Day 35

You know what's awesome about school Fridays? Knowing that the week's lessons are complete, and the only thing standing between us and a finished week is art. Now, we pursue the arts during the week in conjunction with science (journal entries) and social studies (projects), but Friday is nice because we all work together in one big happy grade on a single project. Of course we achieve different levels of success - a three-year-old can only do so much while an almost ten-year-old has a lot different perspective on things - but it's nice to tie our week together and try something fun.

This week, the sun helped us with our creations.

The kids cut out symmetrical shapes of black paper, and laid them on top of colored paper before baking out in the sun. Since we're in Florida, this didn't take long! Unfortunately it was pretty windy so we also had to weigh the papers down with rocks; we got some extra shadows on our finished artworks, but such is nature!

After the sun did its thing, we did our thing and continued the symmetrical pattern around the sun print and across the papers. Alexei definitely got the most understanding of symmetry out of this lesson, but it was a fun experiment for all!

Also a good reminder as to why sunscreen is important!

Tomorrow, we kick back and ponder the merits of Christopher Columbus. And buy groceries at Wal-Mart.  Which is probably about as nerve-wracking as a trip across the ocean in the Santa Maria, only we know exactly where we're headed.

Day 34

Yesterday the day dawned brightly, majestically.

Or so I'm told. I was still clinging to my pillows, passed out with babe in arms after a very long night.
I never claimed to be a morning person.

In reality we all got up, crammed breakfast down our throats, threw all of our junk into the car, and sped off to our first session of homeschool PE. The big kids cried over having to wear sneakers and socks instead of flip flops, but after a 45-minute drive we made our destination.

We were active with a PE group in the past, and had a really great experience with it. Unfortunately our town shut down all of its programs last year, and for a long time I resisted attending this new group. Forty-five minutes in a car with four kids, one of whom is a frequently-screaming infant, is not really my idea of fun. But, I promised a new adventurous me, and here I am!

This is the elementary school hour; I believe we had 22 kids in attendance today.

The kids prepare for stretching and running laps (better them than me!)

Playing some sort of game.

Ground Quidditch? I have no idea. They ran around like nuts and had fun.

Coral enjoyed the big playground with other younger siblings.

Hobie was all smiles on the swings.

After PE, we invaded the recreation complex and I signed both kids up for the rest of the session. We will be making this trip for at least the next four weeks, and I suspect my Thursdays are set forever. But if they enjoy it and can take something positive home from it, it will be worth the drive.

And I will pack lots of Coke and Tylenol for me.

Day 33

Today, instead of slogging through hours of schoolwork, we baked brownies.

Actually, we did the schoolwork too. The brownies came along later when my Internet was nowhere to be found (thank you yet again, Comcast, we are so glad you monopolize our neighborhood). I don't bake brownies from a box. I love my box-mix-using friends dearly, truly, but I'm sorry - brownies need love.

And over half a pound of chocolate crammed in a 9" x 13" pan.

This was several years, houses, and pant sizes ago. Baking brownies is educational.

Here's what you need to make these.

brownies:
4 oz unsweetened baking chocolate
2/3 c shortening
2 c sugar
4 eggs
1 1/4 c flour
1 tsp baking powder
1/2 tsp salt
1 heaping cup chocolate chips (semi-sweet, milk, dark : pick your poison)

Preheat the oven to 350˚ and grease a 9" x 13" pan. On stovetop, melt chocolate and shortening. Stir in sugar and eggs. Stir in flour, baking powder, and salt. Stir in chocolate chips. Spread evenly in pan and bake for 20-25 minutes.

frosting:
3 oz unsweetened baking chocolate
3 tablespoons shortening
2 c powdered sugar
1/2 tsp salt
1/3 c milk

On stovetop, melt chocolate and shortening. Stir in remaining ingredients until smooth. Spread over warm brownies. Try to wait until they cool before you eat them.

A couple of brownie words of wisdom for you:

1. Always use a glass pan (ovenproof, of course).
2. When in doubt, underbake. I know this flies in the face of every salmonella-mongering mother out there, but there's a little-known secret about brownies : they continue to bake after they leave the oven. Trust me.
3. Frosting is a must, don't listen to the man in your life telling you that, "they'd be just fine without frosting." Pshh. And take the three minutes to make it instead of opening up a can of that brown goop that passes for "chocolate frosting." Don't do it, man!

Okay, so that was a few and not a couple of tips. But the friends and family in my life who have had my brownies know that you can never take these things too seriously. Your friends and family will thank you.

Tomorrow, homeschool PE. Someone has to work off all those brownies.

Day 32

Did it really take me 32 days to figure out that the baby needed his own toy shelf in the school room? I guess technically we were at our old house for the first two weeks of school and didn't have this issue, so it has only taken me 22 days. Twenty-two days of Hobie eating my Dean Koontz novels with wild abandon and it finally occurred to me that I should pack up the books and bring on the toys. What was I thinking? So, without further ado, I present to you the new baby-friendly shelf and its owner.

Yep, it was the right thing to do.

See the upper right there? Patricia Cornwell, John Sanford, and Janet Evanovich hang out up there. Out of the mouths of babes (ha!)

In other school news, our first M.O.M.S. meeting (Mothers of Many Seasons, similar to the M.O.P.S. program but with activities for children of all ages and not just the preschool set) went well. I'll admit to not being especially religious, largely from lack of exposure, but I really felt welcome. All of the kids claim to have enjoyed themselves; Alexei and Ibis learned about obedience (one can only hope these lessons stick!) and got to sing songs, color worksheets, and play kickball. Coral played in a class of six or seven other three-year-olds and they colored, played pretend, and went out to the playground. Hobie lasted about twenty minutes in the nursery with three other babies before I had to retrieve him. Twenty minutes away from me may have been a record for him.

And, all of us enjoyed snacks. Nothing says "we'll be back next time" to my family like food.

As long as it wasn't prepared by my mother.

Day 31

This, my friends, is the week. The week where I cast aside my inhibitions, my anxieties, and my OCDitis, and we become one with the homeschool community at large. Ooooohhhhhmmmmmm.

Last week was one I'd rather not revisit. Did you notice me not blogging about last week? There was a reason for that : last week stank. There was nothing worth sharing. It's one of those times we homeschool parents have to refer to as "challenging," because to admit that we were *holding fingers up, smashed against each other* this close to sending the kids to public school is not one of those things we talk about. No, the public expects more of a homeschooling family, seeing as we're all so perfect.

Not!

Yes, our school lessons were completed, and in a reasonable manner. But homeschooling means more than cracking open a book or cranking out worksheets. It also means filling the rest of the day with meaningful activities, and there, right there, I have fallen short. I have played the "we can't go anywhere because of the baby" card, and I have been shamelessly found out by my own self. The kids are bored, I am bored, and it is time for a change.

Tomorrow, we try a church co-op. Wednesday, a park playdate and picnic. Thursday, a new homeschool PE program. Over the course of October we have ice skating (heaven help us), a fall festival, a Halloween costume party, a ceramics painting class (heaven help us again), and numerous repeating park and PE days.  There's also a 4-H meeting in there somewhere. In all, we now have 15 of our 20 school days occupied with an activity that involves socialization.

Yep, I said the word. So. Cial. I. Zation.

Look out world, here we come.

I command you to make these

For the love of all that is buttery, cinnamony goodness, you HAVE to make The Pioneer Woman's cinnamon rolls. Set aside the negative thoughts you may have : "What on earth will I do with six pans of cinnamon rolls??" Is this fat free?" "I'm no good with yeast." Stop whining and start baking! Over the past week I have made these twice (isn't that what Saturdays are for?) and my good friend also gave them a try. She sent us home with a pan; we nibbled graciously.

Actually, the pan was empty and had been licked clean by the time we pulled into our driveway. Hey, it was a long drive home. They're like a good 5 miles from us!

Just go make these. They are heavenly! The only thing I did differently was use a plain glaze instead of maple/coffee - just sub a teaspoon of vanilla for the maple flavor and equal parts milk for the coffee.

Here's the freshly cut line on the first go-round, and my little helper.

fresh out of the oven

ready to eat!

Now go make your own!

Snapshot Saturday

Coral on Halloween, 2 years ago. Why can't Hobie be a girl?