Schoolingmom

If you are wounded,  you need to get healed right away. If a swimmer swims against a jagged piece of metal floating in the sea, it is best if he exits the body of water and seeks attention for his wound. This is preferred over the  possibility of infection or even worse, being sought after by a neighboring predator that smells the blood in the water. Moray eels or sand sharks are possible interested parties. Seek medical attention fast, swimmer; or be left with the consequences. Why am I writing this? Well, true, it is quite obvious that physical wounds need immediate attention. When children are running and playing, isn't it common for them to come to mom quickly when blood is seen? I have yet to see a child with a gaping wound just go along with blood dripping down their leg and onto the ground with no recourse given at all. The child is just smiling along and not paying any attention to the pain of the shards of gravel stuck within the bloody, oozing orifice. No, childre

I always love to cook banana-nut muffins. I have one child who does not tolerate nuts very well right now, and another who likes nuts just fine, but for some reason does not like nuts in a muffin. What is the deal with that?! The nut is the same nut - a walnut. Then I have another child who, "I like cheese on pizza, but I don't like cheese." O-kay. Right. Got it, hun. So, yeah...that's the story of me in the kitchen with 8 children. Now, don't get me wrong - I am no "short order cook". Therefore, my children eat what we prepare. It is healthy and it is what we have prepared, so they know they are supposed to be grateful to their parents and to the Lord, then eat their food. However, there have been times when a child has tried their very best to eat a particular food and just gagged so badly. So, you really just have to KNOW your child and when they just have an aversion to some kind of food. That is a different story from a child just being straigh

So, you are sewing a dress, hemming a jacket, typing up your meal plan for next month, and writing your homeschool schedule for the week when the phone rings. It is a good friend who "knows you can help because you are home". What do you do when she asks if you can help her hang wallpaper this afternoon, because after all - you are just at home . I wonder if there ever has been an age in the history of all of humanity when there has been so much to do. Wait - I know what you are thinking, "Well, our ancestors had WAY more to do that WE do!" Not that, dear reader. I am not talking about chores to do and the effectiveness of technology. I am not talking about "work to do". I am talking about "readily available activities to engage in". THAT is what I mean by " so much to do" . It seems that no matter which way you turn, there is an opportunity. There is NO way people can shout out, "I have no opportunities to do this or that.&

I love my slow cooker. It is a staple kitchen appliance in our household. The thing about slow cooking is that you can prepare almost ANYTHING in it with a few spices and end up with a pretty good, cheap, edible substance that can feed a lot of people! Yeah, ok, I know that whole "edible substance" part did not sound appetizing, but did I mention that I don't always follow recipes?? Recipes are great, but there are days when I am in a buzzing hurry. When that is the case, I kosher my meats, rinse them, and then just toss them into the slow cooker with a myriad of herbs, spices, and vegetables. When you are slow cooking your meat, the process just tenderizes the food so very well that the herbs infuse the meat fibers. Each bite is just delicious as can be! So, I don't study too awful much about the recipes when in a hurry. Other times, when I am trying to accomplish a particular flavor, I will specifically adhere to a recipe. It is very useful then to have amounts

What in the world?! I have not posted here for over a year!? Yeah - that's motherhood, ha ha :-D! It has been a really busy year, but an awesome year! We welcomed our newest baby late last spring, and it has been a whirlwind of busyness. Having a new little baby requires a lot of time and attention, as all mothers know after experiencing childbirth at least once. There is the preparation time, the birthing and welcoming the newborn time, and then the rest and relaxation time. None of these phases are negligible, and there is no true textbook time for each phase that will fit each and every woman. One woman may take shorter or longer of one phase or another, and that is neither good or bad. I tend to enjoy them all :-). So, I don't like to rush my time in pregnancy, birthing, or R&R after baby is here. All of these times are such a blessing from the Lord Jesus, that they should be kept sacred. Sometimes, there is a lot of expectation placed on a new mother; mu