Homemade Baby Puffs

We all love giving our baby those Gerber Puffs cereal. They are GREAT! They melt in your mouth and are easy for baby to feed himself. But who wants to spend so much on 2 oz of treats for their baby? and have you seen the list of ingredients? crazy, eh?

Well, I recently decided I was going to try to make my own. (i was out of cheerios, and wasn't going to go to the store to buy a bottle of the silly puffs...) so, there was born this idea!

I found a great recipe for baby cookies using Baby Cereal and a few other ingredients. That is when the brilliant idea popped into my head. My daughter has a play dough toy (i believe it is the Confetti Maker) that cuts the dough into little tiny lucky charms type shapes... PERFECT for little PUFFS! i wouldn't have to roll little tiny balls like i saw another poster doing... brilliant? i think so.

So, i whipped up the dough, put it through the silly little play dough toy (after thoroughly washing it, of course.), and popped them in the oven. :)

I'll tell you what, the baby isn't quite old enough to tell me her thoughts, but my 3 and 2 year old girls LOVED THEM! i then made them a batch just for them with a little bit of Nutella mixed in for added flavor. and so they would leave the baby's treats alone. lol

So, here's the recipe:

2 Tablespoons Oil
2 Egg Yolks
1 teaspoon Vanilla
1/4 Cup Sugar
1 1/2 Cup Baby Cereal
1 teaspoon Baking Powder
Water

Mix all ingredients. add enough water to make it come together. add more cereal if you added too much water. Load the dough into the Play Dough Confetti maker and crank away. you don't need to worry about separating them all completely, after they bake, they separate easily just by shaking the pan. Bake at 325 for about 7-10 minutes. let cool for 5 minutes or so before putting them in an air tight container. Store in the fridge.

Expendable, I mean "Red Shirting"

Red Shirting is a tactic that has been sweeping the nation. For those of you who don't know what Red Shirting is, it is basically holding your child back in Kindergarten for the purpose of making them the oldest kid in their class throughout their school years. This practice comes with some advantages and some disadvantages. Among the advantages, your child will develop more leadership skills and a greater skill/size advantage on sports teams. However, I happen to think the advantages are out weighed by some of the disadvantages.

A lot of moms are practicing Red Shirting in order to give their kid the "edge" in sports. When your child is the oldest in his class, he will be the biggest and most skilled kid on the team, and probably on the opposing teams as well. This gets him in line for scholarships based on performance and more attention to improve his skills. The more skill someone has on a team, the harder they are pushed by the coaches, therefore gaining more skill... it makes sense to me. However, you stole a year from the beginning of their sports career, and therefore are going to cut it short in the end. They will never be the "youngest kid on the varsity team" or the "Youngest professional" sports team member. and they will have to retire from their age before all of their peers. I suppose this is just one year, what's the big deal.

That brings me to another side of this practice called "Red Shirting". Kids who are the oldest in their class often display more leadership skills and become more social in their early years, carrying over to their adult life. I can see how this is a good thing as well. However, being the oldest kid in the class, might also make it more difficult to interact with older children. You are so used to being the oldest, strongest, most looked up to... what happens when you get in the situation where you have to be the youngest? Your parents have instilled in you that you are a "Leader", but sometimes you have to follow other people. How confusing... Besides that, I was always one of the oldest kids in my class, and I always felt stupid because the younger kids were smarter than I was. I know that sounds silly, but if everything in school... life... is a competition (and don't tell me that you never competed with your peers over every little stupid thing) then what happens when the kid who is 2 years younger than you gets better grades than you. You feel so stupid because you are supposed to be older, bigger, stronger than he is. And if your parents have pulled this "Red Shirting" tactic with you, then obviously they are going to instill in you that you are better than that, they are the ones who are trying to make you better than everyone else, or they wouldn't have tried to hold you back so you could be the "oldest in the class". Am I right? You don't hold someone back who is perfectly capable of succeeding at their age level just for no reason. You do it to make them better than all their classmates, that automatically makes that child compete with every single other child in their class, at your insistence. Which I think is a pretty poor example for you to be setting for your very impressionable kid...

In my day (not too long ago), it was a mark of your intelligence if you were the youngest kid in your class. Your parents would let you Skip a grade because you were out performing your peers and a more mature curriculum would push your brain to work harder for the betterment of yourself, not for the detriment of the rest of your class... I have really strong feelings against this "Red Shirting". I think it is not doing the best you can for your child, it is comparing your child to everyone else. It is not pushing your child to be the best that he or she can be, it is pushing them to be "better than everyone else". And that is NOT something that I want my children to become. I do NOT want them to feel like they have to be better than everyone else in order to have worth. What happens when they are Not the best? Are you teaching your child to take the disappointments along with the successes?

I want my child to step into the situation, asses it for what it is, and do their best to accomplish their goal, no matter what disadvantage they might have. And if that means that they are the smallest, youngest child in class, so be it!

On the flip side of this problem is the strange fact that MOST of the parents who are practicing "Red Shirting" are the wealthy, well off parents. These families are statistically the LEAST at risk for dropping out of school or failing. Statistically the rich kids stay in school, end up in college, get tutoring if they need it, are generally looked up to by their peers, and participate in extracurricular activities. The poor kids are more at risk to drop out for a variety of reasons including getting a job, poor influence at home... etc. They may not have the resources to accommodate tutoring needs and might not have the time or resources to allow for extracurriculars. Besides that, poor families often have two working parents and therefore their kids attend daycare, which is VERY costly. They want to send their kids to school as early as possible to forgo further daycare bills and allow for both parents to maintain their full time jobs. Rich families often have one parent who stays at home, or can afford daycare costs and do not NEED to send their kids to school right away, allowing them to "Red Shirt" and keep their kid back a year, therefore giving them the advantage over the poor kids. This furthers the gap in education between the Upper class and the Lower class.

On a completely different note (for all of my sci-fi fans out there)... Who would want to be known as a "Red Shirt" anyway? Am I Right?

This Blog post has been sponsored by Studypoint. All opinions expressed in this post are my own and are not associated with my sponsor in any way. Thanks for listening!

Fabric Sunflower Barrettes!

I just made these cute fabric flower barrettes for my girls to wear to my sister's wedding. they turned out great. well, the glue is still drying. but they look awesome! They could either be used as barrettes in their hair or as broaches for their dresses.

I got the idea from this really cool flower made out of book pages: http://pinterest.com/pin/200269514649552789/

 And... here they are!

You will need:
          Thin Cardboard (cereal box)
          Yellow Fabric
          Fabric Glue
          Small Fluffy Feathers (i used feather bracelets because they were cheaper than buying a whole boa)
          Distressing ink (brown)


And, here is what i did:

Step 1. Cut out some cardboard from a cereal box into a circle the diameter i wanted the center of the flower. I then traced the circle onto some yellow fabric, cut out the fabric and glued it to the cardboard circle.

Step 2. Cut your yellow fabric into 1" squares. it took me 15 for one flower and 13 for the other.

Step 3. Roll the fabric squares around your finger. at this point they look like bugles (those fun chip things you used to stick on your finger and pretend they were really long nails) use fabric glue to seal the overlapping edge together.

Step 4. put a dab of glue on the back pointed edge and adhere it to the fabric covered circle.so that only the point is touching the circle. Continue rolling and gluing until you've completely gone around the circumference of the circle.

Step 5. Cut your feather band into two strips slightly shorter than the diameter of the circle. Fill the center of your flower with a somewhat heavy layer of glue and place your feather pieces onto the center.

Step 6. While the glue is still damp, slide the bottom side of the clip in between the cardboard and the fabric. when it dries it will be stuck pretty hard.

Step 7. Use distressing ink on a sponge to shade the edges of the petals. (you might want to wait until it's dry, i didn't and it was difficult to keep the petals from pulling away from the flower).

I might use glitter nail polish to finish the edges. or just let them fray.


Let me know what you think!

Corn Chowder Recipe

The corn chowder I made for dinner tonight was so good I thought I would share the recipe! It actually came out of looking for a veggie to serve with fish (the only meat I had left in my freezer). It turned out to be more of the main dish but it was so worth it!

Ingredients:
-2 potatoes
-1 can of sweet corn
-1 medium onion (diced)
-1/2 T minced garlic
-2 T butter
-flower (seasoned from my fish with garlic salt and seasoning salt)
-4 Cups Milk
Seasonings to taste
- Dried Parsley
-Salt and Pepper
-Peprika
-Nutmeg
-Cayanne Pepper

Dice, Boil and Drain potatoes. Meanwhile, melt butter in pan and cook onion until translucent add minced garlic partway through. Next, add 2T flower, and a bit of milk if needed, and cook until bubbly. Add the rest of the milk, bring to a boil and let boil for a minute or so. I decided it wasn't quite thick enough so I added a bit more flower mixed with water until it was the desired consistency. (I probably added a good 4 T total instead of just the 2). Next, add the cooked potatoes and corn. add seasonings and let simmer for a few minutes. Serve hot.

Mine was fairly spicy, but I enjoy spicy food. the sweetness in the corn really makes this a sweet and spicy dish! Very tasty! You could also add celery when cooking the onion. The recipe I deviated from also called for cooked bacon. I just didn't feel like cooking bacon (which is odd for me, but I'm pregnant, so you never know what I am or am not in the mood for).

Homemade Protein Bars

 Here is a great recipe I am trying for the first time:

8 Scoops Protein Powder
3 Cups Oats (plus extra if blending)
1 Package Instant Pudding
2 Cups Milk


If you want to make it healthier, use Sugar Free/Fat Free Pudding and Skim Milk. I didn't want to make them cost extra and since this was my first time trying them I thought I'd just use what I had on hand. I only had to buy the Protein Powder.

I put the oats into a blender because I wanted a smoother tasting bar instead of using whole oats. I added the rest of the dry ingredients to the blender to make a consistent mixture. Then added the milk. I thought the batter looked a bit runny, so I blended up some more oat flour and added that. Spray a 9X9 baking dish and spread the batter into the pan. Refrigerate until solid.

I've read a bunch of other recipes and am eager to try more :) This one seamed the most simple but I will definitely post more when I make them. :)

Homemade Laundry Detergent

So... one of my latest experiments is using homemade Laundry Detergent. I recently FB messaged my sister being a self-proclaimed-spokesperson for the stuff, but after writing her and realizing that i pretty much just wrote a whole blog post in the stupid message... I am almost going to copy and paste it onto here for my fellow readers!

My favorite resource for Laundry Soap recipes is this: http://tipnut.com/10-homemade-laundry-soap-detergent-recipes/


However, I do not use the recipes on here. I'll tell you my recipe when i get there... But first, Let me tell you about my experience using the stuff first.

I started using Homemade Laundry Detergent about a month ago... I have coin laundry here in our apartment, so I tend to over-pack my washing machines... which is probably not the best for getting clothes clean, but what can I say, I'm a cheap skate. Anyway, I have noticed that my clothes are JUST AS CLEAN and good smelling as using store bought laundry soap. The recipe I use is powdered, I have always been a bit leery about powdered because I've had bad experiences with store bought powdered dish washer soap... but I tried a batch anyway, and HELLO works JUST FINE! it all dissolves in the hot water (i wash everything on hot)

The first thing I DID notice is that sure enough, there is not too much scent left on your clothes at all. No stinky dirty clothes smell (I have toddlers, everything ends up smelling like pee before it gets washed) but no flowery, lovely "Freshly Cleaned" scent either. Because no scent was added to the detergent. Yes, the bar soap I use is pretty potent, but that smells goes away in the wash.

I Read a blogger who used homemade laundry soap and also uses cloth diapers (GO CLOTH!) and has had great success with it. I have also had great success with mine. I haven't had to strip the diapers (cloth diaper lingo) because there is no lingering soap scum that builds up on the fabrics. It is all natural, has no extra dies or fillers or crap... It's better for your skin than the "Free and Clear" detergents out there. I'd go so far as to say, just as good as, or better than, Dreft! So, good for babies, and for those allergic to other detergents. (pansies) jk.

So, here's where we get to MY recipe. (this is NOT an exact science, people, as you can see by the MANY recipes in that aforementioned website) Some recipes work better for some people because of their washers, or hard water, soft water, chlorine in their water... etc... find what works for you. I haven't done a whole lot of experimenting with mine, but I figured I'd start out easy and change it if necessary. (hasn't been necessary so far)

I use 1 bar of Fels Naptha Laundry Soap, 1 Cup each of Borax and Washing Soda. (All of those ingredients I found at Walmart in the laundry isle. I did NOT find them in Pick-n-save.) I am going to also try adding 1 cup of Baking Soda in my next batch. I got a $1 cheese grater for the bar soap. The blog I read said to use a food processor to further grind up the bar soap, but I don't want to put it in my food processor that I use for food, and I am to cheep to go out and buy one just for this. I have not had a problem with the flakes melting in the hot water. Maybe if you use a colder cycle you might... (but if you use cold water, you might want to try a liquid recipe instead). I like the powdered recipe because I don't want to have to "Cook" my detergent. It is more condensed in volume and uses less per wash in powdered form (because it's not watered down). I also don't want to have to carry a large container of liquid soap down 2 flights of stairs along with my loads of laundry. WHICH is why I only do them in single batches, instead of the larger batches in some of the recipes. I use 3 tbsp per load instead of 2. Mostly because I tend to over-load my washers because of using coin laundry. (yes, again, I'm cheep)

So, here's the break down. First off, I found on Amazon a bottle of Tide Free and Gentile HE for $10 (on sale from $15). This bottle of liquid detergent will do you about 32 loads. That ends up being about $.32 a load.

Borax $12 (9.5 cups)
Washing Soda $9 (7 cups)
Baking Soda $3 (8 cups)
Fels Naptha $.86 (1 bar)

If I were doing a big batch, I'd probably throw out my 1C:1C ratio and just do a box of each Borax and Washing Soda and 8 bars of soap. Lets make it easier on ourselves, lol. (but again, I do small batches because I don't want to carry a large batch down the stairs every time I do laundry. That, and I don't want to have to grate 8 bars of soap all at once... painful.)

So, the total cost for 1 large batch of laundry soap would equal about $30. And that would yield you about 36 cups of soap at 3 tbsp each load (you could use 2 tbsp, but again, I overload my washes). This works out to about 192 loads. That's about $.15 per load. that's about HALF the price of regular detergent!

The other thing I have done is added a little bit of Tea Tree oil to the soap for scent. But it takes quite a bit for the scent to linger after the wash. So, to save my oil, I think I'm going to put some drops onto a piece of fabric and throw that in as a "Dryer Sheet". That way the oil won't get washed out and will still leave its scent on the clothes. You could use any oil you already had, or go out and buy some. Lavender might be nice or something. I'm sure there are aromatherapy scent blends out here you could use. But this step is completely unnecessary. It is only for leaving your clothes with a SCENT. the clothes are clean either way.

I have also read about Scent Pouches like pot-pori for your clothes that you toss into the dryer as well. But I already have the oil and don't want to have to add another thing to my list.

So... There ya go!

Any questions, comments or concerns?

Chocolate Fix in a mug!

So, i needed a chocolate fix.

I came across this recipe online for a brownie in a mug:

4 tablespoons flour
4 tablespoons sugar
2 tablespoons unsweetened cocoa
dash of salt
2 tablespoons vegetable oil
2 tablespoons water
1/3 teaspoon vanilla
small handful of chocolate chips (optional)


Mix all the ingredients in a mug (or soup bowl) and microwave on high for 1-1 1/2 minutes.
Let cool and enjoy right out of the mug.



Definitely a favorite of mine during this pregnancy. Who wants to wait 20 minutes for your oven to heat up, then wait 30 minutes for your brownies to bake. and then enjoy one or two pieces and have the rest sit on top of the stove waiting to be eaten...? NO ONE!

I win!

SECURITY!

Of all the moms that I know, I don't know ANY who are as strongly opinionated on this subject at I am... so, I'm just going to voice my opinion, and possibly open up a can of worms. oh well.

I have a huge issue with "Security" blankets, "Favorite" stuffed animals, and Pacifier use beyond a year. Let me give you my reasons.

I feel like Security blankets only allow your child to be shy and hold back. Besides, as an adult trying to get a child to interact with other children, it drives me NUTS when you have to work around them. It is like giving the kid a free pass just because they have that crutch that is NOT NECESSARY! I mean, if you never pushed that blanket on the child they wouldn't have this issue. I am pretty sure it starts innocently enough. When the baby is crying, you give her a blanket. Since it worked you kept doing it. Then when the older child gets emotional at all, you ask if they want their blanket. And when the child is 2 or 3 you are still asking them if they want their blanket, only this time, it's not the child who is ACTING like they want it, you just are doing it out of habit. And now your kid has a complex and can't participate in social activities because he or she has to have one hand on that blanket at all times. I know I'm probably 90% wrong, but these are the things that go through my head.

And as for that Favorite Stuffed Animal. Let me tell you... If you allow your child to get SO attached to a toy that you are having to take it from another child to give it to your kid so they stop screaming... you have another thing coming. Allowing your child to have that one toy that is theirs, and theirs alone... you are teaching them that they do not, in fact, have to share. That if they want something bad enough, they just need to make a stink about it and they will get it eventually. That their friends/siblings don't really get to share their toys. Isn't that sending mixed signals? And if you DO allow your child to become this attached to something, DO NOT bring it out in public... i.e. sending it to a social activity as a "security thing". This causes all KINDS of problems when another kid gets a hold of it. Your kid WILL set it down eventually, then another kid will pick it up and start playing with it. Is it this kid who is wrong? No, your child was finished playing with it for now. He should share and let the other kid play with it for a while. I HATE it hen an adult takes that toy away and says "Oh, this stuffed animal actually belongs to Bobby. Sorry." and takes it from the kid who rightfully picked it up and gives it to the screaming kid. I mean, COME ON! If you would just cycle your toys every once in a while, if you see that your child is growing attached to one toy, let it retire for a while until he loses interest. This doesn't allow your child to be so attached to a toy that you have these kinds of issues. And if someone does come over to play with your kids toys... that is the POINT of having friends over, to SHARE your toys... duh!

And Pacifiers... they just are annoying. I mean, I see the point of them when the child is an infant. Don't get me wrong, my kid used one. But once she turned 6 months I quit giving it to her during the day. She ONLY got it at night or at naps. By one, ONLY at night, NOT at naps. and the only reason she kept using it until she was 2 was because she was sharing a room with me and her sister at the time. But again, ONLY AT NIGHT. I refused to allow her to have it in when she woke up. Not only would that create speech delays and oral malformations... blah blah blah... that's not what I did it for. Allowing your kid to have a pacifier when it is not necessary again gives in to the "Security" item. The item that is Theirs and Theirs alone. It separates them from the group, it isolates them from any form of communication and socialization, and it gives them that "crutch" and an "excuse" to be that way. It's like putting a sticky note on your kids forehead that says "I am still a baby, you should treat me like it."

Again, these are my opinions, (there are plenty more where they came from). I am sure that all my mommy friends who read this will either completely agree or get defensive and completely disagree. But no matter what you did with your child (or plan to do) it is your decision. I would never judge you based on how you do things with your kids. These are just my opinions. take them or leave them.

love you all!

New Recipe

Hey all, I invented a new recipe from what I had in my fridge/pantry.

This recipe started out because I had a tube of Pork Sausage that needed to be cooked.

Spinach Sausage Pie:

Ingredients
-1lb ground pork sausage
-1 can spinach (drained)
-1 brick cream cheese
-1 can Beefy Mushroom soup (Campbell's)
-2 tubes crescent rolls

Preheat oven to 350F. Brown sausage in pan, add spinach, cream cheese, soup. Do not add water. Let ingredients mix until cream cheese is melted and thoroughly combined with other ingredients. Drain liquid from mixture and set aside (you will use this as a sauce to top the pie).

Roll out 1 tube of crescent rolls onto a greased bar pan (I just got new stoneware pans, so I used the medium bar pan from Pampered Chef). Pinch edges together to form one crust. Top with sausage mixture. Bake at 350F for 10 minutes. Roll out second tube of rolls and use as a top crust for the pie. Bake until crust turns brown and flaky.

Let cool for a few minutes, cut into pieces and serve with extra "sauce" on top. DELICIOUS!!!

This Picture does not have sauce on top. oops.

Red and Yellow, "African American" and "Caucasian"... or something like that.

When you have to fill in that race bubble on tests and stuff you only get a few choices, "Caucasian" "African American" "Asian or Pacific Islander" or "Other". This has always bothered me.

I never understood why we, as white people, have to refer to black people as "African American". For one thing, not all of them come from Africa. There are Black people in Asia, Europe, South America, North America... pretty much every where. So, if someone emigrated from India to the U.S., why are they still considered African American? Maybe I am just missing some fact, but it has never made sense to me. Also, most of America's black population has been born and raised in the U.S. and were not immigrants, nor were their parents or grand parents... and their heritage is just as muddled up as most white Americans.

I just recently learned that the term "Caucasian" stems from the Caucasus Mountain region of the Middle East."It comes from the idea that the inhabitants of the Caucasus displayed the ideal human features. Therefore, the inference was made that this region was the birthplace of mankind. This is all based on the inherently racist idea that white people exhibit the best human characteristics!" (http://www.omg-facts.com/view/Facts/24649) This is a completely Racist ideology. Besides, I did not come from the Caucasus Mountains, did you? And, weather you believe in the Bible or not, science has proved that the humans stem from Africa, not Europe.

So if we are going to be calling black Americans "African Americans" shouldn't we be calling ALL Americans "African Americans"? In which case, we need to use a completely different set of vocabulary to make the distinction between "Black people" and "White people" (and don't tell me that we don't need to make a distinction... you use the word "brunette" or "blonde" or "red head" to describe different people, you NEED to have a word to describe someone's skin color as well. If God did not want us to be different, he would not have made different races of people... duh) I think the best word to describe "White people" is "White" or "Peach" if you want to be more specific. (or tan, or lobster... lol) And the best word to describe "Black people" is "Black" or "Brown" or "Light Brown" or... You are describing the color of their skin, not their ancestry.

Now, if you ARE talking about their ancestry, then YES you need to be specific. But for the most part, when you hear people use the term "African American" or "Afro-American" they are usually generalizing the term and referring to the person's outside appearance, not their heritage.

Please forgive me if you think I am being ignorant. I have ZERO intention to offend anyone. And if you think I am wrong, please feel free to correct me. HOWEVER, please do so in a manner that is respectful. I have a huge thing against people stating their opinions in a way which disrespects the beliefs of others. We can be civil and still have differing opinions.

yeah, that's about it.

You are Bad!

Is there a difference between the phrase "You are bad!" and "That was bad!"?

Let us think about this for a second. If you tell your child "Bad Girl!" or "You were bad." you are telling them that they are a bad person. If you tell your child "That was bad!" or "What you did was bad." you are telling them that they made a bad decision, that their actions were bad"

God does not make "Bad People". What God made was perfect, but we have a sinful nature. Meaning, we make poor choices sometimes. but making bad decisions does not make us bad people. Especially when you are talking about a child. A child whose brain can not make logical decisions yet. Who is incapable of making good choices. Isn't that why it is illegal for a person under 21 to drink alcohol? they don't have a fully developed brain and are not able to distinguish a good decision from a bad one? I am not saying they should have no consequences for their actions. on the contrary. I think every decision a child makes should have the proper consequences. How else will they learn to make good decisions if they don't get reprimanded for the bad ones?

I do not want to tell my 2 year old that she is a bad person. She is only 2! I do not want her growing up thinking she is worthless and can't do anything right. I do not want to instill in her a sense of worthlessness. If a child is told all her life that she is bad, what is to keep her from continuing those bad choices through adulthood? If there is nothing she can do to make herself a better person, why try? Why not just do what you want and live for yourself? If you call me a bad person, then I will act like a bad person!

If you tell your child "What you did was bad." or "That was bad!" you are telling them that their decision was poor. You are letting them know that they are not a bad person, but that they made a mistake. Giving them the opportunity to change their ways and make a better decision next time. Especially if you tell them "I love you, but what you did was wrong." this lets the child know that they have not lost your love, but just because you love them does not mean you can overlook their bad choice. God loves his children, but he gives us consequences for our actions. That does not mean he does not love us, just that we need to see that what we did was wrong.

Also, constantly giving positive feedback for good actions is a GREAT way to show the child what she SHOULD do, so that when she does mess up she knows she can still do good things as well. Saying things like "That was Very Nice!" or "Good Girl for...!" are great ways to give positive feedback and encourage good behavior.


ha! this did start out as a sort of rant. and ended up more like a child development lesson. oh well.

Those are my thoughts for the day.

September = School?

So, it is now September. And with all the back to school sales at stores, commercials on TV, and friends talking about sending their kids to school, I have been thinking... I need to start thinking about education for my kids.

So, these last few weeks I've been researching Home Schooling and Private Schooling. (I am too afraid of public school to research that yet. lol. BUT, I WILL, when I work up the courage)

I realize that my children are not yet 2 and 1 yet, but I think that if we get an early start, they will be so much better off and more prepared when they do go to school in a few years. From my research, I have found several websites and online articles which I have found to be of interest. The first of which is: http://www.greatschools.org/students/academic-skills/K-5-benchmarks.gs?content=531 . This is an article on what your child should know (academically and socially) coming out of grades K-5. The article also encourages you to check with your child's classroom and State's academic standards (http://www.greatschools.org/content/stateStandards.page?cpn=20090512my5) for more information on what your child is required to learn.

The State of Wisconsin does keep close tabs on its Home Schooled children. This is the Home School Legal Defense Association article which informs you of the Wisconsin State laws and regulations on Home School Education: http://www.hslda.org/laws/analysis/Wisconsin.pdf . It defines Home School and puts guidelines on things such as number of hours of study, age at which you are required to be enrolled, and the freedom from state assessment, curriculum, and certified teachers.

This is my favorite Site yet: http://ourpreschoolhomeschool.blogspot.com/ . It is the journey of a mom and her children through Pre-School education. She includes teaching materials, subject ideas, her own developed curriculum, and other resources to help you make your child's education journey a success. She also has an Elementary Blog and a High School Blog.

I am planing to begin Home School Preschool when Bre turnes 2. I don't mean the sit at the kitchen table and complete your worksheets type of home school. I mean, we will begin our learning process and developing our education skills in a structured manner. I plan to have lessons which we will tackle a week at a time, incorporating our lessons into our every day activities. Generally, getting Breanna excited and ready to learn, whatever avenue of education I decide to pursue.

I am ALMOST ready for our education adventure!  (still biting nails)

All the little Children

I just saw a video of children being buried alive in the amazon. i do not want to share it with you because i can not get the image out of my head! it makes me want to go collect all the unwanted children and care for them myself! It's a good thing that our God is a merciful God. I have to keep reminding myself that those children will be with him. what would poses someone to bury an innocent child alive!

and why the HECK would someone video tape this horrific act and not do anything to stop it?! I want to go to the film maker and kick him in the face! how can you just stand by and allow someone to not only be treated that way, but to be killed! because she was 2 years old and couldn't walk or talk yet. "Jesus loves the little children... All the children of the world..." I love my children, and I want you all to know that I would have no problem using old testament law on ANYONE who does anything to hurt my child! "An eye for an eye..." My foot up your ASS! obviously i am COMPLETELY horrified at this whole thing. why the CRAP did i hit play on that stupid video?!

my head is spinning from trying to think of ways to stop this from happening to any child. and the thing that is so depressing is that i know that no matter what i do, it will still happen. the world is in such a bad state right now that people kill their own children! or do worse things to them... It's times like these that make me grateful for biblical prophecy. I am so glad to know that there will be a day where there's no more pain. I truly know the meaning behind the words "for me to life is Chrst, but to Die is gain." Oh to escape this horrible place.

can you imagine being God and seeing your creation, what you created to be good, created to glorify you, what you love with everything you have... become something so terrible. like being a mother, who raises a son she loves so much! and through no fault of her own, he turns into a murderer. how can you un-love him. you can't. but it makes your heart break every time you think about your creation, your off spring, being such a bad person.

It's no wonder God caused the Flood in Genesis. I always wonder why he did it so early. If today's times are just as bad, or worse, why wouldn't he have waited until now to wipe the slate clean? or, have come back and set things right before they got worse? Obviously I'm not God. I just wish I could do more for this world than sit back and watch it kill its self. and drag the innocent down with it.

God, I love my children, and I thank you for giving them to me. But next time, would it be too much to ask to get rid of the bad stuff before the good gets a chance to be tainted? 

I am truly heart broken.

http://www.survivalinternational.org/

http://www.hakani.org/

Wilted Lettuce?

What do you do with Lettuce that is going bad?

Have you ever had cooked lettuce??

Tear the head of lettuce like you would a salad (i used romaine). Boil the lettuce until it is limp. Drain. Add a table spoon of butter and a quarter tsp of vinegar. S&P. also, add fresh mushrooms if you like. DELICIOUS! even Chris liked it.

Frugal food tip :)

Poop-Poop in the Potty

Did you know that you are supposed to Flush baby poop down the toilet? Even when you are using Disposable diapers?

http://www.pampers.com/en_US/proddetail/baby-products/new-baby-diapers-new-swaddlers/id/900826

Waste removal

As the Pampers bag recommends, you'll want to dump bowel movements in the toilet. Then just roll the diaper into its backsheet, using the tape or fasteners to keep it closed, and dispose of it in the trash.

Besides, this also cuts down on the smell in your trash can.

wizards, vampires, fairies and the easter bunny!

So, as I'm sitting here watching Harry Potter and the Chamber of Secrets, I had a thought. Why is it that some people have an issue with make believe?

Lets look at a few different characters that society accepts, weather true or not: the all important Santa Clause, The Easter Bunny, Tinkerbelle, Wizards (harry potter), Vampires (twilight), Dragon Tales, Power Rangers, The Tooth Fairy...

All of these characters are widely known. Many of them are taught to young children to be "Real". Many parents sneak their christmas presents under the tree to pretend that Santa Clause did it. Same with the Easter Bunny and the Tooth Fairy. Is it wrong to tell your children that these characters are real? Is it wrong to LIE to them?

Some other characters, many people have an issue with, Harry Potter and Twilight... many people won't let their kids watch the movies, or even boycott the books because they promote magic... blah blah blah...

And some make believe characters don't even get discussed, they just get watched on TV without even an explanation. I mean, are monsters real? Sesame Street seems to think so. Can you "wish" yourself into a distant land where dragons exist, or have visions of the future? 

How do you get across to your children that some things are real, and others aren't? Is it ok for you to tell your child that Santa Clause is real, but Vampires don't. When is it ok to let them watch the Little Mermaid but not to let them watch Harry Potter?

Wouldn't it be much simpler to tell your child that Santa is not a real character, but is a fun make believe character that is used to represent the Christmas Spirit. Explain who the real Saint Nicholas was. Tell them that the Easter Bunny is just a fun way of bringing in Spring. That Harry Potter is just a made up character that is fun to make believe. That magic is just a fantastic idea that is fun and entertaining to pretend.

You can't tell a child that they are not allowed to have a tea party because the tea in the pot is pretend. that they are not allowed to play House because it is wrong to pretend that you are an adult who is married with children. That they can not pretend they are a Power Ranger because real people don't transform into robots (or whatever that show is about...). You let kids be kids. As long as they know the difference between reality and fantasy, what is the harm in a little fun? After all, what would we accomplish if we had no imagination? 

Now, if your kid starts shooting their pretend wand at other kids and saying "Obliterate" or shooting their pretend gun at someone saying "You're Dead!" then, I'd suggest a change in entertainment and an education on playing nice. But that is a whole other blog post that I don't wish to get into at this moment.

homemade cheese

after watching martha stewart this morning, i decided i'm going to try to make homemade cheese. i will update you and let you know how it turns out. i'm kinduh really excited about this!

here is the recipe i will be using:

http://allrecipes.com//Recipe/home-made-farmers-cheese/Detail.aspx

make your own and tell me how it turns out :)


(7 hours later)

So, I did end up making cheese. It was not hard at all, at least this kind wasn't. It turned out crumbly like feta but more smooth and waxy tasting like cheese curds with a very mild flavor. I guess other kinds of cheeses have a more cheesey flavor but are a bit more difficult to make and require enzymes to culture. But this only took about an hour or so because it has to drip until the whey drains out.

So the white lump in the colander is the cheese, the liquid on the right is the Whey left over. I can use this in place of milk in any recipe or make it into a drink. If I had a garden I could use it to water my plants! I could also do the process again and make "Ricotta" cheese which literally means "Re-Cooked". I'm not sure what i'm going to do with it right now, but I will find a use for it!

After it was done draining, I crumbled it and mixed it with a bit of salt and some oregano. Bre sure liked it! it would be good with crackers or on top of a salad. 

My next Cheese adventure will be something a bit more challenging. Maybe a harder aged cheese??

Toilet Paper!!!

Why is it that toilet paper is so much fun when you're a toddler? It seems that every time you turn your back, your child has half the roll unraveled! I started putting the roll on the back of the toilet instead of on the dispenser so this would not happen... and something worse happened... the whole roll was dipped in the toilet. fun.

Our bathroom is designed right now so that the sink is in a separate room from the toilet. So, now I put the toilet paper by the sink. Unfortunately, if you forget to grab it, you have to open the door and reach around the wall to the sink to grab the toilet paper while trying to hover over the toilet. lol.

My new project is to find some way to make a toilet paper shield. I read about taking an empty plastic bottle or pop can and cutting both ends off and making one slit, so it makes it a bit harder to pull the toilet paper out so fast. The other thing I thought of, was cutting the toe off of a sock or stocking and using it like a muff. But, this means that you'd have to pull it aside every time you go potty. But I guess that is better than the alternative. I'm tired of my toilet paper touching the floor, or wasting a roll when it is thrown into the toilet whole!

I'l have to take a picture and let you know how it goes for me.

Any body have other ideas?

mandatory breast feeding

Today while watching Good Morning America, Gisele Bundchen (model) says Breastfeeding should be a "worldwide international law". She said to Us magazine, "Some people here (in the US) think they don't have to breastfeed, and I think 'Are you going to give chemical food to your child when they are so little?' I think there should be a worldwide law, in my opinion, that mothers should breastfeed their babies for six months."


Thus spurs the debate. Is it right to allow mothers, who are capable of breastfeeding, to give formula to their babies instead?


I understand that some moms try to breast feed but their bodies just won't produce enough milk. I understand that some moms have a medical condition which doesn't allow them to breast feed due to medication or other health risks. But working moms, the work place is required by law to give you a place and time to pump frequently. And did you know you are allowed to breastfeed in any public place? This is your right.


Here are some actual excuses I've heard for why some moms don't breast feed:


"Breastfeeding doesn't fit into my working lifestyle. My high demand job does not allow for regular frequent breaks to keep up my milk supply."


"I think the breasts are a purely sexual body part and should only be shared between me and my husband. It just feels wrong and sexual to have my baby sucking on me."


"My husband wants to share the responsibility with me, he feels like breast feeding would take away from his share and not allow him be an intimate part of the baby's life."


Honestly, I have heard all three of these excuses being used. I will let you draw your own conclusions on that one.


But think about this. How could you encourage moms who are unable to nurse, or moms who adopt, that formula is safe and that their babies will grow up normal and healthy if you are telling everyone else that they are not allowed to use formula. Formula will not kill your baby, just like eating McDonalds every day won't kill you. There are just better alternatives. The best thing I think we can do is encourage all new moms to do what is best for their babies and to help them understand the benefits of breastfeeding.


Then again, why are C-sections optional now a days? It's safer to do a vaginal birth in most cases. Why aren't cigarettes illegal? Is it ever healthy to smoke? Why aren't bicycle helmets the law? When do you draw the line between what the government tells you what to do and when you can choose for yourself?


For me, that line should be when it affects no one but yourself or your property (a bike helmet, a cigarette or wearing your seat belt...) compared to when it affects the health or wellbeing of others and their property (driving under the influence, speeding, littering...)


where does breastfeeding fit?

Frustrated Shopper

so this post has nothing to do with anything much except for just a rant about customer service!

I was at walmart today. I had to pick up my prescription and just needed to get the kids out of the house. they said it would be about 45 minutes to an hour before I could pick it up. (which is ridiculous because all they have to do is put the darn pills in the package) so, the kids and I did some shopping. After about 45 minutes we returned to see a huge line. So, I figured we'd just wait for the line to die down and walk around some more. 10 minutes later the kids were getting fussy, so we just decided to wait in the STILL huge line.

10 minutes later with kids screaming and everyone in line getting frustrated with me... it was my turn. The pharmacist got my script and I said "I have a few other purchases and I don't want to have to wait in line twice with my kids." she said "ok" and started to ring me up. I asked for a pen and she stopped. she said "since you are writing a check and have other purchases, why don't you go up to the front and pay for it all together?" I was like, "EXCUSE ME?!" she said "i have a really long line." I thought to myself "DUH, I was just standing in it for like 10 minutes with my kids! i do NOT want to do that again at the registers, you are ALREADY ringing me up lady. i UNDERSTAND that you are being inconvenienced, but HELLO so is everyone in line who has to wait with me...." I mean, come on. I am in no way saying that a lady with kids needs special treatment, but only a month ago I paid for more stuff at this register than just my script, I also wrote a check, and just because you have a long line means I do not have that right any more?? I'm sure that everyone in line with me will agree that my kids just need to get out of here.

So, I didn't put up a fight. instead I bottled it all up inside me. I almost stopped at customer service and complained, but that would only defeat the purpose of getting through the line quickly and getting my kids out of there. But, I think that when I'm done venting about it here, I will write the store and make sure they know how horrible their customer service sucked today. I hope they do better in the future. Not only look out for the efficiency of the pharmacy, but also of the customers. After all, isn't the customer supposed to come first??