Apples and Peanut Butter

Here is another favorite snack.

Apples/pears/peaches/bananas cut up
Peanut butter
Plain yogurt-optional

If using the yogurt, mix 1 part yogurt to 2 parts peanut butter. Dip your fruit in the peanut butter (o double dipping) and enjoy.

Stubby Pencils have their Place

In Blake's preschool book , they have been having him draw circles, lines, squares, triangles, and so forth around different objects. I noticed that he was clenching his pencil in his little fist while doing these things, which gives very little dexterity and makes handwriting very difficult. Knowing that, I wanted to fix this habit as soon as possible, but how?

I vaguely remembered reading in The Well Trained Mind that there is a relatively easy way of correcting this, so I decided to try it out.

I bought a couple of those chubby preschool pencils and cut them into six 2 to 2 1/2 inch pieces with a serrated kitchen knife. Then I sharpened one end of each piece, giving Blake six little stubby pencils to write with. And you know what, it worked!

Blake could no longer hold them in his little fist and still write with them, so he had to use his little fingertips instead. He is still trying to use all of his fingers to grip the pencil, but that will fade in time as he gains more control. At least he is no longer using his fist.

Oh, and I forgot to mention that he loves having these tiny pencils.

It's a win win situation!

Hummus Without Tahini

My kids like hummus a lot. Serve it with Pita bread, crackers, or toast and add in some veggies or fruit to balance. It's really quick, and because you don't use Tahini in these recipes (which incedentally, my kids don't like), it can be quite inexpensive as well.

I got the first recipe from Allrecipies.com. I can't remember where I got the other two from.

Hummus Without Tahini

1 (15 ounce) can garbanzo beans, drained, liquid reserved *
1 clove garlic, crushed
2 teaspoons ground cumin
1/2 teaspoon salt
1 tablespoon olive oil

In a blender or food processor combine garbanzo beans, garlic, cumin, salt and olive oil. Blend on low speed, gradually adding reserved bean liquid, until desired consistency is achieved.


Garlic Hummus

1 (15oz) can garbanzo beans (chickpeas), drained, liquid reserved *
2 Tbs roasted garlic **
1/2 Tbs lemon juice
1 Tbs olive oil
1/2 tsp dried oregano, crushed
1/2 tsp salt

In a blender or food processor combine ingredient. Blend on low spead, gradually adding reserve bean liquid, until desired consistency is achieved.


Sun-dried Tomato Hummus (I like this one warm)

1 (15oz) can garbanzo beans (chickpeas), drained, liquid reserved *
3 Tbs sun-dried tomatoes in oil
3 Tbs roasted garlic **
2 tsp dried parsley, crushed
2 Tbs olive oil
2 Tbs lemon juice
1/4 tsp salt

In a blender or food processor combine ingredient. Blend on low spead, gradually adding reserve bean liquid, until desired consistency is achieved.


* 1 3/4 cups cooked chickpeas can be used instead. Use water instead of reserved liquid. (Be aware the salt content will be lower this way.)

** You can microwave fresh garlic for 30-60 seconds to create a quick roasted effect.

Snack Time

I thought it might be fun to write out a few of the snacks that we have during school. I find that it gives my kids the extra energy they need to focus on their school work, and it keeps them from asking when lunch is.

Anyway, here is one of our favorites:

Tuna and Crackers

Canned tuna fish (white chunk or albacore is fine)

Ranch dressing (we use light)

Crackers (we like the Ritz Vegetable ones)

Vegetable(s) for the side (i.e. baby carrots, celery, slices cucumber etc.)

Mix the ranch into the tuna to taste and spoon some onto a cracker. Enjoy with your veggies.

2011-2012 Schedule

We started school this week, and this is what our schedule seems to be settling into. We just move from one subject to the next until we are done:

9am (M,T,W,F. Thursday is Options)

All:
Stretches, calisthenics, yoga, biking, walking, etc. 15 minutes

Sierra (4th grade):
15 minutes guitar
20-25 min. piano (with Dad on Monday)
-SNACK-
Math (Horizon's Math)
Handwriting (Zanner Blosser)
Grammar (Easy Grammer)
Spelling (Spelling Workout)
Logic (Building Thinking Skills)
Typing (e-mail and blogging)

Bailey (2nd grade work):
20 min Piano (with Dad on Monday)
Read a book to Blake
-SNACK-
Math (Horizon's Math)
Handwriting (Zanner Blosser)
Spelling (Spelling Workout)
Copy Work (that I have written)
Logic (Building Thinking Skills)

Blake (Pre-K):
20 min preschool work with Mom
Read a book with Bailey
-SNACK-
Workbook page (generic preschool stuff)

Mom:
20 min. Preschool work with Blake
Help Bailey read to Blake
-SNACK-
Baking, banking, cleaning, etc. while stuck in the kitchen/
help the kids where needed


2pm (M,T,W. Thursday is Options. Friday is playgroup.)

All:

M,W-History (Story of the World)

T-Science (Adventures with Atoms and Molecules/Physics Experiments for Children)

Sierra:
Read 30 minutes/One chapter
Latin (Rosetta Stone)
Cleaning

Bailey:
Latin (Rosetta Stone)
Read book 15 minutes
Cleaning

Blake:
Clean

Mom:
Clean/Read/Rest/Whatever

Misscarige

Thought i'd let you all know that I had a miscarriage this weekend. It's OK. I'm doing fine. I've gone through the guilt, the depression, the denial, and all of that fun stuff. I'm sure I still have some time to go before I'm completely done with the morning process, but right now, I'm very much at terms with it.

For those of you who want to know what happened, in diary/story form, read on. But if you don't particularly want to know, I won't feel bad if you stop reading here. Just know that all is going well.

. . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .

I had my first appointment Friday morning. Everything seemed fine. There was no heart beat, but that's nothing unusual at barely 10 weeks. Then late that afternoon, I started to spot brown. There wasn't much at all, so I didn't worry about it. Maybe my cervix had been bumped or something. It disappeared, and I went on with my life. Saturday it happened again, but again very light. Still I wasn't too worried. I'd tell my doctor at my next appointment.

Then on Sunday, right before church, I started getting cramps. Oh boy, and they were strong too! It got my attention. Then during sacrament meeting when I had to go to the bathroom, I discovered the the spotting was now pink. . .

Needless to say, I went home and called my doctor. Since it wasn't an emergency, he told me to call Monday morning and set up an appointment for an ultrasound so that we could find out what was going on. OK. So I went back to church and remained understandably distracted.

The cramps, now moderate in intensity, continued off and on the rest of the day, and the spotting turned back to brown. But I started noticing other things. My breasts were no longer tender. I wasn't exhausted. In fact, physically, I was feeling great.

When I woke up Monday morning, I felt completely "normal", as in "not pregnant". I knew then that I had miscarried, but there was still no proof, as the spotting was still both scant and brown. I went on a walk, called the doctor and set up an appointment for 3pm, and started in working on my basement.

The work was good for me. It was a welcome distraction and I was able to get a lot done. I'd had to put off a lot of things because of my previous exhaustion, and it was actually a stress relief to be finally working down there. It also kept the cramps at bay and my mind occupied.

I told the girls what was going on. Luckily I had told them of the possibility way back when I first told them I was pregnant. They took it rather well, though they hoped the baby was OK.

Finally I showered, went to the store for milk, then headed to the doctors.

Everyone there was both sympathetic and optimistic. I was emotionally distancing myself so that I wouldn't cry. Ihate crying in public.

I finally got in there for the ultrasound, and the doctor couldn't find anything with the normal abdominal method. Lucky me got to do the other one. When we finally found something all there was was the gestational sack. Nothing else. I was almost relieved to finally know for sure that I'd miscarried. My uterus and ovaries looked just fine.

The doctor was really nice, distant and professional, just how I needed it. I got to get a Rhogam shot (I'm RH negative), and then we went in to talk. He reassured me that it wasn't my fault. That there was nothing that I could have done to either cause or prevent it. That my chances were the same as for everyone else my age, and the next pregnancy would be the same chances, etc. Then he gave me the option of letting nature take it's course, taking some pills to help things along, or going in for a D&C. I chose the pills. We wrapped things up, and I went my merry way.

Did I mention that I hate crying in public? I had a hard time keeping myself together, but I managed. I called Seth once I got in the car and told him I'd been right. I asked him to tell the girls for me then said I wouldn't be home for a while. He understood.

So where did I go? My favorite store, Home Depot. Once again the basement came to the rescue. I was able to distract myself and calm down while being engaged in my favorite pastime, planning. I know, I'm weird.

When I got home, I took the pills, and within minutes the cramping picked up and I started spotting red. Good. Seth got dinner for all of us, and I went to bed early. I was tired, mostly from all of the work I'd done that morning. I went to bed early and slept well.

This morning I passed some red tissue. The cramping has subsided, and the spotting is still red. Nothing heavy. Nothing Motrin can't handle. Emotionally, actually I'm doing great. And as luck would have it, I've been busy all day putting together and teaching a cupcake decorating class for the Activity Days girls.

I'm sure I'll have a good private cry at some point, but for now I'm keeping busy and feeling fine. The girls and Seth are doing fine too. Blake remains oblivious.

And so, life goes on.