Every once in awhile their stuffed animals and dolls have to be washed, and they look so cute hanging on the line!
Recently a friend and I were chatting about when we were first exposed to well-managed, godly large families. For me, it was 1993 and I had just one baby boy. I was listening to a tape by a homeschooling mother of eight and could hardly believe what I was hearing. This mother was organized, efficient, and joyful.
In 1995 I met a friend who at the time was expecting her fifth. I remember the first time I had lunch at her home. The children liked each other, there was a joyful and relaxed atmosphere, and they actually helped without complaint. I remember driving away thinking, "I want a family like that."
I learned a lot from these women and others God graciously brought into my life. But I have learned something more by living this life of managing a large homeschooling family: jobs don't always get done the way I want them to.
Did you catch that? Because I think it's important that those of you who are just starting to walk this path understand what I didn't: often children don't do a job the way or to the standard at which I would. Or you would.
So when you read that my 13-year-old is cleaning the kitchen or that my 11-year-old is winterizing the kitchen garden, realize that they aren't doing it perfectly. They are still learning, still developing skills, still needing mom and dad to check their work and sometimes still needing to go back and re-do the job entirely.
Don't let it frustrate you. Your job is as trainer, and although I highly, highly value the help my children give me, I still need to mop floors, clean toilets, and iron. If my standard was child-sized, I probably wouldn't have to do those things. But my goal is to raise adults, not children.
Cinnamon Biscuits are purely a mom-and-kid breakfast around here. My husband is allergic to whatever it is they put in what we call "whack biscuits"- the kind you whack on the counter and then they pop to open the can- and so we cannot serve them to him. Good thing. Besides the whatever-it-is that causes him to become nauseatingly ill, this recipe isn't health food. But man oh man, it's good. Pair them with some fresh fruit and scrambled eggs and by golly, you might be able to call it a well-rounded meal.
Cinnamon Biscuits
2 cans “whack biscuits” (or Pillsbury Grands, if you must know)
probably one stick of butter, melted
maybe ½ c sugar and 2 T cinnamon, mixed together
Whack open the can of biscuits and roll each one in melted butter. Swirl the biscuit in the cinnamon sugar until coated and place the biscuits tightly together in a pie plate or round cake pan. Bake as directed on the biscuit can.
We've been educating our children at home for ten years now. In those ten years, I have observed that there are expectations that non-homeschoolers can place on homeschooling moms simply because they lack the practical knowledge of what it means to homeschool.
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Along with zero-hour recipes, I have a few quick tricks up my sleeve in the kitchen. Dehydrated onions are one- no chopping, no burning eyes, no work except popping open the top. I use these in recipes like Pizza-Topped Meatloaf where a freshly cut onion wouldn't even be noticed.
Despite my culinary school experience, despite my love for fine cuisine and the joy I find in baking, there just isn't time anymore. I rely heavily on my crockpot and "zero-hour" recipes- recipes I can produce and serve in about 30 minutes. From time to time I'll post our very favorite zero-hour recipes.
Pizza-Topped Meatloaf
Takes about 40 minutes, start to finish. We double ours to feed two adults, one teenager, and five under age twelve.
2 lbs ground beef
1/2 c each milk and Saltine crumbs
2 eggs, slightly beaten
1/2 c finely chopped onions
1/2 t each salt, garlic powder, oregano, basil
1 10 1/2-oz can pizza sauce
1 c shredded mozzerella or jack cheese
1/2 c grated Parmesan
Combine ground beef, milk, cracker crumbs, eggs, onion, and spices. Mix well until blended, then lightly pat into an 11x7 pan.
Bake at 400 degrees for 20 minutes. Remove from oven, drain off fat, and spread pizza sauce on top. Sprinkle with cheeses. Put back in oven for about 10 more minutes, until cheese is bubbly. Cut into squares and serve.