August 16th - August 28th Notes

Sunday morning we had a simple breakfast before home church. Today we discussed Alma chapters 53-63, then watched a cute stop motion animation with Legos that went over those chapters. Lunch was bacon and pancakes. In the afternoon we video chatted with Makayla. Then we meal planned as a family, with all the kids choosing a dinner or treat to help cook this week. Dinner tonight was Oliver's project. He made a recipe from our most recent Raddish Kids box - Pizza Pockets. They were yummy! In the evening we had a family movie. 

Monday morning I was out the door just after 6am to grocery shop, not having done that on Saturday because we were taking Makayla to college. Two stores later I had nearly everything on my list, and I scored a good deal on ground beef. By the time I returned home my husband had kids up, fed, and moving around doing their morning tasks. I sat at the table and taught 7 math lessons, one after another. Any kids waiting for their lesson turn worked on other tasks (independent reading, chores, etc). At 10am I pulled the 7th grade and under kids in for science. Today we read about two famous waterfalls, read a few questions and answers from our Q&A book, and did a lesson on different bodies of water. After exploring what identified different water features the kids all pulled out playdough and construction paper and built bodies of water as I called them out. Rebekah and Tobias loved participating in this part of the lesson. We also read about the Alaskan Gold Rush and the Yukon River mapping project that resulted, discussed why it was important, and why even today it has to be rechecked and adjusted each year (tides, currents, erosion, storms, and so on and their affect on the mouth of the Yukon River floor and sandbars). After this group, I went over Chemistry with Joseph and Emma. The rest of the day was spent cooking, playing, crafting, drawing, and enjoying family time. 

Tuesday was a simple homeschool day. We followed our routines and everything was done by lunch. In science for the elementary/middle school kids we studied the effects of weathering and erosion. In the early afternoon Emma and Mason made soft pretzels with another Raddish Kids recipe. They were easy and delicious! Joseph cooked dinner - chicken tacos. He cooked chicken in the Instant Pot, rice in the rice cooker, then prepped things like chopping lettuce, plucking grapes, etc. A few people decided to add Caesar dressing for a repeat of our Chicken Caesar Wraps from an earlier Raddish Kids box. 

In the evening I started printing a new piano course - Broadway in a Breeze. We have been without piano lessons for a good while now, as our teacher needed to stop before COVID even began. Joseph and Daniel have stayed diligent at continuing to learn piano. One program we were introduced to during piano lessons was Hymns in a Hurry. The musical notation he uses makes it easy to begin playing songs with chords within a day, and it's been something we enjoy. Dr. Kelly has released several other piano programs in the same notation, from Primary Songs in a Hurry and Pop Songs in a Hurry, to the newest release, Broadway in a Breeze. This one has several songs from The Greatest Showman, among other things. Joseph and I have both been playing them.

Wednesday we started with language arts lessons, then math, reading, and history. Today's topic in history was the Phoenicians, including their shipbuilding, purple dye, and trade. We also read another chapter in Slave Boy in Judea. The kids are enjoying the story, and so am I. 

In the early afternoon we headed outside to enjoy a buggy but not as hot day for an hour. Then we came in and the kids wanted to watch The Greatest Showman, after hearing Joseph playing some of the music. Emma took a break from watching the movie to mix up a meatloaf, put it in the oven, and toss some potatoes in the Instant Pot for dinner. It was the recipe she chose to make this week, and her first attempt at meatloaf - which she found to be a disgusting mixing process.

Thursday morning kids alternated between regular homeschool work and observing the construction of a wheelchair ramp on the front of the house for Mason. I am sure you can guess which lessons will be more memorable 5 years from now! A husband and wife team did the construction, working steadily all day. Grandma came to visit for a bit before dinner, and then after dinner we changed out the toys that are available downstairs. 

Friday the construction continued, as did the homeschooling. One thing I love about homeschooling is there is no hurry. We can do our work steadily through the morning, or take breaks after every single subject and spread things out through the whole day. Even better, my kids can each do what works best for them. I have one child who asked not to be woken up at 7am. They are fine with getting a later start with their work and doing things later than the other kids. I have another who is often doing their first subject by 7:30am. This evening we also did meal planning. While last week kids chose meals and helped cook pretty much every dinner, this week I chose new meals and will just call on helpers as needed. We're trying some new meals, and sticking with some old favorites too. 

Saturday we got back to our regular grocery shopping day. We also started pulling bins of clothing from the attic, going through what we have, and seeing what may need bought as the seasons change. We made it through four kids: Rebekah, Oliver, Daniel, Emma. 

Sunday our morning started with church at home. For our lesson, we did an activity the related to one of the verses from our Book of Mormon scripture study this week, Helaman 5:12:

"And now, my sons, remember, remember that it is upon the ^arock of our Redeemer, who is Christ, the Son of God, that ye must build your ^bfoundation; that when the devil shall send forth his mighty winds, yea, his shafts in the whirlwind, yea, when all his hail and his mighty ^cstorm shall beat upon you, it shall have no power over you to drag you down to the gulf of misery and endless wo, because of the rock upon which ye are built, which is a sure foundation, a foundation whereon if men build they cannot fall."

We had a box of Duplos and a box of cards and kids divided into two groups. Half built a house with the blocks, half built with cards - or tried to. We discovered it took very little wind or movement to cause the card houses to come tumbling down. After the first round, teams switched building materials. We had some good discussion about foundations, buildings, and the storms of life. We sang a fun Primary song with hand motions with the little kids about the Wise Man and the Foolish Man, which comes from Matthew 7:24-27 in the Bible. 

Dinner tonight was new, and a hit. We made cheeseburger sliders with this recipe. It was delicious. The only thing we did differently is use a vegan mayo, because of Joseph's egg allergy. We also video chatted with Makayla, which we do pretty much every day or two. She starts classes on Monday and will have a full course load (19 credits), be a TA (teacher's assistant), and is excited for it all. 

Monday morning was full of math lessons. Samuel was working with yards, feet, and inches, going through the house measuring things and people. Mason learned to multiply by 4. Caleb learned to divide by 3s and 5s. Oliver worked with decimals. Daniel was factoring equations. Emma and Joseph were working with angles and drawing angles in geometry. 

Our construction crew returned to pour concrete, which was very entertaining for the kids. We are getting closer to a completed wheelchair ramp. 

Tuesday is one of Daddy's long days at work. Okay, so all of them are long. (3:30am-6:30pm or later) The homeschool morning kicked off on a bit of a slower start, with kids not rolling out of bed until 7am or later. Everyone ate breakfast, did morning chores, and got to work. Mid-morning our construction crew returned to remove wood molds from the concrete and attach the small metal ramp we need on the enclosed porch to our door. 

In meal planning last weekend, I was kind to myself. Tuesday always seems like an extra long day, being the first day of the week Daddy is back to work. I planned super simple meals. Lunch was sandwiches or leftovers. Dinner was pita pizzas - which are easy. I toss a bunch of pitas on big baking sheets and kids come add their own toppings. A few minutes in the oven and dinner is ready. 

Several of the boys have been creating characters for their Hero Kids game. They draw the characters, create their information card with abilities, defenses, etc, and make a paper figure for the game board. It is interesting to see their creations.

Wednesday morning I was happily surprised to hear Caleb cheering when he realized it was a history day. We do science Mon/Tues and history Wed/Thur/Fri. He was excited to hear the next chapter in our read aloud to find out what would happen next with Madoc the slave boy. It was a great chapter and the kids are fully invested in what is happening. They are also finding it interesting to see what civilizations were in power during different events in biblical history, as we cross over some of that with Mesopotamia, Assyria, and Babylon. 

The morning sped away helping kids with various lessons, as usual. I pretty much don't look up from helping until lunch time. Today our house smelled wonderfully because of my older kids. I love having older kids, because they bake! My 15yo son made four loaves of banana bread. The 14yo daughter, who loves all things Lord of the Rings, made a double batch of Lembas bread. The 12yo was dinner chef, and made cinnamon rolls from scratch.

Thursday breakfast was leftover cinnamon rolls and banana bread. School happened slow and steady through the morning. We have been slowly listening to Harry Potter and the Prisoner of Azkaban over lunch and we are close to the end of the book. Mason is discovering it all for the first time, and it has been so fun to watch as the story unfolds. Our afternoon had a quick library pick up and then some robot drawing using Ralph Masiello's Robot Drawing Book as inspiration. Dinner was a new recipe - orange chicken and rice. I breaded and fried chunks of chicken breast in oil, made an orange sauce, and used my handy rice cooker to make 8 cups of rice. Dinner was delicious! 

Friday dawned cloudy but kids were cheerful. We read another chapter in Slave Boy in Judea for history and the kids gathered around the table to notebook about some of the history topics we've studied recently. Today kids wrote/illustrated about the Neo-Babylonian empire, the wall of Babylon, the Ishtar gate, the hanging gardens, King Nebuchadnezzar II's rule, the destruction of Jerusalem, the temple of Solomon, and the captivity of the Hebrews, among other things. 

It is almost lunch time, so I'm going to hit publish and go enjoy our Friday.