So everyone seems to be on Twitter. A couple of the bloggers I read have recently begun it (Randy and Shannon). On one hand it just seems a bit silly but at the same time it is interesting to see what everyone else is doing. I have many people ask what I do all day (or how I actually get life done) with 4 kids and homeschooling and church and blogging. So the real question is, if I Twitter will anyone (or you) read it?
Tell me what ya’all think.
Technorati Tags: Twitter
My kids and I just finished this book and it was really good. One of the aspects I appreciated the most was how the author was very clear about the unknown aspects of the wonders. Lynn Curlee made the subject come alive with really great illustrations and lots of facts. She was clear in defining the line between what we “think” they were like and what we know. This ties in real well with SOTW year 1 but it would be great as just a quick pick up and read. We will definitely be using this for the younger ones when they get a bit older (2 and 11 months are a little young;). This is a read aloud just because of the foreign names. A first grader could definitely read this to you if you are willing to jump in with the names.
The Nerd Family got a Wii
Here is a great recipe for WFMW! This is an easy and yummy dressing. During the sumer I always make this and have it on hand for entertaining. The original version was to just go with a spinach salad but I have found this works with any bitter green salad also. The recipe serves 16-24 so you can just make a half recipe or stick it in the frig because it lasts a long time!
Ingredients:
1 1/2 cup Sugar
2 tsp Dry Mustard
2 tsp Salt
2/3 cup Apple Cider Vinegar
1/2 medium Onion, chopped
2 cup Vegetable Oil
3 tbsp Poppy Seeds
Process:
Mix first 5 ingredients (Sugar through Onion) in a blender, food processor or in a bowl that you can use a stick blender in. Then blend until everything is smooth. Pour in the oil slowly while blending. Keep blending until the mixture changes color (white if you use a white onion and pink if you use a red onion). Stir in poppy seeds by hand. Refrigerate!
Technorati Tags: Salad Dressing, Poppy Seeds
While many people in my area would never in a million years homeschool, a lot of them want to say how great it is that I do. Then they give you the reasons that they can’t do it with their kids. So I am going to start address those reasons here. Let me preface all this with while I think it would be great for our society, I don’t think everyone needs to homeschool. But people start talking like they feel guilty and have to justify their decision. They are not my kids, it is none of my business! But, if you are going to use these silly reasons I need to start addressing them.
The first one is this fear that their kids will not be “normal” or fit in. What does that even mean? I have heard that academically they would be very advanced so they could no longer fit in with their peers. How is this a problem people? So people want their kids to just be “normal”? Isn’t that the same thing as average? Average, the median, a C? You want to make sure that your kids can play all the social manipulation games to survive in a children’s society? That is all your hopes and dreams are for your kids?
To me this is a mentality that “I will sell out my kids future so they can have more friends today”. Talk about shortsighted. My children are very bright but they get along with many types of people. But even at almost 7 and 5, my kids are already losing patience with some issues that are considered normal for their age group. Things like when kids “decide” one day that they like 1 kid but you can’t talk to that other kid. So my kids can’t play that game, yes I am a failure as a parent;). Just imagine how great the world would be if we all refused to play.
I don’t think there is a single parent who would admit that average is all they hope for but I wonder if that is truly what they mean. The soap box if being put away for the afternoon;).
Update: Here are a couple (not all) of the definitions of Normal from Dictionary.com.
-the average or mean: Production may fall below normal.
-the standard or type.
I was so sick last weekend that I never got around to doing a meal plan which meant the week was crazy. So let us get this week off to a better start.
Monday: Roast, Roasted Potatoes, Broccoli, Strawberry Spinach Salad
Tuesday: Cube Steak, Broccoli, Beer Bread
Wednesday: Steak, Broccoli, Cheddar Bay Biscuits, Chili Beans
Thursday: Pasta Alfredo Bake, Strawberry Spinach Salad
Friday: Pork Loin Chops, Fried Potatoes, Broccoli
This just illustrates 1 way the Obama/Hillary race is fun!
So today I was out shopping with the Nerdlings running errands as we have a habit of doing. I had the NerdPud forward facing in my wrap and the other 3 kids walking. As we got a cart this older woman walked up to us. She started talking about how cute my kids were and started touching all of them, the older ones on the head and the baby’s arm’s, head and hands.
Back to the story in a minute but, what is up with all the touching? As I tell my kids, keep your hands to yourself people. I have no idea who you are and where your hands have been but I can tell you that my baby’s hands are probably going in her mouth. So keep your cooties to yourself!
Back to the story: So she goes on about how cute and wonderful they are and then she says that NerdBug (6 year old) must not be one of my gang. I say of course he is mine, then she points out that he has brown eyes. I just say that his eyes are like his dad’s while the rest are like mine. She went on to say about her grandkids all being older (17 and 20). Then she reiterates how cute they are. Then she says that she just came from the library where she saw a woman with 4 boys and a baby girl, with one of the boys holding the baby. So she said that she asked if she could hold this baby and the mom was shocked and said “No Way!”. She asked if I could believe that the mom said no. I said yes and nothing else while silently thanking the Lord that I chose to put NerdPud in the wrap instead of the basket. The lady went on to say how she told that woman that if she was afraid of germs that the library was the wrong place to go. I politely smiled and said if she missed holding babies that Valley Children’s Hospital was always looking for people. I then went into the store where she followed me around the produce department. Luckily that was all I was getting.
I was so shocked. There is no way I would let some stranger somewhere hold my kid of any age much less a baby. Am I just paranoid? I just can’t imagine. So now I have vented and I am off to make a bottle for the baby.
Freezer Friday is taking a couple weeks off because I need some more recipes. So if anyone would like to guest host next week (Either guest post here or on your own blog) just let me know!