Tuesday, March 31, 2020

Our Daily Lives Now....



Well we have been together now for over a week.  9 people in our house.  And so far we are all ok and no one has killed anyone...lol.  We are chugging along.  My kids have schoolwork that they need to complete each day.  I'm not letting them out of work right.  After all, they have no reason.  If they are stuck inside, let's work ahead in a lot of subjects.  That's what I'm planning with Lydia and her math for sure.  My niece and nephew though didn't have any schoolwork this week, so I've been working at making sure they have activities to do.  I have an actual boredom list hanging in the same spot our busy calendar usually hangs.


Sunday our microwave died.  And we really do need a microwave in this house.  So Joe and I ventured to Home Depot to buy a new one.


We didn't shop.  Grabbed a few things we needed....and a new patio table too.  I fell in love with it.  And we desperately needed a new table out back.  I'll post pictures when we get it put together.  Patio cleaning is this weekend.  I did clean up the side of our house during some great weather we had on Thursday.  This whole side of the house was covered in a weird vine.  It will not go away!  So I have to go and clean up the vine every spring and fall.


I also dug out bicycles so I could go on a bike ride with my niece and nephew.


We managed to get out and walk a couple time this week.  But I also cleaned out our storage room so that everyone in the house can use the treadmill and weight machine.


Lydia and Caty have been working on their foreign language classes.  Both of them are online using either Skype or Facebook Messenger.



Robby and I planted some projects from 5 minute projects.  We planted peppers and baby tomatoes.  More on this. So far nothing has sprouted yet.



My new Nashville shirt arrived.  I was very excited to get this in the mail.


Lydia is still continuing riding.  She is practicing her posting for English riding now.  The stable is limited in the amount of people there.  So as of the writing of this email she is continuing this therapy.


The stable issued a challenge.  Each day she gives them a pattern to try at home by walking/running.  We are behind a day.  We will have to catch up tomorrow.


Saige is loving me working in my office.  I normally do not work there during the day.  This is new.  I am working at opening up my homeschool book store.  So she just sits and watches me from our bed.


Lydia had an astronomy class on Monday.  It was based around Dr. Who.  She loved that!


Joey visited me while I was working.  Being silly as usual.


Caty is starting to work on her yeast breads project.  This week she made homemade french bread.


One night I found online digital escape rooms.  So we brought them up on the tablet and projected them on the TV.  Some were more fun than others.  It made for an interesting evening...lol


Later that night the kids had a late night slime party!


My niece worked on this project in our kitchen science book.  Unfortunately it didn't turn out as well.  It turned into a cream cheese.



I have been trying to make sure that all the kids have their own space or attempt at least.  Our girls are doing their school in their rooms.  I helped Lydia clean off her desk so that she can utilize her awesome bunk bed with desk underneath.  All the kids need to find their own space to hang and decompress.


Brayden was finally working on his baking.  He made pear walnut muffins for one of his 4h projects.  These got thumbs up.



On Thursday, Caty wanted to make chicken and waffles.  The chicken was so tender.  She baked it with maple syrup on it.


Their diamond painting projects actually came in.  This is cool.  And these larger projects will take them a lot longer than the smaller ones.


Joey woke up Friday and wanted to make canned biscuits.  He hadn't made biscuits in so long he screamed a bit when the canned popped.  But then we turned these into breakfast sandwiches.  They chose sausage or chicken fried steak patties.  They could add egg and cheese also.  It was a create your own sandwich meal.


I am making sure that every spot of our house is being used.  Unfortunately our basement is out of question.  With 9 people in the house, I want to make sure that everyone has their own space.  We can't be together ALL the time.  I made sure that Lydia's space under her bunk bed is cleaned out.  That makes room for more people to school in all areas of the house.  (FYI .. her bed is one of those that has the desk underneath, she just NEVER uses it.)


Joey's self-advocacy group has been meeting on Zoom.  I caught one of their meetings on Friday.


And I caught how comfortable he was ...lol


I have been keeping track of recipes for every kid to make.  I saw one from Rachael Ray that I knew Robby would love.  I mean it's peanut butter and jelly.  Everyone liked it.


I set up a Chopped Junior challenge for Carra and Caty to do.  They debated and debated, but settled on a pasta and sauce.




Some liked it, while others did not.  There was only one serving left though.


We colored postcards over the weekend so we can send "mail" hugs out to friends this upcoming week.


The 5 minute craft trying to regrow the aloe did not work.  It just molded.


On Saturday our village set out a safari hunt for the kids in town.  This was fun.  We went on a 2 mile walk on Saturday trying to find a bunch.  We still have several more to find.




The girls "visited" Michigan for State Geography.  And both are working hard at math.  I have been over assigning Lydia in math so that she can finish her class this semester.  Caty has been struggling a bit, so we stepped back and are looking at alternatives for her. 

We managed to clean a few areas that needed cleaned up.  I plan on concentrate on my desk decluttering this week.  I'm not sure if our garbage company is taking anymore garbage though right now.  I just got a weird email from them.  So I'm going to need to call and verify if we have extra bags and boxes if they will be taken.  These are definitely weird times we are living in.

Another project this week.....getting ready for our anniversary.  Next week is our 22nd anniversary, and we always include the children in our celebration.  Presents for all.  So I have been internet shopping this year.  And making sure that we have presents for everyone.  Can't wait until next Saturday.

Next week Caty starts a free literature class from Memoria Press.  They are reading Lion, Witch, and the Wardrobe.  She hasn't read it yet.  So it will be all new. 

I hope every is surviving our mandated social distancing orders.  See everyone next week!!



Monday, March 30, 2020

Menu Monday





All things are still cancelled.  We are still practicing our social distancing as much as we possibly can.  I did run out and buy masks from a friend who is sewing them.  I want to have them for the girls and Joe in case we need to go out.  

I signed the girls up for some online classes on Outschool to keep them going.  Both girls are now doing their language classes over Skype or Facebook Messenger.  We have family staying with us, so this is great too.  Definitely busy.

I'm working hard at zero food waste. I keep a pencil by the menu that is hanging up.  I keep making changes and adjustments depending on leftovers.  Last week's menu had lots of adjustments.  I am also being inventive with all the food that we have in our pantry and also what food my sister-in-law brought to us.  They are staying with us until the social distancing order is over.  

Here's what is on the menu this week....


Sunday
B- Biscuits and Gravy
L- Beef-a-roni tater tot casserole
D- Taco pizza w/ cucumber slices 


Monday
B - cereal or apple cake (the apple cake is a treat for Brayden)
L - Leftovers or soup w/ leftover biscuits
D- creamy chicken and noodle soup

Tuesday
B - Quesadillas and yogurt
L - Fried noodles w/ chicken
D- smoke scalloped potatoes and chicken legs

Wednesday
B - Cereal w/ fruit
L - Leftovers
D - Smoked beef roast and mashed potatoes

Thursday
B - Oatmeal cookies
L - chili tater tot casserole
D- baked pasta w/ hm french bread and veggie

Friday
B- Cereal w/ fruit
L- Pizza potatoes
D- Hamburger helper w/ salad

Saturday - It's our anniversary!!!
B- hm cinnamon rolls
L- chili cheese dip w/ chips
D- Homemade pizza and ice cream cake

Why I plan.....
Who isn't busy?!?!  Kids schedules, schoolwork, work, WOW!!  Life just does not stop!

When I create a menu, I include our schedule on it also.  In fact, I type the schedule into the table that I created first.  Then I know what is going on that day, and I can plan crockpot meals or even know if I need to have a make-ahead meal ready.  I do not use a fancy downloadable calendar, I simply use Microsoft Word.  I have a table I created on there.  At the bottom, I keep a running list of menu items that either I want them to try or food that is loved by all.

Hope everyone has a great week!!  See everyone next Monday!



Friday, March 27, 2020

Home School In The Woods - Time Travelers - The Early 19th Century Review



Disclaimer: I received a FREE copy of this product through the HOMESCHOOL REVIEW CREW in exchange for my honest review. I was not required to write a positive review nor was I compensated in any other way.




Anyone who knows me, knows I am a huge fan of Home School in the Woods. I was very excited to get a chance to review The Early 19th Century in America lessons from the Home School in the Woods Time Traveler series. She and I are both loving the adventures we are having.



The Early 19th Century in America is a lapbook in the Time Traveler series.  Caty is not a huge fan of lapbooks.  Since each lesson has reading of 2-3 pages, she and I decided to continue our tradition of printing the materials and keeping everything together in a binder that we can show our assessor.


The Early 19th Century in America Time Traveler series is a stand alone curriculum.  It also very easy to use.  We have the easy to download PDF files. I can easily sort, open, and print the materials I need as we go.

Each day, Caty completes a lesson.  This involves reading and many days watching a suggested video.  I did not need to do much more than find the Youtube videos that were suggested in the opening notes.  Then she and I review the material just covered while working on her lapbook piece.  In our case, we attach it to a sheet of paper that goes into her binder with her lesson reading.


The projects are very easy, and easy to follow instructions are available for each piece that the student is assembling.  You can print these on colored paper or your student can add color also.  Caty has chosen to leave them "regular" she said.  And I didn't fight her since we had already been under Stay-at-home orders and I didn't have any colored paper at home.


Included in many lessons are hands-on activities.  Caty is enjoying cooking hands-on, but she feels she is a bit older for some of the crafts.  I thought the coon-skin cap was a neat project idea. The instructions are very easy to follow.  Just a little extra planning is needed for most of these projects, since you need to have the materials on-hand.


Also included in The Early 19th Century in America Time Traveler series is a timeline.  What we chose to do is break the timeline down over a couple smaller poster boards and hung them up in order on the book case in the living room.



This is an upclose shot of the beginning.  The Early 19th Century in America Time Traveler series starts with the end of the Revolutionary War.



Another fun activity that is included is creating your own newspaper.  This has been every few lessons.  The Early 19th Century in America Time Traveler series is broken down into daily lessons.  Every fifth lesson is a catch up time.  So if you are doing history 5 days a week, then you will be spending the fifth day making sure that you have all the parts for your book created, your newspaper is done, any activities and also you can study the vocabulary cards that are included for each week.



I really have loved the layout of The Early 19th Century in America.  This stand alone curriculum has made lesson planning easy for me.  Caty enjoys the easy to use way we are using it.  And she likes that the amount of reading is not overwhelming for her.  Each lessons reading is between 2-3 pages.  History for her is under 30 minutes.  Depending on if she is creating paragraphs or summarizing what she reads, she is done pretty quick.  Some of her video suggestions are around 20 minutes, so those days it's a little longer.  

I am already planning on Caty continuing with the Time Traveler series.  Home School in the Woods really does have a homeschool family's busy schedule in mind.  They also understand multi-grade teaching.  Since this can be used with several different grade levels. The Time Traveler series was created for Grades 3-8. 


Home School in the Woods have curriculum for all time periods and learning levels.  Their latest release Hands-On History Lap-Pak U.S. Elections is available now and will help you out helping your student understand our upcoming elections process.




Several members of the Homeschool Review Crew were given the opportunity to review many different products from Home School in the Woods.  Click on the link below to see how they used these in their homes and what they thought of them.

Home School in the Woods Collections - Lap-pak, Timeline Figures, History Studies & Activity-Pak {Home School in the Woods Reviews}