Happy NOON Year!

Being that our kids go to bed between 7-8pm, staying up until midnight on New Year's Eve is still a few years away.  BUT we've adapted a tradition of celebrating "Happy Noon Year" at noon with the kids.

We count down to 12:00 noon, go outside with blowers and sparklers, toast sparkling cider and celebrate in the backyard.  It's a quick, fun celebration for the kids and Mike and I enjoy their anticipation.

Last year we commemorated the event with a family picture that is the cover of our Project 365 Picture-a-Day digital album for 2011. Let's see if I can remember to do that tomorrow!

(pics from 2010)

 

Picking up the pieces of my day. Literally.

This post was supposed to be very different...but my day went downhill as I was typing, so I went with it.  Sorry for all of the variation in present vs. past tense...I wrote this at various points in the evening.

6:30am - Woke up tired, but in a good mood. Caught up on some things on the computer before getting Jason out of bed.
7am - Put in a load of laundry.
7:45am - Put laundry into the dryer and notice that there is stuff piled on top of stuff on the laundry room counter.  Realize there is no where to put folded laundry.
8:30am - Attempt to fold laundry, putting piles of clean clothes on every flat surface possible.
9am - Have a mini meltdown because of all of the clutter. Everywhere. Convince kids to help put everything back in its place so Mommy doesn't go ballistic. Take a new Christmas toy out of its package to keep Jason captivated while we tidy up.
9:30am - Everyone's sick of frantically putting things away. We stop to begin our school day. (I'm not taking a regular break like the schools because we just started and I don't want us to lose momentum.)
10:30am - Jason is not staying occupied while we learn, so I have Ryan put on a Bubble Guppies show for him downstairs.
11:00am - Come downstairs to find the contents of our pantry strung all over the family room.
11:01am - Left a message on Mike's phone asking him to make it his #1 priority to put a lock on the pantry.  For my sanity. And the safety of our two year old.
11:30am - Took a break from school and attempted to put together Kaylin's new Color Me Playhouse from Christmas for the kids to color.  Failed miserably.
12:00pm - Put Jason to bed and sent everyone for a quiet time.  Ahhh...sweet silence...!
1:45pm - With Jason asleep, suggest to Ryan that we organize his room.  Ryan pulled out absolutely everything that's not nailed down. The floor is a disaster within 3 minutes. Make signs for "Put away in room," "Put away elsewhere in the house," "Keepsakes," and "Trash."
2:00pm - Explain to Ryan that he can't keep everything. After some back and forth, he gets the idea and agrees to throw out lots of silly stuff.  We negotiate that he must limit his keepsakes to one particular box and he can keep whatever will fit inside.
2:30pm - Kaylin comes out of her room from quiet time asking if we can do her room next.
3:00pm - Take two trash bags full of junk out of Ryan's room and put away the final items. His room is spotless.
3:05pm - The doorbell rings and the kids go outside to play with the neighbor.  She teaches them the words to "It's a Barbie World," complete with hand motions that a 4th grade boy taught her after school. I never realized that 2nd line was "My boobs are plastic...it's fantastic." Awesome.
3:45pm - Jason tries sneaking a "lala-pop" from the glass dessert jar in the pantry. He drops it and it shatters into four million pieces. Double awesome.

4:00pm - Sweep, vacuum and mop the area thoroughly so that I don't step on a shard and limp around the house like I've been doing for the past week after dropping the microwave plate on the kitchen tile. Jason is summoned to the playroom so I can regain my composure.

4:15pm - Feeling hungry (or maybe I wanted to stress eat...whatever...) but was too lazy to make something healthy. Heat up stuffing. With gravy.  Proceed to eat ALL of the remaining stuffing in the fridge. 
4:20pm - Feel nauseous.
4:30pm - Put Jason's shoes on to play outside.  Clearly this kid needs to release some energy and I need him to be in a wide open space where he can't destroy anything.
4:40pm - The big kids beg me to go door to door, singing the Barbie song. With the hand motions. I declined their request, letting them know that rubbing their chests and singing about boobs is inappropriate. They asked to sing Jingle Bells door to door. I declined their idea to go post-Christmas caroling, too.
5:00pm - Jason accidentally kicked over my beloved K-State rock. It splits in half and I almost cry. Not awesome.

5:10pm - Called Mike to tell him that I was NOT going to be in a good mood when he got home from work. He sounded thrilled.
5:30pm - Poured my first glass of Skinnygirl White Cranberry Cosmo. It went down really, really easily.
5:45pm - Realized I cut my finger on a piece of glass while cleaning up the dessert jar.
5:48pm - Poured my second glass of Skinnygirl White Cranberry Cosmo.
5:50pm - Reheated leftovers for dinner.  I was in no position to cook.
5:55pm - A friend came over to borrow a stick of butter.  I let her finish my drink.
5:59pm - Jason threw his fork and flipped his dinner plate, spilling it all over his high chair.
6:00pm - Poured my third glass of Skinnygirl White Cranberry Cosmo.
6:10pm - Wondered where Mike was?  He's unusually late from work. Why wouldn't he want to come home to this madhouse? He must be hiding. Smart man.
6:35pm - Mike walked in the door from work. With flowers.  He's smarter than I thought. I kind of hoped he was at Lowe's or Home Depot picking up a lock for the pantry. But flowers are better.
6:40pm - Opened the mail while Mike ate dinner. The kids were so quiet upstairs...I should have been suspicious, but I was too tipsy to care. Plus, Christmas cards make me happy.
7:05pm - Heard Kaylin yell, "Mo-om! Jason's got the flash cards!" I didn't budge.

7:10pm - Went upstairs to find ALL of the flash cards sprinkled across the school room. 52 card pick up isn't such a big deal, but Jason had separated the color and shape cards, phonics cards, alphabet cards, sight word cards AND numbers cards...mixing them all together. This is what I get for mentally checking out before bedtime...
7:25pm - Put Jason in bed.  Then clipped Ryan's finger nails, which is a big deal because he was going through a phase of biting them to the nub. I promised that if they got long enough for me to have to clip them, he could sleep with his blanket that night. This is the second time I've had to clip them. He is thrilled.
7:45pm - Mike reads to Kaylin while I read to Ryan. I. am. exhausted.
8:20pm - All kids in bed. This post was supposed to be a detailed account of how our organizing adventure went this afternoon. Then the day went downhill and I felt the need to document it. Never a dull moment around here.
8:24pm - Hit "Publish Post" on this drawn out explanation of my day and went to watch something useless on t.v.

Merry Christmas to all...!

I just wanted to take a moment to wish you a very Merry Christmas.  Thank you for taking time out of your busy life to read my ramblings every now and then.  It still blows my mind that anyone cares about what I have to say.

Now get off the computer and go spend time with your family!!!  :)

Caramel Pecan French Toast Casserole

I modified this recipe to create the delicious masterpiece below.  It's the perfect Christmas or New Year's Day breakfast because it can sit in the fridge overnight, then get popped in the oven in the morning, without any thought.

Ingredients

• 1 cup packed brown sugar
• 1/2 cup butter
• 2 tablespoons light corn syrup
• 1 cup chopped pecans
• 1 loaf French bread, sliced 1 inch thick
• 8 eggs, beaten
• 1 cup milk
• 1 teaspoon vanilla extract
• 1 tablespoon granulated sugar
• 1 1/2 teaspoons ground cinnamon
• 1/4 teaspoon ground nutmeg

Instructions

1. In a medium saucepan, stir together brown sugar, butter, and corn syrup. Heat and stir until the butter melts and the brown sugar dissolves. Pour into a rectangular 3-quart baking dish. Sprinkle with half the pecans.
2. Arrange the bread slices in a single layer in the baking dish. Sprinkle with remaining pecans.
3. In a medium bowl, stir together eggs, milk, and vanilla extract. Pour slowly over bread. Press lightly with the back of a large spoon to moisten all bread.
4. Stir together granulated sugar, cinnamon, and nutmeg; sprinkle over bread. Cover and chill in refrigerator overnight.
5. Bake, uncovered, in a 350 degree oven for 30-40 minutes or until lightly browned. Let stand ten minutes.
6. To serve, remove individual servings with a wide spatula and invert onto each plate.

Gift-Opening Pep-Talk

Before all of our birthday and Christmas celebrations, I try to remember to have a "pep talk" with my kids about opening cards and gifts. I ask them to show me their reaction if they open a gift that they don't want, don't like, didn't ask for, is the wrong size/color/shape/quantity, even gifts that they DO want. With gifts they  love, we practice showing appreciation and putting it aside without having a fit about taking it out of the package or playing with it immediately. 

With gifts they aren't as excited about, I remind the kids not to lie and say, "I love it!" but instead, we discuss other phrases they could say to show gratitude to the gift giver.  Regardless of whether they like the gift or not, I want my kids to be grateful.  Not only outwardly, but on the inside, as well.  Finding something that they like about the present will help them see the "glass half full" in other situations.

Take time in the next couple of days to have a chat with your kids.  Make it a family rule that everyone takes turns opening gifts. The gift-giver will feel like their present actually matters in the sea of toys and games!

I will never forget a Christmas a while back when our finances were very tight. (well, one of the years...) I put my foot down and insisted that I buy something small for each of my cousins' children. I shopped and shopped and found amazing tokens of my love, that were within our budget, but things that I thought each kid would really like.

On Christmas Eve, everyone began opening each others gifts and it became a paper-flying, bow-flinging, free-for-all.  I waited for each child to find my gift, then watched in horror as they were dismissed and tossed aside like a dirty sock.  Granted, my gifts were up against Grandma's big "wow" gifts, but still!  I vowed to never let that happen under my roof.  Not to mention that it was the last year I bought presents for my extended family.

I'll admit: I can't control what happens in the excitement of the moment. But I can attempt to set them up for success by preparing my greedy little heathens to slow down and properly show appreciation!

The Polar Express is coming. To our house. Tonight.

During dinner tonight, Ryan made a very exciting announcement:

Ryan: "When we were playing outside this afternoon, we heard a train horn.  And Morgan said it was probably The Polar Express. So when it stops at our house tonight...can we get on it?"
Mike: "Sure."
Me: "Absolutely!  If The Polar Express comes to our house tonight, you may absoLUTEly get on it."

(Ryan was so relieved that we agreed...then the excitement set in.  The horn, by the way, is the car horn of a man in the neighborhood who loves honking it as he drives around.  It sounds exactly like a train. We had no idea what it was until he drove by our house one day.)

Ryan: "So I need to stay up really late to wait for The Polar Express. Is that fine?"
Me: "Actually, if you remember from the movie, the boy was asleep when it pulled up to his house."
Ryan: "Oh YEAH.  And his whole room shook and that's what woke him up."
Me: "Exactly."
Mike: "In fact, if you're awake, it won't come. You HAVE TO go to sleep."
Kaylin: "Then we should leave out our robe and slippers. So they're easier to grab before we go out the front door."
Me: "Good thinking!"

(at this point, the kids were so excited that they could hardly sit still in their seats, let alone eat their dinner)

Kaylin: "Can Jason come?"
Me: "No, he's too young.  Plus, he probably wouldn't listen and obey the conductor, so we'll keep him at home with us."
Kaylin: "Okay. I wonder if they'll have cocoa...?"
Ryan: "Of course they'll have cocoa!  Remember the 'Hot! Hot!' song from the movie?  We'll get cocoa...and probably cookies...and we'll take the train all the way up to the North Pole to meet the REAL Santa Claus."
Kaylin: "Yay!"
Ryan: "And I bet I'LL get the first gift of Christmas."
Kaylin: "I'll get the second gift."

(while getting ready for bed, I overheard Ryan in his room)

Ryan: "Jason...now you have to be a very good boy for Mommy and Daddy.  Ryan is going on The Polar Express tonight and you need to be very, very good while I'm gone.  Okay?"
Jason: "Okay, Ry-yun."
Kaylin: "OH NO!  I don't have any slippers!!!  Will they let me on the train?!!?"
Ryan: "Yes, but you have to wear something.  It can't be flip flops, though.  Those aren't allowed."
Kaylin: "Let's leave everything out in the hallway."
Ryan: "MOM!?  Can we do a practice run?  Here.  You be the train. Make a train sound and we'll run out of our bedrooms and see if we can get our robe and slippers on in 5 seconds."

(Dry run ensued...turns out 5 seconds was too short.  We decided 20 seconds was plenty of time.)

Ryan: "Oh GREAT, Mom.  I just cleaned up my room and," (tears filled his eyes...I kid you not) "...when the whole house shakes, it's going to mess it all up!"
Me: "Don't worry, buddy.  I'll help you clean it up again."
Kaylin: "I'm kind of scared."
Mike: "You don't have to go if you don't want to, honey."
Me: "Remember the little boy, Billy, who almost didn't get on The Polar Express?  The conductor was fine with it...he wasn't mad at all."
Ryan: "But I'll be there, Kaylin, so you'll be fine."
Kaylin: "Okay.  I'll just decide when it gets here."
Ryan: "Mom, will the ticket just appear in my pocket?"
Me: "I have no idea...you'll have to tell me in the morning."

(Teeth brushed, robe and slippers moved around a few more times...taken OFF of the rail knob so the pocket won't rip, like in the movie.)

Me: "Ryan, can I talk to you for a second?"
Ryan: "Sure."
Me: "I want you to be prepared for the fact that The Polar Express may or may not come tonight.  Are you prepared if it DOES come?"
Ryan: "Yeah...we have all of our stuff ready to go."
Me: "Great. But what if it doesn't come? Will you be mad tomorrow?"
Ryan: (looking down) "No."
Me: "Will you be disappointed?"
Ryan: "Yeah."
Me: "I just want you to be prepared both situations.  The train may come.  Or it may not.  Are you okay either way?"
Ryan: "Yeah, I guess."
Me: "Alright, buddy.  If you do go tonight, remember to be safe and have fun. Be a good example to the other kids and make lots of memories, okay?"
Ryan: (blushing) "Okay."

(same conversation with Kaylin)

Mike: "Time for bed, guys."
Kaylin: "Daddy, will you come with us?"
Mike: "No, honey.  Remember in the movie?  The parents slept through the whole thing."
Kaylin: "Oh. Okay.  G'night."

I couldn't make this up if I tried. 

We have never had a conversation like this in our house before.  Mike and I generally aren't  the parents who go along with the fairy tale.  But tonight?  Both of us were in the mood to roll with it.

My kids love the magic behind Christmas.  And to think that I considered telling Ryan about Santa this year...?  I would have crushed him to the core.  He's already frustrated that I don't do The Elf on the Shelf.  Oh yes, I told him he's not real.  Don't worry...he knows to keep the secret.  But his friends are so convinced that he actually asked me if I'd move our elf around into fun, new places every morning, "...just like Jake and Joe and Lexi's moms do..." (For a reminder about why we chose not to do The Elf, see this post from last year...I still laugh every time I think about it.)

He's so not ready for the truth.  If Jack Nicholson were here, he'd tell me that Ryan can't handle the truth.  This kid is going to believe long after it's normal and healthy for a child to believe.

Just like his mama did.

Priorities, Priorities...

For those who follow my {terribly neglected} Picture of the Day blog, I have finally caught up on the FIVE weeks I was behind. It was on my to-do list every week, I just hadn't gotten around to journalling about the pictures.

My mom sent me an email the other day, with "Remember me?" in the subject line.  This was the email:

Hi Katie,

Remember me? I’m your POD blog.

Yea, it’s been a long while since we’ve seen each other. I know how busy you are, too busy to miss me for sure. But I just wanted you to know that I sure miss you!

Hugs always,
http://katiespod.blogspot.com/

So go ahead, Mom...take a gander.  It's all up to date!

Apparently, I can't do it all...?

Jason feeding me grapes last month...back when I was making good choices!

I'm a pretty efficient person. I'm intentional about most everything I do (hence the blog name) whether it's errands, playing with my kids or my own downtime...I plan what I'll do and when based on how many little people are unconscious in my house at any given time.

But I have to say that homeschooling has thrown a monkey wrench into my daily rhythm.  Homeschooling itself is amazing.  I'm really thrilled with how much the kids and I enjoy it!  I knew this undertaking would consume lots of time, so I put my business on hold for the month of December while we all adjusted. However, it seems that taking on such a huge task means that something has to give in another area. 

And that area has been me.  Physically. 

My sleep is precious to me, so that's not a problem. (a sleepy mom is an impatient mom in our house) My health, however, has taken the back seat during this transition.  And by backseat, I really mean TRUNK.  Or maybe even the car behind me.

Not only have I not made the gym a priority, but my food choices have been horrendous!  Like it wasn't bad enough that we're knee-deep in the baking and party-going season...

I could blame it on the fact that Mike was traveling for work most of the past two weeks.  I was barely able to keep my head above water with a pleasant attitude, so cooking healthy meals was not a priority.  Pizza, pasta, salty quick-fixes, carbs, carbs, carbs.  And snacks?  Whatever I could grab at the time...Christmas cookies have been readily available.  I haven't been eating my daily salad for lunch and certainly haven't been making eggs for breakfast.  Eating out has increased as time has decreased.  And don't get me started on how many liquid calories I've consumed socially in the last month.

I'm positive I would faint if I sat down and calculated my daily calorie intake.

My body is begging to exercise.  The jiggle when I wiggle disgusts me!  I'm praying that the 4 lbs I've gained in the past two weeks is all water weight, but I know better.

Successfully homeschooling? Check.
Tidy house? Check.
To-do list sustained? Check.
Errands run? Check.
Cookies baked? Check.
Emails under control? Check.
Christmas cards sent? Check.
Christmas gifts purchased? Check.
Gifts wrapped? Mostly, so check.
Happy kids? Check.
Happy mom? Check.
Happy dad? Check.

But do my jeans fit?  Um, notsomuch.  I walk around almost every day in my gym clothes, trying to find the time to load everyone in the car and go.  But it just hasn't happened.  So I eat a handful of Christmas cookies instead. Then climb into bed for my sugar coma when Kaylin heads off to Kindergarten, Jason naps and Ryan reads.  I could do a workout video, but a nap sounds so much more refreshing.

I have GOT to get this under control, and it stinks that I'm taking on this challenge before the New Year!  But if I wait, I'll be in so much more trouble.

(*sigh*)

Instead of complaining, I need some action items.
1. Meal plan...HEALTHY meals.
2. Portion control.
3. One Christmas cookie is fine.  Ten is not.
4. Workout 4-5 times per week.  Schedule gym time, but accept that I must workout during naptime, too.
5. Increase water intake, decrease alcohol intake.
6. Stop baking.
7. Do. Not. Compromise. The short term satisfaction isn't worth the long term ramifications.

Okay, I'm feeling better already.  Kind of. So much easier said than done. Let's see if I can walk the talk!

The Goal is Peace and Fun

Things have been a bit crazy around here lately.  Not only have I turned our house upside down with the decision to homeschool Ryan, but Mike's been out of town the better part of the last two weeks training for his new job.  Life has felt anything but normal!

I've been managing pretty well...sticking to a loose new school schedule, sneaking to the gym now and then, keeping the house in order, attempting to stay ahead of the endless dishes and laundry, staying on top of our 25 Days of Christmas activities (I'm a glutton for punishment)...primarily all on my own, since Mike has been working 12 hour days in Sacramento.  Oh, and did I mention that my free time is practically non-existent anymore?  The precious 3-hours that Jason naps used to be my time to recharge, but more than half of that is now dedicated to teaching Ryan. Not complaining, it's just a fact and it comes with the territory.

All of this to say that we've been plugging along just fine, even with all of the major changes.  Except one tiny little detail that is driving me insane: the kids have not been getting along as harmoniously as I'd expected.  Granted, it's not going to be completely like Christmas and summer breaks, where everyone is home and playing and they remember why they're best friends...Kaylin is still going to school and absorbing the horrific attitudes of her classmates. But I have to admit that I never thought she was the bigger part of the problem in their relationship.  I was wrong.  You know the phrase, "When mama ain't happy, ain't nobody happy?"  Well apparently, when Kaylin ain't happy, Ryan's ain't allowed to be happy.

I'm guessing that the extra dose of sassy-ness is due to Ryan intruding on her morning routine with Mom.  She was the big helper.  She was the big sister.  She wasn't upstaged by someone bigger and more able to do this or that. I tried to be gracious at first, but the bickering has gotten out of control.

On a homeschooling mom blog post I read recently, the writer explained that whatever they do, wherever they go, she always reminds her family: "The goal is peace and fun."  How simple is that?  I tucked that into my memory at the time, and decided to pull it out the other day.

The big kids weren't even out of the their PJs before the first of the bickering began.  I called them together and announced that our new goal each day will be to strive for peace and to have fun.  We discussed that "peace" means getting along and not fighting.

I held my breath and thought, "This had better work!"

Throughout the day when Kaylin jumped into Ryan's seat at breakfast and Ryan responded with, "Heeyyy!" or when Ryan grabbed his stolen toy from Jason's hand and Jason screamed, or when Kaylin pouted over not getting her favorite seat in the van, I said, "What is the goal?"  Heads would bow and they'd mumble, "...peace and fun..."  I'd ask, "Is everyone having fun?"  Of course, they said, "No..."  "Is there peace right now?"  "No..."  "Then what needs to change to make that happen?  What can you be doing differently?"  And they proceeded to figure it out.

The day wasn't perfect, but MAN was it a ton better than the rest of the week has been!  There were a couple of times when someone was grumpy and was excused to their room until they could show me a happy heart. (basically, they need to smile sincerely)  But for the most part, it was a very peaceful, FUN day!

I've decided to take a break from the homeschooling schedule and let the kids have tons more free time together in the morning.  They need to re-learn how to play together, re-learn how to cooperate and teach Jason how to join in on the fun.  I love the flexibility I have to make this my priority right now!

Sad Before Mad

I got this article in my email the other day and it slapped me across the face.  I've been unusually angry with the kids lately (not consistently, but seemingly random bursts, as described below) and the situation described really hit home.  I've found myself swallowing my frustration/sadness with behavior issues, knowing that everyone is adjusting to our new homeschooling routine.  Then, out of no where, I'll blow up at someone about something really insignificant. I'm sure I'm the only one with this issue...this article was written just for me, right?

Often parents have a poor repertoire of discipline techniques so they do what comes naturally—they use anger as a consequence. Anger becomes the punishment that children learn to fear and the result is distance in relationships. Parents want to express disapproval for misbehavior and anger becomes the vehicle for showing it.

Imagine this scenario: You're making dinner and your six-year-old daughter, Amy, comes into the room complaining that she’s hungry. You tell her that you're making dinner and that she needs to wait. She persists and complains that she hasn't eaten all day. You remind her that she had a snack a few hours ago and then encourage her to leave the room. Instead of leaving, she begins to whine, "I’m starving." Finally you sigh and offer her a banana or an apple. "I don’t like bananas! I don’t want an apple!" Okay, you give in. You offer her some milk and a cookie. Amy is so excited she jumps up…and knocks over the milk! You’ve had it! That was the last straw. Now you're really angry and yell, "What's the matter with you? Now look what you've done!!"

Think a minute. What caused you to lose control? Was it the spilled milk, or was it the fifteen minutes of whining and complaining? If we wait until we become angry to discipline, then we end up responding like a time bomb. Our children can never be sure when we’ll explode.

In this situation, Mom needed to take action earlier. "Amy, it makes me sad that you keep asking after I said No. You need to go play in your room until I call you for dinner."

In honor-based parenting, anger and its accompanying distance are not appropriate consequences. Instead, parents learn to reflect sorrow. Some parents may feel like hypocrites because they don't feel sad, they feel mad. But it doesn't take long for a parent to recognize that the sorrow is there. It's just masked by the anger. If you peel away the anger you will genuinely feel sad that your child is acting out or choosing to disobey. You see that the misbehavior will lead to an unhappy and unsuccessful life. Reflecting sadness is much more beneficial to the child and to the relationship.

Try it; you may be surprised. Children often open up in response to sadness and you may end up with a productive conversation. Sadness opens relationships; anger shuts them down. It may take some practice, and self-control, but your relationships with your kids will benefit in the end.
What are some ways you've been able to reflect sorrow to connect with your child's heart? Click here to tell us about it.

This idea is honor-based parenting skill #2 from Chapter 6 in the book, Say Goodbye to Whining, Complaining, and Bad Attitudes, In You and Your Kids by Dr. Scott Turansky and Joanne Miller, RN, BSN.


If you'd like to continue to receive tips yourself, you can sign up at www.biblicalparenting.org.

"Melting Snowman" cookies

My mom found this idea online and they are TOO CUTE not to share.  The candy is mostly re-usable Halloween treats.  So you can replicate them, here's what composes each cookie:

Head = mini marshmallow, covered in frosting
Hat = mini Oreo cookie for the base + mini marshmallow, all covered in melted chocolate
Eyes = mini chocolate chips
Nose = orange Starburst cut to shape
Arms = 1/2 a mini pretzel OR a straight pretzel
Scarf = trimmed Fruit by the Foot
Buttons = mini M&Ms

Have fun!

Preparing to Homeschool, Part 3 - Advice

One thing I'm getting a lot of right now is ADVICE.  Advice from parents who homeschool.  Advice from parents who DON'T homeschool.  Advice from teachers.  Advice from strangers.  It's a lot to sift through.

I have appreciated some key pieces of wisdom through my decision-making process that I want to jot down before I forget:

- During "school-time," take off your Mom Hat and put on your Teacher's Hat.  Teachers are often more patient than moms on repeat offenses.

- When your child loses interest in a subject, stop and switch to something as far from that subject as possible.

- Take frequent breaks to get the wiggles out (Simon Says, dance party, do an obstacle course through the house)

- Prepare lessons each Sunday for the upcoming week.

- Prepare craft projects monthly to give yourself time to gather supplies without needing to run out at the last minute.

- Early to bed, early to rise.

- Be an example of what you teach: turn off the t.v. and pick up a book!

(unfinished 2/28/16)

25 Days of Christmas, 2011 Edition

Once again, I've come up with an activity-a-day calendar for the 25 days leading up to Christmas.  I began this in 2009, then repeated the tradition last year.  It's something that the kids jump out of bed to discover each morning in December and helps keep us from lots of "good intentions" that don't actually happen because of the busy-ness of the season.

Day 1 - Ice Cream Cone Christmas Tree
Day 2 - Craft day - make paper snowflakes and candy cane reindeer
Day 3 - Home Depot Kids Workshop - making a Snowman Napkin Holder
Day 4 - Give the kids each a dollar, go to the $1 Store and let the kids pick out a toy
Day 5 - Give the kids each cash to give to someone in need sometime this month (at their discretion)
Day 6 - Load the kids into the car in PJs with warm cocoa and drive around town looking at Christmas lights
Day 7 - Bake Christmas cookies
Day 8 - Lunch with Santa
Day 9 - "Cookies With Santa" at school
Day 10 - Snow Day at Desert Ridge
Day 11 - McCormick Railroad Park Christmas lights
Day 12 - Pick 3 angels from the tree at the mall (each child's age) and have the kids shop for them
Day 13 - Make homemade Christmas cards for teachers, friends and family
Day 14 - Christmas Tea Party
Day 15 - Build a Gingerbread House as a family
Day 16 - Glendale Glitters
Day 17 - Bake Christmas cookies
Day 18 - Firepit in the backyard with roasted marshmallows and cocoa
Day 19 - Take the kids Christmas shopping for each other
Day 20 - Load the kids into the car in PJs with warm cocoa and drive around town looking at Christmas lights
Day 21 - Storytime with Curious George
Day 22 - Family Movie Night
Day 23 - Christmas camping by the tree
Day 24 - Bake a birthday cake for Jesus
Day 25 - Read the Nativity story from the Bible

Homeschooling Day 3: So Far, So Good

I realize day 3 of a career of homeschooling might seem pointless to write about, but (just as I journaled about the first days after Jason was born) I know I'll eventually want to look back and see how we transitioned at the beginning of this process.

So far, things are going really well. With Ryan, that is.  I've noticed Kaylin trying to get attention a little more than usual and Jason, for sure, is testing me daily.  His game of choice is partial obedience.  When I ask him to stand up (to get him out of his crib, specifically) he'll get up on one bended knee, like a man proposing to his girlfriend.  When I ask him to stop banging his fork on the table, he does it a little more gently.  When I ask him to give something to Ryan, he puts it on the table nearby.  When I ask him to say, "Yes, Mommy," he says, "Yes, Daddy" or "Yes, coo-coo" is his newest favorite.  When I remind him to stay on the green blanket during our learning time, he stands up and puts one foot off the blanket onto the carpet.

He is exhausting.

I think he can sense the changes that are happening.  In fact, now that I think about it, I'm quite sure he's demanding a certain element of control in his life, since he's not sure what's changing and why.  Hmmm...I might need to give him more control than usual...

The big kids, however, are suddenly extremely helpful.  They are really stepping up and loving new responsibilities.  Ryan loves taking Kaylin to the bus stop after lunch.  Kaylin loves being in charge of her little brother during my one-on-one time with Ryan.  They've both slipped right back into our summer morning routine of "chores before free time," getting everything done that is asked of them and still coming back to say, "What next, Mom?"  So there's pros and cons this week, I guess.

I got some of my curriculum in the mail last night and realized that most of the books I purchased are pretty far below Ryan's knowledge level. When I saw, "Say the letters C-A-T...what does that spell?  Trace the letters on your paper with your finger..." I was worried.  Ryan's so far beyond that...he's reading chapter books!  He can certainly spell cat!  These books are perfect for Kaylin.

But I am following the advice of a trusted friend and we've decided to plow through all of the {seemingly} entry level business to make sure all of our bases are covered before throwing Ryan into more advanced material.  Today, we went through two week's worth of spelling lessons in 20 minutes which, if nothing else, were a huge confidence builder for my son.  We'll cruise through book A for the rest of this year, then probably begin book B in January, but at least I'll have the flexibility to slow down if a certain concept or spelling rule didn't sink in during his time at public school.

One thing that's working really well for us is our letter/sound flashcards.  I went over these with the kids during the summer, but when we were reviewing them yesterday, I heard a little voice say, "Jason's turn!"  All three kids were on the couch as I said, "Jason, what letter is this?" then "...and Kaylin, what sound does it make?" and "Ryan, can you tell me a word that ends with this sound?" 

It. was. awesome.  ALL of the kids were engaged and loved interacting at their own level.  In the meantime, Jason will begin hearing the letter sounds, Kaylin will begin hearing how the sounds work into words and Ryan is learning the grammar rules that go along with each sound or letter combination.

Seriously, I'm already loving this decision. 

Preparing to Homeschool, Part 2

Now that I have figured out Ryan's learning style and chosen my curriculum, I'm ready to narrow down what each child should be working on for their age range.  At first, the task was absolutely overwhelming!

In The Well-Trained Mind, the authors grouped kids into specific categories: Preschool (birth to three), Kindergarten (4-5), The Grammar Stage (1st-4th grade), The Logic Stage (5th-8th grade), and The Rhetoric Stage (9th-12th grade).  I was excited to discover that I have one child in each of the first three stages...especially when it didn't occur to me that Jason would be in any stage other than, "Try to stay out of our way, wouldja?"

Lots of friends have been asking me how I'll know what to do each day. Basically, I am putting together a schedule for our learning that takes lots of breaks to get out everyone's wiggles. 

A few weeks ago, I started training Jason to sit on a blanket and play with specific toys while we did homework.  He knows not to get up from the green blanket and, when he gets restless, I alternatively have Kaylin and Ryan play with him while I work with the other one.

This is what I'll be working on with each child. (I'm typing this up, just in case I lose my notes!)

Jason, 2 years old

Reading
- talking (NOT a problem for me) and reading as much as possible
- ask questions about the story (to begin comprehension)
- teach letter sounds (because he already knows his letters) starting with consonants first
- sing "Old McDonald" with AEIOU and short vowel sounds instead of EIEIO and animal sounds.

Writing
- drawing pictures of circular objects (snowmen, train smoke, car wheels, Slinkies) using a counter-clockwise motion to encourage the natural shape of many of our written letters
- write letters with his finger in cookie sheets filled with rice, sand, finger paint, pudding, etc.

Math
- model counting by playing Hide & Seek (this is how he learned how to count last year)
- count backward (to blast off), by 2s, 5s and 10s

Kaylin, 5 years old

Reading
- phonics
- rules of sounds
- 5 minutes of drills (flashcards) and 5 minutes of reading, working up to 15 minutes of each

Writing
- teach proper direction of letter strokes
- encourage a continuous-stroke alphabet (instead of picking up the pencil within letters like b and d) - makes learning cursive an easier transition
- 10 minutes of instruction, 5 minutes of supervised practice

Math
- count in daily life (grocery store, baking)
- manipulatives (beans, pencils, chocolate chips) for basic addition and subtraction
- talk about money, time and shapes
- learn to write numbers
- count to 100 by 2s, 5s and 10s
- 5-10 minutes per day - more like a game, not academic

Ryan, 7 years old

Reading
- main purposes are to work up to reading quickly, well and habitually and to fill his mind with stories of every kind to develop a love for reading
- read 20-30 minutes per day
- give him simplified versions of original literature (Illiad, Odyssey, Bible stories)
- get books on tape from the library (without bells and whistles)

Spelling
- workbooks
- keep a page of trouble words, reviewing 2-3 times per week
- write different spelling rules

Grammar
- parts of speech, proper relationship between parts
- narration of stories (summarizing the plot, answering specific questions in complete sentences)

Math
- Math U See, which is very hands-on
- introducing money (you'd think MY kids would know all about money by this age)

History - I thought this recommendation was extremely interesting:
1st, 5th and 9th grades - Ancients (5000 b.c. - a.d. 400)
2nd, 6th and 10th grades - Medieval to early Renaissance (400-1600)
3rd, 7th  and 11th grades - Late Renaissance to early Modern (1600-1850)
4th, 8th and 12th grades - Modern (1850-present)

The idea is to introduce history at a basic level during the Grammar Stage, then repeat the information in both the Logic Stage and Rhetoric Stage, at the appropriate age levels for each period of history.  That way, by the time they're in 9th grade, reading the Illiad or the Odyssey won't be as daunting, because they know the basic stories already.

Can you tell that I'm really pumped up about this?  What excites me most is re-learning WITH my kids on a lot of this stuff.  I didn't retain 90% of what I learned in school and I don't want the same thing to happen to them.  I specifically remember covering World War II for exactly 2 days in high school, then being tested on it.  And by two days, I mean 2 one-hour classes.  I can't even tell you when that war began...or any war, for that matter!  And the only reason I know when the U.S. got involved was because of Pearl Harbor.  Not the tragedy...the MOVIE.  With Ben Afflek.  Now that's just embarrassing.

I'm reading books, blog posts and articles to prepare myself for when we start schooling.  I'm fully expecting there to be a horrible adjustment period for our family.  I'm fully expecting to feel inadequate, unprepared and unfit to educate my kids.  I'm fully expecting meltdowns...from them and me.  I'm fully expecting to want to quit, but am committed to sticking with it through the summer.

This is either going to be an amazing experience or an absolute train wreck.  I'm bracing myself...

Preparing to Homeschool, Part 1

So I'm officially a homeschooling mom.  Now what?

First things first: What on Earth am I going to teach my kids?  Do you realize how many choices are out there?  How many methods of homeschooling, let alone curriculum choices??? What makes one better than another?  And which ones are right for MY kid?

I gathered opinions on Facebook from homeschooling friends and learned about some of the most popular curriculum choices available. Then my BFF recommended that I read through The Well-Trained Mind, A Guide to Classical Education at Home and 100 Top Picks for Homeschool Curriculum.  I haven't watched t.v. in weeks...I spend all my free time reading!

Both were fascinating. In 100 Top Picks, the author explains four different learning styles that describe Ryan, Mike, Kaylin and me in creepy detail. Each style has a corny name that makes it easy to reference throughout the book and both girls and boys can be any (or a combination) of these learning styles. Here are the highlights:

Wiggly Willy (aka Ryan)
- kinesthetic learner (hands-on)
- has a short attention span
- carefree children who live for the moment
- hates being bored
- needs the freedom to move around
- works well with projects, but needs supervision
- learns better with "real" books than textbooks
- easily overwhelmed by pencil-and-paper work
- often diagnosed with ADD/ADHD

Perfect Paula (aka ME)
- responsible children who like to see that everything is done correctly
- likes things to be clearly structured, planned and organized
- have a narrow comfort zone
- feel more secure when things are orderly
- seldom act spontaneously
- follows rules and respects authority
- enjoy typical school curriculum
- would rather receive information than think creatively
- often does well memorizing or repeating information (more in early elementary grades)

Competent Carl (aka Mike)
- likes to be in control of themselves and their surroundings
- tend to be analytical, constantly trying to figure out what makes things tick
- want to know in advance what they'r doing and why
- needs curriculum with minimal busywork and review
- enjoys logically organized lessons
- typically enjoys problem solving
- can have weaker social skills
- enjoy solitary activity
- expect others to operate the same way they do
- don't find it easy to adapt to other ways of doing things
- tend to be self-motivated and enjoy long-term, independent projects
- love to brainstorm and think out loud

Sociable Sue (aka Kaylin)
- often have warm, responsive personalities
- interested in people, motivated by relationships
- care a great deal about what others think of them
- like to be recognized and acknowledged for achievements
- vulnerable to conflict and critisism
- often avoid competitions, preferring cooperation
- tend to be big picture people
- don't like memorizing names and dates for history
- love change and new things
- gets bored with the same learning format

Did you see yourself in any of those learning styles?  What's interesting is that your learning style usually becomes your teaching style.  That's why Mike seems to teach my kids things so well: swimming, tying their shoes, riding their bikes...he's able to break down the steps for them into "logical, organized lessons."

Apparently, Perfect Paula moms often homeschool Wiggly Willy kids because they didn't succeed in school the way they expected. This was so eye-opening for me!  Now I know to be even more understanding and gracious when teaching Ryan. I need to remember that when we're doing long lessons, he needs something to fidget with in his hands and that his ansty-ness isn't a sign of disrespect. There was actually a suggestion that Wiggly Willy's memorize better (things like math facts) when jumping on a trampoline.  Fascinating!

The best thing about the 100 Top Picks books is that they have a chart of all of the top 100 homeschooling curriculum rated on a scale of 1-5, based on each learning style.  For instance, there is only one math curriculum that is rated a 5 (the best) for Wiggly Willy's.  It's very hands-on and you'd better believe I  ordered it for Ryan!!!  Yet, there are a bunch of 4-5 rated Science choices, because Science tends to have more hands-on experiments. 

I am getting more and more excited about teaching Ryan.  We're going to take a couple of weeks off, mostly to wait for our curriculum to arrive, but also to settle into the new dynamic of having Ryan home all day.

Next, it's time to make a new daily routine/schedule.  And as a Perfect Paula, I now feel NO guilt or shame in the fact that I'm more comfortable with structure and order to my day!!!

Meal Plan 11/28/11

Sunday - Creamy Chicken and Broccoli Soup
Monday - Turkey Pot Pie *
Tuesday - Chicken Enchilada Quiche
Wednesday - Spaghetti and Meatballs
Thursday - Baked Potato Bar
Friday - leftovers
Saturday - Rice, Bean and Cheese Casserole

* new recipes

Our Christmas Card, 2011

Since adding Jason to our family a couple of years ago, I've gotten out of the habit of hand-crafting my own Christmas cards.  Online photo cards are just too easy and, although I've considered it each year, the last couple of years I've gone the easy route.  And this year I'm doing the same. 

I stumbled upon Becky Higgins' free download-able 2011 Christmas card and fell in love.  I decided to fill the 12 slots with one picture from each month of 2011. I also threw together a Christmas letter, since it seems we had lots going on this year. (the pictures show visuals of several items in the to-be-attached letter)

Then last week, one of my sweet blog followers notified me that she was having a contest on her blog. The prize was 25 free Shutterfly cards...and I won!  So 25 of my lucky friends/family will be receiving this beautiful card:

Stationery card

View the entire collection of cards.

I'm so excited to have my cards done and on their way to me.  I claimed some of my Pampers Gifts to Grow points for 200 free Shutterfly prints and ordered the above Christmas card, plus a TON of prints that will help me get motivated to catch up on my scrapbooking.  I saved over $100 with the contest code and the Pampers code.

Have you thought about your Christmas cards yet?  Christmas is only 39 days away.  No pressure or anything...! 

Another thought: a friend of mine does Valentine letters instead of Christmas letters.  She feels less stress after Christmas is over and knows that people appreciate the random mail after the influx of holiday cards in December.  Isn't that a cute idea? 

Happy 40th Birthday Month!

I wish I could say I came up with this idea on my own, but I didn't.  I read a post this summer that got me all excited about celebrating Mike turning 40 all. month. long. So yes, I had plenty of time to plan and prepare and think of ideas and shop and wrap.  Just like I like it!

Mike's month of birthday gifts:
Nov 1 - bag of Starbucks coffee (his favorite, plus we were out!)
Nov 2 - can of Planters nuts with a note - "It's NUTS that you're going to be 40!"
Nov 3 - Starbucks gift card (for his business trip)
Nov 4 - "We love Daddy because..." circle map (Ryan's idea...we put it on the door when he returned from his trip)
Nov 5 - a new work shirt
Nov 6 - tacos for dinner (his favorite)
Nov 7 - Arizona State shirt
Nov 8 - a huge bag of Dark Chocolate M&Ms (his favorite)
Nov 9 - black dress socks (a mentioned necessity)
Nov 10 - new gym shorts (another mentioned necessity)
Nov 11 - cards from the kids
Nov 12 - Death Certificate (for his youth)
Nov 13 - HAPPY 40th BIRTHDAY!!! Glasses and an obnoxious "Over the Hill" lei
Nov 14 - chocolate chip cookies (his favorite)
Nov 15 - a jar of pickles (because turning 40 is sour)
Nov 16 - an updated, framed picture of the kids for his desk at his new office
Nov 17 - iPod gift card
Nov 18 - fire starters for the grill
Nov 19 - ASU decal for his car with the new fork logo
Nov 20 - "40 sucks" lollipops
Nov 21 - chapstick (he wakes me up to borrow mine as we're falling asleep and it drives me nuts!)
Nov 22 - a huge supply of Mocha Chip Frappe drink mixes (his favorite)
Nov 23 - memory foam pillow
Nov 24 - frosty beer mugs
Nov 25 - sexy panties (yes for me, but he mentioned them in jest, so I honored his request!!!)
Nov 26 - Daddy's Day Off - college football marathon
Nov 27 - to-go coffee mug
Nov 28 - a new workout shirt
Nov 29 - another huge bag of Dark Chocolate M&Ms
Nov 30 - World's Best Husband/Dad certificate

It's Happening, People! Oh, It's Happening...

I recently mentioned that I've been considering homeschooling.  Again.  Not that I've done it before, but I've certainly considered it before!

You may remember when I struggled with this idea back in April. Going back even farther than that, I originally mentioned it back in 2009.  Then I got the bug to make a school room last month. (all of those links are to catch you up, in case you wonder how I got to this point.  The comments in each post, specifically on the 2009 post, are interesting reads, if you're on the fence, like I've been.)

All of this discussion came about again while Mike was laid off and job searching in September.  This time, I really felt called to homeschool.  I'm ready.  They're ready.  It's time.

When I approached Mike and asked him to pray about it, his first response was, "Can I get a job first?"  The day he got a job, I reminded him to pray about it and he obviously said, "Can I get used to this new company, first?" 

But it's happening.  It's finally official.  We're going to homeschool!!! 

Until the other night, Mike still had his hesitations, but after begging him to let me do this (yes, that's how I would characterize my end of our conversation: "Please, honey.  Please?  Can I pu-LEASE just try this?  I know you have a lot on your mind, but this is ALL I've had on my mind for WEEKS and I feel very strongly about it.  Please.  Please?  Seriously.  What's the worst that could happen?") he said I'd be on a "very short leash."  If we don't see dramatic improvements in Ryan in the first nine months, he's going back to public school. 

I kind of panicked. I mean literally...I had trouble breathing and realized later that I was having an anxiety attack.  I've heard that it takes about a year for everyone (the parent, the child, the household) to adjust to homeschooling.  Yet, I only have nine months. 

Oh wait, did I not mention?  We're pulling Ryan out of school at Christmas. 

Why so early?  I had completely intended to let him finish out his 2nd grade year, until I spoke with a friend who recently started homeschooling her 2nd grader.  Her only regret about homeschooling is that she didn't pull her daughter out of school mid-year last year, like she'd originally wanted to. 

That got me thinking: why wait?  Why let him continue learning methods that our school system plans to use when the curriculum I choose might take a completely different path?  And, in fact, many of the manuals I've read suggest that students start way back at the beginning, breezing through facts that the may already know, to make sure all of the bases are covered before he's "caught up" to his current grade level.

So I'm sure some of you are wondering what made me want to homeschool?  It's a million little things, but the main thing is that I don't feel like I have enough time to teach my kids the things that I want them to know.  There's no extra time to do daily Bible lessons when we're spending over an hour and a half doing homework each night at the WORST part of the day.  There's no time to slow down and redirect my kids' attitudes or to address heart issues when they're nasty with each other (which is A LOT when they're in school).  There's not enough time for extra curricular activities; I'm sick of rushing around to get Ryan to football or Kaylin to gymnastics. 

Speaking of, I don't like the tone of our home when we're rushed.  I don't like the pressure of being on someone else's time schedule - catching the bus in the morning or dropping off during a 10 minute window, having a ridiculous 90 minute, "half" half-day Kindergarten just so the district can get funding for each student, forcing Ryan to finish a math worksheet when I know he's overwhelmed and checking out mentally and certainly isn't actually learning the intended material, just to name a few.

A friend forwarded me this post about "Why I Homeschool" from Confessions of a Homeschooler.  I just love so many of the things she had to say and found myself nodding along throughout the explanation.  I couldn't have summed it up better myself!

So it's happening.  Around Christmas break, I will begin homeschooling Ryan.  Kaylin will get some schooling in the morning, then we'll send her off to afternoon Kindergarten and while she's away and Jason's napping, I'll spend a little quality time catching up my 7 year old on good old reading, writing and arithmetic.  By summer, I'm hoping to have a nice little system down and we'll slide Kaylin right in to begin learning 1st grade material. 

The morning after Mike gave me the "thumbs up," I woke up with such intense butterflies that I was actually a little nauseous.  I had been gearing myself up for this for weeks, but hadn't let myself get too excited, just in case Mike shot me down. 

But it's happening.  I'm so eager that I seriously want to start tomorrow.  Instead, I'll enjoy my last few weeks of having the afternoons to myself...because, if things go as planned, it's going to be a long, long time before I get the house back to myself again!

All Things Are Possible With God

(...in the car yesterday after having Ryan's cast removed and getting his final x-ray...)

Ryan: "Mom? Why did God make us with skin?  Why didn't he just make us all skeletons?"
Me: "I'm not sure, honey.  Maybe you can ask Him that when you get to heaven."
Ryan: "Nah, I'll forget."
Me: "Maybe you could write it down somewhere...?" (selfishly thinking that I'd like to keep his "Questions for God" list in a scrapbook)
Ryan: "The piece of paper would be too small for God to read...like a tiny little crumb.  Oh wait, never mind...all things are possible with God!"

Even reading a piece of paper the size of a crumb!

"What is impossible with men is possible with God." (Luke 18:27 NIV)

Happy Birthday Month!

In honor of Mike turning 40 this month, I got the idea to give him one gift each day for his whole birthday month.  Some of the gifts are small, some are bigger. I'll post about them all at the end of the month (I wouldn't want him stumbling upon this blog post!)

It seems like every guy we know is turning 40 this year...many within weeks of each other.  One of Mike's friends turns 40 within days of Mike, so his wife and I threw them a surprise birthday party this weekend. It was funny because Jeff thought he was bringing Mike to be surprised, but the party was for both of them.  Mission: accomplished!

(It looks like Mike's grabbing Jeff's butt in this picture, but I'm confident he was holding the chair behind him!  Somewhat confident, that is...)

So this will be a big month for Mike. To keep him from being too down about turning 40, I'm flooding him with gifts to make sure he knows he's loved. Here's to avoiding a mid-life crisis...!!!