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Sunday, June 24, 2012

You Don't Say?

Zulu, Delta, Echo, Foxtrot, Yankee, Golf - after swimming

I was thinking the other day, that I should share a few of the cute things my children have said in the past...  of course, once I thought that.... it was hard to think of them!    But here are a few....

Foxtrot:
Driving in the car near a forest, I said "Forest!"
Most of the kids agreed, "Forest!".
Foxtrot (age 3 at the time) said, "I don't see it!"
I point it out - "over there...."
Foxtrot says "All the trees are in the way!"
I had to laugh, as I said.... "So.... You can't see the forest for the trees?"
Echo:
For a long time, Echo (age 2-3ish) called a telephone a "talkaphone".  hey - makes sense to me!  Some of Charlie's friends still call it that because of her....
Echo (about age 2) - would put a backpack on backwards, and call it a "paint smock"
Foxtrot (originally and still), and Golf (and now all the kids)
7-11 is called a "Slurpee-House".....
Delta:
Not something he said exactly, but when he was young, Mike and Delta went to use a public restroom at the park.  Mike came out reporting that while Delta was in the stall, he started humming "The Bridge over the River Kwai" song.....



Zulu
"We've been driving around and around for hours and hours and hours and maybe even 7 minutes!"




 This is a video of Echo when she was 2 calling the backpack a paint smock

Monday, June 4, 2012

Canadianized AO Year 1



There are some ideas on Canadianizing AO here, but for Years 1-3, we just didn't have access to any of the Canadian History books recommended.  I am still not totally satisfied with the history books we have found - but will make use of what is available.

My general plans for all the years, are available here, (there are some changes) - but this post will give much more detailed information for Year 1, including fitting it in the AO Year 1 schedule.  Note that there are changes from the last time we did Year 1 - so there may be changes in the future.

Most of the year will be based on AO's Year 1

There are some changes listed here which are personal changes instead of Canadianizing....

Booklist Change Summary:
  • Remove - Benjamin Franklin
  • Remove - George Washington
  • Remove - Buffalo Bill
  • Add - Hudson - Janice Weaver
  • Add - Laura Secord - Janet Lunn
  • Add - Alexander Graham Bell - Elizabeth MacLeod
  • Add - Canadian Minutes (the Canadian Minute ads from Historica - we watch them online)
  • Remove - Blue Fairy Book (We didn't enjoy many of the Blue Fairy Stories selected by the AO Advisory.)
  • Add - Rainbow Fairy Book (We bought this at a good price - so our Fairy Stories are from here)
  • Add - Selina and the Bear Paw Quilt
  • Add - A Fiddle for Angus
  • Add - Very Last First Time
  • Add - Dragonfly Kites
  • Optional in Free Reads- Pocahontas, Red Fairy Book)
  • Note - we also don't do Trial and Triumph
Note - I generally tried not to add something without removing something, so as not to overburden the year. I was quite careful to balance out the Rainbow Fairy Books, similar to how the Blue Fairy Book stories were scheduled.

Weekly Changes 
(I haven't noted the readings by week that you don't read from the AO schedule for the books that were removed.)

Week 2
  • Selina and the Bear Paw Quilt (Entire Book)
Week 3
  • Rainbow Fairy Book - The Nightingale
Week 6
  • Rainbow Fairy Book - Snow White and Rose Red
Week 8
  • Hudson (1/3+)
Week 9
  • Hudson (1/3+)
Week 10
  • Hudson (finish book)
Week 12
  • Rainbow Fairy Book - Hansel and Gretel
Week 6
  • Rainbow Fairy Book - Master Cat
Week 15
  • Rainbow Fairy Book - Jack and the Beanstalk
Week 17
  • A Fiddle for Angus (Entire Book)
Week 18
  • Rainbow Fairy Book - The Six Swans
Week 19
  • Laura Secord (1/3+)
Week 20
  • Laura Secord (1/3+)
Week 21
  • Laura Secord (finish book)
Week 26
  • Rainbow Fairy Book - Cinderella
Week 27
  • Very Last First Time (entire book)
Week 28
  • Alexander Graham Bell (1/3+)
Week 29
  • Alexander Graham Bell (1/3+)
Week 30
  • Alexander Graham Bell (finish book)
Week 31
  • Rainbow Fairy Book - Rumplestiltzkin
Week 32
  • Dragonfly Kites
Week 36
  • Rainbow Fairy Book - East of the Sun, West of the Moon

Saturday, June 2, 2012

Canadianized AO Year 2


UPDATED HERE

Well, as you have probably heard, we are trying AmblesideOnline again - which means we need to Canadianize it.   There are some ideas on doing this on the AO site here, but for Years 1-3, we just didn't have access to any of the Canadian History books recommended.  I am still not totally satisfied with the history books we have found - but will make use of what is available.

My general plans for all the years, are available here, (there are some changes) - but this post will give much more detailed information for Year 2, including fitting it in the AO Year 2 schedule.  Note that we haven't done Year 2 yet - so there may be changes in the future.

Most of the year will be based on AO's Year 2

Booklist Change Summary:

  • Remove - This Country of Ours.  (Used the D'Aulaire biographies where there is an option.  TCOO is not used at all)
  • Add - The Story of Canada  - Janet Lunn (Note that you could also use My First History of Canada / Great Canadian Lives option - I haven't planned out the weeks for that option)
  • Add - Canadian Minutes from Historica (these are the "Canadian Minute" ads from TV - we watch them online)
  • Add - The Fishing Summer (authors last name is Jam)
  • Add - The Fabulous Song (authors last name is Gillmor)
  • Add - Owls in the Family (Fawley Mowatt)
  • Optional in Free Reads - Abraham Lincoln & Brighty of the Grand Canyon 
  • Note - we also don't do Trial and Triumph
Note - I generally tried not to add something without removing something, so as not to overburden the year. For History, that was generally easy, as we were not doing Trial and Triumph, and also removed the US History.   For Literature, I made 2 books optional in the Free Reads - and 2 of the Canadian additions are fairly "light"   I also looked at the number of readings each week, as well as chronology of the history, to determine where to add in the Canadian content.


Weekly Changes 
(I haven't noted the readings by week that you don't read from the AO schedule for the books that were removed.)

Week 1

  • Watch the Vikings  Canadian moment on Historica
  • Story of Canada - Strangers on the Coast - 1st Section, and "Where was Vinland"
Week 5
  • The Fishing Summer (entire book)
Week 10
  • The Fabulous Song (entire book)
Week 13
  • Owls in the Family Chapter 1
Week 14
  • Owls in the Family Chapter 2
Week 15
  • Owls in the Family Chapter 3
Week 16
  • Owls in the Family Chapter 4
Week 17
  • Owls in the Family Chapter 5
Week 18
  • Owls in the Family Chapter 6
Week 19
  • Owls in the Family Chapter 7
Week 21  (yes, no reading in week 20)
  • Owls in the Family Chapter 8
Week 22
  • Owls in the Family Chapter 9
Week 23
  • Owls in the Family Chapter 10
Week 24
  • Owls in the Family Chapter 11
Week 33
  • Story of Canada - Strangers on the Coast - Explorers Section
Week 34
  • Story of Canada - Strangers on the Coast - St Stadacona Section
Week 35
  • Story of Canada - Strangers on the Coast - Fur Traders and Northern Seas Section
Week 36
  • Story of Canada - Strangers on the Coast - Rats, Weeds, and Viruses Section