|
Alot has happened in that time frame. We are expecting our 3rd child sometime between now and Sept 9. It's a girl and we are really excited to meet her. Devan especially. He insisted that we name her Aimee..lol so Aimee she'll be. We just started our 2nd year of homeschooling with Devan. He seems to be taking to it rather well so far. However, we've only been at it for 5 days so we'll see how long it lasts. Also, with the new baby coming soon I'm sure that will have an effect on how school goes. We will just take it day by day and do the best we can. We are still using WP Animals & Their Worlds. We only got through Week 8 last year due to alot of different reasons. The most part being the transition from public school to homeschool. He needed to deschool for a while and now seems to be alot more cooperative. I also haven't felt like blogging much do to depression and a feeling of being overwhelmed. Seems like it takes all that I have just to get through the day and there is nothing left for anything else such as blogging. I am feeling better though and really miss being involved in the WP and AS yahoo groups that I belong to and the blogging community. Hopefully I will have the energy to keep up with it this time as I know what a valuable resource it can be if only just a place to vent and record information that I can look back on. Anyway...enough rambling...I need a nap! haha.... |
|
It's been close to a month since my last entry. I've had a lot on my mind and I must admit I have let alot of things go lately. I got tired of fighting with my son to do his work over the past three weeks and decided to take a break. Come to find out he was fighting a sinus infection and that contributed to his crankiness and downright refusal to do school. I'm hoping that come Monday, he will be feeling better and we will be able to get back to regular learning. I'm trying to eliminate the word school from our vocabulary because when he hears it he goes into defiant mode. I think learning is the more appropriate word anyway. We are learners for life not just adolescent years so why not call it what it is. I don't think my son has an aversion to learning, just the word school and I can't say as I blame him considering what we went through last year. As hard or stressful as this "home learning" may be, I thank the Lord everyday for giving me the wisdom to know what to do and choose home!
|
|
I posted awhile back about making changes in my life. Here is an update on those:
1. delegating household chores...I can't do it all I delegate some but don't stick with it so the kids know this and take advantage of course.
2. exercise. Did Walk Away the pounds for about 10 min the other day, banged my heel on the coffee table, quit and went to my room to lick my wound and cry. 3. healthier food choices by starting the WW core program. I haven't started the WW program, but I did choose a bowl of oatmeal for a snack instead of the vanilla ice cream with peanut butter sauce that I was really craving. Also I'm up 12 pds 4. getting organized in my home HA..DOUBLE HA! 5. not putting my feelings aside for someone else (unless it's my kids) tried this with hubby, he didn't speak to me for 2 days. 6. getting more sleep I wish! 7. adopt and stick to a daily routine lovely idea in theory 8. take one night a week for myself to do what I need to for me what was I thinking, I'm lucky to get to have time for myself in the bathroom! 9. giving more family responsibilitiy to my husband. see 5. 10. stop trying to please everyone. doing okay with this one, could still use some improvement though.
At least ds's school is going okay. I think he is learning alot even though he whines and complains. Oh well, I do that too so I guess we are even!
Alot of the time though I feel like a failure. Seems like I have all these good ideas, but I don't follow through. I see what all the other homeschool moms are doing on the forums and blogs that I visit and I think what a bad teacher, mother I am and that I am doing a disservice to my son. I know it is just insecurity, but it can be overwhelming sometimes. I won't give up though. I enjoy what we do I just think I should be doing more. Sigh.....
If I could just get organized! I'm gonna work on that this weekend. Hopefully, I'll make some progress.
|
according to my scale here at home! 
Posted in General
|
It's been a while since I last wrote here. Life can be so hectic. I'm struggling with keeping up with everything, but I wouldn't trade my life for anything. I love being a SAHM and teacher to my son. I've not felt more at peace in such a long time.
We are progressing with the Animal Worlds. I'm gonna have to try to be more diligent with trying to keep him on task, or sneak learning in. I was hoping that he would be so interested in the curriculum that he would want to do school work. However, he is doing everything in his power to avoid it on most days. I'm just gonna have to focus and put all my energies into making it interesting for him. There were too many distractions last week and there was no school yesterday or today so I have my daughter home and my niece here today which provide very good distractions for him. However, the girls did help and got him to do his math and handwriting at least. They did science yesterday with him and learned about measuring and baked a cake as a project. I need to take a dig pic of that by the way to put in his folder. (note to self) haha. It was orange cake with vanilla frosting..YUM!
I'm considering purchasing a laptop for Christmas so that he can utilize the educational computer games he has. It is alot more comfy to sit on the couch with a book than at a table and I thought it would be the same for the computer. Maybe then he would use them more than his gamecube.
I'm mostly rambling now, so I guess I should go get the laundry out of the dryer and start a new load, not to mention the dishes on the counter waiting to be taken care of! I also need to go vote today! never enough hours in the day!
|
Posted in Our story
|
We are a family of four. My husband is a recruiter in the military and my daughter is a Freshman in High School this year. My son is in 2nd grade and is being homeschooled for the first time. I used to substitute teach before we decided to bring him home from ps and educate him ourselves. He has Asperger's Syndrome and had a really tough time in the ps environment.
Hubby and I have been married for 16 yrs. We were high school sweethearts and got married a year out of high school. He joined the military and we lived at Ft. Knox in Ky and Hunter Army Airfield in Savannah, GA. He loves his job and I like being a military wife most of the time, lol. It's not easy, but it is the profession at which he is the most happy and that works for me. I know I couldn't work a job and be productive at it if I didn't like it quite a bit. That is why teaching is the best job for me and there is no more important a pupil than my own child.
My daughter has always been in ps. Ds went to K and 1st grade, but really only received about half a year instruction in 1st. He spent most of his time in the guidance office for "bad behavior" which we have now come to realize was just a reaction to stimulation that he couldn't handle. The schools refused to believe it was more than a discipline issue. I'm glad they refused to accomodate really. I never would have embarked on this wonderful journey that is homeschooling had I not been "forced" into it. Had I known the rewards, I would have never sent either one of my children to ps.
We live in Ky, our hometown growing up. It is kind of rural. We don't have alot of resources like some of the big cities. That makes homeschooling a little more challenging, but we manage. All our family is here, hubby's and mine.
Hubby enjoys drag racing on the weekends in the summer. Ds enjoys swimming, video games, "gem" collecting (mostly rocks), and playing with his hotwheels. He also loves to be read to and enjoys going to the library like some would enjoy going to the movies. Dd is in dance in her school, and enjoys talking on the phone and hanging out with friends. She would like to do more of the latter via the internet, but I have found that it is best to limit that avenue of entertainment for her. It's like a drug, the more she gets, the more she wants of it. She is a wonderful daughter and a good help to me when she is not tormenting her brother! LOL I, myself,enjoy reading, researching on the internet and spending time with my family.
We don't belong to any church or particular faith, but we do believe in God and Jesus and thank Him for the wonderful blessings He has given us, being born and raised in America being one of the number one blessing bestowed upon us by Him.
We are really quite the ordinary American family I suppose. I think we could be alot more active physically, that is something we are going to work on in the future. Our house isn't the nicest, nor the cleanest, we don't have all the latest in modern technology, only got a cell phone in the last year or so, and we don't profess to be perfect. We are who we are and I look forward to sharing all our homeschool trials and triumphs with all the wonderful homeschoolers we have met online through blogs and forums. The support I have recieved is amazing and to think I haven't laid eyes on any of them! AMAZING!
|
|
We got our Winter Promise Animals and their Worlds curriculum in the mail last week. I absolutely love it! I wish I had ordered this in the beginning, we wouldn't be so behind if I had. The other program I had ordered was just not the right fit. I may try to use the history portion of it later on in the year if we have time. Devan was just not interested in it and school time was a nightmare. He is really excited about the science. I also ordered that and their LA2 program. We completed the weeks worth of LA, and plan on completing the rest of the regular program this coming week. It takes a little while to get the feel of the way things will work, but I think we should have all the kinks worked out by the end of next week. I HOPE!
We also got the Handwriting Without Tears program too. I plan on starting that with him on Monday. He hates to write, but does a fairly neat job. I scribe for him on some of his work, but plan to make him do some handwriting practice each day. I hope this works.
I just want to also add, that I love homeschooling so far. I'm so glad I chose to take it upon myself to educate my son. Who in the world knows him better than I? Noone, that's who. That is why I believe I am the best qualified person there is to teach him. Now I just need to keep reminding myself of this when I feel like running away! haha
|
|
It's almost 6 pm. Sunday. I have eaten a pint and a half of Haagen Daaz Sticky Toffee Pudding ice cream today and feel awful. I'm letting life stressors get to me and medicating myself with food and it has to stop. My focus this coming week is to organize my life and get my priorities straight. I'm going to quit being lax in taking care of me. I put myself aside for the benefit of everyone else and I'm going to have to change that mentality. I'm depressed, overweight, and miserable. I've decided that tomorrow is going to be the day I commit to taking care of myself so that I can take care of my family. I can't do it if I don't take care of myself first. I plan to do this by:
1. delegating household chores...I can't do it all 2. exercise 3. healthier food choices by starting the WW core program. 4. getting organized in my home 5. not putting my feelings aside for someone else (unless it's my kids) 6. getting more sleep 7. adopt and stick to a daily routine 8. take one night a week for myself to do what I need to for me 9. giving more family responsibilitiy to my husband. 10. stop trying to please everyone.
I'm writing this here so I can look back on it and remind myself of my goals. I really need to prioritize and set up a routine and stick with it. My eating has gotten out of hand because I am an emotional eater and try to medicate myself with food which only makes things worse.
Tomorrow is a new start for me. I am worth it and my family deserves it. I want to be a happy and healthy wife, mother, daughter, sister, and friend. |
|
I'm feeling a bit better than the last time I posted. I'm excited to start a new curriculum from Winter Promise, Animals and their Worlds. I think he will really like it. Part of my sad state was that school wasn't working for us because he wasn't interested in the curriculum that I chose. Hopefully things will change when we get the WP stuff. He loves animals, hope this works! |
|
It's cloudy and dreary here today. Ds and I are feeling it. He is in the worst mood. I feel like I'm ready to run away and hide. Hopefully it will be better as the day wears on. Right now, I'm leaving him alone to decompress. Arghhhh, I hate days like this one.
|
|
Hmmmm. Here it is almost 1 a.m. and I'm still online. No wonder I can't get up in the mornings. Just alot of stress here lately. Being new to homeschooling, I feel like I am bound to explain myself to everyone and prove that I am doing what is best for my son. Ahhh. It's probably mostly me, I'm sure people could care less what I do. I have the unfortunate attitude that the world DOES revolve around me! haha!
Devan is doing great being at home. He is a much calmer child. Nowhere near as anxious or demanding. He is learning to control his anger, and listen to reason even when he is on the verge of having a meltdown. He is learning socially. Today, he couldn't understand why this little girl that lives next door to him would not say hello when he said hello to her. He became really concerned that she didn't like him. I told him that sometimes people can acknowledge you with a look instead of words and that was what she was doing maybe, or perhaps she didn't hear you. He persisted to say that she didn't like him and that none of the other kids would play with him. I had a talk with him about how sometimes he doesn't want to play with his cousin but that doesn't mean he is being mean, it just means that he doesn't want to play right now. He acted like he understood, but he was still upset. I think he wanted the kids to invite him to play with them. He hasn't learned that sometimes you just jump right in and play without asking permission or being asked to join in.
It almost brought me to tears watching him stand there waiting to be noticed while the kids threw rocks and talked to each other. He so wanted to be included. I worry about the struggles and hurt he is going to feel because of his social issues. I know he is going to have a rough time due to his asperger's and I want to shelter him from all that, but I know that would do more harm than good. He has to experience these things in order to grow stronger. The kids were being typical kids. They eventually included him, but only after the little girl calling the shots went home. Its weird how kids will alienate others in order to make themselves feel important. I've seen it happen so much in the public schools. It is human nature I suppose, survival of the fittest.
Well enough rambling for tonight. I shall go to bed now so that I may be awake tomorrow to write yet another day! Ha haa. I kill me! LOL |
|
or at least a really relaxed eclectic homeschooler. I was all set to buy the SL core 1+2 curriculum, but didn't qualify for the payment plan, and this gal doesn't have $600 just lying around. So, that means, that I am piecing together what I think ds is capable of doing and also a little challenging. I'm using some workbook pages, but mostly just following his lead and trying to make everyday life a teaching opportunity.
Considering the rough time he had in school last year, I've decided to "unschool" for a bit and let him get used to the idea of school at home, and that learning doesn't have to be a cause for anxiety. We do some math and phonics on cd-rom and online, and we are currently reading Charlotte's Web. I read, he listens. I plan on renting the cartoon after we have finished the book and also taking him to see the unanimated version that will be coming out in theatres soon. He loves going to the movies.
It is unbelievable the amount of stress that has been alleviated by homeschooling. I love that I don't have to worry or deal with the aftermath of a bad day at school. Ahhh bliss.
Well, I'm off to pay the bills, or at least organize them. haha
|
|
Well, went to the pool, ds was all excited and it was closed! My son is AS and doesn't take to such disappointments so well. However, I was very proud of the way he handled himself. He tried so hard not to cry and normally would have thrown a major fit. We went to McDonald's instead and then to the library to check out a DVD. When we got there, there was a sign on the door stating they would not be loaning out DVD's on 8-9-06 (and only today mind you) because of replacing shelving. So there was disappointment number two. Disappointment number three: my stomach is acting up again and I find it hard to even move at times. Needless to say, we called it quits and came home and did whatever we wanted the rest of the evening. (Me lying as still as possible and trying not to breathe!) Maybe we will have better luck tomorrow. I was so geared up for a good day and nothing went the way I had planned. And now I'm sick. AHHHH! I guess that is what I get for the false sense that this was going to be easy. Oh well, I'm not giving up! |
|
My teenage daughter went back to public school today. She is a freshman in high school and quite the social butterfly. Right now her priorities are socializing, and is the reason she loves public school. It feels weird not getting my son up and dressed and off to the first day of school. I kinda feel like I'm doing something I shouldn't. Like we are playing hooky! I am soooo less stressed and so is ds. He is kinda sad about not being in class with his "friends", but I assured him we would visit and maybe have lunch at the school with his cousin on special occasions. He loves everyone there, in spite of the way he was treated. What a tough time we had. I am so glad that is over. Now on to new challenges! Being a homeschooler! I am sooo excited! I think I have decided to use Sonlight curriculum. 99% sure. My son loves reading, being read to, so I think this will be the right fit. Least I hope so. I think it makes sense to go with a planned out approach my first year as opposed to doing all the planning myself. That way I can relax a little and enjoy this new adventure we are on. For our first day I have a relaxed agenda. (I haven't ordered our curriculum yet, so I will be doing review until it arrives, and try to gauge exactly where he is at academically) We will start the day with cinnamon rolls for breakfast, do a few household chores, write in his journal about what he wants to learn today, take a picture for his scrapbook, go swimming (P.E.), have lunch out and then to the library to check out some new books to read. I want him to see that homeschooling will be fun and kinda break him in gradually to schoolwork. We have been really lazy this summer and other than reading and a few trips to the library we haven't done any structured type of learning. It is amazing how much different it feels not having to go through all the hoopla of getting ready for school to start back. No frustration over finding new school clothes, backpacks, sneakers, etc. No anxiety over leaving him with a new teacher who won't understand his needs. No meetings with the school fighting for an IEP that will never be implemented. Such sweet relief!! My husband was worried about the strain that teaching him would cause me. He has no idea what a strain it was on me worrying everyday about what was happening at the school. Then the anxiety of waiting for the phone to ring and hearing that my son was in the office yet again for disrupting class. I just hope I don't screw this up. I really want this to work. Well it's time to get the cinnamon rolls in the oven and wake up my little pupil. HERE WE GO! Our first day of school!!!!!!
|
|
Well, I am still searching for the right curriculum. I would like to work on reading, math, science, social studies, and maybe a fun introduction to spanish cd-rom. I didn't realize how expensive books were! I would love to buy a boxed curriculum that had everything, but I don't know which one would be the best fit for us. I'm taking a laid back approach. We will have a schedule, but nothing set in stone, and I don't want the work to be all worksheet based or all reading. I'd like a little of both.
I plan on using math and phonics cd rom's as a supplement, but need an actual text and lessons to go with so I know I'm on the right track with what he should be learning for a second grader. If any of you reading this have any ideas, I'd love to hear 'em.
I got a phone call from the principal of his school today. She was informing me of the meeting to be held to start his IEP and I told her that he would be homeschooled and wouldn't be coming back. That felt soo good. She said alright, and that was it. She was probably glad to have him out of her hair! I'm glad to have her out of MY hair!
Guess I better get back to my curriculum search. Ebay has alot of items, but I don't know which are worth purchasing. I guess I'm just gonna have to try one and go from there.
|
|
I mailed in the letter of intent to homeschool today. I've have known for a while that I wanted to try homeschooling, but never thought that I would actually be able to do it. My husband wasn't very supportive in the beginning but has since "come around" to my way of thinking. haha.
Now I get to attempt to get organized and develop a plan. I need to decide on a curriculum I suppose, and work out a schedule to follow. I also need to get my house in order and fix up a school work zone where my son will be least distracted.
I've already been in contact with a homeschooling group in my area and I was very pleased to here that there are two families with autistic children. I think I'm off to a good start, we'll see how I feel in a week or two or maybe even a day, haha.
|