I've really been wanting to journal a day in our life. I love to read these type of blog entries and message board posts from others, and I have been trying to get up the courage to post mine. Of course when posting "day in the life" type threads you really want them to be your BEST day.. not the worst. But, as I sit here at my computer key board, I got to thinking. Is that really a true reflection of our life? Those best days happen about once per week, really. The worst days maybe once per month or so, normally we have in between days and that is real life, right? So Here goes!
6am~wake up BARELY in time to fix my dh's breakfast. Goof off on the computer for a bit,then take a LONG bath. I'm still tired from last night (see previous post entitled "WHat was I thinking?") Dan meets me in the bathroom wanting to know when I am going to get out.. he wants IN the tub, it is his morning ritual. Ok, I get out!
I piddle around doing morning chores and such. Sarah drags to the living room and turns on the tv for her 30 minute show she gets in the morning. Wake M up and quickly fix their breakfast while they watch tv.
8:30 My niece Britt surprises us with an unexpected visit and a gift for the three kids. I am so excited to see her, since it has been a couple of months, we get to visit for about an hour which means the kids watch 2 shows and we don't get bible reading in today.(not yet anyway, maybe there is still hope) I am very impressed with how together her life seems to be.
9:30 kids are doing their morning chores and I clean the kitchen. No laundry done yet, and I seem to have gotten behind on laundry again; didn't I just have it all caught up? Could we just go around naked for a week so I can have a break? My other niece Jeanna calls and asks me to baby sit for her 1 year old and her 5 year old while she goes to the doctor later. Sure, I just love kissing baby cheeks!
10:30 we start school which we normally try to start at around 9:30 but I am so glad for having visited with my niece and gettin to chat with her, so I don't really care! Mallory and Daniel do math independantly (gotta love Teaching Textbooks eh?) and some other LA stuff plus they both do some reading since, again, we got home too late last night for them to do it then.
Do math and LA with Sarah, she does great today and it goes smoothly. during this time we got 3 phone calls and Marc's grandmother drops by to give D some money that he earned for crushing cans to recycle. It was about 3 hours worth of his time and he made $25! Watch out Bill Gates, we've got an entrepeneur on our hands!
11:45, The kids start asking me when lunch is... I don't even know WHAT is for lunch, but I do take out some pork chops for supper, I'm planning right? Check menu and start to fix lunch. Stop fixing lunch cause noone wants what is on the menu. Sit at the computer for a minute to check email and stumble across a very cool video on Godtube. Mallory ambles in so we watch it together, remind me to post it, it was very neat!
12:00 Jeanna (my other niece) shows up with her littles and I fix lunch while visiting with her, again it has been a while so I get to catch up with her now. Good day.
1:00 feed the kids and eat, the kids decide to open a concession stand out of the back of the van. They use candy that their cousin brought them this morning and a huge deck of trading cards as money.... hey that is school right? I Play with the baby! And play some more with the baby.
2:30 the baby falls asleep in my arms.... it has been a few years since mine were this size so I hold him for a bit, then lay him down and start straightening up the house. My three kids and my niece's daughter have not come in from outside, it is so beautiful today.
Didn't finish straightening up as neice came back to pick up her littles. They stayed until 3:00 visiting. Dh camehome and we all talked while the kids played.
3:30 Yet another niece shows up today, this time dh's brother's daughter Kayleigh rode the wrong bus and showed up at my house! Poor thing! She sometimes rides the bus to my house and I know it must be confusing. She joins my kids outside, who have still not come inside except for the ocassional trip to the bathroom and to gather supplies for their various pursuits. They have now found a bird nest with eggs in our Palm bush and have the binoculars (they don't need them the nest is at the youngest's eye level) and a bird identification book. Dh fills the bird feeders again for the momma bird!
4:30 start supper and walk down the street to dh's grandma's to get the bread machine that she is letting me borrow. Start a batch of bread... OH HEAVEN! I love this bread machine!
Finish supper
5:30 Someone picks up Kayleigh (too hard to explain who! LOL)
5:45 My sister shows up so I can cut her bangs. Dh and kids eat while she and I discuss books, life and our family. OH, what a lovely visit. I miss my sister!!! We are too busy for many such chats but today was great!
7:00 My sister leaves and I get to eat supper, it is my internet pal Shauna's marinade over pork chops, even cold it is GREAT! thanks Shauna!
The plan for the rest of the night is simple: Clean the kitchen and straighten the house, make some resurrection cookies iwth the kids and read a TINY BIT to them, I am too tired for more than that ! LOL I hope I get those three things done, but if I don't it really won't matter, as I look over our day, I see that we might not have gotten all the things accomplished on our school assignment list, but we did have lots of time to visit with family, socialize and help out our family in some small way today. It was a full though very unusual day, and if you've gotten to the end of this then take a few minutes and watch this video. It is the one that Mallory and I spent time this morning watching and it has stayed with me all day. I am reminded of the great sacrifices that my savior made for me, and His sovereign, Holy nature. I am blessed, I am very, richly, deeply blessed
Thursday, March 20, 2008
What was I thinking?
Ok, so sometimes I forget to think. My brain quits working! Well, actually it works but it does not always work properly. This was the case last night. I got the brilliant idea that my Rainbows class in MPACT should dye Easter eggs! These kids are 3, 4 and 5 years old mind you!!! I am just going to chalk my poor decision making down to the fact that it is almost the end of our school year and by this time, I've put too much information into my feeble little mind! Or maybe it is my "overworked large brain"!! Let's say that instead. Of course my three beautiful little children thought this was a grand idea and really encouraged me to do it! WHY did I ask their opinoion anyway?
In all actuality it did not go THAT poorly. But I did feel like I was a crazy person by the time that I got back to my van. Here's the scene:
After spending the day teaching my three kids all about reading writing and rithmetic, PLUS a few things about ancient history, AND getting my two nieces ages, 3 and 6, and my nephew along with my own children feed the house straight and everyone ready to walk out the door by the miraculous time of 5:45. (oh, by the way, my dh was also home sick all day which always throws that monkey wrench into things, not to mention the fact that HE teaches the young boys ages 6 to 11 on Wed night and since he was sick and no one was able to fill in for him, what do I do? I offer for them to come in with MY CLASS! I'm really a genius huh? Of course there are only 2 boys this age and one of them is my son.) We take the lovely ride through rush hour traffic 20 something miles to church, where, as always I am greeted with at least one problem from my MPACT department (did I mention that I am the director of Mpact and that the only reason I'm teaching is that the previous teacher of this class has started back to school and I had to take it back a few weeks ago? Oh, yeah, that too!)
Once settled in my class, I look up from my careful preparations to find Sarah in my door way with big crocodile tears. It turns out that since Mallory helps me in the class and tonight Daniel is coming in with us that she is feeling distinctly left out. I quickly count all the eggs in my basket (pun intended) and go in search of her teacher. WE promptly decide to combine her class with mine. Tragedy avoided....for the moment.
So now we have 11 kids, 9 girls and 2 boys ranging in age from 3 to 11. Mallory's ability to help is greatly diminished because the boys give her something else to do. Both boys for some reason can't seem to get along, though they are normally fast friends. Thankfully my class is much smaller than normal, did the rest of the parents hear that I had gone insane and were afraid to have their kids in my presence?
OH, by the way, I'm sure that I fail to mention that the "kids" bathroom which is RIGHT across the hall from my class is being remodeled therefore NOT IN USE! Come on people, you have GOT to be kidding me? JUST HOW LONG DOES IT TAKE TO REMODEL A BATHROOM. (ok, side note, I really don't think it's taking too long, but LAST NIGHT I DID!) So every time someone has to go to the bathroom (did I tell you some of these kids are preschool age?) we have to tramp across church through the small nursery OR if there is a sleeping infant through the main sanctuary to the "big people's " bathroom.)
Well, the end result was that each child DID get two eggs successfully dyed. We played a few rousing games and I think we did something remotely spiritual, but I can't really remember since the vinegar fumes muddled my already fried brain. I got all the kids back to their proper parents with not too much coloring on clothing, hair or faces, the fingers and hands are another story though. I delivered my nieces and nephew back to their home in one piece, and my co conspiritors, who really egged me on last night, are sleeping off their adventure in crazy town this morning. All in all I would have to consider it a satisfying night. There were no broken bones or even any bleeding by the end of the night, everyone was smiling and happy with their loot, and all is well this morning, although my head hurts a little bit from banging it on the wall repeatedly when we got home last night!
In all actuality it did not go THAT poorly. But I did feel like I was a crazy person by the time that I got back to my van. Here's the scene:
After spending the day teaching my three kids all about reading writing and rithmetic, PLUS a few things about ancient history, AND getting my two nieces ages, 3 and 6, and my nephew along with my own children feed the house straight and everyone ready to walk out the door by the miraculous time of 5:45. (oh, by the way, my dh was also home sick all day which always throws that monkey wrench into things, not to mention the fact that HE teaches the young boys ages 6 to 11 on Wed night and since he was sick and no one was able to fill in for him, what do I do? I offer for them to come in with MY CLASS! I'm really a genius huh? Of course there are only 2 boys this age and one of them is my son.) We take the lovely ride through rush hour traffic 20 something miles to church, where, as always I am greeted with at least one problem from my MPACT department (did I mention that I am the director of Mpact and that the only reason I'm teaching is that the previous teacher of this class has started back to school and I had to take it back a few weeks ago? Oh, yeah, that too!)
Once settled in my class, I look up from my careful preparations to find Sarah in my door way with big crocodile tears. It turns out that since Mallory helps me in the class and tonight Daniel is coming in with us that she is feeling distinctly left out. I quickly count all the eggs in my basket (pun intended) and go in search of her teacher. WE promptly decide to combine her class with mine. Tragedy avoided....for the moment.
So now we have 11 kids, 9 girls and 2 boys ranging in age from 3 to 11. Mallory's ability to help is greatly diminished because the boys give her something else to do. Both boys for some reason can't seem to get along, though they are normally fast friends. Thankfully my class is much smaller than normal, did the rest of the parents hear that I had gone insane and were afraid to have their kids in my presence?
OH, by the way, I'm sure that I fail to mention that the "kids" bathroom which is RIGHT across the hall from my class is being remodeled therefore NOT IN USE! Come on people, you have GOT to be kidding me? JUST HOW LONG DOES IT TAKE TO REMODEL A BATHROOM. (ok, side note, I really don't think it's taking too long, but LAST NIGHT I DID!) So every time someone has to go to the bathroom (did I tell you some of these kids are preschool age?) we have to tramp across church through the small nursery OR if there is a sleeping infant through the main sanctuary to the "big people's " bathroom.)
Well, the end result was that each child DID get two eggs successfully dyed. We played a few rousing games and I think we did something remotely spiritual, but I can't really remember since the vinegar fumes muddled my already fried brain. I got all the kids back to their proper parents with not too much coloring on clothing, hair or faces, the fingers and hands are another story though. I delivered my nieces and nephew back to their home in one piece, and my co conspiritors, who really egged me on last night, are sleeping off their adventure in crazy town this morning. All in all I would have to consider it a satisfying night. There were no broken bones or even any bleeding by the end of the night, everyone was smiling and happy with their loot, and all is well this morning, although my head hurts a little bit from banging it on the wall repeatedly when we got home last night!
Tuesday, March 18, 2008
Dancing pictures!
Today Sarah's dancing class took pictures, both group pictures for the program and individual pictures to keep! We had a lot of fun doing all the "girlie" things that we had to do to get ready: fix her hair and put on a touch of makeup. Her ballet costume is an adorable pink confection with a tule skirt and little rosebuds on the waist. Sarah's cousin Kayleigh is in her class at dance and her youngest cousin Kynleigh takes a different class another day of the week. The three girls got to have their photo taken together and it was so CUTE!! This is a different experience for me, since Mallory is very down to earth and does not like to "dress up" though she was watching closely as I applied a tiny bit of makeup to Sarah's adorable little face, and I was surprised to hear Mallory ask me questions about HOW to apply the makeup!! She was even giving her opinion about colors and such so I made it a point to include her in the experience from then on. I must say that I was a little bit shocked at her interest. HMMMM the tide it is a changing!!!
What do I wanna be when I grow up?
I recently had the honor to sit and talk to my nephew who has just graduated homeschooling. He was in public school for a large part of his school journey and home for the last few years. He dropped in to visit with us while trying to kill time around town. That conversation has gotten me thinking. We discussed various things but mainly his life, his ambitions and his PLANS for the future. He is in that hard place right now where he is not so sure of his future plans. Fortunately he knows a few things that he DOES NOT want from life or career, but I think he may be struggling with what he DOES want.
This has gotten me pondering, or , as my favorite Sunday School teacher says: Percolating! How does one go about making these decisions? What influences our choices that we make at this age? What can we do to help guide our children into a path that meets their bents and their talents? I think by the time our kids get to this stage our part is mostly done, isn't it? I mean, this young man fortunately had parents that taught him right from wrong and good work ethic. They allowed him to follow the interests that he had and didn't push him into things that weren't a good fit. I don't know where his journey in life will take him, or what God has in store for him. Or even whether He will allow God to guide him into a future that is planned for him, but I see a young man who is really thinking about his future and life. As I look around I can also pick out a handful of young men his age who are floundering with their idea of what life should be like. It seems to me the difference is CHARACTER. AS I have been thinking and evaluating this to provide my own kids with the opportunity for success, I think it is far less a mission of educating with such and such curriculum or formula. I think it is far less about what our kids can accomplish than who they are! Will my nephew make all the right decisions as he chooses a course in life? Probably not, he wouldn't be human if he did, but the young man that I spoke to last week seems to be one who is headed in the right direction. I can only pray that my own kids retain some of what Marc and I are working so diligently to instill in their lives... and that the Character and value of life always comes first.... before academics, before entertainment, and before material things. This is hard for me to remember when we struggle to memorize math facts or engage over phonics issues. I am Glad that God gives those daily reminders to stop and focus on the real stuff.
This has gotten me pondering, or , as my favorite Sunday School teacher says: Percolating! How does one go about making these decisions? What influences our choices that we make at this age? What can we do to help guide our children into a path that meets their bents and their talents? I think by the time our kids get to this stage our part is mostly done, isn't it? I mean, this young man fortunately had parents that taught him right from wrong and good work ethic. They allowed him to follow the interests that he had and didn't push him into things that weren't a good fit. I don't know where his journey in life will take him, or what God has in store for him. Or even whether He will allow God to guide him into a future that is planned for him, but I see a young man who is really thinking about his future and life. As I look around I can also pick out a handful of young men his age who are floundering with their idea of what life should be like. It seems to me the difference is CHARACTER. AS I have been thinking and evaluating this to provide my own kids with the opportunity for success, I think it is far less a mission of educating with such and such curriculum or formula. I think it is far less about what our kids can accomplish than who they are! Will my nephew make all the right decisions as he chooses a course in life? Probably not, he wouldn't be human if he did, but the young man that I spoke to last week seems to be one who is headed in the right direction. I can only pray that my own kids retain some of what Marc and I are working so diligently to instill in their lives... and that the Character and value of life always comes first.... before academics, before entertainment, and before material things. This is hard for me to remember when we struggle to memorize math facts or engage over phonics issues. I am Glad that God gives those daily reminders to stop and focus on the real stuff.
Tax incentives!
Well, Bobby Jindal did it!! He has officially accomplished tax breaks for homeschooling! He called special session to handle some state business and one of the things that was worked on was Tax incentives for home school/ private school citizens! I knew I liked that man!! Of course tax breaks for public school students uniforms and expenses was tacked onto the bill at the end, which of course I do not mind at all, I say the more the merrier, we're overtaxed anyway right? What I DID have a problem with was some of the comments made by the State Teacher's Association president, but that is another post entirely. YOu know I don't go around bashing teachers. My belief is that the public school system in Louisiana is broken and needs repair, but I don't hold the teachers as a group responsible. I have GREAT friends who are teachers and are some of the most wonderful loving people I know. Ok, as I said that is the subject of another blog entry for a later time (when I have more time). Right now I'm just very excited that Mr. Jindal is upholding some of the promises that he has made.
Missy
Missy
Monday, March 3, 2008
January and February Happenings
Well, it has been a crazy two months so far this year. In January Mallory broke her leg and has been in either a cast or walking boot since then... It has been rather difficult for her since she is so very active. She is currently in a boot and will wear that throughout the month of March. The good thing is that it can be removed to bath and sleep, so it is better than the casts she had on previously.
Daniel is doing great! He is so much fun to be around. He's the entertainer! Keeping everyone in stitches. His reading is improving slowly, and I've discovered a few things by watching him read... Once he learns a "rule" he memorizes it instantly, and then DOES NOT veer from it! Which of course is a problem because phonics rules don't always apply. For instance he recently was reviewing the R modified vowels and got very confused because he said the when he sees AR he THINKS RA and says "ra" as in "rat" So we've stopped any extra reading of books (gasp!!!) and are strictly working on phonics. I had noticed this phenomenon with him and wondered why he said sounds that were opposite of what was written. It will be back to read aloud for him, and daily phonics. I am so glad the we waited to introduce reading to him until he was 8. I know that this puts him "behind" his level, but I can see now that the maturity he has gained in the last year is allowing him to communicate to me the problems that he could not explain at 6 or 7. It is helping us to pinpoint his weaknesses and teach to those. I also see him advancing rapidly now that he is ready to learn. His Sunday school teachers say that he is not appearing behind to them at all, which is a good thing I guess! Now math on the other hand.... the kids loves math... but don't ask him to do his problems orally, it puts him on the spot. Give him a pencil and paper and he is good to go!
Sarah is growing very much these last two months. She has really grown out of the whiny stage that has been plaguing her for years, these last few months. She still cries at the drop of a hat but if you know me very well, then you know that she comes by this naturally! Her schooling is going well, she is the only one of the three kids who seemed to really be ready for "schooling" at 6... Of course she is more of a traditional learner I guess in her learning style and is truly enjoying her language arts curriculum. In February we changed her math program to a mastery program with LOTS of review and it seems to be a good fit for her.... It has a lot of busy work that drives me nuts but she is truly enjoying it!
Both of the older two have switched math curriculum as well. Mallory switched last week to Teaching textbooks 5 and jumped into it about a third of the way through. Daniel will start 5 this week, even though he is technically in 4Th grade. He is chomping at the bit to do this new curriculum! He asked me last week to just switch "today!" It doesn't really seem to bother Mallory that they are going into the same curriculum.. I hope I have given her enough feedback to understand that their strengths are in different places, where she excels at language related school issues and he in math. I am so thankful because of these things that I home school.
Yesterday I was discussing a new charter school that our parish is beginning with someone, Mallory would be able to go into the drawing for admission (it is a lottery system) and I was asked if I would consider it. I didn't hesitate to say no, and thinking back to how I felt when we started homeschooling I have come a long way in my confidence in homeschooling. I would not have passed an opportunity like that up the first year or two that we started... But now, unless she wants to go back to regular school (which she adamantly does NOT) she's home for good! I am so thankful for all of the resources that make this possible, because I could never teach chemistry or even higher levels of language arts on my own. I am also thankful for God's grace and goodness because I could not have gotten through that first year realizing that Mallory came out of first grade at a private school with NO knowledge in math, and I mean NONE!!
But more than that I am so thankful for the relationship that we have, my three kids and I! And the opportunity to see them learn new things and grow every day.
Well, this was suppose to be an update for January and February but I guess these issues have been on my heart, since this is what all poured out! We'll see what the rest of the year brings since God's plans are always different than mine!
Daniel is doing great! He is so much fun to be around. He's the entertainer! Keeping everyone in stitches. His reading is improving slowly, and I've discovered a few things by watching him read... Once he learns a "rule" he memorizes it instantly, and then DOES NOT veer from it! Which of course is a problem because phonics rules don't always apply. For instance he recently was reviewing the R modified vowels and got very confused because he said the when he sees AR he THINKS RA and says "ra" as in "rat" So we've stopped any extra reading of books (gasp!!!) and are strictly working on phonics. I had noticed this phenomenon with him and wondered why he said sounds that were opposite of what was written. It will be back to read aloud for him, and daily phonics. I am so glad the we waited to introduce reading to him until he was 8. I know that this puts him "behind" his level, but I can see now that the maturity he has gained in the last year is allowing him to communicate to me the problems that he could not explain at 6 or 7. It is helping us to pinpoint his weaknesses and teach to those. I also see him advancing rapidly now that he is ready to learn. His Sunday school teachers say that he is not appearing behind to them at all, which is a good thing I guess! Now math on the other hand.... the kids loves math... but don't ask him to do his problems orally, it puts him on the spot. Give him a pencil and paper and he is good to go!
Sarah is growing very much these last two months. She has really grown out of the whiny stage that has been plaguing her for years, these last few months. She still cries at the drop of a hat but if you know me very well, then you know that she comes by this naturally! Her schooling is going well, she is the only one of the three kids who seemed to really be ready for "schooling" at 6... Of course she is more of a traditional learner I guess in her learning style and is truly enjoying her language arts curriculum. In February we changed her math program to a mastery program with LOTS of review and it seems to be a good fit for her.... It has a lot of busy work that drives me nuts but she is truly enjoying it!
Both of the older two have switched math curriculum as well. Mallory switched last week to Teaching textbooks 5 and jumped into it about a third of the way through. Daniel will start 5 this week, even though he is technically in 4Th grade. He is chomping at the bit to do this new curriculum! He asked me last week to just switch "today!" It doesn't really seem to bother Mallory that they are going into the same curriculum.. I hope I have given her enough feedback to understand that their strengths are in different places, where she excels at language related school issues and he in math. I am so thankful because of these things that I home school.
Yesterday I was discussing a new charter school that our parish is beginning with someone, Mallory would be able to go into the drawing for admission (it is a lottery system) and I was asked if I would consider it. I didn't hesitate to say no, and thinking back to how I felt when we started homeschooling I have come a long way in my confidence in homeschooling. I would not have passed an opportunity like that up the first year or two that we started... But now, unless she wants to go back to regular school (which she adamantly does NOT) she's home for good! I am so thankful for all of the resources that make this possible, because I could never teach chemistry or even higher levels of language arts on my own. I am also thankful for God's grace and goodness because I could not have gotten through that first year realizing that Mallory came out of first grade at a private school with NO knowledge in math, and I mean NONE!!
But more than that I am so thankful for the relationship that we have, my three kids and I! And the opportunity to see them learn new things and grow every day.
Well, this was suppose to be an update for January and February but I guess these issues have been on my heart, since this is what all poured out! We'll see what the rest of the year brings since God's plans are always different than mine!
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