Weekly Wrap-up: August 13-19

In My Life This Week

Unplugged and under-scheduled! OK, I'm not QUITE unplugged! LOL However, I don't venture onto the laptop until the kids are nestled in bed. I am surprised at the kids though. Would you believe that I haven't heard Mom, I'm bored! since we started this? They seem CONTENTED with simplified days! And look at all that we've accomplished: 

1. Cleaned up the kids' bedrooms, throwing away BAGS of old clothing, broken toys and trash, and donating BAGS of outgrown clothing, toys and unused items
2. Organized 4 closets, including the entry closet and all those STINKY old sneakers
3. Took the dog for long, relaxing walks through the woods, watched the chickens "free range", and caught wood frogs and peepers, grasshoppers and dragonflies
4. Sat down to leisurely family meals without rushing off to TV, computer and video games
5. Read TONS of books and the kids reread old "Your Big Backyard" and "Ranger Rick" magazines
6. Created fun puppets and art from the "Art Junk Drawer", put together a few puzzles, created Lego masterpieces, and played board and card games
7. C and S made, um, "improvements" to the treehouse with items they repurposed from the garage

  In Our Homeschool This Week

We starting to put together our 4H posters to display at the upcoming agricultural fair. C decided to focus on "Backyard Botany", identifying wild plants in our own yard, while S - SURPRISE, SURPRISE! - did "My Pet Chickens".  (No photos yet, but soon!)

The kids LOVE our Read Aloud, Shiloh by Phyllis Reynolds Naylor, this week! Shiloh is a wonderful story about a boy's love of a dog and what he does to protect him from an uncaring owner. And if YOU would like a GREAT read, read Charlie St. Cloud by Ben Sherwood. I never did see the movie, but the book is a page-turner!

Places We're Going and People We're Seeing

• J spent the weekend hiking Mt Katahdin - Maine's highest peak - with the Boy Scouts and then turned right around and spent the week with my ILs, going to Advanced Culinary Camp. Hiking EXHAUSTED him, but he enjoyed the experience and learned LOTS at cooking camp. (I'm slowly phasing myself OUT of the kitchen! LOL)
• J's friend T stayed with us for a couple of days while his parents were off on a Canadian vacation
• C and S went to the final Rec Center free lunch

My Favorite Thing This Week

Hanging out at our little library. By myself. Searching through the ADULT SECTION and catching up on the newest bestsellers. And reading on the covered wraparound porch with a view of Main Street and the lake.

 

What's Working/Not Working for Us Me

An earlier, simpler bedtime routine for the kids. Getting the younger two settled in for the night by 8:00 and sending the oldest up at 9:00 lets me have a couple of hours of Mom Time. And a chance to watch TV I would rather THEY didn't see! (I do like Reality TV too much! LOL)

 

Thoughts/Questions I Have

When is my back-ordered curriculum going to arrive? J's Around in the World in 180 Days set hasn't shipped from Rainbow Resource yet! T minus 18 days to our first day back! I'm starting to "what if" plan, perhaps having him chose a period of time to study that interests him.

 

Photos, Link, Video, or Quote to Share

Meet our flock! I talked with our "egg donor" and found out our chicks are Barred Rocks, Partridge Rocks, and Americana. And the mystery chick with feathers growing out of the sides of her legs is probably Cochin-Americana. (The first chick is Black Eye! I somehow forgot to write the name on the photo!) Any guesses as to who's a rooster? Our friend thinks they're ALL hens! Getting 10-for-10 out of incubated eggs is like winning the lottery! (Somehow I don't think we won the Chicken Lottery with the sounds coming out of Ewok this morning!)

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