What we are eating and/or in the Garden Wednesdays

more lettuce
picked and froze more purple beans and yellow beans
picked our first cucumber
cherry tomatoes are flowering
saw a beginning broccoli head
many small summer squash on the vine
corn is knee high, so on pace since corn is suppose to be (at least up nort')
"knee high by the 4th of July"
thinning out the onions

spinach is done, probably won't plant more, so will pull and start more lettuce
radishes are done, still need to learn to thin better for bigger radish heads

summer routine

in a summer routine during the week so not much to say

wake up at 6:00am

my 10 mile bike ride

swim lessons and gymnastics in the am for Tuki

summer school for Ve & Mim

my 2 mile run

swim lessons for Ve & Mim after school

nap

yard work

house work

relax

bed

an interesting event this am, 3 girls born in Guatemala were in the pool all at once, 4 international adopted kids (1 China) were in the pool at once and 5 adopted children (1 domestic adoption) of color were at swim lessons----all this happening in our small town

T E E N A G E R

in the house

argue, argue, argue,

"It isn't fair"

"You don't know"

"I want to wear this" (too small & too tight)

"So & so has this, so I need this"

"You don't like me"


POOR POOR POOR misunderstood Mim, the teenage years are hard


ON ALL OF US!!

Wednesdays: What are we eating from the garden?

Well let me tell you:

lettuce
purple (green) beans
radishes

nothing like fresh salads.....

Summer Education

Ve is in the enrichment program at summer school. They are learning about plants.
I am supplementing her education at home this summer with basic math skills and a reading/writing activity which I will explain later.

Mim is in the math summer program. I hate math, I hate teaching math because if students don't understand it, I have a difficult time figuring out a way to explain for understanding. So naturally Mim and I heave heated moments when I try to help. That is all I will say here about that. I am also supplementing her education at home with reading activities.

Tuki is still too young for summer school so I decided to have her do 4 weeks/4 days a week of swimming and then once a week gymnastics. I then supplement her learning with the reading activity and learning a few words.

My reading activity for each of the girls is essentially the same with different expectations for their outcomes.

Mim needs to read a few chapters in a book, and then summarize what she learned verbally to me and then write it (summarize) into a notebook as well. I also hope to add spelling in as well a few times this summer.

Ve reads sight word book, tells me what it was about. If she can't I have her read it again and stress that she needs to think about what she is reading. She then draws a few pictures in summary and writes a few words about the book. She continues to learn more sight words, thus increasing her vocabulary, with flash cards as well.

I read a book of Tuks choosing to her, she tells me what it was about and then she draws a picture to summarize her understanding. I started teaching her a few simple sight words simply because she wanted me to.

This reading activity takes maybe 1 1/2 hours, then the rest of the day is free. By the time all this summer education, formal & informal is complete for the day, it is close to 2:00pm. BUT, I think it will be worth it in the long run.

My hope is to teach the girls to think about the reading, which trust me MANY students don't know how to do. In addition they need to summarize the reading in some way at the appropriate age level, in hopes of increasing comprehension. This is what many kids learning a second language struggle with.

I know, I know, my poor kids having a teacher for a Mama...........

First week

A full first week (8 days) of summer vacation completed.

Graduation party for niece M
3 days at Kalahari & a visit to the ICF
Kestrel banding
Attended the Energy Fair
Overnight visit from friends M & B
Graduation party for a friend's daughter
daily care & feeding of critters around home

Now tomorrow, Mim and Ve start summer school, Tuki starts swim lessons and gymnastics classes and DaVinci starts agility class this coming week as well.

Me, well I will continue with my morning exercise, and start cleaning and organizing this house room by room. I tend to do this intensive cleaning every couple of years

Today

Painting experts, I coated this dresser with clear Krylon Primer and then spray painted over it. What is causing this puckering and HOW CAN I PREVENT IT??!! Thanks in advance.
Lady in waiting with the flowering primrose
garden shots
our garden with weeds and all.
squash & cabbage
Tuks posing in the garden