Where life takes you...

Do you ever get started doing something... and next thing you know, it's 2 years later?

Yeah, that's kind of what has happened here.

So where I last left off, I was trying hard to make sure to at least post my weekly menu plan for the week.

Since that busy chaotic summer of 2015 - here's the (not so short) list of what has gone on:

The little guy has been being seen by a pediatric GI specialist for intermittent vomiting and severe abdominal pain. He started playing the trumpet, but switched to the trombone after his first concert. he made all-county chorus. He also crossed over from a Webelos in Cub Scouts to Boy Scouts, and is already Second Class. He just finished his last year at elementary school and will be a middle schooler this fall.

The younger of my 2 daughters started french class, and even traveled to Quebec City in Quebec, Canada! She also changed instruments, going from clarinet to percussion and has been doing well there. She also has been "dating" the same little guy for the last 18 months (and that to her means they eat lunch at school together and occasionally hanging out with either me and/or his mom hovering near by). She just finished her last year in middle school and will be a freshman in high school in the fall.

My oldest has been dealing with chronic ankle pain/tendinitis. She likely will be having surgery sometime soon for it. She just graduated high school (WHAT?!?!) and will be attending community college in the fall. She is also dating a gentleman, and while he's a bit older, seems to be a very nice gentleman. He does have a 3 yr old son, and it's been fun getting to meet and know them.

I am nearly done with prerequisites to go on in my nursing education. I do need to re-take Microbiology, and have learned that attempting that class online was likely not a smart move for myself, as I had a lot of trouble doing the labs on my own. I and am looking at a hybrid class as an option (class online, lab in person). As well as starting to apply to RN programs. I also have been working at a local urgent care center as a LPN, as well as a hall monitor for our local high school, where i also will occasionally substitute as a nurse (field trips, out sick, etc). I've really enjoyed getting to do that, as I never thought or saw myself as a school nurse, and I've rather enjoyed getting to explore that side of nursing

For what's coming up? Loads - with my middle child starting high school, and my oldest starting college classes I'm going to focus on them and being there for them with this big transitions - this means just working and no college classes. For my son, we've considered homeschooling him given all the GI trouble he's had, but that may depend on dad, and if or where he's working in the fall.

I'm hoping to get back into the swing of posting on here now that the chaos seems to have waned a bit

The Final Homeschool Village Garden Challenge Update

Well, here we are, the last Garden Challenge update. That doesn't mean I won't be updating about the progress of our "garden", but I will be doing so on my own.

So, as I mentioned previously, we really had to scale down our garden plans this year so we can have a spot in our roof repaired. We ended up with just the hanging basket for cherry tomatoes, one pot with basil (that isn't looking so good), and we started some pumpkin seeds. The lettuce didn't make it once we took it outside. We keep the planters on a old, small kids table so we can move it around our half of the yard as need be.

So, being in NY, I'm not surprised that our tomatoes are looking a further behind other garden pictures I've seen online. We are JUST finishing up strawberry season here in Western NY (took the kids to a u-pick farm yesterday), where as southern states were done a month ago. So the tomatoes are looking GOOD and i have HIGH hopes of getting SOME produce from them!

Here's a photo of what's growing now!

Pumpkins

Tomatoes

Basil

This is such a big change from where we were when we started!

tomato seedlings

It has been wonderful to do this challenge, and I likely wouldn't have thought to grow ANYTHING this year. Both the kids and I have learned a lot starting just the few plants that we have, and it's something I know I'll be doing again next year (with hopefully more then what we are growing this year!)

last minute edit add-in: The website just announced that there will be ONE more link up in July! So look for us again at the end of July!

The Homeschool Mother's Journal - 4

In My Life This Week:

Not much happened this past week. Just plugging along with everything. I have an interview this upcoming Saturday for a position I was too "chicken" to apply for last year. As luck would have it, I have the rare opportunity again this year.

In Our Homeschool This Week:

We're done with a lot of the "formal" stuff we are doing for the year, and focusing on a lot of interest-lead topics now. Current interest, building bikes from parts.
I'm doing a lot of looking into for items in the fall, if we continue to homeschool. We are also looking into a private Christian school she wants to attend (where she also takes flute lessons and plays in their band already). Even if we homeschool, we may consider taking individual classes from there, if we choose. It really is a nice option to have.

My Favorite Thing This Week Was:

Getting a piano from freecycle! Sure, it's FAR from perfect, but it's perfect for the kids to bang on and we're considering lessons for them. We're all pretty excited about the piano.
The weather! Sure, we're had a couple of good storms this week, but it hasn't been the CONSTANT rain that Western NY has had for the last 6 week. Definitely looking forward to more blue skies then gray.

A Photo, Video, Link or Quote to Share:

She lost 2 teeth in 3 days!

Hope everyone has a fantastic week!

Our Garden Challenge Update

Another Garden Challenge post!

Too bad NYS spring weather hasn't been as cooperative :( But, that's just 1 thing I've learned, it's no joke to say that in western NY don't really plan on planting outside until AFTER Memorial Day (today). But considering I'm generally a black thumb, the fact I have anything surviving 2 months after I started seeds, is amazing! We are learning so much about growing this year!

So here are the tomato plants we have left. I gave 1/2 to my in-laws, and some are growing stronger then others, so this week we'll be planting the 3 strongest tomato plants in a planter outside. I'm not sure what we'll do about the basil and parsley (the smaller containers in the upper right). The small container in the upper left is my oldest tomato plants.

I know my husband is looking forward to these cherry tomatoes, they'll be in a nice pasta salad no doubt once we have some to pick!

We also planted a lilac bush outside this weekend. It wont be ready for another year or 2, but for now, we have it in the dirt at least!

I need to mulch around the lilac, but for now the kids have started a stone surround it (from rocks we mostly found digging up the spot we planted the bush). this is right outback next to our door, so it will be lovely to smell in and out (and in the kitchen), when it finally blooms.

We are also going to start some pumpkin seeds this week for the fall. A friend has invited us to start and grow pumpkins at her mother's. The kids are going to have a blast growing their own pumpkins this year!

So there is what we have growing! It's not as much as we had hoped for this year. Because of needing to do some roof repairs later this summer, we can't build our garden box, as debris from the roof would ruin it in a micro second. But, if we have some success with what we grow next year, we can look forward to growing more next year!

The Homeschool Mother's Journal - 3

In my life this week:

I've been REALLY overwhelmed the last couple of weeks, so I took a blogging break. It was nice, and I've missed it, so I'm back again!
and RAIN! It just doesn't seem to end. It's exhausting, in the least. Add on top, we were car-less for a few days, so it was a very muted week.

In our homeschool this week:

Still doing a very unschooling schedule around here. I am not sure I like it all that much, though I am sure my daughter does. There was learning (and benchmark math test for curriculum I'm considering in the fall), most of it was discussions of stuff i knew, in particular local historical sites and the significance in American history.

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

We did make it to the science museum 3 weeks ago, and really haven't gotten out and about since, except for church, band and errands/groceries. Hoping to fit in a zoo visit in the next couple of weeks (my PS kids have 6/10 off, and we're the only local school district that closed that day, might be perfect day to hit without a crowd). Elizabeth had a Girl Scouts overnight this weekend (no encampment this year), and Andrew is signed up for summer soccer (finally old enough!)

My favorite thing this week:

THE SUN! Ok, I know I talked about the rain above (like 30 days of rain out of the last 40 days), but the sun has been out the last 2 days, to the point I now am sunburnt from mowing yesterday!

A photo, video, link or quote to share...

Andrew, singing to Karaoke Revolution: Glee. He was pretty rockin'!!

Happy Homeschooling!!

The Homeschool Mother's Journal - 2

In my life this week:

RAIN! 15 days straight of rain in our area. I HOPE we dry out soon.
And... CHAOS! Our routine is totally out of whack, for homeschooling and otherwise. Hoping we can get on tack for next week.

In our homeschool this week:

Well, spring break is over and we were back to the grind... for 2 days. Wednesday came with a long music rehearsal (back to back 2 band practices). Thursday and Friday, we "winged" it - unschooling style. Not sure how much I like the idea, as Lexi seems to need to be pushed to do anything. But, I've been reading about how kids need time to adjust from public school to homeschooling. And it can take weeks, months... sometimes even a year or more. WHOA! So, I'm trying to be patient with her and hope I'm not screwing up and letting her down.

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

We didn't make it to Rochester Museum and Science Center last weekend, so we're hoping for tomorrow, or Sunday. Our new dining set is being delivered and I still need to clean that dining room for it.

My favorite thing this week:

THE CARPET! Really, it really makes the living room more inviting, homey and just peaceful. I can see us homeschooling more in there now.

Homeschooling questions/thoughts I have:

Adjustment from public schooling to homeschooling... we've been at home a month now, and I am feeling MORE resistance from my daughter. Ex. we've been using an online program for the bulk of her work (and filling in when needed, for both subjects they cover, and for ones they don't even have). She's now refusing to use it at all (and with less then 2 months to year's end, I'm not buying anything else for this year now). She want's more hands-on, less computer/book work. Which, i WOULD LOVE to do, but finding that stuff, on my shoestring budget is proving hard. All the suggestions for stuff I've found has been for much younger kids.

I'm 110% sure I want to homeschool her in the fall again (now to get dad on board), and rather put any money for stuff for next year (like a microscope, globe, books, etc...)

A photo, video, link or quote to share...



All three kids Easter morning. Daddy took this picture on his iPod, which does not like to take decent pictures in low light.

Wishing everyone a fantastic weekend!

The Homeschool Mother's Journal - 1

In my life this week:

We FINALLY have a living room floor! It's been busted, broken tile (growing worse) since we moved in here, and we had it replaced with carpeting. The living room is now my favorite room at home (and we have yet to paint it still!).

In our homeschool this week:

It was spring break for my public school kids, so it was spring break for my home schooler as well, except for the work we did not finish last week (we're still trying to get a routine down, esp having music/band 3 days a week). We did look at our tomato seeds nearly every day, so that's been exciting for the kids to watch! We'll be moving the seedlings from egg cartons to bigger starter pots this weekend.

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

We're (hopefully) going to the Rochester Museum and Science Center tomorrow. They have a dinosaur exhibit that will be ending May 1st, so we're going to check that out (if not tomorrow, next weekend).

We are not seeing any family for Easter (we usually don't). My mother-in-law is in North Carolina with one of my sister-in-laws who just had her 2nd baby 2 weeks ago. We called to see if my father-in-law wanted to come here, but he has his mother over while MIL is away. Since we're active in church (I'm playing hand bells that morning), we are not traveling.

My favorite thing this week:

THE CARPET! Really, it really makes the living room more inviting, homey and just peaceful. I can see us homeschooling more in there now.

Homeschooling questions/thoughts I have:

Figuring out next year. I really am reluctant to re-enroll my daughter into the public middle school, but my husband is really pushing for me to go back to working in the fall (our youngest will be in school whole days). In addition, given the problems my soon-to-be 8 yr old has been having in public school, I'm questioning homeschooling her (we had seriously considered it in the past). There is a possibility I can work and homeschool, but it really depending on things "falling into place". I'm praying very hard about this, because I am beginning to believe more and more it is the right thing for my children, and my family.

Of course the thought of homeschooling next year, for a 7th grader and 3rd grader, has me freaking out! Finding the "perfect curriculum" scares me, and knowing we plan on sending my oldest back to public school for high school, making sure I don't leave out anything she needs to learn.

A photo, video, link or quote to share...

The kids and J. playing around after the carpet installers had gone and we moved back in the furniture. Looks like a good episode of "ATTACK DADDY!!!"

I'll be taking the weekend "off" from my blog, but look forward to next week when I hope to have some wonderful posts to share.

Wishing everyone a happy and blessed Easter weekend.

Our Garden

Gardening will be a new thing for us this year! I've been waiting to plant one for a few years now, and events, happenings, etc just kept us from attempting to do so.

But not THIS year.

Now, let' me explain. I'm a black thumb. I easily kill the most hardy of household plants (like my husband's spider plant), though I had a good run with some impatiens a few years ago.

SO, we're determined to try! And then I found out about The Homeschool Village Garden Challenge. Perfect!

Our Plan: To try and do a square-foot garden (SFG) for fruits/veggies and some flowers in front of our front porch (impatiens), and some herbs (basil and parsley) to grow indoors. The seeds for the SFG the kids choose were: cherry tomatoes, cantaloupe, beans and cucumbers. All climbers, so I'm not sure how we're going to do all of them.... yet.

Resources: I've been reading The All New Square Foot Gardening and reading anything I can find online. I also plan on talking to my father-in-law (who is the biggest green thumb I know).

Involvement: About a week ago the kids and I started the cherry tomatoes in a egg carton. I didn't want to spend much time or money if I couldn't get them to seed, but to our amazement, they are doing well! We'll need to thin them out and move them to something bigger then their egg cartoon soon! Just even the difference from yesterday to today has been amazing.

April 18th

April 19th
(noticing they are leaning towards the window, I flipped the carton around to help them grow straight!)

So there it is, the start to our garden. I hope you come back and watch as we (hopefully) have some great success this year!