How We Became Homeschoolers

As a family who does schooling at home, I am often questioned about if I really think that it’s wise to keep my daughter away from the experiences she would have in a public school.

Truth be told, last year while she was in 1st grade, she came home most nights upset in some manner and often in tears. It was a very difficult year. Whether it was because someone was picking on her, the teacher went too fast on a new topic or she was bored in class, or for a million other reasons.  She got in trouble once because she was helping a boy in her class. He didn’t understand so she was teaching him by giving him the answers.

I know my daughter is highly sensitive. She is very much like me that way. We take things to heart and often overanalyze, overthink, and can struggle when offered too many choices or are pressured. She was extremely advanced in reading – in fact, she was tested in 1st grade to be reading at between a 4th and 5th grade level. That explains so much of the boredom, but there were times when she struggled to get the concept in math and that brought on a great deal of frustration. She is very hard on herself. She expects perfection and if she’s concerned that she cannot reach it, she doesn’t even want to try. She’ll quit before she even starts.

It didn’t matter how great her teacher was. And both in Kindergarten and 1st grade were awesome! We were getting to the point where she hated school, she didn’t want to go, she didn’t want to learn, and she was no longer her happy, joyous self. She was becoming more and more stressed, emotional outbursts were becoming more frequent, and our family was stretching thin. I WAS DONE! With all that we went through during that school year, I decided it was time for drastic changes. It was time to try something completely different. I would not send her back to a public school this year! And it was the best decision I could have made for her.

Now don’t get me wrong, its not all sunshine and games. We definitely have our struggles. There are some days that are harder than others, but we have found a good routine and are progressing very nicely. In fact the hardest subject, math, has really come along. We slowed down, focused on the basics, and found different ways to find the solutions. Once the basics clicked for her – she has sped along at an amazing rate. It’s quite rewarding to see how simply showing different methods can make something that was once nearly impossible for her, something that she now understands. Would she have gotten that in a public school? Maybe. But it’s hard for teachers to give one-on-one direction in a classroom with nearly 30 students. When considering all her struggles – it wasn’t worth chancing.

Are you wondering if I made the right decision?
I know it may not be best for all families, but it definitely is for ours. 

Check out these stats on how homeschoolers compare.
You may just learn something new yourself.
🙂

 

The Birds & the Bees…and NO BABY KITTIES!

Ah! The day that all pets dread has finally arrived.

We served a gourmet meal of soft chicken in a sauce last night prior to putting the food away. This morning, Jewels woke without breakfast and was placed in the cat carrier (much to her dislike). In fact, she hates it! She spent most of the short drive digging trying to get out, all while bawling as loudly as she could. Poor thing! I felt so bad for her. But this was something that MUST happen! I’m not going to raise baby kitties! Sorry Sweetie!

In all honesty, I love kittens and would love to have a litter…or two,
but it’s not a practical option.
Especially when there are so many kittens in need of a home.

We spent the day working on school and worrying about whether Jewels was ok. It was a tough day on all of us. Aryanna seemed distracted in everything she was working on and our other cat, Dominic sat staring at the door when he normally spends the day curled up sleeping.

When we finally got that phone call that we could pick her up, we were there right away! Not a minute to delay. Aryanna wanted to get her home right away to cuddle and love on her a bit.

Once we got her home, she was groggy and scared. She was afraid to go to sleep, despite her continual head-nods. Poor thing! Aryanna was worried but I assured her it was normal to be so sleepy and that within a day or two, she’d be back to her self.

On a side note, I had planned necessary precautions of keeping the dogs at a safe distance, but didn’t consider my other cat, Dominic. He hissed at her and wouldn’t let her come near him.

 

UPDATE 1/23/2014: I’m happy to say that Jewel’s has recovered nicely. She has been playing and acting herself. We are so happy at her quick recovery. It took several days for Jewels and Dominic to reacquaint, but they are friends again. Yay for happy blessings!

Below Zero Experiments

Current Temperature:  -18°
Wind Chill: -42°

Well, for those of you who are familiar with the temps we are enduring on this beautiful January day in Wisconsin, you know chilly is not the best term. Brrrrrrr…

So what do you do when you school at home? Especially when your daughter knows that all the schools in the area are closed and that other children do not have to have “school?” 

You do some fun experiments!
OUTSIDE! 🙂

The first experiment we did was blowing bubbles. Most popped in the air leaving wisps of frozen soap floating to the ground. We got to watch some land and roll across the cement. Some even split so we could see them open and crumble.

The second was throwing a cup of hot water through the air to see what would happen.

After throwing a few cups, we were more than ready to come in for a warm cup of hot chocolate. We may head back out a little later and try throwing water again, this time using different temps of water to see the difference.

Do you have any fun experiments to try in the fridged cold?

Homemade Pancakes

Last spring, we decided to quit cereal. We always seemed hungry within a few hours, and there wasn’t the type of nutrients in it that I was looking for. Not to mention everything else that was in them that I couldn’t pronounce.

I decided that from then on, we’d stick with homemade breakfasts. Eggs, toast, pancakes, biscuits, and the like. You know, more traditional meal. Yeah, it took a little more time, but the difference has been amazing. We are frequently finding that we have lost track of time and it’s 2:00 in the afternoon and we have yet to eat breakfast. We are not hungry so we are not munching or eating needless calories.

One of our favorite meals is homemade pancakes with maple syrup. Yummy!

Here is the recipe I use for the fluffy goodness we call:

Prep Time: 5 minutes                                    Serves: 4 people
Cook Time: 20 minutes 

Ingredients:

•  1-1/2 C  Flour (I mix 1/2 whole wheat, 1/2 all purpose)
•  3-1/2 t  Baking Powder
•  1 t  Salt
•  1 T  Sugar
•  3 T  Butter, melted
•  1  Egg
•  1-1/4 C  Milk

Directions:

•  Sift together dry ingredients.
•  Wisk in wet ingredients and let sit for a couple minutes to rest.
•  While resting, heat pan over medium-high heat. (Optional: spray pan with cooking spray to prevent sticking.)
•  Pour about 1/4 C of batter in pan. Let cook for 2-3 min (until bubbles are visible).
•  Flip and cook another 1-2 min. Pancake should be golden brown and fluffy.

TIP: If the outside is getting too dark while trying to get the inside cooked, try turning down the heat a bit.

The Little Drummer Boy

Are you looking for that overwhelming spirit that the true meaning of Christmas brings?

With all our transitions the last couple months, it has been difficult to get in the mood for Christmas. This video helped…a lot. Please enjoy it and be reminded of why we celebrate.

Christmas is about the greatest gift – Jesus!

Merry Christmas and God bless!

Family Holiday Traditions

I just had to take a moment to share a family tradition that we decided to start last year. Last night, we made the trek into Minneapolis to watch The Phantom of the Opera live on stage. What a fantastic time and experience!

This all came about last year because of a discount that was available on the tickets and I thought it’d be a neat Christmas present. But before I made the purchase last year, I wanted to see what Aryanna thought of it. If she wasn’t interested, I wasn’t going to shell out the funds. But she was ecstatic at the mention of seeing The Nutcracker live. So off we went. During the intermission, she made the suggestion that we make this an annual tradition – our family would go to the theater for Christmas. I thought it was brilliant. It’s one of those things that you get to experience together. We are making memories.

When we decided to make this a tradition, I told her that it was going to cut the number of gifts she’d be receiving. She was completely fine with that as well! Really? (She was 7 at the time.) Anyway, we created some wonderful memories and are sharing experiences we never would have if I had just purchased her a toy, clothing, jewelry, electronic, or one of the other billion options for gifts out there.

So, a new tradition has begun. And two years are in the bag. The Nutcracker and The Phantom of the Opera. I wonder what we will end of seeing next year. The joys of sharing experiences rather than giving something that will be tossed aside within a few days was far greater.

In fact, I have spent a lot of time reflecting on that experience today. So much so that I have come to the realization that things are often not found in that Joy Treasure I talked about but experiences are. Spending time with a loved one is more precious than buying them the latest gadget. It seems that so many are crying out for attention. Maybe it has something to do with the technology-smothered era we live in. Whether that is really the case or not, I feel people are in desperate need of time with other people. We are going to make more of an effort to keep those Family Fun Nights with games and puzzles on the floor, those phone-free (and IPod-free) times, as well as making time to just sit and chat. Creating those special and memorable experiences doesn’t have to cost anything. In fact, you can even make it a goal to find something free to do. Learn something new, go for a picnic, get the family together for a game, take a walk, anything!

What you do to keep your family close?

The Reality of Early Parenting – As Depicted by a Coke Commercial

This is just too great not to share! 

Watch with lightheartedness and realize that this is for entertainment purposes and to sell a product. For those of you who do not have kids yet, please know that there are so many joys that come with parenting in addition to what you see in the video.

And now, without too much blabber from me, here it is:

I originally found this video here: This New Coke Ad Totally Captures The Reality Of Early Parenthood

Laundry Detergent

Hi Everyone!

I felt it was time for me to finally share my wonderful laundry detergent recipe. It is extremely gentle but works wonderfully. Plus, it makes enough for 128 loads for under $2.00.

Now, I cannot take credit for the recipe, but I can do nothing but give praises about it. I have been using it since August, and will not go back.

I found it on Budget101.com (this is an awesome site – be sure to check it out) and now see that there is a couple other more simple options to make it that don’t require cooking it on the stove. I’m going to give one of those a try next time I whip up a batch.

The original recipe can be found here: Mom’s Super Laundry Sauce.
With the no cook alternatives here: Super Laundry Sauce for Dummies.

One thing to note: this recipe makes a very thick detergent. Once it is first whipped, it’s very light, but then it does thicken a little bit as it sits. To use, I scoop out 1 Tablespoon with a spoon, add it to the water, then toss in my clothing. Works simply enough for us.

One of my favorite things that I learned from making this:
BLENDER BLADES FIT ON MASON JARS!

That is a handy little tip that I have used many times since. 😉

Be sure to check it out! It’s a great way to cut costs . It can also be a stepping stone for you if you are interested in living more frugally but don’t know where to start.

Personally, I got started because of the expense of dishwasher detergent. I hated the price, so with a little research, I decided to try to make my own. I experimented and ended up with my own recipe that I love and the savings was very appealing. That triggered looking into making my own soaps, detergents, and household cleaning products. And the more research I did, the more I realized that there were ingredients in things that I didn’t like bringing into my home. That led me to start watching the ingredients of our food as well. We have started the process of eating less processed food.

Continue to follow us as we transition.
It’s an exciting journey!

Thanksgiving

Happy Thanksgiving!!

This morning started out a little more difficult than I was hoping, due to the simple fact that I have a naughty kitty at the moment. Last night, I decided that with the tables set, butter dishes and bread (which she loves to chew on) sitting out on the tables, that it’d be wise for me to restrict her movements overnight. You know – to prevent what I could foresee as a problem this morning that I didn’t want to deal with. I had decided my room was the best choice so I can get up if need be, plus my Dominic is a cuddle bug and sleeps with me each night and I would miss him if he wasn’t curled up, purring.

I was well prepared, I moved the food and water into our bedroom and coaxed the cats to use the litter box just before bed (by cleaning it). Does that frustrate anyone else? The moment it is clean, they are hopping in the mess it back up. Anyway, we settled in and it was great for a few hours when Aryanna was up for a restroom break (must have been that chocolate milk before bed). I had to wrangle the cats back in. Then a couple hours later Aryanna was up again, this time, unbeknown to me. I was sound asleep. Didn’t hear a thing until I heard a little scratching at the door to get IN the bedroom. Once I realized what was going on, I jumped up, noting it was 3:23 AM and headed to the kitchen debating on whether I should just turn on the coffee while there. What I found would be the deciding factor.

I was pleasantly surprised to see nothing amiss. No butter with lick marks, no bread on the floor, no wrinkled tablecloths! I was a bit surprised actually so I decided to try my luck back in bed. I couldn’t doze off right away so I grabbed my Nook and started reading, with a cat curled up between. I read for an hour before dozing off before waking quickly this morning at 5:45.

I guess I’ll get to see the sunrise and get a little more time with God this Thanksgiving morning.

Whatever your day is scheduled to have, please make sure to remember that Thanksgiving is a day to be thankful, a day to remember, appreciate, and celebrate. I know we all have our traditions of eating way too much, watching football, hunting, the ‘friendly’ family banter, etc. Just don’t forget why we chose to continue to choose to gather with that family and those friends. Or why you miss them when you are unable to join them.

In everything give thanks;
for this is God’s will for you in Christ Jesus.
1 Thessalonians 5:18

Please remember as you gather that many are not as fortunate as you. If you are able to join in the celebration of eating too much, rushing off to get those special deals at the store, and watching that all too important NFC East football game (GO PACK!!), you are extraordinarily blessed! Many are hungry or cannot afford that extra big meal, many do not have family to gather with. Count your blessings! Each person around your table is a blessing. Each bite you take. Each hour you have available to hunt.

Have a blessed Thanksgiving!

The Joy Treasure

Do you have joy in your life?

Or are you so busy searching for something that life is flying past you quicker than you realize?

Now, I’m not talking about being happy based on your external circumstances or relationships. I’m talking about that internal joy and peace that seems to radiate from those who have it. I’m sure you know someone who seems to always have a joy about them, no matter what is going on around them or to them. You know who I mean. That person who can still find reasons to smile, even when everything is falling apart around them.

They have found it! They found their joy treasure.

In every day things, the little things and even the mundane, you can find joy. From the smile of your child to watching the sunrise with a fresh cup of coffee. Maybe its the feeling of freshly washed laundry or a clean kitchen. If you take the time to appreciate all you have right now, you will find a little bit of joy.

Appreciation seems to be a trait that is fading along with so many other important characteristics. Appreciate what you have. Be grateful for your many blessings. In each of those little blessings, you can find a bit of joy. That, right there! That is your joy treasure. And in the simple act of appreciating what you have, you find a little joy as well. Value it. Nurture it. Each day you have your treasure, be thankful!

What is your Joy Treasure?