Now that my bachelor's degree is done, many might wonder what I do with all my time. The answer, of course, is anything I want! I have guilt-free time that can be used on projects of my choosing. Here are some of the things that I have been choosing to do with my time:
First, I decided to homeschool Praise for her Kindergarten year. Delight joins us and does "homeschool preschool." We have school in the morning, typically from 9 a.m. to 11 a.m., in our guest room downstairs. (Thank you, Mom, for the IKEA tables from my gift card!)
Next, I read more. Here are just a few books that I have read (or read most of) recently plus a little bit about them because what good would it do if I told you the title but not the synopsis. "But you don't have to take my word for it!"
The Well-Trained Mind by Jessie Wise and her daughter - This is a homeschooling book written by a mother and a daughter she taught. Though I haven't cemented her philosophies as my own, I like her point of view and her other book (The Ordinary Parent's Guide to Teaching Reading) which I am borrowing from a friend to help teach Praise reading.
Parents In Charge by Dana Chidekel, Ph.D. - I would recommend this book to anyone that has children, will have children, interacts with children, or knows someone who has children. Though I didn't finish the book yet--I had to return it to the library--I liked what I had read. The basic idea is that children mirror what they see and hear for a long time; therefore, your parenting style influences their behavior first (not the other way around). The book helps the reader understand the reasons or emotions behind his or her parenting, which is related to the way he or she was parented. Very fascinating and insightful. The author has great examples from clients interspersed throughout the book.
Aftershock by two Wiedemers (as opposed to the other Aftershock book by Reich, which I have not read) - The authors claim they saw the bubbles (real estate, bank, and private debt) before they burst and predict there will yet be two more bubbles that will pop (the dollar and the government). While I can't say their words came as a surprise--I had similar thoughts before reading it--I did like the hope (that we won't go to a bartering system) and the ideas the authors gave to keep some of your assets. Here's the basic idea: take your money out of the stock market before the big pop, buy gold if you want to get in on the inflated value, but then sell it when things get back to "normal." I didn't agree with everything they advised, so I don't give it my full endorsement.
Thin Tastes Better and The Thin Commandments by Dr. Gullo - A friend loaned us these books, and I really like the angle this guy has taken. Instead of studying how to lose weight, this guy has studied the people who have lost the weight and kept it off. He focuses on finding out your food history because past behavior is a key indicator of future behavior.
Woman First, Family Always by Kathryn Sansone - This woman is married with 10 children and wrote about how to keep balance. She focuses on being a woman, a wife, and a mother; her point is that if one of those areas is ignored, then the other two areas suffer as well.
Other books I have "read" include The Trumpet of the Swan, which we technically listened to on CD.
I also do more magazine reading thanks to Mom for the Family Fun magazines (We saw your article, Katie!) and to Melinda for the Everyday Food magazines. Though I still feel a bit overwhelmed at all the fabulous things I could be doing, crafting, or baking, I have started doing more. This brings me to my next use of "new" time...
I cook new recipes more. I've made Uncle Ed's Ranch Style Hash, Aunt Maralee's Magic Syrup, Jill's Easy Peanut Cookies, Katie's Autumn Chicken Stew, and other recipes from the family cookbook. (I have a dream to make everything from that cookbook and all the recipes I currently have.) I've also made many things from Martha Stewart--such as two different recipes for pumpkin seeds, curry cauliflower rice, oatmeal raisin bars, butternut squash bisque, and some holiday cookies from 2008. While most things have turned out pretty well or at least decent, I did have a recent flop when I overcooked my marmalade. If anyone knows a good use for caramelized tangerines, you can email me.
Well, that's my latest. Maybe next update will be more about the rest of the family!
:) Stephanie
