Homeschoolers vs Public Schoolers

This year William is beginning to notice a difference between himself and other kids.  Mainly public school kids.

He doesn't understand why they don't do what they say they will do.  Why some of them don't keep their promises or even seem to care that they are breaking them.  This is a biggie.  In our home, honesty and respect are foundations on which we build our family.  So we teach him to be honest, sincere and considerate.

Another difference he's starting to notice is the aggression.  Public school kids are much more aggressive.  Much more.  Perhaps it's their environment or boredom at school- who knows really.  They are simply much more physical, aggressive and "handsy".  There is a clear disregard for other people's personal space.  Hitting, pushing and physically forcing other kids to do things is something I am witnessing more and more.

And perhaps the biggest difference of all is the lack of respect in general.  We recently had a big party and there were a few public schoolers in my house.  One hit William with a stick several times for no real reason and another colored all over my wall.  Say what?!?

Now before you freak out- I realize not ALL public school kids behave this way.  I was a product of public school and I would have never behaved the way some kids do now.  So I get it.  It is very much a result of parenting.  But I don't think the issue really stops there.  Because many of the public schoolers that we know are truly great kids.  They have great, involved parents and come from a great family yet they still have some very clear behavior issues.

So here goes, I'm just going to throw my theories out there about the differences between public schooler and homeschoolers.

• Homeschooling parents are there to gently guide and encourage all day every day.  Public school kids spend the longest part of their day away from this gentle, guiding hand.
• Food, sugar and overall diet play a key role in how kids behave.  Sending your kid off to school with a bowl of Fruit Loops is setting them up for failure.  
• Homeschoolers socialize with everyone.  They know what's expected of them in pretty much every environment and how to properly behave.  Public schoolers socialize with their peers.  This does not model the real world.  
• Homeschooling parents have more time to teach children and can focus on the whole child.  Education, emotional well being, physical, spiritual etc.
• When a homeschooler acts out, the behavior is immediately corrected.  Mostly because the parent is present at the time to do so.  However, when a public schooler acts out- who knows when or if the behavior ever gets corrected.  Again this comes back to the 1st item on the list.

Now I know these are generalizations.  They do not apply to all public schoolers or all homeschoolers.  And William does have some great public school friends who these issues do not apply.  However this has been our personal experience as a homeschooling family.  

Simply put- we think homeschooled kids are better behaved.  They are more respectful towards others and act with deliberate consideration.  

As William gets older, these differences are becoming more and more apparent.  To the point where William is beginning to NOT want to socialize with public schoolers.  As always I encourage him to have friends from all walks of life.  These are teachable moments and I take every opportunity to show him and guide him to learn from these moments.

So what are your thoughts?  Have you witnessed a difference in public schoolers and homeschoolers?

Organic Groceries Week #2

So maybe you read my post last week on shopping for organic groceries- maybe not.  You can check it out here if you want to.  Either way, I've decided to spend the next month posting a picture and complete list of all the groceries I buy each week.  I do my very best to shop just once per week and I spend roughly $175-200.

Below is week #2 in my month long series.  I spent $163.87 but I also had $16 in coupons and a LOT of my stuff was on sale this week.  WooHoo!!  I did much better this week then I did last week.

Items are listed from left to right of the picture.

Week #2

• 1 container O Organics Sour Cream
• 1 30 oz can O Organics Diced Tomatoes
• 1 lb Open Nature Cheddar Cheese
• 2 loaves Dave's Killer Bread- organic
• 1 very big organic heirloom tomato
• 1 bag organic sprouted lentils
• 1 bunch organic bananas
• 2 containers organic strawberries
• 4 boxes Annie's bunny crackers- they were half off!
• 1 box Van's frozen waffles
• 2 boxes  Morningstar Farms Veggie Corn Dogs
• 2 organic peaches
• 2 organic kiwis
• 3 organic nectarines
• 2 organic pears
• 2 organic apples
• 2 bags Late July chips
• 2 cans organic vegetarian refried beans
• 4 sticks  Organic Valley butter
• 4 small individual sized Stoneyfield yogurt containers
• 4 small individual sized Wallaby yogurt containers
• 1 gallon Organic Valley organic milk
• 1 bottle O Organics cooking spray
• 1/2 pint O Organics orange juice
• 1- 6 pack beer
• 1 box  Morningstar Farms Veggie Sausage Patties
• 1 lb organic Spring Mix salad- in the box under the sausage patties
• 2 containers ice cream- not organic
• 2 more organic apples
• 1 bunch organic celery
• 1 package Applegate Farms roasted turkey lunch meat
• 1 package Applegate Farms ham lunch meat
• 1 package Applegate Farms roast beef lunch meat
• 1 package pork steak- for my dogs!
• 2- 1 lb bags Open Nature shredded cheddar cheese
• 4 organic avocados
• 2 organic cucumbers
• 1 bag organic onions
• 1 bag w/6 ears organic corn on the cob
• *and not pictured, 1 whole organic cantaloupe
• *also not pictured, one package hamburger buns, not organic

You may also notice my adorable William and his trusty sidekick Buddy Boy.  They wanted to be in the picture too!

This week I am hosting a birthday party for my Mom.  I will be making lentil sloppy joes (she's been bugging me to make these for her!), Applegate Farms hot dogs from my freezer, fresh corn on the cob, fresh fruit, chips, salad, ice cream and beer.  I will also make her some homemade brownies which are her favorite.

In addition, I have dog food that I will make from this weeks grocery trip.  Pork steak, lentils, veggies.  And also beef steak, brown rice & veggies.  Two separate meals that will last for breakfast & dinner for 2 hungry pups throughout the week.  My dogs love this stuff, I highly recommend you think about making your animals their food!

I will combine the foods I bought this week with my pantry supplies and things still in my fridge and freezer.  This will be more then enough to last us throughout the week.

I shop mainly at Safeway which carries the O Organics brand.  They also have the Open Nature brand.  So when I can't find what I need in organic, I buy the Open Nature as a last resort.  It's still better then the alternative.

Ok- well that concludes week #2.  Next up is Week #3.

A Week of Real Food for a Busy Mom

I have a few food inspirations.  Food Babe and 100 Days of Real Food are my go-to websites for healthy, vegetarian foods and for all the latest food related information.  I highly recommend you check them out.  With that being said- holy moly who has time for all that!  Seriously, I just don't have the time to make my tortillas from scratch or prepare seaweed wrapped "sandwiches" for lunch.

My reality is that I need to make 3 meals per day for my family.  I also need to have a few "on the go" breakfasts for my husband since he sometimes has to leave super early in the morning.  In addition, I pack him a lunch every day and he prefers things that are easy to eat while driving.  I know...I know...Unfortunately he does not have access to a microwave or a fridge, so this severely limits what I can pack him for lunch.  I also work from home, homeschool and shuttle my child around to various events and activities.  I do not have an unlimited amount of time to spend in my kitchen day in and day out.  I cook healthy, mainly vegetarian meals from scratch.  I prefer whole foods and try not to use prepackaged or processed foods.  

I'm sure you can all relate.  You want to feed your family healthy meals but you lack the time or the energy.  So what exactly does a typical week's worth of meals look like for a busy household?  How do you prep and cook healthy meals from scratch in the "real world"?  I have set up a few guidelines for myself that I think you may find helpful.

Here's my guidelines:

1.  Prep as much as you can ahead of time.
2.  Use your crockpot when you know you won't have time to make dinner.
3.  Eat your leftovers.
4.  Make a double batch and freeze half for another week.
5.  Use the weekend to bake.
6.  One pot dishes are your best friend.
7.  Eat real food.

These all seem fairly easy but I will give you an example of what a typical week's worth of meals looks like at my house.

Monday- 

Dinner:  I put Quinoa & Black Bean Chili in my crockpot.  I had a busy work day and William had soccer practice.  So that means we wouldn't be getting home until after 6:30pm.  And when we did get home, dinner was done.  

Lunch: Applegate Farms turkey sandwiches on Dave's Killer Bread.  Roast Beef for the husband.  Organic veggie chips & fresh fruit.

Snacks: fresh fruit, popcorn

Breakfast: Hashbrowns, turkey sausage and fresh fruit

Tuesday-

Dinner: Steak Night!  I had put the steak in a ziploc baggie to marinate on Sunday night.  So all I needed to do was take the bag out & fire up the grill.  I also boiled some potatoes and cooked some corn on the cob.  All pretty simple.

Lunch: Turkey sandwiches, Roast Beef for the husband.  Veggie chips & fresh fruit.

Snacks: apples & cheese slices

Breakfast: Hashbrowns, turkey sausage & fresh fruit

Wednesday- 

Dinner: Quinoa & Black Bean Chili leftovers from Monday night.  William had soccer practice again so I planned ahead of time on Monday and made a double batch.

Lunch: Leftover potatoes from Tuesday's dinner w/salad.  Husband had a Newman's Own frozen pizza that I had cooked, cooled & cut up for him.  These are seriously super yummy!

Snacks: fresh fruit, sunflower seeds

Breakfast: Breakfast sandwiches for the husband w/cheese & turkey sausage.  Oatmeal w/frozen organic berries for me & the kiddo.  The husband is not a fan of oatmeal.

Thursday- 

Dinner: Veggie Fajitas.  I prepped these in the AM, cut all the veggies & put in a ziploc baggie to marinate.  When it was dinner time, I simply pulled out the bag & cooked them in a fry pan on the stove.  I opened a couple cans of black beans to serve them with.  Easy, filling & healthy.

Lunch: Turkey sandwiches & Roast Beef for the husband. Veggie chips & fresh fruit.

Snacks: popcorn, yogurt

Breakfast: Chocolate Muffins from the freezer- hubbie had to leave for work early, so I just took one straight out of the freezer & popped in his lunch bag.  I also made him a Green Smoothie to drink on his morning drive. The kiddo & I had toast w/avocado.

Friday-

Dinner: Tomato & Lentil Stew from the freezer.  I usually make a double batch of something during the week & put in my freezer for another night.  I typically pull something out of my freezer one night per week.  Especially on Fridays when I've had a long week and the last thing I want to do is cook!

Lunch: Grilled Cheese with fresh fruit.

Snacks: cut up carrots & apple slices

Breakfast: Chocolate Muffin from the freezer for the husband & Green Smoothie.  Fruit & yogurt parfaits for me and the kiddo.

Saturday- 

Dinner: Out.  We went to our favorite Italian restaurant, yum!

Lunch: Leftover Veggie Fajitas from Thursday nights dinner.  The kiddo had vegetarian refried beans and tortillas.

Snacks: cheese slices & Late July brand crackers

Breakfast: Toast w/avocado.  The husband slept in & woke up in time for lunch.

Sunday- 

Dinner: Parmesan & Spinach Orzo, salad and roasted veggies.  I made extra for lunches during the week.  I also usually have more time on Sundays so enjoy making a more elaborate meal.  I also baked some blueberry muffins and froze half for breakfasts another week.

Lunch: Leftover Tomato & Lentil Stew from Friday night's dinner.

Snacks: fresh fruit & sunflower seeds

Breakfast: Pancakes with real maple syrup and turkey bacon.  Whenever I make pancakes, I always make a triple batch and freeze some for easy, weekday breakfasts.

So there you have it, a fairly typical week at my house.  We just so happened to have a bit more meat this week because our favorite lunch meat, Applegate, was on sale at the grocery store.  We normally just eat leftovers for lunches.  All the meals were quick, healthy, well balanced and fairly inexpensive to make.  And with a little pre-planning and prep time, I was able to feed my family all week long with minimal stress and time on my part.  Sweet!

A Typical Week's Organic Groceries- Week 1

We eat roughly 80-90% organic, mostly vegetarian and a non processed, non GMO diet.  Whenever we can't find something that meets our needs we always do our best to find an alternative.  Take cheese for example....my local grocery store does NOT carry organic cheese yet.  Bummer!  So I always buy Tillamook cheese.  It's fairly local for us- the Tillamook factory is just one state away.  It's tasty and it doesn't have any added chemicals or junk.  So I know I'm making the best choice possible given the options available to me.

I spend about $200 per week.  I pretty much make all our meals from scratch and I recently started making our beloved Lucky Dog & Buddy Boy their meals too.  Commercial dog food is SO bad for your pups!

To give you an idea of what a typical week looks like, I put all my groceries on the counter after my weekly trip to the grocery store.  Here it is- this is $175 worth of food.  I'll break it down for you starting from left to right.

• One bunch organic bananas
• 1 bag Alexia organic hashbrowns
• 1 lb Tillamook cheddar cheese
• 1 box O Organics Green Tea bags
• 2 packages Applegate roasted turkey lunch meat
• 1 package Applegate ham lunch meat
• 1 container O Organics half & half 
• 1 box Applegate frozen turkey sausages
• 1 lb organic coffee
• 2 containers O Organic sour cream
• 2 loaves Dave's Killer Bread- organic
• 4 cans organic vegetarian refried beans
• 2 organic apples
• 2 organic kiwi's
• 1 red, 1 yellow & 2 green organic bell peppers
• 1 large container O Organics plain yogurt
• Arrowhead Mills flax seed
• Arrowhead Mills pearl barley
• 1 bag Alexia fries
• 1 bag BoomChickaPop popcorn (big yellow bag)
• International Delight Cinnabon creamer- I know...I know...
• 2 packages O Organic romaine lettuce
• 2 bunches organic green onions
• 1 bunch organic cilantro
• 1 bag organic carrots
• 1 jar organic mayonnaise
• 1 box Annie's cheddar crackers
• 1 container Tillamook ice cream
• 2 boxes Morningstar Farms Chik N Nuggets (vegetarian)
• 1 jar O Organics ranch dressing
• 1 box organic frozen yogurt bars
• 1 bag organic green grapes
• 1 container organic blackberries
• 1 container organic raspberries
• 2 organic plums
• 4 organic white peaches

Obviously I don't buy every single thing I need each week.  I stock up just like you probably do when things are on sale.  In my fridge I still have corn on the cob, broccoli, tortillas, milk, eggs, butter, kale, cucumbers, celery, onions and tomatoes.  We also have some organic orange juice and organic lemonade still sitting in the fridge.  My pantry has a nice supply of quinoa, rice, canned beans, canned tomatoes, pasta, oatmeal and granola.  My freezer has 4 black bean & quinoa burgers that I made last week.  There's also a whole organic chicken, 4 organic grass fed steaks, a package of Applegate hot dogs, homemade blueberry muffins, one loaf of banana chocolate bread, frozen organic veggies, frozen organic berries, a pan of homemade macaroni & cheese and homemade black bean chili.  Tip- make a double batch of something and freeze half!

From this weekly grocery trip and my fridge and pantry, I will make 6 dinners, 7 lunches and 7 breakfast's for 4 people and 2 dogs.  You may notice that I do have some processed foods- mainly the Morningstar Farms Chik N Nuggets and the International Delight coffee creamer.  These 2 items are probably the worst offenders in my weekly shopping cart.  However, I have found that I need to have 1 or 2 quick frozen meals that I can just open and pop in the oven.  Doesn't every busy Mom on the go- need something quick and easy? So instead of the standard factory farmed chicken nuggets (Tyson anyone?) and cheap GMO filled frozen french fries or trip to McDonald's drive thru, I have opted for a slightly healthier version.  Thus the Morningstar Farms Chik N Nuggets (these contain NO real chicken) and Alexia brand french fries.

And well...what can I say about the International Delight coffee creamer.  It's my weakness.  I'm working on it.

Every meal is served with fruit or veggies, sometimes both.  Since my son usually goes grocery shopping with me, I always let him pick out one new food to try.  Last week it was radishes this week it was the Annie's cheddar crackers, go figure!  Tip- this is a super easy way to get your kids excited about trying something new.  

You may also notice that there's no soda.  I stopped buying it about a year ago.  My dad gets it free from his work, so we usually have a nice supply for guests and my husband sometimes gets a can of soda in his lunch.  Now, you may wonder why I pack him a can of soda....well, let me just tell you that a year ago, he was drinking 3-4 cans per day.  He's slowly weaning off the soda- these changes take time, so give yourself a break.  I'm super proud of him!!

We mainly drink lemon water and my husband likes to mix a little lemonade in with his water.  In addition, every morning my boys have a cup of organic orange juice with breakfast.  I also make lots of kale/green smoothies and yogurt/berry smoothies.  And my favorite drink of choice- cold iced green tea with lemon.  Brew a big pot, stick in the fridge with some lemons and drink it just like iced tea.  Yummy and SO good for you!  Well, that and coffee are my most favorite things to drink....

So there you have it.  One weeks worth of organic groceries.  I'm thinking this should be a monthly segment so I will do my best to post next weeks groceries.  Stay tuned!

Want to see what Week #2 looks like?  Click here.

Fall Schedule

The time has come, Summer is almost over.  While William is certainly sad to see it go- I am looking forward to Fall.  My favorite time of the year is just around the corner!

Since we homeschool year round, the transition from Summer back to the school year is not nearly as difficult as it could be.  We do workbook and quiet reading during the Summer months so now that Fall is almost here, we will add in some classes.  Oh yeah- and soccer season has officially started.  So for the next 4 months our lives will be consumed with everything soccer.  WooHoo!  I'm a Soccer Mom!

If you'll remember, I posted a bit on what our Summer Homeschooling Schedule looks like.  So how will our Fall schedule compare?  Let's take a look, shall we?

Monday

60 minutes workbook

60 minutes quiet reading

30 minutes Compass Odyssey

1 hour soccer practice

Tuesday

60 minutes workbook

60 minutes quiet reading

30 minutes Compass Odyssey

1 hour Paragraph Writing class * at Edmonds Heights

1 hour Math class * at Edmonds Heights

Wednesday 

60 minutes workbook

60 minutes quiet reading

30 minutes Compass Odyssey

1 hour soccer practice

Thursday

60 minutes workbook

60 minutes quiet reading

30 minutes Compass Odyssey

1 hour Paragraph Writing class *

1 hour Math class * 

2 hour Swim & Gym class at YMCA

Friday

60 minutes workbook

60 minutes quiet reading

30 minutes Compass Odyssey

library

physical therapy

Saturday

soccer game

Lowes Build & Grow free clinic *every other Saturday

As you can see, some days are pretty light as far as actual lesson time goes.  However, we more then make up for it on other days- Thursday anyone?  Eek!  Keep in mind that this is our goal for each day.  So some days William may only do 45 minutes of workbook or maybe he does 2 hours of quiet reading.  As long as we get fairly close to our daily goal- I'm happy with that!

I'm also trying to find a good program or class for William to continue with his Spanish lessons and his Martial Arts.  So that will hopefully be added to our Fall schedule here soon.   You'll notice that we cover pretty much all the basics.  There's language arts, math, reading, PE and in William's downtime, he loves creating art and doing science experiments.  He's also getting the appropriate amount of socialization and has enough down time to just be a kid.  

We also make time to visit the library each week.  Did you know that you can put books, DVD's, magazines etc on hold online and arrange to pick them up?  We take full advantage of this and I reserve items for myself, my husband and the kiddo.  This saves us money on curriculum too as I'm able to print off worksheets for free using the library computers and printers.  Check out Education.com for free worksheets, science experiments and crafts!

You'll also notice that we don't have a formal curriculum.  Check out my post here to read more about the program William attends.  For the actual workbook, William uses these great "all in one" Scholastic workbook that I buy from Costco for around $7.  There you have it- free classes at Edmonds Heights, free worksheets online, free books, magazines, DVDs and a yearly workbook for $7.  If you don't count the PE activities (soccer, martial arts, swim) our out of pocket expense for the entire year is well under $20.  Sweet!!

Now that's not a bad way to start the school year!

***Want to know more about the public school funded program that William attends?  Click here to check it out!

Organic- The Final Plunge

The last step.

It's time to make the switch to all organic.  Fruits and veggies.  Canned beans, rice, potatoes, canned tomatoes, snack foods.  Condiments and cereals.  Everything.  Many foods you will be able to find replacements for- like ketchup and canned beans.  Some products you will need to give up completely.  This change won't hit your budget quite like the meat and dairy but it will require the most effort on your part.  It will take time to change the way you grocery shop.

You'll be buying lots of fruits and veggies.  Well, at least I hope you will be....so here's a handy way to remember what's best to buy.  A sticker with a bar code of a 9 is organic.  Buy this one!  A sticker starting with an 8 is a GMO.  Run!  Run for your life!  And finally, a sticker with a bar code starting with a 4 means it's a conventional product.  It is grown with chemicals and pesticides.  Not good either.  Whew!  Confused? Here's a silly little rhyme that I use- if it doesn't have a nine, it's not worth my dime!

There's also another very helpful label to look for when doing your shopping.  It's the Non-GMO verified label.  The Non-GMO project is a non profit organization dedicated to labeling products that do not contain any GMOs.  To read more about the Non-GMO project, visit their website here.  I simply LOVE this website!  Great search function to help you find alternatives and lots of helpful information, so be sure to check it out!

Look for this label when shopping!

It's at this point that your life will naturally take on some other major changes.  You'll start shopping the outer isles of the grocery store where the "real" food is kept.  You'll buy less process foods.  Cook more from scratch.  Instead of offering your child some goldfish crackers you'll have fresh organic grapes.  Dinner consists of lentil stew instead of beef stew.  McDonalds, Burger King, Taco Bell and other fast food places will start to upset your tummy and frankly- it won't taste as good as it once did.  Soda won't be as refreshing.  You'll have less waste and will actually eat all the foods in your fridge and pantry.  Ah- the changes are coming your way!  And all because you made the switch to organic foods.

The real change is the best one of all.  You will feel so good.  Your body will start to function as it should without all those harmful chemicals and toxins weighing you down.  You may also notice your skin clearing up, your moods will stabilize, your trips to the bathroom becoming more frequent- lots of fiber in all those kale smoothies!  My son was even able to cure his eczema by simply changing his diet.  It's amazing!

Oh and one last thing before I end this blog post....every time you buy a product, even an organic one, you are making a vote for that product.  You the consumer are saying YES- I approve.  So its very important that we are making the right choices with how we spend our dollars.  Wouldn't you agree?

Not all organic foods are worth spending your hard earned money on.  Many of these organic companies are owned by non-organic major corporations.  Sneaky buggers!  So you the consumer think you're making wonderful choices and supporting organic- however your money is really going towards major food giants like ConAgra, Kraft, Kellogg's and Pepsi.  These companies support using GMO's in food.  They support the poisoning of America.  I strongly encourage you to NOT buy from any of these companies.

Yikes!  Are you thoroughly confused now?  I know I was!  So what should you buy?  What companies are ok to support?  Below is a quick and easy cheat sheet to help you figure out the very best organic companies that are worth buying from and worth supporting.

I realize this is easier said then done.  It will take time.  For some of you- your location will severely limit what products are available to you.  And that's ok.  I would rather you choose organic yogurt with a Stonyfield label vs Dannon's yogurt.  Even though these are owned by the same corporation- you better believe they are keeping track of how many consumers are buying the organic yogurt vs the conventional yogurt.  So perhaps if we buy more, they will figure it that it's a good idea to make more.  So give yourself the ok to buy from these companies when there is not a better alternative.

And finally- I just want to tell you how amazing I think it is that you are making this change.  It's not easy.  It's very expensive and there's lots of confusing information out there.  A bit overwhelming is putting it mildly.  I hope that my little blog has helped you and I hope that we can continue to learn together. Committing to feeding yourself and your family organic foods will prolong your life and make you healthier inside and out!  Get down with your BAD self!  You rock!

Up next- what the heck is a CSA and why you should do it.

Monday. You Suck.

After working all weekend my normally passable clean house was now a bit messy. I didn't get to my usual Saturday morning floor scrubbing, window cleaning, toilet scrounching & vacuuming duties. And to make matters worse, the husband had finally repaired the monster of a tv in our living room. So my living room floor was littered with tools, cables & various tv parts. Plus, I still had quite a mess to clean up from my weekend assembly work. Blah! Definitely Monday!

Now lets add one more thing to it!  I had someone coming over at 11:30. I was backed up on customer service work, my house was a mess, I had breakfast & lunch to make for the hubby & I had to do all this before my guest arrived. Oh- and lets not forget that I'm still working. My work phone is ringing , people are wanting live customer service chats, emails are pinging & I have 3 hours to get it all done. 3 hours!!

So I made the husband breakfast, packed his lunch & when giving him a kiss goodbye was met with "do you think you can do a white load today?"  What?!? How dare he want clean underwear. Ugh. Sure, of course. Add it to the list.

Good news is I was able to get all my cleaning done & shower before my guest arrived. Sweet! Point for me!  Up next was the mad dash to make lunch, returning of work emails & then as soon as I started on laundry- the work phone rings. Pretty sure the universe was against me. I'm on the phone & my new neighbor drops by. Sweet enough girl- I don't really know her yet. But out of the blue she asks me for a ride 30 minutes away. Umm....no. Kinda busy here...you know....just being a stay at home Mom.

Oh crap! I forgot about soccer practice. Thank you trusty iPhone for reminding me I have shit to do. And so begins the mad scramble to get ready for soccer. Snacks to eat, cleats to find and a soccer ball to pry away from Buddy Boy. On the way out the door I remember that William was supposed to try on his old soccer uniform to see if he would need a new one for this year. Oh well...only 5 minutes late & we arrive at practice. It is then I remember that I started the washing machine but never actually put any dirty clothes in it. Great. Just great. Monday you bastard!  You totally got me again!

I'm picking up takeout & calling it a day!

An Organic Cow is a Special Cow

My Dad and many others have always made fun of me because I like to eat meat that has lived the good life.  You know- raised with love and care, fed off the land and no nasty chemicals, hormones or antibiotics.  Last Christmas- to his horror, I paid well over $50 for a turkey that had lived such a life.  Seriously, this turkey was treated like a King and then he fed my family.  Thank you turkey.  You were tasty.

But in all seriousness- it's very important to know where your meat comes from and what it's eaten, how it's
been raised, how it's been killed.  Why you ask?  Why is it so important?  Well the meat industry is the largest consumers of antibiotics.  That's right- these animals you are eating are full of them.  Yuck- poor critters.  Then of course is the fact that sanitation, factory farming and unethical treatment of animals also occurs.  Every time you make a choice not to spend your money on the cheap $1.99 ground beef at the grocery store- you are taking a stand for these animals.  Vote with your dollars folks!

Ok, now that we got that out of the way...what meat is ok to eat?  Well, for beef- we only eat organic grass fed beef.  It's expensive.  Take a deep breath because this switch is going to hit your grocery budget more then any other.  Grass fed cows are allowed to fatten up naturally on, you guessed it- grass.  It's food comes from the pasture and it's not finished up with a diet of grains, hormones & supplements.  This is a much more humane way for the cow to gain weight.  This is also healthier for the consumer because the cow's diet means it's less fatty overall and has more healthy fats- this is a good thing.  Plus we aren't eating the bi-products that this cow has consumed.  And that's not even taking into account the environmental benefits of allowing a cow to graze as nature intended.  This is simply, a Win-Win for all involved.

Now let's move on to chicken.  We are not big chicken eaters.  In fact, my husband and son really don't care for it.  However, every once in awhile I will buy a whole organic chicken or some organic chicken breasts.  Buy local if you can and always organic.  I also really try to find "free-range" organic chickens.  Free range simply means that my little chicken has been allowed to run freely outside.  He can stretch his little chicken legs and run wild with the wind flapping through his wings.  This makes me happy.  Plus it's SO much healthier for the chicken.  Remember Food Inc.?

Fish.  Try as hard as I can but I just can NOT get my husband and son to eat seafood.  Shrimp is pushing it, salmon- maybe.  But that's about it.  However, every so often I will buy some mahi mahi or halibut and do my best to get them to at least try it.  This usually ends up with my husband escaping upstairs because "ah God it stinks" and my son sitting at the dinner table with a chip clip over his nose.  So I will be honest here and say that I just don't buy it that much.  It's expensive and usually I'm the only one who ends up eating it.  But when I do buy it, I buy local, fresh & wild.  There's really no such thing as organic seafood.  Although researchers are working on it.  But they are also working on the frankenfish.  So I think I'll pass- for now.

That brings me to pork.  I don't buy it because we pretty much don't eat it.  I personally haven't had it in over 15 years.  I made the choice way back in junior high school that I didn't want to eat the cute little piggies.  I still don't.  When my husband married me, I warned him there would be no pork sausage, no "real" bacon, no pork roasts etc prepared at our house.  So the only time he really gets pork is if he orders a bacon burger.  My Dad also makes a mean ham for Easter and both my boys love it.  This is pretty much the extent of our pork consumption.

I buy our beef from a fairly local farm, Blue Valley Meats.  Our poultry comes from a local grocery chain, PCC.  Even my Christmas turkey who lived like a King, came from a somewhat local turkey farm, The Diestel Family Turkey Ranch and was delivered to PCC with my name on it.  Yep- that's Chrissie's happy Christmas turkey.

For things like hot dogs, lunch meats, pepperoni and other processed meats- I love Applegate Farms.  It tastes good, it's not too expensive and their products are free of processed junk, plus it's organic.  We don't eat processed meats frequently but when we do, this is the brand I usually buy.

Now- as far as the grocery budget goes, this switch to organic meats has hurt my grocery budget the most.  Compare the price of $1.99/lb for regular ground beef  to organic, grass fed beef at $6.99/lb this is almost 4 times the price.  4 times!  Yikes!  So my answer to keeping myself somewhat in budget was to simply buy less meat.  I just can't afford to feed my family meat at every meal and it's really a lot healthier for you if you don't.  So learn how to cook healthy meat free meals and incorporate meat into your diet perhaps once or twice per week instead of daily.  The easiest way to do this is to simply start by making Mondays meatless.  That's right, Meatless Monday.  Yay!

And the last step- please watch the documentary Forks Over Knives.  Like Food Inc., it will be life changing for you.  I promise.  Here's a clip of the trailer below.  The premise behind Forks Over Knives is that we can prevent and reverse common diseases by simply eating a plant based diet.  That's amazing.  And I must confess that it's my deepest desire to convert my family to veganism.  I'm working on it.  I hope you'll think about it too!

Organic- The 1st Step

So you've decided to start eating better.  Go You!  I'm so proud of you.  But Oh My Goodness is there a lot of information out there.  Seriously, like A SHIT TON.  It's pretty easy to become overwhelmed, so I suggest you just relax and take it one step at a time.

Let me just start by saying, I am no expert.  Really and truly- I am still learning when it comes to our food.  But I do have many years of experience and research under my belt.  We personally made the choice to make some big changes in our diet about 7 years ago when my son started eating solid foods.  Because I'm so passionate about this topic, most folks I know have asked me- where should I start?  So here begins a series of blog posts related to eating organic foods.

Let's start with the movie Food Inc..  Have you watched it?  No?  Well then get on it- this is THE best place to start.  If you're like me and kind of cheap- borrow it for free from your library.  You'll be glad you did.  And please- don't watch it with younger children.

Ok, so you've watched Food Inc.  Bet you're re-thinking that chicken dinner now, am I right?  Scroll down to the bottom of this post to see the chicken portion of Food Inc.  So the next step is to focus on meat and dairy products.  For me and my family, we simply could NOT afford to go all organic at once.  My grocery budget was $100 per week for 4 people and our beloved Lucky Dog.  And this included toiletries and cleaning supplies.  Yeah- organic was out of my budget.  But what I did do was to make some very key changes and I started with our dairy.  Simply commit yourself to buying organic milk from now on.  Yes, it's twice the price but it also doesn't have cow pus in it.  Pretty sure you don't want to be drinking cow pus.  Don't believe me?  Click here to read all about it.

I do not suggest that you switch from cow's milk to almond milk.  Conventional store bought almond milk is stuffed full of yucky chemicals.  Now that's a scientific definition if I ever heard one.  But the point is- regular store bought almond milk is NOT a better choice over organic milk.  So unless you make your own almond milk (seriously super easy to do, see recipe here) or are thinking about buying raw milk from a local farmer- then just break down and buy the expensive organic milk.  By the way, raw milk is illegal in many states.  I have also never personally tried it, although it is on my list of things to do.  This is something you need to research carefully and I simply can't advise one way or another because I have no first hand experience.

Once I was buying organic milk, I added organic eggs and then organic yogurt to mix.  Finally, I ended with organic butter.  Each little baby step adds up.  And let's face it, organic dairy products are super expensive.  So you should feel proud of yourself for these changes.  Plus, doesn't organic butter taste SO good?  Pretty sure it's illegal for it to taste that great, this is what butter is supposed to taste like.  Yum!

Now- these changes added roughly $25 to my weekly grocery bill.  Not too bad.  I couponed like crazy and did my best to cut back in other areas so we could afford this and since we made these changes over time, it didn't seem like so much money.  You can do this!

Click this link to read the next in this series, An Organic Cow is a Special Cow.

And as promised....Click the video below from Food Inc to see what's wrong with your chicken dinner.

The Homeschooling Type

Oh- I could never homeschool!

Ha! Or so I thought.....homeschool?  Me?  I just didn't seem like the "type".  You know, religious, modest, uber polite & proper.  That's just not me.  I'm more of a relaxed & cussing type of Mom.  My favorite type of music is Gangsta Rap for goodness sakes!  Followed closely by Country- I know, I'm weird like that.  So really, I just didn't see myself as the typical Homeschool Mom.  Whatever that is...

But now that I'm 5 years deep, I would say that I'm exactly the type.  In fact, homeschooling has become one of the many things in my life that defines who I am.  And most certainly it characterizes who I am as a Mother.  Whoa!  Can you freakin' believe that?!?

There's a few things that I've found that are universal to all us Homeschoolers and I want to share them with you now.

Time.  You simply have more time to devote to what matters most.  Yes, I'm super busy on some days.  But not all days.  In fact, our actual "learning" time is done in roughly 2 hours.  Compare that to the 6+ hours wasted in public school.  I've just gained 4 whole hours!!!

Relationships.  This goes along with time- I have the time to foster an amazing relationship with my child.  I have the chance to watch him learn all day, to love him all day, to guide him all day.  It's truly an amazing opportunity to grow our Mother-Son relationship.  Yes, it's rough at times- I won't lie.  But I wouldn't trade it for anything!

Growth.  I get to be a witness to the everyday changes in my child.  I am there to see his face as he finally learns to 3 digit addition.  I get to experience his frustrations and then his joys.  I don't have to hear from his teacher all the wonderful things he's doing and learning- I get to do them with him.  I am his teacher.

Flexibility.  This is perhaps my MOST favorite thing about homeschooling.  I can change curriculum's.  We can take off to the park or go run errands.  Want to take a trip to Disneyland that's NOT during Spring Break?  If my son wants to spend all day doing geography, we can!  If he's really into sharks one week or dinosaurs the next- we can explore those interests while he's actually interested in them.  It's awesome.

So it would seem that these four things would probably describe the desires for most parents.  Not just for us homeschooling parents.  Funny huh?  Guess you never thought you might be the homeschooling type?

It's NOT a Charter School!

Whenever I tell people about the homeschool program my son participates in, I always get a confused look in response.  So here it is- an entire blog post dedicated to this wonderful and sometimes frustrating program.


Heading Off to Class

William attends Edmonds Heights K-12 .  It's a public school funded program for homeschoolers.  It is NOT a Charter School, it is NOT traditional public school and it is NOT a private school.  It's something all its own.

The easiest way for me to describe the way William's program works is to say that it's very much like Community College.  There's a nice campus (school) with kids and people of all ages.  There are classes taught by certified teachers like math, science, foreign languages, social studies.  There's also some great workshop classes taught by experts in the field- pottery, musical theater, martial arts, Lego engineering etc.  The classes are offered on specific days & times- there is NOT a Monday through Friday 9-3pm traditional schedule.  You sign up for the classes each semester that you want to participate in, just like you would for Community College.

Last year William's schedule looked like this:

Tuesday

10-10:55am Martial Arts

11-11:30 Musical Theater (Spring Semester was Jewelry Making) 

12pm Lunch and he participated in a Pokemon Club during lunch hour

1-2pm 1st & 2nd Grade Math

Thursday

10-10:55am Martial Arts

11-12 Lego Engineering & Lab

12pm Lunch w/participation in Pokemon Club

1-2pm 2nd & 3rd Grade Science

William is also signed up for an online only program called Compass Odyssey which is available as a class that you register for through the school program.  The discounted cost to us is just $15 per year.  For those of you who are familiar with Time4Learning- it's very similar.

There are classes offered Monday through Thursday.  So if I wanted- William could participate 4 days per week.  However, because we also do homeschool at home, I don't feel it's necessary to be here everyday.  Plus it's a 40 minute drive to and from school- so 2 days per week is enough driving for me!

Because this program is run through our local school district, it's a publicly funded program.  As a result, each child gets an annual budget.  Last year it was $500- to be used for workshop classes, curriculum and school supplies.  Before you get all excited- WOW $500!!! You should know- we blew through that by the end of Fall Semester.  Bummer...

Now, there are some of you who are totally opposed to anything with the public school districts.  I understand you, really I do.  But I think you're missing out on a great opportunity here.  

The Good:

• William has access to a school environment- there's a cafeteria, a library, a principal, computer lab, playground and more.  Oh and something totally awesome called the SNUG Room!  Watch the video- it's pretty cool!
• It helps me keep track of state requirements through a yearly Written Student Learning Plan (WSLP) and a monthly review.  The WSLP is seriously the bane of my existence but hey- at least I won't have the law showing up on my door!  
•  The classes are totally integrated.  Technically William will be entering 3rd grade in the Fall.  His classes will include 1st graders, 2nd graders, 3rd graders and 4th graders.  There's a few workshop classes that are K-6th or K-12th.  There is also no real separation for those with special needs.  Everyone participates together and helps each other learn when needed.
• The ability to use some of that public school money for things like martial arts, pottery, musical theater and other workshop classes.  A few years ago he took swimming lessons at the YMCA- the school budget paid for it!  Now that's awesome!
• Parents are required to be on campus for the younger grades.  So most times, not only do I personally know my son's friends- I know their Mom's, sometimes Grandparents, Aunts and even their siblings.  I know exactly the quality & values of the people my son is socializing with.  Can you say the same about your public schooler?  
• There's lots of great co-ops to participate in- all parent led.  Sweet!
• Parents are simply more invested in their child's education.  It is truly a family affair and the support and sense of community is amazing.

The Bad:

• It's a 40 minute drive to school.  On a cold, wet Seattle morning this can certainly be a major pain in the butt. 
• I'm also not fond of the WSLP and frankly feel that my son's school advisor is a joke.  But now that I know she's more about chatting & offering cookies to the kids- I can maneuver around it.  She's really a very nice lady but not "advisor" material.  
• There are also some silly rules and hoops to jump through and many times the school staff doesn't even know about them.  This can be frustrating. 
• It's missing some organized sports teams.  While the program is very heavy on the arts (which I love) it is severely lacking in the sports arena.  Keeping my fingers crossed that they add this in the future!

As with any educational decision, I encourage you to do your research.  This program works well for us and after a rough first year- we are enjoying all it's benefits and like being a part of this community.  Here's to year 4 and counting! It's just one of many learning tools we personally use in our homeschooling.

So- I hope that answers some of your questions.  Best of luck to you all in making the right educational choice for your family!

*For some fun additional reading on William's program, click the links below.

Not your normal Graduation Ceremony

5th Ave Seattle Benaroya Hall Nomiation- Best Musical

You are Mom

A Mom is there for all the little things.  And for all the important things.

It's the cleaning of the kiddie pool so Willliam & Buddy Boy can take a swim together.  The cup of hot chocolate that I make because William wanted "coffee" like Mommy.  The monthly trips to the trampoline park and the inflatable bouncy place. The late night holler across the upstairs hallway "put your headgear on for bed!".  The soccer cookies I bake & decorate and tie with orange & black ribbons to match his team, The Orange Tigers.  Washing the never ending mountain of laundry.  The cuddles on an early Saturday morning while everyone else is still sleeping.  And by everyone, I mean the husband.  The doctor's visits and the grocery store trips.  The last bites of my yummy baked potato that I willingly fork over because William loved it so.  The endless hours spent sitting in hot, chlorinated air encouraging him to swim, paddle and breathe.  For heaven sakes BREATHE!

A Mom is not fancy.

She's not glamorous.

We don't walk out of the hospital after giving birth with perfectly coiffed hair and matching family outfits.  Ahem- like those royal folks we watched on tv not to long ago.  Our cars are dirty and full of graham cracker crumbs and juice boxes.  And I'm pretty sure we all have a drawer full of yoga pants and a nice collection of Mom sneakers.

But she's there.  Everyday.  Being a Mom.

Applying bandaids.  Making dinner from scratch each and every night.  Budgeting the bank account and trying to figure out how to pay for soccer, swim lessons, martial arts, dance and a birthday party all in one month.  Cleaning the pee off the bathroom floor.  Midnight kisses on their precious sleeping faces.  Playing games of Monopoly, Connect Four and Uno.  Rubbing their backs to help them fall asleep.

This is what matters.  This is what you're children will remember.

So don't get so wrapped up in being THE world's most perfect Mother that you forget to be just a Mom.  There's nothing wrong in being just a MOM.  All these little things, these small moments in time...they add up.  And up and up and up.  Until no one person can ever compare to the job you have as Mom.

Relax.  You do enough.  You have enough.  You ARE enough.  You are Mom.

And that's the most amazing thing in the world.

Just One Please

We have one child.  Yep, "just" the one.  As if having "just" one child somehow makes me less of a Mother then say, the woman with 8 children tottering after her.  Now most people generally assume that I can physically only have one child.  Somehow the only reason why I would ever choose to have one kid was if my body took that choice away from me.  Well, nope.  Sorry folks but I have one child and that's by choice!

Of course there are many reasons that go into having an only.  Each family has their own story to tell and reasons behind their choices.  Just as families with many children have reasons behind those decisions.  There's no right or wrong here- a family is a family no matter how many people are in it.  And frankly, I don't really care if you have 1 kid, 2 kids, 7 kids or 12 kids.  Your uterus, your decision.  Ha!  That should be a slogan for some sort of pregnancy/anti pregnancy campaign.  But I'm not here to talk politics- blech......

After 8 years of dodging THE big question- you know, "how come you don't want any more kids" question, I like to think I've become a bit of a expert at it.  Of course, sometimes it depends entirely on my mood and if I like you.  Piss me off and I'm likely to respond with a "well we chose to concentrate on quality not quantity when having kids".  Oh my....that's not very nice now is it?  And if I like you and you seem genuine in your questions, I'll give you the real answer.  Which is of course that we chose to have one child because we only wanted one.  If I'm feeling sentimental or a little emotional, I may also tell you that I have always wanted to be a Mother.  My purpose in life was for some little creature to call me "Mom" and that was all I needed.

I didn't grow up thinking I was only going to have "just" one child.  I was like most other fanciful girls daydreaming about the sharp looking husband in his suit and tie (hmm...that didn't happen) and the big dream house with white picket fence (missed the boat here too) and the nice car in the driveway and the obligatory 2.5 kids and golden retreiver barking in the backyard.  Somehow what I ended up with was nothing like my dream.  Or at least what I thought my dream was....Yes, sure I've got a great husband but he sports facial hair and tattoos instead of the sharp dressed man I had envisioned.  I also have a nice "fixer upper" house that we recently bought- thanks to the crappy housing market! And I do have a child and the barking dogs.  To be honest, my reality is SO much better then my dream.

So if my reality is so freakin' awesome- why stop at just one child?  Well, I'll tell you....My husband and I can both go to William's events and not have to divide the duties among kids.  We can have grand birthday celebrations.  Exhibited by the year we took William to Disneyland to celebrate becoming a "whole hand"- that's 5 years old for you non-parents out there.  Up next is DisneyWorld for his 10th birthday.  We can take spontaneous trips because it's so much easier with just one child.  And I have to admit that holidays are pretty fabulous in my house for Mr. William.  There's no backseat yelling and screaming while I'm trying to drive.  No passel of kids to keep track of at the grocery store, less new shoes to buy and not as many trips to the doctor's or dentist's office.  I don't have to buy a minivan to haul around all my kids and their crap and I can actually afford to take my son to the movies.  Seriously- can you believe how expensive a trip to the movies has become! Eek!

And if I'm being totally honest here, I admit that choosing to have only one child is a selfish decision.  I get it.  It's a choice my husband and I made.  And let's just lay it out there- I just don't want to be pregnant again or go through labor.  It sucked.  I also don't want to put my marriage at risk- I'm sure that you know that having children adds HUGE amounts of stress to your marriage.  No thanks- I'll pass.  I want to have quality one-on-one time with my child ALL of the time.  And I don't want to put my family under financial stress because I want to cuddle a new baby.  Ahh- but that sweet baby smell is hard to resist though isn't it!  I don't want to listen to tattle telling, name calling, fighting and screaming.  Ugh- my idea of parental torture!  Plus, I really like my "me time" and I enjoy spending time more time with my husband- all the benefits of having one child.


Perhaps if I were living in my delusional girlhood dream with the rich husband, fancy cars and big mansion- I might have a different view. Yes- sometimes I miss holding a new baby and many times I do imagine what another child would bring to our family.  But those are dreams- just dreams.  We are all happy the way we are right now, as a family of 3.  That's not to say that down the road we wouldn't be equally as happy as a family of 4.  I'm still young(ish) and could probably have another baby if I really wanted to....but why rock the boat?  Why risk my family's happiness now for something we don't truly want?  Why have another child because society thinks you should?  Well and my Mother- pretty sure she thinks I should too!

So there you have it.  We are a happy family of 3 and it's probably going to stay that way.  Unless of course I get knocked up- you never know....