Music Monday - Fall Out Boy "Love from the Other Side"

New music from Fall Out Boy! It feels like it’s 2007, but I’m totally here for it!

Next up on the TBR pile:

Life Right Now #9

On my bedside table: My Killer Vacation by Tessa Bailey; Acid for the Children by Flea

On my tv this week: We started the new season of The Mandalorian and A History of the World Part II. I started S3 of Lego Masters and will be slowly working my way through the season over the next few weeks.

Listening to: Along with a mix of music and randomness, I’ve been focusing on very old episodes of 99PI. The earliest episodes are only about 6 minutes a piece. They’re easy to knock out while puzzling for a bit.

On the menu for this week:

• Monday - Baked Fish with Lemon Butter and Capers

• Tuesday - Chili and Cornbread

• Wednesday - Roast Pork Cubano

• Thursday - Monterrey Chicken Skillet

• Friday - Ham and Potato Soup

• Saturday - Leftovers

• Sunday - Teriyaki Chicken

On my to do list: Some medical appointments need to be made, plus I have a list of coop tasks to tackle this week.

Happening this week:

• Monday - Home Day

• Tuesday - Stinky Cheese Man @ The Rose; Drop Off Meals to a Friend

• Wednesday - Science Class

• Thursday - Coop

• Friday - Neale Woods Winter Hike; Lit Society

• Saturday - Homeschool Seminar

• Sunday - Currently Reading Zoom Discussion for Station Eternity

What I am creating: Nothing at the moment, but I do need to start working on my February Memory Planner pages.

My simple pleasures: Time with friends, puzzle time, good podcasts

Looking around the house: The boys cleaned up the playroom, so things are better looking. I should do a deep clean of the kitchen counters, but meh activities today may push that task to Monday.

From the camera: Can you spot Quentin in the woods?

The Mountain in the Sea by Ray Nayler

Title: The Mountain in the Sea

Author: Ray Nayler

Publisher: MCD 2022

Genre: Science Fiction

Pages: 464

Rating: 5/5 stars

Reading Challenges: 52 Book Club - Book “Everyone” has Read

Rumors begin to spread of a dangerous species of hyperintelligent octopus that may have developed its own language and culture. The marine biologist Dr. Ha Nguyen, who has spent her life researching cephalopod intelligence, will do anything for the chance to study them.

The transnational tech corporation DIANIMA has sealed off the remote Con Dao Archipelago, where the octopuses were discovered, from the rest of world. Dr. Nguyen travels to the islands to join DIANIMA’s team: a battle-scarred security agent and the world’s first android.

One of those books that the Currently Reading Podcast made me read. Sometimes their recommendations really miss the mark for me, but I was intrigued by the little summary that I heard and I’m always up for an interesting science fiction. It took me about 30 pages to get into the flow of this book and then I was hooked. I didn’t really love any of the characters, except maybe Evrim, but I really enjoyed the storyline and all the questions it sparked. This book is more focused on philosophy and science than character and plot. Think more of Arrival without the emotional story about the daughter. I was fascinated by the ways in which humanity’s actions have changed the course of life in the oceans. We get lots of discussions about evolution and the value of life. We get to talk a lot about how language and communication creates community and connection. I probably could have done without the storyline about the hacker, but understand why it was included. I really just wanted to spend more time with Ha and Evrim on Con Dao. Beautiful book heavy on the science.

Next up on the TBR pile:

About that Kiss by Jill Shalvis

Title: About that Kiss (Heartbreaker Bay #5)

Author: Jill Shalvis

Publisher: Avon 2018

Genre: Romance

Pages: 349

Rating: 3/5 stars

Reading Challenges: Finishing the Series

When love drives you crazy . . .

When sexy Joe Malone never calls after their explosive kiss, Kylie shoves him out of her mind. Until she needs a favor, and it’s a doozy. Something precious to her has been stolen and there’s only one person with unique finder-and-fixer skills that can help—Joe. It means swallowing her pride and somehow trying to avoid the temptation to throttle him—or seduce him.

the best thing to do . . .

No, Joe didn’t call after the kiss. He’s the fun time guy, not the forever guy. And Kylie, after all she’s been through, deserves a good man who will stay. But everything about Kylie makes it damned hard to focus, and though his brain knows what he has to do, his heart isn’t getting the memo.

… is enjoy the ride.

As Kylie and Joe go on the scavenger hunt of their lives, they discover surprising things about each other. Now, the best way for them to get over “that kiss” might just be to replace it with a hundred more.

I’m pretty meh about this volume. I wasn’t super excited about seeing Kylie and Joe’s romance. Kylie didn’t have a big personality in the previous books and I didn’t think she was going to be that interesting once we got her book. And I was right. Joe wasn’t really any more interesting. I just didn’t really buy their romance and attraction together. I want’ed more tension and build up to their romance. the big plot driving mystery didn’t quite do it for me. I didn’t really feel any suspense.

Heartbreaker Bay

• #1 Sweet Little Lies

• #2 The Trouble with Mistletoe

• #2.5 One Snowy Night

• #3 Accidentally on Purpose

• #4 Chasing Christmas Eve

• #4.5 Holiday Wishes

• #5 About That Kiss

• #6 Hot Winter Nights

• #6.5 Just Say When

• #7 Playing for Keeps

• #8 Wrapped Up in You

• #8.5 Twist of Fate

Next up on the TBR pile:

The Last Tale of the Flower Bride by Roshani Chokshi

Title: The Last Tale of the Flower Bride

Author: Roshani Chokshi

Publisher: William Morrow & Company 2023

Genre: Fantasy

Pages: 304

Rating: 3/5 stars

Reading Challenges: 52 Book Club - Featuring Mythology

Once upon a time, a man who believed in fairy tales married a beautiful, mysterious woman named Indigo Maxwell-Casteñada. He was a scholar of myths. She was heiress to a fortune. They exchanged gifts and stories and believed they would live happily ever after—and in exchange for her love, Indigo extracted a promise: that her bridegroom would never pry into her past.

But when Indigo learns that her estranged aunt is dying and the couple is forced to return to her childhood home, the House of Dreams, the bridegroom will soon find himself unable to resist. For within the crumbling manor’s extravagant rooms and musty halls, there lurks the shadow of another girl: Azure, Indigo’s dearest childhood friend who suddenly disappeared. As the house slowly reveals his wife’s secrets, the bridegroom will be forced to choose between reality and fantasy, even if doing so threatens to destroy their marriage . . . or their lives.

I had such high hopes for this book. I was very intrigued by the idea of a reverse Bluebeard story with lots of references to fairy tales and mythology. Unfortunately, this particular book really fell flat for me. Super disappointing as I have loved Chokshi’s Aru Shah series for middle grade. Back to this book… I enjoyed the descriptive prose for about 1/3 of the book. And then it got really repetitive and distracting. The prose seemed to mask the fact that there is no real plot and the characters are all terrible. I had to force myself to keep reading this book. Every time I put it down, I simultaneously felt relief (for not reading it anymore) and despair (after effects of reading the book). The summary really made this book sound like the perfect one for me, but it turns out that I was bored almost the entire time.

Next up on the TBR pile:

Currently #4

Reading: The Mountain in the Sea by Ray Nayler - I’m so in deep into this science fiction adventure. It’s so good.

Watching: We’re finishing Brave New World and it’s just so dramatic.

Listening: I finally downloaded the Gorillaz new album. Definitely a masterpiece.

Making: Instead of scones, I’m making banana bread this week. I might end up making a chocolate chip version also.

Feeling: I had my birthday day out on Sunday and I’m feeling refreshed.

Planning: With the huge increase in attendees, I’m updating my games plan. We’re going to spread out the activities and maybe make some new games.

Loving: I did a bit of shopping on Sunday and bought some pieces to update my closet. I ended up with just some basic pieces, but they should be good replacements for some things that are being worn out.

Next up on the TBR pile:

Homeschool W24: Quite a Normal Week

What We Studied

It was a simple normal week. Nothing too out of the ordinary or special. But sometimes, that’s exactly what we need. We need the routine and the ordinary.

Literature and Poetry

We finally started the coop book club selection. It’s not exactly a favorite, but we’ll keep plugging along.

• Argos by Ralph Hardy

We continued with our read aloud and will finish early next week. This has not been my favorite of our read aloud, but it has been an interesting read. I need to decide on our next one before we move on to Shakespeare.

• Nat Geo Book of Nature Poetry

• One World, Many Religions by Mary Pope Osborne

• Poetry for Young People: Emily Dickinson

• Emily Dickinson: Letters to the World by Jeanette Winter

• The Mighty Miss Malone by Christopher Paul Curtis

Quentin focused on reading animal stories from around the world. I’m trying to line them up with our continents as we move across the world. We started the next in the Pooh series and will be sprinkling in the stories when we don’t have a country specific book.

• Nat Geo Book of Animal Poetry

• A World Full of Animal Stories by Angela McAllister

• Around the World in 80 Days by Saviour Pirotta

• The House at Pooh Corner by A.A. Milne

• Bread and Jam for Frances by Russell Hoban

Math

For both boys, we have scheduled math for three days a week. One day is focused on logic, games, puzzles, and special projects. The two other days are focused on covering the main math curriculum (Singapore 4A and 4B for Arthur and Singapore 1A and 1B for Quentin). Arthur finished 4B this week. We will be taking a break and doing a review course before moving onto 5A.

• Logic Liftoff (Arthur)

• Singapore 4B

• Lollipop Logic Book 2 (Quentin)

• Singapore 1A

Social Studies

Arthur continued his large study of United States history using a combination of Build Your Library Level 5 and History Quest United States History. We moved onto James Monroe and John Quincy Adams. We’ll be moving onto Andrew Jackson and Indian Removal.

• A Kid’s Guide to Native American History by Yvonne Wakim Dennis

• An Indigenous Peoples’ History of the United States by Roxanne Dunbar-Ortiz

• We were There Too by Philip Hoose

• Words that Built a Nation

• History Quest: U.S. History

• A Different Mirror

• DK American History Visual Encyclopedia

• Heart and Soul: The Story of America and African Americans by Kadir Nelson

• Nat Geo Our Country’s Presidents

• What the Eagle Sees

• A is for Abigail: F for First Ladies

• Smart About the First Ladies

• James Monroe by Mike Venezia

Quentin continued his study of the world with Build Your Library Level 0. We’re continuing with our Asian country study. We covered more of Asia and moved into the Middle East. We wrapped up Asia with this week.

• Nat Geo Beginner’s World Atlas

• DK Countries of the World

• DK Children Just Like Me

• DK Children Just Like Me: A School Like Mine

• Riding a Donkey Backwards: Wise and Foolish Tales of Mulla Nasruddin retold by Sean Taylor

• What About Me? by Ed Young

Arthur Independent Time

We are working on following a checklist in a planner for weekly independent work. There’s usually some math workbook pages, an ELA packet, weekly writing prompts (1-2 times a week), independent reading time, and a special creative project. There has been many drawing projects lately.

Science

Arthur is focusing on Physics this year. We are covering the text and related videos at home and then joining friends for experiments and extra projects. Continuing our physic study with lessons on atoms and sensors. We talked electrical circuits this week.

• RSO Physics

• The Story of Science: Aristotle Leads the Way by Joy Hakim

• The Way Things Work Now

Quentin will be focusing on animal science with BYL Level 0. We started watching a new documentary series called Magic of Disney’s Animal Kingdom. It’s a behind the scenes look at caring for the animals at the park. Each episode is less than 30 minutes, so it’s a perfect length for Q.

• Nat Geo Wild Animal Atlas

• DK Animal

• Lonely Planet: The Animal Book

• The Tarantula in My Purse by Jean Craighead George

STEAM Coop

Both groups started the Engineering Challenge. The big kids made houses out of various materials while the littles made bridges out of straws. The oldest group will be doing a different challenge each week.

Art/Music/Crafts/Cooking/Documentary

We’re planning one doing on art project and one cooking project each week as well as picking a composer or musician to listen to and enjoy.

Field Trip

We had a zoo day with a few friends. We hit our favorite places and even got to see the baby elephants. The third elephant calf was born two days after our visit.

High

• Friday we had lovely 3 mile hike at Schramm with some friends. It was strenuous, but it felt nice to get outside for a few hours.

Low

• We attempted a mini golfing and things were very difficult. The boys were not interested in listening to my instructions or advance but kept getting frustrated by not making their shots. It was a trying afternoon.

Next Week

• Finishing a new read aloud (A)

• Starting a math review workbook (A)

• Covering our next unit for physics

• Moving to Jackson and Indian Removal for US History

• Maybe planning a random outing

• Joining the first Nature Explorers meeting

Next up on the TBR pile:

Music Monday - Talk "Run Away to Mars"

There’s something about the voice that really draws me in. I could listen to this song on repeat.

Next up on the TBR pile:

Life Right Now #8

As I look outside my window: It’s bright and sunny and going to be in the low 60s today.

Right now I am: Grabbing my things to head out to my Birthday Day Out. First stop is Starbucks for my free birthday drink.

Thinking and pondering: Where exactly am I going to go today? I have a list of potentials and probables, but I try to just let the mood take me from place to place.

On my bedside table: The Beautiful and Damned by F. Scott Fitzgerald; VenCo by Cherie Dimaline

On my tv this week: We’re still making our way through Brave New World. There’s so much in each episode.

Listening to: I finally remembered to download the new Gorillaz album, Cracker Island. Oh so incredibly good. We listened to the entire album to and from our hike on Friday.

On the menu for this week:

• Monday - Spicy Shrimp Burrito Bowl

• Tuesday - Teriyaki Salmon

• Wednesday - Sesame Chicken

• Thursday - Sloppy Joes

• Friday - Leftovers

• Saturday - Chicken and Dumplings

• Sunday - Chicken Shawarma Fries

On my to do list: I’m taking the weekend off of to dos, but I imagine that I need to look at the list on Monday.

Happening this week:

• Monday - Grocery Run

• Tuesday - Home Day

• Wednesday - Science Class; Music Bingo

• Thursday - Coop

• Friday - Nature Explorers; Coop Happy Hour

• Saturday - Home Day

• Sunday - Coop Book Club

What I am creating: I want to start on my February Memory Planner pages this week. I also want to start pulling paper for the retreat name tags

My simple pleasures: A day out by myself is exactly what I needed right now.

From the camera: Happy Birthday dinner to me. This was actually supposed to be tonight, but I totally forgot to start the Crock Pot yesterday, so last night it was.

The Stranded by Sarah Daniels

Title: The Stranded

Author: Sarah Daniels

Publisher: Sourcebooks Fire 2022

Genre: YA Sci-fi

Pages: 450

Rating: 2/5 stars

Reading Challenges: 52 Book Club - Dystopian Fiction

Welcome to the Arcadia.

Once a luxurious cruise ship, it became a refugee camp after being driven from Europe by an apocalyptic war. Now it floats near the coastline of the Federated States―a leftover piece of a fractured USA.

For forty years, residents of the Arcadia have been prohibited from making landfall. It is a world of extreme haves and have nots, gangs and make-shift shelters.

Esther is a loyal citizen, working flat-out to have the rare chance to live a normal life as a medic on dry land. Nik is a rebel, planning something big to liberate the Arcadia once and for all.

When events throw them both together, their lives, and the lives of everyone on the ship, will change forever...

Another Currently Reading made me pick it up, but unlike the last one, this book did not land for me at all. Red flag #1: this is a Young Adult thriller. Somehow I totally missed this fact and came into the book expecting something very different. YA Thrillers are not usually my cup of tea and this definitely fits into that. Red flag #2: the main female protagonist is incredibly annoying. I could not stand her at all. And she never really grew throughout the book. I could not at all. Red flag #3: I never could really understand the world and why the rebellion was happening. Things just didn’t make sense to me at all. Random red flag #4: I somehow got through most of the book before realizing that Hadley was a full adult, and not the same age as Esther and Nik as I thought. The end result was a bit of a mess and a massive cliffhanger on the last page. I really really disliked this one.

Next up on the TBR pile:

Station Eternity by Mur Lafferty

Title: Station Eternity (The Midsolar Murders #1)

Author: Mur Lafferty

Publisher: Ace 2022

Genre: Science Fiction

Pages: 457

Rating: 4/5 stars

Reading Challenges: 52 Book Club - Chapters Have Cliffhangers

Amateur detective Mallory Viridian’s talent for solving murders ruined her life on Earth and drove her to live on an alien space station, but her problems still follow her in this witty, self-aware novel that puts a speculative spin on murder mysteries, from the Hugo-nominated author of Six Wakes.

From idyllic small towns to claustrophobic urban landscapes, Mallory Viridian is constantly embroiled in murder cases that only she has the insight to solve. But outside of a classic mystery novel, being surrounded by death doesn’t make you a charming amateur detective, it makes you a suspect and a social pariah. So when Mallory gets the opportunity to take refuge on a sentient space station, she thinks she has the solution. Surely the murders will stop if her only company is alien beings. At first her new existence is peacefully quiet…and markedly devoid of homicide.
 
But when the station agrees to allow additional human guests, Mallory knows the break from her peculiar reality is over. After the first Earth shuttle arrives, and aliens and humans alike begin to die, the station is thrown into peril. Stuck smack-dab in the middle of an extraterrestrial whodunit, and wondering how in the world this keeps happening to her anyway, Mallory has to solve the crime—and fast—or the list of victims could grow to include everyone on board….

The Currently Reading Podcast and Schuler Books made me pick up this book! I was very intrigued by a murder mystery on a space station that only a few human (and lots of aliens) inhabit. We are thrown into Mallory’s life on Station Eternity without a life raft. We have to navigate the quickly changing situation all the while meeting new characters and even new alien species. We start to get a handle on her life when a murder occurs and a station disaster and some people from Mallory’s past all pop up in very unexpected places. From there, it is nonstop until the end. The pace alternates between quieter backstory chapters and frantic action-packed chapters in the present. We have to work with Mallory and Xan to solve a murder and understand all the connections that are present on this space station. My favorite parts of this book were the descriptions and depictions of the alien races, especially the concept of the sentient space station. It was a mix of Star Trek: DS9 and Farscape for me. I will definitely be putting the sequel on my future TBR.

The Midsolar Murders

• #1 Station Eternity

• #2 Chaos Terminal

Next up on the TBR pile:

Odds and Ends

Here's my randomness for the week:

• it’s week one of the engineering challenge I’m teaching for the oldest group. We’re building houses out of a variety of materials this week.

• I really need to meal plan for the rest of the month.

• Getting very excited for this Sunday and my birthday day out. Still working out my itinerary…

Next up on the TBR pile:

March 2023 Life Goals

Let’s check in on February’s goals and my progress.

• Read 18 Books ✓

• Get Back into Our School/Social Routine ✓

• Plan Another Homeschool Seminar ✓

• Set Up Coop Events for February through March ✓

• Go on Four Winter Hikes - Not quite. The weather conspired against us.

March Goals:

• Read 18 Books

• Make Progress on Planning the Retreat

• Make a Watch List for TV and Movies

• Preliminary Planning on a Family Weekend Trip

Next up on the TBR pile:

February 2023 Wrap

February TBR Pile (24/27):

1. Bookworms BC: Come as You Are by Jess K. Hardy ✓

2. Friend BC: Take My Hand by Dolen Perkins-Valdez ✓

3. Nerdy Bookish Friends BC: Babel by R.F. Kaung ✓

4. Currently Reading Bookish Friends BC: NONE

5. Kid Read Aloud: Fever 1793 by Laurie Halse Anderson ✓

6. Kid Read Aloud: Chains by Laurie Halse Anderson ✓

7. Kid Read Aloud: Crenshaw by Katherine Applegate ✓

8. Kid Read Aloud: Heartwood Hotel: A True Home by Kallie George ✓

9. Kid Book Club: Winterhouse by Ben Guterson ✓

10. Winter Read: The Bear and the Nightingale by Katherine Arden

11. Middle Grade: Anya and the Nightingale by Sofiya Pasternack ✓

12. Fantasy: The Very Secret Society of Irregular Witches by Sangu Mandanna

13. Fantasy: Lost in the Moment and Found by Seanan McGuire ✓

14. Romance: Never Fall for Your Fiancé by Virginia Heath ✓

15. Romance: Never Rescue a Rogue by Virginia Heath ✓

16. Romance: A Merry Little Meet Cute by Julie Murphy & Sierra Simone ✓

17. Romance: Well Traveled by Jen DeLuca ✓

18. Romance: Sweet Little Lies by Jill Shalvis ✓

19. Romance: Accidentally on Purpose by Jill Shalvis ✓

20. Romance: Chasing Christmas Eve by Jill Shalvis ✓

21. Romance: Holiday Wishes by Jill Shalvis ✓

22. Romance: The Mistake by Elle Kennedy ✓

23. Romance: Hook, Line, and Sinker by Tessa Bailey ✓

24. Horror: A Lush and Seething Hell by John Hornor Jacobs ✓

25. Comics: Snow, Glass, Apples ✓

26. Nonfiction: Death in the Air by Kate Winkler Dawson ✓

27. Scifi: Timemaster by Robert L. Forward ✓

1,000,000 Page Goal:

Monthly Total: 7613 pages
Pages Remaining: 344,812 pages

Current Read - Station Eternity by Mur Lafferty

Books I Gave Up On (0)

Books Bought/Received (0)

UnRead Shelf Progress

• Starting Number: 335

• Books Read: 1

• Books Acquired: 0

• Books Unshelved: 0

• Finishing Number: 334

March TBR Pile:

1. Bookworms BC: NONE

2. Friend BC: Acid for the Children by Flea

3. Nerdy Bookish Friends BC: A Psalm for the Wild-Built by Becky Chambers

4. Nerdy Bookish Friends BC: A Prayer for the Crown-Shy by Beck Chambers

5. Currently Reading Bookish Friends BC: Station Eternity by Mur Lafferty

6. Kid Read Aloud: The Mighty Miss Malone by Christopher Paul Curtis

7. Kid Book Club: Argos by Ralph Hardy

8. Kid Book Club: The Strangers by Margaret Peterson Haddix

9. Fantasy: The Last Tale of the Flower Bride by Roshani Chokshi

10. Fantasy: The Other Half of the Grave by Jeaniene Frost

11. Fantasy: The City of Brass by SA Chakraborty

12. Romance: About That Kiss by Jill Shalvis

13. Romance: Hot Winter Nights by Jill Shalvis

14. Romance: The Siren of Sussex by Mimi Matthews

15. Romance: The Score by Elle Kennedy

16. Romance: My Killer Vacation by Tessa Bailey

17. Scifi: Waking Gods by Sylvain Neuvel

18. Scifi: Venmo by Cherie Dimaline

19. Scifi: The Mountain in the Sea by Ray Nayler

20. Thriller: The Drift by CJ Tudor

21. Thriller: The Stranded by Sarah Daniels

22. Thriller: The Getaway by Lamar Giles

23. Literary Fiction: The Love Scribe by Amy Meyerson

Movies watched

• Wakanda Forever - Very powerful. But we need to see more from Namor.

• The Night Shift (1982) - Surprisingly pro-sex work movie from 40 years ago.

• The Incredible Burt Wonderstone - J made me watch. Had some funny moments.

• The Lost King - We really like British quiet comedies and this one was great.

TV Shows watched 

• His Dark Materials S2 & S3 - That was a whirlwind. Great adaption of the books.

• The Bachelor - I can’t quit it…

• Below Deck - My silly show.

• Lego Masters (US) S2 - I called the top three teams. Very satisfied with the winners.

• Doctor Who - We caught up with the specials that we apparently forgot about. Ready to see David Tennant do his limited run before Ncuti Gatwa takes over.

• Killing It S1 - It was cancelled, but a funny and sometimes very serious show. Love Craig Robinson.

• Clarkson’s Farm S2 - I was totally sucked into this one… Very compelling and funny.

• Cunk on Earth - Well, that was ridiculous and delightful.

• Brave New World - Very different from the book, but an interesting take on the story.

• Slow Horses S2 - Back to this awesomeness.

Comments - Wow! I somehow read almost as much as I read in January. And that month I read a ton because of being down for surgery. Like most months, it was a mixed bag, but I made a dent in my TBR piles. We also watched some good television shows and movies. In fact, we binged a few seasons of various shows. We absolutely loved S2 of Slow Horses. Super excited that there will be a third season.

Next up on the TBR pile:

Hook, Line, and Sinker by Tessa Bailey

Title: Hook, Line, and Sinker (It Happened One Summer #2)

Author: Tessa Bailey

Publisher: Avon 2022

Genre: Contemporary Romance

Pages: 353

Rating: 4/5 stars

Reading Challenges: 52 Book Club - Starts with “H”; Romanceopoly - BFF’s House (Friends to Lovers)

Spice Rating: 5

King crab fisherman Fox Thornton has a reputation as a sexy, carefree flirt. Everyone knows he’s a guaranteed good time—in bed and out—and that’s exactly how he prefers it. Until he meets Hannah Bellinger. She’s immune to his charm and looks, but she seems to enjoy his… personality? And wants to be friends? Bizarre. But he likes her too much to risk a fling, so platonic pals it is.

Now, Hannah's in town for work, crashing in Fox’s spare bedroom. She knows he’s a notorious ladies’ man, but they’re definitely just friends. In fact, she's nursing a hopeless crush on a colleague and Fox is just the person to help with her lackluster love life. Armed with a few tips from Westport’s resident Casanova, Hannah sets out to catch her coworker’s eye… yet the more time she spends with Fox, the more she wants him instead. As the line between friendship and flirtation begins to blur, Hannah can't deny she loves everything about Fox, but she refuses to be another notch on his bedpost. 

Living with his best friend should have been easy. Except now she’s walking around in a towel, sleeping right across the hall, and Fox is fantasizing about waking up next to her for the rest of his life and… and… man overboard! He’s fallen for her, hook, line, and sinker. Helping her flirt with another guy is pure torture, but maybe if Fox can tackle his inner demons and show Hannah he’s all in, she'll choose him instead?

Surprisingly, I have really enjoyed this duology. After my first two attempts at Tessa Bailey books failed miserably. Thankfully, I connected with this series and these characters. Fox was an intriguing character in the first book and I’m so glad we finally get to dive into all his layers. Hannah was a slightly less interesting characters. I think I’ve decided that I really enjoy Tessa Bailey’s male characters and her female characters less so. Fox was such a great layered characters. I felt so much with him as he started to acknowledge his own feelings, fears, and desires. The journey was my favorite part of the book. I must say that the steamy scenes weren’t my favorite, but they did their job. With this duology, I may just be open for new Tessa Bailey books.

Next up on the TBR pile:

Homeschool W23: A Super Cold Week Caused Some Cancellations...

What We Studied

We were excited to start our week off with a bowling date and wanted to continue the fun with other activities. Unfortunately, we got hit with an ice storm (minor) and below zero temperatures (major). Our outside activities were all cancelled for the week. Here’s hoping next week is a bit more mild and offers opportunities to get outside.

Literature and Poetry

For the coop book club, we received the book (from the library), but have been reading a Terry Prachett book instead of starting it.

Another read aloud was started. This time, I started the book, but have been Arthur read it independently during his work time. We’re attempting to do more retelling and comprehension.

• Nat Geo Book of Nature Poetry

• One World, Many Religions by Mary Pope Osborne

• Poetry for Young People: Emily Dickinson

• Emily Dickinson: Letters to the World by Jeanette Winter

• The Mighty Miss Malone by Christopher Paul Curtis

Quentin focused on reading animal stories from around the world. I’m trying to line them up with our continents as we move across the world. We finished our read aloud. He didn’t seem super sad that it was over, but we did a conversation about the characters and the plot. So win!

• Nat Geo Book of Animal Poetry

• A World Full of Animal Stories by Angela McAllister

• Around the World in 80 Days by Saviour Pirotta

• Heartwood Hotel: A True Home by Kallie George

Math

For both boys, we have scheduled math for three days a week. One day is focused on logic, games, puzzles, and special projects. The two other days are focused on covering the main math curriculum (Singapore 4A and 4B for Arthur and Singapore 1A and 1B for Quentin).

• Logic Liftoff (Arthur)

• Singapore 4B

• Lollipop Logic Book 2 (Quentin)

• Singapore 1A

Social Studies

Arthur continued his large study of United States history using a combination of Build Your Library Level 5 and History Quest United States History. We covered the Presidency of James Madison and the War of 1812. I’m not going super in-depth with a lot of these topics, but we are hitting the high points.

• A Kid’s Guide to Native American History by Yvonne Wakim Dennis

• An Indigenous Peoples’ History of the United States by Roxanne Dunbar-Ortiz

• We were There Too by Philip Hoose

• Words that Built a Nation

• History Quest: U.S. History

• A Different Mirror

• DK American History Visual Encyclopedia

• Heart and Soul: The Story of America and African Americans by Kadir Nelson

• Nat Geo Our Country’s Presidents

• What the Eagle Sees

• The White House is Burning by Jane Sutcliffe

• Long May She Wave: The True Story of Caroline Pickersgill and Her Star-Spangled Creation by Kristen Fulton

• Our Flag was Still There: The True Story of Mary Pickersgill and the Star-Spangled Banner by Jessie Hartland

• Words that Built a Nation Pg. 66–69 – The Star-Spangled Banner and Francis Scott Key

• The Star-Spangled Banner by Peter Spier

• The National Anthem by Elaine Landau

Quentin continued his study of the world with Build Your Library Level 0. We’re continuing with our Asian country study. We covered more of Asia and moved into the Middle East.

• Nat Geo Beginner’s World Atlas

• DK Countries of the World

• DK Children Just Like Me

• DK Children Just Like Me: A School Like Mine

• Everybody Says Shalom by Leslie Kimmelman

• Snow in Jerusalem by Deborah Da Costa

Arthur Independent Time

We are working on following a checklist in a planner for weekly independent work. There’s usually some math workbook pages, an ELA packet, weekly writing prompts (1-2 times a week), independent reading time, and a special creative project. There has been many drawing projects lately.

Science

Arthur is focusing on Physics this year. We are covering the text and related videos at home and then joining friends for experiments and extra projects. Continuing our physic study with lessons on atoms and sensors. We moved to studying atoms and molecules (very briefly) and then moved onto static electricity.

• RSO Physics

• The Story of Science: Aristotle Leads the Way by Joy Hakim

• The Way Things Work Now

Quentin will be focusing on animal science with BYL Level 0. We started watching a new documentary series called Magic of Disney’s Animal Kingdom. It’s a behind the scenes look at caring for the animals at the park. Each episode is less than 30 minutes, so it’s a perfect length for Q. We also talked a lot about what animals do in winter.

• Nat Geo Wild Animal Atlas

• DK Animal

• Lonely Planet: The Animal Book

• The Tarantula in My Purse by Jean Craighead George

• A Drop Around the World by Barbara McKinney

STEAM Coop

Arthur’s group finished their stop-motion animation project with finished videos. So exciting! Quentin’s group covered the moon and planets this week and then played some board games. Next week, all the groups are moving to Engineering Challenges.

Art/Music/Crafts/Cooking/Documentary

We’re planning one doing on art project and one cooking project each week as well as picking a composer or musician to listen to and enjoy.

Field Trip

We didn’t have a coop field trip and our first Nature Explorers meeting was cancelled due to weather.

High

• I took the boys bowling for the first time on Monday! We met ups with two friends and their kids to have two hours of bowling. The alley was packed as it was Presidents’ Day. Thankfully I prepid for a lane so we slid right in. The boys really enjoyed it. We will have to take advantage of our Get Out Pass that includes a free monthly game at a local bowling alley.

Low

• Super sad that our first Nature Explorers meeting was cancelled. I didn’t particularly want to be outside for a few hours in below zero temperatures, but still we were sad to cancel.

Next Week

• Continuing a new read aloud (A)

• Finishing Singapore 4B for math (A)

• Covering electrical circuits for physics

• Moving to J. Monroe for US History

• Watching a few more animal documentaries

• Hoping to get outside for a hike

Next up on the TBR pile:

Music Monday - Miley Cyrus "Flowers"

I’m so digging Miley’s new song. It’s strong and amazing!

Next up on the TBR pile:

Winter Bucket List Update #2

Entering into another winter bucket list.

1. Go Sledding ✓ - Backyard, but we still did it!

2. Read 45 Books ✓

3. Bake Some Bread ✓

4. Make Winter Crafts

5. Movie Month February

6. Make Valentines ✓

7. Go on 5 Winter Hikes ✓

8. Have an Indoor Picnic

9. Make a Snow Globe

10. Complete 3 Puzzles

11. Buy Some New Cozy Pajamas

12. Check Off 50 Hours Outside

13. Have a Birthday Day Out

14. Visit the Zoo 3 Times (1/3)

15. Monthly Bingo/Trivia Nights (2/3)

16. Take the Kids Bowling ✓

17. Make Homemade Cinnamon Rolls

18. Make a New Dessert

19. Make a Bird Feeder

20. Have an Ice Cream Sundae Night

Next Up on the TBR Pile:

Life Right Now #7

As I look outside my window: Bright and sunny and just a bit chilly. Looks like a lovely day.

Right now I am: Making dinner, scones, and brunch. It’s a busy cooking morning.

Thinking and pondering: How many cardboard bases do I need to cut for engineering coop class? My brain does not want to do math this morning.

On my bedside table: The Last Tale of the Flower Bride by Roshani Chokshi; The Mountain in the Sea by Ray Nayler

On my tv this week: We’ve been watching a few series including Slow Horses and Brave New World.

Listening to: Not much of anything this week. I really need to incorporate more music back into my weekly routine.

On the menu for this week:

• Monday - Lemon Chicken with Potatoes

• Tuesday - Mississippi Pot Roast

• Wednesday - Leftovers

• Thursday - Bangkok Coconut Curry Noodles

• Friday - Pizza Night

• Saturday - Shrimp Burrito Bowls

• Sunday - Birthday Dinner Out

On my to do list: My two big tasks are to write discussion questions for Tuesday’s book club and prep supplies for Thursday’s engineering coop

Happening this week:

• Monday - Prehistoric Putt

• Tuesday - Zoo Day; Book Club

• Wednesday - Science Class

• Thursday - Coop; Lit Society

• Friday - Schramm Hike

• Saturday - Book Club

• Sunday - Birthday Day Out

What I am creating:

My simple pleasures:

Looking around the house: I need to do a general pickup today in preparation for the rest of the week. And the kitchen probably needs a big wipe down.

From the camera: The boys went to a birthday party last night at the play place. Lots of fun on the trampolines.

The Mistake by Elle Kennedy

Title: The Mistake (Off Campus #2)

Author:Elle Kennedy

Publisher: Createspace 2016

Genre: Romance

Pages: 298

Rating: 3/5 stars

Reading Challenges: 52 Book Challenge - A Book You Meant to Read Last Year

Spice Meter: 5

He’s a player in more ways than one…
College junior John Logan can get any girl he wants. For this hockey star, life is a parade of parties and hook-ups, but behind his killer grins and easygoing charm, he hides growing despair about the dead-end road he’ll be forced to walk after graduation. A sexy encounter with freshman Grace Ivers is just the distraction he needs, but when a thoughtless mistake pushes her away, Logan plans to spend his final year proving to her that he’s worth a second chance.

Now he’s going to need to up his game…
After a less than stellar freshman year, Grace is back at Briar University, older, wiser, and so over the arrogant hockey player she nearly handed her V-card to. She’s not a charity case, and she’s not the quiet butterfly she was when they first hooked up. If Logan expects her to roll over and beg like all his other puck bunnies, he can think again. He wants her back? He’ll have to work for it. This time around, she’ll be the one in the driver’s seat…and she plans on driving him wild.

Hmmm…. not quite sure how I feel about this book. I actually really enjoyed the first book in this series while not usually gravitating toward college romances. I was intrigued by the rest of the series, but this volume didn’t quite land the same way. The issues surrounding Grace and Logan’s relationship didn’t really resonate with me. I was hoping for a bit more relationship talk and bringing in their families and pasts. I was hoping that the steamy scenes would redeem the book for me, but those scenes just didn’t do it for me. I will probably keep reading this series as I’ve enjoyed the appearances of Dean in previous books.

Off Campus

• #1 The Deal

• #2 The Mistake

• #2.5 The Pact

• #3 The Score

• #3.5 The Incident

• #4 The Goal

• #5 The Legacy

Next up on the TBR pile: