Cure for the Common Lunch

I got really tired of sitting down to Math (30 min) after luncheon and hearing "I'm hungry."
Really tired.

I decided packing a lunch like 'regular' kids might help.
So this year I bought 5 insulated lunch bags, and made sure we had enough little Tupperware containers for sandwiches, a fruit/vegetable, and dip/yogurt/pudding stuff. I know this is what most people do--it had just never occured to me before since my children are home and can sit down to a nice hot homecooked meal-right?

 

I also took 2 hours and made 7 reusable snack bags from scraps with Bowery Bird. (That Summer Sewing Group is already paying me back!)  I used a tutorial from Cotton Bottom Mama. My friend, White-tailed Kite has an Etsy shop and sells these and other fabric bags--with much better craftsmanship, I assure you.

Snacks keep surprisingly fresh in the double-lined cotton bags, are environmentally friendly of course, and easy to wash after turning inside-out. The kids love having their own bag of the day.

I knew we would zip through snacks if I let them, so I started filling 20 snack bags a week. Variety is the spice of life, so I actually set aside some for the future, after I measure out the serving sizes from a bulk bag of things like:

• sesame seed cheddar cheese sticks
• yogurt covered and regular pretzels
• granola bars
• peanut butter cracker sandwiches
• caramel popcorn and peanuts
• fruit leather
• plain and chocolate covered nuts & raisins
• homemade granola bars

I keep all the baggies in a big bowl to choose one from daily when they make their lunches--so the shift to all cloth is gradual till I make more.

Every morning after breakfast I have out a sandwich station, snack bowl station, and fruit & vegetable station. They have to let me check their lunchbags to make sure there isn't a fruit leather and 5 tangarines in there (true story). It is their responsibility to fill their lunch bags enough to last till 3pm when they can have a home-baked snack from under the cake dish. They can't open their bags till 11 o'clock when we have lunch, but can eat as little or much as they want after that point. Oh-and vegetables have to be eaten & bags emptied cand put on the counter before they can have that cake-dish snack. .

Lunch is sooo much more relaxing now, as is the rest of the day in regards to food stuffs. Saved me a mess o' time & energy and also makes us ready for whatever the day brings.

Composer 2012-2013

Composer Study

Term 1
Medieval Music
AO background information
Chants of Templars and cathedral/knight footage
Gregorian Chant and knight paintings 2:30mn
Medieval castles and ruins with music 9:37min


Term 2
Aaron Copland
Simple Gifts from Appalation Spring with Ansel Adams stills
Billy the Kid (partial) with western/outlaw stills. full 15min -just music
Rodeo scene 1 part 1    poor quality, amazing ballet-18min
Fanfare for the Common Man-just music 4min



George Gershwin
film-him playing I got Rhythm
I got Rhythm Gene Kelly clip
'S wonderful An American in Paris clip



Term 3
Franz Josef  Haydn
Symphony live

Hymns 2012-2013

Sept:
Sweet Hour of Prayer

background and simple tune
hammered dulcimer
background article


Oct:
A Mighty Fortress is Our God
Mormon Tabernacle at Mt. Rushmore 1962
cathedral stills and music
background and music


Nov:
All Creatures of Our God and King
stills and nice music
Carillon demo
mormon channel episode 2 of History of Hymns series (audio only)

Dec:
Once in Royal David's City
Mormon Tabernacle choir with Nativity video
boys choir video
in Cathedral with lyrics
wiki background

Jan:
How Firm A Foundation
chimes video
LDS background article
Presbyterian film on this hymn


Feb:
I Stand All Amazed
lyrics and simple tune (differ from LDS hymnal version)
informal trio
Elder Holland talk on Christ's life


March
Down to the River to Pray
(African-American Spiritual/American Folk Hymn)
Alison Krauss and black & white stills
King's Singers
Mormon Tabernacle Choir outside


April:
Nearer My God to Thee
lyrics and simple tune
A Night To Remember film clip-docudrama of the Titanic (sank April 15th 1912)
cello
Sam Cooke with Soul Stirrers variation-music only
Eastern Europe a capella-another variation
mormon channel episode 7 from a History of Hymns series (audio only)

May:
Amazing Grace
Mormon Tabernacle Choir
Harlem G
ospel Choir
Soweto Gospel Choir (South African)
background

First Day of School

 

 

First Day of public school, that is, we spent with another homeschool family at the park--ice blocking on our favorite hill.
It wasn't as glamorous as Not Back to School Disneyland, which is apparentely cancelled until further notice, but it did the trick. It was just something fun to do together, and look forward to.
It only cost 8 ice blocks--and all the energy of 6 active kids....perrrfect.

Nature Journal Notes

Inside my nature notebook I like to--

Transcribe conversations:

July 20, 2011

Between a 3y/o Kingfisher and his 5y/o Mockingbird as we are working in our journals-him in a coloring book.

 

 "His face is blue cuz he ate a lollipop" as he colors.

"Was it a lollipop-or was it ice cream?" his sister projects.

"Both...It was both. He ate so much it dripped all over his coat," as coloring book person is covered in light blue pencil.

"I just love [my brother] --even if he did eat all my makeup." (matter-of-factly)

"Yeah. I was a baby then and didn't know any better....And it got all over his eyes!" --more blue.

"What's your favorite thing about my picture, mom?...What's your favorite thing about my picture mom?...Mom! What's your favorite thing about my picture!" as I finish recording their interchange and eventually look up.

Hermetically seal botanical specimens in Scotch tape:

(because it's easier than drawing, right? If it all fits, it's all good.)

Sketch environments and obliterate them with arrows of memories:

Note things We've Learned:

"April 2012
common dandelion  dent de lion-french for "lion's teeth" referring to teeth on the leaves; orig. from Europe."

Somehow makes more sense than the "Dandy-Lion" I'd always explained it to myself as...when I was 5, I mean. I don't. talk to myself. anymore.

Illustrate creatures that will stay still long enough:

only to later spend 2 hours tearing the house apart when they decide they are still feral-no matter how docile and cute the earlier act was. (much panting----and I sit down.)

Document events:

Like just when the cherries along the path, plums around the chapel, and apricots at the park are ripe for gleaning (lucky for us 1. this neighborhood used to be one huge orchard and 2. apparently no one looks at trees anymore).

and Take note of the seasons:

May 2, 2011 
My husband and children "went to the abandoned 'flower house' at the end of the path & brought these [Grape Hyacinth & Wild Rose] back and a bouquet of tulips (early Mother's Day Request!)"

- isn't the 'flower house' so much more picturesque than its other name- 'the crack house'? sigh.