Well, since my last post things have pretty much stayed on track. I didn't create any midterms because I suddenly realized that we had gotten behind! I'm not exactly sure how that happened, and I know that I am on my own schedule, but I really want to stay as close to the school district schedule as I can. We have been doing extra assignments and chugging along. Alex has been moving quickly as most of this is really easy for him. I did hit a bump in the road and had to make some decision.s Now, you seasoned homeschoolers will probably roll your eyes or giggle at my issue I faced, but I felt it was a big decision for us.
Part of Alex's curriculum is Phonics. He does very well in the subject. His book work is nearly flawless, his reading is well above grade level and he seemed to be doing well. Then we realized that he was BOMBING every phonics test! Then we started to notice him having increased anxiety and irritability when taking the test. He knew he wasn't answering the questions properly, but he really didn't know the answer. I felt really bad. I think that problem is that most of the test is oral. He was having a hard time translating the oral to paper. I finally decided to stop the tests for a while. We are working hard on his book work, flash cards, reading and spelling. I had read in the book "A Thomas Jefferson Education" that tests are to be used as a benchmark and not as a method of teaching. Right now I don't feel that his Phonics tests are giving me any sign or measure of his ability, and instead are being used to torment him, so we are going to take a break from them for a while.
I was raised on the conveyor belt education, and it worked for me. The thought of doing my own thing or breaking out of the "curriculum" is a concept that is hard for me to conceive, and at times I have to remind myself that I get to choose what we do. Having that power is relieving but also scary. It is proof that I know what is best for my child, but at the same time I want to make sure he learns what he needs to learn, as well as knowing that his future rests largely in my hands. I am grateful for the opportunity I have to teach my children. I am grateful for the freedoms we have and that I can do what I feel is the best for our family and for our children. I pray that as we continue to pray and read the scriptures that we will be guided to know what is best for us and what is needed that we can continue down the path the Lord has put us on and accomplish the things he has in store for us.
Monday, December 17, 2012
Thursday, November 29, 2012
Things You Can't Teach From a Book
Okay so I am behind, but what else is new right? The months has been crazy fun and busy, but the fun is only starting as December is upon us and I am going to make it good. I am really looking forward to some fun projects with the kids this month. We are going to create a Christmas Bucket List next week for family night. The boys has already been coming up with ideas and I am looking forward to this weekend. We are decorating the house and getting the Christmas season started.
In the homeschool scene things are progressing well. Well, until Alex got sick today and now we are going to be doing a little bit of catch-up, but that's a whole other story. Lego class is almost done (YAY!), Art is in session until Christmas break, piano is amazing and he is doing so well, school work is moving at a wonderful pace, I really couldn't ask for more. I am going to start preparing a "mid-term" for lack of a better name for Alex. I want to see how much he is retaining. I realized we were WAY ahead in Spelling, so I decided to review all of the words we have had and then just before Christmas we will have a big test over them. Right now I have them broken up into 6 mini tests. Then, the ones he misses I focus on and then from those I will create a test for him. He is doing remarkably well right now and I hope it keeps up. He is being much more ambitious about reading and that makes this Mommy's heart happy. I am so glad that he is doing well and enjoying being homeschooled. She is a completely different child from last year...it's nice to have my happy and sweet boy back.
We had a situation a couple of weeks ago that was definitely a learning experience. At Lego class Alex and his partner had built a very elaborate alligator robot that opened and shut its mouth. When it came time to show his teacher, it quit working. He sat for a moment troubleshooting it, then he got up to get a tool and when he returned his partner had completely dismantled the alligator! Alex was FURIOUS! He was so upset with his friend and when he told his teacher, she basically told him to get over it and it didn't work anyway. Well, when I came to pick him up Alex's face was RED! He tried to explain to me what had happened when his teacher jumped in the middle of our conversation and started defending the other child and herself. I then stood up, looked at her and told her that I was talking to Alex and when he was done I would talk with her and she needed to wait her turn! I must admit, I got a few jaw drops from other parents, but this woman is really bugging me! Well, Alex finished telling me what happened. I recognized his feelings of anger (I would be mad too) and we discussed how sometimes we have to work as a team and sometimes people make choices that we don't like, and even though those choices affect us, we have to do our best to communicate with our partners and continue working together. Although this was not a fun experience for Alex, these are the experiences I want him to have. Team building, conflict, trial and error and other things that come up when dealing with other people. I then informed the teacher that I was not upset with what happened, but that as a teacher she should maybe consider listening to a child and recognizing their emotions rather than 'keeping them quiet". The other child that was involved came up and tried to apologize to Alex. Alex would not even look at this kid! Alex and I then had to talk on the way home about forgiveness and that saying sorry doesn't mean that the hurt feelings go away, but it means that they are acknowledging they did something that hurt you and they want to try and make it better. Alex the understood and this week, things were better between the two boys. I was so grateful for this teaching moment with Alex. You can't teach these things from a book. Even if he doesn't get much from the mechanics of the Lego class, the social experiences make it all worth it.
We have also been trying to keep our hands busy. We have been taking advantage of the pleasant weather here to play outside, go on nature walks, experiment and discover our own backyard. My Eric really loves life and definitely lives it to the fullest. I seriously pulled this kid off of the refrigerator after he got a running start and scaled the dang thing! I have been taking cues from him lately in our outside time. We have been looking at the little details. We watch butterflies collect nectar from flowers, watch ants build a mound, see how bees are attracted to yellow shirts, the leaves changing colors, the sunshine vs. the shade and so much more. I am loving being home with my kids. I hope they are building happy memories, because I know I am.
In the homeschool scene things are progressing well. Well, until Alex got sick today and now we are going to be doing a little bit of catch-up, but that's a whole other story. Lego class is almost done (YAY!), Art is in session until Christmas break, piano is amazing and he is doing so well, school work is moving at a wonderful pace, I really couldn't ask for more. I am going to start preparing a "mid-term" for lack of a better name for Alex. I want to see how much he is retaining. I realized we were WAY ahead in Spelling, so I decided to review all of the words we have had and then just before Christmas we will have a big test over them. Right now I have them broken up into 6 mini tests. Then, the ones he misses I focus on and then from those I will create a test for him. He is doing remarkably well right now and I hope it keeps up. He is being much more ambitious about reading and that makes this Mommy's heart happy. I am so glad that he is doing well and enjoying being homeschooled. She is a completely different child from last year...it's nice to have my happy and sweet boy back.
We had a situation a couple of weeks ago that was definitely a learning experience. At Lego class Alex and his partner had built a very elaborate alligator robot that opened and shut its mouth. When it came time to show his teacher, it quit working. He sat for a moment troubleshooting it, then he got up to get a tool and when he returned his partner had completely dismantled the alligator! Alex was FURIOUS! He was so upset with his friend and when he told his teacher, she basically told him to get over it and it didn't work anyway. Well, when I came to pick him up Alex's face was RED! He tried to explain to me what had happened when his teacher jumped in the middle of our conversation and started defending the other child and herself. I then stood up, looked at her and told her that I was talking to Alex and when he was done I would talk with her and she needed to wait her turn! I must admit, I got a few jaw drops from other parents, but this woman is really bugging me! Well, Alex finished telling me what happened. I recognized his feelings of anger (I would be mad too) and we discussed how sometimes we have to work as a team and sometimes people make choices that we don't like, and even though those choices affect us, we have to do our best to communicate with our partners and continue working together. Although this was not a fun experience for Alex, these are the experiences I want him to have. Team building, conflict, trial and error and other things that come up when dealing with other people. I then informed the teacher that I was not upset with what happened, but that as a teacher she should maybe consider listening to a child and recognizing their emotions rather than 'keeping them quiet". The other child that was involved came up and tried to apologize to Alex. Alex would not even look at this kid! Alex and I then had to talk on the way home about forgiveness and that saying sorry doesn't mean that the hurt feelings go away, but it means that they are acknowledging they did something that hurt you and they want to try and make it better. Alex the understood and this week, things were better between the two boys. I was so grateful for this teaching moment with Alex. You can't teach these things from a book. Even if he doesn't get much from the mechanics of the Lego class, the social experiences make it all worth it.
We have also been trying to keep our hands busy. We have been taking advantage of the pleasant weather here to play outside, go on nature walks, experiment and discover our own backyard. My Eric really loves life and definitely lives it to the fullest. I seriously pulled this kid off of the refrigerator after he got a running start and scaled the dang thing! I have been taking cues from him lately in our outside time. We have been looking at the little details. We watch butterflies collect nectar from flowers, watch ants build a mound, see how bees are attracted to yellow shirts, the leaves changing colors, the sunshine vs. the shade and so much more. I am loving being home with my kids. I hope they are building happy memories, because I know I am.
Wednesday, November 7, 2012
The Follow Up
Well, it is the morning after...in a lot of ways I am without words, but in other ways I have a lot of words. I try to be optimistic, but ti is hard. For the first time ever my husband rolled over in bed, looked me in the eyes and asked me, "What's the point?" That is a hard thing for me to swallow. I know what we need to do and what the point is, but I also know the feeling and the sense of hopelessness. I was optimistic for a few minutes this morning as I was reading that the popular vote was for Romney. I had hope that at least 50% of our nation was awake and aware and wanted more for our children...but then that happy bubble was popped. We must move forward, if we stand still we are only moving backwards. We have to fight for what is right, even if we stand alone. I will continue to arm my children and clothe them in the armor of God so that they can stand in these days and have the tools and knowledge to know that ONE MAN cannot destroy our family or our country...I won't let him.
Last night I spent a good chunk of time on the phone with my grandma. It was a hard conversation, very stressful. I wanted to give her all the hope in the world that things would change and the results would favor Mr. Romney. She was literally having palpitations and I can only imagine what she is seeing. She is seeing a country that has become something that is totally different than what she was raised in. She never once feared and always knew her country had her best interests and protection in mind, yet now she feels that is not how it is. She looks back and fears for what we are now. I look forward while snuggling my three children and fear for what is ahead. I know I should not fear, but I do.
After I got off the phone the boys were a bit perturbed because I had been on the phone and not as prompt with their dinner as they are accustomed to. I explained to them that I needed to talk to GiGi because she is worried about the election. Alex then asked about why she was worried. Then, I had to have a talk with my children that I had really hoped would wait until they were older. I tried to keep it simple and as non-biased as possible. Then I remembered that these are my children, MINE. I can teach them the way I see fit. Others don't have to agree with my politics, but guess what, I don't have to agree with theirs either. We must just tolerate each other and live in some accordance of harmony. I explained President Obama and Mitt Romney this way:
"The president has the belief that we should "spread the wealth". This means that everyone has all the same stuff. Everyone has the same amount of money, benefits, home, food...everything. Yet, not everyone has to work hard to get it. Only the people who desire to make something of themselves have to work. That means that when Daddy works extra hours at work that instead of us getting to have that money, some other family whose Daddy doesn't work gets to have it. The end result may be that everyone has no money because people will decide that it is not worth it to work hard if you don't get the return on your investment. Mitt Romney has a different idea. He wants there to be enough jobs for everyone. He wants everyone to work so that we can work together and help those that can't work or help themselves. He wants everyone to have success and to work towards that success for our entire country. He wants us to be free to make our own decisions rather than the government telling us what to do."
Alex, my very smart and profound little boy looked me straight in the eye and said, "That sounds like the war in heaven and Satan's plan and Jesus plan". After a moment of shock that he made that connection on his own, I asked him to explain that to me. He said, "Satan's plan was to make it so we could all get to heaven, but we wouldn't learn or grow because he would make all the choices for us. Jesus' plan was to let us make choices, even if it means that we don't all make it to heaven and that we have knowledge." I nodded and said that was an interesting connection he made. He then looked at me with tears in his eyes and said, "I change my vote."
This morning Eric was the first one up (no surprise) and he asked who won the election. I told him that President Obama would continue to be our president. The sweet boy hung his head and pushed out his lower lip. Daddy then proceeded to scoop him up, squeeze him and tell him that everything will be okay. A while later Alex got up and I told him that President Obama was to continue being the president. He asked why. My answer was simply that whenever everyone voted, more people liked him. He then asked me, "Now, what's going to happen?" My answer was simply that I don't know, but I know we will keep living the way we live and doing our best to be good citizens and Christians. To which he snuggled in close to me and patted my arm.
All in all, I don't know what tomorrow will bring. I know that I am nervous and leaning on the Lord and his priesthood. I know that I will continue to love and teach my children. I know who I am and I know what I stand for. I know I can do hard things and that life is a hard thing, and as I told my sweet husband this morning, "We got this."
Last night I spent a good chunk of time on the phone with my grandma. It was a hard conversation, very stressful. I wanted to give her all the hope in the world that things would change and the results would favor Mr. Romney. She was literally having palpitations and I can only imagine what she is seeing. She is seeing a country that has become something that is totally different than what she was raised in. She never once feared and always knew her country had her best interests and protection in mind, yet now she feels that is not how it is. She looks back and fears for what we are now. I look forward while snuggling my three children and fear for what is ahead. I know I should not fear, but I do.
After I got off the phone the boys were a bit perturbed because I had been on the phone and not as prompt with their dinner as they are accustomed to. I explained to them that I needed to talk to GiGi because she is worried about the election. Alex then asked about why she was worried. Then, I had to have a talk with my children that I had really hoped would wait until they were older. I tried to keep it simple and as non-biased as possible. Then I remembered that these are my children, MINE. I can teach them the way I see fit. Others don't have to agree with my politics, but guess what, I don't have to agree with theirs either. We must just tolerate each other and live in some accordance of harmony. I explained President Obama and Mitt Romney this way:
"The president has the belief that we should "spread the wealth". This means that everyone has all the same stuff. Everyone has the same amount of money, benefits, home, food...everything. Yet, not everyone has to work hard to get it. Only the people who desire to make something of themselves have to work. That means that when Daddy works extra hours at work that instead of us getting to have that money, some other family whose Daddy doesn't work gets to have it. The end result may be that everyone has no money because people will decide that it is not worth it to work hard if you don't get the return on your investment. Mitt Romney has a different idea. He wants there to be enough jobs for everyone. He wants everyone to work so that we can work together and help those that can't work or help themselves. He wants everyone to have success and to work towards that success for our entire country. He wants us to be free to make our own decisions rather than the government telling us what to do."
Alex, my very smart and profound little boy looked me straight in the eye and said, "That sounds like the war in heaven and Satan's plan and Jesus plan". After a moment of shock that he made that connection on his own, I asked him to explain that to me. He said, "Satan's plan was to make it so we could all get to heaven, but we wouldn't learn or grow because he would make all the choices for us. Jesus' plan was to let us make choices, even if it means that we don't all make it to heaven and that we have knowledge." I nodded and said that was an interesting connection he made. He then looked at me with tears in his eyes and said, "I change my vote."
This morning Eric was the first one up (no surprise) and he asked who won the election. I told him that President Obama would continue to be our president. The sweet boy hung his head and pushed out his lower lip. Daddy then proceeded to scoop him up, squeeze him and tell him that everything will be okay. A while later Alex got up and I told him that President Obama was to continue being the president. He asked why. My answer was simply that whenever everyone voted, more people liked him. He then asked me, "Now, what's going to happen?" My answer was simply that I don't know, but I know we will keep living the way we live and doing our best to be good citizens and Christians. To which he snuggled in close to me and patted my arm.
All in all, I don't know what tomorrow will bring. I know that I am nervous and leaning on the Lord and his priesthood. I know that I will continue to love and teach my children. I know who I am and I know what I stand for. I know I can do hard things and that life is a hard thing, and as I told my sweet husband this morning, "We got this."
Tuesday, November 6, 2012
Election Day Fever
Alright so as much as I hate to discuss politics over the internet, I had to post about this election as it is being handled in our home. We have been trying very hard not to sway our children one way or the other and to let them form their own opinions...and believe me, they have them.
A few weeks ago we watched the last part of one of the debates. After watching the 20 or so minutes of it Alex decided that he wanted President Obama to win and Eric said he wanted Governor Romney.
When I asked Alex why he thought President Obama would win he said (direct quotes):
1. "He has brown skin and that is different from me"
2. "He is a good talker"
3. "He is a fan of the ladies"
4. "He's already president"
When I asked Eric why he thought Governor Romney would win he said (direct quote):
1. "He looks like me"
2. "He has a Red, White and Blue tie"
3." He is handsome"
4. "He has a nice smile and smiles a lot"
Well, out of the mouths of babes. Now, before you go on judging me and my household, let me tell you that we watch our speech very closely when it comes to politics and "hot-topics" such as race, religion, etc. This is what my children have picked up from discussions on TV, church, friends, home and school. I think it is interesting to see what they see through all of this, and how much appearance takes a role in elections.
Well, then I asked them what they would do if they were president of the Untied States.
Alex:
1. "Clean the Roads"
2. "Make less traffic"
3. "Clean up the White House"
4. "Have them make less candy"
5." Have resturaunts make more terrific food"
Eric:
1. "Clean the Road"
2. "Make it so cars don't stop in the middle of the road"
3. "Give the White House a hot tub"
4. "Make people smile"
I think those are pretty fun goals! Can you tell that we have been stuck in traffic a bunch the last two days? Well, that is our stance on the politics in this house. Now I sit and painfully and anxiously watch the votes roll in. I won't tell you where I stand, other than that my stance is that everyone exercise their rights and vote according to their own conscience that that they make an informed vote that they are not ashamed of. If you are going to stand for something, stand proud and strong. Who knows what tomorrow will bring? All I know is that I am tired and I am ready for bed!
A few weeks ago we watched the last part of one of the debates. After watching the 20 or so minutes of it Alex decided that he wanted President Obama to win and Eric said he wanted Governor Romney.
When I asked Alex why he thought President Obama would win he said (direct quotes):
1. "He has brown skin and that is different from me"
2. "He is a good talker"
3. "He is a fan of the ladies"
4. "He's already president"
When I asked Eric why he thought Governor Romney would win he said (direct quote):
1. "He looks like me"
2. "He has a Red, White and Blue tie"
3." He is handsome"
4. "He has a nice smile and smiles a lot"
Well, out of the mouths of babes. Now, before you go on judging me and my household, let me tell you that we watch our speech very closely when it comes to politics and "hot-topics" such as race, religion, etc. This is what my children have picked up from discussions on TV, church, friends, home and school. I think it is interesting to see what they see through all of this, and how much appearance takes a role in elections.
Well, then I asked them what they would do if they were president of the Untied States.
Alex:
1. "Clean the Roads"
2. "Make less traffic"
3. "Clean up the White House"
4. "Have them make less candy"
5." Have resturaunts make more terrific food"
Eric:
1. "Clean the Road"
2. "Make it so cars don't stop in the middle of the road"
3. "Give the White House a hot tub"
4. "Make people smile"
I think those are pretty fun goals! Can you tell that we have been stuck in traffic a bunch the last two days? Well, that is our stance on the politics in this house. Now I sit and painfully and anxiously watch the votes roll in. I won't tell you where I stand, other than that my stance is that everyone exercise their rights and vote according to their own conscience that that they make an informed vote that they are not ashamed of. If you are going to stand for something, stand proud and strong. Who knows what tomorrow will bring? All I know is that I am tired and I am ready for bed!
Thursday, October 25, 2012
Riding in the Car with Eric
There are days I feel like I am CONSTANTLY in the car! I really wish I had a driver that could drive me places or could take my kids to and from their activities without me. I literally think I am away from home more than I am home for the first half of the week. Now, some of you may say, well cut it back. That's easy to say, and believe me there are days I am ready to call it quits on everything, yet I do like that Eric has a Tumbling class and Pre-K. I like that Alex has Art and Lego Robotics. It's all the other stuff...grocery shopping, doctor's visits, and other miscellaneous errands! The perfect example is yesterday. I had my two youngest asleep for naps (BLISS) and then the time came for us to leave for art class! Isn't there a saying to let sleeping dogs lie!?! It must apply to kids too! Eric doesn't wake up from naps well at all! He screams and carries on and literally shakes and can't get himself together for a good ten minutes, and then Josephine was sleeping so good, and then to wake her up is like a long term sentence of crying and crankiness until bed time! OYE! Well, I did it and we made it to art on time...I guess that was the whole point. Well, there is one car trip each week that I look forward to, and that's when Eric drives.
Now, before you go and call CPS let me explain. At the children's museum They have the front half of a truck that the kids can climb in. Most of the buttons have been removed, but the steering wheel, gear shift, air conditioning/heater dials, turn signal, and pedals are still there. One side has a door that can't open, but the window is missing and the other side has no door. Eric LOVES this part of the museum the most. The first thing he tells me when we walk in is that he wants to drive me around town. We climb in (Josephine usually on my lap) and Eric drives me around. We always stop at McDonalds or Chick Fil-A. There he "rolls down" his window and orders 2 chicken nugget kids meals with waters (cause that's what Mommy drinks) and if we have been good we get a milkshake too. It always costs $2.00 and it is on sale! We then drive to the zoo to see pink elephants and big alligators. We drive to the mall and go to the Lego store and stop at the chocolate store for Mommy. We went to the drive-in this week and we watched a movie about knights, ninjas, and princesses. We stopped at Wal-Mart for Mommy's medicine and then we drove around looking at Halloween decorations. Nobody could possibly know how much I LOVE this time with Eric. He is such a sweet boy with the biggest heart. He wants to be his best and he wants to love everyone. He is so attentive to the details of our trips. Even down to making sure the toy we got from McDonald's is a girl toy for me. I know how much he watches me and I can tell that he sees everything. He even plugs his "phone" into the "charger" as soon as we get in the car. I know there will come a day when he will drive away without me, but right now, I am trying to soak in these "trips" he takes with me in the passenger seat. He is growing up so quickly, yet he is still my baby boy through and through. I love my little Toodles and I hope he will look back at these times, and have some really sweet memories too.
Now, before you go and call CPS let me explain. At the children's museum They have the front half of a truck that the kids can climb in. Most of the buttons have been removed, but the steering wheel, gear shift, air conditioning/heater dials, turn signal, and pedals are still there. One side has a door that can't open, but the window is missing and the other side has no door. Eric LOVES this part of the museum the most. The first thing he tells me when we walk in is that he wants to drive me around town. We climb in (Josephine usually on my lap) and Eric drives me around. We always stop at McDonalds or Chick Fil-A. There he "rolls down" his window and orders 2 chicken nugget kids meals with waters (cause that's what Mommy drinks) and if we have been good we get a milkshake too. It always costs $2.00 and it is on sale! We then drive to the zoo to see pink elephants and big alligators. We drive to the mall and go to the Lego store and stop at the chocolate store for Mommy. We went to the drive-in this week and we watched a movie about knights, ninjas, and princesses. We stopped at Wal-Mart for Mommy's medicine and then we drove around looking at Halloween decorations. Nobody could possibly know how much I LOVE this time with Eric. He is such a sweet boy with the biggest heart. He wants to be his best and he wants to love everyone. He is so attentive to the details of our trips. Even down to making sure the toy we got from McDonald's is a girl toy for me. I know how much he watches me and I can tell that he sees everything. He even plugs his "phone" into the "charger" as soon as we get in the car. I know there will come a day when he will drive away without me, but right now, I am trying to soak in these "trips" he takes with me in the passenger seat. He is growing up so quickly, yet he is still my baby boy through and through. I love my little Toodles and I hope he will look back at these times, and have some really sweet memories too.
Thursday, October 11, 2012
BUSY
There is no other words to describe our lives right now other than BUSY! We have been going nonstop lately! Our schedule is crammed and on top of that we decided to put our house on the market! What were we thinking!?! We moved on a prompting from the Lord and we aren't looking back. Our prayers are ongoing that the right person will be led to our house that we have called home for the last six years. We love our little home, but that is just what it is...little. We are crowded beyond belief and I am hoping with a bigger home maybe a little bit of my stress and anxiety will fade away. I don't know how they did it in the old days in a tiny house with lots of kids, but apparently I am not cut out for it...well, no, I guess that's not true. If I needed to stay where I am, I could, but I think more space would definitely be nice. We have found a home nearby that we love, but we are waiting to see if we get any nibbles on our home before plunging in too deep. We pray that Heavenly Father will provide for us a means to have that home, or the one He would have us live in. It is really hard sometimes to hand everything over to Him, but I just keep telling myself it is what we need to do.
Well, home school life is still a bit of a task. I actually find myself murmuring a bit that if both my boys were in school I could get a lot more done, but I know that the right place for Alex is at home right now. There have been many moments recently where that has been made very clear to me. I am trying to keep him as social as I can, but it is hard to do when I see how much he struggles with it and with his self esteem. There was an instance this week in his Lego Robotics class that still has me a bit torn up inside. Maybe one of my readers can give me some insight or just some kind words for this Mommy's broken heart. While Alex was in class on Tuesday, Eric and I were playing in the museum. I glanced through the window (they can't see me, but I can see them) and Alex was bawling his eyes out and obviously very upset. I resisted all urge to step in and find out what was going on, but instead I just watched. I walked away for a few minutes, and then came back to see him still recovering from crying (little hiccups and heaves). Okay, apparently it didn't last too long, but I still couldn't figure out what the problem was. Anyway, fast forward to an hour later in the car on the way home. I asked Alex how class was and he told me it was good and that he made a car with his classmates. I asked him if he had any problems and he said a little one. He then related to me this..."We were all building parts of the car and then someone took the pieces I built out of my hand. I got mad and told the teacher. She then asked me if I knew how to share. I said yes and then she said well, don't you know how to make friends? I then started crying and told her no, I don't know how to make friends." I then asked Alex what she said to that and he said that she ignored him. This whole thing bugs me! One, I can't figure out what more I can do to help Alex get to know people. We role play, we play at the park, play dates art class, Lego class, piano lessons, church...what else can I do? Also, it really really really bothers me how the teacher reacted to him. Even if this isn't exactly how it happened, Alex perceived it this way and I don't like it! I pay for these classes and they are in a learning environment that is supposed to nurture children's curiosity and learning, yet I feel as if she isn't treating my son as a student and rather an annoyance. The class has a whopping 5 kids in it! I am frustrated beyond belief and this is a total Mommy Bear thing protecting my babies!
On another note, Alex absolutely LOVES piano and art class. He gets so excited for Wednesdays. He has been doing very well with practicing the piano. Alex has also been better at letting his (for lack of a better term) creative juices to flow. It is hard when you want things to be perfect all of the time, and he has a new art teacher that is definitely a bit unique herself and Alex adores her. I am very tempted to enroll him in the second session of art, but at the same time I feel that it would be much easier on me if we took a break after this class ends so that maybe we can get this whole real estate stuff under control and not be quite so overwhelmed.
Oh, and I got a new calling that I am excited for, but nervous for at the same time. I am grateful to still be in Primary. I mean let's face it, I seriously lack the attention span for Relief Society and I never did fit in when I was in Young Women, so why would now be any different. So, right now I am still working as the Primary chorister until after the Primary Program in a few weeks. I am also still called to the Relief Society Activities Committee and now I am Primary first counselor Sometimes I wish the Lord didn't trust me so much! Even though I am totally stressed, losing my hair and my mind, and absolutely exhausted, I feel so overwhelmingly blessed. I know the Lord's hand is in my day-to-day because if it wasn't I would have probably exploded all over the place by now. Life is calling, and I must go. Hopefully I will have a few minutes this weekend to write again and let you know how the house stuff went. Please keep our home situation in your prayers, and maybe my sanity too.
Well, home school life is still a bit of a task. I actually find myself murmuring a bit that if both my boys were in school I could get a lot more done, but I know that the right place for Alex is at home right now. There have been many moments recently where that has been made very clear to me. I am trying to keep him as social as I can, but it is hard to do when I see how much he struggles with it and with his self esteem. There was an instance this week in his Lego Robotics class that still has me a bit torn up inside. Maybe one of my readers can give me some insight or just some kind words for this Mommy's broken heart. While Alex was in class on Tuesday, Eric and I were playing in the museum. I glanced through the window (they can't see me, but I can see them) and Alex was bawling his eyes out and obviously very upset. I resisted all urge to step in and find out what was going on, but instead I just watched. I walked away for a few minutes, and then came back to see him still recovering from crying (little hiccups and heaves). Okay, apparently it didn't last too long, but I still couldn't figure out what the problem was. Anyway, fast forward to an hour later in the car on the way home. I asked Alex how class was and he told me it was good and that he made a car with his classmates. I asked him if he had any problems and he said a little one. He then related to me this..."We were all building parts of the car and then someone took the pieces I built out of my hand. I got mad and told the teacher. She then asked me if I knew how to share. I said yes and then she said well, don't you know how to make friends? I then started crying and told her no, I don't know how to make friends." I then asked Alex what she said to that and he said that she ignored him. This whole thing bugs me! One, I can't figure out what more I can do to help Alex get to know people. We role play, we play at the park, play dates art class, Lego class, piano lessons, church...what else can I do? Also, it really really really bothers me how the teacher reacted to him. Even if this isn't exactly how it happened, Alex perceived it this way and I don't like it! I pay for these classes and they are in a learning environment that is supposed to nurture children's curiosity and learning, yet I feel as if she isn't treating my son as a student and rather an annoyance. The class has a whopping 5 kids in it! I am frustrated beyond belief and this is a total Mommy Bear thing protecting my babies!
On another note, Alex absolutely LOVES piano and art class. He gets so excited for Wednesdays. He has been doing very well with practicing the piano. Alex has also been better at letting his (for lack of a better term) creative juices to flow. It is hard when you want things to be perfect all of the time, and he has a new art teacher that is definitely a bit unique herself and Alex adores her. I am very tempted to enroll him in the second session of art, but at the same time I feel that it would be much easier on me if we took a break after this class ends so that maybe we can get this whole real estate stuff under control and not be quite so overwhelmed.
Oh, and I got a new calling that I am excited for, but nervous for at the same time. I am grateful to still be in Primary. I mean let's face it, I seriously lack the attention span for Relief Society and I never did fit in when I was in Young Women, so why would now be any different. So, right now I am still working as the Primary chorister until after the Primary Program in a few weeks. I am also still called to the Relief Society Activities Committee and now I am Primary first counselor Sometimes I wish the Lord didn't trust me so much! Even though I am totally stressed, losing my hair and my mind, and absolutely exhausted, I feel so overwhelmingly blessed. I know the Lord's hand is in my day-to-day because if it wasn't I would have probably exploded all over the place by now. Life is calling, and I must go. Hopefully I will have a few minutes this weekend to write again and let you know how the house stuff went. Please keep our home situation in your prayers, and maybe my sanity too.
Friday, September 28, 2012
FRIDAY!
Yeah, yeah I know, I said I was going to do better and didn't. Well I have to admit that I am really starting to feel Fridays. Before I would just feel like it was just another day, but now Friday means I sleep a little later, just a few school things to do, and the weekend is upon us. Today we had a spelling test and Alex got them all right! Even the bonus words! We had a phonics test that was supposed to be yesterday, but it didn't happen. He got 100% on that too! No backwards letters or anything! One was backwards, but he caught it before he turned it in. We labeled the parts of the eye (what you see when you look at someone) and he wrote in his journal. Later we went to the grocery store and practiced reading (labels), addition (prices for two items), and counting (produce). We also discussed meal planning (I think that counts as nutrition) and also money management (no, ice cream sandwiches aren't in the budget this week). I think it was a pretty good day. I also got caught up on some of the housework too. Well, the thorough vacuuming got done and stuff like that.
This week we had a lot of fun but it was BUSY! Alex started his Lego Robotics class and Art Class. He really enjoyed the Lego class and he built a remote control dune buggy. He felt very accomplished and his teacher was impressed with his ability. Alex really liked that he got to build it on his own. I really hope they do some group projects, Alex really needs the interaction with kids his own age. The art class went well too but Alex really has a hard time with be a perfectionist and being obsessed with something. He was completely distraught at the end of class because his projects didn't look like he wanted them too. The teacher was so understanding and wonderful. She let us go back into the class and we looked at them and discussed what he liked and didn't like about them. We also talked about how he will be painting them next week. When we left he felt a little better. The teacher said that this isn't uncommon for children, especially those who have obsessive personalities She really is a wonderful lady and I am so glad she is Alex's art teacher. We also went to a play date this week. We went to our friend's farm and saw cows, a donkey, pigs, and goats. The boys had a blast and I am completely bummed that I forgot my camera and left my phone in the house when we went out. The boys really enjoyed being outside, playing with friends, and feeding some of the animals
Next week Alex will start piano lessons and we are both excited. I know he will enjoy it and i really think he will do well with it. Also, we have started discussing looking for a bigger home (1100 square feet is a little tight for us now). Alex has shown some apprehension regarding moving, but we are working on trying to keep his mind at ease, and keeping him as involved as we can without too much detail. We are praying and hoping that things will go forward smoothly and that we can find a home we will all love. We are very blessed and I know that as long as we have faith and do what is right, the Lord will provide for us when the time is right. Well, I am off to enjoy the rest of my Friday.
Oh, I almost forgot. I have noticed that Alex is very sweet and tender towards his baby sister. This is a huge deal to me as he is usually one who couldn't care less about how others are feeling, not that he doesn't care about people, just that he usually lacks empathy towards others. Lately he has stepped in to help out with Josephine without being asked and he tended to her in the waiting room while I was a the doctor on Thursday. I think homeschooling him was the right choice and his helping him develop more emotionally.
This week we had a lot of fun but it was BUSY! Alex started his Lego Robotics class and Art Class. He really enjoyed the Lego class and he built a remote control dune buggy. He felt very accomplished and his teacher was impressed with his ability. Alex really liked that he got to build it on his own. I really hope they do some group projects, Alex really needs the interaction with kids his own age. The art class went well too but Alex really has a hard time with be a perfectionist and being obsessed with something. He was completely distraught at the end of class because his projects didn't look like he wanted them too. The teacher was so understanding and wonderful. She let us go back into the class and we looked at them and discussed what he liked and didn't like about them. We also talked about how he will be painting them next week. When we left he felt a little better. The teacher said that this isn't uncommon for children, especially those who have obsessive personalities She really is a wonderful lady and I am so glad she is Alex's art teacher. We also went to a play date this week. We went to our friend's farm and saw cows, a donkey, pigs, and goats. The boys had a blast and I am completely bummed that I forgot my camera and left my phone in the house when we went out. The boys really enjoyed being outside, playing with friends, and feeding some of the animals
Next week Alex will start piano lessons and we are both excited. I know he will enjoy it and i really think he will do well with it. Also, we have started discussing looking for a bigger home (1100 square feet is a little tight for us now). Alex has shown some apprehension regarding moving, but we are working on trying to keep his mind at ease, and keeping him as involved as we can without too much detail. We are praying and hoping that things will go forward smoothly and that we can find a home we will all love. We are very blessed and I know that as long as we have faith and do what is right, the Lord will provide for us when the time is right. Well, I am off to enjoy the rest of my Friday.
Oh, I almost forgot. I have noticed that Alex is very sweet and tender towards his baby sister. This is a huge deal to me as he is usually one who couldn't care less about how others are feeling, not that he doesn't care about people, just that he usually lacks empathy towards others. Lately he has stepped in to help out with Josephine without being asked and he tended to her in the waiting room while I was a the doctor on Thursday. I think homeschooling him was the right choice and his helping him develop more emotionally.
Monday, September 24, 2012
Running behind...what else is new, right...
Well, it has been a week and a half since i posted. Yes, we are all still alive and we are still learning and growing and doing our thing. Some of the highlights of our days since I last posted...
*Homeschool Co-op was a blast! We went to our friend's house and learned about surface tension, made bubble solution and giant bubble wands. We made HUMONGOUS bubbles! We had a great time. Even Eric enjoyed himself. Then we shared a yummy picnic lunch. I hope more friends join in with us, but if not, that's okay too. I am really nervous about when it will be my turn to lead the group, but I am thankful for Pinterest and lots of fun ideas.
*We didn't start our extra classes at the Children's Museum because their renovations took longer than expected. We start this week for sure. We have evening classes because the morning ones didn't have enough people signed up, but oh well. We are really excited!
*We went to a new restaurant in The Woodlands called Zunum. It was a lot of fun. The food is moderately priced and the kids LOVED the supervised play area. It was nice and we will do it again sometime.
*We held our Fisher-Price playdate and it was a blast, and I feel it was a huge success too. We had a lot of fun and so did our guests. I am very grateful that House Party and Fisher-Price gave us the opportunity to host such a fun play date. I will be uploading pictures and filling out surveys in a little bit. I think I will write to Fisher-Price too.
*I attended Time Out for Women and really enjoyed it. I feel uplifted and encouraged. I can do this and enjoy the ride too.
*Eric's little friend from school was diagnosed with leukemia. Him and his family have been on our minds and in our prayers. We know that he is in the Lord's hands and being held tightly.
That's all I can remember right now. If I am feeling really ambitious later I will update about our day, but don't hold your breath, we have tumbling this evening and this get a little hairy around here in the evenings. I will always say I will try and be better, and I do try, but sometimes I just can't get it together. Well, here is to another week of trying to get it right.
*Homeschool Co-op was a blast! We went to our friend's house and learned about surface tension, made bubble solution and giant bubble wands. We made HUMONGOUS bubbles! We had a great time. Even Eric enjoyed himself. Then we shared a yummy picnic lunch. I hope more friends join in with us, but if not, that's okay too. I am really nervous about when it will be my turn to lead the group, but I am thankful for Pinterest and lots of fun ideas.
*We didn't start our extra classes at the Children's Museum because their renovations took longer than expected. We start this week for sure. We have evening classes because the morning ones didn't have enough people signed up, but oh well. We are really excited!
*We went to a new restaurant in The Woodlands called Zunum. It was a lot of fun. The food is moderately priced and the kids LOVED the supervised play area. It was nice and we will do it again sometime.
*We held our Fisher-Price playdate and it was a blast, and I feel it was a huge success too. We had a lot of fun and so did our guests. I am very grateful that House Party and Fisher-Price gave us the opportunity to host such a fun play date. I will be uploading pictures and filling out surveys in a little bit. I think I will write to Fisher-Price too.
*I attended Time Out for Women and really enjoyed it. I feel uplifted and encouraged. I can do this and enjoy the ride too.
*Eric's little friend from school was diagnosed with leukemia. Him and his family have been on our minds and in our prayers. We know that he is in the Lord's hands and being held tightly.
That's all I can remember right now. If I am feeling really ambitious later I will update about our day, but don't hold your breath, we have tumbling this evening and this get a little hairy around here in the evenings. I will always say I will try and be better, and I do try, but sometimes I just can't get it together. Well, here is to another week of trying to get it right.
Thursday, September 13, 2012
A Good Day
Today was a good day (I can say now that it is over). We took Eric to school, went groery shopping, Cleaned up a bit, did schoolwork, visited with my visiting teachers, got some good rain (and thnunder too), had breakfast for dinner and Daddy will be home soon.
Grocery shopping was interesting. Alex wasn't thrilled about not going to the Kroger with the play area, but it really saved on time and gas to go to the one near Eric' school. While we shopped I had Alex count produce, read labels, add prices, push the basket, help me decide ship flavors, and assorted other things that he really enjoyed and I know were great learning experiences. I like being able to use the real world as my text book. We did some book work today too, and really there are days I feel like he is above what is in his text books, but I think it is a great review and helps boost his confidence in his skills. I am looking forward to his classes at the Children's Museum next week. I know he will LOVE them!
Grocery shopping was interesting. Alex wasn't thrilled about not going to the Kroger with the play area, but it really saved on time and gas to go to the one near Eric' school. While we shopped I had Alex count produce, read labels, add prices, push the basket, help me decide ship flavors, and assorted other things that he really enjoyed and I know were great learning experiences. I like being able to use the real world as my text book. We did some book work today too, and really there are days I feel like he is above what is in his text books, but I think it is a great review and helps boost his confidence in his skills. I am looking forward to his classes at the Children's Museum next week. I know he will LOVE them!
Wednesday, September 12, 2012
My Blog, So My Rant
Okay, so here is your warning label on this post. I will be posting MY thoughts! These are mine and nobody else's. I am not censoring them and I am not worried about hurting feelings. If you are quick to anger or quick to find offense, don't read this (even though I post this I know people will still read it). I have had a lot on my mind and a lot on my plate lately and I need to put it somewhere, so here it goes. These thoughts will probably lead to nowhere important and will probably have no sense of direction, but that's the way my mind has been working, so here it goes. Oh, and even one comment, email, or anything of the sort that condemns one things I say or think, I will strongly consider our friendship. I try to not judge people on their personal views and thoughts and I am quick to defend those who have the bravery to say it how it is, even if I don't agree. So don't judge me because I think differently from you.
1. Holy crap yesterday was a rough one. I am not sure why everything hit me all at once, but it did (you can ask my GiGi, I cried in her ear for over half an hour)
2. Sometimes I just don't wanna! I don't want ot be the better person, I don't want to serve those that hurt me, I don't want to homeschool, I don't want to be a friend, I don't want to watch what I eat, I don't want to exercise!
3. Even though I don't wanna, I usually do it anyway.
4. I have had some serious mommy guilt lately, and it really came to a head yesterday as i was driving to somewhere I didn't want to go and my son was doing reading work in the backseat, my baby girl was screaming, and my gas tank was emptying. The guilt that I wanted to homeschool my child, yet I can't even sit at home and teach him and guide him through learning in a natural and loving environment, instead he is in the back of our van, doing book work while his mother murmurs about how unfair life is. My baby (who I BEGGED the Lord for) was wailing because she just wanted to be held and had been in the car seat much too long. I wailed along with her and hated myself for every moment. I sat and thought about how disappointed my Heavenly Father must be with me, I mean, I asked for her, and then I don't even have a spare moment to just sit and hold her today! GEEZ! Then the gas gauge goes down as gas prices go up. Money is tight and the bills continue to come in! Like I really needed to drive an additional 65 miles today than what had already been driven because I needed to go to the doctor today, and of course the doctor I need to see is WAY across town, and I can't find another one because there isn't another doctor in his field of work in the ENTIRE area! I did get to Eric's school sooner than I thought, so I took Josephine out and held her, and kissed her and nursed her. Alex sat in the front seat and we reviewed his reading assignment together. I went and picked up Eric on time and he was happy and smiling. I think Josephine forgave me as she snuggled in close to me whenever someone came near and she even gave me a big smile when I had to put her back in the car seat.
4. I seriously can't wait until my sweetheart comes home today. I miss him like crazy! I need him and I depend on him. My mom once told me to never be so dependent on another person that you can't live happily on your own. Well, I proved these last few days I can live on my own, but it isn't near as easy or as enjoyable without him. I need him!
5. I am SO TIRED of political talk! GAH!
6. Obama and Leader of Israel Dude issue! GEEZ! I am sick of it. If I can make time for things that are important in my life, than so can you. Obviously relations with each other are not too important if neither of you can get your schedules to agree for the last three years! The liberals blame Israel, the conservatives blame Obama! FIGURE IT OUT and quit it! My stance is, you NEVER want to be an enemy of Israel, you always want to be a defender because if not you are in BIG trouble, just go read your scriptures and you will find out what happens!
7. I feel like Romney is the lesser of two evils and even though I am a Mormon doesn't mean I agree with him on everything. That is an internal struggle that I will have to deal with sooner or later.
8. I really hope it doesn't rain on Saturday, but I know it will so I need to remember to bring my umbrella.
9. I can't remember who, but I heard someone say that they "think its funny when people who have homeschooled put their kids back in to public school". Well, this struck me a couple of ways. One way is that did this person mean "ha ha funny" or "odd-funny" Well, I don't think it is either one! Homeschooling is HARD and there are days it really just SUCKS! I am only in my third week and I already think it is no fun for me a lot of the time (good thing Alex enjoys it). Sometimes circumstances in our control or beyond our control make our "plan" change, hence why I am done having a plan. I may not homeschool forever, any maybe I will, but either way I will make the decision with my husband and we will choose what is right for our child and for our family's circumstances. There is no answer key to raising your children, but there are guides and help desk along the way. It is a personal decision and I think people need to STAY OUT OF EACH OTHER'S BUSINESS!!!!! If you think you can do it better, then go at it! Take my kids and make them into perfect functioning adults (oh wait, that doesn't exist). We all make mistakes and we all make choices that mothers may not agree with, but guess what, we don't have to agree to be friends or to coexist. We just have to love each other and not kill each other. (I will probably vent on this again sometime soon, as it really irks me).
10. Itruly do not believe that most human beings do things to intentionally hurt another person. That person who commented on your status, or gave you a funny look, or even said something to you that you didn't like, I seriously doubt that they did it to hurt your feelings or to rub you the wrong way. I can't even imagine my friends sitting at their computers coming up with ways to make me cry or hurt me. Maybe I am wrong, but I think that we all get in funks. We all say or do things that we don't mean to. Guess what, people don't know they have hurt you unless you let them know (usually) so when you look at that person who hurt your feelings and you are seething because they just don't seem repentant, well, they probably aren't because they don't even know they did something wrong! TELL THEM! BE HONEST! Let them know in a kind way that they hurt you, and a true friend will apologize and try to make it better. If they don't, then maybe they aren't a true friend. Even if they think you over reacted, they should still be sympathetic to your feelings. You have a right to your feelings. Please also remember that tone cannot be written. When you read that text message/FB post/email you read it in the tone you feel. Maybe they meant it that way. maybe they were kidding, so either give the person the benefit of the doubt and be careful what you write as well. And if you think that I sit and think of ways to hurt you or pull you down, then you don't know me well and maybe we shouldn't be friends if you can't remember that I am human and I have bad days too.
And I think my last beef for the day is that just because I am a stay-at-home mom doesn't mean I have nothing to do. And since I am trying to teach my six year old and raise a 4 year old and baby, I have a whole bunch on my plate and when I tell you I can't do something or I am too busy, please don't roll your eyes at me or insist that I need a break. I know I need a break. I have NO time without my children, and even though I love them dearly, they drive me up the wall most days. I wouldn't trade my life for anything, but I can still be frustrated by it daily. Life is not ideal!
I love all of my friends and family and I value each one of you. Please remember to share hugs and not judgments, you never know when you will be walking in there shoes or crossing paths
Oh, and I bought a TON of chocolate yesterday!
1. Holy crap yesterday was a rough one. I am not sure why everything hit me all at once, but it did (you can ask my GiGi, I cried in her ear for over half an hour)
2. Sometimes I just don't wanna! I don't want ot be the better person, I don't want to serve those that hurt me, I don't want to homeschool, I don't want to be a friend, I don't want to watch what I eat, I don't want to exercise!
3. Even though I don't wanna, I usually do it anyway.
4. I have had some serious mommy guilt lately, and it really came to a head yesterday as i was driving to somewhere I didn't want to go and my son was doing reading work in the backseat, my baby girl was screaming, and my gas tank was emptying. The guilt that I wanted to homeschool my child, yet I can't even sit at home and teach him and guide him through learning in a natural and loving environment, instead he is in the back of our van, doing book work while his mother murmurs about how unfair life is. My baby (who I BEGGED the Lord for) was wailing because she just wanted to be held and had been in the car seat much too long. I wailed along with her and hated myself for every moment. I sat and thought about how disappointed my Heavenly Father must be with me, I mean, I asked for her, and then I don't even have a spare moment to just sit and hold her today! GEEZ! Then the gas gauge goes down as gas prices go up. Money is tight and the bills continue to come in! Like I really needed to drive an additional 65 miles today than what had already been driven because I needed to go to the doctor today, and of course the doctor I need to see is WAY across town, and I can't find another one because there isn't another doctor in his field of work in the ENTIRE area! I did get to Eric's school sooner than I thought, so I took Josephine out and held her, and kissed her and nursed her. Alex sat in the front seat and we reviewed his reading assignment together. I went and picked up Eric on time and he was happy and smiling. I think Josephine forgave me as she snuggled in close to me whenever someone came near and she even gave me a big smile when I had to put her back in the car seat.
4. I seriously can't wait until my sweetheart comes home today. I miss him like crazy! I need him and I depend on him. My mom once told me to never be so dependent on another person that you can't live happily on your own. Well, I proved these last few days I can live on my own, but it isn't near as easy or as enjoyable without him. I need him!
5. I am SO TIRED of political talk! GAH!
6. Obama and Leader of Israel Dude issue! GEEZ! I am sick of it. If I can make time for things that are important in my life, than so can you. Obviously relations with each other are not too important if neither of you can get your schedules to agree for the last three years! The liberals blame Israel, the conservatives blame Obama! FIGURE IT OUT and quit it! My stance is, you NEVER want to be an enemy of Israel, you always want to be a defender because if not you are in BIG trouble, just go read your scriptures and you will find out what happens!
7. I feel like Romney is the lesser of two evils and even though I am a Mormon doesn't mean I agree with him on everything. That is an internal struggle that I will have to deal with sooner or later.
8. I really hope it doesn't rain on Saturday, but I know it will so I need to remember to bring my umbrella.
9. I can't remember who, but I heard someone say that they "think its funny when people who have homeschooled put their kids back in to public school". Well, this struck me a couple of ways. One way is that did this person mean "ha ha funny" or "odd-funny" Well, I don't think it is either one! Homeschooling is HARD and there are days it really just SUCKS! I am only in my third week and I already think it is no fun for me a lot of the time (good thing Alex enjoys it). Sometimes circumstances in our control or beyond our control make our "plan" change, hence why I am done having a plan. I may not homeschool forever, any maybe I will, but either way I will make the decision with my husband and we will choose what is right for our child and for our family's circumstances. There is no answer key to raising your children, but there are guides and help desk along the way. It is a personal decision and I think people need to STAY OUT OF EACH OTHER'S BUSINESS!!!!! If you think you can do it better, then go at it! Take my kids and make them into perfect functioning adults (oh wait, that doesn't exist). We all make mistakes and we all make choices that mothers may not agree with, but guess what, we don't have to agree to be friends or to coexist. We just have to love each other and not kill each other. (I will probably vent on this again sometime soon, as it really irks me).
10. Itruly do not believe that most human beings do things to intentionally hurt another person. That person who commented on your status, or gave you a funny look, or even said something to you that you didn't like, I seriously doubt that they did it to hurt your feelings or to rub you the wrong way. I can't even imagine my friends sitting at their computers coming up with ways to make me cry or hurt me. Maybe I am wrong, but I think that we all get in funks. We all say or do things that we don't mean to. Guess what, people don't know they have hurt you unless you let them know (usually) so when you look at that person who hurt your feelings and you are seething because they just don't seem repentant, well, they probably aren't because they don't even know they did something wrong! TELL THEM! BE HONEST! Let them know in a kind way that they hurt you, and a true friend will apologize and try to make it better. If they don't, then maybe they aren't a true friend. Even if they think you over reacted, they should still be sympathetic to your feelings. You have a right to your feelings. Please also remember that tone cannot be written. When you read that text message/FB post/email you read it in the tone you feel. Maybe they meant it that way. maybe they were kidding, so either give the person the benefit of the doubt and be careful what you write as well. And if you think that I sit and think of ways to hurt you or pull you down, then you don't know me well and maybe we shouldn't be friends if you can't remember that I am human and I have bad days too.
And I think my last beef for the day is that just because I am a stay-at-home mom doesn't mean I have nothing to do. And since I am trying to teach my six year old and raise a 4 year old and baby, I have a whole bunch on my plate and when I tell you I can't do something or I am too busy, please don't roll your eyes at me or insist that I need a break. I know I need a break. I have NO time without my children, and even though I love them dearly, they drive me up the wall most days. I wouldn't trade my life for anything, but I can still be frustrated by it daily. Life is not ideal!
I love all of my friends and family and I value each one of you. Please remember to share hugs and not judgments, you never know when you will be walking in there shoes or crossing paths
Oh, and I bought a TON of chocolate yesterday!
Monday, September 10, 2012
Monday Again!
Well, as you can tell I didn't write on Friday. Friday Alex had three tests! He had his first math test and his first phonics test! He did great on both and only missed two on his math test due to numbers being backwards! Some days are definitely better than others with this dyslexia thing. Then he had a spelling test that he BOMBED! I had no idea he would do so poorly on it! I used it to my advantage and we worked on the words. I did retest him on Saturday (we used the white board instead of sitting with paper and pencil). He missed one, but I tacked it on to the end and he got it right! WooHoo! So, because he got it the next time around we decided to move forward this week with list #3. I am hoping that the spelling test was a problem because he was just overwhelmed and having a hard time focusing. The whole day had been a bit of a job to get him to stay focused and on task. Alex said he likes tests on Fridays, but I am going to mix it up a bit next week and just do testing as it comes up, and not wait until Friday and see how we do. I also found a fun Spelling Words game on Pinterest that I want to try this week. Maybe it will help a bit.
Anyway, today is Monday. I am already insanely tired and it isnt even 2:00! I was up very early with baby girl and then had to get back up before my body wanted to so I could drop the kids off at a firend's house and I could go to the doctor. I REALLY didn't want to drag three kids to my anual well-woman exam if you can understand. My wonderful friend welcomed my children into her home and they had a blast. They got to experience chickens! They even collected some eggs, and for their hard work, she sent us home with a dozen fresh eggs! Yay for scrambled eggs with flavor. Anyway, as soon as we got home we did some math and language. Then break for lunch. Then we finished up. I did teach Alex some more about place value today. I think he is catching on (well, at least I hope). I had to laugh at myself yesterday. I was sitting and looking over our math assignments for the week and I came to a question that the wording totally tripped me up. Now, you must understand that I am "one of those people" who doesn't comprehend math well. I mean, math makes me sweat! So when I came to this issue I started to panic (no joke) and all I could think was that I was going to have to hire a tutor and I can't even do first grade math! Well, my husband stepped in and reassured me that I could handle this and that he too thought it was worded funny, but this is what he thought it meant. I agreed to his deductive reasoning, but still wanted some reassurance. Thank goodness for good friends and Facebook! I hopped on Facebook and sent a message to one of my friends that lives near my grandma who is a first grade teacher and specializes in math! Yay for the Facebook friend lifeline! Shee also thought it was worded weird and confirmed that my husband's idea was correct! WHEW! Why didn't they just word it like normal human beings in the first place! I am only 26! I don't need a heart attack already!
So, past the math drama things are going great. I have decided to order and additional phonics test booklet and an additional math test booklet so that I can make keys for my records and I don't have to keep using all of my ink to make copies. Oh, and Alex caught the giggles during his reading work today. The story was titled "Bob". Every time he came to the word Bob he would yell BOB! Then we came to the word "but" and of course, being a boy, this is hilarious, even after I tried to explain that this was NOT that kind of but! Anyway, at least I know he is well adjusted and still a typical six year old who thinks butts and farts are funny, heck what can I say, they are! Anyway, this looks to be a busy week, but I am confident that we will get it done and make it out alive!
Anyway, today is Monday. I am already insanely tired and it isnt even 2:00! I was up very early with baby girl and then had to get back up before my body wanted to so I could drop the kids off at a firend's house and I could go to the doctor. I REALLY didn't want to drag three kids to my anual well-woman exam if you can understand. My wonderful friend welcomed my children into her home and they had a blast. They got to experience chickens! They even collected some eggs, and for their hard work, she sent us home with a dozen fresh eggs! Yay for scrambled eggs with flavor. Anyway, as soon as we got home we did some math and language. Then break for lunch. Then we finished up. I did teach Alex some more about place value today. I think he is catching on (well, at least I hope). I had to laugh at myself yesterday. I was sitting and looking over our math assignments for the week and I came to a question that the wording totally tripped me up. Now, you must understand that I am "one of those people" who doesn't comprehend math well. I mean, math makes me sweat! So when I came to this issue I started to panic (no joke) and all I could think was that I was going to have to hire a tutor and I can't even do first grade math! Well, my husband stepped in and reassured me that I could handle this and that he too thought it was worded funny, but this is what he thought it meant. I agreed to his deductive reasoning, but still wanted some reassurance. Thank goodness for good friends and Facebook! I hopped on Facebook and sent a message to one of my friends that lives near my grandma who is a first grade teacher and specializes in math! Yay for the Facebook friend lifeline! Shee also thought it was worded weird and confirmed that my husband's idea was correct! WHEW! Why didn't they just word it like normal human beings in the first place! I am only 26! I don't need a heart attack already!
So, past the math drama things are going great. I have decided to order and additional phonics test booklet and an additional math test booklet so that I can make keys for my records and I don't have to keep using all of my ink to make copies. Oh, and Alex caught the giggles during his reading work today. The story was titled "Bob". Every time he came to the word Bob he would yell BOB! Then we came to the word "but" and of course, being a boy, this is hilarious, even after I tried to explain that this was NOT that kind of but! Anyway, at least I know he is well adjusted and still a typical six year old who thinks butts and farts are funny, heck what can I say, they are! Anyway, this looks to be a busy week, but I am confident that we will get it done and make it out alive!
Thursday, September 6, 2012
Two Posts in One Day...You Should Be Proud
Hahahahaha! I called dibs on the computer tonight! Anyway, I guess Alex's little tummy bug was truly a 12 hour thing as suddenly he was feeling great, his color was normal and he had energy and a little bit of an appetite. He wanted to do his schoolwork, so we knocked it out in about one and a half hours. It was mostly a review of the week since he has three tests tomorrow. Anyway, just wanted to get that in, we DID do school work today and I have one awesome six year old that was anxious to get his work done without me asking. Yes, I am bragging.
This Time It's Not My Fault!
Seriously it's not, and that's my story and I am sticking to it! I went to get the laptop to post last night and the husband nabbed it while I was in the bathroom! Anyway, we had a ton of fun yesterday. We worked on our school work in the morning and I only had to keep Alex motivated a few times. We did some science yesterday and the topic was "Our Hands". We discussed good things we can do with our hands and things that are not good things to do. Then we made hand print art! I have some creative boys (Eric joined in) I showed them a few ideas on pinterest of what people had made out of hand prints and they took off. I even enjoyed squishing some paint between my fingers.
Later on we had our Family Night. We decided that we call Family Home Evening, Family Night and we hold it on Wednesdays. Wednesday is better for our schedule and somehow it has gotten easier when we quit trying to be so formal about it. I was in charge last night so we talked about building and strengthening our family. I got our Jenga blocks and put tape on them and we each wrote ideas that help build up our family. Then we stacked them up Jenga style. Then, after the tower was built we proceeded to remove blocks and talked about why we do things, and when we don't what it does to our family. Finally our tower (family) fell down and we talked about how sometimes we fall down, but we have to get back up again. It was fun and the kids liked it. For dessert we had apple nachos! YUM! and that was it.
I would post about today too, but it is a tough one. Alex is sick with a tummy bug and really not up to doing anything but rest (which is fine with me). I hope this is all over with by this evening or tomorrow morning and I hope nobody else catches it. He seems to be doing a bit better and the color is returning to his face. So, I prepped dinner and have enjoyed playing with baby girl! I know I should probably take the time to catch up on housework, but I really don't want to do it, I just want to giggle with my baby girl. (Who just woke up from her nap) Hopefully things will be better tomorrow.
 |
| Eric's Cheetahs at he Zoo |
 |
| Alex's Beautiful Butterfly |
 |
| My Elephant Love |
Later on we had our Family Night. We decided that we call Family Home Evening, Family Night and we hold it on Wednesdays. Wednesday is better for our schedule and somehow it has gotten easier when we quit trying to be so formal about it. I was in charge last night so we talked about building and strengthening our family. I got our Jenga blocks and put tape on them and we each wrote ideas that help build up our family. Then we stacked them up Jenga style. Then, after the tower was built we proceeded to remove blocks and talked about why we do things, and when we don't what it does to our family. Finally our tower (family) fell down and we talked about how sometimes we fall down, but we have to get back up again. It was fun and the kids liked it. For dessert we had apple nachos! YUM! and that was it.
I would post about today too, but it is a tough one. Alex is sick with a tummy bug and really not up to doing anything but rest (which is fine with me). I hope this is all over with by this evening or tomorrow morning and I hope nobody else catches it. He seems to be doing a bit better and the color is returning to his face. So, I prepped dinner and have enjoyed playing with baby girl! I know I should probably take the time to catch up on housework, but I really don't want to do it, I just want to giggle with my baby girl. (Who just woke up from her nap) Hopefully things will be better tomorrow.
Tuesday, September 4, 2012
Catching Up
Okay, okay I am falling into old habits, but I am trying.
On Saturday we surprised the boys by taking them to the Lego Kid Fest at the Austin Convention Center. My boys (and husband) were in heaven! We spent over 4 hours doing nothing but Lego stuff. Lego competitions, building, monochrome designs, listening about Legos, looking at Lego sculptures and more. It was pretty amazing. I am grateful that my husband likes to spend time with our boys and enjoys the some of the same things they do. I feel blessed to have him play such an active role in their lives.
On Sunday we went to church and enjoyed some quiet time together as a family. Oh, and we got a new Bishopric! Monday was Labor Day and even though it was a school holiday, we still had a lot to do, including school work. We started the morning with chores and a trip to my doctor. Then we went back-to-school shopping (finally) and got the boys some much needed clothes and shoes. Later we came home and had some school work to finish and dinner. Later, my husband conducted PPI's (Personal Priesthood Interviews) with each of the boys individually. This was a special time for them and it was much needed as I have been terrible overwhelmed by everything and needed someone on the same page as me. Then he gave Eric a blessing for the start of school. It was a very special and tender blessing and I know it will help him throughout the school year.
Tuesday turned into a Monday, full of busy-ness and what not. I started school at 8:00 today. This allowed us to do our morning stuff (pledge of allegiance, singing, stretching, calendar and stuff) before we took Eric to school. Then we headed to Eric's school and dropped him off. It was really easy as he was super excited to return to school. Then we came home and did reading. Then we rushed off to a meeting that I needed to attend. Then, the meeting ran late so we came home with enough time to start math and for Alex to eat half of his lunch. Then, back into the car to pick up Eric. Then home to finish school work and then came dinner and baths and all that jazz, and now I am typing with my eyes at half mast and really wanting some Banana Pudding Blue Bell ice cream that is in the freezer (it is AMAZING!). I am praying tomorrow will be somewhat calmer and I can actually do a few chores around the house and we can get Alex's work done in a timely manner.
I am still feeling terrible inadequate and overwhelmed but at the same time I am feeling more at peace. I think the Lord is definitely calming my nerves. I was given a new calling and set apart a few weeks ago and part of the blessing was that I would be able to fulfill my duties with peace. I really felt that today as I was attending a planning meeting with the other committee members. I was feeling overwhelmed when I got there, and then a peace filled my heart and I was able to think clearly (first time in a LONG time). I know I am truly blessed and even though I get really stressed and anxious, I try to remember how much my Heavenly Father loves me and needs me.
On Saturday we surprised the boys by taking them to the Lego Kid Fest at the Austin Convention Center. My boys (and husband) were in heaven! We spent over 4 hours doing nothing but Lego stuff. Lego competitions, building, monochrome designs, listening about Legos, looking at Lego sculptures and more. It was pretty amazing. I am grateful that my husband likes to spend time with our boys and enjoys the some of the same things they do. I feel blessed to have him play such an active role in their lives.
 |
| My Little Ninjas |
On Sunday we went to church and enjoyed some quiet time together as a family. Oh, and we got a new Bishopric! Monday was Labor Day and even though it was a school holiday, we still had a lot to do, including school work. We started the morning with chores and a trip to my doctor. Then we went back-to-school shopping (finally) and got the boys some much needed clothes and shoes. Later we came home and had some school work to finish and dinner. Later, my husband conducted PPI's (Personal Priesthood Interviews) with each of the boys individually. This was a special time for them and it was much needed as I have been terrible overwhelmed by everything and needed someone on the same page as me. Then he gave Eric a blessing for the start of school. It was a very special and tender blessing and I know it will help him throughout the school year.
Tuesday turned into a Monday, full of busy-ness and what not. I started school at 8:00 today. This allowed us to do our morning stuff (pledge of allegiance, singing, stretching, calendar and stuff) before we took Eric to school. Then we headed to Eric's school and dropped him off. It was really easy as he was super excited to return to school. Then we came home and did reading. Then we rushed off to a meeting that I needed to attend. Then, the meeting ran late so we came home with enough time to start math and for Alex to eat half of his lunch. Then, back into the car to pick up Eric. Then home to finish school work and then came dinner and baths and all that jazz, and now I am typing with my eyes at half mast and really wanting some Banana Pudding Blue Bell ice cream that is in the freezer (it is AMAZING!). I am praying tomorrow will be somewhat calmer and I can actually do a few chores around the house and we can get Alex's work done in a timely manner.
I am still feeling terrible inadequate and overwhelmed but at the same time I am feeling more at peace. I think the Lord is definitely calming my nerves. I was given a new calling and set apart a few weeks ago and part of the blessing was that I would be able to fulfill my duties with peace. I really felt that today as I was attending a planning meeting with the other committee members. I was feeling overwhelmed when I got there, and then a peace filled my heart and I was able to think clearly (first time in a LONG time). I know I am truly blessed and even though I get really stressed and anxious, I try to remember how much my Heavenly Father loves me and needs me.
Saturday, September 1, 2012
End of the Week and More
Okay so I didn't post on Thursday because it really wasn't one of the best days and by the time I had time to sit and blog, I didn't want to do it. So, I ate a bowl of Blue Bell ice cream and watched Chris Christie (I am a huge fan of his boldness and honesty) at the RNC that I had recorded. Everything about that put me in a better mood. I really don't know why Thursday was so rough. The kids were great and we went to Meet the Teacher at Eric's school, which was fabulous. I just had a mental breakdown on Thursday. Everything came to a head for me and I wasn't coping well at all.
I have to admit that I am a perfectionist and I hold myself to high standards. Sometimes too high (well, that's what people tell me) and lately I feel like I am constantly failing myself. I try to keep up, and lately, I just can't. I keep praying that I can pull it back together soon or that I can identify what the problem is. So far, no luck, but I can still hope and pray.
Anyway, school is going really well for Alex. He is happy and eager still. When we went to Eric's Meet the Teacher, he was a bit shy, but was happy to see his Pre-K teachers and a friend of his that he has known for a few years. His friend seemed overjoyed to see Alex and they spent almost an hour talking and laughing. It was really nice to see him have a close friend.
Friday we all ran around like chickens with our heads cut off. We were preparing to go out of town on a surprise trip for the boys. The to-do list was long, and honestly I think only 3/4 of it was completed and some that was completed wasn't completed very well. I have decided to keep Alex's work load on Friday's light. We did a page of math, a spelling test and some free reading (he got to pick a book from his shelf to read to me). Alex did great with everything. His spelling test we got them all correct orally, and he spelled the two bonus words correctly, but in the written test he misspelled cub and bus. He reversed his B's and D's so he spelled cud and dus. His dyslexia frustrates him a lot, but we are working on it together. We have some ways we are handling it...I should do a whole separate post about that. Anyway, I encouraged him and told him that we would work on it. Also, I realized on Thursday that cursive really aggravates the dyslexia and when I was having him write his spelling words from an assignment in his book he was getting VERY agitated by the whole thing. He wants to learn to write in cursive, and I would love for him to learn it too, but I think we will work on neatening up our printing first, then we will branch off in to cursive.
Well, last night we took the boys to the Congress Bridge in Austin. We rode a boat under the bridge and watched the bats emerge. It was an amazing experience and Alex was in animal heaven! I think we will be doing a whole unit on bats the month of September. I want to build a bat house and stuff like that. I love that we can use our play time as learning time, and really that's what it is all about.
Well, we are off to the big surprise for the boys. Believe me, I know I will have a post and pictures for this one. So excited!
I have to admit that I am a perfectionist and I hold myself to high standards. Sometimes too high (well, that's what people tell me) and lately I feel like I am constantly failing myself. I try to keep up, and lately, I just can't. I keep praying that I can pull it back together soon or that I can identify what the problem is. So far, no luck, but I can still hope and pray.
Anyway, school is going really well for Alex. He is happy and eager still. When we went to Eric's Meet the Teacher, he was a bit shy, but was happy to see his Pre-K teachers and a friend of his that he has known for a few years. His friend seemed overjoyed to see Alex and they spent almost an hour talking and laughing. It was really nice to see him have a close friend.
Friday we all ran around like chickens with our heads cut off. We were preparing to go out of town on a surprise trip for the boys. The to-do list was long, and honestly I think only 3/4 of it was completed and some that was completed wasn't completed very well. I have decided to keep Alex's work load on Friday's light. We did a page of math, a spelling test and some free reading (he got to pick a book from his shelf to read to me). Alex did great with everything. His spelling test we got them all correct orally, and he spelled the two bonus words correctly, but in the written test he misspelled cub and bus. He reversed his B's and D's so he spelled cud and dus. His dyslexia frustrates him a lot, but we are working on it together. We have some ways we are handling it...I should do a whole separate post about that. Anyway, I encouraged him and told him that we would work on it. Also, I realized on Thursday that cursive really aggravates the dyslexia and when I was having him write his spelling words from an assignment in his book he was getting VERY agitated by the whole thing. He wants to learn to write in cursive, and I would love for him to learn it too, but I think we will work on neatening up our printing first, then we will branch off in to cursive.
Well, last night we took the boys to the Congress Bridge in Austin. We rode a boat under the bridge and watched the bats emerge. It was an amazing experience and Alex was in animal heaven! I think we will be doing a whole unit on bats the month of September. I want to build a bat house and stuff like that. I love that we can use our play time as learning time, and really that's what it is all about.
Well, we are off to the big surprise for the boys. Believe me, I know I will have a post and pictures for this one. So excited!
Wednesday, August 29, 2012
Not Much Today
Well, really I don't have too much to say about today. I have an awesome kid who is excited about school. He even got I am proud of myself for writing something down today, even if it is right before I go to bed, and really is about nothing. Some days are just not all together, and that's okay, not ever day can be a memory maker or fantastic. If they were, there would be no true excitement in life, right? We did have family night tonight and the husband was in charge. We played a fun game called "Cutting the Flour". I was just glad it wasn't called "Cutting the Cheese"! We had fun with it and lots of giggles. He also led our family in a discussion about callings in our home and at church. I really do love our little family and that we are growing together. Well, I think that is all I have left in me for today, it has been a long day.
Oh, I forgot, my husband gave me the best compliment today and I HAVE to document it. He told me that he can tell that Alex is really liking school. He says that he has noticed Alex being happier and kinder. Even in the last three days he has seen a change in Alex and his entire demeanor and he told me that he can tell that I must be doing something right! It means a lot coming from someone else, especially my husband who due to work doesn't always get to spend a lot of time with the kids.
Alright, now I am really done. Nighty-Night!
Oh, I forgot, my husband gave me the best compliment today and I HAVE to document it. He told me that he can tell that Alex is really liking school. He says that he has noticed Alex being happier and kinder. Even in the last three days he has seen a change in Alex and his entire demeanor and he told me that he can tell that I must be doing something right! It means a lot coming from someone else, especially my husband who due to work doesn't always get to spend a lot of time with the kids.
Alright, now I am really done. Nighty-Night!
Tuesday, August 28, 2012
Bubbles and Chocolate
Day 2 of homeschooling and I am still feeling pretty optimistic. Alex tells me repeatedly that he is having fun and likes being home and me being his teacher, so I guess I am doing something right. This morning was a little rough as we got home later than usual last night. After Eric's tumbling class we went to dinner. This was great other than we had the slowest service ever! I was very tempted to get up and leave since it took them 20 minutes just to get our check, but as I was gathering our stuff, the check magically appeared. So, since dinner lasted longer than usual, we got home later than usual. I let Alex sleep in an extra 30 minutes and of course Eric was up at the crack of dawn. The boys were definitely having a hard time staying on task this morning. No chores got done before school started and when the alarm went off at 9:00, Alex still only had on one shoe. Needless to say, the first 2 breaks were spent doing our chores (oh shoot! I just remembered I still need to scrub toilets). Anyway, school work went really well. Alex was having a good time and he really enjoyed that we did some science today. I am grateful that A Beka has a God based science book. I really like that for the basics. After lunch we had our "PE" time. Let me preface this by saying that I HATE THE HEAT! I have lived in Texas most of my life and I can't imagine living anywhere else, but the summers are TORTURE! Plus, with the mosquito issues we had yesterday I really didn't want to go outside. So, I am racking my brain trying to come up with something for the kids to do inside that got them really moving. LIGHT-BULB! I pulled out the bubbles and we played a game that I came up with on the spot (Thank you for the inspiration Heavenly Father). I blew bubbles and the boys had to pop them with the body part I said. We did fingers, toes, knees, elbows, tongues (ewww), noses, heads, and bottoms! We are all giggles and smiles the whole time! It was so much fun and it got them moving! Alex said it made his heart beat faster with all the jumping and squatting and Eric actually built up a sweat. I got a little light headed with all the bubble blowing, but it was too much fun. So, I am need more ideas for indoor moving time, so any ideas, please comment below. Now, that's the Bubbles part of my title, next chocolate.
I LOVE CHOCOLATE! I have since I was too young to have it. i especially like dark chocolate. Sometimes, I really need a piece of chocolate to get me through my day. Some people have coffee, coke, cigarettes, or whatever else, mine is chocolate. After dinner last night I told my husband that I was going to need some serious chocolate to get me through this year. He surprised me by bringing me a bag of one of my very favorite chocolates. I am definitely grateful for it. Just one piece is instant bliss for me (sick, I know). I gave up drinking carbonated drinks over two years ago (there should be one of those anonymous groups for that). It was a very hard thing and I still have days where I struggle with it (only someone who has ever given up an addiction can relate), but I still have my chocolate. I don't binge (often) on it and it seems just to give me that little touch of endorphins I need to get me out of that mid day slump (and no, exercise does not do it for me, I have tried). I pray that the church never says that chocolate is not allowed anymore. If it does, I know I will obey, but definitely with some murmuring (don't judge, you know you would too). Anyway, I don't know what this has to do with homeschooling, but it is what is on my mind and it helps me keep it together.
I LOVE CHOCOLATE! I have since I was too young to have it. i especially like dark chocolate. Sometimes, I really need a piece of chocolate to get me through my day. Some people have coffee, coke, cigarettes, or whatever else, mine is chocolate. After dinner last night I told my husband that I was going to need some serious chocolate to get me through this year. He surprised me by bringing me a bag of one of my very favorite chocolates. I am definitely grateful for it. Just one piece is instant bliss for me (sick, I know). I gave up drinking carbonated drinks over two years ago (there should be one of those anonymous groups for that). It was a very hard thing and I still have days where I struggle with it (only someone who has ever given up an addiction can relate), but I still have my chocolate. I don't binge (often) on it and it seems just to give me that little touch of endorphins I need to get me out of that mid day slump (and no, exercise does not do it for me, I have tried). I pray that the church never says that chocolate is not allowed anymore. If it does, I know I will obey, but definitely with some murmuring (don't judge, you know you would too). Anyway, I don't know what this has to do with homeschooling, but it is what is on my mind and it helps me keep it together.
 |
| My Precious! (You have to read that like Gollum from Lord of the Rings) |
Monday, August 27, 2012
Back to School!
Well, we made it through our first day of homeschooling! We had a filled day and were finished aroung 11:45! Not bad, but I know it will only get tougher as we are pretty much reviewing right now. So far I have planned for our days to go like this (as often as possible).
7:00-Rise and Shine!
Between 7:00 and 9:00 the boys have to get up, eat breakfast and have scripture study, brush their teeth, get dressed, and do their chores. I love starting the morning with a tidy house :)
9:00-School Starts!
Pledge of Allegiance
Stretching
Calendar
Singing
Prayer
Then we did 20 minute increments of learning. He picked which subject he wanted to do first and then when he completed the assignment he took a 15-20 minute break. This allowed me to feed baby girl and entertain little brother. During his breaks he either played with his toys, read a book or did a puzzle. One of his breaks we had some outside time (the mosquitoes were TERRIBLE!). We had a snack around 10:30. Today we had smoothies.
12:00-Lunch
After lunch we spent some time picking out his "research topics" I will talk about that another time and we reviewed his Primary Songs. He seems very happy and excited about the year. He keeps thinking of fun ideas for us to do and learn. He also keeps asking me what else we are going to learn. I am very grateful that he is eager to learn. Now, just to convince him that he doesn't know everything!
I know that today was only our first day, but I am feeling confident. Confident in myself and that my Heavenly Father is guiding me through this and he has placed wonderful people in my path to encourage me and help me. Tonight is Eric's first tumbling class of the season. He is not very fond of this whole "evening classes" thing, but he will get the hang of it.
7:00-Rise and Shine!
Between 7:00 and 9:00 the boys have to get up, eat breakfast and have scripture study, brush their teeth, get dressed, and do their chores. I love starting the morning with a tidy house :)
9:00-School Starts!
Pledge of Allegiance
Stretching
Calendar
Singing
Prayer
Then we did 20 minute increments of learning. He picked which subject he wanted to do first and then when he completed the assignment he took a 15-20 minute break. This allowed me to feed baby girl and entertain little brother. During his breaks he either played with his toys, read a book or did a puzzle. One of his breaks we had some outside time (the mosquitoes were TERRIBLE!). We had a snack around 10:30. Today we had smoothies.
12:00-Lunch
After lunch we spent some time picking out his "research topics" I will talk about that another time and we reviewed his Primary Songs. He seems very happy and excited about the year. He keeps thinking of fun ideas for us to do and learn. He also keeps asking me what else we are going to learn. I am very grateful that he is eager to learn. Now, just to convince him that he doesn't know everything!
I know that today was only our first day, but I am feeling confident. Confident in myself and that my Heavenly Father is guiding me through this and he has placed wonderful people in my path to encourage me and help me. Tonight is Eric's first tumbling class of the season. He is not very fond of this whole "evening classes" thing, but he will get the hang of it.
 |
| My 1st Grader! |
Sunday, August 26, 2012
The First Step is Admitting It...
Well, I have decided to keep a blog of my personal feelings and happenings as I start a new chapter in my life. I first want to start with admitting who I am. I am a MOM. That is who I am. I have three wonderful children (I may be a bit biased) and they are my world. My children are Alex-Age 6, Eric-Age 4, and Josephine-Age 4 months. I have been blessed to be able to stay home with them and learn along with them. Being a mom is definitely not a walk in the park, but at the end of most days, I can say that I wouldn't trade it for anything (key word being MOST days). I consider myself a pretty normal person (well, define normal) and for once I want to document real life. Not drama filled life (although there are some days...) or picture perfect life (we have a few of those moments), just real life, the way it is.
This official start of the school year starts tomorrow. I am excited (I think, or maybe it is terrified) for the start of a new chapter. I will be my oldest son's first grade teacher this year. Yup, that's right folks, I am "one of those homeschooling parents" now. Take me back to this time last year and I would have NEVER dreamed I would be where I am right now. My oldest, Alex went off to Kindergarten, eager and excited. My middle one, Eric was enrolled in preschool and I was pregnant with our third child (finally). Life was pretty average and life marched forward. As time went on I started to teach at Eric's preschool. I LOVED IT! Words cannot describe how much I adored teaching these kids. I had never considered myself a teacher, but it felt comfortable and good in the shoes of a teacher. Fast forward to about March and then I started feeling an inner itch about Alex and school. Something wasn't right, but I couldn't put my finger on it. There was the typical drama of having a kindegartener that just doesn't quite fit in, but still, something wasn't right. I spent a lot of time on my knees. Yes I am "one of those praying parents" too. I kept getting the feeling that I needed to homeschool Alex, but really that is not the answer I wanted, so I decided to keep praying and maybe I would get a better answer. Well, April came and baby sister was born! One of my friends once told me that it is an entirely different ballgame when you go from two kids to three. HOLY MOLY! She was right! Yikes! I am still hoping I can gather all of the pieces of my brain and have them in the same spot at the same time someday soon...things aren't looking too good on that end. Anyway, by the end of the school year in May, my husband and I had concluded that the answer was to keep Alex home next year. Well, "next year" has arrived and I really hope I am ready. I think I have my first week planned out, but I know that Alex will set the pace once we get started. I bought myself a Teacher Planner, which is really a glorified personal calendar, but it helps me to see everything laid out and written down. I say tonight and went through the pile of curriculum I ordered from A Beka and I think I have my head in order for the first week...don't even ask about the rest of the year.
I am a planner at heart. I love knowing what is coming next and what to expect. I hate surprises and I thrive on a schedule. Well, something happened and I have started to understand that at times I have to sit back and wait for things to happen, or press forward in the dark and wait for the light to come on. I call it organized chaos. Yikes, I never thought I would refer to my life as organized chaos, but really, it is. My Heavenly Father has taught me a whole lot about rolling with the punches, having an open mind, and being patient (I'm still working hard on this one). My goal is to post on here Monday-Friday. Alex will have time each day to write in his journal, and I am going to use this as my personal journal time. I think it will help me to stay focused and to look at the big picture. Well, at least I hope it will. Well, tomorrow the journey begins.
This official start of the school year starts tomorrow. I am excited (I think, or maybe it is terrified) for the start of a new chapter. I will be my oldest son's first grade teacher this year. Yup, that's right folks, I am "one of those homeschooling parents" now. Take me back to this time last year and I would have NEVER dreamed I would be where I am right now. My oldest, Alex went off to Kindergarten, eager and excited. My middle one, Eric was enrolled in preschool and I was pregnant with our third child (finally). Life was pretty average and life marched forward. As time went on I started to teach at Eric's preschool. I LOVED IT! Words cannot describe how much I adored teaching these kids. I had never considered myself a teacher, but it felt comfortable and good in the shoes of a teacher. Fast forward to about March and then I started feeling an inner itch about Alex and school. Something wasn't right, but I couldn't put my finger on it. There was the typical drama of having a kindegartener that just doesn't quite fit in, but still, something wasn't right. I spent a lot of time on my knees. Yes I am "one of those praying parents" too. I kept getting the feeling that I needed to homeschool Alex, but really that is not the answer I wanted, so I decided to keep praying and maybe I would get a better answer. Well, April came and baby sister was born! One of my friends once told me that it is an entirely different ballgame when you go from two kids to three. HOLY MOLY! She was right! Yikes! I am still hoping I can gather all of the pieces of my brain and have them in the same spot at the same time someday soon...things aren't looking too good on that end. Anyway, by the end of the school year in May, my husband and I had concluded that the answer was to keep Alex home next year. Well, "next year" has arrived and I really hope I am ready. I think I have my first week planned out, but I know that Alex will set the pace once we get started. I bought myself a Teacher Planner, which is really a glorified personal calendar, but it helps me to see everything laid out and written down. I say tonight and went through the pile of curriculum I ordered from A Beka and I think I have my head in order for the first week...don't even ask about the rest of the year.
I am a planner at heart. I love knowing what is coming next and what to expect. I hate surprises and I thrive on a schedule. Well, something happened and I have started to understand that at times I have to sit back and wait for things to happen, or press forward in the dark and wait for the light to come on. I call it organized chaos. Yikes, I never thought I would refer to my life as organized chaos, but really, it is. My Heavenly Father has taught me a whole lot about rolling with the punches, having an open mind, and being patient (I'm still working hard on this one). My goal is to post on here Monday-Friday. Alex will have time each day to write in his journal, and I am going to use this as my personal journal time. I think it will help me to stay focused and to look at the big picture. Well, at least I hope it will. Well, tomorrow the journey begins.
Subscribe to:
Posts (Atom)