Friday, April 21, 2017

{SQT} Easter Octave Edition

#1-4. Holy Triduum


Check out past posts for our Holy Triduum Report, if you missed them.

#5. Classes Resumed


Our regular classes schedule resumed, so we were back at piano lessons, YMCA P.E., and Scottish dance.

#6. Shoe and Sock Survey


We took the Octave week off of school to recover and do Life Chores that are difficult (impossible?) for Mama to complete when she is working full-time as Teacher. Sometimes Teacher has to take a break so Mama can do work too!

Shoe Survey


I completed my biannual Shoe Survey, executed in the Fall and Spring.

Step 1. Measure the child's foot with my handy-dandy measuring device so I will never again have to take five children into a shoe store.

Step 2. Survey all that child's shoes, which means gathering them from the garage, sun room, and bedroom. Write down a description of each shoe and size.

Step 3. Get rid of shoes that don't fit. (Save if it is worthwhile, or donate away, or throw away.)

Step 4. "Shop at home" by checking our store of hand-me-down shoes: do we already have in stock what that child needs?

Step 5. Buy shoes in the categories that are necessary. Ideally, order online.

The Shoe Area looks this neat for less than one day, twice per year.


Sock Survey


Step 1. Gather all the socks from every nook and cranny.

Step 2. Launder all socks.

Step 3. Lay all clean socks out on the kitchen table and have a Matching Party.

Step 4. Throw away any socks with holes or damage.

Step 5. Save all matched pairs. Store them in a large laundry hamper in the Shoe Area. Kids who are so interested in wearing socks can dig through the bin and find their own socks.

Step 6. Put all singletons (temporarily) in a sack in the laundry room. Later, the singleton socks will meet their doom.

Step 7. Assess sock needs and buy new ones.


#7. Miscellaneous Moments

Mama was so desperate for the toddler to be occupied that she let him ride his outdoor Strider inside the house while she was organizing shoes.


Later, while organizing socks, the toddler got really, really quiet. Finally, Mama investigated and spied him coloring all over his pants and skin with a marker pen. Mama was (again) so desperate that she quietly slinked away, allowing him to keep coloring because "it's worth it."

Later: Mama discovered that was a permanent pen.

Adoring brothers


I came upon Margaret (6) giving a piano lesson to Joseph (4), teaching him Ode to Joy and calling out the notes while showing him the fingering.



For more 7 Quick Takes Friday, check out This Ain't the Lyceum.

3 comments:

  1. I like the idea of the "sock and shoe survey!"

    Our Bea is the same age as Thomas and is almost always sporting self tattoos. I think I've successfully kept away all the permanent markers, though. :)

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  2. I'm impressed with your sock and shoe survey! My kids usually just wear the same shoes until they start complaining that the shoes are too small...and forget about matching socks! :) And I only have three kiddos. I have the hardest time staying on top of the shoe and clothing situation.

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  3. Thanks, Janeane! We do have more than one pair of shoes each, but I consider myself pretty simple as I want them to have a pair of Mass shoes, a pair of sneakers, and a pair of what I call "strappies" but what shoe-sellers seem to call "closed-toe sports sandals." If the children receive hand-me-down shoes in other categories, that's okay, but I"m not going to go out and buy specialty shoes.

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