No post today, 8 September, 2022.

 Sorry, y'all. I've completely run out of spoons. It's been a WEEK, and I'm just downright exhausted. Hopefully I'll be back on Monday, but we'll see how things go.

Wishing you all a wonderful weekend!

What's Been Going On: Thursday, 1 September - Sunday, 4 September, 2022

Good morning! Happy Labor Day, if you’re in the US. It’s gray and cloudy and cooler today, a nice change from the higher temps we’ve had lately. We’ve got the A/C off, which is so nice! I think the temps go up later on in the week, only briefly, but cooler weather is coming!

This weekend has been so much busier than I expected. There’s been almost no time to read or get anything done that I’m not able to get done during the week, which is disappointing and makes things a little rougher, but I’ll manage. I do need to get our math and Language Arts pages written out at some point today, though!

Going on a picnic with my sister-in-law for lunch today, so that will be nice.

Here’s what’s been going on around here!

 

Thursday, 1 September, 2022

I was awake this day at 4 am because of a stress headache, so I read for a little bit, then got up and filled and ran the dishwasher. I had coffee, then posted my monthly book blog roundup, finished and posted my Thursday post, scooped the litterbox, did a few things on the internet, and then I got dressed. And then it was time for school!

We started off with On This Day in History, geography (the Pitcairn Islands), and a few paragraphs about the Puritans. We did a level of math and a unit of Language Arts, then spelling, and it was time for lunch.

After lunch, we read Fossils by Sally M. Walker, chapter 3 (the Nile!) of 10 Rivers That Shaped the World, chapters 7 & 8 of Around the World in 100 Years (John Cabot and Amerigo Vespucci), pages 3-24 of Exploration and Conquest by B. & G. Maestro, pages 27-40 of Atlas of Adventures, and chapter 7 of History Smashers: The Mayflower.

After lunch, I lay down for a little bit but couldn’t sleep, so I got up and emptied and refilled the dishwasher, then took out the compost. I packed our bags, and it was off to my nephew’s to watch him while my sister-in-law, a teacher, attended a school function. Usually the kids run off and play together, but they stuck by my side and chatted to me the entire night, so no reading done for me! (They did, however, run off to play the moment my sister-in-law returned. Of course!)

At home, my daughter and I had a quick dinner, I did my Duolingo and showered, and then I read for a little bit. My husband and I watched one episode of Unusual Suspects before bed.

 

Friday, 2 September, 2022

After breakfast and coffee, I posted my monthly goal update post and got the dishes in the dishwasher. I got dressed and ready, and we started school.

We tackled On This Day in History, geography (Poland), and a few paragraphs about Roger Williams. We fit in a unit of math, a unit of Language Arts, spelling, and chapters 9 & 10 of Around the World in 100 Years (Ponce de Leon & Balboa) before leaving for my daughter’s counselor. After her appointment, we stopped by the Dollar Tree to pick up some multiplication flashcards and a tiny frozen pizza to share, then ran into the library to grab a book that was in.

At home, we ate quickly, then got back to work! We read chapter 4 of 10 Rivers That Shaped the World (the Rhine), pages 4-24 of Fossils, Rocks, and Minerals by Marcia A. Lusted, pages 40-53 of Atlas of Adventures, we finished Exploration Conquest, and we read chapter 8 of History Smashers: The Mayflower. My daughter did her spelling and one of her math worksheets, and then she was done for the day!

I sauteed some onion, garlic, and green pepper, then made a batch of waffles. I took out the compost and recycling, swept and tidied the living room, shook out the crumbs from my chair blanket, and went through my homeschool curriculum list. I figured out what we’re doing next, then ordered a bunch of books via interlibrary loan and figured out what I needed to grab from various libraries. I scrambled a bunch of eggs, and it was time for dinner!

I did my Duolingo, showered, and knit while watching YouTube. I joined my synagogue’s virtual services when it was time, then finished my log cabin blanket! My daughter has been sleeping with it ever since. : )

 

I read for a bit, and my husband and I watched one episode of What We Do in the Shadows and one Unusual Suspects before bed.

 

Saturday, 3 September, 2022

After coffee, I wrote two book reviews. I had breakfast and hydrated, got dressed, spent a little bit of time on the computer, then went on a 3.1 mile walk with my son.

After lunch, I got the dishes in the dishwasher, then ran out to a nearby library to grab one book, then I swung home and picked up my daughter. We picked up books from our local branch, then drove a few towns away to grab books from there as well. My daughter had wanted to play there, but she wasn’t comfortable with the unmasked kids in the play area, so we went home instead. Poor kiddo. We did stop by Trader Joe’s on the way home to grab items for our picnic the next day.

At home, I roasted a batch of tomatoes for sauce and tidied the living room. I got the dishes in the dishwasher and ran it, then boiled the noodles for spaghetti and blended the sauce. We had dinner, I did my Duolingo and showered, and I put my daughter to bed. I read Good Talk by Mira Jacobs, then began reading Hidden Valley Road by Robert Kolker. My husband and I watched one episode of Unusual Suspects before bed.

 

Sunday, 4 September, 2022

After breakfast and coffee, I filled and ran the dishwasher. I got dressed and ready, packed our lunches, and then it was off to a forest preserve 35 minutes away to meet up with some new friends!  We met on a local parent safety group; they’re as COVID-conscious as we are, and my daughter is the same age as her oldest son (they’re also pandemic schooling!), so we met up for a masked playdate in the preserve. SUPER nice people and we had a really great time!

At home, I emptied the dishwasher and ran it on a cleaning cycle, then farted around on the computer for a bit and picked up some crocheting. I started off trying to make that earwarmer for my daughter, but quickly realized I did not like the pattern (seems like she’s missing part of it?), so I just started another giant colorful blanket. Good, mindless crocheting. I listened to a podcast while I crocheted the afternoon away.

After a dinner of leftovers, I did my Duolingo and showered, then I continued to crochet. I did go try to read, but hadn’t gotten more than a few pages in when my daughter needed to talk, so I put my book down and snuggled with her. My husband and I watched one episode of Unusual Suspects before bed.

 

And that’s it! Only a four-day schoolweek this week, which is nice. Tomorrow we can sign up for the kids’ fall reading program (my daughter is already excited!), but today, we picnic at the park with the creek running through it. It’s cooler today; I don’t know if the kids will get in, but at least they’ll have the option. Should be a fun day.

Wishing you all a wonderful week ahead!

Monthly Goal Update: August 2022

Welcome, September!

Hard to believe we’re here and the summer is officially over. It just started, right??!!??!? I’m not making that up… We’re back to school, most kids are (and, uh, I’ve already seen some schools have to close due to an overwhelming number of COVID cases, sigh), and while the weather *should* be cooling down, it’s likely going to stay warm around here for a bit, so I’ll just be enjoying the ability to be outside for as long as it lasts!

It's been a pretty productive month here, even though my days are now absolutely dominated by school, cooking, and cleaning. I’m happy with the progress I made on my goals here, and I’m on my way with some other projects, so that’s definitely reason to celebrate!

Here’s how August went for me in terms of my yearly goals.

 

Read 100 books.

Done!

 

Subgoal: read all the ebooks on my list.

I am finishing ebook #3 now. Ebooks #2 and #1 are also in my possession, so this will be marked off in September!!! 

 

Sew at least one thing.

I’m thinking this likely won’t happen this year, but that’s okay.

 

Knit at least one thing.

SO close to finishing my blanket. Two rows of the last stripe, then I gotta work on weaving those ends in!

 

Crochet at least one thing.

As soon as this blanket is done, I’ll start on this earwarmer for my daughter.

 

Finish my grandmother’s cross-stitch.

Done!

 

Work my way through Prayerbook Hebrew the Easy Way.

No progress here. Just not enough time in my days right now.

 

Read at least one book in French.

DONE!!!! I finally finished Le Petit Prince by Antoine de Saint-Exupéry! Phew. I knew I would, but it’s a relief to have one more item knocked off the list.

 

Bonus: write one thing and get it published.

Nope! Not much time to write, nor the energy for it.

 

Do at least six drawings.

Two down:

Watch more Karl Johan.

Nope. No time.

 

Three items down, progress on others. I’m happy with that! Life is a lot different for me now than when I first made the list, so there’s just a lot of things that I don’t have time for, but I’m happy to make any kind of progress on any of the items here. By next month, I should have finished the blanket and hopefully gotten that crocheted earwarmer tackled. I’ll have at least a few more drawings done; we’re doing art every Wednesday, so that’ll give me some time to sit down with my drawing pad and pencils. Those last two ebooks should be tackled by, I'm thinking, next weekend.

There’s really no way for me to get through Prayerbook Hebrew the Easy Way this year. Hebrew is tough, and it takes time and brain power I just don’t have right now, with everything else I’m doing (i.e., with homeschooling taking up the majority of my days right now). If my daughter is ever able to go back to public school, I’ll happily pick it back up, because I really want to improve my Hebrew!

And that’s it for this month! Onward to September and more progress.

How did you do this month?

 

What's Been Going On: Monday, 29 August, 2022 - Wednesday, 31 August, 2022

Another super busy week!

It’s toasty here again. Not surprising; it’s usually gross this time of year. The highs the next few day are going to be in the upper 80’s, which is actually cool compared to what I’m seeing from other people around the country. Eek! If you’re in the path of this awful heatwave, be careful. Stay cool, and keep yourself hydrated.

School is going well; some days are better than others, but so far (knock on wood), we’re having more good days than bad days, and that’s not nothing. Our afternoons are pretty great; we get all the intense, harder subjects out of the way in the morning, so afternoons are spent with a pile of science, history, and geography books, and we read, read, read! I love it, and my daughter does, too.

Here's what I’ve been up to so far this week!

 

Monday, 29 August, 2022

I got dressed, had breakfast and coffee, then posted my review for A Place at the Table by Saadia Faruqi and Laura Shovan over at my book blog. I finished writing and then posted Monday’s post. I did thirty minutes of volunteer work, got a batch of lentils in the Instant Pot, filled and ran the dishwasher, scooped the litterbox, and then it was time for school.

We started our day with On This Day in History, geography (Paraguay), and a few paragraphs about Henry Hudson. Math…did not go well. My daughter moaned, complained, and dragged her feet for two hours through math she knows how to do. Afterwards, we did a unit of Language Arts and then some spelling.

After lunch we read A World of Wonders by J. Patrick Lewis, chapter 1 of 10 Rivers That Shaped the World by Marilee Peters (the Awash River), chapter 4 of Around the World in 100 Years (Columbus. Ugh), pages 77-94 of Before Columbus, and chapter 5 of History Smashers: The Mayflower. My daughter wrote out her spelling words and her vocabulary, and then started on her math worksheets while I went into the kitchen.

I emptied and refilled the dishwasher, sauteed an onion, and made a lentil loaf and a salad. The loaf went into the oven, and I took out the recycling and compost, then I sat down to do more volunteer work while my daughter moaned and complained her way through her math. My husband ended up coming upstairs and she let him help her (she was refusing my help; she often sees me as the bad guy in this situation since I’m the one ‘making’ her do this work). I ended up getting my remaining hour and a half of volunteer work done while she was doing her math. (Math took up about FOUR HOURS of our day. Actual math work: ~30 minutes. Moaning and complaining about doing the work: 3.5 hours. Not even joking.)

After dinner, I filled and ran the dishwasher, took out the trash and recycling, put dinner away, replaced the trash bag, and hauled the cans to the curb. I did my Duolingo, then went on a 2.1-mile walk with my husband and daughter, who definitely needed to get outside!

I showered, then finished reading The Outside World by Tova Mirvis, and started reading Hitler’s Furies by Wendy Lower. My husband and I watched one episode of Unusual Suspects before bed.

 

Tuesday, 30 August, 2022

After breakfast and coffee, I got dressed, then brought in the frozen butternut squash from the garage freezer. I made a batch of butternut squash tomato soup in the Instant Pot, took out the compost, swept the kitchen, emptied and refilled the dishwasher, and got a batch of bread dough started in the bread machine. I wrote out the day’s math and language arts worksheets (we don’t own a printer), and it was time to get school started.

We started with On This Day in History, geography (Peru), and a few paragraphs about the beginnings of slavery in the US. Math went super fast today and there were no issues whatsoever! We did a unit of language arts and spelling, and then it was time for lunch.

I got the dough into rolls to rise, and then we got back to work. We read pages 1-23 of Atlas of Adventure by Rachel Williams, chapters 5 and 6 of Around the World in 100 Years, chapter 2 of 10 Rivers That Shaped the World (the Tigris and Euphrates), and finished Before Columbus. We read chapter 6 of History Smashers: The Mayflower, and my daughter did her spelling practice, and then school was done EARLY!!! (The rolls had baked somewhere in here.)

We tidied up our school stuff, and then it was off to the library, where I grabbed a book that was on my ebook list (but was no longer available as an ebook through my library), plus another book on my list. I read almost all 20 pages of my daily bit of Come and Hear while we were there. At home, I relaxed for a few minutes on the computer, then blended the soup, and my son and I were off on a 4.1-mile walk.

We ate dinner, I did my Duolingo, put together the worksheets for the next day, and showered. I put my daughter to bed, read my remaining pages of Come and Hear, then continued reading Hitler’s Furies. My husband and I watched one episode of Unusual Suspects before bed.

 

Wednesday, 31 August, 2022

After coffee and breakfast, I made out my grocery lists, emptied and refilled the dishwasher, got dressed, and then we started school.

We started with On This Day in History, geography (the Philippines), and a few paragraphs about the Pilgrims. Math was so-so this day; she dragged her feet and complained during the lesson, but got through the work just fine. Language Arts went swimmingly; I was really pleased with her explanatory paragraph about Nasreen’s Secret School. We did some music practice; I’m teaching her the recorder, and she loves it so far!

We paused for lunch, then spent the afternoon doing art together. I started out trying to draw one thing, but it didn't work out at all; I'm no artist, and I'm still very much in the learning stages of figuring out how to draw at all. But then I tried something else, and ended up with some flowers and a slightly lopsided gnome. I don't hate it. : )

My daughter worked on making a giant piece of art: turning our living room into a jungle. She has such big ideas. : )

My husband was a little later than normal, so my daughter and I ran over to the library to pick up a book they had in for me (the last ebook on my list! The ebook wait is something like 258 days, so I opted for the physical copy). While we were there, we also picked up a bunch of new science books, a science video, and a bunch of other books for me. A super awesome library trip!

My husband got home not long after we did, so my son and I took off then. We hit up three different grocery stores (we got marked-down apples and tomatoes; potatoes were finally on sale – one type – and at a slightly more acceptable price – another type; clementines were finally both on sale AND in stock!), and returned books at a different library, then came home to put everything away and cook the pizza. I ate dinner, wrote out this post, then did my Duolingo. I showered, finished reading Come and Hear on the porch read my regular book in bed, and my husband and I watched one episode of Unusual Suspects before bed.

 

And that’s it! I’m up SUPER early this morning with a stress-related headache. It’s another busy day here; along with school and all the usual jazz, I’m going over to watch my nephew tonight while my sister-in-law has parent-teacher conferences at her school. He and my daughter will play, masked, outside, so we’re still being safe and taking precautions, and I don’t mind helping out. It’s nice to be able to lend a hand. Wish me luck for a good day in our schoolwork, though; I never know what kind of day I’ll get around here!

Have a wonderful end of the week, friends! : )

What's Been Going On: Thursday, 25 August - Sunday, 29 August, 2022

What a whirlwind of a weekend! I needed that, though, and I think I’m going to keep needing all of these weekends. School weeks are intense; we get a lot done, but there’s just not a lot of time leftover for anything else after schoolwork is done. I’m just really going to have to lean in to those weekends, both for relaxation and for getting other things done.

It really was a nice weekend, though. We’re supposed to have a warm, dry fall here, so my days of reading out on the porch should continue at least a little while longer, for which I’m grateful. When it gets colder, I’ll switch out our comforter for the super soft fuzzy one and read upstairs under a pile of blankets. : )

Here’s what I was up to the past few days!

 

Thursday, 25 August, 2022

I got dressed and had coffee, then posted my review for As If On Cue by Marisa Kanter on my book blog. I edited and posted Thursday’s post, then made a batch of black-eyed peas curry in the Instant Pot and took out the compost. I scooped the litterbox, brought in the containers of mini naan we’d bought on markdown at the grocery store a few weeks ago, and then it was time to start school.

We started off with On This Day in History, geography (Palestine), and a little bit about Roanoke. Our morning was full of a unit of math and a unit of Language Arts, and then I had my daughter do some cursive practice. She’s pretty artsy, and I think she’ll like cursive. I won’t make her do seven years of penmanship practice like my school did, because it’s just not as necessary in today’s society, but I do think it’ll make writing a little easier for her than it is now.

After lunch, we read pages 22-35 of Fantastic Fossils by Rob Shone; pages 41-61 of Before Columbus; all of The Best Book of Fossils, Rocks, and Minerals by Chris Pellant; the first chapter of Around the World in 100 Years by Jean Fritz; and chapter 3 of History Smashers: The Mayflower. (Some of these we take turns reading; others, I read all of.) My daughter did spelling and then wrote out her words; she also copied down a few words into her vocabulary notebook.

After school, I had some paperwork to fill out, so I did that, then filled and ran the dishwasher. I made a batch of rice in the rice cooker, went on a three-mile walk with my son, did my Duolingo, showered, put dinner away, then put my daughter to bed. I read my book, and we went to bed without watching anything this night.

 

Friday, 26 August, 2022

After getting dressed, I had coffee, made a quick Friday post, emptied and refilled the dishwasher, made a batch of taco-spiced lentils and a batch of guacamole, and took out the compost and recycling. And then, school!

We started with On This Day in History, geography (Papua New Guinea), and a little bit about Jamestown. We did a unit of math and a unit of Language Arts, and I got a message in-between that my daughter’s counselor’s son was sick. COVID test was negative (so far; we know how that can go), but we rescheduled just to be safe. Wishing his son refuah shleimah, a speedy return to full health! We did spelling and then had a quick lunch break.

After lunch, we finished Fantastic Fossils; read pages 62-76 of Before Columbus; read all of A Moment in Time by Thomas Hegbrook; chapter 4 of History Smashers: The Mayflower; chapters 2 and 3 of Around the World in 100 Years. My daughter wrote out her spelling words and a single vocabulary word (she writes out the word and definition), and then it was off to the library! My husband joined us, so they went off to play, while I sat and read my twenty pages of Come and Hear, followed by more of my regular book.

At home, we had dinner and I virtually attended an early Shabbat service at New York City’s Central Synagogue (the cantor was on FIRE!!! He has an amazing voice, but he just absolutely knocked everything out of the park on this night!!! There was also a beautiful baby who was receiving her Hebrew name; she shares a regular name with my daughter, and it’s not a common name, so that made me smile!).

I put dinner away, got the dishes into the dishwasher and ran it, then showered (and gave the shower a good scrubbing while I was in it). I read, put my daughter to bed, read some more, and my husband and I watched one episode of What We Do in the Shadows before bed.

 

Saturday, 27 August, 2022

After coffee and breakfast, I got dressed, emptied and refilled the dishwasher, and took out the recycling. I mowed the front half of the lawn, then lay down for a bit; mowing always makes me feel so awful!

I wrote out a book review and two blog posts, then it was time for lunch. Afterwards, I took my books out to the porch and read out there allllllllllllllllllllllllll afternoon, which was wonderful. My husband and daughter left to go camping in a nearby forest preserve, so I got the dishes into the dishwasher, tidied the living room, and organized my reading list, which needed it. My son and I drove across town to pick up dinner, then we came home and ate it, watching a documentary on Syria he had recommended.

We paused halfway through to go on a 2.1-mile walk, then finished our documentary. I did my Duolingo, showered, and spent the rest of the night reading, beginning The Outside World by Tova Mirvis (which is excellent so far!).

 

Sunday, 28 August, 2022

Despite having the entire bed to myself, I still woke up before 7 am. Not a problem, though. More time to get stuff done!

I got dressed, had coffee, and then cleaned up my daughter’s room, listening to a podcast to pass the time. Fortunately, it only took an hour this time. I stripped her bed and changed her sheets, then started a load of laundry. I folded and put away another load, then sat for a bit to give my back a rest. I shredded and bagged a giant zucchini (six cups!), saving the seeds to dry and use next year.

I filled and ran the dishwasher, then my son and I were off to Walmart to purchase socks and underwear for him. At home, we cooked the frozen pizza we’d bought for lunch, and after we ate, I hung and dried the laundry. I was in the middle of chopping and freezing the sale peppers I’d bought this week when my husband and daughter returned home. Their trips never last too long!

After taking the peppers out to the garage freezer and taking the compost out, I cooked a batch of onions, garlic, and peppers, then I had to run out: I’d forgotten to pick up cheese from Walmart, and I had some books that needed to go back to the library anyway. No biggie. I also got gas along the way. At home, I made up a batch of eggs for a breakfast casserole and brought the tater tots in from the garage freezer, and then it was time to relax with my books out on the porch.

I threw the casserole in when it needed to go in, then returned to the porch for a while, but came in when it started to look like rain, but I kept reading. After dinner, I worked on this post, did my Duolingo, put dinner away, then showered and showered my daughter. After putting my daughter to bed, I read my book, and we went to bed without watching anything.

 

And that’s it! Busy week coming up as always. I *think* we should have enough library books to get us through the school week. There’ll be a bit of a learning curve to see what we can realistically cover in our schedule, but I’m sure we’ll figure it out (the books from our home library, I’m not worried about; they automatically renew after three weeks, for up to nine weeks. The books from other libraries, however, are still due after three weeks, and I don’t want to abuse my borrowing privileges from those libraries, since they don’t have to lend to borrowers outside their town; they’re generous and they choose to, so I don’t want to ruin this for everyone!).

Wishing everyone a lovely, productive week! Remember to take time to breathe. : )

No Friday links: 26 August, 2022

 Good morning! No Friday links this morning, or for a while, I think. Mornings are just too jam-packed right now; after my coffee is done this morning, I have to make dinner, including a batch of guacamole and taco-spiced lentils, along with dealing with the dishes, before we start school - and we're going to try to start a little early, since we have an appointment with my daughter's counselor. There's just not enough time in the day for me to get another post written up! 

Wishing you all a wonderful weekend! :)

What's Been Going On: Monday, 22 August - Wednesday, 25 August, 2022

Hello, hello! School is going well here so far!

We’ve had a few blips in the road; math and Language Arts were a little tough the few days, not gonna lie. My daughter was a little resistant, and of course, the work is a little harder this year. Third grade writing is a lot more intense than second grade, and I have big expectations for her. But we’re hanging in there, and Wednesday went SO well, even the tough parts. I think we’ll eventually get into a smoother pattern altogether, but there were bound to be a few bumps in the road in the beginning no matter what.

It’s been hard finding time to squeeze everything in. I’ve basically been in constant motion from the moment my feet hit the ground, and I don’t get a break until usually 7:30 or 8pm. It’s exhausting, but it’s worth it. It’s good work. : )

Here’s what I’ve been up to so far this week!

 

Monday, 22 August, 2022

 

After getting dressed, I had coffee and breakfast, then finished and posted Monday’s post. I posted my review for Idiot’s Guide: Foraging by Mark Vorderbruggen over on my book blog, then scooped the dishwasher, and emptied and refilled the dishwasher. I did a half hour of volunteer work, and then it was time to get all the pictures done for the grandparents and various social media outlets.And then, school!

We started our day with On This Day in History, geography (Pakistan), and a new brief reading from a daily history book (Leif Ericson). For math, we covered G3M1L8, then moved into Language Arts, covering G3M1U1L1. This took for-ev-er, and my daughter didn’t have the greatest attitude about it (third grade work is a lot more intense and writing/thinking-heavy than second grade, so she really has to step up her game here, and it’s HARD for the kids to make this transition!). We took a break for lunch, worked through it a little, and had it conquered by the time her plate of leftovers was empty.

We read twenty pages of Before Columbus by Charles C. Mann, and we measured out, on the driveway and in string, what a 16-foot tapeworm (that apparently enjoyed making their homes in the intestines of certain indigenous children’s intestines) looked like. We read Fossils by Peter Mavrikis, then read 25 pages of Fossils by Ann Squire. We read (and loved!) North Pole, South Pole by Nancy Levinson, then dove into the first chapter of History Smashers: The Mayflower by Kate Messner, where we took turns reading. I walked my daughter through her spelling; she wrote out her words afterwards. Then she copied some definitions of vocabulary into her vocab notebook, and we cleaned up the living room.

 

And off to the library, which was the carrot I was dangling in front of my daughter all day. It worked out, because I ended up having two interlibrary loan books in. After we checked those out, I picked up a prescription at Walgreens, and then it was home to write about my day and do another 30 minutes of volunteer work. I reheated dinner, and we had leftover black bean soup and grilled cheese for dinner, and I did my Duolingo, took out the recycling and the trash. My husband and daughter and I went on a 2.5 mile walk with my husband and daughter (crowded streets this night! Lots of people out for a walk with their doggos). I hauled the cans to the curb, showered, and read my book; my husband and I watched one episode of Unusual Suspects before bed. Slightly better sleep this night!

 

Tuesday, 23 August, 2022

After getting dressed, I had breakfast and coffee, then posted my review for In Pain by Travis Rieder on my book blog. I did thirty minutes of volunteer, filled and ran the dishwasher, and got our school books ready, then it was time to begin!

The morning was full of math and Language Arts, followed by spelling practice. We broke for a quick lunch, I got some beans in the Instant Pot, and then it was back to work! We read more of Before Columbus by Charles C. Mann, finished Fossils by Ann Squire, then read half of Fantastic Fossils by Rob Stone. We read another chapter of History Mashers: The Mayflower, my daughter wrote out her spelling words and read to my husband, and I headed to the kitchen, to empty and refill the dishwasher.

 I made an Instant Pot full of enchilada rice with black beans, read twenty pages of Come and Hear out on the porch, then went upstairs to read but ended up dozing a bit instead. My son and I walked four miles, I had dinner, put the rest of dinner away, and I wrote out the pages for the next day’s math and Language Arts. I did my Duolingo then showered and put my daughter to bed. I read my book, my husband and I watched one episode of Unusual Suspects, and I had another awful night of sleep. Eurgh!

 

Wednesday, 24 August, 2022

 

I woke up when my husband left at 5 am, but after reading a few pages of my book, I managed to fall back asleep. I woke back up at 6:30, got dressed, and then it was time for breakfast, coffee, and 30 more minutes of volunteer work. I made out my grocery list, then posted my review for I Can Make This Promise by Christine Day on my book blog. I filled and ran the dishwasher, then it was time for school.

 We did a unit of math, and a unit of Language Arts. The first two days of the week, there was some foot-dragging, whining and complaining, the usual spiel. On this day, I figured out a trick for getting through to my daughter with math that I don’t know how long is going to work, but I’m going to run with it as long as I can, because there was ZERO whining or complaining this day, and Language Arts went off without a hitch as well! SO enjoyable when that happens.

 And then it was music time. I played the recorder for YEARS as a kid; I played at religious services, I played in recitals, I played with a madrigal group. It wasn’t the usual Hot Cross Buns nonsense; the recorder is actually a beautiful instrument when played properly, and I figured my daughter is old enough to start learning, so we began her musical adventure with the recorder. She’s just starting to get comfortable holding it and figuring out how her fingers need to cover the holes (and where on her fingers need to be covering the holes!). She did so well and she really enjoyed it. I was so proud!

 We had a quick lunch, and then it was art time! My daughter made a few different drawings; I finished one I’d started earlier in the year. The text on the right comes from Amos 5:24: But let justice well up like water, righteousness like an unfailing stream.

My son and I left for groceries when my husband got home, and we stopped by three stores. We got some marked-down cheese, marked-down milk, and marked-down bagels. We also dropped off some books at a neighboring library. At home, I put the groceries away, baked the pizza, and finished the last few details of my drawing. We ate dinner, I worked on this post, did my Duolingo, then put together the next day’s math and LA. I showered, read my book, and my husband and I watched one episode of Unusual Suspects before bed.

 

And that’s it! I’m absolutely loving the way our Wednesday school is structured. I missed having time to do art and music last year, so I knew I had to pick at day where we got that in there. We’re still doing math and Language Arts on that day, so we can get all the work done throughout the school year (and maybe even finish a little ahead of time!), but our afternoons are free for the arts, and my daughter loves that as well. It’s nice to have a little bit of a mid-week breather!

 

I hope you’re all having a lovely week as well. : )