Moonbeam a Musings

Weekly Recap: January 23-27, 2012

2012-01-27T21:19:00.001-05:00

Another busy week. On track in all subjects. Even got a few chemistry lessons in this week.
Co-op was gym and swim. M7 started reading Beatrix Potter. S9 found a new hero in Lafayette. H12 made a cheesecake from scratch.

Here are our highs and lows:

M7
High - My favorite thing about school is that math is awesome. I love math. It is really easy. I like counting by 2s and 5s.
Low - I don't have a low this week.

S9
High - Learning about Lafayette. I liked that he was French and became one of the most important men in America.
Low - Latin. Just the same old battle of Latin.

H12
I just had a medium week, not really high or low.
High - I enjoyed math this week. It was easy. That's different for me.
Low - Outlines for history. I don't like outlines.

Me
High - Finding joy with each of my children in moments of learning and sharing.
Low - Forgetting those moments of joy when things aren't going quite so smoothly.

Book Review: The Thirteenth Tale by Diane Setterfield

2012-01-22T13:33:00.000-05:00

Margaret, amateur biographer, is hired to write the biography of one of the greatest and most illusive novelists of all time, Vida Winter. As Margaret begins her task she asks to be reassured that the story she is being told is the truth. The remainder of the book is Vida's truth and Margaret's effort to untangle it and find her own.

This story is a well-written mash up of Flowers in the Attic and Rebecca or perhaps Jane Eyre. If you are a fan of Gothic romances this book is one that you will probably enjoy. In the spirit of the Gothic romances of the past you'll find a heroine with her own mystery, intrigue and even a bit of danger. Setterfield uses all the expected twists and turns, mistaken identity, ghosts, the moors, a special garden and an imposing house to weave her tale. This is not normally a genre that I read but I found the characters and plot enough to hold my attention and pull me through to the end even if only to confirm my own guesses for the ending.

Weekly Recap: January 16-20, 2012

2012-01-20T16:06:00.000-05:00

Our week has flown by. Monday was a holiday for K15 so that made a light day for the rest of us. We spent much of the afternoon watching Liberty Kids. It's nice when something like that can be a treat and help us learn a little more about the founding of our country. We've done enough reading that most of the stories and characters where easy to recognize.

Tuesday we had an afternoon of bowling with co-op. It's been nice to get out of the house and do something fun on these cold days. On the way there we began listening to Mr. Revere and I. So far we are enjoying it much more than Ben and Me.

Wednesday and Thursday were normal days. We got everything done that needed to be done. Yeah us! Friday was a two hour delay for K15. Dad decided to work from home. We've gotten the necessary things done but chemistry will be waiting until next week.

Here are the highs and lows:

M7
High - I love multiplication and division. It's very easy. It's exciting that I'm learning that.
Low - Reading takes up too much time.
I loved having dad home today. We made cookies together and ran errands.

S9
High - The United States has finally gotten away from England.
Low - Latin makes me learn grammar and I've already gone through three books for that.
My birthday is coming up real quick. I'm really excited!

H12
High - I had a very good week. I did a good job and I worked hard.
Low - Math. I just hate math.

Me
High - Getting almost all the things done that I had planned for the week and feeling satisfied on Friday.
Low - Not getting chemistry done.
I am pleased that I intentionally let something go rather than trying to stuff something else into a busy schedule and causing stress for all.

Book Review: Ladies' Night at Finbar's Hotel

2012-01-19T21:31:00.000-05:00

Through seven short stories, we learn some of what goes on during the re-opening night of Finbar's Hotel. The stories overlap every now and then but also stand on their own. The cast of characters is varied and the stories are entertaining. The hotel itself serves as a back drop but the action could just as easily take place at the local Mariott in any city USA. If you are looking for some quick stories to entertain, this certainly fills the bill. If you are looking for definitive Irish literature you'd probably better look elsewhere.

Book Review: How the Irish Saved Civilization by Thomas Cahill

2012-01-19T21:19:00.000-05:00

In his book, How the Irish Saved Civilization, Thomas Cahill combines narrative and literary analysis with a comprehensive knowledge of history and historical figures to weave a tale of devotion and heroism. Cahill does a convincing job of tracing the survival of civilization's literary history to the Irish monks. Not only does Cahill discuss the social and political situation throughout Europe during the Fall of Rome he also shows the growth and development of Ireland at a time when the rest of the world was in decline.

I love it when I read a book that makes me feel smarter. This is one of those books. Over the past two years I've learned a lot about ancient and medieval civilization. Teaching those time periods has forced me to read more and find interests in time periods that, to be honest, I thought were kind of boring. As a result, I discovered that I really like history and that the story of people is as interesting in the past as it is in the present. Reading this book added another perspective and gave me a clearer understanding of the transition between the Roman Empire and the Dark Ages.

Wordless Wednesday: Fun with the New Webcam

2012-01-17T22:53:00.000-05:00

Why Do I Need a Washer?

2012-01-17T22:46:00.000-05:00

My clothes washer stopped working. It's not the perfect time for something that I count on to let me down. I really count on my washer. With a family of six, it's something that is constantly on call and having it has become something that I take for granted.

I bought my washer and dryer for more than 10 years ago. In that time washers and dryers have been transformed. I've watched the transformation but I haven't even been the slightest bit tempted to purchase a new washer or dryer. Even when we moved into our new house, I wasn't tempted. Even though our laundry room was designed with the new models in mind and configured in a way that causes our old models to not fit in the space provided. My washer and dryer are just fine. I feel the same way about my 2002 over 200,000 mile mini-van.

Unfortunately, my washer is no longer working. The repair guy said it will cost almost as much to fix it as it will to buy a new similar model. The thing is, if I get a new washer, I'll want something that's been tranformed and if I get something transformed I'll want a dryer to go with it.

As a result of the inoperable washer, we took our laundry to the laundromat today. Notice that I said "we". It was amazing. Six washers, six dryers, four children, two parents. Six laundry baskets. All the laundry washed, dried, folded and put away in just two hours. It was family time. Everyone pitched in. I didn't spend hours doing laundry by myself. I didn't feel isolated or irritated. I've never had so much help with laundry. Why do I need a washing machine again?

Sew Successful!

2012-01-15T14:21:00.000-05:00

A beautiful new skirt for M7 made with love by Mommie.

If you look too carefully you might see some flaws in construction and technique. My best advice is to step back and take in the picture as a whole. There is almost nothing as delightful as a little girl wearing her favorite color, spinning in circles to make her skirt float out. It's especially satisfying to know that the skirt is only a skirt because you took the time and energy to make it. I am sew pleased with my efforts and with the results.

Learning Something New

2012-01-14T22:59:00.000-05:00

I decided a few months ago that I really wanted to learn to sew. Rather than buying a sewing machine a couple of months before Christmas and burying myself with unrealistic expectations I chose to wait until after Christmas to get my machine. My beautiful new Janome came in the mail ten days ago.

My first challenge was reading the directions and learning how to use it. Without too much trouble I learned how to assemble the few pieces that needed assembly. I learned how to fill a bobbin and then how to thread the machine. After some trial and error I got the machine to sew a seam. I even figured out what reverse stitching was. Not bad for someone that had never owned a sewing machine.

Last Friday I made a reversible hobo bag just the right size for my computer using the tutorial on Simply Modern Mom. I love the bag and I especially love that I made it myself. After my success with the bag I decided that I wanted to try something with a pattern. Here's another place that I learned something new. I am not a shopper, that's not new. What is new is that I didn't equate selecting a pattern and material with shopping. That was such a mistake. For a non-shopper like me, shopping for something that's not yet made is way worse than normal shopping.

After two hours in the fabric store trying to decide first on a pattern then on material, I emerged victorious. I brought home two patterns, a skirt for me and one for M7. I also bought purple fabric to make the skirt for M7. I couldn't decide on fabric for my skirt and decided to call it a day. After all, I can't make two skirts at the same time. Pacing myself is a good idea, don't you think? Now that I understand that buying patterns and material is shopping I'll be looking into ways to do that online.

Today, I got out the material, pattern and machine and began my project. I now have much more sympathy for my husband and his home improvement frustrations. So often he's lamented that the people that write the instructions leave out important information because they assume a base of knowledge. Sewing is the same. Since I didn't know how to thread a machine until a week and a half ago, my base of knowledge is extremely small. Thankfully, the internet is available. I was able to find all the information I needed to get the project started. The only thing that still has me confused is how to change my stitch lengths. I read something about foot dogs but I haven't been able to figure out how to change them. I'm sure new questions will come up tomorrow but I'm pleased with my results so far.

Another thing I didn't realize about sewing is how much ironing is involved. I've done more ironing in the last two weeks than I've done in the last two years. Tomorrow I will continue my project, practicing some of the skills I've learned in the last few days, practicing patience and self-control and learning new things as I go.

Weekly Recap: January 9-13, 2012

2012-01-13T15:39:00.000-05:00

This week we plowed our way through. Believe me, some days it was an uphill battle. M7 and S9 seemed distracted. I'm afraid H12 is back to her habits of procrastination and avoidance that we were dealing with before Christmas.

M7
High - Roller skating with co-op. I loved the disco balls and fancy lights hanging from the ceiling.
Low - none
Additional comment - I hate it when my big sisters won't let me in their room.

S9
High - I was able to go roller skating. I learned that in-line skates are way better than the old kind.
Low - Latin
Additional comment - I like spending so much time with my family. That's really my high this week but mom said it had to be about school.

H12
High - I got to work on my story about the orange plantation in writing.
Low - I had a really good week but I didn't work as hard as I wanted to.
Additional comment - I like that it snowed but I hate that it's cold.

Me
High - I finished my biography (Benjamin Franklin: An American Life by Walter Isaacson) and made it to my book club meeting.
Low - I experienced a lot of frustration over delayed obedience this week. I'm praying the weekend allows me to rest and feel refreshed on Monday.
Additional comment - I am so thankful for a husband who acknowledges and supports all my efforts and comforts me without judgement.

Guest Writer: My Tackle!

2012-01-06T17:35:00.000-05:00

This week S9 wrote about a personal experience. He was charged with putting his ideas in order and being descriptive. I think he did an amazing job so here is his essay.

My Tackle!

Vienna vs. Warren, what a day!

The sweat dripped from my face. My foe was staring me up and down. I didn't feel right. The stench of sweat filled the air. I heard heavy breathing. My blocker was twice my size. That's when I heard the ball snap. I felt relief as a I ran. I heard the whoosh of air as it passed me then I saw a switch!

I jumped in front of the receiver, started running and bam! I grabbed his legs and tripped him. He fell straight on top of me. He rolled off and then I heard the announcement, "Tackle made by number three, S9!"

Picking Things Up and Putting Them Down

2012-01-06T16:59:00.000-05:00

There is a commercial that I've seen several times for a gym. One of the muscle bound guys keeps repeating, "I pick things up and put them down." It's a silly commercial but we find it funny.

This week in math H12 consented to resume her work in Algebra. Before Christmas we'd called a break because the injustice of working math problems with no "purpose" was killing her. She just couldn't stop arguing about the usefulness of algebra. She also was unwilling to consider that while finding the point slope formula might not help her now, there was a reason she needed learn how to do it.

When we resumed math this week, the point slope formula came easily. She could even see how learning to plot points several weeks ago helped in the new skill. As we were working through the problems we began comparing building these skills with exercise. Of course it didn't take too long before H12 remembered the gym commercial. "So I guess every time I do a problem like this" H12 continued in her best tough guy voice, "I'm picking things up and putting them down" to get ready for later math."

This entire week we've been "picking things up and putting them down" during math and having fun doing it.

Weekly Recap: January 2-6

2012-01-06T16:50:00.002-05:00

This week we are listing what we loved about Christmas break. Then we are sharing our highlights and lowlights from this week.

M7 - Daddy being home so much. Playing Barbies more than usual.
High - Math is getting harder. I'm excited about Ivy and Bean
Low - None

S9 - Tony Hawk game for the Wii.
High - Acing all my tests today.
Low - None

H12 - No school and being with family.
High - Fun in math.
Low - Having to do math at all.

Me - Reading books for fun. Cooking for fun.
High - Getting my sewing machine and making my first project.
Low - Getting back into a routine.

What's for Dinner?

2012-01-04T14:32:00.000-05:00

There has been discussion several places I've been recently, both in real life and on the web, about fixing dinner for the family. Since I've got a plan for this I thought I'd share it with anyone that's interested. Sometimes I even stick to it myself.

The thing I like about this plan is that it's easy to take out the meals I make and substitute your own or to rearrange the days. Years ago, I wrote down all the meals I could think of easily that my family likes. That was my first meal plan. I think there were 25-30 meals on the list and I just rotated through them, adding in a new meal whenever I had time or energy. That worked fine too. This day of the week rotation just gives me a little more structure and makes it easier for me to focus.

I try to buy fruit in season so that would change according to what is fresh and local. The same is true of the vegetables. Right now we are eating lots of chicken because we just filled our freezer with our own chickens. In a few months we'll probably be eating a lot more beef. As far as ease of preparation, sometimes I make everything from scratch other times I buy what is convenient. It depends on the pace of life at a given time.

Menu Plan

Monday - sandwich/casserole
Tuesday - soup/crockpot
Wednesday - ethnic food
Thursday - leftovers
Friday - seafood/steak
Saturday - pizza
Sunday - dinner/out

Sunday
pork roast, rolls, roasted potatoes, salad
ham, sweet potatoes, salad, rolls
baked chicken, stuffing, green beans, rolls
lasagna, salad, bread
stuffed shells, salad, bread
beef butt chicken, broccoli, rolls

Monday
pulled pork sandwiches, coleslaw, baked beans, chips
sloppy joes, buns, pasta salad, veggies & dip
hamburgers, buns, fries, veggies and dip
hot dogs/brats, buns, broccoli salad
mac & cheese, smoked sauasage, steamed broccoli with cheese
chicken broccoli casserole, rice, salad
meatloaf, mashed potatoes, corn
skillet chicken casserole, salad, bread
chicken pot pie, baked apples

Tuesday
taco soup, cheese, sour cream, chips & salsa
perfectly potatoes and ham, green beans, rolls
pasta fagioli, salad, bread
white chicken chili, salad, cornbread
Merlot beef stew, salad, rolls
slow cooked teriyaki chicken, green beans, rice
cheesy slow cooker chicken, rice, salad
vegetable soup, cheese, crackers

Wednesday
spaghetti & meatballs, salad, bread, applesauce
nachos, sliced apples/pears/oranges
beef & broccoli stir fry, rice, eggrolls, pineapple
chicken & broccoli alfredo, salad, bread, applesauce
chicken enchiladas, refried beans, chips, salsa, sliced apples
chicken and veggie stir fry, eggrolls, rice, pineapple
tacos, refried beans, chips, salsa, fruit

Thursday
Leftovers

Friday
steak, salad, potato, bread
shrimp & grits, green beans, salad, rolls
Asian shrimp & pasta, salad, bread
baked fish, veggies, rice
shrimp boil, salad, cornbread
shrimp scampi, salad, bread
salmon teriyaki, green beans, rice

Saturday
pizza, veggies & dip

Book Review: The Brief Wondrous Life of Oscar Wao by Junot Díaz

2012-01-03T22:28:00.000-05:00

The Brief Wondrous Life of Oscar Wao by Junot Díaz was on the list from my book club. I'm trying to catch up on the books they've read that I haven't. I usually really like their picks although every now and then I run into a dud. I won't put Oscar into the dud category but it won't make my list of favorites.

The book was well written and the stories had potential to engage. Unfortunately, I just didn't feel it. In it's favor, this is one of those books that stretched me. I had to pay attention and use my memory to link things I'd read (LOTR) to this novel. I learned quite a bit about the history of the Dominican Republic. I appreciate a fiction book that makes me feel smart for having read it. The setting and context were flawless.

The characters were what I found lacking. Though the stories were compelling, I couldn't connect to anyone. The women especially were shells with no flesh. They didn't invoke feeling or connection. I'm not sure if it was because of the chronology in which the story was told or the voice of the narrator. Maybe it was a combination of the two that left me feeling disconnected.

The other difficulty I had was the fact that I'm not fluent in Spanish. In most instances there were enough context clues that I got the gist of what was said but I certainly didn't get the nuances, if there were any. Also, Oscar was a sci-fi and fantasy nut. There were an extensive number of references to that genre that I only hope I understood.

While I'm not sorry I read The Brief Wondrous Life of Oscar Wao by Junot Díaz I won't put it on my list of books to recommend.

Reading List for 2011

2012-01-01T16:52:00.000-05:00

Bootlegger's Daughter by Margaret Maron
Can't Wait to Get to Heaven by Fannie Flagg
The Patron Saint of Liars by Ann Patchett
Bamboo People by Mitali Perkins
Elephant Run by Roland Smith
Hotel on the Corner of Bitter and Sweet by Jamie Ford
Little House on the Prairie by Laura Ingalls Wilder
The Witch of Blackbird Pond by Elizabeth George Speare
Erasure by Percival L. Everett
Little House in the Big Woods by Laura Ingalls Wilder
Olive Kitteridge by Elizabeth Strout
The Book Thief by Marcus Zusak
In the Garden of Beasts by Erik Larson
The Paris Wife by Paula McLain
One of Ours by Willa Cather
My Antonia by Willa Cather
The Magician's Assistant by Ann Patchett
A Proper Pursuit by Lynn Austin
The Call by Yannick Murphy
Half Broke Horses by Jeannette Walls
Major Pettigrew's Last Stand by Helen Simonson
Winter Garden by Kristin Hannah
Sex on the Moon: The Amazing Story Behind the Most Audacious Heist in History by Ben Mezrich
The Scarlet Letter by Nathaniel Hawthorne
Cutting for Stone by Abraham Verghese
Passion by Lauren Kate
Tourment by Lauren Kate
Fallen by Lauren Kate
Les Miserables by Victor Hugo
Lost in Shangri-La by Mitchell Zuckoff
State of Wonder by Ann Patchett
Revolution by Jennifer Donnelly
Hallelujah! The Welcome Table by Maya Angelou
Unbroken by Laura Hillenbrand
The Penderwicks at Point Moutte by Jeanne Birdsall
The Florabama Ladies Auxiliary and Sewing Circle by Lois Battle
The Dirty Life by Kristin Kimball
The Smile by Donna Jo Napoli
Fine Print by Joann Burch
A Door in the Wall by Marguerite de Angeli
The Prophet by Khalil Gibran
King Arthur and His Knights of the Round Table by Roger Lancelyn Green
Jane and the Madness of Lord Byron by Stephanie Barron
Pray for Silence by Linda Castillo
The Contrary Farmer by Gene Logsdon
Living with Chickens by Jay Rossier
Sworn to Silence by Linda Castillo
The Canterbury Tales retold by Geraldine McCaughrean
Hobby Farm by Carol Ekarius
Keeping Bees and Making Honey by Alison Benjamin and Brian McCallum
The Evolution of Calpurnia Tate by Jacqueline Kelly
The Host by Stephanie Meyer
Jane and the Unpleasantness at Scargrave Manor: Being the First Jane Austen Mystery by Stephanie Barron
Sir Gawain and the Green Knight, Patience, Pearl: Verse Translations by Marie Borroff
Adam of the Road by Elizabeth Janet Grey
The Widower's Tale by Julia Glass
The Mountain Between Us by Charles Martin
Mothers and Other Liars by Amy Bourret
The Adventures of Robin Hood by Roger Lancelyn Green
Pack Up the Moon by Anna McPartlin
Digging to America by Anne Tyler
Rebecca by Daphne DuMaurier
The Little Prince by by Katharine Woods and Antoine de Saint Exupery

Ending 2011 in a Good Place

2011-12-31T17:25:00.000-05:00

As this year draws to a close, it's easy to see how far we've come. This time last year we were homeless and a bit unsure about what the future had in store for us. We had complete confidence that whatever came, it was going to be good. Now it's easy to see the good. Some of it was a little bit harder to trudge through.

We are new a farm family. Several times we had friends and family visit us for the first time and express surprise at the fact that we are living on a real farm. It's not just a house with a shed in back or a house with a big yard. It is a farm. We have chickens and a cow. We are farmers. I'm not sure I consider us real farmers yet. We live in a community with real farmers. We know what they look like. We know how hard they work. We aren't there yet but we hope to be, someday.

On the whole the farm has been more than we dreamed. We are a stronger family, physically and emotionally. We have learned about life and death, planting and harvesting, sowing and reaping. I know more about chickens than I ever thought possible. The kids have spent countless hours outside exploring the property. We've learned that eating our own eggs and chickens taste better not just because we know where they came from but because we are the ones that put in the time and effort to get them on the table. We have definitely become more responsible for ourselves and for others. We are more connected with the world, right through the land all around us.

As we continue to grow and thrive, I pray that our first priority continues to be to glorify God. I am so thankful that we are ending 2011 in such a good place.

Worth the Trip: Cambridge, OH

2011-12-27T21:58:00.001-05:00

Since my in-laws visit in early November I have been trying to get to the Dickens Victorian Village in Cambridge, OH. Yesterday, we finally made it there and I think it's safe to say that the experience was just another great part of our Christmas celebration. I think it's also a unanimous decision that we'll include a trip to Cambridge in our Christmas traditions.

I'd originally thought that the Dickens Victorian Village was a live experience but on further investigation I realized that the display was made up of statues situated down Wheeling Avenue in Cambridge. On some weekends before and after Christmas there were a variety of special activities scheduled. Because of the weather we decided to visit Cambridge on a sunny day rather than waiting for the weekend. We may have missed the Peddler Village but the beautiful weather made the sacrifice worthwhile.

We parked our car at one end of Wheeling Avenue and walked to see all 80 of the displays. We were also able to spend some time in the shops in Cambridge. A highlight of the trip was Ye Ole Curiosity Shoppe and Dickens Welcome Center. Ye Ole Curiosity Shoppe had a variety of gift items for sale as well as an extensive variety of period clothing available for dress-up. We all had a great time dressing in the period clothes and having our pictures taken.

After we'd seen all the Dickens scenes we enjoyed dinner at a nearby restaurant then returned to downtown Cambridge to enjoy the light show at the Guernsey County Courthouse. This event was nothing short of magical. We got our hot cocoa and enjoyed the first part of the show on a park bench. After the night became too chilly we moved to the car and watched the rest of the show from our van. No one was anxious to go home.

On the way to Cambridge I'd given my family a speech which can be summarized as a "sometimes you just have to suck it up and do things with people that you might not necessarily be excited about because you love the people" speech. It may be that the speech was still fresh in their minds and they were just humoring me but I prefer to believe that everyone enjoyed Cambridge as much as I did. I've already added it to our activities for next Christmas.

Thanks Be to God for His Indescribable Gift!

2011-12-25T22:47:00.000-05:00

This verse is found in 2 Cor 9:15. It was the verse that our minister used for his meditation this morning. It was a message that spoke to my heart. H12 even complimented our minister and let him know how much she enjoyed the message.

We received many gifts today. The gift of a good night's sleep. The gift of a warm, safe house. The gift of a leisurely morning. The gift of hot coffee. The gift of a hot shower. The gift of cheerful, helpful, cooperative children. The gift of time together. The gift of a church to attend. The gift of people with whom to fellowship. The gift of good food. The gift of people we love and people who love us. And then there were the gifts...Wii games, gift cards, clothes, stuffed animals, sports equipment, games, kitchen equipment, jewelry.

Our blessings are many but more than any of this my heart rejoices...

Thanks be to God for His Indescribable Gift!

End of an Era

2011-12-23T22:23:00.001-05:00

The key to change... is to let go of fear. -Rosanne Cash

Yesterday I quit my job. It was a hard decision and one that I struggled with and put off finalizing for about two years. Now the deed is done and I'm still not sure how I feel about it.

For the last nine years I worked as an independent consultant for a direct sales company specializing in easy to prepare gourmet food. I built a team of 50+ consultants with about $250,000 in annual sales. I enjoyed the products, the work, the interaction and the challenge...until I didn't.

The fit just wasn't right anymore. It took me a really long time to admit that. I wanted to make things work. I wanted to be able to just float along, let the paychecks come in without doing more than the minimum requirement of the job. Admittedly, I liked getting a paycheck each month for doing five hours or less of work. I wanted to continue to enjoy the social interactions that conferences and training provided even if I didn't really intend to do anything about the training I received. I wanted things to stay the same.

Unfortunately, I was raised to feel very uncomfortable when my values and my actions are out of line. My job was causing havoc between my values and actions. As I learned in my counseling classes in college, change usually is caused by pain. The discomfort of my actions finally exceeded my tolerance and I made a change.

There was a lot of fear involved in delaying my decision. I feared what people would think of my choice. I feared what conclusions people would come to about me and about the company. I feared a loss of personal worth. I feared a loss of influence. I feared disappointing others. I feared regret. So many fears kept me frozen in place, even though I knew it was no longer my place.

Today, I feel a sense of relief and a freedom from fear. I know that I made a good choice for myself. I know that it's time to end this era and move onto I'm not sure what. I really have no idea what comes next but I know that it's going to be good.

Winter Solstice 2011

2011-12-22T17:41:00.000-05:00

In 1999, we started the tradition of holding a holiday party on the Winter Solstice. It's a tradition we continued through four moves. The people changed each year. New friends and neighbors mix with long-time friends as we celebrate the longest night of the year.

Early on some people question our intentions in celebrating such a night. The concern was that we were celebrating something other than the Creator of the signs and seasons of this world. No one wonders that anymore, they just come and have a great time.

Last night was no exception. With our return to the mid-Ohio valley, new friends and old friends mingled like never before. We saw people that we haven't seen in years and introduced them to people that we've gotten to know over the last 11 months. It was a fun night.

Normally, I don't mess with remembering my menu from year to year. I love to try new things so I don't want to be tied up with "traditional" food. This year, because of my own procrastination, I didn't get the cupcakes that I planned to order and had to go to plan B. My plan B was making my own mini-cupcakes. At Thanksgiving, my cousin Allison brought a beautiful plate of mini-cupcakes. She'd used our grandmother's favorite cake recipe to make them and they were as delicious as they were beautiful. Her success inspired me.

One of the flavors offered from the bakery which I planned to order was mocha peppermint. A quick internet search turned up a delicious recipe for mocha peppermint cupcakes. While the frosting didn't inspire me I knew my standard buttercream frosting could be made minty by substituting peppermint extract for the vanilla. I decided to copy Allison and make cupcakes with my favorite chocolate cake recipe. I rounded out the cupcake offerings by making a spice cupcake and topping it with cream cheese frosting.

The cupcakes were a big hit and made an impression on everyone. They were also easy and fun to make.

Weekly Recap December 12-16, 2011

2011-12-16T23:15:00.000-05:00

We've done it! We really worked hard this week so that we could take the next too weeks off and now we are on vacation. I think we are all pleased and proud of what we've accomplished so far in our school year.

M7 finished The Ordinary Parent's Guide to Teaching Reading. She loved the last lesson. It totally delighted her to read such a lengthy and beloved word.

S9 completed his 4th grade math book and well be moving on to Life of Fred when we start school next year.

H12 completed the second session of Analytical Grammar. She nailed the last test and is extremely proud of her ability to deconstruct a sentence. She's also relieved that grammar is over for the year except for reviews.

K15 has several more days of school left. She'll be finishing her community service next week. We are all hoping that it's a lesson learned and one that won't need to be repeated.

We are going to spend next week reading. S9 and M7 are interested in learning about the origin of our Christmas traditions so we are going to read about some of those. We are also going to read The Gift of the Magi and A Christmas Carol.

I've also go a stack of books coming just for me. For my book club our January selection is to read a biography. This isn't something I'd willingly do so I'm hoping the one I've picked about Benjamin Franklin is a good one.

In addition to my "required" reading I'm going to read as many of these as I possibly can:
Patron Saint of Liars

Can’t Wait to Get to Heaven
The Brief Wondrous Life of Oscar Wao
How the Irish Saved Civilization
The Thirteenth Tale
The Art of Racing in the Rain
Bootlegger’s Daughter

Merry Christmas!

'Tis the Season

2011-12-16T00:01:00.001-05:00

Remember my post yesterday about the chaos of Christmas and about how I try to let the things I don't enjoy go. Well, right now I'm spending time, lots of time, creating a Christmas card. The thing is that I love Christmas cards. I love thinking about them. I love taking the pictures that we'll use for them. This year I've got some amazing pictures! I love writing the Christmas letter and getting each envelope stuffed and addressed. I love picking out the stamps and putting them in the mail. Most of all I love receiving Christmas cards.

The thing I don't love is figuring out how to get the card made. There are so many places to do photo cards. Each one has its own templates and pricing. I've uploaded my pictures to at least three sites and still don't have a card that I'm excited about sending. I especially don't love this process when it's almost midnight and my husband has been sleeping in the chair for more than two hours. Also, the chair is adding to my lack of enthusiasm because it's providing a grating harmony to the chorus of snores. Each time he inhales or exhales there's a weird squeak coming from the chair.

I've been trying humming different Christmas carols to see if I can find one that fits the rhythm that I've been given. So far, no success with that. 'Tis the season to be jolly! Fa la la la la la la la laaaaaa!

Christmas Chaos

2011-12-14T22:24:00.000-05:00

Christmas chaos is a situation I fight hard not to experience. The key for me is to do the things I love and let the rest go. I love to bake and entertain. I love Christmas music and I love the opportunity to worship. I try to spend as much time doing those things as I possibly can.

When I must do something that I don't love, I try to find a way to be thankful and joyful in the situation. I don't love to shop but I love those for whom I buy gifts. I try find the joy in each line, shopping cart and choice because it is an act of loving sacrifice. Prayer is required sometimes. I do try to shop early and to know exactly what I want and where to get it. I don't spend time window shopping or wandering and looking. I also try to buy from small, local businesses. They tend to have good service and I feel that my purchase is providing a direct benefit.

For the most part, I love the holiday season. Mine begins the week before Thanksgiving when we hold our annual shoebox packing party for Operation Christmas Child. We continued with a Thanksgiving celebration that included family, family and more family. Twenty people were at our table. Sixteen of those stayed through the weekend. It was a time for which I will be forever thankful.

Thanksgiving has been followed by tree trimming, Christmas music, cookie baking, Christmas pageant rehearsal, Christmas parties, a search for Mary's costume, cookie baking, church dinner, A Christmas Story, cookie decorating. We have so many more holiday adventure ahead of us. Another company Christmas party, our own Winter Solstice party, Christmas Adam, Christmas Eve, Christmas. Most of the Christmas shopping is done. I put in the last orders online today. I've only got a few last things to pick up and then I can start wrapping.

Some things are different this year but so many of our traditions and habits have stayed the same. It's good to know that Christmas can happen anywhere and that chaos is not absolutely required.

Weekly Recap 11/28-12/2/11

2011-12-03T15:56:00.000-05:00

This week flew by. We had my parents here until Wednesday so we were only doing the basics while we enjoyed the last of our company. The entire day Wednesday was take up with a trip to and from the airport. Oh for the days when the airport was 20 minutes away. Thursday and Friday we kicked it into high gear and got as much of our week done as we possibly could.

The plan is to work hard the next two weeks and then take two weeks off. Everyone seems to like the plan and, at least at this time, is working to make it happen. H12 is going to have the most work to get done in the next two weeks. In fact, she's spending time this weekend working on outlines for history. I suspect that being able to work in her room without the rush of our daily activities appeals to her.

K15 started volunteering at a local nursing home. She has 48 hours of court ordered community service to complete before December 26. In my opinion, that means the community service needs to be completed by December 22. In a community the size of ours, finding 48 hours worth of work is a challenge. She is helping clean and organize at our church. She is working for our local township recording the names, dates and locations of graves in the township cemeteries. We are hoping that the nursing home will allow her to round out the hours required. She seems to enjoy the nursing home. She has a favorite resident and talks about the people she's met there. One man patted her butt. She was surprised and found it funny that old men still think about pretty girls. Between the cemeteries and the nursing home, we haven't seem much of her this week.

S9 began writing his first report this week. He spent time the first day taking notes from sources concerning the Iroquois. Using those note he wrote a rough draft. Next week we'll work on correcting spelling, grammar and punctuation and making a final copy of his report. He seems to be doing well on the project. At one point, he said he didn't know what to write next. He quickly remembered his page of notes and had no problem continuing with his report.

M7 continues to move through her work without difficulty. She's within 30 lessons of finishing Ordinary Parent's Guide to Teaching Reading. We began a Singapore math program and she's found the lessons to be easy and fun. We haven't had anything new yet but it's nice to know she's got a good grasp of the concepts so far. Latin continues to be her favorite subject. She did a wonderful job writing the Doxology in cursive and illustrating it.

Thanksgiving Recap

2011-12-03T15:33:00.000-05:00

The meal was wonderful and the weekend flew by way too quickly. If I wait to do a longer summary it may never get done so here are some things that I want to be sure I remember to help with planning the next holiday gathering.

My best moves for Thanksgiving:
Having meals planned for the entire weekend
Renting tables and chairs for Thanksgiving dinner
Making as much as possible ahead of time
Putting my sister in charge of the table decorations

Things to improve for next year:
Find a new gravy recipe
Figure out what is wrong with automatic meat thermometer
Get Mom and Dad to stay longer

Thanksgiving Menu 2011

2011-11-20T23:00:00.000-05:00

Here is what I'm fixing for Thanksgiving dinner this year. The items marked with a * have a recipe included below.

Deep Fried Turkey*
Roasted Turkey *
Gravy
Sweet potato casserole
Make Ahead Mashed potatoes*
Shoe peg corn
Sage dressing
Creamy Wild Rice Dressing
Cranberry sauce*
Rolls*
Pumpkin Roll*
Bourbon Pecan Tart
Apple dumplings

Cranberry Sauce
Servings: 24
Submitted By: Toni
"A Thanksgiving classic. Originally submitted to ThanksgivingRecipe.com."
INGREDIENTS:
1-1/2 pounds cranberries
2 cups and 3 tablespoons white sugar 2 cups and 3 tablespoons orange juice
DIRECTIONS:
You have scaled this recipe's ingredients to yield a new amount (24). The directions below still refer to the original recipe yield (11).
1. In a large saucepan over medium heat, dissolve the sugar in the orange juice. Stir in the cranberries and cook until the cranberries start to pop (about 10 minutes). Remove from heat and place sauce in a bowl. Cranberry sauce will thicken as it cools
Add a 2” cinnamon stick to orange juice in sauce pan

“Sunday Best” Dinner Rolls
Added by Terri @ that's some good cookin' on July 27, 2011 in Breads, Dinner Rolls
Servings 36
Ingredients
• 2 Tablespoons Yeast
• ½ cups Sugar Plus 1/2 Teaspoon, Divided
• 2 cups Warm Water, divided
• ½ cups Butter, Melted, Plus More To Dip The Rolls In
• 3 whole Eggs
• 7 cups To 8 Cups White Flour
• ½ cups Powdered Milk
• 2 Tablespoons Dough Enhancer
• 2 teaspoons Salt
Preparation Instructions

issolve yeast and 1/2 teaspoon of sugar in 1 cup warm water.

While the yeast is proofing, add the remaining 1 cup of warm water, melted butter, remaining 1/2 cup sugar, and eggs to the mixing bowl of an electric mixer such as a Bosch or KitchenAid. When the yeast has doubled (it only takes a few minutes), add it to bowl. Mix on low speed just until the ingredients are combined.

Add 4 cups flour, powdered milk, dough enhancer, and salt. Mix on a medium speed for 7-10 minutes. Turn off mixer and let mixture rest for 10 minutes.

Add 2 more cups flour and mix on medium speed until ingredients are well incorporated. With mixer running, add more flour, 1/2 cup at a time, just until the dough cleans the side of the bowl. This is an important step because it marks the difference between a roll that has just the right amount of flour and one that has too much or too little flour. Turn the mixer to a higher knead setting and let the mixer do its thing for 8-10 minutes until the dough is very smooth and elastic.

Turn off the mixer and let the dough rest for 10 minutes. I leave the dough in the mixer bowl. This is where you really save time on this recipe. After the dough has rested, you can start forming the rolls.

Lightly butter a 9 ” x 13″ metal pan. Use a metal pan, not a glass baking dish. Pinch off enough dough to form a 1 1/2″ ball. You can vary the size of your rolls by how much dough you choose to make each one. Sometimes you might decide that you want bigger rolls if you are using these for sandwiches, sometimes you might be in the mood for something a little more traditional. Look at the amount of dough you are using for your roll and imagine it double its visible size. That’s how big your finished product will be—maybe even a little bigger. I make my rolls so that I can get 4 rolls across the pan and 5 rolls lengthwise.

Dip each roll into some melted butter before putting them into the pan. The butter provides two things: it allows the rolls to make a wonderful top and bottom (the corner rolls are my favorite because they have two outside browned sides, a brown bottom, and a lovely golden brown top) and the rolls separate easily from each other after they are baked.

Cover the pan with plastic wrap and set the rolls in a warm place to rise. It takes about an hour for the rolls to rise; sometimes only 30-45 minutes, depending on how happy the yeast is that day. You can get some good talking done while the rolls are rising.

Once the rolls have doubled in bulk, remove the plastic wrap and bake the rolls at 375ºF until they are golden brown, about 20 minutes. You can brush a little more butter on them, if you want to. It makes them extra pretty.

By the way, this recipe can make about 4 dozen rolls. You could make a pan of rolls and use the rest of the dough for cinnamon rolls or scones. Just a thought.

Deep-Fried TurkeyRecipe courtesy Alton Brown, 2006

Ingredients
• 6 quarts hot water
• 1 pound kosher salt
• 1 pound dark brown sugar
• 5 pounds ice
• 1 (13 to 14-pound) turkey, with giblets removed
• Approximately 4 to 4 1/2 gallons peanut oil*
• *Cook's Note: In order to determine the correct amount of oil, place the turkey into the pot that you will be frying it in, add water just until it barely covers the top of the turkey and is at least 4 to 5 inches below the top of the pot. This will be the amount of oil you use for frying the turkey.

Directions

Place the hot water, kosher salt and brown sugar into a 5-gallon upright drink cooler and stir until the salt and sugar dissolve completely. Add the ice and stir until the mixture is cool. Gently lower the turkey into the container. If necessary, weigh down the bird to ensure that it is fully immersed in the brine. Cover and set in a cool dry place for 8 to 16 hours.

Remove the turkey from the brine, rinse and pat dry. Allow to sit at room temperature for at least 30 minutes prior to cooking.

Place the oil into a 28 to 30-quart pot and set over high heat on an outside propane burner with a sturdy structure. Bring the temperature of the oil to 250 degrees F. Once the temperature has reached 250, slowly lower the bird into the oil and bring the temperature to 350 degrees F. Once it has reached 350, lower the heat in order to maintain 350 degrees F. After 35 minutes, check the temperature of the turkey using a probe thermometer. Once the breast reaches 151 degrees F, gently remove from the oil and allow to rest for a minimum of 30 minutes prior to carving. The bird will reach an internal temperature of 161 degrees F due to carry over cooking. Carve as desired.

Make-Ahead Mashed Potatoes
Prep Time: 15 Minutes Ready In: 1 Hour 20 Minutes
Submitted By: Carol Evans Cook Time: 1 Hour 5 Minutes Servings: 12
"You can make these ahead several days and store in the fridge. If baking cold, let stand 30 minutes first."

INGREDIENTS:
5 pounds Yukon Gold potatoes, cubed
2 (3 ounce) packages cream cheese
8 ounces sour cream 1/2 cup milk
2 teaspoons onion salt
ground black pepper to taste

Preheat the oven to 325 degrees F (165 degrees C).
Place potatoes in a large pot of lightly salted water. Bring to a boil, and cook until tender, about 15 minutes. Drain, and mash.
In a large bowl, mix mashed potatoes, cream cheese, sour cream, milk, onion salt, and pepper. Transfer to a large casserole dish.
Cover, and bake for 50 minutes in the preheated oven.

Creamy Filled Pumpkin Patch Roll
Submitted by Nikia Glapa (NC)

Ingredients
Pumpkin Patch™
1 egg
1 cup water
3 Tbsp. vegetable oil
2 Tbsp. softened butter
1 1/2 tsp. vanilla
1 1/2 cups powdered sugar, plus 2 Tbsp. for towel
8 oz. softened cream cheese
1/2 cup whipped cream

Directions
Combine first 4 ingredients in large bowl; stir to blend. Spread batter on greased, rimmed baking sheet. Bake at 350° for 17 minutes or until toothpick inserted in center comes out clean. Sift 2 tablespoons powdered sugar over clean kitchen towel; invert cake onto towel. Roll-up the towel with cake; refrigerate at least 2 hours. Combine butter and next 3 ingredients in medium bowl; blend well. Fold in whipped cream. Unroll towel with cake; spread cake with cream cheese mixture. Roll-up cake; wrap with plastic wrap. Refrigerate 2 hours; cut into slices. Makes 6-8 servings.

BEST WAY UNBRINED TURKEY (CONVECTION)

INGREDIENTS:
1 turkey, 12 to 16 pounds
2 tablespoons melted butter
4 tablespoons kosher salt
1 1/2 teaspoons pepper
1/2 cup chicken stock

INSTRUCTIONS: Preheat A convection oven to 375°. If your oven has settings for Baking or Roasting, select Roasting.

Remove the turkey from the packaging; rinse and dry well. Brush 2 tablespoons melted butter over the skin; sprinkle 4 tablespoons kosher salt and 1 1/2 teaspoons pepper over the skin and in the cavity. Tuck the wing tips under and tie the legs together. Place bird breast-up in a V-shaped roasting rack in a shallow roasting pan.

Roast for 45 minutes. Baste with 1/2 cup chicken stock.

Return turkey to oven and baste with pan drippings every 20 minutes until internal thigh temperature reaches 165°.

A 12- to 16-pound bird will cook in about 1 1/2 to 1 3/4 hours.

Let turkey rest for 20 to 30 minutes before carving.

Giving Thanks for This Time

2011-11-20T22:39:00.001-05:00

My holiday season has officially begun. On Friday we gathered with friends to take part in our first traditional activity of the holidays, our Operation Christmas Child box party. Our participation in this wonderful program sets the tone of our celebrations and reinforces the value that this season is an opportunity to give more than to receive. Today we took 33 shoe boxes full of gifts to the church for a blessing and then to the drop off site. It's such a blessing to be able to do this each year.

Tomorrow, I will pick my parents up at the airport. I am so excited for this Thanksgiving weekend. Three of my four sisters, and their families will join us, along with two of my aunts and uncles and two cousins. There should be 23 in all for dinner on Thursday.

I spent part of yesterday and today making Christmas ornaments that will be favors for our guests. I'm pretty pleased with the ornaments.

They are old alphabet blocks upon which I pasted a photo of our home on one side and the date and name on the other side. I think they look really nice.

I spent a larger part of today putting together recipes, a grocery list and a schedule for Thanksgiving day. It's good to see it all on paper. Having a plan always helps me feel more relaxes about the challenges that I know are going to come along.

Here's the menu.

Deep Fried Turkey

Roasted Turkey
Gravy
Sweet potato casserole
Make Ahead Mashed potatoes
Shoe peg corn
Sage dressing
Creamy Wild Rice Dressing
Cranberry sauce
Rolls
Pumpkin Roll
Bourbon Pecan Tart
Apple dumplings

Here's the plan.

Monday

Pick Mom and Dad up at the airport
Roast chickens for dinner. Use leftovers for chicken enchiladas.
Make pumpkin roll

Tuesday
Grocery shopping
Make chicken enchiladas. Freeze.

Wednesday
Make apple dumplings, bourbon pecan tart, cranberry sauce, sweet potato casserole, make ahead potatoes
Pick up tables and chairs
Chop onions and celery
Brine one turkey

Thursday
Breakfast and Macy’s Parade
Set table
Snacks for lunch
12:00 prep dressings 2 9X13 pans
1:15 Roasted Turkey 2 hours in oven 20 minutes rest time
1:30 Dinner rolls 2 hours prep and rising ½ hour to bake
1:45 Deep Fried Turkey 30 minutes to bring to room temperature 45 minutes-1 hour fry time 30 minutes rest time before carving
2:00 Sage dressing 1 hour in oven (put back in oven when turkey comes out)
2:15 Creamy Wild Rice Dressing 45 minutes in oven (put back in oven when turkey comes out)
2:30 set out Make Ahead Mashed Potatoes and Thanksgiving Sweet Potatoes
3:10 Put Make Ahead Mashed Potatoes and Thanksgiving Sweet Potatoes in oven
3:15 Make Gravy
3:30 Shoe peg corn – 20 minutes
4:00 Dinner

We are going to rent tables and chairs so that everyone can sit together for dinner. I'm still trying to decide if I'm going to buy new table clothes and napkins or if I'm going to go with mix and match that I already have. I do know that I need to pick up another eight person place setting of silverware. I've got all the plates and serving pieces that I need. It feels wonderful to be able to look forward to every moment of the coming week. I am so thankful.

Weekly Recap: November 14-18, 2011

2011-11-18T20:59:00.001-05:00

We are making this recap short and sweet. It's been a good week. We are all excited to have next week off. Happy Thanksgiving to all!

M7: High - Latin - Drawing pictures and quinque.
Low - Falling my bike.

S9: High - Operation Christmas Child - Giving kids toys.
Low - Writing three book summaries on one day.

H12: High - Writing - NaNoWriMo is going really well. I'm writing fast and I like my book.
Low - Attitude - I complain about things when I don't want to do them. I need to work on that.

Me: High - Knowing that we are on track for the year and get to take ALL of next week off!
Low - Forgetting that my book club met this week. I missed one of my favorite monthly activities.

Thanksgiving On My Mind

2011-11-13T19:02:00.000-05:00

I intended to prepare the second Redwall Feast with S9 this weekend then I became obsessed with Thanksgiving. I started looking at recipes, thinking about seating and napkins, and planning sleeping arrangements. I also spent some time on Saturday morning talking about the menu with my husband.

During our conversation, my husband began to wax poetic over the rolls he remembered from our junior high school cafeteria. Yes, we went to junior high together. Yes, the rolls were worth remembering. They were tall and buttery. They were served warm and they pulled apart in a light and fluffy goodness that can best be compared to cotton candy. They were exquisite.

I have always made my own bread. I have my grandmother's tried and true bread recipe that I use for almost all my bread needs. It makes lovely pizza dough, cinnamon rolls, loaves and rolls. It is delicious but it is not light and fluffy and it does not pull apart like cotton candy. So, I went on a quest to find a contender to stand up to childhood memories.

This is the recipe I found and it is the one we will be enjoying on Thanksgiving day. These rolls were light and fluffy and if they didn't pull apart exactly like cotton candy, they were pretty close. The recipe calls for a heavy duty mixer. I did all the mixing and kneading by hand and it worked fine. I also left out the dough enhancer and the rolls were lovely.

“Sunday Best” Dinner Rolls

Added by Terri @ that's some good cookin' on July 27, 2011 in Breads, Dinner Rolls
Servings 36
Ingredients
• 2 Tablespoons Yeast
• ½ cups Sugar Plus 1/2 Teaspoon, Divided
• 2 cups Warm Water, divided
• ½ cups Butter, Melted, Plus More To Dip The Rolls In
• 3 whole Eggs
• 7 cups To 8 Cups White Flour
• ½ cups Powdered Milk
• 2 Tablespoons Dough Enhancer
• 2 teaspoons Salt

Preparation Instructions
Dissolve yeast and 1/2 teaspoon of sugar in 1 cup warm water.

While the yeast is proofing, add the remaining 1 cup of warm water, melted butter, remaining 1/2 cup sugar, and eggs to the mixing bowl of an electric mixer such as a Bosch or KitchenAid. When the yeast has doubled (it only takes a few minutes), add it to bowl. Mix on low speed just until the ingredients are combined.

Add 4 cups flour, powdered milk, dough enhancer, and salt. Mix on a medium speed for 7-10 minutes. Turn off mixer and let mixture rest for 10 minutes.

Add 2 more cups flour and mix on medium speed until ingredients are well incorporated. With mixer running, add more flour, 1/2 cup at a time, just until the dough cleans the side of the bowl. This is an important step because it marks the difference between a roll that has just the right amount of flour and one that has too much or too little flour. Turn the mixer to a higher knead setting and let the mixer do its thing for 8-10 minutes until the dough is very smooth and elastic.

Turn off the mixer and let the dough rest for 10 minutes. I leave the dough in the mixer bowl. This is where you really save time on this recipe. After the dough has rested, you can start forming the rolls.

Lightly butter a 9 ” x 13″ metal pan. Use a metal pan, not a glass baking dish. Pinch off enough dough to form a 1 1/2″ ball. You can vary the size of your rolls by how much dough you choose to make each one. Sometimes you might decide that you want bigger rolls if you are using these for sandwiches, sometimes you might be in the mood for something a little more traditional. Look at the amount of dough you are using for your roll and imagine it double its visible size. That’s how big your finished product will be—maybe even a little bigger. I make my rolls so that I can get 4 rolls across the pan and 5 rolls lengthwise.

Dip each roll into some melted butter before putting them into the pan. The butter provides two things: it allows the rolls to make a wonderful top and bottom (the corner rolls are my favorite because they have two outside browned sides, a brown bottom, and a lovely golden brown top) and the rolls separate easily from each other after they are baked.

Cover the pan with plastic wrap and set the rolls in a warm place to rise. It takes about an hour for the rolls to rise; sometimes only 30-45 minutes, depending on how happy the yeast is that day. You can get some good talking done while the rolls are rising.

Once the rolls have doubled in bulk, remove the plastic wrap and bake the rolls at 375ºF until they are golden brown, about 20 minutes. You can brush a little more butter on them, if you want to. It makes them extra pretty.

By the way, this recipe can make about 4 dozen rolls. You could make a pan of rolls and use the rest of the dough for cinnamon rolls or scones. Just a thought.

Weekly Recap: November 6-November 11, 2011

2011-11-11T16:48:00.000-05:00

The best thing about this week for me was that it didn't include any evening activities. I enjoy sports but when the season is over, I'm very happy to enjoy family time together.

H12 enjoyed writing this week. NaNoWriMo is going well. She's just beginning chapter 6 in her book. Algebra and grammar were a bit more challenging to complete. H12 tends to slide to the dramatic when she'd rather not do something. I'm trying to help her just ask for what she wants rather than prefacing a request with nervous breakdown. It's a process. We took a break from algebra this week and reviewed multiplication instead. Grammar didn't get finished today but I am assured it will be done by Monday a.m. We'll see.

S9 found the Redwall food to be as tasty as he'd anticipated. You can read about our Redwall feast here. Several more meals are planned and S9 is looking forward to trying more new dishes. S9 is almost finished with his math book as well. I'm going to have to get my act together and decide where we go next. Skill wise, he's well past grade level. I think maybe I'm going to try the Life of Fred books with him.

A big surprise for me this week was that S9 started his own novel. Up until this point, writing was at the top of the least favorite subjects list. He came to me on Tuesday and asked for a notebook so that he had a clean place to write his novel. The novel is definitely in the Brian Jacques style. No surprise there. We have lots of work to do in the areas of punctuation and spelling but the story, characters and descriptions are pretty impressive.

M6 finished her math workbook and is ready to move onto her next math book. She's flying through OPGTTR now. On a normal day she does two or three lessons before she's had enough. At the library last week she selected several chapter books and I've seen her reading them silently for a few minutes at a time. Sitting still is still a challenge for her but reading seems to be worth the effort as long as it's not required.

In history this week we talked about the relationships between early American settlers and native Americans. We also learned about William Penn and the founding of Pennsylvania. We started listening to The Witch of Blackbird Pond. All of us are really enjoying the story and it's given us lots of topics for discussion.

Establishing a Reputation

2011-11-08T20:28:00.000-05:00

In my mind, I have a reputation. I am dependable, trustworthy, helpful, kind, generous, resourceful and creative. I believe that those who know me would agree. In fact, I just asked my husband if he felt those words were descriptive of me and he agreed and added faithful and critical thinker to the list. What I forget is that each time I move, I have to re-establish my reputation. In fact, I forget this so completely that I expect those around me to just know that I am all these things upon first meeting me.

Earlier this year, in September, my children and I joined a co-op in our area. Each parent involved in the co-op is assigned a job during the co-op time. I was given the joy of co-teaching the 2 year old classroom. Upon accepting the assignment, I was told that there wasn't a curriculum or a particular schedule of activities. We could decide how much or how little we wanted to plan for the children. My partner, also a new parent to the co-op, and I are both mothers of four. Our children range in age from 16 to 7. We are familiar with two and three year olds. We understand development and play. We know that reading to children is the best thing we can do. We played, we read, we colored, we stuck stickers, we laced, we traced, we played. We felt pretty confident that we could handle this class of five.

We were wrong. The co-op let us go for six weeks, the entire first session, and at the beginning of the second session they reassigned us with more experienced teachers. They didn't reassign us because of anything we had done, they said, but because there were parents who wanted their children to have more challenging activities and not just play. The three and four year old classroom was doing crafts. They had themes. The children in that program were learning and being challenged. The children in our class were being cheated because of our lack of experience. Of course, it wasn't anything that we had done. Rather, it was all we hadn't done. Now, I'm being trained by a more experienced teacher so that I know how to manage a class of two and three year olds. Hopefully, by the end of my training, I'll be able to handle the assignment I've been given.

I keep reminding myself that no one here knows anything about me except what I've shown them. I keep reminding myself that I haven't given anyone here any reason to believe that I can do more or better. I keep reminding myself that being offended or hurt really has no purpose. I keep trying not to be indignant, outraged, frustrated, angry. I keep reminding myself that homeschool mothers are a tough crowd. I keep reminding myself that everyone in the co-op is an expert, an overachiever, a parent striving to make sure their child has the very best that life has to offer.

Just because I believe that teaching a two year old the alphabet is as useful as teaching a dog to shake hands, doesn't mean that anyone else agrees with me. Just because I believe that free play, listening, learning to cooperate, share, negotiate, and entertain yourself and others is the work of pre-school, doesn't mean anyone else agrees with me. Just because I believe I am a competent, creative and capable teacher doesn't mean that anyone agrees with me, especially if I haven't shown it to be true.

I find myself wondering if it wouldn't be better just to be quiet and thought incompetent. That would limit the jobs I'm asked to do in the future. What purpose does it serve to prove myself once again? Do I really care?

A Feast Fit for Redwall

2011-11-06T21:51:00.000-05:00

During our history lessons last year my son, then 8, discovered The Redwall series by Brian Jacques. We listened to the first novel on cd and he was captivated. Since that time he has made a steady diet of the rest of the books in the series. He devours everything Redwall. In the course of his reading, we learned so much about a wide variety of animals with which I was totally unfamiliar. Stoats, pinemartens, voles, sables, ermin, sloworms.

We also learned about an entirely new kind of food. Pasties, ales, custards, tarts, leeks, nunnymolers. The Redwall books are full of feasts. The descriptions that Jacques includes in every one of the books is sure to leave even the pickiest eater drooling. Even the everyday meals are worth a few lines.

A few days ago, I was online reserving the Redwall books that S9 hadn't read yet. In my search, I came across The Redwall Cookbook. S9 was beyond thrilled. The opportunity to taste what he'd been reading about for the last six months was a dream come true. He spent hours reading the cookbook then he pulled me into his plan.

A feast fit for Redwall was his goal. He'd gone through the book and picked out fifteen recipes that he thought would be perfect for our Redwall feast. While I appreciated his appetite and his vision, I couldn't get my mind around cooking fifteen dishes, many of which included things like turnips and currants. After some discussion we decided that having several feasts and a tea or a special snack might be more manageable. We made a menu for each meal and tea and then S9 made the grocery list while I read the recipes.

Tonight was our first Redwall feast. S9 helped me with all the preparations. It was the first time he'd spent that much time helping me with a meal. His job is usually setting and clearing the table. Meal prep was new to him. He loved the roll of chef. He peeled carrots and turnips, cracked eggs, stirred custard, sauteed onions. His culinary skills doubled in one evening.

Our feast consisted of salad, cornbread, Shrimp'n'Hotroot Soup, Mole's Favourite Deeper'n'Ever Turnip'n'Tater'n'Beetroot Pie, Honeybaked Apples with Custard Sauce and Mossflower Mulled Cider. I think we were all surprised by how much we enjoyed the food. Not everyone liked every dish but everyone found something that they enjoyed. S9 ate everything and asked for seconds of the Shrimp'n'Hotroot Soup and then asked for thirds.

Our Redwall feast was a total success. I might even add Shrimp'n'Hotroot Soup to our regular meal rotation. We've got plans for several moreRedwall meals. S9 can't wait to take on the roll of chef again and I'm looking forward to enjoying the delicious tastes of Redwall.

Weekly Recap: October 31-November 4, 2011

2011-11-04T22:10:00.000-04:00

This week we enjoyed trick or treating, the beginning of our second session of co-op, plenty of time in the sunshine and history lessons that were even more interesting because of my trip to England and France last spring.

M6 enjoyed her Latin more than anything else this week. She thought the words were easy and she's enjoyed working regina, aqua and corona into conversation and play. She continues to fly through grammar, reading and writing. While she's still completing the first grade math that we began in April of last year, nothing there has slowed her down. She should finish the book before Thanksgiving. I'll have to do some research to see where we go next.

Football was the only thing that S9 could talk about when I asked him about his week. He spent several minutes talking about his coach and the other players, his best plays and his worst plays before I told him that I'd meant to ask him about school. History was his favorite subject. He's been reading an abridged version of The Three Muskateers today. History that involves kings, soldiers, adventure and battle is S9's passion. We spent part of this evening watching The Three Muskateers on dvd. He really enjoyed that as well.

Another project that S9 and I have taken on is a Redwall Feast. Since discovering Redwall last winter, S9 has worked his way through almost all the books. I believe the last few books are in his room waiting to be read. While we were ordering the last couple of books from the library we came across the Redwall cookbook. S9 was thrilled. We went through the cookbook and selected a list of recipes. If our plan works out, we'll be fixing two meals and two teas. S9 helped me write the menu and make the grocery list. Our first feast will be on Sunday. I'll let you know how we like Hotroot Soup.

NaNoWriMo kicked off on Tuesday. H12 has been looking forward to this event and counting down days. Writing was definitely the highlight of her week. Her novel is a futuristic adventure story. I'm really looking forward to reading the finished product. While she would have preferred to skip the rest of her school work this week and spend all her time on writing I have promised her the entire week of Thanksgiving off. H12 would also tell you that her least favorite subject this week was algebra. No surprise there. Even though she fusses, she's doing well and seems to understand each new lesson. The video on Monday, reinforcement Tuesday through Friday schedule has been a perfect fit for her.

Happy Halloween 2011

2011-10-31T22:37:00.000-04:00

Red Riding Hood, Alice in Wonderland, a fallen angel and a devil.

Little Red Riding Hood meets the Big Bad Wolf

Even I can't resist a good costume!

Weekly Recap 10/24-10/28/11

2011-10-28T23:05:00.000-04:00

We've had another wonderful week. I found myself wondering today why this year felt so much easier than our previous homeschooling years. It dawned on me that last year we were in the midst of showing our house and looking for a new house. My dh started his new job on November 1 last year. What a year it's been!

Our history is going so well. We completed two chapters this week. We learned about the events in China, Japan, and India during the 17th century. All of the children really seem to be enjoying the passages from Story of the World as well as the library books that I have been checking out from our local library. S9 spent time this week reading about Japanese artists and shipwrecked boys while H12 was reading about royalty from Sweden and India. M7 and I read several story book versions of the Grimm fairy tales. We even caught the others listening in a few times. We also spent some time this week watching and listening to the fairy tales by the Grimm brothers. We had some lively compare/contrast conversations about their favorite tales. Everyone voted that Tangled was much more enjoyable than the original telling of Rapunzel.

If we keep making progress at this rate we will be able to take the entire week of Thanksgiving off of school. With our extra company coming during that week, it will be good to have some days without the responsibility of school.

Keeping Perspective

2011-10-24T22:58:00.000-04:00

Today I tried to catch up with my own Bible study of Job. The kids are on lesson 8 and I was on lesson 5. A little free time this morning enabled me to complete lessons 5 and 6.

I fixed pancake sundaes for four of us for breakfast.

Afterward, we completed Bible, grammar, math, algebra, Latin and reading.

I made sure everyone had lunch.

I did three loads of laundry. Washed, dried and folded.

I made French bread and pasta for dinner, from scratch. I topped the pasta with my delicious shrimp scampi.

I helped the family as we got the house straightened for overnight guests visiting tomorrow.

Even after all that I still feel unsuccessful for the day.

Some days success is just not possible. It has nothing to do with the activities completed. It is a result of my own frame of mind.

Weekly Recap: October 17-October 21, 2011

2011-10-23T21:31:00.000-04:00

We had a great week this week! I may feel this way because I'm writing this recap after a relaxed weekend. It's hard to remember the bumpy parts when time has passed. I feel like I've been counting down to this week since August. This week was our last week of practice for soccer and football. I know the kids have enjoyed participating in these sports. I'm thankful they had the opportunity. I'm also ready for some family time in the evenings. We've been shuttling kids to and from practices and games at least five days a week. It's good to be done.

This week was also an off week for co-op. We have two weeks off before the next session starts. All the kids enjoy co-op. It's a worthwhile use of our time. It does mean that most of our day Tuesday is not available for our normal academics. Having five days for school this week rather than four was lovely. We used the extra time to catch up on chemistry. We built models of atoms using styrofoam balls. We learned more about the periodic table. We made sugar cookie atoms with m&ms for protons, neutrons and electrons. We discovered that there were fewer yellow m&ms in our bag than any other color.

We are all on track according to the "master schedule". It's a good feeling!

The Drama of Algebra

2011-10-19T21:41:00.000-04:00

Today was a typical, if rainy, day at our house. M7 and S9 moved quickly through their work. H12 stalled in every way possible. She loves to read and to write. Everything else requires monitoring, prodding and, sometimes, bullying. Algebra was where we got hung up today. It often is. The drama that has been inspired by math in our home is impressive.

Today's drama resulted in whining, crying, melting down, stomping from the room and flopping into bed. Thankfully, today, it was H12 that put on the show. After I took a deep breath, I went upstairs to talk with H12 about how she expected the rest of her day would go. We were able to engage in an impromptu review of her logic lessons by identifying numerous fallacies in her many passionate and varied arguments for why math is unnecessary and why her behavior should be excused. After several minutes with no progress, I decided to take a break and regroup.

I completed a couple of jobs then went back to check on H12. I found her where I'd left her, in bed staring at the ceiling. I asked if she was planning to do this all day. She replied, "No, now I'm just being difficult." All I could do was laugh as I walked away. I'm so thankful that I've got a daughter who is able to recognize her stubborn choices and own up to them. It didn't take long before H12 climbed out of bed and we finished her math lesson.

Too often, the behavior that I find most difficult in my children is a reflection of my own behavior or attitudes. How often do I choose a course of action and stick to it even when I know there is absolutely no benefit in it? How often to I choose stubborn over logical? How often do I not even recognize that I've made the choice?

Fool Me Once, Shame on You. Fool Me Twice...

2011-10-14T22:06:00.000-04:00

We are now at fool me three times. I suppose we should be full of shame. I certainly feel foolish, used, betrayed. My beautiful 15 year old daughter fooled me three times. Trust is so far gone that I'm not sure how we will ever get it back. Today I was served with a court summons. Delinquent. It's sobering to see that word applied to your child. I look at her beautiful face and wonder how such a word can possibly describe her.

Earlier in the summer my daughter got caught sneaking back into a friends house after going to a party with her boyfriend and drinking. We discovered that the sneaking around and drinking were an ongoing habit. Lovely. My daughter spent the remainder of the summer under my direct supervision. Sleepovers are no longer part of her world. Parental supervision when visiting with her friends is a requirement.

Two weeks ago, we allowed my daughter to go with her boyfriend and another couple to their school's homecoming. It was the first time we'd allowed her to go anywhere without direct parental supervision since last June. It was the first time we'd allowed her to ride in the car with a teenage driver. After the couples left for the dance, we discovered (thanks to some text messages) that vodka was part of the plan. We had no confidence that the kids would remain at the dance, despite what they'd told us or the limits that we'd placed on them. My husband went to the dance to confront our daughter. Unfortunately, our hopes of keeping our concerns quiet was impossible when the school officials and sheriff got involved. All four of the kids involved were charged with underage drinking.

Today, my doorbell rang and I was greeted by a sheriff with a court summons. We had a nice chat. He liked my tattoo. Evidently, several families in town received a similar summons today. Homecoming was a busy night for the sheriff's department evidently. In twelve days we go to court. We'll probably see several people we know there. My daughter will be pleading guilty. She is. No doubt. I have no idea what the consequences will be nor the cost. She'll pay them all. Hopefully it will be a lesson learned, a lasting lesson.

Maybe I've learned something in all of this too. Perhaps, I won't be fooled again.

Weekly Recap: October 10-14, 2011

2011-10-14T21:27:00.000-04:00

This week began with the end of a visit with Oma and Opa. They came to visit on October 2. We took them back to the airport on Monday evening. Between their visit, a bought of flu/sinus infection on my part and the busyness of daily life, we took this week to play catch up. It had been several weeks since I took time to chart our progress against my year plan. I was pleasantly surprised to discover that we weren't as far behind as I'd feared.

We finished our first session of co-op. Everyone enjoyed participating enough that we decided to register for the remaining three sessions. H12 enjoyed co-op most of all. That was a pleasant surprise. H12 hasn't been enthusiastic about social opportunities prior to this so I expected to force her through co-op. The topic, Crime Scene Investigation, and the other kids in the class were a perfect fit for her.

We have a two week break from co-op. I'm going to enjoy having our Tuesdays to ourselves. Next week we plan to spend our co-op day, Tuesday, catching up on our Chemistry lessons.

Weekly Recap: September 19-23, 2011

2011-09-23T17:21:00.000-04:00

This week was a good one. We are moving right along and have developed a pace and rhythm for this year. Everyone is finishing lessons without much difficulty. Moving from one lesson and one child to the next is coming more easily. Everyone is finally old enough that juggling independent work and time with me is getting easier.

H12 and I have been taking time before school each morning to walk the puppies together. It's nice to have quiet time together. Some days H12 complains her way through the walk but most days she's a joy. It's nice to have the time to talk about what she's doing and plan our day together.

After our walk and caring for the animals, we have breakfast and begin our school day with reading aloud. We've been working our way through The Penderwick series for our read aloud time. H12 and I have already read the books but we loved them so much we wanted to share them with everyone. We are halfway through the second book.

Our morning continues with Bible time. H12, S9 and I are studying the book of Job. M7 is learning about the stories of the Old Testament. While we miss our Community Bible Study we are enjoying the new lessons and I feel that the learning is worthwhile.

Bible ends our group work for the morning and we spend the remainder of the time before lunch getting our individual work done. H12 works on her own while I shuffle between M7 and S9 to complete their lessons.

After lunch and a play/reading break we get back together for history, chemistry or art. H12 and S9 usually finish their day with a Latin lesson.

Here's what the kids had to say about school this week:
M7 - I'm enjoying math. It's easy and fun. I did grammar but I don't really like it very much.
S9 - I liked chemistry this week. I liked that I was able to measure and think about what I wanted to do. I liked the safely goggles and the smock. It was fun to wear them and act like I was a real scientist. I didn't like reading about Pocahontas because the book was so long. I really enjoyed the story but I didn't like not being able to read a different book until it was done.
H12 - I enjoyed reading The Broken Blade. I thought the characters and the story were interesting. Even though I'm good at math I don't like it.

Just in case you were wondering, my house is still a disaster but it doesn't bother me as much today as it did last Friday.

Enjoying the Unexpected

2011-09-22T23:47:00.000-04:00

Tonight I attended a mom's night out with other mothers from our new homeschool co-op. The mom's night out was supposed to take place at an area restaurant. Because this was my first mno with this group and because I've been to other mno's where no one came but me, I called to double check the time and location of the gathering. I also wanted to be sure that at least one other person was going to be there. I was assured there would be others attending.

I arrived at the restaurant, went inside to inquire about the group and no one from the group was there. I was on time, not early or late. I wandered outside and met another woman also waiting. Since both of us were new to the group we only recognized each other because we were both alone and uncomfortable. Before long, a veteran of the group arrived and took us in hand. No one else from the group was at the restaurant. We didn't have a table. The restaurant was crowded. Seating for regular size groups was 20 minutes. Seating for a large group would be even longer. We opted to leave word for any late arrivals and move to a different restaurant nearby.

While the beginning of the evening was dicey, the time spent visiting with and getting to know some of the other mothers was worthwhile. On the way home I found myself reflecting on how unexpected situations often turn out to be really great. So often I spend time planning and scheming and working it all out only to have my plans altered, adjusted or totally scrapped.

So many of the wonderful things in my life were unexpected. Careers, homes, people, situations. It almost makes me want to stop planning. If I stopped planning it could be that I'd miss the blessings of the unexpected because everything would be unexpected. That sounds overwhelming. Perhaps, the unexpected favors the prepared life.

Wordless Wednesday: Sunset in London

2011-09-21T16:43:00.000-04:00

Weekly Recap: September 12-16, 2011

2011-09-16T22:41:00.001-04:00

We've had a busy and productive week. I'll let the kids hit their high lights and low lights for school this week .

M7 - What I learned about and thought was really interesting was Pocahontas. I didn't like Latin. I like math a lot. I also really like The Penderwicks.
S9 - My high light is that we are almost to machine guns in history. My low light is Latin.
H12 - My high light is the book I'm writing. I'm working really hard on it. I hate math though I am good at it. I'm rocking the socks off Latin.

It's a good thing that I have no expectations when I ask the kids to weigh in with their point of view.

I'd say that my high light this week was finding a rhythm. This is our second week of co-op. Things seem to be flowing pretty well. We seem to be getting all our subjects done. It's good to be feeling a sense of accomplishment this time of year. My low light was the house. I seem to be really struggling to get a handle on the cleaning and straightening.

Back to School: The 2011 Edition

2011-08-25T23:16:00.000-04:00

The last two days have been filled with back to school activities. K14 went back to high school yesterday. H12, S9 and M7 eased back into school today. I wasn't really ready for summer to be over.

K14 was so excited to be back with her friends. After her somewhat isolated summer she was anxious for outside activity and contact. She left for school with a new Marvel Comics back pack and a spring in her step. I wasn't sure I was ready to let her out of my sight. Being the mother of a teenager is so much more difficult than being the mother of a toddle. With toddlers you can pick them up to keep them safe. It's so much more complicated with teenagers.

On K14's first day of school, the rest of us spent the day playing, talking, watching movies and hanging out. We have a tradition of celebrating the first day of school by not beginning school. Usually we only start a day or two later but we all enjoy the ability to decide when we begin. After K14 got done with school we picked her up for an orthodontist appointment.

In our last two homes, we've had driveways that have allowed me to write welcome home and happy first day of school messages for the kids. This home has no concrete, except in the barn. I don't know if anyone except me missed that tradition. No one mentioned it.

We returned from the orthodontist by way of the grocery store so that I could gather the things we needed to make our first day of school tea party. It's another tradition that we enjoy and our change of location didn't impare our ability to throw a wonderful tea party.

During the tea party, we heard all about K14's friends, teachers, school life and plans for the year. She was excited about her day and happy to be back in school. Even a new dress code couldn't put a damper on her return to school.

K14's second day of school became the first day of school for the rest of us. We talked about waiting until Monday but decided that easing into it might be better. We didn't complete every subject but we did do more than 50% and things seemed to come back pretty easily. It felt like stretching muscles that we hadn't used in awhile and we were all pleased to find out that the muscles are still pretty toned.

Our day began with flash flood warnings and the rescue of 100 drowning chickens. We were able to save the chickens and as H12 said, "That's a skill you'd never get in public school." She's so right.

The biggest change summer brought was in M7's reading ability. When we finished school last spring, reading was still a chore that required sounding out every letter. Rather than pushing her through the summer we took a real break. The only reading she did between May and yesterday was purely for her fun and enjoyment. Today we picked up The Ordinary Parent's Guide to Teaching Reading and continued at Lesson 115. She flew through it. During the summer, something clicked for her. She began reading cereal boxes, billboards, books, magazines, anything that crossed her path really. She read because she could not because she had to. Sitting next to her today and listening to her read was such a blessing.

H12 surprised even herself when it came to Analytical Grammar. She started Section 2 today. She took one look at the pages and decided she couldn't remember any of it. After lunch and some reading time we sat down together with the book. In less than an hour she realized that not only did she remember what she'd learned last year but that she was quickly learning more. Another blessing of the day.

We finished our school day with the read aloud book we started a few weeks ago, Charlotte's Web. We'd read a few chapters here and a few chapters there but like so much during the summer our reading lacked focus and discipline. After a morning of torrential downpours and flooding, the afternoon was glorious. Sunshine, blue skies, temperatures in the high 70s. Gorgeous. We took Charlotte's Web outside and read the last five chapters in the sunshine on our own farm. We enjoyed the outdoors and remembered our trip to the fair just last weekend as we read about Fern and Wilbur and Charlotte. I originally selected the book with M7 in mind but S9 enjoyed it much more than his sister did.

Our school year has begun. I know day one isn't necessarily a valid predictor of the year to follow but a good first day sure can't hurt.

Wordless Wednesday: Puppy Love

2011-08-17T10:40:00.000-04:00

Our European Vacation: Artistic Paris

2011-08-17T10:31:00.000-04:00

The feeling of waking in Paris was delicious. The sunlight filtered through the sheer curtains at our full length window. The noises of the city morning drifted up from the sidewalk below as the city moved into second gear. We began our day with a typical European breakfast, cold cuts, boiled eggs, yogurt, rolls and coffee. After breakfast we took the metro to the Louvre to immerse ourselves in the artistic side of Paris.

The Louvre as a museum, even without the art that's housed there was impressive. A former palace, it's structure and size were awe inspiring. If the entire palace had stood empty it still would have been worth touring. In fact, I think at the end of the day Rob took more pictures of the paintings on the walls and ceilings of the Louvre than he did of anything else. I found it amazing that with all the political unrest centering around the monarchy in France that the palace was standing and still so beautifully decorated. I suppose the citizens didn't love the royalty but took pride in the art even when they were part of an angry mob.

Once again, we used Rick Steves as our guide and made our way through the Louvre using his suggestions and information. I noticed several people inch closer as I read the entries from Rick. We both decided that we were glad to have the actual guide book and not the audio version as we moved through the museum. It was nice to pick and choose what we learned and not to stand so close together all the time in the crowded areas.

Rob was focused on finding and experiencing the Mona Lisa up close or at least as close as possible. I preferred to walk loosely and soak in as much as possible. My favorite piece of art turned out to be Winged Victory but the pieces that I was most eager to see had to do with our study of ancients last year; Hammurabi's Codex and the winged bulls from the throne room of Sargon II. We both found the Louvre to be amazing and overwhelming. Rick suggests spending at least two hours there. I think we called it enough at three hours and left without seeing 3/4 of the museum's collection. We both felt satisfied with hitting the highlights.

Upon leaving the Louvre we felt the need to sit quietly and eat well. Thankfully there is no shortage of lovely places to eat in Paris. We found a cafe a few blocks from the Louvre and took a table outside. One of my favorite things about Paris was the outdoor dining and the easy availability of table space. If one cafe was full it was a simple thing to walk to the next for a seat.

After enjoying lunch and a relaxing break from the world of art we made our way from the Louvre through the Tuileries Garden to the Orsay Museum. The day was beautiful and our stroll through the garden refreshed us almost as much as our lunch.

We were immediately impressed with the openness of the Orsay Museum. Compared to the corridors and connecting rooms of the Louvre, the Orsay seemed straight forward and manageable. Unfortunately, even our walk hadn't cleared our heads of the Louvre and the Orsay started with the disadvantage of coming second in the day. Had we seen the collect first we might have counted it among our favorite experiences of the trip. The greatest hits of the impressionists and post-impressionists were represented in impressive numbers. The galleries are astounding. Given a fresh start and a full day we might have lingered. There is such thing as an overdose of beauty and art. We reached our saturation point before we reached the end of the Orsay collection and as a result we may have missed some of the museum highlights. We did stick with Rick through out so I'm sure we didn't do the museum a total injustice. Two hours was our limit for the Orsay and we were ready to see something besides art.

We opted for military prowess and Parisian views instead and headed for the place de la Concorde and the Arc de Triomphe. The view and the history lesson were just what we needed to finish our sight seeing day. From the Arc we took the metro back to our hotel and changed clothes for our dinner cruise. We were looking forward to a delicious meal and sightseeing without walking.

Prior to our departure for Europe we had chosen a few special events. These were things we were willing to pay money for over and above the normal expenses of sight seeing. Our dinner on the Bateaux Parisiens was one of these activities. We took the Paris Illuminations dinner cruise and it was magical. The ship was beautiful, the food was excellent and the service was outstanding. Best of all, there was no walking. Choosing a boat for our expensive dinner out was perfect for us. It insured that I got three solid hours to eat and relax with my husband and it insured that he was a captive audience. It also took the stress of ordering away. For the most part, meals in Paris didn't concern us but going to a fancy restaurant and ordering seemed challenging. The boat menu made it painless. We had four choices for appetizer, main dish and dessert. All the choices were exceptional.

Upon arriving on the ship we were delighted to be seated at our own table toward on the starboard side of the ship. We weren't right next to the window but with all the glass we had beautiful views all around. We were also a few tables from the center stage area so when the live entertainment, a singer and small band, began we were close enough to enjoy but not so close to impare our ability to talk. We enjoyed a kir with sparkling Blanc de Blancs and mini-savoury breads while we waiting for the ship to get underway. As appetizers we shared Royale of porcini and morel mushrooms and tender leeks in a creamy sauce and chilled king prawns in a creamy crab sauce.

Cruising down the Seine River enabled us to see the sights we'd toured over the last few days from a different perspective. The river and the evening lent a glow and glitter to the city outside our windows. As it was a Friday night and the weather was beautiful it seemed that much of Paris had come out to enjoy a waterside picnic or stroll. We departed the Eiffel Tower and traveled past les Invalides, l'Assemblee Nationale, le Musee d'Orsay , la Conciergerie and la Cathedrale Notre Dame turning back down the river at la Bibliotheque Nationale de France. For our main dish we shared poached sea bass in truffle sauce and fillet of roast beef in Chateaubriand sauce.

The singer and band provided entertainment as we traveled back toward la Tour Eiffel. For dessert we shared mature Saint Marcellin cheese with young salad leaves and fresh strawberries and strawberry sorbet in a strawberry coulis. The music was a lovely backdrop to the view and the conversation. The night darkened and it because obvious why Paris was called the City of Lights. A beautiful city turned into something even more magical at dusk. We traveled past Notre Dame and la Conciergerie on the opposite side then proceded on past le Louvre, la Place de la Concorde and le Grand Palais circling la Statue de la Liberte and returning to the Eirrel Tower. The Eiffel Tower illuminated exceeded my expectations. It was glorious and I couldn't get enough of the view. We strolled from the boat under the tower and down the Champs de Mars. We arrived at our hotel full of delicious food, beautiful Paris and thankfulness for the day.

Weekly Recap: 7/24-7/29/11

2011-07-30T00:34:00.000-04:00

This week involved home improvement and preparing for the school year. I finished painting the walls for S9s Star Wars room. It looks great and once the stickers are up I'll take pictures and post them. I still have the closet doors to complete and plan to finish those this weekend.

K14 and H12 were so inspired by the painting of their brother's room that they decided to paint their own room. I taped the trim for them and gave them a lesson in using a roller and some tips on painting and left them to it. By the end of the day they had a beautifully painted room. Frankly, I was surprised. The mess that they made while helping paint their brother's furniture made me wary of turning them loose with paint and brushes again. I suppose my ranting and raving after the last episode had it's effect and while there was paint on clothes and skin there was no paint on floors or furniture.

As a family we cleaned out the upstairs closet and rearranged things, decluttered and organized the laundry room, moved seldom used items to the attic, found a pile of things to donate to the football league yard sale and hung a bunch of pictures. We also cleaned and organized the school room and all our supplies. The shelves are tidy and in a few weeks we'll be ready for the start of the school year.

To celebrate successful completion of the summer reading program our library sponsored a pool party at the community pool. We all completed the program but only S9 and M6 were interested in the pool party and they both had a great time swimming last night. We'll be writing thank you notes to the library for such a fun way to celebrate their accomplishment.

S9 started football practice this week. I'd forgotten how that throws our family time off. He doesn't get home until after 8:30pm. M6 loves to go play with her friends while their brothers practice so practice ends up involving half our family which makes it impossible to eat a family dinner or spend time as a family except on the weekends. Once school is in session he'll only be practicing two nights a week but our weekends will be totally tied up with practice and games.

I mailed M6's registration for soccer today. She'll begin playing mid-August. Thankfully, football and soccer are held at the same school on neighboring fields. At least the practices and home games are. The away games will have us traveling far and wide. M6 will have her games on Saturday and S9 will have his on Sunday.

Finally, I ordered our materials for the last two subjects for the coming year. I'd been debating over the best route to take for H12's math and Bible for all of us. After much discussion, H12 decided that she'd like to try algebra and that a teaching DVD might be a good way to go. I purchased a 36 week Algebra class from The Great Courses. We both liked that each class was 30 minutes. We envision watching the class on Monday then spending the remainder of the week reinforcing the learning before moving on to the next lesson. It's wonderful that my math hating child feels confident enough in her ability and understanding to want to tackle algebra this year. Frankly, I figured she'd take it in 9th grade when she started high school.

Bible was another tough choice. We are all missing our Community Bible Study program. The only similar thing here is Bible Study Fellowship but it is a day class and BSF doesn't offer a day program for school age children so that wasn't a good fit. Community Bible Study doesn't offer their materials for sale outside their class setting. I've been looking for something similar. I value the Bible study and the way we were all learning the same thing at the same time. The kids liked the straight forward nature of the materials. I'm hoping that the Explorer's Bible Study programs will satisfy all of us. We'll be studying God's Wisdom this year. I thought Job, Psalms and Proverbs was a great place for us to go after our last two studies.

I got our homeschool letter and test scores sent into the school system last week so now it's just a matter of getting the acknowledgement back and waiting for the first day to arrive. I'm happy to hold onto these last days of summer and hope they crawl by.

M6's Lost Tooth

2011-07-27T22:28:00.000-04:00

Today I have a guest author. This story was written by M6 describing the loss of her first tooth.

I was in the hallway and I started to wiggle my tooth. Then I began to whine about how my tooth was so loose that it hurt. H12 told me to sit down. She twisted my tooth so it cracked. It hurt so bad and I yelled.

It was so loose that I could just wiggle it, wiggle it, wiggle it. I went downstairs to get a glass full of water. H12 came downstairs and put some salt in it. H12 pulled my tooth so it was only hanging by one root. She pulled again and it was out.

There was blood all over my face so we went over to the sink to wash my face. We went upstairs to show Kady. Kady asked, "Are you going to sleep in here or what?"

I said, "Yes!" I crawled into my bed on the floor and I went to sleep.

The End.

True Confessions of a Reluctant Stripper

2011-07-20T23:26:00.000-04:00

It started as a project to give my nine year old son a Star Wars room. I've spent the last few weeks studying the Star Wars web site and searching the internet for ideas and bedding choices. I thought that the most complicated part of the room was going to be making it look like the inside of a space ship. Unfortunately, the only room in the house that had wallpaper in it was my son's. Having dealt with wallpaper in several other homes, I knew the danger of painting over it. As tempting as the idea was, I couldn't stand the idea of creating more work at a later date by painting it. So, the stripping began.
S9 is at 4H camp this week. I thought I'd have plenty of time to strip, paint and create the perfect Star Wars room. Today was day three of the project and I still have several hours of stripping to go. After the stripping is done, I'll need to wash the walls, repair the damaged parts of the dry wall and then, maybe on Friday, I can start painting. Obviously, the room won't be done before S9 is home from camp. I'm hoping it won't be too disappointed.

The conclusion I've come to is that wallpaper should be illegal. I've only tried to put it up once. Several years ago, my husband and I put up a wallpaper mural in my son's room. It was a jungle scene and it really made the room. After we complete the project, we were able to agree that the results were worth the effort. While we were gluing and hanging, we were certain that wallpaper had been invented by divorce lawyers.

After three days of stripping, I'm inclined to believe that wallpaper was created in the 5th circle of hell. Now that I've been forced to reevaluate my time line, I'm confident that the room will be done by next Friday. I am also confident that no matter how reluctant I am to strip, I will be glad that I've done this project well rather than getting it done quickly.

Wordless Wednesday - The Louvre

2011-07-13T08:47:00.000-04:00

Waiting to meet the lady.

The lady herself.

Hammurabi's code

Colossi from Sargon's palace.

Wordless Wednesday - New Friends

2011-06-29T08:56:00.000-04:00

Weekly Recap: Summer version 6/19-6/26/11

2011-06-26T16:44:00.000-04:00

We arrived home from Shoopa (our annual Tybee Island family vacation) early on Sunday morning. The drive was long but we had all day Sunday to rest. With Father's Day on Sunday, we worked to get some things done that we knew would make R happy. The grass was mowed, the laundry was done, the house was straightened. We went out to dinner at a Mexican place we hadn't tried before and were pleased with the food, service and atmosphere. We weren't quite ready to name it our Mexican place yet but it's the first one that we've been willing to consider.

Monday-Friday the kids and I tried to do lots of reading and listening to books and complete one big project each day. Monday we weeded the garden and flower beds. Tuesday we cleaned bathrooms. Wednesday we washed the front of the house. Thursday we welcomed 100 baby chicks. Friday we cleaned the barn and I picked up two hives of bees. We discovered that one big job in the morning left us all feeling satisfied with our efforts and not overworked.

The weather was our biggest challenge this week. It rained and rained. The hay didn't get put up. The lawn didn't get mowed. The raspberries didn't get picked. The bee work was delayed several times. The hen house fence didn't get finished. We are all hoping for better weather next week.

Wordless Wednesday - Moulin Rouge

2011-06-22T16:13:00.000-04:00

Our European Vacation: Historic Paris

2011-06-21T22:11:00.003-04:00

We arrived in Paris at 6 a.m. and quickly moved through customs. My concerns over answering questions in an unfamiliar language were unfounded as we were welcomed warmly into France. Even at 6 a.m. Charles de Gaulle Airport was a busy place. From the hustle, the languages being spoken and the dress of the travelers, it would have been difficult to identify the country from inside the airport. The signs giving directions were easily understandable because of illustrations and minimal English. We called our shuttle bus service and were directed to the appropriate door where our bus and driver were waiting. Three other couples joined us for the drive into Paris.

While our driver wasn't a tour guide, he did an excellent job of hitting the highlights as we zipped into Paris. Several time during the drive I felt extremely thankful that I wasn't responsible for driving or navigating this journey. We were the last hotel to be dropped and that gave us the opportunity to see most of Paris by shuttle bus. We drove down the Champs Elysees and around the Arc de Triomphe. We passed so many beautiful and famous sights that we were planning to see later in our visit. The trip to our hotel was a highlight tour given by a local and one that we hadn't expected to receive. It was thrilling because it was first and unexpected.

I'd picked our hotel, Hotel Royal Phare, based on it's recommendation by Rick Steves, it's proximity to the Eiffel Tower and the rue Cler and it's price. We arrived at 8 a.m. and found the door open. The desk attendant assured us that our room would be ready by 10 a.m., far earlier than we had anticipated, showed us where to put our luggage so we didn't have to cart it with us and gave us easy to follow directions to our first destination, the Eiffel Tower.

We walked down the Ave de la Motte Picquet and through Champ de Mars expecting to see the tower much earlier than we did. The tree cover hides a sweeping view of the tower from that side until you are almost at the base. Catching glimpses of the structure was a real treat and only increased the anticipation. I was surprised by how close buildings and city scape clings to the bottom of the tower on both sides. This is no monument set apart from a city. The Eiffel Tower is a monument in and of the city.

We enjoyed a leisurely walk to the tower and arrived shortly before 9 a.m. Since I hadn't know how quickly things would move upon our arrival to Paris I'd scheduled our Eiffel Tower tickets for 10:30 a.m. We had plenty of time to walk under the tower, cross the Seine River and explore the buildings that make up the Trocadero. The street sellers and beggars were out as early as we were. We were offered Eiffel Tower key chains and the opportunity to support deaf Parisians by numerous advocates as we made our way to, under and past the tower. From the vantage point of the Trocadero we had a gorgeous view of the tower and Paris beyond and we learned a little about Paris' Universal Exposition in 1889. We also scoped out where we'd be catching our dinner cruise later in the week. It's always good to know where you are going and how to get there in advance.

Upon our arrival back at the tower, things had changed. The slow paced stroll we'd taken almost alone at 9:00 a.m. had turned into a muddle of people and lines. It was easy to see that if you weren't going to show up and get in line at 8:45 a.m., it really was smart to make reservations. Even the stair entrance had a line by 10:00 a.m. The lines for the elevators were akin to amusement park ride lines with twist and turns aplenty.

We enjoyed a piece of Parisian pizza and waited for our reservation time while watching the growing crowds. At 10:20 a.m. we walked to the reservation line and were ushered onto a lift and taken to the second level of the tower. From there we found the line and lift that would take us as close to the top as possible. With Rick Steves as our guide we took the Eiffel Tower Tour with all the enthusiasm and awe of true tourists. The thrill of being in Paris and being at the Eiffel Tower was every bit of what I'd imagined. We read and gawked and strolled hand in hand soaking in the sights of the City of Lights. The best part was knowing that this was only the beginning.

After enjoying the views from the third floor we took the lift back down to level two and spent time exploring the view from a closer perspective. Our trip from level two to level one and level one to ground was done via the stairs. At that point we didn't realize how much ground we'd cover in the next 10 days and the idea of walking the Eiffel Tower was romantic and fun. By the time we reached the bottom, I was very thankful that we'd chosen to ride up and walk down rather than the reverse.

By the time we finished our tour of the Eiffel Tower it was close to noon so we walked back to the Royal Phare to check in and make plans for what came next. According to Rick Steves, between the Eiffel Tower and our hotel we'd find the rue Cler Walk. We enjoyed catching a glimpse of how life might be lived in Paris. The cafes, open air shops and easy pace made me long to spend months rather than days there. We knew that the rue Cler is a place we'd walk more than this one time during our stay. At the end of the rue Cler we turned right and made our way half a block to the Royal Phare. Our room was ready when we returned and we checked into a street side room on the second (third for us) floor. The elevator was small enough that there was no way a person and a piece of luggage were fitting inside at the same time so we took the stairs. The room, while small was clean and more than adequate to our needs. The accommodations included a private bath, closet, refrigerator, bed and oscillating fan. Our window, floor to ceiling with french doors that opened in but no balcony, gave us a view of the shops and restaurants that lined the street in front of the hotel. The window also gave us a slight breeze that was aided by the fan and hampered by the glorious sunshine. We know that the weather was unseasonably warm for May but it made me sympathetic for a tourist that might spend a hot, hot July or August night in this room. Paris in May was definitely an excellent idea. After coming from an unusually rainy and cool Ohio spring we were more than ready for as much sunshine as Paris had to offer.

A short nap left us refreshed and Rick directed us to historic Paris. We found the Metro station less than a block from our hotel and put it to good use during the remainder of our trip. Our only incident of Paris as a less than warm and welcoming place occurred during our initial attempts at purchasing metro tickets. We wanted a carnet (10 tickets for a discounted rate) but weren't able to come up with the word quickly and were dismissed from the line until we got it figured out. Needless to say, it wasn't a word we'd forget again.

The metro took us to Ile de la Cite. We purchased our Paris Museum Pass at the tabac near Sainte-Chapelle then made our way toward Notre-Dame. A cafe on the way to the cathedral became a lunch stop as we enjoyed a croque monsieur and adjusted to the price of food and drinks in Paris. After lunch we traveled on to the center of France and toured the catherdral of Notre-Dame.

The children and I had been reading Victor Hugo prior to our departure. I'd read a good bit of The Hunchback of Notre-Dame aloud and I'd listened to more than half of Les Miserables on MP3. Seeing what I'd been reading about was a thrill beyond what I'd anticipated. I'd been expecting dark and dank but the cathedral sparkled in the sunshine and the statues practically waved to welcome us inside. Again, we counted on Rick to be our guide and followed his Historic Paris walk and tour of Notre-Dame. I found it surprising that the exterior of the cathedral held as much, if not more, interest that the inside. While the interior was beautiful and awe inspiring, the artistic detail and architectural innovations demonstrated by the exterior were every bit as impressive. We toured the cathedral before we made our way to the Archaeological Crypt but found that stop to be extremely interesting and worthwhile. Experiencing Paris from Roman times to present put the city and it's history into perspective for us.

We chose to skip the Deportation Memorial. Our upcoming trip to Germany made us especially sensitive to the issues and challenges of immersing ourselves too heavily in World War 2 history. We wanted this trip to be a vacation and a joy, not a moral dilemma. Shallow perhaps but it was the path we chose to take. As a result we viewed the Ile de St. Louis as we crossed over the bridge to the Rive Gauche. The booksellers were opened for business and we enjoyed walking down the street looking at the items they had to offer. We also were charmed by the view of Medieval Paris we received at the church of St. Julien-le-Paivre, St. Severin and the skinniest house in Paris. While we fell in love with Baron Haussmann's vision of Paris we also appreciated what Paris must have been like before he created the vision that is modern Paris.

By the time we'd enjoyed our river front stroll along the Seine and our quiet exploration of medieval Paris we missed our opportunity to tour Sainte-Chapelle and the Conciergerie. We arrived a few minutes after closing time and opted to continue our tour through the Place Dauphin, past the Statue of Henry IV and take a seat at the Pont Neuf for some quiet reflection of the day and planning for the hours left before bedtime.

Feeling pretty confident in our ability to negotiate the metro, we set out for Montmartre and Sacre-Coeur. The original intention when we decided to go to Montmartre had been to see Paris at sunset from Sacre-Coeur but by the time we reached the basilica we realized the primary objective was to see Moulin Rouge so we could report back to our teenage daughters and get back to the hotel. We were exhausted. The walk to Sacre-Coeur was filled with life. Jugglers, dancers, street vendors, people of all shape, size and color. In Montmartre there was no pseudo-intellectual, historical pretension. The people were here to have fun. In my memory Sacre-Coeur is actually more beautiful than Notre-Dame but on a much smaller scale. Large beauty compared to miniature beauty. Both breathtaking if allowed to stand separately. My favorite part of Sacre-Coeur, beyond the name, were the stairs in front. Paris spreads out in all directions. We rested there watching the people and the sky line, holding hands and breathing together, soaking in Paris and the fact that we were really there.

If you could see my Rick Steves Paris guide book you'd be able to see the chocolate ice cream smear on the map of Montmartre. As we wound our way through Montmartre from the basilica to Moulin Rouge and the metro station at the bottom of the hill we passed various tourist shops, cafes and, best of all, the ice cream shops. Ice cream in Paris was a delight that I wasn't anticipating. The ice cream was displayed like jewelry. Mounded high in glass cases that beg the passerby to stop and enjoy, the ice cream called out to me and a double chocolate cone in Montmartre was a once in a lifetime opportunity.

After the double chocolate cone, we sugar buzzed our way to the Moulin Rouge and back on the metro to our hotel. Again, we were thankful for the stop at Ecole de Militaire and the short walk to our hotel where we collapsed dreaming of Paris and of all that we had seen and done that day.

Our European Vacation: Ohio to Paris

2011-06-09T08:24:00.001-04:00

It was still dark outside when we made our final trip preparations and said goodbye to my parents. We had a three hour drive to the airport and were nervous about getting there without any problems. This was the trip of a lifetime and so many things could go wrong before it truly began. We kissed sleeping children in their beds, hugged the grandparent-babysitters, said thank you for the thousandth time and set off.

Thankfully, the trip to the airport, while long, was uneventful and we arrived at the lot where I'd made reservations for parking almost two hours before our flight was scheduled to leave. The parking people were efficient and pleasant and we enjoyed telling them where we were going. Paris, Berlin, London. Just saying it made us even more excited about the days ahead. The parking lot attendant told us a horror story about a trip his family had taken to Italy, ending by saying, "But I'm sure y'all are going to have a wonderful trip" and we agreed. We were going to have a wonderful trip.

The first leg of our journey took us from Pittsburgh to Boston. A long layover at the Boston airport gave us the opportunity to shop in the duty free store and have dinner. Sam Adams never tasted so good. We decided to change some money in Boston so we wouldn't have to search for an exchange place or bank in the Paris airport at 6a.m. We figured there were going to be enough challenges upon arrival that eliminating the currency exchange would be a good idea.

We were surprised at the number of times our passports and boarding passes were checked and double checked before we boarded. Once at the desk in front of the boarding gate, again at the gate, once in the passage way that led from the gate to the plane and again at the plane. After running the gauntlet to board the plane, the trip across the pond was uneventful. We were a bit disappointed that the plane only had one movie playing rather than the individual units that allowed travelers to select their own movies. The movie wasn't one that interested me so I was thankful for my book on MP3. A number of chapters, two meals and several naps later we touched down in Paris.

Wordless Wednesday - place de la Concorde and Arc de Triomphe

2011-06-08T07:16:00.000-04:00

Weekly Recap 5/30-6/3/11

2011-06-03T19:01:00.000-04:00

We spent Tuesday and Wednesday completing our required testing. H12, S9 and M6 took the CAT. This is the first time they've done any standardized testing at home so it was an interesting experience. H12 zipped through all the language arts sections. S9 tore through the entire test at full speed. M6 was hit or miss. Some tests she breezed through. Others she refused to complete or ran out of time. We are all glad testing only needs to be done once a year. We were also glad that we could do it here in a low stress environment.

With the testing complete we were able to relax into our vacation time. We are planning on lots of lazy hours in the hammock, lots of outdoor adventures and lots of memories being made. It's been a great year!

Wordless Wednesday - The Louvre

2011-06-01T07:18:00.000-04:00

Weekly Recap 5/23-5/27/11

2011-05-27T19:40:00.000-04:00

It appears as if I missed the entire month of May for weekly recaps. Oops! In my defense, I spent 10 days traveling during the month and then the last week trying to get back to reality. My parents were also here for part of that time. Company always adds a level of complication, even if it's the most pleasant kind of distraction. So for May, I think I'll just hit the highlights.

During May we have been reading, writing and doing lots of math. We finished several subjects early so we've pared our days down to the basics. It's been nice to have more time for pleasure reading and math review.

M6 comes to the end of this school year as a first-second grader. She completed all of her First Language Lessons for first and second grades. She's well into second grade math skills. The only places that she's firmly in the first grade territory is with reading and writing. Those subjects have been more challenging for her but she's made impressive progress. M6 is becoming a true reader and I very rarely hear the words, "I don't feel like reading." In all of her subjects I think she has a strong feeling of accomplishment but it's in reading that the progress is easy to see.

S9 has changed from a reader into a voracious reader. While we were in Europe, he read Big Red by Jim Kjelgaard and loved every page of it. The book was one I hadn't heard of but H12 asked to read it because an excerpt from the book was used in her Analytical Grammar book. She loved it and recommended it to S9 because it was a dog book that let the dog live at the end. S9 refuses to be exposed to dead dogs in literature. I can't blame him. He's also fallen in love with the Redwall books by Brian Jacques. We've listened to several of them on CD and he is now reading Lord Brocktree. It's a pleasure to see him enjoying books so much. His math skills have also continued to improve. I'm debating whether I'll give him another year in pre-algebra activities or start him with H12 in algebra. They are at about the same skill and knowledge level but there really is no reason to rush. I'll be thinking about math more over the summer.

H12 is a writer. She completed the NaNoWriMo challenge this year and has continued to write regularly. She's currently working on historical fiction. The challenge with H12 is to get her to do other things besides writing. I think the biggest change this year for H12 has been in the attitude about math. Last year it was a trial that had to be born. This year, I've seen, her sparkle with pride in her ability and accomplishments. She'd still tell you that she hates math but it's not because she feels stupid or unable. It's because she would prefer to be reading or writing. She knows that she has the ability and intelligence to do math she'd just rather not. That confidence is huge for both of us.

Wow! We've done it. Another year is complete and we are looking forward to summer. We are done with all our subjects and regular studies. We are going to do our CAT testing next week. I am hoping that being done with the daily routine of school will make testing less of a chore. I am planning to test on Tuesday and Wednesday. Thursday we'll plan something fun to celebrate. We all deserve a celebration!

Wordless Wednesday - Notre Dame

2011-05-25T07:24:00.000-04:00

Wordless Wednesday - Paris!

2011-05-18T07:44:00.002-04:00

Wordless Wednesday - Floral Favorites

2011-05-11T07:00:00.003-04:00

Wordless Wednesday - Sunshine at Work

2011-05-04T06:00:00.001-04:00

Weekly Recap 4/18-4/22/11

2011-04-22T13:14:00.000-04:00

This week was one of those weeks that just hummed with learning and connections. While our focus was on the Renaissance, so much of our past learning came into play. We spent time learning about the artists and scientists that flourished during this period of rebirth. We talked about how art changed. We talked about astronomy and how the teaching of the church put many scientists at risk.

Last summer we were blessed to attend a lecture and learning series about Galileo at a local university and museum. We got to listen to an expert compare the view of the universe before Copernicus, by Copernicus and by Galileo and show us the various perspectives in a planetarium for a sky view like no other. We also got to learn about how Galileo drew maps of the sun and sky by tracing shadows on paper. And we got to make a replica of Galileo's early telescope and experiment with it on the roof top of the museum.

So much of what we learned almost a year ago made even more sense as we recalled it this week.

We reviewed all that we'd learned about the reformation and how that led to a rebirth of the church. We talked about why people resist change. We read the book Fine Print by Joann Burch and learned how the struggle of one inventor made much of the rebirth possible by giving the means to share ideas with many through printed books.

S9 carving a letter for printing.

S9 is convinced Gutenberg would not find his printing acceptable.

In addition to all our reading, looking and talking, we did quite a bit of hands on learning. We made stamps out of potatoes and realized that Gutenberg would have had a difficult job if he'd had a quiet place to work and all the money he needed for materials. The challenges he faced made his success with printing even more impressive.

We became scientists and explored the characteristics of our materials while making playdough. Then we turned our playdough into works of art over and over again.

S9 using himself as a model for his Hercules sculpture.

H12 and I have been reading various books set during the Renaissance this week. One story we enjoyed in particular was The Smile by Donna Jo Napoli. H12 didn't like the way the story ended. She still longs for a happily ever after in all of her stories. She also finds the differences between classes and the limits placed on girls to be especially irritating. She did like the storyline and the characters. She also liked hearing familiar names from our history work and learning more about what life was like during the Renaissance.

The rest of our learning went well this week too. We are on track to finish required hours by the end of May and will finish most of our subjects before then. It's a good feeling to get so close to the end and not feel overwhelmed, especially when we've had so much change this year, our own Renaissance.

Wordless Wednesday - Guest Photographer M6

2011-04-20T08:26:00.000-04:00

Weekly Recap 4/11-4/15/11

2011-04-17T19:11:00.000-04:00

This week was busy and successful but not much to write about. We completed all our subjects. We had a great time. The good news is there's no news. That's a nice change after all the change we've been through.

The chickens are doing great, all 24 of them. The goat is fat and happy. The children are right on schedule and we are feeling settled in our lessons and our home.

We spent several hours this week talking about The Reformation and listening to Morning Star of the Reformation, a biography of John Wycliffe. I wanted the children to understand that the Reformation took time and lots of people, not just Martin Luther. H12 said that the book was interesting and kept her excited. She's interested in learning more about the reformers that helped bring us the faith we have today. I'm pretty pleased. I don't want my children to take their faith for granted. Nor do I want them to adopt mine, just because I say so. I want them to learn and question for themselves, like Wycliffe did.

The switch to spiral notebooks is going really well for us. I don't feel as if I'm drowning in a pile of miscellaneous papers and the dc like being able to hand their notebook to Daddy and have him look at what they've been doing. Having the spiral notebook has also kept me accountable for copywork and dictation. I'm surprised by how much the children like that part of our day now.

We finished reading Signs and Seasons this week too. There's a sense of accomplishment in completing something even if we didn't do it as thoroughly as I'd hoped. We spent our math time this week inside and outside working on perimeter and area of squares and rectangles. On Friday we compared the planets and filled out Venn diagrams. Next week we'll be doing more solar system math activities. It's nice to take a few days out to do something more fun than our routine lesson.

For our read aloud, we began reading The Hunchback of Notre-Dame by Victor Hugo. I was concerned that the dc wouldn't care for it, mostly because I thought it would be too wordy. Evidently, it's a classic for a reason and the dc are anxious to continue the story. I love it when they prove me wrong like that.

Wordless Wednesday - A Sign of Spring

2011-04-13T09:03:00.000-04:00

Weekly Recap 4/4-4/8/11

2011-04-08T19:30:00.000-04:00

Monday and Tuesday were chick days. We'd intended to get all the chicks on Monday but S9 had his heart set on a rooster and our local feed store only had pullets. We found a store with a straight run of Plymouth Barred Rocks on Tuesday and bought six. We are counting on at least one of them being a boy.

Felicia, is now more than two weeks old and she's finally thriving. It's been fun to see her eat eagerly and prance around. Now, if we can just keep her out of the house.

In addition to our farm animal adventures, we dug deeper into live in South and Central America during the Middle Ages. We were impressed with Machu Picchu and horrified by the Aztecs. We also spent extra time learning about explorers and some famous women of the period. Listening to the Lives of Extraordinary Women: Ruler, Rebels (and What the Neighbors Thought) was a highlight of the week. I'd intended to just listen to the biographies from the beginning until the end of the Middle Ages but my dc were so interested in the women that they insisted on listening to the entire book.

For math this week S9 and H12 focused on factors and prime numbers. They were pleased to put their multiplication facts to use and find prime numbers to be easy and interesting. M6 worked on fractions. We used play dough and had a great time making smaller and smaller parts.

At the homeschool conference last week I ordered the California Achievement Tests (CAT) for our yearly evaluations. This is new for us because Indiana didn't have any requirements pertaining to evaluations. I got the tests yesterday and feel pretty confident that S9 and H12 will have no problem. I think M6 will breeze through the math but there is more independent reading than I was expecting on her test. I think I'm going to go ahead and have her take it. She may surprise me and the 25 percentile performance level doesn't worry me too much.

Wordless Wednesday: Farm Life Brings New Experiences

2011-04-06T08:15:00.002-04:00

S9 feeding Felicia, our week old kid.

M6 holding two day old chicks.

Scary Chicken Stories by S9

2011-04-05T18:43:00.000-04:00

I have a guest author today who would like to share three stories with you. These stories were written to scare chickens because they are, after all, chicken.

The Legend of Fire Tail

Once there were 24 chickens and it was a full moon. The strangest thing happened. One was missing. They searched everywhere but she wasn't anywhere. They saw Fire Tail and he ate them all alive. Legend has it that when there is a full moon there is Fire Tail.

The Legend of the Dogs

Once there were 24 chickens and a full moon, then a pack of hungry dogs came and ate all the chickens. So, beware of the dogs!

Rex

There were 24 chickens and they decided to swim but when the first one stepped in the water it was bones. So my fine feathered friends, beware of Rex!

Homeschool Conference 2011: A Review

2011-04-04T23:04:00.000-04:00

The most memorable thing about the homeschool convention this year was the food and the company. A good friend and her daughter were able to join us for Friday and Saturday. It was lovely to eat lunch in the restaurant at the Millenium Hotel. We even had our dessert before dinner on Friday as we enjoyed Graeter's ice cream while we waited for our table at the Rock Bottom Brewery. Saturday we enjoyed sushi for lunch.

In addition to wonderful meals and great company, I enjoyed several outstanding speakers. Carlita Boyles gave an outstanding talk on maturation levels and math. It was so comforting to hear a speaker say things that my heart already knew. I also enjoyed the intellectual challenges offered by several other speakers about worldview and teaching classical literature. Both talks made me wish to spend several more hours being tutored myself.

My major struggle this year was how Christian was being emphasized over all else at the convention. We are Christian but we don't list our religious beliefs as our primary reason for homeschooling. Therefore, avoiding all things secular is not our top priority. In fact, sometimes we seek out the secular and find that it's the best choice for us. Just because a book says Christian on the front, doesn't make it the best choice. I struggled with the Christian means superior attitude several times through the weekend. I tend to think that Christian means sinner bathed in grace. I'm not sure how that applies to literature, science and handwriting.

R didn't go with me to the conference this year and I hadn't voiced my struggle about the Christian curriculum claims. I found it interesting that when I showed him a book I had debated over because of it's title(... for Christian Kids), his first comment was, "How is Christian ...... different from regular ......" Well, it's not and that's why I bought the book. Not because of the title but because what the book contained was really the best choice for my children, whether they were Christian or not. I wonder how long it will take until Christians stop striving for recognition and begin to seek excellence.

Weekly Recap 3/28-4/1/11

2011-03-31T22:16:00.000-04:00

I'm setting up an early posting for this week because we will be leaving early, early for the Midwest Homeschool Conference tomorrow morning. I'm excited about the conference because I don't have any needs or expectations to be met. I may just hang out in the hotel room and read while the kids play in the children's program. Truly, I probably won't do that but it's fun to think that I could.

Anyway, this week has been a mixed bag. We finished reading King Arthur and his Knights of the Round Table. I have to admit that we all kind of breathed a sigh of relief with that one. We liked the stories at the beginning of the book but from the beginning of the quest for the Holy Grail through the final chapter we were almost buried in betrayal and disaster. We prefer our stories of knights and chivalry to come in smaller doses.

We began reading The Door in the Wall and find that, even with it's beginning in dissertion and plague, it's engaging and not as nearly anxiety provoking as our last selection. We will have to see how the story of Robin progresses but for right now life in a monastery is a peaceful place for us.

I decided to scrap the binders this week. I bought 70 page spiral notebooks for everyone and we are going to see if this works better for us. I was begining to feel as if I was drowning in paper and that nothing was finding it's rightful place. With the spiral notebook we have the date, copywork/dictation, our five-a-day and any other written work all in one place. It's easier for me to check and easier for the kids to keep up with. So far, so good.

Much of our time this week has been spent reading the piles of books on Aztecs, explorers and rulers of the middle ages. We didn't start any new history or science work because I was wanting to spend more time reading.

Another issue that raised it's ugly head is the difference between memorizing and understanding. M6 reached lesson 191 in First Language Lessons. In this lesson the student is suppose to parse a paragraph. Personally, I think that's a pretty ambitious activity for anyone in the six to eight age range. The focus to now has been mostly in identifying one part of speech at a time after repeating the definition for that part of speech at least three times. To me it seems to me that the jump from identifying a single part of speech to parsing a paragraph is a large jump to make. M6 certainly felt overwhelmed by all of it.

As a result, I made a card game with the parts of speech and types of sentences with their definitions on one set of cards and a group of words on another set of cards. The purpose of the game was to give practice remembering the definitions for the various parts of speech and then matching the individual words to their appropriate part of speech. In my mind, it was going to be a fun activity for all of us. Reality wasn't quite as lovely but I think it was worthwhile. We won't be playing again for a few days but I do think it will be an activity we do at least once a week for awhile.

A final accomplishment for the week is that M6 learned to ride her two wheel bike. No more training wheels at our house!

Homeschool Conference 2011

2011-03-31T21:16:00.000-04:00

This year I'm not sure why I'm going to the Midwest Homeschool Conference. I've reached a place that feels good and comfortable. I've found a groove and I'm not looking to make any major changes next year. I have most of my curriculum. I probably wouldn't be going except that I registered before Christmas and it sounds fun to go spend the night in a hotel.

The past two years I've gone to the conference with a sense of mission, armed with a list of questions to answer and curriculum to view. This year I haven't even looked at the entire conference schedule. I did sit down and make a list of books I'd like to see or to find but there's no sense of urgency or purpose. It's a strange feeling. Thinking that I've got this feels really good and really scary at the same time. I might get to the conference and find out that I'm just kidding myself. But for right now, it feels wonderful not to be the beginner and to feel like I'm doing the right things and doing them fairly well. Of course, not every day goes perfectly but I don't really need it to.

Since I have no mission at the conference, my plan is to go and explore, to attend sessions that interest me and to spend time looking at lots of stuff. I might even find a quiet corner and read for awhile. I have paid for two days of childcare. I should really take advantage of every moment. Perhaps I'll discover that by not feeling driven I'll enjoy the scenery and the experience that much more.

Expect the Unexpected

2011-03-31T21:06:00.000-04:00

You would think after almost twenty-two years of marriage, four children, and twelve moves I would have learned that nothing can be planned. You would think that I would be an expert at anticipating what could go wrong and working to see all the angles. My husband is a maintenance and reliability engineer. His job is all about predicting what could go wrong and working to keep things running smoothly. We both have the skills and the inclination but at home, the unexpected keeps happening.

On Sunday we brought home a potbelly pig for H12's birthday. Paxton was part of our family for just over a week. On the following Monday, we got a leash and harness for him and he, almost immediately, slipped the leash and headed for the hills. We haven't seen any sign of Paxton since our manhunt for more than an hour on Monday. We could have prevented that heartache by not letting him out of the house or by making sure that the harness was too tight to be comfortable. We could have walked with H12 and the pig to keep an eye on things. We could have... You know that list. It's endless and futile.

Even before Paxton jumped ship we had an unexpected guest. The farmer down the road gave us a baby goat that had been abandoned by it's mother. Since last Sunday, we've been playing mother goat to an absolutely adorable kid. I've given daily talks about how fragile baby animals are and about how we can't be sure that she's going to survive. All the while, I've been praying and working to make sure she does stay alive.

At church last week, the minister spoke about the meaning of "Give us this day our daily bread." He talked about the Israelites depending on manna as they wandered in the desert. He talked about how having too much can encourage us to rely on the bounty rather than on God. I've found myself returning to this thought again and again this week.

Even though things happen that I don't expect, Lord, continue to give me exactly what I need exactly when I need it. Whether it's a goat, a sermon or a moment of clarity help me pay attention to what You have for me.

Wordless Wednesday - Wishing for Spring

2011-03-30T07:18:00.000-04:00

Weekly Recap 3/21-3/25/11

2011-03-28T08:43:00.000-04:00

We began this week with a birthday and ended it with a trip to visit friends so it was a short but busy week. We focused, as always, on the basics.

Our basics centered around the new addition to our family, Paxton. He's a minature potbelly pig and the only thing H12 asked for on her birthday. While he's extremely cute and often amusing, he's also very standoffish. This is a real disappointment for H12 who had visions of a companion pig. We are all hoping that continued contact and tender loving care will enable Paxton to become the pig of H12's dreams.

In addition to figuring out how to incorporate Paxton into a homeschool day, we completed five full days of all our subjects. We are still limping along in Latin for H12 and S9. Our history lessons were about Mayans, Aztecs and Incas and the exploration and settlement of the Americas by Spain and Portugal. In conjunction with our Mayan lesson H12 and S9 we enjoyed chocolate cake for H12's birthday and did Mayan math. H12 and S9 both enjoyed the challenge of figuring out the pattern but agree that our 10 base system seems easier. M6 spent her math time reviewing numbers and practicing addition and subtraction with her princess flash cards.

On Friday afternoon we drove back to our old neighborhood and friends for a short weekend visit. On the way we listened to Pippi Longstocking by Astrid Lindgren. We all enjoyed Pippi's adventures and decided she was a pretty resourceful child. S9 was envious of her super strength and M6 was envious of her monkey. I'm hoping we don't add one of those to our growing menagerie.

Wordless Wednesday - Happy Birthday H12!

2011-03-22T08:44:00.002-04:00

Birthday Surprise!

2011-03-21T16:05:00.000-04:00

There are few things I enjoy as much as I enjoy orchestrating a birthday surprise. This year we surprised our nine year old son with his long dreamed of pet piranha. Our daughter, turning twelve today, has been requesting a potbelly pig for more than six months. Her birthday strategy is simple and usually successful, ask for only one thing and you are sure to receive it.

Unfortunately and maybe surprisingly, it was much harder for us to be joyful about a pig than about a piranha. A piranha requires an aquarium and minimal attention. A potbelly pig is, well, a pig. And our daughter intended it to be a house pig. She did hours of research and continually reassured us that a potbelly pig makes a wonderful pet. My own research turned up very mixed reviews. She promised that she'd take total care of her pet. I've seen her room. I know her inclination to let things slide. I was skeptical.

Still, after much discussion and prayer, we found a seven week old potbelly piglet for a reasonable price within easy driving distance. Plans were made and yesterday afternoon we took H-almost 12 to meet, by surprise, her new pet. Even to the moment when the black bundle wrapped in a dirty white towel was presented to H she had no idea that she was truly getting her pig. Her face lit up, her feet danced, her hands clapped. Her reaction was all we could hope for. Now, we shall see how our amazing birthday surprise becomes part of everyday life. My prayer is that this pig exceeds all expectations.

Paxton, the potbelly pig, born February 4, brought home March 20.

Weekly Recap 3/14-3/18/11

2011-03-18T15:25:00.001-04:00

My highlight this week was receiving the letter stating that we are now excused from compulsory attendance laws for the remainder of the school year (2010-2011). I'm so relieved!

M6 finished reading the Dick and Jane reader from the library and was ready to start it over from the beginning. I'll have to ask for something similar when we return the book. She's moving right along in grammar and reading. It's amazing to see the progress she's made this year. In Latin and in science we've been talking about season so that's been a fun crossover. Math is another area that she continues to surprise me. We've been working on adding columns of numbers. She's getting to be a pro at it.

S9 still prefers history over all else. He's preparing to do an oral report on Amerigo Vespucci. He prefers warriors to explorers but he enjoys learning about new lands. He began Unit 5 in his grammar book this week. Like M6, he's going to be done with grammar before the school year is over. He had the humbling experience today of asking M6 to remind him of the be verbs. She can rattle off the list with no problem. His grammar program doesn't emphasize memorization. In math, I've started working though Lial Basic College Math with S9 and H11. They both have the basics down so it's fun for them to see how much they already know in a college math book. We spent this week reading charts and maps and interpreting the data and working word problems.

H11 has been working on writing another book. This one is a futuristic adventure. I am acting as her editor through e-mail. Getting my suggestions and ideas without my voice in her ear has been a good thing for both of us. We also worked this week on improving her outlining from non-fiction. We are going to work on an outline for her book next week.

During history this week we focused on the explorers. We spent a lot of time mapping routes on the globe. It even worked out to have sweet potato fries for lunch one day. Next week, both S9 and H11 will be giving oral reports on the explorer of their choice.

Our astronomy study is still going slowly forward. We did an experiment this week and plan to spend this evening star gazing.

The weather has been beautiful for the last few days so we've spent a lot of our afternoon time enjoying the sunshine.

Yahtzee for math on Thursday

Sweet potato fries on the day we learned about Christopher Columbus and other explorers.

Not quite Fancy Nancy

Wordless Wednesday - Sibling Secrets

2011-03-16T17:56:00.000-04:00

Farm Life

2011-03-15T17:09:00.000-04:00

Yesterday was the first day that we've had warm weather and time to enjoy it as a family since we moved into our new house. It was the first day that we felt like a farm family. We spent much of the morning clearing flowerbeds and cutting down volunteer trees that had grown around our outbuildings. We moved cinder blocks and cleared a junk heap behind one of the storage sheds. We filled a trash can with broken glass, plastic and old shingles. We took stock of the chicken house and made note of the jobs that need to be done in order for that space to be made ready to use.

After lunch, we took a walk around the farm. Again, this is the first time we've all been outside together and had the time to walk the property. The creek was up because of recent heavy rain. It was still fun to imagine canoeing and swimming in the summer. The children were done exploring about half way around the property line and opted to cut across the field and head back to the house. R and I continued to walk the property and found a stream and rock formation we didn't know we had. We spent time in the sunshine dreaming. We reminded each other of the dream that led to chosing this property.

We have so many plans for this farm and stepping out into the unknown is a daunting prospect. Goats, grapes, a garden, chickens, turkeys, and bees. Can we do any of it successfully? Are we really ready for this? We've almost completed our small farm class. We have enough money and more than enough ideas to make a start. The only way to find out if farming is really for us is to do it. There is only so much you can read in books.

Today we spent some time working on a business plan and a vision for our farm. Our plan is to spend this year trying things on a small scale to see what works and what doesn't. Next year we'll move to a larger scale with an intention of being profitable within the next five years. It's a big step, putting things down on paper, making a plan, beginning.

At our small farm college class, we've repeatedly heard how we need to be marketing our farm and making sure that people know our story. In an effort to get a head start on that, we've decided to tell our story from the beginning. Here's our new farm blog so that you can follow what we are doing and, hopefully, so will others in our area as we get growing.

Weekly Recap 3/7-3/11/11

2011-03-12T18:17:00.000-05:00

This week we loved school and everything seemed to flow. It's good to have a week when everything comes together. Our highlights were in history and math. We found the stories about Mansa Musa and Henry the Navigator to be especially interesting. H11 is doing some more learning about Joan of Arc.

Our read aloud this week is not so popular. We are reading King Arthur and His Knights of the Round Table by Roger Lancelyn Green. H11 is frustrated and irritated by the women in these stories. They are, in her opinion, either evil or stupid. S9 is finding the knights to be much the same. Maybe we need to spend some time talking about chivalry and what that meant at the time. It's a hard concept to relate to with our current values.

Math this week totally rocked. M6 has a great grasp of subtracting and borrowing. I was nervous about introducing the concept for no reason. S9 and H11 are both working on square roots and exponents. They got the concepts with no sweat. Next week we'll work on adding and subtracting money and order of operations.

We rounded out the week by attending our first 4H meeting. We were all feeling a little desperate for new friends. Hopefully, this group, made of homeschoolers, will be a good fit for us.

A Season of Sacrifice

2011-03-10T13:12:00.001-05:00

As we enter this season of Lent the weather matches my attitude. Rain pours down, the sky is gray. It's easy to feel that sacrifice is forced. It's not a big step to feeling as if I'm being intentionally robbed of joy and all that is beautiful. Rather than approaching Lent as a time of freeing myself to worship God and focus on the gift that I've been given, human nature encourages me to view sacrifice as loss and deprivation. Perhaps this Lenten season I will finally be able to focus on the sacrificial giving from which I've found eternal benefit rather than on my personal sacrifice.

In the past, I had decided that rather than depriving myself of something that didn't really give me a connection to God, I'd try to find a way to strengthen my spiritual walk by adding something of direct benefit, time in prayer, an additional Bible study or reading. In a sense, by doing that I was sacrificing time. I was making a choice about the best use of my time and sacrificing time spent in pursuit of things that were less godly. This year, I'm not sure how to proceed.

The 40 days of Lent are commonly related to the 40 days that Jesus spent in the wilderness after his baptism. Jesus gave no thought for himself in the journey. No plans for food, comfort, or good reading material. Jesus was driven to seek God. Jesus' quest was successful enough to draw the attention of the entire Universe. Even Satan tried to distract Jesus from his purpose and because Jesus was successful in his quest we all may benefit. I can not even begin to understand such perserverance and passion.

Even in Lent, I rarely have pure reasons for most of my spiritual actions. My spiritual life, on most days, has more to do with me and less to do with God. I am too comfortable and content to understand what being driven into the wilderness means. Honestly, I'm fairly certain that I don't aspire to that kind of passion. The wilderness sounds frightening and uncomfortable. It sounds like it would demand sacrifice. I'm just fine with praying for God's will when I'm warm, dry and well fed.

I suppose the questions I'm struggling with are these: How do I participate in a season of sacrifice without actually being required to sacrifice something? Does sacrifice have to come with pain or can it come with joy? Is destruction and surrender an requirement? What would be required of me if I were truly listening to God? Would I be willing?

Again, sadly, it's all come down to me again. Perhaps, during this Lent, I'll find a place where there is less of me and more of God.

In Celebration of Fat Tuesday!

2011-03-09T09:29:00.002-05:00

I should have posted this yesterday but I was too busy celebrating to put effort into details here. So, maybe next year this will come in handy to those who celebrate Mardi Gras.

H11 loved making this super easy recipe for dessert.

Mardi Gras King Cake
Recipe courtesy Sandra Lee
Prep Time: 15 min Inactive Prep Time: -- Cook Time: 20 min
Level: Easy Serves: 8 servings

Ingredients
1 (13.9-ounce) can bread sticks (recommended: Pillsbury)
1 (1-inch) heat proof plastic baby
1 (12-ounce) can whipped cream cheese frosting (recommended: Pillsbury)
1/4 cup heavy cream
Green sanding sugar
Purple sanding sugar
Gold (yellow) sanding sugar

Directions
Preheat oven to 400 degrees F. Line a baking sheet with parchment paper; set aside.
Open bread sticks. Press together the ends of 2 of the sticks to make 1 long stick. Repeat with the remaining bread sticks giving you 6 long sticks. Taking 3 at a time, loosely braid together. Repeat with remaining dough. Pinch the braids together end to end.
Leaving a 3-inch hole in the middle, loosely coil braids around one another on prepared baking sheet. Press ends together.
Bake in preheated oven for 16 to 20 minutes or until completely golden brown. Remove from oven and cool completely. Carefully insert the baby into the cake in between the seams of the braid.
In a medium pot combine the cream cheese frosting and heavy cream. Heat over low heat until warm and smooth, stirring constantly. Pour glaze over cake and sprinkle with sanding sugars.

The main dishes were fun and easy as well. K14 and a friend prepared the dressing for the muffulettas.

Muffulettas
Recipe courtesy Giada De Laurentiis
Prep Time: 30 min Inactive Prep Time: -- Cook Time: --
Level: Easy Serves: 6 to 8 servings

Ingredients
1/4 cup red wine vinegar
2 garlic cloves, peeled and minced
1 teaspoon dried oregano
1/3 cup olive oil
10 large pitted green olives, chopped
1/3 cup pitted, chopped kalamata olives
1/4 cup chopped roasted red bell peppers
Salt and freshly ground black pepper
1 (1-pound) round bread loaf (about 7 inches in diameter and 3 inches high)
4 ounces thinly sliced ham
4 ounces thinly sliced mortadella
4 ounces thinly sliced salami
4 ounces sliced provolone
1/2 red onion, thinly sliced
1 1/2 ounces arugula leaves

Directions
Whisk the first 3 ingredients in a large bowl to blend. Gradually blend in the oil. Stir in the olives and roasted peppers. Season the vinaigrette, to taste, with salt and pepper.
Cut the top 1-inch of the bread loaf. Set the top aside. Hollow out the bottom and top halves of the bread. Spread some of the olive and roasted pepper mix over the bread bottom and cut side of the bread top. Layer the meats and cheeses in the bread bottom. Top with the onions, then the arugula. Spread the remaining olive and roasted pepper mix on top of the sandwich and carefully cover with the bread top. You can serve the sandwich immediately or you can wrap the entire sandwich tightly in plastic wrap and place in the refrigerator a day before serving.
Cut the sandwich into wedges and serve.

Boudreaux's Zydeco Stomp Gumbo
Submitted By: Lupe Boudreaux & Jason Parks
Prep Time: 1 Hour
Cook Time: 1 Hour Ready In: 2 Hours
Servings: 10

Ingredients:
1 tablespoon olive oil
1 cup skinless, boneless chicken breast halves - chopped
1/2 pound pork sausage links, thinly sliced
1 cup olive oil
1 cup all-purpose flour
2 tablespoons minced garlic
3 quarts chicken broth
1 (12 fluid ounce) can or bottle beer
6 stalks celery, diced
4 roma (plum) tomatoes, diced
1 sweet onion, sliced
1 (10 ounce) can diced tomatoes with green chile peppers, with liquid
2 tablespoons chopped fresh red chile peppers
1 bunch fresh parsley, chopped
1/4 cup Cajun seasoning
1 pound shrimp, peeled and deveined

Directions:
1. Heat oil in a medium skillet over medium high heat, and cook chicken until no longer pink and juices run clear. Stir in sausage, and cook until evenly browned. Drain chicken and sausage, and set aside.
2. In a large, heavy saucepan over medium heat, blend olive oil and flour to create a roux. Stir constantly until browned and bubbly. Mix in garlic, and cook about 1 minute.
3. Gradually stir chicken broth and beer into the roux mixture. Bring to a boil, and mix in celery, tomatoes, sweet onion, diced tomatoes with green chile peppers, red chile peppers, parsley, and Cajun seasoning. Reduce heat, cover, and simmer about 40 minutes, stirring often.
4. Mix chicken, sausage, and shrimp into the broth mixture. Cook, stirring frequently, about 20 minutes.

Maybe next year when Mardi Gras rolls around I'll be able to find the recipes quickly and easily. Since I'm incapable of following recipes to the letter, I'm sure there will be some changes but that's what keeps life interesting, right?! Laissez les bons temps rouler!

Wordless Wednesday - Aunts are Moms Without the No

2011-03-09T08:52:00.000-05:00

Weekly Recap 2/21-3/4

2011-03-04T14:51:00.000-05:00

I'm doing a two for one recap because we were on a sort of vacation for part of last week and part of this. We traveled to my parents home in Florida on Tuesday, February 22 and returned on Wednesday, March 2.

Our traveling school time included several books on CD. We finished The Adventures of Pinnochio and were relieved to be done. H11 and I felt there were a lot of similarities between The Book of Lost Things by John Connolly and Pinnochio. We would like to know if the stories are similar because the author was intentional in adopting the style we saw evident in Pinnochio. On the whole, we decided that we prefer our main characters to be a little more obedient and thoughtful of others and a little less stupid.

The second book we listened too was a hit for M6 but not so much for the rest of us. H11 did enjoy some of the sarcastic humor but S9 said it wasn't the type of story that he prefers.

I agree with S9.

Our final listening selection was a hit for all of us, even though M6 said it was boring at first and H11 said that she didn't enjoy stories that used animals as people. That gave us a perfect opportunity to discuss the meaning of anthropomorphism. At the end of the book she decided that anthropomorphism can be a good thing and that the book was engaging and well written, even if it was about mice and rats. We all give two thumbs way up to Redwall by Brian Jacques.

In addition to listening to a lot of books, we got to see the space shuttle Discovery take off on it's last mission. We also went to Blue Springs in an effort to see the manatees. The manatees were enjoying the warm weather as much as we were so they'd ventured out into the St. John River. We missed seeing them but were happy to enjoy the sunshine. We also realized that the old farm house at the park was probably built about the same time as our new home. Weird to think about but in a cool way. Our final field trip was an afternoon at the beach. We also logged in several hours of p.e. with a nature walk, tag and swimming.

Since arriving home, we've resumed school as normal and have managed to catch up. The favorite activity of the week was writing friendly letters. Everyone happily wrote their own and even addressed their own envelopes. It's nice to see growth and a maturing of skills through such a simple activity.

And the Oscar Goes to...

2011-03-04T14:40:00.000-05:00

While visiting Florida we celebrated our time together with an Oscar Party. Here is our interpretation of several of the films nominated for Best Picture.

The King's Speech meets True Grit

The Fighter

Black Swan

Toy Story 3

The Social Network and The Kids are All Right

Coming Home

2011-03-04T08:24:00.000-05:00

Last week, H11, S9, M6 and I traveled from our house to my parents home in Florida to visit with sisters and cousins. It was a mini-reunion and birthday celebration. The only downside to the trip was the fourteen hour drive each direction. Thankfully, my children are excellent car travelers and made the trip as painless as possible. We listened to books, they watched movies, did a little school work and stayed cheerful, even when I wasn't.

During the visit with family, I heard my children asked several times what they thought of their new house. Over and over again, I heard them, individually and collectively, talk about how much they loved where we live now and why they love it. It did my heart good to step into warm weather and relax a little. It also did my heart good to know that when we returned to real life we would be returning to a place my children wanted to go.

Admittedly, saying goodbye on the last day of our visit was difficult. Goodbyes are never easy. The drive home was long and boring. We felt every one of those fourteen hours. The trip was broken by a stay in a lovely Marriott Courtyard in Rock Hill, South Carolina with an indoor pool. We all enjoyed the swimming time. The best part of the trip was knowing that we were coming home and that all of us were happy to be returning to a place that, even after only a month, we'd truly missed.

Funny (and somewhat inappropriate) Dick and Jane Story

2011-02-18T13:46:00.003-05:00

Disclaimer: Mostly I'm posting this so that I remember it. I'm hoping it helps me be more empathic when others are dealing with the facts of life when imperfect people, in this case, children, are involved. Also, it's an example of how, even when we try our very best to create a Godly, nurturing and appropriate learning environment, our children will be children.

Last week I was at the library looking for some early readers for M6. She's still frustrated by "real" books but bored to tears by Bob books and the like. I did find some books that we could read together and then I found The Storybook Treasury of Dick and Jane. M6 was thrilled. She loved the pictures and was able to read it independently. She loved it so much she read more than half of it the first day.

The trouble began when S8 caught sight of Dick and Jane. He is, of course, an eight year old boy. The book title immediately caught his eye and he proceeded to make fun of poor Dick. M6 got upset at S8's interpretation of Dick's name. She was also disgruntled by S8's opinion that Dick was a horrible name for a boy and the typical eight year-old boy laughter that followed.

At this point, in walked K14. She heard S8 criticizing Dick's name and M6 lamenting her brother's criticism. Ever the peace maker, she chimed in with, "You are one to talk, your last name is Johnson." After a moment of silence and thoughtfulness, S8 began to laugh again and crowed, "That means people could call me Shane Penis."

Weekly Recap 2/14-2/18

2011-02-18T13:25:00.001-05:00

It's great to have a working computer and internet connection! EVERYTHING is now business as usual in our home. That is this week's highlight for me.

We are back to school in a routine way and it feels wonderful. Of course, we can't stick to a routine for long. Next week we'll be traveling to Florida.

This week we finished chapter 2 in Signs and Seasons. We found it particularly interesting that Dad has had the opportunity to see all the stars in the heavens during his trips to Australia and Brazil. We all hope we have the same chance someday. We have plans to make our yard compass if the weather holds once we get back from Florida.

We are reading The Canterbury Tales and I found it especially exciting that our reading of The Pardoner's Tale coincided with our Story of the World 2 chapter on The Plague. It's nice when learning relates like that especially when it doesn't require a lot of planning. Our favorite tale so far is The Wife of Bath's Tale. I guess we are all romantics at heart.

Everyone is moving forward in math. M6 worked on place value through thousands and carrying when adding. She seems to have no problem with either concept. Next week we'll try borrowing during subtraction. S9 is working on adding and subtracting fractions with different denominators and H11 is adding and subtracting mixed numbers with different denominators.

In reading, M6 got through a variety of blended sounds (ng, sh, etc.) in reading. She is really enjoying reading the old Dick and Jane readers I found at the library. I'll post a funny (and somewhat inappropriate) story about that later.

We are listening to Pinocchio in the car. We've enjoyed several parts of the story but have been very surprised at how little it resembles the familiar Disney version. H11 and I agree that the writing style and the narrator remind us of The Book of Lost Things. Later this afternoon we'll be making a trip to the library to stock up on audio books for our trip next week.

Because we've been so many weeks without convenient internet access I've got some pictures that should have gone with recaps of weeks past. Rather than going back to recap, I'm going to include the pictures here. Enjoy!

Really silly sentences.

A battle between knights.

Finding equivalent fractions.

The Color of Grief

2011-02-16T16:23:00.001-05:00

I never thought about grief as a color before but I’m beginning to feel that it is. The degree of grief, or perhaps the nature, seems to affect the hue but I feel confident in saying that the color of grief is gray.

The grief that I experienced during our move, grief over leaving a home, friends, and lifestyle that I really enjoyed, was almost transparent. Pearl gray shimmered like the fog in a valley on a spring morning. And like the fog, that grief moved to cover only a particular thing at a particular time, passing away quickly. It’s presence was almost unnoticed.

The grief of our failed closing and the wait that followed was a smoke gray. Unlike the fog I described previously, this grief was greasy and it hung on everything. Think of the stain left behind after a smoker, or group of smokers leaves a room. The texture and look of everything in the room changes. Or the damage that is done at the top of a wall even after the least destructive house fire. The evidence of the fire remains behind in a stain, difficult to hide and impossible to remove without replacing all it covers. The uncertainty of each day and of our future, in a limited way, were being determined by someone else and I felt the loss of control and the slipping away of a dream in each moment of the day. It wasn’t a choking grief, but the physical presence, that greasy gray, was constantly with me.

The grief I’m feeling with the loss of our dog is an ocean gray. Rolling and powerful, I look hopefully at every door and window. I pray for his safe return and I listen for his bark. It’s been more than 24 hours. It’s below freezing outside. It’s been snowing off and on. I pray that he’s with a family in a warm house. I wonder why no one has called the number on his tag. My thoughts stray to the darker parts of the gray waves, pulled there by the current that would suck me under. I fight to stay in the weak sunlight that is available.

I’m reminded of a dream that my foreign exchange student had about me during her stay last year. She came to breakfast upset and told me she’d dreamed that one of my children had died and that I hadn’t cried. I wondered about that dream. I wondered if I were really the frozen mother in her dream or if, rather, I would feel the loss of a child in a way that robbed me of any feeling. As an accident victim is often protected from the true pain of an injury by the body’s amazing ability to compensate and cover pain would my mind work to keep me from feeling the true depth and nature of my loss. I wondered if I would be leveled by the death of a child or I’d not feel anything. Maybe something in between or maybe both. I still don’t know. I don’t even want to imagine how dark and powerful that gray of grief would be.

And so, in this gray, this rolling gray, I continue to pray and hope and gasp for air. In my head, I know that a dog is a dog. In my heart, I know that this dog is a member of our family and that his loss is just as real and as valid as the loss of any loved one.

Chickens for Dummies

2011-02-16T16:20:00.001-05:00

R and I started attending Small Farm College two weeks ago. We are attending as our first step toward figuring out what in the world we are going to do with our farm now that we’ve bought it. I’m sure sensible people would have figured that out before they bought a farm. We saw an opportunity to fulfill a dream and took it. As so often happens when dreams come true, reality has a way of being… well, real. As a result of this realness, we have 37 acres, a barn, several outbuildings and very little clue of what we are going to do next.

R has the hopes that we will be able, over time, to turn this 37 acres into something that provides enjoyment and income. Most of the time, I just hope that I don’t lose my mind in the process. Don’t get me wrong. I have farm dreams too. Mine center around sunshine and green fields, beautiful flowers and children playing. These dreams are filled with prosperous vegetable gardens and fragrant herbs. Bees busy busily in and out of gleaming white boxes. Chickens peck quietly at the ground in the yard. Everything is lovely and peaceful. In my perfect farm world, there is a book and a glass of wine after a satisfying day of work while we enjoy the sunset. Sounds great, doesn’t it?

Now, we just have to figure out how to make it happen. And so, I am reading books about chickens and bees and farming in general. As I read these books, I have discovered how much I didn’t know that I didn’t know. I am also learning that farmers assume that the rest of the world knows a lot more about what they do and about how it’s done that I do.

Today I was reading a book about chickens. It’s called Keeping Chickens: The Essential Guide to Enjoying and Getting the Best From Chickens by Jeremy Hobson and Celia Lewis. The photos in the book are lovely. They truly represent chickens in their best light and the book is worth getting just for the pictures. However, when you get into the text, it is not a book for beginning chicken owners. The authors assume a base of knowledge and ability that is far beyond what I possess. Admittedly, the closest I’ve been to a chicken in the last 30+ years involves preparing, cooking, cutting and eating. I don’t even deal with chicken bones or skin. I do buy organic, local chicken so at least I’ve been close to "real" chicken but it was most assuredly dead and plucked.

As a result, I know less than nothing about live chickens. While I enjoy seeing the chicken pictures, what I need are step by step instructions on how to set up a coop, purchase birds and what to do to keep things going smoothly. I need pictures of feeders, watering systems, roosts and nesting boxes. When someone is as clueless as I am, nothing can be assumed. For example, this book spends a lot of time talking about showing chickens. Sadly, I admit that my first thought at the mention of showing chickens was…Show them what? As you’ve already guessed, that’s not what the authors meant. Evidently there are people that have chicken shows. I can only guess that these are similar to dog shows. My imagination comes up with all kind of chicken show activities; loudest cackle, longest feathers, biggest breasts, fastest layer…the possibilities are endless. I wonder if the chickens have to show their intelligence and carriage or if they are judged totally on their looks. Either way, for someone like me, the chicken clueless, the idea of a chicken show is beyond anything I’m prepared to face.

I haven’t checked Amazon yet but I’m pretty sure there’s got to be a book out there for me. (See! I knew they'd have it!) Chicken for Dummies is just what I need, provided that it tells me how to get my chickens, what to do with them once I bring them home and, especially, how to keep them alive. If it tells me how to get them to lay eggs so I can enjoy the fruits of their labor, all the better.

The really silly thing is that I have a great chicken coop. It is the original carriage house on our farm. It’s two stories high and divided into three rooms and a closet. Inside the walls and ceiling are lined with chicken wire. I’m thinking that the plan there is it keep predators out and chickens in. The result is that there several decades of really questionable dirt and debre stuck between the walls and ceiling and the wire. Inside, there are also a variety of shelves, boxes, bins and troughs. I’m fairly certain that each of these has a chicken purpose but I’m not sure exactly what they might be.

Maybe I just need to forget the books and call in a chicken expert. I’m sure the farm’s previous owner, Bob, will be glad to lend me his assistance. He’s been here once since we moved in and it’s easy to tell that he misses the farm and would be a wealth of knowledge. My fear is that if I ask Bob for help with the chickens they will no longer be my chickens and I’ll be seeing a whole lot of Bob. I’m not sure I’m that brave nor am I sure I want to let someone else know how chicken stupid I am.

Once again, I find myself so thankful that we moved into our farm in January. The time to figure it out is really precious to me. And whatever path I take on my chicken quest, I know that there are resources available. I also know that I can do this and that the results will be worthwhile.

Weekly Recap: Jan 17-21, 2011

2011-02-16T16:16:00.000-05:00

It feels odd to be thinking about school in a focused way again. It seems like so long since I felt able to do that. My thoughts and attention have been so consumed with the day to day needs of a family and the chaos of the move. Nothing happened as we expected it to yet, here we are, just where we were intended to be.

Much of this week was spent in unpacking but we did do some very intentional schooling. We finished The Adventures of Robin Hood by Roger Lancelyn Green. It was no coincidence that much of the play this week has centered around forests, knights and merry men with a brave maiden or two. I loved Maid Marian and was happy to see her become a part of my daughters’ role playing.

We also began grammar again. I was pleasantly surprised to find that everyone is right where they should be according to the "master" schedule that I put together without a move in mind. Bonus for us! Math time was spent reviewing addition and subtraction for M6 and multiplication facts for S8 & H11. We’ve been working on time and money since Christmas so I felt like we needed to make sure our facts were still solid. They are.

M6 started her "aLatin" studies again. We are behind so we were able to remind ourselves of Christmas by learning the words for shepherd, star, baby, angel and lamb. M6 was even able to put her Latin to use by sharing with her dad that one of his favorite beers, Stella Artois, contains the Latin word for star. Not exactly the use I had in mind for Latin but at least she can see some practical applications for learning the language.

Next week will be business as before the move, I hope. Things are put away to the degree that we really have no excuse. I think we are all ready to get back to a normal routine. I know I am.

This, Just This - January 21

2011-02-16T16:13:00.004-05:00

There are so many decisions that we make in life. Some are well thought out, others are poorly planned. Very seldom do we get a moment of peace where we can point and say, "This, just this is why I chose as I did." Today, I got that moment.

Four beautiful children clothed in mismatched snow clothes, gloves and hats, an unruly dog escorting them across a perfect blanket of snow white under a smooth blue sky. My angels making snow angels where no one else had or would walk. That was my moment.

We may not have all of our things in place. We don’t have internet service, cable or an in-state driver’s license but at this moment I can say, "This, just this is why we made this choice and are in this place." I pray that there are many more moments that point to the rightness of our choice. I also pray for enough inner peace to recognize those moments when they come.

Reduce, Recycle, Reuse - January 15-18

2011-02-16T16:12:00.000-05:00

This move was a lesson in reduction. While we knew that the house we were moving into was smaller than the house we left, we weren’t sure how that would work with the furniture and possessions that we had. It’s difficult to picture how the pieces would fit into the new place.

Before our move began, we gave away two beds, several pieces of furniture and a variety of miscellaneous items. Two pick up truck loads left our house; one filled with items to donate, the other filled with trash. We thought we’d gotten rid of much of our unnecessary baggage.

Upon arriving at our new home, we found that there was even more to reduce, reuse or recycle. The previous owners had left quite a bit of stuff behind when they vacated. They took all they could fit in their single Ryder truck beginning with the most desirable items and left the rest. We inherited a living room set, a fully, if poorly, outfitted kitchen and an attic stocked with air mattresses along with various outdoor furniture pieces a barn full of bits and pieces of garbage.

As we found homes for things, our and those we’d inherited, we filled boxes with more items for which we had no need. We gave the living room set to friends that were very happy to receive it. We discovered that most of our furniture made the transition and looked right at home in our new place. We found new uses for some items, a bookcase became a home for sweaters, shirts and shoes. The kitchen dinette we inherited found it’s way to the screen porch. I’m sure we’ll enjoy it when the weather is warmer.

All our possessions found a home. We were especially grateful for a large attic and several outbuildings even as we gave up our attached garage. The propane lines were located, the regulator moved and the tank filled on January 18. It was good to have heat through the entire house.

The house is beginning to be a home. All the boxes are unpacked, the furniture is arranged, pictures have even been hung. It’s not all done but it’s more than half way. We are starting to find a routine. We still get confused in the kitchen. The refrigerator is on the wrong side. Before long, it will be just where it should. As will everything else, including us.

Moving Day - January 13 and 14

2011-02-16T16:10:00.002-05:00

Our moving van was scheduled to arrive on Thursday morning between 8 and 9am. Unfortunately, the snow and the size of the truck conspired to make the move more difficult than anticipated. We expected that the big truck would be unable to make it down to the house. We let the moving company know that a shuttle truck would most likely be necessary to transfer our things from the big truck to our house. We didn’t expect the big truck to get stuck before arriving at a safe unloading location. After a two hour delay while we waited for the tow truck to get the big truck back on the road, our unloading went smoothly and quickly. By 7pm four hundred thirty-six yellow stickered items were placed in the house and outbuildings. Bed and tables were assembled and the moving crew was on their way.

We only had heat in part of the house. We had boxes stacked from floor to ceiling and door to door. It was impossible to see how the house might look when all was put away or even how it would be humanly possible to put the things away. We’d traded a 4000 square foot house in a subdivision for a 3000 square foot house and 37 acre farm. Our joy at actually being in the house was tempered with the uncertainty of the future we could only imagine. As a family, we chose to focus on the joy and toasted our move with champagne and kiddie wine as we prepared our second meal in our home.

The following morning, the unpacking crew arrived and set to work unloading boxes. The thing about unpacking is that the unpackers only empty the boxes and set the contents on a flat surface. They don’t put anything away and if you can’t keep up with them, at least a little, you can end up with a really big mess. Thankfully, my friend Sharon came over and took charge of the family room bookcases while I manned the kitchen. I was hopeful that recovering from the unloading of boxes in the bedrooms, living room and dining room would be manageable. Other than the mistaken unloading of several Christmas boxes, it was. The unpackers left with about one hundred and fifty empty boxes and the accompanying mountain of paper. Since that was really the point, getting rid of the boxes and paper, the morning was a complete success.

By late afternoon, Sharon and I had things reasonably under control. Books were on shelves and kitchen cabinets were filled. It would all take some fine tuning but the boxes were no longer blocking the doors and piled to the ceiling. We could walk through the house and see how it might, someday, be our home.

Anticipation - January 11 and 12

2011-02-16T16:09:00.000-05:00

We had anticipated closing on our property and moving into our new house on December 30. It was not to be. Instead we spent ten nights in the local Comfort Inn and eleven days eating at restaurants. It was an unexpected detour and expense on the way to our new home. I really believed that we all made the best of a difficult situation.

We were so relieved on January 11 when we received the call that our mortgage had been approved and we could close at the end of the day. Filling out the paperwork and signing the forms seemed like almost a let down after the hours of waiting.

Since we’d never been in the house as a family, we decided to spend our last night in the hotel but to drive over to the house to visit it together. The snow started at about 3pm and by the time we reached the house, everything was coated in white. It looked like a perfectly set Christmas card picture.

We enjoyed time familiarizing ourselves with our new place and tried to picture our life there. The previous owners had left quite a bit of furniture and other supplies including pans, plates and utensils. We engaged in a rowdy Nerf gun battle. R carried me over the threshold while the children rolled their eyes and smiled with their whole faces.

By the time we left the house, the roads had gone from Christmas card lovely to borderline dangerous. R had his truck complete with four wheel drive and managed the climb out with no problem. My own front wheel drive van was a bit more challenged and I was thankful when R switched vehicles with me. His own snow driving experience enabled him to get the van out and had us on our way after a fearful breakdown on my part.

The next morning we said goodbye to our hotel friends, packed our van and made our round-about way to the house. Required stops on the way included grocery store, electric company and library. We arrived at the house to find a dear friend already at the house and our front walk and driveway cleared of snow and ice.

Settling in began almost immediately, at least as much as it could until our furniture arrived the next day. We were most thankful for the kitchen gear that the previous owner had left because it enabled us to eat dinner in our own home.

Whether the new house and the new life would live up to our expectations remained to be seen but the anticipation of ownership had certainly been fulfilled.

Settling In

2011-02-08T00:04:00.000-05:00

There's something comforting about returning to some place with which you are familiar. It easy to find your way around. You know which stores are available and you have contacts already established in an area. In a way that makes things easier.

There's also something confusing about returning to some place with which you are familiar. While you were away, life continued. You've changed and the people in that place have changed. It's all different and all the same.

We've settled into our house. Our furniture is the same, some of it's been moved to different places. I feel like we are in a smilar situation. We are the same but we've been moved.

Last night we had friends over for the Super Bowl. Mostly, they were friends from our life before we moved away. Some of them were acquaintances during our previous life here. This time they may become friends. It's too soon to tell. I am thankful for these renewals of friendship. I'm excited to see the new friendships we develop.

Entertaining in our new house was fun. It's a good house for company. There's enough room to serve food and seat guests. The kitchen has great flow but it's not a place to stand and visit. To me that is perfect. Too often, in our last house, everyone would stand around in the kitchen and I'd never get them out and into comfortable seats. We didn't use the more formal living areas this time. I'm sure will in the future. And I can't wait for the summer time. We've got some beautiful desks and an amazing yard. It's going to be fun to share them with friends. Maybe we'll add a summer solstice party to our traditions.

The house is unpacked and we've begun doing the normal things of life here. Living each day as if we belong here and are planning to stay. We are settling in.