A new day

I think some people may have looked at me strangely when I did not celebrate profusely when Evan graduated with his masters degree. I knew he still had at least a full year (including a whole summer) of accounting classes to take to become eligible to sit for the CPA exam. Everyone kept asking me as the year of classes drew to a close if I was happy that it was over. I was not excited. I knew he had to study for the CPA exam. That is where we are. He has his Becker review course, and he told me that "they" tell him to expect it to take about 30 hours a week and to tell significant others to give them a break because it will be worth it. ;-) If only I hadn't been hearing that the past five years. Or more. ;-) No, really, I'm trying to be supportive. He came home for dinner tonight, stayed about an hour and a half, then went to a library to study since home is a bit too distracting. He said he'll be home by eleven. Three hours every week night and seven hours each day on the weekend is how he figures it. I'm hoping that he's overshot a little. However, I must say, I DO want him to pass all four tests the first time. If he does, October will probably be the end.
So here I am. I've been majorly emotional this weekend, almost despairing as I looked ahead at all the husband/daddy-less time. However, today I discovered the reason (probably) for the slightly over-dramatic reaction, so I am trying to think hopeful thoughts. I also got my floor mopped today, and that is BIG in my world. I feel like a different person if my floor is clean. I would honestly pay someone to come in once a week and mop my floor, especially since it never gets done that often (unless you count the hundreds of times a week I'm on my hands and knees cleaning up a mess that has been made). :-)
I also (while mopping my floor) made crepes with some sourdough starter that has been in my fridge for close to a month. My fridge is FULL right now, and something had to go. This starter was my "extra," and I kept forgetting to take it out and feed it. I even made a double batch of crepes because I had almost two cups of starter. And Evan loved them. ?? I'll use them to make breakfasts/lunches/snacks for the kids. They are so useful, really.
That's all, I suppose. Maybe I'll go watch a movie and knit. Or clean the bathrooms. :-@ I'm always so much more productive when he's not home. But I'd rather have him home. ;-)

I love this song.

Newsboys
When The Tears Fall lyrics

I've had questions, without answers
I've known sorrow, I have known pain
But there's one thing, that I'll cling to
You are faithful, Jesus You're true

When hope is lost, I'll call You Saviour
When pain surrounds, I'll call You healer
When silence falls, You'll be the song within my heart

In the lone hour of my sorrow
Through the darkest night of my soul
You surround me and sustain me
My defender, forevermore

When hope is lost, I'll call You Saviour
When pain surrounds, I'll call You healer
When silence falls, You'll be the song within my heart

And I will praise You, I will praise You
When the tears fall, still I will sing to You
And I will praise You, Jesus praise You
Through the suffering still I will sing

When hope is lost, I'll call You Saviour
When pain surrounds, I'll call You healer
When silence falls, You'll be the song within my heart

Oh yes, You are good to me
You've always been good to me
So trustworthy

When hope is lost, I'll call You Saviour
When pain surrounds, I'll call You healer
When silence falls, You'll be the song within my heart

And I will praise You, and I will praise You
When the tears fall, still I will sing to You
(I will sing to You) I will praise You,
Jesus praise You through the suffering
Still I will sing

How faithful and true
Sustain me through and through
You are hope and truth
You're my spring of living water
You're my spring of living water

In the lone hour of my sorrow

Like a well watered garden
Who springs never fail
Faithful and truth
Like a well watered garden
Like a spring that never fails
You're my spring and never fails

Kombucha

A friend had an extra "scoby" (symbiotic colony of bacteria and yeast - yummy), so I thought maybe I'd try to make some kombucha. It's been twelve days, and no new "baby" has formed, so I have no clue if I've done it right. I'm still waiting on my friend to get back to me on my questions. I did taste it, though, and it is very interesting. Right now it tastes like apple juice mixed with ginger ale (sort-of). All I did was brew black tea, add white sugar (supposedly the scoby eats all the sugar), and put the scoby on top. It's been fermenting for 12 days now. Hmmmm.
In other news, Evan loves my sourdough biscuits. I made some a few nights ago to go with soup, and I just put one by his plate. He ate it then said, "Wow, that was outstanding!" ;-) Yes, it made me happy. He still doesn't want sourdough pizza crust. And he will NOT taste the kombucha. ha ha ha

Currently I'm trying to get back into a monthly menu plan. I don't know that I ever completely got it down before, but over the holidays I was really going from week to week. I put two meals in the freezer this week just by splitting casseroles, eating one half and freezing the other (shepherd's pie and Mexican lasagna).
Nathan's school is going well, all fifteen minutes of it. :-) Well, it would probably be closer to an hour to two hours, depending on the day, if you added all the time I read to him outside of our Bible story. Of course, if you counted the time that I cook with him, talk to him about the water table, or show him how to measure with his tape measure, we could be talking a hefty amount of school time! :-D
Oh, I'm also going to be starting to work on his manners at the table. He isn't that bad whenever it's just us, but when other people come over he is not pleasant. I need to research something fun to do with him that includes being a gentleman and having manners. I guess I should be doing that right now. That, and researching the link between saturated fats and heart disease. Evan is convinced that I'm going to give him heart disease. My reply is that, if he gets heart disease, I will blame his stress level and lack of exercise. ;-)

P.S. This article made him feel better.

Sour dough

So, I've officially burned out my husband on sourdough. Poor thing. He says it smells rotten. :-) He likes the pancakes, crepes, and crackers, but he doesn't like the bread, pizza dough, or English muffins. Oh, he also liked the sourdough pasta I made. I guess I should give up the things he just doesn't like and move ahead. Or only have the kids and I eat them. ;-)
I made pasta again today, but it is just difficult to get it the right consistency for my extruder. I guess I should make the regular recipe to try to get the feel for the consistency.
I'm making kombucha. Evan is taking that really well, actually. I think he's curious. I told him not to look at it because it would gross him out, but he did anyway. He said that I'm crazy. ha Good thing I don't always take him seriously.
This month I am hoping to get back on schedule with Nathan's school work; I just really need a few hours without distraction to work on it, and I haven't gotten that yet. :-) We read like crazy, and Nathan is such a thinker. When it comes to sounding out words, though, he totally balks. I am going to take a very slow approach, but I'm really wondering if he's even ready. I've heard enough people talk about their children and reading that I'm not worried that he won't. I'm just worried he won't be reading on his daddy's schedule. And daddy is a little anal about such things. Okay, not a little. ha We've just seen some really bad homeschool examples set, and Evan is determined that I will not homeschool like that. I think the biggest problem is that I've done all the research and reading, and it all makes sense. He just pops his head into our world occasionally (like when he's not in school), and he freaks out because our world doesn't look like he thought it would. :0) If I take the time to really explain my philosophy to him, he seems to get it and relax.
My philosophy? Well, I suppose that, in regards to reading, I think that Nathan is already a well-read child. I was thinking about the books he has already had read to him, and it's quite a list. He loves it, though. His mind, his thinking, is being formed. He has a great vocabulary, and he uses it. He cannot read, though. But the physical act of reading will come when he is developmentally read for it. It's my job to constantly be on the look-out for his readiness. Every day we work on sounding out one word, two or three letters long. He still tries to add letters that aren't there or making ridiculously long words out of three letters. He often looks away while sounding out the word. He's not ready yet. But I really believe that it will come. If his mind is busy making other connections right now, I don't want to force the reading. I read in Endangered Minds that children who are taught the higher-level math skills at a young age will learn to do those equations. Their brains will force a path, no matter how crazy and crooked. However, that path will not be the easiest path, and it will require much mental effort (and often lack understanding) and that is always the path the brain will follow. If the children are taught the higher-level math skills when their brains are ready, their brains make simple paths because all they have to do is build on to what they already understand and what their brains are ready for. Goodness, that was hard to explain, and I'm not sure I did the best job explaining it. Long story short, I believe that when his brain is ready, he will take off. And he will love it. I know two moms whose boys did not learn to read until they were eight years old. By the time they were nine, they had read The Lord of the Rings trilogy. Of course, I doubt they had only had Cat in the Hat read to them up until that time. ;-)
Homeschooling is a huge responsibility. I have to be willing to stay alert. I have to know my child well enough to know when he is not ready for something as opposed to just being too lazy to put forth the effort to do it. But I'm happy because he would not be given the opportunity to learn at his developmental level in school. He would be forced to conform to whatever nonsense standards the schools put out there. He would also learn, like I did even in college, to work a system to get the desired results, which does not always entail learning or knowledge. Of course, I've said nothing about the highest reason why I homeschool; this is just one of the many reasons.
Goodness, I think I've said enough. I wonder how much of this I will agree with in a year. ;-) I'll say this, though, I am so excited to be able to walk this road with my kids. That's why I love the Charlotte Mason philosophy: it involves all of life, created through Him and for Him. There is a purpose. :-) If my kids get that point, I'll be happy.

That time of year

The time of year when I get a little sad and take to writing in my "me-blog." Now THAT is sad. ;-)
Nicholas would be three this December. I cannot imagine having a three-year-old along with Nathan. I think the holidays make it even worse because I feel like my kids are alone, especially Nathan. He gets so rambunctious with so many people around and no other kids, so this week we sent him in the backyard to play and run off some of his energy. I looked outside, and he just looked so lonely (probably more my perspective than his), and I couldn't help wondering what could have been. I probably wouldn't really think about it had I not been expecting him to have a little brother to run around and play with.
Well, that's about all. :-)

Quickly...

Just thought I'd pop my head (figuratively, of course) into the blog and say hi. :-) I'm still my same ol' weird self. Still drinking raw milk, still nursing my child (who is over a year), still cloth diapering (though not at night b/c we're having rash issues), and still homeschooling...somewhat. See? Still weird. Still here. ;-)
My new "thing" lately has been sourdough. I am having so much fun with it! I signed up for an e-course about sourdough (gnowfglins.com), and I have really enjoyed it. I've made all sorts of things, but my favorites so far are the crackers, pancakes, and English muffins!
I think my next thing may be trying to make my own elderberry syrup for the winter. :-}
Well, I said quickly, and I meant quickly!! ha ha
Ta ta!!

One day at a time

That is going to be my motto for the next few months. :-)
I have had such a hard time lately keeping up with everything. It seems that the bathrooms always need to be cleaned, the floors always need to be mopped, and there are still several million things that I feel I should be doing.
Yesterday I did a bunch of cooking/baking so I can feel like I'm starting out Evan's semester with some back ups in the freezer. :-) I made pumpkin chocolate chip muffins, peach jam, chicken broth (by the way, don't put too much warm broth in the freezer at one time...), stuffed manicotti shells, and cooked pork (for fried rice). I still have to make a big batch of chili. I blend it and use it for chili-cheese toast, frito pie, and hot dogs. It's very nice to have in the freezer for quick meals. I really need to go through my freezers because I just don't have much space. I have lots of deer meat still, so that takes a lot space. I haven't figured out if it's okay to thaw, cook, and re-freeze meat. I should look it up.
I'm still working with Nathan on his vowels, but our school time is anything but school-ish. We've been known to do everything but the reading while I'm doing dishes. I just started putting the vowel magnets on the fridge, and we review them while I'm working in the kitchen.
One last thing, we joined a farm! ha We bought a membership (you can work it off, but I'm not even going to try that this year), and then we pick our own produce and buy it for very low prices. The farm has hoop houses, so we'll have something to pick almost year round. And it's all natural; no pesticides or chemical things are put on the crops. I've gone a couple of times, and I think I'm really going to like it. We get grocery shopping and nature time done at the same time! :-) And Nathan loves to help me pick. We also can get our eggs right down the road, and our farm also sells raw milk!! I was very blessed to find this place.