SEP Conference, Making Soy Milk, Daniel Starts Piano

Whew, I am glad to say we survived another SEP conference (parent teachers). Josh's were on Monday and he's doing great. Matthew's were yesterday and well....Aaron survived it. I went to Matthew's SEP in October and ended up crying for a few days afterward because of it. This time I made Aaron go (while I stayed home with the rest of the kids) because I have lost some of my "fight" and Matthew's teacher, which has been the same this year and last year, isn't one of my favorites. Matthew's teacher usually starts out the SEP with a list of complaints about Matthew. I have a hard time not taking this as a personal attack on my parenting skills. However, Aaron found a better approach to the complaints. For every complaint she had Aaron suggested making it a goal on Matthew's IEP (Individualized Education Plan). Seeing as this would make a lot more work for her she backed off on the complaints. I am so glad Aaron went. He did a better job in working with Matthew's teacher than I would have. I have worked and fought for Matthew for so many years it is nice to have Aaron start working with me on this. I have always been the vocal one voicing my opinion so Aaron didn't ever have to say much. Lately, though, I have been feeling beaten down and not too confident so I am glad Aaron stepped up to the challenge! Matthew is doing well considering his autism. We really can't compare him to his typical peers because that really isn't fair to anyone. Matthew is just Matthew and we need to focus on his abilities and not his disabilities. Taking that into account we have our work cut out for us in the education department. He does excellent in Math and reading. As for Science and Social Studies, that is a different story, but we are working on them. Matthew does excellent at memorizing things. So to help him out in Social Studies I am going to pick up a county map of Utah as well as a list of the Utah state flower, bird, resources, etc. and hang them up in his room. He really looks at these things whenever he is in time out, quiet time, or going to bed and he has memorized so many things this way. I wish I could memorize things that easily!!

In other things Daniel started piano lessons yesterday. He was so excited to go. He even came home and showed me what he learned. Even though he can't read yet, he can tell what he should be doing. He has already learned the difference between half notes and quarter notes and knows how to play a song. Yes the song only involves two notes in different patterns, but he knows how to play it.Noah is teething. His two bottom teeth and his two top teeth have poked through, but he has two more top teeth and two more bottom teeth coming in. In rolling all around the floor yesterday, he found my phone charger cord and used it as a teething toy. Thanks, Buddy. At least it still works even if it is chewed up.In finding that the Silk Soymilk has changed up their ingredients I attempted to make my own soy milk yesterday just to try it out. I found some bulk dry soybeans in the bulk bins at Winco. I started soaking them Wednesday night. They about doubled in size:

I grabbed two cups of the soaked soybeans and blended it up with 6 cups of water.

I actually was able to find some vanilla beans to use in flavoring it.

To use the vanilla bean you have to slice it down the middle and scrape out the innards to get the most flavor from it.

I then added everything including the sliced vanilla beans and their innards to a pot to boil for twenty minutes.

Afterward I strained it all through some cheese cloth to get out the soy bean chunks. The leftover soy bean chunk's official name is okara. I know there is lots of stuff you can make with it, but I didn't want to try it out yesterday so they ended up being tossed out.Here's the okara:

Here's the final product. Soy milk is naturally creamy in color not white like cow's milk.

Sarah loved it.

Daniel of course was not a fan. A little aggravating since he's the whole reason why attempted all this in the first place. Oh well I guess you can't win them all. I can't get too mad because it had a more "beany" flavor then that of the store bought kind. It would take some getting used to before you could drink it straight.

Making soy milk was easier than I thought, but it sure does leave the sink full of dirty dishes. Thank goodness for dishwashers!! It took running the dishwasher two different time to get through all the dishes I used in making the soy milk. However, it was heckuva lot cheaper making it than buying it. Buying soymilk usually runs around $6 a gallon. Making it was only around $2 a gallon and I know and pronounce everything that goes into it. As for making it again I think it is worth it "beany" flavor and all.