My Small Success XXXVIII

I find myself with a few minutes this morning before we head out and thought I'd try to come up with three small successes.

1. I think I'm finally getting the hang of this mother-of-four business. For the first time in a long time, I realize I'm not feeling completely exhausted and stressed. Yesterday, Kansas Dad called me in the middle of the day to tell me he'd forgotten he needed to attend an academic event last night. Instead of going to confession all by my lonesome, as planned, I tackled dinner and bedtime with all four kids by myself. It turned out all right. (Don't worry, I'm going to go to confession tomorrow.)

2. I've picked all our books for next year (second grade, could it be true?). Now I just have to figure out how to get them all.

3. First Daughter, Second Daughter, Second Son and I spent an hour or so at a store yesterday. That's right. A store. First Son was playing basketball and I had a gift card to use. The kids were all fantastic. I picked some new cookie sheets (two have somehow gotten destroyed in the past year) and now I need to bake some cookies. Lucky for me, our spring concert is coming up and two dozen cookies are on the to-do list. I also printed out an intriguing homemade Oreo cookie recipe and promised First Son we'd try them. Think they sound good for Easter? Oh...I could color the cream with spring pastels!

Read more Small Successes at Faith and Family. May you have a blessed Easter!

Homeschool Review: Handwriting 1 for Young Catholics

First Son practices writing four days a week. We do dictation once a week, copywork once a week, and either use this book or write a letter to a friend or family member two days a week. (When we write a letter, First Son dictates to me. I write it out for him. Then he copies it. If he's been more verbose than usual, he takes two days to copy it.)

First Son learned the Zaner-Bloser method of handwriting in kindergarten with this book. He loved it, especially the silly illustrations (all in color). It was too short, though, not even enough practice for handwriting one to two times a week for the year, so I purchased an additional practice book.

For first grade, I wanted one book that would last all year and bought Handwriting 1 for Young Catholics on CathSwap (never used). It's a nice thick book with lots of practice. Even working through two or three pages each day we practice handwriting (again; once or twice a week with the book), he is not even half way through the book.

In the beginning of the year, each letter is introduced (one page of uppercase letters and one page of lowercase letters). A larger letter at the top includes dots where the writing should start and arrows showing the directions. Written instructions also clearly state how the letter should be formed. Each letter (and number) has twenty examples to trace. (There's room to write beside them as well.) Though it's not the Charlotte Mason way, I usually asked First Son to complete the whole page and then we'd talk about the letters that were best formed, often circling them because First Son liked that. (We're changing to an approach more like Charlotte Mason this week.)

After one practice page for each uppercase letter, lowercase letter and numbers up to 10, there are full pages to trace and copy for letters organized by similar strokes. We've just started those with a few days of "l" and "L." As we continue to move forward in the book, there are words and sentences, some of which are religious and Catholic in nature like "Pope Pius gave a talk."

Interspersed with the pages of practice are full-color illustrations of stained glass windows depicting religious themes that match the letters (the Last Supper when practicing "L," for example). First Son (and First Daughter) love the illustrations. I think I would have liked illustrations on the pages with the practice letters as well. If we were tearing the pages out of the book (they are perforated), First Son would hardly see the illustrations at all. The book doesn't lie exactly flat, so leaving the pages in the book means First Son has to manage writing near the binding. He hasn't complained, though, probably because the book is landscape and his practicing is usually not very close to the binding.

Handwriting practice is not particularly fun, but I think it's important. This book worked well because it has lots of practice and the illustrations are beautiful. I think we'll ask First Son to practice handwriting a little during the summer as well, especially since we have lots of pages left in the book, but I'm going to be more like Charlotte Mason and require something like six perfect letters and then he's done, even if he still has a lot of room left on the page. I plan to purchase Handwriting 2 for Young Catholics for second grade, which will introduce cursive handwriting about half-way through the book.

This is an honest review of the book. I did not receive anything in exchange for this review. I purchased the book (second-hand, but unused and new). I do not receive anything if you follow the links to Zaner-Bloser or Seton.

More Than Just Rules

Rachel Balducci over at Faith and Family:

What these boys are starting to understand is that living a Christian life ultimately means dying to self. It means putting others first not merely out of a desire to obey the rules, but out of a deep love for God.

Read more here.

Book Review: Two Books Called A Drop of Water

The kids and I have been studying water recently in our science course (full review coming eventually). We read one book called A Drop of Water as part of the course. I checked out a handful (okay, maybe more like an armful) of books from the library on water as well, just for fun, and found a second book with the same title.

They are both wonderful.

A Drop Of Water by Walter Wick says right on the cover it's a "book of science and wonder." Page after page of stunning photographs fill this book, each showcasing a fantastic property of water and complimented by text that challenges a young reader (or listener) to learn more about the scientific properties of water than the typical children's book (surface tension, capillary attraction, surface area, molecules, evaporation, condensation, cloud formation, refraction, and wavelengths, among other topics). First Son, thanks in no small part to the reading we've done earlier this year, understood quite a bit of it. Even if a teacher or parent just summarizes the text a little while children gaze at the pictures, it would be a valuable book. At the end of the book, the author suggests experiments that could be conducted at home, many of which we did in the course of our study (or similar ones). The pages on snowflakes would be well combined with a reading of Snowflake Bentley by Jacqueline Briggs Martin (a book always worth reading).

A Drop of Water by Gordon Morrison is a different kind of book, but just as delightful. The Author's Note describes the book very well:

This is a story about a moment, the time it takes for a drop of water to fall from a child's fingertip. Water is the thread that takes you through the story; from the child, to the clouds, to the mountaintop, then down through forest, woodlands, streams, ponds, and back to the child by the meadow brook. By following the thread we travel through a wondrous landscape and pass plants and animals, including the child, doing what they do: soaring, drinking, eating, blooming, nesting, playing--living, all within the same moment.

The illustrations are wonderful - life-like but only partly colored to emphasize the plants, animals and water of each habitat. The text is not overwhelming, describing each spread engagingly but keeping the focus on the illustrations. At the end of the book, short descriptions of many of the plants and animals appear (perhaps all; I didn't count them). My children adored this book. None of them could keep away as I was reading it aloud.

Not Exaggerating

When Second Son turned seven months old, I mentioned his crazy hair from his pictures. Most of you probably thought I was exaggerating, but I've finally got the picture to prove it.

And that's after I tried to wet it down.

Product Review: Baby Bear Wool Dryer Balls

I have never used fabric softener with our cloth diapers or towels. I think any diaper site will tell you to avoid all fabric softeners. Because they decrease absorbancy, it's a bit counter-productive to use them with towels. All these years we've cloth-diapered, though, I've continued to use fabric softener with our other loads. Just a tiny bit, but still some.

A couple of months ago, we started to reach the end of the last bottle we bought on sale and I decided to research dyer balls.

Dryer balls are just what they sound like: balls that go in the dyer with your clothes while the dryer is running. They supposedly separate the clothes to decrease static cling and naturally soften them, without the chemicals of a standard fabric softener. Wool dryer balls seem to compare favorably to the PVC ones. From what I read online (taken with a grain of salt), the PVC balls can damage clothes, do not decrease drying time substantially and are not particularly environmentally friendly.

That was all fine with me because I really just wanted to buy the Baby Bear Wool Dryer Balls at Cloth Diaper Outlet. I ordered six of them. Between the discount for ordering six and the free shipping with orders over $50, the cost was about the same for six as for four (which is probably the minimum necessary to make any difference when drying clothes).

Here they are, a couple of months later, all settled into their new home:

If I didn't have four kids to tend and homeschooling to manage, I would have done a nice scientific experiment for you comparing the time my clothes and diapers took to dry before the dryer balls with how quickly they dry after them, but I don't have that kind of time. (I do have that kind of personality, though.) I think some loads are drying faster, particularly the heavy ones: diapers, towels, jeans, and big blankets (which I don't hang outside anymore after those ubiquitous Kansas winds tore some of mine). I do think my SuperDo inserts dry much better than before. (I try to turn them inside out as I move them from the washer to the dryer, but sometimes they reverse themselves in the dryer and don't dry all the way.) I rarely have to hang them to finish drying now that I have the dryer balls.

I can say for certain is that I haven't used any fabric softener for about two months and our clothes are just as soft as ever. We have had a tiny increase in static, but hardly worth mentioning. Sometimes the dryer balls try to make an escape. They end up tucked into the arms of shirts or pant legs. I found one early on in the dog crate, but I think Moses learned that wasn't going to be tolerated.

They make some noise while bouncing around in the dryer. I have been avoiding using them when we're about to go to bed so they don't disturb us, but I dry all the time just a few feet away from Second Son's crib while he's sleeping in there and he doesn't seem to mind at all. (I've been hearing recently from people who say you should not use a dryer when you're away from home or sleeping anyway, for risk of fire, so perhaps it's for the best.)

Intuitively, using wool dryer balls seems much more environmentally friendly than using fabric softener and probably better than using the PVC balls. They are made of all-natural materials with a minimum of packaging. (Mine came without any outer packaging at all -- just the mailing envelope.) There seems to be some debate as to how long they'll last. Some people claim they've been using the same ones for years.

At the very least, I think using the dryer balls is a good investment decision for our diapers. Though I never used fabric softener in the washer with the diapers, it seems likely some residual softener was getting mixed in. It's not like I have a dedicated cloth diaper washer and dryer.

I received nothing in exchange for this review. I purchased and paid for the Baby Bear Wool Dryer Balls myself. I am an affiliate of Cloth Diaper Outlet and receive a small commission if you follow these links and make a purchase. If you are interested and crafty enough, you can make your own wool dryer balls. I've read the instructions here and they look pretty easy. I may even try them myself one day. You can also find lots of beautiful homemade wool dryer balls on Etsy.

Blueberry (or Strawberry) Oatmeal

I made a stand-by for breakfast recently, Blueberry Oatmeal, only I used strawberries instead because we still have some in our freezer from last year's harvest. I wanted to mention it here on the blog and realized the original page at Money Saving Mom is gone. Tragedy!

That's just not acceptable for all you poor people that haven't tried it yet. (The post was a few years old; I'm guessing they either expire after a while or it got lost when she transitioned to her new and improved site recently.)

So here's the Range recipe, a modified version of an original posted in the comments at Money Saving Mom by Suzanne Mosley. You can find her at Keep In Touch Stationary Co., though I don't think she's posting any recipes there.

Blueberry Oatmeal (aka Baked Oatmeal with Blueberries)

6 1/2 cups old fashioned oats (18 oz) *
1/2 cup brown sugar  **
1 cup applesauce
1 cup milk ***
1 1/4 cup water
1 tbsp baking powder
1 tbsp cinnamon (increase or decrease according to your taste and how much cinnamon may already be in your homemade applesauce)
cooking spray
2 cups blueberries (fresh or frozen) ****

Preheat oven to 350.

Mix everything except the berries together in a bowl. Stir well.

Coat a 9" x 13" Pyrex dish with cooking spray. Pour the blueberries in. Top with the oatmeal mixture. (I prepare the oatmeal this far and store it in the refrigerator overnight. It makes it a bit quicker in the morning. Just pull it out and leave it on the counter while your oven is preheating, then bake as below.)

Cover with foil and bake for 30 minutes. Remove foil and bake an additional 16-20 minutes (until browned).

Serve warm. My kids like brown sugar sprinkled on top. I like a little milk poured on top.

If you have any left-over, it is yummy warmed and served the next day or for a snack. It also works well cut into squares and frozen for a quick breakfast. It can be reheated directly from the freezer.

* Do not, I repeat, do not, substitute quick oats for any portion of the regular oats. Not even a tiny bit. Your baked oatmeal will be dry, tough, and unwanted. You may end up feeding a significant portion of it to your chickens, not that I would know anything about that.

** The original recipe called for 3/4 cup brown sugar. I'm decreasing it a bit at a time because we always sprinkle the brown sugar on top. My kids don't believe in brown-sugar-less oatmeal and they can't see it if it's already in the oatmeal. I should be bold and just eliminate it altogether.

*** You can substitute 1/3 cup dry milk plus a cup of water if you're short on milk, which we often are when I decide to make this. No one will notice.

**** I used four cups of whole frozen strawberries. The two cups didn't seem to cover enough of the bottom of the dish and we have a lot of frozen strawberries. I think having more was nice with the strawberries because they melt into the oatmeal more than the blueberries. I also think it would still have been good with only two cups if you don't happen to have the luxury of your own strawberry patch and an abundance of strawberries.

Riches for First Daughter

First Daughter's fortune cookie today: "You could prosper in the field of medical research."

Bad Ad

I have been praying for the earthquake and tsunami victims in Japan. We are always called to help others and I encourage you to support aid organizations like Catholic Relief Services. (While CRS does not usually operate in Japan, they are collecting donations to give to Caritas.)

While reading some online articles, I spotted this ad and noticed it particularly because of this book. Has anyone else seen it?

I'm guessing they used this picture because babies make people want to give money, especially babies who have survived disasters and really do need help. It's a shame, though, that they are showing a baby receiving something (which may be expressed breast milk, but is much more likely to be some kind of infant formula) from a bottle.

This well-meaning relief worker has not been trained to follow the recommendations in Infant and Young Child Feeding in Emergencies, developed by the IFE Core Group (including representatives from UNICEF, WHO, UNHCR, WFP, IBFAN-GIFA, CARE USA, Fondation Terre des hommes and the Emergency Nutrition Network (ENN)).

The use of bottles and teats in emergency contexts should be actively avoided (Section 6).

This flyer is also informative. First, mothers should be given all possible support to continue lactation or even relactate. If that's not possible, HIV-negative donor milk should be given. If none is available (and the culture does not support breastfeeding by another mother; apparently some do), then ready-to-feed infant formula should be used (which does not require mixing with water). All such feeding should be done with a cup.

I don't mean to target the American Red Cross. I'm sure they work hard to help victims of all sorts of disasters. This ad could just have easily come from any number of aid organizations. I also don't intend to use this blog as a medium to showcase mistaken aid organizations. I just noticed it as a current example of the pervasiveness of formula feeding and bottles in the world today after reading The Politics of Breastfeeding.

Charity Navigator has an excellent article reminding us how to donate in ways that will truly benefit disaster victims. Please also consider supporting disaster-relief organizations on a regular basis so they will be ready to respond to any crisis without waiting for additional donations. As always, continue praying.

Finger Food

Second Son is eating finger food -- picked up with his own fingers!

Scooped up and crammed into his mouth would better describe the process.

The important thing is: He's getting food from his tray into his mouth without one of us. Life just got easier. And messier.

In other news, it's so windy Kansas Dad had to chase down the top of our charcoal grill. He also had to wear a hat and gloves to take care of the chickens.

Second Daughter tried to con Kansas Dad into a second bedtime story by claiming that she had picked one and Boots (Curious George in a pink dress) picked the other. He was not convinced.