Monday, January 21, 2013

Homeschool Mother's Weekly Wrap-Up Journal

In My Life This Week ...
Our house is definitely starting to look like a house ... so much progress this week. I haven't updated the photos on my blog yet but here's a sneak peek of an older photo not yet posted. Click on the following link so you can check out my first post about the construction and progress of our house.

We chose and bought five major appliances for the kitchen this week. We picked them out months ago, but we made the final selections and purchases during the "Family and Friends" sale. Our sales person worked wonders for us and we managed to get 40% off sale prices. That's a blessing in itself!

I have been addicted to Pinterest lately. You would think that I would be pinning homeschool and education items as much as I love teaching, but since we are building the house ... my focus has shifted a bit and I have been searching for organization, homeschool room suggestions, and house projects. If you have any great pins please leave a comment with your Pinterest url and I will come check out what you pinned. Thanks a bunch! Wanna check out my Pinterest boards?

In Our Homeschool This Week ...
We are working through our bat unit using Apologia's Zoology 1: Flying Creatures of the Fifth Day. We have completed a variety of hands-on bat activities. Here are links to just a few of my posts so far including the Echolocation Song and Bat Anatomy. I hope you have time to check them out! I have another post in the works and can't wait to share it with you all this week!

We received two new Schoolhouse Review Crew products this week. We started using Song School Spanish on Tuesday and mid-week we had access to A+ Tutorsoft Interactive First Grade Math Online. My daughter already completed seven lessons in three days. Mark your calendars as a reminder to check my blog at the end of February for my curriculum reviews. I also can't wait because later this week we will begin reviewing another AWESOME math resource. I am so excited about it but you'll have to come back to find out what I'll be reviewing.

Helpful Homeschool Tips or Advice To Share ... 
This is a tip for myself and all other late night owls ... TRY to get some rest. Lately, I feel like I am always tired. It is important to be well rested for the next day. Lack of sleep will have an impact on your attitude and how you tackle problems each day.

Places We're Going or People We're Seeing ...
We went out to the house on Wednesday to show our real estate agent and friend (Valerie) the progress. We saw several of our library friends and the Clinger family. Alyssa enjoyed having a spontaneous playdate with the girls. I enjoyed having some adult conversation which I am desperately lacking these days. Being so far away from my friends has been very difficult the last couple months. We used our Christmas gift cards from my mom and ate a delicious dinner at Olive Garden. Thank you so so much mom - we really appreciated them! My daughter and husband had loads of fun playing laser tag at a birthday party while I stayed home working. I am trying to blog more often and declutter the apartment. I really don't want to move the clutter into the new house. I would like for everything to be more organized so I started several new organization projects.

My Favorite Thing This Week Was ...
Cuddling on the coach reading aloud classic books to my daughter.

Alyssa's Favorite Thing This Week ... 
My daughter found her bear counters this week in a big box full of math manipulatives. The box has been lost for months. She played with the weighted scale and colorful bears for hours one day. I guess she missed them! She asked for them several times on several different occasions wanting time to play with them. I enjoyed watching her explore the manipulatives. She made up addition and multiplication problems, weighed the different-sized bears, created patterns, and told stories.

Things I'm Working On ...
My one word for the year is CHANGE so I am working on several different projects that will help me accomplish this goal. I am trying to spend more time with God. I am working hard at memorizing scripture verses with my family. We are journaling about the many blessings we've received. I am also participating in my first online Bible study. This week my focus has definitely been on building a closer relationship with our Heavenly Father.

I'm Cooking ... 
I made pumpkin pancakes for Alyssa's breakfast and Taco Soup for lunch one day this week. We ate the leftovers for dinner the next day! I think it was better the next day when the spices had time to sit a bit. Click on the link for the Taco Soup Recipe from All Recipes. We are not onion fans so I eliminated the onion, used more taco seasoning, replaced chili beans with pinto beans, added another can of green chili peppers, and added more water over time. We also added one spoonful of sour cream, Colby cheddar cheese, fresh cilantro, and Fritos to our bowls. It was delicious!!! It tasted like chili! This recipe would be great with homemade cornbread.

I Am Grateful For ... 
I am thankful for nice weather which makes it easier to get further along with the construction of our home. I am grateful for how hard my hubby works to support our family (and know that without God's help nothing would be possible). I am grateful that he is dedicated to his family and willing to do whatever it takes to provide for us and our needs. I am extremely thankful for migraine relief. Shortly after the move, I noticed that my migraines were more frequent and more painful. Last week I had one of the worst migraines ever ... I am grateful for God's mercy and migraine relief this week! I pray that I will not have to suffer from another migraine anytime soon.

I'm Praying for ...
I feel a strong desire to pray for my nieces and nephews living in New York. They live so far away from me. I wish I could be closer to them and see them more often. I have missed out on so much! They are all growing up so fast. I wish I could be part of their lives. I pray for their safety, comfort, and health. I hope that they know that I always think about them.

I Have My Eye On ... 
We have been eyeing a mini iPad for our family. I also have my eye on several educational apps that I would download immediately for homeschool use.

Photo, Video, Link, or Quote ...
My husband took a photograph of the sky while working on the roof at our house.

My Scripture in a Snapshot


Then God said, "Let there be an expanse between the waters, separating water from water." So God made the expanse and separated the water under the expanse from the water above the expanse. And it was so. God called the expanse "sky." Evening came, and then morning; the second day. 
(Genesis 1:6-8 HCSB)

I will link up this post at iHomeschool Network's Homeschool Mother's JournalWeekly Wrap-Up, and Scripture and a Snapshot at A glimpse of Our Life.

Scripture and Snapshot

Thank you for visiting!!! Come back soon!
God bless,
Tracey

1 comment:

  1. That looks like a wonderful week. I remember the excitement of watching our house take shape.

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