Monday Musings...

Outside My Window...
The rain has left for the time being. Actually, we're now ahead of where we were in rainfall at this time last year, so I am okay with that. And the sunshine, warmer weather, blue skies... all are gorgeous!

Considerations...
I am working on my end-of-the-semester seminar paper, 12-15 pages in length. I am also working on leading a classroom facilitation in the same class. And I am planning both for now and the fall in our homeschooling. We've fallen back into our semi-unschoolish ways (what if?), albeit with a few caveats... such as a required historical/autobiographical book each month, etc. And I am better than okay with it, as we seem to be learning more than ever! I have also made a decision about my own education, and will be taking a break from the MA program over the next year and a half (or so) to complete a teaching credential. There are multifarious reasons for this, foremost among them being that the MA program at my college is offering fewer classes each semester, meaning that it will take me forever to finish. Anyhow...

Around the House & Garden...
M and I are making summer plans for some household work, such as fixing the leaky family room roof. We've started digging up the garden area, and have some herbs and lettuce started. Tomatoes are on the agenda, as are squash, cucumbers, and peppers. Over the next few months, I also hope to finish ripping out all the wall-to-wall carpeting that remains, and start painting all the rooms. In the meantime, I'm always catching up on dishes and laundry, and there is a lot of weeding to do this week. Thankfully, the chickens love the dandelions I pull up!

In Our Kitchen...
The Girl says she misses our ethnic cooking adventures, so I hope to blend those back in.. We've been reading Faces together, and could use that easily as a focal point for a month at a time. This month's focus is Paris, so we'll do some French cooking.

In Our Homeschooling...
I'd like to make some more progress in The Wind in the Willows this week, and after a couple of weeks steeped in ancient China (The Ancient Chinese World), we're moving back to K12's Human Odyssey, with which we can fit in more documentaries and supplemental reading. I think this week we'll move into ancient India! And we're planning on some science with Dr. Art's Guide to Science this week.

Reading & Watching...
The Boy will wrap up his reading on Henry Ford this week or next, and then he'll have to choose someone else to read about! The Girl and I are working on wrapping up the book on Sacajawea. I finished A Winter's Tale. We have another episode of Cosmos to watch this week, along with another episode or two of Mankind: The Story of All of Us, and The Boy and I (and maybe The Girl) want to try out The Inexplicable Universe with Neil deGrasse Tyson, which is on Netflix! I am hoping to see more Great Courses offered there soon!

Everything Else...
Fencing and derby practice are on the agenda, as always. Since M fixed my bicycle last week, we've been doing a lot of riding on local bike trails, especially with this weather! The Boy is working on a series of car drawings, and The Girl has been sculpting again. Always feels like we have a lot going on! I'll leave you with one of the car drawings in The Boy's new series of art... Have a good week!