Happy Birthday to my oldest :)

Today marks 14 years of my being a mom. I love this job more than anything else I've ever done in my life. And the farther I get into it, the more I see there is to learn. My best teachers are my children and I learn from them daily. Today I learned that a growing young Christian lady is a beautiful thing to behold. May grace and beauty follow her always and may she know the love of the Lord in each day of her life. In our church, the pastors pray once a month over those with a birthday in that month. One of the things they say is "if they stumble and fall, lift them up again." That line always reminds me of the poem "Footprints". I want that for my children. May they always walk with the Lord so He can carry them when life gets hard.

God Bless You, B. Mom loves you.

What to call Him?

As you may have noticed, I don't put the kids' full names on this, for security's sake. The problem is I can't decide what to call my oldest son. His initials are WSS but we call him by B. The problem is that his sister is already B and his brother is already W. So sometimes I call him Scouter Son, since that's his favorite activity. But that is too verbose. Maybe SS? He wants me to use his name but I won't do this since I leave it public for my online friends.

Any thoughts?

The History Fair

Despite the fact that Mom was a nervous wreck all day, the S family did very well at the "Fairs". There were a few close calls on the way to the goal, but we pulled it all together and had sweep of Blue Ribbons! Yes, all three girls earned Blue Ribbons in their respective fairs. Here is R beside her presentation. And I just had to share her score notes with you. It says, "best I've seen in the show, you could definitely go to NHD (National History Day) with this report". She earned a perfect 44 out of 44 score. Just look at that grin!

The Science Fair

And here is H with her project. It also earned a Blue Ribbon. She was commended for her Scientific Method. She controlled her variables and ran lots of trials. She was very excited and proud of her work. We had a bit of trouble transporting that maze but it was a terrific addition to her display. Thanks to cb for the loan of many Duplo blocks since our collection just wasn't big enough :)

The Art Fair

Here is B with her project. She has it wrapped aropund her since it is very large. The small swatches on the board represent the squares of the afghan. Each one is a different yarn and stitch. She was still knitting the last square 30 minutes before her interview time but that was fine. She was able to demonstrate her technique. She was awarded a Blue Ribbon. Next year she may enter again but she wants to start NOW!

The Spelling Bee

There is nothing like a spelling bee to get a room quiet. Each time a speller approached the mike, there was a dead silence in a room full of people. B prepared as best as he could and went in nervous but ready to go. There were 19 participants and they drew numbers for seating order. He was #17. They began with 3 rounds of beginning list words. The words are divided into categories and within each category, they are further divided in to Beginning, Intermediate, and Advanced words. His first word was "brandy". He went on to spell "gloss", "onlap", "fronds", and "neutralize". At this point there were only 5 spellers still standing.

The next category announced was "English, Latin, Greek" a list near the back we had not gotten to. By quick calculating and looking at the list I saw his next word would be "ossuary". B is a good speller but I was pretty sure he didn't know this word. I began to worry. The word before his was "initiate" and I knew he would have known that one. But this would be a guess. Fortunately he did ask for a definition (a depository for the bones of the dead). Unfortunately, it didn't help. He went on to spell "o-s-h-u-a-r-y". My momma's heart sank. He bravely returned to his seat. He had done well and we were all proud. We were more than a bit relieved to be done and not have to continue studying for the next level. His friend O came in second and we are very proud of him, but now the real pressure begins. We did this with B-the older, and the next level bee is very serious.

Last night as the kids went to sleep, they were planning for next year. B and H plan to spell. It will be B's last year of eligibility and H's first. Since they carry about half of the categories over each year, he stands a pretty good chance of winning. We'll let you know. In the meantime I leave you with B's favorite word of the book "agathokakological"- meaning...well you can look it up!

Don't have time for a real post but with everyone needing me to help with their projects or spell with them, this is how I feel!!! Check out that poor mother's expression.

Just Shoot Me

I think I mentioned early in the fall that I had required all four of my older children to participate in some way in the local homeschool academic fairs. The local support group sponsors this and it includes Science, Math, Art, History, and a Spelling Bee. I thought it would be a good educational experience for us.

Well, that was then...this is now. If I EVER mention doing this again, please just shoot me! The fairs are this Friday, yes two days from now. We are suspending all regular schoolwork this week to focus on preparing our final projects. Let me share a bit about this process.

Oldest daughter decided to enter the Art Fair with a knitted afghan sampler. She is knitting 16 different squares, each in a unique yarn and stitch. Then she will put them all together to make an afghan for her bed. She is also doing matching 5" X 5" squares for her display board and after the fair she will stitch those together to make a smaller version for her American Girl doll. This is the easiest of my burdens since she is very independent. That doesn't mean she isn't stressing. She still has 4 squares to knit.

Next in line son(12) decided to enter the spelling bee. At least there is no product here. We just spell nonstop trying to learn the list of thousands of obscure words like "arachnophagous" or "trinitrotoluene". He has read Watership Down since that is one of the categories of words.

Next stop, 9 yo H. She wanted to do the Science Fair. Okay, I can handle this. I am after all a Science teacher. I judged the high school fair last year so I thought I knew what would be involved. NOT! She is trying to determine whether hamsters can learn. She built a maze out of Duplo blocks and is running her sister's hamster through it repeatedly. We think it is learning but is very stubborn. The times are all over the graph, not following the nice downward trend I had anticipated. Tonight we almost had a tragedy when the dog, who had never seemed interested in the least, made a lunge for the hamster while it was running its little path. We haven't quite decided whether the hamster can learn, but we sure did learn to put the dog away for future trials.

Lastly, little R wanted to do something for the History Fair. She wanted it to involve her Molly American Girl doll. Molly is from the World War II era so I suggested she find out what it was like for a young American girl during that war. I have to say this has been my favorite project. She has read lots, written some good reports, colored maps, interviewed Grandma, and found pictures to illustrate her topics. And she even thanked God for this wonderful project in her prayers tonight. Music to a homeschool mother's ears.

So, tomorrow we will be putting the finishing touches on the presentations before we head to the event on Friday. I'll be sure to take pictures and share with you as soon as I recover.

But PLEASE, don't ever let me do this again.

Raising Teens

A Tale of Two Cities by Charles Dickens was my favorite assigned book in high school literature class. The famous opening line, "It was the best of times, it was the worst of times" comes to mind often for me. This stage of my oldest's life brings it to mind almost daily. B will be 14 on Monday. This stage is not unlike the toddler who wants terribly to "do it MYSELF!" and then struggles mightily to tie her shoes or pour the milk. I am reminded of the days when B was this way. Now, this is round two. Most of the time she is a lovely, responsible, helpful big sister to her siblings and my right hand. I have worked hard over the years to give her the training she needs to someday be a wife and mother of her own domain. She is a good learner.

Then there are the worst of times. She can be moody, sarcastic, resentful, difficult with her siblings, and overemotional. She would not like that I say these things, but it is MY blog, and I am a bit perplexed about this. I have never believed that dire prophecy that all teenagers will be monsters for a while, rebelling against all you stand for. I have seen many families navigate through the teen years relatively unscathed. And I intend to do so...five times! But that doesn't make it easy. I know it is frustrating for her to have some privileges of young adulthood and still some limitations of childhood. I want her to make good decisions. I want her to be happy and independent. But she is still my daughter and, physiologically, her brain is still that of a child even though her body is rapidly moving towards adulthood. Teaching tact and respect are delicate areas. These social skills take years to develop.

It's a good thing God gave me lots of kids to practice on. I may need it.

Menu for January 22-28

I forgot to post the menu last night. Here it is. I made it before I remembered J will be gone all week so it may get altered. I often ease up on the cooking when he is not here :)

Sunday lunch: Black Bean soup and chicken salad sandwiches
Sunday Dinner: Pizza

Monday: Hot dogs and corn on the cob (AngelFood hotdogs)

Tuesday: Tuna salad for lunch
Beans and rice for dinner with a salad

Wednesday: Kielbasa/potato/cabbage skillet dinner-didn't ever get to this last week.

Thursday: Hash Brown soup and Broccoli quiche

Friday: homeschool academic fairs and spelling bee (from 3-9 PM), we'll pack sandwiches and fruit

The Grocery Game

No, this is not part of our new homeschool curriculum although I have used Grocery Cart Math and I love that :) The Grocery Game is an online service that tracks sales, correlates them with coupons, and then advises you about what to buy at your particular store, all for $1.25 per week. I had heard of it before, but was reminded by my Titus2 friend Kirsten (thanks K!). You can check them out at www.grocerygame.com . I thought they wouldn't have my regular store (HEB) since it was already low cost and the great deals are usually at the higher price stores. The high price stores use marketing techniques such as "loss leaders" to get you in the store. Those are the terrific deals usually on the front and back of the flyer in the weekly paper. They figure they can afford to lose money on those few items if you come to buy them because you'll also do your regular shopping and spend way more on their other high priced items than you save . (Another benefit of that degree in Home Economics was how to play the original grocery game). I played it well.

But this is a whole new level. Surprisingly, HEB is on the list and they track things like meat and produce, which can add up quickly. I am going to give it a try to see if I can bring the grocery bill down even further.

Yesterday I went to Albertson's with a similar plan. They had triple coupons up to $.75. That means a $.75 coupon saves you $2.25 ! I saved about $51 on a $160 bill, all on products I will use anyway. Hopefully, over time, the GG will save me even more.

They offer a 4 week trial for $1 if you're interested. Be sure you let them know I referred you (kimberleygayle@sbcglobal.net) since I get a free week for each referral. BUT, be aware that if you try it out and don't like it, you have to go back and cancel it in the first 28 days. Otherwise it's only $10 per 8 weeks ($1.25 per week) but they do automatically begin your membership after the first 28 days. You can cancel at any time, but before the next billing cycle.

What's For Dinner: Hot Dogs and Corn on the cob for the kids, veggie burger w/swiss for me. J is out of town all week :(

What I'm reading: Nature's Cures, by Michael Castleman includes all kinds of alternative healing methods including herbs, aromatherapy, exercise, foods, etc. Just interesting reading. I don't plan to finish the whole thing.

What I'm hearing: silence! only the hum of the computer. Kids are in bed and I am procrastinating because have papers to grade!

What does a child at work look like?

This is R when she was sent to straighten her room this afternoon.

The Fruits of Her Hands

One thing I love to do is to admire the results of hard work. If I clean out a closet or space, I return to that space over and over just to look at it. Whenever I do a large scale food production like canning or Once a Month Cooking, I like to just step back and admire the product. That's how I felt last night. I had been needing to make some more tomato sauce for a while. I use this sauce for all of our Italian meals: lasgana, spaghetti, pizza. That means I use it quite a bit. I used to freeze it but it never thawed fast enough so I tried canning it. I have found the answer. For an afternoon's time, I can have my own delicious healthy spaghetti sauce anytime I want it. Today I produced 7 quarts altogether. Last night we had spaghetti and now I'll stash these jars on the shelf for pizza tomorrow night.

This morning I also picked up a delivery from Angel Food Ministry. This is a network that uses bulk buying power to help you save on groceries. I love the savings and food is pretty good, although there are sometimes things I wouldn't otherwise buy like hot dogs and boxed macaroni and cheese. The kids love that and I guess I look at them as infrequent treats so it is worth the savings. To see if it is in you area, check out www.angelfoodministries.org . The February menu looks terrific.

More on Homesteading

In rereading my post, I see that it sounds like I feel pretty smug about my level of skill. That wasn't the intent. I got tired by the end of the long post but what sent me to post in the first place was reading about other people's experience with true homesteading. These are women who are butchering their roosters for meat for dinner. They have chickens on a regular size house lot. Depending on the part of the country, some areas will allow you to keep chickens in your backyard. This would provide eggs, and meat if you know what you're doing.

And one whole area I didn't mention is gardening. I have grown a few herbs, but that is the extent of my gardening knowledge. I would love to try growing some of our vegetables, composting, raised beds. I have read all about it, but never taken the leap to plant the seeds.

Another area I know little about is canning as a method of preservation. About three years ago, I started making jam out of the strawberries we pick at a local strawberry farm. This I can do with a water bath canner since it is high acid. I also do tomato sauce, again in a water bath. But any serious canning of meat, vegetables, or soups requires a pressure canner. I want to try this but haven't done it yet. It's on my list.

So, wherever you are on the spectrum of independence, I hope you'll think about how you could learn one new skill. You can save tons of money, meet some really neat people, and maybe you'll find yourself looking at property in Montana.

What's For dinner: Spaghetti and breadsticks, salad

What I'm Reading: A Good Yarn by Debbie Macomber, lighthearted fiction about knitting

What I'm hearing: "What's a humperdink?" from W after his brother called him this silly name, they are building circuits with the electronic Snap Circuit set, way cool. Scouter son made a radio out of it.

Homesteading in the City?

There is a concept that is going through a revival in the early 21st century. It's certainly not a new concept. The concept is "homesteading". Now this doesn't mean one has to sell everything and move to a mountain top in Montana, although I might like to try that :)

This is the idea of trying to be as independent as possible. In the last few generations, we have gotten so far from this, people have lost skills that used to be basic to every young adult leaving home. Some young adults cannot use basic household appliances, sew on a button, or clean their own homes. But research shows an increase in interest in things like sewing and knitting.

I have always strived for this level of skill. I can sew just about anything I need. When my then 10 year old son needed a winter coat a few years ago and we were quite unemployed, I went to my fabric stash and found some wonderful khaki twill fabric. I went to a fabric store sale and bought a pattern and some berber fleece for a lining. I had thread, zippers, and buttons in my stash. I made the loveliest winter coat for him and I was terribly proud of that coat, still am, can you tell? Total cost? $12.00 (It's late tonight or I'd take pictures and share :)

Anyway, through the years I have learned how to bake pretty much anything, although I don't get much fancier than a lattice crust for the cherry pie most of the time. I used cloth diapers, nursed the babies, made homemade baby food, made most regular foods(pancakes, beans, spaghetti sauce, pizza) from scratch, and at times, even baked all of our bread. I am not currently doing that but would like to again. The biggest problem with homemade bread is keeping it around long enough to use it for the next meal. It is usually gone within 30 minutes of coming out of the oven.

Most recently I am learning the skill of knitting. This is very useful and I hope to become proficient enough to do some of our socks and sweaters. I've already decided I'll never buy another dishcloth because I love my knitted ones so well.

Another area I am working on currently is making my own household cleaners. I have used vinegar for lots of things over the years. Between that and baking soda, you can clean almost anything. I am going to try homemade laundry detergent this week. My plan is to replace store bought products with the homemade version as I use them up. I already have most of the basic ingredients on hand so monetary output should be minimal.

Still another area I am learning in is that of soapmaking. I don't use candles much or I'd do that, too:) I have made beeswax candles and they smell terrific. Back to the soap. I want to learn how to really make the soap with lye, olive oil, etc. instead of the newer melt and pour glycerin soaps. I have enough soap on hand for quite some time so I'll investigate that later in the year. I'm sure you'll hear about it if I do.

Personally, I think this is a wonderful thing for America. Of course, it is nice to have the option of picking up a rotisserie chicken on the way home. But the savings and pride that come from making your own chicken at least sometimes are worth more than all the convenience foods in the world. I won't be giving up my microwave oven any time soon.

But I may be making soap in it.

Menu for the Week Jan 15-21

I am on week three of having a set menu from which I make one grocery list and shop once. I did manage to go last week without needing groceries but since I had to take kids to Walmart for non foods anyway, I got oatmeal and cornmeal since I had used those up during the week. So here's the new menu:

Sunday - Reuben sandwiches, tortilla chips, fresh veggies with Ranch, Rice Krispy Treats for dessert

Monday- chicken and noodles over mashed potatoes, cauliflower ( I know! carb overload but that's how dh grew up eating this meal, and it's all white, too)

Tuesday- cabbage kielbasa skillet, garlic cheese bread, salad

Wednesday - spaghetti, homemade bread sticks, salad

Thursday - taco salad, homemade refried beans

Friday - homemade pizza, salad

Saturday - scrambled eggs, toast

The Joy of a Good Night's Sleep

For the first few years of our marriage, we slept in a double bed. Comfortable enough, but throughout my first three pregnancies, it got a bit too close for comfort. Accommodating my evergrowing belly became difficult near the end. By the third time, I was ready for an upgrade. So near the end of pregnancy #3, in Feb of 1996, we got a brand new king size mattress. Ahh!!! space.

The last year or so we started noticing that our large mattress was not holding up any longer. J teases that it was made by the Twin Valley Mattress company. We faithfully rotate and flip in the spring and fall and yet, it just wasn't cutting it anymore.

So yesterday we acquired a new California king mattress from my brother who is living out of state. It was just sitting in storage. It is a few inches narrower and a few inches longer but it is completely flat, no dips! I could actually sleep on my stomach without killing my back.

Despite that fact that J and I had a late date last night (went to see James McMurtry at a 10 o'clock show) and had to get up early this morning for the 8 o'clock church service, we slept well and I felt refreshed.

As a matter of fact, isn't it about naptime? I think the mattress needs another test. That could have been a fluke, you know.

How Nerdy Are You?

I saw this from a fellow blogger and thought I'd try it out.



It is Friday night after all and I deserve a break like any girl. There are two basic categories of questions, computers and the Periodic Table. I am barely computer literate but, hey, I am a Chemistry teacher so I knew my Nerd factor should be pretty high.

What's your nerd score? Please share with me if you do decide to waste part of your weekend on a silly internet quiz. It reminds me of those Seventeen magazine quizzes I took in high school about which kind of guys I should be dating. I guess this is what I have to look forward to now that I am an old married woman, Nerd quizzes on a Friday night. Wanna come over and program our graphing calculators together?

Meet Bob

W has lots of friends. But his best friend is one who can spend the night at a moment's notice, go to church with us, and always join him for a bath. Meet Bob! I like Bob because I don't have to pick him up, they don't fight, and he eats very little. That's because Bob is imaginary. W has lots of imaginary friends but Bob has been around the longest. Tonight Bob mae his appearance as "Bob the buloon" as written on W's new balloon.

Someday W will grow up and Bob will be but a memory. I'll always remember him fondly.

The Reading Lesson

Anyone who has homeschooled for a while has read those articles about a day in the life of a homeschooling family. Usually they give you the "typical" day as if there is some typical day in a family with multiple children. I want to give you one specific lesson, it is in one way so typical of our school and yet each day is a new adventure.

This was W's reading lesson this morning. He is on Lesson number 67 of Teach Your Child to Read in 100 Easy Lessons. I know the title is gimmicky but this is my fifth time through it and I love it. The stories are fun, silly, and the progress is very incremental. So here goes:

M: Look W, you are on lesson #67. Do you know what that means?

W: What?

M: It means you are getting close to finishing the book. If we divide the book into three parts (I do so by holding three sections of pages for him to see) you have already finished two of them. I bet you finish this up pretty soon.

W: Oh,boy, then I can read Dick and Jane.

M: You'll be ready in no time. New sound today.

W: Oh, I already know that one, it is "j".

M: Yes, like jump or jam.

He proceeds to read sounds like "oo", "er", "y", "i", "ing". Then some words "some", "come". Then he starts to get tired.

W: How many pages do I have to do?

M: We have to finish a whole lesson. Sometimes they are 2 pages, sometimes 4. They get longer as you read better.

W: How long were they in the beginning?

So we look back to the first few lessons and see that they were about 2 pages. Now they are usually 4 pages of sounds, words, and a story. All type in this book is large so that really isn't so much.

W: Look how big the letters were! Now they are little and my stories are longer.

M: Yes, you've come a long way haven't you? Let's read these words now.

W: Okay, "park", "ever", "never", "love", "l... (the word is leave)

M: This is one of those times when we have to think about the vowels. There's a rule about this kind of word. It says that when two vowels are together only the first one "talks".

W: oh, yeah those tricky vowels.

M: Do you really know what vowels are?

W: Yeah, they're tricky!

M: But which letters are vowels?

(Blank Stare)

M: Those are the letters a-e-i-o-and u. Let's say them together.

We do so a few times.

M: So there's a special song for that. Would you like to hear it?

W: Yes.

M: chanting - "When two vowels go walking, the first one does the talking"

R, from the other side of the room: That's on Reading Between the Lions, remember W?

W: Yes, I really don't like that song.

M: Oh, well you don't hahve to like the song, but we need to know the rule. It makes the words easier to read. So let's try this one.

W: "leave"

M: Good, let's go on.

W: " live",... this is a long one

M: Yes, it is but you've read it before. I know you can do it.

W: Sure I can, I've read even longer ones. "sleeping"

M: Very Good!

W: "talked", "soon", I learned that two o's say ooo. I used to think it said "ah" but then Dad and I were coming home from baseball and we drove by that Goodwill between the pet store and I learned that it said Goodwill

M:That's great, Dad told you?

W: Yeah,

M: Okay, what's next?

W: "her"...I'm thirsty

M: Let's finish this page and then you can get a quick drink before we read the story.

W: Okay, (reads about 5 more words then off to get a drink) "I'm back!"

M: Okay, lets read the story

W: Look how little the letters are.

M: Yes, they're much smaller now than when you started. Let's read the title.

W: "The cat that talked." We haven't read about cats in a while.

M; No we haven't. Let's find out what kind of cat story this is.

W: "A girl had a cat. She loved her cat. She talked to her cat. Then the cat talked to her. The girl said, 'I must be sleeping. Cats cannot talk.' The cat said, ' you talk to me. So I can talk to you.' The girl gave the cat a big hug, ' I never had a cat that talked. The cat said, 'I never had a cat that talked.' ...Unless he gets married and then he'll have kittens and they will talk...unless he marries a cat who can't talk and then he'll have some that talk and some that don't.

H, from the other side of the room: Yes, that's because it is genetic.

M: Right, let's go on. (the science teacher in me should really address that but I am ready to be done with this lesson!)

We finish the story to the part that says "the end"

W; Yes, they put that in now because I've been reading longer and I'm more experienced so they give me harder things to read.

M: You got it! Let's look at the picture.

W: Oh, so they were sitting on a park bench.

We continue to discuss the picture and the story a minute and then he says, "snacktime!" Lesson is over.

It actually took almost 45 minutes for that lesson, despite the fact that the book says you can do them in 20 minutes per day. I've yet to have one end in that time but I love that time with W. He is such hoot and I love the things he says while we are working together. I just thought you might appreciate the fact that "real" lessons are rarely like those written up in homeschooling articles.

It's lunch time now and I still have several math lessons to supervise, but nothing is as fun as a beginning reader.
Filed in homeschooling.

This is my entry to win a camera in the "Capture the Educational Moment" Contest sponsored by Spunky and Academic Superstore.

Honey Rice Pudding

In my efforts to be frugal and healthy at the same time, I am trying to make more of our snacks and buy less of them. I am also trying to reduce the refined sugar. While too much of any sweetener is not a good thing, honey has some significant nutrients so I am trying to use more of it, especially local raw honey. It is supposed to help with allergies. Today I searched the net for a recipe for rice pudding using honey instead of sugar and couldn't find one so I made up my own. Yes, it uses white rice. I use brown for everything else, but you can't get a very creamy rice pudding with brown rice. Here it is:

Honey Rice Pudding

2.5 c. cooked white rice
4 c. skim milk
2 eggs, beaten well
2 T. butter
1/4 c. honey
1/2 tsp vanilla

Stir all ingredients except vanilla together in a saucepan. Cook over medium heat, stirring constantly, until thickened, about 20 minutes. Remove from heat and stir in vanilla. Enjoy warm or cold.

What's For Dinner: Chicken wraps and carrot sticks (church choir night)

What I'm reading: Still working my way through Nehemiah, also had enough voice for the first time today to read the kids' history to them. I learn as much as they do and I love history now. Our topic today was the Black Plague. It led to an interesting discussion about the bird flu :)

What I got Accomplished Towards my Goals: A) decluttered the drawer with all of the foils, bags, wraps, etc. I have 6 rolls of foil, 2 of which are opened! I'll spare you the picture.

B) Exercised 20 minutes this morning. Just stretches and toning but it felt good.

Black Bean Soup

I try to serve beans at least once a week, if not more. In the winter, that often takes the form of soup because there are so many wonderful bean soups. I've had several requests for crockpot recipes recently and this is one of my favorites, not to mention easiest.

Black Bean Soup

1 lb. bag of dried black beans
ham bone with meat on it (or chunks of ham)
1 med onion, chopped
1 large carrot, sliced
2 ribs celery, sliced
2 bay leaves
6-8 cups water

Soak beans overnight. Drain bean liquid in the morning and place in crockpot on top of ham bone. Cover with other ingredients and pour water over all. I use the 3 qt. crockpot and I just fill it to the top. Cook all day on low. At night, remove bone, pick off meat and add back to soup. Taste and add salt if necessary. I think the ham is salty enough. Don't add salt until the end because it slows the cooking of the beans. For authentic Mexican Black Bean soup add about 1 tsp each of cumin and cilantro. I happen to like it better without. Serve with grated cheddar on top.

We have this with cornbread or homemade crusty bread. A nice salad rounds out the meal.

You Know You're Getting Old When...

You get excited about new appliances! Tonight while Scouter son was at his meeting, J and I went to Home Depot to look at dishwashers. Ours is almost 11 years old and hasn't washed well for the last few years. I had been waiting for it to die but now we had a combination of great promotional offers which allows us to get a good machine for a great price. I am doing a happy dance and it isn't even here yet. I have to wait until next Thursday for them to deliver.

The new model will be extremely quiet, has a delay feature so I can set it to run while we are sleeping, and a time remaining display. Best of all, it has a built-in food grinder so when my little loaders don't get all the food off, my wonder washer will take care of it. I'm sure they'll be lining up for that chore now :) .

Another clue I am getting old is that I watch the weather and get excited about cold fronts and possibility of rain. I was teaching a lesson on weather today to the middle school science class and told them to pay attention to the weather report tonight and try to read the weather map. They were amazed that I watched it and even more surprised that I was interested.

What's For Dinner: Beef tips with Gravy over Mashed Potatoes, Sugar Snap Peas, homemade chocolate chip cookies for dessert.

What I'm hearing: Giggling as the boys get ready for bed.

What I'm reading: Benjamin Franklin's Adventures with Electricity, preparing for class tomorrow

Back to Business

All of this extra time without children's activities has allowed this organizational frenzy. But now, it's back to normal. Our Sundays are so full, I get frustrated sometimes, but I know we choose this level of church involvement so I try to stay calm in the midst of it.

Today was a little extra stressful since our Sunday School class has dissolved after over 15 years and we are looking for a new one. At one point, we had 40-50 people on a given Sunday morning. That has dwindled to no more than 5 or 6 per week. So, the three core couples left are searching. I have been in the church for 21 years so it is comfortable but still a new experience looking for a new place to belong.

We usually get home by about 11:00 and have lunch. J reads the comics to anyone who wants to listen, mostly the younger three. Then off to nap for everyone. The two older ones have to be back at church by 3:00 for Praise Band practice, UMYF, snack supper, youth worship, and youth choir practice. They don't return until bedtime. After dropping them off, I usually make my big grocery trip for the week. I planned and shopped well today so I'm hoping to have a repeat of last week's milk run and no more.

The next thing on the schedule is handbell practice for the middle girls. They are there from 5-6 so I either run quick errands, grade papers, or take a walk around the neighborhood if weather permits. Then we come home to a quick supper and J usually picks up the older two. I try to start preparing for lessons the next day and get the younger ones ready for bed. This is actually what I am procrastinating about this very moment :)

What's For Dinner: Lemon Garlic Snapper, Couscous with Parmesan and Pesto, Steamed broccoli, Boston CreamPie for dessert

What I'm reading: Chemistry text, writing notes for tomorrow.

What I'm hearing: griping about whose computer turn it is, guess which machine's shutting down now?

Decluttering-part two

Today I worked on a different area of the playroom. This is where the kids accomplish so much of their creative work. It gets very messy very quickly. Lest you think we live in squalor all of the time, I just set this area up last summer and have revisited it's organization several times but still this is how it looked late last week.


Above is how it looks after today. Notice W playing at the table. That is the wonderful thing about a clean usable space. It is inviting; we want to do things there.

Oh, and we also walked to the park for a while. The dog went along and we enjoyed the fresh air and exercise. J and Scouter son went for a 10 mile hike all day. Suffice it to say ours was much shorter.

How Far I've Come

All of this goal setting and work to get things back in control over the last weeks had me thinking about how far I have come over the years. I have always looked at my home and family as my #1 priority but I haven't always had the skills to make the home I wanted. I even have a degree in Home Economics, but that doesn't really give the skill set to manage a home with a large active family living in it. I learned how to sew professionally but the University didn't teach me how to manage laundry for 7 people and keep the hand-me-downs in order. I learned nutrition and food science, which has been immensely useful but not how to really plan real-life menus for a family that was affordable and healthy at the same time. There is so much more to meal management than making sure the colors and textures of the meal are balanced. And the biggest issue of all, time-management, was never addressed in my Family Life class with Dr. Dodd.

So, I look to the Bible to give me instruction in what really matters. Titus 2:3-5 says 3Likewise, teach the older women to be reverent in the way they live, not to be slanderers or addicted to much wine, but to teach what is good. 4Then they can train the younger women to love their husbands and children, 5to be self-controlled and pure, to be busy at home, to be kind, and to be subject to their husbands, so that no one will malign the word of God.

This is much more useful. The most important part in verse 5- being self-controlled and busy at home says it all. If I am self controlled in my time management and stay busy at home rather than out in the world, I should be able to get it all done.

Twelve yrs ago I had two very small children (both under 2) and we lived far from family and friends. My dh worked long hours at a new job and I spent much of my time alone. I had not learned how to manage my time well. There were nights when I would take the children straight to a bath after dinner, then put them to bed and crash from exhaustion. The next morning I had to face dirty dishes on the kitchen table still. I am embarrassed to admit this now but it is the truth and I have heard other women say this happens in their house. I did not have a daily plan. We ate when hungry, the kids slept when tired, and we had no real plan for shopping and errands.

Now this may sound fine for one or two children but with the addition of a few, I saw that we needed some routine structure to our day. I do believe that even one child will benefit from this but it is absolutely mandatory with more than that. One of the first things I had to learn was to schedule naps so that they slept at the same time. It was the only time I had to get anything done alone all day. First I set meal time and nap time. We ate lunch at noon and napped from 1-3. Dinner was served about 6 and bedtime was 9 pm. I didn't set rise times for the kids until they were much older, enjoying the time before they joined me in the morning.

This structure has been in place to this time. Even though my kids no longer need a naptime, we all need quiet time alone each day if we are home. So from about 1-3, the rules are 1- no food, 2- no TV or computer, 3- no mom. They are to entertain themselves quietly without making a mess. Most days this works well and at 3 they emerge from their rooms refreshed and ready to have a snack and some activity with the family. If we are away from home or have two or three busy days in a row with no afternoon respite, I can see the effects in grumpy kids and Mom.

There are so many other areas I have improved in over the years that have made our home run more smoothly. I need to acknowledge this as I strive to make it even better. Who knows where we'll be in 5 yrs.

The Week in Review

This is the first week of the new year and it has been an interesting one. We have been fighting some kind of respiratory yuck all week so no one felt like doing much. Whenever I felt up to it, I worked on decluttering. I was able to read Bible for our school time but not much else because my voice has been strained from coughing so much. I usually read at least one hour per day. We did get all of the math and reading done. That math is taking longer and longer. Sometimes it can be almost noon before everyone has finished their math with me checking and supervising it all. With two doing Algebra, and one doing fractions, I spend much of my time on math.

My resolutions/goals are falling into place. You saw the evidence of my decluttering work. I went to the store on Monday with menus for the week and only stopped for a gallon of milk this afternoon. I sometimes have to shop 2-3 times per week due to lack of planning. I think I can make it until Sunday for my regular grocery run.

I am reading Nehemiah for my quiet time and I appreciate all of the lessons his story has to offer us. I started with the premise that we all need to repent as sinners periodically and that word means "to turn". I need to remind myself often to turn back to the Lord when I get distracted by other paths.

Due to the respiratory yuck, I haven't gotten in any exercise. I hope to walk tomorrow but I'm not sure. Part of the problem is that some of this is the effect of cedar allergies and that is exacerbated by walking outdoors. I did take the kids to our regular park day today and am no worse for it. So, I may try a short walk in the morning.

We have eaten pretty well since we all felt bad. We had lots of soup and hot tea. And lots of vegetables.

What's For Dinner: Garlic shrimp with pasta and edamame

What's on the needles: Nothing, I am working on decluttering and I mostly knit while waiting for kids to finish activities which are not starting until next week.

What I'm reading: The Bible is all I could manage this week.

The Before picture

For some reason, only one of the pictures loaded. So here is the before picture. Be sure to check out the after picture as well.

Feels Sew Good

In keeping with my resolution to completely declutter by summer, I started with my biggest monster. Several years ago, I was sewing actively. I could finish 2-3 projects per month and truly loved it. Then in the fall of 2003, it came to a screeching halt because I needed to go back to work. For the last 2.5 years my sewing area has been gathering clutter and dust. It overwhelmed me just to think about tackling the mess. One machine was out of the cabinet, the other is broken thanks to my 5 yo taking apart the whole tension aparatus. There was a pile of mending, much of which had probably been outgrown.

This week, I did it. I purged the whole area. There were toddler patterns, cut and ready to sew. Maternity patterns and outgrown clothes went. Unfinished craft projects went. I probably won't be sewing again at least until summer so I just put all the machines away in their cabinets. Having this area neat again after several years gives me the motivation to finish the whole room. It's all downhill from here.

How 'Bout Dem Horns?

Okay, I have to admit to being a fair weather fan. I graduated from the University of Texas in 1991. During the 5 years I was there, I went to only a handful of games and that was not to watch the game. I honestly had zero interest in the sport. In the years since, I haven't watched or followed UT football very much at all. Every once in a while, I note whether they win or lose. But I resist the whole hoopla that is Texas football. It's not that I'm not proud of my alma mater. It's just that to me, a school should not be about the sports; it should be about academics.

But this year has been a phenomenal year for the Longhorns and I couldn't help but get caught up in it. When I listened to the coverage all week building up to this, I knew I just had to watch this game. So last night, while I played on the computer and straightened up my sewing area, I watched almost the whole game, by myself even. I joined the guys downstairs for the last 6 minutes of the game and rejoiced as Vince carried that ball across the corner of the field. I even learned a little more about the game. And this morning, I enjoyed listening to the coverage on the radio as the game is analyzed and celebrated. I feel a part of it now and more than a bit proud of my school. I even had my herbal tea in my UT mug this morning in honor of the win.

I can't say I'll be hosting any tailgate parties next season, but I am glad I participated in this momentous occasion for the University.

Hook 'em Horns!

Just Call Me Digital Diva

I remember when I discovered the internet. I Had just had my fourth baby. It was the spring of 1998. Since I now had four children 6 and under, I didn't get out much. We went to the library, church, and occasional grocery run. But that was about it. I was feeling frumpy and lonely. I had friends but they were also moms with lots of littles and we didn't have time for long phone conversations and female bonding. I wondered what my husband could possibly find interesting about me when all I ever did was change diapers, clean up messes, and make peanut butter and jelly sandwiches.

One day out of desperation, I did a search on AOL for "large families". I found a plethora of information and a few message boards dedicated to moms of large families and their issues. This was the equivalent of a cup of tea with the neighbor after you chat while hanging out the wash. It was a place where I could ask about weird symptoms my kids were having. I could ask for advice when I needed to buy a new car seat, rearrange kids' furniture, or find yet another creative dinner using ground beef. There were women there who prayed for each other, supported each other through difficult pregnancies, losses, and the joys of motherhood. I felt like I had come home. The main thing I learned there was that there was always another mom with more (or more closely spaced) children, a smaller house, a more difficult marriage, and meaner neighbors. Whatever trials I faced, I was not alone. I could "visit" with my friends during naptime or in the middle of the night. I was hooked.

Through this experience, I have learned the basics of a computer. I learned to copy and paste. I began to learn how to navigate the internet. I know the difference between a chat room and a message board. I am now in my third "internet community". The ladies there are all Christians, mostly moms, mostly homeschooling, many with lots of kids.

Today my knowledge has increased exponentially because I am learning how to edit, manage, and post digital pictures. This is very exciting for me. This is fun. One of the first things I wanted to do was share pictures with my mom-friends on the computer. The need to learn this helped me overcome my fear of all things digital. It is still a process and I have lots to learn but I see it as an adventure. If you come along, I promise to show you some really cute kids!

A picture for you

This is a test to see if I can actually post a picture here. My loving husband helped me figure out where the pictures ended up after I hit "transfer". They were in no-man's-land on my pc and now that we have it all figured out I SHOULD be able to do this. How about a picture of W and Spot? This is just too cute.

The Party's Over

Today is the last day of our wonderful holiday break. I do feel refreshed and I also feel I have accomplished a great deal. There is however so much I still wanted to get done. I have one last day to finish up things around here. I need to stay focused and on task.

First task of the day is to get the menu and shopping for the week done. I am using a wonderful site created by a homeschool mom for other women who want someone else to do all the work. If you want to try it, here is the site http://www.menus4moms.com/
All laundry except adult's is done and ready for folding. Ours can wait a day or two so B can do hers today according to her schedule. She regularly gets hers done on Mondays while I teach and she is so good about it, I don't want to interfere with her plan.

Today I should start with cleaning out the fridge before heading to the store. I need to toss any Christmas leftovers and wash out the produce drawers. Exciting stuff, I know. But this is what my life is all about. Clearing out the old to make room for the new. While I'm at it, I think I'll try to declutter a few kitchen cabinets and drawers. The counters end up overflowing since it won't all fit in the cabinets.

Lastly, I really need to prepare for classes tomorrow. It's my light day when I only have 3 classes, all of which are lower level. But sometimes those lower level can be difficult in that I have to "entertain" more than in the high school classes. They want to love science, but they also want to have fun.

I'm also figuring out how to work my new camera and get it to communicate with my pc so I hope to have pictures for you soon. Stay tuned.

A few tidbits:
What I'm hearing-sounds of children giggling as they dress and deciding what movie to watch while folding laundry.

What's for dinner- Chicken with vegetables and herbed rice

What's on the needles (knitting, that is)- just finished a dishcloth, ready to start a new project, TBD

What I'm reading- A variety of library books about aromatherapry and homemade spa treatments

Fresh Starts

I love the idea of a whole new year. A new year to learn, explore and enrich my family's life. I am saddened by the cynicism that surrounds New Year's Resolutions. I watch people interviewed on TV saying their resolution is not to make resolutions. Granted, we rarely are able to accomplish all of these goals on our idealistic list each year. But the idea of getting a fresh start to try again is hopeful to me. I know that whatever I have done in the past, today is a new day and I can do or be whatever I want towards a better me.

I always come up with the same three areas in which I need improvement. Household management, daily quiet time with God, and eating and exercise. These all require the same character traits to be successful in them. You must be disciplined and diligent in the little things. I need to be able to get up early to be able to have quiet time and exercise before starting the day. Otherwise it just doesn't happen. But I also enjoy staying up late with my husband since it is the only time we really have to talk uninterrupted. Then 6 am just comes too early. I go through long periods of being motivated and then something throws me off and it is very difficult to get that motivation back. Right now I am in a decluttering mode so I am motivated in the household management arena but the other two are lacking. I was exercising well most of the fall but then allergies and my bum foot caught me slacking and now I feel like a slug again. I'll probably try again soon.

They say the most successful people are those who write their goals down. I suppose for me, the accountability of writing for the world to read should make it that much more effective. In that spirit, I resolve in 2006 to:

1- Spend at least 10 minutes per day in the Bible and in prayer. Sounds pretty mimimal but it's better than I've been fitting in.

2- Follow FlyLady's decluttering zones long enough EACH month to completely declutter by summer.

3- Set and follow a 4 week dinner menu rotation. It may vary by season but I have done this in the past and it really simplifies life to know what is for dinner.

4- Follow a weekly laundry pattern. This also makes me get it done when each person has an assigned day.

5- Exercise at least 4 times per week. Drink 8 glasses of water or herbal tea per day. Plan healthy snacks for the afternoon, my danger time when I really want a sweet snack.

I would appreciate the accountability of my friends asking me how I'm doing. Even better, share your goals with me and we can be accountability partners together. What are your resolutions?