Steele Apple Orchard

We were able to visit Steele Orchard, a local apple orchard, with our homeschooling group recently.  The tour we went on was called The Johnny Appleseed Tour.  The kids were split up into groups and traveled from station to station.  They learned about Johnny Appleseed who the kids remembered.  We visited his birthplace in Massachusetts, which also happens to be where my grandparents live.  The kids also learned about pollination, how the apples are collected, and basic nutrition.  It was a really fun day that ended with a nice picnic.  We were able to go on this field trip with not one, but both, of the kids' grandmas!  They were very excited to spend the day with Gramma and Nana!

September 28th, 2012

School's out for summer!

When I was in high school my dad (a teacher) somehow managed to convince the school board to let him be an interim principal while the current principal was out on medical leave.  I'm almost positive that after he suspended 95% of the senior class, the school board was reconsidering their decision.  And no - I'm not joking.  It was homecoming week - the Senior Float was empty.  This is especially not good for your reputation if you're the daughter of the principal who did the suspending.

But anyhoo...my point.  On the last day of school my dad filled the intercom system with the beautiful sounds of Alice Cooper.  To this day I can't listen to this song without thinking of my dad!  Good memories!



Today I'm playing the song for my kids - bad lyrics and all!  Well, because I'm the mom and I can do that.  And because...

SCHOOL'S OUT FOR SUMMER!!!

**As I'm playing this song for Zep he says, "But I really like school, mom."  Well, it's a good thing, dear child because we're still doing math and reading all summer long!  :)

Happy Summer Break, ya'll!

May 9th, 2012

Schooling Bright Eyes

I've had a rocky start figuring out how to teach Bright Eyes.  He's my unique child.  He and I differ completely in personality type and learning style, so there has been a lot of adjustment on my part to figure out what works for him. It's also taken me way out of my comfort zone, as I have to use art to teach rather than pure facts.  For example, I can show B.E. letter flashcards, and he'll only mange to get 75% of them right.  But if asked to write each and every letter - he can do it.  He learns in images.

In January, I decided to implement an actual curriculum for B.E.  One of the programs we decided to use was Saxon Kindergarten.  Saxon is one of those math programs that people either love or despise.  I'm on the love side.  Being a math person myself, I love to see the progression of how they are teaching concepts.  Something as simple as counting randomly on a number chart morphs beautifully into addition facts or number patterns.  They do it painlessly, and most of the time the child doesn't even know it's happening.  So, this was an easy choice when choosing a math program for B.E.

It has started out extremely slow.  The first couple weeks it was basically an introduction to different math manipulatives.  Each day he was asked to spend several minutes building designs with counting bears, linking cubes, and/or pattern blocks.  I just sit amazed at what he comes up with.  I'm used to the creations that Zep gives me when asked to use his creative side.  Zep is like me...we like facts, not creativity.  So, seeing these designs that B.E. presents me with has been such a joy.  I have to be sure not to interrupt his creativity until he has completed his masterpiece.  I can't imagine how he would do in a school setting as time would be limited.  It's going to be so much fun teaching this little man.

January 3rd & 19th, 2012

Ancient History...a kind-of review

We decided that we would teach history to our children in a chronological format.  The curriculum we ultimately went with was The Story of the World, which originated from The Well-Trained Mind.  So far, I really like the program.  It's set up to do a chapter each week.  They give several different options of how to spread everything out during the week; we chose the four-day approach.  Day one and two we read through the chapter parts and then do narration and illustrations.  Day three we listen to the CD of these same chapters (I highly reccommend the CD!) and complete our map work and coloring pages.  And finally, on day four we read any additional literature I was able to find at the library, OR we do some of the wonderful suggested activities.

I really think this is a great history program for anyone looking into the classical approach of teaching.  My only complaints are where they chose to begin Volume 1.  Being a Christian history book, I expected to find the first chapter filled with Biblical history, i.e. creation, Adam and Eve, etc.  I was disappointed that it wasn't mentioned at all.  I have noticed that in just a couple chapters we will be studying Abraham and Joseph, so there is definitely Biblical history in The Story of the World just nothing on creation.  Also, my particular library carries very few of the suggested additional literature that is recommended.  I am a little apprehensive when it comes to teaching my children a subject that can be very subjective from one single source.  Having additional literature would have alleviated this problem.

For now, we'll stick with The Story of the World for our ancient studies.  I do think we'll switch to Connecting with History next year though.  Of course, I have about 8 months to decide that!  Don't you love how I like to worry about things so far off in the distance.  My husband's (and my mother-in-law's) favorite phrase is, "we'll cross that bridge when we get to it."  I guess I'm more of the, "but we need to know what the bridge is made of, how much weight it will support, and if it will get us to where we want to go," type of person!

In the midst of our Story of the World experience we have discovered fun crafts!  The boys learned about ancient writing recently.  How wonderful to have them actually make their own clay tablets with their names written in cuneiform!  I think it's such an added benefit when we can turn any of our learning into hands-on projects.

September 8th, 2011

Happy Birthday, Mary!!

September 8th is the day Catholics celebrate the birth of the Blessed Virgin Mary.  I absolutely loved how their "real school" included special Marian-type snacks and crafts during this day.  It was a must for me to do this in our home school.

This morning it hit me!  A pancake rosary!  It worked out perfect.  I had all the "beads" made well before the boys made it downstairs for breakfast.  We used white chocolate chips as the chains between the "beads."

The boys loved putting our rosary together.  It was a wonderful lesson in the construction of the rosary as well.  They learned how many beads were in a decade and how many decades in a rosary.  And, of course, once it was complete we took the opportunity to pray this beautiful prayer together.  The boys took turns taking one of the "beads" off of the rosary after we finished each prayer.  I think this is the first time they actually paid attention during an entire run through of the rosary...we're generally a decade-a-night family.

We're celebrating even more tomorrow evening with our other sweet homeschooling friends. Happy Birthday, Blessed Virgin Mary!  How thankful we are that you said YES!

We haven't disappeared...

I've been horrible, once again, at keeping up this blog.  It seems that homeschooling the children keeps me a little busier than before.  But really that's a horrible excuse, because I was barely blogging then either.

I do have a few excuses though.

I was asked to work the next Women's Cursillo weekend.  I was super excited, except for that part of having to give a talk!  One of my top three fears is speaking in public, and the fear is tripled when I have to talk about something personal.  I put off working on my talk until literally a week before I had to turn it in.  And then I prayed, a lot, for some help.  I so wish I could share it with you all!  I'm thrilled with how it turned out, and I truly can't wait to share it with the 32 women who will be making the weekend.  Did I mention that one of my dearest friends and my MOTHER-IN-LAW will be there?  I'm so excited!

We've been busy, busy homeschooling.  I've been pretty good at keeping up with our lesson plans and not getting too off track.  Our little homeschooling group has kept it's word of doing a weekly field trip.  A couple weeks ago we visited the Huntsville Space and Rocket Center.  Zep has become so intrigued with dinosaurs lately and SUE was on exhibit there.  It was a wonderful trip, and the kids had a blast!

So my lack of posts is definitely not from lack of adventures!  This blog of mine and I will be able to find some time again someday!

Chronicles of a soon-to-be homeschooling mom...v3

Tomorrow Zep will take his walk down the aisle of the church and "officially" graduate from Kindergarten.  I've been anxiously awaiting this day for the last several months.  The day when I'm no longer rushing to school in the morning, rushing home in the evening, and trying somewhere in there to connect with my kids.  And now the day is upon me...and I'm scared &*"#*$&#!!! 

I've watched the Facebooks posts: 

What am I going to do with my kids home ALL summer!
I can't believe my preschooler will be gone all week next year!
We're so excited for the break during the summer!

I'm not much of a status Facebooker; I much prefer to stalk other's status' instead.  If I were to type up a status today it would read something like...

Starting tomorrow what in the world am I going to do with my children until they go to college??  They're really going to be with me EVERY SINGLE DAY??!!!  Will I ever get a break again??

Scared = Me!!  I've heard that the first year is the hardest.  Sticking through that year will be the determining factor on how well this will work for me.  I'm getting rid of all the uniforms, and I've already spent an arm and a leg at IKEA, so we have no choice but to make homeschooling work.  Plus, all those wonderful ladies at the convention pretty much made me feel guilty to ever want to part with my children again!!!  Not to mention the books I've read in support of homeschooling.  I feel like the apostles after first seeing Jesus resurrected..suddenly my eyes were opened!  I know that this is for the long haul.  We previously thought we'd think about high school when we got there.  But even now, I kinda think they'll stay home then as well.  Heck, if we've made it that far...why not continue!!

Besides being scared, I'm excited!!  I can't wait to watch my children learn.  Zep has gotten into this reading kick lately.  All he wants to do is sit in my lap and read to me.  And not to brag or anything (okay, maybe I'm bragging a little), but he's pretty dang good!  It makes my heart sing to hear him read.  I'm excited to become a part of the wonderful Catholic homeschooling group in our area.  I've already met some incredibly faithful women.  I can't wait to learn from them and feed off their Jesus vibes!

So, tomorrow...I'll probably cry.  A lot of the friends I've made at our school will become distant memories.  With four weekend Masses, we're very likely to miss one another.  The dreams that I once had for my children have changed.  Their friends will change, as will mine.  Although scared and excited, I'm ready.  I'm ready for the new adventure..the one that waits beyond the Kindergarten graduation!

We're getting in the limo...

I was just reminded that, unless you can read my Facebook page, you probably have no idea that WE'RE HOME!!!!  The rest of the next 5 weeks will be about healing our little boy.  He'll need to gain his strength back and take an aspirin regimen to reduce the swollen artery in his heart.  Hubby and I both feel great about where Bright Eyes health is at this moment.

So, for now folks, we're moving on....

I've put together a weekly schedule for our summer, and we're going to start homeschooling officially tomorrow!  Yes, we will be one of those crazy families that continues to school though out the summer break.  Don't judge me yet though!!!  We'll JUST be doing some basic phonics and math work.  Tops...an hour a day! 

We're ready to put this last couple weeks behind us, rejoice in all of God's graces, and move on to the wonderful life that is ahead of us!

As we walked out of the hospital today, a beautiful little girl was being pushed out in wheelchair.  She had lost all of her hair, so I'm sure she had been suffering from cancer.  Awaiting her in the driveway was a white stretch limousine.  From the people talking, I gathered that she was finally in remission and this was her congratulatory drive home.  That limo was the beginning of her new life, without illness.

The Heart of the Home limo takes off tonight!!!  Thanks again to EVERYONE for EVERYTHING!  I would send out thank you cards, but I'm sure I would forget someone.  Please know that hubby and I have been so incredibly humbled by all the love we have received.  We can only pray that we have the opportunity to pass it on to the next person/persons in need!  Love you all!

Chronicles of a soon-to-be homeschooling mom...v2

All you mothers who are already homeschooling have (or maybe you still are) dealt with the criticism that comes along with taking your children out of "real" school.  I'm hoping to take the advice of those who have offered it and not let it bother me.  I want to be able to support my decision to those that question it, so I've given it a lot of thought over the last several weeks.

Let me be really clear upfront.  I, in no way, think that anyone who has their children in public school or in private school is doing wrong by their children.  And also for the record, I absolutely love the school my children currently attend.  This has nothing to do with any problems we had there.  I would recommend the school to anyone looking for a Catholic education for their children.

This choice really came down to what was best for our family.  Money was a big factor.  But it was more than that.  Another reason is simply that I miss my babies!!  My children were gone over the weekend and into this week (we're in the middle of Spring Break), and I was miserable.  Yes, the quiet was nice.  But I don't thrive on quiet.  I thrive with my kids next to me.  They are a constant reminder for me to keep going and not waste the day away.  The decision to homeschool will help me dramatically with all of that.  I'm so excited to have every day with them.  Remember back to all of the snow days we had this year.  I clearly recall Facebook being crowded with comments of, "please let them go back to school tomorrow!"  My status read, "Am I the only one not wanting my kids to go back tomorrow?"  Now, clearly some of this is selfish.  I love my sleep.  God knew this and gave me three wonderful sleepers.  We are usually never out of bed before 7:30.  When we're in school, I have to drag them all out of bed at 6:00.  For the next hour there is screaming and threatening and whining...and this is just what I'm doing!  It seems we fight every morning to get out the door on time.  I don't want this for us anymore.  I want things to calm down.  I don't want my morning prayer time with my children to be in the car on the way to school, as I'm trying not to curse at all the drivers who are repeatedly cutting me off!  And don't get me started on our evenings...we don't get home until 4:00.  And there is snack, changing out of uniforms, homework, piano lessons, dinner, and then guess what?  It's already time for bed.  When is it my time with my children?  When do we get to be a family?  The majority of my children's awake time is spent with teachers I barely know.  There are many other reasons that we have chosen this route for our family as well.  Some of which are the ability to include more religion into our activities throughout the day, being able to tailor the education for each child individually, and also to keep them from being exposed too young to a world that is much too advanced for them.

I know it's unusual, and it's not the norm.  But that's okay...I too often follow the crowd.  The crowds usually intimidate me, so maybe it's time I start being a part of the minority for a change.  I know it's not going to be easy.  I'm sure there will be plenty of days that I'm counting the minutes down until daddy arrives and I can have my afternoon beverage.  I really have no idea what I'm in store for, but I compare this to that of a new mother.  For 9 months, every one that could get her to listen told her how much her life would change.  They told her stories upon stories of how hard things would be.  The mother listened and secretly thought that SHE would never have those problems.  She, of course, would be the perfect model parent with the perfect model newborn.  And then the baby came, and she quickly changed her tune.  I was that mom just as I am that soon-to-be homeschooling mom.  But you know what, five years later I can look at my three children and think...yeah, it was hard, but I did it!  And in five years from now, I think I'll be able to look over at my children hard at work at their desks in our home and know that I was able to do this as well!

Look at me blogging twice in one day!  I'm counting this as tomorrow's post...just for the record!  ;)