Weekend Daybook {June 27, 2015}

Outside my window . . . . 
cloudy today. Much cooler than it was all week. Weeds have taken over . . . . I would pay someone to pull them for me. I had a few minutes to pull weeds while the dog was playing outside and I got a rash. I need to remember to wear gloves! It was the ragweed! I'm allergic to it and get a rash when I touch it.


Pictures . . . .
are from scout camp family night. This was Tyler's first year. They had a crate stacking activity. The pictures are of Tyler seeing how high he could stack the crates. Scott did it too and got 13 high. The other pictures are from Tyler's birthday party at the pool.

What I'm hearing . . . .
not much. It's the last few minutes of being home alone since last Sunday while the boys were at scout camp. There is the sound of Lucy whining a little at the window. I guess a neighbor is outside and she would like to say hello.

Thankful for . . . .
some down time in the calendar! There was nothing outside the home on the calendar this week besides going to family night at scout camp. I really enjoyed staying home. 

I'm very much thankful that Lucy's separation anxiety problems were almost nonexistent this week. I think it was all in the send off. I will have to remember this for the fall weekend camp outs!

Also, I'm thankful for a wonderful, supportive, online, homeschool community who is always there when I need advice or help (just finished my annual planning week). 

Around the house . . . .
My days are normally spent in mostly domestic duties . . . . and I hardly did any those this past week! What a difference when you only have to clean up after your self and the dog. I did maintain the sweeping schedule since that is mostly due to puppy fur. 

With all the rain we've had it has been a reminder that the back yard needs some work to get the drainage under control. It gets put off because it's going to be a big job and we forget about it unless we get a lot of rain. 

This coming week . . . .
Oh! I haven't even looked at the calendar. I'm in denial that I have to go back to the regular schedule. That's not a bad thing but I've enjoyed the "holiday".

What I'm reading . . . .
or what I have not been reading and that would be the boys books for the upcoming school year. I'm not making any progress on this. I did finish Harry Potter this week after putting it down for a while and the boys will be happy to watch the final movie of the series sometime this weekend. I have picked up Charlotte Mason's sixth book a few times. I have a big stack of started and haven't touched books. : (

And they all fell down.

I am working on . . . .
school planning. It's almost done.

I had hoped to clean out the boy's closets but that project remains on the to-do list. More about that below (yes, under the I am struggling section).

In the school room . . . .
Planning season, as I mentioned above, is about done. This is what I did most of the week. I think I wasted a day going back and forth on history decisions. I went back to the original plan in the end. I'm hoping to have the last details in place very soon so that I can enjoy a week (or two) off from all school related stuff before school starts back up. That start date has not been determined yet.

I'll have a post sometime in July with all our plans for the upcoming year. We have switched to Ambleside Online. I usually plan our school from scratch since I'm not good at following other people's instructions.  ; ) AO is different in that regard. Tyler will be doing year 5. I picked to start him there because of the history. Caleb will start AO in year 7 mostly because of the history. This program is well advance and since we didn't use it from the start there is no way we could go in at "grade level". Year 7 is high school level work! More later on all of this!

I am struggling . . . .
with storage and too much stuff. We don't a clutter problem here. I've downsized our house in the past and I'm selective in what I purchase and I always get rid of stuff as soon as it has served it's purpose. I don't have the typical American too much clutter problem. What we have is a small house that can't handle the amount of stuff we need to function. It hard to get all the males in the house people to realize that even though we use all this stuff (or may use it in the future) it doesn't mean that we can keep it. It has to have a place in the house and if you run out of places then something has to give. LOL! And why is it my stuff that always has to give? Our basement is overflowing with camping, hunting, and taxidermy stuff. 100% of it is used.  This is a big struggle at the moment. I am beyond overwhelmed with the lack of organization in the basement. On a related note, does anyone need a tent? I think we have an extra old one. Seriously!

 

I am pondering . . . .
temperament lately after hearing a talk at the KC Catholic Homeschoolers Conference. I got a recording of the teen talk on temperaments and Caleb really enjoyed listening to that. I played it in the car and everyone heard it. Tyler goes around labeling everyone he knows. It's hilarious when he says that so-and-so does that because they are a (fill in the blank with one of the 4 temperaments). So true!

I've also been pondering high school at lot lately. Trying to decide if and what changes need to take place in the homeschool. It seems the popular notion is that high school is a different ball game. I just think of it as the same path as the previous years but a little deeper. It tough to stay focused on that when you feel pushed to make changes.

Day 5 of scout camp. Someone was begging to go home . . . . . and I reminded him that he drove there and had a vehicle and could leave at any time, lol!

7 Quick Takes {June 12, 2015}

1) I have high hopes that things are going to settle down for the rest of summer break. I haven't done a 7 Quick Takes Friday in a while so I thought it would be a good way to catch up. Mostly pictures!

2) Tyler turned 11 this week . . . .  I try to get a pictures taken on birthdays and that didn't happen this year. We celebrated the day by going out to the family farm, dinner at Steve's (local restaurant that serves fried chicken, which is Tyler's favorite), and a family movie (Night at the Museum). We have the local community pool rented out in a week for a party with family and friends. Surprisingly, it's not too expensive and since I won't be serving a meal it won't cost any more than his usual party. Tyler got a kayak from us. He bought a bike a few weeks ago since his broke and he couldn't wait for birthday cash. So, he has a loan to repay. I haven't decided if I should charge interest. ; )

3) The boys had a Scout camp out at the end of May. I stayed home, which turned out great because it rained and was cold. But, bad because the dog was sick. : ( 

On the way out. The float trip part of the camp out was canceled due to flooding. Tyler did get to try out his new kayak on a pond instead.

4) Just some pictures from a few visits to the family farm. We made it out again today but it was a short visit just so Lucy could run around. (She isn't so naughty when she is tired!)

Picnic lunch by the lake.

Lazy boy fishing.

5) More fun at the farm!

Lucy loves to swim. She does NOT love to swim with the boys. She refused to get in once they were in and was one anxious puppy! The boys expected her to be playful in the water and wore life jackets in case she was a handful . . . . but no need.

6) Tyler's new hamster has turned out pretty well mannered. Humphrey hasn't given us any trouble. He is more concerned about getting out than the last hamster though. It's a little weird when those red/pink eyes are staring you down!

7) The new curtains for the living room arrived last Friday. I was able to take back two panels since they were very full and we didn't need four panels for the double window. I still haven't hung up pictures in the living room. Hopefully soon! I'm just not sure where I want to put them and I think I would like something new to add. We really need to work on some outside projects now! It's going to be a sad day when the massive pine tree is cut down in the back yard!

Have a good weekend!

 

Year in Review {2014-2015}

I intended to write this post the day we finished school . . . . I know I even sat down to do it . . . . yet there was no draft so I guess I somehow got distracted. This will be short because it's been summer break too long now. ; )

Here are some post with the material we had planned to use: Term 1, Term 2, and it doesn't look like I did a post about term 3 (but I think I talked about it in other post). Tyler completed 5th grade and Caleb 8th grade this year.

I have the boys fill out a survey during our last week of school. There is a rating system for all the books we used and a page of other questions. It's not their favorite thing to do but I find it certainly insightful every year. The following is from that survey and my thoughts on the year.

Tyler's Favorite book/subject was Cuthbert Joins the Bush Boys. His favorite activity was nature study at the farm. His least favorite thing this year was written narrations. His hardest subject was math and his easiest subject was free reading. When asked if school was too hard, too easy, or just write he replied just right.

Other things that Tyler enjoyed and ranked high on his list were Life of Fred, Story of the World 1, St. Joseph's Baltimore Catechism #1, dictation, Fix It, weather study, and morning basket.

Caleb's favorite book/subject was history (20th century). His least favorite was LifeWork: Finding Your Purpose in Life. He complained about the author's tree comparisons. Tyler has requested NOT to read that book in the future, lol.

Other things that ranked high on Caleb's list were Seton Science 7, Winston Grammar, morning basket, nature study, and Xtra Math.

We had many changes compared to the book list in the previous posts. Too many to talk about! Yet, there were some great changes. Saxon math was a hit. Switching Caleb's history and science were very favorable, too. 

I saw great improvements in both the boys independent work. I had some much needed "free" time during school hours. It was just enough of a break that I needed to get through our day.

Keep in mind that these were our positives and to respect the boy's privacy I'm not going to discuss any goals not meet.  : )

Weekend Ramblings {May 30, 2015}

 The older I get the less things I can have going on at once. Some would say this a negative of aging. I think perhaps it's a gift of maturity. I work on less, spend more time working on one project, and those projects turn out much better. Anyway, that is my wishful excuse of why I have not been blogging (but you shouldn't expect an awesome post).  ; )

From green to gray blue.

What's been going on around here? Finally got some painting done! I'm excited about it. The kitchen color didn't turn out the gray that I thought it was going to be so we decided not to paint the rest of the house that color (living room and hallway to bedrooms). I love the kitchen color though.

Lucy gate to prevent her from licking the walls. At least that is what I thought she would do. Turns out she will lean against them.

We just went to Lowes and pick a color on the spot for the remaining painting. When I got home I realized that it wasn't as dark as I wanted but too late at that point. It turned out pleasant though. Lighter than before so it has really brightened up the place (don't need lamps in the evening as soon as we use too) and feels like a new place. I loved the color we had before (dark, warm and cozy kind of feeling) but I'm loving the change . . . new season of life.

Caleb was a big help. Love a teenager in the house!

It's not white but a boring beige instead. Lighting is horrible in this picture. The hallway is the about the same color as the new color and what is being covered up is much darker than that hallway.

We have yet to hang anything back on the walls. I want a different arrangement and haven't thought about that yet. I think I'm going to have to purchase something new too. There was a lot of blank space before painting. I have these curtains from Target in navy blue on order. I wasn't expecting to replace curtains but a blind broke and I decided to replace it with a curtain which then led to all new curtains so they would match. I did have coupons and got a good deal. 

It has been rainy here this spring and we have not made it out to our favorite nature study place very often. We did go during our first week of summer break and took along some friends. Fishing, metal detecting, and games were all enjoyed (all share more pictures in my year end review post). The geese are no longer at the lake and I didn't get a picture. Maybe next year?

We've had two weeks of summer break and it's been busier than expected (and wanted). I'm worried this is going to be the norm, which would be my fault for putting off appointments until summer break. I think it will clear up the end of June and into July. 

Iris blowing in the wind.

We did make it out to the farm last Saturday to play around a little. Scott took his duck boat to make sure all leaks have been fixed. They have. Now he just needs a spot to store it until next duck season (it currently sits in the yard . . . .).

Lucy insist on going for a boat ride but they make her nervous.

Weekend goal: Finalize book list for next year and order books. Completed!!! This has been a long time coming. Next is to start pre-reading those books. I have a whole week in June planned (nothing on the calendar!!) to sit down and plan out those book readings, make a schedule, put dates on the calendar, and other details. I'm waiting until then to pick our school start date (mid to late July). Anyone want to make some guesses on how many snow days the public school will be using next year so that I can plan our end date too? My boys insist of ending the same day as them. It's the least I can do to give them that since we start much earlier. 

Iris blooming was here and gone. I struggled to get any good pictures. It was either cloudy, windy, raining, or all of the above. I thought I would share a few since I always do. Day Lily season will be here very soon!

More blowing in the wind!

 

Still here!

We have just been a little busy finishing up the school year. One more week to go! I'm sure I'll be more talkative after that.  ; )

Quick updates:
*Goslings at the family farm! We saw three (very small) and it looked like more eggs would hatch. Maybe we will get to go out some time this week and check in on them. We didn't get pictures because we did not want to bother them anymore than we did. How about pictures of a Robin's nest that we have been watching outside the living room window (in the neighbor's tree)instead?

*Part of the painting project is done. Kitchen/dining room painted in record time (it helps having a teenager in the house even though I felt like I had to walk after him and clean up paint drips, lol!). One problem though! My gray is blue! I like it but I had planned to paint the living room and hallway the same color and I don't want this color in those areas. On to plan B for the rest of the painting.

*Spring turkey season is over. Two for Scott and zero for the boys. I found these pictures hilarious of Scott, turkey #2, and Lucy. I've included some captions on these photos because I know exactly what the dog is thinking. I'm good at knowing what is going on in the head of (naughty) children and puppies. Just ask the boys!

"I know you told me not to lick it, and I'm trying hard to obey, but any chance you have changed your mind?" Lucy says while licking her lips. Scott simply replies, "No, Lucy."

I may look happy, but I'm deathly afraid of that large creature. I'm hoping this is not the thing I'm expected to retrieve when I'm older . . . .  I wonder if I could sneak in a lick?

Are you sure I can't have one lick?

*Our Boy Scout Troop held a Court of Honor last week. Tyler received his first rank in Boy Scouts. Caleb received his Life Scout rank (Eagle is next!!). Tyler was embarrassed that he was suppose to kiss his mother to receive his rank . . . . awkward photos! Caleb didn't look too happy about it either.

 

* Tyler got a new hamster. He named him Humphrey. I was really worried about getting another hamster since I had one as a kid and it was not a good pet. The last one Tyler got was perfect (squeaked when we where holding it if it needed to go to the bathroom. Seriously, it was hand trained!). I think we may have gotten lucky again. Humphrey seems well mannered. He was named after the hamster in a series of books about the adventures of a classroom hamster. Tyler originally wanted to name him Hammy Junior but it just didn't feel right.  We talked him out of Fluffy, Golden, and Jeffrey (which is fine name for a man or a giraffe but not a hamster) and then Tyler remembered his favorite hamster character! Close one!

What have you been up to lately?

Weekend Spring Daybook {April 2015}

Outside my window . . . . .

It's cloudy this morning . . . . expecting rain.

This week . . . . .
Simple days (school, chores, free time, repeat). 

I went through the boys clothes to put away some of the winter stuff, get out more summer stuff, and pull out outgrown and unwanted clothes.

We were able to get out to the family farm for some nature study last Tuesday. Lucy and I walked around the lake, the boys went fishing, and I got to try out one of my birthday presents (portable hammock perfect for reading by the lake). We were greeted by lot of wildlife at the family farm: a Great blue heron, Pied-billed grebe, and a goose.

First catch of the day.

Boys fishing . . . . taking turns since we only brought one fishing pole.

Spring turkey season is in full swing. The boys have yet to get one but Scott got his first turkey of the season. We still have turkey meat from the fall season . . . . must plan some turkey meals.

I am thankful for . . . . 
Spring! Love the green. The birds are nonstop outside the windows. Nature is out and about at our favorite nature study spot. The school year is coming to an end, just a few more weeks until summer break. All things to be thankful for at the moment.

Phlox (wild sweet william) currently blooming out at the family farm.

Wildflower/weed called Yellow rocket (Winter cress) is currently blooming at the family farm.

Clicking around . . . . .
Some of my favorite things on the web that I read this week.
Why Voldemort Hates Homeschooling from Haley @ Carrots for Michaelmas (goes along with the current struggle of the government trying to take away the rights of parents and just the fact we are reading this series right now)
Exploring with Small Boys from Erin @ Seven Little Australians & Counting (this is true with big boys too!)
The Use and Misuse of Charlotte Mason's First Principle  from Brandy @ Afterthoughts (I think I could talk Charlotte Mason all day!)



Around the house . . . . 
New doors were installed last Saturday. Just a little finishing touches are needed (like painting the front door and trim needs to be recut to fit). It was a little weird having holes in the house. Lucy was in heaven to go in and out as she pleased. The weather was good for the project.

Lucy wanted to help. Or was just thankful all the loud noises had come to an end.

Painting is next on the list.

A peak at my day . . . . 
Our days have been pretty much school, chores, free time, repeat. Simple days are fine with me, but I'm looking forward to a little change of pace this summer.

I am working on . . . .
getting ready for a garage sale for next week.

I'm hoping to get started on a meal planning project. I get bored with our meals. I need more variety. I'm thinking of a seasonal rotation. I also need to plan meals with turkey and deer leftover from the fall.

Lucy's introduction to a fish.

Planning ahead . . . . 
I sat down with the calendar on Friday and planned out the upcoming week. I love being able to do this. I don't handle stress well so doing this prevents stress and makes me happy. I also spent a long time on the phone rescheduling appointments to make the calender less stressful.

In the school room . . . .
Three more weeks until summer break! I'm ready to be done. The boys have been working hard to stay ahead. We are counting pages and days to make sure books get finished. I'm thinking ahead to summer planning, summer reading for the boys and myself, and summer education opportunities. All good stuff!

Still no goslings at the family farm.