Wacky Wednesday

Sometimes my kids totally crack me up. Yesterday Mel was playing with this

She ran over to me "Mommy, my frog is choking. I need to help him."
Me "Really, how can you tell?"
Mel "He's blue! Stop laughing, this is sewious I will heimwick him"
Just where did she learn about turning blue and the Heimlich maneuver?

Menu Monday and Camp

Here's where I was going to post the adorable pictures of leaving my kids at church camp. Except I couldn't catch their speeding figures whizzing by me to the field to have fun. I did get a wave. I'm obviously going to miss them much more than they miss me.

I've got the three gone at church camp and S works during dinner so it seems I have no one to feed this week. Just 5 of us for dinner. If I end up with alot of leftovers the menu might change but they usually get eaten by the boys during the next day.

Sun-bean tostados, corn on the cob, cantaloupe
Mon-chili, cornbread, cantaloupe&blueberries
Tue-chicken stir fry, mandarin oranges
Wed-spaghetti&tomato sauce, zucchini, grapes
Thu-tater tot casserole, green beans, fruit salad
Fri-ramen noodle soup, leftover fruit salad (13yo is in charge of dinner, I have to go pick up those kids at camp)
Sat-pizza, whatever leftovers are around
Sun-pork roast, corn, strawberries

Books

Those who know me know I read alot. Not as much now as I'd like, but still a good bit. I've been on a non-fiction binge lately and can recommend all these books.

David Plotz reads the bible and reacts in Good Book. Amusingly written and as close as I'll come to reading the entire thing. (Well the OT anyway). I get lost in all the begats. I guess it's a cliff notes of the Old Testament.


The Outliers and Blink by Malcolm Gladwell. It's pop science but it's interesting pop science.


Born to Run by Christopher McDougall
This book was so weirdly interesting I read it in one afternoon and evening. Ok, more like I stayed up half the night but it was a fascinating look at two anthropologically interesting groups ~ the Tarahumara and Ultra-Distance runners. Honestly, pick this one up, you don't need to be a runner to find this interesting. Really.

Submitted Without Comment

National Debt Clock

Tightwad Tuesday~The Vacation Edition

I'm sure there are tons of articles out right now about having an inexpensive vacation. I haven't looked because we've never not had an inexpensive vacation. Most years we don't have a vacation at all. We did take the kids for a trip to Holiday World last year (don on the cheap) but this year with L's appendectomy to pay for and orthodontia for S rearing it's ugly head even that was out of bounds. We could have done absolutely nothing, but that would have left dh feeling like he might as well have worked so here's what we did last week.

Mon-Indy Children's Museum $67 for 2 adults/4 kids/free 1yo
fun and educational, everyone had fun, we brought our own picnic lunch and snacks

Tue-buffet at Pizza Hut $30
we don't go out to eat or buy pizza usually so this was a treat for the kids, dh stayed home, we played games that afternoon,
I don't usually have time to do that so it seemed special. I had planned on taking advantage of dollar day at the pool but
weirdly for July it was chilly

Wed-Harry Potter $28 for me and 5 kids, no concessions but (bad me) I snuck in twizzlers in my purse

Thu-Tincaps game $45 We like baseball games. I did spend $25 on concessions.
We took the two littlest ones to the free splash park that afternoon to make up for no game. Dh and ds opted to stay
home so no sitter needed.

Fri-Fort Wayne Children's Zoo $67 for pass. I bought a zoo pass last year so cost
was already payed. We hadn't been to see their new African Exhibit, which was very good, so it seemed new. We again
brought a picnic lunch and played at the park.

Sat-Fired up the barbie and cooked out. We don't do that too much so it seemed like a treat. Hot dogs, burger,chicken. Yum
I had all the food in the freezer so no extra $$ spent over normal groceries. Dh and I hung out with the little kids and
took them to the park.

Sun-The kids and I went to church except for dh and 15yo who went browsing at sporting goods stores. Different stroke, etc.
We took the kids who were interested swimming -$6

So $268 for vacation counting the zoo pass. I probably spent some gas money so call it $300. Not free but not bad for 9 people to have a good week.

Menu and Fun Extra

I'm back from a week on 'vacation' which mostly involved a couple day trips and trying to figure out how to have fun for nothing. More on that tomorrow. For today

Menu
Mon: spaghetti & veggie tomato sauce, 1 hr french bread garlic toast, salad
Tue: chicken breasts w/soupy rice, broccoli, applesauce
Wed: tacos/enchiladas, corn, mandarin oranges
Thu: grilled cheese, soup, fruit cocktail
Fri: hamburger stroganoff, green beans, pears
Sat: hot dog spaghetti squiggles (see below), carrots, peaches
Sun: shepherd's pie, peas, cake

Here's the link to how to make this

Argh

Flying By

So the 4th is over, summer's half gone. Shoot! The weekend was filled Thu-Sun with holiday/festival fun. Monday I had a migraine and yesterday I made applesauce from free apples the neighbors let us have off their tree. I'm thankful for that but criminy I was sick of apples by the time I was done. I couldn't seem to remember to take my camera anywhere this weekend. I did take almost the same shot of three kids while they were doing the 'olympics'. Notice none of them are wearing shoes. They took this as seriously as if it had been an actual competition.

What A Difference

So after miserable heat, it is now unseasonably cool. Not that I'm complaining. I just find the 30 degree drop weird. A semi quiet week here. Baseball and softball tourney have started but then they have to stop for our town's Fourth of July Festival which runs from the 2nd through the 5th. They use the ball park for events. At least it should provide entertainment for the kids all weekend. It's so wholesome it makes your teeth ache but the kids love it. S started work yesterday so now two of them are earning $$. The 13 yo is dejected he can't work yet. I've been doing some 'creating' from a cool old bed sheet I bought for a dollar. Here's the little girls in their dresses. E got a halter top and L a skirt from the same sheet. Imagine if I used a pattern how much better this would be. I really need to quit just cutting and seaming, but they're happy with them so what the hey.

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.

Family Friday

A busy week here at Chez Lisa. S is taking driver's training class which means two trips to town M-Th. That's two hours out of my day I can't really spare. Include soccer practices, baseball practices, track meets, homeschool, preschool, oh, and little things like laundry and feeding the family. At least boredom's not a problem.
E made Top 25 in her class again. She is ranked #3 out of 500 and some kids. I'm not sure she's my daughter. At least I don't need to worry about her work ethic, because she didn't get there on her natural ability. F is zipping along in his homeschool curriculum. He does a web based program with lots of video. If he thinks it's a computer game he's way more willing to pay attention, and like his mama, paying attention isn't his strong suit. The other kids are doing fine. Lily is chafing at her physical restrictions from her appendectomy but they will be gone next week. Keeping my little tomboy quiet isn't easy. Connor won the 200m last night in his track meet and came in 3rd in the long jump. He was badly overmatched by what appeared to be grown men in the 400m. He's hoping he'll hit a growth spurt soon, lol. I'm sure other things have happened but my mind is like a sieve. Here's a picture from Wednesday. I am not a very political person but S really, really wanted to go. He is very interested in politics and government and I don't want to squelch that.

Tightwad Tuesday

As I stated below, it's use it up week here. I am out of chocolate chips (thanks to this morning's chocolate chip muffins) so for today's after school snack (and probably tomorrow's breakfast) I made peanut butter balls. I think I got this recipe in 4-H so we'll just call it some time ago. I don't even use a recipe anymore. This is healthy and my kids and dh like them.

Scrape a jar of peanut butter into a bowl ( I use my kitchen aid)
squirt in some honey
pour in dry milk powder while mixing until you get a dough consistency
roll into balls and eat
Sometimes I add rice krispies if I have them. Milk, peanut butter and cereal. Sounds healthy too me.


Just cause she's so stinkin' cute. She was pleased with the Easter Egg hunt

Monday's Menus

After a week of playing for spring break, it's use up what we've got week here.
Menu
Mon-beef stew and biscuits, grapes
Tue-chicken fajitas, corn,oranges
Wed-stroganoff over noodles, broccoli,apple crisp
Thu-hamburgers, fries, green beans, cookies
Fri-pizza, ice cream
Sat-cheese manicotti, carrots, peaches
Sun-pepper steak on rice, pears, cookies

Everything homemade this week.
Things will be very busy here the next three weeks. We've got lots of activity overlap happening
S had driver's training M-Th from 4-6:30 for three weeks. That means two trips to town at least.
We also have 4 playing soccer, 3 playing baseball and 1 running track. Lots and lots of driving coming my way. Note that most of the food is the make ahead/warm up later variety. If I fall down on the job there's always peanut butter.

Seventeen Years Ago Today

I lost all my senses and became a mom.

No new pictures, that would be so uncool. Trust me she's beautiful and surprisingly responsible. Must have been despite of me.

Spring? Break

Today starts my kids' spring break from school. I figured it was pretty late this year and we'd have good weather. Instead it's beginning to look alot like Christmas out there. I, of course, just bought the girls lovely , sleeveless Easter dresses and sandals. That'll be comfortable.
The menu this week? All I know is lots of food will be consumed if they are home all day.




Mon-meatloaf, carrots, potatoes, chocolate cupcakes
Tue-DD's bday meal-minestrone soup, homemade breadsticks, cheerio bars (no cake, she's weird)
Wed-stroganoff over noodles, broccoli, cookies
Thu-turkey, dressing, green beans, rolls, brownies
Fri-tacos, corn, ice cream
Sat-pizza, relishes, cookies
Sun-Easter Dinner at my dad's-bring on the ham

Next week will feature hard boiled eggs in every way I can think of

A Day Off

I keep thinking today is Tuesday when it is really Wednesday. I've been running fast to stay in place. Things are better today. L is feeling better, F got back on schedule with school, and S who has had a horrible headache is feeling better. Today's humor? My older two boys were having a discussion about China (who knows why). F was listening.
S "You know, Mongolia. The Gobi desert, Ghengis Khan, Marco Polo."
F "I didn't know they had swimming pools there."
Which set off a weird game of Marco Polo in the kitchen. My children are nerds. Amusing nerds, but nerds none the less.

Never On A Sunday

Know the most fun you can have on a Sunday? Waiting in the packed emergency room with your 10 yo. Once they decide it is her appendix things move along nicely though. She had her surgery at 7pm and we got home last evening. I'm glad she's fine but whew. Figuring out who will pick up other kids and watch the littles is as exhausting as being with L was. At least they can only have appendicitis once, right. Our menu this week
Sun-dd ordered pizza
Mon-a friend brought over potatoes & noodles
Tue-country fried steak, mashed potatoes, carrots
Wed-shepherd's pie
Thu-spaghettt, broccoli, garlic bread
Fri-pizza, ice cream
Sat-turkey tacos, corn
Sun-steaks, baked potatoes, salad

Happy Birthday F

I was going to post a baby picture of F but he vehemently objected. "I'm not a baby mom, duh." So here is something he finds hilarious. I can't hear a thing. He assures me it's like fingernails on a chalkboard.

Created by Train Horns

This explained sound waves better than anything I could say.

Family Friday

What's going on around here? A long week. Dh has a nine day stretch of work ending next Wednesday and featuring two ten hour days this weekend. Mayhap's he'll be a little crabby? The teens are running around doing teenish things, movies, staying at friends, track, soccer. Grade cards came last week. Straight A's across the board. I'm not sure if that really says anything about my kids or about the system. Home schooly boy? Here he is displaying his play-doh solar system.


The tangled up rabbit dropping thing is the asteroid belt (which twisted in the picture) which he insisted must be included. He learned that anyway. Tomorrow is his birthday. Eight!!! My sweet little boy is turning all mannish, eschewing things that are sissy, pink, lame or stupid. We are having a non-party birthday party which means about six of his friends are coming for cake, video games, movies, trampoline jumping and general mayhem with no real planning from me.

What else? I've been doing some hit or miss first grade stuff with Mel as she feels like it. She would be a dream to homeschool since she doesn't know she's not supposed to be interested. She wants to go to Kindergarten though. She, quite frankly, is the little queen bee of pre-school and likes having minions. We'll see.

Wacky Wednesday

From L, while sitting on Ad's tiny trike.
"Look mom, I didn't get a scholarship so I'm going to clown school."

"Here's to the crazy ones, the misfits, the rebels, the troublemakers, the round pegs in the square holes... the ones who see things differently -- they're not fond of rules... You can quote them, disagree with them, glorify or vilify them, but the only thing you can't do is ignore them because they change things... they push the human race forward, and while some may see them as the crazy ones, we see genius, because the ones who are crazy enough to think that they can change the world, are the ones who do."
Steve Jobs

Tightwad Tuesday

It's time for Tightwad Tuesday with Canadagirl. I've still got 5 hours of Tuesday left. My tip for this week is so boring but....stay home. Really, people spend so much time chasing around to keep their kids or themselves entertained, enriched, enlivened. Not that some of that isn't fun, heaven knows I get crazy busy, but if you just slow down and stay home...how can you spend any $$$. Here's what my littlest two found to do for free today.

It's not just my little kids. Two of my teens are reading, three are watching Animal Planet, one is studying and one is sleeping. No cash involved. Many people spend mega bucks on cable, computers, movies, music, books, hobbies, toys for the kids and still run around 'looking for something to do'. Try staying home for one week and use the stuff you've got, and enjoy the moment.

Monday Again

This week the good eats include
Mon-turkey, dressing, broccoli, biscuits
Tue-mac&cheese 2/ham, carrots
Wed-turkey&noodles, mashed potatoes, corn
Thu-grilled burgers, fries, relishes
Fri-pizza
Sat-burritos
Sun-soup&sandwiches

Pics

An Irish Blessing for You (and Tightwad Tuesday)

May those that love us, love us.

And those that don't love us,

May God turn their hearts.

And if He doesn't turn their hearts,

May He turn their ankles

So we will know them by their limping.



This week (as my garbage disposal died quite loudly in the middle of the Sunday morning chaos) I learned the value of registering your appliances so the warranty is in effect. The grinding and choking of the disposal was followed by the reset button falling out. Hmmmm. I detect a problem. Luckily(get that St. Pat's tie in?) I had sent in the registration and will be getting a new one installed this week at no cost to me. I always feel like it's such a pain to send in those little cards or go on line, I don't know why I feel that way, but I'm sure glad I did.

Menu Plan Monday

This week
Mon-spaghetti, salad, garlic bread
Tue-salsbury steak, mashed potatoes, carrots
Wed-chicken alfredo, green beans, rolls
Thu-macaroni&cheese, sausages, broccoli
Fri-tacos, corn
Sat-pizza, ice cream
Sun-chicken&dumplings, carrots

Family Friday

A full week this week. I took F and the little girlies to the Botanical Conservatory, I taught at Kid's Klub, C had two swim meets, Cub Scouts, figuring out Girl Scout cookie money. mud-rain-muck, repeat. So I guess that's a usual week. No more basketball this weekend so if I can pick up the boys' glasses and some groceries, go to a church dinner Saturday night, church Sunday and a Girl Scout meeting Sunday I'm home free to start again.

Breathe

Another day skipped. Argh! Good intentions and all but I got way laid with teen temperament, pre-teen meltdown, kids' klub, mother's meeting, teaching and volcano creation. Yes, my dd volunteered to make the volcano demonstration for science class. The volcano wasn't bad, it was all the 'help' that slowed us down. I also need to be thinking about an 8th birthday party. And of course I'm endlessly befuddled about the 7 and 8 yo love of using the words poop, pee, stinky, fart, etc.

I'm Late, I'm Late

Ok, by passing Menu Monday and moving on to

I'm here to sing the praises of the drying rack.


It's easy to dry your clothes on the line in nice weather, but what about in the winter? The drying rack is my answer. It takes awhile but they do dry and I'm probably humidifying the air too. Jeans and towels get hung over night and finished lightly in the dryer ( 10min maybe). Dh's dress shirts get hung to dry on hangers. It works for us, uses less electricity, saves wear and tear on the dryer and will hopefully make my rather elderly dryer last longer too.

Just One Of The Things

That makes small town life so amusing

Show me a city that has Nut Frys.

Wacky Wednesday

So I never gave much thought to homeschooling until I started this with F. Heck, the questions and comments are nearly as bad as the large family ones. Evidently this has been all over the web, but I came late to the party.


The Bitter Homeschooler's Wish List

by Deborah Markus, from Secular Homeschooling, Issue #1, Fall 2007

1 Please stop asking us if it's legal. If it is — and it is — it's insulting to imply that we're criminals. And if we were criminals, would we admit it?

2 Learn what the words "socialize" and "socialization" mean, and use the one you really mean instead of mixing them up the way you do now. Socializing means hanging out with other people for fun. Socialization means having acquired the skills necessary to do so successfully and pleasantly. If you're talking to me and my kids, that means that we do in fact go outside now and then to visit the other human beings on the planet, and you can safely assume that we've got a decent grasp of both concepts.

3 Quit interrupting my kid at her dance lesson, scout meeting, choir practice, baseball game, art class, field trip, park day, music class, 4H club, or soccer lesson to ask her if as a homeschooler she ever gets to socialize.

4 Don't assume that every homeschooler you meet is homeschooling for the same reasons and in the same way as that one homeschooler you know.

5 If that homeschooler you know is actually someone you saw on TV, either on the news or on a "reality" show, the above goes double.

6 Please stop telling us horror stories about the homeschoolers you know, know of, or think you might know who ruined their lives by homeschooling. You're probably the same little bluebird of happiness whose hobby is running up to pregnant women and inducing premature labor by telling them every ghastly birth story you've ever heard. We all hate you, so please go away.

7 We don't look horrified and start quizzing your kids when we hear they're in public school. Please stop drilling our children like potential oil fields to see if we're doing what you consider an adequate job of homeschooling.

8 Stop assuming all homeschoolers are religious.

9 Stop assuming that if we're religious, we must be homeschooling for religious reasons.

10 We didn't go through all the reading, learning, thinking, weighing of options, experimenting, and worrying that goes into homeschooling just to annoy you. Really. This was a deeply personal decision, tailored to the specifics of our family. Stop taking the bare fact of our being homeschoolers as either an affront or a judgment about your own educational decisions.

11 Please stop questioning my competency and demanding to see my credentials. I didn't have to complete a course in catering to successfully cook dinner for my family; I don't need a degree in teaching to educate my children. If spending at least twelve years in the kind of chew-it-up-and-spit-it-out educational facility we call public school left me with so little information in my memory banks that I can't teach the basics of an elementary education to my nearest and dearest, maybe there's a reason I'm so reluctant to send my child to school.

12 If my kid's only six and you ask me with a straight face how I can possibly teach him what he'd learn in school, please understand that you're calling me an idiot. Don't act shocked if I decide to respond in kind.

13 Stop assuming that because the word "home" is right there in "homeschool," we never leave the house. We're the ones who go to the amusement parks, museums, and zoos in the middle of the week and in the off-season and laugh at you because you have to go on weekends and holidays when it's crowded and icky.

14 Stop assuming that because the word "school" is right there in homeschool, we must sit around at a desk for six or eight hours every day, just like your kid does. Even if we're into the "school" side of education — and many of us prefer a more organic approach — we can burn through a lot of material a lot more efficiently, because we don't have to gear our lessons to the lowest common denominator.

15 Stop asking, "But what about the Prom?" Even if the idea that my kid might not be able to indulge in a night of over-hyped, over-priced revelry was enough to break my heart, plenty of kids who do go to school don't get to go to the Prom. For all you know, I'm one of them. I might still be bitter about it. So go be shallow somewhere else.

16 Don't ask my kid if she wouldn't rather go to school unless you don't mind if I ask your kid if he wouldn't rather stay home and get some sleep now and then.

17 Stop saying, "Oh, I could never homeschool!" Even if you think it's some kind of compliment, it sounds more like you're horrified. One of these days, I won't bother disagreeing with you any more.

18 If you can remember anything from chemistry or calculus class, you're allowed to ask how we'll teach these subjects to our kids. If you can't, thank you for the reassurance that we couldn't possibly do a worse job than your teachers did, and might even do a better one.

19 Stop asking about how hard it must be to be my child's teacher as well as her parent. I don't see much difference between bossing my kid around academically and bossing him around the way I do about everything else.

20 Stop saying that my kid is shy, outgoing, aggressive, anxious, quiet, boisterous, argumentative, pouty, fidgety, chatty, whiny, or loud because he's homeschooled. It's not fair that all the kids who go to school can be as annoying as they want to without being branded as representative of anything but childhood.

21 Quit assuming that my kid must be some kind of prodigy because she's homeschooled.

22 Quit assuming that I must be some kind of prodigy because I homeschool my kids.

23 Quit assuming that I must be some kind of saint because I homeschool my kids.

24 Stop talking about all the great childhood memories my kids won't get because they don't go to school, unless you want me to start asking about all the not-so-great childhood memories you have because you went to school.

25 Here's a thought: If you can't say something nice about homeschooling, shut up!

Tightwad Tuesday

I was trying to think of a topic for this week's Tightwad Tuesday and settled on TV via Internet. I was probably one of the first people to watch Hulu. Way back when it didn't have alot of choice. It did have old shows I remembered from my childhood which hooked me . Does anybody else remember Alias Smith and Jones? Anyway, the point is, between Hulu, Spreety, Joost and the network sites I hardly turn on the TV. Frankly the shows I like usually aren't on at a convenient time anyway. Is television a great way to spend your time? Probably not, but you know, after you've reread War and Peace and brushed up on your Calculus skills you need to kill some time, right?

MPM

This week
Mon-roast, carrots, potatoes
Tue-lasagna, broccoli, garlic bread (using 1 hr french bread)
Wed-stew, biscuits
Thu-chicken alfredo, green beans, oranges
Fri-hot dogs, french fries, grapes
Sat-tacos, corn, apples
Sun-broccoli, ham&cheese baked potatoes

Tonight is L's last basketball practice and there are two more weeks of swim team. Of course I have soccer, baseball and track forms on the fridge. ~sigh~