elw_miller
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Posts posted by elw_miller
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it's usually broken thoughts
Broken thoughts, broken conversations--nothing shatters a thought or a brewing eloquent turn of phrase faster than kids shrieking (for fun or otherwise), kids arguing with each other or kids interrupting you. I love my kiddos (ages 4, 2, and 6 mos.), but on some days they can sure drive out all ability to think! :)
I love quiet, contemplative (even mindless) tasks for alone time--planting and tending my garden, for instance, or baking bread. When I get that chance I thoroughly enjoy the peaceful contemplation. Yet, it is not the same as reading challenging material, wrestling with it, pausing to consider, rereading, and then sharing my questions, concerns, and impressions (in complete sentences) in writing or with my husband or a friend.
My idea of a good date night with my husband is a trip to a coffee shop for a good conversation. :)
I am a far cry from letting housework override my ability to think:blush:, but daily life still seems to get in the way of a complete thought unless I make time for it. I don't usually remember to make time for intellectual revitalization until I notice I'm getting stressed and edgy (which I could've avoided becoming had I scheduled a night out sooner). Rather than stay awake to all hours (like again tonight :)), I think I'd better heed SWB's advice and get some good reading accomplished early in the morning.
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So last weekend we went camping and decided to make a cobbler dish in our new cast iron dutch oven. I guess I didn't time it right and it burnt in the pan. Today I'm trying to clean the pan and the food is seriously burnt in there. I don't want to let it soak because I'm concerned that the pan will rust. Gah. How do I get it clean? Right now I'm using water and steel wool. That is slow going though.
Any advice?
Soaking it for a little while is okay in my book. Don't leave it for days and days, but a couple of hours shouldn't hurt. Steel wool will definitely take off all your seasoning. You can even use a little soap--you'll just have to reseason the pan well (which, since you're using steel wool and the stuff was burnt on really well you'll have to do anyway). :) Do you have a flat plastic scraper? They work really well for this sort of thing. Maybe try adding a bit of vinegar to soften the burnt bits.
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Have Read:
Montessori: The Science Behind the Genius
Home Education, vol. 1 by Charlotte Mason
Homeschooling by the Millmans
Charlotte's Web with my daughter
Started Reading:
A Philosophy of Education, vol. 6 by Charlotte Mason
Listening to Anne of Green Gables with my kids while we run errands
On my list:
A biography about Cicero
The Brothers Karamazov--my husband is reading it and says it is excellent
The History of the Ancient World by SWB--my husband read it and really enjoyed it
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Practice having "table time" before you start having "school." This will help teach them to do the games YOU specify during table time and to take turns with Mom's attention. For this training, I brought out lacing cards, Play-Doh, coloring with markers/crayons, and other craft kind of projects.
When you start doing "school," start with one subject and do it consistently at the same time every day for a week or two. When that is going well, add another subject. And so on. This is way better than jumping in with all of the subjects.
Make a routine/schedule and keep to it. Young children do best with routine when they know what to expect. This will cut down on arguments from the children and will help you move forward with momentum on days when one or more of you are under the weather. The schedule doesn't have to be "to the minute." Our routine is get ready, at 8:30am start math, then do Latin, then break around 10am, then logic, language, etc., until lunch at noon, then writing and history/science. We have those breaks and checkpoints and a rough outline, but no one is watching to see if Math takes 50 minutes instead of 45 minutes, for example.
This is wonderful advice! Excellent ideas--I'll definitely be incorporating these. I, too, am a new-to-homeschooling mom. We haven't even exactly started yet (my eldest is 4) and I still manage to get myself feeling overwhelmed just thinking about the scope of homeschooling. These reminders and good ideas help keep me calm and sane. :)
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I'm wondering what those of you who are buying organic feel about the study that indicates organic food is not healthier? Since our budget can't really afford organic, it's a moot point for us, but I've often wished we could do organic and then I read things like this report and think maybe it's a good thing I didn't try to afford it.
http://news.yahoo.com/s/nm/20090729/sc_nm/us_food_organic;_ylt=AnxDzouG6Q3dMgC.O0Kg6dd1fNdF
Thanks for the other book suggestions, I'm going to keep doing research on this subject until I can afford to actually do something, lol.
We cannot afford to buy much organic either. I do my best to wash very well conventionally-raised produce. For me I try to purchase food based on how it is raised--is it sustainable? is it humane? (consequently, we don't eat much meat) Or, do I actually notice a difference (in my experience, organic celery lasts lots longer than conventionally raised does). Locally-grown, organic or not, often tastes better. To paraphrase Garrison Keillor, 'tomatoes strip-mined out of Texas' don't taste very good--more like watery styrofoam. :)
We eat seasonally around here quite a bit, too--no fresh strawberries in the dead of winter.
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In my high school we weren't allowed to wear, among other things, tank tops, half shirts, and shorts that were above the tips of the fingers, as well as t-shirts with vulgar sayings or tobacco ads (of course, this was 20 years ago, but I wish it still existed).
I taught 8th grade in IA 5 years ago and all those were against school dress code--except tanks were okay so long as bra straps didn't show. The fingertip rule is still there.
For students who were dressed inappropriately I had a hideous cardigan for them to wear in class (and then give them a reminder about the code at the end--I never had to remind a student twice). In a male teacher's shoes I might still have them put on the hideous cardigan and go to the main office with a note. Though, I think some male teachers could get away with just telling students straight up their clothing is against code.
Good question.
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I try to keep light-colored Gatorade (the Rain varieties are pretty light-colored) and apple Pedialyte to help prevent dehydration. I have found that the light-colored Gatorade is easier on the stomach and won't stain if it comes back up (same goes for Tylenol--get the grape kind or risk stained carpet!). :) (We learned the hard way.)
Thanks for posting about this--important to be reminded of keeping up the stores in the medicine cupboard.
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The recipes folks have posted look like they'll be really yummy. If you also want to look through a good grains/beans recipe book, we've enjoyed using 366 Delicious Ways to Cook Rice, Beans, and Grains. I first found it at the library and then decided that it was worth buying.
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Should I take him to the doctor to see if it is broken? Is this cost-effective?
I broke my toe 2 years ago (tripped over my baby's bouncer). Went to the ER, had it x-rayed, and they said, "Yep, your toe's broken." They can't really do anything for a broken toe. You can "tape" it to the toe next to it to help it set straight.
I have decided to never go to the ER again for a broken toe unless there are bones showing or the toe starts to swell, start having red streaks emanate from it or start getting even more black and blue (pretty much anything that demonstrates a blood vessel has been pinched or I got a secondary infection from the injury).
We have insurance but we still had to pay for a big ER bill for a toe they just said to tape to the next one.
You could call the nurse on duty at the doctor's office for her advice--a phone call is still free.
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People do judge others for good or ill, based on first impressions. Our brains are wired to seek out similar...it's how we used to recognize part of our own tribe. Different was dangerous and those shadows are still with us in the reptilian part of our brains. I've made the decision for my family, to try to keep our clothes low-key and blend-in-able because I don't want outsiders making assumptions based on appearances. I prefer that people first see us as middle of the road, t-shirts and shorts garden-variety average. That way as our choices are slowly revealed, people are intrigued rather than intimidated or threatened. In that way I sort of see myself and my kids as ambassadors for homeschooling, homebirthing, babywearing, breastfeeding, good-food eating, no-cable having, education-obsession. People are often surprised at how a family that on the surface seems so much like their own has made such out-of-the-mainstream choices. They feel freer to ask questions and their minds are often opened to other possibilities for themselves and their own families.
Excellent answer!!
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I can only comment on the attraction to the Steelers by people in the Pittsburgh area. This analysis comes secondhand from my husband (a native of the Pittsburgh area, though not much of a sports fan) since I asked him the same question (I'm originally from IA where the overriding followings of any sports teams are for the ISU Cyclones and the UofI Hawkeyes).
He said that in the 70s many many steel mills were closing, lots of people were losing their jobs, towns were crumbling, and morale in the area was very, very low. Then, the Steelers football team start winning. The "Steel Curtain" won several Superbowls in a row and 3 within a decade, I think.
People had a reason to cheer, a reason to be proud of something. Folks are mad about the Steelers--my husband's aunt won't miss a game (on TV because the tickers are super hard to come by, I hear).
As for the attraction to other sports teams, I think the other poster's analysis is about right.
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Many schools publish their curriculum standards for all the grade levels. Follow this and design your own curriculum, invite your daughter to participate. This will take a lot more work, but since it will be your own you will be very invested in it.
Some other ideas:
- when learning landforms, build and paint a model on a 1' square board that depicts X number of landforms she's expected to learn (I did this in 6th grade and LOVED it!)
- do unit studies on topics of interest; for instance, if you're learning about the world, pick a country and learn about it in-depth--food, traditional clothing, architecture, inventions, religions, history, current affairs, agriculture, etc. One country could easily segue into another country based on migrations/colonization/warfare (7 degrees of X country--Australia, S. Africa, U.S., India, and China are all connected historically by England, so you could study all of those countries) or use Where in the World is Carmen Sandiego? for nearly the same outcome
- Make science hands-on--lots of good books for this. You might be able to get a cow heart from the butcher for dissection purposes, or go fishing and use the cleaning of the fish chore to learn about anatomy (my dad and I did this when I was a kid).
- when learning landforms, build and paint a model on a 1' square board that depicts X number of landforms she's expected to learn (I did this in 6th grade and LOVED it!)
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Also, where is a good place to buy the the "flashcard set" that coordinates with the program. Is Peace Hill Press the only place to purchase it?
No idea. But, they are pretty quick to make... :)
I hope to be in your shoes soon with my dd reading CVC words! We're still working on letter sounds.
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When I was 9 I remember everyone in my class presenting a state. I can't remember whether or not we had to draw the outline of our states ouselves or not, but I do remember drawing and coloring special things about my 2 states. I had to draw the state bird, flower, etc, mark the capitol, and include at least one other neat thing about the state. Your daughter could include things about modern state history could be included (e.g., images of World Trade Center burning; Katrina aftermath; Challenger explosion; LA riots; Mt. St. Helens blowing up; etc).
Maybe she could create a diorama or design an informational posterboard about one of the topics you're studying.
Sorry I don't have any actual resources...
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Didn't girls usually wear a pinafore over their clothes? Wasn't this to protect their regular clothing from getting dirty? What did boys do long ago?
Has anyone ever tried putting aprons on their children to save on laundry?
At all meals (snacks included unless they're just eating crackers) and anything involving arts and crafts my kids wear aprons grandma made for them. We have about 6 aprons. My eldest is 4. I have a larger plastic-type bib for my two-year-old son for when he eats wet and sloppy foods that might soak through the cloth onto his clothing (oatmeal, applesauce, etc.).
Do they have strictly identified "play clothes"--ones that can get extremely dirty and it's okay? My grandpa is a farmer and he has coveralls he wears to chore; I don't think they get washed every time, just when they're finally really filthy (which is most likely the next day since choring is not exactly tidy work). ;) When my dad was a kid he had to change into play clothes after school (they probably also worked as chore clothes when he started helping out). I need to start doing this sort of thing, too, to save on laundry.
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My kids are a bit young yet for this study guide/coloring book, but I look forward to using it with them when they're ready. I do plan to use this during a mom's group event in which we'll learn about backyard birds to teach our kids.
http://www.birds.cornell.edu/schoolyard/T_Resouces/color_book.html
The birds are diverse, there are study questions to aid in identification and observation, and you get to color the birds based on the coloring you see, helping cement the birds' detailed appearances in your mind.
Happy bird watching!
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Section 102.a.1.b specifically provides for adding dependents to existing insurance policies.
Thanks for clarifying, Melinda! :) If this bill does pass, it is good to know that we can still add subsequent children to our insurance. I didn't think that sounded quite right, so I am glad to know I was wrong and misunderstood that portion of the bill.
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Employer-based insurance plans can be grandfathered in, providing they do not change what is covered or their cost-shares or enroll any new beneficiaries after the date this bill goes into effect, but individual insurance plans will no longer exist, period.
People with individual insurance will be automatically enrolled in the "Health Insurance Exchange" and will be assigned a plan, possibly randomly, decided by the Commissioner.
So, do I understand this rightly? We lose our freedom to choose whether we want to be covered by insurance or not (and pay for all medical expenses out of pocket if we want); we lose our freedom to choose an individual plan or not; we lose our freedom to enroll any new beneficiaries to a current insurance we're happy with; and we lose our freedom to choose how we spend more of our own money (i.e., our money will be forcibly taken from us if we don't want to participate in paying for this).
There will still be provider networks and out-of-network costs.This is confusing. Do I understand this correctly?
- We may continue to participate in our current health care plan, but only if it doesn't ever change.
- Any new beneficiaries must be enrolled with the government (meaning my next baby cannot be added to my husband's insurance?).
- We must participate in a plan or we will be taxed by the government.
- Employers will be taxed if they don't offer health insurance.
- The government is going to control prices of the premiums.
- All of the provider networks and out-of-network costs and pre-condition stipulations and bureaucratic nonsense will stay the same (except for the bureaucratic nonsense which will get even crazier with the addition of government bureaucracy).
So far this bill sounds like encroaches quite a bit on individuals freedoms. There has to be a better way to fix the problems in the current system than this bill. I think there needs to be a lot more discussion on the intended and unintended ramifications of this bill passing than what I've heard.
I do think society has an obligation to help those in need. I also think individuals should not be forced. When people are allowed to voluntarily participate in something that benefits people in need, the positive outcome affects more than the recipients of generosity--I think it makes everyone more generous as a whole and inspires others to join in the effort of their own free will.
I would say Habitat for Humanity is a good example.
As for this bill, "Let's not be hasty."
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The poll didn't have an option I could choose, so I chose the closest one: yes, and I use a permanently installed pole.
Well, in reality, my clothesline is not permanently installed.
I use a Sunshine Dryer. http://www.sunshine-dryer.com/ A cylindrical base is put in the ground. The rest of the clothesline is an umbrella-style clothesline that I put up before I hang clothes and then take down after I'm done hanging clothes. So, unless the neighbors are home in the middle of the day, they don't see my clothes hanging.
It is a very sturdy and large clothesline--the manufacturer says there's room for 4 king-sized sheets, which I believe since we only have a queen and there's room to spare. I can hang quilts on it, too. An outstanding clothesline!
Forgot to add: I also want to rig a retractable clothesline in our garage for hanging clothes. (Our cars live on the driveway because the only place to store anything in our house is the garage.)
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every time you buy private insurance, you are paying money for another person's health care.
This, at least, is voluntary. If I do not pay what portion of the taxes that are to go to the proposed health reform plan then the federal government will come to take it from me. I can freely choose to leave the insurance company. Yes, fines and penalties will hurt but no one is going to put me in jail if I decide not to participate.
What happens when you pay for sickness? More people are sick. It's capitalism 101.??? That's not how my kids get the flu. :) Besides, the doctor can tell you to go get X test done, but you don't have to go. If you choose not to no one will arrest you.
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Concerning rights...
"A “right” is a moral principle defining and sanctioning a man’s freedom of action in a social context. There is only one fundamental right (all the others are its consequences or corollaries): a man’s right to his own life. Life is a process of self- sustaining and self-generated action; the right to life means the right to engage in self-sustaining and self-generated action-which means: the freedom to take all the actions required by the nature of a rational being for the support, the furtherance, the fulfillment and the enjoyment of his own life. (Such is the meaning of the right to life, liberty and the pursuit of happiness.)
The concept of a “right” pertains only to action—specifically, to freedom of action. It means freedom from physical compulsion, coercion or interference by other men.
Thus, for every individual, a right is the moral sanction of a positive—of his freedom to act on his own judgment, for his own goals, by his own voluntary, uncoerced choice. As to his neighbors, his rights impose no obligations on them except of a negative kind: to abstain from violating his rights.
The right to life is the source of all rights—and the right to property is their only implementation. Without property rights, no other rights are possible. Since man has to sustain his life by his own effort, the man who has no right to the product of his effort has no means to sustain his life. The man who produces while others dispose of his product, is a slave."
http://www.aynrand.org/site/PageServer?pagename=arc_ayn_rand_man_rights
Perhaps I need to reread John Locke's and Thomas Paine's writings on natural rights and the rights of man from the original sources, but I think this is a pretty good distillation of what they wrote and meant. If nothing else it makes for important discussion material regarding the right (or not) to health care (as paid for by taxpayers), etc. :)
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In general, yes, I'm happy, content as another poster stated. There are ups and downs, aggravations and pleasures, joys and concerns. Life can be very hard sometimes but there are so many things to enjoy and appreciate that supersede the sad and unfortunate. I love learning about the world, doing things with my kids and husband (boy have I been blessed!), enjoying the progression of the seasons. Many of the things Ray Bradbury has noticed and written about in his books and short stories (like Dandelion Wine) portray some of the very things I love about life.
I haven't had a chance to read all the posts yet, so perhaps someone has already read this interesting book on happiness:
Happiness is a Serious Problem by Dennis Prager. Every Friday on his radio show he also discusses topics associated with happiness. I think these are better than the book, personally.
Cicero, too, has written on happiness, in On Friendship, I believe--a better read than Prager's book even.
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I am no doctor. It sounds like she might be very dehydrated, though. I have been dehydrated to the point of vomiting before. You get nauseous, shaky, a headache. The symptoms you describe and her stomach hurting once a month may (or may not) be related, I don't know. Regarding dehydration, if you have Gatorade, have her drink a 2 tsp about every 15-20 minutes for several hours til she starts feeling better. Intermix giving her Gatorade with some water. Her electrolytes may be off from getting dehydrated. We do this with Pedialyte, too, when the kids get a stomach bug to prevent dehydration.
I hope she feels better soon!
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As a society we cannot turn our backs on those in need and leave them to fend for themselves or to just die. I realize that there are abusers, but do we need to punish the non-abusers as well:confused: I also know that every human on earth is not exempt from making mistakes.
Just my 2 cents:)
I don't want truly needy people to fall through the cracks either. But can something be done without forcing people using the power of the government to pay for or participate in a system they disagree with? I would be more than happy to contribute to merit-based "health scholarships". Are there such things? If there are, let me know!
A friend of mine was diagnosed with cancer right after learning she was pregnant. Consequently, her care required far more specialists than "normal" cancer care, and therefore far more specialist-sized co-pays that were becoming very hard to swallow. Friends got together and raised money to help her. (BTW, she and her baby boy are doing well.)
I think this is the best way to do things--voluntarily as a community (free market with private assistance). I think this kind of support would increase a sense of generosity and gratitude versus resentment and entitlement. Maybe my head's in the clouds that such a thing could work...:001_smile:
SWB's MP article on reading: let's talk about a particular aspect of it
in General Education Discussion Board
Posted
This does look like a good book! It put me in mind of the conversation in Pride and Prejudice between Elizabeth Bennet, Mr. Darcy, Mr. Bingley and his sisters about what constitutes an accomplished woman:
Mr. Bingley: All young ladies are accomplished. They sing, they draw, they dance, speak French and German, cover screens and I know not what.
Mr. Darcy: But not half a dozen would satisfy my notion of an accomplished woman.
Miss Bingley: Oh, certainly. No woman can be really esteemed accomplished who does not also possess a certain something in her air, in her manner of walking, in the tone of her voice, her address and expressions.
Mr. Darcy: And to all this she must yet add something more substantial in the improvement of her mind by extensive reading.
Elizabeth Bennet: I'm no longer surprised at you knowing only six accomplished women, Mr Darcy. I rather wonder at your knowing any.
Even then, pressure from without to fit a certain mold...
I shall definitely take up your book recommendation. Thanks for the suggestion!