Amirah: Can we go outside and draw on the deck?
Mama: Sure! (thinking it's nice to be outside and drawing)
30 minutes later, the deck is covered in lots of lovely pen drawings. Oops. Semantic misunderstanding.
Monday, September 14, 2009
Quote of the Week
Raizel (after watching New in Town): My favorite part was when the little lady went outside and said, "Oooooooo it's cold" and he went back inside for warm.
Sunday, September 13, 2009
This Last Week
It's been quite a week. I can only give the Reader's Digest version, or I'll be here typing all night. So here it is in backwards chronological order.
First, baruch dayan ha'emet. The end of shabbat brought the news that my husband's stepfather passed away this afternoon, at the age of 81, peacefully of a heart attack in the arms of his wife, surrounded by his beloved dogs. The funeral will be on Monday morning, and Dean will be going down tomorrow afternoon. May his mother be comforted among all the mourners of Tzion.
Second, baruch hashem no one was hurt, but the canvas rooftop carrier we use on the car either broke or became loose and flew off while we were on the freeway. B"H it flew off towards the center divider and didn't fly over it, and B"H it didn't fly off the other direction. Within an hour we had ODOT going out to search for the carrier for us, but to no avail. We went to the State Police office and they had not retrieved it either. So, back we went to the freeway to see for ourselves. It was gone. But several of the contents were strewn along the opposite side of the freeway. First my two pillows, then papa's, then Amirah's beloved pink-striped pillow (which brought many tears). A little later, Dean's sleeping bag (took them a while to reject that one!). They must have kept the rest of the STOLEN property. A long delay that led to us not getting home until 6:00 (and shabbat started at 7:15!!). But the important thing - no one was hurt. It will cost $400 to replace all that we lost, but that's small potatoes. I am curious to check out Craigslist in Springfield, and I think I'll go ahead and file a stolen property report. Can't hurt... But probably won't help either. OY!
And last, the camping trip itself was lovely. The tent was very spacious for us and our things. The weather was beautiful. Amirah tried fishing (no fish). We visited the little lake at our campground every afternoon and went out on various adventures each morning. It was really a lovely little week there.
Lots to do now, but that's our quick update. Wishing ima much love and comfort. Good night!
First, baruch dayan ha'emet. The end of shabbat brought the news that my husband's stepfather passed away this afternoon, at the age of 81, peacefully of a heart attack in the arms of his wife, surrounded by his beloved dogs. The funeral will be on Monday morning, and Dean will be going down tomorrow afternoon. May his mother be comforted among all the mourners of Tzion.
Second, baruch hashem no one was hurt, but the canvas rooftop carrier we use on the car either broke or became loose and flew off while we were on the freeway. B"H it flew off towards the center divider and didn't fly over it, and B"H it didn't fly off the other direction. Within an hour we had ODOT going out to search for the carrier for us, but to no avail. We went to the State Police office and they had not retrieved it either. So, back we went to the freeway to see for ourselves. It was gone. But several of the contents were strewn along the opposite side of the freeway. First my two pillows, then papa's, then Amirah's beloved pink-striped pillow (which brought many tears). A little later, Dean's sleeping bag (took them a while to reject that one!). They must have kept the rest of the STOLEN property. A long delay that led to us not getting home until 6:00 (and shabbat started at 7:15!!). But the important thing - no one was hurt. It will cost $400 to replace all that we lost, but that's small potatoes. I am curious to check out Craigslist in Springfield, and I think I'll go ahead and file a stolen property report. Can't hurt... But probably won't help either. OY!
And last, the camping trip itself was lovely. The tent was very spacious for us and our things. The weather was beautiful. Amirah tried fishing (no fish). We visited the little lake at our campground every afternoon and went out on various adventures each morning. It was really a lovely little week there.
Lots to do now, but that's our quick update. Wishing ima much love and comfort. Good night!
Monday, September 7, 2009
We're Off!
This family is headed out for a much-needed vacation in the early morning tomorrow. We are all so much looking forward to this one, especially since for a while we weren't sure we'd be going at all, due to uncertainties at DH's work. B"H that has resolved, and we will squeak in this trip before his academic schedule goes crazy.
It's been a pretty good week. Visits with grandma and grandpa sprinkled through the last couple of weeks, processing the last of the summer fruits and pickles, making plum liqueur for channukah, taking a two-week learning time vacation (and what did the kids do this morning? design their own learning time!), doing a little bit more decluttering (we're truly almost getting down to having not a single item of clutter), playing games with the kids, LOTS of drawing time, anticipating the upcoming holidays and the new year, preparing food for our trip so while we're on it I really have a cooking vacation and meals can magically appear in just a few minutes, reading from the Legends of Ga'Hoole series, baking with the kids (they love this!)...
Everyone is very excited to be going camping tomorrow. Our first time with everyone in a tent, so they're especially excited. The last few years we've just done yurts.
After we get back we're planning to get ready for the holidays, go apple picking, get back to our learning time, and finish the cooking for Rosh Hashanah. I'm really looking forward to the fall holidays. It's a sweet time of year. We'll have a couple of people for first night of RH, then have a big crowd (and growing bigger!) for lunch. Second day, we'll all trudge down the hill and go to shul, then to friends for lunch. Should be a lovely weekend! And for sukkot we have a little work to do. We really didn't think we'd be here for another sukkot, so we used the lattice from our former sukkah on the bottom half of the deck when we fixed the house up. :) We'll be putting together a new structure this year! There was a great sale on tarps at Bimart last week, so hopefully those will work and we'll figure out the rest. OY.
Hope everyone has a great week!
It's been a pretty good week. Visits with grandma and grandpa sprinkled through the last couple of weeks, processing the last of the summer fruits and pickles, making plum liqueur for channukah, taking a two-week learning time vacation (and what did the kids do this morning? design their own learning time!), doing a little bit more decluttering (we're truly almost getting down to having not a single item of clutter), playing games with the kids, LOTS of drawing time, anticipating the upcoming holidays and the new year, preparing food for our trip so while we're on it I really have a cooking vacation and meals can magically appear in just a few minutes, reading from the Legends of Ga'Hoole series, baking with the kids (they love this!)...
Everyone is very excited to be going camping tomorrow. Our first time with everyone in a tent, so they're especially excited. The last few years we've just done yurts.
After we get back we're planning to get ready for the holidays, go apple picking, get back to our learning time, and finish the cooking for Rosh Hashanah. I'm really looking forward to the fall holidays. It's a sweet time of year. We'll have a couple of people for first night of RH, then have a big crowd (and growing bigger!) for lunch. Second day, we'll all trudge down the hill and go to shul, then to friends for lunch. Should be a lovely weekend! And for sukkot we have a little work to do. We really didn't think we'd be here for another sukkot, so we used the lattice from our former sukkah on the bottom half of the deck when we fixed the house up. :) We'll be putting together a new structure this year! There was a great sale on tarps at Bimart last week, so hopefully those will work and we'll figure out the rest. OY.
Hope everyone has a great week!
Friday, September 4, 2009
The Menu
B"H, it's shabbos!!! Here's the menu...
challah
oven-fried chicken
roast cauliflower
red cabbage with apples and onions
carrot turnip soufflé
steamed corn
mashed potatoes
brownies
and for lunch...
zucchini quiche
tofu macaroni and cheese
tomato mozzarella sandwiches
So looking forward to shabbos. It's been a whirlwhind couple of weeks between waiting with bated breath to hear news about Dean's employment, having grandma and grandpa here, and getting all the food and equipment together for our upcoming camping trip. A bit tired, and looking forward to those shabbos naps! And *really* looking forward to getting away for a few days and just playing before coming home and focusing in on kodesh studies (and cooking!) to prepare for all the upcoming holidays. Can't believe they're rapidly approaching!
Love to all, and good shabbos!
challah
oven-fried chicken
roast cauliflower
red cabbage with apples and onions
carrot turnip soufflé
steamed corn
mashed potatoes
brownies
and for lunch...
zucchini quiche
tofu macaroni and cheese
tomato mozzarella sandwiches
So looking forward to shabbos. It's been a whirlwhind couple of weeks between waiting with bated breath to hear news about Dean's employment, having grandma and grandpa here, and getting all the food and equipment together for our upcoming camping trip. A bit tired, and looking forward to those shabbos naps! And *really* looking forward to getting away for a few days and just playing before coming home and focusing in on kodesh studies (and cooking!) to prepare for all the upcoming holidays. Can't believe they're rapidly approaching!
Love to all, and good shabbos!
Tuesday, September 1, 2009
Weekday Menus
Sunday
salmon, roasted zucchini, chick pea millet salad, arugula salad with marinated goat cheese
Monday
hamburgers and french fries (neither frugal nor healthy, but after the week-long wait to find out about our continued income, it was worth it!!)
salmon, roasted zucchini, chick pea millet salad, arugula salad with marinated goat cheese
Monday
hamburgers and french fries (neither frugal nor healthy, but after the week-long wait to find out about our continued income, it was worth it!!)
Monday, August 31, 2009
Self-Portraits
For grandpa's birthday, the kids each did a self-portrait. Avi's portrait was a collaborative effort. We sure had fun with these!
Weekday Menus
Sunday:
roasted leg quarters
spinach salad (w/olive oil, salt, lemon juice)
steamed barley and millet with roasted vegetables
Monday:
crock pot special!
I went through the refrigerator and pulled out anything that could be thrown in the crock pot - barley, millet, steak bones, chili, zucchini, carrots, onions, celery, balsamic vinegar, salt - and I hoped for the best. We actually LIKED it! Wow! Even the kids! WOW!
Tuesday:
crepes and eggs
Wednesday:
wedding food!
Thursday:
birthday dinner for grandpa
lasagna, garlic bread, salad, angel food cake, blackberry whip
roasted leg quarters
spinach salad (w/olive oil, salt, lemon juice)
steamed barley and millet with roasted vegetables
Monday:
crock pot special!
I went through the refrigerator and pulled out anything that could be thrown in the crock pot - barley, millet, steak bones, chili, zucchini, carrots, onions, celery, balsamic vinegar, salt - and I hoped for the best. We actually LIKED it! Wow! Even the kids! WOW!
Tuesday:
crepes and eggs
Wednesday:
wedding food!
Thursday:
birthday dinner for grandpa
lasagna, garlic bread, salad, angel food cake, blackberry whip
An Annulled Decree
It is with tremendous gratitude to Hashem that I let you all know that we have received the news that my dear husband will NOT be laid off next month. Thank you all for your tefillos and your support. This was an extremely difficult week, and I am thankful that this is the worst that we have experienced. I am also very thankful for my husband, children, extended family, and friends. I am thankful for all I have every moment of the day. I am thankful for "beans and rice, rice and beans." I am thankful for the everyday joys that take place in this house. And I KNOW the kids are thankful that our annual camping trip can now proceed as planned next week. We are so much looking forward to just some nice, relaxing family vacation time. OY! And I will continue to daven for those who are looking for work, known and unknown to me. Much of this year has really caused me to greatly deepen my eternal gratitude for all that we have and for all that we are capable of. Be very kind to each other.
Sunday, August 30, 2009
Calm Has Been Restored
DH and I are both feeling remarkably calm now. In less than two days we may get what is some of the worst possible news, but we also now have a basic plan of how we will go about handling it. (I only pray that we DO get news, and not just silence...) Having a plan, and seeing that that plan is very doable we're feeling fine about things. Shabbat was really lovely. Great companionship Friday night, and just us Saturday. I took a nice walk with Eli and Amirah just before sunset. I know adversity can really bring up disharmony in some marriages, but B"H every time DH and I have gone through a challenge it only unites us. We are so absolutely yachad (together/in unity), and I am so very glad I married him. In good times, and challenging ones, that main undercurrent of utter gratitude is always at the forefront. And so it continues even now. I wouldn't trade one minute of this life. B"H.
Great Snack
We have enjoyed these from time to time and each time I get around to making them I know I have to make them more often (and DH ardently agrees). Everyone likes them, and they're a perfect balance of carb, protein, and fat.
Here's the recipe...
CRUNCHY CHICK PEAS
2 cups cooked chick peas
2 T canola oil
salt to taste
Preheat oven to 400º. Spread chick peas out on baking sheet and coat with the oil and salt. Bake for 30-40 minutes until medium brown and crunchy. You can also just turn off the heat after 30 minutes and leave them in the warm oven to finish drying. Don't store these in a jar with a lid or they'll lose some of their crunch. YUM!
Here's the recipe...
CRUNCHY CHICK PEAS
2 cups cooked chick peas
2 T canola oil
salt to taste
Preheat oven to 400º. Spread chick peas out on baking sheet and coat with the oil and salt. Bake for 30-40 minutes until medium brown and crunchy. You can also just turn off the heat after 30 minutes and leave them in the warm oven to finish drying. Don't store these in a jar with a lid or they'll lose some of their crunch. YUM!
Friday, August 28, 2009
The Menu
challah
baba ghanouj
roasted red pepper salad
chickpea millet salad
roasted chicken with plum sauce
roasted balsamic cabbage
Greek oven-roasted potatoes
peach pie
mango sorbet
and roasted turkey breast sandwiches for lunch
Good shabbos to you all and may Hashem hear all of our tefillos!
baba ghanouj
roasted red pepper salad
chickpea millet salad
roasted chicken with plum sauce
roasted balsamic cabbage
Greek oven-roasted potatoes
peach pie
mango sorbet
and roasted turkey breast sandwiches for lunch
Good shabbos to you all and may Hashem hear all of our tefillos!
Thursday, August 27, 2009
Dodging Bullets
We may have dodged half a bullet today, but still no final word. We're hoping to hear good news by Monday. At the very least, this has all caused me to finely hone my super-frugal drive and I will keep at it. I felt much better this morning in general. More like I had my head solidly on my shoulders rather than spinning in circles. No matter what, we can do this. Even if it means selling the house. Even if we had to live in a 2-bedroom apartment. Because the only things that ultimately matter is having the six of us together, under one roof, with enough to eat, living a torahdik life.
Someone asked me yesterday if I ever regretted being a one-income family, because it increases financial risk if unemployment should occur. The answer was a whole-hearted NO. It has never even occurred to us to become a dual income family. In the very worst situation, I might add some piano students in the hours after Dean comes home from work, and B"H I can make a very good hourly income that way. Income can be managed one way or another to meet our needs, even if by the skin of our teeth. What can't ever be replaced is that time with our children, gently molding their neshamas, guiding their yetzer hatov, and helping them to be "honor students" (students that have honor). They are growing stronger roots than any money could buy. And because an adult is in the home making the home a home—a peaceful, holy refuge—this home has a palpable heartbeat. It is a living thing, full of Hashem's shechina. No amount of money could create such a refuge.
Someone asked me yesterday if I ever regretted being a one-income family, because it increases financial risk if unemployment should occur. The answer was a whole-hearted NO. It has never even occurred to us to become a dual income family. In the very worst situation, I might add some piano students in the hours after Dean comes home from work, and B"H I can make a very good hourly income that way. Income can be managed one way or another to meet our needs, even if by the skin of our teeth. What can't ever be replaced is that time with our children, gently molding their neshamas, guiding their yetzer hatov, and helping them to be "honor students" (students that have honor). They are growing stronger roots than any money could buy. And because an adult is in the home making the home a home—a peaceful, holy refuge—this home has a palpable heartbeat. It is a living thing, full of Hashem's shechina. No amount of money could create such a refuge.
Bleah
Not sure what to say exactly other than to come right out with it. We just found out yesterday that Dean is likely to be laid off by September 30. There's still a chance he will be the one employee kept beyond that date, but it doesn't look good. They laid off half of his department in June, and now suddenly it seems the rest are to follow suit.
I alternate between shock, fright, and levelheadedness. I have no idea what the future holds. I have no idea how we'll manage until another job comes through (soon, please, Hashem). I have no ideas at all. I went to a wedding today, and as I stood in the room with all the dancing the juxtaposition of my stressful internal state with the whirling dancers and happy laughter were completely overwhelming. I quickly had to excuse myself from the friend I was talking to and go to the restroom. I numbly interacted with people, but did not feel very present. I was really hoping the happy occasion would be a good antidote. It wasn't.
Most amazing of all is my dear husband who, despite having feelings that must be very like my own, was able to play with the kids and make them laugh and make them feel that everything was the same as it was last week. Tomorrow I want to be more like him. And celebrate grandpa's birthday! Good night.
I alternate between shock, fright, and levelheadedness. I have no idea what the future holds. I have no idea how we'll manage until another job comes through (soon, please, Hashem). I have no ideas at all. I went to a wedding today, and as I stood in the room with all the dancing the juxtaposition of my stressful internal state with the whirling dancers and happy laughter were completely overwhelming. I quickly had to excuse myself from the friend I was talking to and go to the restroom. I numbly interacted with people, but did not feel very present. I was really hoping the happy occasion would be a good antidote. It wasn't.
Most amazing of all is my dear husband who, despite having feelings that must be very like my own, was able to play with the kids and make them laugh and make them feel that everything was the same as it was last week. Tomorrow I want to be more like him. And celebrate grandpa's birthday! Good night.
Tuesday, August 25, 2009
Specifics on PreK Education
Here are the specific books I've enjoyed using for PreK:
MATH
We use Saxon Math for Kindergarten. I originally got the K-3 manipulatives set, the teacher's manual, and the meeting book. There's no separate workbook for kindergarten. The meeting book is mostly calendar work and some pattern stuff and a couple of other things. I ended up not using it at all. The manipulatives are very good, especially pattern blocks. Soaking up those pattern blocks and just creating patterns and images with them is great pre-math work. The math book is a bit expensive because the entire program is scripted. I found it overkill for me, but the activities are really good. After this, switching to Singapore Math's Kindergarten program was really great. And much less expensive!!
ALPHABET
I got a copy of Spectrum Phonics for Kindergarten in the discount bin at the local teaching store. It's been pretty good. We've focused mostly on the letter sound activities and not taking the writing assignments seriously. I've also used several $2-4 books from the teacher store whose titles I don't remember. Pretty much anything will do. I might check out the Saxon Phonics books if I wanted to spend the money, but for this kind of thing I think cheap is the way to go. :)
READING
I can't tell you how long it took for me to settle into a reading approach that worked well for Amirah. We tried Teach Your Child to Read in 100 Easy Lessons and Hooked on Phonics. 100 Easy Lessons was pretty good up to about 2/3 of the way through the book, then it just didn't click for Amirah. We've been happily humming along with Ordinary Parent's Guide to Teaching Reading and are up to lesson 81 and very happy with it still. I wish I'd done that from the beginning. That's what I'll be trying out with Eli, probably after the fall holidays are over. In fact everything written by Jessie Wise Bauer or Susan Wise Bauer has totally clicked for us so far. (Visit their store at PeaceHill Press.)
ALEFBET/HEBREW
Shaah Shel Menuchah, by Menuchah Fuchs, and published by Judaica Press, has been my favorite alef bet book. We memorize the vocabulary in there, go on "letter hunts" in the siddur, draw the letters (to aid in letter recognition, not so much for printing practice) on paper and in the air... Lots of the kinds of things you would do playing around with the regular alphabet.
I have also enjoyed using Shalom Ivrit as a way to do oral Hebrew with the kids (we used a lot of puppets). I haven't done it for a while (we were somewhere in book 2), but I know the kids would love it. We had quite a cast of characters - Zevi the Wolf, Achbar the Mouse, and Tzemi the Sheep. I think I need to bring them back! The kids did not use this for written Hebrew, just conversational.
The Well-Trained Mind, by Susan Wise Bauer, has hands-down been my most beloved resource for guidance on homeschooling. It outlines a highly rigorous education with references to many resources. I'm sure I've read that book cover-to-cover at least a dozen times. I pick up and re-read all about first grade frequently, and the much shorter section on preschool/kindergarten is very useful too. We're pretty much following all of the recommendations in the book, with some cutting back to make room for our very full kodesh curriculum. It's working really well for us.
The Fuchs Mizrachi School in Cleveland also has their curriculum available online and I am using that as a very helpful guide for what to study when in our kodesh studies. Go to the bottom of the page that is linked to and download the "full FMS Lower School Curriculum Handbook."
Basically, my central goals for preK/K/1st grade are to learn to read and write in English and Hebrew (much easier than English!!). And do a lot of math. Everything else is truly extra. Good night!
MATH
We use Saxon Math for Kindergarten. I originally got the K-3 manipulatives set, the teacher's manual, and the meeting book. There's no separate workbook for kindergarten. The meeting book is mostly calendar work and some pattern stuff and a couple of other things. I ended up not using it at all. The manipulatives are very good, especially pattern blocks. Soaking up those pattern blocks and just creating patterns and images with them is great pre-math work. The math book is a bit expensive because the entire program is scripted. I found it overkill for me, but the activities are really good. After this, switching to Singapore Math's Kindergarten program was really great. And much less expensive!!
ALPHABET
I got a copy of Spectrum Phonics for Kindergarten in the discount bin at the local teaching store. It's been pretty good. We've focused mostly on the letter sound activities and not taking the writing assignments seriously. I've also used several $2-4 books from the teacher store whose titles I don't remember. Pretty much anything will do. I might check out the Saxon Phonics books if I wanted to spend the money, but for this kind of thing I think cheap is the way to go. :)
READING
I can't tell you how long it took for me to settle into a reading approach that worked well for Amirah. We tried Teach Your Child to Read in 100 Easy Lessons and Hooked on Phonics. 100 Easy Lessons was pretty good up to about 2/3 of the way through the book, then it just didn't click for Amirah. We've been happily humming along with Ordinary Parent's Guide to Teaching Reading and are up to lesson 81 and very happy with it still. I wish I'd done that from the beginning. That's what I'll be trying out with Eli, probably after the fall holidays are over. In fact everything written by Jessie Wise Bauer or Susan Wise Bauer has totally clicked for us so far. (Visit their store at PeaceHill Press.)
ALEFBET/HEBREW
Shaah Shel Menuchah, by Menuchah Fuchs, and published by Judaica Press, has been my favorite alef bet book. We memorize the vocabulary in there, go on "letter hunts" in the siddur, draw the letters (to aid in letter recognition, not so much for printing practice) on paper and in the air... Lots of the kinds of things you would do playing around with the regular alphabet.
I have also enjoyed using Shalom Ivrit as a way to do oral Hebrew with the kids (we used a lot of puppets). I haven't done it for a while (we were somewhere in book 2), but I know the kids would love it. We had quite a cast of characters - Zevi the Wolf, Achbar the Mouse, and Tzemi the Sheep. I think I need to bring them back! The kids did not use this for written Hebrew, just conversational.
The Well-Trained Mind, by Susan Wise Bauer, has hands-down been my most beloved resource for guidance on homeschooling. It outlines a highly rigorous education with references to many resources. I'm sure I've read that book cover-to-cover at least a dozen times. I pick up and re-read all about first grade frequently, and the much shorter section on preschool/kindergarten is very useful too. We're pretty much following all of the recommendations in the book, with some cutting back to make room for our very full kodesh curriculum. It's working really well for us.
The Fuchs Mizrachi School in Cleveland also has their curriculum available online and I am using that as a very helpful guide for what to study when in our kodesh studies. Go to the bottom of the page that is linked to and download the "full FMS Lower School Curriculum Handbook."
Basically, my central goals for preK/K/1st grade are to learn to read and write in English and Hebrew (much easier than English!!). And do a lot of math. Everything else is truly extra. Good night!
Monday, August 24, 2009
Yay, Bimart
Every year we have a tradition of going camping the week of Labor Day, after school has started (for most!) and before DH's job gets really crazy (he's on an academic calendar). It's a lovely time for a vacation. We've always gone yurt camping, but this is the first year we decided to go tent camping. Since our little 3-person tent (as in 2 people plus clothes!) will no longer suffice, we searched craigslist for large tents that would accommodate all of us, preferably with at least two rooms in it so as they get older we could have a boys room and a girls room. There were quite a few options, all for around $100. We also found used cots (which I really wanted!) for around $30-35. Then we needed more sleeping bags too. And mats.
After checking prices on craigslist and Amazon, I dropped in at Bimart to check out their prices. Well, we found lower than used prices there!!! A 162-square-foot 9-person tent was marked down to $85 from $110 and had a 10-year warranty. Sleeping bags rated to 40 degrees (we're fair-weather campers, so that should be fine) were only $18. Got those for 3 of the kids. Avi will use one we already have, as will papa. Mama got an extra-long one for $30. Got sleeping mats for $10 each for the kids (typical price for the cheapo ones). Got a new cot for Dean (too short for mama) for $30. Then DH went and picked up a used extra-long cot for mama for $35. So now we're all set and very excited to do our first tent-camping trip with everyone!
We've given up on ever hearing back from the job in Pittsburgh. 6+ weeks is too long, and in the meanwhile DH has had increasing concerns about working there, given their inability to handle this in a timely manner, plus some other things he picked up on while visiting. It's nice to feel like we're no longer holding our breath, though I really was hoping we'd be packing up a U-Haul truck this week!!! The time will come, as will the exact job DH is meant to have. May it come soon. And speedily!
After checking prices on craigslist and Amazon, I dropped in at Bimart to check out their prices. Well, we found lower than used prices there!!! A 162-square-foot 9-person tent was marked down to $85 from $110 and had a 10-year warranty. Sleeping bags rated to 40 degrees (we're fair-weather campers, so that should be fine) were only $18. Got those for 3 of the kids. Avi will use one we already have, as will papa. Mama got an extra-long one for $30. Got sleeping mats for $10 each for the kids (typical price for the cheapo ones). Got a new cot for Dean (too short for mama) for $30. Then DH went and picked up a used extra-long cot for mama for $35. So now we're all set and very excited to do our first tent-camping trip with everyone!
We've given up on ever hearing back from the job in Pittsburgh. 6+ weeks is too long, and in the meanwhile DH has had increasing concerns about working there, given their inability to handle this in a timely manner, plus some other things he picked up on while visiting. It's nice to feel like we're no longer holding our breath, though I really was hoping we'd be packing up a U-Haul truck this week!!! The time will come, as will the exact job DH is meant to have. May it come soon. And speedily!
Sunday, August 23, 2009
Teacher: Student Ratio of 1:100!
I just chanced upon a book on Google books entitled Public Elementary School Curricula: A Comparative Study, written by Bruce Ryburn Payne and published in 1905. He compares the curricula of many different countries. One interesting thing I read - in Prussia the maximum teacher:student ratio was 1:80, but in fact it was often closer to 1:100 in rural schools. Can you imagine??? The book is very interesting, and I wish there was more time to browse it, but other things are more pressing...
Bulgogi Report
WOW! Marinating the delcious grass-fed beef in the Korean mixture of soy sauce, garlic (lots), rice vinegar, and brown sugar, and then doing DH's brilliant idea of pan-braising the meat instead of broiling like I had thought made for one incredible dish last night! The grass-fed taste (which apparently I'm more aware of then DH) really comes through. I think the vinegar helped tenderize it and bring out those flavors that I think make grass-fed meat outrageously delicious. I'm sure I could distinguish in an instant the difference between grass-fed and regular. It was by far the best thing we have done with those steaks. Can't wait to much on the leftovers!
Early Learning
Most of my recent homeschooling posts have been a bit Amirah-centric, and in the last week or so four people have asked me what Eli was up to, and one asked me in general about my approach to preschool education. So, here are my thoughts.
Before the age of 4, all kids really need to do is play, cuddle, hear stories, sing songs, play at mommy's feet while she davens, help out around the house, get some help reigning in their yetzer harah, and talk about Hashem and the world around them. And get loved up all the time by their mama and papa. That's it. Well, maybe a little food. :) Kids this age are learning constantly, and mostly through osmosis. Give them a rich environment and their brains will be adding plenty of wrinkles without any formal efforts.
My "curriculum" for ages 4 and 5 isn't all that different. Maybe more reading, and we get the alphabet and alefbet down pat. We talk about sounds a lot (Hebrew and English). In fact, Eli spelled his first word today ("cat"). He knows the sounds of the letters. Oral spelling is great practice for getting ready to read. And so is talking about what letters/sounds words begin and end with. They can write letters if they want to, but for some children like Amirah, small motor skills can be a big challenge and waiting until age 5 or 6 is so much better for them. If your child is crying or upset with learning time, then he's just not developmentally ready for it or you're overwhelming him with too much information. Follow his cues, and learning will be an exceedingly pleasant experience.
When Eli seems ready, I'll start reading lessons, but when is entirely up to him. Amirah wasn't really into it until she was about 5-1/2 or 5-3/4, and writing didn't really start to take off with enthusiasm until the last couple of months (right after her 6th birthday). I really strongly believe that whether a kid starts reading at 3 or at 6, with the same rich home environment they'll be at the same level either way by the time they're 8. There's no reason to push, as tempting as it is if you are an enthusiastic parent who gets a thrill watching your child learning new things.
So, with all that, here is Eli's routine:
In the morning after some free play time, all the kids come together for davening and torah stories. The davening lately has been terrific. Even Avi sits in his own chair, opens his siddur, asks for the right page, and sings with all his might. Having all four of them davening along with me is really, really a lovely way to start the day. After that I read parsha stories for about 15 minutes, then other torah or gedolim stories (gedolim are great Torah scholars) for 15 minutes. During this time they can all color and draw. They each have their own box of pens and there's always a stack of paper in a tub on the table. After that we sing our two new Hebrew songs for the week, and review ones we've already learned. Then Eli and Raizel go play while I work with Amirah on kodesh (religious) studies.
After about an hour, I send Amirah to go play and I work with Eli one-on-one for about thirty minutes. We're using the wonderful Sha'ah shel Menuchah kindergarten book for alef bet. (The one odd thing about this series is the Kindergarten book does not lead directly into the 1st grade book, where you suddenly go from learning the alef bet to being expected to read whole sentences. We switch to the Migdalor program after kindergarten.)
Then we spend a few minutes working on letters. I get $2 books from the teacher supply store. We've gone through maybe two or three different alphabet books, and I'd say now he knows his alphabet plus the sounds of just about all of the letters pretty well. He also enjoys forming letters, but I leave that entirely up to him. The one thing I don't like about most alphabet books out there is that they put so much emphasize on writing. It's a rare book that just focuses on the letters and their sounds ("phonemic awareness"). I may start him on reading lessons here pretty soon to see if he takes to it already. He's showing many signs that he might.
Eli also really enjoys doing math. Again, I mostly just get the $2 preschool workbooks from the teacher store, and we also do a lot of real life math (i.e. counting mangoes at the grocery store, baking, etc.), and playing with a bunch of math manipulatives I have in a box. Next month, we'll start the Saxon Kindergarten math book. It's pretty perfect for 4-year-olds if they enjoy math. After that, we start the Singapore Kindergarten math series which is more challenging than Saxon. I do view math as entirely optional at this point.
After we have a snack, Amirah comes back for her chol (secular) block of learning time, then we eat lunch. After lunch we do history, science, or art, depending on the day. These are usually everybody activities, except for the mapwork we do for history. History is a lot of story reading. We're studying ancient history this year, and are currently on the Middle Kingdom of Egypt, approaching the time of the Exodus. All four kids will always be studying the same period of history. That simplifies at least one subject a bit! The science experiments we do are a lot of fun for everyone, and Amirah keeps track of our work on her science notebook. The art projects we do can also be adapted to any age.
So that's pretty much it! People often (really often!) ask how I manage with all four while doing learning time, and I always say that for us it's just a matter of habits. They know what to expect in our daily routine. Eli knows that he has a nice amount of play time, then davening and story time, then play time, then learning time, then snack, then play time, then lunch, then everybody learning or other summer adventures. He just knows what to expect. Avi is the only one who occasionally gets out of sorts, but I can usually just scoop him up into my lap and give him a crayon and a piece of paper and he's happy again. Amirah is also able to do some of her work independently too and I'm getting little glimpses of how when Eli needs to step up his learning time in a couple of years, it will all fit together.
Raizel is pretty much just going along for the ride. She loves davening and singing. She may be one of those kids who learns to read by osmosis at age 3! She's constantly asking what different words say and what letter this or that is, and trailing her finger along the words as she davens. She can find some words in the siddur, like Hashem's name, "baruch", "shir", etc. She's my little powerhouse, and the queen of berachos (blessings, as in she's the first to remember to say them when eating or seeing something, etc.).
So that's the gist of what we do with Eli. It's a very nice rhythm we've gotten into here, and I can't say enough what an absolute, total pleasure it is to be learning at home. Our lives are not full of crazy rushing out the door and all over the place. Our lives are simple and satisfying, and I have an ever-present deep sense of gratitude to Hashem for what we are doing for our children, and for Hashem bringing me exactly the husband I needed before I even knew what I needed. Gratitude doesn't even scratch the surface of what I feel. Good night, and shavua tov!
Before the age of 4, all kids really need to do is play, cuddle, hear stories, sing songs, play at mommy's feet while she davens, help out around the house, get some help reigning in their yetzer harah, and talk about Hashem and the world around them. And get loved up all the time by their mama and papa. That's it. Well, maybe a little food. :) Kids this age are learning constantly, and mostly through osmosis. Give them a rich environment and their brains will be adding plenty of wrinkles without any formal efforts.
My "curriculum" for ages 4 and 5 isn't all that different. Maybe more reading, and we get the alphabet and alefbet down pat. We talk about sounds a lot (Hebrew and English). In fact, Eli spelled his first word today ("cat"). He knows the sounds of the letters. Oral spelling is great practice for getting ready to read. And so is talking about what letters/sounds words begin and end with. They can write letters if they want to, but for some children like Amirah, small motor skills can be a big challenge and waiting until age 5 or 6 is so much better for them. If your child is crying or upset with learning time, then he's just not developmentally ready for it or you're overwhelming him with too much information. Follow his cues, and learning will be an exceedingly pleasant experience.
When Eli seems ready, I'll start reading lessons, but when is entirely up to him. Amirah wasn't really into it until she was about 5-1/2 or 5-3/4, and writing didn't really start to take off with enthusiasm until the last couple of months (right after her 6th birthday). I really strongly believe that whether a kid starts reading at 3 or at 6, with the same rich home environment they'll be at the same level either way by the time they're 8. There's no reason to push, as tempting as it is if you are an enthusiastic parent who gets a thrill watching your child learning new things.
So, with all that, here is Eli's routine:
In the morning after some free play time, all the kids come together for davening and torah stories. The davening lately has been terrific. Even Avi sits in his own chair, opens his siddur, asks for the right page, and sings with all his might. Having all four of them davening along with me is really, really a lovely way to start the day. After that I read parsha stories for about 15 minutes, then other torah or gedolim stories (gedolim are great Torah scholars) for 15 minutes. During this time they can all color and draw. They each have their own box of pens and there's always a stack of paper in a tub on the table. After that we sing our two new Hebrew songs for the week, and review ones we've already learned. Then Eli and Raizel go play while I work with Amirah on kodesh (religious) studies.
After about an hour, I send Amirah to go play and I work with Eli one-on-one for about thirty minutes. We're using the wonderful Sha'ah shel Menuchah kindergarten book for alef bet. (The one odd thing about this series is the Kindergarten book does not lead directly into the 1st grade book, where you suddenly go from learning the alef bet to being expected to read whole sentences. We switch to the Migdalor program after kindergarten.)
Then we spend a few minutes working on letters. I get $2 books from the teacher supply store. We've gone through maybe two or three different alphabet books, and I'd say now he knows his alphabet plus the sounds of just about all of the letters pretty well. He also enjoys forming letters, but I leave that entirely up to him. The one thing I don't like about most alphabet books out there is that they put so much emphasize on writing. It's a rare book that just focuses on the letters and their sounds ("phonemic awareness"). I may start him on reading lessons here pretty soon to see if he takes to it already. He's showing many signs that he might.
Eli also really enjoys doing math. Again, I mostly just get the $2 preschool workbooks from the teacher store, and we also do a lot of real life math (i.e. counting mangoes at the grocery store, baking, etc.), and playing with a bunch of math manipulatives I have in a box. Next month, we'll start the Saxon Kindergarten math book. It's pretty perfect for 4-year-olds if they enjoy math. After that, we start the Singapore Kindergarten math series which is more challenging than Saxon. I do view math as entirely optional at this point.
After we have a snack, Amirah comes back for her chol (secular) block of learning time, then we eat lunch. After lunch we do history, science, or art, depending on the day. These are usually everybody activities, except for the mapwork we do for history. History is a lot of story reading. We're studying ancient history this year, and are currently on the Middle Kingdom of Egypt, approaching the time of the Exodus. All four kids will always be studying the same period of history. That simplifies at least one subject a bit! The science experiments we do are a lot of fun for everyone, and Amirah keeps track of our work on her science notebook. The art projects we do can also be adapted to any age.
So that's pretty much it! People often (really often!) ask how I manage with all four while doing learning time, and I always say that for us it's just a matter of habits. They know what to expect in our daily routine. Eli knows that he has a nice amount of play time, then davening and story time, then play time, then learning time, then snack, then play time, then lunch, then everybody learning or other summer adventures. He just knows what to expect. Avi is the only one who occasionally gets out of sorts, but I can usually just scoop him up into my lap and give him a crayon and a piece of paper and he's happy again. Amirah is also able to do some of her work independently too and I'm getting little glimpses of how when Eli needs to step up his learning time in a couple of years, it will all fit together.
Raizel is pretty much just going along for the ride. She loves davening and singing. She may be one of those kids who learns to read by osmosis at age 3! She's constantly asking what different words say and what letter this or that is, and trailing her finger along the words as she davens. She can find some words in the siddur, like Hashem's name, "baruch", "shir", etc. She's my little powerhouse, and the queen of berachos (blessings, as in she's the first to remember to say them when eating or seeing something, etc.).
So that's the gist of what we do with Eli. It's a very nice rhythm we've gotten into here, and I can't say enough what an absolute, total pleasure it is to be learning at home. Our lives are not full of crazy rushing out the door and all over the place. Our lives are simple and satisfying, and I have an ever-present deep sense of gratitude to Hashem for what we are doing for our children, and for Hashem bringing me exactly the husband I needed before I even knew what I needed. Gratitude doesn't even scratch the surface of what I feel. Good night, and shavua tov!
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