A Peak at Our Week: The One with Ups, Downs and All-Arounds

In My Life This Week

I had a morning out with my friend A__, eating breakfast at IHOP, shopping at the mall and checking out a new grocery store that opened. Nothing exciting, but it's ALWAYS nice to get out for MYSELF TIME with a friend. 

I have come to the conclusion that I can predict rain with more accuracy than ANY meteorologist. How? It's QUITE simple! No matter how blue the skies, if I hang out a load of laundry it WILL rain. :sigh: Perhaps I should reconsider the dryer...

Things I Worked On
A wall repair. I noticed something amiss with part of a wall near the bay window right before our vacation. It's slowly gotten worse over the weeks, so an insurance agent was called in and a contractor found to fix what needed fixing. But I guess *I* really didn't work on that! :wink: 

I also, sadly, rolled up the chicken wire around our garden, pulled up the metal posts, and stored everything. The kids and I have decided that our lives are just too busy to continue our "yard garden" and will stick with the Square Foot one next season. But I'm excited to share that we have at least 9 Sugar Pie pumpkins; that's 9 more than we got last year. :wink:

In the Kitchen
Cati made our favorite cookies this past weekend: Tollhouse Chocolate Chip. We just flip the bag of semi-sweet chocolate chips over, and follow the recipe, but you can find it here. Unfortunately she cooked them at 450 degrees: burnt edges and gooey middles. I picked up another bag of chips, Halloween ones this time, and she plans on trying again.

Photo Credit

High School Happenings
I suppose I can't call Jake a HOMESCHOOLER anymore now that he's attending high school elsewhere, so here's a section JUST FOR HIM.

I kind of thought Jake would have a HUGE adjustment to his EARLY starts - he's the kid who likes to stay up late and sleep in until noon - but he's surprised me. HE'S not the one with "wake-up whines". (See the next section. :wink:) His days are LONG though, starting at 6:20, heading off at 7:00, returning home around 5:00. He's a trooper though...because he's LOVING this new STEM school.

But what's not to love? There are NO textbooks. The kids work in teams and solve problems or build models of concepts. They discuss and share ideas and give presentations. They jump on their new school-issued lapbooks to share on-line resources and play games. No homework. They have 1 1/2 hours for lunch, "social time" and adviser meetings.  DEFINITELY not your typical public school!

(I'd have some photos, but he's a TEENAGE BOY. Need I say more? LOL)

Homeschool Happenings
Our first full week back...and it went, um, mostly well. There are ALWAYS some "hiccups" along the way to be worked out, but I'm happy with how things are going. Despite a few STILL TIRED, EARLY MORNING tears and some quiet grumbling, we had a productive week. Do you suppose the kids will adjust to our earlier mornings NEXT week?

So, we had a disappointing start to our Life Science studies. Our first experiment didn't work and needs to be repeated. We were testing to see if sugar kept wild flowers alive longer. What we didn't anticipate was the CAT eating the petals off the flowers. :wink:

Highlights
❀ Easy Grammar (10 Lessons): Prepositions, Prepositional Phrases
❀ Daily Grams (5 Days): Capitalization, Punctuation, Contractions, Verb Phrases, Sentence Combining, Plurals
❀ Spelling Power: Lists 1-6 (C), Lists 1-4 (S)
❀ Bridge to Terabithia (C) and Dinosaurs Before Dark (S)
❀ Saxon 76 lessons 10-14; Math-U-See lessons 8D-F, Test 7
❀ Animal and Plant Cells, Renewable/Nonrenewable Resources, Habitats, Labs: Bread Mold, Food for Flowers, How to Use a Microscope, Self-quiz Chapter 1 (C)
❀ NROC U.S. History Lessons 1-6 and Label U.S. Wall Map

We also signed up for our homeschool co-op classes starting in October (because we need something else to do :wink:). Sam will be taking Flat Stanley, Environment and Wildlife Studies and Lego Club, and Cati will be helping with the preschoolers (to get babysitting experience), and taking Environment and Wildlife Studies too, and then Arts and Crafts (where they're supposed to make soap, learn to use a sewing machine, and maybe even weave baskets).

People and Places
❀ Meandering and Gabbing with A__ (Me) ❀ Movie and Pizza Night with Buds (J) ❀ Scouts (All) ❀ Jazz and Concert Band (C) ❀ Library (Me) ❀ Co-op Class Sign-ups (C/S/Me) ❀

Something to Share

As ALWAYS, linking up to these WONDERFUL blogs:

How to : A Travel Lego Box

It's a good thing that my kids like building and creating with Legos because we have about 300 pounds of those FOOT OUCHIES. With our trip coming up SUPER SOON, I wanted to be able to bring some for Sam, and fill some of those HOURS on the plane. 

I considered bringing one of our Lego Simple Machines kits. They're educational, but expensive. If one of those parts got lost enroute, replacing it would be a frustration (especially since I can't FIND the kits on-line anymore).

So, I improvised.

I found a see-through green 8 inch x 4 inch x 1 inch plastic box with 5 sections and an attached, latching lid. The PERFECT SIZE to slip into a backpack! It used to hold fishing lures from a kid's fishing pole kit we got YEARS ago. It's been bouncing around the house every since, used for holding beads, hair pretties, and STUFF.

Searching through the Lego totes, I found flat pieces in gray, green and blue. I used these pieces to make a road and parking area (gray), grassy places (green) and a lake (blue) on top of the lid. Hot Glue worked awesome to attach the pieces! I did have to cut (with kitchen scissors) on long green piece to fit 2 sections.

FYI: Make sure the glue does not spread out beyond the edges of each piece as you want them to fit SNUGLY next to one another.

I then searched for a "car chassis", a Lego piece with wheels, and specialized pieces that I thought Sam would like to build a vehicle. I included levers, windows, a wheel and boat rudder (and he could make a boat for the water too), red and clear single "bump" Legos (for headlights), antennas, and 2 Mini-Figures, and then threw in a number of varies sized bricks. All these I fit inside the box. And for now they're organized!

FYI: Don't forget a Mini-Figure or two for more imaginative play.

Voila! A Travel Lego Box with things we had lying around the house. And if a piece goes missing? No biggie! (No laughing at my QUICK build to try out the box's top! LOL And yes, that red-and-yellow THING in the lake IS a sailboat...)

The Homeschool Mother's Journal: The One with Campin', Swimmin', and Grillin'

In My Life This Week
I tweaked my lower back while swimming. I guess I'm too old to be doing twists-and-turns under water. :wink: Sam won; he completed 3 flips before coming up for air. :sigh: A painful back meant a week of "rest" (i.e. not lifting or bending much, but still driving here-and-there and doing some housework).

In the Kitchen
• BBQ Burgers with Grilled Corn on the Cob and Tossed Green Salad • Low-fat Greek Yogurt Smoothies with Fresh Berries and Toast • Beef and Barley Soup • Egg and Ham Breakfast Sandwiches on Garlic Cheese Bread with Pineapple Slices •

I'm Grateful For

A Coleman tabletop grill my friend A__ gave us! Our OLD grill wasn't working well so it's been WONDERFUL to have a replacement and cook-out again. The kids LOVE BBQ picnics! (And I don't have to cook inside a way-too-hot kitchen.)

Sam's Favorite Thing
Why am I SUCH a softie? :sigh: Meet Winnie, an almost 9-year-old Canadian Toller, who's become Sam's BFF.

Homeschool Happenings
Camp week! Jake and Sam headed to Cub Scout Camp this week where the theme was Knights and Castles. Jake volunteered with the Wolves (2nd graders) and proved VERY valuable to the adult den leader volunteers as he knows his way around the camp like a 2nd home. It's a GREAT experience for him in patience, learning to give clear instructions, teaching, discipline, and being a positive role model for younger boys. And Sam had a blast shooting targets with a bow and arrow or a BB gun, swimming, cooking over a fire, and doing arts and crafts while meeting new friends. For him, camp this year was a HUGE STEP towards independence from the familiar, something that he's uncomfortable with (probably stemming from his SPD). 

And Cati went to her 2nd week of Band Camp. She's LOVING it this year she was able to join the JAZZ BAND and plays snappier music. There are only 2 clarinet players in Jazz so I'm looking forward to her final concert and seeing her music showcased.

Homeschool Helps
FREE! Calendar Binder 26 page printable from Blessed Beyond a Doubt

People and Places

• Rec Lunch and the Lake • Cub Scout Camp • Band Camp •

Something to Share

Phew! It's been SWELTERING in Maine, muggy and hot. (I think I'm ready for Autumn already...) Even the MOOSE need to cool off!

Photo Credit

As ALWAYS, linking up to these WONDERFUL blogs:

As the Garden Grows AND Clucks and Quacks: Swinging, Spuds and Sassiness

Wanna see my FAVORITE part of the garden?

It's our hammock. It spans between 2 mossy Maples near our bubbling brook. (Like those aliterations? :grin:) It's a perfectly dapple-shaded area for MOM TIME, even with the kids nearby. 

Shh! Sometimes I even go out on breezier days (so those darn 'quitoes aren't so bad) and a cozy blanket and take a snooze. Do you suppose the kids think I'm weird? :wink:

Anyway...

So, the garden is growing. The Kennebec white potatoes are growing like WEEDS now that they've popped up through the soil. The spuds left in the dark, dry utility room sprouted more eyes so Jake planted those in one of the raised beds by the gone-by asparagus. 

Did you know that you're not supposed to cut back the asparagus until SPRING? I asked my friend Susan from Itsy Bitsy Farm for help. (You can find her here on Facebook too. You should check her out! She grows LOADS of veggies in raised beds on only 1/8th of an acre.) She's my 'gus go-to person. (Jake DID tell me that I couldn't cut them now, but...Yes, he was right again. :sigh:) The asparagus is like a mini forest!

The beans are almost flowering. It won't be long now before we're snacking on them. And the snow peas are climbing up the TREE TRELLISES. 

Tip: If you've got trees surrounding your yard, send the kids out in search of small downed limbs with multiple branches. Stick these limbs into the soil for climbing plants. No need for metal cages!

I'm happy to report that Ms. Sassy is doing well. Did I share that she had an impacted crop this spring? and that I had to give her veggie oil and massaged her crop several times a day to help her muscles break it down? She was able to pass the blockage after a week, but unfortunately damage has been done to her crop and she has "pendulous crop", her crop is distended from weak muscles and she is more apt to get another blockage. But, she's QUITE "clucky" now!

Cati and I have HIGH HOPES that a flower will FINALLY bloom in her flower garden. She's had some Bleeding Hearts, but the one peony bud dried up and fell off. :sigh: 

Does anyone have any idea what kind of FLOWER PLANT it is? :wink:

Recycling and Reusing: A Whole Lot of Good

Photo Credit

Do you recycle? reuse? reduce? You know, the 3 Rs...of another sort. It's a WONDERFUL way us regular ol' folks to make a HUGE different in our future environment. I'm not talking RADICAL here, just those everyday little changes that add up to a whole lot of good. So, what can you do with your kids?

Read some books about recycling and why it's important

Libraries usually have loads of books to borrow on recycling. (Hey! Another way to reuse - borrowing books from the library! :grin:) Here's some suggestions:

Set out bins to make things easier and show the kids what goes where

Our Transfer Station has an area for recyclables such as plastics, glass and paper and another area for cardboard. Find out how your recycling center sorts things and set up bins accordingly. Teach kids how to clean and sort everyday packaging into those bins. 

Together write down a list of ways that you as a family can go "green"

Nothing empowers kids more than having a say in what their families do...and oftentimes they have the most creative ideas. But if you need some ideas, here's some of ours:

• turn off lights and electronics anytime you leave a room
• use and wash cloth napkins; ditch the paper towels and napkins
• donate and/or buy clothing from Goodwill or Salvation Army
• don't hold the fridge door open, deciding what you want
• bake double batches of casseroles, breads and sweets for another day while the oven is hot
• save and wash plastic or glass containers from products to use for other storage
• combine as many errands as possible when out
• bring a plastic grocery bag and pick up trash while you're playing at the park and place it in a trash bin
• compost
• take quick showers
• dry wash on clotheslines outside
• repurpose or reuse before buying

Thinking of doing earth friendly activities with the kids? Check out these FREE resources:

• Science for Kids
• 20 Ways to Use Cardboard
• Teaching Kids to Conserve Water
• 175 Ways to Repurpose Items for Play

As the Garden Grows: Growing...S-L-O-W-L-Y

Although we've had some super warm temperatures with here-and-there rain, our garden plants aren't growing as well as we'd like. Only half our pumpkins came up and our cucumbers, although abundant last year, are only few this year. But everything is planted, and, except for the just sowed tomatoes, everything is up.

We know that our soil could be missing nutrients, so (if I remember) we're going to pick up some Miracle Grow or another fertilizer the next time we're in town. Any other suggestions?

The little girls don't seem to be growing much either. LOL But their plumage is beautiful and they stick together like BFFs. In about 7 weeks they should be able to join the big girls in the big coop, but for now everyone free ranges together in scratching bliss. The "chicken nuggets" love time to roam, eating grass and bugs. Watching them learn to dust bathe is rather amusing.

The ducks are enjoying lots of time in the brook these days, finding plants and frogs to feast on. I've saved at least 2 large bullfrogs in the last 2 weeks. The ducks aren't happy to lose their meal, but I do my best to watch out for the croakers. They've become rather vocal early in the mornings, wanting out of the coop as the sun rises. Unfortunately that means no sleeping in for this Mama! :sigh: But I find them fun just the same.

As the Garden Grows: SFG, Seedlings and Spring Blooms

:achoo: :sigh: Unfortunately this time of year reeks havoc on my seasonal allergies. Pollen  finely dusts everything outside: the van, the lake water, even the kayaks on the trailer. Poor Jake and Cati aren't immune this spring. I guess they're growing up, huh? We're going through a lot of Zyrtec and tissues these days.

But it only slows us down a little.

Our gardens are up and growing! The snow peas, peas, cucumbers, beans, and pumpkins have sprouted and are growing quite well. We're still waiting on the potatoes and carrots, and the tomatoes will be planted in another week or so (when temperatures will hopefully be warmer).

We plan our gardens with the "square foot" way. Have you heard of Square Foot Gardening? It's a less labor-intensive, raised bed method of gardening. Depending on the plant, a particular number of seeds or seedlings are planted in each square foot of garden space. I found this handy-dandy chart on Facebook last week to help plan sowing.

The graphic didn't help us with our garden this spring, but we're fortunate to have the book! :wink: Here's a video introducing this method by the guy who started SFG.

The basic premise of SFG is to build a 4' x 4' frame with weed cloth stapled to the bottom and filled with "Mel's mix", a combination of compost, vermiculite and peat, with a grid on top of 12" x 12" squares. Each square is planted with a particular number of seeds depending on the plants' space needs. SFG is less labor-intensive and less wasteful (as it uses less space and less water).

You don't need to follow the method EXACTLY. We're repurposed platform bed frames, door frames and even bureau drawers (with holes drilled in the bottoms for drainage) as SFG frames. None are the 4'x4' size, but still manageable...and I didn't have to  buy materials or build the frames. Reuse, right?

Another idea is to purchase concrete or cinder blocks from a home improvement center or building company. They're quite inexpensive, can be painted pretty colors and will certainly last a while. And you can fill those small holes around the edges with easy-to-grow annuals. This blog has a great tutorial to build one of these raised beds and the kids at All Things Beautiful created one here.

Photo Credit 

Tip: Don't worry about purchasing weed cloth or barrier cloth for the bottoms of SFGs. Line the ground beneath the frame with newspaper or cardboard then fill with your soil mixture. The newspaper or cardboard will kill the grass and weeds, but will decompose over time.

And in our experience, you don't even need the boxes to follow the SF PLANTING method. :wink: We planned our 22x14 IN GROUND garden with small rectangular areas divided by hay-lined walkways. We used sticks to draw out square foot sections in the soil and planted seeds based on the number suggested in the graphic above. 

Really, a simple, quick, inexpensive way to garden!

As the Garden Grows: We're Sowed and Blooming

So, are you gardening this year? How're your crops growing? Our seeds arrived by mail from Pine Tree, a Maine company "down the road" from us, and we were anxious to get this season's garden planted. With the help of Jake's friend L_, we got ALL those seeds into the soil, watered well and hopefully on their way to germinating. The Early Girl Tomatoes will be planted later in May when it (hopefully) warms up a tad more.

2013 Crops

Bush Romano Bean

Windsor Broccoli

Boston Pickling Cucumber

Small Sugar Pumpkin

Early Girl Tomato

Kennebec Potato

Parisian Carrot

Knight Pea

Carouby de Maussane Snow Pea

To prepare to sow our seeds, we marked squares in the soil using sticks. These grids helped us to place the seeds with recommended spacing, except for carrots. Have you seen carrot seeds? Teeny tiny, itty bitty! Then, using Jake's quickly drawn map we planted the seeds.

Jake's Kennebec potatoes arrived a few days later and he got those "bedded down" in the larger garden. And now we wait for our seeds to germinate and start growing.

In the meantime, Cati's flower garden continues to grow, and the common violets and dandelions are out. The flowering trees have buds. Everything seems to be popping up quite nicely this spring!