This week hasn't been as much of a frugal success as I would like. I wish I could say I'd saved a lot. But, over time, every little bit adds up to a lot of money.
1) We have a "Time of Use" meter for electricity. We get charged more for using electricity during peak periods of use, and charged less for using electricity during non-peak times. Since it's summer time, our electricity rates go way up during the business day, and way down at night and on the weekends. Since we finally turned the a/c on this week, this is what I've done to help keep the cost down:
* I keep the a/c turned way down at night (72). During the day, we have the thermostat set at 80*. I keep the ceiling fans on during the day, and keep the sheers closed. On the southwest side of the house, I close the heavy curtains once the sun hits that side of the house. We live in an all brick house, and the masonry does keep the inside of the house at a pretty consistent temperature.
* I run a load of wash before I go to bed at night. In the morning, I take the wash outside and hang it to dry. We also run a lot of laundry on the weekends, when the rates are lower.
* Our dishwasher has a time delay. When I fill it at night, I set it to start washing after 11 p.m.
* I've switched any baking to the toaster oven. Heavy duty baking is done at night, once the outdoor temperature starts to go down. The bread maker, microwave, and grill are also getting a decent workout as using them keeps the house cooler.
2) Matt works at a camp over an hour away from here. His weekends are Monday evening to Weds. morning. I arranged a carpool with another family so that each of us is only driving up and back once a week. Good for the environment, good for our wallet.
3) We made our own pizza crust for dinner last night. We made the dough in the bread maker, and cooked it on the grill. Not quite brick oven pizza, but gas grill pizza is still good!
4) Cooked dinner from scratch every night this week. No pre-prepared or convenience foods went into making dinner!
5) I used the leftover strawberries that didn't get made into jelly in strawberry muffins and strawberry smoothies, and strawberry popsicles.
6) I took our leftovers from dinner and froze them into meals for the oldest child, who is working on campus this summer, and is living off campus. Our leftovers are not going to waste by being thrown into the trash, and he does not have to pay for groceries on his very limited earnings.
7) I found a chain grocery store that does not accept credit cards. Cash or Debit only. (You also have to pay a 25 cent deposit for a cart!) Their prices are significantly lower than the other grocery stores. Let me tell you, when you know you only have $60 in your purse for groceries, you find a way to stay inside of your limit!
8) This one might seem a little silly: 4 years ago, when we bought our then 16 year old his first cell phone, I went ahead and bought the insurance plan that the cell phone company offered. His cell phone died two weeks ago. It had a nice, white spot in the middle of the screen. We took it back to the carrier last week and guess what? New cell phone, covered by the insurance. It's not a smart phone. But, it's the closest model to the previous cell phone that the company makes. It is a really nice phone. And yes, I bought the insurance for this phone, too. (Estimated savings on the cost of the new phone: $150 for the new phone - $25 insurance = $125 savings.)
Saturday, June 29, 2013
Friday, June 28, 2013
T-Shirt Quilt, part 1
I've been working on a t-shirt quilt for Matt. He's taking it to college with him in the fall. I have been collecting t-shirts for 4 years, volunteering at events, and *sigh* paying for t-shirts to make into a quilt for him to take to college. I began working on it last week when he reported to camp. These are the steps involved in getting the shirts cut into squares.
I measured every t-shirt that I had for the collection. There are several variations on t-shirt quilts, from those that are just blocks, to those that cut out big and small pieces of t-shirts, and somehow manage to make it into one gorgeous quilt.
I looked at the t-shirts and decided that I wanted to cut them all into similar size blocks, and that I was going to alternate the blocks with a solid color fabric. After measuring the designs on the fronts and backs of all of the shirts, I decided that I would cut the squares to be 14". With a 1/4" seam allowance on all sides, the final size of the squares will be 13 1/2".
So, after taking a deep breath, I began cutting the t-shirts.
Here, I am cutting one of the shirts. There is no side seam on any of these shirts, so I am attempting to go pretty much straight up the side of the shirt, with the goal of ending my cut at the seam on the underarm of the sleeve.
Don't know how I did it, but I did! Here, you can see that the scissors are on track to hit the bottom of the sleeve, right at the underarm seam. I then cut around the sleeve, so that the sleeve separates from the shirt, and cut across the top, through the crew neck to liberate the two halves.
Just the front of the shirt. The sleeves are gone. I went ahead and left the ribbing for the crew neck on the shirts because I'll cut them off when I measure out and cut the square down.
The shoulder seam. I cut right next to the seam, across to the crew neck.
I measured every t-shirt that I had for the collection. There are several variations on t-shirt quilts, from those that are just blocks, to those that cut out big and small pieces of t-shirts, and somehow manage to make it into one gorgeous quilt.
I looked at the t-shirts and decided that I wanted to cut them all into similar size blocks, and that I was going to alternate the blocks with a solid color fabric. After measuring the designs on the fronts and backs of all of the shirts, I decided that I would cut the squares to be 14". With a 1/4" seam allowance on all sides, the final size of the squares will be 13 1/2".
So, after taking a deep breath, I began cutting the t-shirts.
Here, I am cutting one of the shirts. There is no side seam on any of these shirts, so I am attempting to go pretty much straight up the side of the shirt, with the goal of ending my cut at the seam on the underarm of the sleeve.
Just the front of the shirt. The sleeves are gone. I went ahead and left the ribbing for the crew neck on the shirts because I'll cut them off when I measure out and cut the square down.
The shoulder seam. I cut right next to the seam, across to the crew neck.
Measuring across the back. Unfortunately, when I cut these shirts, I only had a tape measure with me, and not my cutting mat or rotary cutter! I did my best to make certain that the squares were as close to 14" as possible.
Before I iron on the interface on the back, I will double check the measurements on the square to make sure that it measures out correctly.
NEXT UP:
Cutting the fabric squares, ironing the interfacing.
Wednesday, June 26, 2013
Two Random Moments in Time
ONE
Middle Child works at a residential summer camp. I went up to pick him and one of our neighbor kids up this week and bring them home for their "weekend". My daughter went with us.
The boys were exhausted when we picked them up. We were about half an hour into the drive home when Tommy pulled a summer sausage out of his back pack, opened it up, and split it with Matt.
Tommy then proceeded to lean forward in his seat, and offer some sausage to Becca, waving it under her nose.
"Mmm... Becca. Do you want some? It's summer sausage. It's great."
"She's a vegetarian" said Matt from the back seat.
"I know!" laughed Tommy.
Becca proceeded to hit him with her purse...
TWO
We were at a robotics tournament in April. I was sitting in the lounge with the television along with another mother, Esther, waiting for the rest of the team to get back. A hockey game was on the television.
I wasn't paying attention to much of anything, and Esther had her head down on the table. We were both exhausted.
All of a sudden, Esther picked her head up off of the table, looked at the television with a bewildered look on her face and then said "Oh, he said broke his STICK. That makes a whole lot more sense!"
(True story, I swear!)
Middle Child works at a residential summer camp. I went up to pick him and one of our neighbor kids up this week and bring them home for their "weekend". My daughter went with us.
The boys were exhausted when we picked them up. We were about half an hour into the drive home when Tommy pulled a summer sausage out of his back pack, opened it up, and split it with Matt.
Tommy then proceeded to lean forward in his seat, and offer some sausage to Becca, waving it under her nose.
"Mmm... Becca. Do you want some? It's summer sausage. It's great."
"She's a vegetarian" said Matt from the back seat.
"I know!" laughed Tommy.
Becca proceeded to hit him with her purse...
TWO
We were at a robotics tournament in April. I was sitting in the lounge with the television along with another mother, Esther, waiting for the rest of the team to get back. A hockey game was on the television.
I wasn't paying attention to much of anything, and Esther had her head down on the table. We were both exhausted.
All of a sudden, Esther picked her head up off of the table, looked at the television with a bewildered look on her face and then said "Oh, he said broke his STICK. That makes a whole lot more sense!"
(True story, I swear!)
Monday, June 24, 2013
Life on the Streets
I was in the city last week with a group of my daughter's friends. We were taking a load of stuff that they had collected to one of those houses for children where people stay when they live out of town, and they need a place close to the hospital to stay.
As we were getting off of the highway, we turned onto a side street and got to watch a little more action than we had wanted to see.
*WHAM!*
Just across the street from us, we got to watch the police take down a suspect and handcuff him. And then, we got to see another guy down the street handcuffed.
Each of the perps was sitting on the ground, about a block apart, handcuffed while four policemen stood over each one. Two more policemen were going through the bushes behind them with their nightsticks, looking at the ground for something.
As we were heading in with our boxes of stuff, two of the officers came over and helped us open doors and carry stuff into the building. They were very polite, and thanked the girls for bringing things in and apologized for the scene across the street.
What a welcome to the city!
But you know, the last time I went into the city with a group of kids, (in April), we were walking along a city street and got to watch a guy get handcuffed by the cops. Unfortunately, they had him spread eagle over the back of my Honda. We stood and watched while they read him his rights, searched him, and handcuffed him.
Finally, one of the cops turns to me and says "Why don't you guys move along here?"
"We're trying to," I replied, "But you guys and this dude seem to be all over my car, and are kind of in the way of my moving anywhere."
The policemen quickly apologized, and asked us politely if we minded waiting a few more minutes while they hauled the guy off. They also asked me to make certain that there was no damage to my car.
Again, a great "Howdy-Do" from the city!
I love the city. I really do. I love the cultural opportunities, and I love most of the people who live and work there.
Most of all, I enjoy the juxtaposition of images every time I end up dealing with the police department.
There, right in front of me, something is going down. There are lots of officers, always a little bit of swearing from the person getting arrested. It is downright nitty gritty.
But then, in the midst of it all, you see these wonderful officers who are dealing with a very ugly situation and yet they take the time to be polite, friendly, and helpful.
Since I've had a run in of some kind with the police involving someone being arrested the last three times I've been in the city, I'm wondering if I should call the police department ahead of time and say "I'm heading into such and such a street today at 9 am. Something should be going down there at just about that time. You might want to make sure you have a couple of extra officers on duty there, just in case."
As we were getting off of the highway, we turned onto a side street and got to watch a little more action than we had wanted to see.
*WHAM!*
Just across the street from us, we got to watch the police take down a suspect and handcuff him. And then, we got to see another guy down the street handcuffed.
Each of the perps was sitting on the ground, about a block apart, handcuffed while four policemen stood over each one. Two more policemen were going through the bushes behind them with their nightsticks, looking at the ground for something.
As we were heading in with our boxes of stuff, two of the officers came over and helped us open doors and carry stuff into the building. They were very polite, and thanked the girls for bringing things in and apologized for the scene across the street.
What a welcome to the city!
But you know, the last time I went into the city with a group of kids, (in April), we were walking along a city street and got to watch a guy get handcuffed by the cops. Unfortunately, they had him spread eagle over the back of my Honda. We stood and watched while they read him his rights, searched him, and handcuffed him.
Finally, one of the cops turns to me and says "Why don't you guys move along here?"
"We're trying to," I replied, "But you guys and this dude seem to be all over my car, and are kind of in the way of my moving anywhere."
The policemen quickly apologized, and asked us politely if we minded waiting a few more minutes while they hauled the guy off. They also asked me to make certain that there was no damage to my car.
Again, a great "Howdy-Do" from the city!
I love the city. I really do. I love the cultural opportunities, and I love most of the people who live and work there.
Most of all, I enjoy the juxtaposition of images every time I end up dealing with the police department.
There, right in front of me, something is going down. There are lots of officers, always a little bit of swearing from the person getting arrested. It is downright nitty gritty.
But then, in the midst of it all, you see these wonderful officers who are dealing with a very ugly situation and yet they take the time to be polite, friendly, and helpful.
Since I've had a run in of some kind with the police involving someone being arrested the last three times I've been in the city, I'm wondering if I should call the police department ahead of time and say "I'm heading into such and such a street today at 9 am. Something should be going down there at just about that time. You might want to make sure you have a couple of extra officers on duty there, just in case."
Saturday, June 22, 2013
My Frugal Accomplishments
One of my favorite blogs is entitled "The Prudent Homemaker". You can find them here: http://theprudenthomemakerblog.blogspot.com/
Brandi, who writes the blog is a constant source of inspiration. Her family lost their income source for almost a year. She writes about the struggles of maintaining a home, family, and home schooling on a very limited budget. She does on a daily basis what I wish I could do over the course of a month.
One of my favorite features of her Blog is entitled "My Frugal Accomplishments". In it, she lists the things she does to keep her family running, and having fun on a budget.
So, I am stealing her idea. While I am not nearly in her class, I do need a way to hold myself accountable for our family expenses. With two children now in college, and food and energy costs going through the roof, I am looking for ways to cut back on our expenses.
It does help that our oldest child is on a full scholarship to college. We "only" pay for books. I say "only" because have you seen the cost of college textbooks lately? Last semester, we paid $600 for his textbooks.
The middle child has a partial scholarship. It's not as nice as a full scholarship, but it will relieve some of our financial burden. However, we still need to find a way to cover his tuition. He's paying a portion this fall. (10%) and we're paying the rest. I really don't want to put this on credit card, so anything I can do to find money will help.
So, here is what I managed to do this week to cut back on our expenses:
1) I made two loaves of bread from scratch. (I sent one to with our oldest child, who is living off and working off campus this summer.)
2) I line dried two loads of laundry this week. The clothes dry in a jiffy, and I love the smell of sun baked clothes!
3) I made 4 pints of strawberry jelly with strawberries we grow in our yard.
4) We checked out the second season of Dr. Who from the library.
5) I made 6 quarts of turkey broth, and 24 turkey bullion muffins and froze them all.
It's a start. I'm going to have to try a little harder next week.
I guess we can say you guys are holding me accountable for what I do!
Brandi, who writes the blog is a constant source of inspiration. Her family lost their income source for almost a year. She writes about the struggles of maintaining a home, family, and home schooling on a very limited budget. She does on a daily basis what I wish I could do over the course of a month.
One of my favorite features of her Blog is entitled "My Frugal Accomplishments". In it, she lists the things she does to keep her family running, and having fun on a budget.
So, I am stealing her idea. While I am not nearly in her class, I do need a way to hold myself accountable for our family expenses. With two children now in college, and food and energy costs going through the roof, I am looking for ways to cut back on our expenses.
It does help that our oldest child is on a full scholarship to college. We "only" pay for books. I say "only" because have you seen the cost of college textbooks lately? Last semester, we paid $600 for his textbooks.
The middle child has a partial scholarship. It's not as nice as a full scholarship, but it will relieve some of our financial burden. However, we still need to find a way to cover his tuition. He's paying a portion this fall. (10%) and we're paying the rest. I really don't want to put this on credit card, so anything I can do to find money will help.
So, here is what I managed to do this week to cut back on our expenses:
1) I made two loaves of bread from scratch. (I sent one to with our oldest child, who is living off and working off campus this summer.)
2) I line dried two loads of laundry this week. The clothes dry in a jiffy, and I love the smell of sun baked clothes!
3) I made 4 pints of strawberry jelly with strawberries we grow in our yard.
4) We checked out the second season of Dr. Who from the library.
5) I made 6 quarts of turkey broth, and 24 turkey bullion muffins and froze them all.
It's a start. I'm going to have to try a little harder next week.
I guess we can say you guys are holding me accountable for what I do!
Friday, June 21, 2013
"Instantly Slims You"
With the arrival of hot weather here on the East Coast this week, I pulled out my old, comfy shorts. After a good, hard look at said shorts, I decided that I needed to buy a couple of new pairs that aren't so ragged and paint covered.
I went to the local department store and found shorts of the required length. Now, these are not just any shorts! The bright green label on the front of the shorts scream "INSTANTLY SLIMS YOU". I figure I can use all the help I can get. I attempt to work out on a regular basis (You know, like once a week. I don't want to be excessive about that exercise thing.) So, I figure I can use all the help I can get. I pick up a pair and look more closely at the labels. "Tummy Control" and "Slims Your Figure" are listed on this tag. Sounds like a winning combination to me. The shorts are on sale, so I buy two pairs.
I brought the shorts home and went back to my room to try them on. I was followed by the two cats, who are always intrigued by the large plastic bags that they can jump onto and roll around in. As the cats waited patiently for their new toy, I explained to them that these shorts were going to solve all of my problems. They would suck my tummy in for me, and take a couple of inches off my profile, and I'd look even better than I already do.
I pulled on the first pair of shorts, buttoned them up and turned around to see the cats staring at me. I swear, that if those cats could laugh, they would have been rolling around on the floor, holding their stomachs and pounding the ground with their paws. As it was, I swear I could see Luna, the female, shaking her head in pity.
The shorts did feel a little odd. I could tell my stomach was sucked in, but there was definitely more going on. I slowly walked over to the full-length mirror, dreading what I was going to see.
You've heard the phrase "muffin top"? Muffin top doesn't even begin to cover what I saw. Have you ever gotten a really loaded ice cream cone? You know how it's all stiff on the cone part, and then where the ice cream part starts, there's a ton of ice cream just pushing out all over the top of the cone in every which direction? That was me. Ice Cream Top.
Yes, the shorts are slimming. They take an amazing two inches off of my stomach. The question I should have asked myself at the time is; "What happens to all of that fat that's no longer on my stomach"? It's being pushed up above the waist line on my pants, that's what's happening. I look like I have a 2 keg beer belly pouring over my belt. The pants are stretch pants, but I honestly feel like I'm stretching them to the very last inch of their stretchiness. If I stretch them out any more, they are going to explode off of me. Try explaining that while handing out food at the middle school picnic.
The funny thing is, I bought a regular, non-slimming pair of capris from this same manufacturer in this same size last month. They still fit me just fine.
Nursing my bruised ego, I pulled the shorts off and took a closer look at the interior construction. There is a control panel across the front of these shorts. It looks as if I can take the control panel out with some patience and a good seam ripper. Hopefully, once the control panel is removed, then all of my flab and fat can distribute itself where it normally sits around my tummy. It's a little easier to hide that tummy when it's evenly distributed.
While I'd really, really like to whittle a couple more inches off my tummy, I think I'd be better doing it the old fashioned way with diet and exercise. Or maybe a pair of Spanx. Yeah, maybe Spanx AND my slimming shorts...
I went to the local department store and found shorts of the required length. Now, these are not just any shorts! The bright green label on the front of the shorts scream "INSTANTLY SLIMS YOU". I figure I can use all the help I can get. I attempt to work out on a regular basis (You know, like once a week. I don't want to be excessive about that exercise thing.) So, I figure I can use all the help I can get. I pick up a pair and look more closely at the labels. "Tummy Control" and "Slims Your Figure" are listed on this tag. Sounds like a winning combination to me. The shorts are on sale, so I buy two pairs.
I brought the shorts home and went back to my room to try them on. I was followed by the two cats, who are always intrigued by the large plastic bags that they can jump onto and roll around in. As the cats waited patiently for their new toy, I explained to them that these shorts were going to solve all of my problems. They would suck my tummy in for me, and take a couple of inches off my profile, and I'd look even better than I already do.
I pulled on the first pair of shorts, buttoned them up and turned around to see the cats staring at me. I swear, that if those cats could laugh, they would have been rolling around on the floor, holding their stomachs and pounding the ground with their paws. As it was, I swear I could see Luna, the female, shaking her head in pity.
The shorts did feel a little odd. I could tell my stomach was sucked in, but there was definitely more going on. I slowly walked over to the full-length mirror, dreading what I was going to see.
You've heard the phrase "muffin top"? Muffin top doesn't even begin to cover what I saw. Have you ever gotten a really loaded ice cream cone? You know how it's all stiff on the cone part, and then where the ice cream part starts, there's a ton of ice cream just pushing out all over the top of the cone in every which direction? That was me. Ice Cream Top.
Yes, the shorts are slimming. They take an amazing two inches off of my stomach. The question I should have asked myself at the time is; "What happens to all of that fat that's no longer on my stomach"? It's being pushed up above the waist line on my pants, that's what's happening. I look like I have a 2 keg beer belly pouring over my belt. The pants are stretch pants, but I honestly feel like I'm stretching them to the very last inch of their stretchiness. If I stretch them out any more, they are going to explode off of me. Try explaining that while handing out food at the middle school picnic.
The funny thing is, I bought a regular, non-slimming pair of capris from this same manufacturer in this same size last month. They still fit me just fine.
Nursing my bruised ego, I pulled the shorts off and took a closer look at the interior construction. There is a control panel across the front of these shorts. It looks as if I can take the control panel out with some patience and a good seam ripper. Hopefully, once the control panel is removed, then all of my flab and fat can distribute itself where it normally sits around my tummy. It's a little easier to hide that tummy when it's evenly distributed.
While I'd really, really like to whittle a couple more inches off my tummy, I think I'd be better doing it the old fashioned way with diet and exercise. Or maybe a pair of Spanx. Yeah, maybe Spanx AND my slimming shorts...
Thursday, June 20, 2013
Choose Your Poison
"So, which will it be?" my doctor asked.
My mind whirled as I thought through the options.
I've had an upper respiratory infection for over a month now. The first round of antibiotics didn't help, and I was back in my doctor's office to see if there was anything else we could do about it. My throat was still sore, and both of my ears are still infected, and sound is muffled.
Actually, the muffled sounds aren't always a bad thing. Screaming babies at the grocery store don't bother me right now... I can barely hear them. Loud public events don't bother me, as I can barely hear what is going on around me.
On the other hand, I can barely hear my kids when they talk to me. They have to stand on the side that is hearing well. Today, that is the right side. I can't hear someone when they say hello to me across the grocery store, either. That's kind of bad.
So, I was sitting in the doctor's office, looking for some relief. I've been off of the last round of antibiotics for 3 days, and things aren't any better. I woke up with a serious ear-ache, I can barely swallow, and my head feels like it's going to explode.
After a thorough listen to my chest, and a lot of time checking out my lymph nodes in my throat, she decided to give it another go with antibiotics. We are going up a class of drugs, too. Stronger drugs. Oh boy.
"So, we have two options at this level. They both have some significant side effects. The first one will give you diarrhea, the second will make you nauseous and sick to your stomach. Which one do you want to deal with?"
Jeesh. What a choice. Either way, I'm going to need to be close to a bathroom for the next two weeks. Youngest child is going to a camp in Baltimore next week, and oldest child works at a camp north of Baltimore, and will need to be picked up for his "weekend" - Monday night until Wednesday morning. Both of those trips are an hour one way, and public facilities are not always easy to find.
Finally, I choose diarrhea. Yogurt will help keep my digestive balance a little more on track, and will replace the good bacteria I am losing from the antibiotics.
I tell her my choice, and she gives me a list of OTC drugs that will help keep the unwanted side effects at bay if things get really bad.
And then, she delivers the killer line:
"I want you to stay away from the germ factories and give your body a chance to heal. No swimming pool. No gym. No school. Try to stay away from church, and try not to shake anyone's hand for the next two weeks. Even at the library and grocery stores, make sure you wipe down the handles on your cart, and wipe down the mylar covers on the books when you get home."
I stare at her. School has been out for a week, but I'm supposed to stay away from the pool? Wipe down the books from the library?
She stares hard at me. "I mean it. I want you to slow down for the next two weeks. Enjoy your summer. Spend time out in the yard, weed the garden, pick strawberries, watch the sunset. Just let your immune system work this out without you adding any extra stress to your system from new germs for 2 weeks."
And so, here I am. At home. Last night, we watched the sunset. This morning, I've already done a load of laundry, and I'm getting ready to tackle a quilt I've had sitting around for a while that I've been intending to "get to" for months now. I put a boatload of books on reserve at the library that my husband picked up last night, and he wiped the covers down with disinfectant before he brought them into the house.
Even better - the husband is going grocery shopping tonight! Hmmm... this whole "grounded" thing might not be as bad as I thought!
My mind whirled as I thought through the options.
I've had an upper respiratory infection for over a month now. The first round of antibiotics didn't help, and I was back in my doctor's office to see if there was anything else we could do about it. My throat was still sore, and both of my ears are still infected, and sound is muffled.
Actually, the muffled sounds aren't always a bad thing. Screaming babies at the grocery store don't bother me right now... I can barely hear them. Loud public events don't bother me, as I can barely hear what is going on around me.
On the other hand, I can barely hear my kids when they talk to me. They have to stand on the side that is hearing well. Today, that is the right side. I can't hear someone when they say hello to me across the grocery store, either. That's kind of bad.
So, I was sitting in the doctor's office, looking for some relief. I've been off of the last round of antibiotics for 3 days, and things aren't any better. I woke up with a serious ear-ache, I can barely swallow, and my head feels like it's going to explode.
After a thorough listen to my chest, and a lot of time checking out my lymph nodes in my throat, she decided to give it another go with antibiotics. We are going up a class of drugs, too. Stronger drugs. Oh boy.
"So, we have two options at this level. They both have some significant side effects. The first one will give you diarrhea, the second will make you nauseous and sick to your stomach. Which one do you want to deal with?"
Jeesh. What a choice. Either way, I'm going to need to be close to a bathroom for the next two weeks. Youngest child is going to a camp in Baltimore next week, and oldest child works at a camp north of Baltimore, and will need to be picked up for his "weekend" - Monday night until Wednesday morning. Both of those trips are an hour one way, and public facilities are not always easy to find.
Finally, I choose diarrhea. Yogurt will help keep my digestive balance a little more on track, and will replace the good bacteria I am losing from the antibiotics.
I tell her my choice, and she gives me a list of OTC drugs that will help keep the unwanted side effects at bay if things get really bad.
And then, she delivers the killer line:
"I want you to stay away from the germ factories and give your body a chance to heal. No swimming pool. No gym. No school. Try to stay away from church, and try not to shake anyone's hand for the next two weeks. Even at the library and grocery stores, make sure you wipe down the handles on your cart, and wipe down the mylar covers on the books when you get home."
I stare at her. School has been out for a week, but I'm supposed to stay away from the pool? Wipe down the books from the library?
She stares hard at me. "I mean it. I want you to slow down for the next two weeks. Enjoy your summer. Spend time out in the yard, weed the garden, pick strawberries, watch the sunset. Just let your immune system work this out without you adding any extra stress to your system from new germs for 2 weeks."
And so, here I am. At home. Last night, we watched the sunset. This morning, I've already done a load of laundry, and I'm getting ready to tackle a quilt I've had sitting around for a while that I've been intending to "get to" for months now. I put a boatload of books on reserve at the library that my husband picked up last night, and he wiped the covers down with disinfectant before he brought them into the house.
Even better - the husband is going grocery shopping tonight! Hmmm... this whole "grounded" thing might not be as bad as I thought!
Wednesday, June 19, 2013
New York, New York!
I want to be a part of it.. New York, New York! Well, you get the idea. After middle child finally managed to graduate from high school, I took him on his graduation trip. This tradition began in our family with me. My Dad did not want me to head out to Ocean City with the other "wise" members of my graduating class, so he took me on a 4 day trip to California. I still vividly remember the trip. It truly is one of the highlights of my life. So, for our children, we take each one on a trip for 4 days after graduation to someplace they want to visit - but we added the caveat that it had to be east of the Mississippi River. So, middle child said he wanted to go to New York. And off to New York we went!
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| New York City at night. We stayed in New Jersey, and this was our view across the river. |
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| 9-11 Memorial. Freedom 1 is the tall building to the right. It was a very wet, sad, and rainy day when we were there. |
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| The lobby of the Museum of Modern Art. Oh, the art in these museums! Amazing! |
We had a wonderful time. We visited many museums - the Museum of Modern Art, the Guggenheim, the American Museum of Natural History, and the Metropolitan Museum of Art.
The Statue of Liberty is still closed for renovations. It will reopen on July 4. Ellis Island, however, is closed until further notice due to the damage from Hurricane Sandy. So, middle child and I spent a very wet and rainy day across the river in New Jersey, looking at the Statue of Liberty and Ellis Island. We had planned to walk on the Freedom Walk, which extends along the shore line, but it, too was closed due to damage from Sandy.
All in all, it was a wonderful trip. I hope that he remembers this trip when he grows up just as fondly as I do!
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| Freedom One on a glorious summer day. |
Tuesday, June 18, 2013
Vegetarian Lasagna
Lasagna has always been one of my favorite food groups. But, with the Italian Sausage, three kinds of cheese, eggs, and noodles, it's never been one of the better choices for me!
I began making vegetarian lasagna a few years ago when I found myself inundated with summer produce. How could I use all of this produce, and keep it good for later?
Enter vegetarian lasagna. I tweaked a few things to make it healthier, and even better, this is a recipe that freezes well. When I make a batch, I make two pans. One for us to enjoy now, and one for us to enjoy later. I will wrap the second one well, and stick it in the freezer so that on one of those nights when I know I am going to be pressed for time, and need something easy to make for dinner, I can just pop this into the oven and have dinner hot and ready an hour later!
What follows is my recipe for Veggie Lasagna:
Sauce:
Saute in a pan over med-low heat-
1 onion, diced
1 mushroom (I prefer portabella, but any kind will do), diced
1 or 2 bell peppers, depending upon their size. Color doesn't matter
2 cups of spinach, sliced into thin ribbons and then cross cut once or twice to make the pieces smaller
1 zucchini, diced
If I have any of these on hand, I will add them to my sauce:
Swiss Chard
Kale
Yellow Squash
Add the spinach last to the saute pan, wait until the onions are almost translucent. Once the spinach has wilted, add a large (32 ounce jar) or spaghetti sauce, and keep an extra jar on standby, in case if you run out of sauce. I use our own homemade sauce, but have been known to use a store bought sauce if we are out of ours.
The Cheese Layer:
In a large bowl, mix:
2 large bags of shredded low-fat mozzarella cheese
6 eggs
1 box of lasagna noodles, uncooked.
I don't cook my noodles. Somewhere around 2000, when the kids were little, I didn't have time to cook the noodles, so I put them into the pan and hoped for the best. Since I use so many veggies in my sauce, there is a lot of extra water. The noodles do a great job of soaking up the water and helping the lasagna to set faster.
Begin assembly:
Spray the bottoms of two 9 x 13 inch pans with non-stick cooking spray.
Place 1/2 cup of sauce in the bottom of each pan, spread it out evenly with a spoon. If you need more sauce to give the bottom of the pan a nice "red" color, go ahead.
Layer noodles on top of the sauce. My pans require 3 noodles lengthwise, and 1 across at the end. I try to alternate which side gets the cross wise noodle.
Spread 1 to 1 1/2 cups of cheese sauce evenly across the noodles. It might not spread completely evenly, but that's okay. The cheese will melt and spread.
Layer 1 to 1/2 cups of the sauce across the cheese. I like my lasagna saucy, so I use a heavier hand with the sauce and make certain that it is evenly spread across the cheese and noodles.
Layer Noodles over sauce.
Cheese. (This is my last cheese layer, so I try to make certain all of the cheese is used up in this layer.)
Sauce.
Noodles.
On top of this layer of noodles, I add another layer of sauce, with no cheese. I know people who add extra cheese on this layer, or nothing at all. Honestly, at this point, it is up to you and your preferences. I try not to add cheese to the top at this point because I've found it sticks to the foil. If I wanted cheese on the top, I'd add it after I remove the foil for the last 15 minutes of baking.
Once this is done, I cover both trays with foil. The one going into the freezer is labeled and put away.
The other lasagna is either cooked immediately, or put into the fridge so that I can bake it closer to dinner time.
To bake:
Oven 350*.
With foil on, bake lasagna in a 350* oven for 45 minutes.
Remove foil, bake an additional 15 minutes.
Remove from oven, let sit for an additional 10-15 minutes before serving.
If frozen- try to remember to take the lasagna out of the freezer the night before and thaw in your refrigerator overnight. At the very least, try to remember to put it in your fridge before you go to work in the morning! Then cook, following the directions listed above.
I began making vegetarian lasagna a few years ago when I found myself inundated with summer produce. How could I use all of this produce, and keep it good for later?
Enter vegetarian lasagna. I tweaked a few things to make it healthier, and even better, this is a recipe that freezes well. When I make a batch, I make two pans. One for us to enjoy now, and one for us to enjoy later. I will wrap the second one well, and stick it in the freezer so that on one of those nights when I know I am going to be pressed for time, and need something easy to make for dinner, I can just pop this into the oven and have dinner hot and ready an hour later!
What follows is my recipe for Veggie Lasagna:
Sauce:
Saute in a pan over med-low heat-
1 onion, diced
1 mushroom (I prefer portabella, but any kind will do), diced
1 or 2 bell peppers, depending upon their size. Color doesn't matter
2 cups of spinach, sliced into thin ribbons and then cross cut once or twice to make the pieces smaller
1 zucchini, diced
If I have any of these on hand, I will add them to my sauce:
Swiss Chard
Kale
Yellow Squash
Add the spinach last to the saute pan, wait until the onions are almost translucent. Once the spinach has wilted, add a large (32 ounce jar) or spaghetti sauce, and keep an extra jar on standby, in case if you run out of sauce. I use our own homemade sauce, but have been known to use a store bought sauce if we are out of ours.
The Cheese Layer:
In a large bowl, mix:
2 large bags of shredded low-fat mozzarella cheese
6 eggs
1 box of lasagna noodles, uncooked.
I don't cook my noodles. Somewhere around 2000, when the kids were little, I didn't have time to cook the noodles, so I put them into the pan and hoped for the best. Since I use so many veggies in my sauce, there is a lot of extra water. The noodles do a great job of soaking up the water and helping the lasagna to set faster.
Begin assembly:
Spray the bottoms of two 9 x 13 inch pans with non-stick cooking spray.
Place 1/2 cup of sauce in the bottom of each pan, spread it out evenly with a spoon. If you need more sauce to give the bottom of the pan a nice "red" color, go ahead.
Layer noodles on top of the sauce. My pans require 3 noodles lengthwise, and 1 across at the end. I try to alternate which side gets the cross wise noodle.
Spread 1 to 1 1/2 cups of cheese sauce evenly across the noodles. It might not spread completely evenly, but that's okay. The cheese will melt and spread.
Layer 1 to 1/2 cups of the sauce across the cheese. I like my lasagna saucy, so I use a heavier hand with the sauce and make certain that it is evenly spread across the cheese and noodles.
Layer Noodles over sauce.
Cheese. (This is my last cheese layer, so I try to make certain all of the cheese is used up in this layer.)
Sauce.
Noodles.
On top of this layer of noodles, I add another layer of sauce, with no cheese. I know people who add extra cheese on this layer, or nothing at all. Honestly, at this point, it is up to you and your preferences. I try not to add cheese to the top at this point because I've found it sticks to the foil. If I wanted cheese on the top, I'd add it after I remove the foil for the last 15 minutes of baking.
Once this is done, I cover both trays with foil. The one going into the freezer is labeled and put away.
The other lasagna is either cooked immediately, or put into the fridge so that I can bake it closer to dinner time.
To bake:
Oven 350*.
With foil on, bake lasagna in a 350* oven for 45 minutes.
Remove foil, bake an additional 15 minutes.
Remove from oven, let sit for an additional 10-15 minutes before serving.
If frozen- try to remember to take the lasagna out of the freezer the night before and thaw in your refrigerator overnight. At the very least, try to remember to put it in your fridge before you go to work in the morning! Then cook, following the directions listed above.
Monday, June 17, 2013
They're Reading our E-Mails!
I've been following the scandal surrounding e-mails and text messages with some amusement this week. Amusement, because we think our e-mails are private, and we are astounded when we find out that they are not.
I know that when I started my most recent job, I signed a statement that I understood that any e-mail that went back and forth on the company network was subject to the company reading and reviewing not only my e-mails, but also my web activity. If I were to access my private e-mail on a company network, then they would be able to access whatever I sent. Believe me, ever since I signed that paper, I only use my work computers for work, and will not access my private e-mail account on the machines at work. Considering that every once in a while, you will find out about someone who was fired for sending personal e-mails on company time, surfing inappropriate websites, or for sending e-mails that had nothing to do with company business on a company e-mail, I think I'm on the right track. I know that this policy extends to smart phones accessing the company network, as well as smartphones that the company owns - even when you are at home, off of company time. You are still using the company's machinery.
I keep my smart phone locked, and I require a password to access my accounts. Even then, I only access facebook and e-mail from my smart phone. I have heard that hackers are getting better at getting into smart phones and stealing sensitive account information off of the phone.
When I log onto a public network, say at Panera, I get a message from my computer telling me that "This is a public network. Others can see what you are doing." Read: Hackers can get into your wireless transmissions and read whatever you are writing or sending. I only logged into public networks to turn in reports for school. Anyone who is interested in the borrowing habits of teenagers in public libraries is more than welcome to read my thoughts on the matter. But, send a personal e-mail from Panera? No way.
Spy Ware and Mal Ware are everywhere. When did you last run your virus scan on your computer? I run a check weekly on my computer. Did you know that some spyware will record every single keystroke you make and transmit it back to the home computer? Some unknown entity somewhere is putting those keystrokes together and reading through everything you ever wrote.
But, who would take the time to do this? People who are out to steal your account information. Yes, they are real. They plant spy ware on your computer while you are surfing the web, or opening funny messages from friends, and the transmission back to the home servers begin immediately.
I have a friend who thinks her user name and password were lifted when she logged into her e-mail from a computer at the public library. We all started getting e-mails from her about how she was in Italy and her money, passport, and plane ticket home had been stolen and that she needed help getting back home. The hacker even gave a bank account number of an account that the U.S. Embassy had supposedly set up to help her get back home.
Let's say you are working on your laptop somewhere in public. Did you know that if you don't have a privacy screen on your monitor, anybody in the same room with you can read what you've written?
And let's not forget our "friends" who decide to respond to a message that we sent them, but BCC someone else on the e-mail for whatever reason.
Wait.. what about the data mining that goes on with our permission? Those tags we use at the grocery store to get sales? The grocery store is tracking everything from our buying preferences, to our method of payment. They know everything about us. Target is infamous for data mining information about their customers. I'm not sure how they do it, but I believe they track information using our credit card numbers. Every single time we swipe a credit card, information is stored about us somewhere. Our names, our buying habits, the stores we regularly shop, how often we get gas, our favorite gas stations. It's rather frightening when you realize how much information is out there about you already.
The list goes on and on. Electronic communications are never as secure as we think. Privacy in an online world calls for constant vigilance on our part. I am more worried about some random person in the neighborhood library attempting to hack into my laptop and steal information than I am about the federal government supposedly reading my text messages. I honestly can't see someone taking time out of their day to read about my lunch plans with my friend Jessica later in the week, or our messages back and forth because the owner of our favorite bagel shop is undergoing a bone marrow transplant this week, and they are having a fundraiser to help him cover medical expenses over the weekend.
One last thought to creep you out a little:
To some other governments around the world - WE are the enemy. They do not have the Constitution legally binding them and what information they can mine. Most likely, they do have someone sitting around reading the text messages back and forth between teenagers: "OMG! No he didn't" and "LOL! Yes he did!".
They probably know all about my lunch plans with Jessica. I just hope they send some money over to the fundraiser at the bagel shop this weekend. His medical expenses are going through the roof.
I know that when I started my most recent job, I signed a statement that I understood that any e-mail that went back and forth on the company network was subject to the company reading and reviewing not only my e-mails, but also my web activity. If I were to access my private e-mail on a company network, then they would be able to access whatever I sent. Believe me, ever since I signed that paper, I only use my work computers for work, and will not access my private e-mail account on the machines at work. Considering that every once in a while, you will find out about someone who was fired for sending personal e-mails on company time, surfing inappropriate websites, or for sending e-mails that had nothing to do with company business on a company e-mail, I think I'm on the right track. I know that this policy extends to smart phones accessing the company network, as well as smartphones that the company owns - even when you are at home, off of company time. You are still using the company's machinery.
I keep my smart phone locked, and I require a password to access my accounts. Even then, I only access facebook and e-mail from my smart phone. I have heard that hackers are getting better at getting into smart phones and stealing sensitive account information off of the phone.
When I log onto a public network, say at Panera, I get a message from my computer telling me that "This is a public network. Others can see what you are doing." Read: Hackers can get into your wireless transmissions and read whatever you are writing or sending. I only logged into public networks to turn in reports for school. Anyone who is interested in the borrowing habits of teenagers in public libraries is more than welcome to read my thoughts on the matter. But, send a personal e-mail from Panera? No way.
Spy Ware and Mal Ware are everywhere. When did you last run your virus scan on your computer? I run a check weekly on my computer. Did you know that some spyware will record every single keystroke you make and transmit it back to the home computer? Some unknown entity somewhere is putting those keystrokes together and reading through everything you ever wrote.
But, who would take the time to do this? People who are out to steal your account information. Yes, they are real. They plant spy ware on your computer while you are surfing the web, or opening funny messages from friends, and the transmission back to the home servers begin immediately.
I have a friend who thinks her user name and password were lifted when she logged into her e-mail from a computer at the public library. We all started getting e-mails from her about how she was in Italy and her money, passport, and plane ticket home had been stolen and that she needed help getting back home. The hacker even gave a bank account number of an account that the U.S. Embassy had supposedly set up to help her get back home.
Let's say you are working on your laptop somewhere in public. Did you know that if you don't have a privacy screen on your monitor, anybody in the same room with you can read what you've written?
And let's not forget our "friends" who decide to respond to a message that we sent them, but BCC someone else on the e-mail for whatever reason.
Wait.. what about the data mining that goes on with our permission? Those tags we use at the grocery store to get sales? The grocery store is tracking everything from our buying preferences, to our method of payment. They know everything about us. Target is infamous for data mining information about their customers. I'm not sure how they do it, but I believe they track information using our credit card numbers. Every single time we swipe a credit card, information is stored about us somewhere. Our names, our buying habits, the stores we regularly shop, how often we get gas, our favorite gas stations. It's rather frightening when you realize how much information is out there about you already.
The list goes on and on. Electronic communications are never as secure as we think. Privacy in an online world calls for constant vigilance on our part. I am more worried about some random person in the neighborhood library attempting to hack into my laptop and steal information than I am about the federal government supposedly reading my text messages. I honestly can't see someone taking time out of their day to read about my lunch plans with my friend Jessica later in the week, or our messages back and forth because the owner of our favorite bagel shop is undergoing a bone marrow transplant this week, and they are having a fundraiser to help him cover medical expenses over the weekend.
One last thought to creep you out a little:
To some other governments around the world - WE are the enemy. They do not have the Constitution legally binding them and what information they can mine. Most likely, they do have someone sitting around reading the text messages back and forth between teenagers: "OMG! No he didn't" and "LOL! Yes he did!".
They probably know all about my lunch plans with Jessica. I just hope they send some money over to the fundraiser at the bagel shop this weekend. His medical expenses are going through the roof.
Saturday, June 15, 2013
Saving a Little Money - One Penny at a Time
I try to cook most of our meals from scratch. Not only is it healthier if I cook the meals myself, it saves an awful lot of money over time. One thing I find I constantly need is Chicken Bullion and Chicken Broth. I'm not fond of the bullion cubes you find at the grocery store. They are very high in sodium. In fact, many bullion cubes contain some form of Monosodium Glutamate. (MSG). Since I have problems with MSG, I find it easier to make my own home made version of bullion cubes. I make my bullion cubes in advance, so I can pull them out and use them when I need them.
You will need a deep pot, and the left over bones (with meat still attached) of whatever you have recently eaten. Chicken, Turkey, and Beef bones all work well for this. I usually do this on a day when I know I'm going to be home all day. I start the broth simmering in the morning, and then turn it off around 2 or 3. I let it cool, skim off the fat, and then make the cubes.
So, for a days worth of work, I ended up with 24 little cubes of turkey broth. They are happily sitting in the freezer right now, waiting for me when I next need them.
I froze the rest of the broth - 3 quarts worth- in 3 plastic containers with screw-on lids. I will use these when I need a large quantity of broth to make soup.
For the three quarts of broth alone, I saved $10. I put in maybe an hour's worth of work, total on this project. Nice investment of my time!
You will need a deep pot, and the left over bones (with meat still attached) of whatever you have recently eaten. Chicken, Turkey, and Beef bones all work well for this. I usually do this on a day when I know I'm going to be home all day. I start the broth simmering in the morning, and then turn it off around 2 or 3. I let it cool, skim off the fat, and then make the cubes.
 |
| Everybody into the hot tub! One turkey carcass, three stalks of celery roughly cut into large pieces, four carrots, peeled and snapped into several large chunks, and an onion, cut into quarters. Put everybody into the pot and add water. I add enough water to make the bones float- usually about half full. Bring the mix to a rolling boil, and then lower the temperature down to a "2" or "Med-Low" and let everything simmer for hours. Let it simmer at least 4 hours, with the lid on, adding water occasionally to make certain that the water level never drops down below the halfway point in your pot. After 3 or 4 hours, turn the heat off and let the broth cool. Skim any visible fat off the top. At this point, cookbooks will tell you to pour the broth through a cheesecloth in a colander over another pot to remove the bones and veggies. I hate getting extra pots dirty, so I fish out what I can. I guess I'm a little lazy. I figure that any chunks of veggies or meat that I can't get out with my little hand held strainer deserves to stay in and help flavor the next meal. |
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| Here, I've portioned out the broth into a muffin tin. I always spray the tin with a non-stick spray before I add the broth. It helps to make getting these guys out a little easier. I freeze the broth overnight, and then pull the tins out. Run a little warm water over the top and bottom of the tin. Using a fork (or table knife) and some patience, leverage these guys out of their little spaces. These guys have just come out of the freezer. You can see the fat has come to the top. I scraped off what I could before I put them in a freezer bag. |
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| Look! Little bullion cubes! When a recipe calls for chicken bullion, or a small amount of broth, I will pull out one of these cubes and add it. Each cube contains about 1/2 cup of broth. One of these cubes will add as much flavor as a bullion cube, but with much less sodium. A long time ago, I used to make these in ice cube trays. Pulling the cubes out of an ice cube tray was much easier - the trays are designed to release their contents easily. However, I had two problems with this method- I'd always end up using 2 or 3 broth cubes for every meal I made. Even worse, the mess I made attempting to get the broth into the trays- and to get equal distribution among the trays, was very messy. With the broth in a muffin tin, I can fill the muffin holes 2/3 full and still have a decent size cube. It allows room for expansion in the tin. I make less of a mess transporting muffin tins that are 2/3 of the way full across the room to the freezer than I do a mostly full ice cube tray of broth. Don't ask me why... I guess I'm just clumsy! |
So, for a days worth of work, I ended up with 24 little cubes of turkey broth. They are happily sitting in the freezer right now, waiting for me when I next need them.
I froze the rest of the broth - 3 quarts worth- in 3 plastic containers with screw-on lids. I will use these when I need a large quantity of broth to make soup.
For the three quarts of broth alone, I saved $10. I put in maybe an hour's worth of work, total on this project. Nice investment of my time!
Friday, June 14, 2013
Graduation, Maybe
Last week, middle child graduated high school. Two weeks ago was the last week for Seniors. And exactly three weeks ago, I got a call from the school asking if he was planning on graduating from high school this year?
A little background here. Middle child has always considered homework and classwork to be more of a guideline than a hard and fast rule.
Don't get me wrong. The child is brilliant. If he enjoys the class and finds it challenging, he will work, and he will work hard. He has a scholarship to attend college in the fall.
However, if he thinks the class is worthless, or he finds the work to be "busy work", "stupid", or "a waste of my time", he won't do any of it. NADA.
This has been a constant battle between us for years. I know he can do so much better than he does. He chooses only to put himself out in "worthwhile" classes. As a result, he's carried a high B average through all of high school. And by high B, I mean 3.49.
So, the call from the high school went something like this:
counselor: Graduation is a week away. He is failing three of his classes. He is required to pass English in order to graduate, and right now, he is failing English.
me: Just what do his grades look like right now?
counselor: AP Calculus, 100%. AP Physics, 100%. Honors Painting, 100%. AP Macro Economics, 98%. English, 19%. Pop Culture, 20%. AP Spanish, 21%.
me: How on earth did he get grades that low in those three classes?
counselor: He hasn't turned any homework assignments in AT ALL in those classes this grading period. I spoke to him about it at length, and he told me that he was too smart to spend time "doing busy work just so the teachers could have something to grade. If they want something to grade, give me a paper to write. Ask me to analyze a piece of literature. Don't give me 20 multiple choice questions about the plot of a story."
me: (squelching urge to scream, because I kind of agree with him) Is there any way he can turn in the back assignments and get enough credit to graduate?
counselor: Yes. If he turns in all of his back work, he will get half credit on each assignment. That will raise his average up to just above a 50%. It's still failing, but he has major assignments and papers due in each of those three classes this week.
me: (resisting urge to bang head against the wall) Thank you so much! I appreciate the heads up!
So, when he got home, we had a discussion about his grades that consisted of me saying "How do you let your grades slip so far down? What are you thinking? (and even more to the point) YOU are going to lose your scholarships! Your admission is dependent upon your final transcript!"
His response consisted of, "Don't worry Mom, I've got this".
That weekend consisted of him spending pretty much the entire weekend in the library, or at the dining room table. He refused to talk with us, but he would occasionally smile, and then go back to work.
Monday morning arises, and I was once again harping on him about turning in his back work, as well as the projects that were due before Friday.
He just looked at me and said "Don't worry, Mom. I've got this."
By 10 am, I get an e-mail from his English teacher. Not only had he turned in every back assignment from the quarter, he had written an analysis essay comparing the book they had just finished reading to the economic principles they had just covered in economics. His final project on Drones was considered to be the best submission she had from any of her students in any of her English 12 classes.
By noon, I had an e-mail from his pop culture teacher. He had turned in every back assignment, and turned in his final project early.
By 1, the Spanish teacher e-mailed me to let me know that he had turned in all of his back assignments.
On Tuesday, we got a call from the counselor at the high school letting us know that he would be graduating without any issues whatsoever.
I just received his electronic report card this morning.
AP Calculus - A
AP Economics- A
AP Physics- A
AP Spanish - C
Honors Painting- A
Pop Culture- B
Honors English 12- B
What the heck?
So, last week, we watched him march across the stage. He hugged his English teacher instead of shaking her hand....
And the first words out of his mouth after he found us in the stands?
"College? Don't worry, Mom, I've got this."
A little background here. Middle child has always considered homework and classwork to be more of a guideline than a hard and fast rule.
Don't get me wrong. The child is brilliant. If he enjoys the class and finds it challenging, he will work, and he will work hard. He has a scholarship to attend college in the fall.
However, if he thinks the class is worthless, or he finds the work to be "busy work", "stupid", or "a waste of my time", he won't do any of it. NADA.
This has been a constant battle between us for years. I know he can do so much better than he does. He chooses only to put himself out in "worthwhile" classes. As a result, he's carried a high B average through all of high school. And by high B, I mean 3.49.
So, the call from the high school went something like this:
counselor: Graduation is a week away. He is failing three of his classes. He is required to pass English in order to graduate, and right now, he is failing English.
me: Just what do his grades look like right now?
counselor: AP Calculus, 100%. AP Physics, 100%. Honors Painting, 100%. AP Macro Economics, 98%. English, 19%. Pop Culture, 20%. AP Spanish, 21%.
me: How on earth did he get grades that low in those three classes?
counselor: He hasn't turned any homework assignments in AT ALL in those classes this grading period. I spoke to him about it at length, and he told me that he was too smart to spend time "doing busy work just so the teachers could have something to grade. If they want something to grade, give me a paper to write. Ask me to analyze a piece of literature. Don't give me 20 multiple choice questions about the plot of a story."
me: (squelching urge to scream, because I kind of agree with him) Is there any way he can turn in the back assignments and get enough credit to graduate?
counselor: Yes. If he turns in all of his back work, he will get half credit on each assignment. That will raise his average up to just above a 50%. It's still failing, but he has major assignments and papers due in each of those three classes this week.
me: (resisting urge to bang head against the wall) Thank you so much! I appreciate the heads up!
So, when he got home, we had a discussion about his grades that consisted of me saying "How do you let your grades slip so far down? What are you thinking? (and even more to the point) YOU are going to lose your scholarships! Your admission is dependent upon your final transcript!"
His response consisted of, "Don't worry Mom, I've got this".
That weekend consisted of him spending pretty much the entire weekend in the library, or at the dining room table. He refused to talk with us, but he would occasionally smile, and then go back to work.
Monday morning arises, and I was once again harping on him about turning in his back work, as well as the projects that were due before Friday.
He just looked at me and said "Don't worry, Mom. I've got this."
By 10 am, I get an e-mail from his English teacher. Not only had he turned in every back assignment from the quarter, he had written an analysis essay comparing the book they had just finished reading to the economic principles they had just covered in economics. His final project on Drones was considered to be the best submission she had from any of her students in any of her English 12 classes.
By noon, I had an e-mail from his pop culture teacher. He had turned in every back assignment, and turned in his final project early.
By 1, the Spanish teacher e-mailed me to let me know that he had turned in all of his back assignments.
On Tuesday, we got a call from the counselor at the high school letting us know that he would be graduating without any issues whatsoever.
I just received his electronic report card this morning.
AP Calculus - A
AP Economics- A
AP Physics- A
AP Spanish - C
Honors Painting- A
Pop Culture- B
Honors English 12- B
What the heck?
So, last week, we watched him march across the stage. He hugged his English teacher instead of shaking her hand....
And the first words out of his mouth after he found us in the stands?
"College? Don't worry, Mom, I've got this."
Thursday, June 13, 2013
Herding Cats
A little bit about me: I herd cats for a living!
Seriously! I have three teenagers. Well, actually I have 2 teenagers and a 20 year old. Raising kids through their teenage years has been like herding cats. With two boys and one girl, each going in very different directions, I never know from minute to minute where things are going or why things are or when the status quo is going to change.
I also substitute teach. Before my kids were born, I was a classroom teacher. But, I decided to stay home with my kids, so now, I substitute during the school year. Talk about herding cats! Every single day I walk into a classroom, I never know what is going to happen. New class, different kids, new adventures. I've had both the very funny and the very interesting happen in classrooms.
Through everything, I've learned the importance of laughter. I try not to take myself too seriously, and I try to laugh as much as I can. I do search for the hilarious in the situations I find myself in, for only then can I find the strength to carry on through some of the tougher situations we all face.
My oldest child is a Physics/Math double major who just finished his second year of college.
Our middle child is heading off to college to major in Math, he will be attending the same school as his brother.
Our youngest child is still in high school. She just finished her Sophomore year, and is still trying to find her passion in life.
This blog marks my journey- through my cat herding phases, my frustrations with life, my attempts at home-making, crafting, and thoughts about the world around me.
Thanks for spending some of your time with me!
Seriously! I have three teenagers. Well, actually I have 2 teenagers and a 20 year old. Raising kids through their teenage years has been like herding cats. With two boys and one girl, each going in very different directions, I never know from minute to minute where things are going or why things are or when the status quo is going to change.
I also substitute teach. Before my kids were born, I was a classroom teacher. But, I decided to stay home with my kids, so now, I substitute during the school year. Talk about herding cats! Every single day I walk into a classroom, I never know what is going to happen. New class, different kids, new adventures. I've had both the very funny and the very interesting happen in classrooms.
Through everything, I've learned the importance of laughter. I try not to take myself too seriously, and I try to laugh as much as I can. I do search for the hilarious in the situations I find myself in, for only then can I find the strength to carry on through some of the tougher situations we all face.
My oldest child is a Physics/Math double major who just finished his second year of college.
Our middle child is heading off to college to major in Math, he will be attending the same school as his brother.
Our youngest child is still in high school. She just finished her Sophomore year, and is still trying to find her passion in life.
This blog marks my journey- through my cat herding phases, my frustrations with life, my attempts at home-making, crafting, and thoughts about the world around me.
Thanks for spending some of your time with me!
Tuesday, June 11, 2013
Senior Week
This post originally appeared in my now defunct "Mom's View" blog. I moved it to this blog at the request of my kids, who wanted to have all of the various posts that accompanied their high school years in one place. I've matched the publication dates here to their original post date. If you're reading these posts, I sincerely thank you for taking the time to go back through them all!
We never wanted to put our kids into a situation where they could find themselves pressured into decisions that they were just not ready to make.
So, middle child was given his choice of where to go for his graduation trip this year.
He settled on New York City.
He and I spent 3 wonderful days hopping around museums and visiting the 9-11 Memorial.
We hit up the Museum of Modern Art (MoMA), the Metropolitan Museum of Art (Met), the Guggenheim, and the American Museum of Natural History.
It was a whirlwind 3 days. I've now been to the major museums on the East Coast. I can honestly say that the Met was my favorite museum. It just goes on and on and on. Every single room leads to another discovery, and then another discovery. It was an amazing experience, and I don't feel that I have even scratched the surface. I need to go back at least two more times to see it all and absorb everything that is there to be seen.
We just got back home a little while ago. Both of us are exhausted beyond words. He's asleep in his room, and I'm ready to fall asleep at the keyboard, but I'm too wound up from driving home.
I keep forgetting that New York - and all of those amazing museums - are only 4 hours away from my house. I need to head up that way and explore the museums a little more often!
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