grilled bacon, mozzarella, and tomato sandwich

This is one of my favorite summer sandwiches when our garden is spewing tomatoes.  It's kind of a mix between a BLT and a grilled cheese.  Enjoy this goodness if you can...you won't regret it!

Grilled Bacon, Mozzarella, and Tomato Sandwich 

a couple slices of bread

butter

a couple slices of mozzarella cheese {or whatever you like...Josh loves it with pepper jack}

a few slices of crisp bacon

a couple slices of a garden tomato

Heat a skillet pan on medium heat.  Prep your bread like you would for a grilled cheese.  One slice of bread in the pan, cheese next, then tomato, then bacon, then the other slice of bread.  Allow cheese to begin to melt and bottom piece of bread to grill to your liking.  Flip it. {This is, indeed, the most difficult part of the process...try your best to keep your sandwich intact as you flip it.}  Grill the remainder of the sandwich to your liking.  

I like to allow the sandwich to sit for a minute or two once I take it out of the pan.  It allows the cheese to solidify a bit with the tomato and bacon.  

Yum.

toddler activity ideas

We're at the beginning of the school year once again, and once again, I have a two year old to try to distract while trying to get school lessons completed in the morning.  This can be a very challenging part of homeschooling.  

Thankfully, I have some experience from the year that Amelia was 2.  Even more thankfully, I'm not pregnant like I was that year.  I won't be lying on the couch in the midst of exhaustion trying to teach, distract a toddler, and eat a bowl of plain Cheerios all at the same time.  This year just HAS to be better, right?!  

The creative ideas that I am about to share are mostly not my own.  I have perused many a blog post looking for the simplest, yet most effective, ways to distract my own child.  The non-creative, linked activities are things that we probably already had on hand that I pull out for Olivia.  They are things that we've most likely given to or received as gifts for our kiddos.  

I did go shopping at the beginning of the week to purchase items that I needed to get my activities together.  I did most of my shopping at the dollar store, and I think I spent about $30 total.  Look around your home to get ideas of what you already have that can be put to use!  

If you have a preschooler, please check out my preschool activity ideas post.  Some of the activities overlap.  And I don't know why I ended up with 60 both times.  It really was just a coincidence.  (I actually had 61 on this list, but 60 is such a nice even number, so I deleted one.)

Be sure to keep an eye on your kiddos as they do these activities since they are still possibly in the "I'd like to pop this thing in my mouth and chew on it for a bit" stage.  Who am I kidding?  My 5 year old reverts back to that stage occasionally.  

Most of these activities are things that I'll give Olivia at the school table/counter.  She'll play with them as she sees fit...nothing formal from me on the whole, but I'm sure I'll be able to squeeze in an educational opportunity here or there.  I'm also certain that her sisters will happily stop what they're doing to teach her something. :) 

Here we go...Operation: Distract Olivia.

1. sponge towers: cut several sponges into block-type pieces to stack/build/play/etc.

2. sensory balloons: large, heavy-duty balloons (not blown up) filled with dry beans, coffee grounds, flour, water, rice, etc.

3. piggy bank toy

4. ribbon pull activity: one slit on each side of a container with a long ribbon pulled through the slits and knotted on the ends; put several ribbons with different textures through one container to be pulled back and forth

5. popsicle stick container: yogurt container with slits in the top for popsicle/craft sticks; put them in/pull them out

6. lacing beads

7. outdoor water bins/buckets (warmer months): add some measuring cups/large serving spoons/tupperware

8. indoor water bins/buckets (bathtub/colder months): same as outdoor just in the bathtub (never underestimate my ability to teach a reading lesson in the bathroom :) )

9. water color books

10. pom poms pushed through the top of a yogurt container with holes

11. pipe cleaners and a strainer

12. egg carton filled with plastic eggs that are filled with rice/beans/bells/etc.: the eggs will be super-glued shut

13. puzzles

14. legos

15. soda bottle filled with glitter, oil, and water; yes, this will be super-duper super glued shut

16. wooden blocks

17. stickers

18. teddy bear counters

19. clothesline play: heavier string tied between two chairs, clothespins, hang socks/baby doll clothes/washcloths/etc.

20. nesting ABC stacking blocks

21. stamps/stamp pad

22. junk mail/cutting practice

23. play-doh

24. sorting: nuts/bolts, colored pasta, pom poms, etc.

25. chalk coloring on black construction paper

26. pouring practice: water, plastic cups, towels :)

27. pattern block play

28. stacking cups: plastic solo-type cups to create rows/towers/etc.

29. sorting pie

30. train bin

31. balloon play

32. pet shop bin

33. chalk board painting: water, paintbrush

34. plastic animal counters

35. play-doh/spaghetti/Cheerios: ball of play-doh, hard spaghetti sticking out of the top/Cheerios threaded onto the spaghetti

36. button snake: long ribbon with a large button sewn on the end, squares of felt with slits to "thread" onto the ribbon

37. shape puzzle box

38. duplo blocks

39. table fort

40. dot markers

41. coloring pages

42. caps activity: collect random milk/container caps, cut a hole in an oatmeal or yogurt container, drop caps through hole

43. book bin: lots of lift the flaps/color/animal books (her favorites)

44. stack and roll cups

45. bathe our baby dolls: washcloth, bowl of water

46. rainbow stacking toy

47. wooden balance board: 2x6 that lays on the floor to practice walking/jumping/balance, slides under the couch for storage

48. zingo

49. paper towel roll taped to a cabinet/drop pom poms through into a cup or bowl

50. masking tape play: put pieces of masking tape on counter, she peels them and puts them on a piece of paper

51. day and night activity

52. wipes box with continuously-knotted-together strips of material to pull and pull and pull

53. bumpy foam (think pet bed) with a bowl of marbles and a teaspoon sized "dipper" to transfer marbles into bumpy divots

54. toothpicks dropped into a parmesan shaker

55. salt shaker dump/small funnel: dump salt back and forth between two shakers

56. toilet paper roll threading: cut tp tubes and thread them onto a string or ribbon

57. magnetic dress up book

58. stuffed animal toss: stuffed animals/empty hamper/tape line to stand behind for the toss

59. jenga

60. tongs and toys: move toys/blocks/etc. from one bin to another using kitchen tongs

(If you can't tell, we're kind of big Melissa and Doug fans around here!  I love their products.  They are the best!!  We ask for them each year as gifts from our more than generous Grandmas and Grandpas!)

Let me know if anyone needs clarification on any of these!  Happy playing, distracting, entertaining, educating, and loving on your kiddos!

our homeschool curriculum 2013-2014

School starts in our home officially on Monday, with an orientation day this coming Friday.  My friend, Cari, informed me recently that she does an orientation day with her kiddos the day before school starts.  This involves talking through their assignment sheets, looking through their books, showing them how to get their computer programs running, and talking through their daily schedule.  She informs me that this makes the first day of school run so much smoother.  Can we say brilliant?!  I think yes.  

We have an exciting year ahead since Amelia is starting kindergarten...how did that happen?!  Even though this will add more people to manage, I think it will be good for her to have a bit more routine to her day.  And this is Claire's last year as an elementary student (sniff), unless of course, you consider 6th grade elementary.  We might just do that...6th was still elementary in the school where I taught, so it can be elementary in my homeschool as well. :)

Here is the rundown of our 2013-2014 curriculum:

Amelia (kindergarten)

Teach Your Child to Read in 100 Easy Lessons:  The title is a bit misleading with the words "100 easy lessons".  I'm not going to lie...there are a few easy lessons, a few okay lessons, and several hard/frustrating/make you want to pull out your hair because your child just can't sound out those words lessons.  Overall, though, I really like this book.  This is the third time we've used it, and I'm certain that I'll use it with Olivia as well.  It works.  Need I say more?!  

I'm going to be honest here...I've never made it to the 100th lesson.  We're quitters because really, we just want to read regular books.  So we do.  And it's okay.  And everyone can read.  Maybe I'll make it to lesson 100 with Amelia. :)

Handwriting: Printing: I haven't used this one before, but I'm not super particular about kindergarten handwriting books.  She already knows her letters, so I really just want her to practice.  

Get Ready for the Code A: I love the Explode the Code books.  We'll do B and C once she finishes with A.  

Saxon Math: K  We're doing my own personal version of this curriculum.  You know you're a veteran homeschooling mom when you're getting ready to go through a curriculum for the third time and know exactly what lessons you can skip.  Thank you, experience, you are so kind to me.

Sonlight Read-Alouds: Sonlight pretty much has the best read-alouds on the face of the earth.  If you don't want to buy the curriculum, just make a list and check them out at the library.  Sonlight read-alouds are some of my favorite books ever!

Co-op: Letter of the Week curriculum

Gym Class: once per week

Swim Class: once per week in the fall

Amelia will also be participating in some of Claire and Meredith's science activities, but it will be on a simple level.  She'll be starting a drawing journal where she will dictate, and I will write.  She will be doing a lot of free play when she is finished with school because I'm a huge believer in free play...especially when you're 5! :)

Meredith (3rd grade)

Saxon Math 3 

Harcourt Language Grade 3 and workbook  Overall, I've been pleased with this language arts program.  We're using the workbook for this year's assignments which we haven't done in the past.

All About Spelling Level 2  We're in the middle of this book, and I imagine that we'll make it through to Level 3 before the end of the year.  I really like AAS, but I also like my kids to have weekly spelling words and activities.  So, we're supplementing with...

Spectrum Spelling Grade 3  This is our first year doing this particular program.  In the past, I've used lists that I've found online for spelling words.  I'm using an actual book to simplify my life.  We'll see if it works.

Explode the Code 4

Handwriting Without Tears: Cursive Handwriting  A certain teacher in this house may have forgotten to order a cursive handwriting book for her 2nd grader last  year.  Said 2nd grader was a bit disappointed when she opened her handwriting book to find printed words instead of cursive words.  Oops!  The teacher assured the student that she would order a 3rd grade cursive book the following year.  Here it is. 

Co-op: Hands-on science, World Cultures/Geography, Art

Gym: once per week

Swim: once per week in the fall

Claire (5th grade)

Saxon Math 6/5 with DIVE CD If you are a Saxon Math homeschooler, purchasing the DIVE CD is one of the best $50 you will spend in your curriculum.  The DIVE CDs start at the 4th grade level, and I can't tell you how freeing it is to have math lessons taught on the computer by Dr. Shormann.  Claire pulls up her math lesson each day, listens to it, and asks for help when necessary.  I cannot recommend this enough!  What a blessing!!

Harcourt Language Grade 5 and workbook  And just to be clear, I always buy these textbooks under the used section of Amazon's offers.  They are usually around $5 with shipping.  Such a steal!!  Of course, I buy the workbooks new, but they are extremely reasonably priced.  

Spectrum Spelling Grade 5

Handwriting Without Tears Grade 5 Cursive

Explode the Code 7

Co-op: Hands-on Engineering, World Cultures/Geography, Intro to Spanish 

Gym: once per week

Swim: once per week in the fall

Claire and Meredith

The girls will be doing the same history, science, reading, and writing programs this year.  I'm extremely thrilled to be combining so many subjects.  This should allow for better discussion and learning for everyone.  Claire's reading program will be the advanced version of Meredith's.

History/Readers/Read-Alouds:  Sonlight Core D American History, Year 1  We are so excited to be studying American history for the next two years!  The history books, readers, and read-alouds all work together in this core.

Science: Sonlight's Biology, Taxonomy, and Human Anatomy

Writing: IEW's Fables, Myths, and Fairy Tales 

And while all this is going on, we're praying that Olivia keeps happily busy doing her own activities, which I'll post about in the future (update: my toddler activity ideas are posted here).  And I'm also hoping that she doesn't give up her nap time until next summer...probably wishful thinking. :)

b.i.f. twenty

Sweet baby girl, sucking those two middle fingers, ready for her nap.

dinnertime chaos

If you can imagine, the dinnertime preparation hour in our home can be a bit of a crazy time.  Olivia is clingy because she's still waking up from her nap, Amelia is grumpy because she's hungry and her snack from 30 minutes ago has worn off already, Meredith and Claire are thinking that RIGHT NOW is a great time to bake some cookies, Aunt Jill is on the phone because she's on her way home from work, and Josh is calling to let me know that he had to stop on the way home to pick up a few things for the new roof that is being put on the house this weekend.  

Okay, okay, this isn't EVERY day...just today.  

While all this is happening, this little pumpkin...

(she's not as innocent as she looks)...decides that she is going to get into my spice bin, which was sitting on the counter.  I didn't notice, and apparently no one else did either.  

In a short minute, there was ground cumin all.over.the.bar.area.  Yikes.  

Meanwhile, this one... 

...was trying to make peanut butter cookies for the guys who would be working on our roof.  As sweet as that was, a certain adult who was in the middle of cooking dinner and cleaning up ground cumin needed to assist her, and let's just say it wasn't good timing.  

The adult told the child to immediately stop making cookies.  That event would have to wait for a later hour when the adult wasn't losing her patience.  

While I was cleaning up the cumin, the toasted pecans turned into burnt pecans.  Lovely.

Finally, I found two minutes (while the broccoli was steaming) to have a discussion with Olivia about getting into my spices.  When I picked her up, I realized that she had poop leaking out of her diaper. 

Enough already!!

We made it through dinner with only one small milk spill.

Shortly after dinner, obviously not learning anything from the pre-dinner fiasco, a certain 5 year old...

(who is absolutely as ornery as she looks) ...was playing with our homemade batch of firecracker rub.

I could give you two guesses as to what happened next, but really, you'll only need one.  

Currently, our trash contains about one full cup of spice and has quite an interesting aroma...spicy.  

I always knew we needed to keep weapons, medications, scissors, glue, and the like under lock and key.  I think I'm going to add spices to that list as well.

blueberries

We went blueberry picking last week, and it was absolutely beautiful!  Unlike last summer where we were melting within the first 30 seconds of picking, it was an absolutely glorious morning.  

Olivia was hilarious.  She wanted to have a bucket tied to her waist to pick berries.  I showed her how to put a few in her bucket.  Five minutes later, I checked her bucket, and the three I had dropped in were still there.  I decided to save her some strife, remove her bucket, and let her pick and eat freely.  Thankfully, the other three girls and I were following the farm's guidelines and picking more than eating.

We picked 12 pounds, froze about 10, and ate the rest.  Meredith made our first batch of muffins this morning, and they were delish.  

red, white, and blue dessert

I'm fully aware that this recipe should have been posted the last week of June/first week of July instead of the first week of August, so forgive me for being 5 weeks late.  

I considered making it the week before the 4th of July, but our family doesn't need one more extra dessert just for the sake of a blog post.  This is the one that I made ON the 4th of July.  

Let's just all pretend that this is the 4th of July instead of the 4th of August.

So this dessert is a mix of about 3 other desserts that I've made in the past.  The crust is a graham cracker crust from another dessert that I found on pinterest that looked way too complicated.  The filling is my friend, Kristi's, dirt pudding filling.  The topping is just fruit, whatever you like.  Because let's face it...anything with cream cheese and pudding tastes good with fruit.  And the fruit makes it healthy, right?

Red, White, and Blue Dessert

crust:

1 1/2 c. crushed graham crackers {about 1 1/2 sleeves}

1/2 c. sugar

1/3 c. butter or margarine, melted

Combine all ingredients in a mixing bowl and mix well.  Press ingredients into a 9x13 dish, and bake at 350 degrees for 8-10 minutes or until crust is a golden color.  Let this cool to room temperature or speed the cooling process by putting the crust in the refrigerator/freezer.

filling:

1/4 c. butter or margarine, softened

8 oz. cream cheese, softened

1 c. powdered sugar

3 1/2 c. milk

2 {3.4 oz.} packages of instant vanilla pudding

12 oz. whipped topping, thawed

Cream together butter, cream cheese, and powdered sugar.  In a separate bowl, combine milk, pudding, and whipped topping.  Stir mixtures together and spread on top of cooled graham cracker crust.  

topping:

strawberries

blueberries

Top with lots of strawberries and blueberries.  Chill for a few hours, overnight, or until ready to serve.  

Notes:

-There are really so many different variations that you could do with this dessert: crushed Oreo cookies for the crust, various flavors for the pudding, different fruits for the topping.

-I also make this in an 8x8 dish and cut the recipe in half if we don't need as much.  

 

ten going on sixteen

Claire and I recently went to get haircuts.  She only got a trim, but she asked Miss Jill to curl her hair into big curls before we headed home.  Miss Jill delivered.  After seeing the concoction of curls on my normally ponytailed tomboy's head, I informed Miss Jill that Josh might not let Claire return for more hairdos. :)

I'm encouraged to know that my child who constantly wears ponytails, camo hats, cut off jeans, and t-shirts, might have a hint of girly-ness in her after all.  

She comes by her tomboy ways honestly.  I'm pretty sure when I was in 5th grade, my mother thought I would never wear makeup, heels, or a dress except on my wedding day...and that was maybe iffy.  I loved going to car shows with my dad, playing football on the playground with the boys, and I thought playing Barbies was one of the silliest activities on the face of the earth.  

I'm still not a huge makeup-high heeled-dress wearing kind of a girl, but I can clean up appropriately when necessary.  I don't even mind as long as the heels are fairly comfortable.  Only time will tell with my eldest.  

menu plan: august 2013

I can't believe it's August already.  I scheduled this month in light of school starting on August 19.  I also scheduled a planned family dinner out this month.  I don't remember the last time that I planned dinner out for our entire family!  Don't be fooled.  We have a gift card. :)  Meredith and Amelia participated in a sausage stuffing contest {stuffed animal pigs being stuffed into pantyhose} at Germanfest, and they won 1st and 2nd places which earned them $25 total in gift certificates to a local pork place.  Needless to say, those dust collecting pig trophies currently hold a special place in my heart.  

August 1-3

1: alice springs chicken {new}

2: pork stir fry

3: no cooking

August 4-10

4: church picnic

5: maple roasted chicken and sweet potatoes

6: french toast

7: herb crusted chicken in cream sauce {late dinner}

8: amy's sensational summer salad

9: frozen pizza

10: deer and noodles

August 11-17

11: chicken patty sandwiches

12: drunken pork chops

13: ham and cheese sliders

14: almond chicken and rice

15: breakfast casserole/blueberry muffins {new}

16: sweet and spicy pork {new}

17: goulash

August 18-24

18: leftovers

19: twice baked potatoes/salad

20: spaghetti

21: deer steaks {late dinner}

22: parmesan crusted chicken breasts

23: dinner out...ummm, so excited about this!

24: grilled tex-mex nacho packets {new/a version of this}

August 25-31

25: baked fajitas

26: breakfast sandwiches

27: baked ravioli {new}

28: chicken patty sandwiches

29: homemade pizza

30: duck

31: no cooking

Happy cooking!!