It only seems organized because it's in list form

A few things to catch up:

1. The chocolate was gone by Monday night. Let's not speak of it ever again.
2. My sister had a slight cold when she got on her plane on Thursday. By Friday night she had bronchitis.
3. It's after 2pm and I'm still in my pajamas.
4. I don't plan to rectify this until just before Isaac comes home from work.
5. So far none of us are sick. Yet.
6. The only productive thing I've done today is to buy this clock from Pottery Barn Kids.
7. I told myself that it's a homeschool expense since it will help teach time.
8. I really did buy some real homeschool stuff, too. I bought the Math-U-See primer program for Chloe. She has been driving me crazy lately with, "Mommy, what's 9+1? 5+3? 63+102?" She was watching the promotional dvd with me and suddenly could answer for herself what 9+1 was, even though she didn't understand it at all the 217 times I tried to explain it to her.
9. I think I will post the next installment in the story of me tomorrow. It might just be the last one. Of course, when I started writing, I thought it would be three posts long and not eleventy-three, so I could also have twelve more parts to go.
10. I just bought Chloe some new clothes, and they're all falling off her. She is so skinny that she needs a 6 in the waist but a 7 for length. Any ideas on cute brands that have skinny sizes?

Leper Girl and the Grumpiest Boy in the World

Today was supposed to be our second day of homeschooling.

It's a good thing I'm really unstructured and can't stick to a schedule to save my life. Our first day went beautifully yesterday. We went to gynastics in the morning, then came home and had a snack, and then went downstairs to the playroom. Luke played while Chloe and I did our reading. Then we had lunch, and I read them their Bible lesson and we talked about how we can't see God. Then Luke took a nap, and Chloe and I did workbook pages for 15 minutes, played Little People for 15 minutes, then off she went to her bedroom.

Beautiful.

I knew from the moment Luke woke up that today would not be beautiful. I went to get him, and he greeted me with, "poopoo!" Thank God it was still in his diaper and not spread around the room. He had a total tantrum and a half when I tried to change his diaper. I think the only words he said for the next hour were no, mine, and more. He had morphed into his secret identity- The Grumpiest Boy in the World. This happens occasionally when he is teething. Unfortunately, it has been known to last for weeks, until we are praying that it is not a permanent change and are ready to muzzle him.

Since he was into throwing everything he could find and screaming, I figured some time outside might mellow him enough that he'd play by himself for a while and Chloe and I could do school.

Nope.

I fed him a snack.

Still Grumpy.

So I put on some music and suggested the kids dance. Chloe said, "Ok, I'll go be Leper Girl!" What this actually means is Slipper Girl. She likes to dance in her slippers because she can slide around.

But you try to explain the difference between Leper and Slipper to a not-yet-4-year-old!

So The Grumpiest Boy in the World and Leper Girl are dancing and mommy is drinking coffee and blogging.

And you know what? It doesn't bother me at all. I'm off to assume my alter ego...The Hip Dancin' Preggo Mama...

The Grumpiest Boy in the World in his superhero dancin' clothes...

(Re) Starting School Tomorrow!

I think we're finally ready to start school again.  We actually started a few weeks ago, but the curriculum I ordered for Chloe didn't work out.  We received Winter Promise's "Animals and their Worlds" last Friday, and the kids were so excited that we did most of the first week over the weekend.  Since it is based around animals, Luke is even into it, although he mostly looks at the pictures :)  But he is still learning!

I have our stuff organized, but right now it is split between the two stories, and I think that will end up bothering me!  We have all the books upstairs in the bookcase in the dining room, and all the arts and crafts stuff in the playroom.  I have a feeling that we'll end up doing most of our schooling in the playroom so that Luke has toys to occupy him.  When we're upstairs, he just wants to watch tv if Chloe isn't playing with him.  Oh well, it's our first year of homeschooling, so I guess it will be a learning process for us all.  And since the Navy has said we are moving anytime between next January and next September, I don't want to buy any new organizational stuff.

I'm excited to really begin, but nervous, too.  I just pray that my unstructured nature doesn't get in the way of Chloe's learning.  The girl begs to do school!  I don't mind being relaxed about it, but I can see myself letting it slide, and not really doing anything.  Lord, please bless this year!

Telling others about the decision to homeschool

Jeana started a post about hidden messages in homeschooling conversations on her blog.  Part of this "conversation" really struck me:

Me: We homeschool.

What I meant: We homeschool.

What (oh let's just call her a she, even though sometimes it's a he) heard: We homeschool because we think that public schools are the spawn of Satan and private schools are his stepchildren. I think my kids are infinitely more Godly and righteous because of our choice, and any parent who does not homeschool is sentencing his/her child to eternal torment and, at the very least, exclusion from any playdate that involves my perfect offspring who by the way just this morning memorized the entire Bible while I multi-tasked by grinding wheat with one hand and handstitching a dress with the other while I gave birth to my forty-seventh child.

Her: We don't homeschool because (fill in the blank)

To fill in the rest of the conversation with what I usually feel-

What I hear: Your kids are going to be freaks with no social skills, and you're over-controlling and over-protective, and need a life of your own.

     *We awkwardly end the conversation and drift off to talk to someone else.

I am the first to admit that I am defensive when it comes to our choice to homeschool.  As soon as someone asks, "Is your daughter in preschool?" I'm preparing myself to be judged.  It often feels like getting past this conversation is the first step to making a new friend. 

I really don't think homeschooling is for everyone.  We personally feel that God has called us to it, not as a trial, but as a committment, unless He possibly shows us something different.  Whether someone else homeschools, or does public or private school, I respect it as long as it is a decision that was thought through and prayed through and the family feels like it is God's will for them.

But how do you get past the fear of being judged?  How do you get past the awkwardness that I feel so often when meeting a new mom?  How do you make the conversation comfortable for the other mom?  I'm sure she must feel it, too.

What do you do in this situation?

I may have made a slight miscalculation...

My son loves animals.  Especially lions.  And roaring like a lion.  Last week in Sunday school he scared a 4-year-old by roaring at her.  He's not even 2 yet.

So I opened up the San Diego Zoo website to let him look at the animal pictures and hear the animal sounds...I will never have peace again.

Every time I sit at the computer now I hear a little voice beside me, "a-ni-mools?" Then he tries to climb into my lap (of which there isn't much, being almost 6 months pregnant) and asks somewhat more insistently, "a-ni-mools? line? el-pant?"

I won't even mention the sticky fingerprints all over my computer screen.

I'll never blog in peace again...

We returned our first curriculum...

It was a pretty intimidating thing to do! After all, we are just starting this whole homeschool thing, and we were all so excited about that box of books. But it just wasn't meeting our needs. We ordered Animals and their Worlds from Winter Promise, and we're all excited about this one, too. I really pray that this one works out. I know we don't need to buy a full curriculum, but since it's our first time, and I tend to do things more spontaneously, the planning just doesn't get done when it's left to me. Or if I do plan, then by the time I'm ready to do the lesson, it doesn't appeal to me anymore! A friend who has homeschooled for several years encouraged me by saying that whatever I decide on will be perfect because God has called me to do this, and given me wisdom and insight into my children. I have to remind myself that if I'm seeking God and obeying Him in this, then I can't fail!

Chloe's opinion on homeschool...

Me: Chloe, tell Daddy what you did for school today.

Chloe: But Mommy, we didn't do school today!

Me: Yes we did!

Chloe: No we didn't! We read some books and we did some workbook pages, but we didn't do school! We just played and had fun.

Just not sure what to do about curriculum!

I am so torn about continuing with the curriculum we have (Sonlight PreK) or getting a different one. My dd is just going through it so fast. It's not like I'm pushing her either! I have to stop her from continuing on in her workbooks after she's done an entire week's worth of pages in one sitting. We also went through an entire week's worth of reading in one day. I guess I could just order a phonics program and add it in and read the stories in our current curriculum multiple times. But I'm just not sure it would last long enough for me to feel we got our money's worth out of it. I think I need to find some more experienced homeschoolers and get their opinions!

The Fate of the Fedex Man...

Today is what has come to be known as "box day." All of the books that we ordered from Sonlight are supposed to be delivered today, and we are positively giddy with excitement.

However, the Fedex man has been known to come as late as 8:30pm, well after the kids are in bed! I think Chloe will riot if that happens! But this is such a great place to be. I mean, who would have thought that we'd get this excited over a box of school books? (ok, 35 pounds of books, but still!)

Is this just a beginner's thing? Or do you still get this excited even when you've been homeschooling for years? I know there are tough days when you want to give up homeschooling, but I'd love it if some of this excitement stayed with us throughtout our homeschooling journey.

Feeling like a real homeschooler now

We just ordered our first curriculum and are waiting for it to come, and for some reason, I haven't considered myself a "real" homeschooler until now. We have done lots of activities and teaching, but I've just thought of those as things all moms do...something about spending over $300 makes me feel official, though! I'm so excited to get started, and hopefully having lesson plans will help me feel more accountable, too. We've been pretty hit-or-miss on doing lessons, and my dd Chloe just loves them. I feel like she's been missing out because mommy is disorganized! I want to give her God's best every day!