Hello there! How are you enjoying life? We've been a little closed up lately. I'd have to say I didn't realize that it had really been that long since we invited you "inside our bungalow?"
There is really so much detail to catch you up on but let me just do that throughout time, if you don't mind, for today I just have to say "Thank-you" to my sweet Children.
Dear Sweet Children,
Even though we are not following our "ideal" schedule this month while tending to our "need" to "go through, pack up, and throw out," I am so thankful that you are home with me. This is a time that you and I will never forget as we "carefully" consider what it is that We DON"T need in order for our family to be Happy! I also Love how you have added that to our family prayers. I did notice how good you all got along together today! Thank-you for spending your time wisely. Love you,
Mom
We have just had some of the greatest moments ever that I know would have never come had they not been at my knees. Having my children home with me is one of my life's sweetest treasures.
So Ive been asked well a few dozen times what it was that "moved me" to home school? And well what makes that such a tricky question is that 1. a lot of times the person asking really already "knows" the answer so you just have to smile and look as crazy as they think you are or 2. They give you 30 seconds or less before you loose their attention due to simply lack of attention or distraction of some sort. 3. Some want details and to them I give. Now, I am about to give "some" the details. Stick around if you'd like! I am no pro, some days are harder than others, but I LOVE Homeschooling. I've been doing it for a year and I have learned so much and met some really great people! My intention is not to make anyone feel uncomfortable I'm simply going to answer a question for "some" regarding my very own personal experience. I am going to refer to an awesome article that doesn't necessarily tell everyone to home school but for me personally it has led me down that road. My goal with sharing the article is that something crazy is going on in the world and this sums it up for me. It gave me great courage to tackle and sort my feelings. So here take a read if you'd like:
Three Tools to build a Sacred Home by Shirley R. Klein. I first found this in the Ensign July 2007. I still remember where I was when I read it and how it made me feel. Even today as I reread it I found something that I'm going to improve on. Anyways I had been experiencing for a while some uneasy feelings. I felt like I was living someone
Else's life. Living from deadline to deadline. I was finding my self getting
frustrated easy, grouchy and tired. To describe I felt "Ripped off" of my Motherhood.
My Man and I made the decision that I would stay home to raise our family. But my family was never home. And really I don't have any teenagers so that would mean that it gets crazier here on out. But arn't these the most "sponge" like years.
I often would have to go to the school to help as a parent helper and of course I wanted to be a part of their education. I wanted to see what they were learning
ect. and I would have to get a babysitter for that. I had 3 children in school at the time. When they would come home they would get the "grouchy" mom. Do your Homework! Hurry lets go, do this do that
ect.. We don't have time!
Geepers really all as they would want to do is to be a kid. When do they play and are not just entertained?
Well and then It was time for decisions.....Send your child to school at age four.....half a day is one thing and all day is another! Yet not even speaking of
pre k and preschool, all to get them out of the home so that they will be ready for what? There was talk at the time to extend the school day and I asked a couple of friends if they thought that the school day was already too long like I did? Nope. I really thought am I going nuts? I was confused. I don't know how others function but we we struggling with consistency and guilt feelings of chores/or letting them take that time to just be a kid and play? I felt like I was all talk to the kids and no follow through.
I simply had to Reevaluate my priorities. What talents and skills did the Lord bless me with, what interests. What did the Lord want me to teach his children? Well I found that I was not living up to just that and soon realized that that was where my frustrating and grouchy were coming from. An unsatisfied feeling. I knew I did not have all the answers but I knew that If God wanted me to do this that he would lead me to what I needed. And I truly believe he has and is! It's a process!
As I finished out the rest of the school year it became even more evident of the need for me to teach them at home. They were all straight A students. But junk like....so the earth is going to burn up and..... I have to add...I would have a hard time teaching something if I didn't have passion and personality for it so of course that will happen. But they are changing text books to meet the needs of the 21st century learner! ha.
I felt like they were coming home pretty zoned out like an old man at the end of the day going to his nothing box. They gave all they had throughout the school day.
The start of this past public school year parents were receiving notices that there would not be anymore free early morning breakfast. But that it would be provided for every student in the classroom!! What?? So children are a # and they have
a lot to do with money for the school? But a Child can tell the teacher that he or she already ate breakfast at home. Bonk then in the trash goes the food? I don't get it. Tell me I'm wrong. Isn't there some cut backs that can be made like.....like Don't make my child breakfast? Yes! of course there are "REAL" needs... but don't just assume every child "NEEDS" breakfast. Meal time happens to be one of my most
favorite times to spend as a family. Now they are telling us that we don't have to cook for our families any more? Wait. I may not even have to buy food any more because this last week our President of the United States said to keep up we need to take school into the weekend and summers and....didn't I hear Mr. Tom Horne offer to take our children off our hands as if we are to sigh and say...."Oh thank-you!" Isn't meal time one of THE most valuable tools we have as Mothers? The Fathers are working so stinking hard in this financial time and then it still isn't enough? Go mother, Go to work for it is crisis time! This week is a really big week for the push of making service apart/mandatory in our schools and colleges? I think that service is vital but let it happen when someone feels the need for when it comes from the heart it comes with love not the opposite to get gain like the little school group who tattled to their city council and then the streams were cleaned up. What is going on here?
Just what is a Mother to do when she is invaded?
Mothers....WE ARE CAPABLE and right now we CAN say...."NO-THANK YOU!!!"
One of my favorite math lessons was when we made a pumpkin patch. How we did it was we cut out all different shapes and sizes for the pumpkins,then we cut out different stems leafs,and vines. After that we glued them onto a Popsicle stick and wrote how many pounds we wanted them to be. Then we wrapped up a shoebox with some cute wrapping paper and stuck them in. My mom gave each of my customers 20 dollars in different change in play money. 
Before my stand even opened, I had a long line of customers already waiting!!!
One of them threatened to go to the stand down the road the line was sooo long... but my mom told him that he would not find any better pumpkins, pretzles and apple cider than we had here.
This activity turned out to be more than just a math lesson. We all learned to be patient on both sides of the cash register. After all, it was a great time!
