Simple Pyramid Project

We have been studying ancient Egypt.  To end our study, we made a pyramid from sugar cubes.  

The project comes from the book Ancient Egyptians and the Neighbors: an Activity Guide by Marian Broida.  It was a very enjoyable project.  We imagined what it would be like to build such a structure if we were building with heavy bricks instead of sugar cubes.  What a a lot of work!

The only modification we made with the instructions was that instead of brushing the paint on, we actually dipped the sugar cubes in the glue (we used regular white school glue).  It took quite a bit of glue to get the sugar cubes to stick because the sugar tended to absorb the glue.  This might have been different if we had used a glue that was not water based but Elmer's glue is.  

The hubby and the kids may take the project further over the weekend, painting it and decorating it to look more authentic.  I'm just happy that I got the project done because I am not a project person!  

Sometimes . . .

I catch myself saying please, please, please despite not being sure that anyone "up there" is listening or cares.

Like, someone's offering a brand new Ameda Purely Yours breast pump on Freecycle.  I will definitely need this when I go back to work and because I want a bit more freedom than I had with my two boys when they were nurslings.  It's not an inexpensive item.

I know the chances of me getting it are pretty slim.  I probably am not the first to ask for it. But I still crossed my fingers and said "please, please, please."

Then I thought to myself, "Who are you asking?  Who do you think is listening?"

I don't really have an answer for that but I'm hoping.  I kind of need something fortuitous to happen.  Now.

Making Math more Fun

Math is one of the subjects in which I feel a child should have a very solid foundation.  While I was willing to freestyle other subjects like history/social studies and science, I really wanted a methodical, systematic and clear approach to math and I felt the best way to do this was to use a curriculum.  So far, I've tried three different ones: Right Start Math, Singapore Math and Math-U-See.  Math-U-See is the one we are currently using and I'm very pleased with it.  It's not a lot of fun, though.  It really digs in to lay the foundation with lots of practice and review and so for Z1, it can get kind of tedious.  I have a couple of ways that break up the tedium while still providing good math instruction.

1. Daily Word Problems Math by Evan Moor.  Z1 uses the Grade 2 book.  The book is basically a word problem for every day of the school week.  The questions are not too challenging as to frustrate him but they do make him think and he is enthusiastic about doing them and gets super hyped when he avoids being "tricked" by miscellaneous information.  
2. Logic Countdown by Bonnie Risby.  This is a great way to introduce logic and Z1 approaches it like a game of sorts.  It covers analogies, sequencing, relationships, syllogisms and more.  
3. Picture books about math--these types of books serve as a great way to break up what could be a really monotonous math session.  Luckily, our library has many of these type of books available and if we go to one library in particular, they are all handily grouped together. These are the ones we currently have out.  

•  Pattern Fish by Trudy Harris--both Z1 and Z2 enjoyed this book.  It introduces various types of patterns (AAB, ABB, ABBA, etc)
• Math Fables and Math for All Seasons by Greg Tang--these books are great because they encourage children to think about numbers in different ways.  I especially like Math for All Seasons for Z1 because it encourages him to group numbers in creative ways to make for easier calculation.  
• The Case of the Missing Zebra Stripes-- a collection of games, puzzle and riddles all related to the zoo.  This book induces lots of thinking!

Another resource we use is IXL but Z1 tends to find it rather tedious too because his math work is more involved.  Z2 really likes it though because it doesn't take long for him to progress and get prizes.  I've found some other math games here and there but nothing really stellar.  If Z1 is getting really frustrated, I'll let him play those math games and it helps him to reset.   

So these are some ways that I break up math instruction to cut down on frustration and boredom.  I am thinking that since Z1 is learning multiplication, I may start doing a 90 second timed quiz and maybe having some kind of prize for a certain number of tables he gets correct.  I've never done anything like that before so we'll see how it goes.  

Image Credit

Oh, no! Not Whitney. :(

I'm still hoping that someone says it's not true but sadly, after reading several reports, I'm starting to believe it.  I am taking the death of Whitney Houston really hard.  I had such hope that she could pull it together and do something magical again.  I feel so sad for her daughter and her mother especially.  I can only imagine the pain they are going through.

May she rest in peace.

Interacting

One of the biggest challenges in my decision to educate my children at home has been a lack of consistent community.  Every so often, I get pretty obsessed with finding some kind of group for us to be a part of, some kind of regular social event to go to.  Lately, this has been blowing up in my face.  Either the kids we are hanging out with are too young or the kids' personalities don't mesh.  I end up feeling disappointed and drained.

I decided to think about it again after one such not-so-great social interaction this past week with another homeschooling family.  I talked to Z1 about it and found out that 1) he doesn't feel lonely at all and 2) he feels like he has enough friends.  I wanted to ask him "What friends?" but from his perspective, he's good.  So I can stop stressing about that.  I can relax.    But then I realized all this fanatical searching for community is not for my kids necessarily but for me.  And it's something that has been lacking for me since before they even arrived on the scene.  Same isht.  Different Day.  But more complex because I am educating my children at home which means I have precious little time for myself.  I could join a knitting/crochet group, find a gym buddy, join a book club.  But these things would have to occur at 5:00 AM and last until 7:00 AM so that I could get back to my children.  Yeah, not happening.  And trying to do these things with kids in tow is pretty impossible so I have to just accept that this is not the time.  

So I keep dragging them to things they don't really care to go to and wanting them to interact with the kids so the other moms feel it's worth it to keep coming out and hang with us.  But I'm changing my attitude about the whole thing and letting my children free up and do what they want to do at these get-togethers because I need the interaction.  I'm still going to go but I don't really care if they hang out with the other kids or if they just decide to hole up in a corner and read.  

A Knit Hat for the Hubby

One of my friends gave me a skein of Patons Tweed (Aran) yarn over the holidays which the hubby really liked.  I have some dark blue 100% wool yarn I got at the thrift store for ridiculously cheap (like 5 skeins for $1 or something insane like that).  The two yarns paired together really well.  I started the project using Size 8 16" circular needles and the Karlchen pattern for top-down hats for the crown.  I then went into a 3x3 ribbing for the body of the hat.  For the brim, I dropped needle size to 5s, decreased one stitch in each rib, and did an inch or so in 2x2 ribbing.  The hubby really likes it!  I completed it last night and he wore it today.  

Ravelry Link

I'm currently working on a Ridged Lace Cowl which is a pattern that requires me to focus from time to time but is not overly demanding on my mental faculties which is a good thing.  I think once I finish this, I will start working on another scarf of some sort.  I'm thinking maybe something bulky for a change.  We'll see.

Handwriting

Z1 is learning how to write cursive.  He wanted to learn it so he could read the notes that Nate the Great's mother would leave for him.  (Nate the Great is the main character in the wonderful detective series written by Marjorie Weiman Sharmat.)  He also didn't like not being able to read the notes left for silly Amelia Bedelia (main character in the popular books by Peggy Parish).  I would have happily waited until second grade to start cursive instruction but since he was interested, I went along with it.  I know that it's not longer taught in many schools and there is debate about how useful it is but as far as I'm concerned, it's necessary.  In this technological age, the art of handwriting is being lost.  And if you know me, you know I don't believe that we will all have unlimited access to e-mail and texting and all that forever.    I definitely think thinner, simpler days are ahead so we only do ourselves a disservice by writing off basic skills like handwriting (pun intended).  We still need to know how to write different kinds of letters and how to send thank you notes.  We still need to know how to take written notes.   We need to to be able to communicate and preserve information on paper.  Anyway, not to go off on too much of a tangent.  

There are many styles of print and cursive handwriting.  Z1 has been learning handwriting using the Handwriting without Tears program.  I just love this program for learning to print because it's straightforward and fun--simple.  The HWT style of cursive is also very plain and straightforward and we went with HWT for cursive just because we were accustomed to  the materials.  

But it's not the style of cursive I learned or use.  The way I write cursive, a combination of the Palmer style and simple Zaner-Bloser, is decidedly more ornate:

So writing things for Z1's copywork takes a whole lot of looking at the HWT letter chart and extra thinking on my part.  I've asked Z1 if he'd like to try a different style but he likes the HWT style precisely because it's not so curvy. So we'll stick with it.  We practice handwriting every day for 10-15 minutes and over the course of a year, I am really blown away by how his handwriting has improved.  

Here's a New York Times article, The Case for Cursive, which I read some time back.  I agree with many of the points.

Graphic Credit 1
Graphic Credit  2

Very rarely am I a part of the morning rush hour but today was an exception.  I needed to run out and pick up some groceries and I wanted to do it while the hubby was still home.  That meant that I had to leave by 8:00AM and be back by 8:30 the latest.  So off I went into the frigid cold.  I picked up the groceries and on the way home, there was a bit of a traffic jam.  A traffic signal was broken and was staying red indefinitely.  As I sat there, I thought to myself that I kind of miss the morning hustle and bustle.  The morning energy.  Everyone experiencing the freshness and optimism of a new day. You know, the rhythm of it.  The purposefulness of getting up, getting dressed, heading out the house to go do a job that has a broader effect than on just one's family.  Having a job that pays; a job that has a title.  I kind of miss just being me for a portion of the day.  Not Z1 or Z2's mom.  

I don't miss the stress, though.  And it was a lot of stress.  But there's a lot of stress as a stay-at-home mom too.  Minus the social interaction.  Which sometimes makes it difficult for me to decide which stress is less intense.  I think, sometimes, that at least the stress of working yielded a pay check and some recognition from time to time.

I'm not planning to go back to work full-time anytime soon.  Being a stay-at-home/homeschooling mom is important to me and I think it's the best fit for my family.  And it won't last forever because kids do indeed grow up.  But I think how life would be different if I did make a switch.  I'm not always totally sure it wouldn't be good.  

Photo Credit

Color Me Lovely!

I have loved coloring for as long as I can remember.  I like coloring with crayons, colored pencils, markers, chalks . . . really anything. I appreciate the difference in appearance of the different coloring implements.  I have my own coloring books.  

I don't know if it's because they are boys or what, Z1 and Z2 won't sit down for any length of time to color with me so I had stopped coloring for a long time.  In an attempt to find ways of relaxing, I decided to take up coloring again but I wanted to do some sophisticated coloring as most of my coloring books are basically children's coloring books (Muppets, Barbie, etc . . . ).  I realized that by coloring more complex designs, I would get the opportunity to grow mentally (having decided to review and employ Basic Color Theory).  And coloring is just a really great outlet for creativity.  It's stimulating in so many ways.  

A fellow homeschooling mom posted some sophisticated and beautiful coloring pages that she designed and it prompted me to seek out some more.  Here's what I found: 

Link 1

Link 2

Link 3

Link 4 (one of my favorites)

Link 5 (another really nice one)

For my birthday, one of my best friend's sent me an Amazon.com gift card and so I think I'm going to get a fresh box of colored pencils and a gorgeous mandala coloring book.

I know I need to get my stress levels under control if I really want to experience optimal health.  I'm thankful that such a simple act, the act of coloring, relieves my stress so well.

What are some things you do for stress reduction?  

Photo Credit

Indispensable Kitchen Tools

So there are the major tools that make my work in the kitchen efficient such as my Vitamix blender, Cuisinart food processor, and KitchenAid stand mixer*.  But honestly and truly, it's the smaller tools that make short work of all the various kitchen tasks.  You already know that I believe in a good kitchen knife but recently I acquired three little tools that I'm totally in love with: Trudeau spoon-shaped spatulas (or "spoonulas", the term Rachel Ray coined)

I bought three of these on Amazon [the green ones, happily, were the cheapest (if you didn't know, green is my favorite color)] and I am *loving* them.  I've had spoonulas before but usually, they are two parts (the handle and the spoon part) which gets kind of gross because you can't really wash them all that well and the handles easily come off or even break.  Lots of frustration with my previous spoonulas!  I use them too frequently to be that annoyed at them.  The Trudeau spoonula is one piece and is very strong so that they don't bend even if I'm scooping or scraping out the thickest of batter.  So I highly recommend this brand.

Another kitchen tool I purchased recently is a small 6 inch utility knife.  It's J.A. Henckels International and I can't believe I went so long without this size of knife. 

I use it for slicing fruit and/or veggies directly into the pot or pan.  I peel things with it and it's the knife I go to for processing meat (I can get away with not getting a boning knife because of this 6-inch knife).  

What are some indispensable kitchen tools in your arsenal?

Yesterday was my 30th birthday.  It was a nice day despite the fact that it was rainy all day.  I appreciated all the birthday wishes and I just appreciated making it to 30 at all!  

The day started out nicely with our Solstice celebration although I don't think the kids were thrilled with the gifts they got.  I wasn't sure what to get them (or if to get them gifts at all)... they have so many toys that are just sitting there and that they don't play with that I didn't want to buy more.  We just don't have the space.  So I gave elder son a Snap Circuits Set and a Magnetic Poetry Kids set. And I gave younger son his own Leapster system and Magnetic Poetry Really Big words.   I won't say it didn't hurt my feelings how non-enthused they were.  But literally, they have a whole bin full of toys and the bin can go untouched for weeks at a time.  So I think I did the right thing in terms of buying educational type stuff and another Leapster (which will cut down on the fighting between them).  I have to admit: it's pretty frustrating trying to unplug from materialism and commercialism--it is all around.  I haven't done gifts for the boys before and so this holiday was about trying to redefine it for myself.  Feeling let down at how the gifts were received makes me wonder if I should make gift giving part of the experience at all.  

And then my friend made me a flourless chocolate cake which was delicious.  She put fresh whipped cream on top and it tasted divine.  But today, my tummy is not doing so hot . . . I'm pretty sure sugar is a no-no for me.  (((sigh))) But I really enjoyed eating it and I appreciated the thoughtfulness even more.  When you are paleo/gluten-free, you don't expect folks to make considerations for you so it felt amazing to be considered.  Next month, I am going to go sugar-free again (no honey, no maple syrup or stevia).  

The hubby also took off so I took the time to go to an introductory meeting for Transcendental Meditation.  It took 40 mins. one way to get there.  The meeting was about 1 1/2 hours.  It will require a significant financial investment to learn the technique ($1,500) and also a significant time investment (1 1/2- 2 hours 4 days in a row).  I would basically need to find someone to watch my kids for a 4 hour block of time for 4 days straight (which costs money), drive for almost two hours (which costs gas and I hate driving) and then on top of all that pay $1.5K.  So I don't know.  I'm interested in it because I need an effective and easy to implement meditation technique for stress reduction but thinking of all I need to do to even learn it is pretty stressful so it kind of defeats the purpose, wouldn't you say?

Yesterday's workout was the Bubble Butt Workout from Body Rock TV but I substituted step-ups the v-ups (no jackknife movements with a diastasis).  Time was 18:35.  Not bad.  Today, I am totally not in the mood to workout plus Z2 is awake.  We found a deer tick in his ear on Tuesday and I'm watching him closely and hoping he doesn't develop a fever or start to act weird.  Being up this early is weird but he is being himself so that's a good thing.  

Let Them Learn through Play!

I work at a learning center--the curriculum is based on reading and math and we also implement the Handwriting without Tears program.  A few months ago, we ran a Groupon and it generated a large response.  Interestingly enough, a few parents signed up kids who were younger than three or had just turned three.  This is actually mind-boggling to me.  What exactly do parents expect a three year old to get out of a reading and math program?  They usually don't even want to separate from their parents long enough to do a diagnostic to see how much the child knows.  Usually, we try to interest the parents in the handwriting program (which is really the only part of our program appropriate for such young children) but even that is difficult.  They simply don't have the attention span or the physical ability to even hold a crayon much less trace lines and curves.  I mean, parents know this, don't they?  What do they expect us to do?  Magic?  And not only is it impractical to have three year olds in the program, it's exceedingly disruptive to the older students who are working.  Three year olds will sometimes cry or have a tantrum or even throw things.  It just makes me shake my head in sheer frustration.  I just think it's so obvious.  

The company I work for is a business so we don't make it a practice of turning away potential customers.  We try as much as possible to accommodate folks but why is it that parents won't let their babies be babies?  I actually feel a little deceitful and grimy talking to these parents because I just know their child will get so little out of the program at three.  Just a few more months and it will make a whole lot more sense.  

A three year old is supposed to be spending most of his/her time learning through play!  Not sitting down trying to work out of a book.  In fact, play should be a vital and large part of all children's lives.  

Picture Credit

A Knitting Project and Thanksgiving Cooking

This year, Thanksgiving was at my mom's house. It was my first paleo Thanksgiving and as far as that goes, it was really easy.  I basically ate turkey and vegetables (although I did sample some moi-moi which is made from black-eyed peas and a bit of jollof rice). This was my first attempt at paleo-friendly and vegan sweet potato pie.  This was the crust which was made with almond meal, coconut flour, coconut oil, sea salt and some cold water.  I pressed it into my baking dish and it stuck together just fine:

Here was the completed pie:

It was very, very good.  I basically used my old sweet potato pie recipe and switched out the organic can sugar for maple syrup and added some coconut flour to hold it together.  This was pretty experimental so I don't have a recipe to share.  I'm a pretty experienced baker at this point so I kind of just knew what to look for and I'm happy to say it turned out so well.  I wasn't sure if I could actually achieve a paleo-friendly AND vegan sweet potato pie but I did and it was great.  

I also made some collard greens which came out very well too. My trick is caramelized onions, lots of fresh garlic, apple cider vinegar, good quality celtic sea salt and liquid smoke seasoning:

Next year, I have to double the amount I make.  It was that good.  

And my latest knitting project, the Helmet Liner.  It was a great little creative project: 

I knitted it using KnitPicks Swish Worsted.  I love the color and the feel of the yarn.  Just beautiful.  And what made it even better was that mid-project, my HiyaHiya interchangeable needles arrived.  These are probably THE BEST knitting purchase I have ever made.  They are just wonderful and I have no complaints at all.  The join is smooth and secure and they came in the most lovely case.  I still have my Denise Set but honestly, I can't imagine choosing those over the HiyaHiya set for any project.  I still don't want to get rid of the Denise Set because they represent to me the day when I became a serious knitter.  

Projects!

Projects in the Kitchen

 Bone Broth

This is the first thing I used my slow cooker for and it turned out wonderfully.  I ordered soup bones from the farm and followed this recipe from Balanced Bites (one of my favorite websites and podcasts).  I try to drink a bit of bone broth at every meal and I want to get the kids on board too.  It's pretty mild tasting (although it has a strong smell).  Next time, I will add some other veggies and spices just for variety.

 Soaking Nuts and Seeds to make Crispy Nuts 

Starting at lower right and going counterclockwise: walnuts, pepitas (melon seeds), almonds, macadamia nuts, hazelnuts, cashews)

 Paleo Pizza

I followed this recipe for the crust (but omitted the seasonings).  I made the sauce myself and the cheese is the cheese we get from our farm (made from raw milk produced by grass-fed cows)

Handiwork Projects

 A hat and scarf set I made for my friend's daughter who just turned one.  It's 100% merino wool.  It was a very simple project.  I had wanted it to be a lot more complex but I just couldn't get it together and figure out how to make it work.  So basically it's a hat that uses double crochet stitch with a shell stitch border at the brim and a silver satin ribbon accent.  The scarf is double crocheted as well with a shell motif down the center and a shell border at each end.  

Hat number two for my friend's daughter.  This project started out as a tool for teaching my crochet class.  By the time the class was over, I had made so much progress, I just decided to keep going.  The flower pattern I used is here and I just embellished it with a pretty button.  

This is the Milanese Hat Topper.  Unfortunately, I don't like how this hat turned out.  It curls too much at the brim and I don't think the yarn did the pattern justice at all.  I ended up giving it away to one of my students.  It was a great knit though: very relaxing.  

So I've been pretty busy!

How Amazon Can Straight Jack-up Gift Giving and Receiving

Recently I decided that it would be a good idea to get a slow cooker.  I wanted to start making bone broths but also the slow cooker would be amazing in a general way for putting together meals that require very little in the way of tending.  

Well, of course, I was talking about getting a slow cooker with my friend who has two kids herself.  We usually get together once a week on Wednesdays but two Wednesdays ago, I cancelled because we were kind of worn out and didn't want to go anywhere and her kids had a little bit of a cold.  That Friday, I went ahead and purchased a Hamilton Beach 6-Quart slow cooker.  I was thrilled when it arrived the following Tuesday.  Amazon.com does not play!   They send out your stuff with no dilly-dallying which is great and which is why I usually just go the Amazon route.

The following Wednesday, we went over to my friend's house as usual and surprise!  She had a gift for me.  Can you guess what it was?  It was a Crock Pot 6.5 Quart Programmable Slow Cooker!  Had we gone over the previous Wednesday, I would have gotten it then and would never have purchased the other one.  Dang it!  So now I had two slow cookers in my possession.   It should have been no problem--just return the one I bought.  Except that it's a serious hassle to return things to Amazon.com.  I'd end up actually having to pay money to send mine back--which it totally not the point of a gift.  I was trying hard to hold it together and to only let gratitude shine through.  After all, my friend had done this amazingly loving and thoughtful thing for me!  But it was hard for me to be completely and genuinely bowled over.  I wished desperately that I had just waited for a few days to place my order.  

Well, I took the Crock Pot home and here's the dilemma.  My friend totally did not want the Crock Pot to be something to cause me stress and offered to send it back herself.  But I really don't want her to have to pay to ship it back. It's technically my responsibility.  My friend and I were discussing and she didn't want me to feel stressed about it and asked me just to bring it back to her and she'd return it.  Then I offered to pay the shipping to send it back because I didn't want her to be stressed about it.  Then I thought that maybe next time I went over, we could do an exchange and they could just deduct the price of the shipping from the new order or something.  Ugh . . . who the hell wants to have this kind of back-and-forth over a gift!?!

Pre Amazon.com days, I would have simply taken the Crock Pot back to Sears (which is probably where one would get such an item) and even if they wouldn't give me the money back, I could exchange it for something else.  Underwear.  Suitcases.  Paint.  Whatever.  With Amazon.com in the picture, I really don't have many options.  I can't exchange it or send it back to Amazon without involving my friend and how the hell does that look and feel?  Totally awkward and rude.  

I could sell it on Ebay or Craigslist but again, what a hassle!  But I'm starting to think that selling it on Ebay or Craigslist is the only real choice I have here.  I am so very grateful for the Crock Pot but the Hamilton Beach slow cooker I purchased received better user ratings on Amazon and costs less (because it has less features than the slow cooker than my friend bought me).  I can get more money, I think, for the Crock Pot if I go the Ebay route.  I'm currently watching the same pot that's listed.  It's got one more day until the auction closes so I'm waiting to see what happens with the bidding.  

But goodness . . . what rigmarole.  Look at how badly Amazon jacked-up gift giving and receiving.  It really marred the whole experience and I feel so . . . I don't know . . . disappointed about it.  I feel like I need to make it up to my friend somehow but I'm not quite sure how.