A couple of days a little over 60...

And we have to have a foot of snow. That's what I woke up to this morning. It took 20 minutes just to dig out the Suburban so we could go to the library.

It's a beautiful day in the neighborhood...

It was up over 60 today for the second day in a row :)

I started using e-mealz last week. They have a menu to download each week with 7 meals (dinner) on it. It lists the ingredients and directions next to the name of each meal and on a second page has a grocery list with the meal number next to each item in case you aren't going to make that meal this week. It costs $15 for three months worth of menus, but I used coupon code "dave" to get $2.50 off --as in Dave Ramesy.

We tried 4 meals last week and used family favorites for the other days. It worked well, and made my grocery list making so much easier. The meals we tried were all simple to prepare and included side dishes. I was worried when I looked at the menu that it would cost more than what we were already spending, but it was about the same. I think it would cost more if we did all 7 meals, but we didn't and probably won't ever do that. The kids will always want some of their favorites.

So...this morning I printed out the menu/grocery list, had the kids pick a meal (they've been each cooking one night a week), and marked off what we weren't cooking that week. I then marked off ingredients that we already have, and added things for dinner meals that aren't on that menu and for lunches and breakfasts. It didn't take much time to be ready to go shopping for the week :)

After shopping, we all went to the duck pond at MSU and fed the ducks barley that was going to be thrown out. It certainly was a beautiful day :)

Update

Well, work has slowed considerably for the last month or so. With H&R Block's contract, I only make money (over all) when I have a client in front of me. At least with my current office manager, she only has me come in if I have a client :) I've been home recuperating from working full time and hsing full time for the first 6 or 7 weeks of the year.

We are planning to hs May through December this year so that we can take time off during tax season next year. Because of this, I have already gotten all my supplies ready for next school year and am eager (not to be confused with ready :) to move on from this year.

The older kids will be doing Biology (either this one or this one--I bought both, but haven't decided which to use), a study of the Constitution/Government, American Literature/Language Arts, and math at their level. The younger kids will be doing Biology, American History for Young People I, Learning Language Arts Through Literature (this one and this one), and Singapore Math at their level.

A group of us (hsers) from gym day have decided to start a co-op :) The first day will be April 6 and we will meet once a week for 8 week sessions. The classes for this session will be Health, Sign Language, Art, and Creative Writing for the older kids and Cooking, Sign Language, Creative Arts (music, art, writing...), and...um...something else...for the younger kids. Can't quite remember what.

We have moms that are artists (that actually sell their artwork) teaching the art classes, a mom that has a degree in sign language teaching that, and a dad that is a chiropractor teaching the Health class. Some of us at this house are really excited :) Others were told they had to try it for the first couple of weeks before they said no.