Digital Reflections

Sundays this Summer week 1

This is not a normal Summer week so its a great place for us to start with a few days to get into a routine around the house.  give the kids a chance to enjoy their new freedom of staying up a tad later and sleeping in a little later (though this wont happen any time soon - they are all early risers around here).

I was trying to find a way to make this post reader friendly each week - so I am going to post the schedule and then below will follow with the details... hope that works for you.

One of the first things we are doing is establishing a routine of service this summer. Kids in general these days are so self focused that it just saddens me.  I hope that this summer is a turning point for my kids, a summer that they can be impacted personally by serving the needs of others first.  So, first thing this summer, we are heading to a local shelter to volunteer... still working out details on what this will be and how time extensive it will be - but suffice it to say its a priority that we spend time this summer serving others needs.  The kids will each have to come up with a task to do for someone else, also.

My kids have school for 3 days this week so Wednesday after school with be an end of the year party with a few friends. I plan to make these:

Bakearella's Bikini Beach Bear Cupcakes

Then we will have our traditional movie night with all their favorite treats.

Thursday we will work on our routine:

wake/breakfast

morning routine/ clothes, brush teeth, make beds, etc.

AM Family reading

Outdoor craft/activity

Free play

Lunch / clean up

Group Craft / Activity

Academic Reinforcement

Free play

Group Experiment/Science Project

Cooking lesson (making dinner together)

 

----we will visit the library to pick up the following books:

  Keeping A Nature Journal    this is a great resource for getting the kids started with their own nature journals which we will add to each week.

 The Keeping Quilt  this is a way of introducing their first summer craft, sewing, I will be teaching the kids to sew, knit, and needlepoint this summer.

   The Happiest Tree  this is a way of introducing yoga to the kids, its something I enjoy and I am hoping it is an effective way of introducing this idea and opening them up to the idea of yoga being a part of our daily routine now.

 

Here are a few more of our books we will be getting:

Moses goes to a Concert (reading this as an introduction to teaching sign language to the kids this summer)

What Illustrators Do? (one of a series including What Authors Do?, specifically for my dd who has told me this is what she wants to be when she grows up)

Draw Me A Star by Eric Carle  

 

Our outdoor crafts will be deveoping certain things this first week/weekend....

check out this store:

Imagine Childhood

I love every thing they offer.  One of the things on my list is the

Nature Exploration Fundana Games

Here is a website about wildflowers:

US Wildflowers Index

And since I will be teaching  all about navigating in the woods, etc. we will venture into

Orienteering

 

Art projects getting a head start this week includes:

Clay creations / Fossils 

WaterColors 

we will make a trip to the craft store for our supplies -  I will post pics later of our summery finds.

we will also make a trip to the hardware store - as its time my 9 yr old learns the basics of building a few things... his project this week will be to design his dads Fathers Day gift (a charging station).

once designed - he will take measurements and come up with his own supply list.  He will prepare the wood by sanding, he will stain the wood, screw the pieces together, fill the holes with putty, etc.... but in the end he will have gained lots of practical experience and his dad will have a great fathers day gift.

 

Academic Reinforcements comes in the way initially of setting up our summer study boxes:

each box has pencils, colors, papers, assignment folders, flash cards, etc. I have been to the district web site and printed off the state mandatory skills assestments brochures, and the sight words, etc. So all our work will be geared to reinforcing what they learned this year - but also preparing them for what is coming up next year.  At the beginning of each week we will discuss the assignments for that week, and have daily alloted time for their study boxes.  A lot of their reinforcement will come from hand on activities which is something they sorely miss being in the public school system, but since I am responsible for their education, not some teacher in a district following some state guidelines, we will have a ton of field trips, lots of observing, testing, applying, studying, discovering - all on our own....more on this later.

 

We wont do any science experiments this week - as its a short week - and our time is filling up fast.

Each day the kids will all participate in preparing the family meal.  They will learn about cleaning the vegetables and fruits, we will talk about the importance of the balanced meal, setting the table, how meal components go together, etc.  this is a whole class I have actually been wanting to teach as a summer camp for a few years - so my kids will get all this hands on first.

 

----

I know this is a lot at first - and I hope you have red to the end and found something useful here. This summer is an adventure for us and I look forward to helping my children continue to grow and learn during these months away from a formal classroom.  So much of everyday life provides much more than they can ever learn in a formalized setting and we are embracing that head on this summer.  Hope you enjoy our adventure!

Friday Finds

Here is the round of things we marked on our list this week:

Homeade Sidewalk Chalk

Rainbow Rice Salad (the kids will love making this)

KiKi and Polly (I have just discovered this art, just love it)

Fossil-Casting That Artist Woman gives step by step on making salt dough clay - and once you have that the possibilities are endless - you will see this again during a Sunday's this Summer post.

How to make a willow house  (this is so seriously adorable - I have to find a way to make one)   

Find an area of refuge Have you read the Happiness Project Blog - everyone should

Roasted Red Pepper Mayonnaise this just has to be one of the best panini spreads ever.

Full Circle just a blog I like

Anna  showed this link on her twitter account last week - and I went meandering around this photoshop technique place and loved the look that was achieved in his sample photo - you can see the photo and step by step instructions on how to achieve this look here... photoshopstar -old style effect. 

If you want more help with your shadows check out these tutorials Cassie Jones has over at designerdigitals.com

Gaining Perspective  

Extractions with Dimensions 

and dont forget - Sunday's this Summer will start posting on Sunday - we are starting with a whole list of ideas to keep your kids entertained this summer...

Thankful on Thursday

1.  I am thankful for the toys I stepped on in the middle of the night that remind me that I have 4 little ones to care for, look after, protect, serve and love.

2.  I am thankful for the countdown to summer that is just on one hand now!

3.  I am thankful that even though there are those in the world who lack integrity and honesty - they are the minority.

4.  I am thankful that my husband sweetened the tea for me. (dont despise the little things)

5.  I am thankful for late night quiet time.

so, what is it today that you can remember to appreciate, decide to recognize, stop and be thankful for a moment - it does the soul good!

Polaroid Wednesday

I just love the way these are turning out.... Hope you are having a fabulous week! We are counting down school days - only 5 days left! Here are a few sights from around here these last 7 days.

::gymnast::

 

::  peace ::

 

:: glow ::

 

:: fish ::

 

:: splash ::

 

:: refreshing ::

 

::memorial day::

 

- - - - - - - - - - - - -DONT FORGET:::: these classes at GETITSCRAPPED - - - - - - - - - - - - -

MORE MAD DIGITAL SKILLZ

These classes just started - but its not to late to join in - so much to learn - and such a fun and interactive way to get better with our photoshop tools.

"Once again, writer, teacher, and digital product designer Pattie Knox will show you how to use digital products to the max, with techniques that let you take your stash farther than you thought possible. PLUS . . . anyone who has taken a class with Pattie can tell you---there's plenty of support AND it's just fun!"

and.....

CAPTURED THROUGH THE LENS

Registration is still going  on for this class, and can I just say if you own a camera, not sure about all the buttons,  too scared to get off manual - this is a MUST TAKE CLASS... and of course you couldnt have a better teacher than Katrina, I have wanted to just sit and talk camera with her for ages, and now she is offering a class that lets all of us do just that.

"You crop and compose your scrapbook pages, how about exploring the same techniques with your camera? Learn to see through your viewfinder the photo you want on your page and take control of the buttons and knobs on your camera for results you love."

Menu Monday

Here goes for this very busy - schools almost out - week long menu.  I decided to provide a little shopping list at the bottom of each recipe for you. You will also find - recipe finds by way of links at the bottom, check out these for great recipe's and ideas.

MONDAY (holiday day grilling out back) - Happy Memorial Day everyone.

Shishkabob's - chicken, red bell peppers, zucchini, squash, pineapple, cherry tomatoes, red onions. I marinate the kabob's in Catalina dressing.  Grilled corn on the cob, Grilled Peaches, Rice Salad with Feta, Citrus & Mint, Yummy Strawberry Shortcake recipe from SmittenKitten (make sure you check out his recipe its the BEST!!)

[shopping list:  2# chicken tenders, 2 of each -red bell peppers, zucchini, squash, 1 pinapple,   1 container cherry tomatoes, 1 red onion, bottle Catalina dressing, 6 ears Corn on Cob, 6 peaches, white rice, 2 oranges, Olive oil, 2 lemons, 7 small cucumbers, 1- 16oz. feta cheese, 1 bunch green onions, 1 bunch fresh mint]

TUESDAY: Baked Spaghetti, Sauteed Green Beans, Homeade Foccacia

I decided to try this Bolognese Sauce  from PioneerWoman's site.  It looks really good, and I will layer it with a mix of Ricotta and Parmessan and some ziti topped with mozzerella and bake it while I get the green beans ready.  We use fresh beans, my kids love to snap the ends off and clean them.  Then they are quick steamed and sauteed in garlic and olive oil... Here is the foccacia I will be making using the dough in my fridge.

 

For the bread - I use the dough I make from the book: Artisan Bread in Five Minutes A Day.

[Shopping List:  1 pkg.carrots, Red onion (already on list from Mon menu), 2# gr. turkey, 1 can tomato paste, Head of Garlic, Red Wine (one that you will also enjoy drinking with your meal), 2 cans whole tomatoes, Fresh Parm cheese, Worchestershire Sauce, Oregano, Basil, 1 container Ricotta, 2 cups Mozz. cheese, 2# fresh green beans]

WEDNESDAY: Salmon Croquettes with Herb Dressing, Risotto, Fresh Fruit

[Shopping List: 2 containers Salmon (i prefer smoked, but use what ever you like best), Eggs, Bread Crumbs, Green Onions (which is already on our list from earlier in the week), Arborio Rice, 2 Lemons, Fresh Dill, Fresh Fruit of your choice - we will have pineapple, peaches, and a few other things thrown in to use up what was left from our grill night)] 

Thursday: Baked Chicken Tenders, Sweet Potato Fries, Steamed Veggies (cook extra chicken for tomorrow night)

[Shopping List: Mrs. Dash Garlic & Herb, 2 Lemons, Olive Oil, Garlic (merinade for chicken), 5 sweet potatoes, Veggies of choice]  We love crispy baked Sweet potatoes - just remember to cook them slightly in salted boiling water before slicing them - coating in olive oil and sprinkling in salt]

Friday: Chicken Broccoli Sandwiches, Steamed Carrots, Cole Slaw

 Remember these from last week - so good!

[Shopping List: Hoagie Rolls, tomatoes, Cheddar Cheese, Brocolli (if you steam it from the night before just get enough extra to use a few slices here), Mayonaisse, Carrots, Slaw Mix (I just buy the bag of precut slaw mix) vinegar]

Friday:  Pizza night - using dough from the fridge and all the yummy left over veggies - and you have cheese from the sandwiches last night - makes a great and easy meal - to bring it up one level - add ricotta cheese (if you have any left from earlier in the week) and spread a mix of ricotta and cheddar on the bottom of the parbaked dough - before topping with tomato sauce/tomatoes and more cheese - yummy!!

Well thats it for this week..... Bon Appetite...

Here are some food find links for you:

Creamy Asparagus Soup from Survival Special Cooking

Pasta Salad with Roasted Veggies from Somethings Burning

Dr Pepper Ribs from HomeSick Texan

Pasta Caprese  from Tomatoes and Basil

well..... happy eatings!   

Sundays this Summer

So, I have a new series to post each week on this blog.  We have great plans this summer - partly because I LOVE having all my kids here all summer.  And because we have no commitments and can plan our days/weeks to be full of fun, educational experiences, cretive ventures, etc.  So each Sunday I will post our plans for the week, in hopes we encourage you and your family to get out and enjoy every minute of your summer.  Dont worry, there are downtimes too, but look for the creative ways we even enjoy our downtime. 

If you look to the left - you will see I added an Amazon store, I did this because I sat down to review books for our summer reading, and thought it would be much easier for you to just see the books all in one place at one time, you can order them from amazon, or like we do - jot them down and then check their availability at your local library.  A lot of these books can be found at the Ambleside Curriculum web site.  If was going to homeschool, I would certainly be following the Charlotte Mason approach, but since I am not a homeschooling mom, I am implementing the bulk of what I like as part of our ongoing family learning, and summer time togther.  I have always felt that although our kids are being 'sent' to school, I am still ultimately responsible for their academic progress, and have been and will always be very active in their classrooms, with their teachers, and will voice my concerns, challenge the approach, and be quick to reinforce what we have valued as important for our children's upbringing.

The library is on our weekly schedule this summer.  And with that each of my kids have a summer reading list. They will each write and deliver a report on one historical person (even my 4 year old, he wont write it out - but he gets to act out what he learns). They have been busy picking out who they want to learn about, and I had a real good laugh at my 9yr old who was given the option of adding a music legend in addition to an American Historical Figure, and he has chosen ELVIS (those who know the story of my 5yr old daughter  -know there is a love of all things Elvis in this house).  Also on our weekly schedule is our Nature Study. We are using  this book as a starting point.  And with each item we see, discover, find, observe, we will research it, learn more about it and document it. The kids are actually very excited about this, and have been eager to get started creating their own nature journals for this summer venture. 

We will also include learning about Artists as we discover different art mediums this summer.  I truly believe that our children should be exposed to the art forms of the 'masters' in these younger years.  As an adolescent I had the required courses in high school which included Humanities and in college including Art history.  But, by then the level of appreciation was not there, it didnt offer me something to hold on to in my imagination, it was simply a requirement.  And I know not everyone is like this, but it has been through my childrens eyes that the world has truly been made new again.  I am enthralled by seeing things through their eyes, so free to grasp self expression, so willing to discover the difference and similarities in each thing their eyes perceive.  I cant wait to watch their minds work as we walk through The Renaissance and Impressionist eras, or watch their creations evolve as we discover Abstract and Modern Art.   There is a whole series at Amazon, and some resources online of coloring books, etc. that are a great starting point for young learners.

 

These are all under the Art Coloring Book section in the store link to the left.

Here are the online links I could find:

5 ART HISTORY COLORING PAGES

HECKSCHER MUSEUM 

All 4 kids will start their piano lessons this summer too.  So, as you can see we already have lots to look forward to in the months to come.  I am hosting 6 summer camps at my house also, everything from Science Camp for boys, "hands" on crafts for mixed ages, lost art of little girl etiquette, baking and cookie decorating, all outdoors fun week etc... My kids are so excited for the camps to get under way and I am looking forward to all the activities and there is lots of preparing to do.  So stay turned each Sunday for our schedule and a list of what we are doing and photos from our last week.  Hope you are gearing up for a fun family summer!

We will be busy making a photojournal this Memorial Day to prepare for our first task of the summer, a photo drive around our city, each child armed with a camera set out to discover the alphabet (reinforcing the abc's with the littles, and driving home obervation and creativity with the olders). Each child's journal will have the letter and their photo, the olders will journal about their photos while the littles will practice their writing skills.  Will post a photo of our preparations later this week.

Menu Monday coming tomorrow, including a shopping list, and a few new recipes.

Weekend Finds

1.  TEN things to do OUTSIDE right now with your kids.

THE SNAIL TRAIL  (meander around - there is a lot to love about this blog!!)

2.   PHOTO FIX IT TIPS with photoshop elements.

SPELL OUT LOUD (whats not to love about this blog!!)

3.   Monoprinting- I havent done this since I was a child - and now my children can do it too!

THE ARTFUL PARENT

4.  Making an I SPY QUILT..  I have just discovered these - and I have always loved I spy books, and I spy shelves... And have just placed my first order for pre-cut quilt squares to make my first quilt in a very long time... The last quilt I made was when I was pregnant with my first son.  I think I have to learn a lot all over again. But I could not be more excited.   Check out ETSY for lots of quilting supplies.

And I cant make a weekend post with posting this:

Memorial Weekend/Vetrans Day.... today... tomorrow.... each and every day - I am grateful for all those who sacrifice their lives, whose families sacrifice for our freedoms.  You can see the credits for this page here. 

 

Thankful on Thursday

1.  I am thankful for my kids, for their innocense, and kindness, spunkiness and exuberance, for their messy ways and never ending hugs...

2. I am thankful summer is officially 8 school days away.

3.  I am thankful for ANT spray - I dont like them, dont want them, please stay away.

4.  I am thankful for our library trips that end with glorious reading and snuggling times together.

5. I am thankful for happy hour at sonic.

--- some silly, some lighthearted - but none the less, stopping to take the time - to say outloud that you are thankful for something - it does the soul good!

whats your list today-right now....

Polariod Wednesday

This didnt load earlier for some reason: so here it is again! pics on wednesday from the previous week:

::big::

 

::beautiful::

 

::decisons::

 

::campout::

 

::hesitation::

 

::celebration::

 

::safe::

 

Monday Menu (on Tuesday) ...are we hungry yet?

Been so busy wrapping up editing and making a graduation dvd that I have gotten little else done in the last 3 days.  And that is ok - because I have cried more watching my sweet nephews life unfold on my screen in the process than I have in a long time, and sometimes you need a good cry to get focused - and it has been an incredible reminder to me of just how fast time goes.  I remember so clearly when he was born. And that was 18 years ago... Time flies - and I wish him the best life has to offer during this next phase of his journey.  Amazing how it seems like this really does happen in a blink then you look back over the years and become reflective about life.  So many little things that can cloud our view during the day in and day out challenges, joy, schedules, obligations, quiet moments, etc. that life brings about.  Sometimes you just need to be reminded about what is important, whether its the life you are helping to mold, or the friends whose life you get to impart goodness into, or the stranger whose life you can make better by a gesture of kindness... Time is fleeting...

So, if you are still here, and hungry, like I am since I havent had lunch yet - lets get a plan together for whats left of this week.. And I think I actually have a few photos to post with the menu this week.  The end of last week we had our moms night out and my sweet friend, Shannon had prepared everything for our group to make 12 meals at one time.  It was a great list of meals - so many we hardly had room to taste all the dishes - but the concept was to prepare all the meals in a few hours and then be ready for the week(s) to come.  I am going to share a few of those here.

The first dish was a delish rendering of a chicken paella.  Just look at the great colors this dish gives off.  Seasoned with a special mix Shannon had gotten at Penzy's, it was a big hit.  And the chicken was made ahead and used for several dishes (you know I love that).  There were onions, carrots, red peppers, rice, peas - all that yummy goodness - and super easy to make especially in the manner of preparing alongside other dishes. 

The next was an oh so good pizza.    Um, I am really hungry now.  What was so unique about this pizza was that it was made topped with the filling that was used for the lasagna rolls,  and stuffed shells that we also made. See how versatile this all is - that is key for being succesful for both time management and financially stretching the budget.  This mix of cheesy goodness, ricotta, cottage cheese, mozz and parmesan cheese mixes with spinach, and garlic and seasonings made this a huge hit.

 

Another favorite were these sandwiches -  remember the chicken from the paella... it was prepared in such a veratile way, that some of it was placed inside these rolls with broccoli (sliced thinly) and tomatoes, cheese, etc. and were light and delishous, and I can definately see my kids enjoying these on a weekend - (actuallly its our saturday meal plan this week)..

One more of the 12 dishes we made was this delishous vegetable parmesan.  Oh it was heavenly - layers of summer squash, zucchini, onion, egplant and red peppers, layered with red sauce and topped with mozz and parm.. oh i want some more right now! The surprising key to this dish, was using lemon juice to dip the veggies in before breading them -and then roasting them all off before creating the dish.. Oh this one its a keeper...

 

 

So there you have it - a version of Menu Monday with ideas - things to try - ways to combine ingredients for more than one meal... But here I think is the last necessary ingredient - after you add good friends - you must add this.

(and yes, that was my label attached)

Have a great Tuesday!

homeade weekend

lets just say its been a good at home weekend... hope you are enjoying what is left of yours.

This is what we enjoyed this morning.... homeade doughnuts and fresh fruit!

Friday Finds

Garden Markers at ImagineChildhood   

 

 

Last Child In the Woods as seen at Simple Moms Upcoming Book Club Book -and a MUST READ

can be ordered at Amazon here - or check your local library.

The Crafty Crow Alphabet Series (one letter a day - and crafts galore for each letter)

SmittenKitchen's Broccoli-slaw  (photo and recipe in link)

TheArtfulParent -from tshirt to dress  (weekend sewing projects)

Watermelon Lime & Mint Grantia (Ellie Krieger) recipe in link from foodnetwork

 

Photoshop Tricks and Tips -Motion Blurring

you can go from this:

 

 

to this:

 

 

 

just check out the link above to go to Photoshop Tips and Tricks web sites - and follow the steps.. Minimal steps and easisly achieved for any action shots you want to add movement to.