Homeschool Mothers Journal - Week 13

In my life this week....

It has been up and down.  Last weekend I had a rough pain attack.  My blood sugar was screwed up and I almost passed out on Joe.  I felt like I had the flu and hit by a truck all at the same time.  The worst case of flu I have ever had didn't even compare.   My finger is getting better, but I am still having problems.  I figured out how to wash dishes and type, but then I knocked a bowl onto it while putting some dishes in the sink...and it felt like it had just happened and my finger got a blueish tint to it.  Go figure!

It has been a really busy week and I have been exhausted.  The fitness challenge that Joe and I are participating in has been interesting.  Adjusting my diet to more of a paleo style, limiting my grains to almost none has really helped me.  More protein and veggies.   Although I do use quinoa and wild rice.  My muscle mass has increased and my fat levels are lowered.  Since I started this diet style, I have gone down 2 pants sizes which is great.  I would like to lose 7 more pounds, but really the weight lost is not great...just trimming up.  So the weight I am losing is turning into muscle.  Currently I am working out a minimum of 20 minutes a day.  I downloaded this great app on my kindle and found it for my iPhone too.  I use that almost daily and still am speed walking because running has been difficult for me.

In our homeschool this week....

Caty worked on her Costa Rica Projects ... can't say what yet.  Next week is our meeting.  She and I talked about the differences between maps and globes.  We are working hard at memorizing the continents and next week will add the oceans.  We worked on the Letter H.  She loves watching all the alphabet videos on You Tube.  We talked about where plants come from and what some of their parts are and why they are important to the plant...leaves, stem, roots, etc.  We planted peach seeds from some peaches we ate.  We also planted avocado seeds.  Not sure how this is going to work out, so we'll wait and see.

Lydia and I finished the first American Girl Samantha Reading and Comprehension Guide.  We started the 2nd.  We watched Disney's Pollyanna to give her a feel of the time period.  She started really enjoying to sew.  She worked on her projects/topics for World Travelers.  She is trying so hard to read, but her brain still is confusing sounds and turning letters around.  She gets frustrated, but she is still making great progress.  She worked on a chart of wants vs. needs.  I loved how she put Pepsi and candy under wants, instead of needs!!!

Joey had a project to shop sale ads and buy enough food for himself for about 3 days for $30.00.  It took some creativity and patience to keep explaining to him about making the healthiest choices possible.  He at least chose bottle water over juice boxes without any prompting!!  It was an interesting project to see what he would do.  He is continuing to read the first Boxcar Children book.

Brayden learned more about colonial America.  In Science he learned about chemical vs. physical changes.  Mastered his math test in standard vs expanded form.  Did well working with idioms.  He is struggling with attention and impulse control as we had to change meds, and are adjusting doses.  So getting him to start and work on schoolwork is AWFUL!!!  But he did do his work some days without much prompting, others I was doing his work at 7:30 pm.  He is a challenge to me right now!

Places we're going and people we're seeing....

We visited a local hidden gem historical museum.  It was great!!!  They had a traveling Smithsonian exhibit on travel in America.  Kind of tied into our Samantha books.  There were a couple great displays that brought the reading more alive for Lydia.  Wish we could've stayed longer.

Joey and Lydia had their Life Skills class at the Local extension office.  Most is review, but the kids seems to enjoy it.  So we will keep going.  The lady that teaches it has offered to start a special series just for us homeschool families (there is another family that has been attending too).  So I am working on that with them.

What I am cooking.....

Made homemade coconut milk again this week, which led to using the coconut pulp to make chocolate cookies.  The kids seem to really like them.  I made a semi-paleo apple crisp (out of honey still), so made it with coconut oil, coconut flour, a banana, cane sugar and cinnamon....oh...it was yummy!!!  Baked some bone-in chicken and we used that to make fried rice and other veggie dishes.  Currently Brayden has a thing for hot dogs and microwave mac and cheese...ugh.  oh and Yuck.

What I am reading.....

Currently reading American Girl Nicki books.  Trying to get those study guides ready for when we read Nicki in October.

What I am working on......

Actually I am playing catch up.  Last weekend I could barely move all weekend.  So this weekend trying to catch up some.  Probably clean out the girl's room and my shelves in the living room.  Our office needs cleaned too.  Have some outside work to finish also.

Our upcoming plans....

We have some fun field trips coming up.  Going to a local historical village next week and the Columbus Zoo.  Also planning an art museum trip for a special display they have currently to go along with the War of 1812 and the Battle of Lake Erie.  We also have Girl Scouts and American Girl Club, and our first World Travelers Club of the school year.  Very busy couple of weeks coming up.  Caty also is having her speech re-evaluated.

A couple pics from this week....

It was a bad week for pics.  I kept forgetting to take photos.  You can tell I have been off my game when you hear this about me.  Because my kids are the ones begging me not to take pictures!  I just realized I didn't even get a picture of Lydia's Great Wall made out of sugar wafers.  The kids thought that was a great treat.....I never buy sugar wafers and frosting.

Lydia working on her wants and needs chart:

 Lydia's terra cotta soldier.

Just playing with watercolors and oil pastels.

One of Caty's H projects.  I have letter stickers from Melissa and Doug:

Caty had fun using these.  I had forgot about them and they were put away someplace I would have never looked.   So glad I found them!

Caty's Letter H - House.

The girls and I went on a trip to a local historical society museum.  It was fun and we saw so many great things!!  We mainly went to see turn of the century items, since we are listening to American Girl Samantha books right now.  Lydia thought it was cool to see so many items that they would've used in Samantha's household.

A stove like Mrs. Hawkins would have used.

 Rug beaters like Nellie would've used to clean the rugs.

 Washing machine from around 1900.

This was our main reason for going...The Smithsonian traveling exhibit on Automobiles/transportation

 Clothing similar to what Uncle Gard and Aunt Cornelia would've worn while traveling.

 These were great, you could see the buttons the women had to fasten with special hooks.

 A flashback to American Girl Addy...cowrie shells.

 There was also a camera exhibit with this original camera.  Imagine trying to travel with that...as I take this picture with my cell phone :)

 They have a neat little 50's counter set up that Caty loves.

They had a great 80's exhibit where the kids could make friendship pins...remember those!!!  Had a record player and a working Atari system!!  It was fun :)

If you are ever looking for a fun and inexpensive field trip, don't forget to check your local county historical societies.  They are a great source of information and history lessons!!

Hope everyone had a great week!!  Linking up with other homeschool moms at So You Call Yourself a Homeschooler.