I Am SO Glad We Homeschool!!

Every once in a while, something comes up that makes me so thankful that our children are not in the public school system. Today I am probably more grateful than I have ever been. Struggles? Sacrifices? They all just disappeared. They became just a minor itch, if anything.

It all started with an email from my sister-in-law. She forwarded me some information and asked if I was giving my daughter theHPV vaccine. Well, that was the first I had heard of it, and, spurred by what I read in her email, I did a little research. I am seriously appalled.

From the small amount of research I did, it seems that HPV is a sexually transmitted disease. That is what I gathered from the first statement made in this article. Other articles addressed the question of whether or not HPV could be contracted from things like toilet seats, but from what I have seen so far, it is a very remote chance... The first article stated: "According to the CDC, the only way you can totally protect yourself against HPV is to avoid any sexual activity that involves genital contact." Um, really.... Isn't this one of the reasons (besides the obvious, "this is God's way - WAIT!") that we teach our kids ABSTINENCE?! And, in Texas, Governor Perry signed an order making this vaccine "mandatory" for girls entering the sixth grade in the public school system. How scary is that?! With orders like this, how long will we have the freedom to choose what to do with our own family? And isn't an order like this once again saying that "we know you are going to sleep around. Here, get safe." That is just the moral side of it.

What about the effects of the drug? Not all vaccines are the greatest gift to mankind. In case you didn't check out the first link about what SIL's email contained, here it is, seriously, check it out. Research this on your own. I am not normally one to write posts like this, nor am I really an "anti-system" person, but this situation made my blood run cold, for all sorts of reasons. As parents, regardless of the fact that we homeschool , it is our job to raise our children in a Godly fashion and to protect them. This new mandate sends the wrong moral signals and it also has the potential to harm our daughters in a very real way.

God, thank You that You directed us to teach our children at home. Thank You for the wisdom and strength to do what is right.

Edited to add: 11/15/07 - If you are visiting from Teaching the Truth: a Homeschooling Perspective, go HERE for clarification.

How to Gain 10 Pounds

What is Saint Patrick's Day without the traditional corned beef and cabbage dinner??

Then, there's dessert.... BUTTER ROLL..... The name says it all.

I will willing give you pictures of this delectable creation. If you were ever in Mississippi and went to God's Katrina Kitchen and were able to experience Mo's cooking and his *drool* butter roll *drool*, your mouth should be watering right now. And, also, if you have done that, you may very well have met Mo, and should therefore know the severe pains I had to go to GET this recipe. I will not share the recipe. Selfish, I know... (But, somebody might have to kill me if I share it.)

Some of the ingredients

Mixed together to make this

Then add a little more stuff so it looks like this

Roll it out

Put it in a pan like so (not so pretty, but.... oh, the joy that floods my... stomach... sorry, I was starting to hear heavenly choruses)

Bake it...

How can you NOT enjoy??

What I Am...

So, I took a survey, and, this is what it said about me....


You're a...
Triple Layer Cake
(I do wonder what KIND of triple layer cake I am... Chocolate? Marble?? Coconut??? What AM I? This may have created more questions than answers....)

For you, baking is one of the building blocks of life. The sweet aroma of cookies baking. The delicious pleasure of frosting a cake. That first mouthwatering bite. The very thought of anything baking brightens your day. You bake for flavor, for family and friends, for the sheer joy of it. Quick, somebody fire up an oven!

EBAY!!

While I don't have quite the same bargain shopping skills as someone I know, I am still very good at finding a great deal! I have had a blast on eBay lately... A certain well loved gramma funded my recent excursions on eBay. THANKS!!! :) Check out some of what I got:

Ok, one of the Nalgenes is missing. J scarfed it and took it to work. But it looks exactly like the green one with the yellow top. I am *still* waiting for my extra Nalgene top. I, um... melted the top for my original Nalgene.

The silver colored parts are something that I don't know much about but I do know it goes to J's motorcycle. I am waiting for one to arrive for the truck, as well. We had to replace the bearing on the truck, and since it is four wheel drive, that is a VERY un-cheap part! But... J came home and told me to look on eBay and, lo and behold!! There it was! For a good $60.00 cheaper!! Yay!!

And, under the napkin... yeah... I am the most excited about that, hands down!! I'll admit, I am a Victoria's Secret fanatic for all sorts of very logical reasons, but shopping there has the ability to get very pricey... So, I decided to see if I could find those things on eBay. And I DID!! Fourteen pieces in all, and for any of you that have visited VS, you will know that should have cost me....... an astronomical amount. But it didn't. I covered them up for the sake of my daddy... Don't want you to have to see it... But, if knowing where I shop gives you heart murmurs, I'm really really really really sorry. I just couldn't NOT include that exciting part and fully convey my love of eBay.

And Gram, if you get to read this, THANK YOU! Every time I open my drawer and pull out a thing or use my Nalgene, I think of you. When I drive down the road and my truck no longer hums, I will think of you. Love you!

P.S. For the record, I am not the only person to talk about their things on their blog... But, dad, I promise, tomorrow's post will be much safer. I apologize for all the discomfort this one may have caused you.

Water Bagels

Oh yeah, they are good!

2 1/4 tsp. yeast
1 1/2 cups warm water
2 Tbsp. sugar
1 tsp. salt
4 1/4 cups flour
4 quarts water

Dissolve the yeast in the water in a large bowl. Add the sugar, salt and flour, and stir to form a soft dough.










Turn the dough out onto a lightly floured board and knead until it is smooth and elastic, about 10 minutes.










(I just leave it in my KitchenAid mixer and let the mixer do all the kneading for me.)










Cover the dough with a lint-free towel and allow to rise for 15 minutes.










Flatten the dough, then roll it out to a thickness of one inch, and about 12 inches long and 6 inches wide.










Cut it into strips 12 inches long and one inch wide. Roll the strip between your hands into a cylinder about one-half inch thick. Cut each cylinder in half crosswise, form each half into a ring, and pinch the ends together to form closed circles. Cover the bagels with the towel and allow to rise for 20 minutes. Meanwhile, bring the water to a boil in a large pot and preheat the oven to 375 F.










Place the bagels, four at a time, into the boiling water. Reduce the heat and simmer for five to six minutes. (Note: it is very important that you DO NOT leave the bagles in the water for too long, otherwise they will shrink and shrivel up and turn into bagel-raisins!!)










Remove the bagels,










drain well,










and place on baking sheets.










Bake for 30 minutes or until golden brown.










Enjoy!!!










You really want to come to my house and eat a fresh, homemade bagel with me, don't you??

Amateur Photographer...

... in action. I found this photo on my camera yesterday. He kept asking if he could take pictures all day long. Hey, maybe photography could be a class for school... Ah, the benefits of homeschooling... While we need to fine tune his techniques (mine, too, while we're at it...) he does make a great subject...

My dreamer...



















Have I mentioned what a hard worker he is?

Phone Conversations

I discovered something today... My little girl has a penchant for exaggeration.

She is chatting on the phone with her Uncle D in a land far far away
and I hear, "sometimes I stay up til four in the morning." Uh, no, honey, once in a while we get you UP at four in the morning. "We started school late today cause mommy let us sleep in cause we were up til midnight last night celebrating daddy's birthday." No, again, baby girl. Mommy and Daddy would have been PASSED OUT if we were up til midnight. It was more like 10:00. Still too late. Other than our sleeping habits, she did get the majority of her other facts straight. Despite the deer in the headlights look on her face, she was thrilled to be able to talk to Uncle D and Aunt E.