A Math Lesson Turned Into A Science Lesson, Checkbooks, And A Chicken

   To get some math in today, I decided the kids needed to bake oatmeal cookies.  So we doubled the recipe.  There was a lot of math involved trust me.  For starters, they are still learning the difference between a teaspoon, tsp. and a tablespoon, T or tbsp.  Second,  I don't have a one cup dry measure, so we use 1/2 cup.  So figuring out how many 1/2 c. was needed to make 1 cup, then double that.  Our tricky part was the butter, since I buy rolled.  We wound up melting one cup then mixed it.  It was too sticky and was going into the mixer.   Yikes!  We melted another cup and it worked better.  The next excitement was how they baked up.

The best part is licking the beaters!

YIKES!

   Pumpkin did the serving size a teaspoon instead of the tablespoon suggestion.  Good thing too!  We aren't sure exactly what happened, but they taste good! :-)  

   To help the kids more with math and life skills they earn a "paycheck" weekly.  I came up with how much they can make, additional ways to make money ( 'school' paper work), and add in their chore chart allowance, too.  Then they get paid.  They then have the choice of taking out their allowance money and receiving that in cash.  They can also "pay" for the MAC computer time or PS2 time and various other things.  

So far it seems to be working.  Pumpkin can't wait for pay day every week.  

   I also decided to help with the practical life skills and such, every week one child will be the chef for all meals.  This week is Pumpkin.  So for dinner tonight is planed a chicken.  I showed him how to wash it off.  He used the mortal and pestle to crush the rosemary.  Then separated the skin from the chicken and rubbed the rosemary in.  

   He then drizzled some olive oil over it.  Done.  I talked him about how to put it in the oven and he was VERY nervous.  He was SO proud when he did it.  :-)   I think I'll have him make some rice to go with it.

(I'm not worried about his brother, Fireball Coyote, taking things out of the oven.  When he was 5 yrs. old, the oven timer went off and he took a 9x13 pan out of the oven and placed it on top of the stove!) (Yes.  He use oven mitts.  I was shocked and proud.)


Now to finish baking that double batch of cookies.

Later.