homeschooling after baby walks

Wondering how to manage homeschooling after baby learns to walk (or crawl)?  Here is our solution.  We are blessed to have a family room and a large living room, so we decided to create, in the living room, an inviting and safe place for Anna Grace to play.  It is close to the dining room, where most of the schooling takes place.  From a certain chair at the dining room table, I can see what Anna is doing, and sing to her or play with her when I don't need to be directly involved with the schooling.

I should add that Anna's love language is physical touch, rather than quality time.  This may not work so well for a quality time baby, who is only happy when Momma or Daddy is with her.  Emily Rose and Daniel and Don are quality time people, and they rarely desire to be alone.  Timothy and Anna take after me more.

The older children play in the family room, which we made into a playroom as soon as we moved to this house.  We bought a jean couch, which has proven to be a good buy for a playroom (dark colored, easy to clean).

Anyhow, back to Anna's area.  We arranged storage boxes to keep her out of dangerous corners, and out of the rest of the house.  Furniture is arranged in a circle, so that there are only two exits--on either side of the couch.

I have always found, as a parent and earlier as a teacher, that toys and books need to be displayed in order to be utilized heavily.  Tucking them away in crowded toy boxes doesn't entice kids.  Likewise, books crowded into a bookshelf don't get used as often as those put in tubs and arranged around the room.

These storage boxes are the perfect height for Anna to manipulate the displayed toys and books.  We change the toys and books every week to keep interest level high.

The floor quickly becomes a mess, over which baby can trip.  We often jump in here and rearrange or pick up.

Putting noise-maker or push-button toys up on a couch or chair makes it easier for baby to use them.

This area is behind the couch, and not accessible to baby.  I try to arrange books in tubs in every room, to entice Emily Rose and the boys to pick one up frequently.  The magazine rack on the right-hand side has nature magazines in it.  The bulk of the children's books are in shelves in the playroom, due to lack of space.  I've been buying books--lately at thrift stores, earlier through Scholastic--for many years!

I didn't become an avid reader until the fourth grade, when I got hooked on Nancy Drew books.  Don't despair if your elementary reader still loves being read to more than reading alone.  It just might happen in upper elementary, when a certain chapter book series begins to float his boat.  Start reading chapter books when they'll sit for them.  This gives them a sampling of what's out there.

thankful

I just finished listening to Daniel read in his second-grade Bob Jones reading book.  Some Christian curriculum companies charge a lot of money and merely put Bible verses (in small print) on some of their pages.  I think it's rather disingenuous to sell that as Christian curriculum.

Bob Jones University Press does more than that.  A good portion of the stories in the reader are Christian stories, like today's Billy Sunday story.  It was about a little girl who went to a tent meeting with her father to hear Billy Sunday preach.  Her father told her about Billy Sunday's successful baseball career, and about how God had a special plan for Billy Sunday's life.  Listening to Billy Sunday that evening, the little girl was prompted to accept Christ as her Savior.

On their way home, her father assured her that God had a special plan for her life, just as He did for Billy Sunday's.  Daniel and I both had tears in our eyes by the end of the story.  And this isn't the first story that has moved us to tears.  My Daniel always looks up at me and smiles when he sees that the story of the day is a Christian story.

I am just so thankful to be homeschooling my children.  And thankful we chose Bob Jones for our curriculum!  My prayer is that we will always have the freedom to educate our own children, and point them toward their Savior.

Oatmeal = comfort

By late afternoon yesterday, it seemed we were over the tummy ailment.  I decided it was time to bake some cookies.  My children, already pretty lean, were now looking way too skinny.  Besides, Momma was stressed out and looking for some comfort food.  Oatmeal cookies = comfort.

Please forgive any mess you see in the background.  My excuse?  I was busy loving on the kiddos.

They were too sick for school most of these days (or so they said), but they managed to do the reading and fraction work involved in a batch of cookies.

Emily Rose helps with the measuring, and with ensuring that a royal mess is made--everywhere.  She tastes the flour, the sugar, the butter, the salt, and then later, the cookie dough.  While she's tasting, she's dancing around as happy as a lark, spreading the ingredients along with her.

She is such a sunny little girl.  I kept telling her how sorry I was that she was sick, especially when I would see her in obvious discomfort.  She would respond, with her hoarse, sore throat,  "I'm not sick, Mommy.  I'm happy!"  Somehow, the word sick seemed to convey unhappiness to her, as well as discomfort--no doubt due to her brothers' severely decreased activity these last several days.  She wants nothing to do with the unhappiness part.

Don, Anna and I have a cold.  So I guess we did catch three viruses.  Daniel hasn't gotten the mouth sores yet, so he might escape the Hand, Foot and Mouth thing.

I'll always remember the fall I took my children to the doctor for a flu shot--only to leave his office with three viruses.  LOL

a privilege

Notes on my scheduling endeavor:

There is some disagreement among child-development experts as to whether or not schedules are good for kids. Generally, they aren't thought to be beneficial for the preschool set, since young children learn best through spontaneous (or facilitated) play.  Ideally, a parent or teacher sets out age-appropriate materials for the preschooler to manipulate, which leads to discovery learning.  Routines are more appropriate than schedules for this age group.

I model my homeschooling/home management schedules after the Manager's of Their Homes book, by Steve and Terri Maxwell. A few FlyLady tips and routines are incorporated too.  I write it all out in half-hour increments, mostly so that I can adequately address all of my goals. The entire endeavor starts in prayer, and then in listing goals for individuals and for the family.  Larger families need this especially.

For example, If I don't create a time slot for reading to my baby and for reciting nursery rhymes to her, these things easily get crowded out by chores.  The consequences of leaving these things out are that down the road, she won't have the bond with me that she needs, and she won't have an easy time learning to read.

Starting each homeschool segment in prayer is also very important to me, and if I don't make room for this,  it too, would get crowded out.

The children don't look at the schedule and feel confined by it.  I look at it frequently at first, as it helps me fall into a routine; once that happens, I can take it down.

Incidentally, there hasn't been a single day in which I was able to do all the things on the schedule.  And that doesn't bother me.  I see it more as a prayful list of my priorities.

Last evening because of Anna's teething, presumably, she awoke every half-hour after being put down at 8:00 pm.  I had to keep nursing or cuddling her back to sleep.  Tylenol would have helped, but now they say too much Tylenol in baby's first year puts them at risk for asthma.  The pediatrician used to give me a sample of Tylenol after every well-baby visit that included shots.  Now he doesn't, due to the new research.   I've been trying not to resort to Tylenol unless she can't fall asleep at all, or unless she can't nurse at all.

Anyhow, by the third wake-up, I had only blogged for a half hour, shuffled laundry once, and straightened up the playroom. The interruptions meant that I had to give up and go to bed with her before any sweeping got done, or before I could disinfect the counters or pick up all her toys.  Certainly, it was frustrating to wake up to crumbs and Cheerios and toys on the floors.  If I let myself, I could even cry about how frustrating teething is!

However, each time I cuddled or nursed her back to sleep, I also got to study her sweet face, with its delicate features and incredibly soft skin.  My heart jumped for joy as I saw her little mouth continuing the sucking motions, after she released the breast.  All was a reminder that loving and comforting a baby is a privilege--each and every time.

The things on my schedule will wait; they will always be there.  Nursing and cuddling her will pass away-- sooner than I can bare.

doggy daycare

Late this afternoon Daniel and Timothy decided to take two stuffed dogs and put leashes around them (white string).  I guess they're desperate for "real" pets?  The salamander (as big as my index finger), toad, frog, water snail, and caterpillars don't count, I suppose?

Timothy:  "Daniel, if we're going to take care of dogs, then we'll have to have a schedule."

Timothy:  (A few minutes later) "Mommy, I need you to make me a chart on this piece of paper.  I need to write a schedule that goes from 6 to 9:30.  I just want the o'clocks and the thirties."

So Momma, much amused, took a ruler and wrote out one-inch lines for all the :00 (o'clocks) and the :30 (thirties), spanning from 6:00 a.m. to 9:30 p.m., using both sides of a piece of construction paper.

I then dressed the girls for outdoor play and headed to the backyard.  Timothy, wanting help with spelling for his schedule, accompanied us and sat at a picnic table, sounding out his words and slaving away on this schedule.  I could tell he got this idea from the schedule I have posted in the hallway, which goes from 6 a.m. to 9:30 p.m.

The whole time he worked (about 35 minutes), I marveled at his attention span! He's not six until next month!

Here is his masterpiece.  I have half a mind to frame it.  Yes, I find it that adorable.  You have to imagine his work, painstakingly written in mixed lower and upper-case letters, with some letters backwards.  Just adorable.   During the afternoon part of the schedule he ran out of ideas, I suspect.  He told me that dogs need a lot of playtime and naptime.  :)

make bed
dressed
breakfast
walk
play
trick
spin
jump
lunch
nap
snack
tv
play
play
play
nap
play
nap
nap
nap
play
snack
play
play
nap
play
eta (eat)
but (bath)
slep(sleep)

high fives for momma

I exercised discipline this morning.  I know.  Shocking.

You see, the house is disheveled.  Don has been gone a lot and the multitude of nurse-maid, kid-style interruptions have prevented me from plowing forward on any domestic task.  At night, I've been reading AD/HD books, rather than doing chores.  Not wise, as it turns out.

I started the morning school-day routine, but the familiar I'm-drowning-in-clutter-and-crumbs stress began to overwhelm me.  Last year, when it happened, Don would pack up everyone but the baby and take them to the park for two hours, allowing me to at least sweep, mop, declutter the kitchen counter, and shuffle laundry, uninterrupted--except for mixing in some baby hugs and nursery rhymes.

But homeschooling requires discipline.  One can't make a habit of throwing lessons out the window when domestics get behind.  Consistency is the key to learning.  Plowing forward steadily is a must.

So I took deep breaths, and told myself I had to wait until tomorrow to catch up.  (We do Saturday school.)  Putting my ever-moving motor into park was excruciating, given the environment.  But I did it.

High fives for Momma.

token behavior systems

Last week I checked out Colleen Alexander-Roberts' book, The AD/HD Parenting Handbook, Practical Advice for Parents from Parents, proven techniques for raising hyperactive children without losing your temper (2nd Edition)

The author dealt with moderate to severe AD/HD symptoms and successfully utilized a play-money token behavior system.  Her children were also on medication.  She writes:

"In our home we used play money.  We had a chart with household rules on it.  Each rule was worth a specific amount, anywhere from one dollar to twenty.  Every time our son followed a rule, he received the agreed amount. The money he earned was placed in an envelope for one week.  During the week he had to spend this money. We charged him five dollars an hour to play a video game, two dollars an hour to ride his bike, ten dollars an hour to play games on the computer, three dollars to watch a rented video, and two dollars to watch an hour of television.  Every Saturday, he turned in what was left of the money he earned.  For every ten dollars in play money he turned in, he received one dollar in cash. He was able to spend this money as he wished or save it for something special he wanted to buy.  In this case, once we gave a reward (the play money, for instance), we never took the reward away.  Instead, for noncompliance we used time-out, took away a privilege, or assigned an extra household chore.  We never took away what he had already been rewarded."


"We used this play-money system very successfully for quite some time.  The original household rules were replaced by new house rules two months after we initiated this system; we had achieved the desired effect.  However, no reward system works forever, so be ready to substitute another system when needed.  Always seek professional help if reward systems do not work with your child."

I started a sticker chart with Daniel and Timothy on our first day of school.  The thing is, I hate sticker charts! They do work with my boys, but I eventually get bored of them (or too busy) and drop the ball.  Already, yesterday and again today, I forgot to update their stickers.

Today I discussed this new system with them, and they seem quite intrigued.  Momma is intrigued for a number of reasons, not the least of which is this system's potential for curbing screen time. So off we went to the dollar store, in search of play money.

Incidentally, I hate the idea of charging play money for a bike ride.  That seems counter-productive to me, since exercise is healthy and desired and especially beneficial to AD/HD children.  Yeah, charge money for any type of screen time, but not for exercise.

We're jumping in and starting the play-money system tomorrow.  They are excited.  I am resolved to do everything I can to make it work.  For a successful school day, there are two rules I really need them to follow:

1.  Follow directions the first time they're given.
2.  Clean up without arguing.

There are five rules altogether, but these are the two that really make a difference in our school day.  My boys hate clean-up time.  I've struggled for all these years with their poor clean-up attitudes.  Partly, the difficulty is due to the bin organization system for our playroom.  Putting smallish things into the correct bins is a lot more difficult than throwing all the toys into one large toybox.

Anyhow, I'll keep you posted on the wonders of play money.

 If you have difficulty getting your child moving in the morning, she suggests that each step of the morning routine be written out for your child, in words or pictures.  None of her suggestions are particularly novel, but she has plenty of them, for many different problem areas.  The book also includes ideas from many other AD/HD-seasoned parents.

There is also a very good chapter--written by a physician friend of hers--on AD/HD medications (penned in 2006).

falling asleep are you?

Timothy, my kindergärtner, is bright enough that we are using Daniel's second-grade curriculum to teach him alongside his second-grade brother.  It makes things much easier, and Timothy loves the math, English, spelling, and reading curriculum.  But second-grade science?  Not so much.

Overheard at the teaching table this morning, while Daddy taught about fossils:

Timothy:  "You're making me fall asleep!"

Plan B for Timothy's science coming soon.

Why Saturday school?  Daddy works all night long on Wednesday night, arriving home at 6:30 a.m. on Thursday morning.  I have to keep the kids quiet while he sleeps, so we decided to take Thursdays off.  When he wakes up between 12:00 p.m. to 1:00 p.m., I then go out and run our errands.

turning over a new leaf

I've been a full-time stay-at-home mom for four years now.  Through those years, I've struggled.  But no more.  No more, my friends.  For I've learned the secret to success at this gig.  Get up three hours before your family awakens.  


Yes. I did it.  Twice.  The difference is immeasurable.  I've slept 9:00 p.m. to 4:00 a.m.--leaving everything but the dinner dishes for the morning.  Being able to accomplish things, uninterrupted, has made me a new woman.  No more irritation spewing from my good-intentioned mommy self.  Although on the first day the baby woke twice during my early-morning tryst, it still worked.  I nursed her back to sleep and left her in the bed with Daddy.

The first day of school was Monday and despite my glorious schedule, everything went horribly--partly because Daniel has been mildly sick and in a horrendous mood.  But we've had smooth sailing since my new sleeping schedule commenced.  Of course I have little to no computer time, but I'll adjust.  And no, I no longer know what's going on in the world, but I'll put news gathering into the schedule somewhere.  If Glenn Beck plans a revolution, I need to know how to participate.  Mostly because I recently read about a homeschooled girl who was forced to attend public school in the aftermath of a messy divorce.  Her father thought she needed it (inter-faith parents who disagreed), and the New Hampshire court decided that her strict Christian faith needed to be balanced by learning about other views.   She was doing well academically and socially as a homeschooler, and she liked being homeschooled.    If such a thing can be forced in America, I'm ready for a revolution. We need it.  What happened to the Constitution?  

The case is expected to go to higher courts, and you can bet I'll be watching it closely.  God gave US these children.  We will raise them.  No way am I releasing them to a stranger bus driver at 8:30 in the morning, not to see them again until 4:00 p.m.  That is insane.  They may as well be sent off to a boarding school.

Miss I-Hate-Contests

Do you like contests?  I never have.  I suppose my dislike is more laziness than anything else.  Fill out an extra form?  No thanks.  I'm too busy.  When a blogger posts something about a contest, I pass that post right by.    That's just me.

At the library last week we placed our sixty items on the counter.  The librarian--in love with us because we boost their circulation numbers--told me about their drawing for back-to-school supplies.  All we had to do was put our name and phone number on one little piece of paper for every five items checked out. The boys were with me and there was no way out of it.  Miss No Fun--aka Momma--dutifully prepared the little papers so the boys could fold them and place them in the contest jar.  Understanding probability well enough to surmise that we just might win, they couldn't get it out of their minds, at least for a few days.  Then they forgot.

Fast forward one week.  I get a call from the nice librarian.  Seems they drew out our name.

Guess who jumped the highest?  Miss I-Hate-Contests did!  See, I've never won anything before.  How 'bout that?  Cool, huh?

blessings

Time to count some blessings:

1. Another awesome homeschooling playdate today.  Weather was again perfect for hiking--at a new park this time.  The children all waded in a lovely stream, looked for wildlife and thoroughly enjoyed each other's fellowship.  A new child, Elizabeth, age 7 (and her dad) joined us.  Elizabeth is another tomboy--a child after my Daniel's heart, much like Faith, the four-year-old who joins us every time.  Only Elizabeth is Daniel's same age and she's more verbal and outgoing.  Possibly the perfect friend for him.  She collects as many creatures as Daniel and loves nature with the same intensity.

Her dad owns a toy shop; please say a quick prayer for him.  Business is poor right now, due to the economy.  He is struggling to stay open and had to recently apply for a credit card to get his car transmission fixed.  Ouch.  We can so relate to his struggles right now.  God brought our two families together right now for a purpose, perhaps?  Absolutely, I think.  We can lend a listening ear, help take Elizabeth to activities, and have her over for playdates.  It's a divorce situation, and dad is trying to homeschool her while continuing to run the business.  She doesn't get as much social interaction as dad would like to provide.

2.  I've mentioned that my husband probably has ADHD or ADD?  He loses things frequently and needs help getting out the door with glasses, keys and wallet in hand.  His inattentiveness means that he leaves knives within the kids' reach, forgets to lock the door at night, leaves the kids outside too long without supervision, leaves our two-year-old on the potty and forgets her....etc.  He helps a lot, but I always have to be paying attention.  I have to do a lot of checking.   ADHD/ADD sufferers (kids AND adults) are commonly deemed lazy and irresponsible, by unknowing outsiders.  Yes, an adult should know to put wallet/keys/glasses in the same place every time.  It shouldn't be an issue before every outing, but it is.  It's easy for me to get extremely irritated at all the ways this brain disorder makes my husband seem childlike.  But God doesn't allow that.  Don's dad couldn't take it (didn't understand it) and the two of them had a horrible relationship.  God doesn't want that unhealthy pattern repeated between Don and me. So he gave me a son who struggles in related areas (less inattentive but more impulsive).  Thus, I have an understanding of my husband's struggles.  Most of the time I see these two not as the rest of the world sees them, but as God sees them.  I can look for the glasses or keys for the millionth time and hand them over with a smile, knowing that my husband is doing his best.  I look at him and I don't see lazy or irresponsible.  I see unique, godly qualities.  It's a privilege to extend grace toward my husband.   It's a blessing that he extends it to me, everyday.  My marriage is a blessing--such a rock in these troubled times.

3.  I helped in AWANA at church the last two weeks.  Timothy is in my class this year (Sparks K-2), along with Daniel.  It's the first time I've seen Timothy in a classroom situation.  He's a very good boy!  I wanted to scoop him up tonight and squeeze the stuffing out of him--I was so proud!  Daniel has his wiggle, tapping, and voice-volume issues, and needs to remember not to sit next to someone he'll talk to, but he is mostly good as well.  They enjoy the lessons and activities, which are very well thought out.

Tonight the main teacher held up a piece of paper with a magnet behind it and a paper clip in front of it.  The paper clip was being moved around by the magnet.  The lesson was that we can't see God--like the paper clip can't see the magnet--but we can still be (must be) subject to his lead.  Such visual demonstrations are valuable for kids like Timothy, who need to see, see, see to comprehend.  AWANA is a blessing!

4.  Another blessing that's come out of this bad economy has to do with my increased ability to extend grace toward strangers.  Before, I was quicker to judge things I just didn't understand.  The school I taught in for nine years comes to mind a lot now.  It was a low-income area, with 90% of the student body receiving free lunch/breakfast.  The teachers--me included--had a tendency to look down on the parents for failing to do any homework with their students, come to conferences, remember needed items, get rid of lice quickly, etc.  We were easily irritated by what seemed to be blatant irresponsibility.  Many of them didn't even work, or they were among the working poor (working part-time or full-time for a low wage).

Now that we are doing creative math with our checking account--juggling two part-time job paydays with partial unemployment disbursements--to get the mortgage and utilities paid and keep the meals coming, my eyes have been opened to how hard daily life is for the economically disadvantaged.  Routine things take a lot longer to accomplish.  You can't mail a bill because you don't have money for stamps...or you need groceries but you can only get a few things, until payday.  You live on a day-to-day basis, spending more time shopping, bill paying, checkbook watching, etc.  Nothing is simple or routine.  There is a steady stream of financial issues, partially because you can't afford to do things well, or ahead of time, like fix that car properly, deal with that roof issue, buy clothes that last, buy resume paper, have enough gas to get to the interview, etc.  I could go on and on.

We have God to lift us up and give us hope, but those families I worked with as a teacher didn't.  Reading to their kids once a day was the last thing on their minds.  They were just trying to survive.  They couldn't get rid of lice quickly because buying the lice-removal equipment and having the quarters for all the extra loads of laundry was just too much of a burden.  (No, my kids don't have lice...just an example.)

I'm deeply, deeply ashamed for every minute I spent judging them.  No, I was never rude or even short with them; I behaved professionally.  But my heart wasn't soft. There was no there-but-for-the-grace-of-God-go-I sentiments.  They should be trying harder, I thought.  We all thought it, at that school.  Shame on us!  We had no idea!  They were in a state of constant stress, with no hope of improvement.  It wasn't temporary hardship due to a bad economy--it was a way of life.  Some of them had never known anything different.

Passing judgement is folly.  Always.

terrible, horrible, no-good, very-bad sleeping

Good morning!  I have only checked my e-mail three times these last few days.  Victory!

The master schedule I've been writing--designed to put us on the road to sanity and learning--is nearly done.  My Anna Grace, 9 months-old, sweet as honey, and a blessing beyond words, is a terrible, horrible, no-good, VERY-BAD SLEEPER--to borrow some words from Alexander.  My only time to work on the schedule is after the children are in bed at night.  Her Royal Sweetness wakes up so frequently--night and day--that the planning and revising is a very. slow. process.

Just now, I put her down for what should have been a 90-minute nap.  As I hear her cries and look at the clock, I see it was only a 35-minute nap.  While it's very hard not to get emotionally pent up about this (given that I'm sleep deprived), I will simply get her up and let it go.

Because I have no choice.  God, allow Her Royal Sweetness to sleep!  Please!  Pretty please, even.

No sarcasm in the "Royal Sweetness" part....she really does have the best temperament ever.  Remind me when she is three that I once said this, will you?

scavenger hunts

Sometimes kids need to be bored so that imaginations come alive. With the TV as an option, they too easily skip the search for an activity and just turn on the tube.  But if we limit the viewing to one or two valuable shows or videos--that supplement their curriculum--they will still have a lot of hours to fill. Imaginations then have to be engaged.

I don't mean to preach.  It's mostly to myself if I am preaching.  Often if I'm behind on chores, I fail to keep a close eye on their viewing minutes. Daniel and Emily Rose are auditory learners who tend to self-regulate their viewing.  Timothy, however, is a strong visual learner who needs daily monitoring of TV/computer time.  If we don't train him to self-regulate now, he'll suffer later when he has to manage his own time.

Bringing up what the Bible says about laziness seems to penetrate their hearts more than anything else.  In fact, I need to post relevant Scriptures in the playroom.

Sometimes they need a little help inventing a pastime.  Scavenger hunts or homemade Playdoh are great jump starters.  I started a scavenger hunt this morning involving simple tally marks.  Since then the boys have done five more of their own, that they've given to each other.  Scavenger hunts are neat because all the senses are utilized, increasing a child's appreciation of what God has provided for our entertainment.

Some ideas we've used:

-3 dandelions gone to seed
-2 yellow dandelions
-2 flying vultures
-3 worms
-1 caterpillar
-1 squirrel
-3 pieces of bark
-4 twigs
-1 soft nature find
-1 rough nature find
-1 heavy nature find
-1 wet nature find
- four bird feeders
- 2 chirping birds
- 2 flying sparrows
-1 crunchy leaf
-1 fall-colored leaf
-4 ants
-1 daddy long leg
-1 bird nest
-2 spiders

editing

I have such a problem composing smooth sentences.  Too many commas!  Editing after a piece is in a published form is so much easier for me. Errors and awkward sentences catch my eye quickly that way.  Who knew that editing potentially takes longer than the actual composing?

Anyhow, instead of writing anything new in the next few days, I'm going to concentrate on editing the life story piece.

My sister-in-law, Lorrie, arrived from PA yesterday.  I cleaned house for two days, setting aside the writing of my fall school schedule.

 There's so much to do!  I'll be back here Thursday.

Oh, and I'm hoping to fit in another hike as well.  Early fall weather is here! Yippee!  My favorite season...that is, until spring comes, then spring is my favorite season.   I'm fickle that way.

best hike ever

Oh!  I'm giddy today.  We went on another awesome homeschooling playdate, this time to a beautiful park with a lake trail.  Three families hiked it together, and we all had such a wonderful time taking in the fellowship, and the delightful scenes of nature.   How pleasant.  How perfect.  Lord, you're awesome.

Daniel caught his first salamander.  His face all lit up, and his body doing a happy dance, he rushed over to me, exclaiming,"I caught a salamander!  I've been waiting my whole life!  Jesus blessed me so much!  It's my luckiest day ever!  I can't believe it!"

The salamander was the subject of several afternoon Internet searches.  We now know to feed it cut up, live worms.  Oh, gee.  How lovely.

That yucky part aside, let me just say that I've never loved my Daniel more than I did at that moment. That boy loves life.  His passion is contagious.  Yes, his ADHD makes him hard to handle, but it also makes him rich.  To possess a burning passion, to go after something with such unmatched determination....that is precious.  He is a mere seven years old, and he already knows what he is about.  His purpose is set--the study and enjoyment of nature.  In a few weeks, fall leaves will stir up this same passion, on this same lake trail. I know my Daniel.  We will check out leaf books from the library, peruse every park within an hour's drive, and my house will once again be taken over by fall leaves.  That's my boy!  Live, my Daniel.  Live.  And continue to thank God.  Continue to worship him, through his creations.

There's more on the playdate, but time is short tonight.

The weather, by the way?  Fully sunny, 74 degrees, no mosquitoes, no humidity, with a light, delightful breeze.  It was the best hike ever.

inspiration

I just read the most inspiring post. Yes, blogging and blog reading is a time suck, with which I maintain a love/hate relationship. But when the needs of my four children--especially my teething baby--deplete me before the clock strikes 12 noon, it helps enormously to come into my bedroom to fetch something, and to steal a few minutes to read a Christian post. Especially when the Lord manages to post just the right blog, at just the right time. Sometimes the fit and timing are SO perfect, there's no question that the Lord is responsible.

Before I share the post I just read, let me elaborate on why I'm in an overwhelmed state. Now's the time to roll your eyes. Yes, I'll wait.

It stems from a few issues. I am still trying to read through the introductory pages of my second-grade teachers' editions. It is slow going, although I've progressed enough to know that I chose very good resources for Daniel (Bob Jones University Press).

In addition, I am constantly thinking about the schedule I'll write. It has to fit with Don's school and study needs, with the girls' naps, with meals, with extra-curricular activities, and with laundry and meal cleanup. Exercise has to be worked into it, as well as grocery runs, appointments, etc. In short, the task is an all-consuming one.

Complicating everything is Anna's teething. She must have a lower tolerance for pain than the others. She is sleeping about as well as a newborn, and her discomfort seems to be stretching out to nearly three months worth of upheaval. The crazy sleep schedule is causing my migraines to worsen, which makes it harder to keep up.

Furthermore, I decided upon learning that it would go down to 40 degrees last night, that I'd better have Don get the fall/winter storage boxes out of the shed so that I can get our clothes washed and sorted for giving away, or for hanging up in closets. The house is littered with piles of clothes, which is normal for us when the seasons change; we have inadequate closet space. This time I'm trying to be more thorough and give away more, so I can reduce closet clutter. We always wear far less than I hang up.

So considerable chaos reigns right now. It would help enormously if I would start getting up before the family to shower, unload the dishwasher, start a load of clothes, and put oatmeal on the stove. My exhaustion always prevents that from happening, in addition to the fact that setting an alarm in our bedroom, which we share with Anna, would wake her up and require Don to care for her while I shower. She is a Momma's girl to the core, so being alone with Daddy makes her cry, which causes the others to wake prematurely. Anna loves having Daddy around, so long as Momma is close by. Perhaps because he isn't her milking cow? I wonder.

When things are this disorganized, we Mommas need only to remember what our mission is. Most decidedly, it is not writing the perfect schedule, having perfectly stocked closets, or rising in the morning at a time we deem unselfish. All those things help, sure. But keeping our eyes fixed on Him, and on what He would have us do as mothers, is the main thing. He would not overwhelm us. He would not require more than we can give. He would not drive us into migraine territory. It is our stubbornness, in wanting our own way, that leads to these problems.

As this blog author writes, He must increase, and we must decrease. That is the answer. And I thank the Lord for having me read it at this moment. This God-inspired blog author brilliantly spills it all out, for us hungry Mommas to drink up.

It's all good

That lull in the action I spoke of a few days ago? Short-lived. Anna Grace had a day and a half off from teething. My beloved baby is back to biting her crib rail, her knuckles, her toys, and the breast that nourishes her. Still, playtime is unaffected; she continues to practice her standing-up balancing act. She even took one step forward, before falling. I watched her face for frustration. None; there was only excitement displayed on her beautiful, porcelain face. She simply got back up and tried again, and again, and again. I stand amazed at her physical capabilities! Now if she would only babble more! My children all favored physical feats over language development. Is it that hyper-active gene pool?

Sleep is once again hard for Anna to come by. Momma's day is taken up with getting her to sleep, or helping her go back to sleep. In between, there is a load of laundry done, a sandwich made, a drink poured, a hug given, a dance danced, or a spilled drink wiped up. It's all good..all rich. Yes, I have resorted to Tylenol for the teething--for her not me. LOL It helps some.

And the homeschool planning? Exactly two hours have been painstakingly carved out for this endeavor. Anna's teething situation has prevented me from having additional blocks of time, thus far. And yet, I am relaxed. When called by God to do something, failure isn't possible, so long as we follow His lead.

My task later today is to use the computer to design a homeschooling prayer journal. That must be first priority, lest my teaching load start to overwhelm. For not only must I formally teach the boys, but Emily Rose needs extra storytime, more singing, and color, number, shape, and phonics work. Anna Grace needs vocabulary, singing and rhyme time. Homeschooling literally starts at the birth of each child, and continues until they pack up their clunkers for college.

Incidentally, I never drank in college, nor did I run with anyone who drank. And yet these binge-drinking news stories have me petrified about sending my kids to college! How does one send them off, with such danger lurking? Daniel is careful...even timid and anxious; about him, I need not be concerned. It's Timothy and Rose I'll worry about.

Anyhow, the future is already being prayed about. It pays sometimes to be a worrier. Every friendship, every courtship, every spouse, every marriage...even the purity and fertility of each child--I've got it all covered. My nervousness is good for something after all.

Now back to that journal I'll design tonight; it will guide me through daily prayer for the learning needs of each child. With such a tool, their minds will definitely get filled this year--not from me, but from Him, through me.

Anna Grace had another toe prick for her iron level yesterday. After 3.5 weeks of iron-food treatment, her level went from 8.9 to 9.5--despite her six-day virus. It is common for illnesses to temporarily lower hemoglobin levels. A chart I consulted indicated that for a nine-month-old baby, a hemoglobin level of less than 10 is considered anemic. Anna will be nine months in two weeks. She is gaining ground anyway, and will be tested again in October.

a lull in the action

Dare I say it? I think there is a lull in the action for the first time in awhile. God has answered that prayer.

Anna is sleeping well (no..not through the night yet), eating, and...wait for it...rash free!!!

Emily Rose is sleeping wonderfully at night and taking good naps!

No one else has gotten Anna's virus; we must all have immunity to this one.

Don is doing well in computer-tech school and really enjoys it! Yahoo! He may have found his niche. My dad gave us a 4 yr. old computer that Don can take apart and use as a learning aide.

My brother, who also suffers from ADD, has done wonderfully in the computer field without any degree; he has certifications only. My hunch is that the profession fits well with the handicaps and strengths inherent in the ADHD brain. Most importantly, their hyperfocus ability helps them keep up with sometimes-boring, highly-detailed, perpetually-changing technology. Okay, the sometimes-boring comment is a matter of opinion; computer technology IS boring to me. Just fix the thing, I say. Don't make me sit down and suffer through the specifics.

I do believe things are calm enough for me to begin planning a fall lesson schedule for the boys, as well as a simple one for Emily.

I'll be absent from this space for several days, as I devote my "free" time to planning.

Have a blessed week! Eat your produce, grains and be merry!

Teeth and Playdates

Good Saturday morning to you.

My sweet Anna Grace birthed her first tooth this week. The other day Emily Rose came to me, holding up her finger.

Emily: "The baby bit me, Mommy."

Momma: "Did she get you with her gums? She doesn't actually have teeth yet." (I had checked that morning--nothing)

Emily: "No, Mommy. Baby bit me."

I told her I was sorry and that Anna didn't mean to hurt her. I still didn't think it was an actual bite, but I wasn't going to argue with a two-year-old.

Later that evening Grandpa and his wife came over for a barbecue. While holding the baby, my Dad said, laughing: "She's got some pretty sharp teeth."

Momma: "I checked this morning and didn't feel anything. Are you sure it was a tooth?"

Grandpa: "She's got teeth now."

Lo and behold, Anna had birthed her first tooth, after 2.5 months of hard labor.

Momma: "Yippee! Maybe she'll sleep tonight!"



Wishful thinking.

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In other news, we went on another park playdate with the homeschoolers. It wasn't naptime for Anna, and since she cries when alone with Daddy, he elected to come with us rather than watch Anna by himself. It would have been impossible to manage the four of them on my own at a large park, so once again I was thanking the Lord for the help.

In some ways I know we would be on a tighter routine without him home, but the extra hands help with the nearly constant diaper changes, potty trips, laundry, and meal-making. Some days this is ALL we manage to get done. People who see our yard (weeds,toys) probably think we're lazy. With two adults home it should be neater, they surmise; I know my Dad thinks that. However, my husband never rests. Helping to care for the children, going to his part-time jobs, looking for full-time jobs, and doing his computer-tech schoolwork, makes for more than a full day. Without the experience of having four children close together, no one can fathom how busy we are.

When evaluating how you're "doing" in your life, always remember to avoid comparing yourself to others. Everyone has a different set of blessings and a different set of challenges. And no one is truly privy to the baggage we might have from our upbringing. Indeed, even when the baggage is old news and completely forgiven, it still affects our skill set as adults. Such baggage is part of the human condition; imperfect parents make for imperfect kids.

Now back to that play date I began writing about. It was awesome! Just two other ladies were there this time. One was the original organizer of the event, Dawn, and a new mom, Kim. Both have rather soft-spoken, gentle personalities--much like mine. My writing isn't always gentle, I know. But if you were to meet me, you would only see soft-spokenness, mixed with an openness and joy and a bit of nervousness. It's a funny thing how writing brings out different aspects of our personality.

It was so nice to feel completely at ease with these ladies! The whole time I was thanking the Lord for the experience, even though I was cognizant that one of the ladies was probably nearly half my age, and the other around thirty. Don thinks I could be way off, but oh well. The point is I'm old. No way around that.

Dawn, the young Michigan-transplant mom who organized it, has two daughters, ages 2 and 4.5. Her husband was transferred here for a year to work in a General Motors plant. They are half expecting a layoff soon though. If not, they'll go back to Michigan to resume work in his other plant, presumably--in a year.

The other mom, an unschooler (meaning the entire curriculum is interest-driven only) has three children--ages around 7, 4, and 1. She suspects that her four-year-old son needs more structure than unschooling provides. He's a live wire, it seems. I can share some tips on dealing with live wires, if she ever asks. LOL

My boys made fast friends with Faith, Dawn's older daughter; she's a tomboy who loves insects. Don took these three out into a field, looking for butterflies. As the Lord would have it, he caught a praying mantis for Faith, who had brought her net and insect container to the park. Faith and her Mom were thrilled! Daniel and Daddy proceeded to find three small insects for it to eat.

Later, the three kids found a tiny toad at the base of a tree. We all admired his cuteness, as though he were a newborn baby just home from the hospital. Homeschoolers are a bit weird, as people go. I find that we are amazingly similar in some subtle ways. For example, the outdoor classroom--or any classroom away from home--holds a special place in our hearts. Stumbling upon learning is a thrill up our spines!

Daniel was initially sad that Daddy hadn't caught HIM a mantis, but it was a good lesson in putting others above one's self. Daniel had already had the experience of caring for a praying mantis AND its egg sac, in 2008. We'll find another this year, I'm sure.

The ladies and I enjoyed each other's children, and shared ideas on what educational field trips were available in our area of Ohio. And the new mom invited us to her mini-farm next Wednesday for a lunch play date. She has 30 apples trees in her orchard, and a ton of blackberry bushes in the woods behind her home. We'll be picking blackberries! We're all as excited as a group of kindergartners taking their first field trip! LOL

Dear Lord, you are good! What a blessing!



As an aside, if you are praying for a close relative, and have been for awhile--sometimes losing faith--this is for you.

The Graduate

My precious Daniel graduated from first grade today! Congratulations, Doodlebug! I'm so proud of you!

The portfolio review went very well. The teacher who served us--a former elementary teacher and homeschool mom--was very gentle and kind. Daniel was very shy and barely said a word, but I think he liked her and I know he was pleased with how it went. We had met her briefly earlier this year at some homeschooling art events she sponsored. Her son is already in college and is a champion ice skater. He earned his Bachelor's Degree last year--at age twenty! Now in graduate school, he is still into competitive skating. I suspect his mom has these side jobs to help pay for the skating, which is a very expensive venture. She earns $30 for every homeschooling review she does, which makes me wish I had an Ohio credential! $30/hour ain't bad!

Anyhow, she thought Daniel accomplished a lot. And she said we had more social studies and science samples than she ever sees! Yeah for Daddy! Those are his subjects!

It surprised her that my husband was involved. She thinks it's typical for husbands to be against the home-teaching process, to varying degrees. A mom she met with last week was in tears during her meeting; her husband wants the kids in school next year, and every year thereafter. As soon as I heard that I felt horrible for the mom, and then I praised the Lord for my husband! Some things in my life are very hard, but my husband is really a bright spot--as is each child of course. There are plenty of things Don does that drive me nuts--the least of which are socks taken off and thrown wherever, and trashing the kitchen and floor when he cooks--but I am fortunate that we have the same vision for the children. That is priceless! I know that a Dad's leadership in Bible study, prayer, AND learning go even further than a Mom's does. Statistics prove it, although I'm too tired to find the articles again and link them. Sorry. Momma's one tired girl!

After two months of teething behavior, I think my Anna is finally going to be sporting a tooth soon. Lately she sticks her finger in her mouth during nursing--ouch for Momma! It breaks the suction enough to provide her some pain relief, while still allowing some milk to get through. Another clue is that she is waking about every 60-90 minutes at night. Talk about undereye circles! I've been burning the oil trying to get the portfolio in tip top shape this week, and her wake ups on top of that have given life that boot-camp feel.

Parenting--the only boot camp you'll ever love!

Now you'll have to excuse me. If I don't stop and get ready for bed right now, I'll fall asleep right here and slump into the keyboard--which would surely wake my big girl, who turned eight months last Sunday! Seems like just yesterday I was drowning you in my newborn-nursing sob stories. Eight months old just doesn't seem possible!

Thank you, Liz, for the diaper-rash cream tip!