Monday, November 9, 2009

My Favorite Math Lesson

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!

Tuesday, October 6, 2009

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!!!"

Thursday, March 12, 2009

Inspired by Nature


I found my feathered friends' nest on the ground today.
What a Resourceful Bird.


I could end this post there but my thoughts go on. I wonder why the birdies left it?
Will we have to leave this home that we love someday?

What I love about my neighborhood


This is why I was drawn to and love my neighborhood! People still hang clothes out on the line to dry!! I want one so bad. My Laborsaving devices (2 sets) were supposed to give me more "time"?? Do you think I'm crazy and loosing my mind? But listen, I am discovering that I don't have any more time than my mother and Grandmothers had 3 decades ago before these laborsaving devices were introduced! Well, It's been suggested to me that maybe instead, what I am doing with my time IS "less satisfying." My family and I function on a hurried, busy, overstressed, deadline to deadline type of schedule. Even though we are happy and Id like to say somewhat productive, I have to tell you though, "I AM feeling a little unsatisfied." Maybe "I am" depriving my children of the sweet lessons that I learned at the clothesline with my mamma. Maybe "we do" have too many clothes that we just let the laundry pile up all the while our closets and drawers draw empty. It's easier that way. Maybe my favorite shirt doesn't get worn as much as Id like because now I CAN'T afford the dry cleaner anymore! Whoa.....how did I come so far that I don't even iron. How is my boy ever going to learn that there is nothing more handsome than a young man in his fresh pressed clean white shirt to match the message that he gets to share with the world? Oh the lessons we could learn from the everyday same oh same oh redundant tasks. And the sweet lessons I have learned from my dear mother at the clothesline.
"Hanging laundry on a line is one of life's luxuries. It represents time. Time to be alone. Time to think, even to meditate, accompanied by the repeated actions of hanging clothes-stooping, straightening, lifting, hanging, breathing, watching the clouds. There is a spirituality in the simple, positive actions of this everyday activity." * Little did I know that maybe the walk that I did take this day can inspire me and "reconnect" me with my Mother, my grandmothers, sisters and women over the generations and help me to obtain a more simpler way of life. I miss the country so bad but the lessons from my neighbors clothesline have inspired me once again to bring those more simpler days of my childhood to my children at our "city bungalow!"
Do you hang out your clothes?

*Quote and some additional inspiration has come from a neat book that I found over a year ago at a fabric store. It immediately grabbed me! When I got home from this walk the other day I grabbed the book off the shelf and sat down with it hoping that it would motivate me to get back up and get my laundry done. It has! I highly recommend it for those in the Art of Homekeeping!

Wednesday, February 11, 2009

I had true motherly bliss today. My three year old put all the dishes away from the dish washer, all by herself, And in the right place! This is becoming something she really loves to do. Today was a new one though she LOADED the dishwasher. ( a few breakfast dishes) My inner conversation was, as I was helping the others with their writing, to tell her that "now is not the right time, get down," but I enjoyed watching her be so busy that I wondered who was having more fun at that moment me or her. How sweet sweet it was! I'm amazed. I think I have totally underestimated the capabilities of a young child. Maybe she is ready for the rotation?
Bliss- to rejoice, to exult, to congratulate, to applaud; to rejoice. The highest degree of happiness; blessedness. - 1828 Webster dictionary

Monday, February 9, 2009

Sisters trip to Globe

I just Love Families! What would we do without them? I'm so grateful for mine.
We work, play, cry, laugh, sing, learn, and spend time together. When I look at this picture of my Mother and her sisters I can't help but think of the memories that my four little "girlies" are creating together.

My Dear Mother is third one over from the left. I want you to know that She is still as Beautiful (and stylin) today as she was back then. She amazes me! I Hope you had a Happy Birthday Mom.

Here are my sisters and I still playing, laughing, crying, sharing, antiquing and gaining strength from each other. What an incredible weekend together! It was hard getting there with all of our busy lives but sweet to know that we are all still workin on creating some memories that will last forever! Thank-you to all the hubbies, children, and grammies for supporting us and helping make this trip possible for us.

Hhhhmmmmmm.