Bunz- This peach tea is too sweet!
Me- IS there such as thing as "too sweet"?
Poo- Yes, there is. You.
Me- *Smiling ear to ear*
I'm currently working on a website review, but in the meantime, I'd like to tide you over with a recent conversation.
Bunz- This peach tea is too sweet! Me- IS there such as thing as "too sweet"? Poo- Yes, there is. You. Me- *Smiling ear to ear*
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It is that time of year again. Outside is warming up, and trees are budding. Inside, children and parents alike are becoming anxious. I looked to our calendar the other day and realized that we are coming to the close of the school year soon, only ten weeks left. Most people will be done sooner than this, but we have to carry a bit more unconventional schedule around trips back home three times a year. So we are approaching our spring break in the first week of April, which will be followed by the final 9 week session. I would be lying if I told you that I was not anticipating the end of the school year. By the time we have been stuck inside our house for three months or so of icky weather or so-so social activities, we all get a bit of cabin fever. This year has been quite the whirlwind. Beginning the year, we were still fresh in our new home, and adapting to the new addition of a homeschool room, as well as the new addition of our little girl. At the end of our winter semester, we also added a new pup to our family, making us first time dog-owners. It was a year of firsts! However, it was our second homeschool year, and I can say as of now that it has been a success. I love how easily we can transition from something that is not working into something that does work for us. At times, I have been able to figure out the source of the issue, and address it myself immediately, or at least plan out a change, and other times I have had to rely on input from my husband or mother. Either way, we have been able to rid ourselves of most of the issues we have faced, and we have been able to make huge strides towards a better result for all of us. This year has been great as far as moving forward towards what works best for us as a whole. Our first year of school was tough mainly because we were not prepared as far as curriculum went, as well as financially. We went through the year having to use what we had, whether it worked for us or not, and finally, half-way through the year we bought a printer, which saved me from the inevitable carpal tunnel syndrome! This year began with a full curriculum, and even in that, I made some changed with the way that we did things as we went. There are still some things that I consider to be shortcomings, but I am researching and searching for a better way to handle those obstacles. So far, I have everything planned out for next school year- all of our books are here already, with the exception of math. I do have in mind what I would like to do for math, as well, though, I just have not purchased it. I'm excited about the new direction that we will be taking. After two years of feeling swamped by homeschooling, I realized (duh) that I am doing too much on my own. What I mean to say is, I am not allowing enough independent work to be done without my instruction. Up until now, our curriculum has not allowed for independent work; I have had to teach each subject so the children could get what they needed information-wise out of it. Next year, I am happy to say, that each child will have their own Reading, Science, and English books. I've also chosen to go with Teaching Textbooks for Math, which is a computer based, self-led learning tool. I will still be teaching most subjects, but I will not be spending every living second teaching them, walking them through each step, etc, like I have been. This will solve the problem of too much ungraded paperwork piling up on me, since I can be checking papers as they come back to me, as opposed to having to wait until recess or after school because I have to keep going to the next subject, and the next subject, and the next subject, and so on. Also, the greatest thing of all, is that Teaching Textbooks is a self grading software! Can I even show the level of excitement over NOT having to manually check Math papers?? The amazing thing is that even though we've gone all in, sometimes over our heads, we have always recovered and started fresh. I can't even fathom sending my babies back to public school and allowing someone else to have this time in their lives. I know that there are days that I could pull my hair out, but the other days, however few, are so incredibly precious to me. Just look at my big girl holding her baby sister while reading her history lesson! These are the moments that you can't get back.
So here's to ten weeks left of school, and the budding potential of summer! I love all of the silly things that kids say as they are learning the language! There are so many things that we now say on a regular basis because our kids mispronounced them at some time, causing infinite giggles. I have a little list of some of them, and I thought I'd share them with you.
1. A daughter of an old friend of mine used to call unicorns "noodlecorns". 2. Once my daughter told me, "don't forget the 'whisperpeas' ", aka recipes. 3. One of my boys started calling our silverware with plastic around the handle "dressed", and without it, "naked". We still call them dressed forks if they have the plastic handle. 4.My daughter used to call horses "hotsies" 5.When I was a kid, I called Mac and cheese "monkey cheese" 6.My daughter's nickname is Julie-Bug, and Jake used to pronounce it "Dookie-Bug" 7. All three of my older kids called raviolis "holy-holies" 8. I had another friend whose son called helicopters "hellikitties". 9. One of my boys, if he has only one shirt, will say he's putting his "cloe" in the washer. (Obviously the logic is that "clothes" is plural). So what are some of the endearing and silly things that your kids have said? This is where a brave and beautiful bunch gather every week to find out what comes out when we all spend five minutes writing on the same topic and then sharing ‘em over here. Now, set your timer, clear your head, for five minutes of free writing without worrying about getting it right. 1. Write for 5 minutes flat – no editing, no over thinking, no backtracking. 2. Link back here and invite others to join in. 3. And then absolutely, no ifs, ands or buts about it, you need to visit the person who linked up before you & encourage them in their comments. Seriously. That is, like, the rule. And the fun. And the heart of this community.. Oh and Ahem, if you would take pity and turn off comment verification, it would make leaving some love on your post that much easier for folks! OK, are you ready? Please give us your best five minutes on::: Rest… My first thought when I saw the word "rest", was rest, as in sleep. But then I thought about how I never get it, and probably won't for a while. So my mind wandered.... to "rest" as in all of the rest, what is left of something. I'm liking that thought process, so I'm letting my mind go there. What is left? What is the rest? After all other things have been taken, after all other things are gone, what is the rest, what is left? Some days I feel my shell is hollowed, I am completely empty. There is nothing left, but there is something there, I'd lie if I said there wasn't. What is left in me after I'm drained. The rest. You know what that is to me? My selfishness. I give it all away to my kids, to my husband, to my "job", which is being a teacher, being organized. Getting the house done. The endless laundry. But I leave a little. Even when I feel completely dry. I always leave some for myself. Is that right? Am I wrong for that? I doubt it. Selfish moments are often stolen after hours. I play a game, scour facebook, read a book. I spend time in those moments of what is left. the rest of what I have inside of me after the rest of me is spent. We all need that. Too many mothers, parents, people spend all that they are. It's ok to be selfish sometimes. STOP. A couple nights ago I was feeling pretty overwhelmed. On top of the inner stress and turmoil, my children were arguing and yelling at the other end of the house. Losing all of the *ahem* grace and poise *ahem* that I usually posses, I yelled out from my office, "You guys are bugging the STEW out of me!" (Southern euphemism, at its best.) To which my oldest boy cheekily replied, "I don't recall having stew recently." That boy, he can't even let me be frustrated for one minute :)
I came across an article today that blew my mind. Not in a good way, either. The article was entitled "Parents Who Homeschool Aren't Qualified to Teach Their Kids". Gee, it would have been great if someone had told me that BEFORE I started teaching my children! I would like to share that article with you, as well as my personal response, which I had to email to the author from his blog because of the character limit on the posting site. By Andrew Kardon The guy did fine in the article, avoiding the stepping on of toes, but the title lit a fire under me. I am sharing my response below: Um, wow. Where do I even begin in this argument? Ok, here goes, point by point. What do YOU think?
Today on FaceBook, my hilarious friend Holli posted the following status: "Reminded why I don't do mud masks while the kids are awake. I think John is convinced it is alien slime. He was ready to call 911." Her son, John, obviously inherited the funny bone. She commented later that he had finally said, "well - you kinda look good like that. But, ah... it will wash off, right?" I laughed at the whole ordeal, mainly because her family is full of funny, and I'm kinda jealous :) Then I responded "You know it is love when someone tells you that you look good with mud slathered all over your face." But that got me thinking about love, and about mud. There is someone who DOES love us, even when we are mired in the mud. Jesus Christ accepts us exactly as we are , and where we are. So He looks at us, covered from head to toe in our own denial. He might not say that we look good like that, but He says he loves us enough to take us like we are, cleanse us, and leave us better than we were. What a great God we serve! That is love. |
Ducks in a RowWhen my three oldest children were little, I used a hand-holding method that I referred to as the "baby-chain". I would tell the kids to baby-chain, and they would hold hands in a little line beside me, Archives
January 2016
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