Blue Sky Days Blog

Summer Homeschooling - Animation Week

2026-02-04T16:28:00.001-05:00

🎬 Welcome to Animation Week! This week, we’re stepping into our very own animation studio and learning how stories come to life—one frame at a time. We’ll explore anime and animated films, discover all the different jobs it takes to make a story move, and learn how storytellers plan great adventures using tools like Save the Cat and storyboards. By the end of the week, you won’t just understand how animation works—you’ll be creators yourselves, designing characters, building worlds, and working together to create an original animated story from idea to premiere. This is a week about imagination, teamwork, and turning creativity into something you can actually watch on screen.

Summer Homeschooling – Ghost Week

2026-01-31T22:57:00.013-05:00

Welcome to Ghost Week! This week is not about jump scares or campfire stories. It is about why every culture has ghost stories—and what those ghosts reveal about memory, trauma, justice, and the things societies refuse to face. We will study ghosts not as monsters, but as witnesses: signs of unresolved harm, unfinished history, and truths that would not stay buried. By the end of the week, you should be able to explain how ghosts function as moral accusations, why silence allows harm to repeat, and what it means to truly listen to the dead.

MONDAY — WHAT IS A GHOST?

What is a ghost really?
Are ghosts:

Spirits of the dead?
Memories?
Warnings?
Stories meant to teach lessons?

Compare Terms

Ghost
Spirit
Ancestor
Shade
Apparition

Discussion Questions

Why do humans tell ghost stories?
Are ghosts usually evil, sad, protective, or neutral?
What do ghosts want in stories?

TUESDAY — AMERICAN GHOSTS & HAUNTED HISTORY

Theme: Ghosts as unfinished history

The Most Haunted Places in America:

The Queen Mary – used as a troopship and hospital ship, so many people died aboard, reportedly over 600 ghosts
Gettysburg Battlefield – over 50,000 soldiers were killed here over three days, bloodiest battle in the Civil War, nothing else like it has been seen on our shores; intense fear and pain from the battle imprinted the landscape
Winchester Mystery House – Sarah Winchester rumored to have summoned ghosts there who were killed by the Winchester rifle, guilt and unresolved emotions of the spirits

Most Haunted Cities:

Savannah – built over expansive forgotten graves, coupled with centuries of intense trauma from yellow fever epidemics, the slave trade, pirates, and major battles. The city’s eerie, moss-draped atmosphere, historic, dimly lit squares, and deep-seated folklore foster a permanent, spooky atmosphere. Old buildings that defy the America desire to destroy the old and worship the new. Even the lively ghosts, like at the Mercer Harris House, seem to live on because there wasn’t an ending, Midnight in the Garden of Good and Evil.
New Orleans – Remember the line from Beetlejuice, “Live people ignore the strange and unusual. I myself am strange and unusual.” People there pay attention to and celebrate the strange and unusual. You get a feeling that the past is not dead; the city is kept in time. The people remain, the stories and superstitions are passed down, the dead remain, the buildings remain. Yellow fever epidemics, slave auctions, criminals shipped from France, New Orleans is scarred. Magic lives here, Voodoo survived here. It is where vampires originated from in America. All the stories, they live on. They are celebrated.
Salem – the Salem witch trials. The horrible things that happened to the people there has left a stain there. And people come back for that, to appreciate that, to celebrate not conforming to society's oppression.

Why do you think these locations stand out?

Learning Focus

Ghosts tied to:

Wars (Gettysburg)
Old houses & towns
Slavery, displacement, injustice, violence, tragedy

American ghosts often represent unfinished business
Ghosts are what society refuses to process
Why trauma resurfaces as folklore

Topics

Why are American ghost stories often tied to places?
Oral storytelling & local legends

Native American Ghost Stories:

Tsul 'Kalu (the slant-eyed or sloping giant), or Judacullah (ᏧᏓᎦᎳ): a legendary figure of Cherokee mythology that plays the role of "the great lord of the game", and as such is frequently invoked in hunting rites and rituals. He is where the legend of Bigfoot came from. He could take control of and read people's minds, and hunters would tie masks to trees while hunting, so that he would be scared off.
Moon-Eyed People (Worley's Cave, TN): cave people from Cherokee legend, described as short (3ft tall), pale-skinned, bearded people with poor daytime vision (bright blue eyes), who built mysterious stone structures in Appalachia.
Wendigo (Windigo): A terrifying, insatiable man-eating ice monster from Algonquin-speaking tribes (Cree, Ojibwe) that often represents greed or gluttony.
Two-Face: A Plains Indian figure with a beautiful face on one side and a hideous face on the other, known for killing those who look at it.
Dry Fingers: An Iroquois, vengeful apparition that terrorizes travelers in the wilderness.
Skadegamutc (Ghost-witch): Wabanaki lore describes this as a reanimated, undead shaman that feasts upon the living.
Skin-walkers: In Navajo tradition, these are harmful witches with the ability to shapeshift into animals.
Flying Heads: Giant, disembodied heads that hunt humans, featured in various Woodland and Plains tribes' lore.
Underwater Panther (Night Panther): A powerful, dangerous creature in Algonquian folklore that lives in deep water.
The Hidden One: A Canadian/American Indian tale about a great, invisible hunter whose wife could only be seen by those who could see him.

Common Themes

Moral Lessons: Stories often function as cautionary tales to keep children from wandering off or to respect the, sometimes dangerous, natural world.
Respect for Nature: Many monsters are created when humans violate natural laws, such as cannibalism (Wendigo) or disrespecting spiritual practices.
Ancestral Connections: Ghosts are not always malicious; they can be warnings or spirits of ancestors checking on the living.
Transformation: Themes of humans turning into monsters or animals are common across different tribes.

Activity

🏚️ Design a Haunted House Backstory

Who lived there?
What happened?
Why does the ghost stay?

Critical Thinking

Are these ghosts scary… or reminders?
Should we listen to ghost stories as history clues?
Why are American ghosts tied to places, land?
Are American ghost stories a substitute for justice?

WEDNESDAY — JAPANESE YŪREI & YOKAI

Theme: Emotion creates spirits; Grief that becomes a curse

Learning Focus

Yūrei = human ghosts, spirits bound by unresolved emotion, “The Grudge;” they form through betrayal, abandonment, extreme grief or rage
Yokai = spirits, creatures, tricksters
Strong emotions (grief, rage, love) can bind spirits
These ghosts are not evil; they are what happens when suffering is ignored

Cultural Ideas

Obon Festival: honoring ancestors, restoration of balance, the monk who released the well spirit
Emotional excess as destabilizing; Ghosts aren’t “evil” — they’re unbalanced

Art Activity

🎨 Paint or draw a Yūrei

White clothing
Long dark hair
Floating feet

Create a Yurei whose rage is justified. Should this ghost be released – or allowed to haunt?

Reflection

How do emotions affect us after events end?
What happens when feelings aren’t resolved? When grief is ignored?

THURSDAY — SCOTTISH CASTLES & GREEK SHADES

Scottish Spirits

Community memory, like the Native Americans, oral history is a big part of their culture
Castle ghosts – usually historic figures, victims of battles and bloodshed
Banshees (warnings, not villains) – ghosts warn, but do not save, future is known and unavoidable

Bean Nighe (Washerwoman) – banshee-like spirit seen at streams washing the bloodied clothing of those about to die
Caoineag – weeping spirit, name means “weeper,” she is said to signify death

Thin places where worlds overlap – rooted in the Gaels and Celtic lore, the veil is thinner, Samhain, Beltane, Yule, etc. The Fae. The Wild Hunt.

Greek Underworld

Structured afterlife
The dead are processed, memory can be erased, punishment is permanent
Shades = echoes of people
Rivers of memory, forgetting, and fate
Ghosts tied to burial rites & respect; moral consequence, Francesca, the opera

Text Focus

· Book 11: The Underworld (Nekyia)

Dark Reading

· The dead cannot change their fate.

· They exist as:

o Warnings

o Lessons

o Evidence of consequence

· Memory is painful—but forgetting is worse.

Activity

✍️ Write a “Crossing the Boundary” Story

A character meets a ghost
What lesson do they learn?

Theme: Storytelling as meaning-making

Final Project Options (choose 1–2):

📖 Create a Ghost Myth

Culture
Rules
Purpose

🎭 Act out a ghost story (mini play)
🎨 Make a Spirit Mask or Totem
🗺️ Build a Spirit World Map

Ethics Discussion

Should ghosts scare or guide?
How should we treat the dead and ancestors?
Why honoring the past matters

🗓️ FRIDAY — GOTHIC FICTION

Literature uses ghosts not to frighten—but to force moral reckoning when justice, burial, or truth fails.

Ghost = accusation
Haunting = unresolved ethical debt
Silence = complicity

Students track how each tradition answers one question:
What do the dead demand from the living?

The House Is the Ghost

The Fall of the House of Usher

Gothic ghosts are systems, not spirits.
Trauma embeds into:

Architecture
Bloodlines
Social class
Silence

Key Concepts

The uncanny
Repression
Inherited guilt
Madness as haunting

Critical Question

Are Gothic ghosts supernatural—or psychological consequences of abuse and power?

Assignment

Identify what is actually haunting the story.

🩸 CRIMSON PEAK — A GOTHIC ANALYSIS

Core Claim

Crimson Peak is not a haunted-house story.
It is a crime scene that refuses to stay silent.

The ghosts do not exist to frighten the living — they exist to test whether the living will listen.

1. THE HOUSE AS A BODY

Gothic Architecture as Moral Decay

Allerdale Hall is not merely haunted — it is rotting.

Classic Gothic fiction treats architecture as psychology:

Crumbling walls = inherited corruption
Bleeding clay = buried violence
Snow falling inside = collapse of boundaries

The house is incapable of containment.
Secrets seep upward. Floors bleed. The past stains the present.

Gothic parallel

The Fall of the House of Usher: the house collapses because the family must

Crimson Peak’s innovation
The house doesn’t fall at the end — it has already fallen.
The story is about whether Edith escapes before it finishes killing her.

2. THE GHOSTS ARE NOT THE MONSTERS

Ghosts as Evidence, Not Threat

Unlike traditional horror, the ghosts in Crimson Peak:

Do not chase
Do not lie
Do not harm the innocent

They warn.

They function like:

The shades in The Odyssey: reminders of consequence and irreversibility

They appear after death, not before danger — because injustice has already occurred.

In Gothic ethics, ghosts appear when justice has failed so completely that only memory remains.

3. LUCILLE SHARPE: THE TRUE HAUNTING

The Gothic Villain as Trauma Preserved

Lucille is not “mad” in the modern sense — she is what happens when trauma is ritualized.

Key Gothic markers:

Abuse mistaken for intimacy
Love fused with ownership
Preservation over change
Death as control

Lucille does not want survival.
She wants stasis.

She murders not for money alone, but to freeze time, to prevent abandonment, to keep the house (and Thomas) unchanged.

This aligns with Gothic antagonists who:

Inherit violence
Repeat it
Call it love

4. THOMAS SHARPE: COMPLICITY AS COWARDICE

The Gothic Tragedy of Moral Weakness

Thomas is not innocent.
He is not fully monstrous.
He is ethically bankrupt through inaction.

This places him firmly in the lineage of:

Gothic male figures who benefit from silence

Thomas knows:

The murders are wrong
Lucille will not stop
Edith will die if he does nothing

Yet he delays.

In Gothic logic, failure to act is an action.
The house bleeds because Thomas let it.

5. EDITH: THE GOTHIC HEROINE WHO LISTENS

Knowledge as Survival

Unlike many Gothic heroines, Edith is not saved by:

Marriage
Romance
Rescue

She is saved by interpretation.

She:

Believes the ghosts
Reads documents
Connects patterns
Rejects romantic illusion

This is crucial:

Gothic heroines survive when they stop mistaking beauty for safety.

Edith’s arc is epistemological:

From innocence → literacy
From fantasy → truth
From love → self-preservation

6. THE RED CLAY: MEMORY THAT CANNOT BE BURIED

Color as Moral Language

The red clay is not subtle.
It is not symbolic in the abstract.
It is literalized blood.

The earth remembers what the people deny
Snow cannot cover it
Time cannot erase it

This mirrors:

American haunted-land narratives
Post-war ghost traditions
Gothic insistence that land keeps score

7. WHY THIS IS TRUE GOTHIC (NOT HORROR)

Genre Ethics

Horror asks: Will you survive?
Gothic asks: Do you deserve to?

Crimson Peak is Gothic because:

The violence is intimate
The ghosts are ethical
The terror is inheritance, not surprise
The villain is the past, lovingly preserved

8. FINAL INTERPRETATION

What the Film Is Actually Saying

Love that requires silence is violence
Beauty can coexist with atrocity
Ghosts appear when the living refuse accountability
Survival belongs to those who listen, not those who deny

Crimson Peak argues that the dead are not dangerous — the people who refuse to hear them are.

1. GHOSTS AS TRAUMA RESPONSES

Psychological Frame
In trauma psychology:

Trauma resurfaces when it is suppressed
It repeats when it is normalized
It becomes destructive when it is aestheticized

Discussion Questions

Why do the ghosts in Crimson Peak warn instead of attack?
How is haunting similar to intrusive memories or flashbacks?
What happens when trauma is treated as “normal” inside a family?

Key Insight for Teens

Trauma does not need to be violent to be deadly — it needs to be ignored.

2. THE HOUSE AS A TRAUMATIZED SYSTEM

Concept: Trauma Lives in Environments

Allerdale Hall functions like a traumatized body:

It leaks
It decays
It cannot regulate temperature or boundaries
It bleeds through repression

Questions

How does the house mirror Lucille’s mental state?
Why is it important that the house cannot be repaired?
What does it mean that Edith cannot “fix” the house — only escape it?

Psychological Tie
This reflects intergenerational trauma:

Harm passed down
Preserved through silence
Repeated through ritual

3. LUCILLE — TRAUMA TURNED INTO CONTROL

Important Distinction for Teens
Lucille is not “evil because she was abused.”
She is dangerous because she refuses to let trauma end.

Discussion

When does survival turn into domination?
Why does Lucille confuse control with love?
How does trauma become identity?

Ethics Question

Is Lucille a victim, a villain, or both — and why does that matter?

4. EDITH — SURVIVAL THROUGH INTERPRETATION

Psychological Growth Arc
Edith survives because she:

trusts her instincts,
reads evidence,
stops romanticizing danger,
chooses truth over attachment.

Questions

Why is believing the ghosts an act of self-trust?
How does knowledge become a survival skill?
Why does love fail as protection in this story?

PART II — COMPARATIVE GOTHIC MAP (MODERN FILMS)

Shared Gothic Rule

The ghost is never the threat. The system that created it is.

When Trauma Is Inherited, Not Remembered

Core Claim

Crimson Peak depicts intergenerational trauma as a self-preserving system in which harm is passed down, normalized, and ritualized—until it becomes indistinguishable from love, tradition, or identity.

The film does not show trauma as something characters remember.
It shows trauma as something they live inside.

I. INTERGENERATIONAL TRAUMA — THE THEORY

Intergenerational trauma refers to trauma that:

is not fully processed by one generation
becomes embedded in behavior, relationships, and systems
is transmitted through silence, control, repetition, and distorted attachment

Key mechanisms:

Silence — harm is not named
Normalization — abuse becomes “how things are”
Repetition compulsion — trauma is reenacted, not healed
Role inheritance — children inherit survival roles, not safety

II. HOW CRIMSON PEAK MODELS THIS EXACTLY

1. THE ORIGINAL TRAUMA IS NEVER SHOWN — AND THAT MATTERS

The Sharpe parents’ abuse is referenced, not depicted.

This aligns with trauma theory:

The most damaging trauma is often unwitnessed
Later generations experience effects without context

Lucille does not remember safety being taken from her.
She never had it.

Result:
Trauma is not a memory — it is the foundation of identity.

2. LUCILLE INHERITS A ROLE, NOT A WOUND

Lucille inherits:

caretaker
protector
controller
keeper of the house
enforcer of “family”

In intergenerational trauma:

children adopt survival roles to maintain stability
those roles harden into identity
relinquishing the role feels like annihilation

Lucille does not fear violence.
She fears change.

Ending the trauma system would mean:

losing purpose
losing control
losing the only form of “love” she understands

3. LOVE IS DEFINED BY TRAUMA LOGIC

Trauma systems distort attachment:

control = care
possession = intimacy
secrecy = loyalty
endurance = virtue

Lucille’s relationship with Thomas reflects trauma-bonded attachment:

fused identity
fear of abandonment
extreme jealousy
violence justified as protection

Key insight for teens:
When trauma defines love, harm feels moral.

4. THOMAS IS A SECOND-GENERATION CARRIER

Thomas did not originate the trauma.
He maintains it.

Intergenerational trauma persists because:

later generations inherit guilt without agency
silence becomes survival
complicity feels safer than rupture

Thomas embodies:

learned helplessness
moral paralysis
inherited obligation

He is not abusive in the same way Lucille is —
he is structurally loyal to the trauma system.

5. THE HOUSE IS THE TRANSMISSION MECHANISM

In trauma theory, environments can carry trauma when:

they enforce secrecy
they resist repair
they reward compliance

Allerdale Hall:

isolates
decays
traps
bleeds

The house does not symbolize trauma.
It enacts it.

This reflects a core principle:

Trauma is transmitted through systems that outlive individuals.

6. THE GHOSTS ARE FAILED INTERRUPTIONS

In intergenerational trauma:

symptoms appear when systems strain
warning signs are ignored
intervention comes too late

The ghosts:

warn
show evidence
repeat patterns

They appear because:

the system failed to self-correct
accountability never happened
silence outlived the victims

Ghosts = the cost of untreated trauma.

7. EDITH AS A TRAUMA INTERRUPTER

Edith survives because she is not part of the inherited system.

Trauma interruption requires:

outsider perspective
pattern recognition
refusal to normalize harm

Edith:

names danger
rejects secrecy
chooses rupture over preservation

She does not heal the Sharpe trauma.
She escapes it.

That distinction matters:

Not all trauma systems can be repaired. Some must be exited.

Summer Homeschooling – Cherokee Heritage Week

2026-01-29T22:39:00.032-05:00

Welcome to Cherokee Heritage Week! This week is not about studying a people from the past — it is about remembering who we are and how we belong to the land. We will learn how our Cherokee ancestors lived in balance with nature, growing what they ate, honoring rain and water, listening to the wind, and caring for the forests, rivers, and animals that sustained them. We will talk about why the land was never owned, only respected, and how every plant, animal, and season was treated as a living relationship. This week is about learning to slow down, notice, and live with gratitude — and about understanding that being Cherokee is not just something we inherit, but something we practice every day in how we care for the earth and for each other.

The Cherokee called themselves Aniyunwiya (“the Real People.”)

How are we Cherokee? My grandfather, Charles (Charlie) Kimbrel, his mother, Ina Beck (from Ball Ground, GA), her father, Solomon Beck, and his father, William Beck (he was listed on the Baker roll); if your great-great grandmother, Ina, was full Cherokee, that made your great grandfather, Charlie 1/2, which made your Grammie, my mom, 1/4, which makes me 1/8, which makes you 1/16.

Even though you may feel very disconnected from Native life, this actually means something. Out of the 5,000 Natives who live on the reservation, only 200-250 full Cherokee remain, so most of who live there are between 1/2 and 1/16 percent Cherokee. You are considered part of the lineage at 1/16, but that is the cut off, and you can even take part in college grants for indigenous and Cherokee people at your percentage.

A funny story my PawPaw told me: He said I was blessed in the womb to be special because my birth mark on my leg looks like I rolled over in some tobacco. I just recently learned that tobacco was sacred to the Cherokee because it was used as medicine and to send prayers to "God."

Symbols:

The Seven-Pointed Star – represents the seven clans and the undying fire of the Cherokee people.
The sacred fire – a central element representing the Creator’s presence and unity, historically maintained in the center of towns and in council houses; made with seven types of wood to represent the seven clans
Plants/Herbs – cedar, sage, and tobacco are sacred, with cedar used in ceremonies for protection and cleaning, and tobacco used to send prayers to the Creator
Eagle (uwohali) – represents the Creator and the highest form of honor, eagle feathers are used in ceremonies for healing, purification, and to carry prayers. The eagle symbolizes strength, courage, and wisdom. Native Americans are the only ones who can legally possess eagle feathers
Owls are omens, believed to be witches or messengers of death that can harm people
The Dreamcatcher – symbolizes the catching of dreams and the interconnectedness of all life

MONDAY — WHO ARE THE CHEROKEE?

Geography & History:

Original/sacred homeland: Southern Appalachians (NC, TN, GA, AL, SC)
One of the “Five Civilized Tribes” – adopted Christianity, centralized government, and literacy, to “fit in” with the colonists
Still very much alive today (Eastern Band in NC & Cherokee Nation in OK); some were removed, some stayed – and we come from those survivors
Families passed down knowledge through generations
Key belief: “We do not come from the land. We come with the land.”
Respect for nature
Community over individual
Spiritual connection to land

Social Structure

Matrilineal society

Clan comes from the mother
Property passed through women
Women chose chiefs & owned the land, controlled food; were the head of household

The Seven Clans

Wolf (warriors, protection)
Deer (hunting)
Bird (spiritual messengers)
Paint (ceremonial)
Long Hair (peace)
Wild Potato (land keepers)
Blue (medicine)

Activity:

“My Clan & My Role” Journal Page

What does it mean to be a descendant? What responsibilities come with that?
Which clan would you belong to and why?
What would your role in the village be?

Hunter
Healer
Storyteller
Farmer
Protector

TUESDAY — THE LAND PROVIDES

Homes

The Cherokee did not live in tipis, they lived in permanent, sedentary villages with log cabins in winter and open-air dwellings in summer
Wattle & daub houses (wood + clay)
Winter homes: thick, insulated
Summer homes: airy & open

Cherokee Food Philosophy

You take only what you need
You thank what you take
You waste nothing; so, say you killed a deer, you'd use the meat for food, tan hides with the brains for clothing, bedding, and moccasins, use sinew and entrails for thread/bowstrings, bones and antlers as tools, fish hooks, eating utensils, beads, musical instruments; stomach used as a vessel for boiling meat, hooves were boiled down to create glue

The Three Sisters

Corn = structure
Beans = nourishment
Squash = protection

Explain:

Farming was sacred
Women controlled agriculture
Seeds were inherited treasures

Fishing & Hunting Beliefs

Animals are teachers; ate deer, turkey, fish
Before hunting:

Prayer
Gratitude
Promise to use all parts

Also ate berries, nuts, roots

Clothing

Deerskin shirts & leggings
Moccasins
Beads, feathers, shells
Later: woven cloth after trade

Activity — Grow What You Eat:

If possible:

Plant corn, beans, herbs, or vegetables
Even small pots count

Teach:

“This is how our ancestors survived.”

Journal prompt:

“If I depended on the land for food, how would I treat it differently?”

Optional:

Clean and prepare a simple “Cherokee-style” meal:

Fried catfish, pork
Cornbread, hoe patties
Beans, lima/butter beans - shell them
Squash or greens

Activity:

Build a Mini Cherokee Village

Use:

Sticks
Clay or playdough
Paper cones

Create:

Winter house
Summer house
Council house

Label:

Fire circle
Garden
River

WEDNESDAY — BELIEFS, SPIRIT & “COLORS OF THE WIND”

Key Cherokee Beliefs

The world is alive
Everything has spirit:

Trees
Rivers
Animals
Wind

Goal of life: Balance & Harmony (called “tohi” — peace, rightness)

Sacred Elements

Fire (center of village, sacred)
Water (healing, cleansing)

“Going to Water” is a daily morning ritual where, often led by a healer, individuals wade into running water to cleanse the body of and spirit of illness or negative thoughts

The Four Directions (each had meaning) - symbol of balance and the continuous cycle of life, often depicted as four flowing, intertwined lines

East (Red - Ka-lv-gv): Represents victory, power, the sun's rising, and success. It is often associated with the season of Spring.
North (Blue - U-yv-tlv): Represents trouble, defeat, sadness, and cold. It is associated with the season of Winter.
West (Black): Represents death and the setting sun, where the "Black Man" resides, associated with the end of life or finality; used on the flag to honor those who died during the Trail of Tears
South (White - U-ga-no-wa): Represents peace, happiness, serenity, and warmth. It is associated with the season of Summer.

“Colors of the Wind” Explained

Go line by line with them:

“You think you own whatever land you land on”
→ Europeans believed land = property
→ Cherokee believed land = relationship, not ownership

“Every rock and tree and creature has a life, has a spirit, has a name”
→ Very accurate to Cherokee belief
→ Nature is alive and worthy of respect

“We are all connected to each other”
→ Central Indigenous worldview
→ Human is only one part of the web

This is your Rain Dance / Nature Ceremony Day — spiritual but grounded.

Explain gently and accurately:

Cherokee did not have “rain dances” as entertainment.

They had ceremonies of balance and prayer:

Asking for rain
Thanking for harvest
Restoring harmony

Water beliefs:

Water carries memory
Rivers are living beings
Cleansing = spiritual + physical

Important teaching:

“We do not command nature.
We ask, listen, and give thanks.”

Activity — Family Gratitude Rain Ceremony / Bullfrog Dance

This becomes a beautiful ritual you can reuse yearly.

Outside (or by window if no rain):

Stand barefoot if possible
Each person holds:

Bowl of water
Leaf or stone

Say together:

“We thank the rain for life,
The rivers for carrying us,
The land for feeding us,
And promise to care for what cares for us.”

Each child shares:

One thing they thank the earth for
One way they will protect it

Then:

Water your plants together
Pour extra water onto soil intentionally

Activity

Nature Listening Walk

Outside or at a park:

Sit quietly 5–10 minutes
Write or draw:

What did the wind say?
What did the trees sound like?
What animals did you notice?

Journal prompt:

“If the wind could teach me something today, it would be…”

THURSDAY — CARING FOR THE LAND: STEWARDSHIP & DAILY PRACTICE

Teach:

Cherokee belief:

You borrow the land from your grandchildren
What you do today shapes seven generations

Daily practices:

Clearing paths
Protecting rivers
Rotating crops
Respecting seasons

Animals were:

Teachers
Messengers
Balance keepers

Activity — Stewardship Day

Choose 2–3:

🌱 Garden care

Weed, water, tend plants

🗑 Nature cleanup

Walk & collect trash
Discuss human impact

🐟 Fishing lesson (if applicable)

Teach:

Take only what you need
Release gently
Thank the fish

🌳 Tree gratitude

Each child chooses a tree
Touch bark, listen to leaves
Name what the tree provides

Journal prompt:

“How will I protect the land when I am older?”

FRIDAY — LANGUAGE, STORY & TRAIL OF TEARS

Language

Sequoyah developed a unique 85-character syllabary (characters represent syllables rather than individual letters) in 1821. This made them one of the first indigenous groups with their own written language; very rare across world history. They quickly achieved high literacy rates and published the first Native American newspaper (the Cherokee Phoenix). They essentially tried to become “white enough” to be respected as civilized society, and not kicked off their land. However, even though they were removed from their land, they still established a sovereign government with a constitution in 1839.
Can learn Cherokee at New Kituwah Language Academy today. They say that if they lose their language, they are no longer Native, they are just American.

Write their names in Cherokee syllabary:

An-Na - ᎠᎾ. This represents the two syllables "A" (Ꭰ) and "na" (Ꮎ).

Chayton is of Lakota/Sioux origin, not Cherokee. It is derived from the Lakota word čhetáŋ, meaning "falcon". - ᏣᎢᏔᏂ (Tsai-ta-ni) Ꮳ (Tsa) Ꭲ (I) Ꮤ (Ta) Ꮒ (Ni)

Kyr-Stie - ᎧᏍᏔᏂ - (Ka-s-ta-ni) - Ꭷ (Ka) - Ꮝ (s) - Ꮤ (ta) - Ꮒ (ni)

Da-Vid - ᏕᏫᏗ. - "Day-wi-di" - 'De' (Ꮥ), 'Wi' (Ꮻ), and 'Di' (Ꮧ)

Trail of Tears

Explain softly but truthfully:

Cherokee were forced from their land in 1838; the US Army found gold in GA. Cherokee had fought for the Confederacy during the Civil War. William, our ancestor, was one of those soldiers.
Walked from NC/GA to Oklahoma
Roughly 16,000 were forcibly removed from their home, and 1 in 4 died on the way
However, some escaped and hid in the mountains → These became the Eastern Band of Cherokee in NC; we are the descendants of these protestors
The Qualla Boundary is unique to the Cherokee. It is not a reservation in the sense that the government set aside this land for them. It was actually purchased back from the government by the Cherokee in the 1870s. A white man named William Holland Thomas was adopted by the chief, and actually became principal chief when that chief passed. He became a merchant, a lawyer, a state senator, and he even led Thomas's Legion of Cherokee and Highlanders during the Civil War as a Confederate Colonel. He purchased the 56,000 acres of land and gave it back to the Cherokee. Now, they operate a casino and other investments and give a stipend back to the people each year, so they are doing quite well for themselves.

Important message:

They were not “defeated.”
They survived.
Their culture is still alive.

Activity

Story Circle

Read or tell a Cherokee legend:

Then:

Retell it in your own words
Or draw your favorite scene

Watch Brother Bear.

SATURDAY — HERITAGE PILGRIMAGE: FIELD TRIP TO CHEROKEE, NORTH CAROLINA 🌄

“We are returning to the land of our people.”

Respect Lesson

Cherokee are not “characters” or costumes
This is living culture
Ask questions kindly
No touching sacred items unless invited

“This land once held our ancestors.
We walk here as family, not visitors.
We listen, learn, and honor.”

4th of July Pow Wow, Cherokee Fairgrounds

BJ's Diner, best burgers in town

🏛 Museum of the Cherokee People

Give kids a “Museum Quest”:

Find one tool; daily life tools, farming tools, fishing tools
One story
One clothing item
One word in Cherokee

Questions to ask:

How did children live?
What did families do together?
How did they survive winters?

"Unto These Hills" outdoor drama

Dates: May 30 – August 22, 2026. Closed on Sundays
Time: Show begins at 8pm
Duration: Show runs approximately 2 hours
Location: Mountainside Theatre at 688 Drama Rd, Cherokee, NC
Schedule: Box office opens at 4pm. Gates open at 7pm. Pre-show entertainment begins at 7:30pm. Show begins at 8pm. The show runs approximately 2 hours with one intermission.

🏘 Oconaluftee (means "by the river" or "beside the river") Indian Village

Let them:

Watch pottery or beadwork, cooking, farming
Ask how homes were built
See the fire circle, the fire keeping

Point out:

Gardens
Corn storage
Water use

Ask them:

Which job would you have here?
What skills matter most?

🌿 Nature Walk (Oconaluftee River Trail / Island Park)

Go to:

River
Trail
Forest
Mingo (means "Big Bear") Falls - where they did medicine ("going to water" send prayers to the Creator, don't ask for anything, you have everything you need on this earth), Sully's grave is at the top, one of the 1200 who hid in the woods

Do a Quiet Heritage Walk, prompt them:

5 minutes silent
Listen to the wind, water, birds
Watch water movement
Look for animal tracks

Then sit and share:

What does this land feel like?
What do you feel here?
Does this land feel different?

CLOSING CEREMONY — “WE WALK WITH THE LAND” 🌎

Create a small Family Heritage Circle / “Colors of the Wind” Circle. Sit together outside on the last day/night before leaving the Airbnb.

Each child shares:

One thing they learned
One thing they respect more now
One Cherokee value they want to live by
One way they will care for the earth

Then say together:

“We come from the land.

We belong to the rivers and forests.

We honor our ancestors by how we live,

How we grow, how we take,

And how we give back.

We promise to walk gently,

Listen to the wind,

And remember all those who came before us.”

Optional:

Keep:

Stone from river
Leaf from trail
Seed from planting

Summer Homeschooling - Japan Week

2026-01-29T13:27:00.019-05:00

These lessons will continue into “Living with Totoro” Week.

Welcome to Japan Week! This week, we’re going to explore Japan as both a place and an idea — a country shaped by islands, nature, tradition, and constant change. We’ll start with ancient Japan and move forward to modern culture, learning how beliefs like Buddhism and Shinto shaped daily life, how art and poetry taught people to notice small moments, and how food, clothing, and craftsmanship became forms of storytelling. We’ll look at how Japan balances beauty and discipline, technology and tradition, and even how pop culture like anime and Godzilla grew out of real history. By the end of the week, you won’t just recognize Japanese culture — you’ll understand how its history, values, and creativity connect together.

Warm Up:

Raijo Taiso: daily 3-minute, 13-movement routine used for health, balance, and community.
Taikyoku (Tai Chi) - for relaxation and mental health.

Holiday to Celebrate: Tanabata (Star Festival): July 7^th - People write their wishes on strips of poetry paper of various colors, hang them off bamboo leaves, and then decorate their gardens with them.

Books to get from the library on Saturday:

📚 Tales from Japan
📚 The Crane Girl by Curtis Manley
📚 Night of the Ninjas (Magic Tree House #5)
📚 Dragon of the Red Dawn (Magic Tree House #37)
📚 Ninjas & Samurai (Magic Tree House Fact Tracker #30)
📚 Sadako and the Thousand Paper Cranes by Eleanor Coerr
📚 Life as a Ninja (You Choose Series) by Matt Doeden
📚 I Survived the Japanese Tsunami by Lauren Tarshis
📚 The Boy in the Garden by Allen Say

MONDAY — Welcome to Japan

Discussion:

“What do you already know about Japan?”
“What comes to mind when you think of Japanese culture?”

1. Discover Japan: Geography & Culture Basics

Japan has four main islands — Hokkaido, Honshu, Shikoku, and Kyushu. The land is mostly mountains, which means towns are often built near the coast. Japan sits on several tectonic plates, which means earthquakes and tsunamis are part of life. Because Japan was once very isolated from other countries, a lot of traditions developed in unique ways.

“How might living on islands change a culture?”
“Why do you think Japan became technologically advanced but still very traditional?”

Geography:

Locate Japan on a world map or globe
Map labeling — major islands, Tokyo, Kyoto, Hokkaido, Okinawa, Mt. Fuji.

2. Symbols of Japan

Certain symbols in Japan appear everywhere — cherry blossoms, cranes, turtles, mountains. But they aren’t just pretty pictures. They all have deep meanings. Cherry blossoms bloom beautifully but only for a short time. This represents the idea of mono no aware — the beauty of temporary things. Cranes represent peace and long life. Sea turtles are symbols of protection and wisdom.

Biology: Map the Migration of Sea Turtles (sacred in Japanese folklore) - Kids trace the path on a world map, mark distances, and note why Japan is important in the cycle.

3. Introduction to Japanese Language & Poetry

Japanese uses three writing systems: hiragana, katakana, and kanji. Hiragana is the soft, flowing script used for native Japanese words. One of Japan’s most famous written art forms is the haiku — a short poem that captures a moment in nature using just a few syllables. It forces the writer to slow down and notice small details.

“What moment in nature have you noticed recently?”
“Why do short poems sometimes feel stronger than long ones?”

ELA:

Simple greetings (konnichiwa, arigato, ohayo); why do Japanese use three writing systems?
Hiragana basics
Read haiku by Issa & Basho
Write a Haiku or Tanka Poem; maybe themed to an environmental issue like tsunamis, cherry blossoms disappearing, pollution; illustrate with cherry blossom painting or crane drawing

4. Daily Life in Japan

Traditional home items, fung shui; do we have good fung shui in our home?
Eating and sleeping on the floor – dates back to the 17^th century, rooms served various purposes by day and night, warm air rises; sitting on the floor reflects a sense of modesty and humility, shows respect for others at the table, minimalism, Japanese homes traditionally have very little furniture, creating clean, open spaces that instill calm and reduce stress (nature and simplicity, simple living without excess possessions).

Lunch: Bento-style meal eaten on the floor.

5. Art Block

Japanese Rock Garden (Zen Tray) - A Zen garden uses rocks and sand to create patterns that help clear the mind. The designs represent ripples, waves, or mountains. “What pattern makes you feel calm?”

6. Japan & Nature STEM

Japan is located where tectonic plates meet. When the seafloor shifts suddenly, it pushes a massive wave of water toward the shore — a tsunami. Your goal is to build a structure that can stand against wave forces. Engineers in Japan do this all the time.

Tsunami STEM Challenge: Kids build houses and test wave impact.

“What design features make buildings safer?”

TUESDAY — Ancient Japan

1. Buddhism & Shinto Introduction

Japan’s two main belief systems are Buddhism and Shinto. Buddhism teaches compassion and the pursuit of peace within yourself. Shinto is centered on nature and the idea that everything — trees, rivers, mountains — has a spirit called kami. These two beliefs blend together, shaping Japanese traditions and values.

Teach:

Buddha (nirvana, compassion)
Temples & shrines
Torii gates
Meditation
Mini mindfulness exercise
Shinto vs Buddhism

Shinto ideas (kami, nature spirits, purity)

2. Ancient Japan Overview

Japan’s history stretches back thousands of years. Each era brought new ideas — farming, poetry, warriors, castles, and beautiful art. We’re going to create a timeline to see how Japan changed over time.

Jomon → Yayoi → Heian → Edo periods
Rise of samurai class - “Why do you think warriors emerged as powerful leaders in Japan?”
Feudal Japan explained

3. Samurai, Ninjas, Sumo, and Martial Arts

Samurai were not just warriors — they followed a code called bushido, emphasizing honor, loyalty, and discipline. Ninjas were spies trained in stealth, disguise, and intelligence gathering — not the magical figures movies show. Sumo wrestlers follow ancient rituals that honor Shinto traditions.

Samurai – explore how samurai shaped culture
Ninjas - What's the difference between ninjas and spies?
Sumo

“Which role would be hardest: samurai, ninja, or sumo — and why?”

Activities:

Practice DojoGo! (movement-based martial arts learning) - Dragon Ball Z, Godzilla vs. Kong
“Create Your Own Dojo”
Kendo Sword Craft (cardboard + duct tape)

4. Traditional Clothing: Kimonos

Kimono patterns aren’t random — waves symbolize strength, cranes symbolize good fortune, pine trees symbolize longevity. Clothing in Japan tells a story.

Activity: Kids design their own kimono pattern sheet (waves, cranes, pine branches, mountains) “What symbols would you put on clothing that represents your personality?”

5. Art Block

Iriomote Yamaneko Drawing - Draw endangered wildcat using step-by-step video from Lara Saldaña. Shading, texture, realism. This wildcat is endangered and lives only on one small Japanese island. Use shading to bring out its texture.

6. Music Study: Toru Takemitsu

Toru Takemitsu mixed traditional Japanese sounds with modern music. His work often feels dreamlike or mysterious.

Activity: Listen to “November Steps.” Create a “mood color chart” inspired by the sound. Kids sketch what they "hear" in colors and shapes. “What emotions or images do you hear in the music?”

WEDNESDAY — Arts of Japan

1. Japanese Aesthetic Principles

Japanese art focuses on simplicity, space, and appreciating the imperfect.

Teach:

Wabi-sabi (beauty in imperfection)

· Bonsai tree – the art of cultivating miniature trees, is a deeply respected tradition in Japanese culture, symbolizing harmony between nature and humanity, patience, and refined artistic beauty. Rooted in Zen Buddhism, these trees embody the aesthetic of wabi-sabi, serving as meditative, living art forms that represent longevity and balance.

Ma (space & pause, the space around things matters as much as the object itself)
Kanso (simplicity)

“Where do you see wabi-sabi in nature?”

“Why does empty space make art feel calm?”

**2. Woodblock Printing (Ukiyo-e)**

Cherry Blossom Haiku Woodblock Print - Traditional Japanese printmakers carved wooden blocks to create repeated patterns. Today we’ll use foam to mimic the technique.

Activity:

Make prints on foam blocks
Create a layered design, linework + background
Create the Great Wave, cranes, cherry blossoms, bamboo forest, or Mt. Fuji

3. Shibori Dyeing

Shibori is a centuries-old method of folding and binding fabric before dyeing it. Each fold creates a different pattern — much like batik or tie-dye, but more intentional.

Shibori on the Silk Road - Short lesson on ancient trade routes and Japanese textiles. Trade routes brought silk, dyes, and new patterns into Japan. Shibori techniques traveled along these routes and evolved into their own unique forms. Silk, sashiko stitching, shibori methods.

Folding patterns:

Itajime (fold + clamp)
Arashi (pole-wrapping)
Kumo (spiderweb twist)

Use Kool-Aid for safe kid dyeing.

Kids can make:

T-shirt
Tote bag
Fabric patch

4. Origami & 1,000 Paper Cranes Challenge

Origami teaches patience, accuracy, and focus. Cranes especially represent peace and healing.

Kids fold 3–5 each.
Pair with reading: 📚 Sadako and the Thousand Paper Cranes

5. Japanese Sensu Fan Craft

Themes:

🌸 Cherry blossoms
🌊 The Great Wave
🗻 Mt. Fuji
🦢 Cranes

6. Kodo & Japanese Aromatherapy

Kodo is the 'Way of Scent.' It’s a practice of slowing down, noticing the smallest details, and using scent to bring calm. Teach scent bowls, incense, and forest bathing. Kids learn sensory ritual, symbolism, and mindfulness.

“What scents make you feel peaceful or focused?”

THURSDAY — Japanese Food & Culinary Traditions

1. Washoku (Traditional Food Culture)

Washoku is the traditional Japanese way of eating. Meals include five colors, five flavors, and five cooking methods. This creates balance — not just for nutrition, but for beauty.

“Which colors are missing from your usual meals?”

Teach:

Seasonal eating
Balance of color/flavor
Rice importance
Bento culture

Assignment: Make a balanced meal using all five colors.

2. Cooking Lab

When cooking Japanese food, pay attention to texture, color, and presentation. You’re not just cooking — you’re creating an experience. Each meal is supposed to be a gift to the consumer. Watch The Ramen Girl.

Choose 2–4 depending on stamina.

Miso Soup
California Rolls / Cucumber Rolls
Mochi (modern)
Dango (sweet dumplings)
Okonomiyaki
Ramen bowls

“What was hardest — rolling, flavoring, slicing, or presenting?”

3. Bento Design & Food Carving

Bento boxes are like edible art. Every item has a purpose — nutrition, color, shape, meaning.

Kids make simple bento “characters” or shapes. Use all 5 colors.

Color
Nutrition
Aesthetic balance
Japanese Symbolism

FRIDAY — Modern Japan: Anime, Pop Culture, History, Kawaii Design

1. Anime & Studio Ghibli

Anime isn’t just cartoons — it’s storytelling through emotion, symbolism, and dramatic visuals. Studio Ghibli films blend fantasy with real-life feelings such as fear, courage, loneliness, and hope.

What is anime?
Themes of Studio Ghibli, moral dilemmas, why anime resonates globally

“What makes anime visually different from Western animation?”

“Why do Ghibli stories feel so emotional?”

Activities:

Draw a Ghibli spirit
Create a flying castle blueprint
Anime self-portrait (chibi style)

2. Godzilla & Modern History

Godzilla was created after the bombings of Hiroshima and Nagasaki. He represents destructive power humans create — and fear of repeating the past. This is fiction, but the emotions behind it are real.

Kid-safe Hiroshima explanation

“Why use a monster to represent real fears?”

Discuss:

Godzilla as nuclear metaphor (fear of nuclear weapons, trauma, environmental destruction)
How fiction helps cultures heal

Craft:

Create your own kaiju to represent some of the issues we have going on today

3. Introduction to Kawaii

Kawaii means ‘cute,’ but it’s more than that. It’s a style, an attitude, and sometimes a way of coping with stress. Kawaii characters are soft, round, gentle — they make the world feel more friendly.

“Why do you think cute characters appeal to all ages?”

Teach origins in:

Shinto (spirits in objects)
Why "cute" became a cultural identity
Harmony, softness, playfulness
Soft rebellion in youth culture
Modern mascots, Hello Kitty, Pokémon

4. Kawaii Craft Station

A mascot character with personality traits
Kawaii self-portrait
Clay "Mochi creature"

Evening Movie:🎬 Howl’s Moving Castle

SATURDAY — EPCOT FIELD TRIP: Japan Pavilion Day

A seamless extension of the week — everything we did connects here.

🎵 Watch Matsuriza Taiko Drummers

A traditional Japanese drumming group performing the ancient art of Taiko drumming. Their powerful, rhythmic performance can be heard across the World Showcase. Performed on the balcony of the main building, near Kabuki Cafe at the pavilion's entrance. Traditional Taiko drumming performances bring energy to the pavilion. Connect back to Monday’s symbols & Tuesday’s ancient music

🍧 Eat a Japanese Snack

Katsura Grill – A quiet spot serving teriyaki, sushi, and udon

Kabuki Cafe – Known for Kakigōri (shaved ice) and Japanese snacks

Choose:

Kakigōri (shaved ice) - Kabuki Cafe
Teriyaki bowl
Udon
Mochi ice cream
Green tea
Violet Sake (grown-ups) - The Garden House

🛍 Mitsukoshi Department Store Scavenger List - The best place in EPCOT for Japanese goods, anime merchandise, and gifts

🎨 Bijutsu-kan Gallery

Compare to Wednesday’s woodblock + Shibori lessons
Explore the replica kawaii Tokyo apartment

🐟 Explore the Koi Pond

Connect to Monday’s nature themes

📸 PhotoPass in the Gardens

🎆 Fireworks from the Balcony

🍱 Optional Table Service

Teppan Edo - A hibachi-style restaurant where chefs cook right at your table
Shiki-Sai - A seasonal sushi and izakaya-style dining experience with stunning views
Takumi-Tei kaiseki - An upscale Kaiseki dining experience with multi-course meals

🎢 End-of-Day Treat

Ride Guardians of the Galaxy

Summer Homeschooling – Scottish Heritage Week

2026-01-25T22:55:00.013-05:00

Welcome to Scottish Heritage Week! This week, we step further into Scotland—a land of mist, stone, music, and memory—where family was once called clan and identity was woven into cloth, symbols, and story. Over the next five days, we will explore what it meant to belong to a clan, why people wore kilts and tartans, how crests and mottos told the story of who you were, and how loyalty, justice, and endurance shaped everyday life. We’ll learn how land, family, and values are tied together—and how those same ideas still live on through the Boyd lineage. This week is about understanding where you come from, what symbols carry meaning, and how identity and legacy are built, protected, and passed forward.

SUNDAY – Media: Men in Kilts – Episode 1: “Food & Drink”

MONDAY — CLANS, LAND & WHY SCOTLAND IS SHAPED THIS WAY

Media: Men in Kilts – Episode 5: “Culture and Tradition”

Teach:

Clan = “family” (from Gaelic clann) – clans developed from Vikings (Highlands) while the Lowlands were managed by the Romans, who came up through England, separated by the line between the Highlands and the Lowlands. They intermarried with the Gaels, and combined Viking kinship structures with Gaelic tribal systems to create powerful, land-based kin groups that evolved into distinct clans. The foundation of the clan system was familial, based on a common ancestor, which mirrored the Norse tradition of aett (clan/family line). Instead of nomadic, settled Vikings became landed, so these communities required protection and governance, evolving into territories.

Clans were:

Extended families
Protection groups
Land-based communities

Each clan had:

Chief
Territory
Crest
Motto
Tartan

Show a map:

Highlands vs Lowlands – “Loch Lomond,” the clans were in the Highlands, so the chorus says, “Ye’ll take the high road, and I’ll take the low road, and I’ll be in Scotland afore ye,” but where is Loch Lomond?
Major clan regions

Key Concepts:

Land = identity
Clan = survival system
Loyalty over law

Discussion Prompts:

“Why would geography shape who you trust?”
“Why do people stay loyal to clans instead of kings?”

Activity:

Build Your Clan Map

Print or draw Scotland
Mark:

Boyd clan lands (Ayrshire)
Highlands vs Lowlands

Add:

Mountains
Rivers
Castles

Journal:

“What makes a family a clan today?”

“If land shaped who I became, what kind of person would my home create?”

TUESDAY — KILTS, TARTANS & SYMBOLIC CLOTHING

Media: Men in Kilts – Episode 7: “Clans & Tartans”

Teach:

Why Kilts?

Originally:

Large wool blanket (féileadh mòr)
Used for:

Warmth
Blanket
Rain protection
Easy movement in mountains

Later:

Short kilt (féileadh beag)
Easier for work and fighting

Why Tartans?

Each clan had a pattern
Colors came from local plants & dyes
Identified:

Family
Region
Loyalty

After 1746:

Kilts & tartans were banned after clan rebellions
Later revived as symbols of pride

Symbols in Kilts

Sporran = pouch (no pockets)
Pin = clan or personal symbol
Colors = land, blood, loyalty, status

Clothing as:

Identity
Rank
Loyalty
Protection

Discussion:

“How does clothing tell a story today?”
“What would be dangerous about wearing the wrong colors in battle?”

Activity:

Design Your Family Tartan

Grid paper
Choose:

3–5 colors
Meaning for each color

Example:

Blue = wisdom
Green = home
Gold = courage
Red = love

Add layer:

Each stripe = one family value
Write meaning beside colors

Optional:

Fabric swatch collage

Journal:

“If our family had a tartan, what would each color represent?”

“What do my clothes say about me without me speaking?”

WEDNESDAY — CRESTS, MOTTOES & THE LANGUAGE OF SYMBOLS

Media: Men in Kilts – Episode 2: “Scottish Sports”

Teach:

Heraldry, animals, shields, mottos

Explain:

Clan crest = personal badge of loyalty
Symbols showed:

Strength
Virtue
Family story

Common symbols:

Lion = bravery
Boar = fierce protector
Tree = endurance
Star = guidance

Clan Boyd

Origin: Ayrshire, Lowlands
Name from Gaelic Buidhe (“yellow / fair-haired”)

Crest:

🦢 Swan’s head and neck

Motto:

“Eternitate” — “For eternity”

Meaning:

Swan = loyalty, grace, faithfulness
Motto = enduring family, legacy beyond time

Discussion:

“Which is stronger: law or loyalty?”
“When is justice more important than family?”

Activity:

Design Personal Crests

Each child designs:

Shield shape
4 quadrants:

Strength
Talent/Gift
Value
Dream/Destiny

Add:

Animal
Color meaning
Motto (1 sentence)

Journal:

“What symbol would represent who I am becoming?”

“What kind of legacy do I want my symbol to represent?”

THURSDAY — CLAN LIFE, HONOR, BATTLES & HIGHLAND GAMES

Media: Men in Kilts – Episode 3: “Song & Dance”

How clans lived, worked, fought, and celebrated

Teach:

Daily life

Farming
Sheep
Weaving
Fishing
Storytelling

Clan loyalty

Chief protected people
People defended land
Blood ties mattered deeply

Battles

Rival clans fought over land & honor
Famous clans: Campbell, MacDonald, Fraser, Stewart

Music & Culture

Bagpipes = war & ceremony
Ceilidh = dance & gathering

Clan life

Work + war + celebration balanced
Music = storytelling
Dance = social bonds
Feasts = loyalty rituals

Honor code

Protect family
Keep oath
Defend land
Respect chief

Activity:

Mini Highland Games

At home or yard:

Sock toss (caber toss substitute)
Tug of war
Balance walk
Strength hold (plank contest)
End with “clan cheer”

Journal:

“If I lived in a clan, what role would I choose and why?”

“What traditions hold families together today?”

🗓️ FRIDAY — REBELLIONS, OUTLAWING & SURVIVAL OF IDENTITY

Media: Men in Kilts – Episode 6: “Culloden: Scotland’s Most Infamous Battle”

How heritage shapes identity today

Teach:

Modern Scotland:

Clans now symbolic, not political
Tartans worn at

Weddings
Graduations
Ceremonies

Genealogy

Why people trace ancestry
How stories survive

Tie to your family

Boyd = loyalty & eternity

After Culloden

Clans broken
Chiefs lost power
Tartans banned
Language suppressed

But

Identity survived through

Songs
Stories
Family memory
Symbols

Connect to

Immigration
American descendants
Your family lineage

Discussion:

“Can culture survive without land?”
“What parts of identity can never be taken away?”
“What parts of my heritage do I want to carry into my future?”

Final Project:

Clan Heritage Night (Burns Night)

Robert Burns was/is the bard of Scotland. In the 1700s, he wrote prolific poems and songs that Scots still greatly treasure to this day.

Candles + Celtic music
Start the night with a whisky cocktail & a full Scottish marmalade
Before the first course, the host recites the "Selkirk Grace"
As the haggis is brought in and set before the table, someone recites the "Address to Haggis"
Meal:

Starter: Cock-a-leekie soup
Main: Haggis, neeps (swede), and tatties (potatoes). And a dram of whisky. Honey apples, shortbread.
Dessert: Clootie dumpling
After dinner: Cheeses & oatcakes, tea & coffee

Entertainment: The Immortal Memory, Readings of Burns' works, A Toast to the Lassies and their Reply, hold hands and sing 'Auld Lang Syne.'

Each child presents:

Tartan
Their crest
Their motto
One value they promise to carry

OPTIONAL RESOURCES:

The Usborne Book of Scottish History
YouTube:

“Why Scots Wear Kilts” (BBC Bitesize)
“What Is a Clan?” (National Museum of Scotland)

Virtual tour: Edinburgh Castle

My 2026 Arc of the Year

2026-01-13T16:53:00.001-05:00

🌑 MY 2026 ARC OF THE YEAR

Fire Horse Year • Momentum with Meaning

Mantra: “I move forward whole.”

2026 TAROT STORY

The High Priestess – Your Inner Authority (Feb-Mar foundation, Imbolc awakening themes): Confirms that intuition is your governing system this year; Stop outsourcing certainty. Pause before action — not to hesitate, but to align. This supports your goal of living boldly without burning out.

The Moon – Navigating the Unknown Without Panic (Mar-Apr transition): Emotional honesty; Letting things be unclear without forcing resolution; You are not meant to have the whole map. You are meant to trust your senses while moving. This directly validates: Travel, Change, Identity evolution, Releasing old fear-based control

The Chariot - Riding the Horse / Not Being Dragged (Beltane ignition, summer momentum, October apex): Momentum is correct; Direction matters more than speed; You must hold the reins consciously; You don’t need to push harder. You need to choose direction and stay embodied.

The Hierophant – Redefining Tradition on Your Terms (Yule, Legacy themes, Family modeling): This is not about obedience. In your spreads, the Hierophant shows up as: Choosing what traditions you keep, Becoming the source of meaning for your family; You are not rejecting tradition — you are inhabiting it consciously. This supports your desire to build a sacred life, not a performative one.

Two of Cups / Cups Emphasis – Partnership as Fuel (anniversaries, ongoing marriage focus, emotional regulation and support): Your spreads are emotionally relational, not solitary. This shows: Marriage as a stabilizer, not a drain; Mutual presence; Shared direction; Let connection fuel momentum instead of competing with it.

Pentacles (especially single pentacle imagery) – Grounded Growth (April grounding, August harvest, practical foundations): Sustainable growth; One thing at a time; Material stability supporting spiritual work; Build what lasts. Don’t rush what needs roots.

Swords – Clean Pain, Not Lingering Wounds (especially Three / Six themes; October release and November rest): Emotional honesty; Letting grief move through instead of lodging; Feel it. Name it. Move on cleanly.

This is a year of guided movement — not blind acceleration.
You are meant to move forward because you are listening inwardly, not despite it.

Threshold Object: Copper something.

Conductivity (energy, communication, flow)
Fire Horse momentum without rigidity

THE FIRE HORSE MANIFESTO (KEEP VISIBLE)

I move with momentum, not panic.
I rest without guilt.
I let joy be visible and power be gentle.
I choose becoming — on purpose.

THE FIRE HORSE MANIFESTO

I move with momentum, not panic.
I rest without guilt.

I do not confuse productivity with worth
or sacrifice with love.

I choose a life that feels alive —
rooted in presence, pleasure, and meaning.

I honor my relationships through honesty and attention.
I model wholeness, not perfection.

I let joy be visible.
I let power be gentle.

I am allowed to evolve.
I am allowed to arrive.

This year, I choose becoming —
and I do it on purpose.

THE YEAR OATH (SPOKEN SEAL)

I vow to live awake, not braced.
I release earning rest and explaining joy.
I choose presence over pressure and truth over performance.
I arrive — without shrinking or hardening.

THE YEAR OATH

I vow to live this year awake, not braced.

I release the belief that I must earn rest, soften my edges, or explain my joy.

I vow to move with courage and care —
to honor my fire without burning myself down.

I choose presence over pressure, truth over performance,
and a life that feels sacred instead of rushed.

I commit to loving boldly, resting honestly,
and becoming the woman my future self already knows.

This year, I do not shrink.
I do not harden.
I arrive.

FEBRUARY — Awakening the Self

Imbolc (Feb 1-2)
Valentine’s Day (Feb 14)
Dracula Month 🦇🖤
Gothic romance, dark academia vibes, candlelit nights

Theme: The spark beneath the snow

Tarot: High Priestess (inner authority)
Energy: Quiet power, desire, identity
Focus: Who am I becoming?

This is where the year begins internally — before action, before noise.

What this phase means

Imbolc is the spark under the snow — quiet preparation.
Valentine’s is love turned inward and outward.
Dracula isn’t just gothic flair — it’s about desire, immortality, shadow, and power reclaimed.

Energy
🔥 Low flame, deep embers
🖤 Sensual, introspective, identity-focused

Purpose in the flow - This is where you decide who you are becoming this year before the world starts asking things of you.

Goals

Reconnect with desire (not obligation)
Clarify identity: What parts of me are done shrinking?
Set emotional boundaries
Begin the year intentionally, not reactively

Affirmation:
I awaken gently. I honor desire, intuition, and the truth of who I am becoming.

Focus: Identity • Boundaries • Inner fire

Ritual Prompts

· Light a single candle. Ask: What wants to wake up in me this year?

· Write a list titled “I no longer owe…”

· Choose one copper symbol to represent your becoming-self.

· Journal: Who am I shedding? Who is emerging beneath the surface?

MARCH — Commitment & Expansion

March 11 – 7-Year Marriage Anniversary
Traditional gifts: Wool or Copper
March 14–20 – Nassau Trip ✈️🌴
Ostara (Spring Equinox, March 19–21)
Balance, renewal, light returning - What wants to grow right now?

Theme: Recommitment + balance

Tarot: Two of Cups + Moon (connection + uncertainty)
Energy: Growth, light, movement
Focus: Love, joy, forward motion

The year exhales. Light returns. You move.

What this phase means

Wool = warmth, protection, weaving a life together
Copper = conductivity, communication, vitality
Ostara brings balance and forward motion
Nassau opens the year physically and spiritually

Energy
🌱 Growth + renewal
💞 Partnership energy expands beyond routine

Purpose in the flow - This phase moves you from intention to motion — love, travel, light, and balance.

Goals

Strengthen marriage through presence, not performance
Rebalance work/life rhythms
Recommit to joy and rest as non-negotiable
Let travel reset your nervous system

Affirmation:
I move toward joy with balance. Love expands when I allow lightness and motion.

Focus: Partnership • Renewal • Forward momentum

Ritual Prompts

· Walk barefoot on sand or grass; breathe deeply.

· Write a love note to your marriage as it is now.

· Ask: Where can I choose ease instead of effort?

· Journal: Where did joy feel natural this month — and where did I resist it?

APRIL — Grounding the Future

April 4 – Sell 303; trip to Augusta
April 17 – 10-Year Anniversary of Being Together 💍❤️

Theme: Stability and legacy

Tarot: Pentacles + Hierophant (grounded closure)
Energy: Grounded, reflective
Focus: Close chapters cleanly

You honor what you’ve built so the future feels safe.

What this phase means

Selling a property = closing a chapter responsibly
10 years together = chosen endurance

Energy
🌿 Practical + sentimental
🏡 Legacy, foundations, closure

Purpose in the flow - This phase anchors love and responsibility together — you don’t sacrifice one for the other.

Goals

Close loops cleanly (home, paperwork, emotional weight)
Honor longevity — you built this
Release guilt tied to past versions of yourself
Strengthen stability so growth feels safe

Affirmation:
I honor what I’ve built. Stability supports my growth — it does not limit it.

Focus: Closure • Legacy • Grounded commitment

Ritual Prompts

· Clean or organize one meaningful space.

· Touch something old (photo, home item, memory) and thank it.

· Ask: What am I proud I didn’t quit?

· Journal: What foundations in my life feel solid now? What feels complete?

BELTANE (April 30 – May 1) — Ignition 🔥 THRESHOLD 🔥

Beltane 🔥🌸
Fire, passion, creativity, abundance

Theme: Ignition

Tarot: Chariot (ignition with direction)
Energy: Passion, creativity, pleasure
Focus: Say yes. Begin boldly.

The moment the year catches fire.

What this phase means - Beltane is when you stop planning and start living boldly.

Energy
🔥🔥🔥
Sensual, creative, magnetic

Purpose in the flow - This is the activation point of the year — after this, you’re no longer easing in.

Goals

Reclaim pleasure without justification
Say yes more often
Create something that excites you (not monetized, not optimized)
Let passion be visible

Affirmation:
I step fully into desire, creativity, and pleasure. I allow myself to live boldly.

Focus: Passion • Creativity • Saying yes

Ritual Prompts

· Wear something that makes you feel magnetic.

· Write: “What do I want more of — without justification?”

· Light two candles: one for passion, one for courage.

MAY — FLOW

(Energy continues from Beltane)

Affirmation:
I trust my momentum. What I begin with intention grows with ease.

Focus: Confidence • Enjoyment • Alignment

Ritual Prompts

· Say yes to one spontaneous invitation.

· Journal while listening to music that feels expansive.

· Ask: What feels aligned right now?

· Journal: What momentum surprised me? Where did I trust myself?

JUNE — Wonder & Soft Power

Epcot – Japan Week 🎌
Living with Totoro Week 🌱🌧️
Nature, softness, wonder
Lithia 🌳- What wants to be enjoyed?

Theme: Wonder and reverence

Tarot: Cups + Moon (soft power, emotional presence)
Energy: Gentle strength, play
Focus: Presence over productivity

Power doesn’t always roar — sometimes it rests.

What this phase means

Japan = reverence, ritual, discipline with beauty
Totoro = softness, childhood wonder, nature magic
Lithia = grounding, earth connection

Energy
🌧️🌱 Gentle, curious, restorative

Purpose in the flow - This phase prevents burnout — it teaches you that power doesn’t always roar.

Goals

Reintroduce play into daily life
Model softness for your children
Strengthen family rhythms
Practice presence without productivity

Affirmation:
I allow gentleness to be my strength. Presence is powerful.

Focus: Wonder • Family • Play • Nature

Ritual Prompts

· Spend intentional time in nature with no agenda.

· Do something childlike with your kids — follow their lead.

· Ask: Where am I allowed to slow down?

· Journal: When did softness feel like strength?

· Mid-Year Reckoning:

o What feels aligned?

o What feels heavy?

o What needs to change now, not later?

JULY — STEADY FIRE

(Bridge month)

Affirmation:
I maintain my energy with care. I do not have to rush to be effective.

Focus: Balance • Sustainability • Self-trust

Ritual Prompts

· Identify one thing to stop pushing.

· Adjust your schedule to protect energy.

· Ask: What pace actually serves me?

· Journal: What pace felt sustainable — and what did not?

AUGUST — Harvest & Recognition

Lughnasadh (Lammas) 🌾
Harvest, gratitude, effort paying off
Lauren’s Birthday 🎂

Theme: Recognition

Tarot: Pentacles (harvest)
Energy: Confident, steady
Focus: What’s working?

You acknowledge growth instead of chasing more.

What this phase means - Lughnasadh honors effort finally paying off.

Energy
🌾 Confident, steady, proud

Purpose in the flow - This phase asks: What have you grown that deserves recognition?

Goals

Acknowledge progress (not perfection)
Celebrate others generously
Refine what’s working instead of starting over
Prepare mentally for fall intensity

Affirmation:
I acknowledge my progress. What I have nurtured is worthy of celebration.

Focus: Recognition • Gratitude • Refinement

Ritual Prompts

· Make a visible list of wins (big and small).

· Celebrate someone else without comparison.

· Ask: What is working that I should protect?

· Journal: What have I grown this year that deserves acknowledgment?

SEPTEMBER — Integration & Balance

SPN Con 🖤👻
Mabon (Fall Equinox) 🍎⚖️
Balance, reflection, gratitude - What wants to be released?

Theme: Community and reflection

Tarot: Cups + community
Energy: Balanced, grateful
Focus: Shared joy

You remember you don’t do life alone.

What this phase means

SPN Con = chosen community, fandom, joy
Mabon = balance, gratitude, reflection

Energy
⚖️ Balanced, reflective, socially nourishing

Purpose in the flow - This phase reconnects you to community and reminds you that joy is shared.

Goals

Reclaim parts of yourself you love
Deepen friendships
Balance giving and receiving
Enter fall without resentment

Affirmation:
I receive joy in community. Balance returns when I honor connection.

Focus: Friendship • Reflection • Shared joy

Ritual Prompts

· Attend something purely for joy or fandom.

· Reach out to a friend you miss.

· Ask: Where do I feel most myself?

· Journal: Who or what reminded me who I am?

OCTOBER — Power Season / Apex

Kyrstie’s Birthday 🎉
6-Year Wedding Anniversary 💕
Halloween Horror Nights (HHN) 🎃
Mexico Trip 🇲🇽
Samhain 🕯️
Ancestry, transition, magic, remembrance

Theme: Power and transformation

Tarot: Chariot + Swords (chosen release)
Energy: Dark feminine, sovereign
Focus: Release what no longer follows

This is your peak — identity claimed, power embodied.

What this phase means - This is your apex month — transformation, ancestry, fear, pleasure, celebration.

Energy
🕯️🔥 Dark feminine, powerful, sovereign

Purpose in the flow - October is when you fully inhabit your power and release what no longer follows you forward.

Goals

Claim your age and authority proudly
Honor your marriage as evolved, not static
Release outdated identities
Stand unapologetically in who you are now

Affirmation:
I claim my power without apology. I release what no longer belongs to me.

Focus: Sovereignty • Transformation • Celebration

Ritual Prompts

· Write a release list and safely discard it.

· Dress intentionally on your birthday as a declaration.

· Ask: What version of me is complete?

· Journal: What power did I reclaim? What did I release?

NOVEMBER — Rest & Integration

Cabin Trip 🍂🏔️
Rest, grounding, family time

Theme: Integration

Tarot: Six of Swords energy (rest through transition)
Energy: Quiet, grounding
Focus: Rest without guilt

Stillness prepares the soul for closure.

What this phase means - After intensity comes stillness.

Energy
🍂 Quiet, grounded, restorative

Purpose in the flow - This phase ensures you don’t carry exhaustion into winter.

Goals

Rest deeply
Reflect on the year honestly
Strengthen family bonds
Prepare emotionally for closure

Affirmation:
I rest without guilt. Stillness restores my clarity and strength.

Focus: Integration • Family • Quiet

Ritual Prompts

· Schedule intentional nothingness.

· Sit quietly and notice what arises.

· Ask: What am I carrying that can wait?

· Journal: What does my body need more of right now?

DECEMBER — Closure & Transformation

Chayton’s Birthday 🎂
Yule 🌲🔥
Light in darkness, tradition, renewal - What wisdom am I carrying forward?
Egypt Trip 🐪✨
Ancient magic, history, transformation

Theme: Legacy and rebirth

Tarot: Hierophant + High Priestess (initiated wisdom)
Energy: Sacred, timeless
Focus: Carry forward only what matters

The year closes not tired — but transformed.

What this phase means

Yule = rebirth of light
Egypt = ancient power, lineage, eternity
A child’s birthday = future-forward hope

Energy
🌌 Sacred, timeless, transformative

Purpose in the flow - This phase closes the year with meaning, not fatigue.

Goals

Honor ancestry and legacy
Enter the next year initiated, not depleted
Mark the year as transformational
Step into the next cycle with confidence

Affirmation:
I honor endings and welcome rebirth. I step forward transformed.

Focus: Legacy • Renewal • Sacred transition

Ritual Prompts

· Light a Yule candle and reflect on the year.

· Write a letter from your future self.

· Ask: What wisdom do I carry forward?

· Journal: What transformation am I closing this year with?

Closing Rite

OPENING — Naming the Year

· Light the candle.

· Say aloud:

· “I stand at the end of a year that changed me.”

· Hold your threshold object.

WITNESS — Reading the Arc

· Read your Year Oath

· Skim your 12 monthly reflections

· Pause when emotion rises — that’s integration happening

RELEASE — Letting the Old Self Go

On paper, write:

· One belief

· One fear

· One identity you no longer need

Say:

· “This no longer follows me.”

o Safely discard or leave it behind.

INITIATION — Claiming What Remains

· Say aloud:

o “I carry forward my courage, my softness,
and the life I chose with intention.”

· Put on or touch your threshold object.

CLOSING — Extinguishing

· Blow out the candle slowly.

· Say:

o “The cycle is complete.”

· You are not the same person who began the year.

Journal - Year-End Reflection: What part of this year changed me permanently — in the best way?

✨ THE THREAD THROUGH EVERY MONTH

I move with intention.
I honor both fire and rest.
I live a life that feels sacred, not rushed.

✨ THE THREAD THROUGH THE ENTIRE ARC

Live boldly without burning out
Love with intention, not obligation
Build a life that feels sacred
Release guilt from past versions
Move forward initiated, not rushed

🌟 CORE GOALS FOR THE YEAR

1. Live Boldly Without Burning Out

Power + softness in balance.

2. Strengthen Marriage & Motherhood Through Presence

Less logistics, more connection.

3. Model Wholeness for Your Children

Show them joy, rest, boundaries, wonder.

4. Release Guilt From Past Versions

You are allowed to evolve.

5. Build a Life That Feels Sacred

Not perfect. Meaningful.

Soft-Power Fire Horse - Complete Feng Shui Master Plan

2026-01-13T16:47:00.001-05:00

🐎🔥 SOFT-POWER FIRE HORSE - COMPLETE FENG SHUI MASTER PLAN

I. FOUNDATIONAL RESET & PROTECTION (NON-NEGOTIABLE)

Physical + Energetic Cleanse (Quarterly or Seasonally)

✔ Clean windows & mirrors
✔ Lock mirrors energetically (wipe clockwise with intention)
✔ Black salt at doors + windows (replace monthly)
✔ Sweep → mop floors front → back
✔ Ensure all doors open/close smoothly
✔ Replace dead lightbulbs immediately

Energy Stabilizers (Fire Horse Safeguards)

✔ Lamps layered throughout (avoid harsh overhead dominance)
✔ Plants in hallways to soften rushing chi
✔ One gentle water feature (living room or kitchen only)
✔ Smudge with sage: corners → doorways → center
✔ Seal cleanse with bell, chime, or clap

Home Mantra:
“My fire is protected, my home is clear, my energy flows with grace.”

II. ROOM-BY-ROOM MASTER PLAN

🚪 FRONT ENTRY & FRONT HALLWAY

Career & Life Path

Your Elements (Keep All):

Black door (Water)
Two healthy planters
Rosemary by both doors
Broom by entry
Black Tourmaline
Bright pendant or chandelier
Decluttered entry
Passion/work-related art
Glass décor, water imagery

Added Fire Horse Grounding:

Stone statue on pedestal
No visible shoes
Entry always well-lit at night

“My path opens easily and is divinely protected.”

🍽️ DINING ROOM + 🍳 KITCHEN

Wealth & Prosperity Engine

Wealth Corner (Far Left):

Fresh flowers in vase
Jade plant
Valuable treasure (whisky—displayed intentionally)
Bamboo, statue, collectibles
Bowls of fresh fruit (round bowls only)

Kitchen Enhancers:

Carnelian (kitchen)
Water feature (quiet, clean)
Wood between stove/sink if needed

🔥 Fire Horse Rule:
Rotate items seasonally—stagnant wealth = blocked momentum.

🌞 GALLERY WALL / SUNROOM

Fame & Reputation

Awards, accolades
Four-leaf clovers
Sun imagery
Pyramid shapes
Wind chime (metal or wood)

Rule: Dust-free, visible, honored.

🛋️ LIVING ROOM + OFFICE

Love, Marriage & Harmony

Relationship Zone (Right Corner):

Paired chairs, pillows
Love symbols (birds, cranes, butterflies, intertwined trees)
Love seat preferred
Fluorite

Office Additions:

Citrine
String lights
Salt lamp
Terrarium
Affirmation cards

Fire Horse Protection:

No lone chair
Hide cords
Avoid sharp furniture edges

🌿 ACCENT TABLE / KITCHEN SIDE

Family, Ancestors & New Beginnings

Kept pristine
Family photo wall (wood or ceramic frames)
One ancestral object or heirloom

🚶 CENTER OF HOME / END OF HALL

Health & Stability

Sun imagery
Mountains (strength)
No water
Earthy or yellow rug
Yellow flowers
Stone/earth objects

Rule: Clear walking space = strong health chi.

🎨 HIDDEN ROOM + 🪜 STAIRCASE

Children & Creativity

Bulletin board
Craft/sewing zone
Bold wallpaper
Chalkboard paint
Whimsical art
Pastels
Metal frames
Hand-painted gallery wall

Added: One intentionally empty creative surface.

🛏️ GUEST ROOM + BATH

Helpful People & Travel

Maps, globe
Travel photos & vision board
Jade (bath)
Rose quartz (bedroom)
Playful art

Rule: Guest storage stays empty—space invites allies.

🛁 MASTER BATH + CLOSET

Wealth + Fame

Sea shells (treasure)
Jade, bamboo
Art, statue, vase
Eucalyptus + lavender
Awards in closet

Rules:

Toilet lid down
No empty or broken bottles
Closet organized = reputation supported

🛏️ MASTER BEDROOM

Love & Marriage Sanctuary

Rose quartz
Cherry blossom art over bed
Beeswax candles
Paired nightstands & lamps
No footboard
Nothing under bed
Warm rose/red accents only (no black/blue)

🔥 Fire Horse Rule: Fire rests here—softness dominates.

👧 ANNA’S ROOM + BATH

Family & New Beginnings

Rose quartz (bedroom)
Jade (bath)
Floral prints (shower curtain)

👦 CHAYTON’S ROOM + LAUNDRY

Knowledge & Self-Cultivation

Reading nook
Bookshelves
Quote behind door
Rose quartz (bedroom)
Amethyst (laundry, purple curtains)

Laundry = transformation → perfect crystal choice.

💼 DAVID’S OFFICE

Career & Life Path

Citrine
String lights
Salt lamps
Terrarium
Water imagery
Mirrors w/ dark frames
Plants
Bright natural light
Desk in command position
No clutter

🎮 GAME AREA / LOFT

Friends, Travel & Support

World map, globe
Travel photos
Vision board
Playful energy

Rule: Control sound—too much Fire here spills downward.

IV. FIRE HORSE × SOFT-POWER HOUSE RULES (FINAL SEAL)

Always Do:

✔ Move stagnant objects quarterly
✔ Light candles intentionally
✔ Choose rounded over sharp
✔ Fix leaks immediately
✔ Keep wealth zones “alive”

Avoid:

✖ Broken items
✖ Harsh lighting
✖ Empty abundance corners
✖ Emotional clutter

🏡 FINAL HOME AFFIRMATION

“This home protects my fire, nourishes my family, and multiplies abundance with grace.”

Summer Homeschooling - Executive Functioning Week

2026-01-13T10:20:00.023-05:00

Welcome to Executive Functioning Week! This week, you’re stepping into the role that usually runs quietly in the background—the one that plans, remembers, organizes, adapts, and keeps everything moving. For the next few days, you’ll practice the real-life skills that adults use every single day: planning ahead, managing time, juggling responsibilities, handling surprises, and following things through to the end. You’ll learn how decisions get made, how systems keep life from falling apart, and how to stay calm when plans change. This isn’t about being perfect or doing everything right—it’s about learning how to think, plan, adjust, and take responsibility for your world. By the end of the week, you won’t just understand how much work goes into “running life”—you’ll have tools you can use to run your own.

🗓️ MONDAY — LIFE SKILLS & FOLLOW-THROUGH

Warm-Up:

Speed-sort challenge (digital or physical)
Memory challenge (10 items → recall order)

Focus Training:

25-minute Pomodoro (no phone)
Track distractions + recovery time
Read → summarize from memory

Time Awareness:

Guess how long tasks take
Map your day, time block what you did
Compare estimated vs actual

Wrap-Up:

Tomorrow, you will be parents for the day, so you have to work together to get everything done. No fighting or arguing, just teamwork, running a house together. The roles will be reversed, David and I will be the kids.
This will not only help you with Executive Functioning, but it will also show the "mental load" parents have to take on. Mental load is the "invisible" brain power used to plan, organize, and remember everything needed to run a home, such as remembering school forms, scheduling playdates, or knowing when to buy new shoes. It is the mental to-do list that keeps family life running smoothly, distinct from the physical chores themselves.
You have time now to interview me and/or David with any questions regarding how to be a parent.
Make your own To-Do List, what are the things you have to do as the parent? See how this lines up tomorrow.

🗓️ TUESDAY — YOU'RE THE PARENTS (DAY ONE)

Mom Log (write in here each night):

Home: Is the house clean enough? What's broken, low, or annoying?
Animals: Any weird behavior?
Car: Gas level? Anything in the car that shouldn't be?
People Care: Is the house calm or tense? Who needs help today? Who's overwhelmed? Who's mad and why? Who hasn't eaten enough vegetables?
The Invisible Jobs: "These count even if no one sees them." Remembering, Anticipating, Following up, Worrying quiet, Making decisions no one thanks you for; Must log every time you: Thought about something before it happened, fixed a problem no one noticed, Made a choice to keep peace
Tuesday Prompts:

What took the most energy today?
What decision surprised you? What decision took the most thinking?
What did you forget?
What would you do differently tomorrow?

Wednesday Prompts:

What surprised you mist?
What was harder than expected?
What do you now understand about being a parent?
What jobs should be shared forever?
What should never again be taken for granted?
What do you want your parents to know?

Tell them:

What they did well
Where you saw growth
One thing you felt deeply appreciated about

Daily Tasks (either right it down or attempt to memorize it, I'll give you 10 mins to read it, and then, you have to write it from memory, what would the consequence be for missing it):

"You don't have to do everything. You have to notice everything."

Make sure I get up for school on time, since it's Summer Break, we'll say 7:15 AM
Take the dogs out, feed them
Make sure I brush my teeth and hair, feed Spike, do my list
Do these things for yourself to get ready for work, take shower if needed, make up
Leave on time, 8AM - I'm just going to the computer
Check the house status, review today's needs
Feed dogs, take them out
Eat breakfast
Ready for work by 9AM, clock in
Do your legal case, put together a brief and next steps, what do you think we should do/options (why), what are the risks if we don't; if you don't get this done by 5PM, you don't get paid

Cases: Issue, Facts, What questions do we need to ask? (you can come ask me), Decision, Reasoning, Next Steps

Resident set our house on fire because we asked them to leave since they weren't paying their rent. When the vendor arrived to change the locks, the fire department was there. The home is a complete loss. Home is in Birmingham, AL.
We accidentally didn't pay a resident's water bill (the city wasn't sending us the bill), so their power was disconnected, and they lost all the food in their fridge; we got it turned back on in 48hrs, but they have filed a lawsuit against. They want money (they provided receipts for one McDonald's visit and $250 worth of groceries, where only $35 of what was purchased was refridgerable items), and they want the power turned into their name, so it doesn't happen again. The power is attached to the water bill, and if they don't pay it, the city can take the house from us. Court is July 20th in Kansas City, OH.
The roof of one of the houses leaked, so a resident slipped, fell, and had to go to the hospital; they want us to pay for the doctors bills, as well as give them money for emotional pain and suffering. They have filed a lawsuit for $100K. Court is July 7th in Houston, TX.
People keep breaking into one of our vacant houses and squatting/living there. We keep having to repair the doors and windows each time. The city is now taking us to court and charging us for the people breaking into the house. They have charged us 3 $7K fines for the police department having to show up to these break-ins. Court is July 14th in Chicago, IL.
An HOA is fining us because they want a tree taken down off our property. However, it is not our property; it is the city's property, so we don't have any control over it. We're up to $8K in fines. Home is in Atlanta, GA.

Take dogs out several times a day
Run roomba
Eat lunch
Check in on friends and family via text
Cleaning & organizing: Pick up around the house, declutter, wipe down surfaces, organize, check trash, take out if needed, wash clothes, vacuum
Make dinner
Make sure animals get fed, whether by you or kids
Reset house: Check the floors, counters, bathroom, clutter; Let people know if they left anything out, ask them to clean up, check for dirtiness around the house to keep things clean and sanitary, sticky counters, sticky handles, so you can keep everyone healthy
Make sure dishes get washed
Make sure kids get bath and brush teeth, do list
Make sure they are in bed by 9PM
Call a friend or family member to check in; prep for tomorrow, what will tomorrow need before tomorrow arrives, write a "Mom Log" reflection
Brush teeth, get ready for bed
Make sure house is locked up before bed, all lights are off, there are no fire hazards
Try to be in bed by 10PM, because you have to do it all over again the next day

Things Happening this Week:

Recycling picked up Tuesday morning, bring in the toter
Order meal pickup before 12PM, for pickup at 5PM (off Mom's phone) - use budget to manage how much you'll spend; plan the meals for the rest of the week, check what's already in the house, is anything running low, ask kids what they want and to write it on the fridge, avoid duplicates, account for preferences and allergies, stay in budget
Trash picked up Thursday morning, take out the toter Wednesday night, check we have all the trash in there
Go read to the animals some time this week, what day?
Plan something to do this weekend, budget for entry, gas, food, and any extras.

Budget:

Your family bank account has $650
Savings account has $100 (only use for family trips and emergencies, if you have to)
The electricity bill is due Wednesday - $220
The internet/wi-fi bill is due Wednesday - $60
Leave over extra, in case something comes up, and to build up savings for our Cherokee, North Carolina weekend
Tire goes out Wednesday, $50

If they ask, "What should I do?" Say, "What would Mom think about first?"

🗓️ WEDNESDAY — YOU'RE THE PARENTS (DAY TWO)

Same as yesterday.

Plan the calendar for next month:

All appointments have to be around 1-2PM timeframe, since that's your lunch break; they can't be on Tuesdays because that's your office day, or Wednesday because that's your big legal meeting with the leadership team; get paid every two weeks, so try to space out paying for additional stuff, so you don't take out too much at one time, pay days: 7/4, 7/18, 8/1
Here's the stuff already planned you have to add to the calendar:

HOA payment 7/1 - $90
Spotify payment 7/2 - $10
Independence Day 7/4
Netflix payment 7/5 - $10
Change air filter in the house 7/5
Boat payment 7/7 - $320
Make sure Spike has someone to check in on him during Cherokee trip - $20 per day
Insurance payment (cars, boat, rental house) 7/15 - $425
Pack for Cherokee trip 7/16
Leave for Cherokee, NC 7/17, get back 7/19
Give dogs flea pill 7/25
Aladdin Jr Camp starts 7/27
Car payment 7/31 - $370
Back to School shopping 8/1 - $250

Here's the stuff you still need to plan:

Your dentist visit
Both kids doctors visits
Appointment on base to get ID re-done, can only do these on Tues and Thurs
Get Lottie groomed before the Cherokee, NC trip - $80
Order kids vitamins - $60
Order dogs vitamins - $60
Order dogs food - $280

Tell them last minute that I have a dance I want to go to the night of 7/2

🗓️ THURSDAY — TURN GOALS INTO PLANS

Warm-Up:

Logic puzzles (Wordle, Sudoku, chess challenge)
Time-estimation game

Goal Check-In:

Sort goals from vision board:

✅ Completed
🟡 In Progress
⏸️ Stalled
❌ No longer important (permission to release)

Where did I stop?
Why?

Too big
Forgot
Lost motivation
Didn’t know the next step
Needed help

Teach: Dropping a goal is a decision — not a failure.

Which goals still matter - and why?
Choose 3–5 active goals to focus on through the rest of the year
For each active goal, rewrite it as: By ___, I will complete ___.
Use the SMART Goal method:

Specific (S): Goals should be clearly defined and unambiguous, answering what needs to be accomplished and who is involved.
Measurable (M): The goal must include criteria to track progress, allowing you to know when it has been met.
Achievable (A): Goals should be realistic and attainable, considering available skills, resources, and time.
Relevant (R): The objective should align with broader, long-term goals.
Time-bound (T): The goal requires a specific deadline or timeframe for completion to create urgency and focus.

Identify:

Why it matters
3–5 small steps
What could get in the way
Plan B

Which goal should you focus on first?
Create a realistic timeline

Assign steps to weeks or months
Add check-in dates
Limit to 2 active goals at a time

Create a Weekly Personal Plan

School
Fitness / hobby
Family responsibility

Teach: Big goals fail. Small steps win.

🗓️ FRIDAY — EMOTIONAL REGULATION & EXECUTION

Warm-Up:
Game with rule changes mid-play

Plan A / B / C Thinking:

Plans change
Motivation drops
Tech fails
Life happens

Build a Personal Reset System:

Warning signs
Reset tools (movement, music, space, journaling)
Who to ask for help

Create a Weekly Action System

Each week:

1 focus goal
2 small actions
1 reflection question

Wrap-Up:
One word you want this season remembered by. Add this to your 2026 Vision Board.

👩‍👧 PARENT ROLES

We are:

Coaches, not micromanagers
Support, not rescuers
Accountability partners, not reminder systems

Parent prompts:

“What’s your next small step?”
“What got in the way?”
“Help or space?”
“What would you change next time?”

Summer Homeschooling - Public Speaking & Debate Week

2025-12-12T11:36:00.009-05:00

Welcome to Public Speaking & Debate Week! This week is about learning how to use your voice with confidence, clarity, and purpose. We’ll practice speaking in front of others, organizing our thoughts, and defending ideas with evidence instead of emotion. You’ll learn how debates work, how to ask strong questions, how to think on your feet, and how to speak in a way that makes people listen. By the end of the week, you won’t just be better speakers — you’ll be better thinkers, better listeners, and more confident explaining what you believe and why it matters.

🎬 Watch The Great Debaters.

🗓️ MONDAY — Public Speaking Foundations

This week, we’re learning how to speak so people listen. Not to win arguments, not to be louder than others — but to explain ideas clearly and confidently. Public speaking is a skill. Nobody is born good at it. It’s something you build.

“When have you seen someone speak and really hold attention?”

“What made them interesting?”

Learning Goals

Understand why public speaking matters
Learn basic delivery skills
Practice speaking without fear

Teaching Script: "Public speaking isn’t about being loud or dramatic—it’s about helping people understand what you think and why it matters."

Core Lessons

1. What Makes a Good Speaker - Strong speakers do four things well. Not perfectly — just well.

Eye contact - Looking at people, not at the floor.
Voice (volume, pace, pauses) - Speaking clearly, not rushing.
Body language - Standing like you believe what you’re saying.
Clear structure - Beginning, middle, end.

“Which one do you think is hardest?”

“Which one do you already do well?”

🎤 30-Second Introductions: You’ll each give a 30-second introduction. This is practice, not a performance.

“Tell us your name, favorite book/movie, and one opinion you have.”

After each:

“One thing you did well was…”

“One thing to try next time is…”

2. Types of Speeches

Informative
Persuasive
Entertaining
Argumentative (debate)

3. Fear & Confidence

Teach the concept of speaker nerves = energy, not fear.
Feeling nervous doesn’t mean you’re bad at speaking. It means your brain knows something important is happening. Our goal this week isn’t no nerves. It’s speaking anyway.

Activities

🎭 Emotion Read: Read the same sentence in different emotions (angry, excited, bored).
🪞 Mirror Practice: Practice posture and gestures.
Reflection: What's one strength you already have going for you? What's one goal you have for this week?

Resources

Kid-friendly article
Video: “Public Speaking Tips for Kids” – TED-Ed Youth
Blog: National Speech & Debate Association

🗓️ TUESDAY — Public Forum Debate (Case Building Day)

Debate is not yelling. Debate is organized disagreement. Today, you will argue a position you may or may not agree with — and that’s a skill.

Resolution

Resolved: The United States should accede to the Rome Statute of the International Criminal Court.

That means: Should the U.S. officially join the International Criminal Court?

Teaching Script: “A debate resolution is a yes-or-no question. One side must prove why it should happen. The other proves why it should not.”

To do this, each side must prove:

What they believe
Why it matters
Why its better than the other side

🧱 Debate Basics (Kid-Friendly Breakdown)

Affirmative (yes): “We should do this because it solves problems.”
Negative (no): “We should not do this because it causes harm or doesn’t work.”

"Why isn't just having an opinion enough?"

Step 1: Learn the Topic (Together)

Explain in simple terms:

What is the ICC?
What is the Rome Statute?
Why hasn’t the U.S. joined?

Watch / Read Together

Video (short & clear): ICC explained for students
Article
Student-friendly overview

Step 2: Coin Flip & Team Assignment

Flip coin for Affirmative / Negative
Assign:

Speaker 1
Speaker 2

Step 3: Case Writing (Scaffolded)

Case Template (Use for BOTH sides)

Every argument has three parts.

1. Introduction

Restate the resolution
Clearly say your position

2. Argument 1

Claim - what you're saying
Evidence (quote/fact) - proves it's true
Impact (why it matters, why anyone should care)

3. Argument 2

Claim
Evidence (quote/fact)
Impact (why it matters)

4. Conclusion

Why your side is better overall

Prep Time Rule:⏱️ Each team gets 3 total minutes of prep time during the debate.

Model an example.

“What does this prove?”
“Why does that matter?”
“Can you say this more clearly?”

🗓️ WEDNESDAY — Public Forum Debate Day

Today is about thinking on your feet, staying calm, and being respectful. You are not attacking people. You are challenging ideas.

Morning: Finish Writing

Polish cases
Practice timing
Review crossfire questions

⏱️ Each team gets 3 total minutes of prep time during the debate.

Teaching Script for Crossfire: Crossfire isn’t arguing. It’s asking smart questions that expose weak points. They should do one of three things: clarify, expose a weakness, force a choice.

“Where is your evidence for that?”
“Does that apply in all cases, or just some?”
“Which matters more: safety or independence?”

🧠 Debate Flow

Constructive – Team A (4 min)
Constructive – Team B (4 min)
Crossfire (3 min)
Rebuttals (4 min each)
Crossfire (3 min)
Summaries (3 min each)
Grand Crossfire (3 min)
Final Focus (2 min each)

📌 Judge Tip for You:

Judge on:

Clarity
Use of evidence
Organization
Persuasiveness
Respectful questioning
Strong final focus

After Dinner: Debate Night

Optional: invite family as audience
Applause after every speech

Post-Debate Reflection

Ask:

“What argument mattered most?”
“What question changed the debate?”
“What would you improve next time?”

🗓️ THURSDAY — Individual Speech Events

Teaching Script: “Debate is teamwork. Individual events are about your voice. Today, you choose how you want to communicate.”

🎭 Individual Events Mini-Lessons

Dramatic Interpretation (DI)

Serious excerpt from a book/play
Show emotion through voice & movement
Your goal is to make us feel something.

📘 Practice Source

Duo Interpretation (DUO)

Two performers
No touching or eye contact
Use blocking and contrast

Humorous Interpretation (HI)

Funny but controlled
Comedy is about timing, not chaos

Impromptu (IMP)

You'll get a topic, take a breath, and organize your thoughts. Everyone messes up in impromptu. That's the point.

🎩 Pull a topic from a hat:

“Should homework exist?”
“Is technology good for kids?”
“What makes a hero?”

Structure:

Intro (30 sec)
Point 1
Point 2
Conclusion

Original Oratory (OO)

3–5 minutes
Persuasive speech on a topic they care about

Possible Topics:

Screen time
Animal rights
School rules
Climate action
Social media

🗓️ FRIDAY — Memorization & Performance Night

Morning

Memorize OO
Practice gestures and pauses

Teaching Script: “Memorization frees your brain to connect with the audience.”

Practice tips:

Chunking
Speaking while walking
Speaking without notes for short sections

Evening: Performance Showcase

"Tonight isn’t about perfection. It’s about courage. We clap for effort, growth, and bravery.”

Each child performs:

Original Oratory
One interpretation OR impromptu

“What was one strong moment?”

“What improved since Monday?”

🎤 Optional Awards:

Best Speaker
Most Improved
Strongest Argument
Best Stage Presence

This week, you learned how to:

Speak clearly
Defend ideas
Disagree respectfully
Stand up and be heard

Those skills matter everywhere — school, work, and life.

Hand out Debate Camp Certificates.

🗓️ SATURDAY — Field Trip

🎙️ Toastmasters Youth Event (if available)
🏛️ Courthouse Observation (mock or real)

📚 Bonus Resources (Excellent for This Age)

Summer Homeschooling - “Living with Totoro” Week

2025-12-11T14:36:00.013-05:00

Welcome to "Living with Totoro" Week! This week, we are stepping out of the fast, noisy world and into a quieter one—the kind where houses breathe, forests listen, and small daily tasks matter. Like Satsuki and Mei, we’ll learn how to live close to the land: doing simple chores by hand, gathering what nature already offers, cooking old-world Japanese foods, making light with our own candles, and paying attention to things most people rush past. This isn’t about building or conquering or finishing quickly—it’s about noticing, helping, creating, and listening. For five days, we’ll live as if forest spirits might be watching kindly from the trees, and we’ll learn what life feels like when we slow down enough to hear them.

Bethesda Park Cabin #3: Your Jacksonville Glamping Oasis in Florida

🌱 SUNDAY — Arrival & Settling Into the Totoro World

Evening

Arrive, unpack slowly, open windows, let the house “wake up”
Light sweeping of porch (engawa)
Brew mugicha (barley tea), Japan’s summer drink - tea ceremony
Explore the yard: find a “Totoro Tree” (biggest tree becomes home base); give it a hug and say, “Hello, Forest. Thank you for having us.”

Dinner

Make onigiri (rice balls) for your first countryside bento
Eat outdoors on a blanket like Satsuki & Mei

Wind-down

Quiet walk around the yard to explore: collect leaves, tiny branches, feathers, fallen flowers
Learn your first Japanese word: 森 (mori) – forest
Create a “Nature Altar” in the home (like Mei’s treasures shelf, tokonoma alcove)
Start nature journals; candle journaling: “What do I hope to learn this week?”

🍃 MONDAY — Chores of a Country Life

Morning Chores

Sweep porch & shake rugs (tatami-cleaning tradition)
Make natural cleaning spray (vinegar & citrus peels)
Craft: Make a mini shimenawa (sacred rope) for your Totoro Tree

Lunch

Simple miso soup & rice
Teach chopstick skills (hashi)

Afternoon

Read an old folk story under a tree
Quiet time drawing the house from outside
Origami: frogs, cranes, sakura flower, or Totoro face
Play ohajiki (Japanese marble-like game)
Learn Japanese nature words:

kaze (wind)
tsuki (moon)
kodama (tree spirit)

Evening (Candlelight)

Make shadow puppets
Storytelling circle: “If Totoro lived here…”
Perform a kamishibai style story (Japanese story cards)
Write “Today I served the house” in your journal

🌸 TUESDAY — Foraging & Harvesting

Morning Chores

Forage: Collect pinecones, sticks, leaves, bark, herbs, flowers, grasses, soft moss, clover, mint, or fallen items/petals (old Japanese summer activity); gather acorns and natural treasures
Observe mushrooms, cicada shells (semi no nuki-gara), birds, & dragonflies (tonbo), and draw them in your journal

Lunch

Prepare tsukemono (quick Japanese pickles) to enjoy later
Eat rice, pickled veggies, and fruit

Afternoon

If allowed: harvest garden items or collect eggs
Prepare a small “meadow salad,” foraged bouquet, or herb bundle/herb seasoning mix
Make pressed flower pages for your journal
Draw or paint nature scenes
Nature craft: Create forest spirit acorns; make soot sprite characters from acorns/pom-poms & yarn

Evening (Candlelight)

Sit outside quietly: look for fireflies
Nature listening ritual; listen to nighttime insects
Record nature sounds in journal (“What did the night teach us?”); “What did the forest whisper today?”

🕯 WEDNESDAY — Candle Making & Old-World Crafts

Morning Chores

Wash dishes outside in basins (like old Japanese homes before plumbing)
Sweep pathway or porch
Hand-wash 1 clothing item or towel (basin washing)
Hang laundry outdoors to dry (furoshiki-style folding practice after)
Organize clothes using KonMari-style folding (kid-friendly)

Lunch

Tamagoyaki (Japanese rolled eggs) + rice
Brew fresh mugicha

Afternoon

Beeswax candle making
Make herb sachets from lavender, mint, and rosemary (placing one under your pillow is Japanese tradition)
Begin weaving project (placemat or bookmark,traditional Japanese textile vibe)
Japanese brush calligraphy (shodo)
Practice kanji like: 月 (moon), 風 (wind), 土 (earth), 心 (heart)

Evening (Candlelight Only)

Use the candles they made
Write letters with calligraphy pens/quills
Calligraphy practice → write “ありがとう (arigatou)”
Read by candlelight (classic childhood magic)
Whisper “Oyasumi, Totoro” before bed

🌾 THURSDAY — Cooking Like a Totoro Neighbor

Morning Chores

Gather herbs, wash them, dry them on a rack (old Japanese homes hung herbs from the rafters)
Scrub and wash vegetables outdoors
Fill water basins for dishwashing

Lunch Cooking Project

Kids make:

Make butter in a mason jar
Harvest rice bowls, rice bowls with toppings
Miso soup with greens, veggies

Afternoon - Japanese Desserts

Make dango (sweet dumplings)
Or roast yaki-imo (sweet potatoes)
Craft: furin wind chimes using bells & painted paper strips

Evening (Candlelight)

Candlelit dinner
Hang furin chime outside → listen to its soft sound
Draw your dango, meal, or wind chime in nature journals
Tell stories of Totoro (maybe the one at the bus stop)

🌲 FRIDAY — The Totoro Forest Walk

Morning Chores

Sweep and tidy home; clean house (Japanese hinoki wiping — damp cloth on wood)
Wash and fold anything dirty
Prepare a “forest offering” of flowers, herbs (child-safe, respectful)

Lunch

Onigiri picnic under trees
Drink mugicha outside

Afternoon

Long, quiet forest or meadow walk
Identify plants, trees, birds
Look for:

Interesting bark textures
Roots that look like spirits
Look for tree “faces” (kodama spirits)

Sketch the “faces” you see in trees, bark patterns and roots
Collect final nature items for display
Sit still and silently (meditate) for 10 minutes — “Quiet Like Totoro Time”
Create a Totoro Museum Table (take a photo) with:

Pressed flowers
Calligraphy papers
Candles
Dango sticks
Wind chimes
Nature collections
Weaving projects

Evening - Totoro Feast

Kids prepare one dish each (bread, soup, salad, herb potatoes, etc.); use the pickles they made
Light all candles and tell legends around the candles
Tidy home by hand (Japanese custom before holidays)
Write a final reflection: “What did the forest show me today?”
Tsukimi (moon-viewing) ritual

Light a candle
Eat a small sweet
Write a moon haiku
Stargazing like Satsuki and Mei

Share journals and stories
Blow out their homemade candles as a “thank you” to nature and to “seal” the magic of the week.

🌙 SATURDAY — Closing Ritual

Morning

Sweep porch gently
Pack belongings calmly
Hand-wash last items
Create a small offering to your Totoro Tree (flowers, herbs)
Bow to your Totoro Tree and say: “Arigatou gozaimashita, Mori no Kami.” (Thank you, Forest Spirit.)

The 12 Days of Christmas - An Annual Yule Plan!

2025-11-01T10:22:00.005-04:00

The 12 Days of Christmas (Yule Tide)

Yule (Winter Solstice) happens December 21-January 1st each year. It is a winter celebration of the shortest day of the year, and as such, the return of the sun and the beginning of longer days. It is a time of peace, stillness, and healing.

December 20th, Mother's Night (Yule's Eve)

A celebration of the Disir, protective female spirits of fate and fertility; ancestral grandmothers who blessed, protected, and provided prophetic counsel to the clan. This is a night for holding vigil through the dark to honor female ancestors. This is a night to honor the women who came before you. Hearth, linage, warmth, memory, and feminine wisdom.

We honor the women who carried us, fed us, taught us, protected us.
Their strength lives here. Their love is remembered.

Activities:

Light white candles in the windows, kitchen, and living room. One fore each maternal figure (living or passed).
Bring evergreens and winter berries inside.
Tell stories or speak aloud names of women who shaped you.
Clean the kitchen together gently → “Prepare the Hearth.”

Food & Drink:

Make family receipes and cookies.
Tea with honey.

December 21st, Winter's Night (the Winter Solstice)

Celebrating the longest night and the return of the sun, heralding the lengthening of days and the promise of spring. Hope, renewal, quiet magic.

The Sun returns.
Light rises again.
May our home be blessed with warmth, health, and joy.

Activities:

Dim lights all day; light only candles after sunset.
Display the Yule Log (birch, oak, yew) wrapped in rosemary and cinnamon, and burn it. The Yule Log is a Nordic tradition of burning a tree or log in the home for the entire 12 Days of Christmas, allowing the flame of the old year to ignite the new year. The ash from the log was sometimes used for rituals such as blessing crops, protecting against storms, and healing the sick.
Set intentions for the coming light (one per person).
Divination: tarot, runes, or pendulum after the log burns.

Food & Drink

Winter stew or roasted root vegetables.

December 22nd, Father's Night

A night to honor male spirits, the Alfar—male ancestors. Memory, protection, guidance, quiet presence.

You are loved. You are remembered.
Guide us softly. Watch over this home.

Activities:

Place your father’s photo near a single candle.
Add something that reminds you of him (object, color, scent).
Share a favorite story about him.
Play one song he loved.
Eat or cook something he enjoyed.
If weather allows → step outside and look at the night sky together.
Warm bath with epsom salt + cedar drops
Gentle stretching, breathwork, or chakra alignment

December 23rd, The Silly Feast (counting the blessings)

Loki's Silly (Seelie) Feast - a party or feast while wearing your animal masks, probably where our NYE masquerades come from. A time for exchanging gifts, turning social rules, and setting up the Yule Tree.

The Yule Tree: A Germanic tradition of decorating trees with greenery and ornaments (wish ornaments - salt dough with your hopes for the coming year, symbols of gratitude and joy). The yule tree signified abundance in the coming year. You decorate the outdoor trees for the animals and the indoor tree for you.

Release mischief, laughter, chaos, and fear.
Allow joy + catharsis before the return to quiet.

Activities
- Make a fun feast — messy tacos, finger foods, something unexpected.
- Tell stories — funny, ridiculous, mischievous family memories.
- Hang bells on the door to ward The Wild Hunt.
- Write fears/resentments on paper → burn or shred.
Words

Let chaos move through and out.
Only joy remains.
Upturn the ordinary. Laugh. Release stuck emotions. Allow joy, mischief, and transformation.

Loki isn’t “the villain” here—he’s the Unraveler so new patterns can form.
This night loosens knots, releases stagnant energy, and breaks old emotional contracts.

The Wild Hunt energy rides the winds — we acknowledge it, but do not invite it inside.
This is controlled chaos → release, play, purge, reset.

✨ Decor & Atmosphere
- Red + Black + Gold accents
- Bells hung on the front door (to guard against the Wild Hunt)
- Candles, but one flame kept burning the entire evening
- Incense or simmer pot with:
  - Clove
  - Orange Peel
  - Bay Leaf
🦊 Crafts & Hands-On Ritual Play

1. Animal / Trickster Masks

Make or wear masks representing:
- Fox
- Raven
- Deer
- Wolf
- Hare
- Crow
- Serpent
- Cat
Symbolism:
The mask allows you to step outside of your usual patterns and release stuck identity behaviors.

Prompt to Say While Masking:

“Tonight, let me see through new eyes.
Let what no longer fits fall away.”

Use:
- Paper plates + markers/paint
- Felt + hot glue
- Paper bags (old school theater style)
2. Salt Dough Ornaments

Recipe:
- 2 cups flour
- 1 cup salt
- ¾ cup warm water
Shape into:
- Feathers
- Runes
- Spirals
- Animal footprints
- Trickster symbols (knots, flames, little foxes)
After baking: paint red + gold or natural ochre tones.

Meaning: These are talismans of transformation.
Hang them on the Yule tree, or tie to Yule log remnants later.

Words While Crafting:

“What was bound is loosened.
What is hidden is revealed.
What holds me back is unmade.”

3. “Burn the Old” Ritual Notes

Everyone writes down:
- One habit
- One fear
- One resentment
Fold and burn in a bowl or fire-safe dish.

Say:

“Chaos carries it away.
I am free to choose again.”

🍽 The Feast — Fun, Irreverent, Delicious

This night should feel playful, messy, and not formal.

Examples:
- Charcuterie “graze table”
- Build-your-own tacos, nachos, sliders, or sushi bowls
- Chocolate fondue + fruit
- Spicy dishes (Loki heat!)
- Anything colorful or over-the-top
Drink
- Spiced cider
- Meade-like mocktail (honey, ginger, sparkling water)
- Cinnamon hot cocoa for the kids
🎶 Activities & Storytelling
- Tell funny family stories, even embarrassing ones kindly
- Watch a chaotic holiday movie or a mythic themed one
- Drum or clap rhythms
- Dance like nobody is watching (because tonight — nobody is)
🌬 The Wild Hunt Acknowledgment (Night Walk or Porch Moment)

Step outside briefly.

Ring a bell three times.

Say:

“We see you.
We honor the storm and the shadow.
But this home is protected.
You may pass.”

Close the door firmly.

✨ The Closing of the Feast

Remove the masks.

Take a slow breath together.

Say:

“What was released will not return.
Only joy and truth remain.”

Blow out candles except one — let that one burn down naturally.

Optional Add-On (powerful)
- Save one salt dough ornament made this night.
- On New Year’s Eve (Hogmanay), you will break it to seal the release cycle.

December 24th, Protecting the Home from The Wild Hunt - Santa's Night (Christmas Eve)

The Wild Hunt is described as a ghostly parade of spirits riding wildly through the night, marking a time of mystical energy. Nowadays, the Wild Hunt is known as a terrifying ordeal, where fae attack or capture anyone in their path. On the other hand, some believe it is a fae celebration, which can still be pretty scary since they're more rambunctious and violent than those on this side of the veil.

Santa was known as a fae, whose clothes matched the red-capped mushrooms that grow through the winter snow beneath the evergreen trees. Shaman or šamán means "one who knows." Bells call the spirits and fairies (that's why Santa has them on his sleigh). Milk and cookies were offerings left for the fae, for Santa, in exchange for presents.

The Deer Mother takes to the skies, carrying the light of the sun in her antlers, bringing rebirth to the land.

Also, the Yule book flood takes place, where people gift books to each other and read through the night.

Activities:

Lighting candles, decorating with ribbons and garlands, and hanging mistletoe in doorways for protection in the coming year.

Evergreens: Evergreens were revered because they lasted even in the heart of winter. They were hung over doors and windows, as their greenery in a time of bleak cold was believed to ward off negative energies and illness.
Wreaths: The Yule Wreath had dried orange for strength, oak for wisdom, holly for hope, evergreen for rebirth, clove for prosperity, cinnamon for protection, laurel for success, and mistletoe for fertility.
Mistletoe: The druids held nothing more sacred than the mistletoe and the tree that bears it, the oak. They call the mistletoe "uil-ìoc," which means the all-healing. A kiss under the mistletoe represents the promise of love, life, and renewal.

A Christmas Eve care package (with books, pajamas, etc); Secret Santa or White Elephant with books.

December 25th, Christmas Day, letting light and hope in

Exchange gifts intentionally (even if small).
Speak one blessing for each person while they hold their gift.
Offer food to wildlife — apples, carrots, birdseed.
Make pinecone bird feeders for outdoor animals.
Wassail (hot cider with oranges + cloves + cinnamon)

26th, Honor to the Hearth

A day for feasts, particularly lamb stew and leaf bread, as kin gather together to share warmth and nourishment before the winter's grip tightens.
Togetherness, warmth, cooking, rest.

Activities
- Deep Clean but Softly: open one window for 5 minutes to release stagnant energy.
- Burn juniper, cedar, or rosemary to cleanse the home.
- Prepare a simple dinner together.
- Family movie night under blankets.
Energy Work
- Quick feng shui reset:
  - Clear the entryway
  - Sweep toward the door
  - Add one plant or evergreen bough near the front door for protection

27th, Protecting Outside the Home

Making offerings to wildlife and spirits of the woods, preparing for the coming winter. This day is also marked by the creation of protective wards for the coming winter, ensuring a shield against unseen forces.

28th, Ritual of Completion (close out everything for the year, clear any debts)

It is a time to conclude tasks left undone, a moment of closure and preparation for the impending new cycle. Plum (figgy) pudding is a culinary symbol of completion.

29th, Day of Contemplation (looking into the new year)

Approaching the year’s end, the penultimate day invites a gaze into the future and an appreciation of nature’s wonders. Create open spaces for relaxation, meditate on the year to come, and engage with preferred divination tools, seeking insights for the unfolding future.

30th, Good Luck in the coming Year

Wassail is made, and wassailing occurs.

Wassailing: The house-visiting wassail is the practice of people going door-to-door, singing, and offering a drink from the wassail bowl in exchange for gifts; this practice still exists, but has largely been displaced by carol singing. The orchard-visiting wassail refers to the ancient custom of visiting orchards in cider-producing regions, reciting incantations, and singing to the trees to scare away evil spirits and promote a good harvest for the coming year.

31st, Hogmanay (spiritually and physically cleansing the house)

Homes are blessed for protection (saining), and the home is cleaned from top to bottom.
Drinking, dancing, and feasting ensue, and a massive torchlit parade occurs. Nowadays, Hogmanay (New Year's) rings in at midnight with fireworks and "Auld Lang Syne." The first person to visit on New Year's is called the "first-footer," and he should be a tall, dark-haired man bringing coal or shortbread.

Activities: decorate your home with candles to bring light into your home, go foraging, decorate with dried fruits and evergreens, bake a spiced yule log cake, have a cup of wassail, put a lantern on your porch or a candle in your front window, hang peanut butter and seed-coated pinecones for the birds, make gingerbread

Yule kitchen witchery

December 26–27 — Stillness Days

Theme: Quiet, restoration, crafting, blankets, no pressure.

Activities

Nap.
Read.
Make simple crafts (paper snowflakes, pine bundles).
Journal on:
- What you want to release
- What you want to grow

These are resting days — let them be slow.

🏙 December 28 – January 3 — In Chicago

This is family time, but still sacred.

Daily Mini Practices

Bring one travel-sized candle → light for home blessing each night.
Walk in the cold → feel winter air on the lungs.
One card daily divination pull each morning.

Suggested Larger Rituals

12/30 → Buy supplies for Vision Board
12/31 (New Year’s Eve / Hogmanay)
- Sweep the entryway of your sister’s home (with permission)
- Open the door for first-footing luck
- Write three goals and burn them outside to send to the returning sun
1/1 → Vision Board Day
- Coffee, cozy clothes, blankets, scissors, magazines, markers
- Create boards themed:
  - Strength
  - Abundance
  - Protection
  - Family Joy
- Seal by lighting a candle and saying:
  
  So it is written. So it becomes.

🕯 Symbols to Keep Throughout

Meaning	Item	Where
Hearth & Family	Candles	Kitchen + Living room
Protection	Cedar / Juniper smoke	Doorways & Corners
Abundance	Bowl of oranges or nuts	Dining table
Prosperity	Green ribbon tied to front door handle	Entryway
Returning Sun	Gold or yellow candle lit at dawn	Window

Summer Homeschooling - Cake Wars Week

2025-06-07T13:17:00.000-04:00

CAKE WARS WEEK -

Sunday: Batter Up! Challenge

Welcome, bakers, to Cake Wars! For your Round One: Batter Up! Challenge today, the theme is: FLORIDA!!!
To create your personal cake for judging, you must use at least one of these ingredients, native to the great state where you currently live. You can use your phone for ideas and recipes. You'll be judged on how distinct your special ingredient is, how well it blends with the other flavors you choose to use, and your overall creativity with your cake. AND GO!
Ingredients:

Key Limes
Oranges
Orange Juice
Blueberries
Grouper
Tomatoes
Pecans

The Judging
And now, the moment you've all been waiting for, the Cake Off! Challenge theme - and that is: Your Favorite Disney Movie

Tomorrow, you'll use the daytime to design and sketch out your cake on notebook paper. You can use your phone for ideas and recipes. Make sure to map out:

What kind and flavor of cake/icing, ingredients needed
The creative design of the cake
Any extra ingredients you may need that we don't already have in the pantry (send that list to Mama by 12PM)

During your design time, keep in mind the requirements of this challenge:

The cake flavor profile must be related to the theme or culture of your movie
You must have at least one design element on the cake that represents a character from your movie

See you tomorrow evening, bakers!

Monday: Cake Off! Challenge - Part One

Good evening, bakers! Welcome to Part One of our Cake Off! Challenge: Tonight, we will bake our cakes and then refrigerate them to cool overnight. Then, tomorrow, we will add our design elements.
Your Disney Movie cakes will be judged based on appearance, taste, texture, creativity, execution, and clean workspace.
Remember:

The cake flavor profile must be related to the theme or culture of your movie
You must have at least one design element on the cake that represents a character from your movie

AND GO! Good luck, bakers!
Feel free to use the day tomorrow for more complex design elements that you plan to add to your cake base, such as character pieces, sculpting, painting, stencils, etc.

Tuesday: Cake Off! Challenge - Part Two

Good evening, bakers! Welcome to Part Two of our Cake Off! Challenge: Tonight, we will add our design elements to our cakes and move them to our display stations for final judging.
Keep in mind your judging criteria: appearance, taste, texture, creativity, execution, and clean workspace.
Remember:

The cake flavor profile must be related to the theme or culture of your movie
You must have at least one design element on the cake that represents a character from your movie

AND GO! Good luck, bakers!
The Judging, and trophy gifting.

Summer Homeschooling - FNAF Week

2024-07-08T16:41:00.004-04:00

FNAF Week -

Monday: The Lore

Set up the house to look like the Pizzeria
Cook from Chayton's cookbook each night
FNAF: Chayton goes over the lore of the story, what is cannon

In the game, the player takes control of a nightshift security guard at a derelict pizzeria known as Freddy Fazbear's Pizza, which is rumored to contain haunted and reanimated life-size animatronics that wander the facility at night.
The pizzeria itself is in a state of disrepair thanks to a series of tragedies associated with it, namely the kidnapping and likely murder of five children by a man named William Afton. It is rumored that the victims' bodies had been stuffed inside the many animatronic mascots of the pizzeria, named Freddy, Bonnie, Chica, and Foxy, which had led to a widespread boycott of the business and directly led to its demise.
With the protagonist monitoring the animatronics at night through the use of security cameras, it quickly becomes apparent that these rumors are true, with the mascots moving freely throughout the facility, edging closer and closer to the player's location with malicious intent. The player can only survive the lengthy period in the facility by managing the power supply of doors and lights, ensuring that none of the possessed animatronics can get close enough to inflict a mortal wound.

Start on costume - watch the videos, get the materials, start on the head

Chayton wants to do Bonnie, and Anna wants to do Foxy

Tuesday:

FNAF 2:

FNAF 2 was released in 2014 very close to its predecessor, telling a prequel tale to the events of the first game. Taking place in a different location of the same restaurant chain, the title features many of the same animatronics from the first game while introducing a spate of new ones, such as a more passive figure known as Balloon Boy.
The original animatronics from the first game are kept in the restaurant initially as backup suits, but once again roam the facility at night along with their newer counterparts. FNAF 2 goes into more detail about the aforementioned murder of five children that was explored within the first game, telling the lore via Atari-style mini-games. The perpetrator of these crimes is depicted as a sinister and gaunt purple figure, earning him the moniker of Purple Guy for most of the franchise's story. Following the murderous intent displayed by the newly introduced animatronics in the title, the game ends with them being decommissioned in favor of the classic characters that dominate the first game.

Finish the head

Wednesday:

FNAF 3:

The third mainline installment to the FNAF franchise gave fans a huge acceleration to the series' lore and story, taking place 30 years after the events of the original game. This game is set within a new establishment called Fazbear's Fright, a horror attraction attempting to capitalize on the sinister urban legends surrounding the restaurant chain.
Once again, the player assumes the role of a nightshift security worker at the location, with deadly paranormal encounters saturating the core gameplay of the title. The key lore from FNAF 3 stems from the introduction of a brand-new animatronic known as Springtrap. It is revealed through the same kind of mini-games as FNAF 2 that Springtrap was formed from the killer William Afton, or Purple Guy, hiding from the ghosts of his victims in an empty rabbit animatronic suit. With the suit malfunctioning and trapping Afton inside, his spirit seemingly lingers on inside.

Start on the body

Thursday:

FNAF 4:

FNAF 4 is one of the most unique installments to the franchise, taking place within a child's bedroom instead of the norm of a security office within a facility. With the player taking control of the child, it is revealed that the protagonist has an intense fear of the animatronics at Freddy Fazbear's Pizzeria, indicating that the title takes place before the events of the first game.
The game's story chronicles the infamous "Bite of '83", in which a child was tragically killed in an accident involving one of the animatronics at the facility. It is revealed that the protagonist of the game is the victim of this event, being relentlessly bullied by his friends and brothers over his irrational fear of the pizzeria's characters. During a birthday party at the location, his head was stuffed into one of the animatronic's mouths, with his tears causing a technical fault that caused the animatronic to bite down, killing the boy.

Work on the body

Friday:

Subsequent Releases:

Many other titles have been released within the FNAF universe following FNAF 4, despite not continuing the sequential titles of the previous installments. The game Sister Location explained how William Afton was the creator of the animatronics of Five Nights at Freddy's, with his daughter's soul supposedly possessing a smaller animatronic called Circus Baby which predates the establishment of the Fazbear restaurant chain.
During the events of Freddy Fazbear's Pizzeria Simulator, the player takes control of William Afton's son, Michael. With the animatronics of the franchise now being seriously dilapidated, so much so that they are now barely functioning and rebuilt scrap versions of their prior selves, it is revealed in the title that Springtrap survived the events of FNAF 3, now known as Scraptrap.
The most recent release, Five Nights at Freddy's: Security Breach, offers free-roam gameplay and only spans a single night, bringing fans up to date with the story of the franchise. Security Breach reveals that an entire mall has been created under the Freddy Fazbear franchise, with the player controlling a boy named Gregory who works alongside a new non-hostile Freddy to navigate the maliciously programmed animatronics of the facility. With the game culminating with a revisit to the ruins of the original pizzeria and the reveal of Afton's spirit living on as the even more disfigured "Burntrap", it is clear that the story of the Five Nights at Freddy's franchise is not over yet.

Finish the body
Dinner and games at Leaderboard Arcade Bar & Pizzeria
Outbreak at Zero Latency

Saturday: Field Trip to Sally's Dark Rides

Summer Homeschooling - Druid Week

2024-07-06T14:04:00.276-04:00

Druid Week -

Druids are thought to have been these magical wizards who could control nature. They were the first doctors, chemists, meteorologists, botanists, and astrologists. The real King James IV (Jaime's dad) actually had a druid under his employment, and one of his tasks was turning lead into gold. This wasn't magic, however, it was just chemistry/physics. Lead (atomic number 82 on the periodic table) requires the nuclear release of 3 protons to become gold (atomic number 79).

Druids created the first medicines and used the sky to help society plan their crops. They appreciated and connected with nature in a way that is lost to us today, and throughout my journey writing Evelyn's story, I'm starting to bridge that gap within myself. Most of the holidays we celebrate today were created by the druids; this week, we will learn why.

So, were druids magical, or did they just know nature's language, Awen? What would you and I know or be capable of if we also learned it?

Monday: Druids

Colors of the Wind
Awen - On page 189, Baba Edith states, "Awen is the force that beats with the essence of life. It is the ebb and flow of all existence. You see, while inside the womb, we swim within it, but as we age, we feel as if we have lost that connection. It feels as though it is something to be searched for and obtained, but it is already inside every one of us..."
Five elements: air, water, earth, fire, and spirit.
The chakras (deep dive video), and what colors are connected to what:

Root - anxiety disorders, fears, or nightmares; problems in the colon, with the bladder, or with lower back, leg, or feet issues.
Sacral - feeling uninspired creatively, having emotional instability, fear of change, depression, addiction-like behaviors.
Solar Plexus - low self-esteem, difficulty making decisions, anger or control issues; apathy, procrastination, vulnerability; tummy ache of some kind, such as digestive issues or gas.
Heart - grief, anger, jealousy, fear of betrayal, and hatred toward yourself and others; emotionally closed off and find it difficult to get over past hurts and forgive; hard to give and receive love.
Throat - hard to truly express oneself; hard to pay attention and stay focused or fear judgment from others; sore throat, thyroid issues, neck and shoulder stiffness, or tension headaches.
Third Eye - trouble accessing your intuition, trusting your inner voice, recalling important facts, or learning new skills; act more judgmental, dismissive, and introverted.
Crown - when unblocked, you have an exalted state of spiritual connection and enlightenment. It takes a lot of practice to unblock the crown chakra.

Crystals - What crystals are you drawn to? This will tell you what you need.

Anna -

rose quartz (practical, reliable, strong sense of family values, unconditional love, inner peace, emotional balancing, purifies and opens the heart at all levels to promote love, self-love, friendship, deep inner healing, and feelings of peace)
garnet (determined and ambitious, attractive air of confidence, joy, forgiveness, love, happiness, creativity, prosperity, loyalty, commitment, regenerative, root, heart, sacral)
aragonite (patience, grounding, emotional strength, luck, centering)

Chayton -

amethyst (best grounding stone, your energy is high in the head, connected to the crown and third eye, protection against fear and feels of guilt, instilling calmness, alleviating anxiety, pleasant dreams, free, loving)
clear quartz (opens capacity to absorb, store, release, and regulate energy, straightforward, energetic)
tiger eye (courage, focus, prosperity, protection)

Witchy pop culture:

Looking into your crystal ball is just scrying; like a mirror or a candle, it's just meditation, visiting the astral plane, connecting with your spirit guide or ancestors
Grimoire/Book of Shadows (sounds scary right?); Evelyn had her own in her hidden room - What is shadow work? Use shadow work cards.
Potions in a cauldron (this is what they used to cook over the hearth, we have a Dutch oven) were the first medicines: tea, simmer pots, diffusers and essential oils

Kitchen Witchery - Druids learned how to use food to heal us; medicine is all witchcraft

elderberry syrup (boosts your immune system and cures sickness)
willow bark is where aspirin came from; willow bark contains salicylate, relieves aches and pains, including headaches, and can save you if you're having a heart attack
valerian root - Evelyn makes a tea to calm Eric
snowdrops - contains galantamine used to treat Alzheimer's disease

Druids stated that when you enter a forest, ask the trees for their secrets and for their permission to walk among them. They were considered the lungs of the earth, and the one thing humans cannot live without.

Weekly Activities:

Monday - Chakra Yoga - chakra meditation: Pick out a crystal from the metaphysical store, eat with your chakra, shadow work game
Tuesday - Ostara Yoga - spirit animal (Spring - new life and new beginnings): write down your goals or aspirations for the rest of the year (and do a spell, calling the corners), pick up a hobby that you've loved but put down, when you clean, it's like a spell, you clear the energy, protect the house, declutter and donate; pick a bouquet, get a bouquet from the store (purifies the air); baked potato, roast veggies, fish/cured meats, beans/seeds, pasta/cheese sauce
Wednesday - Beltane Yoga - higher self (Summer - celebrating nature's energy and life/the sun): cookout or have a picnic at a shaded park, campfire with smores, learn about the fae and how to find them, make sun tea, go the beach and watch the sunset
Thursday - Lammas Yoga - astral projection (Fall - celebrating nature's bounties/the harvest): make a gratitude list, simmer pot, go to the farmer's market, get fresh fruits and veggies for dinner; bake bread, donate to the food bank; make a besom or see if Publix has them yet
Friday - Samhain Yoga - hiraeth (Winter - celebrating family and tradition): Silly Feast - dress in animal masks, bob for apples, make salt dough ornaments, use family recipes from my mom's cookbook, learn family history, tell ghost stories, make wassail

Tuesday: Wheel of the Year/Imbolc/Ostara - Coloring Page

The Wheel of the Year is an annual cycle of seasonal festivals. The druids considered all things to be cyclical, with time as a perpetual cycle of growth and retreat tied to the Sun’s annual death and rebirth.
Imbolc (High Winter) February 1st-2nd:

Imbolc celebrates the hearth and the home. The word Imbolc literally means "in the belly" and refers to the fact that ewes give birth to lambs and begin lactating around this time, symbolizing purification and cleansing. Take this time to honor the dormant potential within, and nurture the flickering flames of creativity and inspiration that have waited so patiently beneath the winter frost.
Symbols: white flowers (snowdrops), sheep/lambs, milk, seeds (sow the seeds, whether crops or personal)
Activities: set your goals and intentions for the year, rekindle creative pursuits such as painting, knitting, writing, etc., make candles, make blackberry jam or cobbler, have tea and a good book by the fire, enjoy home with friends and family, bake with milk and seeds, do community service (nursing homes, shelters, food banks, litter pick up, etc.), declutter and donate, take a milk bath, focus on self-care and healing
Imbolc kitchen witchery

Ostara (Spring Equinox, day and night are equal) March 19th:

The Spring Equinox is dedicated to the fertility goddess, Ostara. She is notably associated with the symbols of the hare (fertility and messengers between the living and dead because they 'burrowed between worlds') and the egg (new beginnings, the cycle of life), and she is where the word Easter derived from. This is when Spring begins. The Earth is awakening, and it is a time of rebirth and new life. Attention is brought to the balance we need in our own lives, and it is a time to nurture our bodies with healthy nutrients and to cut anything harming their growth.
Symbols: hares, eggs, spring flowers (white lilies), shamrocks (druids, realms of land, sea, and sky; interconnected aspects of mind, body, and spirit), butterflies (transformation, growth, cycle of life), scales (equinox, maintain balance)
Activities: spring cleaning, planting your garden (egg shells provide good nourishment), decorating/painting eggs, fresh flowers around the home, baking hot cross buns (solar cross), taking a walk through nature, making a bird house or bird feeder, bake with lavender and lemon, do yoga outside in the grass, basket weaving or crochet
Ostara kitchen witchery

Wednesday: Beltane/Litha

Beltane (High Spring) May 1st: watch that episode of Men in Kilts

Also called May Day or Walpurgis Night, Beltane is the fire festival of flowers, fertility, and delight. The word "Beltane" roughly translates to "bright fire," and as such, one of its important rituals concerns the lighting of the Beltane bonfire. Fire was seen as a purifier and healer, was deemed to have protective powers, and would have been walked around and danced/jumped over by the members of the community. Farmers would also have sent their cattle between bonfires to cleanse and protect them, before driving them out to the summer pastures.
All household fires would have been doused and then re-lit from the Beltane bonfire. In this way, the community was connected to each other by the sacred fire, which was central to all. These gatherings would have been accompanied by a feast, and since it was a liminal festival (a time when the veil is thinnest between our world and the Otherworld), some of the food and drink would have been offered to the daoine sìth, aos sí (fae, descendants of the Tuatha Dé Danann).

The Otherworld (called Annwn in Welsh and Tír na nÓg in Irish) is the supernatural realm of everlasting youth, beauty, health, abundance, and joy, occupied by the deities and possibly also the dead. It is described as a parallel world that exists alongside our own. It is usually elusive, but various mythical heroes visit it either through chance or after being invited by one of its residents. They often reach it by entering ancient burial mounds or caves, or by going underwater or across the western sea. Sometimes, they suddenly find themselves there with the appearance of a magic mist (or an invisible curtain in Aiden's case), supernatural beings, or unusual animals (like the ghost wolves).
The fae: types of fae - The Enchanting Fairies of Celtic Lore - The History of Fairies | The Dark & Tragic Stories You Were Never Told

Doors, windows, barns, and livestock would be decorated with yellow May flowers, perhaps because they evoked fire. Beltane was and is ultimately a celebration of casting off the darkness and celebrating the light.
Symbols: the May Pole, bonfires, fairies, flower crowns and garlands
Activities: make a flower crown, have a picnic, dance to music, may flowers on neighbors' doors, bake cookies, leave offerings for the fae
Beltane kitchen witchery

Litha (Summer Solstice) June 20th:

Lithia celebrates the beginning of Summer and the longest day of the year. This is the turning point when we surrender to the darkness, and the days begin to grow shorter and the nights longer from here on out.
Symbols: sunflowers, citrine, sea shells, bees, mirrors
Activities: sunrise yoga, camping, strawberry, peach, or blueberry picking, cookouts with family and friends, making sun tea, going to the beach, deserts with fresh fruit, watching the sunset, baking honey cakes
Litha kitchen witchery

Thursday: Lammas/Mabon

Luchnassad/Lammas (First Harvest) August 1st:

The name Lammas (contraction of loaf mass) implies a feast of thanksgiving for grain and bread, which symbolizes the first fruits of the harvest. It is celebrated by baking bread and eating it.
Activities: bake bread, make corn dollies, have a beer/ginger beer, dry lavender, make berry preserves to use throughout the winter
Lammas kitchen witchery

Mabon (Autumn Equinox, day at night are equal) September 22nd:

Mabon is the druids' thanksgiving for the fruits of the earth, celebrated with a feast of locally grown fruits and veggies. Mabon is the second equinox, so it is a time of balance and harmony.
Activities: make a gratitude list, go apple picking, collect fallen leaves, volunteer at the soup kitchen or donate to the food bank, make your besom or a cornucopia, drink apple cider or cinnamon tea, take a bike ride through the woods, meditate, talk to the woodland creatures and leave them offerings, bake an apple pie
Mabon kitchen witchery

Friday: Samhain/Yule

Samhain (High Autumn) October 31st:

Samhain ushers in the "dark half of the year," and that is when the cattle would have been brought down from the summer pastures and livestock would have been slaughtered. Like Beltane, it was considered a liminal festival, when the boundary between this world and the Otherworld blurred. Also like Beltane, a druid priest would have lit a communal bonfire, and all household fires would have been doused or allowed to die and then re-lit from the Samhain bonfire. This bonfire would have been used as protection from evil spirits since they could attend because of the darkness, but light warded them off.
Since the beings of the Otherworld were said to walk amongst the living during this time, offerings of food and drink were left for them, to ensure the people and livestock survived the winter. Mumming and guising were also part of the festival, as a way of imitating and disguising oneself from the fae, and children would go door to door, reciting verses in exchange for food or soul cakes.
Samhain was also considered a time to celebrate the lives of those who have passed on, and respect was paid to ancestors, family members, friends, pets, and other loved ones. At this time, the ancient burial grounds were opened (seen as portals to the Otherworld), and deceased loved ones were invited to attend the feast and festivities, having a place set at the table for them during the meal.
Because the veil was so thin, divination was also popular at this time, and this usually involved nuts and apples, which is where bobbing for apples came from.
Jack O' Lanterns (Jack of the Lantern) - the story of Stingy Jack; the devil gave him a spare ember to see his way through the dark and scare off other evil spirits in his wake; this legend ended up with the living carving pumpkins and placing candles inside to ward off evil spirits.
Activities: research family history, use family recipes, connect with your elders, visit graves, make squash soup, bake a pumpkin pie, bob for apples, bake soul cakes, carve a jack-o-lantern, brew divination tea, look through old photo albums, scrying and divination, tell ghost stories, eat caramel apples
Samhain kitchen witchery

Yule (Winter Solstice) December 21st-January 1st:

Yule is a winter celebration of the shortest day of the year, and as such, the return of the sun and the beginning of longer days. It is a time of peace, stillness, and healing.
The 12 Days of Christmas:

20th, Mother's Night (Yule's Eve)

A celebration of the Disir, protective female spirits of fate and fertility; ancestral grandmothers who blessed, protected, and provided prophetic counsel to the clan. This is a night for holding vigil through the dark to honor female ancestors.

21st, Winter's Night (the Winter Solstice)

Celebrating the longest night and the return of the sun, heralding the lengthening of days and the promise of spring.
The Yule Log: A Nordic tradition of burning a tree or log in the home for the entire 12 Days of Christmas, allowing the flame of the old year to ignite the new year. The ash from the log was sometimes used for rituals such as blessing crops, protecting against storms, and healing the sick.

22nd, Father's Night

A night to honor male spirits, the Alfar—male ancestors.

23rd, The Silly Feast (counting the blessings)

Loki's Silly (Seelie) Feast - a party or feast while wearing your animal masks, probably where our NYE masquerades come from. A time for exchanging gifts, turning social rules, and setting up the Yule Tree.

The Yule Tree: A Germanic tradition of decorating trees with greenery and ornaments (wish ornaments - salt dough with your hopes for the coming year, symbols of gratitude and joy). The yule tree signified abundance in the coming year. You decorate the outdoor trees for the animals and the indoor tree for you.

24th, The Wild Hunt (Christmas Eve)

A ghostly parade of spirits riding wildly through the night, marking a time of mystical energy. Nowadays, the Wild Hunt is known as a terrifying ordeal, where fae attack or capture anyone in their path. On the other hand, some believe it is a fae celebration, which can still be pretty scary since they're more rambunctious and violent than those on this side of the veil.
Santa was known as a fae, whose clothes matched the red-capped mushrooms that grow through the winter snow beneath the evergreen trees. Shaman or šamán means "one who knows." Bells call the spirits and fairies (that's why Santa has them on his sleigh). Milk and cookies were offerings left for the fae, for Santa, in exchange for presents.
The Deer Mother takes to the skies, carrying the light of the sun in her antlers, bringing rebirth to the land.
Also, the Yule book flood takes place, where people gift books to each other and read through the night.

25th, Protecting the Home (Christmas Day, letting light and hope in)

Lighting candles, decorating with ribbons and garlands, and hanging mistletoe in doorways for protection in the coming year.

Evergreens: Evergreens were revered because they lasted even in the heart of winter. They were hung over doors and windows, as their greenery in a time of bleak cold was believed to ward off negative energies and illness.
Wreaths: The Yule Wreath had dried orange for strength, oak for wisdom, holly for hope, evergreen for rebirth, clove for prosperity, cinnamon for protection, laurel for success, and mistletoe for fertility.
Mistletoe: The druids held nothing more sacred than the mistletoe and the tree that bears it, the oak. They call the mistletoe "uil-ìoc," which means the all-healing. A kiss under the mistletoe represents the promise of love, life, and renewal.

26th, Honor to the Hearth

A day for feasts, particularly lamb stew and leaf bread, as kin gather together to share warmth and nourishment before the winter's grip tightens.

27th, Protecting Outside the Home

Making offerings to wildlife and spirits of the woods, preparing for the coming winter. This day is also marked by the creation of protective wards for the coming winter, ensuring a shield against unseen forces.

28th, Ritual of Completion (close out everything for the year, clear any debts)

It is a time to conclude tasks left undone, a moment of closure and preparation for the impending new cycle. Plum (figgy) pudding is a culinary symbol of completion.

29th, Day of Contemplation (looking into the new year)

Approaching the year’s end, the penultimate day invites a gaze into the future and an appreciation of nature’s wonders. Create open spaces for relaxation, meditate on the year to come, and engage with preferred divination tools, seeking insights for the unfolding future.

30th, Good Luck in the coming Year

Wassail is made, and wassailing occurs.

Wassailing: The house-visiting wassail is the practice of people going door-to-door, singing, and offering a drink from the wassail bowl in exchange for gifts; this practice still exists, but has largely been displaced by carol singing. The orchard-visiting wassail refers to the ancient custom of visiting orchards in cider-producing regions, reciting incantations, and singing to the trees to scare away evil spirits and promote a good harvest for the coming year.

31st, Hogmanay (spiritually and physically cleansing the house)

Homes are blessed for protection (saining), and the home is cleaned from top to bottom.
Drinking, dancing, and feasting ensue, and a massive torchlit parade occurs. Nowadays, Hogmanay (New Year's) rings in at midnight with fireworks and "Auld Lang Syne." The first person to visit on New Year's is called the "first-footer," and he should be a tall, dark-haired man bringing coal or shortbread.

Activities: decorate your home with candles to bring light into your home, go foraging, decorate with dried fruits and evergreens, bake a spiced yule log cake, have a cup of wassail, put a lantern on your porch or a candle in your front window, hang peanut butter and seed coated pinecones for the birds, make gingerbread
Yule kitchen witchery

Saturday: Field Trip to go blueberry picking.

Summer Homeschooling - Breyer/Horse Week

2024-07-05T13:30:00.000-04:00

BREYER/HORSE WEEK -

Monday:

Learn horse anatomy, parts of a horse
Tack and how to use it; print out a picture of a horse and label where everything goes (and why)

Tuesday:

Types of sports horses do

Wednesday:

Breeds of horses and identification

Thursday:

Gaits on horses

Friday:

The history of where horses originated

Saturday: Field Trip to go horseback riding.

Summer Homeschooling - Backrooms Week

2024-07-02T12:19:00.003-04:00

BACKROOMS WEEK -

Chayton is teaching this week, but I was able to get together a Backrooms meal to represent the weirdness of all things clipping.

Backrooms food

A Backrooms Dinner:

Add-Ons:

Almond Ice Cream
Skinned Bread (Pork Rinds)
Chocolate Sludge (Chocolate Pudding)

Almond-Marinated Hound Rib

Preparing the meat:

You want very fresh meat, so get the marinade into the pan before you kill the Hound. Here's how to make it:

1 cup of Almond Water (or Cured Almond Water)
1 teaspoon of brown sugar
Liberal Crimson Oil

If you have a Hound ready, great! If not, start screaming. A Hound will probably come to try to kill you soon. Then, take your spear and stab it through the heart. This will get it nice and juicy for when you eat it. You can get a lot of meat off of it, but we won't be cooking those today. Instead, we will be curing it. Get some nice rib meat and get it into the pan. It'll marinate in its own blood as well as the marinade you made earlier. Flip it occasionally and make liberal use of herbs and spices. Serve with some vegetables. ALWAYS cook until Well Done, as consuming it while Rare or Medium-rare has a 40-50% chance or higher of infecting you with Hound Virus.

Grilled Chicken

Sadly, actual Frontrooms chickens don't exist in the Backrooms. "Chickens" are actually shape-shifting alligator void monstrosities, but you can still cook them.

Prepare the following:

1 Tablespoon of Smoked Crimson Fern (Tastes similar to Frontrooms Paprika)
1 Tablespoon of Crimson Oil
Some Minced Garlic from the Snackrooms
1 Tablespoon of Almond Water
1 Teaspoon Crimson Leaf

Blend this into a marinade and refrigerate it. Then, head to Level 3 with your Plasma Rifle. Take left turns whenever you can, and eventually a "chicken" will come to attack you.

NOTICE: IT IS IMPORTANT THAT YOU KEEP TRACK OF TIME. IF YOU SPEND MORE THAN 24 HOURS IN LEVEL 3, YOU WILL DIE.

Once you see the "chicken", immediately blast it with the plasma rifle until you're sure it's dead, and then hack what's left of it into pieces. This is insurance, since chickens are some of the most dangerous entities. After you've killed it, put on latex gloves and a mask. Cut choice pieces of meat, and then get them at least 8 meters from the rest of the body. Make deep incisions into the meat, and then boil it in Almond Water. This will force the venom out of its venom glands. Discard the Almond Water and the rest of the body in a container clearly marked as a bio-hazard. Then, take the meat to your grill. Heat the grill up to at least 500 degrees Fahrenheit and start grilling the meat. Douse the meat in almond water, and then spread the marinate over it. The meat will have an amazing consistency and taste but ensure that you extracted the venom before biting into it, as it is incredibly potent.

Pizza

Ingredients:

Tomatoes, Pepper, and Olives (from Level 92)
Mushrooms (from Level 150)
One bottle of Almond Water
Mold
Wormlings
Wheat (from Level 10)
Yeast
Warm Water
Entity Meat (A variety of different meats are suggested)
Herbs (Optional)
A bucket of seawater (from Level 7)

Preparation:

Boil the water from the bucket of seawater to get salt
Filter almond water through some mold.
Mix the mold with boiled wormlings to get cheese (make sure to melt it)
Get four cups of grain (from your wheat)
Pour it in a blender for 2 minutes to get flour
Grind and crush your olives
Stir the olives and let it sit for a few minutes
Filter the olive mush and siphon it to get olive oil
Cut your meat, pepper, mushrooms, and remaining olives

Steps:

Sprinkle the Yeast in warm water for 10 minutes
Combine the your flour with salt, yeast, and olive oil
Knead the mixture and put it in a bowl greased with olive oil and let it sit for a day
Punch it and cut it into 4 parts
Let it sit for 30 minutes
Poke the dough and stretch it
Add your tomato sauce, meat, pepper, melted cheese, mushrooms, and olives on the dough
Bake it in a oven at 500˚F for 15 minutes
If it's made correctly, it should taste good. (Might take a long time to make, but it's totally worth it)

Grilled Salmon

If you want to make the Grilled Salmon in the Backrooms, you'll need to travel to Level 585 to go and fish some salmon. You will also need a grill too. The salmon in the Backrooms is a bit different, eating it plain by grilling immediately, will cause it to taste very bland and bitter. But if you boil it in Almond Water, let it cool, then grill it, it will taste better, I recommend you add a few drops of Moth Jelly, a cut-up knob of garlic and a splash of lemon juice before grilling. After waiting for 10-15 minutes, while grilling it perfectly, Ta-da! You have yourself grilled backrooms salmon, which will nourish you very well. Since it contains Almond Water, it will restore your sanity, and have a salty-sour-sweet taste.

Mac & Cheese

Butter - Find any mold you can. Then, grab a container half full of Almond Water and leave the mold in there overnight. After that, put it through a coffee filter to filter out the Almond Water. Then take the same amount of body fat as the mold from an entity of your choice, preferably a Wretch, and mix it together in a mixing pot until the substance becomes creamy. Then leave it to solidify, preferably in a fridge.

Milk - The process of making milk is similar to the process of making butter, only instead of leaving it to solidify after mixing mold with entity body fat, you boil it using a saucepan and pouring a cup of Almond Water.

Cheese - Use the same technique to make mold as used for butter and milk, but instead of mixing it with entity fat, you get a handful of Wormlings and boil them in a saucepan while churning it until they reach a cream-like state. After this, you slowly churn the substance for ten minutes for it to be easier to pour. You then want to mix the mold with the Wormling substance vigorously until you have a cream-like substance. You then let it solidify, preferably in a fridge.

Flour - The process for substituting flour is very simple compared to the other ingredients. All you need to do is grab some wheat crops, preferably from Level 10, and put it in a saucepan half full with Almond Water. After half an hour, pour it onto a coffee filter and leave it out to dry. After drying, grind it until it turns into powder.

Pasta - Take two cups of your flour and 200 grams of any entity fat and mix it in a saucepan half full of Almond Water until it solidifies into the pasta you want. Then form the substance you have into macaroni shape.

Summer Homeschooling - Supernatural Week

2024-06-07T11:36:00.043-04:00

SUPERNATURAL WEEK - SEASON ONE

Saving people, hunting things – the family business.

Preparation:

Season One Mystery: What killed Mary and Jessica?

Monday: Spirits, Wendigos, & Demons

Math: How many miles on Baby? All Locations - Miles traveled in Baby during Season One: 20,290 - Mark the map as they travel. 750K for Baby's lifetime.
Art: Get John's journal - build your own journal like John - Season One Creatures - make creature grids with stats like in D&D
Science: EMF Meter - Electromagnetic fields (EMFs) are a central part of many paranormal theories, including the idea that ghosts may interact with the environment through them. EMF meters are often used in ghost hunting equipment to detect these fields, which can be generated by moving electric charges and the Earth's core. Some believe that spirits may disrupt or manipulate these fields when they are present.
What's in Baby's trunk?

Survival supplies: a government credential for every occasion, a spare tire, toolbox, silverware set, first-aid kit, gasoline gallon, sledgehammer, and emergency flares.
Monster-killing basics: lighters, matchboxes, and shovels to banish ghosts; candles or spray paint for spells and sigils. A stack of burner phones and replaceable laptops are essential for research, while ropes, chains, lock picks, and duct tape rolls all come in handy.
Basic hunting tools: EMF meters to read paranormal activity appeared frequently during early seasons, as did rosaries for blessing holy water (also available in gallons in the trunk), anti-possession necklaces to ward off demons, and salt for pretty much everything. Curse boxes to hold cursed objects, modified tasers for taking down rawheads, flamethrowers to deal with changelings, and flare guns for wendigos. Jars of dead man's blood, holy oil and Borax are necessary for fighting vampires, angels and Leviathans, respectively. The purpose of the wooden and silver stakes is unknown, as is the reason for carrying dreamcatchers and crucifixes, although they may act as warding. Dean's crossbow and silver-tipped arrows are also a mystery. The most important tools in the trunk, however, are probably the books. John Winchester and Bobby Singer's journals are valuable sources of hunting lore, while Rowena's journal and spell books help Sam master several spells.
Knives and blades: axes, pocket knives, and machetes (for beheading vampires). Iron knives are effective against a long list of creatures, including demons, ghosts, fairies, and hellhounds. Silver is similarly powerful, wounding monsters such as djinn, lamias, revenants, shapeshifters, werewolves, and wraiths.
A surplus of firearms: Dean is most often seen with is his Colt M1911A1, a .45 caliber handgun used by the U.S. military in the early 1900s. Sam is primarily seen using the Taurus Model 99, a 9mm pistol similar to the Beretta. Revolvers, shotguns and rifles are also used by Dean and Sam Winchester depending on the situation. Shotguns are often loaded with rock salt shells to dispel ghosts, while revolvers are also useful for loading specialized bullets. The brothers store a variety of ammunition in the Impala's trunk including iron, silver, and dead man's blood bullets, as well as bullets capable of killing witches and etched with devil's traps to contain demons.
Rare specialty weapons: 37mm DefTech grenade launcher was visible in the very first episode of Supernatural. A harpoon gun, nunchucks, collapsible batons, and ninja stars.

Episode 1: Woman In White - SupernaturalWiki

Palo Alto, CA (Stanford University)

Electronic Voice Phenomenon (EVP) - tape recorders, spirit boxes

Jericho, CA

Resurrection Mary, Resurrection Cemetary, Chicago

Salt: salt repels spirits, rock salt, salt and burn bones to release trapped spirits or those who choose not move on, i.e. revenge
Jessica's death

Episode 2: Wendigo - more resources

Blackwater Ridge, Lost Creek, CO
Art: Anasazi symbols for protection

Episode 3: Dead in the Water

Lake Manitoc, WI
premonitions
avenging spirit haunts the lake
Art: draw the weirdest thing you've ever seen in your dreams

Episode 4: Phantom Traveler

Kittaning, PA
Nazareth, PA
Indianapolis, IN
demons, exorcism, holy water; black eyes - more resources; demons give off sulfur
Why do demons set off EMF? Because they are also spirits, just back from hell.

Tuesday: Shapeshifters & Curses

Episode 5: Bloody Mary

Toledo, OH
say it three times
sleepover, tell scary stories, make smores in the microwave

Episode 6: Skin

St. Louis, MO
shapeshifter; eyes flash in camera like a cat

Episode 7: Hookman

Ankeny, IA
spirits can be attached to an object as well

Episode 8: Bugs

Oasis Plains, OK (Atoka County)
Indian burial grounds, curse, plagues

Wednesday: Poltergeists, Vanirs, & Reapers

Episode 9: Home

Lawrence, KS
poltergeist
Gris-gris bags to purify the house: black bags filled with five-finger grass, also known as cinquefoil, uncrossing salt, and poke root. Spray the bag with jinx-removing spray and sprinkle with uncrossing oil.

Episode 10: Asylum

Rockford, IL
Roosevelt Asylum
trepanation

Episode 11: Scarecrow

Burkittsville, IN (near Scottsburg)
Vanir is being summoned in the form of a scarecrow to protect the town, in exchange for annual sacrifices, with a sacred tree in the town giving it power.
using blood to communicate with demons
make a pie

Episode 12: Faith

Rawhead
Nebraska
Reaper

Thursday: Psychics/Sensitives, Daevas, & Tulpas

Episode 14: Nightmare

Saginaw, MI
premonitions
telekinetic powers
Max's mother died just like his, connected

Episode 15: The Benders

Hibbing, MN
humans can be just as evil
The Most Dangerous Game

Episode 16: Shadow

Chicago, IL
Zoroastrian creature known as a daeva

Episode 17: Hell House

Richardson, TX
Tulpa brought on by a Tibetan spirit sigil
Art: design your own haunted house

Friday: Shtrigas, Vampires, & Devil's Trap

Episode 18: Something Wicked

Fitchburg, WI
vampiric witch known as a shtriga; the Witcher

Episode 19: Provenance

New Paltz, NY

Episode 20: Dead Man's Blood

Manning, CO
the Colt
vampires - more resources
Azazel, yellow-eyed demon

Episode 21: Salvation

Salvation, IA

Episode 22: Devil's Trap

Sioux Falls, SD
Bobby Singer
Jefferson City, MO
devil's trap

Saturday: Field Trip to Haunted Location

Food: Dean's favorite stuff

Trivia: What Godzilla movie is Dean's favorite? Godzilla vs. Mothra

Summer Homeschooling - Egypt Week

2023-07-21T16:03:00.083-04:00

EGYPT WEEK -

Monday: Intro to Ancient Egypt

Ask the kiddos: What they THINK they know about Egypt & What they WANT to know about Egypt
Ancient Egypt 101 - Timeline of Ancient Egypt
Eat an Egyptian Meal - lamb kabobs, pita bread, hummus, olives, grapes
Why did the Egyptians settle here of all places?

The Nile River Valley -

Papyrus: This tall marsh plant had strong stems, and bundles of 100 or more reeds tied together with rope were used to make small boats. These crescent-shaped boats were used to hunt, fish, and travel short distances along the Nile River, the longest river in the world. This kind of boat is still built and used in parts of the world today. And for heavier loads or long distances, the Egyptians would use standard wooden boats with sails.
Papyrus was also used to make paper for scrolls, and this was the earliest paper-like material. At the time, all other civilizations used stone, clay tablets, animal hides, wood materials, or wax as writing surfaces. Papyrus was, for over 3,000 years, the most important writing material in the ancient world. It was exported all around the Mediterranean and was widely used in the Roman Empire as well as the Byzantine Empire. Its use continued in Europe until the 7th century AD, when an embargo on exporting it forced the Europeans to use parchment. Make Papyrus Paper.

There are many dangerous creatures that live in the Nile River, such as venomous snakes, hippopotamuses, and the infamous Nile Crocodile. Egypt is also home to a wide variety of other animals and plants, including lions, hyenas, jackals, gazelles, and cobras.

Egyptians have always been close to the natural world. The ancient Egyptians left paintings and carvings of large animals like elephants, leopards, and cheetahs. These animals were once common in Egypt but are now rare or extinct because of hunting and habitat loss.
Learn about Egypt's not-so-native animal, the camel.

Map of Egypt (color in the kingdoms) - additional worksheets
Virtual Field Trip

Media: Watch the Mummy and/or the Prince of Egypt, watch National Geographic
Literature: Read the Magic Treehouse book: Mummies in the Morning and/or get books on Egypt from the library

The Social Classes of Egypt

Tuesday: Life in Ancient Egypt

A Day in the Life of Each Social Class

It was super easy to farm in Ancient Egypt, as the Nile flooded every year for three months, making the land super fertile for growing crops - this gave farmers time to build the pyramids.
Ancient Egyptians didn't typically choose their jobs. They did what their parents did. So, if they were born on a grape farm, they grew up to be grape farmers.
The market was a very important social environment in ancient Egypt. The earliest Egyptians traded one food item for another. Later, they used coins and precious stones as money. Regardless, they loved (and still love til this day) to barter with each other.

Egyptian Inventions:

Black Ink - They mixed vegetable gum, soot, and bee wax to make black ink. They replaced soot with other materials such as ochre to make various colours. Make ink and use a quill to write.
The Ox-drawn Plow - Using the power of oxen to pull the plow revolutionized agriculture. Modified versions of this Egyptian invention are still used by farmers in developing countries around the world.
Irrigation - The Egyptians constructed canals and irrigation ditches to harness the Nile River’s yearly flood and bring water to distant fields.
The Calendar - The Egyptians devised the solar calendar by recording the yearly reappearance of Sirius (the Dog Star) in the eastern sky. It was a fixed point which coincided with the yearly flooding of the Nile. Their calendar had 365 days and 12 months with 30 days each month, as well as an additional five festival days at the end of the year. However, they did not account for the additional fraction of a day, and their calendar gradually became incorrect. Eventually, Ptolemy III added one day to the 365 days every four years.
Clocks - An obelisk was a sun clock that could be used by noting how its shadow moved around its surface throughout the day. From the use of obelisks, they identified the longest and shortest days of the year.
Police - During the Old and Middle Kingdoms, order was kept by local officials with their own private police forces. During the New Kingdom, a more centralized police force developed, made up of primarily Egypt’s Nubian allies, the Medjay. They were armed with staffs and used dogs. Neither rich nor poor citizens were above the law and punishments ranged from confiscation of property, beating and mutilation (including the cutting off of ears and noses), to death without a proper burial. The Egyptians believed that a proper burial was essential for entering the afterlife, so the threat of this last punishment was a real deterrent, and most crime was of a petty nature.
Surgical Instruments - The Edwin Smith Papyrus shows the Egyptians invented medical surgery. It describes 48 surgical cases of injuries to the head, neck, shoulders, breast, and chest. It includes a list of instruments used during surgeries with instructions for the suturing of wounds using a needle and thread. This list includes lint, swabs, bandage, adhesive plaster, surgical stitches, and cauterization. It is also the earliest document to make a study of the brain.
Wigs - During the hot summers, many Egyptians shaved their heads to keep them clean and prevent pests such as lice. Although priests remained bald as part of their purification rituals, those that could afford it had wigs made in various styles and set with perfumed beeswax.
Cosmetic Makeup - The Egyptians invented eye makeup as far back as 4000 BC. They combined soot with a lead mineral called galena to create a black ointment known as kohl. They also made green eye makeup by combining malachite with galena to tint the ointment. Both men and women wore eye makeup. They believed it could cure eye diseases and keep them from falling victim to the evil eye.
Toothpaste - Egyptian toothpaste contained powdered ox hooves, ashes, burnt eggshells, and pumice. Another toothpaste recipe and how-to-brush guide written on a papyrus from the 4th century AD describes how to mix precise amounts of rock salt, mint, dried iris flower, and grains of pepper, to form a “powder for white and perfect teeth.”

Pets - Cats were considered sacred animals and were worshipped. They were even mummified when they died. Cats were considered helpful in keeping mice, rats, and snakes away, but they were also thought to be magical.

Read The Temple Cat by Andrew Clements

The Egyptian Gods - Name the God worksheet - coloring pages for the gods
Ancient Egyptians spoke Egyptian, but today, Egyptian is a Muslim country with mosques, and the residents speak Arabic.

Wednesday: Egyptian Art

The Egyptians wrote in Hieroglyphs, but until we found the Rosetta Stone, we had no idea what they said.
Cartouches - can use tongue presses or clay to write your name in hieroglyphs, and then hang it around your neck.
There were also many symbols that were important to the Ancient Egyptians:

Scarab Beetles: good luck; represented regeneration and the cycle of life. The scarab holding the sun was a popular motif on Egyptian charms, jewelry, sarcophaguses, and other artifacts.
The Eye of Ra, Eye of Horus - draw an Egyptian Eye

Choose a work of art from ancient Egypt. On your papyrus paper, with oil paints, create your own art based on your inspiration piece.
How did they make the Sphynx?

Thursday: Pyramids

Originally pharaohs were buried in brick tombs called mastabas, but they were easily broken into by tomb robbers and weren’t very grand.

Pyramids were the first monumental stone building designed and constructed. Most were built as tombs for pharaohs and their families. To date, over 130 pyramids have been discovered in Egypt. They each had north-facing entrances because they wanted them to align with the North Star. Most stones weighed 2.5 tons, but some weighed as much as 80 tons. The farmers used ramps slicked with mud in order to move the stones.
Pyramids included the burial chamber, secret tunnels, hidden chambers, and things the Pharaoh thought he would need in the afterlife.
Make a 3D pyramid. Make toothpick and marshmallow pyramids, or you can just use glue but make sure to allow for drying time.

Pharaohs -

Khufu ruled from 2589-2566 BC. BC was "before Christ;" and AD is anno domini," which means, "the year of our lord." He built the Great Pyramid at Giza near modern-day Cairo, which is the largest pyramid in the world. At one point, the pyramid was 481 feet tall and took up 13 acres. It took 23 years to build, and it is the only surviving wonder of the original Seven Wonders of the Ancient World. It draws 5,000 visitors a day.
Akhenaton (also known as Amenhotop IV) ruled from 1352-1336 BC and was married to the famously beautiful Queen Nefertiti. He stirred up Egypt by moving the capital and moving Egypt to worship only one god – the sun god Aton.
King Tutankhamun (also known as King Tut) only ruled for 9 years, from age 9 in about 1323 to age 18. Tut is so famous because after 3,000 years, Howard Carter discovered the covered entrance to his untouched tomb in 1922. It was filled with many treasures including a four-part sarcophagus with over 2,500 pounds of gold, King Tut’s death mask, and many other artifacts. Watch A Day in the Life of King Tut.
Rameses II (also known as Rameses the Great) ruled 1279-1213 BC. He took the throne at age 20 and is said to have lived until 99 years of age. He was a renowned soldier, signed the world’s first-known peace treaty (with Hittites), and created more temples and buildings than anyone, including the amazing Abu Simbel. Interestingly, although his tomb was empty, his mummy is considered to be the most well-preserved mummy ever found.
Cleopatra VII is popular as the last Pharaoh of ancient Egypt. She is also known for befriending Romans to maintain power.
FUN FACT: A pharaoh would have never let his/her hair be seen. He/she would always wear a crown or a headdress called a nemes.

Sarcophagus - Inside the burial chamber was the sarcophagus (a large stone box where the coffin was placed). There were often times many coffins inside one another.
Death Masks - When someone died, a death mask was made. This was an idealized face that looked similar to the person, and it was said to allow the soul to find the body in the afterlife.
The Egyptian Book of the Dead

Mummies -

Canopic Jars - where all organs except the heart were kept
Also, the pharaohs were provided with jewels, money, furniture, and food to keep them comfortable in the afterlife

Make Mummy Dogs for dinner

Friday: Food

Egyptian Koshair Recipe
Egyptian Date Candy - Mix 1 cup of chopped dates with water to make “paste”. Add 1 teas. cinnamon, 1/2 teaspoon cardamom seeds, 1/2 cup ground up walnuts. Mix. Roll the mixture into balls and drop a little honey on them and roll in ground almonds. Simple, healthy, and yummy too!
Make scorpion cookies

Saturday: Field Trip to a Museum with Egyptian artifacts!

Summer Homeschooling - Zombie Apocalypse Week

2023-05-12T17:28:00.020-04:00

ZOMBIE APOCALYPSE WEEK -

Monday: Would you survive the Zombie Apocalypse?

Rules of Surviving in Zombieland (just read if your kids are squeamish - some of these are silly, but some have excellent reasoning and purpose):

#1: Cardio - When the virus struck, for obvious reasons, the first ones to go were the fatties. Zombies aren't fast. To escape, it's more important to be able to run longer than faster.
#2: Double Tap - In those moments when you're not sure the undead are really dead dead, don't get all stingy with your bullets. One clean shot to the head can protect against zombies playing possum.
#3: Beware of Bathrooms - Don't let them catch you with your pants down. Zombies know to hang around them, caution can help avoid an ambush.
#4: Seatbelts - Wear one, zombies rarely do. Braking can send them flying away.
#7: Travel light - And I don't mean just luggage. Traveling light means traveling fast. Only pack essentials.
#17: Don't Be a Hero / Be a Hero - Unnecessary risks are risks that shouldn't be taken. But for loved ones, some risks are worth taking.
#18: Limber up - A muscle cramp during a zombie chase is a death sentence.
#22: When in Doubt, Know Your Way Out - Knowing where to flee can aid an escape.
#23: Ziploc™ Bags - You got enough problems, moisture shouldn't be one of them.
#31: Check the Back Seat - Zombies or little girls with guns may hide there, don't be caught off guard.
#32: Enjoy the little things - Zombieland is harsh, enjoy happiness where it can be found to stay sane.
#36: Sunscreen
#42: Keep your hands to yourself - It's just polite. It ostensibly leads to better group cohesion and facilitation of rule #52.
#52: Don't be afraid to ask for help - Groups have a greater chance of survival.

Real-World Survival Tips
Media: Watch You vs. Wild Interactive

Tuesday: Make your Bug-Out Bag

Backpack Activity: Ask them what they think they should pack to be prepared for a bug-out situation or even just a hike – tell them to imagine the basics they would need to survive a night in the woods.
Bug-Out Bag
Bug-Out Simulation: Give them a bag and give them 20mins to pack everything they would need to bug out. Then, see what they're missing and what the household may be missing.

Wednesday: Camping Preparation

Basic Survival Skills

Building Shelter
Finding Water
Starting a Fire

Using a Compass and Map - Map Challenge

Thursday: First Aid

Kids On Outdoor Trips: First Aid Recommendations
Ask them about some things they should avoid in the outdoors to be safe.
Go over precautions to take – This includes bug spray, sunscreen, and properly fitting footwear to reduce the risk of falls.
Self-defense
Foraging for Food:

Edible vs. Non-edible – Go over what you can eat in the wild, but always ask an adult before doing so.

Situational Awareness

Friday: Hunting and Firearms

Get a Daisy bb gun or an airsoft gun, and learn how to shoot.
Learn how to prepare and cook a hunt.

Saturday: Field Trip to a National or State Park to test out their survival skills. We went to Colorado Bend State Park.

Summer Homeschooling - Detective Week

2023-05-09T14:08:00.054-04:00

DETECTIVE WEEK -

Preparation:

Monday: Going Undercover

Media: CrashBox Brain Games

Most detectives are part of your local sheriff's department or the FBI, but this week, you will be a Private Investigator. A "PI" is a private citizen who solves mysteries on a per-case basis. Think Sherlock Holmes, the Hardy Boys, or Nancy Drew.
Change into your disguise: Detectives sometimes go undercover as part of their investigation of a possible crime. Choose the clothing and accessories farthest from what you would normally wear, and make your outfit as absurd as possible so that no one will know it's you.
A detective’s job is to solve crimes. They search for clues and uncover evidence to create a whole picture of what happened. Detectives will also search public and private databases and investigate people to solve the case.

Four parts to the detective process: Observation, Question, Inference, and Proof

Observation - Look for clues, observations can be seen or heard. They are something you witness. Example: The photo shows...
Question - A question caused by your observation. Example: I wonder why...
Inference - A conclusion reached on the basis of evidence and reasoning. You can witness something, but you have to use your brain to understand what it means. This part is difficult for most non-detectives, but if you change your way of thinking, you can do it too. This is how you make your case to put the bad guy away. Example: I can infer that...
Proof - Use your evidence to back up your inference. Example: This is what happened because...

You can use inferences in all parts of your life. Example: Motley didn't have any food in her bowl when you got home from school, but when you went to feed her at 5PM, she had food in her bowl. What is your detective process? What is your inference? You can infer that someone else already fed Motley. You can, of course, prove this by asking.

P.E. - FBI Special Agents are the most renowned detectives in the country. Because of this, they have to go through some extensive training. This week, we are going to prepare for the FBI Physical Fitness Test:

DAY ONE - Sit-ups: Do as many continuous sit-ups as possible in one minute.

Media: Play Nancy Drew PC Games
Games: Play Nancy Drew Mystery at Magnolia Gardens
Media: Watch Nancy Drew and the Hidden Staircase
Media: Watch Annabelle Cooper and the Ghosts of Nantucket

Tuesday: Crime Scene Investigation

To have a crime, you have to have a victim. Who was hurt by the crime?
To prove someone committed a crime, you have to prove intent/motive and opportunity (do they have an alibi?)
Media: Watch Forensic Files: Point of Origin
P.E. - Prepare for the FBI Physical Fitness Test:

DAY TWO - Sprint: Sprint for 300 meters (for time).

Types of Physical Evidence at a Crime Scene:

A Real Crime Scene Investigation
Body fluids — Primarily blood and saliva, which can be found on clothing or other fabrics or objects in liquid or dried form. These components are commonly gathered from a crime scene or a person on sterile fabric patches or swabs for species identification and possible individualization using serological methods or DNA analysis.

You can make homemade blood with corn syrup, water, and food coloring. On a large piece of butcher paper, splatter the fake blood with an eye dropper. Leave space while splattering to show where a hand or arm could have been. Then, have the kids try to recreate the blood splatters to determine the distance they were splattered from.

Body Tissues — autopsy samples of various organs, as well as blood, urine, and stomach contents, are collected for toxicological analysis.
Drugs and Controlled Substances — plant materials, powders, tablets, capsules, or other preparations for identification and weight.
Fibers – fibers for identification and comparison, either natural (cotton, wool) or synthetic (rayon, dacron).

Fingerprints, Palm Prints, and Foot Prints — visible or latent prints lifted or cast from various surfaces for comparison and identification. This category frequently includes tire and footwear impressions.

Fire and Explosive Materials — liquids, solids, or burned debris to identify accelerants and explosive residues.
Firearms and Projectiles — identification, source, and comparison of projectiles, as well as firearm test firings, distance determinations, and firearm operability.
Glass – Glass fragments may be linked to a suspect and a break-in, or glass fractures may be analyzed to determine the direction of the force exerted or the sequence of rounds fired. Glass analysis is frequently used in the reconstruction of automobile accidents.
Hair — Hair is collected from a crime scene, a victim, or a suspect to determine the species (animal or human), race, and origin of the body part. Hair morphological traits can be used to include or exclude a suspect if they are human. It’s also possible to tell if the hair was crushed, clipped, burned, forcibly removed, or simply fell out.

Compare hairs between animals and humans with your magnifying glass. What are the differences?

Oils and Grease or Cosmetic Products — Oils and grease, as well as cosmetic items, are transported between objects and people and have distinct compositions that may be compared.
Paint and Paint Products — Paint may have transferred from one object to another on numerous surfaces, such as in a vehicle collision. This form of paint fragment transfer is commonly examined on the clothing of pedestrians who have been struck by a car.
Serial Numbers — Serial numbers are unique identifiers for a Frequently altered or removed from vehicles, firearms, and other objects, and can be restored for appropriate identification using chemical etching.
Soils and Minerals, Wood, and Other vegetation — Soils and minerals, as well as wood and other forms of plants. A plausible source or location that can be linked to a suspect or victim is identified and compared.
Tool Marks — Surface impressions or scratches that may reveal the type of object that created them. Wear features on the object or instrument, such as a prybar or screwdriver, might provide distinct characteristics for comparison with the impression. Clothing or fabric impressions on vehicle parts have been linked to pedestrian hit-and-run accidents.
Questioned documents — Questioned Document is a type of physical evidence that can include handwritten, typed, copied, or computer-generated documents that are inspected for forgery evidence. To determine authenticity, the studies may include ink and paper analyses as well as handwriting comparisons. In the case of erased, physically damaged, or burnt papers or materials, restorative processes may be used.
Set up their own crime scene to investigate:

I scattered paintbrushes all over the dining room table as if they had been knocked over, and I dripped washable paint on the table and floor. I then dipped one of my dog's paws in the paint and left a pawprint on the table. I also left behind a good chunk of dog hair, a few pieces of his food, and some grass in the paint to provide even more evidence. I then dripped a little bit of paint on the dog's coat to show up in the lineup.
Then, I rounded them up: "Detectives, a crime may have been committed at our home. The police need your help to solve it. Will you help them figure out what happened?"
Make sure you properly prep to enter the crime scene:

Tape off the scene to mark your parameter and keep all unauthorized visitors out
Put on gloves so as not to contaminate the crime scene
Be on the lookout for all forms of physical evidence
Do not touch anything until you have taken pictures of the scene; mark each piece of evidence with an evidence marker before you take the picture
Once photos are done, you can pick up the evidence with only a sanitized tool
Secure prints with tape and imprint paper

Need a corkboard to pin documents, reports, photos, and drawings
Use your detecting process to solve the crime
Extras:

Create a timeline for the crime
Draw a map of how each crime was committed
Write a first-person story about one of the crimes

Wednesday: Witness Statements

Another pre-arrest investigative tool detectives employ is interviewing the victim of the alleged crime and witnesses. They speak to anyone they believe may have helpful information, which could include a suspect’s co-workers, family, friends, and neighbors.
Unfortunately, out of all types of evidence, eyewitness statements are the least accurate because they are subjective and can be warped by a person's ideas and morals. However, they are a great source to corroborate the physical evidence you have already collected.

Example: You've been waiting all year for this awesome new video game to be released. At 6:35PM, you finally receive the e-mail stating it has been delivered to your mailbox parcel locker. However, your mom says you have to eat dinner and take a shower before you can go retrieve it.
At 7:43PM, you race to the mailboxes to find the key to parcel locker #2 in your mailbox. But, when you get to parcel locker #2, you find it has been pried open, and there is no video game inside.
You are sad, of course, but you waste no time. You put on your detective thinking cap and begin examining the crime scene for evidence.
You notice a fingerprint on the door to the parcel locker, marks made by the device used to pry the parcel locker door open, and a muddy boot print on the concrete pad the mailboxes are secured into.
You lift the fingerprint, measure the marks that the pry bar made, take a casting of the boot print, and take a sample of the mud from the boot print.
You see Max walking back into his driveway. He is out of breath, sweating, and holding his little chihuahua, PingPong, under his arm. Max's house is right in front of the mailbox. You ask him if he saw anything or anyone strange around the mailbox between 6:35-7:43PM.
Max says he was in his yard watering his roses around 7:30PM and remembered seeing Bill at the mailbox. He says Bill was acting very suspicious, constantly looking around to see if anyone was watching him. But then, Max says PingPong ran after a cat, so he had to run and catch him. He says he just got back.
With this information about Bill's behavior, you can safely add him to the suspect list. After running the fingerprint you lifted through the national fingerprint database, you find that it matches Bill. With these two sources of corroborating evidence, you can receive a warrant from a judge to search Bill's house.
In Bill's garage, you find a pair of boots with mud on them. When you line the tread against the impression you took from the crime scene, it matches. The mud on the boots also matches the sample you took from the crime scene. Propped against the wall next to the boots is a crowbar, and its width matches the measurement you took from the crime scene.
When you walk inside the house and search the living room, you find the box to the brand new game on top of the PlayStation and the brand new game inside the console. Bill has been caught red-handed.
With just Max's statement, the crime would have just been hearsay, but without his statement, you would never have known where to look for a suspect. Now, with all this corroborating evidence, you can put handcuffs on Bill. And while he's spending the night in jail, you can go back home and play your awesome brand-new video game.

Detectives can also bring in a suspect for questioning. Unless the individual is in custody, law enforcement officials do not have to give them their Miranda warnings and can use any statements made against the accused.
P.E. - Prepare for the FBI Physical Fitness Test:

DAY THREE - Push-ups: Do as many continuous push-ups as you can (not for time).

Thursday: Investigating Suspects

Once you have your physical evidence and your witness statements, it's time to investigate the suspects...
Engaging in Surveillance - Sometimes detectives engage in surveillance of a suspect or others who could have useful information. There are special rules around this due to privacy laws, so most of the time, you have to have a warrant (for searching private property, tapping phone calls; tracing vehicles, persons, or calls) unless on public property.
Searching Social Media and Other Records - Detectives could also search a person’s social media sites or other websites where individuals discuss potential crimes with others for evidence that a crime was or is about to be committed. They may also obtain a warrant to get an individual’s cell phone, financial, or other records from businesses or other parties.
Other items that may be obtained via warrant: security camera footage, witness camera footage
911 call recordings can also be a good resource.
More Practice:

Go to a place where the kids can’t see you. Ask questions about your eye color, the clothing you’re wearing, etc.
Arrange 30 items on a tray. Let the students look at it for 30 seconds. Then take the tray away. How many items can they remember?
CIA Photo Analysis Game
CIA Memory Game

P.E. - Prepare for the FBI Physical Fitness Test:

DAY FOUR - Run: Run 1.5 miles (for time).

Friday: Criminal Profiling

Criminal profiling refers to the process in which the nature of a crime is used to make inferences about the personality and other characteristics of the likely offender in order to locate and capture the said offender.
Games: Play Guess Who

Clues Worksheet

P.E. - Take the FBI Physical Fitness Test:

Sit-ups: Do as many continuous sit-ups as possible in one minute.
Sprint: Sprint for 300 meters (for time).
Push-ups: Do as many continuous push-ups as you can (not for time).
Run: Run 1.5 miles (for time).

Play a lifesize version of CLUE - Set up a life-sized game board in the rooms of your house, put the cards in a Manilla folder, dress up as the characters, put items in different rooms, and call it that way

You can get costumes from Amazon: Mrs. Peacock, Colonel Mustard

Media: Watch CLUE

Saturday: Field Trip to an Escape Room to put your new inferencing skills to good use!

Summer Homeschooling - Career Week

2022-08-07T23:18:00.028-04:00

CAREER WEEK -

Vocabulary:

Career - A job or profession someone does for a long period in their life.

Salary - A set amount of money someone gets paid for getting the work done.

Monday: Money

How does money work? Where does it come from? Money is a form of currency that is traded for a good or service. The trading of a good or service is what makes the paper or coin money valuable.
If you make $20.00 an hour and work 40 hours per week, how much do you make every two weeks on your paycheck? You would make $1600 per paycheck and $3200 per month
What if you made that $20 per hour because you didn't go to college, but made $40 per hour if you went to college?
What if your rent is $1200 per month (utilities are included), your food is $300 per month, your phone bill is $50 per month, your car payment is $350 per month, your gas is $50 per month, your car insurance is $100 per month, your toiletries are $20 per month, and your pet's food is $50.00 per month? How much would you have left over from that $3200 to go to the Pokémon store? To buy a game from the Playstation Store?
What if you want to go to a movie for $35? What if you want to go on a $2,000 vacation?

Tuesday: Budgets, Investments, Bills, and Taxes

Finance Playlist
Set a goal, set a budget, and set up a savings account
You also have the option to invest your money: For every $1 you put into investments, I (the stock market) will give you $2 to borrow it, so at the end of the month, you will have $3 for every $1 you invested
Bills are your food, electronics
Taxes are for federal taxes, state taxes, Social Security, and Medicaid. For every $22 you make, I take $2 for taxes
This week, you will make $22 per hour for class, $2 of that will automatically be taken for taxes, $5 will be taken away for every hour of electronics, $1 for every sugary drink, $1 for every snack, breakfast/lunch/dinner are free and water is free
What are you saving for?

Wednesday: Finding A Job

Jobs I Can Have When I Grow Up
Complete the "Whey I Grow Up" handout
Get more info on their desired career fields
What is great about your chosen job environment? How does your career match your personal interests? How will it fulfill you?
Do you need to go to college for your career? Will you make more money if you go to college? How do you go to college for free?
What is your career plan? How do you get a job? How does school now help you then?

Thursday: Their Interests

How to become an Orca Trainer?

How to become a Marine Mammal Trainer
A day in the life of a Marine Mammal Trainer
Some of the best things to do moving forward: practice swimming, join your school swim team, get large animal experience, complete the summer programs at Sea World, get scuba-certified, become a lifeguard, and work at Sea World over the summer when a teenager
Need to go to college for an Animal Behavior major
Dolphin Research Center's Training Program
Unpaid internships
Husbandry Assistant
Sea World Swim Test: 10-min time limit, 5-min water tread, hands above water, 240ft freestyle (80secs), diving in or pushing off underwater hold breath for 80ft or longer, dive down 26ft, get 2 6lb weights where the weights broke the surface before you do, haul out to your feet from the water, script over a microphone

How to become an Animal Rescuer?

Animal Rescuer Careers
What is the best way to become an Animal Rescue or Shelter Worker?
Can definitely consider a bachelor's degree, especially to work with wildlife
Need strong communication skills

Friday: Play the Game of Life

Take the Career Test

Saturday: Field Trip

Summer Homeschooling - Cooking Week

2022-07-31T18:15:00.052-04:00

COOKING WEEK -

Monday: Kitchen Exploration

Media: MasterChef Junior.
Safety First: Go over all safety precautions.

Oven and stovetop safety.
Washing vegetables. Tearing and making a salad.

Learn what each kitchen utensil is used for.
Learn how to use measuring utensils. Wet versus dry ingredients.
Recipe: Blackened fish tacos with taco salad, guacamole, and queso dip.
Learn how to properly set a table.

Daily Meal

Dinner Party

Formal

Tuesday: Food Pyramid

Media: MasterChef Junior.
Learn the food pyramid.
Learn how your plate should look.
Learn how to use recipes to build your plate.
Meal Planner Template.
Different spices to season:

Salt - salty
Pepper - spicy
Lemon - sour
Honey - sweet
Turmeric - bitter

Recipe: Cajun pasta with green beans and cornbread.

Wednesday: Knives

Media: Knife Safety.
Media: Basic Knife Skills.
What knives are used for what.
Spreading and peeling.
Cutting whole fruit.
Slicing and dicing vegetables.
Crushing and mincing garlic.
Sautéing vegetables.
Recipe: Chicken alfredo with spinach, asparagus, and garlic bread on the side.

Thursday: Basic Cooking

Media: 4 Cooking Skills Every Kid Should Know.
Gordon Ramsey Part 1 & Part 2
Make rice.
Steaming vegetables.
Recipe: Orange chicken with vegetables and fried rice.

Friday: Baking

Media: Watch "Kids Baking Championship" on Hulu.
Using a mixer.
Rolling dough.
Make dessert. They want to make a Kraken cake.
Make a sauce.
Browning meat.
Recipe: Shrimp tacos with mango. Ground beef for Anna.

Saturday: Field Trip

Make breakfast.
Cracking eggs.
Pancakes.
Mystery Box Challenge.

Summer Homeschooling - Alaska Week

2022-07-15T11:05:00.039-04:00

ALASKA WEEK -

This week, we're going on vacation to Seward, AK, so why not make a homeschool lesson plan to learn all about Seward and Alaska!

Monday: Alaska's Animals

In Seward, we will see sea lions, sea otters, harbor seals, humpback whales, bald eagles, seabirds, and more!
Alaskan Animals
Animal Yoga Poses
Whale Communication

Call of the Wild Sled Team

Sled Dog Positions

Iditarod Race Map

Tuesday: Dog Sledding

Sled Dogs: Life Before Zero
Sled Dogs: More Than Meets the Eye
The Iditarod Race is over 1,000 miles long (so basically New York City to Orlando), and the dogs have to make it in 8-15 days. The yearly race is used to commemorate Balto / Togo and his team's rescue mission to get life-saving medication to Nome to save the children in the town from a deadly disease.
Balto Lap Book
Meet Iditarod-Winning Sled Dogs
What would you pack on your sled to take your dogs on a 8-15 day sled ride?
Why Don't Sled Dogs Ever Get Tired?
Sled Dog Positions
When people think of sled dogs, they think of Alaskan Malamutes and Siberian Huskies, but all sorts of dogs have made up sled teams. Make your own sled dog team. What breeds are they, what positions are they in, and what are their names? Why do you think those dog breeds would work well in your sled dog team?
Watch Balto, Togo, or Call of the Wild
Snow Mountain Run

Wednesday: Fjords and Glaciers

Fjords are different from standard lakes and rivers because they were built by massive glaciers moving across the land, so they are extremely deep.
Glaciers dominate the landscape of Kenai Fjords National Park. 51% of the park is covered by ice, and nearly 40 glaciers flow from the 700-square mile Harding Icefield. These glaciers have formed, shifted, and moved over the course of tens of thousands of years. You can hike along Exit Glacier (an alpine glacier that formed in a mountain basin) or feel the thunderous road of dramatic tidewater glaciers (glaciers that terminate the water's surface) calving into the ocean (when a large chunk of the glacier breaks away).
Welcome to Kenai Fjords!
Explore Kenai Fjords National Park
How Do Glaciers Move?
Glacier Ice Game
The Land of the Midnight Sun - The sun usually sets around 8:30PM here in Texas, but when we go to Alaska, the sun won't set until 11:00PM and will come back up around 5:00AM. We won't see the Midnight Sun while we're there, but we will have some VERY long days!

Thursday: Travel Journal

Write in your Travel Journal and play Road Trip Games

Friday: Field Trip to Alaska!

Summer Homeschooling - Harry Potter Week

2022-06-24T12:39:00.087-04:00

HARRY POTTER WEEK -

P.E.: Harry Potter Chase - Harry Potter Workout

All About Magical Me Worksheet

Monday: Back to Hogwarts

Set up the dining room with floating candles, a projector showing the stars or sky, the house flags, the books on the table, their wands, their uniforms, souvenirs, character stuffies (Hedwig, Buckbeak, Fawkes), a nice table cloth or runner, fancy dining ware, goblets, etc.
The kids get their acceptance letters from Hogwarts
Go to Pottermore to sort them into their houses and to let their wands select them
Learn about familiars and their familiars, Jack and Spike

Familiars provide protection to young witches and wizards coming into their powers; they attend to witches and wizards by acting as companions, servants, messengers, or even spies
Guinea Pigs 101 - Guinea Pig Breeds - Guinea Pig Noises - Guinea Pig Tricks
If they have a hamster, a guinea pig, or a rabbit, they can make a Marauder's Map maze

Make chocolate frogs, butterbeer, and pumpkin pasties
Have a First Night Feast with roast beef, roast chicken (drumsticks), pork chops, lamb chops, steak, bacon, boiled and roasted potatoes, fries, meat (steak and kidney) pies, sandwiches, peas, carrots, corn on the cob, broccoli, salad, gravy, ketchup, rolls, charcuterie boards, apples, grapes, Yorkshire puddings, peppermint humbugs, assorted ice cream, apple pies, treacle tarts, chocolate eclairs, jams/jam doughnuts, strawberries, jelly, rice pudding, etc.
Play a Quidditch Table Pong Game
Play Harry Potter CLUE

Tuesday: First Day of Classes

Charms Class (with their wands)

Wingardium Leviosa
Impervius - repels water from a surface: put some water on a plate and sprinkle some pepper on top; have the kids stick their fingers in there to show the pepper sticks to your finger, and then hand them their wands with some dish liquid on the tips and have them say "Impervius;" the pepper will shoot away from the dish liquid

Defense Against the Dark Arts Class
- Art: Draw what your Boggart would be, and then draw what you would change it into
- Find out your Patronus and draw your Patronus
- Have a chocolate snack to regain your strength after all those bogarts and dementors
Harry Potter "Would You Rather" Game

Wednesday: The Care of Magical Creatures Class

Reading: Read through the Fantastic Beasts book

What's your favorite magical creature from the Wizarding World?

Craft: Make your own Pigmy Puff
Questions of the Day:

Fluffy's History? Hagrid originally purchased Fluffy from a "Greek chappie" at The Leaky Cauldron. Hagrid loaned Fluffy to Dumbledore to aid in guarding the Sorcerer's Stone during Harry's First Year.
How does the Phoenix heal people with tears? The Phoenix's tears have immense healing powers capable of reviving a person from any injury, they could even save a person on the brink of death. Their tears also hold the only known antidote to Basilisk venom. Being cried on by a Phoenix is similar to drinking unicorn blood, but without leading a cursed life afterward. However, the Phoenix has to care for and trust you to be willing to offer up their tears to save you.

Media: Watch the Fantastic Beasts movies

Thursday: Potions Class (Science)

Make an overflowing potion
Make a color-changing potion
Make potion drinks (bonus points if you use dry ice!)

Friday: The Biwizard Tournament - J.K. Rowling loves adding challenges to her books, so why not make our own? This is essentially a Scavenger Hunt with a little Escape Room sprinkled throughout

Begin in the middle of the house. Hand the kids an envelope. When they open it, they see your house floorplan marked with the Hogwarts room names and a note that reads: "Welcome to the Biwizard Tournament! To win, you must work together to complete SIX challenges. Good luck! Here is your first clue: When Harry got detention, he had to help Hagrid as part of his punishment. Go to the place where Hagrid took Harry and help Harry find all the patronuses. Once you have all the patronuses, they will tell you where to go next."
The backyard is labeled "Forbidden Forest" on the floorplan, and all over it are pictures of different patronuses. On the back of each of the patronuses are the letters: G R E E N H O U S E. They have to unscramble the letters to find out that the Greenhouse is where they go next.
When they enter the Greenhouse, they see Hedwig with a rolled-up parchment attached to her leg. It reads, "Alohomora will not work on me. To unlock the door, you must find the key. Which key is not like the others?"
There are multiple keys with wings hanging above the locked door to the house. When they pull down the key with the broken or missing wing, there is a note attached to the back of it that reads, "Find your next clue where Moaning Myrtle sleeps."
This leads them to the Prefect's Bathroom. Moaning Myrtle is under the toilet lid with a note that is written backward. The bathroom mirror is labeled "The Mirror of Erised." They have to put the letter against the mirror to read it. The note reads, "Where would you find a book about Magical Creatures?"
This leads them to the Library. There is a piece of parchment inside the Fantastic Beasts book. The top reads, "Take me to the Charms Classroom to reveal my secrets." The rest of the note is written in UV ink that only shows under black light.
On the table in the Charms Class, there is a note and a black-light flashlight. The note says, "Have your partner turn off the light, and then use the spell that makes things appear to enchant this flashlight to "reveal" the secrets of the parchment." The part of the note revealed says, "Where in the castle does the creature with healing tears live? She is roosting on your next clue!"
In Dumbledore's Office, there is an Easter egg under Fawkes. Written in Sharpie on the egg, it says, "Open me in the Potions Class."
When you get to the Potions Class, you see seven potions in bottles of all different shapes, sizes, and colors. The Easter egg holds a riddle inside it:

"Two among our number hold only nettle wine. Three of us are killers, waiting hidden in line. Choose, unless you wish to stay here for evermore. To help you in your choice, we give you these clues four:

First, however slyly the potion tries to hide, you will always find some on nettle wine's left side;
Second, different are those who stand at either end, but if you would like to move onwards, neither is your friend
Third, as you see clearly, all are a different size. Neither dwarf nor giant holds death inside;
Fourth, the second on the left and the second on the right are twins once you taste them, though different at first sight."

ANSWER: Since the giant bottle is not poison, and it is a twin to the second from the left, we know these two are nettle wine. Therefore, two of the poisons are to the left of these. The ones on each end are different, and since we know the one on the left end is poison, both nettle wines have been found, and it will not help you move onwards, the rightmost bottle sends you back. This leaves 2 bottles, and we know the dwarf bottle is not poison, so it must be the one to move ahead. Finally, the remaining bottle must be the third poison.
Once one of them drinks the correct potion, it says "Great Hall" at the bottom of the bottle.

In the Great Hall, they find an envelope on the table. Inside, it says, "You have made it to your final challenge. Translate the Ancient Ruins to decipher the code. Once you have it, race to where Harry saw a dragon egg hatch. Buried inside this location, you will find treasure!"
In Hagrid's Hut, buried under stuffed animals, they find a treasure chest that has a combination lock. They use the code to unlock it. You could have wind-up butterflies fly out of it. Inside, there is a note congratulating them and maybe some Wizarding World candy. You could even give them trinkets or trophies for participating!

Saturday: Field Trip to the Wizarding World of Harry Potter in Florida, the Warner Bros Studio Tour in California, the Harry Potter exhibit in Philadelphia, the Harry Potter treehouse in North Carolina, the Harry Potter coffee house in Texas, etc. Check out the Ultimate Harry Potter Bucket List for even more ideas!

Summer Homeschooling - Star Wars Week

2022-06-11T14:38:00.061-04:00

STAR WARS WEEK - Welcome to your very own Jedi Temple Challenge!

Get your own Star Wars costumes, and start every morning with the Jedi Motto: "Strength, Knowledge, and Bravery!"

Links:

Media:

Star Wars Explained In 7 Mins
Watch the Jedi Temple Challenge
Watch the original movie trilogy and/or the Mandalorian on Disney+

The Planets of Star Wars

Monday: The Star Wars Galaxy

Art: Design your own planet! What color is it? What kind of creatures/animals live there? Do people live there? What is the weather like there? Can humans breathe there?

How can the characters in Star Wars travel from planet to planet, but we Earthly humans cannot? Hyperdrive allows starships to travel faster than the speed of light, crossing the galaxy through hyperspace.

You have heard people say, "May the Force be with you," but what does that mean? The Force is a mysterious energy field created by life that binds the galaxy together. Harnessing the power of the Force gives the Jedi (the light side), the Sith (the dark side), and others sensitive to this spiritual energy extraordinary abilities.

Who are some characters that are on the light side?
Who are some characters that are on the dark side?
Are you on the light side or the dark side of the Force?

P.E.: Star Wars Chase

Tuesday: The Jedi

The Jedi Order - A noble order of protectors unified by their ability to tap into the power of the Force, the Jedi Order are the guardians of peace and justice in the galaxy.

Who is the most powerful Jedi?

Padawan - Those on the path to becoming a Jedi. They must first train one-on-one with Jedi Masters who help them understand the power of the Force and their place in the world.
Lightsaber - This is the weapon of the Jedi. With a kyber crystal at its heart, a lightsaber can be used to cut through blast doors or defend against enemies. Using the Force, a Jedi can sense blaster bolts and deflect them with this elegant sword.
Kyber Crystal - This is found at the heart of every Jedi lightsaber. This special gem channels the power of the Force and is connected to a Jedi Knight on a deeply personal level. In this way, a lightsaber is an extension of a Jedi's Force awareness.

Learn lightsaber moves. Watch a duel. Practice a duel.

Wednesday: Droids

Astromech Droids - A series of short, utility robots generally used for the maintenance and repair of starships and related technology. R2-D2 is an astromech droid.
Protocol Droids - Droids programmed in etiquette that can communicate in millions of languages, which makes them perfect assistants for Jedi, diplomats, and politicians. C-3PO is a protocol droid.
Build your own droid, or buy one that you can control with an app.
P.E.: Star Wars Chase II

Thursday: Star Wars Creatures

The Top 9 Star Wars Creatures and Pets
What is your favorite Star Wars creature?
P.E.: Star Wars Jump Battle

Friday: Final Jedi Temple Challenge

Test your Strength, Knowledge, and Bravery!

Strength - go to a trampoline park and complete the obstacle course without touching the ground, the rock climbing wall all the way to the top, and the zipline (get clues for the next challenge with each task completed: bunny stuffed animal, binoculars, the numbers 1-2-3, the color blue, a rock)

Knowledge - listen to a Star Wars story and help each other answer questions to complete a scavenger hunt

The Story: On the rocky world of Enujut, peacekeeper Evor Haris welcomed all visitors, most recently a ship of one-legged, gray Zemerin, a skittish species that could fix anything from star ships to food replicators. Later in town, Haris broke up a fight between a long-eared smuggler and a merchant. Seconds later, he found another confrontation between a technician and her assistant over a stolen orange and white data unit. After that, two Ewoks started arguing over which one was taller. And then, the cantina erupted over which food capsules were tastiest. Haris boiled over with rage. His 12 fingers curled into a fist, ready to pop anyone who didn't agree. A metal hand tapped him on the shoulder. "Leave me alone, I'm keeping the peace!" Haris snapped at the blue protocol droid. "Sir, I've noticed that these petty arguments began as soon as the Zemerin arrived." The droid had discovered the Zemerin were telepaths that fed off negative energy. They didn't want to repair ships, they wanted to cause trouble. Haris lost his cool and chased the droid into a transport, calling him a bile mopper, a space dolt, a yak sniffer, every name under Enujut's three suns, with the selfish Zemerin hopping behind to feed on the negativity like scavengers. Suddenly, the transport door slammed shut, Haris jumped from an emergency hatch, and the blue droid took off. Haris smiled as he watched the transport disappear from view through his macro binoculars, blasted back to their home planet. The Zemerin were going to be hopping mad when they realized they had been tricked.

What kind of ears did the smuggler have? The bunny
How many Ewoks were arguing? 2
What did Haris use to watch the Zemerin? The binoculars
What color was the protocol droid? Blue
The Zemerin had a special power. What was it? Telepathy
How many suns did Enujut have? 3
What kind of landscape did Enujut have? Rocky
How many legs did the Zemerin have? 1

Bravery - your teammate navigates you through the dark (blindfolded) to find your Kyber Crystal

The Dark Side tempts them with the answers (I had an envelope with all the answers inside sitting in front of them on the table)

Saturday: Field Trip to the caves/caverns like we're on Dagobah, or within any of the other many caves in the Star Wars universe.

"Reminds me of Dagobah. Dunno why the Force seems to love caves so much." -Luke Skywalker, in a cave on Serelia

Blue Sky Days Blog

Summer Homeschooling - Animation Week

Summer Homeschooling – Ghost Week

MONDAY — WHAT IS A GHOST?

TUESDAY — AMERICAN GHOSTS & HAUNTED HISTORY

THURSDAY — SCOTTISH CASTLES & GREEK SHADES

Summer Homeschooling – Cherokee Heritage Week

MONDAY — WHO ARE THE CHEROKEE?

TUESDAY — THE LAND PROVIDES

WEDNESDAY — BELIEFS, SPIRIT & “COLORS OF THE WIND”

THURSDAY — CARING FOR THE LAND: STEWARDSHIP & DAILY PRACTICE

FRIDAY — LANGUAGE, STORY & TRAIL OF TEARS

SATURDAY — HERITAGE PILGRIMAGE: FIELD TRIP TO CHEROKEE, NORTH CAROLINA 🌄

CLOSING CEREMONY — “WE WALK WITH THE LAND” 🌎

Summer Homeschooling - Japan Week

MONDAY — Welcome to Japan

1. Discover Japan: Geography & Culture Basics

3. Introduction to Japanese Language & Poetry

4. Daily Life in Japan

5. Art Block

Japanese Rock Garden (Zen Tray) - A Zen garden uses rocks and sand to create patterns that help clear the mind. The designs represent ripples, waves, or mountains. “What pattern makes you feel calm?”

6. Japan & Nature STEM

TUESDAY — Ancient Japan

1. Buddhism & Shinto Introduction

2. Ancient Japan Overview

3. Samurai, Ninjas, Sumo, and Martial Arts

4. Traditional Clothing: Kimonos

5. Art Block

WEDNESDAY — Arts of Japan

1. Japanese Aesthetic Principles

2. Woodblock Printing (Ukiyo-e)

4. Origami & 1,000 Paper Cranes Challenge

5. Japanese Sensu Fan Craft

6. Kodo & Japanese Aromatherapy

THURSDAY — Japanese Food & Culinary Traditions

1. Washoku (Traditional Food Culture)

2. Cooking Lab

3. Bento Design & Food Carving

FRIDAY — Modern Japan: Anime, Pop Culture, History, Kawaii Design

1. Anime & Studio Ghibli

3. Introduction to Kawaii

4. Kawaii Craft Station

SATURDAY — EPCOT FIELD TRIP: Japan Pavilion Day

Summer Homeschooling – Scottish Heritage Week

MONDAY — CLANS, LAND & WHY SCOTLAND IS SHAPED THIS WAY

TUESDAY — KILTS, TARTANS & SYMBOLIC CLOTHING

WEDNESDAY — CRESTS, MOTTOES & THE LANGUAGE OF SYMBOLS

THURSDAY — CLAN LIFE, HONOR, BATTLES & HIGHLAND GAMES

🗓️ FRIDAY — REBELLIONS, OUTLAWING & SURVIVAL OF IDENTITY

My 2026 Arc of the Year

Soft-Power Fire Horse - Complete Feng Shui Master Plan

Summer Homeschooling - Executive Functioning Week

🗓️ MONDAY — LIFE SKILLS & FOLLOW-THROUGH

🗓️ TUESDAY — YOU'RE THE PARENTS (DAY ONE)

🗓️ WEDNESDAY — YOU'RE THE PARENTS (DAY TWO)

🗓️ THURSDAY — TURN GOALS INTO PLANS

🗓️ FRIDAY — EMOTIONAL REGULATION & EXECUTION

Summer Homeschooling - Public Speaking & Debate Week

🗓️ MONDAY — Public Speaking Foundations

🗓️ TUESDAY — Public Forum Debate (Case Building Day)

🗓️ WEDNESDAY — Public Forum Debate Day

🗓️ THURSDAY — Individual Speech Events

🗓️ FRIDAY — Memorization & Performance Night

🗓️ SATURDAY — Field Trip

Summer Homeschooling - “Living with Totoro” Week

🌱 SUNDAY — Arrival & Settling Into the Totoro World

🍃 MONDAY — Chores of a Country Life

🌸 TUESDAY — Foraging & Harvesting

🕯 WEDNESDAY — Candle Making & Old-World Crafts

🌾 THURSDAY — Cooking Like a Totoro Neighbor

🌲 FRIDAY — The Totoro Forest Walk

🌙 SATURDAY — Closing Ritual

The 12 Days of Christmas - An Annual Yule Plan!

The 12 Days of Christmas (Yule Tide)

December 20th, Mother's Night (Yule's Eve)

December 21st, Winter's Night (the Winter Solstice)

December 22nd, Father's Night

December 23rd, The Silly Feast (counting the blessings)

✨ Decor & Atmosphere

🦊 Crafts & Hands-On Ritual Play

**2. Woodblock Printing (Ukiyo-e)**