Well, the school year is in full swing. This year Alyssa is in 10th grade, Justin in 8th, Josh in 4th, Alex and Addy in 2nd, and Levi is doing preschool. Needless to say, I'm busy! So busy in fact that I had to revise my more loosely scheduled day into a more structured unforgiving schedule. First of all, I'm a list person, a check it off and see what I have done person. I'm that crazy person who does laundry on Mondays and Thursdays, vacuums every morning, and starts lunch at 11:00 because my lists say to do it. If it isn't on my list or my calendar it does not exists and therefor will not be done. For me this schedule really works! I love that the kids and I know what times we change subjects and that I can see that reading out loud is done and science isn't passed over but once a week.
But, this schedule does have a down side. I feel rushed sometimes. There is no time for tangents or further digging into a subject if the kids are really into something. So, I revised. I moved science and history to the afternoons, which are more open, and put math, language arts, phonics, spelling, and writing to the mornings. I don't think I have ever heard the kids beg for extra work in any of these subjects :) So far, this change seems to have given balance to my schedule. I have structure and things to check, and yet it allows for the fun of learning to stay alive! That is one of our education goals for our kids. We want them to love learning! We want them to find the joy of discovery and thrill of working out a problem.
Okay, time to get to my schedule. Luke is waking up, and my day is "new without any mistakes in it yet." as Anne Shirley would say. Good literature is a must also, but that is a blog for another time. I love watching our kids learn! Thank you God for allowing me the opportunity to be home with our children and teaching them all that you would have them learn. Give me the wisdom to do this job, the patience to be understanding and loving even when frustrated, and peace that I am doing what you have willed me to do.
Showing posts with label kids. Show all posts
Showing posts with label kids. Show all posts
Thursday, September 1, 2011
Monday, August 1, 2011
Third Times The Charm
Over the past 2 weeks I've sat down to write, gotten about a third of the way into a post, and then had to close my computer. Life is busy here. Luke is sleeping better, which makes my days seem much more doable. I've been squeezing in finishing up my lesson plans for the first 3 months of school, which is starting back up in full swing tomorrow. With 6 kids doing school work as well as caring for a 2 yr old and 4 mth old, I feel like I need to be as structured as I can! Of course, I've learned that "structured" needs to mean completely flexible. All of my plans are in pencil, meaning I can tweak the schedule to fit our lives not rule them. With so many variables to take into consideration, I either plan of interuptions and delays or I feel completely overwhelmed and get really cranky!
To make things even more crazy, our garden is bursting with produce that needs to be canned, frozen, or dehydrated. When my Dad walked through the door and told me the corn was ready, I wanted to cry. I still need to do peaches! I've tried to get 1 bushel done on my own, and it hasn't been successful. I am acknowledging my limitations when trying to can with an infant. I still hope to salvage the last of the peaches I have for baby food for Luke. I hope he likes peaches :) I am going into the garden tomorrow morning, and will probably have a full day of canning to go with it. Green beans are still coming, and I have less than 50 of the 100 jars I was hoping for. We will have no shortage of corn either. I really want to get 50-100 jars of those too. Then come the potatoes. I need about 50 jars of those too. After that comes apples, which we use to make the best applesauce! Lia loves it and won't eat any other sauce. That's my girl! So all in all, I have about 300-400 jars or bags of food to put up for the year still. Yikes! And lets not forget the pumpkins, squash, green peppers, and onions still growing out there too! Ok, now I'm really tired, but in a good way. I love watching my shelves get full of colorful jars of food. More on my canning adventures to come.
Lia has been having a hard go of it lately. After a year of multiple ear infections, we finally decided to opt for tubes. That surgery was this morning, and in a short 10 minutes I hope we have saved her from need so many antibiotics and infections. Our prayers were answered in that Lia didn't even ask for food until 15 min before her surgery. She was up at 5:30 AM and three hours later asked for food! That is unheard of! Lia normally is straight into her chair for breakfast when we get up in the morning. I know it was all the prayers from friends and family. God truly cares about the small things in our lives, and wants to bless us. I think those small answered prayers show His love more than the big prayers being answered. Somehow that God cares about the big things, the obvious needs, seems well obvious. But, those little things, like whether a toddler is crying because they can't have a sippy cup of milk for 3 hours after they get up for the day, just show His interest in our lives. I love how God works! We can't put him in a box and claim we "get" Him.
Ok, so my post is all over the place, but hey I'm sleep deprived and running in circles these days. My thoughts are scattered and very stream of conscience. Luke is sleeping, and I'm off to sleep too. Another day tomorrow, and I pray for God's grace to lead me through the day. Because I'm tired, over scheduled, and my to do list is enough work to keep me busy 24/7 for the next 2 months. Good night!
To make things even more crazy, our garden is bursting with produce that needs to be canned, frozen, or dehydrated. When my Dad walked through the door and told me the corn was ready, I wanted to cry. I still need to do peaches! I've tried to get 1 bushel done on my own, and it hasn't been successful. I am acknowledging my limitations when trying to can with an infant. I still hope to salvage the last of the peaches I have for baby food for Luke. I hope he likes peaches :) I am going into the garden tomorrow morning, and will probably have a full day of canning to go with it. Green beans are still coming, and I have less than 50 of the 100 jars I was hoping for. We will have no shortage of corn either. I really want to get 50-100 jars of those too. Then come the potatoes. I need about 50 jars of those too. After that comes apples, which we use to make the best applesauce! Lia loves it and won't eat any other sauce. That's my girl! So all in all, I have about 300-400 jars or bags of food to put up for the year still. Yikes! And lets not forget the pumpkins, squash, green peppers, and onions still growing out there too! Ok, now I'm really tired, but in a good way. I love watching my shelves get full of colorful jars of food. More on my canning adventures to come.
Lia has been having a hard go of it lately. After a year of multiple ear infections, we finally decided to opt for tubes. That surgery was this morning, and in a short 10 minutes I hope we have saved her from need so many antibiotics and infections. Our prayers were answered in that Lia didn't even ask for food until 15 min before her surgery. She was up at 5:30 AM and three hours later asked for food! That is unheard of! Lia normally is straight into her chair for breakfast when we get up in the morning. I know it was all the prayers from friends and family. God truly cares about the small things in our lives, and wants to bless us. I think those small answered prayers show His love more than the big prayers being answered. Somehow that God cares about the big things, the obvious needs, seems well obvious. But, those little things, like whether a toddler is crying because they can't have a sippy cup of milk for 3 hours after they get up for the day, just show His interest in our lives. I love how God works! We can't put him in a box and claim we "get" Him.
Ok, so my post is all over the place, but hey I'm sleep deprived and running in circles these days. My thoughts are scattered and very stream of conscience. Luke is sleeping, and I'm off to sleep too. Another day tomorrow, and I pray for God's grace to lead me through the day. Because I'm tired, over scheduled, and my to do list is enough work to keep me busy 24/7 for the next 2 months. Good night!
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