Tomorrow, we have a field trip to an Asian market for cooking club. Hopefully, we'll get some good ideas for the Asian food we'll be making in two weeks. The boys are excited that their basil has finally sprouted!
Last night, I created a yummy soup in the crock pot. We served it with rosemary baguettes w/Irish butter, and it went over very well! The boys have been asking for it all day, so I named it for them:
THREE BOYS SOUP
-----------------------------------
1 lb dry kidney beans
2 quarts water
10-15 baby carrots, sliced in quarters
1/2 bunch of kale, broken into medium size pieces
1 med/lg red onion, chopped
4-6 cloves garlic, crushed, or 2-3 tablespoons garlic powder
1-2 yellow bell peppers, chopped
1/4 cup dry split peas or lentils
1 can diced tomatoes
1/2 teaspoon dried oregano
1/2 teaspoon gr. black pepper
2 teaspoons cumin
1 tablespoon sea salt
1-2 tablespoons chili powder
Grated Parmesan, White Cheddar, and Raw Cheddar to garnish (can substitute cheese(s) of your choice)
1. Place beans and water in crock pot and cook on high for 3-4 hours, until beans are tender. (Beans can be soaked over night for faster cooking)
2. Add everything except the cheese, adjusting seasonings to taste. Cook for another 2 1/2 - 3 hours.
3. Serve topped with cheese, with bread and salad if desired.
Sunday, January 27, 2008
Sunday, January 13, 2008
More Updates
I received my official confirmation that I'm enrolled in the Duke ESL certificate program -- apparently my goals involving teaching non-native English speakers to speak English are compatible with the program. Yay!
A is in underwear full-time during the day now! Woohoo. He's been working towards this point for awhile now, but became earnest about it this week. Hoping that he sticks with it, because a break from diapers, even for only a few months, would be AWESOME.
G is leaping ahead in math and reading. He's doing at least 1st/2nd grade work in these areas (considering that he's only 4, I'd say that's pretty good). My favorite question that he's asked this week: Mom, if you cut a two-headed dragon in half, will it live and be two dragons?
K starts his cooking club tomorrow, and is excited about the class plan of growing basil from shoots and using it later to make pesto pasta and other yummy dishes. Sushi is also on the menu, and several field trips have already been lined up. The organizers of the club are, well, ORGANIZED. ;)
Sending out a HAPPY BIRTHDAY to our dear friend, E, who turns 7 today! Your package is in the mail, I swear! ;-)
A is in underwear full-time during the day now! Woohoo. He's been working towards this point for awhile now, but became earnest about it this week. Hoping that he sticks with it, because a break from diapers, even for only a few months, would be AWESOME.
G is leaping ahead in math and reading. He's doing at least 1st/2nd grade work in these areas (considering that he's only 4, I'd say that's pretty good). My favorite question that he's asked this week: Mom, if you cut a two-headed dragon in half, will it live and be two dragons?
K starts his cooking club tomorrow, and is excited about the class plan of growing basil from shoots and using it later to make pesto pasta and other yummy dishes. Sushi is also on the menu, and several field trips have already been lined up. The organizers of the club are, well, ORGANIZED. ;)
Sending out a HAPPY BIRTHDAY to our dear friend, E, who turns 7 today! Your package is in the mail, I swear! ;-)
Wednesday, January 09, 2008
Aikido and stuff :)
Aikido went very, very well this morning. The class has a great mix of ages; from 5-14, with a large chunk of 7 and 10 year olds. There is a nice playroom with toys and games at the back of the dojo, with a glass door so that the parents and younger sibs could watch the workout, so G, A, and I got an unexpected and much enjoyed playgroup visit of our own.
And what a workout! The class is an hour long, and they definitely spend a large part of it moving. K was totally smitten. He had the same post class glow that he gets from ice skating. And that boy can ROLL! I was worried that his incessant need to talk and ask questions would pose a problem, but the instructor was commanding enough (in a positive way) that K only asked a question once out of turn, and wasn't the least bit offended to be told that it wasn't a time for questions. He's terrificly excited to be ordering his first gi.
We're still waiting to hear whether or not his registration for the Friday Enrichment classes (offered through the homeschool group) has gone through. He is registering for the hour long Thinking and Strategy Games class for ages 8 and up, and an hour long public speaking class for 5-7 year olds. If it works out, we'll have scheduled activities for 4 of our 5 "school" days. Eek!
I had my informational meeting for the ESL certificate last night. It looks like I will be able to get three of the day long classes knocked out this term, and one more in the spring. Hopefully, during the summer intensive, I'll be able to do 3-4 classes, and then finish up the remaining 3-4 classes the following fall/winter. Yay!
And what a workout! The class is an hour long, and they definitely spend a large part of it moving. K was totally smitten. He had the same post class glow that he gets from ice skating. And that boy can ROLL! I was worried that his incessant need to talk and ask questions would pose a problem, but the instructor was commanding enough (in a positive way) that K only asked a question once out of turn, and wasn't the least bit offended to be told that it wasn't a time for questions. He's terrificly excited to be ordering his first gi.
We're still waiting to hear whether or not his registration for the Friday Enrichment classes (offered through the homeschool group) has gone through. He is registering for the hour long Thinking and Strategy Games class for ages 8 and up, and an hour long public speaking class for 5-7 year olds. If it works out, we'll have scheduled activities for 4 of our 5 "school" days. Eek!
I had my informational meeting for the ESL certificate last night. It looks like I will be able to get three of the day long classes knocked out this term, and one more in the spring. Hopefully, during the summer intensive, I'll be able to do 3-4 classes, and then finish up the remaining 3-4 classes the following fall/winter. Yay!
Sunday, January 06, 2008
The Hat
Here's my hat -- I started it over Christmas, and actually got enough time to finish it. We'll ignore the fact that it still took longer than it should have, simply because I had to do it in spurts. But, alas, that is the life of a mom. :)
Oh, we're excited because the Aikido class is a go!! Yay! It starts this Wednesday.
Today we took a 3.5 mile hike in the state forest near our house -- it's around 65 degrees today, and is supposed to be in the 70's tomorrow and Tuesday!
Friday, January 04, 2008
Seasons of Busyness
Well, now that the holidays are over, we're getting back into the swing of things. K enjoyed seeing Oliver! just before Christmas, and we're looking forward to seeing the circus as a family in February, and then Blue Man Group.
We've also just finished a new round of signing up for classes/clubs. K and G will finish up this session of ice skating this month, and then K starts the next session in February. G will be moving on (or back to?) gymnastics at the end of January, at a place called The Little Gym. K's cooking club starts in two weeks, and if all goes well (meaning minimum enrollment is met), he'll be starting Aikido next week. My ESL classes start this month, and my storytelling class begins in February. Add to that the History Fair in February, and a possible road trip to the Fountain of Youth in FL towards the end of the month, and we have a busy few months ahead of us. Yikes, before we know it, the littlest babe will be here, and we'll be back to a reduced schedule for a bit.
But, knowing us, it will be a brief break for sure! :) Luckily, everyone else we know seems to be pretty darn busy, too.
We've also just finished a new round of signing up for classes/clubs. K and G will finish up this session of ice skating this month, and then K starts the next session in February. G will be moving on (or back to?) gymnastics at the end of January, at a place called The Little Gym. K's cooking club starts in two weeks, and if all goes well (meaning minimum enrollment is met), he'll be starting Aikido next week. My ESL classes start this month, and my storytelling class begins in February. Add to that the History Fair in February, and a possible road trip to the Fountain of Youth in FL towards the end of the month, and we have a busy few months ahead of us. Yikes, before we know it, the littlest babe will be here, and we'll be back to a reduced schedule for a bit.
But, knowing us, it will be a brief break for sure! :) Luckily, everyone else we know seems to be pretty darn busy, too.
Thursday, January 03, 2008
Hogwarts
Yikes, I turned 32 yesterday, and that's all I have to say about that!
K received a Hogwart's Lego Castle for Christmas from my mom -- about 950 pieces!- and finished it off in two days (amid many interruptions from his little bros). Here are the pics:
K received a Hogwart's Lego Castle for Christmas from my mom -- about 950 pieces!- and finished it off in two days (amid many interruptions from his little bros). Here are the pics:
Wednesday, January 02, 2008
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