Amazing Kids

I just sent my kids to bed after a long day of chores and school work and piano lessons. Since it is after 9pm (which is lights out) I told them they could not stay up and read tonight. Tears and protests started. "But I worked so hard today! I just want to read!!!" They did work hard. I gave in. My 6 year old is reading The Lion, the Witch, and the Wardrobe. My 8 year old is reading Robin Hood by Pyle (the old English version). I am so impressed with these kids!!!

Monday, Monday

People say to me often, "I don't know how you do it."  And I just shrug and smile, because what do you say to that?

Well today I yelled at the top of my lungs, out of complete frustration, to no one in particular, "I DON'T KNOW HOW I DO IT!!!!!!"  SERIOUSLY.  Ugh. 

I have five little children that all need me at once. 

Today I was giving a spelling test to Savannah, while holding Caroline, feeding Caroline AND Zach yogurt (Zach was standing beside me), and helping Charlotte with her phonics.  OK, so maybe that was four children all at the same time.

I don't know exactly how it came to that.  I think it was just interruption after interruption and we just had to get school done no matter what.  I really wish I had a helper in the daytime for the little kids.

Savannah- Two tantrums today.  SHE's 8! : (  It is very unusual for her.  She was rude first thing this morning and it just went downhill from there.

Maddy-one tantrum;  Thank heavens.

Zach-one tantrum and no major messes. :)

Charlotte- none... my sweet, wonderful, even-tempered child.

Caroline-none... my angel baby.


Here is my solution to the chaos that I am going to try this week.  We will stop school at 10 am and will not resume until just after lunch.  10 am is about when everything starts to get out of control.  Everyone gets hungry and grumpy.  I feed everyone a snack, but then I try to keep pushing through with school because we have so much to do.  I think that is my mistake.  I need to feed everyone their snack and then hang out with the little ones for a few hours and let the bigs take a long break. 

Plus, that is about when Daddy wakes up; he works nights. 

He woke up early today from the screaming Zach in the hall, sees the gigantic mess that Maddy and Zach have made building tents all over the house (he hates messes), and I'm hyper-focused on schooling and mothering on a particulary bad day, which means I'm NOT in wife mode at all. 

Grumpy, sleepy husband (large child) meets hyper-focused, unsympathetic wife (psycho) = NO GOOD.  Isaac didn't say much, I could just tell he wasn't happy.  He went outside to work.

So, we are stopping at 10am, eating, cleaning, and playing quietly and happily until naptime this week.  We'll see how that goes.

On the positive side, we got everything accomplished, we had an enjoyable poetry tea-time outdoors, and everyone went to bed happy.

Socialization is a myth. (warning: a rant)

So my biggest fear before homeschooling was how my kids would be socialized. Would they be weird if I homeschooled? Would I ruin them?

I knew two kids that went to our church that were homeschooled. They were NERDS; and it was obviously a result of being homeschooled. The most annoying thing about them was that they didn't know they were nerds. Completely oblivious! They obviously did not have the opportunity of being "clued in" to how nerdy they truly were since they had so much confidence in themselves...

Now wait a second. They were nerdy and they were confident. (how is that bad?)

I was so used to seeing the nerds at school having no self-esteem. They were nerdy and quiet. They kept to themselves and always looked sad/depressed.

Now wait a second again! There were nerds at school!?! How did public school fail them? I thought we all send our kids to school so that they become "socialized" or in other words, like everyone else so that they fit into society. So there shouldn't be any socially-misfit kids at school because they are all there being socialized, right?

OR... maybe, just maybe, whether a kid will be nerdy or socially "normal" is not determined by where they go to school, but who they are and who their parents are. Hmm... I think the latter is true.

Therefore, "socialization" is a myth. :D

Well, sort of. If you have a nerdy child, and you desire to send them to public school to be "socialized", they will be socialized. They will be that nerdy, no-self-esteem child that they ought to be.

Moreover, they will know their proper role in society. They will have experienced the "real world". We adults all know that in the real world everyone you interact with is your same age. And if you are a nerdy adult your peers will call you "stupid" and "fat-so" at work, and probably ignore you on your lunch break. So you might as well get used to it, beginning at the tender age of 5.

Does anyone else see the ridiculousness of this train of thought or is it just me?????

I'll admit it. I'm arrogant. I think homeschooling is a superior method of raising children and that it provides a superior education than public school. There may be some legitimate reasons some parents send their kids to public school, but "socialization" is not one them.

There are a lot of nerdy homeschoolers. And they are blissfully unaware of their nerdiness. And they are happy. And confident. That's what I want for my unsocialized, nerdy, homeschooled kids. Because in the "Real World", confidence matters.

Would You Want to be Home-Schooled???

This article from New York Times asks kids ages 13+ if they would like to be homeschooled. Scroll down to read their responses in the comment section. Then skip a few pages to where the homeschooled kids start writing their responses.

Here's one of my favorite responses. To be fair, I chose one that had correct grammar and spelling:

"Personally, I dont think that being homeschooled would be good because then you’re like this clueless person when you get to college. You wouldn’t know how to socialize and communicate with other people. You would be missing out on a bunch of projects, hands on, and group work. Basically, you would be unaware of the world. *Shrugs*… Imean if you can’t focus in class than you should go to like a private school where they might be more strict but still provide the social activities ..:D"



Seriously, like, pull them out now before it's too late!!! :D

We're doing good

Well, tomorrow will be week 12 of our school year. It is going really well. We do the reading, writing, phonics, & math every day without fail. I got caught up with the science & history, then got behind again. We'll be playing catch-up again next week in those subjects, and then I've scheduled in a two-week break for Thanksgiving and a week for Christmas projects. I scheduled three weeks of school in December, but I'm thinking about taking those off as well and moving school further into the summer.

I can do that since I'm the Principal :D

But we'll see. It depends on how busy December is.

Charlotte finished her Kindergarten math book and has moved on to Math Mammoth grade 1. Now she is officially in all first grade curriculum!

I highly recommend Essential Math A&B for Kindergarten and Math Mammoth for 1st-6th grade. I have been so pleased with these math programs. They are conceptually challenging, yet they teach in a line-upon-line way, particularly Math Mammoth. Even though math does not come naturally to Savannah, she is doing really well and it is making sense to her. She mostly does her math on her own now since it is written to the student. Charlotte, on the other hand, takes to math very easily. It has been a joy to watch her catch on so quickly (and a sweet relief!)

Similarly, language/spelling/reading comes very naturally to Savannah, while it comes slightly less naturally to Charlotte. However they are both very smart in both areas of language and math.

Have I mentioned lately how much I enjoy teaching them? I mean, overall, in general.

Today I got frustrated with Savannah for dwaddling during math and making careless mistakes. And Charlotte's reading lesson was cut drastically short for fear I would accidently bite her head off. She kept guessing at words instead of sounding them out. I needed a nap after today's lessons.

However, to watch them learn and improve, to listen to their jokes and stories, and just get to know them at such a fun time in their lives is priceless.

Survival Mode

How to homeschool with 5 small children:

You don't! Hahahahhahahahahaha!
ok, just kidding.

You drop the nonessentials and focus on the 3R's: math, math facts, challenging word problem, spelling, phonics, dictation, copywork, narration, grammar, vocabulary, latin, cursive, & reading.

Just kidding again! Ohhhhhh, I'm so funny.

Really, you par down to essentials, establish a routine, go easy on yourself, and gradually add stuff back in as you can handle it.

The new baby hasn't so much been the challenge. It's a new baby & a boy toddler that has been the challenge. I figured out that school needed to be done during toddler's naptime.

I also dropped American history, all the projects that went with it, and our state study. School is going smoother now. I'm trying to catch up on science, ancient history, and myths. We'll get there. And even if we don't, it will be ok. It's just gravy. (However, we WILL)

A House of Order

“Organize yourselves; prepare every needful thing; and establish a house, even a house of prayer, a house of fasting, a house of faith, a house of learning, a house of glory, a house of order, a house of God” (D&C 88:119).

Homeschooling is more than just doing school at home. It is a lifestyle. It encompasses the entire day, not just when we're doing math and phonics. Homeschooling is learning how to live with each other in a way that is uplifting and joyful, rather than stressful and frustrating.

I am NOT saying that I have it all figured out. Anyone that knows me and has been in my house is well aware of that fact. However, this is the goal and purpose that I have in mind. And, in fact, there are a few things I HAVE figured out that I'd like to share.

First things first: you have to have a clean and orderly house.
Both Isaac and I can wholeheartedly recommend Accountable Kids. Worth. Every. Cent.
My children keep the house clean. They have it down to an art now. The house can be COMPLETELY destroyed and they'll have it clean in about 20-30 min. I take care of cleaning the kitchen (because they aren't tall enough to reach the cabinets) and doing my own laundry/bedroom/bathroom. I don't have to yell, or threaten, or spank. And yes, I did all three of these as "motivation" before I found this awesome program. They get ready for the day in the morning & for bed at night, quickly, and without reminders. It has made such a difference in our home. Everyone is happier.

Second: Establish a routine.
Whatever it may be, make your day fairly predictable. Over time it becomes easier to get things done (like math or actually DOING school) when they know it is coming at the same time, every day, no exceptions. Of course, surprises are fun too. Don't forget those!

Third: Spiritual learning is more important than academics.
The BEST part of being home with your kids all day is how much time you have to teach them the gospel. Is that not the most important part of motherhood? Prayer, music, and scriptures are included throughout the day. These times are sweet and relaxing times (usually) when we feel the spirit and learn about Jesus. It is everyone's favorite time of the day.
Of course, it is not only WHAT we teach, however, but who we are through our daily (ALL day) example. Isaac and I have found that privately studying the Book of Mormon for 30 min. a day, as well as having daily personal prayer, has made all the difference. For me, reading the Book of Mormon helps me have the companionship of the Spirit, which brings peace of mind & heart, as well as a clear understanding, and feelings of love towards my family. VITAL to the daily grind of having your kids at home with you ALL. DAY. LOOOONNNNNGGGG. Instead it becomes a JOY rather than a chore.

And last but not least: QUIET TIME!!!!
1 hour, for sanity's sake. I just started doing this. Each kid goes to a different room for an hour. They take books to read or look at. Maddy likes to color for her quiet time. We are all separated from each other. WOW. Quiet time is one routine that is here to stay. Again: everyone is just happier when we have quiet time in our day. I highly recommend it!

Some days...

are better than others.

Last week we schooled only three days.  One of those days, Savannah only did math.  It was helping her with math that did it for me.  I was done afterwards.  All patience and good feelings flew out the window.  I told the kids to go play because I knew nothing would get accomplished if I tried to continue. 

One of those days the girls woke up early and started playing intently (fairies and ponies and building houses out of legos..) and I let them continue because they're 3, 5, & 7.  Sometimes playing is just more important.  Meanwhile, I made up a cleaning schedule for them... and what a wonderful thing it is, too.

One of those days last week were wonderful.  The moon and stars aligned so that Zach and Maddy were happy during school, everyone focused on their lessons, and we ended the 3Rs by 10 am.  Holy Cow!  That was a really good day.

The past two days (it's only Tuesday), 3R's have taken us past noon.  I HOPE, hope, hope, this trend doesn't continue.  I was just glad that we were able to finish it before meltdown point (for me).

Oh, how homeschooling tests, stretches, and grows my patience.  I am getting better at it.  Really.

d'Aulaire's Greek Myths

So for Day 3 of our school week (which is today), we read from d'Aulaire's Greek Myths. It is wonderfully illustrated and keeps the kid's attention well. I love ALL d'Aulaires books for this reason, and the fact that they are so well written.

So I was reading about Greek gods and was watching the kid's faces as well... it was so funny. There are crazy stories in the beginning: brothers marry their sisters, son kills father, father eats his own children... I started to wonder if I shouldn't be reading this to my kids, even though they know these are made-up stories.
Then we finally got to Zeus and his twelve gods that are under him that are so well-known. Poseidon, ruler of the sea with his trident, is Ariel's dad in The Little Mermaid. A you-tube video of Vivaldi's music had Zeus in it with his thunderbolts that Savannah recognized. Hades, ruler of the underworld, is another name for Hell. Many of them are used in Shakespeare's plays, which we're reading as well. Sprites are mentioned in the Greek Myths, which Savannah's favorite sprite is Puck from A Mid-Summer Night's Dream. So I'm seeing that there is wisdom in reading these crazy stories of the greek gods. They are everywhere in stories, old and new, that even the kids pick up on.
Isaac is jealous that I get to stay home and learn with the children. I love homeschooling. Have I mentioned that yet?