Painted Sticker Canvas - Scripture Art

While reviewing our "perseverance" virtue card the yesterday, this scripture jumped out at me:"I can do all things through Christ who gives me strength." ~ Philippians 4:13

I thought it would be a great thought to hang in our school room, since often sometimes we run across new concepts that seem impossible.

I remembered seeing this project on Pinterest and made up my own version, using scrapbook letters and supplies that I had on hand. After linking back up to the original blog post, I realize now that the writer cut her letters out of contact paper, which is a better idea than using the wooden letters that I used for "things" (the paint slipped through underneath the edges). I ran out of stickers and tried to make do.

I actually could have left the canvas like this...it's so much cleaner than the way mine turned out! And the colors actually weren't too obnoxious together.

I painted over the letters with yellow, blue and gold. I would use all dark colors next time.

Then I peeled off the letters and realized the issue with the word "things"

I repainted the t-h-i-n-g-s letters pink (Kaylin's pick) and replaced them to see if it looked better than the white. 

Just to be real for a second, I was having a rough day yesterday (totally blaming it on PMS) and so were the kids. While I was pulling letters together and placing them on the canvas, the kids were having trouble focusing on their school work. At one point, I was so frustrated that I banged my hand on the table to get Ryan's attention (we currently use a folding table in the school room) and the whole thing shook, bouncing the not-yet-stuck-down letters all over the place. As I put them back carefully, my eyes focused on the words: "I can do all things through Christ..." and I was so incredibly convicted of my impatience. Oh, the irony...

Enough about that. I think I like the white "things" better. What do you think? I need some feedback, please...I'm being indecisive.

Skinny Chicken and Broccoli Fettuccine Alfredo

We tried this recipe before diving into our Gluten Free meal plan experiment and it was beyond delicious! It was hard to believe there was no butter or heavy cream. I might re-add it to a future meal plan and use GF pasta as a substitute. It's a must-try.

3 boneless, skinless chicken breasts, grilled and cut into chunks (about 2 cups, if using leftovers)
2 cups broccoli florets (fresh or frozen)
8 ounces fettuccine (I used thin spaghetti)
2 tablespoons extra virgin olive oil
2 teaspoons minced garlic
2 tablespoons flour
1 cup fat-free, low sodium chicken broth
1/4 cup plain greek yogurt
1/4 cup skim milk
1/4 teaspoon pepper
1 pinch ground nutmeg
3/4 cup freshly grated Parmesan cheese

In a pot of boiling, salted water, cook the pasta according to package directions. I add in the broccoli to eliminate an extra dish to clean and cook it all at once, but that's just me. If you combine them in the same pot, fish out the broccoli when it's tender and place it into a bowl, then drain the pasta and set them both aside.

While the pasta is cooking, heat the olive oil over medium-low heat in a medium saucepan. Add garlic and cook, stirring frequently, until the garlic is golden, 1 to 2 minutes.

Whisk in the flour until smooth, about 2 minutes. Gradually whisk in the chicken broth, Greek yogurt, milk, pepper and nutmeg. Bring to a low boil, stirring constantly. Lower the heat and simmer, stirring gently, until the mixture thickens, about 3 minutes. Stir in 3/4 cup Parmesan.

Add the cooked pasta to the sauce mixture, followed by the cooked chicken and broccoli. Toss to combine and serve with more Parmesan, if desired.

Prep Time: 5-10 minutes
Cook Time: 15 minutes
Servings: 4

{Practically Chipotle} Chicken Burrito Bowl

This recipe is so easy and so versital.  You can switch out all sorts of ingredients to suit your style. We tried this last week and when  Mike took his first bite, he said, "This tastes exactly like Chipotle!" Let me just tell you that this recipe will have a regular rotation in our meal plan - everyone loved it!

◦ 4 cups cooked brown rice (cooked with 1 tsp. salt, then stirred in 1/4 cup cilantro and the juice from a small lime)

◦ 2 cooked chicken breasts or other meat, cubed or shredded and heated (leftover grilled chicken worked great)

◦ 1 can sweet corn, drained

◦ 1 can black beans, rinsed and drained

◦ 1 cup shredded Monterrey jack cheese

◦ 1 cup salsa or Pico de Gallo

◦ 1/3 cup shredded lettuce

◦ 1/2 cup sour cream

Heat the corn, black beans and chicken before serving. Layer each of the ingredients above starting with rice and then adding meat, corn, cheese, salsa, lettuce and sour cream. Serve warm.

(You can, of course, pile all of this into a warmed tortilla to create a burrito, but we prefer the bowls in our family.)

I found Jason's currency!

For the past 8-10 months, I have struggled with the reality of the fact that Jason is extremely stubborn and strong-willed. I was up for the challenge with Ryan's similar (yet milder) personality when he was my only child, but with two older kids in the mix, having a tempermental third child is absolutely exhausting.

Jason is not easily enticed, threatened, bribed or coerced into anything. He does what he wants, when he wants, on his terms. I've wrestled with the balance of breaking his will without breaking his spirit for quite some time and I'll be honest...it's a daily struggle around here. My breaks from the drama (at naptime and bedtime) are the only things that keep me sane each day. 

Don't get me wrong...I love this kid to pieces. When he wants to be, he is as cute as humanly possible. Just yesterday while I was explaining to him that he was in time out for hitting his sister, mid-sentence, he grabbed my face by each cheek, pulled me in close and planted a kiss on me before walking away, having decided that he was done with our chat. When I'm speaking to him sternly, he will often give me an enormous grin and say, "Mommy, you need to SMILE! Be HAPPY, Mommy!" He's a manipulative little stinker.

I digress.

One of his new favorite things is to listen to a kid hymn CD with his headphones in the van while we're driving. My big motivator for that is: if he climbs into his carseat immediately (without hiding in the way back, jumping into the driver's seat and messing with the radio buttons, etc.) then he gets his headphones for our ride.  It's taken several times of the big kids getting headphones and him listening to my boring music, but he's finally starting to consistently get into his seat right away. Even though I have to remind him every time, it's worth one less headache getting out of the driveway on time.

Another huge carrot I can dangle in front of Jason is gum. Yes, I realize he's not even three years old, but the kid loves gum and chews it without swallowing. As soon as it comes out of his mouth (he used to try to play with it like Play Doh), it goes into the trash. Gum is now his prize for behaving at the gym. He's notorious for hitting, pinching, even biting the older kids (specifically Kaylin) when they're not playing the way he wants at the gym, so when he is gentle and kind for the whole hour, he gets gum in the car.

But the newest reward that I can bribe him with is the best of all: playing on my new iPad. I've had the thing for less than two weeks and this kid is completely, utterly addicted to his little educational games. (Because I know you'll ask, his favorites are Monkey Preschool Lunchbox, FirstWords: Animals, Shape Puzzles, Letter Quiz and Toddler's Seek and Find. Most were free or $.99.)

A couple weeks ago, I bought a star chart at the teacher supply store and have been using it to reward him for behaving while we do school. I set the timer for 10 minutes, give him a few activities and he gets a star when the timer goes off.  At first, his prize was gum.  Now, it's the iPad.

Then it occurred to me that I could reward him with a star for non-school incentives. The other day, Ryan was complaining that Jason wakes him up each and every morning by whispering, then screaming, "Ryan, are you awake???" It wouldn't be such a big deal if Jason didn't wake up at 5:30 daily. Both boys are early birds, but Jason wakes up even earlier than Ryan likes to get up.

So that night, while tucking Jason into bed, I explained that if he stayed in his bed in the morning and didn't talk to Ryan at ALL, he would get a star on his board. "Five stars and I get the iPad...?" was his response. "Yup! When you get five stars, you can play on the iPad."

Wouldn't you know it, that kid was quiet as a mouse the next morning. When I went in to get him, I brought the star board with me and he lit up like a Christmas tree: "Mommy, I stayed in my bed and I not talked to Ryan.  I get a star!!!"

Now the big kids want to earn stars for iPad time. I keep track of theirs differently, but the concept is the same. Back when I used to watch Dr. Phil, he always recommended that parents find their child's "currency." Other than Jason's beloved bedtime blanket, I've had nothing to use as leverage to attempt to get him to behave.  Until now. 

This iPad is turning out to be the best investment EVER!  

Our Summer Plans

I've been asked quite a bit if my kids and I are excited for "summer break." My answer hasn't been very popular: we're continuing with school through the summer. (I know, I know...BOO! HISS!)

What we're doing is called a modified, year-round schedule. We take days off whenever we want, a week off here and there when someone gets sick, plus we'll take extra time around holidays or if we all just want to play for a few days. It allows for more flexibility throughout the "school year," in my opinion.

Let's talk about this for a moment, shall we? What is the point of summer break?!? Is it to give kids a break from learning? From the classroom? From routine? Teachers spend a month at the beginning of each school year getting their students back up to speed after relaxing for the past 12 weeks. It kind of seems like a big waste of time.

In my opinion, the only people who benefit from the 3-month-long summer break are the teachers. Wouldn't you like an extended vacation from YOUR day job?!? Don't read that wrong: I completely believe that educators have been given this time off to plan and prepare for the upcoming year, in addition to rejuvenating them for the new school year ahead. It is truly the best perk of being a teacher and is a great way to keep these under-paid, under-appreciated men and women from burning out. But I'm confident that the roots of summer break stem from schoolhouses without air conditioning and children being required to help with the farming throughout the harvest months. Maybe I'm wrong, maybe I'm right.

But remember back to summer breaks when you were a kid. Personally, I was bored each year by the end of June! Until my friends could drive, that is...then they just spent their time getting into trouble and trying to get me to join them. I slept in every day, playing Nintendo and watching unhealthy amounts of The Price Is Right/Days of our Lives, all the while losing most of my knowledge from the previous year.

By the time school started, I craved the school-day routine. I didn't crave school necessarily (because I didn't think I was good at it and didn't have a desire to learn) but more the structure that was provided for my days.

Kids who can't wait for summer break probably don't enjoy learning. Heck, most kids don't enjoy learning! There are obviously exceptions to this rule, as some of you are avid readers and fill your heads with a variety of new concepts and growing ideas that are great topics for discussion at parties. That's my hope for my own kids.

I want to raise kids who love to learn, because Mike and I didn't. I still don't. I don't believe I thrive in a traditional classroom, likely due to my ADD. One common thread that I see among homeschooling families is that their parent's main goal is to foster a love for learning. They don't accomplish this through force, but it's a concept that's encouraged over time, intentionally.

For me, I believe this love for learning will develop if I provide the right type of environment and allow for natural, often unscheduled, breaks throughout the year. If we're having an off morning, we spend the day focusing on relationships instead of school books. My kids appreciate these spontaneous days off so much more than they appreciate the random in-service days that our local school district plans into their calendar.

So no, we're not taking a summer break. We'll spend the summer transitioning Kaylin into our afternoon routine, we'll go to the movies each week, we'll go to the beach with my mom for several days (and learn about Oceanography while we're there), we'll swim a lot, experiment in the kitchen a lot, and continue to learn a lot.

I'm very ready for Kaylin to be done with Kindergarten. That is the only significance of this week for us...celebrating having her home with us all the time!

2012-2013 Homeschool Curriculum

I get a lot of questions about what resources I use to educate my kids. There are some great all-in-one programs out there, but I have a hodge-podge of curriculum that I've selected based on each child's learning style.

Back in November, a great book was recommended to me: 100 Top Picks for Homeschool Curriculum. This book walks the reader through their four main learning styles, has you determine each of your children's learning style, then your own to determine what your teaching style will be.

I went through Ryan and Kaylin's learning styles and picked books based {mostly} off the Classical teaching method.  Here's what we'll be using for this school year...

Ryan - 3rd grade

Grammar: First Language Lessons for the Well-Trained Mind, Level 1

History: Story of the World, Volume 1

Math: Math U See, Beta

P.E.: Football weekly practice/games

Science: Backyard Scientist, Series 1

Spanish: Speekee TV

Spelling: Spelling Workout, Level D

Typing: Typing Instructor

Writing: Create-A-Story Writing Adventures, Book 1

Kaylin - 1st Grade

Grammar: First Language Lessons for the Well-Trained Mind, Level 1

History: Story of the World, Volume 1

Math: Math U See, Alpha

P.E.: Tumbling class

Science: Backyard Scientist, Series 1

Spanish: Speekee TV

Spelling: Spelling Workout, Level A

Writing: Create-A-Story Writing Adventures, Book 1

Jason - Early pre-school

ABCs: Letter of the Week

Spanish: Speekee TV

Developmental activities: Slow and Steady, Get Me Ready

Lots of fun, educational toys, puzzles, crafts and games

Gluten-Free Meal Plan 5/21/12

For a variety of reasons (that I will go into later), we are trying to have a gluten-free week. This is not something I'm excited about, but I'm desperately hoping for some positive results.  And a week might not be enough, but it's where we're starting for now. I'll let you know how it goes.

I found a great post on how to go gluten-free that has been extremely helpful. I got many of these recipes from the Once a Month Mom blog's gluten/dairy free monthly meal plan lists. All of these are new recipes, and, although I have a light week ahead, I may or may not feel ambitious enough to tackle a new recipe each night. The idea of all of these recipes is to make them ahead and freeze them, but I'm just thinking of this NOW, on Sunday night. Bummer! At least I have my standby flourless recipes for Chili and Chicken Stir Fry that I can go to, if needed. 

I have no idea what I'll pack for Mike's lunches (he has a sandwich every. single. day.) so anyone with a recommendation or two, please share!!! I like some of these Lettuce Wrap suggestions, but I'm not sure Mike will go for it. The poor guy is barely on board as it is.  :)

Monday - Minestrone Soup

Tuesday - Chicken Lettuce Wraps

Wednesday - Honey Chicken Kabobs with Quinoa Confetti Salad

Thursday - Chicken and Rice Casserole or Sweet Potato Chicken Casserole

Friday - Crock Pot Cube Steaks with potatoes and veggies

Saturday - Balsamic Chicken with Roasted Veggies

Sunday - Savory Marinaded Chicken on the grill with Santa Fe Style Quinoa Salad

Desserts (I might make one, I might make 'em all...because I'm giving up flour, not sugar!)

Chocolate Walnut Torte

Flourless Fudge Cookies

Flourless Chocolate Cake

Healthy Chocolate Muffins

I found this recipe on Pinterest and it comes from a 16 year old girl from the Netherlands. My picture isn't nearly as cool as hers (I made smaller muffins) but I'm not going to compare. I love that there's no flour, no butter or oil, and lots of good substitutions like oats, Greek yogurt, applesauce and egg whites. These are surprisingly awesome.

• 1 3/4 cup oats

• 3 egg whites
• 3/4 cup unsweetened cocoa
• 1/2 cup unsweetened applesauce
• 1 tsp. vanilla extract
• 1/2 cup plain Greek yogurt (or regular plain low fat yogurt)
• 1/2 tsp cream of tartar (or 1-1/2 Tbsp. vinegar)
• 1-1/2 tsp. baking powder
• 1-1/2 tsp. baking soda
• 1/4 tsp. salt
• 1 cup hot water
• 1 cup sugar
• 1/2 cup semi-sweet chocolate chips
Preheat oven to 350 degrees. Line 2 (12-cup) muffin pans with foil cupcake liners, or spray muffin tin with non-stick cooking spray. Set aside.

In a blender, (or food processor), mix all of the ingredients together, except for the chocolate chips. Blend until oats are ground and mixture is smooth.

Pour mixture into prepared muffin pans. Drop 6-8 chocolate chips onto each muffin. (the batter is so thin, they should sink a little)

Bake the muffins for 12-15 min. If you'd like to add chocolate chips to the top, remove after 8-9 minutes, place chocolate chips on each muffin and bake for 3-5 minutes longer, until a toothpick comes out clean.
Cool muffins slightly before removing from pan. ENJOY!!!

About blogging...

Have you noticed how inconsistently I've been blogging lately?  I feel like I have 10 things to blog about one week, then nothing for two weeks.  So annoying.  But hey - when I'm inspired to write, I go with it. If I'm uninspired, I don't want to waste your time.

I'm not the type of blogger who brainstorms ideas and pre-plans what I'm going to write about and when I'll post it. I write when I come up with something that I want to share and if I happen to spit out three blog posts in one day, I just post-date them to publish throughout the week. For instance, this post is being written on a Monday and will post on a Friday. I like to spread the love throughout the week. 

Recipes. Why don't I post recipes anymore?!?! Simple: I haven't been experimenting with new dishes lately.  BUT, that is changing.  I have tons of recipes clogging up my Pinterest account of things that I not only want to try, but I will try.  Soon.  And I will be reposting the delicious ones on my blog because I am seriously sick of linking back to other blogs only to find that the link is broken after a few months. So I'll be the cheesy blogger who changes 1/2 tsp salt to 1/4 tsp salt to "alter" the recipe enough to repost, but I will always link back to the website where the recipe originated.

POD. One complaint I keep hearing is that I don't keep my Picture of the Day blog updated anymore.  I know, I know.  Sorry, guys.  First of all, I completely fell out of the habit of taking pictures every day.  After three years of barely skipping a day, my camera doesn't come out very often anymore.  Secondly, by the time I got on the bandwagon and signed up to do Becky Higgins' new Shutterfly book, I noticed that it only comes with like 30 pages, not enough to make 52 week-long layouts.  I have to pay extra for the extra pages...so bummed!  Plus, the space for journaling isn't as handy to copy and paste from my POD blog. (*sigh*) I don't have the time to be creative anymore, so it hasn't been on my priority list.  When I update my POD blog, it tends to be a month at a time, which is how I might end up constructing my 2012 book at this point.

Homeschooling. Yes, I realize some of you are sick of hearing about our journey through homeschooling.  This will not turn into a homeschooling blog, but it's always been a place where I write about our life and right now, homeschooling is a huge chunk of our daily life.  When I had a new baby, I wrote about those struggles and victories. When we struggle with a parenting issue, I blog about it. When I began homeschooling, the same is true.

The good news is that most of my dear readers are moms of little ones. I will be posting about our many adventures with new craft ideas, easy homemade science experiments and kid-friendly kitchen creations that you can try with your own non-homeschooled kids throughout the long, hot summer.  So you'll benefit if you hang around.  :)

{Slow Cooker} Steal Cut Oatmeal with Bananas and Coconut Milk

I recently discovered this recipe on Pinterest and found myself with all of the ingredients to throw it in the crock pot last night. It was delicious!  Give it a try...

Ingredients

• 2 medium {very ripe} bananas, sliced
• 14 oz light coconut milk
• 1 cup water
• 1 cup steel cut oats
• 2 tablespoons brown sugar
• 1-1/2 tablespoons butter, cut into 5-6 pieces, optional
• 1/2 teaspoon cinnamon
• 1/4 teaspoon nutmeg
• 1/2 teaspoon vanilla
• 2 tablespoon ground flax seed
• 1/4 teaspoon salt
• Optional garnishes: blueberries, sliced bananas, chopped walnuts, brown sugar, butter

Directions

Coat inside of 3-1/2 quart (or larger) slow cooker with cooking spray. Add all ingredients (except optional toppings) to slow cooker. Stir, cover, and cook on low for 8-9 hours. Spoon oatmeal into bowls; add optional toppings, if desired. Store leftovers in refrigerator. Freezes well.

To reheat single servings: Put 1-cup cooked oatmeal in microwave proof bowl. Add 1/3 cup milk or water. Microwave on high for 1 minute; stir. Continue cooking for another minute, or until hot.


Recipe can be doubled in 6-quart or larger slow cooker. Increase cooking time 1 hour.

8 Minute {Homemade} Ice Cream in a Bag

We made this recipe on Mother's Day as our first science experiment on family day. Mike was very leary as he watched us furiously shaking Ziplock baggies expecting ice cream. Then, as soon as he saw the results, he threw the kids in the car and went out to buy more half and half and a new bag of ice. We made it again when his family came over for dinner that night. 

Just so you don't throw all of the ingredients together, here is what you will need to make homemade ice cream in a baggie...

In the pint-sized Ziploc bag: 

2 Tablespoons sugar

1 cup half & half (or light cream)

1/2 tsp vanilla extract

In the gallon-sized Ziploc bag: 

1/2 cup coarse salt

ice

Mix the sugar, half & half and vanilla extract together. Pour into a pint-sized Ziploc baggie. Place the small bag inside the large bag, fill it half-way with ice and add the 1/2 cup salt. 

Make sure each bag is sealed tightly and start shaking. Shake for about 5 minutes (or 8 minutes if you use heavy cream.) Open the gallon-sized bag and check to see if the ice cream is hard, if not keep shaking. 

Quickly run the closed pint-sized baggie under cold water to clean the salt off the baggie. Enjoy!

This picture cracks me up because my face screams, "SEE?!?!? I told you so!" which is exactly what I was thinking after my skeptical husband finally tasted the end result. 

Helping Kids Memorize Scripture

I saw this idea at one of my parties recently and I have to share!  I went into the hall bathroom, which ended up being the kids bathroom, and I saw scripture memory verses on the mirror. Their mom had written them on there with dry erase marker and encouraged her kids to read and memorize their verse each time they brushed their teeth.

Genius, right?! I immediately stole the idea.  Love, love, love.

2012 Homeschool Goals

Every time I get a blog notification or jump on Pinterest, I feel like I learn something new about homeschooling. Well, maybe not every time, but it feels like I am constantly evolving in my knowledge of this little adventure of ours.

For instance, someone somewhere wrote a post about having goals for your kids. Each year, this mom picks a character trait to focus on for her kids, then makes a short list of educational goals for each child.  Simple, intentional, deliberate, focused. I liked it.

Here's my little list of how we will spend our time for the rest of 2012. I'm not even sure these are in line with their grade level, but it's what I foresee them learning over the next 6-10 months. These goals will act as our compass, pointing us toward North, when we get off course.  In addition to these things, we will continue to cook and do our History lessons, plus we'll begin learning basic Spanish and are excited to incorporate in Science for the first time, in a weekly co-op (to share the burden of planning experiments and buying supplies) with our favorite homeschooling friends.

Ryan - age 7 (almost 8)
- Reading: learn to read quickly and fluently, learn to enjoy reading, read a book aloud to Kaylin and Jason daily.
- Handwriting: improve printing, learn cursive.
- Writing: independent writing increases in creativity, consistently using proper punctuation and capitalizaion, focus on the six traits of writing - conventions, ideas, voice, word choice, organization and sentence fluency. (Thanks, Alison!)
- Spelling: better understanding of rules, decreased errors in writings.
- Grammar: able to easily narrate stories, comfortable with basic parts of speech.
- Math: faster with addition/subtraction facts, double/triple digit adding and subtracting, learn multiplication, begin managing money.
- Other: patience with siblings, better ability to mediate sibling conflict unemotionally, learn to cook meals independently, complete chores without reminders.

Kaylin - age 5 (almost 6)
- Reading: read level 1-2 books independently, learn rules of sounds.
- Writing: proper direction fo strokes, use continuous strokes to prepare for cursive later, focus on correct capitalization, begin independent writing.
- Math: basic addition and subtraction, telling time, basic money, skip count for 2s, 5s and 10s.
- Other: break competitive spirit with brothers, develop short periods where she works with/"teaches" Jason.

Jason - 2 1/2 years old
- Reading: letter recognition, sitting still during stories, beginning letter sounds.
- Writing: drawing pictures in counter-clockwise motion, write letters with his finger using different media. (sand, pudding, paint, etc)
- Math: color and shape recognition, count forward and backward.
- Other: sit still during school time, listening and obeying the first time, taking instruction from Ryan and Kaylin when they're "in charge" or with safety issues.

As for me, I am SO excited about the simplest little thing...I bought a $5 teacher's daily planner (week-at-a-glance) from the teaching store last week and it has serisously helped me corral everything that's swimming around in my head. Silly things like focusing one theme for each month to do seasonal crafts with a common thread for learning purposes.

The months with holidays are easy, but for months like May, instead of focusing on Mother's Day (like the schools usually do), we're going to do crafts that center around flowers, gardening, caterpillars and butterflies. I'm saving summer/beach stuff for June and fun apple crafts that I've found for September...you get the idea. It's not rocket science, but it makes sense why public school teachers organize it that way.  There are just SO many possibilities...it's overwhelming!

Dinner Dilemmas...SOLVED!

I would like to publicly thank Lara, who commented on my post back in March about Extreme Consequences.  Girlfriend, your idea transformed how I now approach breaking bad habits with my kids!!!

When venting about my frustrations that the kids take an eternity to finish meals and goof around the whole time, Lara had a great suggestion:

"Not sure how you feel about Love and Logic, but this is one of their common examples. Say "dinner is served until 6:00. You're welcome to stay at the table as long as you aren't goofing around." no nagging to finish food....when 6pm comes, just take away the plates without a word and announce the meal if over. If they goof around say "what a bummer. Mealtime is for eating. You may go sit in your room and come back when you are ready to eat.". Let them go away once and come back, and if they do it again, take their plate away and say "looks like you've made the choice that dinner is over for you. You'll need to stay in your room by yourself until the rest of us have finished eating. ". A least, this is how it works in theory..."

I've never read "Love and Logic," though I've heard great things about it. That night at dinner, I explained that the big kids would each get one warning to not be silly at the table. I'd establish when the meal was over (usually 30 minutes) and if anyone decided not to focus on eating after their warning (normal family conversations don't count toward the warning, intentionally making others giggle does), then dinner was over for them.

The first few meals were lovely. We talked about our day, the kids ate their food, it was heaven. Then one morning, Ryan couldn't stop being silly and he was asked to leave the table. He'd eaten two eggs and a smoothie, but on any given day, he'll also eat toast or cereal, too. (He's growing like a weed)

Ryan was shocked that I followed through. With a trembling lower lip, he said, "B...but I'm still hungry!!!" I reminded him of the new rule, my warning and the consequence and asked him to leave the table one final time. I explained that he could have a snack with the rest of us at 9:00. He ran up to his room and cried.

And it hasn't happened again since.

My newest issue is with Jason. He wants to sit at the table like a big boy during lunch, but doesn't respect the fact that I want him to SIT while he eats. He stands up in his chair, hops down and runs around, grabs his sandwich and eats in the family room...nothing could get him to consistently sit and STAY at the table.

Then it struck me: if he doesn't stay seated, he needs to sit back in his high chair. DUH!!! This just occurred to me this weekend, so he's still pushing the boundaries a little bit, but he's definitely getting the message.

This has also worked well with training him to stay in Ryan's bunk bed. He can sleep in a big boy bed IF he stays in the bed until I come get him, just like the crib. If he gets out before he falls asleep, he is put into the crib. If he gets out upon waking up, the next nap/bedtime is spent in his crib. I'm so glad we haven't taken that crib down yet because it's working beautifully!

 

Pico de Gallo Math

My newest t.v. obsession is The Pioneer Woman on Food Network. I just adore that woman...in a totally non-stalker kind of way.

The last episode I watched had a simple recipe for Pico de Gallo that is 1/3 tomatoes, 1/3 cilantro and 1/3 red onion, drizzled with some lime juice. (she also throws in jalapenos, but my tender Kansas pallet can't hang when it comes to heat) Then to make Guacamole, all she does is mush ripe avocados and add a few heaping spoonfuls of the Pico de Gallo.  Is that genius or what?

Yesterday, Ryan and I made ourselves some Pico de Gallo and Guac for lunch.  Yes, that was my lunch since I (or, um...WE) ate almost the entire bowl. Of each.

While chopping and slicing and dicing, I incorporated learning into everything possible. The onions were particularly strong, so we did some myth-busting to see if the old wives tales of chewing gum and/or burning a candle would keep our eyes from watering.  

The results?

Gum - 1

Candle - 0

I also explained about the ripeness of produce, how everything has a peak season and how using ingredients that aren't ready to eat will affect a recipe. Ryan's response: "But sometimes I wait to pick a tomato from the garden because it's still kind of green and the next day I go back to pick it and it's half gone." We then discussed the result of having a family of bunnies living in our yard.

I explained the concept of thirds (the Pico de Gallo recipe called for equal parts of all three ingredients), which was tough for him to grasp since it's an odd number. Cutting something (a pizza, for instance) in half or forths made sense to him, thirds took some trial and error.

Ryan learned the easy way to slice and spoon out an avocado from its peel. (I did it, but he now knows something that I just learned last year)

He also learned that putting the avocado pit in the bowl with the Guacamole will keep it from browning. (another trick I just learned last year - this transitioned into a talk about oxygen affecting the natural color of produce)

All of this while doing "Home Economics" and spending some quality time in the kitchen with my boy who loves to cook.

No wonder Ryan's starting to enjoy homeschooling.

Always an Odd Man Out

I'm starting to get the feeling we're not going to be expanding our family. (*sigh*) It's not that Mike and I have discussed it, but as Jason gets older and more independent, going back to the baby stage simply isn't as tempting. Part of me is very sad that I'll never get to experience pregnancy again and part of me is relieved that training another baby to sleep through the night is not in my future. Just to be clear: I'm much more sad than relieved. Also to be clear, this is not a final decision, per se, merely an observation of a probability.

Honestly, my biggest concern is that we currently have an odd number of kids. Jason is getting old enough to truly play with his sister and brother now, and I'm noticing there's usually an odd man out when all of the kids try to do something together.

Ryan and Kaylin have always played together pretty well, even more when Kaylin was younger and passively went along with whatever Ryan wanted to do. After she began pre-school and gained some independence, the bickering increased because, suddenly, Kaylin had an opinion. Even now, when Jason is napping on the weekends and the big kids need to find something creative to do, they really do get along beautifully.  Most of the time...

The big kids "fishing" last weekend.

When Ryan was still in public school, Jason and Kaylin played much more nicely together. She's the loving, motherly type and played with him the way a babysitter would...teaching, showing, nurturing. Around the time he turned two (which was ironically when Ryan began homeschooling), he started getting really rough with her. He would hit, pinch, scratch or pull her hair just to get the dramatic whiny-cry that she never failed to deliver. She smothered him with love and he retaliated by being rough to drive her away. Watching their little dance reminded me of an abusive marital relationship...it was horrible! Months later, we're finally getting a handle on the situation: he's learning to be more gentle while she's learning not to react emotionally, which only eggs him on.

Mr. Potato people

Then there's the boys. Every day after Ryan walks Kaylin to the bus stop, there's a 30 minute window of time before Jason goes down for a nap. The way the boys play together never fails to crack me up. Jason can be (almost) as rough as he wants with Ryan and they thrive on getting their energy out on each other. Their new little bond is really cool to watch!

Unfortunately, when they're all home on the weekends, it seems that they can't quite figure out how to cooperate in their play. I'll overhear Jason wrecking a creation that the big kids made or exclaiming that it's his turn (when it's usually not) while Ryan and Kaylin battle over who will be in charge of the situation.

Once Kaylin is done with Kindergarten in a couple weeks, this is something I plan to focus on. I hate seeing one kid left out when the connection between the other two kicks into high gear. The kids all three get along well when in pairs, but they don't mesh quite as well when they are all together.

I'd like to see all three kids continue to have a good relationship without accidentally kicking someone out of their little club. Even though I was an only child, I saw this same pattern with friendships: the drama increased when a third friend was added. 

Any advice from anyone who had two siblings? Is it even possible to avoid this predicament?!?

Utilizing Pinterest for Homeschooling

I mentioned this before, but I fought Pinterest for more than a year. I knew friends who got sucked in and wasted countless hours looking at ideas of recipes, crafts, decorating ideas and other things they would never do themselves.

Now that I allow myself to peek around for 15 minutes a few times a week, it's really an amazing resource. Last week, I stumbled onto a friend's "learning" board.  She's a former early-Elementary teacher who has recently decided to homeschool and I hit the mother load when I saw her idea links!

Letter matching using plastic eggs

I've collected so many ideas that I began feeling overwhelmed. The kids and I have a pretty nice little daily routine in place, and I'm not yet into the habit of pre-planning hands-on activities each week. As much as I want to incorporate science experiments and messy craft fun into our lessons, by the time I'm ready to pull something together, it seems that I'm usually missing pieces, supplies or ingredients.

Last night, I explained my dilemma to Mike and had an epiphany: we can do all of our out-of-the-ordinary Pinterest ideas on family day. Mike's response was, "Then Dad can participate, too!" It's so refreshing that he's excited to be involved.

Love it.

Today, I had an activity that I wanted to present to keep Jason occupied while I taught the big kids. Unfortunately, all Ryan and Kaylin wanted to do was hop down onto the ground and see what the fun was all about!

I filled a veggie tray with different dried beans and pastas, put out some measuring spoons and chopsticks for Jason to use and let him go to town.

Jason wasn't captivated until he saw how Ryan and Kaylin played with the beans and pasta. Kaylin filled the letter-matching Easter eggs with various objects to create shakers, then spelled out words with them.

Ryan created patterns and played with the chopsticks (I snagged the kid-holder from the chopsticks the last time we ate at an Oriental restaurant - they were going to throw them away!)

Then Ryan sorted from largest to smallest

Jason played for a while, then moved on to cleaning off the dry-erase board...

...before asking to paint, which I've (brace yourself) never let him do.

Today was a productive, very hands-on homeschooling day. The kids loved the variety and I loved that I got to actually USE some of the ideas I've been storing up in my head. As I branch out and bring more ideas to life, I'll continue to share them with you!

My April Goal Didn't Go As Planned

My April goal on my monthly goals for 2012 didn't necessarily go as planned. With our trip in the middle of the month, I did my best to meal plan with a meatless meal and a new recipe each week, but I hardly stuck to the meal plan, so I really don't think that counts.  

Oh well, I'll try again for May. My May goal is to stop eating each meal when I'm satisfied, not when I'm "full."

We'll see how that works out for me. 

{More Natural} Cool Whip Substitute

It's no secret that I'm not a fan of processed foods. The problem is that some recipes call for convenience foods and the "real thing" is difficult to substitute.

Well.

Last week, a friend shared this recipe with me for homemade Cool Whip.  It doesn't come in the handy container, and I'm quite sure it expires quicker than the big blue tub, but give this healthier alternative a try!  And by healthier, I don't mean less fat or calories, I mean lessartery-clogging, probably cancer-causing, can't-pronounce-the-ingredients, God-never-intended-for-this-to-be-consumed garbage.

2 c. heavy cream
8 oz. sugar
1 tsp vanilla extract

Directions: Whip together with a beater (or the whisk of an electric mixer) on low until stiff peaks are formed.

Is anyone else drooling?