AO4 SAT Tested

This spring we SAT tested my AO4 10yo daughter thru our homeschool group. She's been in AO for 4 years since AO1.

We us a CM scope... and follow Amblesideonline... so I wondered about testing & not following a traditional scope!!
My goal was for her experience testing... I wondered how she would test... this was her first ever test.

We are very pleased with the results....
I was concerned with her testing... and just not working thru the harder things... but score wise she's excelled...

Overall she's averaged grade 5.46 and finishing 4th grade....

Her highest was listening @ 9.7, a narration boost I think!!
Her challenge is math at 3.8, I know she's running a year behind....
Language was another low... at 3.9 and we hit grammar later... so that's my guess there....
Pulling out Math & Language... she hit 6.34.

Math... I'm evaluating how to handle this.. changes to make... approach... or just hold fast... my inkling is to work thru the summer... but my wise husband says we all need the break... I have a Pet Shop Math by SCM that I think she'll enjoy... decimals will be new.... just pondering...
FYI she's in MEP3 after trying Singapore & MUS.... This is her challenge spot.... I've know she's a year behind...

All in all I'm THRILLED with our AO journey!! I love homeschooling!! And on the hard days I yet enjoy the journey!!! I'm shopping for AO6 & 7 and carry the full to 11 list!!! Lord willing we'll hold this course!!!

Grace! ss

Thrilled to have RAIN in East TX!!!! Girls at VBS.... My B!!

Jamberry

Three berry

Four berry

Hayberry

Strawberry

Finger and pawberry

My berry, your berry

Strawberry ponies

Strawberry lambs

Dancing in meadows

Of strawberry jam

After picking, Ladybug just had to read Jamberry by Bruce Degen. It will now be filed in my cookbooks after this occasion... awaiting blueberries.

We've been in the View since.... 1993~~ And I've just discovered a true jewel in our back yard!! With a short drive we joined friends picking strawberries at McPeaks.

Oh my!! They are the BEST strawberries I have ever had!!! Unbelievable!!

In a mere hour on a lovely spring morning we each picked a basket. The picking was so very easy!! I had more berries than I had planned. The berries were ripe and I truly go the pick of the crop!!! I'm ready to go back this Wednesday! Join us!

I've canned strawberry jam & strawberry syrup! Yum!! I've even made seedless jam & syrup because I so love my Hubbie!! I'm ready to do it all over again!!! And I also want to have a strawberry salad, strawberry short cake, and I have a new all strawberry cookbook!!

Oh! How do make seedless strawberries?! Cut off the outside layer of the strawberry! Beware, this is high labor. Then I blended these beautiful peels to a liquid and strained out the seed for a true strawberry concentrate. I added that back into the jam & syrup!

Jamberry!!! Strawberry!! by Grace! ss

Booksale... Bibliophile...

What I like best of AO is finding great used books!!! I like book sales!!! Join me at this one!!

Here's the event on FB

MARK YOUR CALENDARS & INVITE YOUR FRIENDS!!!!

(you do not have to be a CHEC member to attend!!!)

CHEC ANNUAL USED BOOK & CURRICULUM SALE
(If you need curriculum for next year at bargain prices, DON'T MISS THIS SALE!!!Buy or sell used curriculum of all types, including Bob Jones, Saxon, Apologia,A Beka, Sonlight, and much more--something from every subject for all ages!!!)
&
CRAFT & BUSINESS FAIR
WHEN: Monday, April 19th, 2010
6:00 pm -- 9:00 pm
WHERE: FBC

Admission: Buyers -- NO ADMISSION FEE

Sellers -- No charge for CHEC members; $5.00 for NON-CHEC members
Sellers can sign-up on the CHEC website @ www.longviewchec.com under the calendar. Members may sign-up Non-Chec members.

**SELLERS SHOP EARLY @ 5:00 PM!!

***PLEASE NOTE***

***There will be a "free resource" table set aside for new homeschoolers or those of your friends who are considering homeschooling!!

***Door Prizes will be given out throughout the evening (you do not need to be present to win, but please leave good contact info. so we can call or email after the sale).

***PLEASE BRING EXACT CHANGE. I recommend that you bring lots of small bills. The sellers will mark their items in 50 cent increments. We will have a "banker" available, but change will be very limited. Checks will not be accepted.

***While browsing, please take care in keeping items on their designated tables. This will be a tremendous help to our volunteers and shoppers.

If you have any questions regarding buying/selling @ the Book Sale, please contact Vicki Neibert @ mvneibert at cablelynx dot com.

If you have any questions regarding the Craft/Business Fair, please contact Darlene Rappazzo @ djrapp at etex dot net.

SEE YOU @ THE SALE!!

Poetry

Lovebug memorized two poems this term... Her favorite... and my favorite...

She learned it so well... even her sister could recite it!! Bonus!

Poetry Exam! By Grace! ss

10 Commandments

We've had lots of discussions lately... hard discussions... I have found God's grace and protection standing on His 10 commandments!!


In the 10, God gives us boundaries... inside those boundaries are blessings. When we break them, consequences can cover a lifetime.

Teaching my girls the 10 commandments has become more and more important. They explain boundaries God puts in place for our blessing.

You Must Use Hand Motions!!

1. There is 1 God


2. Scissors.. Cut out the idols


3. Trace a W... Our Words are important, Do not take Gods name in vain


4. Mom, Dad & girls get in car an go to church... Sabbath


5. Salute.. Honor Mom & Dad


6. Bang.. Do Not Kill


7. Married Couple separate from the world... for life.. No Adultery


8. 2 fingers cut off... Punishment for stealing in some Arab countries


9. 9 Standing up... 1 lying down... Do Not Lie


10. Gimme Gimme... Do Not Covet

Find them verse by verse in Exodus 20.

I pray my girls seek God's blessings!! Remember the 10... Live it!! By Grace!! ss

Read me a book!

One of my favorite parts of teaching my girls is to lead them alooooong a b c letters til they can finnnnallllly and joyfully read!! It is work. It's not easy. There's a lot of time in the trenches... Even so.... I love it!!! I'm blessed with one bookworm already...


"Ladybug... Read me a book!!!" This is her first time to read this book!!!

Hedge Loves to Read

It is Exam week!! This is her reading exam!! Grade that!! :)

Only by Grace!! ss

Homeschooling in TX

Here's a list of Texas homeschool groups... it is just a smattering....
http://www.homeschool-life.com/groups.cfm

ABC Homeschool
Web Site Corpus Christi, TX

Andrews Christian Home School Association
Web Site Andrews, TX

Bay Area Catholic Homeschoolers
Web Site League City, TX

Bay Area Classical Homeschoolers (BACH)
Web Site Houston, TX

Bayshore Christian Home Schoolers
Web Site Houston, TX

Champion Forest Christian Homeschoolers
Web Site Tomball, TX

CHEFS & Encouragement
Web Site Greenville, TX

CHESS at RGV
Web Site Mission, TX

Christian Home Education Association of Central Texas (CHEACT)
Web Site Austin, TX

Christian Home Educators Co-op (CHEC)
Web Site Longview, TX

Christian Home Educators of Round Rock
Web Site Round Rock, TX

Church of Christ in Champions LTC
Web Site Houston, TX

CLCSC - Clear Lake Christian School Cooperative
Web Site Friendswood, TX

Dallas Christian Home Educators
Web Site Cedar Hill, TX

Ellis County Christian Homeschool Organization (ECCHO)
Web Site Waxahachie, TX

Enrichment Classes, Inc.
Web Site Lewisville, TX

Faith At Home
Web Site Austin, TX

FAITH Homeschool Association
Web Site Seabrook, TX

Family Educators Alliance of South Texas (FEAST)
Web Site San Antonio, TX

Garden Oaks Home School Support Group (GOHSSG)
Web Site Houston, TX

Georgetown Christian Home Educators
Web Site Georgetown, TX

Gulf Coast Christian Home Scholars
Web Site League City, TX

Hardin County Home School Association
Web Site Silsbee, TX

HEART - Home Education and Responsible Teaching
Web Site Kingwood, TX

Hill Country Home School Association
Web Site Kerrville, TX

Homegrown Kids - A homeschool group among Church of Christ members
Web Site Robstown, TX

Homeschool Association of Palestine
Web Site Palestine, TX

Homeschoolers Around Midland
Web Site Midland, TX

Homeschoolers East
Web Site Garland, TX

Homewood Christian Association
Web Site The Woodlands, TX

Integrity Home Educators
Web Site Hart, TX

Integrity Home Educators Teen Action Group
Web Site Hart, TX

J.O.Y. Christian Academy
Web Site Decatur, TX

Midlothian Homeschool Co-op
Web Site Midlothian, TX

NorthWest L.I.G.H.T. Home School Support Group
Web Site Spring, TX

Panhandle Christian Home Educators Association
Web Site Amarillo, TX

PATH - Parents Are Teaching Hearts
Web Site Canton, TX

REACH (Realizing Educational Achievements through Christ at Home)
Web Site Universal City, TX

REACH Co-op
Web Site Webster, TX

SAIL
Web Site McKinney, TX

SHARE Homeschool Co-op
Web Site Conroe, TX

SHINE - Supporting Homeschoolers in the Northeast
Web Site Selma, TX

TACHE - Tyler Area Christian Home Educators
Web Site Tyler, TX

Tarrant Home Education Association
Web Site Fort Worth, TX

TEACH - Texarkana Educators Association of Christian Homeschoolers
Web Site Texarkana, TX

Texarkana Organization for Resolute Christian Homeschoolers
Web Site Texarkana, TX

THOTAHS - The Heart of Texas Association of Home Schools
Web Site Waco, TX

Trinity Christian Athletics
Web Site Round Rock, TX

WATCH Co-op
Web Site Round Rock, TX

WATCH Enrichment Classes
Web Site Round Rock, TX

WATCH History Class
Web Site Round Rock, TX

West Houston Home Educators
Web Site Houston, TX

A BIG Library Upgrade

We are going for a library upgrade!!!

Check this out!!! The Houston Library is a bit far to drive... but all Texans can join their membership....

Then you have to check out their digital library.... the Houston Area Digital Media Catalog

"Download best selling Audiobooks, eBooks, and Videos 24/7 to your PC and PDA at home, in the office or from anywhere in the world. Now your library never closes! All you need is a valid library card from a participating library. "

I plan on checking out Hamlet for this term's Shakespeare study for Lovebug. She'll listen to the audio on my pod... it is like 3 & 1/2 hours!!! We'll break it into 30 minute segments to chew on!!

Here's the detail... We await cards from the Houston Public Library to have the access to the digital catalog... Here's the link to download their registration for a Powercard form... remember to send proof of your Texas address!!! (I forgot that!!)

Go for the upgrade!!! Grace! ss

Spelling AO4

What to do for spelling!! Lots of curriculum... ever so much!!

A CMer approaches spelling thru copy work and dictation.


We've added a spelling program I'm so impressed with. IEW (Excellence in Writing) has a spelling program called the Phonetic Zoo. It is an audio program. Lovebug studies a word list of 15 words that follow a phonetic rule. She is tested and corrects her mistakes independent of me. When she makes 100 two days back to back she moved into the next word list.


Every 5 weeks we make our own word list. This is our first go and I made an audio recording just like they have done. Here's her first list.... pulled from her writings to daddy in her Daddy Dialogue...

• fourth


• friend


• astronomy


• cactus


• tonight


• October


• spanked


• scissors


• pincher


• camping


• were


• helpful


• November


• ideas


• lesson


• Christmas


• Thanksgiving


• December

Too Early

I must say 4 a.m. is a good time to see stars!! We saw Orion's belt!! But it is definitely a zap to the day!!

We headed toward the sunrise and even had to wait for Cracker Barrel to open!!! I've never done that before!!

All are tired! Lovebug & I rested arriving home at 8:30!! Ladybug has been holding out... she may yet fall out this afternoon!!

We've schooled in the midst. Yet somehow it is very difficult to learn to read on days like these!! Studying animals and reading Robinson Crusoe have been much more enjoyed!!

Grace! ss

4th Grade n 2nd

Let's start school!!!


The girls pushed us to starting a week early!!! Now we are 3 weeks into the school year and over due on a post.


4th Grade!

This year is a jump! We are into real plays with Shakespeare. Plutarch lives will be part of our world. Latin and Spanish both have a part to play.


Shakespeare! 12 weeks in the term to study a single play. I've already blogged that plan!! A04 Shakespeare


Plutarch was a Greek historian writing in the 1st century... We have some great study guides in AO!!!


Spelling! We are into the Phonetic Zoo with IEW. The independence with this program is amazing. Lovebug studies the words and learns the associated rule. The program is all audio. She listens and has a spelling test. The in audio as well they give correct spelling so that she can self check. Wow!!! We are on week 2 the rule I before E except after C is her challenge point right now...

Late for a College Fund... Utah?!

Girs grow quick! Yikes 9 & 7!!!
Even so, we may have a late start but we'll at least make a start!!

College Funds!

Here's my rambling as we research and make a path... while I agree it builds character for the child to save on their own... I do want a strong encouragement to head to college... and a fund in place may hold sway...

ESA or a 529?
An ESA is owned by the child. A 529 is owned by the adult and designated to the child... Dave Ramsey recommends the ESA... while the ELP has said go w/ a 529.

Which 529? There is a plethora of options... too many to even count... in state, out of state, that has left me spinning without clear direction.

I've finally found heads up and determined our look into this arena.

My first resource is the College info Sound Mind Investing... they have been a great resource in the financial waters... I've a membership with 'em and think this is in their public pages!!! (As a member if you join them reference me!!)

Next I looked over Morningstar.com The Best and Worst 529 College Savings Plans
I thought this was a good analysis between 529 plans. I made notes of the best and worst plans.

I compared that list on the ratings at SavingforCollege.com Here's there Top 10 Performing Plans 10.

Finally, that takes us to Utah. Their plan is in the top on both the Morningstar and #3 in the 5 year outlook with SavingforCollege. So I'm confident in our direction. Since Texas has no state income tax the instate appeal is lacking.

Here's the Utah Educational Savings Plan.

All in all I'm hearing a consistent perspective on education that has bent my scope. The specific college does not hold sway... the education is what matters.. not where is takes place... and the higher the cost does not increase the value of the education...

I pray God to lead and guide my girls... and pray we are wise stewards encouraging their future education!! All the while I'm covered up in their current education!! Grace! ss

AO4 Shakespeare

School is officially out for the summer!!! I have immediately delved into the coming year with schedules and plans for the fall.

Today Ladybug declared to Daddy "I want to school but Mama doesn't let me!" WHAT?!!! This is the girls who merely days ago finished 1st grade!!! I love it!

Today I am trying to chart our Shakespeare study. Now we've studied Shakespeare for years now, yet this is the first time we will be studying the real in all the old English plays in AO4. How do you study such a creature!?

Generally you read first and watch a movie after. This has been a hard fast rule. Shakespeare is the exception. Now we are looking for approved movies to watch before we head into the plays!! The AO site links a list of movies...

Second we will read Lamb's...Lamb's Tales from Shakespeare is a book Lovebug has read before as we studied plays. Now it will be her into to the real thing.

Extra we will look at a fun book... (at this very moment my girls have swiped my book!!! I'm glad they are eager!!! Yet these books are off limits for now!!!) Williams' Tales from Shakespeare is a cartoon cartoon version of six plays. (She was reading Hamlet!) Another option is the illustrated plays by Bruce Coville.

Third, finally we'll hit the true plays. Right now I'm looking for audio unedited versions of the plays. I've started with Librivox. They have our term 1 play, A Midsummer Night's Dream and I've downloaded it. The other plays for the year are in their work in process. Maybe they will finish before we jump into the real plays.

Forth I understand it is helpful to act out the play!! Where are my other AOers?? We are going to need our own Shakespeare troupe!!! Any takers??? Even if you are not an AOer... want to work on a play??

That sounds to be a far stretch. Time will tell an we'll see how Shakespeare goes. This is my first punt at the playing field. We'll yet see if it is caught!!

Grace!
ss

btw blogging just has not happened!! Birthdays Beach, Anniversary, Plays have yet to hit the blog! Hummmm life goes on!! To catch up... or just get back in stride?? Alas, I know not!

Gleaning from the Conference!

Gleaning! I like to glean. Sort thru another's lessons and glean the ones for me. Somewhere in this mix is my gleaning.

1. School breaks with exercise, put up shoes, chore, activity


2. Positive incentives to obedience: Noah, Samuel, Esther; cast a vision of obedience and availability to God


3. Recognize & teach the valley of indecision, habit of obedience


4. Practice Obedience, right away & cheerful


5. Handel whine quick, remove eg. food, tone matters


6. Busy is less opportunity for trouble


7. Tithe & Save 10/10 then 50% left for child's house


8. Listen for the rebellion & address at voice inflection


9. Discipline/Affection/Pray


10. Pray for a duration, set a timer 5 min


11. Keep children with you, touching


12. In the valley win the battle: Helen Keller


13. Read the Bible: encourage underlining & journal a comment about the verses


14. Intentional children are the priority, no the phone or computer


15. Relationship over Academics Keep your eye on the goal, don't loose heart


16. Break the will


17. Thankfulness is for them: Thankful & Please counter on fridge

This is just a smattering of the lessons that are following me. It was good to write them all down on the ride home. Thanks Kim for the help! They remind me of Jesus' parable of the seeds that fell on the path, rocky soil, shallow, & those in good soil. May some of these find their way to good soil and produce a crop 100x fold.

I really enjoyed Renee Ellison of Homeschool How-To's. Her workshops are always stuffed stem to stern. Hubbie & I also just made it to Tod Weaver of the Familyman. I'm thrilled for Hubbie to get that scope for us in the journey of us homeschooling... He hit a mark with us.

Maybe you can glean something too!! Grace! ss

Homeschool Book Fair!!! & Half Price

I so enjoyed this year's Homeschool Book Fair. I even enjoyed it more than I thought I would.

Kim- our Friday nearly ran my feet off!!! We did better Saturday. I definitely want to do this again!! Hope you do too!!!

The workshops were the best use of my conference time... that's a whole new post...

Here's all I came home with...

Of all this only 2 books up top with the art supplies and 3 books from the stack are from the book fair.

Most of these are from my new favorite book store!! This was my first ever visit to a Half Price bookstore... and I had so much fun!!!

Kim & I enjoyed it so much we found a 2nd one on the way home!! I've since heard I've not hit their big store. I'm eager to go!!!

Todd Weaver of the Family Man was a laugh & a challenge to not give in to lies we believe! Hubbie came just to catch up with Todd... he's the Be d'Dad man...

This was the girls first time to join me! Ladybug found a squashible pig & Lovebug picked an American Girl book. She has a growing interest in everything American Girl.

We stayed at the perfect place!! Remember this: the Sheardton is closer to the conference than their parking lot!!!

That's the loot!! Next for all I've gleaned!!

Grace! ss

10 Homeschooled Celebrities

This is so cool! I found it thru the HSLDA.

10 Homeschooled Celebrities - check it out~~ it's from CNN...

Story Highlights

• Inventor of the telephone was homeschooled until his mother went deaf
• Poet Robert Frost got physically ill at the thought of going to school
• President Woodrow Wilson didn't learn to read until age 12
• Photographer Ansel Adams exhibited "undisguised contempt" for teachers

I do love homeschooling my girls! The days have their challenges... like all our days. I like sharing the highs and lows in these fleeting years. I love learning together because there is so very much to learn.

I'm so very thankful to have my Hubbie's full support. He is doubles my joy and halves my burdens.

This week we've traveled the Great Lakes with Paddle to the Sea, we've seen China with Marco Polo. We've jumped into multiplying 2&5&3&10s as well as adding and subtracting to 10 :) We walked not making a sound to watch a otter. For a first we've site read piano music! Wow! We've watch a nest of Tommy Titmouse birds and listened to the little one chirp. We've watched Robin Redbreast building a nest with the neighbors trailings from a late night wrap. We think we may have seen an American Kestral. We're reading more and more words.

Tomorrow we'll dive right back in!! I'm thankful!! Challenged and thankful!! Grace! ss

Birdhouse Not for Rent

For years our bird house has been spurned by all birds. We'd only found spiders where we wanted a little family!

We are thrilled to have renters!

Tommy Titmouse & Tammi are diligently caring for their brood. We found the little ones chirping on 4/15. Mom and dad have been feeding the often running from the front yard feeders to the back yard nest.

Here's their specs:
Tufted Titmouse
Clutch: 3-9 Eggs
Incubation: 12-14 Days
Nestling: 15-16 Days (We found them on the 15th and 12 days would be the 27th today!!)

Playing outside today the girls said the birds have gone. Oh, I do hope not yet!! Maple has given the birds and especially hard time barking endless as they come and go. Tommy has played hide and seek leading Maple around and around the tree before he sneaks into the house!

I hope they all escape Maple and we need to keep our watch up! Birding!! Grace! ss

Best Kiss Ever Selling Books??

My husband was giving away kisses last night!!! He claimed them the best kiss ever!!!

I had to scold him!!! He did not give me one!!!!

Thanks to Hubbie I'm covered up in smiles from the book sale last night!!! He gave away coconut kisses and made all our books on sale in my absence!!! Ha!! I was so enjoying shopping!! He had many shoppers just look because of his sale!!! I think all the kids enjoyed the kisses most asking if they were really free :)

I found several AO books and sold enough to more than cover what I found. Now I can get some books I've not had funds for. The girls shopped and made friends. Ladybug is carrying around her new chair and Lovebug cannot put down her new book.

Hubbie was SO my hero. We were locked out of the light closet last night and I volunteered him to help. Without a hiccup he headed right out to the church at like 10:30 last night to get the lights out. HUGE THANKS Hubie!!!! You are the best and I'll give you all my kisses!!! You may owe me chocolate!!! :)

Grace!! ss

Exams AO1

AO1 Term 2
Exams

This is Ladybugs exams. What really sinks in?~ This is just looking back to what she can see.

4/2/09

Parables of Nature by Margaret Gatty

Waiting

There was a cricket that wouldn’t wait because he wanted to hop as high as a grasshopper. So he was in a corner of a house and he sat by the fire. What happened was the cricket… He sat in a corner by the fire and he cricked and cricked and cricked. That he wanted to… His children and he… The grasshopper came and tried to teach him but he would not listen.


Training and Restraining

There was this little flower and it got swept away by the west wind. And so they learned was that they should not be like. I should not be like the west wind because it swept away all the little flowers that the gardener liked. So the little flowers… There was this little boy coming and he went to see the flowers and they were not there. The End.



James Herroit’s Treasury of Inspirational Stories for Children

Bonny’s Big Day
Mr. Skipton, Bonny, Dolly

What happened was Bonny got to go to the family pet fair. And so Bonny won the family pet fair.

James Herriot he went to the barn. The other horse had an old nail in its foot. Dolly got a nail in her foot. What happened was Bonny won the family pet fair.


The Aesop for Children

The Donkey and the Salt

What happened was there was a donkey. There was a man and he drove his donkey to his house. The donkey laid down in the water and lost some salt. They went back to the sea seashore and got some more salt. Then he sat in the water. The man got so angry he drove him back to the seashore. He got some sponges and put them in the baskets. Then the donkey laid down in the water again. He got ten more weights of water in the sponges. The End.

The donkey learned the lesson that he should not lay down in the water with sponges because he’ll way ten weight more.

Exams AO3

AO3 Term 2
Exams

We have 3 terms in our year. At the end of a term we look back. Here's our walk thru just a bit of Lovebug's exam thru her eyes.

4/1/09

Story of Inventions by Michael J. Mc Hugh & Frank P. Bachman

Henry Bessmer made steel. It took 3 ½ years to make. He was born in London in 1830. He was a boy. He was a young teenage boy.

John Gutenberg made his very very first Bible. He made the first press too. In Gutenberg’s time the animals cost 25 cents to 5 dollars. A sheep was .25. A cow cost 2 dollars and a horse was $5. He was born in Germany and he lived from 1400 to 1468. During his time the poor had to have block Bibles. There were many books the rich got that have very pretty boarders on the edges for lots and lots of money.

He invented a Bible that had very pretty boarder edges and for some reason his did not cost so much like the rich’s Bible did.

He made little letters that could be pressed onto paper. He tried one mental and it was too soft. It squished. The second metal he tried, iron, and that too was soft and hard. The next time he tried it was lead. It was too too hard and when straight thru the paper. The good thing about it was he did not give up. Like many other people wanted him to.

He lost one of his people. He had three who helped him and one died. Now he had to work with two and was loosing money on his invention.

There was one man who was the money keeper. He gave John some money and had not gotten any back. He was a greedy man. When John Gutenberg finished some of his Bibles, the man saw a great time for his payback. He took all the molds and threw John Gutenberg out. But the church heard he was in trouble. He had helped the church and they called him in. When they heard he had been thrown out they rescued him and gave him their dress, clothing and a place in the church. Soon John Gutenberg got sick and died that year. He was buried at that church. He had invented the first printing press.

The End.

4/3/09

Parables from Nature by Margaret Gatty

Gifts

There were some gardens and they were put along a path in the garden. There were many turnips and carrots. The Mr. Carrot complained that he was orange and he wanted to become round. The turnips are round and are purple and white. The carrots have to go down deep in the soil with their point ends with so many roots on them. They get eaten by little children like me. He wanted to be a turnip that is purple and white. He was complaining about that. The turnip started teasing him that he should start trying to get round. The carrot tried to get round. Then the beets whispered to each other of what they heard and when they heard they were talking about starting to get round. Oowwww… Why are they talking about that. Don’t they know they are different from each other. They should be like us and not fight like they always do.

The gardner finally came and pulled the carrot up. He saw the carrot was bumpy in the middle. He was about to throw it away and remembered that the cook was always needed a carrot. So he took it and she chopped him up.

The lesson is to be glad of your own self and not to be greedy of others.

This Country of Ours by H E Marshall

Pocahontas

Pocahontas was a girl and she was an Indian. She saved John Smith from being killed. She married and Englishman and she went to England. Her father was happy she married an Englishman. He made peace for a very long time. His name was Powhatan. When she went to England she saw John Smith. He had to go back to England because some gun powder blew up. When Pocahontas saw John Smith she was very very happy. She said she had believed he was dead. But when she heard that he was not going to call her Pocahontas but Princess in stead, she was very hurt.

She was born in Virginia. She died in 1617.