Weekly Wrap-up: Week 18 - The One with Pet Pics (Because I Forgot Homeschool Ones)

Oops! I didn't take a single photo of homeschool this week, so how about some pet pics instead?

CORE WORK

CATI

• English Grammar 101: Section 6 - Prepositions (99%), Section 7 - Conjunctions and Interjections
• Writing - Started a Blog (Visit her here)
• Vocab Test List 2 (95%), List 3 (85%)
• Laddie (Stratton Potter)
• Khan Academy Pre-Algebra - 85% Completed

SAM

• Grammar and Writing Handbook: Unit 2 - Commas, Unit 3 - Verbs 
• Grammar Smart Junior: Nouns,  Pronouns
• English Grammar 101: Lesson 1 - Nouns (58%)
• Writing - Descriptive Writing 5 Essay Paragraph
• Grammar Ninja - Level 2 
• Rascal (North)
• Saxon 65 - Lesson 8 (Subtraction Facts), Lesson 9 (Subtraction Algorithm), Lesson 10 (Missing Addends), Test 1 (100%)

More changes for Sam and his curriculum. Math is moving ahead again with the change from Khan to Saxon, but we needed a change in Grammar as well. So, he started English Grammar 101 (online). He also started learning to write a 5 paragraph essay since he's finding "perfect paragraphs" boring. 

ASTRONOMY

Sam finished Lesson 8: Rocks, studying meteors and asteroids and creating a model of the solar system.

• Notebook Page/Project Page
• Asteroid Belt
• Solar System Model

GENERAL SCIENCE

Cati finished Module 7: The Fossil Record this week with a 90% on her exam.

• How Fossils are Formed
• Features of Fossil Records
• Petrifaction 
• Carbonate Residues and Impressions

U.S. HISTORY and GEOGRAPHY

I read aloud to Sam from History of Us: The First Americans Prehistory-1600 (Hakim). We covered chapters 16-19.

• Christopher Columbus
• Beginning of American Slavery
• Navigation
• Latitude and Longitude
• Taino
• Cartography
• Abraham Zacuto and Astronomical Charts
• Giovanni Caboto
• Vasco Nunez de Balboa
• Ferdinand Magellan 

MUSIC HISTORY, GEOGRAPHY and CULTURES

Cati studies Music History with Easy Peasy Homeschool, and continued on with Year 3 Geography and Cultures. Since the lessons are quick, she completes one week per day, sometimes more. This week she completed weeks 9-12.

• Woodwind and Brass Instruments

ENRICHMENT

Cati

• Jazz and Concert Band
• CNN Student News
• Walked miles

Sam

• CNN Student News

DAYS COMPLETED: CATE - 114 | SAM - 108

As always, special thanks to these bloggers for their weekly homeschool blog link-ups. Click the buttons to see what other homeschoolers are doing!

Happy Homeschooling!

Wednesday Hodgepodge: Every Day New Beginnings

 

1. Share a winter memory from your childhood.

The Island Country Club has this HUGE hill perfect for sledding. I remember my mom, my sister and I trudging through the snow to the hill (as it's a bit of a walk from the road), and sledding lightning-quick down that hill with other families. I couldn't have been older than 8 or 9, but I still remember how exciting it was.

2. What was on your blog this time last year? (Besides the Hodgepodge of course!) If you weren't blogging, what in the world were you doing with all that free time? 

Last year's post AROUND this time: http://oursideofthemtn.blogspot.com/2015/01/six-word-saturday-finding-feng-shug.html. (A blog hop I couldn't keep up with despite the simplicity of it.)

3. Ellen Goodman is quoted as saying, 'We spend January 1 walking through our lives, room by room, drawing up a list of work to be done, cracks to be patched. Maybe this year, to balance the list, we ought to walk through the rooms of our lives...not looking for flaws, but for potential.' 

Do you see more flaws or more potential in your life at the start of a new year? Have you done anything specific this month to address either one? Does the new year truly begin for you on January 1, or is there some other month of the year that feels like a fresh start and new beginning?

A "new year" starts every morning when we wake up, a new day, a new beginning, a new chance to make a change, to move forward. Change doesn't need to wait for a specific date!

4. Who's an athlete you admire or respect and why?

Is it bad that I can't think of one? I'm don't really follow sports, especially professional, nor do I have cable to see games or news regularly. And nothing has come across my Facebook newsfeed lately about something awesome an athlete has done. :: wink::

5. Do you like cream in your coffee? Whipped cream on your pumpkin pie? Cream cheese on a bagel? Sour cream on a baked potato? Cream of wheat for breakfast? Have you ever had a scone with clotted cream? Of all the creamy foods mentioned, which one sounds most appealing to you right this very minute?

Oh, whipped cream on a homemade New England Pumpkin Pie would be awesome! Now, who'll bake it?

6. Where were you last kept waiting for 'hours on end'? Or for what felt like hours on end? How well did you cope?

My husband and I are waiting for one more thing to fall into place before taking a step towards a DREAM of OURS. The waiting and not knowing is tough! I'm impatient! But if everything works out as we hope, it'll be worth it.

7. Believe it or not, when next week's Hodgepodge rolls around it will be February.Huh?!? Bid adieu here to January in seven words or less.

In with a chill, out with a thaw.

8.  Insert your own random thought here.

Join Joyce from From This Side of the Pond for Wednesday Hodgepodge. Share in the randomness!

Happy Hodgepodging!

Journal Jottings of a Maine Mama: January 25, 2016

Where did January go? Poof! Soon, it'll be February! I remember sitting in class, 5th grade actually, thinking how S-L-O-W time went. School took forever and a day to reach dismissal. Now? Days sometime fly by like minutes! But we're getting closer to spring...

CLOCK READS
9:46am

WEATHER IN MY NECK OF THE WOODS
Sun and blue skies. We might just hit freezing today!

OUTSIDE MY WINDOW and IN THE GARDEN
Snow-covered.

WHAT I'M DOING RIGHT NOW and AROUND THE HOUSE
I'm in comfy, cozy sweats waiting for Sam to finish cooking his pancake breakfast sandwich so we can start homeschooling. I've vacuumed and swept the floors, gathered trash, and thought about doing the pile of dirty dishes.

TO DO
☐  Get to those Leaks

DINNER
Chicken, Gravy and Biscuits with Peas, Carrots and Celery

WHAT'S ON TV
"Mork and Mindy"! I found Retro TV shows on Hulu. I never watched "Mork and Mindy" as a child. I was just young enough that it wasn't a show I was interested in, but wasn't that Robin Williams a talent. :: sigh ::

FROM THE CRAFT BASKET
I finished my ripple blanket with fans in Red Heart Super Saver Frosted Green, Aran and White. (Free pattern here.) It measures 40x46. I don't often save my creations for myself, but THIS time I am! With the yarn scraps, I'm going to make a cute, striped owl pillow. (Free pattern here.)

I'm sharing my crocheting creations over at Lucy Blossom Crafts (Mondays), Frontier Dreams (Tuesdays), Small Things (Wednesdays), Oombawka Design (Wednesdays), and Lunamon Design (Wednesdays).

PAGE TURNERS

A BLESSING
My daughter Cati who turning into a compassionate, thoughtful and creative young woman.

DEVOTIONAL and INSPIRATION
And be ye kind to one another, tenderhearted, forgiving one another, even as God for Christ's sake hath forgiven you. (Ephesians 4:32)

I'm linking up to The Simple Woman's Daybook and Happy Homemaker are Mondays.

Weekly Wrap-up: Week 17 - Focus, Focus, Focus!

It's been one of those weeks where *I*  just wanted to break from school and housework, and just read and crochet and stay warm in cozy PJs. What's a homeschool mom to do? I prodded on, knowing that we're aiming for wrapping up the year by the end of April and taking too many breaks won't get us there. The kids did great despite *my* lack of focus. Unfortunately, I didn't feel like taking photos either, so this post doesn't have many. The kids are off to spend some time with their Dad this weekend; a perfect time for THIS mom to reboot.

CORE WORK

CATI

• English Grammar 101: Section 5 Modifiers - Adjectives and Adverbs (100%), Section 6 - Prepositions
• Writing - Martin Luther King, Jr. 5 Paragraph Essay
• Vocab Test Grade 9 List 1 (89%)
• Laddie (Stratton Potter)
• Khan Academy Pre-Algebra - 83% Completed

SAM

• Grammar and Writing Handbook: Unit 2 - Commas, Unit 3 - Verbs 
• Grammar Smart Junior: Nouns
• Writing - Descriptive Writing 5 Essay Paragragh
• Grammar Ninja - Level 2
• Cursive Copywork - James 1:19
• Rascal (North)
• Khan Academy Math 4 - 45% Completed
• Saxon 65 - Lesson 4 (Equal To/Less Than/ Greater Than), Lesson 5 (Naming Whole Numbers), Lesson 6 (Addition Algorithm), Lesson 7 (Ordinal Numbers)

Sam's struggling a bit with the Grammar and Writing Handbook, so I found Grammar Smart Junior at the library and we're reviewing some concepts before moving on.

A slower, simpler way to review grammar with Sam.

ASTRONOMY

Sam continued on with Lesson 8: Rocks, studying meteors and asteroids and creating a model of the solar system.

• Notebook Page/Project Page
• Comets, Comas, and Orbits
• Halley's, Hale-Bopp and Shoemaker - Levy Comets
• Kuiper Belt, Oort Cloud and Asteroid Belt
• Meteorites, Meteoroids and Meteors
• Asteroids

GENERAL SCIENCE

Cati started Module 7: The Fossil Record this week. She made a fossil cast and model of the carbonization process as well as an experiment of mineral evaporation. 

• How Fossils are Formed
• Features of Fossil Records
• Petrifaction 
• Carbonate Residues and Impressions

Cate used Plaster of Paris to make a fossil model...with her colorful flair.

U.S. HISTORY and GEOGRAPHY

I read aloud to Sam from History of Us: The First Americans Prehistory-1600 (Hakim). We covered chapters 13-15.

• Vikings or Norseman
• Archaeology, Anthropology, Historians, and Zoology to Determine History
• Early Maps
• Johannes Gutenberg and the Printing Press
• Renaissance Period
• Improvements in the Compass and Cartography for Sea Navigation
• Henry the Navigator
• Christopher Columbus
• Ptolemy

MUSIC HISTORY, GEOGRAPHY and CULTURES

Cati studies Music History with Easy Peasy Homeschool, and continued on with Year 3 Geography and Cultures. Since the lessons are quick, she completes one week per day, sometimes more. This week she completed weeks 4-8.

• Double Bass
• Harp
• Woodwinds

ENRICHMENT

Cati

• Concert Band
• CNN Student News
• Walked miles
• Photography
• Baked Homemade Samoas Cookies

Cate made Girl Scout Samoas Copy Cat Cookies. They were delish!

Sam

• CNN Student News

DAYS COMPLETED: CATE - 109 | SAM - 104

As always, special thanks to these bloggers for their weekly homeschool blog link-ups. Click the buttons to see what other homeschoolers are doing!

Happy Homeschooling!

Wednesday Hodgepodge: The Perfect Accessory to Cheese and Hypocrisy

1.  Speaking of skating...when did you last 'skate on thin ice', 'skate over the details', 'encounter a cheapskate', or just plain skate?

I've been told I'm a "cheapskate", but I like to call myself a conscientious purchaser. I'd rather "make do" and spend money on something meaningful such as an EXPERIENCE rather than on cable TV, the newest gadget or eating out.

2. What would you say is the biggest problem of people your age?

I'm going to be serious here: DEBT. With college loans, the high cost of housing and transportation, the ease of obtaining credit cards, a sense of not delaying satisfaction, and challenges finding employment (in some places), we are a generation that seems to owe someone.

3. What's your favorite accessory? Is it something you wear every day, often, or only on special occasions?

There's two accessories that mean the world to me: my engagement ring and my wedding band. A promise of forever!

4. January 20th is National Cheese Lover's Day. Are you a lover of cheese? What's your favorite dish made with cheese? Last thing you ate that contained some kind of cheese? 

Cheese. Is. Awesome! For lunch I had a homemade Girl Scout Samoas cookie that my daughter made - shortbread cookies with toasted, sweetened coconut, caramel and chocolate - and a low fat cheese stick. At least I saved some calories, right? My favorite dish would be baked macaroni and cheese. Comfort food at its best!

5. What's something guaranteed to make you roll your eyes?

I sometimes have little patience and understanding for adults who demand (yes, DEMAND) certain behaviors from others yet not from themselves. How can someone expect others to comply when they are hypocritical in their own choices?

6. Your favorite book series? 

I'm more of a genre kind of reader. I like books with a message, with triumph over challenge, with love and family and devotion. 

7. Why did you choose your profession?

I didn't always start out as a teacher. I remember telling my professors that I would never "go in that direction" (despite being at a teaching college). My plan was to focus on child and family therapy. But I was burned out completing by BA with a major in Psychology and 2 minors in French and Sociology in 3 years. After getting married and a 4 year break, I had a change of heart. I went back to school and became a certified K-8 teacher. 

8. Insert your own random thought here. 

Join Joyce from From This Side of the Pond for Wednesday Hodgepodge. Share in the randomness!

Happy Hodgepodging!

Journal Jottings of a Maine Mama: January 18, 2011

CLOCK READS
10:00am

WEATHER IN MY NECK OF THE WOODS
The WHITE STUFF has arrived! 11 inches of snow fell this past week, and another 1-3 inches are predicted for today. High temperatures hover just below freezing with lows dipping into the single digits. Winter has settled in.

OUTSIDE MY WINDOW and IN THE GARDEN

WHAT I'M DOING RIGHT NOW and AROUND THE HOUSE
Lounging on the sectional with Rosie and Winnie, our "golden" age dogs, sipping hot cocoa in my PJs and slippers, wondering when my boys will emerge from their slumber.

WEEKLY TO DO (FROM LAST WEEK & WEEK BEFORE BECAUSE I JUST HAVEN'T GOTTEN TO THEM)
☐ Fix Toilet Leak
☐ Fix Sink Leak
☐ Organize the Container Cupboard

BREAKFAST, LUNCH and DINNER
Breakfast: Leftover Hawaiian Pizza
Lunch: Pancakes and Scrambled Eggs
Dinner: Something with Beef, Potatoes and Frozen Veggies

(And yes, breakfast and lunch are flip-flopped, but why not?)

WHAT'S ON TV
Again, nothing as I'm waiting for February and premieres of my favorite shows on Hulu: "The Voice", "Survivor", 'The Amazing Race", and "The Big Bang Theory". Less TV viewing means more time for home improvement projects reading and crocheting!

FROM THE CRAFT BASKET

Call me CROCHET CRAZY, but I not only have 2 WIP afghans, an earthy-toned moss green, yellow and white ripple with fans (that I might just keep for MYSELF) and a temperature blanket that my daughter wants, and 3 WIP toddler beanies for my pastor and his wife's grandkids, but I think I might just start another temperature blanket based on high temperatures during my first year married. Wouldn't that be a great afghan to snuggle under together? But Tom and I still have to decide on colors and pattern...

Ripple Blanket Pattern
Temperature Blanket Facebook Group
Basic Beanie Pattern and How to Make a Pom Pom Video

I'm sharing my crocheting creations over at Lucy Blossom Crafts (Mondays), Frontier Dreams (Tuesdays), Small Things (Wednesdays), Oombawka Design (Wednesdays), and Lunamon Design (Wednesdays).

READING

A BLESSING
Provision. In so many utterly amazing ways.

NO WORDS NEEDED

DEVOTIONAL and INSPIRATION
I will both lay me down in PEACE and SLEEP; for thou, LORD, only makest me dwell in SAFETY. (Psalms 4:8)

I'm linking up to The Simple Woman's Daybook and Happy Homemaker are Mondays.