This has nothing to do with homeschooling

It is one of Dave's pet peeves and something he knows something about. He sent me this note and article:

This is one of the better explanations of health insurance company profits I've seen. Most would consider the trend of 3-7% annual profits reasonable, hardly "excessive." Consider these 2008 profit margins of a few companies:

Revenues ($millions) Profits ($millions) % Profit in 2008
Gannett $7,481 $1056 14.1%
WaltDisney $35,882. $4,687 13.1%
Time/Warner $46,615. $4,387 9.4%
Starbucks $9,412. $673 7.2%
Aetna $27,599. $1,831 6.6%
Wellpointe $61,134. $3,345 5.4%
Humana $25,290. $883 3.4%

(Source: Forbes 500: http://money.cnn.com/magazines/fortune/fortune500/2008/full_list/201_300.html)


Unfortunately, an entire industry and good people are being demonized by others for political gain. More unfortunate, the majority of Americans don't have a clue.

Please read - Insurance Companies and The Profit Myth Friday, September 18, 2009

8 Habits of a Happy Homeschool Mama

8 Habits of a Happy Homeschool Mama - There's no point in me trying to describe this post -- it's worth the read. Click on the link and read it!!

http://theten0clockscholar.blogspot.com/2009/09/8-habits-of-happy-homeschool-mama.html

Whew!

WHAT a busy week!

I'm going to have to figure out how to pare down or get LOTS more energy. Times include travel time

M 8:30-10:30 Band for 3 kids (& me trying to keep the youngest 2 busy)
M 12:00 - 2:00 Co-op (& me keeping the youngest busy)
M 2:00 - 4:00 Gym (& me keeping the youngest busy - are we noticing a pattern here?)

T 12:30 - 4:30 Dd#1 Shakespeare Class

W 8:30-10:30 Band for 3 kids (& me trying to keep the youngest 2 busy)

Th 7:30-10:00 Mass & pray at abortion clinic (this one gets set aside way too often sometimes twice a month)

F I have 2 monthly committments on Fridays that take a half a day.

I also have to fit in breakfast & lunch, cleaning, SCHOOL, and outside meetings for 2 pro-life groups. The kid whose about to turn 2 is my biggest challenge right now (did I ever say I'm not all that crazy about 2-3 year olds? NOT my favorite age.)

I keep telling myself, "no one has a fatal disease, no one is presently in mortal danger, etc." God's gifts are WONDERFUL! (but they can require a bit of energy to keep up on them.)

Meal Planning - September Madness

A friend told me she's just not motivated to do any meal planning right now. Boy, I sure am.
My life is CHAOS right now (and not the happy fun kind). I feel like a chicken with it's head cut-off. I need some help -- and this will help. It may not help me get my head screwed on straight, but it's one less thing I have to think about while I'm headless.

Dinners for the month:

• M - crock pot meal once a week (pork chops, pork roast, pork stew - it was on sale)
• T - casserole once a week - 3 lasagnas (one spinach) (frozen) / 2 shepherd's pie casseroles (frozen)
• W / F - meatless twice a week (2 fish, 2 pizza, tuna & noodles, tomato soup / potato soup & grilled cheese/ tuna or egg salad sandwiches)
• Th - leftovers (or stir fry with left-over meat)
• S - mexican once a week (burriotos, quesadillas, taco & taco salad)
• Sun - once a month of each day (one Sun. = crockpot / one Sun = lasagna, etc.)

Lunches (weekday) for the month:

• M / W - sandwiches (2 hotdogs, 2 bologna, 2 chicken salad, 2 egg salad)
• T / F - Raemen Noodles (it's the kids' request - blech)
• Th - hot meal (2 SOS, 2 nachos)
• S - hearty sandwiches (2 sloppy joes, 1 hamburgers, 1 chicken salad)

Breakfast for the month:

• M - Muffins (frozen)
• T - Cold/hot Cereal
• W - Buscuits w/bkfst meat
• Th - hot meal (2 pancakes, 2 french toast)
• F - cold/hot cereal
• S - egg breakfast
• Sun (we usually end up fasting until after Mass)

Sides, snacks & sweets :

• Sides - (2 per dinner, 1 per lunch, 1 per breakfast - these are listed in MEALS not necessarily packages. After I decide how many of which sides, I convert them to how I buy them. For example a side for a meal may consist of 1/4 jar of applesauce so I buy 1 jar for each 4 meals needed - when I have a 5th side, I buy 2 jars until I'm up to 8 meals needing applesauce) a side may consist of 1 pkg of frozen veggies, 1/2 pkg of potato chips or 1/2 large container of cottage cheese as my family's tastes dictate.

10 fresh fruit (for our family it's 10 meals with fresh fruit as a side and I figure 3 apples cut-up or .75 per meal), 4 applesauce, 2 canned peaches, 4 Salad, 2 cottage cheese, 4 carrots & dip, 2 fried potato, 2 mashed potato, 1 onion rings, 4 buscuits, 4 garlic or butter bread, 20 Frozen veggies, 10 potato chips

• Snacks - I try to buy enough that I think is reasonable for the month. I think 4 evenings a week of snacks is reasonable. Once the "good" snacks are gone, they are gone and there are ALWAYS carrot sticks, peaches & butter bread available.

4 chips & salsa, 1 spinach dip & chips, 1 guacamole dip & chips, 6 nuts, 4 potato chips, a left-over side or a left-over sweet

• Sweets - I shoot for 4 sweets a week. I ...ummm...LOVE sweets!

4 homemade cookies (choc chips, oatmeal, sugar, snickerdoodle), 4 brownies, 4 cup cakes, 4 icecream and ...ok, I'll throw in 2 homemade donuts and 2 sweet rolls...oh and an extra icecream

This month I ended up $447 for the month once I made my list, subtracted what we already had in the pantry or freezer, bought bread at the discount bread store, shopped at Aldi's and ended at Wal-mart. We'll eat up the fresh items first (salad, fresh fruits) and end with canned peaches, applesauce & frozen veggies. At the end of the month I may have to be creative the last week (cinamon/sugar bread or left-over soup) if I didn't figure well, but after having a few "creative weeks" where I have to make due with what we have, I'm confident that I can do it. This doesn't include cleaners, bathroom items or diapers, but does include napkins, paper plates, & paper towels.

Homeschool Stress

I'm helping with the Banquet For Life (REALLY EXCITED about it!) AND the kids activities have kicked into high gear.
Me to my friend Katie, "Do I go through this much of an adjustment every year?"
Sage Katie advice to me, "EVERY teacher and EVERY student EVERYwhere goes through this EVERY year. You'll adjust."

Whew! I'm glad it's not just ME

I have a confession to make

Today I've had several.

• I washed my hair for the first time in DAYS (isn't that terrible???) good for today, though.
• I went to Reconciliation and had to admit that it's been since LENT since I'd gone (I was really ashamed because I'd felt God calling me -- I just wouldn't answer) good for today, though.
• So while I'm making a clean break of it -- I thought I'd fess up here, too.

I...I...I really like...(oh, I can hardly spell the words)...I really like...Notre Dame football.

I DON'T WANT to like it. I want to boycott it. I want everything in my life to be consistent and since I'm sooo unhappy with Notre Dame for honoring Obama I want to be a seamless cloth. But I really like Notre Dame football -- and I'm going to watch it, again today...and .... I'll probably enjoy it. I ...even...root for Notre Dame.

I may have lost a few friends by my shameful admission...but anyone who's friends with me knows they're taking chances in many ways -- this is one more.

Yaya and baby

Nothing makes this boy happier than dancing with his Yaya. We asked him who Yaya was and he replied, "Mine!"
Every kid ought to have a Yaya. Someone who they feel completely loved by and know they have their heart all to themselves.

Nothing like doing school outside...

Quote of the Day

Ds#4's grammar book:
"Write a sentence telling what you like to do in the wintertime."

I can make snow farts

Mama

YOUNG MAN! Did you write this?

Ds#4

I messed up the line, it's supposed to say snow forts.

Mama (suppressing the giggles)

Well, you forgot a period at the end of a sentence.

Labor Day pool fun

Mama loves her book-boys

He's so sweet, does your little guy ever act up?

The Prudent Homemaker

A friend sent this blog to go along with saving money and inexpensive meals.
In addition to saving money this woman makes beautiful meals!
The Prudent Homemaker
She also has a page of shopping wisely that is great!

Prettiest Sight

Dd#2 saw the most beautiful thing and wanted to share it, so she took a picture of it.

It was her own back yard in the wee hours of the morning.
I love that what thrills her is her own back yard and the day that God gave her.