Year End Wrap-Up

"The Plan" was a success in many ways, though things didn't quite work out exactly as planned.

Here's what we planned:

• In the Beginning
• "The Plan" - Part 1:  History and American History Reading List
• "The Plan" - Part 2: Math
• "The Plan" - Part 3: Science and Must Have Books
• "The Plan" - Part 4: U.S. Geography

When summer was over, we had achieved our goal of finishing our Anatomy Study and made it through quite a bit of our History, but reality was already starting to rear its ugly head and we had our first "Change of Plans".  We scaled back a little and started to move more toward a Charlotte Mason approach to homeschooling.

After our new baby girl Amber arrived in October and we proceeded, as anticipated, to a "Homeschool Lite" schedule.  What I didn't anticipate was that my adorable three year old would be more of a challenge to our homeschooling schedule than my new baby.  So we tried to adapt and get "Back in the Saddle Again" around December.  

In December, we also realized that we would not be continuing CC in the Spring.  Chris had taken the boys to CC finish up the Fall Semester after Amber was born. For various reasons, we could not continue that in the Spring and decided it was best for our family to take a break from CC Classes.  We continued to do the weekly studies on our own for a while, but that too stopped around Week 16.

The new year started out rough, but I leaned into "Their ideas" instead of just my ideas, we made some changes and we started to make progress again.  We continued our progress to a more Charlote Mason approach to homeschooling i.e. more living books, less textbooks and worksheets.  We added Xtra Math and I accepted that for the first time we would not be completing all our curricula and I was okay with that.

We have spent more time this spring reading quality literature.  We also instituted a new privilege for Lance and Jared.  After we put Titus to sleep at night, they are allowed to read quietly in their rooms till "the sun goes down", which is a little longer every night.  They have blossomed with this new privilege.  I think Lance actually sleeps better when he calms down reading a good book first, which makes his days go better.  

Also we have spent a lot more time enjoying "Fine Art Fridays" by ourselves and with our friends.  Jared really enjoys these lessons, as does Lance and even Titus.  Doing them on Fridays has allowed us to include not only our homeschool friends but also our public school friends on their days off.

Here are the end results:

• We didn't make it all the way through American History, instead we went deeply till just after the American Revolution.  We used our curricula as a back bone and added many living books and DVDs.  I am pleased with this change of plans because I think my boys will retain what we learned better than had we glossed over the entire period of American History.  The next time we study American History we will be able to quickly review up to this point and then go deep again into all that follows.
• Math went pretty much as planned we just fell a little behind in our studies.  It was partially my fault, as it was an area of conflict so I avoided assigning it during the Fall with the new baby.  Thankfully, we've worked out the emotional blockages and will finish CLE Math by the end of summer(still three Light Units left).  Even so, this is not a great concern since both boys are a year ahead of their grade level in math.  I think changing from  "Calculadder" to Xtra Math has helped a lot, as mastery of math facts makes higher math much easier.  Plus the carrot of  "Life of Fred" living books as a treat each time Lance has a quiz or test has been a great motivator.
• Anatomy was a complete success this summer as summarized above.  Though we had great plans to finish a Chemistry curricula as well, it just never happened.  We will try again this summer.
• U.S. Geography started out strong but I must admit I puttered out after a while.  Nonetheless the boys can locate all 50 states on a map and name most of the capitals.
• Language Arts is an evolving subject but I think we have a plan for how to approach it this coming year.  Two changes that have taken off are the "All About Spelling" curricula and daily "Journal Writing"; reading we have covered.

I am confident we have "shown progress" to appease the state this year. In fact I think we've made some very important changes in how we do things that I too am pleased with.  I've already started on my plan for next year and there will be some big changes I'm excited about.  Our new year starts June 1st and I'll finish up my plan in May.  In the mean time, we will work on finishing our CLE Math, CLE Bible curricula and enjoying the fine arts.


Note: for anyone who is starting to plan for CC Cycle One in the fall I highly suggest reading these two posts by my friend Brandy:
Classical Conversations Cycle 1 Planner
Preparing for Essentials

**The garden flag pictures have nothing to do with this post. I just loved the fact the boys spontaneously made them on their own one day while I was upstairs with Amber so I wanted to include them :-)

Grocery Shopping 101 - Two Ingredients to Avoid

I friend of mine recently asked me to start doing some posts to help her change her grocery purchases to healthier alternatives.  As I warned her, this needs to be done in "baby steps". if you do this all at once there is very little likelihood of it becoming a habit, and a very high likelihood you'll go back to your old ways.

For my first post, I'll cover two big things to eliminate from your diet as much as possible.  Among other side effects, both are considered excitotoxins, i.e. things that cause dain bramage (oh, oops brain damage).  I'm only hitting the highlights, and if you want to know more a quick internet search will quickly reinforce why you want to avoid these ingredients.

ALL ARTIFICIAL SWEETENERS SHOULD BE ELIMINATED -  TODAY!

That's right and I mean it!  There is absolutely nothing good about artificial sweeteners and list of bad stuff is the longest on the FDA list of complaints.  They are neuro-toxins and have been linked to migraines, kidney stones, Alzheimer, depression and a host of other ills.  Ironically, THEY EVEN CAN MAKE YOU GAIN WEIGHT.  I hear you saying "How? They are zero calorie.", They are also appetite enhancers, i.e. they make you hungry so you eat more.  That should nail the coffin of excuses as to why you can't eliminate today, so JUST DO IT.

If you are looking for a zero calorie sweetener that is safe and readily available, try STEVIA and if you're just looking for a low-glycemic alternative, try raw AGAVE.  Agave is my personal choice; it works great in warm and cold beverages and also in baking.  For a natural zero calorie soda pop try Zevia, they do a good job of imitating the major flavors (especially Dr. Pepper).

MSG - MONOSODIUM GLUTAMATE (Hydrolyzed Vegetable Protein) YUCK!

This is seasoning used to "blend flavors" in foods to make you eat more. It's the same reason why bars historically have free salty peanuts. Thirsty patrons drink more product. Besides the negative effects on the brain and other parts of the body, its scientifically linked to obesity.  You'll find it most commonly in highly processed foods and fast food restaurants.  Its notorious side-effects are becoming so well known that many restaurants have signs proudly stating that their restaurant is "MSG Free" and even those that don't will usually prepare your meal without MSG if you ask.

It hides under a number of other names (that alone should make you wonder):

' hydrolyzed vegetable protein, hydrolyzed protein; hydrolyzed plant extract, plant protein extract, sodium caseinate, yeast extract, texturized protein, autolyzed yeast, hydrolyzed oat flour, calcium caseinate.'  also 'Accent' and 'Natural Meat Tenderizer'

Basically, there is absolutely no reason to eat it, so avoid it whenever possible!  Think of this as the first step to a healthier you.  If you eliminate the foods you buy with MSG in it you'll also be eliminating the foods that have a lot of other ingredients you want to avoid.

"Most Beautiful Girl" turns Six Months

When Amber was born we received a CD called "Slugs, Bugs and Lullabies" as a gift.  The boys absolutely adore the songs, and frankly Chris and I think they are rather silly too.  The lyrics to one of the songs is "Most beautiful girl in the WHOLE WIDE WORLD", the boys have it memorized and we all end up singing it to her.  Another song they like to sing to her starts like this "You've got to burp, burp, chicken wiggle....don't spit-up, don't spit-up....".

Her Cleopatra pose.

Zoom!  Goes the baby!  Check out this video done a few weeks ago and you'll see what we mean.

She made sure to perfect her skill since this video and is very mobile.  She apparently feels babies should be competent crawlers by age six months. I wonder what she thinks about walking?

She seemed to know a big milestone was coming this week.  We lowered her crib on Saturday, just in time for her to stand up in it on Sunday.  Chris was playing peek-a-boo and next thing he knew she pulled herself up to find him.  Sunday was also the day that she started sitting up regularly on her own.  Like Chris always says, "We give birth to toddlers.".

He vocal range is amazing too.  So many different sounds and bubbles coming out all the time.  Yet one we seldom hear is a wail or a scream of frustration.  She is very patient, sometimes I come up to check on her because I haven't heard anything on the monitor in a while and I'll find her playing quietly in her crib.  When she sees me she just looks up, smiles, coos and often keeps playing with her blanket or her buddy.  It's nice.

She weighed in at 17.6 lbs and measured 27.25 in.  At her current rate, she has almost outgrown her saucer before she should have started using it, according to the great "They".

Divergent Thinking

This a presentation by Sir Ken Robinson called:

"Changing Education Paradigms"

 

He has a very unique method of presentation which would be reason enough to watch the video.  However, in addition to its uniqueness, the arguments presented are thorough, logical and humorous.

Do I have your curiosity hooked yet? 

In his presentation he illustrates:

• The driving forces behind the creation of public education; i.e. workers for the industrial revolution
• Despite the world changing from the time of the industrial revolution the structure of public education has not
• ADHD Epidemic?
• The longer our children are in school the less intelligent they become
• The ills of standardized testing
• What needs to be done to change schools to better prepare children for the future.

Health - Chris' Diet

*DISCLAIMER:  I am not a doctor or health care professional of any kind, please consult your doctor before making any diet changes.

There, now I feel better and that should appease our litigious society. :-/

Diet (noun): food and drink considered in terms of its qualities, composition, and its effects on health.

The word diet has come to have a very negative connotation to it in the past decades. The word is now synonymous with people starving themselves to reach some "weight goal" or by saying "I can't eat that, I'm dieting". A diet for us is merely a food plan to help us reach optimal health.

In a previous post, I explained why we started tweaking our diet and our goal has always been one of "optimum health".  I tweak Chris' diet the most because he is physically active and receptive to it. It gives me someone to experiment on before trying it myself. :-)

MORNING INTAKE: 

ALIVE PEA PROTEIN WHOLE FOOD SHAKE:  He mixes this with about 12 oz of So Delicious Unsweetened Coconut Milk and a serving of Living Harvest Hemp Protein.  This shake provides all his daily vitamins.  I'm pleased to say that they recently improved the formula to include more Vitamin D, more organic foods and less carbohydrates.  I add the extra protein via the Hemp, because with Chris living an active lifestyle and being a vegetarian, protein is important to Chris' diet.  Pea and Hemp are the two most complete and most absorbent proteins as I previously noted.

 

BLUEBONNET LIQUID CALCIUM WITH VITAMIN D3:  Chris has become lactose intolerant over the past decade, therefore a calcium supplement is in order.  I chose this one because it has the highest ELEMENTAL calcium.  Elemental is a key word to look for in choosing a calcium supplement.  Elemental is the amount of the calcium in the product that your body will actually use.  If they don't list the elemental amount, assume that it's not much.  The product is flavored with fructose, which is not ideal, but it's such a small percentage overall, I'm not worried about it and I think its better than sodium benzoate.

KOMBUCHA - AKA THE ELIXIR OF LIFE:  This not just a drink but a raw food and will fill you up with good stuff and good feelings.  It has the energizing effects of caffeine without the downside, lots of B Vitamins (happy vitamins!) and loads of probiotics and very few calories.  Great for the colon in two ways: decreases food cravings and keeps the internal environment healthy.

CHIA SEEDS*:  Yes, this is the same stuff used to grow "Chia Pets". Who knew it was a really healthy food also!  This serves a similar purpose as the Kombucha but approaches things in a different way.  It fills you up and energizes you at the same time. Nutritionally, it brings different benefits in copious amounts of Omega 3, fiber, and protein.  Most western diets are too high in Omega 6, which increases inflammation in the body, and too low in Omega 3, which decreases inflammation. Chia seeds are a great way to balance out your diet. For weight loss, it's reported to specifically help with eliminating fat along the waist line.  The only downside I've found is that it helps lower blood pressure and when used in conjunction with medication, blood pressure can become too low. Chris mixes 1 tbsp with 8 oz of water and lets it turn to gel (about 5-10 minutes, shaking occasionally), then drinks it down. When cold, it has very little, if any, taste. Chia seeds can also be sprinkled on food of any kind.  We use the Whole Foods brand from the bulk container - it's the cheapest and also raw and organic.

MID MORNING SNACK, LUNCH AND MID AFTERNOON SNACK:

DRIED MANGO AND TRUFFLE ALMONDS (measured/weighed each day to control calories - about 40 grams each): We grab these from the Whole Foods bulk bins. Very yummy.

AMAZING GRASS BERRY BAR:  These are a full serving of veggies, greens, raw, vegan, soy-free, alkaline, etc.

AMAZING GRASS CHOCOLATE PEANUT BUTTER BAR:  This is another serving of veggies but does include Whey protein. I'm hoping they'll switch to hemp soon like they use in their other products.  Both bars are very filling, nutritious and low in calories and also very tasty.

HARD BOILED EGG (Organic with Omega 3), an organic apple (fuji or gala), and more Chia soon once he is home. It provides a great boost after his ride home and fuels him for the attack of the kids, baseball, and whatever life throws at him in the early evening.

DINNER: Right now, nursing Amber requires me to eat very, very bland, therefore Chris is eating bland too.  I'll post more about this when the dinner recipes are a bit more interesting :-)  In the mean time, it might be worth your time to sign up for Amazing Grass Two Week Challenge.  They have two weeks of healthy meal ideas and daily emails about different health topics. It's not an MLM and I have nothing to gain from this suggestion. Amazing Grass has great products and awesome customer service.  I wish it was an MLM with all the people I now know using their products at our suggestion. It would supplement our income nicely. :-)

NOTE ON SUPPLEMENTS:  My research indicates that supplements and vitamins are best when derived from whole foods and/or in liquid form.  When not available in that form, look for vegetarian/Kosher capsules, as some of the ingredients in binders and capsules can be animal based and actually hinder absorption or neutralize the effects.

In the Saddle for the First Time

Today was Jared's first horseback riding lesson at Westwood Farms.  It went great!  The facility was beautiful and clean and the horses were well maintained. 

We arrived a little early so we had time to wander around a bit.  Chris took the morning off work and we brought the entire crew. We said "Hello" to the horses in the stalls and took a little walk on the dock.  From there, we saw a frog sitting on a lily pad and a water snake come up from the deep and eat a minnow.  Our day would normally have been complete at that point, but we had a horse lesson coming!

The first part of Jared's session was spent teaching him how to prepare his horse for riding.  I really like this part, as it teaches many lessons besides riding, including self-control and a work ethic. After they get the hang of it they can come early and do this part themselves and they will have more time for riding, which I think is a great lesson in itself.

The horse he rode was a 25 year old retired racing thoroughbred named "Ripple".  The first thing Jared learned to do was how to brush Ripple down, then how to clean out his hooves. One thing we learned is racing horses have an identification number tattooed inside the upper lip. This number can be used to look up Ripple's information and racing record.

Next Jared learned how to put the saddle and bridle on and Ripple wasn't real fond of this. After 25 years one would think he'd be used to it.

Jared did a great job of listening to instruction and I think it will really motivate him to do his push-ups and build his upper body strength.  Those hooves are heavy.

Now it was time to mount the horse.  I really liked how Steve (his instructor) was patient yet persistent with Jared.  Helping him understand in different ways how to do what he asked instead of doing it for Jared.  

Steve attached a lunge lead to the horse and they began some balance exercises.  In addition to upper body strength, the riding will help him build core strength too.

Now this is where I thought the lesson would stop.  I thought Jared would walk around on the lead for a while and the lesson would eventually end.  I was completely wrong.

Within a few minutes, I heard Steve telling Jared the basics of posting and how to get Ripple to start trotting.  The first time Ripple trotted, Jared bounced around and said "I feel like my insides are in a washing machine" and Steve laughed.  Steve then worked more on the mechanics of posting to counter-act that feeling.  Okay, I thought, that was a surprise but I'm sure this is what they'll work on the rest of the lesson.

Nope wrong again! Much to my surprise he took the lead rope off and told Jared to start walking Ripple around the very large ring (which, by the way, is only fenced in on three sides -- insert images of Jared being swept away on a runaway race horse here....).  I was very surprised, and I realized after I got home that I just stared and forgot to take pictures!  Jared did awesome.  He even managed to turn Ripple when Ripple thought going back into the barn seemed like a nicer idea than staying in the ring.

At the end of the lesson, he learned how to take off the tack, clean and groom his horse and properly put him back in the stall. A job well done.

Steve told them they could give treats to some of the horses in the adjoining paddocks and Lance helped groom Ripple a bit at the end. Jared was tired and rightfully so.

To say the lesson was thorough was an understatement. The lesson far exceeded my expectations and I look forward to continuing and I think Jared does too.  There's a great feeling of accomplishment in learning to control such a large animal and having a chance to bond as you groom him and give him treats.

Five Fireman and a Rainforest

Time sure does fly and this is a "catch up blog" of things I've been meaning to write about but haven't had the chance.

Amber is now FIVE months old.  She is beautiful and so aware.  She turns to her name and her nick name "piggy, piggy, piggy" so we might have to cut back on its use.  She started scooting early in the month, backwards only at first, like her brother Lance.  Now she is rather mobile now, scooting and rolling where she wants to go very quickly.

At Jared's last Cub Scout den meeting, they had the pleasant surprise of finding out they were going on a tour of the new downtown Fire Station that night.  Luckily Chris had decided to bring Titus to the meeting that night.  The two boys were in awe and I'm proud to say, according to their father, extremely well behaved.  Jared and Titus both are fascinated with FIREMEN.  On a related side note, there is a fire pole at our neighborhood playground, and Jared was so relieved to learn how to go down the fire pole at the park this month. Its difficult to coordinate all those long appendages.

For our boys' birthday parties, we prefer small events to create special memories rather than large parties.  This year Lance chose to take on the Advanced RAINFOREST course at ZoomAir this year.  Zoom Air is a ropes course up in the trees at the zoo.  The Rainforest includes some really high and long zip-lines and takes place at least 30 feet up in the air.  Chris, Lance and Matthew tackled the course for two hours together the Sunday after his birthday.  Lance led out the group and the boys never flinched at conquering each new obstacle.  Chris said he was happy to go last (Hee, Hee).  They had an absolute blast!

Whole Foods & Sunshine

After watching the video about GMO foods, a friend asked, "So what can I eat?".  The simple answer is "anything from Whole Foods", they don't allow any food into their store with GMOs or artificial sweeteners.  The next question of course is "How do I afford it?".  The answer to that is multi-fold.  The way I have always looked at it, we can either spend money on healthy food now or on health bills later.  We look for the 365 brand (Whole Foods in-house brand) or in the bulk bin section to save money. Also, Whole Foods does have flyers with coupons in the store. We buy what we can online for less and also cutting back on meat will save a lot of money.

I really like going to Whole Foods.  I am there almost every Sunday morning with Titus. It is our date time and often the highlight of my week.

As we walk in, we greet Jessie or Brandon at Customer Service to let them know we are there. They call back to have the cases we need each week brought up while we shop.  They know us and its nice.

As we enter produce, sometimes we run into Mr. Steve who will give Titus a piece of fruit to eat.  We talk to him a bit about his week, his latest vacation or his son.  Next we say "Hi" to Mr. Gary, who knows all about the unusual fruits they have.  Sometimes he even convinces us to try something new or we just exchange a happy smile.

Nathan smiles and says "Hello" in the supplement area, and there's Alex in the frozen section.  We have even convinced Mr. Frank to smile on occasion in Dairy.

As we pull up to check out, we look for pretty Svitlana's aisle.  We talk to her about her son, their week, etc.  She asks to see pictures of the baby and asks about our week.  Gareth is always quick to help with bagging up, remembering to keep the fragile stuff all in one bag.  As he helps us out to the car, we talk again about life; his and ours.  If we have a lot of stuff or he's busy, Bri and Neal are always quick to jump in and help with a smile. 

These are just the people we see most often; my "peeps" as Chris calls them.  There are many others we share smiles with, especially on the days we go at a different time.  This time spent sharing smiles and a few moments, brings sunshine to my days.

I wonder if everyone took the time to say a kind word or exchange a smile with the people they see, how the world might change for the better.  If we simply read the name tags they wear, and called people by name, would the world have more "sunshine"?

Lately, I feel more connected to the people in the shadows of this video, than those dancing but I'd sure like to dance more.  Here's to us all having more sunshine in our lives and spreading a little sunshine with our smiles!

Moon Walk

One of the things I love about my husband and children is their appreciation for the simple but marvelous things in life.  On his way home from baseball practice, Chris calls me to say we all need to get outside and see the moon.  The moon was huge and orange.  

I was nursing so we didn't run out, but Chris rushed us out when he got home.  We walked down the street to get a better vantage point.  Jared found two toads.  

At first the moon was behind some clouds but the boys were more than happy to wait for it to reappear.  

On the way home we were greeted by a Cuban Tree Frog on our front porch.  The pictures don't do the evening justice but they capture the moment as a family appreciating God's majesty in his creation.  The evening reminded me that even in the city you can have a nature walk from time to time.

Vocabulary & Spelling City

One of my boys' favorite online sites is www.spellingcity.com.  My boys laugh hysterically at "Hang Mouse" and "Word-O-Rama" games. The original purpose of the site was to allow parents and teachers a fun way for their children to practice and learn their spelling words.  Recently they expanded the site to include vocabulary practice as well. 

The site is completely customizable.  A parent or teacher can type in a given list of words for their student/child to practice.  The student can then choose from a number of options; "Teach Me", "Take a Test", or "Play a Game" to name a few. 

You can also search the community database for lists that were created by another user.  To do this simply click on "Find a List" from the top menu buttons and choose the appropriate search.

I have created a number of spelling lists you can use to get started. Select "Parent Name" next to the search and enter "TinaMarie Otto" to find them. There is an imposter using "Tina Marie Otto" (Hee, Hee), so be sure to leave out the space.  You can import these into your own User ID or you can keep coming back to my lists.

• Dolch Sight Words - This currently includes 6 lists of Pre-K to First Grade Dolch Site Words you can import the rest from this link on Spelling City http://www.spellingcity.com/dolch-words.html
  
• Most Used Words - This currently comprises 15 lists that encompass the 300 most used words in printed material per this site http://www.duboislc.org/EducationWatch/First100Words.html
• Mr. Q Elementary Chemistry Vocabulary - This list includes all the Vocabulary from Mr. Q Elementary Chemistry by Unit. I have added this list to Spelling City with permission from "Mr. Q".  

Most of the spelling games and features are available for free.  If however you want to use the vocabulary tools and games you'll need to join.  The fee is only $30 a year and includes tracking for up to five students/children.   I have yet to use the tracking but I plan to start soon.
 

I expanded my use of the program from spelling to vocabulary because I wanted my children to have a way to review the vocabulary from their Chemistry Course, and since they enjoy using this site it seemed a perfect fit.  I'm hoping this will really solidify the chemistry basics they are learning this year, and I thought it might be of use to those of you also using Mr. Q.  I have currently only created a list for "Unit 1" vocabulary but I will be adding all the units as we progress through the year.

Spelling City has many more potential uses, such as "Analogies", and "Homophone" learning and games.  It is definitely worth taking some time to play around and see how it may be of use.