SAYING YES TO SAYING NO

Saying Yes to Saying No by Christy Baca opened my eyes to issues teenagers are faced with and the fact that they really do want parents to help them navigate their world.

BEST BROWNIE MIX

I've been making mixes to send with my college son when he returns to school next week.  He will be living by himself in a dorm-like room, which means he has no kitchen.  But, he also has no meal plan, so he will be cooking for himself- with a microwave, toaster oven, and maybe a  Slow Cooker.  I'm not too worried, though, because I know there is a lot of good cooking that can happen with those three small appliances.

So far, I have made granola, mint coffee mix (recipe coming soon), and a homemade brownie mix.  We love this brownie mix.  The brownies can be made in the microwave, too, which is a plus for dorm life.

“Boys Will Be Boys”

I have 4 boys.

Boys sometimes do crazy, incomprehensible things.

-they jump off the barn roof

-they set the trash on fire in their room and melt the trash can

-they throw sticks at their brother and split open his head

-they play in rain filled trenches and get covered head to toe in mud

-they hit their car windshield to prove that it won't break (it will)

HOW TO FRUGALLY VACATION WITH A LARGE FAMILY

We like to travel.

When my children were younger we occasionally took a two-week vacation after Labor Day weekend.  Tourist areas are not crowded since school is back in session and the only other vacationers are usually retirees or families with preschoolers.  This is my favorite time to travel.

How did we do this without breaking the bank?

BIG BATCH HOMEMADE GRANOLA

My mom made this granola for my sisters and brother when we were growing up.  I don't remember her ever putting apples in it.  We liked raisins in our granola.  We called it dry cereal and ate it with milk poured over it.

I like to make a batch of this for when we camp or vacation.  I have added some variations over the years that we like even better.

Homeschool High School Transcript

It’s time to apply to college and now my student needs a high school transcript.  Where do I begin?  How do I remember what courses my student studied, much less the grade they earned?  What do I need to include on a transcript?  HELP!

Does this sound familiar?

I TAUGHT YOU BETTER THAN THAT

I Taught You Better Than That

(or why is my kid embarrassing me?)

I ran into a friend at the gym today. As we paced ourselves on the treadmill, we caught up with each other's kids. She was a little frustrated (understatement!) with her oldest child who is failing a class needed for college graduation next spring. This same child was driving her crazy with lack of a job, but big plans for summer travel. Sound familiar? Don't our kids know that money doesn't grow on trees??? That if you don't graduate college on time it costs a lot of money (not to mention time)?? And who is paying for all this travel you want to do???

Children can be frustrating. And embarrassing. Why don't they listen to us?