Friday, February 06, 2015

Just Back Away Slowly (7qt)

1)
A picture you haven't seen


Sweet Cecilia spent the last two days on that sofa.  Poor sick sweetie. Nothing too serious, but still.  Mamas don't like it when their babies are not feeling their best.  Can you see her little cheek poking out from the mountain of blanket?  Totally zonked.  The cutie.

2)
Around the interwebz

-This video refuses to stop being funny.  WARNING: lyrics not safe for kids (nsfk if you will).  But super worth it.  Super duper worth it.



-It's a couple of weeks old, but having Cecilia cozied up in her nest this week has reminded me to recommend this post about caring for small sickies.

3)
Homeschool Trickery
The All Subject Single Project / Playing Dumb Method

Sometimes you want to be the fun mom and do some kind of project but it makes you a little itchy because you feel compelled to cover all the "real subjects" too while still also making time to eat and put little ones down for naps and perhaps even take a potty break (for yourself) before starting dinner.

Enter the All Subject Single Project: Elementary Edition.

Reading, writing, art, fine motor skills, geography, history, math.  Okay fine, we're missing science.  But  seven out of eight is not too shabby.

READ the questions and instructions
WRITE the answers
COLOR the maps
CUT OUT the pieces
IDENTIFY places on the globe
DISCUSS a single random historical fact whilst looking at the globe
MEASURE the distance from one place to another

This system can work with any old workbook or printable(s) you find.  For us it was Paul's map skills workbook and the main project was laminating these continent names and shapes and then playing a matching game with them, but on the outer edges we did all of those other things.

The playing dumb comes in when your kid is looking at the globe (or whatever they're into) and you say something like "And which country was it that has the __________ river?  I can't seem to remember...." and then they school you and feel quite fancy.  The key here, at least for my big boy, is to ask questions that I know he knows the answers to because he thrives on success and it gives him the energy and encouragement to continue with the project.


4)
On the Table

Friday - salmon + steamed veggies + rice
Saturday - ?
Sunday -  ?
(I absolutely forgot to write down what I made for two days in a row.  So much for looking like I have it all together)
Monday - spaghetti with ground beef sauce
Tuesday - creamy chicken soup + rolls
Wednesday - ginger and garlic pork stir fry + rice
Thursday- Slow cooker pork carnitas + tortillas + refried beans

5)
En La Casa

I think while we working to decide if we'll be able to hire out any of the work on the kitchen (we've taken a kitchen down to the studs on our own before and boy, that is hard to do with a house full of kids and even harder when one of you is out of the house for 10 hours per day) Imma go ahead and get started on this living room.

portrait of a snow day
The trim will be made white and the walls will be made not white.  The floors are gorgeous, as is the brick on the fireplace (which you can see in that super artsy mirror reflection.  Probably I need an award for that.) so overall this room is going to be easy.  A lot of paint followed by some more wall goodness.  It's just....a lot of easy.  Many walls.   Lots of trim.

Aw, you can see the kitchen of horror through the doorway there.  Can you see how matching the hardwood and carrying it through would be fab-u-lous?

6)
Sweet dealz
This is not something you can buy, but Grace is giving away three (3) sofas.  THREE.  SOFAS.

Whoa.

7)
Talkin'

Cecilia: I just love that bread you make.  I wish I could be tiny.  So tiny that I could wrap my arms around the bread and say "I love you, bread!"

Me: ....wow...

Cecilia:  .....And I would rest my little cheek on it, just like this.

ooooookay.  just back away slowly.
 
http://thisaintthelyceum.org/sqt-always-friday-dont-dare-forget/

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10 comments :

  1. Ummm. Your Cecelia sounds very much like my Veronica. We should get them together. All I gotta do is bend space and maybe even time.

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  2. Who knew playing dumb could be such an effective homeschooling strategy? I've been doing it ALL the time lately with my lazy little math fiend... "Mom? What's 5+8?" "Ohhh... Ummm... Well... 5+1 is 6, right? So..." "Oh! 13!!!!!"

    Rinse. Repeat.

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  3. So I think I love just about everything that Miss Cecelia says!
    Also...I thought your mirror was a painting, and then I felt dumb when I looked at it again because of COURSE it's a mirror, why would a painting have a person cropped like that? Then I looked at it again and decided it COULD have been because ART, MAN. And that's quite enough rambling from me!

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  4. the video! Totally sitting here at 11:13pm laughing hysterically with my husband.

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  5. I vote for a closely-matching hardwood-look floor rather than hardwood itself. I have regretted using hardwood twice now, too much wear too fast.

    ReplyDelete
    Replies
    1. Laminate truly sucks though. So maybe one of these options:
      1.) invest in the highest quality finish. My sisters floors look like new after two years of a terrorist-in-training four-year-old riding scooters/giant dog running around. I mentioned that and she said for an extra $50/can, they got a super high quality finish, which their contractor said most people won't pop for, but which extends the life of the finish by years.
      2.) Runners/rugs in the most high traffic places. Rubber-backed ones won't skid around when kids run. A gel chef's mat in front of areas with a lot of standing (sink, stove, favorite chopping spot) equal extra comfort and a lot less wear and tear in the key spots.
      3.) Getting wood-like tile, which is wipeable. This is great for the basement, with the floor risk. Not sure how many people would like this in the kitchen, even though it looks surprisingly great. I thought my parents were nuts for putting it in the basement, but it ended up being fantastic.

      And may I just say how unreasonably excited I am for Dwija's reveals? Now that we've sold our fixer-upper, and our renting a house that's about a 7 out of 10 for us, I am getting a lot of vicarious enjoyment out of other people's projects.

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    2. *Gah: our, not are in the last paragraph. TLDR anyway.

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    3. I totally did read it! Every word. Don't you worry 'bout that.

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  6. That video is hilarious. The crow with the cigarette and the pelican owning that sidewalk are my favorites.

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