During a marriage class at church last night, we got into a talk about the differences in how men and women think. All of us are aware of these differences, as they are pretty obvious!
As we were talking about how men can literally think about 'nothing' (which, if you're a woman, is so strange to even imagine!), I was literally thinking of at least 10 other things that very moment, and STILL contributing to the conversation.
So, just for fun, let's just take a look into the thoughts that go through this crazy mom's head in about a 10-15 minute time span! :) Beware of the chaos... ;)
aden needs to bring money for his field trip...
oh no! i forgot to fill out that paper for his teacher..
what is that?! another gray hair?! :S
there are a lot of eggs in our fridge, i wonder if david has called Chris...
kendyl has GEMS tonight, i need to get the fundraiser money & paper ready...
(at the same time, I open my English lesson book and begin to plan)
we should do 'this' project to help her understand that concept...
that would be a lot of fun to incorporate into an art project...
we should really go over 'this' today...oh and we better review 'this'...
what is that noise?! oh, that's just the chickens...
man, i wish we didn't have so many chickens...
poor Snickers being tempted with those chickens...
I wish we could just let him run free all the time...
oh great! i think i left a rake out in the garden...
next year i don't think we'll have such a huge garden...
i should get outside and clean up the yard better before it snows...
i need to make sure the kids have snowsuits and boots for the winter..
okay...we need to work on telling time to the minute this week...
where did i put that time practice book? (begin looking for it)
oooh...there is that art book we were looking for... i should find a fall project to do soon...
did i turn off the oven?... (go check it)
okay, what was i doing? oh yeah! looking for that time practice book...
oh man, i need to dust in this room...
(i find the time practice book & get pages ready for kendyl)
she's doing pretty well with telling time...
what time am i suposed to be at that meeting?! (go look at the calendar)...
okay, 6pm... oh shoot, i forgot we have gymnastics until 6...hmmm...
we'll have to leave early...
kendyl's doing much better with her gymnastics...
etc. etc. etc....
...you get the idea... ;)
At the same time, I believe the hubby would have these thoughts going through his head:
I'm hungry.
Why does she keep running from one room to the next?
(makes himself a snack & sits to eat it--thinks about nothing while doing so)
:)
*this was all for fun... :)
Thursday, October 28, 2010
Tuesday, September 7, 2010
Pleasant, Smooth, and Successful First Day! :)
Horray! I've learned to 'go with the flow' of homeschooling! :) This year's first day was amazing!
We started out LATE because Kendyl had woken up at least a half a dozen times during the night, so we all slept until 8am!! Oh well... we homeschool, no problem! :)
We all got ready and David went outside to 'feed the chickens' (get in the 'bus' and drive down the road)... The kids and I went outside (they thought we were just taking 'First Day of School' pictures :) Then, the bus drove up!! :) and again, they LOVED it!! I honestly thought they wouldn't care this year...but they were so excited! :) They called David, Mr. Bus Driver all Day! :)
After their ride around they block, they came back and walked into the 'classroom' :) We took a 'tour' of the class and talked about somethings we would be doing this year. Then we started our 'A.M. Schedule'... Music was first... we sang the Old & New Testement Books songs (aden just danced around)...
Then we did our Math Meeting. During Math Meeting, we go through calendar, counting, money, time, estimation, weather, and more! Aden 'helped' Mr. Bus Driver do a little cleaning during our math meeting.
Next on the schedule was 'Special' (which could be anything really)...but today it was a Time Capsule project. Both kids traced their hands, drew pics of their family, drew a pic of what they want to be when they grow up, wrote numbers to 20 (aden counted which we wrote them), cut out some shapes, and filled out a questionare about themselves. They placed all of these items into a 'time capsule' that will be opened in May, so they can see how much they have grown and learned! :)
Next was Art--Kendyl's FAVORITE time. Today we painted self-portraits. :)
Next was Storytime. Read Are the Apples by: Marc Harshman & Cheryl Ryan and Green Eggs and Ham by: Dr. Seuss. For each book, we found the rhymns and wrote some of them on our word wall, talking about the 'patterns' of letters and practicing their spelling. Aden then went outside to play with Daddy, while Kendyl and I read the first chapter of Junie B., First Grader (at last!) by: Barbara Park
We had some 'extra' time... so Kendyl had a free choice... she chose to play some phonics games on the computer :)
For lunch, the kids wanted to have a picnic, but it was TOOO windy... so, we laid a blanket on the living room floor and had a picnic inside! :) The kids were SO excited because I had packed them lunches in their lunch boxes (just like if they went to public school) :)
After lunch, Daddy did a Bible lesson/memory work with them.
Then of course, RECESS!!! :) David and the kids played t-ball and ran around :) Aden and Daddy stayed outside and played 'army guys' while Kendyl and I went in for Science.
I must say, Kendyl LOVES this Science book & lessons! It is one used by many schools (public and private), Science a Closer Look (macmillan/mcgraw-hill)... a friend gave us an extra copy she had... can't beat free curriculum!! :) Today we did an overview of scientific method and introduced vocabulary words: observe, compare, classify, measure, record data, model, communicate, and scientist.
After science, Mr. Bus Driver and Aden came in and we all played A to Z jr. :)
Kendyl did 2 phonics review practice sheets and read a book to her doll. She is excited to do her 'homework'--lol... she is going to write a 'fiction story'. Each week she chooses 3+ writing assignments that she does on her own (as she does them, she marks them off with stickers on her writing chart)... she can choose from things like; writing stories, writing letters to friends, making signs,etc. that you would use at a store, library, etc., making lists of things... and on and on.
After all her hard work today, she relaxed and watched a movie (and is now getting ready to write her story!).
Great first day of the year! Excited for tomorrow! Aden will be going to the Fremont Christian School Preschool with Mrs. Breuker and Mrs. Wyn! He is VERY excited! :)
So, tonight, we must all go to bed early and sleep through the night! Tomorrow will be another GREAT day! :)
We started out LATE because Kendyl had woken up at least a half a dozen times during the night, so we all slept until 8am!! Oh well... we homeschool, no problem! :)
We all got ready and David went outside to 'feed the chickens' (get in the 'bus' and drive down the road)... The kids and I went outside (they thought we were just taking 'First Day of School' pictures :) Then, the bus drove up!! :) and again, they LOVED it!! I honestly thought they wouldn't care this year...but they were so excited! :) They called David, Mr. Bus Driver all Day! :)
After their ride around they block, they came back and walked into the 'classroom' :) We took a 'tour' of the class and talked about somethings we would be doing this year. Then we started our 'A.M. Schedule'... Music was first... we sang the Old & New Testement Books songs (aden just danced around)...
Then we did our Math Meeting. During Math Meeting, we go through calendar, counting, money, time, estimation, weather, and more! Aden 'helped' Mr. Bus Driver do a little cleaning during our math meeting.
Next on the schedule was 'Special' (which could be anything really)...but today it was a Time Capsule project. Both kids traced their hands, drew pics of their family, drew a pic of what they want to be when they grow up, wrote numbers to 20 (aden counted which we wrote them), cut out some shapes, and filled out a questionare about themselves. They placed all of these items into a 'time capsule' that will be opened in May, so they can see how much they have grown and learned! :)
Next was Art--Kendyl's FAVORITE time. Today we painted self-portraits. :)
Next was Storytime. Read Are the Apples by: Marc Harshman & Cheryl Ryan and Green Eggs and Ham by: Dr. Seuss. For each book, we found the rhymns and wrote some of them on our word wall, talking about the 'patterns' of letters and practicing their spelling. Aden then went outside to play with Daddy, while Kendyl and I read the first chapter of Junie B., First Grader (at last!) by: Barbara Park
We had some 'extra' time... so Kendyl had a free choice... she chose to play some phonics games on the computer :)
For lunch, the kids wanted to have a picnic, but it was TOOO windy... so, we laid a blanket on the living room floor and had a picnic inside! :) The kids were SO excited because I had packed them lunches in their lunch boxes (just like if they went to public school) :)
After lunch, Daddy did a Bible lesson/memory work with them.
Then of course, RECESS!!! :) David and the kids played t-ball and ran around :) Aden and Daddy stayed outside and played 'army guys' while Kendyl and I went in for Science.
I must say, Kendyl LOVES this Science book & lessons! It is one used by many schools (public and private), Science a Closer Look (macmillan/mcgraw-hill)... a friend gave us an extra copy she had... can't beat free curriculum!! :) Today we did an overview of scientific method and introduced vocabulary words: observe, compare, classify, measure, record data, model, communicate, and scientist.
After science, Mr. Bus Driver and Aden came in and we all played A to Z jr. :)
Kendyl did 2 phonics review practice sheets and read a book to her doll. She is excited to do her 'homework'--lol... she is going to write a 'fiction story'. Each week she chooses 3+ writing assignments that she does on her own (as she does them, she marks them off with stickers on her writing chart)... she can choose from things like; writing stories, writing letters to friends, making signs,etc. that you would use at a store, library, etc., making lists of things... and on and on.
After all her hard work today, she relaxed and watched a movie (and is now getting ready to write her story!).
Great first day of the year! Excited for tomorrow! Aden will be going to the Fremont Christian School Preschool with Mrs. Breuker and Mrs. Wyn! He is VERY excited! :)
So, tonight, we must all go to bed early and sleep through the night! Tomorrow will be another GREAT day! :)
Sunday, August 22, 2010
Why am I doing this?
Sometimes I get in a selfish mode of thought about schooling.... Here are some of these thoughts...
*just think, if I send Kendyl to school, Aden will be in preschool 3 days a week, and I will have SO much time to do whatever I want!!
*If I send Kendyl to school, I could work out everyday and finally get back to the shape I'd like to be in!
*I could work more hours at the Tree House to pay for things like scrapbooking supplies, etc... that I want!
*I could sell or get rid of all our homeschooling curriculum, books, videos, etc. etc.... WOW, I could have a clutter-free home!!
*David and I could have lunch together without kids 3 days a week and could get back to wood-working together, etc...
and the thoughts go on and on...
I needed a reminder of WHY I am doing this!!!
There are these reasons...
*David works second shift and would barely ever see Kendyl if she went to school everyday.
*Her education wouldn't be centered on Christ.
*I wouldn't always know what she was understanding and not understanding in her subjects.
*She would have less time to explore on her own, read on her own, create on her own, etc.
*She would be much more tired and stressed.
*I would have a hard time letting her be involved in all she wants to (dance or gymnastics, piano lessons, soccer, GEMS, etc.).
(these are just some of MY reasons)
But, I was still feeling like, man it is just very hard to homeschool... until I received my "the Well-Planned Day: A Family Homeschool Planner" in the mail! AHHH... it made me feel so much better... it is a planner designed for homeschool moms! It is awesome... not only does it help you plan lessons, record grades, keep track of 'attendance', etc... but it also gives GREAT encouragement throughout and contains Scripture on every page!! Plus it even has a family budget section along with grocery list, etc... so all the planning things I need are in one notebook! I love it!!
Anyway... One of the encouraging 'notes' in it was written by Elisabeth Elliot... It was exactly what I needed to remind me why I'm doing this!
Then question asked of a homeschooling mom was: What have you discovered about the advantages of homeschooling?...
here is an overview of her lengthy answer...
*The children have more time: to read, learn responsibility by doing chores, to play, to use imagination, to listen to and enjoy each other & learn obedience.
*parents don't have to 'deprogram' their kids or reteach values after being at school for 7 hours!
*children learn to love each other more... at home, children don't learn that 'older is better', as they do in society/school.
*they learn to be servants of one another. The family is a microcosm of the Body of Christ.
The key note that resignated with me was: "Don't think about all you have to do, just do the next thing!"
Okay... now I really need to get planning somethings... but, I won't think about it all... just the next thing! :)
*just think, if I send Kendyl to school, Aden will be in preschool 3 days a week, and I will have SO much time to do whatever I want!!
*If I send Kendyl to school, I could work out everyday and finally get back to the shape I'd like to be in!
*I could work more hours at the Tree House to pay for things like scrapbooking supplies, etc... that I want!
*I could sell or get rid of all our homeschooling curriculum, books, videos, etc. etc.... WOW, I could have a clutter-free home!!
*David and I could have lunch together without kids 3 days a week and could get back to wood-working together, etc...
and the thoughts go on and on...
I needed a reminder of WHY I am doing this!!!
There are these reasons...
*David works second shift and would barely ever see Kendyl if she went to school everyday.
*Her education wouldn't be centered on Christ.
*I wouldn't always know what she was understanding and not understanding in her subjects.
*She would have less time to explore on her own, read on her own, create on her own, etc.
*She would be much more tired and stressed.
*I would have a hard time letting her be involved in all she wants to (dance or gymnastics, piano lessons, soccer, GEMS, etc.).
(these are just some of MY reasons)
But, I was still feeling like, man it is just very hard to homeschool... until I received my "the Well-Planned Day: A Family Homeschool Planner" in the mail! AHHH... it made me feel so much better... it is a planner designed for homeschool moms! It is awesome... not only does it help you plan lessons, record grades, keep track of 'attendance', etc... but it also gives GREAT encouragement throughout and contains Scripture on every page!! Plus it even has a family budget section along with grocery list, etc... so all the planning things I need are in one notebook! I love it!!
Anyway... One of the encouraging 'notes' in it was written by Elisabeth Elliot... It was exactly what I needed to remind me why I'm doing this!
Then question asked of a homeschooling mom was: What have you discovered about the advantages of homeschooling?...
here is an overview of her lengthy answer...
*The children have more time: to read, learn responsibility by doing chores, to play, to use imagination, to listen to and enjoy each other & learn obedience.
*parents don't have to 'deprogram' their kids or reteach values after being at school for 7 hours!
*children learn to love each other more... at home, children don't learn that 'older is better', as they do in society/school.
*they learn to be servants of one another. The family is a microcosm of the Body of Christ.
The key note that resignated with me was: "Don't think about all you have to do, just do the next thing!"
Okay... now I really need to get planning somethings... but, I won't think about it all... just the next thing! :)
Saturday, August 7, 2010
New Year, New Ideas, New blog
Well... August is in full swing and the school year is right around the corner. I just felt like I needed a new start to some things...including blogging... So, here is the first post in my new blog.
This blog is not anything fancy. This blog will mostly be a ranting of our adventures of schooling, homesteading and the like. However on occasion, there may be some random insights I feel have come from God and would like to share. I am FAR from being a great mother, wife, or homeschool teacher--but am a student myself, of the perfect teacher, Jesus Christ!
I am intense, as those of you closest to me know! I don't do things half-way... I jump in with both feet and with gusto, or I don't do it at all! I have been told to 'slow down' and the like... but have come to grips with the fact that God made me full of passion and energy and instead of trying to change that...I am seeking to use it for His glory and purposes and simultaneously for teaching my children! :)
This year, will be a little more 'relaxed' than last year... but not as 'relaxed' as some have said I should be :)
So anyway... just wanted to get this started... :)
This blog is not anything fancy. This blog will mostly be a ranting of our adventures of schooling, homesteading and the like. However on occasion, there may be some random insights I feel have come from God and would like to share. I am FAR from being a great mother, wife, or homeschool teacher--but am a student myself, of the perfect teacher, Jesus Christ!
I am intense, as those of you closest to me know! I don't do things half-way... I jump in with both feet and with gusto, or I don't do it at all! I have been told to 'slow down' and the like... but have come to grips with the fact that God made me full of passion and energy and instead of trying to change that...I am seeking to use it for His glory and purposes and simultaneously for teaching my children! :)
This year, will be a little more 'relaxed' than last year... but not as 'relaxed' as some have said I should be :)
So anyway... just wanted to get this started... :)
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