I got up in time to attend most of church online I missed the opening and the start of the first song due to having to go use my bathroom really quick. I've taken a couple of naps, had a large cup of tea, and drank some water in between my naps. Paid bills since DH got paid on Friday and I hadn't gotten them done for thie pay period. Balanced the household budget so I know how much we have to spend on incidentals that come up in the next couple of weeks.
DH did a grocery run on Saturday though we are fairly well stocked other than a few little things. It helps that we keep a good food storage and have just been rotating that every month year round so that we are using the older items first especially the non perishible canned and boxed goods though I plan on stocking up more on things like rice and boxed potatoes to keep in storage, We have plenty of meat in the freezer and
I got notice from my dad that we are getting not only our normal pork sometime between mid July and early September but we are getting some beef. I haven't heard how much but am guessing that it will more in likely be a split between me and my brother's household so 1/2 of a good raised a few miles from me beef. DH will go hunting sometime in Oct-Nov for a deer and we will more in likely get another hog in January-February based on when we normally get them.
I really only purchase a few cuts that I specifically want for a particular recipe, 98% lean ground beef when it's on such a good sale I have to use my store membership card and am limited to 10 pounds, and chicken breasts along with the occasional managers special box which is often enough stew/stirfry beef for two meals, 2 meals worth of chicken leg quarters (thigh and leg), tenderized chicken breasts, and a package of boneless pork tenders for $20 which is less than $4 a meal considering that box will make 6 meals for my family.
Should be able to start planting my garden in the next few weeks and some of the short growing items like the spinach, lettuce, and radishes should be ready by the end of the month first part of June. Can't wait to start getting fresh vegetables from my garden again for this year.
Tomorrows plans are to call and get pricing on the transmission and see if places offer free towing. As long as it is under the amount we have in savings from our stimulus check we will go ahead and schedule now if not the plan is to save up the difference as we can and get it done later. My mom agrees that putting the extra on a credit card when we are trying to pay them off or at least down is not a good idea. I really don't have any place to go as it is still going to be a while before anything opens for 4-H activities beyond club level project meetings provided there are no more then 10 people and 6 ft between members who are not in the same household. Since we have been told by the state office that is until at least the 15th we will not be having a club meeting again this month.
Had a bacon sandwich with my tea this morning which started my day out just perfect with that thick sliced hickory smoked goodness. 12 year old slept past 1 PM which is good considering she was up at 9:30 Saturday morning after not going to bed until close to 4 AM that same morning and was a crab all day. She has gotten a bit cranky and crabby now though has settled down since she had a bowl of baked beans. I thinkI am going to go start her a bath and let her soak and play in the tub for a while, though she just took her ipad back to her room so I think I will wait a bit.
She won't go to bed until DH gets home and he gets off at 3 AM here and is usually home shortly after. With the stores all closing at 8 PM so they can do cleaning and restocking overnight there is not much traffic on the 5.5 mile trip home so if he misses all 4 lights between work and home he is still walking in the door at 3:15 (3:08 if he doesn't have to stop at any lights). Starting the bath she has a couple of pieces from her tea set, Pooh water thermometer (not that it really matters now but it makes her happy so I will deal with it-just not replacing it when it finally breaks), and the Finding Nemo Bath Toy Set that now 15 year old bought on our Disney Trip with her gift card (the bag it came in has since been broke but the toys are all still in great shape). Plan is to let her just soak and play as long as she wants, get her in jammies and her collection of vitamins and supplements taken and then she should either go to bed before DH gets home or soon after depending on how long things take.
Now if I could just do something about the one cat having a fit because mean grandma (that's me I figure if 15 year old took over mommy duty when they were tiny kittens and raised them from bottles after they were orphaned, she must be mommy so that makes me grandma) won't let her go outside with her siblings. She went out either Thursday or Friday evening about 10:30 (can't remember which but think it was Friday), didn't come in with her siblings when DH got home if it was Thursday or when we called them about that time Saturday morning if it was Saturday. Normally if one or two of them don't come in around 3:15 they want in anytime between 5:30 and 8 in the morning. She was not there, At least one night went by and she still wasn't there which made me start to worry and cry. She finally showed up about 4:30 this morning. If she went out Friday evening it was 42 hours that she was gone and if she went out Thursday it was 66 hours. This after I told her to stay in our yard and not to go visiting because we are supposed to be social distancing.
I told her that she was grounded to the house for 6 weeks and would only be allowed outside on a harness and leash. I might actually let her go out with her siblings tomorrow morning when I get up as long as it is light enough to see outside. I am not telling her that though.
My twins are in year 11 - so that means back to school in a weeks time - mixed reactions - DS seems very blase about it all says he doesn't care and DD who at first didn't like the idea of online learning has embraced it and now doesn't want to go back - she likes the sleep ins and non crazy mornings without making lunch and getting ready for school! I expect they will start phasing university back in the next few weeks as well.
Is it possible for you to homeschool in Australia. I know from one of my mommy boards that a number of parents are looking at doing that here especially if there is a parent at home or they have high school age that can be left home alone and trustworthy enough to do their work. There are also a couple of online school options that are basically public school at home options here as well that have been available some states have one or the other and some have both options.
Since we don't know here if schools will open in the fall and then come flu season when we start (varies by State but here in MT it tends to be mid to late October for a start with our peak the end of January to the middle of Matrch) to see an uptake in cases of flu and possibly covid 19 close the schools down for a bit and go back to online learning. The idea is hopefully if that is done schools can start back to in person classes sometime in April for the last few months of the year. There is also talk of going on a mixture schedule for the entire year with those who need extra help going 3 days a week and the ones who don't 2 days a week in order to keep class sizes small along with either the class changes rooms for subjects at older grades as a group or they basically stay in the same room and the teachers swiitch. Which would work fine for everything but a few subjects. The problem is where are you going to find a group of 10 students even in a high school that has a graduating class of 400-700 students depending on the year that are taking the same courses. Going off what I am guessing my niece who will be a senior in the fall will be taking. (guessing here based on what she has taken in the past) Spanish 4, Honors English 4/cross listed with a university course in English because of being in the dual enrollment program), American Government (this is only a half year course so would have to be the same option for the 2nd half of the year from Current Events, Psychology, Sociology, Montana History, and I think a couple of others like 20th Century World History. The same Math not sure if she is taking Honors Algebra 3 and Probability or Honors Calculus 1 or 2 or Triganometry (the honors math track here takes Geometry in 9th, Algebra 2 in 10th , and then can take any of them but Calculus 2 in 11th as you have to take 1 before taking 2), the same science (not sure if she will have biology 2, physics, or chemestry as she could take either of them), and the same other elective course.
Schools here start the end of August first part of September (our elementary district will be starting a week earlier as they are not adding the week long spring break that the high school district we are zoned for has added back in after taking it away in excange for we will do a bunch of annoying half days in the middle of the week spead throughout the year starting in the 2002-03 school year. That bright **** idea was supposed to be for 3 years because the calendar had been approved for those 3 years and could not be changed. Why it took until now when no one liked it is beyond me: Parents because you can't go do anything and since 90% of grade school students who need afterschool care go to either the Y or Boys and Girls Club which are staffed by University Students who have classes of their own until right before normal start time and can't get out 2 plus hours earlier so no transportation is provided which means parents have to take time off work to go pick up their kids and drop them off at the building their kid goes to regularly. Since it's in the middle of the week you can't even take a shorter lunch break other days, or come in early a few days or stay late and then take the time off and start a longer weekend (these were never scheduled before a Thursday and Friday off either). Teachers didn't like them because again they couldn't go on vacation and many had to figure out how to pick up their own kids while still staying the required time after classes let out, The building administration and secretaries didn't like it because there would be at least one kid that was not picked up and no answer to the parents so if the kid normally went to the Y or Boys and Girls Club program they would have to call. Y and Club staff didn't like them even though those of us who could work got some extra hours because that met we would get a call and get yelled out because we were not there to pick up and name was waiting for the bus or van depending on what normally went to that building. Even though a letter was sent to the school at the beginning of the year before school started stating we did not do pick up on those dates and a reminder letter sent out the week prior that stated just a reminder the YMCA will not be running it's after school program at school name on May 6 nor will we be providing transportation. All transportation to the extended day program at the Y building downtown must be provided by parents which has been communicated to the parents. If a student is not picked up by his or her parent(s) or guardian please contact them and not the Y or Boys and Girls Club signed by the director of the program.
So if they had to shut down and go to online only classes that means we are looking at 6-9 weeks of instruction in the buildings, 8-10 weeks online only learning, 2 weeks off for the Winter holidays, and then another 10-12 weeks of online learning depending if they went back in mid or late March, and then finish off the year with 8-10 weeks in class instruction. I am seeing a lot of parents on the parenting boards I am part of saying that is not worth it and deciding if they want to go with one of the online public high schools, an online private high school, or figure something else out and are asking questions. The other group I am seeing asking questions is parents of younger kids who have health issues at least until there is a vaccine or a treatment that is easy enough to deal with and won't require hospitalization on if they should homeschool for K or 1st grade level next year and then look at the following year going back to either public or private school the following year depending on if the fast track plan works.
to the new folks!
), DD and I watched "Birds of Prey - the emancipation of Harley Quinn" - It was better than I expected - the adds had me worried - but it was ok. I also did get off my but for a while and stained the frame of my swing/daybed and some of the deck sleepers that I had to flip during summer as they buckled - they have straightened out now but the colours didn't match and it has been bugging me for ages! Tomorrow I will stain the 'bed' part of my swing. It is a public holiday here on Monday - so am looking forward to an extra day to myself without work. 
are my motivation today. I really need to focus my motivation on eating right! Healthier lunches and snacking! Unfortunately the weather looks likes it’s going to change tomorrow and the rest of the week, so I’ll need to stay focused on my goal to keep myself motivated the rest of the week. But for today...the sun is shining and the real feel is already over 60! So I’m going for a run with my daughter to start the day.
