Making Yogurt Cheese

Here's a picture of the kids starting their cheese today. We'll post more about it later....

Housecleaning Schedule

Someone has asked me about my housecleaning schedule.

Up until a couple of years ago, we always took off a week from school a couple of times a year to have a big housecleaning. The kids hated it. They hated being off from school and being forced to spend that time doing heavy cleaning.

So I changed the way we do it. I made a list of all the jobs we would normally do during spring cleaning. My list includes things like dusting the baseboards, vacuuming the blinds, washing curtains, cleaning the oven, etc. I do not include the things we do on a weekly basis. I divided it into rooms and listed the jobs for that room with a place beside each job to write a date.

I don't have drawer or closet cleaning on my list. When those need to be done, I try to fit it in on a day that's not our cleaning day. I just make a note on my to-do list and work it into my week.

Every week when we do our usual cleaning, I look at the list and choose one extra thing to do. I assign someone (or myself) to do that extra job. I write the date beside the job on my paper so I can keep up with when the job was last done.

The house stays cleaner because the different tasks get done more often. And because each task gets done more often, there's less energy that has to be expended to get it done (it's easier to clean something that's not terribly dirty, in other words).

Vacation from school can be relaxing now!

School at Our House

If you are following what we're doing for Westward Ho!:

This week we've traveled all the way across Nebraska. We've learned about Jim Bridger, rattlesnakes, rifles, blacksmiths, Chimney Rock, and Native Americans. Thomas has almost finished reading Flaming Arrows and I've been reading Pioneer Girl by Andrea Warren for our read aloud time.

The book we're using to learn about explorers is Famous Pioneers by Franklin Folsom. It has short chapters and interesting stories.

Tomorrow we're planning to make cheese!

For Abby's FIAR, we've started Daniel's Duck. We're planning to make molasses cookies tomorrow and we're reading The Cabin Faced West. She had fun yesterday holding up a card with quotation marks on it every time there was dialog in the story.

Here's a picture of Thomas making his Chimney Rock minit book.

Love is Patient

I've changed the scripture on the right sidebar.

I've been thinking about this scripture for a couple of weeks, ever since I read these two articles:
http://www.aholyexperience.com/2009/01/order-of-love.html#
http://ebeth.typepad.com/reallearning/2009/01/gratitude-and-patience.html

Patience (from the lexicon in my Key Word Study Bible) means to suffer long as opposed to being given to hasty anger or punishment and to endure patiently as opposed to despondency. This particular word means patience toward people.

I've been asking God to give me grace to find things to be thankful about in situations that stretch my patience. I want to truly love.

Spaghetti Recipe

We made this for Sunday lunch and everyone liked it a lot. We made bread to go with it and had Blue Bell ice cream (can't have Sunday without Blue Bell!) and these cookies for dessert.

Spaghetti with Sausage and Peppers

8 oz. uncooked spaghetti
1 (1 lb) package mild Italian sausage, casings removed
1 medium onion, cut into eighths
1 medium-size green bell pepper, cut into strips
1 medium-size yellow or red bell pepper, cut into strips
2-3 garlic cloves, minced
1 TB. olive oil
1 (28 oz) can diced tomatoes with basil, garlic, and oregano
1/4 tsp. salt
1/4 tsp. pepper
1/2 cup grated Parmesan cheese

Prepare pasta according to package directions. Meanwhile, cook sausage in a large Dutch oven over medium-high heat 8-10 minutes or until meat is no longer pink, breaking sausage into pieces while cooking. Remove sausage and drippings from Dutch oven, and drain well on paper towels. Saute onion and next 3 ingredients in hot oil in Dutch oven over medium-high heat 5-6 minutes or until vegetables are crisp-tender. Stir in tomatoes, salt, and pepper; cook 4 minutes or until thoroughly heated. Stir in sausage, pasta, and cheese. Transfer mixture to serving platter, and serve immediately.

For Today (January 26, 2009)...

Outside my window...
It's cloudy and cold.
We are surrounded on 2 sides by a pasture with cows,
who are always peaceful to watch.

~*~

I am thankful for...
Healthy children. A husband who is home today. A quiet, warm home.

~*~
From the learning rooms...
We're off from school on Mondays to be with my husband.
But tomorrow we'll head back to our Westward Ho! unit study, which lasts 3 more weeks.

~*~

From the kitchen...
On the menu this weekend was a new recipe for spaghetti, which is a keeper.
I'll try to post it sometime this week when I have a chance.
Today is homemade pizza for lunch.
Do you see an Italian pattern here????

~*~
I am creating...
This blog with my daughter, Anna (14). It's been a fun experience for both of us and
very educational!

~*~
I am reading...
my Bible, of course.
A couple of days a week as part of my quiet time, I read a chapter from A Way of Seeing,
an OOP book by my favorite author, Edith Schaeffer. The topic always seems to
fit right in with what's happening in my life at the moment.
I'm also daily reading a little bit of Building Her House by Nancy Wilson.
Parenting from the Heart by Marilyn Boyer.
A Grace Livingstone Hill book (can't remember the title).
Pride and Prejudice for about the 10th time. Love it!

~*~

I am hearing...
Nothing from the back of the house - 3 of the kids are still asleep
and one is on her bed reading.
The two littles are in the dining room playing cards quietly at the table.

~*~
One of my favorite things...
Anything toile.

~*~

A few plans for the rest of the week:
School, school, and more school! Add to the mix a husband who will going
in several different directions this week, Thursday errands
and fiddle/guitar lessons, Family Fun Night on Friday night
at church, and various other little things that go on at our house.

~*~
Here is picture thought I am sharing...

Busy School Day

Here are a few pictures I'm sharing of the kids making butter.

We are enjoying Westward HO! so much. Today we made butter, did some research about the Santa Fe and Oregon Trails, made several minit books for our scrapbook, researched the Sager family (On to Oregon is based on this real family), and made a timeline.

I'm struck by the courage and perseverance of the pioneers. This is my favorite time period, but I'm not sure I would have had the same endurance. I think we are too soft nowadays.