Thursday, July 19, 2012

Homeschool Mothers Journal - Week 8



In my life this week.....


Well many of you may have read that I had a meltdown...yep a total computer meltdown.  My hard drive died!  I lost everything for the past 1 1/2 years.  Needless to say I learned one of those ever important life lessons....backup...backup....backup.  The week wasn't very nice to me.  I spent half the week redownloading curriculum that I had bought online, finding review materials that I hadn't posted reviews for yet.  And just when I thought there was a turn around....the keyboard on the laptop died...yep after my hubby installed the new hard drive...the keyboard died.  Go figure!!!!


So my hubby was kind enough to share his laptop with me.  It's funny how we went from all of us having a laptop or desktop at our disposal...to scrambling to find a laptop/desktop for everyone to use for school work.  One of the kids older laptops took a dive the week before and Joe's trying to fix it.  Not near the same issue as mine.


Do you want to hear the quote to retrieve my data....drumroll......$1,750.00!!!....yep that's right.  The cost of a used car or a small family vacation for us.  Ouch...and so not happening.  So my hubby is going to possibly try and do the repair job on his own.  I mean, what's he going to do, break it...lol.


I also hurt my foot pretty good last week.  Extremely painful....kicked the entire left side of my foot into a 2x4 by our kids slide.  The next morning, I was hobbling around and fully kicked the couch leg with the exact spot on that foot.  The squeals and tears could most likely be heard for miles!!!  Thought it was broken, and finally went to the ER the other day after my hubby argued with me about making sure it wasn't broken or might develop blood clots because of a fracture.  But turns out just severely bruised inside of my foot.  Supposed to wear a fracture shoe to protect it.  I am trying, but it still hurts.  And as you all know....life does not stop because your foot hurts.


It's definitely been one of those weeks that it is hard to be optimistic about anything.  I started thinking about it, It's hard to think of the glass half-full...when someone keeps dumping my glass!!!  I keep trying to be optimistic though....lol.


I did get the book cases moved around in the hall way and finally got the ones I bought at the auction installed.  Took a whole case of books out of there too for donations.  Things they were not using or were getting too old for.


In our homeschool this week....


Believe it or not, we have pretty much stayed on task.  The kids got cool prizes at the library today for finishing the first 12 hours in their summer reading program.  They are actually ahead of the 12 hours, but we hadn't been to the library to get their prizes.  They got to choose a book.  The boys weren't with me, because we are still waiting on the van to get out of the shop (on the bright side...tomorrow!!!).  But Brayden was pretty excited when he saw the Magic Tree House book I selected for him.   He was like, "I get to keep this...I don't return it?"  I said, Nope...it's yours!  I asked if he wanted to read it with me.  "Okay!"  And started to take it out of the room.  I said, "Shouldn't you leave it in your workboxes so that we know where it is."  He's like, "Sure....dad get a copy for me for my iPad."  Loves reading on his e-reader...lol.


We actually are on track for all our subjects.  I have to say (and not patting myself on the back), that I am happy with where we are doing school work.  I think starting next week we are going to start instituting our September schedule, so that we can get used to the times we will be traveling for co-ops and field trips, etc.  So I feel comfortable with our schedule and not scrambling all stressed out about finishing school work.


I really like using a more classical approach for history, including the use of movies.  We have been doing our reading in the evening and trying to include a movie in what I can.  We are reading about the Pilgrims this week and next.  The kids enjoyed watching the classic movie, Mouse on the Mayflower.


Joey is still struggling with multiplication.  We are trying a new program that we are reviewing and I hope it helps him.  Brayden is loving using the School Express units for topics he wants to learn about. Joey and I started a Summer Olympics study for the next couple weeks, so I printed the one from School Express for Brayden.  He also has a thing for cats right now, so I printed that one too.  I bind them with plastic combs and he works on his own.   I double check him and quiz him to see what he learns.  It's one of those....If it ain't broke...don't fix it....things.


What I am reading.....


Cleaning House.....A mom's 12 month experiment to get rid of youth entitlement (discovered Blogging for Books...lol)


American Girl McKenna (with Lydia...lol)


Wizard of Oz (with Lydia...lol)


Magic Tree House - Hours of the Olympics (and the non-fiction guide)


Squanto : Friend fo the Pilgrims (for history)


What I am cooking.....


Been kind of stressed the last week or so.  I actually allowed take out for the entire family one night and most of the kids had some sort of fast food at least once this week.  Trying to get State Fair and County Fair projects finished just about killed me trying to finish them.  I was also planning for the kids assessments.  


That's been a real challenge.  I did have a meatloaf frozen, which worked for a couple meals and was able to use the last of it like mini-meatballs in some homemade spaghetti.  On Sunday we had family visiting, so I made a mexi-pasta salad and BBQed some chicken, which last for several meals also.  I cut chicken up in friend potatoes for breakfast one morning.  


I need to work harder at sticking to the meal plan next week...lol.  


What's working for us....


Actually one day this past week when it was so hot, I let the kids get in the pool in the morning right after breakfast.  Normally we make them wait until later in the day.  Actually worked quite well.  So I think I will start planning for physical activities in the morning right after breakfast.  And then do a couple hours of schoolwork.


Places we went this week....


We did an really cool field trip to explore the Toledo MudHens stadium.  They are a farm team for the Detroit Tigers!  We got to go behind the scenes and visit locker rooms, the dugout....and learned some really cool stuff.  Watch this weekend for my post on our trip.


Picture to share.....


He has been playing outside more.  Too bad he cannot stop talking.  So improvements in some OCDs and several steps backwards with others....never a happy medium.  But he is letting the sun touch his skin again...on his own terms.  And yes he is outside in his pajamas....but I wasn't going to argue with him!







2 comments:

  1. Yikes that awful about the computer and your foot:( Hope things turn around soon. Nice to see Brayden outside:)

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  2. haveing a computer meltdown would be a nightmere for me! I love your son's pj's my children would absolutely live in theirs if I let them ;)

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