Week 1 of Classical Conversations

Last Friday was our first week this school year of our co-op Classical Conversations.  The kids are each in a classroom with a parent-tutor and 7-8 other students who are homeschooled.  We start each morning off with an assembly where we do the Pledge of Allegience, Bible Pledge, Family Presentation, and practice our group memory bible memory work. This year we are learning Exodus 20: 1-17 to song.  Should be fun!  We then get dismissed to our classrooms where we learn the new memory work that we work on the following week, do a science project, and each student a 2-3 min presentation on a certain topic.

I hope to use this blog as a record of some of the fun things we did including pictures as well as the actual things we did each week and where I got the idea from.

I have been using The Well-Trained Mind book for alot of schedule structure ideas as well as CC Connected which is a file-sharing website available for a small monthly fee to CC parents.

This week besides listening to the memory work and Exodus song, I thought it would be fun to pull out our Go Fish DVD which has the song "The Ten Commandment Boogie" to help the kids learn the 10 commandments to a catchy song.

I also printed off a sheet from CC Connected where you can have the kids draw their own illustrations of commandments 1-5 as well as a skip counting sheet where they have space daily to practice skip counting whatever number we are on for the week.

In History, I also intend to read the pertaining chapters of Story of Our World and have them illustrate a page for her portolio from something that she remembers.

Last but not least, I found a cut-and-paste activity on CC Connected for putting the classifications of living things in order. My kids love cut and paste activities!!

Here's to a fun and exciting year of CC!

More potty training....

Day 2 went about the same as day 1. We started off the day with poop in the underwear and a puddle of pee in the office but from there on out it was smooth sailing. He went potty 7 times on the potty chair (he makes you turn on the water to enable him to go) and only had 1 more accident while eating lunch (easy clean up since he was kneeling up at the counter). I am so surprised but he even tells me when he has to go and sometimes starts to go in his underwear and then stops and tells me that he is going and runs to the bathroom. Here's to hoping that Day 3 continues to be as easy :)

Potty Training Day #1

Earlier this fall, I became an avid watcher of a new CBS show called The Talk. It is geared toward SAHM and I always get something great tidbit of information from it. Last week, they had Nicole Richie and a pediatrician on the show talking about toxins and our children. They started talking about diapers and the fact that the white ones contain bleach, chlorine, and other chemicals and it got me thinking about switching to Seventh Generation brand of chlorine-free diapers. That got me re-visiting the idea of cloth-diapering for Zoe and Jace so I don't continue to spend my life savings on diapering two children or even potty-training Jace since he is over 2. (Izzy was potty-trained fully during the day by now.)

Since yesterday was a snow day, I decided today would be the day we started the lengthy process that is "Potty Training". After a really nasty diaper, we put on the Yo Gabba underwear that he got for Christmas and began the fun!! All and all he did really well and only had 2 accidents! He woke up dry from nap and after sledding and he even pooped in the potty chair in his "office".

Caution: The following pic may be too vulgar for some of your eyes but here he is showing how proud of himself he was.....

Highlight of the day: Graham cracker breaded pork chops and shrimp scampi!!

Since I woke up this morning STARVING, I decided that I would try to eat larger portions at each meal. We once again started the morning with fabulous gluten-free pancakes and eggs and pineapple orange juice and I had 1 extra pancake and made it all the way to lunch at 11:40!

Last night we found some gluten-free graham crumbs at Hy-Vee, so my dad got up and rolled the pork chops in them and put them in the slow cooker. This is one of my dad and mine's famous meals and we were really worried that we wouldn't be able to eat it while on this diet. Then after finding the crumbs we were worried that it wouldn't measure up. Let me tell you it was GOOD!!! I paired 2 1/2 pork chops with a salad with avocado, cashews, sliced mushrooms, and light vinegarette and I was good until dinner minus my skinny carmel latte while driving home.

For supper, I through some frozen cooked shrimp in a pan on the stove with lemon juice, olive oil, parsley, salt, and 2 garlic cloves and threw some on a bed of lettuce with 1/2 an avocado, grape tomatoes, and the vinegarette. The kids loved the shrimp and had some with peas and blue/blackberries.

I found that I didn't crave the food I normally eat today because I made sure that I was full after every meal but I noticed that Izzy was craving her normal crackers so I promised her that I would take her to Trader Joe's so that she could pick out some gluten-free foods that she would like to snack on throughout the day and she seemed to be okay with that. Otherwise, I think she thinks I am trying to deprive her :)

Tomorrow I need to start with phase II----P90X :S

Day 1

We started off day 1 with some awesome gluten-free pancakes from Hy-Vee smothered in a little bit of 100% maple syrup accompanied by a small plate of eggs and Strawberry Shortcake coffee. I don't remember if I snacked much this morning but the kids had tons of fruit: bananas, apples, blackberries.

Then for lunch my dad and I had a salad with spinanch and romaine lettuce, avocado, tomato, cashews, raw sunflower seeds, chicken left over from my meal last night, fresh mushrooms, and light balsimic vinegarette dressing. It was great. I snacked all afternoon on cashews and celery with peanut butter. The kids loved them!!!

Supper completed the day with rotisserie chicken, baked sweet potato, and another salad. We also made some broccoli for the kids since they don't eat much salad and a Dannon strawberry Greek yogurt a 1/2 hour later.

I found myself feeling good about what I had consummed during the day but still starving and looking around the kitchen to see what would fill the void. My dad seems to think it is due to the lack of the "addictive" glutin but I seem to think that it may be related to the 500+ calories I should be consumming due to breast feeding....I think I need to eat more and drink more water tomorrow!

STAY TUNED: Gluten-Free/ No Refined Sugar January Starts TOMORROW

As you know, tomorrow is January 1st, and the changing of the year is also bringing a change in eating habits into the Wood household. Brian and I have been dissatisfied for awhile now with the rut we find ourselves in pertaining to our exercise and eating habits since the birth of our 3rd child and move into our new house.

During the holidays, we noticed a book that my dad has been reading called "The Paleo Diet". He has already started a version of this diet. I haven't read much of the book yet but the premise is to cut out anything that contains gluten (wheat flour) and eat primarily what the paleolithic man ate: lean meats, fresh fish, fruits, vegetables, and unsalted nuts. We thought it made great sense for us as a lifestyle change as well as to get the kids to eat more of what they love so we can cut out all the junk we ingest. We also decided to cut out items with refined sugar, high fructose corn syrup, and the like.

We are going to start by eithering purging any open item we own or donate it unopened to the Lincoln Food Bank and shopping for the items listed above with a few gluten-free items thrown in so that we don't break the bank shopping for all the "gluten-free" items stores offer.

I plan to use this blog to document the types of things we find to eat that are kid-friendly since all 5 of us will be eating this way. Also, to document how we feel, how much energy we have, and how the kids act especially the baby who is still entirely on breast milk. We will also let you know how Brian and I feel/the kids act after a "cheat meal". The book gives you three levels or options of cheats: Level 1--3 cheat meals a week, Level 2-- 2 cheat meals, and Level 3--1 cheat meal.

Happy New Year to all!!! Wish us luck or lots of willpower (we will need it.....me especially!!)

Jennie

Answered Prayers

Izzy's lab results just came back: her WBC count is at 14.6 which is down from 19.1 this am at 5. It only has to be 13.4 to be in the normal range. Her Neutraphils are also better. Wow, how prayer can move the hand of God!!! He is good!! Hopefully we can get out of here before the clock strikes midnight on the year......