Library Today

Have you been to the library lately?   If you are a homeschool mom, I'm sure you have.   Maybe not this week but within the year.   I usually just go to pick something up and leave.    Today I started looking thru the shelves.   I'm speaking particularly of the biographies, kids biographies.    Gone are the days of Amelia Earhart, Benjamin Franklin, and Johannes Gutenberg.  (sigh)  I was looking for a book on Amelia Earhart and couldn't find anything.   I did find other inventors and such, don't misunderstand me.   I was just surprised at the amount of books on Christina Aguilera, Tupac, Beyonce and others such as that.   When did singers and actors become today's role models?   Or so important that they had so many of those types of books.  I know they have always had followers, but in our library I found quite a few books on "stars" rather than on the stars.   I was young once.   I remember reading about my favorite actor's or singer's likes and dislikes.   What I'm talking about is the change in morals and desires.   I know we have already had the 1st lady astronaut or the 1st lady speaker of the house, but surely our kids must aspire to more than getting paid for acting or singing.   Not that these people haven't broken barriers in their profession.   It's just not what I would like for my children to base their lives existence on.  We all can choose how to raise our children.   It is our choice to train them or encourage them toward something.   I really just hadn't noticed those books nor their importance in our life.   That's another reason to love homeschooling.   I can choose what my children watch and can encourage their interests in the direction which I see fit.  

Free Day!

I love homeschool.   Today dad had off so we went out of town to visit a friend.   It was so much fun.   We went out for lunch then back to his house to play games.   I haven't felt like playing games in a while.   Sometimes I just get so worn out that just sitting around and visiting is enough for me.   Since we began a new way of eating I have so much energy.   Depression and fatigue are kept at bay.   I really do feel great!  As for homeschooling, I love that we can schedule or reschedule as we need.   Sometimes its the things we do that the children learn from.   Schooling is important, but when dad's off we need to be able to adapt.  These are memories we are making with our kids.  I want them to enjoy life too.

Son purchased the game Mancala this weekend.   He was so excited because it is a game he learned to play on Poptropica website.   It is by the writer of Diary of a Wimpy Kid series.  Son saved his allowance and decided it was time to go shopping.  He bought himself a Foam Sword and the board game Mancala.   It is a game of strategy.   It comes in a wooden box which is the board. 

Daughter on the other hand had been saving her money for a new puppy.  

Isn't she precious?  She is a 6wk old sheltie.  Her name is Autumn.  She is in a basket.   Easy to train and very sweet disposition.  Daughter had been wanting a puppy of her own since she was 8yrs old.   She is now almost 14.  I hope she is really ready for the responsibility.

Well seems like there will be all kinds of learning in this house.   hehehe 

Homeschool?

Ok. I have made a new decision. Since Thursdays are very short for me, I have decided we will make that our "game" day. My son feels that he needs more play time. Isn't that funny? I think what he means is that he needs more mommy time. It is still a form of learning anyway. For example, have you ever played this game? ......



hehehe Well, its Spanish isn't it? hehehe We also played Uno. Before, after and between games we had our Bible reading and other meeting prep. Sounds like homeschool to me.


I'm sure all homeschool moms can relate. It just seems that time gets away from me. I have been feeling so crummy for so long. Now with our change in diet, I seem to have more energy and a more positive attitude. I think the kids see that as well, so they want to take advantage of it. I always tried to keep house and was always worried that it wasn't organized enough. I know our home will never come out in the pages of Better Homes and Gardens. I do want the children to look back on their childhood and reflect on all the love and fun that we had as a homeschool family. It's important. The mountains of laundry will always be there as will the inches of dust and the dirty windows. Believe me I do my best to clean, but I have realized that I don't need to spring clean everyday. If by chance someone happens to drop by unannounced, then I just hope they aren't offended. I will not apologize, nor will I make excuses. We live here. 24 hrs a day, 7 days a week. (and if it really bothers them, they can pitch in anywhere they see fit. I can always use a maid.)

Now I'm off to get my z's. Happy Homeschooling!

2 Months Absent

WOW!! Time sure flies. It has been 2 months since I have posted. A lot has happened in that time. Nothing really great as far as schooling. By that I mean we do our usual. The 3 R's! Believe me, I am grateful just to get that done. We have finished a lapbook on maps and globes. It was fun and had a lot to learn.

Dad changed jobs again. Went back to his old one. :( Nope we are not too happy about that. He is working Monday thru Friday and gets out early, but there are still other issues there.

The next big thing that has kept me busy is our new "diet". We are now eating raw. I would say 80% raw. Yep that's what I said. We have hardly any meat and when we do its chicken. The rest are raw fruits and vegetables. We were doing a lot of nuts and seeds, but I want to keep the fats down to a minimum. I feel so much better and I definitely do notice a difference in energy level. It has been since December and I can actually say I even see a smoothness in my skin. It is very soft and even the fine lines have seemed to begin smoothing out. I personally don't have cravings to go back to fast food or beef, but i think hubby does.

We also had a death in the family. Hubby's grandmother. We have been busy with family. It's unfortunate that we don't see each other until someone dies. I guess that happens to most.

Oh and we have a new family member. Not named yet, since we don't know if its male or female. We should be able to tell in another week.

Isn't it cute?!

And look at this gift we received from a dear friend....







EWW!



THANKS, FRIEND!!!

Homeschool Day

No traditional school for us today. It was a wet, cold and dreary day. We had an 8am eye appointment. Then we rushed back to make some "wash day" soup for lunch. We read from our latest book Earthborn. Then headed back out to a couple of dental appointments. I thought it was interesting that my 9yr old seemed to be more aware of things going on. He showed a great deal of interest at the optometrist's office. They were very nice and accommodating too. They even showed him how the boxes with the animals work. Since he does not need glasses, he had not been there in a long time. Sister has astigmatism and is nearsighted. He was able to see how all the instruments they use work to get the best lenses for her vision. So although we did not have traditional school, we did have school of sorts. It was more a like a field trip! By the way, hot chocolate and some banana nut cake sure make a yummy breakfast on a day like today. YUM!

Great Evening!!

Ok. This counts as part of our homeschool life. After all this is how our homeschool began. hehehe

Yesterday was our 19th Wedding Anniversary. We met in high school and got married 5yrs later. Nope. I couldn't stay away from him and he couldn't stay away from me either. ...to say the least. We have had our ups and downs like any normal couple. Nothing really to break us up. Just the normal things. 2 kids, several pets, vacations, illness, family, and many more "normal" issues. This last year was the most dramatic. He has gone thru a couple of job losses and finance changes which we had never experienced before. All the while thru stress and all, we continue holding on. Yes, there have been times 1 or the other needs a "break" or to get away, but we are still here and have made it thru another year. So not expecting anything special on our 19th, we went thru our day as any other Sunday. Except that the excitement was building! Why? Well on Saturday morning we knew that we didn't have a dollar to our name, but it was ok. I was just happy to have food on the table and gas in the car. Then we got a phone call from a friend. He insisted we go out with him and friends. Before we had a chance to convince him we couldn't, he purchased concert tickets online. So there we were, shocked and grateful. He treated us to the Darius Rucker concert. The really interesting thing about that is that he didn't even know it was our anniversary. It was so much fun! We left our kids at home and went out with 2 adults to a concert. Reminded me of the "good ol' days". I actually forgot about all that has been going on the last few months. I really needed it. I was so relaxed I gave a few shouts and sang right along. When it was all over, I was ready to get back to my kids who I had left behind with another good friend and their uncle. hehehe So we got back to our "normal" life at 11pm. It sure was a great 19th anniversary. Ready to go another year.

Same ol',same ol'....

Hi, you probably thought I was no longer here. Well sometimes I feel like I'm not. hehehe Life keeps me busy. I actually have posted a few times, but they are still in the draft section of my blog. It just seems like I don't have the want to or the energy to post lately. We have had a tummy virus and it has almost made its rounds to everyone in the family. I had other issues this week as well and it is difficult to school on such days. The reason for my posting this negative post is the header on my blog. I am supposed to be recording the good and the bad of my homeschool life. So to me, this is the bad side. No matter how much school is the most important part of our day, life has a way of prioritizing for me. The goal of course, is to do some form of schooling no matter what. How do we manage that? This blog is about homeschooling after all. hehehe Well we read in bed, play educational games... Yes even Monopoly can be educational! My son has learned to count money very well with that game. I have a site that sends file folder math games. They are easy and just something to keep them going. The math is easy to take care of because even if I am not up to playing games, they can do some worksheets. Then they have some Language Arts. I have a few books that they can work in if they need to do something that I don't have to actually teach. We have also been working on a maps and globes lapbook from Hands of a Child. They are older now too so it's a lot easier. They are now able to read instructions and understand what they are to do. We have taken a few field trips to nature trails and such to keep them thinking and learning. It also gets us out of the house and gives us fresh air and refreshes our minds. Certainly it is not just about academics. Life has plenty of lessons for us as well. We have had a few deaths amongst our friends and family which helps the children learn compassion and kindness and how to give comfort. In being helpful in someone else's time of need, they learn to make application and importance of scriptural guidance. The lesson for me here is that I have learned that I am not a failure as a mother or a teacher. I am able to persevere under our circumstances and help the children learn thru life's lessons. Well guess that's all for now. Until next time. Hope its soon! Happy homeschooling!

Out With the Old, In With the New

Isn't it nice to start new. It's like Spring. hehehe You know, when everything looks nice and fresh and bright green. New books, pencils, pens, paper, and a new schedule. It's almost time to start up again. We have only the weekend left. On Monday we will have an easy day. Just going over expectations, the schedule, and their new chores.

This week was all theirs. They have nothing to do and all the time to do it in. hehehe I have repeatedly asked if they are bored and the answer is always, "No". They have gone swimming, read books, slept in, woke up early, attended the District Convention, played with friends, cooked, had hard times, good times, and some easy times.


We collected bugs.

We went swimming.

We rescued birds.


We rekindled old friendships.
Recharged our spiritual batteries.
Now it is time to get back to our school schedule. Hopefully I won't be too tired to post on Monday with new 1st day of school pictures.

All About Timing

Hm? Where does the time go? It seems these days that it goes by all too quickly and then it's time to start dinner. No, I'm not talking about the years. I'm talking about the hours. Between laundry, bathroom cleaning, sweeping (just to mention a few)and the other chores we have around here, it seems as though there isn't enough time to get in all the fun and schooling we want. The good thing about a new year is that we can try again. You know, something different. We go thru our planners or schedules and keep what worked and throw out what didn't. So as I go thru the blogs I have stored in my Favorites list, I find things I can glean. Some school in the mornings, some in the afternoons, and some in the evenings. Others do what I like to call grazing. hehehe You know a little here and there and take a few breaks. We are all different and there is no right or wrong way. Its whatever works for each of us. With all of our different circumstances, we have to keep in mind what's important. Our child's education, bonding, fun, spirituality, or all of the above. Whatever is most important to YOU. The parent.

So one of the things I was thinking of trying was working with each child individually for 20 minutes. Although I only have 2 and they are 8 and 13, they still require some one on one. That's not a bad thing. I like it. I get to see what they need help on or how they think to come up with the answers. I'm undecided. Maybe 20 minutes each then a 20 minute break. Then I can give them things that they can work on by themselves. Like if I start with the oldest one for 20 minutes then let her work alone for 20 minutes. That will give me time to work for 20 minutes uninterrupted with the younger one then give him some time to work alone. After that we can take a 20 minute break so I can do some housework. Then we can start again. Maybe using the same method. The problem I have is the constant interruptions. Not just the phone and other external things, but from people that get bored while waiting their turn. hehehe

Well these are just my thoughts for today. The best I can hope for is the chance to keep trying and hopefully we will find what works. I do like the chance for a fresh start the next year. It also keeps ME from getting bored. hehehe After all, they are growing up quickly. Soon they won't need my help like that anymore, so I have to make the best of the time we have together.

HAPPY HOMESCHOOLING!!

Can you say, "I love homeschool!"?

Just having some fun with a magnetic board. See the skateboarder going up the ramp?

This is their favorite place when we read. Mom and Dad's bed. Having a snack while I read from One Eyed Cat. Even the dogs and cats enjoy reading time.

A picture is worth a thousand words.

After math, we had a nice easy day. I read stories from a couple of books and they drew pictures or had a snack while they listened. I love homeschooling, spending time with my babies, and being their teacher.

My daughter...

I don't say much about her. Mostly because these days she is holed up in her room. She likes to write. She is always writing and rewriting a book that she has been working on for at least a year now. One day she will finish it. I believe it helps her. She is shy. So I think this helps her deal with it. When she was 4 years old, she wrote a book for a friend who was having a baby. We printed pictures for it and I put it in a folder.

Her other love is horses. She studies about them, reads all she can about them. This spring I hope to get her riding lessons. My dad has a horse, but he is not ridable. This really disappoints her so. If it were up to her, she would go see him everyday.

She is beautiful in every way. Even on her bad days. She is opinionated and stubborn, intelligent and creative. My first born. Her daddy's spitting image.