So much on my mind...

I turned 40 yesterday. It was a day to stop all outside activities and focus on what is really important. I didn't plan on that, but when Jake threw up first thing in the morning, that's what the day turned into. Yes, I spent part of the day feeling sorry for myself, but I spent much more of it feeling sorry for Jake. Not so much for the sickness, since as far as sicknesses go it was very mild, but because he was so disappointed that he was sick. "Why do I have to have this?" "Why did God make germs?" "Why can't we just sneeze the germs out instead of having to throw up?" These and many more were the questions I attempted to answer yesterday. Jake also felt bad that he was sick on my birthday. I spend a lot of time on here harping about what I often consider Jake's downfalls, like his lack of regard for what other people think, but really his heart is so tender. He doesn't always show his tenderness, but it's in there. Sweetness from a more challenging kid is just that much sweeter. He's pretty much back to normal today (good normal), and while the other two were at PE I took him on a Mom and Jake date to eat some soup and crackers. We are having a very good day!

From the learning rooms...
I love educating the kids. I am often frustrated by all of the other incidentals in our life that take away from our time reading and learning together because that is really my favorite thing to do. Jake and I have been really enjoying our five in a row books (sometimes he enjoys my reading when he's playing his DS {on mute at least}). Last week (actually for about 2 weeks) we did The Rag Coat by Lauren Mills. We read our five in a row book everyday for at least 5 days, but I often don't do the activities the way they are presented in the manual...I sometimes don't get that book out for weeks. With the rag coat, I taught Jake to use the sewing machine while we worked on a little blanket that I am making out of some of the kids' old baby clothes. We also have a story (I guess it is a song too) by Dolly Parton about a similar rag coat, we discussed the two books. A school scope and sequence would say "compare and contrast", but we just had a pleasant conversation about the two stories. This week Jake and I are doing Follow the Drinking Gourd by Jeanette Winter. We also got another book by the same name (different author) out of the library that has a CD to go with it. It has the same song (an escape song used by the underground railroad to help slaves escape north to freedom), but is about a different family. Reading Rainbow had an episode about Winter's book and we got that out of the library and watched it as well. I seem to be meeting a lot of people who are new to homeschooling, and I've gotten a lot of questions about what I recommend for young kids. I always say five in a row, but it is hard for me to explain what school really looks like in my house because it is hard to see "school" it is really just life.

Jonathan had to do an experiment for science this week where he had to dissolve a boullion cube in warm water separate it into 4 glasses. One glass was the control, one went in the refrigerator, one had salt added to it and the forth had vinegar added to it. As you might have guessed the contol grew a lot of bacteria in a short period of time (you could tell this by trying to read a piece of paper through the glass), the salt and refrigerated ones grew some bacteria, and the vinegar one grew almost none. What a great and easy way to show how food spoils and why we need to refrigerate it (or salt or pickle it) to keep the growth of bacteria to a minimum. I really feel that the things we do and the products that we have found to help us are so basic and easy and yield great information with hardly any preparation. This "no preparation" is key because as difficult as it is to make time to sit down and do the basic activities, it would be next to impossible to find extra time to actually "plan lessons". That whole lesson plan question to me goes hand in hand with the how long is your school day question. The answers I tend to give for that one fluctuate between 5 minutes and 24 hours depending on what you consider school. Our life seems so obvious to me because it is the life we are living, but the more I talk to other people (those who don't really know us) the more I am reminded that what we do is "different".


From the kitchen...
We've gotten into the habit of making brownies in muffin tins instead of a 9x13 pan. So much easier! Why did that one take me so long to figure out?!

Madi has made the challah in a bag twice now and it is soo good! She also made a yummy cake for my birthday!

I've been making homemade cocoa instead of the instant stuff...also easy and without any of the fake stuff. The recipe is right on the can of cocoa.

I've seen the term "slow food" in a few different places lately. Apparently it is the catch phrase for food that you cook from scratch. I figure if little by little we replace some of the convenience foods that we still use with the slower, healthier variety, we'll get to all "slow food" eventually without a huge transition. We've been heading in that direction for years anyway.

On the no microwave front...we've not gotten rid of it, but use it much less often...baby steps.


More misc...
Mike went to a trade show yesterday and came home with balsa wood model planes for the kids. It's still the simple toys that kids like. Jake has played with his all day today...even while listening to me read.

I love facebook! I know there's a lot of "issue" with so much technology etc... but I love that so many people wished me a happy birthday via facebook yesterday. Like everything else there are negatives, but used correctly I think it's great! Jonathan does have his own account. I noticed yesterday that one of his "friends" used some horrible language. We discussed it. Not only does he know that I can go on his account he often leaves it pulled up on my ipod. I'm not "friends" with all of his "friends" and I'm nosey and like to see what's going on (not just in the "mom checking up sense", but in the I love to know about all people all the time). Today I read an amazing little story by Matthew Kelly to Jonathan and Madison. Jonathan's immediate response was..."I want to put that on facebook". [I'm trying to find a link to the story because while it is short it is too long for me to type on here...you can "friend" Jonathan on facebook though because I think he plans to type the whole thing out later]

I just started a new puzzle...it is a White Mountain puzzle of VERMONT (I know Vermont is the Green Mountain State...white mountain is the puzzle company). We bought it at the Ben and Jerry's factory.

My early favorites for American Idol are Casey James, Aaron Kelly, and Katie Stevens. Who do you like?