I am sitting enjoying a bit of quite after another busy day, the youngest two are off to Kid's Club till 8, the husband is at play practice, and oldest dd is off with friends and the two boys left at home are off reading.
I decided to take a minute and look back on today and share a bit of my day with you. It starts bright and early at 5:30 this morning, made the husband his coffee then remembered that he took today off of work. Oh well, move on to making the kids lunches, and starting a load of wash. Start waking up kids at 6:30 and the house starts hoping from now until 7:15 when they all head out the door. There are kids getting dressed,showering, eating, packing there lunches and so on, every time you turn around you risk stepping into someone.
Once they leave on the bus, I change the wash around and get the dining room cleaned up. Then it's time for my breakfast and a show on the computer. After that a quick shower, change the wash again and Aidan wakes up. Make him a bagel, and promise him that once he is dressed we will go outside to play.
Change the wash again and outside we go, we try to play baseball but mom is not much of a pitcher and Aidan takes a hit to the side. So it's on to another activity this time getting some seeds into the garden. Aidan helped to plant some lettuce and spinach and we talked about the other veggies that we need to plant and were they were going.
It was still pretty wet out from the storm the night before, so we head inside to watch some bob the builder and cuddle. Then it was 10 o'clock time to wake the daddy, once dad was ready we headed out to drop of the car at the shop and since we were already out that way a stop at K-mart for sandals for Kathryn ( found a great pair in her size, no heel, and with a back, covered toe and 1/2 the price this week) and some other things, and Mc Donald's for lunch.
Then time to drop off Aidan at school, talk to someone about Conner and homework, and finally a reward ceremony at school . Watched Conner and Nolan both get awards , then headed home. I enjoyed a bit of computer time, then Aidan was home time to try out the t-ball thing we got to hold the ball. No more mom injures, it is a success.
Then I headed inside to get some fabric cut out, and to think about dinner. 5:30 time to drop off the dad at the school for practice and pick up Kathryn and Nolan from after school activities. Home dinner is sloppy joes and french fries, feed the kids and then back out to drop Kathryn and Aidan off at kids club at 6:15.
Home again for me a bit of quite and computer time, then at 8pm pick up the kids, get there showers done and pj's on, bedtime, pick up the house, and try to stay awake long enough to pick up the husband at 11pm. Then bedtime for the mom ,and some sleep before getting up in the morning do to this all again.
Wednesday, April 27, 2011
Saturday, April 9, 2011
Spring clean up
Kathryn hard at work picking up 6months of dog mess
Conner and Sarah working on pulling out all the trees that are around the pool, getting ready for some weed block and stone to be put in later this month.
The driveway, some trash to take to mom's, and a shed that is job for another day.
A very big trash pile, might need to pay the trash lady extra this week
Aidan ready for hard work, he was great at taking branches to dad, and using his wagon.
Sarah trying to get dad to sing Girl Scout songs.
There is more to do like digging garden beds, cleaning out flower beds, stones around the pool, and more picking up to get done. One or two more work days and it will be done just in time for the mowing to began.
Today would have been a great day to hang out laundry but the yard clean- up was a bigger job. In order to get this done we had a nice breakfast looked at what needed to be done and split up the jobs.
I was in charge of the front yard and my work crew was Kathryn and Aidan, before they headed off to help in other areas. Don was in charge of the back yard and his crew was Conner and Sarah , Patrick was in charge of the driveway with Nolan and his friend . In the end we all helped where we were needed, and the fire was more fun then picking up trash in the front yard.
Saturday, April 2, 2011
Reward Charts
Reward charts are a form of positive reinforcement that we have used many times over the years usually between ages 4 and 10. In order for charts to work you first need a goal what is it that you want to change in your child.
This time around it is our 4 almost 5 yo who needs to go to bed in his own room each night, next you need a reward. Aidan really wants his own t-ball bat and while this was going to be his birthday gift it will make a perfect reward for him.
Next you need to set a time in which to earn the reward, this time around it is 10 nights in his bed, we are not expecting him to do this 10 nights in a row,even though that would be really nice. Each day he wakes up in his own bed he gets a sticker to place on his chart, which is a piece a paper numbered 1-10 taped to his bedroom wall.
This is a multi step plan, the first is 10 nights in his bed - reward t-ball bat, next it is 10 days in bed staying there after a story- reward lunch out with Mom, and then 10 days in a row. Of course we are going to hopefully meet these goals just in time to travel for a month which will totally confuse him. There never seems to be the perfect time to get this done.
This time around it is our 4 almost 5 yo who needs to go to bed in his own room each night, next you need a reward. Aidan really wants his own t-ball bat and while this was going to be his birthday gift it will make a perfect reward for him.
Next you need to set a time in which to earn the reward, this time around it is 10 nights in his bed, we are not expecting him to do this 10 nights in a row,even though that would be really nice. Each day he wakes up in his own bed he gets a sticker to place on his chart, which is a piece a paper numbered 1-10 taped to his bedroom wall.
This is a multi step plan, the first is 10 nights in his bed - reward t-ball bat, next it is 10 days in bed staying there after a story- reward lunch out with Mom, and then 10 days in a row. Of course we are going to hopefully meet these goals just in time to travel for a month which will totally confuse him. There never seems to be the perfect time to get this done.
Friday, March 25, 2011
A Kitchen Day in Review
Yesterday I spent a day in the kitchen, working on making some easy meals for the upcoming baseball and track season.
The first thing to be made was Hidden Veggie Pasta Sauce , since it is winter still here and I do not have garden produce yet I used veggies frozen from last years garden. I let that simmer in the big roaster oven while I moved onto baking.
Next up was 8 loves of French Bread these I worked on over the course of the day, in the end my daughter Sarah made 4 loves into french bread pizza. They were frozen then bagged, enough for 2 meals, on a busy night all that needs to happen is for them to be pulled out heated in the oven add a salad and some fresh veggies. Two more loves were made into garlic bread, and the last two are for today's lunch.
While the bread was baking I started on the stuffed shells, these are very easy to make. The filling was 5lb ricotta cheese, 2 lb cottage cheese ( small curd), 4 eggs, 2 TB Italian seasoning, and 8 cups of mozzarella cheese all mixed together. Boil the large stuffing shells until slightly soft , rinse and cool. Fill a gallon zip lock bag half way with the filling and cut off the cornor and use as a piping bag to fill the shells.
Then sit down at the table, start the current episode of Castle on the computer and stuff the shells. I place mine in a disposalable pan with some sauce on the bottom, for us I place 30 shells in each pan so 3-4 shells per person. Cover with more sauce, top with some mozzarella, cover and freeze. We now have 3 of these meals in the freezer ready to go for a easy dinner some night.
Then it was onto the calzones I made the dough using this recipe but times it by 4, using the leftover stuffed shell filling, more mozzarella, and pepperoni for the filling ( no sauce in the calzone, but on the side for dipping). I made 8 large clazones figuring on three a meal, we had 3 last night for dinner, and have 5 left in the freezer so enough for one more dinner meal, and a lunch. The ones for the freezer I par baked, baking them for only 10 minutes.
The last thing to be made was 21 instant oatmeal packets. In a sandwich size Ziploc bag place:
1/4 cup quick oats
1/4 cup baby oat flakes ( Our local bulk store carries this)
1 TB brown sugar
1tsp Milk powder
a pinch of salt
1/4 tsp cinn
when it's time for breakfast, dump one packet into a bowl, add 1 cup of boiling water, cover, let sit for a minute or two and enjoy. I did add a bit more brown sugar when I sat down to eat, and next time I plan on adding some walnuts.
I did have plans to make muffins for the freezer also but, that was bit to much to get done so that has been put aside till later.
I forgot I also cooked up pinto beans for re fried beans in the crock pot. It's a real easy way to cook beans that I learned from a friend. Rinse your beans, then place in crock pot, fill to top with water and let cook on low for 6 hours. After the beans were cooked I froze them in 2 cup sizes to make re fried beans.
And the rest of the sauce was also frozen in the right amounts for dipping the calzones in and a spaghetti meal.
The first thing to be made was Hidden Veggie Pasta Sauce , since it is winter still here and I do not have garden produce yet I used veggies frozen from last years garden. I let that simmer in the big roaster oven while I moved onto baking.
Next up was 8 loves of French Bread these I worked on over the course of the day, in the end my daughter Sarah made 4 loves into french bread pizza. They were frozen then bagged, enough for 2 meals, on a busy night all that needs to happen is for them to be pulled out heated in the oven add a salad and some fresh veggies. Two more loves were made into garlic bread, and the last two are for today's lunch.
While the bread was baking I started on the stuffed shells, these are very easy to make. The filling was 5lb ricotta cheese, 2 lb cottage cheese ( small curd), 4 eggs, 2 TB Italian seasoning, and 8 cups of mozzarella cheese all mixed together. Boil the large stuffing shells until slightly soft , rinse and cool. Fill a gallon zip lock bag half way with the filling and cut off the cornor and use as a piping bag to fill the shells.
Then it was onto the calzones I made the dough using this recipe but times it by 4, using the leftover stuffed shell filling, more mozzarella, and pepperoni for the filling ( no sauce in the calzone, but on the side for dipping). I made 8 large clazones figuring on three a meal, we had 3 last night for dinner, and have 5 left in the freezer so enough for one more dinner meal, and a lunch. The ones for the freezer I par baked, baking them for only 10 minutes.
The last thing to be made was 21 instant oatmeal packets. In a sandwich size Ziploc bag place:
1/4 cup quick oats
1/4 cup baby oat flakes ( Our local bulk store carries this)
1 TB brown sugar
1tsp Milk powder
a pinch of salt
1/4 tsp cinn
when it's time for breakfast, dump one packet into a bowl, add 1 cup of boiling water, cover, let sit for a minute or two and enjoy. I did add a bit more brown sugar when I sat down to eat, and next time I plan on adding some walnuts.
I did have plans to make muffins for the freezer also but, that was bit to much to get done so that has been put aside till later.
I forgot I also cooked up pinto beans for re fried beans in the crock pot. It's a real easy way to cook beans that I learned from a friend. Rinse your beans, then place in crock pot, fill to top with water and let cook on low for 6 hours. After the beans were cooked I froze them in 2 cup sizes to make re fried beans.
And the rest of the sauce was also frozen in the right amounts for dipping the calzones in and a spaghetti meal.
Thursday, March 24, 2011
a kitchen day
Well it has been awhile since I have blogged, but time to get back to blogging. Last night I was watching Good Eats on hulu, and decided that today was going to be a kitchen day and I wasn't going to stop until I was done. Well I got almost everything done that I had planned except for pumpkin muffins, they will just need to be made tomorrow.
In the freezer there are 3 stuffed shells meals ( 30 to a meal) , 2 french bread pizza meals( a meal is 2 loafs of french bread) , 2 garlic bread, 2 calzone meals ( a meal is 3 large calzones), 5 pinto beans, a lot of extra marnina sauce, and 21 packets of instant oatmeal in the pantry. And we also ate 3 calzones for dinner, and have 2 loaf's of french bread for tomorrow's lunch.
Tomorrow I'll post pictures and links to recipe's.
Time for a hot shower and a good book.
In the freezer there are 3 stuffed shells meals ( 30 to a meal) , 2 french bread pizza meals( a meal is 2 loafs of french bread) , 2 garlic bread, 2 calzone meals ( a meal is 3 large calzones), 5 pinto beans, a lot of extra marnina sauce, and 21 packets of instant oatmeal in the pantry. And we also ate 3 calzones for dinner, and have 2 loaf's of french bread for tomorrow's lunch.
Tomorrow I'll post pictures and links to recipe's.
Time for a hot shower and a good book.
Friday, February 25, 2011
Import
I was just able to import my blog from homeschool blogger to here so, if you would like to see what we were up to in years past take a look.
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