It's that time of year where people begin to reflect on their blessings. Some of our friends on Facebook will begin the month of giving thanks challenge. I did it a couple of years ago. It can can be difficult to come up with a new thing to be thankful for every day for a month. But it was a challenge worth taking on, and I love reading what other people post because it helps remind me to be thankful for all things big and small.
When I think back over the years, I really have so much to be thankful for. I have a twin sister and an elementary school friend who are my best friends, even though we live nowhere close. Those types of longtime friendships are hard to come by. I have also made friends along the way. Facebook has helped me keep in touch with some of them even though I have moved a lot. Facebook has also led to new friendships, even if they are only online because of the distance.
I have never been homeless or gone hungry. I have never lost a home and all my possesions to a fire. I have never had my home broken into. And while I had my car stolen from me and almost had my purse stolen, I have never been harmed by anyone in a violent way. Even when we had our bank card compromised and had $300 stolen from us recently, the bank credited the money back within a few days and made it official a couple of weeks ago that it was stolen. Who would have thought it happening at the end of the month when our account was at its lowest would have also been a blessing...otherwise the criminal would have taken a lot more, and we would not have been able to pay bills.
We have had medical issues arise, but for the most part, we have stayed healthy and out of hospitals. This may not always be the case, but for now it is. My kids were healthy when they were born with no complications. No cancer, no heart defects, no physical deformities, no learning disabilities. Just bad baby teeth. Thankfully, those get replaced naturally.
We have survived some tough times financially, but anytime one door closed, another opened, and we have always managed to keep a paycheck coming in. And when times got really tough, we were able to take advantage of government programs during a transitional period.
Most recently, we have been able to purchase a home with a beautiful view in the back and front yard. We get to see beautiful New Mexico sunrises and sunsets. And while it needs a lot of TLC, it 10 acres of dreams to come. We have kind neighbors, and we have some family close by.
I am able to stay home with my kids, and I am able to homeschool them, something I have always wanted to do. My husband has always made that possible through his work ethic and commitment to this family. Even though we have our bad days, I wouldn't trade it for the world.
I come from a family that has never betrayed me. While it is not perfect, I know we love each other.
I have a vehicle that is reliable and spacious. And it has a dvd player for the kids. It is a big help when I travel alone since it is hard to manage kids while driving. My kids love each other and for the most part like being around each other.
I found great deals on a used full size freezer and refrigerator, and I have lots of kitchen cabinets. I have plenty of room to store food. Even though I live rurally, I have access to decent internet and boosters so my cell phone works, at least part of the time. My husband still has unlimited internet on his phone, which helps him when he has to work away from the office. We even have Skype so we can see each other (and my baby niece from time to time). We were able to find a used RV that he can use as a home while he is away a few days a week. And we can use for long trips when we want to travel.
We got to have a dream wedding on a beach with our closest friends and family. And after 11 years of marriage, we are still choosing to honor our commitment. We are blessed to be two people that don't run when things get hard.
My husband has been able to pursue his dream of teaching and getting a PhD. I was able to obtain a Masters degree. At the same time, we can both appreciate the fact that school at any level is not the only way to find success in a career.
Finally, I have a Kuerig that makes great coffee...especially on those mornings
when I wake up way too early and know I am not going back to sleep (like
this morning).
Life is good.
Tuesday, October 28, 2014
Friday, October 24, 2014
A day in the life of our unschooling journey
Today is a Friday. It is a typical day...sort of. My son is sick, so he has to take it easy. He has been playing with his Angry Birds Go cars, watching some Youtube videos, and successfully keeping food down. He even tried something new to him today...Tang. My husband and I loved it growing up. He now seems to have mustered up the energy to play on the Wii. Funny how that works when they don't feel good.
Today has already been busy. Laundry. Unloading the dishes. Feeding the kids breakfast. I even did a little fall cleaning (ok, so I looked around and noticed a lot of dust, and since I did a lot of cleaning up yesterday--still trying to find where to put stuff since we moved--the dust was even more noticeable!). Ceiling fans. Spider webs. Dusting. I am also getting the floors prepped to lay new flooring. Half our house just has sub-flooring at the moment from having ripped up the carpet. My daughter has been busy chasing the cats, dressing up like Elsa, trying to make her glider fly, jumping on the trampoline, riding the four wheeler, and playing with plastic animals. I'm sure later she will want to watch Disney's Cinderella again. We got it from Netflix yesterday. We got to sample some chocolate we bought from a local school fundraiser too. I hope the boxes last a few days. Maybe I need to let my son hide them from me and my daughter....
Later, my son and I are going to finish a Minecraft Creeper costume and read some more about Pilgrims. My husband is a history buff and believes having a sense of our history is important (I agree. It is the only way we can actually appreciate humanity and understand the struggles that people can survive.) With Thanksgiving right around the corner, why not learn about its roots? The writer of The Magic Tree House series has a great collection of fact checker books to go along with some of the stories she has written. My son is much more open to them than reading some other non-fiction book on the same topic. He is already connected to the author and characters from the books. We will probably finish up one of the Cub Scout achievements today. We have been learning a little about Tall Tales. His favorite is John Henry. He gets to put the US map on the wall to use and see where some of the stories took place. I have also been told my son and I are going to make a stuffed Mario poison mushroom today. If we get to it, my son will get some thread and needle practice. Then we need to start preparing for the Cub Scout Space Derby that takes place in a few weeks. That means sanding and painting practice.
Lately, we have had a full plate of activities that are also enriching. We went to a Spanish Colonial Days at a museum and saw several demonstrations--blacksmithing, grinding corn, learning how an old flour mill worked, weaving, making rope, etc. We all learned something. The Pumpkin Chunkin contest is held down the street from where we live. A special guest came to story time this week and showed us how a smaller cannon worked. He used gourds as ammo. Every week both kids go to story time for their age group and hear a story and do a related craft. We got to go on a fire station tour last week for Cub Scouts and made fondant at 4-H. At some point soon, my son will get to try out an art class through 4-H and possibly photography and practicing his bow and arrow skills. Next month we get to participate in charitable giving for different groups in our community and some community service projects through Cub Scouts and 4-H. We also get to visit a popcorn company and learn about how they make it and how their company operates.
In addition to all that, there are several books we got from the library...some fact checker books about twisters and mummies, some other Magic Tree House books, which all have an element of history in them, a book about Brazil (the Rio movies brought on this interest) and Washington DC, and a book about spies that just sounds fun. We also spent a lot of time recently learning about the Revolutionary War (thanks again Magic Tree House for the fact checker book, a historical fiction book we read, and Liberty Kids).
The thing is, there is so much to learn just through living an active life. I love that I have discovered the freedom of unschooling. All the things we have studied have been influenced by my son's interests. These are just some of things he has been interested in all on his own. When he was younger, he had a great interest in space and the human body brought on by The Magic School Bus video series. Right now, with his interest in Minecraft, he has been able to make connections to things he learned from the blacksmith and things he saw at the history museum and the zoo. It also encourages him in his spelling since he hates having misspelled words. Math concepts come up all the time, whether he is playing Minecraft, a board game, or is just plain curious. At the grocery store he likes to use the scale. In addition, he has learned about sales tax and comparison shopping because of wanting to spend his allowance. Then there is the bits of information I come across and share with my kids. I tell my son about things like the blood moon and partial solar eclipse and other things that come up in the news or other interesting things I hear about.
When we can learn so much through our own passions and interests and by being around others, why is it necessary to box ourselves in with curriculum and standards? I realize I am fortunate to be able to homeschool my kids. What I consider even more fortunate is that I have come to truly understand learning. Sometimes, for a moment, I get sucked back in to the school model of learning...and then I catch myself. Old habits die hard. I remind myself that just because it is school does not mean it is the best or only way to do things. As long as my children can learn who they are and learn their strengths and weaknesses and passions, and as long as they can learn to read and write and do some math along the way, none of the rest matters. Some of the things they do throughout their journey will help them discover themselves, so it is important I always offer new information and resources and not let life get stagnant. Other than that, there are no other rules. If they figure out what they are best suited for, they will have such and interest or passion that they will learn the skills and knowledge needed in order to pursue that interest. Bill Gates and Steve Jobs did not get into computers because it was a classroom requirement. Ben Franklin did not become a great inventor because he was required to be an apprentice for his brother. The list of anecdotal evidence could take a lifetime to write about.
The most important gift we can give our kids is to help them unlock their potential and help them find the path intended for them. The method may be different for each kid, but one sure way not to unlock it is by creating fear of failure and by not supporting them when they try to explore what interests them or spread their wings.
So what have you done to help your child or someone else discover who they are?
Today has already been busy. Laundry. Unloading the dishes. Feeding the kids breakfast. I even did a little fall cleaning (ok, so I looked around and noticed a lot of dust, and since I did a lot of cleaning up yesterday--still trying to find where to put stuff since we moved--the dust was even more noticeable!). Ceiling fans. Spider webs. Dusting. I am also getting the floors prepped to lay new flooring. Half our house just has sub-flooring at the moment from having ripped up the carpet. My daughter has been busy chasing the cats, dressing up like Elsa, trying to make her glider fly, jumping on the trampoline, riding the four wheeler, and playing with plastic animals. I'm sure later she will want to watch Disney's Cinderella again. We got it from Netflix yesterday. We got to sample some chocolate we bought from a local school fundraiser too. I hope the boxes last a few days. Maybe I need to let my son hide them from me and my daughter....
Later, my son and I are going to finish a Minecraft Creeper costume and read some more about Pilgrims. My husband is a history buff and believes having a sense of our history is important (I agree. It is the only way we can actually appreciate humanity and understand the struggles that people can survive.) With Thanksgiving right around the corner, why not learn about its roots? The writer of The Magic Tree House series has a great collection of fact checker books to go along with some of the stories she has written. My son is much more open to them than reading some other non-fiction book on the same topic. He is already connected to the author and characters from the books. We will probably finish up one of the Cub Scout achievements today. We have been learning a little about Tall Tales. His favorite is John Henry. He gets to put the US map on the wall to use and see where some of the stories took place. I have also been told my son and I are going to make a stuffed Mario poison mushroom today. If we get to it, my son will get some thread and needle practice. Then we need to start preparing for the Cub Scout Space Derby that takes place in a few weeks. That means sanding and painting practice.
Lately, we have had a full plate of activities that are also enriching. We went to a Spanish Colonial Days at a museum and saw several demonstrations--blacksmithing, grinding corn, learning how an old flour mill worked, weaving, making rope, etc. We all learned something. The Pumpkin Chunkin contest is held down the street from where we live. A special guest came to story time this week and showed us how a smaller cannon worked. He used gourds as ammo. Every week both kids go to story time for their age group and hear a story and do a related craft. We got to go on a fire station tour last week for Cub Scouts and made fondant at 4-H. At some point soon, my son will get to try out an art class through 4-H and possibly photography and practicing his bow and arrow skills. Next month we get to participate in charitable giving for different groups in our community and some community service projects through Cub Scouts and 4-H. We also get to visit a popcorn company and learn about how they make it and how their company operates.
In addition to all that, there are several books we got from the library...some fact checker books about twisters and mummies, some other Magic Tree House books, which all have an element of history in them, a book about Brazil (the Rio movies brought on this interest) and Washington DC, and a book about spies that just sounds fun. We also spent a lot of time recently learning about the Revolutionary War (thanks again Magic Tree House for the fact checker book, a historical fiction book we read, and Liberty Kids).
The thing is, there is so much to learn just through living an active life. I love that I have discovered the freedom of unschooling. All the things we have studied have been influenced by my son's interests. These are just some of things he has been interested in all on his own. When he was younger, he had a great interest in space and the human body brought on by The Magic School Bus video series. Right now, with his interest in Minecraft, he has been able to make connections to things he learned from the blacksmith and things he saw at the history museum and the zoo. It also encourages him in his spelling since he hates having misspelled words. Math concepts come up all the time, whether he is playing Minecraft, a board game, or is just plain curious. At the grocery store he likes to use the scale. In addition, he has learned about sales tax and comparison shopping because of wanting to spend his allowance. Then there is the bits of information I come across and share with my kids. I tell my son about things like the blood moon and partial solar eclipse and other things that come up in the news or other interesting things I hear about.
When we can learn so much through our own passions and interests and by being around others, why is it necessary to box ourselves in with curriculum and standards? I realize I am fortunate to be able to homeschool my kids. What I consider even more fortunate is that I have come to truly understand learning. Sometimes, for a moment, I get sucked back in to the school model of learning...and then I catch myself. Old habits die hard. I remind myself that just because it is school does not mean it is the best or only way to do things. As long as my children can learn who they are and learn their strengths and weaknesses and passions, and as long as they can learn to read and write and do some math along the way, none of the rest matters. Some of the things they do throughout their journey will help them discover themselves, so it is important I always offer new information and resources and not let life get stagnant. Other than that, there are no other rules. If they figure out what they are best suited for, they will have such and interest or passion that they will learn the skills and knowledge needed in order to pursue that interest. Bill Gates and Steve Jobs did not get into computers because it was a classroom requirement. Ben Franklin did not become a great inventor because he was required to be an apprentice for his brother. The list of anecdotal evidence could take a lifetime to write about.
The most important gift we can give our kids is to help them unlock their potential and help them find the path intended for them. The method may be different for each kid, but one sure way not to unlock it is by creating fear of failure and by not supporting them when they try to explore what interests them or spread their wings.
So what have you done to help your child or someone else discover who they are?
Friday, October 3, 2014
Slow Cooker Cooking
A couple of weeks ago, I purchased a Hamilton Beach no frills an 8 quart slow cooker. I was worried it would be too big. I was worried I would have trouble making recipes work for it that were designed for the smaller 4 quart size. So far, it was wasted worry. I also recently got a great deal on a used upright freezer. I now have to fill it up. I finally get to try all those recipes for fifteen days of freezer meals...many of which are perfect for the slow cooker. I can also stock up on meat when it is on sale....especially with turkey season right around the corner.
I have been able to try out my cooker twice now. I made a 2 pound batch of pinto beans. I also cooked a whole chicken. Both turned out perfect. I found a great chicken recipe I want to share here. It will be my go-to recipe from now on.
Here are the links (and here) to the recipes I basically followed.
This is what I actually did:
Then I followed another suggestion in one of the links above. I deboned the chicken and left all the extra stuff in the pot, added an onion, two stalks of celery, and two carrots and some bay leaves. I also added a little salt, but I figured salt can always be added with future recipes. I filled the pot up with water, turned it on low, and went to bed. The next morning, I had chicken stock! I strained it and let it cool. I skimmed some of the fat (got too impatient to wait until it was cold and easy to get off). Then I divided to stock into several small plastic containers. And now that I have a new freezer, I have a place to keep them until the next time they are needed. I no longer have to buy it in the can...which is nice with cold weather and holidays just around the corner.
I can't wait to make more use of my slow cooker. It will actually come in really handy the next several days. The igniter for the bake setting on my oven has been out, and it has been difficult to find the replacement. Even when I get back in working order next week, this chicken recipe is officially my go to approach. No more turning the oven up to 450 degrees and then turning it down. No more dry chicken at 350 degrees. No more oven to clean as a result of grease (don't always trust the results of comparison testing when researching online...). I did not even have to butter or oil the chicken. So it is also a healthier way to prepare it.
I have been able to try out my cooker twice now. I made a 2 pound batch of pinto beans. I also cooked a whole chicken. Both turned out perfect. I found a great chicken recipe I want to share here. It will be my go-to recipe from now on.
Here are the links (and here) to the recipes I basically followed.
This is what I actually did:
- 2 teaspoons paprika
- 4 teaspoon salt
- 1 teaspoon onion powder
- 1 teaspoon thyme
- ½ teaspoon garlic powder
- ¼ teaspoon black pepper
- 1 large chicken (I used the Tyson chickens they sell in the 2-packs)
Then I followed another suggestion in one of the links above. I deboned the chicken and left all the extra stuff in the pot, added an onion, two stalks of celery, and two carrots and some bay leaves. I also added a little salt, but I figured salt can always be added with future recipes. I filled the pot up with water, turned it on low, and went to bed. The next morning, I had chicken stock! I strained it and let it cool. I skimmed some of the fat (got too impatient to wait until it was cold and easy to get off). Then I divided to stock into several small plastic containers. And now that I have a new freezer, I have a place to keep them until the next time they are needed. I no longer have to buy it in the can...which is nice with cold weather and holidays just around the corner.
I can't wait to make more use of my slow cooker. It will actually come in really handy the next several days. The igniter for the bake setting on my oven has been out, and it has been difficult to find the replacement. Even when I get back in working order next week, this chicken recipe is officially my go to approach. No more turning the oven up to 450 degrees and then turning it down. No more dry chicken at 350 degrees. No more oven to clean as a result of grease (don't always trust the results of comparison testing when researching online...). I did not even have to butter or oil the chicken. So it is also a healthier way to prepare it.
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