Tuesday, September 29, 2009

Today's field trip to the local fire station

Tamale dinner

Putting it all together

tamale dinner

It's exactly 36 hours before I leave town and I'm hosting a tamale dinner for 8 in 1 hour!
11 tamales
1 lb shrimp cooked up and served over mushroom ravioli w/ a Old Bay butter sauce
1.5 lb mixed veggies
some Shiner beer
maybe a salad
maybe some wine

Monday, September 28, 2009

Are you concerned about your daughter's clothes?

Are you concerned about the lack of modest clothing available for you to pick from when buying clothes for your daughter? Then consider signing this petition to the Council of Fashion Designers of America: http://www.secretkeepergirl.com/Bod_Squad_Petition.aspx

If you aren't willing to do that, then at least consider shopping at the top 3 'modest clothing' retailers during October 23 & 24th - Old Navy/Gap Kids, Lands' End/Sears, Children's Place - and let them know why you are shopping with them on those particular days.

Dr Laura

I'm liking Dr Laura's post for today : http://www.drlaurablog.com/2009/09/28/when-students-dont-make-the-grade/

Blueberries

I learned this today "Did you know that mixing blueberries with protein powder (or milk proteins) causes a reduction in the antioxidant potential of the blueberries? When making superfoods, avoid combining blueberries and protein (especially milk proteins)."

This means that while it's a good thing to add blueberries to your granola with milk or yogurt (or ice cream), you aren't getting as much goodness from those blueberries as you could. So later in the day go ahead and have a another handful of those blueberries but this time have them plain to better utilize all that antioxidant goodness.

reunions

One 25th reunion down, one 25th reunion to go.

Wednesday, September 23, 2009

12 reasons (of many more) to Homeschool

Passed on from another blog: found at http://highereducation-mama4x.blogspot.com/2009/07/top-12-reasons-to-homeschool.html

1.) Have control over the material your child learns. Worldview included!

2.) Decide with your child the depth and duration of topical studies. To skim the main ideas or to delve into the deepest detail of whatever topic!

3.) Never again be a slave to the school year or the school day: go to the grocery store and the amusement park when you want to, not the same week as everyone else!

4.) Be the major influence in the shaping of your child, instead of his peer group!

5.) For the ability to take advantage of all the opportunities for interesting, character-shaping talks with your child as they arise.

6.) Delight in the fact that your children will be able to interact and converse with all age groups, not just their own.

7.) For the fact that your kids will be able to investigate "community helpers" and business owners in person, instead of through a worksheet.

8.) To know your child can answer the questions of strangers and relatives with more than a few noises or a noncommittal shrug, that they know the reasons behind decisions and how to enunciate them.

9.) For the freedom to educate the way you see fit- be it stringently organized and monitored or loosely flowing from skill to skill.

10.) For the community of similarly-believing families and the support that comes from those who understand the difficulties and joys of such a lifestyle-shaping choice.

11.) For the joy of spending each day with the children you love and observing them as they journey to adulthood.

12.) For the assurance that no other teacher could ever care more or try harder than the one your children had... you.

Real Simple best of picks

The Best Breakfast Cereals

Tuesday, September 22, 2009

Sunday, September 20, 2009

The latest knitting projects

Cotton wash cloths and eventually towels

Tuesday, September 15, 2009

Saturday, September 12, 2009

Another theme song that's a favorite song


JoJos Circus Theme Song -

My favorite song

Evidently, this song is also a favorite of the British Prime Minister!

Thursday, September 10, 2009

not technically

So technically, President Obama was tutored at home each day by his mom to supplement his public school education. He was NOT homeschooled.
But it's still cool that she went to that effort to give him a superior education.

Wednesday, September 09, 2009

empty house

The kids are off at PE for another hour, I've vacuumed, done some more laundry, the dishwasher is unloaded, Joe's off at an appointment and now I'm sitting here enjoying a guarana soda in my solitude (the old leaky dog in the laundry room doesn't count).
Dinner tonight at church - the first of the fall semester - baked potatoes.

I think I'm going to sit and knit for a bit.

POTUS was homeschooled!

Check out this quote from President Obama's speech yesterday:

"When I was young, my family lived in Indonesia for a few years, and my mother didn’t have the money to send me where all the American kids went to school. So she decided to teach me extra lessons herself, Monday through Friday – at 4:30 in the morning.
Now I wasn’t too happy about getting up that early. A lot of times, I’d fall asleep right there at the kitchen table. But whenever I’d complain, my mother would just give me one of those looks and say, "This is no picnic for me either, buster."



Let's look at the stated facts: she taught him herself, every day for 2 hours before he went to the local school and before she went to work. Sounds like homeschooling to me!

Read the transcript yourself if you don't believe me! I had to since I couldn't believe my ears when I heard him say it during the speech! http://www.whitehouse.gov/MediaResources/PreparedSchoolRemarks/

Friday, September 04, 2009

no pictures

Sorry, forgot to take pictures for the first day of PE on Wednesday (actually I do have some but I haven't taken them off of our camera) and today on the field trip. But that's ok 'cause I took pictures with my brain! And I have pictures from another time we went to Pioneer Farms.



Today's events:

8:15 - breakfast
8:30 - spelling test
8:40 - math test
9:15 - pack for Pioneer Farms
9:30 - leave for PF
10:00 - get to PF
12:00 - leave PF
12:30 - get home and pack for Park Day
12:45 - leave for Park Day
1:00 - get to park
4:30 - 4:40 - leave Park and head to Giselle's ballet lesson
5 - 6 - ballet lesson (new day and time this year)
6:15 - 7:15 - dinner at Dynasty Buffet (that's our 'thing' every Friday night after the park) but this time we had others along to join us for dinner. That's always fun!

Tuesday, September 01, 2009

Pot Luck

Red beans and rice with chopped brisket for the field trip CoOp pot luck dinner