Mommy Octopus

The Athens-Clarke County Leisure Services Department announces the reopening of select locations including Ben Burton, Memorial, and Walker Parks (formerly Trail Creek Park) on Monday, May 18.  Sandy Creek Park will open Tuesday, May 19. Dudley Park, the Firefly, Greenway, and Sandy Creek Nature Center trails will remain open.  All other parks and facilities remain closed at this time.

Ben Burton Park will open to permit access to fishing, open space, boat launch, and trails for public use.  There is no restroom access.

Memorial Park will permit access to fishing, open space, picnic shelters (small gatherings only), and trails for public use.  The playground, basketball court, dog park, and Bear Hollow Zoo will remain closed. Restroom access will be limited.

Sandy Creek Park will permit access to disc golf, fishing, open space, private dog parks (by reservation), picnic areas (small gatherings only), and trails for public use. The beach, large pavilions, playgrounds, basketball & volleyball courts, and public dog park will remain closed. Restroom access will be limited. Park entrance is $2 per person for ages 4-64, all others are admitted free of charge. Payment options include annual passes, punch cards, and credit/debit cards.  Cash will not be accepted.

Walker Park, formerly Trail Creek Park, will permit access to open space, picnic shelter (small gatherings only), bike trails, and walking paths. Athletic fields are available for self-directed play, but closed for competitive and team use. The outdoor fitness zone, playground, and splash pad remain closed. Restroom access will be limited.

The public is reminded to continue to practice social distancing and gatherings must be limited to 10 people or fewer. Masks are recommended.

For more information, visit www.accgov.com/leisure

Amazon is having a deal for Buy One Get One FREE on select vitamins. This is the perfect time to stock up!  There are currently 2 pages worth of vitamins included in this deal.  I’m not sure how long it is good for, but is currently an active deal today!

Designed by a fellow homeschooling mom, Beyond the Stick Figure Art School has a motto of “If you can draw a stick figure, you can learn to draw and paint”.  What a cute saying that definitely is the heart of the program.  The Beyond the Stick Figure Complete Drawing Course PLUS 3 Bonus Courses program is an online course with videos, starting with the very basic drawing techniques.  Access to the full spectrum of courses retails for $370.  This price gives you access to the courses for life!   Some basic art supplies are required and are easily picked up off Amazon or in your local craft store.

The program requires you to watch and mark off lessons in the beginning instead of skipping ahead to what you want to work on. Although I’m sure that is very beneficial to start at the beginning, my older kids were not thrilled with having to watch every single one of the videos to begin the program.  They had already learned many of those skills already from a co-op class, and we would have loved an option to be able to move forward quicker depending on skill levels.

Honestly, I think having to watch all of the videos from the beginning actually turned off my older kids on the program and they quickly lost interest.  I mainly used it with my 3rd and 4th graders as an occasional activity as we finish up our school year.  I would have really liked to start off with the watercolor section instead of the drawing section.

Some of the basics included drawing circles and the proper way to draw and color in a dot.

We completed a ton of practice on circles and dots!

This picture shows what 2 of my children created from one of the drawing lessons, and learning how to fill up empty space.  She loved the way her circle picture turned out!

I would say that the Beyond the Stick Figure Art School program was ok for our family.  I definitely look forward to moving ahead in the program so that we have access to the Pen & Ink, Watercolor, Acrylic, and 3D design sections.  Don’t those sound fun?  I’m sure my big kids will jump back in when we get to those!  I do think that we will continue using it about once a week or so throughout the summer and into the next school year.

For More Information:

For more information, please visit Beyond the Stick Figure Art School.  You can also find out more on their Facebook, Instagram, Pinterest, and YouTube.  You can also read more reviews on this product from other homeschooling families by clicking the banner below.

My older 2 kids love to read and we were eager to check out the book The Faithful Spy by John Hendrix.  One of our favorite websites, Timberdoodle, is offering this great book for $23.50.  This book is definitely worth reading and is a true story of Dietrich Bonhoeffer.

As Dietrich Bonhoeffer grows up, he witnesses Hitler and the Nazi’s raise to power. From the start, he didn’t like them. Soon, Hitler controlled almost half of Europe. Bonhoeffer had to do something. So, he joined the Nazis and became part of a group with a plot to kill Hitler.

Soon, the gestapo, Hitler’s secret police, arrested Dietrich for no real reason. He was never a free man again. John Hendrix does a good job making the story come alive.

The author of this book, John Hendrix, teaches that even though something is wrong to do, sometimes that is the only thing to do. He also tells how hate can destroy honor, a country, and a whole world. Hendrix tells the true story of Dietrich Bonhoeffer and Adolf Hitler in a whole different perspective. 

This book uses some different symbols to make its point, like a wolf, glasses, and a Roman Cathedral. Even though these were real people, one can still relate to them. A pastor believed to go rogue, a madman with too much power, generals too scared to act, and people who just follow the crowd.

I asked my thirteen year old son son what he thought of this book and here is what he had to say:

I like this book because it is interesting and is an illustrated biography, which means it is full of pictures. There isn’t a thing I don’t like about this book. It is very well done and is fun to read. The pictures are wonderfully done. I recommend this book to anyone interested in World War II or in Hitler. It is a great book and you should read it when you have a chance.

If you’re interested in checking out this book or want to browse some wonderful homeschool materials, please check out what Timberdoodle has to offer. They even offer complete curriculum sets for each grade!

Happy Monday!  It was a beautiful Mother’s Day weekend and the kids and I had a great time walking and enjoying the cooler weather.  So blessed to have my crew!

God has been so gracious to give us such lovely weather during this strange season.  We are all doing as well as can be.  We officially have 14 days left of our homeschool year and we are cranking out the work as fast as possible to wrap up the year.  I am done and I know the kids are feeling done as well.  I hope you all have a great week ahead.  Here is what we are making:

Monday: Meatloaf, veggies

Tuesday: Egg Casserole

Wednesday: Grilled Chicken, potatoes

Thursday: Leftovers

Friday: Burgers

Saturday: Spaghetti

Sunday: Bean Burritos

More and more places are requiring face coverings when you go into a store.  I just saw that the NFLShop is offering face coverings with your favorite team on them!  $24.99 for a 3 pack or a single one for $12.99.  That makes them only $8.33 each when you purchase 3, which isn’t too bad of a deal given the fun teams.  My husband is already asking me to get him the Bills set!

Note that although there is a discount code on the website, it will not apply to this product.  Shipping is $4.99 or free with shop runner.

Officially 18 more days of homeschool left for our family this school year!  Woo hoo!  We spent the weekend rearranging the school room and trying to make things work a little easier.  It was getting crowded with 5 kid desks plus my desk and our book shelves and computer desk.  I think come fall we will have it looking a lot better.  I also gave everyone including grandma haircuts this weekend.  I’m definitely not a professional, but it works okay.  The week ahead brings more of the same, but we plan to pressure wash the driveway, too.  Anyone else find themselves doing more cleaning or organizing?  I haven’t done as much as I hoped during this season, but when school is over it will be on!  Hope you all have a great and healthy week!

Monday: Hot dogs, zucchini fries, beans

Tuesday: Quesadillas, nachos

Wednesday: Grilled chicken, squash

Thursday: Homemade pizza

Friday: Egg Casserole

Saturday: Tacos

Sunday: Fried Chicken, veggies

Hunger Games fans!! You’ll be excited to know that it’s time to pre-order The Ballad of Songbirds and Snakes, the Hunger Games prequel!! My teens are excited.  This title will be released on May 19, 2020.  You can go ahead and pre-order now from Amazon.

It is the morning of the reaping that will kick off the tenth annual Hunger Games. In the Capitol, eighteen-year-old Coriolanus Snow is preparing for his one shot at glory as a mentor in the Games. The once-mighty house of Snow has fallen on hard times, its fate hanging on the slender chance that Coriolanus will be able to outcharm, outwit, and outmaneuver his fellow students to mentor the winning tribute.
 
The odds are against him. He’s been given the humiliating assignment of mentoring the female tribute from District 12, the lowest of the low. Their fates are now completely intertwined — every choice Coriolanus makes could lead to favor or failure, triumph or ruin. Inside the arena, it will be a fight to the death. Outside the arena, Coriolanus starts to feel for his doomed tribute . . . and must weigh his need to follow the rules against his desire to survive no matter what it takes.

Looks like backyard fun will be where it’s at for most of the summer.  Academy has this Intex Easy Set Pool for $49.99 and free pickup at the store. Made from puncture-resistant material for durability, this pool has an easy setup design, so you can start enjoying the water right away.  We used to have one of these many years ago and we were very happy with our purchase.

Woo hoo!  I’m so glad they have hammocks again available.  It’s time to get a few more!  Head on over to 13Deals.com and score a single parachute hammock for $10.98 shipped and $14.97 shipped for double parachute hammock.  This price will be cheaper if you purchase 3 or more as shipping will then be free!  This is where we have bought our hammocks from year ago and they are still in use around here.

Offering lightweight comfort, this parachute silk hammock is perfect for camping or backpacking. This unique hammock is easily accommodated by a large pocket and weighs just a pound. Two hanging hooks and rope are included. The Parachute Silk Hammock is perfect for outdoor adventurers who like to travel light, but still want a comfortable place to sleep and relax.

Please Note: Color will be selected at random and Pink is NOT one of the colors.