So... I LOVE, LOVE, LOVE, LOVE, LOVE, it!!! (Just like I thought I would!)

Guess what???   I LOVE BEING A HOME SCHOOL MOMMY!!! 

Okay.... so I know it's only the first day.  And I know that there are going to be days that I won't love it as much (if at all...).  But today was a GOOD day.

It began with morning snuggles.... at 8am!  In years past, when my kids attended a local school, morning snuggles were a privilege reserved only for snow days, sick days, and summer vacation days.  But today - the FIRST day of (home)school - we had morning snuggle time.  It didn't slip my consciousness that it was happening at the exact time the local school was beginning their day.  I silently thanked God that I was able to spend some quality time WITH my children in the morning instead of rushing them out of their beds before they were ready to rise.... instead of rushing them out the door with barely a breakfast inside them because they weren't up long enough to even BE hungry yet.... instead of a heart (mine) breaking in two.  Yes - that's right.  This is the FIRST first day of school this mommy has NOT had a broken heart. 

After our morning snuggles we took our traditional "first day of school" photos.  Then I decided we should begin a tradition of the "first day of school breakfast".  So we did - and I treated them out.  Yumm!  The kids toasted the beginning of their day with chocolate milk with their meal.  Not a bad start to the day.  I also was able to get the traditional "picture with their teacher" shot... only ONE of those this year!  And then I capped it off with some "learning in action" shots. 

*** (Disclaimer about the photos: for some reason my oldest child is in a stage where it is NOT at all "cool" to smile for any photo.  This is the best I could get out of him.  He will grow out of this, right??   RIGHT???)

**sigh** from one contented Momma.... AKA "Teacher".   Have I mentioned that I LOVE that?!?

Stress Cleaner turned... Stress Crafter??

I admit it, I am a "stress cleaner".   When I am stressed out, I have the ability to transform my home into a museum.  It would pass Mary Poppins' "white glove" test.   Since my home is currently on the market (any takers for a super cute, updated 3 bedroom ranch with finished basement?? Anyone??) it's in a state of perpetual cleanliness.  Just ask my kids - they'll tell you I'm not giving an inch where clutter is concerned.   I've been feeling a bit stressed out the past couple of days - nothing major, just dealing with a few of life's curve balls.  You know the kind I'm talking about... you think you're headed in one direction and WHAM!  Out of nowhere, you're hit with something you didn't put in your day planner.  It's not a comfortable situation for us "type-A" people, but with God's perfect grace and mercy, I'm learning to deal with it. 

Since the house is clean, what is a God-loving, stressed-out, type-A, girl supposed to do?   Movies don't distract - I often find my mind wanders too much and I discover I have no idea what's happening in the plot and all I've accomplished in my mind is borrowing trouble for things that haven't happened.  Yet.  ;-)   Books don't distract (I was shocked, too!) - and I find I'm re-reading the same paragraph over and over.  I trust that Isaiah 26:3 is true, and I have learned to keep myself busy so my mind doesn't wander where it shouldn't.   My house may revolt against me some day now that I have discovered that I am indeed a "stress crafter"... I can see the bathrooms getting less attention and scrapbooking receiving MORE.

After all my Excel planning for homeschooling this fall, it was nearly time to print schedules, attendance sheets, note pages, and curriculum plans.  But these ugly, old, wrinkled binder dividers from long-since-passed financial analysis days looked too sad to use for my super-fun homeschool planner!  All that time I'd spent at the computer deserved something PRETTY to organize it!!

 

But don't these scrapbook papers look super fresh and inviting??

 

 

 

Add some adhesive, and VOILA!!!   Pretty new binder dividers!!  (And all the while I was praying over my stress, praising over my stress - thanks to K-Love, and being productive).   Win-Win-Win!

 



 

If you haven't heard from me in a few days, check under the piles of scrapbook paper and adhesive.  Bring Diet Wild Cherry Pepsi and chocolate - I'll need some bribing to come out. 

So You Wonder...

... why I want to homeschool?

Every day I ask my kids what their "high" and their "sigh" of the day is.  Good points, not so good points... we talk it out.  I have found that many a potential "melt down moment" is averted through this conversation starter.  There is no opportunity for my little blessings to harbor any emotions they don't understand and cannot compute on their own.  (Eph 4:26)  I have found out more information with the game "Highs and Sighs" than asking the question "How was your day?"

Tonight at the dinner table was no exception... I found out more information than I anticipated, and am beyond grateful to God for His grace in keeping me calm and preventing an overreaction.  My 2nd grader was talking about learning a new subject... "Visual Media".  He was explaining how the students use "T-Charts" to compare and contrast real life with the fiction seen on television / media (in general).  So far, so good.   Next I asked him what example was used for comparison. He said a television show was shown and it was contrasted with real life.  Hmm... my curiosity is peaked... mostly because I'm pretty particular about what my kids' eyes view and what their ears hear.  I am teaching them to guard their hearts.

(Side note:  the school has a policy that no permission slips need to be sent home to watch anything the school chooses as educational as long as it's rated G.  I have a policy that I don't send my children to school to watch movies / TV shows.  We agree to disagree on each others policies).  

I probe further and ask my 2nd grader what TV show was shown to his class.  It was a Disney show, but one that is really too "mature" for the little minds I am protecting.  By the worlds standards it is a perfectly acceptable show.  But we don't live by the worlds standards.   (NOTE:  here is where I'm grateful for exercising self-control and not freaking out... and God blessed it and allowed my child to open up further). I asked what was shown in the film that he was able to fill up his T-chart with.  His answer was simple - "in the show they played with water guns in the house.  In real life, that doesn't happen.  Water guns are played with outside so the house doesn't get wet."  Excellent comprehension.  He's a genius.  :-)

"And then you know what happened, Mommy??  The grandpa was at a soccer game and he got mad at the coach and turned around and faced his bottom toward the coach on the field and he pulled his pants down and showed the coach his bottom."    Yep - you read that correctly.  MOONING on a child's program.  Ugh. 

Finally I asked my 2nd grader (as I'm silently thanking the Lord that there are only 5 more days of school left this year) what he thought of that.  He admitted he laughed (and was currently laughing) but he thought it was inappropriate for him to be watching, so he told his teacher he didn't want to see anymore.  His teacher told him he could play a math game (mother-approved, at that!) on the computer instead of finishing the TV show.   I have no right to be proud of my child... but in my sinful humanness, I am.  Proud. Of. Him.  He chose to honor the Lord today, and not his own desire for entertainment.

I have no right to be blessed.  But I am.  Blessed.  Immeasurably.

Train up a child in the way he should go;

even when he is old he will not depart from it.

~ Proverbs 22:6

And that's why I desire to homeschool.  To give more to my children of the Lord than they can possibly receive when not in my care.  I am charged to train them up.  And I want to. More and more.

Evie - Credible

Evie is "star of the week" at school.  Among filling out a special poster with several of her favorite things and bringing in something special for show-and-tell, one of her "special" assignments is to describe what kind of super powers she would have if she were a super hero.  She's been pondering it for days.  Well over a week now, for sure.  And I can't blame her - with something as important as choosing your very own powers, one must be selective. 

She finally told me today. 

"Mommy - if I were a super hero my special super powers would be to be able to see every time when bad guys are stealing money.  I would see them stealing the money and know where they are and I would call the police and tell them so they could arrest the bad guys and put them in jail.  And then we could give the money to the poor people because they need the money.  And then there would be no more poor people in the world.  Except the bad guys in jail because they would not have money in jail.  And the worst thing would be their food.  They would eat waffles every day.  And not good waffles.  Soggy waffles.  Because soggy waffles are the worst."  

I just love her exuberance and her loving, generous spirit.

And I agree. Soggy waffles ARE the absolute worst.