If you're still following, I'm in the middle of telling the story of our year in public school from the perspective of each of the children.
The next two children were quite a bit older and were affected differently by the public school experience. DsB was 10 and in the 5th grade when he went to school. Ironically, I thought he would have the easiest adjustment to all this change. Sadly, he had the worst experience. I’ve thought long and hard about why it was so hard for him. Perhaps it was his age. Perhaps it is just the nature of boys. I don’t know but I’ll share a bit of how his year went. He had a first time teacher, although she was older. She had been a flight attendant and decided it wasn’t a good fit for her mothering. Teaching was much better. We really liked her but she just did not have the experience that would have benefited dsB and her classroom management skills were sorely lacking.
DsB was rather small for his age and very bright. I’ve written before about his mathematical ability. He is equally gifted in the area of science. He has read David Macaulay’s The Way Things Work time and time again. His teacher loved him and his enthusiasm. The problem is that she set him up as a favored one and this caused other students to tease him. Add to that the fact that we do not watch the TV shows most kids watch. We don’t even have cable. Nor do we listen to popular music. Neither do we have an X Box, Nintendo, or any other video system.
As a matter of fact, I’ll tell you a funny story. Some time in the first weeks of school, my doorbell rang late in the afternoon. There was an unfamiliar woman standing there and I opened the door to greet her. She said, “Are you B’s mom?” I said yes I was, half afraid he had gotten himself into some trouble. She went on to explain that her son had come home and told her of a new boy who did not have video games or cable TV. I thought this was a bit odd but I verified those facts. She then told me she just had to come over and meet the mother of such a child. Apparently she had been having difficulties with her own boys (Dad included) being addicted to video games and she was most frustrated with the whole situation. I guess she thought B would be a good influence on her son. In the end, her son was one of the worst tormenters dsB had to deal with.
The other kids in the class were often mean to him, excluding him from basketball games at recess, and teasing him about any minor thing they could. I later found out it was very severe, to the point of harassment. Whenever I tried to talk to the teacher about it, she told me that these boys and girls were mean to lots of other students, not just my son. I didn’t want to try to fight my child’s battles at that age, but it was very hard not to go up to the school and speak to them myself. Maybe I should have. I only found out some of the worst of it after the year was over. DsB hadn’t wanted me to do anything so he just didn’t tell me. To this day, he says the only good thing about public school was PE. He did exceptionally well academically, earning straight A’s all year and having perfect attendance. He earned the highest rating on the state standardized tests. I think one year built his character. A lifetime of that kind of schooling could easily have crushed his spirit and I’m thankful he did not have to endure it any longer.
Fortunately the situation was much better for my oldest. Even though she was the most scared of this new experience, she had a great year. I’ve told you about her entry to the school. This paved the way for some terrific friendships, one of which has remained close to this day. B had the opportunity to take some electives she enjoyed: French and keyboarding. She was in the accelerated math and we had her moved to the accelerated English mid year. It took that long for the “testing” process for this elusive Talented and Gifted program. Eventually she realized that she was bored to tears in the regular class. One thing she was most shocked by was the lack of diligence by the other students in their schoolwork. It was nothing to them to get a 20 or 30 on a spelling test. They frequently skipped homework assignments and suffered no ill consequences from it. Even in the accelerated language arts, they were just learning the parts of speech in the LAST six weeks. We counted and in all her total classes, she read parts of 7 books, including the textbooks. Academically, the math was the only valuable class. She hated riding the bus but her friend was with her and she learned to sit in the front by the driver, not in the back with the troublesome kids. She managed her schoolwork beautifully. She is a very organized and self motivated learner. Her teachers all loved her and they did watch out for her. When I called several weeks into the year to check on her, they all gave her glowing reports. They loved her and she loved them.
Saturday, September 30, 2006
God's Grace - part 3 (Homeschooling)
The children all have their own stories about their year in public school and I will try to tell them now. R was in Kindergarten that year and has fond memories of it. I’m glad it was only her Kindergarten year because it is a “safe” year to spend that way. By that I just mean you can’t do too much emotional damage in most cases and the academic expectations are lower anyway. I do feel it was a wasted year for her academically but she enjoyed it and that is good. On the “Meet the Teacher” night, I knew it would be a wasted year when the teacher went on and on about their “letter of the week” program and how they would be learning about nursery rhymes and colors and shapes. Now that is what a traditional Kindergarten program consists of but a good teacher should also realize that some of the children will come to her already reading and she needs to challenge them. R was nowhere near fluent but she was reading and didn’t need a “letter of the week” program. When I very casually asked about how she would handle those children who could already read, I was told she would send home some packets for us to do together at home. Well, excuse me but if I had time to do it at home, I wouldn’t be sending her to school for 7 hours a day. I’d already been doing that at home; that’s why she was reading. I was more than a bit frustrated. A few weeks into the school year, R came down the stairs one morning, all dressed for school, and sat on the steps looking sad. I asked her what was wrong and she said she didn’t want to go to school that day. All they ever did was “color and count”. She was right and I hated to see it, but she went that day and every other day and she colored and she counted. When she took the profile tests they gave, she had mastered 96% of the Kindergarten concepts by November. She didn’t progress very much on her reading that year but she has fond memories of school wide “Gingerbread Man” hunts and a Valentine’s Party. All in all, I would say it was a good year for R.
H had the best experience of all of the children. Her teacher was the biggest blessing to both of us. She had been a 3rd grade teacher for many years, had left to be a librarian for 3 years, and was just coming back to the classroom since she missed it so much. She now wanted to teach 2nd grade because the statewide testing made it too stressful to teach 3rd grade. This gave her the best of both worlds. She had experience and excitement. She was warm and loving. H is my touchy feely child and every time I saw them together, H had her hand in the teacher’s. Many teachers would have bristled at this but not Mrs. A. She loved H almost as much as her own and I was so thankful for that. H was and still is a struggling learner. She has some vision problems that make it difficult for her to read and it isn’t her favorite thing to do. Neither is math. She was given expert teaching and evaluation all along the way. I was worried before her going to school that she might have a learning disability. The teacher assured me that was not the case. She just needed different approaches than some other children. She gave me lots of advice and when a tragedy occurred early into the year, she proved a warm and loving presence for H, who was deeply affected by it.
There were a few issues for H, mainly the meanness of other little girls. She would come home one day and tell of her best friends and the next day she came home crying because these same girls had been so cruel to her. I felt for her and asked the teacher about it. She said that yes, they had a few personalities in the class who were challenging but that it wasn’t out of the ordinary. H was a very meek child and this year helped her learn to stand up for herself. It developed her personality in a way she wouldn’t have been able to with her current friends in church and Scouts. It hurt my mama heart to watch, but I saw a much stronger H at the end of the year.
In Texas, the standardized testing does not begin until 3rd grade so that was not a factor in their education, except that they do push in the earlier grades to prepare them. Although I did not see this in R’s Kindergarten, I did see it in H’s class. Sadly, since only math and reading are tested, only math and reading are taught. They had 90 minutes devoted to math every day and yet history (aka social studies) and science are almost entirely ignored. H remembers 2 science experiments all year and I know she had one homework assignment in science. This was slightly less pronounced in the later years since that was the first year science was being added at the 5th grade level.
H had the best experience of all of the children. Her teacher was the biggest blessing to both of us. She had been a 3rd grade teacher for many years, had left to be a librarian for 3 years, and was just coming back to the classroom since she missed it so much. She now wanted to teach 2nd grade because the statewide testing made it too stressful to teach 3rd grade. This gave her the best of both worlds. She had experience and excitement. She was warm and loving. H is my touchy feely child and every time I saw them together, H had her hand in the teacher’s. Many teachers would have bristled at this but not Mrs. A. She loved H almost as much as her own and I was so thankful for that. H was and still is a struggling learner. She has some vision problems that make it difficult for her to read and it isn’t her favorite thing to do. Neither is math. She was given expert teaching and evaluation all along the way. I was worried before her going to school that she might have a learning disability. The teacher assured me that was not the case. She just needed different approaches than some other children. She gave me lots of advice and when a tragedy occurred early into the year, she proved a warm and loving presence for H, who was deeply affected by it.
There were a few issues for H, mainly the meanness of other little girls. She would come home one day and tell of her best friends and the next day she came home crying because these same girls had been so cruel to her. I felt for her and asked the teacher about it. She said that yes, they had a few personalities in the class who were challenging but that it wasn’t out of the ordinary. H was a very meek child and this year helped her learn to stand up for herself. It developed her personality in a way she wouldn’t have been able to with her current friends in church and Scouts. It hurt my mama heart to watch, but I saw a much stronger H at the end of the year.
In Texas, the standardized testing does not begin until 3rd grade so that was not a factor in their education, except that they do push in the earlier grades to prepare them. Although I did not see this in R’s Kindergarten, I did see it in H’s class. Sadly, since only math and reading are tested, only math and reading are taught. They had 90 minutes devoted to math every day and yet history (aka social studies) and science are almost entirely ignored. H remembers 2 science experiments all year and I know she had one homework assignment in science. This was slightly less pronounced in the later years since that was the first year science was being added at the 5th grade level.
Friday, September 29, 2006
God's Grace-part 2 (Homeschooling)
Now that the kids are all set, I turn my attention to looking for a job. This is two weeks before school starts so I know it won’t be easy. In addition, my certification is in Home Economics, not exactly the most marketable field in education. But, my secondary coursework was all in Chemistry since I had intended to be a doctor. That’s a whole “nuther” story, but I had definitely been wise to take the ExCET exam for Chemistry 12 years earlier. This meant all I had to do was pay a fee and add that certification to my list. I called the State Board of Education to find out how to do that and got all kinds of information. First of all, this was July and at the end of August, that record of my Chemistry exam (taken in 1991) would no longer be accepted for current certification. Coincidence? I don’t think so. This was the first of MANY interventions on God’s part in this journey. I also found out that the fee for adding a certification would be the same no matter how many certifications I added. The hiring counselor at the local school district advised me to take another test to add to my list of qualifications. The one she recommended was called the Generalist grades 4-8. This was a test over all 4 core subjects (math, science, English, and history) for grades 4-8. This widened hugely the number of positions I would be able to apply for. The next testing date was in October so I signed up for that.
In the meantime I planned to look for anything I could get and also substitute teach in the local districts. I went through the substitute training, got on the lists and sat back to wait. I also went to the library and got every test prep book I could find. I focused on Chemistry and Algebra since it had been a long time since I had taken either of those and I needed to brush up. He wonderful thing about being a homeschool teacher was that I had taught my own children every subject from grades K-5 up to that point, including a full sweep through history and all of the grammar and elementary math. I felt pretty well prepared to test in all of those categories, which made my studying task an easier one. I spent late nights after the kids went to bed taking Algebra practice tests and working my way through an Algebra text.
For the first 6 weeks of the school year, I was home most days to take the children to school, eat lunch with them, and receive them at the end of the day. We learned about packing lunches, getting ready the night before, and all the other trappings of a public school life. I had a few calls to sub, but not nearly as many as I wanted. My best job was a 3-day position in a 4th grade class 5 miles from my house. I loved that school. I even had wind of a position opening in about a month if I could wait that long. It wasn’t a sure thing, though and I was getting desperate. I didn’t put my kids in school so I could organize the linen closet. I’ll devote the next post to the kids and their experience but they were doing well.
During the fifth week of school, I got a sub call for a science position at the 9th grade center in a neighboring district. It was not the best school and it sounded like a tough job but I took it. It was a tough day. This class had been without a teacher for the last 4 weeks, with a string of subs in and out of their room. The main teacher had been diagnosed with cancer in the second week of school and they weren’t sure if he was coming back or not. The administration was in limbo. I happened to overhear two of the other science teachers talking about how they were looking for a long-term sub to take his place. I had huge doubts about this position but at the end of the day I told one of those teachers I might be interested in it. He advised me to give my resume to the principal. After school I went my and left it with the secretary because all of the administrators were on duty with school release. I was rudely informed that it wouldn’t be necessary since they had hired someone who would be there on Monday morning. I left. I noticed lots of action in the office, including a few police officers. I later found out a huge drug bust had been happening that very day. Apparently, some girls were bringing their parents’ prescription meds to school and selling them in the bathrooms. This is the only place where there weren’t surveillance cameras.
The next Thursday I got a call from the science teacher I had spoken with at SPHS. He wanted to know if I would still come in for an interview. It wasn’t working out with the person they had hired. I went the next day. On Monday morning of the 7th week of school year I walked in to my new position. I would be in charge of 6 classes of Integrated Physics and Chemistry (IPC) until the end of the year. I had a position. I was petrified! I was told it was contingent on my adding the Chemistry certification as soon as I passed the Generalist test.
When I showed up Monday morning, I was in for a tough challenge. I had planned the lessons, set up the classroom for success, and was smiling and ready for the students. The lack of structure and discipline became obvious in each class all day long. There was NO learning going on in this setting. They were actually throwing paper airplanes into the ceiling when I turned my back so I couldn’t figure out who was doing it. They were rude, ignored the rules, and didn’t care about my lectures or even the labs. It took me the first 6 weeks just to reestablish order in the classes. They needed to learn to trust me. They needed to know I wasn’t going anywhere, no matter how ugly they acted. Slowly but surely, a few influential students in each class decided I was okay and convinced most of their classmates to follow suit. The power of peer pressure worked in my favor that time. In a later post, I will share stories from that year. I learned as much as those students did and I grew to love almost all 136 of them.
Filed in homeschooling.
In the meantime I planned to look for anything I could get and also substitute teach in the local districts. I went through the substitute training, got on the lists and sat back to wait. I also went to the library and got every test prep book I could find. I focused on Chemistry and Algebra since it had been a long time since I had taken either of those and I needed to brush up. He wonderful thing about being a homeschool teacher was that I had taught my own children every subject from grades K-5 up to that point, including a full sweep through history and all of the grammar and elementary math. I felt pretty well prepared to test in all of those categories, which made my studying task an easier one. I spent late nights after the kids went to bed taking Algebra practice tests and working my way through an Algebra text.
For the first 6 weeks of the school year, I was home most days to take the children to school, eat lunch with them, and receive them at the end of the day. We learned about packing lunches, getting ready the night before, and all the other trappings of a public school life. I had a few calls to sub, but not nearly as many as I wanted. My best job was a 3-day position in a 4th grade class 5 miles from my house. I loved that school. I even had wind of a position opening in about a month if I could wait that long. It wasn’t a sure thing, though and I was getting desperate. I didn’t put my kids in school so I could organize the linen closet. I’ll devote the next post to the kids and their experience but they were doing well.
During the fifth week of school, I got a sub call for a science position at the 9th grade center in a neighboring district. It was not the best school and it sounded like a tough job but I took it. It was a tough day. This class had been without a teacher for the last 4 weeks, with a string of subs in and out of their room. The main teacher had been diagnosed with cancer in the second week of school and they weren’t sure if he was coming back or not. The administration was in limbo. I happened to overhear two of the other science teachers talking about how they were looking for a long-term sub to take his place. I had huge doubts about this position but at the end of the day I told one of those teachers I might be interested in it. He advised me to give my resume to the principal. After school I went my and left it with the secretary because all of the administrators were on duty with school release. I was rudely informed that it wouldn’t be necessary since they had hired someone who would be there on Monday morning. I left. I noticed lots of action in the office, including a few police officers. I later found out a huge drug bust had been happening that very day. Apparently, some girls were bringing their parents’ prescription meds to school and selling them in the bathrooms. This is the only place where there weren’t surveillance cameras.
The next Thursday I got a call from the science teacher I had spoken with at SPHS. He wanted to know if I would still come in for an interview. It wasn’t working out with the person they had hired. I went the next day. On Monday morning of the 7th week of school year I walked in to my new position. I would be in charge of 6 classes of Integrated Physics and Chemistry (IPC) until the end of the year. I had a position. I was petrified! I was told it was contingent on my adding the Chemistry certification as soon as I passed the Generalist test.
When I showed up Monday morning, I was in for a tough challenge. I had planned the lessons, set up the classroom for success, and was smiling and ready for the students. The lack of structure and discipline became obvious in each class all day long. There was NO learning going on in this setting. They were actually throwing paper airplanes into the ceiling when I turned my back so I couldn’t figure out who was doing it. They were rude, ignored the rules, and didn’t care about my lectures or even the labs. It took me the first 6 weeks just to reestablish order in the classes. They needed to learn to trust me. They needed to know I wasn’t going anywhere, no matter how ugly they acted. Slowly but surely, a few influential students in each class decided I was okay and convinced most of their classmates to follow suit. The power of peer pressure worked in my favor that time. In a later post, I will share stories from that year. I learned as much as those students did and I grew to love almost all 136 of them.
Filed in homeschooling.
Thursday, September 28, 2006
A Story of God's Grace-part 1 (Homeschooling)
I’ve been feeling led to tell this story here for some time. It’s the story of how we got to the place where we are as a family. As my children often comment, we’ve been through quite a bit in the last 5 years and we have amazing stories of God’s grace all through it. The whole story is even longer, more like 10 years. One of the reasons I want to get it in writing is that we tend to forget how God has been faithful to us after a while and, like the Israelites in the desert, we begin to grumble and complain again. It’s at this time, this week, this day that I am feeling a bit overwhelmed and “grumbly” about all I have to do. But if I remember where I’ve been I know this is right where God wants me.
In September of 2001, just as America was grappling with the events of 9/11, our family was grappling with yet another time of unemployment. It wasn’t the first, but it turned out to be the longest and most painful. On Sept. 15, J worked his last day as the head of a tiny computer company. The company was closing its doors. As was happening to so many others all over, the dot com world had turned on us. We were disappointed, a bit fearful, but we had every confidence that God would see us through this as he had many times before. I had stories that would wow and amaze you about how God provided for us in other times of unemployment and trials. But this story is about this time and it has glory enough.
For the next two years, we continued to live as we had before, with the exception that all spending on nonessentials was immediately halted. The kids finished out the fall in their activities and then continued only in church and Scouts. Those we could afford. I was diligent about the grocery budget, often baking our own bread and cooking ALL meals from scratch. I sewed as much of the children’s clothing as possible and we made do with one pair of tennis shoes and one pair of church shoes per season. This has always seemed reasonable to me anyway. Since we had been unemployed before, I always lived with this possibility and while he was working, we socked away all the savings we could. For the next two years, we lived off of these savings.
But eventually it ran out. In the summer of 2003, J asked me to look into the possibility of returning to the classroom temporarily just until he could find a job. The market was looking a little better and we were hopeful that it would happen soon. Being a high school teacher, I didn’t really want to commit to a whole year, sure he would get a job in November and I would be stuck fulfilling a commitment until June. But I began to see what it would take. We knew that this would mean all 4 of our older children would have to go to public school. Dad would be able to take care of the 2 yr old, but not the full load of homeschooling the older children. He was spending most of his time looking for a job. This is a very demanding occupation in itself. What you also need to understand is how incredibly difficult it was for him to even ask me to do this. We had been married 12 years and I had been home with the children all of that time. That was our family vision and we had both held to it for so long, but this was an emergency situation. We did not make this decision lightly.
Two weeks before school started, I called the schools to find out how to enroll the children and what the requirements would be since they were always homeschooled. At the time, they were in grades K, 2, 5, and 6. That meant 2 schools. I was met with immediate skepticism at the elementary school. I was told in no uncertain terms that THEY would be informing me which grades my children would be in. They wanted to see curriculum, test results, and a portfolio of their work. I know I wasn’t required by law to show these things but it did help them to see the caliber of my children’s work and I wanted to cooperate. In the end, I had two very close friends who intervened on my behalf. One was a 1st grade teacher at that school and the other was a very high level administrator who had been a former principal at the school as well as a current parent. Both were friends from church and vouched for us as diligent homeschoolers. They assured the registrar that the children would be fine in their age appropriate grades. At this point the principal changed her tone and we had come to an agreement.
The middle school was a different experience. They too had asked for the curriculum to be brought in. When I got there, the counselor greeted me warmly and gave me a stack of forms to be filled out. She went back into her office to browse our curriculum and B’s work while I filled out the paperwork. When she came back in a little while, she was amazed at the caliber of B’s work. She raved about her handwriting, the lengthy reading lists (we had always used Sonlight so we read 40-50 books per year). She didn’t ask any questions but immediately put her in the advanced math class. There is usually a testing process for students new to the district but we had missed the deadline and were going to have to pay a $35 fee to have her tested. The counselor said it was apparent that she would be able to do the work. We then went to her office to build a schedule for B. She asked me if she knew anyone at the school. I told her of B’s friend from Girl Scouts whom she had known since 1st grade. She looked her up in the computer and said, “Okay, we’ll give her M’s schedule.” That was such a blessing. This meant she would have someone she knew in all of her classes and lunch. The only things they had different were their electives.
I was an emotional basket case throughout this whole process and the counselor was very reassuring to me. She promised to personally watch out for B, checking in with her teachers to make sure she was adjusting well. Since this was 6th grade and they would be changing classes all day I was worried that if B was having trouble no one would even notice. Remember, I was a high school teacher. I know how difficult it is for a teacher to get to know 60-80-100 students and be aware of what’s going on with them. B had never been to any school and she was my most reticent child anyway. If anyone had trouble adjusting, I was afraid it would be her. Little did I know she would benefit greatly from that experience.
I can tell this is going to be a very long story so I plan to post it in installments. I’ll leave you today with all of the children enrolled in school and me looking for a job. More on that next time.
Filed in homeschooling.
In September of 2001, just as America was grappling with the events of 9/11, our family was grappling with yet another time of unemployment. It wasn’t the first, but it turned out to be the longest and most painful. On Sept. 15, J worked his last day as the head of a tiny computer company. The company was closing its doors. As was happening to so many others all over, the dot com world had turned on us. We were disappointed, a bit fearful, but we had every confidence that God would see us through this as he had many times before. I had stories that would wow and amaze you about how God provided for us in other times of unemployment and trials. But this story is about this time and it has glory enough.
For the next two years, we continued to live as we had before, with the exception that all spending on nonessentials was immediately halted. The kids finished out the fall in their activities and then continued only in church and Scouts. Those we could afford. I was diligent about the grocery budget, often baking our own bread and cooking ALL meals from scratch. I sewed as much of the children’s clothing as possible and we made do with one pair of tennis shoes and one pair of church shoes per season. This has always seemed reasonable to me anyway. Since we had been unemployed before, I always lived with this possibility and while he was working, we socked away all the savings we could. For the next two years, we lived off of these savings.
But eventually it ran out. In the summer of 2003, J asked me to look into the possibility of returning to the classroom temporarily just until he could find a job. The market was looking a little better and we were hopeful that it would happen soon. Being a high school teacher, I didn’t really want to commit to a whole year, sure he would get a job in November and I would be stuck fulfilling a commitment until June. But I began to see what it would take. We knew that this would mean all 4 of our older children would have to go to public school. Dad would be able to take care of the 2 yr old, but not the full load of homeschooling the older children. He was spending most of his time looking for a job. This is a very demanding occupation in itself. What you also need to understand is how incredibly difficult it was for him to even ask me to do this. We had been married 12 years and I had been home with the children all of that time. That was our family vision and we had both held to it for so long, but this was an emergency situation. We did not make this decision lightly.
Two weeks before school started, I called the schools to find out how to enroll the children and what the requirements would be since they were always homeschooled. At the time, they were in grades K, 2, 5, and 6. That meant 2 schools. I was met with immediate skepticism at the elementary school. I was told in no uncertain terms that THEY would be informing me which grades my children would be in. They wanted to see curriculum, test results, and a portfolio of their work. I know I wasn’t required by law to show these things but it did help them to see the caliber of my children’s work and I wanted to cooperate. In the end, I had two very close friends who intervened on my behalf. One was a 1st grade teacher at that school and the other was a very high level administrator who had been a former principal at the school as well as a current parent. Both were friends from church and vouched for us as diligent homeschoolers. They assured the registrar that the children would be fine in their age appropriate grades. At this point the principal changed her tone and we had come to an agreement.
The middle school was a different experience. They too had asked for the curriculum to be brought in. When I got there, the counselor greeted me warmly and gave me a stack of forms to be filled out. She went back into her office to browse our curriculum and B’s work while I filled out the paperwork. When she came back in a little while, she was amazed at the caliber of B’s work. She raved about her handwriting, the lengthy reading lists (we had always used Sonlight so we read 40-50 books per year). She didn’t ask any questions but immediately put her in the advanced math class. There is usually a testing process for students new to the district but we had missed the deadline and were going to have to pay a $35 fee to have her tested. The counselor said it was apparent that she would be able to do the work. We then went to her office to build a schedule for B. She asked me if she knew anyone at the school. I told her of B’s friend from Girl Scouts whom she had known since 1st grade. She looked her up in the computer and said, “Okay, we’ll give her M’s schedule.” That was such a blessing. This meant she would have someone she knew in all of her classes and lunch. The only things they had different were their electives.
I was an emotional basket case throughout this whole process and the counselor was very reassuring to me. She promised to personally watch out for B, checking in with her teachers to make sure she was adjusting well. Since this was 6th grade and they would be changing classes all day I was worried that if B was having trouble no one would even notice. Remember, I was a high school teacher. I know how difficult it is for a teacher to get to know 60-80-100 students and be aware of what’s going on with them. B had never been to any school and she was my most reticent child anyway. If anyone had trouble adjusting, I was afraid it would be her. Little did I know she would benefit greatly from that experience.
I can tell this is going to be a very long story so I plan to post it in installments. I’ll leave you today with all of the children enrolled in school and me looking for a job. More on that next time.
Filed in homeschooling.
Wednesday, September 27, 2006
WFMW- Evaluating Reading Level- Homeschooling
This week I want to share something we've been doing in our homeschool. When I have an early reader, I like to pick appropriate books for their reading level. Many of the library books I get don't say what the level is and it's hard to know what he can or cannot read. I have found a way to type a few paragraphs of text into a Microsoft Word document and then get it's grade level for readability. My oldest two also like to do this to challenge themselves to write on a higher level. Here's how you set it up:
From Microsoft Word, go to the Tools on your toolbar at the top and click
Click on Options
Click on the spelling and grammar tab
Check the box near the bottom which says "readability statistics"
This is very useful for writing in that is gives you # of passive sentences, # of sentences and paragraphs, in addition to a reading level.
For more Works for Me Wednesday tips, the best of the best this week, go to Rocks in my Dryer.
Filed in homeschooling.
Monday, September 25, 2006
Two for One Dinners- Cooking
In the busyness of daily living, I love it when I can cook once and eat twice. I call these planned leftovers because with the size of our family, if I don't plan it, there won't be any leftovers! Here are two of my favorite ideas. We have had both of these in the last week.
Chicken meal #1
Cook one or two whole chickens in the crock pot. If your family is small, cook one and add carrots, potatoes, onions for a stewed chicken meal. I need two for this plan to work so I cook the chickens in my 6 qt oval Crock pot and they just fit. No room for veggies. I sprinkle with a bit of poultry seasoning or my new favorite, Greek seasoning. I might put baked potatoes in the other crockpot or cook some rice. Steam some veggies and call it dinner.
Chicken meal #2
Chicken packets
2c. cooked chopped chicken
3 oz. softened cream cheese
2 T. milk
1 T chives, fresh (or dried-use about 1 tsp)
2 pkg. Crescent roll dough
Mix first four ingredients. Open up dough and press two triangles together to form rectangles. With 2 pkg you should get 8 of these rectangles. Put about 2 T of chicken mixture in the middle and close over dough. Pinch. You can brush with butter and roll in crouton crumbs if you have time, but I never do :) Bake at 350 for 20 minutes or until golden. Yummy cold or hot. These are terrific to make up ahead of time and take for a picnic when you have a night of activities.
Pork meal #1
Put a pork shoulder roast in the crock pot sprinkled with a bit of salt and pepper. I don't add too much seasoning because meal #2 is BBQ and I don't want the flavors to interfere with each other. I might make potatoes again with this, or potato salad if I'm really fancy. Green beans, salad, etc. Dinner.
Pork Meal #2
BBQ Pork sandwiches-Memphis style
This is true Memphis style since my sauce came from my sister who visited Memphis in the summer. (Thanks H! It was yummy)
Roughly chop up your leftover pork roast and remove from bone, if it had one. Put in crock pot and cook on low 6-8 hours with a bottle of BBQ sauce over it. You can use any sauce you like or find a recipe for your own.
While it's cooking make up some cole slaw. I like the vinegar kind; you may prefer the creamy kind. I use cabbage, carrots, celery seed, and onions or chives. The dressing I use is 3 T vinegar, 2 T sugar, 2 T oil. Toss and refrigerate.
When the meat is ready pull it apart and shred it with two forks, mixing in the sauce well. Serve on buns with the cole slaw ON the sandwich. I know it sounds terrible but it is so delicious. This was our dinner last night and I can't wait for the leftovers for lunch tomorrow.
Filed in cooking
Chicken meal #1
Cook one or two whole chickens in the crock pot. If your family is small, cook one and add carrots, potatoes, onions for a stewed chicken meal. I need two for this plan to work so I cook the chickens in my 6 qt oval Crock pot and they just fit. No room for veggies. I sprinkle with a bit of poultry seasoning or my new favorite, Greek seasoning. I might put baked potatoes in the other crockpot or cook some rice. Steam some veggies and call it dinner.
Chicken meal #2
Chicken packets
2c. cooked chopped chicken
3 oz. softened cream cheese
2 T. milk
1 T chives, fresh (or dried-use about 1 tsp)
2 pkg. Crescent roll dough
Mix first four ingredients. Open up dough and press two triangles together to form rectangles. With 2 pkg you should get 8 of these rectangles. Put about 2 T of chicken mixture in the middle and close over dough. Pinch. You can brush with butter and roll in crouton crumbs if you have time, but I never do :) Bake at 350 for 20 minutes or until golden. Yummy cold or hot. These are terrific to make up ahead of time and take for a picnic when you have a night of activities.
Pork meal #1
Put a pork shoulder roast in the crock pot sprinkled with a bit of salt and pepper. I don't add too much seasoning because meal #2 is BBQ and I don't want the flavors to interfere with each other. I might make potatoes again with this, or potato salad if I'm really fancy. Green beans, salad, etc. Dinner.
Pork Meal #2
BBQ Pork sandwiches-Memphis style
This is true Memphis style since my sauce came from my sister who visited Memphis in the summer. (Thanks H! It was yummy)
Roughly chop up your leftover pork roast and remove from bone, if it had one. Put in crock pot and cook on low 6-8 hours with a bottle of BBQ sauce over it. You can use any sauce you like or find a recipe for your own.
While it's cooking make up some cole slaw. I like the vinegar kind; you may prefer the creamy kind. I use cabbage, carrots, celery seed, and onions or chives. The dressing I use is 3 T vinegar, 2 T sugar, 2 T oil. Toss and refrigerate.
When the meat is ready pull it apart and shred it with two forks, mixing in the sauce well. Serve on buns with the cole slaw ON the sandwich. I know it sounds terrible but it is so delicious. This was our dinner last night and I can't wait for the leftovers for lunch tomorrow.
Filed in cooking
Saturday, September 23, 2006
Update on Government with W
You may remember my post of a while back in which W was greatly surprised to find out the US did not have a king. Well, tonight he continued in his pursuit to understand the governmental system under which we live. He decided he wanted to be president. B was having fun with him and asked him all sorts of questions like how he would handle illegal immigration, the war in Iraq, etc. He had an answer for everything, often better than the current administration's answer in my humble opinion. We had decided that maybe having a 5 year old for president could be a good thing for America. When we went on to explain that we would have to move to the White House, which is by the way, a mansion, and that it has it's own movie theatre and bowling alley, this really got him interested. The clincher though was the fact that the President has his very own police force and firefighters(I'm actually not sure on this one but B told him and who was I to argue the point?). That did it! W is so there. Unfortunately we had to break the news to him that there is already someone occupying that office. This was news to W. He'll have to wait about 30 years. But watch out America in 2035...W for President!
Filed in children and homeschooling.
Filed in children and homeschooling.
Friday, September 22, 2006
Cleaning with Vinegar - Homekeeping
Lest you think I am turning into a bon-bon eating, soap opera watching lady of leisure, I'll also share the other accomplishments of this Friday. B and I got up at 6:30 for our walk. She likes this time as much as I do since we get uninterrupted talk time, very important to a teen girl. She often tells me her dreams during this walk. Since J had taken the dog running with him, we didn't have to do that. He is pretty good on a leash but is very aggressive with other dogs so we only have one route we can take with him, avoiding the backside of fences with potential dogs.
After our return, I showered and made eggs for breakfast. We had some of our banana bread of last night with them. School went very well as we covered the Native American tribes and the Puritan Revolt in England. All the math was finished by 11:30 and I settled in with the other two for The Thinking Toolbox. We covered 3 short lessons today, mostly involving the difference between a discussion, disagreement, and an argument, as well as when it is appropriate to argue. That is an important lesson to learn around here. I constantly find myself asking one child or another if that is really a battle they need to fight. So many little issues lead to irrelevant arguments.
I've been noticing a stale smell around the kitchen sink so I decided to do a little odor-eating. I started with 1 cup of baking soda in the drain followed by 1 cup of hot vinegar. I made it hot by microwaving it for 3 minutes, cleaning the microwave in the process! Then after pouring that on top of the baking soda, I let it sit while I boiled a tea kettle full of water. This went right down the drain in about 5-7 minutes. I have a little metal stopper with a rubber part for the sink and it gets pretty nasty. I've run it through the dishwasher but it didn't seem to help. I let this soak in a 50/50 water/vinegar solution all morning and it is fresh and clean now. The whole area is fresher smelling.
I've been struggling with my allergies this week with the coming of fall. I took the opportunity to wash all of my bedding in hot water and vinegar to kill any dust mites that might be lingering. I washed the pad, too and started the quilt washing. If J had been home, I would have rotated the mattress, but I cannot do this chore alone for our king size bed. Next time...
The older two and I watched "End of the Spear" this afternoon. I just found it at our library last week. J and I previewed it over the weekend and decided the teens were able to handle the violence but I didn't want the younger three to see it. Thus, afternoon rest time is the only available slot for this kind of activity. What a terrific movie. It was especially poignant in light of our studies of the native Americans and the colonists who came to their land. I hadn't planned this for now, but the parallels struck me immediately. I highly recommend this movie to anyone who has yet to see it.
Dinner was chicken packets, which are crescent roll dough wrapped around a chicken/chive/cream cheese filling and baked. I chose this since the guys needed to pack and eat their dinner on the way to the church so a "in-the-hand" meal was nice. Also, we haven't had them in a long time and the girls LOVE these.
We ran errands after dinner since we needed soccer stuff from Academy before tomorrow's game. Since H is extremely sensitive to the sun, her coach recommended UnderArmour to protect her arms under her uniform. A quick trip to Sally Beauty Supply and our brand new Baskin Robbins (I really needed to use those coupons, you know!) finished off the evening nicely. The soccer players are sleeping all snug in their beds, while visions of soccer balls dance in their heads. Uniforms are neatly laid out at the end of those beds to eliminate last minute frantic searches for the missing shin guard.
My feet are now slathered with Gold Bond Foot Cream and wrapped in saran wrap and socks. I am off to bed on my clean lavender-scented linens to sleep in peace. Shalom!
Filed in homekeeping, cooking, and general.
After our return, I showered and made eggs for breakfast. We had some of our banana bread of last night with them. School went very well as we covered the Native American tribes and the Puritan Revolt in England. All the math was finished by 11:30 and I settled in with the other two for The Thinking Toolbox. We covered 3 short lessons today, mostly involving the difference between a discussion, disagreement, and an argument, as well as when it is appropriate to argue. That is an important lesson to learn around here. I constantly find myself asking one child or another if that is really a battle they need to fight. So many little issues lead to irrelevant arguments.
I've been noticing a stale smell around the kitchen sink so I decided to do a little odor-eating. I started with 1 cup of baking soda in the drain followed by 1 cup of hot vinegar. I made it hot by microwaving it for 3 minutes, cleaning the microwave in the process! Then after pouring that on top of the baking soda, I let it sit while I boiled a tea kettle full of water. This went right down the drain in about 5-7 minutes. I have a little metal stopper with a rubber part for the sink and it gets pretty nasty. I've run it through the dishwasher but it didn't seem to help. I let this soak in a 50/50 water/vinegar solution all morning and it is fresh and clean now. The whole area is fresher smelling.
I've been struggling with my allergies this week with the coming of fall. I took the opportunity to wash all of my bedding in hot water and vinegar to kill any dust mites that might be lingering. I washed the pad, too and started the quilt washing. If J had been home, I would have rotated the mattress, but I cannot do this chore alone for our king size bed. Next time...
The older two and I watched "End of the Spear" this afternoon. I just found it at our library last week. J and I previewed it over the weekend and decided the teens were able to handle the violence but I didn't want the younger three to see it. Thus, afternoon rest time is the only available slot for this kind of activity. What a terrific movie. It was especially poignant in light of our studies of the native Americans and the colonists who came to their land. I hadn't planned this for now, but the parallels struck me immediately. I highly recommend this movie to anyone who has yet to see it.
Dinner was chicken packets, which are crescent roll dough wrapped around a chicken/chive/cream cheese filling and baked. I chose this since the guys needed to pack and eat their dinner on the way to the church so a "in-the-hand" meal was nice. Also, we haven't had them in a long time and the girls LOVE these.
We ran errands after dinner since we needed soccer stuff from Academy before tomorrow's game. Since H is extremely sensitive to the sun, her coach recommended UnderArmour to protect her arms under her uniform. A quick trip to Sally Beauty Supply and our brand new Baskin Robbins (I really needed to use those coupons, you know!) finished off the evening nicely. The soccer players are sleeping all snug in their beds, while visions of soccer balls dance in their heads. Uniforms are neatly laid out at the end of those beds to eliminate last minute frantic searches for the missing shin guard.
My feet are now slathered with Gold Bond Foot Cream and wrapped in saran wrap and socks. I am off to bed on my clean lavender-scented linens to sleep in peace. Shalom!
Filed in homekeeping, cooking, and general.
Spa on a Budget
As I write this post, my feet are soaking in a lovely warm lavender foot soak. For Christmas my sister gave me a foot massager machine. I have really bad feet that hurt most of the time, due to two different problems. This was such a wonderful gift and I try to use it as often as possible. This evening my guys are camping with Scouts and the littles are all asleep so I am enjoying a spa pedicure. This is inspired by an outing with B yesterday. Let me tell you about it.
B is taking the Alpha Omega Home Economics course this year. The first unit is on beauty and character. It covers health, hygiene, posture, proper etiquette, and all those things of beauty. As a finale, the teacher's guide suggests going to get a spa treatment. I found a local beauty college where the students perform these services to get practice and the prices are very affordable. Yesterday was our day. We started with a light lunch at a local French bistro/bakery. B has a fascination with all things French and it was a good opportunity to reinforce the nutrition portion of this unit.
We arrived at the beauty college around 1 PM. Our first treatment, and my personal favorite, was the facial. B is at the prime age for acne, so it was good for her to learn how to take care of her skin. I just loved the pampering. I have never had a facial before and I can't believe what I was missing. It was almost a full hour of cleansing, steaming, massaging, soothing, and refreshing facial attention. The dark quiet room, the soothing music, her gentle hands. I never wanted to leave! I got the soothing oatmeal mask and treatment since I apparently have sensitive skin, according to my esthetician. B got the deep cleansing blemish treatment which was also soothing on her skin.
Next stop was the manicure/pedicure station. B went for the manicure and I chose the pedicure (remember the bad feet). After soaking, more exfoliating, and another massage, I was done. B then moved to the hair station. She got a shampoo and cut. Her hair is a little shorter than she expected but she's happy with it. Her hair is very thick and curly so it shrinks up like a Shrinky Dink when it dries. Tonight we went to the beauty supply to get a flatiron for her to try sometimes.
3 hours later, we left the "spa" feeling oh-so-feminine and wondering how we can finagle another outing like this one. I promised to give the little girls the "spa treatment" tomorrow so we'll be setting up our own salon in the kitchen. I love to use homemade hair conditioners, facial masques, and steam baths. We have 3 soccer games in the morning but we'll come home for our relaxing afternoon at the spa. I may even make some fancy smoothies.
Oh, I do love being a woman!
B is taking the Alpha Omega Home Economics course this year. The first unit is on beauty and character. It covers health, hygiene, posture, proper etiquette, and all those things of beauty. As a finale, the teacher's guide suggests going to get a spa treatment. I found a local beauty college where the students perform these services to get practice and the prices are very affordable. Yesterday was our day. We started with a light lunch at a local French bistro/bakery. B has a fascination with all things French and it was a good opportunity to reinforce the nutrition portion of this unit.
We arrived at the beauty college around 1 PM. Our first treatment, and my personal favorite, was the facial. B is at the prime age for acne, so it was good for her to learn how to take care of her skin. I just loved the pampering. I have never had a facial before and I can't believe what I was missing. It was almost a full hour of cleansing, steaming, massaging, soothing, and refreshing facial attention. The dark quiet room, the soothing music, her gentle hands. I never wanted to leave! I got the soothing oatmeal mask and treatment since I apparently have sensitive skin, according to my esthetician. B got the deep cleansing blemish treatment which was also soothing on her skin.
Next stop was the manicure/pedicure station. B went for the manicure and I chose the pedicure (remember the bad feet). After soaking, more exfoliating, and another massage, I was done. B then moved to the hair station. She got a shampoo and cut. Her hair is a little shorter than she expected but she's happy with it. Her hair is very thick and curly so it shrinks up like a Shrinky Dink when it dries. Tonight we went to the beauty supply to get a flatiron for her to try sometimes.
3 hours later, we left the "spa" feeling oh-so-feminine and wondering how we can finagle another outing like this one. I promised to give the little girls the "spa treatment" tomorrow so we'll be setting up our own salon in the kitchen. I love to use homemade hair conditioners, facial masques, and steam baths. We have 3 soccer games in the morning but we'll come home for our relaxing afternoon at the spa. I may even make some fancy smoothies.
Oh, I do love being a woman!
Thursday, September 21, 2006
She's Here
Have you ever met someone and you just knew you were meant to be with? You talked for hours and felt like you had already known them anyway? And when you got together after a long absence, you just picked right up where you left off...
Well, this is how it was for Betty and me. Betty came today and we spent some time together this evening. We baked banana bread and oatmeal chocolate chip cookies. She hummed along while she worked. She's so pristine and shiny. Would you like to meet Betty? Here she is:
Well, this is how it was for Betty and me. Betty came today and we spent some time together this evening. We baked banana bread and oatmeal chocolate chip cookies. She hummed along while she worked. She's so pristine and shiny. Would you like to meet Betty? Here she is:
Isn't she lovely? Now, I know I already told you about Betty but she is now in my very own kitchen! That is my wallpaper in the background. And even my clean counter. Pay close attention, it won't look that way for long.
By the way, the banana bread was delish! Filed in cooking and homekeeping.
Homemade Lavender Spray- Homekeeping
Since my lavender linen spray is almost gone, I went in search of a recipe I could use to make my own. I figured the bottle from the fancy bath and linen place had to have used artificial extracts and I prefer the real essential oils. This is what I found. I also found another that used a bit of witch hazel so I may try both of them. I'm sure this would work with any essential oil . Lemon would be so fresh for spring
Lavender Spray
Using natural lavender scent, this delicately scented pillow spray will make you naturally feel a little tired. Or...just use it as an air freshener.
1 cup distilled water
8 - 10 drops essential oil of lavender
spray bottle, with a fine mist setting
label
Pour the cup of distilled water into the spray bottle. Add the drops of essential oil and shake very well. Cap the bottle, and allow to sit for a few hours before using. Shake the bottle before each use to evenly distribute the scented oil throughout the water. Use the label to describe what sort of product is contained in the bottle. And be sure to use the fine mist setting on your bottle, so the spray will be nicely distributed.
To use: About ten to twenty minutes before going to bed, spray your pillows (and your linens, if you like) with the spray. Let the scent mellow slightly by allowing the ten to twenty minutes to pass before lying down. When you do lie down, the pillows will smell wonderful! But an even greater benefit is that lavender is a natural relaxant, so this wonderful spray may actually help you fall asleep easier, and sleep better.
Filed in homekeeping.
Lavender Spray
Using natural lavender scent, this delicately scented pillow spray will make you naturally feel a little tired. Or...just use it as an air freshener.
1 cup distilled water
8 - 10 drops essential oil of lavender
spray bottle, with a fine mist setting
label
Pour the cup of distilled water into the spray bottle. Add the drops of essential oil and shake very well. Cap the bottle, and allow to sit for a few hours before using. Shake the bottle before each use to evenly distribute the scented oil throughout the water. Use the label to describe what sort of product is contained in the bottle. And be sure to use the fine mist setting on your bottle, so the spray will be nicely distributed.
To use: About ten to twenty minutes before going to bed, spray your pillows (and your linens, if you like) with the spray. Let the scent mellow slightly by allowing the ten to twenty minutes to pass before lying down. When you do lie down, the pillows will smell wonderful! But an even greater benefit is that lavender is a natural relaxant, so this wonderful spray may actually help you fall asleep easier, and sleep better.
Filed in homekeeping.
Wednesday, September 20, 2006
Another contest
I've been getting a little bored with my template here at Blogger. The pink is not my favorite anymore. Lucky for me, Bluebird Blogs is sponsoring a contest for a free blog design. I tried to do it myself and realized it would be way more work than I had time for and require even more knowledge! So I am entering to see if perhaps she can help me get a new look.
Filed in blogging.
Filed in blogging.
WFMW- Rotating Breakfast menu-recipes
Last year I got tired of being greeted with "What's for breakfast, Mom?". The kids and I sat down and decided what they like and how it will fit into our week. It has greatly simplified our mornings to know what we are having. Sometimes the kids can go ahead and start things if they know the plan. This is what we came up with:
Monday - bagels and cream cheese with fresh fruit (I shop on Sunday afternoon so this is when they are fresh and we leave early so they can do this alone and still get out the door)
Tuesday - cold cereal (Wheat Chex, Cheerios, or Shredded Wheat)
Wednesday - oatmeal, either hot or "Swiss Oats and Fruit" a delicious cold oatmeal breakfast my friend K shared with me. Recipe to follow.
Thursday - pancakes, waffles, French Toast, or muffins. This is our slow day so I cook something special in the morning.
Friday - Eggs, usually scrambled but sometimes "Eggs in a Nest" (egg fried in the hole of a piece of toast)
Saturday and Sunday is fend for yourself since Dad doesn't eat with us and on Sunday we leave at 7:30 for early church. I usually stock Granola bars or muffins in the freezer for this.
Here are two of my favorite overnight breakfast recipes. I keep both taped to the inside of my baking cabinet so I can do this quick at night.
Swiss Oats and Fruit
The night before:
Combine 3 cups dry oats, (old fashioned or quick, I like OF)
2 1/2 cups skim milk
1/4 cup honey
1 tsp vanilla
1 tsp cinnamon, optional (I use only with certain fruits)
Stir well and refrigerate overnight, covered, to soak.
In the morning:
Add 4-6 cups fresh fruit and 1/2 cup nuts of any kind. My personal favorite is berries with almonds. I actually let my kids add the fruit and nuts to their own since they are all different about what they like. Apples and walnuts is another yummy combination.
Easy Cinnamon Buns
The night before:
In a greased bundt cake pan, place 20 frozen balls of roll dough. You can use store bought or make your own and freeze.
Sprinkle with 1 cup brown sugar
1 small package instant vanilla pudding
2 tsp. cinnamon
Pour 1/3 cup melted butter over all. Cover with cloth and let rise at room temp overnight. This should be done right before bedtime and don't sleep too late. 6-8 hours is perfect, I think.
In the morning: Bake at 350 F for 25 minutes.
Monday - bagels and cream cheese with fresh fruit (I shop on Sunday afternoon so this is when they are fresh and we leave early so they can do this alone and still get out the door)
Tuesday - cold cereal (Wheat Chex, Cheerios, or Shredded Wheat)
Wednesday - oatmeal, either hot or "Swiss Oats and Fruit" a delicious cold oatmeal breakfast my friend K shared with me. Recipe to follow.
Thursday - pancakes, waffles, French Toast, or muffins. This is our slow day so I cook something special in the morning.
Friday - Eggs, usually scrambled but sometimes "Eggs in a Nest" (egg fried in the hole of a piece of toast)
Saturday and Sunday is fend for yourself since Dad doesn't eat with us and on Sunday we leave at 7:30 for early church. I usually stock Granola bars or muffins in the freezer for this.
Here are two of my favorite overnight breakfast recipes. I keep both taped to the inside of my baking cabinet so I can do this quick at night.
Swiss Oats and Fruit
The night before:
Combine 3 cups dry oats, (old fashioned or quick, I like OF)
2 1/2 cups skim milk
1/4 cup honey
1 tsp vanilla
1 tsp cinnamon, optional (I use only with certain fruits)
Stir well and refrigerate overnight, covered, to soak.
In the morning:
Add 4-6 cups fresh fruit and 1/2 cup nuts of any kind. My personal favorite is berries with almonds. I actually let my kids add the fruit and nuts to their own since they are all different about what they like. Apples and walnuts is another yummy combination.
Easy Cinnamon Buns
The night before:
In a greased bundt cake pan, place 20 frozen balls of roll dough. You can use store bought or make your own and freeze.
Sprinkle with 1 cup brown sugar
1 small package instant vanilla pudding
2 tsp. cinnamon
Pour 1/3 cup melted butter over all. Cover with cloth and let rise at room temp overnight. This should be done right before bedtime and don't sleep too late. 6-8 hours is perfect, I think.
In the morning: Bake at 350 F for 25 minutes.
Saturday, September 16, 2006
A Contest Entry
Spunky is hosting "Capture the Educational Moment" - a blogging contest with a Canon Digital Camera as grand prize. The purpose is to inspire educators. This is my favorite education post so I thought I'd recycle it for the contest. This was originally posted in January of this year. To check the contest out for yourself, see the bottom of this post.
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 have 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.
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 have 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.
A Girl Can Dream, Can't She?
And sometimes those dreams come true. One of the dreams I have always had is to own a KitchenAid stand mixer with the bowl that drops down. I have just ordered one at an amazingly low price. Amazon has refurbished ones that are.....are you ready...? $129.00. Yes, that is the model which is regularly priced at $369. And they are having a fall sale promotional of $25 off any kitchen appliance over $125, PLUS this qualifies for free shipping. So for the grand total of $104 I am going to have this dream sitting on my counter. It comes just in time for the girls to learn baking with this. The stand mixer I have now was my mother's Oster. Still works but it's not very strong and the heavy glass bowls are unwieldy for the littlest bakers around here. I anticipate delivery by Thursday. What should I make first? In the reviews it does warn of burning out the nylon gears with too heavy loads of bread (more than one loaf) or double batches of cookie dough. While I would have liked the next model up, it was twice as much. I think I can do two separate batches of dough if I need to.
Thursday, September 14, 2006
This One's for my Little Sister
My "little sister" is 10 years younger than me so we have had very different life stages to share for, well, forever. But right now she is almost halfway through her first pregnancy. She has been chronicling the development of their precious little one on her blog. Today's post mentioned how many tiny eggs were already in the fetus IF it was a girl. This reminded me of a conversation I had with W about 2 weeks ago. This is just for you, H!
We were going to the store and he was the only one along this day. For some reason, he asked me if it cost money to change your name. I explained that yes, you do have to fill out some papers and pay a fee. I explained that I had needed to do that when I married Daddy but it really isn't a big deal (never found out why he wanted to know this). His reponse follows.
W: So that was 14 years ago, right.
Me: No, actually that was 16 years ago.
W: NO! 14 Years ago!
(I'm realizing that he is basing this on his knowledge that his oldest sister is 14 years old.)
Me: Well, B wasn't actually born as soon as we got married. It was a little bit later.
W: That's because you didn't have a carseat when you got married that day.
Enough said, we got out of the car and went into the store. Back in the parking lot an hour later...
W: You know, I was in an egg in your tummy once upon a time.
Me: You know, you're right!--not ready for the birds and the bees yet, I think I'll just let this one lie.
W: Cause when you get married, people put eggs in your tummy. Oh rats, I'm gonna have to do something now!
Me: Actually, when little girls are born, God puts the eggs in their tummy.
W(thinking very hard now): So, B has eggs in her tummy?
Me: Yep.
W: And H? and R?
Me: Them too.
W: And you USED to have eggs in your tummy.
Me: That's right.
W: And Mrs. A still does !!! ( Mrs. A is our close friend who is pregnant with #9)
Me: That's right too.
I laughed so hard retelling this to J. I love the innocence and matter of fact-ness of this whole interchange. This is why I love to take my kids one-on-one to run errands; you never know what they are going to want to discuss. Congratulations, H... you're going to be the bestest Mommy!
We were going to the store and he was the only one along this day. For some reason, he asked me if it cost money to change your name. I explained that yes, you do have to fill out some papers and pay a fee. I explained that I had needed to do that when I married Daddy but it really isn't a big deal (never found out why he wanted to know this). His reponse follows.
W: So that was 14 years ago, right.
Me: No, actually that was 16 years ago.
W: NO! 14 Years ago!
(I'm realizing that he is basing this on his knowledge that his oldest sister is 14 years old.)
Me: Well, B wasn't actually born as soon as we got married. It was a little bit later.
W: That's because you didn't have a carseat when you got married that day.
Enough said, we got out of the car and went into the store. Back in the parking lot an hour later...
W: You know, I was in an egg in your tummy once upon a time.
Me: You know, you're right!--not ready for the birds and the bees yet, I think I'll just let this one lie.
W: Cause when you get married, people put eggs in your tummy. Oh rats, I'm gonna have to do something now!
Me: Actually, when little girls are born, God puts the eggs in their tummy.
W(thinking very hard now): So, B has eggs in her tummy?
Me: Yep.
W: And H? and R?
Me: Them too.
W: And you USED to have eggs in your tummy.
Me: That's right.
W: And Mrs. A still does !!! ( Mrs. A is our close friend who is pregnant with #9)
Me: That's right too.
I laughed so hard retelling this to J. I love the innocence and matter of fact-ness of this whole interchange. This is why I love to take my kids one-on-one to run errands; you never know what they are going to want to discuss. Congratulations, H... you're going to be the bestest Mommy!
Tip for Late Night Sewing
If you're sewing along and suddenly it sounds like there are rocks in the machine, don't just keep trying over and over. Check out the threading, the needle, anything. I must have tried to sew the same seam at least 4 times before I thought to check and sure enough, the thread had popped out of the take-up lever and I was making a real mess on the back side of that seam. The waistline is finished on one side and ready to attach ruffles. I love this fabric; it has a very slight nap, which means it is just a little bit fuzzy, almost like velvet, but not really. I was planning to fringe the top layer but I tried to fringe a sample swatch and the threads are not strong enough. They just keep breaking. So I'll gather it normally and see if a ric rac trim will look right.
W is giggling because in his workbook "a rat sat on Pam" and a "bass is at bat", complete with pictures. I giggled to see the fish playing baseball myself. Today is our quiet day so I have the laptop while the boys are working here with me. The girls are upstairs working. I hear the quiet hum of the washing machine and the dishwasher. Breakfast was waffles. Later we'll need to get to the pond up at the corner of our neighborhood so B can collect pond water for Biology. We are culturing pond water to look for little organisms living in the pond. It tends to be pretty smelly but often quite fun to see what we collect.
W is giggling because in his workbook "a rat sat on Pam" and a "bass is at bat", complete with pictures. I giggled to see the fish playing baseball myself. Today is our quiet day so I have the laptop while the boys are working here with me. The girls are upstairs working. I hear the quiet hum of the washing machine and the dishwasher. Breakfast was waffles. Later we'll need to get to the pond up at the corner of our neighborhood so B can collect pond water for Biology. We are culturing pond water to look for little organisms living in the pond. It tends to be pretty smelly but often quite fun to see what we collect.
Wednesday, September 13, 2006
Works for Me Wednesday-Dry, Cracked Heels
Shannon over at Rocks in My Dryer sponsors something called Works for Me Wednesday. I have enjoyed reading them for some time and now I have one to share. For the last few summers, I have been dealing with cracked heels. My skin was so dry and no amount of lotion made any difference. I tried pumice stones, but that didn't work either. So I heard about something called a callus remover. I found this one by Revlon and have been using it for about a month. It looks like a cheese grater and that's just what it does; it grates your dry dead skin. I know...gross...but after using it once or twice a week, my heels are smooth and no longer painful. Do be careful and don't try to do the whole job at once as your skin will be very tender if you do too much at once. I try to do it after an evening bath so I can slather thick moisturizer on with some thin socks and sleep that way. Instant pedicure.
Tuesday, September 12, 2006
Cancelled due to Rain
This was the note for both teams tonight. We've had a couple of inches of rain over the last two days and that meant no soccer practice. Although we were disappointed especially for R, who has only had 2 practices, I was excited to have a night at home. Last week, J took her to practice one night so I stayed home and got H's skirt cut out. I am using the same pattern that I used for R's skirt last week. This time, we have a dark olive green and we are using the squash fabric only for the bottom ruffle.
Tonight I worked on it a bit more. I got the facing sewn onto the front. And I hemmed the bottom ruffle and put in the gathering stitches. I am going to do it the traditional way this time since there is so much length of ruffle. I figured if I could get to that point, then I could take it to soccer practice with me and do the gathering and pinning while I wait. This is going to take a while, I can tell. J is gone again so I plan to try to fit in 30-45 minutes a night after kids go to bed.
Filed in sewing.
Tonight I worked on it a bit more. I got the facing sewn onto the front. And I hemmed the bottom ruffle and put in the gathering stitches. I am going to do it the traditional way this time since there is so much length of ruffle. I figured if I could get to that point, then I could take it to soccer practice with me and do the gathering and pinning while I wait. This is going to take a while, I can tell. J is gone again so I plan to try to fit in 30-45 minutes a night after kids go to bed.
Filed in sewing.
Priceless Kid Quote # 4689
Setting: early morning as we are at a stop light, which also happens to have a school on the corner.
H: Hey, let's all pretend to be pediatricians!
Mom: Okay, Why?
H: That sign says, "Turning Traffic must Yield to Pediatricians"
Filed in children
H: Hey, let's all pretend to be pediatricians!
Mom: Okay, Why?
H: That sign says, "Turning Traffic must Yield to Pediatricians"
Filed in children
Monday, September 11, 2006
In Remembrance
This will be the only post today out of respect. I will share my memory of the day briefly, however. It was a normal school day for us and we were settled in to read on the livingroom couch. J had already gone to work and we do not listen to radio or TV after he leaves. I keep the phone nearby so I can check the caller ID. Generally, I only answer if I see it is J. Otherwise, I let the answering machine do its job.
But on this day, it was my mother. She knew better than to call during school (although by 11 AM she often forgot). I knew there must be some urgent reason she needed to call me so I answered. She told me to turn on the TV; that the WTC had been hit by an airplane. I felt the same shock millions of Americans did at the utterance of that phrase. How can an airplane hit a towering building? I watched as the second one flew into the South Tower. I watched for a few minutes and then tried to get us back on track for school. My middle child, H, is especially sensitive to news coverage. I didn't want them to see but I certainly wanted to. I don't really remember how the rest of the day went but I think I snuck back into the bedroom whenever possible to watch the coverage while the kids worked and played. As was to be expected, over the next few weeks and months, it was H, then only 5, who was the most affected and sensitive to what was going on. She worried about her Daddy when he flew. She asked all about the bad men who had done this. She remembers it vividly and I will let her put our flag out front today in remembrance. 
May God bless America as we go through this day.
Sunday, September 10, 2006
Stats for Saturday
14 quizzes graded
5 children bathed for Sunday morning
4 loads of laundry
3 soccer games
2 meals prepared
1 football game watched (well, almost all-I went to bed at 10 when they were losing 23-7 in the 3rd quarter. Considering I almost never watch the games, this was an accomplishment)
5 children bathed for Sunday morning
4 loads of laundry
3 soccer games
2 meals prepared
1 football game watched (well, almost all-I went to bed at 10 when they were losing 23-7 in the 3rd quarter. Considering I almost never watch the games, this was an accomplishment)
Friday, September 08, 2006
Friday is Pizza Night
I remember when I was a teen, Friday night was pizza night. My mom ordered pizza to be delivered from a company that promised 30 minute delivery or it was free. Every Friday they would be late since the calls were heavy to Mr. Pizza. They would actually give us a coupon for a free pizza (not exactly the advertised deal). Then the next week she would use that coupon to order a new pizza. So essentially we got free pizza every week :)
Now they don't make those offers and pizza is not cheap for 7 people. So I make homemade pizza. Every once in a while I'll get the deli pizza at our local grocer for $5 and doctor it up. They are very good. But homemade pizza is the best. I have it down to a science now and it goes fairly quickly. Sauce is made up a #10 can at a time and frozen or canned. Dough is made in the bread machine (recipes to follow). I used to have them ready to top and bake when I got home but as the children get older, our weekly park days with other homeschoolers are getting later since we school later in the day. Now we often don't get home until after 6 so today I tried leaving them in my oven to bake on a timer. My oven is programmable so I can have it ready when we walk in the door. This worked very well. Today was the first day in MONTHS that it was cool enough to use the oven, especially for pizza. As I began preparing it after lunch, W came in the room and said, "Finally you're making pizza on Pizza Night!" The kids have missed their pizza.
Here are the recipes for crust and sauce that I use.
Chicago Deep Dish Dough
1 1/2 tsp. yeast
3 cups flour (bread or all purpose, sometimes I use half WW)
1/3 cup cornmeal -this is my secret ingredient
1/2 tsp. salt
1 tsp. sugar
2 Tbsp. olive oil
1 cup lukewarm water
Put in your bread machine on a dough setting. I make a 16" pizza out of this but you could also make a smaller, deeper crust.
Pizza Sauce
1- #10 can of crushed tomatoes with puree, I find this at Sam's Club
1/4 cup sugar
1/4 cup EACH dried basil and Italian seasoning
2 Tbsp. parsley flakes
4 tsp. garlic salt
Simmer 10-15 minutes. Use right away or freeze for later. This keeps well. This is the sauce I use for all Italian dishes like lasagna, pizza, spaghetti, stuffed shells, eggplant Parmesan, etc.
Delicioso! Filed in cooking.
How to Clean the House
I've been seeing this around the web recently and I thought I'd share since I like it so much.
HOW TO CLEAN THE HOUSE:
1. Open a new file in your PC.
2. Name it "Housework."
3. Send it to the RECYCLE BIN
4. Empty the RECYCLE BIN
5. Your PC will ask you, "Are you sure you want to delete HOUSEWORK permanently?"
6. Calmly answer "Yes," and press the mouse button firmly...
7. Feel Better?
Especially cleaning the refrigerator. I hate cleaning the refrigerator. Can you tell what I had to do today? I got forced into it because of the very strong odor which I could not trace. I found some old chicken broth yesterday which I thought was the culprit. But today it wasn't any better so I decided I would have do to a deep clean and disinfect all of the shelves as well. So throughout the day, I emptied one shelf at a time, sprayed it down, wiped and put stuff back. One shelf at time between schooling, cooking, and cleaning other parts of the kitchen got it done. I still need to empty and clean the door compartments but I'll save that for tomorrow. Filed in homekeeping.
HOW TO CLEAN THE HOUSE:
1. Open a new file in your PC.
2. Name it "Housework."
3. Send it to the RECYCLE BIN
4. Empty the RECYCLE BIN
5. Your PC will ask you, "Are you sure you want to delete HOUSEWORK permanently?"
6. Calmly answer "Yes," and press the mouse button firmly...
7. Feel Better?
Especially cleaning the refrigerator. I hate cleaning the refrigerator. Can you tell what I had to do today? I got forced into it because of the very strong odor which I could not trace. I found some old chicken broth yesterday which I thought was the culprit. But today it wasn't any better so I decided I would have do to a deep clean and disinfect all of the shelves as well. So throughout the day, I emptied one shelf at a time, sprayed it down, wiped and put stuff back. One shelf at time between schooling, cooking, and cleaning other parts of the kitchen got it done. I still need to empty and clean the door compartments but I'll save that for tomorrow. Filed in homekeeping.
Journaling in Your Homeschool
We have used this technique several times over the years to inspire my young writers. One of the most common forms is just to freeform journal each day, spending 10 minutes or so writing about whatever is on your mind. Some children with lots of creativity will like the freedom this allows. Others will be intimidated and overwhelmed by that freedom. There are lots of ideas online for writing prompts. Some will inspire a whole story. Others will help write just one fun sentence. One of my favorites is the Writing Fix.
Historical journals provide insight that other literature does not. We have written journals form the perspective of a character who might have lived in the period we are studying. We've written about cavemen, a boy who traveled with Christopher Columbus (patterned after Pedro's Journal), and other boys and girls in history.
Another beautiful way to use journaling in the educational process is the Charlotte Mason tradition of nature journals. We have all kept one for years. I even have my own. I wrote a post about how we do that
here. This is a wonderful way to combine writing with science and art to create a wonderful keepsake.
I encourage you to try some journaling to invigorate your writing program. Filed in homeschooling.
Historical journals provide insight that other literature does not. We have written journals form the perspective of a character who might have lived in the period we are studying. We've written about cavemen, a boy who traveled with Christopher Columbus (patterned after Pedro's Journal), and other boys and girls in history.
Another beautiful way to use journaling in the educational process is the Charlotte Mason tradition of nature journals. We have all kept one for years. I even have my own. I wrote a post about how we do that
here. This is a wonderful way to combine writing with science and art to create a wonderful keepsake.
I encourage you to try some journaling to invigorate your writing program. Filed in homeschooling.
Another Use for Lavender Oil
I found another use for my favorite essential oil. Last night I put 3-4 drops on a cotton ball and dropped in my new vacuum bag when I changed bags. Then I ran the vacuum in the girls' room and the effect was lovely. The girls walked in and loved their clean, sweet-smelling room. If the boys can find their floor I'll be happy to do the same in their room.
If you don't have lavender EO you can do the same thing by squeezing a fresh lemon onto the cotton ball. That's what I plan to try next time. I love the smell of lemon.
More later, the kids are enjoying the cool of the morning to play soccer out back while I wait for the last loaves of pumpkin bread. I am enjoying pumpkin bread with honey butter and Chocolate Silk coffee for breakfast this morning. We slept with the windows open last night for the first time in months and it just feels like fall is in the air.
Filed in homekeeping.
If you don't have lavender EO you can do the same thing by squeezing a fresh lemon onto the cotton ball. That's what I plan to try next time. I love the smell of lemon.
More later, the kids are enjoying the cool of the morning to play soccer out back while I wait for the last loaves of pumpkin bread. I am enjoying pumpkin bread with honey butter and Chocolate Silk coffee for breakfast this morning. We slept with the windows open last night for the first time in months and it just feels like fall is in the air.
Filed in homekeeping.
Thursday, September 07, 2006
A Little Thrifty Goodness
One of my favorite places to go is the thrift store. There is a Goodwill around the corner from where the boys do gymnastics on Wednesdays so the girls and I went over to seek for treasure yesterday. And we found it.
Here you see all my new loveliness. From the left: a flower pot with rosemary on it. Sadly, this was part of a two piece set, the other having parsley on it. But the cheap bag broke as I picked it up from the van so the parsley pot was in shards in my driveway. I almost cried :( Then there is a VHS copy of the Winona Ryder Little Women. I love the older one with Elizabeth Taylor but this one is still excellent. The little bunny teapot was only $1.69 and I have been wanting a pot I can make the tea in. I use a tea kettle to boil the water and usually pour into individual cups but now that my kids like tea with me, a pot would be simpler. I will be on the lookout for one that is more my style (I'm not much of a bunny girl) but for now, I'll test out this method.
Over in the right side you see a collection of inexpensive mugs suitable for a child/teen. I keep these in my present stash. One of my standard birthday party presents is a $5 Blockbuster gift card in a popcorn bucket with a mug and some cocoa packets/tea bags/cider packets. This is such a privilege for most kids to be able to have their own "movie night".
Everything is laid out on a square table cloth which also came form this thrift trip. It is green check and will look nice on our dining room table when it is closed without the leaves (we use the kitchen table 99% of the time.)
Last but not least, in the middle you see my best find of the day. Three stainless steel pie irons for camping. If you don't know what these are, I'll explain. You put buttered bread in it with pie filling (canned apple or cherry, or any fruit you like) and hold it over the fire. It turns it into a delicious fried pie. You can also do grilled cheese by putting cheese in it, or pizza by putting sauce and cheese into it. I can't wait to camp again and try these babies out. We are trying to plan a state park campout for early November. Much more sane than our 16 days in June in a meadow.This trip also yielded quite a few plain shirts for the girls and I to wear with our new-to-be skirts. I found 2 100% wool sweaters which I bought intending to felt and turn into little girls skirts, but once I felted the first one, R decided she wanted it to wear as a sweater. The other one fits me perfectly so I won't be felting that one. I may stay on the lookout for wool sweaters to felt for that skirt project. I think it's such a cute idea.
Filed in sewing, homekeeping, and cooking.
Ta-Da...the skirt
I know you've been anxiously waiting by your computer waiting for me to post the pictures of this lovely skirt. Here they are. This is the first "start-from-scratch" cut-out-a-pattern-and sew garment I have done in a long time and it felt so nice. This fabric has winter squashes and sunflowers all over it so the brown daisies just kind of matched. I have had them in the stash forever since I bought a bulk bag f daisies from www.homesew.com probably 4 years ago. They have very affordable trims and notions. I don't pay much attention to the instructions anymore, preferring to use my own methods. For instance instead of sewing all of the layers in the round and trying to gather them in the round, I sew up one side of each and then gather them all in a flat line, then sew up the other side seam at the end.
Also, I truly dislike the process of gathering. It is so time consuming and the threads sometimes break. I have tried other methods and actually used two of them in this to try and decide which I liked best. One is to use clear elastic, which is very thin. You cut a piece as long as the piece to which you are gathering to match. Then you stretch it and sew a zig-zag over it while holding it taut. When the stitching is done, voila! a gathered edge. This works best on very light-weight fabircs. And it does leave that layer in your garment, a fact I'm not crazy about. The second method is to gather by sewing a zig zag over a heavy thread or dental floss. That should stay in the middle and it is what you'll pull to gather. I like this better but it slips since it isn't held as firmly as the traditional two threads method. So, I'm not sure what I'll do next time. I'm doing the same skirt in a different variation for H this week but progress is VERY SLOW. Filed in sewing.
Wednesday, September 06, 2006
What am I to Do With this Boy???
Brilliance and laziness are a terrible combination! My oldest dear son is finishing up Algebra this fall. He is using the quadratic formula to solve for x in a quadratic equation. Don't remember what that means? I didn't either without a refresher so I wanted to show it to you. I wanted to just copy the equations from some site and paste them here because they involve mathematical symbols not easy to duplicate in the blogger template. But alas every math site I found had the formula copyrighted so I couldn't do that! Here it is in a modified Word format (I couldn't find even the square root symbol)
For the equation ax2 + bx + c = 0, you can use the quadratic formula to solve for x.
The formula is
X= [-b ± (square root of b2 – 4ac) ] all divided by 2a.
Even the Word format didn't copy correctly!! The 2's after x's should be squares.
Okay, so back to my frustrations with dsB. This kid refuses to show his work in his math lessons. I thought as he got older and into the more complicated math, he would realize it is easier to keep track of progress if you SHOW YOUR WORK...but no, this is one of the problems he had this morning. 2x2 – 3x – 2 = 0 He looked at this problem and used the above quadratic formula to solve for x in his head. And he was right! How can I convince him to show his work when he is capable of doing this in his head and getting it right? He is making some minor errors in method and arithmetic so he's struggling and then I can't find where he went wrong since all that work is up in his head. We are sitting here working on his problems until he gets them right so he shows his work for me now but as soon as I leave, I'm sure he'll revert to his bad habits. What to do? What to do?
And a funny from his little brother: In our discussions of Colonial America, we have talked lots of the kings of England. We read all about Henry and his wives, and now James and his Bible. Somehow it leaked out that America does not have a king. Indeed that is what was so unique about this new land. W, in his most shocked and appalled voice, cried, "We don't have a king???" This was certainly news to him.
Filed in homeschooling.
For the equation ax2 + bx + c = 0, you can use the quadratic formula to solve for x.
The formula is
X= [-b ± (square root of b2 – 4ac) ] all divided by 2a.
Even the Word format didn't copy correctly!! The 2's after x's should be squares.
Okay, so back to my frustrations with dsB. This kid refuses to show his work in his math lessons. I thought as he got older and into the more complicated math, he would realize it is easier to keep track of progress if you SHOW YOUR WORK...but no, this is one of the problems he had this morning. 2x2 – 3x – 2 = 0 He looked at this problem and used the above quadratic formula to solve for x in his head. And he was right! How can I convince him to show his work when he is capable of doing this in his head and getting it right? He is making some minor errors in method and arithmetic so he's struggling and then I can't find where he went wrong since all that work is up in his head. We are sitting here working on his problems until he gets them right so he shows his work for me now but as soon as I leave, I'm sure he'll revert to his bad habits. What to do? What to do?
And a funny from his little brother: In our discussions of Colonial America, we have talked lots of the kings of England. We read all about Henry and his wives, and now James and his Bible. Somehow it leaked out that America does not have a king. Indeed that is what was so unique about this new land. W, in his most shocked and appalled voice, cried, "We don't have a king???" This was certainly news to him.
Filed in homeschooling.
Tuesday, September 05, 2006
Sweet Relief
After the hottest August on record here in Central Tx, today the high was 77, due to light rain and clouds all day. The breeze was refreshing. The news just said it was the coolest day since April 27! We were in class all day but enjoyed not having to get in the sweltering car to drive home. Tonight we'll have soccer and I plan to take my Walkman and get in a couple of miles around the walking trail.
I did get that skirt finished yesterday and I am very pleased with it. I'll try to post pictures tonight. I'll try to get H's skirt cut as well so I can sew on it at night for the rest of the week. I think yesterday's skirt took about 5-6 hours. I literally sewed all afternoon, stopping only for a brief time when I needed to rest my eyes. Sometimes that close up work strains my eyes.
Going to make dinner before soccer; Sew long for now...
I did get that skirt finished yesterday and I am very pleased with it. I'll try to post pictures tonight. I'll try to get H's skirt cut as well so I can sew on it at night for the rest of the week. I think yesterday's skirt took about 5-6 hours. I literally sewed all afternoon, stopping only for a brief time when I needed to rest my eyes. Sometimes that close up work strains my eyes.
Going to make dinner before soccer; Sew long for now...
Monday, September 04, 2006
Busy at the Sewing Machine
Well, I have been staying away from the computer because it can kill time I would rather spend sewing. I was reading sewing blogs late Saturday night and found one ladies description of her blog "where I write about my obsession and other things that get in the way" Too true, too true. I spent a good amount of time in Hancock's and Joann's this weekend taking advantage of the Labor Day sales. I bought patterns(at $.99) for skirts and slips for the girls and myself. R and H both need some fall clothes and I got clearance fabric for several of them. I spent this morning cutting and starting on the first of R's skirts. It's the one in the middle of the right side, except we are using fall fabrics in yellow and brown with the contrast in the middle instead of at the bottom. I hope to finish tonight and share pictures. I have class tomorrow so I need to prepare and I know once the week starts , I won't get back to the sewing machine. J is out of town from tomorrow through Friday so I may sew late at night.
I also went to www.fabric.com and ordered some plain knits, both jersey and thermal, to make tee shirts out of. I realize I don't have lots of time for fancy coordinates but if I make a few cute skirts and several plain tees, then our wardrobe will be functional and attractive.
The last project I am planning is those napkins and kitchen linens. Hancock's didn't have any homespun...they didnt' even understand what I was asking for. But I did find some 100% cotton in the quilting area that will look nice. Then when I went to Joann's today, they had LOTS of homespun so I bought a coordinating homespun for some matching napkins. I probably won't get to that project for a few weeks since the girls want their clothes yesterday. But it should be a quick and easy one once I do sit down to do it.
Back to the ironing board...
Saturday, September 02, 2006
In the Sewing Room
Today I decided to clean up the dining room which was still a mess from sewing lessons plus I had started bringing some science supplies into the mix. I spent a while clearing it out and decided to finish up the easy projects so I could put the sewing machine upstairs in its cabinet. I can still use it there but it is so easily accessible right now I wanted to take advantage of that. The first project on the list was a quillow for W. A quillow is a combination of a quilt and a pillow. It is a large square of fleece with a pocket sewn onto it(you can just barely see the pocket on the top at the center). I hem all edges just to make it looked more finished. You can fold the blanket up and tuck it into the pocket, thus creating a pillow. These are invaluable for long car trips. Each of my older kids has one and it was time that W had his own. He picked out the soccer themed fabric and I put it all together this morning.The next project on the list was a gift, which I cannot show, since a regular reader of this blog is a recipient of this gift :) I'll share after Christmas.
So, moving on down the list, next was the dog bed. His old one had been shredded (by the dog!) and the stuffing was all over the crate. I didn't want to buy a new one and after my sister made one for her dog (her first project-yeah H) I said," like...duh" (use your best Valley Girl accent) and I bought canvas. After I made the canvas case, I threw away the old cover and used the stuffing to fill this one. But I closed it up completely and then made a case for it so I could wash this. I had both of these fabrics in my stash. One side is a sage green checked flannel and the other is a dark green corduroy. I love green and have lots of various shades and fibers in the stash. I think these coordinate well enough and they match my kitchen.
I led Spot to the kitchen to see his new bed and he climbed right in and made himself comfortable. When we first got him, he slept in his crate as well as staying in there while we were gone from the home. Within 6 months, we had learned that he could be trusted out of it at any time. He nevers causes trouble except sometimes when we have guests. So we keep it to crate him when we have guests come to the door and he goes in there on his own when he needs to escape from the children's chaos. It's his home and he spends more time in the winter than the summer, but he loves it.
As you can see, he's not always able to escape the children as some of them like to go in there with him. He didn't seem to mind when W climbed in to cuddle on the soft flannel with him.
I have a 40% coupon for one cut of fabric at Hancock this weekend. I plan to get a large piece of homespun cotton to make cloth napkins, a table cloth , and some new kitchen towels. I wish I had a serger but I'll see how they look with a narrow hem. I have a rolled hem foot, but haven't had too much success in figuring out how to use it.
By the way, the girls made their second loaves of bread yesterday morning and it worked perfectly to use canned pumpkin instead of mashed banana in the same simple recipe. We did also add a teaspoon of pumpkin pie spice. They will do it one more time on Monday morning before moving on to lesson 4 and baking powder biscuits. We don't have classes since it is Labor Day and Dad will be home before a business trip the rest of the week so we want to enjoy a homey day together. I may get in some more sewing, too :) Filed in homekeeping and sewing.
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