• Shaking things up

    March 18, 2010

    Life has been rather tough around here lately. I’m not sure why since we have a good, stable routine (but yet did something out-of-the-ordinary), are getting enough sleep, and are eating well. Regardless, life has felt a bit overwhelming. Mostly because the kids fight continually. I tried my best to nix that on Monday (maybe I’ll write about my brilliant techniques later), but then on Tuesday night I got a new idea.

    The goons I have to work with.

    Because the forecast was calling for sunny weather and 60 to 70 degree temps for Wednesday through Saturday, I decided to shake things up a bit. Hey, I thought to myself. I can do anything I want. I’m a homeschooler. Sometimes I’m slow on the uptake.

    The truth is, I’m ready to quit the kids’ studies right now. I know that homeschool families are expected to go through a bunch of draggy angst in February, but for me, the blah-fits strike when green stuff starts poking through the brown and the kids forget that they possess foot apparel. Then I just want to scream, ENOUGH! and head outdoors to the toolshed. But alas, we’ve not studied sufficiently for one year (by my self-imposed and ill-defined measuring stick), and besides, it really is too early to put up all the winter clothes. So instead, we slog through our lessons and wallow around in our sun-drenched misery.

    Or not. Or not? Or NOT!

    For illustration purposes, take a look at Miss Beccaboo’s poking techniques. She is The Queen of Poke:


    Tuesday night I called the kids to me (saying that makes me feel like a clucky, head-bobbing hen) and informed them that for the rest of the week we would have a different schedule. We would do our school reading time in the evening (we’re between read alouds anyway, having just finished up To Kill A Mockingbird on Sunday) and review the next morning’s independent work assignments. In the morning they could sail straight through their studies and then on out the door. I would sail out after them and then we’d all do some garden work together.

    We’ve now actualized one day of the new plan; it’s officially kid-tested and mother-approved.

    We didn’t get outside as quickly as I had hoped—we still had chores and attitudes to deal with, after all—but outside we did get. I pruned the red raspberries and cleaned up the asparagus bed (THE ASPARAGUS IS COMING UP! I SAW A FAT WHITE SHOOT WITH MY VERY OWN EYES!) and the kids loaded up all the brush and brambles in the wheelbarrow and hauled them down to the burn pile. I transplanted out the rhubarb (and broke a shovel), and the kids worked at shoveling dirt back into a hole that they made last fall. The Baby Nickel went against my orders and collected the eggs from the coop and then one of them busted in his pants pocket. I wasn’t ready to go inside yet (I lock the doors and carry the key when we all go outside to work—it helps to keep us all on the same page) so he sat on the sunny porch steps in his underwear and “read”/shredded the newspaper flyers. We finally went inside for our lunch, which I already told you about yesterday.

    Today will be only slightly different. I’m watching my friend’s children from mid-morning through supper. This means that my kids will probably get their jobs and independent work done more quickly than before and then they’ll stay outside and play all day long. Despite needing to cook bigger meals, I hope to get my flower beds cleaned up and do some weeding in the strawberries. We’ll see.

    P.S. It’s still dark outside and Yo-Yo is up. He asked for a pencil and sat right down at the table to do his grammar pages. It appears we’re off to a good start!

    About one year ago: Butterscotch Pudding, and Warm Chocolate Sourdough Cake (Only click on the latter link if you have a full stomach; otherwise, bad things might happen.)

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  • Oats, plumped and fried

    March 17, 2010

    About three or four years ago, I used to make oatmeal pancakes for our breakfast on a regular basis. We had a school bus-riding foster child then, and since I needed to be up anyway to make sure she didn’t slip out of the house with her tongue ring still in, I went the extra step and made a hot breakfast for everyone. Along with Dutch puff, oatmeal, Farmer Boy pancakes, scrambled or fried eggs, egg casseroles, and Cream Cheese and Blueberry French Toast Sandwiches, I made oatmeal pancakes.


    Everyone likes oatmeal pancakes better than plain oatmeal (c’mon, there’s syrup involved!), and they are fairly simple to assemble, though because the oats soak in a yogurt-water mixture overnight, you do have to remember to start them the night before. I’ve been trying to make them all week now, but somehow always ended up going to bed before setting the oats to soaking. Until last night, that is. Then I finally remembered. (Seeing as last night was Tuesday night, I guess I’m not doing so bad.)


    Soaking oats (and other grains) in yogurt or buttermilk is recommended by the health experts because the enzymes in the cultured dairy products help to break down and neutralize the phytic acid, thus improving the food’s nutritional benefits. (I got so smart by reading Sally Fallon’s book Nourishing Traditions.) But we all know I’m no health freak (I’m a freak in other ways, yes, but not in healthy ways), and even so, I choose to soak my oats. Why? Because they taste good! The oats plump up till they are swollen and tender (and about the same consistency of cooked oatmeal), and they develop a slight hint of sourness (use less yogurt for less sour; more yogurt and the sourness becomes more intense) so that the final product tastes more cultured (in a sophisticated sort of way).

    So this morning after spending some dark morning quality time at my computer, I set the griddle on the stove top and went about adding flour, spices, oil, and a handful of eggs to the bowl of soaked oats. The Baby Nickel joined me and hijacked my spatulas.


    The final pancakes are tender and chewy (but not gummy) with a hint of cinnamon. Served with lots of butter and homemade maple syrup, they make for a deliciously hearty breakfast.


    We ate a bunch of the leftover pancakes for lunch (after we finished off a loaf of bread, some chicken salad, lentils and brown rice, and spinach-chicken quiche), reheated and spread with butter and grape jelly.


    Oatmeal Pancakes other ways:
    Molly’s Oatmeal Pancakes
    Mama Pea’s Oatmeal Pancakes

    Oatmeal Pancakes
    Adapted from Simply in Season

    A double recipe feeds my family most generously and still leaves a couple pancakes for later snacking.

    Variations: Add a grated apple, chopped dried dates, or blueberries to the batter.

    2 cups rolled oats
    ½ cup yogurt or buttermilk
    1 ½ cups water
    2 eggs, beaten
    1/4 cup oil, or melted butter
    ½ cup flour
    2 tablespoon sugar
    1 teaspoon baking powder
    1 teaspoon baking soda
    ½ teaspoon cinnamon
    ½ teaspoon salt

    The night before:
    Stir together the oats, yogurt, and water. Cover the bowl with plastic wrap (or a shower cap) and set it aside on the counter. Go to bed.

    In the morning:
    Stir together the dry ingredients in a small bowl.

    Add the eggs and oil to the soaked oats. Stir in the dry ingredients.

    Melt a pat of butter in a frying pan and spoon some of the batter into the pan. The batter is thick, so you may need to use the back of a spoon to spread the batter out a bit. Fry the pancakes until they are golden brown and no longer wet inside.

    About one year ago: A child’s blessing.

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  • A religious education

    March 16, 2010

    How do you go about teaching religion to your children?

    I never thought about that question all that much until this past week when I read about Mrs. G getting in so much trouble over just this very thing (this last link is the one you should go to first). I didn’t even bother to dig very deep into the comments or links—I simply skimmed the surface and moved on—but what I read had already set the cogs a-turning in my head. I don’t know about the rest of you, but here’s how I tend to the religious education of my kiddos.

    First off, I’m no saint. (If you’re not surprised, do me a favor and pretend to be.)

    Second off, (third off, fourth off, SUGAR off!) (sorry—just ate three chocolates and my mind is moving way too fast; I’m not even going to try to account for the weird stuff that it puts forth), other than church, mealtime prayers, and other religious traditions, I don’t think little kids (ages 0-6, perhaps) need to be taught about God. Kids are naturally in tune with The Divine, and I have a hunch that any teaching we direct at very young mostly stems from our own undo fear and worry. Drilling them in God talk and Bible stories, while fun and even useful sometimes, makes me feel a little dirty, like I’m exploiting the innocent. Heck, my children (and some adults, yes?) have a tendency to lump the Easter bunny, Tooth Fairy, Santa Claus, and God all in the same multi-colored, tinsel-draped, gold-encrusted cross and candy-stuffed basket. My kids will believe anything I tell them, so I try not to do so much talking and instead work on concrete things like good manners, not hitting, and learning to close their dresser drawers all the way.

    That said, I think it is important to teach the bigger kids about God, and as I see it, there’s two sides to this Teach-Kids-About-God picture. There’s The Big God, the idea of God, the all-encompassing Great Spirit, Allah, Yahweh, etc, and then there is our specific slant on The Big God—in my case, the Mennonite view. I hold dear the teachings of Jesus (in particular, his peace teachings) and the Mennonite values of service, community, and shoofly, and I endeavor (some days more than others) to impart them to my children.

    So in my typical eclectic, haphazard approach, we do some reading, some observing, and some talking. I introduce new (usually) age appropriate ideas, we read books, they ask questions (or, if I’m feeling particularly energetic, I ask questions of them). I say many things backwards (if not outright wrong), model an inconsistent example, and kiss them goodnight. All in all, it’s a pretty fair religious education.

    How do I teach them about religion? Well, we read the Bible, thought I’m not sure this is totally wise, especially when delving into the blood-spattered Old Testament. I’ve been using a children’s Bible (complete with generic North American-centric pictures), and I’ve had to do a good bit of counter-teaching as we slaughtered our way through Joshua and Judges. More than once Yo-Yo has exploded angrily, “This God in the Old Testament is not our God! The Bible is a bad book!”

    My replies are generally mild and go something like this, “Well, do you see what all the neighboring tribes were doing, sacrificing to idols and staking out their territory? The Israelites didn’t have any other example to follow. They were just like the people around them—attacking and killing was the norm—except they attached our God’s name to it. They didn’t know about Jesus yet, remember. Try to see this as a history, okay? It’s a very important history—everyone’s history is—but it doesn’t mean that this is really how God is or that God actually wants us to behave this way.”

    I’m also teaching my children about other religions because I want them to have a deep respect for, and appreciation of, all different religions. Besides, I believe that we have more in common with other faiths than we generally are comfortable acknowledging.

    I just finished reading a book to them about the seven main world religions and this week we started a book about Greek mythology. “Is this true? Did that really happen?” They might ask me these questions while I’m droning on about the Old Testament Ammonites, Hinduism, or Confucianism, and I just say, “Well, that’s what they believe happened.” Sometimes I add how I feel about a certain practice (especially if I think it’s a harmful one), but many times I don’t. I’m not drawing conclusions for them, but I see the wheels in their heads turning: stories to explain why something happened…the Bible…the Buddha…Boo Radley… That they think enough to ask questions thrills me to no end. This is the part of parenting and teaching that I find most invigorating and challenging.

    God is huge, and the world is wide; there are so many views, perspectives, and teachings. It’s my hope that in one way or another my children can grow to appreciate and value them all. And yes, I do hope that my children grow into adults who share a deep appreciation for Jesus’ teachings (in spite of my apparent expansive views, like most people I take comfort in my particular faith, and struggle to understand how something else could be as fulfilling or morally right as my way) and who are compassionate and loving. These are my lofty goals and the above-mentioned ways are my humble means to get there … I hope.

    Now for you. How do you teach your children about religion and faith? What’s your perspective on other religions? Speak to me, my peeps.

    About one year ago: Breakfast Pizza.

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