Year 8, Week 8: Back to Work

     In a previous post I mentioned that Little Toughie had an audition.  She had call backs last weekend and she got a part!  Obviously, this year is going to be different with live performances and right now rehearsals are primarily virtual.  They have a contingent plan in place if come January audience gatherings are still prohibited.  Not ideal for any performer who feeds off the audience's reactions (we miss seeing live musicals!) but it is what it is.  Regardless, Little Toughie is excited and...busy.

     We're back to our normal schedule and I'm trying help the kids hone their time management skills.  Little Toughie's assignments are getting longer and I've raised my standards for A380, so the work is taking longer for both to finish.  However, some of it is also the fact that they "see squirrels" and they get distracted.  Or sometimes, in Little Toughie's case, her sense of time is off.  Half an hour feels like five minutes to her and well, that five minute break just lengthened her school day.  A380, on the other hand, is such a clock watcher that if on the calendar I have them doing math from 10:30-11:00 a.m. he'll stop at 11 even though there is still work to be done.  Our homeschool calendar is for reference; to give them an idea of what they should be doing at certain times.  The good thing with Little Toughie is that once she gets back on track, she's focused and she knows what needs to get done.  The good thing with A380 is that he'll tell me that he needs a break and wants to work on something else before circling back to whatever it is he needs to finish.  I know I'm just being anxious and importunate in wanting them to be organized; it is a skill that will bode well for them in all things.  I have to remind myself that they'll get there but ultimately it will be what works for them, their needs and personalities.

     The rest of our week was fairly quiet.  A380 got to watch an online Science Magic Show.  He was excited to share what he saw, especially because M&Ms were included!  Little Toughie got her script and I'm pretty sure she already has all her lines memorized.  I was on the phone and computer a lot this week.  I'm working on a new project (I'll share in a few weeks.)  I had to watch a couple of webinars to prep.  There were a couple of Zoom meetings that I had to attend (one of which I missed and had to listen to the playback!)  I made an appointment for my flu shot, which took a lot longer than expected because I couldn't remember the last time I had one.  I had to stay in the clinic for 15 minutes, after already waiting for 20 minutes just to get the shot, because they wanted to make sure I didn't have an immediate reaction.  Thankfully, I didn't.

     Not much else.  Enjoy your weekend and...squirrel!

Year 8: Fall Break and Pumpkins

     "We were on a break!"  If you pictured Ross from Friends as you read that then you and I are buddies!  I'm a big fan of Friends, as you can tell.  Yes, this was our break week.  I'm sure some are thinking, "A break already?"  Well, since we homeschool I am in charge of their schedule and roughly every six weeks we take a one week break.  It's been seven weeks so it's time!  Now, that doesn't mean that we aren't doing any teaching/learning.  It just means I lighten the load a bit, take some time to review the past six weeks, make adjustments as needed and maybe throw in a few fun things.  I spent some focused time on vocabulary with A380 and Little Toughie chose to work on an art project:

     I also took some time to clean out my email box, listen to a couple of podcasts/sermons I've been missing, run a few errands that included a couple of trips to the library (dropping off a stack and picking up another) and trying to decide on the layout of my next Plum Paper planner.  I also did the necessary prep work for the upcoming weeks' lessons.  Since I had more time I also decided to extend a few of my at-home workouts a bit to master the footwork.  If you can't make it to the gym (or don't want to because of Covid) and want to work out at home leave me a comment and I can help you out!  I'm currently doing a boxing program and having so much fun with it.     

Since we're on this break I thought I'd pass along some fun Fall things to do with your kids.  This is especially good for little ones!  First up is The Masterpiece Studio.  I love that they have different themed bundles for you to chose from and that it ties creativity in with learning.  Click on the picture for their latest bundle!

     If there are littles ones in the home that can't read yet, Printables Fairy has a Fall Scavenger Hunt sheet that you can bring with you on your next outdoor adventure.

     If you're looking for something to bake that's easy for everyone, check out these Pumpkin Muffins from Modern Mom Life.  I made these years ago when I found it on a site called Cooking With My Kid (no longer available), but I made a point to print out the recipe and saw that Modern Mom Life had the exact same one with the exception of leaving out 1/4 cup of milk that the CWMK recipe called for and making regular muffins instead of minis.  When I made the original recipe they were very light and fluffy, not too sweet and perfect for little hands.  Oh, how I miss the widdle, teeny tiny hands!

     If you want something gluten-free Nom Nom Paleo has a great option here using almond flour.  She's one of the few Paleo websites that I use regularly.

     Prefer something on the cooler side?  I make a smoothie with 1/4 cup of pumpkin puree, 1 cup of vanilla or regular almond milk, half a teaspoon of vanilla, 1 teaspoon of pumpkin spice, 1/2 teaspoon of cinnamon and 1/2 cup to 1 cup of ice.  If you have a favorite vanilla protein powder you can add that too!  Throw it all in a blender and voila!  Quick pumpkin smoothie.  I also like to freeze the leftover pumpkin in ice cube trays (I pop them into bags after they've frozen) and keep them handy for future use.

     That's all I have.  Time to go bake some Paleo Pumpkin bread.  Have a blessed week!