Last week was a choir day. On December 10th is the concert we are performing.
I was striving for a solo and I got a duet.
The bad news is that the person I'm with is louder and we both need to work on staying together. The song we are singing our duet in is called "Just A Tiny Baby." We are doing other songs too. In one of the songs I have jingle bells as an instrument. We all got something as an instrument. Show day is close!
Love, H
Thursday, December 3, 2015
Ways That We ARE Helping Our Child OWN her Homeschool Adventure
When we began considering homeschooling as parents. We of course thought about all the things the other homeschool families do... How's it going to work for our family? What resources do we have? What are the requirements? Etc. There was one thing we had to think about, that I don't think all homeschool families do. Many families know they are starting homeschooling from the beginning. We hadn't. We were public school kids, we were working adults, public schooling made the most sense at first. H, learned well from other people. She is intelligent and a great learner. So when we made the decision to homeschool it wasn't based on us not liking the system, not liking the teachers, or because H needed something she wasn't getting at school. We had to ask ourselves how do we take a child who is thriving in the school system, and transition her to something she doesn't understand, and is completely different for her? H, is a social butterfly. She was that way before school started, and in school she did her work, but she got her chatting and playing done as well.
From the beginning we understood it was very important to make H a part of her new education. As the Mama Bear of the family, I researched all the requirements and told her that those were a must. Otherwise, we have made H the center of her education.
Things we were going to keep the same, but how we are going to make them work for us:
1. Every day would have lesson plans just like in public school. (who was I kidding?)
- But I told her that we'd have more time after those lessons and in that time she could help navigate what her learning looked like. Picking topics or asking to do a kind of activity to accompany a topic we are already working on. The possibilities are endless.
- We don't have lesson plans, and I'll talk about that a bit more in another post. But we do have a general order of things.
2. H loved the field trips that public school did. Which wasn't very many, she always wished there was more.
- We would still field trip, and try to do so often! We have already field tripped more that she did in school last year. It's getting colder and icier here though, so we are slowing down for a bit. While having plans for many more in the Spring. H does well with hands on type learning and we live in a great location do quite a bit of it.
3. We were still going to get up do school first thing in the morning and then work on other tasks.
- H loves her sleep, and requires quite a bit of it. So when we talked about homeschooling with her, we of course told her 5am alarms were no longer required.
- We still get up eat breakfast, get ready and start our school day. We have already found that we accomplish more when we do our work while we are fresh.
So we are working together with H to make her homeschooling work for all of us. It isn't my education, it is hers. I'm just here to help her find what she needs and help her learn it.
One really significant way we helped H gain a feeling of ownership of her education was allowing her to "name" her school. Then she also gave it a mascot. It's one thing to feel like you are part of the family, a natural thing. A title can give you the sense of belonging to many things in life. The schools in our area are named after different landmarks, or where they are located. So, H chose to name our school after our location as well. Then because her mom is a graphic designer we built a logo. Where she was able to be the client and help make important decisions on the design. The school's around us mascots are usually based on wildlife we have in our area, or wildlife that is "aggressive." H had a harder time choosing a mascot. She thought about choosing something aggressive, but then decided that it was more important that the mascot had a meaning to her. A personal meaning. So our mascot is a pit bull. H's best friend was a pit bull named Lucky before we lost him last year. Now in her eyes he is overlooking our education adventure. All I have left to do is order our shirts for everyone in the house who is a part of Rocky Mountain Academy - Nation Homeschool Family.
From the beginning we understood it was very important to make H a part of her new education. As the Mama Bear of the family, I researched all the requirements and told her that those were a must. Otherwise, we have made H the center of her education.
Things we were going to keep the same, but how we are going to make them work for us:
1. Every day would have lesson plans just like in public school. (who was I kidding?)
- But I told her that we'd have more time after those lessons and in that time she could help navigate what her learning looked like. Picking topics or asking to do a kind of activity to accompany a topic we are already working on. The possibilities are endless.
- We don't have lesson plans, and I'll talk about that a bit more in another post. But we do have a general order of things.
2. H loved the field trips that public school did. Which wasn't very many, she always wished there was more.
- We would still field trip, and try to do so often! We have already field tripped more that she did in school last year. It's getting colder and icier here though, so we are slowing down for a bit. While having plans for many more in the Spring. H does well with hands on type learning and we live in a great location do quite a bit of it.
3. We were still going to get up do school first thing in the morning and then work on other tasks.
- H loves her sleep, and requires quite a bit of it. So when we talked about homeschooling with her, we of course told her 5am alarms were no longer required.
- We still get up eat breakfast, get ready and start our school day. We have already found that we accomplish more when we do our work while we are fresh.
So we are working together with H to make her homeschooling work for all of us. It isn't my education, it is hers. I'm just here to help her find what she needs and help her learn it.
One really significant way we helped H gain a feeling of ownership of her education was allowing her to "name" her school. Then she also gave it a mascot. It's one thing to feel like you are part of the family, a natural thing. A title can give you the sense of belonging to many things in life. The schools in our area are named after different landmarks, or where they are located. So, H chose to name our school after our location as well. Then because her mom is a graphic designer we built a logo. Where she was able to be the client and help make important decisions on the design. The school's around us mascots are usually based on wildlife we have in our area, or wildlife that is "aggressive." H had a harder time choosing a mascot. She thought about choosing something aggressive, but then decided that it was more important that the mascot had a meaning to her. A personal meaning. So our mascot is a pit bull. H's best friend was a pit bull named Lucky before we lost him last year. Now in her eyes he is overlooking our education adventure. All I have left to do is order our shirts for everyone in the house who is a part of Rocky Mountain Academy - Nation Homeschool Family.
One of the other things we did was tell H to talk to us constantly. To keep the communication open and honest about homeschooling and all things in her life. To allow us to work together and make this work we all had to talk about our needs and wants. Which she has done. There are things she still misses from school, and we are working on meeting those needs. There are things we still want to do with this adventure as parents, and we are working on those too. Overall, we are gaining a better family unit because of this adventure.
I hope that others who are interested in changing the school style for their kids realize that no matter what direction they choose it's never too late to switch. It's never too early to get your kids involved in their own education. They love to learn naturally and it only gets better when they are involved in what they learn. Giving H ownership has been one of the best decisions so far in this transition. It has been really simple choices such as naming her school that has helped her and us. The simplest of things can get school going in whatever direction you choose.
Tuesday, November 10, 2015
Food invention : A Hatching Egg
ATTENTION: This is a completely made up recipe that has never been tried. It's just in H's head. But it's a cute creative writing piece that she has chosen to share. -A
Hello, I'm H. And I wanted to tell you about my new food invention.
It's called a Hatching Egg. It's an egg that has cool designs and hatches a moving chocolate bird! This is what you do, you take frozen sugar and shape half of it to look like an egg. Then take some frozen chocolate and shape it like a bird. Next put the bird into the egg. Second shape the other part of the egg to look like the other one. You take some frosting and glue the other part of the egg to the other half. Then take some spray on dye and do a design. KEEP IN FREEZER AT ALL TIMES, until ready to eat! So then when you take a Hatched Egg the egg will melt and you get to eat the chocolate bird!
Sincerely, H
Hello, I'm H. And I wanted to tell you about my new food invention.
It's called a Hatching Egg. It's an egg that has cool designs and hatches a moving chocolate bird! This is what you do, you take frozen sugar and shape half of it to look like an egg. Then take some frozen chocolate and shape it like a bird. Next put the bird into the egg. Second shape the other part of the egg to look like the other one. You take some frosting and glue the other part of the egg to the other half. Then take some spray on dye and do a design. KEEP IN FREEZER AT ALL TIMES, until ready to eat! So then when you take a Hatched Egg the egg will melt and you get to eat the chocolate bird!
Sincerely, H
Tuesday, November 3, 2015
The Journey
This past week has been a very trying time for me personally. I thought we were doing well and then things change. Life happens you know. So now I sit with my thoughts trying to solve the obstacles not only for myself but for each person in my life as well.
The journey we are on changes you. Suddenly you are chasing a dream that you didn't even know that you had. It was a dream that came to you later in life, and it was a strong burning desire. So you chased it. Now you are almost there, you've tasted it, felt it, been actively in the dream doing it. We aren't looking for much, but we are looking for is right there…. so close. It still is against almost everything we used to think we wanted, and is definitely against what many others are after. We are so close, and yet so far away. But this close has ever changed us. It is impossible for us to go on as we were going. I can't knowingly return to the rat race as the same person I was before, but I also am very stuck.
A person told me last week I was struggling with self-permission. Perhaps that is slightly true, but mostly I do want to allow myself to be a part of this dream. I do want to give myself the permission to be what I feel I am meant to be. The problem actually lies in things outside of my control. At least they are out of my control unless I return to the rat race. I was also reminded last week that people I love are in two very different places on this. Some support me completely and freely even when giving up their own desires to help me achieve it. Some support me as long as it doesn't affect them and their desires. I get it… I want to chase these dreams, and it doesn't have to be every ones cup of tea so to speak. I can't figure out the equation. I can't be in two very different places at once. I am leaning on myself, I am weighing pros and cons, I am allowing myself to feel every thought, and I am holding out faith that the right opportunity presents itself. I'm searching for it. The thing I need to make this work, or the answer that tells me I'm fighting for nothing, something I can never have (I hope that isn't really the case).
I know I can't just go back to square one again. I'm different than I was then. The journey has changed me. There are things I can't undo. There are goals and dreams still screaming in my ear. I'm a lost soul who is also very, very found.
The journey we are on changes you. Suddenly you are chasing a dream that you didn't even know that you had. It was a dream that came to you later in life, and it was a strong burning desire. So you chased it. Now you are almost there, you've tasted it, felt it, been actively in the dream doing it. We aren't looking for much, but we are looking for is right there…. so close. It still is against almost everything we used to think we wanted, and is definitely against what many others are after. We are so close, and yet so far away. But this close has ever changed us. It is impossible for us to go on as we were going. I can't knowingly return to the rat race as the same person I was before, but I also am very stuck.
A person told me last week I was struggling with self-permission. Perhaps that is slightly true, but mostly I do want to allow myself to be a part of this dream. I do want to give myself the permission to be what I feel I am meant to be. The problem actually lies in things outside of my control. At least they are out of my control unless I return to the rat race. I was also reminded last week that people I love are in two very different places on this. Some support me completely and freely even when giving up their own desires to help me achieve it. Some support me as long as it doesn't affect them and their desires. I get it… I want to chase these dreams, and it doesn't have to be every ones cup of tea so to speak. I can't figure out the equation. I can't be in two very different places at once. I am leaning on myself, I am weighing pros and cons, I am allowing myself to feel every thought, and I am holding out faith that the right opportunity presents itself. I'm searching for it. The thing I need to make this work, or the answer that tells me I'm fighting for nothing, something I can never have (I hope that isn't really the case).
This quote I think needs to be my mantra today. Since I'm unable to go back and start over. I have to seek the how I can keep forward going on as I never have.
I struggle with not knowing my direction. I've always known my direction. I've never relied on "trusting the process" or "going with the flow" even though I knew unexpected situations would arise and create obstacles. I knew if I had the goal I'd just keep chipping away at it. I knew I could count on myself to always take control and get whatever needed to be done. I don't feel like I can just take control this time. I guess I'm still chipping away at this one, but the obstacles are huge! There are little lives on the ride with me. I just want to make sure I'm not screwing this up for anyone else, while I show them a different take on life. I'm going to have to continue on… and find my way out of these messy thoughts.
- A
Thursday, October 29, 2015
Halloween is about to arrive
Hello! It's H and fall is already here!
I can hear the howling of the wind like the tales of the ghost who haunts the cemetery. The leaves are falling like yellow twisters in the wind. The mummies, ghosts, and zombies are about so you better watch out! The candy, makeup, and even costumes are out! This is a picture from my Honeylocust tree in my yard.
The whole town is like a big ball of yellow! I learned a song that might get you some more candy on Halloween, it goes like this:
I can hear the howling of the wind like the tales of the ghost who haunts the cemetery. The leaves are falling like yellow twisters in the wind. The mummies, ghosts, and zombies are about so you better watch out! The candy, makeup, and even costumes are out! This is a picture from my Honeylocust tree in my yard.
The whole town is like a big ball of yellow! I learned a song that might get you some more candy on Halloween, it goes like this:
The Ghost Of John
The ghost of John, long white bones with skin all gone, Whooooooo, wouldn't it be chilly with the skin all gone!
Bye!
Sincerely, H
Welding and Grinding
Hey it's H and I wanted to share my experience on welding and grinding!
A couple days ago I was invited to an art project by my Aunt Shelly, A wouldn't tell me what it was… When we got there I found out that we making pumpkins out of horseshoes! I learned that you were supposed wear a fire resistant coat and gloves, you were also supposed to wear a helmet to protect your eyes. Grinding was easier, you took the horseshoe and put against the spinning wheel of stone and thats grinding. Grinding makes the metal clean, which helps when you weld. The sparks were less likely to burn your eyes, and you had to wear a clear helmet so the metal wouldn't get in your eye.
Finally I got to weld. It was scary at first but it got really fun. but over all it was really fun and I made a sculpture of a pumpkin.
A couple days ago I was invited to an art project by my Aunt Shelly, A wouldn't tell me what it was… When we got there I found out that we making pumpkins out of horseshoes! I learned that you were supposed wear a fire resistant coat and gloves, you were also supposed to wear a helmet to protect your eyes. Grinding was easier, you took the horseshoe and put against the spinning wheel of stone and thats grinding. Grinding makes the metal clean, which helps when you weld. The sparks were less likely to burn your eyes, and you had to wear a clear helmet so the metal wouldn't get in your eye.
Finally I got to weld. It was scary at first but it got really fun. but over all it was really fun and I made a sculpture of a pumpkin.
Sincerely, H
What has Homeschooling given Mom?
So we took a walk on the wild side and decided to homeschool. H is in 4th grade and has public schooled until this year. I've struggled with depression and anxiety since C's life came and went too soon. So I'm sure when my loved ones told me they didn't really agree with us homeschooling they thought I was crazy. We just had M a year ago, and changed our whole routine living out of town, one income, dreaming of selling art. Yea, homeschooling has gotta top the cake... Of disaster.
The opportunities are amazing for our kids here. H has been on several field trips. The dinosaur museum, we missed the raspberry farm, swimming, recreation at the park, painting dog houses as a community service project, climbing gym. Those plus regular plays and sports she participates in, she definitely isn't unsocialized.
If H was in school she wouldn't see M very much everyday. I feel their sister bond wouldn't be the same.
We can push her above her level is some places and hang back in others.
I'm enjoying being a homeschool mom a lot! We need this time together as a family right now in life. It's fully requiring both us parents but we each are finding our place with it. All you other bloggers were right. I know I won't get to the end of my life and wish I had spent less time with my kids... So we are learning, living and loving together.
What they didn't realize was we had been contemplating this decision for a while. I had read a million reports, so I knew what to expect. J was behind me from the first time I suggested it. I didn't have to convince him. It took me a while to realize I didn't need to convince anyone. I only needed to prepare myself for this new challenge as I accepted it.
Alright. State requirements. Check. Curriculum ordered. Check. Daily lesson plans. Ummm…
Yes I read all your blogs about not over planning. About the beauty of being flexible in the homeschool. How you could take a day off if the family schedule needed it. I got in with the local homeschool group, every one was real relaxed. They weren't sweating not having it all planned. I knew that. But I am gonna read the state curriculum anyways... My kid should know certain things this year right?!
Well I'm an artist, and a procrastinator to boot. So I said we will start slow and I'll get it all planned next week. It did not take long to realize I would not be planning, I mean not a daily plan. Those moms were relaxed because they knew if they got zero done one day, they might get 10X as much done tomorrow.
So your blogs were right.
This mom is loving this change in our life. I still don't know if it will be best forever,but this year it is exactly what all of us needed.
We get to see her struggle and accomplish. That's just priceless.
We get to really teach her other life skills she wouldn't learn in school. Our gardening and projects in general are great learning tools and she will need some of them forever.
We can follow her interests. So when she gets that spark from something exciting we do it!
Our community has really stepped in to help. Even those that didnt necessarily agree at first are seeing it work. They are helping mentor her and teach her things as they do them. Which is one of my favorite parts.
-A
Wednesday, October 14, 2015
Gardening This Year - 2015
I am reflecting on our garden this year. Overall I am very proud of each of us, and the harvest we had. J and I have always wanted to garden. We had tried a bit in our old homes, but there was soil problems and awful lighting issues that made it very hard. I grew up where my mom gardened every few years (she didn't do it consistently) but she grew vegetables for fresh basic salads, and could grow enough tomatoes and peppers to create a large batch of salsa. Delicious salsa that she shared with many friends and families. J's dad had always preached to him and his siblings about the benefits of growing organically but they just really never had the space to actually do it. So when we went home shopping… we knew a good yard was a must! And, perhaps our yard is more awesome than our house now. :)
Last year we only grew what was already established here. The previous family that had lived here liked to garden too. There was a cherry tree, apricot tree, apple tree, wild plums, and grapes and many other non-edibles growing well. We knew that last year we were not going to be able to tackle the yard or garden yet. We were preparing for M's arrival and we were traveling quite a bit to have her. That took all of our time and resources.
This year the top of this list was building 300 some feet of wood picket fence by hand. So we followed some good advice in the garden and went SLOW. Don't tackle too much in your first garden. We are glad we didn't. Now we are enjoying the harvest, reflecting on what we learned, and dreaming of next years garden.
We planted pumpkins, potatoes, asparagus, corn, cabbage, spinach, lettuce, tomatoes, variety of peppers, broccoli, cucumbers and carrots. H got a planter full of strawberries, and was mostly in charge of pumpkins. We could use more potatoes, corn, and tomatoes. We grew crazy amounts of cucumbers, pumpkins, and lettuce. We didn't get to use much of our spinach, it was all ready at once, and you really do have to be on top of the clipping of it before it seeds. J worked especially hard on saving one broccoli plant which we finally got to enjoy this fall! We also know some things we'd like to add next year. I'm hoping to eventually include a medicinal herb garden, I just haven't decided which ones are important to us yet, and what I can get to do well in our area. That is lower on the list of wants, but definitely something we'd like. We figure much of the garden we could almost triple it to get enough for us, but I think next year we will try new things and plant a little more.
Gardening is as simple as putting a seed in some dirt and watering it. Then there is all the other stuff you have to know. :) We are gonna need some more kitchen gadgets to preserve more things if we grow a bigger garden.
I told you my mom made salsa, and that is the only thing I knew how to can. So this year I got to spend time reading and researching and trying to learn how to save everything I could. I found out what I could can, and what I couldn't. What you could water bath can, and what required a pressure cooker. What I could freeze and what I could keep dark and cool to store it. I experimented with dill pickles, bread and butter pickles, home-made spaghetti sauce, salsa, pumpkin puree, and learned many terms I didn't know. Such as "blanching" which I've done before but didn't know it had a name. We made coleslaw, salads, cucumber salads, and tried many new recipes. J attempted to make sauerkraut, it failed. We haven't decided why yet, and are considering whether we need gadgets to help us in the future make good kraut.
So a few things we learned:
- The daily task of weeding at watering as a family didn't require much time.
- We valued the time together, it was fun and enjoyable.
- I'd like to say thank you for baby wearing, it helps me not only in the home or going places, but really helps me accomplish weeding with an under one year old A LOT.
- The washing and cutting of veggies or fruit is 1000 X more enjoyable if you grew them yourself. Every slice is like someone smiling at you.
- Trying new recipes is fun.
- You can pretty much add veggies to any meal.
- It really does show an positive impact on your grocery budget
- There is nothing like feeding your kids organically, and knowing exactly how it was grown and where it came from. (We are still learning more about heirloom seeds/organic seeds and their sources.)
- This was a great opening to our homeschooling quest. It really helped provide a sense of direction as we transitioned to this lifestyle.
- Some pests are quite cute, and will destroy a lot, QUICKLY! (cabbage moths)
- Slugs Suck. Simple as that.
We are so happy to be enjoying our harvest. The pumpkins over ran us but, the pumpkin muffins, cookies, bread, and cinnamon rolls we have enjoyed so far are not such a bad thing. It has sure been an awesome way to begin fall.
What did you grow in your garden this year? Do you have a medicinal herb garden that you have found to be super beneficial?
- A
Last year we only grew what was already established here. The previous family that had lived here liked to garden too. There was a cherry tree, apricot tree, apple tree, wild plums, and grapes and many other non-edibles growing well. We knew that last year we were not going to be able to tackle the yard or garden yet. We were preparing for M's arrival and we were traveling quite a bit to have her. That took all of our time and resources.
This year the top of this list was building 300 some feet of wood picket fence by hand. So we followed some good advice in the garden and went SLOW. Don't tackle too much in your first garden. We are glad we didn't. Now we are enjoying the harvest, reflecting on what we learned, and dreaming of next years garden.
We planted pumpkins, potatoes, asparagus, corn, cabbage, spinach, lettuce, tomatoes, variety of peppers, broccoli, cucumbers and carrots. H got a planter full of strawberries, and was mostly in charge of pumpkins. We could use more potatoes, corn, and tomatoes. We grew crazy amounts of cucumbers, pumpkins, and lettuce. We didn't get to use much of our spinach, it was all ready at once, and you really do have to be on top of the clipping of it before it seeds. J worked especially hard on saving one broccoli plant which we finally got to enjoy this fall! We also know some things we'd like to add next year. I'm hoping to eventually include a medicinal herb garden, I just haven't decided which ones are important to us yet, and what I can get to do well in our area. That is lower on the list of wants, but definitely something we'd like. We figure much of the garden we could almost triple it to get enough for us, but I think next year we will try new things and plant a little more.
Gardening is as simple as putting a seed in some dirt and watering it. Then there is all the other stuff you have to know. :) We are gonna need some more kitchen gadgets to preserve more things if we grow a bigger garden.
I told you my mom made salsa, and that is the only thing I knew how to can. So this year I got to spend time reading and researching and trying to learn how to save everything I could. I found out what I could can, and what I couldn't. What you could water bath can, and what required a pressure cooker. What I could freeze and what I could keep dark and cool to store it. I experimented with dill pickles, bread and butter pickles, home-made spaghetti sauce, salsa, pumpkin puree, and learned many terms I didn't know. Such as "blanching" which I've done before but didn't know it had a name. We made coleslaw, salads, cucumber salads, and tried many new recipes. J attempted to make sauerkraut, it failed. We haven't decided why yet, and are considering whether we need gadgets to help us in the future make good kraut.
So a few things we learned:
- The daily task of weeding at watering as a family didn't require much time.
- We valued the time together, it was fun and enjoyable.
- I'd like to say thank you for baby wearing, it helps me not only in the home or going places, but really helps me accomplish weeding with an under one year old A LOT.
- The washing and cutting of veggies or fruit is 1000 X more enjoyable if you grew them yourself. Every slice is like someone smiling at you.
- Trying new recipes is fun.
- You can pretty much add veggies to any meal.
- It really does show an positive impact on your grocery budget
- There is nothing like feeding your kids organically, and knowing exactly how it was grown and where it came from. (We are still learning more about heirloom seeds/organic seeds and their sources.)
- This was a great opening to our homeschooling quest. It really helped provide a sense of direction as we transitioned to this lifestyle.
- Some pests are quite cute, and will destroy a lot, QUICKLY! (cabbage moths)
- Slugs Suck. Simple as that.
We are so happy to be enjoying our harvest. The pumpkins over ran us but, the pumpkin muffins, cookies, bread, and cinnamon rolls we have enjoyed so far are not such a bad thing. It has sure been an awesome way to begin fall.
- A
Monday, October 5, 2015
Freak The Mighty! Freak The Mighty!
One day a kid named Maxwell lived at his Grim and Gram's house in his bedroom called ''The Down Under.'' He met Freak and they became friends and together they became Freak The Mighty. They would go on pretend quests and slay dragons, but the things Maxwell wanted was to be smart, to not be Killer Kane's son. But on Christmas eve Killer Kane stole Maxwell right out his bed. He took Maxwell to an abandoned cat house, but the police knocked on the door, so they went to the building that burned not to long ago. He put Maxwell in a busted up cellar. Then, Freak came to the rescue and saved Maxwell by spraying Kane in the eyes. Then, it was Freak's birthday and he had a seizure and was rushed to the hospital. A couple weeks passed and Maxwell got to see and talk to Freak. Freak gave him a blank book and told him to write all of their adventures in it. Finally, Freak died of natural causes due to his illness. Max wrote the story of Freak the Mighty. THE END
In my opinion I liked the book because of how Freak made the best of his life even though he knew his body would fail him in the end.
I recommend you read this book because when you are reading it you want to read more.
In my opinion I liked the book because of how Freak made the best of his life even though he knew his body would fail him in the end.
I recommend you read this book because when you are reading it you want to read more.
Saturday, October 3, 2015
Our Girls and How this week goes down in History!
I've told you about my girls… I imagine you know they are our world. Our family is pretty unique. With H we have always talked about how families are all created differently. Family are the people who love you and will always be there for you. Sometimes family members are chosen, adopted, and sometimes they do share your DNA. H is her Daddy's girl, and I didn't expect this role in the beginning. Life happened though and it occurred naturally. I was challenged to be a better person and put another person's needs before my own. I just turned into a Mom because that was who she needed in our home. She changed my priorities. Of course since then we've added her brother and sister to the house so Mom is who I am. I have been there for H's many struggles that turned into her accomplishments. I have been given a beautiful gift! She is lively, fierce, beautiful, and intelligent! I love her with my whole heart and want to give her the world!
How does this week go down in history you ask?!
Well we always try to do what we believe is best for the girls. Any parent does. H has asked if she could change her last name several times. She wanted to share names with the rest of us. The process is long and hard in our case, but we were willing to try. It also was an opportunity to unite us as a family once and for all. So we ventured the road for me to adopt her. This week it was finalized! So we are celebrating this week every year forever! It goes down in history in this house!
J and I will always try to be the best we can be. We will always weigh the odds, and question ourselves. We will always doubt that we are doing it entirely correct. Sometimes we follow our heart even when it seems crazy and it works out. This week is one of those weeks. We followed our heart, and we kind of just crossed our fingers and hoped and prayed that whatever happened was meant to be. I know I can speak for both of us when I say this feels right, and we are so glad its over.
I may not share DNA with H, but she is my daughter in every single sense of the word. She was the first one to make me a Mom! Sometimes I try really really hard and still fail, and she knows it. We are family always and forever.
We called it Offically Nation Day. When I count my blessings on any day I will remember this day and how we were united. The most important people of my life.
-A
How does this week go down in history you ask?!
Well we always try to do what we believe is best for the girls. Any parent does. H has asked if she could change her last name several times. She wanted to share names with the rest of us. The process is long and hard in our case, but we were willing to try. It also was an opportunity to unite us as a family once and for all. So we ventured the road for me to adopt her. This week it was finalized! So we are celebrating this week every year forever! It goes down in history in this house!
J and I will always try to be the best we can be. We will always weigh the odds, and question ourselves. We will always doubt that we are doing it entirely correct. Sometimes we follow our heart even when it seems crazy and it works out. This week is one of those weeks. We followed our heart, and we kind of just crossed our fingers and hoped and prayed that whatever happened was meant to be. I know I can speak for both of us when I say this feels right, and we are so glad its over.
I may not share DNA with H, but she is my daughter in every single sense of the word. She was the first one to make me a Mom! Sometimes I try really really hard and still fail, and she knows it. We are family always and forever.
We called it Offically Nation Day. When I count my blessings on any day I will remember this day and how we were united. The most important people of my life.
-A
Thursday, October 1, 2015
After starting Homeschooling and How it feels...
Hello it's H again... and I wanted to share some things I like about homeschooling. What I like about homeschooling is that you can get school done before public school even gets out! Which means more time to play and you can still be involved in sports like soccer, volleyball, or anything! An other thing is you can go on more field trips and you meet up with other homeschooling families. When we get together we do activities like toss the egg, toss the water balloon, or even Cheeto head! If you ever asked me my favorite subject you would always hear science! I like science especially in homeschooling because you get to do science experiments like atmosphere levels with food coloring and honey, and even volcanos! thats why I like science and homeschooling.
Sincerely,
H
Thursday, September 24, 2015
Be a Grape
H was asked to Be a Grape who became a raisin today, and tell her readers how it feels to shrink, shrivel, and become wrinkled.
When I was just hanging out on my vine… they took me and put me in the sun! I was helpless, I couldn't move. My juices were flowing out of me, I was slowly dying, scared and alone. I was becoming old just sitting there. Then, they ate me alive! But the good thing was that I saw my great grandpa Gator. He said we were in YUM-YUM BELLY HEAVEN!
When I was just hanging out on my vine… they took me and put me in the sun! I was helpless, I couldn't move. My juices were flowing out of me, I was slowly dying, scared and alone. I was becoming old just sitting there. Then, they ate me alive! But the good thing was that I saw my great grandpa Gator. He said we were in YUM-YUM BELLY HEAVEN!
THE END
Monday, September 14, 2015
Dinosaur Museum Recommendation
When me and our homeschooling group went to the dinosaur museum we got to see a famous dig site, and we also got to see a dinosaur in progress! But when we went into the museum we saw the biggest dinosaur ever found, they called him Jimbo! And there was a dinosaur that was 90% fossilized bone (that's a lot for dinosaurs)! There was a lot of other stuff too like shells, fish, plants, birds and there was even a gift shop! I recommend you go to Thermopolis, Wyoming to see it… follow the dinosaur signs!
Sincerely,
H
Sincerely,
H
So many shells!
This one is 90% fossils!
Wednesday, August 19, 2015
New Adventure In the Works
Some people know exactly what they want to be when they grow up. They know just the parents they want to be. They want X amount of kids and they are going to stay home or work X amount of hours and baby is staying with grandma… or whatever. I thought that was me. I thought I had it all figured out. I was going to graduation college, love my job, work, work, work and my kids were going to go to daycare just like I did. I mean I think I turned out fine. When H came home to us she was in daycare while we worked. She has turned out fine so far.
When we said goodbye to our son, C, I promised to squeeze in as much time as possible with my kids. The everyday rat race, working, parenting, school, reaching our goals and dreams was going to make it more difficult to give them a lot of our time but I was determined that time for them was at the top. It wasn't until after M came home that I began to question if I was approaching the goal all wrong. Perhaps I really didn't know what I wanted to be when I grew up. Perhaps I had no idea what I was doing!
H has always excelled at her education. She has a huge curiosity and an ability to retain information and put it together. She is a natural born learner. She has always taken what has been taught to her and asked for a little more. I suppose her Dad and myself are very similar, she might get it from us. I would be paid to be a student if I could ;)
The new home has inspired me. The way our bodies has spoken to us about our health has inspired me. M & H, our girls have inspired me! So I did have no idea what I was doing, and now I know I have to be willing to bend the plan. I have to be willing to accept that today is different than tomorrow, and today's decisions don't necessarily mean tomorrow I would make the same ones.
Today… this adventure speaks to my heart. I have spent many waking hours racing to figure out all the specifics, and a way to make it work for us! The beautiful thing about new beginnings is that rush, that high you get when you see all the possibilities and opportunities around you everywhere. It's been a long time since I've felt like that, but I've sure missed it! It's contagious… my family have embraced the ideas of change that I keep spouting off about at the dinner table. They say, yea lets do it!
That's the only support I need!
So one thing at at time I'm grasping this life transformation. I read today on J. Sanders blog, "Where you are right now has a bigger context and a higher purpose. Don't miss the party." I'm not going to miss the party. This is the new beginning of a homeschooling mom.
Today is the day… I held homeschooling in my home "officially" with my 4th grader, H.
I'm very excited to share our journey… for now here is H, on her first day of "not returning to school"
-A
Wednesday, August 5, 2015
Where I'm From
I'm from where the grass grows wild, where dust blows like cloth on a windy day, where the fireflies glow brighter than the sun, a place where the libraries are like a mansion made out of books, where the children play outside, where there are many churches, and hay grows like weeds in a garden, where the towns are small, the pools are big, and the lakes are crowded, and the eagles sour higher than clouds.
Written by H. in a creative writing workshop.
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