tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-4548102689161241042012-01-23T13:33:45.137+01:00Adventures in Home EducationLeahnoreply@blogger.comBlogger2001100tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-454810268916124104.post-87642289848637442162011-09-27T22:38:00.005+02:002011-09-27T22:52:25.678+02:00

Tomorrow night we'll celebrate the start of a new Jewish year, the year 5772.May the new year bring you love, peace and good health to enjoy all the gifts the Creator gives to us freely, day by day.May the year 5772 be a good and sweet year, and may we all be inscribed in the Book of Life.Shana Tova!

Leahhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/06848578957263632682noreply@blogger.com1tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-454810268916124104.post-59127227500065661662011-09-19T14:13:00.002+02:002011-09-19T14:24:08.062+02:00

When I ordered "Meet the Great Composers" I already knew I would want to supplement it. Although supposedly suitable for Grade 9 music education, the method does not entirely meet my standards. Not only does it seem to be a bit too easy for high school students, but there's no mention of any composers before the Baroque. Whatever happened to medieval music? And the music of the Renaissance?

Leahhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/06848578957263632682noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-454810268916124104.post-91125758912297422762011-09-12T10:13:00.004+02:002011-09-12T11:17:50.107+02:00

We started our new homeschooling year two weeks ago, this year with just one child left to home educate. As of this year, Lizzy is studying Stories and Desing at ArtEz Institute of Arts, so it's just Fran now.Fran working on a math problem with her DadI planned Fran's course of study for the first term of this school year way back in June, and so far Fran's been pretty good about keeping up with

Leahhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/06848578957263632682noreply@blogger.com2tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-454810268916124104.post-85469771296911144162011-08-02T08:57:00.013+02:002011-08-02T10:09:48.964+02:00

We didn't need any more books. We honestly didn't. But then we went into town, and entered the bookshop. Fran and I, just the two of us - and she never even used to like books.She somehow managed to convince me I needed to buy her these books:Het menselijk lichaam - a Dutch translation of The Human Body, by Steve Parker, because "Look, Mum! A pop-up model of the brain!" and "Just look at this!

Leahhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/06848578957263632682noreply@blogger.com1tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-454810268916124104.post-37425701813768995802011-07-20T22:12:00.004+02:002011-07-20T22:29:50.998+02:00

She had a pink blog. Very pink, and very girly, and she didn't like that anymore. So we gave the blog a makeover today.And of course I couldn't resist creating a motivational poster to show off on Fran's revamped blog.Fran likes her new blog, and that's a good thing, as I want her to start updating it regularly from now on. After all, what's the use of having a blog when you never post anything

Leahhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/06848578957263632682noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-454810268916124104.post-7050228837409820972011-07-13T21:17:00.010+02:002011-07-14T00:06:24.108+02:00

Last week I created "The Perfect Homeschool Portfolio" for Fran - if such a thing as a perfect portfolio even exists. It was a lot of work, but totally worth it, and I'm quite pleased with the result.It wasn't even all that difficult once I figured out what to put into it, and created the templates for the pages I'll want to include every year. What goes in the Perfect Homeschool Portfolio? I

Leahhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/06848578957263632682noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-454810268916124104.post-82279832020349340052011-07-08T16:46:00.006+02:002011-07-08T17:18:48.389+02:00

Finally! The Summer Holidays have begun. Seven whole weeks to do as we please. I can think of quite a few things we'll want to do. But first I've got to wrap up some loose ends.This afternoon I got out the coil binding machine and converted all Fran's worksheets into neat workbooks.Now, they're ready for storage in one of our bookcases. Next on my list is Fran's Portfolio, which is mostly done

Leahhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/06848578957263632682noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-454810268916124104.post-53619600166023592942011-07-04T20:42:00.009+02:002011-07-04T21:28:37.219+02:00

You've got to love this:"Scientists have found a possibly harmful fungus that grows in dishwashers, surviving high temperatures, aggressive doses of detergents and rinsing salts and both acid and alkaline types of water."Read more: The Sydney Morning HeraldOK, the article tells us scientists aren't sure yet whether this fungus poses a possible health threat or not, but what is worrying me, is

Leahhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/06848578957263632682noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-454810268916124104.post-38785475126321029102011-07-01T19:03:00.002+02:002011-07-01T19:16:22.607+02:00

Next week will be our last week of homeschool before the summer holidays start, which is a very good thing, as I'm totally fed up with school by now and am almost starting to regret my decision to do school at home with Fran instead of continuing to unschool her - even despite the fact that unschooling just wasn't the right approach for her.Still, we've got one more week of school to go, and I

Leahhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/06848578957263632682noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-454810268916124104.post-65912717092707094602011-06-24T18:08:00.007+02:002011-06-24T20:11:28.084+02:00

This week the summer has officially begun, and here we are, with two more weeks to go before the summer holidays begin.We had a rough start this week. Sunday evening, as I was happily building a house in my Sims game (I love building and creating), a sudden nausea washed over me and forced me to quit immediately, shut down my computer and go to bed. I hate it when that happens, but thankfully, it

Leahhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/06848578957263632682noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-454810268916124104.post-9081883591628166212011-06-23T18:41:00.006+02:002011-06-23T22:27:06.930+02:00

"Mum, why can't people just stop asking stupid questions all the time?""What people, dear, and what kind of stupid questions?""Children at judo class. They keep asking me why I don't go to school. It's so annoying, and I just don't want to answer those questions anymore.""Well, maybe next time they ask, you could answer with a counter question: Why do you go to school?"A big grin showed on her

Leahhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/06848578957263632682noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-454810268916124104.post-8495749072744222142011-06-17T17:34:00.004+02:002011-06-17T18:02:04.089+02:00

It's Friday afternoon, and I'm sitting at my desk, enjoying a cup of tea. The smell of freshly baked Kodafa fills the house. We're almost ready for Queen Shabbat to enter our house.This week was a wonderful week; we got so many things done. Fran made worked diligently on her math and made great progress. She took two reading comprehension tests at Mindsprinting: One at grade 8 level, and since

Leahhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/06848578957263632682noreply@blogger.com2tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-454810268916124104.post-62171686877295328302011-06-16T15:59:00.000+02:002011-06-16T16:00:36.137+02:00

Because I wanted Fran to be ready to start her High School career in September, and I knew our unschooling had led to her being behind with her math skills, I had her take a test about a month ago.I have to admit I was really nervous about how well (or rather how badly) she would do, but when she'd finished and we were presented with the results, I was relieved. It wasn't nearly as bad as I'd

Leahhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/06848578957263632682noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-454810268916124104.post-57629833200142827012011-06-10T10:14:00.016+02:002011-06-23T18:40:52.473+02:00

We've got four more weeks to go before the summer holidays, and we're wrapping up this academic year.This has been a year of changes: Lizzy graduated and will be studying Art (Stories and Design) at ArtEZ, Institute of Arts for the next four years.With Fran, we switched from a rather radical unschooling approach to a much more traditional approach, because that's what she needs right now. She's

Leahhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/06848578957263632682noreply@blogger.com2tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-454810268916124104.post-61499327509877826162011-06-02T17:22:00.003+02:002011-06-02T17:51:42.074+02:00

Inspired by Annie Kate, I decided to create a Summer Dream List with my family. It didn't become a very long or detailed list yet, and not nearly as adventurous as the one Annie Kate posted on her blog, but it's a start, and more importantly: it includes things my children would really like to do this summer.Learn Anatomy (Lizzy)Eat Ice Cream at Australian (all of us)Sell Playmobil and Lego (

Leahnoreply@blogger.com2tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-454810268916124104.post-22609277983577845512011-05-24T18:05:00.008+02:002011-05-24T19:03:54.643+02:00

We've been unschoolers for most of the time we've home educated our girls, and it worked wonders for Lizzy. But Fran isn't like her big sister and we've long felt that the unschooling approach wasn't quite right for her. She never made the progress we knew she could've made if only she would have had the same ravenous appetite for learning that Lizzy's always had.But Fran isn't Lizzy. And as we

Leahhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/06848578957263632682noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-454810268916124104.post-35619885605195653052011-05-18T12:16:00.009+02:002011-06-23T18:40:52.475+02:00

She was eight when we pulled her out of school. As beginning home educating parents we were nervous about whether or not we'd made the right choice, and even more, whether or not we'd be able to give her the education she needed.Now, she's seventeen. She grew and developed and along the way she taught us not to be afraid. She knew which education was right for her and made sure she got it.

Leahnoreply@blogger.com2tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-454810268916124104.post-69118539968106493712011-05-01T17:46:00.007+02:002011-05-01T18:14:41.023+02:00

After two weeks of Pesach Holiday, Fran is getting bored. She's been playing computer games most of the time, and that's a lonely business, so she comes to us ever more often asking to play with her, but good grief, I don't play. Not the way she does. I never did. I've always been a reading and learning kind of girl and never grew out of that. And although the hubby enjoys playing the odd

Leahhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/06848578957263632682noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-454810268916124104.post-59971542721310990862011-04-22T18:26:00.002+02:002011-04-22T18:44:03.165+02:00

Today is the fourth day of Pesach. We've eaten more matzos in these four days than we normally eat in a whole year. We're not allowed to eat macaroni, or anything that's made of wheat, rye, barley, oats or spelt - unless it's in the form of matzah. We've had to clean the house, and especially the kitchen of all chamets (yep, the stuff mentioned above), as not only are we not allowed to eat it;

Leahhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/06848578957263632682noreply@blogger.com2tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-454810268916124104.post-28849792413240233202011-04-07T13:18:00.008+02:002011-04-07T13:55:13.010+02:00

Because I've hardly updated at all since last summer, I thought I'd bring you up to speed on what we've been up to lately, and since a picture says more than a thousand words, here's some pictures:In August we went to see one of my nieces and her family, and had a lovely time together.In September Fran celebrated her 12th birthday and got to sit with the sensei for the greetings at Judo class.In

Leahnoreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-454810268916124104.post-6055650360090458972011-04-01T17:05:00.005+02:002011-04-01T19:21:49.917+02:00

Over the last few weeks (well, months, really) we've had this whole discussion here in the Netherlands about whether or not home education should be made illegal. And all this fuss because some 100 Muslim parents considered home educating their children when their school gets closed next school year.Don’t you think it's funny how so many people go into hysterics as soon as Muslims decide they

Leahhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/06848578957263632682noreply@blogger.com2tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-454810268916124104.post-81082586356419725232011-02-25T15:21:00.006+01:002011-02-25T17:07:12.358+01:00

Today, Lizzy went back to her old school.This was something she'd been wanting to do for quite a while now. Just to say hi to her former teachers and tell them how she'd been doing.It was weird, and fun to be back there. The teachers seemed happy to see her, and to hear about her admission to the Institute of Arts. Lizzy also showed them pictures of some of her work, and they were impressed.Sadly

Leahhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/06848578957263632682noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-454810268916124104.post-69928226504949935482011-01-30T21:12:00.005+01:002011-01-30T21:39:42.722+01:00

After a much longer blogging vacation than I intended, I'm back with some great news: Lizzy has been admitted to ArtEZ, Institute of Arts to study Stories& Design.Last September Lizzy started the preparetory course Art&Design at ArtEZ. The course was rather demanding (and the material pricey). There were days when Lizzy felt like she'd never make it, and she was never going to be good enough. She

Leahhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/06848578957263632682noreply@blogger.com2tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-454810268916124104.post-91884324185442005162010-08-06T18:51:00.003+02:002010-08-06T19:02:27.743+02:00

For the first time ever, I braided my Challot with four strings instead of the usual three. I made a mistake with the first, so that one's got a rather interesting shape, but the second came out perfect. And they are huge!Look at these beauties. I can hardly wait for Shabbat to begin.Yummm!Oh, and Lizzy is helping me making our Yorkshire pudding.Yum again.

Leahhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/06848578957263632682noreply@blogger.com2tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-454810268916124104.post-14319550085740638532010-08-06T14:31:00.005+02:002010-08-06T14:54:27.473+02:00

Last Wednesday, we had my three nieces (5, 7 and 10) over for a visit while my sister and brother in law were at an appointment.My nieces are nice little girls, but very different from my own daughters. Whereas Lizzy and Fran are usually calm and quiet, these three are a bunch of wild, noisy girls. I like calm and quiet. A lot. So, even though I love my nieces dearly, I wasn't particularly

Leahhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/06848578957263632682noreply@blogger.com1tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-454810268916124104.post-84844783268473823392010-08-06T14:19:00.000+02:002011-03-31T12:22:35.896+02:00

Lizzy made us a nice, tasty Shepherd's Pie for supper yesterday.Ingredients:2 lbs/1 kg potatoessoy milk1 cup soy chunks1 tbsp tomato paste2 tbsp. onion soup and seasoning mix (Osem, parve)2 lbs/1 kg carrots1 onion6 cloves of garlicolive oil½ cup red winechives, parsley and thymeground black pepper1 cup shredded uncheese (e.g. cheezly mozzarella)PreparationPreheat oven to 200 °C.Peel potatoes and

Leahhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/06848578957263632682noreply@blogger.com1tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-454810268916124104.post-55578305766785411882010-08-06T13:09:00.004+02:002010-08-06T13:30:30.274+02:00

Fit. Ahem. Yes, right. Okay, I'll admit it: I slacked enormously, and the worst thing is, I don't even feel properly bad about it. How bad is that, eh? Oh well, I suppose I can feel guilty later.So... what did I do?Not much really. A couple of sit-ups and stretches most mornings. A lot of walking. Housework. Just the usual things, really.What was that? Did I hear somebody mention healthy eating?

Leahhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/06848578957263632682noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-454810268916124104.post-23848893421740976482010-07-23T15:59:00.003+02:002010-07-23T16:07:21.767+02:00

Despite the continuing hot weather, I had a great week.On Sunday, Fran had her Judo exam and earned the yellow belt. She did really well, and achieved very high marks.Lizzy and I worked on her portfolio, and I finally - finally! - got started on writing her transcript. We also decided on which subjects she is going to take next year in order to complete her homeschooling career.

Leahhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/06848578957263632682noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-454810268916124104.post-61178970246625845002010-07-23T15:24:00.008+02:002010-07-23T16:46:50.265+02:00

My exercise goal for the week was to walk and continue with the tai chi, which I didn't really do. I mean... I walked about as much as I usually do, but did no tai chi at all. I did get to do something else, though. Something I love more than any other form of exercise.Yes, I got to finally do some judo and ju jitsu again.Judo came first, right after Fran's judo exam (she earned her yellow belt)

Leahhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/06848578957263632682noreply@blogger.com5tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-454810268916124104.post-63176558393247225922010-07-16T21:12:00.005+02:002010-07-16T21:57:16.947+02:00

It's been an extremely hot and busy week. Two weeks, actually. But we're done. That is, Fran's Summer holidays began today. She won't be having any formal schooling until the second half of September. Note the "formal" here. There's no way she won't be learning anything.I'm extremly proud of Fran. We still had so much to do only two weeks ago, but she did it all. Well, OK, almost all of it -

Leahhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/06848578957263632682noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-454810268916124104.post-61169392700899017592010-07-02T21:23:00.006+02:002010-07-02T22:02:07.720+02:00

Last week has been an extremely busy week for me.I wrote a report of Fran's educational achievements this academic year, and was quite impressed with the amount of learning she's been doing. However, certain subjects still need being wrapped up before the summer holidays. (Yes, even though we're unschoolers and don't really do holidays.)So I wrote a to-do-list for those subjects, and we started

Leahhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/06848578957263632682noreply@blogger.com4tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-454810268916124104.post-66107046851492161952010-07-02T20:54:00.005+02:002010-07-02T21:15:58.413+02:00

My exercise goal for the week was to walk and contiue with the tai chi. I did walk a lot, but never got around to doing any tai chi but never mind. I feel good about what I did anyway.My nutritional goal for the week was to eat as varied a menu as possible, which I did. Like I mentioned before, eating healthy isn't my biggest challenge. Not usually, anyway.Time to think about my goals for next

Leahhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/06848578957263632682noreply@blogger.com3tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-454810268916124104.post-48707111571108556122010-06-25T16:49:00.008+02:002010-06-25T19:27:36.656+02:00

As unschoolers, we sometimes feel like we never actually do anything at all, although looking back over maybe a couple of weeks - or even better: months - we always see that we've actually achieved a lot. Wrapping up a week seems almost impossible. What did we learn? Did we actually do anything at all, besides just living?Well, let's see...Fran went to judo training three times, as usual. We also

Leahhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/06848578957263632682noreply@blogger.com4tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-454810268916124104.post-53403112873130550512010-06-25T10:00:00.002+02:002010-06-25T17:40:31.460+02:00

My exercise goal for the week was to go hiking. That plan fell flat. I intended to go for a nice long hike with Lizzy on Thursday, but since she threw one of her infamous tantrums on Wednesday night, and I was still pissed off with her about the things she said, the hike didn't seem like a good idea at all.Nevertheles, I did get around to doing some exercise this week. I had a good long walk with

Leahhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/06848578957263632682noreply@blogger.com3tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-454810268916124104.post-57682820666804693092010-06-23T15:22:00.003+02:002010-06-23T15:36:16.444+02:00

The end of yet another academic year is approaching, and that means there's plays and exhibitions to go to.The exposition of Lizzy's illustration class, with themes as The Word Factory and Ria Groothoef, has been running for the past two weeks, and now the time has arrived to go and collect Lizzy's art from the local School of Arts.But not before we've shown you an impression of the exhibition,

Leahhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/06848578957263632682noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-454810268916124104.post-21500913286370531902010-06-18T21:23:00.004+02:002010-06-18T22:16:18.416+02:00

OK, quite honestly, I've no idea what my goals were, but never mind.I walked a lot this week, so that's good. I also ate pretty healthy. Fresh, home-made smoothies, yummm!I also bought the new "Healthy" yesterday. It's a cheap magazine, with lots of tips on how to live a healthy life. This month's issue had an article about hiking, and the moment I read that, I knew it: I love walking already, so

Leahhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/06848578957263632682noreply@blogger.com1tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-454810268916124104.post-8254526131868235042010-06-16T15:31:00.005+02:002010-06-16T16:44:19.564+02:00

Last Sunday was the day of the annual Pancake Competitions, and no, it was not about who could eat most pancakes. The pancakes were served to sustain our hungry judoka throughout a long day of games and competitions.Whereas we usually like to sleep in on Sundays, we had to get early as the fun started at ten.The weather was nice, and Fran and her peers played games outside all morning, whereas

Leahhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/06848578957263632682noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-454810268916124104.post-695704340502865262010-06-11T18:29:00.005+02:002010-06-11T19:41:54.206+02:00

Lizzy's been working hard at her arts skills this year, and it shows. Her drawing, which was already pretty good, is getting better and better. Below is a scan of one of the pictures she drew for her illustration class last week. Just for comparison, here's a picture she drew one year ago, in June 2009.And going back to November 2008 and June 2008, you can really see how much progress she's made

Leahhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/06848578957263632682noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-454810268916124104.post-4909119123886770272010-06-07T10:00:00.002+02:002010-06-07T10:00:01.601+02:00

As some of you probably know, I'm a FlyLady fan. Her system inspires me to stay organised, which is hard enough when you're a homeschooling parent.This doesn't mean, however, that I should follow her system as is. It wouldn't work for me.Take the vacuuming, for example.photo: Adrian Pingstone.FlyLady tells us to vacuum the middle of the floors only. I'm sure this works well for her and for many

Leahhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/06848578957263632682noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-454810268916124104.post-570842601417008512010-06-04T18:01:00.005+02:002010-06-25T19:28:07.755+02:00

This week sucked. The week before too.In fact, they were so bad, I have to insist that you won't ask any questions, and I won't whine. Not a single word. That's a promise.I did have two large, healthy home-made Melon-Kiwi-Soy yoghurt-Orange juice-Smoothies for breakfast this morning. They were delicious. This was my best achievement this week.Thankfully, there's always next week.

Leahhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/06848578957263632682noreply@blogger.com3tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-454810268916124104.post-74330662963398309412010-05-21T16:10:00.005+02:002010-06-25T19:28:07.756+02:00

My exercise goal for the week was to go inline skating a couple of times and to pick up running again if the weather allowed for it.The weather was fine most of last week, but I didn't go inline skating or running even once. I got sick instead. Nothing serious, just a very nasty cold, but it zapped all the energy right out of me. I never got even one good night's sleep, but instead kept myself

Leahhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/06848578957263632682noreply@blogger.com4tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-454810268916124104.post-8943913104790986752010-05-21T09:58:00.003+02:002010-05-21T10:38:22.342+02:00

1. What is one really fast, know-by-heart "go-to" meal to fix in a pinch?Fast? I haven't the slightest. I guess if it has to be fast, we just have a slice of bread with "whatever". Not fancy, but it does fill your tummy. (But thankfully, we don't often have to do fast meals.)2. What is one item you won't leave home without. (Purse and license do not count.)Again, I've no idea. I've been known to

Leahhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/06848578957263632682noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-454810268916124104.post-69407483065132213882010-05-19T15:10:00.006+02:002010-05-19T15:39:32.207+02:00

When I speak Dutch, my native language, people often ask about my accent. They'll say things like: "You're not Dutch, are you? You've got a bit of an accent. Are you English?" (Yep. English. Not British, not American, Aussie, or what-have-you, but English.)Conversely, when I'm in the company of English speaking friends (whose native tongue is English), they might ask me where I'm from. "You've

Leahhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/06848578957263632682noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-454810268916124104.post-67962663661655981122010-05-17T15:20:00.003+02:002010-05-17T15:32:45.729+02:00

Do you have that, too? Shoes scattered throughout your place? No, not yours of course. Never yours, but your family's. Your dear husband dumps his shoes under his favourite chair and under the table, and your children... well, we'd better not even get there.But guess what, the solution is both easy and affordable. All you need is a simple shoe rack (or two).See? Now all you have to do, is drill..

Leahhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/06848578957263632682noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-454810268916124104.post-25624502155736242782010-05-14T18:05:00.001+02:002010-06-25T19:28:07.758+02:00

My exercise goal for the week was to go inline skating a couple of times and to pick up running again if the weather allowed for it.I actually did go inline skating once, but again the weather ruined my plans for the rest of the week. Today isn't quite so horrible, though, and I had planned on going running today, but after spending way too much time at the shops (shopping for groceries) I'm just

Leahhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/06848578957263632682noreply@blogger.com1tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-454810268916124104.post-61308677020684061662010-05-13T15:35:00.002+02:002010-05-13T15:45:15.214+02:00

It's almost that time again: Time for the HeTof to take place! This year, the HeTof will take place from 28-30 May 2010 in Hedel, the Netherlands.Like last year, I'll be speaking at the HeTof again. This time about Teenagers and Home Education.I devoted a long post to the HeTof on my Dutch sister blog. Too long to translate, but for those interested in reading more here's the link to the

Leahhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/06848578957263632682noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-454810268916124104.post-65888483310437223772010-05-10T21:11:00.004+02:002010-05-10T23:28:48.328+02:00

We're at it again: the laundry. One of many home educating parents' pet peeves. Somehow we never quite manage to stay on top of it, do we?Well, I do - most of the time. But there once was a time, when this wasn't so easy at all.I had a severely disabled baby and taking care of her took up so much of my time, I barely even slept more than four hours in 24. And not even in one go. Out of necessity,

Leahhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/06848578957263632682noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-454810268916124104.post-25184063197701336002010-05-07T16:13:00.004+02:002010-06-25T19:28:07.760+02:00

My exercise goal for the week was to go inline skating a couple of times and to pick up running again.I'm afraid I didn't make it. There are reasons and excuses, and I'll let you choose which is which.We had foul weather most of the week. Too cold, and too wet. I don't want to go running or inline skating in the rain. Also, I haven't got a proper coat to wear when I'm exercising outside.

Leahhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/06848578957263632682noreply@blogger.com4tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-454810268916124104.post-57397253351828381532010-05-06T21:45:00.009+02:002011-07-01T09:52:39.453+02:00

Not all children hate textbooks, but if they do this can make home educating them just a little more challenging. Thankfully, you don't need to work from textbooks in order to successfully home educate your child.You just have to learn to think outside the box. Here are a few tips to get you started.1. Word searches are a great way to help your child with her spelling skills, and at the same time

Leahhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/06848578957263632682noreply@blogger.com1tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-454810268916124104.post-31819139192076736512010-05-03T21:44:00.006+02:002010-05-03T22:25:01.285+02:00

It's one of my least favourite chores, and therefore tends to get "forgotten" all too easily. However, after all the cleaning, tidying up and redecorating I did over the last ten days or so, I just couldn't stand the mess in my bathroom anymore.Doesn't look too bad, you say? Look closer.You see? That looks seriously dirty. So, I took a cleaning cloth, and a double dose of sheer grit, and went in

Leahhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/06848578957263632682noreply@blogger.com5tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-454810268916124104.post-84898868664462473002010-04-30T17:16:00.002+02:002010-06-25T19:28:07.762+02:00

This was my first week on the Fit Mommy Friday program, and since I only discovered it last Sunday night, it wasn't a full week yet. I decided to start in level one.My exercise goal for the week was to get out my inline skates and pick up inline skating again. I did, but only only once, as this week was a very busy week, and I simply didn't have enough time to go inline skatign more than once.

Leahhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/06848578957263632682noreply@blogger.com2tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-454810268916124104.post-63239086436454281092010-04-28T21:19:00.004+02:002010-04-28T21:37:35.826+02:00

One of my favourite places on the web for helping my children learn a new language, is the BBC website.I first discovered the BBC's languages website about a year ago - or maybe a little longer - and was immediately impressed with what they had on offer. Free basic foreign language courses in several languages, including German, French and Spanish.I decided to teach my children German, using

Leahhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/06848578957263632682noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-454810268916124104.post-67697848509565824322010-04-27T17:32:00.004+02:002010-04-27T18:01:35.969+02:00

Although our home is relatively clean and tidy most of the time, my bookcases have been a deplorable mess ever since we moved into hour new home almost six years ago. High time for a detailed tidy-up session.Of course, with all the distractions of a busy family and my passion for reading, this took several days, but now my bookcases are perfect.My best friends in organising my bookcases were:A

Leahhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/06848578957263632682noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-454810268916124104.post-44139792696605242502010-04-25T23:20:00.004+02:002010-06-25T19:28:28.440+02:00

I just discovered Fit Mommy Friday, which looks like a lot of fun, so I decided to join.I'm not an absolute beginner, but not participating in a consistent fitness program either, so I'll start in level one.Level One: The Beginner level. This is for those of you who are brand new to exercise or for those who are not already participating in a consistent fitness program. Your goal should include

Leahhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/06848578957263632682noreply@blogger.com4tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-454810268916124104.post-19765530643531840382010-04-22T17:32:00.002+02:002010-04-22T17:35:24.832+02:00

It's still spitting fire, the Icelandic Volcano, and I wish I could be there to see it, but this video is the closest I can get.Truly awesome.The next video is even educational. Pity I don't speak Icelandic.

Leahhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/06848578957263632682noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-454810268916124104.post-13988740473700000092010-04-19T17:26:00.006+02:002010-04-19T18:06:01.499+02:00

We've probably all got a room like this one. It's so small, it's hardly bigger than a fair sized cupboard, but one of your children actually has to use this room for a bedroomWhereas some children really like small rooms - I did when I was little - I think most prefer at least a decent sized room. Yet, you've got no choice. There's only this one little room left, and you have to make the best of

Leahhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/06848578957263632682noreply@blogger.com2tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-454810268916124104.post-91659259587286127402010-04-16T16:52:00.002+02:002010-04-16T17:19:42.445+02:00

We enjoy doing things together as a family, and often go out and have fun during the weekends. Last weekend, we went to the Indonesian fair Pasar Malam.We'd been wanting to visit the Pasar Malam for a very long time already, as it's a great way for our daughters to get in touch with their Indonesian heritage, but somehow we just never made it. But finally, last weekend we went there, and our

Leahhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/06848578957263632682noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-454810268916124104.post-91106265287451202202010-04-16T00:18:00.005+02:002010-04-16T00:51:02.712+02:00

Although she can read quite well now, Fran still prefers being read to over reading herself. Thankfully for her, I enjoy reading to her, and I often read her a chapter from one of her favourite books before she goes to sleep.These are Fran's favourite books, in no particular order:The Chronicles of Narnia - C.S. LewisDeltora Quest - Emily RoddaAnimal Farm - George OrwellMatilda - Roald DahlThe

Leahhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/06848578957263632682noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-454810268916124104.post-61640519660338162382010-04-12T14:25:00.009+02:002010-04-12T14:54:23.441+02:00

On several of the lists and forums I'm a member of, a lot of discussion has been going on lately about mental health, depression and the use of psychotropic medicines. More specificly, on one of "my" home education lists, this discussion has been geared at our children.In a reply to an article on depression by Linda Jones, one of my writer-colleagues, on her mental health blog I wrote this post:"

Leahhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/06848578957263632682noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-454810268916124104.post-67939675720155969762010-04-08T00:07:00.002+02:002010-04-08T00:09:00.008+02:00

So, I'm pissed off about something stupid, and since I've nothing else to share with you, here goes: "Bugger off!"I promise I'll be nice again next time.

Leahhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/06848578957263632682noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-454810268916124104.post-6465077499014293132010-03-19T18:03:00.003+01:002010-03-19T18:08:48.063+01:00

Someone on one of the homeschooling lists I'm on, sent us a link to this novel approach to celebrating Pesach.Some may find it disrespectful, I'm sure, but I just loved it. My children did, too.

Leahhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/06848578957263632682noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-454810268916124104.post-13979907299237939492010-03-18T18:34:00.002+01:002010-03-18T18:47:30.093+01:00

Last Sunday, March 14, we were going to the Writer's Podium in Hilversum (the Netherlands), where writer and TV cineast Hans Koekoek would be reading from his own work. Afterwards, we would go back home with him for a drink and a bite to eat.We hadn't seen Hans in years, and were really looking forward to seeing him again, but alas, fate decided differently.It all started on Saturday morning,

Leahhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/06848578957263632682noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-454810268916124104.post-75291162321360097552010-03-12T11:40:00.004+01:002010-03-12T12:14:33.014+01:00

On February 28, Fran passed her second Judo exam - and with high marks again.She's now got a brown slip attached to her white belt. Next time, she'll definitely earn her (much wanted) yellow belt, the fifth kyu.Her marks (highest is 10 our of 10) were as follows:etiquette: 10/10 ukemi (falling): 7.5/10Leg throws: 8/10Hip throws: 8/10Shoulder throws: 9/10Pins: 7.5/10Turnovers: 7.5/10General judo

Leahhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/06848578957263632682noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-454810268916124104.post-22391933743200692012010-02-26T17:42:00.002+01:002010-02-26T17:49:11.913+01:00

Last weekend Fran played her third judo competition. She won the first game; the other three ended undecided.This weekend Fran will be taking another judo exam. She's really exited about it and we're all hoping for good results. She's been training really hard, three times a week, and never missed a training yet, so we think she'll be doing great.

Leahhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/06848578957263632682noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-454810268916124104.post-88022062198435050622010-02-05T16:31:00.004+01:002010-02-05T17:16:29.815+01:00

Last week, Fran went to the hairdresser's. That might not be earth-shattering news, but ... what seemed like a perfectly good haircut at the hairdresser's, soon turned into a nightmare. During the weekend, much longer strands of hair suddenly peaked out everywhere, and no matter what we did, it was no good.So Monday morning we went back to the hairdresser's. The girl that cut Fran's hair on

Leahhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/06848578957263632682noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-454810268916124104.post-9415841584997017182010-01-24T11:54:00.004+01:002010-01-24T12:12:40.827+01:00

Last week was a tough one for us. It always is.Around this time of year, on Sh'vat 3, 5762 our Sarah died, at age five. As usual, we visited her grave on her Yahrzeit. I also wrote a poem, which wasn't very good at all - and that's saying it mildly. It took me the rest of the week to get it right.GriefAs I standat the edgeof the grave,shivering,my bare handsalmost frozenI think ofthe candleI lit

Leahhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/06848578957263632682noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-454810268916124104.post-33407214130250962532010-01-18T21:07:00.005+01:002010-01-18T21:28:28.298+01:00

It's Monday again, so I'm going to treat you to one of my home organising tips again, whether you like it or not. Today's an easy one though, so don't run away yet.Do you ever have those days, when your fridge is full with things you bought about two weeks ago and never used because, frankly, you didn't know what to do with them? I know this used to happen to me a lot - and the stuff remained in

Leahhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/06848578957263632682noreply@blogger.com2tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-454810268916124104.post-20927801396112140392010-01-13T12:38:00.002+01:002010-01-13T14:00:44.339+01:00

Scientific research suggests that the academic performance of home educated students is better than the academic performance of their school-going peers. I'm so pleased to present you with some solid proof here.The following questions were set in last year's GCSE examination in Swindon, Wiltshire (U.K.)A friend sent me this. She assured me the answers are genuine.Q. Name the four seasonsA. Salt,

Leahhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/06848578957263632682noreply@blogger.com2tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-454810268916124104.post-28607605642080795472010-01-11T21:24:00.005+01:002010-01-11T22:01:57.629+01:00

Does you kitchen look like the one in the picture below?Is your kitchen a mess, where you can't find anything and you're actually scared to prepare a meal for fear you and your loved ones might become sick with food poisoning? Do your friends always decline when you offer them a cup of tea or coffee?Would you - deep down - love to have a nice, clean kitchen, but your courage fails you the moment

Leahhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/06848578957263632682noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-454810268916124104.post-53581112780259723572010-01-10T09:35:00.000+01:002011-03-31T12:22:35.900+02:00

Veganised version of a recipe my omnivorous friend Patti sent me the other day.½ cup flour1/3 cup vegan margarine5 garlic cloves, pressed1 onion, chopped1 teaspoon ketjap manis1 teaspoon mustardsome ground pepper3 cups vegan 'chicken' broth (I use Osem Chicken Flavour soup and seasoning mix)1½ cups santan1 cup beer16 oz. (4 cups) shredded vegan 'cheese' that melts well. (I use the Cheezly

Leahhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/06848578957263632682noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-454810268916124104.post-82636664242753403952010-01-08T15:39:00.004+01:002010-01-08T16:19:02.431+01:00

This makes me happy:It's the new fruit basket my husband gave me for Chanukkah. Isn't it gorgeous? I like my fruit basket best when it's filled chock-full with fresh fruit, just like today. We went grocery shopping this morning and bought all this delicious fruit. It won't last long in our household. We're rather fond of fruit, so after the weekend I'll have to go and buy more fresh fruit.This

Leahhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/06848578957263632682noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-454810268916124104.post-84417822560515337342010-01-06T20:36:00.006+01:002010-01-06T21:01:25.929+01:00

It happened again. Someone seemed very concerned about the social development of home educated children and asked quite a few questions regarding socialisation.Of course I understand all those concerns, but after all the years I've been a member of the home educating community, I know that these fears are usually unfounded. And frankly, I'm a bit fed up with people constantly thinking our

Leahhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/06848578957263632682noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-454810268916124104.post-64950280998602016162010-01-04T23:13:00.004+01:002010-01-04T23:45:15.803+01:00

A new secular year has started, and although I didn't draw up a list of resolutions (after all this is not my new year) I have drawn up a plan for what to do about my blogs. I've got several of them, and three of them need to be updated more or less regularly.To make posting to my blogs easier for me, I decided to start working with themes.On Mondays, I'll be posting something about getting rid

Leahhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/06848578957263632682noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-454810268916124104.post-62105236806069352732009-12-23T10:26:00.001+01:002009-12-23T10:28:15.219+01:00

Our Holidays are already over, but for most people they're just about to begin, so here's wishing you Happy Holidays.

Leahhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/06848578957263632682noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-454810268916124104.post-30669329894895301702009-12-21T10:33:00.002+01:002009-12-21T10:54:18.322+01:00

We don't usually get much snow around Christmas, but this year those who celebrate this holiday might get to enjoy a White Christmas.Obviously, we don't celebrate Christmas, but that doesn't stop us enjoying the snow. Yesterday, we got the sled out and Fran and her friend went sledding together.They were outside for hours, and when they finally did come in, they were dripping wet and cold to the

Leahhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/06848578957263632682noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-454810268916124104.post-74295481299764901962009-12-19T21:35:00.001+01:002009-12-19T21:50:48.835+01:00

I still remember holding her shortly after she was born. Such a tiny little baby. She looked at me with those dark eyes, and I was sold. That easy.She's sixteen now, and not a little girl anymore. Suddenly she seems so much more grown up than only a couple of months before.I still remember how I felt that first day of her Bates Course, when she went there all by herself. By bus and train. And I

Leahhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/06848578957263632682noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-454810268916124104.post-41571358062452622192009-12-16T23:17:00.006+01:002009-12-17T00:24:24.230+01:00

I hate to admit it, but I'm skint. We had a tough year, financially and otherwise. It all started with our cat Shimi having serious health problems. This meant vet's bills. Huge ones, and lots of them.Then, in March, we discovered his sister Tika had the same health problems. More vet's bills, but despite their best efforts, they couldn't save Tika, and she died at only four years old.With all

Leahhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/06848578957263632682noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-454810268916124104.post-34161320673430549022009-12-14T15:44:00.005+01:002009-12-14T15:47:05.128+01:00

Tonight will be the fourth night of Chanukkah already.We'll be spending a relatively quiet evening with just our own family tonight, but tomorrow and the day after tomorrow, we'll be entertaining guests again. Looks like I'm going to have to bake a lot of Latkes once more.

Leahhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/06848578957263632682noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-454810268916124104.post-91154187354893361042009-12-13T21:59:00.006+01:002009-12-13T23:17:35.754+01:00

It's been a while again. I really intended to update regularly, but as before, life got in the way. I had to be admitted to hospital yet again and had to stay there for a couple of weeks. No sooner had I come back home again, or I became ill again. This time, I came down with a serious otitis media. No fun. And even less fun, when I found out I was intolerant to the antibiotics I got

Leahhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/06848578957263632682noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-454810268916124104.post-10332011320761093892009-11-05T18:40:00.006+01:002009-11-05T18:58:00.512+01:00

November is NaNoWriMo: National Novel Writing Month.The idea of NaNoWriMo, which has become international, BTW, is to write a novel of at least 50,000 words in just one month. Start to finish. Now, if you think that's an incredibly short time to write a novel, you're right - and that's the fun of it. It's just crazy to try and write a novel in a month, and yet thousands and thousands of people do

Leahhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/06848578957263632682noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-454810268916124104.post-90537453835798843122009-11-02T21:51:00.003+01:002009-11-02T21:57:56.824+01:00

Just a tiny little blog post to let the world know that I just joined twitter.If you consider yourself one of my friends and you're on twitter, please let me know so we can stay in touch with other.

Leahhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/06848578957263632682noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-454810268916124104.post-56067967106719695542009-11-01T21:22:00.005+01:002009-11-01T21:47:34.103+01:00

Today, Fran played her very first Judo Competition. That took quite some preparation, of course, and there was one little problem. Fran takes after her Mum: she's a lightweight. And by that we mean A Real Lightweight. In fact, she weighs so little, she couldn't compete against judoka's her own age, since even the smallest and slimmest her age were much taller and weighed much more than she. So

Leahhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/06848578957263632682noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-454810268916124104.post-78708582170341621232009-10-30T14:23:00.003+01:002009-10-30T14:29:08.377+01:00

Today is Lizzy's birthday. She's sixteen now.Her birthday present was a complete makeover of her room. Since you don't do a complete makeover in just one or two days - at least we don't - we've been at it for months already.All our efforts were well worth it. Lizzy's room has become the dream room she wanted. It will be quiet downstairs, though, now that she has her computer up in her own room.

Leahhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/06848578957263632682noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-454810268916124104.post-40268691701547584692009-10-30T13:58:00.000+01:002011-03-31T12:22:35.904+02:00

I adapted this recipe from Delicious Apple Cake, at VegWeb.2 cups chopped apples, preferably with skin3/4 cup applesauce1/2 cup chopped mixed nuts, kasha and grated coconut 3 tablespoons carob1 teaspoon ginger1 cup whole wheat flour1 teaspoon baking powder1 tablespoon rumPut applesauce in a bowl. Add the other ingredients and mix well. Pour batter into cake pan. Bake at 180 ˚C/350 F for 45

Leahhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/06848578957263632682noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-454810268916124104.post-40459504782593602282009-10-28T13:14:00.002+01:002009-10-28T13:21:44.622+01:00

This week the schools in our region are closed. Autumn break. We never have vacation. After all, learning is our way of life, and you don't take days off from life, do you?Alas, the sportsclub and school of arts are closed this weekPoor Fran won't be going to judo training, and this makes her rather grumpy. Thankfully, she'll be playing her first real judo competition next Sunday, and she's

Leahhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/06848578957263632682noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-454810268916124104.post-72999863567683405692009-10-24T20:55:00.000+02:002011-03-31T12:22:35.907+02:00

250 g. couscous5 dl. boiling water200 g. vegan margarine¼ cup soy yoghurt400 g. soy cream cheese, e.g. Tofutti creamy smooth175 g. vegan mozzarella, grated3½ dl. honey1 tsp. cardamom1½ dl. water1 tsp. orange flower water, or rose water½ cup chopped "crunchies" (e.g. walnuts, almonds, hazelnuts, grated coconut and kasha)Place couscous in a large bowl and add boiling water.Stir with a fork, and

Leahhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/06848578957263632682noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-454810268916124104.post-67300643326036835992009-10-05T22:25:00.000+02:002011-03-31T12:22:35.911+02:00

I borrowed this recipe from my Afghan friend Fausia - and added my own twist to it.500 g. potatoes1 jar sugo or tomato sauce1 onion, peeled and choppedhalf a bulb of garlic, peeled and crushedcumin corianderherbs (e.g. mint and dill)Peel potatoes and cut into four parts. Boil for about ten minutes. Drain.Heat some olive oil in a saucepan.Saute the other onion and the rest of the garlic in olive

Leahhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/06848578957263632682noreply@blogger.com1tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-454810268916124104.post-56812027622517418092009-10-05T21:37:00.000+02:002011-03-31T12:22:35.913+02:00

2 courgettes250 g. vegan mince1 jar sugo or tomato sauce250 g. bulgur600 ml. water or veggie stockolive oil2 onions1 bulb of garliccumincorianderherbs (I like mint and dill, but my daughters prefer chives and parsley)Wash courgettes, remove ends and cut into three or four chunks.Boil in water for about 5 minutes. Drain and leave to cool.Preheat oven to 200° C.Peel and chop the onions. Peel and

Leahhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/06848578957263632682noreply@blogger.com1tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-454810268916124104.post-67184103229274958302009-10-04T14:10:00.007+02:002009-10-05T22:44:19.740+02:00

Sukkot started last Friday. Since I've only just come home from hospital, we haven't got a Sukkah. Well, to be honest, we never really had one, but most years we managed to have something very remotely resembling one. Not this year.However, since Lizzy's had to take over from me during my hospital stay, she gained quite some experience at all sorts of household chores, including cooking. She

Leahhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/06848578957263632682noreply@blogger.com2tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-454810268916124104.post-33606891974649672292009-08-05T21:59:00.007+02:002009-08-05T22:18:37.681+02:00

Less than one year ago, Lizzy took her first Natural Eyesight Improvement course with Thomas Quackenbush at the Natural Vision Center in Malden.Her eyesight improved greatly over the past months; she went from -4.5 and -4.75 to -3 for both eyes in less than a year's time. We were very impressed with those results.In fact we were so impressed and so enthusiastic, that Lizzy decided to become a

Leahhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/06848578957263632682noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-454810268916124104.post-59139021833462698802009-08-04T17:29:00.000+02:002011-03-31T12:22:35.916+02:00

225 g. vegan margarine100 g. apple syrup (omit sugar from the recipe; it's not needed)2 tbsp. corn syrup350 g. oats100 g. vegan chocolatePreheat oven to 150˚C/300 F.In a saucepan gently heat margarine, apple syrup, corn syrup and vegan chocolate until butter has melted.Take saucepan off the heat and mix in oats.Pour mixture into a greased tin and press it out evenly, using the back of a

Leahhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/06848578957263632682noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-454810268916124104.post-6588153459245740992009-07-26T13:05:00.000+02:002011-03-31T12:22:35.918+02:00

4 apples, chopped3 tbsp. orange blossom water1 tbsp. concentrated fruit juicespices (e.g. cardamom, cinnamon and ginger)3 cups flour (e.g. wholemeal flour, white flour and rolled oats)¼ cup olive oil¼ cup concentrated fruit juice( a few tbsp. kasha)Preheat oven to 180˚C/350 F.Combine chopped apples, orange blossom water, 1 tbsp. concentrated fruit juice and spices in an oven dish. You could

Leahhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/06848578957263632682noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-454810268916124104.post-80346367429908884282009-07-21T11:40:00.002+02:002009-07-21T11:42:52.338+02:00

Fran took her first judo exam last Sunday!Needless to say we're all very proud of her.

Leahhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/06848578957263632682noreply@blogger.com1tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-454810268916124104.post-72310403965911127382009-05-31T16:11:00.003+02:002009-05-31T16:20:12.212+02:00

It's been a long time. I've been busy getting my book ready for publication, so I didn't really have much time for updating my blogs. But I tried to make up for that now, and posted some pictures of what we've been up to lately.You'll find them on my Home-Ed Picture Blog.The picture below (not posted to my picture blog) is a naughty example of Fran's love for word-play. Sometimes I really wish we

Leahhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/06848578957263632682noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-454810268916124104.post-48423995400474031212009-05-21T15:48:00.003+02:002009-05-21T16:00:45.340+02:00

We first met five years ago. She came to me for help and advice. More than that, she needed me to listen to her story, to all that she’d been through. What could I do but listen? Listen with not just my ears, but with my heart.She was special to me. Very special. Last night, she died and I am overwhelmed with a strange kind of grief. We were not even friends, not in the common sense of the word,

Leahhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/06848578957263632682noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-454810268916124104.post-85956403012743643322009-04-13T12:18:00.002+02:002009-04-13T12:22:51.293+02:00

We just had the most delicious Matzah Pizza for lunch.I love Pesach!But only after all the cleaning and kashering has been done.

Leahhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/06848578957263632682noreply@blogger.com2tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-454810268916124104.post-752666772401869122009-04-13T12:00:00.000+02:002011-03-31T12:22:35.921+02:00

One of our favourite lunch recipes.6 matzos dairy free milk3 tbps egg replacer black pepper garlic powderherbs (e.g. parsley, thyme and chives)1 cup tomato sauce 1 onionsome mushroomsa few cherry tomatoesvegan cheese, gratedolive oilPreheat oven to 180°C/350 F. Break matzos into small pieces and add some dairy free milk. Mix egg replacer with 6 tbsp water add to matzah mixture. Add pepper and

Leahhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/06848578957263632682noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-454810268916124104.post-38914934507903021562009-04-12T23:58:00.000+02:002011-03-31T12:22:35.923+02:00

2 tomatoes1 onionblack pepperfresh parsleyRinse and slice tomatoes.Peel and slice onion.Arrange tomato and onion slices in a dish. Grind some pepper over the salad.Sprinkle with parsley.

Leahhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/06848578957263632682noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-454810268916124104.post-68014338090308058812009-04-12T23:47:00.000+02:002011-03-31T12:22:35.927+02:00

A nice and easy Pesach treat.2 large square matzos1 cup nuts (I used hazelnuts and almonds)some shredded coconut200 g. vegan chocolate4 tbsp. soy milkcrumble matzos and chop nuts.melt chocolate in soy milk over a very low heat.Add matzos, nuts and coconut to chocolate.Mix well.Spread mixture in a baking tin and leave to cool in the fridge. Cut up and serve.Enjoy!

Leahhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/06848578957263632682noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-454810268916124104.post-47256208342181681342009-04-12T16:28:00.000+02:002009-04-12T16:28:00.782+02:00

Bought the day before Pesach, so we could watch the video during the Pesach week: "The Prince of Egypt" on DVD.We loved it.Beautiful!

Leahhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/06848578957263632682noreply@blogger.com0