Anti Procrastination Thursday

The daily PWYC thread, where we gather to keep in touch, keep accountable and keep motivating each other.
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LadyMaverick
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Re: Anti Procrastination Thursday

Postby LadyMaverick » Thu Jan 31, 2019 4:05 pm

Stopping to pray for Dee DS-A and all those who are battling fires and weather. I can't imagine how hard it must be.

DGS21 called and asked if I had extra food available for lunch. He woke up late this morning and didn't make his lunch. I always have extra food or something that I can quickly fix so I told DGS21 to come to join me for lunch today. I pulled several things out of the refrigerator and had way more than the 3 of us could eat. The amount of food available could have feed 3-4 more people without a problem.

Homeschool went well this morning. We had one time when DS10 had an attitude toward me, but that was quickly addressed and solved.

SKIPPABLE.....I'm just thinking out loud while I'm resting a moment in the glow of a job well done. I'm not a teacher and am constantly doubting my ability to teach DS10. So when I have a success I am surprised as well as being thrilled.

DS10 has achieved 2 Math goals. I am silently jumping up and down with glee. I can't discuss this with anyone IRL because I don't want friends/family talking about it and DS10 confidence shaken.

One of the Math goals achieved was the ability to repeatedly do subtraction problems in less than 3 seconds each with 100% accuracy. In the past we focused just on learning the math facts but not on speed. We used 6 seconds per problem which gave him time to use his fingers and other aids. Once he achieved the 6 seconds with accuracy then we switched to 3 seconds. True it is only a 3 second change but it is huge in that it requires instant response. Yesterday DS10 did over 100 problems. This Math test is a challenge because it requires not only the knowledge but the ability to stay focused. There can not be any hesitation on giving any of the answers. To achieve this goal it cannot take 4 seconds to do a problem because that stops the test. This is a big challenge for an ADHD kid that is also doing tics (eyes squeezing shut over & over plus his neck tic jerks head backward over & over) which affect the ability to actually SEE the problems. Yesterday I was watching DS10 take the test and was marveling at his mental success with these very real physical challenges. He totally rocked it!!!

The second Math goal he achieved took him-him 10 months to complete. Last year about this time I realized that DS10 wasn't retaining important Math information. I tried several different methods & curriculum to teach Math but DS10 understanding & knowledge just wasn't there. He was becoming frustrated and disappointed in his struggle to do Math. So I made the radical (to me) decision to start again at the point that DS10 knew the Math material well. I didn't want DS10 to know that he was doing lower grade work than his friends so I also keep going (at a very slow pace) the same grade as his friends are doing. This meant we were doing 3 grades of multiple curricula at the same time.

I am soooo very pleased how well that has worked. I kept detail records so I could keep the multiple assignments in multiple curriculums organized. Yesterday I was looking back at my documentation of his work and became excited at seeing the results in hard facts. I started 3rd grade Math (again) with DS10 on 3/20/2018. The goal was a complete understanding so we went at his pace. He finished the 3rd grade math curriculum on 8/15/2018. That meant in 5 months he did a complete year of Math and was totally confident in his knowledge. Then we started 4th grade Math (again) on 8/16/2018 and he finished it yesterday (1/30/2019). So 4th grade took him 5 months and he finished it with total confidence and has retained the knowledge. Now we are 100% doing 5th grade Math just like his friends are doing. His knowledge is firm & his confidence in his ability to do Math has soared. It hasn't been an easy 10 months of double/tripling up on curriculum but the outcome has been a very successful effort. EEEK! I'm so very excited that this worked!!
1. Know what you want.
2. Go after it relentlessly.

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DeeClutter
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Re: Anti Procrastination Thursday

Postby DeeClutter » Thu Jan 31, 2019 4:15 pm

POTB, Lady M. You're learning too! :)

DD and dsonil are going alone to Trivia tonight. Dh and I both feel the need to stay home. He's really sounding much worse than me. I've gotten a couple of notes back from the Care Manager at my Dr's office. Hopefully I'll have a new script waiting for me by tomorrow or so at the pharmacy. Fortunately I don't need it right now -this is a hoping I won't need it prescription. I seem to be keeping this cold mainly as a head thing -it's when it hits my chest that I'm in real trouble.
Begun is half done -SO! JUST BEGIN!!

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Kathryn-in-Canada
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Re: Anti Procrastination Thursday

Postby Kathryn-in-Canada » Thu Jan 31, 2019 4:20 pm

Congratulations Lady M on coming up with a learning plan that led to success!

We are on our way to Dh's dental appointment. We got stuck in the garage when the door wouldn't open because it is frozen shut. I had the office number in my phone so dh called for the super who got us out.

We'll just make the appointment on time assuming we hit the rest of the lights green.

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Re: Anti Procrastination Thursday

Postby BookSaver » Thu Jan 31, 2019 4:29 pm

Hello, villagers ~
The boss decided to keep the library closed today. She forgot to notify me. I found out when I showed up there for work at 12:25 and saw the sign on the door. I feel so special. :roll:

The really dangerous day was yesterday with the actual high predicted to be -17F, and wind chill temp as low as -55F. I did take my car to the dealership in TheBigCity half an hour away for its checkup and oil change, but I prepared myself with several layers of clothing. The sun was shining and the roads were totally dry; if I had run into anything that remotely resembled a slick spot on the road in TinyTown, I would have turned around and come home and rescheduled my appointment. It was fine.

The only stop I made on the way home yesterday was at the post office to mail a bill while I was out. I saw then that the library was closed due to the cold and thought wow, that's a first.

I don't know why it's closed today. When I got to work it was -9F but warming up so by usual closing time tonight it will be 0F. The thing is, though, that I well remember other times in the past when actual high temp was worse, in the negative 20s, and everything stayed open.

Oh well, the decision to open or close is above my pay grade so whatever. This will give me the chance to catch up the laundry and some other chores.

Tuesday the weather was like today, very cold but manageable. I went to TheBigCity to stock up on groceries. I bought some things that take a long time to cook, to help keep the kitchen warmer.

Yesterday afternoon I baked a couple large sweet potatoes for an hour and a half, as a side to go with black beans & rice for supper and to have leftovers for my lunch today. Last night after supper I put a big pot of pinto beans on the stove and let them simmer for a couple of hours. Most of those went into the freezer for future meals, but I kept some out to make chili tomorrow night. Tonight I'll make some kind of soup, most likely chicken noodle with vegetables.

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Re: Anti Procrastination Thursday

Postby BookSaver » Thu Jan 31, 2019 4:30 pm

Congratulations to LadyM and to DS; that is a wonderful accomplishment.

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Harmony
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Re: Anti Procrastination Thursday

Postby Harmony » Thu Jan 31, 2019 4:33 pm

LadyM, I'm sure your DS is doing better than I could do. I still count on my fingers a lot. Not visibly, but the same concept. I don't memorize well. Must be something with the way I learn. Math was always my poorest subject. It doesn't take me a lot of extra time, and some facts are automatic, but not all. My hat's off to your DS.

Harriet, sorry to read your extended family got sick like that.

Chicago is in the news a lot again.

Went to the post office this morning. I've set up all my workbooks for 2019. After doing that for about 17 years, I couldn't figure out how to do it. Was making a mistake. I remember thinking about it at one point and just did things the only way I could and apparently it was the right way. All these years. NOW I know the reason it worked and why it didn't work today. Couldn't get the reason out of the help menu, had to google it and some geek site had the solution right away.

I bought a dummies book for W10 but never got one for Excel. That would have helped for sure.

Left back burner on my stove no longer works. Flat top elements. Now I know why our gfi circuit in the kitchen popped off. I will have to think about when to tell DH.

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Re: Anti Procrastination Thursday

Postby CathyS » Thu Jan 31, 2019 5:56 pm

Chicken is cooking and the whole house smells delicious.

Earlier today I was trying to think of what things I don't like to do in the summer because they are too hot to do in the heat. AHA! I got out the board and started doing some of dh's shirts with steam to press them! Wow! I had to take off my big bulky sweater by the time I was finished the first shirt. Now 3 shirts are done and I'm a lot warmer than I was a couple of hours ago. I took my time and I also took a break between shirts.

Dh came home early because he was done for the day and he had gotten a chill I think. I asked if he wanted a hot cup of tea when he walked in and he didn't hesitate to say yes. Then he had a nap under a blanket on the couch.
Dishes never stop.
Laundry never stops.
Paper never stops.

Elizabeth
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Re: Anti Procrastination Thursday

Postby Elizabeth » Thu Jan 31, 2019 6:53 pm

Hi everyone! Last night, I did not get a whole lot done, but did order glasses. Wanted to work on some Christmas 2018 crochet, but need some paint for the yarn (the color is a little too light, but the texture is ideal). Tonight is supposed to be with DD16, but given the finals schedule, may not be. Whatever she does, it needs to be errand day for me. I have a $20 credit at an office supply store that expires TODAY, need to get that paint, pick up Briggs's meds, and get groceries. The latter two have 24 hour options, so only the first two are time constrained. That being said, I don't want to be out and about late.

Today has been the usual report work, but lots and lots of DPCs, mostly associated with cancelling a car warranty. I can no longer use it because my mileage has gone beyond their limit. At several stages, the people I talked to were apologetic that my car payments will not change, just have extra applied to the principle. Since this is what I already planned on doing, I have no problems with that. The auto loan people record two full payments in January, 6 days apart. My bank only shows one. Need to check Quicken tonight. It will be paid off April 2021, but I am aiming to pay off earlier. Once I get the credit card paid off, I will attack the car with a vengeance. My financial advisor wanted me to cash out a small account (no penalties involved) and pay my debts, but once that money is gone, it's GONE. I consider it part of my emergency savings. I want to ADD to it, not remove from it.

Congratulations to LadyMaverick's DS! That is an awesome accomplishment for the both of you.

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Harriet
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Re: Anti Procrastination Thursday

Postby Harriet » Thu Jan 31, 2019 7:02 pm

Hi, Elizabeth

BookSaver, sweet potatoes, rice, black beans/pintos... .. sounds like my house!

BookSaver, that was also dangerous for you. What if something had gone wrong and you were alone. She wouldn't hear the end of that from me. Hrumph.

Dee, I saw your initial post about the fire about an hour after and copied that to ds. I'm sure he is hearing a lot of this but I don't know if he's ever had suspicions of mobile home fires started by trying to thaw out pipes - could be he would say it was common, though. So sad for those who lost their home, when they had already been struggling with weather.

blessed, I have thought of your ddog several times today. I know you were worried for her.

LadyM, congrats to you and ds - well formulated plans. What I've read today about retention of learning would suggest that the best help he (or anyone) can get is sleep the night before and the night after his learning. The night before, sleep "frees up space" for temporary storage of next incoming knowledge. The night after, sleep "relocates" the knowledge to permanent retention, and further informs it (ties info together for us). Also true for his piano lessons, btw - there is no such thing as muscle memory; it's all in the brain and it's better after sleep.

The hour-and-a-half tire change turned into 3 hours. Sigh. I was really getting antsy. I did make that walk but it was uninteresting. Did buy the pill cutter. Otherwise, I finished about 2 chapters in Why We Sleep, this deep-deep book that's taking me so long to read. This guy's a genius and writes beautifully, but he assumes his reader is a genius, too. So at the same time he's frustrating you, he's sort of complementing you, so you end up admiring him and trying to understand him, lol. But I will admit, it's not a hard book to put down.

I learned that if I don't sleep well tonight, I may not retain what I read. Sigh. But if I do sleep well tonight, I may actually know more of what I read than I do today.

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LadyMaverick
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Re: Anti Procrastination Thursday

Postby LadyMaverick » Thu Jan 31, 2019 7:16 pm

Thanks for celebrating with me. I hope I don't totally mess up DS10's education. My overall goal is to give him a love of learning and confidence that he can succeed.

I took DS10 to STEM activity at the library then we checked out books for this week.

The gloves DMom requested that I buy for her arrived in the mail today so I dropped them off to her. DMom is extremely picky about only using these gloves when she is doing gardening or household activities. Years ago DMom would spend hours calling various stores to check if they had these gloves in stock. Then she started requesting stores to special order the gloves for her. Now she just calls me. Easy to solve. it only takes me about 30 seconds to go to a-river, find the last order and buy them again.

I picked DGD7 up from school and listened to her tell about her day. DGD7 best friend has a boyfriend now. WHAT?!?! Ugh. DGD7 received an award today for perfect attendance. She had 2 test today and said both of them were easy. and on and on and on. After about 10 minutes of talking non-stop then she was done.

I moved about 10 of the indoor plants outside and give them a good haircut and soak. It is bright sunshine, calm breeze and about 65F degrees outside. Perfect for doing some plant housekeeping where I don't have to watch for spills or clean up after myself. I've now brought the plants back indoors. I have another couple dozen of plants that need this done to them but I lost my motivation to do more plant maintenance today.

The kids are playing outside with neighborhood friends. They were playing basketball but have now switched to riding bicycles.
1. Know what you want.
2. Go after it relentlessly.


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