Poets and Saints
…and the moms who try to be both.Archive for Raising Children
Learning at Home
I have really been enjoying teaching my daughter preschool at home. I don’t know whether to call ourselves a homeschooling family yet, but I am enjoying all the educational materials we are perusing these days. And who knew preschool could be so fascinating? Maybe it’s my education background or my own exploration of an area that I have never taught, but it’s a thrilling adventure and we are learning so much.
Preschool Art by Mary Ann Kohl: I can’t say this book looked overly impressive initially, but upon first (and second and third try) of different art activities, I have been excited with the results. The painted dough (where we made a simple watery flour dough and then colored it with food coloring) had a fascinating effect on paper. The sand painting was a great outdoor art experience with an interesting kinesthetic result. The projects are very easy to follow and perfect for my daughter’s age.
Learning at Home by Ann Ward: This book is designed as a curriculum for a kindergarten (or an advanced Pre-K curriculum) using only the library as your resource! The author who is both an educator and homeschooling mom put a lot of detail and thought into her lesson plans. If I homeschool for kindergarten I will be adding this book to my library.
Homeschooling: The Early Years by Linda Dobson: Designed to give an overview of the homeschooling process and be a resource for parents beginning to explore it, this book is packed full of great resources for reading, writing and math but is probably most useful for the parent just starting out on the homeschooling journey.
A Beka Curriculum for Preschool: I started using their preschool materials last year including the alphabet workbook and number workbook. The materials are colorful and high quality and my daughter really enjoys using them. My only complaint is the price. I have a teacher friend who uses the A Beka curriculum at her preschool and really likes them too.
If you’re looking for a fun homeschooling blog, I really enjoy Pioneer Woman’s homeschooling section. It provides some good laughs in the midst of personal homeschooling insight.
And then there is always our excellent library system which will compile books about any subject for a homeschooling family. Awesome, huh? I think I’m having about as much fun as my daughter most days. It’s amazing to see how much she wants to learn too. I’m so glad I don’t have to miss out on that.
Garage Sale Deals
Our neighborhood had garage sales this weekend. Since we had some visitors from out East for the weekend we decided to hit up the sales and see what we could find. Garage sales are so hit-and-miss for me. I feel like some weekends I can go through a whole neighborhood and not find one good thing. Other times the trunk ends up full of treasures. This weekend, we struck gold.
I got:
- 2 beach chairs (I was going to buy these new, but for $1 a piece, I couldn’t resist)
- 1 very small fish tank (for free)
- two sweaters for me (summer is the best time to buy these even though it feels wrong to buy thick clothes in heavy humidity.)
- some clothes for my daughter
- 1 backpack (free)
- two cool chairs (we got a 2-for-1 deal on this. So we gave one to our company since they liked it so much)
- baby elmo (free)
- a saxo-flute (It’s a build-your-own instrument kind of thing. It ends up resembling some sort of horn out of a Dr. Seuss book and my daughter loves assembling it into all different shapes.)
- Some lemonade from a children’s lemonade stand. It was a little watered down, but who can resist the joy this brings the child who is running the stand?
Plus we went home, treasures in hand, without spending a fortune.
Weekend Update
What a weekend! I had a garage sale that took up both Friday and Saturday. We got rid of some things and made some money. We are putting it toward some new mattresses for my daughter and a new lamp. We didn’t get our loveseat sold, even though we had lots of interest, so I may put it on Craigslist and get rid of it there. Besides the fact that it looks like a doctor’s office couch, it’s it good shape and has a very small pattern on it. And we are selling it for cheap! It’s a good buy especially if you’re trying to fit it in with other mix and match furniture. But oy! Is it heavy!
Today we have an appointment with our adoption caseworker from Agency #2. They’re trying to finish up the paperwork on us so it means one home visit. So I’m trying to straighten the house which is a mess from all the weekend neglect. My daughter is really into shopping bags and I find them all over the house with little things in them–buttons and pieces of paper. The tricky part will be trying to keep it all nice until 12:30, and then hope that my daughter is not too cranky before nap time at 1:30. A clean house and a happy girl? It might take some creative thinking to pull that off.
Plus, I’ll be posting this week about our latest family night…Splash Night! Lots of fun activities that have to do with water (without too much of a mess!)
Our Weekend Project: Making a Sandbox
We spent a glorious Saturday building a sandbox, including a canvas cover to keep cats and tree debris out. I sewed the cover, but you could leave the seams raw and still follow the directions.
The pipe that winds up the cover actually works well! Overall, my husband thought these directions were pretty simple but we didn’t work from scratch, so that saved us time.
We converted an old garden box that was getting too much shade and added seats. Then we dug out the good dirt, added landscape mesh, and covered it with bags of sand. We were warned in advance that we would need a lot more sand than seems possible. We bought ten 50 pound bags and it was just the right amount. Six bags to cover the bottom and 4 bags to fill it up. Five hundred pounds of sand and we have a happy girl. The flip side is now I am going to have the constant battle of sand in my house. The effort to have a clean house is not all it’s cracked up to be.
Now you are welcome to all come over and dig around in our sandbox. Bare feet and play clothes required!
Easy Chinesey Part 2
From Everyday Food Magazine April 2005
I made a new sweet and sour chicken recipe this weekend that my husband raved about afterwards. It was a little more savory than I am used to, due largely to the ketchup in the recipe. And since I like breading on my chicken I added an egg to the ingredients at the beginning and then cooked the chicken in the egg-cornstarch-soy sauce mixture. (Without the egg, I don’t think you’ll get much breading, as you can see from the picture above.)
To simplify the prep work, I bought frozen chopped peppers and onions and used that instead of fresh peppers. I am also used to having pineapple in my sweet and sour chicken but I forgot to buy some and I think that made it taste less sweet. (Note to self: don’t forget the pineapple). Otherwise it was very delicious and a great family recipe too.
3 Ways to Organize your Day
One of the things I’ve struggled with as a woman and mother is how to organize my day. Going from working (where my day was organized for me) to staying home meant I had limitless free time, yet some days I felt like nothing got done. Many mothers tell me this is “normal” and yet as the years have gone by, I’ve found a few things that have helped me to feel more productive, even if it means only accomplishing a few things everyday:
1. Keeping a schedule or to-do list for each day. Some people swear by organization systems, like this daily docket from Simple Mom. This is a great form to print off if you don’t know where to start. I find I don’t need such a formal system to accomplish the same thing. Often I will organize Monday through Friday at the same time, thinking about what I’d like to get done this week and breaking it down into 5 days. If I get off schedule, I readjust the schedule. This isn’t about feeling guilty. Life happens. It’s taken awhile to get a feel about how much I can accomplish in a normal day, and as we all know, life is rarely normal. If you hate lists and organizational systems, do what works for you. There isn’t a one-size-fits-all approach for moms. But by doing a little each day, you can accomplish a lot in the long term. (By the way, if you have a baby under the age of one, ignore all of the above advice. Getting a shower is enough some days.)
2. Organize shopping lists. I try to avoid running errands too often with small children. When I was babysitting two toddlers, I learned that it was difficult to go out with both of them so I started keeping a running list for each of the major places I shop: grocery store, big box store, and then any other stores or errands that happen to be close by, like the post office, pharmacy, etc. Then I make one trip a week. Of course at especially busy times of the year like Christmas I make more trips, but since I hate running errands, I really try to limit these trips. This keeps my days free since I don’t have to plan my day around errands. Please know if you have school age children in lots of activities you can’t do this. This works for me because I am in the life stage with small children and few activities and I really dislike running errands.
3. Plan your downtime. Many years ago I stopped watching TV, except for a few “favorite” shows. I decided that I wanted to do other things in the evening that were both relaxing and fun. I started reading books, blogging, sewing, and my latest hobby: knitting. I found so much more gratification in doing something in my free time that was stimulating that I am a big advocate of turning the TV off. If you love watching TV and don’t want to give it up, then this is not a post to make you feel bad. We made a family decision to watch less TV, but I’ll admit that not all couples can be unified with this kind of decision. Whatever you decide your hobbies are (even if it is TV) make a decision what you’re going to do each night. When I don’t think ahead about my free time, I find the decision is made for me. I end up puttering around, flipping channels, surfing the internet and wasting time. When I do have a plan, my free time ends up being so much more fun and I have all day to look forward to it. Let me also say that as moms, we don’t always get free time. Sometimes my day falls apart and I end up doing laundry, or taxes, or working on our budget late at night. That’s just life. On the nights when I get one free hour for myself, I’m usually writing, reading, working on my Bible study or crafting. These activities help me to feel human again, and as a mother that’s really important.
I know lots of women who have great ideas about how to organize their lives. Feel free to share any ideas that work for you or someone you know.
P.S. Tomorrow I will be posting an adoption update on my new adoption blog. There will be news! (hint, hint…)
6 Ways to Spring Clean (and Save Money)
I am in the midst of spring cleaning. This isn’t just your ordinary dust and sweep routine, but doing the dirty work that hasn’t been done in a year or more. As I polish the woodwork, organize closets and get rid of junk, I’m surprised how much dirt, dust and clutter are around. I clean every week but when you look under my bed, you’d never know it! The best part of all, spring cleaning makes your house look better with little monetary investment.
1. Use Vinegar or Club Soda to Clean Windows These products are cheap to use and eco-friendly too. Some people like to wipe their windows with newspapers. That works but be careful of walls and trim. The damp newspaper can leave newsprint on your lovely painted walls.
2. Clean Out Closets and Donate Whenever I think I need more space, I clean my closets and I have instant space. I donate a lot of things and create more space on my shelves for other things. Amazing and totally free! (except for the time and labor you put in.)
3. Use Rags Cut up old t-shirts, shorts. polos, and sheets and you have your supplies for spring cleaning! No more paper towels!
4. Make Your Own Scouring Powder with a paste of baking soda and water. I use this when I have coffee and tea stains on my counters or when washing the bottom of my shower, which frequently gets mildew buildup. Vinegar also works great in the shower too. For an easy drain cleaner, pour baking soda down your drain, then add vinegar. The combination will bubble up like carbonation and is fun to watch. Be sure to rinse the baking soda when you are finished.
5. Use Scratch Cover for Wood I love Old English’s Scratch Cover for Wood. This is my most pricey cleaning product ($4.00-5.00) but it does wonders for my banged up woodwork. It makes light scratches disappear and polishes the woodwork too! It will not cover deep scratches or gouges, but does amazing things for all the toy dings and pet scratches (from the previous owners) and makes my woodwork, stairs rail, and trim look so much better. I’ve been putting off this job for a long time, but now I’m so glad I did it. Although the scratch cover is more money than I usually pay for cleaning products, it’s by far cheaper than replacing trim. Plus, it was so satisfying to polish away scratches and make my wood look like new again.
6. Use the Sun Take blankets, rugs and more outside to get a good airing out and light bleaching from the sun on a nice day. I like to wash my blankets and line dry them. The dryer is expensive to use, especially when you are drying heavy objects like blankets. Use free energy from the sun and wind and enjoy a fresh, clean blanket.
Happy Spring Cleaning!
5 Ways to Save Money on Groceries
I’ve been trying to save money on groceries lately, but baby, it is hard. We love to eat in our household and a lot of organic foods are more expensive than their non-organic counterparts. This means I only buy organic on certain foods. I have been using coupons but I find most coupons are for processed foods and really don’t save me much. The only exception to this is the coupons I receive from the grocery store which are tailored to our buying habits. Besides coupons, I have had a little luck saving money using these techniques:
1. Stick to a list: I know I’ve talked about this before, but when I make a list I’m less likely to splurge on things I don’t need. Lists are my friend. They help me save money and buy only what I need, not whatever looks good that day.
2. More no-meat meals: We are not vegetarians by any means, but if I plan one or two no-meat meals a week, I save a bunch of money. Meat is expensive and the less I buy the more I save. There are lots of pasta meals that don’t use meat and taste delicious! Also, we love black beans and can make lots of great Tex-Mex meals using them. Soups are also a good way to eat without meat too. According to a New York times article last year, Americans consume too much meat, especially compared to other countries. We don’t need that much meat to get our daily dose of protein, so if you’re serious about saving money, try one no-meat meal a week.
3. Use coupons when there’s a sale: I learned this when I signed up for a free trial using The Grocery Game. I didn’t continue using this site, because I realized what their strategy was: Use coupons when the item is on sale. Buy more when the discounts are deep. Avoid sales that only get you ten or twenty cents off an item–those aren’t real sales. If you can use these strategies when you shop regularly it does help, although it also means be organized and pay attention to prices.
4. Stock up when it’s a great price: Recently I found boneless chicken breasts for an astonishing low price. I bought at least a half dozen packages. When I found bison burger for half price, I bought twelve pounds. Yes, it hurts when I pay that one grocery bill, but then for weeks afterward I reap the benefits: I don’t buy much meat. If you can stock up and freeze certain items it may cost you more one time, but in the long run you will definitely save. It helps to figure out what are you most costly items at the store (meat, milk, etc.), then figure out what a great sale price is. I don’t do this as much with lower priced items because the savings are not as great and it wastes my mental energy on trying to keep track of everything. When you see a great sale, buy a lot and your monthly grocery bills will eventually show the savings.
5. Make from scratch: Some people hate to hear this, but if you are really serious about saving money on groceries, make foods from scratch. Processed foods are convenient, but cost more and usually have added preservatives. Homemade foods tend to be cheaper because you’re doing the preparation and using household staples. We also like homemade foods because they taste better and are better for you too.
Any other ideas on how to save money on groceries? Let me know! We all can benefit by saving a few bucks more. Happy shopping.
6 Children’s Books for African American History Month
February is often connected with Valentine’s Day for obvious reasons, but it is also a month of other celebrations as well. African American history month is also in February and a great time to expose children to some wonderful picture books written by or about African Americans. For children living in less diverse areas, it is hard to give them a taste of the many cultures and people around us. Books are a wonderful way to show children cultural and ethnic differences in languages, stories and traditions. Although that’s not the same as living in a diverse culture, it is a great start.
Here’s a list of some recommended picture books that you may want to check out from your local public library. The list begins with books for younger children and ends with a book for upper elementary and ‘tweens. This list is not meant to be exclusive by any means, but merely gives you an idea of where to start:
1. Any Books by Ezra Jack Keats–Most people have heard of The Snowy Day written by Keats, but he has many more wonderful stories. Check out Whistle for Willie, a simple story about a boy who is trying to learn to whistle, or Jennie’s Hat, about a young girl’s imaginative hat constructed by birds. Ages 3 and up.
2. The Colors of Us by Karen Katz–I like this book because it describes all the different colors of skin from Indian, Chinese, Hispanic, and shades of African American, while celebrating the uniqueness of our diversity. Ages 3 and up.
3. Amazing Grace by Mary Hoffman–A girl who thinks she cannot play Peter Pan in the school play because of her color discovers she can do it in spite of what her friends say. Ages 4-8
4. Why Mosquitoes Buzz in People’s Ears by Verna Aardema–A Caldecott winner about a West African Tale of why the mosquito buzzes in people’s ears to ask for forgiveness. Ages 4-8
5. Hip Hop Speaks to Children by Nikki Giovanni–A collection of poetry, plus a listening CD to hear everyone from Queen Latifah to Langston Hughes and Martin Luther King. Ages 9-12.
P.S. I added one! I edited this post to include one that I intended to put on my original list called Martin’s Big Words by Doreen Rappaport and Bryan Collier. It’s a great book for children 4 and up that teaches about Martin Luther King Jr. and what he fought for. A combination of history and famous quotes, this is a book that should be read on more that King’s birthday. My favorite quote from the book: “Hate cannot drive out hate. Only love can do that.”
How to Use Rewards with Children
To sit down and write about Part 2 of Dobson’s book Dare to Discipline feels rather ironic since that’s what I’ve been doing all day. My daughter was in a grumpy/uncooperative/negative mood today which made the whole day rather tiresome. There were lots of tears and timeouts, and a few moments where I sounded more like Miss Viola Swamp than I would care to admit.
The good news is I want to focus on a positive part of the Dobson’s book: coming up with a rewards system. Dobson recommends rewards for 4-8 year olds, but that did not stop me from using a reward (bribe?) of raisins today to get my daughter to ride peacefully in the back seat of the car on the way home. (This is not something I normally do, but today was not a normal day either.) She was quiet and received the promised reward as soon as we got inside the house.
Now maybe you say, “That’s bribing!”
And I would reply “Yes and I’m not afraid to use it!”
In moderation, of course.
Dobson’s argument is that most of life is about using rewards, starting in school with grades, awards, free pizza coupons for reading books, and on and on. Then we get in the workforce and are offered more rewards: it’s called a paycheck. He says that most of our motivation in life comes from rewards and that it is a great tool to use with children too. This is not to say that we should use rewards for every single activity in life; there should be certain expectations and tasks that are not rewarded. But if there are specific desired behaviors that your child is struggling with, then a rewards system is a great way to work on improving those habits.
How to Implement Rewards:
1. Pick behaviors you wish to instill in your child
2. Use immediate reinforcement. Dobson’s recommendation:
- Create a chart with desired behaviors. Put a sticker or stars next to each behavior exhibited that day.
- Give the child 2 pennies for each sticker.
- Teach the child basic money management with their earnings. Teach them to tithe and save. Do not let them spend their money all at one time.
- The chart and list of behaviors should change about once a month when good habits have developed.
Chart ideas include:
- I brushed my teeth without being told
- I was kind to my brother today
- I obeyed mommy today
- I obeyed daddy today
- I washed my hands and came to the table when called.
- I went to bed last night without complaining.
One of things I like about rewards is that it makes learning new habits more fun and less like punishment. Although I know there are no quick fixes to days like today, every good piece of advice to encourage positive behaviors in my child is like gold for me.
