The One with the Aftermath

It's been three weeks, y'all.

Three glorious weeks.

Three amazing, inspiring, freeing, enlightening, joy-filled weeks.

Three weeks ago, our family made the decision to leave Classical Conversations and take on our homeschooling journey solo this year.

{ Just as a reminder: We LOVED the people in our co-op. We just didn't agree with the business behind the co-op. Or the cost. Or the time commitment. Or... well, you probably get the idea. }

I honestly cannot even put into words the freedom that followed making this decision. Y'all, we had been fully committed 110% to homeschooling our children through high school with CC. Once we found the program, we jumped in with both feet and never looked back. Unfortunately, we didn't adequately look ahead, either.

I'm not going to take up an entire post to share the 101 reasons why CC is no longer the right fit for my family. Rather, I'd just like to joyfully share what we've been up to these past three weeks, and what we've put together for our school year!

Once we made our decision to leave CC, I immediately went into purge mode. This is the period of time, about a week, during which I sold off all CC-related program materials. For a company that touts "stick in the sand" as its principal educational methodology, y'all, I brought in almost $1,500 by selling all of my CC materials during purge mode. It would likely hurt my feelings to go back and determine how much I actually spent when I originally purchased all of those materials, so suffice it to say CC requires a whole heck of a lot more than a stick and some sand! 💰💰💰😂

Immediately following purge mode, I blissfully entered a season of peaceful rest. This was the point at which I had all.the.freedom.in.the.world. to decide what and how our homeschool would work.

I began by having beautiful conversations with each of my children.

We discussed what THEY were interested in.

What THEY wanted to learn about.

What THEY found exciting and thrilling.

What THEY thought would be fun.

What THEY felt would bring them joy.

And then I started building our plans from there! No more shackles! Instead, we had uninhibited freedom to return to a love of learning! Together--as a family. The way we had intended to do this from the beginning. So much joy there, y'all!

I initially looked into the possibility of joining a local Scholé group that meets in our area. I met with their director, who was amazing, and learned about their program. It was so wonderful! The costs were unbelievably reasonable, all of the parents worked together in a true co-op environment, the children had a restful pace of learning, and the curricula was simple and beautiful. They met once per week, with field trips scheduled every month, and it overall appeared to be a wonderful solution for my family.

However, after talking with my kids, we all agreed we were so unbelievably grateful for our newfound freedom that we didn't want to be tethered by a weekly community day. We wanted to embrace a relaxed schedule of doing whatever we wanted to do, whenever we wanted to do it. Hubs and I discussed and prayed over the decision, and felt confirmation to continue on our own this year. 💜

Thus began the process of selecting curricula for my kiddos! It's been a joyful and exciting process for me! I've loved being able to choose materials that my children and I will love. Here's how it's shaping up (for those who are interested in the details):

// HISTORY

LO is excited about preparing to take the US History I CLEP exam in the spring, and we both felt it would be perfect to study American History as a family this year. I'm super stoked about this because we would have been studying Medieval History with our previous co-op, and none of my kids were very thrilled about that. I found this incredible program called America the Beautiful from Notgrass History.

What I love about America the Beautiful is that it combines American history, geography, and literature into one course! It combines the flexibility and richness of a unit study with the simplicity of a textbook-based approach to history. There are daily lessons to guide students chronologically through American history, highlighting key events, people, and places. And I love the corresponding literature book selections! And did I mention there is a cookbook that has recipes from all of the states to create and enjoy? This one is going to be great! Even though the course is designed for 5th - 8th grade, I plan to have Chase complete this course with LO, and will have E listen along to the readings and work on related coloring pages, activity sheets, etc. So ALL of us will be learning from ONE course TOGETHER. YAY!

// SCIENCE

When I asked LO what she wanted to study for science, she eagerly listed a plethora of interests! This didn't surprise me as my girl loves her some science! When gently forced to limit her choices to her top 3 or 4, she went with Astronomy, Minerals, Weather, and Oceans. That seemed super specific to me, but I was intent to find what she wanted. Imagine my surprise when I discovered General Science 1 from Master Books! It perfectly fit the bill!

One of the things that sold me on this program (besides the extremely reasonable price tag!) was the fact that the Teacher Guide included a weekly lesson schedule, the student worksheets, the quizzes and tests, and the answer key--all on ONE book. No separate workbooks or answer keys or added costs. EASY, y'all.

My kiddos and I will explore oceans, astronomy, weather, and minerals and discover fascinating facts, incredible wonders, captivating creatures, and God’s glory on display throughout creation! This course is designed for 7th - 12th grades, but we plan to use it with the whole family, adjusting as needed for Chase and E.

// SPANISH

Our family is thrilled to switch things up this year and move on from Latin to Spanish! I did a lot of research to find a program that wasn't workbook-driven, was designed for children, would work well for kids of various ages, and be fun and engaging at an easy pace. That's a lot to ask for! Thankfully, all signs pointed to La Clase Divertida!

I was concerned that the video samples look like they were filmed in 1987, but I looked past that and enjoyed how engaging it was for the room full of students. There are a lot of great activities that go along with the program, and I can't wait for us to go through this program together!

// ENGLISH

This is one area where my kiddos will receive individual instruction while working through resources I selected specifically for their reading and writing levels. I chose BJU Press materials for LO and Chase, so there will be some helpful similarities and continuity within the two programs.

Chase will be using English 4 Writing & Grammar. This will be his first year using an official writing program, and I'm super thrilled at what we will cover! Parts of speech and sentence structures are examined in detail to help him gain a mastery of grammar. The writing process is explained step-by-step to be implemented in a variety of writing assignments, including a personal narrative, a research report, and a business letter. I just love this! 💙

Choosing a level for LO was a bit more involved. Luckily, I was at the BJU Educators Marketplace down the street from the BJU campus, and could flip through the various grade levels. This was SUCH a blessing, because I'm not sure we would've ended up with what we did had I not had the opportunity to flip through the pages of the books.

I started with Writing & Grammar 7, looked through the table of contents, and started flipping through the pages. Everything I read, she already knew. So I grabbed Writing & Grammar 8. SAME. Then I went for Writing & Grammar 9.

Near the end of Chapter 1, after discussing the four kinds of sentences, subjects and predicates, basic sentence patterns, and fragments, they introduced and discussed comma splices and fused sentences. Eureka! These were concepts I was certain she was not familiar with. So I landed on 9th grade English for LO. She couldn't be more thrilled to finally learn something new after spending the past 3 years going over the same information she had pretty much mastered the first year.

For E, I'm going to use Language Smarts Level B from The Critical Thinking Co. It's a single workbook that is a full Language Arts curriculum. E still isn't reading independently, so we've been spending lots of time working on letters and sounds, as well as reading simple words. We'll use this comprehensive workbook to teach reading, writing, grammar, and punctuation skills and concepts that students are expected to know in first grade. E will also develop critical thinking, vocabulary, and several other skills and concepts normally taught in second grade. I'm excited to see how his reading and writing skills look at the end of the year after completing this workbook!

// MATH

This is another area where my kiddos will receive individual instruction. LO's curriculum is still a big question mark at this point. We've jumped around a bit over the past 5 years from Singapore to Saxon to Teaching Textbooks, back to Saxon, and back to Teaching Textbooks. I'm afraid our inability to find a suitable math program for her has left her with significant gaps. I'm currently looking for a mastery-based math program for her. I'll have her take a placement test when I find the right curriculum, but I wouldn't be surprised if we'll go back a level or two in order to ensure she has a solid understanding of the basics.

Chase is still killing it with Teaching Textbooks 5, so we're going to continue with it. I LOVE that it's all online and I don't have to do any grading! It's a very hands-off program, which is working wonderfully for him (and me!).

For E, I have decided to try Master Books' Math Lessons for a Living Education: Level 1. This story-based approach invites students to participate in the story, make mathematical connections, explore the world around them, and realize the value of math in their own lives. I'm excited to start our first real math program together! E really loves numbers and has done well with learning his skip counting, so this ought to be a fun adventure for us!

Of course there are several additional programs I'll be using this year for spelling, accounting, typing, coding, piano, etc. And I'm also thrilled to already have several field trips lined up for the fall semester. Everything is falling into place, and I couldn't be more grateful that God has led us here. All of us are incredibly excited to get into the full routine of our school year!

The One with the Unexpected Turn of Events

Heraclitus, a Greek philosopher, has been quoted as saying, “change is the only constant in life.”

Well, let me tell you, friends: we just experienced a MAJOR change over this past weekend. Let me hit you with some back story.

We first made the decision to homeschool back in June 2014. We started homeschooling when LO was entering 2nd grade. Well, technically, we started earlier than that -- not by choice (refer to #3 in that link). Our first year was good, but I felt we were lacking both community and accountability.

Enter Classical Conversations!

I once wrote a very detailed post about CC and what it offers. In summary? A lot. It offers a lot! We were sold on the incredible program and had every intention of taking our kids through high school with Classical Conversations.

We attended our very first day of community in September of 2015. How cute are these tiny (slightly blurry) littles?

However, our plans came to an incredibly unexpected and screeching halt over the weekend.

Late last Saturday night, hubs and I made the decision to leave Classical Conversations.

((insert GASP! here))

It's really strange because it wasn't like "some big thing happened" that suddenly changed our minds. Rather, it was simply a focused reflection over the past several months, coupled with an intentional deep dive of how the next 16(ish) years would unfold. For our family, what we gleaned was unsettling to say the least.

Here's what I will freely say: For four years, we had, without a doubt, the BEST Classical Conversations community of families that ever existed in all of mankind. It's true! We loved our community, we had an incredible Director, the families were always loving, caring, and supportive of each other, and our children made wonderful friends there. If you're reading this and you're one of those families, please know how much we love you and how much we will miss you on Tuesdays! (But pretty please, can we still have play dates?)

At the end of the day, finances played a big role in our decision. When it was time to re-enroll back in February, we were shocked to see the application fees for our boys' programs increased 70%! That's a pretty significant hike! It was disappointing, but again, we felt committed that CC was THE homeschool plan for our family, so we paid it and applied for the 2019-2020 school year.

I'll be honest--a cloud of doubt began to circle around that time because I just couldn't understand why corporate fees would need to increase so significantly in one year. Especially when you're essentially dealing with single-income, Christian homeschooling families. But again -- committed to the program -- we jumped ahead with both feet, which, coincidentally, is the only way I know how to commit to things. 😜

So one day, fueled solely by curiosity, I decided to put together a spreadsheet outlining our homeschool plans to educate our 4 children through CC. It was kind of like this colorful example below, but it included each of our kids' names, as well as the tuition cost for each child, for each year, through 2035 thankyouverymuch!

I will add that the numbers I used in my spreadsheet were based solely on the CURRENT tuition costs for the programs (which, like any program, will likely increase over the next 16 years), and DID NOT include application, supply, or facility fees, or ANY of the additional curriculum or supplies we would need in order to successfully complete each year with our CC community.

Y'all, I won't disclose any numbers here (I'll encourage you to do it for yourself--it's quite enlightening!), but I will just say, without a doubt, that it was A LOT.

And I get it -- it's not as much as a private school education or whatever else... okay. But it's HOMESCHOOLING. Something the Lord has called us to do for our children. Something I am actually quite capable of doing on my own (with the Lord's direction) if desired. For free--or at the very least, much cheaper.

It was a LOT, y'all.

And it's not like all of that money would directly bless my amazing local community. Registration fees? Corporate. An appalling almost 25% of tuition (for Challenge programs)? Corporate. Why would I want to send our hard-earned money off to a corporation in the business of making money, while I would be the one doing all the heavy lifting of schooling my own children at home every day as well as directing a room full of students one day a week for 30 weeks?

I then quickly came to this realization, which is probably the second greatest factor in why we made the decision we did for our family:

There is no way, given our current circumstances, that we could afford to participate in a Classical Conversations community through high school for all 4 of our children UNLESS I TUTOR OR DIRECT A PROGRAM EVERY.SINGLE.YEAR.

This was both enlightening and devastating to me all in the very same instant.

I am certainly grateful that CC provides opportunities for parents to tutor or direct their programs.

But y'all. Would those opportunities happen to exist for me each and every year as I'd need them to?

Hmmm...

So what was the greatest factor in why we made the decision we made for our family? This thought/realization:

HOW MUCH OF ME ARE MY CHILDREN GOING TO LOSE AS A RESULT OF THE COMMITMENT I'VE MADE TO LEAD STUDENTS EVERY WEEK IN COMMUNITY?

At the elementary level, this really wouldn't be that significant.

But for leading programs for middle and high school students? It would, without a doubt, be several hours each week of my time focused on preparing lesson plans for discussion in class--rather than cuddling up with my kids to read stories, work through annoyingly difficult math problems, or go for nature walks.

Sure, there are lots of amazingly qualified moms and dads who welcome this responsibility each year. And I trust they are rock stars at it whose kids don't suffer as I anticipate mine would.

Did I mention I had planned to direct one of the middle school programs this year? It would be my first time directing. Normally I like to PREPARE! PREPARE! PREPARE! like 12,000 years ahead of time because I'm all kinds of OCD/Type A like that.

But June arrived and for some reason I wasn't jumping in with both feet.

Since my family started our homeschool year on June 3rd, I decided I would just put my focus on my kids for the month of June, making sure we were all in the swing of things with our supplemental curriculum, and wait until July to dive into my preparations to direct.

July then arrived. It was almost half over when I realized I hadn't yet buckled down and started the heavy workload of prep needed to effectively lead a class 12- and 13-year-olds in the classical studies of debate, exposition, grammar, logic, reasoning, and research.

What was going on???

The prior year, I had tutored a class of 4th-6th graders in our community and I vividly remember excitedly preparing and planning and laminating all.the.things. the summer beforehand in anticipation of a wonderful year.

But that wasn't the case this time.

What was going on???

I had to look deep inside my heart to figure this out. I had to plead to the Lord for answers since I trusted He knew me better than I knew myself. I had to cry out for explanations for the massive confusion I was feeling!

I thought we had a plan! I thought you and I were on the same page, God! Why does this suddenly not seem right?

Lots of tears ensued. Lots of discussions with hubs. Lots of prayers and Scripture searching.

“I will instruct you and teach you in the way you should go; I will counsel you with my loving eye on you.” - Psalm 32:8

It wasn't until last week that we started getting the feeling that perhaps God was telling us that CC may no longer be His plan for our family. And I begrudgingly began to accept that... with the expectation that He was referring to NEXT year. I mean, I had already enrolled my children for the fall, and had already committed to leading one of the programs this year. Obviously whatever God is trying to tell me only applies to NEXT year.

Or did it??

Now we're all caught up and it's (last) Saturday night. I said it without even realizing what I was saying:

What if we don't go back this year?

((gasp))

The thought had NEVER occurred to me until that very moment.

“Have I not commanded you? Be strong and courageous. Do not be afraid; do not be discouraged, for the Lord your God will be with you wherever you go.” - Joshua 1:9

The first thoughts I had after making that statement were, "What would happen to the families enrolled in the program I was committed to direct? What would happen if they weren't able to find someone else to take it over? How could God possibly be calling me to make a decision that could potentially have a negative impact on families and friends I loved so dearly?"

“‘For I know the plans I have for you,’ declares the Lord, ‘plans to prosper you and not to harm you, plans to give you hope and a future.’” - Jeremiah 29:11

Here's the thing: If I have to make a decision concerning what is best for my children vs. what is best for my (beloved) community, I will choose my children every.single.time.

Spoiler alert, y'all: God is BIGGER than you. He's GREATER than your circumstances. He's WORKING in ways beyond your four walls that you can't even imagine.

“The Lord himself goes before you and will be with you; He will never leave you nor forsake you. Do not be afraid; do not be discouraged.” - Deuteronomy 31:8 

At the end of the day--quite literally as I believe it was around 1:15 AM--hubs and I had resolved to leave Classical Conversations this year.

“Do not be anxious about anything, but in every situation, by prayer and petition, with thanksgiving, present your requests to God. And the peace of God, which transcends all understanding, will guard your hearts and your minds in Christ Jesus." - Philippians 4:6-7 

Sunday morning we had an incredible day of worship (as usual!) at church, followed by lunch at Culver's (SHOCKER!). Once we were home after lunch, we sat the kids down to share the news with them. They really surprised us! I was concerned with how they'd react, but all of them were totally fine with the decision! Of course, they each mentioned how much they'd miss their friends, but ultimately they were excited to chart a new course together as a family.

After speaking with the kids, I made the phone calls I needed to make to officially resign my position as director, and leave our beloved CC community.

God has been faithful--as if there were ever any doubt--and has brought an incredibly awesome individual forward to take my place in directing the program I stepped away from. Isn't He the BEST, Jerry?? THE BEST!!

So where does that leave my family?

Umm... I'm not quite sure! I honestly have absolutely no idea which doors God will open for us this year. I am seeking His direction and have a few thoughts in mind. But at the end of the day, I am pressing through the fear, surrendering it all to the One who holds us in His loving hands.

Even now, I can look back and see how God was paving this path for us (without my knowledge or consent--the nerve!). haha! And I can't even describe the peace He has provided in this midst of this decision! It's difficult for people like me to not have all.the.things. planned out, but I know God is capable of bringing about so much good through this surrendered decision, and I am choosing to rest comfortably in His grace.

If you'd like more information on what we selected for our 2019-2020 curriculum, check out this post.

If you'd like to hear me vent about CC's Essentials grammar program and how it failed my oldest, check out this post.

First Day of CC!

Just a quick post to document that today was our first day at our Classical Conversations (CC) community! We started our homeschool at the beginning of August, but our co-op fun started today! I'm not sure why, but I was nervous about our morning. Lots of reasons, but I'm pretty sure one of them was because this morning was my first time leaving the house with all four kids by myself! Yes, if you're keeping track, Squishy is already 2 months old. What can I say? I have a super awesome hubby! But I wanted to take all of them for our first day, even though it would've been way easier to leave Squish at home with daddy. ;)

I'm excited about the year of CC we have ahead of us! It's going to be awesome! I know God has big plans for my family and I simply adore watching my kiddos soaking up God's Word and learning all about Him and the world He made. Homeschooling is the bomb!

Of course I have pics of the kiddos...

First up? My NEW-TO-CC little BABY boy, E! Can you believe he's already in a K4 program? Oh, my heart!!!

Next up is Chase, rocking out 2nd Grade!

This little beauty of mine is -- get this! -- in 5th Grade! What?!

She loved her twirly dress for our first day!

My sweet little loves!

We arrived at CC (a few minutes early!) this morning so I could take a picture at the church as I have done each year. Let me just add here: All of you AWESOME mamas who get your kids up, fed, dressed, and out the door to school with backpacks and lunches packed FIVE DAYS A WEEK are my heroes. I barely managed this morning. Just ONE morning. And with a VERY helpful hubby. I literally napped for two hours when we got home from co-op. Y'all are literally all kinds of amazing!

Here's their 2016 pic from last year (my apologies for the terrible lighting and lack of editing!):

And their first year at CC from 2015! Look how little!

I'm happy to report that we survived our day! I still feel a bit anxious about our CC year, but I think it's mostly due to the work I need to do with the kids at home this year (LO most specifically). But I trust God, and I know He brought us to this place and that He will equip me to be the very best teacher for my sweet kiddos. I pray for their hearts as well as their minds as we see where He leads us. Now, let's see how much sleep I can stockpile before our next early morning next Tuesday! :)

Back to HOMESchool!

I'm so excited! We still have a few weeks of summer left, which we plan to wholeheartedly enjoy with plenty of trips to the pool, the movies, the museum, the park... lots of play dates and fun still ahead!

BUT... we've also officially started our THIRD year of homeschooling! LO is now in 4th Grade and my sweet Chase is now in 1st Grade! And of course my littlest one, E, is in Pre-Pre-K -- haha!

It's been a great start to school... once I was finally able to get my classroom in order! I'm such a neat freak and have such insanely ridiculous OCD tendencies that it seriously must take me about 12 times longer to do a few simple things than your average person. I seriously have issues. But at least I admit it, right?? ;)

So I took a few minutes today to take a few pictures of my classroom now that it's (A) clean and (B) set up for our new year. I know it won't stay this clean and organized for more than a few days hours, so I had to document it while it wasn't embarrassing!

I haven't edited the kids' first day of school pics yet, but I hope to share those really soon!

Enjoy a little glimpse of our Home Sweet Homeschool!

First up: The reason I do what I do. These three are my heart.

This year we will be focusing on learning to tell time on analog clocks, so I decided to hang one above our white board.

I'm not afraid to reward hard work with candy, so here ya go! Skittles are also super helpful with our math games! Yum.

I love my rolling cart from IKEA! I'm using it as individual bins for the three kiddos. Can you guess which one belongs to each kid? Shocker: You may notice -- Chase is phasing out his Mario addiction!

I love organized, color-coded paper. Special props to LO for her mad sorting and organizational skills!

LOVE artwork by LO. Such a fun addition to our schoolroom.

Classical Conversations timeline cards! We love these things!! And I'm madly in love with them in these binders!

And all the organizing Type A OCD folks unite in glorious song! Check out these art supplies, my friends!

{{deeply inhales}} Breathe it all in, folks. The glorious goodness of organized Crayola. Is there anything better?

Lots of art supplies! I may be hating myself for this later, but last year I kept all of the art supplies out of sight in my homeschool cabinet. The kids (LO) were constantly getting into it and (LO) leaving the door open and (LO) making it a disorganized mess and (LO) never putting things away, so I decide to embrace their (LO's) huge love of all things crafty and create an art center right in the middle of our schoolroom in plain sight. I'm hoping I'll have the ability to keep an eye on E to make sure these don't end up drawing on walls, curtains, furniture, etc., but we'll have to wait and see!

I'm literally in love with these storage canisters from Oriental Trading of all places. Math games beware! We are stocked in the ping pong ball, marble, and math die categories! Bring on the fun!

I {heart} organizing!

Whew. This one is gonna be a biggie this year! LO will be adding Essentials afternoon classes with our morning Foundations classes with Classical Conversations. I don't know a thing about it yet, but I did know enough to basically leave an entire bookshelf free for all of the materials we'll be using. :)

I decided to add a few things on the walls this year -- just for fun! LO & Chase already know the Presidents, and LO knows all of the states and capitals (assuming she remembers them all from when I taught them to her in 2nd grade), while Chase knows all of the states. I guess it's time to start teaching E his US geography now!

I LOVE LOVE LOVE this ginormous laminated map I hung up outside of our pantry (there was no room for it in our schoolroom). I found it at Hobby Lobby for like $9.99 I think -- but I used their 40% off coupon and it was literally the best homeschool purchase ever! I'm excited to start working on our European geography this year!

Never one to shy away from the camera, I had to include a goofy pic of my silly E! This pretty much sums up how I feel about finishing the prep work for a new year of homeschooling, knowing that all of my hard work will soon be destroyed by eager little learners! I couldn't be more thrilled!!

LO's Big Surprise!

Hello out there! Yes, it's been quite some time since my last post, and I do apologize for that. Things have been quite hectic around here since LO started Kindergarten last month! The great news is she's really loving her new school and she's adjusted incredibly well to her new routine. Mommy, on the other hand? Notsomuch. I haven't seen 6:30 AM on my alarm clock consistently for probably over 10 years! So this has been a big adjustment for me, too! But I must admit I'm really LOVING the special Mommy/Chase time every day while LO's at school. Things have been a bit busy lately since I've taken on several new roles with LO's school, but I'm hoping that'll start to even out a bit as the school year progresses. I've taken on the school newsletter, which is published four times per year. It's called a newsletter, but at an average of 13 pages per, it's a bit of a novel in my mind. ;) Additionally, I am serving as a Room Parent for LO's Kindergarten classroom. This is a LOT to take on at the beginning of the year, but I'm very excited about it! I loved doing the newsletter because it gave me an automatic "IN" with so many of the school's staff, from the librarian to the principal to the counselor and more! I know me, and if I didn't have an "in" with anyone, I wouldn't have had the courage to introduce myself and get to know the people that will be helping care for and teach my sweet girl. I'm also managing the school's Facebook page and am serving on a committee that is putting together our annual fall festival in October. Whew! It's been a busy 3 weeks! Add work, family and other commitments to that, and it's a wonder I'm able to function these days! ;)

Those of you who follow me on Twitter may have already seen this video when I tweeted it yesterday, but since I like to chronicle cool happenings with the kids on the blog, I wanted to make sure to post it here as well. Here's the backstory: About 2 weeks ago, we purchased a Balance Buddy to put on LO's bike to help her learn to ride without training wheels. Since she wasn't a big fan of learning to ride without the training wheels, we were hoping this little device would help give her the confidence she needed to get the hang of it. It's basically a little extension on the back of the bike that allows an adult to hold on and run along behind her to help her keep her balance.

I busted it out for the first time about 2 weeks ago for all of about 5 minutes before both of us were too frustrated to continue. Hubs tried it with her maybe once or twice since then for a few minutes each time, but the balance thing didn't seem to be coming too easily for her.

Fast-forward to yesterday... I had been sick in bed all weekend, but I managed to stumble out of bed and head outside to see my family for a few minutes, and was SHOCK N' AWED by what I saw! Hubs had spent about another 20 minutes with LO using the Balance Buddy, and the girl was OFF! She was all over the parking lot across the street from our house, making amazing turns, speeding her way back and forth like you wouldn't believe!!! I know I couldn't believe it! It's like it just "clicked" for her and all of a sudden, she was on her way! I seriously was amazed at how fast she was riding and how much control she had over that bike. Whoa. This girl never ceases to amaze me!!!!!

Check it out!

Bedtime Story with LO!

For those who may be interested, here's a little bedtime story, courtesy of LO... ;)

Punishment

Okay, parents of preschoolers, I need some help here. Last week, while I was putting LO to bed, she mentioned something totally off-the-wall and random to me about having to run at school and getting tired and her teacher forcing her to keep running... It sounded crazy-weird but I thought I'd follow up with her teacher to hear the "real" story.

Turns out the "real" story was the same one as LO told me! So she and a few other friends had to do 2 laps at the beginning of recess.

Is that normal??

I mean, she's 4. She actually loves to run, which is one of my biggest concerns about using running as a form of discipline. I don't want her to grow up thinking running = punishment (like I do). ;)

Ugh. Apparently she had been asked many times to not talk during circle time and to quit playing with her neighbors. Then she had to sit in "time out" at her desk after several verbal warnings, but since the behavior continued, she was given 2 laps outside at the beginning of recess.

I checked the school's handbook and didn't note any mention of using physical activity as a form of punishment. I was very surprised by this, but I guess I'm curious if this is something that a lot of preschools do to aid in discipline?

Thoughts? Comments?

I think what gets me the most frustrated about the situation is that hubs and I received ZERO communication from the teacher about the issue. I had no idea she received several verbal warnings, had to sit in time out and certainly not that she had to run laps. How are we supposed to reinforce her discipline at home if we don't know what's going on at school? Grrrr. I emailed the teacher and mentioned how helpful it would be if we would receive some kind of communication when LO struggles with her listening skills. I guess there's not much more I can do. But I still just don't like the idea of my 4-year-old being forced to run laps. I don't know why, but it gives me horrid junior high flashbacks and I just don't think it's appropriate discipline for her age.

Am I crazy?

New Series

Hey, guys! I just wanted to let you know that I'm working on a little series of posts for next week about an exciting topic that is very near and dear to me. In fact, if you have any children, specifically of the preschooler variety, I believe you'll find this series to be interesting and thought-provoking. If you don't have any children, or they haven't yet turned into a superfreak of nature (a.k.a. preschooler), then you'll probably find the series humorous... mostly because I'm the one dealing with it, not you!

Have a great weekend!

And stay tuned!

Resolutions/Commitments

I decided this morning that I'm going to write a few resolutions commitments for the new year. I want to make goals that are simple, realistic and measurable, but most of all I want them to be meaningful for myself, my family and for others. This isn't a wish list for 2011, but a commitment I'm making to improve life in some way or another for all of the people with whom my life may impact over the next 12 months.

Here's to accomplishing all that we set out to do in 2011!

1. Grow deeper in my relationship with Christ. This past year and a half has brought some very unexpected struggles and difficulties my way, and in the midst of my darkest times, God was there to pick me up and carry me through. He is my Savior, the One who loves me more than I can comprehend. He never gives up on me or forgets about me or chooses to make other people/things a priority over me. He loves me the same whether I wake up each morning, ready to give my day over to Him to accomplish His will, or if I wake up feeling deep pain and resentment towards Him for the things happening in my life. I'm ashamed to admit that I have not made Him the #1 priority in my life as He should be. He brought Chase through two open-heart surgeries and was by my side the entire time. Yet once we started to settle into our new normal, and Chase has been doing so amazingly well, I started to shift my focus onto my family and the "here and now" instead of on living my life with God as the center of my world. Not that I think it's wrong to love my family, but I know my first priority should always be God, then my husband and children. I can you from experience that unless God is the priority in your life, nothing else will work the way it was intended to. Marriages fall apart. Relationships with children are damaged. Things that once seemed simple when God was in control now seem to be a daily struggle. I want my life to glorify Him in all that I say and do, and I'm praying that some changes hubs and I plan to make in our family's life in the weeks and months ahead will help us refocus our attention on God and receive all that He has in store for us.


2. Spend more time cultivating relationships in ways that DO NOT involve electronic forms of communication. This may not surprise you based on previous thoughts I've posted about here, but I'm quickly turning anti-Twitter, anti-Facebook and definitely anti-text. How lazy do people have to be that they completely disconnect from personal relationships in lieu of the ease and convenience of a quick text message or a Facebook status update? Is this the kind of world in which we want to raise our children -- one where you don't have to call Aunt Susie or talk to her in person or send a Thank You note in the mail for that awesome new birthday toy she sent you; rather, you just send her a text or write on her Facebook wall instead? Is that really the same? I don't think so. I for one do not plan to allow my children to grow up thinking social skills are no longer necessary and that kindness, decency and thoughtfulness are not necessary ingredients in growing relationships with their family, friends, teachers, etc. Don't get me wrong, I'm all for the conveniences that technology brings, but I do NOT intend to allow technology to displace relationships with the people who matter in my life.


3. Help others. With the hustle and bustle of life, sometimes it's so easy to forget there are those out there who have things so much worse than we do. I have no idea what this "resolution" will look like in 2011, but I know God knows and I will be following His direction on this. I have a heart that desires to serve and have found that the capacities in which I had been serving for the past several years are no longer necessarily the right avenues for me any longer. There's one ministry opportunity of sorts that I'm VERY excited about but can't share with you any details just yet. But trust me, it's awesome and I'm very happy to be a part of it and am very hopeful you will support it as well once I can share more information. I'm praying God will show me some specific areas where He can use my talents and skills to glorify Him while serving those in need. I'm excited about what this will turn into as the year unfolds!


4. Learn something new and/or develop existing skills in areas I'm passionate about. This may be as simple as taking a few cooking classes. I love to be in the kitchen, so maybe it makes sense to develop my cooking/baking skills. Maybe it's taking a sewing class or learning a new language. I don't know. But I do know I want to grow and enrich my current skills (or lack thereof) in some manner over the next 12 months. Any suggestions? I'm pretty much open to anything that doesn't involve sky-diving or jumping off a bridge.


5. Be kind to others. This one is very simple. There's really no sugar-coating it. Be nice. Be thoughtful. Consider the feelings of others. Do nice things for people without expecting anything in return. I guess this one could even be considered a subset of #3 above. Hubs and I enjoy the feeling of doing something good, especially when we do it anonymously because we're not after the recognition -- only the joy and satisfaction of knowing we've done something nice. Maybe this is like a pay it forward sort of concept. Maybe my kind words to the cashier having a bad day will in turn cause her to be kind to the guy in line behind me who just found out his child has terminal cancer. You NEVER know what people are dealing with so it's always the right thing to do to be kind and show compassion to others. I pray I can be more intentional in my kindness in 2011.

I don't know if you're thinking 5 resolutions is too few or just right, but for me, I think I've got my work cut out for me to accomplish and/or improve in the areas listed above. And for the record, I'm glad I have this blog as I've become so appreciative of my friends who follow along with me and provide much-needed encouragement and feedback along the way. I hope I serve as an encouragement to you, too. If you ever need me, I'm always here for you!

Respiratory Syncytial Virus

Chase had his first RSV appointment of the season this morning and I'm so happy to say he did great! We were referred to a different office than last year, and I'm not complaining because it's about 35 minutes closer to my home than the office we used last year was. Nice!

Overall the appointment went well and we were out in less than an hour! For my fellow heart moms, you know that any doctor appointment lasting less than an hour is a blessing! ;)

The greatest thing about Chase's appointment this morning was that I learned more about RSV and more specifically, the Synegis shots he received this morning. I thought the shots were like every other vaccine that prevents the person from getting a particular disease, such as RSV. But actually, these Synegis shots DO NOT PREVENT CHASE FROM GETTING RSV; rather, they just make it to where IF he gets it, it won't be "as bad." Hmmm... I had no idea! What a horrible mommy, right? Not even knowing about this stuff I'm having injected into my son! Wow.

So I felt compelled to share some information about RSV for my readers (and family & friends who are around Chase) to help educate us all about this nasty virus!

Respiratory syncytial virus (RSV) infection is a viral disease of the lungs. It is one of the most important causes of lower respiratory tract illness in infants and young children.

RSV is spread by contact with droplets from the nose or throat of an infected person. Persons with mild infections usually get better without treatment. Severely ill children often need to be hospitalized. There is currently no vaccine to prevent RSV infection.

The best ways to prevent the spread of RSV are to cover coughs and sneezes and to wash hands often and well. Intravenous immune globulin treatment has recently been approved for use in high-risk infants.


What is respiratory syncytial virus infection?

Respiratory syncytial virus (RSV) infection is one of the most important causes of lower respiratory illness in infants and young children. It also causes both mild and serious respiratory diseases in older children and adults.


What is the infectious agent that causes RSV infection?

RSV infection is caused by the respiratory syncytial virus.


Where is RSV infection found?

RSV infections occur worldwide. Most children are infected at least once by age 2 and continue to be reinfected throughout life. In temperate climates, RSV infections usually occur in the winter. Peaks occur in January and February in the United States.


How do people get RSV infection?

The virus is found in discharges from the nose and throat of an infected person. People can get RSV infection by:

- Breathing in droplets after an infected person has coughed
- Hand-to-mouth contact after touching an infected person
- Hand-to-mouth contact with a surface that an infected person has touched or coughed on


What are the signs and symptoms of RSV infection?

RSV infections can range from very mild illness to serious lower respiratory tract infections, including pneumonia, that occur mostly in the very young, the very old, and those with weakened immune systems. Symptoms can last for a few days to several weeks.

Signs and symptoms in young children are usually mild and similar to a cold. They include stuffy nose, cough, and sometimes ear infection. In older children and adults, RSV causes upper respiratory infection involving the nose, throat, or sinuses.

Children who develop a lower respiratory tract infection often have low-grade fever for several days, a cough that sometimes lasts more than 2 weeks, and respiratory symptoms including difficult or rapid breathing and deep coughing. Symptoms in newborns and young infants may include irritability, listlessness, and poor feeding.


What complications can result from RSV infection?

A person with a first RSV infection can develop severe breathing problems that need to be managed in the hospital. RSV infections in premature babies less than 6 months old and in infants with chronic lung, heart, or immune problems are most likely to be severe and lead to death.

((If that doesn't make you want to wash your hands often around babies like Chase, I don't know what will!!))

How soon after exposure do symptoms appear?

Illness usually starts within 3 to 5 days of infection.


How is RSV infection diagnosed?

There are tests for RSV infection, but the diagnosis is sometimes based on symptoms and time of year.


Who is at risk for RSV infection?

People of any age can be infected. Very young infants, premature infants, and children with underlying lung, heart, or immune system problems are at high risk for severe RSV disease. The virus can also cause serious illness in elderly persons and in adults with lung disease or weakened immune systems.


What complications can result from RSV infection?

Infants and young children with a first RSV infection can develop a severe infection in the lower respiratory tract. Approximately 80,000 children are hospitalized with these infections each year. Most children needing hospitalization are newborns and infants and those with weak immune systems, congenital heart or lung disease, or prematurity.


What is the treatment for RSV infection?

Most people with mild RSV infections usually get better without treatment. Care of patients with mild illness centers on relieving symptoms and easing breathing. Those with more serious infections are sometimes treated in the hospital with the anti-virus drug ribavirin. Some hospitalized patients need intensive care and mechanical ventilation (respirator).


How common is RSV infection?

RSV is the leading cause of lower respiratory tract illness in infants and young children. In the United States, approximately 50% of infants and young children become infected with RSV each winter season. RSV causes about 90,000 hospitalizations and 4,500 deaths per year in children under age 5 years.


Is RSV infection an emerging infectious disease?

Yes.


How can RSV infection be prevented?

There is currently no RSV vaccine. The best ways to prevent the spread of RSV are to cover coughs and sneezes, wash hands often and thoroughly, and dispose of used tissues properly. Immune globulin intravenous (IGIV) treatment to prevent RSV infection has recently been approved for use in high-risk infants.

Source: http://www.dhpe.org/infect/rsv.html

Thank you for reading this post and learning how to help protect me!

Love, Chase




Posted from my iPhone

Words of Encouragement

It's Tuesday. Six days 'til Chase's arrival. Hubs, LO and I have spent the day settling into our rental house. This involved more unpacking, driving around trying to find places, getting lost for a bit, a cranky 2-year-old waaaay overdue for a nap, a 2-hour shopping trip at Walmart and (thankfully) a nap for ALL THREE of us. I have to say this place is starting to feel more "homey" to me, and I think LO is adjusting quite well, too.

We'll be heading to an OB appointment in the morning to see where things are... I'm pretty sure they'll tell me I have ZERO signs of pending labor, and we'll just sit and wait until my induction Monday morning for things to start progressing.

We decided to stay in tonight since we just spent a zillion dollars on groceries and I'm certain I can figure out a quick and easy dinner. In the meantime, hubs and LO have been playing Go Diego Go Safari Rescue on the Wii while I read through a wonderful book of encouragement that my sister gave me before we left for Charleston. As I read through the quotes in the book, several of them jumped off the page and truly blessed me! I thought some of these might be meaningful to you, regardless of where you are in life. Several of my friends and family are going through difficult trials and I'm hopeful some of these quotes will speak to them as well. God's blessings to each and every one of you!!!

We must be willing to get rid of the life we've planned, so as to have the life that is waiting for us. ~ Joseph Campbell

Do not pray for tasks equal to your powers; pray for powers equal to your tasks. ~ Phillips Brooks

The world was made round so we would never be able to see too far down the road. ~ Isak Dinesen

All I have seen teaches me to trust the Creator for all I have not seen. ~ Ralph Waldo Emerson

When you come to the edge of all the light you know, and must take a step into the darkness of the unknown, believe that one of two things will happen. Either there will be something solid for you to stand on--or you will be taught how to fly. ~ Patrick Overton

Always know in your heart that you are far bigger than anything that can happen to you. ~ Dan Zadra

There are no mistakes, no coincidences. All events are blessings given to us to learn from. ~ Elisabeth Kubler-Ross

I've never been one who thought the Lord should make life easy; I've just asked Him to make me strong. ~ Eva Bowring

To deem any situation impossible is to make it so. ~ Bernard Drummond

Know in your heart that all things are possible. ~ Dan Zadra

Never give up on anybody. Miracles happen every day. ~ H. Jackson Brown

If I were absolutely certain about all things, I would be fearful of losing my way. But since everything and anything are always possible, the miraculous is always nearby and wonders shall never, ever cease. ~ Robert Fulghum

When nothing is sure, everything is possible. ~ Margaret Drabble

The moment you move out of the way, you make room for the miracle to take place. ~ Dr. Barbara King

Where there is great love, there are always miracles. ~ Willa Cather

Just as angels are attracted to the light of joy and kindness, so too are miracles attracted to the lamp of faith and love. ~ Mary Augustine

I am not afraid of tomorrow, for I have seen yesterday and I love today. ~ William Allen White

Could a greater miracle take place than for us to look through each other's eyes for an instant? ~ Henry David Thoreau

God doesn't comfort us to make us comfortable but to make us comforters. ~ Unknown

Never place a period where God has placed a comma. ~ Gracie Allen

Know in your heart that all things are possible. We couldn't conceive of a miracle if none had ever happened. ~ Libbie Fudim

How simple it is to see all the worry in the world cannot control the future. How simple it is to see that we can only be happy now, and that there will never be a time when it is not now. ~ Gerald Jampolsky

Update: The book is called Little Miracles compiled by Dan Zadra.

Mine!!!

I'm a stay at home mom. Life is good. However, my daughter gets very little interaction with other kiddos her age. The only time she gets to socialize is when we take her to church. Every Sunday morning, for approximately 2-1/2 hours, she gets to hang out with anywhere from 1 to 4 other one- and two-year-olds. It's really great!

Or at least I thought it was.

Just recently, our daughter has miraculously learned the word "mine." Mind you, she did NOT learn that at home, or at a daycare or anywhere else. She learned it from another little person in her class. The proof is that when we mention said child's name to LO, she responds by saying, "mine!" Yet when we mention names of other kids in the class, she simply repeats their names with a smile.

This is VERY frustrating. And quite frankly, it's getting out of control! Every single thing in our house has now been deemed, in LO's opinion, to be "mine!" It's driving hubs and I C-R-A-Z-Y!!! This is not something we approve of, and it's killing me to have to keep reprimanding her (including time-outs) for repeatedly saying this horrible, useless word over and over again.

I hate to admit it, but I know this is just the first of what will be MANY poor habits she picks up from other kids at the church nursery or at her preschool once she starts this fall.

((sigh))

Sew Cool!

I'm quite excited to share with you all that I am picking up a knack for sewing! My church is making quilts to send to children in Swaziland, and I've been able to work on two of them this week! It's such a great cause, and I figure it's about time I learn to be more domestic and rip out my mom's sewing machine!

Here are some pics of my handiwork. Keep in mind - I didn't get to choose the fabric. The church provided me with the fabric squares and I just had to sew them together. In other words, they aren't the cutest things (I would've picked something quite different than these), but ultimately they will serve their purpose once they make it to Swaziland.

Bad Mommy!

The other day, I had a revelation: I'm a bad mommy! Okay, maybe not fit for the World's Worst Mom award, but still. For some reason, I just recently noticed that I've been letting LO watch TV almost non-stop, all day long, every day, for months. Now, granted, she doesn't always sit there, staring at the TV, completely enthralled with the programming 24/7, but I seem to keep it on for background noise, entertainment, etc. throughout the day. And I think I recall reading, somewhere along this road of parenthood, that TV watching for 18-month-olds = BAD. But I did it anyway! I mean, seriously, we even keep a portable DVD player that installs on the back of the headrest in our vehicle, and each time we leave the house -- even if just to go 2 miles down the street -- LO would point and it and say, "Elmo!"

That's right. It was that bad. The other issue I've found is that sometimes I get engrossed in the TV and just haven't been spending the time with LO doing the things that I should be doing. You know, like teaching her about shapes, colors, numbers, the alphabet, etc. She has SO much to learn and at this age, she's totally a little sponge ready to soak it all up! But NOOOOO, mommy's too interested in seeing the latest on Ellen's "George will be mine in '09" campaign (which, she finally DID get him on Monday... but I digress).

SO, about a month ago, I decided to make the actual decision that LO will be limited to ONE DVD per day. That's it! No more Playhouse Disney every morning. No more Elmo DVDs on repeat. AND I removed the DVD player from our vehicle, so there will be no more DVDs unless we're on long road trips. Enough is enough!!

Miraculously, I've found all sorts of time to spend teaching LO her shapes, letters, etc. In fact, I had been working with her so much that I realized she needed a lot more help with her colors. For some reason, every color to her is "yeyy-o" (read: "yellow"). So rather than spend money on some fancy "teach-your-kid-their-colors" kit on eBay, I decided to make my own! I used card stock and markers, put a blob of color on the paper and wrote the color underneath it. Then I laminated the individual cards and put them up on the wall so we could practice with them all the time. SO fun!!!


I also decided I want LO to know the entire alphabet before she starts a 2-day morning program in the Fall (God willing!). SO, we've started with one letter per week, and I post her artwork on the wall so, again, we can refer to them often throughout our days. Yes, it's true, I just started last week with "A" and we've made our way to "B" this week, so I realize I have a ways to go. But we're learning, and that's what really matters!