The Well Rounded Mama

Tap, Tap, Tap...Is This Thing On??

As many of you know, we are expecting our fifth child.  And anyone who knows me knows that pregnancy is very, very hard on me.  And that, my friends, is all I have to say about the lack of blogging. 

 

So now, some updates:

 

First and foremost: Baby.  Number 5.  Wow. Sometimes I have a hard time wrapping my head around the idea, and sometimes I just smile knowing there will be a new little one to love and cherish.  The kids are SO, SO excited. Caleb has informed me that he just can't wait longer than ten more days.  I hate to break it to him, but 25 weeks is a little longer than 10 days. He'll get through it.  And so will I.  I've been sick, sick, sick, and tired beyond belief, but I know that eventually those things will subside and we can really get excited for a new little one.  My sweet Katie is going to be a big sister! Children are indeed a blessing from the Lord!

 

 

MISS KATELYNN: Oh, where do I begin?  My little two year old is "A little sugar and a whole lot of spice!" Man, I LOVE this girl and at the same time...wow.  Just wow.  We call her "our first two year old."  We are definitely in new parenting territory with a girl who says no, likes to hit, does the opposite of what we say, and generally thinks that rules are for other kids.

 

On the other hand, she is sweet and spirited and totally hilarious.  Even when she is being naughty, she is so stinkin' funny I can't stand it.  If we say, "Katie, are you trouble?", she will respond with, "Yea, and I naughty too!"  She routinely grabs one of the boy's swords and says, "Arggg!" to the nearest person around.  She loves her Daddy with everything in her and she loves to grab you by the hand and say, "Follow me." She loves her baby dolls and is the most maternal little kid I have ever seen. She asks for food all day long and eats almost nothing. She gives the best hugs known to man and she tells us she has three babies in her tummy. She changes her clothes about ten times a day and melts my heart every time she says, "I want you!"

 

LEVI:  I keep begging him to stay little forever.  I just can't get him to agree.

 

Levi has been my angel child.  He has never gone through a tough stage and he has always been the most sweet and hilarious kid. He loves to laugh and will do anything to get himself or others to chuckle. He gives me more kisses and hugs than I know what to do with and he has a new obsession with getting ready for bed in the early afternoon.  He loves to help me in the kitchen and every day he asks me, "Is it time for homeschool?"  He gets along with all of the kids equally well and has a hard time deciding who to be "buddies" with each day.  I regularly find him laying on "the big pillow" on our floor when I wake up in the morning, regardless of the fact that is never where he starts his night.  He lights up my life.

 

 

CALEB: Never in all the world has there been a kid like Caleb.  He marches to the tune of his very own drummer and I LOVE that about him.  Just as Levi is a direct replica of Jason, Caleb is a mini-me.  He is introverted (yet talkative), pensive, incredibly creative, thoughtful, and loyal.  He loves what he loves and dislikes what he dislikes. I love the way at dinner he just gives me a thumbs-up when he likes something and how he asks me every day how my baby is doing.  He loves Tom and Jerry and he hates all things to do with losing teeth.  He adores math and hates all things related to reading and writing, though he does them with a great attitude. He spends most of his day with the baby kitties and I am pretty sure he will grow up, get married, and have a zillion kids. He is LOVING art class at school and he comes up with the most creative solutions to problems I have ever seen. I am so excited to see him grow up and be all the man God created him to be.

 

ALAINA: I am so, so blessed to have her.

 

We spent two weeks in the States together this month and it was so amazing to be with her...just her...for such a long time.  I love that homeschooling and having all the kids together every day keeps her young (I think kids grow up WAY to fast these days!) but I am also realizing that she IS getting older and more mature.  Being alone with her gave me the opportunity to see how she is growing and changing and to get a better idea of what she needs from us. I am thinking and praying about how to help her grow and mature well.  I believe that the next few years are incredibly important as we watch her change from a child into a young woman. She is an amazing girl with a tender heart and sweet spirit.

 

Alaina loves reading (I find her in all sorts of places), being crafty, and watching the Duggars.  She plans on marrying a Duggar boy when she gets older and she was SUPER excited that two of the oldest kids visited Indonesia!  Her favorite purchase in the States was an ankle length jean skirt, just like the Duggar girls wear.

 

 

ME: Well, like I said, I have been sick.  Sick as in "I puke four or five times a day and I hate ALL food" sick.  I have had more food problems with this pregnancy than with any other one, including a complete hatred for all meat and even peanut butter.  As an O blood type that typically CRAVES protein, I have really struggled.    I finally realized that I could buy some protein supplements and although it has only been a few days, I do feel a bit better. Hoping that as the pregnancy progressess (I am 15 weeks now), the sickness and the drop-dead tiredness will ease.  I HATE not being available to my family. Thankfully, they are all very understanding and I am blessed with a man who works all day and then takes over kid duty when he gets home so that I can lie in bed.

 

My other huge struggle with pregnancy is the emotional toll it takes on me. Now, I am not the typical pregnant woman with raging emotions.  In fact, I am quite the opposite. I just become kind of dead to the world.  As a typically passionate person with lots on her heart and mind, I find it very hard to feel nothing...about anything.  I become very apathetic, uncreative, and well, boring.  I'm not happy, not sad, just there.  It's really not a fun way to live.

 

However, I do feel the slightest bit of that fog lifting...so here's hoping!

 

JASON: Jason is good.  He is enjoying the start to a new school year.  He has handed over his athletic director duties this year so that he is able to concentrate more on building the PE program at the school.  I love seeing new visions come to life including and elementary swim program and an elementary sports/field day. He is also enjoying helping coach the girls soccer team.  It is hard to have him away those extra hours, but I know he loves it. 

 

HOMESCHOOLING: The pregnancy and my trip to the States have made for a rocky and inconsistent start to the school year, but things are still going pretty well.  The kids have been so good and understanding about my not feeling well and have been happy to change the schedule or even just do school on my bed.  We are using some new curriculum this year and I am LOVING it.  I feel like our choices this year have been a better fit for us all around and I LOVE knowing that my kids are getting a great education.

I also LOVE that homeschooling allows me to work with my kids at their own pace, whatever that might be.  For example, when we found out that we were expecting we briefly considered putting the kids in school.  I was struggling with what grade to put Caleb in. He is a May birthday and a boy and I really feel like he is straddling Kindergarten and first grade. By having him at home, I don't have to decide.  We can move right along in math and take our time in language arts. At some point, if he does go back in school, we can see where he fits best. But for now, I don't have to worry about him being bored in one subject while completely missing out on a subject that he is totally not ready for.

I don't know how long we will homeschool for...maybe another year or maybe forever.  We'll take it year by year and kid by kid.  While we are getting to enjoy this season of life, I will soak up the precious time I have with my kids and marvel at the ways their minds are growing.

 

LIFE: Life is good, busy, confusing, fun, hopeful, and blessed. Things change from day to day and I definitely never know what is around the corner, but I am happy and content and ready for whatever comes our way.

 

One of the Projects I Have Been Working On

I often struggle with the finding the balance between fulfilling my first calling -- to be a mother and wife -- and using the gifts and abilities that God has given me in order to serve others.  I don't have any magical answers.  If you have some, please pass them my way.  I know it can't be an either/or thing...reading through Proverbs 31 shows you that the virtuous woman cares for the needs of her husband and family AND is intelligent, industrious, a servant, and a faithful user of her time.  I'm just trying to figure out what that looks like in my life.

In any case, one of the ways that I have been trying to serve is by volunteering my time to Heart of the Matter.  They are an active homschooling website filled with articles, reviews, and more. Quarterly, they issue an online magazine.  When they were looking for a new graphic designer, I offered my services with the understanding that I am self-taught, NOT a professional, and a busy mama.  They understood and gave me the privilege of working on the last two issues (December 2009 and March 2010).  I must say, I have learned a lot in the process and also know that I really know nothing about professional layout and design.  I do, however, have some basic skills that I have transferred from digital scrapbooking that I have put to use, hopefully in a way that meets a felt need. 

The current issue is a special issue with a focus on reading.  Here is my intro:

Few Words from Janet:

Even before I had kids, I was scared of two important parenting tasks: potty training and teaching my children to read. As confident as I was in other areas, these two important milestones in a child’s life seemed out of the realm of something that I could teach. I often wondered what would happen if my fears came true and my kids never learned to do either. Now the rational side of me told me not to worry, but my rational side doesn’t hang around our house much.

And now here I am…seven years and four kids later. All four of my children are potty trained. My seven year old reads with ease and I am in the process of teaching my five year old to read. Each day I am amazed that the gift of reading truly is something I can pass on to my children.

As I have spent hours putting this magazine together I have had the privilege of reading the articles written by parents whose expertise and experience in reading far exceeds mine. It has been encouraging to read about different methods for teaching, encouraging, and helping readers of all levels. There is one common theme woven throughout these articles: the written word is a gift to all of us and it is our joy as homeschooling parents to hold our child’s hand and heart as we share the love of reading. I hope that all of you are as inspired as I have been.

You can get links to the magazine in various formats HERE.

The Last Few Weeks {in pictures}

The last few weeks of homeschooling have taken the "a little bit here and a little bit there" approach.  We've had other things going on like spiritual emphasis week at the international school, a trip to Jakarta to see some friends who moved away last summer, and some extra playdates.  But that's one of the amazing things about homeschooling...we can do it whenever we want.  We can start at 6:30 in the morning or we can do it at 4 in the afternoon.  We can do it three days a week or do it seven.  We can make the schedule work for us...and I LOVE that.  I worry at times if we miss a day here and there but then I look at all we have done and realize how much we have learned, and I stop worrying.  I know that in some states homeschoolers have to log 180 days of school, but since I am not in that category, I feel totally free to keep a schedule that works for us and that makes learning fun.  I want it to truly be home education...not homeschool. I don't need to recreate the school system in my home.  I need to rest in the fact that education takes place all day every day...some of it the form of formal "school" time and much of it in the form of play, relationships, and time together.

That said, here are some of the things we have been doing in our more formal schooling times...

More counting and numeral recognition for Levi...he sure does love his animals!

Ribbon Dancing -- We have been adding in some gross motor movement activities into each day (we have always been doing fine motor activities).  Here I just tied some organza ribbon to some chopsticks and the kids had a blast dancing away.  We did activities like writing the alphabet, making big swirls, and painting "rainbows" (which is a great way to get kids to cross the midline). 

 

Finding toys and educational materials here in Indonesia can be a bit of a challenge.  So I was thrilled a few weeks back when I found these rubberized lego-like toys.  The kids LOVE them!  They are sturdy, they bend, and they are a ton of fun.  We have already been able to do a number of activities with them. So many sorting and scanning and counting activities we can do (we need 3 blue "2's", six red "4's", etc.)  And the best part?  These were only about $5!

I also found these cool connecting toys (scanning, sorting, fine motor skills, letter recognition/creation)

And these fun stringable letters (fine motor skills, letter recognition)

Alaina is super excited that her new math books finally came!  We spent the first half of the year doing a fast (yet in depth) review of kindergarten math.  I wanted to really get an idea of where we was in math and how her mind works mathematically and I thought a long review would be good for both of us.  But now we are delving into her first grade math (which we will complete before the end of the year...my kids BEG to do tons of math pages every day).

Caleb is progressing really well through his kindergarten math.  Here we are doing some visual and hands-on more than/less than practice.

I love seeing Alaina read to her siblings...just melts my heart. I schedule it into our day a few times a week.  I think it is good for Alaina's reading skills and for sibling bonding.  This is usually a time when I need to work one-on-one with Caleb.

We're still in our study of Kenya...probably finishing up this next week.  Here Alaina creates a page for her Around the World Scrapbook about Kenyan money.

Caleb lifting a bamboo pole during an obstacle course I set up (gross motor skills)  

More math time for Levi

Language arts for Alaina.  Here she is rewriting a story, going from 3rd person to 1st person.

Using those stringable letters in a new way now...building words with them (I used cards from our Boggle Junior Game). Scanning, sorting, letter recognition, and word building. (On a side note, one of things about living overseas and finding "deals" like these letters is the odd occurrences like this set of letters having at least 20 letter Qs and just ONE letter N.)

A new verse for this week.  I love seeing the number of Scriptures that the kids know by heart start to add up.  I want them to always treasure the Word of God in their hearts.

Levi puts his pattern pieces in order, smallest to biggest.  This was a really fun day for me.  I made this activity for Levi back in November and he really struggled with it.  He really didn't get the concept of arranging them in order.  But on this day...it was like it just clicked and he did it all by himself...carefully comparing each piece and arranging.

Scanning and counting exercise for Levi.  He had to find all the animals, circle them, and then count them. It was a good way for me to assess where he is.  We need some practice on numbers...after 13 his numbers get a little sketchy..."thirteen, sixteen, nineteen..." I'll forgive him since he's only three :)

I picked up some "lilin mainan" the other day -- in English, it means "play wax."  It is much harder than playdough, more like modeling clay, but it definitely feels like wax.  I wanted something that they had to work their fingers harder for (great for building fine motor strength).  You can see in the picture that Caleb had to press really hard.  The kids had a great time making their names and then, in honor of all the snow we aren't getting, we made some snowmen.

 

We finished out our week last week making more African masks.  This time, I printed the masks out and then cut out all the shapes and the kids put them back together puzzle style.  I love how they turned out!

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And then there are the "non-school" educational moments that make me LOVE the fact that the kids are home all day and education can take place any time, any where.

Like making cookies (using our cookies-in-a-jar mix that we made at Alaina's birthday party!)

Or reading to Alaina in the train on the way to our just-girls trip to Jakarta

Or the kids getting out all the red, pink, and purple craft supplies they could find and making valentines for people (this was totally not my idea!)

Or the whiteboard cleaning experiment that Alaina and I did.  Our white board was anything but white and I know that rubbing alcohol cleans it, but I don't know what it is called here and I never remember to ask anyone.  So, we got online for some information and then tested various products.

Hand sanitizer won out and now we have a wonderful, amazingly white whiteboard to show for it!

 

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I had no idea when I started this post on Saturday that it would be Monday (my time) before I finished.  Apparently we had a very busy (but wonderful) weekend!  So, happy Monday to all of you!

Last Week In Pictures

Here are some pictures from last week...another great week of school.  Another 5 days to enjoy being with my kids, seeing them learn, seeing them struggle (and overcome!) and hearing the giggles and the questions and the outlandish statements.  I LOVE these little people!

Levi playing with dominoes (scanning, counting, and matching)

We are waiting on Alaina's new math book to arrive so in the meantime, we are taking some time to learn about different kinds of graphs and charts and the information we can get from them.  We did bar graphs, pie charts, and line graphs. It's interesting to me how much I learn and understand when I try to teach.  Obviously, I know how to read a graph.  But when I had to explain it to someone else, it made me have to put words to their differences and when you would want to use each.  For example, bar graphs show relationship of items/amounts,  line graphs show change in items/amounts, and pie charts show percentage of items/amounts. 

A throwback to eight grade English!  To this day I still have, "Lolly lolly lolly get your adverbs here" running through my head! Alaina needed to work on parts of speech and truly understanding them, so I downloaded some Schoolhouse Rock from iTunes and then we read stories and worked on identifying parts of speech. (Language arts).

I made a "finish the word" game for Caleb to help him see how the same letters can form different words and also so he could pay close attention to ending sounds in words.

A little shape time for Caleb

A quick little "follow the path" maze I made for the boys..helping the little piggy find its way home.  (tracking and fine motor skills)

Alphabet time for Levi

Cutting practice is one of Caleb's favorite activities, so we do it 3 or 4 times a week.  I just draw different paths to cut on various kinds of paper (cardstock here). I can't believe how much his fine motor control has improved!

I have been working with Levi on senses and understanding how they work individually and how they work together.  We did various activities like playing "I Spy," doing a hearing test, smelling foods while blindfolded, and the kids' favorite, a blind taste test. (Science for Levi, but everyone else joined in).

Now that Alaina has button sewing almost perfected, we moved on to backstitch.  She's a natural! (domestic education, fine motor skills)

We are continuing our study of Kenya with lots of stories, interesting info, and some fun projects.  Here the kids are "hiding in the jungle" with the African tribal masks they made.

So, as you can see, we are still having lots of fun together, and hopefully learning a lot along the way. But most of all, at this age, I want to instill in them a love of learning and a curiosity about the world around them.  I want them to love to learn.  If I can develop that in them, then it doesn't matter where we live, where they school, or who teaches them...the love of learning will be there and they can take that love and discover and uncover anything they want!

Back in the Swing of Things

I never intended to take three weeks off of school. But with Jason home for the break it was just too nice being a family and being able to go and do whatever we wanted.  We enjoyed a glorious three weeks doing lots of cooking, fun activities, great day trips, and lots of snuggle time. I have a little guilt about not doing "school" -- but not to much! Home education extends much farther than planned "school" time.   It was a great mental break for me -- just not having to worry about planning and prepping.

This week we were back into things full force, though. I'm really happy with the balance we have found in our homeschooling schedule and I am really looking forward to this semester.  Each of the kids are blossoming in their own special ways and it is so fun to see.

Here is our first week back in pictures.  A few things to note:

1. I apologize for the picture quality.  My camera is almost completely dead and one of its most frustrating ailments is that my automatic focus no longer works.  Manual focus + moving kids just don't mix. I am hoping that someone can bring me a new camera from the States!

2. Although it looks like we just do "fun" stuff, we also do more "regular" schooling activities like reading together, math work, Bible time, etc.  I just usually share pictures of some of the extras and/or the way we beef up what we are doing because that is what people seem to be looking for.  I get emails all the time asking about what kinds of activities they can do with their kids.

3.  You will also notice that we do things that are really about home education, not just home school.  We want to educate the entire child and that involves more than typical academic subjects.

4. Levi wears his basketball outfit any chance he gets.  The moment it is dry on the line he pulls it down and changes.  Therefore 75% of pictures of him show him wearing his too-small outfit.

Matching upper and lower case letter (aassessing Caleb's recognition of letters as well as engaging him in searching/scanning)

Block towers (demonstrating cuteness to the total extreme)

Putting together a pasta alphabet (scanning and searching as well as a great fine motor skill activity)

Making life-size versions of themselves (Levi is learning body parts -- elbows, shoulders, ankles, etc. so all of the kids did a bunch of body related activities together.  I like using the older ones to help the little ones in what they are learning).  

Getting ready to teach Alaina how to sew on buttons (and knot/finish them at the end). (Domestic arts as well as fine motor skills)

Not bad for her first try!

Chocolate pie making (I think I would just rather eat her! She is so delicious!)

Alphabet puzzle (learning to recognize lowercase letters)

I just gave Alaina some colored papers and some scissors and told her to make a flower.  I just love seeing her creativity explode. Can you see the "storm" she created with the dark cloud and rain? (art, creative thinking, tactile work)

Matching numbers to animals (counting, pairing items with numerals, indulging his undying love for all animals)

Later in the week he used the same animal sheet and counted off the animals using an abacus. (Counting, tactile stimulation, object to number correlation)

Drawing family pictures (working on drawing people with specific features, showing relationship between size)

Estimation and measurement of water (Measuring, guestimation, sensory activity)

A new verse for this week (Bible, memorization skills).  We have also started on the catechism for young children.

It just makes me smile (Levi had a pictorial list of all the features he had to include on his person)

Caleb and Levi got to make their own sandwiches for the first time (I will not raise boys who don't know their way around a kitchen...and you've got to start simple!  It's not that I think men need to be fabulous cooks or that cooking should be part of their family responsibility -- though if they enjoy it, it can be -- but they DO need to know the basics.  I worked with a teenage boy once who was supposed to be helping me in the kitchen.  I gave him the easy task of making buttered toast.  A few minutes later I smelled a burning smell and realized that he was buttering the bread before it went into the toaster! So come on moms...let's save our future daughter in laws the nightmare of a helpless man in the kitchen!)

Many tears were shed over this writing assignment (her attention span does not last longer than about ten minutes and this was easily a 30 minute assignment.) (Language arts expository writing).

In Social Studies/Science we continued on our trip around the world, this time landing us in Kenya.  We're excited for the next few weeks as we learn about African animals, the Kenyan people, and the ways that we can be involved in helping the poor and needy (we're already donating money to the Kenyakidscan feeding program and we are looking into sponsoring a child through Compassion International or World Vision).

And for my own brain stimulation I tried my first Sudoku puzzles (while I am waiting on the kids to finish up assignments).  I can see why people say these things are addicting! 

So that's it...our first week back.  Feels SO good to be back in the swing of things!

The Last Few Weeks

Getting back into the swing of things after being sick for so long has not been easy. I have a hard time getting into a routine.  Once I am in one, I am fine, but when life throws curveballs (which it always does) and that routine gets messed up, it takes me FOREVER to get back into it.  But finally, I think we are back in a good groove with schooling and we are all still really enjoying it.  We have tweaked a lot here and there and I think we have found the balance in time, subjects, fun, "book work", working together and working alone, and all the other little things in homeschooling that can be pushed too far in any direction.

Here are a few (okay, a LOT) of pictures from the last few weeks!

Caleb's "passport" for our trip around the world (the passport was created by me -- I didn't like any of the ones I found online) -- Social Studies

The front of Levi's world scrapbook -- the kids all did watercolor painting on a lightly sketched world map.  We will keep all our pages from our "world" travels in one binder. SOCIAL STUDIES & ART

This is the first page inside the kids scrapbooks (all made with doodles by Katie Hadfield)  -- SOCIAL STUDIES and LANGUAGE ARTS

Working on handwriting -- teaching for the boys and re-teaching for Alaina.  I *LOVE* the Handwriting Without Tears program! -- HANDWRITING

Passports and tickets for our first trip.  Levi thought it was hysterical that I had them line up like they were buying tickets and saying, "Hello sir, how may I help you?"  He just giggled and giggled and finally Caleb just said, "He's with me!"  -- SOCIAL STUDIES

Learning about different kinds of animals and their characteristics.  When we read about a new animal in a book, it goes on one of five posters -- mammals, birds, reptiles, amphibians, or fish. If we have a picture, we add it.  If not, we write it on the poster.   SCIENCE

Lots of play with shapes and rods -- MATH and MULTI-SENSORY ACTIVITIES

Learning about Indian money and how it compares to 1)US money and 2) Indonesian money.  It is amazing how real a color copier makes things!   SOCIAL STUDIES

 

Coloring pages of an Indian woman making a rangoli pattern -- ART and SOCIAL STUDIES

Then creating our own Rangoli patterns -- ART

Water play -- MATH and MULTI-SENSORY ACTIVITIES

A pumpkin party!

Learning about mountains -- the tree line, the snow line, and the animals and plants that live there. SCIENCE

Cuddling on the couch to watch our Bible/songs on DVD

Coloring their names in "Hindi" (Samarkan Font) -- SOCIAL STUDIES

Helping Moses and the Israelites cross the Red Sea -- BIBLE

 

Finding out just how LONG a sari really is  -- SOCIAL STUDIES

Block building

Lots of "20 Questions to guess the Flag" (I love how Alaina always asks first, "Is it a rectangle?" When we say yes, she says, "Well, I guess it's not Nepal!" (which is the only non-rectangular flag).

Mundane (but necessary) tasks like learning to write numbers -- MATH

Finding letters of their names in Alphabits cereal -- Sensory Activity, language arts for Levi

Learning about Jungles and the creatures that live there -- SOCIAL STUDIES and SCIENCE

Becoming a Jungle Creature

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So, as you can see,  routine or not, we are having a lot of fun and hopefully learning something in the process!

CAN I REALLY DO THIS?

This sign was at the entrance to my old neighborhood and it always made me smile.  I couldn't help but think of swiping it and hanging it on my front door as a warning to myself and to others. And in case you don't read Bahasa Indonesia, it says, "Be Careful, there are lots of kids."  Houses like ours really should come with a warning!

Having four kids age six and under is a serious task...homeschooling them...well, I sometimes think I am crazy.  Sometimes I KNOW I am crazy.  And every day, I wonder, "Can I really do this?"  I question it so much I even wrote an article about it.  You can see it HERE on Heart of the Matter Online.

Being Flexible

Things don't always go the way we think they will.
Things don't always go the way we want them to.
Life throws in unexpected events, problems, opportunities, and hiccups.

And that's okay.

You will notice that I haven't posted much lately and that is because life has thrown us quite a few curve balls lately.  I got sick with a kidney infection.  The kids got sick with who-knows-what.  Things have come up that have interrupted our schedule and gotten us out of routine.  Normally, that would totally freak me out -- I need a schedule and routine.  But this time,I have been doing my best to take what comes our way and just be flexible.  Flexible in time, in plans, in routines, in "what I thought was going to happen."  And you know what, being flexible is a lot less stressful and it has helped me realize a few things:

1.  No one says homeschooling has to have a 36 week/180 schedule (well, at least not for me -- some states may have laws about it). And therefore, there is no "behind."  One of the reasons I want the kids at home is that we can go off on tangents and dive into what delights.  Material needs to be covered, yes, but it does not have to be in "school" time or in a 36 week allotted schedule.  It is home education and that can take place any time, any day.  Sickness has set us back from what I had planned, but education has continued - it just looks a little different: More cuddles on the couch.  More "when we have a few minutes" reading opportunities.  More home in homeschooling.

2. I need to present information in a way that I like as well as what my kids like.  I knew that when I chose a curriculum that I may not enjoy all of it.   I knew that I just needed to start somewhere.  And I did start somewhere and I found that I didn't like it.  It isn't that I don't like Sonlight -- it is FULL of wonderful books and great information. I like what is in the curriculum (mostly) but I don't like how it is presented.  It is a history based geography and science and my mind just does not work that way. I want a geography based history and science.  I want more continuity and more context.  So, I pulled apart the entire curriculum (history, science, and read alouds) and put it back together in a way that will work for us.  We are going on a "trip around the world" and are excited to visit various countries and learn about their people, food, history, rivers, mountains, animals, and customs.  This format makes ME so much more excited which makes the KIDS so much more excited.  Our passports are ready to go!

3. I need to pace myself for a marathon, not a sprint.  In my excitement to get started and to provide all sorts of learning opportunities for my kids, I tried to do too much, too fast.  I am learning to take it slow...slow and steady is better than burn out.  The kids will learn.  The kids will explore.  The kids will experience new things. It just doesn't all have to be today.

4. It's okay to take breaks, regroup, rest, play, and pray.  It's been a rough few weeks, but we haven't failed, we are not "behind" and we are ready to move forward.

Week Three in Pictures

We're busy finishing up week four and I realize that I haven't even shared week three yet.  We've been so busy around our house (with school and other things) that I'm lucky if we get anything other than the absolute necessities (school, food, family time) done.  Things appear as if they are going to level out and I am excited to have a little time to share more on this blog.  In any case, here is week three in pictures.  I am going to try to put in parenthesis the object of the activity or lesson so you can see some of the ways I incorporate sensory tasks, heart issues, and more into our daily lesson plans.

10 Black dots.  After reading the story, the kids were given the number of dots that correspond with their age and were asked to create a picture.  This was Caleb's -- a train. (Creative thinking, drawing, fine motor skills). 

3 scoops for Levi (number recognition, fine motor skills [crumbling paper], counting objects, tactile stimulation) 

Painting Joseph's coat of many colors (Bible/Art integration, fun painting time, visual display of the Bible story we will be focusing on for the next two weeks)   

How Many (Levi).  (Counting objects, number recognition, numerical symbol paired with number of objects, tactile stimulation) 

A yummy snack and a story (good excuse to eat cookies, fun story) 

Making paper mosaics after learning about mosaics in homes in the Ancient World. (making history hands on, integration of art and history, fine motors skills [gluing], sensory integration [scanning and grabbing -- I had all the colors of paper pre-cut and they had to look through the big pile and find the colors they were looking for). 

Coloring time for Levi

Working on our "Words We Know" booklet for Indonesian.  Each week we will add to our booklet which allows for easy review. (visual/auditory integration of language) 

Homemade windsocks to finish out our lessons on wind.  Now the kids can "see the wind whenever they want.

Alaina shows off her list of types of animals to find at our field trip to the zoo.  The four boxes are for her to write down what kind of animals she sees -- mammals, fish, birds, and reptiles.  Later in the day she found an amphibian hopping in the grass and had to add a box.  

The boys enjoy looking at the zebras on our field trip.  It was a good outing -- a little crazy with 13 kids -- but still fun.  We're thankful to have a few other homeschooling families in the area.

Week Two in Pictures

Today marks the beginning of week three of homeschooling.  We are getting more and more into a groove and I am hoping that in the next few weeks this all can seem normal.  Although I have dealt with conflicting emotions at times -- wondering if I can really do this, trying to juggle everything --  I am already starting to see the little benefits of having the kids at home together.  I love being a part of their learning experience.  It's going to be a great year!  Here is week two in pictures.

Mat Man -- part of the Handwriting Without Tears curriculum

Caleb drawing mat man 

One of our little handmade coracles

Making Egyptian pots with colored dough

Levi painting a masterpiece :)

Math class disguised as playing with cars.  Caleb was given a basket of cars and told to sort them into two groups (he could decide the sorting criteria).  He chose cars vs. trucks.

Alaina brainstorming similes.

Scissor practice

Levi's shape sorting

Three little mummies

Three little mummies break out!

Our work baskets...more about that in a later post!

I cut up Caleb's math sheet to make it a more multi-sensory activity. Sorting flowers into the vase and fruit into the fruit basket.

Coloring also becomes more multi-sensory as I cut up the tuck into pieces and Caleb had to glue it back together before coloring.  He insisted that there be a car in the truck :)

Alaina working on guesstimating and then measuring

An ABC puzzle for Levi

Egyptian collars (and no, not all these pictures were taken on the same day. Caleb has decided this week that he wants to pick out his own clothes and he keeps picking the same too-small shirt!)

Free play time with blocks

Picture sorting for Levi

And our muffin tin meal for the week -- all from the Boxcar Children. Clockwise, starting at the top: milk, brown bread with butter, cookies, cherry dumplings, cheese, blueberries jam on brown bread  (we can't get blueberries here), and in the middle is beef stew.