Tackling Tuesday Together

[mom31257]

Good morning!

It was so great meeting TravelingChris yesterday! We enjoyed our time together. I wish I could meet all of you! 

Dh is going to be an assistant girls basketball coach this year, and he gave me his game schedule. I don't have the practice schedule yet, but I'm going to be alone so much once the season starts. I don't really have friends here, and with Covid, I'm not sure when that will happen.  Any suggestions for things I can do? 

• made dh breakfast
• make mine and have coffee
• 2 Zoom classes today
• look over lessons for tomorrow
• lunch
• meal plan and grocery list (maybe go this afternoon or this evening)
• tidy house
• dinner with dh
• play a game, watch something, relax

 

 

 

[ScoutTN]

Good morning, Amy!

Sorry about the bball schedule. Bball was cancelled here last winter bc of covid. Delta seems worse than last year….

Today:

Literacy screenings for 7 Kindergarteners who missed last week. ✅  Figure out how to log these hours. ✅ 

Check in with Ds on his to-do list. ✅ 

CSA box ✅ 

Tutor one student - last lesson with him. I will miss him! Late afternoon is too hard on my family, though. ✅ 

Dinner is gochujang ground turkey bowls. ✅ 

 

Edited September 7, 2021 by ScoutTN

[TheReader]

Good morning! 

Amy, can you sometimes go to the games? Or no interest there at all? 

Hobbies you enjoy that you don't get time for? Sewing, quilting, painting, reading? 

Is there a church you've found yet, and do they have any evening Bible studies you might enjoy? 

Volunteering? Maybe check through the local library, and see if there are options, activities, classes, etc.?  Or a community center or similar that may have something in the evenings? 

I'll pray that you find something to fill that time in a meaningful way. 

[TheReader]

Scout, I didn't know you did literacy checks for K kiddos! How fun.  I'm sorry you have to say goodbye to the one tutoring student, though; hugs! 

 

Okay, my day today:
....make sure Oldest finishes writing a paper he should have written over the weekend
....make sure he also shoots photos/video he needs for a project rough draft due tomorrow (help as needed)
....prep everything for 2nd Grade tomorrow
....make sure DS does his History test
....2 loads of laundry
....plan a light dinner b/c DH has a work meeting/lunch and never wants to eat after that
....if there be any time left over between all of that, do a little more sewing
....remember to also cook an early dinner, b/c Oldest has class from 6-9 tonight
....veg out after dinner? 

Happy Tuesday, all. 

[ScoutTN]

@TheReader A local Montessori school hires the non-profit tutoring centerI work for to do literacy screenings for all their students each fall.

[TheReader]

Second grade stuff is printed; need to make a pantry check &/or grocery run for some supplies for science. We will do the planning portion in class, and they will do the bulk of it at home (make a dough model of an island, and test how water affects it). I may make one model to demo in class, but I think the planning stage will be fun for them, and there's no easy way for them to carry home a dough island model anyway, so....

DS is doing his independent work for school and has studied for his history test

Oldest is working on his paper

[mom31257]

@ScoutTN, I'm sorry about the student! I miss some of my students who have moved on. 

@TheReader, thank you for the suggestions! A lot of it depends on Covid. If the numbers go high here with school just starting today, I'm probably not going to want to be in closed in places or small groups.  

I have been thinking of some hobbies I might develop. I took a few years of piano as a child, and I do have a 5 octave keyboard with a peddle. I might try to pick that up again. I've always liked the idea of drawing and painting, so maybe those. I'd prefer in person instruction, but that might not be feasible. 

We have found a church, but their small group studies started last month. I'm not sure about joining late. We just began a 4 week class to learn more about the church. 

 

One Zoom session is done, and I have another one in an hour. 

I've snacked too much this morning. I definitely don't need to fill the boredom with food! LOL! 

[TheReader]

@mom31257, Oh I totally get that, Amy; Yes, that does complicate things. We aren't doing a lot of in person stuff either (Fencing, yes, but they're requiring masks, you naturally don't get too close, there's decent ventilation, and roughly 95% of the other fencers on any given night are also vaccinated, which is nice, sometimes 100% are).  

Our church was having Zoom as an option for bible study, though, so if you aren't all zoomed out, maybe that would be something. Hobbies sound good, though! Start with some online tutorials, and as Covid slows, move to an in person option. I'm sure you'll find something! 

[ScoutTN]

@mom31257 Are there local parks to explore or volunteer with? Our Nature Center has bird banding, hikes, art etc- all outside. 

[SKL]

Howdie, happy Tuesday!  I hope everyone had a little down time over the 3-day weekend.

I am really looking forward to "back to normal" after a really stressful and chaotic weekend.

Done:

• Morning pup duty.
• Kids driven to school.
• Received and put away a grocery delivery.  Had to clean a lot in the fridge because it was already stuffed.
• Cleaned the kitchen.
• A bit of client work.
• Called for an appointment for my kid, but after being on hold and transferring me to another hold, I was informed they are at lunch.  Why put me on hold then?  A half hour wasted on hold.  I will have to call back and probably be on hold for another half hour.  😕

To do:

• Lots more client work and pup duty.
• Try again for kid2 appointment.
• A bit of reading and exercise.
• Kid1 chiro appointment after school.
• Kid1 to soccer practice.  Or maybe we will do TKD instead - I can get her off soccer due to the chiro appt (she has a sprained ankle and would just watch anyway).
• Make the kids do homework, housework, and pup duty.
• Laundry?
• Whatever else gets done.

[TheReader]

Folded & put away sheets that have been waiting

Folded a load of kid laundry that was in the dryer, it's waiting on the appropriate kid to come collect from the laundry room

Had youngest bring me the stuff from their bathroom laundry, sorted that, started a load of jeans b/c he's down to wearing sweat pants (although, in my defense, this is mostly b/c he had not yet carried upstairs the new jeans we bought a while ago; he's down to 2 pair of the old jeans that don't have holes, so no more stalling, kid, carry up the new jeans and put them into circulation, even if they are a smidge too big yet)

Got youngest to collect his laundry from the laundry room

Gathered the printables for 2nd grade, sorted, filed those for tomorrow

Decided on a dinner plan for tonight -- baked gnocchi with sausage and misc veggies (we like it, DH doesn't, perfect meal for the night he won't want to eat dinner) (and quick/easy to do early for oldest)

Eating lunch, DS is studying, will gather pantry items for science and then make a list of what is still needed, go shop before it gets crowded

Oldest is diligently working on his paper, and has the plan in his head and seems to be doing well. 

[MooCow]

I'm sorry Amy, hopefully you'll find something else to do. We have a piano that we got so I could learn, but then my dd sat down and started playing, lol. She uses it with dgd. 

Scout, sorry about your student. That must be tough. 😟 

SKL, perhaps you won't have to be on hold forever since you already did "time". I often say this when I'm accidentally hung up on and call back. 

School, shower, clean, make dinner. Youngest is free to roam around our house. Waiting for results for me and dd.

[TheReader]

DS is done with his test

Jeans are in the dryer, whites are in the wash

List is made for the store -- DH is on the way home already, so he & I will go out this afternoon; I'll make the salt dough while I'm waiting. 

I may actually get sewing time today after all.....!

[MooCow]

@mom31257 my husband just reminded me that when we joined our church, we were encouraged to join a small group even though it had already started. It ended up being our favorite group ever. 

[mom31257]

1 hour ago, ScoutTN said:

@mom31257 Are there local parks to explore or volunteer with? Our Nature Center has bird banding, hikes, art etc- all outside. 

I hesitate to do a lot outdoors here. I'm allergic to fire ants and don't like to spend too much time in any kind of grass. It is a good place to check out. You never know what I might find. 

[mom31257]

@SKL, hoping your call goes better with the second go around!

I finished the Zoom session with the second student. His stepmom is in the hospital with Covid. This family lost their mom to liver cancer about 2.5 years ago, so I can't imagine if they lose her as well! 

 

[TheReader]

4 minutes ago, mom31257 said:

@SKL, hoping your call goes better with the second go around!

I finished the Zoom session with the second student. His stepmom is in the hospital with Covid. This family lost their mom to liver cancer about 2.5 years ago, so I can't imagine if they lose her as well! 

 

oh, goodness; praying for them. 

 

[TheReader]

Okay, Plan B on the salt dough.....it will be ridiculously difficult/time consuming to make & package salt dough for each student, and heavy for them as well. So then I thought, "well, I can send the ingredients with the recipe and 'just add water' and that will work...." but that's just as heavy, and has potential for way more mess. 

So, with the thought that these are, after all, homeschoolers, and with the knowledge that they may or may not actually do this at home if I do it this way, I will make a model island to take and demo, will send home the plates to use for the base, and the instructions/recipe, and let parents make (or not) their own dough to use, and instructions that they can answer the questions based on the model in class. I think I can even video myself doing the model (the various "add water here and see what happens" stuff) and post that up, so that if their child doesn't remember, they can watch that and answer the questions. 

And then hopefully it will have been so much fun that the kids will want to do it at home and pester mom/dad until they do so. 

[SKL]

I went another way and requested an appointment electronically for my kid.  Should get some sort of confirmation if it works.

I also scheduled my mammogram.  It's been 4 years since my last one, and I'll probably meet my deductible this year with the kids' various things, so why not?  (I was thinking to wait until next year when I need a colonoscopy too, but there is really no need to do that.)

[TheReader]

Plan D...? DH says make the salt dough and do it in class. Drat. 

[ScoutTN]

Dropped off an Amazon return 

Ate lunch

Washed the shower curtain liner and hung it outside in the sun

Read some articles in WORLD magazine 

Talked to my mom

 

 

[TheReader]

Whites are out of the dryer, ready to be folded

Shirts are in the dryer

Home from the store, and onto Plan E -- I will construct the model island in class w/the direction of the kids and we'll do the experiment that way, and then the kids can either answer ?'s on what we did, &/or do their own at home, but I will not supply the salt dough (but also neither will I premake my model at home)

Oldest finished his paper, and is working on his videos for that project

Dinner goes in the oven in 25 mins (so, heading in there briefly to prep it)

[MooCow]

Did some school 

Took a shower and got myself all pretty lol

Talked on the phone with a good friend for over an hour 

Told some kids in front of my house to knock off the screaming and made them yes ma'am me lol . We have shade right now 

About to clean kitchen and make dinner 

[TheReader]

dinner is done

Oldest didn't get any of the videos done yet; he has 2 hours (ish) between end of class & bed, and then a little time in the morning if he gets up early before class......

Bag for school is packed, stuff is ready for the experiment for science & the art project for history, grading key for the map is done, I've been over the math 2x to make sure I don't have errors in the homework sheet (although, side note: I wish parents were a little better at using common sense &/or waiting to hear back after they contact you with a question; I listed Review 1 on the math, which is correct for one version of the book, not for the other, which calls it Practice 1. But 40 pages later, the version that calls it Practice 1 *does* have a Review 1. So the parent asked me about it, didn't wait for my answer, and had their child do that rather than realize "this must be an error, why would she assign something 40 pages further in the book??") :sigh: 

The dumb dog crushed one of our new plants (a $30 red yucca; stupid dog), so DH is trying to salvage it and fix a thing to keep her out of the garden bed. He had other things to do out there, but...... (I offered to help, he said no)

Middle DS is doing school work which is a small miracle; let's pray this continues.

Folding the laundry, then will have sewing/veg out time until Oldest gets back from class. 

[ScoutTN]

Dinner is done and kitchen was clean. But now Ds is in there…

To do:

a couple electronic chores

change clothes

read

[mom31257]

Dinner is done.

Dh had a good but tiring first day.

Still looking over some homework that was turned in late today. 

 

[TheReader]

Laundry is folded and put away. 

Going to do a little Bible study catch-up and then go sew. 

[MooCow]

I ate spaghetti. So I made the kids go with me on a walk. Just 3/4 of a mile. We saw a momma deer, her baby and two juveniles who were galavanting! 

 

[ScoutTN]

Ds is exhausting. That is all. 

[mom31257]

@ScoutTN, sending virtual hugs your way! 

[SKL]

Back on the topic of kid's appointment, the electronically requested appointment was rejected since we haven't done recent well visits there.  They said I should call, so I did, and they said I was 5th in line (on hold) and they were going to stop answering and close in 15 minutes.  Sigh.  I decided to contact another health provider and made an appointment for tomorrow afternoon.  Told my kid, and she was less than thrilled, but oh well.  Can't have everything.

Edited September 8, 2021 by SKL

[SKL]

Kid1 has been doing honors chemistry homework for about 4 hours now.  (I was helping for about an hour also.)  It's past 11pm and she has other homework still to do tonight.

She requested a transfer from honors to general chemistry, but the teacher says there is no evidence that she's struggling since her grade is good.

Edited September 8, 2021 by SKL

[mom31257]

@SKL, sounds like she needs to talk to a guidance counselor about it instead of the teacher. I'm sorry the teacher doesn't think 4 hours of homework is no evidence of struggling! 

[SKL]

1 hour ago, mom31257 said:

@SKL, sounds like she needs to talk to a guidance counselor about it instead of the teacher. I'm sorry the teacher doesn't think 4 hours of homework is no evidence of struggling! 

She did email the guidance counselor also, but had not received a reply as of last night.  (Apparently she was told she needed to email vs. talk in person.)

She was thinking to go talk to the teacher after today's class.  Her previous email was well-worded but didn't specify how much time she was spending.  Her teacher's response yesterday suggested she spend 20 minutes per day on Chemistry and that would solve her issues.  😛