Living the Chaotic Life

Lead Me to the Rock That is Higher Than I

2012-01-20T13:40:00.004-06:00

It's January and right on cue the winter blues have found me. My doctor says I am Vitamin D deficient and gave me a score of 15%. I am not sure what 15% means but I got the impression it wasn't very good. Despite the guidance to take this vitamin twice a day, every day, I have taken two total since December. I know it might help and I am aware of things like osteoporosis but I am still lacking in self-discipline--the type of thing you need to make any type of change in your life.

This behavior has been in many areas in my life up until very recently. Smaller details became bigger ones. Would I do laundry today or this weekend? How far could I push going to the grocery store before the whole house was up in arms because the refrigerator and cabinets were empty? Would I ever write again? Most importantly, how much would my spirit suffer? My relationship with my Creator?

From the end of the earth I call to You when my heart is faint; Lead me to the rock that is higher than I. (Psalm 61:2)

During these seasons I find I suffer most from a case of what is wrong with me? Am I bearing any fruit?

As a homeschooling, college-going mother, I find it so very easy to become withdrawn during these times. Coffee with friends becomes more sparse and spread out. Appointments and events are met with panic and last-minute cancellations. Much like the Vitamin D--I know they are good for me--but oh, that self-discipline! Or lack thereof.

There are a few benefits to these periods of time--YES, I said benefits! Being the connoisseur of winter depression that I am I can tell you how the story can change for the greater good. You may be thinking wow--there is something fundamentally wrong with her. But hear me out...

There are two types of classes I have detested in my college studies:

1) Spiritual Formation
2) Philosophy

Yes, I realize that in going for dual degrees in Theology and Christian Education both of those classes are necessary and it's almost laughable that I hate them so much. Philosophy is something I hate because I do not think in color I suppose--I am practical, logical, a realist, and if it's right it's right, and if it's wrong it's wrong.

Relativism blows my mind.

Philosophy set aside we'll talk about Spiritual Formation. I had never heard this topic until I started attending a Baptist college. In Googling I found the best definition here.

Sounds simple and straight-forward, doesn't it? It's.so.not. Imagine suffering depression because of the winter blues or because you are prone to it--it's something that in most cases a person can't control. Now imagine intentionally seeking it out. That is how Spiritual Formation works for me.

Wait, she said benefits..

What Spiritual Formation can do:

1) Make you question your beliefs at their bare-bone core
2) Expose the weaknesses in your life
3) Make you question whether or not God is listening in the first place
4) Make you seek Him intentionally when things start to feel unstable

What depression can do:
1) Make you question your beliefs at their bare-bone core
2) Expose the weaknesses in your life
3) Make you question whether or not God is listening in the first place
4) Make you seek Him intentionally when things start to feel unstable

Now to the good stuff. I remember when I was younger my father saying, "you have to hit rock bottom to look up and see Jesus". This made absolutely no sense to me. I could see Jesus in my life without a tragedy. I could feel His work in my heart when life was going great--when my heart was well.. I never understood that phrase until my heart was weak.

Seasonal depression, though long and hard during it's peak, provides opportunity. In the midst of feeling stagnant and unresponsive to everything and everyone around you there is opportunity for raw, emotional prayer. I cannot count the nights I have begged God to make me a better wife, mother, and friend. I cannot count the times I have prayed because fear was getting the better of me. I prayed because I felt overwhelmed and undervalued. There were times I did not pray because the words weren't always there. But He knows my heart and when I am weak He is still strong.

I promised the benefits of depression. When you have climbed the hill:

1) You can be/are spiritually reborn
2) You have a strong testimony to share. Use this testimony. There are too many women who stay quiet for fear of judgment and far too many who feel they are alone. Share your story with others. Through your experiences you can lift up a sister in Christ.
3) You can recognize God was there through it all--He never left!

When your spirit is reborn make your relationship with Christ intentional. Try to stay on the path. If you trip, start praying again for strength. He will lead you. He will carry you.

But what about the rest of the family?

They are so important. They need you to be healthy. The truth is that there is no overnight fix... the journey can be so long! Set some time aside to figure out what is doable in your daily life. Do not decide that you will clean the entire house tomorrow because "Rome wasn't built in a day"! This type of impulsiveness can have such a negative impact and lead you squarely back where you started.

Ways to get back on the horse--that you can do as many or as little as you have in you for that day--even if it is only one from the list:

Throw food in a crock-pot to prepare for dinner. This provides the satisfaction of not procrastinating and feeling guilty later in the day when you don't feel like cooking. It is two-fold though because you have shown your family love through your actions.
Vacuum one room. Choose an area that has high kid traffic. Through picking up legos, cheerios, plastic bits from some toy you can't identify, etc. there is a good chance your tidying up can lead to one fully cleaned room.
Get out of the house. It doesn't matter where you go. A walk around the block is a great depression buster. Seriously.

The most important action you can take is continuing your walk with God--even when you cannot find words. Even when the Bible sits dusty on your shelf. I know it sounds cliche but there is truly a reason for every season. Through the trials you can bless others in ways you never knew possible. Your life can be transformed in ways that lead you closer to Him. And this can happen every single time you hit rock bottom.

I do not know if I will ever commit to Vitamin D every day. I know that sounds both reckless and so simple. But I do know there is light to be found above the darkness that eventually I will find over and over again. More importantly I will be able to reignite my faith when God takes my brokenness and makes me whole again.

Then the LORD said, "There is a place near me where you may stand on a rock. (Exodus 33:2)

The Roaring Twenties Unit Study

2011-11-08T14:32:00.003-06:00

Did you ever watch the Charlie Chaplin movies when you were young? I don't know if you felt the same way I did:

1. Wow this is old.
2. There's no talking.

Netflix had The Gold Rush featuring Charlie Chaplin (1925) in their instant play section so I surprised the kids with this gem. Imagine their confusion when they realized the man did not talk! At first they weren't pleased with this at all. But as I sat at my desk in the next room the mood changed about 5 minutes in--there were great big belly-roars! This was the Chaplin I remembered growing up and now my kids were enjoying it the same way I did.

Movies like these are an excellent segue-way into learning about an era in history. Here are some ideas to get you started:

-Review Charlie Chaplin's biography
-For elementary children: biography
-Chronology: Famous Clowns

Charlie Chaplin Biography

-Learn about the Roaring Twenties
-The 19th Amendment--what was it?
-Watch Disney's first Mickey Mouse talking film (1928)

-Learn the history of the Unknown Soldier. When was it? Why was it an important part of history in the 20s?
-When, where, and why did the Miss America pageants begin?
-What did John Baird invent?
-How about the history of the Spirit of St. Louis?
-Listen to 1920s Big Band Music
-Learn some 1920s slang
-Do the Charleston! La dee da dee dum.. What's the Name of That Song?

-Make the food for a themed dinner.
-Learn the cultural history of 1920s life. How is it the same with modern day? How is it different?
-Learn about the Farm Life.
-"Life" magazine covers--what did they say about the times?
-Learn about King Tut!
-What was Black Thursday and what era did it kick off?
-Investigate facts and fads about the decade. Did you know the peanut butter and jelly sandwich became popular in 1922?

Make:
-A sparkly flapper headband
-Cloche Hat
-All about yo-yos
-PVC pipe crafts
-Make paper airplanes

Pretty Magnet Tutorial

2011-08-15T17:53:00.001-05:00

I was flipping through websites a few weeks back and saw these pretty magnets someone had made and immediately wanted to make them for myself. I wish I could remember which site it was so I could give the credit but it was one of those days I was just skipping from site to site. So here is what I did...

Supplies I used:

Clear glass "rocks" people use for vases and candles. I picked up a bag of them from the Dollar Tree. They are the ones that have a somewhat flat side to them.
Pretty card stock (At least I think it's pretty--you can use what you want.)
Heavy duty disk magnets from Michael's
Scissors
Clear Gel Tacky Glue (I've also heard of people using Modge Podge but I was a bit skeptical on how it would hold up between a magnet and paper.)

I used one of the "rocks" and cut a square closely around it.

I then trimmed off the sides.

It was easier for me to cut from the square to make sure I was able to make it as close to the back outline of the rock as possible.

Then I added a small amount of glue..the paper has to adhere flat and if you use too much it can make ripples, distort the paper or make an ugly smear around the sides of the "rock".

The back, obviously, does not have to be pretty!

This is what it should look like after it is glued.

Add a small drop of glue to the magnet. I warn you now--it will take overnight to dry between the magnet, paper and "rock". Don't cut the dry time or you will ruin the back.

This is what they will look like when they are finished!

I could not get a good picture of the magnets on my wall calendar over my desk because of the glare of my flash and lack of picture-taking skills...but I love how they came out and how they look holding up my notes and pictures! I might have to make some for family members before I go out to Texas in a few weeks. We'll see how it goes I suppose.

I do intend on taking part in the Not Back to School Hop but it will be later this week! :)

Not Back to School Blog Hop: Week Two

2011-08-07T16:03:00.000-05:00

I often get asked--in fact it is probably right behind questions on learning disabilities--where we "do school". It makes me smile. I get the warm fuzzies... this blog ain't chaotic for no reason, peeps. Here's how we roll:

In my office:

On the floor:

On the counter:

On the back porch:

In the backyard:

At the coffee table:

At the table...a lot...in jammies, no less:

Beds, floors, tables, couch, desks, trampoline, etc.:

Window Sill:

So you see, the question is not "where we do school"--it's "where don't we"? We have a very relaxed, all over the house and other places, school room. Although... sometimes (with the exception of the great outdoors) I do long for a single room for school. One place to put things and a door to close at the end of the day.

I hope to gain some fantastic ideas on school rooms from this hop... perhaps we can narrow things down in the house. But for now, chaos rules.

Not Back to School Blog Hop

2011-08-02T11:10:00.001-05:00

We are not "officially" schooling again until after the Heart of the Matter Conference BUT I know exactly what we're using for curriculum! Last year I did not get to participate in the NBTS Blog Hop and missed out on all of the fun. It has been an absolute blast "thumbing" through all of the participants web pages-- so many creative people out there on the web!

We have 4 children ages 13, 11, 9, and 8. Under each heading you will see what I am using overall instead of individually.

Okay getting to it...

For English, vocabulary, spelling, etc.

Handwriting Without Tears Grade 1
Those who know me are probably thinking--what? She has no first grader. What gives? First, there will still be tears. My 4th grader has dysgraphia and hates to write and sometimes it even hurts physically to write. However, until I can read his handwriting HWT it is. My 3rd grader is severely dyslexic.. she could use the practice.

Explode the Code 2
We will not use sight words, we will not use sight words--seriously, we will NOT use sight words. Wanna know why I hate them? I'll have to blog about that some other time. I love ETC because it is phonics based and therefore for my struggling readers it as been a long road, but has paid off in the long run because they can sound out their words.

Wordly Wise 3000
Level 3, Level 6, Level 9

Reading Strands
Understanding Fiction

Writing Strands
Level 2, Level 3

Alpha Omega LifePac
Grades 3 and 4

Math
Alpha
Beta
Delta
Epsilon
Pre-Algebra

Math-U-See all the way! It is the perfect fit for our family.

Science

Apologia Exploring Creation with Zoology: Flying Creatures
Apologia Exploring Creation with Human Anatomy and Physiology
Pretty much everything Science Jim comes out with--my kids love him.

History

Story of the World Vol. 3, Early Modern Times

Latin

Visual Latin. I love this program... as a mom of mostly visual children it is so much better than audio only programs.

Foreign Language

Rosetta Stone: Italian Level 1 continued

Enrichment and Extra-Curricular

Hands of a Child Lapbooks
Journey through Learning Lapbooks
Beyond Five in a Row
Above and Beyond Five in a Row
Tons of field trips
A gajillion books-- for schooling they are all classics
Arts and crafts
Trampoline Jumping
Cooking
Swimming
Netflix Documentaries

We stay very busy! As you can see we have transitioned from Montessori to more of a Classical approach over the last year. Posting and then going to continue reading through everyone else's awesome contributions!

When You Hit a New Level of Crazy...

2011-07-31T18:05:00.002-05:00

Yes, I was upset that my pinning was thwarted.
Yes, I was angry that so many OTHER people had jammed up the servers.
I was in the middle of pinning something awesome, people. Really I was.

Yes.... I realize I need a 12 step program because I made this barely pass-able, cropped from a screenshot, probably not as witty as my inner crazy thinks it is picture....

TO PIN IT.

Feel free to repin, my fellow addicts. www.pinterest.com

A Day in the Life Link-Up: From Xan's Eyes

2011-06-24T00:00:00.003-05:00

It is amazing what can happen when you give an 8 year old a camera (now 9). Now it should be noted that I gave him my old, crappy camera to practice with because I'm too scared to let a 9 year old loose with a good one... but take a look at the world through his eyes...

Why I laugh when people accuse me of being organized:

187 pictures of Johnny Test

A picture of a picture fun

The young artist

The Homeschool Mother’s Journal Linkup

2011-06-23T11:39:00.000-05:00

In my life this week…

It's been a lazy week as I've been getting over a stomach bug. Way too many video games for the kiddos but we were able to:

get the boys haircuts
enjoy Father's Day with my fantastic husband and awesome father, Jason.
sign up for summer camps... bizarre and already starting to make me panic

In our homeschool this week…

It's summertime--so absolutely, blissfully nothing!

Helpful homeschooling tips or advice to share…

To those homeschooling for the first time in the Fall... only buy the necessities.. you don't need a fully stocked, what you remember from public school, classroom!

I am inspired by…

Pinterest at the moment. :)

Places we’re going and people we’re seeing…

Time to decorate for VBS on Friday for next week!

My favorite thing this week was…

Watching my daughter rock the Guitar Hero

What’s working/not working for us…

I made two homemade meals this week. Despite despising cooking I *think* it can continue... at least from time to time.

Questions/thoughts I have…

We really need to have a garage sale soon.

Things I’m working on…

HOTM, the August conference, Pinterest ;), signing up for the Fall semester... and possibly tackling painting my kitchen cabinets soon.

I’m reading…

5 Conversations You Must Have With Your Son by Vicki Courtney

I’m cooking…

Sometimes... but I did make homemade Southern--I mean the real deal because I am an awesome cook but just don't like to-- Chicken Fried Steak, *real* mashed potatoes and homemade gravy with an encore of Taco Soup the next night.

I’m grateful for…

God's grace and mercy.

I’m praying for…

Domesticity.

A photo, video, link, or quote to share…A REAL sign my sister took a picture of.

The Homeschool Mother’s Journal Linkup

2011-04-29T19:00:00.002-05:00

In my life this week…

This week just flew by! I created this new nifty one-stop-shop personal blog and decided to try Sue's linkup as one of my first new posts. My daughter, Milan, and I watched a woman become a princess. I played Lord of the Rings Online with the family. Oh yes, we ARE that family. I had virtual coffee with one of my BFF's, Amy Stults. We had a super-challenge Easter Egg hunt in the house... and since the areas they were hidden are demolition sites currently it was extra special.

In our homeschool this week…

We had a pretty lax week. Last week I had to complete two major assignments for my own coursework and was tired. They had a few Docu-Netflix days to lean on. Today we went and hung out with our homeschool peeps at the park and went to see a historical log cabin.

Places we’re going and people we’re seeing…

We made it to the grocery store (the bane of my existence) and the park/log cabin today but spent the better part of this week indoors due to rain. Tomorrow we're headed to a bonfire and hog roast for Jason's squadron. The kids have never seen a bonfire--how did we miss that?! We have a playdate on Monday with a few of the kids' friends AKA Mommy is getting her coffee on with a local BFF. And church on Sunday.

My favorite thing this week was…

Having the "this is how your body is going to change in the next several years' talk with Xander. His eyes wanted to pop out of his head. It was priceless to watch him process it and make several determinations on what his body would and (according to him) NOT do.

What’s working/not working for us…

What works for us is the kids doing their reading first thing in the mornings. The older two read about 60 pages a day to the younger two--in pairs--while I answer emails, school myself and get that second cup of coffee in me. Right now Jagger and Xander are reading "The Wizard of Oz" and Harley and Milan just finished "Mrs. Frisby and the Rats of Nimh".

Homeschool questions/thoughts I have…

It occurred to me this week that the second week of June would be the intro to our summer vacation. We are counting the days!

A photo, video, link, or quote to share…

This is what I'll be making this weekend! Strawberries were on sale for .99 a carton and I grabbed up several. Can't wait to smell the awesomeness of strawberry jam and watch the kids as they spoon up every last bit from the pan.

My New Beginning

2011-04-29T09:50:00.000-05:00
A clean page and a new look... makes me feel like I own a fresh new journal just waiting for words and doodles.

I couldn't bear to look at two blogs that were barely used so I combined the two and gave them a new name. The chaos remains because that is our life... it is what my husband calls our weird schedules, our interests, the kids, the 4 cats, 1 dog, 1 guinea pig and 4 fish....

So, join me in a cup of coffee?

One Thousand Gifts Week 2

2011-04-26T00:00:00.018-05:00

28. peonies and hydrangeas
29. painting little fingers and little toes
30. pink sunsets
31. finding planets during their seasons in the sky
32. kit kats and robin eggs (the Easter candy and the real ones)
33. curling up to watch a movie on the couch with my hubby
34. a 5th generation quilt passed down to my daughter that she uses on her bed
35. yankee candles... especially the cookie scented ones
36. the smell of wood when it is cut
37. the perfect pair of jeans and a t-shirt
38. grubby little hands and cheeks
39. the book goodnight moon
40. gadgets.... electronics.... novelties
41. memories of old friends
42. pictures I forgot I had of the kids
43. playing the guessing game on which child is which in those pictures
44. the mushy cards my manly man gets me on special occasions
45. spontaneous "I love you(s)" from the kiddos and hubby
46. icicles
47. big fat, fluffy snowflakes
48. scarlet red leaves
49. the smell of garlic and olive oil
50. old letters
51. when the kids read their books outside
52. When my 9 year old lays on the trampoline and simply looks at the sky and takes in the sun for what seems like forever
53. tugging rope with the dog

See you next week! You know, I was skeptical about this blessing list... it seemed like a waste of time, however, I am uplifted when I think about the small details God has blessed me with.

Don't forget to enter the Heart of the Matter One Thousand Gifts by Ann Voskamp book contest. Ends this Friday at Midnight!

One Thousand Gifts Link Up

2011-04-19T09:36:00.001-05:00

Heart of the Matter is having a contest/link up for the One Thousand Gifts book by Ann Voskamp. Now, it is obvious that I am not throwing in my hat to win a book! :) However, counting my blessings is not a bad thing so I'm going to participate.

REMEMBER: If you go to Heart of the Matter 1000 Gifts Link Up/Giveaway and either leave a comment or join in the linky fun you have the chance to win 1 of 3 of her new books!

And so here's where I begin:
Jesus loves me anyway...
My husband who I hope my sons grow up to mirror in character, and my daughter bases her decision on when choosing a husband
The first day I see my plants coming up out of the ground in the Spring
The smell of rain and gardenias
Hot days on the lake
Coffee in bed
Heart of the Matter... for so many reasons
Baking bread
The day last week that my 9 year old sat in my lap and let me hold him close to me for 15 whole minutes--by his choice
My 10 year old's beaming smile and laugh... if you could see it... with his whole heart on his face
My daughter's kind, compassionate heart
The inner strength of my oldest son
Lazy days
Dessert before dinner nights
Driving around the block a few times before going home so the kids and I can listen to the whole song that just started on the radio that we love
Quiet moments
The rare occasions my husband laugh so hard there are tears in his eyes
Gingersnaps
Fresh flowers
Coffee with friends
Russian nesting dolls...they remind me of my mother
Crying during Baptisms and Easter
Watching the kids play board games together...anything all together
A call from my brother overseas out of the blue
The way a newborn curls their hands and feet when they stretch
Blessings that come at the very last minute
The way the pages of a brand new book smell

And that's where I'll stop this time. Count your blessings with us.

April 2011 Heart of the Matter Magazine

2011-04-18T10:47:00.001-05:00

A Child 1rst Contest!!--The Winner

2011-02-23T17:56:00.005-06:00

Christine said...

I'm following on facebook.
February 19, 2011 7:36 AM

Congrats Christine!

Contact me with your information.

Guest Post on Struggling Learners

2011-02-18T00:00:00.002-06:00

10 DAYS OF STRUGGLING LEARNERS

Welcome to Stephanie Charlot as she talks about reading struggles with her son, Alexander.

The final component has been practice, practice, practice. Those of you with late readers -- especially male late readers -- understand the challenge of finding good, engaging reading material for older, but weak readers! Nevertheless, I required him to read twenty minutes a day. I found this somewhat tricky to keep track of however, and honestly, it just wasn't enough time to really get him moving toward proficiency. I know all the studies about how giving prizes for reading can backfire, and I'm still a believer in that ideal, but waiting for Alexander to get self-motivated wasn't working either. I eventually concluded that what he needed more than a love of reading was simply to be able to read, and soon! I decided to make him earn his "screen time" by reading, minute-for-minute. He immediately went from reluctantly reading 20 minutes a day to reading about an hour a day, and often more, without a single prompt from me. He reads easy-readers, kids' magazines, and even some of his 3 year old brother's picture books. He is finally able to read easier chapter books now, such as the "Stink" series by Megan McDonald. His confidence has risen. In one of his extra-curricular classes last week, he was asked to read a sentence in an instruction book that he was already somewhat familiar with. Only months ago, such a request would have resulted in significant embarrassment for him, but this time he read it well, if a bit slowly. No one seemed to take any notice at all.

I would be thrilled if my son eventually becomes one of those kids you hear tell about, who struggles, struggles, struggles, then wakes up one morning and starts reading high-school level novels. Maybe it will still happen, but I'm not holding my breath. We've gotten this far without the "ah-ha" moment that so many kids have. "Struggle" hardly seems the right word. It's been a long hard slog for both of us (mostly for him), and he is still climbing. As he does, he’s learning not only the value of reading, but also the value of tenacity and continued effort, and that sometimes you flounder around a little until you find what works.
I haven't heard the word stupid for a while now.

Stephanie Charlot has been homeschooling since 2005. She lives with her husband and three children in Michigan.

A Child 1rst Contest!!

2011-02-17T10:54:00.003-06:00

As you are browsing the 10 day posts below--under this post is today, Day 9, take a look at this contest.

Child 1rst and CurrClick are giving away the following item to one lucky winner:

Writing the Visual, Kinesthetic, and Auditory Alphabet
The busy parent's handy tool, this small booklet is packed with content. Included are teaching tips for forming letters; hand motions for each letter to help kinesthetic, hands-on learners learn and remember; activities; tips for preventing backwards letters; and so much more.

To Enter: It's simple, leave a comment and follow me on either Google or FaceBook to the right of this post ------------------------>
Ends Monday, February 21 @ midnight.

Guest Post on Struggling Learners

2011-02-17T00:00:00.002-06:00

10 DAYS OF STRUGGLING LEARNERS

Welcome to Stephanie Charlot as she talks about reading struggles with her son, Alexander.

When he was seven, he and I made a joint decision to try a reading curriculum. He wanted to learn to read on his own.   I was more concerned with his flagging confidence, which was starting to have a spill-over effect into other areas of his life. I hoped that making some good progress would give him a psychological boost. Based on positive reviews from other homeschoolers, I tried T each Your Child to Read in 100 Easy Lessons. Alexander mastered the exercises well as we went through the book, but he often had trouble with the reading selections at the end of each chapter. Unfortunately, this gave us little clue as to where his problem lay. Nevertheless, 100 Easy Lessons did result in a small but significant uptick in his reading ability. It was one step along the way, but didn't do much for his confidence. He began to saying he was stupid, which broke my heart.
We continued to read together daily for practice. That "ah-ha" moment always seemed just around the corner, but it never came. Alexander went two steps forward, one and a half steps back for a long time. There was progress, but it was S-L-O-W. By the time he was approaching his 8th birthday, he was thoroughly discouraged.   To make matters worse, he was finding himself increasingly in circumstances where people assumed he could read. Most of his friends could now read, many of them quite well. His self-esteem continued it's downward slide. The “I’m stupid” comments came with increasing frequency. It was clear that my belief in him and encouragement was not going to be enough -- he needed to have some success with reading, and fast.
I did a serious search for a program that might help accelerate his progress. The stakes felt high; I felt that another failed effort could be more damaging than not makeing the effort at all. I scoured the Rainbow Resource catalog. I Googled into the wee hours. I consulted my mother, a 5th grade teacher. What I landed on was Reading Reflex by Carmen and Geoffrey McGuinness . The purpose of this post is not to review or recommend a curriculum (reviewing Reading Reflex would be a whole post in itself), but for Alexander, it was a success. I think he felt the stakes were high as well, because the program required a lot of effort from him, which he gave without much complaint. It also required a very structred approach on my part. Now, I'm not big on curriculum that insists you do things *exactly* as they say. (If I were that compliant, I probably wouldn't be homeschooling!)   But after all our struggles, I decided not to mess around.   Our diligence paid off and he made great strides.

Stephanie Charlot has been homeschooling since 2005. She lives with her husband and three children in Michigan.

Join Stephanie tomorrow as she completes her story about her son's reading struggles.

In the meantime check out these other awesome ladies' 10 Day posts:

Guest Post on Struggling Learners

2011-02-16T09:27:00.002-06:00

10 DAYS OF STRUGGLING LEARNERS

Welcome to Stephanie Charlot as she talks about reading struggles with her son, Alexander.

I watched my oldest child teach herself to read. It was a beautiful thing to see, and I'm glad I stayed in the background, simply reading to her and answering her questions as they came up. In the months surrounding the time when she really took off, she stopped doing almost anything else and wanted to be reading all the time. Within a year, she was far ahead of her age in reading level. She remains a voracious reader to this day, and can hardly remember a time when she could not read.
I was aware that my daughter's reading ability was exceptional for her age, but I assumed my other children would follow the same general pattern when they learned to read, only perhaps at a somewhat older age, and perhaps a bit more slowly.   I thought that in their own time, a similar "ah-ha" process would unfold. It was not to be. My second child, Alexander, took a much different path.
I want to say at the outset that Alexander does not have any significant learning disabilities that we are aware of. He may have some trouble with working memory (which would complicate learning to read), but he has not been evaluated for that, and it seems clear he does NOT have dyslexia or other severe issues.   He's simply a normal, intelligent boy who struggles with reading.
Our saga might have been easier had Alexander not cared about learning to read until he was 7 or 8. Many young children who are not developmentally ready are also not yet interested, and all they need is a little more time. But whether it was because he got tired of waiting for others to read to him, or because he found himself in the shadow of a sister whose reading ability was so advanced, Alexander began to complain about not being able to read around age six. I encouraged him to take the casual approach: "You *are* learning to read," I told him. "Keep trying, keep asking questions, and it will happen! We’ll get a few very-easy-reader books for you to get started." Thus, we began. While he made tiny steps of progress, the going was discouragingly slow. We got some of the delightful David Milgrim books about Otto the Robot from the library. The Otto books are a fun take-off on Dick and Jane, so they read like, "See Otto. See Otto run. Run Otto, Run!" (The picture shows Otto being chased by a rhinosourus. Run indeed!) Alexander had to stop and sound out “Otto” -- usually incorrectly -- every. single. time. Even when I pointed out that it was the same word as he had sounded out 20 seconds ago, it didn't help.   We were both becoming frustrated and discouraged, so we took a break for a while. A few months later we tried again, nothing improved, and I began to reflect on the fact that Alexander had never exhibited many pre-reading skills. Hmmm. I began to wonder if he might need stronger guidance.
Stephanie Charlot has been homeschooling since 2005. She lives with her husband and three children in Michigan.

Join Stephanie tomorrow as she continues her story about her son's reading struggles.

Day 6: My Little Strugglers: Hiccups

2011-02-14T18:39:00.002-06:00

10 DAYS OF STRUGGLING LEARNERS

First, Happy Valentine's Day! Hope yours has been wonderful. My husband brought home a big bouquet of flowers and the kids had a special day of no schooling, with the exception of reading.

These "breaks" are nice but can be extremely scary for those who have struggling learners. The constant worry of "what if we don't finish x, y, z" or "how much information will be lost due to taking time off from school?"

As a military wife we have had many "hiccups", as I like to call them, throughout their schooling. In five years my husband has deployed 7 times, the kids have had periods of illness and there have been days I found it difficult just to climb out of bed to get started. We have gone through learning disabilities, the flu, finding out my eldest has Epilepsy--during last February's conference no less--and inadequate sleep schedules when the hubby is away. Isn't it wonderful how forgiving homeschooling can be? One minute we're slowing down and the next we've covered three days of work in one day. It's not just struggling learners that can slow us down, but life as well! Let's face it... Moms need time off, too. It's a 24/7 job and though we're supposed to look like we're all sunshine and rainbows all of the time we often hit burnout. So do our kids.

During the periods of time that burnout sets in for either you or your kids don't feel like you are failing. This is important. I am not saying don't worry about months being wasted away (with the exception, of course, being trauma, illness, death, etc.) but a few days here and there never hurt. In fact, they can do wonders for both you and your children. I cannot count the number of times during periods of holidays or summer vacation or a two or three day break that my children have come to me and asked for school work. I draw the line after 6PM but that request has been made as well.

Learning disabilities can be frustrating. Give yourself a break.

Be back tomorrow!

Day 5: My Little Strugglers: When Dyslexia Reared its Ugly Head

2011-02-10T22:03:00.003-06:00

10 DAYS OF STRUGGLING LEARNERS

Explode the Code has done wonders for Xander. He is finally reading fantastic chapter books like Nate the Great and Amelia Bedelia. Amelia Bedelia has been two-fold because he has Autism and is very "literal" in discussion and thought. Amelia Bedelia is also literal. She looks at the list left for her and sees "dust the furniture" and she uses (face) dusting powder to make sure they are good and dusty. When it gets to the part where the Mr. & Mrs. come home and find all of the things Amelia has done and they go through what should have happened it makes him laugh and he "gets" it.

My dear Milan has been a bit more tricky. Letters are not pleasant and I could not figure out why the Explode the Code primers were not working for her until...

She read the book "My Five Senses" by Aliki. She struggles through most of it but we're taking our time. It was then I started making notes on the two and three letter words she was having trouble with. See if you see what I saw:

In her mind to and of were the same. to = of, and if it she was corrected she did not understand why!

This was the same as one and out and own. This was especially noted with one and out.

There was the trouble with both letters and numbers. After all, you would expect issues with early readers when it came to letters and numbers such as 6 and 9,-- b and d, --m and n, --p, q, and g. However, we're upside-down and backwards with much more than the standard mistakes.

The solution? She has to look at the letters and tell me what she sees. I have her write it down so I can see it the way she does. The reading must go line to line, individually without any other sentences around them. You can take a piece of paper, cut out a strip the size of each sentence and work through the page that way. It lessens the confusion. When she writes down what she sees I can then explain the pattern of her letters to her.

We'll be working on this for a while I suspect.

Tell me, what methods have worked for you and your struggler(s)?

My Little Strugglers: The Letter Recognition Battle

2011-02-09T23:07:00.003-06:00

10 DAYS OF STRUGGLING LEARNERS

As homeschooling moms it is difficult for us to not compare our children to other peoples' children. It just is.

At this point it was difficult for me not to just break out the Dolche sight words and get on with it. However, I don't believe in the Dolche system. I don't like it. It teaches the child "picture" recognition and that is exactly what we were going to avoid. I know there are many who love the Dolche, but I will agree to disagree if you will. :) At this point I wondered if they would be better suited for an Asian "symbol" language but again, they needed to know about letters.

We started with the "AT" group. We started with "A".

It seemed to be going well until Milan desperately wanted to play Scrabble with her Aunt Sarah. This is an example of how it started:

And when she was given the chance to go first she could have used what she learned above with the "AT" family but instead:

"A" was her word. It was Groundhog Day every day for over a year. Each day we would move forward only to find we'd moved backwards once again.

It was the same with numbers. She could count to twenty but always forgot the number 13. Always. My husband came up with a great idea to integrate her senses...sight and sound. He developed a very simple PowerPoint:

MilanNumbers (2).pptx

We were finally getting somewhere...make sure you click on the microphone icon in the file to hear her sweet voice. You will have to play the presentation in "slide show" mode for the sound.This does tie in with letters, but more tomorrow...:)

My Little Strugglers: The Dreaded Pencil

2011-02-09T00:00:00.003-06:00

10 DAYS OF STRUGGLING LEARNERS

During this process I was reading to the kiddos daily as I was determined that someday they would recognize those pictures--um, er--letters. I found that the books with the most appeal were the Leo Lionni books. They had vivid pictures and short pages for short attention spans. My little strugglers were wiggly and giggly. We did rounds of "that's MY seat" and poking and talking and yelling. I found myself frustrated much of the time with reading out loud to them. In my head I'd always pictured "story time" like a quiet Kindergarten class engrossed in the tale that a bubbly teacher would tell them complete with pauses and dramatic faces and tones. I wanted that lady to come to my house pronto.

On those days we would have the Kindergarten class story time "spark" it was a lot of fun. We found this in the book by Leo Lionni, "Pezzettino". A brief synopsis from Amazon.com:

"Little Pezzettino is so small he is convinced he must be a piece of somebody else. A wise man helps him discover the truth."

It was simple, it made sense to them and it made them empathize with the character. It was time. They were going to write the small saying in the book and they were going to write their names... I hoped. They were going to use scissors and not complain... I hoped.

I gathered:
Scissors
Small sized poster board
Different patterned paper
Glue Stick
Pencil
Paper
I wrote on two separate pieces of paper "Are you my little piece?" Then their first name.

It was time to start the art portion. They had fun cutting out the little squares to make their "Pezzettino". The writing part was much more exciting to them after their art was complete. They wrote, very carefully, the saying and then their names. We hung it on the wall so it would be a daily reminder of what they'd accomplished.

Not too bad compared to the original, if I do say so myself:

It is important to note that Xander was in the 2nd grade and Milan was in the 1rst grade when this milestone was reached. If you are dealing with strugglers, yourself, remember that homeschooling provides the freedom to take the extra time needed to "get it right". Don't rush them, you will know when they are ready. You also need to know that with the extra time added to their schooling eventually they will have what I like to call a "boomerang effect" where it seems they are getting back on target, but the process is slow and you have to stay away from comparing your children to other children.

The kids were so excited that day that we moved on to additional projects:

It was that same day the kids started using pencil grips. I used the specific type in the link because it was the best design to force their fingers into proper placement for writing. I won't lie to you--they hated it at first, but learned to get used to it. That, and I gave them no choice in the matter. If we were going to do it, we were going to do it right.

Tomorrow we'll tackle letter recognition. The light bulb DID eventually burn bright!

My Little Strugglers: Fine Motor Fun

2011-02-08T00:00:00.002-06:00

10 DAYS OF STRUGGLING LEARNERS

Yesterday we covered the fun of playdough in getting those little fingers ready for writing. We're strengthening those hands and they aren't ready yet! Nary a pencil in sight we have begun to tackle the joys of fine motor skills--and they can be fun! At this point I'd discovered that there was a lot to be said for some of the Montessori methods of preparing for writing.

We started with tongs and sorting. They used those tongs to squeeze (much like squeezing playdough) to sort the bobbins in the picture. Their dexterity had not yet been developed enough to use the tongs in a "pencil type" fashion that most use when attempting to dish out a salad or other foods. Squeezing is where we started and would stay for a while.

In conjunction with a fist squeeze we added in pinching. My goal was to put the two together to strengthen different muscle groups in the hands.
He started with two hands... and with a small demonstration from me he was able to:
Believe it or not, this was a HUGE milestone because it meant that his hands were, indeed, getting stronger! We were getting closer to that pencil-holding goal.

I was thankful for the tray on this one. There was no "fist-grabbing" motion going on here... it was PENCIL STYLE holding finally!

Just a tip here: In order to get colored rice just put some rice in a zip-loc bag and a few drops of food coloring. Shake it really well and voila! colored rice.

Secondary tip: If you have your children color the rice make sure the bag is sealed tightly. You can take that small gem from someone with the experience of trying to collect a ton of rice around the room and clean food coloring off of our wood table. Food coloring is hard to clean and we have very faint, but permanent, marks to prove it!

Lacing Activity:

You can make this or if you are adventurous you can assist your child in doing this:
Card Stock
Scissors.. I used the fancy scrapbooking ones because I had them
Hole Punch
Doily, if you like
Glue Stick
Rubber Stamp and Ink Pad
Shoe lace or cord

Can you tell at this point what time of year we decided it was time to try strengthening those hands? My only change I would make would be to laminate and then punch the holes but it did last the rest of the season. Again, more pinching, but also more focusing.

Up next...the dreaded pencil. See you tomorrow!

My Little Strugglers:The Power of Playdough

2011-02-07T07:00:00.015-06:00
10 DAYS OF STRUGGLING LEARNERS

Shocking. That is the word I use to describe the teaching of my beautiful younger children, Xander and Milan. I had it so easy with my older two, Harley and Jagger. They flew through reading, math, language arts, etc. so effortlessly. When it came time to school the younger two it was apparent that the methods and tools I was using to teach would be ineffective with them. What was I doing wrong? Why didn't they just "get it"? How was I going to teach myself--reprogram my brain--to meet their needs?

A little background information. Xander and Milan were born 15 months apart. They were, and have always been, joined at the hip, so to speak. They had their own language when they were babies and on into toddlerhood. It was endearing how much they loved one another. They were so close in age people often thought they were twins and we still, now, call them "the twins". My son, Xander, was diagnosed with Autism at the age of four. This made sense to us due to milestones that had not been reached, certain "quirks" that he had and his incessant focus on certain things that just would not go away. He is nine now and still holds strong to many of the items and ideas he had at such an early age. We joked that Xander had Autism and Milan thought she did.

But this is not what this post is about. It's about what happened when we started homeschooling them.

Letters. They became the largest struggle. We had not yet started to incorporate numbers or any other subject other than art--because let's face it, preschool art is FUN. They could see the letters, they knew they represented something, but in their minds they were just another picture. Much like when I would show them a picture of an animal they could identify the correlation, such as DOG equals...

But the letter Aa? Where did that fit in--what did it mean? There was a huge question mark as we tried to make it make sense to them. If a picture of a dog and the word dog was something tangible--something they could "see" and "know" it to be true... where was Aa and what was it?

I thought, "let's try something new". And so we started with writing. I knew at some point they would understand why letters were important and that eventually they would realize the letters would build together to make words, like "DOG".

And guess what I found? Writing hurt! Physically and mentally this new form of learning was a challenge. The use of a pencil was awkward and frustrating and certainly undesired. Again, I decided to take a step back. We needed to tackle coordination or, in general, fine motor skills. And guess what--learning became fun again!

Where to start? I think it would be best to give you the first idea and work my way through the processes over the 10 day period. First plan of action:

Playdough...a dream come true. I wanted something that would join together the following:
visual
muscular strengthening of their hands
smell
artistic freedom
fun
PLAYDOUGH RECIPE
2 C Flour
1 C Salt
2 t Cream of Tartar
2 T Oil
2 C Water
5-6 drops of red food coloring
1 T peppermint extract
Heat over low-medium heat until the dough becomes thick, making sure to scrape the bottom constantly. When dough becomes too hard to stir turn out onto a floured surface and knead until playdough consistency.

Oh, the fun they had! They did not know that their little hands were beginning to learn dexterity and strength or that the efforts would plant the small seeds of ability. Because it was around Valentine's Day we went one better. I added glitter, sequins, cookie cutters and googly eyes to further the fine details. They had to mix the glitter pretty hard-handedly to insure it was easily dispersed. They had to carefully place the sequins, beads and googly eyes. The cookie cutters made them into perfect hearts--they were so careful to remove the outer edge so the heart would not be destroyed.

And when it was done, they were able to reuse the dough and materials to make "monsters" as Xander called them:

I have adapted this post as a "method to my madness" from this article for Heart of the Matter. I do recommend giving them a cookie sheet or casserole dish to make their creations and certainly recommend trying new flavors/colors--yellow banana has been a big hit!

Another playdough project we did can be found here: Indoor Snowmen

By the way, instead of "writing" letters this is a great opportunity to start rolling out "snakes" as we called them. This starts the journey towards getting ready to write. Remember, at this point we are not conquering letter meaning. Trust me. We'll get to that soon. See you tomorrow for Day Two!

Milan's Paintings

2011-01-26T15:57:00.000-06:00

This is my favorite painting that Milan did a year ago. She carefully painted it while looking at the fruit bowl in the middle of the table. I wish I'd had the foresight to take a picture of the fruit bowl but you'll just have to take my word for it that she got very close in her details.

My favorite from this year. She was excited to show me her "Humpback Whale". I was surprised to see the detail in the underbelly worked in with the brush.

I sure do love it when my girlie paints... it makes me smile.

HOTM Focus on Science Magazine

2011-01-26T15:25:00.000-06:00

10 Days of Homeschooling

2011-01-25T11:31:00.002-06:00

We have partnered with 16 of the most inspiring, lovely, and just plain awesome bloggers in the homeschool community to bring you 10 days, 160 posts full of resources for those starting out, burned out or need new ideas.

The idea for this blog hop was modified (aka stolen) from Darcy's 31 Days to a Better Photo, but that is ok because Amy is her cousin and families are allowed to do such things. Using this idea we hope that many people in the homeschooling cyber-world feel encouraged, inspired and recharged in their own homes.
Be sure to visit these brilliant women in this 10 days adventure between February 7th-18th! We love these ladies and we know you do too.

10 days of socialization for mom | The Homeschool Chick
10 days of classical education | Milk & Cookies
10 days of large families | Chocolate on My Cranium
10 days of special needs | Special Needs Homeschooling
10 days of struggling learners | Homeschooling the Chaotic Family
10 days of homeschooling girls | Homegrown Mom
10 days of homeschool enrichment | Confessions of a Homeschooler
10 days of building a spiritual legacy | Mommy Missions
10 days of frugal homeschooling |The Happy Housewife
10 days of Charlotte Mason | Our Journey Westward
10 days of unschooling | Homeschooling Belle
10 days of organization | Confessions of an Organized Homeschool Mom
10 days of getting started | Blog, She Wrote
10 days of homeschooling boys | The Tie That Binds Us
10 days of homeschooling Montessori | Fruit in Season
10 days of preschool | Delightful Learning

Fun Times..

2011-01-13T16:53:00.000-06:00

From this:
To this:
Nothing like a lazy afternoon to make everyone feel like having fun. :)

Great Epilepsy Site

2011-01-10T16:34:00.001-06:00
For those of you who do not know, my 13 year old son was diagnosed with Epilepsy this past year. It was a huge surprise... a big ol' grand mal in February alerted us to the problem. He's fine. Still has seizures but healthy and happy nonetheless. He was asking us what his seizures "look like". He has 3 different kinds. One is a momentary space-out, one is a complex partial and then there's the grand mal, also called "tonic-clonic".

Short of video taping the big ones--which we've considered so he can see himself in action--we weren't really able to describe to him what it looks like when a seizure occurs. Then I found this great site for teens: http://www.goeyc.org/

It was there I was able to show him this video below so he would have a better understanding of what they were, what they were not, and what they looked like.

Since he was diagnosed I have found many other parents who have been dealing with the very same thing with their child(ren). I hope this is something some of you will be able to use to better understand the issue as well as understand how to respond if someone around you has a seizure. I love that it tackles the "myths" behind Epilepsy because it is often misunderstood... This would have helped if I'd seen it prior to the first episode.

Anyway, it's homeschool-ish if you look at it from a "first aid" perspective because it covers that as well.

Back to Schooling

2011-01-04T16:00:00.001-06:00
This week I got smart and started making schedules...

It didn't turn out as well as I would have liked because yesterday was so busy that we were unable to complete Monday's work. However, the kids did not see it as a problem--and not for the usual "I got out of school an extra day" reasons. It is that they can look at the schedule/assignments and know where there is extra time and how to combine those so they can have Friday off.

Incentive. Did I mention that?

I told the kiddos that if they wanted to work ahead I would allow it, on two conditions:
They only get *one* shot at corrections per assignment. In the past it has been "make corrections until they are all correct".
After one set of corrections the grade must be an A.
I know there are a lot of homeschooling parents who aren't very crazy about grades. After all, they are pretty fictitious in the grand scheme of things homeschool related. However, for whatever reason the kids fall over themselves trying to one-up their siblings and therefore have been making their best efforts on their classwork. It works for us.

Another thing we discussed was reading being a non-negotiable factor. If they finish everything in two days, they must still read for an hour on Wednesday, Thursday and Friday. Friday is fun day... if they finish early in the week with A's they get to play video games all day long. I am certain between grades and video games I won't be winning Mother of the Year with a lot of homeschooling families but it's okay, my conscience is clear. :)

So today we read:

I love this story and amazingly enough Xander and Milan had never heard it but were happy:

We began the mummification project with apples and if you were to ask Xander what we are learning about he would tell you HU-MAN-ITY because he can't remember the word anatomy.

Yes, there are times we school in our jammies.

Guess who the camera shy person is:

Lots of math, grammar, vocabulary and reading but a great start to the second half of our school year.

December Flew By

2011-01-01T13:36:00.000-06:00
Every year the kids take the month of December off. It is a time of relaxing, baking and non-stop video games and TV. They are free to sled, draw, design... my dining room floor stays filthy from Play-doh projects and fake snow. We added Magic Rocks this year that came *this close* to tipping over onto the floor as well.

This weekend as we begin 2011 it is time to put away Christmas and begin looking towards school work again on Monday. The kids are mentally ready--I am not. :)

Some people have asked what we use for our homeschooling curriculum:

Math-U-See: Alpha, Beta, Delta and Epsilon
Worldy Wise: Levels 3, 6 and 9. I always considered myself to have an incredible vocabulary but Harley's 9th grade WW has humbled me.
Explode the Code
Story of the World: Early Modern Times
Apologia Science: Exploring Creation with Human Anatomy and Physiology
A TON of library books and Netflix documentaries
Enrichment activities:
Beyond Five in a Row
Cooking and Baking
SongSchool Latin right nowbut will be using this in the near future: Visual Latin
Lapbook Projects
Field Trips
Mostly child-led art
Happy 2011 Everyone! I would love to hear about when you start school again and what your curriculums look like!

Craft Like it's 2008!

2010-12-09T13:38:00.002-06:00

*** A kind lady let me know a while back that all of my links were broken, so here they are again--all the way from December 2008--a big list 'o Christmas crafts!

Looking for some great craft ideas to do with the kids while they are on Christmas holiday?

Let me give you a list! This is from Heart of the Matter's Christmas crafts from last year--still oh-so-much fun!

Christmas at Bedtime
Punchable Homemade Advent Calendar (Bookmark for next Christmas!)
Cookie Countdown
Look for the Learning at Christmas
Jesse Tree Ornaments
Home Crafted Ornaments for Little Hands
Jesus Box
Jingle Bell Wreath
Winter Snowman Pin/Magnet
Stocking for Jesus
Russian Matryoshka Doll Ornaments
Paper Stars
Cranberry Ornaments
Was That the Doorbell?
Personalized Photo Ornament
Autumn Tree Craft
Dress on a Hanger Ornament
Glitter Snowflake Ornament
Gumdrop Ornaments
Buggy Tic-Tac-Toe
Jingle Bell Bracelet
Candy Cane Bath Salts
Gumdrop Christmas Tree
Snowman Mints
Rudolph Handprint Craft

Life Drawing

2010-10-19T16:39:00.004-05:00
Last night a friend of mine was telling me about the fun her family had when they decided to draw pictures of one another. I thought it sounded pretty cool and a great way to introduce basic drawing techniques. It occurred to me that this is one area we have neglected in our homeschool routine. How would I possibly be able to gauge whether or not any of my children had natural drawing abilities if we didn't at least try?

I sat all four kids at the dining room table and told them they were to look at the person sitting across from them. They were to look at shadows, glares, blemishes, outlines.... the natural shape of the chin, eyes and lips.

Before they were able to begin I told them they were not allowed to critique each others work, not to laugh, make faces, or do anything else that would break the focus of the person next to them. It wasn't about being a perfect artist.

My older two, Harley (13 in two weeks) and Jagger (10) were paired together. Here they are holding the portrait next to their faces of the drawing the other had done of them.

Harley's drawing of Jagger.

Jagger's drawing of Harley.

They were asked not to smile in order to get a 'close enough' expression of the drawings. This proved to be hilarious because you just can't tell someone not to smile. There were some pretty funny outtakes.

My younger two, Xander (8) and Milan (7) were paired together. They were allowed to draw the entire body since they have less attention to details and, frankly, less patience.

Xander's drawing of Milan. He decided to make her a princess.

Milan's drawing of Xander.

Ah, Summer Days

2010-08-26T20:19:00.006-05:00

Hiding out
Healing
Sleeping
Planting
Cooking (sort of)
Cutting Cake
Making Faces
Sleeping
And rock, paper, scissors, lizards, Spock.*
*Kudos to those of you who knew where that came from without Googling.

Update on Bean Science

2010-06-03T18:04:00.005-05:00
I am sorry to report that the Bean Science Project was a failure. I would add pictures but no one should see molding test tubes.

But for the record-- it was the GARBANZO BEAN that won by a teeny tiny stem.

Should you decide to tackle this same project I would recommend monitoring how much water your children add to their beans. This sort of thing does not have to happen to you.

We are currently working on first aid skills by default as our precious "Cowboy" decided to go barreling through the yard and catch a trampoline bolt in his side. It is fair to say the bolt won.

Again, I'll spare you the gory picture and post one of happier times.

Mmm.. Strawberries

2010-06-03T17:57:00.000-05:00
How about a freezer jam recipe?

This was seriously 30 minute, no fuss, easy peasy homemade goodness.

NO FAIL.. and I am no Betty Crocker: Freezer Jam Recipe

Bean Science- DAY ONE

2010-04-30T11:54:00.014-05:00

TOMORROW... On to the test tubes...

2010-04-29T22:17:00.000-05:00

Valentine's a Bust

2010-01-05T14:24:00.000-06:00
Do you remember this post: It's a Love/Hate Thing?

Good news... I have kicked the Ben & Jerry's habit after a really, really bad cholesterol test that is oh-so-much better now.

How long was he gone again?

So Valentine's Day #4... no husband.Dear Military,

It is year # 4 and no husband for Valentine's Day -- we had a bonus this past Christmas and New Year's. What's next, our Anniversary?

I think I am officially taking February 14th off of my calendar and will just take what I can get now, m'kay? It would be really thoughtful of you to have him home during the super snowy months to help with this snow shoveling since you decided it would be pretty funny to send two southerners to the Mid-West. You knew we were ignorant when it came to real winters. You have his military history and Texas as his 'home of record'.

And to send him before the holidays? Thanks for that triple-whammy. Do you have any idea how hard it is to pull my 8 year old off the ceiling when he has his birthday, daddy deploying and the holidays within weeks of each other?

Not to mention the fact that since we are in a new house the kids are feeling edgy about this and I have three out of four children in my bed...every...single...night. Thanks for that too. I get to wake up with my daughter's foot between my shoulder blades. That is uber fun, let me tell you.

I am glad I am not a drinking woman. It would get ugly around here.

Enjoy your Valentine,

One Lunatic MommyY'all pray for the crazy woman, okay?

2009-12-14T10:36:00.004-06:00

Looking for a way to update your plastic refrigerator magnets? Why not gather your clothespins–or spend $1 on a package of 20 at the dollar store and revamp them! Tis’ the season for pink…and here’s how I did it:
What You’ll Need:
Clothespins
Cardstock
Tacky Glue
Ribbon
Roll of Magnetic Stripping

1. Trace the clothespin on the wrong side of the cardstock and cut strip.

2. Glue strip to clothespin and add bow or any other embellishment you can think of. Stick magnet to the back of the clothespin.

I cannot wait to use the new magnets to hang the Christmas cards and then after they will make great appointment card holders!

Decorating Those Ziplocks for Christmas Treats

2009-12-11T19:44:00.011-06:00

Do you have tons of cardstock and ribbon laying around your home? Put it to good use during the candy-giving holidays. With just a few steps you can turn a Ziploc baggie into a personalized gift.
What You Will Need:
Cardstock
Ziploc Bags
Candy
Ribbon
Scissors
Stapler
Craft Scissors
Fill baggie with candy of choice.

Fold piece of Cardstock in half and use the baggie to measure your side cuts and overlap. Use the craft scissors to make a nice edge.

Before stapling the cover shut, feed ribbon through like the picture below. Make sure the baggie is positioned correctly in the fold and staple just above the bottom of the cardstock flap.

Bring ribbon low and tie in place.

*Variations on this craft: Use raffia instead of ribbon, use craft foam instead of cardstock. Print labels to stick on the back flap with your holiday message.

Glitter Snowflake Ornament

2009-12-11T09:54:00.010-06:00
What You Will Need:
White presentation board or posterboard
Exact-o Knife
Glitter (color of your choice)
Craft Glue
Paintbrush or craft
Snowflake Template (I used this one)
Ribbon (color of your choice)
Large Scrap of Cardboard

1. Place the template on the cardboard.

2. Carefully trace the template with the Exact-o knife and remove. Use template to cut out poster board snowflakes.

3. Paint one side of the snowflake with glue and spoon on first layer of glitter. When the snowflake is COMPLETELY DRY shake off excess glitter and do a second layer of glue and glitter. When second layer is completely dry repeat the steps on the back of the snowflake.
4. When both sides are complete punch a hole in one of the tips and string your ribbon through and tie off.

Thank you to Jill for this great craft idea!

Cranberry Ornaments

2009-12-10T00:00:00.001-06:00

What You Will Need:
Styrofoam Balls
Wire Cutters
Craft Berry Branches
Craft Glue
1. Clip the berries off of the berry branches leaving 1/2 inch of wire from the berry attached.

2. Dip wire end in craft glue.
3. Insert berry into the Styrofoam ball.
4. Repeat until covered.
When finished you can place in a bowl with potpourri to place on a table, make three sizes and attach with a dowel rod for a topiary look, or insert a hook and ribbon to make a festive Christmas ornament.

Faux Gumdrops

2009-12-09T14:42:00.007-06:00

What a sweet treat to add to your tree or your faux gingerbread men!

What You Will Need:
Tempera Paint-variety of colors
A small kitchen or craft knife
Crystal Glitter (clear)
Various Styrofoam balls
Toothpicks
Styrofoam cube for holding wet gumdrops.
1.Cut off the bottom portion of the Styrofoam ball and proceed to make a gumdrop shape with your fingers.

2. Paint the bottom of the gumdrop and dip into the glitter. Take a toothpick and insert it into the painted portion so that you have something to hold while you paint the remainder of the gumdrop. Dip the rest into the glitter.

3. Insert the gumdrop into the Styrofoam ball to dry. Once they are completely dry you can add a hook to hang on the tree, remove the toothpick and set out on a plate for decoration, or even wrap in cellophane for a pretty addition to a gift tag.

Thank you to Craft Elf for offering this free project idea!

Operation Sled Retrieval

2009-12-09T11:51:00.000-06:00

I peered outside to find my children determining the best way to retrieve their sleds from the storage building...

How do we open this door?

With a stick?

Nope, not with a stick...

Maybe this will work! Can you get it Xan?

Stupid door!!!

After composing myself...

Mom seeks to save the day!

Hooray! The sleds are found!

Don't talk to me.

Great Christmas Giveaways at Heart of the Matter

2009-12-07T10:58:00.002-06:00
Christmas Giveaway: Homeschooling with TLC

Christmas Giveaway: Write Shop Story Builders

Christmas Giveaway: The Chronicles of Narnia Full CD Set

Christmas Giveaway: Hands of a Child – 12 Days of Christmas Fun

Christmas Giveaway: Liz Curtis Higgs Children’s Books

The Art of Being Thankful

2009-11-25T08:39:00.000-06:00

“Let the peace of Christ rule in your hearts, since as members of one body you were called to peace. And be thankful.” Collossians 3:15

Lately I have noticed that Thanksgiving is quickly being overshadowed by the capitalism of Christmas. Driving around in my town I have seen the Christmas trees outside of businesses, and the festive Christmas murals on grocery store windows. My television shows that were once one hour long have become approximately 20 minutes due to the constant commercials that plague us with the latest and greatest gadgets, toys and must-haves.

Where is Thanksgiving?

I have friends that have decided to start decorating their homes for the holiday season, each picking up a new ornament, a new gift and running up their credit cards to be ‘paid later’. There is talk of Black Friday, the movie “A Christmas Carol” and new eggnog lattes.
Where is Thanksgiving?

To read the rest join me over at Heart of the Matter...

Have a Happy Thanksgiving From My Family to Yours.

Message From ASAN

2009-11-14T14:27:00.000-06:00
This was passed on to me through the Autistic Self-Advocacy Network. Many have asked me why I DO NOT support Autism Speaks. See below..they stated the reasons many have protested this group. Autism Speaks does not speak for my kid!

We'll be gathering on Tuesday, November 17th, at Seventh Avenue and 57th Street, 154 West 57th Street in New York City from 6 PM to 8 PM to hold up signs and hand out flyers to Autism Speaks sponsors going in to their New York City concert with Bruce Springsteen and Jerry Seinfeld. Come join us! Please RSVP to aneeman@autisticadvocacy.org or go to the facebook event page here: http://www.facebook.com/event.php?invites&eid=205191180125

Please distribute to your friends, contacts and listservs!

*****WHY ARE WE DOING THIS?*****

1. Autism Speaks talks about us without us. Not a single Autistic person is on Autism Speaks' Board of Directors or in their leadership. Autism Speaks is one of an increasingly few number of major disability advocacy organizations that refuse to include any individual with the disability they purport to serve on their board of directors or at any point in their leadership and decision-making processes. In large part due to Autism Speaks’ public relations strategy of presenting Autistic people as silent burdens on society rather than human beings with thoughts, feelings and opinions.

2. They use fear and stigma to try and raise money off the backs of our people. Autism Speaks uses damaging and offensive fundraising tactics which rely on fear, stereotypes and devaluing the lives of people on the autism spectrum. Autism Speaks' advertising claims that Autistic people are stolen from our own bodies. Its television Public Service Announcements compare having a child on the autism spectrum to having a child caught in a fatal car accident or struck by lightning. In fact, the idea of autism as a fate worse than death is a frequent theme in their fundraising and awareness efforts, going back to their “Autism Every Day” film in 2005. Indeed, throughout Autism Speaks’ fundraising is a consistent and unfortunate theme of fear, pity and prejudice, presenting Autistic adults and children not as full human beings but as burdens on society that must be eliminated as soon as possible.

3. Very little money donated to Autism Speaks goes toward helping Autistic people and families: According to their 2008 annual report, only 4% of Autism Speaks’ budget goes towards the “Family Service” grants that are the organization’s means of funding services. Given the huge sums of money Autism Speaks raises from local communities as compared to the miniscule sums it gives back, it is not an exaggeration to say that Autism Speaks is a tremendous drain on the ability of communities to fund autism service-provision and education initiatives Furthermore, while the bulk of Autism Speaks’ budget (65%) goes toward genetic and biomedical research, only a small minority of Autism Speaks’ research budget goes towards research oriented around improving services, supports, treatments and educational methodologies, with most funding going towards basic research oriented around causation and genetic research, including the prospect of prenatal testing. Although Autism Speaks has not prioritized services with a practical impact for families and individuals in its budget, its rates of executive pay are the highest in the autism world, with annual salaries as high as $600,000 a year.

Ever So Busy

2009-11-04T09:20:00.002-06:00
I am just checking in to say that I am swamped. I do plan on continuing this blog, but not until December! I am graduating in December with a BAS in Christian Ministries and need all of my focus on that and homeschooling the kiddos.

Can't wait to get back to updating this page with the awesome projects we've been doing around here!

How's Your Day Going?

2009-09-24T10:51:00.000-05:00
Do you have Autism or a family member who does? Your day is about to go sour:

Wanna protest just another PSA in a long line of offensive PSA's? Tell them Autism Speaks DOES NOT speak for us.

Join the Facebook group protesting this type of propaganda.

Visit I Speak of Dreams for a wealth of information. Who to write to, what to say, who is angry... Autism will not tear people apart. It will unite us. There's more to do to combat ignorance.

Hm... how about that for a group "Ignorance Speaks"? We won't let them defend themselves either.

Thanks Bev, for the awesome posters you came up with---you rock.

ASAN's response...The REAL Advocates for those with Autism.(Autism Self-Advocacy Network)

Blog it and pass the word like others.

An Hour With Milan

2009-08-11T15:45:00.004-05:00

Making Our Apple Trees

2009-08-11T14:32:00.006-05:00
It's our second day of school and Milan and Xander had fun making apple trees using their own arms, hands and fingers. We put it on fabric so we can later frame it in an embroidery hoop and hang it on their walls. They thought that was pretty cool.

It Starts TOMORROW--Will You Be There??

2009-08-02T13:48:00.000-05:00

2009-07-31T17:32:00.006-05:00

Learning Disabilities Stressing You Out?

2009-07-30T13:10:00.003-05:00

Consider it pure joy, my brothers, whenever you face trials of many kinds, because you know that the testing of your faith develops perseverance.
~ James 1:2-3

“Consider the following four dead-end kids. One was spanked by his teachers for bad grades and a poor attitude. He dropped out of school at 16. Another failed remedial English and came perilously close to flunking out of college. The third feared he’d never make it through school–and might not have without a tutor. The last finally learned to read in third grade, devouring Marvel comics, whose pictures provided clues to help him untangle the words. These four losers are, respectively, Richard Branson, Charles Schwab, John Chambers, and David Boies.” Found Here.
READ MORE

When Depression Hits

2009-07-30T13:01:00.000-05:00

I am going to tackle a controversial topic here, my dear families. Depression, mental disorders… the idea that staying at home could cause damage and sadness.

When I started homeschooling I had just come straight from Corporate America. My older sons had done two years of public school and though my younger of the two was struggling with behavior issues, the idea never entered our minds to bring them home to educate them. We were raised in public school and despite a series of devastating occurrences (for myself) we felt that the struggle was a ‘life lesson’ meant to be experienced. We worried about the socialization. We worried about our expectations–could we meet the criteria set before us and educate our children? We weren’t certified teachers. We weren’t even familiar with life outside of work and daycare.

READ MORE

Finally...Churches Are Recognizing a Need

2009-07-17T11:39:00.000-05:00
Special needs Sunday Schools on the rise
By Andrea Higgins
Jul 30, 2008

RIDGECREST, N.C. (BP)--Special needs advocates are fond of pointing out that Jesus spent much of His ministry among people with disabilities.

However, the message of His ministry was for everyone, said Carlton McDaniel, special needs specialist for LifeWay Christian Resources of the Southern Baptist Convention.

"The second half of that story is that by meeting the needs of those He helped and gravitating to people in need, He really modeled love to the able-bodied," McDaniel said during the July 11-14 Sunday School Week at LifeWay Ridgecrest Conference Center near Asheville, N.C.

Considering that attendance at special needs conference sessions has quadrupled from past Sunday School conferences, churches may be getting that message.

"I see people with disabilities being more visible in the community, more included in life and not shut behind doors anymore, praise God," said Jo Ann Banks of Weaverville, N.C.

For five years, Banks has led a special needs Vacation Bible School during Sunday School Week and for 25 years has led a special needs ministry. At Woodland Hills Baptist Church in Asheville, she teaches a class of adults with special needs.

Increased attendance at the conference could be due to churches seeing not only the need -– but the opportunity to provide Sunday School options for individuals with special needs, Banks said.

Banks' daughter Kelly, 28, has mild cerebral palsy and a developmental delay.

"God has shown me we have to look at their abilities and not their disabilities," Banks said.

McDaniel said there is hesitancy among churches, mostly because of the unknown in beginning a special needs ministry.

"We've heard people say, 'I don't feel equipped,'" McDaniel said.

The sessions at Sunday School Week varied from understanding learning needs and learning styles of individuals with special needs to introducing tools and materials to help special needs ministries.

LifeWay developed its "Special Buddies Bible Studies for Kids" curriculum, released in the fall of 2007, with an adaptable format geared to developmental levels that allows for plenty of repetition, application and review of biblical concepts. LifeWay also has added a new VBS line for children with special needs.

"Pastors are very interested, but it's an incredible responsibility to take on a ministry that is this labor-intensive," McDaniel said.

For Banks, leading a Sunday School class for adults with special needs also is an outreach to the group-home workers who accompany residents to church.

"We've found that 98 percent of group-home workers are not believers," Banks said. "I have a good rapport with the workers. Sometimes the only exposure they have is watching how you behave on Sunday."

Having a ministry in place also provides natural opportunities for individuals with special needs to feel needed, Banks said.

"They want to serve. They want to feel like they're part of society and they have a purpose for being here." Banks said her daughter Kelly "has such a servant's heart. She does better to serve others than to be served."

Starting a special ministry requires a "people-centered" outlook rather than one that is people-driven, McDaniel said.

That's what happened at Thompson Station Church in Tennessee, adult Sunday School teacher Mike Yates said. When he noticed two couples in their class seemed to "tag-team" coming to church, he found that the reason was both couples had a child with special needs, with the spouses switching to provide care on alternate weeks.

From there, the church started a special needs Sunday School along with a monthly respite program to give a night out for parents of children with special needs.

Reagan Wagoner, youth and missions pastor at Thompson Station Church, said in the short time the program has been operating, at least 25 different families have been reached.

"If you go into the schools, there are specially trained people -– even one-on-one attention -– for the kids with special needs," Wagoner said. "Why should the church be any different?"
--30--
Andrea Higgins is a writer in Raleigh, N.C.

© Copyright 2009 Baptist Press

Original copy of this story can be found at http://www.bpnews.net/bpnews.asp?ID=28569

A Spot to Keep Things

2009-07-17T11:09:00.004-05:00
I have tremendous difficulty remembering where I put things. Most of all I have trouble with answering the same email questions and remembering not to leave things out.

For those who are interested/love Montessori...here are the sites I love, love, love....

• The Artful Parent
• Montessori for Everyone
• Teaching Montessori
• LaPaz Home learning
• Making Of A Montessori Mom
• Micheal Olaf
• Montessori (3-6)
• Montessori AMI Primary Guide
• Montessori bells
• montessori freefall
• montessori mama
• Montessori Mom
• Montessori Mom blog
• Montessori Spanish
• My Montessori Journey
• NAMC online learning
• Our Montessori Story
• P S Montessori
• Peaceful Mann Connects
• the moveable alphabet
• United Teaching
• What Did We Do All Day?
• Let's Explore
• Make and Takes
• Aunt Jenny's Toy Barn
• A Bit Of This and A Bit Of That
• Chasing Cheerios
• Skip To My Lou
• Melissa Goodsell
• Salt and Chocolate
• A Day of Wonders
• The Wonder Years

Just so you know...

2009-06-29T08:56:00.002-05:00

glitter-graphics.com

I am still here!

2009-05-12T17:43:00.001-05:00
Just wanted to let you know that I am still around but am finishing my Spring semester of college and wrapping up the last few weeks of homeschooling for the year! (Plus hubby came home so we've been enjoying having him around!)

I will be MIA from the blog for a while longer!

Love,
Angela

A Visit to an International Festival

2009-04-15T19:11:00.000-05:00
Click on pictures to enlarge.

An Irish Folk Singer

Milan and I trying on the henna at the India table.

after it dried--should be off in a week or two I think.

Columbia!!

Local Native Indian Tribe Table

The Taiko Drummer from Japan

This is the first demonstration we saw--The African Dancers--and our favorite!

When Chocolate is the Only Answer.

2009-04-09T19:38:00.000-05:00
Only the best way to show love, right? I have to admit something--I am a comfort feeder. No, not so much a comfort eater as much as a 'sympathetic' one. From the moment my babies came into this world every tear was met with nursing...when they outgrew nursing it became cookies, fruit and lollipops...

It's the Italian in me I am pretty sure. The kids are spoiled rotten, but thankfully have the metabolisms of jack rabbits. (Also thankful for very, very good teeth and dental hygiene.)

So this week I have been involved in the 'A Woman Inspired' conference and surrounding that I have had massive amounts of homework to attend to. This has led to many meltdowns, tears, temper tantrums and screaming matches. (I admit...sometimes it was even the kiddos!)
It rated chocolate for all.

Aren't they lovely? You can find the recipe HERE.

Watermelons

2009-04-07T13:09:00.004-05:00

I got this idea and the directions from Chocolate on My Cranium. How clever is she?? The kids had so much fun eating these today!! And they adored the mini-chocolate chip 'seeds'.

Entrecard

2009-04-06T13:48:00.000-05:00
I got rid of my Entrecard widget. Sorry for the inconvenience to those who wanted to post their blog on here. I just do not like the direction the company has started to take.

Thanks for understanding!

This One Always Brings on the Happy Tears

2009-04-03T00:56:00.000-05:00

Over at Heart of the Matter today..

2009-04-02T14:13:00.000-05:00
For the next 7 days I'll be posting Easter crafts and at-home Easter fun over there..

Day 1: Easter Bingo

In Case You Were Curious...

2009-03-31T23:03:00.000-05:00
I mentioned on March 12 that my son had swallowed a bouncy ball.

For your information it took 19 days for that to pass. Yes, you read that right. My son burst into my bedroom this morning to announce the return of his beloved bouncy ball. Thankfully he did not retrieve it, but promptly flushed it.

Catastrophe averted once again.

*Sigh*.

Pledge to BAN the R-Word

2009-03-30T22:10:00.000-05:00
I challenge you to sign the pledge today and find a way to pass the word. We have stood up and not accepted racial slurs, religious slurs as well as many other OFFENSIVE names. This is no different...unless you consider the fact that 9 times out of 10 when a person uses the word 'retarded' against another they do not realize that they have been heard--and understood.

As a mother of a child with special needs I challenge you to rise above the casual use of the r-word.

As a parent of a child with special needs I will tell you that it hurts deeply when you refer to something or someone as retarded.

As a parent of a child with special needs I will tell you it hurts deeply when someone refers to my child that way. That's right, we are not immune to it in our lives. I have stopped my older boys from going after your children who have repeated you. I guess you should know, it hurts them too.

Update on the Crystals: One Week Later

2009-03-27T19:45:00.004-05:00
I haven't had a chance to update everyone on our crystal growing until now.

Remember the much anticipated rock candy aka sugar crystals? Um, the boys got sugary mold. It will be redone next week.

The Alum is still growing. They will be adding more alum liquid later next week to get the giant crystals going. They are pea-sized right now--not bad at all!
The salt and vinegar crystals are fantastic! In a few days the boys will be adding more liquid to those as well. They want HUGE rainbow crystals. I mean, who wouldn't right?

The borax was also very impressive. After the first two days it really did not add too much to the original pipe cleaner frame. If you are looking at a quick turn around for impatient kiddos definitely do these. (They were as done as they needed to be within 4 hours.)

The Oobleck

2009-03-27T16:47:00.003-05:00
Thank you to Amy who made me aware today that this existed. It was perfect for our matter studies...I think we could go on and on and on in this study so I wonder how long it will take to complete it (run out of ideas)!

Ironically enough Xander just checked out Dr. Seuss's Bartholomew and the Oobleck yesterday so talk about great timing!! I took a video of the kiddos making it and playing with it but it is too big too upload. So, enjoy another person's video of their experience as well as directions and explanations.

A Real Life Monster

2009-03-25T00:21:00.000-05:00
I had all of the kids draw a picture of their own 'monster' today. The idea was they would create and then I would make a softie out of it. I have seen people all over the internet doing this very thing and just had to try it! What a great way to capture their creation!

Here is my first one (in order of who gave me their's first)--Xander's:
He was very excited about the process of making this little guy...can't wait to show him the finished product in the morning!!

Photofunia: Photos and Fun

2009-03-20T22:02:00.000-05:00

Bored? The kids and I had lots of fun playing here!

Growing Crystals in the Kitchen

2009-03-18T17:22:00.007-05:00
So we are continuing our 'state of matter' study and today we decided to grow some crystals.

The kids were shocked as I printed out two nice, neat copies of the instructions and then handed them spirals to use for their 'lab books'. It was the perfect time to apply the scientific method--before the fun stuff. Each child wrote their question and their hypothesis and pasted in their materials and procedure information. They were kind of ticked but once it was done we went on to the fun stuff. (I let them know that no matter what job they had they would ALWAYS have necessary paperwork/forms...it's just how business rolls.)

So here is what we made:
Borax Crystals
Sugar Crystals AKA Rock Candy
Salt and Vinegar Crystals
Alum Crystals
They will observe and record the changes for 5-7 days on data/observation forms to add to their labwork. At the end they will come up with a paragraph or two over the results and conclusion.
Day 1:

The Borax crystals are in the lead.

Ice Excavating

2009-03-18T09:35:00.006-05:00
It was so beautiful outside yesterday that after the kids were done playing with their flubber I got the bowl I'd been saving in the freezer and set up a mini-excavation site on the back porch. I told the kids they could use salt, a spoon, and warm water to try and figure out the best methods for extracting all of the little things frozen in the ice. I also announced that the person who collected the most would win a prize. They loved it--and they learned a few things too about the states of matter. That is our theme this week!

Wordless Wednesday: Xan and Milan's "Sleepover"

2009-03-17T23:05:00.000-05:00

Science: Making Our Flubber

2009-03-17T17:28:00.007-05:00
Here is the recipe: The Science Cafe

Artist of the Week: Leo Lionni

2009-03-17T11:58:00.006-05:00
Today we read Pezzettino by Leo Lionni. I love his books and illustrations! The kids are had a great time recreating his Pezzettino and 'friend' pictures. When Jagger was in Kindergarten he got the pleasure of having Leo Lionni come to his school!

Take a look at the fun we had:

When You Have a Chewer

2009-03-12T19:30:00.000-05:00
When your children are babies you painstakingly go over your entire house to make sure it is baby proof so that your child will not choke on anything. (Okay, baby proof...enough) My children found every item I missed:

army men
marbles
legos
pennies
k'nex

With the exception of the army men--all were saved from being swallowed. And actually, make that an army man. (Think Toy Story--a two year old can easily swallow one of those suckers, did you know that?!)

Which brings me to the exception of children who are predispotioned to chew. These are the children that go into high school with mangled pencils and pen caps. The ones that sit in their third grade class chewing on the end of a wad of hair. They may chew their fingers, their shirt collars or random plastic items. You know what I mean...you either know/knew a person like this or are one.

Xander, my 7 year old, is a chewer. He has sensory integration disorder and Autism. This is where a quirky habit can become dangerous. Today he swallowed one of these:
This particular picture is from Oriental Trading. I don't know if the bouncy ball came from there or one of those .25 machines they have at grocery stores. I mention that only so the proper credit is given to the picture.

Now, a 7 year should know better, but when you have a child with special needs it is important to keep an eye on what they are chewing. It could be poisonous or dangerous. We are lucky that this ball did not become lodged in his throat cutting off his airway. When I realized he swallowed it and was talking and not struggling to breathe I knew the drill...and did not worry. Lessons I learned from the army man: they cannot detect plastic on an x-ray and they would tell us to bring him in only if his stmach became hard or he started having severe cramps. Otherwise, we would have to wait for it to pass. The doctor told me the army man could take up to two weeks because of its shape. The ball on the other hand could be freed in a matter of days.

I was reminded however to give Xan the "no batteries, no magnets" speech. These two things can kill a child. Make sure you have this talk with your children.

I am off to go find the thing Xan *is* allowed to chew on.

Getting the Kids to Eat Salad

2009-03-12T18:58:00.005-05:00
There is no better way to get your child to eat salad than to have them prepare it themselves. I love using the Fresh Express salads because everything is portioned out and is perfect for our family of six. The kids love it because they can easily prepare it and even add some more of their favorite things depending on the dressing. This one Xander is putting together below has a sweet vinaigrette and apples so it was the perfect opportunity to give him time to practice cutting by adding bananas.

Xander and Milan take turns making the salad now and eagerly eat it because they made it themselves!

Didj by Leapfrog

2009-03-12T11:09:00.000-05:00
Have you met the Didj? I was asked to try out this great invention last Fall and from the moment it came out of the package my kids were hooked! They were amazed at how much it 'looked' like other video game systems and surprised at how good the graphics were for a LeapFrog (AKA kid's game).

My husband quickly installed the Learning Path program and made an individualized site to track each kid's progress. It must have been successful because now every time my kids play their games and upload to the site I get a personalized email that shows their strengths and weaknesses in their age brackets. I love this feature!

Something else I particularly love is that in order to progress through the levels in each game, the kids must accomplish whatever learning goal (math, spelling, etc.) is set before them before moving forward. This is a great incentive for them to do well! The system also allows them to use their points on their site to earn new characters and accessories.

So, you understand why I love this game system... but there is more! It is an award winner!

Parenting Magazine - Mom-Tested Toys of the Year Award 2008

Parents Magazine - Best Toys of the Year Award 2008

My top three recommended Didj games:

1. LeapFrog: Didj Custom Gaming System: Indiana Jones for Ages 7-10

Did your kindergartener or first grader come to you last year begging to see Indiana Jones? Both of mine did, but let's face it, not all movies fall into their maturity level. The Indiana Jones game on the other hand is all adventure without any of the adult content.

This is a math game and they will be learning addition, subtraction, multiplication and division.

2. LeapFrog: Didj Custom Gaming System: Star Wars, The Clone Wars for Ages 6-9

Star Wars...where do I begin? I mentioned "Star Wars Crafts" one time on one of my blogs and the traffic from that phrase has been unlike anything else that I have ever spoken about. I am amazed at how popular the series is three decades later. This game is no exception. My boys love it and begged for me to buy it the second it hit the shelves. It has been played so many times that I cannot believe it has lasted this long. Best feature of the Didj when this is played for hours on end? The volume button that shuts off. (You would think that for a woman that spent her early years wanting to be Princess Leia I would be more tolerant.)

Another great math game: Decimals, percentages, place value, shapes, and fractions.

3. LeapFrog: Didj Custom Gaming System: Spongebob, Fists of Foam for Ages 6-9

Okay, I was a skeptic too...but this game was soooo worth it. Like the math list above for the Star Wars game? This game has the same list, but appeals to those SpongeBob enthusiasts. My 5 year old loves this game and is excelling in her math practice well above her grade level. Yes, it is silly. Yes, it is nonsense. But they love it! They love it so much that on Saturdays when they have free video game playing the Didj is always in use. They have no idea how much they are learning on their day off. And I won't tell.

As We Draw Closer to Easter

2009-03-11T15:01:00.000-05:00
I received this video in an email today and I cannot possibly think of a better message to reflect on as we get closer to Easter. Before you watch, a few questions to think on:

1. Is there anything weighing heavy on your heart right now?

2. Do you know without a shadow of a doubt that Jesus died for you?

3. Do you feel forgiven?

Pray about it. Listen to what God is trying to speak to your heart. Watch the video.

By the way, my email is on my profile page. If I can help you this Easter season by praying for you I would be honored to do so. Just shoot me an email.

When the Kids Get a Crash Course in Blessings

2009-03-05T22:51:00.000-06:00
We had a wonderful day at the zoo today. The weather was perfect, the zoo was uncrowded. The kids were excited! We even got to see a three-toed sloth--AWAKE. They were especially excited about that because as many times as we've been we have never seen it move. We always talk about how it sleeps 23 hours a day and try to guess when the two hours might land. (It was approximately 3:00 in the afternoon, by the way.) Look--eyeballs!:He hung out like that a few minutes and then had to adjust back into a cradle-like position to go back to sleep. That takes a lot of energy apparently. One of the waterfalls was half ice and by the time I got this picture I forgot about getting it in the picture more than this. There are many outtakes with 4 kiddos.

Catching snails and playing with the fishies.
The day was so good I decided to take the kids to their favorite restaurant for dinner--IHOP. Oh yes, it is their favorite. Where else can you have chocolate chip pancakes with a whip cream/chocolate chip/cherry face? For dinner, no less. The kids colored their menus and selected their meals. Harley led the prayer. The waiter came out to inform us that Xander's meal would have to be changed as they were out of mac n cheese. Xander quickly selected the chocolate chip pancakes and waited patiently while his dinner was prepared. Meanwhile the rest of us were busy salt & peppering, passing syrup, etc. Xander's meal came and we all chowed down. An elderly couple with their backs to us were chatting with the manager about their grandkids and the restaurant was fairly empty and quiet. It was really nice.
The couple left and the manager approached us to let us know that the couple had thought the kids were so well-behaved that they paid for out entire ticket! I was shocked and touched, but not nearly as shocked as the kids were. The manager continued to talk about how they earned the kindness because they were so well-behaved and how you don't see that very often anymore. She told us to enjoy our meal and walked away.
The kids were much more quiet than I would have expected after such a compliment. Harley and Jagger began to speak first about what a kindness that was and how they would never expect something like that from a stranger. We hadn't even seen their faces.
This was my window of opportunity.
I explained to them how blessings come and go and should be remembered. I suggested that perhaps they should remember simply so that when they grew older they could pay the favor forward when they saw a young family in a restaurant. They would never know if they blessed a family who was living paycheck to paycheck.
I also got the opportunity to tell them about the summer Jagger was born. It was May of 2000 and the Texas weather was already scorching. Inside our home was around 90 degrees because our air conditioner had died a few weeks prior. Harley was 2.5 at the time. I called a service man for an estimate because we honestly did not know what we were looking at in terms of cost. The man arrived at the door and was about the age of my grandfather. He had a tiny dog that followed him around the yard while he checked our unit. When it came time for him to give us a quote I asked him if he did any kind of a payment plan. That man must have had a daughter or a daughter-in-law somewhere because he sized me up pretty quickly. He looked for a moment at my very pregnant belly and said 'don't worry, let's get this fixed...I have been there.' And he serviced our a/c the entire summer for free.
The couple tonight blessed us--for no reason--I told the kids. Remember that. Be those people.
And then I ungrounded them for the absolutely horrendous way they acted in Kohl's an hour earlier. I figured if a couple could pay them such a compliment and bless our family in such a way I could ease up a bit.

New Stuff!!! Yeah!

2009-03-05T21:41:00.006-06:00
Look at all the fun goodies I had waiting for me when I got home today! (Except the Easter tray--I put that together.) You can check the Montessori n' Such site, that's where I got them.

Bean Sorting

2009-03-03T13:32:00.004-06:00
We are so ready ready for Spring! I have some cool seed activities coming in the mail but in the meantime..

A Woman Inspired Conference 2009

2009-03-03T02:02:00.000-06:00

Learn More Here:

Button Flowers

2009-03-02T19:24:00.003-06:00
Here is what Xan is working on--right this minute, instead of video games or TV...by his choice!
And an extra special thank you to Laura from My Montessori Journey for the constant ideas and inspiration! I cannot imagine anyone in blog land does not know her site yet but if you don't...shame on you. She rocks.

Activities of the Day

2009-03-02T14:46:00.005-06:00

Colored bobbins to sort:

Spooning Rice:

The Last of the Bunch

2009-02-25T19:39:00.000-06:00

Mom, I don't have a fever.. your hands are just cold.
Mom, I think I have a sunburn.
Mom...no pictures while I am sad.
MOM...DON'T PUT THIS ON THE BLOG!!

Reposted for Heart of the Matter

2009-02-25T09:14:00.003-06:00
This is a fun chance to participate in a blog carnival...break out those posts on organization!! (I need them!):

Welcome to our 8 Ways to a More Organized Homeschool Carnival. Every Wednesday for 8 weeks we will publish a collaborative article brimming with tips and advice to help you organize all aspects of your homeschool life. Anyone can submit! Sift through your archives for posts that you would like to share, old or new.

Everyone who submits a post will be entered for a chance to win an amazing prize package, currently valued at $100! For an additional entry, simply tell your readers about the carnival and share our button and link on your blog. The winner of the giveaway will be announced at the end of the carnival on April 24th.

What is a blog carnival?
**From Wikipedia: A blog carnival is a type of blog event. It is similar to a magazine, in that it is dedicated to a particular topic, and is published on a regular schedule, often weekly or monthly. Each edition of a blog carnival is in the form of a blog article that contains permalinks to other blog articles on the particular topic.
Weekly Topics
Organize your physical space: cutting clutter, ways to store books and supplies, tips for small spaces, etc. Due by 3/4, posted 3/6.
Organize your morning: morning routine, time with God, chores, breakfast, getting off to a good start, etc. Due by 3/11, posted 3/13.
Organize your school schedule: schedules on paper, reviews of planners, time allotted for subjects, etc. Due by 3/18, posted 3/20.
Organize your records: grades, tests, attendance, etc. Due by 3/25, posted 3/27.
Organize your projects: storing paper, lapbooks, notebooks, and old projects. Due by 4/1, posted 4/3.
Organize your kitchen: menu planning, recipes, etc. Due by 4/8, posted 4/10.
Organize your activities: field trips, co-ops, etc. Due by 4/15, posted 4/17.
Organize your heart: priorities, good attitude, etc. Due by 4/22, posted 4/24.
To Submit
Please email the following to mailto:carnivals@heartofthemattermagazine.com?subject=Organization before the above due dates at 9:00pm EST. You may send all your information in one email or in separate emails as the weeks go on.
Your name (first name only is ok)
Name of your blog
Title of your post
Direct link to your post
Brief summary of your post
Week you are submitting for
For an extra giveaway entry: the link to the post in which you told your readers about the carnival

An Autism Success Story From GMA

2009-02-25T08:26:00.000-06:00

Couple Lives With Autism, Comfort of Each Other

Love Bloomed After Socializing Was Learned

By THEA TRACHTENBERG and LINDSAY GOLDWERT

Feb. 25, 2009 —

David Hamrick, 29, and Lindsey Nebeker, 27, look like a typical couple in love, but what's not apparent is how hard they've worked to be together.
Hamrick and Nebeker live together in a Jackson, Miss., apartment, yet they have separate bedrooms, eat meals apart and spend most of their time focused on their own interests.
This unusual setup is how Hamrick and Nebeker, who are both autistic, make their relationship work.
About 1.5 million people in the United States have autism, with varying degrees of severity. Many people with autism struggle with the most basic social interactions, so finding love may seem like an impossibility.
Hamrick and Nebeker are high-functioning but, since childhood, both have found it difficult to make friends and even harder to keep them.
"All of her socialization had to be learned, usually by hard experience," said Nebeker's father, Gordon Nebeker.
Autistic people can also be hypersensitive to touch and sound. Hamrick can't stand when the room is too warm and cringes at certain sounds; Nebeker can't take florescent lights; and both are profoundly uncomfortable with small talk, said Lynn Harris, who profiled the couple for Glamour magazine.

Learning to Interact

Despite their difficulties, they both kept trying to reach out and connect with others. Nebeker learned to make friends by reading Dale Carnegie's "How to Win Friends and Influence People." Hamrick had tried to untangle the rules of dating by reading self-help books.
"No one teaches you to flirt," said Diane Twactman-Cullen, editor in chief of Autism Spectrum Quarterly. "Individuals with autism would really be at a loss. So there might be some missed signals."
When Hamrick and Nebeker met in 2005 at an autism conference, Hamrick was smitten.
"I pretty much liked everything about her," he said. "She was very sweet, easy to talk to, and a good listener."
But Nebeker was unsure.
"In my early 20s, I had decided I was no longer going to seek a relationship," she said. "I was mainly going to focus on my career and my friends that I had been able to make and keep."
They became friends. Then one day when they were at a café, Hamrick knew he was making progress when he put his hand on hers.
"My heart was racing," Hamrick said. "I was fearful it might not work out the way I had anticipated, but the fact that she didn't pull back and she was able to hold my hand there for at least five minutes, I was very touched by that."

Living Together With Separate Needs

After two years of dating, they took the huge step of moving in together, despite their unique and separate needs.
Nebeker admits that it seems highly unusual for a typical couple to agree to separate bedrooms.
"We both understood the importance of an individual with autism needing their own space," she said.
When they are in their apartment, they are rarely together. Hamrick, a meteorologist, is often in his room on the computer or absorbed in the Weather Channel while Nebeker, a musician, can get lost for hours playing the piano and working on her music.
A romantic dinner for two presents major challenges.
"There are a number of sounds that are unpleasant to me," Hamrick explained. "Such as chewing sounds and crunching sounds."
And Nebeker has many complicated eating rituals. Her napkin has to be placed just so and her meals prepared in just the right way.
"Sometimes Dave will spontaneously ask, 'Hey, you want to go out for dinner tonight?' And I break into sobs and I say, 'I am so sorry, I just can't. I just can't,'" Nebeker said.
The couple's parents have seen their children struggle with their disorder and are in awe of the way the two care for each other and express their love and devotion.
"Being high functioning is almost more difficult than being low functioning," said Gordon Nebeker. "You are so close to there, and yet not quite -- and that is heartbreaking."
But for all the compromises, the couple's love story is actually a pretty traditional one, one of deep understanding and acceptance.
"When I have had a bad day at work or just a bad day for some other reason -- and I come home, I don't even have to say anything, he senses it. Dave will come up to me and start cuddling up to me and that's really all I need," Nebeker said. "I know that I am with a partner who is not going to judge me for certain eccentricities I have."

Copyright © 2009 ABC News Internet Ventures

I Will Be Back...

2009-02-24T15:24:00.000-06:00
But for now all three boys are sick and I am taking advantage of the quiet!

Please pray they feel better soon and that me and the girlie don't get it!

Be back on here soon!

Painting ala Pollock

2009-02-18T19:00:00.000-06:00
Okay...sort of... I let the kiddos do marble painting tonight and it was a huge hit! Except for Milan...she cried. She said it was too messy. She said it was nothing but scribbles.

She ran to her room, threw herself on her bed and cried some more.

When she finally emerged the kids and I took a web trip to visit the art of Jackson Pollock. II had to prove that he was real--that people actually loved his work and paid big bucks for 'scribbles'.

The boys on the other hand were just happy that their project was quick so they could go back to their video games.