Our House, home and school - Homeschool Blogger

Hey there

Fri, 17 Nov 2006 10:41:00 -0600

Hello, I know I haven't written in a while. It has just been so busy around here. We are expecting this baby at 35 weeks. All of our children were. So that means that on Monday we will start the 10 week countdown. Of course there is always the chance that he will wait a bit longer before he comes out, ya never know. Lots and lots to do!!!

Things are going well, I am having a bit of trouble with my varicose veins but other that that all is well.

School is going well too. The boys are enjoying it. I feel we need some more structure than what we have now. But since the oldest is only in first grade I have some time to figure it all out. I am trying hard not to stress too much. With the Holidays coming there will be plenty of stress as it is. Well I have more work to so I will have go for now.

Mothers to be read this

Sat, 4 Nov 2006 09:39:00 -0600

Every mom wants the best for her newborn. I don't know if I am just new to this or if it just hasn't gotten around. But THIS IS NEWS that should be spread around. Send it to everyone and link it to your blog. The fact that civilized countries won't make this knowledge public for fear of lawsuits appalls me!

Old

Fri, 3 Nov 2006 13:42:00 -0600

I feel so old. I know all of you out there in blog land are laughing at me right now. I am only 24 years old and I feel way older than that. I spent the morning cleaning out very small office and I ache everywhere already. The day is barely half over. I am just having a tough time with this pregnancy. The simplest of tasks wipes me out completly. Which makes it very hard for a nesting mother to get anything done! My DH is going to run away screaming if his honey do list gets any longer! He has a basement and garage to clean and organize. He has turned part of the basement into a studio for his art so everything that is his got stuffed down there in order to empty out the soon to be baby's room, and the office. He has a 1962 Ford Econoline that needs to get stored in the garage. The yard needs mowing and winterizing. Windows need to be installed in out attic bedroom. And so on. And I am incapable of helping with any of that. I simply can't do it. Then of course is all the daily home chores that need to be done, three kids to raise and school, and prepare for baby. Somewhere rest needs to be fit in but it doesn't work. I have been feeling rather depressed about all of this lately. I don't like feeling like I can't do it all. I have been trying to find wys the kids can help and make life a bit easier, but I guess I just don't know what to give them to do. They are only 3, 4 and 6. Ok now that I have complained all about me....

C is loving being included in school. He would sit and do workbook pages forever if I let him. He is doing great at getting the letter sounds down. I can't wait for him to start reading on his own. It feels so good to know that you taught him to do that. Once he can do that he can read about anything he wants to. I love that. D went straight for dinosaur books. I wonder what C will go for. D is doing very good as well. He is beginning to memorize his addition and subtraction facts. Its slow going but since it is just us here there is really no rush. He does pretty good with spelling except with word that don't follow the "rule." Words like read, he will spell it rede becouse an e at the end makes it a long e sound. That sort of thing he mixes up alot. He'll get it though. I'm not worried. (Yet). We have been using our new Learning System discs. He likes them. I really wish they were seperated by grade though. For example, we did part of a lesson on the human body, and he picked up alot of what was in the video but I would say it was a bit in depth for a first grader. I guess I would think that you would start the basics in first grade, and get more and more in depth as you go along. Anyway he liked it so I guess we can just do it again later on and he will pick up more each time he does it.

In all things are going well around here. Things are slowly getting done and hopefully they will get done in time.

Check this out!!!! Important!!

Fri, 3 Nov 2006 13:40:00 -0600

I stumbled across THIS from another blog. It is so important to get this information out.

Hello

Fri, 27 Oct 2006 12:52:00 -0500

I know its seems to been a while once again since I have last posted. I guess I just don't know what to write about. Writing never was my strong suit.

So lets see. Well I am feeling pretty good. The aches and pains are worse this pregnancy than before. My varicose veins hurt more than they did before. My hips are the worst though. The pain there almost brings me to tears somedays. heat usually helps when it gets bad so I do have some relief. I find that I haev really no appitite. There is nothing that sounds good to eat. I must admit I have been indulging my chocolate craving. Reeses fast break is my weapon of choice, but anything equaly soft will work. Lol. We know that this babe is a boy but coming up with a name seems next to imopssible. We like names that are unique but not unheard of. We definatly do not want anything popular. Aidan was my first choice but then we discovered how popular it has become so we nixed that idea. Dh didn't mind he wasn't too thrilled with it. Right now we are thinking maybe Korbin or Kolten. What do you think? Have any other ideas?

So with school I have found a really cool program. I know it is not new I am probably just new to it. It is The Learning System . It is really neat. I bought the one for first through fifth grade. I love the content but i wish it was divide more by grade so you would know what is more age appropriate. D has yet to use it, but I have been playing around with it. Getting a feel for it so I know where to start with him and stuff like that. He is anxious to try it though. I am impressed so far. For $40 you can't beat it. All the core subjects for 4 years.

We have been so busy around the house trying to get things cleaned and rearranged to make room for babe. I am so overwhelmed. This is one those times I wish I could hire extra help. But I can't, so I guess I better suck it up and get crackin...

wow

Fri, 13 Oct 2006 14:54:00 -0500

Its been a while since I posted hasn't it? Things have been insane around here lately. Between doctors appointments, and family, and ER visits, and work commitments its been nuts! Things have settled a bit now so I can gather my thoughts.

In recent weeks, we have had M to the ER because he dislocated his elbow (known as nursemaids elbow.) Every thing is fine with him now.

M and C have both been to the doctor for their 3 and 4 year checkups. Everything is wonderful there. We have come up with a better plan of managing M's asthma. Their height and weight are right where they should be.

I had an episode with bleeding. It was only one night and only lasted a few minutes but it scared the heck out of me. I have never had any bleeding at all with my first 3 pregnancies so I was worried. So I saw my midwife and had another ultrasound. Everything seems to be well now so no more concern.

DH has been really busy at work lately lots of events going on. He has been working overtime and coming home beat!

Oh and lets see, last night I threw out a whole pan if lasagna because I somehow screwed it all up. It was one of those recipes where you don't have to cook the noodles beforehand. Well lets just say they didn't cook while baking either. It was strange to me because I have made this exact recipe before and it turned out ok. checked and rechecked and I didn't do anything wrong so I am not sure what happened. Needless to say I won't be making that one again. As much as I like to make things simpler I will definatly make it the old fashioned way next time!

School is...going. I am still not very happy with things but it will get better I am sure. I am very interested in the idea of unschooling because I feel that my kids learn well this way, but I live in NY and the regulations are nuts here. They will have to do standardized testing and I am not sure I can trust that they will know the things they should. Things like math facts and grammer and that kind of stuff. Oh well It will work itself out one way or the other. All I know is that there is no other choice for us. Just read the newspaper and you will see why I just will not send my kids to school! What is it 4 or 5 incidents in the last 2 weeks...I don't think so!

Ok I guess this is long enough now. I will be back soon.

Friday

Fri, 29 Sep 2006 13:48:00 -0500

Today school didn't go too well. D was very easily distracted and made the most insane mistakes on his math. Not little oops added wrong mistake, but big totally not paying attention mistakes. He is moody this afternoon. C wanted to come in and do some Starfall on the computer and D said he wanted to watch him I said ok but instantly it was him messing around so I told him to to go play instead. So of course he started crying and yelling I'm mad and so on. I went and calmly explained to him that "C is in there trying to learn, and he can't do that if you won't sit quiet. I told you once to stop and you didn't so I had to tell you to leave him alone." Then C went out and tried to play with him and he just sat there crying and fighting about a toy. I just don't know. I guess I just don't know how to handle a six and a half year old boy. I feel like I am always reprimanding him, and I hate that, but he just doesn't listen sometimes. He can be very rude and mouthy. I am just so frustrated about it. I love my son to pieces but sometimes I feel like we just aren't building the right kind of relationship.

For now

Thu, 28 Sep 2006 10:31:00 -0500

Things with school have been going pretty good. We start our time reading a selection from Ambleside Online year one. Then D does his math and then vocab and spelling. While he does that I do some workbook pages with C because he loves to "do school". D has been doing really good with his math addition and subtraction facts. He makes me so proud. Spelling seems to come fairly easy to him too. Oh and C has been writing his name all by himself! I had no idea he could do that. I knew he could spell it, but write it, no clue. I didn't know 4 year olds that are still being taught all the letter of the alphebet could do that! I am so proud! Did I mention that already?

I figured out that I just wanted to be able to group us into one method of homeschool, thinking it would make it easier somehow. I have come to realize that we are not completly Charlotte Mason although I do love her ideas. I just feel a bit more is needed than just expecting them to get all they need from literature. We are not unschoolers, although our system is very relaxed. But never too much so. I trust that they get lots of "education" through real life and lots of play. We are not textbook homeschoolers, mostly because I think that trying that rigid of a curriculum would burn out my kids very quickly. Although I feel that some things are best taught that way. So I guess you would say we are ecclectic. A little bit of it all. I am glad to have discovered this. It seems to take some stress off. Does that seem silly? I guess I feel like it will all be ok one way or the other in the end. The thought of highschool and preparing for college still petrifies me but I still have a long way before then. It will all work out, thats all I need to think right now.

Its a...

Mon, 25 Sep 2006 15:31:00 -0500

Ultrasound today showed its a boy. That makes four boys. No pink for me.

Blah.

Fri, 22 Sep 2006 11:16:00 -0500

Today is just one of the zero energy days. This past week I have had tons of energy and got lots done. Not today. I guess I used up whatever I had and I am done for a day or two. I don't feel like doing anything except curling up and watching a good movie. Which of course I can't do. So I am walking around trying to accomplish something. Its not working, so thats why I'm sitting here again. Ok here I go again.