Chocolate on my Cranium

Vintagey Chocolatey Goodness!

2012-05-26T17:53:00.000-07:00

Hmmmm.....noticed any changes around here? The blog has received a long overdue makeover thanks to my fabulous friend, Misty! Seriously, she is listed as a synonym for fabulous in my thesaurus.

For those reading in a feed reader or through an e-mail update here are a few changes that have occurred {you know, to entice you to come and see it for yourself!}.

A yummy new font in my header and on the sidebar graphics. It makes me want to lick a chocolate batter laden spoon!
New social media buttons made from chocolates.
The navigation bar at the top has been removed and links to those pages can now be found on my sidebar accompanied by some of the cutest vintage graphics ever.
No more lime green background.
There's a hostess cupcake as my blog's favicon.
A new blog signature!
You can see my latest Pinterest pins on my sidebar.

There are a few more subtle changes that I am working on, mostly with the pages linked to on the sidebar. My tutorial page has finally been updated with photos and links to all the fun things I have posted over the years. I'll be updating my homeschool and cookbook pages too so hopefully it will be easier to find past posts.

Isn't the blog lovely? Muchas gracias, Misty!

Our Summer School Schedule

2012-05-25T11:45:00.000-07:00

The weather is getting warmer. The days are longer. And school will soon be out. Or will it?

Not for us! We still have two more months of school. I can just hear you saying, "Your poor kids! Cut them some slack. Stop being a cruel, mean homeschooling mama!"

Would you still say that if you knew my kids had all of December and April off with a week off in the middle of October and February too? One of the pleasures of homeschooling is creating a schedule that works for our family. For us that means a type of year-round schooling of three months on {doing school}, one month off {no school}, with a week off in the middle of the three months on. The months we take off are usually April, August, and December. It just works for us.

However, our summer schedule still differs from the rest of the school year. We are busy farming so school is usually done in the afternoon {during the heat of the day}. The hay is raked in the early morning hours and the three oldest {it'll be the four oldest this year!} are gone to help. This is perfect as the littler ones and I go and work in the garden while the day is still somewhat cool.

Our school work load is also a bit lighter in the summertime. We take more field trips, go on more nature walks, and study a lot more science. We also make time to do the activities in our Cool Summer Days Calendar. Our book learning is replaced with more hands on activities.

Do you do school during the summer? What does your schedule look like?

Pregnancy and Weight Gain

2012-05-24T10:05:00.002-07:00

My side of the closet is bigger than my husband's side. I have twice as many clothes as he does. Not because I am a fashionista, far from it! Instead my clothing is divided into regular, maternity, and in-between. One shelf for each {see, I told you I am not a crazy clothing lady!}. The "regular" size has definitely gotten closer in size to the in-between. Thankfully, they haven't merged . . . yet!

Why do I share about my clothes? Because it chronicles the journey I, and many women, make through pregnancy after pregnancy dealing with the roller coaster of weight gain and loss {maybe more gain than loss!}. A few weeks ago Tristan asked "How do you handle getting and staying healthy while having so many consecutive pregnancies?" I'm not sure I am a good example of this {especially the last few years} but I do try!

First, what I don't do is make a big deal out of the weight gain. I want my daughters {and my sons} to have a healthy view of a woman's body in all the stages it goes through including pregnancy. Weight is an inevitable part of pregnancy. What is hard is losing the extra weight especially when children come close together.

Here is a glance at my pregnancy and weight gain journey. I am 5'2" just so you know.

Fat Jiggling Machines: What Were They Thinking?

As you can see I started off tiny. I was pretty athletic but not overly so. After child #3 I never got below 120, mostly because I thought that was too thin. I did pretty good getting my weight back down to the 120s until those miscarriages. The year was 2008. It was a hard year because of many changes that happened. I've written about that before. I weighed 20 pounds more at the end of that year than I did at the beginning. I've had two more children since then and just haven't lost the extra weight. . . .yet. I am working on it. Right now I weigh 150 but have been slowly losing weight for the last two months {more on that later in the post}.

What have I done over the years to lose the pregnancy weight?

☀ Make time to exercise. We all know the benefits of exercising. It helps us feel better. We have more energy. It helps us combat certain health conditions and diseases. Even knowing we should exercise doesn't mean we actually do it. This is especially hard for moms of lots of little kids. It seems like you just get started and some little one needs your attention NOW. There a few ways I have tried over the years to resolve this.
Get up earlier in the morning. Child #2 was wonderful as a baby. I was able to get up in the morning and exercise for an hour while she lay contentedly awake in her crib. I am a morning person and prefer to exercise in the morning. This really isn't an option right now for me because I teach early morning seminary.
Break the exercise sessions up into smaller ones throughout the day. There were some years where I had to do 10-15 minute exercise sessions three times a day.
Have my children exercise with me. The younger ones love to imitate. When they see me walk out with my exercise clothes on they immediately go and get their little one pound weights and join me in front of the tv. Now my older girls exercise with me to encourage me and also to get in their 30 minutes of required exercise for their P.E. classes. It's a lot of fun to do it together....and I think the laughter that ensues from our conversations is just as healing and healthy!

☀ Find an exercise program that works for you. The one video I have used consistently throughout the years is The Firm Low Impact Aerobics. It is an oldie but goodie. I have tried some of the newer exercise videos that people get excited about. Honestly, they don't work my muscles as much as The Firm does. After making fun of me and the video for a week {it was made in the late 80s} my daughters decided to try it. Guess what their favorite video to do is now? :) I also go jogging and walking every other day for variety. My goal is to be able to run around a section of our land - 4 miles.

☀Eat healthy. When I had to meet with a dietician for my gestational diabetes I had to bring a list of everything I had eaten the previous week. She looked it over and said, "I think you are the first person I have met with where I don't see a thing wrong with the way you eat." We don't have pop or juice. We don't eat processed food {for the most part}. We eat whole grain foods, including homemade whole wheat bread. We have a variety of fruit and vegetables available for snacking and as side dishes. I only had to make a few small adjustments to my diet when dealing with the gestational diabetes. It was easier because I was already used to eating healthier than the average American.

☀Stop making excuses. This is for me right here, right now. After Ganache was born I wasn't thinking about exercising or losing weight for the first three months. I was worried about making sure he got fed and gained weight.

Then the excuses started. It was October and we were just beginning birthday season at our house. From the end of September through the end of January there is a birthday every two weeks. Then there was Thanksgiving and the Christmas holiday season. I told myself it would be too hard to start exercising and losing weight with all those delicious holiday foods available to eat. I gained more weight over the holidays. January and February came. It was too cold to go outside and walk. The days were shorter, there wasn't time to fit in exercise. March came and I realized I really should do something. I started walking but only for about 30 minutes every other day. Finally the beginning of April came I realized I needed to stop with the excuses.

I weighed 160 pounds and was still wearing my 'in-between' clothes. Not good. It was no fun realizing I weighed as much or more than I did at the end of pregnancy with eight of my children. I started by eating smaller portion sizes. I lost eight pounds the first three weeks. I decided it was time to seriously start exercising. Up until this point I was just walking three times a week. I did The Firm video everyday for two weeks and guess what happened? I gained those eight pounds back! And yet, I wasn't too discouraged. I dropped a pants size and was starting to see the results. After adjusting my diet slightly {lowering carb intake a little bit} those eight pounds plus two more have come off. I am down another pant size and into my regular clothes again! My goal is to get back into the 120s by the end of summer. There are 14 weeks until the end of August so with a healthy weight loss of 1-2 pounds a week it is totally doable.

I'll keep on trying to follow my own suggestions and report back periodically during the summer to let you know how I am doing.

What have your experiences been with pregnancy and weight gain/loss? What do you do to stay healthy?

Wordfull Wednesday: Shoes

2012-05-23T04:47:00.002-07:00

Do people still shine their shoes?

I know, I know. It's a silly topic for Wordfull Wednesday. I think I was in a crazy mood, or is it desperate? Now I'm stuck with it. Stuck like gum to the bottom of your shoe. ☺

My favorite shoes are an old brown pair I've had for 10 years at least. They are the work horse of my shoe collection. I wear them when I go grocery shopping {although not as much now that they are finally wearing out}, when I water the garden, and when I cook and clean my house.

Thank goodness this is NOT my house...though I do feel like the old woman sometimes...I don't know what to do!

These shoes have been worn to the hospital for the deliveries of five of my children. They have paced the floor while holding those children when sick or tired or while dancing with them in the kitchen.

These old brown shoes have driven many a mile - to Utah to visit family, to Reno for doctor appointments, to town for swim lessons or weekly church activities.

They aren't pretty or fashionable, just functional and comfortable. They take me through the day as I care for my family just like a good shoe should do.

Join us for Wordfull Wednesday! Write a blog post about your favorite pair of shoes. What adventures have you had in them? Come and link up!

© 2007-2012 Chocolate on my Cranium, LLC all rights reserved

Bits and pieces

2012-05-22T14:39:00.000-07:00

♦ We received our Sonlight order for next year! The smell of new books is wonderful. We will be studying American History {except for those in High school}. The younger set will be using Core D. The older ones will be using Core 100.

♦ We don't have enough room for all our books! I had to buy a new bookshelf and do a bunch of rearranging which included moving books up and down the stairs. I am almost done though {{breathing a sigh of relief}} It's exhausting hauling boxes of books around!

♦ Tomorrow is Wordfull Wednesday. It's a silly one. Write about your favorite pair of shoes. Where have they taken you? What adventures have you had in them? Write a blog post and link up tomorrow.

♦ Here are the winners of the Edwardian Aprons! Congrats to Amy A.F and Jennifer D.T. I've e-mailed you both so please check your spam folders if you don't see it in your inbox.

♦ My favorite song to listen to lately. Gratitude by Nichole Nordeman.

© 2007-2012 Chocolate on my Cranium, LLC all rights reserved

Solar Eclipse May 20, 2012

2012-05-21T07:17:00.002-07:00

Sunday evening we were able to witness a good portion of the solar eclipse.

We were a couple hours too far north to see a full "ring of fire" but still got a good view.

We used welding helmets and lenses to look directly at the sun. The lenses make the sun green!

The shadows of the leaves were also crescent shaped.

I was trying to get the setting right on my camera in this photo. I like the two reversed eclipses from the mirror shake on my camera. You can also see the eclipse right next to the bright green sun.

Were you able to see the eclipse?

© 2007-2012 Chocolate on my Cranium, LLC all rights reserved

Gifts from this week

2012-05-19T22:02:00.000-07:00

Laughing with the baby

Afternoon sunlight filtering through blinds on the kitchen table {with leftover decorations from Mother's Day!}

Big umbrellas to hide behind

Smell of fresh cut grass

spilled granola

PEEK

A

BOO

I SEE YOU!

© 2007-2012 Chocolate on my Cranium, LLC all rights reserved

Homeschooling and Socialization

2012-05-18T18:24:00.000-07:00

Q. What are your feelings on the social aspect of homeschooling and how do you provide opportunities for your kids to learn how to socialize in a variety of situations? I never thought I'd be a socialization critic! Am I just overreacting and worrying too much about it?! I just want my kids to have the skills and abilities to function well in life and reach their full potentials.

A. When I sat down to write this post I thought about just leaving a one sentence answer. I have a friend who when asked "Aren't you worried about socialization?" answers "Yes! That's why I keep them at home." ☺

I knew that wasn't the answer you were looking for. Then I started typing this: "For some reason socialization seems to be "the" biggest concern about those who homeschool. I think I can see why. Some have met homeschoolers who are awkward or weird or shy or geeky or .....well the list could go on. Truth be told I have met those homeschoolers too. I have also met public schooled children {and adults} who also fit those adjectives but for some reason public schooling is never to blame in those situations. Why is that?"

Going the whiny, whiny route wouldn't be good either. Two strikes! I hope the third try is a charm.

Socialization. What is meant by that anyway? I think that is why I am having a hard time writing this post. People mean different things when asking about socialization.

Some are really asking "Who will your children interact with if they are home all day? Won't they be lonely?" {That's actually called socializing}

Others are really asking "How will they learn to interact with others if they are home all day?" {In other words how will they be prepared for the 'real world'}

And there's the basic definition. Dictionary.com defines socialization as "a continuing process whereby an individual acquires a personal identity and learns the norms, values, behavior, and social skills appropriate to his or her social position."

First let's look at the typical day for a public schooled child vs. a homeschooled child.

Public School
Get up,
Get dressed,
Eat breakfast
Go to school
Spend seven hours with about 30 other children the same age and a teacher {two if you are lucky} with a break for lunch and recess
Come home, do homework
Music lessons or sports or both
Play with friends
Eat dinner
Go to bed

Homeschooled Child
Get Up
Get Dressed
Eat breakfast
Do school
Some days it's all at home, other days there are field trips {homeschoolers LOVE field trips}, or co-op classes with other homeschoolers
Eat lunch
Free time until friend get out of school
Music lessons or sports or both
Play with friends
Eat dinner
Go to bed

Obviously these are very basic outlines. Do you see how similar their days are? The biggest difference is where they do their schooling and with whom they are associating during those times. Public schooled children spend the majority of their time with a teacher and about 30 other people their same age. Homeschooled children spend the majority of their time with family, but also other children {of all age ranges} and adults.

Because of all the similarities then the questions about socialization can be reduced to: Whom do homeschooled children interact with? How do they learn to interact with others? And what do we want them to learn anyway?

Let's start with the last question first. What do I want my children to learn? {this is just a short list but you get the idea}

to treat others with respect
engage in conversation with anyone of any age
how to make friends
how to keep friends
how to cooperate with others
polite manners
how to handle difficult situations or people {bullying, discrimination, etc.}
to hold tightly to the moral values they have and not be swayed by others
to be responsible for their actions
to relate with others who are different than they are

Now who is responsible for teaching these to my children? How do they learn to interact with others? When the question of socialization is brought up to homeschoolers there is an underlying thought that goes unsaid whether the person asking it realizes it or not. The implied thought is, "The public school is the best/only place for a child to be socialized. I believe this or I wouldn't be asking the question in the first place."

I tried looking up socialization in older pre-1900 dictionaries. The word didn't exist, which leaves me to wonder, much like the teenager thing, how society has changed in the last 100 years and skewed our thinking that in order for a child to be 'socialized' it must be done in a school setting with 30 other children their same age and one or two adult figures present for 7 hours a day 5 days a week for 12 years.

Going back to my whiny, whiny paragraph above I think it is safe to say that most social skills are learned from the parents anyway, regardless of where they are schooled. If you look at young adults {I'm not using children as an example because they are still young and learning} you will find for the most part they behave in public much like their parents do. If there is a young woman who likes to talk a lot during a lesson at church I can almost guarantee if you peek in at her mother in a different class she will be doing the same thing. Have a young man who likes to cut up in class making 'smart' remarks? His dad probably does the same.

Socialization is going to happen no matter where you are, whether at home or at school or in the community. The quality of that socialization is what differs and it is up to parents to make sure that no matter where their kids are they have the necessary skills to interact effectively with others. Which leads to the last question {or the first}. Whom do homeschooled children interact with?

One misconception about homeschoolers is that they stay at home all day, every day. They don't! Most are a part of homeschool co-ops where they get together with other homeschoolers of all ages to learn together. Usually a parent or two teaches mini classes. Homeschooled children are actually exposed to more ages of children and more adults {authority figures} than public schooled children are. Doesn't that sound more like "the real world" to you?

Back to your original question, are you overreacting and worrying too much about it? Yes! No matter where your children are educated - public or home - there are ample opportunities to learn to get along with other people and plenty of examples to look to, the best example being you.

This question was one of many asked in the Q&A: Homeschool Edition post earlier this year.

© 2007-2012 Chocolate on my Cranium, LLC all rights reserved

Meal Planning for a Large Family

2012-05-17T11:14:00.000-07:00

Q. What is a typical week of meals for your family right now?

A. I love our farming, homeschooling lifestyle. One of the biggest reasons is we get to eat all three meals a day together as a family. This also means somebody has to make all those meals. If we aren't prepared by knowing ahead of time what we will cook there are a lot of disappointed people in the house.

This is our menu board. It's just a big picture frame with fabric that matches our kitchen behind the glass. The glass part is 16x20. That's a nice big writing space. You'll see why in a minute. During one of our mother/daughter times Brownie helped me cut out the vinyl lettering. I love it! Whoever has cooking for the week fills it out for all to see. Sometimes someone will sneakily erase something or add something else they have been craving.

I suspect we go about menu planning like most everyone else does. We look through our cupboards/pantry to see what we have in stock, search the grocery sales ads for good deals, then scour our cookbooks before actually writing down a menu. This helps to keep our costs down to about $125-$150 a week or about $5.95 - $7.14 per meal for the entire family. {more about our grocery costs in another post}

One thing I have found we do differently is the amount of side dishes we have especially for our biggest meal of the day which is lunch. It is not uncommon for us to have a main dish, at least two or three veggie options, a salad {fruit, jello, pasta or green}, and a bread. We've found instead of tripling a main recipe {that usually feeds 4-5 people} we can get away with making only one recipe because we all fill up with the cheaper side options. Now you know why our writing space on our menu board is so big. We need room for writing all those side dishes! And we do write them all down. After making our menu we can then see exactly what ingredients are needed for each meal and make our grocery list for food we don't already have in stock.

Here are the typical main dishes we have for each meal.

Breakfast:

oatmeal or granola with lots of topping options - fruit, nuts, cream, cinnamon and other spices, yogurt
cream of wheat
pancakes {fruit, oatmeal, whole wheat}
waffles
biscuits {served with cheese sauce or sausage gravy, or plain with jam}
french toast
cornbread
German pancakes {hootenanny}
quiche cups
muffins {all types}
crepes with filling options
eggs - flat, scrambled, poached, or hard boiled
hashbrowns
sausage
bacon
toast
fruit smoothies
cold cereal {only once in a great while}

We always have at least four fruit options available to eat with breakfast: apples, bananas and then whatever is in season - berries, mangoes, grapes, oranges, etc. Our favorite drink for breakfast is milk or chocolate milk.

Lunch: {this is only a sampling}

Hawaiian Haystacks
Teriyaki Chicken
Sweet and Sour Chicken
BBQ Chicken
Fried Chicken
Chicken Broccoli Casserole
Chicken and Rice Casserole
Chicken Noodle Soup
Mexican Haystacks
Tacos
Enchiladas
Burritos
Hamburgers
Taco Soup
Tin Foil Dinners
Navajo Tacos
Porcupine Meatballs
Lasagne
Spaghetti
Lentil Stew
Beef Stew
French Dip Sandwiches
Stir Fry
Fajitas
Quesadillas
Lemon Salmon
Tuna Noodle Casserole
Panini Sandwiches
Pizza
Baked Potatoes

Dinner:

Leftovers
Salad {Ceasar, Spinach Strawberry, etc}
Choose anything from breakfast or lunch :)

Side dishes:{a sampling}

cooked veggies - plain {peas, green beans, broccoli and cauliflower, carrots, corn, mixed peppers and onions, etc.}
raw veggies
salads - pasta salad, fruit salad, green salad, jello salad, bean salad
potatoes au gratin
french fries
broccoli roll ups {baked in crescent rolls}
black-eyed peas
couscous
rice

Snacks:

Fruits of all kinds - apples, bananas, raspberries, mangoes, strawberries, grapes, oranges, kiwis, etc.
Veggies- Broccoli, Cucumber, Cauliflower, Carrots, Jicama, Celery, Grape Tomatoes
Cookies
Muffins
Granola Bars
Mozzarella Cheese Sticks

I've shared a lot of recipes over the years. Most can be found by clicking the Cookbook option in my menu board at the top of the blog. Apparently I really like to share desserts!

Just about everything we cook and bake is made from scratch. Good home cooking just can't be beat! It's one of the best ways to show love to your family.

© 2007-2012 Chocolate on my Cranium, LLC all rights reserved

An Edwardian Era Apron {Tutorial}

2012-05-15T07:54:00.002-07:00

The first apron in our "Walk Through Apron History" is an Edwardian era full length, all one piece beauty. It is very simple to make, and like everything else in the Edwardian era, provides complete coverage. :)

This pattern is one size fits all. There are tips at the end of the post for enlarging or adjusting the pattern to fit smaller or more robust frames. For reference, I am modeling the apron above without any adjustments to the pattern. I am 5'2" and wear a size 10/12. There are two different ways to sew this apron, one with a bias tape edge, the other without. I've included instructions for both in the tutorial.

Supplies Needed:
1 1/2 yds of fabric {44 inches wide for S/M 60 inches wide for L/XL)
2 packs of 1/4 inch double fold bias tape
2 buttons or snaps
Edwardian Apron Bodice Pattern

Bias Tape Instructions/Button or Snap Closure

Step 1: Print and tape the pattern pieces together according to the directions in the file.

Step 2: Place pattern on fold of fabric. Pin. I transferred my pattern to brown paper. It's hard to get the camera to focus when the pattern is white on white fabric!

Step 3: Extend the bottom of the bodice at least 33 inches, more if you are taller. This is done free hand. I curved the back edge as well. CUT. This apron is made with one solid piece of fabric. Only the shoulders are stitched together.

Step 4: Match shoulder seams sharing the same armhole and sew with a 1/2 inch seam allowance. The photo above shows the stitched shoulder seams wrong side out.

Step 5: Sew bias tape along all edges of the apron. Don't forget the neckline and arm holes!

Step 6: Sew button or snap on the left back side and the opposing snap or a button hole on the right back side. If sewing a snap make sure the snap is on TOP on the left side and UNDERNEATH on the right side. :)

Done!

No Bias Tape Instructions/Tie Closure

Follow steps 1-3 above cutting out TWO full apron pieces instead of one. You'll need at least 3 yards of fabric.

Step 4: Cut out 2 2x12 inch pieces of fabric. Press down 1/4 inch on each long edge, then press in half.

Step 5: Sew down the edges to create ties.

Step 6: Place one apron piece down on the table or floor right side facing up. Pin one tie to each back side piece. Place the other apron piece right side down so the right sides are together. Sew along all outer edges, leaving the shoulder seams open and a 5 inch opening at the bottom for turning. Make sure to stop stitching 1/2 inch away from the ends of the shoulder seams. See next step for the reason why.

Step 7: Iron down the shoulder seams 1/2 inch on one apron piece {there are four shoulder edges!} You can also see the shoulder seam pressed down on the top apron piece in step 6 above.

Step 8: Turn right side out and press all edges nicely. This photo shows you what the shoulder seams will look like when you have turned the apron right sides out and pressed.

Step 9: Match the shoulder seams sharing the same armhole to each other with the unpressed edges next to each other. Sew with a 1/2 inch seam allowance. When done bring the pressed edges together enclosing the raw edges and hand stitch the opening closed.

Step 10: Sew the opening at the bottom of the apron closed either by hand sewing it closed or by top stitching 1/8 inch from the edge of the apron all the way around.

Done!

Additional tips for adjusting the pattern size.

For smaller frames you can easily decrease bust/waist area by adding double point darts {simple tutorial here} to the front of the apron bodice.
Smaller frames can also add extra buttons to the back closure. See photo for the first step 6 above.
Those with more robust frames can increase the pattern before cutting by adding inches where the pink line is on the pattern making the back pieces larger. You will need to use 60 inch wide fabric.
Larger frames can also make longer ties.
You can use either closure for each apron. When adding ties to the bias tape apron, sew the neckline last extending the bias tape at least 12 inches past the back end on both sides.

Oh yes, both aprons are up for grabs in the giveaway! Enter using the rafflecopter. Click on each option for instructions then click "did it" to be entered.
a Rafflecopter giveaway

© 2007-2012 Chocolate on my Cranium, LLC all rights reserved

Enjoying Young Adults in the House Rather Than "Teenagers"

2012-05-14T09:53:00.001-07:00

I love having young women in the house! My oldest girls are 16, 15 and 13 and let me tell you they are a joy to have around. We have been missing them the last week and a half as they have been vacationing in Florida with my parents. Thinking about them while they are gone has made me realize just how wonderful they are and how enjoyable these teen years can be for a family.

{Bon Bon, age 16}

When my older girls were the little girls we often received comments like "You have five girls? Good luck with that when they get to be teenagers!" And now when we go shopping in town {with all the kids} we get "You have three teenage girls! How do you survive?" I'm so glad we were wished all the luck. It worked. We survive because we don't believe in 'teenagers' as most westernized people do.

{Semisweet, age 15}

Good read-a-loud books are priceless. It was while reading books to my older children when they were little that I realized pre-1940 "teenagers" didn't exist. There were children and adults, with those in in the "teen" years being considered young adults.

{Brownie, age 13}

It struck me that the dreaded teen years were a rather new phenomenon. And mostly of our own making. Did you know that the first documented use of the word teenager is in a 1941 Reader's Digest? This realization helped Mr. Ferrero Rocher and I adjust our parenting so instead of dreading "the teen years" we looked forward to having young adults in the house. And by golly, it has worked! {so far}

What do we want our children to be? We want them to be well rounded adults who care for others, are selfless, know the skills to take care of themselves and their own families, who contribute to society, who are deeply religious and have a faith in God that will carry them through the rough times they will inevitably have in their lives. We have parented with that end in mind.

What have we done?

We never talked about "the teen years" with dread or angst. Instead we have spoken about the increased opportunities to learn and grow and serve and the freedoms and responsibilities that go with that.

{Cleaning and cooking are more fun with a cute apron. Dressing up as a 1950's housewife helps too!}

We've taught them skills as children that they are honing now as young adults. One example is cooking. Before the age of ten they help out in the kitchen learning how to cook, read recipes, plan meals, etc. By the time my children are twelve they are in charge of menu planning, grocery shopping, and cooking for the whole week. That's 21 meals! And they are good at it. The weeks are rotated and spread out enough that they look forward to their week of cooking. The same will be expected of my sons when they reach that age.
As they have grown we have increased their responsibilities at home and on the farm. These aren't "little" responsibilities with no value but rather ones they know really contribute to our family's well-being. See above for an example.
Let them make their own decisions. One example - what to do for high school. We explored together all the options available to them including public school. We discussed pros and cons, making charts that eerily brought back memories of my parents doing the same with me. And then we let them decide what they wanted to do. It was their schooling, their future.
They have learned to respect and trust us and our judgements as their parents. Conversely we have learned to trust them and theirs especially as they have shown good judgement in the past. These two - making decisions and trust - build on each other.
Increased their circle of friends to include not only peers their age but adults and children too. A quick scan of Bon Bon's facebook friends shows an almost even split between peers her age and adults. I know every single one of them and they are such good people, mentors really, to her. When you think about pre-1940, those in the teen years were either working alongside adults {think family farm} or apprenticed to adults to learn special work skills. After 1940 most teens where grouped together according to age to learn from one another rather than from those more experienced. This grouping actually happened before that, around 1900 but after 1940 showed the biggest change. The circle of people who influenced teens for good decreased.

{Recreating a photo from 12 years ago}

Humor. A good does of humor goes a long way in diffusing tense situations. Laughter IS good medicine. Knowing when to laugh at our mistakes helps us realize that 1) we will make mistakes 2) it's okay to acknowledge them because 3) we learn from them and move on. Having a good sense of humor also makes you easy and enjoyable to be around.
Siblings will always be your best friends. :)

One more suggestion geared directly to those raising daughters. I often get asked about dealing with "hormonal" teenage girls. How do we survive with three in the house? For most of my married life I have either been pregnant or nursing. I don't menstruate while nursing. My daughters have never seen me act "hormonal" or cranky due to PMS. As they have hit puberty they didn't know it was an "option" or an "excuse" women use to act cranky/crazy/emotional etc.

{Bon Bon comforting a crying Hershey}

Knowledge is power. They do know there is an increase of hormones and these will effect how they feel. They also realize they have the power to choose how to let those emotions show. Instead of snapping at a sibling they take their aggression out on the piano. A chick flick is watched so there's an outlet for crying. And they always know if they just need to talk they can come to me or their dad. Honestly, if you came and spent a month or two at my house you wouldn't be able to tell who was having a period or when. I asked Mr. Ferrero Rocher last night if he could tell and he said, "Nope, not at all."

I realize right now we just have young women in our home. Our approach might change a little with our sons, but I don't think it will that much. My friend, WaterWorks, has written a great post about the young men in their house. Stop by there for a visit and see if anything she has written can help you!

How have you found the teen years to be in your house? What have you learned that could help others? Share in the comments!

© 2007-2012 Chocolate on my Cranium, LLC all rights reserved

Because motherhood is just like that

2012-05-12T23:55:00.001-07:00

Corn.

It took four full moons to grow. Another to dry.

I watcher her hands swiftly pat the masa, spread the meat {eight hours of simmering tender} pinch and seal and wrap in its corn husk blanket.

Three hours of steaming. For what?

Tamales, hot, spicy, tender. Devoured in five minutes, ten if eaten slowly.

And isn't motherhood just like that?

dishes to wash {one is never really caught up},
floors to mop,
laundry breeding piles on its own,

milk, white and creamy, spilled every which way,

the sickness and worry, driving here, there, everywhere

your heart bleeding open

life so fragile you feel as is you'll be blown away

and then

then

you are blown away

by this

and this

and this

small five minutes, ten minutes, fleeting minutes of

pure joy,

tender mercies of grace.

"[Grace is] a word that occurs frequently in the New Testament, especially in the writings of Paul. The main idea of the word is divine means of help or strength, given through the bounteous mercy and love of Jesus Christ. It is through the grace of the Lord Jesus, made possible by his atoning sacrifice, that mankind will be raised in immortality, every person receiving his body from the grave in a condition of everlasting life. It is likewise through the grace of the Lord that individuals, through faith in the atonement of Jesus Christ and repentance of their sins, receive strength and assistance to do good works that they otherwise would not be able to maintain if left to their own means. This grace is an enabling power that allows men and women to lay hold on eternal life and exaltation after they have expended their own best efforts."

enabling power,

fuel for the soul,

water to fill my cup.

Motherhood is just like this.

Dedicated to my own dear mother whom I can never repay and still don't fully appreciate.

I love you, Mom!

Mother's Day Goodness

2012-05-12T18:21:00.000-07:00

A few goodies about mothers I wanted to share with you. First is a new Bible video "Mary, the Mother of Jesus."

Next is this song by Calee Reed. Her mother died last year of cancer. This is a tribute she wrote to her mother. All proceeds from the sale of "She Put the Music in Me" will be donated to the Huntsman Cancer Foundation.

Elspeth Young has completed another beautiful painting, "Bearing a Child in Her Arms." Please go and read the artist's commentary at that link.

The symbolism included in this painting is simple yet profound. A note to my girls: I want this for my birthday {in November}!

And a few beautiful articles to read:
The Habit of a Mother Who Changes the World by Ann Voskamp "Houses may be bought, built, or borrowed. But homes can only be made. And only with bits of ourselves."
Celebrating Motherhood by Misty "Mother’s Day is not merely a time to remember those who bear children, but a celebration of the essence of who we are as women. Matthew Cowley taught that women “are born with an inherent right, an inherent authority to be the saviors of human souls.”"

Happy Mother's Day to all of you!

© 2007-2012 Chocolate on my Cranium, LLC all rights reserved

Rhubarb Strawberry Crunch

2012-05-11T22:00:00.002-07:00

One of my favorite pairings in the spring are rhubarb and strawberry. I love it in jam. I love it in this dessert.

Rhubarb Strawberry Crunch

2 cups flour
2 cups packed brown sugar
1 1/2 cups quick cooking oats
2 tsp. ground cinnamon
1 cup butter or margarine
8 cups sliced fresh or frozen rhubarb
2 pints strawberries, halved
2 cups sugar
4 TBSP. cornstarch
2 cups water
2 tsp. vanilla extract

In a bowl, combine the first four ingredients; cut in butter until crumbly. Press half into an ungreased 9x13 baking pan. Combine rhubarb and strawberries; spoon over crust. In a saucepan, combine sugar and cornstarch. Stir in the water and vanilla; bring to a boil over medium heat. Cook and stir for two minutes. Pour over fruit. Sprinkle with remaining crumb mixture. Bake at 350 for 1 hour. Serve with ice cream if desired. Makes about 12 servings.

© 2007-2012 Chocolate on my Cranium, LLC all rights reserved

Husbands and Homeschooling

2012-05-11T09:51:00.000-07:00

Q. How involved is your husband with your homeschool?

A. The answer to this question will be different for every family. In our family my husband doesn't do any "formal" schooling like I do. He has more of a relaxed, supportive involvement. Here's a summary of what he does.

Reinforcement: Our farming lifestyle is such that we are able to have all three daily meals together as a family. Lunch is our biggest meal of the day. It is also the time the kids enjoy telling their dad what they learned that day. It helps me to hear what they found to be interesting, what they didn't like, and what they found to be interesting. This narration solidifies what was taught but also leads into my husband asking the kids questions and reinforcing the concepts that were taught.

History: My husband is a huge, HUGE, history buff. He just enjoys learning, reading, discussing it. One of the things my kids like to do is see if he knows the little tidbits of history they learned that day. He almost always does. And then teaches new things that even I didn't know about. When retelling stories to the younger ones he acts them out complete with sound effects. They love it! With our teens he has had good discussions about the whys of history, the choices that were made, the political environment at the time, the effects that has had and will have in the future. Whenever we take road trips and see a sign for a historical marker you can bet there will be a detour to read it and see it.

Reading: Our family loves to read. The best thing for my new readers is to read a book to dad. They just love when they can show off their new skills! He enjoys it too. It is relaxing to have a child snuggled up on your lap after a long, tiring day reading to you. Of course, then he has to reciprocate. And the book is NEVER the same no matter how many times he "reads" it. Again, the sound effects and varying voices make it much more interesting than when mom reads. Seriously, if we ever have to find a new line of work my husband could make it in the cartoon voice business.

We also have family read alouds. This was started because my husband has fond memories of his mother reading to them. I usually do the reading but once in a while he will do it. One Sunday when my older girls were little they stayed home from church because of sickness. Mr. Ferrero Rocher stayed home with them as I had several church responsibilities to fill. When I got home the girls told me, "Dad was reading to us and he started crying!" Our read aloud at the time was The Long Winter by Laura Ingalls Wilder. He said as he was reading about the hardships the Ingalls family faced and Pa trying to find wheat for his family to eat it just hit him because now he was a father with young daughters to take care of. He couldn't fathom how hard that would be to not be able to provide the basics for his family.

Fill In: My husband is there to fill in where I lack. Semisweet took a basic automotive class for high school. I had no clue what she was learning. He did and enjoyed helping her.

One day the younger kids were learning about Saudi Arabia. The book we were reading mentioned the melons and other crops that are grown in the middle of the desert because of the pivots that had been built. I told my children, "Dad knows all about that! Ask him when he comes home for lunch." Sure enough he was able to pull out his laptop and show them through Google Earth the photos of green pivots out in the desert. He told them how they worked, what crops were being grown, etc. There are countless other examples of this type of filling in.

Support: Mr. Ferrero Rocher is very supportive of the decisions I make for our children's education. I am the one who does all of the research and we discuss what I have found. Because I am the one who is working with them day in and day out I make the final decision about what to teach, when, and how. In our discussions he is also able to gauge whether I am pushing myself to hard. I used to plan each child's week out on Saturday nights, making sure we had all the supplies needed for each subject, etc. It was extremely stressful when there were five children to plan for. Being in the thick of it I wasn't thinking clearly or looking at other options. It was through his suggestion we took a month long break while I looked at curriculum options. I was able to find one that I loved, my children loved, and was planned out so I had time for other things.

Those of you that homeschool, how involved are your husbands? Do they teach formal lessons? Are they the "fun" parent who takes them on field trips?

© 2007-2012 Chocolate on my Cranium, LLC all rights reserved

Wordfull Wednesday: Those who have mothered me

2012-05-09T08:57:00.000-07:00

There have been so many, too many to name.

My sweet great-great aunt who didn't mind a precocious three year old coming to visit every day.

The kind "grandmother" who "adopted" us when our own grandmothers lived far away.

Karon, who taught me how to make bread, whose recipe has now been shared and made all over the world.

Beulah, who truly made her home a 'promised land' and shared her bounty with everyone {and saved her watermelons for my girls!}.

The unknown woman at the store who smiled at my children on a particularly hard day.

Robin, who stayed with me when my husband couldn't be there during Ganache's difficult blood drawing.

"Again, do it again!" Those infamous words repeated by my piano teacher who pushed me to do better.

Eve, Sarah, Rebekah, Mary, Abish and countless other scriptural women whose lives are there open for all to see, whose examples have guided me.

Aunts who have watched, sent birthday cards, spoiled, and encouraged, continually encouraged.

"Are we not all mothers? Motherhood is more than bearing children. … It is the essence of who we are as women." (Sheri L. Dew)

I am so thankful for the women who have been present in my life and in the lives of my children. They each help to fill in the gaps, smooth the edges, and fill us up. Through their individual lives the light of Christ shines through helping to light the way back to Him.

Join us for Wordfull Wednesday! Write a post about those who have mothered you. Leave a link and go read posts other's have linked to.

© 2007-2012 Chocolate on my Cranium, LLC all rights reserved

A slight delay

2012-05-08T17:11:00.000-07:00

The Edwardian Apron tutorial that is scheduled for today is ready but there is a small glitch in getting the pattern together. If I can get it fixed this week I'll post the tutorial on Sunday. No use posting the tutorial without the pattern!

Get your Wordfull Wednesday posts ready for tomorrow! Write about other "mothers" who have taught you and helped you throughout your life. Come back tomorrow and link up!

© 2007-2012 Chocolate on my Cranium, LLC all rights reserved

How I Make My Photos Interactive {a tutorial}

2012-05-07T11:13:00.001-07:00

Really, making my images interactive is so easy I shouldn't label it a tutorial, but many of you have asked how I do it.

Thinglink.com

I'm stating right up front, that I am not being paid or compensated for saying any of this. I've just used Thinglink and enjoyed having it as part of my blog.

The basic service is free! With Thinglink, you add "tags" to your photos. These tags can be used to explain parts of the photo, add links to websites, or you can even add audio or video clips. Your photos can be shared on facebook, tumblr, or blogs. There is also a two week free trial period so you can decide for yourself if it is something you really want to integrate into your blog.

Go sign up because the rest of this post assumes you have created a Thinglink account. :)

There are two ways to tag images. The first is to upload or import an image into your Thinglink account. You can import from Flickr or upload directly from you computer. There is a limit however to how many photos you can upload - 50 for the basic plan, 500 for the Plus account. When you have imported or uploaded an image you will be taken to a screen that looks like this.

Here's where you will do all your tagging. Hover over the image below to see explanations of how to tag.

When you are done tagging your image it will look like this with tag boxes all over {see photo below}. You can click and drag the tag boxes wherever you want, for instance I moved mine so the circles aren't covering any faces.

Once you are done click save. Scroll over the top left of your image to see the symbols and click on the bottom one to get the embed code {see photo below}.

Click on the copy to clipboard button. In your blog's post writer window click on "Edit Html" tab and paste the code where you want your image to be in your post.

The second way to tag images, and my personal favorite, is to add the Thinglink plug-in to your blog. This plugin allows you to tag any image on your blog as long as you are logged in to your Thinglink account. Thinglink has great instructions for adding the plugin so I won't go into that here.

While looking at your blog you can move your mouse over any image and you will see the following symbols pop up at the top left of the image {see image below}.

Clicking on the pencil icon will open the image just as if you were in Thinglink and you can tag away. I like this option the best because it is easier and these images are NOT counted toward the upload limit.

I have the Plus account for $5 a month so I can see the statistics of the interactive images. For instance here is part of the statistics for my May calendar. Hover over each part to see the explanation of what the statistics say.

If you decide to try Thinglink on your blog, let me know. I'd love to come and visit!

© 2007-2012 Chocolate on my Cranium, LLC all rights reserved

Keeping Your Child Motivated When Homeschooling

2012-05-04T08:19:00.001-07:00

Motivation.

The lack thereof can hit either the student or the teacher. What do you do? School needs to be done.

I've written before about teacher burnout {lack of motivation}. Today I'll offer some ideas to tackle lack of motivation in children. I am assuming you are already doing the obvious of praying for guidance.

Alternate Teaching Methods - I've found when one of my children is reluctant to do school or a certain subject it is usually because they don't understand a concept. Having an alternate method to teach the same concept can really help. Knowing about their learning styles is also helpful. Sometimes what worked for one child just doesn't work as well for another. I've written about different learning styles. Each post has teaching suggestions to gear your teaching to the way your child learns best.

Learning Styles: The Basics
Learning Styles: Multiple Intelligences
Linguistic, Read, Write Learners
Kinesthetic/Tactile Learners
Spatial Learners
Naturalistic Learners
Musical Learners

Change things up! Sometimes just readjusting your schedule or even the location you do school can help a great deal. Is it a nice day outside? Then go out and have school picnic style! Create a tent in your living room. Pretend to ride the bus {complete with sound effects} making wrong turns here and there, describing what you see out the window. This one is always fun and has everyone laughing and ready to tackle their school work by the time we finally "arrive" at school.

Go back to the basics. It's okay to just do "easy" school some days. These posts have suggestions for reviewing the basics in fun ways.

Quick Math Games
Easy Writing Activities
Creative Writing Activities

READ!! If all else fails just read with your child. Don't do anything else but read aloud. Choose books that are diverse. I recommend using the Sonlight read aloud lists {click on each read aloud list in the upper right blue box} or those at Ambleside Online. There is also a good list of books to supplement history.

You'll find if you just read and sometimes ask questions their curiosity will be peaked and they'll want to learn more. Ask them to show you in what country the story takes place. Does it take place at a certain time in history? What else was going on the world at that time? One question will lead to another and before you know it they are learning something new. Was it what you wanted them to learn originally? No. But that is okay! The point is they are learning.

Just keep going. Sometimes there is nothing you can do but just keep going. Eventually they need to learn that they have to stick to what is being taught, the way it is being taught. I usually reserve this ultimatum until my children are older {above 12 years old}. By this age they understand that there will be times {college} that they will just have to do it. And they can and be better for it.

What are some ways you have dealt with a lack of motivation in your children? Any tips you have to share? Please comment and discuss!

© 2007-2012 Chocolate on my Cranium, LLC all rights reserved

Dandelion Crowns {or other Flower Chains}: A tutorial

2012-05-03T08:16:00.001-07:00

When dandelions and other flowers, but dandelions especially, grow abundantly where you live making flower chains or flower crowns is a skill you must learn! Princesses and fair maidens need these to complete their outfits. Or even to add a special touch to a tea party.

Step 1: Gather your flowers. We are using dandelions here but any thicker stemmed flower will do like hyacinths, daisies, marigolds, and even tulips. Make sure you have at least 3 inches of stem. Those little ones {that Hershey picked} won't work.

Step 2: Carefully use your fingernail to split the stem in the middle. Don't make the split go all the way down! We just want a hole in the middle of the stem.

Step 3: Stick the stem of a different flower through the hole you created in the stem.

Step 4: Split the stem of the new flower you just poked through and poke another flower into that hole.

Step 5: Continue adding flowers to your "chain" until it is long enough to go around your daughter's {or your!} head.

Step 6: To connect to the first flower, split the stem of the last flower

then carefully poke the head of the first flower into the hole. For larger flowers like marigolds or tulips you will stick the stem of the last flower into the hole of the first flower {so there are two flowers poking into that hole}.

Viola! A flower crown {or flower chain} to wear for the day. Sadly, these only last a day, but they sure are fun!

They aren't just for little girls to wear! {Here I am with Hershey when she was 6 months old}

© 2007-2012 Chocolate on my Cranium, LLC all rights reserved

Hello May!

2012-05-01T04:17:00.001-07:00

Glorious, beautiful, sunshiny May!

Here's a tentative {emphasis on tentative} schedule for May posts on the blog. As usual scroll over each day to read more information about it. There are a few giveaways up my sleeve and those may oust some of these "scheduled" posts.

Come join us this May!

© 2007-2012 Chocolate on my Cranium, LLC all rights reserved

You know you homeschool if...

2012-04-30T09:45:00.000-07:00

. . .your children try rolling downhill in a square box.

Just a little humor poking fun at ourselves. They were actually crawling downhill while the others helped to roll the box, like a hamster in a wheel. I have no idea what they were thinking.
© 2007-2012 Chocolate on my Cranium, LLC all rights reserved

Knock, Knock Anyone There?

2012-04-27T07:40:00.000-07:00

April has gone by so quickly! I only posted 10 times and, I'm not going to lie, it was kind of nice. BUT I am ready to get back into the swing of things. I can only take a break for so long before I start to go insane. Here are a few things/changes that will be taking place with this ol' blog. I'm open for suggestions too!

The "walk through history" apron tutorials will start back on May 8th. They will take place the 2nd Tuesday of every month. Doing an apron tutorial every week proved to be too much. Once a month will be just about right I think.

Wordfull Wednesdays and the Friday homeschooling posts will resume. I have a few crafts and projects up my sleeve as well.

The first dandelion crown of the year!

What I would like to know is what YOU want to know. Do you have any general questions you want answered? Here's a few that have been asked already either in previous posts' comments or on Facebook

Family Life:
How is our grocery budget?
How do we discipline our kids?

Food:
What foods does your family eat for breakfasts that's not just cereal?

Blog:
How do you post pictures from Flickr on your blog?

Are there other things you've been dying to ask or are curious about?

Ask away in the comments, provide feedback, etc, etc.

© 2007-2012 Chocolate on my Cranium, LLC all rights reserved

Joy in Spilled Milk

2012-04-23T17:44:00.000-07:00

On Sunday I learned a simple little lesson from Hershey...or more accurately several lessons.

One: Dancing and singing {to her little brother} can bring joy and laughter, even to those {her little brother} who are crying.

Two: Dancing and singing while holding a cup of milk also brings laughter.

Three: Dancing and singing energetically while holding a cup of milk results in an abrupt stop to the dancing and singing.

Four: Spilled milk still tastes good even when on your face.

Five: There is joy to be found everywhere in everything.....and having a little bit of humor really helps.

Six: Baths a great!

© 2007-2012 Chocolate on my Cranium, LLC all rights reserved

There is Sunshine in my Soul Today

2012-04-20T20:07:00.000-07:00

{Taking a cue from my friend who titles her blog posts from lines in music}

What do you do when your children say, "Come play with us, Mom!"

You obey!

Yesterday {and today} have been gorgeous! We have been soaking up the clear skies and 70-80 degree Spring weather. Next week temps will probably be back in the 40-50 range, this is Northern Nevada after all.

We basked in the sunshine,

had crawling races,

crab walk races,

rolling races,

and wheel barrow races.

We also laughed, enjoyed each others company, and built a memory.

Sometimes the best things really are free...and easy to do.

What have you done with your children lately?
© 2007-2012 Chocolate on my Cranium, LLC all rights reserved