Fall recipes and family trips made for a busy week here in the Raising Arrows household!
Read all of the Large Family Homeschool Life posts!
MONDAY
After a VERY refreshing weekend where I stayed home nearly the entire time, I dove back into a VERY busy week! I’m beginning to think this is just the way things are for the remainder of 2023.
We got word this morning that one of Ty’s uncles (his dad’s older brother) is very ill and in the hospital. It has been a tough season for us with Ty’s dad’s death. I feel so edgy and news like this sets me off. Ty is also feeling the stress, but as we heard in this past Sunday’s sermon – our peace and protection come from a person, not a place. I need to lean into that.
We did Morning Time with The Playful Pioneers. We also did Flip Flop Spanish, and then collected leaves and put them in glycerin to preserve them.
After an early lunch of Asian Bowls (rice, air-fried Bibigo Wontons, broccoli, wonton strips, and orange sauce), we all went to a Toy Museum which was a belated birthday trip for our 19 year old who loves dollhouses and miniatures. It was such a neat museum!
When we got home, she put together a pot of Ty’s Dad’s chili for supper. His secret to a yummy chili was the seasoning – Williams Chili Seasoning was the only kind he would use. My kids LOVE this chili!
TUESDAY
I am going back to Weight Watchers (WW) for the accountability over the holidays. I could tell I had picked back up some really bad eating habits, and needed the weekly meetings to help me be more mindful of what I’m doing. This week, I was down almost a pound – a step in the right direction.
While I was gone, Ty left for work and our 19 year old went to clean for an older couple who have family coming to visit. Our daughter-in-law went to work, so our son was keeping the baby busy while I homeschooled our 5 youngest kids.
We did our lessons from The Playful Pioneers and we listened to a folk song from Music in Our Homeschool. We are going through the Folk Song class this Fall because it fits well with the Little House on the Prairie books.
At noon, I took the little girls to their dentist appointments. We got a good report, and a better game plan for Mercy’s orthodontics. She actually has all her teeth and may need to have her palate stretched a bit or some teeth pulled, but we probably don’t need to think about all of that for another 2 years. This is all part of her PRS diagnosis, but all in all, she is doing really well!
When I got home, I ate a lunch of bacon, eggs, and hash browns and the kids had leftover chili. As I was eating, a couple of friends showed up to help with a blog project I was struggling with. We had fun and worked together most of the afternoon.
I took a short walk with Winston (our mini poodle) and Aspen (8) and then made Smash Burger Bowls using air fried potatoes cubes as the base, ground turkey with au jus gravy mixed in, caramelized onions, and a sauce made from ketchup, mustard, mayonnaise, and cajun seasoning. The kids loved it!
After dinner, I made a Pumpkin Spice Snack Mix I’ve been promising to make for several weeks. It’s not really my thing, but the kids enjoyed it.
During the evening hours, the kids played outside, talked with friends on Zoom, painted, and worked on other projects. I got a podcast ready and helped Ty with typing up a contract for renting out some land for hunting.
WEDNESDAY
Ty and our 19 year old headed out this morning to take care of some business back “home.” She bought a car from Ty’s aunt and uncle and is also going to help Ty’s dad’s widow clean out the house for a few days. Ty has land and cattle business to take care of. He ended up buying another heifer to replace the calf that was eaten by coyotes.
I made oatmeal for the kids this morning, and while it cooked, I cut beans and peppers from the couple Lia cleaned for yesterday. I love free produce, but it does take time to process!
For Morning Time, we read several chapters of Little House on the Prairie because we have missed so much school due to family circumstances and we also want to fit in some Autumn Homeschooling!
I’ve been noticing a twinge in my back and my hand is going numb, so I called the chiropractor and she was able to fit me in right away! So, I dashed over to her office and had an adjustment that was really helpful! I have a massage next week, and she thinks it might be a good idea to alternate between the two for a couple of months and see how I’m feeling.
When I came home, I had a Live Q&A for the Holiday Summit I participated in this week. I love talking about the holidays, so it was a lot of fun!
For dinner, I made a Southwest Chicken Frittata. It was delicious! I made 2 so we would have leftovers for lunches.
That night the kids played with neighbors and dug in dirt pots I had out on the deck. They also gave me a foot rub, back rub, and a facial as a way to raise money! I am totally on board with that!
THURSDAY
We are having another heat wave, and I did not get the house cooled down last night, so I got up and opened up the house and turned on the whole house fan in the hopes I can get things sufficiently cooled down.
While the house cooled, I peeled potatoes (more produce from the family Lia cleaned for!). I was going to use today to process apple pie filling, pears, and 2 different jellies, but it’s supposed to be warm again and that will just heat up the kitchen and the house too much. No way am I turning on the AC! So, I need to rethink my plan.
For homeschool, we read ahead a bit more in Little House on the Prairie, so we only have 2 chapters left to finish the book next week! It will be a busy week, so that may be all we get done.
While the kids worked on their independent school work, I started in on the apples, thinking maybe I could make the apple pie filling and then wait to run it through the water bath canner until I processed all the other jelly, but I quickly realized these apples were not going to work for apple pie filling! They were way too mushy, so I made them into Red Hot Applesauce because I have some red hots that need to be used up. I left out a bit unsweetened for Baby George to try. He’s just starting on solids.
For dinner, I made Bacon & Cheese Rice. We also made Fall Sugar Cookies using an old recipe I love from the Sesame Street book series I had as a child!
I also managed to film a video for my YouTube channel. I’ve been trying to consistently get a video out a week. I’d love it if you’d subscribe!
FRIDAY
Time to tidy up this house! Our house is being overrun by stuff as my husband cleans out his dad’s house. It’s a little stressful to me because there is so much just lying around without a home. I get one thing cleaned up and another item takes its place.
But, we tidied and cleaned the house as best we could. Mercy decided to take this Friday as her cleaning day off for her upcoming birthday. The 19 year old isn’t here either, so several of us picked up the slack and did their chores.
I had plans to go to the Fort and shop, but those plans got changed because of the heightened security risk. They were searching every single car, and the line was backed up for miles! No thank you!
Instead, I washed my hair, had lunch with the kids and then filled their Fall candy bowl with M&M’s. During the Fall and Christmastime, we fill a candy bowl in the living room on Fridays. It’s a special little treat this time of year!
At 2pm, the girls did their game time. They found a Bluey game on the internet, so they spent a lot of time playing it. (This is where I admit I really love Bluey! That show is so hilarious!)
Ty came home and we headed out to watch our 22 year old cheer her college’s volleyball game and pick her up for Fall Break. He and I also had a lovely meal together at a local restaurant. While we drove, we made plans for tomorrow’s annual Pumpkin Patch visit and solidified our plans with my sister and her husband to visit a local Italian restaurant and Jazz Lounge. It will be a lovely weekend!
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