Home-SU-Cool

This year we did something special. Instead of going out for a good meal, we decided to spend some money and make GOOD food at home. Complete with appetizers, drinks, main course, dessert...We got these under $60. That's a real good deal for a family of six. The kids helped me pick out some special food. Trader Ming's Chicken Egg Rolls Trader Joe's Italian bread Trader Giotto's Mushroom Ravioli with mushroom truffle sauce Trader Joe's Mango Sorbet Trader Joe's Popcorn chips We decided to make our own sparkling pink lemonade We had nice salad greens The appetizers Our friends passed these to us. Really yummy! That's the spread. The main course (that cost the most) is the  Ottomanelli and Sons  steak. They are SOOO good. Mango Sorbet with Mini Waffles with caramel (from Holland) is the dessert. I think celebrating with the children is so meaningful!! We get real nice food for not as much if ...

I love the Lego Minibuild !! =) This is what we did this month.

BIBLE We finished memorizing the NT books this week. The kids had to work quite a bit but I was very proud of them completing the memorization in Mandarin. Lil Sis memorized Prov 3:5-6. It was funny because she memorized it from "Hide 'em in your heart " CD (Steve Green) It made me think that I have to let her memorize in the version she is used to. HISTORY We learnt about Herod, his background and how he worked hard to curry favor with those in power. It is a very interesting history background for me! We learnt about Octavia's wedding to Antony (and subsequent divorce) and also Octavian's marriage to Livia. The children could not believe marriages were so messed up during Roman times. We also talked about the battle in Actium and deaths of Antony and Cleopatra. The kids got wide-eyed often when we read Augustus Caesar's World. "Is it a fictional story?" they would ask, unable to believe such "drama" really happened. =) ...

We made a fun Chocolate Eclair Cake. It all started because I had to buy 15 pudding in a box for school. The Roman arch that is to come. See...we don't eat pudding. Mainly because they have coloring in them. Yellow #5 even for the chocolate ones. why on earth?!?! But still...for the sake of education, I bit my tongue and paid a hefty $8.25 for them. Might as well use them. So here're the things I used them for so far. The Chocolate Eclair Cake . I give it 5 stars. It is good! And we made  cream puffs Probably more to come...

BIBLE We started to memorize the New Testament Books. However, since the kids are very familiar with it, I decided to give them a challenge: to memorize in Chinese. Lil Sis did well in her Prov 3:5 memorization. HISTORY We learnt about Cicero (among others) were being killed by the 2nd Triumvirate (Octavius, Antony and Lepidus). We also learnt about the battle of Philippi, how Antony and Octavius divided their land (picture below), and Antony's liaison with Cleopatra Source from here We learnt about the Roman gardens and mosaics and made some ourselves. We got the paint samples from Home Depot, cut them into different shapes (we didn't do squares) and use them for the mosaic projects These are in the book basket this week. The Bronze Bow is ready for next. LANGUAGE The older kids continued on Rod and Staff English. Big Bro finished chapter 1 and did a test on it. Lil Sis went onto short vowels this week and did some readin...

Big Brother finished almost the entire Series of Unfortunate Events. He is presently reading one of the books to me. I am so pleasantly surprised to find this series absolutely entertaining, full of humor, and very enlightening! There is no foul language nor bad manners (except from the villains, of course) portrayed in the children, which I find so refreshing in modern day literature. Lemony Snickett (pen name for Daniel Handler ) has used a very humorous backhanded way to write this series and though it is filled with despair, tragedies, and possibly things you will not like to hear about (as he would have penned), it is also filled with creativity and so much laughter! I think children, especially boys of age 9/10 and up will really enjoy this series. We listened to them on audiobooks too and found them delightful.

BIBLE We learnt about the Old and New Testament overview and how bible were written then. Lil Sis started her first copywork. I decided to start her slow, since she is not as good at writing yet. HISTORY We learnt about Julius Caesar. For Big Bro, I asked him to read this book then write his summary. For Big Sis, she wrote the summary from our reading from the Streams of Civilization. We read Augustus Caesar's World, on Cicero, Mark Antony, Why is July, and the starting of the civil war. I cut out the characters from the coloring pages in the book and made them into "puppets". It is helpful to use these props as I read, especially helpful for the chapter beginning pg 45 I got the book Famous Men of Rome from here (public domain) and read to the kids the chapter on Cicero. We played the odd and even game We also learnt about the Roman homes (Mark Antony's chapter was an interesting read on the homes), the city, ...