Meal Planning, Homeschooling, and Allergen Free Recipes

If there is one hill I find I hard to scale in my homeschooling journey, it is meal time. I have a child with celiac disease and severe allergies to wheat, oats, peanuts, tree nuts, and seeds. I have another child who is gluten intolerant and my husband has celiac disease and is allergic to dairy. Yikes! What is a Mom to do? It takes time and budgeting to make sure safe meals appear on the table. We can't stop by the local fast food drive-thru or order pizza delivered - even on days when I would love to have an easy option. I remind myself that the children will probably be much healthier over all without eating out much and then I dive into planning our meals. Right now I have a three week system for each season. This means I make three weeks of meal plans for summer, fall, winter, and spring. Then we rotate through the three weeks of menu's for the summer months and then switch to the fall menu's and so on. This seems to work pretty well and I keep an open mind for special circumstances. For instance, my son's birthday is this coming week. I printed out a blank summer menu plan and revised this week to include his favorite snacks and his birthday meal picks on his special day. You can also plug in festivals and special events this way. I highly suggest coming up with a three (or four) week meal plan and then rotating them. A little work at the beginning can save a lot of sitting around wondering what to fix for dinner. I also shop sales by picking up doubles or triple of items we use a lot and saving them for the right week.  I am working on putting my grocery lists in the file with my menu's, so I can just print them out. Right now I am still just looking at the meal plan and jotting down what I need for the week. This isn't a brilliant and complicated meal planning idea, but it is a little something in my tool box of organizing my year. Bon Appetit! 

The Good Ole' Summertime

Here is the children's seasonal corner for summer. We have done some cleaning out and organizing and now we are putting things in order for the new school year. Some lessons have resumed to keep skills fresh, but "school proper" is set to officially start in August. Today Addie and I went over all of her classes and planned out her course of study. We both love school supplies and organizing. Things are moving quickly to a new school year, but some summer fun still remains. We celebrate Whit's birthday this month! Plans are coming together for a day of fun and frolic summer style. We are going to the summer movies tomorrow with friends. The theater has movies for a dollar on Tuesday, Wednesday and Thursday in the summer. Whit still has camp to look forward to at the end of the month. Plenty of summer remains, but we take time to get things ready for a great new year of homeschool.

The Rhythm of Planning Your Homeschool Year

There is an old saying that says if you aim at nothing, you will certainly hit it. I used to think that sounded boring, that if you always planned out what you would do and what you were aiming for, you might miss some essence of becoming that comes from being able to live in the moment and take a new path at any given time.

Now, I recognize that aiming for something means you can amble towards a destination, but still stop and smell the flowers (or even take a new path) on the way. One of the big obstacles to living life intentionally is thinking that things will just fall into place and that you will have the energy and inertia to make your intentions into a reality. I have found, that for me, too much of daily life comes at me and before you know it, I am living in a hurried state and have wandered into the busy-ness of things and have left my true intentions behind me.

Thus the need for planning. I am living a rhythm of planning right now. I marked off the last two weeks of June and the entire month of July as my planning season. This doesn't mean that I sit around planning all day, instead it means that I have slowed the calendar down for my family. We are not accepting as many play dates and activities right now. The children are still down for summer camp for a week in July, but we are careful to keep our interactions down to one or two things a week for the rest of the time.

I use this time to read and to think and to make notes. For the last several weeks, I have read ebooks on Waldorf education, listened to audio files and videos of lectures and conferences, and have surfed the internet for inspirational blogs and photos of the main lessons, daily rhythm, and age and stages that this year holds for me. I have also been doing some reading on the temperaments and how they relate to adult/child interactions. I haven't crammed the information, but have bitten off bite size pieces. I read and then make a few notes. Then I sleep on it. The next day, I may read my notes again and think about how to incorporate this into my life this year.
After a couple of weeks of mulching like this, I took out my calendar and wrote in all of the solid dates for the fall. I wrote in appointments, meetings, festivals and celebrations, etc.

Next, I have started looking up the main lesson topics in my library catalog and making a list of resources for each topic. I have also taken note of resources I already own and purchased a few things. 

Now I am ready to move to the next stage. I plan to spend the next couple of weeks planning out my main lessons and putting it all into my planner. I will still allow myself room to roam a bit, but I have found that in order to make my house and school run smoothly and keep the intentionality to our days, we need some planning and we need rhythm.

Finding Rhythm in the Home

It is June and my thoughts and energies turn to planning a new school year. It is time to think about the year ahead and what it will hold for our homeschool. I turn forty this year and while that may not seem to have anything to do with our household rhythm, stay with me for a moment. As I count down my last months of being in my thirties, I realize that turning forty has many things to recommend it. For one thing, I am more confident in my own body. Not in the physical sense so much as in the mental sense. I feel that I have reached a place that I can move ahead without as much second guessing myself. I have struggled to find a philosophy of education that I could embrace and that meshed with my beliefs and values. We have been very eclectic in our approach. I think this is a good thing. It has made the journey interesting and instructive, both in what works for us, and what definitely does not.

 

Thus, I embrace the Waldorf philosophy of rhythm instead of routine. Rhythm breathes and has a gentle boundary line. Routine is more strict and has less warmth to it. If rhythm is playdough, then routine is wooden blocks that must be stacked just so.  My children are not babies anymore, they have crossed the rainbow bridge into true childhood and are poised at adolescence. Does rhythm still have a place in our home? 

 

Last year we had a "breathing out" kind of pace. We attended a weekly cooperative with academic classes, participated in community theatre, and generally found ourselves out and about. It was fun and it was educational and it was tiring. Even though the children are now 13 and 9, they both agree with my husband and myself that it is time for a "breathing in" year.

 

I prepare for our new school year by first seeking out a new rhythm. I will no longer have access to a washer and dryer this year (starting this week), so laundry day will become more interesting. I must scout out the best laundry facility in the area for our weekly sojourn. With all of the food allergies here (gluten, sesame and other seeds, peanuts, tree nuts, and dairy), we need to find more time to bake and prepare things that will make life easier. The children and I all love to sew, so that could also be a place we need to schedule time. I am also tossing around the main lesson ideas, the Montessori materials, the math and Old Testament stories and the extra lessons in reading that I need to organize for my third grade son. My daughter, who is in middle school, is going to plan her own course this year. She is going to study Physical Science and Pre-Algebra. She is working on making up her own literature list, planning to research starting a small business and an Etsy site, and is also working on writing a novel. We have met a couple of times already and I am excited about her ideas for volunteering, community involvement, and the special projects she is planning.  I have really put in the blood, sweat, and tears on how we should do the upper middle and high years. There seems to be so much pressure locally to move into a more traditional and/or classical approach in these years. But, I see her blossoming and unfolding into such an amazing person. She has asked us for more unstructured time and for our blessing to seek out some of her own dreams this year instead of being busy in weekly out of the home classes - and isn't that what homeschool is all about? So we move forward and feel our way into the teenage years, but even so, there is rhythm.

 

I envision our week including a baking/cooking day, a laundry day, a sewing and mending day, a painting and/or art project day, an errand day, and a day of rest and contemplation. This leaves one day free. We will either make that a free day (so the other days can breath a bit), make it a visiting day, an extra study day, or a day of poetry and verse (complete with a poet's tea and poems read aloud). Of course, at least five of these days will also function as school days. This is our weekly rhythm, but our daily rhythm will be a bit more specific. I hope to journal here how we shape our daily rhythm and how it all comes together.

 

Happy Summertime,

Laura

Patio Pleasures

Spring is such a lovely time of year. My husband enjoys gardening on our city apartment patio and I enjoy sitting out there with a cup of coffee or tea, taking in the smell of magnolias blooming on the numerous trees around the balcony. There seems to be a magical quality to this season. Everything turns green and comes to life, including my imagination. It doesn't take much to transform even a small space into a secret garden of your own. Pull out those pots and potting soil and take to the outdoors... spring is here!

Literary Cupcakes

My daughter and I made these cupcakes for a recent end of the school year party. We printed out book covers (in miniature form) and made tiny books on sticks to put in the cupcakes. They were a big hit at the literary themed party for our homeschool group. I used the Namaste vanilla cake mix (allergen free) and marshmallow cream and cream cheese icing. They had a wonderful light texture and noone seemed to notice they were gluten and nut free.

Whit is Published in Kids In Print!

Whit was published in the yearly Kids In Print publication put out by our local library. His story about Talgres the Squirrel and how he saved his animal friends made page four!  Needless to say we are very proud of our budding author. Here he is at the book signing and reception with the graphic novelist/cartoonist, Chris Schweizer. He is also pictured here with some friends from our homeschooling group. Pictured from left to right is Blake (published for his photography work), Whit (my favorite author of wildlife fiction), Haylee (a budding poet), and Shelby (published for her artwork).  I would say he has a great circle of friends! Congratulations Whitman, on a fantastic literary beginning!

Watercolor Recipe Cards (aka What to do with all that artwork)

My children are prolific artists. They turn out quite a few masterpieces. We hang them on the walls, the refrigerator, and wherever else we can find a space. Here is the latest idea I had on how to use their art in the everyday and preserve it for years to come.

I cut their watercolor paper into half pages and used them for recipe cards! They are lovely and unique and perfect for perking up my kitchen. I am having them laminated. I will punch a hole in the corner and put then on a ring for easy access. I plan to hang them on a hook over my counter. The laminating will ensure they stay safe from splatters and stains.

These wet on wet paintings were done using the method described in Painting with Children by Brunhild Muller.
I always recommend real art supplies for children. A few real supplies and quality paper are better than flaky paint and cheap paper. There really is a big difference. Invest in a few good items and watch the art unfold!

*This would make a great gift for grandparents, etc.!*

Stories and Art Therapy for Healing

Children experience many bumps on their road, just as we do. Chronic illness or just a stomach flu can leave a child out of sorts and struggling to find their footing again. Too tired to run and play, and sick of the media machine, here is my son experimenting with wet on wet watercolors as a method of therapy.

We struggle with chronic illness at our house. My son has ulcerative colities, severe food allergies, asthma, celiac disease, and other issues to complete the mix of challenges. My husband also struggles with gut issues and recurring kidney stones. All of this can leave the sick and the well in our home feeling overwhelmed.

Sometimes, even when all is well physically, troubled feelings or general angst can also leave its mark. Here are two resources that I have found helpful when you need a creative outlet, a healing story, and some time to put things to right.

Healing Stories for Challenging Behaviour by Susan Perrow
This book is an excellent resource on storytelling and a wealth of information on putting together a plan of action for helping children iron out the rough spots of life.

Painting with Children by Brunhild Muller
Although this is a small book, it is my favorite resource on painting with children. The method laid out is simple and very easy to follow. I have experienced success with all ages of children (even teens) when using this wet on wet watercolor method.

Taken together, this is my prescription for restoring health to the spirit.

Walking the road of life is easier with good friends...

Dawson, Dahlia, Addie and Whit

Spies, Detectives, and Agents of Every Kind

Mysteries and secret missions abound at my house these days. My children are in the midst of mystery-mania. It always amazes me that despite the difference in my children's ages, they still seem to follow each other's interests. My seventh grader is enjoying reading Sherlock Holmes. This was a favorite of mine at about that age. My eight year old son is also into the Baker St. action, he loves the Jim Weiss recording of "Sherlock Holmes for Children" stories. Nancy Drew has also enjoyed a resurgence. The computer mystery games are a huge favorite. The children love to sit and do these together. The puzzles and clues are quite challenging - lots of educational value here. They have also checked out Nancy Drew mysteries for Addie to read to Whit. Even the Nancy Drew movie is a big hit with both of them. My older loves the fashion in the movie and has styled her own bag of tricks after Nancy's. My son loves the action!
The playmobile spy sets have also been big this year. Whit (my son) received these for his birthday and has really enjoyed the remote control car with spy camera. I must admit, it is cool.
Something that gets a lot of play time is Whit's spy gear. He has put together an outfit for dress up play and has gathered lots of gadgets to put in his spy bag (and old school type bag of mine). Invisible ink, black jacket and shades, a little theme music from the ipod (007 and Mission Impossible theme songs), and regular viewings of the Pink Panther cartoons seem to round out this spectrum of spy-dom. I love the smorgasbord - from Scotland Yard to cartoon antics, sleuthing and spying is super.