Cinnamon Buns

 Khanschool Cinnamon Buns

If you're a homeschooling momma, here's some advice- your child must take Home Ec! The perks are so worth it!

My oldest daughter is taking Home Ec this year, as she is in Grade 8. She will be baking/cooking/sewing and  !!!cleaning!!! We've decided to go with one theme a month. 

This month the theme is "Sweet Breads", and last night she made Cinnamon Buns, while I played paparazzi to her skills. The dough is super easy as it's made in the Bread Machine!

We found the recipe on Pinterest here: Bread Machine Cinnamon Buns 

However, we have tweaked it a bit by making some changes to the "filling" ingredients and we added a  glaze. If you bake often enough, it becomes easy to have the confidence to change things up to your own preferences!

These Cinnamon buns are a light, soft, sweet bun texture with a enough sweetness that doesn't overwhelm. 

     Khanschool Cinnamon Bun Recipe

Ingredients

Dough: 

• 1 cup milk
• 1 large egg
• 4 tbsp melted butter
• 1/2 tsp salt
• 3 1/3 cup all purpose flour
• 3 tbsp sugar
• 2 tsp active dry yeast            

   

Filling: 

• 1/4 cup melted butter
• 1/2 cup packed brown sugar
• 2 tbsp cinnamon
• 1/2 cup raisins

Glaze:

• 3 tbsp butter
• 3/4 cup icing sugar
• 4 tbsp heavy cream

{Consistency should be thick yet drizzly}

                                                              

                           Directions:

For the Dough:

1. Mix the milk, egg, salt and melted butter together and pour into the bottom of the bread machine container.

2. Evenly put the flour on top.

3. Add the sugar into one corner, then make a well and add the yeast to it.

4. Set your bread machine to its "dough setting" and let it go. 

So easy!

While you wait for your bread machine to do all the work, you can take pictures of your pet. {Optional} 

 Our kitty named Stuart

Filling:

1. Empty dough from bread machine onto a floured surface, give it a punch down and leave it to rise up again while you prepare the filling ingredients.

2. Roll the dough into a rectangular shape

3. Brush the dough with butter, leaving half an inch on the outside, then sprinkle 1/2 of the brown sugar and cinnamon evenly on the dough. Lastly add the raisins.

4. Roll the dough up lengthwise and cut into 12 even pieces.

5. To Prepare the baking pan, brush bottom, sides and corner with melted butter, sprinkle remaining cinnamon and brown sugar along bottom and then add the boiling water.

6. Place cinnamon rolls in pan and brush tops with butter.

7. Pre-heat oven to 350 degrees and let the rolls rise while you wait for the oven to reach its heat.

8. Bake for 30 minutes

Once your Buns come out of the oven, start preparing the glaze. The glaze should be poured on top while the buns are still warm.

Glaze:

1. Mix the butter and icing sugar until creamy.

2. Add cream, slowly, until desired consistency is reached.

3. Pour onto the Cinnamon Buns immediately.

You really should enjoy these while they are still warm, but in case you have other plans, give them a little re-heat before eating!

Khanschool 101

I get asked questions about homeschooling all the time, almost daily!

"Why do you homeschool?"

"How do you teach them?"

"How do you know they're getting a proper education?"

"What about socialization?"

I love talking about homeschooling, as I feel passionate about this lifestyle that I've chosen for my family. Here are some answers to the most frequently asked questions.

Why?

In the beginning, I decided to homeschool based on environment, not education. That's the truth. My oldest daughter attended a private school for Kindergarten and Grade One, and I was generally happy with her education there. I was drawn to homeschooling from the start though. I dreamed of the cool science experiments we would do, the field trips, the reading of classic novels. I knew from the start of the lifestyle that homeschooling could provide, and I thought I would love it. My daughters first year as a homeschooler, grade two, was to be experimental. I had enough curiosity and drive to make it happen but I also decided that I would re-evaluate after a year, to make sure that she was thriving in her education and that it was the right choice.

I'm now beginning my seventh year as a homeschooling mom, so you can guess how well that first year went for us! I have learned more than I could have ever imagined, and my reasons to continue homeschooling have multiplied.

1.  I get to spend time with my most favourite people on Earth!

2.  My Children receive a tailored education based on their learning desires, preferences and needs.

3. I am more involved and have a better understanding of the education my children are receiving.

4. We have a lot more free time. (yes, it's true)

5. My kids have gotten to experience things that they would not have had time for were they in a          classroom for the majority of their day.

6. We are not rushed in the morning and are able to have nice, proper breakfasts.

7. Learning is viewed with enthusiasm. 


 In no way am I against the Public or Private schooling systems though,I believe each family needs to make decisions regarding education based on what works best for every person involved.  I do ask my kids every year if they are interested in Public School and they always answer "no way!". I can see that they are genuinely happy and that they are learning, growing and thriving in the environment that we create together. Part of that enthusiasm that they have comes from the fact that they have a lot of input into their own education, they are enjoying life.

How?

Homeschooling is not what it used to be. Its not even what it was when I started, six years ago. I'm well aware of what the stereotypes are and I'm sure you are too, so I wont waste time on discussing that. I think the biggest misconception is that homeschooling means that the child is not learning what is normally taught in a regular school setting. Where this can be true, its mostly not. 

Here in Canada, each province has its own procedure for homeschooling. In British Columbia you must be registered with a school regardless of your schooling preferences. There two main types of homeschooling, "Traditional" and "Distance Learning". 

Traditional homeschooling offers families the freedom to learn as they choose. There are no specific guidelines, there is no teacher support and no grading or report cards coming from the Ministry of Education. 

Distance Learning requires enrollment in an educational program that is suited for families who want their children to do the majority of their schooling at home, but would still like to follow a curriculum that will provide the family with teacher support, grades and a documented education within the system. 

My family has gone the route of Distance Learning. We are assigned a wonderful teacher, with whom I devise an educational plan for my children, one that will cover the requirements of the curriculum.

It is a lot of work, and takes a ton of organizing, which is why I often refer to homeschool as a lifestyle, not just an educational choice. I communicate with our home teacher frequently and I am required to document and record the majority of their learning outcomes. She can then help me to stay on track with the needs of the curriculum, and provide my children with adequate grades and a report card at the end of each term. 

There are things that I have to learn (or re-learn) right along with my kids. This is part of the process and is humbling for me, and a good example for my children. 

When you send your children to school, you rely on the teachers and school officials to choose what curriculum your children will learn with. As a homeschooler, you quickly learn that there is a plethora of curriculum available. Children are not all the same, they think differently and learn differently, homeschooling has enabled me to choose curriculum that is tailored to the different needs and learning styles of the student. So even though there are outcomes that need to be reached within each grade, there are many different ways toward achieving those goals. My girls are receiving an education that is tailored to them.

Different Paths, Same Destination!

Proper Education?

How does anyone know if their child is getting a proper education? You only know if you ask questions and become involved. As a homeschooling mom, I have made it my business to know about the quality of Education that my children are getting, and the responsibility falls on my shoulders. But no matter your choice of education for your child, being involved should be compulsory.  

An example I have that shows success for my own children in the form of grades, is the FSA (Foundation Skills Assesment) testing. I'll share the results of these as an example. For those of you unfamiliar, these are standardized tests that every elementary student takes at Grades 4 and then again in Grade 7 in the province of BC.  Last year, I had two of my children required to take these tests. They both came out on the high end of scoring, and my Grade 4 girl, scored one point below the highest possible mark on the exceeding level for her numeracy. That was satisfaction for me, that my children are learning and thriving. 

Not everything is about grades and numbers though. My philosophy about education evolves with each year I teach and learn. Education should not be about memorization, but about understanding. Being interested in a subject will always provide better results and I really enjoy being able to tailor lessons so that my children want to participate. 

An education should provide you with life skills that let you dream and imagine, it should stir curiosity in the mind.  Proper education is keeping the flicker in the flame, it's finding new paths, it's a never-ending process of discovery. Proper Education is to teach the student to love to learn.

Socialization

This is by far the most go-to question when people find out I homeschool. Ask yourself what you think socialization is. 

Definition: socialization, the process whereby an individual learns to adjust to a group (or society) and behave in a manner approved by the group (or society). According to most social scientists, socialization essentially represents the whole process of learning throughout the life course and is a central influence on the behaviour, beliefs, and actions of adults as well as of children.

I think people misinterpret the meaning of socialization. As you can see, it generally means to be able to act appropriately in accordance with society. 

The school system that we are familiar with today only began during the industrial revolution, in the early 1800's. How on earth did humanity socialize before that?! Socialization is the process of unity in a community, being able to evolve and grow as a society and to independently contribute in some way, shape or form. 

It is often thought that our "social" lives are separate from our family lives, however in my own life I find that the social experiences I had outside of the classroom taught me more about myself, others and the world in general, than my time inside the school walls did. I'm not knocking the benefits of a classroom full of kids, for there are benefits to that environment as well, but to assume that this is the only way of socializing in the world, is nonsensical.

My children have friends in the neighborhood that they play with on a daily basis, they take part in sports, art classes and other lessons that provide them with opportunities to meet new people, they have family members who they spend time with. In my case, we have children ranging from 18 to 2 in our home and the time they spend together is also a socialization education within itself! They have learned how to deal with different age group and the importance of what to expect from someone depending on their maturity, and also to respect someone who is older and has more life experience.

So far the experiences they've had in life have taught them how to be kind, generous and thoughtful. They have learned that people have different thoughts and opinions and to respect those that may be different from them. They are growing, thriving and setting goals for the type of people that they hope to become. Socialization is the very least of my worries as a homeschooling mom.

Watching my five year old have an independent conversation with my 100 year old Grandmother, was not only an amazing memory that I will forever cherish, but also an indication that my 5 year old daughter is developing the right skills to communicate and the confidence to express herself. This was the first time they met. 

                                                   

*** If you are interested to know what the curriculum requirements in B.C. are, you can look at them here: BC Curriculum Guide.

Just select the Grade you wish to view.

Organizing Khanschool Part 1

This year I will be teaching my four girls, who range from Kindergarten to Grade 8. Here is a little summary on how I've organized during this first week of school.

The following are three simple, yet very helpful tools that I organize #khanschool with.

#1

An Agenda or Planner with different coloured pens

This agenda has tabs wit the monthly calendar at the beginning, where I write in all the activities that the kids do together and need to be logged. Things like Phys.Ed, Art, and Home Ec. I will also use it as a reference for myself when I'm not home and need to know whats going on in the near future. In other words this Agenda goes with me everywhere. Its been suggested to me a bunch of times to get acquainted with my Iphone Calendar, but I prefer this tangible old fashioned way. On a side note I do use my Iphone Calendar for my daughters Hockey schedule. Any hockey mom knows how crazy that schedule can be!

    

I chose to upgrade from the DollarStore version (which are still great), and got this beauty from #Target, the main reason being the large blocks of space that this agenda provides. The space you need depends on the amount of children you've got to log for. I wish I could have something small and dainty that would fit in my purse, but small and dainty are not words to describe this crew of mine! Big Family = Big Agenda. The space is great for logging daily activities and categorizing them into subjects. 

Since I'm dealing with four students, I just divided the sections into four columns. This makes it easier for the teacher to review what each child has done.

When you are in a DL ( Distance Learning ) program, as we are, communication with the teacher makes everyone's life easier. Its her job to keep us on track with the curriculum and my job to implement it. The use of this agenda, which will travel back and forth with my oldest twice a week (she attends a class) will provide both the teacher and I with a frequent  source of communication, aside from email.  There is a note section for us to leave reminders for each other and the children. For example, I've let her know which novels the three older girls are reading this month,
which are: "New Moon" (twilight series), "Sisterhood of the Travelling Pants" and "Nancy Clancy".

Its also pretty beautiful. ( Important )

#2

A large wall mounted Calendar

The Hubs picked this one up for FREE from a random business he visited. Advertising not intentional! 

Whereas the agenda is used as a means of communication between the teacher and I, as well as documentation of the learning going on at home, the wall calendar is a loose guide for the children and I to refer to on a daily basis. Each day will have certain subjects as well as activities that need to be accomplished. Anything that hasn't been completed will be assigned as "homework" before the next calendar week begins. The calendar gets filled in over the weekend for the upcoming week. (Which is why it appears blank here).  I've found that when I have over planned, by trying to fill in the entire month, it often led us to get behind and feel discouraged. I prefer to make weekly goals and therefore see success in shorter periods of time. That way if we do need  push in certain areas, I can accommodate them the following week.



#3

Ikea Expedite and Bins

Like it was perfectly made for me. 


This little system from Ikea is inexpensive and versatile. It comes in different colours and has an array of bins, cupboard doors and shelves to choose from in order to customize it. You can choose 2x2, all the way up to 4x4, in order to fit ones needs and space. I sound like an Ikea commercial but seriously- it really is the bomb dot com. I live in a small space with a lot of people, so my appreciation for attractive, space saving, not to mention pocket book friendly furniture is immense.

Four bins along the bottom, one for each girl, by order of age. They know which bin is theirs and they can easily find what the necessities for whatever subject that they are working on, and also put it away easily when finished. It keeps things simple, neat and tidy. I cant stress enough how important it was for me to have something that looks nice and can keep the essentials of four grades, with five subjects each, easily accessible and tucked away. organization is a huge key in getting things done.

It also serves as a bookshelf. #heckyeah

There you have it. That's two days of organizing. A few little things that make my life as a homeschooling mom a lot easier. Its the little things that go along way! 

!!! P.S. !!!

 Book Lovers/Collectors out there: Target has paperback classics in their dollar bin section right now! I cant wait to get some family reading time in with these!

{ A little Princess, The Jungle Book, The Adventures of Huckleberry Finn, Alice's Adventures in Wonderland, The Wind in the Willows. }

Now to get this curriculum put away, the rest arrives tomorrow!

Setting Goals

When I was in school I was bored. Routines and structure are great and necessary- but there has to be interest. One of my goals as a homeschooling mom has been to create and maintain a fun and interesting environment. Involving my kids by having them set their own goals has proven successful. They choose things that they’re interested in, and with my guidance we can always fit whatever it is into the curriculum. Where there’s a will there’s a way! Accomplishment is as important as the learning process itself, so writing these goals down and hanging them up, provides a gentle reminder for them over the next few months. Happy 2014 School year everyone!

watch cute video here:

Sultana, Grade 8!

 Sultanas goals for term one include, Reading the rest of the Twilight series (New Moon and Eclipse), Learning to Play Beethoven’s ‘Fur Elise’ on the keyboard, writing a biography on Leonardo DaVinci, and creating an art project resembling something from the renaissance era.

Sanaa, Grade 5!

Sanaa, Grade 5: Sanaa will be reading 3 Novels this term, learning to Play the harry Potter theme song on the keyboard (yes that has already changed from the picture), Complete level 6 in  skating lessons, and keeping her clothing and room tidy.

Sahira, Grade 3!

 Sahira plans to read her first novel ‘Nancy Clancy and the Super Sleuth’, learn to play “Do Re Me” on the keyboard, score 3 goals by using the spin-o-rama move, and keeping your room clean

Sayda, Kindergarten!

Sayda is working to finish her “Explode the Code” level One book, she also is going to attend skating lessons for the first time and learn the song “Do Re Me” on the keyboard.

Samir, Preschool!

 Little Sammy is going to work on having patience and being part of this big busy homeschool family, he is also going to have a nap everyday!!!

As a group the girls will perform an act of random kindness by creating a gift basket for a neighbour and giving it anonymously. 

The Point.

As I enter my seventh year as a homeschooling mom, I reflect on the previous years and I’m just blown away. I could have never imagined the marvelous journey that it has turned into. I realize that the relationships that I’ve been able to develop with my children are second to none and I feel blessed and encouraged by the people they are turning out to be. I’m excited at the opportunities that they will have as they are being raised as life long lovers of learning. The concept of that is of such importance to me, and that is the point of my homeschooling. The idea that “school” is not a place, and that “learning”, is not a dreaded activity. Learning is as natural as breathing and as necessary as food, water and sleep. This is my approach, here on this blog will be our journey - welcome to it!