Camp Lincoln

Nearly two weeks ago Juan took the kids to a homeschool jambooree at a local camping ground. Unfortunately I was at work and could not join, but they had a great day!

The participated in the high and low ropes courses, saw lots of animals, did archery, painted crafts, made candles, and went canoeing! 

Science & History

Rocks and minerals was the latest topic in our science book. To be honest, our book had a long section about rocks and minerals, along with labs. that seemed pretty boring. Instead we checked out this episode from Brain Pop Jr.

We also whipped out our Magic School Bus dvd and watched the "Rocks and Rolls" episode.

Finally, we talked about some of the properties of rocks.

We also spent this week reading about the Byzantine Empire.  We learned that Constantinople was the capital of the Byzantine Empire, and it was large and rich. It was full or roads, shops, and beautiful churches. The largest church was known as the Hagia Sophia.

We also read about a peasant man who worked hard and became emperor. He regained a lot of the land that had once belonged to the Roman Empire. He created a new set of laws for everyone to follow.

We did some map work and coloring pages before moving on to our mosaics. The churches were filled with beautiful mosaics in Constantinople, which is why we made our own.

Honeybees

Our local library has started offering monthly classes on different topics for homeschoolers. This month the topic was beekeeping. Despite Jayden's face below, we all thought it was pretty fascinating.

A beekeeping couple brought in honeybees, honeycombs, and a video for the children to watch.

Some interesting facts we learned:
1. The average lifespan of a summer honeybee is 45 days, as they literally work themselves to death. Winter bees live several months due to not exerting themselves since there is not much work to do in the colder months. The queen bee lives for several years, producing as many as 2,000 eggs a day.
2. All fertilized eggs turn into worker bees, which are female. All unfertilized eggs are males and are known as drones.
2. During their lifetime, worker honeybees produce approximately 1/12 of a teaspoon of honey.
3. The queen bee is fed royal jelly (a mixture of pollen which is chewed up and mixed with a chemical secreted from a gland) her entire life. She is fed by worker bees and is the only bee that eliminates her waste in the hive. Her waste is cleaned up by worker bees. All other bees leave the hive to get rid of their waste.
4. The main function of a drone is to mate with the queen bee. They do not produce honey or care for the hive. They have no stingers and are kicked out of the hive in the fall because they no longer serve any purpose.
5. Worker bees remain in the hive for the first 21 days of life.
6. Bees communicate by dancing.

Karate Belt Videos

Jayden's kata:

Caitlin's kata:

 

Jayden breaking his board:

Caitlin breaking her board:

Karate Belt Test

These little nuggets never cease to amaze me with their strength, stamina, and sheer determination!

Their test was two hours long. Two hours of hard work, from exercises to katas, to board breaking, it was intense!

Cait was having a difficult time completing her 50 sit ups because she was so tired. Jayden paired up with her and gently encouraged her to continue. It made my heart feel so full!

And finally, they were presented with their new belts.

We always take them out for a celebratory meal. This time the chose lunch at Chipotle...

 and dessert at Applebees!