Today was the end of our school year.... we've moved past kindergarten completely while the Princess is now going to start the 5th grade.....

I'm a little sad actually.....  a part of me wants several more kids so that it doesn't have to end, but I think that I would honestly be making a selfish decision if this were our course...

We have transitioned this year to where the Princess is reading pretty much everything on her own.... I started a read aloud book for her this week and she told me that she would prefer to just read it herself as it made the reading smoother and easier to understand..... 

This is one of the few things that has really gotten to me lately....

I feel as if I'm doing a good job in education my kids, but I'm doing it to the point to where they no longer need me.....

Again, this is the goal, but it still makes me sad....

I guess it's back to reading the little kid books to the Prince as he has not yet told me he doesn't need me yet..... I think that this might truly break my heart....

I don't normally post about how cute, or wonderful, or precocious my kids are.... they are pretty much normal kids that are special to me the same way everyones kids are special to only them....

But we did have one of those moments that I'll always want to remember this morning.

The Prince and I are working thru Teach Your Child to Read in 100 Easy Lessons....

Today we got to the letter "w" and I was telling him the sound this letter makes...

I said it is "w" for water, and asked him if he knew of any other words with this sound... he said woman.... 

Then excitedly he said, " I know another.... wemonade!" .....

For those of you who are able to hear, or care to hear, the audio of my site  you might have noticed I've changed it out a bit...  (this will most likely be short lived as these songs are more personal to me...)

I think that even as I supposedly bear my soul here, I use the art of distraction so that you think you may know a glimpse of the real me, but it really isn't so....  I've gotten really good at it over the years.

Truth is if you show people just enough of what you want them to see it's pretty easy to hide what you don't want them to see....

I think that I'm in a really strange place right now... maybe it's just peri-menopause, or maybe it's something else....  strange things are afoot right now... be it at the Circle K or not....

So... I made a banana pudding other night... and guess what... my kids HATED it...

How can you not like banana pudding???   I even made a perfectly browned merengue for the topping...  but then, they don't like country music either....

Addendum.... 5.15.08 0900... Morning makes things seem different, so the music has returned to its somewhat normal state.....

I always feel that we don't do enough reading.... and that I'm not reading enough to both the Prince and Princess..

We generally do 1-2 read aloud books each month and the Princess has a list of 1-3 books for the month to read independently...

I've felt that we were behind all year... until I sat down and looked at the list this week!

I can't believe how much the Princess has read! 

So.... this is our year 4 list.....

Read aloud or Librivox recordings...

Phoenix and the Carpet   by E Nesbit

Bears of Blue River

Understood Betsy

The Little Duke

The Book of Dragons

Captains Courageous

Scotland's Story

Robinson Crusoe

Abigail Adams (Bober)

The Incredible Journey (my favorite)

Independent reads....

Princess and the Goblin

Mandie and the Cherokee Legend

Mandie and the Invisible Troublemaker

The Water Babies

Harry Potter, books 1-4

Thimble Summer

Bears Invasion of Sicily

Elsie Dinsmore

Little House, books 1-5

Little Britches

Pollyanna

The Borrowers

Calico Captive

Johnny Tremain

Reb and the Redcoats

Gentle Ben

Wind in the Willows

Tree of Freedom

The Treasure Seekers

Dragon of Lonely Island

To be completed:

Bambi

Lassie Come Home

National Velvet

This is school reading.... other reading is/was done on her own time....

The nature hike went well this morning in Georgia...  NW Georgia this time of year is really close to perfection...

Before the group at large arrived, the Princess and I noted a large amount of plantain (Plantago major) growing at the site...  She quickly got to work picking as much as she could of this wonderful weed...

Now, you could use it fresh, but I prefer my plantain dried.... so how do I dry my herbs?

I am generally a lazy-kind of girl... but there is an upside to this... I would like to think that it adds to my creativity as I want the biggest bang for the time I have to put into something....  This is the way that I have found works for me... and the HOA (Home Owners Association) hasn't complained yet!

General principles.... you can dry herbs outside, but it defeats the purpose if it rains on them.... check the weather.

Don't dry them in the direct sunlight....

An attic is a good dry, dark place..... it is often recommended to hang herbs in bundles in this setting.

You can use a dehydrator or low heat oven.... but this again takes watching and I don't have a dehydrator.

What I do:

I have these really big windows on the back of my breakfast area....  They are about 6 feet by 3 feet each.

I take the screens off of 2 of the windows.

I generally like to keep the windows open, but don't with the 2 that I use.

I then take what ever herb I have for the day.... today it was plantain.  I wash the herb first (just in case a dog found it before me... to quote Debi Pearl) 

I then lay it out in a single layer on the screen....

I put the screen on my front porch... it is shaded here from direct sun  (the porch is east facing)...

I then put the other screen on top and put rocks on the sides to keep it steady...

With thin, flat herbs it only takes 1-3 days to dry depending upon the temperature...   Some pods and roots can take a bit longer... your main goal is to get all of the water out of the herbs so that they are preserved...

I then store the herbs in glass mason jars until I need them.  They should be good for a year or so depending upon how well you dry them....

I have found that I can't pick enough plantain it seems... so I haven't had to worry about keeping it for more than a year...

You can use dried herbs just as you would fresh.... in teas, salves, or tinctures.... the only thing you can't do is extract juice...

We are wrapping up our 4th year of school with the Princess next week, so today we sat down and chatted about what we felt did and didn't work.... what she felt was the most meaningful and what she thought was a waste of time...

Now please don't think I'm one of those parents who allow the child to direct what they will learn... those who have met me personally know that I'm not that easy.

Just because she doesn't like it don't mean that she isn't going to have to do it.... it just means that I may need to put different emphasis upon it or change how we do it...

Our biggest transition this year has been the formal addition of the Prince to our little routine (or lack there of)...  The Princess doesn't like having to work alone as she has gotten used to me sitting there, reading or drinking coffee, by her side.  I do still spend some time sitting and teaching her the lesson, but she is also doing more independent work.

So here's the run down....

She really liked:

Shakespeare (?) we are reading Julius Caesar, the real version.  We share the parts and act it out so she loves it... and after Plutarch (see below) the language is easy...  The book we have also contains a modern translation... we chose this play as we were reading Plutarch's life of Brutus and it seemed to correspond well...

Rod and Staff Bible Reader, grade 4... she liked the journeys of Paul, but really loves the stories with morals

Couldn't Just Happen, extra science reading...

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Things that were good:

Saxon math, 7/6 ..... math is always a favorite... progressing to Alg 1/2 next year

George Washington's World... repetitive, but enjoyable... she feels like she knows this time period well

Plutarch... we read the lives of Poplicola and Brutus... both challenging, but in a good way.  Good character studies....

Rod and Staff grammar, grade 5...  good solid grammar.  We don't do all of the practice, but mainly try to hit the writing assignments, and incorporate the principles into other areas of writing...

Physics...we used an experiment book for kids that define the nature of physics while focusing on the scientific method...

Minn of the Mississippi... fun for both the kids

Trial and Triumph.... church history... kind of gory at the beginning (everyone dies), but still inspirational...

Latina Christiana 2... we are only about 1/4 of the way thru this, but is a favorite subject so far...

Our Island Story... we started ambleside's curriculum midway thru and I didn't want to miss this book...  we initially listened to the whole thing on librivox for free, but bought a copy it is so wonderful!

Poems by Dickinson, Tennyson, and Longfellow

Composers... Russian Nationalists and Saint-Saens

Shakespeare... paraphrases by Lamb

Spelling Power.... started a few weeks ago as she really hated the old program we used.  I'm not completely sold on it... there is alot of work the teacher has to do if you want to supplement the lessons....

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Didn't like:

Spelling Workout, Level E... the Princess  did very well, but hated the busy work involved with this... I let her choose her own program, and as long as she progresses, I am giving her some say.  I personally liked this and thought that it was a solid program.

This Country of Ours... she kind of likes it, but finds it a bit dry...  She did say that HE Marshall was one of her favorite authors.

Parables of Nature...  again she finds it long....   this is also one of her readings, along with This Country of Ours, that she does on her own while I work with the Prince... read between the lines, please....

Exploring the Earth... for geography... She just didn't enjoy it, I think alot of the info is review for her and she needs more challenge(?)... I liked it...

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The Princess' favorite free readings from the year:

Scotland's Story by HE Marshall

Anything by E. Nesbit (favorite author so far)... really enjoyed The Treasure Seekers

Calico Captive

Reb and the Redcoats

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The links provided are for clarification purposes..... many of these books are free online and I have found many used at discounted prices...

One of the things that I do for good health is dry skin brushing.... think of it as having all of the benefits of massage except the good feeling part of it....

Now it's not exactly painful, but it is more of an aquired taste... essentially you have to get used to it...

Pretty much all you need to do this is a naked body and a firm, natural bristled brush...

My brush was about $5 online and is the Yerba Prima brand.  It has a long handle to reach those out of the way places.....

Now what I do is, just before I get in the shower each morning (or afternoon as the case may be),  I do a full body brushing... You do this BEFORE you get wet... the brush should also be DRY....

I start with my feet then brush up the leg and hip of one leg and then the other... I use a movement that is towards the abdomen/stomach.  I then brush extra over the femoral/side of the groin area.   I then do one hand-arm-shoulder and then the other.  I then move to the back and brush from the spine towards the abdomen (lower back) and sternum/breastbone (upper back)  around to the ribs.  I then brush the upper chest with extra brushing over the sternum.  Last I do the abdomen in a circular motion (clockwise to someone standing in front of you). 

The reason for the extra stimulation over the femoral area and sternum is due to the presence of lymph tissue here... the additional stimulation here helps to strengthen this system...

You should brush each area vigorously a few times before moving onto the next area.  Obviously you need to be gentle in sensitive areas...

So what's the point of doing this anyway?  

There are many benefits to skin brushing.... exfoliation is one, but it can also tighten the skin and decrease the appearance of cellulite.

It increases cardiovascular circulation in addition to lymphatic circulation...

But who really cares about the lymphatic system???  The lymphatic system is your body's transport system of lymph, the fluid/protein part of the blood.  The lymph system doesn't have a pump to move it and requires you to encourage movement either thru brushing or exercise/ muscle contractions.  The lymphatic system is basically your body's immunity... it controls your body's ability to fight off  foreign substances and carries metabolic wastes from the organs...

A good dry brush massage is one step in achieving better health...

I have certain, little things in life that I just love... these things have no real validity other than the fact that they bring a bit of joy into the normalcy of daily life...

Honey and Calendula lotion from Kiss My Face....  I first started using this lotion in 1990 as I really loved the brand name.... kiss my face.....  the lotion is just beautiful and works great while smelling divine...  great in summer for sun exposure... great in winter for general dryness.... overall perfection.....

Sunless tanner..... I am currently using the gel formula from l'Oreal... it doesn't streak, and isn't tinted...  I also use a Neutrogena brand that is tinted on my face....  makes me feel skinnier....

Coffee..... I had kicked the caffiene habit for several months and this week I just wanted to have a cup... so I'm sitting here drinking a cup of bad coffee with hazelnut creamer... and it is really nice...

Lip Gloss.... my current fav is Mary Kay, which I have never used before.... It is slick, but not slimey or sticky like others I have used....  I like the Pink Diamonds color as it is really sheer and shiney without sparkle... it also smells like cotton candy (at least it does to me)

Flushed Away.... one of my all time favorite movies......  Definitely family friendly and just alot of fun....

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and for true frivolousity.... I'm adding in an extra item.... my own homemade lipbalm...  I used to like the Burt's Bees kind, but mine is even better!

My little prince is only 5 years old and I often feel that I treat him much younger as he is my baby...  He is a bright little boy and constantly suprises me with all that he knows and can do...

I really haven't pushed school this year with him... After the first month or two of this past school year I realized that he just wasn't ready....  He would try to be obedient in school, but I could tell that things just weren't sinking in the right ways...

It did seem that about January when he was closer to the 5-1/2 age he was much more ready for even a semi-formal attempt at "school"....

So, what has worked.....  I had bought the Rod and Staff preschool set and he enjoys doing it daily... I do set limits... we work from only 2 of the "workbooks" at a time with the total for both books being around 10-15 minutes a day... He enjoys doing projects and spending time doing something well, but he needs alot of encouragement.  He tends to have a defeatist attiutude and needs to be shown new things in the context that he has already done it to a degree.

We also use Teach Your Child to Read in 100 Easy Lessons... We are only on lesson 20 but so far so good....  Again, he just needs alot of encouragement and praise...

He also tends to listen to alot of the Princess' readings and over the years has become pretty good at doing narrations aloud.

We also do a bit of handwriting daily along with cutting.... he hates to color as a rule, but I have found that letting him use colored pencils somehow works better for him than crayons or markers...?

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For his next school year, that starts in June, this is the plan:  I still plan on merging what I consider to be the best of The WellTrained Mind with amblesideonline. 

We will start the day with devotions from Leading Little Ones to God and Bible readings with narrations/questions... 

For grammar we will continue 100 Easy Lessons from above and start First Language Lessons on a daily basis. 

Read a poem a day with memorization every few weeks from the Garden of Verse or Milne...

I may try out Saxon math 2  with him just to see how he does with a formal program... he tends to get practical math well...  but then again, I may wait a few months and let the rest of this all sink in first...

Mondays: History day... I am fusing my own history with Story of the World 1 (we didn't mummify the chicken with the Princess, and I've waited 4 years to do this!) and Our Island Story using ambleside's schedule alternated with Trial and Triumph...  Also Shakespeare paraphrased for kids... either Lamb's, Nesbits, or Covilles...

Tuesday (I often work so Mr. B or the Princess manage this day):50 Famous Stories, Aesop fables, and Just So Stories...

Wednesday:  Science day... using Zoology 1 from Apologia with the Princess joining in.  Also read stories from the Blue Fairy Book and Herriot's animal stories

Thursday:  Aesop fables and art, also Story of the World activities/maps

Friday:  Zoology 1 again with the Princess... Also cover geography with Paddle to the Sea.  Nature walk... and the Burgess Bird Book

Additional reading should include:

Charlotte's Web

St. George and the Dragon

Peter Pan

Pocahontas (d'Aulaire)

Pinnochio

Velveteen Rabbit

King of the Golden River

Favorite Greek Myths (Osborne)

Benjamin Franklin (d'Aulaire)

Buffalo Bill (d'Aulaire)

Viking Tales (Hall)

Little House in the Big Woods...

I have linked many of these items for clarification for those interested, but many of these can be found for free online as they are in the public domain.... check with ambleside for direct links to the free text or librivox for the free recording....

Daisy and Bob sent me these pictures this morning of the garden as a reminder that I should probably come and actually do something in it on occasion....  It's just so much easier to let them....

I've just gotten very homebound lately with my attempts to burn less gas...

At any rate... I've got to get things going and get over there a couple of mornings a week...

Radishes......

Taters....

I am a major geography geek as evidenced by my frequent checking of the new neo counter on the side bar....  I think it is so cool to see the names of all of the places scroll by...  I'm just wondering who is in Bremerton... is this really accurate????  I get the Ga folks, but the number from Bremerton has me perplexed....

The Princess was looking at it with me tonight and we were talking about all of the different cities around the world and the places and people we know....  she was really amazed that so many people bothered to read anything I've written, as am I....

We have gotten no actual school done this week so far due to field trips and sleep overs at Granny's...  our school year only has 2 more weeks before the end of our year... I think if I had the energy I might actually be stressed, but it's not really happening...

I just keep feeling as if I am just a bit out of sync with life....  I think it's because I've cut back on work a bit and I have more time to take care of all of the normal things that I normally cram into a shorter time span... it makes me lazy.... I think I just need more stimulation.....

After cleaning, doing laundry, and cooking I was able to play some board games and sew...   I think all I really wanted to do was sit under a warm blanket  (it's FREEZING here) and do SUDOKU........  or maybe I'll just sit and watch the neocounter scroll place names by and dream of where else I could be....

Many people accept the idea of hand-me-downs or garage sale clothing as a basic part of their lives, but let me just say that I'm just not wired that way...

I grew up being the oldest/only girl of a single mother who was the oldest girl in her family also... there weren't any hand-me-downs as we were the oldest of our generations.... and she as well as I have always had issues with wearning used clothing...  Even thought we were quite poor she would never have considered wearing someone else's clothing.  We did regularly take our things to charity for those people who were "really poor" though...

Flash forward 20 years and a friend/acquaintance gives me her son's clothing when my son is born.... all I can say was that it completely grossed me out...  But she felt the need to reciprocate after I had given her all of the Princess' sweet little dresses for her dd.

I've been gearing up to get over this....(sometimes I wonder if that isn't what I'm really all about... finding things that bug me and then making myself deal with them).

I'm always up for saving money, but when I counted the items of kids clothing that I'm giving to charity I feel so wasteful.... yes... people need clothing, but to buy it, wear it for 4 months and then get rid of it seems wrong on a certain level...  I actually heard the expression recycled clothing versus used... and if I am wanting to really invest myself in recycling on more than just plastics and glass... shouldn't I make this a part of my life,  too?

So, today I went..... GULP....  to the Goodwill store.   Other than a funky smell, it wasnt' that bad... the people there were pretty normal people... overall it was a much more pleasant experience than going to the Cartersville Walmart, but that's not saying much either....

I was very proud of the things that I found... I was able to get shorts for the Princess and the Prince for summer and even a pair of shorts for myself.

When I told Daisy, my mother, she was pretty grossed out, but I'm not letting it get to me...  Actually, I have to admit that when I think about it too much I do get shivers up my spine, not in a good way, but when I think of the money I saved.... it's something I'll just get over....

So here's $21 at the Goodwill Store in Kennesaw, GA......

I would like to think that I use this site for putting helpful things and recipes on, but I've been in a purple funk lately... not as bad as a black or blue one... but I have been more in my head than normal... 

I'm going to snap out of it next week, but I'm taking one last day to dwell in this place...  I feel attacked lately and while things are good, even great... I'm having a hard time relating to it.

I've really tried to pay more attention to what I feel God is calling me to be and do.  I feel like for the first time in a very long time I may be actually listening to Him, and that He is blessing me and my family.

 I just feel such a sense of futility on so many levels right now...  it's not that excitement or hope is gone... I just feel that the world is moving on and that things are just moving way too fast....  I would just like for things to slow down for just a season..........

When the Nazis came for the communists,
I remained silent;
I was not a communist.
When they locked up the social democrats,
I remained silent;
I was not a social democrat.
When they came for the trade unionists,
I did not speak out;
I was not a trade unionist.
When they came for the Jews,
I remained silent;
I was not a Jew.
When they came for me,
there was no one left to speak out.
--Martin Niemoeller (1892-1984)Dachau Concentration Camp survivor

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"You must be the change you wish to see in the world..."  Ghandi

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Also, from the new pastor, Jonathan, at Oakleaf....

If you are not part of the future, it's kind of difficult to be part of the present.

Thursday night (and I know Thursday is over, this was just really good!): Angel Hair pasta with shrimp and feta cheese, side salad and garlic bread

Recipe:

2 tsp olive oil

1/4 cup white wine

1/2 tsp oregano

2 oz feta cheese

8 oz cooked angel hair pasta

3 cloves garlic, minced

2 tbsp lemon juice

1 pound shrimp, large, peeled and deveined

28 oz can of stewed tomatoes, petite diced, drained.

Directions:

Heat olive oil in large skillet, add garlic and cook for 3 minutes until soft.

Add wine, lemon juice, tomatoes, oregano and shrimp.  COver and simmer until shrimp are cooked about 5 minutes

Remove from heat and stir in feta.

Serve over cooked pasta...

Friday: Chalupas!  

Saturday:  Burgers on the grill, Roasted potatoes, and broccoli salad

Sunday:  Baked Parmesan Chicken, Cous cous and broccoli with cheese.

Monday:  Pizza... free from PizzaHut Bookit Program

Tuesday:  Hillbilly Goulash

Wednesday: Souffle and salad

Thursday: Parmesan garlic salmon with cous cous and salad...

I feel like I often harp on the idea of accountability, but it really is an important concept that I all too often disregard...

Animals and people both couple up as a means of support and help to each other... The disciples went out in pairs...  I guess it's always good to know that you're not alone in whatever trials you might have.

In the past 3 years since we moved and I was working full-time nights with no sleep for days at a time I have put on some weight... I still exercise just enough so that I don't fall out when I do exercise, but not enough to really lose the weight.  Life is also just much busier now, and I am somehow lacking in the 2-3 hours a day I used to spend at the gym before homeschooling, etc...

So... 2 friends of mine were talking about how we as homeschooling mothers should be supportive of each other in this area and felt that they should exercise together each week...  Of course I nosed in and wanted to get involved too...

Quite frankly it's been really good for me... I am more than a bit OCD, but then all of your best nurses are...  I feel like I have been able to really focus in on the exercise and really get involved in it... not just going thru the motions...

We have been at it for about a month, and it's been okay, but not too strenuous....

Today was different... I feel like I am really mentally in it now and came up with a more advanced routine...  right now I really feel like jello from my arms to my ankles... but in a good way...

I'm not just wanting to build momentum for the short term, but a healthy attitude and habits that are integrated into my life...

I'm 39 years old and if exercise doesn't become a regular part of my lifestyle now, I'm afraid that in a few years it will be too late...   Now I'm not talking T-Tapp or walking leisurely around the neighborhood... I want to be able to run 5 miles again and really lift weights again and feel good about how I'm treating my body and how it's treating me.  I want to be capable of hiking the Appalachian trail from Ga to ME if I feel like it and not be limited by the state of my shape...

I next need to focus on my diet, and take the time to plan out our menus.  So often I get lazy and resort to the quickest, but not necessarily the healthiest, thing....

So... I am sitting here unable to lift my arms off my desk and glad that I don't have to go up the stairs anymore right now.... BUT it is a good feeling....  I hope that my Chicken Friend and SSW are hurting good, too....

I've been  meaning to take a sabbatical from the computer, especially the internet, but it has really become ingrained within my lifestyle and is hard to give up...  So here I am... another night on the computer...

Today, I really focused on my kids and family... Mondays are usually a great school day, I work on Tuesdays so the momentum is usually gone by the time Wednesday rolls around... Thursday and Fridays are then spent playing catch up and trying to get everything done for the week.

I have to admit that I have been pretty lax about my planning and scheduling lately and I believe that is why things have been so hectic and undone...

Today school went really well... we covered everything we planned on and more... It was actually a really sweet day with my kids...

I learned alot this year in school, and I hope the kids did too...

I mainly learned that my attitude is the pivotal point for how our day is going to go... I also learned that sometimes it is better to teach love and caring and acceptance rather than them learning academics... 

So today...school, baking, cleaning, sewing, reading, playing and exercising.... but not all at the same time....

And now I'm off to iTunes to make a CD for exercise time with my 2 buds tomorrow... you are both really going to hurt...

I'm never quite sure what to say or where to even say it, but I truly appreciate all of the generous comments so many of you have left this week...