MENU - FIRST HALF OF JUNE 2013

Here are a few new recipes we've tried since the last menu. 

* shrimp with garlic lemon vinaigrette - I've had this recipe for several years, but we hadn't made it since I started posting all my recipes online.  We made it recently and it was the first time the little Ws had eaten shrimp.  Two inhaled it, one thought it was fine, one wasn't a fan.
* roasted broccoli with plum sauce - This is funky combination of ingredients, but I thought it was delicous.

And now for what's cooking in the days ahead.  The days of June.  June!  Can you believe this year is almost half over?!






BREAKFASTS
* doughnuts x2
* oatmeal with brown sugar, cinnamon, milk, raisins, fruit, huh-koe-pee milk, and energy mix as optional toppings x8
* buttermilk cinnamon bread/smoothies
* brunch egg bake
* almond coconut granola (making a double batch and giving away half)/yogurt
* wheat germ whole wheat buttermilk pancakes/smoothies

DINNERS
* leftovers x2
* tacos x2
* Swiss mac & cheese with smoked sausage/Leslie's salad
* cheesy green beans/rice
* quinoa & black beans/raw veggies
* hearty chicken vegetable soup (crockpot)/toast
* tropical salad with Hawaiian chicken (bbq) replacing the bacon/toast
* egg salad sandwiches/raw veggies
* lemon garlic tilapia/rice/peas & corn
* sausage balls/fruit salad/cool ranch Doritos/cheddar Lay's (Devon's birthday dinner)
* BLTs/multi-grain chips/raw veggies
* creamy white bean chicken chili/cornbread

SNACKS & DESSERTS
* produce
* nuts - pistachios & roasted almonds
* popcorn
* hummus and black bean dip for veggies
* Klondike bars
* orange creamsicle cookies

5/30/13. THANKFUL THURSDAY

I'm thankful that our kids often choose to have their noses buried in a book that they don't want to set down.

What is something that you are thankful for?

73.5 HOURS

You may remember that last year I spent Memorial Day weekend at the beach with some other women.  They go every year and one of them had invited me along.  Well, a couple months ago I got an e-mail saying they were getting things order for this year .... and that my way had been paid!!  Seriously!?  I'll never know who covered my part of the expense, but I'm so grateful for their generosity and thoughtfulness!!  There's no way I could have gone otherwise. 

Anyway, my last few days have been wonderful.  A friend came to my house on Thursday and we carpooled to the condo we'd rented in Lincoln City. (As a side note, we stayed in this one last year and both units are great.  Just a little FYI, in case you're looking for somewhere to stay over there.) We changed into pajamas by about 4:00 and spent the evening eating, catching up with the people we haven't talked with since last year, playing Bananagrams, and laughing a bunch. 

Friday morning is when everyone likes to hit the Tanger Outlets, as the weekend crowds aren't there yet.  I wasn't going to buy anything, but I rode over with one lady and enjoyed browsing the game and book stores while she did her shopping.  The weather was better than forecasted, so she and I walked on the beach for about an hour when she was done shopping. Eventually everyone else made it back from shopping and we just hung out at our place for the afternoon.

Friday evening the other ladies went to get pedicures and I had some time alone.  It was still dry outside, so I grabbed my Bible and a blanket and headed out to our deck.  It was so nice to spend an hour listening to the waves, working on a Bible study I'm doing, and watching people enjoy the beach.  They returned from pedicures and the usual evening routine of pajamas, eating, talking, laughing, and playing Bananagrams commenced. 

A couple of the ladies had come a day early and had someone come over to give them massages on Thursday, but the massage therapist came back again on Saturday for two other ladies to get massages. (Another side note is that the therapist's name is Leila Whitlock-Hauth and she does on-site massages in Salem and Lincoln City.  Just an FYI, in case that sounds like something you'd be interested in.  I can't give a personal recommendation, as I didn't get a massage, but I saw the happy faces of the other ladies when theirs were done and they were really pleased with her massages.)  So we spent Saturday morning laying around the condo, then everyone who wasn't getting a massage either left to exercise or hunkered down in a bedroom to chat or read magazines. 

Saturday afternoon some people went back to the outlets, others watched a movie, and Ashley came to visit me for a couple hours.  That evening was the one and only meal that's ever eaten at a restaurant during the long weekend, so off we went to The Side Door Cafe.  Oh my!  I love that place!  I've eaten there twice and everything at our table has looked or been delicious each time.  Here's a peek at their menu, in case you're looking for a place to eat around there.  Their website is kinda funky, but just keep clicking "next" at the bottom of the page to see the rest of the menu. Saturday evening ... well, you've probably caught on to the evening routine by now. 

This morning we relaxed for a couple hours, then loaded everything up and headed for home.

I love my family and I love being home full-time.  I also really loved having 73.5 hours without any responsibilities, expectations, or questions.  I loved having 73.5 hours to just relax. 

5/23/13 THANKFUL THURSDAY

I'm thankful for running water.  And the option to have it hot or cold.  And multiple sources of it in my home. 

What's something that you're thankful for?

SOME HELPFUL LINKS AND IDEAS FOR STUDENTS

Books - Leslie recently posted a picture on Facebook of some books she uses for language arts with her kids. I've read a book for adults by the same author and just finished another, so the kids' books intrigued me.  A quick check on the library site showed that another library in our system had them, so I clicked "request" and picked them up a couple day's later.  Oh my!  We love them!  In fact, at some point I'll probably buy copies to keep at home.  The first is Eats, Shoots & Leaves: Why, Commas Really Do Make a Difference!  The second is The Girl's Like Spaghetti: Why, You Can't Manage without Apostrophes!  The third is Twenty-Odd Ducks: Why, every punctuation mark counts!  All three books are by Lynne Truss.  All three have fun illustrations.  All three made us laugh.  All three are helpful in teaching the proper use of punctuation.

Website - We met a family at swimming lessons last spring and found out the wife has a website that's focused on ideas for teaching math ... and a few non-math ideas thrown in the mix, just for good measure.  It's called love2learn2day and it's filled with all sorts of helpful information.  If you're looking for some ways to liven up your math lessons or need some new ways to get a concept through to your students, then check out Cindy's site.  You can also follow her Facebook page.  At her recommendation, I just reserved Skittles Riddles Math from the library.  I'm pretty sure I'll earn some "cool mom" points by incorporating colorful bites of sugar into our school day.

Picture - Shelley recently posted a picture she'd found on Pinterest and I copied it a few days ago.  Not all the little Ws need help with remembering liquid measurements, but this was helpful for the ones who do and fun to draw for the ones who don't.  As for me, I think I earned some sort of award for drawing a picture.  Don't you agree?

I don't know how well you can see the details, but the gallon house is shaped like a "G" with a roof on top.  There are four windows, each in the shape of a "Q", which represent four quarts.  Each quart window has two of the letter "P", which represent two pints, and look like people.  Each pint person has two eyes, each shaped like a "C", which represent cups.  Four quarts in a gallon, two pints in a quart, and two cups in a pint.  If someone is having a hard time keeping those measurements straight, then this visual should help a bunch!

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MENU - SECOND HALF OF MAY 2013

I've got two new recipes for you this time.

* roasted red pepper and feta dip - Super fast and tasty.
* honey and spice cookies - I've never had a honey flavored cookie and we all liked these.  They're super soft!


BREAKFASTS
* doughnuts x1
* oatmeal with brown sugar, cinnamon, milk, raisins, fruit, huh-koe-pee milk, and energy mix as optional toppings x7
* cranberry granola
* cherry oatmeal muffins/smoothies
* scrambled eggs (ours are always made with a ton of chopped spinach and some cheese)/toast
* oatmeal pancakes/cottage cheese

DINNERS
* leftovers x1
* tacos x2 (Tim will do one of these meals)
* steak salad/rice (bbq, Tim's doing this meal)
* pulled pork sandwiches (crockpot, meat from the freezer)/coleslaw
* penne and sausage casserole/Leslie's salad (some for us, some for a meal delivery)
* corn and bean salad (bbq)/tortilla chips
* grilled chicken/new barley recipe/frozen peas and corn
* shrimp with garlic lemon vinaigrette/cracked wheat & rice pilaf/roasted broccoli with plum sauce
* quinoa patties/lemon garlic cucumbers/carrot sticks
* meatball sandwiches (meatballs from the freezer)/grapes/carrots (Tim's doing this meal)
* rice elena/green beans with feta & dill

SNACKS & DESSERTS
* produce
* nuts - pistachios & roasted almonds
* popcorn
* creamy lemon pie (never got around to it last time, will make an extra for a meal delivery)
* chocolate chip peanut butter bars

COUNTING THE DAYS

Tim has been in the administrative program for several months, but it wasn't until recently that we knew when he'd be done.  There was only one thing to do with that information once we had it.  I did that thing a few days ago.

 



THE FIRST WALK

Our kids have not had nearly the amount of freedom to roam around the neighborhood as I did when I was a kid, primarily because the places we've lived haven't been conducive to kids riding their bikes down the streets or we've been in the middle of big apartment complexes.  I don't like it, though, and one of our kids was finally granted a new freedom a couple days ago. 

Actually, a couple weeks ago I asked Silas and Devon if they wanted to walk to the library to pick up holds.  It would have been their first time going without a parent, but we walk to the library almost weekly and they usually run far enough ahead that they go both directions in less than half the time it takes me with the other two kids.  They've proven themselves to be responsible enough to be granted the privilege of going together without me, but Devon had been in the middle of something he didn't want to stop, so they ended up turning down my offer.

On Thursday, though, Silas went alone.  The library isn't far away, about half a mile, so he was there and back in twenty minutes, but it was a bit more of an adventure than either of us anticipated.

We had a quick chat before he left about what to do if anyone gave him any sort of problem along the way.  I hate it when parents instill unnecessary fear in their kids, but it's obviously unacceptable to completely ignore any possible risks that come with increased privileges or responsibilities.  So  I reminded him that it's very rare that a kid is in any sort of danger, but that the odds do increase when it's one kid walking alone and that it's important to be aware of your surroundings.  I reminded him of a few things - that it's fine to talk to people who ask questions from their car, but just make sure to stand at a distance; that he needed to run the opposite direction if he felt threatened by someone, as it's easier for him to turn and burn than for them to flip their car around; who to go to for help and what to say if he felt he was in danger; to be aware of any cars that may be following him; to keep his eyes up so that he knows what's going on around him and so other people know he's paying attention.  This sounds like a lecture, but it was only about a 90 second talk about stuff he already knew.  Not a big deal.

Anyway, he left with his backpack.  Then he returned.  And he told me a story.

He was in the last stretch of the walk, on the last street, and a truck passed him in the same direction he was walking.  Then it slowed way down.  So he slowed down.  And it slowed down more.  So he slowed down almost to a stop and thought about crossing the street.  Then the truck pulled partially into a driveway on his side of the street, blocking the sidewalk that he was walking on.

Seriously?!  On his first walk ever?!  He wasn't panicked or anything, but he was paying attention and quickly considering his options.

So, the truck blocked his way and the driver got out.  She came around the truck in his direction and he noticed she had an ID tag around her neck, which he recognized as being similar to what Tim wears as a teacher and/or practicum student. 

"Hey, hon, where do you go to school?" 

Now, this could be a sweet lady trying to not intimidate him with a legitimate question.  Or it could be a psycho lady who's trying to sweet talk him. 

He kept his distance and said he's homeschooled.  She chuckled and said that's good, that she was concerned he was a kid who had run off from school.  He said that he was going to the library, she wished him well, and then she left.  And he finished his walk to the library.

I think he handled it perfectly!  I'm proud of him.

We talked about how based on his age and size, the fact he had a backpack, the direction he was headed, and the time of day, it was probably wise that she stopped to make sure everything was ok.  We have no idea if she was a school employee or just a random adult who was concerned for the safety of a kid in her community.  Either way, she didn't do anything wrong and would have been a real blessing if Silas had been a kid in trouble. We also talked about how he, not knowing who the lady was or why she was following (for lack of a better word) him, did a great job of staying as safe as possible.

I love watching our kids grow up, take on more responsibilities, earn more privileges, and prove themselves to be wise and responsible.  It makes the times of being discouraged about battling the same issues day after day after day or wondering if the things you teach will ever sink in totally worthwhile. 

LOOKING FORWARD

I love homeschooling. I love staying at home with our kids.  I love having four kids, from toddler to almost-middle schooler.  I love running a household.

I've never understood moms who were frazzled by the addition of kid number two, three, or four.  I've never understood moms who were overwhelmed by basic homemaking responsibilities.  I've never understood moms who thought homeschooling young kids was more than they could handle. 

Now I understand.

None of those things are hard for me on their own, but the combination is killing me.  Actually, it probably boils down to homeschooling three bigs while parenting a toddler is killing me.  Whatever it is, it's not working for us.

Last school year I hit a wall, my "I just want to be the mom, not the teacher" moment.  We'd had a crazy year, though, and I didn't want to make any big decisions in the midst of unemployment, stressful housing situations, a hard pregnancy, unplanned surgery, moving, etc. and chose to give it another year.  It's been a year now, though, and my feelings haven't changed.  I love each piece of my life's puzzle, but they simply aren't fitting together anymore. 

I know I've already told you that we're changing things up in the schooling department next year, but I just have to say how much I'm looking forward to it.

I'm really excited for Silas to go to middle school.  He's always had a desire to go to public school and is really looking forward to it. I'm eager to see what parts he loves, what parts he's not crazy about, getting to know his new friends, and watching him get involved in the things that interest him.   I'm confident that sending him to school is the right decision and am pretty sure he will thrive there, but it will still have been the right choice if it blows up in our face.  He, just because of who he is, needs to experience going to school, regardless of whether or not he stays there. 

I'm still not sure what will happen with Devon.  He's second on the wait list for a charter school, with two lotteries to go, so we're in limbo with him. The school director told me that the odds are pretty good that he'll get in, though they obviously can't make any guarantees.  I'm not as sure about what to do with him next year as I am with Silas and he doesn't have as strong of a personal preference as Silas does.  When I look at the pros and cons of keeping him home and continuing as usual, keeping him home and changing things up, or sending him out, I don't see one choice as clearly being the best option.

That being what it is, I'm pretty sure we'll send him to the charter if he gets in.  I look forward to him having something of his own, something that none of the other kids have done, and he really likes the idea of having some independence.  I can't wait to see what he excels in and which aspects of the non-homeschooling life he likes the most and least.  As with Silas, if it doesn't work out, then we'll change things accordingly.

Naomi will stay home and I'm so excited to keep homeschooling her.  I loved homeschooling the early years with the big boys and am eager to have more time to snuggle on the couch doing school with her. 

And Teebs?  Oh, that boy keeps me hopping with his toddler-ness!  I can't wait to have more time to just play with him.

You know, I used to be excited about homeschooling and enjoy homemaking tasks.  But the joy is gone.  It's just gone.  Everything I do feels like a chore, even the things I used to love.  Everything I'm not getting done is failure staring me in the face all day long.  No, I don't think any mom gets it all done all the time.  That's just not realistic.  But I'm not getting the things done that matter most to me.  To our kids.  To our family.

I'm looking forward to Silas and Devon having new experiences and seeing how they mature during the process.  I'm looking forward to devoting more time to Naomi and Tyler, just being a fun mom again.  I'm looking forward to greeting my big boys in the afternoon, knowing they'll probably be fried, and being able to meet them where they're at because I won't be tired and irritable by that point in the day.  I'm looking forward to being able to keep up with household tasks, to enjoy the efficient homemaking that comes naturally to me and that blesses my family.  

I'm looking forward to seeing where things are at a year from now.  Will everyone be thriving and we decide to stay put?  Will some things be problematic enough to change?   What will I want?  What will the kids want?   Time will tell.

I'm not looking forward to packing lunches, days that have to start early, revolving our days around what time school gets out, or busy work that takes up our evenings. But no choice is perfect.

And I think it's bizarre to not be placing a curriculum order this month for the next school year, which we always start in July.

As per usual, we'll keep making school choices one kid and one year at a time.  And as per usual, I'm thankful that we live in a time and place with so many options, which allow people to make the choices that best fit their kids and family at any given point in time.

5/16/13 THANKFUL THURSDAY

 I'm thankful that there is a chapter in Proverbs for every day of the month.

What is something that you are thankful for?

CREATIONS

A couple months ago Silas made a scene from China out of random things in our house.  First he made a man working in a rice paddy, then he made a house on stilts.  The house, unfortunately, is leaning and sliding down a bit after being on the mantle for so long, but this non-crafty mom is still impressed by his creativity.

A friend gave the kids a decorative wooden birdhouse back in the fall.  It sat in a cupboard for quite some time, but a few months ago I pulled it out and had each of the bigs paint one section of the house.  I love how the random assortment of bright colors work with our cobalt and lime walls!

Devon shoved a jack in his water bottle during lunch, then kept adding more jacks until he'd built this little tower of them.  Cool to look at, but not so great if you actually want to use the water bottle for drinking.

MOTHER'S DAY - 2013

I'm thankful for these kids.  I'm thankful that I get to be their mom.  I'm thankful that they're all napping or having down time right now.  I'm thankful that I get to celebrate Mother's Day with the luxury of taking a nap in a quiet house just as soon as I finish this post. 

IN NO PARTICULAR ORDER

* Tim got an A and B in his two classes for the term that just ended.  Super proud of him!

* We tried Legion Park last week and loved it enough to spend an entire evening, including a picnic dinner, there two days after our first visit. It's the first place I've found since living here that makes me forget I live in the middle of flat farmland.  Lots of tall trees, a big field, not many people.  We love it!  They're adding a playground later this month, which will totally change the feel of the place, but we'll keep going. 

* We gave sulfate-free hair products a try, as they're supposed to be way better for curly hair.  Other than being significantly more expensive, we didn't notice any difference.  Back to Dove conditioner for us!

* I love playing Tetris (actually, it's Tetrix on our Kindle).  I was addicted for a month, then quit cold turkey for a month, and now am playing periodically.  It's one of my favorite ways to relax.

* We're enjoying the local homeschooling group we connected with a couple months ago.  It's been fun to meet some new people, get out of the house, go on hikes, and have the kids do science experiments. 

* Salad made with spinach and/or lettuce, quartered strawberries, diced pears, sliced almonds, and crumbled feta is amazing.

* My way has been paid to spend three nights in Lincoln City later this month.  With four other ladies.  And nothing to do but relax, walk on the beach, and play Bananagrams. 

* Naomi popped her head in the back door the other day, said "I love you.  And I love Dad."  Then she went back out to play.

* We now have an ending date for Tim's program.  I think I'm going to make myself a paper chain to count down the days.

* Irony = The people who are the most outspoken about wanting freedom of educational choices are often the ones who are the most critical of all options other than the one they've chosen and condescending toward people who have chosen differently than they have.

* I wish there was a still a Cold Stone here.  And I wish they delivered.  But there isn't.  And they don't.  So I'm taking two little Ws to one in another town and using a gift card to pay for some ice cream this afternoon.

* Silas and Devon built an awesome fort in an old dog run that's in our backyard.  We all ate dinner in it one night last week. 

* I got my first sunburn of the year yesterday.

*  Granny moved away over two years ago. Sometimes it was hard being the only local person in her life, primarily because I'm in the thick of raising and homeschooling the little Ws, but I've never gone this long without seeing her. I'd love to pick her up to run errands with us and stop at TCBY on the way home.

* Tyler is a climber.

* The idea that someone could get a job because of their skin color bothers me just as much as someone not getting a job because of their skin color.

* I'm thankful for everyone who works with the grade schoolers at our church - the staff members who plan everything and teach classes, the volunteers who help during the services, and all the people who help pull off the monthly events that our kids are always looking forward to. 

5/9/13 THANKFUL THURSDAY

I'm thankful for some quiet time alone in our yard this morning - thinking, planning, relaxing, and praying as I watered plants before the neighborhood came to life.

What is something that you're thankful for?

FACES

After four months being camera-less, we now own a new one.  So thankful!  I was playing with it the other day and shot a random picture of Naomi.  She had a serious expression, but I liked how it turned out.  Later in the day I asked the big boys show me some serious faces and they complied.  Then I pointed the camera at Teebs, but he refused to be anything other than happy and smiling. Not that happy and smiling is a problem or anything.  

So, from youngest to oldest ....

MENU - FIRST HALF OF MAY 2013

We tried a couple new recipes on the last menu.  I liked them both, but the salad was definitely my favorite.  The other Ws don't share my feelings, but I'm pretty sure I could eat it every day. 

* crockpot sesame honey chicken - Easy, tasty, can be as spicy (or not spicy) as you want it.

* Thai quinoa salad with ginger peanut dressing - Not only does this taste fantastic, but it's super bright and colorful.

And here's what we're eating now.

BREAKFASTS
* doughnuts x2
* oatmeal with brown sugar, cinnamon, milk, raisins, fruit, huh-koe-pee milk, and energy mix as optional toppings x9
* cranberry granola
* Barbara's pancakes/smoothies
* scrambled eggs (ours are always made with a ton of chopped spinach and some cheese)/toast
* honey wheat muffins/cottage cheese & pineapple

DINNERS
* leftovers x2
* tacos x2
* raviolis with marinara/roasted broccoli
* zucchini grinders (filling from the freezer) on English muffins/celery and carrot sticks
* Thai quinoa salad with ginger peanut dressing
* smoked turkey and black bean salad (except we'll use leftover regular turkey from the freezer)
* carrot soup (from the freezer)/whole wheat drop biscuits
* death by garlic with kielbasa/roasted broccoli
* new recipe (not that great)/rice/fruit & nut green salad #3
* chicken and green bean stir fry/rice/ Leslie's salad
* honey lime chicken enchiladas/beans (crockpot, from the freezer)/Leslie's salad
* ziti (crockpot)/roasted broccoli
* sesame noodles/chicken & veggie stir fry

SNACKS & DESSERTS
* produce
* nuts - pistachios & roasted almonds
* popcorn
* green hummus & Triscuits
* creamy lemon pie
* honey and spice cookies

5/2/13 THANKFUL THURSDAY

I'm thankful we go to a church where I constantly hear about and see firsthand broken, needy, hurting people being restored, helped, and loved by individual men and women, families, and the corporate church.

What's something that you're thankful for?

BOOKS I FINISHED - APRIL 2013

Capyboppy, written and illustrated by Bill Peet

Read aloud for Naomi.  It's the story of a family whose son brought a capybara home to live with them.  All three bigs have really enjoyed this book.

The Voyages of Doctor Dolittle, written and illustrated by Hugh Lofting

Newbery, 1923.  This was the second book I've read in my quest to read all the Newbery Award winners.  I've read or listened to The Story of Doctor Dolittle three times for school and have enjoyed it each time.  This book isn't short, but it's an easy read and I love Doctor Dolittle, so I enjoyed it.  

  

They Were Strong and Good, written and illustrated by Robert Lawson
Caldecott, 1941.  The author gives brief descriptions of his paternal grandparents, maternal grandparents, and his own parents, sharing about where they came from and how they met.  It's a personal glimpse into earlier times of American history.