Home School Adventures

As we begin to zero in on the final months of school, I am constantly amazed at what I have learned in this Home School Adventure.

Just this morning I thought of a better way to keep the kids organized in their week, yep it took almost 2 years but I did it. This is one of the things I have taken away from having worked within an Elementary School for 2+ years. File Folders!!  Yep back to some basics.

I had been at Wal-Mart a few months ago and they were clearancing out some file folders, cute ones too with school themes, not missing much when it comes to a clearance, I snagged a few. This morning it dawned on me while I was typing up their schedule for the week that if they had a folder to keep it in maybe it would not get lost throughout the week. Brillant, I know!

 Pretty cute, aren't they!?

Then I stapled the monthly goal sheet I made them, on to one side of the folder and then put monthly writing prompts on the other side.

Here is the inside of my son's folder. I finally broke the monthly goals into weekly goals for both of the kids to help with keeping them on track for the whole month. We will see how that works for us all.

The writing prompts I found online and I might have even paid for them, who can remember, but he has finished his composition for the year and I want him to keep writing.

Here is the schedule I created for them both. This actually came about because I could not get the online program to print it correctly. I also do not like the kids having to review on a Thursday or Friday and not assess until Monday. I did my sons in blue and my daughters is in purple.

I slipped this into the folder and they can cross off what they have finished and then in the afternoon when I take my 'office time' with them we can go over what was accomplished and what still needs more work.

I am available to help throughout their school day but during 'office time' I take a one-on-one 'conference' to check for assessments, grading (if necessary), attendance. This gives them the chance to ask scheduling questions as well or make adjustments. When they tell me they think they are finished, I remind them to double check before I look. We have been doing this for awhile but I am hoping with the file folder it will help even better.

Saturday Morning

Well it is Saturday Morning and I am thinking about what I would like to get accomplished today. I would like to get some work done in the garage and the office/classroom needs to be cleaned. I picked up some more storage totes at Costco the other day so that may help.

The garage is in serious disorder. There is just way too much 'stuff'. We know we will be moving at some point in the near future and my thought is if the garage is in order those items can just be packed to move easy. Don't laugh it could happen.

I really need to spend some time purging out the old stuff and getting rid of things but it is so hard to do at times. DH says I need to just pick one hobby and go with it, how can I pick just one thing when there are many different things I enjoy doing?! Granted there is A LOT of craft 'stuff' in the garage. There is sewing, beads, yarn, cross stitch and the list probably goes on. I am having trouble focusing on the cross stitch...I am picking large projects instead of small ones. My eyes are getting old as well.

The boxes of Christmas Decorations are still sitting in the dining room and need to be in the garage. There are many empty boxes in the garage right now that I am hoping we can use to pack up either donations for the thrift stores or garbage for a dump run. Regardless, the garage needs to get straightened out.

Tomorrow is SuperBowl Sunday and we have no desire to watch the game or the commercials. We would rather just spend some time together. I have noticed that for us the SuperBowl in the past usually meant friends either visiting us or we were visiting them but with some of the changes which have taken place in our life for the last 2 years, that connection is lost. It is really hard for us to go other places, DH anxiety levels start to skyrocket. There are so many unfamiliar things around him, it is so hard to relax and try to enjoy ourselves. Having people over can be just as hard if not harder at times.

I hate Saturdays and have for the last 7 1/2 months. I think there are times when I would just as soon stay in bed all day as to get up or leave the house. I have a picture of Debbie with my kids & her son over my desk and this morning it just struck me how she will never be physically here again. I hate moments like this. I hate the sadness and tears. I don't cry for her, I cry for myself and the kids. Then I get pissed a drunk driver took away someone so precious without any regard for the lives of those around him including his own children. While it would not help matters or change anything, why plead 'not guilty' when the BAC was .2975 in the field? Why can't he Man Up, plead guilty and tell my mom and brother-in-law how remorseful he feels and will feel for the rest of his life?

Well we have gone too far into the dark subject for one morning. Sorry for the rambling but I guess I needed to get things off my chest.