random thoughts

Hey there. I know I totally forgot to load pictures for Friday's photos around the farm. I have some on my camera, but I haven't loaded them yet. Anyway, I just wanted to get on here and  share with you the secret to awesome chicken salad. Many of you probably already know this, so please excuse my dumbness, but.....rotisserie chicken! I have started buying rotisserie chicken because it's almost the same price as buying a whole fryer and taking the time to cook it myself. Besides, my chicken never turns out as flavorful and tender as rotisserie chicken.  But you pick the meat off the rotisserie chicken, chop it fine, add celery, onion, sliced grapes, and glazed pecans chopped into small pieces. Add in mayo or miracle whip and bam! Amazing chicken salad. I make french bread and we smear it on the bread and it's a.m.a.z.i.n.g. I was always a little apprehensive about making homemade chicken salad because I was used to the chicken salad back in Pennsylvania. But my husband told me the other day that he likes this homemade kind better. Yay!

Also, in a totally unrelated subject....we started school last week and so far, I am really liking our new schedule. I usually try to cram as much as I can in the morning, but this year I just decided to accept that there will be some things that will have to be done in the afternoon. So this year we are starting around 8:30. For the first half hour we work on Awana memory work. Then Charlotte goes to math and the other two girls work on English. Then they switch. At 10 we have a half hour break for recess and snack. Plus, I can start on lunch if I need to. Then from 10:30-11 they do handwriting and spelling. From 11 to noon is free time. Noon we eat our big meal for the day. Then after the littles go down for naps we do either history or science, and the girls have reading time. We have also started to do spanish in the afternoon.  I realize that this probably won't be our schedule forever, but for right now it works, and I am so thankful. I don't feel so rushed. Part of it too, is probably the girls are getting older and able to do more on their own.

But the meal planning and housekeeping....that's a whole other story!!!!!