Sunday Shoes

http://joyfolie.com/shoes

My boys are very predictable.  When we pick our oldest son up from his Sunday School class the teacher always tells us that he listened well, answered the questions, and was a good helper.   He's involved, excited to be in his class, and he makes the teacher feel like someone understood her lesson.  Tornado man, the middle boy, is entirely different.  In spite of his nickname, he's very quiet.  His Sunday School teachers usually get really excited when he participates at all.  Although he can come home and recite almost every lesson or Bible verse verbatim, in the classroom, he's generally withdrawn and shy. 

And then there is Princess G.  It seems that every week her teachers share an interesting story about her.  They love her and think she's adorable, yet she is anything but predictable.  For example, there was the week when she had to defend herself against the rest of the class, which was apparently all boys.  Supposedly, some boy attempted to take her truck away and she put up a fight and won.  Then there was the week that she refused to take off her leather jacket because it was cute and she didn't want to give it away.  Then there was the week that she decided to dance during the entire class to every song playing on the CD player.  Or there was another week where she wanted someone to read a book to her and she listened well.  Or there was a different week when she decided to be all artsy and did some serious coloring.  Its seems that class with the princess is never dull.

This week, Princess G was on a different kind of mission.  She was on a shoe hunt.  Apparently, during the class time, she cornered each girl in her class and discussed their shoes with them.  I'm sure the conversations went something like "cute shoes" or "like your boots" or something similar.  It's hard to say.  She gets all excited about her own shoes or boots that I lay out on Sunday mornings, so I guess she decided to get all excited about EVERYBODY'S shoes this week.

I wish I could say that I have no idea why Princess G is obsessed with shoes.  But I'd be lying.  She's somewhat a creature of her own environment and she definitely has some genetic shoe disorder like her mother.  What can I say?  I too approached someone at church to talk about her pretty heels yesterday.  I guess us girls speak a language of our own.  Shoes are like an art form to us.  They're great conversation pieces, and they're a great tool for making friends at church!

Princess G's Fashion Trends

When I found out I was having a little girl, I obsessed about girly things like bows and sparkles and anything pink.  Now that Princess G is 2 years old, it's safe to say that she has a great collection of hair bows and headbands.  Thanks to everyone who has contributed to this cause--including my friend Casey who made us some fab custom bows!  I have learned that a girl is never too young for blingy accessories.  And mommies who fail to accessorize are missing out on one of the most enjoyable aspects of being a SMOG (smug mothers of girls). 

Like any stylish girl, my Princess G has found her own trends for this season.  It might sound rather diva-ish that she has her own trends at the age of 2, but if you meet her, you'll understand that her artistic personality needs an outlet for her personal expression.  Thus, she has her own style trends.

Sadly, one of her trends this year involves NOT wearing bows.  (Go figure!)  Instead she's obsessed with wearing hats.  And she adores boots and coats.  If you saw my closet, you'd probably understand the boots and coats obsession, but the hat trend is all Princess G.  She has learned that if she leaves the hats on, she gets quite the buzz when we go shopping.  Who doesn't love a little princess in a red tam?

At first, I figured that the hat obsession was just to spite me since she knows I'm a "no bow, no go" mamma.  But in reality, I think she just likes hats.  

He Got His Face Wet

The first Sunday morning of the year, our 6 year old was baptized in our church.  It was exciting to get to share this special time with family and friends as he publicly professed his faith.  He had asked to be baptized almost a year ago, but a fear of getting his face wet led to the year delay.  So watching him get baptized was a huge step of maturity for him both spiritually and physically.  Our boy is growing up!

 

Smiling at 2015

Happy 2015!  2015 has kicked off nicely so far.  Boy Wonder got baptized the first Sunday of the month.  The great-grandparents are visiting, and nobody has had a heart attack (see posts from last January for more on that).  The Cowboys made the playoffs.  SMU is actually winning basketball games again.  It's 60 degrees outside!  And since we're so far ahead in school, we decided to enjoy a lighter homeschool J-term schedule.  (I realize that J-terms are usually something that you take in college, but I prefer the college schedule over the elementary school year.)

It's officially been 1 year since we started our homeschooling experiment.  It was last January that we started working through the kindergarten curriculum.  After 1 year, we've come a long way:

• I've come to the realization that I don't have to follow the curriculum schedule.  If the entire point of homeschooling is to customize my son's education, then why should I commit to following someone else's schedule? This revelation (okay, it's something that I've read in multiple homeschool books) has made homeschooling much more enjoyable for me.

• Boy Wonder is doing well in school.  He has whipped through kindergarten and first grade math and is currently forging through the 2nd grade curriculum.  He is now reading books aloud and writing/illustrating his own book reports.  He loves science and is thoroughly enjoying studying ecosystems at the museum each week.  He has figured out that the trick to spelling involves memorization and now he is mastering his spelling words as quickly as his Bible verse each week!

• Tornado Man has begged to start school.  Even though he's 2 years away from kindergarten, he pulled out the kindergarten math book and started working through it ON HIS OWN!  Once I realized what he was doing, I decided to officially let him start homeschooling this January.  Turns out that the little boy who runs into everything, is also a self-motivated perfectionist.  What could be more appealing to a homeschool mom?

• The little boys, who for the past few years have screamed in the bath tub every time I've tried to wash their hair, are taking swimming lessons.  And they love it.  Go figure.

• Princess G is finally out of her crib and has adapted well to her big girl room.  She's already learned how to put together matching outfits, change her own diaper, and talk so that you can actually understand what she says.  She also loves coats and boots!  Wonder where she picked that up from? 

• Mr. Wonderful and I celebrated our 10th anniversary last month!  Not only that, but he's already made reservations for dinner for Valentine's weekend. Need I say more?

•  We're still hosting a small group at our home once a week.  I realize that this isn't a big deal for most people, but I no longer have anxiety about having people in my home!  Hospitality is something that can be learned.

Honestly, I could have, and probably should, have written dozens of blog posts over the past few months.  God has taught us so much and has revealed some amazing truths and promises this past year.  I really want to communicate more in the future to share what I'm learning with, well, whoever reads these posts.  I might be a little busy, (homeschooling, working as a lawyer, raising 3 kids, etc), but I should never be too busy to share all the good things that God has done!  Hope you had a wonderful 2014 and are able to smile at the future.

Toys That Make Noise

 
I enjoy toy shopping.  No, seriously, toy stores and toy aisles are loads of fun!  I love pushing buttons to see the wheels spin on a car or to hear music play.  There's something delightfully stimulating about playing in the toy aisle. 

That said, toys can be evil.  Those adorable little toys that roll and sing and play music can turn into mechanical nightmares.  They make noise and noise and more noise.  Parents of toddlers or preschoolers or elementary age children do not need to add noise to their homes.  Our homes are plenty loud without the beeping truck, the singing ball, the ticking drum, etc. (and yes, we have all of these!).  Today, I discovered the most evil of noisy toys.  It was cute and enticing and almost tempting to the untrained mommy eye.  Had I not known what I know about noisy toys, I might have wanted to purchase it.

This little noise maker was a beautiful little baby doll.  She was small; she had an adorably cute face; and she came with her own accessories.  The box for the doll, however, indicated that if you press her tummy in a cute way that she would make noise.  So I pressed her tummy.  And that baby cried! This was not a cute little Minnie Mouse that talks or singing Olaf.  Nope, this doll cried a real babyish cry.  It was that mournful, I'm kind of hungry and I'm really upset cry.  It gave me shivers up my spine when I heard the poor little thing. 

Naturally, Princess G thought that the crying baby was amazing.  She kept giggling and begging me to push the button again.  If you didn't know any better, you would have wanted to buy it as a little gift for her.  But all I could think about was this: I've spent the better part of the last 6 years dealing with crying babies and toddlers.  What would possess me to buy something else that cried for no reason?!

Ugh.  As you're out toy shopping this Christmas, beware of cuteness when it comes to toys.  They might elicit the excitement and adoration of a 2 year old, but they can add to a mommy's insanity.  And yes, should you purchase a loud and obnoxious toy for my child like a crying baby doll, Dear Husband and I promise to return the favor.

School Pictures

During one of my freak-out homeschool mommy moments, I started wondering how many "normal" activities my kids would miss by not going to school.  For some reason, Picture Day kept coming to mind (seriously?).  Since I'm not much of a picture person, it's ironic that I was worried about my kiddos not getting to have their pictures made at school.  It's not like I was planning on hanging up pics of my children against boring blue or fake bookshelf backdrops. 

Anyway, because my children aren't going to miss out on anything, our personal photographer took Kindergarten and Pre-K photos for us.  After she sent me these photos, I realized that it was I who had missed out on something great.  For years, I had been photographed at school without having my mom to fix my hair or tell me how to smile.  No one ever took the time to photograph me "in my element" (a la the train tracks above).  Instead, I had been shuffled through for the annual mugshot that will forever mark me in the pages of whatever institution I was attending.  Very rarely did these shots flatter me or evoke some special memory. Even my photos in cap and gown still make me gag.  Those photos don't say anything about me!

So lest my children think that they are missing out on something special at school called Picture Day, I can assure them that they are not.  They might not be in a 100 page book filled with other children's mugshots, but their pictures will be taken by someone who can give them undivided attention.  Mommy will work with the photographer to touch up or re-do the photos.  And someday, they'll be proud to show their own children pictures of them when they were in school.

Don't Take Parenthood for Granted

I sat through my first continuing legal education class today.  Okay, technically it wasn't my first CLE, but it was my first "live" class to attend.  My frugal self likes to take the freebie classes I find online.  Today, however, I ventured out into the adult world.

I chose this particular class because it was sponsored by the Texas Homeschool Coalition.  Half of the day was relevant to me as a mother and lawyer, but the other half was a fascinating presentation by some lawyers who actually practice family law in courtroom on a regular basis.  Totally not my area of expertise.  That said, these folks do amazing work representing parents!

Today, I was reminded of what a privilege it is to be a parent.  It's easy to take my "parent" status for granted.  Yet, there are people out there working hard to regain or maintain that privilege that they may have lost--sometimes through no real fault of their own.

As a school nurse, parents aggravated me a lot.  They would send their kids to school with dirty clothes, no socks, no coat, lice in their hair, no lunch, with high fevers, etc.  Then, when I would call home to explain that their child needed medical attention or clothing, the parents would get mad at me!  I can't tell you how many times I had to explain that I do not give lice to children or actively seek out fevers.  They happen.  And good parents deal with it.  Mainly, because they're good parents who love their kids. 

Now that I have children of my own, I know what a pain in the backside it can be to have to cancel my plans to cart the kiddos around town to the urgent care or pharmacy when someone starts sneezing the wrong way or screaming because they bumped their nose.  It's absolutely horrific to sit in a doctor's office for 5+ hours having all 3 children tested for a disease and treated for whatever ailment they've managed to acquire.  I get it.  I've done it.  I will likely do it again.  Why?  Because I'm a mom!

It's easy to forget that the grossness that comes along with being a mom is a privilege.  When you're up to your elbows cleaning up a body fluid from a spot on the floor where it doesn't belong,  it can slip your mind that you are lucky to be getting to do this job.  But not everyone gets to clean up stinky messes or sticky fingerprints.  Only those of us who have the privilege of being parents get these opportunities. 

Some of us suffered through pregnancy to birth our little ones; some adopted and gave love that another parent couldn't give; and some have found other methods to parent and love a child.  Don't take this privilege for granted.  It's not absolute.  And time is fleeting. 

Now go hug a kid.

Goodbye Sweet November!

Photo provided by my 4 year old. 

Hmmm...  Apparently I missed a month.  Somehow November came and went and I recorded NOTHING!  So here's my November update a few days late:

• Baby G, now Princess G, turned 2 years old!  We are officially out of the baby phase at our house.  We even moved the crib downstairs and gave Princess G's room a re-do with a sparkly big girl bed and matching dresser.  If I ever get her curtains hung, hopefully I can post some pics.  It's very pink and everything Mommy dreamed about when she found out she was having a little girl. There's nothing shabby chic, vintage, or cutesy about it.  This girl lives in a world of pink frills and bling!
• We hosted 2 Thanksgiving dinners at our house.  The first dinner was with our small group family from our church.  One of the guys fried up 2 turkeys and showed us how Thanksgiving in the South is supposed to taste.  So, for our 2nd Thanksgiving dinner with our actual families, we decided that a creole bird was the way to go.  There's nothing like creole butter and seasoning to add some flavor to a usually bland holiday meal!
• We attended Homeschool Week at the Sea Life Park twice.  From now on, we are definitely capitalizing on homeschool week wherever we can find it.  No field trips or crazy crowds and discounted tickets!  This was a field trip that we will repeat.
•  We decorated for Christmas a little earlier than usual.  In the past, I've been big on golds and whites and fancy decor.  But this year, I decided that my very Texas house needed some Texas-like decor.  So imagine red burlap bows, cowboy boot stockings, beads, tin stars, reclaimed wood picture frames, and red sweater-like couch pillows.  Just thinking about it makes me want a cup of hot chocolate.  
• We're getting new neighbors.  A moving van showed up across the street at the beginning of the month and our previous neighbors drove off without any warning.  The next day, a For Sale sign showed up and the inspector and fix-it guys showed up this week to get the house ready for a new family!
• We had our first freeze. 
• We went to our last SMU home football game.  It was as painful as expected.  But hopefully next season will be a little more exciting with the newly hired Coach Morris!
• Some cool things happened at work with some cases I've been working on, but the details are kind of confidential (you'll have to use your imagination).
• We started 2nd grade math! When Boy Wonder finished his last lesson in the 1st grade book, I ventured over to our local Mardel store in search of more math.  They were able to order our next set of books right in time for our little guy to get started.  (Rod and Staff won't sell their books on a website since they are Mennonite, but you can order via catalog or phone or at Mardel).  Our little guy was so excited about his new books that he finished 12 lessons in 1 week!  Now if I can only get him to stop telling people that he's in 2nd grade (he's in kindergarten) we'll be in good shape. 

Wow!  So much happened last month and this little blog post is all I have to show for it.  Such is life when you're having fun.

Tears Happen

I really didn't think it could happen to me.  I've read that it happens to other moms.  I've heard rumors that it happens frequently when you homeschool. I really didn't think that I would actually break down and cry--especially in a public place.  But I did.

I think some days and weeks just make you cry.  It's easy to get overwhelmed.  You try to follow curriculum and realize that your child is on a different week's lesson (or year) for each subject.  It gets confusing. Then you realize that the assigned reading book is really boring.  Then you skip reading for a couple of days.  And then you start brainstorming who else is going to spend hours of their day listening to your kindergartner grader read these boring "classic" books. Seriously, I was thinking about taking my son to the retirement home by our house so that the older people could listen to him read! 

Then on Sunday during the sermon it occurred to me that I must be a horrible mom, a terrible teacher, and a lazy person.  The last few weeks I've felt that I live in a combat zone.  I might as well be throwing a mortar shell when I ask my son to complete his phonics pages.  The day that I had the audacity to request that my pupil take an afternoon nap, he literally started launching projectiles down the stairs.  I'm not kidding when I say that school has been nothing short of war.  So when the pastor starting preaching on Sunday about how a godly woman is a peaceful woman, I started to cry.  Is it possible to homeschool in peace?

After my sobbing episode on Sunday, someone offered to substitute for me on Monday.  This gave me time to reflect on my predicament and my lesson plans.  A wise person pointed out that my lesson plans have been pretty demanding for a kindergartner.  Since I'm not regularly around other kindergartners, it's easy to lose sight of how easy and breezy kindergarten can be!  Most kindergartners are not studying the Assyrian empire, fractions, and binomial nomenclature.  Yet, the fact that my son understands these concepts and can quote all of his weekly memory verses is a pretty good sign that I'm not failing as a teacher.  I just need to learn how to relax and enjoy the process and maybe not be quite so ambitious.

I obviously haven't gotten this whole homeschooling thing entirely figured out.  Truth is, with three kids who have three very different personalities, I may never figure out the magic formula for perfectly balancing my mommy and teacher roles.  In fact, there may be more tears in the future.   And it's okay. I just keep telling myself that sometimes God allows us to cry for tears to clear our eyes so that we can see the good things ahead (author unknown).

Teaching Music

Learning music is like learning a foreign language.  It stretches you.  It takes time.  You may never use it professionally later in life.  But it's worth the effort to not be illiterate in an international language that crosses cultures, continents, and classes.  It's worth opening your heart and mind to an art form that requires high levels of brain function and emotion at the same time.  Martin Luther (the theologian) once said, "Next to the Word of God, the noble art of music is the greatest treasure in the world."  So why not share that treasure with our children?

The concept of teaching basic music is not new.  In fact, way back when I was in elementary school, basic music instruction was a part of the curriculum.  Every week, my class would head to the music hall where we would have a class in basic music theory.  Then, by the time we were in 3rd or 4th grade, we knew enough music to be able to play the recorder (this is an instrument).  It may have seemed like a waste of time to some, but having this hour of music each week made school more interesting and taught me musical concepts that I still use today.  If you don't get music instruction at school, where else are you going to get it?

Needless to say, our kindergarten curriculum involves learning music.  We decided to start music instruction with piano lessons.  Boy Wonder is a little young for piano lessons (when I taught piano lessons, I preferred having my students start in 1st or 2nd grade), but since he has a good grasp on math, I figured we might as well forge ahead into the world of music.  As expected, after only a few weeks, we're at the point where we can combine music with our math or spelling curriculum and create a hybrid lesson.

The best part about hybrid lessons is that it's not difficult to come up with these kind of problems if you know any musical theory.  If you don't know musical theory or are too busy to create your own worksheets like me, there are some great resources on the internet.  For example, I found this wonderful website, http://funandlearnmusic.com/ that has free downloadable music math pages which are way cuter than any I would create on my own.  This website has quite a few worksheets that address both basic and more advanced theory concepts in a fun way. 

Hybrid lessons work for just about every subject in school.  Music Math is kind of awesome. It forces the student to learn and memorize music concepts while allowing them to practice their math skills.
Similarly, Music Spelling with the A-G alphabet reinforces basic spelling with note recognition.  For kiddos who struggle to identify the lines and spaces on the grand staff, Music Spelling can help. Aside from musical theory, there are tons of opportunities to use music in our Bible, Social Studies, History and Science lessons as well.  In fact, I will never forget my pronouns or helping verbs because my middle school English teacher used music to help us memorize all kinds of concepts!  Who knew that music could be so educational?!

Music might be the best tool that I've got in my homeschool mommy shed.  It's a language that I know well and understand. It's a subject that lends itself to any situation or setting.  It's an avenue to praise our Heavenly Father.  And hopefully my children will come to discover that music is a friend for life.