The Middle Third of Just Another Day

Its a chilly day today and so something warm and nummy for lunch was requested. I had some left over pasta made with chickpea flour that isnt grainy like whole wheat pasta, but packed with protein. To that the kids could add chicken, romano cheese and brocolli. A popular lunch!

I usually serve some vegies ahead of time, and today was no exception. Carrots, baby spinach leaves, organic curly lettuce and brocolli were the offerings along with our favorite dressing, Avanti's restaurant low-calorie ranch dressing.

LUNCH!

Big Sister is a language arts prodigy. I dont know why I insist occasionally upon the formal lesson. After ten excrutiatingly boring minutes in a work book, I decided to think of another way to challenge her talents at English and composition.

A sampling of English grammar

Each afternoon that we are at home, the children and I are committed to fulfilling Big Sister's request for read aloud and free drawing time. Her idea is to have me read aloud a book for them, while they draw, doodle and create on paper whatever comes to mind. So out came the pastels, crayons, pencil and pen, along with the giant Morrocan leather bound edition of Lord of the Rings. It has taken about three weeks of on and off reading to get through the first chapter. The kids LOVE it. The vocabulary is so rich, the imagery and moods are beautifully depicted. I have enjoyed sharing one of my all time favorite epics with my children. Myself, I started the Lord of the Rings in third grade and could not put it down. It took me through my elementary school years to read most of it. And then again in highschool, I read the whole thing through in one sitting. I am of mixed feelings telling you that I actually took a class on Tolkein in college... and they gave me credit for it! lol! But I must insist that The Lord of the Rings is the best of literature in our most recent century, often disregarded due to its fantastical nature. Yet reality could not be more accurately portrayed in the social, psychological, theological and historical realms of thought. It is... to overuse and overused word, a masterpiece.

Afternoon read aloud time with free drawing

Many years ago, an Austrian expat whose pets were patients at the veterinary clinic where I worked shared this recipe with me. Basically, its any kind of cake, poured into a low pan, with peaches or other fruit set into the batter and topped with a cream cheese goo. Today I used strawberries and peaches. The cream cheese is pink because you must mix with it a bit of juice to thin the cream. I used what was on hand- pomegranate juice. Nice color, though!

The right portion of the cake is plain, at the request of Little Brother. His tounge simply cannot tolerate too many flavors mixed together.

Dessert... to savor this chilly afternoon