Wow, I can't believe it is 2012. I feel like it should be 2001 or '02. Our family had a wonderful Christmas and New Years and now we're trying to get back into the groove of school work, chores, and activities. My kids are almost always reluctant to do school work. I honestly try my hardest to make it fun, interesting, and as short as possible when I know that it's not going well. Now I'm going to try something new. For a couple weeks at a time we are going to immerse ourselves into one topic. I will include our spelling words, the books we read and maybe even math (if I can figure out how). I'll look up craft projects, music, anything and everything we can find on the subject we have chosen.
For Christmas my husband and I decided to give each of the kids spending money instead of toys. This way they could learn how far money actually went and hopefully appreciate what they purchased. The two older kids decided they were going to purchase lizards. They were given a tank from a friend so one thing was off the list and then we headed to the pet store to price out and also figure out what would be the best type of lizard to get. We (group decision) decided to go with Uromastyx based on their diet, their size, and their handleability.
For the next two weeks we are going to research everthing to do with Uromastyx! It will be our first immersion project. Off to the library we go!
Sunday, January 15, 2012
Monday, September 26, 2011
Danger!
I saw this video http://www.ted.com/talks/gever_tulley_on_5_dangerous_things_for_kids.html a while back and it made me think of my own childhood and the things we were allowed to do that most kids don't get to do today. In no way am I promoting carelessness but I do think we need to let our children experience things that maybe considered "dangerous" by todays standards. So guess what we did today !?! We went driving.....far out of town! It was a first for both my 8 and 10 year old and they loved it. My eldest daughter kept saying, "I can't believe you get to do this everyday!" My eight year old son was so happy that he couldn't wait to get home to tell his Papa but wasn't sure if this was information that he was supposed to share. I'm sure my dad would think it was pretty cool. He was the one who got him his first pocket knife so we already have 2 things crossed off the list!
What do you think? Too dangerous?
What do you think? Too dangerous?
Wednesday, September 07, 2011
Horse Play
When deciding what activities to do this year it wasn't hard to pick! I'm actually quite selfish when it comes to choosing activities. Can all the kids participate - or a least a couple? - I don't like driving all over town multiple times a week. Is it near supper time? I don't like to be rushed before or after supper or I end up driving through Mc D's and having an awful stomach ache. Will I have to wake up early? There's no chance I'll make it on time. How much is this going to cost? I've heard of parents spending $10, 000 a year on sports! Will I have to travel for tournaments? I have better things to do on the weekend. These are all questions that I consider but most importantly I want my kids to enjoy it, I do not want to feel like it's a chore. I watch too many families sign up for sports or other activities and are running almost every night of the week. Then they are off to tournaments or competitions on the weekends - spending money on hotels and eating out. Looking from the outside in they do not seem happy about it either. I hear so many complaints that it makes me wonder who signed the kids up for it in the first place. There is always the exception where it is the child's passion but I'm more interested in balance.
We ended up choosing Western Riding Lessons at Midnight's Trail. Levi (6) was not too sure about it. He was concerned about how large a horse was and how he would be able to fit on one. Max was excited until the morning of then started to get nervous. Zoe just couldn't wait. Our first class was this past Monday which was exciting because Scott had a day off and he could come too. The kids had so much fun and are asking everyday when we are going back. My favorite part was that I could schedule a time during the day - which leaves us free in the evenings! I love homeschooling!!!
We ended up choosing Western Riding Lessons at Midnight's Trail. Levi (6) was not too sure about it. He was concerned about how large a horse was and how he would be able to fit on one. Max was excited until the morning of then started to get nervous. Zoe just couldn't wait. Our first class was this past Monday which was exciting because Scott had a day off and he could come too. The kids had so much fun and are asking everyday when we are going back. My favorite part was that I could schedule a time during the day - which leaves us free in the evenings! I love homeschooling!!!
Friday, September 02, 2011
2:23 am
Do your kids wake you up in the middle of the night? My three year old has every night for four weeks! She had surgery August 5th and in the middle of the night at the hospital there is a shift change. The new nurse needs to check his/her patients - and by check I mean poke and bother them until they wake up. I don't know why it's taking so long to get back into a regular sleep pattern but if you have any ideas please share!
Since I'm up I might as well do something. This way I'll have less to do tomorrow and have a guilt free nap at about 4:00 when my eyelids become too heavy to keep open!
Wednesday night our homeschool kick off bbq was rained out. We decided not to cancel but instead have it at our house. We are very blessed with an open floor plan and enough square footage to host events so I thought why not. We ended up with a total of 36 people (22 kids and 14 parents). With that many kids you would think there would be some sort of issue that arises, a scuffle or argument but nothing happened. They all played together - everyone was included. Even the little one's didn't fuss or cry about anything! Do you think that it may be because they are homeschooled? I'd like to think so ;)
There was only one mom who came that's not currently homeschooling. I invited her because she was curious and I wanted to prove we weren't all wack jobs. She knows many homeschoolers but doesn't know how to fit it into her busy life. Now that I've been in the homeschooling scene for a few years I am to the point where I am confident in my decision. Not that I wasn't confident initially but looking back I remember all the insecurities ... Am I doing what's best for my kids?....Will I be able to teach them properly? What if I screw up? ect... and on top of it you have all the outside pressure and comments...."What are you thinking?...What makes you qualified to teach? ... Do you have a university degree in education like the school teachers? .... Your kids will be socially awkward!.... I wouldn't do that if I were you!" But there comes a time in your life when you just know. You can feel that it's what you were called to do. It's not just with homeschooling but other things in life. I'm a firm believer in trusting your gut or listening to that inner voice that's guiding you. You will hit road blocks, it's not always going to be "fun" but what is? The things in life worth doing take effort, time and patience but my kids are worth it. I cherish everyday with them - life is too short not to be with the one's you love the most!
Since I'm up I might as well do something. This way I'll have less to do tomorrow and have a guilt free nap at about 4:00 when my eyelids become too heavy to keep open!
Wednesday night our homeschool kick off bbq was rained out. We decided not to cancel but instead have it at our house. We are very blessed with an open floor plan and enough square footage to host events so I thought why not. We ended up with a total of 36 people (22 kids and 14 parents). With that many kids you would think there would be some sort of issue that arises, a scuffle or argument but nothing happened. They all played together - everyone was included. Even the little one's didn't fuss or cry about anything! Do you think that it may be because they are homeschooled? I'd like to think so ;)
There was only one mom who came that's not currently homeschooling. I invited her because she was curious and I wanted to prove we weren't all wack jobs. She knows many homeschoolers but doesn't know how to fit it into her busy life. Now that I've been in the homeschooling scene for a few years I am to the point where I am confident in my decision. Not that I wasn't confident initially but looking back I remember all the insecurities ... Am I doing what's best for my kids?....Will I be able to teach them properly? What if I screw up? ect... and on top of it you have all the outside pressure and comments...."What are you thinking?...What makes you qualified to teach? ... Do you have a university degree in education like the school teachers? .... Your kids will be socially awkward!.... I wouldn't do that if I were you!" But there comes a time in your life when you just know. You can feel that it's what you were called to do. It's not just with homeschooling but other things in life. I'm a firm believer in trusting your gut or listening to that inner voice that's guiding you. You will hit road blocks, it's not always going to be "fun" but what is? The things in life worth doing take effort, time and patience but my kids are worth it. I cherish everyday with them - life is too short not to be with the one's you love the most!
Wednesday, August 31, 2011
Well I'd have to say this last week went pretty well! We took in several activities including the waterpark with a bunch of homeschooling friends, the farmers market on Saturday, visiting several pet stores and purchasing a new lizard.
Our new leapord gecko "Alex"
As for my to do list, I did awesome! We chose our homeschool name the day we started our blog last Wednesday so we already had two items off the list by the time we posted the list of seven.
#1 - Choose a school name - GLOW is an acronym for "God leads our way". I found it on a homeschooling site and loved it. The kids were all ok with it too so that was quick.
#2 - Create a blog - Creating a blog was easy. We all sat down, chose a few colours and made our first post. Now we just need readers!
#3 - Plan a crafternoon - almost done! I have a craft planned and date chosen and later today I will invite friends through a fb event. Check back the 14th of September to get the DIY and check out the pics from our very first "Crafternoon".
#4 /#5- Curriculum/Scheduling - My family is sitting down every evening after supper and going over the next days events including outings, chores, meals and school work. We also let "dad" know all our accomplishments we made earlier that day. I have also signed the kids up for horseback riding lessons, created accounts on Khan Academy (for our math) and started back with "100 Easy Lessons" with the boys and Zoe is reading "Zooborns". For writing we are practicing penmanship by choosing words or letters that need improvement. We also decided to sign up for golf lessons in the spring, and "Afternoon Adventures" a homeschooling gym class held at the YMCA once a week.
#6 - Involving the kids - I ended up switching this task to "be more involved". I put my cell phone on ignore for a large part of the week and made a conscious effort at being present in all our activities. I have a difficult time putting my kids, our homeschooling, house cleaning, and my personal goals ahead of others. I don't do this intentionally - I just think that if a client "needs" something this morning I might as well get it done, we can always do our family stuff in the afternoon, then I get a call to watch someone's kid(s) and I think we could do a little school work this evening, we have plenty of time. And I end up putting off our to do's for an entire week. Then my stomach starts to knot cause I'm so behind and then I try to play catch up and run myself ragged by staying up late and still never being able to get where I want to be. This year is going to be different. My clients will have to give me notice (at least a week), I will only babysit when there is an emergency, and we will not be answering calls or responding to emails in the morning while we are "at school". The doorbell is already unplugged and the phones will have to go on mute.
#7 - Purchase a new book for myself - I really wanted to purchase a "homeschooling" book but ended up a little short in the $ department. I ended up choosing a "Clean Eating" magazine at the supermarket check out so I could still feel like I completed this task.
My goals for next week are going to be a little different. I assumed that if I blogged once a week it would be easier on me but in hind site I think I'd rather break it up. I'm going to post every other day (possibly everyday) instead and try to stick to just one topic. I think it will make for lighter reading and shorter intervals at the pc for me.
Check back on Friday - I'll let you know how the home school kick off party went that we are hosting tonight. Only 43 people coming over due to our park bbq being rained out. Should be a blast!
Our new leapord gecko "Alex"
As for my to do list, I did awesome! We chose our homeschool name the day we started our blog last Wednesday so we already had two items off the list by the time we posted the list of seven.
#1 - Choose a school name - GLOW is an acronym for "God leads our way". I found it on a homeschooling site and loved it. The kids were all ok with it too so that was quick.
#2 - Create a blog - Creating a blog was easy. We all sat down, chose a few colours and made our first post. Now we just need readers!
#3 - Plan a crafternoon - almost done! I have a craft planned and date chosen and later today I will invite friends through a fb event. Check back the 14th of September to get the DIY and check out the pics from our very first "Crafternoon".
#4 /#5- Curriculum/Scheduling - My family is sitting down every evening after supper and going over the next days events including outings, chores, meals and school work. We also let "dad" know all our accomplishments we made earlier that day. I have also signed the kids up for horseback riding lessons, created accounts on Khan Academy (for our math) and started back with "100 Easy Lessons" with the boys and Zoe is reading "Zooborns". For writing we are practicing penmanship by choosing words or letters that need improvement. We also decided to sign up for golf lessons in the spring, and "Afternoon Adventures" a homeschooling gym class held at the YMCA once a week.
#6 - Involving the kids - I ended up switching this task to "be more involved". I put my cell phone on ignore for a large part of the week and made a conscious effort at being present in all our activities. I have a difficult time putting my kids, our homeschooling, house cleaning, and my personal goals ahead of others. I don't do this intentionally - I just think that if a client "needs" something this morning I might as well get it done, we can always do our family stuff in the afternoon, then I get a call to watch someone's kid(s) and I think we could do a little school work this evening, we have plenty of time. And I end up putting off our to do's for an entire week. Then my stomach starts to knot cause I'm so behind and then I try to play catch up and run myself ragged by staying up late and still never being able to get where I want to be. This year is going to be different. My clients will have to give me notice (at least a week), I will only babysit when there is an emergency, and we will not be answering calls or responding to emails in the morning while we are "at school". The doorbell is already unplugged and the phones will have to go on mute.
#7 - Purchase a new book for myself - I really wanted to purchase a "homeschooling" book but ended up a little short in the $ department. I ended up choosing a "Clean Eating" magazine at the supermarket check out so I could still feel like I completed this task.
My goals for next week are going to be a little different. I assumed that if I blogged once a week it would be easier on me but in hind site I think I'd rather break it up. I'm going to post every other day (possibly everyday) instead and try to stick to just one topic. I think it will make for lighter reading and shorter intervals at the pc for me.
Check back on Friday - I'll let you know how the home school kick off party went that we are hosting tonight. Only 43 people coming over due to our park bbq being rained out. Should be a blast!
Monday, August 29, 2011
Where's Veda?
I'm doing quite well with my list from last Wednesday but I'll tell you all about that in my next post - I still have 2 days left to complete it ;).
All during the day the kids have been in and out of the house. My parents who live at the same property (separate suite) were out gardening and doing other yard work so the kids would go see them in the yard and sometimes pop into their place for a quick a visit. Around 5:00 Scott (my hubby) gets home from work and was wondering where Veda (3 yrs old) was. Well she's with the other kids of course - in the yard! So I went out to check. She wasn't in the back yard with Zoe, Nanny and Papa, she hadn't gone to the neighbors yard with her brothers, where could she be? By now panic starts to set in. She was really tired, maybe she headed upstairs for a nap - nope not there either. Now I'm really panicking, Scott hops in the car to drive around the block and I'm dialing 911. At this point I'm feeling like I'm the worst mother on the planet - why wasn't she at my side? why are the baby locks on my knobs so useless? why don't my kids listen? While I'm on the phone the kids, Scott, my parents, the neighbors (kids and adults) are all searching for Veda. As I'm giving the description I hear, "I've found her!" She had gone into my parents suite and wedged herself under a chair and behind a flower pot in their front entry. While in her cozy little spot she had fallen asleep - hence the reason she did not answer when I shouted her name only 2 feet away while searching for her a few minutes before. The police officer that came out did not seem as happy as I was. Thank God she's safe! I couldn't bear the thought of anything happening to her. Give your little one's an extra hug tonight - I know I will!
Where'sWaldo Veda?
All during the day the kids have been in and out of the house. My parents who live at the same property (separate suite) were out gardening and doing other yard work so the kids would go see them in the yard and sometimes pop into their place for a quick a visit. Around 5:00 Scott (my hubby) gets home from work and was wondering where Veda (3 yrs old) was. Well she's with the other kids of course - in the yard! So I went out to check. She wasn't in the back yard with Zoe, Nanny and Papa, she hadn't gone to the neighbors yard with her brothers, where could she be? By now panic starts to set in. She was really tired, maybe she headed upstairs for a nap - nope not there either. Now I'm really panicking, Scott hops in the car to drive around the block and I'm dialing 911. At this point I'm feeling like I'm the worst mother on the planet - why wasn't she at my side? why are the baby locks on my knobs so useless? why don't my kids listen? While I'm on the phone the kids, Scott, my parents, the neighbors (kids and adults) are all searching for Veda. As I'm giving the description I hear, "I've found her!" She had gone into my parents suite and wedged herself under a chair and behind a flower pot in their front entry. While in her cozy little spot she had fallen asleep - hence the reason she did not answer when I shouted her name only 2 feet away while searching for her a few minutes before. The police officer that came out did not seem as happy as I was. Thank God she's safe! I couldn't bear the thought of anything happening to her. Give your little one's an extra hug tonight - I know I will!
Where's
Wednesday, August 24, 2011
Happy New Year! (I mean School Year)
Fall feels like New Year's to me. I have a list of resolutions a mile long and start to feel chest pains while thinking of how I'm going to fit it all in. Every year I promise myself that this year is going to be different, I'm going to stay on track, be more organized, come close to finishing my daily goals or at least be able to find my daily list in the stack of papers on my desk. What I am doing differently this year than past years is creating accountability. For excersising I have joined a fitness class, and for school I have this blog. My commitment is to create a blog post once per week going over what we are doing. what we have accomplished and what we're planning for the next week.
This weeks goals: 1) Choose a school name.
(for school) 2) Create a Blog
3) Plan a "crafternoon" for September with other homeschooling families.
4) Schedule my weekday and weekend activities for next week.
5) Make a curriculum ....should only take a week right? ;)
6) Involve my kids wherever possible.
7) Purchase a new book for myself (I'm looking at one by John Holt)
I am limiting myself to 7 goals per week for now to see how it goes. If I find that I have completed everything on my list I may add a few more for next week.
This weeks goals: 1) Choose a school name.
(for school) 2) Create a Blog
3) Plan a "crafternoon" for September with other homeschooling families.
4) Schedule my weekday and weekend activities for next week.
5) Make a curriculum ....should only take a week right? ;)
6) Involve my kids wherever possible.
7) Purchase a new book for myself (I'm looking at one by John Holt)
I am limiting myself to 7 goals per week for now to see how it goes. If I find that I have completed everything on my list I may add a few more for next week.
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