Week 3 ~ Searching for Balance

I should have titled this post "Searching for balance and people who do what they say they are going to do the first time". I am so frustrated with the lack of follow-through I see all around me. This week alone I can count a half dozen experiences where people have failed to do what they said they would do the first time. I realize that part of this is because we are a complicated family that I am trying to juggle, plus we have a higher than average amount of appointments and bureaucracy to deal with on a daily basis than many have. But really, when you say you are going to do something, do it already. Why do I have to call over and over again to get things accomplished? I wonder why the world seems to be more complicated now when we have all this media and technology that is supposed to make it easier. On the bright side, Goldilocks' insurance is supposed to be moved back next week to her former pediatrician whom we love. (Her former mental health home wanted her with a different doctor because they didn't want to drive the 10 extra miles to take her to our preferred pediatrician.)  I have been struggling to get that accomplished since the first week of June! That is just one wrinkle in the quilt of life that is filled with dozens of wrinkles. Really, this little rant is not meant to be a pity party. I know we all have struggles; this just happens to be my sticking point right now.

This week has been a week filled with good things! I feel like I remained intentional and was able to do things that were important and meaningful for our family. We accomplished fun, learning, work, and shared loving moments.

We accomplished lots of science. Our most recent Tinker Crate was about flight and the Wright brothers. How perfect is that after our recent trip to the Outer Banks and the Wright Brothers National Memorial?! The kids made nine planes and gliders. Then they made a blimp (held up by helium balloons) and tested how much weight it could take by filling it with rice a few grains at a time.

We attended the movie, Alexander and the Terrible, Horrible, No Good, Very Bad Day. It was fantastic and left us in stitches. We also visited our local mineral and gem museum, which we try to go to once a month with our annual pass. The kids are learning so much from going back repeatedly to the museum and doing their different scavenger hunts. This time the museum's geode cracking machine was working so we purchased a geode. The kids were so excited to see their geode cracked and be the first to see the inside. How amazing that something so beautiful comes from gas bubbles in a volcanic eruption!

Their geode was clear quartz and amethyst quartz

The kids made a Roman sundial to go along with our Ancient Rome studies. They really didn't enjoy this project, but it came out pretty good. However, they are really enjoying Augustus Caesar's World. I knew this book would be a perfect fit for them.

May I just say that I love Life of Fred? The kids just eat it up and are retaining what they learn. This format works so well for them. It isn't easy stuff, either. We are still in the elementary series, but they are already getting a taste of algebra. This is what our white board looked like after a few chapters this week.

The kids did a fair amount of seat work this week. They made it through all of the writing, spelling and math. We also completed Fever, 1793 by Laurie Halse Anderson and started Hatchet by Gary Paulsen.

Anne always has that Rubiks Cube handy. She has figured out how to solve it in minutes ~
no matter how much someone messes it up.

Lastly, I decided to take all of our art supplies down to the basement. We had a ton and the art cabinet was always a disaster. This arrangement is so much better. It sure was a mess getting it all moved, though.

Now I can find stuff!

How was your week?

Blessings, Dawn