We interrupt this regularly scheduled homeschool day, part 2

(Click on photo to enlarge.)

Homeschool days are never without their distractions. Regular blog visitors may recall my recent entry about the raccoon that visits us on a regular basis. The culprits on this particular day - about a week ago - were wood storks (on the left - endangered species) and white ibis.

Art Scrapbook

One of the fantastic ideas from Discovering Great Artists: Hands-On Art for Children in the Styles of the Great Masters by MaryAnn F. Kohl & Kim Solga is having your child create an art scrapbook. This is something my oldest child has really embraced this homeschool year. This is just another example of how picking up magazines in the freebie bin at a nearby library has come in extremely useful for us.

Van Gogh (click on photo to enlarge)...

Edward Hopper (click on photo to enlarge)...

Dunlawton Sugar Mill Botanical Gardens

Where else could you visit sugar mill ruins AND hang out with dinosaurs??? ... Dunlawton Sugar Mill Botanical Gardens

Rainbow Springs State Park

I believe that there is a subtle magnetism in Nature, which, if we unconsciously yield to it, will direct us aright. ~Henry David Thoreau


Rainbow Springs State Park

Paynes Prairie Preserve State Park

Adopt the pace of nature: her secret is patience. ~Ralph Waldo Emerson


(Paynes Prairie Preserve State Park - yes, that's an American alligator in the water!)

Chicken & Broccoli Casserole with Rice

This has quickly become one of our favorite meals.

Cut a couple of large heads of broccoli into small pieces and steam. Drain and layer the broccoli in a buttered 13x9 baking dish (I use organic, unsalted butter). Top with boiled or grilled chicken that's been cut into small pieces. (I use a couple of boneless chicken breasts that have been grilled.) In a saucepan, heat a can of cream of chicken soup (Health Valley organic brand), 1/2 cup mayo (Vegenaise), 4oz. shredded sharp Cheddar cheese (Organic Valley raw milk sharp Cheddar), 1/2 tsp. sea salt, and 1/4 tsp. pepper. Cook until the cheese melts and it's smooth. Pour evenly over the broccoli and chicken mixture. Bake at 400* for about 20-25 minutes. Serve over organic long-grain brown rice. The "sauce" it makes it really good as well.

The most important

Of all the things you wear, your expression is the most important. ~Janet Lane

Make it yourself

The thought of the ingredients in commercially-made playdough gives me the chills, not to mention the smell/fragrance that I don't want my children breathing in. What to do? ... Make it yourself! It's really quite simple.

1 cup water

1 T. oil

1/2 cup salt

3 tsp. cream of tartar

Food coloring

Mix ingredients listed above together in a saucepan and heat until warm. Remove from heat and add 1 cup of flour. Stir together to form a "dough" and knead (be careful - it's hot!) until smooth. Allow to cool and have fun! Keep for up to 6 months in a thick (freezer grade) resealable baggie.

Life is Life

(year old male jaguar cub)

Life is life - whether in a cat, or dog or man. There is no difference there between a cat or a man. The idea of difference is a human conception for man's own advantage. ~Sri Aurobindo

We interrupt this regularly scheduled homeschool day...

... because there's a raccoon in the tree! Actually, this is a fairly regular occurrence at our house both day and night (I guess he/she didn't get the message that raccoons are supposed to be nocturnal). This gorgeous guy/gal loves to show up and consume our outdoor cat's food, knock over his water bowl, root around in our recycling bins, look at us so sweetly and innocently, then scamper away into our woods. The kids have affectionately named him/her "Eddy" in honor of Eddy the raccoon from the Hank the Cowdog series of books.