Heritage – HOTM Meme – March 14, 2009

  Heritage: Something that is passed down from preceding generations; a tradition.

When I think about family heritage I know that I am very blessed to have great-grandparents (mostly deceased) that all came to America in their lifetimes. The traditions have not faded from my family yet. I was raised with a very rich knowledge of where I came from and am able to tell my children the first and second hand accounts of where our traditions came from. I am a third generation American and being raised in Texas there aren’t many people I know that can say this. My husband, in fact, can trace his family almost all the way back to the beginning of this country, while I know where to find the Ellis Island records for mine. What is your heritage? Where did your family begin? Did they spread like the wind or stay fairly close to one another? Do you have unique traditions that each generation has upheld? What is the legacy you leave to future generations?

This week’s Heart of the Matter Meme is supposed to be a video meme, but since making a video requires multiple steps for me, I’m just going to do a regular post.

My family’s heritage is Irish, English, and American Indian.  My father’s family can trace it’s roots back to Ireland, and my cousin has visited family there.  Our ancestor came to the US and settled in Alabama in the early to mid 1800s.  The rest of the family is centered in the Louisiana-East Texas area.  I remember that my family was originally Catholic when they arrived, but converted at some point to Protestantism.  Now, one of the regular activities at family reunions is singing hymns around the piano.

My mother’s family heritage is less easily traced.  I do know that my grandfather was a hobo for a while before he got married.  That’s pretty cool.  My grandmother’s family was American Indian from eastern Louisiana.  I grew up in Florida while my aunts, uncles, cousins, etc were all in Mississippi and Louisiana, so I didn’t know many of them well.  In addition, one set of grandparents had died before I was born, and the other set died before my teen years, so I didn’t know them well.  I visit my extended family regularly but am still closest to my parents and brother.

A few years ago, I started doing an oral history of my family, but got distracted and let it drop.  I need to restart that.  My mother had 11 siblings, so we had a lot of ground to cover!!

The heritage that I want to pass on to my children is the love for the Lord that their grandparents have.  I grew up in a home where I knew that God was real and that He loved me.  I want my kids to know that.  Of course, I also want them to know the books of the Bible, lots of Bible verses, Bible stories, and lots of theology, but I mostly want them to know Jesus.  A big part of the reason for my faith is the home in which I was raised.  I want to pass that on to my children.

What is your heritage?  What legacy do you want to leave your children?  Check out Heart of the Matter Online to see what others have said!

Friday night

It’s been a long week, but a good week.  My weekly wrap-up post will probably not get posted till Sunday.  The Science Fair is tomorrow morning then Mr. Math Tutor and I have a date.  We are going to have a late lunch/early dinner and then go shopping at Sam’s Club.  Yeah, I know – you’re jealous.  Try to control yourselves.  Until then, though, I’m praying fervently for no migraine.

Lagniappe – March 12, 2009

After a short debate at the dinner table, we have decided that chicken and dumplings are not properly soup or stew but a Southern delicacy.

I’ve been planning “curriculum” for next year – my daughter will be in high school – EEK!!!!!

The kids science fair projects will be done on time – but it won’t be without some stress.  There’s a reason they recommend starting eight weeks beforehand.

Wild Man learned to cut up lettuce last night.  He really enjoyed the part where he got to pound the head of lettuce on the counter.

I’m thinking about making peanut soup.  Yeah, it sounds a little unusual, especially for a picky eater like me, but I like spicy peanut sauce, so I think it might be something to try.

It was six degrees when I left the house for my appointment this morning.  I am in serious need of springtime.

And the Winner Is . . . .

Dana Nelson!

Dana, you are the winner of the book, The Echo Within!  If you are the Dana Nelson that I know in real life, drop me an email and let me know how I can get the book to you.  If you’re not the Dana Nelson I know in real life, send me your contact info at pcmartin@charter.net.  ‘Cause I don’t want to make any assumptions.

Thanks everyone who entered the drawing.  Keep an eye out for another book giveaway in a month or so!

Lovin’ Facebook

I love Facebook – I really do.  I like being able to easily catch up with friends from high school and college.  I like being able to leave a quick little note about what I’m doing (or not doing) and reading other people’s random musings.  I like being able to post pictures for only my friends to see without having to email them.

I don’t “friend” people on Facebook that I don’t know in real life.  I think I miss out on some fun stuff because of it, but it’s just not a good precedent to set.  I post pictures of my kids on here, but I don’t put their real names and lots of detail here.  On Facebook, since it’s people I know in real life, I can be more open about the bits and pieces.  I also don’t do it because it’s a hard and fast rule for our kids that they can’t “friend” anyone on Facebook when they get their accounts (which they don’t want yet).  I’ve seen kids get into serious (almost life-threatening) situations because they got into a relationship with someone dangerous on a social networking site.  So, I’m not going to be “friends” with Jon Acuff (Stuff Christians Like) or other minor celebrities like that unless I meet them in person first (which would be cool).

So, if I know you in real life, I’m happy to be your Facebook “friend”.  If I still only know you in cyberspace, and we haven’t yet laid eyes on each other, then I’ll have to risk offending you and not being your “friend” on Facebook.  Another group of people whom I’m risking offending are those who want to be my friend, but I don’t recall ever knowing.  I sure hope we weren’t best friends in third grade or anything.  I figure, though, that if I have to look you up in the yearbook to know who you are, we’re not close enough to worry about being “friends”.

To conclude, go to this post and read my review of The Echo Within and leave a comment to get signed up for the giveaway.  Yeah.  That was pretty much a non-sequitor.  It was me, not you.  I’m going to go clean the kitchen now.  Hope you have a nice evening.

Teaching a Wiggly Ten Year Old Dyslexic Boy

My son has always been a mover and a shaker.  I first felt him move in utero at 16 weeks – a full 4 weeks earlier than I had felt his sister, and about 2 weeks earlier than expected.  And, I don’t think he’s stopped since then.  He’s also dyslexic which means that his brain doesn’t process language normally.  He has trouble with reading and spelling, in particular.

I’m always looking for strategies to help my wiggly boy with his more “schooly” activities.  For the most part, I try to adapt to his best learning style, which is auditory.  I also try to let him move around when possible and talk to himself out loud when he needs to (often requiring that he be in a room separate from his sister who works best in silence or music).  Spelling is one of the hardest subjects for him.  Not only does he have trouble with the subject itself, but it’s a lesson that has to go at my (the teacher’s) pace, not his.  We use All About Spelling, so he does get to use the magnet board and tiles, but it’s still a challenge.

I read a short article about schools using stability balls instead of chairs for students in classrooms.  The claim was that the students were able let out some of their pent up energy through the ball while they still were able to concentrate on lessons.  In addition, the article claimed that the students showed improvement in posture.

So, I tried it.  I have a stability ball that I use for exercise, so I had Wild Man try it for spelling and Explode the Code.  He absolutely loved it today, but I can’t say yet exactly why it is helping.  He did spend some time today singing while rolling around on the ball, but he also sings while goofing off in the chair.  So, maybe it’s just novelty, but I am optimistic that the stability ball will allow him to keep part of his body moving while working his brain.

I already owned the ball, so there was no cost to trying this out.  I’ll give an update in a week or so and report how he’s doing with regular use of the ball instead of a regular chair.

Check out I Am Blissfully Domestic for more great ideas!!  Also, don’t forget to read my book review and leave a comment to get signed up for a book giveaway.

P.S. Yeah, I know I usually post something to do with food on Tuesdays, but I have a headache and we’ve been seriously overwhelmed with Science Fair projects and not doing much exciting with food, so I don’t have any new recipes to share right now.  And I don’t know if that duck is going to get cooked this week.

The Coming Evangelical Collapse

It seems that every evangelical blogger has linked to this article and given their (usually favorable) opinion.  So, I guess I have to follow the crowd on this one.  Michael Spence, aka the Internet Monk, believes that we are on the brink of the collapse of Evangelicalism as we know it.  He does have hope for the Christian faith in a house church movement as well as the growth of the Charismatic movement.

I’m not as pessimistic as Mr. Spencer as regards modern Evangelicalism though I do share his overall concerns.  Those of us in the Church in America need to get back to the Gospel and away from the materialism and junk that has built up around our faith over the years.  It is certainly very disturbing to see so many young people leaving the Church and to see that the Church has so little effect in society.  The fix is not programs but Jesus, plain and simple.  When individuals truly understand the Gospel, then we can work in community to make a difference in our world.  Go read the article – it’s good.

By the way, I’ve got up a book review and will be doing a giveaway on Thursday, so go check that out, too!!

Our Morning Routine

Heart Of The Matter Online is having an eight week blog carnival – Eight Weeks to a More Organized Homeschool.  Wow.  I could certainly be more organized around here!!!  I used to pride myself on my organizational skills.  Then life happened.  When I left the workplace, I found that I no longer had an assistant to keep track of the details, and that children are far more needy than patients.  Top that off with chronic pain and unpredictable flare-ups and you have a recipe for disaster!

But, being naturally rather organized has helped me manage with a little more grace.  One of the big things that we do is keep some routines, particularly for our mornings.  Now, if you were to visit one morning, you might have a hard time discerning the routine, but it is there.  We don’t have a specified time to awaken each day (although this may change next fall if the children take classes at the public school).  Mr. Math Tutor is an early riser, usually followed by Wild Man, then me, then Ga’hoole Girl (typical teenager).

Each child has a list of chores that they have to do each morning before they can have breakfast.  Wild Man has to shovel or sweep the back walkway, sweep the kitchen and dining room, clean his room, and get dressed as well as do his weekly chore.  Ga’hoole Girl’s list includes shoveling or sweeping the front steps, vacuuming the living room, cleaning her room, and getting dressed along with her weekly chore.  After breakfast, they are expected to put away their dishes then brush their teeth.  Each day they have a “weekly chore” that varies by day of the week.  In this way, almost the whole house gets vacuumed and dusted and the bathroom gets cleaned in the course of the week. Their lists are posted in plastic page protectors and taped to a bookshelf in the dining room.  Wild Man likes to mark off his chores every day with a dry-erase marker.

Since I don’t have a time frame on our morning routines, the kids can take a few minutes if they need to wake up in the morning.  They have an incentive, though, to get their work done quickly since they can’t have breakfast until their chores are done.  I try to have their school lists printed the night before so they can start their schoolwork as soon as they are done with breakfast, even if I don’t feel well.

So, that’s it.  It’s pretty simple.  There are some kinks in the system at times.  I’ve been known to have to re-teach sweeping skills or find that a child has “forgotten” to do something – for several days running.  But, usually a small reminder fixes the problem.  We may not have the most productive days possible, but this routine gets us up and moving most days.  It’s a few minutes of organizational light in a day of chaos!

Menu Plan Monday – March 9, 2009

The discipline of menu making is truly helpful for me.  I don’t actually expect my readers to be terribly interested in my menus, but the very act of making them is good for me.  For the few of you who do read these posts, I note a couple of things about my Menu Plan Monday posts.  I don’t plan out what I’m going to cook for each day because my headaches are unpredictable and mess up our weeks.  Instead, I plan out six dinner menus for the week.  Also, I don’t plan anything for Monday since Mr. Math Tutor and Wild Man leave for drum lesson, dance class, and AWANA at about 2:30 on Monday afternoon.  Wild Man makes sandwiches for them while Ga’hoole Girl and I eat leftovers.  I usually plan another sandwich or leftover day for later in the week to allow for a migraine.  So, without further adieu, here are this week’s dinner plans:

1. Roast beef with over fries and roasted asparagus – roast was on sale at the local grocery store and the asparagus is one sale at the Pick’N’Save.

2. Chicken and Dumplings – It’s going to get cold(er) again this week, and whole chickens are on sale at Pick’N’Save.

3. Meatloaf patties, home fries, frozen brocolli

4. Something with duck – I bought duck on sale about a month ago and put it in the freezer.  Ga’hoole Girl and I need to get inventive later this week.  I’m sure I’ll do a post if it turns out good.

5. Stir-fry with broccoli

6. Sandwiches or frozen pizza – probably Friday night since the kids have to set up their Science Fair projects that evening.

I think one of the good things about setting up menus is that it makes me look at our week and evaluate when I have time to really cook a big meal and when we need to do something quick and easy.  Check out Menu Plan Monday for more great ideas.

Book Review – This Is Your Brain On Joy

I am privileged to review This is Your Brain on Joy by Dr. Earl Henslin for Thomas Nelson Publishers.  In consideration of this review, I did receive a copy of the book.

Dr. Henslin is a licensed counselor who has been working with Dr. Daniel Amen and integrating brain imaging into his clinical practice.  This is Your Brain on Joy is a book for the lay person summarizing the basics of psychopathology and it’s correlation with SPECT (single photon computerized tomography) scan results.  But, he doesn’t stop there, he goes on to recommend dietary changes, exercise, supplements, and other things that a lay person can implement on their own to help mild symptoms.  At times, he gives information about medications that can be used by physicians for treatment of more serious symptoms.

This book is written for the lay person and is really quite easy to understand.  Dr. Henslin’s writing style is pleasant and entertaining.  He makes the concept of SPECT scans simple to understand (I think, although I may be biased because I already understood how they work).  The layout of the book is clear with pictures and outlines (for those of us with analytical brains).  He ends with a wrap-up chapter tying the spiritual side of mood into the rest of what he has written.

It’s hard to explain this book in a short review.  Let me give you an example.  The part of the book that really resonated with me was the chapter on the deep limbic system since that’s the area that is mostly associated with depressed mood.  The chapter starts with a discussion of depression, then moves on to what the limbic system does when it is working well and what happens when it is not working well.  He then moves on to a comparison of grief and depression and then shows some SPECT images of a brain of a person who is depressed.  Next, he discusses the role of false religion in depression and then moves on to how God sees the depressed person.  The rest of the chapter is spent discussing diet, exercise, supplements, Scripture, etc. that may help depression.

This is an excellent book that I strongly recommend to anyone who struggles with mood issues.  If you are trying to deal with mood issues without medication, this is a good place to start.  If you are using medication to deal with mood issues, this book can give you some recommendations of things to help the medications work better.  Dr. Henslin and Dr. Amen also encourage those who have unresolved emotional issues consider getting a SPECT scan done and have their treatment based on the results of the scan.  As a physician, I can’t really comment on that recommendation since I haven’t read the relevant literature, and I’m not a psychiatrist.

One of the things that I most appreciated about this book was that it is based on the assumption that Christianity is true, God is real, and Jesus is the basis of our joy.  Dr. Henslin wants to use all of the science that’s available to help people feel better, but knows that the ultimate source of our joy is Jesus.  Everything he recommends in this book is consistent with a Christian view of the world – read it and find out for yourself!

Our Week in Review

Not only did we have a rather productive week this week, but I didn’t have any knock-down drag-out migraines.  I think we still could be a little more “productive” with our time, but we are making progress.  I made dinner from scratch three times this week (and will be doing so again today) which is good for the tummies, budget, and general all-around well-being.  So, what did happen this week?  I’ll break it down by subject this week.

Bible/AWANA – Wild Man is working diligently on Discovery 6 in his AWANA book.  His goal is to finish this book this year.  We also reviewed the books of the Bible.  He just about has them down pat.  (Unfortunately, my meds are making me forgetful, so I’m not as on top of things as I’d like to be.  But, I just check his AWANA book if I need to.  It’s good to be the parent.)  As a family, we are reading in Exodus.  We’re now into the laws that God gave Moses which get a little tedious at times.  The kids are really hanging with it, though.

History – We learned about the French and Indian War and the Seven Years’ War.  The excitement level is low right now, but we’re about to get to Marie Antoinette, which at least interests Ga’hoole Girl.

Math – Both kids are working well in ALEKS.  I have Wild Man now doing three pie pieces each day in order to help him move a little more quickly.  His last assessment went quite well.

Foreign Languages – Wild Man is doing PowerSpeak Spanish and Ga’hoole Girl is doing PowerSpeak Latin.  Since Ga’hoole Girl is doing High School level Latin, she is really paying attention to her grade.  Her 8th grade Spanish grade wasn’t great, but this one goes on her transcript.  So far, she has an A.  (We are pretty relaxed about grading most things, but grades from an outside source like PowerSpeak go on the transcript “as is”.)

Language Arts – Wild Man – Spelling took some serious effort this week.  We only did one new lesson, but did lots of spelling work.  Wild Man’s dyslexia really affects his spelling.  His reading is improving, but he still skips or misreads small words quite frequently.  I’m also having him work on pronouncing things more clearly.

Language Arts – Ga’hoole Girl – I had Ga’hoole Girl do a new Spelling assessment and she got to move ahead two levels.  I’m about ready to be done with spelling with her.  Her spelling isn’t great, but it’s OK.  I think she can learn the rest of the spelling she needs with a vocabulary program that will also get her prepped for the ACT.  Her usable vocabulary is quite large, but I would like to have her do some formal vocabulary work to learn word roots, prefixes, suffixes, etc.

Science – We’re getting ready for the Science Fair!!  Wild Man did his trebuchet measurements today (pictures later).  Ga’hoole Girl has been gradually working on collecting data for her “How Much Did Solomon’s Temple Cost?” project.  The Science Fair is next Saturday, so we will have a busy week coming up.

Music and dance – Ga’hoole Girl is working hard on her pieces for piano competition.  She and her teacher chose some tough pieces this time around, but I’m confident she can do it – with some work.  Both kids are enjoying dance class.  Wild Man signed up for the “Dance Team” part of the Children’s Worship Team at church.  They will do some motions to worship music at the big Easter Egg-stravaganza later this spring.  The leader sounded a little surprised that a boy had signed up, but I assured her that he knew what was involved and was excited about it.  The homeschool talent show is in about 6 weeks.  The kids are now planning to sing and dance to “Moses Supposes His Toeses are Roses” from “Singin’ In The Rain”.  It’s going to be a wild several weeks around here.  We also had a lovely evening last night at the Point Dance Ensemble spring performance.  If you are in the Stevens Point area, they are performing again tonight, and the performance is well worth your time.

So, how was your week?  Check out Weird, Unsocialized Homeschoolers for more weekly reviews!!

Seven Quick Takes Friday

1. Fire!  Yesterday, Wild Man asked me if he could use the oven.  I told him “yes” since we were all watching a TV show about Megalightning.  About five minutes later, I heard, “Mom, FIRE!”  I jumped up and ran the few steps to the kitchen to find that he was holding a cookie sheet with parchment paper that was, indeed, on fire.  I reached for the flour (which was closer than the fire extinguisher) while Mr. Math Tutor came in and took the pan and put it under running water.  The flames were out in short order.  The good news is that Wild Man kept his head during the whole ordeal, didn’t drop the pan, didn’t scream, and called for help just like he was supposed to.  Now he knows that you can’t use the broiler with parchment paper.  Right.

2. The Topamax dopiness is still there, but intermittent.  Yesterday, I threw our books of the Bible index cards on the dining room floor and had Wild Man put them in order.  As I watched, I realized that I couldn’t remember where some of them went.  How could I not know where Hebrews goes???  I’ve known that since I was six???  And, I couldn’t figure out what order Joel and Amos went in!!  Alas.  But, it’s better than a migraine.

3. Ga’hoole Girl and Wild Man are signed up for this year’s homeschool talent show.  I think (hope) they’ve settled on their act – a simplified dance to “Moses Supposes His Toeses are Roses” from “Singin’ In the Rain”.  Ga’hoole Girl is going to choreograph and teach Wild Man.

4. I actually made it to homeschool group this morning.  It was really quite enjoyable.  I think the coolest thing was that lots of the moms seemed truly glad to see me there.  I stay so cooped up here at home that I forget the rest of the world exists, sometimes.

5. The kids have been really wanting to go out to eat at Perkins.  We are going to see the dance group tonight, so we said we can have dinner at Perkins if we go “dutch” – each family member pays their own way.

6. Mr. Math Tutor got his new toy.  Of course, he hasn’t used it much yet.  Ga’hoole Girl and I moved some furniture on Monday and I used it to clean a little section of living room.  Let me tell you, this thing has some serious suction.  It can probably pick up small children if you’re not careful.  Our goal is to get some of the cat hair around here cleaned up.  Only two of our rooms are carpeted, but the sofa holds on to cat hair in a big way.  With this new vacuum, we hope to have a less cat hair dominated house.  Eventually, we’ll get some real use out of it.

7. The science fair is next weekend.  I think it’s going to be a long week.

Check out Seven Quick Takes at Conversion Diary for more great entries.

P.S. Check out this post for a book review and giveaway!!  Leave a comment and you could be a recipient of a great book!

Book Review and Giveaway!

The Echo Within by Robert Benson is a book I am pleased to review for Waterbrook Press.  In addition to providing the book to me for reviewing, the publisher has also provided me a copy to give away.  If you are interested in receiving this book, just leave a comment at the end of this post.  The winner will be chosen on Thursday, March 12.

The Echo Within is a short book in which Robert Benson describes his own search for (and eventual finding of) his calling in life.  He describes this search as listening for the voice of God within ourselves – i.e. the echo within.  He talks about the integration of his spiritual experiences, work experiences, relationships, and other life experiences into who he now is.

This book is short – less than 200 pages.  There is not much detail about Robert Benson’s life, yet he manages to put much of himself into those 180 pages.  Much of what he said resonated with me.  I know about wanting to know my calling in life.  But, I’m also learning that my calling in life is wherever I am right this minute.

There is much in this little book that is encouraging and helpful.  I recommend it, particularly for those of us coming in to middle age who are starting to wonder if we are really doing the “right” thing in life.  Mr. Benson has many good insights.

If you are interested in this book, please leave a comment of any kind, and I'll put your name in the hat next Thursday.  Tell your friends and neighbors as well!!

Check it out!!

I have a review of two popular Spanish programs up at Heart of the Matter Online.  Check it out!

Lagniappe!!

Wild Man spelled “been” on the first try today!!!!

I made French Dip for the family which was a hit except for the fact that I need to use sirloin instead of rump roast.  (But, I had already bought the rump roast, so we just chewed a little more.)

The Topamax is making me more dopey than I expected.  I feel like one neuron at a time is firing.

I am also having sections of my limbs falling asleep because of the Topamax.  Did you know that your knees can fall asleep?  Indeed, they can.  A little movement gets rid of the tingling, so it’s not too bad.

The kids have been watching almost every song in Singin’ in the Rain and trying to learn the words and/or dance.

The city fined us because we forgot to have someone shovel our section of sidewalk while we were gone (and there was, of course, a snow storm).  We hadn’t gotten around to paying the fine, but got a letter today telling us that they had reconsidered and that we don’t actually have to pay the fine since it’s our first offense.  Yes.  We know.  We’ll be careful and ask someone “specifically” to make sure the sidewalk gets shoveled next time we go out of town.

It’s going to be 40+ degrees tomorrow.  Then there will be ice on Friday.  Springtime.

Topamax

Until about a week ago, I hadn’t been on any specific medication for migraine prevention for a couple of years.  In the years before quitting work, I had been through just about every medication and combination of medications along with most alternative med treatments without much relief.  I’ve been having more trouble with chronic headaches and migraines in the last few months, so my doctor and I agreed to trying Topamax again. 

Topamax is the medication that has worked best in the past for my migraines.  But, it’s not perfect.  At one conference I attended, the neurologists nicknamed Topamax “Dopamax” because of how “dopey” it makes people.  In my case, I tend to think more slowly and I have trouble finding words.  Today, I couldn’t come up with the word “clipboard”.  I ended up describing it and finally finding one on the desk and pointing to it.

Another side effect is taste changes.  A friend of mine who took it said that she didn’t like to drink soda anymore.  When I was taking it a few years ago, I hadn’t really noticed that side effect, but I drank my soda straight out of the can.  I have noticed in the last week, that soda that I pour over ice tastes very flat.  This isn’t really a bad thing since I’m trying to cut out soda.

The other big Topamax side effect is weight loss.  Not a bad thing for me.  Actually, I lost a lot of weight when I was on this medication the last time.  Even on the low dose I’m on right now, I’ve seen that I’m full very quickly and I have very little sugar craving.  So, at least I can take advantage of this side effect.  I had heard that some people were wanting to use Topamax just for weight loss.  That doesn’t seem wise given the fact that there is so much risk for cognitive side effects, and there are potential metabolic side effects, meaning that I have to get blood draws every few months to check my bicarbonate level.

Hopefully, I’ll be feeling a little better in the next few months.  But, I might just be a little more goofy.  Just in case you notice anything strange.  Well, more strange.

Menu Plan Monday – March 2, 2009

I think the migraine from h*ll has finally broken – yippee!!  Now I can actually think.  So, of course, I’ll plan something.  Actually, I did plan out the kids’ schoolwork for the week yesterday.  I’ve got that down to a pretty “automated” process.  I made a trip today to the small grocery store here in town so I have most of what I need for cooking this week.  Here’s the plan right now – in no particular order:

1. French Dip (at the particular request of the family)

2. Stew meat, barley, green beans cooked in the pressure cooker (stew meat was on sale).

3. Stew (I bought a lot of stew meat – it was a good sale)

4. Forty cloves and a chicken

5. Grilled cheese sandwiches

6. Leftovers

7. Leftovers/clean out the fridge

No, it doesn’t look terribly exciting on the food front this week.  I only spent $75 at the grocery store and the only thing I still need to buy is barley and potatoes, so I’m doing really well with the budget this week (although we are almost out of milk).

Check out Menu Plan Monday for more great ideas for what to fix for your family this week.

Make Your Next Vacation A Quest!!

Check out Heart of the Matter Online for my article on how to make your next vacation a quest!!

Our Week In Review – March 1, 2009

These posts are very useful for me because they show me how much my kids are really learning even during weeks when I feel like we have done very little.  I have had a constant headache with several migraines since we arrived back from our trip on Monday.  I had originally planned that we would get right back in to a full school schedule, but it never materialized.  Here’s what we did manage this week:

We watched several DVR shows, including one on George Washington and a number of Food Network shows.

The kids did Math and Spanish (Wild Man) and Latin (Ga’hoole Girl) several days.

Mr. Math Tutor read the rest of Endymion Spring to us.

Both kids have outlines ready for their science projects.

Both kids have been reading novels of their choice.

The kids cleaned the kitchen together on Friday so that Ga’hoole Girl could bake and frost a chocolate cake (with Wild Man’s help).  That was wildly successful!!

So, the week was certainly not an educational loss.  I am, of course, hoping for more structure next week, but we do the best we can.  Check out Weird, Unsocialized Homeschoolers to see how others fared this week!

Respect – Heart of the Matter Online Meme – February 27, 2009

Today’s Heart of the Matter Online Meme Topic is the following:

Real Life Subjects: What Your Family Does Ordinarily That Teaches Your Child an Abundance of Lessons?

What came to my mind when I read this topic is respect.  My husband and I are often disturbed by how we hear other people speak to each other – friends, family, whatever.  We want our children to learn to speak respectfully to family members as well as other people.  Part of how we teach that is through example.  Mr. Math Tutor and I work hard at speaking nicely to each other even when we disagree.  We also have “Speak Respectfully” as one of the Five Rules of our family.  When the kids get into disagreements, I try to let them work things out by themselves as much as possible, but I do step in if they start to talk disrespectfully to each other.  So far, the results seem to be positive.

Check out Heart of the Matter Online to see what other families teach as they homeschool.