Why is it so quiet?

Monday I took my 9 yo and 11 yo to church, so they could go to kid's camp.  I'll be picking them up this afternoon.  Today, I took my 13 yo and almost 15 yo daughters to an all-day babysitting/first aid class.   So it's just me and the 3 "littles".

We hadn't been home long from dropping off his oldest sisters, when the 6 yo said, "Why is it so quiet?  I want some noise!" He turned the TV on to provide some noise.  I think he misses his older siblings.

Thanks for all the egg ideas.  I had looked at some of the websites that you shared, but not all of them.  We already do make "breakfast burritos" fairly often.  Most of my kids dislike breakfast casseroles, and one dislikes scrambled eggs.   I don't think my kids have ever tried egg salad, but we're going to have to try it soon.

Kimberly suggested I could freeze my excess eggs.  I'd never heard of that!  But I also came across this My Year Living On Food Storage blog today, and it has a post about freezing foods, including eggs.  I'm going to have to try that.

We haven't remembered to take any eggs to church to give away lately, and hadn't sold any recently, either.  I need to find an outlet for that, though I'm somewhat leery of going the farmer's market route.  (What level of licensing or quality control would we need for that?)  Tuesday, I was up to 14 dozen eggs in the fridge!! We used 2 dozen for scrambled eggs that night for supper.

Yesterday, I floated the remaining eggs to make sure they were still fresh.  I boiled the oldest 2 dozen and used some of them in tuna salad (which I've craved a lot this pregnancy).  Today, Steve took 6 dozen to work with him to give away, which we've never done before.  He also suggested I take some with me when I pick up the camp kids to thank the driver for bringing them home.  If the driver doesn't want them, one of the pastors in the church office might.

We've thought about posting an "Eggs For Sale" sign down by the road, but then we'd have to be ready for drop-ins from strangers.  LOL!!  I thought about asking facebook local friends if anyone wanted to buy some eggs, but since I wasn't going into town this week, and we're out in the country, I didn't expect we'd have many "takers" at the moment.

Well, I need to get some housework done while the "littles" are content, or I won't get anything done today.

April E.

2010 - 2011 Homeschool Crew

I'm returning to the Crew as a First Mate again this year.  Once again, I'll be mentoring a small group of new crew members. And once again, I've named my group "Full and By".

"Full and By" is  a nautical term that figuratively means getting on with the job but in a steady, relaxed way, without undue urgency or strain.  That is still my personal goal for my family, my homeschool, and myself.

My Crew members are:

• Debbie of  Our Homeschool Journey blog (she's a brand new blogger!).
• Kimberly of  Clever Title TBA blog (also a brand new blogger!).
• LeeAnne of  Dairy Berries blog.
• Samantha of  To Be Busy At Home blog.

Be sure to stop by and meet each of these Crew members, as well as encourage the two new bloggers on our team.

It's going to be another great year on the Crew!

April E.

Family Reunions, the Crew, and Charlotte Mason

We spent the weekend at a Family Reunion, and have been trying to catch up on our sleep, and housework ... ever since.  To be honest, I think we've tried to catch up on our sleep more than our housework, though.  At least I have.

We had a wonderful time with family, just visiting.  The children enjoyed fishing with their Dad, Uncle, and Papa.  They played with cousins, helped pump out all the stagnant water in the well,  had water gun wars, and wore themselves out.  The older girls just enjoyed listening in to the adult conversation and spending some time with their similarly-aged cousin, Holly.  It was another great reunion, and we're all treasuring the memories!

When we left the reunion on Sunday, my uncle sent a lot of the snack food items and pre-packaged pastries (for breakfast) home with us.  1 yo G has decided he really likes Danishes. He kept getting one out of the pantry, and carrying it to me, with the can opener in his other hand.  He knows where I keep the can opener, apparently, and that it is meant to open food.  He just hasn't figured out yet that it only opens metal cans, not plastic wrap.  He did it 3-4 times before I moved the pastries up out of his reach.

I took the time yesterday to record my oldest daughter's grades for 9th grade.  I researched how to make a transcript, and started a computer file with the important information stored on it.  I'll update it as she continues through high school, so we can prepare a transcript her senior year.  This is definitely a file I should keep a back-up of.

Today, we received the Crew Manuals and First Mate Manuals for the 2010-2011 Homeschool Crew.  I have emailed my team members, and am anxiously waiting to hear back from them.  I know the next week or two will be filled with answering questions for the new Crew members, and getting to know them.  Then we'll have a practice review before the curriculum items start arriving.   Here we go again!  I'm so thankful for the chance to be on the Homeschool Crew.  It is really a blessing!

I received a copy of Story Starters by Karen Andreola to review on Monday.  It's not a Crew item,  but an independent review.  I'm really looking forward to using it with my children.  I began reading the section for parents, and am enjoying its Charlotte Mason emphasis.  Karen Andreola has a new blog for homeschooling moms:  Moments With Mother Culture.   She is such an encouragement to me!  I have been reading Pocketful of Pinecones yearly for at least the past 5 years.   Recently, I read  Lessons At Blackberry Inn (the sequel) for the first time.  Now I'll have two books to read each Spring and Summer when I need to re-charge between our  homeschool years.

Laundry is calling me.  I'm tired, and would rather be thinking about the new Homeschool Crew year ... but I need to get some work done.

Be blessed,
April E.