strawberry-banana smoothie

Here's a great way to get some super nutrients into picky eaters, my kids had it for breakfast!

Fill blender halfway with frozen strawberries
Add 2 ripe bananas
1/2 cup milk
4 oz vanilla yogurt
2 Tbsp honey
3 Tbsp milled flaxseed (I got at Walmart on the flour aisle)

Blend on ice chop setting, if you have it. Also, if you're using fresh strawberries you might want to use frozen yogurt in place of regular, and maybe use about a cup, that way it's more of a frozen treat. I got a 6- pound bag of frozen strawberries for less than $9 at Costco, and I'm sure they're reasonable at Walmart, too. Enjoy! Chock full of antioxidants, omega fatty acids, calcium, potassium, protein...

Nathan's blog

My kids are really into their individuality (except when fairness is involved!), and Nathan wanted a blog of his own, as well. So, check out www.natesnarlynews.blogspot.com ! He'd love a comment, too...

another thing

I forgot to mention Spanish as one of the subjects for the boys, I'm still looking into my options, one I think I might like is Visual Link Spanish, done mostly on the computer and it gets you speaking conversational Spanish right off the bat (good for kids or adults), but if anyone checking my blog has any other recommendations, I'd love to hear them!

changes

I've been playing around with colors and templates on my blog, changing it about 5 times in one sitting, but I think I've arrived with one I like! Just thought I'd fill everyone in on our summer....

After deciding not to join our usual pool this summer, we have been blessed with the use of a pool not 2 miles from my house, and the best part is we get to hang out with our best friends and cousins!

Nathan's baseball team just finished out the season undefeated, so they will begin playing in a tournament next Tuesday...Nathan plays catcher, usually, and is a very consistently good hitter.

Jon started his new job with Arysta Lifescience in Cary and is more challenged, but loves it. It's a 45 minute commute, and he can work from home 1 or 2 days a week.

I am in the process of collecting my teaching materials for next year's school year, which I will begin in a couple of weeks, actually. I figure we'll warm up to the idea of school again with practice in math and language. I'm excited about the school year, here's my plan for the time being:

Mychael: Total Language Plus (uses literature and covers spelling, vocab, writing, grammar, Bible, critical thinking, and even areas like science and art sometimes); Saxon math; Beautiful Feets' History of Science; Konos unit study on elections (will probably take at least half a year, which is why I want to start now, to finish up before November!); taking band at local Christian school that offers classes to homeschoolers; maybe Swim and Gym at local YMCA

Nathan: Spell to Write and Read; Language for the Thoughtful Child; Math-U-See; History of Science (Beautiful Feet); Konos unit study on elections (covers history of all the presidents, as well); music class at the local Christian school; Swim and Gym?

Zach: Spell to Write and Read; Math-U-See; Five in a Row; and he will participate in the boys' activities when appropriate with science and history; soccer in the fall

Jordan: Arts and crafts (she loves); Five in a Row (some); mostly, I'll just read to her

Most of what I'm using calls for literature, or "living books," which I think is such a great way to learn. We also plan to join one of the support groups and be able to participate in the usual field trips and fun stuff (swimming, roller skating, etc.). I'm looking forward to an exciting year of learning together as a family!

And lastly, the plan is to visit my family sometime in August (Jon won't go, most likely), perhaps for a 3-week stay. Our trips are about every 5 months, now, it's just too expensive to travel with this many people nowadays. Shoot, it's too expensive to drive to the grocery store anymore! Have a great summer, everyone, and please stay in touch...

oops!!

Jeez, I just realized that I posted the Father's Day stuff on Mychael's blog, I didn't realize that's what I was signed in under...so, please click on the link thedailymychael over in the list of links to go to that post. I need to pay more attention next time!

new link

Hey, for anyone interested (he would love for me to pass this along), my oldest son now has his own blog, he's been begging me. He has this little videocamera that he's taken some pictures with and wanted to be able to post his own stuff. So, check out the top link in my list of links!

kittens

Our good friends Dub and Carla are the proud "parents" of two 6 week-old kittens. It was actually pretty therapeutic for me because I was able to give them all of Woody's old stuff, like litter box and food and water dishes. Most of you already know we had to have our 13 year-old cat put to sleep just 2 weeks ago, and we were pretty sad. Someone asked me if part of our sadness had to do with our associating Woody with our first married years in the mountains, and that may be a part of it. Mostly, though, I just miss him curling up in my lap, all 18 pounds of him, and his constant affection. We had moved him inside the last 7 or 8 months of his life, because he seemed to be getting arthritic and I worried about him being in the cold. It comforts me to know he had the best of our attention the last part of his life, rather than the banishment to the garage and outside. I think it's pretty neat that God created animals that can demonstrate love and attachment...