( Summer is winding down, and although I've been digging in my heels and kicking and screaming about it, I have to face reality. School is just around the corner for us. We are squeezing every last drop out of summer. The vacations are over, the garden is pouring forth goodness, and the locusts starting their singing. The school room is starting to look like a school room again, instead of a craft area/dumping station. And yes, this begins my 9th year of home schooling my kids!!! And I can't help but reflect...)
Nine years ago we started the adventure of teaching our children at home. I was due with Baby #4, we felt like this was probably our least stressful option, and we were planning to try it for a year.
This began a season of our lives that would turn our world upside down. And I am forever grateful.
It was hard. Man, it was really hard! It felt like I willingly embraced loneliness, hard, and crazy, all in that one decision.
But looking back, there are a lot of things I wish I had known then. And so this is for you, new home schooling mom, who is terrified of what lies before you.
Obviously, home school is not the only education option out there. Assuming you already feel pretty certain that God has called you to this, I am here to encourage you. You'll want to remember that calling frequently, when you are in the trenches, so to speak.
You don't have to be super-mom.
Yes, you are the housekeeper, boo-boo kisser, laundry lady, cook, and now the teacher too. You don't have to get it all right every time. Give yourself grace, lots of grace. This is a season of your life, one of the toughest, so cut yourself lots of slack.
You will be very lonely at times.
This one really stinks, because why in the world would I willingly embrace loneliness? It's okay to feel lonely. Sometimes you will feel lonely because you simply cannot add one more thing to your life. Other times you will feel lonely because your friends get together for play dates and coffee, in the morning, and you are at home, doing school. So you're going to feel out of the loop at times. I hope you find at least one friend who gets you, who you can connect with occasionally and be encouraged. But remember, you are making sacrifices now to build and maintain relationships with your children. Someday these sacrifices will feel small. I promise.
What if I'm not capable of teaching my child?
I have to smile over this question now, but it was reality at one time in my life. It's not as hard as you might think to teach your child. Make a plan, and stick to it, but be flexible. Does that make sense? Our plan is school every morning, 5 days a week, from the middle of August to the end of April. Have we ever strayed from the schedule? Yes, of course. We take 2 weeks off every Christmas. We take off if something comes up....but it has to be pretty important.
Your children will all learn differently. Your main job is to teach them to love learning and show them how to pursue it.
What if my kids aren't as smart as other kids their age?
Again, the beautiful thing about home school is that your child can learn at their pace and their level. They don't have to be compared to 15 other first graders and be given a label. We make a big deal here at our house about having different gifts and abilities. We have all kinds here in our family of 4. I think God had a real sense of humor when he was handing out personalities to my kids. I remember on the very same day, one of my children weeping and wailing because they got a 98 on a test, while that child's sibling was so happy that they received an 80 and wouldn't have to do it over.
How will I ever get my housework done?
First, you will lower your standards.
Second, the phrase 'spring and fall cleaning' shall be removed from your vocabulary and even your mind.
Third, you will teach your children to help you.
I read somewhere years ago, that if you are feeling overwhelmed with your housework, you need to teach your children to do more to help out. I remember feeling so completely overwhelmed with my dirty house, looking around and saying, "What could my children be doing to help?"
My boys at ages 6 and 7, would clean the bathroom every Wednesday. It wasn't perfect, but cut some of the dirt until I could do it "right" on Saturday. We would all help each other clean upstairs on Thursday afternoons after the little ones napped. The main floor got cleaned Friday or Saturday. My children gathered and sorted laundry, dusted and swept their rooms, made their beds, and hung up their pj's.
How can I make our home an atmosphere conducive for learning?
Books, books, books. We invested in Uncle Arthur's Bible story books and a set of the World Book Encyclopedias. I have a secret addiction to buying books off of Amazon or at garage sales or thrift stores. We have books bursting out the seams of our house. My husband has moved more bookshelves in this house than any other piece of furniture. (Bless his heart!) Sometimes Leon gets the atlas out, and shows the children where he dreams of taking us on our next family vacation. Put up maps and talk about foreign lands. Read, read, read to your children, even after they can read themselves.
And here I am, nine years later, and I am so very grateful to God for leading us to home school our kids. Every sacrifice was so worth it. We have pursued relationships with our children and watched it pay off. There were times of intense struggle that I won't go into, times of wanting to quit and send them to the very closest school that would take them, times of being misunderstood by family or friends.
Remember, God gives strength for each day. He's got your back. And He loves your children even more than you do. You got this, girl. Put your chin up and carry on.
I'm here, cheering you on.
Showing posts with label homeschooling. Show all posts
Showing posts with label homeschooling. Show all posts
Thursday, August 4, 2016
Monday, May 9, 2016
Growing Kids, Turning 40, and Loving My Life
The last number of months have been full of lots of living....ordinary moments sandwiched in between some pretty amazing stuff.
Our kids grow and change and learn new responsibilities, yet in many ways, my days flow from one to the next and can feel rather mundane.
On February 28, Logan turned 14. Soon after his birthday, he got his permit...and took driver's ed....and now has his official paper from his driving instructor waiting in our safe, until time to get his school permit this fall.
He also grew about 4 inches this past year and every now and then, as I look up to him, I wonder just where in the world the time has gone.
Leon and I took our annual weekend away the first part of March. This time we got a hotel close to home. The children stayed at home and the boys did all the chores. Leon's brother and wife spent the nights with our kids. It was a delightful weekend away. We took one, poor-quality picture the whole weekend.
Life has had a lot of ordinary moments, as well. If a cowgirl emptying the dishwasher is ordinary.
And the 9 year old learns to cook...
And then I turned 40! What a birthday! My sisters from MO and TX (almost) surprised me for the weekend. Leon got a hotel room for us for a night, and we also spent time with the rest of the family. It was a very, very special weekend and I felt very loved and celebrated.
And then one night some friends showed up in costume and kidnapped me for the evening. Pedicures, riding the carousel, and a delicious meal....
Turning 40 isn't so bad...
Easter weekend we had plans of going fishing, but the weather wasn't cooperating. Leon suggested making donuts.....and I said, "Only if you help."
And he did a great job of frying them all....
Our wonderful taste-tester stopped by to see if they were edible.....he usually smells donuts from miles away.
Easter Sunday traditional photo-
And we planted garden....
The girls and I went to the Tulip Festival in Pella with my Mom and some more family....
Our kids grow and change and learn new responsibilities, yet in many ways, my days flow from one to the next and can feel rather mundane.
I spent much of my winter taking my boys to basketball practice and watching their games. I absolutely love watching them play and improve and learn real-life lessons from the game of basketball. I am so proud to be their Mother.
We all went to an Iowa basketball game for Logan's birthday.
Life has had a lot of ordinary moments, as well. If a cowgirl emptying the dishwasher is ordinary.
Easter weekend we had plans of going fishing, but the weather wasn't cooperating. Leon suggested making donuts.....and I said, "Only if you help."
Our first campfire for the year-
Our first hike at the reservoir for this year-
AND WE FINISHED SCHOOL!!!!!!!!!!!!
Yesterday was Mother's Day.....
I was thoroughly spoiled. Lunch at Red Lobster with the family, a nice, long walk alone, movie and popcorn last evening, and The Pioneer Woman's lovely red dishes from Wal-mart!!
The last several months I've been doing a lot of reflecting on where I am in life right now compared to my life oh, say, 5 years ago. In the area of our children alone, we are in quite a different stage. I find it super exciting, to watch them grow and change and mature, but it also means a shift in parenting, and I'm not always doing so well in that. Leon often (gently) reminds me that they aren't 4 years old anymore, and I need that reminder. Honestly, I love, love this stage but it also has its challenges.
One of the best things that's happened in the recent months is the healing of my own heart and the way God has led me to walk through some past pain in order to experience freedom. I am seeing his promise of Restoration for the year 2016 come true.
As for this blog, well, I am praying that God would give me my voice back, so to speak, to be able to write again. So far, it has felt safer to keep a journal of sorts for our family's adventures and day-to-day living. And we'll see where God takes it from there.
Happy, happy spring! It's a delightful time of the year!
Tuesday, August 11, 2015
It's The Week Before School Starts....
...and all through this place,
this Mom is racing,
It's like running a race.
There's a school room to clean,
and books to arrange,
She's finding things
In places that are strange.
The cobwebs must leave,
The windows get scrubbed,
The stains will come out,
If we rub, rub, rub, rub.
The tomatoes need canning,
The beans need to be picked,
As for those weeds,
They'll all get licked.
The book work must be caught up,
She promised her man,
And if she accomplishes it,
He'll be her biggest fan.
The living room needs
A deep cleaning too,
The furniture must surely
Get moved around too.
The ceiling fans
Haven't been cleaned for so long,
The only way through that,
Is by singing a song.
The kids have been hired,
To clean out the cupboards,
30 bucks later,
The job is covered.
And then there's this annual
Mom's Day Out in town,
Where this mom just shops
And takes time to sit down,
A pedicure, manicure,
Spoiled to the core,
Eating her lunch,
That she didn't work for.
Planning a schedule
To accomplish the most,
Preparing for school,
This Mom loves that the most.
Excitement is high,
We're all ready to learn,
To increase our knowledge,
For wisdom we yearn.
Only with God,
Will we make it through,
The hard days, the fun ones,
The silly ones too.
There's really nothing
I'd rather do,
Than homeschool my kids,
And stay at home, too.
Happy 2015-2016 school year to you!
this Mom is racing,
It's like running a race.
There's a school room to clean,
and books to arrange,
She's finding things
In places that are strange.
The cobwebs must leave,
The windows get scrubbed,
The stains will come out,
If we rub, rub, rub, rub.
The tomatoes need canning,
The beans need to be picked,
As for those weeds,
They'll all get licked.
The book work must be caught up,
She promised her man,
And if she accomplishes it,
He'll be her biggest fan.
The living room needs
A deep cleaning too,
The furniture must surely
Get moved around too.
The ceiling fans
Haven't been cleaned for so long,
The only way through that,
Is by singing a song.
The kids have been hired,
To clean out the cupboards,
30 bucks later,
The job is covered.
And then there's this annual
Mom's Day Out in town,
Where this mom just shops
And takes time to sit down,
A pedicure, manicure,
Spoiled to the core,
Eating her lunch,
That she didn't work for.
Planning a schedule
To accomplish the most,
Preparing for school,
This Mom loves that the most.
Excitement is high,
We're all ready to learn,
To increase our knowledge,
For wisdom we yearn.
Only with God,
Will we make it through,
The hard days, the fun ones,
The silly ones too.
There's really nothing
I'd rather do,
Than homeschool my kids,
And stay at home, too.
Happy 2015-2016 school year to you!
Monday, May 11, 2015
Just a Peek ....
...into our lives.
We finished up school, all 168 days of it, and I breathed a deep sigh of relief and gratitude and even a bit of I-almost-can't-believe-it's-been-seven-years-of-educating-our-children-at-home....all kinds of feelings going on here.
We wrapped up school with a wild and crazy morning, walked out the door, and didn't look back for a week. I cautiously entered the room a week later, and cleaned, and sorted, and organized, then ordered all my curriculum for next year, and now we have a quiet school room, which appears to be the most peaceful room in the house. Don't be fooled! This little room, painted aqua, to encourage peaceful learning, has housed most every kind of emotion out there. We've laughed a lot, cried at times, and increased our academic abilities too. We've learned kindness and perseverance along the way, and talked about real and messy and Jesus and forgiveness. It is a hallowed spot at times, and total chaos at other times.
But I love my job of being a home-school-stay-at-home mom and I wouldn't trade it for anything.
****************************************************
We had such lovely weather the week we finished up school, and the garden was begging to be planted, so we all headed out there and got that project taken care of. It is such therapy for me to work in the soil on lovely spring days!
****************************************************
The girls have been working so hard preparing for their home school choir's production of Rats! and we enjoyed their performance so much!
******************************************************
We are also in the throes of preparing for our youth group mission trip to Nicaragua in June, so one weekend in April found us grilling 1000 lbs. of chicken and selling meals on a donation basis.
Last weekend we put on a volleyball fundraiser and hosted 16 teams for a tournament. Have I ever told you how much I detest fundraising? I'll keep that to myself.
However, God has done some amazing things for us in the area of finances and it's not a coincidence to have your plane tickets drop $80 a ticket or have anonymous gifts of $1000 towards the trip.
*****************************************************
Immediately after school was out, the boys went on a 24 hour 'survival' camp-out with their friend Lucas. They took bare necessities with them and no food. Leon put a rooster in a cage and replicated a pheasant nest with 2 dozen real eggs in it, and they had to find the food and prepare it. This included butchering the chicken. Leon snuck back during the night and left MRE's (military meals) for them also. It was an experience they won't ever forget and I was quite proud of them!
******************************************************
On May the 5th, we recognized the 30th anniversary of my dad's death. It is surreal to think that it has actually been that long. We made a little time to go to the graveyard and remember the grandpa that my children never got to meet.
***************************************************** We had plans for lunch on Mother's Day, but in the evening we enjoyed supper out and a lovely walk downtown. I was just made to realize once again how blessed I am, that I get the privilege of being a Mom.
Life is heavy at times with questions and disappointments and broken dreams. I believe that God wants to prosper us and pour out His blessings on our lives. I've come to discover that it's ok to ask God "Why?". But at the end of the day, it's about trust. Trust, no matter what. Today, I choose {once again} to trust. Even when it doesn't make sense. And I am filled with peace.
"Rejoice in the Lord always, again I will say, Rejoice. Let your gentle spirit be known to all men. The Lord is near. Be anxious for nothing, but in everything by prayer and supplication with thanksgiving let your requests be made known to God. And the peace of God, which surpasses all comprehension, will guard your hearts and your minds in Christ Jesus." Phil. 4:4-7
We finished up school, all 168 days of it, and I breathed a deep sigh of relief and gratitude and even a bit of I-almost-can't-believe-it's-been-seven-years-of-educating-our-children-at-home....all kinds of feelings going on here.
We wrapped up school with a wild and crazy morning, walked out the door, and didn't look back for a week. I cautiously entered the room a week later, and cleaned, and sorted, and organized, then ordered all my curriculum for next year, and now we have a quiet school room, which appears to be the most peaceful room in the house. Don't be fooled! This little room, painted aqua, to encourage peaceful learning, has housed most every kind of emotion out there. We've laughed a lot, cried at times, and increased our academic abilities too. We've learned kindness and perseverance along the way, and talked about real and messy and Jesus and forgiveness. It is a hallowed spot at times, and total chaos at other times.
But I love my job of being a home-school-stay-at-home mom and I wouldn't trade it for anything.
****************************************************
We had such lovely weather the week we finished up school, and the garden was begging to be planted, so we all headed out there and got that project taken care of. It is such therapy for me to work in the soil on lovely spring days!
****************************************************
The girls have been working so hard preparing for their home school choir's production of Rats! and we enjoyed their performance so much!
We are also in the throes of preparing for our youth group mission trip to Nicaragua in June, so one weekend in April found us grilling 1000 lbs. of chicken and selling meals on a donation basis.
Last weekend we put on a volleyball fundraiser and hosted 16 teams for a tournament. Have I ever told you how much I detest fundraising? I'll keep that to myself.
However, God has done some amazing things for us in the area of finances and it's not a coincidence to have your plane tickets drop $80 a ticket or have anonymous gifts of $1000 towards the trip.
*****************************************************
Immediately after school was out, the boys went on a 24 hour 'survival' camp-out with their friend Lucas. They took bare necessities with them and no food. Leon put a rooster in a cage and replicated a pheasant nest with 2 dozen real eggs in it, and they had to find the food and prepare it. This included butchering the chicken. Leon snuck back during the night and left MRE's (military meals) for them also. It was an experience they won't ever forget and I was quite proud of them!
****************************************************
The girls enjoyed a picnic in the dandelions while the boys were camping.
On May the 5th, we recognized the 30th anniversary of my dad's death. It is surreal to think that it has actually been that long. We made a little time to go to the graveyard and remember the grandpa that my children never got to meet.
***************************************************** We had plans for lunch on Mother's Day, but in the evening we enjoyed supper out and a lovely walk downtown. I was just made to realize once again how blessed I am, that I get the privilege of being a Mom.
"Rejoice in the Lord always, again I will say, Rejoice. Let your gentle spirit be known to all men. The Lord is near. Be anxious for nothing, but in everything by prayer and supplication with thanksgiving let your requests be made known to God. And the peace of God, which surpasses all comprehension, will guard your hearts and your minds in Christ Jesus." Phil. 4:4-7
Saturday, February 28, 2015
Winter Daze
Honestly, it's starting to feel like the winter is just never going to end, and one very cold day fades right into the next. But.it.can't.be.much.longer. It's almost March and March means SPRING....or not. This is Iowa after all.
I used to take a lot of pictures of my children when they were all little bitty things running around here and doing their cute stuff. Alas, I often forget to take pictures of their half grown cute selves these days, but don't worry, the camera is still well-loved. They are the ones behind the camera now instead of me. And I delete many pictures and deal with dead batteries all the time. The latest rage is video clips, and lots of them. Sometimes I just can't believe what I find on my camera that was 'photo worthy'!
Brooklyn is reading and reading and reading these days!
For Christmas, we gave the boys a model of an engine. Leon had almost more fun than the boys did, putting this thing together and explaining all the parts to them, one cold, snowy evening.
Jamison and Annika are digging behind the dryer for 'lost' items. Every item they retrieve has a cash prize of 10 cents so it's pretty exciting for them.
The girls and their pets......
We got 10 baby lambs for the children to bottle feed. They have a love/hate relationship with these little guys. But everyone agrees that they are soooo cute!
We went to see the newest little family member last weekend. Oh my! What a beautiful little girl and just the perfect size! We didn't want to leave her!
I found this sign on the girl's bedroom door.
Since becoming chicken farmers, we now have lots and lots of eggs to pack each day. Annika took a photo of the eggs on the conveyor belt.
And last but not least, today we are celebrating Logan's birthday! We are now officially parent's of a teenager! He's been a bit under the weather and so we are holding off on his steak dinner until tomorrow, in hopes that his appetite will be back to normal.
21 more days till Spring starts! Hang in there!
I used to take a lot of pictures of my children when they were all little bitty things running around here and doing their cute stuff. Alas, I often forget to take pictures of their half grown cute selves these days, but don't worry, the camera is still well-loved. They are the ones behind the camera now instead of me. And I delete many pictures and deal with dead batteries all the time. The latest rage is video clips, and lots of them. Sometimes I just can't believe what I find on my camera that was 'photo worthy'!
Brooklyn is reading and reading and reading these days!
We celebrated our 100th day of school with a family picnic on the living room floor. It was a wild day in which Leon and I dashed off for a tax appointment soon after this photo was taken. Several years ago, we surprised the children with a night out at a hotel with a water slide for our 100th day of school and let's just say, every year since, they are a wee bit disappointed when that special day doesn't bring with it an extravagant celebration.
For Christmas, we gave the boys a model of an engine. Leon had almost more fun than the boys did, putting this thing together and explaining all the parts to them, one cold, snowy evening.
Jamison and Annika are digging behind the dryer for 'lost' items. Every item they retrieve has a cash prize of 10 cents so it's pretty exciting for them.
The girls and their pets......
We got 10 baby lambs for the children to bottle feed. They have a love/hate relationship with these little guys. But everyone agrees that they are soooo cute!
Leon installed my microwave over the stove this week!!!! This has been on my 'honey-do' list for awhile, so I am thrilled to have it done.
We went to see the newest little family member last weekend. Oh my! What a beautiful little girl and just the perfect size! We didn't want to leave her!
I found this sign on the girl's bedroom door.
And last but not least, today we are celebrating Logan's birthday! We are now officially parent's of a teenager! He's been a bit under the weather and so we are holding off on his steak dinner until tomorrow, in hopes that his appetite will be back to normal.
21 more days till Spring starts! Hang in there!
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