2015/2016 School Year - Week 1

So it's the official start of our school year.  We go year around.  Some are full schedule weeks, while others are part-time weeks and we will take a few weeks off throughout the year.  I cannot give them too many weeks off in a row or they get cranky and then things get chaotic.  So I just find a balance and go with it.  It's what works for us.

Well this week, we had a partial week.  We worked on DIY.org projects.  Started checking out books for our summer reading program also.  We won't be in town for several weeks this summer because more traveling coming.  But we walked down to the local library down the street from us and they are going to do the program the best we can this summer.  The kids are also doing the Barnes and Noble Summer Reading program.  That is one we can do while we are traveling since there are no books we have to check out from "them".  I am not traveling we library books anymore.  Too many videos and books have gotten lost.  I am going broke from replacement costs.

I spent a few days clearing more bookshelves and working on this next school year's plan.  It took me a couple days, just a few new books and I have our lessons planned through November (when I know we will have our next vacation).  I pulled another two clothes baskets of books from our shelves.  The only subject I don't have put in yet is art.  I am working on that this week.

Our next two weeks will be similar to this week.  We have a few field trips coming up before we head to the DC area again for 3 weeks.  We also need to finish up all our 4H projects so they are ready.  The girls will work on finishing up their State Fair - Girl Scout projects too.

I do realize that even though I keep everything the kids do, I need to be a little better prepared for the kids assessments each year.  Maybe hold a few pages out each month and put them in a folder.  I have everything sorted in boxes for the year.  But it's still overwhelming.  I typed up information for each child and what they worked on and have projects to show also.

We met with our Girl Scout Troop, we got to the park a little early so the girls could play.

 Then they tie dyed shirts for our zoo campout.

 Lydia had one more project for her 4H Horseless Horse, actually putting on the bridle.

 One of the DIY projects was learning how to mulch.  Everyone but Brayden helped and learned how to lay down ground cover and spread the mulch.

 The finished bed out front of our house.

 They also started they mycology badge on DIY.org.  They found mushrooms growing in the yard.

 They picked them and went inside and dissected them.

 They also labeled the parts of a mushroom.  Then they worked on a science project with yeast in water to see how it grows.

 And they started their mini-mushroom farm.

We rode bikes a couple times last week also for exercise.  It was nice.  Even rode down to our local library.

Lydia finished her 4H Snack Attack book.  She made peanut butter cookies with grandma.  Now just to make her final project board.

 Another DIY Project was making a campfire.

 And then they finished off the campfire with Smores with Grandpa.

 Saturday the girls had a riding competition at the Stable they take lessons at.  Caty earned a 1st and 2nd.  Lydia earned a 2nd and 4th (much harder levels).

No more work on the remodeling was completed, except supplies purchased.  I am working on more there this coming week.  Not a bad "vacation" week.  Back to a little bit of normal scheduled work next week.