Sunday, October 30, 2011

Wednesday, October 26, 2011

The Girl Who Could Fly

My reading time has picked up a bit lately.  Hey, there's got to be a positive side to having insomnia, right?

I've been reading for the first time some of my kids' books, and rereading some of mine.  I think depending on what is going on in your life, different things tend to stand out when you read them.  I think I'll start sharing some of those.

This from  The Girl Who Could Fly by Victoria Forester

"...At that moment, he was meaner and madder than he'd ever been, but mainly at himself, which is the worst kind of mean and mad to be, because the only thing to do about it is to take it out on someone else...."

That sentence right there hit me.  Haven't we all had a child having a rough day, or a rough string of days?  And quite often, though not always, it's like they are digging their own hole and taking it out on others?  They cause those around them to stand their guard or avoid them completely. This type of mad isn't cured with punishments ('tho still dished out here when behavior is unacceptable).  This type of mad is only curtailed when the one who is angry has a change of heart. 

Very often when a child is misbehaving over and over, there's a reason, and we've tried to keep our eyes open for that reason.  However, I tend to think externally.  Is someone else picking on this child?  Are they coming down with a cold?  Feeling left out?  Needing attention?  I think these are all still important questions to consider (and really, who knows better than a parent when their child will be sick the next day).  But sometimes we need to think internally - within the child - and this little line in a 300 page book reminded me of that.  Sometimes kids need to the tools to accept their own failings, be assured they are loved, and move on.  (Did I say kids?  Don't we all?)

BTW:  This is juvenile fiction book.  I recommend it (especially if you desire some light reading for those insomniatic nights.  It was an easy read, and just like it says on the bottom of the cover, "It's the oddest/sweetest mix of Little House on the Prairie and X-Men..." 

Wednesday, October 12, 2011

Homeschool Schedules

Someone asked me what our school schedule was like.   I was trying to put it on here - closest I can come is a link.  All of my kids have their own schedule - it's in Excel and each worksheet is a week.

ONE CHILD'S WEEKLY LESSON SHEET
Black:  Child can do pretty much on their own
Red:  Child needs my help or a lesson
Blue:  Something we do as a group

https://docs.google.com/spreadsheet/ccc?key=0AgMnuQ44H0LudGZNbVU1VkxRdnRnbXh1Rm9STUZNakE&hl=en_US#gid=0

SCHOOL DAY CALENDAR
Only Anna is left off this year - she's mainly PSEO

https://docs.google.com/spreadsheet/ar?&hl=en_US&id=tdPFXz8bvYCsH-pxqZoMGrg.02705729070002862730.2367039477921568304&action=1&tile=0&rpert=20&srow=0&erow=58&scol=0&ecol=7&fprt=false&tfe=yh_80&gsessionid=FPnNCEVqsHk


QUARTERLY PLAN
And finally.....this is something I did for the first time ever...we have a lot of "planned" complications for our school year (i.e. baby, etc.)  So...quarter 2 is in 3 pieces and pared down as much as possible.

https://docs.google.com/spreadsheet/ar?&hl=en_US&id=tbDz15qr0JMYqBedcjckdNg.02705729070002862730.537575358919380012&action=1&tile=0&rpert=20&srow=0&erow=91&scol=0&ecol=14&fprt=false&tfe=yh_484

Monday, October 10, 2011

One homeschool family's day off

People often ask if we take days off school like the brick and mortar school kids do.   My answer?  We do take days off...they are generally not planned but generally happen because of unplanned events.   By not planning our 10 or however many days off per year, I figure we have 10 or so we can take on a whim.  Today was one of those days.   I am a very schedule oriented person - days like this are a challenge to me...ahem...a chance to grow.

Plan for today:
Get myself up at 6:30 am
Begin school at 8:00
Have a short recess, lunch break, rest/nap time
End school at about 3:30
Get some mom work done
Eat dinner
Take Nathan to his dentist appt
Get home and go to bed.

This is what happened - looks like I had spare time?  Nope...just leaving off details here.

Get up at nearly 8 am (sick kids up a lot!)  why is it the insomniac pregnant mom finally gets to sleep only to have sick children wake up???  a chance to practice holiness I guess.  maybe if I was better at it God wouldn't think I needed so much practice.....

Tell kids to work on anything they can alone.

Go to OB appt after calling the nurse and being told to come in right away (everything is fine - uncomfortable but fine) - remember to grab Therese's writing assignments so I can edit them while waiting.

Get everyone and go to old house to prep for a 2nd showing (open house was yesterday and we had no idea how it was looking afterwards)

But...Anna needs a ride to a PSEO class in the middle of all this (she normally takes my van because I am normally....at home homeschooling!)

Rush everyone home and drop off all but youngest 2.

Take them to the doc.  6 yr old Elizabeth probably has another sinus infection.   (incidentally...she was supposed to get 2 vaccines last week in hopes of reducing the number and duration of sinus infections she gets...but she couldn't get them because she was......sick)

Stop at Target for meds

Get home in time to make dinner (gee....if I had planned ahead I would have one of the kids at home do this).

Eat.

Help Nathan with some homework

Take Nathan to his dentist appt (and make weekly meal plan while waiting :) )

Swing back to old house to turn off all the lights.

Get back home and finish helping Nathan and get everyone in bed.

I was exhausted.  But...yes...I missed that window!  Now I cannot sleep.  Usually I stay off the computer because that never helps me fall asleep....but decided to try something new tonight.

I pray that tomorrow will be a more productive day :)  But....I guess that's why I called it our day off.

Wednesday, October 5, 2011

Vocabulary words at their finest

I overheard this conversation between 2 of our kids.

1.  Older child:  "Do you think Mom knows what that word means?"
2.  Younger child:  "Of course, she's probably read the dictionary like a million times by now."

Not sure if I should take that as a she's ancient or a she's smart comment.

If I actually did read the dictionary I would know what my kids' vocab words are from their writing class - for now I just ask them to write the synonym above it so I can edit their papers without a dictionary.

insipid, quintessential, thwart...those I can handle.

But, seriously, do you know any of the following?!
fetid, lachrymose, timorous, lucubrate

Have to say I love that they are taking this class.  And I really do love that they are learning the difficult vocabulary.  It's fun seeing them use the words in their papers without a second thought...as long as they write the synonym above.