Our 50 State Journey: Connecticut~Whales and Red, White and Blue

Friday, April 22, 2011

Connecticut~Whales and Red, White and Blue

On Wednesday we learned about whales in general and more in depth about the Sperm Whale, state animal of Connecticut. I really was amazed at what the kids already knew from watching 'Whale Wars' and Animal Planet. We learned the difference between a Baleen Whale and a Toothed Whale. Do you know which one has only 1 blow hole? Do you know which one eats over 2 tons of krill in a day?

We did a whale lapbook and the kids complained the whole time...I guess they don't really like the lapbooks! I thought they liked the creative, fun aspect of them...they don't like the writing however!! :o We tied in Jonah and the Whale, and I has expected to read the story to the kids as review, but I didn't need to. They all could recite the whole story to me! That made me smile!! :)

I searched and searched and searched for Whale recipes or crafts, and just couldn't find any. They were all fish things, and since whales are mammals and not fish I didn't want to go that route. BUT, since I could not find anything else, we had BBQ hamburgers for dinner (first hamburger sold in Conn) 'ocean' jello cups with fish and cupcakes with blue icing for water and gummy fish. Of course the kids still loved it, so all was not lost!!

Yesterday we learned about the Constitution...so everything was Red, White and Blue! We talked about the Bill of Rights and how they still protect their freedom today. I had them each choose a 'right' and draw a picture about it...of course I was NOT surprised at all at what rights they choose. The boys chose the right to bear arms and the girls the right to religious freedom and freedom of speech! Their pictures were very different however. Samantha wanted to know if she has the freedom of speech, why do I get mad when she says bad words or things that aren't nice! This allowed me to explain that there are rules on a Federal level, state level, city level and in our home. And we also have rules as a Christian. We repeated the verse they learned a few weeks back, 'Be ye kind to one another, tenderhearted.' I told her that we are first and foremost to follow God's commands, and He tells us to talk with kindness, and using bad language is not kind. All I got was an 'OHH!' I guess that was not the answer she wanted! lol

For dinner, I bit off more then I could chew. We ended up eating really late...I made a fruit tray with blueberries, strawberries and bananas, making them into a flag! We had an 'all American' dinner of BBQ chicken and corn on the cob. I made red, white and blue jello cups, Yankee Doodle Salad (of course tweaked a lot so my family would eat it) and red, white and blue 'mocktails'. The kids loved the dinner and when it was done it was worth it. I then made a red, white and blue triffle with homemade pound cake! Blake had fallen asleep while watching TV and the kids said dessert and he woke up fast and ate his...lol...that is Blake! I have posted pictures of the food...I hope you enjoy it.

We were supposed to finish up Connecticut today, but thought we would take the day off in honor of Good Friday. We planted some more seeds for Earth Day and just taking it easy. It is hard to have the kids do school when the neighbor kids are outside. I feel like a really rotten mom!! So, vacation day it is!!

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Meet our Family

We are a very clost knit family. I think that is why we choose early on to homeschool and have a large family. Jim and I were high school sweethearts who have been married for almost 15 years. We always knew we wanted a large family and the Lord has honored that and blessed us with 6 children. I am blessed to be able to stay at home and educate them. We have had a rough couple of years with the loss of a job, home and some other trying issues. The Lord has been faithful with His provisions. We are currently renting a small mountain cabin, living amongst God's nature and beauty. The creations and nature that surround us have us in awe most days. . Justin is our oldest son. He is almost 12. He is a great big brother and a great help around the house. He enjoys playing with Lego's, shooting his airsoft, riding his bike and taking care of Drake, his bearded dragon. Justin plans on joining the military when he is 17 and I am already mourning that loss! Paige is 10 going on 30. She is growing up so fast. She has a big heart for animals and God's nature. She is very creative and has an imaginiation that is larger then life. She likes to dance and is looking forward to starting dance lessons in the fall and loves drama! (mom and dad, not so much) Blake is 9 and ALL boy. Anything that he can shoot, hit or kill he likes. He would rather be playing video games then playing outside. Blake loves snacks and would eat all day if I let him. He is the opposite of his dad and brother and does not like anything technical or mechanical. He loves his airsoft and playing outside. Samanatha is 7. She loves wearing dresses and skirts but never wants to comb her hair. She is glad that we homeschool so she doesn't have to get ready everyday..She likes painting her nails and wearing pretty shoes. Sammi doesn't much like school, so it is a good thing that it comes quite easy for her. She is getting to be quite the reader. Bryce, our little 'dino boy', is 3 . He is the clown of our family and our entertainment most nights. He loves anything and everything dinosaurs!! Where he got that from, we aren't sure. He is enjoying 'doing school' and doesn't want help with anything. He takes after his dad and Justin and would rather have tools in his hand and working on something then anything else. He brings a smile our face all of the time. Chloe, our little princess, just turned one. She is the only one of our six, that God choose for us. She is our unexpected blessing. She was concieved when we didn't have a house, job or insurance. I was really not happy when I got pregnant with her. The Lord gave us a wake up call at 22 weeks and we learned to trust Him and to love our unborn daughter. Now, 1 year later we can not imagine our life without our little Chlo Bug. Her giggles and smiles make our day! The Lord is faithful and she is our proof. I hope you enjoyed meeting our family. I hope it will help you understand a little about us as you read our blog.