Daley Ponderings

This is what makes it all worth while

joyful — Sat, 08 Jun 2013 10:59:32 -0400

So last week I was worn out with the extra work that unexpected messes bring. Today I'm tired but happy about it.

Yesterday, Jon left very early to go on the church men's retreat. Our morning at home started out pretty badly (bickering/fighting) and the boys had to go run around the house in the rain (10 times for Noah, 20 for Jonathan). But that did its job and the morning chores got done well after that. Then was lunch, afternoon chores, special times, not too eventful (which is good!).

Then, the really good parts started! Jonathan had been wanting to make some French bread, and I suggested he make some for his youth group mock sleepover that night. So, Jonathan got out my Laurel's Kitchen Bread Book. This was his first attempt at making bread by hand, but he had read the directions thoroughly. His kneading was pretty vigorous ("What's that banging?" I thought from the other room.) but he did a great job. He started the first rise at 3pm. I was surprised that he put the dough to rise in a cool place, but he insisted that's what the directions said. He was right. Then as I read through, I realized there was no way it was going to be done before his 6:30 start time. French bread takes a VERY LONG TIME! So he made graham cracker, chocolate, marshmallow treats.

While Jonathan was waiting for his dough to rise, he composed a piano piece and Noah transcribed it. Yes, you read that right. The boy who had been complaining that very day about having to take piano lessons next year was happily composing. Noah taught Jonathan lots of things about musical notation, and they worked together so nicely. It was such a breath of fresh air (especially after the early part of the morning!) to observe. They came to me with a few questions, but mostly worked on it themselves. When they had finished, they asked me to play it from the paper.

We discovered the areas that Noah has not yet learned in music theory, and I offered to write it down completely so that someone else would be able to play it the way Jonathan wanted it. Jonathan actually had to run to his event before I was finished, but Noah helped me because he had a very good idea of how Jonathan had played it.

Noah did a really good job of transcription, considering he's six years old and has had one year of piano lessons:

2013-06-08_composition_transcription.pdf

Here is my transcription, approved by Jonathan:

2013-06-08_jdd_singing_lampreys.pdf

A video of me playing it will be found in our pictures page as soon as we figure out how to get videos off our new camera.

During the course of the evening, I followed the steps for the bread dough preparation. I realized soon enough that it would not be done until after midnight. (At least Grammy was bringing Jonathan home so I didn't have to run down there when everyone else was in bed and Daddy wasn't home.)

But I think I got a taste of what people have talked about for the teen years. Jonathan came home psyched from his time with his friends. Since I had to wait for the dough anyway, and everyone else was asleep, I was in a place where I could just relax and listen. It was such a blessing! I had the time to wait through the movie summary, and then we got to more meaty stuff after that. I'm so glad I get to be his mom, as challenging as some times are. This is the kind of thing that keeps me going.

And the bread was so delicious! We ate half of one of the loaves at midnight, fresh from the oven. Lightly browned, chewy, crispy crust, even a slightly fruity flavor. I have a baking artisan in my house! And the minor detail about having to brush our teeth again afterwards was worth it, by far.

We even looked up the rules on homestead bakery licenses in New Hampshire. He doesn't have to get one until he has $10k yearly in sales. We did a lot of midnight math and after determining that he'd have to bake 54 dinner rolls each weekday for a year to make that much, we concluded that he'd be all right in not getting the license. (:

So yes, I'm tired today. I stayed up until past midnight with my oldest, and of course my youngest still woke me up earlier than everyone else (but really, 8am is completely reasonable!) But I'm happy.

Strike Three, I'm Ready To Be Out

joyful — Sat, 01 Jun 2013 10:55:59 -0400

Thursday morning, we wake up to find mouse droppings and other evidence all over the kitchen. Result: big kitchen scrubdown.

Friday morning, Noah wakes up to find that the silly putty he fell asleep with is now melted into his pants, sheets, and blanket. Result: big fabric scrubdown.

This morning, the boys wake up with pink, swollen, itchy faces. It turns out they have been making Indian bows and arrows with poison ivy vines for the bowstrings. Result: big boy scrubdown.

(We're still in the middle of that. I haven't yet gone out to spray the loads of poison ivy that turns out to be in their fort area. And who knows how much poison oil they've tracked all over the house...)

I really hope that tomorrow is a day of rest.

American Indians: the original free-range parents

joyful — Sat, 18 May 2013 10:07:14 -0400

Quote from Vostaas: White Buffalo's Story of Plains Indian Life by William White Buffalo:

"Many Indian boys, and some girls, too, learn to chop wood when they are quite young! Our mothers do not say, "No! No! That axe is too sharp for you to use!" They say, "Go chop some more wood. Is the axe sharp enough?"

Pocket Notes

joyful — Tue, 14 May 2013 17:43:25 -0400

Joy says "lellow" for yellow, which appears to be her favorite color.

4/24 - Jeremiah figured out his thumb! It's the left one he sucks. Does this mean I'll finally get a left-hander?

4/26 - Sometimes when school runs past noon, Joy decides to get lunch for herself. Usually, she doesn't do too badly of a job - cheese and crackers, cereal, an apple or banana. This day, however, she got into Jonathan's chocolate stash and ate half a milk chocolate ovomaltine bar!

4/29 - Faith came up to me and said, "Mom, say, 'little boat' ten times fast."

4/29 - Jeremiah likes to watch his fist, moving his hand and wrist. I like this stage. I like lots of stages. (:

5/7 - Joy can say the /k/ sound now! She doesn't yet use it in all the words that have it, but is increasing her use.

5/7 - This was the day Joy got out a nice lunch. Leftover soup, poured into her own bowl, cheese, which she sliced with the cheese cutter, and a box of oatmeal packets which she opened but didn't prepare.

5/11 - Joy was sleepy, lying on the couch, singing to herself, "Mommy love you, Thay love you, Miah love you, Dad-o love you, Daddy love you, Papa love you, Don love you, Noah love you, Damma love you, etc."

I've noticed I don't have much on Jonathan and Noah lately, so I'll try to think of some of their accomplishments. But right now I'll write just one becuase it's dinner time - prepared by them!

Pocket Notes

joyful — Tue, 23 Apr 2013 07:10:26 -0400

3/30 - Jeremiah started cooing. He also can make minimal forward progress along the bed when waking up.

Joy says "my do it" for many things. She also pronounces "water" correctly now instead of saying "wow". She's also really good at remembering to say thank you. (Sounds like "dankt you")

4/7 - Jonathan, as we were walking to church: "The air tastes fresh and crisp like a Cortland apple." (This is from the boy who during school time says he can't write poetry. I think what he really means is he doesn't like to write poetry when constrained by meter and rhyme.)

4/17 - Joy, starting to progress to full sentences, "Uh-oh, where my coat?"

That same evening, Joy put away the pasta sauce from dinner, scooping it out of the pot into a container all by herself. Yes, there were drips on the table, but not too bad, really.

4/22 - We had a young friend over for lunch, and she wondered if Mr. Daley was going to come have lunch. Here is Noah's response, summarizing Daddy's life: "He sleeps, then he eats breakfast, then he works, works, works, then he eats dinner, then he sleeps, then he eats breakfast, then he works, works, works, ..."

I might add, on some days, some more "works, works, works" after dinner and before sleep. I hope his customers are thankful for him! (We are thankful for them - and him!)

4/22 - Me, to Joy, "Why is your hair all wet?" Joy, "Um . . . water?"

A picture of Jonathan at about 3-4 months came up on our computer - it has been confirmed: Jeremiah looks like Jonathan! Joy was convinced it was "Miah".

That reminds me. Joy says all of our names now: "Daddy, Mommy, Djon, Noah, Thae, Me, Miah"

Pocket Notes

joyful — Fri, 29 Mar 2013 17:43:28 -0400

3/24 - Faith counts to 100 by ones.

3/25 - Joy says "Miah" for Jeremiah. She started this before that day, but that's the
first day I realized that was what she was saying.

3/25 - Joy sorts the Peanut Butter and Jelly cards by type, all on her own initiative, and
correctly.

3/26 - Noah read Faith's handwriting scripture upside-down. He only had trouble on the
longest words (like "Scripture").

3/28 - Joy counts, "3, 2, 3, 2, 5, 2, 3..."

Joy now consistently calls Jonathan "Jon".

She also says "God Bless You" when someone sneezes, and it sounds like "Blebt, bloo"

Pocket Notes

joyful — Tue, 19 Mar 2013 17:16:54 -0400

Oh, yes. It has been half a year since my last pocket notes post...

9/6 - Joy says "yum" and "yummy", "all done/gone" (sounds like ah-doh), "where shoe?", and "mine" (sounds like my)

9/25 - Faith reading the Bible to Joy: "When you want Mommy to cuddle with you but she can't, you aren't alone because God is with you."

Faith also reminded herself of this as she went down to put tools away in the basement.

9/28 - Noah let me listen to his piano practice and I was impressed with his progress: both hands, dynamics, steady rythmn

10/2 - Noah lost his upper left second incisor. It had to come out to make room for the new first incisor. That is, he lost three baby teeth to make room for two adult teeth. As of March, he has not lost any more.

10/12 - Jon felt the baby move

~10/12 - Joy says, "'kay" for ok

10/14 - Faith felt the baby move

10/14 - Joy says, "two, three" sounds like "do, wee"

10/17 - Joy says, "hot" sounds like a breathy "ha"

10/21 - I turn 33.

10/24 - Joy says, "thank you" sounds like "tha tchoo"

10/31 - The almost-went-to-the-doctor day. Joy put a bead up Faith's nose (I think she was lying down). After much distress in attempting extraction, I finally got it with a toothpick. Later that same day, Jonathan cut his ankle on a piece of broken tile. He was very dramatic about it, which we have started to treat as the boy crying wolf, but when I actually saw it, I agreed that it was pretty impressive. But a butterfly closure did the trick and we did not need to go get stitches.

11/1 - Joy put on Faith's shirt, underwear, and shorts - she wants to be just like big sister!

11/1 - Joy said, "Faith" sounds like Thay.

11/18 - Jonathan turns 9

11/21 - Isaac would be 10. Wow.

12/8 - We move into our own house!

1/18 - Joy poured her own milk by herself (with the last of the gallon).

1/9 - I was looking for electrical caps. Joy said, "dap!" and handed me the jar of caps.

1/26 - To Joy, every animal says "roar"

1/28 - Jonathan had a bad math day. The worksheet would say "what's the difference..." and Jonathan's answer was "one's longer".

2/2 - Jon's birthday party/Housewarming party

2/8 - I was using a measuring cup to scoop batter out, and Joy said, "me do cup please"

2/9 - Jonathan: "Nobody can argue that Mrs.Lull is a good teacher." Faith: "'Cause she is!"

Joy likes giving high fives. She'll say "fie!" and hold her palm up.

2/11 - Jon turns 36.

2/13 - Jeremiah is born.

2/15 - Joy, heading down the stairs, said, "Bye. Love you, Mommy."

Three of Joy's two year molars came in after I last brushed her teeth before Jeremiah was born and before I first brushed her teeth a week later. The slow one is the top left.

2/23 - Joy turns two.

3/10 - Joy sees Jeremiah spit up on my shoulder. She says, "Spill." and then goes and gets me a sponge.

3/16 - Faith reads! She reads the first several stories in I Can Read It! Book 1.

Jeremiah's Birth Story

joyful — Sun, 24 Feb 2013 17:55:04 -0500

My due date was February 21. Jonathan, Noah, and Faith had all been exactly five days late. Joy was early, but we weren't sure of her date and the more we thought about it the more we figured she probably had been late as well. So we had Linda and Porter schedule their flight to arrive February 15.

Jon had an opportunity to buy some woodshop tools from a friend in Seattle for a very good price (including shipping across the country.) The timing to go learn how to use the tools and pack them up for shipping worked out so that he would be gone from February 7-13. We would have preferred a week earlier, but it was still getting him home before my parents and certainly before the baby really would come. People at church were shocked that he'd go so far away so close to the due date. But we were confident. You can't think early too much or you're about to die of impatience by the time five days late actually comes.

It's always harder when Daddy's away, but we've done it before and there was a big snowstorm scheduled for the weekend, so I was happy to stay snug at home and have a nice big lot of snow for the kids to play in when they got restless inside.

We enjoyed the storm and the snow, and the kids did a good job of shoveling, though it did turn out to be a bigger job than a 9, 6, and 4 year old can do. We had some friends come over to help the boys finish shoveling out the car and then they stayed for dinner and fun. They had invited us to their house for that evening, which I had reluctantly declined, thinking that I did not want to go bundling everyone out after a storm. So it really worked out perfectly that they came over to our house.

Monday was going to be my hard day – taking the boys to their skiing lesson, and of course taking the girls with me to hang out in the lodge. But the lesson ended up being cancelled because of freezing rain. So that day as well was a nice rest-at-home day. I had already made the tuna salad sandwiches, so dinner was taken care of.

It was Jon's birthday, and he had packed up all of his tools onto the truck. Everything was ready, and he was hoping to switch his flight to come home the next day, a day earlier than originally scheduled. But it was going to cost a bunch of money that we didn't think was worth it for just an extra day and we decided that he should just keep his Wednesday flight.

Next day was Tuesday, and we planned on dropping Noah off at his piano lesson and doing some necessary grocery shopping with the other kids while he was there. I needed to scrape the ice off the car first, so I gave myself an extra fifteen minutes before departure time. But – always need to go to the bathroom first before bundling to go out.

9:00am Tuesday, February 12 – I find the first signs of labor in this trip to the bathroom. The first signs of labor!! I have never had this indicator without the baby being born within 24 hours. No! It can't be! Jon is still in Seattle. I need him! This is too early! I went right to my knees and poured out my emotions to God.

Then I called Jon (6am for him, so I woke him up). We spent an hour on the phone, crying and praying together, discussing options, calling 3-way first with the midwife, then Jon's mom, then my mom.

All plans changed for the day. Barbara came to our house to give Noah his piano lesson. Phil came to scrape the car, get the car seats in place, and do the grocery shopping.

I tried to sit and relax as much as I could. I drank lots of water and mother tea (which Noah was very diligent about fixing for me). My body worked on cleaning itself out, and by the afternoon I was in serious need of some Tucks pads, which Phil wonderfully went out to the store again to get.

Jon found flights that would get him to Manchester at 10:30 pm. (Suddenly, the cost was worth it!) Soon after I got that news, my parents called to say they had also changed their flights and would be arriving at 9:30 pm. Now if labor could only hold off until then!

I had my first actual contraction at 2:20 pm. There were a few more light contractions during my nap, and I had a slight lower backache all day.

Barbara lined up her day so that she could cancel at any time. I puttered around, doing small last minute things like finish packing my clothes and making my parents' bed (with Faith and Joy's help.) The kids got their birth activity bags together – Faith packed Joy's. Jonathan spent some time at the library. Noah made me lots of Mother Tea, and some scrambled eggs.

I lay down on the couch a bunch, and was mostly content to be bored, because I wanted to wait for Jon and my parents anyway.

The kids and I went to bed at 9:00pm. I slept for about an hour and then I knew that Barbara was picking them up from the airport, and couldn't go back to sleep wondering if they should go directly to the birth center, or come home first. I called Jon at about 10:45 and it was so good to hear his voice!

He said they could go either way, so I decided to try to sleep a bit more. I rested, but I did not sleep. The contractions started coming, and I called him again when they were almost home to say that we should head out as soon as they arrived.

We had quick, happy greetings with all and then got packed up. Porter went to Barbara and Phil's to borrow their car, and Jonathan rode with him. Linda rode with Jon, the other kids, and me in our van. I was able to talk between contractions, but Jon did note their progress as we drove.

When we arrived at the birth center around 12:20am, Beth (the midwife) had the birth tub partially filled and was waiting for the hot water tank to reheat.

I went to the bathroom first thing and then forgot that I wanted to avoid using the basil-scented soap to wash my hands. Jon gave me a wipe so I could try to get it off. I'm sensitive to scents anyway, and it is enhanced during labor.

I got right in the tub and it felt nice even if it wasn't full yet. I mostly relaxed leaning against the tub on my side or back in between contractions, and then turning to hands and knees or leaning forward for contractions.

I was so happy to be there. Everything was right. Jon was there! My parents were there! All was as it should be. Thanks be to God!

It was different for me to be there in time to talk in between contractions. I was able to watch myself progress through the stages of labor. I asked Beth how dilated I was (which surprised Jon since I usually don't want to know) and it was a curiosity thing related to being there earlier. I was 4cm.

The kids stayed awake, doing activities from their bags, checking in on me every once in a while. Dad-o read a lot of stories in the play room, I'm told.

Joy was rather overwhelmed by the experience, and even if I couldn't hold her, she wanted to be in the same room as me the whole time. She stayed/cuddled with Daddy until I needed him more, and then she stayed with Grandma.

I asked Jon to push on my lower back, which was another first for me. I think this labor threw Jon off a little. As contractions got more intense, he stayed by me so I could squeeze his hands. As I neared transition, I had to ask him to stop pushing on my back.

Kate, the midwife who owns the birth center, came during transition. Beth added more warm water to the tub a couple of times, and it was really nice when the level got over my lower back.

A couple of times, I had gotten out of the tub to go to the bathroom, and as I neared to pushing I thought I might like to push while sitting/lying on the bed, as I had for my other labors, but I couldn't bear to move out of the water for any reason. This was to be my first water birth.

From transition, I had been leaning forwards against the wall even in between contractions, but at some point I turned and leaned my back against the wall.

At some point, I was getting sweaty with the contractions but couldn't cool off because of the warm water. Jon suggested putting cooler water in and that helped, plus he gently rubbed my forehead, arms and shoulders with a wet cloth. I knew I needed him for the birth, and God provided for that even in the midst of testing my faith that He would take care of me no matter what.

I asked Beth to check to see if it was ok to push, and she said that there was still a bit of cervix left, but that I could try to gently bear down and see if that pushed it out of the way. Since I'd had trouble with cervical lips before, I decided to try to wait a bit before bearing down, but I'm sure it was pretty soon that I was pushing. Talking to Beth later, it turns out she meant I was 8cm, and there was no lip, but she's sure I went to 10 in a contraction and a half.

Jon held me up under the arms, and I pushed my feet against the opposite wall of the tub. It turned out to be a rather awkward position for him, but I was completely unaware of that part of me at the time. He said if he had let go, I'd have sunk down in the water.

I felt the pop when my water broke, but since I was already in water, I announced in a push-voice growl “water broke” in case they didn't notice.

Crowning really hurt and I yelled, “Ow, ow, ow!” a lot. It was concerning to Jon – he couldn't stand to hear me in pain like that. I really thought I had yelled like that at Noah's birth, but even then, he said he didn't remember me yelling. As I think about it more, I really think that crowning is my very worst part of labor and this time I just let myself yell about it. It always hurts like a burning fire and I always just want it to be over and get that baby OUT and in my arms.

Part of the trouble was that his head did not come fully out right away. Later, Beth told me that his chin was stuck and she had to help work it out. There you go! The Wightman chin that is so recognizable to that side of the family got stuck! Like when a tshirt gets stuck when you pull it over your head...

There was a bit more pushing for the shoulders (I was thinking, “why doesn't he just come OUT!?!”) and then blessedly the rest of the baby slid into the water. Beth and Kate helped me pick him up out of the water and then I got to hold and admire and goggle at my little guy.

It took a bit of confusion before Faith announced the sex. I thought it was because of the cord in the way and being underwater, but it turns out she was trying to look at the back of his head to see if he had long hair! When she saw short hair at the back, she said, “It's a boy!” Well, at least that turned out to be right, and so we had a little biology lesson later and didn't have to do it at the birth. I guess I didn't quite prepare my youngest ones as much as I have in the past... I really did think she knew the best way to tell if a baby is a boy or girl. I only let myself look after her announcement and confirmed, yes, it was a boy! I was only slightly less surprised than when Jonathan had announced Faith being a girl. Faith has a little brother as she had wanted!

I enjoyed him in the water for a while but they kept having to put dry blankets on him as the blankets soaked through.

After I pushed the placenta out, Beth put it in a bowl to examine and she showed it to us. An interesting thing about it was there was a ridge around the placenta where the sac membrane attached – like it had folded over itself at the joining place. Most of the sac was there, but it turned out that I did retain a piece of membrane for a day, which was another first for me.

Then Beth clamped and cut the cord and someone took the baby and wrapped him in dry blankets while I got out and attempted to go to the bathroom. Nothing happened there, and I headed for the bed to hold my baby skin to skin and enjoy our new family together. Everyone gathered on the bed to get a close look at their new little cute brother.

I had had no concept of time and had to ask when he had been born – 3 am, Wednesday, February 13.

His finger and toe nails were already long and he had just a little vernix left. He was ready, even if he seemed early to us! But he had waited for Daddy and Grandma and Dad-o and that was God's mercy to me.

Jon then fell deeply asleep on the bed beside me and Joy followed soon, though she startled every once in a while and made sure I was still there.

I was so happy that I wasn't very tired yet. It is amazing to me every time how they can come out so perfectly formed. I know it's not a guarantee and I'm so incredibly blessed.

He nursed on both sides with a good latch – a slow, exploratory nurse, but he stayed on for a long time. He passed some meconium and I didn't notice till I'd smeared it around a bit, so Beth used bunch of wipes in the cleanup.

He was so calm and alert – he looked around a lot and hardly cried. But he cleared out his lungs well enough anyway. He did cry at the measuring, probably because he was cold.

I was surprised that he was only 8 lb 2 oz because he seemed bigger than Joy had. I remember thinking how small she was. I suspect they have different builds, especially head size. Now that I have had more time to examine him, I do think his hips and legs are small, but his head is bigger. He was 20 1/2” long, which is only 3/4” and 1 oz bigger than Joy's stats.

Then I had everybody pack up their things since we usually like to rest at home, but I wish I had known how deeply asleep Jon was and I would have let him and Joy sleep longer. It took some effort to wake him up when everyone else was ready and he had to buy some coffee for the drive home. We left at 5:30am.

But we made it home fine a little after six – Mom got me some chicken rice soup and Jon wrote some announcements and we were back asleep at 7:00.

This amazing content baby slept for three hours, though I had to go to the bathroom every hour. He did some good nursing that morning – a good latch and quick pace. I could hear him swallowing.

He slept a lot and was awake and looking around a lot. And he can settle himself. An amazing baby!

We hadn't really talked or thought about boy names. Jonathan had voted for Peter or Henry but the baby didn't look like either. As soon as Jon mentioned “Jeremiah” I liked it, but we took a while on the middle name. Jon couldn't find our Baby Name book and the online sites are more annoying to browse. But then I asked Jon what he thought of Jeremiah Patrick and he said he'd thought about that, too. We took more time to think and to look up meanings, and that was what we decided on! Jeremiah means “God uplifts” and Patrick means “Noble” or “Son of the Noble One”.

Jon read Jeremiah 1:4-10 at our traditional private naming dedication and prayed for him. Then we gathered the family and officially introduced them to the newest member of the family – Jeremiah Patrick Daley.

Food Additives: Corn Syrup, Red #40, Aspartame, and Frozen Dairy Desserts

jondaley — Fri, 18 Jan 2013 09:27:30 -0500

The first blog post in a long time, I realize. And I won't make any promises about more frequent updates, etc.

I have found that I am writing on facebook more often, and reviewing products online (got a Kindle for Christmas, and so have been reading and reviewing on Amazon) and generally have less time for internet stuff anyway, so haven't been blogging anywhere near as much as we were before.

But, anyway... Today's topic: stuff food manufacturers put into food that wastes my time since I have to read the ingredient labels in the store.

We aren't that picky, really, I think. We try to avoid corn syrup, especially the high fructose kind. We generally pick brands that have less ingredients on the label, all else being equal, and we pay more for some items. I try to avoid foods that have unpronounceable ingredients. We try to avoid non-sugar sugars, and foods that have 5 different kinds of sugar to pretend that that sugar isn't the first ingredient. We try to not buy anything from Nestle or its subsidiaries.

I have been happy to see that bread manufacturers are starting to get the idea - some brands put on the front label: "No high fructose corn syrup" - that makes it easier and quicker to find.

We avoid most artificial sugars, and I've gotten better at realizing what the sneaky phrases that really mean "contain chemicals".

But, it is irritating to me when companies put chemicals in our food without any mention in any prominent place other than buried in the ingredient list.

I recently bought some candy for Heather that contained aspartame. I bought some cereal that I checked for sugar content, but didn't notice the aspartame. And then today, we found out that the so-called "100% juice" Langers brands actually isn't 100% juice, but has Red #40 in it. The dyes particularly annoy me as there isn't any reason to add them, and if there was a good reason to add it, there are perfectly good, natural ways of dying food. Presumably Red #40 is really, really cheap, and so food manufacturers use it to save on cost. I'd guess that food is a pretty low margin good, and so manufacturers look for anything they can do to make the food cheaper.

We used to buy Breyer's ice cream, but once I discovered that most of their "ice cream" can no longer be called ice cream, I got pretty fed up with the whole system. I figure my standards are higher than the FDA, and so if the FDA is forcing them to call it a "Frozen dairy dessert", it must be pretty bad. I bought a Whynter ice cream maker so we coudl make ice cream with a couple ingredients. We've really liked it, and make ice cream more than we used to, since it is so much easier than with our old ice cream maker (the main feature is that it comes with an air compressor, and so generates -22 degree temperatures and can cool the ice cream without any ice, salt, or planning ahead).

My Mother-In-Law's Insight Into Homeschooling

joyful — Sat, 29 Sep 2012 09:15:17 -0400

We are still working on renovating our new house, and thus we are still living with Jon's generous parents. And since we are living here, we are schooling here. But a comment from his mom gave me some insight into some non-homeschoolers' comments about homeschooling.

We usually "have school" up in our bedrooms, since that is "our" territory while we're living here. But it is not a soundproof house, and so anything louder than "inside voices" is easily heard from downstairs.

Barbara's comment was, "It's not how I imagined it. Actually, it's how I imagined it might be if I was doing it, and that's why I figured I could never do it."

Yes, folks, homeschooling is not usually a calm, quiet, everyone sitting nicely together doing schoolwork experience. It involves the toddler getting mad that she can't use all of the math manipulatives at once. It involves the toddler scattering the ones she does use all over the room. It involves the third grader who hates writing crying about his assignment and questioning (loudly and with a whiny voice) why Sonlight wants to torture the students with Diamond Notes. It involves the new reader kicking the wall when he gets stuck on a word, and wiggling around generally as he thinks about words. It involves the preschooler begging for more math right when Mom is in the middle of explaining something to someone else. It involves any one or more of them pushing the beds apart and spilling the covers on the floor during the course of schooltime. It involves multiple people asking for help (or otherwise interrupting) at the same time. It involves Mom losing her patience and yelling. It involves Mom wondering if she's going insane and on the worst days crying because she doesn't feel like she's good enough. On the very worst days, everyone cries. On the best days, only one person cries. (I don't think we've had a single school day yet where Joy hasn't cried about something during the course of school time.)

And yet, I would say this year is going well. We are covering Bible, History, Language Arts, and Math. Noah is learning to read, Jonathan is learning to write, Joy is learning to be patient, Faith is learning letters and writing and numbers. I'm learning to keep my patience and correct calmly. They're all (except Joy) memorizing scripture. They remember much more math than I would have thought based on our very long summer break. And we're getting our assignments done before noon!

So if you've ever thought, "Wow, I could never homeschool." The answer is, "You can." If that's what you decide is what is good for your family, you can do it. If you decide it's not for your family, don't hold up the homeschooling moms as some otherworldly beings who can manage something you never could. There are plenty of days we wonder if we can manage it at all. Just like any mom anywhere in any circumstance.