Making Connections: A Week in Review - (August 25-29, 2014)

This week started out rough! We had a great time at Mema and Papa's house visiting with Nini and Marty. The kids and I spent two nights and Jonathan came up for dinner on Sunday night.

We did not get home until noon on Monday and I had a lot of prep work to get done for a staff meeting. Everyone was exhausted, so school did not really happen. Aidan did his math because it was a series of Kahn Academy videos and practice problems. Lilly slept. She woke up from her late nap with a fever of 103! Dinner and bed for everyone was about all I could handle!

Tuesday we all slept in, we did most of Monday and Tuesdays work. It was rough! It was really only a couple of hours of school work, but getting the kids to focus was a problem. We stopped before we got to do science, which means they missed out on the really fun stuff.

Wednesday we picked up with science first and my attempt at making school fun failed! I tried to do a fun science demonstration. You stick your hand in ice water, then you take it out and coat it in butter, lard, margarine - something to imitate blubber. Then you put your hand back in the water. Your hand should not be as cold. Well, it failed. I gave the kids rubber gloves that were way too big and they were not at all interested in coating their hands in butter. I did get this great picture of Lilly sticking her hand in the water!

Thursday Lilly continued to sleep off the last of her cold. She did not wake until 1pm! I had to leave at 3:30 so she got another break from school.

But Friday! Friday made up for all of the bad days this week! It made it all worth it! It was a day of making connections and watching lightbulbs go off. Some of those lightbulbs had to shine through some surly attitudes, but I saw them!

First - we finished up our study on the world's biomes. (If you want to see what we did for science this past year, you can find the posts here at Sandbox to Socrates. There are a few more that will go up once a month for the rest of the year.) As we looked at the Wetland habitats we came across a funny little animal called the axolotl. The kids were excited because this was one of the weird animals they talked about in VBS this summer, and we had seen one at the zoo! They love this funny looking little creature!

Second,  as we studied the Wetlands further we came across the term delta. Aidan remembered the Nile Delta from our ancient history studies. He also happened to cover the letter Delta in his Greek this week. Finally, on Friday, we were covering the Jewish religion in our geography/world religions study. We read about the Jewish captivity in Egypt and were able to find Egypt on a map by looking for - guess what? The Nile Delta! They love how it all interweaves so neatly, even if they don't say it. You can see it in their faces!

Third, this week for geography we studied Israel, its location, climate, history, and people. I included the section from our World Religions book on Judaism in this week's studies. We read about Abraham and Moses. For AWANAS, Lilly is studying the story of Moses and working on a long Bible verse to go with the story. For our history timeline, today was the Exodus! We are also working our way through the Narnia books and that has included some discussion of World War II. Today, Aidan and I talked a little bit about the Holocaust. It is a tough subject, but I think we had a nice introduction to the topic and we will be ready to talk about it in more detail as we study World War II later this year. I did not plan for any of this to overlap so neatly! I just love that it did!

Finally, through gritted teeth and frustration that I was making her do something she "knows," Lilly was able to do all of her addition facts from memory! Up until now we had been relying heavily on our manipulatives and pictures in her book. She would not look at me because she was mad about having to recite them, but she did them all without counting!! Math and reading are hard for her, she is my artistic child. Today was HUGE!

Our bad week turned out to be pretty amazing. This is one of those weeks when we really see the benefits of homeschooling. The kids got to spend that extra 12 hours with their Aunt and Uncle, then we caught up on sleep, and we could still do a little schoolwork, even with sickies. In addition, knowing everything they are studying allows me to help them make these connections, which in turn helps cement things in their brains. Sometimes I work hard to plan them and make them work, but I love it when they just happen!

Our First Week of 4th Grade and 1st Grade! (Aug 18-22, 2014)

So, I am a little late with this post. We had our first week of school last week. It has been a whirlwind of a weekend though! My sister was in town and I had to get paperwork in order for the first day of classes at the studio, hire a new teacher, make sure everyone knew their schedules, and prepare for a staff meeting! It's been crazy!

Anyway, back to our first week of school. We finished everything I had planned! Need I say more? That really is quite an accomplishment! (Really, we even did a little extra work. I know, I know - now I am bragging! I'll stop!) We took first day of school pictures. I thought we would get a cute picture on the dome in the back yard. You can see how that turned out.

Our attempt at a fun first day of school picture...they were a mess!

First day of 1st grade.

Monday started out great! I woke my sleepy head, Lilly, up by blasting the Veggie Tales song "Billy Joe McGuffery" through the whole house. I love this song! All of the kids loved it and we had a dance party as we played it a few times. After breakfast we did math, science, history, a president report, Latin, Greek, English grammar, literature, and art. I was so proud of my hard working kiddos!

He would not let me take his picture! He kept making faces!

Tuesday we started the day with a playdate at the splash pad. The kids had fun, and I had a nice visit with friends I had not seen in a few months. It was great! I did totally fail at taking pictures though. We were all too busy having fun. Aidan finished all of his work when we got home. Lilly and I did short school, she is no good for school work in the afternoon. We ended the day with our first FLL meeting. Aidan cannot wait to start programming a robot!

Wednesday and Thursday were just normal school days. They were smooth sailing.

Friday, I attempted something new. We packed up school and went to the library. We waited for Lilly to wake up and so we got there late. Everyone brought their preschoolers after morning preK was over. It was not the quiet, relaxed environment I was looking forward to. Plus, I failed to be sure that my box of school goodies would fit in the stroller - it didn't. This made everything more difficult. I had to lug the heavy box in and trust Aidan to push the stroller with the Matthew.

The kids enjoyed the change of scenery. Matthew played with the trains and puzzles. Aidan and Lilly found a pile of books and movies. I found a few good books as well.

I had promised a trip to the YMCA to swim. It was a good thing I called first - the pool is closed for a couple of weeks! I had one very disappointed fish named Lilly.

Not everything went as planned, but schoolwork happened with little to no fighting. I know that not every week will be so smooth, but I am thankful for such a great start to the year! Now on to week two!

My Monday Munchies - Our Favorite Potatoes!

Today's recipe is one of our favorites! Jonathan maintains a good sized garden in our backyard. We have 2 4x8 beds of potato plants (about 70 plants!) He recently brought in the first harvest of potatoes and we cooked them up for dinner.

What you need: 

A couple lbs of potatoes, diced (I had about 6 cups diced)*

1-2 large onions (if you like a lot of onion, do 2)

6 cloves of garlic (we really like garlic, if you do not like a lot of garlic I would do 4 cloves)

1 stick of butter

1-2 cups of fresh chopped herbs

Salt and Pepper

 1. Chop your potatoes and onions.

2. Melt the butter over medium heat. (You can use your favorite oil if you want. We have used olive oil before. We just prefer the taste of butter. If you use oil, heat it until it sizzles when you put the garlic in. I usually test it with a wooden spoon first.)

3. Press your garlic into the butter. (You can mince it, but I prefer my Pampered Chef garlic press!) Saute the garlic for a minute to flavor the butter.

4. Pour in the potatoes and onions. Cover and let sit on medium heat for about 15 minutes or until the potatoes start to soften. 

5. While the potatoes cook, chop your fresh herbs. I used basil, oregano, thyme, and chives. I ended up with over two cups. I really don't think you can have too much!

6. Stir, and then continue to cook uncovered until the potatoes are the desired tenderness and starting to brown.

7. Add your fresh herbs, salt and pepper to taste. Toss and let cook for another minute or two.

These are very flavorful potatoes. They take about 30 minutes. I always make enough to have leftovers for breakfast!

*Don't use store bought Russet Potatoes. That is all I had on hand one day, so I diced them and cooked them up. No amount of seasoning and butter helped those potatoes! I love Russets for baked potatoes and mashed potatoes; but this recipe just needs a different texture of potato. The Russets did not hold the flavor like a red new potato, Yukon Gold, or fingerlings. Pick a good potato and you will get the best results!

My Monday Munchies - Grandma Long's Famous Never Fail Chocolate Cake!

My Dad's Mom was a chocoholic! For birthdays, Mother's Day, Valentine's Day, Christmas, Thanksgiving - any holiday or sometimes just because - my Dad gave her a box of Russell Stover Dark Chocolates! She would share. Sometimes we each received half a piece, but usually a whole piece of Grandma's candy.

Both of my grandmothers cooked the most delicious meals. Each had their specialties. Grandma Skelton has the best chicken and dumplings recipe and a yummy sheet cake (among other things too numerous to list!) Grandma Long made us amazing spaghetti and meatballs and my favorite chocolate cake - she loved chocolate and would only serve the best, richest chocolate cake! She made the cake for birthdays. We all loved it.

After she passed away, my Aunt Shirley (my mom's sister) started making the cake for birthdays. Then, after I graduated from college and got married, my mom let me copy the recipe into my recipe book. I started making it for birthdays too.

What I have discovered is that this is the most flexible cake recipe I have ever made. You can make it whatever you want!  I have no idea where she got the recipe. It was written on a card, in her handwriting. I do not know if she created it or copied it from somewhere else. But it is amazing!

The Basic Recipe

Ingredients:
1 boxed cake mix
2 small instant puddings
1 1/2 cups water
1/2 cup vegetable oil
4 eggs
1 package (2 cups) chocolate chips

Grease a bundt pan with Crisco or a floured baking spray.
Preheat oven to 350 degrees.
Mix all ingredients, pour into greased pan.
Bake for 1 hour. Check with a toothpick. If it comes out clean, it is done.
Let it cool for 5 minutes and remove to cooling rack, or right to the serving plate!
Store covered to maintain the moisture

What Flavor Do You Want?

Notice - I did not list flavors of anything. Why? You can do whatever you want. You can make this cake any flavor you like and it will come out great! (As long as you pick good flavor combos). Here are a few I have tried.

Grandma's Standard:
fudge or chocolate cake
2 chocolate puddings
semi-sweet chips

My Favorite - Super Dark Chocolate:
devil's food cake
2 fudge or dark chocolate puddings
dark chocolate chips

My Mom's Favorite - Chocolate Covered Strawberry:

strawberry cake
2 vanilla puddings
dark or semi-sweet chips (I tried white chocolate chips, but they sank and created a crust on the top when you dumped the cake out. They did not taste very good either.)





*This version makes great presentation if you drizzle the top with melted chocolate chips and cover the serving plate and hole in the cake with chocolate covered strawberries!

My Aunt Shirley's Holiday Experiment:
chocolate cake
2 chocolate puddings
crushed peppermint instead of chocolate chips
(she said they sank and stuck to her pan and made it hard to clean, but it was yummy!)
*A second option would be to add a few drops of peppermint oil and keep the chocolate chips. I have crushed peppermints and mixed them with whipped cream as a topping and it worked out well for flavor too.

Can It Be Any More Flexible?

Yes!

This cake makes great cupcakes and mini-cakes too. The cooking time needs to be shortened. I made flower shaped cakes for my sister's wedding. They were small single serve cakes, a little bigger than a cup cake. They needed about 30 minutes. Be sure to test with a toothpick!

Now It Gets Really Fun!

I have been playing around with this cake for years. I decided I wanted to really test it out. Here is my recipe for my most recent experiment.:

1 yellow cake mix
1 vanilla pudding
1 banana pudding
1 cup pureed banana and strawberries (I used 1 ripe banana, like you would use for banana bread and a handful of frozen strawberries.)
1/2 cup water
1/2 cup vegetable oil
4 eggs
dark chocolate chips (I did not have quite 2 cups, but close.)

I knew the consistency the batter needed to be, so I added the cup of fruit and the oil, then added the water a little at a time until the consistency was just right. What I discovered is that the fruit replaced the water. You can do any fruit you want! Just consider the water, fruit, and oil as wet ingredients and they need to add up to 2 cups.

Puree the fruit.

Mix all the ingredients.

Pour in greased pan.

Bake for an hour.

And you get this!

How to Serve the Cake

My favorite way to serve the cake is with homemade whipped cream! Cool whip and ice cream are also excellent choices. If you want to frost it, I recommend a whipped frosting. This is what I have done for birthdays when the kids want a decorated cake.

Under that Kirby, there is a chocolate cake!

I have done a butter cream on it and it tastes fine, but the cake is so rich and beautiful on it's own it really does not need frosting. This is one of the biggest benefits for me. As you can tell - my cake decorating skills are greatly lacking. A cake that looks beautiful and tastes great without frosting is perfect for me!





Why Never Fail?

Well, it is just that! I have over cooked it and it still came out moist and rich! I have cooked it in pans of different shapes and sizes. I have made mini-cakes, cup cakes, layer cakes, a Care-Bear cake, and the usual bundt cake. It is equally good in each pan. If you want a soft, moist, richly flavored cake that takes little work - this is the cake for you! What other cake batter transfers so well to a cupcake? My experience is that they come out dry and crumbly. Not this one!

Also - the brand/price of the cake mix and pudding don't seem to matter. I have used the more expensive "pudding in the mix" cakes and the cheaper off brand cakes. Same with puddings. I even used a "cook and serve" pudding rather than instant (because that is all I had) and it worked fine.

You can make this cake for less than $5 and less than 10 minutes prep time.

Make it the day of or a few days in advance. I have been eating on one cake for 3 days and it is still just as soft and moist as on day one!

My Challenge to You

Make this cake. Use one of the variations I listed, or create your own. If you create your own variation - share it in the comments and let me know how it worked out. I am always looking for new varieties. I have a bag of cinnamon chips in the pantry - I wonder what they would taste good with?

Field Trip! Science Museum Oklahoma!

We took a field trip to the Omniplex almost every year from 1st to 12th grade. It was fun, but eventually we had done everything. There was nothing new and it was not as much fun as it had been.

When Aidan was 4 or 5, we took him to the The Oklahoma Science Museum (new name for the Omniplex) and it was the same as it had been the last time I went with school. Aidan loved it, it was all new to him, but we did not go back for a while.

Last year, we purchased a family pass to SMO because they had started adding new exhibits and there were some fun things for the kids to play with. We went almost weekly for the first two months. Then we went once or twice a month. We have been less in the last few months, but our pass has been a great investment! Every time we go, there is something new!

Our trip today was no disappointment. We started in a play area for the kids. Last time we went, these "roller coaster" pieces were not out and the kids were very disappointed. Today, they were in a bigger, more open space and they set up some great tracks to roll the balls down.

A series of new displays let kids experiment with the principles electricity and air.

The new Tinkering Garage lets kids take things apart or build with circuit blocks. Aidan dismantled a cell phone, a remote, and a drill. Then both kids built circuits with light bulbs, buzzers, fans, batteries, and switches. We spent most of our time here!

Matthew loved putting together tubes for golf balls to roll through. 

We also watched the science show - lots of explosions! We rode the Segway and we played in the shadow box. 

I love playing with the kids at the science museum and I cannot wait to see all the new displays they were making room for! There was construction going on in at least 3 areas. Everytime they have opened something new, it has been great. We are excited!

The Joys of Attachment Parenting

I thought I was an amazing parent when Aidan was born. Without knowing that what I was doing had a name, I was practicing attachment parenting. I just did what came naturally to me. I did go back to work for a few hours a day, but he never had a drop of formula and most of the time he was with myself or his dad. When he was with me, I carried him everywhere. He slept with us. He was sleeping through the night (intermittently) by 2 months and pretty consistently somewhere between 6-9 months. But what I thought were my amazing parenting skills may have had more to do with the personality of my child than my skills as a parent.

I treated my other two babies the same way. Lilly started sleeping through the night around a year and Matthew did not sleep through the night until he was 20 months and that was only because I was in the hospital and he stayed with my parents for a week and he was forced to wean earlier that he wanted.

A recent article in The Atlantic noted "The Perils of Attachment Parenting," the author assumes that to practice attachment parenting you must ignore your own needs. I have found that, for me, it is the opposite. For me, the benefits of attachment parenting far outweigh these perceived negatives.

Co-Sleeping

She pointed out the dangers of co-sleeping by linking to another article. The article states "....Epidemiologic studies have shown that bed-sharing can be hazardous under certain conditions. Bed-sharing might increase the risk of overheating, rebreathing or airway obstruction, head covering, and exposure to tobacco smoke, which are all risk factors for SIDS."

"Under certain conditions." Dr. Sears and other co-sleeping advocates give explicit instructions for creating safe co-sleeping conditions. The benefits of co-sleeping, when done safely, can be great. Research has shown that babies startle less in their sleep, maintain more consistent body temperatures, have better breathing patterns, and more steady heart rates. Dr. Sears' article references a number of scientific studies on the benefits of co-sleeping.

With my first two children, I never felt sleep deprived. By co-sleeping, I was able to get more sleep each night. I did not have to get up to feed my hungry baby or comfort a scared baby. Both Mommy and baby got more sleep. I slept more and better when by babies were with me in bed. I found myself waking less to be sure they were breathing if they were lying next to me. I could feel their heartbeat and breathing and movements.

I followed all of the recommendations I could find. I slept in a long sleeve shirt so that I did not need a blanket to cover my arms. I kept pillows away from the baby. I did not consume alcohol or take medications that made me drowsy. If I did need to take a cold or allergy medication, I put the baby in the bassinet beside me. We don't smoke, so that was never a concern. For a full list of safe co-sleeping guidelines read this article by Dr. Sears (they are at the bottom, but the article gives some great information on SIDS and co-sleeping that should be considered.)

Self-Soothing and Putting Themselves to Sleep

Ms. Jenner states that "Babies will often put themselves back to sleep if they're given the chance—but these children never get the chance to self-soothe, to calm themselves down, one of the most important tools a child can develop at an early age. I know eight-year-olds who can’t go on sleepovers because they can’t leave their mother’s bed." 

By being with me, I think my children learned to self-soothe better than without me. None of my children took a pacifier. I tried with Aidan, he was fussy in church when he was a few weeks old, I was not confident nursing yet, and church was almost over. We tried to get him to take a pacifier and he refused. We tried a few more times over the next weeks and he never wanted it. So we never offered it again. At three months he started sucking his thumb. He put himself to sleep by sucking his thumb for 6 months and then just stopped. He no longer needed it. Neither of my other children ever needed a pacifier or a thumb to suck. They each found their own self-soothing methods. 

Yes, they needed me. I held them and they nursed when hungry or upset. Matthew (my youngest) reacted very strongly to his first rounds of vaccinations and the only thing that soothed him was nursing and rocking, all night. Those are the only days that I felt sleep deprived. 

Has using me for comfort created co-dependant kids? My kids are all confident and fairly independent. Honestly, I think they are more independent than a lot of kids their age. They love to go to friends' houses, they enjoy sleepovers, they are very social. 

Having never gone to school (we homeschool), I was a little concerned about dropping them off at day camp this summer. I knew that Aidan would do fine, he is almost 9 and his cousin was going to be in his group. They are nine months apart and best friends. But Lilly is 6, and she was going alone - no friends. She did great! She missed me, but she did not have any homesickness. She made friends and had a blast. They both want to go back next year. I would say that my children, who spend 95% of their time with one or both parents, are well adjusted and independent. 

Putting the Kids' Needs Above My Own

When you have a baby your life changes. If you are used to a life of partying all night, you do have to give up some things. There are times when a child's needs must come before your own. When the baby is sick, you may have to change your plans. If you can't find a babysitter, you have to take the baby/child out to dinner with you or stay home. You may miss out on events that are not kid friendly if you cannot find a babysitter.

In those first few weeks, the baby does need to be held and fed and changed regularly. It may even feel like you are constantly caring for the baby and ignoring your own needs. In reality, the needs of the baby help force mom to take care of herself. Nursing on demand and holding the baby constantly in those first few weeks are actually very good for mom and baby. 

Nursing helps release hormones that helps mom's body recover from birth. Plus, holding and feeding baby makes mom sit down and rest. You may feel like you are giving up so much by sitting and holding the baby - your house becomes a mess, you can't take a shower. (Although, this never was a problem for me. I passed the baby off for 10 minutes and took my shower. Dad can soothe a baby too and it is important for dad to bond with the baby. If I was home alone, I put the baby in the infant carrier or portable swing and sat them in the bathroom. I could talk to them if they got upset. Sometimes they cried, but usually the sound of my voice was enough to keep them happy for 10-15 minutes. It was even easier with older siblings to talk to the baby!) In reality, this constant care of your child is forcing mom to get the rest she needs immediately after childbirth.

By holding the baby while I ate (and sometimes nursing while I ate) I always got to eat dinner while it was hot and fresh. You get to be quite adept at doing anything one handed. As they got older, I learned the art of distraction. Put the baby in the Pack 'n Play or on the floor with a few toys. Get them started playing and when they are happily distracted, go make dinner. I eventually had Matthew trained to play for 30-40 minutes while I cooked. Then he wanted to to be held, but by gently easing my self away from the kids when they were happy and safe, I could take care of my needs.

Putting the Kids on a Schedule

It can be harder to get kids on a regular schedule if they are nursing. The milk is more easily digested than formula and they get hungry sooner. A baby may eat every hour and a half or every three hours. When I am hungry, I eat. Why would I do anything less for my child?

I have not found it necessary to keep my kids on a strict schedule. If I needed an hour to teach a class or go to a meeting, I would hold off on feeding the baby for 30 minutes or so and comfort them in other ways, then feed them right before I needed to leave. They were pretty flexible because they were not on a strict schedule and I did not need them on one.

They also napped just about anywhere. I could go about my daily life and know they would get a full nap in the car while we ran errands if needed.

Will My Methods Work for Everyone?

No.

It is that simple.

I have found what works for me. I feel like my kids are well-behaved in most situations. Are they perfect? NO! They are kids. My kids are independent and social. They are smart. They are kind. They are loved. They are happy.

Is my way the only way to parent? No. I do what works for me and you do what works for you. I have seen so many blog posts this week where moms are saying the same thing. They feel like they are being judged by other moms or that other moms feel judged by their choices.

It is hard enough to be a mom. We all compare ourselves to others. We all probably do judge each other a little bit. It may only be in your head; we do it to justify our own choices. When we have "professionals" who are uninformed about our choices and methods, it undermines the confidence we have and can lead to more judgement from ourselves and others.

Keep doing what works for you. "The proof is in the pudding." If your kids are growing up to be who you want them to be, be confident that you are doing what is right for YOUR family and best for YOUR children.

If you want to know more about what attachment parenting is and isn't, Dr. Sears' website is very informative.

My Monday Munchies - Making Ground Beef

My aunts gave me the most amazing wedding gift - a Kitchenaid Stand mixer! For someone who likes to bake, this is a great addition to your kitchen. While shopping one day shortly after we were married, I noticed all the accessories for the mixer - juicers, meat grinders, and pasta plates. How cool to be able to make homemade pasta! That one went on my Christmas list. My mom gave them to us, but none of us read the part that said you needed the meat grinder to use the other attachments. Oops!

I had the pasta plates for years before we found the meat grinder brand new and in the box, at a garage sale for $20! I have had the meat grinder for 5-7 years now and have never used it - until today!

We have a grocery store chain in Oklahoma called Crest. Once a month they have a huge meat sale. I can spend $200 on meat and come home with enough meat to feed our family for 2-3 months. 

During one of my last shopping trips I ended up with 3 roasts (the have bags with a variety of cuts - I had 3 ground beef, 2 steak, and 3 roasts). I already had a pork roast and a beef roast in the freezer at home. I also had stew meat. 

When I checked the freezer this week, we still had two roasts! They need to be used soon and I don't really want roast and potatoes in this heat. I hate to spend money when we have food in the freezer. So I decided to test out my meat grinder.

I had no idea what to do! So I Googled "Make your own ground beef" and I found this site. It's so easy! I already have everything I need. So I thawed the roast and got started.

I assembled the meat grinder and attached it to the mixer according to the directions.

I sliced the meat into thin strips. From what I read on the other site, it might be easy to jam my meat grinder, so I wanted to be careful. My Kitchenaid instructions said partially frozen, or really cold meat worked best. Mine was still slightly frozen when I started.

I ran the strips through the grinder with the coarse grind plate. This was quick and easy! (All of the recipes in my instruction manual said to use speed number 4, so that is what I did.)

I changed the plates and reran all the meat through on the fine plate. This took a little longer and I had to use the meat stuffer to press it all through. I was very happy with the results!

I weighed out the meat. I had a little over two pounds. I cooked and seasoned half of it for tacos and froze it. I don't know when we will eat it and I did not want the meat I worked so hard for to go bad! The other pound will become spaghetti sauce for dinner tonight.

Here are some helpful hints from my first experience with the meat grinder:

1. Clear a 2-3 foot radius on your counter. It spits. I had cleared a good space, but I had to wash the knives and knife block, the stove, and a few other things that were not far enough away!

2. Wear an apron. You don't want your clothes covered in meat.

3. If you want great taco meat, grind it twice. For hamburgers, I might just run it through once with the coarse grind plate. 

Will I do this every time I need ground beef? Probably not, but the next time I get a good deal on roast I will be stocking up!

Happy Birthday, Matthew!

My baby is 2! The last two years have flown by! I have a very active toddler now. He talks up a storm and keeps us hopping. Here are his first two years in pictures.

Meeting Aidan and Lilly in the hospital.

Those first teeth!

One year old sillies!

14 months.

21 months.

How he looks after EVERY meal!

Fun things he says:

That cute! (when looking at himself in the mirror)
Puppy! (in a very high pitch)
Stay. Stay. (to the dog)
Two. Three. Jump! (He dislikes the number 1 and refuses to say it. Then he jumps off of what ever furniture he is on.)
My dink! (When he wants his cup)

I love this boy more than I can say! He snuggles, he makes me laugh, and he keeps me on my toes. He loves his big brother and sister and we just can't get enough of him.

Happy Birthday, Matthew!

Free Kindle Books!

I am always looking for new books on education to read. I have read everything our library has on home education and a few on general education theory. I have been reading and studying homeschooling for 5 years now. I still learn something new from every book I read. I gain new inspiration with each book. This is the time of year that I need a few new books to get me ready to start the new year. I decided to search the Amazon.com free Kindle library for some new reading today. Here is what I found:

Education in The Home, The Kindergarten, and The Primary School by Elizabeth P. Peabody

The Montessori Method Scientific Pedagogy as Applied to Child Education in 'The Children's Houses' with Additions and Revisions by the Author 

and

Dr. Montessori's Own Handbook

by Maria Montessori
School Options: Discover your options for schooling your kids (Them Kids Book 2)by Them Kids

And for some fun classic reading:

The War of the Worldsby HG Wells

Fables for Children, Stories for Children, Natural Science Stories, Popular Education, Decembrists, Moral Talesby Leo Tolstoy

I am excited to start reading through this list. They are all downloaded to my Kindle and ready to go! I hope you find something interesting!

Weekly Feature - My Monday Munchies

I have decided to start a weekly feature for - My Monday Munchies! I will share recipes we like - things we create, things we find, methods for stretching leftovers, ways we save money - maybe it will inspire you as you make your meal plan for the week.

One of my favorite things to do is cook. We do all kinds of cooking at our house. Some days we cook for hours to create huge and delicious meals. Some days we go for the quick and easy meal or leftovers. Some days I fill the crock pot and leave it until dinner time.

Cheese burger, potato salad, cole slaw, and cucumber salad.

It is all about balance. I balance the heavy and exhausting cooking days with the quick and easy. If I cooked for hours everyday, nothing else would get done and I know I would grow to dislike the task. If I only do the quick and easy, I start to hate it as well. I get bored, and it feels like I am cheating on our meals.

My weekly plan usually includes some of the following:
1-2 big cooking meals
1-2 crock pot meals
1-2 of our go to quick meals (spaghetti, tacos, etc) - these take 30 minutes or less
2 medium preparation meals - these may take an hour to cook, but take minimal prep time
A meal of "planned overs" - a planned reworking of leftovers

When I actually take the time to sit and plan a full week of meals, I try to plan one new meal a week. If I am in a hurry, I just use our old standby meals.

 I will share a little bit of everything! 

I am not a trained chef. I have never taken a cooking class. I learned to cook from my mom, my grandmothers, my aunts, my mom's friends, my friends, cookbooks, and cooking shows.

I am no expert, I am just sharing what I do to keep my family well fed.

Budget Friendly Homeschooling

There are a multitude of ways to homeschool on a tight budget. I have found list after list of free education websites. I have even used some of them as a part of our school:

Xtra Math

Star Fall

Typing Web

Teach Your Monster to Read

Homeschool Share

Khan Academy

I have found all of these sites to be great supplements to our school work. They are great for busy days or days when I am sick and I just cannot get to everything with the kids. For our homeschool, we need more than free websites. How can you purchase all of that curriculum on a tight budget? It takes work, patience, and planning.

First, you have to decide what you want. This can be a daunting task. What curriculum will work for your child? Assuming you have decided, then you start to shop. I usually start at Rainbow Resource. They have great prices for everything I have looked at and if you order enough at once, you get free shipping!

After I check Rainbow Resource, I check Amazon.com. I have found books I wanted for literature free or very cheap on my Kindle. I have also made several great purchases of used books through the Market Place. EBay has also been great for a few deals. But my best deals have come out of extreme preplanning!

After extensive research, I decided on the grammar, science, and math programs I wanted for my oldest. I knew I wanted to use them for several years. I found a bundle of 4 levels of the grammar program I selected. I purchased four years worth of grammar for less than the price of one year new. When they arrived, all but one book was like new! 

We began using a science program that I loved! I purchased the first year new at convention and received a discount and free shipping (convention is a great place to shop if you want new!) While exploring one day, we came across a garage sale of a homeschooling family. They were selling 3 semesters' worth of the next levels of our science program! I purchased them all for $25 total (Savings of close to $100)! 

I love the Core Knowledge Group's series What Your.....Needs to Know. When all of the Borders stores closed, I found 4 years worth for a couple of dollars each!

I scour the books at the library book sale to see what I can buy to supplement or build courses with. I have a collection of books on events of the Revolutionary and Civil Wars in America. I have a large collection of cultural geography books for kids and a good selection of science books of various topics. I could check similar books out when we reach the subjects/topics, but I tend to run up library fines. The book sale saves me a significant amount in library fines!

A member of our homeschool group was selling the second year of our history curriculum a year before I would need it. I knew what I needed and how much it would cost new, so I bought it a year in advance.

I was only able to purchase these great deals because I had planned for the full grammar stage from the beginning. I found good deals at off purchase times - this saved me money and spread out my purchases. Rather than spending all of my curriculum money at one time, I spent a little here and a little there. It has made curriculum purchases much less painful.

I have already begun planning for logic and rhetoric stage. I have a general idea of what I want to use and am collecting items as I find them for free or cheap. My bookshelves are busting at the seams, but I am okay with that.

What if we don't like a curriculum choice and I have bought several years worth of books in advance? That is okay! I have not spent enough on most of these things to be worried about it. Plus, I can always resell them. I did this with the first grammar program I purchased. I bought one year, used. We tried it for a week and we were miserable! I sold it online and made back the money I spent on it. There will always be a homeschool family who loves the program you hate. You just have to find them!

Plan ahead and shop smart and you can have the curriculum you really want without spending a fortune! As my cousin Jama always says, "Prior planning prevents poor performance." Or in this case - significant savings!

Thomas O'Malley and Marie - A Mommy Brag

I started taking dance class when I was 3. My mom made me continue in middle school when I wanted to quit. Then a couple of times in high school when I wanted to quit. She knew that I loved it and was just tired, so she let me skip a week or two of class and then go back rather than quit all together. I am so glad she never let me quit! I love dancing; but more than that, I love to teach dance. I would not be doing what I am now, if my mom had let me quit. I would not be sharing this joy with my children if she had let me quit!

For the past two weeks we have worked on Disney's Aristocats Kids. Aidan is playing Thomas O'Malley and Lilly is playing Marie. They are both doing such a great job! Aidan has a great voice (he definitely takes after his dad). His dancing is pretty good too, in my totally unbiased opinion! (Okay - maybe a little biased as his mom and teacher.)

Aidan as the tough Alley Cat - Thomas O'Malley.

Lilly has a pretty voice too. She is finally starting to really hear pitch and keep rhythm well. She amazed me at auditions. Really. I could hear her, she was focused, she followed directions. She had so much energy reading any line I gave her! I was a proud!  She did great the first week of rehearsal - then the second week started and she was tired, but she worked hard, learned all her lines and songs (a lot for a 6 year old!)

Lilly as Marie, the Aristocat. 

She still gets a little distracted by the audience and the lights when she is on stage, but she did great!

All of the kids looked tired last night. It was a long week and a long day with 4 hours of rehearsal and a show. We have one more show at 11:00 am today and I know it will be wonderful!