Day in the Life- Tuesday

I'm linking up (most) every day this week with Kathryn for a week in my life. 

Let's see.  Heidi was rather sick today..she seems to have come down with a major cold thing.  Sore throat, fever, fatigue...lots of lying around. She spent most of the day on the couch....although she still managed to do some school in the morning. On top of her other back/leg/headache issues, it wasn't a very good day.

Doctor's Appointment #2 of the week was for John. He had his 6-year check-up (at closer to age 7).  So, he's healthy EXCEPT he showed some hearing loss in his right ear.  Which is perplexing because he has never suffered from ear infections.  So...guess he has to go to the audiologist.   

I want my healthy family back!!

Other highlights of Tuesday:

-I discovered that our insurance DOES cover chiropractic care and that it is self-referral so I made an appointment for Heidi for Wednesday. I'm not sure how I feel about chiropractors.  I've visited one before, but I wouldn't say that it really helped. Still, it's worth a try.  

-Elsa wore panties all day and only 1 accident!

-Elsa took a long nap.

-Despite the doctor's appointment, both Greta and John finished all their school.

- Greta and John went to the local Tuesday night chess tournaments that Ben runs and Greta won all 3 games.  John won one, drew one and then lost to Greta.  

-I made "healthy cookies" and John suggested that he would like "junky cookies" better.  

-I ran to Kroger to pick up soup for Heidi and found all natural, gluten-free/dairy free vegetable soups on major sale.  So, I bought 10 of them.  Normally, I make soup, but I didn't have any chicken broth...so we'll have to rectify that soon.

Especially since "Your soup is better, Mom" (direct quote).  Always good when MY soup is better than the processed stuff (although this stuff is pretty non-processed as far as processed food goes). Nothing bad in it.

Wow, this post is sorta boring.  I need to take more pictures.  Maybe tomorrow (today). I don't have a smartphone so pictures are kinda a pain for me. 

A hopefully non-typical week in my life...2014 - Monday

I'm linking up with Team Whitaker for A Week in my Life, 2014.  The idea is that each day you somehow document what you did on that day.

Let me start off by saying that I really, really, really, really, really, really hope this week does NOT become a typical week in my life.  Really.

So far, we've already got 3 doctor's appointments and probably an MRI scheduled for this week.  REALLY hoping this is NOT typical. Really.  I miss our old, everyones healthy, avoid-doctors life.  

I've found myself to be a member of the club I most emphatically did NOT want to be in.  The "parent of a child with a mysterious illness club."    The child with the mysterious illness is Heidi (age 12) and her baffling symptoms include things like back pain, leg pain, knee pain, headaches, fatigue.   It is pretty scary not knowing what is wrong and if it's anything treatable.

Not to mention that while Ben is working as a substitute teacher, he really needs a real job.  So, that is just adding to the overall stress. 

Probably not a week I'm going to want to repeat anytime soon.

So Monday.

Started out typical enough..woke up, work out, take shower, get dressed, eat breakfast, do school.

Then we went to our coop where the K-1 class put on a small play.  John had the most extremely minor role in the whole play..but that is okay, because we never imagined he had a future on Broadway anyway.

Moving on..went home after coop, took Heidi to the doctor.  Then took her to the hospital for lab work.  Promised ice cream as needles are scary.  Oh, but forgot that we are trying her on a strict dairy/gluten free diet in hopes of reducing inflammation. 

Oh..I should probably also mention that Elsa just recently gave up diapers..so I was a bit nervous during all this coop, doctor's appointment, hospital labwork running around thing.  But she did great..no accidents...at least not until we got home. 

So, get home at 5:40.  Made dinner.   About to do out to get dairy-free ice cream when I decided instead of try making it at home using frozen banana, coconut milk, vanilla and palm sugar in the food processor.  It made more of a milk shake than ice cream, but was it was still good. 

Elsa took no nap today, so she nursed and fell asleep before 7:00 PM.  Yay....for everyone else. 

Me?  I was going out out anyway.  Monday is my women's group at church. So...go to that...get there late (as usual)...stay too late and get home around 10:30. 

And, that's it.

Lucky you..tomorrow morning you'll get to read all about today.   Maybe I'll even have pictures for that one.     

5 Kitchen Secrets

I spend a lot of time in the kitchen.  A lot!  However, our kitchen is small and terrible and I pretty much hate it, so spending a lot of time there isn't fun. I dream of having a big, open kitchen with LOTS of counter space. However, in the meantime, I just do my best to save time, while not sacrificing health or taste. 

Here are my five favorite time-saving tricks. 

1. Peel garlic and onions super fast!!



This video is about peeling garlic, but it works just as well for onions too. 
2. Make chicken stock overnight while you sleep!

This is so easy you don't even need a video. Just put the chicken carcass in your crockpot, cover with water, add a few tablespoons of vinegar and cook on low all night long.  And even the next day.  You can keep it in the crockpot as long as you like, until you feel like dealing with it.  Could not get easier and you never have to worry about it.  

3.  Make most any vegetable delicious, guaranteed!!

That's right, most ANY vegetable can be made totally delicious by roasting.  Lettuce, cucumbers and radishes are the exception. Anything else can be be made absolutely scrumptious by roasting...broccoli, winter squash, kale, collards, turnip greens, red beets, Brussels sprouts, carrots, zucchini, green beans...you name it and I roast it.  

To roast, just chop your vegetable, toss with olive oil, salt and whatever other spices you feel like throwing in there.   Bake at 425 degrees until done.  The length of time depends on the vegetables...leafy greens (kale, collards, etc.) roast quickly (10 minutes) while broccoli, carrots, butternut squash, etc. take a bit longer (30-40 minutes).

4. Never waste any food, ever again!

Make kitchen sink soup!  What is kitchen sink soup you may ask?  It's soup you make using all the leftover dribs and drabs you have in your refrigerator.  Just take your chicken broth (that you made up above) and throw in whatever you have that you need to use up.  Those limp carrots...throw them in.  That onion that is about to go bad...throw it in.  Potatoes starting to turn green...throw them in. Leftover meatballs or meatloaf or chicken or pork or sausage or pasta or rice or beans or mashed potatoes or anything...throw it in.  Round out your soup with some onions, garlic and whatever else you like to make it nice and hearty (I usually throw pasta in there).  Don't forget the salt and other seasonings! 

It's incredibly easy, delicious and healthy!

5. How to Make Any Baked Good Taste Fabulous!!

Add lots of butter and sugar. Seriously...it's the secret to delicious baked goods...every time.  Maybe not healthy baked goods...but delicious ones!!

photo source

  
And, since there are 5 of these favorite tips..I'm linking up with  Jenna for Five Favorites.

Why I Am Officially the Worst Mom Ever (and prayer requests)

1. It's my least favorite time of year.  Yes....I'm a Halloween Grinch.  I hate the pressure to come up with Halloween costumes.  I hate dressing up in general (even as a kid, I hated it).  And I really hate the barrage of candy....because it's not just on Halloween.  It's all the week leading up to Halloween and all the week after it.  Every adult my kids come in contact with seems to feel the need to hand them several pieces of candy each.  I don't mind junk food in moderation..but really there is nothing moderate about Halloween candy. But, mostly I hate dressing up and trying to come up with costumes.  I don't think it's fun.  I think it's awkward and annoying and I would much rather just wear regular clothes.

Plus, I find it weird when other people dress up.  Heidi has a pediatrician's appointment today and the Doctor was wearing a Dr. Seuss hat and t-shirt and all his staff were wearing blue hair. Personally, I find it really hard to take someone seriously when they are wearing a Dr. Seuss hat or a crazy, blue wig.  As I said..Grinch.

2. I think my hatred for Halloween dress-up stems from a traumatic childhood experience. When I was Kindergarten I dressed up as a devil for Halloween (side note: I can't believe my parents let me dress up as a devil, it seems so out of character for them) and we were having a Halloween parade at school and one of the teachers pretended to be scared of me.  I thought she were really scared, and so I got really scared  (keep in mind I started Kindergarten at age 4, so at this point, I still hadn't even turned 5 yet). Yes, this was the great trauma of my childhood. Clearly, I need therapy now. 

3. Of course there is All Saint's Day..which is a little better, because Saint's costumes are a bit easier to come up with.  But, I still hate dressing up and coming up with costumes.  If you are like me, check out last year's post on easy-peasy, no-cost, no-sew Halloween and All Saint's Day Costumes.

4. I'm officially the worst mom ever because I didn't get any pictures of this year's costumes.  First my camera was out of battery and I'm still the last person on earth not to have a smartphone or phone with a camera.  And, then our costumes were so cheapo and homemade that they didn't stand up to trunk or treating.   And tomorrow we're not dressing up because instead of going to assorted All Saint's Day Festivities, we are going to a chess tournament.  Or if we do make an All Saint's Day party, we will be skating in at the 11th hour, and probably not in costume.

Anyway is what they wore...sans photos:

Greta:

St. Joan of Arc:  Homemade sword, shield (made out of cardboard and aluminum foil) and breastplate (out of construction paper) over a red, over sized dress.

John: 

St. Valentine:  Red Sheet, White Adult t-Shirt and homemade Bishop's hat made out of construction paper and cardboard..

NOTE:  Construction paper is NOT good costume material.  It falls apart and rips way too easily. 

And did you know that St. Valentine is the patron saint of beekeepers.  So Elsa wore a bee costume that we had...except it kept falling down on her because we were too stupid to put her arms through the armholes until after we took it off and realized...duh..those are armholes. 

Heidi:

Chose not to dress up because she takes after me in her hatred of dressing up.

Actually John hates it too, but he tolerates it for the candy.   

Halloween is definitely not our thing. Except for this! Heck yeah!

coolmompics.com

5. As you can tell from the above costume descriptions...a perfectionist I am not, especially when it comes to artsy, craftsy stuff. What's the opposite of a perfectionist...an It's Good Enough-ist??  That's me!

6. I thought this article was funny.  When is it okay to turn the heat on in New England? I no longer live in New England, but I still have the tendency to get a fixed date in my head to turn the heat on.   When we lived in RI, my goal was Nov. 1st and not before.  I didn't usually make it...and usually broke down sometime in late Oct.  I'm weak. When we lived in VA, my goal was Nov. 1st as well, and again I broke down a few days early..but not many.   This year we got our heat turned on in early Oct.  We're further North and I'm getting soft.  Plus it's gotten cold earlier.  I absolutely refuse to turn the heat on before October.

7. Ben is still looking for a good lawyer job..so please pray for that.  He's doing some substitute teaching in the meantime, but really need a real job.  And, Heidi (age 12) is having some sort of mysterious back pain, so please pray we can figure that out, cure it, and that it's not something super serious.  We're going for some tests this weekend.  Which is super scary, because believe it or not, I have no experience with "having tests done."  I mean, we've had screening tests or things like x-rays for broken bones from obvious injuries.  But never tests to determine the cause of mysterious symptoms.  So...all together, these two issues are making life sorta stressful right now. 

Hope you are having a great Halloween/All Saint's Day!  I'm linking up with Jen for Quick Takes.

Why I'm Now A Fan of Homeschool Oversight

Homeschool Oversight:

I used to be against it. 

And now I live in a state that doesn't have any, and I'm kinda for it. I sorta find it a bit disconcerting that no one knows or cares that we are homeschooling. Obviously we are still educating our kids and doing all the same things we were doing when we lived in a higher regulation state, but it feels a bit "off" that we can just NOT send our kids to school and no one really cares. 

Why I Changed My Mind?

I pretty much used to be to be against it just because all the older, more experienced homeschoolers I knew were against it. Everyone was all don't give them (the school department) any more information than necessary, only provide the bare minimum required by law and NOTHING MORE. We were sternly warned against the dangers of providing too much information, that our homeschooling rights would slowly be taken away and the state would start demanding more and more.  

I also used to naively think that all parents had the best interest of their kids in mind. I used to think that because all the homeschoolers I knew were good parents and worked hard to make sure the needs of their kids were met that all homeschooling parents did that.  I used to naively think that those homeschoolers who super, super, super shelter/isolate their kids were just a myth.  I thought that because I didn't know anyone otherwise. 

Until one day it occurred to me that I obviously wouldn't know any homeschoolers who super, super, super shelter/isolate their kids, because those people would probably want to shelter their kids from me.  

It occurred to me that I probably don't know kids who are educationally neglected because those kids probably aren't taken on field trips and to to homeschool group activities and classes and all the other places where you meet other homeschoolers.  

The sad fact is some parents do use homeschooling to cover up abuse or neglect. Sadly there are families out there who think girls don't need any education other than what it takes to be a wife and mother. And, even more sadly, this is probably way more common than we would like to think.

And there are parents out there who just aren't equipped to provide their children with the education they deserve.  Maybe they themselves have learning disabilities or didn't graduate from high school or don't have the resources or other ability to make sure their children get the social and educational opportunities they need.  

Or maybe their child(ren) have undiagnosed learning disabilities and aren't getting the help they need. Not to say that kids with learning disabilities or special needs can't be homeschooled.  In fact, that might be the best thing for them. However, having students yearly evaluated by a teacher may help parents identify when further testing or help may be needed.

The more years I spend homeschooling and the longer I do it, the more I realize what a HUGE responsibility it is. HUGE.  After all in school, a student has a different teacher every year.  So, if Mrs. Smith isn't the best math teacher and can't explain math...well next year they may get Mrs. Jones who is a fabulous math teacher.  And, if Mrs. Smith doesn't pick up that maybe little Timmy has dyslexia...well Mrs. Jones may pick up on it next year.

But, if I'm homeschooling it's all up to me. It's up to me to teach my kids what they need to learn, or find someone else to teach them. It's up to me to recognize any potential learning issues and takes steps to help them. It's up to me to provide my kids with social opportunities and sports opportunities and art and music opportunities. 

And, all of that can certainly be done while homeschooling...and done very well.  But that doesn't mean everyone is doing it, just like not every school teacher does their job well, but the difference with a school teacher is that you get a different one every year.

In homeschooling circles you tend to hear about the success stories, while homeschool failures are hidden.  You can easily find studies showing that homeschooled studies do as good as or better than public schooled students in things such as standardized tests or the PSAT or SAT or ACT.  But, what is hidden is that not all homeschoolers take standardized tests.  And not all homeschoolers take the PSAT and SAT or ACT and not all homeschoolers are encouraged or allowed to attend college or other higher education. Therefore the results can be a bit biased in favor of homeschooling in that the sample is somewhat self-selected in favor of success. 

Ultimately what I think it comes down to, is that if homeschooling is done WELL, it can be an AWESOME experience, but if it is done poorly or neglectfully, it can be devastating for children.  

Why Oversight Should be Provided by Local or State Educational Officials.

The state has a vested interest in making sure its citizens are educated.  That is a GOOD thing. All children deserve an education (as much as resources allow).  And hopefully the better children are educated, the less likely they are to end up being a drain on society.  Obviously this is not fool-proof. 

Oversight needs to happen in COOPERATION with local homeschool organizations and local education authorities. That is CRUCIAL.  The authorities NEED to respect a parent's right to homeschool But, homeschoolers also need to be open to some oversight and realize that is is okay (maybe even good) that the state has a vested interested in ensuring that their children get a proper education.

What type of oversight am I talking about?

Not a lot, mind you.  Basically nothing more than what any responsible homeschooling parent would do anyway.

I generally think oversight should consist of. 

-Reporting to the local school district

-A yearly evaluation process with option to choose between standardized testing or an evaluation from a certified teacher.
-Yearly health physicals and screenings (vision screening, hearing screening, etc.) performed by the family's regular doctor..whether that is an M.D, a D.O, a homeopath, whatever.  But some sort of medical professional. 

Any evaluation process MUST respect various educational philosophies and recognize that learning looks different in different families.  The point is to ensure that learning (of all major subjects) IS taking place...not to say that a certain learning method or educational curriculum MUST be used. Various educational philosophies NEED to be respected.

Benefits of Oversight:

I think some homeschool oversight can help parents identify if there are any issues or difficulties their child may have that need to be addressed.

And, even on a more basic level, testing requirements ensure that a child KNOWS how to take a standardized test. 

Homeschooling is WONDERFUL, but there can be some deficiencies if a parent isn't careful.  As a homeschooling parent, I always keep my eye out towards any homeschool criticism.  Two that have come up (and seem legitimate concerns) are 

1) homeschooled kids may not know how to take a standardized test...how to fill in the bubbles, how to watch their time, etc.  This is important when they are taking the PSAT or SAT.
2) homeschooled kids entering college for the first time may not be good with deadlines and may tend to see them as being more "guidelines" 

Knowing these things is important, so I can take steps to make sure my kids DO know how to take a standardized test and DO know how to follow deadlines.

And this is where I think testing and evaluations can come in.  Ideally an evaluator would talk to a parent about all these things. 

The reason for the yearly physical screening is to help identify vision or other problems.  When I was in school I remember having yearly vision testing and in middle school, scoliosis screenings done.  All those things should be done at a yearly check-up, just to make sure nothing is missed. 

And, in the sad case of children that are abused or neglected, having contact with a mandated reporter, may help them.   


Parental Qualifications:

In doing research on this, I've also come across the idea of parenting qualification.  The first time I came across this was when I homeschooled in Virgina. Virginia requires that parents prove a high school diploma/G.E.D or higher to homeschool.  I think this is a good thing.  And, in further research, I have learned that the state of Pennsylvania prohibits parents who would not pass a criminal background check to work in a school from homeschooling.  Generally I think this is a good rule, although I'm not sure how it could be enforced.

The Bottom Line: Homeschooling can be a wonderful, wonderful experience. And many children thrive in the homeschooled environment.  But, it is also a huge responsibility and a huge amount of work.  I think it only makes sense to have some sort of requirements or oversight in place, to help parents AND children and help insure that every one's needs are being met. I think that is in the best interest of parents, children and society as a whole. Just as it is wrong and incorrect to say that homeschoolers can't be socialized or get a good education, it is just as wrong and incorrect to say that homeschooling is always a wonderful, positive experience where everything is all rainbows and unicorns all the time.

what do you think about homeschool oversight?  What are the requirements in your state?  Do you agree with them. 

Disclaimer: This post was NOT inspired by anyone I know. All the homeschoolers I know, I generally DO think are doing a wonderful job. 

Note: I really like this website. The Coalition for Responsible Homeschooling. Interestingly enough, it is written and the movement is pioneered by homeschool alumni, which I find very telling.  I think it offers a very balanced view.  It is definitely not anti-homeschooling, but it is also not all "rah, rah, homeschooling is the best.thing.ever" I think it offers a realistic view of some of the challenges and difficulties involved in homeschooling along with the benefits.  

Psst....Hey, Wanna See My Wrinkled Clothes?

So, it seems as though just about everyone in the bloggy word (or at least the bloggy world I blog in), is talking about fashion and capsule wardrobes and things of that nature.

I'm not super fashionable and I pretty much despise some of the current fashion trends (like patterned leggings...do not get that one at all.  I mean, I think they look cute on an 8-year old, but I don't get the appeal for grown women.  But then I don't really like patterns anyway). 

Anyway, I do like to look at least somewhat put together...most of the time.  So, I figured I'd share, since that is the purpose of a blog. right? 

This past year, I've been working on putting together a "classic" wardrobe.  I guess you could say it is a capsule wardrobe, and I think it fits into the 37ish piece capsule rule.  Or close enough, anyway.

Here is what I'm striving for.

Dress For Your Body Type: This is probably the most important rule. I've been working on building a wardrobe that fits my individual body-type.  Which happens to be a curvy hourglass figure...emphasis on the curvy part.   Which means I buck the current fashion trends and eschew those flowy, loose-fitting, over sized tops that seem to be all the rage in favor of clothing that is more fitted.  I still prefer boot-cut to skinny jeans...and I sorta hate leggings. My favorite pair of pants are skirting the bell-bottom line, so I'm definitely going against the trend here.   

I'm also trying to find pieces which all go together. I seem to have an overabundance of black, brown and dark blue clothing. Probably because I'm so melancholic.  Maybe I will just go for artsy look and wear all black, all the time. 

Anyway, here's what I'm wearing this fall (and winter and spring). 

Per capsule wardrobe rules, this doesn't include workout clothes, athletic shoes (because I don't wear them outside of athletic endeavors), sleeping clothes, etc.

And, yes, it's a few more than 37 pieces, but a lot of the short-sleeved shirts I wear in the summer, and continue to wear in the fall/winter/spring, just layering something else on top.  So this is basically my entire wardrobe, just adding on heavy coats and extra layers when its colder and removing layers and adding in a few pairs of shorts when it's warm.

Yes, my clothes are all wrinkled.  No, I'm not going to iron them...ever. I'm trying to start a new fashion trend...the rumpled look.  Possibly I might throw them in the dryer, but probably not. Probably I'll just wear them wrinkled. 

Possibly I may have 1 or 2 items that didn't make it into these pictures because they were in the wash.  But, you get the general idea. 

And here's an example of a few outfits put together.  Hmm...I guess that green shirt didn't make it into the collage above. Well, that is part of my fall wardrobe as well.  So, now you can see everything.

So, this is a link-up with Kendra.

And since there are no rules for Theme-Thursday, I'm going to say I did a Nice Job and link up with the Clan. Yes, it's a stretch, but hey..making collages and writing blog posts ain't easy.  And hey, what my pictures lack in quality, they make up for in quantity. 

,

.Happy 10th Birthday Greta

The 5th highest currently active USCF rated female chess player in the entire state of Indiana turned 10 years old today!!

She wanted a pink chess set with pink and purple pieces for her birthday!

And, a pink cake. The pink frosting is dyed pink with organic, locally-grown red beets.I just so happen to be VERY well acquainted with the growers of said red beets.  I know it looks white in the picture, but it really was actually very pink. 

And those are the all-natural "hard shell chocolate candy things." No artificial colors in this house.   

Happy Birthday Greta...I can't believe you are already double digits! 

Greta is a super hard-working, creative, responsible, imaginative and fun person to be around. 

She loves to play chess and make videos of herself doing puppet shows and stories on the computer.  When it comes to reading, she prefers stories about either UFO's or Princesses (or both) and enjoys making up her own songs and singing as she works.

Happy Birthday Greta!  We love you!