Learning All the Time

After reading magazines and books on homeschooling, I realized that I'm going to have to make some behavioral changes in order to get the most benefit from teaching my children at home.  I'm going to have to create an educational atmosphere for my kids.  This means that I'm going to have to start taking advantage of those "educational opportunities" that happen in every day life--in addition to following a structured curriculum.  What seems like a long wait at a restaurant needs to be a chance to discuss foods and culture.  Or what seems to be a simple trip to the pharmacy can turn into an interesting discussion of diseases and treatments.  Or what starts out as a mundane weekly trip to the grocery store can be a chance to practice using a calculator.  Or what is a simple walk to the park can be a chance to learn about leaves and trees (or to find snakes which is way easier to do than I thought!).  Basically, anything can be tweaked to become an educational experience.  I just have to find a way to make experiences count. 

Last week we had the perfect opportunity to focus on a specific subject: snow and sleet.  It occurred to me that I had purchased and received some winter-related books for my new homeschool book collection (which has grown exponentially in the last month).  So last Friday when we were completely iced into our house, I pulled out It's Snowing by Gail Gibbons with the intent to teach the boys about snow. 

I was blown away by how Ms. Gibbons managed to compile so much science and simplicity in one little book. We learned how snow, sleet, and freezing rain are formed.  We learned that Antarctica gets the least amount of snowfall yearly as compared to the other continents (weird huh?).  We learned that it actually snows in the desert sometimes.  And we learned why snow causes power outages.  The book also referenced a guy named Frederick Bentley who was the first person to photograph snowflakes. 

When I read about Mr. Bentley and his snowflakes, I got all excited.  As it turns out, I also have another book in my homeschool collection entitled, Snowflake Bentley by Jacqueline Briggs Martin.  Upon this realization, I HAD to read this to my son too.  Although I definitely wasn't expecting this book to be a biography, it turned out to be a beautiful book about the life and science behind Frederick Bentley's work.  Amazing! 

Of course, reading this book led to more discussions about freezing points, photography, and proper winter attire.  What a week of science we have had around here!  A week that we would not have enjoyed had I not considered pulling a snow book off of our bookshelf.  

I don't know why it has taken me this long to realize that sometimes the best learning happens OUTSIDE of the classroom setting.  For whatever reason, my institution-trained self forgets that my most memorable educational experiences happened apart from a textbook.  In spite of my dullness, Mr. Wonderful has a knack for "teaching" while playing (as a result of playing X-box with his daddy, my son can tell you all about the Battle of Midway).  Now Mommy needs to find ways to enrich our everyday lives with learning opportunities too.  I'm sure it can be done, but it's going to require some work on my part.  Thank goodness for writers like Gail Gibbons who have created wonderful books to help mommies out! Check out more books by Gail Gibbons at Amazon.  You can also find Snowflake Bentley there as well. 

School is Almost Open for Business

We're literally counting down the weeks until our "school" opens for business.  As far as the world is concerned, my son won't start kindergarten until fall 2014.  But the plan is to actually start working through the curriculum in January.  That means that I only have 2 months of freedom before I become a teacher--something that I'm not formally educated to be and something that I'm still completely nervous about attempting.  Trust me, had I gone to college with the idea that I was going to spend 18+ years of my life teaching 3 children everything that they need to know for life, I might have chosen a different major.  I'm sure that my understanding of the human body and pathology and my ability to draft legal documents and arguments will come in handy at some point, but it certainly hasn't prepared me for understanding learning styles, educational theories, curriculum development, etc.  After years and years of higher education, I'm slightly flabbergasted by the world that is Kindergarten!

Thankfully, the decision to homeschool, the desire to homeschool, and the preparation for homeschooling has not been all me.  Prayer, Mr. Wonderful, supportive grandparents, friends who are successfully surviving the process, the internet, and homeschool how-to books have all contributed to getting us where we are today.  I was originally scared to death about the idea of being a homeschool mom.  Just the thought of teaching someone phonics made my stomach churn.  There  have been tears and fear.  But then there was prayer and at each step in this journey something has happened to confirm that this is the right decision for us, for now.  I can't explain how relieved I am that God has given me a joy about this process, because I year ago I rolled my eyes and groaned just thinking about it.

Another blogger shared that she was reading a must-read homeschool book and recommended that anyone considering homeschooling should read it.  I'm so glad I heeded her advice, because The Ultimate Guide to Homeschooling by Debra Bell has been a huge blessing and confidence boost for me (and I needed it because according to her I'm an actual-routine learner with an Epimethean temperament who regularly needs a push into the "uncomfortable" zones and constant affirmation that I'm succeeding in order to venture off into new educational endeavors.  Her book has found a way to tap into my sense of duty and to motivate me.  Sorry, I digress...).  Mrs. Bell has done a wonderful job laying out all the truths about the benefits and disadvantages to homeschooling.  She honestly believes that it's not for everybody.  And she lays out a fairly unbiased how-to guide for approaching homeschooling.  I'm not even halfway through the book, but I'm so relieved that I'm reading this prior to starting school in January!  Thank you Mrs. Bell!!!!

Although my blog was not intended to be a homeschool blog, I just wanted to give my reader friends a heads-up that we're about to enter Kindergarten together.  This is just where God has been leading me. So while I don't intend to write about school all the time, homeschooling is my new life.  I have every confidence that God is going to use this new adventure to humble, teach, and change me.  It will likely be painful and ugly at times, but I'm praying that it will produce something lovely in my life, my children, and my home.

 

Book Hunt

Not on our reading list, but this book by Pat Miller kind of represents our day today!

I love books.  I love trips to the bookstore.  I love that most date nights with my husband involve a trip to a bookstore.  And I love that my children love books too. 

I didn't realize, however, that I have a lame children's book collection.  We have a few classics and some large books with nice pictures, but I'm learning that my collection is pretty pitiful.  I came to this conclusion when I pulled up my homeschool curriculum's read-aloud book lists for pk-1st grade. 

Apparently, there is such a thing as classic children's books--beyond obvious ones like Dr. Seuss books, Curious George stories, and Clifford.   There are authors that are considered "good reading" for children such as Jan Brett, Margaret Wise Brown, Eric Carle, Tasha Tudor, Bill Peet, Tomie dePaola, Paul Galdone, Cynthia Rylant, ect.  I had heard of some of these authors before (Who hasn't heard of the The Very Hungry Caterpillar or Goodnight Moon?), but I didn't realize that these authors have written collections of books on all sorts of topics.  I also didn't realize that I have completely failed my children.  Were it not for the fact that my homeschool curriculum enrichment program includes these books as a part of each week's activities, it never would have crossed my mind to read most of these to my children.  Instead, my kids would just be reading their circus or train books over and over and over again!

So now, I'm on a book hunt.  My recommended book lists cost about $300 per list to order from the company who supplies my curriculum (so from them, it would cost me $900 to get all the books listed below).  Or I can bargain hunt for these myself.  And since I've never turned down the opportunity to bargain hunt, I've been doing just that.  First, I did an online search of books and discovered that Walmart has a fabulous collection of books online.  Then I went to Amazon and found that, in general, Walmart is cheaper (who knew?!). Next I went to Half-Price Books in an attempt to get an even cheaper deal.  This proved successful as most children's paperbacks at Half Price Books are under $3. That said, after spending a couple hundred dollars on books today, I'm only halfway through my Pre-k and kindergarten lists!  Still, my book hunt has been cheaper than the suggested retail of my curriculum vendor.

By the time my kids are through elementary school, I'm probably going to have one of the most admirable collection of children's books around.  It's just too bad that it took my homeschool curriculum to cue me in to the fact that I'm a failure as a mother.  I'm just hoping that I can make up for lost time on the reading front with my kids. 

Just to give you an insight as to what I've been up to, listed below is the combined list of preK-1st grade books that I've been hunting.  Before today, I might have owned 1 or 2 of these books. As of this afternoon, I've acquired about a 3rd of the list.  From what I gather, it's a great list to consider if you want to enrich the lives of children around you.

The Little Red Hen by Paul Galdone

The House That Jack Built illustrated by J.P. Miller

Mr. Pine's Purple House by Leonard Kessler

Curious George by H.A. Rey

Madeline by Ludwig Bemelmans

My Shadow by Robert Lewis Stevenson, illustrated by Glenna Lang

Charlie Needs a Cloak by Tomie dePaola

Barndance by Bill Martin Kr. & John Archambault

Tikki Tikki Tembo retold by Arlene Mosel

Noah's Ark by Barbara Shook Hazen & Diane Muldrow

The Quilt Story by Tony Johnston & Tomie dePaola

In November by Cynthia Rylant

The Gingerbread Boy by Paul Galdone

The Little Drummer Boy by Ezra Jack Keats

The Friendly Beasts by Tomie dePaola

Around the Year by Tasha Tudor

The Mitten by Jan Brett

Snow by Cynthia Rylant

Guess How Much I Love You by Sam McBratney

Officer Buckle and Gloria by Peggy Rathmann

Never Tease a Weasel by Jean Conder Soule

The Runaway Bunny by Margaret Wise Brown

The Golden Egg Book by Margaret Wise Brown

Home for a Bunny by Margaret Wise Brown

Green Eggs and Ham by Dr. Seuss

The Song of Francis by Tomie dePaola

One Fine Day by Nonny Hogrogian

Three Billy Goats Gruff by Paul Galdone

Andy and the Lion by James Daugherty

Chester's Way by Kevin Henkes

The Story of Little Babaji by Helen Bannerman

Ten Little Rubber Ducks by Eric Carle

The Empty Pot by Demi

The Relatives Came by Cynthia Rylant

A Child's Book of Poems by Gyo Fujikawa

Animals Animals by Eric Carle

The Important Book by Margaret Wise Brown

A Tree Is Nice by Janice May Udry

How to Make an Apple Pie and See the World by Marjorie Priceman

Frederick by Leo Lionni

Follow the Dream: The Story of Christopher Columbus by Peter Sis

Ox-Cart Man by Donald Hall

Pumpkin Moonshine by Tasha Tudor

The Story of Ferdinand by Munro Leaf

Pancakes, Pancakes! by Eric Carle

Bread and Jam for Frances by Russell Hoban

This First Thanksgiving Day by Laura Krauss Melmed

The Little Fir Tree by Margaret Wise Brown

The Twelve Days of Christmas illustrated by Jan Brett

Mr. Willowby's Christmas Tree by Robert Barry

Stellaluna by Janell Cannon

Owl Moon by Jane Yolen

Stopping by Woods on a Snowy Evening illustrated by Susan Jeffers

Gregory's Shadow by Don Freeman

Abe's Fish by Jen Bryrant

Katy and the Big Snow by Virginia Lee Burton

The Frogs and Toads All Sang by Arnold Lobel

Roxaboxen by Alice McLerran

Cactus Hotel by Brenda Z. Guiberson

Hide and Seek Fog by Alvin Tresselt

All Things Bright and Beautiful by Cecil Frances Alexander

A Tale for Easter by Tasha Tudor

What Do You Do With a Tail Like This? by Steve Jenkins & Robin Page

A House for Hermit Crab by Eric Carle

An Extraordinary Egg by Leo Lionni

The Seven Silly Eaters by Mary Ann Hoberman

Come On, Rain! by Karen Hesse

Wonders of Nature by Eloise Wilkins

Hubert's Hair-Raising Adventure by Bill Peet

Miss Spider's Tea Party by David Kirk

The Ink Garden of Brother Theophane by C. M. Millen

A House Is a House for Me by Mary Ann Hoberman

Miss Twiggley's Tree by Dorothea Warren Fox

Lyle, Lyle, Crocodile by Bernard Waber

A Picture Book of Christopher Columbus by David A. Adler

Katy No-Pocket by Emmy Pane

Wynken, Blynken, and Nod by Eugene Field, Illustrated by Johanna Westerman

The Caboose Who Got Loose by Bill Peet

The Owl and the Pussycat by Edward Lear

The Little Island by Margaret Wise Brown

The Very First Thanksgiving Day Rhonda Gowler Greene

Choo Choo by Virginia Lee Burton

The Polar Express by Chris Van Allsburg

How the Grinch Stole Christmas by Dr. Seuss

Snowflake Bentley by Jacqueline Briggs Martin

The Moon Shines Down by Margaret Wise Brown

Norman the Doorman by Don Freeman

Pickle-Chiffon Pie by Jolly Roger Bradfield

The Star-Spangled Banner Illustrated by Peter Spier

Abe Lincoln: The Boy Who Loved Books by Kay Winters

White Snow, Bright Snow by Alvin Tresselt

Patrick - Patron Saint of Ireland by Tomie de Paola

Doctor DeSoto by William Steig

Little Toot by Hardie Gramatky

Rabbit School by Albert Sixtus, translated by Roland Freischlad

The Glorious Flight by Alice and Martin Provensen

Saint Francis and the Wolf by Jane Langton

Fly High, Fly Low by Don Freeman

Millions of Cats by Wanda Ga'g

The Storm Book by Charlotte Zolotow

Mike Mulligan and His Steam Shovel by Virginia Lee Burton

A Time to Keep by Tasha Tudor

 

Getting to Know Them...

I've been convicted lately.  For the past 20 months my family has been attending our church.  In that time, we've become familiar with a lot of people.  We have been in small groups with quite a few families.  We were blessed with meals from these same families after Baby G was born.  And we've served with quite a few people in various capacities. 

That said, I don't feel like I actually KNOW very many people at my church very well.  I know quite a few people by name, but I don't go out for coffee with anybody; I don't hang out with other moms outside of church;  and the only time we ever truly did get to know other people was when Mr. Wonderful played on the church softball team.  (Never underestimate how beneficial a church softball team can be for families!)

My first inclination when I came to this realization was to blame people at my church for the fact that they're superficially friendly and nothing more.  But the truth of the matter is that our church has grown exponentially in the last 3 years and everyone has been fairly "new" to each other.  Plus, there aren't many people who have been around a long time who were able to bring the new people into their circles.  So it has been tough for everybody to find their place.

As I said before, I've been convicted.  I can't blame other people for the fact that I don't have deep friendships at church.  I haven't exactly put myself in a position where I can develop these friendships.  Nor have I pursued friendships with anyone else.  So now  I'm convicted that 1) I need to take the initiate to both get to know other people, and 2) I need to facilitate other people getting to know each other.  When I prayed about getting to know women at church, I felt God direct me to host a play date.  Even worse, I'm pretty sure he wants me to host one a month! Thus, next week we will be hosting the first-ever small group play date at our Derby House. 

Please don't laugh at or judge me, but the idea of hosting a play date for multiple mommas is terrifying for me.  For starters, as far as I know hospitality is NOT my spiritual gift.  I also get anxiety at the thought of trying to come up with a menu for the ladies at church since it seems that everybody has absurd food restrictions--meaning that they're going to think that I'm the unhealthy, bad mom because I would even consider serving cookies or peanut butter or caffeinated beverages. 

Anyone who really knows me knows that I'm not big on play dates either.  Mainly, because I don't have 3 eyes yet I do have 3 children to keep track of which is next to impossible when I'm trying to visit with other moms.  And to be honest with you, other peoples' kids aren't always fun to be around.  So the fact that I'm hosting a play date is a really big deal.  Somehow, God is using one of my least favorite activities to teach me something.   

Who knows how this will turn out?  I've already invited my mother to attend so that if nobody else shows up I'll at least feel like I have one friend and I won't have to eat all the scones by myself.  I guess we'll just see.  But at least now if I don't know anybody, it won't be for lack of effort.

And Then There Were Tears

What a painful night we had last night!  If you happened to watch the Ranger's game, you'll know what I'm talking about.  But if you didn't have this misfortune to witness the game, here's what happened: the Rangers lost the playoff game to be eligible to play a wild-card playoff for the playoffs (or something ridiculously complicated like that).  Let's just say that MLB is trying to get as much TV time as possible by allowing multiple Wild Card teams to play for a Wild Card spot in the playoffs.  And the Rangers blew their chance.

To make matters worse, we allowed our 5 year old to stay up past his bed time to witness the fiasco.  In hind sight, this probably wasn't our smartest move since he skipped his nap yesterday afternoon.  But how do you tell a 5 year old he can't watch the Rangers' most important game of the year?  So Daddy let him stay up.

The crowd and the team seemed to come alive in the 8th inning.  This, of course, gave us a false hope that a come-back was going to happen.  It really seemed like rally time.  Sadly, nothing exciting happened.  Except, maybe the Rays got another run that inning? or maybe just guys on base?

I don't know.  It was sorry.  We ended up losing by 3 or 4 runs.  I can't even remember, because I was so disgusted.  It was a typical Ranger fan experience.  Time to flip channels, move on, and officially get out your football fan gear out (although our football teams aren't any better around here!!!).

As I was contemplating what exciting show to watch on my DVR after the game last night.  I heard it.  Someone was sobbing in the living room.  There was real crying, real tears, and loud gasps coming from my 5 year old.  He was devastated that it will be months before opening day.  That means (gasp!) no baseball for like 5 or 6 months!!!! 

That's when I realized that my little ones have no concept of cheering for a baseball team that doesn't make the playoffs!  Since he can remember (and since Boy #2 was born), the Rangers have been serious playoff contenders.  My little boys have no idea what disappointment may be in store for them if they continue to be Rangers fans.  But last night gave them a little taste of reality.

Last night also provided an excellent opportunity to reinforce the concept of good sportsmanship and the fact that baseball is simply a "game."  My best guess is that I'm going to have to reiterate those talking points in the near future as our favorite football teams take the field.  So, it's probably good to get it out there for him to think about until then.

Anyway, bye-bye baseball.  Thanks for a few good years of October fun.  But thanks for giving me my October back.  You know, the kind where I actually get to see my husband and enjoy not getting soaked or frozen at playoff games.  This may be a new kind of October for my boys, but for me it's like getting the chance to enjoy the good old days.

School Days Are Here

It occurred to me last week that other than college, this might possibly be my one chance to witness my son heading out for his first day of school.  Somehow, I'm not sure the pictures of him sitting at our table homeschooling next fall will be quite as exciting or emotional as this picture posted above.  He insisted that he was smiling when I took this picture, but he looks like he's scared to death.

Last week was my son's first day of Museum School.  Technically it's classified (and licensed) as a preschool.  But since the classes only meet for 2 hours a week and since the curriculum has been created as a science and history enrichment program, calling this school a preschool doesn't really describe what goes on.  Hopefully, our little guy will be in for a treat this year as his class explores animals, outer space, Texas and Native American History, simple machines, and cowboys--yes, it's only natural that a class in Fort Worth will teach about cowboys during the Stock Show!   The goal of the program is to expose the preschool-age children to science and history in ways that they can't experience in a typical classroom.  So while it might technically be a preschool, Museum school seems more like a year-long science camp.

Museum school sounds like a homeschool parent's dream, right?  Absolutely!  Apparently it was so popular with homeschoolers that the Museum now has special Friday classes for k-12 homeschoolers.  Somehow I'm thinking that last week marked the beginning of a long-term relationship that my family will be having with the Museum.  (Oh, and next month the Curious George exhibit will be here--this seems like a sign!)

Anyway, I didn't cry last Thursday.  Instead I felt really old knowing that my oldest baby is old enough for school.  Thankfully, I realized that I was also really excited for our family to be taking our first step into the wonderful world of formal education!

The Kick-off to Fall

We officially kicked-off our fall "season" last week by attending our first SMU football game of the year.  I must confess that at 104 degrees it didn't really feel like fall, but since our season tickets go through December we're sure that the fall weather will show up sometime mid season.  After all, experiencing fall and football is about a lot more than just the temperature.  There's just something exciting about the half mile of tailgating (at SMU it's Boulevarding), the smell of hamburgers and hotdogs that drift through campus, everyone decked out in their seasonal white dresses and cowboy boots, the band playing the fight song after every first down, and the fireworks that go off after every touchdown. 

Something about the start of college football makes us feel like Thanksgiving and Christmas are right around the corner!  Gotta love this time of year.

He's Not Little Any More

When he was 1!

 Yesterday was a day of mixed emotions.  I was a little sad when I got out of bed and realized that it could have been my oldest child's first day of school.  It could have been the day I sent him off to a large elementary school a block away to spend the day with dozens of other kindergartners.  It could have been a major milestone marking the point in our little guy's life where mom and dad officially acknowledge that our baby is growing up.  It could have been so sad for Mommy!

Thankfully, that didn't happen yesterday. Knowing this gave me such a sense of relief and slight giddiness because my little posse of sandbox playing, football loving, railroad track building, messy little boys is intact for another year.  

Dear Husband and I have decided to hold out for one more year.  Our #1 is definitely capable of handling kindergarten, but since he's a boy who was born in July we decided to heed the advice of friends and educators who have suggested that we hold our son back.  Plus, having fall birthdays ourselves, Dear Husband and I are familiar with the advantages that come with being the older students in one's class.  So we've decided to give our little guy his best shot at success by starting school later.  And this way, we get an extra year to help save up for college (should he choose to go).

The day he turned 5!

Today is a happy day.  My little boy still seems like a little boy.  He's already been in the sandbox.  He's played football with himself in the backyard (his newest obsession).  He's built a train track upstairs.  He's walked to Grandma's and begged for Mac N Cheese for lunch.  And later,  he'll take a nap.

I know my boys have to grow up.  Next year, we'll start a more structured routine.  Next year, we'll start using curriculum.  And next year, Mommy will start making lesson plans and grading papers.  Until then, Mommy wants her boys to play and have a fun time.  Can't believe my little guy is growing up so quickly.