A Fun and Easy Craft for the Summer!

This week's homeschool craft comes to our family courtesy of Jennifer over at Beauty from Ashes... Pool Noodle Painting!

The process is oh-so-simply - just slice up a pool noodle, then use scissors or a sharp knife to make shapes, dip in paint, and have fun!

As usual, the "I hate crafts" boy had to be gently "persuaded" into doing this craft (i.e. "Sit down and do this craft before I hang you up by your fingernails, child!"), but he ended up having fun - and so did I! (I enjoy our art projects much more than he does!)

Here are some of the results....

The wonderful mess we made!

The 7yo's productions:

And mine!

Thanks for the idea, Jennifer!

Taking the 20-Minutes-a-Day Challenge!

Last year, Heather at Cultivated Lives started the "Daily Outdoors Challenge" - the challenge to spend at least 20 minutes per day outside having fun as a family. Though we didn't do the challenge officially last year, it did make me much more mindful of getting outside on purpose - especially during the summer months, when my instinct is to go inside, lock the doors, and refuse to come out till at least Thanksgiving.

This year, we're taking the challenge officially!

Things like this are such an incentive for me. I really need the dangling carrot to motivate myself, and having a reminder like this hanging up in our hallway is a great motivator. Even when I don't want to get outside, the hanging threat of having to start back at "0 days running" is enough to get me to head out the door with the children - and we always end up having a wonderful time.

The best thing, of course, is that "20 minutes" almost always morphs into at least an hour or more of outside time, during which we get lots of exercise, have adventures, build memories - and, of course, keep all messes outside and where I don't have to clean them up!

Join us this summer!

A Vision of Burnout, And What Came of It

This past summer while we were visiting family in California, I met a woman who really, truly scared me. And that doesn't happen that often!

She wasn't a rambling psychotic, borderline insane, or attacking innocent bystanders with sharp objects. Actually, she was a busy homeschooling mama with a fine family of boys. Nothing too scary there.

But when I met this woman, my immediate and overwhelming first impression (later confirmed by my husband) was as follows: This is a woman who is about to go under. 

This was a woman who was at the brink of not being able to take it any longer - whatever "it" was. Homeschooling, her marriage, her kids, her home, a combination of all of the above - my impression was that she was a woman who was barely treading water and who, if she continued in the way she was going, was not going to make it.

What "going under" would look like for that woman is an unknown - divorce, depression, despair, giving up on home education, etc. - but whatever it was, she was near it.

Meeting this woman (and I did not have a chance to get to know her well) was frightening in two ways: Firstly, I was scared for her, and secondly, I was scared for myself - because I could easily be this woman in a few years if I don't do what's necessary to take care of myself.

Being a mother and homemaker is hard work. Really, really, really hard work. And when one adds home education into the mix, it easily doubles the workload, especially with a large family. (Or even without one - I often times feel like pulling my hair out and I have only one student. Argh.) It's easy to let myself get ragged - either physically or emotionally - simply because there is so much to do. And no matter how hard I work, I will never finish. Pursuing those unattainable goals can lead a homeschooling mother into very unhealthy places as she neglects her health and well-being trying to get it all done.

The take-away lesson from all of that is simply this: I need to take care of myself. I need to do whatever is necessary to make sure that I have the health, energy, mental peace, and situational tools to continue to perform well on the job. If I let myself get into a state in which I am depressed, depleted of energy and health, and unable to perform well in my duties, I'm not doing anyone a favor. Making sure that I take care of myself needs to be a priority.

(I should say that I am not preaching the "me time" gospel in the way that it has often been abused in years of late - that is, as an excuse for self-indulgence and selfishness at the expense of one's family. I am advocating only for balance!)

What does this mean for me? In brainstorming the subject, here are some of the things that I need to keep myself energetic and emotionally stable:

Good Food, Water & Supplements - As a mama, it's too easy to skimp in this area and just eat "on the run" with less than adequate food sources. Thankfully, the diet that I am on mostly prevents this, as most junk foods are on the verboten list. But I do need to make sure that I'm eating well, drinking enough water, and taking the supplements that I need for energy and vitality.

Exercise - Okay, I'm totally blowing it on this one. I haven't exercised in months. Something to work on, for sure!

Time Outside - Thankfully our "20 minutes a day" challenge is helping with this, but I find that time outside is really necessary for mental peace.

A Clean House - My house won't be as clean as it used to be until all of our kids are out of the house... but my mental well-being takes a nose-dive when the house dips into the cluttered and grungy mode. I immediately (and unavoidably) become irritable, anxious, and weepy when that happens - so for my own mental health, I need to maintain a basic level of cleanliness and order in the home.

Discipline - If there's something that can send our entire home into a nose-dive, it's bad attitudes or lack of obedience on the part of the kidlets. Issues along these lines are largely what have made this past week an extremely trying one. I almost never reach the place where I want to be with this issue, but doing my best (and keeping it in constant prayer) does produce big improvements.

Prayer - Until I had kids, I didn't realize how essential my prayer and Bible time was. If I skip it - I pay through the nose.

Getting Up Early - I find that I need a minimum of one hour alone in the morning before the children get up in order to get ready, pray, and start my morning routines. If I sleep in - again, I pay.

Routines - Routines for me, routines for lessons, routines for the kids - all of them pay huge dividends, and the lack of them causes or perpetuates problems.

Getting to Bed at a Decent Hour - This is another huge area of current failure, and one that I am working on.

Minimizing Computer Goof Time - Productive computer time (i.e. when I set a timer and work at a specific task, such as reading articles or answering email) is very positive, but random "quick email checks" (which morph into Facebook checks, and blog checks, and... oh wait, where did the last half-hour go?) tend to be destructive in many ways. I'm working to minimize goof time!

Spending Time on Hobbies - Spending just a tiny amount of time on my personal hobby (blogging!) is very productive and energizing. I need to be more regular about building blogging time into my days.

Daily Quiet Time - Our one-hour afternoon break, during which time I rest, nap, and regroup mentally for the rest of the day. Without this time, I'm pretty much a mess.

If I make it through this journey, it will be solely by the grace of God. But I want to do all that I can to maintain and promote my own health and well-being, rather than hindering God's work in my life by my own actions.

What other essentials do you find necessary for maintaining your personal well-being? I'd love to hear about them!

That Post You've Been Anticipating Since.... Sometime! (Curriculum Roundup 2013-2014)

An amazing thing happened last week... I read a blogging friend's curriculum round up and I didn't start hyperventilating. Isn't that great? I'm making progress!

In all seriousness - I love reading curriculum plans by home educating mamas, but they can (especially for newbies like me) contribute to that wonderful phenomenon known as Total and Complete Curriculum Overload, a condition from which I am only now beginning to recover.

It is with trepidation, therefore, that I venture to offer my own 2013-2014 curriculum roundup. While I love to share, I don't want to cause the same nervous panic in other beginning home educators. With that in mind, please remember two things:

(1) Especially due to the length of this post, I may come across as knowing what I'm doing. I don't. I am very much a beginner, so do not take me too seriously! Come back in another ten or fifteen years, and I might have some inkling of the business by then.

(2) Remember that what works for one family will not work for another. Just because I, or another mom, or a super-veteran-homeschooler mom (also known as an Institutional Pillar of Greatness) uses activity, curriculum, or schedule X, does not mean it will work for your family! Do NOT succumb to the guilt of "she does it, therefore I should!" Not true. 

With that in mind, let's get started!

A few months ago, I actually published my early elementary plan (K-3), which you can see here. That plan, of course, remained completely unchanged after this past month's home education convention, when I had the opportunity to spend hours upon hours perusing curriculum vendors. I would, needless to say, never waver in my choices!

Ha ha ha ha ha ha ha!

Um... yeah. Pretty much everything on it has changed. Ah, the life of an American home educator - decisions, decisions! 

I'll post the sheets so you can see the changes I've made, but here it is spelled out. As a reminder, we have only one student right now (first grade) - though I am doing my best to work in a fashion that prepares for multi-level teaching and independent work when possible.

Also, as I write this out, you'll notice some redundancy - that is for my clarity of mind, not because we're repeating subjects over and over.

One last note: The further I get into home education, the more I am drawn to the Charlotte Mason model. More on that (hopefully) at a later date, but for now, those of you who are acquainted with CM methods will recognize various CM-themes running through this plan.

***

Early Elementary, Page 1 {Click to enlarge}

Early Elementary, Page 2 {Click to enlarge}

Early Elementary, Page 3 {Click to enlarge}

***

Family Time - This is an ever-evolving time, starting our mornings, that includes Bible reading, Bible memory, catechism, house rules, personal safety information, prayer, weather/calendar, and poetry readings. It takes less than half an hour - maybe about 20 minutes, depending on how much trouble the toddler-in-residence is causing!

Bible - One chapter read from a selected Bible book, and one chapter from Proverbs.

I know there are lots of great Bible curricula out there - but we're just not using them. I find that reading the Bible and answering the 7yo's questions does quite well for us. Additionally, I never realized how full of history and culture the Bible really is! For example, yesterday we discussed what "reclining at table" meant and how people reclined on couches to eat during Roman days. We're planning our own Roman dinner soon!

We also do a bit more of the same - by Daddy, this time! - during evening devotions.

Bible Memory - One verse per week.

Catechism - Last year we used the Small Children's Catechism (love this, and it's super-easy for young kids!); this year we are using the Catechism for Young Children, though it's a bit longer and more challenging, to match the workbook we're using during evening devotions.

Reading Skills (Phonics) - We will continue using Rocket Phonics (which is a K-2 program), as well as some easy readers (Puppy Mudge, Frog & Toad, etc.) plus some Pathways Readers that a sweet woman gave me at a recent used-curriculum sale.

Math - We will continue to use Singapore Math.

In two years (3rd grade), I will consider whether to stick with Singapore or move to Teaching Textbooks - not because I have anything against Singapore, but simply because there is something about Teaching Textbooks that is just drool-at-first-sight. We'll see. (Teaching Textbooks starts in third grade.)

Language Arts - Our 1st-grader will gets lots of informal language arts through reading, handwriting, etc., but we will not begin formal language arts until third grade. For now, we'll be sticking with the Charlotte Mason recommendation to use copywork for younger children (free sources here and here to make your own!), and the occasional notebooking (composition) page.

My plans for future language arts are rather sketchy, but two programs that I am considering for the future are Learning Language Arts Through Literature and English for the Thoughtful Child.

Handwriting - We are sticking with Handwriting Without Tears, as well as copywork.

Composition/Narration/Notebooking - **Under Construction, Please Check Back Soon!** (In all seriousness... still researching this subject, but we'll stick mainly with copywork.)

History/Geography - We'll keep this mainly informal, with lots and lots and lots of living books from the half-million book lists I use (mmm.... book lists!). I have purchased (and love!) a copy of Galloping the Globe and plan to use this in future years - we may start doing this slowly and informally (maybe a country per month, or even more slowly).

Literature - Again, informal with lots and lots of living books!

Poetry - It blew me away when I discovered last year that kids actually enjoy poetry (who knew?), and it is now a regular part of our morning Family Time.

Science - Informal, with lots and lots of living books. I am also in process of gathering a list of science topics appropriate for lower elementary, so that we can slowly work through them using the public library. Additionally, nature study (see below), one science activity/experiment per week, and a weekly Project Night with Daddy (during which they build something or fix something!).

Nature Study - A goal of a minimum 20 minutes per day outside, plus weekly nature walks and a nature notebook.

Map Skills - A friend told me that her boys' favorite part of lessons was there Map Skills books! I forgot all about that until this past convention, when I happened to see a section of Map Skills books and thought, "Oh yeah! I meant to do that!" I picked out Maps Book A by Modern Curriculum Press, and we love it. It's super-simple, and there's only one lesson per week. A very gentle introduction to maps! It's a series, so I'll be able to buy one book per year from here on out.

Typing - Not yet (soon!).

Spanish - Good question. Not yet formally, but I'm trying to speak more Spanish around the house to try a bit of immersion.

Latin - No, it's not a living language, but it is one of the best ways to learn grammar! We hope to start Latin in third grade.

Art - Drawings to go with copywork, one craft per week, and - hopefully! - picture studies. The last of those is a skill which I need to acquire and hope to begin soon.

Music - Nothing formal yet, but plenty of good music playing around the house!

I'm hoping for piano lessons in a few years... but I'm also hoping that we will be able to afford having a teacher who is not me.

Hymn Study - We sing hymns during evening devotions, but for fun we also added Year #1 of the Simply Charlotte Mason hymn cycle to our rotation.

Character - Nothing formal, but we may use Rick & Marilyn Boyer's Character Trails (because it was loaned to us!). Also, reading the book of Proverbs every day is definitely a stand-alone character education in itself!

Field Trips - A standard of one family field trip and one formal field trip per week. As of this week (week #5 in the school year), we have already added up something like fifteen field trips!

Extracurriculars - We do not have any extracurriculars slated for the coming year - however, we're busy enough (read: exhausted enough!) without them, especially with all of the play dates and park days and field trips that we do with our fellowship groups - plus library LEGO days. But we're thinking about options for the future.

For myself, I am also being "home educated" - in the art and science of home education! This includes the constant reading of many-many-many home education books, magazines, blogs, and articles - and it never stops. When I first began, I assumed that home education meant "Hop onto a few websites, pick a curriculum, order, and do it with your child." HA! I now know that I could spend the rest of my life doing nothing but reading on home education, and would hardly scratch the surface - but I do my best!

***

Did I miss anything?

Please feel free to ask questions or make suggestions - that last gentle suggestion is for YOU, O Institutional Pillars of Homeschooling Greatness who may be reading!

I can't wait to hear what curriculum choices you all are making for the coming year! Leave me your links so I can check them out!

A Wife of Noble Character, Who Can Find?

... Her price is far above rubies! (Proverbs 31:10)

Isn't that a lovely verse? And I want to let you all know about a wonderful magazine that I receive, Above Rubies - a magazine based on that very verse.

Above Rubies is a magazine for Christian women. It focuses on biblical womanhood and motherhood, childbearing, family life, faith, and all sorts of things woman-wise. I have received three or four issues, and they have all been simply wonderful. The magazine is a big encouragement and I hope to receive it for many years.

And the price? There isn't one! Above Rubies is published for free. Though they gladly receive donations to help with their ministry, there is no fee to receive the magazine. I am taking advantage of this free price right now, as we still have an income of zero, but in the future we plan to donate to their wonderful ministry.

You can also find a free online newsletter and a Facebook group at the above website, both of which are awesome - as well as a Facebook group specifically for men.

Enjoy! 

Summer Nights!

This past year or so, I have been on a quest - a quest to find contentment in the desert! It's been so much fun.

You see, I simply don't do desert heat well. Or the constant sun. I'm a coolness-clouds-wind-rain kind o' woman. But God has placed me here, and I'm on a mission to quell the complaining spirit and rejoice in the blessings of being placed in the Phoenix valley.

I've already written about some blessings of living in the desert. And now, as the heat moves up-up-up, I am focusing on the blessings and fun of a Phoenix summer! (Bet you didn't know there was anything fun about a Phoenix summer!)

One of the best parts of living in the desert during the summer is the blessing of summer evenings. After the sun goes down and the heat breaks (it even sometimes drops below 100F!), it can be lovely outside - especially when one adds water play into the mix!

As part of the 20 minutes a day challenge, we are doing our best to get outside every day - and of course, in summer, that means post-sundown pre-darkness times. We're really enjoying our times in the summer evenings.

What are we doing?

Playing - Just running around and having fun, complete with lots of dirt, gun battles and sword fights!

That's right, holding a toddler in one arm and battling valiantly with the other! Motherhood is multitasking! 

Water play! - Sprinklers, hoses, buckets and cups - you name it.

Yard work! - We're usually a bit delinquent on keeping up with the yard work, but being outside in the evenings reminds me of what needs to be done, which is wonderful! This evening I scrubbed down a mattress, swept the patio, and hung our new hummingbird feeder. Hurray for evening productivity!

Yes, folks, it's time to get crepuscular. Enjoy your summer evenings!

Update on Us! (Plus Anniversary Photos!)

While I procrastinate on writing up our 2013-2014 curriculum choices (prepare yourself - it's going to be long!), I thought I'd post a quick update on our family!

So... how are things around here?

Absolutely crazy!

But I've been saying that since our first baby was conceived in May of 2005, so perhaps it's time I just adjusted to the craziness and moved on. My new motto: "Crazy as a way of life."

And now, for some updates!

* We are now almost five weeks into the 2013-2014 school year! Wow, it's flown by! I am really enjoying our work-during-summer school year schedule, and I hope to continue that. It really keeps us from having nothing to do during the summer, and our vacation times will hopefully be taken during the cooler months of spring and fall (and at Christmas!).

I'm looking forward to posting our curriculum choices for this year - hopefully I'll have that posted soon!

It's not really lesson time unless we have our nerf guns with us. 

* One experience that we have (happily) not had to deal with in our ten years of marriage is the experience of losing a pet. However, that experience is - unless we miss our guess - thundering toward us at a rapid pace, and I'm not looking forward to it - especially if it includes the decision of whether or not to put an ailing pet down. Please pray for our family!

* We finally got out to celebrate our anniversary with our new tradition of anniversary milkshakes! Hurray! We had a great time and also learned two important lessons: (1) The kids need to have a proper dinner BEFORE we let them fill up on junk food if we don't want to end up with sick kids, and (2) Kids don't need their own milkshakes individually - especially very expensive milkshakes! Next time they're sharing!

Joe's Farm Grill - one of our favorite places to visit. 

Feeding the babies!

Gleefully claiming everyone's cherries for himself (which was convenient, as no one else wanted them!). 

* I'm starting to suspect that there may be a plot abroad - by certain unnamed family members - to drive me insane by constant mess-making. I won't publish the details here, because (1) I don't want anyone gagging at the computer, and (2) this is the internet, after all, but let's just say... I'm really getting into the down and dirty of mess clean-up. *Gag*. Be thankful, everyone, that you're not around here right now if you're squeamish about messes!

Believe it or not, this one is NOT one of the primary mess-making culprits right now. He's still in the minor leagues comparatively. 

* And one final note... I am giving serious consideration to changing the name of this blog! Wouldn't that be fun?

I originally chose "The Whining Puker" because (1) it was funny (at least I thought so!), and (2) I love British pub-type names ("The Duck and Dragon," "The Running Dog," etc.). At the beginning, this was purely a hyperemesis blog - a place for me to process my experience with HG and to compile and make public all of the research that I was doing in the area of HG treatment and prevention. While HG is still a big part of this blog, it is no longer the main focus. Nowadays, this blog covers everything - our family life, Christian living, home education, health issues - you name it! I am thus considering changing the blog name to make it more personal rather than issue-based.

I already have a new name in mind, but I want to keep it in thought and prayer for quite a while before taking the dive - it's a big step!

And now, everyone... I am off to do all that I should be doing right now! (Namely, chores and housework - as always!)

Have a wonderful night, everyone!