Book Summary: George Washington's World

George Washington’s World                                                    3-29-13

By Genevieve Foster

 

p. 91-92, 111-165, 168-172

This reading told about a lot of interesting things happening around the world at about the same time.  I read about Phillis Wheatley, a black slave girl who wrote lots of poetry.  I read about Captain Cook.  He discovered Hawaii.  There was a Scotsman named James Watt who invented the steam engine, and two men named Joseph Priestley and Antoine Lavoisier who discovered oxygen and named it.  I read that King George III was sure that he knew the right way to do everything, and he did not want any advice.  He dismissed and appointed lots of Prime Ministers until he found one who would do whatever he wanted.  England was taxing the colonies, and they were getting where they couldn’t stand it any more.  I read about Frederick of Prussia.  After the Seven Years War was over, he set about rebuilding Prussia.  He did exactly as he pleased, and did not care what anyone said about him.  One funny thing that I read was that one time he was riding through the street, and he saw a cartoon that someone drew of him as a tax collector, grinding coffee, picking up every single bean to make sure he did not lose any.  He simply looked at it, and then said to his secretary, “Hang that thing lower down on the wall so people can see it better,” and then he rode away.  Louis XV was spending so much money for jewels for women that he liked, while the people of France were starving.  He knew that France wouldn’t last long this way, but if he was not affected by it, he did not care.  I also read about a little Austrian princess named Marie Antoinette.  She got married to Louis XVI of France.  I don’t think he was interested in being king.  All he wanted to do was to make locks and go hunting.  I read about a little boy named Maria Joseph Paul Yves Gilbert du Motier, Marquis de Lafayette.  Lafayette did not want to just be a silly courtier, and he went on to fight for the cause of the American Revolution.  I also read about the birth of Napoleon Buonaparte.  I read about a Spanish artist named Goya.  I also read about the corsairs of Algiers, the Turkish Empire, Poland being pulled apart, fighting between Russia and the Turks, how Japan shut itself out from the world, Alexander Hamilton, John Paul Jones, Olaudah Equiano, a Spanish friar named Junipero Serra, and rebellion in Massachusetts.  I would like to tell about all theses too, but I am simply out of time!

Book Summary: America's Paul Revere

America’s Paul Revere                                                            3-26-13

By Esther Forbes

 

p. 1-33

Yesterday I read about Paul Revere.  I will read the other half of the book next week.  I really enjoyed reading about him.  I read a little about his younger years, and then about his older ones.  Things were getting closer and closer to war with England.  Paul Revere was a silversmith, but when things got bad, he had to change his work sometimes.  Sometimes he would make false teeth for people.  I’m sorry if all this isn’t very clearly written.  I wasn’t able to write this yesterday because I was out of time.  I think Paul Revere is probably best known for his midnight ride to warn the townspeople that the British were coming.  He did a lot of that sort of riding.  He also led one of the groups at the Boston Tea Party.  Right after that, he was very tired, but he wasn’t able to rest yet.  He had to saddle up his horse and go riding to New York and Pennsylvania to let them know what Boston had done.  The British were so mad after the Boston Tea Party that they wouldn’t let any boats come to Boston.  Boston was not on an island, but it almost was.

Dishsoap Grits

Today I made grits for breakfast.  We had just started eating when I asked, "Do these grits taste like dishsoap to anyone?"  They took a few bites, and almost all of us said that they did taste like dishsoap.  Mamma said she didn't taste them.  Maybe she got some out of where there wasn't dishsoap.  We thought that maybe someone didn't rinse out the pot all the way when they were washing it.  Anyway, I made another pot of grits for everyone.  They were 5-minute grits, so they didn't take too long to prepare.  I tasted these.  Something didn't taste quite right about them!  I thought, "Oh, no!  Do these ones have soap too?"  I went ahead and served them out, though.  Thankfully, they were fine!  There is nothing like a nice hot bowl of grits for breakfast! (Without dishsoap!)  :)

Book Summary: George Washington's World Part II

George Washington’s World                                                    3-22-13

By Genevieve Foster

 

p. 93-110

Today I read a little more about George Washington.  He got married to Martha Custis, a young widow, and took his family to live on his plantation, Mount Vernon.

Thomas Jefferson was about sixteen when George Washington got married.  I read a little about him too.

I also read about the end of the Seven Years War, which was basically a war with Frederick of Prussia and George of England on one side, and all the other countries in Europe on the other side.  George II of England died and George III wasn’t interested in helping Frederick.  It wasn’t going well at all for Prussia, when the Empress of Russia died, and the new Emperor liked Prussia and didn’t want to fight.  Then Louis of France got tired of fighting too, and the other countries dropped out one by one until only Frederick of Prussia and Maria Theresa of Austria were left.  The war was over.

I also read about a young poet named Goethe.

Lady

A couple weeks ago we got a new puppy.  Her name is Lady, and she is a black standard poodle.  She is very curious and her nose is always in the middle of everything when she is not sleeping!  She is very sweet.  She likes to play a lot with our other dog, Henry.  He is about two years old, and she is almost four months old.  It only took a couple days for her to get adjusted to her new home, and it seems hard to believe that we have only had her for twelve days!

She and Henry are both chewing on one end of the bone!
She loves his bones!

Lady is enjoying the sun while we play on our "boat."

Here they are playing tug-of-war with one of Noah's socks.

Looks like Henry won!

Lady and Henry chase each other all over the house, playing.  It used to be that Lady would be quiet, and Henry would be making all the noise, but today I heard her making some tiny growls!  She is very smart.  When she wants something that Henry has, she barks, and then he gets up to see what the noise is about.  Then she jumps up and grabs his toy or bone!  She has very long legs, as you can probably see from the pictures, and she sort of prances instead of running.

Here is a video of them chasing each other that I took today.  Sometimes Lady chases Henry, and sometimes Henry chases Lady.

A Budding Band

Moses, Noah, Ruthie, and Sarah have started a little band.  Their band name is The Monkey Express.  Moses is playing the bass guitar, Noah the banjo, Ruthie the lap dulcimer, and Sarah the guitar.

Here is a video that Mamma took yesterday.  Moses wasn't able to practice at that time, so I took his place with the bass.  I don't quite know how this will turn out, but they are very excited!

Book Summary: George Washington's World

George Washington’s World                                                            3-21-13

By Genevieve Foster

 

p. 73-91

Tension was building up between England and France, and this finally turned into the French and Indian War.  I read about how the French built a fort on land claimed by both the English and the French.  The Virginian governor sent George Washington to tell them to leave.  The French would not leave, and Washington brought the reply back to Governor Dinwiddie.  A little while later Washington set out for the French fort again, this time with orders to make them leave.  He had some soldiers with him.  He attacked a small group of French successfully.  Then a lot of French soldiers came, and attacked Washington.  This time the French won.  They gave Washington a paper to sign.  They told him that it just said that the English wouldn’t come back for a year.  His interpreter was not a very good one, and he gave the paper to Washington to sign.  What it actually said was that he had murdered the small group of French that he attacked.

I also read about Frederick of Prussia.  Three of the most powerful women in Europe were plotting against him:  Maria Theresa of Austria, Empress Elizabeth of Russia, and Madame de Pompadour (who had most of the power in France).

I also read about William Pitt, and I read about the crowning of George III of England, but I’m out of time now.

Pond Adventure

Well, today we played in the pond a lot.  Our basketball goal broke a long time ago, and we use the base as a raft.  It is very cold, as it is only March.
When I came inside, I felt like my feet were two blocks of ice with little fires inside! :)  We had a lot of fun playing!

Here are a couple pictures:

Henry and Lady are getting along fine!

I don't know how she does it, but Bekah always likes to stand up on the raft!

Lady had to have quite a few baths from falling in the pond.

This is my first time going out.  I'm still a little unsteady!

It's so cold!

I've tried to upload a short video:

We had a fun time!