Good Times!!

Busy does not begin to describe this house now.

Loving our home school situation, mainly because we are working our tails off and seeing major results! It's a family effort for sure--I teach all four in the morning, then do "Specials" in the afternoon while Vinny naps. Jason does homework and piano practice each night.

We are finding our groove, figuring out what works and doesn't work, and basically having a great time as well!

I know there are families out there who give schooling at home a bad name--don't let them be the only impression you have. Take the time to see what others do and why we do it.

*******

Natan is still going strong and making great progress! He ran to the bus the other morning saying, "My friends! My friends!" Yes, there was a throat lump! To see him making connections outside his siblings, like the others have, blew me away and made it all worth it!

*******

I am an official Girl Scout Troop Leader! They needed someone for our district, and I needed Mimi to be a part of a troop, so I volunteered. Let the fun begin!!! She and I are both excited and also very amused by how pissed George is that he can't be a Girl Scout! He'll get his turn next year with the boys!

*******

After three years doing the dance thing, we have pulled out. We loved it and the kids seemed happy, but I have to tell you--it was killing our budget. We were also facing the two big kids wanting to try other things and trying to fit it all in. So...George starts three months of basketball this October, and Mimi is on board for Spring soccer.

*******

No vocal cord update and no adoption update. Still waiting on both...still not a patient waiter.

Phew!

Week Two is almost finished and I continued to be amazed by so many things.

1) Watching two kids the same age and how they learn SO differently. Seeing this just reinforces the great decision we've made!

2) People's continued denial that we can do this successfully and raise well-adjusted, happy kids. Umm, we can and we are!

3) How much Natan and Vinny are learning just by being around during class time.

*****

On a vocal note...saw ANOTHER medical person yesterday who is also baffled by my vocal cords. Everyone wants to attribute it to GERD, but it's not that. She, like all other doctors who seem obsessed with drugs versus getting to the root of the problem, dosed me with a steroid and gave me an antibiotic. A temporary fix for a 3 year issue. Thanks. Her parting words? "Well girl--good luck with this. I don't know what to tell you."

I have taken matters in my own hands and am not overwhelmed by those in the western medicine world right now!! But I am willing to be proven wrong by any doctor out there who thinks s/he can help!

Hump Day!

The first half of our school week has been great! I don't know how or why parents would not want to plan and execute solid academic lessons if they're homeschooling. We are loving the flexible structure that has been created. I say "flexible structure" because although we have a daily schedule that we are finding simple to follow, we still know that we can change things up at a moment's notice. We can shorten or extend any lesson depending on how things are going.

Mimi found a magnet which began to a discussion of magnets! Go figure! When not pressed for time, you can examine things even if they are not in your grade's curriculum.

Just remember that we are schooling at home--not avoiding school, not unschooling, not protecting our babies. We just think that right now, we can offer them a little more than what schools are able to because of all the crap that they have to deal with. I hear so many teachers complaining about having to teach, and so many kids complaining about school, I am more and more convinced we made the right decision!

And now for some photos. The first one is of M and G studying the properties of water. Once the straws came out, things got really fun!

The second is a quickie video of Mimi reading her first sentence alone! Baby steps are the best steps!

The third is just a funny Vinny video.

Fourth is Natan celebrating another great day of school with some Daisy snuggles!

Success!

Day One

Our first day of school in the home was a rousing success! The kids were enthusiastic and I thoroughly enjoyed being in teacher mode again!

At the end (well, it never really ends!), George asked for more--wow!

We are continuing after this little break with Social Studies before we meet Natan from his bus.

All four participated--Vinny and Natan just kind of wandered through and did what interested them--Mimi and George went whole hog!

Love my kids!

****

Going for my second adjustment tonight in the continuing saga of the back, throat, etc. issues.

Cannot take the Nexium or any other similar products as it turns out--very yucky side effects. So, I will see yet another doctor and see what kinds of food I should be avoiding, or what else I can do to take the swelling out of my vocal folds.

Have a horrible feeling that coffee may be a trigger--help!!!!!

Help!

OK.

Been to my regular MD--they ran tests for my thyroid and a host of other things.

Been to my ENT three times--am now on Nexium to stop my acid reflux which is not really having a tremendous effect.

Am shooting my nose with Nasonex twice a day.

Am avoiding ibuprofen and antihistamines.

Yes, I drink a ton of water in a day and have lowered my caffeine consumption.

No one knows why I have had laryngitis since 2007--started in the fall of that year and has been coming and going in different levels of severity ever since. There are times when I cannot read or sing to my kids. So, in my opinion, it is affecting my quality of life.

HELP!!!

My ENT, whom I like, just kind of held his head in his hands and sighed--he can see that my esophagus is irritated from the reflux, but he also sees that my vocal cords are swollen and on the verge of making a nodule--wonderful.

I am even seeing a Chiropractor...if you know me, you know this is a desperate situation!!

Any ideas? Suggestions?

Big Night!

Two major things last evening:

Natan spontaneously said the "Five Little Monkeys" rhyme at dinner...this is HUGE!!!!!!

Then, upon arrival home, Mimi pulled her tooth out!!!! Although excited that she received a dollar bill from the Tooth Fairy, she is a little pissed that the TF took her tooth.

Phew!

The free time we have enjoyed over the past six years has ended...

I am a mom of four, part time piano teacher, children's choir director, and now--full time Kindergarten teacher! Oh--and not to mention--house cleaner, cook, and resident bum wiper!

We are taking home schooling very seriously here.

This week we are getting used to the new schedule--morning lessons starting no late than 9:00, getting Natan on the bus mid-morning, lunch, free time, more lessons--throw in some piano teaching, piano practice for G and M, and then odds and sods!

Gone are the leisurely morning coffee and phone talks with Mum--they have to be put on hold until the evening...

Gone are the PJ days!

But we have a new kind of day--one filled with new ideas, new activities, reaching little milestones, and celebrating learning new things!

We are using a pretty popular standard curriculum which seems to be the choice for most. It was suggested by my HS guru that I combine this year and cover K and First--it looks like we may be able to do just that!

I no longer feel the trepidation I was feeling all summer--that was all school-related. We are all happy where we are right now...

Jason and I still don't understand people's anger toward our decision. No one has even asked "why" before berating us. Our pediatrician applauded our decision (yay!), which made me feel great simply because I respect her--she also knows our kids' histories better than anyone else and gets why we decided to do what we are doing...things are not always as black and white as people seem to think.

Now to teach some more piano lessons!!

Top Five Movie Picks

Top 5 movie picks in this house:

The Stoning of Soraya M.

A Single Man

The Greatest

Milk

It's Complicated

A Dollop of Daisy

Daisy had a great appointment yesterday at the vet--took Mimi & George with me. Mimi was in seventh heaven with two cats roaming free around the office. She wants to be a vet when she grows up so she can "have all the cats." Guess I won't be visiting her house! Sniffle...sniffle...achoo!

Daisy was great--needs a bit of instruction on the leash, but she is actually a sweet little girl. The only person who flinched during her fecal exam was George after I threatened to do one on him if he didn't sit still!

*******

School supplies are ordered, took a trip to the Schoolbox store (the mothership) and got a few more items. M and G are very excited about their first day of school. Jason encouraged me to start when his student return on the 16th, giving me more time to prepare which has taken a huge load off. I am not going into this lightly, as I am sure some assume. I have a plan book, as there will be weekly lesson plans to follow. The beauty is, we can spend more or less time on things as needed, and are not governed by the set time of 7:55-2:15 every day. I like the flexibility but still have to have a schedule.

Shout out to Claudette and Mert for their kind words--much appreciated!

Why?

I made a commitment to myself that I would no longer vent on my blog--that I would go back to using it as an online journal to share with my Mum, sister, and Aunt. I would put a password on it, but then my Mum and Aunt would never be able to access it--no offense, ladies!!!!

This is not a vent, but rather an expression of sadness and disappointment.

Jason and I figured that when we made the decision to educate at home, there would be flack from folks.

I just did not anticipate who that judgement would come from, although Jason said he is not at all surprised.

To clear some things up:

Over one million children in the United States are home schooled.

One of the main reasons to home school that we have read is that families want to be more of a family unit.

The more educated the parent, the better off the children will be. Cha-ching!

This is a decision that we have made as a family--if you are going to ignore or attack me, you darn well better treat Jason the same way.

Educating our kids and being a strong family unit are far more important than a friend or two.

The one thing that puzzles us the most is why people are so angry about this. What are they afraid of?

Jason is right: These few people do not matter.

He insists it is their loss.

I agree.

Made it!

Natan had a great first day of PK! He was excited to go, a little bummed that his bus was running late and had to be driven!

We met him as he came home on the bus--I could see his head over the top of the window, beaming and waving!

No hesitation, no anxiety...a kid who is where he needs to be for now.

And two very contented parents who know they have made the right decision for their children.

Ahhh....

First Day!

Ready for school!

Yes, Virginia..we are crazy!!!!

Yes, we have four children plus one on the way.

Yes, we are embarking on a "home based educational program."

Yes, Natan is entering Special Education PreK tomorrow.

Yes, we adopted Daisy yesterday--very playful little girl from Fayette County Animal Control!

Yes, some people think we're crazy.

And no, I don't care what they think!

"Thank you for your opinion, but we are doing what is best for our family."

Thank you, Sara, for my new mantra. It is indeed working!

Here is our new baby--very difficult to get a still photo!