Homeschool "Trial-Run"

Two years ago if someone had said that I would homeschool I would say "are you nuts!?".  It wasnt for me, school is where my kids belong with other kids, socializing, etc.
Never say never because look at where we are today!
We put Ness in preschool this past year and Im not going to lie, there were times where I thought preschool was the best thing ever.  Sage is a very easy child if he is alone, as is Zael.  Its when they have their Ring Leader/Ness that chaos break out (Sage is like me and Ness is like his dad...of course..lol).  But at the same time it was a major pain brining him and picking him up plus he didnt seem to be learning anything.  He would bring home worksheets with a bunch of scribbles (always black or blue..?) or crafts that I KNOW he had no hand in making (trust me, I have crafted with this child).  There was nothing wrong with the school or his teacher, but Ness didnt seem to be flourishing and plus it was a lot of money.  THEN we found a house that we really really want (want to buy our house) and decided that we needed to start saving the money.
On top of all that the public schools in EBR are not great (cell phones are allowed in schools now? Insanity!)
So thats when I decided to do a Homeschool Trial run! Ness is only 4.5 so if we do preschool (starting in Jan.) and its a total bust I havent screwed him up too badly.  Then we will move on to Plan B, whatever that is.

At first homeschool totally overwhelmed me.  I thought about joining a Classical Conversation Co-op (which we may still do next year) but Mr. "Ants-in-the-pants" didnt seem to do well.  Maybe he will when he is older.
Then I found this: http://www.confessionsofahomeschooler.com/letter-of-the-week
Total God-Send!
This lady's style is right up my alley, its very organized but all very fun and diverse.  Its a lot of work, and a lot of printing but I have had fun!  I got a laminator (woot!) and have been laminating up a storm (we will be using this same curriculum again with the other boys).  It has been several weeks of work but I can finally see the light at the end of the tunnel.

I figured this blogpost would be helpful because we have very limited money and even more limited space (right now).  So I have cleared out a wall that will become our "School Wall" with a bulletin board, calendar, weather, sight words, days of the week, and whatever else Ness is interested in at the moment. (Hopefully potential buyers can look past that).
My main problem was figured out how to organize all the paperwork.  So I have several "lightbulb" moments (usually in the middle of the night) and I can see the light at the end of the tunnel!

One idea that I really like that we are doing (as we are aiming towards Montessori Style), is the Workbox System. Basically there are boxes for each day of the week (I prepare the week before) and each morning after our Circle Time (school wall stuff) he will go and get whatever is in that days box.  Those things will be put in "centers" (as he gets older those centers will be named) and then he will be able to choose the  order in which he wants to do them.  This will be helpful too because Sage may be doing some too and they can rotate activities.  I love this curriculum because most things are games/puzzles/"sewing" that can be used again and again (laminator baby!).

Another problem I had was that we dont have a school room right now so every time we did an activity I was running around the house and gathering stuff which would leave a mess and that stressed me. SOOO a good friend that saves weird stuff had given me all of these puff containers (and since baby #3 is an animal with food we will have EVEN MORE puff containers in our future) and that became my answer!  Hello free organizing!  Im keeping them on a rolling cart that can be easily moved (has all the other supplies too).  (I got a label maker and these plastic bins from a really awesome garage sale)

The last, and biggest problem I had was figuring out I was going to store all the flashcards and weekly curriculum.  After thinking about it for a long time I decided on a file box (why I didnt think of this sooner I have no idea).  So all of my laminated flashcards as well as extra worksheets are in this box.  Plus the curriculum and the games/activities that go with it.  My plan is that once a week of work is done all of it will go into my file box to be used again next semester for Sage.  I will mark stuff that will need to be printed again in my Curriculum Guide binder so I can easily find and print next year.  

      

There you have it folks.  Ness is SO excited about starting.  We will probably start the week after Christmas, he wants to start now but I still not ready!!  Updates soon!

In other things, we will probably be certified for Foster Care in the middle of January, we are really praying that we can be headed towards the other house at that time.  We are so cramped right now!  I have plans for a huge school room with a side play room for the little ones while we do school.  I would also love to start up a Montessori Co-op. 

Christmas is next week! Gotta go work on laminating! 

:)  

 

Thick and Creamy Yogurt Making!

So, with the help of a good friend, I have finally figured out how to make yogurt of a yummy consistency (THICK and CREAMY).  After perfecting my technique I have decided to share it with the world (ok, so maybe just my facebook friends).

Here goes!
You will need:
1/2 gallon of milk (makes a 1/2 gallon of yogurt)
1 Tbs of Beef Gelatin
1 small container (8 oz) of Voskos yogurt (for starter)
Ice
Crockpot
3 quart size mason jars
Thermometer

First take out your crockpot and fill it half way with water and let it start heating up.

I threw a fit when my husband bought the fanciest crockpot available, but now I am quite happy because it has a thermometer.  I had a candy thermometer and then I washed it in the dishwasher..well you can probably imagine how that went down.  

Your goal is to get the water to 110 degrees.  Since this takes the longest I suggest getting this going first. 

How pretty is milk in glass jars?!? (I did a gallon with these pictures, but in the end I realized that I couldn't fit 5 jars in my crockpot (its the milk plus the 8 oz of yogurt), so one jar went to the chickens. (do it in half gallon size to make life easier).

Pour your milk into a large pot.

Now, this is VERY important!  Add Beef Gelatin BEFORE the milk gets hot!

Here is the one I used, I believe its from grass-fed beef.

Add 1 Tbs of gelatin to COLD milk

Whisk in quickly, it will dissolve well if the milk is still cold.  

Now you wait for your milk to get to 190 degrees F.  

While you are waiting get a nice ice bath going for your yogurt, I usually empty out the ice bin and add water until there is plenty of coldness to go around.

Once your milk has reach 190 degrees bring to ice bath and stir frequently.

Let your milk come down to 110 degrees (same temp you want the crockpot!).  This doesn't take as long as you would think.  So keep checking.  (ignore the white soap scum on my sink! eep!) 

Once its down to 110 degrees its time to add the yogurt starter (and you are almost done!).  I use Voskos because I was told to use Voskos and frankly Im scared to try something else.  I use a 8 oz container. If you use a different starter with the same results please let me know! Voskos is not available everywhere (whole foods mostly).

Take your milk out of the ice and add yogurt.

Whisk it in as much as you can, it will still be a bit lumpy but thats ok.

Now pour your milk/yogurt mixture into your jars.  Only 4 quart jars fit into my crockpot so dont do more than 4!  It will make all yogurt, no whey and no waste.

She's ready to grow me some yogurt!

Put jars into the hot crockpot (100 degrees F). Fill it as high as you can without overflowing.

Put the lid on.

Cover with foil. This is where this crockpot is cool.  I poke the thermometer through the tin foil into the water so I can check the temp throughout the day.  

And now cover with blankets!  My husband not-so-fondly refers to this as "my blanket yogurt".

Now here is the real secret to this yogurt making business. You MUST keep the yogurt between 105 and 110 degrees ALL 10 to 12 hours!  I usually check it every few hours to see where it is.  I will turn it on for 5 min (set the timer so you dont forget!) and then turn it off again.  The thicker the blankets you use and the more foil you use the less often you will have to heat it up.  I always start around 7am so that its for sure done by 7pm (almost my bedtime!).  You can do 10 hours though and if you need to add an hour or two to that it should be fine as well.  

Happy Yogurt Making!  Let me know how it turns out!

Some of my own personal cuteness to make your day brighter:

  

Triple Coconut Supreme Blueberry Muffins

You will not regret making these muffins.  They are the best muffins I have ever made, by far.  They are a combination of these two recipes: http://smittenkitchen.com/blog/2012/02/double-coconut-muffins/
http://www.cookingclassy.com/2012/01/finally-the-blueberry-muffin-of-my-dreams/
PLUS my own changes (no white sugar, etc)
I always change recipes but I never write it down and when people ask me how I make a certain recipe I have no idea.  SOOO I decided to mark down exactly what I was changing.
Here goes:

Triple Coconut Supreme Blueberry Muffins

Yield: 20 medium size muffins

Ingredients:
1 cup unbleached white flour
3/4 cup whole wheat flour
2 tsp baking powder
1/4 tsp baking soda
1/2 tsp salt

1/2 cup honey
1 cup coconut milk (whole milk can be used instead)
7 Tbsp of WARM (has to be warm for it to not harden) extra virgin coconut oil
1 large egg
2 Tbsp of yogurt
1 1/2 cups of fresh blueberries (more can be added if you want more)

Topping:
1/3 cup unbleached white flour
1/3 cup sweetened shredded coconut
2 1/2 Tbsp chilled butter, diced
2 Tbsp Raw Sugar

Preheat oven to 400 degrees.
Prepare topping by combining 1/3 cup flour, 1/3 cup coconut, 2 1/2 Tbsp butter in a food processor.  Pulse just a few seconds until combined, it should look crumbly (dont do it to much or it will become to dense).  Put topping into a bowl and whisk in 2 Tbsp Raw Sugar (MUST be Raw!!) and coconut, set aside.

In a mixing bowl whisk together flour, baking powder, baking soda, and salt, set aside.  In a seperate mixing bowl, using a wisk (no hand mixer!), mix together 1/2 cup honey, milk, egg, yogurt, and WARM extra virgin coconut oil (do not mix it in cool, it will become a globby mess).  Gently whisk in dry mixture until just combined, batter should be slightly lumpy (do not over-mix, key to fluffy muffins.)  Fold in blueberries with a spatula.  Divide mixture evenly among 20 (or so depending on how big you want them) muffin tins.  Evenly sprinkle topping over the muffins.  Bake muffins for 19-23 minutes until light golden and toothpick inserted in the center comes out clean. Allow to cool for a few minutes then move out of muffin pan on to a wire rack to cool.

Soo yummy!  The "topping" is sweet and crunchy also the coconut oil makes it have a crunchy outside with a dense middle.
Ness says: Super!

Make your own wetbag! A tutorial (my first!)

I am doing this for a friend because explaining the process with words wasnt working out. I am a bit worried about letting a pattern I created (with ideas from other places) get out. So if you are in the same circles as me please dont sell this specific bag. BUT if you are on etsy, etc, then go for it. ;)

First I have my fabric. You can make it whatever size you want. I wanted mine to be a square so I did a giant rectangle. But keep in mind that the width (the top where the zipper goes) has to be SHORTER than the zipper is long. So if you have a 20 inch zipper then your fabric should be around 17 inches across. I think I have a 15 inch zipper and this fabric is 12.5 inches by 24 inches. I also cut a piece for the strap, it is about 2 inches by 9 inches. You can make this as long or short as you want. I make my bags with longer straps.
First you need to sew the strap. You CAN NOT iron PUL, so you basically have to make the fold with your hands. I try to pin this fabric as little as possible because I dont want to pierce the fabric more than necessary. So here I am holding the fabric with no raw edges showing.
Here is the strap on the machine. It is not necessary that no raw edges are showing as PUL doesnt fray. But it looks better if you have it doubled. Sew from one end to the other.
And then you have your strap.
Next you need to sew your zipper on the edge of the fabric. Always remember FACE TO FACE. So the face of the zipper is facing the face of the PUL. This is not an easy task. PUL is slippery, so dont expect to get it right the first time. YOu may need to try this more than once.
NOTICE I AM USING MY ZIPPER FOOT! Sewing the PUL onto the zipper. FACE TO FACE.
Sew all the way to the end.
Next you need to sew the other end to the zipper. . Ignore the cut fabric, I had to trim that off. And again, sew it face to face.

When you are done it will look like this. Its like a giant tube. You can stick your arm inside of it (I tried to get a picture but my camera wasnt cooperating).
Slide the zipper down to where you want it to be. I usually do it 2 or so inches from the top. Here it is. Next take the strap and side it where you want it. I do it above the zipper.
Pin it in place.
Now sew both sides. So that you are closing the "tube". Sew over the zipper (notice I went back to my walking foot). Be sure you dont sew over the tiny metal piece of the zipper, it will break your needle (trust me I know!).
Its a bit more difficult to sew over the strap but you can do it! Pull out the needle holding it in place right before you get to this spot. If your machine is having issues with the PUL (as in skipping stitches) then you probably need to change out the needles. I wish I could remember which needle is best (a higher number or lower) but I cant..so try out different ones. Maybe a middle size one.
So then you are almost done. Lay the bag down.
Trim off the ragged edges. Just cut the zipper off, make sure the zipper pull is not on the part you cut off! lol.
This is where a serger comes in handy. You would just serge the edges. But since I dont have a serger I do a zig-zag stitch with the foot half on and half on the fabric so that the thread wraps around.
Turn it inside out and you are done!! A beautiful wet-bag!
I had issues with this particular PUL de-laminating. I am hoping that that was just a bad batch and that this will be fine.
If you make one post a pic for me to see!
;)

Laundry...and more laundry!

So, I never expected an extra child to bring SO MUCH DARN LAUNDRY! I have a system, I usually wash about one or two loads a day, then on Thursday I fold and put away our (mike and I) laundry and then on Friday I fold and put away the kids laundry. But this particular Thursday we were putting in the floor so I had to skip this laundry day. So the next week laundry was piled to what seemed like the ceiling. So I had to do laundry on Tuesday and Wednesday. Oh my word there was so much! Below is a picture of ONLY the kids laundry (its folded, each a basket, and ready to be put away)! I was folding so long my eyes started to hurt! Anyways, so goes life.

On the topic of more laundry...I had noticed that my diapers seemed to be leaking. I was changing Sage's pants every time I changed his diaper (oh the laundry!). Anyways, I looked inside and realized that almost all of my diapers were de-laminating (which means that the part that makes it water proof is coming off of the fabric side). I just so happened to complain to the right person and she told me that Fuzzi-bunz now has a life-time warranty!! So I went through this week long process and WA-LA! A complete new stash of diapers! They are the new kind too so the inserts dont stink as much and they dry faster, they also fit much better. I had been using the other fuzzi-bunz for 2.5 years solid..so they really had served their time so I am really grateful!!!
In other news, Sage has 6 teeth and is sleeping much better (although now he is sick and miserable). I on the other hand, cant stop waking at 5:30! The kids dont usually wake until 7:30ish and know that if I get up I can take a shower, get dressed, and chill before they wake. But then Im tired!! But my mind wont let me go back to sleep. But today I slept till 6:30 (woke at 12 bc I think Mike hit me in the facee?? and then 2am with Sage)..so not bad. I dont feel as tired.

Oh, Im also going to organize/help organize MOPS (mothers of pre-schoolers). I LOVE Mops, so if I need to help out to keep it going then so be it! The pastors wife is taking over the children ministry in church and she cant do it anymore. I have a few good ideas..we will see how it goes.

I cooked a meal enough for 10 people this week! We got a ham for christmas so we did that and some other sides, it went off without a hitch! We are doing this thing at church where we meet with a few families of the church at diff. houses each week. We hosted this past week. Fun!

We took away Ness' pacifier, it has been two weeks. The first week we was horrible!! We waited way to long I think. We will do it when Sage is 2 I think. But it is getting better, it had taken him 1 hour to fall asleep and then he would sleep for 1 hour max, but thats all getting better. And hes much happier now that he isnt as sleep deprived.

Ok, gotta go tend to little Sage who is licking my arm getting snot all over me....poor baby...

:)

Mission of the week: Healthy Breakfasts!

Above is not breakfast obviously, its Chinese stir fry. I make the sauce in the vitamix (easy stuff like sugar, soy sauce, vinegar, corn starch) and then just toss it with veggies. Its good!

So this weeks mission is for us all to have healthy breakfasts. I have always done well with dinner and ok with lunch but have fallen short with breakfast. I always had eggs and toast and de-caf. coffee but Ness and Michael had cereal and milk. I was worried most about Michael because he eats breakfast so early and then gets no more nutrition until lunch. Sooo, after talking to a friend I decided to make him 5 broccoli quiches that I could freeze and pull out and then he toss into the toaster oven while he takes a shower. (He wont eat something microwaved). Anyways, if Sage hadnt been sleeping from 7 to 5 am (nurse then go back to bed) the quiches would have been forgotten. So this week when I was up at 5 am I would wake for Mike to wake and then remind him about his quiche. After about 3 days, he remembered on his own (yay!). Anyways, it has been successful! He likes them and I will make another batch for next week.
For Ness I switch between eggs and toast with Oatmeal (with almond butter and "real" chocolate chips..crazy I know). But he always begs for Oatmeal and Cereal. So I switch it up. Here is his on our new divided corelle plates for the boy that doesnt want his food to touch.
This week was my birthday so I made a Chocolate Chocolate cake from scratch for myself. And I am 10 because those are the candles that were already used. ;) We are still enjoying this cake by the way.

So I got THE BEST birthday present this year...New Floor!!!!!! My second best was a gift card to Ann Taylor and a date night out with my ol' husband. Third best is that Sage started MOVING AROUND THE FLOOR! He is army crawling, but moving none-the-less!
Before, this carpet was so nasty, even worse under the carpet..ugh!
After beautiful wood-ness! Its way easier to clean because we moved some furniture out. ANd look how lovely it is!
Here are some random photos for your enjoyment! Ness and Miles talking "bikes".
Daddy playing with Sage.
This boy is so darn handsome!
Look at him!
This is some fish (that mike caught) with kale, with edamame and Israeli couscous (this plate is for Ness).

:)
On other words, our church has a church garden and we are hoping to plant soon! I am excited, the church is literally 3 min. away. I am hoping to be able to feed our family from produce we grow. Fun right?