New Books

Our new books arrived. Now we have enough reading material to finish 5th grade and also learn an overview of America up to the present age. Some of the books we'll be reading are old friends of mine. "Cheaper by the Dozen" "Old Yeller" We'll be reading about Harriet Tubman--her story affected me deeply when I read about her. I remember my sister and I pretending to lead slaves to freedom in the woods near our house. I am looking forward to the chance to talk about this difficult and shameful part of American history. It will go along with the embarrassing truths about our treatment of the native americans. While I'm proud to be an American, I cannot deny the sins of our past or omit them from my son's education.

We will be visiting the Grandparents north of Pittsburg next week (barring illness or other unforeseen event). Sam will enjoy feeding the chickens, gathering eggs and we will attempt to find a dark place to view the stars. According to the guy in the observatory at the Living Museum, if you look at the second star in from the end of the handle on the big dipper through binoculars you can see that it is a double star. It isn't dark enough here to see it.

Tomorrow we plan on visiting the research library at the Mariner's Museum. It is free to the public (you can't check things out only view them there). They have some writings by Nathaniel Bowditch, who is one of our favorite figures we've studied so far. I talked with the people at the library--they are very friendly and seem very open to the idea of a home schooled 10 year old boy coming to see these things.

Future plans--we will hear a lecture about Thomas Jefferson given at a local community college at the end of the month. There is a local museum called the War Museum. I think we should go there, but I'd rather that Dad take him since it is such a guy thing.