K-4 - Starting off with a bang!

I picked a perfect week to start school.  Why?  Because the tempurture every day was out of this world hot so staying inside was our only option.  As I mentioned previously, I only started Pre-K with Josh this week, much to the chagrin of the other two boys.  They kept asking, "Is it my turn too?".  I do know I made the right decision though because this is allowing me to get Josh into a routine, work out the bugs in our routine, and spend time helping him focus.  When the other two boys start in a few weeks, he'll need to be able to do some things on his own while I work with the others.

In case you are new to this blog and are wondering why we started school now . . .I have chosen to do a 6 week rotation for school.  We do 6 weeks of learning and then get one week off.  This allows us to take a break, gives me time to catch up on everything from cleaning to appointments, and helps us all not to get bored with the daily routine.  By starting now, we will be able to take most of December off and also finish up somewhere around mid May.  If we happen to get behind on some lessons, we can always work into December a little or even go longer into May and wrap things up.

Our first week is review.  We are only doing our general K-4 work that I purchased from Confessions of a Homeschooler for a very reasonable price.  I really love this curriculum because it fits my style of teaching.  She also has made everything so easy to use, print, and incorporate into our day.  This was truly the perfect choice for us and, honestly, I wish I had used her Pre-K unit with Josh last year.  (I'm using that unit with Nate this year.)

Here are a few snapshots from our week.

 We started our lessons with a puzzle.  Our review this week is of Upper and Lower case letters.  Notice who is sitting on the table?  He wanted to be part of school so much!

 Lots of activities this week verses worksheets.  Here he is matching clothes pin letters to a letter wheel.

 During the afternoon, while the munchkin and princess were napping, the boys and I hibernated in their room (which was at least comfortable in the heat thanks to blowing cold air from our bedroom into theirs).  We used various alphabet manipulative that I had to match letters to a game board.

 On Tuesday, we had the A/C running in the boys room and living room so I set up the card table in their room to use as a work place for me as well as the place to do school. 

 I told my husband that sometimes Pre-K will make me want to poke my eyes out.  This one of those moments.  I had made two sets of spoons - one set with uppercase letters and one with lowercase.  Josh had to match the spoons to the board.  He did great but it took about an hour . . .between singing the alphabet song over and over, seeing if he could balance the spoons on his nose and more . .well, I'm surprised I can still see straight HA! 

This is where we "live" right now :-)  The boys and Darryl are playing cars and trucks.

 What do you do when you can't go outside and play because it is too hot?  Turn your kitchen set into an indoor slide HA!

 Josh and I worked on his gaming skills.  Here's the real deal - Josh has a hard time playing games.  He doesn't like to follow the rules OR bends them to make sure he wins and he doesn't like to share or take turns.  He is a 100% first born and always has to be in control.  I'm using little games like this one to help him learn how to play.  Today, besides reviewing letters and counting, we worked on taking turns and counting the right spaces.  He actually won fair and square which was good for him.  Next time though, he really needs to learn the art of losing . ..

So, he is smarter than the average bear.  With this activity he had to match the clothespin letters to a wheel based on the beginning sound of a picture.  He started with a few he knew as I had laid out the pins in random order.  Then, after looking back and forth at the wheel and pins he said, "I'm going to put these in ABC order mom".  He did, then he started with the "A is for Apple" and had it easy as he just went around the wheel one pin at a time.  To his credit he did say the name of each picture before he pinned it.

There's a snapshot of our week!  We did more than what is pictured but this gives a general idea of the activities we did.  I had planned some other fun afternoon activities but those were post-poned due to the heat so hopefully we can get to them next week.

Randomness

I have misplaced my July blog calender so I have no idea what I planned to blog about today.  Oops.  So, for today, I'll just share some random things

1.  My checkbook balance never matches what I have in my head.  It is always, always less.  I hate when that happens.  When I worked at the bank, the first thing I did when I sat down at my desk each morning was balance my checkbook to what showed online.  It was always perfectly balanced.  I have decided I need to pick up that habit again - every evening after the kids go to bed the first thing I will do is update my checkbook AND input my husband's info from work on that day.  21 days to make a habit so here. we. go!

2. Rice Krispie Treats or really good in hot weather :-)  I made some last week and they got better and better each day.  My kitchen is so hot that they are staying super soft and squishy.  I may or may not have finished off the pan while I was working on this post.

3.  Three boys, one baby, a dog, a cat, and two adults are a lot of people to fit in two small rooms during the day.  Why are we squished into these two rooms?
Because it is THIS hot outside . . .. 

 Yes, that says 100 degrees and no, that doesn't sit in the sun either.  We have had 5 days where the heat index has gone over 100 degrees.

So, on Monday evening we bought one of these.  Now we have one in our bedroom but, we bought one to put in the boys room which opens into the living room.  During the day, we blow the cold air into the closed off living room and actually have a living space that is comfortable.  I am beyond thankful for this little piece of "heaven".  I'm not sure how the boys and I would have lasted through this entire week of heat without it.

4. I love my dog.

She's been so hot this week that she has ventured into places she usually doesn't go . .. the boys room :-)  The AC is her favorite thing so laying in their room offers her the coolest location.  Isn't she sweet?

5.  I've started my Christmas "window" shopping.  The boys are getting to an age where it is really fun to look for toys and games and other activities for gifts plus they are starting to make requests.  I have noticed that toys go on clearance in June and July so I'm making notes to set my budget next year to save for Christmas in the first half of the year instead of the second half.  There are alot of things I could have picked up if the line item was full :-)  That's ok - I know more sales are coming! 

Not much else random around here .  .. just trying to enjoy summer on the days it isn't a million degrees!

Fun in the Sun

We are truly enjoying our summer this year.  I thought I would share some more of our fun with all of you!

On Sunday, July 7th, Darryl called me when he was heading home from work at about 12:00 noon and said, "Hey, do you want to go to the beach?".  Folks, this is a milestone.  I used to have to beg to go to the beach - Darryl is not a sun lover at all so sitting on the beach was not his cup of . .. coffee HA  He has learned to love it especially because it is always cooler at the lakeshore.  Needless to say, I had a picnic packed and the kids ready to go when he pulled in the driveway 45 minutes later.  

The boys loved putting their beach chairs in the water.  It was just too cute.  We played at the beach for over two hours - it was actually getting cloudy and chilly, if you can believe that, when we packed up and headed for a picnic table for dinner.

On Saturday, July 13th, we headed to my mother-in-laws for the day and, for only the second time in almost 12 years, I got to ride in the boat!  It seems like any time we go there it is broken OR one time, it broke while we were on it HA!  This was also the first time the boys were on the boat too. 

It was a fabulous day on the water and at their house on the lake.  We enjoyed a cookout after the boat ride too and the boys had tons of fun playing with bubbles :-)

We headed to the lakeshore on Sunday, the 14th, as well because it was hot and humid but I never took my camera out.  We spent a lot of time in the water before heading to our favorite Pizza place - Bernie O's.  It was soooo good and the first time we had eaten there this summer.

Also over the past weekend, we started work on a project - or really Darryl did.  Power washing!

 Josh likes to make all kinds of funny faces when I take his picture . .. .

Nate is always just a tad more serious. . ..

Do you know why we are power washing the house?  Because we are getting ready to paint YEAH!  As soon as the summer heat goes away we'll paint - probably the beginning of September.  I can't wait to have a new color on this house!

Food Friday - Rice Krispie Treats; 2 ways

My kids had never had a Rice Krispie treat until a week ago.  Isn't that just ridiculous? HA!  Well, last week I decided to treat them to one of the passages of childhood and make some but I have two versions!

Traditional Rice Krispie Treats
adapted from Rice Krispies.com

Yes, these are just your traditional Rice Krispie Treat that used to be printed on the box!  If you are like me, this is a recipe that I never added to my Recipe Book so I thought I would share it.  I do alter the recipe .. . I double the butter and add about 6 cups of mini marshmallows (a full bag).  This keeps the treats softer and much more run to eat! 

The original Recipe: 

3 Tablespoons butter
4 cups mini marshmallows
6 cups Rice Krispies

Melt the butter and marshmallows together until smooth; stir in the Rice Krispies.  Once mixed, spread into a 9x13 pan and let cool.

Butterscotch Rice Krispies Treats
adapted from . . .a friend

So, here's the deal.  When you make these, also make the traditional version . . .then feed that version to the kids and hide these to keep for yourself.  Yes, they are that good.  I could eat the whole pan.  While they are still warm.  Yum!  Here's my tip - keep these in the fridge to keep them from getting too melty but, if you are taking them to a gathering, they are fine left out of the fridge and or then a little less "krsipie" when you eat them.  Either way, they are awesome!

1 bag (12 oz.) butterscotch chips

Melt with 1 cup peanut butter

Add 6 cups Rice Krispies Cereal

Press into 9x13 pan and refrigerate until firm

 

Weekly Menu and Food Prep

Food Prep.  Yes, it is a great thing but man, it takes me hours the day after shopping to get it all done!  Garden season is coming on strong so there are tons of fresh veggies and fruits in the market.  It's great for eating but a lot of prep!

What is pictured:  Watermelon, Blueberries, Strawberries, Carrots, Celery and Cucumbers for dipping plus a bowl of cucumbers I will add vinegar/water/sugar too to make "pickles" for snacking, Corn on the cob, Chicken breasts - some for eating this week and some for next week and a pork loin, divided, some for this week and some for next week.  My fridge is FULL!

This past week was extremely hot but we had to eat at home as much as possible due to finally caving in and buying a second a/c window unit  (I wouldn't really say "cave" but more like having the discretionary funds to buy a small unit finally happened.) BUT we did eat out if the Heat Index hit 100 degrees or higher :-/  I'm still without my crock pot so our two options were the stove top or grilling . .. grilling was our best optoin (so thankful for the small gas grill that was given to us last year!!) and ate a lot of Chips and Salsa.  This time of year, I have a hard time planning a menu - my kitchen is so warm  . . .I really don't enjoy cooking.  I'm already looking forward to the first really cool day in the fall so I can make a great pan of lasagna :-)

Here is what we have planned for eating this week:

Friday - Tacos - this is supposed to be the lost 90+ degree day - I figure I can cook the meat early in the day and just reheat it.  We would grill but they are forecasting some big storms!

Saturday - I'm going Scrapbooking for the evening and eating dinner there; I'll leave it up to Darryl what to "serve" for dinner. 

Sunday - The Beach :-)  Even on days my husband works, we have found that we love going to the beach.  We got our favorite pizza last week so this week, we'll do a picnic and get ice cream.  I'm thinking about doing Sandwiches this week - "gourmet" for Darryl and I and PB and J for the kids along with some chips and salsa, fruit and pickles. 

Monday - Crispy Cheddar Chicken, Mashed Potatoes w/gravy, corn and biscuits

Tuesday - Hot Dogs, Macaroni Salad and chips (supplied by my mom since I'm going scrapbooking during the day and my parents are coming over for the day)

Wednesday - Darryl has practice so the kids and I will get something out, assuming Darryl's car is fixed - I'll have some Mac and Cheese on hand just in case.

Thursday- Pan Fried Pork Chops, Mac and Cheese, green beans, and bread

As far as sweets . .. I still have a cake I would like to make if the weather is cooler as well as a couple of pies I'd like to try otherwise it will be store bought cookies and ice cream :-)

July Goals - Just continuing on with June

In June, I posted a list of goals that had started with my making a couple of lists that were my "brain".  I also went through my 101 goals to see what I could add.  I'm going to update that as far as what I got done and the rest will carry over into this month.  July is also the hottest month around here usually so I don't tend to get a lot done during this month.  :-)

Craft Related Plans
1. Organize my scrapbook paper bag - it got accedently dumped one day by my husband and I haven't taken time to fix it since that time.
2. Erase tabs on my picture dividers
3. Organize Memorabilia for each year so it is ready to go in the scrapbooks
4. Finish up the boys albums including ordering the last bits and pieces
5. Finish up2008 album - just page protectors - hoping to be able to order enough to finish this album :-)
6. Finish up my first blogging book and budget to order it
7. Birthday Board - MUST get moving on this :-)  - Clean out the bin downstairs and get a new one that is clear; make the birthday banner that is in one of my posts
8. Finish saving photos from Memory Manager; delete stuff off of my computer; install new updated programs
9. Make our chore chart and get moving on that concept (tied into our new daily pick up times above)
10. Read Sections 1 and 2 in "How to photography your baby" and do it!!!
11. Make a list of 100 things about me
12. Finish up the John Deere blanket - which will be Nate's truck blanket
13. Purchase racks to hold 2-3 scrapbooks on the wall in the living room
14. Make Seatbelt pillows
15. Make two summer wreaths
16. Quite books - complete the barn page I'm off the quiet book kick - my boys are starting to get "out of that stage" 
17. Make Boo Boo Bunnies
18. Make Beach towel blanket We just used our beach towels and I found, because we use beach chairs, a blanket isn't really needed.
19.  Get letters for "Wash your hands" sign
20. Get H-L and decorate them for my ABC Wall

Travel/Vacation
1. Read through Disney stuff and make a goal date to take the boys
2. Go through camping stuff and start packing
3. Pick up all needed supplies for this camping trip (next trip is in August)
4. Make Travel bags for our vacation
5. Print off maps/daily stuff/budget/ etc for our vacation
6. Pick our anniversary get away weekend
7. Look at reasonable ideas for our vacation in November so we can start saving

Paperwork
1. Do Feb-May gas receipts (got a little behind on work paperwork oops!) 
2. Get Dental Insurance After pricing it all out - we decided to be our "own" insurance and are just putting a little money away towards our dental costs.
3. Order Word a day calender
4. Subscribe to our local paper
5. Make one $25.00 payment on the truck

Homeschool
1. Plan our June and July calender (yes this should be done but since I'm writing my goals a week earlier then this will post . . this still needs to get done!)
2. Go through our school bins and clean them out
3. Print out 4 theme units to use this summer on rainy days
4. Put together about 8-10 crafts to be able to pull out on any given day
5. CLean out the "junk" basket in our classroom
6. Check out the Alligator Sanctuary and Mooville for a fun trip
7. Prep our calendar for next school year to complete all of our lessons.

Yardwork
1. Weed by the garage and lay down mulch.  Find something to plant under the crab apple tree - maybe a few Hostas.
2. Clean out the patio "bed" - would like to plant something there that is hardy and pretty.
3. Power wash the house
4. Paint the house (at least part of it - not sure how far we will get in June)
5. Plan out something new for the front of the house so we can maybe plant some stuff this fall

Organization
1. Finish the basement - my nemesis.  It isn't for lack of trying, trust me. 
2. Set up the play room (the boys are asking for it all the time)
3. Organize our tax documents in our file
4. Put together the car organization kit
5. Organize our DVD's.

Classroom-to-Office area transformation
1. Get carpet laid (someone is giving us nice carpet that they are replacing in their home so we just have to have it "laid".)
2. Measure, measure, and measure for what I want in there and then budget it out at IKEA.  Can't WAIT to be able to get my stuff.

Home Projects - a lot of thinking more than anything
1. The Living Room - we've lived in this house for 10 years and I'm ready for a change :-)  I have ideas of what I want but I want to really put together my idea board so we can tackle this project this winter.  Need to really budget this project out starting with flooring (Yikes!)
2. The kitchen - need to do the countertops and the floor.  :-) I have prices for them but have time to save since we don't do major indoor work in the summer - too hot!! (Paint never ever dries in this house in the summer!)

Lots and Lots on the radar this month.  I like to have lots to choose from knowing when I start that I won't get it all done.  Especially with a camping trip and a vacation thrown in (Which means any project that costs money most likely will get put off . . and just planned for  . . except maybe painting the house - we have to get moving on that one! )

Too Cute Not To Cute

Hello!  This past week I spent a lot of time cleaning - between vacation and a week with a great holiday well, the house took a back seat.  I mean, between cleaning the kitchen or an impromptu trip to the beach - which would you chose? So, with that in mind I thought I would start out this week with a link to some homemade cleaners.  I'll be honest, I'm not into homemade cleaners usually; why fix what isn't broken, right? But I have used one of these - the vinegar and dawn dish soap, and it really does work well.  Little Ms Robinson shares a whole list of cleaners, where she got her cute bottles and even printable labels :-)

Since so many people post links on Pinterest that go no where or only show a photo, I'm going to embrace it when I see an idea I like.  This is another cleaning tip (only on Pinterest) for carpet cleaner.  I can't clean my carpets in the summer (too humid + no A/C = carpets that would never dry) but I do plan on trying this solution in the fall.  :-)

Don't hate me but this post from Inspiring Pretty gives all kinds of great ideas for . . .Halloween!  I know, I know, it is still months away but some of them you might to plan for like this ghost idea :-)

This last idea comes from Diet Girl and is more of an inspiration then a craft.  It takes about 21 days to establish a habit so, whether you are trying to drink more water, take a walk every day, or read your Bible daily, this Post-it idea is great.

Happy Crafting!