Blogging for the Better

It's been quite a while since I wrote a post on this blog - quite a while during which I had a million thoughts to share and more ideas to write about than I knew what to do with.... So what happened? Why didn't I write up and post a single one of the myriad of topics that have gone through my head in the past couple of months (Has it been that long? It certainly feels like it.)?

Climate Change is a Bitch...But Life Goes On

It has been a very wet and weirdly cold Spring in my region of the world.  I've lost a good half of the foxglove patch and a planter full of tomato, carrot, and marigold seeds due to drainage issues (and my poor placement of the patch), watched hard rains pummel and move seeds around their pots and in our few ground plots, have seen several herbs shrivel due to lack of sun and warmth, and waited anxiously for blooms on tomato plants that should be here but haven't come yet due to the unseasonable temperatures.  Yes, we haven't had a frost in a while now, but in this area, I should already be having to put my lettuce in the shade to prevent bolting and be seeing those same pollinators we attracted in the brief warm moments of early Spring hanging around the garden full-time by now... Instead, I've got a planter to set up again - with better drainage this time (and no more of that horrible hydrophobic potting soil we had accidentally purchased!) - successive plantings to do that had been put off because of the weather, and a bunch of well-watered plants that need to be fertilized...

Surviving the Store with a Scavenger Hunt

Normally, I try to save my errands for the weekends or evenings to avoid disrupting our homeschool schedule with trips around town.  Yesterday, however, I had several items that I urgently needed and the shopping trip to get them couldn't wait any longer.  Knowing I'd be distracted looking for the things I need, I didn't want to neglect the J-Rex's schooling for the duration of the trip and I also wanted to avoid the inevitable chaos that typically accompanies store trips with young children.  So, I decided to turn our errand into an adventuresome scavenger hunt that incorporated math concepts we're currently working on, visual scanning practice (this happens pretty much any time you tell a visually impaired youngster to look for something), and basic economic concepts:

May Day Play Day

Happy May Day! This past week has been a busy one - ha, who am I kidding, every week is busy - a week where I've had a million and one ideas for blog posts without a minute to put my thoughts to bits and bites. Today being May Day, a day of new beginnings and the Joy of Spring, I think it's the perfect time for a new post!

the very beginnings of a home-grown strawberry

May Day is a dual holiday for me: As a born and raised political liberal and fan of the labor unions, I am happy to recognize all the working class people that fought so hard to make our lives easier today with the 40-hour work-week and safe working conditions on International Workers' Day! As a pagan, I also observe May Day as Beltane, the celebration of Spring, fertility, and life.  So, just to make our day as full of celebration as possible, we decided to honor both holidays today!

My Little Slice of Heaven

Over the past week, I've managed to think of several ideas for blog posts, but haven't had the time to write them.  Such is the life of the ambitious, gardening, homeschooling mom... some weeks - especially during planting season - are so much busier than you would think.

Last week was a doozy.  A pleasant set of tasks, to be sure, but, boy, did I have a lot to do!

Survival of the fittest

I picked what turned out to be the absolute worst spot in the garden to plant my foxglove.  What I didn't know when I tilled and planted the flower patch, was that, not only did I inadvertently choose the lowest spot in the garden where all the water pools up but the slats from the porch above us creates waterfalls that pummel the ground in neat little lines when it rains.

During the first big rain after planting, I was fully convinced I had lost all of my foxglove seeds to drowning but, towards the beginning of last week, I started seeing little flower sprouts all over the patch! I was so excited to see that most of my seeds had survived!

Some Days are Such a Blast... A Trinitrotoluene Blast, That Is

These are the days I question myself and my decision to homeschool.*  If you've been reading this blog, you've read about an exceptionally good day in our homeschooling life.  Now, to provide some reality and perspective, I’ll tell you about what a bad day looks like in our household:

Before school even starts, the J-Rex takes over an hour to complete her morning chores that, on good days, can be completed in 10 minutes with ease.  Even then, the hubs and I find ourselves giving her yet more time to finish the parts she neglected, like cleaning up after herself in the bathroom, despite the fact that every single step of her chores are typed on a list and posted in multiple places throughout the house.

We have breakfast and the parental units can’t enjoy our own food because we constantly have to tell the J-Rex to eat, despite the fact that it’s one of her favorite breakfasts.

Now two hours after getting up, we finally get started on school and the J-Rex begins her (routine at this point in the year) Calendar Time, which typically takes about 15-20 minutes.  Today, it takes over an hour and when I check her work, significant parts have not been completed, so I give her more time to finish. 

We go on to our word of the day and, as I’m discussing the meaning of the word “foray” and explaining how to work through a brain-teaser question about the word, the J-Rex starts playing with some hair that was stuck under her eye patch and completely tunes me out, leading to her first time out of the day.  We talk. I explain how I need her attention, she apologizes and we go on to have a fun time completing our word of the day brain teaser, quote of the day, and quiz question of the day.  I feel relieved and have hope for a good day despite a rough beginning…