Tackling Tues May 14

[TexasProud]

starting thread

[HomeAgain]

Good morning!

Today:

• take ds to school
• do the last of my school work
• notify parents about a schedule change
• clean up my math blocks file
• make dinner?
• 10,000 steps
• fold the laundry/start a new load
• take ds to his meeting, which coincidentally works with my final assignment (finding a place good for viewing stars, and I'm taking him to a random field)

[TexasProud]

I will add to this post as I do it

• Quiet time
• Wrote a rough draft of 4 podcasts
• cleaned kitchen, loaded dishwasher, dishes by hand
• walked with hubby
• double checked my haircut appointment for Thursday
• Analyzed March budget
• created and analyzed April Budget
• 1 load of laundry
• Attended and participated in a YPM call.

Edited May 14 by TexasProud

[TheReader]

Good morning!

Had texts from Oldest last night at bedtime, he's doing well. All new faces there this year, but he said he gets along with his roommates, so that's good. 

Woke up to a text from the afternoon tutoring family, the girls have one last Garden Club, so can I come tomorrow? I'll text back in a bit when it's closer to waking up time and say sure, but also, can we plan on Weds next week so I can go w/DH to a work function?  So that makes today easier. 

Thus, today:
...coffee
...remain calm and level headed while DH tries to find the info to protest the rise in our home value for property taxes - he gets very stressed, so the goal is, don't let that spill onto me
...go do PreK with the summer kid
....swing by Academy - return the coat, shop for new fencing shoes
...swing by a friend's house, visit, pick up some chairs she's giving me
...come home, nap?? 
...call the homeschool bookshop, see if she has in stock the particular items I need; if so, maybe go out there (or maybe tomorrow?)
...work on more of the summer list....need to figure out what that all is. So maybe "make the summer list" should be the item....
...decide who is cooking dinner, cook if needed - I feel like I should, since I can....
....eat dinner
....go to fencing
....come home, veg out
....go to bed

I think that's it. Have a great Tuesday everyone!

Edited May 14 by TheReader

[history-fan]

Good Morning

AC person was able to stop by late afternoon. All that was wrong was the filter was very dirty which restricted airflow. DH said he was embarrassed cause that’s the first thing to check, plus I had texted him a few times before to check it. Oh well. Repair person gave good idea to set up auto ship of filter from home depot so that when filter shows up every 6 months I can change it. So set up auto ship today.

water outside gardens, put down grass seed in areas that need it

call nursery about native plants. 

get back into decluttering and selling. 

time training pup

ask people to move their winter coats and boots from back entry closet to their bedrooms so more room in closet.

 

 

 

[TheReader]

Glad the A/C thing wasn't anything costly, even if it was a little embarrassing. 

[HomeAgain]

30 minutes ago, history-fan said:

 Repair person gave good idea to set up auto ship of filter from home depot so that when filter shows up every 6 months I can change it. So set up auto ship today.

 

This is what we ended up doing, too.  It's so much easier than trying to remember!

[TheReader]

texted the tutoring mom - we're set for Weds next week, too, so I can go w/DH to his work thing

Brainstorming my summer list, and putting it here, so I can think straight and figure out what to do today:
 

All the 3rd Grade Prep
Buy Science materials, prep that
Buy the 3rd Grade math, prep that
Revise the K-2nd syllabuses (syllabi?)
Clean/organize/declutter the school bookshelves in my bedroom
Clean/organize/declutter the kitchen pantry
Add stitching details on DS's grad quilt
Make borders for his quilt, add them
Layer & quilt his quilt
Buy backing & batting for a commission quilt project for a friend (finishing/quilting a quilt top her mom made)
Buy the right thread for quilting her quilt, Quilt it (then hold my breath, say some prayers, and wash it) (it has red next to white)
Work on assorted other quilting projects - a 2nd project for the same friend, Queen's Court, words quilt, gallery quilt....other stuff I have percolating
Help DH clean/declutter/organize the garage???? 
Finish my fairy garden (spray paint, then assemble/plant/etc.)
Clean & paint the seagull sign from my grandma's art gallery, get DH to put that in place
 

eesh, that's a lot. I'll tackle the bedroom shelves this morning I think...I can do that before I go do PreK......

[ScoutTN]

Good morning!

I have a good, unscheduled day to help Dd and catch up on a few things.

Get reminder posted to players’ lacrosse group chat.

Reschedule appt. ✔️ 
Call mom ✔️ 
CSA pick up
 

Not sure what else yet. 

Edited May 14 by ScoutTN

[ScoutTN]

Done:

Menu planning
Changed sheets
Amazon order for mom.
Emails and texts 

Headed out to get first aid supplies for Dd’s car. 

[HomeAgain]

Parent email sent.

As a side note, can I just say how much I loathe TGTB math?  It is honestly one of the worst programs out there that I have seen for homeschoolers.  Terrible, terrible curriculum with beautiful art.  *sigh*

 

Dinner today will be hot dogs/brats on the grill.  When dh wakes up I'll get a shower and go to the store for buns.

Schoolwork is mostly done.  I'm taking a break from assignments and doing the final exam next.

[ScoutTN]

@HomeAgain I am long past homeschooling grade school, but like to know what’s out there bc I do get asked for suggestions. What specifically makes TGTB a bad math program? I like details.

[mom31257]

Just now, ScoutTN said:

@HomeAgain I am long past homeschooling grade school, but like to know what’s out there bc I do get asked for suggestions. What specifically makes TGTB a bad math program? I like details.

Yes, I would like details, too. I often have people ask about curriculum in the younger grades, and I have seen so many people liking their material. 

[mom31257]

Good morning! 

I slept in and had my quiet time with coffee. 

I met with a student online. I'm doing a bit extra with her because she is going into public school next year. I didn't realize our state has brand new math standards this year (until recently), and the 8th grade covers a bit more with systems of equations than I do in 8th, so I'm doing more with her to make sure she is ready. 

• lunch for ds and me
• pay a couple of bills online/update big budget book
• meet with private student 
• maybe go the gym with friends
• grocery store after that
• dinner
• tutor a student online for her final
• work on my office (cleaning/organizing)
• watch something and relax

Edited May 15 by mom31257

[SKL]

Howdie, happy Tuesday!

Today should be Saturday, kuz yesterday was like a Friday.  Who agrees?

The past week has been full of "different" things, which is great, but it takes a lot more mental energy than routine things.  We did that catering event last Wednesday, multiple conference calls Thursday, kid's prom on Friday, a short trip to see the northern lights over the lake, houseguest Saturday, Mother's Day on Sunday (for me & a trip to my folks'), 2 reviews of progress on our "new house," and someone's 65th birthday on Monday (lunch out with 1 group, dinner out with other group).  And my kids had a "big project" that was due last night at midnight, which technically wasn't my issue, but you know how that goes.

Meanwhile, work doesn't stop, nor does our attention-seeking dog, LOL.  Oh well!  Life is good.

Today, we should be back to normal, right?  I am still having trouble focusing on work, but I'll get it done.  I'm always on a different mental schedule anyway.

Done so far:

• Slept, yay!
• Took the dog out a couple times; got a little sun walking outside.
• Rebooted my computer because it's been blippy since yesterday.
• Yoga etc.
• Coffee, yay!  Also ate fruit & took vitamins.
• A little house cleaning.
• A little reading.
• Caught up on emails, news, calendar, social media, quick games, electronic school stuff.
• A tiny bit of client work.

To do:

• Lots more client work.
• Laundry - about 1.5 weeks' worth.
• Wash the dishes from my kids' wonderful Mother's Day cooking.  (It's a fair trade, really.)
• Remind Kid2 to make a chiro appointment & go to her vision appointment.
• Should do another round of Yoga etc. kuz I forgot yesterday.  😕
• Walk the dog & take a shower.  (It's that time of year!)
• Eat veggies.
• My choice of the 100 other things waiting for my attention.

Should I start seriously nagging my kid about summer employment?  Seems she decided to abandon the Dunkin job since they never got back to her after she got back to them.  Fine, but not working won't fly.  But she still has senior projects coming due.  But, but, but ....

 

[ScoutTN]

Done:
Thrift
Haircut
WM

Time for lunch! 

[HomeAgain]

1 hour ago, ScoutTN said:

@HomeAgain I am long past homeschooling grade school, but like to know what’s out there bc I do get asked for suggestions. What specifically makes TGTB a bad math program? I like details.

Granted, I mostly see kids who are struggling, not thriving, but my main complaints are these:

1. They're intentionally set up to distract from the material.  There are a LOT of pictures that have nothing to do with or only tangentially touch on the idea.

2. The texts are very wordy, to the point where a child might struggle to understand the paragraphs and get the math out of them.  Little effort is made to concisely give an explanation and example.

3. The crowding.  So much is packed on to a page that it's busy and hard to see what needs to be done at a glance.  There often isn't room to work out what needs to be done.

4. The lack of white space.  The pictures not only are around the problems, but behind the problems as background.  It makes it difficult for a kid to keep their math organized and make sure they're not missing something.

5. The lesson order.  It heavily relies on being "spiral", but the material doesn't build in a well-organized manner. It feels haphazard at best.  Kids who didn't master the small step in the lesson struggle to keep all the disconnected information in their brains for the next review block.

6. The explanations suck.  They do.  They're subpar and it doesn't feel like the authors have a handle on why it works the way it does.  There are enough words, though, to just tell you how and not nearly enough room to work it out for yourself.

 

I have worked with a lot of math programs from both the public school and homeschools, and there are very few I dread.  This is one of them.  The kids are NOT bad at math.  They're just working with a beautiful program that doesn't work without a lot of assistance to make it work.  There isn't enough practice with a new concept, there isn't an orderly progression, there isn't space for them to think.  All of that has to be added in.

[HomeAgain]

Final exam done: 100%.  I'm debating whether to make the last few videos or just take the zeros.  I'm a little tired of astronomy.

[TheReader]

Got the school stuff/shelves cleaned & organized & decluttered before I left - yay!

Home -- did the PreK, and set the June & July dates, then we're done and he'll be in my K class next year.  

Mailed the return (this being the Singapore 3 that the 3rd grade dad originally said would be good, then changed his mind)

Returned the jacket, bought new fencing shoes

Dropped off DS's suit & a shirt for dry cleaning/laundering, so he has them for his "prom" night w/his GF (she was out of town for the actual, so they are going out and going dancing on Friday)

Eating lunch, taking a nap, and then....?

[ScoutTN]

Updated the emergency box in my car and made a better one for Dd.
 

Still need AAA batteries for headlamps/flashlights. Have enough stuff to do a bin for the vehicle Ds buys this summer. 

 

Edited May 14 by ScoutTN

[ScoutTN]

Dropped Ds and a teammate at practice.

Got cilantro and batteries.

Next up:
Get veggies 
Start dinner

[TheReader]

Went and picked up the chairs from my friend's house, and took her the peaches

DH and Middle are processing some of our peaches before they all go bad (they were a touch too ripe) - apparently we're making peach jam. Yum! 

They are fussing about the steps involved....

[ScoutTN]

Dinner is prepped 
Got a snack.
Fed the silly dog.

About to go get Ds. I am SO ready for him to have a vehicle!

[history-fan]

Applied to a program that offers advice and native plants for people to put in their yard to help attract pollinators. I have a section of side yard that’s on the Blvd that is hard to water, mostly sand and gets weedy. I’m looking into if native plants would work there it gets sun most of the day. I also have an area around the shed in back that is mostly shady. I got rid of most of the old wood pile and trying to figure out how to make it look better. 

[TheReader]

Since DH & Middle are processing the peaches, I am cooking dinner after all. We have leftover cooked meat from DS's grad party in the freezer, so pulling that out, adding potatoes, some herbs, should be good and quick. 

I did call the local homeschool bookstore, but she only has some of the pieces of what I need, not all, and what she has is used and I don't want to drive way over there to check if her version of "used- good" is the same as mine, and is FAR as well. Ordered online instead. 

This will also force me to work on the quilt stuff I need to get done, while waiting on the curriculum to arrive. 

[Myra]

4 hours ago, ScoutTN said:

Updated the emergency box in my car and made a better one for Dd.
 

Still need AAA batteries for headlamps/flashlights. Have enough stuff to do a bin for the vehicle Ds buys this summer. 

 

So what do you put in your car emergency box?

[mom31257]

Thanks for asking @Myra, and welcome to the tackle thread!  

I did arm and some ab workouts at the gym, so I'll probably be sore tomorrow. 

Things with the students went well. The private student will come two more times this month before taking a break for the summer. 

Dinner was gyros and tater tots. I can't have the tzatziki sauce, but I had some goat's milk feta that was very good with them. 

Up next is working on bills and the budget. 

[ScoutTN]

11 hours ago, Myra said:

So what do you put in your car emergency box?

jumper cables and cloth gloves
roadside triangles (DOT= sturdy)
emergency blankets 
hot hands
flashlight and led lantern
glow sticks
rain ponchos
towel
pocketknife
paracord/laundry line
small roll of duct tape
TP
plastic bags
toys - cards, frisbee, ball
power bank and usb adapter
snacks, water, electrolyte mix
bug spray 
sunscreen

First Aid kit (homemade) - band aids, gauze, tape, shears, wound rinse, bleed stop powder, disinfectant, antbx cream, gloves, cpr face shields, tweezers, tylenol, ibuprofen, benadryl, anti-diarrheal, benadryl or hydrocortisone topical, eye rinse, sea bands. 

Mine also has a kit for major bleeding that includes expanding gauze and a CAT tourniquet. 

My car usually has a camp chair, a golf umbrella, a picnic blanket, a small notebook and pens, an ice scraper, a window breaker/seatbelt cutter, windshield sunscreen, a collapsing dog bowl, and reusable shopping bags in it.

Edited May 15 by ScoutTN

[ScoutTN]

Did PT exercises

Baked brownies for lacrosse team dinner tomorrow. Realized I have no plastic knives. 

Listened to The Literary Life podcast about Agnes Grey.

Asked Dh to get the milk tomorrow morning. 

Prepped for the morning: computer, tutoring bag, clothes

[mom31257]

@ScoutTN, does the heat in a car not render some of those items ineffective (sunscreen, medications, etc.)? 

 

 

[ScoutTN]

35 minutes ago, mom31257 said:

@ScoutTN, does the heat in a car not render some of those items ineffective (sunscreen, medications, etc.)? 

 

 

Possibly, over time, though I do try to keep my car from getting too hot bc the dashboard is black. So far, they’ve always been effective when I needed them. I usually have some OTC medications in my purse too. And we go through sunscreen quickly in the warm months.

Edited May 15 by ScoutTN