Jan. 3, 2010
testing
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testing how to add photos via photobucket. any help is appreciated!! :-) photos for this entry |
Jan. 3, 2010
cold.
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wow. it is really cold here. winds up to 50 mph gusts. ugh. we didnt go to church, but i have to teach. soooo...daniel and i are off to church. the cat that was lost was found. he wasn't in the cold or the barn. instead, he was in the basement in the "oil cellar". (thank God!) i didn't have much sleep worried about him. since he is one of the cats taht sleep on my bed with us, i really couldnt sleep for worry. :-) |
Jan. 1, 2010
Happy New Year!
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May everyone have a blessed New Year! May your family be closer, your friends be more dear and may you draw closer to God in the coming year. (and may I spend some more time on my blog and figure out how to use the picture function so i can include some of the things we have been doing here..and may i get the paperwork finished for our homestudy so we can bring home some more little ones! :-) ) |
Oct. 22, 2009
mental quandry
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Our oldest is now 17 years and 11 months old. Next month, he will be 18. For those of you who don't know, we adopted Paul and his brother Chris in 2001. Paul was just turning 10. Our journey with him has been...rocky. I guess that is the best way to state it. He came to us with many, many 'issues', many, many medications and after many (we were his 9th) foster homes. He did NOT need (as we were told by the professionals who knew him best) *JUST* love and consistent structure. He, of course needed these things..but he needed sooo much more. On balance, I am not sure I was up to the task most days. I just finished writing a handful of e-mails to teachers wanting desperately to help him graduate. Paul, while he states he wants to graduate, wants to do nothing to gain it. He lies about homework. He plays the teachers off his dad and me. He plays the computer system that the school has to keep parents up to date against both us and the school. We have been very blessed. Our two oldest go to two different schools (one private and one public). In both, we have found the teachers to be hard working, caring and dedicated. So many people have hard to deal with, uncaring and downright horrible schools and teachers. We don't. Ours our great. It is October and Paul is already failing 2 classes, is behind in 3 classes and in danger of failing 2 of those classes. 2 of these classes are MUST take for graduation. He gives lip-service to 'how upset he is' at not having this done. He laments that he "doesn't have time" (he does, if he manages his time even a little bit). He complains that everyone is out to get him. Why should he have to do so much work? Where did this 'entitlement' mentality come from? Why won't he take responsibility for his mistakes unless he is badgered into it (yes, i have badgered him...and he will reluctantly accept it...verbally but not internally)? Why is he the same emotionally as he was when he was 9....if not more so? Is this the foster care system ...teaching them to lie, to slip thru, to just get by in order to survive? Did we do something or not do something? We have always held him responsible for the things he did or didn't do. We have always tried to help him see what he could do to change, improve, cause things to happen for himself and to help him to understand the difference between things that happened to him in his past that were not his fault...and the things now that he is either letting happen, not causing or causing to happen. We are trying to give him the tools/knowledge to be in control of his life rather than just a 'victim' of it. Still, if he graduates, it will be not because he stood up and took charge of himself, but because his dad and I , his teachers and support staff, even his Sergeant (recruiter/commander while he is in "delayed entry") dragged him to classes, stood over him while he grudgingly did his work (and gave lots of verbal abuse, bad attitude and tried to make whomever feel guilty and/or angry for even trying to help him), gave him extra (lots) time, extra help and let things slide...all so he could graduate on time and enter the US Army. Is this serving him in the end? Or is it just helping him to be more dependent, more blaming, more ignorant of his choices and abilities to impact his own life rather than just floating along being miserable? In the end, everyone says I just have to let him go and see how the world really works. Will that help? Will he see HIS own power to impact or will he just blame everyone and everything else? This grieves me so as I am not someone who likes to fail. I feel like I have failed him. I second (third, fourth) guess myself and my raising of him in the 9 years I had with him. As he goes off to the military (and be sure we are VERY proud of the choices he has been making in this regard---although we have done quite a bit of driving, coaching and pointing in this direction, he has had to pass the tests, do the physical training, make the phone calls, etc. This IS his "hard" work here.) how can I not help but be concerned that he is ill-equipped mentally, emotionally and educationally for the task of manhood. Most days I don't like him...not at all...but ALL days, I love him as if I had given birth to him. And the concern for him is almost palpable. He is Risen, Just as He said! |
Aug. 29, 2009
What I have planned for Homeschool year 2
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How did I come up with "what to do"? Well, I started out with "what is expected of a 3-4 year old child in public school. I used the World Book Encyclopedia's guidelines (Worldbook Encyclopedia, Recommended Course of Study) and I looked at what my state (Pennsylvania) required/expected. I used HSLDA's links for that (Homeschooling thru the Early Years) Then I thought about what we (hubby and I) wanted for him. That included reading, writing, physical education, character training, manners and, most importantly, God. I then wanted to know where he was in comparison to what he should be doing. I am hours away from friends and family so sometimes I feel like I am parenting in a vacuum. I also struggle with being a decade or so older than my nieces and nephews who are parenting kids the same age as Danny. But that is my problem that I have been working on (I DO give it over to God to work on, but I keep picking it back up again to deal with myself---yeah that ALWAYS works--NOT!!). SOOOOO....I read lots of blogs of other moms who homeschool this age group. That helps alot! I found this website: 1+1+1=1 and copied off her Assessments. From running thru the assessments with Danny, I found that he needs to work on most lower case letters, the color grey, I spent almost 13 years devising curriculum for people of differing cognitive abilities. I tend toward looking at curriculum (that others have produced...why re-invent the wheel?) and use it as a spring board to adapt and modify as needed for the needs of my son or my nephews or whomever I am working with. So, with that in mind, here is what we are going to start out with: Beginning Kids' Quest-Catechism Club Vol. 1 God made the World and Me (pre-school edition) Teach Your Child To Read In 100 Easy Lessons Leap Frog's Letter Factory and Word Factory series of DVDs God's Might Warrior Devotional Bible Singapore Math Saxon Math (both of these later in the fall probably around November) All About the Weather Unit Study (freebie from Brandenburg Studies) Seasons, Trees and Me! (august book bag, 2000 from Teacher Book Bag--the whole years worth of stuff for Pre-K-1--good price, 19.99) These will be interspersed with various freebies from the web. I plan to put up most of them, but I got them from other bloggers so chances are HUGE that there is nothing new in them.  Art and Music will be interspersed with the other activities. Our Schedule (ha!): Prayer Pledge of Allegiance Devotions God made the World and Me (Science) Outside/Exercise DVD for about 15 minutes Back in, small snack Catechism Reading (Teach your child to read... and Leap Frog videos) Writing (art activity with letters--ideas from the blog: notimeforflashcards) Helping with Dinner Feed the dog as needed and other tasks During mealtimes (lunch and breakfast) we will be reading from various books pertaining to a theme (like the alphabet) as well as books of his choice. I read to him between 15 minutes to 45 minutes over the course of any given day. That is it so far! He is Risen, Just as He said! |
Aug. 29, 2009
Been on Facebook
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I have been finding it much easier to write on Facebook than here at Homeschoolblogger.com. Mainly (well, completely) because of the ease in putting pictures up. I am having a terrible time with photos and using photobucket or anything like it. Why? Who knows. Anyone have any advice for me? Thanks! He is Risen, Just as He said! |
Feb. 3, 2009
Mr. Smarty Pants
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2 conversations today that leave me in stitches: Danny, I am going to call grandma, do you want to talk to her (i think i know this answer...he ALWAYS wants to talk on the phone). Danny: Tell her I'll call her tomorrow. I'm doin' somefin this moment. Then later: Me: Danny, please pick up your Thomas toys. Danny comes running into the room yelling: Just a second. I got things I gotta do first. Hubby and I just shake our heads. We have no clue where he gets this stuff! ;-) -kim He is Risen, Just as He said! |
Jan. 29, 2009
Echo, echo, echo....
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So we stop at the grocery store tonite to get a few things...suddenly Danny lets out a blood curdling scream. I look at him (and so did a few clerks and others who came from other aisles). I look at him thinking he has pinched his finger somewhere. ...no.. he puts on a huge grin and says "see mama, echo" I am eagerly awaiting the next shopping trip, as I am sure you can imagine! He is Risen, Just as He said! |
Jan. 10, 2009
Scammed Again
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Well, here we go again. We are looking to adopt another infant. We have a MySpace account for this purpose. A young girl contacted us. She has asked for nothing and has seemed straight forward. She was due with a baby in May. Well, at Christmas she said she had had an ultrasound and it was twins. At this point, I think I knew it was a scam, but twins would be wonderful for us. We are getting older and finishing up our family in one fell swoop would be ...well would be an answer to prayer. Up to this point, she had answered our question and seemed so incredibly sweet. She seemed like someone we could have a life long relationship with. We would like to stay in some kind of limited contact with the birthparents of our children. For us, that would be ideal. We were beginning to hope that maybe we could hope. Does that make sense? Sooooo...having been down this road before (we have had birthmoms change their minds and we have been outright scammed--i believe there is a special place in hell for people who prey on the hearts and emotions of the childless looking to adopt), I asked about the birthfather. Was he ok with all this (we would need legal documentation of this before an adoption could take place anyway)? Did the doctor set a more exact due date? Did she find out the sex of the babies (we don't care...but i would like to know...for planning of bedrooms, etc)? And, what I think was the clincher: Can we please have a copy of the ultrasound? We wanted to see them. Today, I checked to see if she had responded. She hadn't. In fact, all our correspondence was gone from my mailbox...both mine out and hers in. ALL CORRESPONDENCE was gone. I remembered that I had the notifications from past letters from MySpace in my gmail account box. I clicked the link. The message that I got read that she had either cancelled her membership or was cancelled by administration. As Dan said (he, like most men, is the more practical of the two of us), "Good thing we know now". Which was the whole reason I asked my list of 5 questions to "her". I do thank God for this. If this God IS merciful. I can say this as I cry a bit over the loss of something I never had to begin with. I keep this "Annika" in prayer as well. Something is wrong with this person. Something deep and horrible effects "her". I pray that she gets the help she needs...whatever it is. And if she is indeed pregnant and if she decides to parent, I pray that she is the very best parent ever. Every baby deserves loving parents. Because I have to say it: If you know of anyone looking to make an adoption plan, please remember us. Thanks! He is Risen, Just as He said! |
Dec. 31, 2008
conversation....
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just happened here: danny jumps up, runs around in a circle then out to the kitchen and into the mud room. i yell, get out of the mudroom! (cat litter box is out there and i just don't like him out there when i can't see him--but the power room is out there, too) he says: i gotta go potty nooooooooowwwwwwwww! i say: ok, dont get your panties in a bunch. he stops cold. looks at me with a cross look on his face: mama, i not wear panties, i wear big boy pants. i say: i stand corrected, sir. he says with hands on hips: well i should sink (think) so. He is Risen, Just as He said! |
Dec. 28, 2008
Homeschooling Toddlers
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I really haven't written too much about the homeschooling we are doing here. However, I think I will begin talking about as we now seem to have a routine down and I am feeling more confident in the telling. We started in October trying to do 3 days a week. With a one year old in the mix, that proved to be too much (having the one year old with us can be trying, but it seems he just wants to be a part and giving him something age appropriate (and often different) doesn't wash with him.). We started with a field trip to the farm (our former farm, now owned and operated to it best potential by Dan's nephew and his wife) to see the new buildings, the big digging machines and see how to feed the calves. They really enjoyed climbing the big dirt piles, but the highlight was the baby calves. Tim (a high school boy from our church who works part-time at the farm) showed the boys how to feed them grain and milk in buckets. He let them carry the feed buckets to the calves and then he let them help him bottle feed the smallest ones! THAT was fun. When we walked back we put hand prints on canvas. We plan to put a hand print on the other side of the canvas on our last day of school. I am thinking that we might do this each year. The canvases aren't that huge (9x12) and I wall of handprint canvases over the years. Academically, we have some goals in mind, but they are loose. The boys are only 3, 2 1/2 and not quite 1. Instead of getting all keyed up in keeping data on what we worked on, I have a loose (very loose) curriculum for planning purposes, but we tailor what we are going to based on the moods of the boys (like who has had a nap!) Right now we are working on a Bible verse, the numbers 1-5 (not only counting them but 1:1 correspondence as well), saying the alphabet and following directions. They are learning about textures and getting some exercise and fresh air. He is Risen, Just as He said! |
Dec. 28, 2008
Windy Day
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Very windy here....very. Going out to the truck the small voice behind me says: "Whoa, mama. Its vey yeah windy out here. Hold onto your wig!" ...and he gets this stuff from....? He is Risen, Just as He said! |
Dec. 24, 2008
Merry Christmas!
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"...And the Word became flesh and dwelt among us" John 1:14 <--- I borrowed this from my hubby's sign out front of our pizza shop. He of course, borrowed it from the Word of God. In this season of political correctness and commercialism, we forget that the reason we celebrate Christmas is a little baby born in a stable. He may not have been born at Christmas time, but this is when we choose to celebrate it. As the Bible tells us, He is the Living God, the Word who took on a mortal body to live out his 33 years as a sinless man. He then was tried and convicted of crimes He didn't commit. He suffered the death penalty, was buried and resurrected Himself and now provides intercession for us with God the Father. Because our Creator became a 'creation', He was able to pay the penalty for our sins. We may now seek Him, find Him and spend eternity with Him because of His sacrifice. But His salvation is not just for some time in the future. We can experience the JOY and PEACE and COMFORT of a relationship with Him now. Amen! The critics can call me narrow, ignorant, simple or in need of a crutch. I humbly admit, I am all of these. But I know that baby from the stable. What else matters? I know my Creator who became human for me, His creation. (mind blowing or what??) What more could I want? I know Jesus. For this reason I rejoice in Christmas and the celebration of His birth. May all my friends, family and cyber friends know the love of Christ, know His peace and feel His comfort not only in this season, but all the year through. Merry, Merry Christmas, Kim (note, this message also appears on my facebook notes page) He is Risen, Just as He said! |
Dec. 22, 2008
Potty Trained
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Well, it has happened. Daniel is now potty trained 100% during the day and 4/7 nites. He is so proud of himself. He loves his big boy underpants and using the "big potty". He is also excited cuz he will be getting Geo Trax Grand Central Station for Christmas (provided he doesn't slip backwards) as his self-chosen reward. Way to go, Daniel!! He is Risen, Just as He said! |
Dec. 21, 2008
I out of control...
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Shopping before Christmas and I made the horrible mommy mistake of going to one too many stores with a tired little boy. It was nap time and he was doing very well as I was hurrying around getting last minute Christmas needs. I asked him, "do you think you will be ok to hit one more store?" "yeah mama, I be ok. I not tired a bit". We get in the store and I remind him, "we are not buying toys. remember Christmas is coming." He says, hopefully, "we look at toys just with eyes, not with hands?" "Lets see how you are behaving while I get these few things". Well, I can see he is about at the end of his rope by about the third aisle as he is grabbing things of the shelves and mocking what I tell him to do--a sure sign that he is tired and soon to loose control. Selfishly, I want to get the last few things quickly (because I hate crowds, waiting in line and shopping at Christmas time in general. I don't want to return to the store until about a week after Christmas). So I risk it. Fool that I am! When he notes that I am not going in the direction of the toy department he begins to object. When I try to explain that I need to go to the food department to pick up some paper towels he begins to whine. He then throws himself down, hits his lip on the cart handle (he used to do this while goofing around each and every time we were in Wal-Mart or Target), starts to cry and bleed. I am thinking about finding a round clothing rack and hiding in it. He then begins to yell "no, i don't want to go with you!" Yeah, THAT is something you want your little one yelling in public. Trying not to make a further scene, I give him my sternest look and squeeze his hands a bit to get his attention focused on my face. He pulls his hands from mine and claps them over his mouth and says: "I out of control". Yes, dear you are. He is trying his hardest to suck his tears back in and stop crying. Poor little guy. I am feeling like the worst kind of heel. I knew he was tired. In his lip has to be really sore and HE has grasped that he is 'out of control'. I hug him, hurry to an empty lane (thank you, God), check out and off we go. He is alseep before we leave the parking lot. I can go back to the store to get paper towels another time. He is Risen, Just as He said! |
Nov. 28, 2008
another danny-ism
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We are watching an Iams commercial. The tag line is : The thing about pet adoption is the pet isn't yours until it adopts you." I am a massive fan of adoption of any kind--animals or people. I am also an advocate of spaying and neutering pets as well (in fact, if you are a cat that comes to our yard, you are trapped and spayed or neutered. i am thankful for a husband who pays for this to be done). Anyway... I say "awww that is so sweet I could cry." Danny turns to me and says: "mommy, no cry. commercial." :-) He is Risen, Just as He said! |
Nov. 24, 2008
daniel strikes again...
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Dan related this story to me: Big D and little D are in the van. Big D is singing to a song on the radio--trying to get little D to sing along (i presume). Little D says: "Daddy quit singing in MINE head". Big D could hardly tell the story he was laughing so hard. Yes, this child will give us joy in our old age. Praise the Lord! He is Risen, Just as He said! |
Nov. 22, 2008
NO. NO. NO Potty TAAAAIN
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Potty Training update He is doing well, I think. We are having accidents and forgetful times (mine as well as his part). But every time I get him on the potty it is a huge cry fest. Then he goes, we do "the potty dance" (a made up ditty to the tune of "Hurray for Hollywood") and talk about what a big boy he is and how nice it is to be using the potty. blah, blah, blah. All hunky dorrey until the next time. I do think this is what is causing his naughty behavior. I think it is the stress. Back at 18 months when he was sitting on the potty and doing very well and I was as proud of my little guy (and boasted a bit, i am sure--sorry folks) there wasn't stress like this. Of course, he was only playing with me about potty training that early. :sigh: So today when I said:"Remember Daniel, if you need to go potty before the timer goes off (this is to remind ME to get him on) you tell mommy. We need to keep Diego dry. (he has Go Diego, Go pull ups right now--his choice, not mine). (he walks away saying nothing) Do you hear me, Daniel?" He says: " Me hear you jesss fine. Me not listening." Oh yeah. We have the spirit of meekness and obedience here at our house. Yep. He is Risen, Just as He said! |
Nov. 22, 2008
Bobo Thinking...
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So Daniel has been quite naughty lately. Mostly just not doing what he is told and replying things like "No way Jose" and "I don't think so" (with the emphasis on the THINK) or running away yelling "NOOOO". So, I have been strict-er in demanding that he comply. Picture the scene: Danny is now in his "thinking chair"...thinking. Mom is in the kitchen putting dishes away. Mom comes out to check on thinking child. In the 'thinking chair' is "BoBo" (stuffed frog that is much beloved by Danny) Mom gives an exasperated sound and asks "What is going on here". Danny from the floor playing with Thomas trains: "BoBo thinking for ME (emphasis on ME)" Mom leaves room quickly...laughs quietly in kitchen....returns to living room with stern face pasted firmly over laughing face. Daniel is back in thinking chair...pouting and asking "why, why?" As mom rounds the corner to kitchen, she catches this: "bobo, you think better next time" He is Risen, Just as He said! |
Nov. 17, 2008
The Time Changer
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Last night the family watched the movie "The Time Changer" ( The Time Changer )on our new IP TV package on "Sky Angel". (Sky Angel ) Sky Angel, for the uninitiated, is a TV satellite package that uses the wireless thingy on your computer. That is the extent of my understanding of HOW we get the pictures. Anyway, Sky Angel is family oriented programming that cuts out all the garbage and adds, some would say, different garbage. I miss our Direct TV with Noggin, the Food Network and HGTV. It does, thankfully have FOX NEWS--which I could never live without. But, it is less expensive (which fits in with our "be out of debt--read NO DEBT, DEBT-FREE, SLAVE TO NO MAN--plan" within 3-5 years--Dave Ramsey (is the best www.daveramsey.com/) and it cuts out all the junk we don't want our sons to be eyeballing. They get enough sexual content in school, on other people's t-shirts, from their friends, in the newspapers, at the grocery store (am I the only one who turns all those mags at the check outs face backwards---yes, that is me doing that), etc. without having it brought into our house via idiot box. ANYWAY...we were watching this movie which is set in the 1890's and in the 1990's. The main focus of the story is values. Can we teach values without God? The main characters argue about values teaching. Basically, some say you can just teach values by telling people right from wrong and they will naturally fall in line. The others say this leads to moral relativism and without GODs final authority, people are just going to make it up as they go along. It is also a time travel story which would appeal to kids probably 7 and up. One of the main characters (i am trying to do this without giving too much of the story away so bear with me, please) goes 100 years into the future and sees the results of his view that God is implicit in values (vs. stating outright: God says....) For me this hit home when he meets a young girl who steals from him. When he catches her he asks if she knows that stealing is wrong. She asks: "who says?". "Who says?" indeed. When I tell my kids; "Because I said so." Who am I? My teens are at the point where they don't listen because I say so (or their dad says so). They are finding out who they are and how their own moral compasses work. We have had them since they were 7 and 8 years old. Prior to that time, they were in foster care. One was in 8 different foster homes, the other in only two. The foster parents he was with the longest were wonderful people. They loved him as their own. However, they did not think he would be living with them as long as he did. They tried to leave him as blank a canvass as they could so that the morals and values of the parents who adopted him could be imprinted on him. I understand what they were doing but after seeing the results of it in his character, I know it wasn't the best thing for him--at all. With our toddler I am making the concerted effort to give him the biblical foundation that the older boys are lacking. Not just saying "because I said so" or "because that is wrong/right/unacceptable", I am saying "God says in His word....(including verse)". This is a challenge for me as while I know what the Bible says, I have always had a hard time memorizing Scripture (or anything else for that matter. My brain is clogged up with useful things like jingles and TV episodes from the 60's and 70's) so I struggle quote it directly. I am on a quest to be more deliberate in my personal memorization. I firmly believe this is vitally important to my son's character and standing as a Christian man. (a great book that I enjoy reading and using is Lisa Whelchel's Creative Correction www.lisawhelchel.com/ccreatbk.htm The "tool box" sections give great verses and techniques that can be adapted or modeled to fit any family) There IS a Final Authority. He cares about us. He loves us. From His perspective of eternity (and the sheer fact that He IS God) He knows what is best for us. He set up His commandments and guidelines for us as humans, us as Christians, us as parents, teachers, employees, employers, husbands and wives, etc. to give us joy and fulfillment. Outside of those guidelines and commandments there may be some satisfaction but it is only temporary. Moral Relativism is wrong and it is sending our country into a slide. It is sending our children, our schools, our families, ourselves into a death spiral. What's your opinion? -Kim He is Risen, Just as He said! |