Whew... what a summer!

It's been quite a summer! We've celebrated two birthdays, hit the pools, Hawaiian Falls, Great Wolf Lodge, the zoo, Culture Camp, and gone on several mini trips. We've also gotten over shingles, lice (who knew you could get this in the summer!), poison ivy, and a car break-in while out of town. We were let down when the girls came down with lice THE NIGHT BEFORE their friends from KY were supposed to surprise them by showing up on the doorsteps of our house! Not sure I would want any more excitement than that!

So we've been schooling lightly now for about a week and a half and it's been going much smoother than anticipated. The princesses are hitting Math, Grammar, Vocab, and Penmanship. They actually ENJOY the math (Teaching Textbooks) and Grammar (Growing With Grammar), which is quite a shock. Next week we'll start adding in Literature, Writing, History, and possibly spelling. In September they'll be doing two separate science classes (Bob Jones 5 and Apologia Zoology I). Both science classes will be done outside of the home with other kids so I'm very excited about that. We'll be throwing in a little Logic, Art, Typing, and Mandarin if I can get around to it... but you know how that goes :)

I've also got extracurriculars planned. We've got a "Girlz Club" social group that will get together weekly, book club monthly, Missions Club monthly, and the regular gymnastics, karate, and soccer too. I'm not quite sure how we're going to fit "down" time in there! LOL! We just started occupational therapy for one. And the littlest princess will be starting Kindergarten at our local public school. We'll see how long that lasts :)

Re-evaluating my priorities

This morning I logged onto the computer to read the news briefs and came across a story about a local 16yo girl who had been killed in a car accident on Sunday morning a little after midnite. I couldn't help but thing about her mother and how Mother's Day would never be the same for her. It got me thinking... but I kept going about my day.

Later this afternoon I received news that the mother of one of Princess Tom-Girl's Kindergarten -1st grade classmates had suddenly died from a brain aneurysm on Friday. The school they attended was very small and because it was one of those PT homeschool and private school type hybrids we all knew each other. Needless to say, this bit of news really hit me hard. Rather than thinking "how sad" as I did after reading the news story, I was forced into thinking about how this could happen to anyone... how this could happen to ME.

I've spent a lot of time these past few weeks/months obsessing about school, what curriculum to use, and how I want these next few years to progress. I've also gotten upset because the house is a mess or I've told them to do something over and over that they should have already known to do. This sad news today has changed me... and I hope it won't be something temporary. Today for the first time in weeks I slowed down and actually listened to the kids. I wanted to spend time with them during the day and before bed. I didn't push them aside because I was so engrossed in curriculum... the same curriculum and issues that I had obsessed over the days and weeks before. If you are like me - very task oriented - needing to get something done when it's on your mind - not liking to be interrupted when you're driving toward a goal... make sure you're not doing all these things at the expense of those around you that are really the most important people in your life. I don't want my princesses to remember me as the mom who spent time on the computer getting their curriculum and school plans set up. I don't want them to remember me always saying "just a minute... I just need to finish this up" and then have them fall asleep before I make it in to give them good night kisses. You've heard it over and over - live each day like it's your last... you never know when your time is up.

If Jesus is not your Lord and Saviour, I hope that you will consider this... He loves you. He was willing to die for you. All He asks is for repentance and acceptance of Him as your saviour. Where do you want to spend eternity? The choice is yours. Oh - and when that time comes, there are no second chances. Choose wisely.

"For God so loved the world that He gave His one and only Son; that whoever believes in Him shall not perish, but have eternal life."
John 3:16

Next year will be different

We have about a week to go til the end of our school year and I'm evaluating what went well and what will be different next year.

1) My only planning was going to a home school convention and picking some curriculum, and that wasn't even until the beginning of August! I didn't actually lesson plan until a week or two before we started classes. I was totally unprepared for the full time homeschooling princess! As a result, there were many mornings that I didn't have the lesson plans ready to hand out and had to tell her, "Just go to the next math lesson and I'll have the plan ready for you when you're done." I've already started looking into curriculum and will have it decided upon within a couple weeks. After I get everything in hand, I'll be heading to a hotel for a day or two to lesson plan for the year. I understand that things happen and we could fall behind or things could end up not working as planned, but that feeling of being in control and being flexible will be much better than feeling like I'm chasing someone and can't catch up.

2) This year we had the oldest princess at home and the middle one at a part time classical school. Princess Boo was there too, but for Pre-K. I found it really difficult having one at home and the other at a rigorous school where she was doing two lessons a day for math and grammar on her homeschool days, along with the other single day of the other subjects. Because of that, I found myself constantly pushing and stressing out to get her assignments done so they could be turned in... as opposed to really taking the time to discuss and make sure she understood what she was studying. Problem solved. Both of the older princesses will be homeschooling next year on a full time basis.

3) We tried park days and field trips with others in our homeschool support group, but because it's so big it was difficult to form relationships. When January rolled around, Princess Tom-Girl enrolled in a science class called Zooniversity. Finally, a way to see the same kids and start forming relationships with other homeschoolers. Martial arts class took place right after with some of those kids, so we signed up for that too. Around February we started in with a newly formed group of girls and began GirlzClub... a social group just for girls in that tween age group. I had to force her to go to the first gathering at a mosaic place, but she had fun. The second mtg was a Valentine's Day party and she had a blast saying "This is the best Valentine's Day party I've ever had!" Relationships were starting to form. Out of that group has come a book club... and the relationships are really starting to take root. For next year we're signing up for a science class that will take place over the entire school year. We'll continue with the GirlzClub groups, field trips, and park days, but are hoping we'll get into a co-op too. All of the local co-ops have waiting lists right now. Wish I could take on starting one, but I'm still feeling my way around and am still learning not to overcommit or overinvolve myself.

4) There were several times during the school year that we just stopped and took a walk or went out for lunch. I think Princess Tom-Girl really enjoyed these times, especially the lunch, because she keeps telling her sister that she'll get to do those things too when she homeschools. Little does she know that the eating out will have to be cut back... one extra meal out, once or twice a week, isn't cheap when it's done weekly! However, picnic lunches aren't out of the question - nor is packing up the school books and heading to the Arboretum or a nice park to complete some assignments, like we did at the beginning of the school year. As I step back and look at the year though, I am thinking that we need to break for some fun or bring some fun into the curriculum instead of dry old textbooks. The plan is for all text type work to be done until lunch, then more projects and flexible things to be done in the afternoon.

5) Part of my job as a Christian homeschool mom is to train up my kids in the way of the Lord. I've failed miserably in this area. I think the lack of planning has something to do with this, but also my own poor prioritization of what is important. Is it that they complete each assignment, or is it that they start their day learning about our heavenly Father and work on building that relationship? My biggest fear is that the time for them to leave my home will be here before I know it and they will be unprepared to defend their faith or to live Godly lives. My goal for next year is to make Bible be the first subject of the day - and we'll go back to using the Veritas Press Bible curriculum.

6) There were many days when assignments were turned in and I didn't grade them for two or three days - not a problem if they get everything right. BIG problem if they've missed the newly taught math concepts and then did a test and got the problems wrong... before I had a chance to check the assignments and re-teach those concepts! (I should add - the homeschooling princess used Teaching Textbooks, which is a computer based program. I didn't have to do anything... unless she didn't get a concept and I had to reteach for mastery. It would have also helped a great deal IF SHE HAD TOLD ME that she didn't understand those concepts and had missed them on every single lesson before the test!!!!).

7) Finally, the Internet is an awesome resource, especially when you're looking up curriculum or how other homeschoolers are doing things... but I've REALLY got to limit my time on here and spend more time being available for the princesses. When I get into doing something I don't like being interrupted and it happened way too many times that I told the princesses I'd help them later when I really should have stopped and done it right then. I'm realizing that I look at anything that makes me stop when I'm engrossed in something as an interruption... and the princesses should not be viewed as interruptions.

Check out this site!

Oh my goodness... another great find... I'm on a roll! I've just discovered Our Los Banos. This site had a terrific comparison of some math curriculum and has helped me to reconsider scrapping Teaching Textbooks. When Princess Tom-Girl took the CTP4 test, her scale score jumped 3 points this year, which I think is pretty darn good considering how much she dreads math. So, I'm gonna see what happens when she takes the Stanford at the end of this month and make the decision then. If she scores okay, we'll go back to Teaching Textbooks next year... which will put a big ol' smile on her face. She was not looking forward to Saxon again.

Anyway, it's not just the reviews that caught my attention. I've also been trying to find the perfect history curriculum to use with the two older princesses next year and thought I had found the perfect thing with Sonlight 3+4. It's basically 2 years of American history condensed into one year. This would make it so that Princess Tom-Girl gets at least half a year of new info, but Princess Belle wouldn't have to skip early American history with the explorers and all that. The problem is I'm just not sold on Sonlight. I haven't had a chance to fully look at their FREE curriculum yet, but this just might help fill my void and I can piece together what I want with this as a starting point. I was also looking for some hands on activities and they seem to provide plans for that. Very exciting!

Look What I Found!

I've been pouring over reviews of different curriculum and happened across a gem tonight. The princesses don't really care much for history so I've been trying to figure out how I'll cover early and modern U.S. history in a year - and make it not so dry.... I think the school we were at contributed to their less than receptive attitudes toward the study of history in general. They read books that some would describe as "rich" or "living books", but which my kids just described as boring... because they couldn't understand what was happening. Some of that was because of the school having them read way above their levels, but some of it was because they just aren't wired to appreciate the fullness of that type of literature at this stage in their lives. I don't blame them though. It's hard to get into a book when you're trying to figure out the language nuances of old English versus our more modern style of speaking :)

Now - if you could put it on a movie - that would change things. I've always known there are movies out there that could be used to supplement the reading, but couldn't figure out how I'd get a list of them all and didn't think I'd have the time to go searching. Enter my new find: Teach With Movies. Not only are the movies listed with the ages recommended for and divided by topics, but you can subscribe to unlimited use of their "learning guides" for on $11.99 per year. I'm adding it to my list of resources for the 2009-2010 school year.

Houston... we may have an answer...

Those who know us well know the issues we've had with our lovely princesses at different points throughout their young lives. They are truly lovely girls that I wouldn't trade for the world and who I love with all my heart - but sometimes they have quirks that can drive the most even-keel person insane... especially when you're with them 24/7 because of homeschooling!

What I used to think was normal, or temperament, or adoption-related, or something we could desensitize and re-train on our own, I've come to discover may actually be sensory integration disorder, or what is now known as sensory processing disorder (SPD). I worked in the adoption field when the princesses were younger so I was always somewhat aware of it and identifying it, but didn't know much about it in depth or about treatment. I just figured I would help to reduce the difficulties they were having by working through it with them... and it always worked. Sock seams - no longer an issue. Constant motion - not a problem since I could tell her to sit with her hands folded to "get self control" and she could do it. "Odd" behavior - just her personality. Having to know exactly what was happening next in the day - no longer an issue because I could just say "you'll see when we get there" and she could be okay with that.

Fast forward a few years to about a month ago. A dear friend and sister in Christ opens her heart and shares her recent discovery about her daughters and things started to make sense. Still... I kept thinking we had things under control... then I started to watch the princesses more closely, taking notes, and reality hit. We *thought* we had things under control and we are definitely not in crisis mode... but are we really doing what's best for these treasures? No. Suddenly, we started to piece together the little individual quirks and realized that they are almost certainly things that are not "typical" or "adoption-related" or all "personality and temperament." They are things that, with the help of an occupational therapist specializing in SPD, we can actually treat. There is no cure, but there is definitely help available for them that will make their world feel a little more secure and stable.

Already, just in being aware, there is a shift in the way I deal with the frustrations of a school day. Now, instead of saying something to the effect of "why do you do that?" with the real implication being "get over it and let's move on"... I will ask "what is it that bothers you about that... what are you thinking about..." With one of the princesses who I used to think had a learning disorder, I've now recognized that she either must be moving or must get up and down and move frequently in order to retain anything. Thank goodness for her 2nd grade teacher who told me that she was actually one of the brightest kids in the class and answered literature questions all the time... I seriously thought she had a learning disorder. This teacher was so wonderful... she would have the kids moving all the time as opposed to just sitting there and listening as little drones... which is what I was expecting from this little princess... poor thing.

Pediatrician appointments are upcoming... will update as we find out more. I'm thankful this school year is at an end and hopeful for next year's school year... especially if we can get these little issues ironed out.

We've Made A Decision...

It was difficult and I went back and forth more than I care to remember. At one point I was so stressed I couldn't breathe and had to leave the house to go somewhere to just "veg". His Royal Highness noticed the stress and helped talk me through what we had decided, so I'm back to being confident in our decision to homeschool Princesses Tom-Girl and Belle. At this point, Princess Boo will be heading to our local public school for Kindergarten. With the older princesses at home I just didn't feel that I'd be able to give her enough of the "fun" stuff activity-wise that she'd get at the Kindergarten. Each year we re-evaluate what is the best thing to do for each of the girls, so we'll be going through this again, I'm sure, next year.

The girls have recently started meeting with some other homeschool girls for a social group and it's been going great. They recently had a Valentine's Day party and both said it was the best they'd ever been to! Princess Tom-Girl has also started a Zooniversity class and loves it. I can't believe how much she retains from the classes! She also gets to take martial arts after the class and is loving that too. Man - we are busy, busy, busy!!!! But not too busy to take a trip in March... more educational opportunities await us in Hawaii. I can't wait!