Wisdom Along the Way - Homeschool Blogger

It's a girl!

Wed, 21 Oct 2009 10:54:00 -0500

I had another ultrasound today. We found out we will be blessed with another baby girl! Thank you Lord!

Awed,

Self-Check-Out: Friend or Foe?

Sat, 17 Oct 2009 14:27:00 -0500

It's rare that I go to the store and qualify for the "Express" lane. I usually have an overflowing grocery cart. Recently I had one of those rare occasions when I had only a few items and I ventured through the self-check-out lane. Wow, what an experience.

As many of you mommas can relate, I usually have my children with me. Going through the self-checkout with children is challenging. Going through the self-checkout with SIX children is a battle! One decided to walk away. One decided to sit in the bagging area and the computer nearly flipped about the "unexpected item in bagging area." One daughter sat on the floor in an unlady-like position while wearing a skirt and caused the cashier to scold me for allowing her to sit that way. (She was behind me. I hadn't noticed because I was trying to convince the computer I wasn't sneaking merchandise into my bags without scanning it first!) Then there are the light items that you scan but they don't seem to register when you place them in your bag. And there always seems to be some problem that requires the cashier's assistance anyway. Really? Is it worth it?

Just venting,

An Ideal Schedule?

Fri, 16 Oct 2009 14:20:00 -0500

We're trying a new-to-us schedule this year and we're liking it. Just thought we'd share it with you. We began our lessons the first week of August. Our plan is to have 9 weeks of lessons, followed by a 2-week break, and do this all school-year. This gives us a break in October, December (over Christmas and New Year), and in March (near Easter). Our school year will end in late May when we'll take a 2-month summer break. This schedule allows us plenty of school days to meet our state's requirements and gives us long, regular breaks through the school year. We're completing our Autumn break right now. We were all ready for this break and we've enjoyed the time off. Now we're ready to get back to lessons on Monday!

Blessings,

Easy Vegan Guacamole

Thu, 15 Oct 2009 14:20:00 -0500

This is a recipe that I've tweaked over the years. Avacadoes are excellent for balancing your body's pH so eating this topping daily is very healthful.

4 avacadoes

1/2 tomato

1/4 yellow onion

1/4 cup chopped black olives

Peel and pit avacadoes. Mash in a medium mixing bowl with a potato masher until soft. They will remain lumpy. Chop tomato and onion. I use a food chopper. You could use a food processor if you want a smoother consistency. I like my guacamole chunky. Mix tomato, onion, and black olives into avacado. Cover and chill in refrigerator for about 2 hours then serve. This should be eaten within 2 or 3 days. It may turn "gray" after a day. This is normal. Just stir well.

If you're not vegan, you can add 1 cup of sour cream to this recipe.

Hint: Ripe avacadoes are dark brown to black and soft but not mushy. Hard, green avacadoes should set on the counter until ripe.

Enjoy,

Our Ticket Allowance

Wed, 14 Oct 2009 14:18:00 -0500

I recently started a new allowance system with our children. Up until now, they have not had an allowance. Paying an allowance to 6.5 children could get quite expensive, but I wanted them to learn how to budget and save. So I devised a more financially feasible system that has been a big hit in our home over the past month.

The first thing I did was buy a roll of "Admit One" tickets from the office supplies section at Wal-mart. These were about $5 and will last us quite a while.

Next, I made a list of their assigned chores then added a list of "optional" chores that need to be done around the house. Next to each chore, I added a ticket value. Small jobs are worth 1 ticket. Difficult jobs are worth 3 tickets. In-between jobs are worth 2 tickets. An example of each would be: Make your bed - 1 ticket. Weed the rockbed - 2 tickets. Clean up all toys in the backyard - 3 tickets.

Finally, I made a list of things they could purchase with their tickets. Most of the things on the list were no-cost items. Some examples: A prize from the treasure box (which contains small candies and small dollar store toys) costs 10 tickets. One 1/2-hour of video game play costs 30 tickets. Breakfast in bed costs 40 tickets. A date with Dad or Mom costs 50 tickets. A sleepover with a friend costs 60 tickets. They may also turn in their tickets for cash. The value of each ticket depends upon the age of the child since the jobs they do increase in difficulty with age. The older children average between 25 and 35 tickets per week.

Our tickets are treated as cash. I wear a small utility apron during the day that I carry essentials in. One pocket contains tickets that I hand out as they complete and I inspect each job. I re-use the tickets once they are cashed in. If a child loses his/ her tickets, we do not replace them. If a child finds a stray ticket lying on the floor, he/she is allowed to keep it. This is done with the intent of teaching them to be responsible with their tickets just as they will need to be responsible with cash someday.

This program has been a success with our children. Of course, the 2yo isn't on the program since she doesn't comprehend it at all. The 4yo and 5yo don't quite grasp the value of the tickets yet. They enjoy getting them and spending them, but aren't concerned about the amount they acquire. Although my 4yo has already saved up enough for a date with me. The ones who understand it the most and are using it to their advantage are the 6yo, 9yo, and 12yo. They have been inspired to complete several "optional" jobs in order to save up for their goals. I appreciate this tremendously because it lightens my housework load without nagging. They're also learning valuable housekeeping, self-discipline, and budgeting skills!

Blessings,