[Frustrated with Library visits]

I just finished reading The Book Whisperer.  It's written from a complete public school point of  view, but the author/teacher is so passionate about books and reading that it really has ignited something within me, too.  It makes me want to have my kids reading far and wide, anything they desire. 

For us, I reserve 15 books at a time, my choice, and then, they get free reign to pick some others.  Most of them get read before they are returned.

[Please share your favorite quick and easy dinner ideas!]

These are great ideas!

One of our fast ones is what my kids call "hamburger helper."  Italian sausage, out of the casings, browned with an onion.  Add a can of diced tomatoes, some Italian seasoning, and cooked noodles.  Mix together, and there you go.  Sometimes, I'll cook the noodles in the pan with the meat (just add enough water), but that seems harder to me, so usually it's separate. 

 

 

[A Yam Recipe for Diabetics?]

I like them roasted with rosemary, salt, and pepper.

I also make this very wonderful scalloped sweet potato dish that is very simple.  Layers of thinly sliced potatoes, alternated with heavy cream that has a couple of chipotle peppers blended in.  Bake for a pretty long time (1+ hours), until it just makes this delightful, creamy, sweet/hot dish that is the best ever.

[A selection of random questions, mostly kitchen and food related]

I don't really shop at Whole Foods, but I have an amazing local (huge) market that has everything I ever could want from there--from bulk spices and staples (oatmeal, flour of 50 types, grits, beans, etc) to amazing produce to baked goods.  Everything I need.  And it's probably half the price, so that's very motivating.  :)

 

I have a Costco membership because of eyeglasses for one of my children.  They were the best deal at the time.  It's about 20 minutes away, in a part of town I rarely go to, so we don't use it that much.  I like their rotisserie chickens, but other than that, their prepared foods look great, but they aren't very cost effective for us.  I did try the cheese last time, but it was a bit more expensive than Kroger, you have to buy 32 oz at once, and it was no tastier than Kroger brand.  I had heard that Costco sells Tillamook, but ours does not.  So, cheese is not a priority for me, there.  We have a small house, so I also do not want to store enormous packages of stuff.  We go through 3.5-4 lbs of oats a week, but I don't have space for 50 lbs, you know?  Buying 4 lbs a week makes more sense.

 

I got rid of most of my mismatched plastic ware, and I got a few packages of those Ziploc take and toss style "tupperwares."  Those do the job for us well, but we don't have a microwave, so there is never heating in one. 

 

We drink from glass glasses, Tervis tumblers (love these; also have lids so they are travel cups), and kiddie tupperware cups (the kind with optional lids).  ANything else gets donated.  Depending on my childrens' delight in the item, we might let it hang around for a week or two.  But really limiting my styles of cups/glasses helps a lot. 

["Affordable" Care Act vent]

 

 

However, I think you are misinformed about the gov't requirements for an HSA eligible plan. To be eligible, the deductible must be at least 1250 individual (2500 family) and the OOP Max must be NO GREATER THAN 6250 (12,500 family). 

 

There might be some OTHER problem with your plan for it to not be HSA eligible, but the problem is not that the OOP max is too low. 

 

 

I just read that IRS link differently.  The way I read it, it states that to be HSA eligible, the plan must have a deductible of $2500 or more, as well as a max OOP of $12,500 or more. 

 

It wouldn't make sense that they would cap a "high deductible plan" with a deductible of $2500.  Lots of people have higher deductibles than that.  Nor capping the OOP.  Lots of people have OOP maxes much higher than $12,5000.  And those are definitely high deductible plans.

["Affordable" Care Act vent]

We had babies in 2006, 08, 10, and 12, as well as an inpatient stay in 09.  All of those were covered by employer sponsored health insurance, not ACA.  The difference in the six years was LARGE.  In 2006, our total cost for prenatal/delivery/postnatal/hospital....$100.  Premiums were something like $50/month.

 

In 2012, premiums had risen to $400/month (still affordable, but 8x as much), and our out of pocket cost was $10,000.

 

This coming year, premiums are $500, deductible is $5250, and our oop is $12,000.  We are not eligible for a HSA, because the federal government does not define our plan as a high deductible (high ded. is $12,500 for a family).  This is our only option as employer-sponsored.  We do not qualify for subsidies though ACA.  We're considering one of those health share programs, because of costs. 

[Hotel room breakfast ideas]

We eat peanut butter bagels or sandwiches when we're in hotel rooms. 

[If you could help *steer* your child toward or away from a particular field...]

I have a child with a snarky sense of humor even at age 6.  I tend to tell him how fascinating operating rooms and surgery are.  I think he'd be a good fit for the dark humor of the OR.

[At what grade does school go after lunch at your house?]

My child is in 2nd grade, and this is our first year homeschooling him.  One of our big motivators is that the local private school only does half days K-2, so I also keep it to a half day.  Unless we have something going on in the morning (he's on a cross country team, and we have a weekly Bible study), the only thing we do after lunch is quiet reading time.  After that....freedom! 

Because he was in public school, and because the public school had very odd hours (9:10-4:10), he very, very, very much appreciates that freedom in the afternoon.

[A change in the homeschool movement since I started 13 years ago]

Yes, park days. That's what I meant. Kids play, moms chat, teens hang out together almost but not quite out of sight of the adults. But this happens more at open play type places than at actual parks. 

 

My mom (who was young when she had me, so not that old right now, but definitely a different generation) really bristles when she hears the word "playdate." 

 

"But we just got together at people's houses and played or gathered at the park and you guys played." 

 

Yes, I know, that's a playdate.  :)

 

[What is your dream job?]

Midwife. 

But all the babies will come during hours when it doesn't interfere with raising my children.  ;)

[What's your favorite holiday side dish?]

Cornbread dressing

green bean casserole (cr of mushroom and all; I love it.  My mom calls it "snot casserole" lol)

scalloped sweet potatoes with chipotle

broccoli, rice, and cheddar casserole

squash casserole

lima beans

 

We are a starchy family at Thanksgiving.

[Curious: how often do / did you check on sleeping (not newborn) babies?]

 

 

Plus...people don't wake up in the night ? I don't even remember a night I didn't wake up at least for ten minutes or so.

 

I only wake if a child calls out for me (or I can hear vomit).  Otherwise, no.  I fall asleep, and dh wakes me 8 hours later. 

[NY Times Article: Heavier Babies Do Better in School]

I had fat babies so I like to think it's true.  :)

Seriously, though, I do think that there is great benefit for those last couple of days/weeks.  I used to be a L&D nurse.  When I graduated in 1997, the thinking was "37 weeks is full term," and people had no problem inducing labor at that point for just silly reasons (my feet hurt!).  I'm glad to see the tide turn in the last 20 years towards recognizing the importance of those last 3-5 weeks.  I do think that for many babies, they are very beneficial.

[If you wanted to lower your grocery budget, but...]

I might find cheaper sources for what you do buy, too. 

For instance.  I shop at an international market for my produce.  Much cheaper than the grocery store, and their turnover is much higher, so things stay fresh longer.  I've also bought produce at Aldi, and we had a grand opening of a Sprouts this summer.  I bought 150 pounds of peaches with their grand opening special.

 

For meats, if you eat grocery store meats, you might find different stores.  I shop at 2 different stores in a little bit sketchy neighborhood about 20 minutes away.  The prices are so much better than where I live. 

[New to homeschooling from public school...math?]

I have just pulled my 2nd grader from public school, chiefly because he was bored and starting to not behave so well.  :)  He was tested just before he left p.s, and they placed his math at an early 5th grade level.

 

He was in standard 2nd grade math, with a little bit of supplement in the gifted program, but that was more additional busy-work than going deeper or being accelerated.  At home, we've played around with Miquon since pre-K, just working through pages as he's wanted.  He's currently mid-way through the green book in that. 

 

So, here's my question...do we stay with the Miquon and just go through it faster?  Add in a 5th grade textbook?  Do a 3rd grade textbook at an accelerated pace?  He understands multiplication and division, but he's still working on getting the facts down quickly, without having to figure it out.  Getting faster, but not there completely yet. 

 

Any ideas?  I'm a little overwhelmed by the choices.

 

[Another "help with a 5yo birthday gift" thread]

This is not very home-schooly or crunchy or any of that jazz, but for both of my older boys' 5 year old birthdays, we got them plastic, character toys.  They loved them absolutely and completely.  One of the boys also went to see the movie Planes (it was new then and in the theater).  One boy got Lightning McQueen and 'Mater legos, and the other got a big plastic ship with some Planes toys. 

 

Totally not what I thought I'd ever buy my kids, but they loved it, and it was worth it.

[Meal ideas for Sundays]

I find Sundays stressful in the kitchen, too. 

We eat brunch every week for Sunday lunch.  Every. single. week.  It's usually some variation of a scramble (eggs with veggies, maybe cheese), grits or homefries, usually breakfast meat, but not always, and toast or biscuits.  Sometimes fruit.  It's a hands on meal, but fast, and that works.

 

Sunday supper is either soup (fall/winter) or main dish salads (spring/summer).  I prep the soup as I clean up from lunch, and I put it in the crockpot.  We usually eat it with a salad, also made as I prep the soup, and sometimes bread or crackers.  Today was Senate bean soup.  It's finally fall (ish)!

[Is Mac & Cheese a side or a main dish?]

Both

 

I make boxed once a week for lunch and grandma makes her own homemade mac and cheese as a main dish once or twice a year. I guess in both of those cases it is a main dish in that it is the entree. But, I have seen it served as a side dish on buffets etc. 

 

When I think of it as a side dish, it is in more of a southern context. I had a friend from southern Georgia and he explained that where he grew up, mac and cheese was considered a vegetable, lol.

 

Mac and cheese *is* a vegetable.  :)  My favorite veggie plate would be mac and cheese, okra, peas, eggplant, and sliced tomatoes.  Yum.

[The tyranny of the home cooked meal expectation]

I was about to agree with your connection, but I knew you would get torched for it and I'm already pissing people off with my non-picky eaters. ;)

 

I do think that *something* about "real food" seems to help prevent obesity. Nobody in my family is obese, either. Some people I know who readily admit that they hate to cook, don't grow their own food ever, don't like fresh foods and prefer eating out and eating packaged foods ARE obese, and their children are, too. So, it may be purely anecdotal, but i have thought for most of my adult life that there is something about fresh, homemade food that seems to make it easier to be fit.

 

And, see, for me, the people I know that are naturally thin are those that eat a lot of prepackaged food and "cook" out of boxes and cans and mixes.

 

I've always thought it would be easier to be thin if that is how I cooked (I don't, and I'm not), but it's not a trade off I'm willing to make.

 

I do think that probably, I am *healthier* for the home cooking (and regular exercise) than the prepared food eating, thin, but never exercising crew.  But healthier, at least in my case, doesn't get me into a smaller pair of jeans.

[What does your afternoon/evening look like?]

We do after school sports immediately after school (low key running club and "soccer school" which is like non-intense practices twice a week), from 4:30 to 5:30.  I'm there with them for that. 

We walk home, they do homework while i finish dinner, and they take showers.  We eat around 6:00, sometimes 6:15, right as dh gets home. 

 

After dinner, they play with dh for a short amount of time, and then, by the time everyone brushes teeth and settles down, it's bedtime. 

 

We do our "afterschooling" before school, when everyone is fresh.  My children have a life-long farmer schedule, though, and our school runs 9:10-4:10, so it's a big struggle to make those two mesh.

[How early do you start before schooling?]

We before school my kindergarten adn 2nd grader.   But they get up (naturally, how I wish it wasn't so) at 6am, and we don't need to leave for school until 9.  That's 3 hours!  So, it seems natural to do a bit of before schooling. 

 

The unfortunate thing about this school is that it doesn't end until 4:10, we are often not home until 4:30, and my kids are just so done by 8pm.  Sometimes by 7. 

 

I've tried and tried to change their natural sleep rhythms to meet the school, but it seems impossible, so we roll with it as best we can.