Well, we finished our school year up the week before Memorial Day. Should we say our year is in the books or our books have checked out for the year? Either way, we are finished. We accomplished quite a bit, yet I always feel like we didn't do enough. I should not feel that way. Maybe all homeschool moms feel that way. The kids in school get certificates and awards for the work they put in, but our kids have memories and workbooks, and stacks upon stacks of material they read sitting on our shelves. No one gives them an award most of the time. Do you think our children feel jipped or that they are missing out? Likely, they are too busy enjoying their summer to even think about it most of the time, but us mothers sit and wonder if there isn't a way we could recognize our children for their accomplishments. Granted, some participate in things where this can happen. I give my children the award for attendance. They did not miss a day the whole year. I give my youngest an award for learning to read this year. He did an amazing job and I am so proud of him. My oldest wrote his first research paper and I think he did great. Sure, things could be improved, but who can honestly say that they can't improve in some area of their lives? I know I can improve in many ways.
This week, I attended the CHAP Homeschool Convention in Lancaster. It was a nice getaway for the hubs and I. We only stayed overnight and came back the next day, but we got a lot accomplished I think. This year, we plan to try something different for our youngest. Since he seems to like doing work independently, we thought he'd like ACE. This is a program that is self-guided, for the most part. He won't be doing all the courses available, just 3, but I am adding All About Reading, Horizons Math, and an Astronomy course to his agenda. He is currently almost halfway through Level 3 of All About Reading and I got the 4th and final level for him to do next school year, after he's finished with level 3. The astronomy course looked pretty cool. We came across it in our perusing of vendors. I heard, "Do you want to sign up to win a free telescope?", to which I replied, "What do I have to do if I do?" I admit to always looking for the hook from others. I don't think most things are offered because they want me to get a deal, but rather so they can put me on their mailing list and pester me for the rest of my days. Reluctantly, we stopped and I did sign up, right under someone else whose name I recognized. I haven't seen said person for at least a year and hoped I would run into her, but sadly didn't. Hopefully soon though, as I found out from another that their family has moved back to our area. Good to know! Anyway, we stopped and after I signed up (sadly, I didn't win), I listened to what they had to say about their homeschool astronomy program, which is done via a computer. They have 3 levels, 2 of which we ended up purchasing, one for elementary and the other for junior high, which he recommended we use for our 6th grader. It will be interesting to see how the boys like it. I was impressed with what I saw and happy to find something different. We've done a lot of biology so far, mainly because that has been their interest, but I wanted something new this year. I had found a chemistry by MasterBooks that I had planned on purchasing, but decided to try that next year after coming across this. I also purchased math for both of them, Horizons for the younger and Teaching Textbooks for the older, level 7. Don't tell him but next year gets a bit tougher. Looks like the next level is pre-algebra! Things are getting real up in here! I did not purchase history or reading for the older, but I did sneak into the Sonlight arena and spy on the curriculum I plan to use. This year we want to do the second half of American History. Thankfully, the people there didn't "attack" me. They handed me a catalog and let me look at things in peace, but came back to ask if I had any questions later, which I did. I like this hands off approach. I don't like feeling pressured, especially when looking at pricey curriculum. We came, we saw, we walked away, breathing a sigh of relief. Yes, that is the introvert in me I guess. I talk when I feel like it, but hate being badgered. I did manage to get a vocabulary book with tests for him. We enjoyed that this year, Wordly Wise 3000.
Along the way, we stopped and looked at different displays. One I see there each year is a vendor that sells natural soaps and other similar products. According to the woman at the booth, they originally started out by doing experiments and projects with their homeschool. Over time, it has become a successful business, even though all of her kids are grown and no longer in school. I believe it is Virginia Soaps & Scents. We bought one bar of soap (they have a ton of different ones to choose from), a stain remover bar, a natural bug spray, and a deodorant bar of Himalayan Salt. Trust me, I got off easy because I love this kind of stuff but tried to keep purchases to a minimum. I saw that I can find them online so may be purchasing again from them in the near future. Another vendor we "found", and I say it that way because we passed him and he asked us if he could give us his pitch in 30 seconds, to which I said, "Can you?" This of course made him say, "May I?" (always the grammar police I am!), and let him try. I do not think he actually did only take 30 seconds, which I told him afterwards, but he said it was because I asked questions. The curriculum was a Bible based program that is called Cat and Dog Theology and is meant to make our children better followers of God. It did look intriguing, and although we didn't commit to buying it that day, we are still thinking about possibly getting it. Look it up if you are curious, but we think our kids could benefit from this program, making them want to be better people, listen more to us, want to help others more readily, etc. It was intriguing, although we weren't thrilled with it's price, esp. when they have separate programs for the different age groups our boys happen to be in.
So that's it in a nutshell. We had a short but productive trip and I look forward to next school year. Our summer has officially started and next weekend we go on our first planned camping trip. It is close to home but it gets us "away" and staying in our RV for a weekend with friends. Next month, we have reservations in Watkins Glen, NY and in August we will travel to Cook Forest. Hopefully there will be other trips in between baseball tournaments. Happy summer friends. May all your summer dreams come true!
Monday, June 17, 2019
Tuesday, April 30, 2019
The Lord Works in Mysterious Ways
Sometimes I look back at something and wonder why things had to be that way. Thing is, it isn't necessarily because I wasn't trying hard enough. God has a plan and maybe I'm supposed to have it harder than others for a reason. Not saying that my life is more difficult than everyone else's. By no means. Just that in some areas, it isn't always or hasn't always been easy. This may be a good thing. Having to work harder makes one appreciate the results more. I can struggle, and, perhaps, inspire others who struggle. Of course, maybe this is only the beginning. I don't know what else he has in store for me yet. If I listen, maybe one day I will figure it out. Problem is sometimes I'm dense. I am often a horrible listener. Sorry, gals. I do hear you, honestly!
What I failed to mention last time is the gap between believers in Keto and those who think it is unhealthy. I have heard several doctors, like Dr. Berg and Dr. Berry, strongly support it. Others, like my doctor, would prefer I do a modified version. So, is Keto healthy? I guess it depends on who you ask. Those who have heard of it, maybe even thought of trying it, know that it can be difficult to get used to. I found that once you get over that hump, of giving up some of those things you may have loved, like bread, pizza, most fruits, it isn't that bad. I feel like I could reasonably eat like this long term. I am fat-adapted, as they say in Keto terms. That basically means that my body has successfully gone from burning carbs to burning fats. It has definitely helped me lose weight without feeling like I'm starving. Many other "diets" restrict your calorie intake. I believe I am eating healthy too. Sure, I eat more butter than I used to, but I am not eating sugar. Some studies say that eating butter, especially from grass fed cows, is good for and even essential to our overall health. I normally only have coffee for breakfast, a meat of some sort, with veggies for lunch, maybe a little cheese, and a healthy dinner that I cook for my entire family. Sometimes, depending on what I make, I will make them a side that I cannot, actually will not, eat, like noodles, rice, or potatoes. If I feel like it, I may make a side with cauliflower or zucchini for myself, but lately I've been eating mixed greens or just cucumbers. Guess what else has happened? I have a ton of energy during the day, most of the time. I exercise at least once a day and feel that I am getting stronger and fitter. I am well on my way to reaching my goal. By the way, a goal, in my mind, is something to strive for, to perhaps even surpass. Goals also change as we approach them, so my goal will likely change in the near future. I am my biggest motivator. I want to be here for my kids, do whatever I want or they want to do recreationally (within reason!), and just feel like I can do anything. Sounds lofty maybe, but I was a Marine, and nothing should get in the way of a goal like that. I had to tackle hormone issues, of course, which seemed to be the toughest adversary I'd ever faced. Beat her down without mercy! Keto did, plus my unfailing efforts exercising almost daily. For those of you who don't include weight training in your routines, you should. I do both, but I am sure it is the weight training, which for me so far has only been body resistance exercises and no actual weights, that has made the difference. I am now challenging myself to do extra push ups after my workout and am currently doing 70 something with each workout. My current goal is 100, which I feel is totally doable in the near future. Every time I do push ups, I think of my drill instructors telling me to get down and do push ups until they were tired. Makes me laugh now but back then I thought it was unfair. Now I drop down and do them until I can't. It's mind over matter. The key to success is consistency. When I got out of boot camp, I could probably do 100 push ups with little effort. True story. They tortured us but it paid off. Now I torture myself, hoping it pays off in the long run. I'm betting on it.
So, yes, I have lofty goals, but so should you. Don't sell yourself short. You are so worth it and your children deserve a healthy, fit mama. I want to encourage those of you who might be struggling to try something different, go a little further, make it a life-long project, to be the best you can be. The road may not always be easy, but, man is it worth it! I think mindset is key. If you really, really want to change, find what works and keep at it. This goes for all areas of your life. I have other areas that need improving, and with God's help, I will work on those too. After all, our physical body is not the thing that ultimately matters. My spiritual side is needing some fine tuning. With this, I am a work in progress. However, I know that, "With God, all things are possible." (Matt 19:26)
What I failed to mention last time is the gap between believers in Keto and those who think it is unhealthy. I have heard several doctors, like Dr. Berg and Dr. Berry, strongly support it. Others, like my doctor, would prefer I do a modified version. So, is Keto healthy? I guess it depends on who you ask. Those who have heard of it, maybe even thought of trying it, know that it can be difficult to get used to. I found that once you get over that hump, of giving up some of those things you may have loved, like bread, pizza, most fruits, it isn't that bad. I feel like I could reasonably eat like this long term. I am fat-adapted, as they say in Keto terms. That basically means that my body has successfully gone from burning carbs to burning fats. It has definitely helped me lose weight without feeling like I'm starving. Many other "diets" restrict your calorie intake. I believe I am eating healthy too. Sure, I eat more butter than I used to, but I am not eating sugar. Some studies say that eating butter, especially from grass fed cows, is good for and even essential to our overall health. I normally only have coffee for breakfast, a meat of some sort, with veggies for lunch, maybe a little cheese, and a healthy dinner that I cook for my entire family. Sometimes, depending on what I make, I will make them a side that I cannot, actually will not, eat, like noodles, rice, or potatoes. If I feel like it, I may make a side with cauliflower or zucchini for myself, but lately I've been eating mixed greens or just cucumbers. Guess what else has happened? I have a ton of energy during the day, most of the time. I exercise at least once a day and feel that I am getting stronger and fitter. I am well on my way to reaching my goal. By the way, a goal, in my mind, is something to strive for, to perhaps even surpass. Goals also change as we approach them, so my goal will likely change in the near future. I am my biggest motivator. I want to be here for my kids, do whatever I want or they want to do recreationally (within reason!), and just feel like I can do anything. Sounds lofty maybe, but I was a Marine, and nothing should get in the way of a goal like that. I had to tackle hormone issues, of course, which seemed to be the toughest adversary I'd ever faced. Beat her down without mercy! Keto did, plus my unfailing efforts exercising almost daily. For those of you who don't include weight training in your routines, you should. I do both, but I am sure it is the weight training, which for me so far has only been body resistance exercises and no actual weights, that has made the difference. I am now challenging myself to do extra push ups after my workout and am currently doing 70 something with each workout. My current goal is 100, which I feel is totally doable in the near future. Every time I do push ups, I think of my drill instructors telling me to get down and do push ups until they were tired. Makes me laugh now but back then I thought it was unfair. Now I drop down and do them until I can't. It's mind over matter. The key to success is consistency. When I got out of boot camp, I could probably do 100 push ups with little effort. True story. They tortured us but it paid off. Now I torture myself, hoping it pays off in the long run. I'm betting on it.
So, yes, I have lofty goals, but so should you. Don't sell yourself short. You are so worth it and your children deserve a healthy, fit mama. I want to encourage those of you who might be struggling to try something different, go a little further, make it a life-long project, to be the best you can be. The road may not always be easy, but, man is it worth it! I think mindset is key. If you really, really want to change, find what works and keep at it. This goes for all areas of your life. I have other areas that need improving, and with God's help, I will work on those too. After all, our physical body is not the thing that ultimately matters. My spiritual side is needing some fine tuning. With this, I am a work in progress. However, I know that, "With God, all things are possible." (Matt 19:26)
Tuesday, April 9, 2019
Taking Care of Yourself Can Be A Challenge Worth Taking
Being a homeschool mom can be grueling. You have to find time for yourself, because there will always be a million things that will need your attention. I fell into the trap of not taking time for myself, and paid the price. It doesn't help when you are older and have a lazy, wreckless metabolism either. So, this year, I dedicated myself to taking care of me.
On January 2nd, I started Keto. Why, you ask, would I torture myself to a life of few carbs? Well, when all else fails, you go for the other path. I've tried the usual low-fat, lower calorie way of eating, and guess what, it didn't work. They say when women get older and are reaching ripeness that things get more difficult. Things like staying in shape and constantly gaining weight no matter what you do make life unpleasant. Seemed to be the case with me and I wasn't happy about it. Who would be, right? So, I decided to try something new to see if I could reverse the damage. It was and is a different way of thinking about eating. What Keto does is takes the fats you consume and have naturally in your body and converts it to energy. How it does this is by greatly reducing the carbs, the sugars, in your diet and increasing your intake of fats. Your body wants to go to the sugars first, which will curb the fats being burned. If you can't burn fats, you can't lose weight. Even though I had more than enough fat to be burned, my body wasn't ever seeming to get around to them, because of the carbs, which my body wasn't processing efficiently enough. Now, I keep my carb intake very low. I have cut out most breads, pasta, grains, beans, fruit, some high sugar vegetables, and increased intake of good fats, like extra virgin olive oil, butter, dairy, avocado, coconut oil. How can this be good for you, you ask? Well, I am not a scientist but it seems to be working. Of course, it is a bit more complex than just eating more fat. You have to have enough protein as well, but not an overabundance. You also need to stay hydrated, which means drinking plenty of water. When I first started keto, I found that I was incredibly thirsty. I drank so much that my husband asked if I was maybe drinking too much water. I said, "Is that possible?" Perhaps, but I was only giving my body what it was telling me it needed. Now, I am drinking a bit less but it is the main thing I drink every day, as it always should be for everyone. Our bodies are 60% water, after all. I find this interesting, as the Earth is roughly 70 % water as well. It appears that to be healthy, we need be be mostly comprised of water! What else do I eat? I usually have some form of protein, a meat, fish, or eggs and couple it with veggies, mainly greens or cruciferous vegetables, like broccoli, cabbage, cauliflower, etc. I also have reignited my love for cucumbers. They have been a go-to food for me. I also add in cheese at meals or for snacks. What would life be without cheese in it? I hope to never find out! I average 2 meals a day but occasionally I just eat dinner. I am usually not as hungry if I balance my food choices properly.
With this change in diet, I also reignited my exercise regimen. I restarted the program Body By You that I tried last year in the fall, but stopped because of a nagging knee issue. I am happy to say that I am still doing it, and reaching the end of possible exercises. This program gives you 5 groups of exercises, of which you start with the most difficult one you are able to do for about 8 reps without failing. Each day will include 4 of these exercises and you follow the number of reps and sets for whatever cycle and week you happen to be in, working every major muscle group with each day's routine. If you are doing it consistently, you should continue to be able to move up to the more difficult exercises. Out of the 25 exercises, I am at at least 19 in all groups. I want to move on to other exercises, routines, but I thought I'd do this to see how far I could go. The one exercise group has pull ups as #25. I am a little below that with assisted pull ups, but I have done some unassisted. I am not ready to do all my sets with no help yet though! Being a Marine, I wouldn't want to quit though, right? So, I continue. I am feeling stronger and looking better, so says the hubby. I am able to do push ups easily once again and I used to really hate them. Now I do them for fun. Fun? Yes, that's right. I said fun. I like to use our push up bars to get an even deeper exercise. I also usually combine this workout with time on the elliptical. I will normally do at least 20 minutes. I am looking forward to better weather so I can take my workouts outside. I may even take up running again, something I used to absolutely love.
You may wonder what kind of results I've had with all of this. I guess if they weren't very good, I wouldn't even bother to tell you, huh? I hesitate because to say what I have accomplished is to also say how much I wanted and needed to lose. How far the mighty had fallen! No, I was never mighty and I always have had a slower metabolism, but after 40, and especially after having my youngest child at 42, things went south more and more each year. Depressing! I finally said, "Enough is enough!" and started this journey. Next year, people, I will be hitting the dreaded 5-0, and my goal is to be 50 and fabulous. I am on my way. I know some of you may be saying I am already fabulous. Thank you! But I mean in mind AND body. I have lost, drum roll.....just under 25 lbs. I am floored and thrilled by this, but in some ways depressed by it. I should not have waited for so long to change my life. I am feeling better, feeling stronger, and happier with things in general. I have rediscovered my love of exercise. I am motivated by my results to this to keep it up indefinitely. I am often asked how I can not cheat or be tempted, because I have not cheated even once since starting. I guess I am focused on my goal. Thinking long term. I want to be the best me I can be and be around for as long as I can for my husband and my kids. Plus I want to enjoy life more and cheating may give me temporary joy, but knowing I'm impeding progress will lessen that joy. Once I get to my goal, I may slacken the reins a little and occasionally enjoy some things I have been denying myself, but I am not sure I will ever go back to that old way of eating. That is what many people mistakenly do when they lose weight. They gain it back! Keto is definitely different and can seem difficult, but I think it is worth it.
On January 2nd, I started Keto. Why, you ask, would I torture myself to a life of few carbs? Well, when all else fails, you go for the other path. I've tried the usual low-fat, lower calorie way of eating, and guess what, it didn't work. They say when women get older and are reaching ripeness that things get more difficult. Things like staying in shape and constantly gaining weight no matter what you do make life unpleasant. Seemed to be the case with me and I wasn't happy about it. Who would be, right? So, I decided to try something new to see if I could reverse the damage. It was and is a different way of thinking about eating. What Keto does is takes the fats you consume and have naturally in your body and converts it to energy. How it does this is by greatly reducing the carbs, the sugars, in your diet and increasing your intake of fats. Your body wants to go to the sugars first, which will curb the fats being burned. If you can't burn fats, you can't lose weight. Even though I had more than enough fat to be burned, my body wasn't ever seeming to get around to them, because of the carbs, which my body wasn't processing efficiently enough. Now, I keep my carb intake very low. I have cut out most breads, pasta, grains, beans, fruit, some high sugar vegetables, and increased intake of good fats, like extra virgin olive oil, butter, dairy, avocado, coconut oil. How can this be good for you, you ask? Well, I am not a scientist but it seems to be working. Of course, it is a bit more complex than just eating more fat. You have to have enough protein as well, but not an overabundance. You also need to stay hydrated, which means drinking plenty of water. When I first started keto, I found that I was incredibly thirsty. I drank so much that my husband asked if I was maybe drinking too much water. I said, "Is that possible?" Perhaps, but I was only giving my body what it was telling me it needed. Now, I am drinking a bit less but it is the main thing I drink every day, as it always should be for everyone. Our bodies are 60% water, after all. I find this interesting, as the Earth is roughly 70 % water as well. It appears that to be healthy, we need be be mostly comprised of water! What else do I eat? I usually have some form of protein, a meat, fish, or eggs and couple it with veggies, mainly greens or cruciferous vegetables, like broccoli, cabbage, cauliflower, etc. I also have reignited my love for cucumbers. They have been a go-to food for me. I also add in cheese at meals or for snacks. What would life be without cheese in it? I hope to never find out! I average 2 meals a day but occasionally I just eat dinner. I am usually not as hungry if I balance my food choices properly.
With this change in diet, I also reignited my exercise regimen. I restarted the program Body By You that I tried last year in the fall, but stopped because of a nagging knee issue. I am happy to say that I am still doing it, and reaching the end of possible exercises. This program gives you 5 groups of exercises, of which you start with the most difficult one you are able to do for about 8 reps without failing. Each day will include 4 of these exercises and you follow the number of reps and sets for whatever cycle and week you happen to be in, working every major muscle group with each day's routine. If you are doing it consistently, you should continue to be able to move up to the more difficult exercises. Out of the 25 exercises, I am at at least 19 in all groups. I want to move on to other exercises, routines, but I thought I'd do this to see how far I could go. The one exercise group has pull ups as #25. I am a little below that with assisted pull ups, but I have done some unassisted. I am not ready to do all my sets with no help yet though! Being a Marine, I wouldn't want to quit though, right? So, I continue. I am feeling stronger and looking better, so says the hubby. I am able to do push ups easily once again and I used to really hate them. Now I do them for fun. Fun? Yes, that's right. I said fun. I like to use our push up bars to get an even deeper exercise. I also usually combine this workout with time on the elliptical. I will normally do at least 20 minutes. I am looking forward to better weather so I can take my workouts outside. I may even take up running again, something I used to absolutely love.
You may wonder what kind of results I've had with all of this. I guess if they weren't very good, I wouldn't even bother to tell you, huh? I hesitate because to say what I have accomplished is to also say how much I wanted and needed to lose. How far the mighty had fallen! No, I was never mighty and I always have had a slower metabolism, but after 40, and especially after having my youngest child at 42, things went south more and more each year. Depressing! I finally said, "Enough is enough!" and started this journey. Next year, people, I will be hitting the dreaded 5-0, and my goal is to be 50 and fabulous. I am on my way. I know some of you may be saying I am already fabulous. Thank you! But I mean in mind AND body. I have lost, drum roll.....just under 25 lbs. I am floored and thrilled by this, but in some ways depressed by it. I should not have waited for so long to change my life. I am feeling better, feeling stronger, and happier with things in general. I have rediscovered my love of exercise. I am motivated by my results to this to keep it up indefinitely. I am often asked how I can not cheat or be tempted, because I have not cheated even once since starting. I guess I am focused on my goal. Thinking long term. I want to be the best me I can be and be around for as long as I can for my husband and my kids. Plus I want to enjoy life more and cheating may give me temporary joy, but knowing I'm impeding progress will lessen that joy. Once I get to my goal, I may slacken the reins a little and occasionally enjoy some things I have been denying myself, but I am not sure I will ever go back to that old way of eating. That is what many people mistakenly do when they lose weight. They gain it back! Keto is definitely different and can seem difficult, but I think it is worth it.
Wednesday, April 3, 2019
Reading, Writing and Arithmetic
I recently revisited the blog scene, mainly because I thought it would be a fun idea for the kids in my writing class to start their own blog. I completely forgot about my old blog, this one, from the year I started homeschooling. A lot has happened in that time, as you can imagine. I now have 2 boys who I homeschool. The oldest is now about to finish 5th grade and my youngest is finishing kindergarten. I find that a lot of what I went through with the first one, I also experienced with the now kindergartner. Only now it is more difficult because there are two of them to worry about. Fortunately, the older one is somewhat independent. That helps a lot. Every little blessing helps when you are homeschooling.
If I were to summarize my years of homeschooling so far, I'd say that every year has had its own challenges. I am out of the deer in headlights stage, that first year, and feel fairly confident in what can be accomplished. Some things never change, though, like my kids' dislike of school work. Boys! I would love to teach a kid that loved school! I must say that my younger boy is doing pretty well with reading and actually said today that he likes reading the most of all his school work. I was a bit surprised by this admission. When we first started the year, he'd want to do math first and always would want to do his reading lesson last. Admittedly, he struggled early on with reading, although he seemed to want to know what things said. We faltered quite a bit the first half of the year and I wondered if anything was sinking in at all. After Christmas, I started to see a change. Things were starting to improve. It was like things were finally clicking for him. Recently, he told me he had something for me that I was "really gonna like." Once we were finished for the day, he handed my a paper that he had written on, a paragraph about himself. While it wasn't perfect, I understood what most of it said without having to ask him, and it was done with sentences but no punctuation. I was floored! Yes, I am one of those mothers who cry over stupid things and this made me tear up. We haven't technically worked on writing sentences, although we have read a lot together. One on one time is very important at this stage and I found that All About Reading, the curriculum I used for both boys, works if you can stick with it. I wasn't sure with either of them early on, but after the first year with both, they were decent readers. That is my one triumph for the year because I feel that if I at least can teach my kids to read, the rest will come along. Reading, I think, is the foundation to a good education. If they can read, they can find the answers they need to anything else.
Finishing up this update, I find that absence does make the heart grow fonder. I stopped writing this blog before maybe because I was too busy to keep up with it or maybe it just grew stale. Not enough viewers (followers) perhaps as well. But I told my writing class today that they just need to write. Even if you don't think it's good, just write. I also like to say that "Writing is a contact sport." Putting it down is what counts. Write now, edit later. That can also be said of homeschooling. What we teach today may not sink in or seem to sink in. If you never teach it, it won't ever have the chance. They may complain but eventually, I hear my words come back to me and I smile. I am doing something right.
If I were to summarize my years of homeschooling so far, I'd say that every year has had its own challenges. I am out of the deer in headlights stage, that first year, and feel fairly confident in what can be accomplished. Some things never change, though, like my kids' dislike of school work. Boys! I would love to teach a kid that loved school! I must say that my younger boy is doing pretty well with reading and actually said today that he likes reading the most of all his school work. I was a bit surprised by this admission. When we first started the year, he'd want to do math first and always would want to do his reading lesson last. Admittedly, he struggled early on with reading, although he seemed to want to know what things said. We faltered quite a bit the first half of the year and I wondered if anything was sinking in at all. After Christmas, I started to see a change. Things were starting to improve. It was like things were finally clicking for him. Recently, he told me he had something for me that I was "really gonna like." Once we were finished for the day, he handed my a paper that he had written on, a paragraph about himself. While it wasn't perfect, I understood what most of it said without having to ask him, and it was done with sentences but no punctuation. I was floored! Yes, I am one of those mothers who cry over stupid things and this made me tear up. We haven't technically worked on writing sentences, although we have read a lot together. One on one time is very important at this stage and I found that All About Reading, the curriculum I used for both boys, works if you can stick with it. I wasn't sure with either of them early on, but after the first year with both, they were decent readers. That is my one triumph for the year because I feel that if I at least can teach my kids to read, the rest will come along. Reading, I think, is the foundation to a good education. If they can read, they can find the answers they need to anything else.
Finishing up this update, I find that absence does make the heart grow fonder. I stopped writing this blog before maybe because I was too busy to keep up with it or maybe it just grew stale. Not enough viewers (followers) perhaps as well. But I told my writing class today that they just need to write. Even if you don't think it's good, just write. I also like to say that "Writing is a contact sport." Putting it down is what counts. Write now, edit later. That can also be said of homeschooling. What we teach today may not sink in or seem to sink in. If you never teach it, it won't ever have the chance. They may complain but eventually, I hear my words come back to me and I smile. I am doing something right.
Saturday, October 11, 2014
Hooray for Friday
It's been a couple of weeks since my last entry but I'm back. Seems every week is busier than the one before these days. Not that I'm complaining. In any case, we've logged in another two weeks of school. Some things have changed, some haven't. What hasn't changed? Well, Josh doesn't like school work any more now than he did before. Reading is a daily struggle. We get through it and he's learning but his desire to do it isn't there. Normal? From what I hear, yes. I keep trying to remember if I liked to read when I was his age, but my memory doesn't seem to be that good, sadly. I know I liked it by age 10. That I do remember. I recall reading A WrinkLle in Time and loving it. The story still sticks with me today and I can't wait to introduce Josh and Liam to this story one day. I do realize though that they may not share my enthusiasm for it, which is okay. My concern is mainly that they learn to love reading, and I hope I can help propagate that.
What is new? Well, we found a group to go to that I think will be good for all of us. (Thank you Laurie!) It meets on Fridays. Both Josh and Liam can socialize with other kids in their age range. They have lessons for school age kids that include some things that I am lacking in my curriculum, like music, science and art. I am covering science to a degree but since it is one of his favorite subjects, I am sure the more the better in his mind. Art is something that has been hit and miss so far for us. We don't get around to it as often as Josh would like. Sadly, this is also a favorite subject of his, which surprises me since when he was in preschool he never seemed to like it most of the time. Well, now he will do some every week. Yay! The thing I have failed to cover the most though has been music, but with our Friday program now, he will also have exposure to that. I now find that I really look forward to Fridays. We all get something out of it so it's a win-win.
The past two Wednesdays were a lot of fun for us. We took a field trip to Montour Preserve in Washingtonville where we looked for fossils, took a short nature hike and checked out their environmental center. Place was practically empty but that's okay. Josh really enjoyed looking for and finding some fossils. He learned that you can find them a lot of the time by cracking open the rocks. He didn't want to leave after he started finding them, but all good things must come to an end at some point. This Wednesday, we did an arts and crafts day, with a Halloween theme, instead of our usual science day. Not everything I had planned went according to plan but we still managed to have fun. Liam, I find, is still a little young for these kinds of activities. Looking back on it, I have to laugh but when we were doing the crafts, it was chaos. I honestly don't know how some people do it. I probably should not have been so ambitious or at least been more organized. I had too many things out, which spells trouble when a 2 year old gets involved. He had a field day! Next time I try this, I hope I learn from my mistakes. I'm an old dog though so not sure if I can learn new tricks.
So that is all our excitement for now. We are moving along with our studies and getting into a sort of groove. Things could be smoother but I am learning to chill more. Sometimes I wonder if I am teaching some things the wrong way, because every kid learns differently. I want him to enjoy learning and maybe there is a better way to do it. But for now, we will forge on with our current path. Once we are finished with the reading curriculum, I imagine I will have some time to experiment with other things there. Seems like that won't be too far off in the future, by the looks of things. More games or activities to sharpen reading skills perhaps. I need to look into this before the time is upon us. Onward and upward! Life is an adventure.
What is new? Well, we found a group to go to that I think will be good for all of us. (Thank you Laurie!) It meets on Fridays. Both Josh and Liam can socialize with other kids in their age range. They have lessons for school age kids that include some things that I am lacking in my curriculum, like music, science and art. I am covering science to a degree but since it is one of his favorite subjects, I am sure the more the better in his mind. Art is something that has been hit and miss so far for us. We don't get around to it as often as Josh would like. Sadly, this is also a favorite subject of his, which surprises me since when he was in preschool he never seemed to like it most of the time. Well, now he will do some every week. Yay! The thing I have failed to cover the most though has been music, but with our Friday program now, he will also have exposure to that. I now find that I really look forward to Fridays. We all get something out of it so it's a win-win.
The past two Wednesdays were a lot of fun for us. We took a field trip to Montour Preserve in Washingtonville where we looked for fossils, took a short nature hike and checked out their environmental center. Place was practically empty but that's okay. Josh really enjoyed looking for and finding some fossils. He learned that you can find them a lot of the time by cracking open the rocks. He didn't want to leave after he started finding them, but all good things must come to an end at some point. This Wednesday, we did an arts and crafts day, with a Halloween theme, instead of our usual science day. Not everything I had planned went according to plan but we still managed to have fun. Liam, I find, is still a little young for these kinds of activities. Looking back on it, I have to laugh but when we were doing the crafts, it was chaos. I honestly don't know how some people do it. I probably should not have been so ambitious or at least been more organized. I had too many things out, which spells trouble when a 2 year old gets involved. He had a field day! Next time I try this, I hope I learn from my mistakes. I'm an old dog though so not sure if I can learn new tricks.
So that is all our excitement for now. We are moving along with our studies and getting into a sort of groove. Things could be smoother but I am learning to chill more. Sometimes I wonder if I am teaching some things the wrong way, because every kid learns differently. I want him to enjoy learning and maybe there is a better way to do it. But for now, we will forge on with our current path. Once we are finished with the reading curriculum, I imagine I will have some time to experiment with other things there. Seems like that won't be too far off in the future, by the looks of things. More games or activities to sharpen reading skills perhaps. I need to look into this before the time is upon us. Onward and upward! Life is an adventure.
Sunday, September 28, 2014
Measuring the marigolds
This is one of those weeks where it's hard to pinpoint something special. We had good days, we had so-so days. Nothing completely terrible, although Josh is still difficult to get going at times, which frustrates me. If I had to specify one particular thing, I'd say this week he seemed to gain more confidence in his reading ability. Perhaps some people may have seen my post about him reading a story to his brother this week. To some, this may not seem like that big a deal, especially if I were to tell you it was a book meant for a young child to be read aloud. With Josh, he hasn't felt confident enough to attempt this until this week. He reads with me all the time and there are even times when he's reading aloud that he barely whispers the words. Usually, I must admit, this aggravates me because I think he's only doing it because he just doesn't want to read. I am beginning to realize though that he does it when he is not sure of something and doesn't want to get it wrong. I told him that he doesn't have to be afraid of getting it wrong with me. That's what I'm here for. I want to encourage him and help him when he needs help. How will I know what he needs to work on if I can't tell what he knows? So, in picking up this book and actually saying to his brother, "Hey Liam, you want me to read you a story?", I knew that he was gaining confidence. His brother sat down with him but didn't stay in one place the entire time, as toddlers tend not to do. However, Josh kept reading the book out loud until he got to the end. He struggled a little bit but, for the most part, did an awesome job. He never seems to want to read and this act surprised me, in a good way. Progress!
Wednesday we had another science fun day, which we again took outside. I will continue to do outside activities with this as long as I can. It serves two purposes. One, we all get out of the house and get some fresh air, and two, we get to enjoy nature. It is a bit challenging with the younger one but we've been choosing areas where we can take the jogging stroller, which helps. This week he wanted to do a nature scavenger hunt. He got the idea from his scout meeting the night before. They had their meeting at the park, where one of the rangers took them on a little hike and they did a little nature hunt of sorts. For our scavenger hunt, we prepared the chart of things we thought we'd like to see before going to the park.( Why do these things always take way longer than you anticipate?) I made a chart and Josh drew pictures in the blocks of different animals and plants he thought he might see. Of course, some of the things he drew, I was PRETTY sure we would not. He had at least 4 different snakes on there and a coyote. Wishful thinking. We did get to see a belted kingfisher when we were walking around the dam, but sadly I must admit, no coyote. Snakes I am even more glad we did not see. Especially the rattlesnake. He is a big snake nut and thinks it would be so cool to see them in the wild. (I do not agree, however!) We saw a black snake when we were riding our bikes once. In fact, Josh nearly ran over it because he didn't realize what it was at first. That is the only snake we've seen...so far. But Josh says he'd like to be a herpetologist, so more snakes would be great for him. We saw most of the plants on our chart but not too may animals. Lots of different birds and plenty of grasshoppers. Time of day is probably key in what we see I imagine and we've been there late morning to early afternoon. The best laid plans...sadly my plan for an early start went by the wayside with the prepping of the chart. Oh well, we can also say he got in some art for the day! Hopefully this coming week, we can have another outdoor adventure.
That about sums up our week. We marched on with our math, unit study, reading, language arts, spelling and writing, although the writing is beginning to seem more like a chore to him. He isn't as happy to do it for me as he was in the beginning. In fact, it's like I ask him to write the great american novel when I ask him to do it. I keep trying to rethink how to get him to want to write more. It is the biggest challenge right now I think. Math is going pretty well, for the most part, except when it comes to some of the counting. Counting by 4's, 3's, 2's, etc. He is good with the 5's and 10's but everything else turns him off. He says it too hard and he really refuses to even attempt it most of the time. He does well with time, what we've covered so far at least. We started learning money and he's doing well with that. Addition is coming along but I'd say it's a work in progress. He tends to want to give a good guess rather than figure it out a lot of the time. I know he is capable of figuring it out, but he's very stubborn. Like mother, like son I guess.
Through it all, we march on though and we learn from each other. This experience teaches me to go with the flow sometimes more than I would normally like. I try not to compare my methods with others, but it is difficult. I read about other people's school days, those who homeschool, and wonder if I should be doing what they are doing. Then I have to remind myself that their situation is different than mine, that there isn't really a right way or wrong way as long as I'm teaching and he's learning. I also wonder what he'd be learning if he were in school, but then remember why I decided to do this. I feel it is the thing I need to do right now. We have some things to iron out but I think we'll figure them out in time. Heck, we have almost two months in the books so far and he's starting to read. I think that's great. I am glad I am there to see it. Life is full of surprises, but I don't want my children's education to be one of them. I want to know they are being taught the things they need to know. This gets tricky, but I guess I just want them to have access to the same information that I did growing up. But I don't want to go on a rant so I must bid you all adieu. To another good week and let it be one where the surprises come in love of learning!
Wednesday we had another science fun day, which we again took outside. I will continue to do outside activities with this as long as I can. It serves two purposes. One, we all get out of the house and get some fresh air, and two, we get to enjoy nature. It is a bit challenging with the younger one but we've been choosing areas where we can take the jogging stroller, which helps. This week he wanted to do a nature scavenger hunt. He got the idea from his scout meeting the night before. They had their meeting at the park, where one of the rangers took them on a little hike and they did a little nature hunt of sorts. For our scavenger hunt, we prepared the chart of things we thought we'd like to see before going to the park.( Why do these things always take way longer than you anticipate?) I made a chart and Josh drew pictures in the blocks of different animals and plants he thought he might see. Of course, some of the things he drew, I was PRETTY sure we would not. He had at least 4 different snakes on there and a coyote. Wishful thinking. We did get to see a belted kingfisher when we were walking around the dam, but sadly I must admit, no coyote. Snakes I am even more glad we did not see. Especially the rattlesnake. He is a big snake nut and thinks it would be so cool to see them in the wild. (I do not agree, however!) We saw a black snake when we were riding our bikes once. In fact, Josh nearly ran over it because he didn't realize what it was at first. That is the only snake we've seen...so far. But Josh says he'd like to be a herpetologist, so more snakes would be great for him. We saw most of the plants on our chart but not too may animals. Lots of different birds and plenty of grasshoppers. Time of day is probably key in what we see I imagine and we've been there late morning to early afternoon. The best laid plans...sadly my plan for an early start went by the wayside with the prepping of the chart. Oh well, we can also say he got in some art for the day! Hopefully this coming week, we can have another outdoor adventure.
That about sums up our week. We marched on with our math, unit study, reading, language arts, spelling and writing, although the writing is beginning to seem more like a chore to him. He isn't as happy to do it for me as he was in the beginning. In fact, it's like I ask him to write the great american novel when I ask him to do it. I keep trying to rethink how to get him to want to write more. It is the biggest challenge right now I think. Math is going pretty well, for the most part, except when it comes to some of the counting. Counting by 4's, 3's, 2's, etc. He is good with the 5's and 10's but everything else turns him off. He says it too hard and he really refuses to even attempt it most of the time. He does well with time, what we've covered so far at least. We started learning money and he's doing well with that. Addition is coming along but I'd say it's a work in progress. He tends to want to give a good guess rather than figure it out a lot of the time. I know he is capable of figuring it out, but he's very stubborn. Like mother, like son I guess.
Through it all, we march on though and we learn from each other. This experience teaches me to go with the flow sometimes more than I would normally like. I try not to compare my methods with others, but it is difficult. I read about other people's school days, those who homeschool, and wonder if I should be doing what they are doing. Then I have to remind myself that their situation is different than mine, that there isn't really a right way or wrong way as long as I'm teaching and he's learning. I also wonder what he'd be learning if he were in school, but then remember why I decided to do this. I feel it is the thing I need to do right now. We have some things to iron out but I think we'll figure them out in time. Heck, we have almost two months in the books so far and he's starting to read. I think that's great. I am glad I am there to see it. Life is full of surprises, but I don't want my children's education to be one of them. I want to know they are being taught the things they need to know. This gets tricky, but I guess I just want them to have access to the same information that I did growing up. But I don't want to go on a rant so I must bid you all adieu. To another good week and let it be one where the surprises come in love of learning!
Sunday, September 21, 2014
The Facts of Life
Another week in the books. This week definitely had its ups and downs that's for sure. Let me start with the downs. First of all, the beginning of the week started like most other weeks, which kind of depressed me. I always have such high hopes for the start of the week. After a so-so Tuesday, I decided to try something new on Wednesday. I let Josh decide what we studied on Wednesday, for the most part. We told him we still had to do reading because we think that is important to keep up with. So we did some science stuff most of the day on Wednesday, in between chasing Liam around and keeping him from making too many messes, as he is opt to do. In the morning, Josh got his shells out from our last couple of trips to South Carolina and we looked them up online to identify them. He put them on paper and traced them and I helped label them once we figured out what they were. This activity was enlightening for both of us. He couldn't decide what else to do so I decided to take it outside since it was a beautiful day. Impromptu field trip to Bald Eagle State Park. Here we went for a short nature walk where we checked out the pond to see if anything interesting was lurking thereabouts. Josh saw one frog but mostly we spied lots of grasshoppers, dragonflies, butterflies and bees. Not much else. After the pond, we took off to the other end of the trail and saw some goldfinches and a hawk, although Josh swore it was an eagle. Wishful thinking on his part I believe. Poor kid is dying to see an eagle in the wild. Since animals are his thing, I thought going "creature adventuring" would cure him of his homeschooling ho-hums.
Well, Thursday I had such high hopes for a really good day. He whined and complained about doing his math, as usual. Later when it was time to do reading, I got more whining and complaining and we had a serious head-to-head, where I must say I really lost it. I thought my head was going to explode. On the bright side, after this near-rupture, Josh and I really seemed to have a good bonding experience. He told me he didn't think he was learning anything, that he can't read, but as we were chatting, I was absently quizzing him on words we've gone over so far this year (and there are many). He got every one of them correct. I pointed this out to him after we were done chatting and I could see a smile come across his face. I told him he's learning and doing really well, that he just has to apply himself and give me his attention when we're doing lessons. It was a really good moment for both of us. In fact, when I look back now and think about it, I nearly tear up. Friday when we did our schoolwork, it was probably the best day we've had so far this year. He did his math without complaining. Reading was done with lots of energy and what I'd say was almost enthusiasm. It was a very good day. We even did twice the amount of time on read aloud than normal and he didn't seem to mind. Who is this kid I am thinking.
Today Josh tells me he's going to do really well this week. He got me to start a system like they used in school (positive paws) and he tells me he's going to earn a lot this week. So far this year, I have only given out 8, two of which I gave him Friday. I really hope he keeps his word. I know there will be tough days and he isn't always going to cooperate. He's 6. I'm sure it's expected. I guess I need to see things progressing for the positive. It's hard to constantly feel like I'm fighting. Josh is smarter than he gives himself credit for and I know he's capable of figuring this stuff out. I am also learning though that I get more out of him when I let him be a boy and don't expect him to sit still all the time. One way we got through reading Friday was for him to read a little then throw himself on the couch. He got his exercise and I got to see him really read like I never have before. I have some tweaking to do with my methods of teaching but this week showed me that it can be done. I also decided to do a fun science day once a week, even if it does set us back a little on other things. We will catch up. The world will not end. This too shall pass.
Well, Thursday I had such high hopes for a really good day. He whined and complained about doing his math, as usual. Later when it was time to do reading, I got more whining and complaining and we had a serious head-to-head, where I must say I really lost it. I thought my head was going to explode. On the bright side, after this near-rupture, Josh and I really seemed to have a good bonding experience. He told me he didn't think he was learning anything, that he can't read, but as we were chatting, I was absently quizzing him on words we've gone over so far this year (and there are many). He got every one of them correct. I pointed this out to him after we were done chatting and I could see a smile come across his face. I told him he's learning and doing really well, that he just has to apply himself and give me his attention when we're doing lessons. It was a really good moment for both of us. In fact, when I look back now and think about it, I nearly tear up. Friday when we did our schoolwork, it was probably the best day we've had so far this year. He did his math without complaining. Reading was done with lots of energy and what I'd say was almost enthusiasm. It was a very good day. We even did twice the amount of time on read aloud than normal and he didn't seem to mind. Who is this kid I am thinking.
Today Josh tells me he's going to do really well this week. He got me to start a system like they used in school (positive paws) and he tells me he's going to earn a lot this week. So far this year, I have only given out 8, two of which I gave him Friday. I really hope he keeps his word. I know there will be tough days and he isn't always going to cooperate. He's 6. I'm sure it's expected. I guess I need to see things progressing for the positive. It's hard to constantly feel like I'm fighting. Josh is smarter than he gives himself credit for and I know he's capable of figuring this stuff out. I am also learning though that I get more out of him when I let him be a boy and don't expect him to sit still all the time. One way we got through reading Friday was for him to read a little then throw himself on the couch. He got his exercise and I got to see him really read like I never have before. I have some tweaking to do with my methods of teaching but this week showed me that it can be done. I also decided to do a fun science day once a week, even if it does set us back a little on other things. We will catch up. The world will not end. This too shall pass.
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