Procrastination

So, I have started another semester of school and I am starting to think this was not a good idea. I have several things to do for the two classes I am taking, and they are hard. Too hard.  In the past, I could read with the radio on or write a paper in a day or two.  Right now I need complete silence just to understand what all of the words in each sentence mean, and then what all of that means put together. There's lots of googling going on.  

I don't like to complain as a habit (keep your comments to yourself Todd), but I need others to hear about how awful this is and then I will let it go.  So this week for class 1 (Health Care Delivery Systems), I have to participate in a discussion- with references in every post-lots of researching, take a "pretest", listen to a lecture and go to like 50 websites and read/watch things.  And find a health care related non-profit community agency that I can do some analysis on starting next week. Class 2 (Theories of Learning); write a "personal philosophy" of learning before having read any of my 150 pages of assigned reading which will end up being about a 3 page paper.  Questions are like this: "To what level, if any, do you believe explanation of learning is reducible?, What universal truths must the learner grasp?"  Participate in a discussion- same rules as class 1, lecture, websites,etc.  And next week I have to read an entire textbook.  It doesn't sound as bad as it feels. 

I have been distracting myself with cleaning today.  I even used a scrub brush in some places. 

Snowy Oliver

I think that's Alyssa in there.

Stuff we did on Christmas break

The blog of the boring is back!! No, this is not because of a New Year's resolution.  It is because of boredom and some well spent time on Pinterest, which has inspired all kinds of things for me to share with all of my (who am I kidding) loyal followers.

The children have been out of school for what seems like forever.  They have been staying up late as well, which is really cutting down on my "Emily time".  ("Emily time" is usually spent drinking tea and watching Bravo, but we aren't going to judge, right?)  But, we have gotten several things accomplished.  Obviously, there were Christmas celebrations on both sides of the family, Advent services at church, the Zion Christmas program, cookie baking, etc.  Then it was over. 

Thing #1: Box of kids stuff being held for ransom by mom.  I stole this idea from some genius mom on Pinterest.  Sick of picking up after your kids and getting nothing in return?  Hold their things for ransom and make them do chores to get them back.  My box includes an envelope filled with chores that are drawn if a girl wants an item back.  My favorite chores include: clean out a drawer in your bathroom, sweep the kitchen, clean all of the bathroom sinks, and fold the laundry that is in the dryer (because there is always a load in the dryer!).  The kids favorite chores include: do 20 jumping jacks while saying "I will never leave my stuff on the floor again", draw a picture of you cleaning your favorite room in the house, and you are free BUT THIS IS A WARNING! 

The BOX.

The best part of the BOX.

Thing #2: Fun new things in the girls' rooms.  This includes Todd-created chalk boards and wall stickers that were received as Christmas gifts. 

Sarah.  Just erased "I have the best mom in the whole world", or something like that.

Alyssa.  I don't wanna go to bed either!

Haley.  I am scared of the owl on the left.

Thing #3: Closet organization.  The least exciting of the things that were accomplished. Really not worth explanation.

So clean!

Thing #4: Homemade Science kit gift for nephew.  January is basically like second-Christmas around here.  There are LOTS of birthdays that we celebrate (including Alyssa's).  I have a truly great idea for my 12 year old homeschooled nephew Isaac this year (thanks again Pinterest!).  It's a science kit made from household items, with each experiment printed and put in a notebook and all of the supplies separated and labeled to correspond to the experiments!  It's so organized and cool!  And if his mom wants him to "learn" while he is experimenting, there is a website for each and plenty of space in his notebook to put pictures, notes, observations, etc.  I know- best aunt ever, right?

Cool notebook!

Stuff in the box- in separate baggies for each experiment. Big stuff is numbered.

Thing #5: Cooking stuff.  My 2 favorites were an emeals meal (discussed in an earlier post-see the link to the right) Garden Veggie Soup and a new taco filling (Pinterest) where you mix the meat with a can of tomato sauce, the seasoning, and a can of refried beans and bake the tacos.  Links: http://www.onegoodthingbyjillee.com/2012/11/how-to-make-hard-taco-shells-in-your-ovenplus-a-recipe-for-baked-tacos.html, www.emeals.com

School starts on Monday!! For all of us.  So this is probably the end of cool projects for awhile.  I'm out of ideas anyway.