One week down, 35 more to go! The first day of school was awesome! Our new schedule/routine worked perfectly and was so relaxed. I thought to myself, "I could do this every day!" By Thursday I was thinking, "Is it the weekend yet? I need a break!" Hahaha. Perfect days like our first day are few and far between, but oh, so wonderful!
I'm glad we are back into a school day routine. This week showed me how lazy our summer really was concerning following a schedule. I can't stay up late for "one more show" with my hubby and still expect to have the energy to make it through the school day. A couple nights like that and our little man awake a couple extra times and all those beautiful plans become a struggle!
We had to make a few minor tweaks to my planned routine for our little guy. He plays wonderfully on his own when we are in the same room as him, however, when we are doing a lesson at the kitchen table and he is in the living room on his own...completely different story! He just stands at the gate whining and watching us. Poor guy. It seems he forgot we just played with him minutes earlier! :0) The solution is to do school with one child while the other plays with him and then switch. Then while they are working on individual things, Mommy spends time with him!
Last year we were able to get most of our schooling done by lunch time. This year I split it up into morning and afternoon work. Trying to anticipate the needed flexibility for a toddler added to the mix and also fitting in some time for fun and a few chores.
Next week we start our once weekly full day of enrichment at our local Options program. I accidentally let my license expire, so my first day of freedom is going to be spent sitting at the DMV, joy of joys... The girls are looking forward to being back in a group of their peers, the one major thing they missed about traditional schooling.
Friday, August 18, 2017
Friday, August 4, 2017
Think, Think, Think
I have a brain that likes to ponder things...like Winnie the Pooh who frequently sits and taps his forehead saying, "Think, think, think." We start our second year of homeschool in a week, and I find myself reflecting on how life was prior to homeschool vs. how it is now. I ponder the upbringing my older children had being in childcare vs. my son who has only known a home environment.
There are things my older girls learned simply because being in childcare there was a set system of growth and development that is expected and necessary to function well in that lifestyle. I worried more about training them to sleep on their own, using a pacifier, staying on track with the published typical milestones of child development, and social skills at a younger age.
With my son, everything is more relaxed. He didn't have to be sleep trained or keep a set mealtime schedule. We have the flexibility to go with the flow of our home lifestyle. His life doesn't have to fit into a system. I have enjoyed the absence of this pressure in caring for him. For example, it was very important to keep ahead of the game in learning to eat solid foods for my girls and also to learn self-soothing habits because in a childcare program, those skills make a child's day significantly better. At home, these skills are learned following the child's leading and aren't required in order for a day to go well. He is learning these skills, just a little more slowly and at a pace that works for him.
One thing that the girls learned early on, is to accept other caregivers. My little guy is very much attached to me. I love that I have been able to be there for him, although it has made leaving him with others more challenging.
I ponder similar comparisons with our homeschooling experience so far. Traditional school is very structured with routines and rules that are necessary to have a successful learning experience within a large group of children and teaching is geared towards meeting specific state goals. Everything is set up for the group as a whole with very little flexibility for children's individual learning needs.
At home, I can adjust the day's learning based on the individual needs of my children from slowing things down, to speeding them up; taking a day off or changing the learning environment. I can even adapt our curriculum as frequently as needed or desired.
The longer I homeschool, the more I realize that in being home with my children, and unlike the traditional school setting, education takes place throughout all of our life experiences together and not just during the set "school hours". This might sound like a "duh" statement, but I'll explain further what I mean:
I remember my older girls being in their public charter school and wondering what they were learning and how well they were learning. I had to trust the teachers and the school system that things were going good as long as I didn't hear otherwise.
Now that I am the teacher, I know exactly where they are in their learning and can use our life experiences with an educational advantage. Over dinner, I can enforce a concept discussed during school as it pops up in casual conversation. When we are perusing Netflix for something to watch, I can pick out shows with themes that correlate to things we've been learning in school.
Homeschooling and being a stay-home mom isn't for every family, but for me, it is a cherished season of life.
There are things my older girls learned simply because being in childcare there was a set system of growth and development that is expected and necessary to function well in that lifestyle. I worried more about training them to sleep on their own, using a pacifier, staying on track with the published typical milestones of child development, and social skills at a younger age.
With my son, everything is more relaxed. He didn't have to be sleep trained or keep a set mealtime schedule. We have the flexibility to go with the flow of our home lifestyle. His life doesn't have to fit into a system. I have enjoyed the absence of this pressure in caring for him. For example, it was very important to keep ahead of the game in learning to eat solid foods for my girls and also to learn self-soothing habits because in a childcare program, those skills make a child's day significantly better. At home, these skills are learned following the child's leading and aren't required in order for a day to go well. He is learning these skills, just a little more slowly and at a pace that works for him.
One thing that the girls learned early on, is to accept other caregivers. My little guy is very much attached to me. I love that I have been able to be there for him, although it has made leaving him with others more challenging.
I ponder similar comparisons with our homeschooling experience so far. Traditional school is very structured with routines and rules that are necessary to have a successful learning experience within a large group of children and teaching is geared towards meeting specific state goals. Everything is set up for the group as a whole with very little flexibility for children's individual learning needs.
At home, I can adjust the day's learning based on the individual needs of my children from slowing things down, to speeding them up; taking a day off or changing the learning environment. I can even adapt our curriculum as frequently as needed or desired.
The longer I homeschool, the more I realize that in being home with my children, and unlike the traditional school setting, education takes place throughout all of our life experiences together and not just during the set "school hours". This might sound like a "duh" statement, but I'll explain further what I mean:
I remember my older girls being in their public charter school and wondering what they were learning and how well they were learning. I had to trust the teachers and the school system that things were going good as long as I didn't hear otherwise.
Now that I am the teacher, I know exactly where they are in their learning and can use our life experiences with an educational advantage. Over dinner, I can enforce a concept discussed during school as it pops up in casual conversation. When we are perusing Netflix for something to watch, I can pick out shows with themes that correlate to things we've been learning in school.
Homeschooling and being a stay-home mom isn't for every family, but for me, it is a cherished season of life.
Wednesday, July 19, 2017
Insecurities and Perspective
Don't get me wrong, being a stay-home mom is my dream. It's just that lately little insecurities here and there have been popping up. I don't even speak them or write them down, but they seem to accumulate somewhere in my "emotional bank" -for lack of a better term. Little things that the rational-me knows are insignificant and some truly don't bother me on most days. Yet, when they all add up together, I can get overwhelmed and start to feel down on myself and doubtful.
My hair that had started thinning at the beginning of my diet is now growing back and nearing two inches long...you know how every short hair cut goes through an ugly stage in the growing-out process? I've found mine. It is hot on my neck in the summer heat and looks like I've got a major case of frizzies if I pull my hair back -which I do regularly because the baby loves to pull hair. So, I resolve to roll my eyes at myself and chalk it all up to loving myself as a stay-home mom of three.
Many of the homeschool moms on Facebook are joking about how many books they are buying and all the curriculum choices they are making for different subjects. Others are posting pics of their homeschool rooms and new decorations for the upcoming year. I'm not buying curriculum books, our curriculum is free, online, and comprehensive. I don't have a homeschool room to decorate, but I will make the girls clean their desk before we start school... I am completely okay with not being like those other moms. Every homeschool is unique and developed to meet its individual needs. Sometimes I have a nagging little thought that maybe I am missing something by not doing the same things other moms are. I push that little thought away, but it likes to pop back up when I'm feeling low.
Money is tight since I am home and I didn't take a summer job. We have enough, but not extra and we watch closely what we choose to spend each month on the little extras. It's an added stress, not a huge deal, but again, there.
And then there are my three wonderful children who I love so much that I want to be the absolute best mother they could ever have and meet every need in the best possible way. Mom-guilt is natural for all mommies and my perfectionist self loves to pile it on.
So, I read an article today that I totally related to. I could've written it...except the author is much more eloquent than I am. It was basically saying why can't it be okay to just be me? Why do I have to strive so hard to be perfect? Why can't life be good enough when I am being me? I needed the change of perspective. After reading that article and praying about my feelings, I felt much better. I looked around at my cluttered little house.
Instead of a walking hazard of toys on the floor, I saw a baby boy's play area where he has so much fun banging toys on the tile entry way and then leaves them there so we can't open the door. How long will I get to enjoy his pleasure in the simple things? Instead of my daughter's hamper of clean clothes that she hasn't put away in three days, I saw the evidence of a little girl who loves to play and avoids chores at all cost. My little girl who will one day grow up and leave an empty hamper. Instead of a frumpy, aging woman in the mirror, I saw bright brown eyes with laugh lines and hair that has volume and beautiful soft curls. Perspective people. Love who you are. Accept yourself for who you are and the way God has made you.
My hair that had started thinning at the beginning of my diet is now growing back and nearing two inches long...you know how every short hair cut goes through an ugly stage in the growing-out process? I've found mine. It is hot on my neck in the summer heat and looks like I've got a major case of frizzies if I pull my hair back -which I do regularly because the baby loves to pull hair. So, I resolve to roll my eyes at myself and chalk it all up to loving myself as a stay-home mom of three.
Many of the homeschool moms on Facebook are joking about how many books they are buying and all the curriculum choices they are making for different subjects. Others are posting pics of their homeschool rooms and new decorations for the upcoming year. I'm not buying curriculum books, our curriculum is free, online, and comprehensive. I don't have a homeschool room to decorate, but I will make the girls clean their desk before we start school... I am completely okay with not being like those other moms. Every homeschool is unique and developed to meet its individual needs. Sometimes I have a nagging little thought that maybe I am missing something by not doing the same things other moms are. I push that little thought away, but it likes to pop back up when I'm feeling low.
Money is tight since I am home and I didn't take a summer job. We have enough, but not extra and we watch closely what we choose to spend each month on the little extras. It's an added stress, not a huge deal, but again, there.
And then there are my three wonderful children who I love so much that I want to be the absolute best mother they could ever have and meet every need in the best possible way. Mom-guilt is natural for all mommies and my perfectionist self loves to pile it on.
So, I read an article today that I totally related to. I could've written it...except the author is much more eloquent than I am. It was basically saying why can't it be okay to just be me? Why do I have to strive so hard to be perfect? Why can't life be good enough when I am being me? I needed the change of perspective. After reading that article and praying about my feelings, I felt much better. I looked around at my cluttered little house.
Instead of a walking hazard of toys on the floor, I saw a baby boy's play area where he has so much fun banging toys on the tile entry way and then leaves them there so we can't open the door. How long will I get to enjoy his pleasure in the simple things? Instead of my daughter's hamper of clean clothes that she hasn't put away in three days, I saw the evidence of a little girl who loves to play and avoids chores at all cost. My little girl who will one day grow up and leave an empty hamper. Instead of a frumpy, aging woman in the mirror, I saw bright brown eyes with laugh lines and hair that has volume and beautiful soft curls. Perspective people. Love who you are. Accept yourself for who you are and the way God has made you.
Sunday, July 16, 2017
What does God want for us?
Life gets overwhelming easily when we don't put our faith in God. Especially for me because I want so badly to get it right the first time. Making decisions that directly impact my future or my children's future, is hard for me. When I take the time to set all the stuff aside, get quiet and seek the Lord, He relieves all that stress and pressure. He gives me clarity of thought. He gives me wisdom and insight to the decisions He wants for us.
Most recently, this came in the form of homeschool planning. I've been contemplating how to schedule our school days. Our baby is going to be a toddler and his needs are changing. I've gotten to know the learning styles and habits of my older two, and in certain subjects they need more accountability or support than in others. I can't focus on all three at once all the time, so having some ideas and plans set in place ahead of time will help.
In addition to wanting to meet the individual needs of all three of my children in a day, the content of what they learn is on my mind. Our curriculum (Easy Peasy - Allinonehomeschool.com) is a Christian-based program, but I feel God calling me to live out my faith with my children. Not just following someone else's bible time, but personalizing our family's experience with Him. I don't want to teach my children religion. I want to share the blessing of a relationship with God with them. I spent time praying about it by writing my prayers in my journal and looking through the bible verses I've been looking over recently in my own personal time with God. I felt God leading me to study with my children a topic that I've pondered many times and have always desired to be better at...we are going to start out studying "What does it mean to seek God with our whole heart?"
Most recently, this came in the form of homeschool planning. I've been contemplating how to schedule our school days. Our baby is going to be a toddler and his needs are changing. I've gotten to know the learning styles and habits of my older two, and in certain subjects they need more accountability or support than in others. I can't focus on all three at once all the time, so having some ideas and plans set in place ahead of time will help.
In addition to wanting to meet the individual needs of all three of my children in a day, the content of what they learn is on my mind. Our curriculum (Easy Peasy - Allinonehomeschool.com) is a Christian-based program, but I feel God calling me to live out my faith with my children. Not just following someone else's bible time, but personalizing our family's experience with Him. I don't want to teach my children religion. I want to share the blessing of a relationship with God with them. I spent time praying about it by writing my prayers in my journal and looking through the bible verses I've been looking over recently in my own personal time with God. I felt God leading me to study with my children a topic that I've pondered many times and have always desired to be better at...we are going to start out studying "What does it mean to seek God with our whole heart?"
Thursday, July 13, 2017
Ah! Summer is nearly gone!
Vacation Bible School was a good experience. I had volunteered to work the whole time, but was only scheduled to do the first shift of 2-3 hours in the mornings. That ended up being perfect for us. I got to know some of the other volunteers at church and how things are done there. I was tired and ready to have a break at the end of each shift...part of that was not getting much sleep that week. Something, teething or food -I don't know, kept the baby up at nights. He would take his morning nap as soon as I buckled him into his car seat and I got an hour break before returning to pick up my older children.
Being in the nursery with him worked! He enjoyed exploring and playing and he got used to the environment! Last Sunday he lasted almost through the whole service and they only had to call me because he bumped his head and wouldn't let them console him.
I enjoyed the small taste of working with young children again after being home the past year. I'm still good with kids, but I'm not interested in getting back into the field anytime soon. Life with three children, my hubby's disability and homeschooling are enough to fill my days.
We're down to four weeks of summer left. I'm excited for the school year to start and I also want to savor the time we have left before the busyness of the school year begins. My brain is quickly filled with all the potential plans for the future and trying to make the most of the present as well.
I was blessed to get to spend some time with my oldest two on their own at our church's family skate night this week. We had a blast. I was able to join them in skating while my hubby stayed home with our little guy. The girls and I participated in the games and played our own version of tag during the regular skate. It was fun. I exaggerated being surprised or upset over getting tagged, played up the chase and thoroughly enjoyed the laughter of my daughters as we played. My tween didn't want to hold my hand, but enjoyed me being near. My youngest loved skating holding hands and the added leverage to keep her balance. It was a great evening together.
Being in the nursery with him worked! He enjoyed exploring and playing and he got used to the environment! Last Sunday he lasted almost through the whole service and they only had to call me because he bumped his head and wouldn't let them console him.
I enjoyed the small taste of working with young children again after being home the past year. I'm still good with kids, but I'm not interested in getting back into the field anytime soon. Life with three children, my hubby's disability and homeschooling are enough to fill my days.
We're down to four weeks of summer left. I'm excited for the school year to start and I also want to savor the time we have left before the busyness of the school year begins. My brain is quickly filled with all the potential plans for the future and trying to make the most of the present as well.
I was blessed to get to spend some time with my oldest two on their own at our church's family skate night this week. We had a blast. I was able to join them in skating while my hubby stayed home with our little guy. The girls and I participated in the games and played our own version of tag during the regular skate. It was fun. I exaggerated being surprised or upset over getting tagged, played up the chase and thoroughly enjoyed the laughter of my daughters as we played. My tween didn't want to hold my hand, but enjoyed me being near. My youngest loved skating holding hands and the added leverage to keep her balance. It was a great evening together.
Friday, June 23, 2017
Summer Update
What is God doing in my life? Well, I think He is enabling me to be more aware of things going on in my life. I often find myself contemplating things and roles of myself and other people around me and the impacts they have.
My oldest graduated to the "Junior High" group at church and we've started going to church both on Sundays and on Wednesdays so she can be as involved as she wants to be. The girls are really enjoying going, and I'm struggling to figure out how to do it. I've put the baby into church nursery twice and the longest he lasted was through the beginning worship music before they called me down to get him. He just isn't used to other people caring for him. Sigh. The hazards of being a stay-at-home mom.
He is too loud to stay in the sanctuary. The nursing mom's room is great, except mom's tend to talk and then I can't always hear the message. I've been bringing the stroller and pacing the lower level halls where they have TV's that show the sermon and the message on speakers throughout so I can at least hear it, but it isn't the most enjoyable way to do church. On occasion I have dropped off the older kids and gone home to listen to service online where I can let the baby just play instead of being strapped into his seat for two hours, but I always feel so guilty doing that...our church is only 5 minutes from home, so I'm not far! I know it is just a season of life, so hopefully I'll figure it out soon.
I've volunteered to help in the nursery next week for VBS (Vacation Bible School), so I'm hoping that might help the baby get more comfortable being there on Sundays after spending a whole week in the same room. Or maybe, I should try just volunteering to be in the nursery with him for a few weeks to see if that makes a difference. That might be the key. God knows!
On another note, our summer is going well. We've been on several outings and while I've found many ways to stay cheap and reduce the amount of gas I have to use, I'm finding that less travel and a slower pace at home makes for a happier and more relaxed summer experience for everyone. We had a full two-week break from anything school related and have just started up doing some math work on the days we don't go anywhere. I've also added in audiobooks for when we're in the car, and some read-aloud books at home in addition to the 30-minutes of reading they do for the summer reading program through our library and Barnes and Noble.
Right now, I'm most excited to be starting to plan next year's school year. I have a plan for which subjects we'll do each day of the week, and am narrowing down exactly which levels of each subject to teach. My hubby approved ordering some workbooks of printables so I don't have to print so much at home (it will end up being cheaper than buying printer ink in the long run). So I'm excited for those things. I really want to start writing down plans in my planner, but I'm afraid to get too far ahead of myself. I don't want to have the whole year planned in there, just to decide to change it up once we get there. I think I will do maybe the first few weeks in my planner and then wait to see how it goes. I'd love to have the whole year done and ready to go, but from experience I know that half the fun of doing school is the planning. I need to leave some of the excitement for later!
My oldest graduated to the "Junior High" group at church and we've started going to church both on Sundays and on Wednesdays so she can be as involved as she wants to be. The girls are really enjoying going, and I'm struggling to figure out how to do it. I've put the baby into church nursery twice and the longest he lasted was through the beginning worship music before they called me down to get him. He just isn't used to other people caring for him. Sigh. The hazards of being a stay-at-home mom.
He is too loud to stay in the sanctuary. The nursing mom's room is great, except mom's tend to talk and then I can't always hear the message. I've been bringing the stroller and pacing the lower level halls where they have TV's that show the sermon and the message on speakers throughout so I can at least hear it, but it isn't the most enjoyable way to do church. On occasion I have dropped off the older kids and gone home to listen to service online where I can let the baby just play instead of being strapped into his seat for two hours, but I always feel so guilty doing that...our church is only 5 minutes from home, so I'm not far! I know it is just a season of life, so hopefully I'll figure it out soon.
I've volunteered to help in the nursery next week for VBS (Vacation Bible School), so I'm hoping that might help the baby get more comfortable being there on Sundays after spending a whole week in the same room. Or maybe, I should try just volunteering to be in the nursery with him for a few weeks to see if that makes a difference. That might be the key. God knows!
On another note, our summer is going well. We've been on several outings and while I've found many ways to stay cheap and reduce the amount of gas I have to use, I'm finding that less travel and a slower pace at home makes for a happier and more relaxed summer experience for everyone. We had a full two-week break from anything school related and have just started up doing some math work on the days we don't go anywhere. I've also added in audiobooks for when we're in the car, and some read-aloud books at home in addition to the 30-minutes of reading they do for the summer reading program through our library and Barnes and Noble.
Right now, I'm most excited to be starting to plan next year's school year. I have a plan for which subjects we'll do each day of the week, and am narrowing down exactly which levels of each subject to teach. My hubby approved ordering some workbooks of printables so I don't have to print so much at home (it will end up being cheaper than buying printer ink in the long run). So I'm excited for those things. I really want to start writing down plans in my planner, but I'm afraid to get too far ahead of myself. I don't want to have the whole year planned in there, just to decide to change it up once we get there. I think I will do maybe the first few weeks in my planner and then wait to see how it goes. I'd love to have the whole year done and ready to go, but from experience I know that half the fun of doing school is the planning. I need to leave some of the excitement for later!
Friday, May 19, 2017
Countdown to Summer
We have 9 days of school left this year. It's hard to believe we made it to the end of our first year of homeschooling already. The time has flown by, we've done so much and it feels like we could just keep on going because in all honesty, it has been a blast!
The upcoming summer "break" is going to be full of more learning experiences where we'll continue learning and developing our relationships in a more active and hopefully relaxed way! I've been busy planning activities and experiences. Reading and math will be continued at a more relaxed pace. Our city sponsors some free learning "camps" (they're really just a couple hours on specific days) that we've signed up for, we got some great deals on summer passes/discounts to the skating rink, bowling alley, movie theater, and local swimming pools. The kids are ready and excited for the summer. :0)
I'm looking forward to picnics at the parks and hoping that it truly is a relaxing summer of fun and not too busy.
* * *
A more bittersweet anticipation of this summer is our baby's first birthday. I'm excited because he is such a doll and I am thoroughly enjoying the little person he is. I'm anxious to get back to eating the same foods as the rest of my family again. I'm saddened that his first year is so quickly passing. He is so much fun, I hardly notice that he's quickly turning into a toddler and his babyhood is ending. When I do notice, I'm so busy I can't spend much time being sad over it.
He and I are testing new foods on a regular basis and passing most of them. The ones he hasn't passed are common allergens anyway, so they may always be a bit of a trouble digestively, we'll see. Right now we are slowly trying the milk "ladder", which is a slow and progressive way of introducing dairy into a non-dairy diet to be as easy as possible on the body.
My health has greatly improved since we passed eggs several months ago. Eggs have such a wealth of nutrients that I needed. There was a point where I was starting to wonder how long I could keep up with the strict diet I was on. My hair had begun to thin and the weight fell off each week with no effort (aside from the diet). I had to consciously eat extra to ensure I was getting the right amount of nutrition. I even had to add extra fat to my diet to get what I needed while still being able to feed my son. I've become pretty good at judging my dietary needs from my energy level mentally and physically. We have made it so far and I am so thankful that we have been able to add so many foods to our diet. My hair is filling in again (I have a fringe of short hairs around my head), and the weight loss has slowed to almost maintaining my weight. I'm about 8-9 pounds more than I was at my wedding. Our baby, he just continues to grow in leaps and bounds. He's big for his age and chunky in all the right places! He is definitely getting all he needs. :0)
The upcoming summer "break" is going to be full of more learning experiences where we'll continue learning and developing our relationships in a more active and hopefully relaxed way! I've been busy planning activities and experiences. Reading and math will be continued at a more relaxed pace. Our city sponsors some free learning "camps" (they're really just a couple hours on specific days) that we've signed up for, we got some great deals on summer passes/discounts to the skating rink, bowling alley, movie theater, and local swimming pools. The kids are ready and excited for the summer. :0)
I'm looking forward to picnics at the parks and hoping that it truly is a relaxing summer of fun and not too busy.
* * *
A more bittersweet anticipation of this summer is our baby's first birthday. I'm excited because he is such a doll and I am thoroughly enjoying the little person he is. I'm anxious to get back to eating the same foods as the rest of my family again. I'm saddened that his first year is so quickly passing. He is so much fun, I hardly notice that he's quickly turning into a toddler and his babyhood is ending. When I do notice, I'm so busy I can't spend much time being sad over it.
He and I are testing new foods on a regular basis and passing most of them. The ones he hasn't passed are common allergens anyway, so they may always be a bit of a trouble digestively, we'll see. Right now we are slowly trying the milk "ladder", which is a slow and progressive way of introducing dairy into a non-dairy diet to be as easy as possible on the body.
My health has greatly improved since we passed eggs several months ago. Eggs have such a wealth of nutrients that I needed. There was a point where I was starting to wonder how long I could keep up with the strict diet I was on. My hair had begun to thin and the weight fell off each week with no effort (aside from the diet). I had to consciously eat extra to ensure I was getting the right amount of nutrition. I even had to add extra fat to my diet to get what I needed while still being able to feed my son. I've become pretty good at judging my dietary needs from my energy level mentally and physically. We have made it so far and I am so thankful that we have been able to add so many foods to our diet. My hair is filling in again (I have a fringe of short hairs around my head), and the weight loss has slowed to almost maintaining my weight. I'm about 8-9 pounds more than I was at my wedding. Our baby, he just continues to grow in leaps and bounds. He's big for his age and chunky in all the right places! He is definitely getting all he needs. :0)
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