Week 6 - A short week, a sad story, surgery, and semi-difficult Bible lessons

Here are a few highlights from our week...

Art

Art went ok this week. I have figured out the my blue-eyed boy doesn't object so much to doing art when I let him add his own twist to things. For example, in Lesson #10, it called for a black pen. He wanted to use bright blue. So I let him. He also wanted to add a few of his own elements to a picture he was supposed to copy. So I let him. I figured, what could it hurt? He gets the jist of it anyway. I am learning not to be such a stickler for doing things exactly the way someone else says to do them. That's hard for me and my former public school teacher mind sometimes.

Bible
There were a lot of tough concepts to go over this week. We had a few eyebrows raise throughout several of our Bible lessons this week. The first came when reading how Abram didn't exactly tell the whole truth when they moved to Egypt. They told Pharaoh Sarai was only Abram's sister, not his wife. Technically, she was his half-sister, which brought responses of, 'Ewww, he married his sister?!?'. This opened up discussions about creation, Adam and Eve, and how people in early Bible times had to marry their cousins or half-siblings b/c those were some of the only people around to marry. We also talked about how this is not needed or acceptable anymore b/c God commanded against it later in Leviticus and how things that can go wrong genetically as well as the gross-factor or marrying a relative. We discussed about as much as we could with their level of learning and maturity. I looked into the issued a bit deeper. Here is an article that helped me understand a little better. 

We also talked about the consequences of Abram's lie or half-truth. Pharaoh and his family were struck with plagues, Abram's failure to trust God to take care of them, and Abram and Sarai kicked out of Egypt. Again, we covered what we could within their realm of understanding, but I went a bit deeper in my own studies. This article was helpful. 

Later in the week, I had to explain why Abram, who was already married to Sarai, took Hagar to also be his wife and also had a son with her. My kids, who are old enough to understand a few simple things of this nature were like, "Whoa, what?" I explained to them this was not God's original design. He created Adam and Eve, not Adam and Eve and Susan. We talked about the problems that occurred from Abram not trusting God and having more than one wife. For example - Hagar treating Sarai with contempt and then Sarai treating Hagar badly.  Again, I went a little deeper in my own studies and found this article to be helpful.


History
In going over the map so many times, I think the kids now have it memorized. It gets a bit confusing at times trying to visualize where the old Biblical cities and locations were compared to where the modern day locations and cities are nowb/c so many of the exact locations are uncertain, but we are managing.

Some of the things we are learning seems to be a bit repetitious or overdone. The kids have begun to say, "Haven't we already gone over this?"

By the way, if you happen to have the Drive Through History Holy Lands DVD #1, this week would be an excellent time to watch Episode #1.

Science

"Pyramids again?", my kiddos said. Yep, they are over them already and ready to move on the other things. We opted not to do the experiments listed in the book. We had already done the 'grow your own crystals' one last year. Instead, we took my son's microscope and looked and salt and sugar crystals. We were able to see their cube shape. From there, the kids strayed off and started look at all sorts of other things under the microscope, but that was ok with me. I needed a break from pyramids too...lol!

The Tanglewoods' Secret

We finished the book this week. And it was a tear-jerker! This next paragraph is a spoiler, so if you have not gotten to Chapter 18, then you might want to stop reading here. Anyway, it really got my attention. When reading it to the kids, I started balling like a baby and they just sat there bug-eyed staring at me..."There were many footsteps up and down the house that night while we lay asleep, for Aunt Margaret and Terry's mother did not go to bed at all, and the doctor arrived just before midnight. but no one heard the feet of the Good Shepherd when he drew near and picked Terry up in his arms." I'm teary-eyed again just thinking about it! Of course, my kids informed me this was supposed to be a happy story, not a sad one, because Terry was in Heaven now. I tried explaining to them about 'happy tears' and... oh well, they'll get it one day.... 

...The Shepherd took his little lamb home.


Surgery
This was only a 3 day school week because my daughter had surgery Thursday morning. She had tubes put in her ears when she was 2 years old. They helped TREMENDOUSLY with her ear infections. She went from having just about 1 a month (she was on antibiotics practically from birth for the ear infections) to having just 2 more TOTAL over the next 6 years. Anyway, she needed surgery to remove one of the tubes that just refused to fall out on its own as well as a patch to help the hole close up.

We were all prepared for a quiet relaxing day. Even sent my blue-eyed boy over to play at his uncle's house for a few hours (his uncle is only 9 months older than him...lol). My brown-eyed girl felt a little queazy on our way home after the surgery, but as soon as we got some food into her belly, it was all uphill from there...or so I thought. So far, she's had very little to no pain in her ear and has been acting like nothing even happened. I REALLY like the ENT we use. He did both of my daughter's surgeries as well as removal of our son's tonsils and adenoids and we have been extremely pleased.

I had already scheduled to take the day off from school on Friday, so the kids had a free day and I had a 'catch up on your housework' day.

Late Friday night is when the trouble hit...my daughter's cyclic vomiting syndrome starting acting up...again. It seems to be lasting longer with each episode now. I have been doing lots and lots of gluten research and I can't help but wonder if gluten could be contributing to this. Anyway, Friday was a sleepless night and Saturday was spent tending to my daughter, researching the gluten-free lifestyle, and purchasing a few gluten-free staples to give us a jump start on things.

Anyway, I am hoping this will help. Only time will tell, I guess. All I know is a solid 24 hours of doing nothing but vomiting (literally) is no fun for my little girl :(


This post has been linked up with Discover Their Gifts.