Summer break

We're off for a much-anticipated week at the cottage, so I've set comments to 'moderate'. I've had some issues with tricky spammers the last few days, so I think this is the best way to go.

When we get back, I'll be posting some ideas and plans for the rest of the summer, and a rough outline of our plans for the fall.

Have a great week!

Snacktime!

For the next week, you can download our very favourite kids' album (by our very favourite band) for only $5, and help support a great cause at the same time.

Go!

**crickets**

Ummm... about that blogging every day for a year thing? Yeah, forget that.

I said then that I tend to focus on the positive here, while when I journal I whine a little too much. The problem is, there were too many difficult things going on that I just couldn't blog about. What I needed was silence and no pressure to be cheerful- everything I tried to post seemed so fake, even though it was the truth (it's difficult to explain...)

Things are a little better, though (very) far from perfect, and we still have quite a bit of stress every day. I feel the need now, though, to start focusing on the positive again (but that doesn't mean blogging every day :-).

Things rambling around in my head:

~ summer's almost here! We're making plans, and looking forward to our vacation at the cottage (which, sadly, may end up being our last- more on that later)

~ Gracie will soon be fourteen (how did that happen??)

~ we're wrapping up our spring term (it was very successful)

~ the farmer's market will open Friday! Shmoo says that her tummy grumbles are saying, "strawberries, strawberries, strawberries..."

~ our de-cluttering project went bust under all of the stress (we barely managed to keep up with our regular cleaning and tidying), so we'll be working hard from now until the end of August to catch up. The Boy's room is done, the garage had it's spring 'airing', it's only everything else that needs doing (eep)

~ we're polishing up plans for next school year (Gracie will be in ninth grade, so we're also roughing out the following four years)

~ and so much more. I'm having a difficult time keeping my ADD tendencies under control these days. I'll be taking some Mommy Time this weekend (while Hubby takes the kids out for Sporty Time) to get my many plans, ideas, and projects sorted out.

I love planning. Just thought I'd share that ;-)

Day 51 or, a meal menu

**Last year I was planning seasonal menus, but with a new year beginning we want to try out some new recipes and revisit old favourites. I'll be posting weekly meal menus here and cross-posting on our food blog. If you would like a recipe, let me know and I'll gladly post it!

notes: Gracie and Shmoo eat very little meat- they are what I call 'preferred vegetarians'- they would prefer to never eat meat, but I'm mean ;-). Shmoo is allergic to milk, so any reference to 'milk' means rice milk.

Dinners this week (explanation and criteria here):

Friday~ stir-fry for my men and me, the girls will have 'mustard dip' (bagels, cheese and veggies cut into small pieces, dip into a tiny bowl of mustard using toothpicks)

Saturday~ (one game and two practices, none interfere with dinner) homemade minestrone soup with homemade bread

Sunday~ (one early morning game) pork roast, yorkshire pudding, roasted carrots (the girls will have leftover soup)

Monday~ (6:30 game) chicken soup with homemade bread (I'll boil the chicken to make the broth, but not add the meat to the soup- I'll save it for a later meal)

Tuesday~ not sure yet- we've picked Tuesdays as our 'try a new recipe' day, so I'll have to take a look through my stack of clippings ;-)

Wednesday~ (7:00 game) potato and bean bake

Thursday~ fish cakes, roast potatoes, mixed frozen veg. (Shmoo eats fish, Gracie will eat the potatoes and veggies with a yogurt after dinner)

Day 50 or, plans for the rest of the week (and the weekend)

My brain is completely scattered. We have four very stressful issues we are dealing with right now, and have no idea when (or if) they will be resolved. I haven't been able to concentrate on anything this week, and we've accomplished very little school or house work. I'm planning Spring Term as well as making out a rough plan for next year (our local homeschool conference is coming up, so I need a rough idea of what we'll be doing).

I have to get my act together, so here's my plan:

1. print out notes, emails, and blog posts that I've saved to look over (I don't want to spend a lot of time on the computer, and I like to scribble notes as I read)

2. thoroughly clean the upstairs family room (so that I can concentrate) and stack my notebooks, plan books, calendar and teacher's manuals on the work table, ready for whatever spare time I can sit down and work

3. make a detailed list of what I need to do (I can't rely on my memory right now, and I am easily distracted on a good day)

4. make sure the cordless phones are charged so that I can use the 'intercom' feature when I need a refill of coffee (Hubby SO regrets getting them for me for Christmas- lol)

5. relax in front of a good movie with Hubby each evening so that I can forget the 'work' and calm my nerves

Wish me luck.

Day 49 or, My Symphony

To live content with small means;
to seek elegance rather than luxury, and refinement rather than fashion;
to be worthy, not respectable, and wealthy, not rich;
to study hard, think quietly, talk gently, act frankly;
to listen to stars and birds, to babes and sages, with open heart;
to bear all cheerfully, do all bravely, await occasions, hurry never.
In a word, to let the spiritual, unbidden and unconscious, grow up through the common.
This is to be my symphony.

by William Henry Channing

Day 48 or, the rest of winter term

I'll repost our plans for this term that I made back in January, adding notes (in red) as to what we're doing for the rest of term.

The Boy (grade 5) and Baby (grade 3):

math workbooks and drills 4x a week

living math books, hands-on math work, and explorations on Fridays

penmanship daily

phonics daily (The Boy)

reading practice daily

All of the above will continue, a little each day (little drops of water, little grains of sand...)

mainlessons:

Canadian geography~ reading S is for Spirit Bear(British Columbia) and sometimes adding additional reading depending on the topics each day

This has been the kids' favourite subject this year- I think it's the variety of topics we're covering that makes it so interesting. We'll continue, hoping to complete the BC book by the end of term so that we can move on to Alberta. If we keep up this pace, we can cover three provinces/ territories a year, four if we keep up during the summer.

Canadian studies~ reading about the native people of the Northwest coast, as well as some of their legends and tales

We've finished with this topic for the term, and will pick it up when we move on to a new province.

literature~ a fun morning read-aloud, a classic read-aloud for the afternoons, and learning about poetry parts and forms using R is for Rhyme (as well as reading selected poetry by all of the poets mentioned in the book)

Continuing.

natural history~ beginning a 'native moon' project (January is the Wolf Moon, so we'll study wolves, February is the Snow Moon), reading The Tough Winter, starting a nature calendar, and (of course) as many walks as we can manage. January we'll be taking an observation walk, looking for Squirrel activity (and nests), exploring in the woods, and cracking open some goldenrod galls (bugsicles, anyone?)

We'll be continuing our 'native moon' project (March is the Sap Moon), we're finished The Tough Winter and are now reading Bambi, we've ditched the nature calendar (we'll use it as out nature focus next year), and will be getting out for walks as often as possible.

science~ continuing our astronomy study (finishing up learning about the universe and our galaxy, then focusing on our own solar system)

This has been another favourite subject! We're still working on the universe, but we've decided to follow a different trail- our main text leaves off at the beginnings of the Earth, and leads into the next book in the series, so we'll follow along ;-)

religion~ reading Bible stories a few times a week, celebrating feast days (and reading about them, of course)

Continuing.

Gracie (grade 8):

math and drill daily, living math reading in free time

spelling twice a week

Greek and Latin roots twice a week

copywork twice a week

written narrations daily

Continuing the above, adding in grammar twice a week.

literature~ Oliver Twist, Hans Brinker, Shakespeare's Twelfth Night, shares poetry with the littles

She has finished Oliver Twist and has moved on the The Prince and the Pauper.

ancient history~ Augustus Caesar's World, The Story of Rome

Continuing.

Canadian studies~ Canada in North America to 1800, Native Tribes of Canada

Continuing.

science~ continuing with astronomy using Astronomy for Beginners, biographies of some of the scientists mentioned in the book

Continuing.

afternoon fun for everyone:

~nature walks and studies when the weather allows

~art on Mondays, leaving the supplies out for the rest of the week for free-time fun

~handwork projects to work on during read-alouds and while listening to audio books

~Lego lessons

~typing (starting with drilling the alphabet)

~home ec. (baking, learning new homemaking skills, prepping supper...)

~a movie and a giant bowl of popcorn on Fridays

Continuing all of the above and adding in a few things- board games, planning our spring garden, hot-chocolate-and-read time now that all of the kids can read on their own (more about this amazing breakthrough later!!).

Day 47 or, Week 7 of winter term

Our plans for this week are pretty much the same as last week, since Shmoo and The Boy were both sick. We did manage a lot of reading, but no mainlessons or table work.

this term's composer~ Chopin (we’ve stopped playing his music during table work, because The Boy finds it too distracting- and doesn’t like it much, either ;-)

fun read-aloud~ we’ve finished The Borrowers Afloat, and we have moved on to The Borrowers Aloft (we read the first two in this series last fall)

classic~ we’ll be finishing up Little House on the Prairie and starting Farmer Boy - we decided to continue Laura's story with On the Banks of Plum Creek

table work~ penmanship, phonics, math

continuing~ we’ll be working on cementing math facts and keeping the four operations straight. Shmoo wants to continue with some fun math we played with over the summer, and The Boy wants to work on some notebook pages in his math mainlesson book (I’ll post some things he’s working on when I get my pictures uploaded from my camera).

mainlessons

Canadian geography (S is for Spirit Bear- British Columbia):

I (the Iceman- Kwaday Dän Ts'inchi)~ read the relevant chapter from Bodies From The Ice: Melting Glaciers and the Recovery of the Past by James M. Deem

J (Jade, Steller’s Jay- provincial symbols)~ colour pictures and add to notebook with geological/ ornithological info

Plus:

For our Artist Study (E is for Emily Carr), we’ll read some more about her life and study a new painting this week. Gracie is reading Klee Wyck, Carr’s story of her time among the Northwest coast natives as a young woman.

We’ll be continuing to learn about the Overland Trail (G is for Gold Rush), reading Pay Dirt!: The Search for Gold in British Columbia by Laura Langston

science:

~ add narrations and illustrations from Born With a Bang to notebook

~ read books that flesh out topics touched on (this week- star formation and galaxies)

poetry (R is for Rhyme):

~ read C (Cinquin) and take ideas from lesson here (Wow, we’re slow with poetry this term! We’ve been picking away at it, but there is just so much to read and do, that it seems to be dragging on- but that’s okay, we’d rather take it slow and enjoy it.)

natural history:

native moon (snow)~ read from list of both fiction and non-fiction books (list later)

~ read a chapter or two of Bambi by Felix Salten

~ at least on nature walk to see what's happening on our favourite trail

~ we’ll try to catch snowflakes on a piece of felt to get a closer look

religion:

~ read two chapters from The Golden Children's Bible

other stuff

art:

~ this week we'll be doing a painting in the style of Emily Carr

handwork:

~ continuing with the crocheting and finger knitting, and doing a little sewing and knitting

French:

~ review and a new lesson (oral for the littles, Gracie is doing the reading and written assignments), work vocabulary into daily life.

home ec. and habits:

~ keep up our peaceful (and predictable) routine, reinforce our cleaning schedule

Day 46 or, plans for Family Day

This is the second year that February has been a statutory holiday here in Ontario. We had planned on a tobogganing outing, but that's difficult to do without snow ;-)

So, plans have changed.

In the morning we'll make a gingerbread house, and decorate it after lunch (one of the many activities that we couldn't squeeze in before Christmas). We'll go for a nature walk (it's always more fun with Daddy along), then come home for a game-and-hot chocolate afternoon (and eat the gingerbread house!).

Image from Martha Stewart.

For an early dinner, Daddy will be making his famous mini pizzas on English muffins (everyone can have their favourite toppings), then we'll head to the rink for the girls' last Power Skills session of the season (which means, of course, that Spring really is on it's way!).


Can't wait!

Day 45 or, Happy Valentine's Day!

On the menu:

Brunch: eggs, breakfast sausages, hashbrowns

Dinner: dunno- we'll pick at leftovers (little ones still aren't feeling well) with mini pies for dessert (strawberry-rhubarb and blueberry!)

Treats: I gave the three kids and Hubby each their very own package of Belgian chocolate ganache biscuits (drool...), and I have a box of truffles packed away for Hubby and I to share this evening with a bottle of wine.

Hubby came home last night with a tiny potted carnation (pink!). He seemed a little unsure if he had got it right, but I assured him that I love carnations- after all, they're my birthday flower.

Hubby: "I didn't know that. I just bought them because I thought they were beautiful- like you."

You bet, I kissed him all over his sweet face ;-)

Plans for this afternoon: game with the kids

Plans for this evening: after the kids are in bed, Hubby and I will watch a movie, eat our truffles, drink our wine, and I'll probably kiss him all over his sweet face some more.

Day 44 or, a meal menu

**Last year I was planning seasonal menus, but with a new year beginning we want to try out some new recipes and revisit old favourites. I'll be posting weekly meal menus here and cross-posting on our food blog. If you would like a recipe, let me know and I'll gladly post it!

notes: Gracie and Shmoo eat very little meat- they are what I call 'preferred vegetarians'- they would prefer to never eat meat, but I'm mean ;-). Shmoo is allergic to milk, so any reference to 'milk' means rice milk.

Dinners this week (explanation and criteria here):

Friday~ hot beef sandwiches with gravy (the girls will have bagels with cream cheese and cucumbers)

Saturday~ (Valentine's Day!) two practices and a game, but we're not sure who will be feeling well enough to play- Gracie's down for the count now, too. I think we'll have 'brunch' for supper, which is a favourite of everyone: soft-boiled eggs (or eggs-in-a-glass), hashbrowns, breakfast sausages, with two mini pies for dessert (strawberry-rhubarb and blueberry...yum!)

Sunday~ (6PM game) ham, dairy-free scalloped potatoes, brussel sprouts (the girls will have the veggies and lots of parmesan on their potatoes)

Monday~ (Family Day) Hubby will be home, so he can make his famous mini pizzas on English muffins

Tuesday~ ham and broccoli casserole (the girls eat this, but pick out the ham ;-)

Wednesday~ pork loin chops, risotto, frozen mixed veggies (the girls will have the veggies and lots of parmesan on their rice)

Thursday~ homemade fish cakes, oven-roasted potatoes, frozen mixed veggies (Shmoo eats fish cakes, but Gracie doesn't- she'll have the veggies and potatoes with a slice of cheese on the side)

Day 43 or, Canadian Geography lessons

The lessons aren't yet complete, but I don't want to wait forever to post them. Here is what we have done so far, and I'll update as we go along...

Main resource:
S is for Spirit Bear: A British Columbia Alphabet by G. Gregory Roberts


Lessons:

A is for Aboriginals

We had already planned to study the different native groups that live(d) in each province and territory, so this being the first page of the first book was… well... Serendipity!

On Mondays we focus all of our mainlesson time on geography, so we were able to continue our reading on this topic over the first five weeks or so, while still having time to move ahead in the book and discover and study new things.

Here is our booklist for this part of our study:

Daily life and history:
If You Lived with the Indians of the Northwest Coast, by Anne Kamma

Legends/ tales (picturebooks):
Frog Girl, written and illustrated by Paul Owen Lewis
Storm Boy, written and illustrated by Paul Owen Lewis
The Boy Who Lived with the Seals, by Rafe Martin
Supper for Crow: a Northwest Coast Indian tale, retold and illustrated by Pierr Morgan

Collections of legends/ tales for older children:
The Mouse Woman trilogy, by Christie Harris (also available as three separate stories)
Raven Steals the Light, by Bill Reid & Robert Bringhurst

Before I get into any specifics, I am assuming that you will be discussing/ narrating what you are reading, so I’ll only mention what particular mainlesson book assignments I gave my children.

Day 1:
Read the A page from S is for Spirit Bear: A British Columbia Alphabet, and discuss the illustration. The way the natives are dressed is much different from what we are already familiar with.

Look at the map at the beginning of If You Lived with the Indians of the Northwest Coast. Point out what are now the political boundaries of Canada and the U.S. Photocopy or draw the map and add it to your notebook.

Read pages 5-9, and look closely at the illustrations. Draw the outside and inside of a traditional Northwest Coast Indian house.

Day 2:
Read page 10 in If You Lived… and draw a tray of candlefish in your notebook.

Read one of the picture books from the list (or one of the legends for older children, depending on age).

Day 3:
Read pages 11- 13 in If You Lived… and draw some examples of the clothing worn by the Northwest Coast Indians.

Day 4:
Read pages 14- 19 in If You Lived… and draw some of the foods eaten by the Northwest Coast Indians, as well as how the food was preserved and prepared.

Day 5:
Read pages 20- 25 in If You Lived… and draw the four stages of making a canoe.

Day 6:
Read pages 26- 29 in If You Lived…

Read one of the picture books from the list (or one of the legends for older children, depending on age).

Day 7:
Read pages 30-35 in If You Lived…

Read one of the picture books from the list (or one of the legends for older children, depending on age).

Day 8:
Read pages 36- 37 in If You Lived…

Day 9:
Read pages 38- 40 in If You Lived…

Read one of the picture books from the list (or one of the legends for older children, depending on age).

Day 10:
Read pages 41- 44 in If You Lived… and draw your own totem pole.

Day 11:
Read pages 45- 53 in If You Lived… and make a diagram showing the life cycle of a salmon.

Day 12:
Read pages 54- 60 in If You Lived…


B is for Bat

booklist:
Bats by Gail Gibbons
Stellaluna by Janell Cannon
When I lived with Bats by Faith McNulty (reader)
Bats: Swift Shadows in the Twilight by Ann C. Cooper

Read:
Bats by Gail Gibbons and When I lived with Bats by Faith McNulty

Record:
Make a 4-square in notebook (similar to our animal studies from last winter), showing food, young, echolocation, and a diagram of a ‘wing’.

Fun:
Read Stellaluna.

Photocopy and assemble a three-dimensional bat cave and ‘flip book’ from Bats: Swift Shadows in the Twilight by Ann C. Cooper (and any other activities depending on time and interest).


C is for Capilano Bridge

Video here:
http://www.directadmedia.com/simonsees/capilano.html


D is for Dogwood Flower

Crayola page with all of the symbols and the flag of British Columbia:
http://www.crayola.com/free-coloring-pages/print/canadian-province-british-columbia-coloring-page/

Colour picture and add to notebook with botanical info from here:
http://www.for.gov.bc.ca/hfd/library/documents/treebook/pacificdogwood.htm

or here:
http://www.bcadventure.com/adventure/wilderness/forest/dogwood.htm


E is for Emily Carr

We will now add picture study to our Mondays, reading a bit of biographical info and looking at a different painting each week. We will continue until we are finished our study of BC.

Booklist:
Emily Carr: At the Edge of the World by Jo Ellen Bogart
Emily Carr: An Introduction to Her Life and Art by Anne Newlands
Klee Wyck by Emily Carr (story of her time among the Northwest coast natives as a young woman)

Week 1:
Read Emily Carr: At the Edge of the World. Look carefully at each of the paintings in the book and discuss what you see.

Following weeks:
Read a section of Emily Carr: An Introduction to Her Life and Art, and carefully study any paintings included. Leave book propped open to week’s page where it can be seen throughout the day.

Fun:
Try your hand at copying one of Carr’s paintings. We had great fun making self-portraits!

Older children will enjoy Klee Wyck, or Mom can read aloud while the children are painting.


F is for Ferryboats

Web page here:
http://www.bcferries.com/

Not much info for kids, but some pictures and other interesting tidbits if you poke around- this page especially:
http://www.bcferries.com/about/northern_expedition_tracker.html


G is for Gold Rush


H is for Harrison Hot Springs


I is for Iceman


J is for Jade and Stellar's Jay

Crayola page with all of the symbols and the flag of British Columbia:
http://www.crayola.com/free-coloring-pages/print/canadian-province-british-columbia-coloring-page/

K is for Killer Whales


L is for Lumberjack


M is for Mountains


N is for Steve Nash


O is for Ogopogo


P is for Giant Pacific Octopus


Q is for Queen Charlotte Islands


R is for Bill Reid


S is for Salmon


T is for Totem Poles


U is for Ursus Kermodei


V is for Victoria


W is for Whistler


X is for Terry Fox


Y is for Yoho National Park


Z is for Zeballos

Day 42 or, sick again...

The Boy came down with a virus on Monday that has been running rampant through the schools (and hockey teams ;-) for the past few weeks. High fever, chills, sweats, headache, joint pain, etc. Lovely.

He was feeling a little better yesterday, when what do you know? Shmoo complained of a headache. You know where this is going...

So, Shmoo is the Main Sickie today, and gets to pick what books I read and what DVDs we watch. She has chosen On the Banks of Plum Creek, The Borrowers Aloft, Schoolhouse in the Woods, Bambi, a stack of Valentine's books, and the first Narnia movie.

This has messed up our school plans, so I've answered my own question of whether or not we'll be taking next week off- we won't ;-) I'll spend any free time I have this week planning out the rest of our winter term, and make a trip to the library on the weekend to pick up a new stack of books.

Day 41 or, love can be a dangerous thing

Shmoo: "Mommy, you'll be the death of me."

Me: "Ummm... what exactly do you mean by that?"

Shmoo: "Like I love you to death. Doesn't it mean the same thing?"

Me: "Not quite..."