Eight short sections this month!

A Meal We Love ~ Ground Beef Vegetable Soup

I have probably made this soup recipe more than any other. I love making it in the winter with fresh rolls. It’s simple and adaptable, and it makes great use of those frozen garden tomatoes. (This summer I will have to share about the no-fail, simplest-ever method for freezing tomatoes.)

I love hand-written recipes and cookbooks with notes in them. I also love church cookbooks. To me, these things symbolize the rich heritage of women feeding their families! These recipes are actually doable in a real kitchen, with on-hand ingredients, and even in stages of life with a baby on the hip and a toddler at the ankles. This soup recipe was given to me by my sister-in-law Connie, when we were both just young wives getting started in our new role as homemakers.

Chickens and Eggs

Our chickens seem to have become free-range chickens lately. Thankfully, the dogs have been ignoring them. It warms my soul on these dreary winter days to see them outside, roaming around in the mud. And the eggs lately! With the in-store prices, I’m glad to have our own little egg production station in the backyard. And of course food scraps go to the chickens, which relieves food waste guilt.

Homeschool Tip – Math

Do you know Nicole the Math Lady? I had not heard of her until last year, and have since been using her video program for Sam’s 10th grade math (Algebra 2) this year. It is reasonably priced and goes with Saxon math (our math curriculum of choice). Nicole is down-to-business with math in a friendly sort of way. Sam is a visual learner; plain textbook instructions cause him to go into auto-overwhelm mode. This additional tool has been a huge help for both of us this year! (We have only used the video portion, not the online grading or drill team. But based on the quality of the videos, I feel sure the other products would be excellent as well.)

Parenting Pre-Teens

Children this age have a way of putting you on the defensive and exhibiting behaviors that begin to destroy any confidence you had in your parenting efforts. The parent-child dynamic you had established now seems to be challenged at every turn. Remember, this is not a battle between you and your child. It is not about you as the parent. You have to mentally rise above and see yourself in your parental role as mentor, teacher, and coach. Take a deep breath, project your mind into the future (think beyond the affront you are immediately dealing with), and think about the person this child is going to become.

“You may not talk to me or any authority figure like that.”

“You must stop being so ungrateful. People who live their lives complaining have a hard time in life.”

“You may not treat your sister or anyone else in your life like that.”

“Those unkind and insensitive words are not acceptable.”

“You are not the parent in this situation. You cannot live your life telling everyone around you what to do. You must be respectful to authority figures.”

And here’s a little advice from Steve. When I asked him, “How do you think I should respond?” in regard to dealing with some young people who are still learning to control/filter their words, he said I should respond to the child in question by saying, “Be quiet. What you need to do right now is stop talking.”

I am a work in progress for sure, when it comes to parenting this age group. I figured if I am learning, maybe you are too. Share any advice or ideas you have in the comments!

Blocks of Time at Home

I remember hearing an older mom say once that in order to keep up with the demands of raising a large family, “you do need blocks of time at home.” Simple, but so true. When the family is constantly pulled out of the home, it can undermine order and peace in the home. And there will be times like that; there is a season for everything! We are at the tail end of a very busy sports season, and I am more than ready to focus on “home stuff” again, with the kids’ help, of course!

No matter how small and simple, a clean and orderly home is nice. (Conversely, no matter how large and lovely, a dirty and disorderly home is not nice.) If discontentment is creeping in, maybe we need to carve out some blocks of time at home. I remember my mom saying once, “I don’t need a new house! I just need to clean the one I have!”

Right.

All Day Long

Psalm 71 has been on my mind lately, after reading it very early one morning. What do I speak of “all day long”? What are the constant themes of conversation? Psalm 71 says that “all day long” we should proclaim God’s praise and glory, deeds of salvation, and righteousness.

New Podcast

This was a fun one, even though the topic is serious in nature. If you are in a season of life where a podcast can fit into your day, I hope you’ll check it out.

From the Archives

Dear Young Ministry Wife, Part One. I don’t think Part Two ever happened, but still might at some future time…