What's for lunch Tuesdays

Today we had;
1. Nachos with onions, gr. beef and cheese. The chips were Tostitoes Hint of Lime chips they were pretty good, very limey though! Made me want a Margarita!
2. Strawberries
3. Carrots
4. Koolaid- now I usually don't make this but the kids were bugging me to make it yesterday after mixed it with play doh to scent and color it! So that was an unusual fun treat and the kids got to use their curly straws they won from Chuckie Cheese for our Homeschool group Valentine party.

Our homemade play doh

Our new and fav toys - Montessori approach

OUr 3 favorite new toys,
1. Large nuts, bolts and washers I put a banana next to it so you could see the size. My 1,3 and 4 year old LOVE these. We plan to buy more and many differnt sizes.

2. Hand broom and dust pan. Boy do all 3 of my younger kids love cleaning up. Sometimes it's real dirt, sometimes it's paper they have ripped up and crumpled just to sweep. My 3 year old thought it was too funny to have his toes in the picture!

3. Next up is the single serve applesauce cups we wash out and save after we eat the. I must have a dozen or more and they love them. They nest them , stack them, make pretend foods in them, carry smaller toys around in them they are great, and FREE.





My kids will just not play with plastic light up toys that you push buttons on no matter what I buy, so no more! I am incorporating lots of Montessori type stuff into the toy room. Next up is a pretend washer made out of an old box (need to get a good box) then a basket with some clothes and a mini clothes lines and clothes pin to hand them on.

A new way of Homeschooling

I was just laying in bed trying to sleep........ Writing a blog in my head and I thought, you know I am going to get out of my bed and write this one down.Writing helps people be held accountable for their actions and I want to be held accountable.

So here goes my entry:

I am going to start a new way of homeschooling, about every year I re- evaluate what I am doing and make changes accordingly. This time I have decided that home schooling means being at HOME. Yes, a simple but difficult concept. We usually leave for an event or 2 a couple times a week and to do errands and when you mix in transition times and getting 4 kids in and out of the house the time really adds up. Sure we are finishing our schoolwork but we are all stressed! I am going to start spending more time at home with the kids and doing more fun, hands on, messy, sticky, fun stuff. We have been to rushed this year to really ENJOY schooling. I have caught myself saying "Are you done yet? Hurry up. We need to leave so wrap it up." I am going to stop saying that and let myself and my children relax take their time and then enjoy our afternoons playing games, doing messy art project and fun science
experiments.

My Day

The things I planned to do today:
Strip bed sheets off all 6 beds and wash them
Shovel driveway
Take the kids outside and sell Girl Scout cookies with my daughter
Bake carrot bread
Work on the wall murul with the kids
write in this blog
Continue potty training X
Make Chili for dinner
Shine pennies with vinegar and salt with the kids
manage to get through all 100% of each child's school work I had planned

What I actually got done today:
Well I did get just about everything off the list done except we spent so much time outside selling girl scout cookies and playing that we never got around to working of the murul. I didn't manage to get through the entire school list for the kids, but got most of the basics done. S's friend came over to play because schools were closed today due to the snow. So I figured playing is learning so he got out of 1/2 his school work today.

As always I feel as if I didn't get much done, but I really did I accomplished most the this list and more.....

I never feel like I have done enough each day and sometimes feel guilty for not doing more ...I am cursed with being an overachiever.