So I tried to post something last week, and somehow managed to disable the internet access from my computer (ha - go ahead and laugh - I can be such a dunce...) took the majority of the day (and my husband coming home at the end of his workday to point out a fairly simple solution to my problem... yeah, I was feeling pretty dumb when he showed me the problem - but if I can't laugh at my mistakes, we have problems, because I tend to make at least my fair share, if not a bit in excess!!!!)
So I look back over the past couple of weeks and wonder where the time has gone? We've been sooo busy with day to day stuff... the stuff that you can't really *see* at the end of the day or week... and yet if it wasn't done, it would be painfully obvious, right? So we've been working on school (6 grades takes a good bit of the day to accomplish everything that everyone needs to get done - at least according to my lesson book... and I made the lesson book and filled in all the pages myself, so it's not a curriculum specific thing, lol - we just go through a lot of school stuff, but it's all good - the kids are learning, and for the most part they enjoy their studies (though there are a couple of the kids who really dislike math... or science - actually the science is fun, it's writing up the experiments and what not, and writing out the answers to all of the end of chapter questions... it's not *required*, per se, but I require it anyway, because I think it's good for them to do! *wink* As mom and teacher, I get to make those calls, and like it or not, it has to get done for them to get credit for the day's work!
So we needed some incentive... a few of the kids do great about focusing on school, getting in there and doing it, having fun, and ready to run off and play when their work is completed... that's so fun! However, there are a few who make me feel like a dentist at times, doing deep root surgery or even just pulling teeth to get it accomplished... so I put together an incentive chart - each day, each of my 6 school age kiddos (and the toddler little dude who likes to color "for school") can earn a star for good behavior and doing well with their work. If they don't earn their star, they get a line through that day instead. At the end of the week, those with 5 stars get a treat or a reward for a job well done! This has made it fun and extra rewarding for my extra cooperative kiddos, and has given some incentive for those less enthusiastic about schooling... the treats are simple - a sheet of stickers, a small baggie of jelly beans or gummy bears (I get the Surf Sweets brand or the Yummy Earth brand from amazon - no corn syrup, artificial dyes or flavors... no food reactions - yeah! and everybody likes them, so it's a win-win! Well, they are a little bit spendy, but it's a reward for once a week, so one box of treats will last us at least a month... so it's all good :)
Anyway, we've been keeping busy with school, cleaning house - I tackled the upstairs closet, the laundry room, kitchen cupboards, and the schoolroom... the school closet (with all of our curriculum and educational extras) took a full day... but I love how it's organized now!!!
The barn is clean, the chicken coop is clean, the garden has a very thick new layer of animal "organic material" added to it from the barn and chicken coop...
and that's about it.
We really haven't accomplished much that you can really *see* - and yet we've been sooooo busy! What's up with that??? Well, I guess that's just life... and I'm ok with that! One of the great things about being mom is that we don't have to have the recognition for daily tasks that seemed so important working outside of the home... Don't get me wrong, my husband notices and comments - which is very nice and encouraging! However, it doesn't go further than that. and I don't need it to! It's just nice knowing we're on top of school, doing well, kids learning and progressing well with their studies, and the house is, for the most part, clean. We have daily messes, and they have to be cleaned daily or it looks like it hasn't been done in months... but then there are ten bodies in our home making those messes, so I guess that's to be expected, right? So long as we start the day with a clean house and end the day with a clean house, I'm happy! (though I admit to having interrupted the school day about half way through for a quick clean up - if the mess is enough to drive me batty or to distraction... and that may or may not be the rule or the exception... but if you ask my kids, they will say that our vaccum cleaner does work overtime most days!
We're also working on some character training... it's amazing, isn't it, how feeling cabin feverish can bring out the ugly in us, isn't it? We had a couple of weeks with sub-zero temps, and very very cold, but above zero temps (10 to 18 degrees for a couple of weeks, with strong winds which made it feel even colder!) so we haven't had a lot of outside time... and patience has been running short amongst the kids (and yeah, sometimes me). We are looking forward to warmer temperatures that make outside time more of a frequent reality!
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