The Homeschool Mother’s Journal–4.26.13

Sunday- The electricity went out around 3am. I don’t know exactly when it went out because, well, the clock is electric. We have a alternate power supply in dh’s office to power his computer when this happens. It has an annoyingly loud beep when it comes on. That’s how I knew the electricity went out. Dh turned it off and we slept….and slept late. The kids and I went to church but missed Sunday school.

I made another loaf of sourdough bread and guess what- it is like real bread! It’s not a brick; it’s light and fluffy. Well, it is still the shape of a brick since it’s not as rounded on the top as I’d like. Of course, I can’t taste it because I’m still doing no wheat but both the kids said it isn’t as sour as the previous loaves. Fox said it’s the best loaf yet. I measured nothing but the oil. On Saturday night I poured some starter from the jar into a bowl, then poured some more in. I dumped in some flour, poured in what I thought to be about 1 tablespoon of honey, measured out 1 tablespoon oil, and about 1 teaspoon of salt (palmed it). I mixed it; too dry so added some water. Still too dry; added a bit more water. “Kneaded” it in the bowl with my fork. Let it sit for a few hours then scooped it out onto a very floured board. Kneaded it until I liked it’s texture, then folded it into a loaf shape. I put it in a pyrex loaf pan that I’d greased and let it be until Sunday morning. I actually forgot about it! Since the electricity went off and I didn’t have an alarm to wake me up, it was hours past when I ‘should’ have taken care of it. It was beautiful! Nice and fluffy and risen to the top of the loaf pan. I baked it at 400* for 10 minutes then at 375* for 40 minutes.

The photo above is when I remembered the dough! I had to slowly peel off the moist towel that was on it. Here is it in in the oven {great photo, I know} and after baking. And, yes, it’s all white flour. One step at a time.

I got my portion of Australia Everyday Explorers done, just in time! I seem to forget about it until Sunday night. Not a good thing to do because it isn’t always really easy to put together and it creates more work for others.

The kids and I also went to the evening service. Pastor talked over Haggai 2:1-9. LOL I hardly knew where that book was!

I made sure to get the kids’ schedules done for the week. I think I’ll share what’s to be done for their school (this is after all a home & school blog *wink*)

Lee (10th grade/Y9): Monday: Bible reading (written narration) and verses, Ohio Study (final paper due this week), The Christian Life, Autobiography of Benjamin Franklin, Sign Language, Latin, A History of the American People (written narration), Pride & Prejudice ‘workbook’, Astronomy
Tuesday*: Bible reading and verses, Commonplace Book entries, Current Events & Weekly Barden, Sign Language, Latin, Home Ec, Math, Astronomy   *she gets her braces off this day so school will be delayed
Wednesday: Bible reading (written narration) and verses, Current Events & Weekly Barden, Commonplace Book entries, Math, Art of Argument, Ourselves, Common Sense, Sign Language, Latin, Paradigm Online Writing Assistant
Thursday: Bible reading (written narration) and verses, Current Events & Weekly Barden, Commonplace Book entries, Math, Washington the Indispensible Man, Sign Language, Latin, Are You Liberal Conservative or Confused?, The School for Scandal, Marcet essays, Poetry by Cowper, Wheatley and others, Love is a Fallacy
Friday: Bible reading (written narration) and verses, Current Events & Weekly Barden, Commonplace Book entries, Math, Walking the Bible, Paradigm Online Writing Assistant, Seterra, Sign Language, Latin, Art & Composer study, Art of Argument, Nature study

Fox (8th grade/Y7 Lite-ish): Monday: Bible reading (written narration) and verses, Ohio Study (final paper due this week), The Birth of Britain, German, Latin, Ivanhoe, Astronomy
Tuesday: Bible reading (written narration) and verses, Math, The Birth of Britain, German, Latin, Astronomy, Jensen’s Grammar, Age of Chivalry, Current Events & Weekly Barden
Wednesday: Bible reading (written narration) and verses, Math, The Birth of Britain, German, Latin, Writing, English Literature for Boys and Girls, Art of Argument, Current Events & Weekly Barden
Thursday: Bible reading (written narration) and verses, Math, The Birth of Britain, German, Latin, Keat’s Poetry, Jensen’s Grammar, Ivanhoe OR The Age of Chivalry (his choice), Astronomy
Friday: Bible reading (written narration) and verses, Math, Art & Composer study, Nature study, Art of Argument, Seterra, Astronomy ‘catch-up’

I’m so glad the school year is just about over. I’m going to be looking at some assessment tests for math for both kids near the very end of the year

Monday- Here’s the plan: exercise, school, head to Mentor, maybe play outside. That’s it. Nothing more. I do have a review to write for An Unholy Communion. That can be done in the 2 1/2 hours Lee is babysitting. I want to work on my book as well. Of course, there’s always cleaning that could/should be done. Bleh.

So far, I’ve done none of those! It’s 8:45 am.

Dinner is supposed to be fish. I think we are all a little tired of fish. It’s gone from once a week, maybe, to three times this week? I kept switching the fish with a different dinner of the week because it just didn’t sound good to anyone. I got a good deal on talapia though, that’s why we’ve had so much this week. Well, I’m sure it’s good for us. Edited: we had burritos instead And we did all but play outside.

Tuesday- Lee got her braces off!! That is really the most exciting part of the day. Here is a pic of her- BIG smile!

Otherwise, school was mostly finished {2 hours at the orthodontist kinda put a monkey wrench in the plans}, we visited the new library {where we saw some friends}, and Lee bought me a book {North With the Spring by Edwin Way Teale}, dinner was sloppy joes for the fam and canned salmon with mixed veggies for me.

I’m looking for those assessment tests for Fox’s math. Just keep searching, just keep searching…

Wednesday- I forgot to make sure we exercised yesterday because {partially} Lee’s orthodontist appointment was early in the day. But I’m never sure if I should ‘make’ Fox do his exercises because when he goes to Young Marines, he usually has exercise. Eh, it won’t kill him

Edited: no exercise. We decided to go to the library to try out their quiet rooms for school. They worked quite well! While we were there, the kids both used the computers for a bit, both for school and personal. We got home around lunch time. The kids had grilled cheese on sourdough –that loaf I made on Sunday  

The highlight of the day –at least for Lee –came when she called WCLV to request a piece be played. They don’t do requests –sad. But lucky for Lee, the host was feeling nice. Jacqueline Gerber, the First Program host, is our favorite person on WCLV. We listen to the station all day long but she’s the best Almost forgot –not only did the piece get played, but Ms. Gerber even mentioned “Colleen, a 10th grader who used to live in Wyoming”. Yep, that’s my Lee. She was jumping all around with a huge smile. Made her day.

I had heartburn terribly and felt sick so we missed prayer meeting. Dinner was mystery soup/stew. Basically, if it was in the freezer, and had previously been cooked, it went into the pot. I thought it was quite good. Lee did as well; she had seconds. I liked it but it made my heartburn worse and it has wheat in it.

Thursday- Lazy day. Well, it feels like that but it’s not really. Lee finished her school before lunch; she started around 8am. Fox hasn’t been quite so gung-ho.

Yesterday I started an experiment {I love to experiment in the kitchen apparently –sometime I might take a photo of the ‘experiments’ lining my sink lol} with sourdough starter and oats. I used 2 cups oats; 1 cup old fashioned, 1 cup quick. I think I used about 1 cup or so of starter. Then I added in about 1 TBS honey and oil and a bit of salt. Mixed it together and let it set like a regular loaf of sourdough. This morning I ‘kneaded’ it some then formed it into a loaf shape. It’s in the oven with the light on and a warm bowl of water under it. This evening I will bake it. It is rising –I think it’s neat! We’ll see how it tastes.

Edited: It was a fail. Not a total fail, though. I just crumbled the entire loaf and made it into crumbs. I think it will work okay for hamburgers, meatloaf and maybe, just maybe for bread pudding {for the kids- I don’t eat that}. I also briefly thought if I crumbled it small enough and baked it that way, I’d have my own homemade Grape Nuts.

Dinner isn’t planned tonight since I’ve not done my menu for the week. I’m winging it until perhaps Monday. That might be as long as I can go without doing the shopping. There’s always beans Edited: I found two boxes of Kraft Mac & Cheese so that was for dinner.

Friday- Hmmm, what happened this day? I bought some soil for starting seeds. Also bought the seeds since I can’t locate my stash. LOL I will tuck these newly purchased packs away somewhere thinking I’ll use them next year…then I won’t be able to find them  

I used the bottoms of paper egg cartons for the seed ‘pots’. I put those in the bottom of grocery bags then rolled down the sides. Now when I water them, it won’t leak every where and I can plant the ‘pots’ directly into the garden. Genius, I know. LOL

I said in the Weekly Barden Wrap-Up that I was going to mow and that we were going to go venturing outside. Well… the ground’s still too wet to run the riding mower over and I was too tired to go ‘venturing’. The kids walked to the library only to find that the internet was down.

School was done well and fairly quickly. I think the Nature Journal entry didn’t get done by either of the kids though... hmmm. Lazy mom makes for lazy children. Sigh.

I’m reading…
…More like ‘trying to read’. I have a few books that are for review, thankfully {rather, unfortunately?} they do not have hard deadlines. Let’s see, I AM THAT I AM, Advice for Seekers, Tower of Babel, What A Son Needs from His Mother, Brimwood Press Worldview curriculum {really enjoying that one}, and also following along with AO’s book discussion of The Scarlet Pimpernel and 20 Principles Study. The book discussion just started and the 20 Principles officially starts the 29th. LOL –I’m already behind. Or it feels like it.

Praying for…
…Denise, my grandmother, Charlotte and her father, my children, my husband, for all {myself included} a clean heart and determination to follow God’s Word.

Quote to share-  It is never too late to be wise. Daniel Defoe

Link to share- The Weekly Barden, Vol. 2, Issue 4

I’m going to be linking up with these posts:

• Weird Unsocialized Homeschoolers
• Hammock Tracks
• Collage Friday
• The Homeschool Mother’s Journal