Category: Mama’s Kitchen

Our Homeschool Day: October 18, 2017

Published on by Susie @ Pollywog's Place Blog2 Comments

Well today has been a good day so far. It’s been very busy with everything that comes along with running a household, homeschooling six kiddos, managing the social media for a couple of clubs, and just keeping up with stuff.

My four year old has been begging for something to cut and glue while the five year old is preparing plans for a time travel trip and questioning about what foods would be best to take along and how many clothes he should pack…lol.

My younger girls are always coming up with ideas for new games and often put their younger brothers up to mischievous shenanigans… while my fourteen year old special needs son is pretty much just into any number of things at any moment. He really loves building things with Legos and drawing on paper. This morning I found the spelling packet that I had searched all last week for in his cubby… he had ‘found’ it on the bookshelf and drew all over it.

Big sister is finishing up her high school year and trying to focus on different paths she wants to pursue after she finished her schooling.

The kids are down for quiet time at the moment and I am writing this as I submit some scholarship reimbursements… we are so thankful to have this Step Up For Students Scholarship that allows me to homeschool my special needs son and provide him with a very unique educational experience that is tailored to his specific needs.

We did our regular chores as well as our weekly chores like washing sheets and washing  whites… one load of which is still in the dryer… did I set the timer? Hmmm…. well anyways I’ll check on those in a bit. My mind goes in so many directions at any given time it can be a bit scary. That is part of the reason I cling to my routines as much as I do, otherwise I’d have a half a dozen half started/half finished projects going all the time.

For school we are still using Easy Peasy All in One Homeschool for the majority of our studies. The younger boys finished up the Getting Ready 1 & 2 last year and are currently working on the McGuffey Primer section. My special needs son also works alongside the younger ones and I do give him a few other activities to work on and reinforce new skills.

The little boys crave knowledge right now so they are also using the Discovery K12 site as well for the Kindergarten and 1st grade levels. They really enjoy the videos and crafts. It is amazing the amount of information that they actually retain and can repeat back to me. Today they did a cutting craft to go along with the 12345 Once I Caught A Fish Alive song. This seemed to satisfy everyone’s artistic cravings and gave them plenty of fine motor skills practice.

The girls are also using Easy Peasy All in One Homeschool for the third and fourth grade levels. Both of the girls are doing the third grade math as the older one didn’t seem to be grasping all the concepts when we moved to the fourth grade level this year. Most of their other studies are pretty similar so I have been combining some activities like writing poems and such together.  We also use the spelling lists and activities found here.

We are using Easy Peasy All in One Homeschool Year 3 – Level L for our group studies like History, Science, PE, and Music. I have started doing these studies on Fridays. Right now the kids are really enjoying our ‘travels’ and we will be visiting Greece this week. We are enjoying the ‘Top Secret’ magazines by Highlights to go along with these travels. I just purchased these passports, stickers, and stamps as well and I am really excited to use them.

As far as group activities we have began our Morning/Circle Time routine again. We do this as a group and it includes a variety of activities like the Pledge of Allegiance, Morning Prayer, and art studies. Right now we are learning about ‘The Maids of Honor’ painted by Diego Velasquez. This is from a Fine Arts Bundle I purchased a few years ago. It is surprising how easily you can expose your children to this information and they will learn it on their own. The laminated picture along with some facts is posted at eye level on a bulletin board above the toy storage.

We are also using Our Daily Bread for Kids as our Bible study right now. It has a daily section to read with a bible verse, fun fact, and short passage to read. We also have the coloring book to go along with it but honestly I am not sure where it is at the moment.

The kids are also learning some Shakespeare. We really enjoy ‘How To Teach Your Children Shakespeare‘ by Ken Ludwig. Even the four year old is able to recite it back to me!

I have been using ‘Manners Matter‘ as a guideline for teaching some manners and things that I feel need to be taught. A Word A Day is also in our Morning Basket and helps introduce the kids to new words as well as Brain Quest cards for the littlest ones.  These help them develop logical skills and some problem solving too.

Sometimes I wonder if what we do is enough or is it too much… Are they getting enough information? Are they getting enough variety? Will they look back on this time and have happy memories? Will they even remember any of the lessons I am trying so hard to teach them?

Well, amidst my pondering, computer work, and blogging I have had one telemarketer call, a visitor, and a nice chat with a dear friend who is still dealing with hurricane aftermath. She also, unknowingly, let me know that God has been working and that he has answered one of my prayers that has been on my heart for the past few days.

Now quiet time is about over and the clothes are still in the dryer… I also need to get my Crockpot Tortellini Soup in the crockpot… one thing at a time and it’ll all get done.

My friend also reminded me that the best way to teach children is by example. They will learn what they need to learn. I don’t need to stress over what we got done or didn’t get done. Just worry about today and what is in front of you right now. Give your worries to God and he will take care of it and provide you with what you need when you need it.

I hope you all have a blessed day!

 

Note: I did go with a pink outfit yesterday, as pictured, because after getting a reminder from someone else and checking my calendar I saw that we had planned to wear pink in honor of Breast Cancer Awareness… and everyone looked so pretty in pink!

 

 

Getting Back to Routines

Published on by Susie @ Pollywog's Place Blog1 Comment

I think it was last Tuesday when I wrote my last blog post, Getting Back to My Morning Routine, where did time go? It seems the older I get the faster it slips away.

Anyway we are still working on getting back to routines here. I do believe the laundry has been caught up, for now that is. Routines are coming more natural now as we continue to settle in. I am gradually adding a few more things to our routine schedule and trying not to get too overwhelmed. If it isn’t working then we make changes.

For instance last week the porch was really bothering me …. it still does for that matter. I had added it to my ‘Hot Spot’ list along with the table, the command center, and a few other areas that seem to be clutter collectors. The hardest part of living in a small home for me has to be the speed at which clutter overtakes things. This means I probably need to get rid of more stuff and teach everyone to put away the stuff when they finish using it.

Getting back to the porch, one area of the porch was sectioned off and tarped to use as a makeshift storage area for things that just wouldn’t fit in the house. Well, the intentions were to to close in the porch and turn it into a utility/storage room. Hurricane Irma hit before we could really get any progress made on that and caused us to delay those plans. Unfortunately, some of the stuff got wet and therefore needs to be gotten rid of. I have realized that some of the other stuff is really just stuff and not that important to me and I am trying to get rid of it.

Sighhh…. if only I had one day to dedicate to it I could probably do away with most of it and find homes for the rest of it. Then there would be space to actually make it an utility room or do something else there. For now I am going to keep my goal of 10 items/day and do what I can because every little bit is progress towards my goal.

That was a rather ambitious goal and I think I have managed to put three boxes of stuff in my truck to take to Goodwill. I also found some of my exercise equipment and made a temporary home inside for it… haven’t actually used it but I’m working on getting that back in my routine.

Another area on that Hot Spot list are the bookshelves. I am a firm believer that you can never have too many books, unless you live in a tiny space that just can’t handle it. Books are really hard for me to get rid of and I really am trying. My goal for these areas are one shelf a day. I also realized that some of the kiddie books are on a shelf that is not easily accessible to them and some of my more important books are a little too easily accessible for them… lol. I will be swapping some of that stuff around as well.

As far as our normal routines we are doing pretty well.

Today I caught up on my ‘weekly routines‘ (they may have changed a bit since that post) like scrubbing my kitchen sink (watch for that post coming soon) and cleaning out the fridge (post coming) and microwave. The FLyLady zone this week is in the bathroom so I have been doing a little extra work there and will probably put out some posts soon.

We’ve also worked on our ‘daily routines’ like laundry and such. I have chicken in the crockpot for Crockpot Italian Chicken and the kids are down for ‘quiet time’. I figured out how to upload pics from iphone to my laptop and now I am working on getting caught up on a couple of blog posts.

I must say I am proud of the kids and myself for being able to stay on routine as well as we did and for adjusting as well as they have. We have had our days, like yesterday, when I wonder if this move was really for the best. The kids were super cranky with a cold and I cried for awhile as I had to throw away some food because a freezer had gotten unplugged.

In my heart I know this was a good decision and that life will get easier as we go. It is so easy to doubt ourselves and lose faith when things get rough. I have to remember that God has a plan and that sometimes His plan includes runny noses, grouchy kids, and spoiled food.

Our little house may be old and dusty. There are cobwebs in the corners and plenty of things that need done. Our house is full of love though and we are working one day at a time to make it our home. I am hoping that by sharing our progress it will help to motivate others who may not be happy with where they are and help them to find contentment wherever they are.

We don’t need a new house or shiny new appliances. We may want them but that is something totally different than needing them. I am thankful for what the Lord has blessed us with and hope to help others feel that way too.

Note: If you read last week’s post you will see that I chose to wear purple last week as you can see in the picture… lol… today the kids think I should wear pink.

 

 

Getting Back To My Morning Routine

Published on by Susie @ Pollywog's Place Blog1 Comment

Hey everyone! I’m slowly getting back to routines and really hope to start blogging on a more regular basis. This move has really been crazy but as things are settling down we are starting to get back to our routines, and changing them as needed.

Just wanted to give you all a peek into our morning routine today and share some of what we’ve been up to. Continue reading “Getting Back To My Morning Routine” →

Keeper of the Home: Cleaning Your Smooth Top Stove

Published on by Susie @ Pollywog's Place Blog1 Comment

Today’s FlyLady mission was to check our stoves and ovens for things that shouldn’t be there. Once clearing off items that shouldn’t be there you should wipe down the stove.

Well, that kinda motivated me to give my stovetop (the oven will be a project for another day) a good cleaning. I’ve never had a smooth top stove so this is a new experience for me.

I did a little research on google and reading several posts and suggestions I decided on the following method. (I have another method linked below that I will try the next time around.) This is something you could get the kids involved in as this is one of those practical life skills that they will eventually need to know.

You will need:

  • white vinegar
  • baking soda
  • cleaning rags/paper towel
  • elbow grease

First off, this stove is not new and it did have some prior scratches and plenty of stuck on stuff. I also forgot to take a picture prior to beginning the process but this is a google image of what it resembled:

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My first step was to wipe the stove down with white vinegar. I then sprinkled baking soda on the stove and covered it with wet paper towels. I let this sit for 20 – 30 minutes. (You could also let this sit overnight and possibly not need to scrub as much as I did.)

During this time I filled my dishpan with hot soapy water and I took the knobs off of the stove. I let the knobs (and the spoons that were hanging above the stove) soak while the stovetop was being cleaned.

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During the time everything was sitting and soaking I was back and forth between helping the kids with school work, cleaning the bathroom, laundry, and other household tasks.

Once this part was cleaned to my satisfaction (not to perfection) I wiped the knobs down and dried them well. (If you have to scrub them be careful not to scrub the lettering off.) I then placed them back on the stove. So shiny! (A little wipe down with vinegar will give you this shine.)

Now to the stovetop. I started by taking up the paper towels and wiping most of the baking soda off.

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Next I took a purple rag with the grooved side down and used a bit of elbow grease to start scrubbing on the stuck on stuff.

Once it was cleaned to my satisfaction I got a clean rag and wiped it down again using the smooth side of the rag, making sure to get in the edges and cracks. You can use a little vinegar to get it nice and shiny too.

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It’s not perfect but it is way better than it was before I started. Here is a pic of what the area looks like after I completed the FlyLady mission (I moved some aprons I had near the stove as they could be a fire hazard).

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I think it is important to be a good steward of what we have been blessed with no matter how new or old it is. You don’t have to keep things spotless nor do you have to go on a frenzy and clean everything from top to bottom.

Don’t let yourself get overwhelmed! I know how easy it is to get that way and how easily being overwhelmed can cause you to just give up. Trust me, this recent move has almost had me ready to throw my hands up and cry a couple of times.

Just start on one thing at a time. Little by little you will get there. Today I just cleaned the stove top and I will do the oven on another day. Don’t stress over perfection either.

Each day you will make progress and if you get your routines set up you’ll be spending less and less time on cleaning. Ex: Get in the habit of clearing the stove of anything that doesn’t belong every night and give it a quick wipe. This will keep it clutter free so you can use it and will help to keep it cleaner.

Yesterday I cleaned out the trash can. Not that anyone really notices that I did it but I know I did and it made me feel that I had accomplished something. Regularly cleaning it out keeps it from getting stinky too.

I put it in the shower and sprayed it down with hot water. I did use a little bleach in it and let that sit while I cleaned the bathroom. I then rinsed it out well and let it dry before returning it to the kitchen.

Tomorrow will probably be the inside of the refrigerator. Here’s a peek of the before:

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Happy housekeeping!

Here is the link to method I will try the next time I clean my stove top.

Do It Yourself Glass Stove Top Cleaner! Only THREE Ingredients!

Deep-Fried Pork Chops

Published on by Susie @ Pollywog's Place Blog3 Comments

I haven’t been making these as often as my family would like but I did get enough requests that I made them tonight and everyone loved them. You could also fry them in a skillet on the stove if you like.

You might also like to try out All-Purpose Breader for a healthier alternative.

Continue reading “Deep-Fried Pork Chops” →