• Feb. 8, 2010 - Reading Real Books

Posted in February 2010

I love it when the boys don't want to start school because they are too busy reading. Reading great books! We don't have "reading" or literature as part of our curriculum right now. We just work hard to read really good books and lots of them. I know that soon my oldest will have to have a little literary training and more work in the creative writing category, but for the time being I'm well satisfied with their SAT scores which for the two oldest are always post high school! The youngest scores well beyond his grade level as well.

Right now the Narnia books are the latest reading fad here at home. A Brazilian pastor friend who is a big reader gave the boys an English copy of The Silver Chair recently which got them to hunting for the books we have in the series. Dalton is reading The Lord of the Rings trilogy. He just finished the first book this morning.

We're off to the island on Saturday for what may be a large retreat. More than the usual number have signed up. We will not be taking school work this time, but we will be taking lots of great books to read in the few moments that we will have any time at all to sit!

Good night!

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• Feb. 4, 2010 - Things I bought in the Big City

Posted in February 2010

Bom Preco Grocery Store, Petrolina

Tuesday we went to town. You see, we leave in a little bitty interior town with itty bitty interior town grocery stores. Tuesday the boys went in to have a work day on the buggy and my husband needed to go in for a meeting. I got to go to the BIG (that's relative) grocery store at the BIG mall in the BIG city. It's a wild crazy always packed out store. It's supposed to be in the Walmart group, but it aint no Walmart, people. No, "if three or more are in line, a new register will be opened." No, "Even the manager can be pulled to run a cash register." No baggers, no concern, no help. There are long lines and lots of line jumpers. I waited for about 55 minutes in line to check-out. Why? Cuz I had good stuff in my buggy that I can't get in our itty interior town.

Mom, Sobradinho Market, 2007

Dad, Sobradinho Market, 2007

Here's what I got:
2 cans of imported Walmart brand Baked beans
3 cans of imported Walmart chili beans
big, soft, quality, colored napkins - 2 packages of light blue, 2 of light yellow
3 packages of my favorite scented, soft toilet paper
hamburger meat - 3 packages
Gillette antiperspirant
Gillette razors for women and for men, 1 pack of each
black tea bags
cha mate tea bags
M&M's for the boys
whole grain loaf bread - 4 different types
2 loaves of nice, soft white bread
1 honeydew melon
2 grape jellies
2 strawberry jellies
Hellman's mayo, ketchup, and mustard

All of this is stuff I just can't get in Sobradinho. Was it worth the wait and the hassle. Umm, sometimes it's hard to say, but it's always good to eat the great comforting stuff!

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• Jan. 30, 2010 - Spark People Recipe Book

Posted in Recipes

Hey! If you'd like to see more of my recipes, Brazilian, American, and just well, ecletic, check out my SparkRecipes Recipe Book page @ Michele's Spark Recipes Book

I currently have 7 recipes.

Vegetable Lentil Soup
Brazilian Baiao de Dois
Apple Ladders
Simple Brazilian Black Bean Stew
Cashew Nut and Sesame Seed Fried Okra
Cranberry Rocket Salad
Secret Citrus Salad Dressing

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About Me

Greetings! I am the curriculum developer, lead teacher, and cook at the Atha School for Boys! Come on in and see what we've been up to. We live in the dry Northeast of Brazil where we work with churches and a Christian camp. There's hardly a dull moment!