The Homeschool Mother's Journal

 

In my life this week...

The first few days of this week were relatively uneventful until Wednesday afternoon when we got a phone call from Dad saying he was taking Mom to the emergency room. She has been battling abdominal pain for several weeks, and he was tired of waiting for the doctors to figure it out. Mom was admitted to the hospital Wednesday night. On Thursday the doctor told her that they believed she was no longer in remission. Of course, we suspected this, but you can't do anything to prepare yourself for that kind of news and the ramifications of it, nor can I describe it to you.

 

In our homeschool this week...

Ava started learning about place value notation this week, and she loves it! She was teaching it to her dolls one afternoon! 

 

Lukas' made fantastic progress with his vision therapy this week. My husband stopped by the doctor's office to get a slightly lower level of equipment, and it has made a world of difference. I believe we'll have him back to using the more challenging equipment within a week or so. He really doesn't enjoy this therapy, so I am proud of him for working through it without too much complaining.

 

Lukas also decided to compose a piano piece this week. It is his first piano composition, and he's pretty excited about it. It is mostly chords with a simple bass line, but it sounds pleasant. He asked me for staff paper the other day, so I printed some for him, and he's writing his song on staff paper. These two musical parents are a little more than excited about this! I plan to play it as soon as he has finished writing it down!

Helpful homeschooling tips or advice to share...

I follow a couple homeschooling pages on Facebook. I've noticed so many people asking questions like, "Is it okay if I don't do exactly what it says?" or "Can I stretch a Five in a Row book over two weeks?" "Is it okay if I skip something?" "My kids are very interested in the topic we're studying, so can I take time to explore this topic with them instead of moving on the way it tells us to?" My answers? Yes. Yes. Yes. Yes. Do what works for you. You are not married to any curriculum. Curriculum is a guideline, not a rule.

I am inspired by...

Scripture. "He gives strength to the weary and increases the power of the weak. Even youths grow tired and weary,and young men stumble and fall; but those who hope in the LORD will renew their strength. They will soar on wings like eagles; they will run and not grow weary, they will walk and not be faint." 

Isaiah 40:29-31

Places we're going and people we're seeing...

Everything is kind of up in the air. We usually go to Mom and Dad's every-other Sunday afternoon, but I doubt Mom will be up for it tomorrow. We may stop by for a little bit. 

My favorite thing this week was...

We made the most adorable owl craft this week, and we used Valentine colors to do them. They're completely and totally adorable. Did I say adorable twice? Why, yes, yes I did. Because they are THAT adorable!

What's working/not working for us...

I've been working hard to spend time talking to Ava about how much she likes reading (if you follow my blog, you know Ava has previously expressed her dislike of reading). It is starting to work. I hope this might be considered to be a positive use of reverse psychology. She has said for quite a while that she doesn't like to read. One day, off the cuff, I said, "I don't think that's true, Ava. I think you like reading. You love when mommy reads to you from chapter books and picture books and even magazines, so what I think is that you do like reading. You just don't like the process of learning to read." I saw a very faint light bulb flash, and then I started talking about books that I know she has loved and how she will be able to read them herself if she keeps working as hard as she has been. When I said she could read all the Laura books in a year or two (Little House series), the light bulb stayed on! Two days later, she said to me as we were snuggled on the couch under a blanket ready to begin her reading lesson, "Mommy, I think I'm starting to like reading a lot better." Yes! 

Questions/thoughts I have...

What kind of day will it be? Sunny? Cold? Autumn? Spring?

Things I'm working on...

Trusting.

I'm cooking...

I made this Sweet Potato Beef Stew this week with this Corn Bread recipe that I started making a year or so ago. Both recipes are incredible!

I'm grateful for...

Time.

I'm praying for...

My mama.

A photo/video/link/quote I'd like to share...

 

 

Courageous Individuality

Are you a parent? What do you want for your kids? I have a list of things that I would like to see in each of my kid's lives. I've never written it down, but I have it inside my head. Here's an example of what part of that list might look like:

• Jesus in their heart.
• Biblical character
• Evidence of the fruits of the Spirit in their lives
• Godly spouse (don't worry. I'm not hoping for this any time soon, but I am praying for this)
• Talent that they can use to serve the Lord
• Biblical World View
• Strength
• Self-esteem
• Courage
• Confident individuality

That last one is a big deal to us right now. It goes along with good self-esteem, and it has a lot to do with finding your worth in Christ rather than the world. These are things that are high priorities for us, for many Christian parents. This means that our family doesn't look like most families, and we're fine with that. We homeschool. We read the Bible every morning and have a family worship time every evening. We spend time together the way families did when families stayed together in the first half of the 20th century. We cook from scratch. We grow things. And? We allow our children to grow and mature at their own pace and to be who they are rather than expecting them to become what the world expects them to be like.

This is why we encourage our children to express themselves in a variety of ways. For our son, this means that he is writing his first piano composition, creating Lego masterpieces and writing hilarious stories for school. It means he is singing and performing and giggling his way through life, and he is using these gifts to serve the church, something he has done since he was 8. I am proud of who he is and who he is becoming.

On Monday, Lukas shared with me as we were getting ready to leave the house to run errands and go to his basketball practice that his coach wasn't being fair. I had to pause to think before I spoke because we all know that what a 10 year old decides is "fair" is very broad. Or narrow. Depending on your perspective. I asked Lukas to explain to me what was happening. He was right. She wasn't being entirely fair, but, since life isn't always fair, I decided not to run to his rescue (this was one crazy giant leap for this mama). I talked through it with him. I suggested that he speak to her himself, and I gave him a few suggestions and asked him what he might say so that he was prepared. And then? I didn't even go into the gym.

When Lukas climbed into the van after practice, I asked him if he had spoken to his coach. He did it. I was so proud of him. And? She completely understood his point-of-view and ended up allowing all the kids the opportunity to grow some skills they had been lacking. Lukas was thrilled, and I could see the confidence on his face as I realized he had just matured by 10 years (we learned about hyperbole today in school. I never use it). This was a big deal. This is the kind of strength, courage, and character we want to see in our kids. It wasn't just about him. It was about all of the kids getting what they deserved. He's a team player, and he went to bat (err...went to the basket???) for his team. I love that kid. He's pretty outstanding if I do say so myself.

For Ava, expressing herself means that she is painting, coloring, cutting, pasting, molding, creating, and making big, sloppy messes every single day. She is dancing to worship music or singing her heart out (usually through her nose. argh!). She is putting together crazy outfits that make me shudder, but this is who she is, and I wouldn't change her for the world. She loves fashion, and, while her choices are not always what I would choose, and she is still learning about matching and what kinds of shirts can be layered together and which ones just don't quite work, it is so important to her that she is allowed to express herself through her clothing, and it's fine with us. This is not a battle worth choosing because, if we did, what would happen to her self-esteem? Her individuality? Yeah. So not worth it.

Just over a year ago, for example, our battle was over socks. "But MOM, all the girls at church are wearing mismatched socks." Say what??? Craziness. That's what I thought. Then we got together with family at Christmas, and our then 16 year old niece was wearing mismatched socks. We don't necessarily subscribe to all the latest fads in our house, but this one is harmless, so I relented. Ava's socks haven't matched in over a year. I'm so used to it that I don't give it a second thought or even notice most of the time. She loves it, and, she's right. All the other girls are wearing mismatched socks(okay, so a lot of girls, but not all). In fact, did you know you can actually buy socks that don't match? On purpose???

One day last month, I came downstairs, and Ava was wearing pastel sparkly pink leggings with knees stained brown from tree climbing and sand boxes and who knows what else. Layered over the leggings were plaid shorts with bright shades of yellow, blue, pink, green and purple on them. She wore a black, long-sleeved t-shirt with a "Rock Band" t-shirt over that. It was a masterpiece. Uh-hem. I shook my head a little and smiled. This is who my daughter is. We weren't going anywhere, so who cares? Right?

I've read many times that we should say yes to our children as much as possible. I actually haven't taken much time to think about that parenting philosophy, but in this case, it is very applicable. I let Ava choose her clothes because it is important to her. If we are leaving the house, I am more specific about what she can or cannot wear. But this freedom I am giving her to express herself? It is shaping her. It is molding her into who Jesus wants her to be. 

There are nay-sayers who believe I am ruining her. I am not. I am watching her learn to create outfits that look amazing. Sure, she's 8, so she gets it wrong more than she gets it right, but who cares? She's happy exploring her closet. When she isn't, she'll wear something different. Right? She is practicing individuality that is unstained by the world's expectations. If that is wrong, then I want to be wrong.

I love who this daughter of mine is. I want more of what she has. Courageous, confident individuality, unaltered by the world's expectations. She is who she is, and she is awesome. She takes my breath away.

The Homeschool Mother's Journal

 

In my life this week...

I have been feeling pretty down this week, but I have pushed through it and managed to have a relatively productive week. On Sunday, we spent the entire afternoon with my folks because we hadn't been able to spend time with them since Christmas! We went to a "getting to know you" carry-in dinner at church Sunday evening because we've had so many new families coming to church over the past several months. We had a blast hanging out with some friends from our Sunday School class and meeting some new folks also. I didn't want to leave! How much of a blessing is that? I was able to go to worship team rehearsal last night, which means I can sing again. Sort of.

In our homeschool this week...

Our Five in a Row book for this week has been Owl Moon, which is one of my favorites. I saved it for winter because I was hoping for snow when we read it. This morning, I saw my daffodils pushing through the ground, so let's just say that snow hasn't been very abundant this winter. Anyway, as I was planning for school this week, I decided to take a break from Answers in Genesis because there was so much science material to go along with Owl Moon, and I decided to stretch Owl Moon over two weeks so we could have a week of studying the moon and a week of studying owls. We love AIG (as I have mentioned many times, I'm sure), but it has been fun to do something that is different and that is just plain fun. We used Oreo cookies to make moon phases, and today we sponge painted each phase of the moon to turn into a mobile when they're dry (later this evening, I hope. Some of that paint is thick!).

Helpful homeschooling tips or advice to share...

Have you ever gone to a convention? I love going, but I haven't gone in a few years. I'm hoping to go to our state convention this year, and I would absolutely love to go to the mid-western convention in Cincinnati in April. Voddie Bauchum is speaking at CHEO (state convention) in June, and we very much want to hear him. If you have the chance to go, do it! You will be so encouraged by the people you meet and the speakers you will hear.

I am inspired by...

Beauty in nature. Two evenings ago the sunset was purple and fuscia. It was gorgeous and completely and totally inspiring.

Places we're going and people we're seeing...

After another basketball game in the morning, we'll make a quick stop for a few ingredients for items we'll be making for Ava's birthday party tomorrow afternoon (I'm not sure what those items are yet, but I'll wander to my pinterest boards when I'm done writing this). My parents, our friends, the Bonars, our neighbor, and, hopefully, our friends, the Hershbergers, will be joining us. Ava's pretty excited to finally be able to celebrate her birthday with friends and family (two weeks late because she was so sick on her actual birthday).

My favorite thing this week was...

The moon projects I mentioned above were my favorite. I love school this time of year. We get so much done, and I get to add creative projects to our school days more often!

What's working/not working for us...

This week, we switched our schedule as I mentioned we might last week. The kids still do all their independent work first, but instead of doing our read-aloud and Five in a Row study after that, we've been doing Ava's reading lesson and Lukas' vision therapy next. It has made a big difference in how well Lukas' therapy is going, but I haven't really seen a difference in Ava's reading. Actually, this week, she decided to start reading faster because she wants to get it over-with. I'm not kidding when I say she has cut the time in half this week, and it has nothing to do with the time of day. She could have done it all along. Silly child. I love her.

Questions/thoughts I have...

What gets you through when life's circumstances are slapping you around?

Things I'm working on...

Without going into great detail, I'll just say I'm working on living each day normally. I've had some rough days recently, and I'm not exactly productive when I'm feeling really down.

I'm reading...

The same as last week...Little Women and Island of the Blue Dolphins.

I'm cooking...

Chicken and rice this evening and whatever veggie I decide to make. I'm decorating a cake tonight, so dinner needed to be simple.

I'm grateful for...

Today as I sat enjoying lunch with my children, I found myself marveling at how wonderful they are. Lukas was telling me a story, and I loved watching his grin as he laughed his way through it. Ava chimed in and her eyes were literally sparkling. I'm grateful for my giggly boy and glittery girl and for the opportunity to give them my full attention so that I can notice the little things about them.

I'm praying for...

Two friends who are battling loneliness as the result of divorces in progress, health concerns that my mom is having, eye therapy issues that Lukas is facing because he regressed so much while we were all sick, and a very, very important, financial need.

A photo/video/link/quote I'd like to share...

Oreo Moon Phases

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