What worked in 2016

  • The Eagle’s Wings Coop board – Heidi is so detail oriented that she worked as an editor before kids.  If there is a problem brewing at coop, she can spot it, and articulate it in time for us to do something about it.  When I was trying to learn mySQL and settled on Open Office Base, she spent an afternoon pouring over U-tube tutorials with me until we wrangled that thing into helping us.  Data entry is much, much easier than it used to be, reports have not yet been automated, but there is hope we can get closer.   Lori took over the treasury, organized the tin of old receipts and bills, and made a spreadsheet on her phone/tablet so she could answer questions quickly at meetings.
Me dressed in a lab coat - 0ur team spirit costume
Me dressed in a lab coat – 0ur team spirit costume
  • Co-coaching F.I.R.S.T. Lego League.  Usually I’ve coached Jr F.I.R.S.T. Lego league, with elementary kids and friends, and made snacks for Dan, but this year his co-coaches either hosted their own teams or coped with getting promoted at work and traveling internationally a lot.  I have yet to program an NXT robot, but I did sort ALL the pieces from 2 totes into 6 partitioned tool boxes, and introduced the club to list making and job dividing before diving into building time.  I think both things aided their productivity.
  • I’m not sure how many Sit and Knits I was able to attend at In the Loop in Plainville, but having Talitha and Leslie’s input (not to say the staff at the store and the regular knitters/crocheters around the table) was wonderful.  And I got published in the Twist Collective!
K pretending to drink from an empty cup
K pretending to drink from an empty cup – we didn’t dare spill anything on the photo sample before mailing to the magazine
    • We attempted the Jr program of NaNoWriMo.  I may put it in both categories of what worked and what didn’t work.  All three of the students who formed a writing club wrote something.  All three developed characters and ideas.  All three supported each other respectfully and held each other accountable to work on the projects.  All three became quicker typists.  (But none of them completed their novellas.)
    • At the Family Fun Fair, we incorporated puppets into the song about Daniel, and gave the kids lion masks to wear, so that when the puppet Daniel was thrown to the audience, they got to growl, but then close their mouths when the puppet angel told them too.  They loved participating.
    • I used to think I should post knitting design news to the knitting blog only, but then I looked at where traffic comes from on Ravelry for sales – more come in from here than from www.Christineguestdesigns.com. Go figure. So, I’ll continue to clutter up this blog with non-homeschool news.
    • I took a few months off of the next Miquon pages to cement K’s arithmetic facts.  She’s back to playing around with numbers and feeling comfortable with vocabulary and ideas.
K with her "Magic City" reference and drawing, we've enjoyed the Forgotten Classics Podcast reading of the E. Nesbit book.
K with her “Magic City” reference and drawing, we’ve enjoyed the Forgotten Classics Podcast reading of the E. Nesbit book.
  • Ben had to catch the 6:44 train each morning to get to class on time.  This semester he’s experimenting with later classes, but I fear the varying start times will be hard to remember. However, it’s his business, and he needs to figure all of that out.  The fun part has been getting up with Dan and Ben for breakfast/lunch packing each morning for older people conversation and connecting.
  • Dan and I went away, by ourselves, without kids, to Rhinebeck for the New York Sheep and Wool Festival. It was his idea.
The trees and crowd at Rhinebeck by the felafel stand
The trees and crowd at Rhinebeck by the felafel stand