Homeschooling in the Pacific Northwest http://www.homeschoolblogger.com/Polly/ en-us Homeschool Blogger Sun, 13 Jan 2008 02:12:00 -0600 Sun, 13 Jan 2008 02:12:00 -0600 If you are a consistent person, you may not understand what I'm feeling.  I feel happy and relieved all rolled into one because...drum roll....we completed an entire week of school.  YES!!!  Ah, the feeling of accomplishing a goal.  What's been in my way? Me - SAD (seasonal blues) kicked in early this year.  October was a bust. Thanksgiving - We were just getting back in the swing of things when DH took the kids off to his brother's house for four days. New Granddaughter - Before the kids could recover from Thanksgiving, my oldest went into labor.  After several days of practice, she gave birth to a beautiful baby girl.  I deserted my family to try and help DD and SIL adjust to being new parents. Christmas shopping - ACK! I was trying to enjoy being a grandma for the first time.  Who has time for shopping? New Year's - Can't really get in the groove while Dad is still home from work. As you can see, it has been a long time since we've actually schooled.  That is why this week, with it's routines and accomplishments, gave me a feeling of relief.  It's always good to make some progress with regards to your own expectations.  Yep, I expect us to homeschool. http://www.homeschoolblogger.com/Polly/460388/ Sun, 13 Jan 2008 02:12:00 -0600 http://www.homeschoolblogger.com/Polly/460388/ I think I have found the "secret weapon" for 9yodd...my new laptop computer.  The last couple of days I have typed her English grammar assignments in a word document on my computer.  She thinks it is cool to do her work while learning to use my computer.  In fact, she even asked for more work!  I've also had her practice her spelling words on the computer.  If I had known using the computer would "excite" her, I would have used it on the first day. http://www.homeschoolblogger.com/Polly/458644/ Thu, 10 Jan 2008 01:59:00 -0600 http://www.homeschoolblogger.com/Polly/458644/ Thank goodness for one cooperative child!  My 12 year old may not always want to do something, but she generally will do what I ask.  My 9 year old on the other hand was a pill today.  She is a very dramatic child and literally moaned, groaned, and wailed most of the afternoon. I knew I needed to  be battle ready, so I tried to keep my expectations low.  I had 9yodd work in a first grade math book.  I know, I know.  It was WAY beneath her, but at least she couldn't complain that it was too hard.  She still moaned and wailed which gave me a good chuckle.  It was so ridiculous!   We also did handwriting, spelling, and English grammar.  She did fine but complained loudly the WHOLE time.  Believe it or not, she is full of energy when it is something she wants to do. ;) 12yodd quietly did  her spelling  and handwriting without complaint.  We reviewed the first part of an IEW (writing) DVD together during which she almost fell asleep.  She enjoys Mr. Pudewa's humor, but this is the 3rd time she's seen this segment.  Then we did a math lesson together.  She did math on her own for about a year, but she started to get bogged down.  So, I've decided to be more "present" during math in hopes that she'll let me know what she needs help with. I plan to keep expectations low for awhile.  My main goal is to be consistent.  Who won the race?  The tortoise and that is who my kids need me to be. http://www.homeschoolblogger.com/Polly/457372/ Tue, 8 Jan 2008 01:05:00 -0600 http://www.homeschoolblogger.com/Polly/457372/ Twas the night before school and all through the house  ... the teacher had lost her enthusiasm, there wasn't an ounce left.  I sat up late last night writing up some goals for restarting school.  I felt excited.  But, with school just around the corner (less than 12 hours), I seem to have lost my enthusiasm.  The reality is...school is work. To be continued tomorrow..... Will the students cooperate?  Will any learning actually take place?  Stay tuned for the next exciting episode of "As the Homeschool Turns." http://www.homeschoolblogger.com/Polly/456701/ Sun, 6 Jan 2008 23:03:00 -0600 http://www.homeschoolblogger.com/Polly/456701/ I've been working in the 5&9 year old girls' room. Their room is large enough and they have a very large closet, but I don't dare walk into their room in the dark.  The floor is usually littered with toys, papers, and books.  That can be dangerous when you have a child who has frequent nosebleeds in the night. Anyway, Daddy helped them pick up their room Tuesday night, but I decided to dejunk it.  Obviously they have too much stuff if it is on the floor all the time.  Yesterday I got sidetracked with the games.  I took pictures of them, put them all in a word document, and printed it.  We rarely play games because it seems to be "out of sight, out of mind."  Hopefully this will help us actually play some of the fun games we have rather than giving them to Goodwill prematurely. Today I jumped in again.  It was going okay until I reached "the pile."  Thanksgiving day I picked up their room and put a lot of 9 year old girl's stuff in a copy paper box.  Well, she never did go through it, so there it sat on the floor.  It took us HOURS to go through the box along with all of her trinkets (from her shelf above her bed, the overflowing shoe box in her top drawer, and her tool box.  The tool box is where she supposedly keeps her most treasured keepsakes.  We bought one for each of the older girls when the youngest was getting into their things.  The box has a lock on it.  By the time she had made a decision about each little toy, piece of paper, or rock she had bought at a tourist shop, we both felt tortured!  She is now down to just the tool box.  Her shoe box in the top drawer has been reassigned for socks.  She also has a folder with so many drawings that I fear it will burst some day.  Since it is too big for the tool box, I did have to find it a temporary home.   I feel bad in a way.  She seems to have an emotional attachment to every little trinket that has passed through her hands.  I know that made today's task stressful for her.  And, I feel bad that I've reduced her special belongings to the size of a small tool box and the shelf above her bed. <sigh>  However, I want her to realize that these are just things.  They aren't the special memories that she is attaching to them.  I think starting a journal for her might be a good way for her to deal with this.  Maybe that is why we hang on to things.  We are afraid we'll forget a special event or person if we get rid of the thing associated with that event.  Writing in a journal will help her remember her life without needing to surround herself with things from those events. http://www.homeschoolblogger.com/Polly/455175/ Fri, 4 Jan 2008 01:32:00 -0600 http://www.homeschoolblogger.com/Polly/455175/ BwaHa!Ha!  My family may never see me again!   Okay, so I guess I will  need to occasionally come out for food and trips to the bathroom. ;) http://www.homeschoolblogger.com/Polly/452874/ Mon, 31 Dec 2007 13:23:00 -0600 http://www.homeschoolblogger.com/Polly/452874/ One thing about decluttering...you find things that you were SURE were lost forever. screw driver - found in the bottom of a grocery bag under a painting drop cloth.  missing? two years. key chain - found in the bottom of a magazine holder full of piano music.  missing? two years? daughter's music CD - found in the van, this has mp3 files of dd's music from her teenage years (5+ years ago) .  missing?  6-12 months. I felt like a kid in a candy store finding the key chain and screw driver.  It's cool to find something that you've given up hope of ever finding. And, the music CD was a cool find too.  Four or five years ago oldest dd made me an exercise music playlist with many of these songs in it.  I copied them onto my computer.   Now I get to listen to some of my favorite "exercise" music.  Of course, sitting around with the laptop isn't exactly exercise though, is it? Rock Lobster (B-52’s) Harder, Better, Faster, Stronger (Daft Punk) Gotta Get Through This (Daniel Beddingfield) Sandstorm (Darude) Days Go By (Dirty Vegas) Heaven (DJ Sammy) Dragostea Din Tei I'll Fly With You (Gigi D'Agostino) You Spin Me Round (Gigi D'Agostino) What Is Love (Haddaway) Crazy On You (Heart) Shake Your Booty (KC & The Sunshine Band) That’s The Way I Like It (KC & The Sunshine Band) Are You Gonna Go My Way (Lenny Kravitz) Lady, Hear Me Tonight (Modjo) I'm Not Your Stepping Stone (Monkees) Like a Feather (Nikka Costa) In Your Eyes (Peter Gabrial) We  Are the Champions (Queen) Start The Commotion (The Wiseguys) Where’s Your Head At (Basement Jaxx) http://www.homeschoolblogger.com/Polly/451887/ Sat, 29 Dec 2007 00:44:00 -0600 http://www.homeschoolblogger.com/Polly/451887/ Now I remember why I struggle with decluttering. I get bogged down in the details! It is tedious work. I have a piano, but I don't really play. I thought it would be an easy place to start. Unfortunately I found a folder with a lot of children's church music that I had torn out of a magazine. Instead of chucking the whole thing, I organized the whole folder by subject and then looked at each one and tried it at the piano to see if it was possible for me to learn. Hours later I realize I should have recycled it. What a waste of time. Trying to be positive for a moment...it's done and I have a nice notebook with music to learn to play instead of loose papers floating around the house. http://www.homeschoolblogger.com/Polly/451869/ Fri, 28 Dec 2007 23:32:00 -0600 http://www.homeschoolblogger.com/Polly/451869/ Yep, I'm in shock.  My dh gave me a new laptop for Christmas!  This is not a typical gift for our family.  This year we encouraged the children to spend approximately $10 per family member.  DH and I usually spend a little more on each other.  But, we don't do expensive presents for each other.  I feel excited and a bit guilty at the same time. http://www.homeschoolblogger.com/Polly/450372/ Wed, 26 Dec 2007 00:11:00 -0600 http://www.homeschoolblogger.com/Polly/450372/ http://www.homeschoolblogger.com/Polly/437298/ Sun, 2 Dec 2007 01:59:00 -0600 http://www.homeschoolblogger.com/Polly/437298/