It's a Nostril-Freezer Out There!

It's afternoon here, and the temperature still hasn't gone about zero (Farenheit - for any of you reading from more civilized parts of the world where Celsius is used). A friend of mine calls these days "Nostril-Freezers". Why? Obviously, because if you aren't bundled up enough, the mucus membrane inside your nose starts to freeze. When I lived down South, I used to think such things didn't happen in the Lower 48. Alas, they do. Right outside my door.

So, we'll be doing some serious bundling up before we go to KMart to return the half-sheet pan that was dented right under the label so I couldn't tell it was dented last night when I bought it. No, I'm not bitter about it. I'm thrilled to have to go out and freeze my nostrils to return a baking sheet that should have been in good condition when I bought it. They had sure better have another one in stock. Those of you even overseas may hear my screams if I find out that venturing out into the wicked, nostril-freezing cold was in vain. Not that I'm bitter or anything.

Hope your day is warmer!



P.S. There is a warm front coming through that will give us a couple of inches of snow tonight. If I get through without a migraine, I can ski in the backyard a little bit!

Menu Plan Monday - 12/15/2008

It's 11:38 pm, so it's technically still Monday, so my Menu Plan Monday is up on time! Now, what to have this week? Is it legal to have Christmas cookies for all of our meals this week? We've got lots of Christmas baking ahead of us this week. Perhaps not. Well, here is a list of what I think I can come up with from the freezer this week.

1. Ravioli with tomato sauce
2. Smoky bacon and cheese soup
3. Spaghetti (never got around to making it last week)
4. Grilled cheese sandwiches
5. Ground beef and rice in the pressure cooker
6. Leftovers

Check out "I'm an Organizing Junkie" to see what others are cooking up this week. Meanwhile, our family will subsist on Christmas cookies for the week!

My Nativity Sets

Here is my entry into BooMama's Christmas Tour of Homes. We do have some other decorations besides Nativity sets, but these are my absolute favorite and have kind of "taken over"! Enjoy!




Make sure to check out BooMama's site for more great entries in the Christmas Tour of Homes! (And, don't forget to leave a comment! You know that I live for them!)

Our Week in Review - December 13, 2008

It's been a snowy week around here!  We have gotten about a foot of snow in the last two weeks, so the kids have been outside playing in the snow almost every day.  I also went out several times to start doing some cross-country skiing.  Unfortunately, it is supposed to rain tomorrow and then turn bitterly cold on Monday.  Hopefully, we'll get some nice, pretty snow later in the week so we can play some more!  So, here's what we did:

Monday - Lots and lots of snow.  We stayed inside all day.  Dance and AWANA were both canceled.  The kids and I watched a DVR show about "The Science of Snow".  I thought it was fitting.

Tuesday - We woke up to about 8 inches of snow, which increased to a foot by afternoon.  Piano lessons were canceled, so we worked on Christmas presents.  The kids spent lots of time in the snow.

Wednesday - More playtime in the snow!  We also worked on Christmas presents and Ga'hoole Girl made gingerbread cookie dough.

Thursday - I woke up with a migraine, but it calmed down by afternoon.  The kids played outside and worked on Christmas presents.  Ga'hoole Girl made her gingerbread cookies so she could take them to dance in the evening.  I had my first appointment with my trainer at the health club.  All we did at this meeting was discuss my goals and what kind of program I was interested in.  I go back next week to actually start working out.

Friday - We went to see "A Christmas Carol" with the homeschool group.  We had been listening to Jim Dale read it on CD, so it was cool to see it on stage.  The stage version was funny as well as moving.  I had awakened with a headache, but managed to take medications and feel well enough to go.  The kids had an afternoon dance rehearsal since their Monday class was canceled.

Saturday - Dance recital!  The December recital is a small affair held in a local mall.  Ga'hoole Girl's tap class (along with the other advanced classes) didn't dance, but the kids' theater dance class did their dance.  When we got home, we watched "Star Trek: Nemesis" (cultural education) and "Space Chimps" (just for fun).

Throughout the week, we have been reading Advent readings for Bible, which have started some good discussions.  We are also reading from Tolkein's Letters from Father Christmas.

Check out Weird, Unsocialized Homeschoolers to see how other families did this week!

How to Say "No" to Your Children!

I've discovered in the last three years since I've become a full-time stay-at-home homeschooling mom that saying "No" to kids is a regular occurrence. Sometimes, it's every hour; sometimes, it's every minute. To help out other moms, I've developed a list of ways that you can say "No" to your kids but still have some variety. Ready? Here we go!

• "No" - short, sweet, and to the point.
• "I don't think so" - probably best only to use if you might actually change your mind.
• "I don't THINK so" - said with attitude.
• "I think NOT" - variation on the one above
• "What do YOU think?" - be careful with this one.
• "What planet are you on?" - used for completely psychotic requests, such as M&Ms for breakfast.
• "Go ask your dad" - make sure he's on your side, first.
• "No, way" - may vary with "No way, Jose" or other silliness
• "Over my dead body" - make sure the kids won't take you up on this!
• "Yeah, in a blue moon" - check to see when the next blue moon is!
• "Do I look like I've lost my mind?" - be careful with this one, too.
  The kids might give an honest answer.
• "When he** freezes over!" - OK. Maybe not a good one to use with kids.
• "Not in this lifetime" - again, make sure the kids won't take this literally!
• "What kind of fool to you take me for?" - don't wait for an answer.

What would you add to this list? I'm sure it's not exhaustive! Leave your comment below.

Special thanks to Mr. Math Tutor for helping me come up with this idea late last night, which may account for it's craziness.

New Research on Pain

A recent study in General Hospital Psychiatry demonstrates that people with chronic pain are more likely than others to have suicidal thoughts and to attempt suicide. In addition, those with chronic head pain are more than twice as likely to have suicidal thoughts than those with other kinds of chronic pain. Of course, the large majority of people with chronic pain are not suicidal. Here's a link to a summary of the research.

My headaches have been chronic for the last three years, but I have never been suicidal. I have had lots of depression issues since the headaches got bad, so I am on an anti-depressant, with no intention of going off anytime soon. (I tried to go off the anti-depressant a year and a half ago - it wasn't pretty - I sat on the sofa and stared.) Even though I haven't thought about suicide, I can understand how someone's thoughts would go that direction.

Pain itself causes changes in the brain that make a person more likely to be depressed. Doctors who treat chronic pain patients should pay close attention to depression symptoms. Chronic pain can also negatively affect a person's productivity, social life, occupation, and family life. I find that my mood tends to go downhill when I have several days of headache because I don't like not being able to keep up with housework. I also get more depressed when I have to miss social events or, worse, family activities because of headaches.

The main reason, I imagine, though, that people in chronic pain get suicidal is hopelessness. It is hard to look at the future not knowing if I will ever be pain-free. My life for three years has revolved around pain, pain medications, catching up after headaches, planning around headaches, etc. When my head doesn't hurt severely, I'm often exhausted from just having the headaches. Having been a planner all my life, I find it difficult to look ahead a week, a month, a year, or five years, and not have a clear plan of what I'm going to be doing. When life becomes wrapped around pain, I can understand not wanting to go on anymore.

So, why have I never made it to being suicidal? Part of it may be that I've been a naturally optimistic person. When I get depressed, I get sad, blue, unmotivated, and melancholy, but not ready to completely give up. The main reason, though, is that I have hope. I have hope in Jesus. He said that He came that we may have abundant life here on earth as well as eternal life (John 10:10). He didn't promise that life would be without pain, but rather that He would see me through (John 16:33). Even when I am in a lot of pain, I can go back to God's promises (it helps that I have a good bit of Scripture memorized since I don't like to read when I'm having a severe migraine). I also work with a counselor who has helped me change my thinking so that I don't get so far down in depression when I'm in pain. Specifically, I have messages that I can tell myself when I feel my emotions going off the deep end (for example, "the migraine won't last forever - they always end", "the worst that will happen is going to the ER for medication", "the house can be cleaned later", etc.). I have learned not to "catastrophize" (how's that for a word?) my pain, allowing me to function better.

If you're reading this and you're wanting to hurt yourself, please get help. Call 911 or a friend. The fact is, chronic pain and depression can and should be properly treated. It's not easy, but we can live productive lives without feeling hopeless. While I've never been suicidal, I can say that my life is better than it was two years ago, even though my pain level isn't much different. And, remember, Jesus came to give us abundant life and joy, even in the midst of pain.

Our Christmas Tree

We Are That Family is hosting a Christmas Tree share on her blog.  Of course, loving Christmas the way I do, I just had to participate (you aren't surprised are you?).  After you look at my fun Christmas tree pictures, make sure to check out her blog and see what others have done with their Christmas trees.

 

Our tree is a five foot artificial version that we got about 6 years ago at Hobby Lobby.  It is set on a table with my favorite Nativity set underneath.  The lights this year are white.

 

We have a lovely white, sparkly star for the top of the tree.

Here are some of my favorite ornaments.  This is a ceramic penguin that is part of a set of four.  My college roommate and I bought these our second or third year in college so we have matching sets (I assume her set is still somewhat intact).

One year, we bought Veggie Tales Christmas ornaments.  This one is from "The Toy that Saved Christmas".

This set of ornaments is a little Nativity set.  I bought them three years ago.

My mom knits Christmas ornaments most years.  This bell is one of her creations. 

 

About five or six years ago, the kids and I made these ornaments.  We poured acrylic paint into glass ornaments then turned them to swirl the colors.  They are some of my favorites.

When I was in elementary school, one of the other kids' moms made ceramic ornaments for everyone.  The cute angel even came with a stocking that she fits in.  I've had this angel for over 30 years.

I got very nice crocheted ornaments from a great aunt over 20 years ago.  I never got around to putting sequins on them, but I finally did starch them so I could hang them up!

A few years ago, Ga'hoole Girl was really into ballet, so I got her this pretty blown glass ballet shoes ornament.

 

When I was in college, I got a Christmas ornament one year from someone in the service fraternity I was part of  - Alpha Phi Omega.

In high school, I painted a lovely trio of angels.  This one is blue, but I also did a green and a pink one. 

Then, there is the Nativity set under the Christmas tree.  Mr. Math Tutor bought me this set eleven years ago.  It is my favorite set.  Unfortunately, the cats have decided that they like to sit under the tree just behind the Nativity pieces.  Nothing disastrous has happened - yet.

So, go check out We Are That Family to see other families' Christmas trees.  Check back here later this weekend for my entry in BooMama's Christmas Tour of Homes!  Don't forget to leave a comment! 

Incorporating Extended Family Into Homeschooling

Today's "Heart of the Matter" meme is how we incorporate our extended family into our homeschool.  We live in The Great White North while the grandparents all live in Florida so they don't get to be involved in the day to day workings of our homeschooling.  There are, though, some things that we can do with extended family that are educational.

• The kids send emails to the grandparents.  This gives the kids writing practice as well as letting the grandparents know what is going on around here.
• Grandma teaches the kids to sew when she visits.  She also has taken them on a trip to Door County, which was educational as well as fun.
• Grams and Grandpa have some land in Mississippi that includes a pond, so we go fishing and play in the woods when we visit them there.
• Grams and Grandpa have taken the kids on educational day trips when we visit them in Florida.
• Grams cooks with the kids whenever they get together.
• Last year, we made our trip to Mississippi a quest, and got Grams and Grandpa to set up the end of the quest for us.

I'm looking forward to seeing what the other participants in this meme have to say and maybe getting some new ideas!  Check out Heart of the Matter Online for more responses.

 

Lagniappe - December 11, 2008

• Wild Man and I made some seriously delicious bacon/cheddar cheese soup for dinner tonight.  I'd post the recipe, but I need to make it again and write down what we use!
• Barack Obama has appointed Tom Daschle to be the new Health and Human Services Secretary.  Can you say "SOCIALISM"?!  This can't be a good thing.
• I got a new phone today (Motorola Razor) because I could get a new phone for free (after the mail-in rebate that they're hoping I'll forget to mail in) but a new battery (which was all I needed) would have cost $50.  Crazy.
• I had a "Hey, Fighting Tigers" ringtone on my old phone, but I don't want to buy it again and can't figure out how to get it onto the new phone.
• When my new phone rang with the ringtone that I chose, I almost jumped out of my skin.  Guess I need to find a different ringtone.
• Ga'hoole Girl made gingerbread cookies for her dance class tonight.  That girl can bake!
• We joined the local health club again and I met today with a trainer to set up a program.  If I can weight train just once a week, I'll be a lot better off than I am now.  The kids are happy because they'll get to swim in the pool.
• I'm now doing book review blogging for Thomas Nelson publishers and Multnomah/Waterbrook.  I get free books, you get reviews to decide whether the books are worth buying.  What a great deal!

Our Winter Wonderland

Earlier this week, we got almost a foot of snow.  Add to that the four inches that was already on the ground, and we have a veritable winter wonderland around here!

 

 

 

 

 

Here is the front of our house with Ga'hoole Girl's snow fort in front of the window.  The walls are a good 3 or 4 feet high.  Ga'hoole Girl's chore is to shovel the front steps and walkway.  She often also shovels part of the driveway and the sidewalk, although when we got a foot of snow, she let Mr. Math Tutor get those areas with the snowblower!

In the backyard, we have a very small sledding hill as well as a very small cross country (cross yard?) ski track that I set up a few days ago.  When Mr. Math Tutor blows snow off the driveway, he piles it all up in the backyard for sledding.  The kids pulled out sleds and have been sledding for a few days.  Mr. Math Tutor got the skis down on Tuesday so I could start skiing, one of the very few exercises that I actually enjoy. 

It's hard to see the hill and the ski tracks in the above pictures, but here you can see Ga'hoole Girl on her sled (yes, they stand) going down the hill.  It's more like a large bump than a hill, but they are waiting for more snow so they can enlarge it.

I would have never thought that I would have become a fan of winter since I grew up just a few miles from the beach in South Florida, but I figure that if I have to put up with snow for 4 or 5 months of the year, I may as well learn to enjoy it.  So, how is winter where you are?  I got a picture from my brother-in-law in New Orleans showing some actual snow on the cars this morning!!  If you are a Southerner, how did you enjoy your glimpse of "real" winter?

 

Works For Me Wednesday - December 10, 2008

About 2 1/2 years ago, we got rid of our landline telephone and went completely wireless.  What a great decision for us!  We were paying about $40/month for regular phone service along with $50 for two cell phones.  We could have saved the full $40, but we decided to get a cell phone for each child.  The phones cost very little when we signed up for service and each extra line on our account is another $10/month.

There are advantages beyond the financial, though.  When the kids go somewhere in town without me, I have them take their phone.  I feel much better knowing that they can call me in an emergency.  Of course, the down side is that I sometimes get called for some definite NON-emergencies!  Mr. Math Tutor and I like the feeling of having a phone with us, especially when driving in sub-zero weather.  Mr. Math Tutor also likes being able to call me from the grocery store to clarify an item on the list.  Cell phone companies can also put detailed call information on the bills so that parents can know who their kids call and text. 

I have never been a big fan of text-messaging, but I have decided that it has some uses.  One of the biggest advantages is that I can send a message to Mr. Math Tutor while he is in a meeting or in another place where I don't want to interrupt him.  He can choose to check the message immediately or later, but checking the message doesn't require that he dial his voice mail and is much faster.  The kids are not allowed to text message without explicit permission.  That's a habit I don't want them to get into!

When Mr. Math Tutor gets a new phone, he is going to get a phone that will keep his schedule for him.  He is planning to sync the phone with Outlook so that he can keep his schedule updated when he's at home and away from home.  (Of course, I get the old Palm, but I'll try hard not to complain - it's hard having two techno-geeks in the same family.)  Along those same lines, Mr. Math Tutor and I have both gotten rid of our alarm clocks and use our cell phones instead. 

Since we don't have a regular "family" phone, my cell number gets listed as the family phone number.  I have voice mail so that people can leave a message if I'm not in a place where I can answer the call.  Otherwise, I can answer calls even if I'm not at home.  This is clearly something that works well for our family.

Check out Rocks in My Dryer for more great Works For Me Wednesday ideas!!

Rice and Gravy!

Today, you get a twofer - yep, this post is being cross-posted on Tempt My Tummy Tuesday and I Am Blissfully Domestic.  You're seriously getting your money's worth today.

Mr. Math Tutor and I both grew up on good, old-fashioned Southern food, and the favorite for both of us was rice and gravy - as in, roast beef, rice, and gravy; or cubed steak, rice, and gravy; or even "just" rice and gravy.  Ga'hoole Girl clearly has our genetic material as she loves any meal with rice and gravy.  We were concerned, though, about Wild Man until just a month ago.  He would eat meat as long as the gravy was scraped off, and he would eat rice without gravy.  He didn't like gravy.  I tried calling it "sauce" for a while, but he didn't buy it.  About a month ago, though, I made roast beef, rice, and gravy, and he decided to try the gravy.  And, he liked it!!  Two nights ago, I made wild turkey breast (nothing like free meat) with rice and gravy, and he was happy again!  I no longer have to worry that he was switched at birth (although I don't know how he could have been since I was a paranoid new mother and wouldn't let him out of my sight!).  He's really part of the family.

My gravy isn't much different from that of my mother and mother-in-law.  "First you make a roux" as they say in New Orleans.  That means that you mix some oil and flour (start with 2 Tbsp of each) and cook on the stove until lightly brown (actually, you cook till it's as brown as you like - we like it almost burned, but it's taken trial and error (and plenty of thrown out gravy) to regularly get it right).  At this point, Mr. Math Tutor adds a handful of onions and then adds the liquid.  I leave out the onions and start adding liquid.  Start with a small amount of water, broth, or bouillon, stirring till smooth, then gradually adding more until it is as thick as you like.  For 2 Tbsp each of oil and flour, you will need about a cup of liquid.  I like to use canned broth for my gravy so I don't have to worry about whether I've cooked the gravy for long enough in the meat to get a good flavor.  As I've mentioned, Mr. Math Tutor adds onions before the liquid.  I sometimes add onion soup mix or minced onion or garlic after the gravy is made.  Then, you put the gravy and meat together to cook and meld their yummy flavors for 30 minutes or more.  Serve with meat over rice, mashed potatoes, or bread.  Does it get any better than this?

Check out Tempt My Tummy Tuesday and I Am Blissfully Domestic for other great recipes and domestic ideas!!

SNOW

• snow /snoʊ/ [snoh] –noun 1.Meteorology. a precipitation in the form of ice crystals, mainly of intricately branched, hexagonal form and often agglomerated into snowflakes, formed directly from the freezing of the water vapor in the air. From Dictionary.com

• My kids love the song "Snow" from "White Christmas". That's the song that the characters sing while on the train on the way to Vermont.

• So far, we have a good 6 inches outside today and it's still snowing.

• Snow ice cream - snow and condensed milk - isn't quite as good as I thought it would be.

• Snowstorms are really quiet. In a rainstorm, there is the sound of the rain hitting the ground, thunder, and wind. In a snowstorm, the only sound is the wind, and it gets muffled by the snow itself.

• Cardinals look really bright against the snow.

• Since we homeschool, we don't have snow days like the public schools. But, we don't do as much on really snowy days because the kids want to go play in the snow.

• Snow crunches. I never understood this since I grew up in South Florida. I remember reading in The Lion, the Witch, and the Wardrobe how the snow crunched like mothballs, but that didn't make sense to me since I wasn't familiar with mothballs or snow. Since we moved up here, though, I have decided that I love the crunchy feeling of the snow under my feet.

• When I was a kid, I remember a few snow flakes on morning when I was about seven years old. The first "real" snow I saw was in early February, 1988 at LSU. No one went to class that afternoon because it snowed about an inch. People even made little snowmen, but they were really more like mudmen because there was so much dirt in the snow! Now that I live in The Great White North, I see lots of snow every year, but it is still magical.

• When I was a kid, my mom would drive us to the bus stop whenever the temperature was below about 45 degrees so that we wouldn't have to wait in the cold. Where I live now, the kids walk to school in just about any weather.

Menu Plan Monday - December 5, 2008

This week's menus are designed to be nice and easy to make.  We're going to be working on Christmas gifts and, hopefully, a gingerbread house.  I didn't do very well with menu planning or grocery shopping last week because of the headache, and I felt it all week.  I hope this week is better with some planning.

• Leftover turkey, gravy, and rice
• Ravioli with parmesan cheese
• Cheddar cheese soup (I'm still working on a good recipe for this)
• BBQ pork on bread
• Spaghetti
• Leftovers
• Sandwiches

Check out "I'm an Organizing Junkie" to see what others are doing for meals this week!

Monday Musings - December 8, 2008

I'm sitting in my computer/sun room watching the snow from the winter storm.  And, yes, my head is starting to ache.  A month or so ago, I was having fewer headaches and being downright productive.  The last two weeks, though, have been pretty bad on the headache front.  I have used 9 Imitrex in three weeks.  Some good news, though, is that Imitrex is now available as generic sumatriptan.  The bad news is that 9 tablets are still $213 (compared to $230 a couple of weeks ago).  I hope the price comes down soon.

One of my new favorite verses is Isaiah 30:15 - "This is what the Sovereign LORD, the Holy One of Israel says: In repentance and rest is your salvation, in quietness and trust is your strength . . ."  The context is that God is telling Israel  that He wanted to do good things for them, but they rejected Him.    Here is the entire passage:

15 This is what the Sovereign LORD, the Holy One of Israel, says:
"In repentance and rest is your salvation,in quietness and trust is your strength,but you would have none of it. 16 You said, 'No, we will flee on horses.'Therefore you will flee!You said, 'We will ride off on swift horses.'Therefore your pursuers will be swift! 17 A thousand will flee at the threat of one;at the threat of five you will all flee away,till you are left like a flagstaff on a mountaintop,like a banner on a hill."
18 Yet the LORD longs to be gracious to you;he rises to show you compassion.For the LORD is a God of justice.Blessed are all who wait for him!

Our salvation is in repentance, turning away from our sin, and rest, allowing God to give us our salvation.  This is not being passive, though.  When I repent of something, I have to turn completely around and go the correct direction.  We think of rest as not doing something, but yet rest often requires some effort.  Resting in God means that I have to consciously turn my thoughts from my own plans and trust in God for provision.

Quietness is something that is hard to come by in our culture.  There is always noise somewhere (especially in MY house!).  Even when we get rid of the external noise, we then need to get quiet in our spirit, which is much harder to do.  I seem to always have a running to-do list going in my head.  That's what needs to be quieted to really hear from God.  It seems that the only way I can really get quiet before God is to meditate on Scripture. 

Trusting in God sounds easy, but I sometimes find it rather difficult.  I have always liked to be in charge - probably why I went in to medicine!  The fact is that we really aren't in charge, even when we think we are.  Trust is really an acknowledgement that God is in control and submission to His plan.  Trusting God in the middle of a migraine is tough.  It does seem to be a little easier when I meditate on Scripture like this.

Even in the middle of my pain, the Bible is clear that God loves me.  When I rest in God, He gives me strength to get through each day.  And it is this strength that allows me to smile even in pain, to love my kids whether they are behaving or being difficult, and to support Mr. Math Tutor in his tutoring or work at church.  God is truly good.

What do you think of when you read this verse?  How do you rest in the Lord?  How has God given you strength?

    

Our Week in Review - December 6, 2008

I had a really rough week this past week.  Part of me doesn't like to write about the hard times, but they are part of life.  The kids did some math just about every day this week.  Wild Man did some reading several times.  Here's how it played out:

Monday - We watched a National Geographic show on "The Science of Winter" which was really cool since we have gotten a lot of snow in the last week or so.  I took the kids to dance so that I could do the little bit of shopping that I had left to do - Target, yarn store, Wal-Mart.  It was busy, but productive.

Tuesday - I woke up with a migraine.  Mr. Math Tutor took Ga'hoole Girl to piano while Wild Man and I stayed home.  Frankly, I don't remember much else of what happened except that I knitted some.

Wednesday - It snowed a good bit during the day, so the kids and I worked on Christmas gifts.  The DVD I wanted them to watch was scratched, so they watched a Christmas movie.

Thursday - I had an appointment in the morning, and then a moderate headache in the afternoon.  I had wanted to take the kids clothes shopping since Tuesday, but it was not to be.  Instead, the kids did some independent "school" work.  By Thursday night, I had a definite migraine, so I went to bed early.

Friday - I woke up feeling pretty well, so I decided to take the kids shopping for clothes.  Mr. Math Tutor came with us and made it a family day!  We started with lunch at a Chinese buffet (inexpensive, but a little better than fast food).  Then, the kids needed to purchase something from JoAnn's fabric store to finish Mr. Math Tutor's gift.  We then went to Dress Barn and found a lovely dress with shawl that looks wonderful on Ga'hoole Girl for less than $40!!  While we were shopping at Dress Barn, Mr. Math Tutor and Wild Man were next door at Old Navy and found slacks and a nice shirt for under $35!  Talk about amazing.  We finished off with a trip to Sam's Club and then came home.  Unfortunately, I had a really, really bad migraine last night with the front that came through.  So far today, I'm up and moving, but still feeling the effects.

Ga'hoole Girl finished all her assigned schoolwork without too much trouble.  We never did get to our Sonlight work, so we'll do it next week.  We have been reading Letters From Father Christmas by Tolkein.  For Bible, we are reading a series of Advent readings and taking a break from Exodus.  Last night's readings got us into a discussion of women in leadership in church and society - all from one sentence that had little to do with Advent!

It was a rough week - not one I'd like to repeat.  God is faithful, though.  The headaches were bad, but not unbearable.  I was able to get done the stuff I really wanted.  And, we'll get to the Sonlight work next week.

How was your week?  Anything exciting happening in your corner of the world?  Check our Weird, Unsocialized Homeschoolers to see what others did this week!

Heart of the Matter Meme - December 5, 2008

The Heart of the Matter Meme topic today:

How does your family celebrate? What are your favorite holiday links? Do you teach your kiddos about the other holidays? Do you take December off from schooling? Imagine that this is a unit study–share your past and present holiday ideas with everyone else.

I've already shared about some of our holiday traditions, so I think I'll write today about schooling in December.

When Mr. Math Tutor was doing the schooling, December was a pretty skeletal month as far as school goes.  I was working, and he was doing a lot of stuff at church during the month.  Things are a little different now that I'm the "schoolmarm".  Last year, we did a "Christmas Unit" where we studied traditions from different parts of the world.  Unfortunately, we didn't get done quite as much as I would have liked, but it was fun.

This year, Ga'hoole Girl requested that we suspend Sonlight and do another Christmas unit study, but I didn't have time to put anything together, so I declined.  Instead, we are doing Sonlight, but without some of the "bells and whistles" that I usually like to add.  (Of course, I've had so many headaches this week, that we never actually got to the Sonlight stuff!)  My goal is for them each do to math and some kind of reading each day and then add in science and Sonlight when we can.

We are doing lots of crafts this year, which are educational even if they don't "fit" into the curriculum.  I've been impressed at watching the kids' persistence in making some of their items.  Of course, since some of my family reads this blog, I can't tell you specifics of what they're making till after Christmas, but suffice it to say that they are really cool gifts.  We are planning to do a gingerbread church next week.  Almost 20 years ago, I bought a book with lots of different structures to make from gingerbread, and I have never used it.  This year, though, we are going to tackle the "Victorian Church".  It's a pretty simple pattern, but it does have stained glass windows that we make with hard candy.  I'm planning for that project to take us at least a week.

So, what are you doing with your kids this holiday season?  Check out Heart of the Matter Online to see the December activities of other families!

 

 

Christmas Meme

I've come across variations on this meme on blogs and emails, so I decided to participate in blog form.  If you are reading this, consider yourself tagged.  I came across it on the Treasured Chapters blog (a good blog, by the way).

1. Wrapping Paper or Gift Bags? Usually wrapping paper, but I do reuse gift bags that I get from other people.  Christmas morning would not be the same, though, without kids tearing in to wrapped presents!

2. Real or Artificial Tree? Artificial.  We used to get a live tree every year, but it really became too much hassle to deal with.  It's also a real pain to get a snowy tree into the house without making a complete disaster.  About five years ago, we bought a small (4 foot) tree from Hobby Lobby that was already lit.  It is perfect!  Of course, last year, the lights quit working, so Mr. Math Tutor took them all off and now we have to string lights, but it's not a big deal because it's a small tree.  Also, we put the tree on a small table, so it's easy to see and there's room for a Nativity set and/or gifts underneath.

3. When do you put up the tree?  Usually Thanksgiving night or the day after Thanksgiving.

4. When do you take the tree down?  As soon after the first of the year that someone gets up enough energy to start.

5. Do you like eggnog?  No.  But, Mr. Math Tutor is a huge fan.  The kids also like it pretty well.

6. Favorite gift received as a child?  Tough one.  I really liked the "Baby Alive" I got when I was small, but my brother and I also got skateboards one year which was pretty cool.

7. Hardest person to buy for?  Mr. Math Tutor.  It's kind of good because he's not really materialistic, but the few things he does want are pretty pricey (like a new laptop - and, no, that's not what I'm getting him).

8. Easiest person to buy for?  Kids.  They make a list well before Thanksgiving and then are kind enough to let us know any changes throughout the season.

9. Do you have a Nativity set?  Do I have a Nativity?  Do I have a Nativity?  Let me tell you about my Nativity sets!  Actually, I did that last year.  The short version - I collect Nativity sets and now have a grand total of 14.

10. Mail or email Christmas cards?  Mail.  But, I'm not sure I'll get around to it this year.  If you normally get a Christmas card from me, just know that a lack of a card this year is not because I don't love you, but because I'm generally overwhelmed with life.

11. Worst Christmas present?  A golf bag.  I'll spare you the story.  Let's just say that thinking about it brings me and my mother to tears.

12. Favorite Christmas movie?  Either "It's a Wonderful Life" or "Miracle on 34th Street".

13. When do you start shopping for Christmas? Um, usually August or September when the craft fairs start.

14. Have you ever recycled a Christmas present?  No

15. Favorite thing to eat at Christmas?  Gingerbread, chocolate

16. Lights on the tree?  White this year, but we've had colored ones other years.  I'm actually not real picky.

17. Favorite Christmas song?  Pretty much any traditional Christmas Carol, "Mary, Did You Know?" by Kenny Rogers, "When Love Came Down" by Point of Grace

18. Travel at Christmas or stay home?  We're staying home this year, but we have at times traveled to my parents' house.

19. Can you name all of Santa's reindeer? Dasher, Dancer, Prancer, and Vixen, Comet, Cupid, Donner, Blitzen, and Rudolph.  Someone tell me if I'm right!

20. Angel or star on the top of the tree?  Star.  Since I've been married, we've always had a star on the top of the tree.  The one we use now is about eight years old and really sparkly.

21. Open the presents Christmas Eve or Christmas morning?  Christmas morning.  We do let the kids open one gift on Christmas Eve, though.  Can you imagine opening all your gifts in the evening and then having to go to bed?  And, my kids would pester us all day to get to gift opening time.  I like that we get up and do presents first thing in the morning!

22. Most annoying thing about this time of year?  The unrealistic expectations we place upon ourselves.  If I can't keep a clean house and school the kids the rest of the year, what makes me think I can clean house, school kids, make crafts, and bake during the month of December.

23. Favorite ornament? I bought a beautiful bell ornament in Blowing Rock, NC about 11 years ago.  I also have a cute set of penguin ornaments that I bought in college - my roommate from college also bought a set at the same time.  I hope she still has hers.  And, of course, I love anything my kids have made.

24. Favorite Christmas story or book?  Letters from Father Christmas by Tolkein, A Christmas Carol by Dickens, and The Christmas Miracle of Johathan Toomey by Susan Wojciechowski.

25. Favorite Christmas tradition?  That's a tough one.  I love the Christmas season and almost all the traditions that we have.  My favorites are probably our Christmas reading and baking.

Life in Rural Wisconsin

Coming home from dance class and shopping tonight, I saw a van with a recently hunted deer tied to the back end. Now that I have been in rural Wisconsin for almost 12 years, I am getting used to this sight. For the first few years, I was taken aback every time I saw a car or truck with a dead animal strapped to the top. Eating such an animal never really occurred to me at the time, being brought up suburban and all that. But times change. Now I'm happy to get deer meat from friends who kill more than their own families will eat. And, my family is thrilled, too.

Our first year here, I had an interesting experience with deer. I was on obstetrics call one night in the fall. Sometime after midnight, I was called in to deliver a baby. The birth went well, and I finished all my paperwork. I decided to take the "back way" home since it was a little quicker. We lived about eight minutes from the hospital and the "back way" involved going out of town into the country by several farms. On the way home, I came across two deer, almost hitting one. As I got into bed at about 3am, I told my husband that I'd better go through town from now on to avoid deer. A whopping fifteen minutes later, the hospital called and needed me to come in immediately to see a pregnant woman with elevated blood pressure and preterm labor (that will sure get my blood pressure up!). Of course, I decided to go through town instead of taking the country roads. As I got into town, I turned on the main residential street with lots of old homes, and saw, to my great amazement and dismay, three deer walking side by side down the road - just like in that TV show "Northern Exposure"! They were facing away from me and didn't make any move to get out of my way until I was practically on top of them! I got to the hospital and took care of the patient, transferring her to more appropriate care and headed back home. When I settled into bed again (this time around 5am), I told the story to my husband and said that if I came across a moose walking down the street (a la "Northern Exposure"), we were moving back down South. Needless to say, the deer and I have made peace, and we are still enjoying life in the Great White North!