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The kids and I were outside playing yesterday when I caught this incredibly playful shot of my loving little angels. They are truly what motivates, inspires and completes my soul. My life would truly be empty without them. That being said; Happy Love Thursday Everyone! Click on photo to enlarge.
Ever have one of those days when you just want to run away from home? Today was my day. Whoever said that home school was easy is crazy. I’m sorry let me rephrase that. Whoever said that home schooling, going to school and maintaining some semblance of order in the home is easy, is either a complete Suzy homemaker or a complete saint. When I decided to do this I had no preconceived notions about any of it. I didn’t really know anyone who home schooled their children. I do know that many people went out of their way to discourage me and tell me that it was one of the biggest mistakes I could ever make especially since I too am going to school. Like I always have, I did what I wanted to do. AND I AM HAPPY THAT I DID! But like anything worth doing in life, it’s not always going to be easy. Today was a little rough. Everyone had some an issue.
Although home schooling is actually running relatively smoothly, somedays like today can be a bit frustrating. I must admit though, trying to get the kids settled in the first week of school was incredibly trying. All three children (I’ve learned) have different learning styles and trying to get them acclimated to their new learning environment was a bit challenging. But that quickly passed. Everything kind of fell into place by osmosis. My biggest challenge at the moment is balancing my school and housework. I have a pile of laundry the size of Bethusala sitting in my laundry room and a nice pile of pots and pans on the counter waiting for the Brillo Pad. If you think that’s bad did you see my hair in that picture? I look like one of those awful before pictures in those shampoo commercials. CALGON TAKE ME AWAY!!
Oops! I digress. I think I was supposed to be talking about my wonderful day. Not! I don’t know what was wrong with me today I think I was just woke up on the wrong side of the bed. The problem is, I didn’t particularly have anything to be grumpy or tired about. For the first time in weeks I actually got a full night of sleep. I put some homework aside last night so that I could go to bed before 2:00 am. So, today started off like any other day. I got up made myself a cup of tea had a pear and a granola bar for breakfast and started preparing oatmeal for the kids. After the kids ate and got dressed we began our day. We worked on math, journaling and grammar in the morning and went outside and worked on Science in the afternoon. The kids and I ran around for a while and then I went inside to start preparing dinner.
By working through our general routine I started to feel a little better until I came in and had to look at my bedroom and the incredibly large piles of laundry all over the floor in the closet. It was at that crucial moment in time that I just wanted to run away as I stood there intently staring at the mounting pile of wash. It had been silently calling my name for many days and I ignored it. But now we were standing face to face and I could no longer ignore its now loud shrill cries. What to do? What to do? Do I once again ignore the large laundry monster or do I fight to the death. Well…..I chose to fight to the death. We were all starting to run out of underwear. I know that some people say that running around with no underwear is very freeing but I just can’t see it.
A few months ago I blogged about embracing my inner slob, well I’m not embracing it today! Someone please help!! All joking aside, I would really like to know who, if anyone can do what I do and still maintain a positive attitude constantly and keep a clean house. Is it possible? If you are out there or have some helpful tips on organization (anything!) please leave a comment. Or if you are just as busy and I am and would like to vent and perhaps tell me that I’m not alone I would especially love to here from you!! Peace. It’s time for me to put the clothes in the dryer.
I was trailing behind my husband and children while walking to the stream yesterday and I couldn’t help but snap this photo of man and his best friend J. Truth be told, my husband really doesn’t like our dog Lucky, but our dog certainly loves him (generally when I’m not around). Lucky is a bit too high strung for Phillip’s taste. But… every once in a while I’m able to catch a moment of adoration between the two (usually around meal times & trips to the stream), although if asked neither of them would ever admit it. Click on photo to enlarge.
I was taking a walk with my children today and happened to walk by the old 67 Volkswagon Beetle shell that my husband purchased on a whim approximately four years ago. For years I have been asking my husband to either finish putting the car together or to discard it and sell it for parts. It sat in our garage for months, taking up space. My husband would occasionally tinker with the engine and the transmission and talk to me about how he would one day put this car on the road. I was extremely supportive and gave him all of the time that he needed to work on his dream. But then, slowly but surely he became busy and the dream slowly fizzled. He had good reason to stop working on the car, he enrolled in school to finish the college degree that he started years ago and work became outrageously chaotic. To make matters worse he temporarily became obsessed with another vehicle, but this one was new. He decided to purchase a brand spankin-new pickup truck.
Being the loving and supportive wife that I am I kept my mouth shut until I went into the garage and could not get to my gardening tools because his disassembled monstrosity was in the way. The engine was on one side of the garage and the and various parts were on the other side. I emphatically told him to put the engine, chassis and tools on one side of the garage and place the body outside. He reluctantly agreed.
He moved his beloved Volkswagon body to the two acre lot adjacent to the house behind a makeshift shed so that I wouldn’t have to look at it. I can’t say that I was completely happy, after all I did and still want him to complete his dream. I just don’t want to trip over his dream while trying to make it to my gardening tools. I shot the above picture while on my walk with the children and I couldn’t help but notice the beauty of the wild flowers growing in and around the vintage bug. I do not know what the ultimate outcome of this classic car will be. Perhaps one day when my husband has the time and money he will finish it. One can only hope. I know I do. Click on picture to enlarge.
For all intents and purposes today was not a really good day. I spent a great deal of my day paying bills (that’s always fun!J) and running around from store to store picking up groceries and other necessary items to get us through the next couple of weeks. I’m not sure what was wrong with me, I just wasn’t myself. Could it be the hundreds of dollars spent making car and utility payments today? Or was it simply that fact that for the past couple of days I have been stressing out about several homework assignments that I have due at the end of the week. I have been avoiding them like the plague; making excuse after excuse as to why I haven’t had time to finish them. Who am I kidding? I’ve just been absolutely exhausted and have been doing everything but trying to fulfill my academic responsibilities. Last night I started to study but I ended up watching several episodes of Law & Order Special Victims Unit and them passing out on the couch. Earlier that day when I could have been working on my papers I ended up spending time with a friend that I haven’t seen in a few weeks. It’s funny because I spend a great deal of time and effort telling my children that procrastination is not good, but this week I’ve waited until the last minute to do all of my assignments. I feel like such a hypocrite. Maybe the kids should have a talk with me about my procrastination.
They seem to be on task, often telling me at the beginning of the day what’s on their agendas. Although, I usually go over their lesson plans the night prior, I always get a kick out of them knowing exactly what they need to work on before I open my mouth. Anyway, I digress. I need to get my work done and have absolutely no desire to do it. I’ve been doing relatively well all semester, and now I’m at the home stretch and my enthusiasm and motivation have completely gone out the window. This is a big week for me. I have an assignment due in Graphic design worth 650 points and another assignment worth 15% of my grade. Although I have started my graphic design assignment, I have not begun writing the other one. To be honest I should probably not be posting right now, this is just another pathetic attempt to avoid the inevitable. But I promised myself that I would begin my paper as soon as I finish my blog.
After thinking about my wretched behavior today, I realize that I have no excuse for not doing what I have to do. They do. All in the interest of making my husband and I proud. It is my duty to set a good example for my children. I can only say that it is not I who have set a good example for them this week. It is they who have set a good example for me. I took the picture above and below of my beloved Jules and Samsara sitting at their desks doing their schoolwork. I can’t explain the emotions that welled up in me when I snapped these photo’s, I can only say that I couldn’t be prouder. They were on task. I think that we can all take a lesson from our children at times (who am I kidding most of the time). They possess a wisdom far greater than we realize. I’m just happy that I am fortunate enough to witness that ethereal intelligence. As for me, I have a paper to write and a project to complete, so I'll be signing off now. Goodnight.
Thought I would post this picture of my best friend Jenora and her daughters Jamie and Sierra. I took this picture about a month ago after a long trip to Atlantic City. I don’t have a great deal to say about this photo. I think the love that they share speaks for itself. Love is the all encompassing glue that holds us together. Happy Love Thursday everyone!!! Click on photo to enlarge.
A little over a month ago my husband and I decided to enroll the children in karate class. We talked about doing it for many years but because of our extremely busy schedules and our inability to find a suitable karate instructor who would take all three children, our hopes and dreams were sadly crushed. We had essentially given up the search and resided to the fact that this would not happen for our children until we moved or something drastic happened.
When we made the decision to home school we decided to once again begin our search. Fortunately we didn’t have to search very far, we found a wonderful instructor in a young black belt who was teaching classes in our gym. We went to the gym to observe one of his classes and talked to him for over an hour about his experience and what we wanted for our children in terms of their lessons. He listened to us talk about our many concerns and answered all of our questions. We have talked to other instructors who have talked down to us, or never let us get a word in edgewise because they were too busy boasting about all or their accomplishments. We told him that our boys were beyond enthusiastic but our daughter was not (to say the least).
My husband had taken karate for several years and knew exactly what he was looking for in an instructor, so when they started talking I immediately knew that there was a connection between Phillip and the instructor. He told us that he would take all three of the children and give them private instruction before placing them in the class with more experienced students and that we were more than welcome to sit in on all of their lessons if we chose to do so. He told us that belt tests were approximately once every three months depending on how well the children did and that he didn’t put any real pressure on the kids to get their first belt. My husband and I generally consider ourselves to have a good judge of character, so when we finished talking to him we were immediately sold. We signed the children up the very next day. I couldn’t wait until they got started.
I was a little worried about Samsara because she emphatically stated that she was “just not interested”. But I knew that if she gave it a solid go that she would enjoy herself. I observed the first class and was immediately impressed with how quickly they caught on (even Samsara). The little girl who told me that she was not interested in taking Karate had a smile on her face the whole class. When the class ended I asked the kids what they thought about their first lesson. Talking over one another they all excitedly told me that it was great, and they wanted to know when the next class was scheduled. Even Samsara (who was the hardest sell) had to admit that she loved it! When they got home they told Phillip about what a wonderful time they had and almost as quickly as they ran in began to show him what they learned with their new Sensei.
All in all I truly believe that these lessons will benefit all of them (myself included). They’ve been practicing daily and have already been placed in the class with the other students. With each passing lesson they learn a new Chinese word or saying. I caught Jules walking around the house counting from 1 to 10 in Chinese, and they are all learning about how beneficial the art of meditation is. We’ve all been meditating as a result.
I really can’t say enough about our decision to sign them up for Karate. I can only say that they are all extremely happy about their new lessons. After all isn’t it our job as parents to help them find their bliss. I think so.
The kids and I had pretty good day today. We had a lot to do today in terms of their schoolwork but despite that fact we were all relatively content. I didn’t go to bed until 2:30 this morning so I was actually amazed that I was as alert as I was. I stayed up late finishing a project for my Computer applications, and Success Strategies classes. I completely waited until the last minute to finish these projects so I’m thrilled that they are now out of my hair. Above and beyond all of my scholastic insanity, I got up early this morning, planned out my lessons for the day, fed my little darlings, pushed them into the shower and dragged them downstairs for school.
Donovan had to take a test on reading comprehension and math, Samsara had an opinion based paper to write on the Legend of Mulan and Jules had a gaggle of math, science, social studies and reading. All in all we were in for a spectacularly busy day. We started the day with our morning prayer, our journal entries, and we were off and running. I placed Donovan at one computer so that he could take his 4th grade assessment test, placed Samsara at the other computer so that she could complete her 3rd grade technology lesson and Jules and I got started on his math assignments (identifying the value of numbers).
Everything was going smoothly today. The children worked hard on all of their assignments and asked questions when needed. We had lunch, physical education/recess and returned to complete our last assignment for the day; the U.S. Constitution. We read our text books, talked about the rules for the government, the three branches of government, the role of the president, the purpose of the U.S. constitution and (last but not least) the meaning of a democratic society. I was surprised that Donovan and Samsara knew so little about our government. It just baffled me because I just assumed that this was something that they studied in their Social Studies classes in their traditional school. Despite that fact I plodded on, asking them questions about the meaning of freedom, equality, happiness and the symbolism associated with the American Flag, the Liberty Bell, and the Statue of Liberty. After their lesson they were all able to engage me in rather interesting conversations about everything that we discussed. I was beaming! When it was all said and done they could even tell me what the three main branches of government were (smile!!). They were so thrilled about what they learned that we decided that we were going to make our own classroom constitution in the morning. My children were all genuinely excited about learning and wanted to dig deeper and learn more about our government. I couldn’t have been more pleased.
It’s these wonderful moments that I long for as a mother, happy inquisitive children with a love of learning. I don’t think that I had the same drive when I was a child, so I’m extremely pleased to see that they are thirsting for more knowledge with each passing day. I truly believe that home schooling is a wonderful thing. The kids get the one on one attention that they need that they don’t get in a brick and mortar school. I as their parent have the unique opportunity to work with them on a daily basis and take an active role in their academic and spiritual life. They know that they can come to my husband and me about everything and by and large the bond that we share is immeasurable. I honestly can’t ask for a better life or a better opportunity to share this gift of learning with my children. Let’s face it, they are not only learning from me I am also learning more than they could possibly realize from them.
I usually don’t buy a lot of music, but a few days ago I came across a CD which I absolutely love. Not being one to really talk about my musical likes and dislikes I really have to LOVE a CD to buy or blog about it to anyone. Corrine Bailey Rae is an absolutely fabulous artist. Her music is (for lack of a better description) unabashedly full of that easy going soul that I love so much. It’s quirky and she tells a story, which is something that you don’t get from many artists these days. I can sit and listen to her all day. Her music is organic. There’s no real sampling or loud drums and no pounding beat, just the sublime soulful sound of her raspy voice permeating the airwaves. I can only say that it has been a long time since an artist has affected me on such a deep or intellectual level. Her lyrics are smart and truly possess that classical bluesy soul that I love so much. I highly recommend it.
I haven’t posted in forever (16 days to be exact). I could give a million reasons as to why I haven’t posted. But why bother. Between my school, the kids school, my husband, the many household chores and the running around that I do carting the kids around from karate, dance and basketball my schedule is INSANE!!!! It’s a wonder I haven’t dropped dead. By the time I wind down at night blogging is the last thing that I am thinking about. But I made promise to myself that I would start blogging again at least a couple of times a week. I need to! Somehow life is a little better when I do. I can get everything off of my chest that has been bothering me, or just talk about the wonderful things the kids are doing for the day. There are so many things that have taken place over the last couple of weeks that they are almost too numerous to mention. But I’m going to try summarize everything in the next couple of posts. J Today I’m going to talk a little about my adventures in home schooling.
As I mentioned in an earlier post, I have started to home school the children. WHAT WAS I THINKING!!! Just kidding. Life is good. We’re actually doing quite well. I had my qualms in the beginning but any reservations that I initially had were now gone. We have a pretty good thing going. I have learned quite a bit about my children over the past couple of weeks. I have learned about their learning styles, their weaknesses and their strengths (things that I would not have known as much about if I was not home schooling). Don’t misunderstand I know my children like the back of my hand, but since I did not spend any real time with them in their classrooms there was a great number of things about them academically that I didn’t know (that I am quickly learning now).
Samsara, I’m finding out is a wonderful student but needs a great deal of help with her spelling. Donovan who is also a wonderful student needs to learn how to focus on one subject at a time. Last but not least, Jules who is also very bright I’m discovering is the class clown. He takes nothing seriously and is always ready with a good joke, at the most inappropriate times of the lesson. Sometimes his humor isn’t so bad, we need a good joke every once in a while.
Despite all of the madness, the kids are thriving and actually enjoying home schooling. I try to keep things interesting throughout the day supplementing lesson plans with trips to the library, and with educational videos and games to enhance the regular curriculum. They like the freedom that we have in terms of being able to go on field trips and being able to take walks in the woods when we need to go outside for Science or physical education. Their social needs are met with basketball, dance and karate lessons and they can go see friends on the weekends. I was worried about them going nuts about being cooped up in the house. But I’m finding that we go out more now in the interest of learning more than they did at school. They have more individual time on the computer and when they need extra help on a particular subject they are able to spend as much time as they need on it without interruption. Even with all of these activities we are able to finish their work for the day.
The day is a little shorter than traditional school because frankly you do not have to factor in the commute. I will say that we do stick to a schedule. We all wake up at 8:00 am, eat, shower and dress by 9:00 am. We say our morning prayer and get to work.
Many people have told me that I’m nuts and that I will have no free time and that I’m going to completely lose my mind. So far, so good I’m still sane. I usually take my free time at night after they go to sleep (to do my homework and relax) and on the weekends when I go get my hair and nails done. I also grab free time when I go to the gym. I get in shape and go home with extra added energy to do what I have to do. I can’t lie, I have a wonderful support system. I wouldn’t be able to do any of this without my husbands support. This is not an easy venture and anyone who tell you otherwise is lying. Home schooling three children can be a daunting task at times. But in my case the positive out ways the negative by a long shot. My children are very bright, and this experience will benefit our family greatly in the long run.
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