Homeschooling Mom of 3 wild guys!! Sharing her daily strife, success and blessings while atempting to tame the wild hearted boys she has been blessed with!! http://www.homeschoolblogger.com/Quidamae/ en-us Homeschool Blogger Sat, 20 Oct 2007 18:20:00 -0500 Sat, 20 Oct 2007 18:20:00 -0500 Well, today was a lot better than yesterday. I think I actually 'got it' when the good dr. was lecturing today. She talked mostly about treatment approaches and how to do a differential diagnosis. That was practical for me. I am realy to go back now and apply what I learned. It is amazing to me, though, how I am content to stay in this hotel, when just behind where I stay are the Rocky Mountains. I haven't even walked to the other size of the hotel to take a look. I guess I can't really enjoy them without my boys. :( I definately want to come back to Colorado with my family. I think it would be neat to go sking. I personally would't ski but my boys and Reuben would love it. There is also river rafting, now I would do that and the hiking! Oh yeah, I could enjoy a vactaion in the mountains with my family. Maybe we should consider it for next summer. :) The weather is about to change. It was 80 today but it is about to drop 50 degrees by tomorrow morning and start to snow. Oh, I pray it doesn't delay my plain...please God, look after my safe return. http://www.homeschoolblogger.com/Quidamae/412107/ Sat, 20 Oct 2007 18:20:00 -0500 http://www.homeschoolblogger.com/Quidamae/412107/ I am in Denver, Colorado attending a seminar on apraxia of speech. It is very interesting but nothing has gone right since I have been here. The shuttle from the airport was frightening, I locked myself out of my hotel room, paid too much for room service and then it seemed like everything Dr. Burns was speaking on was going right over my head! I think I paid $380 to have someone convince me I am a total idiot! Seriously! I feel so stupid. I have been a speech therapist for 14 years but feel as if I know nothing of what I thought I loved and understood. I hope tomorrow I can clarify with the good doctor, what it is she is trying to teach us. How have I managed all this time to do my job? Parents love me, but am I misleading them? Oh, I pray i am not. http://www.homeschoolblogger.com/Quidamae/411714/ Fri, 19 Oct 2007 20:10:00 -0500 http://www.homeschoolblogger.com/Quidamae/411714/ I am reading a book by John Holt on how kids fail. It has me really thinking about how I present myself to my boys. Are they scared to answer questions when I ask, are they constantly wondering if they will dissapoint me? I know my eight year old is afraid, at times, to make me mad...he is always trying to please me but is that just him or did I do something to create that in him? My oldest doesn't really ever seem to care what I think, only that I leave him be to do his work and he only seeks me out when he doesn't understand or doesn't really want to do the work in the first place. Scooing is so much more than book work. It is about life and learning to live it. I want my boys to love learning but to realize that every situation can present itself as a learning opportunity and that when they do not know something it isn't the same as not understanding something. How do I teach that? For now, I am a very eclectic homeschooler. I pick and choose my tools, sometimes not very carefully. I often go on a whim....whatever happends to interest me or my boys at the time..is the direction I take. Thus far, it has proved lucrative, in that they haven't asked to go to public school yet and they haven't embarassed themselves with a silly response to a simple question...when others ask, that is. I guess they're doing okay. Math, reading and writing are my main focal points, even though it is taking quite some time for my middle boy to grasp these. My baby (3yrs old) is earger to 'do school' and wants to sit at the table every morning and work on his folder. It is so sweet to see the innocense of him, the yearning that comes natural so early in life but seems to quickly fade as school/learning become more critical and at times more boaring. I do wish I was more comfortable with unschooling...but a small piece of me worries my boys will grow up and not know a dang thing. http://www.homeschoolblogger.com/Quidamae/408394/ Sun, 14 Oct 2007 16:58:00 -0500 http://www.homeschoolblogger.com/Quidamae/408394/ http://www.homeschoolblogger.com/Quidamae/408030/ Sat, 13 Oct 2007 16:28:00 -0500 http://www.homeschoolblogger.com/Quidamae/408030/ http://www.homeschoolblogger.com/Quidamae/408029/ Sat, 13 Oct 2007 16:25:00 -0500 http://www.homeschoolblogger.com/Quidamae/408029/ Today is Sabbath once again. I always enjoy the quiet of Sabbath. I completely understand why God gave man the Sabbath. We are not always bright enough sometimes to realize we need a rest from the hum-drum of daily life. Today I am reflecting on why I homeschool. I know without a doubt I enjoy it, I know it is the right thing to do and I see the difference in my boys. I am currently reading John Holt's book, How Children Fail. I have read it before, but it seems more relavent now. Perhaps it is becuase J is almost 12 and a half or maybe it is becuase I see the news and all of the 'stuff' that goes on in public schools, or perhaps it is because I have an 8 year old who still doesn't read and I am not in the least bit worried about it. Who knows! My dd is in Argentina. She is doing what she thinks is God's will in her life. It is amazing how much the experience has already changed her and she has only been there a very short time. She says it's being away from the hussle and bustle of life here in the states, being forced to rely on God and not her cell phone or the internet. It is brings a whole new definition to being alone with oneself. http://www.homeschoolblogger.com/Quidamae/408027/ Sat, 13 Oct 2007 16:12:00 -0500 http://www.homeschoolblogger.com/Quidamae/408027/ It has been a year maybe more, since I last visited my blog. Things just got a bit nutty and I haven't been able to be faithful to it. I am here once agian, trying to get a fresh start with the blogging thing. I want to make contact with others in my same situation...gleen from them what I can. So much has changed. I am working now, practically full time. I work for the county as a speech pathologist. I work specifically with infants and toddlers. It seems lately I have tons of kiddo's on the spectrum of PDD. I love it. My boys are still at home with me and I am managing to homeschool. Jonathan is old enough to stay at home with the younger ones and does a good job of making sure things are done. Oh, i still come home to a messy house and school work not yet complete, but for the most part it is working for us. The money is nice, that's for sure. We finally can afford to buy those 'extra's' we always longed for. I am typing on one of those extra's right now...my new MacBook. I love it. It is primarily for work, but I enjoy it otherwise. My oldest boy has really got the hang of it. Today is quiet...all is well. The boys are playing with the castle and pirate ship and Jonathan is busy with the DS (his reward for finishing up school on time today). I am about to go read Columbus to my middle boy. He is always willing to cease what he is doing to 'do school.' So, off I go...I hope someone drops by...leave a comment. I am anxious to get back into this again. http://www.homeschoolblogger.com/Quidamae/405569/ Tue, 9 Oct 2007 12:15:00 -0500 http://www.homeschoolblogger.com/Quidamae/405569/ Has anyone read the news stroy over the little girl who wrote the poem on White Nationalism.  She was homeschooled and I am wondering if this isn't another strike for homeschoolers.  I saw the interview with her and she definately sounds like an intelligent girl.  But I wonder if they are a Christian family.  I have tried very hard to teach my son the truth in American history...it isn't all pretty, no way, but this is still one of the greatest countries!  We read Amos Fortune Free Man...and taht was such a refreshing look at the plight of the black man.  This man had an amazing attitude and looked at his lot in life with grace and love for others.  He never blamed anyone, all though you could read of  his bitterness about loosing his sister.  I really enjoyed sharing this 'peek' into slavery with my son.  We still had a conversation about the awfulness of slavery and there were questions I really didn't know how to answer...and may never know how to answer.  But I do hope that someday we will all be able to see eachother as fellow brothers and sisters in Christ, dispite the history that apparently still effects us today. http://www.homeschoolblogger.com/Quidamae/109301/ Thu, 30 Mar 2006 13:49:00 -0600 http://www.homeschoolblogger.com/Quidamae/109301/ I am so sad.  I logged onto the home page of homeschoolblogger.com and saw a 'in memory of' and clicked on it.  A women by the name of Missy Grey died in childbirth March 1st.  My heart aches for this family.  I have spent the last couple of days feeling sorry for myself, and then I suddenly get this slap in the face.  I think I need to find a hole, crawl in and humble myself!              Lord, please be with this family, though they may not understand why this has happened, allow them to feel Your presence, to know Your strength, to sense Your mercy.  Lord, you are in control and while the tragedies of this world continue to happen almost daily, help us to not wander further from the fold but to draw neared to You.    I have so many questions but to sit and ponder them now would only be a waist of energy... I need to pick myself up and get on with living, loving and learning.  These things I can do.            http://www.homeschoolblogger.com/Quidamae/95277/ Mon, 6 Mar 2006 14:27:00 -0600 http://www.homeschoolblogger.com/Quidamae/95277/ Has anyone ever read Amos Fortune?  We just finished it and it was wonderful.  I read it to my fifth grader and he really grasped it, I was amazed.  We got into some deep conversations over the content matter.  Slavery is such a touchy subject and I wasn't sure how he was going to handle it.  At first he was leary and avoided it, but once we delved into the character of this amazing man, ds really turned around and started asking all kinds of questions.  I got some books from the library, picture books mostly, geared towards youngsters, regarding slavery.  Most of which were written and illustrated by black people themselves.  I was so blessed to find some good stuff out there.   We also hit on slavery in the Bible...he was amazed to hear it wasn't a new concept and that sadly it still goes on today.  I really felt this book opened up a whole new way of thinking for my boy.  I think he grew up a bit over the course of this chapter book.  :)  http://www.homeschoolblogger.com/Quidamae/93904/ Fri, 3 Mar 2006 16:52:00 -0600 http://www.homeschoolblogger.com/Quidamae/93904/