Jan. 4, 2009 - Happy New Year!

Dec. 28, 2008 - Christmas Debrief

Dec. 25, 2008 - Merry Christmas

Dec. 25, 2008 - Our Christmas Day Plan

Dec. 25, 2008 - Day before Christmas - Lots to do!

Dec. 25, 2008 - Our Christmas Celebration Menu

Dec. 23, 2008 - Too Much Activity has its Effect

I have been following this blog, Chronicles of a Babywise Mom, not because I have any toddlers but because I like to keep aware of how mums are going with this age group.  This post, Overstimulation for Toddlers, I felt had much merit for kids of all ages – there may even be a few truths there for us – the parents!!  As you read this blog, read it with your children’s ages in mind, things may look different but the bottom line, the cause/effects, is really the same.

Are your kids acting a little ratty?  Over stimulation maybe the cause.

• Too little sleep
• Too much activity
• Routine Disrupted

I know all of those things are happening in our home – they snuck up on me!  Valerie outlines some very relevant consequences of over stimulation – are any happening in your home.  You may have a different list.  The things I am noticing in my home are:

• Distraction (not focusing)
• Snarkiness (little niggles towards each other)

Unfortunately these attitudes won’t stop magically on Christmas day.  A busy season tends to give opportunities for bad habits to get established.   I am encouraging myself, and anyone who is reading this post, not to waste tomorrow – don’t wash my hands of the kid’s behaviour, putting it down to excess lollies, chocolate, and excitement.  

Things I can do

• Have planned activities – I’m busy tomorrow with lots of cooking.  The kids will help me with some of that but for the rest of the time I want the kids, especially the younger two to be doing something intentionally.  Since they are struggling to stay focused at much, moving from one activity to another I will also use the timer to help them stay on track.
• Give them healthy food – We’ve been snacking too much over the last week and there sure will be plenty of high sugar food in the next few days so when possible I am going to chop up fruit and a veggie platter.  
• Have 1-2 quiet times through the day - We will definitely have a quiet reading time after lunch but depending on how things are going in the morning I may have an earlier time as well.   I find quiet times tend to help my children refocus.
• Keep my expectations true - I need to keep our family standard in front of our children. We expect kind words, obedience, self control and thoroughness.

I am going to print this list out, have it on my fridge to be reminded of how I can regain some calm during the next week, as we live in the aftermath of a very busy social time.

Dec. 21, 2008 - Christmas and Character Training

Dec. 21, 2008 - He can't Spell

I have three children reading/writing so far (one to go) and two of those three who can’t spell.  Here are a few things that I have done

1. Lots of reading.  This has increased their exposure to words.  This is both reading aloud (with them following) and them reading to themselves.
2. A little bit of writing every day – written narrations (often after they have already given me an oral narration) These are only 1 paragraph in length.  I have seen patterns of spelling (wrong spelling that is) and can then focus on that for a while.
3. Copy work – I write sentences with the words or types of words that they have difficulty with and they use that as copywork.  
4. Sometimes I get them to write sentences for the words themselves, helping them construct the words, one sound or syllable at a time.  (I most often do this if there is a pattern they are not getting) I stand beside them and sound it out with them so they can think through the rule, or choices they have to make.
5. Have them read aloud.  I have found that when they read to themselves they can skip some words because they can glean the meaning from context.  When they read aloud they have to register each word.  I haven’t majored on this though I do think it helps.  Keep in mind that reading aloud is a totally different skill to reading to yourself so you may have to go back to a simpler reading level when starting off.
6. Word Processor and Spellcheck.  This has been the most successful technique, where we have seen the biggest and quickest improvement.  I firmly believe using words, writing, is the best way to improve spelling.  Writing with a purpose.  Once my children started to use the computer for their writing their spelling did improve.  Spellcheck indicates a wrongly spelt word, they need to guess how to correct it before they look at the provided options.  There have been seasons where I have got them to keep a log of spellcheck words.  This is the list I would then (sometimes) work on to see if there were any word patterns I could work with.

1. 1. I spy with Spell – you play I Spy as normal and then after the item has been found the person who chose that I spy has to spell the word before the next person’s choice.  Only problem here is they start to choose easy to spell words!!  So I pick the person to spell it at random before I spy moves on.
   2. Spell your conversation – This came from fingerspelling with Auslan, but it works for regular spelling too.  I ask a question – spelling each word, and they have to give an answer – more than yes / no – also spelling out each word.  This is long and drawn out so it is good to play in the car!
   3. Writing Acronyms – choose a word, like Daddy and then think of a word that starts with D that describes Daddy, and then think of a word that starts with A that describes Daddy and so forth, D,D, Y.  This is a great one to do either orally or to stand beside them and guide their choices so they are thinking of all the phonics rules and options they have as they build a word.
   4. Think of a word, and spell it for each letter of the alphabet.  If you get it wrong, or stumble, the next person has a go.  You can put limitations on different level spellers for example one child must have more than 2 syllables in his words, or 4 or more letters – depending on their own ability.  This way it makes it a challenge for every speller playing!

I have found it more successful when I don’t stress about the spelling and focus on all their language skills.  Use their reading time to work a little on their spelling, use their writing time to polish up a few words.  But not to overly focus on one thing so that they kids are in tears.

We tend to think that our success as a homeschool mum hinges on our children being able to have basic academic skills down pat.  But every child, whether homeschooled or not, is going to have their strengths and weaknesses.  I look at some very successful men (in the business world) in our town and they can’t spell.  But they have incredible negotiating skills, or management skills, or people skills and they use either a secretary or a spell check to get their letters written.  Spelling is not the mark of true success.  We need to do our best as we teach our children but we also need to be balanced in our expectations and approach.

Dec. 16, 2008 - Computers and Technology

Dec. 15, 2008 - Story behind the photos - The Masked Man

Dec. 15, 2008 - Browsing the Internet / 13

Here are the links to some of the online reading that I’ve enjoyed this week.

Suggestions for Preventing and Helping Prodigals is an article by Sally Clarkson that I encourage you bookmark and come back to when you have some time, especially if you have children ten and older.  She looks at so much in the article it is hard to summarise it but maybe the words that come to mind is that she considers issues of socialization, from a slightly different perspective.  One that we need to take to heart.

This Sunday I was on roster to give the “children’s message”.  The first place I always go to get my thoughts kick started is Sermons4Kids.  They have a huge variety of kids talks, and most of them are object lessons.

"Momma, you don't ever rest."   - Ouch!  I could here my family saying these words.  Can I be still and rest?  Rest isn’t so much about taking the power nap after lunch but more about where my heart is, it isn’t so much about what is on my to-do list but my attitude while I work through it.

Disciple like Jesus has some good reads for the parent with a discipleship focus in their families.

As I continue my study on Prov 31 over at The Homeschool Lounge I found this online Bible Tools site, Biblos.com.  I usually use Crosswalk, and it was refreshing to use a site with a different layout and slightly different tools.  I particularly liked the parallel translations.

With all the social activities we have happening at the moment health kind of goes out the window.  When I’m at home I’m trying to balance this with lots of Green Smoothies.

Dec. 10, 2008 - He's getting closer!

Dec. 9, 2008 - What's been happening around our place

photo: ABC TV
Here's Pete doing the social thing before the showing
man on the right is  the Fedral Opposition Leader, Malcolm Turnbull
and man on the left is David Newry, who was the language consultant on the movie.

I wasn't free to go that night as I had a Ladies Friendship night happening where I was teaching the ladies how to make Christmas Bonbons (Crackers).  But a few local businesses sponsored another 3 free showings of the movie, so a girlfriend and I had a girls night out at the movies.  I am going to tell you a little secret - it was the first time for me at the movies here in town, that is in 16 years!!! 

My take on the movie - I walked away feeling like I had watched a feel-good movie.  It wasn't deep, it wasn't powerful, as Pete puts it - it was just a good yarn.  I enjoyed seeing it with a crowd.  It was nice to share the jokes, the Australian attitudes with other people, to be involved with a whole theatre having a laugh!  We were both concerned about the aboriginal spirituality and how it was elevated to be a good thing.  Chrisitians have to be very aware that the spirit world that led these people was not the Holy Spirit.   It had a political story to tell, which in my opinion, is only half the story.  A lot of the movie was filmed around here so the scenery is special to the locals and we picked up things that no-one else will.  I wonder if that is how people usually feel after a movie is made in their home town!  But I thoroughly enjoyed my night out.


Mango Season this year was a little weird; the mangoes came on real slow, not a lot of them, some trees did well, some trees produced nothing.  Here is our biggest mango for the year.

It is Christmas time.  We usually have a tree decking / thanksgiving party with our friends.  But this year December kind of crept up on us and we decided we would just do the tree as a family this year. 

This tree used to look so big, with our little kids standing under it! 
Now it looks like a little tree!

Dec. 7, 2008 - I don’t believe I just said that!

The other day (it has taken a while to get to blogging about it!) Nomi said she was bored.  I listed quite a list of options, sent her down to her room to think about it and then added those fatal words “If you don’t find something to do in 15 minutes I’ll give you a job!”

As soon as they were uttered I turned to Peter and said, “I can’t believe I just said that.  I have never said that before and I don’t even believe in doing that!”

I believe that when children say they are bored they need to learn to occupy themselves and to be content with their options and if they can’t do that they need my help to learn to do so.  Only when they won’t receive my instruction have I punished them with a task.  (and that is for their unteachable heart, not being bored!)

And yet, here I was threatening a chore.

She found something to do but it left me thinking – why did I say those words?  Words that clearly I don’t agree with, words which I have refrained from saying for over 10 years of parenting!   What was going on?

I was tired.  And it was much more convenient to threaten a task than to get up off my seat and do some training.  It was a quick fix.

I wonder what else is slipping out, getting under the radar so to speak, because I am tired, or focused on other things.  Good time for a check up.  Time to check that my words line up with my beliefs and that my actions line up with my words.  Consistency in all three areas – my beliefs, my words, my actions is a powerful thing in a parent.

Dec. 6, 2008 - Browsing the Internet / 12

I, like so many, continue to get email hoaxes.  These days I go straight to Snopes to check it out.  You can read if it is true or a hoax as well as the background information to the whole thing.  Often very interesting reading!

I have often talked to my children about the importance of the first impression.  Joshua has in particular struggled with this idea – especially quoting that God looks at the heart.  My friend, Linda has a great post, Make a Godly Impression.

Next week I’m going to try these crock pot recipes

Pumpkin soup 

Pasta Fagioli  

Creamy Risotta (to which I’ll add raw/blanched veggies to) 

Lemon and Herb Roasted Chicken   

Jessica has become a part of the Growing in Grace team.  This month’s articles are predominately around Christmas.  I encourage you to read the main article, In Remembrance of Him, a team effort.

Melissa over at Between the Trees has discovered a fantastic lifestyle scheduling concept – lose the clock, keep the timer!  Read her story.

Dec. 5, 2008 - What is a Relaxed Homeschooler?

Question:  How do you decide what to have your children learn? What does relaxed mean to you?  Has the definition changed as your children have grown older? Easier to be relaxed when they are 5 than when they are 15?

My Answer:

Relaxed to me means that we aren’t pushed into a mould, that we aren’t rushed to perform and that we aren’t copying someone else’s model.  We may glean from other models but we are free to take on what suits our family.

How do I decide what my children learn?

We have written a  scope and sequence that covers their whole life development.  At the beginning of the year, or whenever I feel things are lagging, I review these aspects and consider the gaps or opportunities that I can see in each child’s life.  I then plan towards finding resources to help in that area.

Just to give you a brief overview of that scope and sequence:

Relationships – God and Man

Responsibilities

Intrapersonal – personal skills

Talents

Academics – Basic skills

Academics – General Knowledge  (History, Science, Geography)

The scope and sequence link gives more details of what gets studied under each category.  Many of these topics happen during everyday life.  Recognising these has been an aspect of us becoming relaxed homeschoolers.

I probably prefer the term discipleship homeshooler though that is not as widely understood or recognized as Relaxed HS.  The definition has changed for me as my desire to disciple rather than educate has become clearer and stronger.  

I had a “freak out” moment when my son reached 8.  I suddenly realized that this was serious and that I had to buckle down and do this properly.  I remember saying, “No more sandpit time for him during school time!”  This lasted for about 1 month.  Then I set about to discover if we could have a relationship based approach, a living life approach with the older children.  We are still conscientious over studies but not at the cost of our family life, or relationships.  Is it easier older or younger?  I think once you’ve made the switch in your own understanding of what and why of being relaxed/discipleship then it is the same – looks different (15yo Josh no longer plays in the sandpit! LOL) but the famiy dynamics are the same.

Nov. 28, 2008 - Christmas Gifts - a Parent's Opportunity

Nov. 24, 2008 - Busy Week - What am I going to do about it?

Nov. 22, 2008 - Browsing my History Files #11

Here are some links that I’ve enjoyed over the last week

Australia’s day of Thanksgiving is earlier in the year but I have enjoyed reading Heart of the Matter’s weekly Meme where different bloggers have shared what they are thankful for.  It is always good to have a refocus on gratefulness.

I have been excited to find this Art curriculum.  I have ordered it for Nomi’s lessons next year.  Though she will continue to do FIAR this will be a delight study for her, which will also incorporate some discipleship opportunities.

This week the movie, Australia, was premiered in town.  There was quite a buzz.  More so in our family than we expected because Nomi helped out some friends in a fancy dress competition and they ended up winning two double passes to that nights premiere.  They gave one set away.  The other set went to the two dads – so off they went to the Premiere showing – red carpet and all!

I spent a bit of time looking at this Alternative Calendar.  I like the idea of being more aware of various church/Christian celebrations.  I have earmarked a selection onto my 2009 diary – not all of them, but the ones that fit our family.  I envisage using these dates at least for dinner time conversation.  When we discuss a variety of issues around the table we have the opportunity to speak into our children’s lives in a variety of ways!

We all need a tree…. This came through my email and it was certainly timely.  I am sure we all need reminding of this life lesson at some time.