Sauna

No, not like I got to go to one, like I'm living in one. Ah, the midwest in the summer. It was 96 yesterday. I have no idea what the heat index was. Today is supposed to be about 90 but even higher humidity. Tuesday we took advantage of dollar day at the pool, yesterday I took them to the free splash park. Yes, money is an issue. The 'spring' property taxes have come. Notice how it's late June when the county got around to sending them. I wonder if I can be three months late paying them. Yeah, I didn't think so.
The older boys are still at camp until Saturday. I'm expecting them to be DONE with the great outdoors after all this heat and mosquitos.
The Chocolate Frosting Incident

Sisters ~nothing like the swimsuit sale, they are not crazy about matching

Enjoying the wading pool

Life Scout-trying for Eagle if girls don't get in the way

Busy and Menu

Just too busy living life. Girl Scout Day Camp last week, older boys at Boy Scout camp this week. VBS is this week and I'm helping. Finishing up baseball/softball. Soccer is over! The Fourth of July Festival will be here before I know it. DD wants to enter something in the flower show, 4-H projects, etc., etc.

Menu
My 15yo and 13yo dss are at scout camp which should do wonders for my budget foodwise

Dinners:
Mon-chicken alfredo w/broccoli, strawberries
Tue-chopped steak, potatoes&gravy, salad,apple slices
Wed-au gratin potatoes w/ham, green beans, mandarin oranges&kiwis
Thu-spaghetti&meatballs, salad (walmart had a sale, lol), grapes
Fri-hot dogs, potato chips, fruit salad
Sat-beef&bean burritos, corn, ice cream
Sun-ham&swiss sandwich roll, berries and bananas &chocolate dip

Breakfast:
blueberry muffins
pancakes
toast&sausage
coffee cake
oatmeal
toast&eggs
cereal

Lunch:
leftover salisbury steak, carrots,pears
fish, green beans, oranges
english muffin pizza, applesauce
chicken nuggets, peas, grapes
peanut butter sandwiches,carrot sticks, bananas
ramen noodles w/peas&carrots, peaches
cheese quesadillas, pepper strips, fruit cocktail

Pray

Tomorrow I am taking eight 10 year old girls to an amusement park. Two hours away. In my big van. Yip, yip, yahoo.

Actual Life

We've been swimming and hiking and ball playing and bike riding and... you get the idea. And I never take a camera. I do have these
All those final awards


Girl Scout Service Project


Milkshakes in the yard

We're enjoying the heck outta summer, go get you some too

Well Duh

"This part really hit me over the head -- not sure why this thought never occured to me before. . ."Kathy
Yeah that /\



A WIn-WIn solutIon:
The Empirical Evidence on How Vouchers Affect PublIc Schools


Unfortunately, Americans are not accustomed to thinking of
K-12 education in terms of choice. They expect and demand
the right to select their own goods and services in everything
from food, housing, clothing, transportation and medical care
to magazines, haircuts, dry cleaning and video games. If government
attempted to assign people to live in certain neighborhoods
or shop at certain grocery stores, they would howl
in protest. Americans even expect and demand choice when
it comes to education outside of K-12 schools—everywhere
from colleges to trade schools to night classes. But when it
comes to K-12 education, the idea that they would choose for
themselves rather than having government dictate what they
receive is new and sometimes uncomfortable.

Menu Monday

Menu Plan /Kids Are Home Edition

Mon-leftovers (hamburgers,hot dogs, fruit salad)
Tue-breakfast for dinner
Wed-pork chops, hot rolls, broccoli
Thu-spaghetti, garlic bread, salad
Fri-pizza,relishes
Sat-chicken and stir fry,rice
Sun-corn dogs, fries, corn

Why?

I went to the doctor's office yesterday to get the 15yo a sports/camp physical only to find they had removed EVERY FREAKING TOY from their office. My kids loved that office and now thanks to germ nazi's there was nary a crayon or car to be found. Ad wanted to bathe in the water fountain, Mel wanted to crawl under the furniture and F whined about the little (and I do mean little) work I brought for him to do. And then we waited an hour and a half. I say, bring back the toys (and yes, I'd have brought some but I didn't because they always had really cool stuff and no one told me the toys were banned.) And for the record I often don't bother with sun screen or bug spray or shoes either. So there, I'm a neglectful parent who just wanted some peace in the doctor's office and I'm willing to risk germs to do it.

Family Friday or Why I Don't Post

Notice her version of a batting glove. Think she's been to too many games?

Monday -3 soccer practices and a Boy Scout Committee meeting-which S has to attend because he's head poobah, I mean Senior Patrol Leader
Tue-3 baseball games at 6-7 & 8 and a regular Boy Scout Meeting
Wed-tilled the garden, now to buy plants to go in it, worked in the yard, cleaned the house, oh the excitement
Thu-Phil had blood draw in morning, soccer practice at 5, ball games at 6 and 7:30, E and S had afterschool stuff, dinner in shifts (which I hate)
Fri-S has party he needs picked up from, E has study group, BUT no baseball or soccer all weekend not even the usual soccer practice tonight, I think dh and I are going to friends to grill hot dogs and I'm leaving C to babysit, like it or not
Sat-Phil is working this weekend and it might be nice to get some food so I guess I'll go grocery shopping
Somehow school for F eats up the morning. He's not one to work independently for long. Riding his bike in endless circles outside is lots more interesting, along with dirt, water, bugs, worms,etc. etc. All that is good but you do have to be able to balance your check book and read a job ap so it's my job to , shall we say, redirect him?

Zzzzzz

I have found a redeeming point for coaches pitch. Unlike Pony League, the games do not go on until 10:30 at night.

Tightwad Tuesday-organize

It's time for Tightwad Tuesday
Organize-and I don't mean buy eighty seven hundred little containers. I conducted the great clothing sort (done twice yearly, ack) this weekend. I have various and non-matching plastic tubs stacked in the basement with size marked on the side. I admit, however, that I have been known to stuff an outgrown piece into whatever tub is on top. I never really thought much about my 'system' until a friend came over Saturday and was boggled. She just throws stuff into a bag or gets rid of it. Now granted, having seven kids means I'm likely to use stuff again, but having it organized (relatively) all in one spot saves time and because I can see what the kids might actually need it saves money. No buying extra shorts when they have five pair already, etc. Menus are another form of organization. I don't stick slavishly to my menu, but having an idea of what I can fix saves me dithering over what to do and running to the store to get some forgotten ingredient. Try it, even if your personal vision of yourself is as an artistic free spirit. Believe me, I am not some naturally born orderly person. What I am is a person with not alot of time to waste looking for things.
Yesterday was insane. Two soccer practices, the county track meet (both of these 20 miles from home) and a kid pick up at another time (also 20 miles from home. I wish high school was not so far) This week's menu that I was too busy to post yesterday.

Mon-salisbury steak, apple sauce, corn bread (busy night)
Tue-chicken, rice and broccoli casserole, oranges
Wed-sausage penne, salad, garlic bread
Thu-crockpot enchilada casserole, corn, apple salad
Fri-hot dogs, relishes, chips, pudgy pies (cook out)
Sat-macaroni, cauliflower & cheese, carrots, cookies
Sun-stroganoff on noodles, peas, pie

Big Numbers

Anyone who knows me knows I'm into being frugal (ok, cheap) and budgeting. So I found this video especially eye opening. Please, no political commentary, I'm too far out to belong to either party. I just found this interesting.

Graduation

Ok, preschool graduation, but a big deal for Mel.

The graduate and her proud mom.

Ok, preschool graduation, but a big deal for Mel.

Wacky Wednesday

So last night coming home from softball practice a song comes on the radio. It has a line about smoke and ash. L doubled over in laughter. I, perplexed, asked why.
"Duh mom, that song said smokin' ass." Ah, and I thought I had two years before middle school with this one.

On the busy front. Monday was E's Honor Society induction. She is an officer and gave a speech. Dh and I sat very far back and wondered how we produced one of those kids. I've discovered that Pony League thinks practicing until 10pm is ok. Hey, I'm ready for bed here. Tonight is pre-school graduation. I'm wondering how I became one of those people who have high schoolers and pre-schoolers. I figured out that Ad will be starting 1st grade the year E graduates college. Ack! How many more years of sports and clubs and dancing and running is that? S has a horrible cold. I am feeling sorry for him from across the room. F is nearly done with his 2nd grade curriculum and I'm starting on 3rd grade stuff. No reason to wait. Mel is doing Kindergarten stuff with me too and is sooo close to reading. Someone asked me if we had plans for Memorial Day. I said that it was the only day in May not filled in on my calendar. They laughed and assumed I was joking. Don't I wish.

Menu and Catch Up

Week of May 3rd
Sun-broccoli cheese soup and 1 hr french bread
Mon-chicken and noodles, mashed potatoes, peas
Tue-spaghetti&meatballs, bread sticks, salad
Wed-pepper steak, rice, oranges
Thu-taco skillet, corn
Fri-pizza (they want it weekly), ice cream
Sat-hog dogs, potato salad, fruit salad, s'mores

I'm not sure what happened to me posting last week. I kept thinking of posts but between all the stuff I've got going on time to sit down and actually type it never materialized. Tonight I'm ignoring all the practices, meets (sorry C, you'll have to walk home, etc) to attend the Honor Society installment. E is giving a speech. I hate not being able to be everywhere at once, but since ripping the curtain of time isn't one of my superpowers, I'll just have to choose.

Tightwad Tuesday-Cars and Food

It's Tightwad Tuesday with Canada Girl. Today I'm going to recommend a "car sustenance bag". At least that's what my kids call it. Summer is the season of sports and unexpected trips to the park or beach. I keep what amounts to hearty snacks that won't spoil in the car for days or evenings we just don't make it home for a meal. Eating out can get pretty pricey, even from the concession stand or dollar menu when you're feeding more than one or two. I keep these sorts of things:
peanut butter or cheese crackers OR saltines and canned cheese (my kids love it, ack!) or individual peanut butter packets
granola or cereal bars
dried fruit and freeze dried veggie snacks
single serve fruit or pudding cups
drink pouches or boxes
single serve drink mixes to dump into a water bottle
disinfectant wipes for grubby hands
plastic silverware

It's not a perfect meal but it can round out a hot dog or get you through until you're home.

Monday Again

Week of April 26. Another crazy week.
Sun-chicken macaroni, peas
Mon-corn dogs, green beans, oranges
Tue-beef fajitas, torilla, corn
Wed-cheese manicotti, salad, grapes
Thu-salisbury steak, mashed potatoes, carrots
Fri-calzone, relishes, ice cream
Sat-baked chicken, roasted potatoes, salad

Last week of driving school. Three more weeks of track. Twenty-three more days of school! Oh yeah!
Check out more menus at Org Junkie

Two Quotes

Two quotes. Since I'm a plodder (some call it stubborn) and an eccentric (ok, some call it weird)
The wayside of business is full of brilliant men who started out with a spurt, and lacked the stamina to finish. Their places were taken by patient and unshowy plodders who never knew when to quit.
- J. R. Todd

But Jack Kerouac was an eccentric, as were Walt whitman and Henry David Thoreau and Thomas Jefferson and every prophet sacred or profane stretching back at least to the fufitive who saw a burning bush and came reluctantly back to preach freedom. Those who choose freedom almost always seem to be eccentric misfits, and those who choose slavery almost always seem well adjusted by comparison. Our freedom is always at risk, but we are its only real threat. The smoke of idols, the clang of cymbals , the shouts of apostates din the creed that freedom is too risky, too uncomfortable, too painful to bear. We’ve seen people start for freedom and then pause to consider how unreasonable a choice it was in light of what everyone around them knew to be true. Many have choked off their lives by limiting their choices to what they could see.
Gregory and Martine Millman

Family wise, busy, busy, busy. Come on June!

Thinking Thursday

I'm almost ready to make the whole post
THE SUN IS SHINING!
We've had way too much rain, combined with the joys of track meets. They really do go together in my experience.

On to the real post. I wanted a heading for some of the stuff we've been doing for homeschool. One of the resources I like is
Mindsprinting. It is free, but they are in need of enrollees to stay on line. Check them out. Our main curriculum source is Time4Learning. F has made great progress with this. Hand the child a worksheet or piece or paper and total melt down occurs. Reading to him, ho hum, but something that looks like video, he's there. Ideally it would be nice to just let him follow his interests but to say that they are narrow is an understatement. This is a nice middle ground. I do fill in with some worksheets (he usually answers the questions out loud unless I FORCE him to write the answers), movies and documentaries, experiments and field trips. Of all things his favorite experiment so far has been about germs. Have the child rub lotion into his hands, sprinkle on glitter. Let him run his hands under water. Did the glitter germs come off? Now try it with soap. This seems to have made an impression where 8 years of my telling him did not.

Wacky Wednesday

From 8yo F. Let me preface this by saying I have nothing against the Duggars. We even sometimes watch their show but the J thing would totally mess me up.

Me-"So what will they name the new baby?"
F-"Jumpin' Jehosaphat"

Menu Plan Monday

My menu this week reflects that
1) I have no time to cook.
2) We'll all be eating at different times.
Sun-Mac&ch w/tuna (I didn't feel like cooking.)
Mon-chili soup (or vegetable soup), grilled cheese, grapes
Tue-meatloaf, carrots, potatoes
Wed-crockpot chicken, mashed potatoes, green beans
Thu-Crockpot Enchiladas, corn, oranges
Fri-pizza, relishes, ice cream
Sat-chicken nuggets, peas, apple sauce

Having things that we can eat out of the crock or that can be microwaved helps with the three different dinner times we're working with for a couple more weeks. If I don't stay organized we'll be reduced to fast food or ball park hot dogs. .



Check out everyone else's menus here.