CTG Week 15- The Tabernacle

We completed a model of the Tabernacle this week described in Exodus. I was blessed by a friend with this model to put together. It comes with everything including glue dots and here is a great book detailing the Tabernacle and all the parts.

It was really neat to see how everything in the Tabernacle showed us a foreshadowing of Jesus.

We read about the outer court and the altar of burnt offering and the bronze basin for ceremonial washing. It was cool to talk about how God is Holy and how we can't come to Him defiled by sin. But Jesus was the Living Water that by His Blood washes us clean, so that we can come before God made Holy and clean.
And that Jesus was the Lamb of God that was the final sacrifice needed to be made so God would forgive sins.

We talked about the Tabernacle building and the Holy Place and the three items that were kept there: The Table of the Bread of the Presence, the Altar of Incense, and the Golden Lampstand.  The Golden Lampstand reminds us that Jesus is the Light of the World. The Table of the Bread of Presence reminds us that Jesus is the Bread of Life and that whoever comes to Him shall never die. And finally, the Altar of Incense is the prayers of the people rising to God and is a sweet smell to Him.

Between the Holy Place and the Holy of Holies (the inner room) was a curtain through which only the High Priest could go once a year and only along with the blood of the sacrifice in hand. That curtain was torn in two literally in the Temple in Jerusalem when Jesus died on the cross. That curtain represents the veil that separates us all from God's Presence. That veil was torn by Jesus' death and we are no longer separated from God. 

Inside the Holy of Holies sat the Ark of the Covenant.

The blood of the sacrifice was to be placed on the Ark's horns to ask for forgiveness for the peoples sins.

That was completed forever by Jesus' death on the cross, so that He shed the last blood required for our forgiveness and we can enter the Holy of Holies and sit before God's Mighty Presence because we have accepted Jesus' sacrifice. Thus we are all priests before Him now and can bring our requests directly to Him in Jesus' name.  

God's presence sat in between the Cherubim. That is so cool, that we can come into His Presence because Jesus tore the curtain separating man from God and shed the blood to make us Holy and able to come before God forgiven. 

Finally,inside the Ark was the two stone tablets with the Ten Commandments, Aaron's rod that budded and a container of Manna. 

This was such a cool project for us and we both enjoyed it a lot. I think I learned as much as Squirt did. It was cool to have a visual for me after having read Exodus so many times in the past. It really helped this visual-Momma to wrap her head around how everything looked. 

Now on to Week 16!

Dulce de leche, the second time around

So I am teaching a coop class in our homeschool group using the wonderful resources from MFW ECC. We had made Dulce de leche last year as we studied Mexico and it was soooooo delicious. So I decided to make it again to share with my class of 15 kids. Well, before I give you all the nitty gritty, here is the original recipe.

Dulce de leche

1 quart of whole milk
1 1/2 cups of sugar
1/2 tsp baking soda 
dash of vanilla extract (add at the very end after done cooking)

Combine milk and sugar in a sauce pan. Stir over medium heat until sugar is dissolved. Add in baking soda and stir to combine. Bring to a simmer and reduce heat to lowest setting on your stove. It will not even be boiling but barely simmer (or even less on mine). Cook until the mixture is a caramel light brown color. Stir occasionally. (about every 20-30 minutes or so). Takes 3-4 hours or more ( the lower the heat and the slower it goes but the less likely to burn). You do need to be sure you will be home the whole time you are doing this, but other than an occasional stir the active involvement is nil. When the mixture is done cooking, remove from heat and stir in your vanilla. Pour into a glass jar and let cool. Seal jar and refrigerate. (you can strain the mixture if you want it completely smooth before pouring into jar) Note- pour it into your container while still warm because it will thicken as it cools and be harder to remove from your pot. Kept in a sealed container it will keep up to a month in your refrigerator.

Now I chose to double the above recipe for such a large number of people (about 20 counting teachers) BUT it didn't thicken up like it should have and that was AFTER six hours of cooking. I pulled it from the heat at that point since I was concerned about it burning. It is more like pudding rather than the thick caramel consistency that it should be. So if you need to double the recipe make two batches in separate pots as I DIDN'T and it should turn out fine. Mine still tasted fabulous! But is was not as thick as it should be. YUM!

Here are the pics 

Just mixed bringing to simmer

1 1/2 hours later

2 1/2 hours later

Finished and cooled product (six hours cooking)

CTG Timeline to Exodus

I am just quickly posting some pictures of our timeline as it is up to this point. We have added Exodus of the Israelites and the Ten Commandments. We have been doing just the basic Rs of school for the past week but I will have updates from CTG week 15 next week.

This section includes Creation, Adam & Eve, Cain & Abel, Noah, Tower of Babel, King Menes 3100 BC, & Pyramids in Egypt 2500 BC.

Creation to Pyramids in Egypt 2500 BC 

Close ups-  

This section includes Pyramids in Egypt 2500 BC; Abraham, Sarah & Isaac 2066 BC; Jacob 1929 BC; 12 Tribes of Isreal; Joseph 1915 BC; Israel in Egypt 1876 BC; Code Hammurabi 1792 BC; & Moses 1526 BC

2500 BC to Moses 1526 BC

Close ups-

This last section includes Israel in Egypt 1876 BC; Code Hammurabi 1792 BC; & Moses 1526 BC; the Exodus of the Israelites 1446 BC; and the Ten Commandments.

!876 BC to Ten Commandments 1446 BC

I will post pictures of week 15 and our Tabernacle Model next week. Very interesting stuff this week. can't wait to share it.

Preschool Bible

I just have to post a quick note about this Bible.

We bought the Word & Song Bible for our dear daughter on her First Birthday. Now she has out grown it  and passed it on to her brothers. In the morning, while Squirt does her Quiet Time and reads her Bible, Bubba & Buddy sit on the bed and listen to the Word & Song Bible. Bubba gets his Bible or book and Buddy holds the Word & Song Bible. I looked the other day to see if this was still available new but it looks like it is out of print. I am very sad. This is a wonderful story bible with songs. It has beautiful illustrations and the CDs that come with the Bible are beautifully narrated and complete with all the songs and different voices, sound effects etc. I know there are parts that we save for when our children are closer to five to have them listen to such as Joseph sold into slavery, etc ( the more violent description stories). I do think that it may have been replaced by the Read N See DVD Bible. By the way this is how Squirt memorized the 23rd Psalm back in Kindergarten. So great for my auditory children!!!

Here are the boys enjoying their Bible time.

Buddy always asks for more. Then when it is done goes around the house singing the songs he has just heard that morning. 

Wisdom from my sister (CTG Highlights Week 11 &12)

So it was suggested to me this week by a dear sweet friend and Sister in Christ that maybe so many of the issues that I have been dealing with with Buddy may be solved by spending more one on one time  and pouring more of the Word and charactering building into him. Now I know that I knew that already. But still it didn't sink in until she shared her experience with her youngest with me. So I will be taking a break from blogging quite so often and work on spending more time with each one of my children.

We also got the exciting news that we are expecting our seventh child! We are looking forward to bringing home our fourth miracle baby some time in April.

I think every Mom, homeschooling or not, struggles with balancing her time. I am trusting that God will faithfully show me how I need to change in my time management and home management to better glorify Him and raise up children who love Him and desire to serve Him and others.

So I will give a few brief highlights for the past three weeks and then take a nice long break to regroup and seek God for direction.

Week 11-

Vivaldi Winter drawings by Squirt

Code of Hammurabi

Queen Hatshepsut

Moses

timeline pieces

Week 12-13
Moses and 10 plagues

We started our Apologia Zoology I book.

And of course lots of math, language, scripture memory, book reading, health, Greek root words, vocabulary etc.


I think we have finally hit our stride in this new curriculum but I keep forgetting to scan things or take pictures. So pictures to come as an edit one of these days.

Happy Schooling!