soviet Union. By the year 1943 most of Europe was under German control.

The image of that rule are horrifying. Secret Nazi police brutally enforced German policies. Thousands went missing at night. Concentration camps were built to accommodate those that were "racially impure" and had anti-Nazi beliefs. Most people died in these concentration camps from over working and inadequate food.

As individual countries readied for war, hero's emerged in factories as on the battlefield. America turned all of it's industrial production towards weapons for the military. All of the civilians made sacrifices in an effort to win the war.

Ultimately, Hitler was defeated. The costs were massive. Millions of soldiers and civilians died and most of Europe was destroyed. The whole country of Europe had to be rebuilt. Radios, roads, even entire cities were destroyed.

My great grandfather was in World War II ... he never really talked about the things he saw. I believe the things he saw were just to horrible to mention. I'm glad that he survived, not many of his brethren did.

World War I Report

World War I
By Nick J.
10/30/08

World War I brought many great changes all over the world. It was even called "the war to end all wars". However, the bad peace conditions brought upon Germany at the end of the war played an important role in setting up for World War II. Instead of providing lasting peace, World War I became the beginning for the unprecedented destruction from Hitler's wrath.

World War I was on a scale never before seen. The sheer loss in human lives were staggering. For example, the battle of Somme was waged for six months, all for just a few square miles of land. Over all the allies lost about 600,000 troops while the Germans lost over 650,000 troops. The total loses for the entire war were 10 million troops. Civilian losses hugely exceeded that amount.

On November 11, 1918 at about 11 am, World War I was ended. Now the difficult task of drafting a long lasting peace treaty would begin. The basis of the treaties peace negotiations were president Wilson, 14 Points. The Cental Powers were absent at the negotiations so they were forced to accept the terms of the armistice. At a large speech to congress on January 8, 1918, president Wilson outlined his vision for lasting worldwide peace. This was designed to boost the allies morale also assuring fair treatment of the Central Powers after the war.

In Wilson's preface to the 14 points he said, "We demand that the world be made fit and safe to live in ... against force and selfish aggression."

World War II report to follow soon.

Vietnam War

History Report

Vietnamese War

10-28-2008

by Nick. J

"Vietnamese War"

At the beginning the Vietnam War attracted very little attention. A lot of people knew the US had advisers in Vietnam. There seemed to be no reason to be worried. To an average American, Vietnam was nothing but a small out of the way country; of little concern. An average American probably could not even find Vietnam on a map.

The public awareness of Vietnam changed in 1965 when president Johnson deployed the first American troops to join the fight. In just a few years, the number of American troops jumped to 500,000. The Vietnam War divided America in many ways. For example; at first public opinion surveys showed that many Americans supported the war and the governmental policies that sent them to Vietnam. As the war continued though, the public came to disagree with the political decisions that kept the troops in Vietnam. Americans vigorously protested this war and showed their disdain for the service men when they came home from tour.

It was not until 1982 that veterans from the Vietnam War received true recognition for their service. On Veteran's Day that year the Vietnam veterans were dedicated in Washington D.C.. The "V" shaped wall was inscribed with 58,000 names, each belonging to one of the soldiers who gave their life. The wives and mothers of the soldiers looked for the names of their husbands and sons.

Although the Vietnam War has been over for about 20 years, we will always remember the brave soldiers that gave their lives for this country. All gave some ... some gave all.

Weekend Field Trip

Today we went to the Aviation Museum on Fort Rucker. The kids learned about the Wright brothers anf their first air plane. The got to sit in the seat of an air craft to see what a pilot would see & do. The learned about airplane parts, op stations, what soldiers would take with them to the field etc. They got to see the plane that Eisenhowser traveled in & they got to sit in a chinook ... CH47. The buckeled in & pretended the plane was taking off.

Field Trip

We took a little trip to Aplin Farms today. our initial intent was to pick out a couple pumpkins but the place was so amazing that we ended up picking sunflowers, petting the animals, learning how to milk a cow ... it was an amazing time down on the farm. The kids showed a lot of interest in going back soon.


Create Your Own

End of the Semester Grades

This is how we are looking at the end of the first quarter. Not horrible but Nick is eager to get his B's to A's. He doesn't like seeing anything out of the 90's percentile. He's been feeling under the weather this week and I have noticed his grades have fallen with 3 days of seat work. I have no doubt that by the end of the 1st semester he will be an all A's student.

Lysa doesn't have a nifty computer program keeping up with her grades but she is equally doing well in her studies.

Math = 92.5% B

Science = 95.4% A

Spelling = 92% B

Language = 99% A

History = 92.5% B

United Nations Day

This week we are learning about the United Nations. Friday October 24th, marks the day that the world celebrates our unity.

This day recognized the United Nation organization and all who serve and participate in this world organization. The United Nations is dedicated to world peace and to the betterment of humanity through a wide range of program from world hunger to environment and health issues. Almost all of the more than 100 countries in the world are members of this organization.

The United States of America was admitted into the United Nations 24 October 1945.

Fall Break

This week we are taking off ... a Fall Break. Our first quarter has been completed, the kids are ahead in all of their studies and well, I like to give the kids the same days off as the public schools. I have found over the years that it's much easier to let them enjoy time with their friends instead of keeping them inside for studies while their friends are outside. This just works better for us.



Poetry is good for the Soul

In autumn when the trees are brown
The little leaves come tumbling down
They do not make the slightest sound
But lie so quietly on the ground
Until the wind comes puffing by
And blows them off towards the sky.



Keeping our hands & minds occupied with fun.


Potpourri is wonderful natural material for creating unique fall wreaths. The potpourri gets sold in bags and is available in many colors and aromas. Choose bags with larger and smaller pieces for a variety.

Instructions:
1. Wrap paper twist around the styrofoam wreath until completely covered and secure.
2. Glue fibers onto the wreath at different intervals. Then take potpourri and fill in the empty spaces until the desired look is achieved.
3. When using for the door, attach a cord to the top of the wreath.

Christopher Columbus

CHRISTOPHER COLUMBUS discovered America in 1492. At least that is what all elementary school children were always taught: "In 1492, Columbus sailed the ocean blue." Of course, Columbus never did "discover" North America, and the regions he did explore were already inhabited. He only discovered them from the viewpoint of the Europeans. Yet his first voyage did prove one thing for sure, that the earth was not only round, but that it was bigger than he had thought, Eratosthenes notwithstanding.

One of the first known celebrations marking the discovery of the "New World" by Christopher Columbus was in 1792, when a ceremony organized by the Colombian Order was held in New York City honoring Christopher Columbus and the 300th anniversary of his landing in the Bahamas. Then, on October 12, 1866 the Italian population of New York organized the first celebration of the discovery of America. Three years later, in 1869 Italians in San Francisco celebrated October 12 calling it C-Day.

To mark the 400th anniversary of Columbus' voyage, in 1892, President Benjamin Harrison made a commemorative proclamation. But it was Colorado, in 1905, that became the first state to observe a Columbus Day. Since 1920 the day has been celebrated annually, and in 1937 President Franklin Roosevelt proclaimed every October 12 as Columbus Day. That's where it remained until 1971 when Congress declared it a federal public holiday on the second Monday in October.

Christopher Columbus (1451 - 1505)
Columbus, the son of a wool merchant and weaver, was born in Genoa, Italy and went to sea at the age of 14. Following a shipwreck off the coast of Portugal in 1470, he swam ashore and settled in that country.

Between 1477 and 1482 Columbus made merchant voyages as far away as Iceland and Guinea. But in 1484, his "Enterprise of the Indies" idea fell on deaf ears when he presented it to King John of Portugal. Shortly thereafter, he moved to Spain, where King Ferdinand and Queen Isabella became more interested in his adventuresome ideas.

To the New World
On August 2, 1492, Columbus set sail in search of the East Indies. The voyage was financed by Ferdinand and Isabella by making the city of Palos pay back a debt to the crown by providing two of the ships, and by getting Italian financial backing for part of the expenses. The crown had to put up very little money from the treasury.

Columbus and 90 crewmen boarded the three ships that were to make the first voyage to the New World, the Niña, Pinta, and the flagship, Santa Maria. On October 12, 1492, Columbus first saw the islands of the new world, landing in the Bahamas. Later in the month, he would sail to Cuba, and to Hispaniola (now Haiti). He thought he had reached the East Indies, the islands off Southeast Asia.

Contrary to popular belief, most educated individuals in the 15th century, and especially sailors, already knew that the earth was round. What was not realized by Columbus, however, was just how big a globe it was. Columbus seriously underestimated the size of the planet.

Seaworthy Cuisine
The menu for Spanish seamen consisted of water, vinegar, wine, olive oil, molasses, cheese, honey, raisins, rice, garlic, almonds, sea biscuits, dry legumes such as chickpeas, lentils, beans, salted and barreled sardines, anchovies, dry salt cod and pickled or salted meats (beef and pork), salted flour.

Food, mostly boiled, was served in a large communal wooden bowl. It consisted of poorly cooked meat with bones in it, the sailors attacking it with fervor, picking it with their fingers as they had no forks or spoons. The larger pieces of meat were cut with the knife each sailor carried. Fish was eaten most often. On calm days, the crew would fish and then cook their catch.

Return to Spain and Additional Voyages
On Christmas Day, 1492, the Santa Maria sank off Hispaniola. Columbus departed for Spain on January 16, 1493 on the Niña, arriving there on March 4.
Columbus made three additional voyages to the New World. The second voyage set sail in September, 1493, with 17 ships. During his expeditions, he helped to colonize Hispaniola, and discovered the South American mainland. He did not, however, see mainland North America during any of his voyages.

He returned to Spain for the last time on November 7, 1504. He died at Valladolid, Spain on May 20, 1506, at the age of 55.

Controversy
Much controversy exists over Columbus' expeditions and whether or not one can "discover" an already-inhabited land. The natives of the Bahamas and other islands on his journey were peaceful and friendly. Yet many of them were later enslaved by the Spanish. Also, it is known that the Vikings explored the North American coast 500 years before Columbus.

Nevertheless, Columbus' expedition was unique and important in that it resulted in the first intertwining of Europe with the Americas, resulting in the first permanent European colonies in the New World.

Wise beyond Years

The democracy will cease to exist when you take away from those who are willing to work and give to those who would not.
Thomas Jefferson

 

I sincerely believe that banking establishments are more dangerous than standing armies, and that the principle of spending money to be paid by posterity, under the name of funding, is but swindling futurity on a large scale.
Thomas Jefferson

 

The tree of liberty must be refreshed from time to time with the blood of patriots and tyrants.
Thomas Jefferson

Socialism 101

As many of you probably know Obama is being called a socialist ... a marxist. After reading the definition I must admit, the claims are not unfounded.

What is socialism?

Socialism is an economic system characterized by public ownership and centralized planning of all major industries (manufacturing, services, and energy), banks and insurance companies, agribusiness, transportation, the media, and medical facilities. Under capitalism, these giant enterprises dominate the economy but are privately owned and operated for the purpose of generating wealth for their owners by extracting it from working people who are paid only a small fraction of what their labor produces. Socialism turns this around so that the class that produces the wealth can collectively decide how it will be used for the benefit of all.

As African American poet and communist Langston Hughes wrote in "Good Morning, Revolution":

…Together,
We can take everything:
Factories, arsenals, houses, ships,
Railroads, forests, fields, orchards…
And turn 'em over to the people who work.
Rule 'em and run 'em for us people who work.

Real socialism is, by definition, democratic. It is economic as well as political democracy. Many capitalist countries boast of their democratic institutions, but this is an illusion because all the political power is in the hands of those who hold the wealth. Socialism prioritizes human needs and eliminates the profit motive that drives war, ecological destruction, and inequalities based on gender, race, nationality and sexuality.

Like capitalism, socialism must be international so that global resources can be shared. No country can be truly independent of the global economy because until capitalism is defeated internationally it will continue to sabotage efforts to build socialism. Achieving socialism in the United States, the wealthiest and most powerful country in the world, is necessary to any country being able to determine its own destiny.

Types of socialism

Most socialists identify themselvesas Marxists in recognition of Karl Marx, who discovered the economic laws underlying capitalism. Marx and his lifelong collaborator Frederick Engels laid the foundation of Marxist economics, the philosophical concept of dialectical materialism, and the method of social analysis known as historical materialism.


Leninism denotes the concepts of a disciplined, revolutionary party and the principled, intransigent vision of Vladimir Ilyich Lenin, key leader of the 1917 Russian Revolution. Lenin's works on imperialism, the nature of the state, and the rights of national minorities are essential components of the socialist tradition.


Trotskyism is the continuation of the Marxist and Leninist current led by Leon Trotsky, co-leader with Lenin of the Russian Revolution. When the Stalinist bureaucracy rose to power in the Soviet Union in the late 1920s, Trotsky rallied an international Left Opposition against the betrayal of the revolution's goals. Trotskyism stands for Permanent Revolution, internationalism, and the strategy of the united front against fascism. Trotsky was murdered by a Stalinist assassin in 1940.


Socialist feminism was developed in the late 1960s and early 1970s by founders of the Freedom Socialist Party and Radical Women. It is a Marxist, Leninist, and Trotskyist tendency that acknowledges that the most oppressed sector of the modern working class is composed of women, particularly women of color, whose life experience of exploitation gives them the strength and determination to carry through a revolution against all forms of oppression. Socialist feminists recognize the revolutionary leadership of workingclass women, people of color, and queers, and others multiply afflicted by capitalism. Socialist feminists orient to grassroots, rank-and-file women and men rather than to the predominantly white male aristocrats of labor who make up the union bureaucracy.


Several currents that emerged from the socialist and communist movements have lost their revolutionary character and misstate the basic principles of socialism's founders. These include: social-democrats, socialist reformers who support mere electoral revision of the capitalist system; Stalinists, who arose out of the Soviet bureaucracy as supporters of Stalin's brutal dictatorship and who advocate peaceful co-existence with capitalism and immersion in bourgeois parties; and Maoists, China-oriented Stalinists, who frequently describe themselves as Marxist-Leninists.

9/11 Tribute

If you can watch this video and it not move you, then I guess you have a legitimate reason why we should not be fighting terrorism ... maybe you are the problem! I know people are saying America deserved the attacks but the truth is we did not deserve the attack ... no country deserves to be attacked no country deserves to have innocent people die for no reason. This was a senseless attack by terrorist whose only goal in life is to kill all Americans ... not just some ... ALL!

Some will argue that we are in Iraq killing innocents so my statements aren't valid ... I say they are. We weren't out looking for this war, it was brought to us. Our soldiers are fighting for our right to remain a free nation & after the hell terrorist have put Americans through I say HELL NO to any suggestion of sitting down & having a peaceful talk. The time for talk has come & gone. This retired soldiers wife will never forget the intrusions that hateful radicals have brought into my life ... all  American lives!

You can't be against terror then prematurely pull our troops out before their job is complete. Remember Clinton pulled out to early & the terrorist came back stronger & meaner than ever. No one wants a war but sometimes it is necessary to not only keep our nation free but to keep the evil hatred from stepping on our soil again.

I'm sure people reading this who are supporting Obama are saying he is right, we should pull out! Well, to you I say this; the surge wasn't supposed to be successful but OMG ... it is. We're winning the war on terror thus making more than just our nation a better place to live. No one wants to live in fear ... not even the people who were under the rule of Saddam Hussein. People seem to forget why we went there in the first place ... it wasn't originally because of WMD, it was because he was suspected of harboring terrorist.

Human Digestive System

In the digestive system, undigested food is converted into a form that can be absorbed into the circulatory system for distribution and utilization by the various tissues of the body. This is accomplished, physically, by the mouth chewing and the stomach churning, and mentally by secretions and enzymes of the gastrointestinal tract. Beginning at the mouth, all food passes through the alimentary canal, which includes the, pharynx, stomach, intestines and esophagus, before it reaches the anus, where the remaining undigested food passes to be removed as waste. The outer walls of the digestive tract are composed of layers of muscles and tissues. The inner lining holds glands that secrete enzymes that are necessary to break down food.

 

aoljpictureUpload, aoljpictureUpload_1

A LEGAL ANALYSIS OF HOMESCHOOLING LAWS IN ALABAMA

This is an article I found from the Home School Defense Association
providing a legal analysis of the homeschooling laws in Alabama.
AlabamaCompulsory Attendance Ages: "between the ages of 7 and 16"
(Alabama Code 16-28-3).Required Days of Instruction: 175 days
(Public Schools only)Church School Option for Homeschools: Home
schools qualify as church "schools"...operated as a ministry of a
local church, group of churches, denomination, and/or association of
churches on a nonprofit basis which do not receive any state or
federal funding (Alabama Code 16-28-1(2)). Every child attending a
church school is exempt fromt he requirements of this (compulsory
attendance) section provided the child complies with the procedures
in 16-28-7 (parent or guardian reporint attendance in church
school); see (a) below (Alabama Code 16-28-3). A church could
establish different church schools within each home. Also, under
this option, some homeschoolers enroll their children in an existing
church school but teach them at home. (a) "The enrollment and
attendance of a child in a church school must be filed with the
local public school superintendent by the parent...on a form
provided by the superintendent...which shall be countersigned by the
administrator of the church school." (Alabama Code 16-28-7). (No
requirement to file annually. Only need to file this form once at
initial enrollment in church school). (b) The principal teacher of
the church school must keep an attendance register for each day of
the school year (Alabama Code 16-28-8). (c) A church school must
offer grades K-12 or any combination thereof (16-28-1(2)). (d) If
the local school district believes a family is not in compliance
with the law, it must give the family 3 days written notice (16-28-
16) prior to instituting criminal charges. (e) According to Alabama
Attorney General's opinion dated January 3, 1997, "Other than the
state laws requiring parents to report attendance and for church
schools to report if a student is no longer in attendance at such a
church school, there is no provision of Alabama law that permits or
requires any state or local authority to regulate a church school."
Basically what all this means is, as a parent, you are required to
send in the Church School Enrollment Form and the Attendance
Reports. Thereis no requirement to teach for any specific number
of days, or any specific courses and there is no requirement for
church schools to be accreditated.

Making the Grade

The following is N's grades for the first 2 weeks. I'm going to be working even harder to bring up his History & Language grades. I'm not sure why he's having such a hard time in History this year. Language I understand ... plagiarism/sourcing really messed his overall grade up. I'm still very proud of his A-B average!

Now for something fun; a puzzle. Homeschool can't always be about history! =)

The Israel-Egypt Peace Treaty

The Camp David Accords between Israel and Egypt in 1978 led to a negotiated peace between the two nations. Signed in Washington, DC on March 26, 1979, the first between Israel and any of its Arab neighbors. Israel had a consistency policy since its founding in 1948 that called for direct, one-to-one negotiations as a method of resolving disputes with the Arab countries, but until Sadat brought Egypt to the table, no Arab country had been willing to talk to Israel!

 

Sadat and Begin shared in 1978 Nobel Peace Prize for their historic agreements. However, the initiative was far from universally popular in other Arab countries or even Sadat's own country, Egypt! Other Arab nations, and especially the Palestinians, saw Egypt's agreement with Israel as a stab in the back, leaving them weaker and with less bargaining leverage with Israel. Without Egypt, the, "United Arab Front" had not credibility. Sadat became isolated in the Arab world which led to his assassination in 1981.

my review on the supreme court

    the supreme court

 

The supreme court is the highest court in america. it has a chief justice or head judge as well as eight assosciate judges.All the justices are appointed by the president and approved by the senate. the justices will serve for life unless they decide to retire.There job is to interpret the laws that are passed by congress.

 

Ever since our government was established, more than a hundred justices have served on the court, in fact until recently, all of them were men. Sandra Day O'connor was the very first woman to be called to the supreme court. She was appointed in 1981. Ruth Blader Ginsburg was choosen in 1983 as the second woman seated in supreme court.

Desert Plants

I'm learning about derert plants in Science. I'm going to write about my favorite ones & add photos to show their beauty.

 

The Saguaro often begins life in the shelter of a nurse tree or shrub. The Saguaro grows slowly, about an inch a year, but they grow to a great height, 15 to 50 feet!

 

The Arizona Poppy's stems and leafs are hairy. Hairs can be white or yellowish. Elliptical leaves are one-third to an inch long and grow in pairs of four to ten per stem! The Arizona Poppy is common to flat, sandy grasslands from sea-level to 6,000 feet.

 

Cave Primrose's are perennial. The leaves are 3/4-8 long. From the basal cluster of the leaves a 2-11" long leafless, flowering stalk arises and bears a cluster of flowers.

 

Dogbane have thin reddish stems, they arise from the ground in spindly clusters to three feet tall. When cut or broken, the stems ooze a milky latex, similar to the milkweed family. Leaves arise either opposite or whorled pattern.

aoljpictureUpload, aoljpictureUpload_4

computers & more 2............yes theres a sequal

this one took longer about an hour longer because i had export the frames individually as jpg's and import them into wmm and add them in backward and this is the result. i call it "use the force!"

North America Report

I'm focusing on Alabama since I live here.

Some people believe that Spanish explorers arrived on the Mobile Bay in 1519, and that the land was visited by Hernando De Soto in 1540. The first European settlement was founded by the French at Fort Luis de la Mobile in 1702. In 1763 British gained control of the area by the Treaty of Paris but had to cede almost all the Alabama region to the U.S and Spain after the American Revolution. The Confederacy was founded at Montgomery in February 1861, and, for a time was the Confederacy’s capital.

During the later 19th century, the economic of the state improved with industrialization. At the Tuskegee Institute, founded in 1881 by Booker T. Washington, Dr. George Washington Carver carried out his famous agricultural research.

In the 1950’s and 60’s, Alabama was the site of such landmark Civil Rights Actions, as the bus boycott in Montgomery and the “Freedom March” from Selma to Montgomery.

Today paper, chemicals, rubber and plastics, apparel and textiles, primary metals and automobile manufacturing constitute the leading industries of America. Continuing as a major manufacturer of coal, iron and steel, Birmingham is also noted for its world renowned medical center. The state ranks high in the production of poultry, soybeans, milk, vegetables, livestock, wheat, cattle, cotton, peanuts, fruits, hogs and corn.  

Tags: Alabama, Montgomery, cicil rights, De Soto, Booker T. Washington, George Washington Carver,

Computers & More

This is my new computer video that I put together & loaded it up to youtube. I call it Sith/Jedi training. This is 798 frames that I had to edit. I had to use a program called LS maker to add the light saber & blast effects. It took me about 2-3 hours just to edit this 27 second clip.

Homeschoolers warned to stay vigilant

A constitutional lawyer and author says the major victory for homeschooling families in California yesterday would not have been possible without the combined effort of conservative Christian legal and public policy groups. 

 

The California Court of Appeal ruled Friday that the California Education Code allows parents to homeschool their children, reversing its original decision on the matter.  The ruling means that parents do not have to obtain state credentials to teach their kids at home.

Mike Farris, chairman of Home School Legal Defense Association, says in its original decision the court was operating without any information about the current state of the law or practice of homeschooling.
"When homeschool advocacy that HSLDA does was joined with other family policy advocacy like Alliance Defense Fund, Liberty Counsel, Pacific Justice Institute, and a lot of other groups – Focus on the Family helped out, a whole team of people came to the defense of homeschooling.  And with that new information the court was compelled by what was put forward that law really has changed in the last 50 years, and that homeschooling should be recognized as being authorized by the statutes of California."

Farris says the California case is a reminder to homeschooling families and their allies to "remain vigilant" because as he puts it, "things can sneak up on you if you're not paying attention." 

Freedom Friday

"Live in such a way that you would not be ashamed to sell your parrot to the town gossip." – Will Rogers

Fridays are pretty much stressful but easy. We take test on everything we have learned throughout the week. I'm proud to say that our first week was very successful.

N~ ended the week with a 100% in math, 93% in history, 97% in Science, and a 91% in English. He's a smart one. He's upset about his English grade cause he missed the questions by not answering exactly as the computer had set up. Honestly he wasn't even close and the questions were so hard that I had to look up the information in the teachers guide. It was on how to reference plagerism.

A~ this child is like a sponge. She picks everything up so quickly & then runs away with the knowledge. She has a 100% so far for every subject except Math. Math is her worst subject ... 96%. I wish that would have been my lowest grade growing up.

History

Elementary Theme pages Today daughter is leaning about international time zones and the vikings. The link above is a great place to go to find out all about the vikings. There are other great sites as well.

Son is learning about Galileo also see more --> Galileo today. Some interesting facts that I had forgotten about.

Things I learned about Galileo ~ N

"Galileo was born in 1564 and he began studying medicine at the University of Pisa. He dropped out for mathematics with Ostilio Ricci in the year 1592. In this year he obtained the Chair of Mathematics in Padua, he then set to work on the inclined plane and the pendulum."

For home ec the kids made turkey taco salad. It was actually very good.

1 pound ground turkey, salt, pepper, chili powder to taste, can of stewed tomatoes,1/2 onion chopped, a cup of lettuce per person, 1/2 oz cheese per person.

Saute the onion, add the ground turkey. Drain turkey when browned. Add spices to the meat ... top salad with meat mixture, add your serving of cheese to the top. Your done. This takes about 15 minutes to make.

Camera died on me before I could get a pic of the completed project, but it was beautiful.

Tags: Galileo, Ostillio Ricci, inclined plane, pendulum, University of Pisa, Padua

Off with a Bang

Today was the first day of school. We did a little of this or that over the summer but since hubby was retiring we really took it easy & enjoyed the time with him.

Today son started a new program ... Switched on Schoolhouse otherwise known as (from here on out) SOS. It took a minute or two to get adjusted to the new program but once he got the hang of it, there was no stopping him. He learned a little about the meaning of history, historians, what a jack of all trades is. He did a recap of math from last year. He ended up breezing right through it ... he takes after me in the math department. =D He loves Science, but not when he has to actually study the terms used. I have to get him to understand that while it may not be as fun as experiments, it's just as important to know what the words mean and how to use them correctly in a sentence.

Now daughter is using the same curriculum as last year so she already knew what to expect ... or did she. This year I'm having her write not only with an ink pen but only in cursive. It's taking her a bit longer to write this way but before long she will be zooming through everything.

Final grades for the day ... I'm so proud of them. Daughter ended her day with perfect marks. Son, 100% in math which was a no brainer, 94 in Science ... he missed one answer so he had to go back & redo it, everytime he retries an answer he loses points ... same thing happened with his History. He actually got the definition right but the wording wasn't exactly as the book showed. Language he is very good at; he received perfect marks.

Later in the day we sis home economics. We have already covered measurement, stove safety, & utensils last year so today they will be going right into baking ... what are they baking? Peanut Butter cookies from scratch. This was interesting! Cookies came out a little brown but that didn't keep them from eating them. Of course they had to have milk ...

Recipe for Peanut Butter Cookies

Ingredients

1 cup peanut butter

1/2 cup butter, softened

1/2 cup white sugar

1/2 cup packed brown sugar

1 egg

3 tablespoons milk

1 teaspoon vanilla extract

1 1/4 cups all-purpose flour

3/4 teaspoon baking powder

1/4 teaspoon salt

DIRECTIONS

1. Preheat oven to 375 degrees F (190 degrees C).
2. In a large bowl, cream together the peanut butter, butter, white sugar, and brown sugar until well blended. Beat in the egg, milk, and vanilla one at a time. Combine the flour, baking powder, and salt; stir into creamed mixture. Roll tablespoonfuls of dough into balls. Place cookies 2 inches apart onto ungreased cookie sheets. Press each ball once with fork tines.
3. Bake for 8 to 10 minutes in the preheated oven, or until edges are lightly browned.

Freebie ... math worksheet for grade 7. If you would like to print it out you will have to copy it into a source then print it out.

Tags: Homeschool, Peanut Butter Cookies, Freebie, Math Worksheet

2008-09 Course Description

ENGLISH

The seventh grade English curriculum includes units that develop skills in reading comprehension, writing, listening, thinking, and speaking. The study of literature includes novels, short stories, plays, poetry, and mythology. Literature units sharpen student thinking skills, increase knowledge, and deepen one’s understanding of human issues and social values. In grammar, emphasis is on knowing how to identify and properly use the eight parts of speech. Writing is an essential part of the literature unit. Students will learn how to write clear, concise sentences and paragraphs. Compositions will include writing stories, using dialogues, writing newspaper articles, and writing to show comparisons and descriptions. Creative writing is also part of the poetry unit. There is a strong emphasis on interpersonal communication skills, asking students to listen with an open mind.

FAMILY and CONSUMER SCIENCE

During first trimester, students receive an introduction to Family and Consumer Science and its wide range of course areas. The students are exposed to child care, nutrition, cooking and laundry skills. Students also learn how to use the sewing machine and basic sewing techniques, and complete a sewing project.

MATH

The Switched on Schoolhouse curriculum is used to investigate topics of study such as variables, similarity, ratios, proportions, percents, comparisons, integers, rational numbers, linear relationships, probability, and three-dimensional measurement. This curriculum is centered around students investigating new topics and ideas in a group setting. Students work together first with new material and problem solve before the class summarizes what they have learned together. The focus is not on memorizing properties and formulas of math but rather on knowing the how and why behind mathematical concepts. The problems in the book always have a real-life context to make is applicable and relevant to students. Students also get a chance to work with graphing calculators and Microsoft Excel.

PHYSICAL EDUCATION 7

Units of activity include proper warm up, physical fitness, basketball, tumbling, hip hop dance, bowling, swimming, tennis, baseball, horse riding and gymnastics.

SCIENCE 

Life science is the study of living things in the world around us. How these living things relate to each other and to their environment is an important part of this study. Life science is not simply a collection of facts, but also includes learning to think logically like scientists. Students will practice using some of the skills and tools of the life scientist. For example, students will learn how to use a microscope to observe and identify protozoan life in pond water.

This course introduces the basic concepts of the cell, including its structure and function, and organization. Living organisms, ranging from the simplest bacteria to complex animals, are surveyed in all five kingdoms. Environmental concerns and its protection are also examined. Course work includes hands-on activities, lectures, demonstrations, films, and independent projects.

SOCIAL STUDIES 

The study of history furnishes a wealth of material that can help students learn to appreciate the cultural diversity of the United States. Students will receive a broad view of the people and events that have contributed to the foundation of this country and the smooth operation of our system of democracy.

Our first and second trimesters on history will focus on the systematic study of the cause and effects of human action on our past and present. Emphasis will show how historical facts may be arranged, analyzed, and used in preparing historical accounts. Our period of history that we will concentrate on will be Post-American Revolutionary War, 1776, to reconstruct after the Civil War, 1865.

Our third trimester is devoted to economics. Economics is the study of how individuals and nations make choices about how to use scarce resources to fulfill their wants. We will study how to make wise choices with our limited resources. Also, we will study supply and demand, factors of production, economic systems throughout the world, our market economy, advertising, business structures in our system, the stock market, business cycles, money and banking, and careers in economics.

COMPUTER APPLICATIONS

This course provides students the opportunity to become familiar with and explore a variety of computer applications. Basic touch keyboarding instruction is provided early in the course followed by applications using the Microsoft Office Suite ®. Students will learn to use the computer as a problem-solving tool to complete a variety of projects. In addition, students will have an opportunity to demonstrate an understanding of computer concepts through integration of their computer knowledge by composing and producing documents for other classes.