Smart Bucks!!!

I found this "share" over at Caps Creations!  I have been wanting to come up with and incentive plan to encourage the boys in their school work.  And what a perfect solution for little boys.  I just printed Caps file on my printer and pucnched out the tokens with my SU! scallopped circle punch.  Hmmmm maybe I will laminate these :)  Now to go shopping for some prizes *smile* School starts next week so I have to finish my "plan of action"

My Mother-ing-hood has changed.

Over the weekend I attended the CHEK homeschooling conference.  I went with plans of getting all pumped up to start our homeschooling.

Friday morning I went to one absolute DUD class.  The class was supposed to be something about you don't have to be a supermom to home school.  Three minutes into the class the speaker got off on a weight loss and whole food eating tangent....and for the next 45 minutes we were stuck.

The next class was by Amanda Bennett.  Being the Unit Study Guru, her class was about unit studies.  By the end I was believing that I could really pull this off and home school too.  The next morning I sat in on another one of her classes.  It was supposed to be 10 ways to spice up your homeschooling.  All of those were interesting...but something else she shared during the class has probably changed my whole motherhood.  Amanda admonished us to teach our children our testimony.  She said no matter what our children need to know that if any thing ever happens to mom that they need to make it to Heaven...because that is where they can find me.  Then she mentioned that your children also need to know your name and phone number as well as their grandparents names and numbers too.

Over the weekend I asked my 6 year old my name...he knew that...but he really didn't know that his grandparents all had full names too.  My 4 year old had no idea that my name was not Mommy.  And he doesn't know our phone number and has no clue that his grandparents aren't Memaw, Nanny and Poppy.  I do realize that not long down that road all of my boys will know that information.  But now I need to start engraving on their hearts my testimony.  They need to know that so that if by adulthood I am not around and they find themselves lost they will know where to go.  Suddenly it seemed that Deuteronomy 11:19 came alive in my heart.
Deuteronomy 11:19
And ye shall teach them your children, speaking of them when thou sittest in thine house, and when thou walkest by the way, when thou liest down, and when thou risest up.

Philips Homecoming

The Story of Philip--as told by his family

Sometimes people in Bloggerland touch your life.  Please click on the link above and read.  No matter what has happened in your life this week it cannot dim what this family has been through.

We dont always know reasons for why things happen.  We just have to trust that it is all a part of Gods plan for our lives.  May I always accept for His plan for me.

Its going to be okay :)

I have been so excited about starting to homeschool....things just seemed to start falling in place.  We have plans to go to a homeschool convention soon--and for the first time stay in a hotel with out the kids!  Last weekend we put laminate flooring in the playroom and were changing it into a playroom/homeschool.  Three days later we had a plumbing problem and flooded that end of the basement.  So all week I have spent tearing out floor in that room and carpet in another :(

To make matters worse  I took some wet towels to my neighbors to hang on their clothesline--and broke it!  To try to patch things up I made them some homemade bread.....

after the first raising....it raised so pretty....I kept watch on it for four hours....then when it was time to bake it...I realized that I forgot to put it in the pans!!!!!!  So it died when I tried to take it out!  Sadly....this is not my first time baking bread!

Backdrop for Puppets

So I decided to make a backdrop for our VBS this week.  I started with a canvas drop cloth from Home Depot and a black Sharpie marker....and drew the scene free hand--obviously :)

I laid plastic under the cloth and painted the cloth with acrylic craft paint.

The color collection was somewhat limited so I had to make my own color for the water.

Then I simply tried to paint in the lines just like a coloring book.

I outline the picture in black to give it a more finished look and a child's coloring book look.

Finally I did add a red cross in the blue triangle to give the sail the appearance of the Christian flag.  Hope you like it Angie :)

Home Comforts

Somethings always trigger thoughts of my mother. A few weeks ago I was in Barnes and Nobles and ran across a beautiful hard cover edition of Owl At Home. I was so excited. Mother read this book to us many, many nights. No doubt some nights she probably read it more than once. Immediately I grabbed a copy so excited to share it with my boys. As I was leaving the childrens section of the store I saw some note cards with scenes from the Owl At Home book---this would be the perfect Mothers Day gift for mom. On Mothers Day when Mom opened the cards she was so excited...the rest of the family looked on wondering why she was so in love with these cards. But my brother and I knew. They were a reminder of our wonderful childhood that my mother enjoyed too.

I used to feel bewildered trying to create the perfect childhood for my childhood for my children. Finally I just made goals for raising them:

• --raise them with the knowledge of God and His saving grace  
• --a home that might not always be organized ...but pleasant and clean 
• --encouragement to try again when they dont succeed 
• --acceptance to mature and develope at their own rate 
• --opportunities to learn, explore and follow their interest
•  

Finally I needed a measure of success.....then it came....a little friend was visiting and told Ben that he planned to move in. Ben replied "thats great you will love it here!"

 

Deep Breath!

I got this picture from a lady over at Two Peas in a Bucket....some day I will have it printed and framed for my family room.

Today is a big day.  I made a huge decision--with my husbands approval.  I have decided to just be a mom.  I am finishing the weddings that I have for this year.  And have cancelled out of ones for next year.  Lately I have wanted my total focus to be on my family.  Making a home that I would want to live in.  Educating my children.  Taking time to read to the boys at night.  Dropping the mop for time to play tag.  And cooking whole foods for my children and husband.

I don't want to miss even the tiniest moments....because I have pictures to edit and albums to design.

I want to be available and ready to enjoy every moment.  The boys will be little once...and the money that I make will never bring these days back.

I am indeed the luckiest and most blessed woman in the world and I want to enjoy it.

It is big deal...in my world yes but then again ...it is my calling...so here am I Lord.  I place my trust in Him to continue to take care of us while we raise our family for His glory.

I found this blog The Simple Womans Daybook and thought I would play along!  So here is my entry:

FOR TODAY

Outside my window...  

there are toys in the yard that need to be picked up....a sign that my children have enjoyed being outside.

I am thinking...
of all the chores that must be done once the boys are napping

I am thankful for...
all of my family and God

From the learning rooms...(if this applies)
the flooring is scheduled to be laid this weekend!!  Our books arrived last night!

From the kitchen...

the smell of the bbq that I made for dinner is still there :)

I am wearing...

the clothes I just jogged in

I am creating...

a leagacy for my children

I am going...

to send the oldest two to VBS tonight....a night out for me and the little one

I am reading...
The Blind Side

I am hoping...
that I will raise successful children

I am hearing...
the hum of my dryer

Around the house...
there is the evidence of three busy little boys

One of my favorite things...
is to take a bubble bath while sipping diet mt.dew!

A few plans for the rest of the week:
sorting through the boys closet, and finish tearing out the carpet for the new homeschool room :)

Here is picture for thought I am sharing...

Home Sing Monday!!

Ah what a challenge!  And I found it just in time!  Our homeschooling books arrived today!  And we plan to begin school 7/5 so I need to:
--Finish making a schoolroom/playroom
--reorganize the boys closet
--and finish my SPRING {summer} cleaning...all while finding time to enjoy my three boys!

Fleeting Moments

I have been thinking all day about my little family and some major decisions that are before me.  My boys are growing up right before my eyes.  It seems that I am constantly realizing that they are doing something new.  I came across this pic of Ben when he was about two. He had wanted to sleep with his new bike and accidently fell asleep with it!

Here is Nate as a baby.  He was my most "normal" pregancy.  He is that baby that God gave me to heal my heart.  I lost my third pregancy at the end of the first trimester. ( I lost numbers: 1,3, and 5)  The DNC was on Dec 8 2004{my 34th birthday}.  My heart was shattered.  Even though Ben was 11 months old I still had a big hole in my heart for the other baby.  December 16 I got out of bed, put up the tree and decorated the house for Bens first Christmas.  I had to get my life back and make a good Christmas for Ben and Bryan.  On January 7, 2005 {Bens first birthday}---I realized I was pregnant!  I held my breathe until the end of my first trimester and then celebrated!  I was carrying my little NATE!

Eli arrived as a whirlwind on April 17,2008.  He has always been a shakere and mover.  Within 24 hours of his arrival we survived two earthquakes.  He ran our household schedule by nursing on his terms and schedule....like every time he thought about being hungry.  He slept most of the first day he was born and stared me in the eye most of his first night as to say...what now mom...when do we go home?

Eli @ 3months

Baby Nate holding Grannys hand.  feb 2006

I took this picture of a turtle -that interupted one of my photo sessions.  I cant seem to delete him from my computer when I purge pictures.  I guess I keep him around to remind me to slow down and enjoy these days.

Ben with his curly locks playing his keyboard.

Sir Ken Robinson: Do schools kill creativity?

Homeschool and Socialization

In our decision to homeschool we already have people-- with out a vote--worrying about Nate and his socialization.  I came across this article today and it cleared everything up for me.  So I am posting it here so that anyone concerned can have access to it and read it also.

Socialization and Children with Asperger Syndrome







Anybody who has been homeschooling more than twenty minutes knows that the most popular probing question from the masses is: "And what about socialization?"






This is an especially bothersome question for families affected by Asperger Syndrome who want to homeschool. Since lack of social skills is one of the hallmarks of the child with AS, people naturally assume that keeping a child home instead of exposing him to the social climate of school will just worsen the situation.






The reverse is true, in my opinion, for the following reasons:






1. School has people, but that doesn't make it social. In fact, it is usually fairly anti-social since kids can be very cruel and bullies seem to be an ever-present part of the school experience. What is social about exposing our children to daily torment? Nothing. Children with Asperger Syndrome are natural targets for bullies and the situation frequently results in a tantrum, depression or violence, all of which could have been prevented by avoiding this "social" atmosphere.






2. Homeschooling does not mean denying social experiences. To the uninitiated, homeschooling conjures a picture of cloistering your child at home all the time. For most homeschoolers, nothing could be further from the truth. There are trips to the library and the park, gatherings with other homeschoolers, and lessons and clubs that tie in with the child's interests. And, we still live in neighborhoods, still have extended family and friends, church and other social obligations. Homeschooling does not mean restricted movement but rather greater flexibility.






3. Social experiences tend to be more positive when done through home education. As homeschooling parents, we can monitor social gatherings to keep them positive. That is, we can pick and choose the activities, watch for bullies and intervene, head off other kinds of trouble, and teach our children with spontaneous social lessons "in the moment," (or make a note to discuss things later). In short, we are on deck. Finally and perhaps most importantly, we can steer our children gently homeward before sensory overload undermines the whole event. In school, our kids do not get the luxury of this kind of protection or customized teaching. It's usually a case of "sink or swim." Our kids tend to do more sinking than swimming.






4. Homeschoolers may get more social opportunities out of their day. When we homeschooled, my son was in the comfort zone of his home surroundings for mornings of academic work, and that still left him with some energy in the afternoons and evenings to try other things. Parks department classes, bowling league, swimming lessons, and Boy Scouts were just some of the things he tried. When we stopped homeschooling and put him into a regular school, however, these fell away. He was too burned out from the school day to do anything else, and quit all outside activities. Although he'd wanted to try public school and did fine academically, the tradeoff was that he gained some very negative social experiences and lost some very positive ones.






5. The idea that our kids need the classroom experience of having positive role models around them every day is suspect. It's true that positive role models are better than negative ones, but just placing our kids alongside peer-age so-called normal kids does not mean that they will intuitively pick up on proper behavior. In fact, their condition of Asperger Syndrome means they will NOT pick things up intuitively. Things like social graces, body language and speech pragmatics must be consciously, deliberately, and specifically taught, bit by bit. Unless the child has a one-to-one aide to provide full-time tutelage in these things and allow ample rehearsal time, not many social skills will be picked up. Contrast that with the home environment, where the parent does have the time and patience to teach these things and can provide a safe place for rehearsing them.






6. Finally, we need to measure by a different yardstick. Our kids with Asperger Syndrome do not typically need or want the same level of social interaction than their neurologically typical peers do. Not everyone wants to be surrounded by others all day long, have large parties, or a dozen friends. Many of us (self included) cherish solitude, are happiest in our own company and function better with fewer social interactions. This is not abnormal, only different, and it should be honored. It is far better to have a little interaction and look forward to more another day, than to have too much interaction and suffer devastating consequences.






In short, parents can rest easy that their home education program is probably doing more for their child's socialization than a public school counterpart could. The only dark side, and there is a dark side, is that our children will probably never be totally at ease in social situations and will always have a few challenges, no matter what we do. Asperger Syndrome is, after all, a lifelong condition. And because of that, there will always be someone ready to proclaim why our child seems socially inept. "It must be because he was homeschooled!" they will cluelessly proclaim. Sometimes, you just can't win.










Copyright 2002 Lise Pyles






Lise Pyles, a homeschooling parent, is the author of Hitchhiking Through Asperger Syndrome.


Learn more about her book at http://www.jkp.com/catalogue/book.php?isbn=1-85302-937-8 or http://www.amazon.com/exec/obidos/ASIN/1853029378/