As the Garden Grows: May 19-25

What a fantabulous week!

All the determined (and sometimes EXHAUSTING) discipline consistency and firm reminders of behavior expectations have paid off! Our Saplings have had MUCH more pleasant, helpful dispositions this week. And better moods make for a more relaxed, enjoyable times together!

Balsam Fir's To Go Lunch: Brownie Bites,
Pineapple Chunks, Pasta Salad with Pepper
Slices, Carrots, Peas, Cucumber Slices,
and Turkey-and-Cheese Pinwheels, and a
Peppered Hard-boiled Egg

My To Do Lunch: Pineapple Chunks, Cucumber Slices, Crushed
Honey Chex to top Non-fat Organic Strawberry Yogurt, Turkey
Scraps, Peppered Hard-boiled Egg, and Brownie Bites

Stacked and Ready to Drop into the Cooler
with Ice Packs...Names Written on Top Since
Meals are Customized

So, what DID we do this week?

We rototilled! Well, BLUE SPRUCE rototilled! LOL While he was tearing up the yard, I was off at our group portfolio reviews. Another year has officially ended! Let Year 9 commence! My assessor even stayed 1 1/2 hours after reviews ended to talk - ((GULP!)) - homeschooling high school with me.

Front of House View: Fenced in Garden, Chicken and Ducks
and Corner of Square Foot Garden Bed

Back of House View: Fenced in Garden, TENT and Hammock,
and Chicken Coop

And we loaded up the back of a friend's truck with compost several times from the Transfer Station to add to the garden. Isn't it cool that our TRASH DUMP composts?

Moving Compost

Balsam Fir discovered the weed whacker. That boy with tools! But at least he's a HUGE help around the yard, huh? I think he's weed whacked for 4 hours? 5 hours? this week. Weeds be gone! LOL

The Saplings and I spent Sunday afternoon at the educational farm ORIENTEERING. Did you know that I'm "directionally-challenged"? Sugar Maple, too. Anyway, Wikipedia defines Orienteering as:

Orienteering is a family of sports that requires navigational skills using a map and compass to navigate from point to point in diverse and usually unfamiliar terrain, and normally moving at speed. Participants are given a topographical map, usually a specially prepared orienteering map, which they use to find control points.

International Orienteering Symbol

I was a little disappointed that we didn't learn COMPASS skills though. Someday I'll have a better understanding of using one! I'd like to say that I completed the course with the kids, but I didn't.  Perhaps next time? ((wink))

A View at the Farm

On Wednesday we visited the farm AGAIN, but this time for ICE CREAM MAKING. Yum! Sadly, it was the last day of our family pass until the winter. (Summer and fall are just too busy to add in farm activities too.) We then spent the afternoon wondering around the wildlife park with friends.

Some days we completed just a little bit of our "summer studies", but mostly we followed our own interests. White Pine fenced in and planted his newly 'tilled and composted garden. Sugar Maple practiced her clarinet and created crafts. Balsam Fir built a "water house". Using wooden planks, he created the floor of a "house" that allowed the brook to flow under and through (because MOM was worried he would dam the whole thing up and make a pond in the yard). There was some dirt-flinging and "chicken chasing" and movie watching and bike riding. And the kids went swimming in the lake. Brrrrr! No way, no how for me! LOL

 

Now, my plan is to do some of the fun, hands-on "stuff" for learning that I've pinned from Pinterest this summer. This week we did some Math coordinate learning, but I'll be creating a post JUST for our hands-on fun soon. Check back for it! How do YOU use Pinterest in your schooling?

I hope to join up with the Daily Outdoors Challenge at Cultivated Lives next week. Our goal is to spend at least an hour outside EVERY SINGLE DAY. Wanna join? Click on the link!

Oh, and check out my friend from 3 Crazy Monkeys latest blog giveaway for Fiber One Chewy Bars here!

I'm a little tired from this week though. LOL How about you?