Thursday, May 24, 2007
Surprise Graphing Lesson
Posted in Learning on the Narrow Path
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Christy was messing around with the Cuisinere rods this morning. She pretended she worked advising farmers of what crops to plant each year. She gathered up Farmer Brown's pretend records and analyzed them, making a bar graph with the rods for each crop's sales the last four years. Then she wrote out an analysis for Farmer Brown. She recommended he stop growing beets, as they were his lowest seller the past two years. Although carrots didn't do much better, she suggested he keep growing them, and perhaps buy a horse to eat any leftovers he couldn't sell. Also, since his sale of walnuts had risen steadily, she recommended he use the beet field to plant some almonds and pecans and take advantage of this run on nuts. |
Monday, May 21, 2007
I love Boggle!
Posted in Learning on the Narrow Path
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Man, I don't know about you, but I love playing Boggle with my kids! I learn so much about what is floating around in their heads every time we break out that little plastic box! For example, my sweet just-finishing-sixth grader found the word "thermic." Thermic. This child has been unschooled since day one and she finds thermic. I still have the bruise from where my jaw dropped so far it hit the table. Then my oldest. She plays "codicil." No, don't go get a dictionary, it's a real word, I promise. It is a legal instrument used to modify a will. No, she isn't studying law, but she does love words. Wow. |
Thursday, May 17, 2007
The Pursuit of Happyness
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Hubby and I watched "The Pursuit of Happyness" the other night and something has been marinating in my spirit ever since. (Irrelevant spoiler warning) During a pivotal moment in the film, the main character and his son are attending church services at a homeless shelter. The choir sings "Lord, Don't Move That Mountain." NOW LORD DON'T MOVE MY MOUNTAIN BUT GIVE ME THE STRENGTH TO CLIMB AND LORD, DON'T TAKE AWAY MY STUMBLING BLOCKS BUT LEAD ME ALL AROUND OH LORD YOU DON'T HAVE TO MOVE THE MOUNTAIN BUT GIVE ME THE STRENGTH TO CLIMB AND LORD, DON'T TAKE AWAY MY STUMBLING BLOCKS BUT LEAD ME ALL AROUND LORD I DON'T BOTHER NOBODY I TRY TO TREAT EVERYBODY THE SAME BUT EVERYTIME, I TURN MY BACK THEY SCANDALIZE MY NAME BUT OH JESUS, YOU DON'T HAVE TO MOVE MY MOUNTAIN BUT GIVE ME THE STRENGTH TO CLIMB AND LORD DON'T TAKE AWAY MY STUMBLING BLOCKS BUT LEAD ME ALL AROUND NOW WHEN MY FOLKS WOULD SLAY ME THESE THINGS THEY WILL TRY TO DO BUT LORD, DON'T TOUCH EM BUT WITHIN THEIR HEART MAKE EM GIVE THEIR LIFE TO YOU OH MASTER YOU DON'T HAVE TO MOVE MY MOUNTAIN BUT GIVE ME THE STRENGTH TO CLIMB AND LORD, DON'T TAKE AWAY MY STUMBLING BLOCKS BUT LEAD ME ALL AROUND This made me wonder: How many times since I've been born again have I asked the Lord to remove this stumbling block or that, or to move that mountain on my behalf? Many times He has and I've accepted it as a matter of course, other times he hasn't, and I've felt abandoned. Have I not reached my full potential because I haven't learned to climb my mountains yet? I even know what my mountain is: depression. I can count on one hand times in my life when the mountain wasn't there. Mostly, I remember an overwhelming sense of hopelessness and dread that was frequently mistaken as laziness. I remember from my earliest years trying to find ways around it - to avoid it. Even now, I walk a fine line between the deep, black pit and the pharmaceuticals. Of course, I've asked the Lord to move that mountain. But what if my victory comes from scaling it? And how does one even go about doing that? |
Monday, May 14, 2007
Do we need another reason to homeschool?
Posted in Learning on the Narrow Path
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I could make so many comments about this, but I'll abstain. It speaks for itself. Sunday, 05/13/07 Teachers' phony attack upsets Murfreesboro students, parentsPrank during trip had 6th-graders taking coverMURFREESBORO — Parents of students at a Murfreesboro elementary school are outraged that teachers and an assistant principal staged a phony gun attack on their children, telling them repeatedly it was not a drill, while the children cried and took shelter under tables. Sixty-nine sixth-grade students from Scales Elementary school were on a weeklong trip at Fall Creek Falls, a state park about 130 miles southeast of Nashville. On Thursday, the last night of the outing, the staff played a prank on the kids, convincing them there was a gunman on the loose.
A teacher wearing a hooded sweatshirt pulled on a locked door, pretending to be a suspicious subject in the area. The students were told to lie on the floor or crawl underneath tables and keep quiet. The lights went out, and about 20 kids started to cry, 11-year-old Shay Naylor said. Some held hands and shook. "I was like, 'Oh my God,' " Shay said Saturday afternoon as she recounted the incident. "At first I thought I was going to die. We flipped out. (A teacher) told us, 'We just got a call that there's been a random shooting.' I was freaked out. I thought it was serious." Some parents said Saturday they were outraged, especially in light of the April 16 shootings at Virginia Tech that left 33 students and professors dead, including the gunman. Scales Elementary Principal Catherine Stephens held a meeting Saturday afternoon at the school to discuss the matter with a handful of concerned parents who contacted school officials Friday night. She said she was saddened by the situation and that the school was handling it, though she declined to elaborate on whether the teachers involved would face disciplinary action. 'Poor judgment' blamed Assistant Principal Don Bartch, who led the trip, said the entire scenario lasted about five minutes, after which the teachers gathered the students and explained it was a prank. "We got together and discussed what we would have done in a real situation," he said. Several parents said they were troubled by the staff's poor judgment. "The children were in that room in the dark, begging for their lives, because they thought there was someone with a gun after them," said Brandy Cole, whose son went on the trip. "This was not a good experience," said Alisha Graves, whose son attended. "Those kids were crying, and they were terrified." Brandy Cole said she found out about the incident shortly after her son returned home from the trip Friday afternoon. "I was shocked," said Cole, whose husband, Jimmy, immediately sent an e-mail requesting a meeting with Bartch. Barbara Corbetta, whose child also went to Fall Creek Falls with the group, said she spoke to several different parents and kept hearing the same details — kids on the floor crying and begging for their lives. "The circumstance that occurred involved poor judgment," Stephens said. "My hope is that we can learn from this, and in the end, it will have a positive result of growth for all of us." Shay and her mother, Niki Morris, said they forgave the teachers and wanted to move on. It "went too far because it was too gruesome," Shay said. "You'd think a teacher wouldn't do it, but they did. But they're great teachers. If (the assistant principal) loses his job, I will break into tears. He's the best assistant principal I've ever had." Kathryn Sherrod, a Midstate psychologist who works with children, said she can see how kids could be traumatized by this, especially in light of the Virginia Tech shootings. "That's too close to real," she said. "It's important for teachers and school administrators to realize they have a degree of trust with children. When you play a prank of that nature, you run the risk of losing that trust." | ||||
Monday, May 7, 2007
Serve when ready
Posted in Learning on the Narrow Path
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There are a lot of things I love about homeschooling. But my #1 favorite, first place, all time list topper is that children can wait until they are ready to learn concepts. We have run the gamut in reading instruction, for example. I embarked on a rigorous phonics, spelling and reading course with my second-born at age 4. She seemed ready, and was. We never made it to year two because she took off. My next child taught himself to read when I wasn't looking so I call him my "stealth reader." He took off as well, despite only three months of formal phonics instruction at around age 6. The next child up to bat was far more interested in physical activities than sitting with books. She learned the alphabet on a large hopscotch pattern I drew for her, and learned to spell her name while jumping rope. She wouldn't sit still for phonics, but will read now if the book catches her interest. Her younger sister is "all emotions all the time" and learned to read by listening to and reading emotionally-charged stories like The Velveteen Rabbit and Charlotte's Web. We got out the phonics book and looked through it with her. My youngest is only interested in important reading. She won't sit still for a story from the Pathway reader, but she will often get out a Bible and read it aloud, asking for help with unfamiliar words at the end of a sentence. I didn't even get out the phonics book for her. She seems to understand spelling instinctively. My #1 favorite, first place, all time list topper example, though, is my subtraction with regrouping story. When I was in school, we called it "borrowing" and it took up three full months of math instruction. Some kids caught on the first day, others took the full three months and came away not quite understanding still. One day, my nine-year-old came to me and asked how to take 26 from 135. Five minutes later, she walked away with an answer to her question and an understanding that stuck. Boom, she got it. No reteaching, no constant review until it finds a home in her long-term memory. That is my kind of teaching, and I love it when it happens. It's teaching "in the zone", like hitting that perfect tennis shot when the zing of the racket vibrates your arm all the way to the shoulder; or the perfect powmmmmmm of the bat when you hit the sweet spot and the ball sails over the outfield wall. Not all our days are filled with successes like these. But every one of them has earned a spot on the Teaching Hall of Fame in my mind. |
Saturday, May 5, 2007
Off to Grandma's Houae
Posted in Family Doings
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Since we moved closer, my mother-in-law has been picking up the children, one or two at a time, and taking them to her house for a week. This has generally worked well, but there have been problems. What's working well:
What's not working so well:
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Friday, May 4, 2007
She's Baaaaaaaack
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Anyone who reads this (and you know who you are, Kim) will already know this, but just because it's the best thing to happen to me in months, OreoSouza is blogging again!!!  I'm dancing and shoutin' for joy over this, and if you've read her blog, you are, too! |
Thursday, May 3, 2007
Ketchup
Posted in Family Doings
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I've had a nice, long break and now it's time for a little catch up! This will take several days of short entries. Our wonderful guinea pig, Chutt Chutt (now called Lady Chutterly most of the time) has a friend! Her name is Ginger (after Ginger Rogers) and her birthdatish is November 6, 2006. Ginger is so sweet, never bites, doesn't shed and talks incessantly. She also "goes" everywhere she goes! Not only did she not potty train the way we had hoped, but she un-trained Lady Chutterly! OH NO! We are also now the proud owners of three hermit crabs, Obi Wan Crabobi, Yoda and Anakin Sandwalker. I would love to take some photos of our new additions, and all the old residents, but my camera broke! So, you will just have to wait. But at least I'm blogging, right? |
Wednesday, December 20, 2006
The Big Chill
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I always knew I was flaky. But it's true - I live for snow!! ***You Are a Snowflake*** You live for the winter - blizzards, cold nights, snowball fights! The holidays are just a bonus! What Christmas Ornament Are You? http://www.blogthings.com/whatchristmasornamentareyouquiz/ |
Wednesday, November 8, 2006
What's My Gift, Mommy?
Posted in Family Doings
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My friend, OreoSouza (sorry, but the link thingy isn't working today) posted an incident on her blog with her children asking what their gifts are. I have seen this in my own family. My children will ask what their gifts are and sometimes it's easier to answer than others. This week it's easy. Blair makes clothing out of old sheets and pillowcases. Interesting, creative stuff, not just a head hole and two armholes, but capes with pockets and hoods, medieval gowns that lace up the back, amazing things. Jonathan is quite a leader. He can round up a group of neighbors and get them going on a game of freeze tag before you can say, "Time to come in and do chores!" Even teenagers and adults want to play when he's organizing it! Kate can do just about anything physically. She can teach herself how to do a backflip on the trampoline without even getting hurt! She does sit ups hanging upside down just for fun, and walks on her hands around the house, even up and down the stairs. Christy is the most amazing servant. She looks for ways to help others and bless them. She takes a lot of heat around here for doing it, too. But, she shows us how to love like Jesus. Rose has this amazing three-dimensional brain. She can make a flower out of construction paper and a stapler, that when you turn it on its side becomes an elephant's head complete with ears and trunk. I have NO idea where she gets that, but it's not from me! I know I've touched on some of these things before, but it bears repeating. And reminding myself that each one of my children is distinctly blessed with unique gifts and talents. When I was growing up, no one ever talked about my gifts or talents, it wasn't part of our vocabulary. Mom says she didn't want me to get conceited, so she never brought up that I did anything particularly well. But I still feel that urge to know what my gifts are, where do I shine? How am I special? I guess that's what my heart is yearning for when I watch Phil Mickelson play golf, or Michelle Kwan skate, or Billy Joel play piano. Just once in my life, I'd like to do something - anything - that well. What's my gift, Mommy? |
Wednesday, November 8, 2006
And now for something educational...
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See Dick. See Dick blog. Blog, Dick, blog. |
Wednesday, November 8, 2006
The Things We Do for Love
Posted in Family Doings
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Poor Chutterly. I tried so hard to be a nice mommy and clip her nails when she needed it. But she's been held a little too often lately and just wanted to hide in her pigloo. So I enticed her out with a seedhead of Timothy Hay. Oh how she loves the seedheads. But when I got my hands gently but firmly around her she squealed like I'd shaved her bald! I got her nails clipped, but she really struggled and fought. Blair cleaned out her cage and extended cage and made her Casa Cavy all pretty and nice again. I wrapped baby up in a towel and sang to her until she settled down. Hm, music really doth have charms to soothe the savage beast (yes, I know that's not the quote, but this is a family site.) She was so warm and cuddly, purring away, and I guess both of us fell asleep because the next thing I know, I'm nose to nose with a guinea pig who is licking me on the cheek. I kind of wish the kids had gotten a photo of sweet baby trying to wake me up, but the children know that approaching me with a loaded camera is taking one's life in their hands, so you'll have to imagine. She's still a little skittish, but I feel better! |
Monday, November 6, 2006
Waiting for Wii
Posted in Family Doings
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Can't wait for Wii!! |
Sunday, October 15, 2006
Real Life Learning with a Real Live Pet!
Posted in Learning on the Narrow Path
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Up till now, I've been able to tell the kids that we can't have pets because 1) we are renters and 2) we have allergies. Well, we bought a house, and the allergist cleared us (wish he'd told JUST me instead of the whole clan  ), so the first week of June we bought Ash Lori Rose (aka Chutt-Chutt) for Christy's birthday. She's a beauty of a cavy, and she is so very spoiled. When I get up in the morning, she whistles to me to come feed her. If I open the refrigerator door, she "purrs" at me. She spends way more time on my neck hiding in my hair than she does in her "home." (BTW, the kids like her, too.) So, to spoil my sweet baby even more, I have put together her very own garden. In the middle is a clump of wheatgrass I purchased from the healthfood store to get her started. All around are little sprouts of wheat, oat, barley, clover, buckwheat and timothy grass. Yum, yum! Having her has been quite an education. We've learned so much about how animals communicate. But the most important lesson we've learned has been that others' needs must come before our own. There are times we'd like to snuggle with our pet, but she wants a nap. There are times it is inconvenient to clean her cage, or run to the store for more food, but we do it because we love her. I can't believe we watied so long for such a wonderful experience!  |
Monday, September 25, 2006
08/21 through 09/18 Weeks 4 through 9
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Don't get me wrong. If there's something to write, I will. But this blogging thing was a LOT easier when we were unschooling. It's hard to just keep writing that this child did these pages in this book and that one studied the same thing again, and we all did PE, etc. Dull, dull, dull. And not at all conducive to blogging. All our schoolwork is going well. We are making fine progress. In science, the younger three and I have finished our mammal study in biology and will be moving on to humans now. I asked what chapter they'd like to do and they all agreed "People! But, can we skip any gross stuff?" John did an interesting estimation exercise - the old "how many marbles in a jar" one, but we used Skittles in a tupperware. Ah, the winner got to eat them! We must have made it too easy, though, because we were all within 20 of the right answer!  Our local zoo had a Harvest Fair we attended. It was educational, and so fun! I have Kate working on a write up of what we did, so I'll just post pictures here.  The Blacksmith and his wares   They had a lot of coffee filters in the 1800s? A demonstration by a relative of a veteran of "The War of Northern Aggression" (that's what they call the Civil War here.) We did some research into what guinea pigs like to eat and planted our cavy her very own garden! She loves it, is happy to have fresh veggies, and I feel much safer about her eating these grasses than the ones we put weed killer on! Y'all will have to forgive me. I'm not very good at this electronic stuff yet, so the pix are kind of skewed. I'm working on it, though! |
Saturday, September 16, 2006
Not recent, but interesting clouds...
Posted in Family Doings
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Today while cleaning, I ran across this photo. I took it a couple years ago in the high desert of Oregon. Mind you, that is not a place where interesting cloud formations can keep your imagination occupied for any length of time at all. But this one fascinated me. I called the kids out, took a picture, and we discussed it. It looked like cinnamon rolls in the clouds! I'd never seen anything like it! Now, if I were in Oklahoma, I'd probably head as underground as I could get upon seeing these strange formations. But since tornadoes (other than dust devils) are few and far between, I felt safe enough to snap a few photos. This is the one that came out best, with a few close-ups of the two most prominent swirls. I never did find out how they formed, but would love to if any of your budding meteorologists know...    |
Wednesday, September 13, 2006
Works for Me Wednesday: Griddle
Posted in Works for Me Wednesday
 While having breakfast at my dear friend Shurleen's house, I saw her use this cool griddle right on her stovetop!  I've seen the kind that "hook into" those super-expensive stoves, but never the kind that just lay right on top of the burners. I ran right out and got one. Now, instead of never-ending-pancake duty in my 12-inch skillet, I can make 7 or 8 4-inch pancakes at once! Okay, those of you who have one are probably thinking, “Yeah, big deal, so what?” but I’d never seen one before and was so impressed! Having lots of children and no brain until that second cup of coffee hits, so this is a serious morning-saver. Thanks, Rocks In My Dryer, for inspiring me to participate in Works for Me Wednesday! |
Tuesday, August 29, 2006
08/14 week 3
Posted in Learning on the Narrow Path
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Dad brought home a book called “Christian Colleges and Universities” and Blair has spent a great deal of time reading it, researching and asking questions. She has also spent way too many hours on the phone and reading in other rooms. I don’t think I’ve seen her four hours all week. I miss her lovely face and charm. She did join us on our field trip this week earning extra PE credit, and at my request, took the kids to the pool for 3 hours so the carpet could get cleaned. Her writing assignments for her online group continue to receive outstanding reviews. The calf-deep mess in her room was discovered, and we had a fruitful and friendly discussion about the God of order and the god of confusion. During a discussion with Rose about Gideon’s army, Blair asked why so often God uses deception to defeat His enemies. Hm. Something to pray about. Dad finally laid down the law regarding John’s disrespectfulness and disobedience. He will be assigned his work daily by me, checked by me, signed off and then reviewed with Dad every night. ANY instance of bad attitude regarding assignments will be dealt with. Whew. I really feel better having a little backup. Still, there were a couple instances where assignments were given and refused. But they were dealt with and I anticipate fewer challenges next week. In Bible, John studied John Wesley, founder of the Methodists. I asked him to write down a few rules that would benefit him and make his life easier. He came up with rules for other people, but wasn’t able to internalize any rules for himself. It took a lot of conversation to even come up with daily prayer and Bible reading. He seems to have a lack of self awareness while being entirely self-centered. Strange, this young adulthood time. His geometry lessons have become more challenging for him, and he has slowed down to a lesson a day. Our house is now decorated with little green post-it notes, showing the Spanish words for items in every room, and the rooms themselves. Kate is continuing her Old Testament Overview and finds times during the day when she is able to apply her knowledge to current family and world situations. We have discussed praying for the peace of Israel many times this week, she seems to have a burden for that part of the world. She did an “investigation” in math this week – I guess it’s like a math lab – on fractions. She enjoyed working with the manipulatives, not because she is particularly tactile in nature, but because it was something other than writing answers to questions and doing speed drills! She completed her mammal research and her mammal book is looking very nice! She did a little review on cause and effect and inference, spent 3 hours at the pool and got extra PE credit on our field trip. She only practiced fiddle three times this week and I wonder if her interest is waning or if not taking classes is causing the lag. I wish we had the money to spend…On our field trip, we spent a few minutes discussing a Civil War era garden with its keeper. Hannah was very interested and asked a lot of questions. The master gardener was very impressed and recommended she attend their summer Junior Master Gardener program next year. She had a great acrostic for our Taxonomy study: “Kind Princess Carried Out Five Gross Snakes.” Christy continues to zip along, and shows great creativity in her work. She spent an entire day creating a dollhouse, doll and furnishings out of a couple boxes. Her Bible study this week has been about focusing on others instead of ourselves. She is already very “other” oriented, but doesn’t know how to deal with it when people say mean things to her. She is working on becoming more forgiving and focusing less on her own hurt. She spent 3 hours at the pool and mastered a forward roll in the water. She is learning how to draw in proportion, which requires some measurement skill, so a lot of her time she is spending comparing the size of a bookshelf to her finger from different distances, and the like. She thoroughly enjoyed the field trip despite the heat and humidity. Rose used “equal” and “unequal” in conversation this week, after studying it in math. We read about Gideon’s army and how God can bring things to His desired resolution in spite of what we may see as possible or impossible. She read about the Bill of Rights and we talked about each of the amendments and what they mean in our daily lives. The long trip to the pool helped her sleep better, as did the long morning at the zoo. Field Trips and Extracurricular Activities: Ahh, Member Morning at the zoo. We have a family membership to the local zoo. Twice a month they open their doors early for members to come watch the animals being released from their nighttime enclosures and fed. They also hand out free Krispy Kreme doughnuts, coffee and juice to feed the visitors! We didn’t find a lot of animals on our first trip around, but there were NO children at the playground (a rare sight, indeed) so we spent the first hour there. Then, we went off in search of mammals! The zoo had kindly set up tents with ceiling fans at the more popular exhibits, so we could escape the searing heat while observing the elephants have their morning melon and hay. The high point of the morning, though, was to the historic home on the zoo grounds. We didn’t tour the inside, but the outside was like my dream home. Big trees set in a huge yard just right for a vanload of children, a barn, fields for cattle, horses, goats, sheep, chickens, and the most wonderful garden! Not just beautiful (and heirloom) flowers, but a kitchen garden of fragrant herbs, a medicinal garden of healing plants, a vegetable garden large enough to feed the family, a grape arbor, several places to sit under a trellis of fragrant blooming jasmine – oh it was a dream. Turns out the house was built (and I mean built – they even made the bricks!) in the early 1800’s by the in laws of Andrew Jackson. They traded livestock and seeds with the Hermitage on a regular basis. In my dreams, I live there with one major exception: snow. It positively MUST snow at least 12 inches per year. Oh, right. Sorry. Where was I? Field trip. Anyway, the kids just loved walking around and petting the animals. Most would come right up to you if you stood by the fence. We talked about each of the animal’s specific nutritional, exercise and rest needs, as well as the shearing times and frequency, etc. We also discussed how many hands it would take to run a farm of that size, which led to a discussion of the high death rate of children during those years, and slavery. The PE extra credit? That would have been pushing me around in a wheelchair! |
Tuesday, August 22, 2006
Meal Planning (this year, anyway)
Posted in Our Housekeeping Systems
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Oh, man, we have tried it ALL. In 20 years of marriage, I've tried every method of menu planning that has come to my attention. Once a month cooking? Too hard on the knees. Daily choosing from what's in my cupboards? I need a LOT more organization than that! Choosing from a premade list of 30 menus? Booooo-ring! This year (yes, we live in terms of a school year, even though we are year-round schoolers, a little quirk of ours) we are trying something completely different - one year menus! Here's how I've done it: I created a spreadsheet with these columns, all on one row: (Month) (meal) (name of recipe) (ingredients of recipe) (cooking method) (prep time) (category) (comments) I copy down the name of each month 130 times, then move to the meal column put a B, and copy that down 30 times, for 30 breakfast meals. Then changed the B to an L for the 30 lunch rows, 30 snacks, 30 dinner rows and 10 dessert rows. I use the category column for dinner meals only. I have chosen for the categories: 3 beef meals, 3 fish meals, 3 meatless meals, 10 poultry meals, 3 "variety" meat meals (pork, eggs, etc.), and 8 uncategorized meals. The easy part is next. I know every week we have cereal twice, once on our "errand day" and once on Mama's sleep in day, so I put cereal on eight days in each month, and "cereal, milk" in the ingredient column for each of those eight days. Another easy breakfast we have once a week is boiled eggs and bagels, so that went in four meal slots, with the ingredients in that column. I like to make the boiled eggs ahead and have them cold and ready for eating, so I put that in the comments section to do the night before. Everyone chooses their own breakfast, lunch, snack, dinner and dessert on their birthdays, and special meals like Thanksgiving dinner went on the list as well. Every week we have one "clean out the fridge" dinner meal and eat out one lunch after church, so that went on the grid. The empty spaces are shrinking already! I continued doing that for lunches and dinners, adding in those meals that we just have to have often, their ingredients, how they are cooked (oven? oven temp? stove? etc.), how long they take to prepare and any other notes in the proper columns. One thing I noted in the comments column is if a dinner meal needs an additional veggie or a starch to be complete, after all, we won't get those 5 fruits and veggies a day if we don't plan for it! Next is the not-too-difficult part. I asked the kids and hubby to write down their favorite meals, how often they would like to eat them, would they be willing to cook them, etc. So now I have a list of foods I can add (or not) to my main listing. I know, for instance, that Kate wants a PB&J sandwich every day of the year, but not everyone does, so that's a once-a-week meal. I also know that while we enjoy fish sticks with applesauce, there are at least two children in my family who will NOT touch them, so that is more of a once-a-month lunch. I got a commitment from each child for how many meals I'd like them to prepare (and clean up after) per week, and write their names in that many meal slots. The older ones are responsible for finding appropriate meals, purchasing ingredients (I pay, but they will make their own list), prep and clean up. The younger ones enlist the help of an older one for nutrition, capbility and budgetary reasons. Then comes the most time-consuming, but fun part of the process. I went through my myriad of cookbooks, one at a time, adding in the recipes that we love but had been forgotten over the years. Some will repeat once a month, others only once or twice a year. Now, keep in mind, I can't sit, stand, or walk for more than 30 minutes, so this was done in little chunks over a long period of time. I might leaf through one cookbook per day. If a recipe is "company worthy", I formatted it in italics. I try to have one of those per week just in case. Ah. We're done. Not every square of the grid is filled in, and that's okay, and there is only a notation for "needs green veg" or "needs starch" for a lot of days, but that's good too. I'm still done. Time to use it: August comes, so I scroll down to the August section. With one eye on my calendar, I choose seven breakfasts, seven lunches, seven snacks, seven dinners and two desserts. Two or three blank meals each week is fine, I'll deal with that later. (I also format the meals I've chosen as bold on the spreadsheet, but that's because I can't remember from one day to the next what we've eaten!) I watch the calendar for evening meetings (I need something QUICK or a crockpot meal), and pay attention to cooking methods (if I'm cooking a dish at 475°, I don't really want a dessert that has to cook at the same time at 350°, or to try to cook two things in my only crockpot at once!) I print out the info I need on two pages: page one is the menus, cooking method, prep time and comments. I don't put dates on it, just a list of breakfasts, lunches, etc. Page two includes the complete listing of ingredients which I check against my pantry and fridge before heading out for the store; and the comments column. I enlist the children in researching their meals and putting their shopping lists together, give it a once-over with them, then turn my attention to the blanks. Almost without exception, I'll see a recipe during the week that I want to try. Something in a magazine, on a TV show, or that I find online will strike my fancy. I add that to the list that week in a blank spot. It's okay if it happens after my big once-a-week shopping trip, because there WILL be a midweek trip, I guarantee it, because our fridge isn't big enough to hold more than 3 days worth of milk! Now it's off to the store. I take my list and coupon box and send the junior cooks off with their lists. Remember, on my list are the items I need to buy, checked off from my pantry supply and the comments like "needs green veggie" or "needs starch." As I go through the produce section, I'll add to my cart the fresh, seasonal veggies I find at the lowest prices, so I'm not trying to serve $5 a pound asparagus out of season just because the menu says so! If I have a coupon for rice or pasta, I'll use it for the "needs starch" item. Or if there is a special on some yummy freshly-baked bread, I'll pick that up and its companion menu item goes first that week! Before we head to the checkout, I look over the kids' carts. Did they pick up the appropriately-sized item? Did they try to sneak a gigantic Snickers bar in with the collard greens? Hmmmm? Back at home, I choose tomorrow's meals when I'm fixing tonight's dinner. Do we need eggs boiled? Meat out of the freezer and into the fridge? The dry ingredients stirred together for tomorrow morning's muffins? Easy to do while I'm in the kitchen anyway. I also keep an eye on the fresh foods. Here in the south food spoils very quickly, so salads and fresh veggies will be served soon after the shopping trip, while frozen veggies can wait till later in the week. After a meal, I'll do a little follow-through. Would that casserole taste better with corn than peas? Should we try mozzarella on the burgers next time? Is that meal something we no longer like and should be removed, or really, really liked and need to have more often? These comments are noted on the posted menu page on the fridge. Next week when I print out the menus, I'll add those notes to the spreadsheet. Sound difficult? Ask me again in July. For now, it seems to be working... |
Monday, August 21, 2006
08/07 week 2
Posted in Learning on the Narrow Path
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Week two This was a very different sort of week for us, both in home schooling and in real life. We stayed home all week, mostly owing to the high cost of gasoline, the high mileage our van just hit, the high mold pollen count and the high temps outside. Instead of going on a grocery shopping trip during the week, I went at night in the rain. Blair started off her year with a bang. The fantasy story she wrote for an online writing forum is getting rave reviews. She finished her novel and has submitted it to the writing forum for input. Her first essay for her Literary Analysis class showed promise, but after a brief editing session, turned solid gold. She had a load of fun with her geometry book, doing the first lessons on deductive reasoning. She mentioned that she’d like to look into Early Childhood Education, but knowing her and how she relates to youngsters (plus the added stresses of public education), I just don’t think that’s her calling. But I won’t dissuade her. She’ll find her passion herself. She has been enjoying Ken Burns’ Civil War with us at night, especially those near-fictional details that are just too quirky to ignore (like the man in whose front yard the war began and in whose parlor it ended). She likes to take notes for writing her own historical fiction, but that’s hard since hubby likes to watch TV with the lights off! While John's writing is usually sparse and “just enough to say it’s done,” he did an essay on the Autobiography of Benjamin Franklin this week for his American Lit class that was very nicely thought out. He grumbles that he hates that course every time he does it, but I can see it’s working on his reasoning skills. He spent about three hours this week working on his Spanish pronunciation. I haven’t seen him doing any work in his Biology course, but I have seen him hovering around when the younger ones do their science and come away with words like “monotreme” that he doesn’t know and has to look up. He has discovered that mornings are not his best time of day, but after he’s eaten and has revived a bit, he finds life in general much more pleasant (as is he!) His attentiveness still lags a bit: the night he was to make dinner we had several smoke alarms go off as a result of the TV being on during cooking time (in another room!) and his not reading the directions carefully. Hm. Taco Bell is every bit as good as I remember it! He listened to a speed-reading CD and in timed tests, doubled his reading speed! Kate asked to borrow my Handbook of Nature Study this week so she could do some research into some of the birds visiting our feeder. They look like finches, cardinals and crows to me, but I’m sure she will discover some specifics. Her list of things she wants to learn about Tennessee reads like a course of study. We borrowed a book from the library children’s section, but it’s clear the information she seeks will need much deeper research. She’s getting much quicker at computation since using a computerized speed drill. Her first time, she got 80% and took 5 seconds per multiplication problem. After two weeks she is getting 100% and taking 2-3 seconds. MUCH better. Our creative writing project was to write a letter to President Bush asking him to come to dinner next time he’s in town so we could discuss some ideas with him. Kate's idea was to form a prayer group assigned to the welfare of the space program and its employees. Her letter walked a line between friendly professionalism and respect that was lovely to read. Christy is still in need of naps. One day this week, I relented and she was in a puddle of tears before 4:30PM. But, that’s okay. We can fit in a nap! It just means we need to really apply ourselves before lunch. That can be hard with a mom who tends to sleep late and wake slowly, but increased self-discipline on my part will fix that. She made a HUGE leap this week in her handwriting; the line “Dear Mr. President” was the neatest she’s ever written. There are still some letters not formed in the proper direction, and she needs to become comfortable with writing slower and larger for a time, but I can see massive improvement on the horizon. Her American History study is going well, and she will frequently mention chapters in which the current topic has been discussed in one book or another. I’m glad to see those associations being made. She did another four math lessons, and continued to advance in her speed drills. Rose continues to learn more from everyday life than from her studies right now. When John refused to let her borrow his playing cards, she made a deck of her own! Her sisters are becoming less patient every day with her constant need to have things spelled for her, so she is using invented spelling and learning to self-edit after the fact. Very few final drafts of hers I have seen have spelling errors at all. I think a lack of confidence is more to blame than a lack of knowledge. We read the Pledge of Allegiance and what it meant this week, and she was able to grasp the nation-sized ideas in it quite well. She spent several hours with the tempera paints on one of the four rainy school days this week, making lovely pictures of people, animals and places she loves. She even let the paint dry between layers of color so she could add subtleties and shading one doesn’t often see at the first grade level. We visited the Virtual Zoo online and talked about some of the different mammals. Field Trips and Extracurricular Activities: Saturday we attended a grand opening of a nearby mini mall. The little ones had lovely designs painted on their arms by a clown, David shared some card tricks with a magician, the middles watched a teen boy make balloon animals, and we all were miserable in the heat. But, it gave us a good opportunity to discuss sweat and its purpose. There were also some nasty clouds building very quickly and that provided us yet another good science lesson. |