Dec. 13, 2009 - A Happy Girl
I have been dealing with a heavy case of procrastination the last few months. There are many things that need to be done but I do not have the desire to do them. I would rather live in a state of fog and inertia than actually do anything. I have been slowly working through my to-do list. The operative word here is slowly.
One of the things that have been on my list is to order Missy's reading program. Missy is not at all ready for Bartons. She does not know her letter sounds (and it isn't for lack of trying on my part, believe me ) nor does she have any phonemic awareness. I searched around as to what my best options were in terms of curriculum and I came across LiPS. It is a speech program produced my LindaMoodBell. I had heard of this company before. They have written many different programs. I had talked to Susan Barton about what to do with Missy and she suggested LiPS but she told me that I would not be able to administer it as I am not a professional Speech and Language Pathologist. Well, you know that this got my dander up. Don't tell me I can't do something. So I looked around and asked people if this was true. I was told that anyone can teach LiPS. It's a bit foggy but if you spend time reading it, you should be able to figure out.
I was a bit nervous about purchasing it. For one thing, this program costs mega dollars. For the other thing, if I am not able to teach this on my own, I don't want to fork out all of this money for no reason. I think this was the big reason for my procrastination. I won't tell you how long I put off in ordering the program, but it doesn't matter any more as I ordered it and we received it on Fri.
I have been spending my weekend reading the over-400 page teacher manual. My brain is a bit woozy but I have been very encouraged by what I have read. I love this program and, Yes! I can teach it with no problems. Whew! I can now breathe.
LiPS uses the concept of layer teaching (that is my own label, not sure if that is the accurate term.) They teach the sounds trhough feeling, seeing and listening. They use all of the senses to teach the sounds. This is the best way to teach dyslexics. They need to use all of their senses in order for the information to stick. This program is structured so well. They use baby steps in order to reach their goal: reading and spelling. I love this. This looks very do-able for MIssy. I think we will have to go very slowly with lots of practice but I think we can do it. I am so relieved to finally have a plan for her.
The teaching of this program can be done in two ways: the horizontal path or the vertical path. The horizontal path is in teaching all of the consonants, the vowels, then do the tracking, spelling and reading. The vertical path is teaching three consonant pairs, then teach three vowels, then move on to tracking, spelling and reading with those sounds that have been taught. When that is mastered then you go back to the beginning and learn more consonants, vowels, etc. I like this path as it will give Missy a bit of information to work with and will show her that she can learn to read some words. I think this will empower her to learn the rest.
Missy is so happy to have the program in our house. Everyday I ask each child what is the one thing that they want to do for that day. Missy's choice for Friday was to start her reading program. So that was what we did. I am letting out a sigh of relief. If I knew how well this would have turned out, I wouldn't have procrstinated for as long as I did.
Dec. 9, 2009 - A Great Day
It finally happened! After four months, I finally had two great days in a row. That sounds so dramatic, doesn't it? It is the truth, though. There has been a cloud over me for the longest time. It is to be expected when one has cancer, but I thought that the cloud would be lifted once the cancer was gone. That has not been the case. The cloud lingered longer than I had anticpated. It was starting to worry me. I was wondering if I was ever going to see sunlight again. I was so relieved when a little trickle of light seeped through on Monday. My relief changed to pure joy when the light continued on through yesterday. Two days in a row with no sadness, no fogginess. I truly wondered if those days would ever arrive.
From all that I have heard from other people, the sadness and distraction will probably revisit but that's okay. God has reassured me that the sun does, indeed, exist and it does remember how to shine down on me. If it did it once, it will do it again.
Due to the scarceness of great days, let me tell you all about them (yes, I a going to give you intricate details.) We went to a birthday party on Monday for a dear friend. P. turned 8 on the weekend and we went to help him celebrate this momentous occasion. We had a great day of visiting and yummy food, even though it was freezing cold outside (-26 C)
My experience of 'great days' continued on with yesterday. It was even colder outside yesterday (-33) so we decided to stay home. We had a relaxing morning with the kids playing, me cleaning and a few attempts of trying to get into the 39 Clues website. For some reason, that site would not give us an email to activate our account, much to Rocky's chagrin. So we abandoned our attempts and will try again tomorrow. Mia also made time to make a Banana Cake from scratch. It was quite yummy. My Beloved stayed home in the morning. He made lunch for us which was bacon and tomato sandwiches. Daddy is our chief bacon-cooker as he does such a good job.
After lunch, we got down to business. We actually did a full routine of school. We have done bits and pieces over the months but not a full day. It was such a relief to know that I still had it in me to do the whole shebang. Mia started with her math. She was learning how to calculate volume. She has four more lessons from the Math-U-See's Delta book, then she will move on to Epsilon after Christmas (that is, if I can remember to order the book.) We started Delta in July so I think she has done very well considering all of the interruptions we have had in the interim. After math, Mia finished The Treasure Seekers by E. Nesbitt. Mia is now on Level 4 of the Bartons Reading and Spelling program. She is coming along so well witth this program. We also were able to do Classical Writing yesterday. It has been a long time since we cracked open that book. The model for this week was The Great Samaritan. Yesterday's chore was Word Copia (that sounds so elitist, doesn't it?) Mia was to find synonyms for the the underlined words in her book and make up new sentences. This was alot of fun.. I think even Mia enjoyed herself.
Rocky is still moving along with RightStart Level D. Yesterday we worked on number patterns. He does so well with this kind of math. We went through that worksheet lickety-split. Rocky is in Level 3 of Bartons. He is getting to the meat and the potatoes of this program so it is starting to get a bit tricky for him. So we are moving slow and steady. We also were able to do a grammar lesson yesterday. Again, this book hasn't seen the light of day in awhile. Rocky learned about the question mark and wrote some questions out to practice making that punctuation mark.
Now that all of the work was done, it was time for some fun. We read some advent readings altogether as well as The Wizard of Oz and The Best Christmas Pageant Ever. After the readings, we moved into the kitchen to make snowmen out of Rice Krispies. The kids had so much fun. It has been a long time since we did a fun activity like this. The air definitely lightened when we broke out the Rice Krispies.
To end a wonderful day, we had meatloaf and scalloped potatoes for supper and watched Charlie Brown's Christmas on television. A perfect ending to a perfect day. Finally.
Dec. 8, 2009 - 39 Clues
This is the post where I 'fess up and admit that I caved and bought the first two books from the 39 Clues series. This is the post where I whine and say that I couldn't find any other suitable books for Rocky for St. Nicholas Day. I was desperate, I tell ya, desperate! This is also the post where I admit that I actually like the books and will probably be buying more. I know. Scandalous.
I had heard mixed reviews of these books for awhile and had been sitting on the fence not too sure what to do about them. The premise of the series sounded really good, one that Rocky would enjoy. I just wasn't sure if I wanted to bring yet another twaddle series into our house. I hastily made the decision last week when I was frantically searching for books for his St. Nicholas Day present.
I have read the first book and have started the second. Surprisingly, this self-proclaimed book snob really likes these books. Now, as I said, I have only read the first one and it is written by Rick Riordan (of Percy Jackson and the Olympians) and I like his writing. The thing that makes me a bit squeamish is that each book is written by a different person. This rarely turns out well. So I am reading on with trepidation.
The premise of these books is fun. Amy and Dan Cahill are orphans. Their rich grandmother just died. Her will, for those who choose to take the risk, is a set of 39 clues that will lead them to a discovery that will change history and make them insanely weatthy. The siblings are in this race with 6 other teams of relatives who are ultra-nasty so it is a race of brain and braun. The clues lead them throughout the physical world, as well as the world of history. The first book is all about Ben Franklin. I think the second book takes us to Vienna and Mozart. These books remind me of National Treasure, Rocky's favourite movies. I think Rocky will love these books as well. I am excited to read them with him.
Sunday, December 6, 2009 - Maintaining excitement throughout THE 12 DAYS OF CHRISTMAS
QUESTION: "Amy, how do you maintain excitement for 12 days of Christmas Shmily time? I tried it last year and frankly it was hard! Hubby was feeling special but honestly I just wanted to be left alone and sleep. Help me get mentally straightened out to try again!" - JessicaI have to be honest... I struggle EVERY year with this whole thing, to some extent. Now, don't get me wrong, it's so much better than it used to be BEFORE I started the "12 days of Christmas" with my hubby... but that doesn't mean it doesn't go off without some trials, and I honestly believe that the more women that I tell about the 12 days of Christmas in order to bless their marriages... well, do you think that satan is just gonna sit back and watch my marriage flourish? Absolutely not!
I honestly hesitated this year when I realized when THE 12 DAYS OF CHRISTMAS was going to be and when the baby was due... I am literally due the day before I normally start this whole thing (which is my hubby's birthday) and so not only did I realize I was going to have the "normal" struggles of prior years... but having a baby at some point before the 12 days is up certainly means I'm gonna need to get a LITTLE... uh... creative... Not only will hormones be in full swing... but I will have a new little one "sucking the life out of me" (I nurse my babies) and that can be draining as well.
But the more I thought about "canceling" the whole thing... the more I knew I needed to do it... not just for my sweet Beloved... but because I needed to look forward to it as well. I needed to remind myself of all those reasons I fell in love with my husband... and the many more that I've fallen in love with since then.
I think we all know that by doing this... we certainly are blessing our husbands and our marriages... but I realized how I've really taken the whole thing for granted by thinking that I'm doing my husband some great big favor... when, in reality... I am equally blessed by these very special 12 days each year. By focusing on the good things about my husband, I "fall in love" all over again with the man I married... but there is still more...
I GET to serve my husband more intentionally then I normally do. Sure, I wash his clothes, make meals for him (although I don't know if he'd say that's a blessing or not considering the cook HE is), make sure his closet is full of clothing that fits and shoes to wear... but I can so easily fall into the routine of being his wife, that I forget the privilege of being so much more... a servant who acts out of love, expecting nothing in return... THE 12 DAYS OF CHRISTMAS makes me focus on my husband's wants, needs, and desires more than ever before and I find myself truly loving making him smile. It's no longer about what he's done for me... what I might get in return... or why he isn't do this or that... my focus is not on ME... and honestly women, that's right where God wants me as a wife all the time.
So, while I know 12 days IS hard to keep the excitement alive... I want to challenge you to really focus on your husband and not yourself... push yourself to go a little further when you feel like throwing in the towel... go the distance because in the end... it will not only be your husband that will be blessed... but you as well.
FYI: I made a booklet to encourage your husband for 30 weeks... in it there are a few things that might help you to stay focused on your hubby as you prepare for the 12 DAYS OF CHRISTMAS... and to help you stay that way throughout. You can find the booklet by clicking the following link: 30-week Husband Encouragement Challenge.
Dec. 6, 2009 - A Close Call
Happy St. Nicholas Day!
I cracked open my eyes at 7:37 this morning. Looked at the clock and then proceeded to close my eyes again. It was Sunday, I coul sleep for a bit more. Then the date floated across my mind. December 6th, St. Nicholas Day. My eyes opened again, this time with acute awareness.
St. Nicholas Day! Stink! I totally forgot about it. I mean, I knew that it was coming. I was prepared for it. The traditional gift books were in the basement tucked away in the Christmas stash room. The chocolates were in a bag stuffed in my closet. The oranges were in the refrigerator, so everything was here and ready. The problem was that it was now 7:38 and my children could wake up at any moment. How could I pull this off without getting caught in the act? Now, my kids know that I am the one filling their shoes with these goodies, but parts of Christmas are about make-believe and our family is very good in this area. I wanted to keep the illusion alive.
I sprang out of bed. 7:39. I tiptoed as fast as my legs could carry me to the basement and retrieved the books, ran up to the back hall and snatched three pairs of shoes. I took two of those pairs to the upstairs hall and laid them outside two bedrooms. I didn't dare go into the rooms to put the shoes by the bed or I risked being caught in the act. Hence, a new tradition: shoes now are placed outside of room. I ran back into my room, quietly closed the door, turned on the light and rummaged through the candy bags to find some suitable chocolates. I put the candy in the shoes and then made my way to the kitchen to get the oranges. Then back to the shoes. Once the oranges were placed in the shoes and the books laid on top, I made my way to the basement for the third room. I placed the last pair of shoes outside that bedroom door, hid the chocolates inside, sealed them with an orange and put the books quietly and safely on top.
Mission complete. I turned on my computer to pretend that my heart wasn't racing at the thought of being caught and saw that the time was now 7:52. Perfect. Yes, I am good.
Dec. 1, 2009 - Plans For This Week
I had a wonderful day yesterday. It was bill-paying day and, as things turned out, I was able to pay the bills without any fellow travelers. That does not happen very often. My Beloved offered to stay home with the kids while I satisfied the telephone and power company. I was able to also make this trip into a Christmas shopping trip. Wahoo! I hadn't even started my Christmas shopping so I was happy to be able to get a jump on things.
As it turned out, I was able to get a few things for the kids. I have to say that I am totally disgusted with WalMart. This week is the first week of Dec. and they do not have their shelves stocked at all! I have been there a few times in Nov. and empty shelves stared back at me. I thought maybe they were just being slow but, after seeing the same emptinees yesterday, i guess this is just how it is going to be for this Christmas. This makes it a bit tense as this is the only store in town that stocks lots of Christmas toys. The other stores has a smattering of product but not enough to satisfy all of your shopping. So I guess I am buying from the Sears catalogue this year.
One thing that WalMart did have a great supply of were Christmas DVDs. There was an aisle unit chock full of DVDs of Christmas past. The price was very good, too. I was able to buy The Christmas Carol, LIttle Women, I'll Be Home for Christmas and The Miracle on 34th St. I have been wanting to buy more Christmas DVDs for us but have never saw any really good ones. Voila! I have found them now.
So here are my plans for the week: watch Christmas DVDs and add in some Christmas read alouds. That sounds so inviting. I am also hoping to do some Christmas crafts and baking with the kids. I have a kit to make a gingerbread sleigh but I would like to make gingerbread houses with graham crackers this year. I just have to find the directions. I could probably figure out how to do it myself on a good year, but I am still feeling the effects of cancer brain and my thoughts are still pretty murky so directions would be a good thing.
I am looking forward to a nice, relaxing week as this will probably be the only one until Christmas. Hmmm, I am getting the warm fuzzies as I type.
Monday, November 30, 2009 - The 12 Days of Christmas is coming!!!!
Now, for those of you who may be unfamiliar with this SHMILY Time tradition, The "Twelve Days of Christmas" isn't talkin' about "A Partridge in a Pear Tree. It's a twist that I'm sure your husband will enjoy!
It all started because my husband and I would wind up arguing during the holidays EVERY YEAR because it was so stressful. Spending time and money on friends and family seemed to get out of control no matter how much we tried to "get better" each year and would result in some sort of argument, so A few years ago, I decided I would something different... Twelve days before Christmas just happens to be my husband's birthday, so I surprised him each day, and got us all the way to Christmas day without an argument! I found it really hard to get angry with someone that I was so focused on loving and praying for!
THE TWELVE DAYS OF CHRISTMAS... SHMILY STYLE revolves around the act of love and anything leading up to it. Now, I know this "strikes a chord" with some of you and I know that sex is not the only thing that makes a marriage good... so please don't send me emails or leave comments telling me this. (In fact, if sex is the only thing good in a marriage that's not healthy either.) What I've found to be true however, is how "taboo" sex is, especially in Christian marriages. We don't talk about it or even acknowledge it's importance in our marriages, when the fact is... God created it... and it was His intention that it is good. I understand that we, as a society have ruined that in so many ways, on so many levels... but THAT is not God's fault, nor does it change what He intended for beautiful and fulfilling and to make a husband and wife as one. Because of what sex has become because of premarital sex, pornography, adultry and the like, we have somehow become "scared" to talk about sex in a Christian marriage as if it's "dirty".
Unfortunately, sex is also one of the first things we "take away" or avoid when things get rough in our marriage as well. Let's face it, when you're arguing with your spouse, do you feel like making love?... probably not... and when that happens, the enemy begins his work at destroying our marriage... Think back to when you were falling in love with your spouse... at some point in time, there was a physical attraction... and chances are good it was pretty "intense". Just because you may have been married for awhile, that does not mean that your love making should get boring, or non-existent. It doesn't matter what stage (or state) your marriage is in right now bring the spark back to your marriage, and start with THE TWELVE DAYS OF CHRISTMAS!
Note: If you are in a process of healing in your marriage, or there is a hurt that hasn't been dealth with or forgiven, then please take a moment to pray the SHMILY PRAYER. I realize that some hurts and problems need more time to heal, and so this year may not be the time for THE TWELVE DAYS OF CHRISTMAS... instead, you may want to tuck this idea away and continue to pray for God to restore your marriage, including the act of love making. (The Power of a Praying Wife is also an excellent book to begin praying every day for your husband.)With ALL that being said, THE TWELVE DAYS OF CHRISTMAS involves some planning, so take some time to be thinking about what you can do to begin a year that will hopefully start a life long tradition!
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It begins on December 14th (12 days before Christmas)... and is for 12 DAYS... 12 consecutive days (or nights)! This is especially fun because most people's traveling and visiting relatives is during these days (keeping in mind that this would be especially fun while visiting relatives because only you and husband will know what's going on...)
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This involves an investment in your "drawer of many blessings" drawer as well... and yes, you SHOULD have one of these drawers, so make room (throw out some clothes if you have to... your hubby would rather see you in these anyway!) Start saving money and get your drawer stocked up! You'll be able to "recycle" here so the money you spend here is worth it in the end. You're investing in your marriage and that is never money wasted. (Your size is NOT an excuse either! Please read, "He loves you... quit hiding!" if you're struggling with your outer appearance. Have all your "little blessings" bought by 14th and plan for each day's surprise, along with any evening you might be able to get a sitter and go out (with your "little blessing" on to tell him about over dinner), or a friend to watch the kids so you can stay in (and put your "gift" to use)!
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Make or get a card to give to your husband on the 13th. An idea would be:
- "To celebrate the next twelve days of Christmas I have planned a special "gift" for you each day with only you in mind! Anticipate what each will bring as we celebrate the next twelve days of Christmas... twelve you're sure not to forget!" (Don't forget to sign it, SHMILY!)
For some ideas, on what you can do for your Beloved, check out the SHMILY Time blog and please feel free to email me with more of your ideas to share with others (include your name and/or your blog address if you're willing to share that too!) AND you can sign up to join the SHMILY Time fan page on facebook too or THE 12 DAYS OF CHRISTMAS... SHMILY STYLE event on facebook!
Put the spark back into your marriage and tell others about THE TWELVE DAYS OF CHRISTMAS by posting the blinkie on your blog/website! May the Lord be glorified as we seek new ways to put the spark back into our marriage!
Nov. 29, 2009 - Book #50 -- Chasing Vermeer
Chasing Vermeer was published in 2004 but it has only been this past year that I have been hearing its buzz. I had not heard of it before but now, it's everywhere. I found out yesterday that there are two more books in this series. Where have I been in the last five years?
If you have been like me and have never heard of it before, Chasing Vermeer is a chldren's book written by Blue Balliett. The book centers on two characters, Calder and Petra, who soon become good friends. Mystery and puzzles bring them together. The mystery revolves around a Jan Vermeer painting. Calder and Petra use pentomionoes and good old-fashioned thinking to try to solve the mystery of a missing Vermeer painting.
This book is reminiscent of The Mixed Up Files of Mrs. Basil E. Frankweiler. In this book the mystery revolves around a sculpture of Michelangelo's. I love these kinds of books. Especially because there are many rabbit trails one could go hopping down.
It is because of these rabbit trails that the kids and I have decided that we are going to use Chasing Vermeer as our next unit study. Forget history, science, latin and any other subject that we haven't gotten to in the last three months, we are going to have some fun and do a literature unit study. This is the kind of teaching that excites me and goodness knows I need some excitement in my life right now.
I have been thinking about this since I started reading the book and have come up with quite a few topics that we could explore: pentominos, the paintings and life of Jan Vermeer, cartography, real- life mysteries in the areas of history, science and art, and examining historic letters. There is more that we could tackle with this book but I think the above topics are good to start with now. We are going to finish our chemistry unit then we will tackle Calder and Petra.
Did I already mention that I am looking forward to this? It is like an oasis after a few months of living in the desert. 
Nov. 29, 2009 - Book #49 -- The Cellist of Sarajevo
I was surprised to find out that David Galloway, the author of The Cellist of Sarajevo, is a Canadian. This book does not read like a Canadian book. After reeling from my surprise, I opened the book and stepped into the land of Sarajevo during the 90's seige. The starkness of this world ascended on me very quickly. I was quickly reminded of The Kite Runner and The Thousand Splendid Suns, while reading this book. The writing style is different but the dark and depressing tone is similar.
A shell as kills 22 people waiting in line for bread. A renowned cellist looks on in horror. He vows to bear witness by sitting where the mortar hit and play Albinoni's Adagio once a day for 22 days for each of the victims. Unbenownst to the cellist, a young female sniper is chosen to protect him. His music moves her, as it does all who comes to listen. This song brings a tiny ray of hope into the lives of these war-torn people. This book says a great deal about survival and hope.
Nov. 27, 2009 - History and Science
I have said before that we have been simplifying things in the last little while. This simplifying is encompassing our school subjects as well. I have always been a big planner with the content subjects. I spend alot of time finding various ideas and books that all fall under the umbrella of the topic that we are learning. Now, my plans don't always materialize but I have fun doing all of the planning.
Those days are long gone. The thought of spending all of my time in planning mode makes me hyperventilate. I am no longer a planning girl, at least not for now. I thought that if I ever stopped planning that there would be a big hole in my day (life; you can substitute the word of your choice, depending on how dramatic you are .) I have been mistaken. There is no hole, just relief. The simple life is giving me much relief.
This simplicity is alive and well in how we are doing history and science. I haven't had much energy in the last few months to do any fancy curriculum so we have just been going to the library and looking up books on the topics that interest the children. Science has been very fun this way. A few weeks ago I found some Janice VanCleave experiment books. These experiments/projects span the four areas of science. Mia decided that she would like to focus on the chemistry experiments. For the last two weeks, we have been going through the book finding the experiments that we have the supplies for and have been trying them out. This has been alot of fun. The experiments haven't always worked, but the enjoyment has been in the doing.
We have been also perusing our Usborne books on Chemistry, as well, to flesh out our topic. Earlier this week, when we were at the library, I found some books on atoms and molecules. I am having Mia read through the books and writing an outline of the book. This seems to be working out very well. In fact, our whole science time is working out well. The kids are really enjoying our time of discovery.
In the early part of our school year, I had a few history units planned. I had attempted to carry these out in the last few months but it just isn't working. Our heads just aren't in the game yet. So simple is being applied to history as well. We have been reading Sword in the Circle by Rosemary Sutcliff for our unit on Knights and Castles. The kids and I are enjoying just reading this book. We are learning alot just from the reading. I have decided that this is what we are going to do for History--just read. If something else pops up as a result of the reading, then great, but if not, we will be happy with just the reading. I have been thinking that we will read books from various time eras and cover History in this way. After read the Sutcliff book, we will move on to Carry On, Mr. Bowditch. I have been wanting to read this book to the kids for awhile but just couldn't fit it in anywhere. We now have that time.
For the first time in a very long time I am feeling calm about our history and science plans. I am discovering that calmness usually is found in simple. For this season of our lives, simple is our life-saver.
