Last Day of Homeschool

Arm update: I have been to physical therapy three times and have had three different therapists. The unit just reopened and it is finding it's feet again. Lots of safety precautions. The first two sessions went well, I thought. The third left me unable to move for two days. 

Homeschool Update:

The first grade had a year end project to accomplish. The students read the story of the Three Little Pigs and had one week to build a house out of household materials that could withstand the winds of a hair dryer.  I thought we were going big, but on the driving by tour to see the other houses in driveways - two of them were at least four feet tall! Many were much smaller, made from legos. 

Grampa helped the student cut pieces from scrap lumber. Miss Merry mixed leftover acrylic paints to achieve a brick color. 

Mortar was added to confuse the big bad wolf by thinking the wooden house was a brick house. 

We were directed to create a poster to explain the process. I taught the student the old trick of pencil lines on the cardboard to help keep the sentences straight. 

The shutters made from popsicle sticks changed color three times before the builder was satisfied. 

While his brother and a flat first grade teacher looked on, the house passed the hair dryer test!!

Memorial Day

Arm Update: I was very disappointed to find out that, instead of doing amazingly well, I now have encapsulation of the shoulder, elbow and wrist. Our hospital just reopened their physical therapy department and I am one of the first customers. I have a feeling this might have been avoided if I had gone a month ago instead of being "on my own". Darn that Rona!

Home School Update: We traveled on our first "home school" field trip on Friday for Memorial Day. Field trips are a little tricky in the current environment. We wanted to be close enough to home in case anyone needed a restroom. We wanted to travel to a location where we would not encounter other people. And, unfortunately, we do not feel comfortable standing in carry out lines for ice cream. No one seems to be respecting others by wearing a mask and no one seems to be able to estimate six feet for social distancing. 

Our first stop was a drive by to my country church cemetery. I showed the grandchildren/students the bronze plaque on the back of my parent's stone and explained about my father's military service in Korea. We looked around the cemetery at all the veterans graves, marked on the back with plaques and talked about how this year the American Legion had already put out flags for each person without the usual well attended ceremony. 

We drove down the road to a neighboring village which has a small park in front of their Catholic Church. All the monuments honor war veterans. The students are posing in front of the Civil War monument which lists citizens who served on the reverse side. Those who lost their lives in the war are marked with stars. This will be true on all monuments. 

World War I.  Every year the village hosts a Memorial Day parade with marching boy scouts, girl scouts, 4-H clubs and a large contingent of decorated bicycles. All participants end up at the park where the American Legion distributes popsicles. This year the parade was cancelled. 

World War II. My uncle Del's name is on this list and my dad's name is on the plaque of the fundraisers on the right. There are also two soldiers with my maiden name marked with stars. I will need to research this list. 

Korea. This one has my dad's name (their great grandfather). He was awarded 4 bronze stars, but made it home. One of the people marked with the stars was a female nurse from the village. Although I don't think she is a family member, I will be researching this brave lady, too. 

Vietnam. That is a lot of names for such a tiny village. I can't pick out stars, but I remember seeing them. 

Had to drag the students away from this.  They were full of questions about all the monuments and the first grader can read the names.  They were both appalled to find out that we still have active military serving in dangerous circumstances overseas. The whole Korean Conflict may require some age appropriate books.  

When we came home, they helped me put my row 24" flags along our landscaping. 

May 2020 - Homeschool Edition

May 2020

Arm update - continued improvement

Stay Home update - essential employees have returned to work. 

Grandparent update - daycare has reopened, school aged children included. 

Here is a photo from zoom preschool. 

A first grader on the right, a 3 year old preschooler in pink and can you find the Pre K preschooler whose class we are all participating with?

Meanwhile, this is what quarantine gramma hair looks like when you can't raise both arms to shampoo, much less try some home hair color.  I honestly think it looks more gray, but I guess the truth is worse. 

Today my first grade teacher's daily message stated we are continuing with online school until May 29. . . . 

Happy Mother's Day!

Left column: 

My great great great grandmother Sarah

My great great grandmother Sarah

My great grandmother Mary Ellen

My grandmother Anne

Middle:

My great grandmother Wretha May

Me!

My lovely mother Lois

My oldest daughter and oldest granddaughter

My youngest daughter and youngest granddaughter

My great great grandmother Isabell

My great grandmother Maud

My great grandmother Mary Elizabeth

My grandmother Mary Loretta

Happy Mother's Day!

Edit: I don't know why I did not think to add this information. My great grandmother Mary Ellen died during the Influenza Epidemic in 1918 in Michigan, orphaning my grandmother Anne. 

My great grandmother Maud died during the Influenza Epidemic in 1918 in Ohio. I found a copy of her obituary which stated her father and brother could not attend her funeral due to their sickness. Her father, my great great mother Isabell's husband died a week later. My great grandfather had died a few years earlier of appendicitis, orphaning my paternal grandfather. He was raised by Isabell and later she made her home with him and his family.