Tackle It on Tuesday: Pants for Mr. Tumnus

Last week, I shared that my task I was hoping to tackle of the past week was to complete the furry legs for Kelsey's costume. Was I successful?

Kelsey with her Mr. Tumnus furry legs

Task tackled!! And I have to say, I am so happy that this task is complete. We have just started two weeks of every day rehearsals and I keep reminding myself, 'this is just a season'. We are generally not this busy. In addition to the play, I have been helping to plan and prepare for an upcoming conference. So needless to say, there are some tasks around my home that are not getting done right now. Again, I remind myself, 'this is just a season'.

So during this busy season, what am I hoping to tackle this next week?

1000 piece panoramic puzzle in progress

Last week, I pulled out this puzzle that had been unopened for quite some time. I thought it might be a great way to reduce a little of the stress that comes with a very busy schedule. My husband and I worked on the outside edges, then Kelsey has spent a bit of time on it. Then, last night, Matthew started in on it. Think we can finish this by next Tuesday? Come back next week and find out!

Do you have a project you would like to tackle in the next week? I would love for you to join me! Let's help keep each other accountable as we tackle projects around our home, so here are the rules:

1. Below is the link up. Please share the URL for your specific blog post. (Makes it easier for us all to find it.)
2. Once your post is up, visit the other bloggers. Comment on their post and give them some encouragement to make progress on their project for the week.
3. Come back next week so we can share our progress. And hey, some projects might take longer than a week! So don't be discouraged if your project is not finished yet. Let's celebrate the step-by-step progress we are making!

Tackle It on Tuesday: My Desk

Last week, I shared with you my idea of doing a weekly link up where we share something we would like to tackle over the upcoming week. My project this past week was my desk.

My messy desk

With being out of town for three days over the last week, I wasn't sure if I was going to have a chance to tackle this one project. But Mondays are usually one day out of the week that we are home. So, even though there are still some piles on my desk, I believe it looks a whole lot better than it did the week before!

My desk with less clutter!

So what am I planning on tackling this upcoming week?

Mr. Tumnus costume!

Back in September, my daughter enrolled in a drama class with a local homeschool group. In just two and a half weeks, they will be performing 'The Lion, the Witch, and the Wardrobe'. Kelsey is playing the part of Mr. Tumnus! (She is really excited about this part!) Well, Mr. Tumnus needs some furry legs. So I will be attempting to take these two yards of furry material and turning them into furry leg pants for Kelsey to wear as part of her costume. Sounds like fun, doesn't it?!? Wish me luck!!

Do you have a project you would like to tackle in the next week? I would love for you to join me! Let's help keep each other accountable as we tackle projects around our home, so here are the rules:

1. Below is the link up. Please share the URL for your specific blog post. (Makes it easier for us all to find it.)
2. Once your post is up, visit the other bloggers. Comment on their post and give them some encouragement to make progress on their project for the week.
3. Come back next week so we can share our progress. And hey, some projects might take longer than a week! So don't be discouraged if your project is not finished yet. Let's celebrate the step-by-step progress we are making!

Our Homeschool Plan 2013-2014

This past week has been our last week of summer vacation since we plan to start our homeschool year on Tuesday, the day after Labor Day. Many of our friends have already started school for this year, but neither one of us were ready to start quite yet.

Here is what we will be using this year:

• Exploring Creation with General Science – I was able to find an older edition for $10! Kelsey is looking forward to the many experiments in this book.
• What on Earth Can I Do? – I went through the previous three books in this series with both kids and have been waiting for this fourth book!
• Mystery of History II – This will be our second time through this one. I will be assigning different activities for Kelsey this time through.
• Artistic Pursuits – Matthew went through a couple of these and I still had them on hand, wondering if Kelsey might like to try them.
• Language Lessons for the Secondary Child – These books fit well with our homeschool style
• Write with World – This is a new addition this year thanks to my friend Kendra for recommending it! I know we have been a little weak with creative writing, but I wanted something that wasn’t so structured and something that would challenge Kelsey in her writing. I am hoping this will be a good fit for us.
• Teaching Textbooks Pre-Algebra – Another saved from years ago when Matthew was at this point. Unfortunately we have the older version, but we have really enjoyed these books!
• PE – Kelsey really enjoys using our Wii Fit for her exercising, so she will be working in at least 3 mornings a week to her schedule.
• Drama – This is the big new addition to our schedule this year! From mid-September until almost the end of March, we will be driving out of town once a week for a 2-3 hour drama class. Kelsey is really exciting about this! The class will be learning the ins and outs of what it takes to put on a performance, as well as a Bible devotion at the beginning of each class and learning to stick to your Christian principles if they continue down this path. They will be performing ‘The Lion, The Witch, and The Wardrobe’ in the spring.

At this point, the plan is for me to go through ‘What on Earth Can I Do?’ and ‘Mystery of History’ with Kelsey, the other subjects and books, she will be working through on her own. We will probably sit down together on Tuesday and ‘plan out’ how much work she should do each week. This is one of the benefits of having an older student, they start taking on more of the responsibilities of setting their schedule and making time to get their work done.

Are you ready for your homeschool year?