Ignore this thread!

[prairiewindmomma]

I got some of my errands taken care of. It's amazing how much more quickly it goes when you don't bring along children.

I'm assembling small gifts for all of the teacher's of my kids' church classes, youth group leaders, etc. Every year I have this debate about whether we should do something or not. I decided to go for it this year. I found a printable that you wrap around little Hershey's nugget bars and then you arrange it and attach it to yardstick and put it inside of a Wilton's pretzel wrapper and tie it with a ribbon.  It's relatively inexpensive, I don't have to do any holiday baking, but it's a bit labor intensive.  I think Oldest is resentful that I have piles of chocolate sitting across the table from him while he works on math. 😁 (He just stole a chocolate while I was typing. 😂)

I've taught church classes for the last 15-20 years....and I've got to say it's fairly rare for someone to acknowledge the time you put into teaching a class. 😞  I hope these teachers know I appreciate the 104 hours they've put into working with my kids this year. 🙂 

[prairiewindmomma]

*cardstock.... I'm not sure why autocorrect keeps changing it to yardstick.

 

[Critterfixer]

Working today. Been busy, too.

[Susan in TN]

I have 45 minutes free and, by golly, Imma take a nap!

[prairiewindmomma]

Wait, CF, when did one of your boys become a revolutionary?!!!  

[Jean in Newcastle]

3 hours ago, prairiewindmomma said:

*cardstock.... I'm not sure why autocorrect keeps changing it to yardstick.

 

That makes a lot more sense!  I was with Angi in my confusion! 

[Slache]

My girlfriend wanted me to look over her cover letter and resume and people shouldn't trust me to correct grammar so I asked a few people to look over my final draft and Angi caught that it said Fitness couch instead of Fitness coach and I am officially declaring myself a fitness couch!

[Susan in TN]

Deep breath.  I have 20 minutes.  My daily list is made so I will remember what everyone has to be wearing at all the places, what snacks, reception contributions, van dinners, teacher gifts, white elephant gifts, instruments, musics, stands, and party decorations need to be brought & when.  All black socks, tights, and shoes are accounted for.

I found 2 pairs of pants for ds14 at Target - on clearance for $5 each!  Score!  They looked huge in the store (size 16), but are barely long enough.  He has been instructed not to grow until late March when we can reasonably put away long pants.

 

[Jean in Newcastle]

Juliet is going crazy pouncing on the reflected light from my Fitbit. 

[KrissiK]

1 hour ago, Paradox5 said:

It takes me that long just to settle down enough to go to sleep. Naps are not my friends. I wake more tired and groggy than when I went down plus then I cannot sleep that night!

You and me both, sister. I do not like to nap,

[73349]

I have pro-nap beliefs and an anti-napping brain. DH is an amazing napper. DS takes after his mama. :/

[Another Lynn]

Itired.  Speaking of sleeping, it's about that time....

[Junie]

I take a nap every day.  Sometimes I only sleep 30 minutes.  Other days I sleep up to 4 hours.

My migraines have been much improved since I started mandatory napping.

[Jean in Newcastle]

I cooked the best sweet and sour pork ever. 

[Susan in TN]

We had Greek chicken bake with rice, but I didn't get any because willy_nilly.  I'm home now.  Rehearsal didn't go as well as it should have.

I can usually "nap" and at least doze off a bit between interruptions and loud kids and loud birds.  (And my nap usually happens after a long time of reading at story time and history.  Like a bedtime story for me!  )  Dozing off for 10 minutes generally helps me enough to get through the afternoon and evening.

Goodnight, Y'all!

 

[Slache]

59 minutes ago, Jean in Newcastle said:

I cooked the best sweet and sour pork ever. 

Was there pineapple? I'll bet there was pineapple.

[KrissiK]

I am back from the parade. I love that parade. It is like one of my most favorite things in the whole world. There's all these tractors covered with Christmas lights and floats and kids walking and people  handing out candy canes and the high school marching band comes by. It's huge and they're really good and for some bizarre reason I get all choked up when they march by. I didn't even go to that high school (I went to the Christian school in our town, not the public high school). Maybe it's just the lights and the sounds and the people. And it's a short parade. 35 minutes long. The perfect length.

[KrissiK]

EdPo:

Ok, I just have to post this. DD, and DS are doing "A Christmas Carol" and I bought this lit guide thingie to go with it. Usually these things don't work out so well for us, but I have to say, we had THE BEST discussion today. I just wanted to cry. DD had some real insightful thoughts and the lit guide had some good questions. We talked about foreshadowing, etc.  Anyhow, I just needed to tell someone.

[Slache]

16 minutes ago, KrissiK said:

EdPo:

Ok, I just have to post this. DD, and DS are doing "A Christmas Carol" and I bought this lit guide thingie to go with it. Usually these things don't work out so well for us, but I have to say, we had THE BEST discussion today. I just wanted to cry. DD had some real insightful thoughts and the lit guide had some good questions. We talked about foreshadowing, etc.  Anyhow, I just needed to tell someone.

An unrelated edpo. Some of the Star Spangled curriculum drives me a little batty. It's mostly wonderful but sometimes there's this horrid flow from concept to concept. Have you noticed that and do you think America The Beautiful was the same way?

[Susan in TN]

22 minutes ago, KrissiK said:

I am back from the parade. I love that parade. It is like one of my most favorite things in the whole world. There's all these tractors covered with Christmas lights and floats and kids walking and people  handing out candy canes and the high school marching band comes by. It's huge and they're really good and for some bizarre reason I get all choked up when they march by. I didn't even go to that high school (I went to the Christian school in our town, not the public high school). Maybe it's just the lights and the sounds and the people. And it's a short parade. 35 minutes long. The perfect length.

Sounds wonderful!  I think one great thing about hometown marching bands and parades is that they have such a long history of showing pride and dedication and solidarity in a community.   The moments can be fleeting, but they are wonderful while they last.

16 minutes ago, KrissiK said:

EdPo:

Ok, I just have to post this. DD, and DS are doing "A Christmas Carol" and I bought this lit guide thingie to go with it. Usually these things don't work out so well for us, but I have to say, we had THE BEST discussion today. I just wanted to cry. DD had some real insightful thoughts and the lit guide had some good questions. We talked about foreshadowing, etc.  Anyhow, I just needed to tell someone.

Also wonderful!

[KrissiK]

18 minutes ago, Slache said:

An unrelated edpo. Some of the Star Spangled curriculum drives me a little batty. It's mostly wonderful but sometimes there's this horrid flow from concept to concept. Have you noticed that and do you think America The Beautiful was the same way?

Yep.  It doesn't flow well at all. But, you just have to get used to it. I  have been supplementing Start Spangled Stuff with some history pockets to give it a little depth.  I think Notgrass is something you do have to get used to. Do I think American the Beautiful was the same way? Maybe not quite so much, but.... yeah.

[Jean in Newcastle]

I am working on tutoring prep. 

[Jean in Newcastle]

Cinnamon is driving me crazy. She is being a bunny toddler. 

[Jean in Newcastle]

Day 317 steps 
Day 189 hips
Day 88 bird dog.
Day 7 bone broth 

[Slache]

I have been awake for an hour and two minutes.

[Another Lynn]

Good Morning!  Coffee for everyone except Slache - Slache, go seep.

"Hello darkness, my old friend......"  Do you think that song is really about coffee? 

[Another Lynn]

7 hours ago, KrissiK said:

I am back from the parade. I love that parade. It is like one of my most favorite things in the whole world. There's all these tractors covered with Christmas lights and floats and kids walking and people  handing out candy canes and the high school marching band comes by. It's huge and they're really good and for some bizarre reason I get all choked up when they march by. I didn't even go to that high school (I went to the Christian school in our town, not the public high school). Maybe it's just the lights and the sounds and the people. And it's a short parade. 35 minutes long. The perfect length.

I love this! 

7 hours ago, KrissiK said:

EdPo:

Ok, I just have to post this. DD, and DS are doing "A Christmas Carol" and I bought this lit guide thingie to go with it. Usually these things don't work out so well for us, but I have to say, we had THE BEST discussion today. I just wanted to cry. DD had some real insightful thoughts and the lit guide had some good questions. We talked about foreshadowing, etc.  Anyhow, I just needed to tell someone.

I love this too! 

[Another Lynn]

6 hours ago, Slache said:

An unrelated edpo. Some of the Star Spangled curriculum drives me a little batty. It's mostly wonderful but sometimes there's this horrid flow from concept to concept. Have you noticed that and do you think America The Beautiful was the same way?

I haven't used either.  But I've looked at America the Beautiful several times.  I would think it would by choppy just because of the way they wrote it:  a lesson on political events, a lesson on a natural wonder, a lesson on a person, a lesson on.... I forget what else, but you know what I mean. 

[Slache]

10 minutes ago, Another Lynn said:

I haven't used either.  But I've looked at America the Beautiful several times.  I would think it would by choppy just because of the way they wrote it:  a lesson on political events, a lesson on a natural wonder, a lesson on a person, a lesson on.... I forget what else, but you know what I mean. 

Our Star-Spangled History is a series of biographies with map studies, songs and dances to complement the study as well as a workbook and timeline. Yesterday's chapter on John Ross was obnoxious. Here is my summary:

1. There was this thing called The Trail of Tears (1838)
2. There was also this dude Hernando de Soto who met the Cherokee in the 1500s
3. Let's talk about John Ross' great grandparents
4. Let's talk about John Ross' grandparents
5. Let's talk about John Ross' parents
6. Ross had a store
7. Ross was a soldier
8. The Brainerd Mission
9. Sequoya (not the car)
10. The Trail of Tears

This took about 10 minutes. In essence it was really cool. We talked about and looked at the Cherokee syllabary, we followed the four different routes of the trail on the map, we looked at pictures of native clothing and tools, and we discussed the natives as a whole, seeing how they aren't just fighting us, but also marrying us and trading with us and we're raising each others children.

But why was half the lesson on his family lineage? And why are we always jumping around in time? It's not just backstory, it's like we realized we accidentally started the story in the middle so we're going to start over but then skip the middle the second time so you have no idea why the backstory is relevant.

I really do like almost everything and the kids are enjoying it but some of the bios jumping all over the timeline makes me a little batty.

[Another Lynn]

Oh, yeah, that would be frustrating.  It sounds like newspaper writing.  Which is why I never read the newspaper. 

[Susan in TN]

Good morning!

All the snowflakes have disappeared from our forecast.  Now just rain, though they are warning of wintry mix.  We have some misc. tasks to complete between school lessons.  Old Lady Christmas Party this afternoon and children's choir dress rehearsal right after that.  No special clothes needed today.  Bananas and Lara bars are already packed in the Old Lady Party decorations bag.

Hello Coffee, my old friend! 

 

[Junie]

Good Morning!

Happy Friday!

I am not feeling the exclamation points this morning, but I'm trying!

 

[KrissiK]

Good Morning!!!

COFFEE!!!!~D

Friday!!!

School. Phone calls. Run to church and help set up the handbells for Sunday. 

It’s foggy out. I guess i’d Better check if DS’s school has a fog delay.

[KrissiK]

No fog delay.

[Slache]

Warning! Weight loss post! 

So, Matt's Whole30'd out and he does all the cooking so while I'm unhappy I can't really complain, and with the chronic nausea I can't cook for him either. He wants to do keto but I didn't like that at all because I found myself thinking "I'm not going to eat this vegetable because it has too many carbs so I'll have this cheese instead." No...

So we're going to try a high fat low carb thing where I get unlimited veggies. Fitbit tracks macros so I can keep an eye on things but won't freak out about the perfect percentages and instead focus on eating healthy since that's my biggest struggle.

To those who know about this please critique my plan:

• Drop all potatoes and grains 
• Continue with my daily salads (spinach, tomatoes, egg, olives, olive oil vinaigrette, I can add avocado and cheese if necessary)
• No sugar or alcohol (I assume no exceptions?)
• Keep nuts and avocados on hand for snacks
• Essentially no fruit
• Cry about no more laurabars

I think I can do this and eat essentially the same way I've been eating but we won't have to make. every. single. thing. from scratch. As it stands we make our ketchup, salad dressing mayonnaise, all spice mixes... And now Matt can have cheese. He loves cheese.

This plan has 3 goals. Help us continue *cough* to lose weight, eat healthy, and spend less time cooking. If we don't have a plan Matt chucks the grocery list and comes home with nachos, lasagna and pizza, so we need a plan.

What do we think?

[KrissiK]

Ok, so.... her’s my treatise on history.

My preferred curriculum would be the curriculum I tweaked with Pandia Press’s History Odessey, which was similar to TWTM with outlining, mapwork, biographies, a big timeline,  primary sources, etc. But that didn’t work out so well with my kids. I also really like K12’s history curriculum.

Next we went on to Abeka, which is ok, but boring and there was no retention.

So, then I got From Adam to Us. It too, is very disjointed and doesn’t flow well. At all. 

But.....

- DD likes it, does it on her own and remembers bits and pieces of the lessons

- DS enjoys history now, brings up things he’s read at the dinner table (he’s doing the Civics book this year, which isn’t as interesting, but he has really enjoyed the lessons on American Holidays)

- The Kids do not at all complain about doing history

- I have never seen such beautiful books. The layout and photos are amazing

- they do cover topics I have never read about in other history books, like Iceland. And the National Parks.

so, finally, I have to ask myself, what is the point?? Do I want them interested and learning something?? If so, I stick with Nottgrass. 

 

 

[Ellie]

16 hours ago, Slache said:

My girlfriend wanted me to look over her cover letter and resume and people shouldn't trust me to correct grammar so I asked a few people to look over my final draft and Angi caught that it said Fitness couch instead of Fitness coach and I am officially declaring myself a fitness couch!

I want a fitness couch!

[prairiewindmomma]

FRIDAY!
 

I agree that what the kid enjoys is often different than what the parent enjoys teaching....and that that divide often widens as the kid ages and becomes more independent.

[prairiewindmomma]

If the caffeine I drink makes my heart beat faster, is that a form of exercise?  Likewise, my time in the hot tub? I can do that along with my fitness couch... 😂

 

ETA: Exercise booyah!

Edited December 7, 2018 by prairiewindmomma

[Ellie]

Day three of demo. The hardwood is gone from most of the rooms and there's some sort of thin-set to level out everything. The workers are hoping to have the new flooring laid by tomorrow morning. Next week is painting.

I have resorted to Musinex cough syrup. I think it's helping. Maybe.

That is all.

[prairiewindmomma]

I made the mistake of telling my daughters (who didn't want to eat toast, oatmeal, cereal, pancakes, waffles, yogurt, eggs, or leftovers) to eat bananas.  They both thought bananas were a lovely idea.  We only had one banana.  Now I have a sad daughter. 😞 

(Also, which kid ate four bananas last night after bed?!!!)

[Another Lynn]

I am not competent to comment on nutrition plans and diets.  But I agree that a plan is a good idea.  And a plan that is sustainable for the cook and those who eat it.  You don't think you can keep your larabars?

Krissi is brilliant.  Honorary PhD in education and history!

I'm not sure whether I'm complaining or bragging, but here's what the next couple days look like for us:  Today - dh and sons teach a chess class, one ds spends the night with a friend, one ds has play rehearsal 1-5, dd has swim practice tonight.  Saturday - ds has play rehearsal from 9-1 and then performance from 2-5 and then is going to a swing dance.  Another ds has a basketball game.  DD has swim and then she and I are going to ds's play.  Sunday is ds's birthday and another play performance 1-5 and maybe going out with friends for his birthday afterwards.  Monday is dd's co-op, violin lesson, ds and dd piano lesson, ds basketball practice, dd swim practice.  Oh, and a play performance Monday night too.  Tuesday is highschool co-op for 3 kids (one class each), basketball game and last play performance.  Wednesday and Thursday are normal busy.  Then Friday is a basketball game, piano recital, and a different play performance, and swim.  Saturday is TKD demonstration at belt test, swim practice, basketball game and play performance.  So on and so forth.  I think I'm free after the 21st. 

[Slache]

18 minutes ago, Another Lynn said:

I am not competent to comment on nutrition plans and diets.  But I agree that a plan is a good idea.  And a plan that is sustainable for the cook and those who eat it.  You don't think you can keep your larabars?

Too many carbs which is fine on occasion but kinda throws a wrench the whole low carb thing when it's basically a giant carb.

[KrissiK]

The kittens are going a little batty over the muffins I made this morning.

[Jean in Newcastle]

Good morning. 

Back in the day, I wrote my own four year history cycle with lots of books from the library. Then Patty Joanna showed me that I had recreated Tapestry of Grace. 

[Jean in Newcastle]

My only concern, Slache, is that children need carbs. 

[Slache]

26 minutes ago, Jean in Newcastle said:

My only concern, Slache, is that children need carbs. 

I'm not worried considering how we divide our meals. They eat oatmeal for breakfast, corn tortillas for lunch, regular burger buns etc. And they eat plenty of fruit.

[Junie]

2 hours ago, Slache said:

Warning! Weight loss post! 

So, Matt's Whole30'd out and he does all the cooking so while I'm unhappy I can't really complain, and with the chronic nausea I can't cook for him either. He wants to do keto but I didn't like that at all because I found myself thinking "I'm not going to eat this vegetable because it has too many carbs so I'll have this cheese instead." No...

So we're going to try a high fat low carb thing where I get unlimited veggies. Fitbit tracks macros so I can keep an eye on things but won't freak out about the perfect percentages and instead focus on eating healthy since that's my biggest struggle.

To those who know about this please critique my plan:

• Drop all potatoes and grains 
• Continue with my daily salads (spinach, tomatoes, egg, olives, olive oil vinaigrette, I can add avocado and cheese if necessary)
• No sugar or alcohol (I assume no exceptions?)
• Keep nuts and avocados on hand for snacks
• Essentially no fruit
• Cry about no more laurabars

I think I can do this and eat essentially the same way I've been eating but we won't have to make. every. single. thing. from scratch. As it stands we make our ketchup, salad dressing mayonnaise, all spice mixes... And now Matt can have cheese. He loves cheese.

This plan has 3 goals. Help us continue *cough* to lose weight, eat healthy, and spend less time cooking. If we don't have a plan Matt chucks the grocery list and comes home with nachos, lasagna and pizza, so we need a plan.

What do we think?

Drop all potatoes and grains -- no -- eat in moderation

Continue with daily salads -- yes -- eat as much as you want

no sugar -- maybe -- no added sugar might be a good goal

no alcohol -- yes -- alcohol is not necessary for good health and has a lot of calories.  plus there are other issues

no fruit -- no -- eat in moderation

larabars -- maybe -- I don't know much about these.  I might have eaten one once.

 

Truthfully, I think whoever is cooking gets to choose what he/she cooks.  JMO.

[Junie]

Also, Slache, you can adjust your diet without affecting the kids or Matt.  If they have a baked potato with the meal, you could skip the potato and eat more meat/salad/whatever.

We do a lot of adjusting at the table here because I don't expect my whole family to give up gluten.  They eat what they want and I eat what I can.

[Slache]

2 minutes ago, Junie said:

Truthfully, I think whoever is cooking gets to choose what he/she cooks.  JMO.

I agree except that he prefers to cook food that makes me sick and I spent 10 years in bed because of it. It took me a long time to say he couldn't do it anymore and if I give him much leeway, like lately, I spend the weeks in bed.