Learning Notes :: Weeks 19-20

Whew! We did it! We successfully moved out of the house, cleaned, painted, put it up for rent, and got settled here at my in-laws for the next 6 weeks. I'm exhausted but deliriously happy that the hardest part is behind us. Andy comes home for a visit this weekend and then we've only got one more 40-day stretch till we get him back for good. We can do this. :)

Grandma set up a lovely little area for us to do school in, and it's been a lot of fun tinkering with and setting up our materials. :) We don't normally do school at fixed hours-- it ends up being a lot more organic than that at home. Unschooly. While we are at my in-laws, however, we'll meet each morning in the schoolroom. It's a very bright and sunny room, and such a lovely little space she's set for us- I'm really looking forward to being there each day with the kids!

This is what's on my radar school-wise while we're here:

Reading & Writing: Narrations from Once Upon a Time Saints, daily SSR, read-alouds, some work with word families, basic phonics with Tulip, and scrabble-type games with Primrose.

Math: Games for Math- we'll use the games to reinforce all of those 2nd grade and kindy math concepts. I'll also draw from Mathwire (a favorite resource of mine).

Sacramental Prep: Primrose will receive her First Holy Communion next week, but we didn't quite get as far in her notebook as I was hoping to. No matter, we'll just continue to work on it in the weeks ahead.

Science: Grandma's getting chickens! They should arrive in just a couple of weeks, and we are very excited. To back up all that hands-on science, we'll read Chicks & Chickens by Gail Gibbons and make lapbooks.

Lent: Just around the corner! The Story of the Cross just arrived in the mail and it's absolutely beautiful. We'll pray the Stations of the Cross each night, attend Mass more frequently, and follow a "Journey to Easter" Chart (very similar to this).

Those plans should carry us through until we move to Spokane in late March. Now, let's get to those notes from weeks 19 & 20-- late, I know, but... it's understandable, right?

Read-Alouds

• Continued Pippi Longstocking by Astrid Lindgren.
• Continued Once Upon a Time Saints.
• Read a bit from The Book of Virtues.
• Primrose began reading 100 Pounds of Popcorn by Hazel Krantz. I'm still floored that she's reading chapter books on her own. That's wild.

Language Arts

• The girls added narrations and pictures of Benedict of San Fradello to their Saints books.
• SSR
• Starfall and SpellingCity
• Tulip wrote stories- lots of them.
• Primrose wrote to her penpal (now if I could only find the letter! Yikes. She might have to write a whole new one...)

Math

• Mancala, Yahtzee & Go Fish

Everything Else

• Primrose continued with her Sacramental Notebook-- she's focusing on Part III: The Eucharist.
• Watched a DVD about Benjamin Franklin.

Outings & Extracurriculars

• Sewing class for Primrose
• Final atrium session for the girls
• The pack/move

Seasonal Plans :: February

Popping these up before I'm swept away in all the packing & moving madness. Being as our family life is basically turned on its head at the moment, I doubt that I'll be getting to many of these ideas this month. I want to have a whole year of seasonal plans saved in my archives, though, so I'm adding these for future reference.

I'll be back whenever I can come up for air. Oh, and can you send up a quick prayer for me? It's moving week, I have three sick kids, no husband, and I'm starting to feel that tickle in the back of my throat that means I'm next.

I. CAN. NOT. GET. SICK.

Right then. Prayers please? Hugs for your week, friends!



~In the Garden~

• The garden sleeps

~Exploring Nature~

• Look for the Full Snow Moon
• Keep bird feeders clean & full
• Observe the birds in the backyard
• Make a valentine for the birds (Kids Nature Book, p 32)
• Keep track of the temperature
• Play in the snow
• Track moon phases on the calendar
• Look for animal tracks in the snow
• Look for snow fleas (Kids Nature Book, p 25)
• Dress a snowperson with bird treats (Kids Nature Book, p 27)

~Field Trips & Outings~

• Weekly nature hikes- bring cider & hot cocoa
• Visit the children's museum
• Go sledding
• Have a Valentines Day Party

~Crafts & Home Arts~

• Make and deliver valentines
• Dip or roll candles
• Make valentine dots using gluten-free pretzels and m&ms
• Cook up hearty gluten-free soups
• Winter baking
• Crochet projects & finger knitting
• Winter sewing

Moving Week Daybook

Outside my window...
This cannot possibly be January. Seriously. Somebody must have made a mistake with the calendar- it smells and feels like April, and the sun shines like it's May. Too bad it's not-then Andy would be home. Gotta love this weather, though!

I am thankful for...

the success of the January Loveliness Fair-- the entries were just lovely, and if stats say anything, then there were a whole lot of moms needing a mid-winter boost.

I am thinking about...
Lent. It has a tendency to sneak up on me, and I'd like to have a few ducks in a row before it arrives this year.

Learning all the time...

We are moving in three days. This first move will be in with Andy's parents. Then, in March, we'll move again-- to the other side of the state, where we'll be reunited with Andy. The lessons to be learned through all this are far greater than any that could come from a book. I'm not sure how consistent I'll be with weekly Learning Notes for the next month or two. I'll try to keep track and consolidate a couple of weeks into each post, probably. We'll just see.

From the kitchen...

Whatever's in the cupboard. I think I've got a box of brownie mix, frozen berries, several boxes of Kix cereal, and leftover tomato soup. An inspiring selection, I know-- but I refuse to go grocery shopping three days before a move. Thank goodness for multi-vitamins. ;)

I am creating...

plans. Plans for our transition period at my in-laws, for house-hunting, for the move to Spokane, for menus, for household chores, for schoolwork, and for field trips from now through summer. I've got pages and pages of notes, and I'm still scratching away. It's enough to make a girl swoon- all those fresh white pages filled in with hopeful, happy plans.

I am working on...
speaking nicely. When I'm stressed, I seem to snap at people. I'm stressed, and the people around me most often are little, vulnerable, and don't really mean to drive me crazy. So I'm humming. A lot. It helps.

I am going...to nurse my kids back to full health. Right now that includes antibiotics, a nebulizer, pain medications, and lots of fluids. It would be very, very helpful if they were healthy by moving day. (Pretty please, Lord?)

I am reading...
Stargirl by Jerry Spinelli
The Parting by Beverly Lewis

I'm itching to order some inspiring non-fiction with my Amazon gift card. Any recommendations? I've got my eye on The Year and Our Children and Lessons at Blackberry Inn-- I'm hesitant about that last one because I've heard it has some anti-Catholic sentiment. I love Karen Andreola, though, so I'm tempted to read it anyway. I'm also hoping to get my hands on The Story of the Cross by Mary Joslin to use with the kids during Lent this year.

I am hoping...
for the quick rental of our home.

I am praying...
this prayer. And for a friend who is carrying an especially heavy cross right now.

I am hearing...
sparrows chirping happily under the blue sky. The kids running back and forth through the yard, playing games through the fence with the neighbors and riding bikes on the driveway. Have I mentioned how much I love this laptop?

Around the house...

Pack.

Move.

Paint.

Clean.

Rent.

(that simplified list looks much less daunting than the itemized one sitting on my counter!)

Heard this week...

Primrose: "I packed this box to take to Grandma's house, but it's funny- I'm unpacking it now. I mean, I really don't need any of it. Maybe just my rosary..."

The girl knows how to prioritize, that's for sure.

One of my favorite things...
Andy. Missing him just a wee bit much on his birthday weekend.

A few plans for the rest of the week:

The pack and move take priority, of course. I'm also going to finish up work on the house and, God willing, get it up for rent next week. If everyone's healthy, we're also going to try to fit in sewing lessons for Primrose, a quick swing by the library to return books, and a visit to a dear friend who is post-op.

Or maybe I'll just go hide under a rock. That sounds pleasant. ;)

Here are pictures I am sharing with you:

The Ceremony of Light- in preparation for First Holy Communion.

Visit Peggy at The Simple Woman for more daybook entries.

Happy Birthday, Love

:: 30 ::

Oh my. ;)

Seems fitting that as you begin a new decade, we are opening up a new chapter in our lives together. I'm excited to see what unfolds in this new decade. Can you believe we've been married for almost a third of your life? I miss you like crazy and can't wait until we can be together again.

In the meantime, Happy Birthday. I love you like crazy.

~ 30 Things I Love About You ~

1. Finding your socks in the sheets every morning. I miss you so much that I'll never complain about that again. I promise.

2. You make me laugh until I cry. About everything. And often.

3. The way you look around the room when you catch me talking to myself.

4. Your juicy love notes.

5. How you wear your thoughts on your face, without even realizing it.

6. You always take my side, even when I'm wrong.

7. Your love for God.

8. The way you make fun of commercials for prescription medication.

9. You listen to me ramble incessantly about every educational philosophy under the sun. Riveting, I'm sure.

10. You build stuff. That's manly and I love it.

11. The crazy random things you say around the house.

12. Rdesha. And now the rest of my readers are utterly confused. :)

13. How you always remember to shut off the house lights before coming to bed. Oh, wait. No, you don't do that. It's okay. I love you anyway.

14. Your amazing work ethic.

15. When, late at night, you crank up a Taylor Swift music video right as I'm falling asleep, just to see me pop out of bed and come dancing into the living room.

16. You get down on the floor and play with the kids better than I ever do.

17. Your respect for my incredible Spanish speaking skills. Heh.

18. Your delicious turkey feasts in the height of summer.

19. Pre-naps.

20. That when I'm upset, you stop whatever you're doing to make my world better. Even if I'm crying hysterically.

21. Your iPod is full of Contemporary Christian music. I think that's adorable.

22. You make a point of loving on our kids in some way, every day, from 2600 miles away.

23. You inspire me. Ten years ago we were college kids- recklessly in love with big dreams and lofty goals. We got married and started our family very, very young. Everyone doubted us. Your friends thought you were crazy. They told you not to marry me- said that you'd drop out of college and work a dead-end job just to support our quickly growing family. You didn't. You landed your dream job. And the rest of the story hasn't even been written yet.

24. That you love me, even on the days when I overreact to everything or just plain won't shut up.

25. Your integrity.

26. How you notice whenever I get a haircut or buy a new top or try a new shade of lipstick.

27. Kissing. You are exceptionally good at kissing.

28. The way you dance at wedding receptions. Can't get enough of that.

29. {mind wandering...wandering....}

30. {content edited for public viewing} -- don't worry, honey. I'll tell you all about this one later. ;)

xoxo. I love you.

Happy Birthday

With Grace & Good Cheer

Elizabeth's husband is gone, again. And I get it. Because I'm there. With a husband gone. And too much on my plate.

And the missing.
The awful, desperate missing.

132 days down. 67 to go.

Ay. 67 to go.

And yet, knowing how hard he is working to move our family in this new, hopeful direction, I can pray for the strength to do it all with grace and good cheer.

And with gratitude for posts like Elizabeth's. Oh my- how timely that was. And just when I was about to start throwing a pity party, too. ;)

[sigh]

Missing you, Andy.

xoxo

Loveliness Fair: Short-Circuiting Winter Burnout

For many homeschoolers, the dread has already set in. It happens every year- our spirits worsen right along with the weather.

Call it burnout. Call it February. Call it whatever you want, but don't be caught off guard by it. Homeschoolers all over the globe are fighting off the winter blues, and they are doing it successfully. Want to find out how? Well, you've come to the right place. Pour yourself something hot and settle in. The links below will inspire you to live a life of loveliness even in the dark cold days of winter.

February may be looming, but this year it will not rob us of our joy. Special thanks to all who contributed to make this a perfectly lovely blog fair. Click, read and be blessed!

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Start with Jennifer's post over at Wildflowers & Marbles- her fabulous post served as the inspiration for this fair.

Sip your tea and ponder with Lindsay what the sources of your burnout might be-- and consider some simple ways to bust them.

Trish reminds us to be careful at how much time and energy we are streaming away from the home in this post.

Lori offers suggestions for working with rhythms and schedules this time of year. Tidal homeschoolers will find this post especially inspiring.

Emily uses unit studies to keep things fresh and interesting this time of year.

Elena offers ten pick-me-up ideas in her lovely post.

Find a great do's and don'ts list at Lisa's blog.

Erin brainstorms ideas for long stretches of days when outdoor activity is impossible.

Don't miss Auntie Leila's wisdom on avoiding February burnout before it even happens.

And last but definitely not least, visit Elizabeth's blog to find hope when things are looking bleak. Her archived posts on burnout are a treasure trove.

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Here's to a February filled with joy!

Weekend Joy

Last week was rough. Quite frankly, I was happy to see it go. Late Thursday evening I put the kids to bed, exhausted, and looked around for a rock to climb under. I wouldn't stay under it too long, I figured- just for...I don't know. Ten weeks or so. Just until Andy comes home, that's all.

8:30pm. A knock at the door. Three girlfriends and one Wii. A dance-off to MC Hammer and Cindy Lauper until the early morning hours.

And I begin to feel better.

Friday afternoon. Another knock at the door. This time it's my friend-since-7th-grade Karla and her two cutie-pie girls for a slumber party. There is tree-climbing. And play dough. Wine. Cheese. Board games and conversation late into the night. There are funny-face-pancakes and beauty salon parties. And Karla is the only person I know who can match me cup-for-cup at the coffee pot.

And today? Today I feel much, much better.

And I am grateful for friendship.