Moments Caught Monday ~ 12/3/2012

a post by Jenni {aka Mom}

It was absolutely gorgeous outside today! Our family took a field trip to Fredericksburg, Virginia - both as part of our current unit study, and per request of Rooster, whose birthday is on Friday. Today pretty much could not have gone better - I'll have to share more in the wrap-up on Friday - and this is just one of many great moments I caught on film. Daddy and Bo sat down for a few minutes on a wall along the Sunken Road to look at the free trading cards the boys were given at the Visitor Center. I just thought it was neat to catch them both focused on something. Love these guys! :)

 

 

Of fitness, fine tuning, and family {Weekly Wrap-up 11/30/2012}

a post by Jenni {aka Mom}

(I'm part of this week's Weekly Wrap-Up over at Weird Unsocialized Homeschoolers! Click over to check out all the other posts, full of tips and tidbits that work in real life.)

I’ve found that life is very much a cycle of adjustment, balance, and repetitively pulling oneself and one’s family back on track. Can anyone relate?

fitness

We made it to two out of three of our scheduled gym days this week, a first after the last few weeks of illness. The boys were thrilled; they’ve been bugging me to go for some time. One of our local fitness centers is wonderfully kid-friendly, and I’m able to take my children (over age 8) with me anywhere on the cardio floor. They have designated wrist bands and equipment that they’re allowed to use. There are many other opportunities available to us there, that I’ll have to share with you sometime (I'd really like to write a review and maybe snap some pics there...we shall see). Anyway, we have a place to get in the habit of regular exercise together, and it’s wonderful! It fits our family’s needs and lifestyle so much better than trying to squeeze in gym time for me plus sports/other physical activities for each child. It also gets the boys into the habit of making the time to keep fit now, which means it will be way easier for them to maintain when they’re grown (most people don't maintain involvement in sports once they finish high school or college - but many do make a habit of regular exercise outdoors or at a gym).

On a personal note - I didn’t regress from our time off!! I only began running for exercise a couple months ago, and I was surprised to improve as much as I have. I was really, really worried that after 3 weeks off and holiday feasting I’d be in a world of hurt this week. But, praise God, today I ran the same interval workout I’d run the last time before our lapse and it went really well! What an encouragement!

fine tuning

One of the activities the boys and I do to help with their auditory processing is a program called Fine Tuning. It includes two types of exercises at levels of increasing difficulty. 

In the first type of exercise a grid of numbers is given to the child, and the teacher reads a series of instructions, one at a time, without repeating them. These instructions direct the child to draw lines between certain numbers, circle certain numbers, etc. Once all the instructions have been completed, a picture is revealed.

The second type of exercise is my boys’ favorite. The child is given a table that looks a lot like a blank multiplication table. Down the left hand column is the alphabet, and across the top row are sequential numerals. Again, directions are given one at a time without being repeated, this time telling the student to write a letter in a certain box (i.e. in square B-4 write an “L”). At the end of the directions, a saying or message is revealed.

It’s sometimes fun to allow one of the children to read the instructions to the others, and this week the boys tried a new twist. They wrote out their own phrase on a blank grid, and then gave their brothers directives in order to reveal their custom phrase.

This, and other activities, have really helped them to pay closer attention to what they’re being told. It’s been nice to include all three boys in the exercise, and not isolate the “one” with the “problem”, if that make sense. Sticking together for “therapy exercises” really helps the boys to view them in a positive light.

family

Between moving this summer, being sick several times since (welcome to the neighborhood! yeesh…), and being just plain busy, our long standing tradition of Family Night had gotten pretty minimal. Part of it is my own fault - I can kind of justify not spending an entire focused evening with the family when I’m with all or most of the family all the time anyway, and when I have so much work that needs to be done. Not that I skip out altogether, I just sometimes opt out of part of it and catch up dishes or laundry or paperwork instead. Well, “justified” or not, it’s not okay. Non-school focused family time is way more important than those things! 

So Hubbie and I had a talk this week, and decided we need to prioritize Family Night again. There are many driving forces behind our Family Night tradition - one of them is the desire for closeness as a family even after the boys are grown. The Boyer family is one great example of this. Their grown kids who still live nearby bring their families back home for family night! Neither I nor my husband have any such opportunity with our parents, and we’d love to give the gift of closeness to our children. I can’t expect them to take their busy evening to spend with family once a week, if I won’t consistently give mine.

Why Homeschooling Rocks {#129}

 a post by Bird

Reason #129 Why Homeschooling Rocks: when I study plants, I get to grow my seeds for observation in so much more than a styrofoam cup. :)

Of Colds, Turkey, and Growing Boys {Weekly Wrap-Up 11/23/2012}

a post by Jenni {aka Mom}

There’s no link-up at Weird Unsocialized Homeschoolers this week, but being as I have a few minutes I might as well post a quick wrap-up anyway. :)

We spent this Thanksgiving with our little family alone, which is a change of pace for us. It seems strange not to be with Nana or have good friends around for the holiday! Last year’s open house was a blast, and even when Daddy was in the military, we were usually blessed with some friends where ever we were stationed that we could spend the holiday with. This year, it was just not to be. Disappointing as that may be, the relaxed atmosphere and laid back, non-demanding schedule are a refreshing change of pace, though! Especially since some subset of the family has been sick all week. Head colds, fever, and sore throats abound! Thankfully, it didn’t fully hit me until after Thanksgiving dinner, and I’ll have some time to rest up before school on Monday!

We took the whole week off of school. Monday we made a run to the house we moved out of that’s on the market, and did a quick cleaning there. Once that was finished, we stopped in at Granny's for a quick visit. Then we ran some errands and swung by the farm where we get our meat to pick up our Thanksgiving turkey.

By Tuesday, Daddy and the younger two were down for the count. Bo and I spent the day together. That boy is growing so fast! All his pants were high-waters, and his shirts were beginning to look shrunken, so we went clothes shopping for him (it’s so painful for me to buy my child’s clothes in the men’s section!!). We also went out to lunch, and then he patiently accompanied me to my hair appointment. It was my first haircut in about a year, so I’m very happy to have it done! I feel so much better! I’ve been trimming my own bangs, and my new stylist said she’d do walk-in bang trims for free if I’d just please not cut them myself anymore (I didn’t think they were that bad…). While downtown Bo and I stopped in for cupcakes at an adorable local cakery - what a wonderful treat! (I LOVE cupcakes! In case you didn't know already...and this place is seriously awesome!)

The rest of my time this week was spent cleaning and prepping for Thanksgiving, as well as catching up on household and school paperwork. The boys & Daddy raked some leaves, and spent a fair amount of time lying around. Snotty noses and juicy coughing abounded. Yum.

This week Daddy also put the finishing touches on the hens’ nesting boxes. He and Bo continued cutting down small trees in the yard as well. They’re making room for a garden, and just thinning out the woods so we can see and better appreciate the gorgeous big trees.

By the end of Thanksgiving dinner, the sickies finally hit me full force. I was extra thankful that everyone had leftovers to graze on, and that I had the freedom to get some rest! I was also thankful that Daddy and the boys all seem to be feeling better, with just lingering coughs and runny noses.

I hope everyone had an enjoyable Thanksgiving holiday, and took the time to count up all your many blessings!

What I'm Thankful For 2012

a post by Jenni {aka Mom}
Over on my personal blog I've posted my 2012 list of thankfulness. This year I lovingly copied a friend and used the alphabet as my guide to think of 26 things to be thankful for. I've copied "C" through "G" below:

Caleb ~ I’m thankful for my youngest son. For his sense of humor, his laugh, his impersonations, and his tender heart. I’m thankful for how he covers me with a blanket on the occasion I fall asleep on the sofa. I’m thankful for his dry, sarcastic, wit. I’m thankful for his love for the Lord, his compassionate prayers for others, and his hunger for God’s Word. I’m thankful for his creativity, and the photography and other artistic things we do together. I’m thankful for his love of nature, and our mutual love of cooking.

Desserts ~ God didn’t have to give us taste buds, or the ability to enjoy the food we consume for energy. He didn’t have to give us honey or other treats, but He saw fit to do so. I’m thankful that enjoyment, when used rightly, is a precious gift that we can praise God for.

Electricity ~ The extended power outage this past summer helped remind me that things like this shouldn’t be taken for granted! I’m blessed to live in this age in a wealthy country like America, and I’m thankful for the modern inventions, tools, and conveniences that come with it. I have electricity, lots of clean water, hot water, appliances for cooking and cleaning, electric lights…our blessings are truly overflowing!

Farmers ~ I’m thankful that, despite ‘Big Ag’ and all that comes with it, there are still small, local farmers in America who proudly provide us with healthy meat, milk, eggs, and produce. I’m thankful to live so near local farms that I can spend the better part of my grocery budget there directly, and know right where our food comes from.

Genuine friendship ~ I’m thankful for the handful of friends God has blessed me with who are genuine, faithful, godly, loyal, and true. Those who love me despite my warts, whom I can trust implicitly, who share their hearts and lives with me, and who pray for me and point me ever towards Christ. What a rare, precious gift!

Click over to read the rest :)

Moments Caught Monday ~ 11/19/2012

a post by Jenni {aka Mom}

Back in May we took a field trip up to Harper's Ferry, West Virginia. Along with being the location for many other historic events, Harper's Ferry is where Lewis and Clark stocked up on supplies for their expedition across the continent. Bo has been interested in Meriwether Lewis and William Clark and their journey for some time now, and was very excited to see and have his picture taken at this spot. He'd like to go to Fort Clatsop, Oregon one day, where they ended their journey on the west coast. This was one of the fun moments on our field trip in which history came alive as Bo set his feet on what he has been reading about for the last few years. 

 

 

Of Seeing Eyes, Hearing Ears, and Scrubbing Hands {Weekly Wrap-Up 11/16/2012}

a post by Jenni {aka Mom}

(I'm part of this week's Weekly Wrap-Up over at Weird Unsocialized Homeschoolers! Click over to check out all the other posts, full of tips and tidbits that work in real life.)

 

Well, I’m still working towards the “weekly” aspect of the wrap-up, but I figure if I get something posted as regularly as I can it’s at least a start. :) The last several weeks have been incredibly discouraging. The “extra” things I’d like to do have been mostly out of the question, and many of the regular gotta-do’s have been put off as time has been spent putting out circumstantial fires. Those fires seemingly smoldering, I’ve spent this week playing catch-up again. Lord willing, we’ll have a few normal days ahead and a relaxing Thanksgiving break. Maybe we’ll even sneak in some of the “extras”, like making Chocolate Peanut Butter Bark with Bo or going antiquing with Rooster or having another photography outing with Bird… *crosses fingers*

That said, a lot of what we’ve done during the school day has been just plain normal school. The boys are moving along in math, surviving writing assignments, and enjoying their reading. School’s been pretty basic and routine around here.

seeing eyes & hearing ears…

- We’ve really been enjoying the Body of Evidence DVD series by Dr. Menton. I was skeptical when I saw that the DVDs simply show Dr. Menton teaching a lesson to a couple students in a classroom-ish setting, but I have found the lessons to be very engaging. In addition, he teaches from a biblical worldview, bringing to life the wonder of God’s hand in creation. Not only that, but he presents the information in ways that all three boys hear, understand, become excited about, and retain! The boys have correctly informed and explained to me why Relative X has hearing damage from being around loud noises without hearing protection, and why Relative Z has specific vision problems that relate directly to contact lens care. Bo has been able to see the physiological causes of his own hearing loss, and is coming to better understand what’s happening in his own body and why the ENT can only consider certain solutions. Love seeing that application! This series is a great supplement to our science studies.

 "The hearing ear, and the seeing eye, the LORD hath made even both of them." ~ Proverbs 20:12 ~

scrubbing hands…

- I’ve spent a lot of my time catching up on housework. Yippee. Not exciting, but, hey, it’s part of the wrap-up of my week. And, really, in a way it is exciting because it’s been a looming cloud over my head. Watching housework compound around you while you deal with urgent stuff is not fun. Catching up the housework isn’t fun - but seeing it get caught up does give you a sense of accomplishment. That’s a great feeling!

digression…

- In case anyone was wondering, I am still loving the CMOrganizer by Simply Charlotte Mason. I’ve been printing our work summary at the end of each month to put in our school portfolios, and for the first time I feel like I’m successfully keeping decent records. The only drawback is that the tracker is wholly online, and we live in a wooded area prone to power outages, so there are days I’ve not been able to check off our boxes. Also, by nature of the program and how it flows with the Charlotte Mason style of schooling, it doesn’t allow you to go back and enter work done in the past. It’s just something you have to be aware of and extra motivation to check your boxes every day. The benefits far, far, far outweigh those two drawbacks, in my opinion. No other computer-based tracker I’ve found flows with our fluctuating schedule and schooling methods like CMOrganizer. It’s a wonderful tool for the Charlotte Mason homeschool.

 

Why Homeschooling Rocks {#148}

a post by Bird

Thinking Aloud - Feeding a Family Real Food without Breaking the Bank

a post by Jenni {aka Mom}

I’m think I’m “officially” a real-foodie now. I’ve made the transition from staples of Hamburger Helper, dinosaur-shaped chicken nuggets, canned condensed cream-of-whatever soup, and chemical-packed mixes to staples that are real, raw, farm-fresh, traditional, and just plain good. 

whole wheat strawberry shortcake with organic strawberries from our garden, freshly whipped raw cream, and a glass of fresh, raw milk

Before I made that transition, I had no desire to change anything. At all. I thought it would be too hard, too expensive, too time consuming, and just too much of a headache. I felt very strongly against making changes until my son’s poor health demanded that we make changes - which made me actually do the research - which made me do the math - which made me take the initiative - which has transformed our household into what some friends call “super-granola-crunchy”.

the first batch of butter I made

As much as the former me would have balked, I now grind my flour from whole grain right before I bake with it. I buy almost all my meat from a local farmer, who raises every animal organically and free-range. I buy my eggs there too, for now, and we just invested in hens so we can have our own eggs here at home. I own herd shares at a local Salatin-trained dairy, where the Jersey cows happily graze on a different open green pasture every day. I use that milk to make raw yogurt, kefir, and butter - and I’m beginning to explore making the easy soft cheeses. Our family grows a lot of our own fruits & veggies, and what we don’t grow we’re mostly able to get local and/or organic.

And, you know what? I love it! I love the food. I love the way I feel. I love knowing I’m caring for my family well. I love knowing how to really cook.

The big question I hear most regularly from ladies who’ve just realized we eat this way is ~

How can you afford to feed your family this way??! Doesn't that milk end up being like $7 a gallon??! Isn't that meat twice as expensive as the meat at the grocery store??! I can't do extreme couponing at health food stores or at a farm!

Honestly, if I were to try and buy all our groceries at Whole Foods or another "health food grocer", there would be no possible way we could afford to eat this way. No way at all. And a lot of what places like Whole Foods and Trader Joe’s offer isn’t even near the quality of what we’re eating, anyway. It’s better than Kroger, but depending on what item you’re taking about that isn’t saying much!

The truth is that with research and planning and learning to make things stretch you can feed your family real food on a budget, while filling their tummies and not eating beans & rice every day. (Though, admittedly, yes, we do eat beans a few times a month or so. And we like them.) The truth is, that in most places in America you have other options. The truth is, there are ways you can manage your family's eating habits to stretch the pricey ingredients and make your budget work.

In fact, I’ve been able to consistently feed our family of five (including two tween sons and one teenaged son!) hearty, filling, nutritious, real-food dinners for an average of $13 per dinnertime meal - and we usually have enough leftovers that at least two of us can finish it up for lunch the next day. Assuming we eat the whole thing at one sitting, that’s about $2.60 per meal per person. All real food, with very few exceptions (sometimes I fudge and get packaged corn tortillas - even though, I know, they’re bad - but oh! My! They’re good! Guilty pleasure…). Our breakfasts and lunches usually cost us about half of that.

So, thinking aloud here: I wondered if I should try and post a few of my dinnertime meal plans/recipes? Most of my “recipes” are kind of thrown together out of my head, but I am trying to get them down in print. My husband would especially like me to get a few particular ones down so that I can actually make the exact same dish again consistently :)

I’ve been working on getting last week’s Monday-Friday dinner plan all typed out already. Should I finish pulling it together to share here with you? Should I try and get more than one Monday-Friday plan together and online? What do you think?

Last week’s plan included:

- Creamy Chicken Quinoa with Cheese Sauce, Roasted Carrots

- Chicken Tacos Verde, Peruvian Garlic Rice

- Potato-Cheddar Soup

- Huevos Albañil (Bricklayer Eggs), Peruvian Garlic Rice

- Creamy Chicken Quinoa Spinach Casserole

Is this something any of you would be interested in? What ways do you feed your family well on a budget?