7 Quick Takes Friday (Vol 198)
1
What a massive week we have just survived, all the plans came to fruition. Birthdays were celebrated for Michelangelo now 15, Jelly Bean 10 and Jack Jack who turned 8. We held a birthday party for JB and JJ with their friends. Had a couple of health appointments and attended our niece’s engagement party, over 7 hours away. We then concluded the week by attending the Ordination to the Priesthood of our Deacon in our Cathedral city.
2
To add to the excitement our oldest two children are home from College and alas as Carpenter is only home for nine days, everyone is in party mode trying to cram lots and lots of fun into one week. Busy days, late nights, lots of fun and laughter. We’ve also enjoyed a bonfire night with some young friends, 15 children and young adults for dinner made for a very noisy dining hall. And all 12 of us went to the cinema to watch How to Tame Your Dragon 2, whilst it was wonderful to share that moment with the children I won’t be taking a 6 month old and a 3 year old again in a hurry. I spent most of the time walking the baby up the back, she couldn’t settle due to the volume and the 3 year old really wasn’t interested. More fun to come, a movie night tonight with a couple of teen lads to join us, and a games party the following night. Then Carpenter returns to the City and we begin to settle into a new term.
3
The older children have been busy building a cubby for their younger siblings and working on repairing the dune buggy. The bearers and joists are nearly completed and then they’ll begin screwing down the floorboards, this is one impressive construction! The dune buggy has taken tenacity, in fact 2 full days of tenacity, a steep learning curve for the teen boys and Princess, their first time working on motors and without their Dad. Finally they succeeded and they were out racing around the paddock late this evening, extremely excited to have mastered the problem and to be driving it again.
4
PC is going to be tiling again this weekend, he is making great progress but he’d rather be out in the paddock; slashing and burning off, driving his tractor or using the chainsaw, he’d even be happy fencing, however poor poor man is tiling, I’m very grateful for his perseverance particularly when I know he’d be happier out in the winter sunshine.
5
Whilst much activity has been happening outside I have been busy, with Anna Maria’s help culling books in our library. The books had multiplied to such an extent that there were several piles of books around the room. For three days we have been culling and culling and have 10 large boxes to give to a friend and another box of doubles for the shipping container, we have only the picture books to cull tomorrow and then we are done! We actually have space on our shelves!!
6
This cull I have been ruthless, whilst we have lots of books that are potential treasures if no-one is using them, and haven’t in 20 years then it is time to admit they are taking up valuable space and donate them to a home where they will be used and loved.
The benefit of doing this has meant I can now easily see just what I do have on the shelves and we have some real treasures:) I can’t wait to reacquaint ourselves with old favourites and discover new ones.
7
As I sorted the ‘school’ bookcase I was astounded at just how many books we have for spelling, creative writing and grammar. Many, many books that I have never opened, admittedly I didn’t purchase many, I inherited my homeschooling mother’s library, but these are the areas I would like to see more improvement in or time devoted to and here we have books and books on these topics, but we seem to be ‘spinning our wheels’, did I keep these in the hope that the problem would resolve itself? Thinking, thinking…….
This cull I have been ruthless, whilst we have lots of books that are potential treasures if no-one is using them, and haven’t in 20 years then it is time to admit they are taking up valuable space and donate them to a home where they will be used and loved.
The benefit of doing this has meant I can now easily see just what I do have on the shelves and we have some real treasures:) I can’t wait to reacquaint ourselves with old favourites and discover new ones.
7
As I sorted the ‘school’ bookcase I was astounded at just how many books we have for spelling, creative writing and grammar. Many, many books that I have never opened, admittedly I didn’t purchase many, I inherited my homeschooling mother’s library, but these are the areas I would like to see more improvement in or time devoted to and here we have books and books on these topics, but we seem to be ‘spinning our wheels’, did I keep these in the hope that the problem would resolve itself? Thinking, thinking…….
5 Comments
An Almost Unschooling Mom
The culling is a great idea. It's always surprising how many resources you have that you didn't even know about (or remember).
The Provincial Homemaker
Having seen how packed to the rafters your library is I can only imagine how you have to cull the good to accommodate the great. We haven't decided yet whether we will homeschool or send our kids to the local catholic school but already our garage holds boxes and boxes of books.
Cassie Williams
Busy and fun! Great combination! We are focusing in on "Language Arts" this new school year (especially the oldest). It's an area that can easily pushed aside! It's a must now for my 8th grader!
♥.Trish.♥ Drumboys
You sound so busy and full of happiness .
I struggle to discard any books.
Erin
AAUM
Precisely, you wonder, "now why aren't I using this?" because you couldn't see it before
TPH
Welcome to my corner:) Always great to find another Aussie homeschholer. Enjoyed your blog:)
Cassie
yes and with an 8th grader you feel the tick tock
Trish
So kind:) and yes I am:) ah a kindred spirit then:):)