Summer Learning Challenge Week 4

Not all learning comes from books.

The reality is my great dreams of a Summer Learning Challenge didn't pan out as planned. Weeks 1 and 2 were pretty good. Week 3 was lost in the shuffle and chaos of Girl Scout camp. Even my avid reader hardly cracked open a book in her bedtime routine.

But I don't think all was lost. 

My kids learned how to make adorable poodle skirts and vests in the camp craft room. They played CSI in the math and science center. They learned to identify trees and learned about light pollution from my awesome co-leaders. And my daughter's task of "paint something?" She painted her own hiking stick (and I think herself in the process).

And with forecasted temperatures in the 90s, we nixed the idea of a weekend hike.

So if "planned" learning didn't go as planned, that is OK. There is always another time.

Week 4 Summer Learning Challenge ideas and activities:

Summer Learning Challenge for Incoming Sixth Grader: 

1. Keep taking care of your garden! It is supposed to be very hot this week; what extra steps do we need to do? Figure out what vegetables are done growing; harvest them, and plant new ones that do well in the summer.
2. Write about what makes America great for the kids' writing competition for Kids' World Travel Guide.
3. Volunteer at Vacation Bible School.
4. Sew something. 
5. Build something with your brother.
6. If it's not too hot, go for a weekend hike with mom. (Let's see if how close we can get to 100 miles on our Bicentennial Hiking Challenge this week!)

Summer Learning Challenge for Incoming Third Grader:

1. Keep taking care of your garden! It is supposed to be very hot this week; what extra steps do we need to do? Figure out what vegetables are done growing; harvest them, and plant new ones that do well in the summer.
2. Cook dinner one night.
3. Enjoy Vacation Bible School.
4. Shoot off a balloon rocket.
5. Get on ABCya and play some math games.
6. If it's not too hot, go for a weekend hike with mom. (Let's see if how close we can get to 100 miles on our Bicentennial Hiking Challenge this week!)

Summer Learning Challenge Week 3

Our Summer Learning Challenge has not been without its hiccups. Strange schedules - holiday weekends, sleepovers, tech week and an impromptu Super Sitters class- make for tired children, and getting used to a binder of "to-do's" hasn't been the easiest endeavor for my crew. But it's worth it. If I can train my soon-to-be middle schooler to review a checklist of assignments and make sure she's covered them all, this Summer Learning Challenge exercise will be worth all battles.

The funny thing is, it hasn't been all bad. My son has fallen in love with Multiplication Baseball from last week, and I've found homemade game sheets scattered all around the house. He's learning; I'm happy. #Win.

This week, we're taking it down a notch, as we have Girl Scout day camp this week. Yes, we. I volunteer, and little brother goes to hang out in the "bro" unit. I know from experience that we'll have worn-out children who will be all too eager to watch a movie when the days are done!

But we still are working on habits. Here's what's in our binder for Week 3:

Summer Learning Challenge for Incoming Sixth Grader:

1. Keep taking care of your garden! Figure out what vegetables are done growing; harvest them, and plant new ones that do well in the summer.
2. Create something with your 3D printer pen.
3. Read Charlie and the Chocolate Factory and start Charlie and the Great Glass Elevator so you know the story behind the play you want to try out.*
4. Check out an activity at the Summer Reading Program.
5. Go for a weekend hike with mom. (Let's see if how close we can get to 100 miles on our Bicentennial Hiking Challenge this week!)
6. Paint something.

*Yes, two books on a "light week" seems a bit strange, but I have a highly active reader!

Summer Learning Challenge for Incoming Third Grader:

1. Keep taking care of your garden! Figure out what vegetables are done growing; harvest them, and plant new ones that do well in the summer.
2. Read a bedtime story to mom.
3. Do a book report. 5 book reports = Gatorade!
4. Build a balloon-powered Lego car.
5. Check out an activity at the Summer Reading Program.
6. Go for a weekend hike with mom. Let's see if how close we can get to 100 miles on our Bicentennial Hiking Challenge this week!

What are your children learning this week? Share your ideas below!

Note: This post does contain affiliate links, which helps support this blog. 

Summer Learning Challenge Week 2

It's Memorial Day Weekend and our first full week of summer vacation!

It's also a crazy, busy week, as my daughter is in full-blown Tech Week with her theatre production. I feel blessed that she was accepted in the play that wasn't out until after the school year, because the 4-5 hour a night practices plus school would have been too much!

Here's what we're doing with this week's Summer Learning Challenge:

Incoming Third-Grade Boy:

• This is sis’s TECH WEEK! So it will be weird and busy. As they say in theatre, break a leg! What part of the English language is “break a leg”? _______
  (Note, my kids talk all the time about idioms. I don't personally understand it, but it's their thing. Seeing if they catch this!)
• —Make Tangrams with your sister.
• Cook a meal.
• Don’t forget to do at least 1 book report this week!
• Take care of your garden.
• Read Seaman’s Journal. (This is a book, told from a perspective of a dog who traveled with Lewis and Clark, that we got at the Lewis and Clark site in Missouri.) Write a nonfiction book report.
• Write a letter to your friend who moved out of state.
• Make a crossword puzzle for your sister.
• —Do the Lewis and Clark challenge. (OK, this is actually an online Junior Ranger program!)
• Play Math Baseball!

Incoming Sixth-Grade Girl:

• HAPPY TECH WEEK! As they say in theatre, break a leg! What part of the English language is “break a leg”? _______
• Make sure your theatre stuff is cleaned and put away each night.
• Find and pack a quiet activity in your tech week bag.
• —Work on your sewing project.
• Make Tangrams with your brother. 
• Take care of your garden.
• Pick a badge and work on it. Show mom what you did.
• Read.
• —Do the Lewis and Clark challenge
• —Pack your camp backpack.
• Get enough sleep! 

How is your summer learning going? Share your updates below!

Note: This post does contain affiliate links, which help support our family's adventures and this blog.

Summer Learning Challenge Week 1

Summer...learning? What??

I admit it. I want my kids to cherish their summer vacation at home, but I also don't want them to have their brain rot in front of a screen, either.  So this year I've instituted a weekly summer challenge to keep the kids' brains active and hopefully stave off some of the "I'm boreds."

How am I doing this challenge? Each of my kids is getting a binder with activities tailored toward their age and interests. My almost third-grader, who refuses to do AR until it's deadline time, has to focus a bit more on reading and retention. The carrot? For every five "book reports," he earns a Gatorade. Crazy, but it was just the incentive this little boy needed.

My almost-middle-schooler? She has different struggles: Follow-through and turning work in. So we're focusing on completing all the Junior Girl Scout badges she said she wanted to earn before she becomes a Cadette. I don't have to worry about the reading part, as she blew out the school record for AR points accumulated!

So between you and I, they're learning. But we won't tell them.

Week 1 Activities: Incoming 3rd Grade Boy

• —       Make sure all your school papers you don’t want to keep are recycled and the school supplies put away.
• —       Sign up for summer reading program.
• —       Read a book and finish your first book report of the summer. Remember, for 5 book reports you get a Gatorade!
• —       Take a hike with mom if the weather is good.
• —       Figure out how old our trees are in our yard! Use a measuring tape to measure around the trunk of the tree. The distance around the trunk of a tree is called the circumference. Write this measurement down on a piece of paper. The measurement of the circumference in inches is also the approximate age of the tree in years!
• —       Play “Defensive Multiplication” or another math game that’s not on the computer.
• —       Take care of your garden.
• —       Make a birthday card for Dad.

Week 1 Activities: Incoming 6th Grade Girl

• —       Make sure all your school papers you don’t want to keep are recycled and the school supplies put away.
• —       Sign up for summer reading program.
• —       Take a hike with mom if the weather is good.
• —       Organize your closet.
• —       Play “Defensive Multiplication” or another math game that’s not on the computer with your brother.
• —       Make a birthday card for Dad.
• —       Start your sewing project Grandma got you when we visited!
• —       Take care of your garden.

What are you doing with your kids to help them stay active this summer? Share your ideas below!

Easy First Communion Menu

My child's First Holy Communion was an amazing experience.  But it was also stressful for mom. 

The reason?  How to celebrate. 

Creating a First Communion party menu is a challenge at best.  A Google search and you'll be dismayed by big-budget catering menus or elaborate lunch plans. But we're a relatively simple family on a simpler budget. On top of that,  Mass was at noon,  which meant we'd have hungry second graders and guests by the time we got home. 

Oh, and did I mention the 80% chance of storms all day that day? What to do? 

If you're a mom like me,  who needs an easy go-to meal for your First Communion party, today I'm sharing our party plan with you. Hopefully this will ease some of the stress of this big day! 

Stress Free First Communion Party Menu

• Barbecue Pulled Chicken Sandwich 
• Hot dogs
• Coleslaw or Ramen salad
• Chips
• Vegetables and dip 
• Cupcakes

Day before:

• Bake cupcakes.  (Homemade or from a mix)
• Make coleslaw or Asian Ramen salad. 
• Prepare veggie dip if you hadn't pre-bought.
• Slice veggies for vegetable tray. (If you didn't buy pre-cut.)

That morning:

• Start barbecue chicken in slow cooker.

After Mass:

• Shred barbecue chicken; serve on buns.
• Cook hot dogs.
• Set out foods and enjoy a RELAXED meal with your loved ones - because this is what this kind of celebration is about!

Being Messy in God's Work

“Amen, amen, I say to you, whoever believes in me will do the works that I do, and will do greater ones than these, because I am going to the Father.”

I was blessed to be a part of CatholicMom.com's Daily Gospel Reflection Series for 2016. What an amazing experience!

Today's Gospel reflection focuses on the messiness of God's work, how God's path isn't always easy or comfortable. I liken that to this experience. Writing about the Gospels, or teaching about them in a way others might relate to, isn't something I'm used to doing. Others have had that gift and used it well. Being pulled to use my ability to write - in a new way for me, sharing the messiness and uncomfortableness that it can offer - was a difficult but rewarding experience.

I've waited six months since the story was submitted to see it live. If it strikes you, share your thoughts. If it inspires you, I'll feel blessed.

Where's the Cheapest Place to Get TurboTax 2015?

I've used TurboTax since the floppy disk days,  and I've grown in comfort with the product as our family lifestyle changes.

If you're already keeping tab on this year's TurboTax  prices,  here's what I'm seeing for early pricing for the tax software:

TurboTax Deluxe with State

• Best Buy $59.99
• Target $59.99
• Staples  $59.99
• Frys Electronics $59.99
• Office Max $49.99
• Walmart  $49.97
• Amazon has TurboTax Deluxe 2015 Federal + State Taxes + Fed Efile Tax Preparation Software - PC/Mac Disc listed for $39.85!! The download is the same price. 

Prices were checked Jan. 2, 2016.
Please note,  this does include an affiliate link to Amazon, and I receive a commission on sales at no charge to you.