Lionden Landing

In honor of Soup Swap day , here is one of our favorite soups Harvest Soup 2 bay leaves 6 sprigs fresh thyme 4 sprigs fresh flat-leaf parsley, plus more for garnish 1 teaspoon black peppercorns 2 tablespoons unsalted butter 2 tablespoons olive oil 6 leeks, whites only, washed and thinly sliced 1 small onion, thinly sliced 1 clove garlic, finely chopped 1 pound Yukon gold potatoes, peeled and cut into 1-inch cubes 1 pound butternut squash, peeled and cut into 1-inch cubes 1 pear, such as Bartlett or Anjou , peeled, cored, and cut into 1-inch cubes (optional) 10 cups Chicken St ock Coarse salt and freshly ground black pepper 1 cup milk Wrap bay leaves, fresh thyme, parsley, and black peppercorns in a piece of cheesecloth, and tie into a sachet with kitchen twine. Set aside. Heat butter and olive oil in a large saucepan over medium heat. Add leeks and onion, and cook until soft, about 20 minutes. Add garlic, and cook 2 minutes more. Add

The latest announcements from my shul reminded me that I need to hurry up and start getting ready for Tu B'Shevat. I wanted to make this Tu B’Shevat special as it will be the first we celebrate as a family. Technically its not the Froggy’s first, but the last year went by in a newborn lack-of-sleep fuzz, and so we didn’t do much for some holidays. Tu B'Shevat is the 15th day of the Jewish month, Shevat which this year corresponds to February 13 th on the Gregorian calendar. It is the "New Year" for trees, and heralds the coming of spring for me. For many years, when I was not affiliated with a synagogue,the January influx of garden catalogues said its time for Tu B'Shevat and garden planning. Every year on Tu B'Shevat I try to plant something. Growing up in South Florida , it was easy. In Boston , it meant starting seeds indoors. This year in Virginia , with the mild winter we are having, I am debating trying to put something in the gro

Froggy is now officially a toddler. She is walking on her own. She started walking Monday evening. She is not really brave enough to walk on her own but if I stand her up and only take my hands away once she has her balance she will walk towards me. She walked approximately 10 steps as I kept backing up. She even took 3 steps from the table to the chair all on her own without prompting. Now I just need to help her gain more confidence.

I saw this at Lindsey's this morning, and had to jump in! Aprons – Y/N? Yes – I own one but I never remember to wear Baking – Favorite thing to bake: Cookies – all different kinds. I love to experiment. Clothesline – Y/N? No, I miss having one since we left the farm. It is great for airing blankets and drying quilts. Donuts – Have you ever made them? No. My mother-in-law made some here during her last visit and left the recipe but I haven’t been brave enough to try them yet. Every day – One homemaking thing you do every day: Laundry Freezer – Do you have a separate deep freeze? Yes. It is great for freezing fresh summer produce for access during the winter months. It was critical for holding all the suppers I made up during the end of my pregnancy that we lived off for many weeks when Froggy first came home. Garbage Disposal – Y/N? Yes – thank goodness. Handbook – What is your favorite homemaking resource? Ironing – Love it or hate it? I

As almost every parent has at some time, I have been having a real hard time getting veggies into The Froggy. Hence this weeks WFMW. Carrot Pancakes. The froggy loves them and it gets veggies into a child who would not otherwise get them. Here is the recipe: 2 cups pancake mix 1 tsp ground cinnamon ½ tsp nutmeg ½ tsp clove 2 eggs 1 cup milk 2 cup shredded carrot In a bowl combine the pancake mix, cinnamon, nutmeg and cloves. In another bowl, beat eggs and milk. Pour into the dry ingredients. Stir just until moistened. Stir in carrots. Pour pancakes onto griddle. (I make silver dollar size pancakes) Turn when bubbles form on top. Cook until second side is golden. Look for other WFMW tips this week at Rocks in my Dryer .

This week's Carnival of Homeschooling is up. It is January Musings . There are over 45 entries this week. So go take a look and share in the good advice.

I am writing this up because I know her doctor will ask at her 15mth checkup. Verbal meaningful words ( ie more than just parroting) momma (frequently pronounced mamba) dada dog eye baa (her word for sheep) out up go mmbo (gymbo) ball car signs eat drink music banana bird hat hot fish more finished baby flower apple She understands lots. She points to her nose, head and mouth if you ask her to. She will roll the ball to Lion but not me. She loves walking with her Pooh walking toy but still is not walking alone. She holds her feet out for you to put her socks or shoes on.

I am not usually one to pass along quizzes but I thought this one was just too cute. http://todayslessons.blogspot.com/2 004/10/how-crunchy-are-you.html I scored a 92 - pretty crispy.

When does homeschooling start? Many, even some experienced homeschoolers will answer 4 or 5 years old, when the child would otherwise start public school. I disagree. It starts when the family decides to homeschool and for many that may be at birth. We are all our children's first teachers. Why should homeschoolers who are so focused on teaching their children discount these early years? Just because the child can't read or write and is not receiving formal lessons does not mean the child is not learning or that parents aren't teaching. So let's not pretend our littlest learners haven’t started yet. Let us rejoice in their learning as much as we rejoice in the boy who finally masters fractions or the girl explorer who must identify every type of flora and fauna. And let us chose to encourage that learning deliberately. So what are we already doing to help these fledglings prepare to take flight? First and foremost we are talking to them and reading to them.

I know there are homeschoolers out there who are Jewish. There must be. Yet it seems all the blogs I find are Christian or Catholic. And while some of these blogs are wonderful and I read them faithfully, they do not offer the sense of community I am looking for. They cannot give a perspective on when a child is able to learn the different blessings before me or how best to teach the Sh'ma. Please if you are a Jewish homeschooler or know of one, comment below or link to this post or let me know somehow.

I was inspired by Lissa's Lilting House sidebar what she called "Our Rule of Six: Six Things to Include in Your Child's Day". I rearranged the order and added explainations for the what the rule means to us. Six Things to Include in Your Child's Day: • prayer - We start and end our day with the Sh'ma. We are trying to add the blessings before meals as well. • imaginative play - free play, time to explore indoors and out. • meaningful work - the froggy's work is play but this is different than the imaginative play. This is guided play where we build her skills and help her grow. • good books - Both free "reading" and being read to and seeing me read for me. • beauty (art, music, nature) - Nature and music are easy for us. We are working to add more art. • ideas to ponder and discuss - I left this one in because I feel it is important. However our conversations are one-sided at this point in time. This is a reminder to me to have thos

in·ves·ti·ture / ɪnˈvɛs tɪ tʃər, -ˌtʃʊr / Pronunciation Key - Show Spelled Pronunciation [ in- ves -ti-cher, -ch oo r ] –noun - the formal bestowal, confirmation, or presentation of rank, office, or a possessory or prescriptive right, usually involving the giving of insignia or an official title. In Girl Scout parlance, it is the ceremony by which one formally becomes a Girl Scout. And with that we have my investiture as a blogger. My first official post. Why become a blogger you ask? To record and share our journey in raising the froggy. To hopefully give back some of the wisdom I gain through other blogs. And to create a Jewish presence in all the Catholic and Christian homeschooling blogs.