driving the monster

We've had this thing for nine months and I have yet to drive it. I am a scaredy cat. Sean, the Man of Steel, has no such qualms and tools around everywhere with us. Well, no more! I must learn so learn I shall.

I do not like driving. I don't mind as much when I'm alone in the car, or with Faith and Abby, but with any of the other children - especially Dorothy - I hate it. Some of my attention is always on them, you see. But since we are finally MOVING (yay) I really need to be able to get out and around if Sean is not a few minutes away like he is now.

I will start this week, like a teenager learning. I want to go to a nice empty parking lot and get a feel for the thing.

Eek!

10 month Dorothy, math milestones, MOVING

A little girl snuck in and turned ten months old. Fully crawling, pulling up and shuffling along. She's interested in language in a new way, especially singing. What a cutie.

Faith and Abby are starting Teaching Textbooks Pre-Algebra next week. Well, maybe not next week because we may be packing to move! FINALLY! Our builder called today to say the floors are done, we are good. to. go.

all spelt bread

Made all spelt bread yesterday. It was quite good.

3 cups whole spelt flour
1 egg
2/3 cup warm water
3 tablespoons brown sugar
1 teaspoon yeast
1 teaspoon salt
1 tablespoon grapeseed oil

Mix water, yeast, egg, sugar, salt and oil. Add flour. Stir, then knead a little. Place in clean oiled bowl, cover, and let rise in warm place for an hour or until doubled in size. Punch down, form into loaf, place in oiled loaf pan, cover with dampened cloth or oil top of loaf and cover with plastic wrap. Let rise again until doubled (it will be faster this time). Remove cloth or plastic wrap and bake at 375 for 35-40 minutes.

catching up

Faith is a Very Useful Engine. She made peanut butter toast for all the children, competently and without complaint.

I'm feeling all out of sorts about the Boston bombing and the Gosnell trial and bird flu in China. I can't do anything about that stuff, so I'm staying away from social media and news sites. With any luck we will be moving in the next few weeks, and that should occupy much of my attention.

All of the homeschooling kids are doing well. Faith and Abby are almost ready for Pre-Algebra. Kinda exciting! Gilbert is chugging through third grade math like a champ.

Dorothy is growing like a weed.

We have a new doctor and we like him a lot.

Guess that's it.

the milk of human itchiness

We just switched family doctors. Our old one wasn't bad or anything but she's way over on the other side of town. And so far this new doctor is great! (He looks like he's 12, but he's actually my age.) Trixie, Dorothy and I saw him yesterday. He spent almost an hour just talking to us!

He thinks Trixie's asthma and eczema are both food allergies. I have long thought so, but (because I am a bad mother) did nothing about it but fret and beat myself up because I wasn't doing anything about it. He thinks if we just cut out dairy, specifically casein, (that's pronounced kay-seen, not cuh-see-in, if you ever wondered) her eczema will virtually vanish and with any luck her asthma too. Which would be awesome because it's getting worse as she gets older.

Trixie is less than enthused about this plan. She said, on the way home, "I don't think I'm allergic to dairy. I think I was just born with asthma and eczema." I said that she might be right, but we won't know until we try it. She said, "No, I already know. We don't need to try." Today, one of the milkier days chez Glee as we have cold cereal on Saturday morning, she refused even to taste soy milk. I'm going to un-dairy along with her so she won't be alone, but she is a woman of strong opinions. Sigh. Up next, almond milk.