I don't even remember what we used to eat.

We have been eating a vegan diet now for I guess 3 years? I can't even remember what we used to eat. I will say one book changed it all for me. Vegan with a Vengance . It put Pizza, really great pizza back into our lives! There are so many amazing recipes, all kid friendly. Indigo allready loves tofu scramble and anything with chickpeas, even curry, the spicier the better. He will be the first of the four we have raised vegan. All have been vegetarian since birth, but even with harland I wasn't quite confident enough to cut the dairy out. When I look back its funny. They all nursed and then went to soy or rice milk. But I still gave them cheese and yogurt. I wish I had trusted my instinct more. With Forrest especially, but i was only 20. Looking back at all his ear and respiratory issues, i can't help but feel it was the dairy. Plus the fact I only nursed him for six months. He almost had tubes, he took more antibiotics than i am even willing to admit and had his adnoids out at age 7. Now compare Gaynor and Harland. Nursed for 2 1/2 years, never an ear infection, NEVER! Also we had cut way back on dairy. Indigo has barely had the sniffles. Let me also put this little bug in your ear, check out the rising rate of percocious puberty....could this have anything to do with hormones in milk and meat?? Forrest still struggles with allergies and such. I know i have met other women out there who were vegan but started including dairy during pregnancy and then let their children have it. I can tell you you should trust your self. This last pregnacy started off that way for me. But no matter what I ate I felt exhausted and could not get my iorn up to a decent level. Then I went 50-100% RAW(I didn't force it some days raw and some days not) and started growing and juicing wheat grass. WOW! Honestly I felt like superwoman! No naps!!!! NO NAPS! plenty of energy, My Iorn went up drastically in only 3 weeks! I am also allergic to tree nuts so my protein was not as high as people would like. I still grew a Gorgeous perfect little boy! The birth was easy and I felt fantastic immediately! I'm not sure where this blog came from. I have just been reading around other blogs and felt driven. My point though was this. I actually fought mike for years about the vegan thing. I really didn't think i could do it. I don't have much self control. Turns out it has nothing to do with control. It has to do with adjusting what you consider to be normal food. I cook and cook and cook. And I love it. The kids are constantly saying YUM! thats got to mean something right! I don't doubt any more. This is a very healthy way to live! don't let any one (especially the dairy or meat industry) tell you differently!

The Price of Groceries!

Man! Food is so expensive!

So Friday is shopping day. we do groceries, BLC (health food store) and the farmers market. I have been determined to get our grocery shopping down to $140 per week for everything and i just can't do it! I was sure i had it this week. I am guessing that we still spend less than most families of 6. We do buy organic and some specialty items. But it is still driving me crazy! I Hate to see the register at Hannafords go over $100. Two weeks ago it $164 at the grocery store alone! I make everything form scratch and buy no meat or dairy. Soymilk is expensive. I have been thinking about a soymilk maker. that would save us like $15 a week. Here is my menu.

butternut squash soup
coconut pancakes with pineapple sauce
chick pea and spinach curry
black bean burritos
vegan pizza
chick pea casserole
veggies and rice

i make everything from scratch, all bread, and flat bread, i did buy pitas for pizza to save time. but that's it. Maple syrup is outrageous right now but i simply can not buy that evil corn syrup impostor! I'm just venting but why the hell does food have to be so expensive?? I guess that is why i need to have a farm! Man I could grow so much yummy food! CARROTS! So Many Carrots! Once we move i will buy more in bulk. I all ready buy 50lb bags of organic oats, I will also buy flour and wheat flour, brown rice, and sugar in 50lb bags, maybe that will make a difference. so whatever if ya have any suggestions, let me know. Oh and having less children is not an option!

Field Trip!

So we took the boys to the Common Ground Fair. Its a Maine Organic/Sustainability fair. It was really awesome, except for out timing. We went saturday so Mike could get a full day of work in on Sunday. It was jacked! we sat in traffic to park for over 20 minutes. Then there were so many people there it was tough to see anything. Next year we will go early on Sunday morning. There were some really awesome booths and displays. Mike met a guy who does "light clay" plastering on timber frame houses, both interior and exterior. it is really beautiful and healthy! The kids had a great time. Harland's favorite part was sliding down the hill on a piece of cardboard. It was my type of fair, no rides! It was great to see sooo many families and so many people wearing their babies! The music was awesome. The food was awesome. I could have done without seeing all the animals in cages. especially the bunnies. But the sheep dog demo was great. What we saw of it. We also became MOFGA Members so we will get their newspaper now which i love. And you get into the fair free as a member. They had this crazy trash tent. They basically recycled and composted just about everything. They pre-sorted at the trash station, and then they actually had volunteers who went through the trash and sorted more. YUCK! as green as i would like to think myself.....no way! Thank goodness for those wonderful people. The nicest thing was the atmosphere. everyone was smiling and polite, no "scary fair" bull. I am all ready looking forward to next year. The whole thing just made me ache even more for our own place. I am sick of talking the talk, i'm so ready to walk the walk!

Fall is Fast Approaching

It's chili again this morning. Can't stop thinking about that wood stove and giant wood pile at the new house. It will be so nice when mike gets up and puts wood in the stove before i am out of bed, ha ha ha! We may have found a speed skating program for mike and the boys, its ice skating. maybe we'll have the next Apollo? The only problem is it is in Portland, I just don't know if it is feasible with the winter coming and the price of gas. Plus Ice time is really pricey. We are going to check it out this weekend and we'll see.
Indigo is learning to sign like crazy. he gets so excited when you know what he is trying to say. His new one is train. He seems to like Thomas as much as Harland. GOOD! now the hundreds of dollars in trains will get some more use. Harland actually has been using them allot lately. Its possible Indigo's interest has sparked the renewed obsession. Lets not forget whose trains they are... OK?
Forrest is loving working at the farm. He really enjoys Sarah and Andy's company. They are really cool. I am glad he is getting to spend time with other adults. If only we could find some kids his age to hang out with. He worked yesterday harvesting potatoes. He comes home so excited and tells us everything he learned. He is going to come in very handy if we can pull this farming thing off. I am excited for him getting the work experience as well. I think finding paid work around here might be tough for him and this could really help. It really doesn't matter, The experience alone is priceless. Did I mention he brings home veggies! Yesterday he brought me tons of yummy carrots. You all know how i feel about carrots and these ones are the best ever! needless to say, they are gone!They even sent us their first batch of vegan chocolate chip cookies. They lasted about 3 minutes! With the last one being snatched out of the container and the taker chased through the house. Forrest is also preparing seeds from a seed tomato Andy gave him. A striped German! they are pretty and yummy! so we can grow our own next spring.
Gaynor is working constantly on his games and short stories. He mostly likes to develop characters. They usually consist of creatures with some type of power. He gets really into it. Maybe he'll develop the next big trading card game. He has also been playing with Harland allot. Sometimes forced but they have such great imaginations and make up some really cool games.
Harland is really into cutting and pasting right now. he calls it his school work. But his favorite thing to do is play with Gaynor. He is outside as much as humanly possible. It will be even better when we move and have a huge yard! He would stay out all day if he could. Too bad Gaynor doesn't share his love of the outdoors.

The Boys Have Their Own Blogs!

So, If you click on the boys pics to the right, it will take you to their blogs. check them out and leave them comments.

It's all new again

So obviously its been a while and everything is different. But does anyone expect less from our family? We are in Maine, and loving it. Getting ready to move to our new, much larger, place in a few weeks. The boys are beyond excited, as are Mike and I. 186 acres! I am hoping for lots of walks, snow shoeing, cross country skiing etc. All I know is I can see the mountains from my kitchen when i look out over the hay fields. What more could you ask for. Oh yeah, a giant wood cook stove. Now I won't have "wood pile" envy any more.
Homeschooling is going great. Its funny to read past blogs about strict curriculums and schedules since we are doing the total opposite now. i think its natural homeschool progression. We are still doing Math, Saxon but everything else is more chill. For History we are watching the HBO mini-series "John Adams" which is excellent! I highly recommend it. The boys spend most of their time reading. Forrest is really into Stephen King right now which is ironic since we live in Maine. Gaynor is working on a few different short stories. He has soo many ideas he keeps starting new projects, thats ok, he is really enjoying the process. Forrest has been writing quite a bit as well. He just got a short story published on the TeenINK raw site. He is so proud! So are his parents. He has written some amazing poems lately too. i'll try to get him to put some on this site. He is a natural writer and Gaynor is right there with him. For science they boys spent some time with mushroom books in the woods searching for and identifying different species. it was a stellar mushroom year here in Maine. I guess the rain has to be good for something! Forrest is also working at a local Organic farm. Marble Family Farms. He helps the young farmers harvest crops in exchange for work and life experience as well as good company, conversation and some times even free produce. They grow the most amazing tomatoes and salad greens, you'll never eat store bought lettuce again! What better way to learn plant biology, economics and of course the value of small farms and sustainable agriculture. Plus the 7miles he rides his bike each way is Phys-Ed right? life is after all the best education! Other than that, the boys write letters to pen pals, use different mediums for art projects, cook and bake, and use the internet to research any and every whim. Today we are learning how to make baskets from cattails which are everywhere here! They are loving it and so am I.

Trying out a schedule.....again

So as a family we decided on a few things. First, more formal curriculum. if i have realized anything, its that homeschooling is all about trial and error. We were basically unschooling but i just wasn't happy with the way our days were going. Any way i won't get into too much boring detail but here is where we are at now. Wind is going strong with his Saxon Math curriculum. i love it it is soooo straight forward. I just ordered 5th grade for Rain. We are also looking (desperately) for a good Secular Biology program, I think i may have found one. I am also considering a language program of some kind.
Our days basically go like this: Boys up at 7:00 ( I sometimes sleep in if the baby has had a bad night-meaning up more than three times) Then they do their chores, usually finishing up by 8:30. Then we sit at the table for "school time" Earth actually loves this time he cuts or colors. We are working on the Wacco, Animaniacs song of the states and capitals while we color code and label a map. Next is math: we do a timed test and mental math together then Wind goes into another room to work without distractions. what we do next varies greatly. somedays its errands( their favorite is grocery shopping with the shopping buddy at Stop and Shop!) some days we cook, some days we do language arts, the kids are writing a three part paper, reduce, reuse, recycle. If its warm enough as it has been this past week, the boys go out in the woods to work on their fort. They will even take Earth. What good brothers, Now with our new radios we can talk so i always know where they are. I try to get them to practice their instruments every day. Wind-electric guitar and Water-Drums.
Earth even uses his xylaphone. After like 1:00ish they have a few more easy chores and then the rest of the day is free. This is when they read, alot! i love that i don't even have to suggest it, now even with Water. he caught the reading bug....yeah! Actually they seem much happier. I know i am.
We have also been setting some goals. Wind really wants to look more into taking his GED exam so he can take courses as Massasoit. He is very excited about the bio curriculum we are looking at. Science is his love! its 10th grade bio but a general course and i know he is more than capable. I even plan to include water. He also mentioned he wants to learn to take notes so he can handle a college level corse.
I feel like i am finally getting into a groove with Fire, oh and fire soooo suits him! he is a bit more demanding that i would like but nothing i can't handle. i like to think of it as assertive but with out spoken language! Lucky for him he is soo stinkin cute i plan to keep him!
On the home front, we are working on our home plans, met with the architect. We are still unpacking....the story of my life. I bought new cloth diapers. m-says i am way too excited about them. i pointed out how it is no different from his excitement over a new tool for work. this is my job and these fantastic pocket diapers just made it a whole lot easier check em out at http://www.mommystouch.com/ . $350 ish for 18 one size fits all diapers. as apposed to $2500 ish for disposables for 2-2 1/2 years then into the landfill they go! plus the rash and exema fire had from the pre-folds i was using is gone gone gone! i wash them about every other day. they clean beautifully and they are easy and cute. Earth wears them at night too...no more pull-ups! i'm gonna stop here cause i could go on and on! i am trying a new laundry strategy it seems to be working out. I am loving my new "vegan with a vengance" cook book! The food is amazing! i can't wait to have my own kitchen again. i miss having one of the boys cook with me everynight.
On the personal front. i could use some more sleep! i get a weird hung-over feeling some mornings. funny since i have't had a drink! i miss summer, i miss heat and sun and the ocean and tank tops and sandals. I am soo diggin Paramore definately need to pick up that CD the best movie i have seen recently is "the last mimzy" i love my new hair cut, need to buy some clothes that fit. am sooo excited about Moes at the mall (one of my favorites from tennessee). My last date with m-was to IKEA and i loved it! see ya soon.

Peace GI GI.......we will miss you but we are happy for your peace, finally resting in peace!