Leaping From The Box

For most children, summer means no school, vacation time! For our family, summer usually meant staying indoors more, due to the Alabama heat, and for some reason this often led to an increase in more formal learning than our usual unschooling days. For example, we would spend more time together reading subjects of interest. It was always nice of J.K. Rowling to release her newest Harry Potter tomes in early summer so that we could have a good time reading those aloud. Board games and card games would get used more, as would our library card for audio books and videos. Occasionally we would even resort to a workbook or two, trying to improve some handwriting skills or maybe even math skills.

How does your family spend the summer? Do you take a vacation from schooling? Do you plan activities to keep your children busy? If so, here are some resources and activities your family might find enjoyable this summer, both indoors and out of doors!

• Weather: Always a Hot Topic
  
  Explore weather and how it affects our lives in these days of global weather changes. Cloud formation, air temperature, wind speed, humidity, precipitation; meteorology often fascinates children of all ages.
• Investigating Thermometers and Temperature
  
  Explore thermometers and temperature and engage in hands-on activities this summer. Discover air currents (convection) within your house. Investigate conduction and the properties of insulation. Graph your results to see if patterns emerge.
  

You know the saying, “Diamonds are a girl’s best friend”? Rubbish. Crockpots are a girl’s best friend! No homeschooling household should be without one. Or two. I have two crockpots and I use them several times a week, often both at the same time. Just now I put a pork roast in one and sweet potatoes in the other. This afternoon we are helping a new co-worker of Bill’s move into her new home and I know I will not feel like making anything for supper when we are done unloading her moving van. But we will all be hungry! With supper in the crockpot, the temptation to pick up fast food or spend a fortune at a restaurant on the way home will be much less.

Since I use my crockpots all the time, I am always on the lookout for new slow-cooker recipes. Here is a new favorite, which is in my crockpot right now:

• • 5 medium sweet potatoes
  • 1/4 cup brown sugar
  • 1/4 cup pure maple syrup
  • 1/4 cup apple cider
  • 1 dash salt and pepper, to taste

Crockpot Glazed Sweet Potatoes

Peel sweet potatoes and cut into 1/4 to 1/2-inch thick slices; place in crockpot. Whisk remaining ingredients together and pour over potatoes. Cover and cook on low 7 to 9 hours. Stir a few times, if possible, to keep them coated. Serves 4.

It’s very sweet, so I am lowering the amount of sugars used this time around. Next time I might try just one of the sugars, rather than both.

I do not remember exactly where the above recipe came from. Most likely from Chet Day’s Crockpot Recipes, one of the blogs on my Google Reader. There is a Lentil Soup recipe from just a few days ago that I am going to try next, maybe Monday. The weather is a bit cooler here now, so soup might be worth a try.

Two weeks ago I broke one of my crocks and that day went out to replace it. No way was I going to be without two crockpots. In fact, I am thinking of finding a replacement crock, since I still have the outside unit and the lid. I am sure I can order just the inner crock at the Rival website. Three crockpots would be handier than two, wouldn’t they?

Can you believe it is time to wrap up July? Here are some brief thoughts, pics that didn’t get posted, and updates on various items mentioned earlier this month.

While Kat and Miss Munchkin were here two weekends ago, we visited the beach. I did not think to check for beach advisories before we left, so we were rather disappointed to discover one when we got there. That meant no swimming. It was hot and sticky and there was no breeze and it was not much fun if you couldn’t get into the water. Miss Munchkin played some with her sand and shovel and chased some birds, but we did not stay very long. Next time Grandma will remember to check online for advisories.

I keep telling her Mommy that she needs a haircut!

Penny Update - I took Penny back to the vet on the 23rd for a follow-up. She was doing better and then she wasn’t, so the vet decided to do an x-ray to see if she had any kidney stones. Good news: no stones. (Bad news: wasted money on an x-ray!) The vet decided that she likely has a leakage problem that is fairly common with spayed females of her age and size. So she is now on a twice-daily dose of something to prevent bladder leakage. It does seem to be working, which is good news for my carpets! Now to retrieve my rug cleaner when I go back to Alabama next month.

We had a lot of rain yesterday, maybe close to two inches. The pond in the apartment complex is much higher this morning and Mr. Alligator is having fun cruising around. He seems to be enjoying the higher water level. And I notice this morning that the bird that has been fishing around the pond the last week was now staying out of the water, just fishing from the stone bank. Maybe Mr. Bird is more concerned about Mr. Alligator now that Mr. Alligator is getting around the pond more quickly? I don’t know what the bird is, maybe a heron or egret. I will try to get a pic tomorrow.

The boys signed up for Kenpo Karate last week. Now they just need to get into a routine again, hopefully one that will not involve me doing all the driving! With David as a driver now, it would seem like I should be able to stay at home when they go.

I have been working on updating my Alabama Church School listings the past several days. Each summer I contact every church school listed (and many, many that are not listed) in my attempt to have the most up-to-date listing of church schools online for Alabama homeschoolers. It is a lot of work, but necessary. There are just so many lists online that are not up-to-date, with inaccurate URL’s, e-mail addresses that no longer work, and church schools mentioned that no longer exist.

David’s Freshman English class ends next week. It appears that he is doing well in it, perhaps even a B average. That would be great, compared to how he did last year at Evansville. We are keeping our fingers crossed.

And I think that is it for the updates! Tomorrow is August 1st. That is my Grammy’s birthday, or would have been if she were still alive. I should make molasses cookies in her memory; she always made the most delicious molasses cookies! I wonder if I have her recipe with me or if it is packed away back in Alabama?