Raising Superman

Week #3

2011-08-26T15:24:00.001-07:00

Caden started out the week with a cutting exercise.

The letter of the week was Mm! Caden also worked on writing his address.

His bible memory verse was 1 John 1:9.

PB&H

One of Caden's assignments was to identify the ingredients in a

peanut butter sandwich and to then make it all by himself.

He did a wonderful job!

AND he's made a peanut butter and honey sandwich every day since...

for lunch or snack, basically whenever he has

an opportunity to flaunt his independence!!!

Caden also had his first creative writing assignment.

He dictated his own version of What Happened in the story

based on what he observed in the picture.

Nuts and Bolts

Creative Story Making

By Caden Clinton 8-24-11

Typed by Mom

Once upon a time there was this guy who made a robot. He didn’t have any oil left, so he threw the robot in the junk yard. The robot just had a little oil left so he walked to this little boy’s house. And then he fell down right on the front porch stairs. This little boy was playing with some cards. The boy’s name was Jake. He went to play cards with his friends when he saw the robot just laying there. He put some oil in the robot to make him move. The robot shredded paper so the boy named him Shredder. They became friends. The end.

We did math each day and Caden's is working diligently on his addition. We were at the grocery store and he was in the cart working problems from his book. He asked me about an addition problem and so I got out my trusty dusty fingers to show him the addition...

here is how the convo went:

"MOM! Put your fingers down!"

"What? I can't use my fingers to add?"

"I don't want to USE my fingers!!!"

"Are you embarrassed to use fingers?

Do you think only little kids use their fingers to count?"

"Yes!"

"Well, I'm 31 years old and STILL use my fingers,

especially in the GROCERY store

and I DO USE them in front of other adults."

So he began using them again, low in his lap, VERY discreetly.

Super Duper Fun Stuff!

This week we made brown bread in honor of our wrapping up the Boxcar Children book. The recipe comes from my best friend's mom, Karen who is a super cook/nutritionist. Caden and I had this bread while home this summer to Lincoln. To say we snarfed it would be a HUGE understatement.

We inhaled that bad boy. It was SO good!

So we attempted it at home and found all the ingredients at HEB.

Vocab word of the week:

Biga: p
ronounced bee-gah
is a type of pre-ferment used in Italian baking.

Using a biga adds complexity to the bread's flavor and is often used in breads which need a light, open texture with holes. Apart from adding to flavour and texture, a biga also helps to preserve bread by making it less perishable. A biga is made from a mixture of flour, water, a small amount of commercial yeast, but no salt, and typically uses a hydration sufficient to achieve a generally quite stiff, dough-like consistency, much like the final dough into which it is to be incorporated. It is allowed to ferment and ripen at room temperature for several hours (typically 12–24 hours or more) before incorporating into the final dough.

NUTTY WHEAT BREAD

from Karen Creswell

(The biga allows the bread to rise more.)

For the biga combine in a bowl:

2 ½ cups bread flour

1 1/3 cups warm water (100 – 110 degrees)

¾ teaspoon instant or rapid rise yeast

Cover bowl tightly with plastic wrap and let sit at room temperature for at least 8 hours or up to 24 hours.

When the biga is ready add the remaining ingredients to the biga

and mix with a stand mixer on medium speed until combined:

1/3 cup wheat germ

3/4 cup unprocessed miller’s bran

1/4 teaspoon baking soda

1 1/2 teaspoons instant or rapid rise yeast

3 tablespoons sugar

1/2 teaspoon salt

3 tablespoons potato flour (optional)

1 teaspoon molasses

¼ cup powdered buttermilk

Line an 8 ½ x4 ½ glass loaf pan with parchment paper. Put the dough in the lined pan. Brush the top with oil and cover with saran wrap. Let rise in the microwave at 10% power for 20 minutes. Bake at 375 degrees for 15 minutes, cover with foil and continue baking until the internal temperature of the loaf is 190 degrees (about 15 more minutes).

OUR BIGA!

The Final Product!!!

Brown Bread and Wild Blueberries are what the boxcar children eat for Supper one of the
first nights they are in the Boxcar. This was Caden's snack for our final chapters.
He learned the difference between Supper and Dinner.

WE finished The Box Car
Children today!!!
Caden LOVED
the book.

We truly enjoyed
this little jem and
I am so thankful
that it
was a part
of our curriculum!

Week 2

2011-08-19T12:24:00.001-07:00

This week Caden and I worked on the letter Bb and writing his last name. Last week was letter Ff and his first name. Caden's penmanship is really great. Grant says it already is better than mine!

We do a bible story each morning and then I ask him comprehension questions to make sure he's remembering the story. The one we spent the majority of time discussing was the story of Lot and his wife. He did not like that she turned into a pillar of salt.

Sonlight comes with a Book of Time timeline book.

We've filled in dates like Noah and the Ark, Abraham,

and will also use it for Presidents, wars etc.

This week we also studied the ancient Egyptians. We learned that the Egyptians would sometimes wear perfumed cones of grease on their heads for parties. The cones would melt and smell nice. Caden thought that was very interesting. They also had pet dogs and cats like us. When someone's cat would die, the owner would shave off half of their eyebrow to show how upset they were! We also studied the pyramids and what they thought about their Pharaohs' in the afterlife. We watched the 10 Commandments animated movie to see it all in action.

I made Caden this collar that looks similar to the gold ones they once wore. Egyptians LOVED jewelry! They wore cuffs, bracelets, earrings, rings and pendants of all kinds.

I put on Egyptian make-up to show Caden what it looked like. The men and women BOTH wore make-up. They put red on their cheeks and lips and grey, green or black "Kohl" thick around their eyes as well as eye shadow.

AND his math finally arrived! We received his first grade work book, text book,

Intensive practice and Challenging word problems books.

They are all really great and we've started the first lesson in each book.

For an impromptu TEXAS HEAT science experiment, we found a dead earwig bug and decided to see what would happen if we placed it's body under a magnifying glass in 102 degree heat. Well, after about 5 minutes the shell was a bright orange color and it was smoking.

After about 15 minutes it's little

legs actually burned off.

Then we proceeded with the HEAT experiment and cracked an egg on our driveway. Nothin!

We were disappointed to say the least. Hoping to fry the egg for our dog Maggie, alas, it was not to be - not today anyways!

First Week of School!!!

2011-08-12T15:30:00.000-07:00

I am calling it a dry run, so to speak. We are waiting on his math curriculum to arrive. The K level stuff was too easy for him, so I had to order First Grade level. While Caden is not super advanced in that area, he is beginning addition and subtraction which this curriculum did not cover for the Kindergarden year. It's crazy to think that I can move at his pace and skip the busy work once he's mastered a concept.

Doodoodoodoo (twilight zone music).

Handwriting bored him, but the Box Car Children, Bible Stories,

Verse Memorization and Science stuff were very exciting.

AND he napped for 2 hours the first day of school. He NEVER naps...

I guess we really exercised his brain!

Caden Memorized

Romans 3:23-24

this week:

All have sinned and fall short of the glory of God and are justified freely

by his grace, through the redemption that came by Christ Jesus.

We learned about the world's first people. We studied their culture, clothing, food they ate and where they lived. Caden made a necklace with an arrowhead and bear claws like the mighty men from these ancient tribes. We also learned about an African man named Hosi who learned to read, a very rare thing where he lived. He came back to his tribe as a story teller in their village gathering place called the onjango. Hosi taught them about Suku. Suku is God who is the creator of all things. This God loved them and protected them. And through stories about men like Abraham, David and Jesus the village came to love and trust in Suku and no longer lived in fear of evil spirits.

Caden's tough man necklace

He will be learning about frogs over the next month so we surprised Caden and got him two African dwarf frogs. Their names are Piglet and Fighty. They are a whopping 1 1/2 inches long!

This week we worked on months of the year. Caden and I worked on our August calendar and we also skipped rope to memorize the months. He got up to two years and I was able to do four- I've still got it! We also worked on understanding time concepts. What two weeks looks and feels like. We also talked about how many days are in each month. And what a schedule looks like for gymnastics. He really seems to be getting these concepts which is neat to see things clicking.

This is Caden with his buddy and fellow homeschooler, Matthew...

more adventures with him are sure to follow!

Ready. Set. Go!

2011-08-05T15:44:00.000-07:00

For the last couple of weeks I have been trying to figure out the best way to get organized for this whole homeschooling thingie... Hmmm...WWMD(What Would Mother Do)? My mother is not only one of the best (toughest) teachers I know, but also the most organized person on. the. planet. Not OCD or anything, just simplified and organized. This beautiful giftedness in organization helps her in her prep work. I hope this gift has rubbed off on me. I can start out nicely, it's just the whole maintaining that I struggle with. So, WWMD?

Pens, Scissors and Sharpies...Check! Bible Memory CD Library... Check!

Caden's Kindergarten books not currently being used will find a

home on the book shelf in his room.

Our Weekly stuff will go in a clear rolling box under his bed.

My Instructors Binder...Whoa Mama!

Making sense of the madness.

Pictures from Lindsey

2011-07-28T13:28:00.001-07:00

Click here to view these pictures larger

BOX DAY!

2011-07-28T07:05:00.000-07:00

What is Box Day you ask? It's the day our box of books, curriculum, and goodies arrive from Sonlight! The much anticipated Box is opened, explored and celebrated. Box Day is a super duper exciting day in the life of a Sonlight homeschooler.

It's Not A Box...its a pirates treasure chest filled with unimaginable goodies, books more precious than gems! Argh!

Box Day is the equivalent of the exciting and much anticipated first day of school. Unfortunately the box arrived the day we were leaving for Nebraska. So we waited two whole weeks to open our special package. Caden asked EVERY DAY about THE BOX and asked what we would do on the day it would be opened.

Wow! Who knew a box could be so exciting?

We made it back to Texas and the 14 hour drive home was riddled with questions about what was in THE BOX. When would we open it. What would be in it. Could he keep the box after we opened it to make a chicken coop... You know, those standard questions you get about packages and empty boxes.

Caden was SO excited for Box Day. He requested his favorite home cooked meal. TACOS!

He also asked to take a bubble bath. Not just ANY bubble bath, but the kind you see in the movies where an entire bottle of bubble bath is poured into the tub.

After the bubble bath and dinner, we opened the precious package.

It was like Christmas morning!

And his favorite book was the Eggs and Chicks science book.

He also loved the Fun Tales readers and the Patternables block set.

We are so excited to get started!

How to Homeschool a Superhero...

2011-07-25T11:40:00.000-07:00

After much prayer, debate and grilling our friends who are on that journey, Caden and I will begin that adventure very soon. We will document our explorations here. I got my hands on many of the options and chose a curriculum that seems to be the best fit for our family.

When I look ahead at the task set before me it's just enough to make my head spin. I won't lie. When my friends Brandy and Stephanie sent me home with their boxes of books (an entire year in box), I began to hyperventilate and the gym began to spin. To say I was overwhelmed was the understatement of the year! But once I wrapped my mind around this concept and took it to God, I realized with great relief that this is His plan for us right now.

So how does one homeschool a superhero?

Well, we are about to find out!

Lexi!

2009-04-03T09:15:00.000-07:00

Today marks the year anniversary of Alexis Verzal's injury. As I reflect back on the year I am amazed by God's faithfulness. I remember the phone call I received that night and the sick feeling that came over me, preparing for the worst and praying for the best.

God answers prayers.

Tiffany and Brandon have endured the unimaginable with a strength and peace that only God can give. Their journey is a reflection of Christ's love. My friend Kenzie reminded me this morning that, "He promises that "in all things" He will work for the good of those who love him..." Lexi's journey has been a testimony to His word.

We are so proud of you, Lexi!

Read Brandon's amazing year in review update here: http://www.carepages.com/carepages/AlexisLinn/updates

And a news story from the Omaha World Herald here:

http://www.omaha.com/index.php?u_page=1200&u_sid=10600984

Four Year Check Up

2009-03-06T11:17:00.000-08:00

Caden's 4 year specs: Height 3'1" (In 5% - what a shocker!) 34 pounds (In the 25%)

Caden, Grant and I went to the 4 year check up today. And boy is that a doozy!
He kept asking us this morning if he was going to get bandaids today at the doctor.

So... 4 shots later, yes he was sporting 4 big bandaids on his legs.

Caden did not cry once! He squeezed my hand and held his breath for each one. Grant was SO impressed at how tough his boy was. So was the nurse. Caden, we are so proud of what a BIG boy you are!

Things I love and Things that ACTUALLY Work!

2009-02-23T16:18:00.001-08:00

Pandora Radio
http://www.pandora.com/
A website where you can create a custom radio station by typing in your favorite artist or song. It will then create a station with similar artists.

Warts No More (by Forces of Nature)
http://www.forces-of-nature.net/warts.php
So this is one of those embrassing things no one likes to admit or talk about...but I have to because this stuff REALLY works!!! And it doesn't hurt!!! I had a plantars wart on my heel for the last 4 years (callused over and everything), I used the extra strength formula... Gone! No painful experience at the dermatologist! It's supposed to work on all warts, even those on the face.

Orange TKO Cleaner
http://www.tkoorange.com/
Dude, this stuff is awesome. Picked it up at a Farmers Market of all places. If you get permanent glue on your hands, it's the only stuff I know that will ACTUALLY GET IT OFF. Even the lava scrub stone can't do what this stuff does.

It's great for everything from Successfully getting sticky sticker residue off new glassware to cleaning windows, floors, toilets... you name it, it does it. And it's non-toxic!

The One Year Chronological Bible (NIV)
I am successfully in Leviticus right now. I love reading the bible this way. I minored in History and so this Chronological layout really helps me put everything together. Did you know that there are specific instructions about cleansing your house if it has mildew?

Valentines in Austin

2009-02-21T11:22:00.000-08:00

We drove up to visit Moppy in Austin last weekend and we had such a great time!
Let me start off by saying how well I packed. So the weather forcast predicted upper 60s and 70s ALL WEEKEND. Well, a cold front moved in Friday night and all Saturday was 40s and 50s. Thanks alot Wunderground!
Poor Grant was stuck with short sleeved tees and 1 beanie to keep him warm. He was a real trooper.

First stop... Austin's best... HOMESLICE PIZZA!

The highlight for Caden was when the ticket arrived in a glass with smarties in place of mints. Truly one of the coolest places to eat if only for that reason alone.

Next Stop... Hey Cupcake! We drove past the little retro trailer 20 plus times throughout the weekend and the line was no less than 10 people long!

Yeah, they really are that good!

My fave was the Red Velvet. But one of their most popular cupcakes is the "Michael Jackson". It's a chocolate cupcake with Cream Cheese icing.

We loved the live music. This dude was playing at Hey Cupcake. But there were people playing guitars and fiddles outside other shops along Congress.

Later that night we ate at Shady Grove and enjoyed more of Austin's relaxed atmosphere and food. Caden got a tie-dyed tee shirt that says Keep Austin Weird.

Then for Valentines day, Grant took me to Cookie Lounge.

You choose the dough, mixin and coffee or flavored milk. They bake it and bring it out to you. It was SO fun! Grant got a brownsugar white chocolate carmel apple cookie. I ordered a sweet cream white chocolate blueberry cookie. YUM!

Oh, and I got Toasted Marshmallow Milk!

Happy Valentines Day!

Caden's Birthday

2009-02-10T12:10:00.000-08:00

Caden turned 4 on Sunday!

Our Superman is growing up.
Grant and I realize what a wonderful blessing he is to us. It's so hard to believe he is so big now. Dressing himself, albeit, Supersuits and 3 different shades of green are not exactly what I would choose.

We had his birthday party the previous Saturday at Westwood gymnastics. This year we let him dictate the guest list and it was neat because he invited new friends he's made from his preschool "Turtle" Class.

I sewed and designed super capes for the kids favors.

Hot pink for the girls and red or yellow for the boys.

I also took on the task of making Caden's birthday cake.

I was proud that I didn't butcher it.

I even had a couple of people ask me what bakery I ordered from. :)

*A note to anyone making bright red frosting... to get the shade of red I had for the cake, I used 4 1/2 "no taste" Wilton red food pastes for 12 cups of butter cream. The butter cream was hot pink even after I added the final food paste bottle. NOT COOL for a boy's Superman party.

So I frantically searched the Internet to figure out the problem.

1. Use gel coloring instead of liquid. Check.

2. Use at least 2 bottles of it. Check!!!

3. If that doesn't work, use powdered food coloring. Um. That's so not easy to find. : P

4. (10 minutes later and on my final search) Wait 10 minutes, check color. Viola!

RED Frosting!!!!!!

I also made my awesome nephew a Robin outfit, cape and all! He is a hoot!!! Every time he is over, this is our conversation:

Parrish: "I am Robin Man!"

Unkie Grant: "Parrish, don't you mean Robin?"

Parrish: "NO! I am Robin Man!"

Unkie Grant: "You know he's Batman's side kick."

Parrish: "No he's not! He's Robin man! And he doesn't fly, he only swings. Promise told me so."

And so we are a family of superheros...

Tagged!

2009-02-08T21:15:00.000-08:00

Here's how you play! 1. Go to your 4th folder where you store your photos. 2. Select your 4th picture (no exceptions)! 3. Post the picture with an explanation and link it back to your tagger4. Tag 4 people (or as many as you want) to do the same!!

So, now it's YOUR turn...
1. Heather
2. Kenzie
3. Christine
4. Suzanne

How to save those leftover herbs...

2009-01-22T13:58:00.000-08:00

I am always frustrated when fresh herbs shrivel up a day or two after purchasing them (before I've had a chance to use them).

THE SOLUTION:

Place any combination of (chopped/whole) herbs in icecube tray.
Pour hot water or stock over them and freeze.

When frozen, remove from trays and store in freezer bags.
Use in soups, stocks, sauces, or herbal drinks.

I'm feeling Spa-ish today and decided to do mint & cucumber water. Thanks for the idea Sheila!

The Weird Kid...

2009-01-17T20:18:00.000-08:00

Today Caden asked us if we would (legally) change his name to Superman. It took 15 minutes to convince him that an alter ego might be necessary for now, so Caden will also work, as long as he's not wearing his Supersuit!

We walked the dogs this morning, Superman in tow when a young boy walking with his mom said, "Look there's that weird kid that's always dressed like Superman!" Grant thought it was hilarious and while I tried to laugh it off, it kind of stung...
I reminded myself that he is indeed Not Weird and thought of the recent encounters I had with a Cowboy at Target, Iron Man at HEB and a Fairy Princess at Walmart. You pick and choose your battles! For Caden it is a fun and magical part of his growth. He puts on his Supersuit (and moccasins-it's better just to not ask) as soon as we get home for the day. Caden brings me his cape, that I ceremoniously velcro to his back and he's off saving the dogs, the world and mommy.

One side note:
At breakfast Caden was actually a KungfooMasterSupermanJedi.

So here's to all you Cowboys and Princesses in shopping carts!

A Day in the Life of Superman's Mom

2009-01-16T14:40:00.000-08:00

Here it is... my first post about us. Right now Superman (a.k.a. Caden) is singing a song about trains, dogs and heaven. Yes, all in one song... He will be quite the country singer/songwriter someday...

Todays agenda:

Give Maggie a bath.

Cut and stitch 20 super capes.

Bake Superman cookies.

So far all I've done is give the dog a bath. Oh, well. At least the beds are made!!!