For the Beauty of the Earth

I absolutely love this poem/hymn!

I love the traditional tune by Conrad Cocher;



but John Rutter's choral composition is wonderful as well.



We will be learning this this week.

Project Christmas: Week 10

Wow, only two weeks before Advent begins and 40 days until Christmas Eve!

Here is what yet needs to be done:
fill Operation Christmas Child boxes
turn in CBD order
make Advent calendar
buy Advent candles (yes, I forgot! again)
get rosemary tree
sign, address, and mail cards
buy stockings (we get new felt ones every year and decorate them for St. Nicholas Day)
get supplies for ornaments
make a decision about a tree
plan for family picture
continue decluttering and organizing in preparation for decorating

This Week in the Olive Grove

This Week:

• We finished memorizing our verses from Psalm 139.


• We finished reading Now We Are Six.


• Lulapalooza finished his Bible Reader.


• Toodles finished her Bible Reader and Flower Fairies of the Autumn.

  Next Week:

• We have 2 stories left in Just So Stories.


• We have 1 chapter to go in The Story of Dr. Dolittle.


• We have 8 more readings in The Struggle for Sea Power.


• J~Man has one more chapter to read in Men of Science; Men of God


• Lulapalooza will finish reading A Picnic on the Island for literature and Snakes and Stars for nature.


• They will each have one more spelling list.

Then we are finished with formal academics for the year.

The Extras:

• J~Man and his partner completed their robot for the upcoming LEGO-Robotics competition.


• Sgt. Elf bought a bunny.


• Toodles helped me prepare 20 boxes for Operation Christmas Child.


• Lulapalooza finalized plans for his birthday next week.
  

This Week in the Olive Grove

I am always amazed when God works things out ~ even though I shouldn't be!  October 5-9 was a planned academic break week, which worked out very well since we spent most of it in the hospital.  So this week we were back in the swing of things without having to play catch-up, and we had a great week.

• we started reading The Story of Dr. Dolittle and Just So Stories for literature
  


• Now We Are Six for poetry
  


• and The Struggle for Sea Power in our world history series


• we memorized the first four verses of Psalm 139


• I got my supplies organized enough that the kids could draw and play with modeling clay while I did our history and literature read alouds; they were quite excited about that.
  


• on Friday we did a little geography block with a story from Africa out of Folktales from Ecosystems Around the World, some songs from Africa from Wee Sing Around the World, and an African-inspired craft from Global Art.  The kids really enjoyed this ~ even the too cool 11yo boy!

I like the rhythm we have found to our autumn days, and the kids seem to as well.  They are playing together outside a lot, working on lots of creative projects inside, and even the 13yo manages to show up when we do read alouds (something from which she could not wait to be excused a year ago).

Thankful Thursday ~ the flu/pneumonia edition

Last Thursday Sgt. Elf was healthy.  Her younger siblings had "chest colds", and I was starting to feel one coming on.  Friday it was her turn, and by Saturday night she was in ICU at Children's Hospital with a partially collapsed lung.  Yesterday she got to come home.

I am very thankful for:

• my wonderful husband who insisted on taking her in (I didn't realize how sick she was, since I was spending most of my time in bed myself.)
  


• countless prayer warriors ~ many of whom did not even know us
  


• emergency rooms


• ambulance drivers


• Children's Hospital


• ICU


• doctors


• nurses


• respiratory therapists


• physical therapists
  


• medical technology


• insurance to pay for it


• friends who brought the rest of my family food
  


• 13-year-old lungs that are working again

For I know the thoughts that I think toward you says the LORD. 
Thoughts of peace and not of evil, to give you a future and a hope.
~Jeremiah 29:11