I made Black Beans and Rice in the Rice Cooker last night, and it was really good! Rather than putting the cheese in the whole thing I just sprinkled on top at the end and served with salsa.
Very quick, very easy, very delicious...and also inexpensive.
This was enough for all of us for supper and a lunch for Mr. Pear.
Tuesday, March 31, 2009
Homeschooling week 2: B and 2
By week 2 Miss Pear was terribly excited about this and loved getting the boxes out to see what was in there, and already had some clear favorites for activities.
Bible Reading Time:
Sunday:
Tuesday:
* From Rod and Staff
**Rod and Staff online is not the same company as the Rod and Staff catalog, even though they carry the same stuff. Often the best pricing and regular discounts comes from the catalog, available upon request at 1-606-522-4348.
Bible Reading Time:
- Five Minute Devotions for Children: Celebrating God's World As a Family
- A Chapter in Genesis (Except for the once a week or so Miss Pear asks for Jonah...)
- Read Story for B in Teach Them to Your Children: An Alphabet of Biblical Poems, Verses, and Stories
- Memorize Matthew 5:9 "Blessed are the peacemakers, for they shall be called sons of God."
- Review A verse
- Winnie the Pooh Treasury
(sorry, it appears it is no longer in publication, which is a pity. Paperbackswap.com might have it).
- Alpha-Phonics: A Primer For Beginning Readers
(Using the letter recognition in the back, and we love it)
- Number recognition - a little chart I made up based on Alpha-phonics.
- About 3 Workbook**
Sunday:
- We were home sick from church and Miss Pear was all but begging to make a fuzzy number 2!
Tuesday:
- Read Bible Count*
- Read "My Two Book"
- Two Tracing Page (number buddies tracing page)
- Color and decorate #2 (Use large template)
- Read "My 'B' Book"
- Read Skating with Bears
- B is for Bear coloring page and tracing sheet
- Bake Blueberry Pie
- Read Learning My Numbers*
- Read "My Two Book"
- Two Tracing Page (number buddies tracing page)
- Craft: Ice Cream Cone Scoop Craft for Numbers scoop #2
- Read "My 'B' Book"
- Bees (Down on the Farm)
- B is for Bumble Bee coloring page and tracing page
- Other Bee coloring pages were requested so I just searched for Bee Coloring Pages and printed some off.
- Bake Banana Bread (technically honey was on the recipe card....)
* From Rod and Staff
**Rod and Staff online is not the same company as the Rod and Staff catalog, even though they carry the same stuff. Often the best pricing and regular discounts comes from the catalog, available upon request at 1-606-522-4348.
Monday, March 30, 2009
Homeschooling Week 1: A and 1
After reading around about homeschooling we decided to follow Crystal's example of selecting a letter a week (okay, it helped that she was using some resources we had selected too...), but we decided to also add a number each week. So Monday, Wednesday, Friday we do a letter, and Tuesday and Thursday we do a number. I also try to work things into our everyday life that correspond...like making apple crisp for A week.
Anyways, I decided to post our schedule here because it was hard for me to find examples of families starting in homeschooling. As a family who was not homeschooled, and frankly have no close friends who homeschool that we could quiz we were searching for preschool examples that would give us some ideas. And yes, that is one of the reasons we are starting early, so we have time to figure this out.
We are just starting out, and are certainly not experts! This seems to be working for us right now, but that is this month....
I have 6 homeschooling boxes, one for each day of the week, and one for everyday, and I have to tell you, that is working out great! Miss Pear does not get to see what is being put into each box, so she thinks that each box is FULL of surprises! Everything except the devotional and Bible are kept in those boxes, along with any needed supplies (so if we are doing a craft, all the supplies are already in there!) So she thinks it is a huge treat, and it keeps mommy organized - that would be a double blessing!
Bible Reading Time:
Monday:
Tuesday:
Weekend with Daddy: Begin Ice Cream Cone Scoop Craft for Numbers - Cone and #1 scoop
* From Rod and Staff
**Rod and Staff online is not the same company as the Rod and Staff catalog, even though they carry the same stuff. Often the best pricing and regular discounts comes from the catalog, available upon request at 1-606-522-4348.
Anyways, I decided to post our schedule here because it was hard for me to find examples of families starting in homeschooling. As a family who was not homeschooled, and frankly have no close friends who homeschool that we could quiz we were searching for preschool examples that would give us some ideas. And yes, that is one of the reasons we are starting early, so we have time to figure this out.
We are just starting out, and are certainly not experts! This seems to be working for us right now, but that is this month....
I have 6 homeschooling boxes, one for each day of the week, and one for everyday, and I have to tell you, that is working out great! Miss Pear does not get to see what is being put into each box, so she thinks that each box is FULL of surprises! Everything except the devotional and Bible are kept in those boxes, along with any needed supplies (so if we are doing a craft, all the supplies are already in there!) So she thinks it is a huge treat, and it keeps mommy organized - that would be a double blessing!
Bible Reading Time:
- Five Minute Devotions for Children: Celebrating God's World As a Family
- A Chapter in Genesis (Except for the once a week or so Miss Pear asks for Jonah...)
- Read Story for A in Teach Them to Your Children: An Alphabet of Biblical Poems, Verses, and Stories
- Memorize Colossians 3:23 "And whatever you do, do it heartily, as to the Lord and not to men."
- Winnie the Pooh Treasury
- Alpha-Phonics: A Primer For Beginning Readers
- Number recognition - a little chart I made up based on Alpha-phonics.
- About 3 Workbook**
Monday:
Tuesday:
- Read Bible Count*
- Read "My One Book"
- One Tracing Page (number buddies tracing page)
- Read "My 'A' Book"
- A is for Apple tracing page (alphabuddies tracing page)
- Bake Apple Crisp
- Read Learning My Numbers*
- Read "My One Book"
- One Tracing Page (number buddies tracing page)
- Craft: Make Fuzzy 1 (draw a 1 on construction paper, glue cotton balls to it, done!)
Weekend with Daddy: Begin Ice Cream Cone Scoop Craft for Numbers - Cone and #1 scoop
* From Rod and Staff
**Rod and Staff online is not the same company as the Rod and Staff catalog, even though they carry the same stuff. Often the best pricing and regular discounts comes from the catalog, available upon request at 1-606-522-4348.
Sunday, March 29, 2009
Menu for the Week of March 28 - April 4
After about a year, I am finally returning to Meal Plan Monday. Things are finally settling down enough!
I plan Saturday to Saturday because we are a one car family and go grocery shopping Saturday morning. The baking list at the bottom of the menu contains a few items in each area that I make sure I have the stuff on hand for. That way if I need to make bread I know I have everything for it, but I don't make every item every week (much to my oldest daughter's disappointment who would love it if I made all the cookies!)!
Saturday
Breakfast - Hot Cross Buns
Lunch - Leftover Pasta and Sauce
Supper - Chicken Taquitos (made with this enchilada sauce, make it a day ahead for better flavor, and it is so good I will never buy the canned stuff again) and spanish rice
Sunday
Breakfast - Hot Cross Buns
Lunch - Leftover Taquitos and Rice
Supper - Filipino Noodles (I am trying to find a good recipe!)
Monday
Breakfast - Cereal, toast, fruit
Lunch - Healthy Mac and Cheese
Supper - Rice and Black Beans in the Rice Cooker
Tuesday
Breakfast - Granola and Yogurt
Lunch - Leftover Healthy Mac and Cheese
Supper - Sweet and Sour Chicken over Rice (chicken is loaded with veggies so no side dish needed)
Wednesday
Breakfast - Cereal and fruit
Lunch - Grilled Cheese Sandwiches and fruit
Supper - Tortilla Soup and Rolls (the recipe I am always asked to bring when we are invited over for supper and I ask if I can bring something....)
Thursday
Breakfast - Granola and Yogurt
Lunch - leftovers
Supper - Spaghetti
Friday
Breakfast - cereal and fruit
Lunch - Poached eggs and toast
Supper - White Chicken Chili and rolls
Saturday
Breakfast - Overnight Blueberry French Toast
Lunch - Pizza Rolls and Veggies
Supper - Hamburgers and Pasta Salad
Breads
French Bread~
Oatmeal Bread~
Cracked Wheat Bread*
Cookies
Chocolate Crinkle
Spicy Oatmeal
Loaves and Muffins
Banana Loaf
Other
Dinner Rolls
Hamburger Rolls
Doughnuts (In our homeschooling Friday is D is for Doughnut day, therefore we are making doughnuts)
* Recipe is from New Cook Book, Limited Edition "Pink Plaid" : For Breast Cancer Awareness (Better Homes & Gardens)
Friday, March 27, 2009
Hot Cross Buns
This was the first ever recipe I posted on my blog, but it is so yummy, and so wonderful during Lent and Easter that I had to post it again. Plus, why should I be the only one trying valiantly to not sit down and eat the whole pan?
The Symbolism of Hot Cross Buns
Did you know there is a lot of symbolism in hot cross buns?
The cross on top, of course, points to our Lord's sacrifice on the cross.
A traditional recipe calls for three kinds of fruits to represent the Holy Trinity.
The fruits are in one bun representing how the Holy Trinity is one God.
The buns are covered in a cross as our sins are and when we come to the cross we receive all of God, just like we get all the fruit in the bun.
And of course there is the sweetness of the glaze that makes the cross which I am convinced must be symbolic of the sweetness of the Christian life.
Hot Cross Buns
2 packages (1/4 ounce each) active dry yeast
2 cups warm milk (110° to 115°)
1/3 cup butter, softened
2 eggs, lightly beaten
1/2 cup sugar
1-1/2 teaspoons salt
6 to 7 cups all-purpose flour
1/2 cup brown raisins
1/2 cup golden raisins
1/2 cup dried currants
1 teaspoon ground cinnamon
1/4 teaspoon ground allspice
1 egg yolk
2 tbsp water
Confectioners' sugar icing
2 tablespoons water
2 tbsp melted butter
1/2 tsp vanilla
In a mixing bowl, dissolve yeast in milk. Stir in butter, eggs, sugar and salt.
Combine 3 cups flour, raisins, currants, cinnamon and allspice; add to yeast mixture and mix well.
Stir in enough remaining flour to form a soft dough.
Turn onto a floured surface and knead until smooth and elastic, about 6-8 minutes.
Place in a greased bowl, turning once to grease top. Cover and let rise in a warm place until doubled, about 1 hour.
Punch dough down; shape into 1-1/2- to 2-in. balls. Place 2 in. apart on greased baking sheets. Using a sharp knife, cut a cross on top of each roll.
Cover and let rise until doubled, about 30 minutes.
Beat water and egg yolk; brush over rolls.
Bake at 375° for 15-20 minutes or until golden brown. Cool on wire racks. Pipe icing over rolls.
The Symbolism of Hot Cross Buns
Did you know there is a lot of symbolism in hot cross buns?
The cross on top, of course, points to our Lord's sacrifice on the cross.
A traditional recipe calls for three kinds of fruits to represent the Holy Trinity.
The fruits are in one bun representing how the Holy Trinity is one God.
The buns are covered in a cross as our sins are and when we come to the cross we receive all of God, just like we get all the fruit in the bun.
And of course there is the sweetness of the glaze that makes the cross which I am convinced must be symbolic of the sweetness of the Christian life.
Hot Cross Buns
2 packages (1/4 ounce each) active dry yeast
2 cups warm milk (110° to 115°)
1/3 cup butter, softened
2 eggs, lightly beaten
1/2 cup sugar
1-1/2 teaspoons salt
6 to 7 cups all-purpose flour
1/2 cup brown raisins
1/2 cup golden raisins
1/2 cup dried currants
1 teaspoon ground cinnamon
1/4 teaspoon ground allspice
1 egg yolk
2 tbsp water
Confectioners' sugar icing
2 tablespoons water
2 tbsp melted butter
1/2 tsp vanilla
In a mixing bowl, dissolve yeast in milk. Stir in butter, eggs, sugar and salt.
Combine 3 cups flour, raisins, currants, cinnamon and allspice; add to yeast mixture and mix well.
Stir in enough remaining flour to form a soft dough.
Turn onto a floured surface and knead until smooth and elastic, about 6-8 minutes.
Place in a greased bowl, turning once to grease top. Cover and let rise in a warm place until doubled, about 1 hour.
Punch dough down; shape into 1-1/2- to 2-in. balls. Place 2 in. apart on greased baking sheets. Using a sharp knife, cut a cross on top of each roll.
Cover and let rise until doubled, about 30 minutes.
Beat water and egg yolk; brush over rolls.
Bake at 375° for 15-20 minutes or until golden brown. Cool on wire racks. Pipe icing over rolls.
Thursday, March 26, 2009
White Chicken Chili
FishMama does the Ultimate Recipe Swap each week, and I am always happy to peruse it. But this week she picked a theme that makes my participation close to mandatory: Freezer Meals!
A new favorite around here was delivered by friends when we brought Baby home from the hospital, but I cannot remember if it was after she was born or after her bout of viral meningitis because meals were delivered by our church friends both times and the meals, delicious as they were, kind of blend together in my head.
I begged the recipe from my dear friend and it reads as:
White Chicken Chili
1 T. vegetable oil
1 lb. chicken or ground turkey
1 onion, chopped
1 small can chicken broth
2 cans Great Northern beans (undrained)
1 t. garlic powder
1 t. cumin
1 t. oregano
2 t. fresh cilantro
1 c. Montery jack cheese
1) Cook chicken and onion in oil. Drain.
2) Add broth, beans, and spices. Bring to a boil.
3) Reduce heat to low and simmer for 30 minutes. Add cheese for last 10 minutes.
Variations: Add canned or fresh corn, green chilies, or substitute different beans (I like using 1 can of kidney beans and 1 can of pinto beans)
My variations: I use my crockpot because I like to get what I can ready for supper in the morning so that I have a less hectic afternoon...and sometimes it works. I always add the can of green chilies for the flavor boost, I prefer it with the shredded/chopped chicken, and I always double it so that I can freeze 2 meals after we eat one meal.
If you are new around here, I did a whole series on freezer meals, just click on the label below!
A new favorite around here was delivered by friends when we brought Baby home from the hospital, but I cannot remember if it was after she was born or after her bout of viral meningitis because meals were delivered by our church friends both times and the meals, delicious as they were, kind of blend together in my head.
I begged the recipe from my dear friend and it reads as:
White Chicken Chili
1 T. vegetable oil
1 lb. chicken or ground turkey
1 onion, chopped
1 small can chicken broth
2 cans Great Northern beans (undrained)
1 t. garlic powder
1 t. cumin
1 t. oregano
2 t. fresh cilantro
1 c. Montery jack cheese
1) Cook chicken and onion in oil. Drain.
2) Add broth, beans, and spices. Bring to a boil.
3) Reduce heat to low and simmer for 30 minutes. Add cheese for last 10 minutes.
Variations: Add canned or fresh corn, green chilies, or substitute different beans (I like using 1 can of kidney beans and 1 can of pinto beans)
My variations: I use my crockpot because I like to get what I can ready for supper in the morning so that I have a less hectic afternoon...and sometimes it works. I always add the can of green chilies for the flavor boost, I prefer it with the shredded/chopped chicken, and I always double it so that I can freeze 2 meals after we eat one meal.
If you are new around here, I did a whole series on freezer meals, just click on the label below!
Excellent Easter Craft
Okay, I have a huge confession to make. I love to decorate for holidays...and I don't really like Easter decorations. I love the spring time flower decorations, but as cute as bunnies are, a girl can only take so much...unless it is Peter Rabbit of course!
So in my hunt to find a craft that would double as a decoration for Miss Pear and I, I searched many a site in frustration.
But then I found THE PERFECT Easter Craft! It is simple, used a lot of what I had on hand, Miss Pear could help with the gluing, and the office supply store to get the laminating done was right next to the fish store. But the best part is that we now have the continual reminder of the sacrifice our Lord made for us each day. We hung it in the room we do most of our living, and Miss Pear asks about it a lot, and thinks it is beautiful.
If you are looking for an Easter craft, I cannot recommend this one highly enough!
So in my hunt to find a craft that would double as a decoration for Miss Pear and I, I searched many a site in frustration.
But then I found THE PERFECT Easter Craft! It is simple, used a lot of what I had on hand, Miss Pear could help with the gluing, and the office supply store to get the laminating done was right next to the fish store. But the best part is that we now have the continual reminder of the sacrifice our Lord made for us each day. We hung it in the room we do most of our living, and Miss Pear asks about it a lot, and thinks it is beautiful.
If you are looking for an Easter craft, I cannot recommend this one highly enough!
Sweet Potato Mishap
So it sounded good. The people at the nursery recommended it! They should know, right?
Maybe not.
The experiment of quartering a sweet potato and planting it has not gone well. To my Orange County reader who asked what I did, that is it, and it did not work.
It is supposed to work.
But it did not.
However, I keep telling myself that the rotting sweet potato will be excellent compost.
There are very few companies who will ship plants into California because they need special tests etc. done. But there was one. The Sand Hill Preservation Center actually carries sweet potato slips and is willing to ship to CA. So I requested a catalog and we see what happens.
What I do know is that both girls love sweet potatoes, so this is something that I really do need to figure out!
Maybe not.
The experiment of quartering a sweet potato and planting it has not gone well. To my Orange County reader who asked what I did, that is it, and it did not work.
It is supposed to work.
But it did not.
However, I keep telling myself that the rotting sweet potato will be excellent compost.
There are very few companies who will ship plants into California because they need special tests etc. done. But there was one. The Sand Hill Preservation Center actually carries sweet potato slips and is willing to ship to CA. So I requested a catalog and we see what happens.
What I do know is that both girls love sweet potatoes, so this is something that I really do need to figure out!
Wednesday, March 25, 2009
Starting in Homeschooling
We have started more formal homeschooling in our house.
It most certainly helps that Baby Pear has developed a consistent napping routine at 9, 12:30 and usually 4ish. ~~~~happy dance~~~~
Our first step was to get ourselves back into a reliable morning Bible reading routine with the girls. It is not fancy, but it works. We eat breakfast, I feed Baby cereal while Miss Pear colors at the table, then I clean up Baby and give her something to play with in her highchair while I read first Five Minute Devotions for Children: Celebrating God's World As a Family
and then our Bible chapter for the day. I do start with a devotional book because I find that when I am reading I just need a little something to focus my heart and still my brain, so I would rather the girls miss part of the devotion due to lack of attention than part of the Bible reading. We decided to skip to Matthew this week and are planning on reading our way through the Gospels.
And while this may make me a horrible mom, we were having trouble with not interrupting the Bible reading for silly things, so now, when Miss Pear sits through the whole reading without interrupting I reward her with a sticker. It works, and once she can do this consistently I will show her the last sheet of stickers that will be rewards and once the are gone, this will be behavior that is just expected, not rewarded.
While I don't count Bible reading as homeschooling, but rather something our family does out of our love for God, I do keep track of it in the homeschooling book just so that I can see what we did and when. It is also something we felt needed to get on track before we tackled anything else as it is the most important in our view.
Our second step was to get a morning schedule going so that it would work and not be a lesson in craziness!
So our loose schedule is:
After naps it is still a hodge podge of getting supper ready, finishing any schooling that did not get done, housework, play time for the girls etc. But with the morning plan in place we get the bulk of what we want to get done accomplished. Hopefully as we progress a reasonable afternoon plan will develop too.
It most certainly helps that Baby Pear has developed a consistent napping routine at 9, 12:30 and usually 4ish. ~~~~happy dance~~~~
Our first step was to get ourselves back into a reliable morning Bible reading routine with the girls. It is not fancy, but it works. We eat breakfast, I feed Baby cereal while Miss Pear colors at the table, then I clean up Baby and give her something to play with in her highchair while I read first Five Minute Devotions for Children: Celebrating God's World As a Family
and then our Bible chapter for the day. I do start with a devotional book because I find that when I am reading I just need a little something to focus my heart and still my brain, so I would rather the girls miss part of the devotion due to lack of attention than part of the Bible reading. We decided to skip to Matthew this week and are planning on reading our way through the Gospels.And while this may make me a horrible mom, we were having trouble with not interrupting the Bible reading for silly things, so now, when Miss Pear sits through the whole reading without interrupting I reward her with a sticker. It works, and once she can do this consistently I will show her the last sheet of stickers that will be rewards and once the are gone, this will be behavior that is just expected, not rewarded.
While I don't count Bible reading as homeschooling, but rather something our family does out of our love for God, I do keep track of it in the homeschooling book just so that I can see what we did and when. It is also something we felt needed to get on track before we tackled anything else as it is the most important in our view.
Our second step was to get a morning schedule going so that it would work and not be a lesson in craziness!
So our loose schedule is:
- Wake up, cleaned up
- Breakfast
- Bible Reading
- Read Aloud and play if there is time or while I am reading a book without lots of pictures.
- Baby Pear for her nap, Miss Pear 1/2 hour television while I accomplish this (and I am looking to cut this TV out over time).
- While Baby naps we start our schooling and often get through a fair bit of it.
- Baby wakes up and nurses (Miss Pear plays or colors)
- We all go back downstairs and either finish up where we were in schooling, do some house stuff (Miss Pear helps/plays as applicable and Baby plays while I talk to her about what I am doing), or read.
- Lunch
- Naps all around (Mommy too for a short break).
After naps it is still a hodge podge of getting supper ready, finishing any schooling that did not get done, housework, play time for the girls etc. But with the morning plan in place we get the bulk of what we want to get done accomplished. Hopefully as we progress a reasonable afternoon plan will develop too.
Tuesday, March 24, 2009
Science Lesson
The best book we found at the Library for Miss Pear about veins was on the entire circulatory system including blood. I was a bit concerned because it is geared to Grades 3-5.
Yesterday after calling to check on a sick friend of Miss Pear's she asked me if I told her friend's mom that, "the white blood cells are going to eat up all the sickness and make (her friend) feel all better!"
Clearly I had nothing to worry about!
Yesterday after calling to check on a sick friend of Miss Pear's she asked me if I told her friend's mom that, "the white blood cells are going to eat up all the sickness and make (her friend) feel all better!"
Clearly I had nothing to worry about!
Monday, March 23, 2009
Beans and Rice
This is something I am trying to get more into our menus. Beans and Rice. But all the blog recipes I read are basically cook beans, add seasonings, serve over rice. Or some variation with no more details than that.
I love y'all, but you are making me nuts. Really.
As a girl who was raised by a family who ran a restaurant, this was not standard fare.
You want a fancy steak dinner - I am your girl. Fancy fussy meals? That too!
Simple fare? Not so much. But I am trying to learn.
I read menus and recipes on different blogs that assume I know all about beans and rice.
Umm. No. But I would really like to!
So please help me out!
Can you recommend some delicious bean and rice recipes? I know that a lot of them are simple, but for the sake of argument, please assume that I am eternally dense. I only have 1 bean and rice recipe that works. (From the Better Homes and Gardens cookbook).
I do have More with Less and Extending the Table if you want to just site page numbers and recipes.
But if you could help me out, I would really appreciate it.
I love y'all, but you are making me nuts. Really.
As a girl who was raised by a family who ran a restaurant, this was not standard fare.
You want a fancy steak dinner - I am your girl. Fancy fussy meals? That too!
Simple fare? Not so much. But I am trying to learn.
I read menus and recipes on different blogs that assume I know all about beans and rice.
Umm. No. But I would really like to!
So please help me out!
Can you recommend some delicious bean and rice recipes? I know that a lot of them are simple, but for the sake of argument, please assume that I am eternally dense. I only have 1 bean and rice recipe that works. (From the Better Homes and Gardens cookbook).
I do have More with Less and Extending the Table if you want to just site page numbers and recipes.
But if you could help me out, I would really appreciate it.
Free Book Money
As a family just starting on the road of homeschooling we have quickly realized that feeding our daughter's voracious appetite for books is hard...even with the library. So I was thrilled when we discovered Swag Bucks. As you search the internet with their site you accumulate points, or swag bucks, which you can cash in for rewards such as Amazon.com gift cards. I have to admit, I was skeptical - afterall, just because you can get points and gift cards does not mean it will not take forever and a day, and who knows how good the search engine is!
Well, the search engine is powered by Google. Who I usually use.
In the month and a half we have have been using Swagbucks we have requested 2 $5 Amazon gift cards. You can get an Amazon gift card with 45 points, and with the amount I search it is not that hard!
There are other prizes, but to be honest, I saw book money and stopped right there.
So if you have voracious readers in your house, or just love Amazon.com, can I recommend Swagbucks to you? We have loved it!
Oh, and if you do decide to try it can you click through this post so we benefit too? I would recommend them regardless, but extra points is always nice!
Well, the search engine is powered by Google. Who I usually use.
In the month and a half we have have been using Swagbucks we have requested 2 $5 Amazon gift cards. You can get an Amazon gift card with 45 points, and with the amount I search it is not that hard!
There are other prizes, but to be honest, I saw book money and stopped right there.
So if you have voracious readers in your house, or just love Amazon.com, can I recommend Swagbucks to you? We have loved it!
Oh, and if you do decide to try it can you click through this post so we benefit too? I would recommend them regardless, but extra points is always nice!
Friday, March 20, 2009
Adventures at the Library
Today we took Miss Pear to the library. Not exactly a banner day, or rare event. Except for one thing. We left the librarians somewhat flabbergasted.
We went looking for a book for Miss Pear on a specific subject.
The cardiovascular system.
Or, to quote Miss Pear, a book on veins.
This past week Miss Pear noticed the veins on her wrists, and it kind of snow balled from there. So we went to get her a book to help her and to feed her curiosity. Apparently at the ripe age of 3 and 3/4 years old you are not supposed to notice these things, and there are no books at her age. So we left with books for 3-5th graders. You know what the scary thing is? She understands them just fine.
Do you think the librarians will remember us next time we are there?
In other news the lady at the education store thought we were nuts too, but we did find a small poster that now graces the wall on the hall way to the garage. It is for grades 3-5 too. Miss Pear loves it and has been explaining it to her little sister. Baby appears to be exceedingly interested as well. (Never mind that Baby is exceedingly interested in everything...)
We went looking for a book for Miss Pear on a specific subject.
The cardiovascular system.
Or, to quote Miss Pear, a book on veins.
This past week Miss Pear noticed the veins on her wrists, and it kind of snow balled from there. So we went to get her a book to help her and to feed her curiosity. Apparently at the ripe age of 3 and 3/4 years old you are not supposed to notice these things, and there are no books at her age. So we left with books for 3-5th graders. You know what the scary thing is? She understands them just fine.
Do you think the librarians will remember us next time we are there?
In other news the lady at the education store thought we were nuts too, but we did find a small poster that now graces the wall on the hall way to the garage. It is for grades 3-5 too. Miss Pear loves it and has been explaining it to her little sister. Baby appears to be exceedingly interested as well. (Never mind that Baby is exceedingly interested in everything...)
Homeschool Classroom Giveaway
I have been reading the Homeschool Classroom since it started, and it has really encouraged me! They are currently having a giveaway for a $25 Amazon gift card, and is there ever such a thing as enough books for homeschoolers?
Thursday, March 19, 2009
A Thoughtful Gift
Lately I have been thinking more about really thoughtful gifts.
Recently I made a set of correspondence cards for a friend and thought you might enjoy seeing them. I made sure to stamp the envelopes with her initial too.
Recently I made a set of correspondence cards for a friend and thought you might enjoy seeing them. I made sure to stamp the envelopes with her initial too.
Wednesday, March 18, 2009
Just call me the Scarecrow
You know, from the Wizard of Oz? The one who sings, "If I only had a brain."
I don't know if I am just trying to do too much, or if I am just lacking in concentration, or if I am just tired, but it feels like I am alternating between spinning my wheels and running in circles. Yes, there is a difference, and I have discovered it.
Between caring for our family, caring for our home, and starting to home school preschool it seems like something is always falling down.
And unfortunately when one grandma comes to visit she does not say no and encourages Miss Pear in bad behavior. When I step in I am the bad guy and am being too strict. It came to a head this weekend after blatantly bad behavior learned from Grandma coupled with a cheeky comment about Grandma says it is okay and Grandma was told it will not continue...by her son who never gets upset and is always the voice of calm reason but put his foot down firmly and with no discussion allowed. But really, it felt like we were left with no alternative, and I feel bad about that, but gently discussing it got laughed off and more pointed discussions got brushed off. Hopefully this will make a difference because I hate using time outs to correct bad behavior taught by Grandma.
So all things considered we are a bit overwhelmed.
Which is where I have been.
And I cannot come up with anything more to say.
Why is it sometimes so hard to do what you know is best for your kids, for your family?
I don't know if I am just trying to do too much, or if I am just lacking in concentration, or if I am just tired, but it feels like I am alternating between spinning my wheels and running in circles. Yes, there is a difference, and I have discovered it.
Between caring for our family, caring for our home, and starting to home school preschool it seems like something is always falling down.
And unfortunately when one grandma comes to visit she does not say no and encourages Miss Pear in bad behavior. When I step in I am the bad guy and am being too strict. It came to a head this weekend after blatantly bad behavior learned from Grandma coupled with a cheeky comment about Grandma says it is okay and Grandma was told it will not continue...by her son who never gets upset and is always the voice of calm reason but put his foot down firmly and with no discussion allowed. But really, it felt like we were left with no alternative, and I feel bad about that, but gently discussing it got laughed off and more pointed discussions got brushed off. Hopefully this will make a difference because I hate using time outs to correct bad behavior taught by Grandma.
So all things considered we are a bit overwhelmed.
Which is where I have been.
And I cannot come up with anything more to say.
Why is it sometimes so hard to do what you know is best for your kids, for your family?
Sunday, March 15, 2009
Miss Pear's Theology
Last week, out of the blue, Miss Pear just broke out with:
"Can you argue with God? No! It's all about loving Him and doing what He commands."
Ummm. I know a lot of adults who have not figured that one out yet....
"Can you argue with God? No! It's all about loving Him and doing what He commands."
Ummm. I know a lot of adults who have not figured that one out yet....
Tuesday, March 10, 2009
Nurse Mommy...again
Both girls are very sick with colds, and Miss Pear is down right grumpy about it (but the way she is sneezing and coughing it is easy to understand why.)
Mr. Pear is starting to feel yucky like he might be coming down with it, and my stomach is a very unhappy camper, so I think I will be disappearing for a bit to nurse my family to health.
Good thing I made a full crock pot of Tortilla Soup yesterday! (There was a great sale on chicken breasts - I got just over 3 lbs of them for $2.99 and that was the perfect amount of chicken for my soup!)
Mr. Pear is starting to feel yucky like he might be coming down with it, and my stomach is a very unhappy camper, so I think I will be disappearing for a bit to nurse my family to health.
Good thing I made a full crock pot of Tortilla Soup yesterday! (There was a great sale on chicken breasts - I got just over 3 lbs of them for $2.99 and that was the perfect amount of chicken for my soup!)
Monday, March 9, 2009
A Very Happy Monday
Our week is off to a great start! Even both girls being sick with colds cannot dampen the joy in my heart!
I just feel very grateful for stuff today - my family, our home, our car, our little garden, the soup simmering in the crock pot, even the cloudy day we are having. It is one of those days with the little things delight me, and I love it!
We took Baby to the pediatric orthopedic surgeon this morning for her 13 week check in, and it went great! Her hip test is completely normal, and she is now allowed 12 hours a day out of her harness, which means she just wears it at night! I don't honestly think there are words to express how happy and thankful we are! The Lord has been so good to us through this and is healing her through what feels to me to be a slow and steady miracle!
We don't have to go back for 4 weeks, and when we do it is entirely possible that she will be done with her harness! Please excuse me while I do my dance of joy! .........
.....okay, I am back!
Both girls got sick with the cold going around. Baby got sick Wednesday night/Thursday and Miss Pear got sick Saturday, so things are very slow going right now around here, which is great, slow works.
So while both girls are napping, I think I will rest too, just in case it is a bit of a long day!
Thank you to so many of you who have been praying us through Baby's treatment, the Lord is blessing is in big and small ways through this, and is helping us along wonderfully!
I just feel very grateful for stuff today - my family, our home, our car, our little garden, the soup simmering in the crock pot, even the cloudy day we are having. It is one of those days with the little things delight me, and I love it!
We took Baby to the pediatric orthopedic surgeon this morning for her 13 week check in, and it went great! Her hip test is completely normal, and she is now allowed 12 hours a day out of her harness, which means she just wears it at night! I don't honestly think there are words to express how happy and thankful we are! The Lord has been so good to us through this and is healing her through what feels to me to be a slow and steady miracle!
We don't have to go back for 4 weeks, and when we do it is entirely possible that she will be done with her harness! Please excuse me while I do my dance of joy! .........
.....okay, I am back!
Both girls got sick with the cold going around. Baby got sick Wednesday night/Thursday and Miss Pear got sick Saturday, so things are very slow going right now around here, which is great, slow works.
So while both girls are napping, I think I will rest too, just in case it is a bit of a long day!
Thank you to so many of you who have been praying us through Baby's treatment, the Lord is blessing is in big and small ways through this, and is helping us along wonderfully!
Friday, March 6, 2009
A Busy Night
Baby is sick with a cold...again. For those of you counting this is cold #3 for 2009. Yes, I know it is only March 6! No matter what precautions we seem to take the germs just find her! On the plus side she will have a rock solid immune system when she is bigger!
To celebrate cold #3 we gave her the first of many meals of cereal. As always we started with rice cereal and most if it ended up on her. It was hysterically funny!
And because that is not enough to keep our family busy, we decided that in all likelihood, if we forced the issue, there is a really good chance that Miss Pear could indeed go through the night without a diaper. So tonight she is in Imsy Vimsy training pants. We thought that seeing as we are already exhausted from Baby being sick and having 3 bad nights we might as well just go for broke seeing it is the weekend...
Will let you know how it goes. So far since the start of bed time about 45 minutes ago we have had 3 potty runs....
To celebrate cold #3 we gave her the first of many meals of cereal. As always we started with rice cereal and most if it ended up on her. It was hysterically funny!
And because that is not enough to keep our family busy, we decided that in all likelihood, if we forced the issue, there is a really good chance that Miss Pear could indeed go through the night without a diaper. So tonight she is in Imsy Vimsy training pants. We thought that seeing as we are already exhausted from Baby being sick and having 3 bad nights we might as well just go for broke seeing it is the weekend...
Will let you know how it goes. So far since the start of bed time about 45 minutes ago we have had 3 potty runs....
Wednesday, March 4, 2009
Being a Blessing when life is Crazy
There is a family we kind of know about a block over from us. We know them well enough to stop and chat, and hand off hand me downs too. But not really socialize a lot with, partly because we are far enough away not to fit into that tight fit of neighbors, and partly because we really have not made a huge effort with the craziness of life.
Any way, they had a baby last week, and we wanted to do something to bless them. The only requirements were that it could not cost a bunch and could not demand time in bunches.
So I went with my tried and true method. I made them supper by simply doubling what I was making. Actually I just made a batch of my Spaghetti Sauce and portioned a meal for them (this recipe gives 3 meals with leftovers for us) and made 2 Italian Cheese Breads. So a bit of extra work, not much, no extra mess, and voila, an extra meal!
I froze both the sauce and the bread, and will deliver it tomorrow with a bag of pasta. The thought being that there are lots of meals being delivered right now, but this one will be stashed in the freezer for one of those "You have GOT to be KIDDING ME!" days. Or am I the only one who has those??? :-)
Any way, they had a baby last week, and we wanted to do something to bless them. The only requirements were that it could not cost a bunch and could not demand time in bunches.
So I went with my tried and true method. I made them supper by simply doubling what I was making. Actually I just made a batch of my Spaghetti Sauce and portioned a meal for them (this recipe gives 3 meals with leftovers for us) and made 2 Italian Cheese Breads. So a bit of extra work, not much, no extra mess, and voila, an extra meal!
I froze both the sauce and the bread, and will deliver it tomorrow with a bag of pasta. The thought being that there are lots of meals being delivered right now, but this one will be stashed in the freezer for one of those "You have GOT to be KIDDING ME!" days. Or am I the only one who has those??? :-)
Tuesday, March 3, 2009
Too Funny
If you are a fan of Precept Ministries and Kay Arthur, you have to check this out! It is so funny!
Monday, March 2, 2009
Gardening in March
I wanted to let you know that I actually waited until March this year to start my summer garden. Okay, so I waited until the 1st, but technically it was March!
Yesterday afternoon after the nap to recover from Church (Baby always needs a long one), we went to the nursery and we bought strawberries! 8 plants of everbearing and 4 plants of June specific. We also picked up 2 more gerbera daisies for more color in the back and 3 ostesporiums for color in the front.
When we got home I put baby down for another nap while Mr Pear and Miss Pear prepared the soil. Then we planted the strawberries, sweet potatoes (apparently here you can just go the store, buy the potatoes and quarter them and plant them...who knew you did not need seed potatoes) and gerbera daisies. Then this morning I took the girls out front to quickly plant the ostesporiums before the rains come.
I did not pull up my pepper plants from last year and they are still growing peppers, albeit small ones, but still!
I do have to call the seed people today and order basil, carrots, pickling cucumber and tomato seeds to be planted the end of this month along with a hearty laying down of slug and snail bait!
Usually this is the end of our rainy season, but we need rain so badly that I have been praying fervently for more rain than expected and for additional storms through April or even May! While I know many areas need rain, California is not called the country's salad bowl for nothing, so I remind myself that as I pray for rain for us, it is also something that will help keep food prices down in other parts of the country and bless others too! Plus, storms that hit us tend to just meander across the country hitting those other dry areas too!
Yesterday afternoon after the nap to recover from Church (Baby always needs a long one), we went to the nursery and we bought strawberries! 8 plants of everbearing and 4 plants of June specific. We also picked up 2 more gerbera daisies for more color in the back and 3 ostesporiums for color in the front.
When we got home I put baby down for another nap while Mr Pear and Miss Pear prepared the soil. Then we planted the strawberries, sweet potatoes (apparently here you can just go the store, buy the potatoes and quarter them and plant them...who knew you did not need seed potatoes) and gerbera daisies. Then this morning I took the girls out front to quickly plant the ostesporiums before the rains come.
I did not pull up my pepper plants from last year and they are still growing peppers, albeit small ones, but still!
I do have to call the seed people today and order basil, carrots, pickling cucumber and tomato seeds to be planted the end of this month along with a hearty laying down of slug and snail bait!
Usually this is the end of our rainy season, but we need rain so badly that I have been praying fervently for more rain than expected and for additional storms through April or even May! While I know many areas need rain, California is not called the country's salad bowl for nothing, so I remind myself that as I pray for rain for us, it is also something that will help keep food prices down in other parts of the country and bless others too! Plus, storms that hit us tend to just meander across the country hitting those other dry areas too!
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