November Menu

This menu is not clear...not sure how to go about doing it so if someone has a suggestion let me know.  I went ahead and did an extra large image and then it's off centered on the post but....I would  need to research solutions and the little I did...I saw most were kind of "blurry" also.  So, for a clearer image...click the link below for the .pdf.

I've talked and talked and would get a week planned and such but never did a whole month.  So, I took the time to create a basic menu for the month of November.  

Printable November Menu

Reason 1) I find I have little time on my hands.  Just KNOWING what I'm going to make for lunch and supper goes a long way!  Also I can pull the meat out and have it prepared.

Reason 2) My grocery bill is out of this world.  My goal over the next few weeks is to cut it down.  I found a blog, Po'Mans Meals.  She has created meals with a "per dish" cost attached.  I'm going to start being more aware of how much the meals I serve cost also.  I chuckle because most blogs with posts about inexpensive meals only include the main dish or have a recipe for a family of 4, etc.  Po'Mans Meals does not use sale prices, supposedly and her recipes have all been for 6 servings.  I really want to see how much I'm spending as a whole including our side dishes.  All the green dishes are from her site.  The black are either from All Recipes, or recipes I've made enough that I don't need a recipe for.  If you are using this calendar and need a recipe that in black font....just ask! 

Reason 3)  I'm bound and determined to start shopping at a meat market and see if that helps.  So, in doing that, I want to be able to go just once a month or so and get what I need and freeze it.  We'll see how that goes and if it saves me money.  It'll definitely save me time and stress!

Reason 4) a printed menu gives me a place to keep all our family's 'review" in one place so that when I go to choose meals on the next go around...it's not so difficult.  I'm planning on finding some really good meals that we all like and rotating.  It also gives me a place to write down how much the meal cost . I did not include side dishes in the menu as those will just be whatever is handy...not planning ahead produce.  So, with a printed menu, I can write down the side dishes.

So, I'm finding with a lot of "inexpensive" meals...there is a lot of pasta.  To be truthful...I'm not a big pasta fan.  It seems like a "filler" and kind of empty.  Guess that's why it is cheap.  But this month, I went ahead and included it because yes, a box of pasta at $5/5 and we only use have the box so that means only 50 cents for the pasta portion of the meal for a family of 5 (or 6, if you include baby who is starting on table food)...that is pretty good.    

At the top of the calendar I put labels- that was to help me plan.  I moved some things around so we weren't having potato, rice or pasta twice in a row so it may not be exactly what is in the column...but in general.

There is a blank day of the week, Sunday.  I consider that "open".  I'm hoping that ham or turkey goes on sale.  We have roast and I think even steak in the freezer.  I'll go with the flow with that.

There is also a day or two a week that really was hard to find something and I decided...that is just fine because there will almost always be left overs from Sunday so...we will not be wasting!  

Saturdays there is only one meal planned.  This is going to be our "planned" left-over day.  I also didn't put anything for breakfast on Saturdays.  Typically it's a "left-over/what do you want" day or my husband makes breakfast.

I really like having the planned breakfast.  It allows the kids to be a bit more independent.  I plan a grain and they add a side dish of their choice.  They can always have cold cereal if they do not want what is on the menu for that day.  However, Saturdays are the ONLY..."whatever you want" mornings.  We do not have time for trying to make up mind about what to eat for breakfast...so 2 choices....what's on the menu or cold cereal.  :-D




EDIT:  I uploaded a new calendar as I found an error.
Also, the original had blanks for Sunday.  Typically we have popcorn and cold cuts so I added that in for supper but still left the dinner blank.  Why?  Because something ALWAYS comes up on Sunday.  :-D  For example, we had a potluck this past Sunday.  Who knows what will happen next Sunday.  It's one day I really don't know what we are doing.  So, again, I do have turkey and hope to get a ham on sale.  We also have roasts and steak in the freezer due to purchasing a side of beef.  I'll slip it in as I go.  :-D

Learning From People of the Past

I often come across pictures, quotes and so on and I think...boy, I could learn from this and my kids too!  Some I take with a grain of salt because the use of photo shop is prevalent and I know some people add "quotes" to pictures.  :-D  However, there is one individual that has come up in our history/literature multiples these past couple years with schooling at home and he is an individual we could learn much from!

Mr. Benjamin Franklin!

Wikipedia

Here are some I found and most do not have original "authors" attached.  
I do not claim any of these images as my own.  If you are an original author of one of these, feel free to comment and I'll add your info under the pic.  :-)

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Love this one!  Goes good well with schooling at home!

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Good thoughts!

Pulled Pork That ALL 6 of Us Liked!!!!

Wow!  Isn't that saying something...ALL SIX OF US...said we'd eat this again.   :-D  Most of us are not big BBQ sauce people so this was a recipe with out it.

King Arthur Flour

Wow, that post has a lot of detail!  Even has the coleslaw and bun recipes.  I used the coleslaw recipe but not the buns...might try that another day.

I have never had coleslaw on my sandwich before.  My husband had heard of it but this northern lady...nope...never heard of it.  Guess what!  It's good! :-D  This coleslaw is not sweet.  Miracle whip, celery salt, ground mustard, and rice vinegar when normally I use Miracle whip, sugar and rice vinegar.  Works perfectly for this sandwich!

My goal these next weeks is to really be careful with meals and grocery bills.  Seems like it's one area I should be able to control a bit more so I'm trying to be very conscious of what we are spending.  This meal  I would put under relatively inexpensive.  

I happen to have a half of roast that I had cut into chops awhile back.  (Isn't that the first step...use what you already have in the pantry and freezer?) The chops were really too big for what I needed so I stuck it in the freezer to use for something else.  I never got around to it so now it's been in a freezer a little while and one could tell...it needed a crock pot.  :-D

Here's how I did the meal to make it quicker/easier for me.  I'm all about cutting steps because, seriously, when we school at home...there just isn't the time!

I cut the onion and placed in bottom of crockpot.

Layered the pork chops.

Covered liberally with brown sugar.

Mixed the  Worcestershire Sauce (I've NEVER been able to pronounce that...it's the W sauce) and apple cider vinegar and poured over chops.

Crockpot, High for 3.5 hours, shredded meat, added catsup and let it continue cooking until time to eat...so maybe 45 minutes.  Since I didn't take the time to thicken the sauce...then we just used a slotted spoon when serving.    

It served us all, most kids went back to 2nd servings of kids size.  I'm putting about a gallon bag full into the freezer for another quick meal.  Plenty for 2 meals for our family.   So, being able to make 2 meals out of it...helps cost wise.

Let me know if you try it yourself!

Excited mom alert!

Guess what?!  E, 10.5 months is finally getting the hang of "more" in sign language and a couple times she even did something that looks very similar to "all done".  

So, this is my 4th kid...why am I so excited?  Because this mom is getting old and this youngest girl is a loud mouth. :-D  Not quite sure where she gets it from.  HA HA HA HA!  Anyway, most people think she's so so quiet.  Um, not really.  Wait until all you "strangers" are out of the way and boy oh boy...this girl knows how to let her feelings be known!  

Doesn't matter if she just ate or not...if we are at the table...SHE is going to be eating too.  And when she gets there she's going to make this very deep and loud yelp when she sees something she wants.  :-D  So, yes, doing a version of baby sign for more is VERY exciting for these poor parents' ears!

So, what about you all?  Did you teach your baby sign?  Did you keep it up?  I've always loved sign language and have used it in every job with kids.  It's so helpful!  I've always wanted to learn it fluently...but if you don't have someone to sign with...yes, you lose it.  

With Missy Mouse starting her baby sign up...it's causing an interest with my boys.  So....let's see if we can slip that in to our overstuffed schedule.  :-D  Might look around and see if there is anyone that teaches around here, preferably family style and relatively inexpensive.  In the mean time we can do it on our own.

I have always loved this book:

I checked it out so many times as a teenager that the librarian told me that if they ever decided to get a new copy they would give it to me.  Didn't happen but I did go out and purchase it for myself and it has gotten quite a bit of use.  :-)  It's more for adults but that's okay.  

My kids enjoyed Signing Time DVDs when they were younger...maybe we'll get to watch them again this time around.  :-D  Local library has a big selection of them and they are free to check out!

I see she has Baby Signing Time.  We've never seen those.  I'm not big on babies with screen time and really I don't know when we'd slip it in with her but...we might consider it.

Opinions?  What did you do to help your children learn sign?  Wish K12 offered a sign language course!  :-D

Exploring School Spaces

Ah, there are such wonderful "ideas" out there and when we were planning on moving, I was browsing all sorts of pics of "school spaces".  I was so so excited with the thought of having a separate school space.  Why?  I had a small house and lots of kids in the house!

My first year with MVCA, a K12 run online public school  I had these kiddos....

the next year I had these... with a baby included by December. 

Where ever we were...we filled up the room.  Most days there were children in all rooms of the house and the bathroom/laundry room was covered in art projects.  We had to clean up at every transition,  AM snack, lunch, supper (in which we needed to find homes for all the materials until the next day).  Things would go from table to counter to floor to table to counter to floor, etc. It was a hassle.  Couldn't walk across the living room without stepping on something or someone.    It was a house bursting at its seams.  However, that being said, this fall when I was entering into applesauce season...I really missed schooling in our kitchen!  I can't supervise school and wash/slice and cook those apples when the kids are in the basement!  LOL  And, yes, the kids do much better with an adult presence.  In the old house, I could be anywhere in the house and hear and know just what was going on and they could hear me.  However, in this house and them in the basement.  Ha!  Yep...it really cuts down what you are able to do during "school hours".  I'm a pretty good multitasker....but set up really makes a difference.  Ha!  Ah, well, as I always say....

PROS AND CONS TO EVERYTHING!

So, back to the "new" house.  We are "making do".  It's lovely to have space where I don't have to clean up and move things every time I turn around.  I really can't put stuff up on the walls like I wanted because of the dampness, temperature at night etc.  Just like at a school I use to work at.  By morning, most things were on the floor.  Oh well.  We were bumbling along.  I'm mainly was with T., the kinder most mornings and I was constantly knocking things off his desk and complaining about lighting so this weekend I got to work and moved this half of the basement around to look like this.

There isn't a perspective to get the whole side...there are shelves along the right side that you can't see...I decided to go ahead and bring in the filing cabinet (even though I don't like it in there) so we had a magnetic surface to work on, right next to the kinder's desk.  :-)  Practicality weighing over appearance.  

I put a table along the back wall...so I would stop knocking everything over.  I moved T.'s computer to the other side of the room so that the lights were directly behind us.  His desk was on the right side but as you can see....the lights were not placed in the middle of the room.  Isn't that interesting? :-D  Today was our first morning like this.  It's not what I ever imagined...some day we'll get custom shelving in there and all the mismatched shelves gone.  More organization but until then...I can live with it.  :-D  I could see everything and I had no issues with knocking things over . That table in the back I just set all his phonics activities in a line and we went from one to another.  No pushing things to the floor to make room for something else, no shuffling through the pile trying to find what I need.   All at our fingertips!

The HIGHLIGHT! 

The dry erase board got mounted!!!!  This was a $12 find at a sale this summer!  YIPPEE!  

My bet is that it's going to get a lot of use!

* This is one side of our basement.  The stair case goes down in the "middle" and so the room is broken up.  On the east side it is mainly storage cabinets and my two older son's desks/computers.  A bit more cozy, but it works.  The kids all play on the west side though....more floor space.

October 2014

Greetings all!  It's been forever long since I posted.  Life happened!  

I've been contemplating starting back up with more of a sharing blog to include posts about life in general, schooling at home, and so on.  Since Pinterest has become so popular, I find myself not really following blogs much anymore but really want to make time to do so since it use to be so enjoyable.  My "break".  I plan to use this blog as a journal of sorts so whether there are those following or not...it doesn't matter.  Maybe someone will stumble along and be helped by just the notion that there is someone else bumbling along as they are and take encouragement.  

So the most exciting thing that has happened is that we moved!!!  Thanks to these lovely people who helped up pack up and unpack!  Wonderful friends!

We now live in a home that is about 3 times the size of our old one.  :-D  

Pros and cons there!

I love the space but boy is it hard to keep clean!  I miss my other students and sometimes wonder about taking on a couple but I really don't know anyone in this area where that might be a possibility.

So, for now I have a

4th grader

  

6th grader  and a  Kinder

 -------------------------------------------------------

Making life interesting each day are 

 

baby, almost 11 months

Tag

One would think with schooling at home with only my own family...life would be easier...but I can't say it has been yet!  Dynamics have surely changed and mom is still adjusting.  :-D

Here's the family-Aug 2014

February 3-7, 2014

Miss E. Snapshots

Helping hands!  Typically this is at her free time and so this means even more to me because she (and the others also) are wanting to interact with baby when they could be playing instead.  Such skills and empathy is being learned!  One benefit of schooling at home, for sure!

Preschool

www.makinglearningfun.com for pattern block letters.

Rhyming Cards

These were "clip a rhyme" strips but I provided a transparent chip.  He arranged the strips in front of him, placed a chip on the first picture, then slid the chip across the strip, saying the picture words until he found one that rhymed with the first picture.

 Snowman Ten Frames

He added buttons and wrote the addition problem on the bottom.  I love that now he is talking about adding in his play.  Yesterday, on the way home from the store, he was eating chocolate covered raisins and told me...Mom, 1+2+2=5!  And that same night, as he was feeding baby E. he was doing more random adding. When it starts coming out in their "play", you know they "got it!"

 He created a picture and letters with colored craft sticks and then drew the representation in his sketchbook using the corresponding colored pencils.  

Watercolors and Snow

I saw on Pinterest that someone used watercolors and snow.  I have always used food colored water and eye droppers....so wanted to give this a try.  Can't say it makes the boldest colors but he did enjoy the "science" behind what happens to the snow on the paint brush when he dipped it in the water.  Ha!

Every Friday I try to give him a "whole alphabet" writing task.  It helps me see where he is at with correct letter formation.

Language Arts

Language Arts1 is quite a bit different than last year . It covers the same things, of course, but much more visually appealing and they have a journal this year!  Love it!

Spelling

Had quite a bit of writing to do this day so he just used magnetic letters to build his words and used the Say, Spell, Say method.  

 Spelling Word Train

 Marks on the window is often a kid favorite.  Actually, I've been known to do mini lessons at the door if they are sitting at that computer right there.  Very convenient!

Ha! This makes me smile and I don't even really remember what we were all laughing about.
 
Making Sentences Bigger/Combining Sentences
 Anyway....we made a mistake and did the wrong writing sheet.  I remember thinking...what?!  They expect her to know this already?  Obviously, she didn't.  So after I pulled out the index cards and etc and did a more hands-on approach to using conjunctions (which we have discussed regularly with our whole group grammar talks and they love the SchoolHouse Rock:  Conjunction Junction) and combining sentences I see the sheet were were SUPPOSE to be doing first.  Ah well...it's still a concept that takes practice and we'll be doing just that.  I did want to say though...actually being able to manipulative those words and punctuation marks....made a world of difference!

Math3:  Elapsed Time

This is relative easy for C.  Actually, most math is.  However, he loved using "his" clock to work his problems....made it a bit more enjoyable.  Same for using his calendar for elapsed time on a calendar.

Misc. Pictures

Happy Birthday to my eldest boy...11 years old already!  A quick celebration because we'll be celebrating with the rest of the family on the weekend.  :-)

 

We had left over cupcakes that the children could decorate, if they wished, for snack.  :-)  Below, A. is working with his brand new microscope and sharing the experience with the 2nd grader!

I commented that I had learned that Lincoln was actually sitting in the memorial on the back of the penny.  Then a couple of comments were made to make me feel like I should have known that already.  Well, I didn't and I wonder how many more people do not know it.  Yes, in the actual Memorial, Lincoln is sitting there...hard to miss....but in the Memorial on the back of the penny...did you know?  It's very hard to see if you aren't looking for it..but we did find it with the microscope!  

 She finished her sewing project!  She as very proud of her stuffed kitty cat and I was quite pleased with her willingness to work a little here and there and complete the project.

My 2nd oldest kiddo...this is a typical sight.

Art 

 Art1:  Vincent VanGogh
We decided to do a different approach to the art project.  :-)  "Fingerpainting".  :-D


 Art2:  Cityscape

 These are awful snapshots of their end products.  I hadn't flattened them and water color on this particular brand of construction paper always dries wrinkled.  You'll have to take my word for it that, in person, they are quite lovely!  :-)

1st grader and preschooler, pretty similar to my demonstration...the 1st grader did a reflection.

2nd grader and 5th grader above and 3rd grader below.  Hard to see, but they all did reflections.  Older two were very specific in stating they were planning on creating abstract art.  :-)

 We initially were attempting to do the Usborne approach to using oil pastels and then pressing the print on the other half...didn't work, no matter how hard we pressed those oil pastels.

Science

Science3:  A Science Class Connect w/ experiment of which material conducts heat the best.  

Science5:  A bombed science experiment......but he had fun distracting us with the balloons. 

It's always good for an experiment not to work every once in awhile...it helps them think critically about why it didn't and they'll learn from that the next time.  

Science2:  Three Types of Rocks

Sedimentary- L. and C. layered sediment and added pressure.

It turned into a yummy treat on yogurt and pudding.

Our sediment was 

crushed pb cereal, coconut, hammered chocolate chips, white chocolate chips

T. and K. created metamorphic rocks by layering various types of chocolate chips, graham crackers and marshmallows.  We baked it (added heat) and then added pressure.

Definitely a very yummy slop!

 A. created igneous rock- white chocolate chips and red food coloring.  He then created rocks on wax paper that cooled very quickly and they also enjoyed snacking on.  Talk about a sugar overload day!

We explored, sorted, classified rocks.  Magnify glasses are what we usually use but this year we had the microscope for the first time!  FUN STUFF!

Here is a nice visual for the 3 types of rocks!

Science 2:  Fossils!

 THEY LOVED THIS!

 T. decided he was going to explore more with play dough during his work time!

I had gone looking for a dough recipe for this and lo and behold, found someone else who had done the same project.  Ha!  

The Imagination Tree is where I got the salt dough recipe from and she also used shells.

For the 5 kids I mixed

2 C. flour

 2 C. salt

1 C. water

I mixed it all together at once, so it as a bit "salty" as we were working with it.  She suggests mixing the flour and salt together first then adding water.  Then kneed until no longer sticky.  This amount allowed them to create 4 different fossils.  We baked at 200* for about 2 or so hours, then flipped them over and baked another hour or so.

Science2:  Earth's Layers

 Rolling out the dough and creating the layers by folding them up over top of the original ball-inner core.  

 Getting a little help from the fifth grader who absolutely loved this idea of a project.  Unfortunately, this project takes a hoard of play doh so he just helped the 2nd grader instead of making his own.  (We did use play doh as we really didn't have enough colors of clay.  Really, it was much easier for L. to manipulate than the clay would have been and it turned out just fine!

Science1:  Animals

Aw!  Didn't she do a great job creating a tree frog?  It really is just a paper craft...good scissor skill practice.  Wish we had time to do more of it.  K. does the most because she usually has more time than the other kiddos.  You can find the link to this pattern at Learn Create Love.

Science3:  Human Body

C. went through his human body unit on his own and now we are going to spend a few weeks doing group lessons/activities with all the systems since every grade level does SOMETHING about these wonderful bodies of ours!  :-)