I have tried being very sctructured. I have tried being very relaxed. I think we are finally finding our balance and what works for our family at this stage.
Just make them all go outside.
Okay, that is my first instinct, but it is probably not a real workable plan.
What seems to be working in terms of them actually learning anything, and us enjoying the time together, is to just go with the flow. For example, this week Tony and Ben looked up King Xerxes and wrote about him. Today we looked up Ancient Persia and Babylon on maps in the encyclopedia. Then we read about Esther, up to the point where Mordecai is in mourning over the new law. So, there you have language arts (looking up and writing) and social studies (geography and history). I could count it as Bible instead, but we get lots of Bible hours and I always need more "core" (social studies, science, math, language arts) for my logs.
Then we moved onto Thomas Edison. We have been studying U.S. history chronologically for the last two years. We are at the Age of Invention. Last week they read a short bio of Edison. Today we watched an animated video about him inventing the lightbulb. Then we looked at a diagram of a light bulb in "How It Works" and compared it to a real light bulb from our home. More social studies, and science, too.
Then we moved onto Bible (Teaching Hearts, Training Minds, a devotional based on the Westminster Shorter Catechism), grammar, math, handwriting, and our favorite subject - lunch.
See, kids are all the same, no matter where they go to school. Ask them their favorite subject and the answer you get is "lunch" followed closely by "recess". I bet teachers like lunch best, too. I know I sure do!
After lunch...everyone just finishes up their reading and we do chores, and they go play in the yard and I finish up my housework, and I will sit down and record what we did today, and hopefully get everything caught up for the week. Tomorrow I will look at "where we are" in history and plan out some reading for the week - I believe we are in the 1870s-80s, and we will focus on the Plains Indians next week and the conflicts between them and the settlers' westward expansion.
Hopefully, I will get in some time to read before it is time to start dinner. I have started a self-guided study on baptism that I am enjoying, as well as a new murder mystery that is calling to me.
After dinner tonight we are all watching part 10 in a dvd series entitled "The Sovereignty of God". I will count that as Bible.
But for now...it sounds like they are done fixing their lunch and getting ready to eat, so now I can get in the kitchen and make my lunch. I love having kids old enough to make a basic lunch on their own!
Friday, November 5, 2010
Wednesday, November 3, 2010
Life after Facebook....
So, I am now on my 8th day of my Facebook fast. Not that I am counting or anything. So far, so good. Actually, so much better!
Why did I deactivate my account, so many have asked over the last week. Okay, people asked because I sent out an email saying that I was going to deactivate my account, otherwise no one would have noticed! I have noted (to myself) that I have given different answers to different people. But after a week of not having it, and thinking it over, it has become much clearer to me why I don't want to do Facebook anymore.
It was a time-sucker supreme. Every time I walked past the computer I was checking it. While sitting at stoplights I was checking it on my phone. That is wierd, even for me.
Maybe even especially wierd for me, because I don't particularily like being around a lot of people all the time. I love my friends, I love to get together with big groups of people, especially my church family and homeschool sisters and their families. But - after it is over I desperately need some time to be quiet and alone in order to decompress. And with Facebook, I didn't seem to have that. It was like there were over 100 people with me all the time. I would check in and sometimes I'd read a particularily sweet, thoughtful or inspiring post, and that was a great thing to carry with me all day. Frequently I'd print them out to re-read again after lunch. But sometimes I'd read posts that were negative and complaining, or critical of others, and then I'd carry that in my head all day, too. Not too good at letting go, I guess! I'd squander my quiet time doing housework when I could be meditating on the Word I'd read that morning with thinking over something that had been posted that stuck in my craw.
And then too, when you reach the point where you are posting your every.single.thought on Facebook, well....just how important ARE you, anyway? I think Facebook can really bring out the hidden narcissist in some of us. Okay, maybe some of us don't hide that narcissist as well as we should to start with! But my gosh, is what I am eating for lunch REALLY that important? Okay, what I am fixing for dinner is - I stand by that! But when you find yourself posting pictures of your food at Chik-Fil-A, it begs the question......
One last item - when I have all of you at my fingertips all day - when I know little details (440 characters or less) of your life - why should I bother to take the time to reach out and get the REALLY know you? That is a rhetorical question. I think sometimes it can give a surface veneer to getting to really know people, getting to really be involved in their lives, to be able to love and serve them. At least in my experience it has.
I have a dear friend, Jennifer, who lives in Tennessee. We have never met in real life, but I consider her one of my closest friends. For the last several years we have written each other long emails every few days, talking about kids and family, debating doctrine, discussing theology, books, our churches - you name it! I feel like I have gotten to be right there with her when her mom has had illnesses, when her husband was out of work, when her son gets to perform in his choir, when her daughter was saved. But, in the year or so I've been on Facebook, those letters dwindled to a handful. She knew what I was doing. She knew what I was having for lunch, but she no longer knew what was going on in my heart as we left our church of ten years. That somehow seems wrong. But I was on Facebook all the time, who has time to write letters! This is changing.
Since getting off Facebook I have been out to lunch twice with girlfriends, had one friend and her daughter drop in for a cup of tea, been on two homeschool field trips, and had emails, texts and phone calls from other friends and family.
And none of them asked what I had for lunch.
So, them's my reasons, in a nutshell. For others, these reasons are not at all valid (that is why I call them MY reasons). I am not saying I will never be back - I think I can pretty much assume I will, someday, because that is just how the world operates now. But I need to learn some discipline before I do! So, someday if you see me venturing a toe in the Facebook water, don't be surprised.
But don't expect it to be soon!
Why did I deactivate my account, so many have asked over the last week. Okay, people asked because I sent out an email saying that I was going to deactivate my account, otherwise no one would have noticed! I have noted (to myself) that I have given different answers to different people. But after a week of not having it, and thinking it over, it has become much clearer to me why I don't want to do Facebook anymore.
It was a time-sucker supreme. Every time I walked past the computer I was checking it. While sitting at stoplights I was checking it on my phone. That is wierd, even for me.
Maybe even especially wierd for me, because I don't particularily like being around a lot of people all the time. I love my friends, I love to get together with big groups of people, especially my church family and homeschool sisters and their families. But - after it is over I desperately need some time to be quiet and alone in order to decompress. And with Facebook, I didn't seem to have that. It was like there were over 100 people with me all the time. I would check in and sometimes I'd read a particularily sweet, thoughtful or inspiring post, and that was a great thing to carry with me all day. Frequently I'd print them out to re-read again after lunch. But sometimes I'd read posts that were negative and complaining, or critical of others, and then I'd carry that in my head all day, too. Not too good at letting go, I guess! I'd squander my quiet time doing housework when I could be meditating on the Word I'd read that morning with thinking over something that had been posted that stuck in my craw.
And then too, when you reach the point where you are posting your every.single.thought on Facebook, well....just how important ARE you, anyway? I think Facebook can really bring out the hidden narcissist in some of us. Okay, maybe some of us don't hide that narcissist as well as we should to start with! But my gosh, is what I am eating for lunch REALLY that important? Okay, what I am fixing for dinner is - I stand by that! But when you find yourself posting pictures of your food at Chik-Fil-A, it begs the question......
One last item - when I have all of you at my fingertips all day - when I know little details (440 characters or less) of your life - why should I bother to take the time to reach out and get the REALLY know you? That is a rhetorical question. I think sometimes it can give a surface veneer to getting to really know people, getting to really be involved in their lives, to be able to love and serve them. At least in my experience it has.
I have a dear friend, Jennifer, who lives in Tennessee. We have never met in real life, but I consider her one of my closest friends. For the last several years we have written each other long emails every few days, talking about kids and family, debating doctrine, discussing theology, books, our churches - you name it! I feel like I have gotten to be right there with her when her mom has had illnesses, when her husband was out of work, when her son gets to perform in his choir, when her daughter was saved. But, in the year or so I've been on Facebook, those letters dwindled to a handful. She knew what I was doing. She knew what I was having for lunch, but she no longer knew what was going on in my heart as we left our church of ten years. That somehow seems wrong. But I was on Facebook all the time, who has time to write letters! This is changing.
Since getting off Facebook I have been out to lunch twice with girlfriends, had one friend and her daughter drop in for a cup of tea, been on two homeschool field trips, and had emails, texts and phone calls from other friends and family.
And none of them asked what I had for lunch.
So, them's my reasons, in a nutshell. For others, these reasons are not at all valid (that is why I call them MY reasons). I am not saying I will never be back - I think I can pretty much assume I will, someday, because that is just how the world operates now. But I need to learn some discipline before I do! So, someday if you see me venturing a toe in the Facebook water, don't be surprised.
But don't expect it to be soon!
Monday, November 1, 2010
Taco Casserole and Bacon Cheeseburger Pasta
Here are a couple very easy recipes, that kids like and are filling. Add some veggies on the side and you've got a filling dinner!
TACO CASSEROLE
1 pound ground beef
1 cup salsa
½ cup mayonnaise (or salad dressing)
2 tsp. Chili powder
2 cups crushed tortilla chips
1 cup (4 oz) shredded Colby
1 cup (4 oz) shredded Monterey Jack
1 medium tomato
2 cups shredded lettuce.
Brown beef in skillet, drain. Add salsa, mayo and chili powder; mix well. In an ungreased 2 qt. Baking dish layer half the meat mixture, chip and cheeses. Repeat layers. Bake uncovered at 350 for 20-25 minutes or until heated through. Just before serving top with tomato and lettuce. I also serve it with sour cream for topping and refried beans on the side. Makes 6 servings.
BACON CHEESEBURGER PASTA
This is one of my familys’ very favorites.
8 oz uncooked tube (penne) pasta
1 pound ground beef
6 slices of bacon, diced
1 can (10 ¾ oz) condensed tomato soup, undiluted
1 cup (4 oz) shredded cheddar cheese.
Cook pasta according to directions, to al dente. Meanwhile, in skillet brown the meat; drain and set aside. In the same skillet, cook the bacon until crisp (note – don’t cook burger and bacon together to save time – the bacon will not get crispy, I’ve tried it) – drain bacon on paper towels. Discard drippings. Drain pasta, add to skillet. Add the beef, bacon and soup (straight from the can, it will not look like enough but it is). Heat through. Sprinkle cheese over top (I am sure I use more cheese than the recipe calls for); cover and heat on low until cheese is melted. 4-6 servings.
TACO CASSEROLE
1 pound ground beef
1 cup salsa
½ cup mayonnaise (or salad dressing)
2 tsp. Chili powder
2 cups crushed tortilla chips
1 cup (4 oz) shredded Colby
1 cup (4 oz) shredded Monterey Jack
1 medium tomato
2 cups shredded lettuce.
Brown beef in skillet, drain. Add salsa, mayo and chili powder; mix well. In an ungreased 2 qt. Baking dish layer half the meat mixture, chip and cheeses. Repeat layers. Bake uncovered at 350 for 20-25 minutes or until heated through. Just before serving top with tomato and lettuce. I also serve it with sour cream for topping and refried beans on the side. Makes 6 servings.
BACON CHEESEBURGER PASTA
This is one of my familys’ very favorites.
8 oz uncooked tube (penne) pasta
1 pound ground beef
6 slices of bacon, diced
1 can (10 ¾ oz) condensed tomato soup, undiluted
1 cup (4 oz) shredded cheddar cheese.
Cook pasta according to directions, to al dente. Meanwhile, in skillet brown the meat; drain and set aside. In the same skillet, cook the bacon until crisp (note – don’t cook burger and bacon together to save time – the bacon will not get crispy, I’ve tried it) – drain bacon on paper towels. Discard drippings. Drain pasta, add to skillet. Add the beef, bacon and soup (straight from the can, it will not look like enough but it is). Heat through. Sprinkle cheese over top (I am sure I use more cheese than the recipe calls for); cover and heat on low until cheese is melted. 4-6 servings.
Seen at the Fall Festival.....
Okay, I just couldn't help it. Have you EVER seen such a cool-looking Indiana Jones in your life?
He came up with the whole costume on his own - Dad made the whip and I did the 5 o'clock shadow, but the rest was all by himself.
October Reading List
A real mixed bag this month - several "5's - nice change!
80. Death of a Hussy: A Hamish Macbeth Mystery – 3.75 – M.C. Beaton – not as good as some of the others – didn’t really care about any of the characters.
81. Death of a Snob: A Hamish Macbeth Mystery – 3.75 – M.C. Beaton – pretty good – didn’t jump out and grab me, but they are fast-paced and interesting.
82. Feminine Appeal: Seven Virtues of a Godly Wife and Mother – 5 – Carolyn Mahaney – excellent book, based on Titus 2. Definitely one of the better books I’ve read on this subject. Good for both new and mature Christian women.
83. Death of a Prankster: A Hamish Macbeth Mystery – 4 – more adventures with Hamish. He is starting to grow on me.
84. Family Centered Faith – 5 – Voddie Baucham – directions for living a family and faith centered life.
85. Busy Body: An Agatha Raisin Mystery – 5 – M.C. Beaton – Agatha is back and better than ever! Now, to wait a year or so for the next one!
86. Who Do I Lean On? A House of Hope Novel – 5 – Neta Jackson - 3rd of a four-book series. Enjoyable Christian “chick” literature, with dreams of a “House of Hope” apartment building for the single mothers at the Manna House shelter coming to fruition. Lots of loose ends left, with the final book not coming until March of 2011. A fast, enjoyable and pleasant read. I always wish I could be a Yada Yada sister when I read one of these books.
87. Tallgrass – 5- Sandra Dallas – excellent novel! Tallgrass is the name of a Japanese internment camp in WWII. The story is told from the perspective of Rennie, whose family are beet farmers in small-town Ellis, Colorado. An internment camp for Japanese-Americans is built near their town during WWII. The townspeople are divided in their reactions from the beginning, but when a horrific crime is committed and goes unsolved the lives of everyone there will never be the same. It reminded me of To Kill A Mockingbird, especially in the child/woman voice of Rennie.
80. Death of a Hussy: A Hamish Macbeth Mystery – 3.75 – M.C. Beaton – not as good as some of the others – didn’t really care about any of the characters.
81. Death of a Snob: A Hamish Macbeth Mystery – 3.75 – M.C. Beaton – pretty good – didn’t jump out and grab me, but they are fast-paced and interesting.
82. Feminine Appeal: Seven Virtues of a Godly Wife and Mother – 5 – Carolyn Mahaney – excellent book, based on Titus 2. Definitely one of the better books I’ve read on this subject. Good for both new and mature Christian women.
83. Death of a Prankster: A Hamish Macbeth Mystery – 4 – more adventures with Hamish. He is starting to grow on me.
84. Family Centered Faith – 5 – Voddie Baucham – directions for living a family and faith centered life.
85. Busy Body: An Agatha Raisin Mystery – 5 – M.C. Beaton – Agatha is back and better than ever! Now, to wait a year or so for the next one!
86. Who Do I Lean On? A House of Hope Novel – 5 – Neta Jackson - 3rd of a four-book series. Enjoyable Christian “chick” literature, with dreams of a “House of Hope” apartment building for the single mothers at the Manna House shelter coming to fruition. Lots of loose ends left, with the final book not coming until March of 2011. A fast, enjoyable and pleasant read. I always wish I could be a Yada Yada sister when I read one of these books.
87. Tallgrass – 5- Sandra Dallas – excellent novel! Tallgrass is the name of a Japanese internment camp in WWII. The story is told from the perspective of Rennie, whose family are beet farmers in small-town Ellis, Colorado. An internment camp for Japanese-Americans is built near their town during WWII. The townspeople are divided in their reactions from the beginning, but when a horrific crime is committed and goes unsolved the lives of everyone there will never be the same. It reminded me of To Kill A Mockingbird, especially in the child/woman voice of Rennie.
Sunday, October 31, 2010
Butternut Squash Cake recipe
I submitted this recipe to The Leader for the annual recipe contest this year - I haven't heard back, so I guess once again I will not be a finalist. I don't know if I will torture myself like this again next year.
Anyway.. this is a great recipe to use up some of those butternut squash for something other than autumn porch decorations! It is incredibly easy to make, and is delicious, if I do say so myself! It is such a pretty reddish-orange color - just perfect for fall!
BUTTERNUT SQUASH CAKE
2 cup sugar
2 Tbsp cinnamon
2 tsp baking powder
¼ tsp salt
4 eggs
2 cup flour
2 tsp pumpkin pie spice
2 tsp baking soda
1 cup vegetable oil (I used ½ cup unsweetened applesauce and ½ cup oil to reduce fat)
2 cup butternut squash
Cook and mash the butternut squash - I cut it up and microwave it if I am in a hurry, otherwise you can bake it - the results have been the same both ways (you can also use frozen). Mix all ingredients in a bowl. Pour into greased and floured 9x13 pan. Bake 350 for 45-50 minutes. Allow to cool before frosting.
Icing
8 oz cream cheese (I used 1/3 reduced fat and it was fine), room temperature
1 stick butter, room temperature
1 tsp vanilla
1 lb (2 cups) powder sugar (I cut this to 1 cup powder sugar and it was fine, just thinner)
Mix together cream cheese, butter and vanilla until creamy. Add the sugar ¼ cup at a time, until desired consistency is reached. Enough to frost top of cake generously.
I am going to try making this in a bundt cake pan this week, and making a thinner icing and just doing a glaze for a change. We'll see how that turns out!
Anyway.. this is a great recipe to use up some of those butternut squash for something other than autumn porch decorations! It is incredibly easy to make, and is delicious, if I do say so myself! It is such a pretty reddish-orange color - just perfect for fall!
BUTTERNUT SQUASH CAKE
2 cup sugar
2 Tbsp cinnamon
2 tsp baking powder
¼ tsp salt
4 eggs
2 cup flour
2 tsp pumpkin pie spice
2 tsp baking soda
1 cup vegetable oil (I used ½ cup unsweetened applesauce and ½ cup oil to reduce fat)
2 cup butternut squash
Cook and mash the butternut squash - I cut it up and microwave it if I am in a hurry, otherwise you can bake it - the results have been the same both ways (you can also use frozen). Mix all ingredients in a bowl. Pour into greased and floured 9x13 pan. Bake 350 for 45-50 minutes. Allow to cool before frosting.
Icing
8 oz cream cheese (I used 1/3 reduced fat and it was fine), room temperature
1 stick butter, room temperature
1 tsp vanilla
1 lb (2 cups) powder sugar (I cut this to 1 cup powder sugar and it was fine, just thinner)
Mix together cream cheese, butter and vanilla until creamy. Add the sugar ¼ cup at a time, until desired consistency is reached. Enough to frost top of cake generously.
I am going to try making this in a bundt cake pan this week, and making a thinner icing and just doing a glaze for a change. We'll see how that turns out!
Sunday, Sunday....
I love Sundays, though I tend to not get much rest! My deer hunters showed up about 1:30 a.m., so it was a groggy crew that drove off to Bloomsdale Baptist Church this morning. Excellent sermon from Pastor Erik Bird - he examined the historical background of The Reformation, then discussed the Five Solas - Sola Scriptura, Solas Christos, Solo Gratia, Sola Fide, Sola Deo Gloria (scripture alone, Christ alone, grace alone, faith alone, God's glory alone - don't flame me if my latin is innaccurate!).
He then challenged us - Are we drifting from the solas of the Reformation? Are we so familiar with our Bibles that we KNOW what they say, that we can confront false, man-made doctrine - or are we blown this way and that on the doctrines of "personal experience". Is the God we worship the true God of the Bible, or one we have made up?
Pet peeve alert - when a Christian (or anyone else!) says, when confronted with the God of scripture, "Well, MY God would never do that!" Your God? Your God is probably a small "g" god if you get to define him.
Anyway, moving right along...tonight is the Fall Festival at Faith Baptist Church. Joe is dressing up as Indiana Jones, Henry is a Power Ranger. I am the mom carrying plates of cookies for the cake walk (I didn't have any cake pans, the cookies will be fine!) and following them around. My hunters will be watching NASCAR and maybe wandering down to their stands on our property. Ben sighted a large buck near the tree fort a few weeks ago.
Planning out the rest of my week, trying to finish ONE MORE book to add to my list for October - which will be posted tomorrow sometime!
Have a glorious Sabbath, and Reformation Day, everyone!
He then challenged us - Are we drifting from the solas of the Reformation? Are we so familiar with our Bibles that we KNOW what they say, that we can confront false, man-made doctrine - or are we blown this way and that on the doctrines of "personal experience". Is the God we worship the true God of the Bible, or one we have made up?
Pet peeve alert - when a Christian (or anyone else!) says, when confronted with the God of scripture, "Well, MY God would never do that!" Your God? Your God is probably a small "g" god if you get to define him.
Anyway, moving right along...tonight is the Fall Festival at Faith Baptist Church. Joe is dressing up as Indiana Jones, Henry is a Power Ranger. I am the mom carrying plates of cookies for the cake walk (I didn't have any cake pans, the cookies will be fine!) and following them around. My hunters will be watching NASCAR and maybe wandering down to their stands on our property. Ben sighted a large buck near the tree fort a few weeks ago.
Planning out the rest of my week, trying to finish ONE MORE book to add to my list for October - which will be posted tomorrow sometime!
Have a glorious Sabbath, and Reformation Day, everyone!
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