When things go all wrong

I thought I'd never write about the "bad", because I enjoy reading the "good" so much more, and I love the fact that I can choose what I want to include here. Today wasn't a great day. I have yet to decide if it was my fault or the kids' fault, but there was a lot of yelling! We had a slow start...we didn't even start school until noon. We all slept late....the kids slept until almost 10:00, which makes me feel like a bit of a failure. I was doing so well for awhile, setting the alarm and getting up for a walk. But, the cold weather and the sore throats came, and eventually we turned the alarm off. Now, we are back to what seems to be our old routine. No activity, which leads to a lot of penned up energy for all of us. I felt like nobody was efficient today. Nobody seemed to understand what it is we do in a schoolday. I was beyond frustrated. By the time we actually started school, my patience was gone. I did my best to hold that all in, which made me feel even worse. Somehow, it all got done.
Tonight after dinner, Greta had a meltdown. She has come into an age (I think it's the age) where she must disagree with me about EVERYTHING. And, since she never stops talking, she never hears anything anybody else says. We had a huge blowout tonight. She was screaming at me, which I had no tolerance for, and before I knew it, I was screaming at her and taking away all of her 'hockey privileges' for the evening.....which was the last straw for her. She cried so hard I thought she would throw up. She screamed that life was just not fair for her. (And David was in the background ferociously sticking up for his sister, which didn't help matters one bit). We don't take time to play games with her, we don't take time to do ANYTHING she wants to do. I guess this behavior is coming from somewhere deeper than I thought. The problem is....she is right. It seems that if there is ever a moment when I sit down for just a minute or two, she's right there saying "can we play a game?" "can you measure me for goalie pads, now?" etc., etc., etc.....and I ineventably say "PLEASE just give me 5 minutes alone in silence." She's had enough of that, apparently and is feeling like the only thing I don't make time for is 'fun with her.' Her love language is definitely 'quality time.'
It sounds like I need to take some inventory of how I'm spending my time and somehow fit this in. It's so important for us to have a good relationship. I need to show her that I care and I am here for her. All the other 'stuff' that I do in a day won't matter so much in the long run.

Blogging a routine

I started out this whole blogging thing with a 'bang'! I wanted to get all my thoughts for the year written down, mainly for my children who may want to know what I was thinking about during this time, and I (with my short memory) won't remember the details. I felt like I had things to talk about. But, I don't now! Now, I remember why I stopped blogging! It's the routine. Routine, routine, routine. I feel like our life is anything but routine, but to us....it's just the everyday. We are overdone, overbooked (just like everyone else). All of the 'things' that fill our day are good things, but they tug at my precious school hours. I love it when we have a day without distraction. Nowhere to run to. No lessons, no field trips, no bookclubs of playdates. Just us, learning together. I love our routine when we have it. I want to get back to it. Not this week, though.....too many distraction. But, for now, it's more of the same. I must say though...I love homeschooling this year (so far) more than I ever have. It's just the 'routine' part that we struggle with!

Building Confidence.....another work in progress

David has always appeared to be a pretty confident kid. Actually, in most situations, he is. But, through the years we have found that he is most confident in situations that he is very familiar and comfortable with (as we all are), and sort of 'comes undone/disconnects' in situations where he is not so sure he will succeed. Tonight was the beginning of hockey tryouts. We have been sort of looking forward to tryouts because David has blossomed so much this year....it's been amazing. He no longer goes out on the ice and 'stands around' while another kid makes a great play. This year, it's HIM grabbing the puck and speeding down the ice for a goal. His confidence has soared, and it's just what he needed. As a parent who always KNEW he could do it, it's made my heart swell to watch him start believing in himself.
Tryouts.....very controversial....at least to me. Honestly, I guess if I'm the only one who is struggling with it, maybe it wouldn't be considered controversial at all! I just think that having the pressure of tryouts at the age of 10 is completely insane......oh, by the way...this is his THIRD year of tryouts...he started when he was 8. (Greta will be trying out for the first time this year, and she is 8). These coaches have worked with these kids for 6 weeks...they know where their skills lie, and yet...they make them suffer through tryouts...a total of 4 1/2 hours of tryouts over the weekend. I realize that some kids rise to this challenge and shine. They love it. My kids don't. At least not yet. I mean, David is only 10...WHO KNOWS what he'll really love, how he'll REALLY react in stressful situations when they arise? I'm quite sure I never had anybody watching and judging me when I was 10 (or 11 or 12 for that matter).
David surprised us tonight. We thought he'd be excited to 'show off' his new talents and confidence. He's grown tremendously. But, as the week progressed, I've seen some signs of stress....difficulty sleeping at night, mood swings. Today, when he needed to get ready for hockey, he said "Just forget it....maybe I won't play hockey this year." What? I was shocked! He has done nothing but sleep, eat and breathe hockey this year (his choice), asking to go to the rink early and stay late, etc. I saw his confidence fading today. By the time we left for the rink, his body language clearly spoke "I'm not good enough." My heart broke for him. Tryouts went badly. Mike said he couldn't believe it. It was as though the boy from years past came back tonight....slow, standing around, not engaged. We haven't seen any of that this year, but he is still in there. I see a lot in him that I understand and Mike doesn't. As a kid, Mike always wanted to challenge himself, and if he failed it only presented a new challenge! I didn't. I wanted to believe in my heart that I could do great things. I knew I could. But, I didn't want to have to prove it. If I failed, then my dream was gone, so I was happy to keep my dreams to myself. If I tried too hard and failed, then I would have to even admit to MYSELF that I wasn't good enough....so, best not to try too hard and keep believing in myself. By doing this, I knew that if I failed at something it was simply because I didn't really 'give it my all.' I see that in David and I want better things for him than that. He came home tonight and told us that he felt good about tryouts, and we told him we were proud that he did his best. But, he was "distracted and sad" (his words). He couldn't put into words WHY he was feeling this way, but I know it's all related to these stupid tryouts. I wonder what this whole process really does to/for them? Does it build them up? I believe it does for some....but, for others I'm sure it tears their confidence to shreds, and these little ones NEED confidence, they NEED to believe in themselves.

Ladies night out

Night out? Well, not exactly. It was a night'in'. Some of the women in our neighborhood have made an effort to connect, and we are doing this by meeting occasionally for a glass of wine. We really enjoy each others' company, but the unpredictability and cost of a 'bar' was something we didn't really love. So, we decided to meet here at my house (my idea). Unfortunately, I didn't plan well....Mike was out of town, and the kids had choir and hockey. We arrived AFTER our guests, but the kids were amazing.
During the night tonight, and especially at my haircut last week, I was told, "your kids are amazing! They listen, do what they are supposed to do even when you're not there to make sure it's done, etc...what's the secret?" The truth is...I don't know. I think we are all given what we can handle, and the Lord must believe that this is what I can handle. I nearly burst with pride over them.....especially on nights like tonight when the come in and do EXACTLY what they were supposed to do for the entire evening. I am truly blessed. I am also blessed to know such great women and to have such friends. I wonder what it was like, many years ago, when meetings like this were consider normal and expected. Mothers were all home during the day, and they all gathered and exchanged stories and ideas while their children played. Just think of all the great parenting advice, marriage advice and LIFE advice you'd get! Maybe that is, in part, why "the greatest generation" was the greatest generation!!! I don't know....but, I do sometimes wish we valued these connections more in our current culture. Right now, I'm just thankful for the moment.

Our first "typical" day

For 2 1/2 weeks, I've been living a very surreal life....a life of 'homeschool bliss.' It's been nice. Today, a little bit of reality set in. The reality is that we will most likely NOT spend every day at home, uninterrupted. There will be things that come up from time to time. Sometimes, those things will be school related, and sometimes they won't.
Last night was a pretty late night for all of us. Mike's parents were here and came to David's practice. We went out to a late dinner with them, and then Grandma came over while the boys went grocery shopping for their fishing trip this weekend. The kids were SO excited to see Grandma that I just didn't have the heart to make them go to bed. Needless to say, I turned off our "7:30 alarm", and let everybody sleep. I got up at about 9:00, about 10 or 15 minutes after the kids. It was so quiet in the house....I came out to the livingroom and found them both reading quietly.
.....again, the conflict....I have a friend who swears she NEVER interrupts her kids if they are reading. However, I really want to get on with our day. We have so many interruptions today! Still, it's good to see them wake up and grab a book first thing in the morning. So, I decide to just let them read. Besides, I'm getting a nasty cold, my throat is sore, and it would hurt too much to tell them to stop.
...20, 30, 40 minutes pass. They are getting hungry, and I'm getting cranky as I watch them. How can they continue to be so unaware of the events of the day? "By any chance," I ask "Has anybody brushed their teeth, gotten dressed, or made their bed this morning?" "what?" is the reply? They act as though they've never heard of such a thing. "Uh, you know....the SAME THING WE DO EVERY SINGLE MORNING?" By now I realize that, although Greta is reading something from our 'reading basked' for school, David is reading Star Wars....again. Honestly, I don't know if he really is even reading it anymore. He just loves it. So, I call him on that. By now, it's after 10:00...kids aren't ready for the day, a little whiny, a little bickering, and saying they "really don't want to go for a walk." Against my better judgment, I agree and by now I'm downright cranky...."CAN WE PLEASE GET ON WITH THE DAY!!!"
Unfortunately, we only have about 1 1/2 hours before we need to go. We have a lunch planned with our former youth leader, and piano lessons immediately after. We decide to do as much as they can before we go...handwriting, math drills, Spanish, typing instructor. And then they gather their piano stuff....."OH! MY THEORY ISN'T DONE!!" ugh.
Lunch at 12:30, piano at 1:30-2:30. Forgot book at the restaurant...back to get it. Ran another errand, car out of gas, need groceries, etc., etc....just regular life stuff. It's almost 5:00 by the time we get back to school. The neighbors stop by to play and are sent away. The kids get down to business. Their schedules have been designed to be 4 day weeks. Friday is set aside for gym/Academy/possible playdates or making up work not done during the week. They have been looking forward to their 'day off.' They take a brief break for a snack and a bath, then back to it. They bring the remainder of their work with them to church, since I have a meeting to attend at 7:00.
What did I learn? Well....WHAT THE HELL AM I THINKING making my children do school (or related activities) from 9:00-9:00???? They had NO free time today. None. Not all because they were doing school, but because they had an interrupted day filled with other 'life stuff.' They never finished their schedules today. They'll have to do that tomorrow, and it's not their fault at all. I think this means that I'm asking a bit much in a typical day, but I haven't yet learned how to fix that. Everything we do seems really important! Oh well....I'll figure it out, I'm sure. Meanwhile, I'm amazed at how they hang in there with me through all my screw-ups. I'm truly blessed.

"The Talk"

Well, it happened....today was the day I've been dreading since my children were born. I had to tell them about sex today.
It didn't happen as I planned. Mike and I had talked about having HIM tell DAVID sometime soon. As it turned out, we were sitting at the table doing school today, and GRETA asked a question. Actually, it might have been more like a statement...something like "so-and-so is an adult, so she could have a baby anytime." David replied that you had to be MARRIED to have a baby. I allowed them to bicker for a short time before they turned to me and said, "Mom, when CAN you have a baby?" I answered the question honestly....that God's design for us is that we WOULD be married when we have a baby. However, we have free will, and can choose to have a baby anytime we want to, married or not. The word 'choose' seemed all wrong to them. HOW DO YOU get pregnant? I took a deep breath and started to explain, in small steps....and I have to admit....I seemed quite confident to them, I'm sure. The more they heard, the more questions they had. Finally, Greta had heard enough. She was mortified to think that this might really be happening around her....and that other people might know about it! She covered her ears and said, "Enough!!!" I said, "OK....but if you ever have questions about anything like this again, please ask me, OK?" At this point, David said, "I just have to say this to get it out of my mouth (like it was a toxin)....does a boy actually put his penis in a girl's vagina?" "Yes," I replied. "What? I thought that when somebody asked me about sex, they just wanted to know if I was a boy or a girl!!!" At this point, I actually did laugh out loud....but then explained the difference. Greta's last request?.....DON'T TELL DAD ABOUT THIS! I started to laugh...."Sweetie, Dad knows all about this! You can talk to him about this anytime....he knows everything that I know!" "Are you sure???" (then, a look of horror and realization comes across her face)...."Do you do this to HIM?" (How did he stay so innocent in all of this in her eyes?) After a little clarification, she said, "Still...don't tell Dad we had this talk. I DON'T want to talk to anybody else about this!!!"
And last.....as I'm tucking them in tonight....Greta (disgusted) states "mom....just don't go do sex tonight, OK?" (now THERE'S something I never said to MY mother!!)
Ugh....a loss of innocence that I can't get back. Still, I'm so glad they heard it from me (and so is Mike....he's thrilled that he got out of it!!). The dreaded day has come and gone....and I lived through it. I hope I didn't cause any permanent damage! I did the best I could.

A Day in the Life of homeschooling....when mom loosens up a bit!

I spent a lot of time over the summer planning the school year. One of the ideas I decided to adopt from other homeschoolers is the idea of a "4-day week." If I can fit all of my curriculum for the week into 4 days, it opens up Fridays for things like Academy and gym, and gives us time for field trips. In the past, if we went on a field trip, we needed to make up for it some time during the week, OR get behind. Unfortunately, I ALWAYS felt behind over the last couple of years, and it has been an awful feeling. However, we have not really been able to 'try it out', yet. Our first week, we had Friday off because we took a 3 day weekend for camping...and this week was the Labor Day Holiday. So, I have not yet had the opportunity to really enjoy the luxury of field trip days or 'almost no school' days.
Today was Friday. I had a full schedule for the kids. They asked if they could start with chemistry, which worked really well for me. Chemistry and Bible are the two subjects that require the most of "me" this week. (Next week it will be writing, history and Bible). So, I'm always happy when they want to start with those subjects. Our plan today was to start Chapter 3....'Chemical Reactions.'. I expected to spend about 20 minutes introducing the concept, reading the first half of the chapter, and being done. But, for some reason, the idea of "chemical reactions" was really exciting and interesting to both of them. They thought that if they could actually do the EXPERIMENTS, maybe they could blow stuff up! So, they didn't want to stop. They were genuinely interested and before I knew it, we had covered the whole chapter, had a lot of discussion about it, pretended to be molecules exchanging atoms with each other, etc. "Can we do the experiments?" they asked.
-----now, this is when the little voice in my head said, "excuse me....science is done now....you need to get on with your day.....there's math and grammar and Bible, etc., etc., etc..--------
Today, I ignored the voice. Thanks to PREPARING AHEAD OF TIME (thanks, Greta), I had all of the necessary supplies to move ahead and do the experiement, which consisted of mixing several household items, 2 at a time, to see what happens! Is there a chemical reaction? How do you know? Gas formed? Precipitate? Color change? THEY COULD NOT GET ENOUGH!!!! And so, they mixed. Once they got the hang of it, I left to take a shower. They were still mixing and recording their results when I came out. Eventually, they had to clean up because I had a doctor appointment (getting my back checked out).
Here's the cool part....later that evening, David passed on a playdate to continue on doing his experiments. He found all of the supplies that had been put away, and as he told me "I just want to see what happens. I didn't get to finish." (notice one of the pictures of him....it's dark outside). He just never got tired of it.
And, although I am not thrilled that we missed ALL of the other subjects today, I have heard and watched and seen many seasoned homeschool moms do the same. They told me that one day this would happen, and they told me NEVER to stop real learning when it is fueled by curiosity and passion. And, their children have a hunger for learning that I can only dream about seeing in my children. Today, I followed the lead of these wise women, and just .....let them be fascinated, let them ask (and answer) questions all day....let them learn.

Pain and progress

We are halfway through week 2 of school. So far, so good. Our biggest problem so far? ME!! I am having excruciating back pain....it's terrible. It hurts to move, so badly that I actually cry out in pain. Unfortunately, I think camping caused it to get worse. The bed in the camper was agony for me to sleep in last weekend, and by the time we came home, I could barely walk. Getting in and out of the car takes a long time, and is so painful.
Still...I have committed to our 'morning walks' and I have to believe that walking is good for me. I already feel like I have gained a few inches back...and that is such a disgusting feeling. I was starting to feel good when we were running. That feels like a distant memory to me now...still, I have a dream that this will be over and I can get back to regular exercise. Right now, we just go to Purgatory Park in the morning, and I 'shuffle' around the 1.2 mile loop. Just once. I figure it's better than nothing.
But...get this....my extreme back pain, which has caused me, by necessity, to sit in a kitchen chair all day and not move....has been fantastic for school. I am committing to doing my best to stay off the computer during the day. I found that I am just too distracted on the computer to allow it during the school day. Since I can't be on the computer, and I need to be sitting in the kitchen, I am "all theirs" during the school day. When they are working on something and don't need me, I read a book....SERIOUSLY! I READ A BOOK! That feels GREAT to me! I get time to read! And, I don't feel like it is as big of a distraction...and neither do the kids. It's perfect. I am present to answer questions (not doing dishes or laundry), and help them stay on track. They are working hard to do their best. I am proud of all of us! Hmmmm.....I wonder if this was God's plan all along? I have to remember to TRUST. Trust. Trust.

Lessons they teach me

Greta likes organization. They both do, actually....but, Greta knows in ADVANCE that she loves organization. David figures it out in hindsight. Once he is 'forced' into a routine, he loves it and recognizes that it makes him happy. Greta recognizes disorganization immediately and tries to fix it.
Either way...."I" recognize this, and know that I am going to have to change drastically in order to make their school experiences positive and successful. I am by nature scattered, with a million 'half-done' tasks and ideas floating around in my head at every given moment. They are teaching me something that I've always known....life is easier with a little planning ahead organization.
This is a picture of Greta's backpack. Completely useless on a daily basis when you are a homeschooler :-), but she 'really' wanted a backpack, so she got one. Each night, she looks at her schedule for the next day, puts all the necessary books and supplies in her backpack, props it against the wall with her schedule (and beloved 'checklist'), and is prepared for the next day. You know....we could learn a lot from this 8 year old, and I do...every day.

making molecules

It's Wednesday.....hump day! We're working on Chemistry in science, and today we learned about molecules. Today's lesson (after learning what a molecule was), was to make molecules out of Marshmallows. THIS is why homeschooling can be fun. They could have been playing with the neighbors, but they continued on "molecule making" (and drawing each one out in their Chemistry book). Maybe because they got to eat one from time to time???
Thank you God for this freedom....this freedom to education our children in the way we feel is best for them. They are learning. They are learning....it's amazing.

Why do I like so many "boy things"?

That was the question posed to us by our 8 year old last weekend while we were camping. It seemed she couldn't catch too many frogs (or bugs or fish), or run too many laps around the campsite. She was the 'master fire builder' of the group. It seems that she spent some time this weekend trying to figure out how she "should" act, and what she "should" like. She sees her friends veering in different directions. Some are very 'girly'...they love dancing make-up and dolls and twirly dresses. She adores these things, too. Then, there are her other friends (both boys and girls)who have skinned knees, like to ride their bikes fast, catch fish, camp and play hockey. She adores these things, too. So, she tries to figure it all out.....where does she fit? Should she be more 'girly'? And, if so....what about all of those things that she loves?
It was a fabulous conversation. We told her how great it was that she could do WHATEVER she loved....and how proud of her we are. I told her how fun it was for me to watch her dive at hockey pucks, and that I appreciate that she'll bait my hook when we're fishing. I also told her that she is beautiful in her frilly pink Easter dress, and that I love playing "grandma" to her American Girl doll, listening to her play piano, and doing each others' nails. Whatever she loves seems to suit her perfectly....and I am so in love with who she is, and who she is becoming.

Growing Independent

I don't know what is happening, but it seems that David and Greta have grown years rather than months over the summer. They can do ALL THINGS, it seems. David especially has changed drastically. He informed me a couple of weeks ago that he is getting 'too old' for things like 'cheek squeezing', and 'butt pinching' (especially in public), but I didn't have to stop the occasional tickling just yet :-)
He cares about his hair, and I find him glancing at himself more and more in the mirror. He believes he should be wearing deoderant now, too.
My proud moment was last night....he really wanted to mow the lawn. The lawnmower is still a little high for him to push, but he did a great job, and I could see that he was proud of himself. I want to help him grow up to be the kind of person who strives for excellence and pride in his work. I hope this is a start.
The usual "disheveled, unable to concentrate" little boy hasn't shown up for school this year. He is interested, motivated by learing, and it's my dream come true!! It takes him much longer to finish his school day than his sister, but not for the same reasons as last year. Last year he was daydreaming. This year, he is "really into a book", or (today) "wants to make one more molecule out of marshmallows", or "really want to do better on this math quiz" (online).
I used to dread this day....the day when my baby would stand rigid if I hugged or kissed him in public. It's here for sure. But, I am SO proud of them. It hasnt't been terrible at all....it's been wonderful!

School starts, camping ends

Well, we started today....the first day of school! I wish I could re-create the excitement that I always felt leaving for school that first day. I can't of course....it's just not the same when you're home. But, I think I did OK. We set the alarm for 8:00, went to Purgatory Park for our morning walk (we haven't done that since last school year), the morning was GORGEOUS, and I was organized and well prepared. They even got a couple of books that they hadn't seen before. Greta was 'over the top' excited when she saw her beloved checklist for the day. David started cold....not very excited to dive in again. But, I think my expectations were small today, and he warmed up nicely by the end.
Highlights for me....David reading and not wanting to be interrupted, losing playtime because he couldn't put his book down. I never thought I'd see the day and I was so proud and excited. I hope we can find LOTS of good books to keep him interested and excited about reading.
Another highlight....their excitement about Science. They were glued to my side as we learned about the 'Period Table of Elements' today. I still can't believe it...that was very unexpected for me. I hope their enthusiasm doesn't fade. Also, our walk this morning. In spite of some nasty back pain I'm experiencing right now, I LOVE getting out with them in the morning and starting our day with a walk in the park. Also...their attitudes today. They were enthusiastic, willing to work, and excited to learn. Hooray!
Low point...overscheduling our day. I shouldn't have let it get so long!...especially when I knew that their friends were waiting to play.

Now, I'm off to find a calendar for the wall....have to get all of those hockey practices, field trips, etc...scheduled. Or, we'll all fall apart!

Unfortunately, as school begins, our camping experiences will slow down and end. We had a 3 day weeekend last week at Sibley State Park...absolutely beautiful. This weekend, we'll have another 3 day weekend at St. Croix State Park. Organizing school, the house, and our trips has been tough for me. Especially since my back started hurting so much. But, this should be our last weekend. At this moment, I'm not looking forward to it much....still coming down from last weekend and wondering how I'll get it all done. Hopefully, that will change! So far, we have had a really good time together in that camper....I think we'll spend around 30 nights in it by the time the summer is really over. Wow!

Preparation......what's that?

Today was an unusual day for me...I don't like to be 'home' all day without leaving. Today was different....my back is aching. It hurts in a way that it has never hurt before...I can barely move and I have been on the verge of tears for days from the pain. I have been continuing my 'usual' daily tasks, wondering if this my new way of life. I've been praying that I don't have some sort of 'back problem'. I've seen people dealing with chronic back pain, and I don't want any part of it. However, after 6 days without improvement....I don't know what else it could be. But, today is different. I have agreed to care for kids all day today. First, a family of 3, next another family of 3....no break in between that I knew of. Well, the first kids played and played. I was somewhat limited in what I could do because of pain, and couldn't be out getting groceries, etc. So, I was stuck at home. I decided to get more prepared for Monday....our first day of school. I thought I was somewhat prepared....I WAS somewhat prepared. But, today as the kids played, I searched the internet for info, prepared the first 5 lessons for history, and the first 2 weeks of science. It felt great to be fresh, to have handouts printed out, and considered our schedule. Is THIS what people who prepare in advance feel like? This is great!! Oh...and a side effect of all of this 'sitting around' and preparing stuff?.....My back pain is significantly better. I think my pain level has gone from about a 9 to a 4!! Unbelievable! I'm considering jumping on the treadmill tomorrow....I know it's probably not the best idea. But, I desperately want to keep exercising. I hope the pain is even less tomorrow, and I can be back to normal. I have been praying for a quick recovery....if this continues, my prayers have been answered with a very big yes :-)
Oh, and preparation? I'm considering giving it a shot more regularly....maybe even weekly! Tomorrow, we're off to camp for a 4 day weekend.

Changing my image

It seems no matter how I try to 'improve myself', I always end up right back where I started. Sometimes it takes longer than others, but 'major' change doesn't seem to happen. Perhaps this because of how I see myself.

I have always wanted to be a runner. Well, not always....when I joined the Navy I didn't want to be a runner. They made me be a runner, and I found that it was easy, social, enjoyable, and THE MOST EFFECTIVE way for me to keep weight off. So, I jumped in with both feet and it worked.

That was many years ago. I realize now that I am much older, and my 'picture' of myself as a runner varies from "gazelle" to "cow"....neither of which will end up being the truth. My goal....to change the vision to a vision of health and JOY! I am so thankful for my amazing friend....who meets me, runs with me, walks with me, takes breaks with me...whatever. Together, I hope we can meet our goals, and I hope I can change my 'vision' of who I can become as a 'pseudo-runner'!!

Setting a date

One of the advantages/disadvantages of homeschooling is that there is a CHOICE about when to start school in the fall. My preference, of course, would be to wait as long as possible. BUT, I feel the pressure of all that needs to be done. I don't want to be doing school in June if at all possible. This year, the kids seem to understand that, too. They wanted to start early until they realized that their best friends in the neighborhood would still be 'free' and available during the day. It's tough. Even I haven't pushed them since I feel like summer just started, and they are just starting to experience the joy of running back and forth to each otehrs' houses, share lunches 'wherever'. Summer always starts with a different kind of craziness. Not at all the relaxing days I envision during the school year. There is spring soccer, hockey, tennis and golf. Summer vacation happened early this year, which required LOTS of planning (but was really fun!). And so, it feels as though we have all really only had 3-4 weeks of summer. The house is finally coming together, feeling more clean and organized. I am feeling less stressed, and even started reading a book.
But, sooner or later, we need to get back to business. And so, we've set a date. We'll be starting on Monday :-).

They were created differently!

Over the last week, we have been discussing our routine for the school year. They have mixed emotions. They are excited about some things, hesitant about others. But, today....I was explaining that I was going to make a checklist of activities that they should be engaged in when I am working with the other. NO DOWN TIME, NO WAITING AROUND is our new motto! David looks less than excited about the prospect...almost like he can't really picture what it will be like. Greta, on the other hand squeals "OOOoooooooh....A CHECKLIST!!! I LOVE CHECKLISTS!!!" She goes on to explain possible ways for me to organize these activities. Should they have their 'own' checklists? Should it be one page with a column for each? OOOooh the excitement of all the possibilities!!!!! How is it that this girl, who loves organization so much....could have come from my womb? I just pray that I can 'feed' that....and hopefully learn a bit myself!!!

Starting Again/Pre-school prep

I am not a blogger....or a writer of any kind. I've attempted this sort of 'record-keeping' before, and here I am again....starting over. I know that the chances of this 'fizzling out' over a short period of time are really good. Still...I'm going to try.

I hope to keep a record of our homeschooling days, primarily. But, am hoping to also keep some sort of journal of my own thoughts and feelings as we journey through life together.



I've been trying to use this summer to prepare for school. We'll be using a couple of new things this year, and keeping some things that worked from last year. In a nutshell....here's our curriculum....



http://www.excellenceinwriting.com/ (writing program...Student Writing Intensive). We're starting with Level "A". The kids are dreading it. David especially hates writing. I've spent some time getting acquainted with the program, watching the videos "for the teacher", etc. I am so fresh and full of excitement about all of the possibilities for the new schoolyear...praying that God will help me stay on track.



http://www.easygrammar.com/ Grammar program.....not sure if we'll do this daily, but I see a need to work this into our lives!



http://www.totallanguageplus.com/ I am especially excitecd about this program....ALL of the language arts stuff revolving around a BOOK! We (they) have a reading assignment from the book each week. We're starting with 'Pippi Longstocking' (recommended). Since I have so many Language Arts things going on this year, not sure when we'll work this in...maybe over Christmas break, maybe as an 'add in'....not exactly sure, yet.



http://www.mathusee.com/ Our Math program....it's been working so far. I am considering doing a trial month of "Aleks" math (online program) over Christmas break, but we'll see. I am a little concerned that math-u-see doesnt' provide enough 'drills'. We need to add this in...although the kids are through their multiplication, they still have to 'think' when asked what 9x6 (or other multiplication program) is.



http://www.homeschoolinthewoods.com/ This is our history program. We will be basing our history largely on read-alouds and the projects from this program. We'll be focusing on the Revolutionary War time period in American History this year. They will be making a lapbook throughout. We did this with 'Explorers' last year, and it was a highlight for them, so we'll keep the program again for this year!



http://www.spellingpower.com/ http://www.sequentialspelling.com/ No change in spelling programs from last year...but, I am considering 'scaling back' and not requiring it daily.



http://www.realscience4kids.com/ I purchased the entire year...3 books....Chemistry first, Botany, Physics. I need to accept the fact that it is unlikely we'll get through all three.



http://www.bibledraw.com/ This is the "Picture This" Bible curriculum we started at the end of the year and the kids LOVED it!



http://www.homeschoolart.com/ This is a curriculum I purchased for art....hoping to incorporate it once a week, but will be forgiving about this. They will also be attending a "parent lead" art class that was phenomenal last year.



"Typing Instructor 4 Kids".....an online typing program. I need to be more consistent with this. It's a skill that, if mastered, will help them with EVERYTHING ELSE they need to work on in school!!!



Spanish.....I can't remember the name of the program....but, it's one of the few things they can work on independently online. Hoping to be more consistent with this.



Handwriting....purchased a couple of inexpensive handwriting drill books. Also encouraging them to follow their "calligraphy' books...in hopes of developing neater handwriting.



Classes/field trips.....we'll be doing a gym class every other Friday. On opposite Fridays, we'll be attending "Academy" in Chaska (3 1/2 hours of classes led by parents). Very social, very fun for them. Tuesday afternoons will be our "Parent lead art class"....also a huge hit. We'll be going to homeschool days at Orchestra Hall and the Children's Theatre. We're also hoping to take advantage of all the great Homeschool programs offered by Three Rivers Park District. This, combined with all of the other great field trip opportunities, make it difficult to follow a strict 'school schedule' at home. It can be difficult to decipher what is "best" each day.....there are so many choices. :-)





Read-alouds.....lots of ideas here.....we are currently reading "Poppy" and I am reading "Johnny Tremain" and "A Wrinkle in Time" in order to figure out if these are appropriate choices for my kids this year. I just received an order of "Graphic Novels". They are historically based..."The writing of the constitution", "The Boston massacre", "The Boston Tea Party", etc....or science-based "The Digestive system", "Photosynthesis", "Louis Pasteur", etc.



My goal for the year? TO WAKE UP AND START OUR DAYS EARLIER!!! We are night-owls and late sleepers. When spring came last year, it seemed we never were able to really wake-up and 'think.' When we started doing 'daily walks' to start our days, everything improved. The down side to this? We were often gone for the first hour (sometimes two hours) of our day! That's a HUGE chunk of the day....and it meant we were often still working on school late in the afternoon. If only we could wake up earlier....we would be so much more efficient!!



Now, I just need to decide WHEN to start! Monday? hmmmmm..... I would like that, but it would take away precious playtime for the kids. They adore the neighbors (and so do we).