More Spring Break 2017

The Spring Break wildness is just unstoppable!

Monday morning we were up, while not bright and early, brighter and earlier than we might usually be.  Mr. IM took the Girl to school (sorry kid) and The Boy and I proceeded to DOWNTOWN to go to the Museum of Nature and Science with friends.  There is a Viking exhibit there, that with my friend's membership discount, is well worth the trip (as we discussed at length, it would not have been worth the $28 per adult and $15 per student that is advertised on the website). We used the local library Adventure Passes to get some us of in for free, so between memberships and passes, eight of us were able to get into the museum for free and the Viking exhibit for a greatly reduced price.

The Viking exhibit inspired me to sing this song all day:  Veggie Tales Vikings Song  (fast forward to 1:00 for the real ear-catching portion), greatly annoying my friends.  The hits of the exhibit seemed to be:  being able to try to lift a Viking sword and seeing one of the 8th-grade teachers from the boys' school (who was working a docent) . We visited "all" the other exhibits, were "trapped" briefly in a lung dissection seminar, and realized that adding a couple more kids to the group would allow us to qualify as a "group".  We've decided to form a Home Schooling Cooperative that cooperatively decided to send our children to school, but meet as a cooperative during breaks.  I think it sounds perfectly logical.

We also realized that the advantage of the oldest child and youngest child being in different districts than the herd of boys is that the herd stays pretty close together.  And, they are now all old enough that we were comfortable lecturing them, giving instructions about "stay in this exhibit" and then sitting down in those chairs that we never understood the purpose of when our kids were younger.  ("Oh, this is why there are chairs and benches on the edges and in the middle of every exhibit!  Crazy!").  We took the herd to the beautiful balcony where the solar telescopes are and spent quite a bit of time enjoying the view while the boys learned about solar flares.  The weather was perfect spring break weather!

We spent a long morning re-exploring the museum and chatting before heading to Chick fil A for lunch.  We did drive to the Chick Fil A in Suburbia, I'd like to think mainly because we know where it is and where to park, although I have over-analyzed my motives a few times.  It's all good...After lunch, the Boy and I headed home, where I dropped him off for some mindless screen time and I headed to the grocery store...I'm telling you...wild and crazy stuff.  I picked up the Girl from track practice, unloaded groceries, made dinner and went to bed early with a book...

Tuesday both the Boy and I slept in (I think I hit snooze about twenty times).  We decided this was fine, because it was cold and rainy.  We did a little cleaning (none that you would notice), went to the library, watched a couple movies, read books, made pitas, made soup, and generally enjoyed our lazy day.  After I picked up the Girl, we had a repeat of Monday night--a little tv and then early to bed with a book.  We did have some brief entertainment about "normal" bedtime--Sid the Cat seemed displeased that all the people were headed for bed.  He started out in They Boy's room, allegedly sleeping, visited the Girl, woke her up, then proceeded to our room to mew at Mr IM who was changing after working out.  He's a busy little cat...

Today's activities include monitoring the temperature in the greenhouse (it snowed last night--typical spring break) and perhaps cleaning the Boy's room enough to walk in and out.  We'll see.  He is actually still sleeping--I wandered by about 15 minutes ago to see if I could start harassing him to clean and his room is dark and he's in bed...I'd be suspicious if it wasn't so dark outside!  Most of the pets are snuggled around the fireplace--Morrison has been out, but Liberty looked at me like I was nuts when I asked her if she wanted to go out (I assume Mr. IM made her go out before I came downstairs, she seems pretty peaceful).  This evening is 9th and 10th grade College Prep Night at the Girl's school--it is scheduled from 6pm to 9:30 pm with seminars to attend...I'm thinking that I may attend one set of seminars, but learning how to navigate the Naviance system at 8:30 tonight might not be a priority...(Although there could be parent functions I don't know about...we'll see).

Stay tuned for more Spring Break Adventures from the Suburban Ranch!

Spring Break 2017--Whoo Hooo!!!

Friday:
Spring break started a little early this year--with a Snow Day! Apparently, the snow day was actually in response to a great deal of my district not having power. The weather in my district was not terrible, but, the Boy's school canceled and the Girl was on Spring Break anyway and was at a friend's house.  I realized school was canceled because when I woke up at 4:45  the weather here was rotten...so I checked the district website just in case...and whoo hoo!  I had the Boy turn off his alarm clock and we slept until 7 (crazy!).  By 8:00, Mr. IM was off to work and I was in the yard, in my pajamas, boots, and an insulated raincoat, using painter's tape to repair my greenhouse.  After it warms up, I can (hopefully) remove the painter's tape and repair the damage with clear tape. Yowsers, was it windy!  The arch blew over, thankfully the tree didn't become uprooted. I used a leftover tree support to prop it all back up until warmer weather.  The Boy and I bummed around the house, made homemade tomato soup and grilled cheese, watched some Lord of the Rings and got him ready for his snowboard weekend.  I also emailed all my classes and wished them a great break (and reminded them that they can turn in their papers anytime, using the electronic features on the school website....)  After lunch and a shower, I sent Mr. IM (who came home early-ish) and The Boy off on their usual ski/snowboard expedition.  I went to Dollar Tree to pick up some 25 cent seed packages (you can never have too many seeds) and to Sprouts to get some veggies and check out their bulk food aisles.  I picked up The Girl and her friend and took them to the church Fish Fry for some hanging out with school and church peeps.  We did a little shopping in the church gift shop (hello, sale!) and came home with a $5 copy of Mom's Night Out (Trust me, it is a classic on the same par as North Avenue Irregulars....).  After dropping off her friend, the Girl and I watched our new movie and called it a day.
Saturday:
Those crazy dogs let me sleep until 7:30!  I puttered around the yard (it's pretty wet) and the kitchen. Found a frozen coffee cake for breakfast, make coffee, puttered some more, did some laundry, wrote a blog (Wonder Weeks).  I decided it was my spring break, so between laundry loads I "read a book" (ie:  napped) on the  couch and came to the conclusion we really need to just go buy a couch.  Sigh.  The Girl wandered in, we had more coffee cake and then went "Swim Suit Shopping"...After successfully finding a suit, we had a late Chick Fil A lunch (yum) and came home. The Girl has spent her Spring Break cleaning her room, resulting in a large pile of discarded and outgrown books, clothes, toys, craft supplies, etc, as well as many "gifts" to family and friends.  She inspired to me clean out my closet today (well, part of it...I cleaned clothes, there are still boxes to deal with).  We spent a few hours in her room sorting books and had "find what you want" for dinner...followed by renting "Grown Ups 2" while doing laundry. We are wild animals.
Stay tuned for more exciting installments!

Wonder Weeks for Teens?

Thanks to The Baby Sleep Site for including the language of the Wonder Weeks for me to shamelessly parody this philosophy.....(I'm warning you...I probably think I'm funnier than I actually am..so tell me I'm funny if you want, or just pretend you didn't see this if you don't think I am)

My sister-in-law and brother-in-law have sworn by the Wonder Weeks books and system--According to Amazon: "The Wonder Weeks. How to stimulate your baby's mental development and help him turn his 10 predictable, great, fussy phases into magical leaps forward describes the incredible mental developmental changes (leaps) and regression periods that all babies go through. Understanding the real reason behind crying, eating and sleeping problems is the only real solution every parent needs. The Wonder Weeks reveals what’s going on inside baby’s mind."

There seem to be lots of discussions about "Well, if you expect your child to be fussy then they will be", usually followed by someone else saying something like "golly, I couldn't figure out what was going on, then I remembered this book and went 'ooohhh'".  Overall, the reviews seem positive and people seem to believe that the idea is valid and trusted. 

It got me thinking, what would wonder weeks for teenagers look like?

624-675 weeks- Transition--These weeks are often marked with periods of regression, as well as attempted independence.  The teenager may crawl into their parents' bed one night, and refuse to go to speak to them the next.  This time may also be marked by entrance into Middle School or Junior High.  While still interested in snuggling occasionally, these opportunities become farther apart as the teen tests limits.  The best response is a flexible one, being available to snuggle when asked (without showing too much enthusiasm, as this will break the moment) and having the patience to stand by when "not wanted".

676-727 weeks--Thrilling Thirteen--Like the "Terrible Twos", these weeks are sometimes remarkably uneventful, with more hype than actual thrills. The turmoil of entering a new school has died down slightly.  For some teens there may be a hormonal spike, beginning as early as 520 weeks in some cases, that can cause irrational behavior throughout the teen years.  The best treatment is to remain calm and say repeatedly, "Hormones...they're not just for girls". Again, being flexible, but firm, is imperative.  And chocolate. Lots of chocolate (for the parents).

728-779 weeks--Transition, Again--These weeks are often marked by more transition, this time to high school.  Added external stressers (for parents) include: classmates who look like they are 1560 weeks old, new friends who can drive, parties, etc.  Stressers for the teen include AP exams, exams of any type, reading Grindal, and friends who act irrationally due to their own immersion in the teen wonder weeks.  Parents should remain calm and repeat often, "No, you may not attend a rave" (to the teen) and "This too shall pass"(to themselves).  Applying chocolate to the teen as well as the parent may be helpful at this time.

780-831 weeks-Driven--Not just a description of the teen's goals, because sometimes they may not actually be "driven", but a description of life in general.  The parents may find themselves driving the teen and multiple friends as well as find themselves in the passenger seat, riding with a new teen permit holder. The phrase "it would be ok to use your brakes" may be useful during this time.  Making adult friends near the teen's school is also useful, so that when the phrase "We'll be back at school from the sporting event at midnight" is spoken the parent has a nearby location to nap on a friend's couch.  The teen will probably alternate been behavior that is "driven" ("I have to get an A on the test so I can go to Harvard!!!") and behavior that seems apathetic.  If the parent indulges, this may be the time for a glass of wine (for the parent!).  

832-1014 weeks--Time Flies--This longer period of time, that according to experts, seems short in hindsight, usually encompasses "once in a lifetime" events such as prom and graduation.  It may include visits to colleges, parent/child negotiation about distance from home, and repeated reminders that "you don't have to go to the same college as your friends". The FAFSA form is a stresser for both the teen and the parent, as well as additional discussions about adult choices.  The teen may occasionally revert to child-like behavior and an emphasis may be put on "family traditions" by the teen and/or the parent. Take lots of pictures and enjoy the ride.

1014 -1170 weeks  Systems--During this time, the teenager may continue to build independence, punctuated by periodic periods of parental reliance (particularly in situations involving car repair, laundry, college tuition, and job searches).  The teen will probably move out, at least partially, during this time period, to either attend college or begin working in the adult world. But, lest a meltdown be triggered, provide an opportunity for the teen to empty their own room before turning it into a gym or library.  This period is best treated with gifts of groceries, snow tires, and occasional twenty dollar bills left under lamps in teen's apartment or dorm room. 

1170-1300 weeks--The Lost Years--These years are actually not lost, but extremely instrumental in the young adult's creation of themself as an adult.  However, depending on the young adult, they may have greatly increased or greatly decreased reliance on their parents.  Much like the 624-675 week period, be available, thankful for positives, and firm, but flexible, with boundaries ("No, we aren't paying for a $50,000 wedding to a person you met last week", "yes, you can live in our basement, but only until July").

1300 weeks--Responsibility--My sources assure me that by 1300 weeks, most young adults have settled into a pattern more closely matching adult behavior. While, we all as human beings, occasionally need extra TLC, for the most part the treacherous path of the teen Wonder Weeks has passed.  My sources also tell me that somewhere between 1300 weeks and 2080 weeks, there is a reasonable chance that the child will become a parent themselves, allowing the words, "Yeah, s/he acts just like you did" to be said and opportunities for bonding as adults, not just parent and child, to occur.  

Cottage Cheese

I don't know why or how, but we seem to have a never-ending supply of sour milk around here.  For years I've tried to figure out uses--like lots and lots of pancakes_-or freezing it in pancake sized bags...or waffles...or???  I always thought that cottage cheese from sour milk would be the best use, but I had trouble finding a recipe that worked well with sour milk.  Finally, a couple months ago, I ran across this one, which is amazing in its simplicity...

 Here are my copied from the internets notes:
The amounts are approximate, they seem to work with a little more or a little less.
Start with about 1/2 gallon of sour milk. (tonight we didn't have any sour milk, but we had 2 gallons of not sour...it works with not sour milk, too.  A couple weeks ago we had some sour cream (not sour cream, like you put on potatoes, but cream that was sour) and it worked, too...

Ok, back to the recipe--
put about 1/2 gallon of (sour) milk in a saucepan over medium heat.  Stir almost constantly.  At altitude this took about 15 minutes, give or take.  Heat milk until it is almost boiling (185 degrees by my candy thermometer, stuck through the hole on a wooden spoon, balanced in the pan)

 When the temperature reaches 185 degrees (ish), remove from heat.  Add about 3 Tablespoons of white vinegar and stir (I don't think you really have to stir, but it seems like you should, so I do).  It should start to separate into clumpy, cottage cheese like lumps, and weird watery stuff.  Don't taste it at this point...it will taste like vinegar.














 Put cheesecloth in a strainer, pour cheese blobbies and watery goop through--the cheese blobbies should stay in the cheese cloth--if you pour carefully and have left some cheesecloth hanging over the sides, then you can gather it all up in a ball of cheese in cheesecloth.  Run it under cold water until the water looks pretty clear (and un-vinegary).  Squeeze it as much as your cheesecloth allows--if you have cheesecloth with big holes, it will smooge through.  I sometimes wrap it all up and tie it to the sink faucet for a few minutes to finish any dripping








Open the cheesecloth into a bowl or onto a clean surface--it if is very dry, it will probably fall out in one big clump, but sometimes I gently shake the cheesecloth to get more out (it tends to stick in the holes).

The original recipe says to add salt and unspoiled cream at this point.  I usually wait to add the salt until I'm going to eat it (but I like this cheese room temperature, so sometimes that is at this point).  Add cream or a little milk and chop it up with a spoon or fork (kind of chop and stir).  Add more milk or cream to reach the texture you want (now you can taste, by the way, if you rinsed well, it won't taste bitter).

There you go--I look forward to hearing if anyone else tries this and how it goes!

No offense, but...

I have a never-ending list of ideas to write about in my mind, but don't seem to write about them as often as I think I will.  (That is a weird sentence.)  This week I'm thinking a lot about the phrase "no offense" (usually followed by "but").  I have been on the receiving end of this phrase a couple times this week and neither time left me feeling unoffended.  I've come to the conclusion that this phrase is uttered when people want to say something that is not constructive (because so far this week, there hasn't been anything constructive after the "but") but rather want to say something negative.  They think that by saying "no offense" it softens whatever criticism they are about to throw out (I don't think it does....)  I am going to try to strike it from my vocabulary, and perhaps that was what I'm supposed to learn from this...perhaps I have been too quick to say "no offense, but..." to others and now I can connect why that phrase is used and maybe why it shouldn't be.  In any case...you might not want to start any conversations with me anytime soon with the phrase " no offense, but.."

What I read in February 2017

I spent a couple weekends at the apartment with no internet (but books downloaded on my phone) and one (or two?) weekends home alone, so I read a lot in February.  It also helped that my US History classes spent the whole month working on research projects, so their daily progress was recorded in class every day (so only half the grading as a usual month!).  Now the papers are done, so we'll see how that goes!

1.  Three Sisters, Three Queens (Philippa Gregory)-Not as engaging as some Philippa Gregory books, but very interesting historically.  Historical fiction about Henry VIII's two sisters and his wife (who his sisters considered a sister at times).  Lots of conjecture about what really happened, good story.
2.  The Life We Bury (Allen Eskens)--in running for top ten along with the other two by him.  I thought this book was awesome...then I read the 2nd...then I read the 3rd...the characters from book one appear in the other books, but not in a "sequel style", more in a "pay attention and you'll figure out things" style.  First book is about a college project to interview someone. The student interviews a man released from life in prison because he is dying of cancer.  I won't tell more, so you can read for yourself.
3.  The Borden Murders:  Lizzie Borden and the Trial of the Century (Sarah Miller)--nonfiction but reads like a novel--exactly what it says--describes the Borden murders and the trial. Written for young adults, so while it "tells all" it isn't too much.  Includes some historical photos and drawings as well as the author's conclusion of "who done it".
4.  The Guise of Another (Allen Eskens)-Picks up after The Life We Bury and the connection isn't immediately clear.  In fact, I didn't realize it was a "sequel" until the middle of the book.  The main character this time is a police officer.
5.  The Heavens May Fall (Allen Eskens)--Unfortunately, this is the last book Eskens has completed...I'm hoping there will be more.  I liked this one the best.  Again, it is a mystery that the main character has to solve...good read.
6.  The Premonition (Chris Bohjalian)-Actually a novella prequel to The Sleepwalker, which I have on hold.  It was interesting, but felt like it didn't go anywhere (maybe it will feel more complete after I read the Sleepwalker)
7.  Cause to Kill: An Avery Black Mystery (Blake Pierce)--Free on my Kindle, can't remember when I "bought" it.  A mystery about a female police officer who used to be a District Attorney.  The character was very complicated and more complications appeared as the book went on. It wasn't bad, it was an entertaining read, but I'm not in a hurry to buy or find the sequels. (But if you get it for free and need a mystery, it probably will work)
8.  The Lady of the Lake:  Frannie Shoemaker #5 (Karen Musser Mortman)--ditto to #7 except this time the mystery solvers are a group of retired friends who like to go camping.  Apparently, this was book 5, didn't feel like I was missing much, so maybe they stand alone.  Again, cool if you get for free, but I wouldn't pay for it or look too hard.
9.  We Will Not Be Silent: The White Rose Student Resistance Movement That Defied Adolf Hitler (Russell Freedman)--Short, non-fiction.  Good background on the White Rose that I didn't know or had forgotten. Lots of pictures and other graphics
10.  Ashfall (Mike Mullin)-Another new found author/series--along with #11, 12 and 13 this tells the story of a teen boy in the midst of the fallout from an apocalyptic natural disaster.  I think I liked the first book best, but I couldn't put any of them down.  I'm excited to see what the author writes next!
11. Ashen Winter (Mike Mullin)
12.  Sunrise (Mike Mullin)
13. Darla's Story (Mike Mullin)
14.  I am Not Your Negro (James Baldwin and Raul Peck)--short book based on the current movie.  It was interesting, but out of context since I haven't seen the movie.  Adding "see movie" to my list ...
15.  Comfort Me (Debbie Viguie)--the long-awaited next book in the Psalm 23 mysteries.  It was good, not top 10 worthy, but a nice weekend read.
16. Book of Three Book 2...something about a cauldron? (Lloyd Alexander)--listend to in the car with The Boy.  It was fine.  I still think Lloyd Alexander ripped off Tolkien, but I"m sure people will disagree...

Coco (Puff?)

So her name, according to The Girl is Poco (because she thought that's what Mr IM was calling this cat) and I think she should be the BOGO cat, because she is...In any case, (not so) little Coco has staked out the master bedroom as her domain. We worried for a couple days that she wouldn't ever come out, but she has even ventured into the bonus room a couple times (only to rush back to safety when a dog is sighted).  Last night she participated briefly in what the Boy called (I believe this is near to his quote) "The triangle of anger"--in which all three cats were in the bonus room, creating a triangle around The Boy, growling at each other, but none so angry or scared that they would leave the group. Unfortunately, I did not catch that event on film. In fact, there are few photos of BOGO, because she is slightly elusive...
 Here is one with glowing eyes, as she hangs out in the "cat hole" in my closet.

 Coming out of the cat hole...yes, I need to clean my closet...


And...that's it.  I'll try to get more later.  You can see in the cat hole picture how big her paws are--she is also very skinny, but is not a little cat.  She is going to be something, once we fatten her up.

In related news, she is considering taking over the Christmas letter, since she is occasionally called "Coco Puff", which is similar to Puff Tiggy (in that the word "Puff" is included).....it makes as much sense as you should expect from a family who let their cat write the Christmas letter....

Welcome, Coco!


Update since I started writing...I was calling our friend, BOGO and the Mister started as well. The Girl thought we were saying POCO, so we now call her a weird combination of all of those (Although I think she knows BOGO is her name and comes running when I call her!)

The Greenhouse and Garden 2017

I was going to wait until I had planted something, but I can write again later...
For Christmas, we were given a greenhouse. It has taken until now to reach agreement on where to set it up--but it is up!

I found a spot for it near the garden.  I need to get a thermometer for inside so I can figure out how warm it gets and stays in there so I can decide what to plant out there (vs inside in the little greenhouse).  I recently read a post-apocalyptic book in which the survivors grew kale because it did ok in cooler, darker temps, so I may try kale in the next couple weeks and see what happens--it depends on when I get organized I suppose!  We had some snow this week and it held up well, so I have high hopes for my little greenhouse!

Sid

There really isn't much to say, other than we are suckers.  The Boy missed Tigger (we all do), so we went to the Dumb Friends League to get a cat. We found Sid (Obsidian)...

 He is about a year old. As you can see from his artistic work on the temporary carrier, he likes to eat cardboard.

 He was found wandering around an apartment complex.  He is very friendly and maybe not very bright, but it is hard to tell, because he's a cat. He had dental surgery the day before we brought him home and had some extractions.

 As you can see, he has settled in quite well...I think he thinks he is king of the castle.

He is very interested in Alice, she isn't sure she likes him, but can't stay away...

 He is pretty big (skinny, but long, as demonstrated by The Boy) and floopy--like Cass the Cousin Cat was---when picked up he is rag-doll like most of the time.  He slept one night with the adults (during his "locked in the Master Suite introduction to the house") but has spent at least part of every other night on The Boy's bed.  Last night Alice was bedroom surfing and came across Sid...who growled until The Boy said, "Cool it, Sid"...which he did.

 Liberty is terrified of (all) cats, so she is not pictured anywhere and the BOGO cat is hiding, sort of, still...but as you can see, Sid and Morrison are developing an interesting relationship.  Sid seems to enjoy dog food as well...

Welcome, home, Sid!