Journal Jottings of a Maine Mama: March 14, 2016

CLOCK READS
2:22pm

WEATHER IN MY NECK OF THE WOODS

Overcast, high 30s.

OUTSIDE MY WINDOW and IN THE GARDEN
Piles of dirty, dingy snow have dwindled in the warmer temperatures. Scattered twigs, pine cones and leaves dot patches of brown grass. A trail of frozen mud marks the walk to the coop. The swollen brook rushes by behind the chicken run.

WHAT I'M DOING RIGHT NOW and AROUND THE HOUSE
I'm resting. I was quite ill yesterday, vomiting. :sigh: I don't usually get more than a slight cold, but this belly bug hit Cate first, then Jake, and settled on me this weekend. Thankfully my wonderful husband willingly took over household tasks and caring for the kids while I spent the day in bed. But it's Monday and there's things to do...

TODAY'S TO DO

• Laundry
• Dishes
• Jazz Band Practice
• Homeschool
• Vacuum
• Salvation Army Donation Drop-off
• Bake Chocolate Chip Banana Bread
• Work on Camping Blog (LINK)

DINNER MENU
Chop Suey and Peas

WHAT'S ON TV
I catch most of my favorite shows, "The Amazing Race", "The Big Bang Theory", "Survivor", and "The Voice" on Hulu and CBS sometime during the week after the newest episodes air. Tonight? I'll be watching "The Amazing Race" and "The Big Bang Theory" from last Friday.

FROM THE CRAFT BASKET

I haven't been sharing updates on my daughter's temperature blanket. It's done in Red Heart Super Saver yarn in red, orange, yellow, spring green, green, blue, navy, and purple with a FPO SC. I started with a chain of 250 using a 3.5mm hook. It's interesting "reading" the blanket for weather! It's definitely obvious that spring has sprung!

Purples are temperatures under 20 degrees, navy 20s, blue 30s, green 40s, bright green 50s, and yellow (up top) 60s.

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 TURNER

A BLESSING
Our camper is finally home! We bought it February 13th, but it's been at the RV Center for repairs. It was finished over a week ago, but we weren't able to arrange a time to fit everyone's schedules to have a "run through" of all the systems with the RV tech until this weekend. It's been such a blessing to have the provisions to purchase the campervan and have everything repaired! I've started a blog for our camping and fishing adventures if you'd like to see what we're up too (LINK).

DEVOTIONAL and INSPIRATION

But my God shall supply all of your need according to his riches in glory by Jesus Christ. (Philippians 4:19)

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

Wednesday Hodgepodge: Peace in our Hearts

1. March is National Women's History Month. In that vein, who are three women who've been influential in your life? How so? 

The MOST influential, my Mama. I am always amazed at her knack to read people and know when and how to support them. She's a hard-worker, raising kids, working a job, and keeping up a house. She's a go-getter. It something needs doing, she does it. And even through life's challenges, she perseveres.

2. In what ways do you think women have it easier than men? 

I'm glad that God gave husbands the role of "head of household",  For years I was "head of household", making decisions on my own...and dealing with the consequences. Sometimes they were great outcomes; sometimes they were terrible. The pressure of making responsible choices for several people is a huge one, and I think that it is easier for us wives when we have a Godly husband to make them.

3. What do you need most right now: faith, love, hope, or peace? 

My word for the year is PEACE. I tend to worry about situations that haven't even happened! Those "what ifs". There will be big changes coming up in my life and my family's, changes that will be unsettling. But we are focusing on new adventures together!

4. Do you have a collection? If so, what do you collect and why? 

Does yarn count? :: grin :: It's nice to have a variety of yarns for when I see a crochet project I MUST do from Pinterest or the (numerous) Facebook groups I've joined.

5. Plaids, checks, polka dots, stripes...your favorite?

Polka dots are fun and whimsical, especially in bright colors, but my style is probably more earthy plaids, which are homey and cozy.

6. In what ways are you the same as your childhood self? 

I still LOATHE doing dishes.

7. You're a contestant on the TV game show Jeopardy. What category will you ace?  

Crochet Fiber Arts! 

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: March 7, 2016

CLOCK READS
7:45am

WEATHER IN MY NECK OF THE WOODS
The skies are an overcast light gray. Snow flurries switching to rain may fall later this morning. Or not.

OUTSIDE MY WINDOW and IN THE GARDEN
It's that time of year where everything on the ground is dull and brown, frozen by early morning, muddy by afternoon. The old fallen snow is dirty. But the trees are waking up again!

WHAT I'M DOING RIGHT NOW and AROUND THE HOUSE
The washer is making a terrible racket with it washes. Wonder if something is caught in the agitator? It's hard to get in there with a full load of laundry and wash. But it still agitates...

TODAY'S TO DO

• Laundry
• Vaccum
• Sweep and Mop
• Jazz Band
• Homeschool
• Bake Chocolate Chip Banana Bread
• Pick up Flour

DINNER MENU

• Boston Baked Beans, Hot Dogs and Cole Slaw

WHAT'S ON TV
I'll be clicking on CBS.com to watch Friday's "Amazing Race" later on when my homeschool, housework and errand-running is finished.

FROM THE CRAFT BASKET
Until I get to Hobby Lobby, my anniversary temperature blanket is on a stand-still. I ran out of deep purple (50s) and can't quite finish up November 2015. But it's just over half complete now! I'm estimating that it will be 9.5 feet long x 6 feet wide with a simple border, and use about 30 skeins of yarn. In the meantime, I'll catch up on my daughter's rainbow temperature afghan as I'm 5 days behind, and make a few quick towel holders for the camper.

As you can see, October and November brought about a BIG temperature shift last fall. Suddenly we went from 60s-80s to 30s-50s.

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 TURNER
I guess I'll have to get back to you on this one. I did get to the library and borrow a paperback, but for the life of me I can't remember the title right now. It's in the van still.

A BLESSING
A loving, caring, hardworking husband. Fun, unique kids. Supportive family and friends near and far. Furry and feathered friends. 

DEVOTIONAL and INSPIRATION
Now the Lord of peace himself give you peace always by all means. (2 Thessalonians 3:16)

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

Weekly Wrap-up: Week 21 & 22 - Brief Peek Ahead

With some topsy-turvy news last Thursday, we decided to take that day and Friday off as Stress Relief Days. Isn't it awesome that we can do that? We were ready to get back to schooling this week with renewed focused!

CONGRATULATIONS TO CATE ON HER ACCEPTANCE TO STEAM (Science/Technology/Engineering/Art/Mathematics) HIGH SCHOOL NEXT YEAR! 

We've known for a couple of weeks now, but I thought I would finally share with you all. Next year will be the first time EVER that I will only have one student homeschooling. We will miss Cate, but she will be experiencing new adventures in learning! (Jake also attends the same school.)

CORE WORK

CATI

• English Grammar 101: Section 8 - Verbals and Phrases  (83%) and Section 11: Punctuation (95%)
• My Life in a Post: blog (She would love some followers and readers...)
• Vocab Test: List 9 (100%), List 10 (90%), List 11 (50%)
• Jungle Book (Kipling)
• Khan Academy: Pre-Algebra (90% Completed)
• CNN Student News

SAM

• English Grammar 101: Section 1 - Nouns - Lesson 3 (50%/87%), Lesson 4 (65%/65%)
• Writing: 5 Paragraph Essay - Finished Rough Draft, Edited, Final
• Cursive Copywork: Genesis 1:1, Psalms 4:8
• The Tale of Despereaux (DiCamillo), Diary of a Wimpy Kid: Old School (Kinney)
• Saxon 65 - Lesson 19 (Division Factors), Lesson 20 (Ways to Write Division), Test 3 (90%), Lesson 21 (Equal Parts Problems), Lesson 22 (Division with Remainders), Lesson 23 (Halves, Quarters, Tenths), Lesson 24 (Dollars and Parentheses) and Lesson 25 (Whole Number Factors)
• Timed Addition Facts - Starting Time/Correct 9:00:17/99, Current Best Time/Correct 4:47:11/100
• Timed Subtraction Facts - Starting Time/Correct 6:48:80/100, Current Best Time/Correct 
• CNN Student News

His handwriting has gotten oh-so-better this year. It's not perfect, and sometimes he mixes cursive letters with printed ones, but it's legible and not huge. But the biggest accomplishment? He doesn't dread writing quite as badly!

I also started Sam on math review at Prodigy (LINK). It's a free on-line math game that encourages kids to review math concepts. (NOTE: The game is based on wizards and magic, so if you are uncomfortable with that then this resource wouldn't work for you.) My plan is to use it as a 10 minute or so review AFTER he completes his Saxon math lesson and timed facts test 2-3 times a week or when he needs a break from "the usual" text work. 

(He also has Khan Academy Math 4 where he has completed 45%.)

He also spent some time designing and building a "wheel loader" with front end suspension (as the wheels stay on the ground no matter the "terrain") out of Legos.



ASTRONOMY

Sam and I finished Chapter 10: Saturn this week.

• Notebook and Project Page
• "Saturn: Crash Course Astronomy #18" (You Tube)
• Saturn's Tilt, Seasons, Gas Make-up, Rotation, Rings
• Cassini Mission
• Scientist Biography: Christian Huygens
• Make a Centaur Rocket Project

GENERAL SCIENCE

Cati finished Module 10: Classifying Life this week with a 100% on her test.

• Experiment: Factors that Affect Bacterial Growth
• Prokaryotic and Eukaryotic Cells
• Pathogens
• Decomposers
• 5 Kingdom System: Monera, Protista, Fungi, Plantae and Animalia

U.S. HISTORY and GEOGRAPHY

Sam and I read chapters 22-28 in  History of Us: The First Americans Prehistory-1600 (Hakim) these last 2 weeks.

• Hernando Cortez and the Spanish Conquistadors
• Aztecs, Quetzalcoatl and Moctezuma
• Rebus, Pictographic Writing, and Codices
• Mesoamerica: Olmecs, Zapotecs, Mitla, and Mayans
• Maize
• Esteban and Fray Marcos Search for Cibola
• Coronado, De Soto and Cabrillo
• Onate, Santa Fe and Missionaries

MUSIC HISTORY, GEOGRAPHY and CULTURES

Cati studies Music History with Easy Peasy Homeschool, and finished Year 3 Geography and Cultures last week, and started Year 4 Modern Music this week. Since the lessons are quick, she completes one week per day, sometimes more. This week she completed weeks 23-36 then 1-6.

• Jazz and Concert Band Practice
• Percussion, Brass and String Instruments
• San Francisco Orchestra Historical Music
• Listen to Identify Instruments Played in an Orchestra
• Play and Compose Music
• Hans Pfitzner
• Das Christ-Elflein
• Tchaikovsky and "The Nutcracker"

She went to Jazz and Concert band practices this week, and had her Jazz competition last Thursday. Later in March her jazz group will travel to play in the state competition!

DAYS COMPLETED: CATE - 130 | SAM - 121

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: Randomness MARCHes On

1. February ended with an extra 24 hours in 2016. What did you do with your bonus day?

I wish I could share something exciting, but it was the usual kind of day. We homeschooled. We ran errands. We prepared meals and tidied the house. The flock free ranged. I crocheted.

2. What's something in your life that's grown by leaps and bounds in recent days, weeks, months, or years? I'm giving you lots of room to come up with an answer here, so no fair passing on this one.

My faith. I have only been saved about 18 months or so. Although as a child I went to church, I didn't as an adult. Ever. I have a wonderful church family, and a husband who doesn't mind buying me journaling bibles. (They have a new one coming out with preprinted coloring pages on the edges!) I'm a visual, creative person, and bible journaling as become an awesome way to study.

3. Do you read reviews about a film before deciding if you'll see it? Did you watch The Oscars this year, and if so your thoughts on the program? How many of the Best Picture nominees had you seen prior to the broadcast? (Spotlight, The Martian, The Big Short, The Revenant, Mad Max: Fury Road, Room, and Brooklyn) If you watched The Oscars who gets your award for 'best dressed'?

I have only heard of The Martian. (My kids have seen it twice.) But I haven't seen any of these movies. I suppose I'm not much of a movie-goer. I would rather catch them later, borrowing from the library, and watch them in the comforts of home.

4. When did you last have overnight houseguests? Give us your top three tips on being a good houseguest.

My parents visited for a few days in the fall. It was a memorable visit as Dad broke the toilet and flooded the bathroom in the first 60 seconds of arriving. Being a good houseguest? Don't break the toilet! Don't flood bathrooms! And be handy with a toolbox when you do!

5. March 2nd is Peanut Butter Lover's Day. Will you be celebrating? If so, would you prefer a home made peanut butter cookie, a Reese's peanut butter cup, an old fashioned peanut butter and jelly sandwich, or shall I just hand you a jar and a tablespoon?

I love PB! I make quick no bake chocolate peanut butter bars that are oh-so-yummy. Think chocolate dipped peanut butter balls without the hassle of dipping...I don't make a lot of PB goodies though as my daughter is allergic. I save them for when she is visiting family.

6. Why is failure important? Or isn't it?

Life is a lot of failure with a little success. We don't usually do things right the first time around, and it's OK. Failure helps us grow mentally with thinking, creatively with problem-solving, and emotionally with self-confidence. It's a great thing! (As long as you don't let fear of failure keep you from living.)

7. Share with us one fun thing on your March calendar.

My daughter and step-daughter both turn 14. Our girls are turning into young ladies!

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: Leap Day

CLOCK READS
9:16am

WEATHER IN MY NECK OF THE WOODS
Bright, sunny, high 30s.

OUTSIDE MY WINDOW and IN THE GARDEN
Snow and ice continue to melt. More and more patches of brown, but turning green grass. Branches and a lone flip flop peek out of the diminishing snow. Water flows rapidly down the brook.

WHAT I'M DOING RIGHT NOW and AROUND THE HOUSE
Light cleaning while Sam completes a math test. 

TODAY
Jazz band practice for Cate. Grocery shopping. Catching up laundry. Free ranging the flock.

DINNER
Spaghetti and Meatballs and Tossed Salad

WHAT'S ON TV
"Amazing Race"

FROM THE CRAFT BASKET
Continuing to work on my anniversary temperature blanket. Completed May 10-September. Half way through October. Anxious to finish for our camper van bed! (Camping blog link) 

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 TURNER
Need a trip to the library. Book-less.

A BLESSING
Changing of seasons

DEVOTIONAL and INSPIRATION

To everything there is a season, and a time to every purpose under the heaven: (Ecclesiastes 3:1)

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

Journal Jottings of a Maine Mama: Super Quick Edition

CLOCK READS
9:59am

WEATHER IN MY NECK OF THE WOODS
A bright, sunny 27 degrees

OUTSIDE MY WINDOW and IN THE GARDEN
Diminished piles of dirty snow. Bare, frozen ground. Broken, downed tree limbs.

WHAT I'M DOING RIGHT NOW and AROUND THE HOUSE
Watching Sam do Saxon Math. Cate listening to music through headphones. Dogs snoozing. Furnace running. Phone buzzing. Dirty Dishes piles in sink.

TO DO
Grocery Shop

DINNER
See To Do

WHAT'S ON TV
"Amazing Race" and "Survivor"

FROM THE CRAFT BASKET
Every day adding rows to my 2 temperature blankets. 

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 TURNER
The Bible. 

A BLESSING
Provisions from above to make our dream a reality. Launched our Campfires and Casting blog to share our camping and fishing adventures. Would love more followers and readers (Link)

DEVOTIONAL and INSPIRATION
Now the God of hope fill you with all joy and peace in believing, that ye may abound in hope, through the power of the Holy Ghost. (Romans 15:13)

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