Ice Cream Sundaes

As I mentioned, ice cream sundaes are our traditional first day lunch. Yes, lunch.

First Day of Lessons

Our first day was September 13th, a little later than most Michiganders and a lot later than those of you down South. That's ok - works for us.

The first day for Cornerstone Home Learning never has an academic focus. We always have new school supplies, a treasure hunt, and ice cream sundaes for lunch. This year was no different, though I changed up the treasure hunt for a letterbox. The picture is Emily reading the clues.

What's a letterbox? It's like geocaching, if you've heard of that, except without the GPS. Letterboxing is something I've heard of for a long time and wanted to try. How do you do it?

1 - Decide on a box to search for. (Use your zip code, or someplace you are traveling to.)
2 - Go there and read the clues.
3 - When you find the box, it should have a rubber stamp for you to stamp in YOUR logbook and you should stamp your own rubber stamp in the book inside the letterbox.

Easy peasy, right? There happened to be a letterbox hidden right in our town, within walking distance, so we took a short stroll and searched for it. James is walking near one of the things mentioned in the clues.

And we found it! The clues were confusing, but we found it! David actually found it. In the picture, he is holding the "letterbox" and opening it.

All of my kids were into this, from the 8 year old to the teens. Here Suzy is holding the logbook from the letterbox.

I encourage you to give it a try! What a fun family activity!

I will post some ice cream pictures separately.

Lisa's Logbook - September 26

Outside: Overcast and 50. Not even going to hit 60 today.

Sounds: fuzzy mellow Christian music (Bob's choice)

Home: Switched out my summer clothes for my winter ones. Donated a couple boxes of books to the library.

Projects: fundraising and costumes for Regency Ball class trip

Pondering: running a 10K on Thanksgiving Day (or weekend) but the only ones I can find are in Detroit and Ann Arbor. Isn't there a small one somewhere? I may have to settle for a 5K. (I could run it twice! LOL) If I commit to a 10K, then I have to train for that.

Teaching: Going to add in a few subjects I forgot earlier - a health book for James, PSAT prep for David, etc... The Livemocha Spanish seems to be going well.

Gratitude: that the 5K here in town yesterday went so well. The race was well-organized and I saw lots of people I know.

Recipes: been making a lot of Hamburger Helper, but there was one recipe from the 70 meals book that went over well here - Caesar chicken wraps. Yum!

Duds: Jeans, pink tee (but thinking I need a sweatshirt), socks and wet hair

Reads: going to start either Gone with the Wind by Margaret Mitchell (have to have it half-read for book club in 3 weeks) or a new Anna Quindlen book. Also listening to Dragonfly in Amber by Diana Gabaldon. And I have The Exile, which is Gabaldon's new graphic novel. I dipped into that a little but I'm going to wait a bit before reading it.

Vids: Danny Deckchair (a quirky Australian rom-com - Liked it!), Hoarders (I love being horrified by those houses!), and I think there was something else....

Hopes: that we can find a good car for Bob for the money we have

Love: COTTON CANDY!

Plans: Working 4-5 hours M-F, Soccer practices and games for all, my birthday (lunch out), gymnastics for the 3 youngest, movie day with my Austentatious teens

Pic: Saw a couple of Chevelles at the car show yesterday (at the Fall Festival). If you don't recall, that's TJ's car from my first novel. His is black, but I'd pick the blue one.

Lisa's Logbook - September 19

Outside: 63 and cloudy

Sounds: David explaining Halo Reach to James

Home: bought some lawn patch grass seed to fill in the spot where the pool was and also where some of our sidewalk tiles were before Bob redid the sidewalk. I want to do some painting, but since I HATE painting and have almost no free time, that probably won't happen.

Projects: Same old, same old.

Pondering: which church to visit next Sunday

Teaching: starting our full schedule this week. If I can get all the lesson sheets done today.

Gratitude: I am thankful today (and every day) for forgiveness of my sins.

Recipes: Tried two new recipes from the cookbook and did not really like either one. That's not a good beginning.

Duds: black skirt, printed twin set, bare feet (already stripped off the pantyhose and heels)

Reads: Mockingjay by Suzanne Collins and Dragonfly in Amber (on audio) by Diana Gabaldon

Vids: Me and Orson Welles (very good!), Stage Beauty (really good, but rated R so be prepared), Easy A (TERRIBLE), some of Pee Wee's Big Adventure (lol!), a couple episodes of Hoarders Season 1 (O.M.G.)

Hopes: that the homeschool gymnastics class we have found will be a good experience

Love: Scrapbooking weekend! Longing to do one! Planning one for January....

Plans: Working 4-5 hours M-F, Soccer practices and games for all, Co-op, running a 5K

Pic: My camping buddies and me! It was fun, guys!

Lisa's Logbook - September 12

Outside: Sunny and 73

Sounds: the boys playing How to Train Your Dragon on the Xbox

Home: Went through winter clothes and took out most of the summer clothes - for the kids, that is.

Projects: fundraising - for soccer, for Washington DC trip, for Regency Ball class trip

Pondering: whether or not I will like the new Outlander graphic novel - The Exile. I've never ever gotten into comic books or graphic novels of any sort.

Teaching: First day of lessons is Monday. We are doing 4-day weeks this year.

Gratitude: that the first day of homeschool co-op went well. My Austen class seems like it will be fun!

Recipes: Humongous ice cream sundaes the first day of lessons!

Duds: Jeans, blue tee, socks and slip on shoes

Reads: Mockingjay by Suzanne Collins

Vids: Little Dorrit

Hopes: that my soccer registrar duties will calm down a LOT now that the season has started.

Love: sitting in the sun reading

Plans: Working 4-5 hours M-F, Soccer practices and games for all, Park Day, Must RUN this week

Pic: The kids took these pix. I think Emily took the ones of James and James must have taken the ones of Suzy. I sadly did not take any of Emily, but I will eventually!

Lisa's Logbook - September 5

Outside: Sunny but chilly - only 59 right now!

Sounds: David tapping keys, Bob calling to Emily to find out if she's dressed

Home: Gonna clean up the yard today!

Projects: Yardwork, Lesson plans and getting the computers set up for lessons, planning my Austentatious class.

Pondering: whether or not I should re-read (re-listen to) the ending of Little Dorrit to prepare for book club

Teaching: We start formal lessons on Sept 13, but this week we will get into our routine. Post later this week about that.

Gratitude: thankful that I did NOT land that library job. Though it would have been a great position, this is not the right time for me to work full time.

Recipes: starting this week with 70 Meals, 1 Trip to the Store

Duds: freezing in a navy tee, jeans, and socks. Need a sweatshirt!

Reads: Northanger Abbey (audio) by Jane Austen and Tutankamun: The Book of Shadows by Nick Drake.

Vids: Lord of the Rings: Fellowship of the Ring and half of Two Towers (always love it!), The Bad Mother's Handbook (badly executed), oh yeah.... and a new Colin Firth movie that I wouldn't really recommend to the general viewer..... so .... yeah....

Hopes: to start my exercise routine back in earnest this week. So, yeah, ask me how that's going when you see me, k???? I am running a 5K on Sept 25, which is 20 days away! I need to get myself back in training!

Love: the discount grocery stores!!! I do not CARE if the food is past-date, y'all.

Plans: Working 5 hours M-F, Soccer practices and games for all, 1st day of Co-op, book club! (sounds easy, doesn't it? It's DECEPTIVELY complex in its simplicity!)

Pic: My kids with their Texas-bound buddies.....