Why So Judgmental

I wonder why some people are so judgmental when it comes to my choice to homeschool my daughter.  I wonder why they feel the need to tell me how they feel at every opportunity.  It is even people who are related and who know my daughter, who know how she suffered in public school and yet they STILL feel that she would be better off suffering there than in my loving home learning in an environment where her differences are celebrated instead of made fun of.  Where she sits high in her seat and proudly shows me how much she has learned instead of cowering under tables completely hysterical wishing desperately for some way for her to be cured of her autism. Where do they get the nerve to tell me that I don’t know what is best for my child.  Trust me, the socialization she gets in an environment where she is loved and celebrated is much better than anything she ever got in the years she was in public school.  *sigh*

New Steps.

Over the years, Lilly has grown to really love reading, but she remained intimidated by books with few pictures and books with chapters. She managed to read them with encouragement, but it wasn’t something she volunteered to do, she preferred to read “Learning Books” and educational books, which of course, I thought was just fine. Well, today she picked up some books that my best friend bought her and she has spent all her spare time today cuddled up reading her chapter book. She is loving it and keeps pausing to tell me about it. I am happy for her venture into this part of reading and I am happy that she found her way here without being forced into it.

Homeschool.

I have been including a lot more printables off the internet in our schooling and Lilly seems to be really enjoying it.  She is less overwhelmed by a sheet of paper with a few questions on it and she is interested in the subjects I print off.  In among the things I printed off yesterday was a write-up on the science of sneezing.  She found it interesting and funny and had no issue with reading it and showing her comprehension by answering questions on it.  I include a little something on the earth every day since Earth day is coming up this month and she enjoys that too.  With  math, I include just enough examples for her to show that she understands the concepts and not so many that she becomes overwhelmed and shuts down.  She is also learning to do her work more independently without me having to guide her through every problem and that will be invaluable when we include Rose in our homeschooling on a more regular basis.

The Good and Bad

First the good stuff:

• My babies are all wonderful.  My boy sleeps better than any baby I have ever known.  My girls are sweetness defined.
• When Wandering Aengus took Lilly out this evening, the babies all went to sleep and I got the house tidied up!  I love looking around and seeing tidy.
• My blood pressure has come down a little and I was able to go from 15 pills a day to 11 pills a day.
• I have been having fun planning two new unit studies for us to do, one on Earth day and one on Farms.  I love this part of homeschooling.

Now the Bad:

• I hate how my stomach looks right now!  It looks like a very large underinflated balloon!  I really need to get back to getting in shape.  This has led me to the decision that as of next grocery day, I am back on a diet and getting healthier again.
• I have been overdoing it a bit and I am pretty sure it is effecting how my inside incision is healing.

Back at it

I am getting back at my life again. It feels good to be back at it. I am making changes and reorganizing schedules and feeling good to be stretching that way again. We will be starting back at homeschool next week and our plan is to include unit studies again. Our first one was one on farming by request from Lilly. And the local homeschooling group is going on a field trip to Ross Farm in May, so that will be a great reinforcement of what we learn.

Thought

Just a little thought, knowing that my blood pressure is up and that there is a good chance I could end up in the hospital very soon is doing nothing to bring my blood pressure down. Now, I am rushing around trying to make sure everything is ready for any emergencies that may occur.

Relief regarding homeschool

One thing that I have noticed about our homeschooling this year is that we have done better than I thought we would. I was really worried that with the move and the delays caused by it, we were going to be really behind and then with the baby coming, I really figured we would have to do work all summer to keep up. But truthfully all the pressure I put on us was pointless. We worked so hard that we are actually ahead of where I wanted to be. Even with the baby coming and the inevitable time off that will entail, we are going to be done early. We will have lots of time to do unit studies and fun things which makes me happy. The only thing we will have to be working on during the summer is math, but I am good with that because it is such a weak point with Lilly that I would rather keep it fresh in her mind all year through. I am going to do some unit studies and some field trips and fun things during the summer just because we like it. But I do feel a lot better about where we are now.

Baby stuff, homeschool and yummy food.

I got more done on the nursery today. I was sorting through clothes and picking out the bags I was going to take to the hospital and puttering away at it all. I am feeling more confident that we will have it all done in time now. I did realize that I am going to have to shopping for some baby clothes, but truthfully picking out clothes for my new baby to wear is NOT a chore. LOL

I realized today that Lilly and I are doing REALLY REALLY well with our homeschool schedule for this year. I am going to have time to do unit studies and to take time off when I have the baby. I am so glad. The only thing we will have work on over the summer is math, but that is NOT our strong suit and it will be good to keep it fresh in her mind.

I made a kind of yummy breakfast bar this morning. It would be really really good with nuts in them too.

For supper I made a version of Pasta Puttanesca. I made it a little spicy and it was really really good. Even Lilly had two servings. MMmmmmm . . . yummy!

Vegan Oatmeal Raisin Breakfast Bars

Ingredients:

3/4 cup vegetable oil
1 1/2 cup sugar or sweetener of choice
1/2 cup almond milk
1 cup flour
1/2 tsp baking soda
1/2 tsp salt
1 Tbsp cinnamon
1 cup raisins
3 cups rolled or quick cooking oatmeal

Steps:

1. Mix all ingredients together and press into a 8 x 13 pan. Bake 15 – 18 minutes, or until done. Cut while warm but don’t move until cooled. These were a little soft in the middle and VERY TASTY!

Pasta Puttanesca

pasta, any long variety of your choice
1 1/2 tablespoon extra-virgin olive oil
2 to 3 cloves garlic, minced
1 – 2 tbsp capers
3/4 cup pitted brine-cured olives, chopped (use a combination of black and green)
12-ounce jar roasted red peppers, diced
2 large cans diced tomatoes
1 tbsp olive brine
Salt and freshly ground pepper to taste
1/2 tsp red pepper flakes, or to taste

Cook the pasta in plenty of rapidly simmering water until al dente, then drain.

Heat the oil in a large saucepan. Add the garlic and sauté until over low heat until golden, about 2 to 3 minutes. Add the olives, roasted peppers, tomatoes, capers, olives and red pepper flakes. Reduce heat to low, and add the brine and tomatoes.

Cover and simmer for at least fifteen minutes.

Combine the cooked pasta with the olive sauce in a large serving bowl.

Season with salt and pepper, and toss together gently. Serve at once.

Homeschooling Question and Experimentation

Now, I have a question for all you homeschooling moms out there, when you are homeschooling at your kids are tired, do you try to get them to continue on and do their work anyway? I don’t know. I did today, but for the most part, I don’t want our schoolwork to be a drudgery. I would like there to be enthusiasm, but at the same time I don’t want it to be a matter of simply pleading tired and then you don’t have to do anything? How do you find a balance? I am interested in your thoughts on it.

For supper tonight I experimented with making split pea soup in a slow cooker today. It apparently takes a LOT longer than I expected so I am leaving it in there to cook away and I am improvising with something else yummy for supper. This is the basic recipe that I am making, but as this is just the idea I have come up with and I will be making it for the first time, I will be experimenting with it a little.

Broccoli and Tofu with Spicy Peanut Sauce

Dried rice noodles
1 lb firm tofu (that has been frozen, thawed, pressed and cut into chunks)
1 lb broccoli
1 red pepper cut into same strips
1 yellow pepper cut in the same way
1 courgette/zucchini cut into strips
1 1/2 tablespoons peanut oil or canola oil
2 cups onion
1 tablespoon fresh ginger
4 garlic clove, minced
2 tablespoons soy sauce
3/4 teaspoon salt
2 scallion, minced
1/2 cup peanut butter
1/2 cup hot water
6 tablespoons cider vinegar
2 tablespoons soy sauce
3 tablespoons honey
1 red chili pepper flakes (to taste)

Directions
1.Cook the rice noodles according to the instructions on the packet – often this is just pouring boiling water over them and leaving them for a while.

2.For the Sauce: Place peanut butter and water in a sauce pan, heat on low heat and whisk until mixture is uniform. Add vinegar, honey, soy sauce and red chili flakes.

3.Set aside.

4.In a wok, heat half the oil, half the ginger, and half the garlic.

5.When hot, add tofu and stir fry for a few minutes.

6.Add tofu to sauce and set aside.

7.To wok add the rest of the oil, ginger, garlic, and onion.

8.When hot add the broccoli (which should be chopped into manageable bits, including the stems) and the other veggies, then stir fry a few minutes.

9.Add the soy sauce and stir fry until broccoli is just tender and bright green.

10.Add sauce to broccoli and stir until everything is coated with sauce.

11.Add the rice noodles and combining well (you may want to cut them up if they are very long). .

12. Top with lightly toasted chopped nuts and scallions.

I thought I would share a belly pic today. It is NOT a good one, I hate my hair, the angle and everything, but it does show my HUGE belly at exactly 29 weeks. I am feeling really, really tired lately and I am worried about having enough energy to get the things done that I need to do.

Sunday Stuff

Wandering Aengus is carnivore of the biggest degree, motto is that it isn’t food unless something died.  But he is giving my plant based diet a try!  He willingly volunteered to try this meal plan but when it came time to actually eat, he grudgingly gave  it a shot.  And he is actually liking it!  Last night, I mixed leftover veggie chili with rice, beans, zucchini,  corn,  green onions and salsa.  Then I served it in vegan wraps with a little extra salsa, green onions, and some tofutti cream cheese (I added a little spicy hummus to mine).  He LOVED IT! He ate so much at supper, his belly hurt and then he proceeded to eat a  couple more over the course of the evening!  He said, you can’t feel deprived eating food like that.

For breakfast this morning I made oatmeal and added chopped apple, raisins, cinnamon and sugar.  For the girls, I topped it with a little peanut butter.  They LOVED it!  Rose even had seconds.

Tonight I am making Root Veggie Hash.

Ingredients

1 onion, peeled and cut into rings
2 cloves garlic, peeled and crushed
3 to 3-1/2 pounds root vegetables, such as parsnips, carrots, celery root, parsley root, turnips and/or potatoes in any combination
cabbage (optional but we like it a lot)
Salt and freshly ground black pepper
2 teaspoons dried (thyme, rosemary, tarragon, etc.)

To simply roast the veggies:
Preheat oven to 450ºF. Place vegetables in large bowl and toss with remaining ingredients. Spread on large baking sheet to form a single layer. Bake for 10 minutes. Reduce the heat to 400ºF and roast an additional 30 minutes, or until vegetables are tender when pierced with a fork.

To make it more of a hash like we serve it:
Place veggies in oven in an oven safe dish.  Roast at 300ºF – 350ºF adding veggie broth to moisten as needed.  I like it cooked low and slow until the veggies get extra soft and start to create an almost creamy texture along with the veggie broth.  I like this a little salty and served with fresh bread but season to your taste. It is also good with a yummy vegan mushroom gravy mixed through it.

 

I looked around today and I loved what I saw.  Lilly was curled up in a chair reading one of her favorite “learning” books, stopping every once in a while to share some exciting thing she hadn’t know before.  Lotus was running around with a board book looking at all the colors and shapes and Rose was sitting with her daddy on the couch, telling him all about the book she had, explaining all about it and getting it right!  I love days like this that show how much my girls love to learn.