Confession time... My family's dinners are often (always?) hastily thrown together. I am very much an it's-5:00-what-in-the-world-are-we-going-to-have-for-dinner type of cook. I'd love to say that I can throw together a great meal with things I find in the pantry, but that would be, well, a lie.
Last week, however, I decided I would try to actually plan out meals for this week. To make this easier, I used my recipe software and pulled out a pre-planned menu it included. I printed off my shopping list from this same software and went grocery shopping yesterday.
I put tonight's meal (sweet and spicy chicken) in the crockpot this morning. It was pretty much done by the time Griff got home from work.
Then the problems began.
Griff: Is there teriyaki sauce in that recipe?
Me: No, it's soy sauce.
(brief silence)
Griff: I do appreciate you cooking dinner tonight, but I really don't like soy sauce.
Me: What?! I've been married to you for almost 16 years and I didn't know you don't like soy sauce?!
Griff: (trying to be nice about this) I'll try it.
(he takes a bite)
Griff: I'm sorry, but I really can't eat that.
Me: Let me try it. (I take a bite) Nope, I'm not going to eat it, either.
We call Ruthie in to try it. She takes a bite and spits it out into the trash. By this time, we're all laughing. There is no way Robert will eat it after all this, so we don't even ask him to try it.
I don't want to throw it away, so I decide to call a friend and offer it to her family. She said she would take it. Her family actually likes soy sauce!
So, my efforts for dinner tonight were a complete failure.
On the plus side, though, I did get Pei Wei for dinner. Yum!
(Tomorrow night's dinner is meatloaf. I should be pretty safe with that.)
Monday, July 31, 2006
Saturday, July 29, 2006
Tickle Your Funny Bone
If you like to laugh at the funny things kids say and do, check out Carnival of Kid Comedy over at Life in a Shoe. You won't be sorry!
Thursday, July 27, 2006
Just So You Know
Ruthie went to a birthday party at a friend's home yesterday evening. I picked her up at about 8:30. Between moms coming in and girls leaving, the front door ended up staying open for several minutes.
All of a sudden, the smoke alarm on the ceiling in front of the door went off. Birthday girl's mom reached up and pulled the cover off to turn it off. She told us this happened all the time. The heat and humidity from outside would set off their smoke alarm.
Did you get that? The heat and humidity coming into the house set off their smoke alarm. At 8:30 at night. In an air-conditioned house.
And I choose to live here. I LIKE living here.
I am a very, very strange person.
All of a sudden, the smoke alarm on the ceiling in front of the door went off. Birthday girl's mom reached up and pulled the cover off to turn it off. She told us this happened all the time. The heat and humidity from outside would set off their smoke alarm.
Did you get that? The heat and humidity coming into the house set off their smoke alarm. At 8:30 at night. In an air-conditioned house.
And I choose to live here. I LIKE living here.
I am a very, very strange person.
Wednesday, July 26, 2006
Works-for-Me Wednesday
I am once again participating in Works-for-Me Wednesday. My tip involves my stand mixer.
I have a Kitchenaid stand mixer. It's great, but I always had a problem when using it with cake mixes (or any dry mix). It seems no matter how many times I scraped the sides of the mixer, I always ended up with a small amount of dry mix in the bottom of the bowl.
The last time I made a cake, I got the idea to add the wet ingredients to the bowl first, rather than the dry. Ta-da! No dry mix left in the bottom of the bowl.
This may violate some sort of baking rules (I am no chef, as evidenced by the fact that I use cake mixes!), but it works for me!
Be sure to check out the rest of the great tips over at Rocks in My Dryer.
Monday, July 24, 2006
Car Trip Survival
Have you discovered the joys of books on tape? If you are looking for a way to make a car trip easier with children, without the use of a DVD/video player, you will find these to be invaluable. The kids and I went to Memphis last week and they did beautifully well on the 10 hour trip. I give most of the credit to books on tape. (I would love to say that it's because I've done a wonderful job of training them to sit quietly for hours on end, but anyone who knows me and my children would out me as a complete liar.)
Here are some of our favorites. Some were listened to on this trip. Others are from trips in the past. We got all of these from our library.
Hank the Cowdog - These are read by the author and are absolutely hysterical. We took 3 of them on our trip, and while I was a bit Hank'd-out by the end, the kids never tired of them.
The Secret Garden - Oh. My. Word. I had never read this book. I just fell in love with the reading. What an absolutely beautiful book. It made me want to move somewhere with actual seasons and start a garden. For someone who can't keep an ivy alive, that's really saying something. I'm not sure Robert enjoyed it as much as Ruthie and I did, but he did not complain about it. (There are many different audio versions of this book. The one we had was read by Josephine Bailey.)
Redwall - It's one of our favorites. It's done by a full cast and is fantastic. It also got Ruthie interested in reading the books. She has now read 3 of them, all since May. Warning: You need a really long trip for this one. I think it is 16 hours long.
The Bartimaeus Trilogy - This one was for me. While it is a trilogy written for children, mine are much too young. However, I found them completely entertaining.
If you can recommend any other audio books, please do so in the comments. They do not have to be children's books. My list contains those because I am rarely in the car without my children, so that's what I end up hearing.
Here are some of our favorites. Some were listened to on this trip. Others are from trips in the past. We got all of these from our library.
Hank the Cowdog - These are read by the author and are absolutely hysterical. We took 3 of them on our trip, and while I was a bit Hank'd-out by the end, the kids never tired of them.
The Secret Garden - Oh. My. Word. I had never read this book. I just fell in love with the reading. What an absolutely beautiful book. It made me want to move somewhere with actual seasons and start a garden. For someone who can't keep an ivy alive, that's really saying something. I'm not sure Robert enjoyed it as much as Ruthie and I did, but he did not complain about it. (There are many different audio versions of this book. The one we had was read by Josephine Bailey.)
Redwall - It's one of our favorites. It's done by a full cast and is fantastic. It also got Ruthie interested in reading the books. She has now read 3 of them, all since May. Warning: You need a really long trip for this one. I think it is 16 hours long.
The Bartimaeus Trilogy - This one was for me. While it is a trilogy written for children, mine are much too young. However, I found them completely entertaining.
If you can recommend any other audio books, please do so in the comments. They do not have to be children's books. My list contains those because I am rarely in the car without my children, so that's what I end up hearing.
Wednesday, July 05, 2006
Monday, July 03, 2006
Ruthie's Summer Reading
My Ruthie is so much like me when it comes to reading. Like me, she was one of the last in her class to learn to read. Also like me, once she learned, she quickly passed up everybody in reading ability. (I hope that encourages some of you who have children who are not learning to read as quickly as their peers.)
Once I learned, it took no encouragement to get me to read as a child. I have fond memories of days filled with Little House books, Nancy Drew, Trixie Belden, The Bobbsey Twins, and more.
The main difference in our reading habits is that I am actively encouraging her to read "good" books. (I still can't believe I had never heard of Anne of Green Gables until college!) The occasional "twaddle" makes its way into her reading, but I feel that as long as the majority of them are well-written books, she is doing fine.
Here is what she has read this summer (so far!).
I will post Robert's reading list for the summer later.
NOTE: In case you're wondering, Ruthie is 8 years old.
Once I learned, it took no encouragement to get me to read as a child. I have fond memories of days filled with Little House books, Nancy Drew, Trixie Belden, The Bobbsey Twins, and more.
The main difference in our reading habits is that I am actively encouraging her to read "good" books. (I still can't believe I had never heard of Anne of Green Gables until college!) The occasional "twaddle" makes its way into her reading, but I feel that as long as the majority of them are well-written books, she is doing fine.
Here is what she has read this summer (so far!).
- Redwall by Brian Jacques
- Martin the Warrior by Brian Jacques
- The Reluctant Dragon by Kenneth Grahame
- The Whipping Boy by Sid Fleischman
- Howliday Inn by James Howe
- Babe: the Gallant Pig by Dick King-Smith
- The Hundred Dresses by Eleanor Estes
- Elmer and the Dragon by Ruth Stiles Gannett
- Emmet Otter's Jug-Band Christmas
- Me and My Flying Machine
- Miss Twiggley's Tree
I will post Robert's reading list for the summer later.
NOTE: In case you're wondering, Ruthie is 8 years old.
Saturday, July 01, 2006
I Can Do This!
My drink of choice is Diet Coke. I know. You don't have to tell me. It's not good for me. I know that. I haven't chosen to give it up yet, though. Someday. Just not today.
Because I do love it so much, I rarely keep it at the house. I try to limit it to when we are eating out. If it's here, I will drink it throughout the day. I can go through a 12-pack in 2 days. I kid you not.
The only time I let myself buy it is when it is on sale for less than $2 a 12-pack. These days, that doesn't happen very often. However, it is usually put on sale around the 4th of July. Our grocery store, in fact, had a great deal. 4 12-packs for $10, with a $10 rebate. That makes them free!
So, of course I had to buy them. I actually bought 3 12-packs of Diet Coke and 1 of Sprite (a rare treat for the kids).
I don't want all this Diet Coke to disappear in less than a week, so I am giving myself a challenge. I will only allow myself 1 can each day. One!
Can I do it? I'll keep you posted.
Because I do love it so much, I rarely keep it at the house. I try to limit it to when we are eating out. If it's here, I will drink it throughout the day. I can go through a 12-pack in 2 days. I kid you not.
The only time I let myself buy it is when it is on sale for less than $2 a 12-pack. These days, that doesn't happen very often. However, it is usually put on sale around the 4th of July. Our grocery store, in fact, had a great deal. 4 12-packs for $10, with a $10 rebate. That makes them free!
So, of course I had to buy them. I actually bought 3 12-packs of Diet Coke and 1 of Sprite (a rare treat for the kids).
I don't want all this Diet Coke to disappear in less than a week, so I am giving myself a challenge. I will only allow myself 1 can each day. One!
Can I do it? I'll keep you posted.
Monday, June 26, 2006
The Evolution of a Trip
A few weeks ago, my sister Alicia and I were headed over to Dad's for the day. We were talking about our summer plans when she mentioned that she desperately wanted to go to Colorado. Alicia absolutely loves Colorado. However, her husband couldn't take off work and none of her children wanted to go. (She has 4 children - 2 are in college, one will be a senior next year, and her youngest is 13) She said she wanted to just get in the car and go - no reservations, no firm plans - just go. So I said, "Why don't we go?"
She was so excited to see that I was interested. We immediately started talking logistics. It would be Alicia, her son (who is young enough to be told he's going on vacation), me, and my 2 kids. We would go to Mesa Verde and be gone a week. We would have to get our husband's "okay", of course, but we didn't see that as a real problem. Wow, what fun!
Then, our first obstacle. We received invitations to a wedding shower for my dad's bride-to-be. Right smack dab in the middle of our trip. This was the only week Alicia could go, as well. So, it was either miss the trip or miss the shower. We didn't feel like we could miss the shower, so the trip would have to be modified.
On to plan B. 3 days in San Antonio. We'd go to Sea World, the River Walk, the Alamo, and one or two of the other missions. It would be cheaper (making the husbands happier), and we'd still be getting out of town. The kids have never been to Sea World, so they were happy. The shower was yesterday and we were to leave this morning.
Then, my sister called last night. Was my heart really set on San Antonio? Well... She was feeling stressed and overwhelmed by the trip. She had had no time to get ready for it. We could still go, but... What did I think about going to Schlitterbahn in Galveston? I could tell by her voice that she was not doing this lightly.
I talked to the kids, stressing how hot Sea World was going to be, and how we could go in the fall when it was cooler. Were they okay with it? Yep, they were. Okay, Alicia, we can do that. However, what do you think about staying the night in Galveston after Schlitterbahn, then going to the beach the next day. Sounds great to her! We leave tomorrow morning.
So we went from a week-long trip to Colorado, to 3 days in San Antonio, to 2 days in Galveston. Alicia thanked me profusely for being so sweet about the whole thing. I told that I thought if she ever suggested a day trip to me, we'd probably end up downgrading it to shopping at Wal-Mart. :)
She was so excited to see that I was interested. We immediately started talking logistics. It would be Alicia, her son (who is young enough to be told he's going on vacation), me, and my 2 kids. We would go to Mesa Verde and be gone a week. We would have to get our husband's "okay", of course, but we didn't see that as a real problem. Wow, what fun!
Then, our first obstacle. We received invitations to a wedding shower for my dad's bride-to-be. Right smack dab in the middle of our trip. This was the only week Alicia could go, as well. So, it was either miss the trip or miss the shower. We didn't feel like we could miss the shower, so the trip would have to be modified.
On to plan B. 3 days in San Antonio. We'd go to Sea World, the River Walk, the Alamo, and one or two of the other missions. It would be cheaper (making the husbands happier), and we'd still be getting out of town. The kids have never been to Sea World, so they were happy. The shower was yesterday and we were to leave this morning.
Then, my sister called last night. Was my heart really set on San Antonio? Well... She was feeling stressed and overwhelmed by the trip. She had had no time to get ready for it. We could still go, but... What did I think about going to Schlitterbahn in Galveston? I could tell by her voice that she was not doing this lightly.
I talked to the kids, stressing how hot Sea World was going to be, and how we could go in the fall when it was cooler. Were they okay with it? Yep, they were. Okay, Alicia, we can do that. However, what do you think about staying the night in Galveston after Schlitterbahn, then going to the beach the next day. Sounds great to her! We leave tomorrow morning.
So we went from a week-long trip to Colorado, to 3 days in San Antonio, to 2 days in Galveston. Alicia thanked me profusely for being so sweet about the whole thing. I told that I thought if she ever suggested a day trip to me, we'd probably end up downgrading it to shopping at Wal-Mart. :)
Thursday, June 15, 2006
A Wedding in the Family
I've been mulling over this post in my mind for weeks. I want to handle this graciously, but honestly. I don't share my blog with many "real" people in my life, but if they do come by, I don't want to be ashamed of what I've written. So, what's the big deal?
My dad is getting married. July 29th.
I'm happy for him. I really am. I know he's been lonely. I always expected him to marry again. Mom wanted him to marry again. (She even tried to make recommendations! LOL) It's been a year and a half since Mom passed, and that's a respectable time of mourning. Marsha, his bride-to-be, is a lovely lady.
But...
It's hard. It's harder than I thought it would be. Everything is going to change. Everything.
I was going to give Daddy a scrapbook of his and my mom's trip to Scotland from about 5 years ago. Mom had started working on it when she first got sick and never finished it. I somehow ended up with the pictures and supplies. I was waiting for a time when it would not be so painful for him. Now, it just seems like it would be tacky. "Here's your wedding present, Daddy. A scrapbook of the biggest trip you and Mom ever took!" Umm, no, I don't think so.
Marsha lives in another town. She has a business of her own, so it makes sense for Daddy to move to where she is. The travel distance for me is just a bit farther, but that means I no longer have a reason to go "home". I was thinking today about lifelong friends of my parents that I may never see again. That makes me sad (and determined that I will go back for visits).
Holidays will present new and different challenges. Daddy will no longer belong to us alone. He will have to consider his new wife and her family needs. That is as it should be, but it's just one more thing to juggle.
I'm going to have a step-mother. Wild.
And I know there will be other changes that I haven't even thought of yet.
I want to emphasize again that I am happy for my dad. I really, really am.
I'm just a bit sad for me.
My dad is getting married. July 29th.
I'm happy for him. I really am. I know he's been lonely. I always expected him to marry again. Mom wanted him to marry again. (She even tried to make recommendations! LOL) It's been a year and a half since Mom passed, and that's a respectable time of mourning. Marsha, his bride-to-be, is a lovely lady.
But...
It's hard. It's harder than I thought it would be. Everything is going to change. Everything.
I was going to give Daddy a scrapbook of his and my mom's trip to Scotland from about 5 years ago. Mom had started working on it when she first got sick and never finished it. I somehow ended up with the pictures and supplies. I was waiting for a time when it would not be so painful for him. Now, it just seems like it would be tacky. "Here's your wedding present, Daddy. A scrapbook of the biggest trip you and Mom ever took!" Umm, no, I don't think so.
Marsha lives in another town. She has a business of her own, so it makes sense for Daddy to move to where she is. The travel distance for me is just a bit farther, but that means I no longer have a reason to go "home". I was thinking today about lifelong friends of my parents that I may never see again. That makes me sad (and determined that I will go back for visits).
Holidays will present new and different challenges. Daddy will no longer belong to us alone. He will have to consider his new wife and her family needs. That is as it should be, but it's just one more thing to juggle.
I'm going to have a step-mother. Wild.
And I know there will be other changes that I haven't even thought of yet.
I want to emphasize again that I am happy for my dad. I really, really am.
I'm just a bit sad for me.
Friday, June 09, 2006
Kitchen Meme
I was tagged by Sprittibee via her Gathering Manna blog to participate in this kitchen meme.
1. How many meals does most of your family eat at home each week? How many are in your family?
There are 4 of us in my family. On weekdays, we typically eat breakfast and dinner at home. I am currently trying to break the eating-out-for-lunch habit for me and the kids. Griff eats lunch out every day. On weekends, we eat out 2-3 times (depending on the current cashflow). So, I'd say we eat about 15 meals at home each week.
2. How many cookbooks do you own?
16. Most of them are the church cookbook variety - my favorites!
3. How often do you refer to a cookbook each week?
Probably twice.
4. Do you collect recipes from other sources? If so, what are some of your favorite sources (relatives, friends, magazines, advertisements, packages, the internet, etc)
I love the magazine Quick Cooking, but after taking the magazine for a year and never using one of the recipes, I did not renew. I figured that one year gave me enough recipes to try (especially since I wasn't actually TRYING them - ahem).
5. How do you store those recipes?
I have some recipe software and a cookbook that you write your own recipes in. I also still have a lot of the magazines hanging around waiting to be input into the software.
6. When you cook, do you follow the recipe pretty closely, or do you use recipes primarily to give you ideas?
I follow recipes to the letter, unless they have an item I don't care for. Griff doesn't care for mushrooms, so I might leave those out. I don't like onion, so I usually reduce the amount in the recipe.
7. Is there a particular ethnic style or flavor that predominates in your cooking? If so, what is it?
Lots and lots and lots of Italian (spaghetti, baked ziti, ravioli, etc). Second place would probably be Mexican, but I really prefer to eat that out.
8. What's your favorite kitchen task related to meal planning and preparation? (eating the finished product does not count)
I would have to say that my favorite part is when I use the time to teach my kids how to cook.
9. What's your least favorite part?
Cooking the meat. I don't know why, but I just dread that part.
10. Do you plan menus before you shop?
Nope. I should. I know I should. But I don't.
11. What are your three favorite kitchen tools or appliances?
I love my Kitchenaid mixer, Pampered Chef stones, and my crockpot.
12. If you could buy one new thing for your kitchen, money was no object, and space not an issue, what would you most like to have?
Can I count new kitchen cabinets as one item? Mine are not laid out well and some of the doors are too narrow to fit things through them. Oh, and they are an ugly 70's wood stain.
13. Since money and space probably are objects, what are you most likely to buy next?
Hmmm... Specifically cooking-related - probably new dishes. Mine are chipped and broken. However, the next thing that will change in my kitchen is the floor because the tile is literally cracking beneath our feet.
14. Do you have a separate freezer for storage?
Oh, how I wish! I'd love to have a small separate freezer.
15. Grocery shop alone or with others?
I usually go with my kids, which I don't mind. Occasionally, though, I go by myself and that can be nice.
16. How many meatless main dish meals do you fix in a week?
Hardly any. A meal without meat is not a meal for my husband. It's just not gonna fly.
17. If you have a decorating theme in your kitchen, what is it? Favorite kitchen colors?
I don't have a theme currently, but I definitely want to go the French Country route. As far as colors go, I love a blue and yellow kitchen. Red is good, too. Of course, there's always green, my absolute favorite color... See why I haven't painted my kitchen yet?
18. What's the first thing you ever learned to cook, and how old were you?
I didn't cook much until I was an adult. I think the first thing I learned to make was cinnamon toast (in the oven). I have no idea how old I was. Probably early teenage years.
19. How did you learn to cook?
I picked up a few things from my mom just by watching her, but I'm mostly self-taught.
20. Tag a few other people to play.
If you would like to participate, consider yourself tagged.
1. How many meals does most of your family eat at home each week? How many are in your family?
There are 4 of us in my family. On weekdays, we typically eat breakfast and dinner at home. I am currently trying to break the eating-out-for-lunch habit for me and the kids. Griff eats lunch out every day. On weekends, we eat out 2-3 times (depending on the current cashflow). So, I'd say we eat about 15 meals at home each week.
2. How many cookbooks do you own?
16. Most of them are the church cookbook variety - my favorites!
3. How often do you refer to a cookbook each week?
Probably twice.
4. Do you collect recipes from other sources? If so, what are some of your favorite sources (relatives, friends, magazines, advertisements, packages, the internet, etc)
I love the magazine Quick Cooking, but after taking the magazine for a year and never using one of the recipes, I did not renew. I figured that one year gave me enough recipes to try (especially since I wasn't actually TRYING them - ahem).
5. How do you store those recipes?
I have some recipe software and a cookbook that you write your own recipes in. I also still have a lot of the magazines hanging around waiting to be input into the software.
6. When you cook, do you follow the recipe pretty closely, or do you use recipes primarily to give you ideas?
I follow recipes to the letter, unless they have an item I don't care for. Griff doesn't care for mushrooms, so I might leave those out. I don't like onion, so I usually reduce the amount in the recipe.
7. Is there a particular ethnic style or flavor that predominates in your cooking? If so, what is it?
Lots and lots and lots of Italian (spaghetti, baked ziti, ravioli, etc). Second place would probably be Mexican, but I really prefer to eat that out.
8. What's your favorite kitchen task related to meal planning and preparation? (eating the finished product does not count)
I would have to say that my favorite part is when I use the time to teach my kids how to cook.
9. What's your least favorite part?
Cooking the meat. I don't know why, but I just dread that part.
10. Do you plan menus before you shop?
Nope. I should. I know I should. But I don't.
11. What are your three favorite kitchen tools or appliances?
I love my Kitchenaid mixer, Pampered Chef stones, and my crockpot.
12. If you could buy one new thing for your kitchen, money was no object, and space not an issue, what would you most like to have?
Can I count new kitchen cabinets as one item? Mine are not laid out well and some of the doors are too narrow to fit things through them. Oh, and they are an ugly 70's wood stain.
13. Since money and space probably are objects, what are you most likely to buy next?
Hmmm... Specifically cooking-related - probably new dishes. Mine are chipped and broken. However, the next thing that will change in my kitchen is the floor because the tile is literally cracking beneath our feet.
14. Do you have a separate freezer for storage?
Oh, how I wish! I'd love to have a small separate freezer.
15. Grocery shop alone or with others?
I usually go with my kids, which I don't mind. Occasionally, though, I go by myself and that can be nice.
16. How many meatless main dish meals do you fix in a week?
Hardly any. A meal without meat is not a meal for my husband. It's just not gonna fly.
17. If you have a decorating theme in your kitchen, what is it? Favorite kitchen colors?
I don't have a theme currently, but I definitely want to go the French Country route. As far as colors go, I love a blue and yellow kitchen. Red is good, too. Of course, there's always green, my absolute favorite color... See why I haven't painted my kitchen yet?
18. What's the first thing you ever learned to cook, and how old were you?
I didn't cook much until I was an adult. I think the first thing I learned to make was cinnamon toast (in the oven). I have no idea how old I was. Probably early teenage years.
19. How did you learn to cook?
I picked up a few things from my mom just by watching her, but I'm mostly self-taught.
20. Tag a few other people to play.
If you would like to participate, consider yourself tagged.
Wednesday, June 07, 2006
It's the Little Things That Make My Day
I've made a discovery that has made my on-line surfing time easier. I have been coming across lots and lots of good blogs lately. And, unlike me, these ladies actually update their blogs on an almost-daily basis. (Shock! Can you believe it?!) So, of course, I and my addictive personality were spending way too much time on the computer.
Then, I found it. Actually, Melissa found it and posted about it on her blog. For me, it is the neatest thing since, well, the internet. And best of all, it's free!! What is it? Bloglines.
Now, maybe you're so completely computer savvy you have heard about this long before now and you're thinking, "She's just finding out about THAT?!" But, just case you aren't and you haven't, I wanted to tell you about it.
I have set up an account and subscribed to many of the blogs I read on a regular basis. (The blogs have to have a feed.) Once I go to my account, I get a list and it lets me know if any of them have been updated. I can select them from that list and the posts from the blog show up right alongside my list, not in a separate window. This is great because my computer is old and S-L-O-W, so opening new pages with lots of graphics sometimes take awhile.
Now, I don't get to see all the nifty-neato things at sites, but I still plan on stopping by the real thing occasionally to check out what's new in sidebars and such. (I promise to stop by and see the unveiling of your new look, Sprittibee.) It's a small price to pay for simplifying my computer time.
There are many more things you can do with Bloglines, but I haven't figured them out yet. I'm happy with just my blog list for now.
Then, I found it. Actually, Melissa found it and posted about it on her blog. For me, it is the neatest thing since, well, the internet. And best of all, it's free!! What is it? Bloglines.
Now, maybe you're so completely computer savvy you have heard about this long before now and you're thinking, "She's just finding out about THAT?!" But, just case you aren't and you haven't, I wanted to tell you about it.
I have set up an account and subscribed to many of the blogs I read on a regular basis. (The blogs have to have a feed.) Once I go to my account, I get a list and it lets me know if any of them have been updated. I can select them from that list and the posts from the blog show up right alongside my list, not in a separate window. This is great because my computer is old and S-L-O-W, so opening new pages with lots of graphics sometimes take awhile.
Now, I don't get to see all the nifty-neato things at sites, but I still plan on stopping by the real thing occasionally to check out what's new in sidebars and such. (I promise to stop by and see the unveiling of your new look, Sprittibee.) It's a small price to pay for simplifying my computer time.
There are many more things you can do with Bloglines, but I haven't figured them out yet. I'm happy with just my blog list for now.
Wednesday, May 31, 2006
Works for Me Wednesday
This little gem of an idea was started by Shannon over at Rocks in My Dryer. Every Wednesday, you can check her blog for a handy tip, as well as a list of links of others who are participating in this. I love this idea and have already used several of the tips I've come across.
My tip concerns saving steps in the kitchen. I have different "stations" around my kitchen. My coffee station has filters, coffee, and a sugar bowl in the cabinet directly above my coffee maker. I have sugar, flour, baking powder, and measure cups and spoons above my stand mixer. When I recently moved my toaster across the kitchen, I moved the honey (which is pretty much only used for my son's honey-butter toast) so that it is directly above it. Yes, that cabinet contains dishes, but it now has a small space reserved for the honey.
My stations accomplish two things. I'm not having to walk around all around the kitchen getting various items, and I free up space in my too-small pantry.
It works for me!
My tip concerns saving steps in the kitchen. I have different "stations" around my kitchen. My coffee station has filters, coffee, and a sugar bowl in the cabinet directly above my coffee maker. I have sugar, flour, baking powder, and measure cups and spoons above my stand mixer. When I recently moved my toaster across the kitchen, I moved the honey (which is pretty much only used for my son's honey-butter toast) so that it is directly above it. Yes, that cabinet contains dishes, but it now has a small space reserved for the honey.
My stations accomplish two things. I'm not having to walk around all around the kitchen getting various items, and I free up space in my too-small pantry.
It works for me!
Sunday, May 28, 2006
What's Been Goin' On
It's been a couple of weeks, I know. I could come up with all sorts of excuses, but I think I'll just skip it.
Here's a summary of our last few weeks. (click on images to see them larger)
We went to Six Flags in Arlington the day before the Arlington Book Fair (a homeschool convention). The park was only open to homeschoolers and it was a great day! I think the high for the day was about 80 degrees and it was just heavenly. The kids had a blast. I rode a ride called Superman Tower of Power and I don't think I've recovered yet. I will never (I repeat, NEVER) ignore my feelings of trepidation again. (Do you hear me, Heather? NEVER!).
The school year wound down with a couple of co-op end-of-year bashes, including a field day. I can't believe the year is over.
My niece graduated from high school Saturday night. Would someone care to explain to me exactly how that happened? Where has the time gone? When did she turn in to such a beautiful young woman? I realized today that she was 9 years old when Robert was born. Goodness.
Griff rescued a stray kitty a couple of weeks ago. He found her on the side of the road, barely alive. We've taken her to the vet for her vaccines and Griff's been nursing her back to health. For being a wild kitty, she sure has a calm personality. She growls and hisses and doesn't really care to be carried, but overall she's been very good. Even our own cats just look at her curiously. They don't seem threatened by her yet. I've told Griff that we are NOT keeping her. We'll turn her into a good pet and find a home for her. (Just about the time we all get attached, I'm sure.)
Here's a summary of our last few weeks. (click on images to see them larger)
We went to Six Flags in Arlington the day before the Arlington Book Fair (a homeschool convention). The park was only open to homeschoolers and it was a great day! I think the high for the day was about 80 degrees and it was just heavenly. The kids had a blast. I rode a ride called Superman Tower of Power and I don't think I've recovered yet. I will never (I repeat, NEVER) ignore my feelings of trepidation again. (Do you hear me, Heather? NEVER!).
The school year wound down with a couple of co-op end-of-year bashes, including a field day. I can't believe the year is over.
My niece graduated from high school Saturday night. Would someone care to explain to me exactly how that happened? Where has the time gone? When did she turn in to such a beautiful young woman? I realized today that she was 9 years old when Robert was born. Goodness.
Griff rescued a stray kitty a couple of weeks ago. He found her on the side of the road, barely alive. We've taken her to the vet for her vaccines and Griff's been nursing her back to health. For being a wild kitty, she sure has a calm personality. She growls and hisses and doesn't really care to be carried, but overall she's been very good. Even our own cats just look at her curiously. They don't seem threatened by her yet. I've told Griff that we are NOT keeping her. We'll turn her into a good pet and find a home for her. (Just about the time we all get attached, I'm sure.)
Sunday, May 14, 2006
Our Curriculum
I don't tend to think of my blog as a "homeschooling" blog, but it is a blog about my and my family's life and, let's face it, homeschooling is a big part of it now. I see questions all the time about what curriculum is being used for what grade, so I thought I would include that information here. I'm also including how I think it's working for us. If you're a homeschooler, I hope you find it helpful. If you're not, and your eyes are glazing over at the thought of reading this, you have my permission to skip this and return another day.
We've only been homeschooling since January. I started out following the Well-Trained Mind approach to classical education. It was very helpful as a newbie to have something to follow. While I love the classical approach, I feel that with more experience I will follow the guidelines of that book less strictly. However, I strongly recommend it to anyone who is just starting out.
Items used for both children
3rd grade
We've only been homeschooling since January. I started out following the Well-Trained Mind approach to classical education. It was very helpful as a newbie to have something to follow. While I love the classical approach, I feel that with more experience I will follow the guidelines of that book less strictly. However, I strongly recommend it to anyone who is just starting out.
Items used for both children
- Bible - Calvary Chapel Old Testament - We read the Bible story and do the worksheets. I like that it is giving my children experience in looking up scripture. I also like that it is free! We supplement with Journey Through the Bible.
- History - Story of the World Vol. 1: Ancient Times and Activity Guide
- Science - We don't have an official curriculum for this. We've done animal studies from library books and worksheets found at Enchanted Learning and Learning Page.
- Writing - included in Rod & Staff English; copywork and dictation; Evan-Moor Write a Super Sentence; writing games from Peggy Kaye's book titled (what else?) Games for Writing
- Geography - map work from Story of the World activity guide
- Spelling - Spelling Power - This is a good program, but my perfectionist children just fall apart when they misspell a word. Ugh.
- Vocabulary - Wordly Wise 3000 - My feelings can be best summed up in "adequate". We didn't love it, but do you have to love everything? Robert did book B. Ruth did book A.
3rd grade
- Math - A Beka 3 - There are too many colors and distractions on the page for my son. We are switching to Saxon next year.
- Grammar - Rod & Staff English 3 - I really love this program, but my children prefer workbooks, so I may change it. I really do love it, though, and they've done fine.
- Music - viola lessons and practice
- Handwriting - Handwriting Without Tears Printing Power - This program has really helped my son's handwriting.
- Math - Abeka 2 - Ruth really likes this. We will be sticking with it for at least another year.
- Grammar - We started with First Language Lessons, but it is heavily oral and Ruth hated it, so we switched to Rod & Staff English 2 (see above comment about this program).
- Music - cello lessons and practice
- Handwriting - Bob Jones University Handwriting 2 I chose this because I think it's a very pretty handwriting style, but not too difficult. It's slightly different than what you would consider traditional school script.
Thursday, May 04, 2006
It Made Me Cry
I'm a member of several e-mail lists. Over the past few days, "fighting" has erupted in one list over a particular subject. Once I saw the way it was headed, I stayed away and deleted most of those messages.
Today, I sent an email to the list. The main point of my email was that even though there had been a "fight", this group was extremely helpful and supportive and I thanked everyone for that. I've read quite a few wonderful posts over the past few days and wanted everyone to know how appreciative I was.
In response, I received a private, snarky email from somebody who was deeply involved in the disagreement. I felt like I had been kicked in the stomach. I actually sat at my computer and cried about this!
Why did I cry? The contents of her email weren't that bad. I spent quite a bit of time, thinking about this. I think I've figured it out.
When you're face-to-face with someone, you usually get some idea of how they're feeling. Body language, facial expressions, etc. So, if they make a hurtful comment, you're not completely taken off guard. I was. I had no idea she (or anyone!) would respond that way. It came from left field and plowed me down. It left me feeling misunderstood and unappreciated.
Email is a wonderful, but tricky, thing. So, be careful what you send out to others. But also be careful how you read things from others.
Today, I sent an email to the list. The main point of my email was that even though there had been a "fight", this group was extremely helpful and supportive and I thanked everyone for that. I've read quite a few wonderful posts over the past few days and wanted everyone to know how appreciative I was.
In response, I received a private, snarky email from somebody who was deeply involved in the disagreement. I felt like I had been kicked in the stomach. I actually sat at my computer and cried about this!
Why did I cry? The contents of her email weren't that bad. I spent quite a bit of time, thinking about this. I think I've figured it out.
When you're face-to-face with someone, you usually get some idea of how they're feeling. Body language, facial expressions, etc. So, if they make a hurtful comment, you're not completely taken off guard. I was. I had no idea she (or anyone!) would respond that way. It came from left field and plowed me down. It left me feeling misunderstood and unappreciated.
Email is a wonderful, but tricky, thing. So, be careful what you send out to others. But also be careful how you read things from others.
Wednesday, May 03, 2006
New Links
I'm going to be adding some new links to my sidebar, but until I get around to it, I'm posting them here. I know I owe credit for some of these to others and I apologize if I forget to mention it. If you let me know, I'll give you the credit you deserve.
Blogs I've Been Reading
Here in the Bonny Glen - Blog of children's author Melissa Wiley. You want children's book recommendations? You got 'em. More than you could possibly ever need. Plus, it's fun to read about her family.
Rocks in My Dryer - She has started a "Works For Me Wednesday" series that's spreading. I plan on participating at some point, but haven't gotten it together enough to do it. (HT: Half Pint House)
Schooling Links (helpful whether you're homeschooling or not)
Here, here, and here.
Other Things (not destined for sidebar)
Here's a great article about girls (and women) and their body perception. It's by J.K. Rowling, but no matter how you feel about the Harry Potter books, this is worth reading.
I was going to save this post and add more later, but have decided against it. So, here ya go!
Blogs I've Been Reading
Here in the Bonny Glen - Blog of children's author Melissa Wiley. You want children's book recommendations? You got 'em. More than you could possibly ever need. Plus, it's fun to read about her family.
Rocks in My Dryer - She has started a "Works For Me Wednesday" series that's spreading. I plan on participating at some point, but haven't gotten it together enough to do it. (HT: Half Pint House)
Schooling Links (helpful whether you're homeschooling or not)
Here, here, and here.
Other Things (not destined for sidebar)
Here's a great article about girls (and women) and their body perception. It's by J.K. Rowling, but no matter how you feel about the Harry Potter books, this is worth reading.
I was going to save this post and add more later, but have decided against it. So, here ya go!
Saturday, April 22, 2006
Curb Appeal
Griff is a This Old House junkie. He watches This Old House, This Old House Classics, Inside This Old House, and Ask This Old House. It's given him all kinds of grand ideas for things to do with our 25-year old fixer-upper. (Don't get me started on his kitchen renovation plans.)
A couple of years ago, we saw an episode where they did patterned concrete. Griff fell in love with it. Our driveway was broken and cracked and he dreamed of replacing our with patterned concrete. It was all a "someday" dream until we got "The Letter".
"The Letter" came from our home owner's association. They told us we needed to repair our driveway. After a letter telling them exactly how much money we've put into this house in the last 3 years, they backed off. For awhile. Last fall, we got another letter. After fuming over it for a few days, Griff decided maybe we should go ahead and fix it. (I think all the tuition we're no longer paying is making us feel rich. ) Of course, the way we do things, that doesn't mean a patch. That means a completely new driveway. And, while we're at it, a new back patio because of our drainage problem. And then the front walk will look old and shabby, so we need to replace that, too.
So, we did it. The last week and a half has been taken up with this project. From the teeth-rattling jackhammers to the stress of picking just the right colors, it's been quite a ride. But totally worth it. It looks fabulous, if I may say so myself.
I'm including some before and after pictures so you can ooohhh and aahhh yourself. Click on the images if you want to see them larger.
Before:
After (the walkway is dirty, so it's not the best picture):
A couple of years ago, we saw an episode where they did patterned concrete. Griff fell in love with it. Our driveway was broken and cracked and he dreamed of replacing our with patterned concrete. It was all a "someday" dream until we got "The Letter".
"The Letter" came from our home owner's association. They told us we needed to repair our driveway. After a letter telling them exactly how much money we've put into this house in the last 3 years, they backed off. For awhile. Last fall, we got another letter. After fuming over it for a few days, Griff decided maybe we should go ahead and fix it. (I think all the tuition we're no longer paying is making us feel rich. ) Of course, the way we do things, that doesn't mean a patch. That means a completely new driveway. And, while we're at it, a new back patio because of our drainage problem. And then the front walk will look old and shabby, so we need to replace that, too.
So, we did it. The last week and a half has been taken up with this project. From the teeth-rattling jackhammers to the stress of picking just the right colors, it's been quite a ride. But totally worth it. It looks fabulous, if I may say so myself.
I'm including some before and after pictures so you can ooohhh and aahhh yourself. Click on the images if you want to see them larger.
Before:
After (the walkway is dirty, so it's not the best picture):
Wednesday, April 19, 2006
This One's For You, Linda
Missing
by A. A. Milne
Has anybody seen my mouse?
I opened his box for half a minute,
Just to make sure he was really in it,
And while I was looking, he jumped outside!
I tried to catch him, I tried, I tried ...
I think he's somewhere about the house.
Has anyone seen my mouse?
Uncle John, have you seen my mouse?
Just a small sort of mouse, a dear little brown one,
He came from the country, he wasn't a town one,
So he'll feel all lonely in a London Street;
Why, what could he possibly find to eat?
He must be somewhere. I'll ask Aunt Rose:
Have you seen a mouse with a woffelly nose?
Oh, somewhere about -
He's just got out ...
Hasn't anybody seen my mouse?
Monday, April 10, 2006
Future Plans
The other day, while riding in the car, Robert was reading his Bible. All of a sudden, he said, "Mom, you know what I want to be when I grow up?" No, sweetie, what? "I want to be a preacher." Why do you want to be a preacher? "Because I want to tell people about God."
It put a lump in my throat and tears in my eyes. My sweet, sweet boy.
It put a lump in my throat and tears in my eyes. My sweet, sweet boy.
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