My Weekly Notebook: Week 34

 

Life this week...

It was a week. The 2 "ends" were good, and the middle was okay. I don't really have a lot to say about the week itself so read on for the rest!

Homeschool this week...

I pulled out the paints for a project that I have been wanting to do (a wooden moon garland) which led to my kiddo deciding he wanted to do something. I suggested to him a CD spinner craft project that I had some old cd's for. He liked the idea of painting on a cd, so we gathered some other things needed for it and got to work. I loved this little impromptu crafting session with him! Two thoughts I had: if you pull the art supplies/activity/game out and start doing it yourself they (the kids or students) almost always join you, and I learned that my kiddo wants to do more 3D art this school year. 

We even lit a candle for some calming ambience...

I chose to make mine look like a pumpkin top

Alex chose to make his look a little spacey

 

Mom-school this week...

Sometimes my school for the week consists of reading or planning for the kids' lessons. This book is one that Aric has been reading for his Good and Beautiful language arts course. I am reading the whole book to help him as he reads through it, and to just have read it for general knowledge of what the book is about. It's Just David by Eleanor H. Porter.

Helpful homeschool tips and advice to share...

Sometimes it is easy to focus on what is lacking in your homeschool or life, and that can get very discouraging. Instead focus on the things you DO have. What is going well? What are the good things you have going? And how can you find or add more good things that your kids will enjoy? Or that even YOU as the mom/teacher will enjoy? Don't forget about yourself? Build things in that will help you too!

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

We went to the park on Saturday evening. I walked and the boys flew rc planes. It was cloudy and the clouds were pretty moody so they were amazing to look at.

Random things the kids worked on...

Alex made some rubber band bracelets with his rubber band loom that he forgot about for a few years. I was cleaning out an old drawer that had this stuff in it and he decided to pick it up and make some! 

Something I accomplished...

I organized the painting box into drawers. Hoping that will encourage us to paint more.

What we're reading...

I picked up this book at the library in the Friends of the Library section of books for sale. It was requested by my hubby as he saw it on a post that it was available for sale. He likes these kinds of stories. I might read it too.

Movies/TV we watched... 

As always we (Hubby and I) are still making our way through The Big Bang Theory, so we watched a few episodes of that. We (Hubby and I) started The Mayfair Witches series on Netflix. Definitely not a kid show! Also, I don't think the kids really watched anything with us this week.

Outdoor time...

We got about 10 hours outside this week. I went on a nature walk with a friend, and we did some front yard/house stuff like cleaning out the gutters, which we realized needed to be cleaned after a big storm we had last weekend.

I'm cooking/eating...

I made homemade naan bread to go with a curry we had for dinner on Sunday night, but no picture proof. It was pretty delicious though! Also, pizza on Friday night is just so nice.

 

Something that worked out great or didn't work out for us this week...

One adult kid had a job interview this week and he got the job, so that worked out great for him. Hopefully he has a smooth start in a few weeks!

I'm grateful for...

I'm grateful for the ability to calm my nerves when I feel anxiety and panic start to set in for whatever reason. It's taken a lot of practice, and a lot of time to discover tools to do this better. While not always perfect I am glad I can help myself.

Wordless Wednesday: Stamps!

 

My Weekly Notebook: week 33

 

Life this week...

We must have had a little virus go through the house this week. I say little because it wasn't a "stuck on the couch" all week thing. It was a we just felt a little bit off and kinda sick thing. I felt tired, had weak legs, a little bit of a scratchy throat a few times, and maybe some upset stomach. I definitely felt a little malaise too. A few of the boys said they felt similar at different points of the week. I almost didn't recognize it as a sickness until the end of the week! That's how low key it was. Still mostly functional, but just not quite 100%. 

Homeschool this week...

We are quickly coming to the end of summer which means I must start thinking about what I don't want to think about... prepping for the new school year. I am both excited and kinda dreading it. There's always the excitement of preparing and starting anew, but I also know it means we really have to buckle down and figure out classes. So, until we get around to doing that we have a football or two at least! Something we can use for a little PE. I ordered a new one because we couldn't find the old one, but as it was on its way the old one was found. The boys wanted to keep the shiny new one too, so I guess it works out.

 

Mom-school this week...

I pulled out the Ukulele and tuned it so I can start learning it again. I also searched for my old online lessons that I forgot I had. I have to start all over with the Uke because I forgot everything! 

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

We had a park day planning meeting for our local homeschool group, I walked in a parade with the library bookmobile, and the kids played pickle ball with homeschool friends one day.

A few of our favorite things this week...

I am loving sitting in the mornings and just taking a moment to think and slow down with a cup of something to drink and sometimes a book. It's been a really great way to start my days and I'm thankful I'm at a time in my life where I can do this. My favorite from this week was Sunday morning sitting outside after a storm the night before and it was sunny with a slight breeze. It was just so beautiful out. I felt a lot of peace.

 

Things I'm working on...

I am working on listening to an extremely long book, and I'm only 5 hours in. I need to buckle down and listen more. Problem is I really like listening to my music too.

 

Something I accomplished...

I cleaned the fish tank and got it decorated for fall. I still have a pumpkin somewhere that I can't find. Hoping I will find it, but for now this makes me happy.

What we're reading...

I already mentioned the book I am listening to, The Witching Hour by Anne Rice. We are also reading The Hobbit as a read-aloud. I am working on Just David by Eleanor Porter. That one is actually a book that Aric was reading for his language arts class too.

Movies/TV we watched... 

We went to see Despicable Me 4 on Tuesday for $5 day. I went with the youngest boy and the oldest boy! It was fun. I also watched Twister with the Hubby one night. Now to wait for Twisters to come on streaming. Oh and I can't forget Gilmore Girls! I started watching that on my own again. Oh how I love that show!

Outdoor time...

I have been getting outdoor time in as much as we can. If anybody goes outside for anything I join them! I have also been doing a lot of just sitting outside on the front porch. I love it. Our hours right now are at 268/1000 for 1000 hours outside. I'm hoping we can get a lot more hours in this 2nd half of the year!

Games we played...

We haven't played games for weeks! I realized today that we just haven't been thinking about it or making any effort. That will be my goal this week, play a game!

LEGO...

I finished a Harry Potter set. This is the last "house banner" of the 4 houses. I built Hufflepuff's house banner. It is up on the wall with the other 3!

I'm cooking/eating...

Some of the things we ate this week include copycat zuppa tuscana soup, Mongolian Chicken and egg flower soup from Chen's restaurant, tater tots (Alex's favorite lately), and an easy night of McDonald's. I also made homemade sourdough English muffins (not pictured).

I'm grateful for...

I'm grateful for the really nice rain storm we had, complete with thunder and lightning. It was so cool to listen/watch and made the earth feel so fresh.

Wordless Wednesday

 Date lunch with hubby at Chen's Family Dish:

Wordless Wednesday: Baking day

 

Books I finished -- July 2024

 

 

The Sound of Gravel by Ruth Wariner

I picked this one up because a friend had read it and it piqued my interest given its topic. I have to say this one was hard. Probably the hardest book I've read in a long time. It is a memoir of a girl growing up in a polygamist family/colony in Mexico.

p. 121: "In my church, polygamy is a commandment from God," Mom said defensively. "I was married in that church, so I'm Lane's wife whether you like it or not."

p. 258: I knew that my life would never be happy if all it amounted to was having several children by a shared husband. I couldn't understand how love or adoration could be possible in that kind of arrangement, and I desperately wanted those things. But I also knew that it wasn't enough to want them. You had to know how to get them. Mom couldn't teach me that because she didn't know herself. She couldn't show me how to be happy, only how to barely survive.

The Collected Regrets of Clover by Mikki Brammer

I read this one as part of a book club. I really enjoyed it. I had never heard of a "death doula" (someone who helps guide/transition a person and their family in their last days) before, but it's a concept that totally makes sense. Reading this book really helped me look at death in a different way.

P. 301 It's so easy to see your parental figure through that lens alone, to think that their existence has always revolved around yours. But before they were parents, they were simply human beings trying to navigate life as best they could, dealing with their own disappointments, chasing after their own dreams. And yet we often expect them to be infallible.

p. 305 -- The secret to a beautiful death is living a beautiful life.

p. 310 -- People who were complete strangers to me less than a year ago had forever shifted the trajectory of my life. The fact that all of us were entangled--that everyone on  the planet somehow shaped the course of one another's lives, often without realizing it--felt like almost too much for me to comprehend.

Thankful Thursday