Visual Arts ~ T #1 ~ page 144

I created a pencil drawing for fine arts. I learned to not press very hard at any given moment and that it is important to not smudge it. I learned that even if pencils have the same number, they will make a different type of mark. I learned a smaller eraser is better for erasing because it is harder to control the movements of a large eraser. The tools I used are paper, pencil, and eraser. There are several different types of paper available and each will give a different outcome. I used sketch paper. There are also many types of pencils. Pencils are numbered to let the artist know how dark the pencil lead is and how hard it is.

The Performing Arts ~ SP #3 ~ page 136

I was in a human video with my youth group. We used drama and music to portray the life, death, and resurrection of Jesus. We performed this at our church and at fine arts competition.

The Performing Arts ~ SB #5 ~ page 136

I performed a vocal solo for fine arts this year. I practiced three times a week for a month before performing it at my church and then at the competition. I prefer to perform with a group because I feel like it is less stressful. When I am performing solo, all of the responsibility is on me. Whereas when I am performing with a group, the responsibility is shared. The preparation for a solo performance is different because you don't have to rely on other people to be able to practice, all you need is your materials and the time to do it. When you are practicing with a group, the coach is focusing on the whole group rather than the individual and may not notice individual mistakes. Practicing for a solo, the coach is more able to focus on the individual.

Heritage Hunt ~ SB 3 ~ page 124

When I went to Fort Atkinson with co-op, I brushed wool to prepare it for making yarn. Recently, I planted a herb garden.

The Lure of Language ~ SB #3 ~page 98

At co-op, we have learned several phrases in American Sign Language. Other ways that people in the deaf community communicate are: SEE (Signed Exact English), pigeon sign (a mix of ASL and SEE), and homing signals (which are signs used between family and close friends). There are also TTY machines, which allow them to communicate using a telephone.

Graphic Communcations ~ SB6 ~ page 96

I decorated the front of a thank-you card and sent it to Mrs. Stephanie.

Graphic Communcations ~ SB6 ~ page 96

I designed the front of a thank you card and sent it to Mrs. Autumn.

From A to V: Audiovisual Production ~ T1 ~ page 94

I have learned how to use my mom's digital camera. It has a neat tool that tells you whether or not the picture is good. Her camera is equipped with different settings like sports, auto, low-light, portrait, and lots of others. I have also figured out the video setting on my mom's camera.

From A to V: Audiovisual Production ~ T1 ~ page 94

I learned how to use my Mom's digital camera. When taking pictures, I usually experiment with a couple of the settings to see which one comes out the best, especially if I am having trouble getting a good photo. Some of the settings are: Snow, Sports, Children, Museum, Auto, and Low Light. It also has a Video setting on it. I have used most of these settings while capturing photos.

Do You Get The Message ~ SB5 ~ page 90

I told a joke at co-op. None of the other kids got it, but when I told my mom, she laughed. I got this joke from a book I am reading.

I have a friend visitng. Do you want to know what his name is?
Sure.
His name is Columbus, Ohio. A capital fellow, really.

Do You Get The Message ~ SB5 ~ page 90

I made a joke at co-op.

We are learning sign language in co-op. When I am signing that I am an older sister, I sign it for very old and everyone laughs. Now they are all doing the same thing.

Computers In Everyday Life ~ SP2 ~ page 86

As a family, we are making a spreadsheet of Interest Project requirements that we can do. They are organized alphabetically by subject. Some of the subjects are Wii, television viewing, sleepover ideas, field trip ideas, zoo, and science projects. Mom uses this when she is scheduling fiend trips for the homeschool co-op and planning some of our school assignments. We use it to help plan sleepovers and to know when some of the other things we do, like playing on the Wii, count for GS.

Creative Cooking ~ SB2 ~ page 54

Mom sends me to get items at the store. She taught me how to do this when I was younger. Now she sends me off so that I can do it on my own. If I bring her something that is not very good, she will take me back and show me how to pick a better one. With produce, I look for bruises or soft spots and check ripeness. We check the labels on new canned and boxed goods to make sure we can eat them. There are some additives that give the people in my family a headache. Mom has also sent me back if I gave her a dented box or can. Canned goods, boxed goods, and perishables all have to be checked for expiration dates.

Creative Cooking ~ SB1 ~ page 54

I looked up the USDA food pyramid online to see their suggestions for how I should eat.
Yesterday, I ate the following:

• cereal with milk
• turkey sandwich, chips, apples, Sunny D, and trail mix
• water
• pop tarts and trail mix
• water
• yogurt
• steak, mashed potatoes, salad, and tea

The USDA guidelines suggest I eat:

• 6-11 bread
• 2-4 fruits
• 3-5 vegetables
• 2-3 meats
• 2-3 milks

Yesterday I ate:

• 7 breads
• 3 fruits
• 3 vegetables
• 3 meats
• 3 milks

Yesterday, I ate pretty balanced. This is typical for me on days that I skate. On days that I don't skate, I eat a little less, but still remain within the minimum guidelines.

Your Own Business ~ SP #1 ~ page 46

I wrote a sponsorship letter and am sending it out to all the business in the Fremont area. In my letter I explain that I am a figure skater who hopes to go to the Olympics and asking for their support so I can reach my goal. We set it up so they could donate through the local ice arena so their donation would be tax deductible.

Understanding Yourself And Others ~ SB #2 ~ page 42

I set a goal to learn the sign language for Love in Any Language by Sandy Patti so that I could perform it at Fine Arts Festival. I began working on it February 23 and learned it by March 21, when I performed it at church.

From Fitness To Fashion ~ SB #3 ~ page 28

Mom taught me a new hairstyle that I have been doing this week. It is great for days when I want my hair to look pretty, but it also stays in all day.

Creative Cooking ~ SB2 ~ page 54

When we go to the grocery store, Mom sends us to pick out fruits and vegetables. When we come back, she checks them to make sure they are good and if they are not the best, she teaches us and comes back to help us pick out better ones. She has told us to never get cans or boxes that are dented. We read the label on all new food that we buy. Sometimes, we won't buy something if it has certain additives. Then we will find a way to make it from scratch. Eggs, she has us check for cracks. We have to check the expiration date on all things.

Creative Cooking ~ SB1 ~ page 54

I looked up the USDA food pyramid online to see their suggestions for how I should eat.

Yesterday, I ate the following:

• bowl of cereal with milk
• lunchables deep dish cheese pizza w/ applesauce, vanilla wafers, and water
• grilled cheese sandwich w/ vegetable beef soup and Sunny D to drink

The USDA guidelines suggest I eat:

• 6-11 bread
• 2-4 fruits
• 3-5 vegetables
• 2-3 meats
• 2-3 milks

Yesterday I ate:

• 5 breads
• 1 fruit
• 2 vegetables
• 2 meats
• 3 milks

Yesterday, I did not eat very well. I got enough milks and meats yesterday. I was one away on everything else. Typically on Monday I do not eat as well as the other days of the week. I will make it a point to be more aware of what I am eating.

Understanding Yourself And Others ~ SB #2 ~ page 42

I wanted to enter a drawing in a fine arts competition. I started working on it the last week of February and finished it on Sunday. The competition is this Saturday. While I was working on my drawing, I wanted to read my book sometimes but I wouldn't. One time, I read a half chapter so I could give myself a break from drawing and then I worked on it some more.

Sports For Life ~ SB #1 ~ page 176

In lessons, our coaches had us do stretches on the ice. We held each of the stretches for at least 20 seconds. We had to do push-ups and the bridge. We also had to hold our arms up in the proper position for skating.

From Stress To Success ~ SB5 ~ page 30

My sister's brain injury is a problem that does not have an obvious solution and causes me repeated stress. I talked to Mrs.M and my mom to come up with some ways to help me cope with it. They include:

• writing in my journal
• accepting that it is what it is and cannot be changed
• focusing on the positive instead of the negative
• writing in a journal
• talking to mom and Mrs.M

From Stress To Success ~ SB6 ~ page 30

We got a Wii just over a month ago. We get on the Wii almost every day after dinner and play on it for 1-3 hours. Some of the activities are basic step, bowling, simulated bike riding, running, obstacle course, boxing and hula hoop. I am more relaxed than I was before, even in the day to day, not just when I am playing on the Wii.

Some of our ideas for reducing stress are:

• reading my Bible
• writing in my journal or on my blog
• talking to my mom or Mrs.M
• listen to music
• read a book
• soak in the tub
• running
• skating
• do cross-stitch
• play games
• knit

The one helps me most is skating. When I can't get to the rink, reading my Bible helps a lot.

From Fitness To Fashion ~ SB #2 ~ page 28

I wanted to wear make-up and my mom said that I had to wash my face twice a day for a month before she would consider it. I did and I wore make-up for a little while, but I have decided that I am pretty without it, so I seldom wear make-up now, but I still wash my face.

hypoallergenic having little likelihood of causing an allergic response

toner a cosmetic preparation that is applied to produce a required effect, such as one that reduces the oiliness of the skin

astringent tending to draw together or constrict soft organic tissue

exfoliate to peel off in layers

mask A cosmetic preparation that is applied to the face and allowed to dry before being removed, used especially for cleansing and tightening the skin.

moisturizer A cosmetic lotion or cream applied to the skin to counter dryness.

SPF sun protection factor: an indicator of how effectively a lotion, cosmetic, etc., protects the skin from the harmful rays of the sun.

antiperspirant An astringent preparation applied to the skin to decrease perspiration.

deodorant A substance applied to the skin to mask or suppress body odors.

natural Not altered, treated, or disguised.

organic Of, relating to, or derived from living organisms.

botanical A drug, medicinal preparation, or similar substance obtained from a plant or plants.

From Stress To Success ~ SB #5 ~ page 30

My brain injury is a problem that does not have an obvious solution and causes me repeated stress. I talked to Mrs.M and my mom to come up with some ways to help me cope with it. They include:

• accepting that it is what it is and cannot be changed
• focusing on living my life
• finding things that I can still do and doing them
• hope for the future and imagine my life when my brain injury is finally healed
• writing in a journal
• talking to mom and Mrs.M
• finding ways to be involved in activities that I can't participate in full

From Stress To Success ~ SB #6 ~ page 30

We got a Wii just over a month ago. We get on the Wii almost every day after dinner and play on it for 1-3 hours. Some of the activities are simulated bike riding, running, obstacle course, boxing and hula hoop. I am happier and more calm than I was a month ago.

Some of our ideas for reducing stress are:

• playing with play-doh
• writing in my journal or on my blog
• drawing
• talking to my mom or Mrs.M
• breathing calmly and on purpose
• listen to music
• read a book
• soak in the tub
• do cross-stitch
• play games
• crochet
• knit

The one I use most often is playing with play-doh.

Family Living ~ CE3 ~ page 26

I share the responsibility of cleaning the kitchen with my sister. We have decided that one person loads the dishwasher and washes dishes by hand that can be placed in the drainer to dry while the other person wipes off counters, puts food away, washes any dishes that require special care, and sweeps & mops the floor. We clean the kitchen each day after dinner. If it gets messy during the day, we load and unload the dishwasher and save the rest for after dinner.

Family Living ~ SP5 ~ page 26

With our family, everybody chooses a meal each week that we have to cook. We have to figure out what needs to be bought at the store. Mom always does the shopping, but we help with that by going after items while we are at the store. I am then responsible for preparing the meal that I chose. If I need assistance, mom is there to help, but the main responsibility is on me. One of my favorite meals that I have chosen recently is Chicken Enchiladas with Black Beans and Rice. Then my sister and I clean the kitchen once dinner is over.

Family Living ~ T3 ~ page 26

Recently, we reorganized all of our movies and music. Someone had given us several movies and we are in the process of going through all of our movies and giving away the ones we no longer want. We also regularly loan out movies to friends. Most recently, we have loaned out Love Comes Softly.

Family Living ~ SB6 ~ page 26

We recently got a Wii. Playing on the Wii has not only increased the amount of time we spend together, but it has also improved the quality of our family time.

Invitation To The Dance ~ SB5 ~ page 126

I am a figure skater. I have learned the waltz jump, spiral, and side toe hop. Although these may have different names in dancing, they originated from dance moves. Often, I learn jumps and spins off ice before doing them on the ice. Jump class is much like a dance class specifically for figure skaters.

Invitation To The Dance ~ SB1 ~ page 126

Figure skating is a form of dance. I have created a warm-up routine that I do before skating. I have several stretches that I do and I also run to get my legs warmed up. The stretches include splits, pike, straddle, butterfly, triceps stretch, quadriceps stretch, I.T. stretch, and the shoulder stretch. When I am running, I run both forwards and backwards, I do side toe hops, and then I walk to cool down a bit. Then I put on my skates. When I get on the ice, I do a couple of laps of stroking, a spiral sequence, and some footwork before getting started on other things.

Writing For Real ~ T #4~ page 110

Mom showed us the news about the earthquake in Chile. She would also give us updates every day. At first we followed the initial earthquake and updates about that. Then we followed the tsunami as it headed through the Pacific Ocean. As more information became available, the prediction of where the tsunamis would hit changed. The were not traveling as fast as predicted and therefore did not cause as much damage as was originally thought. I think that having unfolding news stories as it was happening gave people warning and therefore saved many lives.

Collecting ~ SB1 ~ page 118

I collect post cards. Recently, I got some new ones on our vacation.

Collecting ~ SB1 ~ page 118

I have a business card collection and I add to it often.

Reading ~ CE #3 ~ page 106

I read How to Eat Fried Worms and watched the movie. I thought the movie was better than the book, which is unusual for me, but that the movie was kind of gross as well. I would rather write a movie because I think it would be fun to see the characters come to life. One of the benefits of writing both the screenplay and book would be that the movie would be made closer to what was written in the book instead of going off on another person's idea. Another positive would be the author would see the changes being made between the two scripts and would have some say in both. A negative to writing the screenplay would be that everything wouldn't be up to the author so he may not like those changes.

Reading ~ SP #7 ~ page 106

I swap books with the girls in my homeschool co-op regularly. Beginning last September, we each decided to bring books that we have that the others might want to read and trade.

Reading ~ SB #5 ~ page 106

In homeschool co-op, we have formed a book club. We are reading Follow My Leader by James B. Garfield. Every Friday, our group meets to talk about it from 1:30-2:30.

Reading ~ SB #2 ~ page 106

I learned the meaning of many literary terms at the beginning of this school year. Some of them and examples of their use in things I have read are listed here.

Climax (the point of highest dramatic tension or a major turning point in the action): In Pig Scrolls when he is trying to fight the bad Greek gods that are trying to atke over the world and he succeeds and then dies.

Conflict (the opposition of persons or forces that gives rise to the dramatic action in a drama or fiction): In Pig Scrolls, Thanatos and Cosmos planned to destroy the world like it had never existed.

Figurative Language (whenever you describe something by comparing it with something else): In Midnighters, when Dess is explaining about the animals, she compares the darklings to panthers, snakes, spiders, and lots of other things but adds that each has wings.

Parable (a usually short fictitious story that illustrates a moral attitude or a religious principle): In the Bible, Jesus uses several parables including the one about the sower.

Setting (the time and place of the action of a literary, dramatic, or cinematic work ): Midnighters happens in Bixby, OK.

Writing For Real ~ T #4~ page 110

When the earthquake hit Chile, I followed the story. I watched news stories on the Internet about how bad damages were and when tsunamis were expected to hit other places in the world because of the earthquake. As more information became available, it became evident that the predictions about the tsunamis were not correct. They were not traveling as quickly as predicted and therefore hit places later than anticipated and lost some of their force along the way. The secondary impact of the earthquake in Chile was not as bad as expected. I think that having unfolding news stories as it was happening helped because it brought more awareness and there were more people prepared for the possible tsunamis and therefore less loss of life. Also, I believe because of the news reports, more people prayed and God answered our prayers.

Do You Get The Message ~ SB1 ~ page 90

In co-op we are doing a sign language class. I have learned several phrases including: I love you, my name is, my phone number is, my favorite color is, and how to call a dog. I am also learning to sign Love in Any Language by Sandy Patti.

Do You Get The Message ~ SB1 ~ page 90

Right now in co-op we are learning sign language. I know several phrases including: I love you, my name is, my phone number is, my favorite color is, and how to call a dog. I am enjoying learning sign language and I hope to learn more.

Reading ~ CE #3 ~ page 106

While we were in GA, I watched the movie How to Eat Fried Worms. The other day, I read the book.

Writing both the book and the screenplay might be easier because the author already knows the story. Then again, the movie might need to be different from the book, so it would be harder to write it differently from what had already been written because the author knows what it going to happen in the story and wants to still make it interesting, but he might have established ideas about how the characters and the setting should look and it might not be possible to do those things on screen.

I would rather write a book because then I am not responsible for deciding how each scene should look, but I am able to still put a picture into the readers' mind about what things look like.

Reading ~ SP #7 ~ page 106

I swap books with the girls in my homeschool co-op regularly. Beginning last September, we each decided to bring books that we have that the others might want to read and trade.

Reading ~ SB #5 ~ page 106

In homeschool co-op, we have formed a book club. We are reading Follow My Leader by James B. Garfield. Every Friday, our group meets to talk about it from 1:30-2:30.

Reading ~ SB #2 ~ page 106

I learned the meaning of many literary terms at the beginning of this school year. Some of them and examples of their use in things I have read are listed here.

Climax (the point of highest dramatic tension or a major turning point in the action): In Lord Brocktree when he and the wildcat, the enemy in the story, were going out to fight and Lord Brocktree was almost killed because the wildcat had cheated.

Conflict (the opposition of persons or forces that gives rise to the dramatic action in a drama or fiction): In Pig Scrolls, Thanatos and Cosmos planned to destroy the world like it had never existed.

Comic Relief (a relief from the emotional tension especially of a drama that is provided by the interposition of a comic episode or element): In The Reptile Room, that would be when the narrator of the story repeated the word ever for several pages.

Haiku (an unrhymed verse form of Japanese origin having three lines containing usually five, seven, and five syllables respectively): In The Austere Academy, Isadora recites a poem that she had written in the form of haiku.

Irony (the use of words to express something other than and especially the opposite of the literal meaning): In The Reptile Room, Uncle Monty says that if you are careful and follow his instructions, no harm will come to you in this room and then in the end, Uncle Monty is killed in the reptile room.

Family Living ~ T5 ~ page 26

We invited four girls for a spend the night. While we were preparing for it, we designed and printed the invitation cards. We picked the design off the Internet and chose whether it would be printed in b/w or color as well as what color paper it would be printed on.