the most annoying comment i get when people find out that we homeschool is, of course, the socialization comment.
but running a close second is this one:
"you have a lot more patience than i do! ha ha ha ha ha!"
don't get me wrong, ESPECIALLY if you have said this to me (or some other homeschooling mom or dad) at some point. i don't find you annoying.
i find the assumption that i'm some sort of uber saint - whose kids never misbehave and are always perfect little angels sitting quietly at the dinner table, doing schoolwork - annoying.
especially on a day like today.
or a week like this week.
every day this week, we have gotten started with school at four thirty or later IN THE AFTERNOON. this translates to mommy is pretty tired of kid nonsense already and kids are on some sort of crazy sugar high from afternoon snack (even if said snack contains no sugar).
it usually ends up with one or more kids screaming, "momma! i'm done with my worksheet! i need a new one!" while i'm trying to help another with his math worksheet. or one daydreaming and singing when he should be practicing handwriting. or bella crying because she doesn't have enough worksheets (and honestly, that kid could probably do worksheets all day long if i let her. it's so weird).
anyway, my point is, i have no superhuman patience. by golly, i wish i DID. that would rock.
no, i end up fussing and losing my temper and getting frustrated and ending up the day by feeling like a total failure as a teacher/mom/whatever i am.
when people say, "oh, you must be like some saint or something!" i always, always feel super guilty.
i feel like, hey, when i started this thing, i was excited. and even when i just sit around lesson planning or thinking about what we're going to do next or just thinking about what it is i'm a part of, i get really excited because i get to watch my kids learn and develop a love for knowledge.
it's awesome.
so i feel really bad whenever i lose it. when i get frustrated because beau isn't paying attention to his math worksheet, i forget that he's six and also a BOY and he would love nothing better than to run around the yard with a light saber in his hand ALL DAY LONG. i could let him get up, run off some of that energy, and come back in a bit to finish that math worksheet. because we can.
whenever i get annoyed with bella for begging for more worksheets, i could really just give her another worksheet to do instead of stressing about how the workbook she's in won't last until the end of the year if i give her more than two a day. i can buy another workbook. my schedule will survive. meanwhile, instead of holding her back from learning even more, she might even zoom ahead and surprise me by skipping a grade or something. who knows?
when xander is all, "no momma! i'll do it by myself! i don't want you to help me!" and i get upset because he gets the answer wrong...i could just help him fix it and be happy that he doesn't want me to hold the marker for him like he did in the beginning.
but i'm not perfect. and sometimes i need to take a breather and remember these things.
the truth of the matter is i have regular-sized patience.
but i do have something that maybe some people don't have.
i have a super sized love for this homeschooling thing.
and sometimes, just sometimes, i get it right.
Thursday, October 14, 2010
Wednesday, October 13, 2010
lesson planning.
(note: i wrote this yesterday afternoon. it is getting posted this morning. shut up. i almost died last night. but that is another blog entirely.)
*****************************************************
so we finally got started on week eight today.
at four thirty in the afternoon.
but i digress.
the point is, we made it through the first day. i'm not sure what exactly made today so flippin' hard, but yeah. it was. like trying to brush a baby dinosaur's teeth. while driving a hovercraft. in a snowstorm. while heavily sedated.
okay, so maybe i'm exaggerating. a smidge.
anyway, after we got the boring things like ACTUAL LEARNING out of the way, mommy got to sit down and lesson plan.
this is all part of my new idea: finish lesson planning during the week so i won't have to do it on sunday afternoon, thus avoiding the upsetting of the hubby by my emotional absence.
and while i was doing this, i realized two beautiful things.
would you like to know what they are? of course you do.
first. next week is week nine. which, because i went to public school and all, is sort of a magical number when related to school. it means the first quarter is over. it means that we have officially made it 1/4 of the way through the year.
we made it!
except for not yet.
second. i realized. that i am. almost two weeks ahead in lesson planning.
it made me all excited and giggly because usually i am all way behind and i have no idea what we're doing the next week until the night before. it's AWESOME to be able to kind of see things all connected and feel pretty secure that no matter what else we're doing next week, school will be a part of it.
because the folders say so.
*****************************************************
so we finally got started on week eight today.
at four thirty in the afternoon.
but i digress.
the point is, we made it through the first day. i'm not sure what exactly made today so flippin' hard, but yeah. it was. like trying to brush a baby dinosaur's teeth. while driving a hovercraft. in a snowstorm. while heavily sedated.
okay, so maybe i'm exaggerating. a smidge.
anyway, after we got the boring things like ACTUAL LEARNING out of the way, mommy got to sit down and lesson plan.
this is all part of my new idea: finish lesson planning during the week so i won't have to do it on sunday afternoon, thus avoiding the upsetting of the hubby by my emotional absence.
and while i was doing this, i realized two beautiful things.
would you like to know what they are? of course you do.
first. next week is week nine. which, because i went to public school and all, is sort of a magical number when related to school. it means the first quarter is over. it means that we have officially made it 1/4 of the way through the year.
we made it!
except for not yet.
second. i realized. that i am. almost two weeks ahead in lesson planning.
it made me all excited and giggly because usually i am all way behind and i have no idea what we're doing the next week until the night before. it's AWESOME to be able to kind of see things all connected and feel pretty secure that no matter what else we're doing next week, school will be a part of it.
because the folders say so.
Saturday, October 9, 2010
hello, my name is jessica.
and i am addicted to curriculum.
specifically, searching out new subjects to add to an ever-growing pile.
subjects we already cover: (in the order they were added)
1. history.
2. science.
3. handwriting.
4. literature. (which sounds really awesome and advanced and such, but really it's just reading aloud every night from books that i select that i'd like for the kids to be exposed to. so at the same time, it both is and is not as awesome as it sounds.)
5. math.
6. geography.
7. spelling.
subjects i want to add:
1. grammar. (starting next week)
2. language arts. (also, starting next week. this one is from the lesson-website-that-shall-not-be-named.)
3. spanish.
4. music theory.
5. piano lessons.
6. Bible.
7. art.
8. creative writing.
see? i have a problem.
i could seek professional help, but as one of my best friends also has this exact. same. problem. (only i'm thinking hers is like three times as bad as mine), i'm assuming resistance is futile at this point.
specifically, searching out new subjects to add to an ever-growing pile.
subjects we already cover: (in the order they were added)
1. history.
2. science.
3. handwriting.
4. literature. (which sounds really awesome and advanced and such, but really it's just reading aloud every night from books that i select that i'd like for the kids to be exposed to. so at the same time, it both is and is not as awesome as it sounds.)
5. math.
6. geography.
7. spelling.
subjects i want to add:
1. grammar. (starting next week)
2. language arts. (also, starting next week. this one is from the lesson-website-that-shall-not-be-named.)
3. spanish.
4. music theory.
5. piano lessons.
6. Bible.
7. art.
8. creative writing.
see? i have a problem.
i could seek professional help, but as one of my best friends also has this exact. same. problem. (only i'm thinking hers is like three times as bad as mine), i'm assuming resistance is futile at this point.
Friday, October 8, 2010
okay, so. music.
i've been looking at different music books online for a while now. it started as a desire of beau's to learn to play the piano. so i thought, hey, that's easy! just find a nice little primer piano book and we can get started!
not so easy. there aren't a lot of piano books geared to kids under the age of eight.
but. i found one that i seriously love. it uses animals for the notes; "e" for elephant, "c" for cat, "d" for dog, etc. example:
the only problem is that this book is primarily a piano book. i love that it teaches note names and positions on the keyboard, and the next book in the series teaches beginning timing. but that's really as far as it goes. i'm assuming that by that point, the child would be ready to move on to one of the piano books for eight-year-olds that you can find just about everywhere.
so i kept looking. and i found theory time.
i seriously love the look of these books. and they're dead cheap, too; like nine bucks for a workbook. they also go all the way from primer - grade 12. there are great worksheets included (which the other book does not have) that really cement the ideas and also look pretty fun.
also, it isn't just piano. there are sections on music history, different instruments, etc.
so my idea is to use them together
and so. probably starting next semester,in addition to everything else, we will also be starting music theory. this makes me incredibly happeh.
not so easy. there aren't a lot of piano books geared to kids under the age of eight.
but. i found one that i seriously love. it uses animals for the notes; "e" for elephant, "c" for cat, "d" for dog, etc. example:
 |
| cute, right? |
the only problem is that this book is primarily a piano book. i love that it teaches note names and positions on the keyboard, and the next book in the series teaches beginning timing. but that's really as far as it goes. i'm assuming that by that point, the child would be ready to move on to one of the piano books for eight-year-olds that you can find just about everywhere.
so i kept looking. and i found theory time.
 |
| MUAHAHAHAHA |
i seriously love the look of these books. and they're dead cheap, too; like nine bucks for a workbook. they also go all the way from primer - grade 12. there are great worksheets included (which the other book does not have) that really cement the ideas and also look pretty fun.
also, it isn't just piano. there are sections on music history, different instruments, etc.
so my idea is to use them together
and so. probably starting next semester,
Thursday, October 7, 2010
in which i have the attention span of an ADD ferret.
just a quick post before we head off to beau's LAST FOOTBALL PRACTICE OF THE SEASON THANK GOODNESS.
so. first week back = success. i know the week isn't over yet - according to my records, there's still one more day before i get to officially say that week seven is done - but i'm declaring it. i hope i don't jinx anything.
which brings me to something i hadn't bargained on. we are technically in week eight, since we took last week off. that's going to confuse the heck out of me. i'll just have to deal with it for now, since everything is labeled already and i don't want to have to go back and fix it now. we're just counting actual weeks of schoolwork. there. that makes it all nice and tidy in my mind.
anyway, next week we are starting two new subjects. i know. shut up. but we're adding a little at a time so as not to completely get overwhelmed...or at least that's what i'm telling myself. the reality is that every couple of weeks i notice something that we aren't doing that i feel needs to be done, so i research a little and add a new subject.
as i said before, shut up.
ooh, before i forget it, i need to send out an apology to a friend of mine who sometimes reads this blog. darlin, i am so dreadfully sorry i never emailed you back. i had this extremely long and well-thought-out email written and i had been adding to it for a couple of days when i had the chance (i don't have tons of time for some reason), so i left it up in my browser. well. i came home from school one day and the POWER HAD GONE OUT. my beautiful, intelligent email to you? gone. poof. so i said, oh i'll remember what i said and write it all out again later and i totally. haven't. done that. yet. for that, i am sorry.
and now i must apologize to the rest of you for making you read all of that. in my defense, it WAS homeschool-related, because we were having a lovely little chat about it. so nyeh.
what was i talking about? ah, new subjects.
grammar, for starters. i've put together something of my own from worksheets i found at different places online and a few scope and sequence .pdf's i scrounged up from different sources. basically, i know what needs to be learned in first grade grammar, and i'm about to get on that. for all you haters. *cough*rachel*cough*
also, language arts. FINALLY. i broke down and printed everything out from the lesson on the website that i use (which i won't mention because then i'll get a totally impersonal comment from them and it's unnecessary so neener neener) and put it all in my shiny green notebook. i'm even going to *gasp* laminate a game and keep it for next. year.
i know what you're thinking.
who IS this lady?
i totally am thinking the same thing. you aren't really that crazy. i'm just getting uber organized and we all know who to thank for that one. but i digress.
the point is that i'm stupidly excited for monday. and it's like light years away. but i'll live.
so. first week back = success. i know the week isn't over yet - according to my records, there's still one more day before i get to officially say that week seven is done - but i'm declaring it. i hope i don't jinx anything.
which brings me to something i hadn't bargained on. we are technically in week eight, since we took last week off. that's going to confuse the heck out of me. i'll just have to deal with it for now, since everything is labeled already and i don't want to have to go back and fix it now. we're just counting actual weeks of schoolwork. there. that makes it all nice and tidy in my mind.
anyway, next week we are starting two new subjects. i know. shut up. but we're adding a little at a time so as not to completely get overwhelmed...or at least that's what i'm telling myself. the reality is that every couple of weeks i notice something that we aren't doing that i feel needs to be done, so i research a little and add a new subject.
as i said before, shut up.
ooh, before i forget it, i need to send out an apology to a friend of mine who sometimes reads this blog. darlin, i am so dreadfully sorry i never emailed you back. i had this extremely long and well-thought-out email written and i had been adding to it for a couple of days when i had the chance (i don't have tons of time for some reason), so i left it up in my browser. well. i came home from school one day and the POWER HAD GONE OUT. my beautiful, intelligent email to you? gone. poof. so i said, oh i'll remember what i said and write it all out again later and i totally. haven't. done that. yet. for that, i am sorry.
and now i must apologize to the rest of you for making you read all of that. in my defense, it WAS homeschool-related, because we were having a lovely little chat about it. so nyeh.
what was i talking about? ah, new subjects.
grammar, for starters. i've put together something of my own from worksheets i found at different places online and a few scope and sequence .pdf's i scrounged up from different sources. basically, i know what needs to be learned in first grade grammar, and i'm about to get on that. for all you haters. *cough*rachel*cough*
also, language arts. FINALLY. i broke down and printed everything out from the lesson on the website that i use (which i won't mention because then i'll get a totally impersonal comment from them and it's unnecessary so neener neener) and put it all in my shiny green notebook. i'm even going to *gasp* laminate a game and keep it for next. year.
i know what you're thinking.
who IS this lady?
i totally am thinking the same thing. you aren't really that crazy. i'm just getting uber organized and we all know who to thank for that one. but i digress.
the point is that i'm stupidly excited for monday. and it's like light years away. but i'll live.
Monday, October 4, 2010
so how is your vacation going, jessica?
you know what the funniest thing about our vacation has been?
the fact that none of the children have mentioned "school" since the very first day.
i'm not entirely sure that's a good thing. hopefully they haven't forgotten their names or anything by the time we start back tomorrow.
the weirdest part is that i'm ready and rearin' to start back. the week off has been GREAT - with no having to think about worksheets or lesson planning or any of that...HOWEVER...
there has been no lesson planning. there have been no worksheets.
mommy has been slightly bored.
well, not bored, but it's just seemed like there's been nothing to do this week when i find myself sitting on the couch and casting around for something to do. (side note: i'm aware that sentence was redundant. see what being bored does to me? facebook has rotted my brain.)
so yeah, this week was an EXCELLENT idea. we kicked back and went to a birthday party, the kids had a slumber party with their nana, and we went on a field trip to the pumpkin patch with the local homeschool group. (note: as soon as i get the pictures from that from my dear friend, rachel, i will post about that funn experience...in the meantime, you are welcome to go here and see a few of the fifty kabillion pictures i took using her camera that day.)
we're going to be taking two more weeks off before the new year. one will be the week before thanksgiving, and the second will be christmas week. that makes five weeks on, one week off. and that totally works for me.
well, i'm off to enjoy our last day of vacation!
the fact that none of the children have mentioned "school" since the very first day.
i'm not entirely sure that's a good thing. hopefully they haven't forgotten their names or anything by the time we start back tomorrow.
the weirdest part is that i'm ready and rearin' to start back. the week off has been GREAT - with no having to think about worksheets or lesson planning or any of that...HOWEVER...
there has been no lesson planning. there have been no worksheets.
mommy has been slightly bored.
well, not bored, but it's just seemed like there's been nothing to do this week when i find myself sitting on the couch and casting around for something to do. (side note: i'm aware that sentence was redundant. see what being bored does to me? facebook has rotted my brain.)
so yeah, this week was an EXCELLENT idea. we kicked back and went to a birthday party, the kids had a slumber party with their nana, and we went on a field trip to the pumpkin patch with the local homeschool group. (note: as soon as i get the pictures from that from my dear friend, rachel, i will post about that funn experience...in the meantime, you are welcome to go here and see a few of the fifty kabillion pictures i took using her camera that day.)
we're going to be taking two more weeks off before the new year. one will be the week before thanksgiving, and the second will be christmas week. that makes five weeks on, one week off. and that totally works for me.
well, i'm off to enjoy our last day of vacation!
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