You know, sometimes this blog gig is really impersonal. And too much about me.
I've told you before that I am just a normal girl . . . because I am. Sure, I can crank out some cute printables here and there, but I'm not wonder woman. And my superpower is not cleaning the house or patience (especially when I'm cranking out the aforementioned printables. Ahem.).
I was just out on my (little-bit-scary) back porch, putting some clothes in the dryer and pondering such things as, "Do other women have a system for their laundry?" As in a real bona fide system? As in one that actually works?
I start thinking some more. And I decide I want to ask my readers some questions. I'd love to hear from you; please feel free to answer {one or more of these questions} in a comment!
1. Laundry Systems. Do they exist? Do you have one? How's that workin' out for ya?
2. Do you go to co-op? Have you taught a class? What?
3. Cursive Writing? My son is 10, and we haven't crossed that bridge yet. Yay or nay?
4. Read any good books lately {other than children's literature}? What?
5. Cheap, easy, and healthy meals — Got 'em? Please share 'em!
6. My youngest son loves to destroy things. What do I do with him? How can I channel this into something constructive?
7. Homeschooling favorites? Tell me all about them. Please.
8. Pinterest? What's the best Pinterest project you've completed?
9. Going on vacation this summer? Where? Any free family fun ideas?
10. How did you find my blog? An inquiring mind wants to know.
Do you have any top ten lists? Check out Top Ten Tuesday hosted by Angie of My Little Blessings.
1. Laundry Systems. Do they exist? Do you have one? How’s that workin’ out for ya?
Monday is my official laundry day and I try to do at least 3 or 4 loads of laundry that morning and early afternoon. I usually end up doing at least one load of laundry each day during the week, except for Sunday. (this is why Monday is my laundry day because taking that break has at least a couple of loads piled up for me.) As far as how that is working, we have clean clothes so that has to count for something even when my laundry room looks the way it does today with a rather large pile to tackle. š
2. Do you go to co-op? Have you taught a class? What?
I discovered a wonderful co-op and last spring was our first term there. I taught a weather unit for 1st to 3rd graders. During our upcoming fall term I am teaching “The 7 wonders of the ancient world” for 1st to 3rd graders and a nursery rhyme unit for 2 and 3 year olds.
3. Cursive Writing? My son is 10, and we haven’t crossed that bridge yet. Yay or nay?
My oldest child is about to turn 5 and begin kindergarten but my husband and I already feel very strongly about him learning cursive handwriting. My husband’s uncle was very young when he had a stroke and if left him unable to talk or walk but he was able to write in cursive! Had he not known how to write in cursive his communicating would be much more limited. He has two daughters and being able to write has helped him talk to them. He has since been involved in therapy that has helped regain some of ability to see print but he had the cursive from the beginning. Cursive and print actually take places in opposite hemispheres of the brain. Here is a great article about it: http://davidsortino.blogs.pressdemocrat.com/10036/intelligence-and-the-lost-art-of-cursive-writing/
4. Read any good books lately {other than children’s literature}? What?
I just finished reading a book called “Tallgrass” by Sandra Dallas. This book was a sad one but good all the same. It was about a ficitional Japanese internment camp and the impact it had on the town where it was located.
5. Cheap, easy, and healthy meals ā Got ’em? Please share ’em!
In the summer, I love throwing together quick salads with homemade dressing and a side of fruit and maybe bread. In the cooler months we love homemade soup for cheap, easy, and healthy meals.
6. My youngest son loves to destroy things. What do I do with him? How can I channel this into something constructive?
I used to babysit my niece regularly and still keep her occasionally. She just turned 3 and she is bad about tearing things up. I fixed her a small dollar store basket with scraps of construction paper and scrapbook paper and told her that she wasn’t allowed to mess up our books but if she felt like tearing up paper she was welcome to get the basket. I also told her that it isn’t nice to simply tear up paper for no reason and we would use the scraps to create art projects. I was hoping she would come to enjoy creating better than destroying. It was effective, for the most part, at keeping her from messing up our books. (the only exception being naptime…I wasn’t able to lay her down with a book even a board book because she still messed them up.) I also used to get her to do things like build block towers that seem made to knock down rather than throwing toys that are breakable.
7. Homeschooling favorites? Tell me all about them. Please.
We love the books suggested for each core in the Sonlight catalog. Such wonderful books!
8. Pinterest? What’s the best Pinterest project you’ve completed?
I love pinterest. My favorite project so far was creating a family closet for us. Now all of our clothes are in one closet and I am able to use the other closets for storage. It makes laundry so much simpler. It also makes packing for trips easier and getting dressed for the day quicker. I blogged about it on my site if you are curious. š
9. Going on vacation this summer? Where? Any free family fun ideas?
No vacation for us this summer although we did travel four hours to visit family out of town last weekend, which was nice. One of our favorite summer activities isn’t free but it is frugal and beneficial. We love going blueberry and strawberry picking as a family. It costs money to buy the fruits but then you can take them home and freeze them or make jams or just eat them. We always have such a good time doing this, even the baby has a good time.
10. How did you find my blog? An inquiring mind wants to know.
I can’t actually remember the specific way I stumbled upon your blog, it was certainly from the direction of another blogger though!
1. wash something every day. A least one load or you will perish under the pile! Also, teach children to do laundry from sorting to washing to drying to putting away. it’s a big help!
2. Yes I co-op. Helped start and help administrate the one I am in. I have taught Kindergarten Morning, Building is Fun, Three year old Morning, Storytime hour. I am a Kindergarten Preschool kinda girl.
3. Cursive — not on our radar. I have an 11 year old and a 9 year old. I do not stress about handwriting.
4. I recently read my first book on a Kindle (actually a kindle app on my son’s ipod touch). It was called Freefall By Kristen Heitzmann (mystery…loved it. ) I read A Woman’s Place by Lynn Austin while on vacation Memorial Day. Very very good.
5. Menu planning is one of my goals for the summer.
6. Have you let him take apart broken things? Then “build” something new….
7. Mystery of History. LIterature lapbooks/notebooks. Teaching Textbook Math. Still looking for a science favorite.
8. Avoiding Pinterest. No time to dive in there. I’d never come out I am afraid.
9. Have been to see our Aunt in Springfield TN over Memorial Day weekend. It was a great trip and we had lots of fun.
10. Found you through Lego lapbook. It’s how we started our School year in 2009 or 2010…can’t remember…. we had a new baby girl in July 2009 and needed a slow fun start back into school routine. It was perfect for my then 6 and 9 year old sons.
3. My 9 (almost 10) year old son has just started. He’s okay with it and actually liked it once he started feeling confident about it. I don’t push it much, but he likes to try anyway (I think because my two oldest always use cursive).
4. HIGHLY RECOMMED: “Boys Adrift” by Dr. Leonard Sax, and “Why Gender Matters” by the same author. Not fiction, but I couldn’t put them down. Finished each in about 2-3 days.
7. Favorites – Of course, HSS ;), TeachersPayTeachers, and Starfall (my 3 1/2 year old and I will jump on here only occasionally, but it’s fun for him and I feel it isn’t a waste of time, like so many other online activities). There are so many others, but those are the first that come to mind.
10. I found HSS first, then from there I found your blog. Love both and don’t know what I did before I knew about them!
1. I do two loads of laundry EVERY day except for one weekend day. I make myself and it really keeps it from piling up.
4. I just finished the first two books of the Divergent series. They were excellent!
5. There is a blog called skinnytaste. LOVE IT. I have yet to try anything that is not fabulous and relatively easy. Many of her meals you can even freeze.
6. If you find the answer to this one, I will pay you for it. We are struggling with the same thing with my son.
I think I saw your Blog on another blog. I cannot remember which one. I love it. Thank You.
1. Laundry Systems. Do they exist? Do you have one? How’s that workin’ out for ya? DD8 does her own laundry. I try and do everyone else’s laundry every Monday. And attempt to put it away on Tuesday…then possibly do a random load or two thru the week if needed. It usually works out well. Washing is easy, putting away is hard.
2. Do you go to co-op? Have you taught a class? What? I’m in a co-op, but haven’t taught a class at it. We participated in a really informal co-op when DD was in PK and K, where I had to teach 2 lessons on assigned topics sometime during the year.
3. Cursive Writing? My son is 10, and we haven’t crossed that bridge yet. Yay or nay? I taught DD cursive starting at the end of 1st grade because she wanted to learn. I tried to convince DS age 5 to start with learning cursive, but he didn’t like the idea. He currently will only use capital letters!
4. Read any good books lately {other than children’s literature}? What? The Big Jump — a book about the air race to cross the Atlantic which was eventually won by Lindbergh
5. Cheap, easy, and healthy meals ā Got ’em? Please share ’em! My favorite for cheap/healthy is anything with beans and rice. Like chicken/bean/rice burritos. I use already cooked and shredded chicken, and toss that in with rice, beans, tomatoes and seasoning. Just bring cheese, hot sauce and sour cream to the table and you’ve got a meal!
6. My youngest son loves to destroy things. What do I do with him? How can I channel this into something constructive? I need to go and read other people’s responses to this question. But my boys like making giant messes more than actually destroying things I guess.
7. Homeschooling favorites? Tell me all about them. Please. New favorite is “All Through The Ages” — great guide for matching up literature with various time periods and geographic locations you may be studying. I’m using it to put together American History for my crew this next year.
8. Pinterest? What’s the best Pinterest project you’ve completed? Campfire cones — ice cream cones with with “toppings” (chocolate chips, nuts, marshmallows, fruit, etc) wrapped in foil and cooked over a fire. I have tons of great ideas pinned but not tried yet…don’t we all?
9. Going on vacation this summer? Where? Any free family fun ideas? Camping and a trip to a family lake cabin. All extra funds not spent on a big trip are going into a “buy a new van” fund!
10. How did you find my blog? An inquiring mind wants to know. I wish I could remember!