Weekly Wrap-up ~ And .... We're OUT!!

In our regular life this week…

It was a stressful one! In fact, it was one of those kind of weeks where I just really wanted to curl up on the couch in my jammies with a bottle of wine (or four) and not leave it. Those of you who know me might think, "isn't that what you usually do anyway?", minus the four bottles of wine, of course. No, I mean get on the couch in my jammies and not get up for ANY reason for MANY DAYS IN A ROW kind of week.

I feel like we are a family who just kind of does what we are supposed to do when we are supposed to do it, not bothering anybody. And all around us are many who are not doing what they are supposed to do, trampling on everybody in their path and getting away with it. It's exhausting! And sometimes I just need a pity party .. in my jammies ... with wine.

Moving on ...

In our homeschool this week…

We finished our last week of this school year! Well, sort of. I mean, we will be taking a week off and then starting our summer school schedule (yeah, we have joined the schooling year-round bandwagon). And even though we are at the end of the kids' third grade year, they will still be third graders until probably January because we will still be doing third grade concepts through the fall. But since our public schools ended this week, we'll call it the end of the school year.

An update about Spelling: We used the sample lessons of Soaring with Spelling this week and LOVED IT! The kids really liked it and I loved the vocabulary, copywork, and syllable dividing aspect of it. It was like Spelling Plus! We will definitely be using it next year!!!

And the seeds are in! Finally!! Our Outdoor Classroom is ready for students!

I ended up making the grids for our Square Foot Garden out of some old fishing net we had. It worked perfect!! (I was going to braid ropes out of plastic bags, but that was taking forever.)

Eli was the director of the planting. He held the grid plans and told us what to plant where and how much.

We spent several days finalizing our plans. We made our first draft, then made changes so that we were sure that the tall plants weren't stealing sun from the low-growing plants. Then finally we researched "plant buddies" to make sure each plant was next to a friend and not an enemy. I've lived in a neighborhood with nasty neighbors. It's no fun!

Places we’re going and people we’re seeing…

As this was a finish-up week, we stayed at home most of the time. I did have an out-of-town appointment all day Wednesday, so the kids hung out with grandma. They did their schoolwork and she rewarded them with a couple of hours at the park and Dairy Queen treats.

Tonight we are going on a Scouting campout as a family. I can't say I am looking forward to it, but I am sure it will end up being fun.

We may try to go to the lake on Sunday for the day. And then again, maybe not. We'll see how things go. 

A favorite thing this week was…

This was a tough week, so I'll dig deep and say that it was the frog eggs my friend brought me for our Life Cycle study. Told ya I had to dig deep! Actually, she came to the door with her daughter carrying a small tray with a little bit of water in it. I swear I thought it was a snake in there! I've seen tadpoles before. But I have never seen them in the egg stage. Fascinating! We have our string of eggs and tadpoles in a shallow bucket on our back porch. We will be plotting their growth and watching them turn into little frogs. Pretty cool!

What's in the kitchen this week ...

I put a whole chicken in the crock pot early in the week that fed us for a few meals. I am already bored with summer cooking and summer hasn't even started. I am sure that will change when I can start cooking out of my garden.

What we're reading ...

Mom: Dark Places by Gillian Flynn, Becoming a Titus 2 Woman by Martha Peace, Created to be His Helpmeet by Debi Pearl, Gift from the Sea by Anne Morrow Lindbergh. ** I am STILL reading these books! Very little reading has been going on. Ughh!!

Eli: Diary of a Wimpy Kid: Roderick Rules by Jeff Kinney. 

Brynne: Scout (Puppy Place) by Ellen Miles

Read-aloud: Secrets of the Scotch Broom (Herb Fairies series) and Chitty Chitty Bang Bang by Ian Fleming.

I ordered a bunch of books for the kids for their summer reading. Brynne got more Puppy Place books and Eli got Captain Underpants and George Brown, Class Clown. They are pretty much set for the summer. I also made a new list of books I want to read this summer.

Things we're working on…

Well I am working on tiny bits of landscaping whenever I can. I spread a little grass seed yesterday after I got tired of mowing our dirt. I can't wait to have a plush, green yard with bushes and flowers. For now I am just planting a little here and there. I bought a couple of Salvias on clearance and planted them by my hummingbird feeder. And I bought some spring planting Peony bulbs that I am hoping will take! I also went to my grandma's and dug up some hydrangea roots praying that they will grow. My grandma has the most beautiful hydrangea bush at her house that died last year, but it has new shoots coming up. I would love to be able to carry that on!

I’m grateful for ...

Simple living even when people around me try to complicate it.

In the garden…

Is that a jalapeño??

And a green pepper?

What's coming up this week ...

A week of summer break which means playing for the kids and reading for me (I hope!). My mom has a hankerin' to start on some of my household projects I have been putting off, however, so I am fearful we may be doing some of that. She and I are heading up to Kansas City on Wednesday to see all of the remodeling my sister has been doing in her house. I have my women's circle at church on Tuesday night and Brynne has a softball game on Thursday night.

Things you might have missed at Journey to Excellence ...

• Rick and I had a fun Church date in Dating Through the Alphabet.
• J was for Journey to a Frog, Butterfly, Chicken.
• I did a full End of the Year Review.
• Our family celebrated Kyndal's high school graduation with a day at the lake.

A photo, video, link, or quote to share (silly, serious or both!)…

School's out!!!

We are happily linking up this week at the following sites: