Last Monday of the Month Already?

I can't believe March is just about here already. I need to get prepared for a birthday next week!

...Outside My Window...
Sunny, clear, and colder this week, though not as cold by far as my Back East friends. We're looking forward to some more rain in early-mid March. My rosemary and the dwarf peach are blooming like crazy, but nothing else in the yard is showing any signs of blossoming, though the apple and cherry both have leaf buds!

...In My Home and Kitchen...
I am very, very inspired by Kim's meal planning! I printed out a chart for March, and tacked on the last week of February to get things moving in the right direction. I'm also trying out a recipe for slow cooker cilantro lime chicken that she linked, making a big batch for two dinners (nachos this week, then a taco casserole next week). Our house is getting a great spring cleaning, thanks to plans for a late March sleepover (2 friends for The Girl as a late birthday thing, and 1 for The Boy just because). I am finding that the kids are capable of a lot more than I've been assuming!

...In My Garden...
I am thinking of trying to convince the husband to try straw bale gardening. I am having a hard time choosing between that and raised beds. I think we might put in the raised beds, and then try the straw bale technique as a supplement... I don't know. Does anyone have experience with this?

...In Our Homeschooling...
The Girl has suddenly taken off with unschooling her science. I haven't been giving her assignments lately, but on her own she's made a frog life cycle chart, a 3D butterfly life cycle art project,etc. She's also decided that she'd love to study both frogs and dinosaurs (she loves those dinosaurs!) so I have put some documentaries on hold at the library for her, along with a book on frogs, and we're looking at a Coursera class on dinosaur paleobiology. She also wants to raise a few tadpoles! And The Boy is continuing this week with learning Scratch programming -- he's doing well so far in his online course. Both kids have math on their agendas, along with writing, and plenty of reading.

...Reading & Watching...
The Girl is continuing with Little House in the Big Woods, as well as The Secret History of Mermaids and The Secret History of Hobgoblins. She's also reading and memorizing Mother Goose rhymes, all on her own. I might try reading The Dragon in the Cliff to her, as part of her dinosaur studies/history. The Boy is still reading about Greek mythology and history in his vintage find, and is almost done with re-reading The Maze Runner. I'm reading aloud most days from An Everyday History of Somewhere as well, and we're still enjoying The Hobbit. As far as watching, The Girl loves any and all nature/animal documentaries, and The Boy has been searching out shows on automotive history. We're all avidly involved in the world of Downton Abbey.

...Bits & Pieces...
The Girl had her first derby bout of the season on Saturday. They lost, but the results are being questioned, as their competitors may have broken their contract for the game! She was in the first half of the game a lot, which was supposed to be positional, not contact, which is wasn't (something else they are reviewing). She got knocked down a few times, but always got back up! The second half of the game was brutal, so I was truthfully thankful she stayed on the bench for that.

Right in the middle of the pack!

The Boy and M enjoyed some mountain biking yesterday. We recently got The Boy a "new" bicycle from the local community bike shop, as he had outgrown his old one.

...On the Agenda...
A very busy week... too busy really. I have meetings today at work, so it is my long day of the month. Tomorrow, I drive my dad to his tax appointment, then Wednesday to his doctor. Thursday morning the kids and I are off to see some poetry being performed, and then Friday morning it is doctor appointment number 2 for my dad, followed by park day. And of course there is derby practice, fencing lessons, my class, etc. Aaaarggghhhh!

Have a good week!

Blooming...

Our dwarf peach tree is the first fruit tree to bloom in our yard...

And just for fun, Valentine's Day at the park with friends...

There were plenty of cards, friends, treats, and fun! This is just part of the group... I think there were around 20 kids. We love looking through all the cards when we get home -- some store-bought, some homemade, all to be treasured.

In homeschooling news (briefly), we've decided to drop the Afternoon Basket for now. With how busy we are, I am not getting around to half the rotational readings, and I want to concentrate more on fewer books at a time. Plus, our history book right now is so much more than simply history... nature studies, local geography, etc., all wrapped up in one!

A Day in the Life...

I was inspired by Farrar, over at I Capture The Rowhouse, with her recent Day in the Life post. This is just an overview of a pretty average day for us, not any particular day, but we can call it Tuesday (no evening activities like derby or fencing on Tuesdays!).

...6 am...
I'm up. Most days I take a shower first, though sometimes I have to hit that snooze button and get another 15 or so minutes of sleep. Then coffee, and I lay out breakfast stuff for the kids, or pop a batch of baked oatmeal into the oven (I prep it the night before). I also leave the kids and the husband little notes! And I usually try to wash the previous night's dinner dishes before taking off.

...7:30 am...
I'm off to work, smoothie or egg sandwich, depending on my mood, in hand. I leave a tiny bit early so I can take the pretty backroads instead of the horrid freeway. I get to work just before 8:00, and am there until 12:30 Monday through Thursday, and until noon on Fridays.

...Meanwhile...
The kids get up sometime between 8 and 10 most mornings. I do like it that they can sleep in, as both are adolescents, and have a different circadian rhythm than I do right now! They putter around, fixing breakfast, making tea, feeding the pets, and at some point, they get dressed. Morning is their free time (sort of the opposite of many homeschooling households). They might watch a TV show, play on the Wii or computer, spend time reading, sketching, etc. This is also the time of day that they work on projects with their dad.

...1 pm...
I am home, and fixing lunch! Generally, I eat a sandwich or a salad with some chicken and beans, while the kids have sandwiches, or quesadillas, and fruit/veggies. Sometimes we all have soup. Anyhow, while we eat, we watch something together, like Big History, Downton Abbey, Wild China/Africa/South America [or sometimes Lost]. We chat about their mornings, check the chickens, and all that.

...2 or 2:30 pm...
I read something out loud, like a story from Wild Muir, or a few sections from The Everyday History of Someplace. Then we get some math going! I get The Girl set up with Saxon, then work with The Boy on Jacobs Elementary Algebra. Once they have everything under control, I can work on something else for a bit -- housework, sewing, my homework -- though I am frequently interrupted to further explain something.

Reading goes for about 15-20 minutes. Math generally takes about 45 minutes, then we move on to writing, which is another half an hour or so.

...Around 4 pm...
Snack time and quiet reading time. I do not tell the kids what to read during this time, so on any given day, The Girl may be reading from Little House in the Big Woods, or a Wonder Woman comic, while The Boy spends time with books like The Maze Runner, or The Small Engine Handbook. After a good chunk of reading to ourselves, I read out loud from our current book choice, which right now is The Hobbit.

...4:45ish...
Science time! This can take the form of reading, or looking through the microscope, or working on a project, or watching a documentary.

...About 5:30 or 5:45, or even 6...
We're done with "school" for the day. The Girl often moves on to an art project, or making paper clothing for her Groovy Girls -- she's currently working on a line of girl super hero outfits (Bat Girl, Aqua Woman, Spiderwoman, etc.). The Boy will work on computer science, or engine work (he's rebuilding a four-stroke engine from a rototiller in our garage), or an art project. I catch up on whatever I need to around the house, and start prepping dinner.

...7:30 or 8...
We sit down to dinner. Yes, I am old-fashioned in that I like to eat at the table and talk, rather than sit in front of the TV. Last night (a Tuesday), we had veggie burgers on sourdough toast, salad, and salt potatoes with fresh minced chives.

...9ish...
We start winding down. I like the kids to be in bed by ten, though they can read for an hour after that. 10-11 is the time that I always set aside to hang out with M, since the rest of the day is so busy! We interact a lot during the day, but it's nice to have this time set aside. So the kids will have dessert (last night it was Kashi Dark Chocolate Almond Butter cookies), watch a TV show or play a game, and then brush their teeth and head off to bed. I try to make some tea for myself.

...11ish...
Good night!

This Week... 2/9/2015-2/14/2015...

...Outside My Window...

Rain, rain, rain. I'm loving it! It comes and goes, as does the wind. The rest of the week is supposed to be sunny and cloudy off and on. We took advantage of a break in the rain n Saturday to go on a walk around nearby Spring Lake.

...In My House & Kitchen...

We're gearing up for our first slumber party in a few weeks, so there will be some deeper-than-usual cleaning going on. I really want things tidier before then! Thankfully, it isn't anything dirty to clean up, just the clutter four people make when they are home a lot.

My husband and I have a sort of bet going. He says it is cheaper to shop each day for what's needed, and I said planning ahead saves money. Last week we did it his way, and saved every receipt. This week we're doing it my way, and again saving every receipt.

On the cooking agenda this week: I made a roasted chicken Saturday, so tonight will be some chicken tacos and Thursday, I'll be making this delicious Creamy Chicken Tomato Vegetable Soup.

...In Our Homeschooling...

Thanks to a reminder from a fellow blogger I think we might be doing the Great Backyard Bird Count soon! It would ft in nicely with The Girl's recent bird studies. I also want to go out and get a sample of pond water this week, for some microscopic explorations, as per The World in a Drop of Water. I think what we'll do for the rest of her science this year is to read/work through:

The World in a Drop of Water 

Life in a Bucket of Soil

and something on amphibians.

I'd also like to grow some tadpoles with her, and make a small worm farm.

The Boy is helping his dad rebuild a small gas scooter, and is still in the process of choosing a project from The Art of the Catapult. He's making good progress in his first real online class too!

...Reading & Watching...
The Girl has switched, for the time being, from The Hunger Games to The Little House in the Big Woods. Truthfully, she seems to be enjoying it a lot more, and she's interested in pioneer life now! The Boy is continuing with The Maze Runner, as well The Small Engine Handbook. We're making some good progress through The Hobbit as well. And we're about halfway through The Last Olympian in the car. We are reading about local Native Americans in An Everyday History of Somewhere, which we are all very much enjoying.

And we've enjoyed another episode of Big History, this time focused on gold. I'd like to take the kids to the Gold Rush Days in Sacramento this year. Other field trips I'd like to take soon include the Japanese Tea Garden, when the cherry trees are in bloom; the Conservatory of Flowers; the Exploratorium; and the Oakland Museum of California. Of course, there are a dozen very localized trips I'd like to take too!

...On the Agenda...

We're back to two derby practices a week, with the first bout scheduled for the 21st, and two fencing practices weekly. I'm on a break from tutoring, but am still sewing cat toys. I luckily get two three day weekends in a row, so that makes from some nice extra time to catch up on stuff! We also have a Valentine's Party at the end of the week to get ready for... cards, treats, etc. M is back on the job market (gee, thanks downsizing!), so we're polishing up his resumé.

The Girl finally got her derby pics back, so I thought I'd part by sharing one!

Have a good week!

Wordy Wednesday...Review!

Quite a while back, I shared my first review of Reading Horizons, on Orton-Gillingham based intensive phonics program, especially for kids that struggle with reading. This program came highly recommended by a friend I absolutely trust with such things. So I had to check it out, as The Girl was really struggling with reading.

While I have never officially had her tested, showed nearly every sign of dyslexia in every online assessment I could find. Seriously. Of course, it took me ages to get around to figuring out that this might be the issue. Until that time, we had tried the "normal" processes of learning to read, the ones that worked with her older brother. We worked on the alphabet, half of which she forgot again nearly every day after "learning" it. We worked on letter sounds, with little progress. I tried Explode the Code, Reading Pathways, Teach Your Child to Read in 100 Easy Lessons, The Reading Lesson, Reading Eggs... you name it, it probably found its way into our home at some point.

And still, she wasn't reading beyond cvc words, and a few sight words, with very little fluency.

Then Jessica found Reading Horizons, and told me about it. Actually, she told me about it a few times before I gave in and tried it out, all the while thinking in the back of my mind, "Oh geez, another program that won't work." So I talked (via email) to the people at Reading Horizons, and first, I will say they were very helpful, friendly, and not pushy. I appreciate that! I was given a trial of the interactive software program (for ages 10 and up) for The Girl to work through, and as you read in my first review of Reading Horizons, I saw progress almost right away, though "At first, truthfully, The Girl was a little reluctant to use it. She thought the first few lessons were "just dumb. I know what a bag is!", but, we persevered (at my insistence), and she soon changed her tune as the lessons ramped up."

She went on to finish most of the program (I'd love to have her finish it someday). And what do I think now? I think that this program gave my daughter the confidence and skills she needed to finally decode words. Put it this way, she went from Bob Books being a pain, to currently reading The Hunger Games. I know, its not "fine" literature, but she's reading, and enjoying it!

How does it work?

Each lesson both introduces new sounds/reading skills, while at the same time reviewing and building on those previously covered. The instructions are all verbal, which was fantastic for my struggling reader -- she liked that she could do the lessons herself. This alone gave her a sense of accomplishment she had been lacking before. The program also constantly reviewed high frequency words...you know, those that we see a lot in text, such as the, you, not, that, of, if, and so forth. Each lesson also includes vocabulary practice, which further builds on the skills introduced in the lesson. Having to mark words actually made her slow down, and think about what sounds each letter makes, which definitely helped with her decoding. And, when students make enough progress, the library is unlocked, and they can work on reading a variety of passages based on their current reading level! And each passage also has an introductory page, with "challenge" words that appear in the reading. If they struggle with any of these words, they can click on them to hear them read aloud. Along the way, grammar and punctuation, as well as keyboarding skills, are all part of the lessons.

Parents can set the threshold at which the student passes, and so I set it at 85%... anything below that and she had to repeat that section of the lesson. There's also a dashboard which shows clearly how many attempts were made at various skills/lesson sections, and how much time was spent on the lesson. This helped me see exactly where she was struggling, so I could help her through it.

We did take a long break in there from using it, as she began to develop her reading skills and wanted to try them out "in the real world". Long enough really that when we went back to use the program, because we were both anxious to see more skills developed, my subscription had expired. But, that turned out to not be a problem, as the folks at Reading Horizons quickly set me up with the Elevate program, for kids (and adults!) 10 and up.

I am delighted, and amazed, at how much this program helped my daughter. She was at an age where she was starting to feel ashamed of not being able to read well, when she could see that all her friends were fine with it. Some days, she's told me, she just felt stupid, which is never how I would want my kids to feel! So, thank you!!!! By the way, she also reads all the common, day-to-day things, like movie descriptions, labels on packages at the store, street signs, and so on, and so on, plus she's writing short stories, all of which she did not do before.

Monday Musings...February Already...

First off, wishing you a happy Imbolc and/or Groundhog Day (depending on your beliefs)! I can't believe we are in February already!

Outside My Window...
Still clear, sunny, and (to me) disturbingly warm -- think high 60s, low 70s -- for the middle of winter. Thankfully, there is again rain on the horizon, maybe by Thursday. In the meantime, the plum trees are starting to bloom, and we have mustard flowers everywhere. It is a beautiful time of year!

In My House and Kitchen...
I fell behind a little on the weekly challenges from 52 Weeks to an Organized Home. So now I am playing catch-up! I'll get there though. We are looking forward to a decent tax return this year, meaning that we will be able to do some more maintenance/upgrades on the house, such as actually painting rooms that have been primered, redoing the front yard a bit, and finally putting in raised beds in the backyard! We've decided on 2-3 larger beds, and then two small ones for the kids.

As for cooking, I'm making a yummy chicken-chickpea-vegetable curry tonight to celebrate the holiday/welcome the longer days. At The Girl's request, we had chicken tacos last night, in the style of the taco truck down the street which is very simple: a small corn tortilla topped with shredded chicken, green onion, cilantro, radish slices, and salsa. Also on the menu this week are homemade pizza, some sort of pasta dish, and soup on Thursday. I am moving our Monday soup night to Thursdays now, as I have class until 4:30, and The Girl has derby practice at 7.

In Our Homeschooling...
The kids wanted to learn about comparative religions, so I found that our library has a number of dvds and audio books from The Teaching Company's Great Courses, so we started with two (half hour) lectures from Great World Religions: Buddhism last night. I also have My Favorite Universe from them, that we might start today (mostly for The Boy and I)., and I am picking up the Secrets of Mental Math, as that is something both the kids and I are curious about! As usual, we have our regular math and writing on the agenda, plus daily quiet reading time, which I benefit from as uch as they do!

Reading & Watching...
Well, I already went over what we're watching at the moment, except I didn't list that we are happily following along with Downton Abbey once more! As for reading, we're continuing with The Hobbit, and I have our rotational reading for the week. We might start reading An Everyday History of Somewhere: Being the True Story of Indians, Deer, Homesteaders, Potatoes, Loggers, Trees, Fishermen, Salmon, & Other Living Things in Northern California (now how is that for a title?), and if we read that, I may swap out The Wild Muir for The Complete Book of Marvels.

I finished A Year of No Sugar, and am halfway through Better Off. While my first impressions were the reverse, I now find I like the second book better! I think my problem with the first is that it is really more "A Year With No Fructose" than actually without sugar, as the author finds substitutes with dextrose, glucose syrup, etc., which truthfully I found a little disappointing. I also finally got to thumb through 100 Days of Real Food, as our library finally has it in stock! I've been following Lisa's blog for ages now, and her book is lovely. Her banana pancakes are a longtime favorite of my kids!

On the Agenda...
The Girl and I are down to the last few weeks of puppy petting with this litter (the Black Labs), and then we'll just have to wait for the next -- there is another litter of two (Golden Retrievers) there that will give us a little more time after the Black Labs are gone--this litter was very ill, and many of them died, so The Girl and I just met the two survivors this week, at 7 weeks old. The Boy is back to fencing this week after recovering from a nasty cold last week. And The Girl is finally back to derby practice, complete with new skates! Our skating rink offers two hours of skating on Tuesdays for $2 per person (plus $4 skate rental if you need them), so that's where we are heading tomorrow, so The Girl can try the new skates out. I was given (much more inexpensive) skates for Christmas, and The Boy has roller blades -- this will be a good afternoon's exercise! I also have my first field trip with my psychology class (Community Mental Health); we are touring some of the mental health facilities in our county, none of which I have ever seen, so it should prove interesting.

Other Tidbits...
When we were trying to decide on a movie for our family movie night, I suddenly realized the kids had never seen Gremlins, so we watched that... lots of laughter! The Boy and M are choosing a project from The Art of the Catapult to work on, and M is going to help The Girl build a bird house and some bird feeders. We're going to do a project from these geography plans sometime this week, making torn construction paper world maps.

I will leave you with a few pictures from a recent hike on Taylor Mountain, where we were happy to discover a beautiful and new (to us) trail, though we still technically have not made it to the peak. Have a good week!