It’s podcast time again! Matt and I are still working out some of the kinks, but overall I think we’re getting things figured out. We WILL be asking to boys to “keep it down” in the next room as we record future podcasts. You may or may not hear a little rough housing in the background. And a bird might chirp here and there. My children I can control (usually)…birds? Not so much.
On a completely different note, and don’t ask me why I feel the need to share this with you, but ever since I lost my mom to ALS six years ago…there have been random moments when I sing or speak that I am able to HEAR her voice through mine. I think the older I get, the more I sound like her. I am her daughter after all. Occasionally at church I’ll be singing away and suddenly notice…WOW, that sounded just like Mom! And then I melt into a puddle right there in the pew because “hearing her voice” makes me miss her so much more.
That’s what happened when I listened to myself at the beginning of this podcast. Not the whole thing…just when I open with the word “Hello!” It completely took me by surprise and I immediately began weeping all over the computer right there in my headset. Whew…I was not expecting that. It’s amazing how the pain fades, yet the tears and yearning are always there. Perhaps God has given me a gift today in being able to “hear” what my mom’s voice sounded like. Yes, it is amazing really.
Thanks for letting me share that. You all are really, really great and I appreciate all of you so much. {She says, as she pauses to blow her nose again. Man, I’m weepy today.}
I really am okay. :) {deep breath} In today’s podcast, I address the question of which curriculum I recommend and how in the world to keep curriculum affordable!! Also, I talk about how to handle it when our kids are handed sugary, food coloring filled snacks after events such as little league games. Isn’t that counter productive to the exercise they just participated in to keep them healthy?!
Sit back and relax…or get some dishes done while you listen. (Actually if you’d like to get some of my dishes done while I sit back and relax and we can listen together…that would be great!)
Heavenly Homemakers Podcast Two
Links refered to during the podcast:
- Swagbucks (the online search engine that has enabled me to earn free Amazon dollars to use toward some of our homeschool curriculum)
- Heavenly Homemakers Homeschool Curriculum Share Forum
Thanks for taking the time to read and listen to the podcast!
I know this has nothing to do with topic, but want to surprise DH with smoothies for breakfast along with scrambled eggs, because he has a double shift today. I am highly allergic to strawberries. Can I use store bought canned peaches and pancake syrup, don’t think its maple though? If not I’ll figure something else for drink, out of juice. Maybe plain milk? :D
Many Blessing’s, Yvonna
Oh sure, canned peaches will work and so will pancake syrup. The reason I use real maple syrup isn’t for the maple taste – it’s just a great natural sweetener that works well in smoothies. You could even use white sugar if that’s all you have!! (I’ll just look away…) :)
Guess what W-M carries GV(Great Vaule)Pure Maple Syrup for $6.24 and GV Frozen Peaches, so I went ahead and both. Next time I will try canned peaches instead of frozen and save Pure Maple Syrup for Smoothies and use cheap syrup for pancakes. Do you know how long bottled vanilla is good for? I just noticed there is no expiration date on Real Vanilla, and imitation is out of date. :( And my bananna boys want to know if we can make the same way but with banannas. Same for apples and oranges. Maybe best if you send or lead me to a list of fruits for milkshakes/smoothies. Nobody here are fans of yogurt can I use icecream or ice and milk? We accidentily got extra milk…I got some and DH got some. He is such a dear. I’m sorry I’m being “such a newby!” Blessing’s
Real vanilla extact will last for years!
Yes, you can use milk or ice cream – you can just use water if you want to!
I am paralyzed by handling the sugary snack moments! Not only do they get it at the end of the game, but both sets of grandparents are there (which I am so thankful for), but they feed the other kids junk food non-stop during the game. Or games, if there’s two in a row! The problem is, they have no idea what whole food is, and they are so nice, and I’m tired of trying to gently tell them without hurting their feelings. So I just let the kids chow down. On the other hand, my parents talk great about whole food, but they don’t really put it into practice. BUT at the last game they did bring clementines, so there’s hope!
Yes, it’s SO HARD to know how to handle this issue with grandparents and other adults who love our kids and think it’s FUN to give them treats!!! Hooray for the clementine – maybe they are looking into alternatives!
I appreciate your balanced approach on the sugary snack dilemma. You hit it spot on as far as I’m concerned; it’s all about balance.
Thanks for the encouragement. Balance is HARD especially when everything within us is screaming, NO! Don’t give my kids that nasty stuff!! But before I “figured out how to have that balance” I was pretty much a nervous wreck, and so were my kids because they knew I was and they didn’t want to disappoint me (oh but they really wanted that Ho-Ho). :)
Balance is good.
Thank you for this post this is one of my biggest problems right now. I have chosen to taken a stand against the candy and sugary snacks because it’s offered to my children so often I feel that if I don’t take a stand they will be eating junk food several times a week, Sunday morning, Sunday nights, Wednesday nights and when going over to grandpartents houses during the week. I also don’t want my children to be rebellious but feel that it’s just too much for a 3 and 5 year old we talk often about how we want to eat food that is good for our bodies and we can have treats every once in awhile but not all the time. If there is a special event at church or whatever I usually let them join in I just don’t want them thinking that every week they are going to eat cheese curls and cookies so for my 3 year old who they feed snacks on Wed I send in his own snack and he knows that he’s to drink water. I feel that sometimes this makes me look like the “weird, overprotective mom” but I feel it’s what’s best for our kids, if we’re putting trash into our bodies that’s what we’re going to get out, and we have enough problems with allergies, rashes and coughs that I don’t need junk food making it any worse.
I think you’re doing the right thing. Our family really only faces this during soccer season and then the occasional party or church event…not at all like what you’re describing day after day! If it’s that often, you DO have to draw the line somewhere. How frustrating!! You’re doing great and I think you’re wise to pick some outings to send along a snack.
I’d say USE the fact that your kids have allergies or rashes to “explain” why you’re sending along a snack or refusing the offered snacks. If you say something like “We’re having a hard time fightiing allergies right now, so we’re trying to be super careful about what we’re eating to see if that helps” I don’t think ANYONE would be offended about that.
I TOTALLY used that when Malachi was smaller and his rash was so horrible. I was scared to death to feed him ANYTHING and even though he wasn’t technically “allergic” to animal crackers or fruit snacks, people at church sorta looked at it that way because of how I presented our case. It worked! They didn’t give him anything unless they had run it by me first. THen, they just kept a stash of “Malachi raisins”. Ah, it was great!
Thank you so much for this podcast. You are so encouraging and delightful to listen to!
Hi Laura,
I wanted to comment on your note about your Mom. I’m glad you shared those comments. It always makes me feel better to know others feel the same way. I lost my Mom almost 3 years ago. The pain is gone but the longing and missing are always there. I never now what will trigger the missing her, but you are blessed to be able to “hear” her voice. Thank you for sharing your humanity with all of us.
They are beautiful! My mother-in-law has tried several times to teach me to knit and crochet. I still can’t do either.
If I win, I would choose the set of 3 washcloths, the set of two white and one light yellow (we’re thinking of trying to have a baby next year)!
Balance is so important, I need to remember that for myself too!
Slightly off topic, I teach a Pre- K class part time and today we were working on separting pictures of food into healthy and unhealthy snacks. It killed me to see kids putting fried chicken, pizza and soda into the healthy slot. Most of them didn’t know what blueberries were or even grapes. How sad is that?
Great podcast. I just wanted to add a little different perspective about the sugary snack. God has been teaching me this very thing the last few weeks and I have been convicted of our primary callings as Christians. LOVE GOD AND LOVE PEOPLE. Taking care of our bodies is soo important and I am learning that more and more every day but it is not one of the two greatest commandments. And what God has shown me through a few interactions is that the way we handle situations like these can harm relationships and hinder the gospel. Many people are not educated about the things they are putting in their bodies. Many don’t think they have the money to change the way they eat, and many don’t see it as a priority right now in their life. But to tell a person that you or your kids won’t eat that stuff can be degrading and ungrateful. Soccer or any activity like it is a great opportunity to build relationships to advance God’s kingdom with either the lost or other Christians. We should be careful not to hinder these relationships in the way we handle a simple snack once a week. Please hear this as a humble challenge to consider not harsh in any way. This has come from personal experience as I have begun this journey of healthy eating and stepped on a few toes along the way.
Hi Laura, I have no way of listening to your podcast.I’m sorry I’m missing out.I did want to comment on hearing your mother’s voice in things you say.I lost my mother 6 years ago.Sometimes things come out of my mouth that sound like her voice or even a laugh.In some odd way it makes me feel close to her and sad at the same time.You always miss your Mom.
Hmm…when you click on the link, does it not just automatically play for you? :(
Sounds like we lost our moms right about the same time. You’re right, hearing her voice in mine makes me feel closer to her, and makes me sad at the same time.
I lost my dad to ALS earlier this month. After reading that you lost your mom to this, it totally took me by surprise. Although I don’t sound like him, I find myself doing things that he always did. He was the bread maker and canner in our family. I’ve started doing more and more of this. I was able to can some homemade jam from his prized plum tree with him in the kitchen this summer before he passed away.
Thanks for all you do.
Oh, I’m so sorry to hear that you had to lose a parent to ALS also. How wonderful that you learned so many awesome skills from him…such a blessing!
Hi Laura,my slow dial-up internet told me it would take 3 hours and 15 minutes to download your podcast.I don’t have an Ipod.Guess I should ask for one for Christmas? LOL!I really love your blog.It’s very informative. Thanks for all your hard work!
Aaaahh, well that doesn’t work does it? Shucks. :)
I have to take this opportunity to talk about my wonderful son and daughter when it comes to snacks. He is in preschool(he will be 5 in Dec). I talk to my kids about eating healthy all the time. I allow an occasional real treat, but they know that I DO NOT allow sweets before lunch(other than when we have pancakes for breakfast on a Sat morning). I put a snack I approve of in his backpack and he knows that if he thinks the snack they serve isn’t something I want him to have, he is to get the one I send. They served GoGurt yogurt the other day and he told his teacher that I wouldn’t want him to have that and got the one from his backpack. He has had quite a few days where he has done that. He has also refused M&M’s and Smarties as game pieces in the literacy class they have. He used crayons and grapes instead. In Bible class, he has refused the cookies they give them. I could not be more proud of him. Especially since he has such a sweet tooth. I don’t have to worry about my daughter eating sweets. Because of her food allergies(past and present) she never developed a taste for them. In fact she does not like them except for the natural ginger snaps and the organic fruit juice lollipops I buy her. She limits herself on those(she’s almost 8). I have the best kids! Snacks can definitely be a struggle when you are not at home.
I don’t normally take the time to listen to podcasts in general, but I really wanted to hear your thoughts on the snack issue! We run into this all year long and I wasn’t surprised to hear your balanced approach. I agree that as home educators/christians, etc, we stand out enough as it is. I very much agree with the other poster that said we are called to love and we can really put people off by how we approach this issue. I would much rather stand out because I am friendly to the other parents, encourage all the kids and have an open home for friends where any child is welcome and cared for than be known for being super-restrictive on what my kids eat. (And I can even feed their friends healthy food when they come over!) While we are nowhere near your location on the healthy eating spectrum :), we do the best we can at home and know that the occasional junk is a part of life.
Although I did want to tell you, when it was my turn to bring snacks after my daughters’ softball game last year, I brought your whole wheat pretzels. My husband teased me to no end about being “that” mom on the team, but my daughters’ teammates loved them and it was the snack hit of the season. So see, healthy can be cool too! :)
I saw a lady with eyes and hair like the grandma I lost last year. I barely stopped myself from running to and hugging a complete stranger.
I am so sorry you lost your mother to such a devastating disease. My mom was diagnosed with both ALS and MS in June but had been battling it for 3-5 years with the doctors not knowing why she was deteriorating so severely. It is good to hear that the good memories will remain after they are gone. We love your blog. It is funny how God works sometimes to share encouragement when you least expect it.
If you’re thinking of SOnlight or MFW, please consider Heart of Dakota!! It’s an amazing Christ-centered, literature based curriculum. It’s been an absolute God-send!!!