Weekly Check In Unit 6 starting Unit7

 We had a fun experiment in science this week. I'm combining my girls in Preparing science this year. To save time while they were working on grammar I set up this experiment.  Here are our "Saguaro Cactus" flowers. In the bottom of the glass they have nectar (lemonade) and the outside edge has sugar for pollen. As you can see my kids had a blast

Be a bat and get the nectar!  Mom my straw is to short! I have to put my face on the glass to reach it!
 Sticky faces LOL!

 So Mom my face would get all sticky with pollen if I was a bat.. then the pollen would make new seeds.  YUM I love Sugar... she hasn't had sugar in like 6 months so this was a real treat. And she licked her lips... that is a rare sight.

I have no idea if the pyramid is done correctly. I think we used to much water in our glue mix. It looked so cool with a thick layer of salt on it, very sparkly.When I moved it to take a photo, it started shedding it's outside layer right away.. Just makes it look more authentic right??? He he he he he  They have already started stealing the limestone for  new buildings :-)  

My dd Convinced me to make her a Egyptian dress-up outfit She's not wearing it authentically but that's A O.K. with me.

Shocker of shockers I opened up Little M's Desk last night to grab her CTC and maybe, just  maybe all the lectures on: "Put it away then you will find it!" are sinking in... Note the fake cell phone in the desk, an important piece of school equipment. I can see how the Spectrum Balance Protocol diet has been making huge improvements in her focus and ability to function in society.   But neatness, caring for her stuff that is icing on the cake.

On Thursdays my kiddos do all their school work in the kids corner while I volunteer at GFA. Little Miss Sunshine forgot her bible and asked in one of the offices close by if they had one for her to barrow.  She was Complimented with "WOW you girls are in there?  You are so quiet." I love that I have girls they are not constantly loud or rambunctious. They quietly go about their work.  Maybe it's because I never tolerated screaming, maybe it's just because they are girls but it sure is paying great benefits now :-)

Weekly check in Ending Unit 5 Starting Unit 6

So here are some photos from this week
 Yum Honey!  Here she is making the Egyptian pastry.
Making the round pastries

She is putting them in her self.. NO mom I do not need any help.  :-)
OK Mom they are too hot! You can take them off.

Cooling down, very yummy but very rich! If I did it again I would only eat half.


The old independent history project finished.
Here is Unit 6's beginning.

Here is Preparing Science Note Booking pages  She loves doing this stuff with her sister. Her sister  refused to let me put hers up here.
Here she is as the Queen!  She loves pretending to be an Egyptian/Chinese Nefertiti.
This is the columns project from Creation to Christ we had a tough time doing this  one since I couldn't find my glitter glue. But a friend had some glitter since Glitter is forbidden in this house.  It always ends up in someones eye... on their face, in the food. It's on Daddies Banned list. But since he wasn't home. 
Don't worry the package of glitter will be gone b4 he gets home. 


My kids are really enjoying this study of Egypt.  They even managed to sit though 2 rather dry PBS Egypt videos I stuck in, when they were folding their clothing. I had to fast forward through one part because MOM its too grossssss!!!  They put body parts in jars eeeeeewwwww.
This study of Kings who declared themselves as gods have really spurred on many conversations with Little Miss Sunshine, about Jesus and his Sacrifice.  It's been a good week.

Our Weekly Check in

This week we finished up Unit 4 and started Unit 5 of Preparing  with Little Miss Sunshine.  Little M tags along in Science and Grammar.  She as so many "therapy art stuff" we don't do do the CTC art portions.

They loved the cactus experiment but of course I could not find the tooth picks anywhere.  Things have HOMES in my house but I swear they runaway from home all the time.  I think they like living under my kids bed better than in the kitchen cupboard. So the spines are My poor dead Zinnia stems, I failed to water them enough.  With all the water restrictions I figured it would be better to let them die than sneak out in the middle of the night to water them.

Little Miss Sunshine loved doing the cartouche, it is still drying because Yeah!!! We have had rain on and off for  the last 3 days.  Since prior to this week  it only rained .004 of an inch since the last week in May.  I'm happy to let it dry slowly. 

They are both working on the science notebook, I walked into a sweet scene where the younger was slowly drawing all the parts so her sister could see how she was doing it. She was saying "Now a curved line for the body."Just like I do in the Monart I'm doing for therapy for Little M.  It was sooo cute.

Here is Little Miss Sunshines independent history using Draw Write Through History. She really loves doing it. I really love how she looks forward to doing it, and how it keeps her busy when I need to do the auditory processing stuff with Little M. It's a win win for this family. 

This is our DITHOR final project, she decided to do the scene from Misty of Chincoteague where Phantom runs to meet the Pied Piper, But Misty stays home.  She did a great job gluing the sand to the box.  We found these inexpensive horses and she painted them to match the front cover.  She did it all her self w/o any help from Mama. I'm So proud of her.

Seen But Not Heard

School went well for Little Miss Sunshine and horribly for DD1. Same old story one good day for DD1 means she has to have a few bad days after wards to make up for it.  She is still working on her school work.

Little Miss Sunshine did the cartouche  project... Very fun even I joined in and made a tiny one.  We even looked up a Egyptian alphabet and Little Miss Sunshine wrote everyones names in hieroglyphics.  She decided it was hard work to be a scribe.  When her project is finished I'll post it some where :-).  We started 2 part word problems in math today.  Guess who figured it out in one sitting... Sigh.. I should be happy right I got one that gets math and one that we need to do everything rote rote rote who just after 4 years of trying... just figured out her first 2 part word problem on her own  like 2 weeks ago.  I should not compare but Oh some days I wish they were both neurotypical.

Well today is Wednesday which means Sprouts double flyer day woo hoo.  But the store is usually packed with shoppers and I'm deluged with questions, and requests for special treats.  Now we've been doing the Dave Ramsey thing for a while. So my response to the treat requests is always "Did you bring your own money?"  Answer is always no. I keep saying "If I don't have a coupon for it and its not on the list I'm not buying it."   Considering our cars can only be described as Missionary Mobiles, still running by faith.  Even tho we got debt free (but the house) this spring. were still in austerity mode b/c those cars will not last for ever.  Oh I'm digressing again...

Back on track:  My kids have made up this game called Laura Ingalls.  They wander around the house doing things like: hand washing their sheets, hand washing the dishes, at dinner some times they decided to be seen but not heard, speak only when spoken to.  Its hysterical!  I mean if I had put this game together I would be the BBMM  (Big Bad Mean Mommy).  When my DD's (wearing a bonnet, an apron and 3 skirts... you need petticoats you know) asked if they could go to the grocery story dressed up as Laura and Mary... I had a brain storm! I said "Of course but you have to keep playing the whole time I am in the store... and you will be seen but not heard." Muhahahahahah!!!!!    I even said "Get in the wagon girls" when it was time to go.


I have to say I want this to be the NORM! I did my shopping in 45 minutes.. yes ladies I stuck to my list! I came home with left over money! I was able to do math in my head and calculate the best deal.  My silent children trailed behind me. Strangers told them how adorably cute they looked. The check out lady was astonished at how well behaved they were.   I shared the game they were playing with her and she said I wish I had thought that up when I had my girls. I had to confess it was not my game but theirs.  She just started to giggle.   Then I told her I walked into the store 40 minutes before. She looked at my pile of groceries on the counter and at me. *astonished* "That is amazing." she said.

It is amazing! Who knew I spent 45 minutes answering questions and being distracted. I think we will continue to play Laura Ingalls when ever we go shopping.. silence oh the blessed silence.

God is so good too because I normally wouldn't shop till 4:00 pm but today I really felt the need to do it earlier in the day.  Now that it is done when my work out partner called to put back our work out time I can do it instead of saying "No, I can't wait that long." Instead I got my blog written :-) We might even be able to go to the library later on! whooo hoooo!

Not the water again!

Someday's I wish I were a fly on the wall of my kids room in the morning. Today I was wakened to the stomping of my husband feet. He clumped into the room to wake me up, all discouraged and down.  Now that is no way to go off to work!  You see last night I wanted the get the girls used to Daddy not waking them up more independence and use their alarm clock to wake up.  Because I'm  to lazy and grouchy  really tired in the mornings and I just can't handle the drama have Sarcoidosis as my excuse.   Sleep is very important to keeping it in remission don't you know. 

So the alarm went off Little Miss Sunshine hopped out of the upper bunk and turned the alarm off.  Little Miss Grouchy she takes after her mother sat up, heard the alarm stop and plopped back down into bed.  I wonder where she learned that from?  Where upon she promptly fell back asleep. Or faked it really well! 


Little Miss Sunshine had a Little Miss Darkover moment, I've blogged about this before where she decides she needs Be the mama  to wake up her sister and pours water on her, because you know Mom sprinkles her with water I'll use a whole cup, it's faster. You know in 10 years this will be a hysterical anecdote at Thanksgiving dinner, but right now her sister was soaking wet in her P.J.'s and it's not even her fault this time.


My concern here is for Little Miss Sunshine's heart. She is so good and sooo perfect and sooo afraid if she isn't, she will be sent back to China. Although since the mischievous and down right bad behavior is on the rise, I have hope she is loosing that particular view on life.

I could see the issue was pride I have been watching it coming. Last week she gave me the wide eye look of "No Way!" when I told her her sister could help her with borrowing in math, when I was working in the cafe and couldn't stop to help her.  She didn't believe it.  I don't blame her, her sister plays the "Dumb Game" so often even I have to stop myself from playing along as well.  I could she she was setting her self up for a fall.  And like Kevin Lemen often says, Somedays you just have to pull the rug out from underneath them.   This morning I did that.

"Oh so since you are quicker/ faster/ better at doing things, You are the better person?" I asked with that Momma tone of "watch out how you answer" in her voice. "But I am!" didn't pop out of her mouth but her body was screaming it.  I was grinning from ear to ear inside, but outside I was firm with a hint of sympathy.  So because you figure it out right away and your sister has to WORK HARDER at getting the answer makes you better?  Who works harder you or Your sister?  Hey look life isn't fair.  After a long talk about the condition of her heart and a peek into the story of the prodigal son.  With whom I've always related too the stay at home son. Did I just say that out loud?

I assigned her the task of clearing up the messy bed and remaking it. With a firm injunction on no longer touching her sisters alarm clock.  You may NOT turn it off, because if you do she goes back to sleep! 


All this is done in hopes that when Daddy is gone he will be missed less. and Mommy still gets her extra 15 min of sleep in the morning.  

On the other hand doing discipline first thing has it benefits.
School went well today even tho we started 10 min late! DD2 is painting up some horses for a diorama of her DITHOR  book.  She is doing a fantastic job. DD1 got to have recess! since all her Morning work was done woo hoo...  All I have left is about 1 hour of Therapy and DD2 is doing a fine narration!

The difference a schedule makes

So were doing Preparing Hearts for His Glory with my 3rd grader,  left side of Creation to Christ and Little Giant Steps Therapy program with my older daughter. Some days we weren't finishing before 6pm and I felt like a ping pong ball bouncing between the 2 girls...
I also am trying to fit in working, working out and cooking for the SBP diet. It was leaving me no time to myself.   Yet some days we had no problems finishing. So yesterday after some research and encouragement from lurking on the heart of Dakota boards and chatting with my good friend C.  I needed a schedule.  So while everyone else was enjoying the cool weather yesterday. I was sitting near an open window.  Mindfully thinking over the last 3 weeks. Which days work which one's didn't.  I noticed each day was different which isn't good for my spectrum child.  So how to fit in 40 min of Vesting... all the chores and school, while still giving her free time to enjoy her child hood.

So I checked how long each box is supposed to take and I scheduled each day down to the minute. Each days schedules are now all posted in the living room.  My dd1 dragged her feet and did not do what was assigned. and I held her  in at recess... She was NOT happy. Having to do the work, she choose not to do this morning during recess when out side is actually cool enough to play in. So it's 3pm she is finished with therapy, and she has an hour of free time today.

I don't know why I fought a schedule for so long. I must have a rebellious streak in me still that I don't like pieces of paper telling me what to do. Even if I wrote them down myself. 

DD1 did an excellent narration, did all her math word problems without difficulty.  DD2 had no trouble with any of her work. I was even able to combine Monart art lessons with science note-booking. So the note books look fine.

So I get an hour of time to blog and the kids choose podcast stories to listen to... which is so good for DD1 comprehension!

Good day  Thank You schedule.... even tho I don't like schedules...