House Renovations at end of August 2015

House Renovations at end of August 2015

This past bit, we were not happy with how the living room and master bedroom floor was doing---especially compared to how nice the basement room floors are doing.  The floors in the basement were covered with polyurethane after the "stone" floor paint, and that really made the floors look and feel "finished".  So, we Spackled some of the spots that were sketchy and have now painted over the Spackle with two new coats of "stone".  We have to let that dry for three days before we can paint on the polyurethane.  We are sleeping in the basement while our bedroom is out of business.  Dd is fine going up to her loft--no work going on there.

Here is how the living room (and bedroom) floor looks now:

I have finally got 99% of our homeschooling books on the shelves in the "library" and in the spare bedroom in the basement.  I still have about 40 boxes of "fun" books that I have not unpacked yet.  We don't need to worry about those books for a while.  

The bookshelf on the left is mostly our science books..except for our Apologia and SL science books, which is in the library.

The closet is some biography, history, geography mixes.

Here is the spare bedroom--how it is coming along:

You can kind of see how nice and shiny (and super clean) our new floors are in these photo's.  So glad we thought to do the final coats of polyurethane, that really was the perfect finishing touch!

Here is how the library is coming along:

It might look random, but I spent a LOT of time getting all our books in the exact right spot.  I have some bookshelves for one particular subject, and some of the shelves are done alphabetically...but, it took me many long hours to get them all in the spot where I could find exactly what we need, without fuss.

Here is how the basement living room/ rec room is coming along, big changes this week:

The scrapper in Dh's hand is what took up all those tiles! Praise the Lord!  We thought we would have to use chemicals to get those things up...we did it by hand, thankfully!

We had to take off the oak siding since the previous people had let their pets use the basement as a potty.  

This section HAD tile down, but we got that all up and out.  There was a ballet bar across the mirror, that Dh took out.  We have no idea what we are going to do with that huge mirror!

You can see in this picture that I have already scrapped off the black glue off from the drywall.  Scrapping it off took a long time, but luckily I found the perfect tool for doing it...the same tool I used to get off wallpaper, actually.

You can see on the left, under the window, we have found mold...now we have to cut out all that dry wall, insulation, and replace it.

Here is the hallway---getting Kilz paint to seal it.

Half the floor has been painted with Kilz, the other side still needs some scrapping off of glue to happen before it can be sealed.

....

Core G "Ancients" Week 13 "C" Aug 17-, 2015

Core G "Ancients" 
Week 13 "C"  
Aug 24-28, 2015 
44th week on this core!

Dd has been having fun doing face paint on her arms lately...thought I'd share a funny pix!

Here is one of the cards Dd made

This was our second week being back at our lessons, and a slow gradual start we are doing!  We stuck to our basic subject: Bible, Math, and two readers (one history, one "classic").
I'm still very busy each day with trying to get some work done on our new home---carrying boxes to the basement and unpacking, plus the Spackle and painting projects.  This is leaving Dd with LOTS of time to do her things--piano, knitting a sweater, cooking/baking, and read *her* books.

Our update on our house in Indiana, that is for sale---well, last week we had a major bidding war with a realtor, and thankfully neither of us walked away.  They literally got us down to the exact amount that we had put as our lowest price that we would accept without us walking away!  I guess it is probably common for our generation to loose money on property they had bought before the recession hit, and I am thankful we didn't loose more, but it is a big hit that I was hoping we would not have to take!  Oh well!  It is all the Lord's money after all, and it is something I have zero control over.Update: The Inspector found various small things wrong with the house, and now there is a whole new can of worms opened up.  I won't go into all the details, as I've had enough ugliness for a while and can't take any more.  We will fix a few of the things that we can do on our own, and leave it up to the couple if they want to walk away or not.  Our realtor said they want more money reduced off the price; and they are already getting a deal.  We think this couple is just trying to get the price down, and don't forget the ugliness....I'm just trying to keep my perspective and faith in tact during this process.  There is a good chance that these people will not like the fact that we are not going to fix everything the inspector found "wrong"; but the inspector found LOTS of things wrong with our house in Michigan and we didn't ask for *anything* to be fixed from the seller.  We knew we were getting a great price, and well worth us doing the fixes ourselves.  We feel like it should be the same for them; as they are not buying a brand new house therefor there will be some issues.  I'm at peace with it either way it goes, and continually remind myself that the Lord has this...whatever happens.

Dd and I both were sick this week--something was really zapping our energy, and causing stomach issues.  If the "L" family reads this, I'm sure our bug has nothing to do with you all!  Monday was my worst day, and I think Thursday was Dd's worst day.  We got our basic's done this week, and that is good enough when you don't feel well.

Dh's job is still difficult--but, perhaps he has finally settled on a good attitude: I'll do the best I can, and if they fire me everything will be fine--the Lord will take care of us, attitude.  He is right, there really isn't much you can do when in difficult spots, but to just hand it over to the Lord!
The homeschool group that I had applied to in July finally called me and interviewed me.  Christie, my VA buddy said she got a call from them to check my references.  It was an odd call, I have to say---nothing like when I joined the Heritage Builders or Lighthouse Home Educators in Indiana--boy, I miss LHE!

Our lessons this week:

Bible: Veritas Press Chronicles Through Malachi

Card 88: completed

Esther Becomes Queen

Esther 1 & 2 (both bible and Believer's Bible Commentary) were read once on Monday, and again on Tuesday to do :The Greenleaf Guide to the Old Testament:

Lesson 165 (Esther 1) Ahasuerus Puts Away His Queen

Lesson 166 (Esther 2) Esther and Mordecai Please the King

Card: 89: in Process

Haman Plots Against the Jews (Esther 3,6)

Esther 3 & 4 were read with bible and Believer's Bible Commentary

Max Lucado's Life Lesson for Esther 3

Greenleaf: Lesson 167: Mordecai Angers Haman Haman Plots Revenge: completed

Survey of the Bible by William Hendriksen

pg 304 on Esther

Journey Through the Bible by David Cook

pgs 178-179 on the Story of Esther

Current Events:

CNN STUDENT NEWS each morning

Classic Read Aloud:

The Hobbit by J.R.R. Tolkien: in process

History Read Aloud:

The White Stag by Kate Seredy: completed

Games:

CHESS, with Pappa and on computer..lots of chess this week

Language Arts:

Typing on her story a lot, the title is: 

Emma Jackson and the Fate of Olympus, 

Book 1, Quest for the Mist

Wrote a few letters and a birthday card (drew it herself)

Piano: 

she practiced with her old books

Cooking:

Baked a cake

Guacamole

Math: MUS Algebra I

5 B,C, D, E

Lesson 5 completed

Some of her fun books:

"If I Stay"

"The Beyonders, Bk 1, World with no Hero's

The Maze Runner

Canterbury Tales

The Kitchen Knight

etc.

Audio:

On The Banks of Plum Creek by L.I. Wilder: in process

Core G "Ancients" Week 13 "B" Aug 17-22, 2015

Core G "Ancients"

Week 13 "B" 

Aug 17-22, 2015 

This was our second week being back at our lessons, and a slow gradual start we are doing!  We stuck to our basic subject: Bible, Math, and two readers (one history, one "classic").

I'm still very busy each day with trying to get some work done on our new home---carrying boxes to the basement and unpacking, plus the Spackle and painting projects.  This is leaving Dd with LOTS of time to do her things--piano, knitting a sweater, cooking/baking, and read *her* books.

Our update on our house in Indiana, that is for sale---well, last week we had a major bidding war with a realtor, and thankfully neither of us walked away.  They literally got us down to the exact amount that we had put as our lowest price that we would accept without us walking away!  I guess it is probably common for our generation to loose money on property they had bought before the recession hit, and I am thankful we didn't loose more, but it is a big hit that I was hoping we would not have to take!  Oh well!  It is all the Lord's money after all, and it is something I have zero control over.

Update: The Inspector found various small things wrong with the house, and now there is a whole new can of worms opened up.  I won't go into all the details, as I've had enough ugliness for a while and can't take any more.  We will fix a few of the things that we can do on our own, and leave it up to the couple if they want to walk away or not.  Our realtor said they want more money reduced off the price; and they are already getting a deal.  We think this couple is just trying to get the price down, and don't forget the ugliness....I'm just trying to keep my perspective and faith in tact during this process.

Dd and I both were sick this week--something was really zapping our energy, and causing stomach issues.  If the "L" family reads this, I'm sure our bug has nothing to do with you all!  Monday was my worst day, and I think Thursday was Dd's worst day.  We got our basic's done this week, and that is good enough when you don't feel well.

Dh's job is still difficult--but, perhaps he has finally settled on a good attitude: I'll do the best I can, and if they fire me everything will be fine--the Lord will take care of us, attitude.  He is right, there really isn't much you can do when in difficult spots, but to just hand it over to the Lord!

The homeschool group that I had applied to in July finally called me and interviewed me.  Christie, my VA buddy said she got a call from them to check my references.  It was an odd call, I have to say---nothing like when I joined the Heritage Builders or Lighthouse Home Educators in Indiana.  

Lessons will be a slow adding back of subjects, to help Dd not get overwhelmed.  The way that she works best is to do a gradual return, and not to jump back where we left off.

Lessons:
Bible:
Veritas Press: Chronicles Through Malachi
Card 87: completed
Temple Work Resumes Under Haggai and Zechariah

Zechariah 11, 12, 13, & 14 
Read with our bible, and followed up with our Believer's Bible Commentary

Card 88: in process
Esther Becomes Queen (Esther 1,2)

Introduction to Esther, and Esther 1, with Bible and Believer's Bible Commentary


History Read Aloud:
White Stag by Kate Seredy


Classic Read Aloud:
The Hobbit by J.R.R. Tolkien


Audio 1:
Little Town on the Prairie by L.I. Wilder: completed
(we love all these audio's narrated by Cherry Jones and listen to them over and over again!)

Halt's Peril (Ranger's Apprentice): completed

Redwall: completed
(Dd was in and out on this one, but I loved it!)


Math: Math U See: Algebra I
To do a review on Monday we did lesson 1A, Tuesday 2A, Wednesday 3A, Thursday 4A, Friday 5A..so we reviewed the first five lessons this week.


Nature/Science:
Dd went to Eagle Creek Park 2x

Language Arts:
Dd has been working all summer on her book

Gym:
swam a lot this week, twice with Pappa

Art:
Dd is making a gray sweater--knitting it--very nice

Cooking/Baking:
She made a cake at the "L" families house, we drove down to Indiana to mow and check on our house, and visit our dear friends.

Not bad for a first week back at it.

...................