Mountain of Grace Homeschooling and Life Thereafter : July 2020

Sunday, July 26, 2020

Sunday Inspiration~ July 26, 2020

Till Next Time,

Monique

Monday, July 20, 2020

Happy Homemaker Monday~July 20, 2020

This weekend was a bust one for us. Michael had his shooting competition this past Friday and Saturday. They held it locally since the big competition in Ohio was canceled because of Covid. He didn't do as well as he would have liked, but with no practice over the past few months I think he did rather well. He did improve some of his times, while a few slipped. I know he'll work even harder this year to improve his times.

It was hot and disgusting out this weekend. Friday's competition was horrible from the heat. Thankfully, Saturday's competition started early in the morning. We were just finishing up when the heat started to get unbearable.

Sunday, I worked on carpet cleaning the basement carpet since we took out our old furniture that we're having re-upholstered to the gentlemen completing the work. We now moving our current couch down stairs and getting to work on the living room and hallway! I can't wait to have it all completed.

Well enough about our weekend, let's get started with Happy Homemaker Monday. Be sure to stop in and say hi to our beautiful host, Sandra, over at Diary of a Stay at Home Mom.

❀❀~The Weather~❀❀

HOT, HOT, and HOT!!!!!!

Monday~ Sunny 94*
Tuesday~ Sunny 91*
Wednesday~ Sunny 92*
Thursday~ Sunny 91*
Friday~ Partly Cloudy 89*
Saturday~ Partly Cloudy 89*

Sunday~ Sunny 95*

It's another hot one here. With the heat index, the temps are going to be in the 100's! We've had no rain and we need it desperately. We have a slight chance for thunderstorms everyday, but they said that last week and we saw nothing! The grass is officially dead. It crunches under your feet. The poor chickens are panting so bad. Mama hen is still sitting on a few eggs, but she does leave them to get some fresh air. Minnie (who I now think is a little rooster) and Buttercup have joined their mama for her walks. Poor little Buttercup is so small and has a hard time keeping up. We had to bring her in and give her

some electrolytes to keep her going.

❀❀~How I'm feeling this morning~❀❀

My allergies are doing rather well, but I've remembered to take my meds every day. My left shoulder and upper arm are still sore. I messed it up somehow. I think I overworked a muscle. I looked it up online and and it's common problem for swimmers. Not that I've been competitively swimming. I just need to baby it a little and work on a few exercises and it should get back to normal.

❀❀~What I'm doing right now~❀❀

Well, I'm writing up this post, but I'm also getting to watch two sweet baby deer play in the front yard. We've had a mama deer hanging around and now I know why. She has twins! They are so cute frolicking in the woods.

❀❀~ What's on my mind~❀❀

All the stuff I need to get done this week.

Basement, donations, painting, etc.

School lesson plans that I still need to complete.

❀❀~What they kids are up to~❀❀

The kids will be helping me get the living room ready for painting. Michael will start the sanding process for the hardwood floors. He does have to work one day this week. I hope he can handle the heat since he works outside doing yard work.

❀❀~What's for breakfast~❀❀

I had a cup of coffee, two eggs scrambled with cheese.

❀❀~My current reading pile~❀❀

I'm still reading True to Me by Kay Bratt.

I'm about halfway through the book and so far I'm enjoying it. I doubt I'll have much down time to read this week though.

❀❀~Music I'm listening to~❀❀

I've been using my Amazon Prime Music to listen to a wide range of songs and artists.

❀❀~What I'm working on~❀❀

I'm still working on those darn lesson plans for next year. I just have not been motivated to finish them. Luckily, the kids don't start back until after Labor Day.

My pricing of books and taking pictures has been put on hold with the living room work. The gentlemen called and said he could get us in earlier, so we are now focused on that. A surprise, but a nice one. No one likes the sectional we currently have in our living room. We bought it three years ago and it has not held up at all. The sad thing it's a top, well-known brand. I definitely will not be being a couch from them again. I loved our old living room set, but after 15 years of use with babies, kids, and pets it looked HORRIBLE. I was thrilled we were able to find someone to recover it and fabric we liked.

❀❀~Looking around the house~❀❀

The pet hair is everywhere. I swear all the animals have started to really shed their winter coats now. With all the hair on the floor, you would think they would be bald by now!

The floors need vacuumed and mopped, but with the sanding that we have to do, I think I'll wait a bit to mop. Our focus this week is the living room. We bought the paint for the colors I picked out. I need to paint the entertainment unit and two end tables. Sand and re-stain the floors. Paint the living room and hallway. Replace some trim that can't be fixed. I need to find a fabric I like so I can make throw pillows for the couch, love seat, and chair.

He doesn't mind the current couch!

❀❀~This weeks to do list~❀❀

The list seems the same week after week....

Laundry

Empty out the entertainment unit

Take down all the photos so we can paint the walls

Move current couch down to the basement so we can sand and re-stain the hardwood floors before we get our old/new furniture back (so excited)

Clean the bathrooms (I cleaned half of the master bath already)

Wash the shower curtains

Exercise

Take the dog for her allergy shot (still need to take our sweet girl)

❀~What's for dinner this week~❀❀

I have nothing planned at the moment. I had every intention of sitting down last week and planning the next month. The week got rather hectic and no planning was done. My goal is to work on it tomorrow.

Monday~ Chicken, zucchini, and potatoes
Tuesday~
Wednesday~
Thursday~
Friday~
Saturday~
Sunday~

❀❀~ From the camera~❀❀

❀❀~What I'm praying for~❀❀

My family and friends

Our Nation and leaders

❀❀~Inspirational thought for the week~❀❀

Wishing y'all a wonderful week.

Stay happy, healthy, and safe!

Till Next Time,

Monique

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Sunday, July 19, 2020

Sunday Inspiration~ July 19, 2020

Till Next Time,

Monique

Monday, July 13, 2020

Happy Homemaker Monday~ July 13, 2020

Good Morning, dear friends! I hope you all had an amazing weekend. We ran a few errands around town. Therese had her monthly book club this past Saturday. The first in person meeting since the lock down started in March. The girls read Death Be Not Proud by John Gunther. The girls were thrilled to finally meet in person. Both kids had a youth group meeting Sunday night. I ran the kids there and then just hung out in the parking lot finishing up my book!

Other than the running around with the kids, we had a low-key weekend. Next weekend will be a busy one with Michael's competition. He did well at states, so I can't wait to see how he does at Nationals!

Well enough about our weekend, let's get started with Happy Homemaker Monday. Be sure to stop in and say hi to our beautiful host, Sandra, over at Diary of a Stay at Home Mom.

❀❀~The Weather~❀❀

Monday~ Sunny 86*
Tuesday~ Sunny 86*
Wednesday~ Partly Cloudy 90*
Thursday~ Scattered Thunderstorms 90*
Friday~ Scattered Thunderstorms 89*
Saturday~ Scattered Thunderstorms 91*

Sunday~ Scattered Thunderstorms 90*

It's another hot week here. The temps have gone down some, but the humidity is at 100%. Welcome to July...hot, humid, and no real rain. We've had a chance of thunderstorms everyday and no rain. The grass is dying and crunches under your steps. The poor chickens are panting. I'm making them a special treat today of water and corn. I even have some watermelon for them.

❀❀~How I'm feeling this morning~❀❀

Allergies are doing fairly well. I haven't missed an allergy pill this week, so that may be helping. We ate out this past week and ever since then my stomach has been a little funky. Getting older and food allergies are getting to be a drag. I'm back to my cleansing diet and I'm avoiding foods that are triggers. As much as I like those foods, they don't like me. I guess I need to find a few new favorites.

❀❀~ What's on my mind~❀❀

What isn't on my mind???

Schools plans, our nation, our state.

Our governor says that he may put us in lock down again...ugh! I just can't even begin to explain how I feel about all of this. Do I think the virus is real? yes

Do I think it's as deadly as the news makes it out to be? No..not for most people.

I honestly think we had this back last fall. Therese was doing the play and every child got sick. Cough, sore throat, fever, etc. Tests came back negative for strep and the flu. It lasted for weeks and weeks. We joked about how the kids looked like the walking dead. They put on the play and they all eventually got over it.

Proud Papa

❀❀~What they kids are up to~❀❀

Not much this week. Michael does have his National competition this week. The states are doing it at home and sending in the scores. No traveling to Ohio this year. He's a little bummed for that, but at least he still gets to compete.

❀❀~What's for breakfast~❀❀

I had my 2 cups of coffee and a chocolate peanut butter protein smoothie. I make mine with almond milk for the added calcium.

❀❀~My current reading pile~❀❀

I finished The Things We Do For Love by Kristin Hannah. It's a wonderful book about family and starting over when things don't go as planned in our lives. I started and finished Emma's Gift by Leisha Kelly This book is such a testimony to the power of God if we only place our needs in his hands. Prayer is so important to incorporate into our daily lives.

I'm currently reading True to Me by Kay Bratt.

I just started it. From what I can gather so far, it's a story about a daughter healing after the death of her mother and finding the father she never knew.

❀❀~TV shows/movies I'm watching~❀❀

Nothing! Absolutely nothing.

❀❀~Music I'm listening to~❀❀

I've been listening to Adele and Enigma. When I'm outside in the sun, I'm listening to Kenny Chesney. thinking about being at the beach!🐬

❀❀~What I'm working on~❀❀

I'm still working on the lesson plans for next year. I still have Spanish 2 and lessons for an art class for Therese and her a few of her friends to figure out. I'm hoping to knock them at this week. I have nowhere to take the kids this week, so I should have the time.

I'm still pricing books and taking pictures so I can thin out school books. This is more time consuming than I thought it would be.

❀❀~Looking around the house~❀❀

Still working on decluttering and organizing. I've decided on 3 new colors for the living room. Two colors for the living room and hallway. A third color for the entertainment center and end tables. I can't wait to get started. I need to find a coordinating fabric to make throw pillows for the couch.

❀❀~This weeks to do list~❀❀

The same as every week....

Laundry

Mop and vacuum the floors

Dust the dinning room and living room

Clean the bathroom

Clean off the deck ( still didn't get to that)...it's been too hot

Exercise

Take the dog for her allergy shot

❀~What's for dinner this week~❀❀

I only have today planned. I need to sit down and plan the next two weeks. I may do the next few weeks, so I can plan the grocery list better.

Monday~ Pork chops, roasted potatoes, and zucchini
Tuesday~
Wednesday~
Thursday~
Friday~
Saturday~
Sunday~

❀❀~ From the camera~❀❀

Oh my..I forgot to tell y'all...we have baby chicks! Only 2 have hatched so far. We have 8 more to go.

Meet Minnie

Meet Buttercup

❀❀~What I'm praying for~❀❀

My family and friends

Our Nation and leaders

Peace...I know it sounds like the old beauty queen stand by, but peace in the world would be nice

❀❀~Inspirational thought for the week~❀❀

Wishing y'all a wonderful week.

Stay happy, healthy, and safe!

Till Next Time,

Monique

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Sunday, July 12, 2020

Sunday Inspiration~ July 12, 2020

Till Next Time,

Monique

Thursday, July 9, 2020

Review~ Animal Farm Study Guide from Progeny Press

Disclaimer~I received a FREE copy of this product through the HOMESCHOOL REVIEW CREW in exchange for my honest review. I was not required to write a positive review nor was I compensated in any other way.

Literature is a must in our household. I encourage the kids to read books of their own choosing, but require them to read classics from over the years. I was thrilled when we were given the opportunity to review the Animal Farm Study Guide from Progeny Press. This was on both Michael's and Therese's reading list for their literature class next year.

Progeny Press is a Christian company that offers homeschooling families a wonderful selection of study guides that help students gain valuable insight into the classic, literature books they read. These books and study guides open up the doors to some new, amazing worlds.

What are the E-Guide Study Guides from Progeny Press?

The study guides come in an E-guide form and can be easily down loaded. They cost $21.99. The Animal Farm study guide is recommended for students in grades 9th through 12th. The study guides can be used in two different ways. The interactive study guide can be opened up with Adobe reader allowing student to fill in their answers directly into the study guide while working on the computer. The second way to use the study guides is by printing out the study guide and placing the pages in a binder. It's a printable workbook! I choose to print the entire study guide out at once. Of course, families can chose to print the lessons out one at a time. I print out the study guide and create the binders for both Michael and Therese. Both ways can be used for multiple students. Being able to use the study guide with multiple students saves homeschooling families with more than on kid lots of money. It gets expensive when you have to buy more than one book, workbook, etc.

The purpose of Progeny study guides is to help students understand literature better. The guides help students understand how the authors craft their stories and understand the themes being presented in the story. The guides allow students to dig deeper into the literature they are reading. For the high school guides, students should be able to complete them in 8-10 weeks. If the student works through the study guides for 8 weeks, families should be able to complete 4 different literature guides during the school year. These guides are an excellent way to complete a high school English literature course. I currently have a few different guides I'm looking at for next year. Michael and Therese be reading a wonderful selection of books for their American literature class, so I'm currently trying to decide which study guides to use to help them earn their English high school credits.

The Animal Farm study Guide is broken up into 15 sections.

The first section is geared for the teacher/instructor. This section simply explains how to use the study guide with your students.

Next up is a brief synopsis of the story. This section provides the students with a brief summary of the story, introduces them to the plot, and introduces them to the important characters they will meet during the story. This section is followed by an introduction to the author, George Orwell. Students will read a brief biography about the life of the author. It's just 2 pages long, so students can research for more information about the author if they wanted to.

The next section in the study guide is important background information. This section introduces students to governing systems and economic systems: Monarchy, Republic, Democracy, Socialism, Communism, and Capitalism. This important for the students to know, so they can understand the message George Orwell is trying to convey.

After reading the back ground information, students can work through the Pre-Reading activities. This section gives ideas for various projects the students can work on before they begin reading the book. Research the Russian Revolution, research Joseph Stalin's rise to power, learn more about the Soviet Union and its participation in World War II, discover more about allegories, or research George Orwell and his socialist views. These topics are a great way to get the student ready for reading Animal Farm. Knowledge and understanding is extremely important in today's day and age.

The following sections of the study guide deals with the actual book. The study guide is broken up into sections to help the student work through the book in an organized manner.

Chapters I-II

Chapters III-IV

Chapters V-VI

Chapter VII

Chapter VIII

Chapter IX

Chapter X

It is recommended that these sections are to be completed by the student once they have finished reading the book. They can use their books to help them answer the questions. They should also have access to a dictionary, a thesaurus, and a Bible read.

Each of these sections are broken up into different topics.

Vocabulary

Analogous Characters and Events

General Questions for Comprehension

Analysis Questions

Dig Deeper Questions

Optional Activities for Students to complete (art projects, research papers, music, and various projects)

Next up is the Overview section. This section sums up the book. Students will discuss conflict, literary techniques, and the dangers of power. It's a wonderful section that provides topics to discuss with the student.

Optional Essays and Projects is the next section. This gives students a few more ideas for projects to complete. One of the research ideas I liked in this section was the idea of free speech and why it's so important. In today's political turmoil, this topic is extremely important for students to understand.

The last section in the study guide is the additional resource page. This provides students with other books written by George Orwell and other books of related interest. There is also a link to additional activities, projects, and information.

Each study guide comes with a full answer key. This comes as a separate download so that only the instructor has access to it. I don't print out the answer key. I check the their answers on the computer.

How Did We Use the Animal Farm Study Guide?

I printed out the study guide for both Michael and Therese. I printed the entire study guide out at one time, 3-hole punch the pages, and then place them in a nice, sturdy binder.

For the first week, they both worked on reading the book. After completing the book, they worked on the chapters according to how they were broken up in the study guide. We only work on the study guide 2 times a week, since they are technically on summer break.

What Did We Think of the Animal Farm E-Guide Study Guide

I like how the study guides cover great classic novels. I like having the ability to be able to print the guides for both Michael and Therese. Since they work on their subjects together, this saves me money by not having to buy 2 of everything. Progeny Press study guides are a great way for students learn more about the great literature of out time.

Discover more about Progeny Press

Facebook

Twitter

YouTube

Over the past few years, we used and reviewed a few other study guides from Progeny Press.

The Hound of the Baskervilles

Macbeth

The Indian in the Cupboard

Tuck Everlasting

Learn more about some of the other great study guides offered from Progeny Press! The other crew members reviewed study guides for A New Coat for Anna (Grades K-3), In the Year of the Boar and Jackie Robinson (Grades 4-6), My Side of the Mountain (Grades 5-8), and Little Women (Grades 8-12).

Click below to learn more about these amazing study guides!

Till Next Time,

Monique

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Monday, July 6, 2020

Happy Homemaker Monday~ July 6, 2020

Please Note~ This post may contain affiliate links. If you choose to click on a link, add it to your cart and complete your purchase, I will receive a small percentage. We are very grateful for this additional source of income. Thank you.

Good morning or should I say Good Afternoon! It's almost lunch time here and I'm just now sitting down to write up this post. (O.K. now it's 8:00 at night and I'm just now finishing up.) I've been enjoying my morning time. I slept in a little bit. I haven't been sleeping well at all. I keep waking up at night and then can't fall back to sleep. It's not fun.

I hope everyone had a wonderful 4th of July. It was a little different here. No parades, no fireworks. It was a quiet day. We cooked out and then took some food over to my in-laws house. After we returned home, the boys watched The Patriot with Mel Gibson. I worked on some lesson plans.

Did you do anything exciting?

Well enough about our weekend, let's get started with Happy Homemaker Monday. Be sure to stop in and say hi to our beautiful host, Sandra, over at Diary of a Stay at Home Mom.

❀❀~The Weather~❀❀

Monday~ Sunny 93*
Tuesday~ Partly Sunny 92*
Wednesday~ Partly Sunny 90*
Thursday~ Sunny 91*
Friday~ Sunny 95*
Saturday~ Sunny 91*

Sunday~ Sunny 90*

It's a hot one here this week and it looks like the heat wave will continue on next week.

❀❀~How I'm feeling this morning~❀❀

Tired! I haven't been sleeping well at all. I keep waking up at at night and can't fall back to sleep. It makes it hard to get up in the morning. Allergies are still the same. The pollen has been high here lately, so I think that's what is reeking havoc on my eyes. They've been so itchy lately. My left arm, bicep area, is sore. I have no clue what I did but it hurts when I try to reach backwards or stretch it too far out. Getting older is not fun.

❀❀~ What's on my mind~❀❀

I'm still focusing on trying to maintain some peace in my life. I hate watching the news. It drives me crazy. Just when you think things might be settling down, something new comes along to squash that dream. I'm so sick of hearing this is the "new normal" or "we're all in this together."

I've started rereading Each New Day: 365 Reflections to Strengthen Your Faith by Corrie Ten Boom. I'm hoping this will help. Do you have any daily devotionals that you enjoy reading? I'd love some new ideas!

❀❀~What they kids are up to~❀❀

Michael is back to work again this week. He'll be doing more lawn work for an elderly neighbor. Therese and I are working on cleaning up the basement and getting more stuff together to donate.

She's been busy reading her books from the library. Our library actually will open up to the public this week (with a few guidelines), so I know I'll have to take her over there. She's already read 2 of the 6 books she checked out last week.

Therese and I are also on baby chick watch. We should have a few chicks later this week or the beginning of next week. I can't wait. We keep checking hoping to hear some little chirps in the hen house.

❀❀~What's for breakfast~❀❀

I had my 2 cups of coffee, 2 farm fresh eggs, and 2 pieces of turkey bacon.

❀❀~My current reading pile~❀❀

I finished up my book by Nora Roberts. I started a new book, The Things We Do For Love by Kristin Hannah. I had wanted to start Emma's Gift by Leisha Kelly, but I had misplaced in the house. I just found it today, so I start that one as soon as I finish the other book.

❀❀~TV shows/movies I'm watching~❀❀

Nothing on TV and no new movies I want to see.

❀❀~Music I'm listening to~❀❀

I'm doing country this week....Trisha Yearwood, Martina McBride, Sara Evens, and Carrie Underwood.

❀❀~What I'm working on~❀❀

I'm still finishing up my lesson plans for next year. I'm now planning lessons for an art class for Therese and her a few of her friends.

I'm pricing books and plan on taking pictures so I can thin down all our school books. With only 2 more years of homeschooling left, I think we can safely thin out our books.

I'm still working on the tree skirts. It feels good to be back sewing again.

❀❀~Looking around the house~❀❀

Organization needs done. We got our fabric for the living room furniture and can take the fabric and pieces to be worked on in 2 weeks. I needs to vacuum out the couches and chair. I'm deciding on a new color for the living room. We're going to sand and re-stain the hardwood floors,k paint the walls, and paint the entertainment center. It will be a busy couple of weeks soon.

I need to paint the stairway walls leading to the basement too.

❀❀~This weeks to do list~❀❀

Laundry

Mop and vacuum the floors

Dust the dinning room and living room

Clean the bathroom

Clean off the deck (didn't get to that last week)

Wipe down the kitchen cabinets inside and out

Exercise ( I need to get back into exercising in the morning)

Make an appointment for the dog to got to the vets

❀~What's for dinner this week~❀❀

Monday~ Slow Cooker Cuban chicken, Rice, and Corn
Tuesday~ Enchilada Pasta
Wednesday~ Instant Pot Cheesy Goulash
Thursday~ Grilled Pork Chops with Zucchini and Tomatoes
Friday~ Pizza
Saturday~ Orange Sesame Chicken, Rice, and Stir Fry Veggies
Sunday~ Eat Out

❀❀~ From the camera~❀❀