Friday, January 28, 2011

School News!

Yesterday marked the end of our first semester in school this year. We are officially halfway "done" and I wanted to make it special. We took the day off and had a "play day" which mostly consisted of me losing games. We slept in and dawdled most of the morning. I wrapped up and handed out some small gifts, then came....the progress reports! Now, I know as a homeschool mom, I don't have to do this and a lot of people actually disagree with it, but I have found that my boys LOVE it and look forward to it, so I do it. Throughout the year, the only assignments I actually grade is math and I usually save that for big reviews. Recently I did start giving report cards or progress reports two times a year with subjects including academics, electives, and character. I also give a grade in their effort which I believe to be more important than their actual grade. Of course at this point, there is no formula I use...just the E for Excellent, S for Satisfactory, NI for Needs Improvement and U for Unsatisfactory.

After my little conference with Connor, he decided to grade me as well in the teacher category. He said for sure my effort would be E and my actual grade would be an S. I told him it meant a lot that he knows how hard I try and I am completely happy with a satisfactory grade overall;) Brody didn't volunteer but when I asked him later he also said he would give me an E for my effort grade and he couldn't decide between an E or an S for my overall grade. I was very happy....needless to say!

We played a complete game of Monopoly which took a really long time then ate a lesiurely lunch while reading. After blasting some music and getting our chores done, we splurged with some Wii time where I realized that I am way to old for Mariokart! How on earth do they keep with all that is going on? They still loved playing with me which made me feel great! They didn't even complain when I pulled down the whole team and our chances for the trophy;) Then we pulled out the Wii Sports which I do much better in. We had a blast and it was a really fun and memorable day!

I figured this was a great time to post their school pictures for this year, it is going by so quickly! I am so blessed and honored to be home with them every day and I promise to keep trying to earn that Excellent grade for my effort in making our decision for home education a good experience for both of them!



Brody 2nd Grade 2010-2011


Connor 4th Grade - 2010- 2011

Thursday, January 27, 2011

Stuff it!

I have two boys ages 9 and 7. Recently I have shared with friends, that I have been wondering when they would "grow out of" the stuffed animal stage. They probably hinted a slight touch of motherly concern, which I admit I have had some of. On the other hand, I absolutely adore their innocence and plan to keep it as long as possible. Admittedly, a lot of friends their age have started to outgrow them, but not all of them. There has been a slight nagging about it within me, a sort of unspoken crazy feeling that they should be outgrowing them.



These boys love their "pets" they call them. Webkinz are their favorites and they spend almost all their money on them when they get it. They keep their birthdays memorized and know their profiles as well. Mostly, when they "play" with them I realized they really do a few things consistently. They create sports teams; costumes and all, they participate in "Webkinz skiing" which involves a big toss and a wood floor, and they recently made them their very own Monopoly board. They are like a whole bunch of brothers and sisters, maybe the large family I always wanted without the extra laundry?......you never know;)



Well, yesterday after a great day of school they were enjoying free time in their rooms and I walked into this...





And this....When I asked what they were entertaining themselves with so nicely, I was given the details on the "5 stages of torture" that they had set up. They were laughing and giggling and having the best time. I took pictures of the first two then I was laughing to hard to get any more. The first one there is the "guillotine", which we recently studied about with the French Revolution. (I am proud they remembered some about it, but obviously not enough if it is the 1st stage???...) The second one there is the criminal on the catapult (which we made in our boys club at co op) about to be flown into the bookshelves at high speed. I don't quite remember the details of the other three but in the end there was a bungy cord and a hook, and it got pretty ugly. By then, I was already planning this post on how boys will be boys and how us moms need to allow our kids to move gradually from stage to stage not rushing where we think they should be;) After all, the stuffed animals won't make it long at this rate!

Wednesday, January 19, 2011

My Apologies Apologia

I have to start by saying that I LOVE this Science curriculum. As a matter of fact, I love them so much that when you combine that, with my very small, practically insignificant desire to purchase and collect curriculum (some might call it an addiction, but as you can see by my description, that certainly doesn't fit), you will find that I have already bought 5 of the books. If you don't know what that means... it is equivalent to approximately 5 years of topics including Botany, Health and Anatomy, Astronomy, and 2 years of Animal Science.

However, as a homeschool mom, one of many important lessons and benefits I am learning along the way is flexibility. I have the "power" to say when something isn't working for us and then I have the "power" again to change it. Wow! Having the power is cool, using it is slightly harder for me. I don't like change and I also really enjoy doing what I say I'm going to do...you know checking it off my list. However in a conversation with a friend of mine recently after listening to me whine about how bad we were doing in Science... she said simply this "You might not just be an Apologia kind of family". Ouch...that hurt! However she is right...for now.

A few years ago I was introduced to the concepts of lapbooking and notebooking. Honestly, my first thought was to literally "spare my kids the busy work" that to me looked like it went along with this type of program. Somehow an opportunity came up to try one and I quickly learned that they think it is the "coolest thing ever." I did what any normally sane homeschooling mom would do...I decided to add a little bit of it in with what I had planned since they did enjoy it so much. (control freak alert....)

So, my original plan for Science this year was to do 2 weeks of Apologia then 2 weeks of notebooking animals that we all decided we wanted to learn more about. That didn't last long, because we quickly once again, fell off the Apologia plan. I even tried Astronomy this year as I heard that was a lot more fun than the Botany I already tried. We did keep up with our notebooking plan though which is a good thing.

Many people have benefited from my lack of follow through on these books and I have lent them out to families that are embracing them and loving them as much as I know we will one day. I do plan to try again and I know when we are ready they will be awesome!

Since first semester is almost over, I thought I would post something Connor and Brody are VERY proud of. I bound up 5 of the animals they have worked on so far this year into one big notebook and they just love looking at it. So....here you have it...Bears, Cats, Dinosaurs, Lions & Wolves! Not bad if I do say so myself;)


Here is what the kitchen island looks like during one of the many creation stages...

This morning I put a challenge before them. After a short unit we are doing on The Human Body, I have asked them to come up with something THEY want to learn about...could be an animal or maybe not? Anyway, they are going to create the "notebook" on their topic from start to finish, no preprinted sheets this time. They are also going to do separate topics, and research and read on their own. They seem to be up for it and excited which is great! I can't wait to see what they do.

Sunday, January 16, 2011

Thoughts on Self Control

So, here it is 16 days into my year of self-control so I felt an update was in order. Right off the bat, I found this definition which I love (and hate just a little too)....

Self Control is the instant obedience to the initial promptings of God's spirit.

I can't get that one out of my head. Since I read that, I have realized how true it is. How often my "battle" with self control takes way too many swings before I realize that I am in a fight. I am working on realizing just how many times I literally ignore the voice of God guiding me in all things, big and small, and I am shocked.

I have found comfort in the last few weeks knowing that God's spirit is real and present in my life when I listen, and saddened how quickly I can turn that off and turn it into a battle of what is really my own self will. I actually talk myself out of listening to God's spirit which is a whole different ball game than ignoring Him all together. That nudge is there...realizing it is step 1...now I want to focus on the instant obedience part of it!

This has been a very powerful lesson for me already. Not bad for day 16....God must know there is no time to spare;)

Friday, January 14, 2011

Now for some Nostalgia!


Since I totally put down the whole Scrabble board game in my previous post, I feel the need to redeem the board game industry somewhat here. So, let me just say...we are having SO much fun with the old fashioned Monopoly! The boys got it for Christmas and boy has it brought back some serious memories. I remember playing this game many times over and it hasn't changed much at all. There is a new speed dice option which I might seriously look into soon. Although I have memories of playing it, they don't include hours on end of the never ending game! I'm sure I was much more patient in my younger years;)



The dollar amounts are small and easy for the kids to handle and they are old enough and have gone far enough in math that the game is actually fun for them too. When we opened the box it was the same feeling as finding some old friends on facebook. There was the hat, the boot, the dog and all the same old pieces! I do wonder what the reasoning is behind the game pieces, they do seem odd, don't they? Who even wants to be the iron or the thimble? I know I avoid those two at ALL costs! The board looks the same and I even researched some of the history and it hasn't changed much since a patent I saw in 1935 and it is the best selling board game in history. I wonder if they accounted for inflation, what the prices would be...that would be much higher math involved I am sure. So far, in the few games we have played, Brody has ruled the board. He is lucky and smart and it has been a good lesson for all of us in so many ways. It has been a chance for Connor to be happy when he is not the lucky one and for Brody to practice humility.



Adding to the nostalgia was another childhood memory. Yesterday while frantically getting from one side of Wal Mart to the other the boys found a real treasure in the office supply aisle. I mean a real "treasure box" they are calling it. After realizing that their wallets still had some money in the spending section it took a whopping 2 seconds to decide that it was a must have. The keys were what sold it and they were beyond thrilled with their purchase decision. Connor even came up to me later, pulled the keys out of his pocket and said...."mom I feel so important with these in my pocket." I remember how cool it is to have your first very own space and I was hit with another dose of how big they are getting and fast they are growing up. I remember a very small cedar chest with a small golden lock that had very similar magical keys to it. I loved that box.




Here is to your own memory making Connor and Brody and a picture for you to look back on one day. I wish I had a picture of my treasure box so I felt compelled to take this for you. I hope you love yours as much. However please remember along the way ...Matthew 6:20

"But store up for yourselves treasures in heaven, where moths and vermin do not destroy, and where thieves do not break in and steal."

Sunday, January 9, 2011

Not so Nostalgic

Most of the time I want to think the OLD way of doing things is better, especially when it comes to kids. I have always like the "old fashioned" toys and games for them. I like books written in their original text and not abridged or changed by someone trying to make it better.


I have to say though....Words with Friends is one major improvement over the old Scrabble board! Connor used to beg me to play Scrabble with him and it felt about as much fun as cleaning the toilets. It seemed to take forever to get through a game and he needed my help so much it didn't feel like much of a game. Plus, Brody hated it so he was always restless. So, I did what any desperate parent would do and hid the Scrabble board under the couch for a few months!


Then, my friend Becca turned me on to an app called 'Words with Friends". It is just like Scrabble, but you play online. There is SO much to love about playing like this way. To name a few; you can go at your own pace and take your turn whenever it suits you, you can text with your opponent within the game, you can learn new words by just hitting submit and seeing what it takes, and it is a fun way to "play" a game with friends and family far away!

I recently had to take extreme measures and set Connor up on daddy's ipad with his own username because he was trying to get in on MY games and constantly grabbing my phone. He LOVES this game and truthfully I love him playing it. I have to admit here that he has beat me 4 times in a row and is on his way to a 5th victory. I find that quite embarrassing especially considering I don't in any way shape or form go easy on him, I pull out everything I can! However the bible tells me not to lie so there you have it.

He is currently playing games with me, Aunt Lara in Missouri and recently started a game with an old friend his age that lives in Vegas now. They are sending messages to each other and having a great time with it! We have a rule that when he uses a word he doesn't know, he has to make it a future vocabulary assignment by writing in his planner right away....works like a charm! I also have to say it is a great refresher in math basics as well. Why I can just see this being marketed as a full on "school subject" one day soon.

Also, an added bonus is that I have a new "privilege" that I can use as leverage! What a blessing.....

I don't think I will be pining over the old way any time soon!

What do "they" know anyway?

I have struggled with this for some time now, so since it is a New Year, I am going to confess it right here right now and get it out there for all to see.

Very rarely do we eat dinner together at the table as a family.

There I said it. Whew, do I feel better!

I have read too many articles and heard too many advertisements warning me about the negative ways that this will impact my boys throughout their life; and they constantly fill me with guilt. I am working to let this go and have realized that all families are different. A lot of times Bryan is not home when I start the boys on their dinner. Right now it is playoff season, and we are eating in the family room; only temporary. Our island only seats three with the stools we picked. (There is something wrong with that) On the other hand, sometimes when I make a really nice dinner we DO sit down together at our table and enjoy a meal together. It just depends. It is on my mind a lot though. At breakfast the boys and I are always together and usually reading the bible and starting our history lessons for the day. At lunch they almost ALWAYS ask to read as their "break" from school, but I don't usually let them at dinner.

BUT...I did try the other night. It was salad bar night (notice how Connor's ingredients don't mix or even touch; that is a whole new blog topic...by definition I'm not sure if that is a salad?? I digress...) and the kids wanted to sit at the island in the kitchen where they eat most of their meals. I let the guilt get to me and went to have dinner with them so I sat down to enjoy some togetherness and this is what happened...






They wouldn't get their faces out of their books! They said things like....

"Come on mom, we want to read!" and "We see you ALL the time." "Just let us read for a little while, PLEASE."

So, I sat with them while they read and enjoyed our meal together anyway which consisted mostly of me giving them a hard time about how much I was enjoying their company. They will know I tired if nothing else by the proof in this post!

I know what "they" say but I want to realize "they" don't know us. I don't feel this deep need to connect with them over a meal, we do that all day. Sometimes for daddy the best thing for him is a few minutes to himself to decompress after a long day. Sometimes we look like a TV commercial for Stouffers Lasagna laughing and enjoying each other at a beautifully decorated table. Ok....maybe not decorated....

I want that to be OK with me, the way we are. After all, for now....it works for us.

Wednesday, January 5, 2011

How Sweet the Sound

In addition to the sweet melody of Connor plucking away and "playing" his new guitar every day, there are some other sweet sounds around here.

Since we had 32 hours round trip in the car with our kids on a recent road trip to California, we decided to cram in some serious parenting between naps and movies;) One of the things we discussed was how laid back the boys are getting in answering (and how lazy we have been in enforcing) us when we call them. Obviously this is a critical step to obeying your parents, actually it is the first step. We would practice saying their name and getting them to answer right away. I realized quickly how much I didn't like the "what" response so we asked them to say "yes mom?" or " yes dad?" .

Now I am sure that 1000 books have written describing how important it is and I am sure I have probably read a huge percentage of them, but it slipped my radar until now. I cannot believe the difference this has made. We are still working on it daily, but oh when they answer it is a sweet sweet sound. It not only sounds so much more respectful but it seems to have a huge impact on their attitude as well. Instead of just going about what they were doing and screaming what, they stop think and give me their attention. I am in mommy heaven.

When they have that respond down to a pat answer, I might have to change it again. I am thinking of something along the lines of....."yes, reigning queen mother of the household"?

What do you think?

Saturday, January 1, 2011

Really God?

I have been trying to deny the clear voice I hear from God telling me what my "word resolution" is for 2011. It first came to me a few weeks ago and of course I put off blogging it waiting for the REAL word to come. I was hoping for something else, not sure what, just something else. Most likely something easier or fun...like kindness or organizing... but NO....not that easy.

This year God wants me to focus on SELF-CONTROL. YUCK!

The hard truth is, I lack it and I know it.

I can't believe how many times in many different areas of my life I will say I am going to do or not do something and then I justify doing the opposite. It will come up in everything over the course of the year I'm sure...

Exercise, Diet, Parenting, Relationships, Finances, Time Management

It has already come up in most of those just today:)

Even though I am dreading the "work", I know it will be a good thing and I want to be positive and open to all God has for me to learn. So, I will hold on tight and prepare for the ride!