Eli is a big boy!

Today is a big day in our house. Eli's crib/toddler bed was taken out and a new big boy bed was brought in. He's been running around saying he's a big boy now!!! He's so proud!
We also had a visit from Katie's E.S. (the teacher who checks our progress in homeschooling every month!). Mrs. Caroline has a 6 month old named Jack. Jack loves Eli. He watches Eli and laughs at Eli. Today I asked Eli if he thinks we should have another baby in our family. He looked at me and smiled and shook his head no. I asked why and he said "I'm your baby. Me and Belle. You don't need more."
So, my baby is a big boy now, but still wants to be my baby! I love that boy!!!

PS His new bedding is gray, black and red and says "Rock Star" with red guitars all over. And since he got a new bed, we got Katie new bedding as well. Her bed comforter is black with bright embroidered peace signs all over. Both sets of bedding is TOTALLY them! I'll send pictures when I can load them on to the blog site!

My Musings on Homeschooling the Parent

Homeschooling has been a strange journey for me. I brought my child home because she was about to drown in the 30 child classroom. I saw she needed more one on one than they could possibly give. I spent the first year working on figuring where she really was, getting her caught up and getting a schedule that worked for all of us. This year she is mostly caught up and now we are getting into really interesting information.

I have learned so much information that I had no idea about. For instance, Mesopotamia means between the rivers and hippopotamus means river horse. I've also learned why chicken eggs are different colors and that a platypus is a mammal even though they lay eggs. Those are mostly useless, yet interesting, items to know, but I've also learned new grammar things. For instance, you can sit down but you set something down. I can't sit a baby in her crib, I set her in her crib. I can sit on the couch or I can set myself down on a couch. This is news to me.

I have also learned things about myself on this journey. I am not very predictable. I don't like doing the same thing everyday. I like mixing things up. I don't mind reading everyday, but does it have to be at the same time in the same place everyday?

More importantly, I've learned that I haven't dealt with all the pain my undiagnosed dyslexia had caused me in my childhood. I wanted to do good in school and be smart, but struggled with my reading so much it was impossible. Everyone thought I was being lazy and just not doing my school work to reflect my ability. Truth was, I had no idea what was going on most of the time and was just able to "perform" to the teachers liking in class. I see this in my daughter and it scares me. So, I am having to deal with my own pain issues as I teach my daughter that she is smart and I see her trying hard too! I, to this day, hate reading out loud. It's hard to do for a dyslexic. My daughter wants me to read to her all the time and I struggle (even with kids books, I'm afraid) but this too is a lesson for my daughter. She can see that a woman can be successful and still struggle with a reading difference. I think she's not going to struggle as I have. And I pray she never feels the pain of not feeling good enough as she gets older!

I know homeschooling was the right thing to do for my daughter. I have a feeling it'll be good for my son. But now I can see that homeschooling was great for the mother! Praise God I obeyed and brought Katie home for school!

Perseverance

One of the great joys in my life is when my kids actually enjoy conquering a hard task at school.
Today, Eli asked to do school. He asks to do school often, but I am usually so busy with "real" school with Katie that I give him something easy like cutting and pasting or mazes. But today I decided he needed a challenge. I gave him a dot to dot book for five year olds. It was HARD. He cried and fussed, but then when he figured it out and completed the page he did a happy dance and asked to do it again!
Katie has always struggled with writing/reading/grammar. Today we were talking about nouns ("A noun is the name of a person, place, thing or idea."). To solidify the rule I pulled out an old magazine and told her she had 15 minutes to find as many pictures of nouns as she can and paste them on the page. She is giggling and searching. I hear her saying quietly to her self "a noun is the name of a person, place, thing or idea...yep, this is a noun." She is having fun learning and she will REALLY know this definition by the end of the day!
My children are finding school a challenge, but are learning to persevere. I am finding homeschooling and housework and being a mom, wife, friend is a challenge, but I am being encouraged to persevere. It reminds me of the verse found in Hebrews 10:36...You need to persevere so that when you have done the will of God, you will receive what he has promised.
We all have something we need to persevere in. What challenge are you facing today? Remember, the Lord promises great blessings if you fight through!

Super Powers

Katie has decided to keep her brother entertained while they do chores by making everything about a super power. She got him to clean his room in record time. She got him to help her take the laundry downstairs by saying they were evil villains and needed to be rounded up and put into the "jail" or laundry basket! He keeps saying his code name is "Super Fick Fop". We're not sure what that means, but that is what he wants his name to be. Well, Katie couldn't get her mouth to say it so she said "OK, well, I'm just going to call you FRED". When I noticed him doing the potty dance she told him to go sit on the "super throne" so he can get further instructions. She then stood outside of the bathroom and made up "missions" to do. Now, that their chores are done, she has him doing her bidding. She got him to get her a drink and put her toys away. Katie really is amazing with the preschool set when she wants to be! I love that girl!

Katie and Eli

One of the great parts of homeschooling is setting our own schedule. Sometimes we have a slow starting morning or a super busy afternoon and we set the schedule accordingly. Well, this is one of those slow mornings. The kids decided to just play while they waited for mom to get her act together. As they were playing they were doing real life math. They were sorting according to size. When they realized there were too many small and not enough big to be fair. Then they sorted by color and realized there were way too many groups to be fair. Next they decided to count. They counted 30 toys (I know, they have way too many toys) and Katie said, "I think that is an even number. Lets take turns taking one and see how many we each get!" So they each took one then another than another. Then Katie said, "lets count and be sure we have the same number." They counted to 15 (well, Eli had to have some help at #12, but she helped him and I stayed still, eavesdropping!). Then Katie says, "Mom, did you know that 15 plus 15 equals 30?" Home-school math at it's best!

As they were playing and learning together I couldn't help but think of John's writing in 1John 4:20-21. He writes:

If someone says, "I love God," and hates his brother, he is a liar; for the one who does not love his brother whom he has seen, cannot love

God whom he has not seen. And this commandment we have from Him, that the one who loves God should love his brother also.

There is nothing better than when my kids are enjoying each other. I don't just want them to get along, but I want them to enjoy each other. As they grow, I am treasuring these times in my heart and praying their love for one another never grows dim. Because their love for one another is a direct reflection of their love for and relationship with God!

Out Smarted by a Four Year Old....ALMOST!

So, my son is now 4. He is very smart. Today he has begun trying to used words to trick me. The main one went like this...

M: Did you want to go swimming today?

E: Yep. I can go swimming today?

M: yep.

E: I didn't poop in the pool?

M nope, you didn't so you can swim today.

E: Cool. I can poop in the pool today.

M: Yep, you can...wait...you can swim. You can't ever poop in the pool.

E: Gotcha mom. I was just jokin'...

Another one was...

M: Didn't we tell you no throwing things down the stairs?

E: Yes. I didn't throw it down.

M: How did it get down here then?

E: I rolled it.

M:Rolled it?

E: Yep, rolled it...it's not throwing!

M: OK No rolling things down the stairs, bring it down with your hands.

E: Can we talk about this? It's easier to roll it! (Big cheesy smile to try to win me over).

M: You should be a lawyer.

E: I am not a liar!...

What will it be like when he's a teenager?

Drug Problem

Drugged by my parents