Day #1 of Homeschooling

Well, our first day of pre-K was a success. Caden is such a smart little sponge, he makes it pretty easy on me... except when it comes to numbers. Alas, my son seems to have inherited my mathematical mind block. We're both geared toward language and art. Numbers make our eyes glaze over.

We actually did a lot more than I had planned. He completed the first page in his alphabet workbook, shapes & colors flashcards, number flashcards, LeapFrog Phonics Farm video (thank you, Netflix), practicing the letter A with his Angry Birds marker board, and finally some pre-K alphabet games on my Kindle. Yes, he actually wanted to do all of that. Thankfully, the younger siblings all obligingly took a 2+ hour nap (in fact, they're still napping). I think I can get the hang of this.

A lot of people laugh when I confess that I'm terrified of homeschooling, considering my own mother homeschooled me K-12. It's not that I feel ill-equipped to teach (at least K-6), it's because I am not a very structured or organized person. I remember my mother having everything planned out in her lesson plan book, schedules made out, books & desks all organized. I guess I felt like I had to live up to all of that.

Then I remind myself that Caden is 4 and this is just pre-K. We only have to do this 2-3 days a week. I don't need to teach him calculus. Stop stressing, Carey. It brings me back to when he was a newborn and I was freaking out because I thought I'd be a bad parent. I was clueless about everything, and yet somehow we both survived... along with two more siblings. This will pass. By the time I get to little brother and sister, I will have learned new ways to teach and it won't be so scary (ok, teaching Riley still scares me... he's a little wild man).

Caden, you are ridiculously smart. Your verbal skills astound me (and on occasion annoy me...hey, you talk a LOT). When you were speaking in complete sentences by the age of one, I knew I'd have my hands full with a brainiac kid. You are like a sponge right now. If I could learn as much as you can as fast as you can, I'm pretty sure I'd have two doctorates by now. I love how you can play for hours with puzzles, coloring, legos, etc. all by yourself. I love how you like to "read" books on my Kindle and then tell me all about the trucks and animals you just learned about. You're so smart and I'm sure you will surpass me someday.

Riley, you are the Energizer Monkey. I am constantly exhausted by your endless energy and knack for climbing and getting into trouble. You only want to play with wires, buttons, electronics, and robot-like things. I can tell you are going to be like your daddy and work magic with computers. You're a fighter. Right now, your daddy and I are trying to curb your endless desire to pick fights into something good. You never give up, and that can be a very good thing someday. Your daddy is a stubborn fighter and he never gives up. I love that about you both.

Maddie, it's so much fun to watch your sassy little personality bloom. You love to boss everyone around and be the center of attention. You're also very sweet and sensitive towards others' feelings. Anytime I hurt myself or look sad, you give the best hugs and kisses. You like to love on everyone. It's fun to see how girly you are already. You like to hoard/collect shoes, purses, and tutus. I love to watch you dance. When a good beat comes along, you can't help but move. Your dancing antics provide endless entertainment. I can't wait to see what other personality traits you develop.

Apparently, there are rumors going around that I "have it together" and that I'm super woman, but I assure you, I'm not. Those rumors are all untrue. This picture would be more of an accurate description of me (especially today)...

My alarm is set for 7:00 am. I, quite skilled at hitting the snooze button, don't get out of bed until nearly 8:30... a mistake I'm regretting all morning. Derek's still working on his parents' company server, so I face the prospect of hauling all three kids to church by myself. Stumbling into the kitchen to fix bagels and orange juice for the kids, I manage to blindly fumble around and turn on the coffee pot. I put the children into their seats at the table and dish out breakfast. Five minutes later, there's bagels and cream cheese all over the floor (or in Maddie's case, her hair). Apparently, my kids no longer like bagels. Cue peanut butter toast... also a hair product for my one-year-old. 

While the kids are eating/body painting with peanut butter, I pull my hair back and put on some makeup so I don't look dead. A shower is out of the question at this point, so it's deodorant and perfume to the rescue. Suck down some coffee and eat the left-over bagel pieces that weren't licked or dropped on the floor. Chase down the boys and wipe them down before they paint the furniture with peanut butter. I get to Maddie and just toss her in the tub. A lone washcloth isn't going to solve that mess.

Meanwhile, the boys are running amuck. Riley, 2, tries to climb in the tub too (we're now 45 minutes away from time to leave). I use one arm to wash Maddie and the other to hold back a now screaming and naked Riley. Caden, 3, thinks the bath looks like fun too and tries to get undressed. I tell him to go find his shoes (a task I know will take at least 10 minutes or more). Get Maddie dried off and drag the still-screaming, still-naked two-year-old out of the bathroom. Dress them with much chasing and wrestling. It's now 15 minutes until we have to leave. I throw on my dress and hunt down some bags of clothes to give away to various people at church.

While I finish getting ready, Riley has dug out the cord to my electric skillet and has successfully pulled out the "baby proof" outlet cover and plugged it in. I find him hiding in his bedroom and playing with it, along with his little sister. Recover from heart attack. As I grab Maddie and slip on my shoes, I smell something... it's her now-dirty diaper. I am regretting the bloomers and fluffy skirt and I scramble to clean her up. Caden is still looking for his shoes, which turn out to be be the front door in plain sight. Riley is in the kitchen again, looking for something else to stick in the electrical outlet. I pry a screwdriver from his toddler fist. More screaming ensues.

By the time I haul all of the children and bags out the door, I'm a sweaty raving lunatic. I feel like I'm herding cats. Two out of my three children are screaming. I'm near-screaming. Everyone's buckled in and we finally drive off. About 10 miles later, I realize I have forgotten the double stroller for Riley and Maddie... which mean I have to let everyone walk... which means I will be a nervous wreck... well, more of a nervous wreck.

The 40-minute trip to church is uneventful (thank you, dvd player) and the children all walk into church nicely. We meet up with my grandmother and check the kids into their Sunday school rooms. The boys run in to play but Maddie's at the age of major separation anxiety. She screams as I leave. I get to the auditorium and remember my phone is still in Maddie's diaper bag. Great. I rush back and peek around the corner of the door, signaling one of the moms in the nursery. She successfully gets my phone out and sneaks it to me without Maddie noticing.

Back in the auditorium with my grandmother, I croak my way through a few songs (my voice is strained for some odd reason) and pull up the Bible app on my phone. I catch about 30% of the sermon, in between zoning out and struggling to stay awake.

Children are picked up and cheerful, giving me an armful of crafts they made. I have a brief hope that they will be more manageable, but spend the next 30 minutes trying to corral them out the door. Riley makes a beeline for the busy parking lot. I scream, running for him with Maddie under one arm. Caden's flying behind me with coloring pages in hand. Thankfully, another dad sees this and grabs Riley before he runs in front of an SUV. I'm trying really hard to restrain myself at this point and inform Riley his backside will be on fire later.

It's 1:00 pm at this point and I decide (stupidly) to just grab sandwich fixings at the store on the way home. After an hour-long torturous trip involving lots of screaming and tantrums, I arrive home around 3:00, quickly feed the children, and put them down for late naps. Forget making myself a sandwich at this point. I just eat some pieces of ham and cheese, grab a glass of wine, and sink into the couch before passing out. This is a normal day.

Sweet N' Simple Slow-Cooker BBQ Chicken

Barbecued chicken is another family favorite, and I've found it tastiest in the crockpot (well, other than the grill). When you cook it in the crockpot it comes out so moist and tender - perfect for sandwiches.

Again, I'm modifying a store-bought sauce, but this version is nice and mild for the kiddos.

For the sauce you'll need 1/2 C BBQ sauce, 1 tsp onion powder, 2 Tb honey, 2 Tb olive oil, and 2 Tb apple cider vinegar. Mix it all together and dump it over 4-6 chicken breasts in the crockpot. Cook on low for 6 hours or on high for about 4 hours. Super simple and quick. I think it took me a total of 10 minutes to assemble everything in the crockpot.

Sweet & Simple Slow-Cooker BBQ Chicken

1/2 C BBQ sauce (use a mesquite or smokehouse flavor)
1 tsp onion powder
2 Tb honey
2 Tb olive oil
2 Tb apple cider vinegar
4-6 chicken breasts

Mix all the ingredients together and pour over chicken. Cook on high for 4 hours or low for 6 hours.

SIDE DISHES: Crispy Baked French Fries (use sweet potatoes) and Zucchini Fries

Make-Ahead Meat Sauce

I've become a huge fan of make-ahead dinners. Best thing is, they're great for just about anyone who wants to save time and money. Let's face it, none of us really feel like cooking at the end of the day, so why not make ahead dinners you can just come home to?

I only buy ground beef if the grass-fed/organic stuff is on sale and this week it was at my local Sprout's,  so I had to figure how to cook it all up and make it last. Answer: meat sauce. Now this recipe uses prepared spaghetti sauce in a jar (gasp!), but I'll publish my homemade marinara sauce recipe later (it's ridiculously cheap to make).

We eat a lot of spaghetti. It's fast and it's something everyone will eat. Last night, I made a huge batch of meat & veggie sauce and froze what we didn't use for dinner. Easy peasy.

Make-Ahead Meat Sauce

1.5-2 lbs ground beef 

4-lb. 3-oz. jar of Prego spaghetti sauce (I get the enormous jars at Sam's Club)

2 zucchini, diced

1 C bell peppers (red & green), diced

1 onion, diced

1/2 tsp garlic salt (approx)

2 Tb olive oil

You could also throw in...

1 C chopped fresh spinach

1 C diced carrots

1 can of diced tomatoes

... go crazy with the veggies!

In a large pot, cook veggies & ground beef in the olive oil until vegetables are soft and ground beef is browned. Add entire jar of sauce and stir. Voila! Use what you want for dinner that night with some whole wheat pasta and freeze the rest in containers or freezer bags. When you need a quick dinner in the weeks to come, just thaw out a package and cook up some pasta.

Slow-Cooker Bacon & Lentil Soup

I love crockpot recipes, especially since I have three small children. Trying to cook dinner around 5-6 pm is a nightmare and usually results in at least one or two kids hugging my legs and screaming while I'm trying to cook. Throwing together a crockpot meal while they're eating lunch makes my life so much easier.

Today, I attempt a lentil soup. This recipe is especially handy if you're at work or church and want to come home to a ready-made dinner.

Start by soaking 1 lb. of lentils. I started this morning around 8:30 and let them soak for 4 hours. If you like, you can soak them overnight (cover with plastic wrap) and then throw together your ingredients in the morning before you leave.

Next, cook up 1 lb. of bacon. I used bacon tips, but you can turkey bacon as well. While the bacon is cooking, chop up 3 celery stalks, 1 onion (white or yellow), and 1/2 lb. (about 2 cups) of carrots. After your bacon has cooled, chop that up as well. Save the drippings in a dish for later.

If you're prepping the night before, throw all of your chopped ingredients in bags and stick them in the fridge for later.

Once you're ready to put everything in the crockpot, start by adding a couple tablespoons of the bacon drippings, followed by the rest of the ingredients. 

Stir it all in with 3-4 cups of water (you can use vegetable or chicken broth). Add 1 tsp garlic salt and 1/2 tsp ground black pepper. Cook on low for 6-8 hours or on high for 4-6 hours. Enjoy with some warm French bread or a spinach salad (or both if you're really hungry).

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Slow-Cooker Bacon & Lentil Soup

1 onion (med-lg)

3 stalks celery

2 C carrots

1 lb. bacon (or turkey bacon), cooked

1 lb. dried lentils

3-4 C water (depends on the preferred thickness you want)

1 tsp. garlic salt

1/2 tsp. ground black pepper

Soak lentils in a bowl of water for 4+ hrs - overnight. Next, coarsely chop bacon and vegetables. Add all of the ingredients into the crockpot and stir. Cook on low for 6-8 hrs or on high for 4-6 hrs.