Sunday Smiles

Passing Grade

edited version - Fondles pointed out that the last 2 pics were the same. (thanks Fondles!)

Righty then - trying the new blogger !  Thanks to Hermoine for getting me started! 

Despite my frustrations this past week -- it was a good week.  I shared with her teacher on Friday what had been happening ..... and she reminded me (how quickly we forget) how kids tend to check out come June - especially if the weather is nice!! The teacher told me she was ahead of most of the class in work..... and was definitely ready for grade 3...... so maybe I need to lighten up a little bit??

Anyway...........

our social studies/geography took us to Mexico this week..............

We 'celebrated' Cinco de Mayo and made Papel Picados and tissue paper flowers (which are now decorating her bedroom) 

We made God's eyes..........

and celebrated the Day of the Dead.......

On Thursday evening the lil one made tacos (with supervision) and for some reason the pictures I took didn't save.......... and of course I didn't discover that interesting fact till wayyyyyyyyyyy after dinner.

Next week -- haven't a clue where we'll land up.............. gonna have to get my act together!!

Frustration!!!

My head is ready to explode...... GAH!!!!

It started this week and came to a head this morning when I tried to write a post!

Let's start there - writing a post......... 
Did anyone else notice that Blogger is changing their format??
Did anyone else click the button to view the new format and find that the old blogger format went poof??!!  (fortunately I also a noticed a button to return to previous format)

In the new format - I could NOT figure out how to write a new post... GAH!!  and this new format is coming in at the end of June....... anyone able to tell me (step by step directions would be helpful) how to write a new post in the new format??? I need help ... before I just toss the whole thing out the window!!!


THAT was today's frustration........ the week's frustration is/was.......... 

close quarters to do school work...... I seem to be falling over either the dog or the lil one all the time!!!  (and yeah I know I shouldn't complain at least we are in the country BUT!!!!!!!! close quarters is driving me to distraction!!)

For 2 months now I have been pretty much sitting on top of the lil one while she does her school work - giving new meaning to one on one teaching.  She has been thriving....... BUT ...... when the schools open I can't go with her.... I had been hoping having me 'teaching' her how to get the work done without fooling around for these 2 months would have taken......... seems I was wrong.  (for those of you who don't know we have had trouble with the lil one - for the last two years - being 'too social' during class time - talking too much....)

Yesterday they had a 'directed drawing class' - which means the teacher gives very precise directions and the children follow them - creating (in this case) a picture of a peacock.  The whole point to the lesson is to test the children and see how well they follow directions.  I sat outside on the deck to see how well she did........ 

She didn't do well at all ...... le sigh..... I could see her bouncing around on her chair... standing up and dancing... wiggling.. playing with her hair... just not focused. OH and she knew the teacher couldn't see her cause everyone had turned their cameras off.
(and before anyone asks - no she isn't hyper active or ADD or anything like that - she just likes to do what she wants to do..... she stays focused when I am there with her.. when she is doing something on her own that she wants to do.. never mind the fact I know how to look for problems in children - did it for nearly 25 years)

When I went in the teacher was asking the children to turn on their cameras and hold up their drawings so she could see how well they were doing....... she looked at the lil one's and said "You didn't follow the directions.. you did all the feathers when you were only supposed to draw two"   Didn't seem to bother the lil one at all.  

NOW......... the point is not that she was doing a wonderful job drawing a peacock the point was she was supposed to listen to the directions and follow them ( a rather important life skill !!)  
Then they were told to colour their peacocks bright colours .......... 

The lil one coloured hers green - the whole thing green!!  and not even a very good colouring job........ and definitely not bright colours.

I was annoyed!
I was disappointed!
I was frustrated!

Fortunately she is off to her mother's today for the weekend - gives me time to regroup and cool down (to be honest)

Monday is a new day right? 

Life is good when it offers you challenges and shows you where you need to do more work!

Checking In........

I am so relaxed up here in the country that I am finding it hard to write a post every day......... (OK truth!!  I can't think of anything to write..... I am not connected to the news as much - only getting headlines - stupid people don't surround me - well almost! all of that equals nothing much to write about)

Homeschooling is muddling along - more about that tomorrow....... Our numbers here in our province seem to be sliding downwards - though we have had a couple of blips ... for the most part they are going down.  However I read in the news how it is suspected that the US - specifically some of the states - may be fudging their numbers ........ which makes me wonder if we're not fudging our numbers too.......

Then just to make matters worse (so to speak) our weather took a turn for the better - we seem to have skipped spring and gone straight to summer with temps in the high 90's......... that brought the covidiots out in large numbers on the weekend - congregating in parks by the bus load :(  They seem to think because 'young people' don't get as sick they don't have to worry (le sigh)  Now begins the waiting game to see if our numbers spike again in 14 days.  

A neighbour up here gifted us all with personal face masks!  Mine has japanese writing on it.... the masks for the lil one have dogs and cats... Sir Steve's still hasn't made an appearance but she (the seamstress) said it would be mostly black (mmmmm it's almost as though she knows what/who we are - grinning) .  Now the lil one has custom fitted masks - she and I can run into town and pick up a few things at the grocery store ...... it will make for a nice change in our routine.

Now your turn......... what's going on in your corner of the world??? 
Roll Call................

Opinion........

There really are a whole lot of 'stupid' people out there......... and this pandemic is putting the spot light on them..... dontcha think???

This past weekend the weather was beautiful and there were crowds ... 
C. R. O. W. D. S.  .......... of people out and about - and not just in the States or in Toronto - all over.  It's as though sunshine and warmth melted their brains ya know??

I saw a picture of a park?? (I think it was a park) in San Francisco (I think it was San Francisco - grinning - do ya think my brain is in country mode?!)  

Anywayyyyy  

the city had painted white circles 6 feet apart over the entire area.....and people were sitting in the circles !!  there weren't any large groups of 'stupid people' bunched up.  I was thinking - most people are very visual - saying 6 feet doesn't register with them.. paint circles and they 'get it'.  (It might help them visualize if there were a number of security people ready to write hefty fines too)........

Know where else you find stupid people?? On social media sprouting off how their freedoms are being trampled on..... or how unfair that schools look like prisons... or how they need their hair cut (me too!!) and why aren't the salons open...... or they need a mani/pedi and why aren't the spas open......... oh the list is endless.  AND ya know ... trying to talk with them is a total waste of time!  I gave up about 2 days into lock down.  

For the most part -- for most days -- I realize how lucky we are. And then yesterday I read this .............

I felt very humbled......... 

Life is very good even when we have to self distance and do without........ 


 

Here We Are............

What a weekend!!!  Can I say crazy busy??!!!  cause it was........ 

First off - Friday we moved all the clothes up - both spring and summer clothes cause god only knows what the weather will be like ........ and food - meat .... staples... pantry stuff.......... and the lil one's bin of toys and all the home schooling supplies.... GAH!!!  and then found room to store it all (especially the home schooling stuff cause that's a new addition to camping life) 
Then we collapsed in front of a fire for the evening.......... 

Saturday saw us up at the crack of dawn and off to town (GAH) to buy flowers for the baskets and raised beds....... and wood cause Sir Steve is extending our deck.  
Saturday afternoon Sir Steve worked on the extension and I planted.... and planted and planted!!

Sunday was rest and recoup day for me -- but Sir Steve and my SIL worked on the deck extension.  Sunday just before supper the lil one arrived...... bouncing with excitement that she was up here ......and I was silently groaning cause the 'fun' of home schooling from the country was about to begin............

OH and for those interested in how social distancing is being 'encouraged' ..... the camp owner has a drone.... and it has been doing fly bys keeping track of who's where and with whom........ we signed a contract that if you broke the social distancing rules you would have to leave..... so for the most part folks are keeping their distance.....

Thought you might like to see a couple of pictures of our 'country home'..........

This is the view of our place from the road.................

Our front door.............. 

I LOVE the patio doors!!  It allows so much light in... and just feels -- mmmmm - more like home and less like a trailer ya know??

Around back by the creek (if you can call it a creek) is our fire pit.......... I love that it's so secluded!! 

At night I have 'fairy lights' hanging in the trees...... made them the first year we were here ......... mason jars with tea lights in them - neat thing about the tea lights - they run off batteries and have a timer!!  so they come on at 7:30pm and go off automatically at 1:30am!!!

here's the deck extension not quite finished but almost.  The door you see is to our master bedroom.

AND finally .......here's our 'school' for the next 6 weeks or so......... 

Life is good when you can home school in the country.........
 

Sunday Smiles

didja see a theme in this Sunday's smiles??

8 Weeks

We're 8 weeks in to home schooling.  8 Weeks ago I honestly didn't believe I would still be home schooling....... I thought a couple of weeks - maybe a month........ but 8 weeks??!!  nope not even close.  And now it turns out we'll be home schooling until September........ and maybe even longer.   I saw a plan this morning for September - if the need is there (which I am starting to think it will be) ....... the classes would be divided into 2 groups - one group would go to school 3 days a week and the other group would go for 2 days.  I am sure at the half way mark (180 days in) they would switch the groups.    The days the children are not in school they would be home schooled.  So I might be in this for the long haul........... so much for retirement right??

ahhhhhhhhh well one day at a time....

This week we worked on division and 'g' sounds and journal writing..... AND... we finished up our visit to Egypt!!  The lil one had 3 'team meetings' with her teacher and some friends from her class..... and they had a 'directed art' class yesterday where they drew birds.

In Egypt she learned how the Egyptians made papyrus paper........... 

and all about hieroglyphics - the lil one wrote her name on her papyrus paper in hieroglyphics........... 

And yesterday we finished up with mummies.  Google is your friend!!  There was a great video about children visiting Egypt and taking a museum tour that showed Ramses body .......... all dried up and grey looking.  The lil one learned how revered cats were and how they were mummified ............ she made a ' cat mummy'.   

Life is good even when the 'teacher' barely makes it through the week (grinning)

Check In Time

Just a quick weekly check in........... how's everyone doing??

Here we're doing ok I guess..... I'm up to my eye teeth with homeschooling... organising/packing to move to the country (tomorrow!!)  till September....and just the every day stuff ya know?? 

Almost every day I have to pinch myself cause it all feels so normal -- and it's far from normal!!  Our government is now suggesting the use of non-medical masks when going out into crowds (or what amounts to crowds these days) ....... with our move to the country I won't be able to avail myself of the early opening for seniors at the local stores....... sigh....  anyone else HATE face masks?? The biggest problem is how they fog up my glasses when I go into stores....... I become instantly blind...... (and yes I have the nose piece fitted tightly over my nose and yes I have my glasses down over the top of it... and it still fogs up!!) 

For the first time since this all started I was able to get my prescriptions filled with no problems... even my Ventolin was in stock!!  YAY!!  BUT we still can't get more than 30 days of meds at a time - which is a pain cause my druggist has always given me 3 months supply when we move to the country but not this year.  (not a major problem really when you look at the bigger picture)  

The biggest blip is a personal one......... my hair.......... it is so long and shapeless that every time I look in the mirror I cringe.. and feel so ugly - which is affecting my sex drive and my over all mental state.
This is my hair cut............... 

I used to have it cut every 3 weeks to keep the shape.... it's been 2 months!!  Can you even imagine what it looks like??!!!  Trust me -- U G L Y! 

BUT I continually remind myself how lucky we are....... Sir Steve is still working... we have a roof over our heads and food on the table...... and a great summer place to move to............. I almost feel guilty complaining about minor things like foggy glasses....... 

How are you all doing???

YAY!

The Ontario government announced yesterday that our schools will remain closed until at least September.  Believe it or not I did the dance of joy around the house!  First of all it means our plans to move the family to the country this weekend can go ahead..... and Secondly the government agrees not to make our children guinea pigs.

YAY!!

Of course that means home schooling continues........... 

But that doesn't stress me much at all -- cause now I have till September to get the information across...... and yes we are gonna do school work even during the summer.

After all -- truthfully - what else will there be to do over the summer?? pools are closed, parks are closed, art/dance programs are closed........ sooooooo an hour or so a day of school work is not such a bad idea.  AND the extra work will ensure that the lil one has 'got' it!   

Yesterday we started working on division......... GAH!!  the virtual learning involved a website that used all sorts of graphics (like the one at the top).  It involved a whole lot of counting apples or squares or lines that were on the screen.  Dear god in heaven!!  That just meant there was wayyyyyyyy more room for error.  The lil one was supposed to count each of the graphics.... 24 books - apples - lines - circles whatever!!  She would count - skip one by mistake - and end up with the wrong answer........ GAH!!

So THIS teacher said "screw this!  let's work with numbers only!"  soooooo we wrote out the equation - "24 divided by 6 = ??" - skip count by 6 until you hit 24 and that's the answer!!  it took a bit -- and it's slow -- but she was starting to get it!!  YAY!!  She just needs practice........... and another 4 months of practice should do the trick!!

Life is good when things fall into place.

The Season Begins........

We opened the trailer this weekend...... which means busy busy times.  The trailer needed to be aired out - scrubbed and cleaned (cause the mice tend to move in over the winter) - everything unpacked - beds made - yard raked and flower beds turned!  To put it mildly it was an exhausting weekend.

BUT it's all done - well almost all done......

Some of you were worried about us moving out into the world....... I want to explain.  In the city we live in a lower duplex...... with virtually no yard.  At the campgrounds we have a biggish lot - lots of room for the lil one to play.  We proved over the weekend how easy social distancing can be....... other than eldest daughter and son in law - anyone who came to visit - stayed off the deck which means they were easily 2 meters away.  AND the campgrounds are NOT opening to 'weekenders' ... tenters... occasional visitors... which means no 'strangers' wandering around -- the pools will remain closed - the beach is roped off and closed - the playgrounds are all roped off and closed... pubic bathrooms/showers and laundry facilities are closed.  

Sooooooooo it's how home away from home and social distancing can work.

Now the question is 'when do we move up permanently'??? AND the answer to that question has been left to me.  GAH!!  I hate making the decisions - which is why I am the sub for goodness sakes!!

BUT I get why Sir Steve is leaving it up to me.... I have to feel organised and ready to live there 24/7 till September.  I have to feel organised and ready to home school in the country.  AND I want to make sure the weather is going to be warm enough.... cause last year I wore my winter coat right up until June!!  (though we were only there on weekends ) The weather seems to be warming up and there's a promise of really nice weather for the next week ......... the home schooling schedule has been worked out in my head..... and I'm making lists of everything I have to pack for a semi-permanent move.   Sir Steve just has to get mother onboard for a new pick up /drop off schedule for the lil one.

All that to say........... it looks like we'll be moving to the country this weekend until September.

Life is good when we can move to the country ......... 

Self Care....

There are so many on this list that I need to work on.......... 

Posting this as a reminder to myself....... and if it rings a bell with you even better 😃




(hey did anyone else notice the changes to blogger?? there are now smiley faces!)

Sunday Smiles

Got the Word.......

We got the word Thursday afternoon -- campgrounds are allowed to open!!! with restrictions of course......... social isolating - no beaches or pools - no playgrounds - no rec hall etc.  BUT they're open and we can go!!

P A N I C !!

I am so NOT ready for this!! Yesterday I quickly made lists - what to pack -- what we need - what to buy!  GAH!!  I know I am going to forget something!!

Sir Steve is so happy - he misses the country life... the lil one is bouncing around - once she was sure homeschooling would still happen !!  Though we won't be making the move there permanently for a couple of weeks -- I need to get organised and we need to get the internet installed again!  and the weather needs to warm up !!  camping in layers of clothes is not my idea of fun!!

I'm gonna have to adjust to leaving my safe bubble here...... but I'm hoping the trailer will become my other safe bubble.  Being in the country will be so much better for the lil one.. here we only have a postage stamp size yard -- there we have large piece of land -- with a creek running through the back of the lot.... lots of woods to roam in... lots of roads to bike on - without much traffic!!!  AND eldest daughter and son in law will be across the road from us.  We have talked about it and will probably include them in our family bubble..... so we can share evening fires and visits........that would be so nice -- I do miss visiting with them!!

Life is good when the new normal begins.........

A+

On Thursday during 'math class' the lil one had a melt down.  

Multiplication is HARD!!

We have been doing 'english' and 'math' virtually...... we have websites for both.  She completes the work and the programs send the teacher an evaluation on her work.  So when the meltdown happened I sent the teacher a note saying we were putting the math on the back burner till next week.......... the teacher wrote back immediately and sent us the reports from both programs....... our lil one is acing the work.  Well not the math so much -- she's working at grade level which is all we expect..... BUT she's also done twice as much work as expected!!  The 'english' program rated her at a half grade above ...... working at a December grade 3 level rather than a June grade 2 level..... no big surprise there actually.. she's a very strong reader and writer!!

Besides the academic assigned lessons we continue our world travels.  This week (and next week) we are in Egypt.

She made a 'magical' pyramid ........ 

and when we entered it we went back in time to ancient Egypt.


So far this week we have learned about the river Nile......the pyramids.. the Pharaohs ... and how the ancient Egyptians dressed. (we spend the afternoons 'sight seeing' via Google)

She made an Egyptian bracelet out of a Pringles chip tube.... wool, glue, and gold paint.... and an Egyptian head piece with lots of 'jewels'.

All in all a good week in home school!

Where are you ?

So we all know this week I was at 'momentary outburst' -- now because that outburst took it's toll on me I'm kinda stuck at 'nap' (though napping only happens between homeschooling lessons)

Where are you ??????? 

Finding the Positives.....

I know my recent posts have been pretty down.... and I made my weekend sound desperately sad........ 

BUT it wasn't all debbie downer... on Sunday I wanted to make an Apple Fritter Bread... Sir Steve offered to help....... YAY!!  cause I needed 2 apples peeled and grated and I HATE finicky work like that..... so Sir Steve's job was to get the apples ready.  We worked side by side and I was so happy!!  It was the first time in my life that I have had a male who wanted to bake... wanted to work in the kitchen with me!!  Sir Steve even cleaned up after me .. and washed up all the baking dishes.   WOW!!  I love baking BUT hate cleaning up.......... it was a win win baking session.   

The apple fritter bread was delicious!!!  Definitely a keeper........ but as I told Sir Steve it's a two person recipe (grinning) 


OH and (I almost forgot) I do believe Facebook may have intervened with my hacker.  I don't know for sure cause they haven't contacted me...... but I was told yesterday afternoon by eldest daughter that the hacked account had 'disappeared'.  YAY!!!  for some reason I felt so violated by the hacking......... it was an awful feeling!!  But after checking for myself ... the account is GONE!!!  

Life is good when you can find a positive in all the negatives.........

Over Load

I knew I was stressed and anxious on Sunday......... my body had the shakes... I went from sweating to freezing... I felt nauseous.... 

I didn't fully realize how over loaded my brain was until yesterday.  All I could think yesterday was that I had a virus on my computer........ and that all the lil one's home schooling was on my computer... and I couldn't find a way around ... I panic printed all the urls for the websites for the lil one... I panic printed all the worksheets I could think of.... I just plain panicked.

I had to log in to Google when I wanted to write my blog... I had to log in to the sites for the lil one..... WTF??!!  that had never happened before!

Then in a moment of clarity I realized that the techs that worked with me on Sunday had me set up my pc to clear my cache/history every time I logged off.  

DUH!  no wonder I couldn't just fly around the sites.......... no cache .. no history... DUH! 

Then my computer was dreadfully slow....... I MUST have a virus right?

BUT around dinner time I went out on the front deck to have a smoke and lo and behold there were the familiar white trucks of my internet provider working on the lines. I came in and did a speed check........ it was at it's maximum!!

No virus -- just a problem with the wires (again!!  been happening since January! but I couldn't see that all I could see was the worst possible scenario)

So the only  real problem was my FB account has been hacked.  AND Facebook tells me the profile that is being reported as hacked is NOT!  silly buggers.

By supper last night my body felt like it had been hit by a truck.  My stomach was screaming at me.  

I realized just how fragile I am.  It's as though everything just go too heavy to bear ya know? I think I need some peace in a world that isn't feeling very peaceful these days.

Stressed

Honestly I had an awful terrible weekend!!

It started with my FB account being hacked by some woman in France........ all reporting to Facebook accomplished nothing.... in fact Facebook actually answered me by saying the account hadn't been hacked!!!  

Then my email stopped working and my internet provider looked at it and told me it appeared that the email accounts were being deleted - they said they'd fix it.  They did YAY!!  but it was just one of many small blips on my computer.... another example - I have to log into Google every time I want to work on my blog........... 

So I am thinking I may have a virus - despite all my best efforts to keep my pc secure. Now I am thinking I will have to take it in to my local 'geek' squad to see if they can figure out what the hell is wrong.......... The only problem with that is ... all my home schooling information is on this pc.... GAH!!!  so I am wondering if I can limp along till home schooling finishes.

Just colour me stressed and in high alert mode............

Sunday Smiles

See a theme going on this morning??? 

Hope all the Mom's got a giggle............. Happy Mother's Day!