Week 3, Day1

Today is Monday: the first day of our third week of homeschooling.  Can I just say..... wow!  Homeschooling is difficult but rewarding, daunting and eye-opening, exhausting yet exciting, and I've only just begun.  I'd love to tell you a little about why it is each of these things.

Homeschooling is difficult.
          My kids are ages 6, 4, and 1.  My 6 year old  is cruising through the work that I bought him.  I knew I was starting him at a place where he would be reviewing quite a bit, but that has proven more difficult than I realized.  I've already skipped half of the language arts book that I bought him, and instead of taking a couple weeks to accomplish a math chapter, he is doing one chapter a week.  He's really ready to move on with his math, but when I had him take the assessment, it showed that there were things in this book that he still needed to learn.  I'm so glad that with homeschooling you can go at your own child's pace because if Wade was in school right now and had to do this work without the ability to skip ahead, I think he would go crazy.  Can I just tell you how much energy a 6 year old boy has?  He's bouncing off the walls!  I'm really trying to find the balance between all of his subjects, making sure he's challenged enough while still allowing him to have the time to let out his energy and creativity.  It's not easy.
          My 4 year old is doing a preschool curriculum, as well as a government funded program called Upstart that essentially teaches children how to read.  He is doing really well with both, considering he already knew all his letters and most sounds.  He's learning how to write, though, and that's been great.  My biggest challenge has been trying to get him to believe in himself.  He compares himself to his brother, and if Wade is doing something better, he wants to give up.  If he thinks something is hard, he wants to give up . I've really had to make a theme of "We can do hard things" because of Owen's attitude.  He will throw a tantrum and refuse to do what I'm asking, simply because he's scared of failing.  This is something I really want to help him overcome, so I'm praying for inspiration and really trying to teach him to have a growth mindset.  It's not easy.
          My 1 year old is all over the place.  He is climbing on the table or on the art easel.  He's pulling out all the crayons, all the pencils, anything he can grab.  He takes papers and rips them up.  It's all I can do to keep him entertained.  I'm trying to have different activities for him to do, but he's only 1, so his attention span is quite limited.  I try to keep him from distracting his brothers, but it's not easy.

Homeschooling is rewarding.
          I love the little moments when my kids get excited about what I'm teaching them.  Our science unit right now is about arthropods, and we've been studying bugs and looking at pictures and videos of squid, octopus, and other animals, and my boys have loved it.  They get these excited eyes that tell me they think what they are learning is amazing.  It's a beautiful sight to see those eyes lit up with the excitement of learning.  We've been learning about maps, so we did a little treasure hunt, and it was thrilling to see my boys excited and loving being with their mom and with each other.  These moments are what make homeschool so worth the challenges.

Homeschooling is daunting.
          I honestly haven't decided how long I'm going to homeschool.  Sometimes I think we'll only do it through elementary school, and sometimes I can see us doing it through middle school or longer.  My biggest motivation to do homeschool was the prompting from the Lord that I should do it, so I guess in all truthfulness, I'll do it as long as He wants me to, and that's a little daunting.  It really is a lot of work and a lot of pressure to make sure my kids are learning all that they need to learn for their future success.  I know that with God, all things are possible.  If He asks me to homeschool, I know he will help me to accomplish what He has asked me, but I still get overwhelmed on occasion at the vastness of it all.  I'm trying to just take it a week at a time and sometimes just a day at a time.

Homeschooling is eye-opening.
           I already feel like I've learned so much about myself, my kids, and teaching in general.  I'm learning what it takes for me to be prepared enough to teach.  I'm learning mine and my children's weaknesses, which is so important to be aware of so that I can work around them and also try to improve in those areas.  I love the idea that because I'm learning more about who my kids are, I'll be able to teach them better and better, year after year.  That's something you don't get in public educations.  Children get a different teacher each year, and it might take the teacher half the year to really understand your child, if they ever do at all. They don't have the time or energy or capacity to be able to treat each kid individually in the way that they learn, but I do.  I have the time; in fact, that's my whole purpose, and I'm so happy to have the opportunity to help my kids become who they want to be by really learning about who they are and reflecting that in their schooling.

Homeschooling is exhausting.
          Homeschooling is exhausting because of all of the above.  It takes all my energy to accomplish homeschooling as well as trying to keep and run my household.  I'm constantly trying to make sure that I'm prepared for what's coming up on my schedule, because if I'm unprepared, I know what needs to happen.... won't happen.  There's a balance that must be achieved, and I don't think I've figured it out yet, but I'm trying.  The trying, though.... is exhausting.

Homeschooling is exciting.
          I love all the different things I get to teach my children: language, math, science, geography, history!  To me, it's so exciting to be able to remember things that I've learned and teach my children in the process.  I love being able to explore the curriculum and learn new things about not only the subjects my kids are learning, but also about teaching in general.  I feel like I'm really going to be able to build some great skills through this homeschooling process, and that's very exciting to me!  I also am loving learning about all the homeschool support groups out in the world.  I'm amazed at how many resources there are and how many people are willing to give their time and talents to help others be able to homeschool.  It's an amazing community of people out there in the homeschool world, and I'm loving learning about it!


I'm still really excited about homeschooling, challenges and all. I love my boys, and love all the time I get to spend with them. I'm learning all that I can, and like I said, I'm just so grateful for all the homeschooling parents who have put so much information and resources into the world that I can glean from.  Thanks to you all!

Dean watching Baby Einsteins while I hurry and finish up our science lesson.

The boys drawing bugs as part of their science lesson.

Dean stuck on the art easel - during the science lesson :)

First Day of Homeschool

Yesterday was our first day of homeschool.  Let me preface this by saying that we did not start under the best of circumstances.  I have had a cold since last Tuesday, and this is not just your average, sniffling, sneezing, cold.  I have had the worst sore throat of my life; seriously, my throat is on fire, and every time I swallow, it's like I'm trying to transport a boulder down my esophagus.  I have to be constantly in a state of drinking water (to put out the fire) or I start maniacally coughing like I'm trying to bring the boulder back up my throat through a series of air bursts.  My head hurts.  I'm drinking so much water that I have to go to the bathroom every 20 minutes.  This is literally one of the worst colds I have ever had.

Of course one of the worst colds I have ever had just happened to occur the week that I had set months ago as the beginning of our first homeschool year.

My children have been so excited.  They've helped put our classroom together, and they've watched with anticipation as I open the boxes full of supplies and books that Amazon keeps delivering.  They were so ready to start, and I couldn't postpone another week when they had been counting down to this day for so long.

Yesterday morning came, bright and early for me.  I had the day scheduled down to the hour.  

Let's just say, things did not go as planned.

The things I thought would take 15 minutes took a half hour.  What I thought would take half an hour took a whole hour!

Luckily, I had read enough blogs on the internet to be prepared for this.  I knew the first day wasn't going to be all smiles and rainbows.  I didn't make the kids feel like we were behind schedule.  I took breaks when we needed and tried to keep things light and fun.  The kids seemed to really enjoy it. 

I think one of the wonderful things about homeschool is that you really can take it at your own pace.  If the kids want to spend 10 minutes looking at pictures and videos of giant squids (which they did), then we can.  If my baby spills yogurt all over the carpet (which he did), I can take a break to clean it up without feeling like I'm going to run out of time for something.  After a long day, our science lesson just didn't get finished because we were all exhausted and the kids just couldn't anymore.  Honestly.... neither could I.  So instead of blowing mindlessly through the lesson and not actually learning anything, we stopped, and we can just pick back up with our science on Wednesday, which is when it is next on the schedule.

My husband came home and asked how the day was, and although it was exhausting, I could honestly respond with a smile and tell him that I am so excited to be able to teach our children.  The day didn't go exactly as planned, but it still went well.  The kids had a positive experience and so did I (despite the inability to speak two sentences without coughing up a lung).

What really let me know the day was successful was when my little boy said to me, "I can't wait until homeschool tomorrow!"

Thanks little guy.  Those are the moments that help me realize that this - the crazy, the complicated, the stressful, and the uncertain - is worth it.

Our special first-day-of-school lunch: octopus hot dogs, a banana sea snake, Swedish fish, and bubble grapes.
The boys loved this!

We did yoga to start our morning off right and get in a little exercise.

Drawing letters with markers...

Working on math...

The yogurt spill...

Teach the Children

I just read this great talk by Henry B Eyring that he gave back in 1996.  The talk is called "Witnesses for God".  He talks about a conversation he had with a man who was not a member of the LDS church but who has a wife who is a member.  Monthly, they would receive visits from visiting and home teachers, bringing cookies, trying to socialize, just being friendly.  The man, in an attempt to offer then Elder Eyring some advice, said, "You need to tell your people when to quit."

Elder Eyring taught the man about covenants, specifically the baptismal covenant which requires "God's people" to "mourn with those that mourn; yea, and comfort those that stand in need of comfort, and to stand as witnesses of God at all times and in all things, and in all places, that ye may be redeemed of God.... that ye may have eternal life" (Mosiah 18:9).

Elder Eyring went on to say to members of the church, "The power of that covenant to love and to witness should transform what members do in other settings across the world.  One of the most important is in the family."

He goes on to talk about taking opportunities to teach the gospel and to bare testimony to our families.  Sunday meetings were consolidated to give families more time to be together and Monday evenings were set aside to give families an opportunity to not only be together but also to learn the gospel together.  Elder Eyring says, "For members of the church, my caution is that to neglect those opportunities is a choice not to keep sacred covenants."

Wow!  What a powerful idea that in order to keep our covenants that we made with God, we must teach our children the gospel, bear them our testimonies, and raise them up in truth and righteousness.  I think sometimes I forget how significant my calling as a mother truly is.  Sometimes I see my roles as merely clean house and keep the children alive and, if possible, happy.  My role, however, extends to a much greater position when I consider that in order to keep the covenants that I have made with my Father in Heaven, I must teach my children the gospel.  I must help them gain testimonies.  I must  teach them to serve and love others.  I must teach them to bear testimony so that they will be able to keep the covenants that they will make someday.

Elder Eyring issues this promise:  "Because God always honors covenants, I can make a promise to those who in faith keep the covenant to create experiences of giving love and bearing testimony with their families.  They will reap a harvest of hearts touched, faith in Jesus Christ exercised unto repentance, and the desire and the power to keep covenants strengthened."

This is such a great promise.  As I work to keep my covenants by teaching my children, they will have a greater chance of keeping their own covenants and of having faith in their Savior.  This is a great motivation to me to work hard to teach my children, despite the difficulties.  I'm motivated to keep having Family Home Evening, even though some nights my children would sometimes rather skip the lesson and move right on to the game and treats.  I'm motivated to keep taking my children to church, even though my one year old would rather spend the whole three hours running around the church halls.  I'm motivated to bear my testimony in church, even though speaking in front of people has always been intimidating to me.  The salvation of my children is worth all the discomfort in the world.

Thanks to President Eyring for this wonderful lesson and inspiration on parenting my children. :)

I just had a moment of parenting inspiration... can I get an hallelujah?!

Owen has had one of those days, the kind where it feels like the whole world is at your throat, and his whole world is pretty small with not much room to escape.

Now, Owen is a four year old, so being overly emotional is a pretty common problem in his life.  I don't know about other kids, but both my boys have had particular issues with instantaneous crying at the tip of a hat at the age of 4. Nevertheless, today his emotional sensitivity has been greatly heightened as noted by the constant state of distressing noise in my house and the size of my ever increasing headache.

As I filled up the sink to wash dishes and listened to the crying, I realized it was finally time to step in.  I found Owen in the playroom, took his hand, walked him to his bedroom, pulled him onto my lap, and just held him.  I ran my hand through his disheveled, badly-in-need-of-a-cut, beautiful brown hair and wondered how to help him get through the last four hours until bedtime.  As I sat holding my whimpering son, the simple thought suddenly came to me, "Owen is having a bad day.  What do I do when I have a bad day?"

This should seem obvious, but it seemed like an "aha" moment for me.  A big part of my parenting strategy has been using empathy to help my children understand what they are feeling and then help them learn to control their emotions rather than just yelling and getting mad at them for having emotions.  Sometimes though, I get tired and grumpy and forget my strategies.  I guess I really just needed a reminder of this today.

So, instead of getting mad at my small son, I gave him a piece of chocolate (yes, I suppose that I supported emotional eating - but I didn't give him a whole bag of candy - just one mini chocolate bar).  I told him to sit on his bed and think of the things he is grateful for while he sat on his bed eating his chocolate, and I gave him a few ideas of things he could think about.  Then I left him in peace.

After a while he was playing with his brothers, and then after another while, he was crying again.  This time I told him that when we're having a bad day, sometimes we just need to be alone to calm ourselves down and distract ourselves with something that we enjoy.  I told him to pick either a book or his little music player and to sit on his bed for some relaxation time.  Instead he picked a short video on my phone, but it still had the same magical effect.  After a little alone time, a little distraction, and a lot of love and patience, Owen actually had a really good evening. He literally did an about-fact in terms of his mood, and by the time he went to bed, there was a smile on his face.

I LOVE these kinds of moments because it reminds me that Heavenly Father knows these little spirits that He sent to me way beyond my comprehension, and He knows how best to help them, teach them, and inspire them.  I could not parent without His daily strength, support, and guidance.  I pray for it daily.

Now excuse me while I go take some Tylenol...

Winter

My boys have Spring Fever...


I have Spring Fever...


Alas, the high for today is 40 degrees, and we need some exercise and fresh air.  I can tell because lately the boys are bickering more than usual, and that makes me annoyed more often.

I'm not sure what to do about the fresh air, but I've got an idea for some exercise!

Enter - Cosmic Kids Yoga!

I discovered Jaime several years ago, and her videos are amazing.  Not only does she get your kids doing yoga poses, but she entertains them with a fun story at the same time. She makes silly noises, sings crazy songs, and pulls funny faces, and the kids just love it.  There are fun pictures in the background, but not so much that they take centerstage.  This isn't the average screen time.  She says that her focus is "yoga, mindfulness, stories and relaxation.... [getting] kids moving, relaxing, and learning simple lessons for a happy life".  I don't have a problem with any of that!

Anyway, we've done it quite a bit over the years, not daily but enough for the boys to know several poses and to feel comfortable doing it.

I definitely recommend her videos as a break from winter boredom and a great way to move your body!

You-Tube is actually a great resource with activities to get those little bodies moving!  There are dancing videos, workout for kids videos, and games like "Going on a Bear Hunt".  Here's a few that we like to do.

Make sure to dance and play with your kids!  It's a great way to get a little exercise and make your kids happy!

Routines

One rule of parenting that I have long heard the benefits but found particularly difficult is maintaining a routine.  It wasn't until about five years after my oldest son was born before we finally started having a bedtime.  My husband is rather spontaneous, as well as a night owl, and would start a movie or a game at 8:00 at night, and I would just go with it.  I, on the other hand, am not a night owl.  If I have to deal with rambunctious children past 9:00, mean mom comes out of the closet.

For some reason, it took a long time for me to realize that setting a bedtime would give me the freedom to have a more calm and restful evening before I crawled into bed.  Even having one hour of peace and quiet makes it worth the hassle of getting the kids to bed early.

However, having a nighttime routine, as well as a morning routine for that matter, has been a challenge.  I find myself saying over and over again, "Did you brush your teeth?  Did you say your prayers?  Did you put your pajamas on?  Put your pajamas on!"

I finally came up with a solution to this problem that solves this problem so that I only have one question to ask..... "Did you finish your chart?"

Oh the simplicity!  Why didn't I think of this sooner!  My kids love having their own chart to look at to tell them what they should be doing.  They don't have to do it in a particular order.  They just have to get all the items accomplished, and then they can put the card into it's "finished" slot.  Let me show you what I did.

I made this one first for my oldest son, Wade.  All the pictures are on a magnet, so they can be easily removed and put into the envelope.  Morning routine is on top.  Bedtime routine in the middle.  Weekly chores on the bottom.  The cards say what the kid is supposed to do and also has a picture to help them remember (especially if he can't read).

This is the chart for my 4 year old son, Owen.  I decided to put the poster board in landscape format this time, and I think that turned out a little better because there's more room between the morning and bedtime routines.  Also, I did the border for Owen's cards in green because that is his favorite color.  I also let both boys pick out the son and moon that I printed out for the envelope.

This is what the poster looks like after all the morning routine is put into the envelope.  You can see the magnets to which the cards attach.  I used sticker like magnets that I found at Wal-Mart.  I was able to cut them into rectangles, and I think that worked out perfectly.

These charts have been made a great difference in everyones' attitude when it comes to getting ready in the morning and getting ready for bed, and anything that puts my family in good spirits, especially when it comes to chores, is going to be staying around for a long time!

If you have any other ideas for how to handle routines and chores, let me know in the comments!

I love how when something is on my mind, I'm more aware of that thing in the world around me.  For example, I never really paid much attention to the trucks I would pass by.  But when my husband started driving a grey little GMC, I started seeing similar trucks everywhere.

I've had the idea for this blog for a long time, but last week I finally decided to put it together.  Since then, I keep having little grey trucks in the form of ideas and inspiration drive by me.  

One of those little tidbits came in the form of a quote by President Dieter F Uchtdorf, second counselor in the Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-day Saints.  I saw this on my Facebook feed, and I found it to be a great piece of advice as a parent.

It may seem odd to think of having a relationship with ourselves, but we do. Some people can’t get along with themselves. They criticize and belittle themselves all day long until they begin to hate themselves. May I suggest that you reduce the rush and take a little extra time to get to know yourself better. Walk in nature, watch a sunrise, enjoy God’s creations, ponder the truths of the restored gospel, and find out what they mean for you personally. Learn to see yourself as Heavenly Father sees you—as His precious daughter or son with divine potential. ("Of Things That Matter Most" Oct 2010)

As a mother, I am very concerned about my children's self-esteem.  It hurts to see my child doubt himself, and I know personally the pain that comes from belittling and criticizing oneself.  I hope with all my heart to be able to help my sons recognize their divine nature as children of a loving Heavenly Father.  I want them to understand that they are valuable no matter what mistakes they make or what their weight is or what sport they play.  In my lowest moments, I have relied on my knowledge that Heavenly Father loves me and cares for me, and I want that strength for my children.

So, I want to make sure my children are able to follow's President Uchtdorf's advice. Make sure they don't rush through their lives without really finding out who they are.  Take them into nature and let them experience it on their own.  Wake them up early and watch the sunrise in quiet meditation, snuggling in a blanket together.  Enjoy God's creations together by going to the zoo, the park, the mountains, the ocean, and letting them feel God's presence in all things.  Help them learn the truths of the gospel and gain their own testimonies.  And pray with all my heart that they will learn to see themselves with all the potential and worth that Heavenly Father sees in them.