Why I Love Paper Plates

Why do I love paper plates? Two doctor visits. Three dental visits. A trip to the bank. A stop at the library. And that was just by Monday afternoon.

Two more doctor visits and another stop at the library by Tuesday. One more doctor visit on Thursday.

Despite all those visits, it was a missing-it sort of week. No drama troupe, no choir, no piano. We stayed home and did not share germs except with the doctor.  🙂

The children and I have all been down and out. Strep, sinus infections, ear infections and allergies. Hodgepodgedad has been the only one to escape. I must say that this Hodgepodge was blessed with wellness all through the holidays – from October through the whole of January. But, February held the classic winter blues of sickness and weariness. Yet, we are encouraged that homeschooling allows us to stretch out on the couch and still get some learning in. We can sleep as long as we need to and recover. And we can write the schedule for medicine on the chalkboard to be sure all is taken care of.

That is precisely why I love paper plates. Because in the midst of sickness, they save me. They spare me the dishes – just the evening meal of the day when I’m most weary and all are cranky. It’s one less thing to do. Paper plates minimize the spreading of germs. They lessen the load. We don’t use them often otherwise but this week it sure helped me. So even when I’m not feeling well, we can get in a little bit of learning here and there…

…Like this thumbprint writing assignment we enjoyed. See Jamie Blog first shared this Pinterest thumbprint project. Our enlarged thumbprints didn’t turn out quite as clear and pretty as Jamie and Kathryn’s but it was a really fun writing exercise. Writing about ourselves on our own fingerprints!

Eldest Boy took our Answers in Genesis Heat and Energy lesson on circuits and ran with it. He spent quite some time with his snap circuits kit. His favorite project was the electric candle. You can blow into one area of the board and ‘blow out’ the light ‘candle’.

Kindergartener continued through her workboxes at least a couple days this week. She was excited about starting the new month of March in her math calendar.

Our Homeschool Makeover series continues at Heart of the Matter this week with: School Books on the Mantel. The above photo is of our current reading. Foot in the Mouth is a collection of poems and a suggestion from Maggie Hogan of Bright Ideas Press (shared by Jimmie on Instagram. And the William Shakespeare & the Globe, on the far right, was another suggestion Jimmie shared). The remainder of the books are from our Tapestry of Grace, year two, unit two studies.

Here’s a Hodgepodge collage of the rest of our week:

1. First round of doctor visits on Monday. | 2. an electric candle made with Snap Circuits following an AiG Heat and Energy lesson | 3. One of our resident Creation Scientists challenged the pediatrician to an evolution vs. creation discussion. And she held her own – big time! | 4. Daffodils in the front yard to cheer us. | 5. Lil’ Buddy having a mid-morning play break with his Angry Birds Knock on Wood game | 6. Sea creatures puzzles in the foyer | 7. How Great Thou Art – my favorite hymn. What’s yours? | 8. Teaching Textbooks math problems on the chalkboard desk

This week we also shared: Hodgepodgedad’s Letter Writer Oceans app review, Middle Girl’s duct tape purse tutorial and a favorite habit – Sketch Tuesday.

We also had an excessive amount of App School. Besides Stack the States like Eldest Girl is playing, above, the children spent time on: Choo Choo Steam Trains, Trainz, Pocket Frogs, Star Walk, Toontastic, Letter Writer Oceans, Cut the Rope and, of course, Angry Birds.

Daylight savings time is just a little over a week away! More light in the evenings for walks. Spring is officially only 18 days away. (Nature study this week – what was on our kitchen table – daffodils and a branch from the backyard maple that Middle Girl brought in. That maple has some beautiful buds about to bloom. We also marveled at some very spring-like weather – severe thunderstorms, cracking lightning and booming thunder).

Today? We are joining in the FUN. Sharing a Dr. Seuss Acrylic Art project, enjoying the fun ideas our friends are sharing plus a few more gleaned from Seuss ideas on Pinterest.

We may be sick, we may not be wearing hats,

But surely we can have fun with Cat in the Hat like that!

Thanks to our Friday hostesses: Camera Phone Friday hostess Dawn Camp @ My Home Sweet Home, Weekly Wrap-Up hostess Kris at Weird, Unsocialized Homeschoolers,  Mary at Home Grown Learners and Holy Spirit-Led Homeschooling.

So, next time you hear of a family down and out with sickness, in addition to Gatorade and some warm soup, take them a huge stack of paper plates. You’ll bless the Mama most of all. (Also a practical gift for a family with a new baby!)