A Net in Time

Curriculum and book reviews, faith, homeschooling and more!

A day/week reviewed

What’s keeping Me Busy

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You will find me being very sporadic on the blog over the next while. I have some reviews written up already and some random posts I’ll be getting done. Too many other things are keeping me on the go. I thought I would talk with you about what’s keeping me busy.

Homeschool Co-op

Homeschool co-op has started and I’m teaching a phys ed class and a logic/debate class. We are using The Fallacy Detective. I won it years ago in some contest I can’t even remember anymore. 🙂 Want to know more about the book just click on the picture. 🙂

Also it is spring time in Ontario. THAT very fact has my bones itching to be outdoors. To that end I’ve been a bit …busy. 🙂 I’ve been slowed up the last two days since I took a tumble and bunged up my lower left leg BUT slowed is not stopped! 🙂

White Barrel Gardens

garden beds from white barrels

First I started with what I am calling my white barrel gardens. Hubby works at a feed mill and they’ve been giving away these animal food quality barrels. Anyways, he’s brought me home six barrels I think. I’ve cut all but one in half, the last I’m hoping to turn into a rain barrel.

Two of them I’m using as starter gardens. I’ve planted lettuce in one and peas in the other. I used branches from the hedge that I’m planning to cut down as supports for the plastic. There is a need to water them soon and check for growth!

garden beds from white barrels

Barn Board Gardens

My second project involves the movement of 4 1/2 gardens. The hope is that I don’t have to rebuild all four, but so far I’m having to rebuild two of them. One is finished (my job), the lad is going to build the other. He’s getting paid so he’s eager to earn his keep! 🙂 I built the one so he has a template to work from.

New garden bed using barn board

I have to admit that it is a lot of work moving the beds from being vertical to the rabbitry to being in line, BUT it give me more useable room between the gardens and the rabbitry, which means…. drum roll.. LESS tripping and falling for yours truly! More room means it will be easier to do my twice yearly top to bottom clean out. Staying healthy makes that job easier.

I anticipate it will take another three weeks to get it all done. In the midst of that I need to do some reviews… Cross Wired Science is coming. Write a blog post or three. Finish our taxes! Find time for family and fun. Life does go on…but it means that some things (like blogging everything I think about) will fall to the wayside for a while.

what's keeping me busy

A Week In Pictures (and words)

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This isn’t going to be a long post as a migraine is still beating it’s way through my head.  Better than yesterday, but still there making me light sensitive.  The brightness on my computer is turned WAY down.  Sunglasses are my friend.  🙂  This week will be a week in pictures.

week in pictures

Did you know that this week my lad learned how to use a Sawzall?   I KNOW…. he was rather keen on it too. 🙂  Between Dad and the lad this is our final result (yes we need to get the stumps out).  I admittedly helped as well, but the lad did a lot of the shortening down of branches to take to the dump.

We also used a block and tackle method to get a couple of the smaller trees down.

block and tackle to take down trees

Our Rose of Sharon came out in Full Bloom this week.

Rose of Sharon bushBunnies!

litter of holland lop bunnies, variety of colours

We worked at the Foodbank this week.  It was delivery week which meant lots of sorting, storing, packing.  It was a good order in this week so that worked out well.  Served clients.  Busy morning.   This is an older picture but it works. 🙂  The lad is still learning to not take fuzzy pictures. 🙂

foodbank shelving with foodOH, we finally caught mystery flower in bloom.   I thought we were moving this spring so planted a whack of flower seeds around the place.  Many didn’t come up and others did and I don’t know what most of them are.  These ones have shown a white colour but we never see them bloom.  Went out early one morning (like 7ish) and they were in bloom, they closed up by 8.  Bonus points if you can tell me what it is.  I’m going to keep seeds as I find it quite pretty though it’s totally overwhelmed my other flowers….

white flower

Headache hit (migraine actually) the lad did some cooking for me.  When the lad says, can I make something for you and you mumble sure, whatever…. you get treats instead of meals. 🙂

mug cake and reeses barHomeschooling.

We gave GrammarPlanet another go.  We won’t be doing a review for this one, but a number of the crew will be.

grammarplanetHe happily worked on Picta Dicta Natural World a few times and enjoys it immensely.  A review will be forthcoming.

Picta Dicta Natural WorldWell, that’s all my head has patience for… I feed a strong need for a nap.   Toodles!

 

Linking up with Kym before I forget.

Home Maintenance Skills

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One of my goals is to have the office, now turned guest room, finished by the end of the week.  I want to have this done and off my mind.   This meant that this week we needed to get the room painted, clean out desk drawers, dust, wash the floor, pick up a new-to-us dresser, make a bed, bring up a wardrobe from the basement, and rearrange furniture.    Could we get it done in five days?

Home Maintenance skills

Since this house is now our own, part of my goals is to teach my lad house maintenance skills.  It’s important to know how to take care of house, so my son has been swinging hammers, cutting wood, learning to spackle and this week learning to paint and to put up baseboards.

Mom-in-law was a doll and came up last week and washed floors and walls for us.  She was impressed with the cleaning we had done already, but like always, when she was done it just looked better.  I DO NOT KNOW how she does it, honestly….. this lady has SKILLS.

The Dresser

I picked up the dresser on Thursday.  It needed to be thoroughly cleaned and the previous owner gave us the oil for polishing it.  She gave us a tremendous deal AND threw in the oil too.  Isn’t God gracious to us?  I’ve not owned GOOD furniture before so it’s kinda neat having a pretty dresser in the house.  Polishing it wasn’t very difficult either. Hopefully any tenants or guests we get will like it.

teak dresser

Painting!

My son did an excellent job of painting.  He did his research about how to paint (need to learn those research skills as well), for this it was easy, he talked to his dad who spent a few months painting apartments and learning to paint well.

learning to paint

Putting up the baseboards turned out to be an experience.  Neither of us has ever tackled baseboards before and we were tired of mom-in-law commandeering tasks that we knew we could do.  So we found out where dad stored them and then the lad set to work.  I left him to it as he assured me he could figure out it out on his own.  He learned an important skill.  SOMETIMES the work teaches you as you go!   Just so you know, when you put in baseboards you have to put the nails in at a bit of an angle.  If you don’t, the board will pop out of the wall again!   I was glad I was down in the basement to avoid those sounds of frustration!  🙂

The Wardrobe

While he did that I tackled another project… getting the wardrobe cleaned out, and path made to the basement steps.  Not so easy to do when the basement holds much of what the office used to hold!   On a positive note I finished listening to Dragonvein: Book One.   I enjoyed it enough to get book 2.


It took the two of us (using Mom-in-laws .. the thing that you use to move furniture!  trolley?) to get the wardrobe up the stairs.  I have to admit, I almost lost it on one step and was scared to death I’d drop it on the lad, but WOOT WOOT I held on and we got it up the stairs.   I was so pleased with the lad’s help and determination to assist his momma. 🙂

He helped get the sticky tack off (I used to use it when the lad was little for pinning up charts for him when we played in the basement).  Then we set it up in the corner when the old router cables used to be.  Good to cover those up eh?

wardrobe

Finishing Up

We managed to get the bed made, floor boards on, floor swept and the teak dresser all oiled.  I also got all the desk drawers emptied and dresser moved to a new location.  The only thing I have left to do is find a home for the things on top of the desk!  On a positive note, the room is basically done and I’ve almost met my goal.  

desk

I have to admit, we laughed at the cats.  Literally as soon as we left the room, in they came, wanting to make themselves at home.Milo creeping up on the just made bed (how do cats know?) and Lizzie sniffing around the corners (checking for mice maybe?) I nodded at the lad and pointed and BOY did those cats move!  The lad leapt up hollering at them, he does have his grandmother’s genes in him! They scattered.  The door was shut.  We want the room to stay clean after all that hard work.  🙂 

Another thing we started this week was talking about monthly finances, things like how Dad is responsible for paying the mortgage, hydro, cable, water and all that.   We talked about I am managing the groceries, household and rabbit expenses.   This led to us talking about ways we can cut expenses, how to plan out expenses, and using the sales flyers for good (instead of just liners for the bird cage).

I think, as we go through our studies this year, I’ll be adding Money 101 from SchoolhouseTeachers.com into the repertoire.  At least I’ll use it for ideas as we go through our World Wars Studies. OH, and speaking of money, guess what?  SchoolhouseTeachers is on sale.. by one year, get the next for free.   HUGE savings that eh!  On til August 31.

Money 101

Linking up with Tots and Me.

Vacation Bible School Week

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I ran out of time last week to do this post, so I figured today was as good as any day right?  It’s summertime and though my tendency would be to homeschool all year round, sometimes there are bigger things to do you know?  This past week that was Vacation Bible School.    A church that we occasionally attend was hosting a vacation bible school and needed folks to help out.  To my son’s horror I signed him up!  🙂

Vacation Bible school, children singing

Much to his surprise he completely enjoyed himself.  We ended up with the preschoolers which wasn’t my first pick but when more littles are signed in then you anticipate… one pitches in.

My son (who has had zero exposure to littles) learned the following:

  1. Preschoolers can be a tough crowd.  Missing mom or siblings is hard. 
  2. Preschoolers are FAST!   They swarmed him one while playing chase.  BOY, the stories he had to tell Dad when we got home. 
  3. Doing crafts with preschoolers is fun!   They need help, they take suggestions and they will let you help!
  4. Learning new songs and keeping an eye on littles that just want to run off and play, isn’t for the faint of heart.  
  5. Cards from a preschooler can make you smile.

vacation bible school, maker verse

I learned, that I can still make unhappy littles, just a wee bit happier by being a silly goob.  🙂  That even if the preschool crowd isn’t my favourite age of younglins to work with, I can still have fun with them, and help them, and just perhaps let them see Jesus, even just a little bit. By the end of the week my quiet shy laddie (preschooler that is) rewarded me with a card and two stickers on my nose.  A good thing that eh?

vacation bible school crafts

 Not only did we do Vacation Bible School but the lad and I worked on cleaning construction dust from the house, each day taking a different part of the house to work on.   It’s sticky, icky dust that is a pain to clean. It is good at teaching us patience AND it’s another incentive to get rid of anything I don’t know how to clean well or don’t want to even TRY to clean.  🙂 (you can’t sense my frustration at all can you!).

In between it all we did some schooling.  Working on the dinosaurs review (coming soon by the by) and starting our WW2 study from Home School in the Woods.  (2 or 3 weeks from what I recall).  But not a whole lot since you know.. life happens right?

image of binder for home school in the words WW2 unit study

OH and Friday we went to the beach.  The water was freezing and rain was threatening but we had a lot of fun, met some nice people, and managed to get back a bit later than intended but I still sold my two bunnies (the purchaser made a run to the LCBO while waiting for us to return). 

picture of two bunnies

All in all it was a great week.  We learned much, sang a lot, touched lives, and got some cleaning done. This week promises to not be quite as busy YAY!  and hopefully we’ll get a better handle on how to feed my hubby with his new schedule (prayers for that would be appreciated), and get the guest room all completed. I want it done.  JUST DONE!  Here’s to making more progress eh?  🙂

Introducing our Summer Schedule

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It’s been a while since I’ve done one of these so I thought I’d introduce you to our summer routine.  We do tend to homeschool year round, but in the summer life changes. School still happens but often in ways that are not known at the beginning of the summer.

Introducing our Summer Schedule

Our focus is on: Language arts, math and reading.   When the lad and I were talking about our summer schedule I told him my non-negotiables and asked what he wanted to do over the summer (because the how doesn’t always matter).  He surprised me by adding a number of other items.  He wanted to continue with Drive thru History, weekly projects, and more.

Summer Schedule 2018

The reviews that we do will vary depending on what we have on the dock to work on, and our interest in them.  For instance we just finished reviewing a program called MaxScholar that he won’t be continuing for the rest of the summer.   His current plan is to finish reading through the biography section in the fall. 

MaxScholar

Since it is summer though our view is also this.  If we have something better to do, then schooling through books or videos drops to the wayside.   This week he worked through his schedule on Monday and Tuesday, Wednesday was plumb full of foodbank working, trips to Noah’s Ark to drop of yard sale leftovers, followed by a trip to London to shop and visit gramma. 

Thursday the lad did his basics only, we’d planned to do a couple of review things but I wasn’t up to par yesterday so that fell to the wayside.  On Friday we watched a lesson on geology and dinosaurs and then binged watched Drive Thru History.  🙂  That was fun.  The lad also started working on STEM project a model DaVinci had drawn out.  It’s maybe 1/3 the way done. Gave me a bit of time to write some blog posts too that has just not been happening.  Booked an appointment for a job interview and confirmed a doc appointment for the lad and… moved some bricks around.

Watching Drive Thru History

I dragged the lad outside to help me with a project I’ve had in my mind for the past couple of weeks, moving my cinderblocks to a better location and cutting off my tarp holders and putting them in storage.

Organizing our cinderblocks

Friday evening we went to a friends graduation ceremony.  It was really good to go, gave us a good idea what to expect for next year when the lad graduates grade 8. 

graduation

Saturday my lad got his advanced Green Belt.  It’s good to watch all these students increase their skill set. 

It wasn’t what I could call the most exciting week but when one’s health is being irritating, sometimes a lack of excitement is called for. 🙂

A day when mom’s away

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Today I had a whole bunch of work to do out of the house.

I conferred with my lad this morning over the tasks he would complete over the day.   I wasn’t sure what time I would be back, but trusted him to get things done while Dad got a few things done around the house.

Before I left my lad volunteered to shovel the drive and bring in the garbage bins.   He was so quick about it I couldn’t get a pic of working away.  He did a good job too.   The selfish part of me, as I got into the car was thinking, “I have to teach that boy to clean off the cars too!”  Yeah… I know!  Selfish!A homeschooling day when Mom's Away

Anyways, I headed out to do the work I had to get done, leaving my lad heading into “build a cat toy that bounces” for his “build something or tear it apart time”.

He didn’t quite succeed in making a cat toy that bounces but he built a toy that intrigued Milo a lot and Lizzie a wee bit.

 

and Here’s Miss Lizzie, sorry for the occasional poor video quality.  She wasn’t quite as certain as Mr. Milo.

He washed some fleece blankets for me as well.  He was supposed to dry them as well… but.. making this got into his mind instead.

Flybird bird. Tinker crate building box.He did his reading.  Right now he’s reading “Playing Atari with Saddam Hussein”.  He tells me “it’s good”.  I think for his next “school reading book” I’ll give him They Lost their heads  as a book to read.

And for a Do it Differently Friday I think he managed to keep himself pretty busy.

A Week in the Life, Jan 27-Feb 2

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Ah, it's been a while since I've done a week in the life post... so let's see what I can pull together here.  :)One week in the life of a homeschooling family

Saturday:

We went in two different directions today.   The lad off to his karate grading, me to a ladies day away.  The lad wasn’t impressed I wouldn’t be at his grading but I couldn’t be in two places at once.  On a positive note his gramma came up and watched so that made my absence better.   🙂   

On the blog: 

StoveTop Mac & Cheese.
Review: Whoosh Boom Splat.

Sunday: 

Church at the local CRC, then a quiet Sunday.  Watched tv, played games, you know, we just chilled.

On The Blog: When Morning Gilds the Skies.

Monday:

The lad did ultrakey on line (review coming), practicing posture and hand positioning.   Unlock math soon followed.  Then we headed off to London where Hubby and I ran about town running errands and just spending time with each other.    The lad in the meantime spent time with his gramma, and did most of his bookwork.   They apparently headed out to McDonald’s for a ice cream treat…. “sorry I didn’t get all my work done mom!”  I just grinned at him.

On The Blog:

The Fun Parts of Homeschooling. 
Darius' Decree.  Devotional on Ezra 6:1-12
Review: Seized by the Sun. WW2 Women Pilot, Gertrude Tompkins

Tuesday:

Laundry day… got loads of laundry done as it was “was the sheets” day as well.  The lad worked studiously on his schoolwork getting done in excellent time (by 1 p.m.).  I was shocked at how quickly he got through everything even with two review materials to get through.    The rest of the day he did some work on an engineering project which “isn’t school because it’s fun to do”.   The lad’s night to cook, he made baked chicken drum sticks, mashed taters and mixed veggies.  Good meal.

On the Blog:

My Son's Favourite Stem Crates. 
The Temple is Completed.  Devotion Ezra 6:13-18.
A Poem by the Lad. made me smile so I thought I'd share it with you.  

Wednesday:

Foodbank in the morning.  The lad did most of his schooling there, helping out whenever requested.   The hours have changed 1/2 hour longer.   When we got home he did his online stuff, including watching Drive Through History Adventures while we had lunch.    The lad worked on his innovator’s project some more. In the evening he had his Karate practice….wearing his green belt now!  New Kata’s to learn.  My night to cook, and I made food.. trying to remember what… it was good, the lads enjoyed it cause we had no leftovers.

On the Blog: 

For the Lord Made Them Joyful.  Devotional on Ezra 6:19-22
Review: The Movie-Making Book. Learn to make better movies.

Thursday:

I had experienced some unexpected pain Wednesday which led into Thursday.  I couldn’t sit still without pain, so I kept myself busy.  I cooked most of the day, making pumpkin pie, pumpkin spice bread, apple pie, Bean salad, bread, some mousse tarts, and attempted some roasted chick peas…but they burnt cause the power went out and I got distracted and the power came on again and well… they burnt.. we rescued about 30 of them and boy.. they were good!   I’ll have to try that recipe again sometime.  The lad was ABSOLUTELY delighted that I said he could eat whatever he wanted for supper tonight… pumpkin pie and tarts were on the menu. 🙂   In the evening he had cadets, they were practicing for the snow derby this weekend.

On the Blog:

Use Strong Verbs.  Write better, a printable to help.
Review: 365 Bible Answers for Curious Kids.

Friday:

After all the activity of the day before I was beat all day Friday.  No zip to do much of anything.  I did manage to make supper… I used some canned beef, mixed it with some rice and mushrooms and some teriyaki sauce and fried it all up.. it was good.  The lad tasted some sans the mushrooms and gave it a thumbs up and hubby stole part of it too… making lunch on Saturday smaller for me. 🙂   The lad worked on his research project, this week he chose to do a video from his list.   He also worked on making a ground hog mound from some marshmallows.  He’s not done yet as he’s doing it a rather interesting way.  Good STEM project.

 

Tomorrow the lads have a Cadet event… a snow derby.   They are hopeful to bring home some ribbons.  I’ll have the house to myself so plan to get some reviews done and some blog posts written.   Hopefully I’ll have more energy than I did on Friday. 

On The Blog: 

A Conversation Runs. a Five minute Friday Word prompt post.  A poem.

Linking up at the following:

Homeschool Coffee Break. 
Weird Unsocialized Homeschoolers. 
Friday Funnies Flops and Fails.