Cleaning, why?

Each time ths week I get a spot cleared in the living room, 12yo fills it w/#Legos, or paper, or crayons, or anything. Happy to help.

#autism (https://twitter.com/momluvs4kidz/status/284762747659497472) Get the official Twitter app at https://twitter.com/download

Lego Menorah!

momluvs4kidz (@momluvs4kidz) tweeted at 5:03 PM on Mon, Dec 10, 2012: #Legos are his life!
(Added the picture Jan 2 2013)

#Happy #Hanukkah #autism #wouldn'tchangeathing http://t.co/Yok6FUDX (https://twitter.com/momluvs4kidz/status/278258783963189250) Get the official Twitter app at https://twitter.com/download

An unwelcome milestone.

Zachary had his first ever public meltdown today. Twelve years and autism, I guess I've been lucky. It is going on as I type; he and I are in the van now while M buys shoes I promised her. This is breaking my heart and making me angry at the same time! Trying to restrain my "typical" mother response because that only makes it worse with autism, yet the typical comes out at times anyway. I've never "cursed" autism before...I'm tempted in this moment. My precious child, my youngest-things are so hard for him and there is only so much I, or anyone, can do for him. But it is him, and so I won't ever curse it, not really. Thank you God for whatever lessons today has and will bring us. Thank you my amazingly mature 14  yo daughter, who kept her cool with me, in spite of what she saw unfolding.

Having A Monday...

Searching frantically for the car keys after leaving the store, she couldn't find them in her now dumped purse. She started the car and continued frantically searching the bags, the rest of the car, until.....yup, it's Monday!
(names were deleted to protect the intellect)

Linda's Helpful tip of the day

Pull hands back in BEFORE closing the window. Ouch.

Procrastination

We're starting again on Monday. I mean it, we are starting again on Monday! It's Monday, and it is almost 9am....the kids are still asleep. EVEN Z. It would be cruel of me to wake them up, to start on our rigid bookwork schedule that I haven't quite created just yet in this particular moment, right? Clearly they are exhausted. Watching a new episode of "Good Luck Charlie" can really tax the bodily system with all that laughing. We'll start Wednesday. Yea, that's the ticket, Wednesday.

Hands of A Child is having a SALE!!!!!!

I loooooooooooooove In the Hands of A Child ! I mean, WE love them lol. Not only are their project packs  for lapbooks and notepacks fantastic, their customer service is among the best with which I have interacted.

They are having a great sale right now:

In the Hands of a Child is having their annual Back to School Sale

on their HUGE selectionof Lapbooking and Notebooking Products.

Save 50% on over 400 different titles!

See complete details here: http://www.handsofachild.com/freebies-and-specials/#specials

My Favorite Season

Thanks to The Pioneer Woman--Ree Drumond , I wrote about my favorite season :) Like a hyper 2nd grader cause that's how I roll sometimes. 

Fall. Definitely Fall-the crispness in the air, the crunch of leaves under our feet, the beginning of cuddling on the couch–kids fighting over the blankets, ugh I have to find the blankets, stop dragging leaves from the front door to the back door…………okay, scratch that, it’s Spring! Plants beginning to peak above the frosty ground, more hours of Vitamin D, mud, MUD, yuk MUD, and again figuring out where the heck I put all the short sleeve shirts……………alright, I’m going with Winter, and that’s that, I love the snow. And Summer, I love summer and water and the beach.

No voting or anything, just having fun and trying to win a Target gift card! If you're looking for some good laughs, good family stories, good ideas, and good recipes, head on over to The Pioneer Woman . Hey guess what, she started out as a mom blogger, too! Thanks for reading =)

According To A Homeschooler

I refuse to name which second daughter of mine said this:
” In eighteen hundred sixty two Columbus sailed the ocean blue.” A+ in poetry. Epic fail in history. I'll take it! My students still have a ”c” average.

Thoughts from an overactive mind...

Yes, everyone at some point in their lives probably suffers from some form, or forms, of situational ADD. People joke all the time that they have ADD, they can't think straight today because of ADD, they've "caught" the ADD bug, on and on and you get the picture. Maybe you've said it yourself?

I am a sufferer of ADD. I am quite sure I had it my entire life. I never slept well, even as a child, because my mind was always racing all over the place--anyplace that was anything aside from blank or relaxed. I was never physically hyper, but I could not control my overactive mind. I was smart; I AM smart. My elementary school was amazing and, because I never presented as a discipline problem, those years were glorious. Middle school was essentially the same; there were wonderful teachers, structured work with schedules provided, so I thrived and had straight A's all 3 years. High School began to present issues. I got my first B my freshman year in a science class that had a less than organized teacher. He wasn't a bad teacher; he just didn't provide quite the structure and detailed organization that I needed. Looking back, I wonder if in all those early years my absolute need (yes, it was a need) to perform perfectly was tied up and tangled into the ADD. I followed the instructions exactly as they were given, so there was no reason to get anything other than 100. I will have to look into that idea another time.

As I went through high school and came across other teachers that were vague or open to interpretation or simply gave deadlines for items due, my grades gradually dropped. By senior year I was even getting C's. Okay, yes, I know, doesn't sound like a big deal--but for a student with a weighted average of over 4.0, it should have been a flashing neon sign! I became frazzled, I cut school days, and was in jeopardy of not walking at graduation because of the missed school days. (for anyone that knew me then and is just now learning of this, I apologize for any shock you may be suffering from) I begged and pleaded and cried and did walk, graduating with honors. Oh, did I mention that I didn't fill out the standard "form" all seniors filled out as a kind of fielding out for scholarships? I missed the deadline. I knew all I had to do was fill it out, but it overwhelmed me! I had no idea what I wanted to do after graduation; when I would try to "see" the future I just couldn't visualize anything, and without being able to "see" anything I could not react or take action.

I went off to college as any honors high school graduate was expected to do. What a disaster! I think I've already blogged about it so I'll keep it short...I made it 2 years. I absolutely, positively could not function in a way I needed to to be able to succeed. I had no organizational skills, no time budgeting skills; all I could do was manage to go into an overwhelmed panic over all the due dates and pull all-nighter after all-nighter until that took a toll on me and one lonely night, I cried for 2 hours in the bathroom of my dorm floor. It was such a low moment that I knew something had to be done, and that was my last semester of college.

Twenty something years later (oh my, almost thirty something lol!) I see at least a couple of my kids, who shall remain nameless for this post, going through almost identical  emotions and anxieties as me. I can see it on their face the minute they shut down from being overwhelmed with something. I can see it on a paper they finish that has incomplete answers--not from the lack of ability to do the problems but, I'm certain, from hitting the point that they can't "see" a solution and then feel like they can't do it. I am so thankful we homeschool and that we can work through those moments. Is it all la la's and sunshine and roses? Oh HECK no, there are loud voices and tears plenty, but that's just us in general anyway ;) But we do get through it, and I pray that they are learning how to plan accordingly for who they are and understanding that the key is knowing how their minds work. I believe that being aware of, and embracing, the differences will help them be able to fulfill whatever dreams they have for themselves. They might have to take other-than-typical routes, but with happiness as the end result and as long as the route is full of good, does it matter? Robert Frost thought not:

The Road Not Taken

Two roads diverged in a yellow wood,
And sorry I could not travel both
And be one traveler, long I stood
And looked down one as far as I could
To where it bent in the undergrowth;

Then took the other, as just as fair,
And having perhaps the better claim
Because it was grassy and wanted wear,
Though as for that the passing there
Had worn them really about the same,

And both that morning equally lay
In leaves no step had trodden black.
Oh, I marked the first for another day!
Yet knowing how way leads on to way
I doubted if I should ever come back.

I shall be telling this with a sigh
Somewhere ages and ages hence:
Two roads diverged in a wood, and I,
I took the one less traveled by,
And that has made all the difference. 

Robert Frost

(copied from http://www.poemhunter.com/poem/the-road-not-taken/ )

Love is Alive and Well

I could try to describe the visible love between my Aunt and Uncle...or you can watch this video they did a few years ago for their synagogue and, especially at the end, see it for yourself. This video leaves me beaming and with tears in my eyes every single time I watch it. Enjoy.

Overheard at the grocery store:

Mother: "How old will I be this year? Wait, how old am I right now?"
Daughter: "46"
Mother: "So that's how old I am right now, I'm 46? Are you sure?"
Daughter, and sons: "BAHAHAHAHAHAHAHAHAHAHAHAHAHAHAHAHA"

I am choosing to keep the names of the parties private in order to protect the innocent. Or elderly, whichever you prefer.

Homeschoolers ROCK! :-)

This is not meant to insult ANY public schoolers, there just seems to be a wave of anti-homeschooling again and I get tired of it. It seems no matter how many compliments my kids receive, no matter the wonderful forward progression of Zachary, people still feel it necessary to say the kids would be better off not homeschooling. Puzzling as always, lol.

Why in the world do people find it just fine to express that to homeschoolers, yet the vast majority of homeschoolers will not say that to public schoolers?? Anyway, this article was quite timely for me Homeschool World-Some Fascinating Facts about Homeschoolers.

Life Lessons from Zachary

Think Outside the Box: This child as a toddler could create McGyverisms better than McGyver himself. Anyone could walk to a door, turn the knob and open the door. Zachary looped yarn through the poles of his crib, around the glider, and attached it to the doorknob so that when the glider rocked just right, the doorknob turned and the door opened.

Life Lesson Learned: A solution might seem obvious and easy; don't assume it's the only answer. Study, observe, evaluate, and learn--and while you might end up with the same result, you'll have a lot more fun getting there.

Valentine's Day Dinner!

I was having a hard time deciding what to make for dinner, being limited in ingredients. Sooooo...this is what I came up with!


Mini deep dish heart shaped pizzas :o) I am so happy! They will be complemented well with our dessert that was also our breakfast snack, lol:

The recipe for this is from AllRecipes.com <--- click there...the recipe originally called for applesauce, the poster of the recipe changed it to sour cream, but I used applesauce and they were GOOD!

I am surrounded by love, I am so grateful for the Valentine gifts that are my children. I hope you had a beautiful, love filled day.

One more from Z!

This. Is. HILARIOUS. At least we thought so. ;-)

Zach'ism and a laugh

At my expense of course. Zachary created a really cool "telescope" out of a paper towel tube. Oh you silly person, of course that's not all there was to it, this is a Z creation! He found the hard tube from the roll of plastic wrap (that he emptied minutes before while creating a 'regular' telescope) would fit *almost* perfectly into the paper towel tube--it all just needed some adjustments. Implemented were Zach'ism #546, rubber bands for insulation and movement and VOILA, a 2 part, moving telescope. :-D


Now for the Laugh:
Z had me looking through the telescope, then he was looking, we were having fun and then it was time for me to get back to the...........ugh, L-A-U-N-D-R-Y.
Z called, muffled: "Moooooooom, c'meeeeeeeeeere!"
I answered: "Where are you?"
Z answered: "In the shoe closet!"
I went to the shoe closet, fully knowing he was in there but expected to find him doing something hilarious and looking through his telescope somehow. Nope. BAM he was right behind the slider I slid open and with his "BAH" I screamed and jumped, leaving him and Mallory in hysterical laughter. Yea, I'm way too easy to get, but as a good upstanding mother, I must say revenge will be sweet. O:-)

S**T Jewish Moms Say!

Please excuse the sh*t word, and I would love to say that I say none of these things but.....I CAN'T..especially at 52 seconds in, LOLLOLLOL!! Okay, and the PS4 comments, and the I'm so cold comment....and the "CALL CELLLLLLLLLLLLlu".............oh this is a riot.

Why Yes I Am Crazy...

aren't we all? Those that say they aren't, are; those that say they are, are. So okay I had this brilliant train of thought going but the teen man-child came in the room and felt it necessary to share some video he just saw about hoagies or something and now I can't think. Which is normal. Which tends to be crazy for anything to be normal.

Help! I Ran Out of Sour Cream!!

Thank goodness for the internet! A quick search on google brought me to About.com Homecooking, where I found these substitutions :)

1. • For baking: 7/8 cup buttermilk or sour milk plus 3 tablespoons butter.
2. • For baking: 1 cup yogurt plus 1 teaspoon baking soda.
3. • For baking: 3/4 cup sour milk plus 1/3 cup butter.
4. • For baking: 3/4 cup buttermilk plus 1/3 cup butter.
5. • Cooked sauces: 1 cup yogurt plus 1 tablespoon flour plus 2 teaspoons water.
6. • Cooked sauces: 1 cup evaporated milk plus 1 tablespoon vinegar or lemon juice. Let stand 5 minutes to thicken.
7. • Dips: 1 cup yogurt (drain through a cheesecloth-lined sieve for 30 minutes in the refrigerator for a thicker texture).
8. • Dips: 1 cup cottage cheese plus 1/4 cup yogurt or buttermilk, briefly whirled in a blender.
9. • Dips: 6 ounces cream cheese plus 3 tablespoons milk, briefly whirled in a blender.
10. • Lower fat: 1 cup low-fat cottage cheese plus 1 tablespoon lemon juice plus 2 tablespoons skim milk, whipped until smooth in a blender.
11. • Lower fat: 1 can chilled evaporated milk whipped with 1 teaspoon lemon juice.

Unfortunately, I am also out of milk AND butter--typical me--so I am really going to improvise here. Back to baking!

It worked! I have to be honest, I only used 1/4 cup of the evaporated milk/vinegar mixture, but wow it really seemed to give just the right amount of "sour" plus a nice thick cream. The recipe I made was Chocolate Chip Coffee Cake from Two Peas and Their Pod It came out DELICIOUSly light and fluffy yet rich at the same time.

ingredients:

2 cups all-purpose flour
1 1/2 teaspoons baking powder
1 teaspoon baking soda
1/2 teaspoon salt
1 cup granulated sugar
1/2 cup butter, at room temperature
2 large eggs
1 cup sour cream
1 teaspoon vanilla extract
1 cup chocolate chips

Cinnamon Sugar Topping/Filling:
1/4 cup granulated sugar
3 tablespoons brown sugar
1 1/2 teaspoons cinnamon

Directions:

1. Preheat the oven to 350°. Grease an 8-inch square baking pan and set aside.

2. In a medium bowl, whisk together the flour, baking powder, baking soda, and salt. Set dry ingredients aside.

3. Using an electric mixer, cream together the butter and 1 cup sugar until fluffy, about 5 minutes. Add in the eggs, one at a time, beat until smooth. Beat in the sour cream and vanilla extract. Mix until well combined.

4. Slowly add in the dry ingredients. Mix until just combined. In a small bowl, make the cinnamon sugar topping/filling. Stir together sugar, brown sugar, and cinnamon. Pour half the batter into the prepared cake pan and sprinkle with half the cinnamon-sugar and half the chocolate chips. Spoon the remaining batter over the filling, spreading gently. Sprinkle with the remaining cinnamon-sugar and chocolate chips.

5. Bake until golden and a toothpick inserted in the center comes out clean, about 40 minutes. Cool to room temperature and serve.

**One mistake I made was using an 11 x 8 brownie pan-it overflowed! I'd recommend using a 9 x 9 minimum size pan just to be safe. This was a terrific recipe with great instructions and, if you go to their website, wonderful step by step photos.

MLK day 2012

“Forgiveness is not an occasional act, it is a constant attitude.”
― Martin Luther King Jr.

That's a tough one, don't ya think? And yet I believe with all my heart that is what enabled Dr. King to pursue his peaceful path...starting today I will work on this myself. I have gotten very far from forgiveness and have felt such resentment and anger; it's time to find a way to release it and finally understand that it is my own choice. Holding on to anger only punishes oneself; those that have done us wrong only rejoice in any anger or hurt we embrace! Babysteps again, but one foot in front of the other is still forward momentum towards walking an honorable path.

We love homeschooling!

For today anyway, lol!

Subjects covered today were regrouping addition, money math, algebra, distances, properties of matter, foreign language, reading, physical fitness, time management, responsibility--and all that in about 2 hours. :-D Yes some of it was just part of practical everyday life, but so much of our homeschooling does evolve from that.

Zachary learned about regrouping, how to properly write and add money amounts, and multiple digit addition. He was sorting and then counting the change that Dylan paid me (Dylan handled the responsibility lesson there by paying towards his fines for having soda, plates, and other food related items in his room, grrrr....)
While he was sorting the coins, he asked if he could write it all down. (ummm, I can't believe I missed that wide open sarcastic opening there, because I said yes he could) Here is his paper:

He figured out how to add the numbers by himself, in spite of the fact that we have not "officially" covered regrouping or multiple digit math in his math book. I decided to write it out for him (at the top) to show him how it would look if doing this "properly". It occurred to me that-DUH-we have the blocks, I could show him exactly why we place the numbers where we do when working the regrouping problems! (again, thanks to Steve Demme, Math-U-See:

47+35 (the colors didn't show up for the "Units", which are tan for the 7 and blue for the 5)

The sum of the Units is 12 (1 blue Ten and 2 orange Units)

We can't have a Ten in the Units house, so the Ten moves to the Tens house :)

Add the Tens together to get the final answer of 82

I absolutely love when I get to see things click for any of the kids; it is the most incredible, indescribable feeling to see in and feel from them that they really GET IT!

Mallory, who is just too cool for lapbooking now, began her Physical Science Notebooking from Hands of a Child **click here for more info** (Notebooking is simply using the same elements of a lapbook, without cutting them out and/or using pretty colors, cause we all know colors and cutting things out are SO 12 years old...)

Which brings me to Dylan---->

A picture's worth a thousand words, right? Need I say more??

TBH (I'm cool like that, using internet acronyms..you should see my Facebook pucker!) he is maintaining an A average in math, so I'll leave any further sarcasm to your own terribly sarcastic minds. :-O





I'm finishing this post tomorrow, which is actually today of course, but yesterday it was tomorrow. I can't pull the kids away from the tv, Zachary has yelled at anyone that sat on the couch with him, heard "there's nothing for breakfast/lunch" a minimum of 3 times as of 8:30, had to break up a wrestling match between the boys; yea, another typical day in our house of homeschooling. And yea, I'm still lovin' it.