Accountability Thread: 9/25-10/1

[Critterfixer]

It's a cool, clear morning here. I've got a few windows open.

I'm considering calling school today and just writing all day.

[MrsRobinson]

Well, on the toast with jelly thing, I would just tell her to get a snack and let her figure out what that snack was. But we're pretty loose on food related stuff and it's worked for our family.

 

The outside time and school schedule would be less negotiable simply because you are trying to juggle a number of people and their needs. So I might say on the park, "That's a great idea. Let's do that tomorrow. For today, we're going outside here." I'm not negotiating or even justifying myself but I'm taking her feelings into account. For school at those ages, we had a schedule written out. I would simply point to the schedule and say "it says here that we're doing math now". For some odd reason my kids would argue with me but not the almighty schedule even though I made the schedule! Once my kids were older, I didn't care what order they did their subjects because I am more of a resource than a direct teacher on most things.

The reason I give her choices is because she is so s.l.o.w. Toast with jelly would take her 30 minutes, no exaggeration, and I'm usually bathing the boys or reading bedtime stories during the snack process so I need her to do the snack herself and not take forever. Many might say to drop the bedtime snack and, trust me, that's worse. I've got a bunch of baby birds on my hands that all are solid on the 3 small meals, 3 snacks a day plan. And, really the snack was just one example of a larger issue.

 

I have had a written schedule in the past and you're right. For some reason, it carries a lot of weight in their minds. I talked to dh about it, and I am taking time to work on typing up some routines this weekend. Morning routine, dinner routine, bedtime routine. Plus a school subject order list. That should cut down on it enough that the snacks, outings, and other things are bearable for me. Thanks for your input. :)

 

Late start, no car, cloudy day here so I get to ignore the clock today and just roll from one thing to the next with no stress.

 

Today's list:

-laundry (always)

-school lessons

-outside play if it's not raining

-cooking and baking with the kids

-family movie night

[Shred Betty]

This week basic goals - will edit or quote or something as I go :)

 

{Assuming I can kick my cold early in the week}

 

1-2 housekeeping projects: paint stained knots on trim. Garage tidy

Training goals: 20 minute run. 20 minute walk. 5-10 mins Abs/core once, twice, three times.

Five days of school[s/]

 

Monday so far: cold is worse. I wouldn't call it a full day school but 1/2 day is enough for today.

Counting the play style things I can still "count" keyboard music time and her reading aloud to me to make me feel better :)

Also today I let her teach me when school was done. I love this game. She plays teacher, reads a WWE lesson to me, conducts a whole AAS lesson including reviewing all her word cards as she is teaching me, etc. I get to jump up and run away mid lesson, complain that I'm hungry, ask when we'll be done, and do distracting things or make some mistakes that she loves to catch and correct :)

[mama25angels]

Best non school day ever!! Last orthodontist appointment for a long while, Ds got his braces off today and we went out to lunch to celebrate, that took most of the day. Who knew it would take longer yo take the braces off than to put them on? Anyway, he's a happy camper and so am I.

[Critterfixer]

I did call school off. So far I've made dinner, written around 1000 words, done four critiques, learned the difference between a Shakespearean Sonnet and a Petrachan Sonnet, listened to both boys read their latest sections of their novels, took a nap, petted cats, walked dogs, and just watched the day blow by me from the front porch swing.

Not bad at all. :thumbup1:

[Tawlas]

Nice Critter!

 

Tomorrow dd will be at the neighbour's as a mother's helper and I may take the three younger ones on some adventure . . .  The mornings have been chilly (below freezing!) but the afternoons have been beautiful!  We did our Fun Friday.  dd made choc. chip cookies that are divine.  Ds7 made Rice Krispie squares.  Dd3 got her light table set up and had a great time.  dd9 and I sat at a table and drew together.  We did history and geography and watched another fun powerpoint on Growth Mindset.  They did their independent reading.  The morning was as success.

 

This afternoon I may put on an Australian documentary (travel, top 10 sites or something like that) and then maybe a Home Art Studio dvd.  Usually Friday afternoon is my afternoon "off" (I disappear into a coffee/book shop for a few hours) but if I did that this week, my children would be left unattended and they're NOT ready for that lol.  I'll save it up for next week, I have a few appointments in the 'big' city nearby and it looks like I'll be going solo :)

[Jean in Newcastle]

Friday - We made it through the week!

 

Algebra - OK.  I'm still able to teach this but I can see that it would be best if I did the problem sets on my own first.  In all the "free" time I don't have. . . .   Oh, yeah.  There was one multi-step problem that I told her to skip because it asked for a visual representation of the problem.  Both of us could do the actual math just fine but had no idea what they wanted visually.  I don't think that will come up in any future math course (that I know of) so I think it's fine to skip over it. (If you think otherwise, let me know.  It had to do with showing a problem with little circles.)

 

Dd is still doing very well.  This is a reminder to myself that she owes me 5 review pages from the Key To books tomorrow.  (We are doing five a week to shore up some weaker areas.)

 

Literature - test on the first four chapters of The Hobbit.  She did fine on it.  She still grumbles about the more subjective questions but when I won't let her out of answering them, she does fine even if her answers aren't necessarily inspired.

 

Grammar - still going well.

 

No logic or World Geography today.

 

We finished another chapter in Japanese.  The text (which is used in public schools in the US and Australia) marks each chapter as taking 3 to 4 weeks.  We've been doing a chapter a week and I don't feel like we are pushing it in any way. 

 

Biology - She made a poster summarizing the properties and cellular functions of water.  I had to help summarize some of the material for her.  I really need to read ahead in biology as well. 

[Jean in Newcastle]

PS - Ds says that he thinks that he did ok on his college pre-calculus test.  He used his testing accommodations provided through the disability office and he said that they helped tremendously.  He's now looking into getting note taking help which is also offered because he has a hard time concentrating on what the professor is saying while taking notes at the same time. 

[Sahamamama2]

Hi. :rolleyes: It's me, just plain old Sahamamama. Notice the "new" name, up there, with the "2" at the end. Sigh. My husband tried to "fix" the computer the other day, by reinstalling Mozilla Firefox (or something like that). We don't really know what happened after that. In the end, I could not get back in here with my password, could not get back on FB, and could not get back into my email account. Since there seems to be no other way to reconnect to the outside world, I'm starting over.

 

We had a good school week. The girls are coming into their own sense of tackling school work. It's kind of humbling, actually. For whatever reason this week, I was tired (could be hypo), but they kept on keeping on. :) I worked with them, for sure, it's just that my Leadership Chip was a bit worn down, KWIM? My oldest said, "It's okay, you rest, and we'll keep working. We want to work!" :001_wub: How can you not adore that spirit?

 

We're going today to see my niece play her flute and march in her high school marching band. :patriot: She attends the same HS that my sister and I did, and we also were in the band. My sister played the flute, and I played the alto saxophone. Same colors as my mom's high school band, too -- blue and white. So it's very nostalgic for us all, LOL. My mother will be teary-eyed. ;)

 

Oldest is having a sleepover at Camp Grammy. She has packed as though leaving for college.

 

Twins will go to church with Daddy on Sunday, then go out for their Father-Daughters Date.

 

I will be home, reading without interruption. Oh, the bliss of that thought! Seriously, have you ever tried to wrap your head around Chemistry while fielding every brain blip of every member of the family? It can't be done.

[Tawlas]

I need more info! What do the dogs do for work? And how about the DH? Lol :)

 

Let's see.  Woof and Balou (did I call her Louie in my previous post?) are our yard dogs.  We were broke into a few summers ago while we were on holiday and these two ginormous oafs are supposed to keep the bad guys at bay.  They're pretty convincing to strangers but amazing around our kids.

 

Molly is my door mat.  She's 16 years old and used to be my chore dog - grain bulls, feed cows, trot around after me wherever I go.  She'll sometimes follow me to let dairy cows out to pasture but mostly just sleeps on our landing lol.

 

White dog is a sheep guardian.  She lives with the flock and is bonded to them rather than us, hence the reason she doesn't really have a name.

 

All of the rest are border collies (Nova is a cross and was given to us by a neighbour who was moving to a non dog friendly rental), except John who is a kelpie.  Oh, and Kate, who's a hound.  They are herding dogs.  All of them are good for cows and some of them are gentle enough for sheep.  Abby is my go to because she'll work for anyone (even a total ignoramus like me) and is nice to my milk cows lol.  I would never work Gus or Choke.  They're so agressive and gung ho and without the proper commands and authority all the fences around here would be flat, or some animal would be injured.  Having said that, they're very nice family dogs, I completely trust them around our kids.  Although, all at once, it's overwhelming and can result in disaster.

 

And dh is a rancher :-)  We've had dogs that have come between him and bulls when we couldn't get away in deep snow, or in close quarters when he's processing the larger animals some how.  They're partners really.  And dh can run 3+ dogs at a time and move a herd of 180+ cows/calves/bulls on a horse without any human help.  And not from one fenced corral to another - through the bush, over mountains from one crown range pasture to another (we're in canada, so we have crown range.   not sure what the us equivalent is?  It's leased public land, managed by the government)

[Shred Betty]

Let's see. Woof and Balou (did I call her Louie in my previous post?) are our yard dogs. We were broke into a few summers ago while we were on holiday and these two ginormous oafs are supposed to keep the bad guys at bay. They're pretty convincing to strangers but amazing around our kids.

 

Molly is my door mat. She's 16 years old and used to be my chore dog - grain bulls, feed cows, trot around after me wherever I go. She'll sometimes follow me to let dairy cows out to pasture but mostly just sleeps on our landing lol.

 

White dog is a sheep guardian. She lives with the flock and is bonded to them rather than us, hence the reason she doesn't really have a name.

 

All of the rest are border collies (Nova is a cross and was given to us by a neighbour who was moving to a non dog friendly rental), except John who is a kelpie. Oh, and Kate, who's a hound. They are herding dogs. All of them are good for cows and some of them are gentle enough for sheep. Abby is my go to because she'll work for anyone (even a total ignoramus like me) and is nice to my milk cows lol. I would never work Gus or Choke. They're so agressive and gung ho and without the proper commands and authority all the fences around here would be flat, or some animal would be injured. Having said that, they're very nice family dogs, I completely trust them around our kids. Although, all at once, it's overwhelming and can result in disaster.

 

And dh is a rancher :-) We've had dogs that have come between him and bulls when we couldn't get away in deep snow, or in close quarters when he's processing the larger animals some how. They're partners really. And dh can run 3+ dogs at a time and move a herd of 180+ cows/calves/bulls on a horse without any human help. And not from one fenced corral to another - through the bush, over mountains from one crown range pasture to another (we're in canada, so we have crown range. not sure what the us equivalent is? It's leased public land, managed by the government)

So cool! Thx for sharing :). My Grandpa / Uncle / cousins are cattle ranchers in Canada. One of my most vivid childhood memories is going on the chore rounds with my Uncle as a 12 ish girl from the city. One of his working ranch dogs was injured and could not catch itself it's food -prairie dogs. I did my part in the circle of life when Uncle showed me how to operate his bolt action rifle and I brought home din din for the dog LOL. My city mom was mortified and I was a natural with the rifle supposedly.