Homeschool check-in

Anybody else still homeschooling even though it is the week before Christmas?   We are still plugging away, but it is a modified schedule. I didn't want the magic of the holidays to be lost to the busyness of our schedules, so I reduced our school load to the equivalent of half-time, and have been engaging the kids in seasonal crafts and activities (think cutout Christmas cookies, themed coloring pages, directed painting, and ornament making) and giving them plenty of easy education assignments. 

Today we are using magnets to practice building words (the older one) and counting (for the littlest one).

We also practiced  writing our letters and numbers using the Write-A-Mat double-sided learning mats from Melissa and Doug. I love their products as I am sure you will see in the future. The magnets are also from them.  You can get the washable mats and crayons here.

Even though these mats are technically for 4 years and up, my three year old uses them appropriately and enjoys them a lot.

As you can see, the 2 year old uses them a little differently, but still really enjoys them, and it is always good to expose the little ones to numbers and counting as much as you can.

As we push closer to Christmas, we want to make sure we are taking the time to focus on the true meaning of the season as a family. Our movie-time selection today is "A Charlie Brown Christmas" which includes the story of Christ's birth, our family devotional this evening will include a passage from the Christmas Story and tomorrow we will be making a hand print nativity scene. We will be employing our "school" skills, such as listening, sitting still (for a reasonable amount of time), discussing, following directions, and craft skills.  So all that is to say that you can focus on enjoying each other and enjoying the season and not worry about missing out on schooling. You'll still be teaching them even in the fun activities like these. What better way to review colors than to go see Christmas lights or ice some cookies, right? :)

Maybe if I call it Meal-plan Monday...

Can I get my act together enough to get these posts written on one dedicated day? Nope. I really can't. I am so busy in this season of my life that I just have to get to it when I can. Not to mention the fact that I have been crying my eyes out since Friday, and trying to hide it so my little ones don't get freaked out. Although my eldest (3) did notice I was sad and offered to get me a band-aid for my feelings. Isn't that sweet? 
Anyway, right now my kids are happily playing princess dolls, so here I am, sharing the meal plan for this week. It's still flexitarian, and I am happy to report that we are loving eating this way. The food is so tasty, and it's filling, so we aren't starving. Also, we feel like we have more energy. :)
I will say that I do tweak all the recipes that I mention, so I can't always vouch for the recipes as they are on the other blogs, but they are a very good starting point. So here you go, my flexitarian meal plan for a family of four with 2 small children in the house.

Frugal Friday: The Tuesday Edition

Good Gracious, I cannot get my act together with blogging. I've been elbow-deep in research lately, and completely forgot to post the meal plan for this week.  Researching what, you may ask?  Nutrition mostly. I finally figured out why I have these crazy horizontal ridges in my nails and why I am was so tired all the time. I have a magnesium deficiency and am way too low on B vitamins. I added a magnesium supplement and a B complex to my regimen and have completely overhauled our diet. I already feel so much better. My feet don't have the crippling pain in them anymore, and I have about 4 times as much energy as before. I've also started dropping weight like mad. I lost 4 pounds since yesterday. Seriously. I am quite okay with that benefit :)   So, all that is to say that you will see some very different items on the meal plan this week. Let me know what you think if you try the recipes, too. I am really enjoying eating this way, but I know a "flexitarian" diet isn't for everyone.  And of course, always check with your doctor before starting any diet plan or supplement regimen. I am also monitoring my nutritional intake at www.livestrong.com .