Reality Checkup

WEEKLY WRAP UP

We are getting used to the crazy weather and doing some Spring Cleaning. With one laptop still on the fritz it is a challenge to get work done on time.

We were able to attend a Homeschool Science Fair - but had to give up some school time to do it. We are having some late nights finishing school this week due to sports daily.

Rose and I went to the Physician Assistant Information Session at her college. She found that she has just a little to finish in coursework if she wants to apply for the Fall 2017 school year. Her biggest challenge is getting 900 patient contact hours by Spring 2016, then apply by July 2016 for classes starting the following year. There are 3 schools in our state she plans to apply to. If she doesn't get in any of those she has 2 in a neighboring city that she will apply, but the big issue is it's double the price of the in-state options.

Our last day of school will be May 15th, then we'll have Math daily when the kids aren't in camp or traveling.

Speed Racer, 6th grader

His work with Time4Learning.com is going well (Biology, Language Arts , US History and Language Extensions). He had do redo less quizzes this week and told me he actually finds this tool 'fun'.

Math, he's bumped up to doing Teaching Textbooks, Saxon daily. He is still struggling with Fractions, so now he and I are working through the Spectrum Fractions workbook together.

Writing since Time4Writing ended, I purchased a Spectrum 6 grade writing workbook that we are working through now.

Vocabulary (Wordsmart), Language Practice (IXL), Reading Speed Reading Comprehension Workbook (Spectrum books), Spelling (Sequential Spelling and Spelling You See)

Technology he's doing Underground RailRoad (Minecraft Homeschool) which he loves the 'build' parts and I love the quiz sections, Mod Design (Youth Digital) which he is almost finished with.

Sports daily (2hours each day O_o ), but Lacrosse is picking up and taking over Dance and Martial Arts days.

Tiger Lilly, blended 9th grader
Had to drop the Sociology Dual Enrollment Course. Tiger Lilly took the mid term and was rather unprepared for the depth and rigor of the exam. After she returned, we noted that although she'd done well on the quizzes, her study method for the mid-term wasn't very effective. She emailed her teacher and we calculated what she would have to do to pull a 'B' or better out of the class and realized it was too much for her at this time. So we withdrew her from the course.

However, she is on course with her other Dual Enrolled courses at the Community College in Interpersonal Communication and Art Appreciation.

We had to move her files to my husband's laptop so she could do her homework in Web Design with Currclick.com or Python (with Landry Academy). Her Digipen-Animation with 3D Maya class she says is getting a little dull since this teacher doesn't do much to get the class involved. I notified the school of her dissappointment in this facet of the course. She emailed YouthDigital.com to ask how to move her files from her broken computer to her father's for her Blender Animation class.

The Psychology class with Currclick on Monday is coming to an end early next month. And study US History to 1877 using Instantcert cards.

We are moving her to Teaching Textbooks Pre-Calc since we have to return the Abeka DVDs. She is building up Algebra skills with CLEP Professor and IXL.  This is all to prepare her for the College Math Placement test (Accuplacer) required by the Community College. We hope to get her 'tested' into Pre-Calc.

Her independent stufy on One Year Adventure Novel (she is determined to write her book this year) is now in her book writing phase. She finished the Chemistry course with Education-Portal.

Although she does PE (Martial Arts, Dance) we'd like to add more.

WORKING PARENT's LOG

Meals. Monday, we got Chinese food. However, I was able to thaw out the pre-seasoned Salmon, Chicken and beef I had in the freezer for the rest of the week.

Cleaning. We've got the house clean - exception is the basement where the kids used to do school full time. Since I put a media center in the Dining Room, they don't want to do school downstairs and left their school area a wreck. So this weekend I plan to 'close' the basement school area for the school  year and let them work upstairs - provided they clean up their desk daily.

Work & Life Balance. This week was much better than the last - with the exception that I'm working extra hours to be off on Monday. So it's making our school days longer.

Lesson Planning. I finished it on Monday and it only takes 2 hours since the kids have less work than the regular year.

Rest. Only was able to sleep 5 hours on Mon and Tue. After I walked Hubby through our new routine, he jumped in and I was able to get 7 hours sleep a night (partially  because I have insomnia and wake up every few hours).

Marriage Check Up. We got no alone time this week. This week we just supported each other, talked on the phone a few times and sent romantic text to each other. I think we were actually alone 2 times in the car when we had to drop the kids off at Martial Arts and Dance.