Saturday, August 20, 2011

We'll start eventually

Remember my big talk about starting school part-time in August? Maybe I didn't post about it. I'm not going to go back and look, so I don't expect you to either. Anyway, it hasn't worked out. Violet and I just aren't motivated. I've been really busy with work. This is convention season and handling the preparations behind the scenes (writing Power Point presentations for speakers, coordinating with the sponsors, getting the trade show booth organized, etc.) has kept me busy. I had to write 9 presentations and review/proofread another 6. And coordinate the final processing and submission of them. All on different topics. Needless to say, it took a lot of time and for a few nights I was dreaming in Power Point.

Violet has been too busy being creative to do school work. She's discovered the joy of Shrinky Dinks. (If you want plain Shrinky Dink paper, order it directly from the company, it is a great deal compared to third parties and arrives lickety split! Shrinky Dinks). And she's been busy finding paper doll patterns online, coloring them and printing them out. Then creating more clothes for them. Then turning them into Shrinky Dinks. And the jigsaw puzzles are back out and she's got a stack of library books she's going through. Add in some baking she did and I think we've covered the major subjects:

  • baking = math and science
  • paper dolls = art and history (the dolls she likes were published in the newspaper in the 1920's and 1930's)
  • Shrinky Dinks = art and science, also economics as we searched for the best deal on paper
  • reading = language arts
  • Wild West Town = history, physical education (we walked miles back and forth across that park!)
  • jigsaw puzzles = logic skills
  • county fairs = agriculture studies, home economics, art appreciation (we always look at the art and photography exhibits) and more physical education
So, I'd say we're doing okay. Of course, I have all this great curriculum just sitting there waiting for us. Maybe when it cools off we'll feel more like it.

Next week is a conference in Michigan. Then another fair to go to the next week and Labor Day. Then another conference followed by another fair. Then maybe we'll get serious.

But I doubt it.



Tuesday, August 16, 2011

Adventure Days

Sorry I haven't written much this summer. I've been working a lot, Mr. Incredible's new business is really picking up. And when I can take days off, Violet and I have been having Adventure Days. Today we went to Wild West Town.

We live very close, yet never go. It is always the case, isn't it? It was Violet's first visit. She loved the pony rides and the little roller coaster. I enjoyed lunch in the steakhouse and just being out with her. The Wild West Show was fun. And the cowboys working there did get into character.

We are exhausted tonight. Check out the website, in particular the help wanted link. Where else do you see a list of job openings that includes trick ropers and gold miners?