Weekly Wind Down {Audiology, Dog Days of Summer, What's Mom Reading?, Granola Recipe} July 31-Aug 6

Enjoying a beautiful Sunday evening in the yard with the kids...

After a busy Sunday with friends, Monday started nice and slow.  I started on the house cleaning that I've been really enjoying doing on Mondays instead of Saturdays.  I'm curious to see how that works when school begins.  I chased the kids outside to eat breakfast and play while I got the floors done.  Vacuuming and mopping are so satisfying to me.  We are a strictly no shoes in the house family so I'm always amazed at how gross my mop water looks.  We do have several who don't wear shoes outside though, so I suppose the dirt makes it in somehow.  #housesareforliving

The kids brought out the totes of vehicles and worked all morning on making a chalk town.  They played until just before noon when it got warm, and then came in for awhile to cool down.

Evie's showing me what she drew.

After they washed up, we got in several chapters of our read alouds.  We are still working through The Best Family Ever by Karen Kingsbury and These Happy Golden Years from the Little House series.  We are also listening to the Burgess Bird Book for Kids.

Monday evening after supper we met with each student individually to review their school year curriculum.  We started at 7:20 and didn't get done until 9!  It was fun to have that individual time with each kiddo.

When we said "who wants to go first? Evie said, "I DO!"  So she did.  Her meeting took the least time. 

Tuesday was early morning OT/PT for Natalee.  As soon as she got home, Mike and Zayden were off to the city for an audiology hearing test for Z.  Unfortunately he didn't pass in either ear.  I'm at my wit's end with his poor ears/head.  We're off to an ENT next to see what ideas he can offer.

Mike headed to work as soon as they got back.  There is no rest for ITs in the month of August.  

The rest of Tuesday was just average.  The children played inside and outside (later in the evening when it cooled off) and I did my "domestic chores" and read a book.

Those chores included making sno cones for my backyard cuties.

I can't with this picture of her.  This kid LOVES sno cones.

Wednesday morning games.  I love that they play games together.  Ameliya had OT Wednesday at lunch.

The children played with their chalk town all week, and got another 3 1/2 hours in Wednesday playing with it and enjoying the yard.

Thursday morning Natalee and I had a zoom appointment.  Thursdays are also hippotherapy day and then we ran to the thrift store and got lucky with lots of books that the kids enjoy.  Xavier worked all day with Mike and the electricians running new fiber at the sports complex and had very broad shoulders coming home.  He's a good worker and a quick learner and a true asset to his dad.

I took the water mat for the kids to play with while Natalee did her session and I enjoyed sitting outside and reading my book.

Friday was a chill day.  I worked on homeschool curriculum.  Our friends stopped by on their way to Des Moines.  Mike got held late at work and then headed to a gathering with some friends and co-workers.

Saturday morning Mike got called into work for awhile.  The kids watched cartoons and tidied their rooms.  

I try to never say it's "too hot" to play outside but honestly Saturday was pretty toasty.  Real feel of 117 F.  I popped the kids some popcorn and they got to watch a movie in the cool downstairs playroom during the afternoon.  We went outside for a couple hours after supper when it was cooler, which meant a later bedtime.  Usually that wouldn't be a huge deal except our power went out a couple times in the night and we were all up and down restlessly.  A house the uses noise machines and fans at night is very quiet when there is no electricity!

Another week gone and the "dog days of summer" seemed to find us this week.  I'm pleased that we made an effort with our outside time even with the high temps.  I also implemented another little something for myself that I'm enjoying.  I tend to be really bad about buying non-fiction books I want to read and then not getting through them.  I either get so overwhelmed by reading it too fast and trying to absorb all the info, or I say "I'll read it next."  Yet next never comes because I didn't get through the one before it.  To help me with this I set up a cycle, much like people use in their homeschools.

This is my second week of this cycle and I'm really appreciating it.  I can set aside time each day to read one chapter of a book a day, and I am gleaning more from the books because I'm not overindulging in them by reading through it too fast.  If I miss a day, then I can read two chapters in two separate books the next day.  If I'm really enjoying a book, maybe I read an extra chapter.  It's a guide, not a hard and fast rule.  

My current homeschooling book is 8 Great Smarts.  This book is one I've started twice but stopped both times  I think I got overwhelmed because it made me think of each child and how I wanted to overhaul life and their learning strengths.  Reading it slower has helped that overwhelming feeling.  For apologetics I'm reading the book I purchased for Natalee and Xavier that's a bit too advanced for them this year, On Guard.  It's not riveting but it's solid.  I'm working on figuring out my big feelings (of which I've had many lately) and how to move forward, and so am using the book Find Your People in this season.  It was recommended in a large family group I'm in.  Praying Circles Around Your Children is the book I gifted to the friends who attended my encouragement weekend, and I'm appreciating it as I read through it.  My choice book this time is Women of the Word.  I've really liked using inductive Bible study methods in the past and done several through Pam Forester's Busy Mama Bible study website.  This book was recommended as a baseline to just help me understand the inductive study method overall so I can use it for any Scripture reading I'm doing.  I do understand the method on my own somewhat, but I think it's good for me to have this learning tool.  Using the inductive method has really helped me understand what the Bible says and what it means.

And that's that.  I'm also reading a Christian fiction series based around the historical Belmont mansion in Tennessee and am loving it.  I'll be ready for my field trip soon!

What's are you reading right now?