This week was our LAST WEEK before school starts, and as such I had some mighty high expectations for it. For example:
~This week was supposed to be my week to plan for the school year and order books. I was determined to begin the year tidily and organized and positively oozing preparedness.
I haven't.
I looked through a few catalogs before happening upon the Rainbow Resource catalog and when my eyes met that monster, I recoiled in fear and ran screaming into the woods. If you are a homeschooler- you understand. If you aren't a homeschooler....consider yourself very blessed. I will spare you the nightmares by not describing to you the terror that monster of a million-page catalog imprints in your soul.
~This week I was supposed to prepare for my non-twins' birthdays on Monday. A girl turning double digits and my baby turning *sniff* THREE. What cake would they like? What meal? What gift? I dunno. I thought I had time to figure it out.
~This week was supposed to be a week of getting caught up on canning.
And I did get caught up on the tomatoes and cucumbers (for a few days anyway)- I made spaghetti sauce, and gorgeous pineapple salsa and pickle spears and stackers...but just when I was caught up on things for a day or two and could confidently take a day off from preserving in some way, I just HAD to go to an auction and buy some pears and grapes!
I am a glutton for punishment, I know.
~This week, the last-week-before-school-starts, we were supposed to soak up the last week of non-school and no set schedule and just.have.fun. While the kids have been living it up- I have been....well, you know.
~~~~
I thought I had time to think about all of that...I thought I had time to do it all- but by golly- I just realized that it is THURSDAY, folks! And the week is practically over! Where did this week go?
I remember doing things this week....I just don't remember what exactly.
I thought if you were sick to death of canning talk, maybe I could interest you in zinnia photo overkill or a proper pink overload?
Now that I have overwhelmed you thrice, I am quite sure I have ruined any chance of people visiting this blog. whoops.
Rainbow Resource -- I only go there once I've already decided what I want in order to check their price vs. Amazon. (This go round, they won hands down.) Using them to make a decision could be dangerous to my mental stability. : )
ReplyDeleteOh, and I waited a few days to place my order to make sure I didn't decide I needed anything else knowing the little note on their website that said most orders ship "next day". Well... went to actually place the order last night and now it says "3 business days". So, that stuff probably won't be here for week 1 at all. Oh well.
Pretty zinnias! ;) have a wonderful weekend.
ReplyDeleteChristina
This is why I extol the virtues of an "agrarian school year." At least for us northern folks, the work of preserving the harvest simply couldn't be done while giving the kids a proper education. Of course, I had to remind myself of that (and that we did school through mid-July) just today after watching the bus go by while my kids were running around outside playing. I like to beat myself up for things like that even though I know better. Beautiful flowers as always! :)
ReplyDeleteI, for one, loved all of your zinnia photos!
ReplyDeleteone of the best things about home schooling is that you can decide. so, if you aren't ready...don't start. I'm not starting for two more weeks. I think we'll be ready then.
ReplyDeleteOh gosh yes, I get the "I um . I did? We uh. Well what the heck was I doing?" my whole summers been tht way. I am dreading the start of school with a capitol D. Ready for fall, not for school.
ReplyDeleteJenniferM- at least we can justify the first week as 'review' from last year. Right? Riiiiiiiiiiight?
ReplyDeleteChristina- you too!
Quinn- knowing things in your head doesn't always (almost never) translates into knowing it in your heart. Especially when the buses start rolling. I completely agree with the agrarian school schedule but I may be perhaps even more lenient, because while come June I am all about school ending-I can justify very easily in my mind the fact that the children are learning good and valuable things in food preservation, etc. at the end of August and that TOTALLY counts as school! ;-)
Tracy- thank you! I love zinnias because they unfold in such a beautiful kaleidoscope fasion. I couldn't stop.
Cindy- It makes me feel so much better to know that I am not the only one not in school yet!
Bonnie- I knew you'd understand. So- when do you plan to start school? And when are you gonna tell me what you were referring to when you said that cliffhanger the other day? hmmmmmmmmmm?
I never even look at the RR catalog. It is scary! I love them, but only if I know what I want. Otherwise it is too scary a monster to face.
ReplyDeleteI'm usually the same way, but kept up with mostly reading lessons, lit which I do year round anyway, and history lessons (cause I'm so miserably behind in history- since I restructured it, Jared jokes I'll be done by the time he's in his mid-20's), and some math to keep them fresh for testing simply because I know myself well enough to realize I'll be taking a very extended mid-winter break/babymoon. :D
ReplyDeleteIt's FINE that you aren't starting school next week, girl!! That's part of the beauty of home learning!! You set your own schedule!! We ARE starting and I'm super excited but that's the geek in me and the bibliophilac or whatever those are called...I have NO garden though. No beautiful vinnias. Nada. Ziltch. Well, I do have tall weeds...I do have a bumper crop of Queen Anne's Lace. ;) :P Oh and remind me about my learning love in the middle of February will you!? :P
ReplyDeleteCanning counts, and then some! Let's hope it doesn't swallow us whole. Given the chance, though, I totally would have snagged those pears and grapes, too. You're not completely crazy. (Mostly, yes, but not completely...)
ReplyDeleteI'd like to soak up some summer, too, before the whirl of fhlearning begins. If I were you-- which I'm not-- I'd wait until you were able to have a proper sleepover to end the summer before beginning the business of fall. Oh, wait! One's coming right up! How handy. ;)
-Love that photo of Adele's contemplation among the zinnias.
-Speaking of zinnias, this year it's my turn to admire your flowerbeds. The chicken churned them up twice, and I resowed until I ran out of seed. I can count the number of zinnias that survived on one hand (or two). Your beds are gorgeous!
My plan was to start school mid-August (the 19th). Well Samuel made his appearance two weeks past his due date and he has been a bit of a colicky baby (my first). Then we had to wait until we had the money to buy the books. And then some of them were back-ordered so... We're starting Tuesday, God willing. I'm excited but the boys are not as enthusiastic. ;) As for Rainbow Resource, their catalog is daunting but we've ordered from them 2 years in a row now. They have better prices than both Amazon and CBD. And their customer service is excellent!
ReplyDeleteSo all this talk about starting school has me wondering, will you be posting any of your plans for the year? I always find your school plans inspirational! (Well, actually, all your posts are but I've got schooling on the brain.)
Not a chance I'm not coming back. Your photography is stunning!
ReplyDeleteQuinn- good planning ahead! And I love the term "babymoon"- that is too cute!
ReplyDeleteAmy- Queen Anne's lace is gorgeous! AND schoolish- because you can plunk them in water and change them colors! WIN WIN!
Abby- I tried to sell bouquets of them at the amish auction and only got $1.00 a bunch for them. But everyone are cheapskates there. I should have just kept them, I suppose, but hey- that's four dollars I can put toward next years' seed. Or...shoes. Whatever. hehehe
Leah- I am glad to know RR beats out amazon! I will certainly keep that in mind because, for ease, that is where I usually go. And YES, I DO intend to post my plans. Once I MAKE plans, that is. I'd chuckle if I weren't sobbing...
Ulli- THANK YOU for being patient with my zinnias. And all the time. I love to "see" you when you pop on!