Article about OHSU

http://www.sltrib.com/education/ci_14046174

There is a great article about OHSU in the SL Tribune, it a great article and give insight into the schooling Corky is getting.

Happy Chanukah!

We have a wonderful family that we are friends with especially our daughters, and they are Jewish-so this year to share and celebrate the last day of Chanukah and also their Shabbat they opened their home to friends and gave us gentiles a taste of a different culture and I was happy to have been invited.

I got to see and rekindle an old friendship there as well, the boys behaved fairly well for the chaos going on and the older girls got a long as well. There was food and cider and Peter made wonderful latkas with applesauce or sour cream.

They lit the menora and sang their prayer in Hebrew which was reverent and calming. Bogan loved the candles and didn't try to blow any out, somehow he knew before we reminded him not to.

We talked and caught up and had a wonderful time.  Thank you to them for a wonderful new memory.

Do you hear what I hear?

Last Night was great we had a traveling family night as it were.  We started with Phun with Physics, a 2 hour program put on by the University of Utah Physics department at the City Library on Foothill Blvd in Sugarhouse, more information here; http://umnh.utah.edu/freemondays(just copy and paste in your browser).  It was great they worked with some of Newtons Laws of Physics, action and reaction and then one which they described as everything is basically lazy, state of motion, which you see PT testing and the dishes are still in place. They also worked with liquid nitrogen, balloons, and motion with a lazy Susan. They poured out the nitrogen onto the floor to let the children feel the evaporating nitrogen and how cold it was then they felt where it was poured to see how cold and dry it was. At the end they put a rubber ball in the nitrogen for about 10 minutes and dropped from the stairs with one that was not frozen and with a loud POP the ball broke off into a dozen pieces, while the other bounced. Its a great program and the children enjoyed it if you can you should see it, they have it there and at the Natural Museum of History on the first Monday of the month which is free Monday.

Then we got some pizzas for dinner and headed off to the South Jordan Library where we saw the Intermountain Christian School Bell Choir and Chorus.  The program was simple and lovely there where 2 bell numbers then chorus then bell and so on.  The Choir did both bells and sing and the members also traded bells frequently for each number, so many of the members learned all of the bells played.  The boys where in awe at the size of the bells, small to large and loved the blocks to play the "horse feet". a long with the wood cracker "cracking whip", during the Christmas Song, and they had a lovely medley from the Nutcracker.

Free Craft Pattern 90661AD Stamped Gift Wrap : Lion Brand Yarn Company

Love this Idea I can use it throughout the year, yay.

Free Craft Pattern 90661AD Stamped Gift Wrap : Lion Brand Yarn Company

Posted using ShareThis

The War on Kids

Watched this film on Saturday it was an eye opener, but most of it I knew-it was done very well.

A review of the documentary;

Film (The War on Kids) Probes Public Education in America

(8 Comments) The award-winning feature documentary, THE WAR ON KIDS, launches a nationwide grassroots screening tour that will bring the debate about public education to dozens of campuses and communities nationwide.
In 95 minutes, THE WAR ON KIDS exposes the many ways the public school system has failed children and our future by robbing students of all freedoms due largely to irrational fears.  Children are subjected to endure prison-like security, arbitrary punishments, and pharmacological abuse through the forced prescription of dangerous drugs.  Even with these measures, schools not only fail to educate students, but the drive to teach has become secondary to the need to control children.  Not only do school fall short of their mission to educate, but they erode the country’s democratic foundation and often resemble prisons.
School children are interviewed as are high school teachers and administrators, and prison security guards, plus renowned educators and authors including:
Henry Giroux:  Author of Stealing Innocence Corporate Culture's War on Children
Mike A. Males:  Sociologist, author of Scapegoat Generation
John Gatto: New York City and New York State Teacher of the Year
Judith Browne:  Associate Director of the Advancement Project
Dan Losen:  The Civil Liberties Project, Harvard University
Watch the trailer here
if this link is not working let me know.

Thanksgiving Desserts

For part of our lessons Wednesday we made desserts for everyone.  We made Pilgrim hats and Indian Tee pee's,(I know the Indians who are back east did not live in tee-pee's, it was just for the image and  5 and 7 year old).  And believe it or not the boys where so excited to show all our family on Thursday that they even waited to eat the desserts. They didn't take long to make and were very yummy.

Black Friday: everything that's wrong with society - Viewpoint

Please visit this link;

http://www.the350project.net/home.html  

or click on link below.
By the Way I think out of all the ads I have veiwed I saw 2 items I would like at a great price but not so great as to be a part of the madness.

And I agree with this viewpoint though most won't, try and remember it is just that a viewpoint.

Black Friday: everything that's wrong with society - Viewpoint

This Years Thanksgiving; Simple

Well for this years thanksgiving we are going to take it easy, and its about time.  I am not doing a whole lot of big dishes just the Turkey.
So Heres our Menu;
1/2 of a Applewood Smoked Turkey
Homemade Mashed Potatoes and Gravy
Small Australian Squash with Cornbread Stuffing
Green Salad
Green Beans
Macaroni and Cheese
Rolls

And for dessert
Cherry, 7 in
Pecan, 3 made in 6 inch dishes
Lemon Meringue Pies, same as pecan
and Cheesecake
and Ice Cream and Whipped Real Cream

I am still thinking about a relish dish, its a maybe.  Smiths has their Glad and Ziploc on sale this week so that's where I picked up a few extra freezer containers for Thursdays leftovers yay!

Movie Night

On Tuesday one of our daughters asked us if we could look into getting the movie Passage to Zarahemla.  We have always like the Tennis Shoes Series so we told her that we would look into it.  Well my husband went to our favorite place to look for for great deals first, KSL.com classifieds.  He came across a copy that was N.I.B and a great price, only $7.99.  Not only was this new but signed by the author/director himself.  So we thought yeah that sounded great and to go ahead and call and get it.  My husband then realized that the name next to the phone number was Chris, hmmmmm.  And sure enough it was Chris Heimerdinger-author, director himself.  It was great to meet him for my children, since they learned how down to earth and real writers can be-regular house in Draper with a yard that looked like ours, swingset and bikes on the lawn of different sizes.  He was gracious and let us come in he signed the DVD, and then he signed one of our copies of Tennis Shoes among the Nephites books on tape, and posed for a picture.  We watched the movie and it was a good movie for families, and an all around good experience for us.

Lessons I have Learned from Homeschooling

When someone usually says homeschooling no one really realizes the enormous responsibility you have taken upon yourself, and no one realizes at first how much you will learn.  Most peole just think that you are going to replicate a public school system at home, with desks, chairs, a lot of paper work and memorization.  But for the everage homeschooling parent this method of homeschooling does not fit your family or lifestyle.

So things I have learned are this that the homeschooling classroom is vast it is everything around you for this family it was a summer adventure that made memories and learning experiences along with coming closer together because we had to depend on each other.  We learned a thing or two about tending a big garden and reaping the rewards.  We learned more about fishing and how 2 little boys love to do it and can sit in a boat for 6 hours waiting.  We learned that when you take on the responsibility to raise rabbits and care for them then find them good homes you feel accomplishment and then get to have a little spending cash that was well earned.  We learned that dinosaurs are in all sizes, daddy's are really silly with a bike and a lake, and that a dirt road can take you to many places and make many memories-without money. 

I have learned this about homeschooling, my children are great and have finally embraced this lifestyle with both hands.  They have learned now to look at things very differently and ask why either aloud or with those eyes that you see the wheels turning.  My eldest has done great she is doing online charter school, she is also running a online shop and has kept the responsibility great. Her time management skills are great.   She is keeping a 3.7 gpa and is the VP of her class.  My second has overcome a hurdle in her life and now has a goal to attend the online school as well and learning all that she can.  As for my boys I have learned how free they are, they do learning time every day and then they have their chores, but they do have play time-real play time-
not just 15 minutes in the morning and afternoon to go home to a mountain of homework.  The are reading, exploring and becoming best friends.  They interact and love their sisters and there is no competition. 

I have learned that my patience is great but my love for them greater and that I would not have my life anyother way because I would be missing to much.  I like to see their reactions when they learn something new and it clicks, I like to reward them and make them feel important.  But what I like most is how my family has come together and how much I can see that we love each other, and that makes my heart so full.

Reason My Dining Room Table will never be free of Clutter....

I have a Dining Room with a large 8-10 person Table.  It's great everyone fits and room for company when needed.  But today I decorated the table with scriptures of Thankfulness that I printed up and framed, and then I put them out for display-
Well my Dining Room table is always a gethering place and not just for food but for learning, games, chit-chat, reading and art.  Of course we all help out when it comes to meals for the clean up but it all seems to make its way back there.

My little Bogan has been carrying around paper and crayons for weeks and his favorite drawing place is the chair right by the window at the Dining Room table, despite that there are desks and other places available. So the table will always be cluttered with art or for the other children-books and what needs to be there-but I don't mind because I get to see and hear about what is going on and at the end of the day an uncluttered table just seems empty and mine has family togetherness and just makes me smile and feel all loving and warm inside.

Veterans Day

Just a prayer of thanks to those who are brave enough to serve this country for our freedom and to remember those who have given their lives.

"I like to see a man proud of the place in which he lives. I like to see a man live so that his place will be proud of him. ~Abraham Lincoln"

Homeschooling Benefits Children less preoccupied with peer acceptance

Just read this great article and thought to share it.

William R. Mattox Jr.

Friday, March 19, 1999

MOST FOLKS who have never met a homeschooling family imagine that the kids are about as socially isolated (and as socially awkward) as Bobby Boucher, the Cajun ``Momma's boy'' Adam Sandler portrays in the recent hit film, ``The Waterboy.''

But some new research by Brian Ray of the National Home Education Research Institute suggests otherwise. Indeed, Ray's research helps to explain why the number of homeschoolers in America continues to grow and now totals more than 1.4 million children. Ray reports the typical homeschooled child is involved in 5.2 social activities outside the home each week. These activities include afternoon and weekend programs with conventionally schooled kids, such as ballet classes, Little League teams, Scout troops, church groups and neighborhood play. They include midday field trips and cooperative learning programs organized by groups of homeschooling families. For example, some Washington, D.C., families run a homeschool drama troupe that performs at a local dinner theater.

So, what most distinguishes a homeschooler's social life from that of a conventionally schooled child? Ray says homeschooled children tend to interact more with people of different ages.

This is actually more akin to the ``real world'' -- what businessperson's social interaction is largely restricted to those born in the same year? It reduces the degree to which children find themselves constantly being compared to, and comparing themselves with, other kids their age. Interestingly, this reduced consciousness about age tends to help homeschooled ``late bloomers'' avoid being stigmatized as ``slow learners'' -- which is one of the many reasons homeschoolers, on average, score 30 to 37 percentile points higher than conventionally schooled students on the most commonly administered K-8 standardized tests.

Moreover, homeschooled children tend to draw their primary social identity from their membership in a particular family rather than from their membership in ``a tribe apart.'' That's the phrase author Patri cia Hersch uses to describe the conventionally schooled kids she followed through adolescence. According to Hersch, many school kids today feel isolated from the grown-up world and alienated from parents who fail to take an interest in their lives and to set boundaries for their behavior.

Now, Hersch's intention isn't to make a case for homeschooling. (She doesn't significantly address the issue.) But the angst- ridden teens she describes in her book closely resemble the peer-obsessed students Seattle public high school teacher David Guterson talks about in his compelling book, ``Family Matters: Why Homeschooling Makes Sense,'' (Harcourt-Brace Jovanovich, 1992). Guterson reports that the kids in his conventional school often have difficulty navigating the turbulent social scene at school, with ``its cliques, rumors and relentless gossip, its shifting alliances and expedient betrayals.'' Guterson says that their preoccupation with peer acceptance often encourages young people to become ``acutely attuned to a pre-adult commercial culture that usurps their attention (M-TV, Nintendo, fashion magazines, teen cinema)'' and frequently fosters a sense of alien ation from people of other ages.

Interestingly, educational researcher Susannah Sheffer of Cambridge, Mass., says facilitating peer-dependency is part of ``how schools shortchange girls'' (to borrow the title of a highly publicized report issued several years ago by the American Association of University Women). In a recent study of self-esteem among adolescent girls, Sheffer found that unlike their conventionally schooled counterparts, homeschooled girls did not typically lose confidence in themselves when their ideas and opinions weren't embraced by their friends.

Now, none of this means that every homeschooler is socially well-adjusted. Or that homeschooling is the only way for parents to raise children successfully. Or that good things never happen in conventional schools. But these studies do suggest that homeschooling offers more than just educational benefits. No wonder a growing number of families are now giving home education a try.

http://sfgate.com/cgi-bin/article.cgi?f=/c/a/1999/03/19/ED71809.DTL

This article appeared on page A - 23 of the San Francisco Chronicle

Day 21~Thanksgiving Decor

This is a great Idea for anyone who is interested!

Day 21~Thanksgiving Decor

Squidney turned 13 on the 31st, Teenager at last!

The things that I love about Squish,

She has a beautiful Smile

Loving sister

Tries to make others laugh

Has taken control of her schooling

and improving her reading and math a lot

Always Helpful

Loves to Watch old Movies

HAPPY HALLOWEEN !!!

Great and Quick Cold Weather Soup Recipe

I came across this recipe and then decided to make it turned out great although I did modify a little, instead of rotel I used fresh tomatoes I had and used S&W Chili Beans that had garlic, onion and chili in them. And I threw in a few more veggies when sauteing the onions, I had peppers and celery in there too.  Here is the recipe I hope you try it and enjoy!

Willy Strange's Good Soup

Several years ago, our church congregation did a community service project and cleaned up an overgrown cemetary in Rockwall, Texas.  The care-taker, an elderly woman, couldn’t afford to pay for our services but gave us something much better.  This recipe came from her.  It was an instant hit with everyone who took a copy, and has continued to be a family favorite which we share with our special friends.  I’ve decided that it’s just too good to keep under wraps.  So, sometime when you need to make a main-dish in just 10-15 minutes, give this a try.  You won’t be disappointed.

Ingredients:

• 2 cans Campbell's Minestrone soup
• 1 can Ranch Style beans *
• 1 can Rotel diced tomatoes (Mild or hot - you choose) *
• 2 cans water
• ¼ cup catsup
• 1 lb. hamburger
• 1 small diced onion
• * Rotel and Ranch Style are brand name products of ConAgra Foods. Their web site has a search feature to help you find a retailer near you that carries these two products. It's worth your time to find them.

Preparation:

Sauté the diced onion in a dutch oven.  Add the hamburger and brown.  Drain off the excess fat.  Add the remaining ingredients, heat and serve.

We sometimes add an additional can of tomato soup with an additional ¾ can of water.  You can control the spiciness of the soup by using the spicy Rotel tomatoes.

Our new SBO!

Last Friday Corky was voted Freshman Vice President at OHSU, and they are planning big time first thing they will be doing is a school trip to Lagoon for Frightmares!  There is a great deal that I will post as to how you can help OHSU raise funds just by going to Frightmares, a portion of your ticket price goes to the school.  But they are planning a night when they can all meet in person.  As far as I can tell they are very anxious to have this. I will be adding a few links for that.  We are all excited yeah Corky!

Home

Well we have moved back to our home of 13 years after a 6 month break.  It went smoothly and my DH can be quoted as saying its great to move back into somewhere you've already been then you know where it all goes.  I will still be blogging and we will still have fun!  Make sure you keep up to date!

Harvest 2009

Well it finally froze and so with the move I decided to go ahead and pull all of our Winter squash and anything left in the garden we could take.  As you can see we came out a little too well.  Those darn plants not all where supposed to live, I had actually planted them a little close together because of my homegrown transplants not all usually make it.  I didn't loose any, until the deer ate 3 of them.  All of the seeds are ones I have saved from last year, I have learned how to do this it's easy and an essential garden know how.  I did however buy Connecticut field pumpkin seeds and my sister gave me some pumpkin seeds as well.

My winter squash included;
Australian Butter Squash
Pennsylvania Dutch Crookneck, mine never seem to crook though
Hubbard
Spaghetti squash
and Pumpkins, Connecticut and white

And other things in my garden;
Corn,(deer and grasshoppers got it)
summer squash:
  sunburst patty pan
  yellow straight neck
  zucchini
Cucumbers
  Slicing
  pickling
  Lemon
beets
carrots, red, orange, yellow and white
tomatoes
dill
Onions, red and yellow
watermelons
canteloupe
green beans (deer got them)
swiss chard
peppers, bell, banana and Anaheim
red potatoes
okra
broccoli
cabbage
turnips
rutabega

I was so glad to figure out that we pulled more than a thousand pounds of veg from the garden, a lot more than I was expecting-but then again you never know what you are going to get!

One turnip I pulled from the garden was 15.5 inches around!