Add to the joy!

The vans power steering went out yesterday. It isn't safe to drive right now. I CAN, but only if it's a straight drive with very few turns and no off ramps. It's awful! So I am stranded in the country with two kids, a dog and a cat. At least we can concentrate on home education and start preparing to sell stuff on ebay. I can't sell my teacher edition books there anymore though so that is going to HURT!

On top of that, the dryer finally died. I have to check the breaker box, but I have a feeling that isn't going to help. The dishwasher finally broke all the way too. It started pouring water and soap on teh floor so I have to hand wash ALL the dishes. yea.

Tomorrow Mendel has a dentist appointment in Hixson and I am still trying to figure out what I am going to do to get us there. Scotty? Hello? Beam us over! No? Darn! Blasted transporter broke to... and it's about tuh blow! Does anyone read this blog?

Anyway, this week we are learning about garbage in science. We're making a compost heap too! That should be oodles of fun! The boys built a boat called sea crawler and I sewed a flag for them to raise. They are pleased they have the right ballast and it didn't flip over. They had to FORCE it to flip over. *sigh* boys.

I am going to go for now and will post more later.

Just Lovely

My dryer is dying a slow death. I am waiting for the clothes to DRY b/c we need them tomorrow and they are not drying. This just freaking stinks. Now I need to save up for clothes line or racks and actually keep up with laundry on a daily basis *sighs* Will it never en... Never mind. Don't answer that!

SO MOM!

When you gonna get your own blog? I know you read this! MWAHAHAHA!

AND I tried to email you and it came back. Did you change your email address?

Well, we are pre-registered for next homeschool year, 2006-2007. I have it starting June 21, summer solstice some years. And then I have the terms set up for Summer, Winter, Spring and Fall. July will be our Transition month if nothing happens before then. It'll be our "summer break" but we don't really break.

We're using Ambleside Online this year. I had to modify it some. I am starting both boys on year 1. Their years are definitely NOT grade levels. Miles will probably zoom ahead but I am fine with either of them doing that. I actually feel like we've accomplished a lot this week using it.

We got our Math-U-See manipulatives in yesterday. They are helping more than I thought. They are great! Miles is really getting the concepts now. And Mendel is having a blast with them. I really am glad I sprang for it and got them.

We're going to McKay's Used Book Store tomorrow and to Verizon to fix my phone. I'll post more then.

Homeschool Tracker Plus

I have been using homeschool tracker for a couple of years and finally
ordered the plus version. Now I wish I had it YEARS ago! I already have
all their assignments set up for the rest of the year. I set up terms by
seasons. Spring term is literally SPRING (March 22-June 21) or at least
close enough. We have a Summer term but since we homeschool year round it
will be used too. It has a lot of things like schedules, that I can use
and I have been playing around with it ever since. Now instead of adding
the assignments ONE-ASSIGNMENT-AT-A-TIME, I can add them to my weekly
plan, hit submit and I added them for ALL YEAR! I am free! Oh I love it!

I am going to use Charolette Mason's style of homeschooling to an extent.
I found a science and History curriculum that I am going to use along with
it. Next up in Science is Plate Tetonics! I ordered the next two sets of
Math-U-See for Miles and a starter set of blocks. The lego's work for only
so much, they confuse them with other things. But I think it will be a
great start.

I found the Angel Food Ministries in this area and have a contact. I am
planning on buying 2 regualr boxes and 1 special each month. If it's a
VERY tight month, I'll order 4 boxes and have dinners for a month. Then I
only have to worry about breakfast, lunch and snacks.

We've had a week off because of sicknesses. Monday I am going to pick up
Miles' glasses and do some light shopping. I have the house cleaning
planned out (in Homeschool Tracker) and I have a basic weekly plan all
laid out in the scheduler and Events manager. It's great!

I need to get to bed now. Will post more later.

Dotchi
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I'm not talking to myself, I'm having a Parent-Teacher Conference.