The Lost Week

Last week I lost my voice.  Have you ever wondered what it's like to run a five ring circus with no voice?  The short answer is that you can't.

Luckily I had lots of help.  The kids had books read to them and spent time building their fort outside and they did lots of hands-on learning with other family members.

 The break from school didn't actually break their brains, which I discovered today.  In fact, they didn't miss  beat, except for a marked reluctance to clean their space afterwards (we'll keep working on the practical skills portion of the lessons).

The most important thing we all learned last week is that everyone needs help sometimes... and that's okay. It's okay to ask for help.

And that's a lesson I hope they never forget.

5 Favorites: Babiez mayk u dum edition

Thanks to the lovely Hallie for hosting!

5 Favorites: Babiez Mayk U Dum Edition

I'm 36 weeks pregnant and counting the days.  I know not everyone gets this fun pregnancy symptom, but I get major brain drain, especially during the third trimester.  So, my memory goes, my grasp of English is greatly reduced and I have trouble concentrating on anything (including books written for kids.  Yeah, it's bad).

1. Roku box

My kids have a mild flu, so we're having a sick day.  They're tired and cranky and still getting over a super eventful week last week.  So, they're being allowed a bit more screen time than usual.  My roku box lets me stream Dinosaur Train from Netflix online to my vintage TV.  There are other shows, too, but Dinosaur Train is the current favorite with the four different ages. The peace is priceless and the kids "buy" another episode with a chore, so it's not like they're vegging out for uninterrupted hours.

2. Pinterest, again.

This time I'm crowdsourcing my meal planning to all the smart blogging ladies who do freezer meals that go into the crock pot.  I'm going to be spending the next couple days putting up some freezer meals for those hazy post-baby days.  I'm starting with this smart lady who introduced me to the method and branching out to browse all the other possibilities out there.  I have a round up of these recipes on my pinterest board "survival recipes" along with my other school year, mom of many, super quick and easy recipes.

3. my laptop
What other device lets me stay in touch with my buddies, helps me make meal plans and recipes, runs my homeschooling lesson plans, and lets me bid on getting my mom the perfect "thank you" gift?  I love my twenty-first century tech.

4. my list app on my phone
Since I have no memory left, I have to write down *everything*.  I have so many lists and checklists I would never be able to keep them in the same place without the kids finding and destroying my stack... so I have them all on my phone.  Grocery lists, chore lists, reminders, they're all in the same place.

5. smart kids
Not just my smart kids, who are great helpers when I'm in the "ooohhh, that's a Braxton Hicks contraction and I'm going to be on the couch for a bit now" stage of the third tri.  My smart, college-kid sister comes over for a couple hours every day and brings my smart youngest sister.  Between the two of them, my house stays clean and my kids are entertained.  Surrounding myself with smart people when I'm feeling intellectually vulnerable has been so comforting.

Seven Quick Takes: Memorable Moments

Thanks to Jen at Conversion Diary for hosting. :-)

This week there was nothing earth shaking happening at our house, but sometimes it's all about the little moments.

1. Marty was being carried somewhere by one of his aunties. Apropo of nothing, he popped his head up and said "HEY!  Imma love you!"

2. Upon being given a donut, Kittybean (15mo) made happy smacking sounds with her mouth, punctuated by waving her arms in the air.  This is her rendition of the "happy dance."

3. At a coffee shop, I was putting cream and sugar in my coffee.  My curious Robbie was watching and started commenting. "Don't put in too much sugar." "Why do you need that much cream?"  "I think that's enough cream now, Mom.  You should stop now." Because a six year old who has never tasted coffee is of course an expert.

4. Girls' night at the cafe with dessert and coffee was awesome.  My girlfriends are wise, geeky, and the perfect group for me. Not to mention funny and supportive.  Love 'em to pieces.

5. While I was watching my son do his work sheet, he looked up and smiled ear to ear.  He loves his homeschooling.

6. Bri actually asked for more school work after she finished her quota. Her sister grabbed her crayon  and, instead of coloring on her sister's worksheet, made coloring motions over where Bri had already colored.  She's getting it!

7. Every day there are little moments where my kids interact with each other that warm my heart.  Yes, four is a lot and five will be more.  Yes, they keep me busy and a little tired.  But they fit together like puzzle pieces.  They love and help each other.  They belong together.

Notes from the Trenches, Vol. 2

Since today is a national holiday, I'm giving the kids the day off of school.  I haven't decided yet if we're going to catch up tomorrow or if I'll just re-boot my lesson plan making up for the missed day.

I tried out my new religion plan this week.  The first day we focused on learning a prayer, the second day we read a story from the old Testament and the third day we read from the new Testament.  I like the rhythm and it keeps the kids thinking about  what we're studying and why.  I'm keeping it. :-)

We also did math this week, using Saxon K.  Because I actually did all my lesson prep in advance it was much easier than winging it, which was what I was doing before.  It worked seamlessly into our work week.

This week we didn't have any "weak" points per se, unlike last week.  While I feel good about that, we did run into a couple of other snags.

Yesterday, the 6 year old Robbie and 4 year old Bri both started having trouble focussing about 2/3 of the way into our school time.  I'm not sure if it was the fact that we have out of town company or the couple added subjects this week.  Either way, they ran out of steam, so I backed off.  We did all the essentials, but some of the optionals fell by the wayside.  Which is fine.  That's why they're "optionals".

Also, 15 month old Kitty has developed an aversion to school time.  I think she feels left out when she's not the center of attention.  It's okay, though.  She will get used to it.

3 year old Marty still loves read aloud time and poetry time.  And I found out yesterday that he will do coloring sheets if, and only if, I hand him the crayon at the same time as I hand him the page.

Have a great week, everyone.  Happy lesson planning!

Hello, Monday!

After a wild and crazy weekend, I'm so, so glad I did my lesson planning last week.

Believe it or not, *not* flying by the seat of your pants increases the probability of getting things done by 1000%. I'm sure wiser heads than mine have pointed that out, but sometimes being a beginner means making your own mistakes.

Also, we have a full docket this week: out of town guests, Fourth of July festivities and rounding up the week  with a weekend at the Door County Renaissance Faire.  I'm making everyone pirate costumes this week (Except for B, who wants to be a blue pirate fairy princess.).  I'm running errands and meeting friends and getting our garden in shape (as much as a 35 week pregnancy will let me) and I am still confident that we are going to get our school work done this week.

Also, the kids keep asking to make sure that we're going to get our schoolwork in.

I always promised myself I would be a "summer off" kind of homeschool mom.  However, our little curriculum only takes about an hour, so they get the majority of the day off.  Plus, they will be ready to start the school year with a bang, since their mental hinges will all be oiled and in top working shape when A. the new baby comes in a month B. my teaching from home job kicks back in and C. harvest season rolls around.

And that's the thing about homeschooling. If you find something that works, roll with it.  If you find something doesn't work, change it.  There's a real beauty to flexibility.

Seven Quick Takes

1. Power outages stink.  They re-set everything in the house and the kids wake up scared because their night lights aren't working.  It's also hard for a pregnant mama to use a windowless bathroom.

2. Husbands who get up at 4:30 a.m. because the power is out and their kids are scared are awesome.

3. Husbands who figure out how to use a match to light the gas stove to make coffee are even more awesome.

4. Getting the kids out of the house so they stop being squirrelly because the TV and the toaster both aren't working seems to be the Thing To Do.

Because then you get these:

5. First strawberry picking:

6. Contented, post strawberry smiles:

7. Coming home to a house where the power is back on and all is right with the world.  

Five Favorites: Homeschool Newbie Edition

So, this is my first Five Favorites post.  Thanks a bunch to Moxie Wife for hosting!

For those of you who have never met me, I have a Type A personality (I think). I like to feel in control.  I also want to homeschool my kids.  So far, hilarity has ensued as I try to get my beautiful darlings (ages 6, 4, 3, and 15 months) to fall in line with these goals.

But this week I found a system that works, you guys!

So here are five things that as a newbie homeschooler are making my week better.

Favorite 1.

A word spreadsheet.  I know, I know. It's a plain, 6 x 12 square grid.  But so far, I've been able to put everyone's (yes, the baby has a row) school stuff on there.  I've been modifying stuff in pencil as I go, so next week it's going to look different when I print it up (I know for sure I'm adding a row for notes, for example). I filled it in and saved it as a template and now it's waiting for me when I have to do lesson planning for next week.

Since my biggest challenge has been trying to figure out how to juggle work for all four kids at once, this is a big deal.  And my new favorite.

Favorite 2.

The Piano Guys.

Since one of the goals of a classically oriented education is getting kids to recognize the good, the true and the beautiful, I try to find good music to listen to during the school day.  On Monday the CD I had so carefully picked out refused to play on any of my machines, so, on a friend's recommendation, I put on these guys.  They cover all kinds of music, from classical to popular, but they are amazing to listen to.

Favorite 3.

Pinterest.

Where else can I find print-outs and activities to incorporate into my school week that cover my entire range of students?  I'm an obsessive pinner.  And it makes my school week easier.

Favorite 4.
This book:



My six year old loves the format and the stories.  I love the fact that it's flexible and phonics-based.  Also the fact that the exercises are bite-sized, so when (not if!) we get interrupted, it's easy to get the train back on the track.  Also, each story is a bit different and comes with a picture, so my student eagerly works through the lessons to get to the "good part."  It's like dessert.  And who can argue with academic dessert?

Favorite 5.

Again, with dessert.  At the end of the school day, I'm reading a chapter from this:




I have fond memories of being read these stories as a child and now I get to pass them on to my kids.  This is one of the reasons I do what I do.

Gypsy Week: a retrospective

Last week was our family vacation.  Traditionally, my parents rent a house on the beach for the week and we hang around, doing fun, often tourist-y things.  This year, for a number of reasons, we didn't stay at the house with my folks and sibs, but opted to drive back and forth every day.  This resulted in a grand total of 4+ hours in the car every day with four toddlers and a very pregnant mama (me).

Here's what I learned.

What didn't work:

Arts and crafts in the car, unless we're talking about coloring with crayons, are not a big thing for the under 7 crowd.

My three year old learned quickly that if he was bored, he should ask for food.  The car snacks were types of junk food he doesn't get at home.  He got to the point where he was "hungry" every five minutes, even if the last snack was two minutes ago. After the first treat, we learned that if we offered him something boring, like a plain graham cracker, he would stop asking.

Sometimes, when you're pregnant and tired, you're just not going to be comfortable in the car, no matter how many little luxuries (chocolate almonds) you packed.

What did work:

Command centers. Each child had a back pack with necessities (blanket, coloring book, clip board for a lap desk, snacks, etc.).  Since car seats keep kids from being able to reach the floor under most circumstances, I used carabiner clips (from the Dollar Tree), to clip each child's pack to the back of the chair in front of them.  Had we been hiking or camping, each back could be zipped up and detached in seconds to allow the child to take the backpack with them.

Audio books. We listened to "The Fellowship of the Ring" read by Robert Inglis for much of the trip.  Great stuff.  My little geeklings are learning so much!

Car snacks.  I know, I know.  I complained about the three year old.  But, truly, breakfast in the car with the kids every day was less of a disaster than I imagined it would be. They had fresh grapes and frozen gogurts every morning and the real junk snacks didn't start til later.  We also made sure to fill water bottles with ice and water in the morning, so the sugar was kept to a minimum.

Family time.  The driving was hard, no doubt about it.  But the quality time with family was priceless.  If I had to do it again, I would.