Caitlyn, homeschooling, Seasons

Costume Evolution

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Used to be, I wouldn’t ask Caitlyn what she wanted to be for Halloween, I just put bunny ears on her. In more recent years, we’d have conversations, usually in late summer, about costume options (although I’m fairly certain she didn’t request the fairy princess costume, I just wanted to make it), settling on a tiger or a pioneer girl. Last year’s FireCat was a collaboration. This year, it was all Caitlyn. She started planning back in early September. Her dragon costume went through a lot of mental permutations before taking shape, with big black wings (from her dress up …

Caitlyn, homeschooling

The Next Big Thing

Growing up, I didn’t like school much. Which is too bad, I suppose, since I was so good at it. The academic part, I mean. (When I received a “B” in college, I believe the general response was, “Thank the Lord! She’s human!”) It was dull and slow most of the time; I read novels during spelling tests, I invented extra layers to projects to make them interesting and challenging, I demanded extreme levels of perfection of myself (a habit that’s not serving me so well in the rest of life). I spent a lot of time hanging around my …

in the kitchen

Harvest Time: Onions

 

How long do red onions keep? I suppose I could have left them in the drawer in the fridge to find out, but then I wouldn’t have this: Red Onion Marmalade! Actually, there’s only a very tiny amount of citrus in this at all, so I’m not sure it’s really a marmalade. But that’s what the recipe called it, so there you have it. It’s amazing with creamy, spreadable cheeses, layered on bread. I think we almost ate a whole jar in just one of our last farmers’ market picnics. Slightly tangy, slightly oniony, definitely sweet. Even the kids ate …

homesteading, Seasons

Harvest Time: Apples, part 2

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The second picking from our apple tree did indeed fill the box again. As predicted, the apples were a bit bigger the second time, too. What to do with them all? I mean, I’ve already done apple preserves and there’s still plenty of applesauce in the pantry. I’ve already baked more apple things beyond what we can eat, although I suppose a couple more batches of apple muffins tossed in the freezer would have been ok. I borrowed a juicer (thanks, Erin!) and we drank lots of homegrown apple juice. While tasty, I don’t think I’m going to pursue this …

Caitlyn

Dinnertime Inventions

Tonight at dinner, Caitlyn announced that’s she half dragon. “And 1/4 and 3/4 cat.” After some back and forth (“You don’t understand what I’m saying!” “That’s right, maybe you could say it differently?”), she finally got a sticky note and drew a pie chart. We talked it through and when we were done, she said, “I’m one-half dragon, seven-sixteenth cats, and one-sixteenth human. Because otherwise, how would I be talking and eating with you?” Of course. She then decided that such a being was properly called a “drat.” This felt weird to me – although I opted not to explain …