This Country of Ours, Ch. 3 How Columbus Fared Forth Upon The Sea of Darkness and Came to Pleasant Lands Beyond

From Micah (year 2):

They saw many savages.

The sailors lost heart.

They sailed from Spain to India. Well, they were trying to get to India. But on the way they got to other Islands. White snow-birds came. So they thought land was near. At night, Columbus saw a light disappearing and re-appearing. I think that was a savage carrying it. The sailors wanted to throw Columbus overboard, because they wanted to go back home.

From Mom:

Columbus's ship left Spain, and as land went out of sight on the journey, the men cried, thinking they would never see their homes again. (Remember, they had been forced on this journey). They sailed for weeks and weeks. Columbus kept track of how far they had gone, but showed the men a track with much less distance than the real log, because he didn't want the men to know how far from home they were. The men grew discouraged and planned mutiny - to throw Columbus overboard and return home. But the Captain thought he spotted land, and everyone grew more cheerful. It was just a cloud however. They also saw seaweed and land birds, that made them think they were close to land, but they never got there. They were again discouraged and planning to toss out Columbus and return home, when Columbus himself spotted what looked like a light appearing and disappearing. Two other seamen verified that it was indeed a light, and at 2am the next morning, land was sighted, for real this time. Columbus was so pleased that he bowed his knees and prayed, and kissed the ground when they landed.

They came in search of gold, but all they found were natives, tobacco, potatoes, and a little gold. He was still convinced that he was off the shore of India, and kept going from Island to Island looking for India, or at least gold and spices. He was in fact, between North and South America, in the Islands that, because of his journey, called the "West Indies".

Viking Tales, Ch 9. The Sea Fight

From Eva, (year 1):

King Harold and his men lept into the King Arnvid's ship. They fought. King Arnvid jumped into the water because he didn't King Harold to kill him, he wanted to die in the water instead. He laughed when he jumped into the water. King Arnvid's men thought they could surprise Harold, so they got in their ships and saled back to King Harold's ship. When they got there, they started fighting. King Harold wasn't surprised, but was ready for them.

Added by Micah (year 2): King Harold won the battle.

From Mom:
King Harold and King Arnvid had been fighting at sea. In the beginning of the chapter, King Arnvid reasons that King Harold had a tough fight yesterday, and would be recuperating today, so this was a great time to attack. He turned his ships to attack, and when they collided the battle began. They threw rocks, arrows and spears, and many men died. Many on both sides died or were wounded. Harold laughed as he battled. When King Arnvid and King Harold met, Arnvid refused to let
Harold kill him and jumped into the sea. Many of his men did likewise. The whole fleets of both sides fought, many ships sunk. Harold won the battle, winning many new subjects also. And everyone heard of Harold's great battles.

Week 7

We did week six, and took a week off. I just didn't keep up here.

Now we're in to October, and we had our first snow this weekend. So I'm not sure what nature stuff we'll be doing until we get used to the weather and I feel like Tommy's big enough to be out in it.

The prairie is free to us this month, just like it was last year. And I hope it warms up enough for us to go!


Up for this week:

Verse of the week: (Since I last wrote, we did Psalm 121:1-2 and John 6:40)
John 10:27-28
My sheep hear my voice. I know them and they follow me. I give them eternal life. They shall never perish and no one can take them from my hands.

Math every day
Say the verse every day
Write the verse every day
Reading practice every day
Bible reading every day - We're still in the book of Acts

An Island Story: chapter 4 "How Caligula Conquered Britain, and How Caractacus Refused to be Conquered"
Fifty Famous Stories Retold: "Horatius at the Bridge" (Roman)
Shakespeare: "Midsummer Nights Dream"
Paddle to the Sea: chapter 6
Aesop's Fables: "The Lion and the Mouse" (pg. 19 in the Milo Winter version) and "The Shepherd Boy and the Wolf" (pg. 20 in the Milo Winter version)
Trial and Triumph: chapter 2 "Blandina Martyr of Lyons" (155-177 AD)

Week 5

Front-loading the week worked. It was a super busy week, but we made it through school. Someday I have to get back to posting too....

This week is back to work. We'll see if this routine will really work.

Verse of the week:
1 John 3:16
By this we know love, because Jesus laid down His life for us....


A poem every day
Math every day
Say the verse every day
Write the verse every day
Reading practice every day
Bible reading every day - Currently reading the book of Acts


An Island Story: chapter 3 "The Romans Come Again"
Parables from Nature: "Law of Authority and Obedience"
Fifty Famous Stories Retold: "The Story of Regulus" (Roman)
Just So Stories "Camel"
Paddle to the Sea: chapter 4
Aesop's Fables: "The Fox and the Grapes" (pg. 16 in the Milo Winter version) and "The Bundle of Sticks" (pg. 16 in the Milo Winter version)
James Herriot's Treasury: "Only One Woof"

Week 4

Barely finished last week (don't think we ever did read the fables).....
Perhaps if we front-load the week, we'll get done this week?

I have to write yet of visiting the fair, then visiting the zoo, and the fun nature study on spiders!


Verse of the week:
John 5:24
Truly truly, I say to you He who hears my word and believes Him who sent me has eternal life and does not come into judgment but has passed from death into life.

A poem every day
Math every day
Say the verse every day
Write the verse every day
Reading practice every day
Bible reading every day - Currently reading the book of Acts


Fifty Famous Stories Retold: "Alexander and Bucephelas"; and "Diogenes" (Greek)
Burgess's Bird Book: chapter II "The Old Orchard Bully - The English or House Sparrow"
Aesop's Fables: "The Kid and the Wolf" (pg. 13 in the Milo Winter version) and "The Town Mouse and the Country Mouse" (pg. 14 in the Milo Winter version)
James Herriot's Treasury: "Moses the Kitten"

Week 3

At my husband's suggestion that we go for "more" rather than "less" routine, I think we've found a workable groove.
At breakfast: Bible reading and verse
Right after breakfast: reading, then math then writing. Then play outside until lunch.
After lunch: one of the weeks assigned readings. Then play outside again until naps.
As it happens, nature walk, art, poetry, handicraft projects and the like.

It worked okay last week anyway!


Verse of the week:
Romans 6:23
The wages of sin is death But the free gift of God is eternal life in Jesus.

A poem every day
Math every day
Say the verse every day
Write the verse every day
Reading practice every day
Bible reading every day - Currently reading the book of Acts

An Island Story: chapter 2 "The Coming of the Romans" (Or read in our book)
Fifty Famous Stories Retold: "The Brave Three Hundred" (Or read in our book)
Aesop's Fables: "The Boy and the Filberts" and "Hercules and the Wagoner" (Fables book is in Ebenezer Institute Folder)
Blue Fairy Book: "Beauty and the Beast" OR "The Glass Slipper"(Blue Fairy Book is in Ebenezer Institute Folder)

Paddle to the Sea: chapter 3

An art project

A nature walk and journal

A handicraft project (build something)

Scribble Art Project

This week's art project: scribble coloring.

We did this as kids, and I realized this week that my kids had never done this. So we learned.

First, you scribble loosely on the paper.


Then you color in the spaces, all different colors.


Josephine was very careful to color in all the spaces.



Bennet, of course, had his own interpretation of the scribble picture, and it looks great!