How Homeschooling Happens: Adventures of a Homeschooling Family

The Kid Can READ!

2011-01-18T08:59:00.000-05:00

It turns out that D has been teaching himself to read. On Sunday he read aloud a page from one of his favorite Star Wars books all by himself for the very first time with lots of encouragement from his dad.

I cannot take credit for this development. D has been teaching himself. I'm firmly in the camp of "no academics until age 6." I have always loved reading to my kids. However, in my opinion, if they want to read on their own, it is up to them to lead the way. One of his favorite electronic games is a "phonics and spelling" game I was given for free at a yard sale. (Above, you can see a photo of him showing M how to use it.)He also loves www.Starfall.com . The last few months he had been keenly interested in spelling and he began writing words to describe his illustrations a few weeks ago.(I also have not "taught" him to write. D has been begging me to show him how to write letters for at least a year now and he had taught himself to write the alphabet and to write words. I only suggested that he arrange them in a left-to-right configuration, which he happily has done. I now routinely get pictures with "I LOVE U J BY D" written on them.)

Reaching back to my childhood, I do not recall being taught to read. I do remember being 3 or 4 and sitting at my little table in my room reading a book about a michevious mouse named Pippa. I cannot recall the name of the book, only the feeling of pride that I could read it by myself. I know this is how D is feeling with his most recent accomplishment. He's always loved having materials read aloud to him; picture books, chapter books, newspaper articles. If it doesn't have pictures, he closes his eyes and engages his imagination, asking lots of clarifying questions to enrich his experience; asking about the definitions of words and how to spell them. It's as if he's sitting up a bit taller today when we read together, an active participant in the reading.

And so it is. D, has taught himself how to spell and read at age 4. As a mother, who has been by his side almost continuously since birth, I am in awe and honored to be a witness.

A Morning at the Opera

2011-01-18T08:30:00.001-05:00

This morning we had the good fortunate to attend a preview of the opera "Hansel and Gretel." This program was organized by another local homeschooling mom. The Boston Lyric Opera provided a delightful program with one of the cast members and a pianist to introduce the kids to vocal performance and opera. Given we all live outside Boston, they sent the program to us! We met at a local church with wonderful acoustics. They performed excerpts from the full length opera,"Hansel and Gretel" by Engelbert Humperdinck, taking them through the storyline and demonstrating how the music is used to heighten the emotions of the scenes. D was captivated once the singing started. The BLO provided us with a CD of excerpts of the opera which D insisted we listen to the entire way home. Inspiration ignited, we'll delve into a unit study in preparation for the full-length performance we will attend in March in Boston. The opera is in English, which provides an excellent opportunity for engagement of children in this expressive art form. And dare I say, adults?

Link to performance information and on-line learning materials.

There Is No Air In Space

2011-01-07T20:48:00.000-05:00

D is continually engaged, creatively integrating his imagination with observation. His keen awareness operates on many levels simultaneously, poised to observe the ant making its way across the floor while he perceives a slight shift in you breathing and asks you why you are upset. I doubt his intellectual mind ever rests. I often feel like I can't keep up with his probing inquisitions and ravenous appetite for learning. It is as if his mind is set to "Yes!" and "More!"; relentlessly wondering and seeking connection.

We were reading a story about Buzz Lightyear preparing for space flight. The story talked about how he was standing in front of the air conditioner because he knew how cold the air would be in space. D was playing around with his Buzz Light year doll. I was wondering if he was actually paying attention to the story I was reading. My doubt was promptly put to rest.

D, without even glancing up from his play, said, "There is no air in space. "
I stopped reading, looked up at him and smiled. "You are absolutely right, there is no air in space."
D added, "How can it be cold if there is no air?" Good question!
"We will have to look that one up." I replied.

The question had never occurred to me.

The theme of the last two days has been science. Yesterday we went to the "Budding Scientist" program at the EcoTarium and stayed for a planetarium show, "The Secret of the Cardboard Rocket." Then today we spent the afternoon setting up D's Toy Story 3 bedtent, reading some Toy Story books, and then thanks to Netflix Wii streaming, watched 2 episodes of The Universe, per D's request. We watched Season 1, episodes 1 and 2 - the Sun and Mars. He sat attentive for nearly two hours, asking some really great questions and we spent time discussing solar flares, robotics, and why Mars lacks an atmosphere but Earth has one. (Hint: It has something to do with planetary magnetic fields.)

Trying to Strike A Scheduling Balance

2011-01-05T17:43:00.000-05:00

Today D. enjoyed his first gymnastics class today. It was great to watch him enjoy himself and to see some of his natural tendencies (like jumping, hopping on one foot, jumping over obstacles) channeled and affirmed. In the midst of New England winter, it is a great way for him to direct his incredible energy. There is also some family pride operating here as his grandfather was an NCAA gymnast and I studied gymnastics and dance in my youth.

Another activity. It is a constant balancing act between unstructured free time and scheduled activities which will be fun, engaging, and give my son a good channel for natural interest as well as give him a diversity of experiences from which to be inspired and challenged. News articles and academic studies warn of the negative consequences of overscheduling children. One of the many reasons I have chosen the homeschooling path is to hold off on formal academic work in favor of engaging my son's creativity through physical activity, art, music, and play while he is young.

Right now he does a preschool program at the local Audubon society once a week. He attends a fun and games session at the local community center twice a week, swimming lessons once a week, and now gymnastics. (My goal of one daily period of directed and vigorous physical activity, I will admit, is so that we can all maintain sanity as much as for his physical development.) He practices violin for 1 hour a day and attends a private and a group class once a week. He has a separate Music Together class weekly. Once a week our homeschool co-op gathers for learning and playing. Finally, he attends Spirit Play at church on Sunday.

He seems to be happy with the activities. In fact, he seems to be happiest with a structured daily routine and at least one activity a day. I carefully guard at least a 2 to 3 hour chunk of time each day for unstructured play for him while I do things around the house. We also read throughout the day and he reads with his dad nightly. When I secretly observe his playing, he incorporates bits and pieces of all these experiences in the most creative and unexpected ways. He's like a little sponge, soaking it all in.

So where to draw the line? That is always the question.

Today's Project - Digital Images of Artwork

2011-01-04T08:53:00.000-05:00

Mountains of crafts, drawings, paintings, and love notes. Today I will begin to create digital images of each new masterpiece. This way, we can "keep" the images forever but I will no longer feel compelled to hold on to each piece in growing mountainous piles, created by my prolific artist-in-residence. How do you manage your childrens prized artwork projects?

Weekly reflection on Charlotte Mason Vol 1 Home Education, pages 21 - 37

2010-10-01T16:48:00.002-04:00

It is easy, as a homeschooling parent, to go right to making decisions and plans regarding the curriculum you'll be using to teach your child academic subjects. Here, however, Miss Mason, starts us with what matter most – taking care of the health of the child. The curriculum will not matter if your child's health doesn't support learning. The most critical factor is your child's environment, and most in that is fresh air.

“The children walk every day; they are never out less than an hour when the weather is suitable.” That is better than nothing. p. 29

I have been beginning each “homeschool-preschool” session with a brisk 30 to 40 minute walk around the neighborhood, weather permitting. This is wonderful for many reasons. We have become more intimate with the changing weather; discussing the weather at hand and what about it is pleasing to the senses. It allows us to put any stresses of the morning behind us for the day, a way of “changing channels” in preparation for the next phase of the day. We feel more connected to the routines and the people of our immediate community as we tend to see the same people doing the same things every day. This is no easy accomplishment in today's age. The obvious benefit is exercise. Usually our baby falls asleep in the stroller as well, almost ensuring she'll be in a good mood and cooperative when we return home. Once we arrive back at home, we have a snack, discuss the day ahead – review the calendar visually and verbally – and go up to the playroom/learning room for about an hour of reading and activities. This walk is in addition to whatever outdoor play we have scheduled for later in the day. Tried out on a whim, the daily walk has proved a mainstay of our homeschooling mornings.

One quote that stood out to me was a comment on the issue of “lessons.”

'Oh, she has her lessons regularly every day.' Probably: but lessons which deal with words, only the signs of things, are not what the child wants. There is no knowledge so appropriate to the early years of a child as that of the name and look and behaviour in situ of every natural object he can get at. p. 32

My husband made the insightful comment a few weeks ago that our son's impressive vocabulary outstrips his logic. It is easy to assume that since he is so articulate that his reasoning powers would be highly developed as well. This is not the case. He is right on track with those, being 4 years old. His leaps of reasoning are often rather amusing.

It occurred to me that lessons that are solely language-based presume not only a certain level of vocabulary, but also and most importantly, context, which my 4-year old simply doesn't have yet. While I do present verbal lessons to help him develop the important connections between vocabulary, natural law, and reason, I have observed the lessons he gains the most from are hands-on. His favorite ones are “animal encounters” at our local natural history museum, conservation lands, and wildlife sanctuaries held for preschoolers where they get to see and touch animals as they learn about their habitats on nature walks. Experience supersedes any “gaps” of understanding complex natural systems and reinforce relevant vocabulary. Plus they are way more fun with the other kids than sitting in a room with his mom.

Your thoughts? Join the conversation and study group at http://www.amblesideonline.org/

Weekly reflection on Charlotte Mason Vol 1 Home Education, pages 11-20

2010-09-27T16:23:00.000-04:00

What did you learn from your reading?

p. 17 "Despise: to have a low opinion of, to undervalue" - thus the dictionary; and, as a matter of fact, however much we may delight in them, we grown-up people have far too low an opinion of children."
I am ashamed to admit that I learn more and more every day how I have too low opinion of children as a function of my cultural training that I'd like to admit. That is not to say I think ill of children. On the contrary, I love children, mine most of all. However, I think that through pop culture, pop psychology, and mass marketing I have come to have too low opinion of their capabilities, desires, and innate moral character. I am beginning to distinguish between approaching my child through who I"know" him to be through my daily experience of him and who I "think" him to be as determined by my expectations of a 4-year-old boy. When I default into interacting with the "idealized" 4-year old, it usually doesn't have good results. That is a tip off that I am not being mindful or present and my son can sense that automatically, usually acting out in some way to get me to notice him, to jog me back to being present. It is his way of saying, "Wake up mom and notice ME." That is "ME" as who he really is.

p. 20 "The mischief lies in that same foolish undervaluing of the children, in the notion that the child can have no spiritual life until it please his elders to kindle the flame."
That a child could have an independent spiritual life from the start, one that originates and develops without the influence or consent of adults is profound to consider yet once considered, seems rather obvious. I recall having what I would now call mystical experiences as a small child. At that age I just accepted them as "the norm" - everyday part of life - and had neither language with which to express them nor adults in whom to confide. Our real duties, as adults and parents, is to guide children in their spirituality, give them language with which to express their experiences, and candidly offer our own experiences to them. We guide them in our own faith traditions as lovingly and respectfully as we can, helping guard their experiences of divine love as best we can to fuel their growing faith.

"But trailing clouds of glory do we come / From God, who is our home..."

2010-09-27T14:45:00.000-04:00

Reading a little Charlotte Mason this morning...

"Our birth is but a sleep and a forgetting:
The soul that rises with us, our life's star,
Hath had elsewhere its setting,
And cometh from afar;
Not in entire forgetfulness,
And not in utter nakedness,
But trailing clouds of glory do we come
From God, who is our home:
Heaven lies about us in our infancy!"
- Wordsworth

A Rainy Monday Morning with the Buddha

2010-09-27T09:48:00.000-04:00

Upon D's request, this morning our preschool "lesson" is the Buddha. My husband recorded the award-winning PBS documentary, "The Buddha" a few months back. On Saturday night we began t watch it, but D fell asleep after 27 minutes. This morning, raw and rainy, I suggested that we stay inside and snuggle up on the couch. He asked if we could watch "The Buddha."

He has watched the anecdote of the Buddha having compassion for the ants of the farmers field at a farming festival. It is his "favorite part". He listened intently for the past hour, asking many questions and prompting me to read to him the subtitles as they arose on the screen. Suddenly he piped up, "Mom, The Buddha is a child of God!"

The beauty of a flexible homeschool schedule is that we can take breaks from planned lessons to follow Ds interests and inquiries. Quite frankly, every day I become more aware of how prejudiced my own ideas are regarding what a 4-year old can do, what one will be interested in and what one won't. D patiently and lovingly shows me how limited and limiting my beliefs are and I let him lead me into his beautiful unfolding. Many days I'm not sure who learned more and am thankful for the gift of grace.

The New Homeschool Year Is HERE!

2010-09-02T21:14:00.001-04:00

Alas, summer is concluding and the fall is rolling in. Despite record-high heat this week there is no denying that the days are in deed getting shorter when I rise in the dark for my 5:30am runs and the air is bordering on crisp.

After taking the summer off to "do baby" full time and enjoy the heat at the lake as much as possible with both kids, I was admittedly more than a bit depressed for a few days last week upon returning from our end-of-the-summer vacation. The vacation I'd been looking forward to all summer had come to an end. I could feel the weight of responsibility looming and slowing descending, pressing the air out of the room. Adding to all the normal responsibilities of juggling life with an infant and a 4-year-old I now was to add homeschooling. "What had I been thinking?" i wondered as I viewed all the back-to-school photos of my friend's children on Facebook. I then read a wonderful article in Homeschool Enrichment Magazine that reconnected me to why our family has chosen to homeschool. We chose this path because of the rich family relationships we are building and the life we are creating for ourselves based on our values and along our own timetable. It was just the encouragement I needed. I rallied and have gotten back on track planning for homeschooling this fall.

I'm continuing to read and research Charlotte Mason Homeschooling. In keeping with her theory on learning, I'm steering clear of academics in favor of creating a learning environment at home and focusing on character development, creative play, and the arts. The line-up for the fall looks like this.

Suzuki Violin Class - weekly class / daily practice
Homeschool Co-op - weekly
Swim Lessons - weekly
Kids Open Gym (indoor soccer, pilo polo, kickball) - 3x week
Music Together Class - weekly
Five In A Row Curriculum - Daily
Religious Education - Spirit Play - weekly
Nature Journaling - weekly - Referencing Anna Botsford Comstock's Hanbook of Nature Study and Claire WAlker Leslie's Keeping A Nature Journal
Outdoor Play / Walks - 2 to 3 hours daily
Field Trips - Children's Museum, EcoTarium, Aquarium, etc... - monthly

New-Mom-of-2 Strategy #5 - Prioritize and Let the Rest Go

2010-06-28T16:00:00.001-04:00

Priority #1 is everyone survives. Priority #2 is that everyone survives and is healthy. Priority #3 is that the cloth diapers get into the laundry every day. Priority #4 is everyone eats food ever day. Priority #5 is everyone bathes. If all that happens I consider myself successful. If all that gets done and we're all happy that is a bonus.

Okay, perhaps priority #6 is that we are all happy. But seriously, having clean diapers ranks above happiness at this point because no one will be happy if there are no diapers.

I've had to carefully prioritize and stick to my very short list with determination and focus. This is not easy when sleep deprived. I usually have a lengthy list of cleaning and homemaking tasks to do each day on top of homeschooling and teaching yoga classes. I have slowed down dramatically. When my first child was an infant this resulted in a deep sense of anxiety and I fiercely resisted, causing myself and my husband much suffering. It goes by quickly, however. I've learned to embrace it and enjoy this time getting to know my baby and creating new family routines. Soon she'll be crawling, then walking, and from that point on I'll spend my time chasing after her both literally and figuratively. It is a rare gift to have the opportunity to simply sit and be with someone. Sometimes I struggle to love people with abandon. I find myself apprehensive at times that an inspired and spontaneous act of love will become an expectation that I will then feel pressure to fulfill again and again. I feel free to love her with a total lack of self consciousness. Every day a bit more of her innate personality reveals itself. These are cherished moments of intimacy when I feel the face of God revealing itself to me through her. I only receive this precious gift of revelation by prioritizing and letting the rest go.

New-Mom-of-2 Strategy #4 - Wear Your Baby Well

2010-06-23T09:55:00.000-04:00

Babywearing is trendy in some circles but is becoming more and more widespread and accepted in this country for its many benefits. With my first child I did make use of the Baby Bjorn and the Moby from time to time, mostly for walking outside for exercise or while shopping. Wearing my baby on my body was a good way to keep strangers in stores from touching my baby at will. I'm a slight germphobe.

The benefits of having my second attached to my body and having 2 free hands cannot be overstated. I'd say she spends at least 4 hours a day in the carrier. My older child is always on the move and this enables me to keep pace, or at least have a fighting chance to keep him in sight and yell really loudly to stop doing something life-threatening. In all seriousness, we homeschool and have a very active lifestyle, so being able to continue to engage in our daily activities is very important.

Wearing the baby on my body also enables me to keep up, to some degree, with housework. Not the heavy-duty deep cleaning, but the daily tidying and meal prep that enables all our lives to run relatively smoothly. The key is to be able to stay on top of the cleaning. I personally find it stressful to be in a cluttered environment and have noticed that it elevates the anxiety level of my first, so it is really important to maintain a tidy environment for the sake of all.

I haven't tried all the different devices and wraps out there. There are many. I like the Baby
Bjorn for outdoor and vigorous activity. It also worked really well for my first-born as he was a big baby and I needed the additional back support the Bjorn offered. I do love the Moby Wrap, however for around the house and for running quick errands. It can stay on all day and the baby can be easily slipped in and out as needed. This is especially convenient when you need to get in and out of the car numerous times as it does not interfere with the seat belt.

So, research and try out different carriers, find a few that meet your needs, and strap that baby on!!!

New-Mom-of-2 Strategy #3 - Go Shopping!

2010-06-22T14:06:00.000-04:00

First. If you are one of those women who did not look pregnant until 35 weeks and lost all your baby weight within 2 weeks postpardum, please keep this to yourself. Those of us who were showing at 3 months and lost a grand total of 5 pounds after giving birth do not want to hear about your good genes. It's like listening to swimwear models casually discuss how they can eat whatever they want, never exercise, and have trouble keeping on enough weight. Really.

If you were not blessed with immediately losing all you pregnancy weight within a few weeks of giving birth, I know that you may be reluctant to go shopping to buy new clothes post-baby. But chances are your post-baby body is too small for your maternity clothes and too big for your non-pregnancy clothes. It seems "reasonable" to wait until you've lost the baby weight to buy new clothes. Perhaps you underestimate the length of time that it will take to lose the weight. (Rule of thumb is 9 months to put the weight on and 9 months for it to come off.) Perhaps you don't want to face the "new" body in full length mirrors. Perhaps you dread moving into "misses" or "plus sizes" even temporarily. Perhaps money is a concern. No matter the reason that you hesitate, get over it and get shopping. Wearing maternity clothes past the first few weeks postpardum can really get you down. Trying to squeeze into jeans 2 sizes too small and muffin-topping out of them? Bright side - yes you can fit in them. Down side - yes, it does look that bad.

This time around I got smarter. Instead of wearing pjs and sweats for months on end and wallowing in self-loathing, I went out and purchased a few basic items at Target. A few skirts with elastic waists and a few nice shirts that all coordinate with one another. They flatter my larger-than-normal figure, conceal the fact that I still look about 4 months pregnant so I can leave the house without my newborn and not fear being asked when the blessed date is, and will wear well as I do lose weight. Total cost was about $150. Well worth it to feel confident and look reasonably put-together. Can afford to spend a little more? Accessories! Can't afford quite that much? Goodwill Stores or consignment shops are another great place to get some low-priced wardrobe staples to wear while you downsize.

New-Mom-of-2 Strategy #2 - A Shower A Day...

2010-06-21T13:25:00.001-04:00

I cannot stress enough the importance of feeling good about the way you look enhancing your experience as a new mom - or being a long-time mom with a new baby. Yes, you're exhausted. Yes, your patience is being tested. Yes, you are probably a few pounds above your "fighting weight." However, sitting around in sweats and your pair pulled into a ponytail and a baseball cap will do little for your confidence or self esteem. Do yourself a favor and take a shower once a day and put on a fresh set of clothes that you feel good about wearing. This sounds simple. However, coming from a mom who spent the first 3 months living in sweats or pjs following the birth of her first son, it is not always easy.

I have implemented the strategy of taking a shower first thing every morning before my husband leaves for work. That way I get 15 to 20 minutes in the bathroom alone to shower, moisturize, tweeze, and dress without having to attend to anyone else. It is wonderfully refreshing and allows me some high-premium quiet time to start my day. Starting the day out feeling clean and looking well-groomed does wonders for my attitude. I wouldn't think of going to work outside the home without doing these basic things. Why would they be less important working inside the home? This simple step in self-care is also setting a good example for your older kids. Additionally, this way if any plans change during the day and I need to leave the home unexpectedly, I'm prepared and look reasonable instead of having to slink around in a baseball cal and sunglasses and pray no one recognizes me.

This leads me to tip #3 - go ahead and buy some new non-pregnancy clothes in the size you currently need. ...

New-Mom-of-2 Strategy #1 - The "Food Bag"

2010-06-17T11:09:00.000-04:00

One thing I realized while my mom was visiting is that babies have an uncanny ability to be hungry at the same time as you. This is no doubt due to the intimacy once shared after being on your eating schedule for months in the womb. This can make getting your own meals prepped and eaten a challenge - not to mention when you must prep and serve meals to other children. This has been my experience as a breastfeeding mom in particular.

My strategy is to get "in front" of meals as best I can. Before my husband left for work this morning I got lunch and snacks prepped and loaded into a lunch bag for D. I placed it on the bottom shelf of the refrigerator and told him that when he gets hungry during the day, if I'm busy with his sister that I'll give him permission to get the bag and get out a snack or his lunch. All the food is "D-approved". He was really excited by this. Its 10:13am and he's already eaten 1 sandwich, a granola bar, and a yogurt. Yes, he ate breakfast this morning. I think he's having yet another growth spurt. He likes having choices and independence. This has really freed up my morning. I'll report in a week to tell how it is going!

Getting Back Into the Swing of Things

2010-06-17T10:08:00.000-04:00

After almost 3 months off from blogging and giving birth to #2 - I'm happy to report that I'm getting back into the swing of things, beginning to establish a routine, and am beginning to formulate blogs in my head again. It is just working out the precious time to get them down in writing that is a challenge.

Proud to introduce our newest addition - S. Meghan!
What are the odds of having 2 children born 4 years apart to the day? I can't decide if having the same birthday will be a blessing or a curse. I guess I'll find out soon! She was born at home, 18" and 6 lbs 10 oz. We are so blessed. She is a gift from God!

Excited about Birds!

2010-03-12T20:41:00.002-05:00

With spring fast approaching, the birds are returning!

Over the winter, our family made bird feeders together one Sunday afternoon and hung them out on our deck. For many weeks, we didn't see any birds. However, over the past 2 or 3 weeks, we've begun to see them! We've had chickadees perched on the bird feeders and have seen blue jays as well. We've heard woodpeckers as well!

We found a great website All About Birds. It has a vast library of photos, videos, live-cameras, and audio clips of their different calls and songs. We spent some time the day we made the feeders surfing the site looking at birds that we'd be likely to find locally and that our type of birdseed would attract. D loved listening to and imitating the calls and songs.

At first D would get so excited to see a bird on the deck that he'd make so much noise it would fly away. Now he will put his finger to his lips and creep up to the glass door and peer intently at the bird with a big smile on his face.

I've been reading up a lot lately on Charlotte Mason Homeschool Education. One of the key aspects of her method is the use of "living" or "great" books - those that has stood the test of time and engage the reader's entire being. She emphasizes the use of living books rather than text books for learning of all subjects. Of the many aspects of her method that resonate with me, I love the time and energy put into nature study, both formal and informal. It is something that D and I already do and we love. So, I found some great books that will supplement our outdoors study and play this season.

The Burgess Bird Book for Children, by Thornton W. Burgess arrived today. It was originally written in 1919. The illustrations are wonderfully detailed. I am already in love with this book. We'll see how D responds to it. It is a fine example of a living book. It is a work of literature presenting naturalist study of birds of the Northeastern US through a compelling story. It presents scientific information through a story featuring Peter Rabbit - yes - as in Beatrix Potter - and his interactions with the bird world. This is wonderful because we also just started to read the books of Beatrix Potter as recommended by many Charlotte Mason curriculum sources as being excellent living books to help expand both children's imagination and vocabularies. My mother read them to me as a child and now I'm sharing them with my son. I remember being completely enchanted as a child. D was equally engaged with the characters and the storyline. ( I digress, but was amazed at the level of vocabulary in The Tale of Benjamin Bunny as compared to contemporary children's literature that we've been reading until now. It opened my eyed to how "flattened" the vocabulary of many books written for children today is and gave me a new appreciation for the true classic books.)

I look forward to sharing the chapter 37, "Farwells and Welcomes - The Chickadee" with D tomorrow.

So, our next step will be to incorporate nature journals in the next few weeks to start recording our observations. You'll soon find out how that goes!

Getting Well and the Humbling of a Mom

2010-03-03T08:50:00.000-05:00

Well, it is 8:30am on Wednesday. I am the only one awake. Including the cats and dog. Is this homeschooling?

Yes. Particularly when mom, the primary guide, is sick. And when the whole family has been ill for the past 3 weeks.

I have set aside any formal lessons for the past 2 and a half weeks. While I realize this is an advantage to homeschooling, it is also making me very antsy. I recall the on-line Heart of the Matter Homeschool Refresher from last week. A wonderful speaker reminded all of us that it is not "us" that homeschool, but rather we are the instruments through which God educates and communicates with our children and our families. She encouraged us all to check in with God and invite him into all aspects of our lives, including our homeschool, and seek His wisdom.

To say I've been stressed out is an understatement. Having a sick child and sick spouse at home during the busiest month of the year for me, and then getting sick myself was trying. Knowing that many people depended on me to perform and produce caused a deep and ongoing anxiety that I'm sure contributed to this latest round of illness for me.

During my time of bible study yesterday, I heard my inner voice, the small voice inside me that I know to be God, say to me, among other things, "Pull back and stay home. You're needed here. You've been in the world and now you're needed home." I prayed for guidance in what I should be putting my energy into right now. I received that it is okay to let go of the lessons, the yoga classes and the community service work for a while and focus on getting everyone back to a baseline of health and our home back in order. But first, I must take the next 2 weeks to fully allow myself the space, time, and internal peace to heal and prepare the way for a very special little girl who will be coming to live with us in just 2 short months.

It is very hard for me to let go of a well laid plan. It is very hard to pull back and let others take over and moreover to let others take care of me. I think many moms can relate. It is a lesson in humility for me, a letting go of my discipline and will, which often serves me well in life. It is also a surrender of pride. I wish a lesson in humility and pride were a one time thing. For me, at least, it seems I keep revisiting it and reviewing it. While God did not cause this series of illnesses to sweep my household, I do believe that He is using this as a lesson in letting go and letting Him work in all our lives.

In You, O Lord, do I put my trust. (Psalm 31:1)

What We are Reading This Week, Familes in Need, and Field Trips!

2010-02-15T17:05:00.000-05:00

As you can probably infer from the lack of blog posts I have busy for the last week! I coordinate volunteers at my church to host homeless families as part of the Interfaith Hospitality Network. The families stay at our church for 1 week in October and 2 weeks in February. In order to host the families, we provide hosts for dinners, hosts overnight, and people to bring in supplies. For the 2-week February stay, I coordinate people to fill approximately 150 slots. It is quite an undertaking, to say the least. I start recruiting volunteers right after Christmas and am usually filling the last spots the day the guests move in - sometimes during the first week of their stay! Basically the buck stops with me, so if someone can't fulfill on something, it is up to me to arrange a replacement or fill in myself. I am also the main point of contact through the week for volunteers, the guests, and the staff of IHN. I never sleep well for the duration. There is part of my brain wired to wake at the slightest noise for fear I miss a call. It is a gift to get to work with so many of the generous people and families of my church community. I am always inspired by how much people are willing to do for the families in need. I cherish being able to create the opportunity for people to serve others. I am honored to do this important work, but always relieved when the visit is successful and I get a few months to breath!

In the midst of this and all the usual things I have responsibility for, I'm now a homeschooling mom. Yikes!

Last week I was feeling quite anxious about being able to do it all. I had a realization, however. What a valuable experience to be part of for a child! Instead of adhering to our normal routine, I explained to D what I was doing and why it was important. I brought him to church with me in the evening when I unlocked the doors to church to let in the guests and dinner hosts. He struck up a friendship with one of the pre-teen boys staying with us and has been looking forward to going with me to play with him. Several of the dinner hosts brought their own children, and on Saturday night a wonderful spontaneous Valentine making craft project emerged. We had a great time. D and I have been talking about how a family might lose their homes. We made Valentine's good bags for the guests together on Sunday and D gave each family theirs when we arrived that evening. The families were very touched at the sentiment and thanked him. He was very proud to give them their gifts. In saying grace before our evening meal, he has been expressing his gratitude for having plenty to eat. It's been quite moving and an important reminder to me why our family has chosen to homeschool!

So, this week we've kept may of the same books in the mix from last week.

How to Make an Apple Pie and See The World - with our FIAR curriculum.
The Runaway Bunny
Charlie and the Chocolate Factory
Brigid's Cloak; An Ancient Irish Story
Raven and River

We've also been doing lot's of sounding out of works. D is quite curious about spelling, so he's been asking what letters different words start with and how to spell his name and some of his favorite books, characters, and movies. It's pretty cool!

And finally, we have 3 field trips this week planned. Today we went to the Higgins Armory with D's dad and made a knight's shield and saw the arms show. We didn't spend a lot of time there as D's cold had him a little down, but had a great time. Wednesday we'll take in the new planetarium show at the EcoTarium - Sesame Street in Space! And Friday we're heading into Boston for our first visit to the Children's Museum with some friends. Good to get out and about. February in New England be be a bit grueling even for those that like winter!

Freedom in Following Rules

2010-02-08T08:21:00.007-05:00

Yesterday my husband and I were playing games with my son. He loves games. We played Sequence for Kids, Candyland, and Land Before Time Matching. D has reached the point where cognitively he can follow the simple rules of these classic games, all involving counting, color or shape recognition, and taking turns.

Let me say that D is very creative. He comes up with long, detailed, elaborate stories with his action figured, legos, and drawings. We encourage this. However, he also brings this creativity with him into the games, which can make for some frustration on everyone's part while playing.

My husband reported that after I left to go back to church last night, while he and D were going through their last game of Sequence before going upstairs for bath time, that D was getting VERY creative with the game. My husband had a little talk with him about rules. That rules for for everyone's benefit. That when we paint or play with blocks, using our imagination is great. But when we play with board games and card games, that we have to follow rules so that we're all playing the same game and that we can all have fun. He also explained that we try to win the game but that even if we don't win, it's still fun to play anyway! Rules are important so that we can have fun with one another and that way we all win.

D was very receptive to that. He tested a few times, but quickly got the rules and they had a good time completing the game.

As my husband was telling me this story after I got home, I reflected that there is such an impulse in all of us to flout the rules in life; to in some way alter them, manipulate them to our favor or liking, or in some way be independent of them. We resist them at every turn, in small seemingly insignificant ways or ways that make the evening news. It stems from that impulse. We are all in such a spirit of rebellion. We even resist creating structures for our daily lives or making commitments that we actually want to make because we believe that we will be limiting our so-called freedom.

However, if we follow rules, there is a freedom within the structure they provide. That is where faith, trust, and true development takes place. I'm not talking about arbitrary or punitive rules. I'm talking about the basic rules of engagement of morals and ethics. Just like the Saints didn't win the Superbowl by playing football by their own rules, we can't win at life constantly making things up as we go. People who are successful understand the groundrules of human interactions and the universal laws at play (think How to Win Friends and Influence People or The 7 Habits of Highly Effective People) and work those rules rather than in spite of them.

Isn't that one of the best things we can teach our children? That dispite what the world may throw our way and despite the fact that many people are playing their own game, that the way to win in life is to play within the boundaries of universal laws set down in our hearts by a higher intelligence? We know if we drop something it falls to the ground. It's called gravity and there is no use operating as if it doesn't exist. The laws that govern human relationships and the Spirit are also invisible but should be respected in the same way. What better way to convey this important key to life than by living according to these laws ourselves?

In my life, I found myself trying to make my own rules for many years and couldn't figure out not only why I wasn't winning, but why I wasn't enjoying the game. You simply can't win at life when your moral and ethical compass is driven by what your friends are doing, mixed signals you get from your family, or what you see on television or popular culture. It is my opinion that one must choose a Wisdom path - and there are many (Christian, Judaic, Islamic, Buddhist, Native American, etc..) - and apply it to life as a place on which to stand and from which to practice. As the Dalai Lama encourages, it often makes most sense to choose the path of your own heritage and traditions rather than something entirely new as the seduction can be mainly in the exotic. The fruits will bear out if that is a good and right path.

My testimony of becoming a Unitarian Universalist Christian (a unique breed) is this. In my early 30's once I accepted His way and began to ground myself in His love and follow His rules something amazing happened. I began to enjoy life and began to experience small yet significant personal victories. I have been diligently studying the Word as well as doing my best to develop practices in my life that bring the power of the Word into my life and the lives of those around me; a living practice to honor a Living God.

But one who looks intently at the perfect law, the law of liberty, and abides by it, not having become a forgetful hearer but an effective doer, this man will be blessed in what he does. - James 1:25

The Bible talks a lot about accepting the fullness of the Holy Spirit into your life and then you have the freedom to follow His Law and "rejoice and exult in our hope [to cherish a desire with expectation of fulfillment] of experiencing and enjoying the glory of God." The freedom. Not following out of obligation or duty or drudgery or fear, which is how we usually following a rule or a law because so many of us have experienced some sort of injustice or tyranny at the hands of authority. God is a loving God. Jesus loved everyone and was here to be a door through which all could choose to enter the glory of God through grace.

My husband set the rules of the game so that he and my son could enjoy one another, enjoy the game; so that they could share their love and joy and both win.

What We're Reading, Our Country, and the Alphabet!

2010-02-02T22:38:00.000-05:00

More great books!

I'm Too Big / Soy Demasiado Grande (we laugh a lot over the silly illustrations!)
Rabbits & Raindrops
Olivia...and the Missing Toy (quickly becoming a favorite - we will have to buy this one)
We're into Lentil this week, using the FIAR curruculum. I took inspiration from the suggested ideas today and made a little lesson on our country. I printed off an American flag. We counted the stripes and the stars. Then we got out our map of the USA and counted the states to demonstrate that the number of starts was the same as the states. We then located out state, the states where our relatives live, and the state in which the story Lentil takes place. D colored the flag and we listened to the Star Spangled Banner and talked about what a national anthem is and when we sing it.

After reading and the lesson. D wanted to do artwork, so he worked with his watercolor paints, creating several imaginative representations for his daddy. Then we moved to puzzles. I was impressed with the speed he finished two puzzles. The third puzzle was of the alphabet, which we've been working on. He's been asking lots of questions about how we spell certain words or what letter certain words start with. We took a while with this puzzle, D repeatedly referring back to the alphabet song to figure out what letter came next. Once he knew the next letter, with little difficulty he was able to locate the letter. So impressive! I think we'll probably work on that puzzle again this week as he really enjoyed it.

The Simple Woman's Daybook blog - February 1, 2010

2010-02-01T07:37:00.000-05:00

February 1, 2010

Photo for thought...

Outside my window... the sunlight is just making it's way over the building next door onto the trees in the backyard.

I am thinking.. that I know I'm over-committed when I look at February's calendar and wish it were March already...

I am thankful for ... the mercy and compassion of my friends from 1st U, that the guests of IHN will arrive to church next week with all provisions accounted for, and that I have now 2 weeks to rearrange things for the last week of their stay. I am thankful that my relationship with my family grows stronger every day. I an thankful that God grants me the wisdom and discernment to know what the little things are for me to do to support and nurture those important relationships.

From the learning rooms... D is up early (again) and watching Sesame Street. I told him that I don't prepare breakfast before 7:30am because mommy needs time to put herself in a good frame of mind for the day. I think he actually got it.

From the kitchen... order! Still basking in gratitude fo the dishwasher - of the novelty that the dishes get done "by themselves" as I sleep!!!

I am creating...the possibility of casting all my anxieties on God and having faith that if it was His will that I do certain things, that He will also grace me with the energy to complete them.

I am going... to the chiropractor's this morning and teaching yoga this evening.

I am reading... just purchased The Love Revolution by Joyce Meyer.

I am hoping... ease in completing the tasks of the day.

I am hearing... the television from the next room and the refrigerator is making very strange noises.

One of my favorite things...my son's big hugs.

A few plans for the rest of the week... update blogs, Dream Factory Community newsletter, teach yoga, complete my blog for Heart of the Matter.

Inspired by The Simple Woman's Daybook , a community of women blogging on their days.

God speaks through His Word to those who listen with their heart. - Bill Crowder

Whatever things were written before were written . . . that we through the patience and comfort of the Scriptures might have hope. —Romans 15:4

The Simple Woman's Daybook blog - January 29, 2010

2010-01-29T07:50:00.000-05:00

January 29, 2010

Photo for thought...

Outside my window... bright sunny winter day - in New England translates to cold, cold cold!!!.
I am thinking.. of the blogs that I will review today, anticipation of the Dream Factory Community Teleconference which I just launched, the day's activities... .
I am thankful for ... my dishwasher (still in awe) for the opportunity to impact people in my life positively, that my proposal was accepted to teach yoga at a local preschool and that the assisted living facility that I teach at added one more class a week for the seniors!.
From the learning rooms... hubby is uploading photos from my camera for me (yes - finally new battery) and D is watching Sesame Street under a thick blanket.
From the kitchen... order!
I am creating... an inspiring teleconference, a seamless hosting of the families from the Interfaith Hospitality Network at our church, !
I am going... to the chiropractor's this morning and to Walmart this afternoon!
I am reading... just purchased Hearing from God Each Morning by Joyce Meyer.
I am hoping... for a relaxed pace today, that all the volunteer spots will be filled for IHN this weekend, and that all the families will be hosted well during their stay with us.
I am hearing...my son calling for breakfast.
One of my favorite things...the quiet early morning as a time of solitude, reflection, and an opportunity to get my mind aligned with my highest aspirations and ideals, aligned with the work God is doing through me.
A few plans for the rest of the week...update blogs, Dream Factory Community newsletter, teach yoga, join the IHN families for fellowship on Sunday.

Inspired by The Simple Woman's Daybook

The Buddha was a human being who was awakened and, thereby, no longer bound by the many afflictions of life. But when some Buddhists say that they believe in the Buddha, they are experiencing their faith in the wonderful, universal Buddhas, not in the teaching or the life of the historical Buddha. They believe in the Buddha's magnificence and feel that is enough. But the examples of the actual lives of the Buddha and of Jesus are most important, because as human beings, they lived in ways that we can live, too. - Thich Nhat Hahn

22 To the weak I became the weak, that I might win the weak, I have become all thigns to all men, so that I may by all means save some.
23 I do all things for the sake of the gospel, so that I may become a fellow partaker of it.
- 1 Corinthians 9:22 - 23

What We're Reading and Introducing Math Concepts - week of January 25th

2010-01-26T14:13:00.002-05:00

We're reading two of my favorite books from childhood and an additional one we just discovered!

Madeline - with which we are following Five in a Row curriculum for activity ideas.
Blueberries for Sal - D really likes the illustrations and often spends time after we are done reading to look at them hiself.
In the Snow: Who's Been Here? - We had fun identifying the animals. Despite being unseasonable warm here, it is timely for the season, particularly coming on the heels of some trips outside to locate tracks in the snow and making bird feeders to hang on our deck.
The Umbrella. By Jan Brett, author of Town Mouse Country Mouse, beautiful illustrations!

We've been having fun with counting and grouping. For example, we counted out 12 pennies, then we created 2 lines of 6 pennies each; 4 lines of 3 pennies and saw that they also formed 4 lines of 3 pennies. No matter how many likes, or groups, we still had 12 pennies. Then we talked about "more" and "less" - that 5 is more than 4 but 5 is less than 6. D seemed pretty intrigued. We used the pennies to create groups with the numbers so that visually he could see that there were more pennies in the group of 6 verses 4, for example. We'll continue this for the week. The incentive is that he gets to keep the pennies at the end of each lesson and put them in his piggy bank!

The Simple Woman's Daybook blog - January 26, 2010

2010-01-26T07:16:00.001-05:00

January 26, 2010

Photo for thought... (none today - need new camera batter!)

Outside my window... I think it is going to be another gray day... no sun yet.
I am thinking.. of the day before me, of all the emails and housework I need to get caught up on, of starting a new FIAR book with D, of getting hubby up so he can go to the gym... my mind is racing... .
I am thankful for ... my dishwasher (it will take a long time for me to stop being actively thankful for its restoration) and for a chance to let my back rest last night - it feels much better this morning. I am thankful I did not get selected for jury duty yesterday and that the Subaru DID NOT need new struts as we were told, but rather some simple repairs to resolve the steering issues! Made the difference between about $2500 in repairs and $1400.
From the learning rooms... quiet.
From the kitchen... a sink full of pots and pans and a floor that needs to be washed.
I am creating... opportunities for people I care about to shine!
I am going...to assemble my article for the church newsletter and my proposal for a new yoga class series for preschool kids with special needs - all this morning!
I am reading... just finished A Day of Rest by Martha Whitmore Hickman and am resuming Last Child in the Woods.
I am hoping... I can begin to incorporate more points of mindfulness into my day to keep me present with the amazing gift this life is! Otherwise I tend to rush through the day, gliding from one task to another with little space in between.
I am hearing...the ticking clock.
One of my favorite things...the quiet early morning as a time of solitude, reflection, and an opportunity to get my mind aligned with my highest aspirations and ideals, aligned with the work God is doing through me.
A few plans for the rest of the week...teach yoga this evening, attend a coaching training program tomorrow night.

Inspired by The Simple Woman's Daybook

"God and the imagination are one." - Wallace Stevens

"I believe that God is in me as the sun is in the color and fragrance of a flower - the Light in my darkness, the voice in my silence." - Helen Keller

Learning from my Preschooler

2010-01-25T06:32:00.000-05:00

What a difference a year makes! This time last year, my son had about 8 words in his vocabulary. He was still wearing diapers. Now he talks non-stop, creating elaborate stories about castles, knights, and superheros. He hasn’t worn diapers, not even to bed, in six months. He is a voracious learning being and many days I’m struggling to catch up!

Now that the holidays are over I’m looking ahead at how we’ll be spending the next few months of our homeschooling journey. New to homeschooling and 3-year-olds, I have been a little overwhelmed. I’ve based my choices on the following considerations; flexibility, creative play, reading and language, arts and crafts, natural routines of a home, and time with other children.

To read entire article, go to Heart of the Matter Online!

The Simple Woman's Daybook blog - January 21, 2010

2010-01-21T07:34:00.001-05:00

January 21, 2010

Photo for thought... (none today - need new camera batter!)

Outside my window... the sun is on the rise! What relief after so many gray days!
I am thinking.. of the day before me - busy! .
I am thankful for ... a few minutes of quiet this morning to collect myself; for a repaired dishwasher.
From the learning rooms... quiet.
From the kitchen... sausages sizzling on the stove, oatmeal is ready, and coffee is in my favorite mug next to me.
I am creating... opportunities for people I care about to shine!
I am going...to teach 3 yoga classes today and have a meeting with the Chamber of Commerce about the Women's Network. .
I am reading... A Day of Rest by Martha Whitmore Hickman...
I am hoping... the Subaru lasts until the end of the week when we can get it to the shop - concerned about the weird smells and sounds...
I am hearing...cooking sausages, a low hum in the distance.
One of my favorite things... being part of another person having an "ah-ha!" moment and watching them bloom as a result.
A few plans for the rest of the week...visiting a friend and her new baby tomorrow, a visit with the midwife, and getting caught up on paperwork - 1.5 hours needs to get done tomorrow because this week was so busy!

Inspired by The Simple Woman's Daybook

9"As the Father has loved me, so have I loved you. Now remain in my love. 10If you obey my commands, you will remain in my love, just as I have obeyed my Father's commands and remain in his love. 11I have told you this so that my joy may be in you and that your joy may be complete. 12My command is this: Love each other as I have loved you. 13Greater love has no one than this, that he lay down his life for his friends. 14You are my friends if you do what I command. 15I no longer call you servants, because a servant does not know his master's business. Instead, I have called you friends, for everything that I learned from my Father I have made known to you. 16You did not choose me, but I chose you and appointed you to go and bear fruit—fruit that will last. Then the Father will give you whatever you ask in my name. 17This is my command: Love each other.

- John 15:9-17

What We're Reading this Week and Beginning to Write!

2010-01-20T11:41:00.000-05:00

I'm really enjoying myself - rediscovering some children's books that I'd forgotten about as well as discovering new gems!

We're using the Five in a Row curriculum for Katy and The Big Snow. We're on day 3. I love how many layers of enjoyment there are to be had in this timeless book. Every day we've been exploring different aspects and uncovering new details in the illustrations.
Time of Wonder - beautiful water colors and nostalgia for me, having grown up in Coastal NH.
Little Red Riding Hood

D has also been asking me to teach him how to write letters lately, so I got out our "ABC's Write and Wipe!" from Kumon. We work on a few different letters a day and we've been having fun. We tried them a few nonths ago, but they didn't really work out. so, now that he is interested again, we're giving it another go. His hand coordination has improved dramatically and he's able to follow the lines independently since he now knows his numbers. I like these rather than simple paper because they can be reused and they have a corresponding word on the back, so they double as flash cards.

The Simple Woman's Daybook blog - January 19, 2010

2010-01-19T14:39:00.000-05:00

January 19, 2010 - Get Out the VOTE! The nation is watching us, Massachusetts!

Photo for thought... (none today - need new camera batter!)

Outside my window... another gray day with snow softly falling.
I am thinking.. of the election today for Senate among many other things. That, and I need a nap.
I am thankful for ... being home with my son, for the right to vote, for the birds songs on my walk this morning.
From the learning rooms... my son is telling me a story about the firefighters from Katy and the Big Snow.
From the kitchen... dishes from lunch, pork chops thawing for dinner.
I am creating... a virtual conference for the Dream Factory Community - researching technology - my mind spins....
I am going...to VOTE and then to the library and CVS.
I am reading... A Day of Rest by Martha Whitmore Hickman.,.
I am hoping... the Subaru lasts until the end of the week when we can get it to the shop - concerned about the weird smells and sounds...
I am hearing...the story of the dinosaur hunter from my son, the UPS truck outside.
One of my favorite things...having unstructured time to explore life.
A few plans for the rest of the week...virtual conference planning calls and begin to promote!

Inspired by The Simple Woman's Daybook

I can do all things through Christ who strengthens me.
- Philippians 4:13

Be anxious for nothing, but in everything by prayer and suppliation with thanksgiving let your requests be made known to God.
- Philippians 4:6

The Simple Woman's Daybook blog - January 18, 2010

2010-01-18T14:02:00.002-05:00

January 17, 2010 - Dr. Martin Luther King, Jr. Day!

Photo for thought... (don't have one today - sorry!)

2 Quotes from Dr. Martin Luther King, Jr.

Darkness cannot drive out darkness; only light can do that. Hate cannot drive out hate; only love can do that. Hate multiplies hate, violence multiplies violence, and toughness multiplies toughness in a descending spiral of destruction....The chain reaction of evil--hate begetting hate, wars producing more wars--must be broken, or we shall be plunged into the dark abyss of annihilation. - Martin Luther King, Jr., Strength To Love, 1963.

The curse of poverty has no justification in our age. It is socially as cruel and blind as the practice of cannibalism at the dawn of civilization, when men ate each other because they had not yet learned to take food from the soil or to consume the abundant animal life around them. The time has come for us to civilize ourselves by the total, direct and immediate abolition of poverty. Martin Luther King, Jr., Where Do We Go from Here: Chaos or Community?, 1967.

Outside my window... a gray day, sleet, snow, wet coating.
I am thinking.. of the many things I have to compete in the next few days... trying to keep faith that if it is right that it will all somehow get done; of the people in Haiti and praying for them; reflecting on Martin Luther King Jr. Day and his last campaign, "The Poor People's Campaign" and how can we, in any small way, keep moving the campaign forward.
I am thankful for ... my precious life, for the health and safety of my family and friends, for being at home with my son and being able to learn along side of him.
From the learning rooms... my son is playing with his transformers following a fun morning of Katy and the Big Snow, counting, and building a Lego city.
From the kitchen...lunch is finished and we're getting ready to go to the grocery store. I'll tackle the dishes when i return. Only 2 more days until GE comes to look at the dishwasher!
I am creating... an integrated life; an at-home day of service - making sandwiches for Sherry's House with D this afternoon.
I am going...to Walmart and will teach yoga this evening.
I am reading... A Day of Rest by Martha Whitmore Hickman.,.
I am hoping... the people of Haiti receive the assistance they so badly need. I am praying for them.
I am hearing...the marching feet of my son, the car alarm go off outside, the dog barking....
One of my favorite things...having the whole family home.
A few plans for the rest of the week... leading a 20-minute demo yoga/movement class for prescholers with special needs.

Inspired by The Simple Woman's Daybook

"Do not seek revenge or bear a grudge against one of your people, but love your neighbor as yourself".
- Leviticus 19:18

36"Teacher, which is the greatest commandment in the Law?" 37Jesus replied: " 'Love the Lord your God with all your heart and with all your soul and with all your mind.'[a] 38This is the first and greatest commandment. 39And the second is like it: 'Love your neighbor as yourself.'
- Matthew 22:36-39

The Simple Woman's Daybook blog - January 12, 2010

2010-01-12T07:31:00.001-05:00

January 11, 2010

Photo for thought...

Outside my window... a dark gray morning.
I am thinking.. the long day ahead...
I am thankful for... a good's night sleep and feeling refreshed this morning -ready to take the day on and for finding a good doctor yesterday.
From the learning rooms...my son is watching "Super Why". He awoke early this morning after a dream.
From the kitchen... dishes galore. Too tired to do them last night... and quiche in the oven!
I am wearing... pjs.
I am creating... a plan for starting Five in a Row next week...
I am going...to Cambridge today for an appointment and then leading my first Prosperity Circle this evening!
I am reading... The introduction to Five in a Row curriculum.
I am hoping... I have a wealth of energy for all I'm scheduled for over the next 3 days!
I am hearing...the television, the hum of appliances, my husband getting ready for work upstairs.
One of my favorite things... dishwashers! Hopefully ours will be fixed soon!
A few plans for the rest of the week...leading my first Chief Dream Officer Training tomorrow night!

Inspired by The Simple Woman's Daybook

The most precious gift we can offer others is our presence. When our mindfulness embraces those we love, they will bloom like flowers. if you love someone but rarely make yourself available to him or her - that is not true love.

- Thich Nhat Hahn

Loving Reading - Books This Week and Five in a Row has Arrived!

2010-01-11T20:28:00.000-05:00

D loves to read - so great! Or, I should say, he loves to be read to. We're spending about an hour a day reading. Usually he wants to read one or two books several times through and likes to memorize them. Last night he recited "The Snowy Day" with me word-for-word.

This week, we've been reading...

The Snowy Day

The Quiltmakers Gift

Olivia

The Giving Tree

Owl Babies

Town Mouse Country Mouse

The links included are pretty cool. Several take you to websites that offer enrichment activities and extras for kids.

Today, our curriculum for Five in a Row arrived! I am really excited to get going on it. I have Mike Mulligan and His Steam Shovel queued up for next week!

The Simple Woman's Daybook blog - January 11, 2010

2010-01-11T07:23:00.001-05:00

January 11, 2010

Photo for thought...

Outside my window... is a pastel sky and birds singing.
I am thinking.. of how to get back on track with housework after taking yesterday off...
I am thankful for... a great Sunday with the family.
From the learning rooms...darkness. I haven't opened the curtains yet... not ready to admit it is really morning.
From the kitchen... dishes galore. Too tired to do them last night... I've got my work cut out for me this morning!
I am wearing... pjs.
I am creating... a supply list for making bird feeders... peanut butter, pine cones, bird seed, twine...
I am going... to visit a new doctor this morning - hopefully he REALLY IS interested in family-centered maternity care and open to seeing women who plan to homebirth!
I am reading... The Snowy Day with D. What a magical book!.
I am hoping... the Five in a Row curriculum arrives today! I'm excited to get started.
I am hearing...the hum of the refrigerator, the ticking of the clock, the tapping of the keys, the songs of birds outside.No stirring form upstairs... I'd better get up there and wake the guys up!
One of my favorite things...having nothing to do on Sunday except be with God and enjoy time with my family!
A few plans for the rest of the week...leading my first Prosperity Circle!

Inspired by The Simple Woman's Daybook

Don't let anyone look down on you because you are young, but set an example for the believers in speech, in life, in love, in faith and in purity. - 1 Timothy 4:12

What do God and a 3-year old have in common?

2010-01-09T08:18:00.003-05:00

Yesterday, after taking my son to get his hair cut at his favorite place, Snip Its, I was buckling him into his car seat when he reached out and hugged me close, saying, "Mom, I love you!"

"I love you too!" I replied, savoring the hug.

"That makes me a little bit like God." he stated matter-of-factly.

"Well, I guess it does. God loves all of us, doesn't He." I said, my eyes brimming, my heart truly touched.

"Yes, and He gives all kinds of wonderful things to be thankful for!" He replied. "Can I have my green army men?" he asked.

It took me a minute to process the request, realizing that my son was staring up at me expectantly. He asked me to keep them safe in my pocket while he got his hair cut so they wouldn't get lost.

"Sure buddy," I replied, reaching into my pocket and fishing the troops out.

How often do we feel inspired to reach out and embrace someone and tell them how much we love them, to assure them how much they are loved by many, but we resist out of fear or self consciousness? I believe that God often works through people to let us know how much we are loved. If we resist the impulse, we are impeding that divine thread of connection. Who are we to short circuit a message from God for someone else? The next time I get that impulse, I'm going to let go and trust that it is perfect and that it is exactly what that person needs to know in that moment. I am thankful to my son for that reminder.

When we truly let love flow through us to connect with another with an open heart, unconditionally, we are all like God.

The Simple Woman's Daybook blog - January 9, 2010

2010-01-09T08:03:00.001-05:00

January 9, 2010

Photo for thought...

Outside my window... the sun has risen - so excited that the days are getting longer.
I am thinking.. of writing a letter of encouragement to my sister-in-law, a woman I work with, and of the 3 yoga classes I'll teach today. I really need to ge my music organaized for that.
I am thankful for... a great week. I am proud that with strength from Him through daily prayer and faith I was able to, for the most part, conform myself to my new schedule and saw great strides in working "smarter" as a result. Attitude counts for a lot when you just don't "feel" like doing something.
From the learning rooms... stillness - and I am thankful that my husband cleaned last night after I went to be early.
From the kitchen... dinner dishes that need to be washed.
I am wearing... the fleece jacket that Paul gave to me.
I am creating... an afternoon for Preparation.
I am going... to have a wonderful day.
I am reading... Living Buddha, Living Christ by Thich Nhat Hahn.
I am hoping... for endurance to get through all 3 yoga classes today. I think I'll have to start using student s to demo some poses as my belly is preventing me from getting into some at this poing with proper alignment.
I am hearing...the hum of the refrigerator, the ticking of the clock, the tapping of the keys, the songs of birds outside.
One of my favorite things... the warming effect of hot chocolate when coming in from winter outdoor activities like sledding or skiing. It's something about the combination of the cold cheeks, physical exertion, moist head and body from sweat, the sweetness of the drink, and being able to feel warming all the way down into the belly.
A few plans for the rest of the week...teaching Sunday School tomorrow and going sledding with the family.

Inspired by The Simple Woman's Daybook

8By faith Abraham, when called to go to a place he would later receive as his inheritance, obeyed and went, even though he did not know where he was going. 9By faith he made his home in the promised land like a stranger in a foreign country; he lived in tents, as did Isaac and Jacob, who were heirs with him of the same promise. 10For he was looking forward to the city with foundations, whose architect and builder is God.

11By faith Abraham, even though he was past age—and Sarah herself was barren—was enabled to become a father because he[a]considered him faithful who had made the promise. 12And so from this one man, and he as good as dead, came descendants as numerous as the stars in the sky and as countless as the sand on the seashore.

- Hebrews 11: 8-12

The Simple Woman's Daybook blog - January 6, 2010

2010-01-06T17:56:00.001-05:00

January 6, 2010

Photo for thought...

Outside my window... the sun has set.
I am thinking.. tired, tired, tired.
I am thankful for... a great day with friends at the EcoTarium and at playgroup!
From the learning rooms... stillness.
From the kitchen... getting ready to prep dinner - peanut rice noodles with chicken and broccoli.
I am wearing... cords and a long sleeved tshirt and a long cardigan sweater!.
I am creating... a relaxing evening.
I am going... to get to bed early.
I am reading... Living Buddha, Living Christ by Thich Nhat Hahn.
I am hoping...ease.
I am hearing...D singing to himself in the bathtub
One of my favorite things... spontaneous hugs from my son.
A few plans for the rest of the week...completing the mid-year report for the yoga grant I received form Tufts Community Health.

Inspired by The Simple Woman's Daybook

Our capacity to make peace with another person and with the world depends very much on our capacity to make peace with ourselves.

In a true dialog, both sides are willing to change.

- Thich Nhat Hanh

The Simple Woman's Daybook blog - January 5, 2010

2010-01-05T12:32:00.001-05:00

January 5, 2010

Photo for thought...

Outside my window... a very gray day.
I am thinking.. that I am feeling very relaxed!
I am thankful for... the blessing of being at home with my son. he is so awesome!
From the learning rooms... my son is watching Muzzy - in German - by request. Pretty cool!
From the kitchen... getting ready to prepare lunch - grilled cheese and tomato soup.
I am wearing... cords and a cotton tshirt - it is only a funtion of maternity clothing that I am voluntarily wearing pink and purple together. Oh, to have a "real" wardrobe again!.
I am creating... a winter-themed craft for the afternoon and the homeschool co-op schedule for the next few months.
I am going... to introduce about 50 people to yoga this evening - very exciting!
I am reading... the book list for the Five In a Row literature-based curriculum and price shopping for the books on-line. Placing our order today!
I am hoping...to have our bedrooms organized before the new baby arrives - we will need lots of time and storage boxes!
I am hearing...a blend of WBUR and German...
One of my favorite things... comfy house socks.
A few plans for the rest of the week...calls for the CDO training and the new Prosperity Circle I will be leading.

Inspired by The Simple Woman's Daybook

Jean-Dominique Bauby’s memoir, The Diving Bell and the Butterfly, describes his life after a massive stroke left him with a condition called “Locked-In Syndrome.” Although he was almost completely paralyzed, Bauby was able to write his book by blinking his left eyelid. An aide would recite a coded alphabet, until Bauby blinked to choose the letter of a word he was dictating. The book required about 200,000 blinks to write. Bauby used the only physical ability left him to communicate with others. - Dennis Fisher

Words of Thanks from my Son

2010-01-05T07:31:00.003-05:00

Yesterday my son and I enjoyed a walk around the perimeter of our back yard, peering into the woods for signs of animal tracks. We found tracks of our neighbors dogs, possibly a cat, and possibly a squirrel or a rabbit. We took photos and had fun. The air temperature was right around 30 degrees with a bright and sunny sky, the snow seeming to shimmer like crystals or diamonds.

Once back inside and stripped of our winter wear, we sat down for a snack of hot chocolate and graham crackers. I placed my son's snack down in front of him and turned around to get mine from the counter.

"Thank-yous!" my son announced and placed his hands together into a prayer position. "Thank-yous" are what we call "saying grace" in our home.

"I'm thank-you for you and for snow and for the sunny sky and for hot cocoa and for all God has given us!" My son enthusiastically stated.

My heart swelled and tears came to my eyes. It was the first time I'd ever heard him give thanks to God. He is a very thankful little boy and always has much to be thankful for. It was the first time, however, he'd ever on his own attributed any of our blessings to God.

"I like that thank-you, D." I said softly.

"Mom, I am thank-you for ALLLLLL God gives us!" he said again. "AMEN!"

"Amen," I echoed, placing my plate on the table next to him.

We ate together in silence for the next few minutes, gazing out the back window to the woods, the sun shining brightly through the trees and onto the frozen pond beyond.

The Simple Woman's Daybook blog - January 4, 2010

2010-01-04T07:36:00.002-05:00

January 4, 2010

Photo for thought...

Outside my window... the sun is rising, the sky is slowly warming to soft pastels of blue and pink and yellow across the pond.
I am thinking... that it feels reassuring to be back into the normal routine of life, gearing up to work smarter and to be more supportive of my loved ones by creating a better structure for myself during the day and week.

I am thankful for... for the past two weeks of wonderful holiday gatherings, for the time with my husband, for the reconnection and enrichment of our family.
From the learning rooms... order - we reorganized the room and the toys after Christmas - now on to creating the 3rd floor office and play area!
From the kitchen... the oven is heating for the quiche and roasted potato breakfast, coffee aroma, and the hum of the refrigerator.
I am wearing... my pjs.
I am creating... a relaxed pace for the day and time for blogging.
I am going... to the chiropractor's this morning.
I am reading... 3 books at once - per usual.
I am hoping... to leave an impactful legacy of the Spirit of Jesus when it is my time to leave the earthly tent. So sad that Ken Waugh has left us, but knowing that he is with the Creator is life affirming. If only I will be so blessed to leave a loving legacy in the Spirit of Jesus as Ken did, inspiring us all to care for one another better and to be present to one another We love you Ken and miss you!
I am hearing... nothing stirring upstairs - which means I'd better wake the guys up!
One of my favorite things... having leisurely time to reconnect with dear friends.
A few plans for the rest of the week... teaching yoga, churning out large numbers of emails to get caught up from vacation.

Inspired by The Simple Woman's Daybook

Our Heavenly Dwelling

Now we know that if the earthly tent we live in is destroyed, we have a building from God, an eternal house in heaven, not built by human hands. Meanwhile we groan, longing to be clothed with our heavenly dwelling, because when we are clothed, we will not be found naked. For while we are in this tent, we groan and are burdened, because we do not wish to be unclothed but to be clothed with our heavenly dwelling, so that what is mortal may be swallowed up by life. Now it is God who has made us for this very purpose and has given us the Spirit as a deposit, guaranteeing what is to come.

Therefore we are always confident and know that as long as we are at home in the body we are away from the Lord. We live by faith, not by sight. We are confident, I say, and would prefer to be away from the body and at home with the Lord. So we make it our goal to please him, whether we are at home in the body or away from it. For we must all appear before the judgment seat of Christ, that each one may receive what is due him for the things done while in the body, whether good or bad.

The Ministry of Reconciliation

Since, then, we know what it is to fear the Lord, we try to persuade men. What we are is plain to God, and I hope it is also plain to your conscience.

- 2 Corinthians 5:1-11

A New Year - A New Decade - 2010 is here!

2010-01-03T19:28:00.001-05:00

I'm back after taking time off for medical emergencies and the holidays. I'm fueled, inspired and ready for 2010!

I'm re-reading the book, Living Buddha, Living Christ by Thich Nhat Hahn. I credit this book with igniting my formal spiritual practices of meditation and prayer. It is a beautiful book and I highly recommend it.

When you have mindfulness, you have love and understanding, you see more deeply, and you can heal the wounds in your own mind. The Buddha was called the King of Healers. In the Bible, when someone touches Christ, he or she is healed. It is not just touching a cloth that brings about a miracle. When you touch deep understanding and love, you are healed.

The Holy Spirit descended on Jesus like a dove, penetrated Him deeply, and He revealed the manifestation of the Holy Spirit. Jesus healed whatever He touched. With the Holy Spirit in Him, His power as a healer transformed many people. All schools of Christianity agree on this. I told the priest that I felt that all of us also have the seed of the Holy spirit in us, the capacity of healing, transforming, and loving. When we touch that seed, we are able to touch God the Father and God the Son.

Hmm... a warm humm in my heart as I read and reflect on these words. What will I do as a regular practice in 2010 to endure that I am mindful, present, and in touch with the seed of the Holy Spirit within me to heal my own mind, my family, and my community? What can I do to remind my loved ones of the seed within them? How can I promote a culture of mindfulness in my home to have our home be one of healing for all who enter?

Best Wishes for YOUR New Year and let's make is a wonderful one together!

The Simple Woman's Daybook blog 12/15/09

2009-12-15T08:52:00.001-05:00

December 15, 2009

Photo for thought... (none today - sorry!)

Outside my window... overcast, remnants of snow, still... .
I am thinking... how I've been very productive this morning already - on a call with the Prosperity Circle leaders, then posted a blog to the DFC Facebook Fan page, now blogging and making lunch for my husband!

I am thankful for... for the ability to buy D gifts for Christmas. I'm very excited to see his reaction when he opens them.
From the learning rooms... a mountain of laundry to be folded!
From the kitchen... dishes in the sink, the aroma of coffee and ham and cheese breakfast cassarole.
I am wearing... my new fuzzy socks from my mom.
I am creating... a beautiful family culture.
I am going... to Walmart to get supplies for Christmas cookie making today - this week's baking day.
I am reading... The 7 habits of Highly Effective Families by Stephen R. Covey.
I am hoping... that we are all healthy for the holidays this year.
I am hearing... the shower running from upstairs, WBUR news.
One of my favorite things... shopping for and giving gifts.
A few plans for the rest of the week... potluck for the UU Sisterhood.

Inspired by The Simple Woman's Daybook

Patience is faith in action. Patience is emotional diligence. It's the willingness to suffer inside so that others can grow. It reveals love. It gives birth to understanding. Even as we become aware of our suffering in love, we learn about ourselves and our own weaknesses and motives.
- Stephen R. Covey

The Simple Woman's Daybook blog 12/14/2009

2009-12-14T08:34:00.002-05:00

December 14, 2009

Photo for thought...

Outside my window... overcast, remnants of snow. .
I am thinking... another Monday. How the weeks speed by. I need a week off. I can't wait until Christmas to get some time off with the family. I'm looking forward to sleeping in!

I am thankful for... for a wonderful Sunday with the family. D was so great in his first pagent.
From the learning rooms... Christmas music!
From the kitchen... chaos.
I am wearing... pjs.
I am creating... the plans for today and tomorrow.
I am going... the dentist today and some Christmas shopping.
I am reading... Last Child in the Woods by Richard Louv.
I am hoping... D is cooperative and comfortable at his first dentist appointment.
I am hearing... D repeatedly clearing his throat.
One of my favorite things... having nothing in particular to do.
A few plans for the rest of the week... making Christmas cookies for our homeschool co-op to decorate, Christmas shopping, assembling gifts for the grandparents.

Inspired by The Simple Woman's Daybook

Return to Me with all your heart,
And with fasting, weeping and mourning;
And rend your heart and not your garments."
- Joel 2:12

The Simple Woman's Daybook blog 12/10/2009

2009-12-10T20:03:00.000-05:00

December 10, 2009

Photo for thought...

Outside my window... it is evening.
I am thinking... that I really don't want to do the dishes waiting for me in the sink.

I am thankful for... abundance.
From the learning rooms... is aglow with the light of the Christmas tree.
From the kitchen... dishes from dinner.
I am wearing... yoga attire.
I am creating... an intentional life.
I am going... up to my son's room in a few minutes to read him stories and ease him into sleep.
I am reading... Last Child in the Woods by Richard Louv.
I am hoping... I don't fall asleep with my son tonight so that I can work on a few blogs I've had in mind this week.
I am hearing... the hum of the refrigerator and my son's bathtime status reports being called down from upstairs.
One of my favorite things... hot chocolate on winter nights.
A few plans for the rest of the week... family movie night.

Inspired by The Simple Woman's Daybook

Our children no longer learn how to read

the great Book of Nature

from their own direct experience or hot to interact creatively

with the seasonal transformations of the planet.

They seldom learn where their water comes from or where it goes.

We no longer coordinate our human celebration with

the great liturgy of the heavens.

- Wendell Berry

The Simple Woman's Daybook blog 12/09/2009 - Peace

2009-12-09T09:57:00.001-05:00

December 8, 2009

Photo for thought...

Outside my window... it is snowing, wet snowflakes compacting upon contact with the ground. A think, white blanket.
I am thinking... that I love the snow when I don't have to drive in it.

I am thankful for... an unplanned day "off" from the usual hustle to enjoy the snowfall with my son; for my husband for spending almost 2 hours shoveling the snow.
From the learning rooms... my son is engaged in some serious imaginative play in front of the Christmas tree.
From the kitchen... remnants of breakfast - sausage-egg-cheese breakfast sandwiches and one happy dog who got the leftovers licking his lips.
I am wearing... sweatpants, t-shirt, and a fleece jacket.
I am creating... plans to enjoy the day with crafting, hot chocolate, and pizza-making.
I am going... nowhere! What a blessing today! I think this means I'm changing, or maybe getting older. When I was younger this would have been a tragedy. Now, I look forward to quiet days at home.
I am reading... entertaining Facebook entries with people's diverse reactions to snowfall.
I am hoping... that people drive safely on the roads today.
I am hearing... WBUR, the BBC hour, my son and husband talking, the plow rumbling by outside.
One of my favorite things... the anticipation of Christmas and making it special for everyone.
A few plans for the rest of the week... Dream Factory Community lunch, meeting with people from an organization assisting people in Haiti.

Inspired by The Simple Woman's Daybook

Create in me a clean heart, O God,
And renew a steadfast spirit within me.
- Psalm 51: 10-11

The Simple Woman's Daybook blog 12/08/2009

2009-12-08T22:41:00.001-05:00

December 8, 2009

Photo for thought...

Outside my window... is nighttime.
I am thinking... that it is time for bed.

I am thankful for... a wonderful day.
From the learning rooms... all has been put away for the night.
From the kitchen... some diner dishes in the sink, clean dishes in the drying rack and the scent of lavender from the plant I saved from the back deck just before the first snow.
I am wearing... jeans, a soft t-shirt, a fleece jacket, and chenille house socks.
I am creating... some holiday craft and unit study plans for the next few weeks, plans for completing the holiday decorating this week, and some buzz-worthy social media fact sheets for the Dream Factory Community lunch this Thursday.
I am going... to bed very soon.
I am reading... through endless emails from the last week. I need a better system for organizing and responding to them...
I am hoping... for a wonderful blanketing of snow tomorrow that melts entirely withing a day so that we can clean our gutters!.
I am hearing... the television... the hum of my husband's computers as he chugs away for his graduate program thile overseeing an imporant IT upgrade at work.
One of my favorite things... my son's laughter at funny sounding words. The latest discovered while reading today. "Pish-posh".
A few plans for the rest of the week... creating Christmas decorations with D for our tree and holiday gifts while it snows tomorrow.

Inspired by The Simple Woman's Daybook

Happy families are all alike; every unhappy family is unhappy in its own way.
- Leo Tolstoy, Anna Karenina

Creating an Extraordinary Family – The Rise of A Domestic Entrepreneur

2009-12-08T11:36:00.011-05:00

Happy families are all alike; every unhappy family is unhappy in its own way.

-Leo Tolstoy, Anna Karenina

There is no doubt in my mind that I was born an entrepreneur into an entrepreneurial family. Growing up, money was often stretched in our household. My parents hired me to do jobs around the house rather than giving me an allowance. My mom, a first generation daughter of a Czech immigrant, grew up in the blue-collar suburbs of Detroit. My father was raised for the first ten years of his life by his maternal grandmother and worked with his relatives, who were sharecroppers, in cotton and tobacco fields in rural North Carolina. Both graduated from college and worked hard to establish a middle class lifestyle for us. It was important to them that I understood the value of a dollar. There was no sense of entitlement in our household. As an adult, I am grateful that I was given such a value system.

While still in elementary school I hired myself out as a babysitter and did odd jobs for my neighbors to earn spending money. When I was young my mother ran a home daycare while my father ran a business and worked full time for the federal government. Together they owned three multi-family homes in our town and rented 10 units. In junior high school I thrived during times of fundraising and was always a top seller of candy bars and magazine subscriptions. In high school, I was inspired to start a magazine featuring my classmates writing and artwork. I enrolled my best friend in creating this with me and got the backing of the English and Art departments to promote it. One problem. No money in the school budget to publish the magazine. (This was back in the day before e-zines...) I convinced my friend to canvass downtown on our spring break to sell ads to local business in order to fund the project.

Since college I've undertaken numerous entrepreneurial endeavors. Some have been successful and other have been, well, learning experiences. I'm an entrepreneurial junkie. I follow highly successful entrepreneurs like many follow celebrities.

About six months ago some difficult decisions had to be made about my business and my family's future. For reasons too numerous to go into here, we made the decision as a family that we would homeschool and I would be “at home” to support our family. (For more, go to Heart of the Matter Online for two blogs on the topic.) To say that it was a big adjustment would be an understatement. To say that all had gone smoothly would be untrue. However the positive outcome must be credited to context. Context is key.

I appointed myself Chief Dream Officer of the family business, the business of being an extraordinary family. I am not a stay-at-home mom or a work-at-home mom. I am a domestic entrepreneur. This is different from being a stay-at-home mom with a side business or being a work-at-home mom with a dedicated office. I've tried both and failed miserably. It's all about approaching the ongoing co-creation of the family in the spirit of entrepreneurship.

I love what Wikipeida has to say about being an entrepreneur.

An entrepreneur is a person who has possession of a new enterprise, venture or idea, and assumes significant accountability for the inherent risks and the outcome. ...Entrepreneurship is often difficult and tricky, resulting in many new ventures failing. The word entrepreneur is often synonymous with founder. Most commonly, the term entrepreneur applies to someone who creates value by offering a product or service, by carving out a niche in the market that may not exist currently.

So, notice, there is nothing in this definition about profits or a business or building wealth. It is about taking accountability for moving a venture or an idea forward, for carving our a niche and taking risks.

Recently I picked up The 7 Habits of Highly Effective Families by Stephen R. Covey at the library. According to Mr. Covey, every family needs three basic things to be successful.

A clear vision of their direction.
A flight plan.
A compass.

It struck me how that is the basic structure of a business plan. It is also the heart of the plan developed during the Chief Dream Officer training! I had an "ah-ha" moment. I've been applying my business background and entrepreneurial zeal to my family.

Our mission statement is “To create an extraordinary family in which each member feels valued and appreciated as a unique individual.” Our flight plan includes spending quality time together, homeschooling, and maintaining a simple and fulfilling lifestyle. We have specific criteria against which we can measure our success while conceding that we will be off track 90% of the time.

As for my particular role, I am the CDO for the family. I serve as the holder of the dream – our mission statement – and am charged with family resource management to forward our venture toward the dream. My husband and son (and the little one on the way) serve as the board of directors. They voice support or opposition to the work I'm charged with carrying out. They also make sure I have the resources I need to carry out my work. My husband, son, and a few carefully selected friends are my biggest resource; my Board of Advisors and performance coaches. I am a domestic entrepreneur, manager, and technician as Michael Gerber outlined in his book, The E-myth. I organize and manage the many moving parts of our family system for maximum efficiency, enjoyment, and results. This is similar to what I did in the businesses I have created or managed.

I oversee, manage, and am chiefly responsible for the following:

Administration: creating and managing our operating budget (household expenses and liabilities), accounts payable (pay bills), accounts receivable (track paychecks, reimbursements, and other payments), strategic cash reserves (long term and short terms savings accounts), capital improvements plans (long term savings for specific projects), procurement (all household purchases), investments (retirement plans and others), contract and vendor management (insurance contracts, loans, household service providers), track cash flow and generate reports as needed

Facilities: property and fleet maintenance (housework, car maintenance, “mom's taxi”, coordinating rides and ride shares, serving on our condo association as a trustee, home renovation project development)

Information Systems: Information Technology (manage and maintain all household electronics, including internet, cable, landlines and cell phones) , Information Systems Management (systematic communication around child care, work schedules, and creating the processes which lend to communication), documentation (process documentation, photos, videos, scrapbooks, blogs)

Human Relationships: Education (classes and more), management training programs (getting family members developed to take on oversight and accountability of specific aspects of programs), benefits management (registration, selection and utilization of employee benefits from husbands work), recreation and travel (planing fun downtime at scalable levels – daily and weekly opportunities) personal time (time off!), personal development (personalized training and support of resources for each family member), wellness programs (healthy eating, daily exercise, stress reduction), corporate retreats (family vacations) and planning days (weekly check in meetings, quarterly mission status review), events management (planning and oversight of birthdays, holidays, family and friend gatherings)

Program Management: Project “Extraordinary Family”, Spiritual Relationships and Religious Worship, Homeschooling

Special Initiatives: Yoga Instruction, our family business, D's Masters Degree, Homeschooling blogging

This is the context I set for my work in my family. Primarily, I oversee and manage all the “back end” administration and support such that our family can focus on our main work together – creating an extraordinary family life. That is not to say I do all the work. I am chiefly the big picture person. I always consult with the resident chief expert, my husband. He is a fabulous technician in many areas. Many times he sets the vision in certain areas and then I conduct the research and development around that vision to create a proposal or feasibility study. We then decide together whether or not to pursue that option or look for a better fit. I actively train my son to take responsibility and initiative in his own sphere of influence. It is never too young to start to groom an entrepreneurial mindset and to build in him confidence as a leader! I feel blessed that I can be of service in these diverse areas to my family in a meaningful way. I put to use every day every skill I developed in the different jobs I've had or the difference businesses on which I've worked. This is by far the most demanding adventure I've ever been on. Best of all, it is a journey where everyone is winning, including me!

Being a self-transformer has been the most profound and rewarding work of becoming a domestic entrepreneur. Setting this context for my work has brought into focus for me the importance of self-care. For example, while it is possible to be sleep deprived and to deal with professional colleagues, I dare you to try that as a strategy while homeschooling a preschooler. You last about an hour. I don't want to show up as grumpy and impatient with low energy with my family. So, I have had to become extremely disciplined about getting appropriate rest, eating enough throughout the day, spiritually recharging every day, delegating when needed, asking for help and creating an endurance programs for myself. A wonderful book and program is The Power of Full Engagement; Managing Energy, Not Time, Is the Key to High Performance and Personal Renewal by Jim Loehr and Tony Schwartz. Most importantly, I've had to become proficient at saying “no.”

I am deeply grateful for the support and encouragement of the Dream Factory Community and the Chief Dream Officer training. I credit both these incredible resources with empowering me to make a graceful transition in my life. I am delighted to report that I am happy and fulfilled with the life I have created. I am a successful “whole person” rather than a person who has a list of accomplishments behind my name. To my knowledge, I am the first self-declared full time Domestic Entrepreneur of the DFC. I hope I'm not the last! I am here to encourage others.

If you want to be successful as a whole person, not simply have areas of success in your life, the DFC could be a tremendous resource. Creating an extraordinary family is not the work of an individual family member or of the family unit itself, but of an entire community. It takes a village to raise a child. It also takes a community to support a family.

The Simple Woman's Daybook blog 12/04/2009

2009-12-04T07:50:00.001-05:00

December 4, 2009

Photos of the day to share...

Outside my window... sunrise.
I am thinking... that despite record high temperatures yesterday, it is probably much colder than it appears outside right now.

I am thankful for... the ability to give my husband a gift for his birthday yesterday and that his is doing the dishes from last night before he goes to work.
From the learning rooms... D is at work with his game, Mousetrap.
From the kitchen... calm cleaning!.
I am wearing... flannel pj bottoms, my chenille socks with cats, and a black t-shirt. I am such a glamor queen!
I am creating... a relaxing day, an organized system for my paperwork, and order in the home.
I am going... to the grocery store, the chiropractor's office, and church.
I am reading... an article on the Worcester fire, The Perfect Fire.
I am hoping... we have a festive month of fun.
I am hearing... dishes clinking in the sink, the cat's food dish being slid across the kitchen tile as my dog finishes what the cat left behind, the tapping of my fingernails on the keys of the laptop...
One of my favorite things... bi bim bap, which I will have for dinner tonight!
A few plans for the rest of the week...a quiet night at home, teaching yoga, Uxbridge Holiday First Night!

Inspired by The Simple Woman's Daybook

Be to one another, tender-hearted, forgiving each other, just as God in Christ also has forgiven you.
- Ephesians 5:12

The Simple Woman's Daybook blog 12/05/2009

2009-12-04T07:28:00.040-05:00

December 5, 2009

Photo for thought...

Outside my window... is a dark gray morning... snow is on it's way!
I am thinking... that I need to buy a pair of gloves or mittens for myself soon... we need to locate the beautiful stocking that my mother made for D... .

I am thankful for... my husband's safe trip home last night after being out with friends for his belated birthday.
From the learning rooms... relative order... but need to reorganize things to make room for the Christmas tree.
From the kitchen... hot coffee, warm banana bread, and Christmas carols, thank to the great playlist provided by The Homeschool Lounge
I am wearing... pjs - what else?
I am creating... challenging and fun yoga for my students, plans for remodeling and finishing our basement in 2 years.
I am going... to teach yoga and then off with the family to pick out our Christmas Tree and attend UHFN!
I am reading... the Bible and starting The 7 habits of Highly Effective Families by Stephen R Covey.
I am hoping... that we'll find the perfect tree and that the snow this afternoon will be light.
I am hearing... the hum of the refrigerator and "What Child is This" as sung by Josh Groban.
One of my favorite things... is the smell of evergreen trees.
A few plans for the rest of the week... church and the Nutcracker!

Inspired by The Simple Woman's Daybook

So what would Christmas be like if we truly celebrated God's presence?
-Julie Ackerman Link

This is the promise which He Himself made to us: eternal life.
- 1John 2:25

Getting into the Christmas Spirit and Family Learning Co-op – Suncatchers and Rice Pudding!

2009-12-02T21:48:00.000-05:00

Today we met with our the families in our homeschool co-op. Everyone was healthy today! The mom leading the group experience today led off with having the kids make rice pudding. While that was baking in the oven, we made suncatchers from paper plates and tissue paper. Then it was outdoors for some running around! Although it is December in Massachuesetts, it was in the 50's, so it was quite pleasant for the kids. They took turns riding a dump truck and big wheels down a hill and playing in a little house underneath the deck. D had a great time playing tag with the other kids. It is his favorite game and I'm not up for that right now in my condition! When the rice pudding was ready, everyone gathered around the table for snack with some apple juice and listened to two stories.

We decided today that we liked how things were going with the co-op and to continue in 2010. Additionally, we decided to add alternating Wednesday's as informal playgroup get togethers. So we'll meet weekly, but only have organized lessons or crafts alternating weeks. I'm really happy about that D is the only “only child” in the co-op. Albeit not for long. So I really appreciate the opportunity for him to have the regular interaction with the other kids.

Once back home, we made cupcakes for his dad's birthday tomorrow. He added his own flair. I gave him the cupcake papers to place in the cupcake pan. “All done!” He exclaimed and proudly demonstrated that he took it upon himself to separate out the wrappers by color and used all the blue tins for this batch. I appreciated his aesthetic. He scooped the batter into the cupcake wrappers himself.

We were inspired by our hostess's manger to get ours out this evening. I insisted that D wait until after dinner. That way he could help his dad put it together while I cleaned the kitchen. D loves the manger. He loves playing with the figures, especially the baby Jesus. Last year, when he was just learning to talk, he would ask for the “Baby Beesus”, which sounded suspiciously like his favorite word, “cheese”. It was very endearing. This year he seems to want to make one of the wise men a “bad knight” and one of them a “good knight”. We're beginning to share with him the story of the birth of Jesus, but I think he's putting his own spin on things. We got several Christmas-themed books from the library on Monday. We started reading The Littlest Angel. The artwork is wonderful, and definitely conveys the sense of wonder and awe appropriate for nature of the story. Perhaps tonight we'll move on to another selection...

The Simple Woman's Daybook blog 12/02/2009

2009-12-02T07:44:00.003-05:00

December 2, 2009

Sorry - no photo today - forgot to get them from my camera! Two tomorrow!

Outside my window... birds land on the deck, collecting seeds from my summer garden.
I am thinking... that I should get a birdfeeder for the winter and a bird identification guide to watch the birds in the morning...of creating a spiritual resources section to my blog, listing places I source for inspiration and education.

I am thankful for... the beautiful comment left on my blog by "Imagination" - just the encouragement I needed to keep going during a moment of doubt.
From the learning rooms... chaos - I need to make sure that D tidy's before going to bed at night. That would be good for him and for me.
From the kitchen... bacon sizzling in the oven and Christmas carols, thank to the great playlist provided by The Homeschool Lounge!
I am wearing... flannel pj bottoms, my chenille socks with cats, and a black t-shirt. I am such a glamor queen!
I am creating... a day of magical possibilities.
I am going... to meet with a friend to discuss some business consulting and partnership possibilities and then off to our Family Learning Co-op for the afternoon.
I am reading... the Bible and starting The 7 habits of Highly Effective Families by Stephen R Covey.
I am hoping... we all stay healthy with all the sickness that is going around right now.
I am hearing... the bathroom fan, the cat drinking from the water bottle, my husband closing his laptop and placing his mug on the counter...
One of my favorite things... is my Chestnut Farms mug - a gift to all co-op members last Christmas. It is the perfect shape and weight in your hand.
A few plans for the rest of the week... making Christmas cookies tonight for our church fundraiser on Friday and a birthday cake for my husband!

Inspired by The Simple Woman's Daybook

Cautious, careful people, always casting about to preserve their reputation and social standing, never can bring about a reform. - Susan B. Anthony

Family, Friends, Learning Fun, and New Experiences!

2009-12-01T21:55:00.000-05:00

The past few days have been truly wonderful and full of family, friends, learning fun and new experiences. Here are a few highlights!

Thanksgiving Day at our friend's home – 3 courses and plenty of side dishes and an afternoon walk around their neighborhood. We arrived home in the late afternoon and enjoyed a family movie night curled up on the futon in from of the television watching “Bedknobs and Broomsticks”, one of my favorite movies when I was a child. D loved the finale with all the armor and the castles!

Saturday – Thanksgiving #2 at David's dad's house. Great to see the family and D got to play with his cousin, J. They are only a few months apart in age. It was one of the first times that they actually played with one another rather than playing along side one another.

Sunday – First Sunday of Advent. D share his first bread communion in church (which they had practiced last week in Sunday school.) After church we went to the Worcester Art Museum. We had never been to the WAM, despite living in the are for the last 2 years. It was a trip undertaken with the spirit of adventure. I had no idea what D would make of it. The museum supplied a “scavenger hunt” of several famous portraits which provided us with a purpose as we traveled the amazing galleries. D seemed most intrigued by the pictures with castles and animals. He particularly liked the Buddha statues in the Asia collection. Once we had traveled through the galleries and located all the portraits, we realized that a concert was about to begin! An experimental choir from Worcester Polytechnical Institute was there to give an acapella concert of traditional readings and British carols. We asked d if he would like to stay and he said yes, so we took seats in the back row in case we needed to make a quick exit. Although he squirmed and fidgited in his chair quite a bit (keeping in mind that he sat through a church service already that day for the Intergenerational Service) he really enjoyed the music. Later that evening I asked him what his favorite part of the day was, he replied, “I liked the singing soooooooo much!”

Tuesday – Homeschool Day at the EcoTarium! We brought the nature treasures we'd been collecting on our walks to the curator volunteers. They discussed the items with us and showed us how to create nature boxes. We were inspired to do a different nature box for each season. D scours the ground when we are outside for small treasures to add to our collection and record in our notepad. We enjoyed lunching and chatting with other homeschoolers at lunch. D loved the “animal encounter” - chinchillas!

The Simple Woman's Daybook blog - 12/01/2009 - Hope

2009-12-01T08:10:00.000-05:00

December 1, 2009

Here is the picture for thought I'm sharing...

Outside my window... a sunny crisp morning, absolutely still.
I am thinking... that I'm excited to start a new communications and social media campaign for the Dream Factory Community.
I am thankful for... my son, healthy and energized, chasing our cat around the living room.
From the learning rooms... is tidy.
From the kitchen... is the central hub for the morning's activities.
I am wearing... sweatpants, MSU sweatshirt (Go Green!) and my fuzzy house socks - again.
I am creating... a precious little being .
I am going... to take a nature walk this morning with D before we go to the first Homeschool Day at the Ecotarium.
I am reading... the Bible and starting The 7 habits of Highly Effective Families by Stephen R. Covey which I got from the library yesterday.
I am hoping... that I'm feeling better soon.
I am hearing... D taking his shaving set out from under the bathroom sin upstairs and the stream-of-concious chatter of my other D playing with his figures, creating an elaborate story.
One of my favorite things... is getting a full night of undisturbed sleep.
A few plans for the rest of the week... Uxbridge Holiday First Night celebration!

Inspired by The Simple Woman's Daybook

In the beginning was the Word, and the Word was with God, and the Word was God.
-John 1:1

Homeschooling for an Extraordinary Family - Part 2

2009-11-30T08:17:00.000-05:00

When you have a dream, there is always a gap between the vision and your current reality.

How you live in that space makes all that difference. In order to have the dream be reality you must develop into a person who has the capacity and skills to cause that dream. There is growth to be experienced, capacities to be created and developed, new relationships to be established, and skills to be acquired. Realizing that who you are today is not going to get you where you want to go can create tension, to say the least. It is easy to get overwhelmed and give up or give over to the inner saboteur and all your reasons as to why your dream will never happen. It is easy to find agreement from others as to why your dream won’t or can’t happen. You may blame yourself and make yourself wrong for things you’ve done or didn’t do in the past that seem at odds with what you hope to create now. The key is to realize that nothing was “wrong” until the moment you created the dream! In fact, there is still nothing “wrong”, only some distance of time and experience between where you are now and where you want to be. There is nothing wrong with you or anyone else. Everything is as it should be. There are simply new choices to be made and a new context to create. If you plant your feet in love and faith and do what is in your power to do, God will do what you can’t do.

To read the rest, go to Heart of the Matter Online .

The Simple Woman's Daybook Blog - 11/30/2009 - HOPE

2009-11-30T08:12:00.000-05:00

November 30, 2009 - HOPE

Here is the picture for thought I'm sharing...

Outside my window... the sun is trying to burn through the overcast sky, casting rays of warm golden light onto some of the leaves remaining on the trees outside, but leaving the rest of the landscape cool gray.
I am thinking... that I'm not sure I'm ready for it to be Monday after such a relaxing Sunday.
I am thankful for... my hour of quiet this morning for reflection over coffee.
From the learning rooms... is ready for a day of activity.
From the kitchen... bacon is thawed and ready to be cooked for breakfast and the coffee is brewed and steaming.
I am wearing... sweatpants, MSU sweatshirt (Go Green!) and my fuzzy house socks - again.
I am creating... family traditions that I hope will help us create a close knit family as we grow (both in age and in members).
I am going... to take our dog for a walk around the pond this morning.
I am reading... the Bible.
I am hoping...for a quiet day at home with D.
I am hearing... footsteps coming down the stairs.
One of my favorite things... how my son runs to me first thing in the morning, gives me a big hug, and then asks me for a big piece of cheese.
A few plans for the rest of the week... teaching yoga tonight and tomorrow night, and Wednesday night making Christmas cookies for the church fundraiser on Friday night..

Inspired by The Simple Woman's Daybook

I pray also that the eyes of your heart may be enlightened in order that you may know the hope to which he has called you, the riches of his glorious inheritance in the saints, and his incomparably great power for us who believe.
- Ephesians 1: 18-19

The Simple Woman's Daybook blog 11/29/2009

2009-11-29T07:15:00.001-05:00

NOVEMBER 29, 2009

Here is the picture for thought I'm sharing... (picture taken by 3-year-old D!)

Outside my window... the sun is rising, creating a pastel pallet across the sky.
I am thinking... I had a wonderful night's sleep and feel completely refreshed for today.
I am thankful for... my husband feeling much better this morning, for the beginning of Advent, and for a day together as a family.
From the learning rooms... toys piled high from D's attempt to delay bedtime.
From the kitchen... coffee brewing, banana bread in the toaster, and soon breakfast of ham and eggs will be prepared on the stove..
I am wearing... sweatpants, MSU sweatshirt (Go Green!) and my fuzzy house socks.
I am creating... a day of fun and relaxation for the family.
I am going... to church this morning for the first Sunday of Advent and bread communion.
I am reading... the latest UU World magazine. The cover story is "The Religious Left; an Old Tradition for a New Day."
I am hoping... for the hosue at the corner of Hill Street and Sutton Road to turn on their magnificent Christmas display soon!
I am hearing... the bathroom fan, D typing on his laptop, the coffee maker, and the refrigerator humming..
One of my favorite things... anticipating the day ahead full of unlimited possibilities for expressing love and joy.
A few plans for the rest of the week... heading over to the Worcester Art Museum after church with the family thanks to a fre family pass from the library.

Inspired by The Simple Woman's Daybook

Nothing worth doing is completed in our lifetime; therefore we are saved by hope.

Nothing true or beautiful or good makes complete sense in any immediate context of history; therefore, we are saved by faith.
Nothing we do, however virtuous, can be accomplished alone; therefore, we are saved by love.
No virtuous act is quite as virtuous from the standpoint of our friend or foe as from our own; therefore, we are saved by the final form of love which is forgiveness.
-Reinhold Niebuhr

The Simple Woman's Daybook blog 11/27/09

2009-11-27T09:29:00.002-05:00

NOVEMBER 27, 2009

Here is the picture for thought I'm sharing...

Outside my window... the sun has yet to rise.
I am thinking... that it is way too early to leaving the house to teach a yoga class!
I am thankful for... my husband and son soundly sleeping upstairs and for Thanksgiving leftovers for breakfast.
From the learning rooms... the remnants of family movie night remain.
From the kitchen... the wonderful smell of coffee fills the air as I feel satisfied gazing at the clean countertops.
I am wearing... my yoga attire.
I am creating... possible scenarios for how the day will progress.
I am going... to do some organizing in D's room today.
I am reading... Ephesians 3 and the latest "Above Rubies" newsletter.
I am hoping... to balance our budget for the next month in order to determine our Christmas shopping budget.
I am hearing... heavy raindrops falling on the deck outside and the hum of electrical appliances..
Around the house... is stillness.
One of my favorite things... is the stillness of the early morning hours.
A few plans for the rest of the week... our second Thanksgiving dinner at D's fathers house!

Inspired by The Simple Woman's Daybook

14 For this reason I kneel before the Father, 15 from whom his whole family[a] in heaven and on earth derives its name. 16 I pray that out of his glorious riches he may strengthen you with power through his Spirit in your inner being, 17 so that Christ may dwell in your hearts through faith. And I pray that you, being rooted and established in love, 18 may have power, together with all the saints, to grasp how wide and long and high and deep is the love of Christ, 19 and to know this love that surpasses knowledge—that you may be filled to the measure of all the fullness of God.

- Ephesians 3: 14 - 19.

How do we learn numbers?

2009-11-26T21:25:00.000-05:00

I thought I'd share a very cool podcast from Radiolab - "Numbers". Definitely worth a listen! I'm kind of a nerd about these things. I love learning about how our brain makes sense of the world. Enjoy!

The Simple Woman's Daybook Blog 11/26/09

2009-11-26T09:55:00.003-05:00

FOR TODAY

NOVEMBER 26, 2009

Here is the picture for thought I'm sharing...

Outside my window... fog embraces the bare trees and moves in waves over the pond.
I am thinking... about how thankful I am for today and the smell of the damp cool earth.
I am thankful for... a day of friends and wonderful food, for all our blessings
From the learning rooms... yesterdays toys strewn over the table and couch, which didn't get picked up after the cooking marathon yesterday, waiting for D's morning arrival.
From the kitchen... wonderful smells of blueberry muffins and mashed potatoes and a big stack of dishes my husband stayed up late to wash.
I am wearing... my pjs and enjoying a relaxed morning.
I am creating... plans for a fun day with everyone and a Thanksgiving Gratitude Tree.
I am going... to a friends home for our Thanksgiving feast today!
I am reading... Nehemiah 9
I am hoping... for a day of grace, laughter, and fellowship.
I am hearing... Miles Davis, "Birth of the Cool". It has been WAY too long since I've been able to listen to this masterpiece.
Around the house... things are cluttered as usual, but this morning the nomalcy is comforting. It is, after all, all my blessed clutter! Tomorrow will bring with it some focused tidying and organizing and releasing what is not needed for the benefit of others, but for today it is all wonderful abundance.
One of my favorite things... a hot cup of coffee and a fresh-from-the-oven muffin with lots of butter on morning when there is nowhere to be for hours and a good book.
A few plans for the rest of the week... teaching sunrise yoga tomorrow morning to relieve the stress of all the Black Friday shoppers!

Inspired by The Simple Woman's Daybook

Lord, before we come to ask Your blessing
On this special day we call Thanksgiving,
We would bow to You, our sins confessing,
Then we’ll lift our praise in grateful living. —Hess

Pre-Thanksgiving Gratitude

2009-11-25T22:10:00.000-05:00

We started the day off with a trip to the EcoTarium. As expected, being the day before Thanksgiving there were not a lot of families there for the preschool story hour. The topic was, appropriately, turkeys! D loved the stories and got to hold some turkey feathers. We also got ot visit with the resident screech owl. We couldn't stay long today, but D enjoyed the air tunnel. This was a fan placed at the base of a vertical plexiglass column. The column was about 6 feet tall set about 2.5 feet off the floor. There were a variety of items to choose from to send flying up through the wind; feathers, ribbon, paper, styrofoam, and paper cups. Some flew up and out of the column while others didn't make it more than 2 or 3 feet up in the column. D was fascinated by this and we spent about a half an hour with the exhibit. He was jumping up and down with excitement, laughing and sreaming with delight. He worked up quite a sweat! On the way home we had a fairly involved conversation wondering why some of the items flew higher and took longer to come back down to the ground.

Once home, we were soon joined by D's dad and started Thanksgiving meal prep for dinner tomorrow. Pumpkin and apple pies, stuffing and cranberry sauce. It was fun to have D's dad home early! Usually he gets home late, we have dinner and he puts D to bed. A few days a week I teach yoga so I'm not home for dinner. Then he gets on-line for his masters degree program until 2 or 3am. With the exception of Sundays, we don't usually have much free time together as a family. While the pies where in the oven I picked up pizza at a local place for dinner. Thanks goodness for the new gluten free menu newly offered by our local house of pizza! About a year ago we began to say "thank yous" before each meal we eat together. Tonight D had us go through several rounds of thank yous. The last one was particularly noteworthy. "I am thankful for the mushrooms on daddy's pizza even though I don't like them." While cute, it was rather profound. how often are we grateful for things we don't like because they make someone else happy?

Tomorrow we'll have a wonderful meal with friends and will enjoy making a Thanksgiving Tree . I love the idea I got in my Clickschooling newsletter this morning.

Reflection on Service

2009-11-24T08:43:00.003-05:00

This morning I reflected on the bible passage of Mark 10:35 - 35 thanks to my daily devotional from Our Daily Bread.

As a mother and a wife, I am a leader in my home. It has been a huge transition from being a leader in the community and a leader in the workplace. In the home, there are no awards or public recognition to fan your ego. No bonuses, no office parties, no one to take you to lunch for going above and beyond on your performance review. I often say that it is harder to be at home full time than it was working outside in a job full time! What I mean by this is that you have must take on complete accountability and responsibility for keeping a good attitude in an environment where there is little recognition for all the little things you do to make the day run smoothly for all. It is not a complaint. It is just a fact. Even with a supportive spouse and fantastic kids, you must tend your attitude carefully. There is rarely someone around to tell you when you're doing a good job, give you direction, or to enjoy idle "water cooler chatter". There is always more to do and with the exception of the day of rest, never a "paid" vacation or sick days. Even vacations are a lot of work!

For any mom with small children, it also means a lot of repetitive, manual labor. No one would come into my cubicle and mess up my files or desk at will, but how often do I just get the kitchen cleaned when another meal is on it's way and the family invades, leaving pans and dishes everywhere and muddy shoe prints on the floor? The key is to keep a good attitude. An attitude of service and submission is what keeps me anchored to lightheartedness when frustration or overwhelm threaten. I love my family with all my heart. It's just my fragile ego that objects. Submission, in this context, meaning to cooperate with someone out of love and respect for God, first and the person second, as a divine creation. A prayer goes out to God to keep compassion and humility in my heart, and I carry on, leading myself and my family in right attitude and communication with a servants heart.

We can sign up for any number of leadership training seminars, but the only good leaders are those who are first and foremost good servants. —Julie Ackerman Link

Mark 10: 42 - 45

42 Calling them into Himself, Jesus said to them "You know that those who are recognized as rulers of the Gentiles lord it over them; and their great men exercise authority over them.
43 "But it is not this way among you, but whoever wishes to become great among you shall be your servant;
44 and whoever wishes to be first among you shall be slave to all.
45 "For even the Son of Man did not come to be served, but to serve, and to give His life a ransom for many."

Fore more of the Gospel of Mark, you can go to On-line Bible !

In Light and Joy!

Turkey Hats and Thanksgiving

2009-11-19T20:24:00.007-05:00

Yesterday was our bi-weekly family learning co-op. Unfortunately two families were coping with illness, including the family who was set to host and co-lead with me. So at the last minute I was hosting and leading solo! After spending the morning out at an appointment, I rushed to pick up Daniel from the sitter and arrived home to evaluate the situation. Luckily, my husband was working from home and I recruited him to help me for a half hour. We moved into our home when my son was 1 1/2, so while the house is generally kid friendly it is not babyproof. We did a quick pick up of the obviously offending and tempting items - pets water bowls, art supplies - and did a quick sweep of the floors and got the dishes done.

For our fun craft, we constructed Turkey Hats. In advance of the kids arriving I made patterns for each piece and prepped supplies. This worked out well. If I were to do this again with this age group (3 year olds) I would actually cut out the pieces and creat "craft bags" for each child with the pieces ready to assemble. They were not engaged with tracing the patterns and weren't skilled enough with scissors to do the cutting on their own. They were generally antsy and looking forward to the pasting and assembling part. The glitter glue was a big hit, however I would wait next time until we were ready to used it rather than putting it on the table with the general supplies at the beginning. The kids were all anxious to use it through the time we were cutting out the pieces, resulting in some mild discontent and impatience. I substituted googly eyes for the pom poms. The hats were a big hit. The kids loved the assembly part and looked so cute wearing them!

Once the hats were done, taking about 1 hour to complete, we had brownies and apple juice and read three stories on the theme of Thanksgiving and feasts. Giving Thanks: A Native American Good Morning Message by Chief Jake Swamp and illustrated by Erwin Printup, Jr was wonderful. "To be a human being is an honor, and we offer thanksgiving for all the gifts of life." The illustrations, vivid landscapes, fueled imagination and wonder. It is a beautiful expression of gratitude and celebration of beauty and the environment. I highly recommend it. We got it from our local library.

Two hours flew by and 4pm came. Time for everyone to head home. Daniel was sad to see them go. This marked one of the first times he'd had friends over to visit. We usually go to visit others as we have a small common space - only 400 ft2 for a kitchen and living room! Also, our friends all have more than one child, so it is usually easier if we go to visit them. I was very proud with how well he was sharing his toys with the others and how he was eagerly introducing them to some of his favorites. His genune desire to share was very touching. He asked me to invite them back really soon.

A Little Patch of Wild

2009-11-17T16:08:00.006-05:00

Today Daniel and I went on a wonderul walk. The drama of autumn has subsided. The trees are bare. Outdoors didn't look very inviting from the window, despite the thermometer reading. Outside we went nonetheless. First for a walk up to the dead end of our street. In our neighborhood it's not a cul de sac. It is a good old fashioned New England dead end. Daniel practiced pedaling his big wheel. He still has not mastered keeping both feet on the pedals, which resulted in a lengthy stop-and-start tour for the 400 ft and back from our front door. Undaunted, however, he remained in good spirits.

We decided to go on foot around our neighborhood, the air too pleasant to retreat back into the house. We walked a few blocks to a pond where a swan family lives and were happy to see the family had a group of geese visiting. When we returned to the house. Again we were both resistant to going inside. The slightly chilly air felt good on our checks. The perfect blend of chilly air and warm sun was invigorating. We walked around the back of our building and down the hill to the "big" pond and Daniel calls it. Following the short trail to the water, we came up with stories to explain the placement of several large boulders at the bottom of the hill and picked up treasures for the seasonal nature boxes we are making.

At the shore of the pond, we set about finding rocks to throw in. Soon Daniel made a sport of trying to make the biggest ripples and went searching for bigger and bigger rocks. This went on for about an hour, mostly in complete silence and Daniel intent on his work. Every now and then he would implore me to help him find more rocks and I would direct him to a new area to excavate. With the sun getting low in the sky, I looked at my watch to see it was 3:30pm. With the sunset over the pond to happen at about 4:15pm, I suggested we get back up to the house to get some hot cocoa and position ourselves at the kitchen table to watch tonight's colorful display.

I read a great blog the other day, Thoreau's "Tonic of Wildness". Our adventure today made me reflect on a quote of Thoreau, "The mass of men lead lives of quiet desperation... concealed even under what are called the games and amusements of mankind... There is no play in them." As a culture we "play hard" and will spend great sums of money for amusement to distract ourselves from the "quite desperation" that lurks. I felt it today while at the lake. Feeling a sort of residual sadness creep in, no basis in the present whatsoever. An echo of difficult times, of perhaps adolescent loneliness or the isolation I lived with in my 20's. In the amusements we spend our lives pursuing, there is indeed little if no play. How wonderful to partake in the spontaneous play with Daniel. To be in the presence of his spirit and the healing tonic of the wild. It doesn't take a lot of wild to bring you back to your senses. I think it is so key for kids as well. I recall growing up and roaming the neighborhood, waking farmers fallow fields or into the woods for hours at a time independently and having wonderful adventures. I returned home renewed in spirit and with a little more wisdom, confidence, and maturity. I certainly wouldn't send my son out into the woods on his own at this age, but taking trips together and hanging back to let him create his own context and set the rules of engagement is good for both of us. While I may have romantic notions of getting away form it all and moving to the backwoods somewhere, a nice small patch of wild in back of our house worked fine for us today.

A Whale of a Good Time at the EcoTarium

2009-11-11T20:07:00.006-05:00

This morning we made our bimonthly visit to the EcoTarium for preschool story time. It is one of Daniel's favorite things to do. We forgot that it was Veterans Day until we got there and saw the throngs of people. Luckily we were able to get a ticket! (It is free, but you have to get a ticket as they limit the number of families that can participate.)

The topic of the story time was "Whales". Miss Kathy read a story about saving the whales and then we took a little field trip out to one of the main exhibit rooms where they had set up a 40 or 50 foot "whale" - a plastic whale inflated with a large fan that the kids were invited to go into and pretend what it would be like to be inside a whale! While Daniel was a little dissappointed that there wasn't a real whale, he loved getting inside and playing pretend. We then did a craft and made a necklace in the shape of a whale tale.

Afterward we poked around some of the exhibits - the outer space exhibits are always a hit. Daniel loves visiting the air table. (See the picture) His favorite thing to do is to get the small plastic ball to hang in air. He delights in adjusting the air to watch the ball rise and fall!

After playing outside on the payground for a while and revising the air table on the way out, we purchased a book in the gift show and returned home. We read the book, "On Earth" by G. Brian Karas when we got home and both loved it! Great book introducing the concepts of the revolution of the earth, the earth's axis and equator, and the journey of the earth around the sun resulting in seasons. We were then inspired to begin work on a craft project - constructing a model solar system. We talked about the relative sizes of the planets and that the sun is not a planet, but rather a star. It was lively conversation and I was impressed on Daniel's grasp of the concepts as the result of his nightly conversations with his dad at bedtime. They have been putting up glow-in-the-dark stars and constellations in his room and talking about them for the past few months. Yet again, I'm inspired by my son's love of learning and for rolling abstract ideas around in his head!

Scrumptious

2009-11-09T11:21:00.003-05:00

Last week I pulled up to a Dunkin Donuts window to get a hot chocolate after taking Daniel to the park on a chilly afternoon. As I placed my order, Daniel piped up and asked for an order of the hash browns. I thought about it for a moment and figured, "What the heck" and placed the order.

As we drove away, Daniel was munching on his first and said, "Mom. This is scrumptious. Ask me what scrumptious means."

"Okay, what does scrumptious mean?"

"Delicious!"

Family Learning Co-op - Harvest and the Cycle of Life

2009-11-04T21:04:00.006-05:00

When we decided to homeschool Daniel for preschool I knew that I wanted him to have a recurring group of children with whom to have fun learning adventures and camaraderie. I put out a request on Facebook to my friends to see if anyone else was interested in setting up a homeschool co-op or knew of anyone who did with kids ages 2 to 6. One friend replied in the affirmative and she knew someone interested, who knew someone else who might be interested...and on until we had 5 families on board.

The last co-op meeting we had the theme of Halloween and met at one of the families homes. The highlight for Daniel was painting gourds. He distinctly did not like pulling the guts out of the pumpkin – too messy!

Today we had our third meeting. Another mother and I were in charge of the activity for the day. We met at my church and set the theme as “harvest and the cycle of life”. We first prepped apples one of the families had recently gleaned from a local orchard for homemade applesauce and talked about picking fruit and how at this time of the year that is "harvesting" food, relating that to upcoming Thanksgiving. We talked a bit about the ingredients of applesauce as well and added them to the bowl with the sliced apples. We then took the peels and cores and talked about how we could compost them to make good food for the plants in the spring, along with leaves and grass clippings.

Once the apples were on the stove cooking, we went outdoors to look at our church's large compost pile. We were able to see the stratification of the pile; the leaves on top and at the rich soil bottom of the pile. One of the children added our apple peels and cores to the compost pile. Then we put down a large vinyl table cloth and had the kids pile leaves on it for transport to the compost bin – not without a significant amount of jumping in the pile first however!

After the compost pile field trip, we went into the church courtyard and let the kids burn off energy for about a half hour. They enjoyed running around and throwing leaves at one another and playing tag. At one point two of the girls started to run back and forth across the courtyard holding hands. Before long others joined in, forming a long chain. Then it developed into “Ring Around the Rosey”. What was so touching was how they took care of one another. They made sure that they waited for one another if a younger child was a little slower to move around the circle. They also made sure to stop and let a child join in and would then start the song over. The nurturing among the group was touching when taking into consideration they've only been together as a group three times!

Once outdoor play was over, we went back inside and worked on some coloring and craft sheets that were put together (utilizing free resources on the internet) in keeping with the theme and prepped the apple sauce. Part of the serving of the snack included having the children take on jobs of putting the craft supplies away and passing out napkins, spoons, and water. Each child was given a small serving of the applesauce and assured that if they finished, they could have more. While the snack was enjoyed, two stories were read which kept the kids, for the most part, engaged until the end. The kids demolished the applesauce with great relish! We then took care to clean the room before we departed.

All in all, a successful day and the kids and parents, for the most part, had a great time. (Except M, who was very tired when he arrived, poor little guy!)

It is so great working with the other mothers to provide these fun experiences. I had a blast serving the families in this way. It was enriching to get to know the other children and to observe my son developing relationships and learning from them. He had never done “Ring Around the Rosey” before today and loved it! It is also a relief to be able to arrive somewhere with your child and enjoy a fun and educational afternoon when it is not your turn to provide the experience! I am so blessed to be working with such caring and committed mothers!

Applesauce recipe
8 apples, cored, peeled and sliced
1.5 cups water
1/2 cup sugar
1/2 tsp cinnamon

Bring to boil and reduce to medium heat for 20 to 30 minutes.
Use potato masher to mash to desired texture.
Allow to cool.
Enjoy!

Resources for Worksheets:
www.familyfun.com
www.first-school.ws

The Pumpkin Cycle

2009-10-26T22:41:00.001-04:00

With harvest season upon us, I've taken to creating activities for Daniel and I to enjoy that demonstrate the cycle of life as well as the connection between plants, their fruit, and how we prepare the fruit at home as food. We went apple picking two times. The first time we used most of the apples to make applesauce,which he loved. We also ate some of the apples sliced with sunflower seed butter. This was the first time he could be convinced to eat a sliced apple, in no small part to his pride in having picked the apples himself. When we finished the batch of applesause he asked if we could go pick more apples. It was definitely more costly to pick the apples ourselves, but I thought it worth it. The newest batch is destined to be apple crisp and apple pie, which he wants to help me make as well. He delighted in searching the apple trees in the orchard for the “perfect” apples. He was quite discerning and sad to when we reached our picking limit.

This past Sunday we went to a local farm for a wagon ride out to their pumpkin patch to pick our own pumpkins. It was a warm fall afternoon, the foliage in full golden hue. When we got to the patch we found three fairly round, good-sized pumpkins in good condition rather quickly and I stayed with them while Daniel insisted they keep looking for more. They ambled about the sizable patch for a while, eventually coming back, having decided that we indeed had the three best. We boarded the tractor-drawn wagon for a ride back to the farm stand. There we also got some butternut quash and some milk for dinner.

Today Daniel was excited, waiting all day for dad to arrive home so we could “scarf” the pumpkins together. We read the book, “The Pink Pumpkin” that we'd gotten at a different local farm, while anticipating the evening ahead. Daniel had such a good time! We opened the pumpkins and pulled out the seeds, which were saved and we later baked. (We did this at our homeschool co-op last week, so Daniel was familiar with this and explained to David what we were doing.) We then selected our pumpkin saws and our patterns and went to work. Daniel merrily chatted away throughout, delighted to have an active role in the carving process, albeit carefully supervised. When we were done I took some pictures. He was very proud of the work and asked if he could take some pictures too. First I gave him my camera, then found his camera and he delighted in taking pictures of his handiwork, as well as our dog, David, and I for the next half hour or so. A late night for Daniel, but a fun evening the family will remember.

Homeschooling for an Extraordinary Family – Part I

2009-10-12T11:24:00.002-04:00

How quickly things can change.

This spring I was working 60 to 70 hours a week in a job as a financial advisor. I was striving to grow my business practice. Two or three days a week, I would leave the house before my 3-year-old son woke and arrived home after he was in bed. My marriage was strained. My husband was also working full time, as well as pursuing a masters degree program on nights and weekends. My son was developing disruptive behavioral patterns that one could easily attribute to being a toddler – tantrums, anger, and hitting. However, he also started throwing up daily when dropped off at daycare. Absent any medical reason, it was troubling. The house was a perpetual disaster. On the weekends I was exhausted. I was usually working and had little energy for taking care of myself or engaging with my family.

Read the rest at Heart of the Matter Online...

Radical Self-Care

2009-10-07T21:35:00.006-04:00

The one thing that I did not consider when taking on homeschooling my son was how much more important taking care of myself was going to become. I speaking to basic things like getting enough sleep, getting enough to eat, and having enough time to rest my physical body and renew my mind. In order to provide the best experience for my son, I have to try to be at my best every day because we're going to be together all day!

When I worked full time outside the home, if I was tired or stressed out the stakes weren't so high. I didn't have a little person with me all the time, watching everything I was doing and depending on me for his needs. If I was a little short with a client or a co-worker it was not as though I had to live with them, feed them, take them to the potty, and hug them when they got bumps and bruises. Realistically, I need a lot more creative capacity and patience to work well with my son ongoingly than I did to deal with a difficult work situation! At the most, I would work with a client for an hour and a half and then I would get a break. Several days a week I'm with my son from the time he rises until it's time for bed.

So, I've had to become more disciplined and to enact "radical self-care." I now have a set bedtime. I now have a morning routine that allows me to recharge spiritually. Physically, at a minimum I take a walk with our dog for at least 30 minutes most mornings. I don't allow myself to get distracted by email or other technical temptations for certain time periods of the day. On the days when we're home, I'll put on 1 hour of Sesame Street at about 2pm so that I can take a nap of the couch while he watches TV. This gives me a boost so that I won't burn out by 5pm. (Every once in a while I'll wake up with him curled up asleep next to me.) I have also made sure that Saturday is my "day off" and I typically work teaching yoga in the mornings and then my husband takes our son to soccer in the afternoon. This leaves me some "alone" time. I recently decided to observe a day of rest from sun down on Saturday until sun down on Sunday. I don't check email or do house cleaning during this time. This is to ensure some down time with my family during which I can recharge, be present, and relax.

This is a big lesson for me on endurance; harnessing the power to reliably be present, engaged, and at my optimum for my son. By observing my own patterns and creating a supporting structure to my day, I am succeeding one day at a time.

Homeschooling Book FREE! "Homeschooling and Loving It! by Rebecca Kochenderfer

2009-09-19T20:49:00.002-04:00

No Charge for Homeschooling Book!

While supplies last, Laurel Springs School is giving away free copies of “Homeschooling and Loving It!” by Rebecca Kochenderfer.

This popular homeschooling book normally sells for $15.95.

To receive your free copy (normal shipping charges apply)
Go to: http://store.laurelsprings.com/.
The Coupon Code is: LSS
Limit 5 copies per person.

Due to popular demand, delivery may take 2-3 weeks.

“Hello! This is Rebecca Kochenderfer, Senior Editor for Homeschool.com. I am so grateful to Laurel Springs for making ‘Homeschooling and Loving It’ available to all homeschoolers. This is the method of homeschooling I used with my own children and it worked so well for us.

Outdoor Wonder and Freedom

2009-09-15T22:35:00.003-04:00

I'm present to how important being outdoors is for Daniel. I make is a priority to be outside for at least 2 hours a day with him when the weather cooperates. While he likes to go to the park and play on the swings and slides, he really enjoys walks in the woods near our home. He delights in pretending to chop down trees, listening to the birds and insects, spying critters, and making up elaborate scenarios involving superheros and witches to share with me. He truly experiences himself in the physical and I witness a new level of confidence emerge as expressed in his stride and posture. With the constraints of being indoors lifted, he expands in spirit, his curiosity unfolds, and our enjoyment of life and each other comes to the center of our experience. There is such a soothing freedom for him in being outdoors in nature. Unlimited potential for inspiration and wondering about the great mystery of life feeds him for hours after we return home.

God Made Coloring Books

2009-08-27T21:27:00.002-04:00

About a week ago while I was getting lunch ready, Daniel hopped up in his chair at the kitchen table.

"Mom, God made coloring books," he confidently declared.

I was taken aback as the comment had come seemingly out of nowhere.

"What had you say that?" I asked, quite curious about the origins of this observation.

"Because God made everything," he stated. "Can I have a granola bar?"

Steam Makes Water

2009-08-27T21:16:00.002-04:00

At lunch today, Daniel announced that he wanted to try the soup. I was encouraged as he is usually resistant to trying new foods, which he calls “different”. I think the fact that his grandma, his gumby, and his mom were all enjoying it convinced him to open his options up a bit. My mom placed a bowl down on the table and cautioned him that is was hot and that we needed to allow it to cool down before he could try it. He was a little impatient so I offered to blow off a spoonful so he could give it a try.

“Mom, be careful of the steam. It is hot!” he cautioned. “It will go up and make water!” He exclaimed, raising his hands up to indicate the direction the steam was rising.

“Yes, as the steam cools, it becomes water. That is right!” I smiled proudly.

My parents were both duly impressed. Thanks EcoTarium for your weather exhibit last month! What an impression the cloud demonstration had made! We watched the steam rise from the water being heated by hot plates and Daniel had run his hands through the cool steam vortexes spiraling upward, marveling at how it left his hands wet. We'd spend at least 30 minutes on one occasion playing with the steam. After that, we hadn't mentioned it at all. His memory of this really impressed upon me the mindfulness that must be employed with small children. We often don't give them enough credit in terms of their ability to remember things and to construct complex intellectual concepts and relationships at a young age.

He only tried one bite of the soup, which he labeled “different” and asked to be excused from the table. I guess you can't win them all!

Gearing up for the "Learning Year"

2009-08-27T20:57:00.002-04:00

Where does the summer go? Committed to fun and adventure, every day has been fresh and full of exploration. Outings to the beach to provide ample opportunity to develop confidence in the water and to the park to provide for vigorous movement. Playdates at storytime and visits to Southwicks Zoo, the EcoTarium, Sweet William Farm, Purgatory Chasm, music festivals, Horeseneck Beach, and much more. Careful not to be too busy, we've also spent quality time in our pyjamas until late in the day while hanging out at home and reading books, learning how to make bread, taking care of our pets, and going deep into our imaginations to be startled at where the time had gone. What a blessing!

Now in North Carolina visiting my parents, Daniel is enjoying multi-generational activities and the complete attention of his grandparents. There are perks to being the only grandchild!

I'm taking this time to rest and renew before taking on the role of preschool home educator officially in September. It is exhilarating and intimidating, but I won't be alone. I'm looking forward to organizing a “family education coop” with some other local parents who have young children. Hopes do run high for me as I anticipate our first meeting in a little over a week. Daniel is enrolled in Music Together classes and youth soccer as well. I have also asked the director of religious education at my local church for recommendations for introducing spiritual concepts to Daniel in a healthy way and she has provided an abundance of resources for me to review. One of the many reasons I love being part of the Unitarian Universalist church is their approach to giving children maximum room to create their own understanding of spirit and the mystery. I look forward to taking 2 weeks upon returning home to develop our eclectic curriculum from the abundant materials that have been recommended to me . I hope that will take us through our first few months of this family learning adventure!

God is Everywhere!

2009-08-04T23:16:00.002-04:00

Today was the first of many theological conversations I'm sure I will have with my son. I recently received “My First Study Bible”. It is quite a lovely book. Large font. Colorful illustrations. Fairly ecumenical in approach. A good fit for a family based in Unitarianism with influences from yoga and Buddhism.

As we were reading books this morning on the couch, I pulled it over and read the first chapter, “God Gave Us a Beautiful Home” loosely summarizing Genesis 1, 2, and 3; creation through the fall of Adam and Eve. Daniel was quite interested, asking questions and pointing out details of the illustrations. Given there were no trucks or swords, I was surprised at his interest level.

Once we had come to the end of the chapter and Eve and Adam had been evicted from the garden, I thought we were done.

Daniel asked, "Who is God?"

"God, is the creator of everything, " I replied.

“Where is God?” he asked. I realized he was looking at the illustrations. He wasn't asking something high level. He wanted to know, materially, where was God in the picture.

“Is this God?” he asked as he pointed to Adam. Indeed there was no visual representation of God. No old man with a white beard. No pillar of cloud or flame.

“No, that is Adam,” I replied.

He then pointed once to Eve and then again to the Serphent, representing Satan, asking the question again and again, trying to make sense of this.

“God is everywhere,” I replied.

"Where is God?" he asked again.

We went through the round of pointing at the various depicted characters several more times, each time my answer being, “No, that is Adam/Eve/the snake. God is everywhere.”

Finally, he started asking, “Is God in the sky?” to which my response was “Yes.”

“Is he in the birds?”

“Yes. He is in everything. He is everywhere.”

Daniel still seemed to be a bit confused, but his questioning slowed. Finally, after a long pause, he looked up at me. “Mom, can we do something fun now?”

We moved on with our day. At dinner that evening, I was telling David of our theological conversation.

“Daniel, what did you learn about God.” I prompted.

“Dad, God is everywhere!” he said with a hint of awe as his eyes widened.

FREE Homeschool Online Resources for all ages!

2009-08-03T09:02:00.001-04:00

Incredible long list of free homeschool online resources!
This was produced by Mindy at the Well Trained Mind board. She gave permission for people to post elsewhere. Great Resoiurce!

Early Learning:
1. Starfall - Teaches alphabet and early reading skills.
starfall.com

2. Brightly Beaming Resources - Letter of the week, sound of the week, science of the week, etc. This is a good all-around site for early learning.
http://www.letteroftheweek.com/

3. Rhyme a week
http://curry.edschool.virginia.edu/g....htm#This_Week

4. Enchanted Learning - Not really free, but a lot can be accessed without paying (membership is $20 donation/year per family)
http://www.enchantedlearning.com/Home.html

Whole Curriculum:
1. Ambleside Online - Charlotte Mason. Wonderful resource that includes lots of info and is really a full curriculum option. Great booklist!
http://amblesideonline.org/index.shtml

2. An Old-Fashioned Education - Another really complete option. LOTS of stuff to look at and use here!
http://oldfashionededucation.com/

3. Puritans' Home School - I have heard good things, but have never used this. VERY religious site, but it does appear pretty complete.
http://www.puritans.net/curriculum/

4. Core Knowledge lesson plans - Tons of lesson plans on lots of subjects from PK-8. I have not used this, but it looks really good.
http://www.coreknowledge.org/CK/resr...sons/index.htm

5. About.com Homeschooling section (not really a whole curriculum, but TONS of stuff)
http://homeschooling.about.com/

6. Tanglewood Education
http://www.tanglewoodeducation.com/

7. The Baltimore Project
http://www.cstone.net/~bcp/BCPIntro2.htm

8. PASS Materials (FL)
http://www.pass.leon.k12.fl.us/default.aspx

9. Paula's Archives
http://www.redshift.com/~bonajo/

10. EdSITEment
http://www.edsitement.neh.gov/

11. Mater Amabilis (Catholic Charlotte Mason Curriculum)
http://materamabilis.org/

Unit Studies:
1. Homeschool Share - Lots and lots and LOTS of projects and unit studies.
http://www.homeschoolshare.com/

2. A Journey Through Learning Inventor unit study and lapbook. Click on Free products
http://ajourneythroughlearning.com/

3. H.I.P. Pocket Change. Several Lesson Plans revolving around money
http://www.usmint.gov/kids/teachers/lessonPlans/

4. Homeschool Helper
http://www.homeschoolhelperonline.com/units.htm

5. Oceanography
http://www.currclick.com/product_inf...roducts_id=243

6. SCORE Cyberguides
http://www.sdcoe.k12.ca.us/score/cyberguide.html

7. Eyes
http://www.aaofoundation.org/what/heritage/

8. Birds Notebooking pages
http://www.currclick.com/product_inf...ers=0_0&free=1

9. Nature Study
http://handbookofnaturestudy.blogspot.com/

10. Canada
http://www.knowledgequestmaps.com/canadaunit.htm

Math:
1. Ray's Arithmetic - 1885 math book on google books. Thorough and "back to basics". (click on the icon on the page and scroll down to read/print)
http://books.google.com/books?id=eop...age&q=&f=false

2. CSMP materials - K-6
http://ceure.buffalostate.edu/~csmp/...ram/index.html

3. First Lessons in Arithmetic - 1878 math text
http://www.donpotter.net/math.htm

4. NC public school math program K-2
http://community.learnnc.org/dpi/mat...s_k2_resou.php

5. Centre for Innovation in Mathematics Teaching (UK) - AKA MEP
http://www.cimt.plymouth.ac.uk/projects/mep/default.htm

6. Living Math History (lessons on right)
http://livingmath.net/LessonPlans/C1...S/Default.aspx

7. Pearson Scott Foresman K-5
http://pgcounty.scottforesman.com/

8. Geogebra (Algebra and Geometry)
http://www.geogebra.org/cms/

9. Oakes Math
http://dorioakes.bravehost.com/Math.html

10. Eduplace printable workbooks
http://www.eduplace.com/math/hmm/practice/lp_1.html
http://www.eduplace.com/math/hmm/practice/lp_2.html
http://www.eduplace.com/math/hmm/practice/lp_3.html
http://www.eduplace.com/math/hmm/practice/l _ 4.html http://www.eduplace.com/math/hmm/practice/lp_5.html
http://www.eduplace.com/math/hmm/practice/lp_6.html
and activities that coordinate with this program
http://www.eduplace.com/kids/hmm/

11. Middle/High school math
http://go.hrw.com/gopages/ma-msm.html

12. McDougal Littell Math Course
http://www.classzone.com/cz/books/ms...e.htm?state=MN
http://www.classzone.com/cz/books/ms...e.htm?state=MN
http://www.classzone.com/cz/books/ms...e.htm?state=MN
http://www.classzone.com/cz/books/pr...e.htm?state=MN
http://www.classzone.com/cz/books/al...e.htm?state=MN
http://www.classzone.com/cz/books/ge...e.htm?state=MN
http://www.classzone.com/cz/books/al...e.htm?state=MN

13. Missouri Schools program (including TM/answers)
http://www.glencoe.com/sec/math/msma...e/index.php/mo
http://www.glencoe.com/sec/math/msma...e/index.php/mo
http://www.glencoe.com/sec/math/msma...e/index.php/mo
http://www.glencoe.com/sec/math/prea.../index.php4/mo
http://www.glencoe.com/sec/math/alge.../index.php4/mo

14. Glencoe Workbooks
http://www.glencoe.com/sites/georgia...workbooks.html

15. Public Schools of NC math program
http://community.learnnc.org/dpi/mat...s_k2_resou.php

Math Drill:
1. Math Magician Games
http://resources.oswego.org/games/ma...cathymath.html

2. Printable math worksheets
http://www.mathfactcafe.com/

3. Math U See (online)
http://mathusee.com/drill.html

4. Math worksheets to create and print (some portions pay)
http://themathworksheetsite.com/

5. Timez Attack (multiplication video game - way cool) - basic is free
http://www.bigbrainz.com/indexd.php

6. Harcourt activities
http://harcourtschool.com/menus/math2002/na/gr1.html
http://harcourtschool.com/menus/math2002/na/gr2.html
http://harcourtschool.com/menus/math2002/na/gr3.html
http://harcourtschool.com/menus/math2002/na/gr4.html
http://harcourtschool.com/menus/math2002/na/gr5.html
http://harcourtschool.com/menus/math2002/na/gr6.html

7. Learn to play chess (I guess this is math...haha)
http://chesskids.com/

Phonics:
1. Word Mastery
http://donpotter.net/PDF/Word%20Mastery%20-%20Typed.pdf

2. Starfall (learn to read online)
http://www.starfall.com/

3. Blend Phonics
http://www.donpotter.net/Blend%20Phonics.htm

4. Sadler-Oxford
http://www.sadlier-oxford.com/phonics/student.cfm

5. Progressive Phonics
http://www.progressivephonics.com/

6. Society for Quality Education
http://www.societyforqualityeducatio...stairway2.html

Literature/Reading Guides and Units:
1. Novel Study Guides for the Classroom Teacher
http://www.nt.net/~torino/novels3.html

2. Reading Units by Gay Miller
http://www.mce.k12tn.net/units/units_with_books.htm

3. Garden of Praise
http://www.gardenofpraise.com/lesson.htm

4. Glencoe Literature Guides
http://www.glencoe.com/sec/literature/litlibrary/

5. Literature Activity Guides by Nancy Polette - These are samples, but are in depth enough to test if your child understood the story.
http://www.nancypolette.com/litguides.asp

6. SCORE Cyberguides (California schools)
http://www.sdcoe.k12.ca.us/SCORE/cyberguide.html

7. Dangerous Journey (Pilgrim's Progress for kids version) study guide
https://www.visionvideo.com/pdf/DangJourney.pdf

8. Course in nature study: for grades one and two - Detroit Public Schools
http://books.google.com/books?id=i8EOAAAAMAAJ

9. Nature-study: a manual for teachers and students
http://books.google.com/books?id=C4EWAAAAIAAJ

10. Readquarium (mostly games)
http://www.gamequarium.com/readquarium/index.html

11. Harcourt Guides
Grade 1
http://harcourtschool.com/menus/trophies/grade_1.html
Grade 2
http://harcourtschool.com/menus/trophies/grade_2.html
Grade 3
http://harcourtschool.com/menus/trophies/grade_3.html
Grade 4
http://harcourtschool.com/menus/trophies/grade_4.html
Grade 5
http://harcourtschool.com/menus/trophies/grade_5.html
Grade 6
http://harcourtschool.com/menus/trophies/grade_6.html

12. National Park Service
http://www.nps.gov/history/

Free Books:
1. Classical Education Library
http://www.classical-education.net/

2. Kids4Classics
http://www.kids4classics.com/

3. Project Gutenberg
http://www.gutenberg.org/catalog/

4. Online Library of Liberty
http://oll.libertyfund.org/index.php...icxt&Itemid=29

5. Google Books
http://books.google.com/books

6. The Baldwin Project
http://www.mainlesson.com/main/displ...icle=christmas

7. Planet eBook
http://www.planetebook.com/

8. 19th Century Schoolbooks
http://digital.library.pitt.edu/nietz/

9. Librivox - Free online audiobooks
http://librivox.org/

10. Storynory - Free online audiobooks
http://storynory.com/

11. Free Books online
http://www.wowio.com/

12. Magic Keys
http://www.magickeys.com/books/

13. Fun Brain
http://www.funbrain.com/brain/Readin...dingBrain.html

14. Interactive Story Books
http://www.woodlands-junior.kent.sch...nlinestory.htm

15. Stories about American Heroes
http://www.americaslibrary.gov/cgi-bin/page.cgi

Art:
1. Dick Blick Lessons
http://www.dickblick.com/lessonplans/

2. Meet the Masters
http://www.getinvolvedineducation.co...ram-Manual.pdf

3. A Lifetime of Color
http://www.alifetimeofcolor.com/main.taf?p=1

4. Teach Art at Home
http://www.teachartathome.com/FreeProjectCurrent.html

Teacher helps (planning/support):
1. Donna Young - Tons of planning stuff, including some things like handwriting masters.
donnayoung.org

2. Homeschool Inc. - Online planning software (very versatile)
http://home-school-inc.com

3. Homeschool Tracker (planning software - basic free, full pay)
http://homeschooltracker.com/

4. Online Lesson Planner, Scheduler, and Tracker
http://www.homeschoolskedtrack.com/H...isplayLogin.do

5. Super Teacher Worksheets. Lots of well done worksheets for all subject areas. Grade level 1st-4th
http://www.superteacherworksheets.com/index.html

6. Free Forms
http://www.oklahomahomeschool.com/forms.html

7. Freebie of the day
http://www.homeschoolfreebie.wholesomechildhood.com/

8. Currclick. They feature a free product once a week to download. It usually changes Monday afternoons
http://www.currclick.com/index.php

9. Freely educate. Lots of great links here
http://www.freelyeducate.com/

10. Hoagies Gifted. Tons of Free high school curriculum links
http://www.hoagiesgifted.org/online_hs.htm

11. Education World
http://educationworld.com/

12. Internet Activities to coordinate with each grade and subject
http://www.gsc.amdsb.ca/

13. Scholastic
http://www2.scholastic.com/browse/learn.jsp

14. Softschools
http://www.softschools.com/

15. Videos (creationist site -- have not used)
http://www.answersingenesis.org/kids/videos

16. Worksheets
http://www.worksheetworks.com/miscel...rganizers.html

17. Charlotte Mason stuff (not all free)
http://simplycharlottemason.com/

18. FossWeb by Delta Education. Click on the subject, then teacher resources. You will then have to click on Teacher Prep videos for the lessons. Everything else on the page supports the lessons. There are games, worksheets, and many additional resources listed
http://www.fossweb.com/modules3-6/index.html

19. Higher Up and Further In blog
http://higherupandfurtherin.blogspot.com/

20. Pioneer Woman blog
http://thepioneerwoman.com/

21. Well-Trained Mind
welltrainedmind.com/forums/

22. Teacher Tube
http://www.teachertube.com/

Science:
1. Engineering for kids ages 8 and up. Single subject lesson plans. Nicely done and easy to understand
http://www.welltrainedmind.com/forum...ree+curriculum

2. Earth Awareness Curriculum for Middle Schoolers
http://cygnus-group.com/use-less-stuff/NSTA.html

3. Life Science Curriculum
http://www.eequalsmcq.com/Thank%20yo...%20Science.htm

4. Otter’s Science
http://www.guesthollow.com/homeschoo...ence_main.html

5. K-12 Science
http://www.msnucleus.org/curriculum/curriculum.html

6. Take a Cloud Walk (Cloud unit)
http://www.takeawalk.com/cloud-walk/

7. Science plans for 6th grade based on the "Prentice-Hall Life Science" book
http://www.smithlifescience.com/

8. Hands-On Technology Program
http://www.galaxy.net/~k12/

9. NASA for educators
http://www.nasa.gov/audience/foreducators/index.html

10. Science Songs
http://www.acme.com/jef/singing_science/

11. Invitations to Science Inquiry
http://eric.ed.gov/ERICDocs/data/eri...0/1e/27/27.pdf

12. Science Videos
http://www.teachersdomain.org/

13. Animal Units
http://www.scribd.com/people/documen...06/folder/1072

14. Animal Activity Packs
http://www.kidszoo.org/education/zaps.htm

15. Videos that demonstrate experiments for every element on the periodic table
http://www.periodicvideos.com/

16. Click on the element and then on the microphone to hear about the element
http://www.webelements.com/

17. Inventor's Timeline
http://inventors.about.com/od/timeli...Nineteenth.htm

18. BODIES, the exhibition ~ includes educator guides for various grade levels from Carnegie Science Center. Even if you aren't interested in the exhibit or pictures of the preserved bodies, there is good info in the guides that can be used for lessons:
http://wheresciencehappens.org/bodiesguide.htm

Computer Science:
1. Blender 3D animation creation
http://www.blender.org/

2. Computer Programming Course
http://www.alice.org/index.php

3. Computer Training Courses
http://www.gcflearnfree.org/computer/

4. Computer Animating and Design
http://scratch.mit.edu/

Typing:
1. Online typing Course
http://www.goodtyping.com/

2. Dance Mat Typing
http://www.bbc.co.uk/schools/typing/

3. Touch Typing (Online)
http://www.sense-lang.org/typing/

4. Kiran's Typing Tutor
http://www.kiranreddys.com/products/typing.html

5. Learn2Type
http://www.learn2type.com/

Foreign Language:
1. BBC Languages
http://www.bbc.co.uk/languages/

2. Elementary/Middle School beginning Spanish. The first book listed is a free download.
http://nflrc.iastate.edu/pubs/units/unitsList.html

3. Greek and Latin
http://www.textkit.com/

4. FSI Language Courses
http://fsi-language-courses.com/default.aspx

5. Live Mocha - This is a social site, so you may want to monitor your kids closely on this one.
http://www.livemocha.com/

6. OFS (Online free spanish)
http://www.onlinefreespanish.com/

7. Spanish Unlimited
http://www.spanishunlimited.com/

8. Latin Resources
http://www.cdacademy.com/class/2007/...-games-online/
http://www.gettingstartedwithlatin.com/
http://hungryfrog.com/classics.html
http://homeschool.online.program.lat...lyfishfun.com/
http://www.memoriapress.com/help/Latin.htm

9. French Resources
http://www.poissonrouge.com/
http://lexiquefle.free.fr/learn-french.htm

10. Boca Beth (Spanish)
http://www.youtube.com/results?searc...rch_type=&aq=f

11. Salsa (Spanish)
http://www.gpb.org/salsa/term/episodes

12. Mommy Teach Me Spanish
http://www.youtube.com/results?searc...rch_type=&aq=f

13. In the Beginning Greek
http://www.inthebeginning.org/

Home Economics/Life Skills:
1. Future Christian Homemakers (Have not used or looked into this)
http://www.futurechristianhomemakers...sonsIndex.html

Virtual Field Trips:
1. Take a field Trip
http://www.uen.org/tours/fieldtrips2.shtml

2. Meet Me at the Corner
http://www.meetmeatthecorner.org/

High School/College (have not used these or looked closely at them):
1. HippoCampus Free Courses
http://www.hippocampus.org/

2. Mixed Courses in many subjects
http://www.free-ed.net/free-ed/

3. Printable Courses in all subject areas. Not sure who funds this one, but I like how the curriculum is laid out
http://www.pass.leon.k12.fl.us/Speci...t%20Areas.aspx

4. University of Berkley Courses. Tons of Free Courses available here
http://webcast.berkeley.edu/

5. Yale University Open Courses. Nicely done and easy to access IMO
http://oyc.yale.edu/

6. University of Washington free courses
http://www.outreach.washington.edu/openuw/

7. M.I.T. open Courseware. Tons of completely free courses in many subjects
http://ocw.mit.edu/OcwWeb/web/courses/courses/index.htm

Bible Studies:
1. http://www.padfield.com/

2. Calvert
http://children.calvarychapel.com/site/curriculum.htm

3. Notebooking Pages
http://www.notebookingpages.com/stor...5bc3631269ff94

Health and Nutrition:
1. http://www.nutritionexplorations.org...ssons-main.asp

Running is Quiet

2009-07-29T23:01:00.001-04:00

I've instituted quite time during the afternoon. This is new. Ever since Daniel was born he has been unwilling to conform to a set schedule. He rarely took naps until he started going to day care a year ago. Then he would only nap there and rarely at home. And certainly not along any repeating time line. In the last year we've developed a pattern for the night time rather than a schedule. The pattern is dinner, tub time, one “Little Bear” segment on television, reading 3 books in bed, and finally laying there with him until he falls asleep. This pattern can start anywhere between 6pm and 9pm. He does look forward to it and throughly enjoys tub time.

So quite time has come about largely out of my own need for a mid-day rest. Daniel seems to be able to go all day. Certainly I can tell by late afternoon that he is tired, however he cannot be convinced of this. I realized now that I am home with him all day and keeping an active schedule with him, that in order to not get cranky myself by the time dinner rolls around and to have energy at night to do all the things I no longer get to during the day (writing this being a perfect example) I need to lay down and close my eyes for an hour between 2 and 4pm. So we now have quiet time. I put on something low key like Winnie the Pooh or Sesame Street. He doesn't have to sleep but he does have to use his quite voice and is expected to watch the movie or play quietly with his toys. He is allowed to wake me up at the end of the movie if I'm not already awake. He is surprisingly compliant with this. Sometimes he will actually snuggle up next to me on the couch and every once in a while he will fall asleep as well.

Today was not such a day. He was quite energized as 2pm approached. I, on the other hand, could barely keep my eyes open. I was clearing away his snack and going over the ground rules for quite time.

“Okay, you need to be quiet while I take a nappy, okay? I'll put on “Princess Bride” and you can play quietly with your toys, okay?”

“Mom, can I run around?” he asked.

“No,” I replied. “I need you to be quiet.”

“But running is quiet, mom. Can I?” he asked again. I stopped and thought for a moment. He had a point. Running in and of itself wasn't actually noisy. Clearly I was asking him for more than simply being quiet.

“Well, I need or you to be quiet and to keep your body calm so there are no accidents while I take my nap.”

“Oh.” he replied with solemn understanding. “Running is too dangerous.” he nodded.

“Yes, running is too dangerous inside. After my nap we will go outside and you can run around then.”

“Oh, okay!” he smiled and settled into his chair for the show. “I love you so much mom.”

Too Deep - Working with Fear

2009-07-21T11:31:00.001-04:00

Daniel has made significant progress in swim class. When we started the class 4 weeks ago, he didn't want to go in the water. He sat on the pool deck with me for most of the class and refused to put his face in the water at all. He didn't seem afraid. He just didn't seem to buy into the idea that this was a fun thing to do. Yesterday he slid himself into the pool on his belly on his own. He also delighted in blowing bubbles into the water without any encouragement. He was adamant, however, that he did not want to go underwater because the water was “too deep.”

At the end of class when it was time to do the safety jump, he froze. I had never seen this before. My son seems fearless in all he does with no idea that he could be hurt. I saw for the first time an outward consideration on his part for his own physical well being. He backed away from the pool and tried to hide behind me, his eyes wide as saucers and fixated on the pool. The teacher urged him to jump, as well as some of the other kids who jumped in to show him it was okay and them waved at him to invite him into the pool. He stood his ground. He was not going to jump. “Too deep, too deep!” he would say very quietly. I asked him if he was scared. He nodded yes, not taking his eyes off the pool. The teacher and I worked with him and found a compromise that worked for him. He sat on the edge of the pool and held the teacher's hands and scooted into the water being careful to keep his head above the water's surface. As she returned him to pool wall and he reached for it, he had a huge grin on his face and I clapped with all my heart. “I did it mom!” he yelled.

This was his first time working with the experience of fear. I want him to trust that instinct. Yes, the water is deep. Yes, it could be a dangerous situation. However, there is a way to work with that fear and create a situation where you can reduce the risk and have fun. That is what we helped Daniel to experience yesterday. I was very proud and touched that he trusted his instinct and that he trusted his swim teacher and me to lead him through that.

No More Questions - In Praise of Respecting My Son's Moments of Awe and Wonder

2009-07-12T23:13:00.004-04:00

July 12th

A revelation this week. I resolve to allow Daniel to enjoy each new experience he has without peppering him with questions about it and thus drawing him out of the experience of awe and wonder. Awe and wonder are seed crystals of curiosity and inquiry. Allowing him to have that complete experience will do more for his future learning and understanding than any question I could pose.

I received this insight at the EcoTarium with him on Wednesday. I've noticed that despite his enthusiastic hopping up and down and darting all around that he will usually settle on one or two exhibits to focus on for a relatively long period of time. He thrills in fully investigating the exhibit, pointing out details and nuance that are quite remarkable considering his age. While toddlers may be famous for their short attention spans, he spent almost 20 minutes at the wind exhibit repeating the experiential demonstration many times himself and observing the results of the other kids. He seemed to have endless joy and marveled at the exhibit, exclaiming in full body laughs and sparking eyes his enjoyment of “the game” as he called it. He engaged the interaction of the exhibit fully. At first he was a flurry of touching, manipulating, and all the while chattering. Over time he become more intentional and finally quite refined and subtle in the interplay. His interpretation was unique. He refered to this activity as “making eggs.” I have no idea how he arrived at that considering the exhibit had nothing to do with a farm or farm animals. He was insistent, however. He was making eggs.

In contract, many children passed through the exhibit and only repeated the experiment once or twice. Time and time again the well meaning parents would ask the child questions or begin to explain the principles of the demonstration. The child's eyes would dim or roll with perhaps a touch of exasperation and the child would move on to something else. You could see that is was well intentioned on the parents part. They were doing what good engaged parents are taught to do. I myself have done that many times. However as I stood back and observed, it seemed quite artificial, not authentic dialog and the kids knew it. All the while, Daniel stayed, repeating it demo over and over, laughing and having a great time. I simply stood back and observed, responding to him with encouragement and validation. Eventually he moved on to the next exhibit and with just as much enthusiasm and confidence set about absorbing the pendulum exhibit completely.

Before you can wonder why something happens or why something is the way it is, you must first observe it and process your experience. Sometimes this happens in an instant. Other times it can take a while. Daniel was in observation mode in his exploration of the exhibits. He was awe filled and delighting in wonder. He was completely absorbed in the experience and newness of the exhibits.

I have never visited the Grand Canyon. A friend of mine related to me that upon finally arriving there, as she and her five kids filed out of the RV after a 2 hour drive through barren landscape, they all fell silent and their jaws dropped as they gazed out upon the vast scar in the earth. She said despite the large number of people on the rim, it was silent. Everyone was completely absorbed in awe and wonder, absorbed in the experience of the Canyon. I imagine they were not thinking about it, evaluating it, questioning it. That would only come later. I would imagine that curiosity would at some point be sparked and the mind would chime in with theories and reasonings. When that happened, it would take them out of the experience of the Canyon, out of the merging, out of the present, and into the mind, into their concept of the Canyon, and into the past thought forms. Maybe those that could reasonably link the three dimensional magnificence before them to one dimensional theories of to plate tectonics, geology, and theology. To think about something is not the same as its experiencing. When questions are introduced too early in the merging experience it most surely aborts the formation of the seed crystals of awe and wonder that drive the precipitation of logical, compelling, and personally meaningful questions, the source of self directed inquiry.

To put it another way, imagine finally getting to see your favorite musician in concert. For me this would be like seeing the late great Miles Davis perform “Kind of Blue” or “Sketches of Spain” live in an intimate and smoky jazz club or the original Allman Brothers Band line up perform my favorite song of all time, “Blue Sky,” at a sold-out stadium show in the summertime. You would be completely entranced, hanging on every note, every well-timed phrase. You would be in some sort or rapture. The world around you would stop and your friends around you would vanish from your immediate awareness. You would merge with the performance. All thoughts would leave your mind and you would be completely as one with the performance. You would find you couldn't stop smiling and tears would fill your eyes. Now image someone standing next to you asking a bunch of questions to which they already had the answers. How are you were enjoying the concert? What you were finding most interesting? How you think they assembled the stage? Where was the last concert? Did you remember hearing the song on the car the day before? All questions would be irrelevant to the actual experience of the concert. They wold take you out of your experience of awe and wonder and force you into your mind. Enough! If you hadn't given up trying to enjoy the concert you surely would have told this person to kindly shut up.

All it takes for Daniel to experience bliss is to play with an exhibit on the wind at the EcoTarium. When I pose questions to Daniel prematurely, that is to say when he is still in the fascination mode, it robs him of that precious experience. There will be plenty of time to reflect on the experience later.

An Emerging Routine

2009-07-07T22:55:00.002-04:00

It seems we are developing a routine. Monday we go to swim lessons and story time at the library. Tuesday we go to see a free movie at the cinema. Wednesday we go to the EcoTarium for stories, crafts, and the animal encounter and enjoy lunch and playing at the great outdoor playground. Thursday Daniel hangs out with the babysitter while I attend some meetings for the business and community service activities with which I am involved. Friday are story time and outdoor activity at River Bend Farm. It's so great that it is based on the activities that we've tried out and what Daniel had told me he likes the best. Throw in there visiting with friends, going to the playground, and playing at the town beach and it's a pretty fun and adventurous week for both of us! Entertaining activities balanced with unstructured imagination time.

This is How We Get Dressed!

2009-07-06T23:17:00.003-04:00

My strategy around television is always evolving. I do put time limits around it and try to use it strategically. I've been trying to push Sesame Street lately for a variety of reasons, the primary among them being that Daniel doesn't really watch it. He usually gets inspired by one of the skits within a few minutes and is off into imaginative play for the remainder of the show. It is in essence a launching pad into his own imagination.

Today I put Sesame Street on and used the time to get on-line and do some research. As I was Googling away I heard Daniel singing over and over, “This is how we get dressed! This is how we get dressed!” After a few minutes of this, he excited called to me.

“Mom, look at me! This is how we get dressed!”

I looked up. He had gotten his pajamas out of the laundry basket of clean clothes. He had put both of his legs into one leg of the bottoms, the shirt top over his head and one arm in one of the arm holes. He was struggling to find the other arm hole and the shirt was on backwards. All of this was over top of the clothes he already had on. He was so proud and beamed a huge smile of satisfaction.
I broke into a smile, careful not to laugh, and said, “Look at you, you've gotten all dressed!”
“This is how we get dressed!” he said again.
I can only imagine that this had been a skit on the show and he'd become inspired. Interestingly enough, David and I had attempted many times to teach Daniel to put on his clothes and he had not shown any interest. I guess it is true that it is all about proper inspiration!

The Lake is Closed and Shooting Stars

2009-07-06T22:53:00.002-04:00

Monday and getting back into the routine we're creating for ourselves. Started the day off with swim lessons. Daniel is not so keen on the structure of the class, however he clearly loves the water once it is free swim. After class I presented him with the option of going back to the lake and spending the afternoon there or going to story time at the library. He chose story time. I was surprised by his response, so I asked him again several times in a few different ways. Finally he said, “We not go to the lake today 'acause' it is closed.”

“It is not closed,” I replied.

“Yes, it is closed,” he insisted. “Mom, you say 'the lake is closed' to me, okay?”

“The lake is closed,” I repeated back to him.

“We not go to the lake today 'acause' it is closed. We go to the story time.” he chimed away and was on to the next bit of chatter.

We were fortunate enough to get the last spot for the 6-week story time at the library at the town next to us. Story time found us in the basement of the public library with a handful of other children and assorted mothers, grandmothers, and babysitters. The theme for this series is outer space, which Daniel was delighted to find out when we got there. Miss Debbie read 2 books and then we sang a song and made our own shooting starts. It was interesting to observe that Daniel didn't want to use any color on his color sheet of the solar system. The other kids were using the crayons and adding all sorts of embellishments to the page. Daniel was content to use a pencil, which he was thrilled about because it had a sharp point. I asked him a few times if he'd like to add color. Perhaps orange or red. He had no interest. Again, he was very interested in the craft of creating the shooting star from the popsicle stick and adding the glue and glitter but not interested in creating a visual effect through the use of color.

After the story time was over, we went back up to the main section of the library (and thankfully out of the mustiness of the basement which set my allergies off for the rest of the day.) Daniel followed the other children over to the small children's section and was completely excited to find Mr. AND Mrs. Potato Head with a wide variety of parts. Since we didn't have anything else planned for the afternoon I found a book and read while he played for about 30 minutes. He delighted in coming up with the most ridiculous combination of body parts and showing them off to me, exclaiming, “Isn't this funny?!” or “That is so silly!” and laughing at himself. He'd throw in “I am good at this game” every now and then. It felt so good to have the flexibility to allow him to play there until he was ready to go. On the way out we stopped and said good by to the kind and heavily tattooed librarian who offered to stamp both Daniel's hands. Daniel gladly accepted and proudly displayed the designs for the rest of the afternoon.

Good in Him

2009-07-04T14:08:00.001-04:00

July 4th

While watching a movie, Daniel was remarking on how the “sharptooth” dinosaur on “The Land Before Time” was being naughty.

“He's bad, but he has good in him. He does. He really does have some good in him.” He said it with such confidence, so earnestly.

It made my heart swell as a parent to hear that insight from my 3-year-old.

I Like Your Light Saber!

2009-07-04T14:00:00.000-04:00

July 3rd

One of the gifts of having children is getting the opportunity to see how they put the world together from their viewpoint. After the fireworks we were walking back to our car. Many of the kids at the fireworks, and many adults for that matter, were running around with glowing swords. Daniel kept calling them “light sabers” as in the weapons from Star Wars and of which his is a huge fan. As we were set to cross the street, a police officer was holding back the traffic and waiving up forward with his lighted baton. “I like your light saber. I like your light saber,” he said quietly as we crossed in from of the officer.

Collecting Insects and First time at the Beach!

2009-07-04T13:56:00.000-04:00

July 3rd (recorded on the 4th)

Wow. Such a great day yesterday. David had the day off work so we went to story time at River Bend Farm together. We arrived just in time and arranged ourselves on a blanket outside under a tree with the other families. The sun had finally emerged much to our enjoyment. The ranger read 3 books about insects. Daniel kept moving back and forth between my lap and David's lap and the blanket. He was very eager to get up and roam around to collect insects. At the end of each book he'd ask if it was time to “get the bugs in the nets”. Toward the end of the book, he got up and started to run around the yard, looking at the trees and the rock wall. That was fine, because he wasn't distracting the other kids. The stories at story time seem to hold his attention much more when we're inside, which is to be expected with him. I related to his joy and restlessness in being outside and wanting to move around. It had been days since we'd had the opportunity and we'd done plenty of sitting during the past few weeks!

After the stories, the ranger brought out clear plastic containers and small paint brushes with which to collect small insects. Daniel was very excited and we soon found an ant and an inchworm that were climbing up a tree. Daniel used his brush to gently sweep each into the container and swiftly shut the top. The top of the container had a magnifying plastic portion with which to look through and study the specimens. Daniel got a kick out of this and proudly showed one of the other kids the inchworm before David put it back on the tree. We then went down a little ways in the field and found a spider web covered with dew which showed off it's elaborate structure and a small fly caught on a strand. Daniel was alternately interested in these wonders and then running off to energize his body, to run through the grass, and to seek out places to climb to and jump from. It was almost rhythmic – run and jump – swoop in for a look at what had the other kids attention – run down the hill – run up the hill – check in with me and so on. When the group of kids threatened to splinter into complete chaos, we all went inside the building, the basement of a renovated barn, for a craft project. Daniel is really developing a love for “cafts”. I've observed that he is much more interested and drawn to the active parts of the crafts such as pasting, cutting with scissors, placing objects through other objects as in threading or building structures rather than coloring with paints, crayons or markers. This makes for good partner with with me as I supply him with the parts to assemble and then I color them. He is always so proud of his creations and we keep them displayed in our kitchen for a long time. At the moment we are running out of room and I'm considering adding a large bulletin board to the kitchen wall to provide space for all his creations to dry and be appreciated.

After he decided that he was done with crafts, we said good bye tot he ranger and went outside where he observed a group of people fishing on the shores of the Blackstone River. He was quite intrigued and asked David if he could go fishing some time. David has a fishing rod and agreed that we could give “catch and release” fishing a try some time soon.

We spent the afternoon at the Sutton town beach. Even though we live within 100 feet of the old town reservoir and an abandoned swimming hole, it was Daniel's first swimming at a lake and he loved it. He had such delight in splashing David and I and having us swing him around in the water. There were boats driving by and he liked pointing them out and remarking on how fast they were going. He asked if we could go on a boat and David and I spoke yet again about getting a used canoe or kayak to take out our back door. It would be great to go out in the early morning and look at the water fowl and in the evening to appreciate the sunset over the lake. Someday...
He encountered two other children there at one point. He had placed his sand toys up on a large sand pile when we first arrived. After swimming for a while, David and I got out of the water. Daniel soon came out of the water as well and went over to the pile to play. I didn't see what exactly transpired but he soon came running over saying, “He said I can't play to me!! He said I can't play!” I looked up to see Daniel running over to me with one of his toys. His voice was laced with both hurt and a certain incredulity, as if he couldn't believe that someone would refuse to play with him. I walked back over with him. The mother of the other child was there as well. Apparently the other child was making an elaborate “waterslide” in the pile and didn't want Daniel to play on a certain area. “He said I can't play to me! He did!” he accused as we approached. The other mother was visibly embarrassed and encouraged her child to share the space. We worked it out so that Daniel could get his toys back and play on a separate portion of the sand pile. It was probably one of the first times he'd ever been told , “You can't play.” We have all had to deal with at some time or another and it does hurt and we feel exactly the way Daniel outwardly expressed no matter how old we are when we hear that message. He just assumes that everyone wants to play and has no second thought about inserting himself into any play that is happening around him. He does it to great effect and usually insights a chase of some sort. I really admire that about my son. I hoped that episodes like this one at the lake wouldn't cause him to second guess his impulse to join a group of kids having a good time. My worries were put to rest in the evening at the fire works in town when my son, upon receiving his glow stick immediately ran after a groups of older boys, many of whom had very large glowing swords, to challenge them to duel. They accepted him in right away and fought with their swords quite vigorously and in good spirits. That's my boy!

Working at Work

2009-07-02T16:54:00.000-04:00

July 2, 2009

Well, yet again the rain foiled my plans for an invigorating day outside. Garden in the Woods was out. We'll have to reschedule it for another day when Karen gets back and can pick up the free passes from the library again or I pay my fine at the Northboro library and get my borrowing privileges reinstated.

I had breakfast and a wonderful conversation to start the day with a new friend who, it turns out, lives within walking distance of my home. Who knew? Back home by 8:45am, I picked back up the rhythm of the morning. Helping David get out the door to work, getting Daniel dressed, and packing lunch. Today, however, it was lunch for three. Daniel excitedly anticipated a visit to Dad's work. From the time David walked out the door he kept asking if we were leaving yet. “Are we going to Dad's work?” “I'm going to my work!” “You can come too, mom!” Hopping up and down on one foot, he was holding my arm for balance and showing off his mastery of this new skill, “Look mom. I'm on one foot. Look down, Look down!” he'd command even though I was already looking down. He then looked up at me, beaming. “I love you!” he'd declare and lean his body into mine in anticipation of a hug. I finally convinced him that watching “Sesame Street” was a fun alternative to pass the time while I prepared for our field trip.

When we got to David's work, he wasn't ready to meet us yet. So we sat in the car. Daniel came up to sit in the passenger seat, “I like this spot!” he repeated. He was thrilled to see David at the door of the office building. After eating lunch in the cafeteria, we walked up to see David's cubicle. On the way up, I don't know who was showing whom off. Both were so proud to be walking hand in hand. Daniel kept up his routine chatter, throwing in an “Dad, I love you!” regularly. When we got up to where some of his colleagues sit, Daniel marched right into the cubicle where Tim sat and declared, “This is where I work!” and went right for a marker on the desk. Fortunately Tim has kids, is very laid back and immediately rolled with it and offered Daniel some dry erase markers. This caused quite a stir for the colleagues in the immediate area, everyone peaking their heads over their cubicle walls to see where this cheerful child chatter was coming from, enjoying his confident and innocent statements and questions. It was amazing to watch how confidently he conducted himself. The only time he seemed at all self-conscious was when David's boss stopped by and asked him to draw a square, which to my knowledge he doesn't yet draw. He was at that time making large swirling spirals, proudly insisting that I look at his “circles”. When presented with the request, his hands flew up to his face and he looked visibly uncomfortable until the request shifted to telling her what to draw.

We then lift and went to David's cubicle and Daniel got a kick out of seeing this place previously only known as “work”. He'd been in to “work” previously, but it had been at least a year since his last visit. He walked into the vacant cubicle next to Paul's and said, “This is where I work!” I think it was the first time that he made the distinction between doing work and work as a generic term for the place where you do work.

When it was finally time to go, Daniel seemed satisfied by the visit and ready to leave. He waved good bye to David and settled into his car seat with a hard candy in his hand, a treasure obtained from the candy dish on the security desk. He was asleep by the time we got home and slept for about an hour and a half.

Sir Batman, the Knight

2009-06-30T22:53:00.000-04:00

July 1, 2009

This morning I had a leadership training to attend, so David stayed home with the little guy and then took him over to see his Pop-pop and Mum-mum. I arrived at about 1:30pm to a house full of people, which meant a house full of people for Daniel to play with, entertain, interrogate, and otherwise enjoy. It was great to see everyone in good spirits despite yet another day of rain.

Pop-pop was remarking on how Daniel's intonation had really evolved and was revealing more of his personality. The last time they spent time together was at the end of May for his birthday party at the park. It had been several months since Daniel was at their home. Mum-mum remarked how upon entering the home, Daniel requested “Mum-mum's bunny that is in her office” - referring to a rubber rabbit that has sentimental value to her. He fell in love with and played with non-stop during his last visit. It was rough when we had to leave. He wanted to take it with him but we convinced him that the rabbit lived in Mum-mum's office and Mum-mum would very sad if it went away. Daniel put the rabbit back in the office himself and we assured him that he could play with it next time he visited. All of us - meaning the adults - had completely forgotten about it. Not Daniel. What a memory! And sure enough, when I walked in, he had it in hand and again didn't want to part with it. He did return it to her personally when it was time to leave and thanked her. In exchange, she allowed him to borrow a small bell he'd discovered. He solemnly promised to return with it next time. By the time we arrived at the car, the bell had become a hat for Batman whom he promptly declared a knight, no doubt inspired by our recent visit to the Higgins Armory Museum the previous weekend. What an imagination. The whole way home, he alternately sang and rang the bell, knighted Batman, and requested we do “cafts” when we got home until he fell asleep, the bell dropping out of his hands onto the floor of the car.