Weekly wrap Up 8/28/20--11th grade begins

Now that Firedrake is settled in college. We are back home and beginning to start 11th grade. MarioFan is learning GIS with his father and has enjoyed it so much he is doing it on his own during free time. 

Here he is learning to use open street maps and configure houses.

Next he learned how to configure roads in developing countries on open street maps.

After a lot of back in forth regarding Spanish classes we finally decided on one.  He will be doing an online class with a Spanish teacher.  There will only be four kids in the zoom sessions so lots of one on one learning is expected!  

The books that will be used in this class finally arrived this week.  Class starts in less than two weeks.

I lucked out and found the TT Algebra 2 book and got it on loan through our coop.  MarioFan likes the online version excepts he hates the book being online.  I have been searching everywhere for a cheap copy of the book that he could use along side the online version.  This saved me some money and I can used it for the entire year!

For Literature we are starting with reading some poems from William Blake to begin our British literature program.  We have also begun our grammar, vocabulary, sociology and robotics program this week.

MarioFan's online classes (Chemistry, Economic, and Spanish) will begin in about 2 weeks!  Then we are off to the races with a full load.  

I am currently working on gathering supplies for his Chemistry labs and cleaning and rearranging the school room.  I haven't had time to address it while getting Firedrake off to college.  Hopefully I can post pictures of our new set up this year next week.

We have been in touch with our oldest at college and so far things are going well, fingers crossed it stays that way:)

Weekly Wrap Up 8/21/20 -- College move in day!

 Firedrake left for college this past week and it was exciting and very stressful.  Not quite what we had in mind when we thought about sending our oldest off to college.  This pandemic is ruining lots of memories but we solider on and make the best of it.

Before Firedrake left we had to make sure Elvis's claws were clipped and since she is the only person he completely trusts we needed her help.  The next time his nails are clipped is when she returns home:)

We have been packing and sorting everything that needed to go to college for well over a month.  The list of things to bring is quite long and then the college says pack lite.  That is simply not possible with all the necessary supplies that are needed.

Somehow we manage to get it all into one car, with some room to spare!  

I decided to bring the folding red wagon with us to make it easier to cart all her things to the dorm.  That turned out to one of the best ideas :) I didn't want to use the carts the college handed out because of germs.  

We managed to fit it all in one car.  We did take two cars up as Firedrake needs a car to get around town. 

I think this was the final load to the dorm 

We drove to the college the night before check in and stayed at a hotel.  I was less than impressed with the towns social distancing and mask wearing policies as in there weren't any other than in the hotel and a few stores insisted on masks.  My husband and I discussed it that night and to be honest about how the next day would go at the college if the town was so indifferent to the pandemic.  :(

We were scheduled to be at the dorm at 8 am and only had 2 hours to unpack and get her room organized.  It was madness.  Luckily her roommate wasn't scheduled to arrive until the afternoon so we had the rooms to ourselves for social distancing.  It took the full two hours to get her room set up and unpack!

Her desk area.

Her bed area

We did have to make a Walmart run as the curtain rod I purchase was the wrong size and we needed another curtain panel as the window was larger than expected based on the college measurements.  Also Firedrake decide she had to had a bedside fan as the room was too hot!  We also didn't have the tools to lower the bed and didn't know where to get any (the college did offer some but we noticed it to late to make any changes.  So we bought her a step stool so she could get into the bed:)

After getting her room ready we went to the college bookstore pick up her books and headed to lunch at the cafeteria.  I wanted to see how they were social distancing there.  Fortunately the college was mandating masks and where taking all necessary precautions which made me feel slightly better.  Firedrake did said she would try not to go into town very often if at all:)

All the tables had dividers and limited to only 2 or 3 people at a table.  They also had carry out services to any who wanted it and we saw lots of kids take advantage of that!

After lunch we walked a little around campus and then left Firedrake to rest in her dorm as they were many activities going on that evening (most on zoom)

My husband and I decided to spend one extra day in town just to make sure nothing more was needed for the room.  As we could quickly run to the store and pick up any necessary supplies were missing because trying to get four girls to organize who was bring what over email was taxing (For me) as the girls seem to not figure out who was bringing what.  I am sure there are duplicates of some items and was sure that something would be missing and wanted to be sure I could get it for them if I could.  Good thing I did as I needed to replace the curtains to black out curtains as the girls said there was a street lamp that shined right into their rooms.  So back to Walmart we went the next morning and stopped by very quickly to hang them up and got a chance to meet Firedrakes roommate.  

Before driving home we toured the state park that is not far from the campus and looks at the Indian Petroglyphs. 

 

The drive home was a bit sad for us.  The house with only one child in it will seem awfully quiet.  I don't know where the time went and how my little baby is all grown up.  Part of us were sad and then part of us were excited to see where her future will lead her.  

When I got home I was surprised to find a package for me from a dear Friend.  She knows how worried I was sending my baby away from home during a pandemic!  What a sweet surprise to cheer me up when I got home:)

a new mug for my morning tea:)

So now that I got the oldest off I need to turn my attention to my youngest and get started organizing the school room and getting him going with his school work.  

Weekly Wrap UP 8/14/20-- College preparation

For the past several weeks we have been buying, organizing all the things Firedrake will need for college.  We have looked at the colleges recommendation, asked friends who have already sent the kids off, and search the web to make sure we have everything covered.  Whew it has been exhausting.  Firedrake has been in touch with her three roommates and they have tried to figure out who is bringing what and who is sharing what so the dorm won't have four of everything.  But still it is a lot of stuff.  We are going to pack it all into one car,  I fully expect the college to shut down before the semester ends and she will be home for virtual learning and we will have too go back up there and cart it all home again!

This is a small pile of stuff we are taking with us and packing up

I found these very lightweight and collapsible under bed storage containers at IKEA.  

We have been able to pack so much into them. Once at the dorm it will be easily to slip them under the bed.

A few weeks ago we planted a succulent garden in the hopes it would grow and she could take it to college with her.  It is doing amazingly well.  

I had to trim the plants down a little before she left

The week before she left for college Firedrake wanted to plan all her favorite meals.  She chose enchilada's. Tom Yum goon soup, beef stroganoff, homemade pizza, Halloumi cheese/bacon/ and egg sandwiches,  and cheese fondue.  Plus a few desserts like apple crumble and pumpkin bread:)

Her apple crumble which turned out excellent.

Before Firedrake left we had to make sure Elvis's claws were clipped and since she is the only person he completely trusts we needed her help.  The next time his nails are clipped will be when she returns home:)

He was not a happy cat!!!

Firedrake has agreed to contact me daily for the first couple of weeks while at college but then said I need to stop worrying! Like that is ever going to happen lol. I will post about move in day next week, sniff sniff, it was hard for me!

MarioFan has now officially starting 11th grade this week!  And I need to get use to having only one child in the house.  Oh and a downfall of having Firedrake out of the house, my husband and I now have to pick up the chores she used to do;), never thought of that when we sent her off to college! 

Negotiations between husband and wife have commenced about splitting up chores.

Weekly Wrap Up 8/07/20 -- Stain glass work updated

We are taking a bit of a break from all things school and I have been working diligently on my stain glass. I have finished one project and making fairly good progress on the others.

I made this for a friend -- our son's have been doing co-op for several years and we co teach several classes for the boys.  This year since we won't be attending and not sure how often we will see each other I wanted to do a stain glass panel as a thank you.  We do plan on getting the boys together as often as we can. 

She sent me a picture of it hanging in her window. 

Finally got some blue to work on my Tiffany lamp.  I got one side cut out just need to get 2 more done and then I can start assembling it.  It will still be awhile when I get tired working on this I move on to other projects.

Working on my honey comb garden stake.  Just need to add the bees and clean it up 

While working on the above project my soldering iron of about twenty years decided to literally explode in my hand (quite scary).  My husband took me immediately to the glass shop to get me another one.  They didn't have the type I usually use so I went with a different type that everyone recommended on the glass sites I belong too.  It lasted three days before also dieing on me.  I was not please.  Decided to go back with the one I used to have but it is on order and I am not sure when it will arrive.

 I recently bought some new bevels to work with and I am most excited about this one!

It is Kanji for Joy and I can't wait to make it for my daughter who has been studying Japanese

Since the Covid pandemic I have been helping an elderly lady in our community with health issue and she can't get to the grocery store.  So occasionally I help with her shopping and other errands as needed.  She surprised me with a lovely birthday cake and flowers in June. I just recently found out her birthday is coming up in August, so I plan on making her a small stain glass gift.  I just have to figure out what to make!