Monday Blues

The weekend goes by so quickly, and Monday we go right back to it. There are some tips to follow with kids that seem common sense, but we are all guilty of forgetting.
1.Kids should clean out their backpacks more often! Do this over the weekend. If you have not done it yet, do it tonight. Dump everything out and de-clutter the bag. Make your kid do it, and watch.
2. Kids can get their clothes ready the night before school. Have a consistent place to set up for the next day. Your kid should lay out shoes, socks, and clothes. This will make that fight over a lost shoe history!
3. Kids CAN do things for themselves. As super moms we think we should do things for our kids to show love, but give children tasks to do independently everyday. Teachers are amazed at the current loss of common sense. Kids can say their multiplication facts to twelve by nine years-old, but cannot zip up their own jackets. We are all guilty of doing too much for our kids. Let's face it, sometimes we are in such a hurry to go here or there that we end up doing it just to speed things up. The best gift you can give your child is the love and time to teach him or her to do for themselves. This will teach them independence and build confidence in their own abilities. It promotes living fearlessly and builds inner strength.

Well, I am off to work now. Thank you for your support and following! Share share share - thx!
Family Blessings,
Abi

Aunt Annie's Copycat Recipe

It works!!!!
Check out the link on my last blog! This is a great recipe and tastes just like the mall treat!!! I made mine smaller for school snacks. I even made some sticks for lunch treats, but I doubt they last the night. It costs pennies to make and about an hour to finish!

Auntie Anne's Pretzels - Copycat Recipe - Food.com - 59462

Auntie Anne's Pretzels - Copycat Recipe - Food.com - 59462


I am making these pretzels for a Sunday treat!  So far, it is very easy!!  I will let you know how it goes, and post pictures later.
Family Blessings,
Abi

Fun Math Lesson Idea!

Fun Math Lesson Idea!

Make math lessons fun and interactive this coming May.  Here is an idea to help combine multiple math concepts and tie together those end of the year problem solving skills that foster independent critical thinking.

Classify, Sort, and Record:  A Button Graphing Activity

Age level:  Can be used at all grade levels, but remember buttons would be a choking hazard for the very young student.

Classroom set-up:  Can be done individually or in pairs very easily.  Small groups will also enjoy the experience.

Materials needed:  Large button collection, graph paper, pencils, and ruler.

Give students a collection of buttons of all different sizes, materials, and attributes.  Students can sort the collection by all types of characteristics- like color, number of holes, size, or material.  This is a fun activity, and students actually have a ton of questions about old buttons.  Next, students can record the data from their classification.  Finally, create a graph that interprets the data for presentation.  Students will love the change of pace and independence of the activity.  The activity hits on so many potential concepts that a teacher can apply this lesson to graph making, reading, and scientific data recording.  If you do not have buttons, think about the items you do have around the house or classroom- beads work too or a maybe a variety of cereals.  I love using buttons, and it is easy to find scrap buttons at yard sales.  If you are a teacher with a month left of school, this activity will capture the attention of summer-minded students.  

If you like this idea, please share it with your friends.  I really appreciate your help and support!  I want to be able to give free tips to families and teachers.  My blogs are all about my life as a wife, mother of four sons, and teacher.  My hope is to add some peace in the lives of women like myself who juggle two full time jobs!  I post lesson ideas, teacher tips, recipes, house decorating tips, and tips to make family life a joy!  Thank you for reading my ideas and following.

Many Family Blessings,

Abi

Saturday Power Breakfast: NM Style Enchillada Breakfast

It is Track Season and Rugby Season in our home.  This means that our sons are gearing up for State competitions and need to consume some calories.  Here is an inexpensive and tasty breakfast treat that really does not take a whole lot of time or money to make.  It is a Southwest NM treat that you will love!

Ingredients:

1  package of corn tortillas.  You need three per serving, so do the math for your family needs.  We end up needing at least thirty, but I have a big family and athletic boys that eat about 3,000 plus calories a day.

2  large cans of red enchilada sauce- mild or hot.  Just pick the heat level you enjoy.

Eggs- again you will need two per serving, so do the math.  Sometimes I just use one per serving- if I am low on eggs.  My family ends up using about two dozen.

Shredded cheese- about two pounds.  Pick the cheese you enjoy the most!  I love white cheddar or Colby cheese.

Optional oil for frying the tortillas.

Estimated cost of ingredients:

Tortillas:  $2.50 for 72 tortillas (so you have plenty left over for tacos or tostadas)
Enchilada sauce:  $5.00 for two large cans.
Cheese: $6.00 for two pounds
Eggs:  $4.00 for two dozen
This cost is based on prices where I live, and I buy some name brands that cost a few cents more than store brands.  I love La Victoria No Picante Red Enchilada Sauce!  I listed ingredients for ten servings, and the estimated cost per serving is $1.75 cents!!!  You will have a couple of left over eggs and a lot of left over tortillas for next time.

Preparation Directions:

Tortilla prep...
These are flat enchiladas.  The tortillas get stacked.  If you want to cut back on the calories or avoid fats, just heat up the tortillas in the microwave until they are soft and steamy.  If you want the traditional style of enchilada, fry each tortilla individually until it is golden but soft.  Each one takes a few seconds.  Set them aside on a paper towel to drain a bit.  Just fry all the tortillas you need for three tortillas per serving.

Sauce prep...
Open the cans and heat the sauce up ... you can microwave it in a microwave safe bowl or heat it up in a small pot on the stove.  Just make sure it is heated through until it is simmering.

Egg prep...
Fry each egg that you will use for the number of servings you need.  I time the egg frying so the eggs are hot when served.  I also make them over easy- the eggs yolk mixes with the sauce. You can make the eggs any style you like- even scrambled.

Cheese Prep...Have the cheese shredded and ready to go.

Assembly Directions:

Now it is assembly time.  You can pick a kid to help you, because it it simple to stack and make this breakfast.  Just watch out for hot sauces or hot oil.

1.  Put a prepped tortilla on flat on a plate as a base.
2.  Sprinkle a small handful of cheese on the tortilla.
3.  Ladle a small amount of sauce on the cheese.
4.  Stack a prepped tortilla on top of this pile.
5.  Sprinkle cheese on the second tortilla.
6.  Ladle sauce on the second tortilla.
7.  Cover the pile with a third tortilla.
8.  Put two prepped eggs on the third tortilla.
9. Ladle sauce over the whole stack- as much as you would like to enjoy, but make sure you have enough for each serving.
10.  Sprinkle with cheese.

The enchilada sauce should be hot enough to melt the cheese and heat the stack up.  You can stick the serving in the microwave for thirty seconds if you want to melt the cheese a bit more.

So, there you have it.  You can make the meal in thirty minutes or so.  I have no idea how many calories this ends up being; but, it is not diet food- I would guess it's about 500 the way I pile on cheese!   You can add bacon, refried beans, or meat to each layer for a switch up.

Many Family Blessings,
Abi

Thursday Night Last Minute Spelling Test Tips!

Today's Tip!
It is Thursday and some teachers have end of the week spelling tests.  How do you study and prep with your child last minute?  Yes, I know last minute studying is frowned upon, but let's get real.  Life happens all too quickly and maybe the perfect study habits did not unfold this week.  Do NOT give up hope and resort to yelling or making your child write the words a thousand times each.  Here are some fun ways to practice words that make sense:
1.  Use legos to help spelling.  Children love legos, so why not play and learn.  Select two different, contrasting colors of legos of similar size and shape.  You only need about ten in each color .  Have your child use a light color for consonants and a dark color for vowels.  Have your child say the word, spell it out using the color coded legos, and connect the legos to build the word.  Then, they can repeat the word by spelling the word out while touching each lego in the word.  This habit increases student awareness of vowels and consonants, teaches vowel/consonant patterns, helps with visual memory, and teaches that each syllable has a vowel sound.  It is great for hands-on learners and visual learners.  I have used this for years now.  If you do not have legos use white and blue poker chips or math counters.  You can even use beans and noodles.  Just remember that the color contrast is important.  Keep this activity fun and repeat words often.  You can even have a race against the clock competition to build words.

2.  Dance to your words!  You can spell out words with dance moves.  To help teach double consonants, I often have my sons stand up and spell the word aloud.  When they have a double consonant in a word, they jump twice or high five twice.  Some of my students come up with clever cheers and dances to spell out words.  This is great for auditory learners and kinesthetic learners.  This method works best with repetition and a fun atmosphere.  We do not want to be a drill instructor and demand jumping jacks for each letter.

So, if you waited to the last minute to study, do something tonight to make next week a little more organized.  Take baby steps to study ten minutes a night.  Use my tips a few times a week to make Thursday a peaceful night for the family.

Many Family Blessings,
Abi

Wow!

   It's official I am a blogger now.  I would like to thank a Teacher friend of mine for suggesting this outlet for all my great ideas.  I am excited to share things about raising my 4 boys, being a teacher, and all the great home making projects I am doing.  I also have a jewelry bug, and will most likely share pictures of all my latest finds.  I am excited to start this journey; I hope you enjoy the trip with me...