Does this count as School? - Homeschool Blogger

All of my comments - gone?

Thu, 31 Aug 2006 19:42:00 -0500

I know I don't use this blog anyway, supposedly. But I figured I better keep it alive with an occasional post so's you all get the benefit of my shiny happy smile when I comment on your blog. Right?

I'll say something schooly - I'm supposed to start next week but still have a LOT of planning to do.� Maybe we'll study de Nile this year. Ha ha ha, get it? It ain't a river in Egypt. Yadda yadda!

Anyway, go see me at my other blog, it's where it's all happenin', baby.

A Homeschooling Question

Tue, 30 May 2006 13:23:00 -0500

So I know I'd said I'd post on my Other Blog but this really is homeschooling related.

When and how would you decide to "do something" about a preschooler's speech? And what would be your first step? Would you try things at home, first, or would you have the child evaluated first?

Why do I ask? My 3 year old (turned 3 in March) has very difficult to understand speech. Even for us.

He's very good at making his wishes known with gestures. He's obviously bright and comprehending well. And many of the sounds that he doesn't pronouce correctly he seems to be able to, if we stop and correct him. He's amiable to try and re-pronouce things for awhile.

For example. He normally says "Hoos" for "shoes". He *can* make the shhhh sound, but doesn't, normally. If we ask him to repeat "Shoes" he will say "hoos" -- if we practice "shhh - oes" he will repeat "shhh - hoes" a few times. When we work on it for awhile he's even, occasionally, overcorrected, adding a thoughtful "shhh" to the wrong word (shhhh - happy) or the wrong place "Shhhh- Elmo Hoos" instead of Elmo Shoes. So anyway, my point being that he CAN make the sound, but it hasn't *stuck* ...

Other sounds he can approximate *closer* if we try -- like P he normally says with his upper teeth on his lower lip, rather than together. But gets closer if we practice,although maybe not quite achieving a mature p sound ....

So. Most of the time we work on it in a relaxed sometimes way, but chalk it up to being a late bloomer in the speech department, but not really a *problem* ... but occasionally I'll talk to a 2 year old who speaks leagues more clearly, and I start to wonder if I should be more concerned or pro-active. I know about the Straight Talk 1 program from NATTHAN but not sure it's time to invest $55 in it (and haven't seen it elsewhere, cheaper ...)

What do you think?

So I should tell you

Mon, 15 May 2006 08:05:00 -0500

Like I said earlier, I'm spending too much time with 3 blogs (rolling eyes) - also, sometimes I don't post anywhere because I don't decide which blog to put it on. LOL! So I decided, I'll use my "Real" Blog. My browser doesn't like this one, so I have to use some work-arounds to get my posts formatted. Not a big deal, but still ....

So my Real Blog it is ... unless it keeps getting hit with comment spam, then maybe I'll switch to this one. But I'll keep this little space here, to point you to the Real Blog and keep my hsb links and all ...

So please, come visit me at my Real Blog, feel free to use the RSS Feed so you don't have to guess and check it all the time. 'Cause you probably have better things to do than be online all day, too!!

weird dream

Thu, 11 May 2006 06:33:00 -0500

I had a dream that I was pregnant, but hadn't seen the doctor since 20 weeks, and there had been some concerns at 20 weeks that I'd put out of mind. And I was at term and realized that I had not felt any movement, and had not grown any bigger, since 20 weeks, and realized the baby must've died. In my dream I was sitting at the computer typing that realization to my internet friends on the Haven. I was sad, but mostly puzzled to have not realized it sooner, and thought maybe this was why I'd been feeling lke I just wanted to enjoy baby Buzz as a baby for a while.

In other parts of the dream, we saw a double rainbow in a full circle around the sun, but it was irregular shaped and kind of, er, smeary. But beautiful. But when I tried to take a picture it washed out and I had no proof.

And we were having people over for dinner but I'd not prepared, and had to send dh out to buy garlic bread to go with it, at the very last minute when the people were here.

There were other "scenes" in the dream, but I can't remember them well enough to blog.

Edited to add: Anonymous reminded me to note, since I know all my friends will start speculating, that I'm pretty sure I'm NOT pregnant. Baby Buzz is still nursing a lot and I have not even seen enough fertility signs to bother charting yet. Yes, I know that doesn't mean I couldn't be. But you know. Plus I hope to have /leftie done in June, so I'd really like to not be, just yet. And stuff.

the stupid thing about being Kim

Mon, 8 May 2006 17:57:00 -0500

I don't change well if I don't have a plan. At least, not for things I'm not sure how to do.

I don't plan well.

I often rebel against plans, even my own.

I think of things to change, then confuse myself with unresolved details, and get "stuck" planning.

which means nothing ever really changes.

stuff

Sat, 6 May 2006 18:44:00 -0500

You know how sometimes you learn new, paradigm shifting, eye opening, life changing things?

That didn't happen to me at the conference. Instead I learned many of the same old heard-but-not-applied things. Good things that I need to do.

Model diligence and then train the children in it.

Prioritize and live by those priorities.

This will mean letting some "good" things go, in favor of "better" things.

Know your children and really invest in them.

Family worship needs to be a priority.

Always the romantic, I am often thinking I am willing to sacrifice all for Christ, to die for Christ ... but I am usually unwilling, at any given moment, to put aside my selfish comforts and indulgences. If I want to truly be used for Christ, I need to be willing to be uncomfortable for Him, as well as die for Him.

I need to make sure our family is investing in 'real life' friendships.

My internet time really needs to be reined in, pared down, brought under control.

Three blogs is too many.

At the Conference

Sat, 6 May 2006 07:05:00 -0500

First of all, thanks to everyone for your encouraging and sympathetic comments last week. They are appreciated. I am pressing on, and have many thoughts in response but not the time to write them today.

At this moment I'm in a hotel getting ready for our 2nd day of our local homeschooling conference. Too bad I didn't get my HSB shirt in time for someone to recognize me, LOL. Anyone else at INCH? Not Julie, I've given p on her, ha ha. I still remember 6 years ago posting notes for her on the connection board, trying to meet her. ;-)

My splint is off but my hand is weak and sore. I can't take notes. Dh and I will be lucky to get a whole talk out of the conference, between baby and my hand precluding notes. Normally I'm a compulsive note taker. But we're having fun.

Welllllll, useless Leftie is going to sleep trying to type, so I am outtahere! If you are at inch and see a short, plump lady sporting a gimpy hand and a very happy baby yelling "quirl!" to people, say hi!

Meet the real me

Tue, 2 May 2006 15:07:00 -0500

So what, exactly, is success??

I already know it's not a Martha Stewart Home. But beyond that ...

I'm troubled by feeling I'm not succeeding in anything, really. Not in my homemaking. Not in my child training. Not in providing healthy meals for my family. And certainly not in school.

"Oh, Kim," you say, "I'm sure you're doing fine!!"

What makes you say that? At what point do we draw the line and say that we're doing well enough? Is the line when our children are ... less dysfunctional than average when out in public?

"Oh, you know you can't measure it like that," you say, "After all, you're right where DO we draw the line? We ALL fall short of God's standards. That's why we're on our knees, getting by by God's grace each day. Leaning on His strength. That's where success is, at the foot of the cross. You know that."

You're right, I do know that, and I believe it ...

So why aren't I there? Why am I not before the Lord each day, confessing my sin and failures, receiving His grave and forgiveness and strength? Why am I not spending my days seeking Him for direction, for how to number my minutes aright, and earnestly praying for the hearts of my children, neighbors, and family and friends?

Why am I consistently running on Auto-Pilot when I know it's set to crash? Knowing I need Him to guide and direct, and turning around and forgetting, maybe not even thinking about it again for days? Why is the chasm between truth and living in it so far?

I can't tell you why. I would be a very different woman if I knew why and could fix it. All I can tell you is that it isn't success.

Blub, Blub, Bang, and Zoom!!

Fri, 28 Apr 2006 10:31:00 -0500

Blub Blub.

Blub 1) I joined Weight Watchers Online!! I had a link to a free trial week, and my friend Betsy has had wonderful success with their program, and I did well with their program in the past (I'm actually a lifetime member, and could've joined the "real life meetings" for cheaper, but I thought I'd try the online). I want to lose about 45 pounds to be at a healthy BMI. I would really like to do that before any future pregnancies.

Blub 2) I entered and won a contest for the Blubber Bloggers logo. What a nice group of ladies (and not just because I won, LOL!) I am honored to win, and it was fun to enter.

Bang!

HappySonlightMomof7 asked about my new bangs -- they're not really bangs! Or, they are, but just a few? Bangs tend to be too poofy and high maintenance on my curly hair, but I wanted it off my face a little, so she cut it around my face at an angle a bit and blended it in, so there's no chunk of bangs, but I still get a little height and shape. Clever hair lady, it was all her idea, LOL

Zoom!

MaureenMichele claims I must be 15 to have watched ZOOM as a child. ROFL! ZOOM was on in the 70's, and I remember doing this "arm trick" featured in Zoom's *nostalgia* blurb, LOL. So I'm old enough to be retro, But I'm not as old as OreoSouza tried to make me out to be! LOL!! But I can still chant the address! (chanting: Write ZOOM! Z-double-O-M! Box 351 Boston Mass Ohhhhh Two Oooone Three Fouuuur ... send it to Zoom!)

Abanybyobone?

Thu, 27 Apr 2006 06:54:00 -0500

Did anyone besides me and my sister Kelly learn Ubby Dubby Language watching ZOOM as a child? I like it so much more than Pig Latin. My kids got some magazine that had some poor Ubby Dubby knock-off language, but it was awkward, it did not bubble freely like Ubby Dubby.

Anyway. All that to say today is habair cubut dabay.

I also have several blog entries in the mental queue, one on friendship and one on ... um ... well, there was something else. Apparently I lave a leaky queue.

*** Pobost Habair Cubut! ***

Are you ready?

Back Before & after:

Front Before & after:

What do you think??