MFW-ECC Week 3

My bed this morning!
(No wonder I'm always tired!)

Well, the craziness of soccer continues!  All four kids playing, two traveling, I coach two of them, and Bru Crew Dad coaches a third one.  Last year, it seemed like we lived at the soccer fields, but I saw all but one or two games.  None of them overlapped.  This year, the overlapping is constant.  I have seen less than three quarters of Ms. Quality Time's games so far this season, and I've had to leave Tenderheart's game (where I am asst. coach) to go coach Little Man's team (where I am head coach).  I have also seen only about two quarters of Smiley's games.  It makes me a sad mama to know my kids are playing just across the field, and I can't cheer for them and support them.  Week 3 was a little harder for us than Week 2.  We are studying countries now, so the workload changed a little.  Smiley is just in first grade, but she does most of this stuff with us (with a LOT of help).  Assuming that we stay with MFW, she will do it all again in a few years, so I'm not stressing about whether she "gets it" or not.  Right now, we are studying the U.S., so it's very familiar to my kids.  That makes it easy.  They were not very interested in the Week 3 crafts, but when they saw quilting as a Week 4 art project, they decided to do that, except that they don't want to glue fabric on paper, they want to make "real" quilts.  So, again, this will be a long term project, rather than a 1 hr. project.  As a quilter, it was hard to say no to that request.  :)  Consequently, they are making doll sized quilts. 

Tenderheart's Doll Quilt-
She plans to make a disappearing 4 patch
for her American Girl mini doll.

MFW-ECC Week 2

 

Smiley had to use her finger to smooth out the
lines, so it would look pretty.
 

Little Man's N. & S. America ("and don't
forget Greenland!")

This  post is delayed because the last thing on  Week 2 was a world cake.  Well, we are not big cake eaters, but we love cookies!  So, the Bru Crew decided to make world sugar cookies instead, but soccer kept getting in the way!  Each child made 2 cookies: one for North and South America and one for Europe, Africa, Asia and Australia.  Only Ms. Quality Time left room and thought to put Antartica at the bottom of each cookie.  Little Man had me outline his continents, then he filled them in.  Smiley had me do all of it.  Tenderheart and Ms. Quality Time completed them on their own.  As far as school itself went, Week 2 was MUCH smoother than Week 1.  We were finished by lunch most days, and those that weren't finished up shortly after.  It was SUCH a relief to me!  I doubt our schedule will be great and things will be super smooth until soccer is finished, since right now we have a lot of evenings where we aren't home until 9:00 or later with all four kids needing showers, but it is what it is.  Part of the beauty of homeschooling is that we can be flexible.  The Bru Crew is lot loving the science this year.  We have done Apologia sciences in the past, and they interest the children more than Properties of Ecosystems, but biomes aren't really covered in Apologia, and I think this is important.  The teacher's manual indicates that science gets more interesting in Week 3, so we'll see.  :)  Here are more pictures of the Bru Crew and their world cookies. (Notice the soccer uniforms in the pix.  They all had a game that day.)

 

Ms. Quality Time making
her hemispheres.

 

Tenderheart getting the frosting bag ready.

 







Little Man had me outline the continents,
then he filled them in.

After I took pictures of her hemispheres,
Smiley piled on the green frosting to make them "yummier."

*ETA:  Find our cookie recipe here and the frosting recipe here.  I didn't follow the cookie recipe at the frosting site because I didn't want to refrigerate and wait!  I rolled the first tray of cookies in colored sugar crystals because I knew they would want some warm from the oven.  The rest I left plain for frosting.  I noticed that these cookies need to be flattened or they bake up tall instead of out.  Bru Crew Dad is not a frosting lover, so he enjoyed the sprinkle cookies better than the frosted ones, but the rest of us loved the frosting!

Living and Active Week 1

Clare over at Peak 313 Fitness is hosting a five week challenge for getting more exercise and getting in the Word.  I'm excited about participating!  I played soccer with my kids last night, and ran hard, but I'm counting that as bonus.  I still plan to do the 4 exercise routines she suggested.  I definitely need to be more active, and I'm praying this is just what I need to make that happen.  Will you join me?

Cookies for Breakfast

What?  Cookies for breakfast?  You may be thinking that Bru Crew Mom has lost her marbles.  :)  Well, it all started a couple of years ago when Bru Crew Dad replaced his daily breakfast with Oatmeal To Go bars to lower his cholesterol.  (It worked beautifully, by the way.)  The kids were jealous, and wanted these yummy oatmeal treats too, but they came six to a box, and cost over $3 each box, most days.  I told them no.  Then, one time, the store was out of the bars, and I bought Bru Crew Dad Oatmeal Breakfast Cookies.  Then, the Bru Crew was REALLY jealous.  Dad gets cookies for breakfast?  We never get cookies for breakfast!  I tried to explain that these were different, but in a child's mind, there is no difference.  Cookies are cookies are cookies.  So, I set out to find a recipe for breakfast cookies, because I am NOT spending that much money on breakfast for my children regularly,  especially considering that they are still hungry after they eat one!  It took a lot of hunting, and I still didn't find the perfect one, but I found one that was close here.  I have adjusted it to meet our taste preferences, and my easy cooking preferences.  I reduced the sugar because I could.  I reduced the oats because I use whole wheat flour, and it absorbs more liquid.  I also use whole eggs.  I avoid using just egg whites whenever I can because we tend to not use the yolks later, and I hate wasting food.  I also replaced the oil, water, and prune puree with just apple sauce.  (Side note:  I have also used banana puree, pumpkin, and others.)  I have one that won't eat nuts in his foods, and I don't keep apricot around, so we use dried cranberries.  Here is my recipe with adjustments:

Bru Crew Breakfast Cookies:

1 1/2 c brown sugar
2 c rolled oats
4 c whole wheat flour
1 Tbs baking soda
1 tsp baking powder
1 tsp salt
1 1/2 tsp cinnamon
1 c unsweetened apple sauce
3 whole eggs
1 1/2 tsp vanilla
3/4 c raisins
1/2 c dried cranberries

1.  Preheat oven to 350*F.
2.  Line cookie sheets with parchment paper or spray with non-stick cooking spray.  (I used a seasoned stoneware pan, and I do neither of these.  They are non-stick already.)
3.  Mix first 7 dry ingredients in a large bowl.  (I use my Kitchenaid Stand Mixer.)
4.  Make a well in the center and pour in wet ingredients.  Mix well again.
5.  Stir in raisins and cranberries.  Dough will be thick!
6.  Using an ice cream scoop (or Large Pampered Chef Scoop) place balls of dough 2 inches apart on the sheet.  (If you do not have a scoop, you can roll golf ball sized balls of dough.)

7.  Spray your hand with non-stick cooking spray and flatten the cookies.  Because of the lack of fat in these cookies, they will not spread on their own.  (See picture above.)
8.  Bake 8 minutes for a soft and chewy cookie, 10 minutes for a more cake-like cookie.
9.  Cool on pan for a couple of minutes, the move to cooling rack to finish cooling.
10.  This makes around 3 dozen large cookies for us.  They freeze well, but stick together, so layer with waxed paper before freezing.

*Also, I have used banana puree instead of apple sauce, and used nuts and chocolate chips instead of fruit to make "Banana Nut" cookies, and I've used canned pumpkin with pumpkin pie spice and cranberries for a fall version of these cookies.  Varieties are endless, but different purees cook up differently, so the texture isn't always exactly the same, but they still taste good and are healthy.  Soon, I plan to try sweet potatoes!

MFW-ECC Week 1

We all went to Disney World last Sept. 
This is the Bru Crew's last group
photo with Great-Grandma.
(Bru Crew Dad's sister and parents went too.)

This post is a little a lot delayed, sorry!  The evening before we were to start school, we received a call that Bru Crew Dad's grandmother had died.  We prayed about it, and decided to start school as scheduled anyway, since the kids had been looking forward to starting.  We also thought it would help take their minds off of the loss.  Because of the viewing, funeral, and Bru Crew Dad's parents staying a few days after, it took us two weeks to get the first week of curriculum finished.  (As I type this, we are wrapping up week two, with much greater success.)  I read several blogs last year about ECC and several posts in the forum, and was prepared for the first two weeks to be a little intense.  Also, knowing that this was our first year in MFW (and my oldest girls are doing some additional history stuff in preparation for junior high), I was expecting kinks.  As we wrapped up our first week, I was slightly concerned that I'm made a very unwise decision, even though I'd felt like the Lord was leading us to it.  Nothing went like I was expecting it too.  As I already mentioned, I'd read all these blogs, and saw all these cute pictures of kids doing the activities.  Our mandarin orange globes?  Not picture worthy...Ms. Quality Time rinsed hers and restarted at least 3 times.  I drew the continents on the others, but even copying the globe in front of me, my Atlantic Ocean was significantly larger than my Pacific Ocean.  Not only that, but NONE of them wanted to peel it carefully to try to late it out flat.  However, we did finish school each day before soccer practice, which was a tremendous blessing!  (I can't tell you how many times in the past I've had a kid take school work to the soccer fields, and sit on the bleachers doing their "homework" during a sibling's soccer practice!)

Little Man had almost equal parts blue and
red, so his tongue is purplish.

Also, while the grandparents were here, we took a field trip to the Blue Bell factory.  We got to see where they pastuerize the milk, freeze the milk, how the store the sugar, add in flavors, and put ice cream into the cartons.  The highlight of the trip was eating the ice cream at the end!  One of the ice cream options was "Krazy Kolors."  I ate Triple Caramel, Ms. Quality Time ate Red Velvet Cake, Tenderheart ate Cherry Vanilla, and the Little ones got Krazy Kolors.  It has so much food coloring in it, that it colored their teeth and tongues.  It was a fun, educational, tasty, and Kolorful experience.

Smiley had a lot of blue.  Sorry for the blur,
but that expression is priceless!

Dig Into God's Word with us!

On September 3, kids all over the country (world?) will be participating in a new Bible Study with their families.  The idea behind this study, is to teach children how to read the Scriptures, analyze what they are saying, and apply the truth they find.  It is explained as an archeological study, using that terminology.  You start with "The Map" setting the stage for where you are going in your study that day.  You move on to "The Dig," where you read the Scriptures for the day.  You find "The Treasure" and then there's "The Display" where you apply what you discovered in God's Word to your children's lives.  What I love about it, is that it is straight Scriptures!  This study does not give you one verse, then a fluffy story and an application.  It gives you a passage each day, guiding questions to ask about it, and a verse or two for the week to memorize.  Each Sunday, you stop at "The Oasis" where you review what they've learned in the week, along with an activity page to complete.  What a great way for a dad to lead family devotions!  It takes out all the guess work, removes the pressure and guides Dad as he guides his kids into God's Word.  Won't you join us?  You can get your ebook here!  It is available as a PDF file, or for the Kindle or nook!  Kindle and nook versions include a link for "The Oasis" downloads, so you don't miss out on those activities.

First Day of First Grade?

Smiley's Scroll Alphabet page A-F

 

 Well, we are officially out for the summer, and have been for a couple of weeks.  I give the kids a couple of weeks truly "off" where they can sleep late, and do whatever (within reason) they want all day.  By the end of the second week when wake-up is around 10 am, lunch around 2:30 pm, and bedtime is after 10 pm, we're  ALL crazy!  So, we begin our summer schedule of getting up at a reasonable time (6:30, anyone?), which leads to a reasonable bedtime, and a sane Mom!  There are not a lot of kids in our neighborhood, so it doesn't feel much different, and BruCrewDad works year round, and heads to the gym before 5 am each morning, so early to rise, early to bed works better for our family.  (I know the saying is early to bed, early to rise, but that doesn't work in our house.)  The Bru Crew does NOT go to bed early unless I wake them up fairly early and keep them busy all day, thus, we continue working on the 3 R's during summer break.  Yesterday was our first day back in the saddle, and it wasn't pretty.  Lots of meltdowns, and a math page that took two hours.  :o(  After lunch, I busted out the new books so I could organize it all while I still remembered what I bought and why.  ;)  Smiley looked at some of it with great interest!  She finished what I required of her quite quickly today, then begged to start her new stuff.  What was I to say?  "No.  You have to wait until August to learn this new stuff you're excited about." 

Can you see why we call her Smiley?

Practicing writing Aa, Bb, Cc

   By then, she won't be excited!  So, Smiley started first grade today.  ;) We talked about how the Bible was written on scrolls, and looked online at images of the Dead Sea Scrolls.  Then, she wrote her letters for practice, then beginning sounds as I dictated words.  This was all after she had already done a page in Math U See, and a handwriting page.On a side note, I had a brilliant idea today.  This fall, we are doing My Father's World-Exploring Countries and Cultures (ECC).  Since we will be studying cultures around the world, I wanted to also cover Christmas around the World, but Christmas is crazy, and I'll be honest, we don't get much done between Thanksgiving and New Year's.  So, when I saw a facebook post about Christmas in July, I thought, that's perfect!  We can do Christmas around the World in July!  Then, we have our appetites wet for ECC without the stress of a full blown project in December!  We can make Christmas passports, Christmas goodies from around the world, and end with a party!  Won't that be fun?