May. 15, 2008 - Preschool BIble This week
Preschool Musings

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Apr. 22, 2008 - Bittersweet
Special Needs

I know it has been a long time since I have posted on my blog.  I am not gone and I do hope to pick back up with a lot more entries on our homeschooling adventures.  Since I blogged here last I have made a few entries on my other blog and I have been working to redesign our family website. 

School with Prince "T" and Princess "C" has been great this year.  We have really enjoyed this school year.  While this hasn't been our favorite Sonlight Core, we have been on many learning adventures.   Things have run smoothly throughout the year and we have pretty much stayed on schedule.  I have stayed caught up on grading which is a MAJOR accomplishment for me.

School with the littles has been a different story. 

Lady "M" has made some wonderful progress this year.  Her speech has such a long ways to go as it has been so delayed because her closest playmate is Sir "C".  She loves school and has such a passion for learning.  And I can't say it enough that this sweet girl has the best imagination I have ever seen.  We took a couple of months break from pre-school but we started it back up again today and she was so excited that she was once again "doing school"

As I indicated in our last post Sir "C" is special needs and would be having doctors appts. during the year to firm up his diagnosis.  I can honestly say we have had lots of appointments but we still have no diagnosis.  While some genetics diagnosis have been ruled out, everything else is still floating around.  While we personally believe here on the homestead that he falls somewhere on the autism spectrum, doctors are telling me at this point, regardless of the diagnosis, the treatment is still the same and at this point they don't want to give him a permanent diagnosis.  I can't begin to tell you how completely frustrating that is to hear.  While it is all good and well  that the treatment is all the same, it makes it next to impossible to get services for a child when a diagnosis doesn't exist. 

Here is the thing- I am at my wits end.  It is both frustrating and completely heartbreaking to work with a child on a skill over and over and you can see it in there eyes that there is no comprehension.  Or on the other hand, you teach a child a skill and it clicks and even as early as five minutes later they look at you like this is the first time you have ever introduced the skill to them.  This hasn't been about slow and steady wins the race.  He simply doesn't get it.  And I am not teaching the child to read.  I am just talking about basic living skills and very beginning preschool skills. 

Our family life completely revolves around him and his needs.  There is constant turmoil because of his coping mechanisms and constant need for direction.  With children like this you don't just tell them no and move on about your day.  A simple no can turn into a 30 minute ordeal.  The whole family is wound up so tight we really feel like we are spinning out of control. 

I think one huge frustrating factor is that people look at this sweet, curly headed boy with an incredible smile and gorgeous brown eyes and by all accounts he looks "normal".  Whatever normal is anymore.   Instead what they get is a child who is on sensory overload and as a way to cope his behavior gets out of control.  When people see this, they don't see a little boy with special needs, they see a spoiled child who is out of control and all he needs is some discipline.  It is heartbreaking to watch your child have no social skills.  Everyone thinks it is so cute that he is so friendly.  It isn't cute- it is scary.  He would walk away with a total stranger and never think twice.  He looks out the car window into another car and genuinely thinks the people in the next car are his friends.  It is all so very overwhelming at times. 

I don't mean to sound negative and I realize there are many more out there who have children with far worse conditions.  But in keeping it real, I have say, I feel like a failure.  Right now I am hanging on by a thread and my only saving grace is knowing that while I feel like that last thread is about to unravel, if it does break, I will gently land in my Father's hands.

After much prayer and discussion here at the homestead we have come to a very difficult decision.  We are putting Sir "C" in public school in the special education program.  I will say that I was the last hold-out on this decision.  This decision caused me to set aside my pride and think not of myself and what I thought my children's lives would look like, but instead focus on the immediate needs of Sir "C".  This was no longer about whether or not I was a "successful" homeschooling mom but rather the needs of this sweet boy.  It has all been bittersweet because I never thought I would ever enroll one of my children in public school.  Simply put, right now he has needs that I can't meet and he needs therapies that I can't get locally.  We are very blessed that two of the therapist that will be working with Sir "C" go to our church.  He will be in a smaller special ed classroom with aides in the classroom to assist the teacher as needs arise.  We are also looking into another personal program for Sir "C", but I will talk about that more when I firm up the details. 

The last of his evaluations were done today and I have one more questionnaire to fill out before we meet for the planning meeting next week.  Once all of the goals are set in that meeting we will enroll him and he will finish out this year in kindergarten and then next year he will repeat kindergarten.  I feel a peace about our decision and know that the Lord will hold us close while He guides and directs us down this new path.  We will continue to pray for the needs of this sweet boy and will constantly evaluate if his needs are being met.  I ask that you would also pray for our family as we move forward.

This may not make sense tomorrow as often happens when I pour out my heart on my blog.  If so, I'll edit my post so it makes more sense. 

Now that I finally have a peace about Sir "C"'s education and therapy needs I can focus on some planning for Lady "M"'s kindergarten year and make some decisions about Prince "T"'s educational goals. 

hugs,
b

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Sep. 13, 2007 - Homeschooling a Special Needs Child
Special Needs

This year I am beginning our "official" journey of homeschooling my littles.  Sir "C" is special needs (all of which haven't been defined but appts. are in the works).  Currently we know he is developmentally delayed and has sensory issues.  When I know more I will be sure to update. 

Needless to say school with the littles can be both a wonderful joy and terribly frustrating.  It is such a joy to watch little ones have such an eager desire to learn.  To see what new thing they will explore that day.  There is also the added bonus for mom as they try so hard to please you.  It is just the sweetest thing to watch.  I do have to admit there are definitely moments of frustration. 

Sir "C" has a hard time thinking for himself.  It is very hard for him to grasp ideas and concepts.  That in itself isn't frustrating- more heartbreaking than anything.  The frustrating part is he has figured out it is much easier to mimic others.  Needless to say, I spend much of our short school trying to get him to do his own thing and not just try and copy Lady "M". 

To help with the grasping of concepts and ideas I am finding that repetition works.  For instance, today they were to count linking cubes to 10 by color to create 10 sets.  Here is what I did:

1) dumped all the linking cubes on the table and roughly divided them in half and let the sort by color. (They were learning and didn't even know it!  I would name the colors at random as they were holding them in their hands.

2) after they were sorted by color I took one color at a time and started stacking them one at a time.  As I stacked each block I would count and have the littles repeat.  After the stack was complete I would put it back in the bucket. 

3)  After about 5 times I could see the confidence building so I stopped doing the counting first and let the littles count themselves and I would follow so they knew they got it correct.  I was also there to help them in case they forgot. 

It was such a joy to watch their faces light up.  Sir "C" lasted to the end ans was so proud of himself.  Lady "M" on the other hand got bored about half way through and just sat there and mumbled.  It did not dampen my spirits though becaause I was so pround of Sir "C".  This was the closest he has come to counting to 10!

The other thing I am doing to help him think for themselves is having them do their workbooks at different times.  By the time one finishes and the next begins they have forgotten what the other did and therefore have to use their own thinking skills to complete the assignment. 

We are using Sonlight Core B and they use the DEL (Developing the Early Learner).  I have found these books to be so valuable.  It is giving me great insight into both of my littles strengths and weaknesses.  Not only that, but when Cody goes in for his next evaluation in October, I will be able to take this additional information in and show him exactly what he is doing in very specific areas of learning.

Anyway, now that I am on this journey of having a special needs child I will start sharing things that I find are working in our homeschool. 

In His Strength!  b

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Sep. 6, 2007 - More on God's Sense of Humor
Funnies

Yesterday I mentioned a funny that happened during school and I mentioned God's sense of humor.  I used the Mandrill as an example of His sense of humor because this animal makes me laugh both coming and going.  After reading Kim C's Blog this morning, I just have to show you there are MANY animals that proves God has a wonderful sense of humor.  Be sure and check it out when you have the time.  As Kim points out, spend time on this website, and you can add it to your school portfolio as school time.  Enjoy!

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Sep. 5, 2007 - Princess "C"'s prayer today
Funnies

Today we were doing our Bible time and part of our mission studies is learning and praying for the 10/40 Window.  Today's city was Beirut.  After learning about the city's religious make-up and history, I read several prayer points about the city and its people. 

After I am done reading I ask Princess "C" if she would please say a prayer for Beirut and it's people.  She is praying along and I notice that she is mispronouncing Beirut by saying Beiruth.  I dare not interrupt her because I know she is making an honest mistake and doing her best to to pray for this city and these people. 

The prayer continues and the next thing I know, she is praying for...

The Great Bambino!

The Sultan of Swat!

Princess "C" was now praying for Babe Ruth!  OOPS!!!!  Prince "T" and I immediately started cracking up and we couldn't control ourselves.  Princess "C" caught herself right after she said it and started cracking up as well.  Needless to say, prayer time was over. 

God has an incredible sense of humor (have you ever looked closely at a Mandrill?) and I just know His sweet Princess, who made a very innocent mistake, gave Him something to smile about today when there are so many horrific things going on in this world. 

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Sep. 4, 2007 - Nice Matters Award
Sweet Moments

Over the weekend Grandmommy at Live, Love and Learn blessed me with the Nice Matters Award!  I feel very honored that she thought of me and has gifted me with this.

Here are the rules for the award:

"This award is for those bloggers who are nice people; good blog friends and those who inspire good feelings and inspiration.  Also for those who are a positive influence on our blogging world.  Once you have been awarded please pass it on to 7 others who you feel are deserving of this award."


While I am just getting back into blogging after a bit of a sabbatical, I have have kept up with reading several blogs.  These nominated blogs are the ones that inspire and challenge me to be a better Christian, wife and mother.  As a small token of my thanks I am sharing the "Nice Matters Award" with the following bloggers:

Little Bit of Everything Mama - my best girlfriend-  our relationship is one of "iron sharpening iron" and I love her like a sister.

The Perils of Parenting and other Ponderings - Quiet Cajun- I have read her blog for a very long time and I am in awe of her sweet ministry Bundled in Prayer.  I have also been following her family's reversal journey and pray for her often. 

Life in a Shoe- Kim C.- We seem to have so much in common.  We are both small town Texas girls who love reading, coffee and CHOCOLATE!  I love reading her blog as it is mixed with both truth and humor.  I have seen this woman under the fire for her beliefs and God has truly gifted her with the ability to speak in love and show patience to those who do not do such a great job at holding their tongues.

Higher Up and Further In- Lindafay- Although we do not use completely use "Charlotte Mason"  method, I still glean so many ideas from Lindafay.  If you have not read her blog I truly encourage you to check it out.  She puts time and care into her posts and does a wonderful job of sharing her wisdom with others. 

Dandelion Seeds- Amy- She has invested much of her time to minister to other moms by creating Clean Heart Clean Home Ministry.  She started this about the time I was moving last year and it was such a blessing that motivated me right out the door!  Now the Lord has led her to share her experiences with a personal emotional and financial crisis and how she is clinging to the Lord to help her through this difficult time. 

Days to Come- Jeana- This is a blog I always read for comedic relief.  Jeana and her husband have some of the funniest conversations I have ever heard and she is nice enough to share them with the world.

For My Children's Sake- Ali- I have always enjoyed reading her posts.  She does a wonderful job of sharing pictures and details from field trips her family takes.  It is such a blessing to be able to experience places we might otherwise never get to visit. 

There are many more blogs out there that I read on a regular basis and they all inspire me in some way (otherwise I wouldn't read them ), but for this award I was limited to seven. 

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Aug. 29, 2007 - Left Handed Woes
Preschool Musings

My two littles are left handed and let me just say to is ABSOLUTE torture to watch them color or draw.  And the sad thing is I would have to say this is my general experience with left handed people.  There are a few exceptions to the rule, but I would have to say my overall experience hasn't been all that great.  My husband and I are right handed along with our two oldest and I can honestly say I never had to deal with either of them doing something funky with their wrists. 

I know that because of seeing lefties do this in the past, I am super conscious of it.  As a result I am watching my littles like a hawk.  Lady "M" in particular breaks her wrist and brings her hand back around while she is coloring and drawing.  They are both at a pre-writing stage, so this isn't a critical issue.  Yet, at the same time, it is a critical issue because they are at a pre-writing stage I have the opportunity to keep bad habits form forming.

I understand that lefties have some unique issues in that they can't see what they just wrote because their hands are coring it AND if they are writing with ink they have to hold their hand at an odd angle to keep ink from smearing.  I freely acknowledge these unique obstacles, but I just think there has to be a way for lefties to write without looking awkward.

Based on this list of  Famous Lefties I know my littles stand in good company with many other lefties.  I just don't want to cringe when I watch them write!

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Aug. 28, 2007 - "B" is for Butterfly
Preschool Musings

Sir "C" and Lady "M" are focusing on the letter "B" and words that start with the letter "B".  Here is a craft that they made yesterday (with a bit of mom's help).

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Aug. 27, 2007 - Perhaps it's just me...
Schooling Adventures

...but i simply DO NOT get all the hype about dictation.  I am sure there are daggers flying my direction from all over the homeschooling community as they read this- or at least from teh 2-3 people who read this post.  At least I am being honest.  I struggle with it for a few weeks every year just knowing that this will be the year I finally understand why I do it.  Instead I am on my 4th year of scratching my head wondering why I waste our time. 

Clearly there must be some benefits that I am missing because Sonlight uses it and even after revamping their LA program, it is still on the schedule for once per week.  And now here I sit again beginning week four of school, once again scratching myself on the head asking WHY, WHY, WHY???

I just feel like any benefit I can get from dictation, such as spelling and handwriting skills, I can get from creative writing or science.  Is there anyone else out there with me on this or have I COMPLETELY missed the mark on the purpose of dictation all together?

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Aug. 25, 2007 - Our first camping trip for the new school year
Family Life

Last weekend we went camping at Mineral Wells State Park.

We began our family camping trips last September with my best girlfriend and her family.  Since then we have scheduled several more camping trips- most of which we have had to cancel for numerous reasons.  In May our family went to Lake Arrowhead State Park and had a blast even though it rained all weekend. 

For this school year I planned out our basic syear school calendar with all of our field trip days, camping days, Geocaching fun!s and family time at home days scheduled.  I presented the calendar to my sweet husband who made a few changes and now we have an official school year calendar with lots of fun things planned through out the school year.

So...

back to the camping story...

It wasnt' long after scheduling the camping trip that a hurricane decided to head towards Texas and while our camping trip was no where near the coast, it still meant we were once again doomed for rain.  When we got to the park the sun was still coming in and out so we were able to set up with no rain.  Dinner time came and it started sprinkling.  I decided to stick to the camping menu and get started.  I finished dinner just in time for the downpour so we ran to the tent with our food.  I probably haven't mentioned yet that for some strange reason our tent leaks like a siv.  I think after our tent got soaked yet again, we have finally figured out the problem.  We will know for sure during our next camping trip because I am sure it will rain then too. 

After Friday night's downpour we stayed dry for the rest of the weekend.  We enjoyed driving around Mineral Wells, taking time to visit a water bottler.  Mineral Wells has a very iMineral Wells Historyand I wish we had had more time to explore.  We had a wonderful afternoon of swimming and ended the night with a  campfire and s'mores.  YUM-O!!!

We actually managed to break down camp in timely manner- after a camp breakfast gone bad.  We endured the normal car sickness on the way home and relaxed Sunday evening with some Bar-b-q take-out.  Our next camping trip will be in September.  Not 100% sure where we are going yet, but I know the weekend will be full of more adventure and family bonding.

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