Lucy (contemplating the syrup bottle): Mrs. Butterworth...hmm...where's Mr. Butterworth?
Me: I don't know...working, maybe.
Lucy: Or maybe she's single--oh wait, no, because she's MRS. Butterworth!
In other news, Sadie lost her first tooth today. Exciting times. She very kindly left her tooth on the nightstand, instead of under her pillow. "I want to make it simpler for the tooth fairy, Mom."
"The tooth fairy thanks you, sweetie."
As for Amy, she got her hair cut today. Then she asked if she could wear it straight. The hairstylist blow dried for her. So now my curly-headed girl is walking around with straight hair, and she LOVES it.
Pictures coming.
Tuesday, December 3, 2013
Friday, November 22, 2013
Today, I'm upset. I can't really blog with too many specifics because I'm not sure who reads it. Hopefully I can publish my irritation in general terms and then feel better.
I like everyone to be happy. I care about other people's feelings. The problem is, when I try to make the choices that make everyone happy, while also considering everyone's feelings, there's no possible way for 100% of people to be happy 100% of the time. And so I agonize, and I try to find the happy medium (there's that word again--happy). The only person who ends up almost completely unhappy is me. And I'm miserable. So what can I do? I would like to feel moderately content. I would even settle for less miserable.
I feel the weight of other people's expectations hanging around my neck like a millstone. And it weighs me down terribly. I wish I could say, "I'm sure I don't do things the way you'd like me to. But I'm not apologizing for this." Instead, I keep my mouth shut and make gestures to soothe my guilt over not fulfilling the expectations I perceive from others.
I think this translates to people as: "I'm happy! I like to help! Let me serve you in any way!" In reality, it's pretty selfish of me--I do this stuff so that I can forgive myself for not being everybody's everything and move on until the next time I feel like I don't measure up. Lather, rinse, repeat.
And you know what's happened? Rather than finding grace, inner peace, and a healthy love for myself, the only thing I've found is resentment. Furthermore, my guilt is no longer soothed, because I now question people's motives.
And I'm pretty sure some have figured this out. They must know that I help out of a sense of guilt, and so rather than asking for assistance, they've come to expect that I'm just going to rise to the occasion and so they assume I'll be helping them out. It's no longer, "Are you available to help me?" Now it's, "What have you done for me lately?"
I don't want my kids to become so jaded, but I also don't want them to end up in my shoes.
Random, I know. Sorry.
Thursday, October 31, 2013
The Case of the Missing Cupcake
 | ||
| Cupcakes similar to the one I almost got to eat. |
Last Saturday a friend of mine sent me a text about a bake sale in which she was participating. She said she had spent 2 hours baking pumpkin cupcakes with cinnamon cream cheese frosting, and was trying not to be offended that everyone was purchasing the store-bought vanilla cupcakes with the bright orange, green, and purple frosting and topped with Frankenstein rings. She also sent a photo of her cupcakes, and they looked delectable. I told her so. I responded that I would buy her cupcakes any day--no Frankenstein rings necessary.
At church on Sunday, my friend came to me and said conspiratorially, "I brought you a cupcake." YES! I thanked her profusely, and said I couldn't wait to try it. She told me she had placed it in the back of the Primary storage closet in a very inconspicuous place. She gave me very specific directions on where to find it. I went to the closet shortly after she told me, and when I looked in the secret place for my prized cupcake, it was G-O-N-E. Neither one of us could believe it! No one else could have known it was there, as she had told me about the cupcake privately.
She and I shared the cupcake mystery with a couple of the other adults in Primary. They were as puzzled and astonished as we were. What could possibly have happened to it in the 10 minutes between the time she told me about it and when I went to get it? We thought perhaps one of the children took it, but quickly dismissed that thought. They know not to get into the closet. The cupcake was also hidden from plain view (although it was within sight if you knew where to look). It was a mini cupcake. And it was pumpkin-flavored--certainly not as attractive to children as a brightly colored cupcake with a Frankenstein ring on top. It was certainly one of the greatest unsolved mysteries of all time. (Or at least that hour.)
A little while later, I happened to be walking down the hall to check on our classes, and I saw one of the other adults in Primary standing near the closet. I figured it couldn't hurt to ask if she had seen it, perhaps thinking it had been there a long time and inadvertently thrown it away. I asked her, "You didn't happen to see a little cupcake in here, did you?" And I pointed out the hiding place.
She looked at me and said, "I ate it."
I tried to hide my shock and disappointment. "Oh. Okay."
She began to explain herself: "Well, it's just that I had left a cupcake in the closet last week, and forgot it was there. So when I saw it, I thought it was the same one I had left. As soon as I took a bite of it, I realized it wasn't my cupcake after all...did it belong to someone?"
"Yes, my friend had brought it for me." I said slowly.
"I'm sorry."
"It's fine. At least now I know what happened to it."
But honestly--WHO EATS SOMEONE ELSE'S CUPCAKE?! I'm fairly sure this adult is older than I am. Why the childish explanation? I would rather she had said (sheepishly), "Yes, I ate it. It looked SO delicious, and the temptation was more than I could bear." I would have had a good laugh with her and asked, "Did it taste as wonderful as it looked?" And in my mind, she would have replied, "It was BETTER." And we would have laughed a little more and all would be right with the world. Instead, by eating said cupcake and then making up an obviously fake explanation, she caused AWKWARDNESS.
So awkward, in fact, that I just can't seem to let it go. I've been doing my thing the last few days, when all of a sudden, I will shake my head and say, "Who EATS someone else's cupcake?" and then launch into a monologue that includes such gems as:
"Didn't her parents teach her not to take other people's stuff?" and
"How could she possibly believe that my little mini pumpkin cupcake with cinnamon cream cheese frosting was the same one she supposedly left in the closet FOR A WEEK?" and
"This is what's wrong with our society! People who think they're entitled to stuff that doesn't belong to them!"
And just for dramatic conclusion, I end with, "Things like this always happen to people like me. Because I'm just too NICE." And then I'm fine for another couple of hours until it happens again.
I've shared this story with my husband, my parents, my brother, Erik, and my sister. Erik said, "What does that say about her, that she would willingly eat a cupcake that's a week old? It could be literally covered with bacteria."
"Or rat poop!" Lexie chimed in.
At the very least, it would be so stale and rock hard it would be better used to plug a hole in a boat.
When I told my dad I thought she might be a kleptomaniac, he said, "No, because kleptomaniacs don't think they've taken something that doesn't belong to them. She just wanted the cupcake."
I never told my friend who ate my cupcake. I didn't want to cause more awkwardness. But I actually asked my husband if I should tell my friend--what happens if she brings it up sometime? His answer: "She probably won't."
But what if she DOES? I really thought about this and figured out that the onus isn't on ME to tell my friend what happened to the cupcake. Either the cupcake-eater has to fess up, or stay silent knowing that I know she's a dirty-rotten-baked-good-snarfing hooligan.
I actually had to call the Person Who Ate My Cupcake yesterday about something unrelated. In our conversation, she mentioned she was feeling "well enough", which prompted me to ask if she had been sick. (Why did I ask? Because I'm nice. See above.) As soon as I hung up, my mom called from the other room, "Aw. Was she sick? Did you ask her if she ended up with a stomach ache after eating your cupcake?"
Tuesday, October 22, 2013
Another Post on Homeschooling
A friend of mine sent this to me today:
Politically, I'm not a Ron Paul supporter--but then, I'm not a political supporter of anyone lately. I watched the portion of the interview about education and homeschooling. (The other portion is about the potential for a third political party in the US.) Honestly, I have to agree with both Glenn Beck and Dr. Paul about homeschooling vs. our current education system. I have been very careful not to criticize those who choose public education for their children. Partly because I never in my life expected to be homeschooling my own daughters. But also partly because I know that not everyone has the desire or option to teach their kids at home.
I will say this: we are closer as a family, the girls get along better together, and we have more time to spend doing the things we love now that we aren't burdened by having to make the mad dash to school every day. I feel like I have more time to teach the gospel daily, rather than try to dish out some little gospel "nugget" that I hope they'll remember as they jump out of the car and run into the school building.
We begin every day with a prayer. We say the Pledge of Allegiance every morning, and we've talked about what it means. About what freedom means. We're learning history that I KNOW kids in school aren't learning. Today, while reading about the Pilgrims, Amy said, "God protected them, didn't He, Mom?" (Sure can't say THAT in school.)
Lucy is reading Swiss Family Robinson, Amy is working her way through 3rd grade math (she's a 2nd grader who chronologically should really be a 1st grader), and Sadie began learning to read about 6 weeks ago. Give her the name of an animal, and ask her if it's a vertebrate or invertebrate. She's right about 95% of the time.
Sorry for bragging. I've seen so many positive changes in my girls since beginning to homeschool, and sometimes it just spills over. :)
Politically, I'm not a Ron Paul supporter--but then, I'm not a political supporter of anyone lately. I watched the portion of the interview about education and homeschooling. (The other portion is about the potential for a third political party in the US.) Honestly, I have to agree with both Glenn Beck and Dr. Paul about homeschooling vs. our current education system. I have been very careful not to criticize those who choose public education for their children. Partly because I never in my life expected to be homeschooling my own daughters. But also partly because I know that not everyone has the desire or option to teach their kids at home.
I will say this: we are closer as a family, the girls get along better together, and we have more time to spend doing the things we love now that we aren't burdened by having to make the mad dash to school every day. I feel like I have more time to teach the gospel daily, rather than try to dish out some little gospel "nugget" that I hope they'll remember as they jump out of the car and run into the school building.
We begin every day with a prayer. We say the Pledge of Allegiance every morning, and we've talked about what it means. About what freedom means. We're learning history that I KNOW kids in school aren't learning. Today, while reading about the Pilgrims, Amy said, "God protected them, didn't He, Mom?" (Sure can't say THAT in school.)
Lucy is reading Swiss Family Robinson, Amy is working her way through 3rd grade math (she's a 2nd grader who chronologically should really be a 1st grader), and Sadie began learning to read about 6 weeks ago. Give her the name of an animal, and ask her if it's a vertebrate or invertebrate. She's right about 95% of the time.
Sorry for bragging. I've seen so many positive changes in my girls since beginning to homeschool, and sometimes it just spills over. :)
A Few Fall Photos
Autumn Serenity
Sadie's Fall Fashion Montage
Lucy: "Isn't there a painting that looks like this, Mom?"
Thursday, October 10, 2013
The Accidental Homeschool Mom
I have fully begun my homeschooling journey this year with all
three girls. I can honestly say that I NEVER in my life expected to teach my children at home. In fact, if someone had told me when my kids were littler that I would be doing this by my own choice, I would have laughed hysterically and wondered about the person's mental state. I'm not laughing now, and I'm sure many people are wondering about MY mental state. (I know my neighbor is!)
It's been more than a month since my daughters and I started our daily school routine, but the prayerful consideration and preparation for this endeavor began many months ago. My reasons for homeschooling were (and still are) a bit fuzzy when I try to enumerate them, but because the Lord told me this was right for our family at this time, I trusted the answer and moved forward.
Last week, it was recommended to me that perhaps I should send Lucy to the 5-day-a-week self-contained classroom for "gifted" kids so she can spend more time with peers in her age and ability level. The suggestion included the insight that because Lucy's brain is constantly working, her inability to focus on mundane tasks such as eating, sleeping, brushing her teeth, etc. was caused by a lack of mental stimulation. The gifted program would most certainly offer her plenty of stimulation.
While I appreciate the advice, I fail to see how spending all day being "mentally stimulated" at school would help her focus on the mundane tasks of daily living. I don't understand how being around kids who are "just like her" will help her with some of the issues she exhibits in social situations. I also slightly resent the inference that I am unable to challenge her enough here at home.
I had previously shared with this person my concerns about the Common Core State Standards as one of my reasons for homeschooling my children. However, when I really stop to think about the reasons why I made this choice, Common Core rates pretty far down on the list. There are other reasons why we are homeschooling. And so, in an effort to clarify my reasons for myself, and to make it easier for me to respond when placed in a similar situation again, I'm making my list (and checking it twice).
Why I Chose Homeschooling For My Family
#1: More family time. (This really is my #1 reason for choosing this path.) With a spouse who works two jobs, I cherish the little bit of time we have when we're all together.
#2: More time for my kids to be kids--not "little adults". The play more, and get along better now. They also don't have to hear about stuff on the playground that I'd rather not have them knowing just yet.
#3: No homework (busywork). When school is over for the day, it's over. After dinner, we have time to read together, play a little longer, and spend some time with Daddy.
#4: More activities and opportunities now that we have extra time. We just signed up at the YMCA, and each girl can do her own thing and it's all at one location.
#5: I am able to tailor my kids' lessons to their abilities and interests. If they need extra support in reading, but excel in math, it's not difficult to provide that. I don't have to do it for 25 kids.
#6: I can teach my kids things that they don't learn in traditional school--growing food, cooking, basic sewing, simple home repairs, and many, many more.
#7: The Lord told me this is right, and because it's right, I have His help. It's not easy, and takes a lot of planning and preparation each week. But I'm not second-guessing myself or my Heavenly Father. I can do all things through Christ who strengthens me. (Philippians 4:13.)
It's been more than a month since my daughters and I started our daily school routine, but the prayerful consideration and preparation for this endeavor began many months ago. My reasons for homeschooling were (and still are) a bit fuzzy when I try to enumerate them, but because the Lord told me this was right for our family at this time, I trusted the answer and moved forward.
Last week, it was recommended to me that perhaps I should send Lucy to the 5-day-a-week self-contained classroom for "gifted" kids so she can spend more time with peers in her age and ability level. The suggestion included the insight that because Lucy's brain is constantly working, her inability to focus on mundane tasks such as eating, sleeping, brushing her teeth, etc. was caused by a lack of mental stimulation. The gifted program would most certainly offer her plenty of stimulation.
While I appreciate the advice, I fail to see how spending all day being "mentally stimulated" at school would help her focus on the mundane tasks of daily living. I don't understand how being around kids who are "just like her" will help her with some of the issues she exhibits in social situations. I also slightly resent the inference that I am unable to challenge her enough here at home.
I had previously shared with this person my concerns about the Common Core State Standards as one of my reasons for homeschooling my children. However, when I really stop to think about the reasons why I made this choice, Common Core rates pretty far down on the list. There are other reasons why we are homeschooling. And so, in an effort to clarify my reasons for myself, and to make it easier for me to respond when placed in a similar situation again, I'm making my list (and checking it twice).
Why I Chose Homeschooling For My Family
#1: More family time. (This really is my #1 reason for choosing this path.) With a spouse who works two jobs, I cherish the little bit of time we have when we're all together.
#2: More time for my kids to be kids--not "little adults". The play more, and get along better now. They also don't have to hear about stuff on the playground that I'd rather not have them knowing just yet.
#3: No homework (busywork). When school is over for the day, it's over. After dinner, we have time to read together, play a little longer, and spend some time with Daddy.
#4: More activities and opportunities now that we have extra time. We just signed up at the YMCA, and each girl can do her own thing and it's all at one location.
#5: I am able to tailor my kids' lessons to their abilities and interests. If they need extra support in reading, but excel in math, it's not difficult to provide that. I don't have to do it for 25 kids.
#6: I can teach my kids things that they don't learn in traditional school--growing food, cooking, basic sewing, simple home repairs, and many, many more.
#7: The Lord told me this is right, and because it's right, I have His help. It's not easy, and takes a lot of planning and preparation each week. But I'm not second-guessing myself or my Heavenly Father. I can do all things through Christ who strengthens me. (Philippians 4:13.)
Saturday, June 1, 2013
Voicemail to Text
My phone automatically converts all voice mails to text messages. This is helpful because I don't have to actually call into my voice mailbox, put in the code, listen to ALL of the messages, and then press whatever number to save or delete each one. I can just read whatever message the caller left, and then decide to keep it by doing nothing, or delete it by tapping the garbage can icon.
Technology is awesome.
Unless one's cell phone is hard of hearing.
Which mine is.
Sometimes it's right on the money. Sometimes it's almost right, but it's not so mangled that I can't figure out the gist of the message. And then there are the messages from my mom. I think my phone just tunes out when she begins talking. Here are two I've received in the last week:
#1:
Hey sara it's mom...the girls have been branch your role and she did a wonderful job finished this I'm very proud of...they had ice cream andy had a cap take hey honey I just asked them because I'm going to ask for your sister I asked them to...lost their face in their hands hey honey said they asked if they could watch a movie and I can I mean I think that's okay but just case you know except for I think you need left arm because I was feeding pat I'm actually running too quick for my a good anyway...change farm is gonna meet x. y. dot but I can't get it when I get home...so I love you bye.
#2:
Hello hey...yo right now hello call me yes 8...at and tell me your hey sis hello hey hey daryl well mark you this is dad thank you hello hello hey goodbye hey hey hey.
That second one could be a song!
This one is probably my favorite:
#3:
Bye test peace.
No better way to end a blog post than "Bye test peace".
Technology is awesome.
Unless one's cell phone is hard of hearing.
Which mine is.
Sometimes it's right on the money. Sometimes it's almost right, but it's not so mangled that I can't figure out the gist of the message. And then there are the messages from my mom. I think my phone just tunes out when she begins talking. Here are two I've received in the last week:
#1:
Hey sara it's mom...the girls have been branch your role and she did a wonderful job finished this I'm very proud of...they had ice cream andy had a cap take hey honey I just asked them because I'm going to ask for your sister I asked them to...lost their face in their hands hey honey said they asked if they could watch a movie and I can I mean I think that's okay but just case you know except for I think you need left arm because I was feeding pat I'm actually running too quick for my a good anyway...change farm is gonna meet x. y. dot but I can't get it when I get home...so I love you bye.
#2:
Hello hey...yo right now hello call me yes 8...at and tell me your hey sis hello hey hey daryl well mark you this is dad thank you hello hello hey goodbye hey hey hey.
That second one could be a song!
This one is probably my favorite:
#3:
Bye test peace.
No better way to end a blog post than "Bye test peace".
Monday, May 27, 2013
Sumer is Icumen In!
It's a miracle! I've blogged TWICE in the last 24 hours!
All this school year, Lucy has been involved in a program called JAWS. It stands for Joining Ability With Subject Matter. It's Tacoma School District's program for "highly capable" students. Lucy has LOVED every minute of it. The first semester was all about ancient Egypt, and this semester has been about the Middle Ages.
I love that the kids have a chance to think creatively, and collaborate with other students on hands-on projects. The teacher works on social skills as well (smart kids are social morons...who knew?), and I've seen a lot of growth in Lucy in that area this year.
What makes me a little sad is that the creative projects and thinking activities the kids in JAWS get to do are the things I did in "regular" school--before all of the testing/accountability requirements took over education.
Anyway, tomorrow is the last day of JAWS for the year, and the culmination of the Middle Ages unit. There will be food, a short play, and then all of the students will present something they've prepared--something edible, original artwork, poetry, and in Lucy's case, a song on her lap harp.
She and I have been reading through a little book called "A Child's Book of the Seasons" by Arthur Ransome. It's in the public domain, and some wonderful soul has converted it into a PDF. It's a sweet book written as a story, but contains scientific descriptions of plants and animals and when and where they appear in nature.
At the end of the chapter about Spring, Ransome shares the lyrics to the song "Sumer is Icumen In". It's a song written in about 1260, and talks about the arrival of Summer. I was able to make a card for Lucy's lap harp so she can play it for her classmates tomorrow. I also made this for her to display:
Should she have done this herself? Yes. Did I have fun doing it myself? Yes. Tomorrow's presentation should be a lot of fun! I'll take my camera along.
All this school year, Lucy has been involved in a program called JAWS. It stands for Joining Ability With Subject Matter. It's Tacoma School District's program for "highly capable" students. Lucy has LOVED every minute of it. The first semester was all about ancient Egypt, and this semester has been about the Middle Ages.
I love that the kids have a chance to think creatively, and collaborate with other students on hands-on projects. The teacher works on social skills as well (smart kids are social morons...who knew?), and I've seen a lot of growth in Lucy in that area this year.
What makes me a little sad is that the creative projects and thinking activities the kids in JAWS get to do are the things I did in "regular" school--before all of the testing/accountability requirements took over education.
Anyway, tomorrow is the last day of JAWS for the year, and the culmination of the Middle Ages unit. There will be food, a short play, and then all of the students will present something they've prepared--something edible, original artwork, poetry, and in Lucy's case, a song on her lap harp.
She and I have been reading through a little book called "A Child's Book of the Seasons" by Arthur Ransome. It's in the public domain, and some wonderful soul has converted it into a PDF. It's a sweet book written as a story, but contains scientific descriptions of plants and animals and when and where they appear in nature.
At the end of the chapter about Spring, Ransome shares the lyrics to the song "Sumer is Icumen In". It's a song written in about 1260, and talks about the arrival of Summer. I was able to make a card for Lucy's lap harp so she can play it for her classmates tomorrow. I also made this for her to display:
Should she have done this herself? Yes. Did I have fun doing it myself? Yes. Tomorrow's presentation should be a lot of fun! I'll take my camera along.
Sunday, May 26, 2013
Forgive me, Readers, for I have not blogged.
It has been almost 4 months since my last entry.
And I haven't been twiddling my thumbs.
I've accomplished a lot:
And I recently was offered the opportunity to work with someone I know in a handyman business. The work isn't steady, which works perfectly with my schedule, but I've already worked on one project, with at least one more coming up.
My life is full and happy. I just don't have time to blog about it!
I also have a lot of opinions on various topics. I have almost learned to not share my opinion on Facebook--it only serves to offend people. I haven't wanted to share them all here, because this is supposed to be more of a family journal than a place to vent my frustration and strong opinions on various topics such as the decline of civilized society, poor manners, the negative influences children are observing as part of "the new normal", and a lack of respect and courtesy not just in the world, but at church as well. (One could argue that all 4 of these are really just different starting points of the same issue.)
But enough on that.
The girls are doing well. I think the 4 of us are more than ready for summer vacation...summer means relaxing, reading, eating outside, movies, camping, road trips, and afternoons at the spray-ground. 14 more school days...14 more school days...14 more school days...
In the meantime, we've started the Little House books as our nighttime reading. I much prefer reading an entire chapter of "Little House in the Big Woods" than 3 or 4 shorter books. I've declared a moratorium on "Pinkalicious" and all of its other incarnations. Pure twaddle, that. I want my girls to hear stories about strong, independent, talented young women who have common sense. Not a whiny brat who eats too many cupcakes (despite a warning and charge from her parents to not) and then celebrates her disobedience by shouting about how wonderfully pink she looks and leaping around the house like a hooligan. Can you tell I don't love that book? What gave it away?
It is now 10:35, and I am tired. If I keep writing, I will begin to ramble. (Begin? Ha!)
I've always ended my posts by typing "More soon.". In reality, I should end with
I make no guarantees.
G
And I haven't been twiddling my thumbs.
I've accomplished a lot:
- built 4 raised garden beds (and have materials for 2 more), planted snap peas, broccoli, cauliflower, Brussels sprouts, celery, onions, lettuce, tomatoes, carrots, radishes, and potatoes, and will be planting zucchini, cantaloupe, pumpkins, beets, and rutabega.
- cleared flower beds, cut straight borders, organized the shed and garden tools, cut back blackberry vines, etc.
- helped prep and paint the living room, dining room, and Ben's room.
- found curriculum for next school year, and made some tentative summer plans
And I recently was offered the opportunity to work with someone I know in a handyman business. The work isn't steady, which works perfectly with my schedule, but I've already worked on one project, with at least one more coming up.
My life is full and happy. I just don't have time to blog about it!
I also have a lot of opinions on various topics. I have almost learned to not share my opinion on Facebook--it only serves to offend people. I haven't wanted to share them all here, because this is supposed to be more of a family journal than a place to vent my frustration and strong opinions on various topics such as the decline of civilized society, poor manners, the negative influences children are observing as part of "the new normal", and a lack of respect and courtesy not just in the world, but at church as well. (One could argue that all 4 of these are really just different starting points of the same issue.)
But enough on that.
The girls are doing well. I think the 4 of us are more than ready for summer vacation...summer means relaxing, reading, eating outside, movies, camping, road trips, and afternoons at the spray-ground. 14 more school days...14 more school days...14 more school days...
In the meantime, we've started the Little House books as our nighttime reading. I much prefer reading an entire chapter of "Little House in the Big Woods" than 3 or 4 shorter books. I've declared a moratorium on "Pinkalicious" and all of its other incarnations. Pure twaddle, that. I want my girls to hear stories about strong, independent, talented young women who have common sense. Not a whiny brat who eats too many cupcakes (despite a warning and charge from her parents to not) and then celebrates her disobedience by shouting about how wonderfully pink she looks and leaping around the house like a hooligan. Can you tell I don't love that book? What gave it away?
It is now 10:35, and I am tired. If I keep writing, I will begin to ramble. (Begin? Ha!)
I've always ended my posts by typing "More soon.". In reality, I should end with
I make no guarantees.
G
Monday, February 4, 2013
Pictures
I took these last October, and then never really shared them. I meant to, though. Autumn is my favorite time to take photos. The colored are so vivid and varied.
Wednesday, January 30, 2013
A Long Overdue Update
It's been a very long time since I've posted about what we've been up to. And even longer since I've posted pictures of the girls. I love to take photos of my girls, but I'm in a photography rut right now, I think. Currently, it's chore instead of a hobby. I need to fix my attitude.
Anyway, here's a run-down of what we've been up to, and maybe there will be pictures added later if I can get my act together. I usually start with Lucy, but I'll start with Amy today. Being stuck in the middle means you never really get to be first for anything.
Amy
Amy is so much fun. She lives in the moment. She's still a very "busy" girl, but she always has a sunny outlook and never stays upset for long. She loves school, and has many friends in her class. She also adores her teacher, and I think the feeling is mutual. Amy is a fantastic reader, and she's a math whiz. When she has math homework that should take about 15 minutes to do, she whips it out (100% correct, I might add) in about 4 or 5 minutes. And she knows her math facts like the back of her hand.
She tells me she wants to be homeschooled for 2nd grade and go back to school for 3rd grade. Although the prospect of homeschooling her doesn't intimidate me, I'm not sure how I feel about the potential on-again/off-again relationship with the public school because although I found a curriculum I really love (more on that later), it doesn't match the education offered in school. So, at this point, I don't know. I'll just have to do a lot of thinking and praying about it before I decide. In the meantime, I am making an extra effort to spend some special time just with Amy, since she's the one I see the least. And I really miss her sometimes.
Amy did inform me the other day that she "wanted to go to culinary school so that someday I can be on 'Cupcake Wars'." She already loves to cook, and I think she would be an amazing chef!
Sadie
Sadie is still mostly enjoying preschool. There's another girl in there who can be quite bossy, and Sadie does not respond well to that at all. She was preoccupied about it over the weekend, and I told her that it would be okay to tell this other girl, "Thank you, but I can handle myself." When I picked her up yesterday, she told me she couldn't remember what I told her she could say. I reminded her, but she woke up this morning with a "tummy ache" and didn't want to go to school. She seems to be feeling well enough to eat breakfast and run around, so I think her stomach pain is more from anxiety than bacteria.
As far as life outside of preschool, Sadie has lately enjoyed "doing crafts". Her favorite thing is stringing beads for necklaces and bracelets. She has great coordination and it keeps her attention for a long time (for a 4 year old, anyway). She and I also completed a Valentine ladybug foam house kit that I bought at Michaels. She did a lot of the "contruction" herself and it turned out really cute. Sadie also loves to help in the kitchen, especially when it involves the stove. (Yikes!)
Lucy
And finally, Lucy. Lucy has been doing really well at homeschooling. She has been very flexible in letting me noodle around with her schoolwork, until I finally stumbled upon a curriculum that I think works best for us. I was really feeling lost and without a sense of academic direction for a few weeks. I was worried that I wasn't providing her with the education I thought she needed (read: what they're offering at school). I had originally looked at the "virtual school" option last summer, and it just didn't feel right to me. I think it works well for many, many families (I know 3 who are going this route for now), but it has never seemed like a good fit for me.
I almost gave up and contacted one virtual school for some details about their program, but before I did that, I forged on a little longer looking for SOMETHING. And I found it! I wanted something less stuffy than the "classical education", but more structured than "unschooling". Something that focused on learning through literature (including history), and also addressed music, art, and handiwork. I wanted an authentic learning environment, and not a school-at-home re-creation. The Charlotte Mason model is the perfect fit for us. And what's great is that Lucy can work fairly independently on much of it. What I will change for next fall, however, is I will definitely purchase a good math curriculum. I've been teaching her myself, and she responds well to that, but I worry that there will be holes in her mathematic knowledge. I also worry that I'm not on-par with what her peers are learning in math at school. Maybe I need to let that go.
In other Lucy news, she's auditioning for the upcoming Tacoma Youth Theatre productions. She is VERY excited, and Saturday can't come soon enough!
More soon.
Anyway, here's a run-down of what we've been up to, and maybe there will be pictures added later if I can get my act together. I usually start with Lucy, but I'll start with Amy today. Being stuck in the middle means you never really get to be first for anything.
Amy
Amy is so much fun. She lives in the moment. She's still a very "busy" girl, but she always has a sunny outlook and never stays upset for long. She loves school, and has many friends in her class. She also adores her teacher, and I think the feeling is mutual. Amy is a fantastic reader, and she's a math whiz. When she has math homework that should take about 15 minutes to do, she whips it out (100% correct, I might add) in about 4 or 5 minutes. And she knows her math facts like the back of her hand.
She tells me she wants to be homeschooled for 2nd grade and go back to school for 3rd grade. Although the prospect of homeschooling her doesn't intimidate me, I'm not sure how I feel about the potential on-again/off-again relationship with the public school because although I found a curriculum I really love (more on that later), it doesn't match the education offered in school. So, at this point, I don't know. I'll just have to do a lot of thinking and praying about it before I decide. In the meantime, I am making an extra effort to spend some special time just with Amy, since she's the one I see the least. And I really miss her sometimes.
Amy did inform me the other day that she "wanted to go to culinary school so that someday I can be on 'Cupcake Wars'." She already loves to cook, and I think she would be an amazing chef!
Sadie
Sadie is still mostly enjoying preschool. There's another girl in there who can be quite bossy, and Sadie does not respond well to that at all. She was preoccupied about it over the weekend, and I told her that it would be okay to tell this other girl, "Thank you, but I can handle myself." When I picked her up yesterday, she told me she couldn't remember what I told her she could say. I reminded her, but she woke up this morning with a "tummy ache" and didn't want to go to school. She seems to be feeling well enough to eat breakfast and run around, so I think her stomach pain is more from anxiety than bacteria.
As far as life outside of preschool, Sadie has lately enjoyed "doing crafts". Her favorite thing is stringing beads for necklaces and bracelets. She has great coordination and it keeps her attention for a long time (for a 4 year old, anyway). She and I also completed a Valentine ladybug foam house kit that I bought at Michaels. She did a lot of the "contruction" herself and it turned out really cute. Sadie also loves to help in the kitchen, especially when it involves the stove. (Yikes!)
Lucy
And finally, Lucy. Lucy has been doing really well at homeschooling. She has been very flexible in letting me noodle around with her schoolwork, until I finally stumbled upon a curriculum that I think works best for us. I was really feeling lost and without a sense of academic direction for a few weeks. I was worried that I wasn't providing her with the education I thought she needed (read: what they're offering at school). I had originally looked at the "virtual school" option last summer, and it just didn't feel right to me. I think it works well for many, many families (I know 3 who are going this route for now), but it has never seemed like a good fit for me.
I almost gave up and contacted one virtual school for some details about their program, but before I did that, I forged on a little longer looking for SOMETHING. And I found it! I wanted something less stuffy than the "classical education", but more structured than "unschooling". Something that focused on learning through literature (including history), and also addressed music, art, and handiwork. I wanted an authentic learning environment, and not a school-at-home re-creation. The Charlotte Mason model is the perfect fit for us. And what's great is that Lucy can work fairly independently on much of it. What I will change for next fall, however, is I will definitely purchase a good math curriculum. I've been teaching her myself, and she responds well to that, but I worry that there will be holes in her mathematic knowledge. I also worry that I'm not on-par with what her peers are learning in math at school. Maybe I need to let that go.
In other Lucy news, she's auditioning for the upcoming Tacoma Youth Theatre productions. She is VERY excited, and Saturday can't come soon enough!
More soon.
Tuesday, January 8, 2013
"We Want the Nice Mom Back!"
Every now and then, Mean Mom makes a visit to our family. She usually issues edicts such as:
"From now on, each of you will do exactly as I say exactly when I say to do it, or you will find yourself in bed 15 minutes earlier."
She is trying to sound in control and authoritarian, but instead she just sounds silly. And she makes my children cry, and beg for Nice Mom to return.
I tell my kids that Mean Mom wouldn't even show up if Nice Mom could say for example, "[insert child's name here], please get your shoes and socks on right now." and then said child would happily go without complaint or stalling to retrieve the socks and shoes and quickly put them on, thereby ensuring that Nice Mom wouldn't sound like an increasingly angry and tired broken record, we would be on time for school, and Nice Mom would harbor feelings of contentment and goodwill toward the charges in her care.
Instead, Nice Mom asks for things to be done, and on the rare occasion that the children actually turn their heads and look at Nice Mom to acknowledge that her request was indeed heard, what usually happens is the request goes unfilled. Nice Mom repeats herself. Request still unfilled. Nice Mom gets busy doing something else, then remembers that the task is still incomplete. Nice Mom asks again. It may or may not happen.
Nice Mom gets treated to the sound of her own voice for several weeks, and then Mean Mom decides that Nice Mom has had enough.
Mean Mom has many tricks up her sleeve. They include things like threatening to bag up and give away any toys left on the floor in the bedroom, threatening to exert control over every aspect of the children's lives--what they wear, what they eat, what they can play with and when, or threatening to give them chores that will take them from after dinner to bedtime to complete. (More crying, and lots of "That's not fair!" ring through the house.)
And then somewhere during the day, Nice Mom gets a small break, and things go back to the way they were before (if you need a clue, go back and read from the word "Instead..." over and over and over again.)
This whole scenario happened this morning. I'm not sure if I woke up this way, or it's a holdover from last night's disastrous attempt at Family Home Evening. What should have taken no more than 6 minutes took over 40 minutes because of insipid interruptions, the inability to sit still and quietly for the 3 page picture scripture story, and continuing to engage in behavior that Mom and Dad had asked several time to cease and desist.
I'm not mad at my kids. But I am tired. I'm tired of saying things more than once and then have to ask myself if I actually said them out loud. I'm tired of things taking longer than they should. I'm tired of not being able to have a simple 5-minute conversation with my spouse without less than 10 interruptions by well-meaning children who insist that if they don't tell me RIGHT NOW, they will forget.
I don't want my children to fear me, and yet, I do. Does that make sense? I REALLY want them to do what I ask when I ask because they love and respect me, and they know that I never really ask them to do things that are too hard or take a long time, and they do it because there's a bigger plan than just the task at hand. But I'm to the point that in the absence of those things, I'll take fear.
Maybe I just need to get Mean Mom and Nice Mom together for a staff meeting. There has to be a way for both Moms to exist at the same time.
"From now on, each of you will do exactly as I say exactly when I say to do it, or you will find yourself in bed 15 minutes earlier."
She is trying to sound in control and authoritarian, but instead she just sounds silly. And she makes my children cry, and beg for Nice Mom to return.
I tell my kids that Mean Mom wouldn't even show up if Nice Mom could say for example, "[insert child's name here], please get your shoes and socks on right now." and then said child would happily go without complaint or stalling to retrieve the socks and shoes and quickly put them on, thereby ensuring that Nice Mom wouldn't sound like an increasingly angry and tired broken record, we would be on time for school, and Nice Mom would harbor feelings of contentment and goodwill toward the charges in her care.
Instead, Nice Mom asks for things to be done, and on the rare occasion that the children actually turn their heads and look at Nice Mom to acknowledge that her request was indeed heard, what usually happens is the request goes unfilled. Nice Mom repeats herself. Request still unfilled. Nice Mom gets busy doing something else, then remembers that the task is still incomplete. Nice Mom asks again. It may or may not happen.
Nice Mom gets treated to the sound of her own voice for several weeks, and then Mean Mom decides that Nice Mom has had enough.
Mean Mom has many tricks up her sleeve. They include things like threatening to bag up and give away any toys left on the floor in the bedroom, threatening to exert control over every aspect of the children's lives--what they wear, what they eat, what they can play with and when, or threatening to give them chores that will take them from after dinner to bedtime to complete. (More crying, and lots of "That's not fair!" ring through the house.)
And then somewhere during the day, Nice Mom gets a small break, and things go back to the way they were before (if you need a clue, go back and read from the word "Instead..." over and over and over again.)
This whole scenario happened this morning. I'm not sure if I woke up this way, or it's a holdover from last night's disastrous attempt at Family Home Evening. What should have taken no more than 6 minutes took over 40 minutes because of insipid interruptions, the inability to sit still and quietly for the 3 page picture scripture story, and continuing to engage in behavior that Mom and Dad had asked several time to cease and desist.
I'm not mad at my kids. But I am tired. I'm tired of saying things more than once and then have to ask myself if I actually said them out loud. I'm tired of things taking longer than they should. I'm tired of not being able to have a simple 5-minute conversation with my spouse without less than 10 interruptions by well-meaning children who insist that if they don't tell me RIGHT NOW, they will forget.
I don't want my children to fear me, and yet, I do. Does that make sense? I REALLY want them to do what I ask when I ask because they love and respect me, and they know that I never really ask them to do things that are too hard or take a long time, and they do it because there's a bigger plan than just the task at hand. But I'm to the point that in the absence of those things, I'll take fear.
Maybe I just need to get Mean Mom and Nice Mom together for a staff meeting. There has to be a way for both Moms to exist at the same time.
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