[Shabby Scholé Weekly Soirée ~Stress~ 4/23/17]

We are not quite there yet on the stress issues for dd. I think next year will be the year, so I am tuning in on this one. I am trying to use these last weeks of 9th grade and the summer to convince her that a planner is her friend. I think for my teen, organization is something that is lacking and will be her enemy as far as stress next year. On the other hand though, I think the load of next year might be the tipping point to finally convince her organization is a good thing, so I am actually looking forward to it. I may regret saying that next year!

 

9th grade was absolutely a tipping point for my daughter. (A rough, rocky road of a tipping point.)   10th grade has been so.much.better.

 

I'm grateful for the lessons 9th grade taught her, but I do sometimes wonder if I could have made the lessons easier somehow...  To be fair, 9th grade was a tipping point for me too. I think we both learned a lot about what she needs and how we handle stress differently. Perhaps one of the most important lessons I learned (and am still perfecting...) is when to step in and when to step back. 

[Well-Trained Bodies April 23-29]

 

Let's keep on, keeping on if we're doing well AND pick ourselves up and start fresh if we're not.

 

This.

 

Unexpected happenings over the weekend resulting in a time crunch, so unfortunately I wasn't able to make it to the store to get food for the reboot. It will be a pantry & freezer week. Nothing too bad food wise, but nothing new and exciting either. Disappointing, but it could be much worse. 

 

Same with workouts. For various reasons what I want to do isn't happening...weather, schedules, etc. etc.... At least I'm getting in activity, and I'm not injured. Disappointing, but it could be much worse. 

 

So...sort of a mix of keep on, keeping on, but wishing I could have a bit of a fresh start. I'm thinking realistically that may not happen until June. Until then, I'll just...well....keep on keeping on.

[Shabby Scholé Weekly Soirée ~Stress~ 4/23/17]

It's that time of year again -- AP Exams, SAT Subject Tests, finals, graduation...  

 

Often during times of stress, all of our lofty ideals bite the dust. How do you help your teen deal with stress when the going gets tough? How do you model healthy behavior during rough patches? Do you have particular struggles that rear their heads only during stressful times?

 

Stress can be debilitating, but it can also be a time of significant personal growth. Let's help each other help our teens make the most of the stressful times.

 

~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~

What is Shabby Scholé? Shabby Scholé Weekly Soirée 

Continued discussion on last week's thread welcome here:  Living Books: Science

Have a topic you would like to share? Want to be a part of starting the weekly threads? Send me a PM. We would love to have you join our rotation!

 

[Well Trained Bodies - 4/16/17]

Well, they do include the cookbook, it's $35, and they have a 60-day money-back guarantee. But that's kinda expensive for a cookbook if all you want is recipes. I'd be more inclined to get a couple of paleo cookbooks with good amazon reviews and just make a deal with myself that I have to test x new recipes per week. But then I much prefer paper cookbooks anyway because unlike my kindle, a bit of splatter gives them character instead of damage. 

 

Sometimes when I want to do something new and I know what the protein or vegetable is going to be (usually based on what I scrounged on sale), I open one of my favorite cookbooks, count the number of recipes, and generate a random number to pick one. But this is because I am a terrible nerd. 

 

:laugh:

 

I'm in the same boat, this fall will make 12 yrs ago that I started this stuff, first with the SCD diet for ds and myself. I've been mostly paleoish/grain free since then (before that I ate traditional whole foods diet). I totally get being tired of it. I love to cook but sometimes I just don't want to. Sometimes it is worth it to try something new for a change and with a money back guarantee you are only out time if it doesn't work.

 

You both make a good point about the money-back guarantee. I'm not sure that I noticed that before. Thanks! 

[Well Trained Bodies - 4/16/17]

I'm enjoying a gradual switch-over to more and more healthy, pure foods. It's expensive to do everything all at once. I also want this to become a permanent change, so I'm taking my time to see what really makes a difference and what doesn't. I also want to have the whole family on-board. A complete change might be too much of a shock to some family members, as well as my digestive system.

 

So far, I'm loving making my own pizza and scones with wheat from our local museum (organic), pure maple syrup from a small, family operation (no harsh preservatives), whole milk, vegetables from a higher quality grocery store (I haven't gone organic just yet), very few processed foods, spice mixtures, sauces or salad dressings. I'm also trying to get more beans and lentils into the meals. This is a hard sell for some family members. And I'm noticing that some meats are harder for my system to deal with (pork and beef). I'm having to play around with things a little.

 

 

 

I've not. It looks like the big plus is the menu plans, which I know I wouldn't use. I hate following someone else's plan, it works much better just to make my own. 

 

BUT it obviously works for plenty of people as it seems fairly popular. 

 

I try to make my meals a mix of really simple meals that I'm used to cooking and trying new stuff here and there. 

 

Thanks! The recipes are what's tempting me. I wouldn't follow the meal plans exactly because they wouldn't all work for me as is, but I think I might add some of the recipes into my rotation. 

 

I've been dealing with dietary restrictions for almost a decade now, so I'm used to tweaking, but it gets tiresome at times.  Paleo recipes often don't require any adjusting which is one reason I tend to use them more than other types.

[Well Trained Bodies - 4/16/17]

I'm preparing for the diet reboot. Still trying to decide which approach to take...

 

Has anyone used Paleo Restart? I can't decide if any of the plans that require payment are worth it. 

[How to have a nice lawn organically? Is it possible?]

Which means you can safely eat them....

 

Or make dandelion wine...

[How to have a nice lawn organically? Is it possible?]

I forgot to mention that ground covers can look planned and polished (thus perhaps more acceptable), and they also choke out many unacceptable weeds.

[How to have a nice lawn organically? Is it possible?]

The lawn culture of various neighborhoods we drive through is interesting. Some neighborhoods have plush green monoculture lawns, and some have meadows or flower beds and/or vegetable gardens. I can think of one particular urban neighborhood where yard as garden is the norm. It's really interesting to drive through -- full of birds and bees and other life. 

 

Unfortunately some neighborhoods have HOAs or just an unspoken agreement and people frown upon anything but a well-tended monoculture lawn. 

 

When we lived in a neighborhood with plush green lawns, we let various flowering ground covers spread. I loved seeing a blanket of bluish purple against the otherwise unbroken green. I'm not sure how the neighbors felt about it, though...

 

The previous owners had chemically treated the lawn. As we watched the lawn change (the neighbors would probably choose the word "decline"...) we also noticed the return of toads etc. We were elated. Some of the neighbors -- not so much...   Everyone has different priorities. 

 

We eventually decided to move back to the woods. (*Cue Stevie Nicks* -- Back to the gypsy that I was...)  I missed wildflowers and was tired of hearing them called weeds with disdain. 

 

Good luck, OP! It's a tough decision. I wrestled with it over and over for a few years. Not sure about your neighborhood lawn culture, but neat and tidy ground covers might be worth considering.

[Multiple AP Exams and Paperwork]

Thanks, Lilaclady and snowbeltmom! The school just had my daughter fill out one answer sheet, and I was worried there was a miscommunication somewhere along the line. It looks like that is the norm. Thanks! 

[X-Post-Best books about educating the older grades]

 

That's all I've got. I guess we're all supposed to be sufficiently inspired by now, but all I am is mostly tired and confused :lol:

 

:laugh:

[Multiple AP Exams and Paperwork]

The student will be given a package that has lots of stickers which has their individual nos they will use for that year. They only fill out the demographic and college info one time. They will use the same no for all subjects and at all schools even if different.

 

Thanks! Do they fill out their name or anything on the other tests after the first? Or does the sticker take care of everything?

 

If only there was a sticker that bypassed the grading and gave an automatic 5.... 

 

;)

[Multiple AP Exams and Paperwork]

Would someone mind explaining the paperwork for multiple exams? I want to make sure I understand correctly. The student only fills out all the demographic info on one answer sheet? They then just put stickers on the others?

[Well Trained Bodies - 4/16/17]

Spring cleaning, moving furniture, working in the gardens, hiking in the fields and woods. Wildflowers are amazing, allergies...not so much. 

 

I'll probably try to do some variation of Whole 30. I'm in need of a diet reboot, refresh...

[AP Exam Misses - Why & What you learned?]

 

Good luck.  We are in the midst of AP prep in my house, too.  Oh, what fun times. :svengo:  

 

Fun times, indeed!   :zombiechase:

 

Mirabillis, thanks for starting the thread. This is only our second year of AP's, so no real help to offer.  Following!

 

AP exams always seem like a brilliant idea until the last two weeks in April and the first two weeks in May...

[Well Trained Bodies - 4/9/17]

Hiked for three hours. Such a gorgeous day.

[Shabby Scholé Weekly Soirée ~Rest~ 4/09/17]

I keep thinking of what Rosyl posted --  "To rest from work and work from rest is my goal."  It sums up so much!

 

I've enjoyed reading everyone's thoughts on teaching from a state of rest and would loved to hear any more thoughts anyone has, so please feel free to add them. 

 

 

Meanwhile...

 

We are looking for a volunteer to host next week's Soirée. Do you have a question you'd like to ask the group or something that is working for you that you'd like to share or a topic you'd like to discuss -- either this coming week or another week? Send me a PM and let me know so we can start a rotation. It's good to get fresh ideas and varying viewpoints each week. It doesn't need to be anything elaborate -- just posting a topic or asking a question if fine. Whether you've been doing this for a day or a decade, we'd love to hear your perspective!

[WTMA AOPS Geometry vs WHA Geometry]

My daughter also had a good experience with WHA geometry. Mrs. Smith has a gentle sense of humor, is well-organized, and keeps the class on topic.  

[Well Trained Bodies - 4/9/17]

After reading through the posts, I decided to make a list of workout priorities and preferences and have my teen make a list of hers. 

(ETR details)

Thanks again for helping me think it though. I think spring fever and the pictures of the pool on advertisements were clouding my thinking. Thanks for helping me think through it realistically.

[Well Trained Bodies - 4/9/17]

Thanks so much for the input, everyone! You gave me lots to think about. Greatly appreciated! I hope to decide in a bit, and I'll let you know. Thanks again! 

[Well Trained Bodies - 4/9/17]

But, what do you mean by "much nicer"?  What is enticing you to consider it?

 

The outdoor pool is by far the best in the area. They also have a climbing wall, the most variety of classes, etc.

[Well Trained Bodies - 4/9/17]

When you think of your max drive time  ---20 min or whatever -- if there was a much nicer gym for around the same price, but 10 min further, would you go? 

[Well Trained Bodies - 4/9/17]

Do any of you choose to go to a gym, even though you could work out at home? How far is it? How far would you be willing to drive to the perfect gym?

 

Any thoughts would be appreciated. I'm trying to think through something. 

 

Thanks!

[AP English Language]

My daughter decided on a different path. Hopefully someone else will chime in! Good luck deciding!

[How do you transition from xyz to doing school work?]

In the younger years we had songs, verses, chimes etc that signaled the transition from one activity to another. We also had a flow to the day. Not necessarily strict times, but a flow.