Homeschool Adventures

Today for math class we are lining up cars, dolls, and balls to learn about graphing. The kids are having fun running around to gather things and line them up. When we were done we used the easel paper to draw a graph. Final results: 16 cars, 20 dolls, and 6 balls.

Road Trip!

So, we are in KY...actually, by the time you read this we won't be, but we WERE in KY.  It was a 10 hour drive from our house.  Although we brought some Signing Time DVDs we borrowed from the library (2 @ 25min each), the kids were great at entertaining themselves.  I packed books, a notebook for each of them (currently 20 cents at Walmart), a pack of crayons and some pencils. I also grabbed a coloring book for the toddler, and one of those Color Wonder type kids the older one got for her birthday sometime.  We stopped at 2 visitor centers and a restaurant for lunch.   Just to let you know, you DON'T have to have kids glued to TV for long car rides!

Other activities we played in the car were to create a story and the ABC game.  To create a story, one person starts and then go around the car adding a bit to the story until its over.  Makes for a funny, silly story.  The ABC game can be played one of two ways.  Last year, we played by looking for a letter A, then a letter B, etc.  This year, we looked for an object that started with an a, b, c, d, e...the only letter we "cheated" on was X, and used 'exit' for it.

I packed water, clementine oranges, cheese, and goldfish crackers for the car in case we got hungry in between stops.   We also had "lovies" in reach for when the kids wanted to nap.

Stay tuned for what we did in Kentucky!

Freezer Fast Recipe: Chicken Noodle Soup

Oh, I wish I had taken a picture...but we ate it too fast! Maybe I'll remember next time! Previously I posted how to make your own chicken broth. Recently we needed something quick to make for lunch, and I hadn't menu planned effectively. So, I relied on my fall back freezer stash.  After I had made chicken broth recently, I froze about 10 quarts of it.  I also had some extra cooked chicken breast that I had chopped and frozen and a bag of soup vegetables in the freezer.  In my pantry was a bag of egg noodles.  So, to make our very own chicken noodle soup all I had to do was defrost a few quarts of broth (basically just dumping the frozen chunk into the pot and letting it warm), add the vegetables and chicken, some seasoning like salt, pepper, onion, garlic and parsley, and then the noodles until cooked according to package directions.  All done, and a delicious hearty lunch!

We also like to add a little tobasco sauce...but AFTER we dish out the kids' portions.

In recipe form:

Ingredients
3 or 4 quarts of chicken broth
one bag egg noodles
one bag of soup vegetables (about 2 cups)
one pound of cooked, chopped chicken
1/4 tsp parsley
1/4 tsp garlic
1/4 tsp onion powder
1 tsp salt (my chicken broth had ZERO salt in it)
1/2 tsp pepper
(I really just eyeball my spices...you should do the same and taste it)

Mix broth, chicken, vegetables and spices together.  Once soup is boiling and all ingredients are warm, add the noodles and cook according to package instruction.  Don't overcook the noodles!  Enjoy!

Use the library!

Children enjoy reading Sandra Boynton at the library

Previously I posted about saving money on books by borrowing instead of buying those books that will only be read once. (We still have plenty that are read repeatedly!) Another great resource at the library is programs! Despite living in one of the poorest counties in our state, the library still manages to provide numerous play times, story times and even a Lego club! All free! Today we are participating in a baby story time. It's a great opportunity for the kids (and moms) to socialize, and for everyone to foster a love of literature.

Money Saver: Send Yourself Flowers!

I love fresh flowers, but my husband doesn't buy them weekly! In order to keep my vases filled for next to nothing I grow several good cutting flowers on the side of my house. In the spring there are tulips and hyacinths. In the summer I have a butterfly bush, tea rose bush, and gladiolas. Next year I hope to add sunflowers. So beautiful, and practically free!

Get Creative With Food!

I can't take credit for this one!  This was a breakfast my mom made for my daughter during a recent visit.  It also happened to be her birthday (thus the candle).  Sausage eye brows, strawberry and blueberry eyes, banana bread muffin nose, banana lips around bacon teeth.  Yum!  Sure, its got the same nutrition as if the food was simply put on the plate, but this way it solicited giggles from all!

Money Saver: Local Farmers Market

I love our local farmers' market. So many varieties of locally grown fruits and vegetables at super low prices! This day I got 18 ears sweet corn, 1 qt green beans, 1 pt blackberries, 1 qt blueberries, and 18 small cucumbers all for $15.