It's Weekly Wrap-up time at Weird, Unsocialized Homeschoolers. This has been a weird but very social week here in SmallWorld.
On Monday, we went to the pool for the first time this summer. I completely forgot that Duncan began Cub Scout Twilight Camp that evening; fortunately, Donna reminded me when she called to figure out carpooling. And that's all I remember about Monday.
On Tuesday, we went to the pool again. This time we stayed a bit too long and got a little fried. But I got to chat a long time with my friend Julie, who had been out of town for awhile. I made something delicious for supper, but I don't remember what.
On Wednesday, we did not go to the pool. I have no idea what we did. I think I planted some flowers and pulled some weeds. I probably did a lot of laundry.
On Thursday, Jesse left at 8 a.m. for Philmont Boy Scout Ranch in New Mexico. If you know anything about Boy Scouts, you know that Philmont is the pinnacle event of the scouting experience. The group put their reservation in two years ago, and at last, their trip begins. And that's why I can't remember anything except the pool about Monday, Tuesday, and Wednesday: our entire lives have basically been consumed by Preparing for Philmont for the last week. And now he's gone for an amazing 12-day adventure, plus 4 days of driving there and back. Maybe I can remember some stuff now. Yeah, and on Thursday, we went to the pool after Laurel's flute lesson. We were there for 20 minutes and then a huge storm hit, so we can home. It's lovely to live a minute from the pool.
On Friday, surprise! We went to the pool. We had loads of fun and stayed way too long, but it was worth it. Duncan and I also planted a bunch of flowers today. We're headed out now to the closing ceremonies for Cub Scout camp, which will include a bonfire.
And so there you have our first full week of summer vacation. I think we spent it appropriately: a lot of pool time, packing and departing on a very big trip, Cub Scout camp, sleeping late, and planting flowers.
How was your week?
Friday, June 12, 2009
Thursday, June 11, 2009
Three Beautiful Things
1. A summer thunderstorm, not long after I planted a bunch of thirsty flowers.
2. Pool passes, so I don't feel bad about only being at the pool for 20 minutes before the storm hit and the pool closed.
3. The prospect of a newly painted dining room.
What beautiful things are happening in your life today?
2. Pool passes, so I don't feel bad about only being at the pool for 20 minutes before the storm hit and the pool closed.
3. The prospect of a newly painted dining room.
What beautiful things are happening in your life today?
Wednesday, June 10, 2009
Tuesday, June 9, 2009
Filling the Flowerbeds
When we moved into this house nine springs ago, I was absolutely thrilled with all the landscaping that was already in place. Besides loads of trees, there were two large and one tiny flowerbed already laid out, lightly mulched, and planted with mostly bulbs (irises, several varieties of lilies and daffodils) and azaleas.
The problem, though, was that the flowerbeds were really big and relatively empty in spite of the bulbs. But I love gardening and what I saw was potential. Nine years later, I'm still seeing potential. I've transplanted bulbs every year and added various perennials: roses, lavender, bee balm, hostas, Coral Bells, Black-eyed Susans, heather, rosemary, hibiscus, phlox, lantana, chrysanthemums. Still, every year I have empty spaces that have to be filled with either annuals or more perennials, which can be expensive. I can only add a few of those each year.
One of my favorite ways to add to the flowerbeds cheaply is to root impatiens and begonia stems. I always have several vases of stems rooting in my kitchen window, and people invariably ask what I'm doing and express amazement that one can do this. Growing up in a horticulturally obsessed family, I guess I figured everyone knew this could be done. So in case you don't know, here's how to do it.
First, cut about a few 3-5 inch stems from a plant you already have. I like to winter a few pots of impatiens indoors so that I always have some to start with in the spring. I also buy a flat of impatiens each spring to get things started, adding them both to containers and to the flowerbeds.
Now put them into little vases filled with water. These are flasks that Dr. H. brings home from his lab, but you can get cute little flasks at Walmart in the craft section for a couple of dollars. Or just use whatever you have. It's important to always keep the water level covering the stem, so check it each day. They drink a lot.
In about a week for impatiens or a couple of weeks for begonias, if you've kept the water level up, you should see roots. You've done your job.
Now go plant them. It's best to plant in the evening so they aren't attacked by the sun immediately upon planting. Impatiens like the shade; begonias do fine in the shade or the sun. Water thoroughly. You can also buy a bunch of impatiens seeds and sprinkle around, but you won't have the instant satisfaction of free flowers.
As soon as you plant those, go cut some more from your original plant, and start another batch. And ultimately—if you give them plenty of water—you'll have something like this:
The problem, though, was that the flowerbeds were really big and relatively empty in spite of the bulbs. But I love gardening and what I saw was potential. Nine years later, I'm still seeing potential. I've transplanted bulbs every year and added various perennials: roses, lavender, bee balm, hostas, Coral Bells, Black-eyed Susans, heather, rosemary, hibiscus, phlox, lantana, chrysanthemums. Still, every year I have empty spaces that have to be filled with either annuals or more perennials, which can be expensive. I can only add a few of those each year.
One of my favorite ways to add to the flowerbeds cheaply is to root impatiens and begonia stems. I always have several vases of stems rooting in my kitchen window, and people invariably ask what I'm doing and express amazement that one can do this. Growing up in a horticulturally obsessed family, I guess I figured everyone knew this could be done. So in case you don't know, here's how to do it.
First, cut about a few 3-5 inch stems from a plant you already have. I like to winter a few pots of impatiens indoors so that I always have some to start with in the spring. I also buy a flat of impatiens each spring to get things started, adding them both to containers and to the flowerbeds.
Now put them into little vases filled with water. These are flasks that Dr. H. brings home from his lab, but you can get cute little flasks at Walmart in the craft section for a couple of dollars. Or just use whatever you have. It's important to always keep the water level covering the stem, so check it each day. They drink a lot.In about a week for impatiens or a couple of weeks for begonias, if you've kept the water level up, you should see roots. You've done your job.
Now go plant them. It's best to plant in the evening so they aren't attacked by the sun immediately upon planting. Impatiens like the shade; begonias do fine in the shade or the sun. Water thoroughly. You can also buy a bunch of impatiens seeds and sprinkle around, but you won't have the instant satisfaction of free flowers.As soon as you plant those, go cut some more from your original plant, and start another batch. And ultimately—if you give them plenty of water—you'll have something like this:
I perhaps owe having become a painter to flowers.
~Claude Monet
~Claude Monet
Monday, June 8, 2009
Monday Miscellany
* Yes, it's supposed to be Monday Memory day, but really I am too lazy to go photo-hunting. So instead, it's Monday Miscellany.
* Speaking of memories, I was remembering today how incredibly hard it used to be to go to the pool. Now that my kids are good swimmers, I can sit back and chat with my friends. I never thought I'd get to this stage, but it is lovely. If you still have little ones, you'll get there, too, someday. Really!
* Speaking of the pool, this is our first real day of summer vacation, so we went to the pool for the first time. Our city has a fantastic community pool, complete with a huge slide and a few diving boards. For the first time in three or four years, my daughter isn't swimming on the swim team, so we are going to spend loads of time playing at the pool. It's more fun for her to swim at the pool when she doesn't have swim practice later in the evening.
* This morning Duncan and I were out doing yard work. I asked him to put "that" in the shed, pointing to the snow shovel. (It was out because Jesse was shoveling old sand out of the sandbox and into the new flowerbed.) "What is this thing anyway?" he asked. I told him it was a snow shovel. "What is it used for?" he asked. My boy is truly a southerner. We have never needed to use a snow shovel in his entire life. We probably could have left that behind in Iowa.
* My 16-year-old is getting ready to go to Philmont Boy Scout ranch in New Mexico. He'll be hiking for 12 straight days, and he'll be lucky to get one shower. We spent $40 on a pair of hiking pants this weekend, and we've been told that they'll stink so badly when he returns that we'll have to burn them.
* I need new recipes. I am officialy tired of every single meal that I make. I want light, summery, and extraordinarily delicious fare. Ideas?
* Speaking of memories, I was remembering today how incredibly hard it used to be to go to the pool. Now that my kids are good swimmers, I can sit back and chat with my friends. I never thought I'd get to this stage, but it is lovely. If you still have little ones, you'll get there, too, someday. Really!
* Speaking of the pool, this is our first real day of summer vacation, so we went to the pool for the first time. Our city has a fantastic community pool, complete with a huge slide and a few diving boards. For the first time in three or four years, my daughter isn't swimming on the swim team, so we are going to spend loads of time playing at the pool. It's more fun for her to swim at the pool when she doesn't have swim practice later in the evening.
* This morning Duncan and I were out doing yard work. I asked him to put "that" in the shed, pointing to the snow shovel. (It was out because Jesse was shoveling old sand out of the sandbox and into the new flowerbed.) "What is this thing anyway?" he asked. I told him it was a snow shovel. "What is it used for?" he asked. My boy is truly a southerner. We have never needed to use a snow shovel in his entire life. We probably could have left that behind in Iowa.
* My 16-year-old is getting ready to go to Philmont Boy Scout ranch in New Mexico. He'll be hiking for 12 straight days, and he'll be lucky to get one shower. We spent $40 on a pair of hiking pants this weekend, and we've been told that they'll stink so badly when he returns that we'll have to burn them.
* I need new recipes. I am officialy tired of every single meal that I make. I want light, summery, and extraordinarily delicious fare. Ideas?
Sunday, June 7, 2009
Family Friday
Although three of us siblings live within 45 minutes of each other, we rarely see each other during the "off season"—that is, the half of the year when my parents are in New York at their other home. But this past Friday evening, my middle brother invited everyone over to his house for an impromptu party. The occasion: his daughter was unexpectedly in town with her 14-month old son, whom most of us had not yet met.
Amazingly, the vast majority of the family came. It was a perfect ending to a hectic week: homemade ice-cream, babies, and a rousing game of Mao.
Those are my middle two brothers, John and Peter, with their grandbabies, Abigail and Justus. It's weird that my brothers are Grandpas. But they are SO way older than I am.
Cousins Abigail and Justus, who are just a couple of weeks apart, met for the first time. They were really too precious for words.
That's my Laurel with Abigail. My poor little girl was surrounded by brothers and boy cousins, as all the girl cousins were teenagers when she was born. She is enjoying having her own baby girl cousin now.
Duncan is always excited when he gets to see his cousin Xavier. They are peas in a pod, and my niece April and I always vow to get them together more. But like most of those plans, they never seem to come to fruition.
We've made plans to get together again for the 4th of July, which is always a frighteningly fun night with my brothers. They are not to be trusted with fireworks.
Amazingly, the vast majority of the family came. It was a perfect ending to a hectic week: homemade ice-cream, babies, and a rousing game of Mao.
Those are my middle two brothers, John and Peter, with their grandbabies, Abigail and Justus. It's weird that my brothers are Grandpas. But they are SO way older than I am.
Cousins Abigail and Justus, who are just a couple of weeks apart, met for the first time. They were really too precious for words.
That's my Laurel with Abigail. My poor little girl was surrounded by brothers and boy cousins, as all the girl cousins were teenagers when she was born. She is enjoying having her own baby girl cousin now.
Duncan is always excited when he gets to see his cousin Xavier. They are peas in a pod, and my niece April and I always vow to get them together more. But like most of those plans, they never seem to come to fruition.
We've made plans to get together again for the 4th of July, which is always a frighteningly fun night with my brothers. They are not to be trusted with fireworks.
Thursday, June 4, 2009
Thursday Thirteen
Lists are such good things to do when one's brain is drained from 2 intense weeks of camp planning, preparation, and implementation! This week I'm joining Thursday {Thirteen} at Happy to Be at Home.
In 10 days, all my kids will be at camp. My oldest will be at Philmont Boy Scout camp for 16 days, and my younger ones will be at day camp—all day camp. While I have been away from my kids for a day or two every now and then, I have not had the house all to myself for more than a couple of hours in about 16 years. I have a big list of things I'd like to do in the house while they are gone. I'll be happy to get the first one done.
1. Refinish the dining room floors.
2. Paint the dining room.
3. Paint Duncan's room.
4. Work in the flowerbeds.
5. Go to Hobby Lobby and mindlessly wander throughout every aisle of the store.
6. Meet a friend for lunch.
7. Blog every day.
8. Record what we've done this year in school and see what I need to purchase for next year.
9. Begin lesson plans for the classes I'll teach at co-op next year.
10. Clean our bedroom.
11. Go to McKay's Used Books all by myself.
12. Wander around Target aimlessly.
13. Do an enormous grocery-shopping trip.
What would you do if you had the house to yourself?
Wednesday, June 3, 2009
Tuesday, June 2, 2009
Books Read in May
May was a strange reading month for me. Most of it was devoted to reading middle-grade readers in preparation for a literature circle class I'm going to be teaching at our co-op this fall. Also, I have been so swamped with AHG camp preparation that I haven't gotten around to reviewing most of the books. So check back on my SmallWorld Reads blog next week for more reviews!
Books Reviewed:
Epileptic by David B.: a pretty weird graphic novel. This turned out to be only the first volume.
Cutting for Stone by Abraham Verghese. I absolutely loved this. And the author sent me an email thanking me for the review! I swooned.
Stargirl by Jerry Spinelli. Middle-grade reader. Everyone seems to love this; I wasn't crazy about it.
Ties That Bind, Ties That Break. Middle-grade reader. I really liked this one.
Books Read but Not Yet Reviewed:
The Diary of a Young Girl by Anne Frank. Amazing, of course. But I don't think I'll use this one for class for various reasons.
The Boy in the Striped Pajamas by John Boyne. Fantastic. This will likely be one of the books we'll read.
Where the Red Fern Grows by Wilson Rawls. It's been a good 25 years since I last read this one. It's still fantastic, but I don't think this will be one of my choices.
Julie of the Wolves by Jean Craighead George. Again, I haven't read this one since I was a teenager. Not going to make the cut.
Sounder by William Armstrong. Loved it, and I don't think I've ever read this one before.
I'm currently reading Farewell to Manzanar. I have decided, in the course of all these reading, to do a themed literature circle—World War 2 Perspectives. As of right now, I'm thinking our three books (it's a 10-week session) will be The Boy in the Striped Pajamas, Farewell to Manzanar, and Number the Stars. Each presents a different perspective of the WW2 experience.
If all goes well, I may do another one with a canine theme with Where the Red Fern Grows, Julie of the Wolves, and Sounder as possibilities. We'll see.
I'd love to start tackling my own TBR list, but next I'm going to make the final decisions on the books we'll be reading for my World Lit class for high schoolers next year.
Read any good books lately?
Books Reviewed:
Epileptic by David B.: a pretty weird graphic novel. This turned out to be only the first volume.
Cutting for Stone by Abraham Verghese. I absolutely loved this. And the author sent me an email thanking me for the review! I swooned.
Stargirl by Jerry Spinelli. Middle-grade reader. Everyone seems to love this; I wasn't crazy about it.
Ties That Bind, Ties That Break. Middle-grade reader. I really liked this one.
Books Read but Not Yet Reviewed:
The Diary of a Young Girl by Anne Frank. Amazing, of course. But I don't think I'll use this one for class for various reasons.
The Boy in the Striped Pajamas by John Boyne. Fantastic. This will likely be one of the books we'll read.
Where the Red Fern Grows by Wilson Rawls. It's been a good 25 years since I last read this one. It's still fantastic, but I don't think this will be one of my choices.
Julie of the Wolves by Jean Craighead George. Again, I haven't read this one since I was a teenager. Not going to make the cut.
Sounder by William Armstrong. Loved it, and I don't think I've ever read this one before.
I'm currently reading Farewell to Manzanar. I have decided, in the course of all these reading, to do a themed literature circle—World War 2 Perspectives. As of right now, I'm thinking our three books (it's a 10-week session) will be The Boy in the Striped Pajamas, Farewell to Manzanar, and Number the Stars. Each presents a different perspective of the WW2 experience.
If all goes well, I may do another one with a canine theme with Where the Red Fern Grows, Julie of the Wolves, and Sounder as possibilities. We'll see.
I'd love to start tackling my own TBR list, but next I'm going to make the final decisions on the books we'll be reading for my World Lit class for high schoolers next year.
Read any good books lately?
Monday, June 1, 2009
Camp, Day 1
Today, the first day of our American Heritage Girls summer camp, we concentrated on the zoology badge. We had a morning filled with …
Crafts
Insects
Songs
A visit from the Zoomobile
Games
And lots of screaming upon encountering our mascot, the polar bear!
Day 2, tomorrow. Tonight, we'll all sleep well.
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