I'm not exactly sure why I wait so long between posts but by the time I get back to the blog it appears there are so many thoughts that have been swirling around my mind, ready to get sorted out into coherent thoughts in print. Hold on, in no particular order, these are the most recent musings of my mind.
There are moments at work that I hear the phrase, "It's not my job!" Where someone has been asked to do something that they feel is not really their responsibility. I get it, I do. Yet a part of me doesn't, it is not really my mindset. I am a former home school teacher. As a homeschooler you never have the luxury of something not being your responsibility. The moment you decide to home school you are acutely aware that you are responsible for EVERYTHING! There is no curriculum committee, it is you spending hours upon hours, reviewing all the options. There is no administrative staff; all phone calls, orders, copies, medicine distributing, arrangements, appointments, it's on you. Discipline? The majority of the time it is you making a phone call to the dean of discipline, aka Dad. Yet there are times when it you that deals with it, in the moment. You are the field trip coordinator. You spend hours prepping and preparing; Calling establishments and organizations, making the magical memories happen. Custodian? Ha! Let's be real, that is you all the way. Data? It is you analyzing your students progress. Deliberating painstakingly, if those curriculum choices, YOU MADE earlier in the year, are effective. Are they meeting needs? Are you seeing growth? Are your students engaged or bored out of their mind? What are the areas of struggle? How can you support each student to be successful? No intervention team, it's you. Then there is the actual act of teaching. The lesson plans. The time instructing. The grading. Repeat. How about the home school community, that we choose to participate in? More lesson plans, teaching a multitude of other kiddos(5-50), in whatever area of (sometimes)expertise or interest you may have. At the end of the day it boils down to one main truth, success or failure, it comes down to your effort. It is your responsibility! Oh and let's just for a second talk about the pay. There is none, not even a tax deduction. In fact, it is YOU financing the bill of hundreds (possibly thousands) of dollars educating your children at home. So maybe it is just me but after being responsible for everything for ten years, I just assume whatever comes my way at work and embrace it because it is a small fraction of what I was responsible before. No fretting. No worries. Bring it, I got this, I was a home school teacher!
The elderly are beautiful! Today, my children's choir had the privilege of singing at a local nursing home. First, all the children sang for the residents in general care. Then, a smaller group went to the memory retention ward, where the Alzheimer patients were. These residents rarely receive as the head RN put it, entertainment. Immediately, you notice a difference in the cognitive level within this ward. Some have clear looks in their eyes, where others are clouded over, perhaps lost within their own minds. Yet when the children sang, they responded. Their faces brightened. Some tapped their feet, feeling the music. Some smiled. Another, slept through the entire thing. After the children finished singing, they greeted the residents. Speaking with them based on their ability. The church had provided a valentine craft for each resident in the building. The kids used this as an ice breaker to talk with each person they reached out to. They made the valentine for them. It was really rather sweet, watching these kids interact. A small group went off into the wards dining hall to make the craft and connect. I love the connection part of going to the nursing home. Some of the kids are shy but more so they are so open and uninhabited in their interactions with the elderly. The seniors just eat it up. They love having the children there. Each time we go, there are a few resident that make their mark in my mind. Today, it was Ed, Mary, and John. Ed and Mary have been married for nearly 67 years. 8 years ago she was diagnosed with Alzheimers. One year ago she came to the nursing home, every day he comes and visits her. He hasn't missed a day! Talk about the Notebook in living color. So sweet! John? John was a sweet man that recently turned 102! Yet he looked more like he was in his 70's. I wonder all that he has seen in his life. I wonder what goes on in the mind of each of the residents in the memory ward. In a short amount of time I saw such a contrast of sadness and joy.
Update on my loss of consciousness: the chiropractor was pleasantly surprised that my neck did not show signs of trauma. In fact my neck and spine looked pretty great. Yeah! I went back to work the following Monday, armed with gatorade. It took a few days to get back to 100% but I got there. I am feeling pretty darn good these days. My son however did have a bout of the flu. He slept for a day straight, barely waking to take meds. Knock on wood, Formica, plastic, whatever is nearby, we are all healthy now and hopefully stay that way.
Our school appears to be the only school that has school on Monday. McCuse me! If anyone tries to rub this in, I may throat punch you and tell you Carla sent me. Please don't gloat! ;)
A huge shout out to my daughter, she earned her master badge in the make-up guild tonight. She can now crew head the make-up crew at our local theater. She has worked diligently towards this goal and I am super proud of her.
It is no secret that I love my Nepali family! In one week, some of my dearest friends will be moving to Pennsylvania. They are not just friends, they are family. To say they will be missed, is a huge understatement. I am so thankful for current technology that will allow me to facetime them and stay in touch. Today, I was able to chat with hajur ama and hajur baa on a smart phone. Such reassurance that we have this capability. When I think about the mark this family has made in my life, I tear up. When I think about the fact that they are moving 10 hours away rather than being just down the road, I feel sad. I know we are forever bonded. I know I will be making trips to their new home. I am already plotting when that trip can be made. I really wish I could take the week off so that I could go with them. Instead I will be helping load the U-haul and wishing them well. They are going to be so missed. I don't even want to think about the garden this summer without them. :(
The garden. What is it going to look like this year? With me working full time and mom's commitment to the Homeless Angels, it will probably look differently. Yet essentially carry on all the same. My plan is to do garden registration during Spring break while I have the week off. If weather allows, I hope to do the plotting that week as well. Sadly, this will be without my right hand man.
Without. Thursday, towards the end of my work day I found myself without my phone. I checked all the logical places it could be and it simply wasn't around. When I truly came to grasp this, it was time for dismissal. Not good. My responsibility for dismissal is to gather a group of kids and take them to their bus. I have to do this in a timely matter so I really did not have time to deal with it at that exact moment. As I went to make my first pick-up, I grabbed my daughters iPod and had her bring up the tracking feature to try and locate my phone. It was clear that it was somewhere in the building but I had no idea where and the battery was too low to send out the alarm. So I went about the dismissal process. As soon as all my kiddos were safely on their buses, I checked in to see if I could pinpoint where in the school my phone was. Except it was no longer in the school it was slowly and steadily moving away from the building. Ahhhh! Not cool, this could only mean one thing. A student stole my phone! So not cool! I watched it go...I could clearly see the direction in which it was moving. Do I chase after it? Ahhhh! I still had after school tutoring. What to do? I activated the lost mode, that shows a message on the main screen stating the phone is lost and allows you to add a contact phone number should it be found. I called the police. A little while later, my hubby called the school. He had received a phone call from someone that had my phone. The long short of it, the cousin ratted the guilty party out and it was now in the guardians hands. Phew! Off to tutoring knowing it was at least found. I had an address and a phone number. Hello my darling tutoring kids! After tutoring, I had a decision to make. Go to the address (in a sketchy neighborhood), go to the police station as they had not yet shown up to the school, or call to see if they were willing to meet me somewhere. At this point I did not know who had the phone. I did not feel safe going to the house! I also felt like I needed to follow-up with the initial call to the police. So I decided to go to the local precinct for advise. Only the local precinct apparently doesn't have office hours after 5pm. Ahhhh! They did however have two phones on the wall, a red one for emergencies and a brown one for non-emergencies. I picked up the brown one and spoke with the dispatcher. She found my initial call and transferred my location to the the precinct. She told me an officer would be there at their earliest convenience but they weren't sure how long it would take. Dispatch also advised me, "Do not go pick up the phone. Wait for the officer." Alrighty then! So I waited and waited and waited. We were late for theater. More waiting. After an hour, I picked up the brown phone again. The officer was in route and would be there in approximately 10 minutes. I saw the officer approach the door and then saw her walk back to her patrol car. I had to run after her. She took the report and said she would go retrieve the phone. Phew! She said she would bring it by my house sometime between 9-10pm if she was able to recover it. Yeah! Off to theater, better late than never. At this point I was pretty frustrated over the inconvenience. It was looking like it would all work out though. I came home from theater and decided to read to pass the time. I read and read and read some more. I was about to call it a night when the phone rang. The officer had my phone and was willing to drop it off if I was still up. Yeah! It turns out it was a FIRST GRADER that took my phone! I went from frustrated to disappointed which later turned to sadness. The officer spoke with the child, which I am thankful for. I hope it will be a turning point for this child. But the reality is, as the officer stated, this is probably just the beginning for this child. Perhaps it was a learned behavior from the adults in this child's life or as I believe is more likely, it is a result of neglect in the early years which has caused this young one to hold tight to anything they can get their hands on. This is not this kiddos first time with sticky fingers. They have taken things off peers desks, out of other kids back packs, school supplies and teachers property. My phone was probably the item of greatest value but it is really one item on a list of many. Will the visit from the police make an impact? I hope so. If it does, that afternoon of inconvenience was more than worth it. I pray for this child's sake, that it makes a difference. I am not even angry at this kiddo, just sad. The reality of my job is that not everything is as it seems. I have no idea what my kiddos have survived, what they face, what they have overcome...I must be vigilant and love them exactly where they are.
Happy Valentine's Day everyone! Hold your loved ones close. Tell them you love them. What you do makes a difference!
Showing posts with label random. Show all posts
Showing posts with label random. Show all posts
Saturday, February 13, 2016
Friday, June 12, 2015
Pondering
The last four weeks I have had some extra time. Time in which I found myself often pondering the past, the present and the future. What are my future goals? What are my expectations? How can I best achieve those goals? What is God's plan for my life? What skills do I have to offer my community and future employers?
Yesterday, a simple conversation set into motion a potential new course for my life. While I am still in the early stages of this consideration it sent my mind reeling as I considered the possibilities, my capabilities, and my experiences.
It is no secret I am a community volunteer. I have offered my abilities and talents to many different organizations and purposes over the last twenty years. Hours and hours, countless hours, thousands of hours, I have given of my time. There are moments I have wondered the worth of that time. I choose to believe that it is invaluable. That it has been appreciated. That I have offered hope, encouragement and resources that have changed lives for the better. Changed my community for the better. It is what keeps me doing what I do, especially when there is no monetary gain. This is not to say there has been no personal gain in what I have done. I think that is what I am realizing this morning. I have gained life experiences that are uniquely mine. I have a skill set unlike anyone else I know, simply from my many experiences. I may not currently have a college degree with my name on it. Yet I have so much to offer.
I started thinking through the various organizations I have volunteered with over the last two decades and skills I have learned while serving with them. This not a full comprehensive list but the following are things that have helped me grow as a person.
Flight of Hope Chrysalis- Logistics Coordinator, Lay Director, Board Member
Logistically overseeing large group events of 100+ people including site selection, inventory, recruiting man power, scheduling, team building, working with outside facilities, involvement on a board of directors, responsibility for youth, team work and cooperation.
Trinity Church- Early Childhood volunteer, CR and Choir Director
Participating in the care of young children. Understanding the vulnerability of youth and abuse prevention measures. Public safety and security. Mentoring children. Weekly relationship opportunities. Growing as a musician and director. The ability to command and direct 70 students in an orderly manner. Exposure to at risk children and their families.
Greater Lansing Garden Project- Community Garden Leader
Registration, plotting and assigning of plots. Unifying culturally diverse people. Cultural understanding and awareness. Water management. Communication with partners. Advocating for and distributing resources. Learning a foreign language. Youth gardening; sharing my love of nature and gardening experiences with youth. Self-educating to better serve my gardeners, I did not start out gardening with any experience.
Visions Nightclub-
Trusting God in all things! The value of a safe place. Communication. I found I had a voice. Leading peers. The art of being available. How to listen to others. The power of prayer.
Potter Park Zoo- Docent
Leading large groups on educational experiences throughout the zoo as well as on outreaches. Expanded my science knowledge. Learned how to communicate with and take command of large groups. How to be both engaging as well as relevant, knowing your audience. How to set realistic expectations for large group movement and involvement. Public safety. How to handle a variety of animals for education.
Hawk Island Triathlon- volunteer
The concept that every person has a role and every role is important to a successful event. Behind the scene preparation. Registration. Finish line chip collection and medal distribution. Encourager. Clean-up.
CHESS- Co-op teacher, field trip coordinator
Lesson plans. Public speaking. Cooperative learning. Managing and engaging varying ages of children. Classes I led while working with Enrichment Day included; Michigan History, PE, Destination Imagination, Life Skills and Nature Study. As a tutor I led various Science courses. As a field trip coordinator I covered every aspect of field trips; communication with the site liaisons, registration, fee collections, transportation, overseeing arrival and departure, covering expectations and objectives with other leaders.
Fenner Nature Center- community volunteer
Public speaking. A love for birds. An understanding of our local natural habitats. Maintaining animal exhibits. Participation in community events. Paying attention to the simple, yet beautiful things that surround us.
R Academy- homeschool teacher
I learned to see each child as an individual. Recognizing strengths and weaknesses. Lesson planning. How to follow a curriculum. How to think outside of the box. How to make learning relevant. How to set learning goals and objectives. Responsibility. Relearned every aspect of early education. A renewed love of learning. Solidified my understanding of key concepts by teaching them. How to maximize resources. Developed a lifelong partnership with our local library. I have learned how to see things through the lens of a child, not taking for granted the many opportunities and blessings we experienced.
When you mash all of these things together with my work experience prior to having children, you get me. A culturally aware, responsible, caring individual who loves youth, especially those at risk, that is ready to encourage, educate and change this world for the better.
I can not wait to see where God leads me in the future and what new skills I may obtain. I'm ready.
Side note- I am looking for people to use as references. Send me a PM if you are willing and able.
Yesterday, a simple conversation set into motion a potential new course for my life. While I am still in the early stages of this consideration it sent my mind reeling as I considered the possibilities, my capabilities, and my experiences.
It is no secret I am a community volunteer. I have offered my abilities and talents to many different organizations and purposes over the last twenty years. Hours and hours, countless hours, thousands of hours, I have given of my time. There are moments I have wondered the worth of that time. I choose to believe that it is invaluable. That it has been appreciated. That I have offered hope, encouragement and resources that have changed lives for the better. Changed my community for the better. It is what keeps me doing what I do, especially when there is no monetary gain. This is not to say there has been no personal gain in what I have done. I think that is what I am realizing this morning. I have gained life experiences that are uniquely mine. I have a skill set unlike anyone else I know, simply from my many experiences. I may not currently have a college degree with my name on it. Yet I have so much to offer.
I started thinking through the various organizations I have volunteered with over the last two decades and skills I have learned while serving with them. This not a full comprehensive list but the following are things that have helped me grow as a person.
Flight of Hope Chrysalis- Logistics Coordinator, Lay Director, Board Member
Logistically overseeing large group events of 100+ people including site selection, inventory, recruiting man power, scheduling, team building, working with outside facilities, involvement on a board of directors, responsibility for youth, team work and cooperation.
Trinity Church- Early Childhood volunteer, CR and Choir Director
Participating in the care of young children. Understanding the vulnerability of youth and abuse prevention measures. Public safety and security. Mentoring children. Weekly relationship opportunities. Growing as a musician and director. The ability to command and direct 70 students in an orderly manner. Exposure to at risk children and their families.
Greater Lansing Garden Project- Community Garden Leader
Registration, plotting and assigning of plots. Unifying culturally diverse people. Cultural understanding and awareness. Water management. Communication with partners. Advocating for and distributing resources. Learning a foreign language. Youth gardening; sharing my love of nature and gardening experiences with youth. Self-educating to better serve my gardeners, I did not start out gardening with any experience.
Visions Nightclub-
Trusting God in all things! The value of a safe place. Communication. I found I had a voice. Leading peers. The art of being available. How to listen to others. The power of prayer.
Potter Park Zoo- Docent
Leading large groups on educational experiences throughout the zoo as well as on outreaches. Expanded my science knowledge. Learned how to communicate with and take command of large groups. How to be both engaging as well as relevant, knowing your audience. How to set realistic expectations for large group movement and involvement. Public safety. How to handle a variety of animals for education.
Hawk Island Triathlon- volunteer
The concept that every person has a role and every role is important to a successful event. Behind the scene preparation. Registration. Finish line chip collection and medal distribution. Encourager. Clean-up.
CHESS- Co-op teacher, field trip coordinator
Lesson plans. Public speaking. Cooperative learning. Managing and engaging varying ages of children. Classes I led while working with Enrichment Day included; Michigan History, PE, Destination Imagination, Life Skills and Nature Study. As a tutor I led various Science courses. As a field trip coordinator I covered every aspect of field trips; communication with the site liaisons, registration, fee collections, transportation, overseeing arrival and departure, covering expectations and objectives with other leaders.
Fenner Nature Center- community volunteer
Public speaking. A love for birds. An understanding of our local natural habitats. Maintaining animal exhibits. Participation in community events. Paying attention to the simple, yet beautiful things that surround us.
R Academy- homeschool teacher
I learned to see each child as an individual. Recognizing strengths and weaknesses. Lesson planning. How to follow a curriculum. How to think outside of the box. How to make learning relevant. How to set learning goals and objectives. Responsibility. Relearned every aspect of early education. A renewed love of learning. Solidified my understanding of key concepts by teaching them. How to maximize resources. Developed a lifelong partnership with our local library. I have learned how to see things through the lens of a child, not taking for granted the many opportunities and blessings we experienced.
When you mash all of these things together with my work experience prior to having children, you get me. A culturally aware, responsible, caring individual who loves youth, especially those at risk, that is ready to encourage, educate and change this world for the better.
I can not wait to see where God leads me in the future and what new skills I may obtain. I'm ready.
Side note- I am looking for people to use as references. Send me a PM if you are willing and able.
Thursday, July 17, 2014
#9 Turkey Noodle Casserole
I got her there on time. The theater has a saying, "If you are early, you're on time. If you're on time, you're late. And if you're late, you're in trouble." No trouble for me or my pocketbook. For the record, she has never been late but she was concerned today as I had three errands to run on the way and she was certain she was going to be late. She is very conscientious of these things.
The boy proved himself useful today as he made a repair to the toilet. Handy one that 13 year old.
Turkey Noodle Casserole, at first glance made me think of Tuna Noodle Casserole which I despised as a kid because of the peas. So I was a bit leery to dive in. I should not have feared. Not pictured is the cheese, gruyere. I am going to be a cheese aficionado by the end of the year. As we are nine recipes in and we have already used six difference cheeses if memory serves me correctly.
And as always we had leftovers. These ones went to our Americorp member helping at the garden. He is a college student and also gluten free, so I thought he might like it! He loved it. In his words, "A total winner." "Heavenly!" "THANK YOU!!!"
He may just get other leftovers as he was so appreciative.
-Mom
It was NOT a winner in my book. It had mushrooms and I despise them as well. When I was first cutting the cheese it reminded me of my grandma's dog but the cheese was actually good. -DD
Monday, December 15, 2008
Not Me Monday!
I, Sarah, did not take her kids to Wonderland of Lights at the zoo. It would have been much too windy and cold to do something like that.
And while there I certainly did not enjoy carrying my daughter around on my shoulders. I would not even think about putting her five year old up there. No way.
I definitely did not misread an email and go to Chuck E Cheese one week earlier than planned. I would never do that because I am an excellent reader.
And I certainly did not decorate gingerbread houses in my kitchen as that would be an incredible mess.
I did not let my kids stay up until 11pm watching Super Mario 3 because everyone knows that those precious hours after 9pm are for adults only.
I did not force my husband to go to a family Christmas party. That would be just plain cruel.
I did not take the kids sledding on a Friday afternoon when other children were still in school. Not me.
No matter what they say, I did not not skip church to go shopping.
I did not laugh hysterically at my children as they danced around the living room.
I did NOT ignore the laundry for nearly a week. Everyone knows I am much to diligent of a housewife to even accuse.
And I would not listen to Mindy and post a Not Me Monday Memo...nope...never...not me! Or would I?
And while there I certainly did not enjoy carrying my daughter around on my shoulders. I would not even think about putting her five year old up there. No way.
I definitely did not misread an email and go to Chuck E Cheese one week earlier than planned. I would never do that because I am an excellent reader.
And I certainly did not decorate gingerbread houses in my kitchen as that would be an incredible mess.
I did not let my kids stay up until 11pm watching Super Mario 3 because everyone knows that those precious hours after 9pm are for adults only.
I did not force my husband to go to a family Christmas party. That would be just plain cruel.
I did not take the kids sledding on a Friday afternoon when other children were still in school. Not me.
No matter what they say, I did not not skip church to go shopping.
I did not laugh hysterically at my children as they danced around the living room.
I did NOT ignore the laundry for nearly a week. Everyone knows I am much to diligent of a housewife to even accuse.
And I would not listen to Mindy and post a Not Me Monday Memo...nope...never...not me! Or would I?
Tuesday, November 11, 2008
Blah!
In the midst of good days I have had a few blah moments.
The sudden change in temperature has been leaving me chilled. I like the gradual decrease to freezing. Not the 70 on Friday and snowing on Sunday. Yikes.
Struggling with prioritizing. So many distractions...so much left to do.
Blood work came back abnormal. Which means I have another ultrasound on Monday. Not excited about it but willing to do what it takes to get an accurate diagnosis. In the mean time I am staying positive and neutral.
Not feeling like myself. But still me.
The sudden change in temperature has been leaving me chilled. I like the gradual decrease to freezing. Not the 70 on Friday and snowing on Sunday. Yikes.
Struggling with prioritizing. So many distractions...so much left to do.
Blood work came back abnormal. Which means I have another ultrasound on Monday. Not excited about it but willing to do what it takes to get an accurate diagnosis. In the mean time I am staying positive and neutral.
Not feeling like myself. But still me.
Thursday, November 06, 2008
Who Knows What This Post Will Be...
Most likely random fragments of life and pondering.
We started the school yesterday morning and after about 2 minutes I wondered why we have never established school rules. This was probably brought on by the thoughts of 'What will happen if I am forced to place my kids in school?' So I decided yesterday that we would come up with our classroom rules. With the kids input, this is what we came up with:
1. Sit properly in your chair. -sons contribution
2. Listen attentively - we have been studying attentiveness
3. Use kind and respectful words. -A must! No whining, complaining, arguing, words of anger, etc.
4. Respect others personal space and property. -We have an issue of hands to ourselves at the moment. So another must!
5. Do your very best.
6. Follow directions and obey.
We made out charts to track their progress and motivate them to follow them. They are both excited about the rules. I remember in 9th grade English, my teacher (Crowly) had some very simple, yet must be observed rules and everyone felt safe in her class. I think her two rules were, no putting down others and give me your best. Those two concepts alone changed the dynamic of her class room. Hoping it works the same magic in mine.
I have a peace about Obama being president-elect. I think some change he will bring will be good. I just truly pray he does not go after parental rights. Especially my right to homeschool. Which according to his views page he does OPPOSE. It would be a sad day in our home and for our nation if he did. Hence the thinking about what would happen question above.
Been having some medical tests. Awaiting their results. Trusting in Him, regardless of the reults.
Went to theater production at the Warton Center, If You Give a Pig a Pancake and other childrens stories. It was super cute and very funny. The kids and I laughed our way through the whole show. I love that our co-op creates these opportunities for me and my kids. Love it.
Been on facebook and the computer too much for the last 72 hours so after I press the publish button on this post the internet will be off for the remainder of the day! I will return tomorrow.
Love the weather the last few days. Warmth and crunchy leaves, yes! Been trying to get outdoors still. Went on a good hike on Tuesday. May go on another today. Hopefully.
Little girl is finally tall enough to climb the rock wall at the YMCA. She made it 2/3 of the way up on her first try.
The boy challenged himself to the "new" third more difficult climb; he was the first kid to make it to the top. Making him the youngest for the most current configuration. You should have seen his determination and then his smile on completing it.
Have a beautiful day! Remember you are loved. See ya soon.
We started the school yesterday morning and after about 2 minutes I wondered why we have never established school rules. This was probably brought on by the thoughts of 'What will happen if I am forced to place my kids in school?' So I decided yesterday that we would come up with our classroom rules. With the kids input, this is what we came up with:
1. Sit properly in your chair. -sons contribution
2. Listen attentively - we have been studying attentiveness
3. Use kind and respectful words. -A must! No whining, complaining, arguing, words of anger, etc.
4. Respect others personal space and property. -We have an issue of hands to ourselves at the moment. So another must!
5. Do your very best.
6. Follow directions and obey.
We made out charts to track their progress and motivate them to follow them. They are both excited about the rules. I remember in 9th grade English, my teacher (Crowly) had some very simple, yet must be observed rules and everyone felt safe in her class. I think her two rules were, no putting down others and give me your best. Those two concepts alone changed the dynamic of her class room. Hoping it works the same magic in mine.
I have a peace about Obama being president-elect. I think some change he will bring will be good. I just truly pray he does not go after parental rights. Especially my right to homeschool. Which according to his views page he does OPPOSE. It would be a sad day in our home and for our nation if he did. Hence the thinking about what would happen question above.
Been having some medical tests. Awaiting their results. Trusting in Him, regardless of the reults.
Went to theater production at the Warton Center, If You Give a Pig a Pancake and other childrens stories. It was super cute and very funny. The kids and I laughed our way through the whole show. I love that our co-op creates these opportunities for me and my kids. Love it.
Been on facebook and the computer too much for the last 72 hours so after I press the publish button on this post the internet will be off for the remainder of the day! I will return tomorrow.
Love the weather the last few days. Warmth and crunchy leaves, yes! Been trying to get outdoors still. Went on a good hike on Tuesday. May go on another today. Hopefully.
Little girl is finally tall enough to climb the rock wall at the YMCA. She made it 2/3 of the way up on her first try.
The boy challenged himself to the "new" third more difficult climb; he was the first kid to make it to the top. Making him the youngest for the most current configuration. You should have seen his determination and then his smile on completing it.
Have a beautiful day! Remember you are loved. See ya soon.
Thursday, September 18, 2008
Pictures for your Viewing Pleasure
P.E Homeschool Style.
The boy came up with this idea for goals. Ingenious.
Remember the muddy mess my kids got into? Oh Yeah, that whole little fiasco did not make it's appearance on the blog yet. So here you go...
It was not so much the muddy kids that bothered me. It was the mess after the mud. Very thankful for bath tubs, cleaning supplies and washing machine!
And these beauties are currently on my kitchen table. Adding cutting flowers to the garden was a definite hit.
The boy came up with this idea for goals. Ingenious.
Remember the muddy mess my kids got into? Oh Yeah, that whole little fiasco did not make it's appearance on the blog yet. So here you go...
It was not so much the muddy kids that bothered me. It was the mess after the mud. Very thankful for bath tubs, cleaning supplies and washing machine!
And these beauties are currently on my kitchen table. Adding cutting flowers to the garden was a definite hit.
Thursday, August 21, 2008
Randomness
I have been deeply contemplating connections this week. The very fact that I am who I am because of the various defining moments in my life. The friends I have had. The places I have been. The transformation of Christ in my life. And how even that is a direct result of people loving me and investing in me. I am who I am because of conversations , laughter, tears and life shared with those around me. I am feeling very blessed to have touched and been touched by so many throughout my life. Both in real life and over the connection of the net. I love my peeps.
Little girl reading to Victoria. I absolutely LOVE moments like these.
Over the weekend I got up the nerve to try and make a German meal. I went with roast and spaetzel with gravy. The whole family enjoyed this dish. One I would do again for sure.
For dessert I made German strudel. Delish
I went to Lou and Harry's for our Greek experience with Mindy. I could not find my camera so you will be without a picture on this one. Trust me it looked and tasted great. Well, little girl and I thought so, the boy was unimpressed. We had gyro with greek salad, fries and a lemon pastry. Little girl discovered she loves feta.
I watched Juno last night. I could relate much more than I would ever want to admit. Especially the opening scene of Sunny D. Ask my hubby how much I like Sunny D. The movie was a reflective movie for me. I enjoyed the humor. I laughed so much throughout the whole thing. Favorite line, "This ain't no Magna Doodle. This is one doodle that can't be undone."
An update on the garage is LONG overdue. The building has been done for over two weeks, then came the doors and electrical. Today it will be complete with the addition of gutters. It is so beautiful, not to mention functional.
Back yard before-
After-
Hubby built an extension for his work bench. It turned out great and it too is extremely functional. He was able to fix our lawn mower last night. Praise God!
He let the boy help
Jumpin Jehosaphat, I just turned 30,000 visits to this blog. Thanks to all who read.
Come out of your lurking state and say hi.
Little girl reading to Victoria. I absolutely LOVE moments like these.
Over the weekend I got up the nerve to try and make a German meal. I went with roast and spaetzel with gravy. The whole family enjoyed this dish. One I would do again for sure.
For dessert I made German strudel. Delish
I went to Lou and Harry's for our Greek experience with Mindy. I could not find my camera so you will be without a picture on this one. Trust me it looked and tasted great. Well, little girl and I thought so, the boy was unimpressed. We had gyro with greek salad, fries and a lemon pastry. Little girl discovered she loves feta.
I watched Juno last night. I could relate much more than I would ever want to admit. Especially the opening scene of Sunny D. Ask my hubby how much I like Sunny D. The movie was a reflective movie for me. I enjoyed the humor. I laughed so much throughout the whole thing. Favorite line, "This ain't no Magna Doodle. This is one doodle that can't be undone."
An update on the garage is LONG overdue. The building has been done for over two weeks, then came the doors and electrical. Today it will be complete with the addition of gutters. It is so beautiful, not to mention functional.
Back yard before-
After-
Hubby built an extension for his work bench. It turned out great and it too is extremely functional. He was able to fix our lawn mower last night. Praise God!
He let the boy help
Jumpin Jehosaphat, I just turned 30,000 visits to this blog. Thanks to all who read.
Come out of your lurking state and say hi.
Saturday, July 05, 2008
Snippets
Yesterday we had a fabulous Fourth. Our friends invited us out to their hanger for a cook out and a trip up in the plane. There were many little girls and ours was delighted to have so many friends to play with. Super cute.
The boy bowled a 136 at his Summer Camp. This is over 50 points above his average. He got a spare, strike, strike all in a row. Can we say...super excited?
The kids are really into picnics and obstacle courses. Nearly every day this last week, they set up a picnic in the front yard and make up little games to play. Casting into a plastic pool, Frisbee golf, bike races and more, their creativity has been endless. Summer fun and movement, works for me.
I am without a camera ands it makes me very sad.
We went to see Miley on Wednesday. She has moved up to the 2 month old barn. She got her ear tag with her name written on it so know everyone will know who she is. Miley is so friendly, every time we go she comes right up to us and for some reason she loves to lick my arm. Anyone wanting to meet her, we would love to join you on a trip to the Dairy Farm. She is growing so fast and she is still super cute.
We saw the Lansing Peregrine falcons. At least one of the adults both resting and in flight. From the Morris River Park in Lansing look across the way at the building that supports the towers. On the East side is where the nest is, although it itself is pretty tucked away. You can tell the spot by the white poop marks sprayed on the side of the building. They had a successful hatch this year with 5 babies. They should be fledging any day. So if you have some time this next week, head down to the river, you may be able to catch a sight of the babies first flight.
I am attempting to organize my housework, by creating a list of chores for each day of the week. My husband has been recommending this for a long time. I finally made a plan, we will see if I can stick to it. If I can it should help a lot.
Little girl said "thank you" to our pilot friend after the plane ride. It was delayed and took some cajoling but she did it. Celebrating tiny victories along the way.
Today we our working on our laundry room. Completely gutting it, washing all the clothes, building a cabinet to store linens and other supplies. Organizing as we go. This project is LONG overdo.
Hubby was home ALL of June! And he is still home. With only one remaining travel date set we may actually be seeing the end of it. Yippee!
I am reading the book Educating the Whole Hearted Child by Clay and Sally Clarkson. Excellent book. This is also the book that I am doing a book discussion with some other moms from our home school co-op. It has been very helpful. I will have to post more in depth of what all I have been learning and how I plan to use that info.
I guess that's all for now...have a happy and safe weekend. Happy Birthday America!
The boy bowled a 136 at his Summer Camp. This is over 50 points above his average. He got a spare, strike, strike all in a row. Can we say...super excited?
The kids are really into picnics and obstacle courses. Nearly every day this last week, they set up a picnic in the front yard and make up little games to play. Casting into a plastic pool, Frisbee golf, bike races and more, their creativity has been endless. Summer fun and movement, works for me.
I am without a camera ands it makes me very sad.
We went to see Miley on Wednesday. She has moved up to the 2 month old barn. She got her ear tag with her name written on it so know everyone will know who she is. Miley is so friendly, every time we go she comes right up to us and for some reason she loves to lick my arm. Anyone wanting to meet her, we would love to join you on a trip to the Dairy Farm. She is growing so fast and she is still super cute.
We saw the Lansing Peregrine falcons. At least one of the adults both resting and in flight. From the Morris River Park in Lansing look across the way at the building that supports the towers. On the East side is where the nest is, although it itself is pretty tucked away. You can tell the spot by the white poop marks sprayed on the side of the building. They had a successful hatch this year with 5 babies. They should be fledging any day. So if you have some time this next week, head down to the river, you may be able to catch a sight of the babies first flight.
I am attempting to organize my housework, by creating a list of chores for each day of the week. My husband has been recommending this for a long time. I finally made a plan, we will see if I can stick to it. If I can it should help a lot.
Little girl said "thank you" to our pilot friend after the plane ride. It was delayed and took some cajoling but she did it. Celebrating tiny victories along the way.
Today we our working on our laundry room. Completely gutting it, washing all the clothes, building a cabinet to store linens and other supplies. Organizing as we go. This project is LONG overdo.
Hubby was home ALL of June! And he is still home. With only one remaining travel date set we may actually be seeing the end of it. Yippee!
I am reading the book Educating the Whole Hearted Child by Clay and Sally Clarkson. Excellent book. This is also the book that I am doing a book discussion with some other moms from our home school co-op. It has been very helpful. I will have to post more in depth of what all I have been learning and how I plan to use that info.
I guess that's all for now...have a happy and safe weekend. Happy Birthday America!
Friday, December 28, 2007
Friday's Fragments
Our Christmas was wonderful. Fast paced and full of chaos. About an hour into each family celebration it was obvious the grandparents were not used to having kids running around their homes. Let alone kids hyped up on sugar and Christmas excitement. Ah good times.
On Wednesday, DD went to one cousins house for an all girls sleepover; my poor brother barely survived. DS went to another cousins to sleepover. I had grand visions of cleaning the house from top to bottom. No kids. No hubby. My thoughts were to crank the radio and groove my way through the cleaning. So imagine my surprise when I walked in the house and hubby was parked in his favorite chair, curled up in a blanket, watching TV. Deflated. I grabbed an assembly project and by the time that was complete, all resolve to clean was gone. Without my music I just could not muster the motivation. (Sigh) Hubby was feeling better the next morning so I had two blissful hours of music magic. And the living room looks great.
Once I booted cleaning out the window on Wednesday night I made plans to join a girlfriend at the movies. We went to see Enchanted. Super sappy! Also very funny. Not sure if I am going to let the kids watch this one yet. The lady in front of us at the theater actually took a picture of her daughters horrified face when the evil stepmother was working her evil. There are a few scenes that I think I would rather the kids NOT see. However, since watching this movie I am sappily singing my way through each day. Dreaming of true love's kiss, of course.
My niece and nephew got a Wii for Christmas. When I first took my Wii fitness age, it said I was 80 years old. My niece took pity on me and helped me to the door. I returned yesterday and played bowling and dance dance revolution. We had so much fun. I got the new highest score and my nephew had to go again to try and beat it. Heehee. We are both currently B students when it comes to DDR.
Tracy, I am glad we were able to get together. So many times throughout the year I wanted to give you a hug. It was great to be able to do that last night. You crack me up. Praying 2008 is a fabulous year, complete with British accent.
After reading Wendy's post I decided to join her. Check out the sidebar to see the latest addition. The plan is to update miles as I swim, bike and run my way through the new year. Training has just begun for my next triathlon. Which will be in June. I will probably add a few 5K's and maybe a half marathon to the lineup as well. I would also LOVE to do a bike trip traveling across Michigan. Keeping track on the sidebar will hopefully motivate me to stay on track. Anyone care to join me?
God bless and have an awesome weekend!
On Wednesday, DD went to one cousins house for an all girls sleepover; my poor brother barely survived. DS went to another cousins to sleepover. I had grand visions of cleaning the house from top to bottom. No kids. No hubby. My thoughts were to crank the radio and groove my way through the cleaning. So imagine my surprise when I walked in the house and hubby was parked in his favorite chair, curled up in a blanket, watching TV. Deflated. I grabbed an assembly project and by the time that was complete, all resolve to clean was gone. Without my music I just could not muster the motivation. (Sigh) Hubby was feeling better the next morning so I had two blissful hours of music magic. And the living room looks great.
Once I booted cleaning out the window on Wednesday night I made plans to join a girlfriend at the movies. We went to see Enchanted. Super sappy! Also very funny. Not sure if I am going to let the kids watch this one yet. The lady in front of us at the theater actually took a picture of her daughters horrified face when the evil stepmother was working her evil. There are a few scenes that I think I would rather the kids NOT see. However, since watching this movie I am sappily singing my way through each day. Dreaming of true love's kiss, of course.
My niece and nephew got a Wii for Christmas. When I first took my Wii fitness age, it said I was 80 years old. My niece took pity on me and helped me to the door. I returned yesterday and played bowling and dance dance revolution. We had so much fun. I got the new highest score and my nephew had to go again to try and beat it. Heehee. We are both currently B students when it comes to DDR.
Tracy, I am glad we were able to get together. So many times throughout the year I wanted to give you a hug. It was great to be able to do that last night. You crack me up. Praying 2008 is a fabulous year, complete with British accent.
After reading Wendy's post I decided to join her. Check out the sidebar to see the latest addition. The plan is to update miles as I swim, bike and run my way through the new year. Training has just begun for my next triathlon. Which will be in June. I will probably add a few 5K's and maybe a half marathon to the lineup as well. I would also LOVE to do a bike trip traveling across Michigan. Keeping track on the sidebar will hopefully motivate me to stay on track. Anyone care to join me?
God bless and have an awesome weekend!
Wednesday, November 28, 2007
Variety
This morning I saw a beautiful sunrise. Purples,pinks,yellows and blues. Since the snow has fallen, hubbies main transportation,his motorcycle, is no longer on the road. His winter vehicle is on blocks with the engine out. This means we are to one vehicle until it is fixed. Some days, I don't need it so he takes it for the day. Other days I do need it, like today, so we drop him off. Little girl was less than thrilled when I woke her to go. "Why are you not letting me sleep?" I had to dress her myself while she laid listless in my arms. She enjoyed the sunrise though. A ribbon of blue reminded her of a river.
Hooters. I have always been against the restaurant chain. Scantly dressed women, flaunting their hooters for tips. Don't like it. I have said that I do not want to support such an establishment that makes women into pieces of meat for money. For years hubby has told me it is not that bad and the food is great. Uh huh. Last week,the kids were at my brothers for a sleep over which left us kidless. With hubbies birthday over the weekend I told him he could pick where we ate,without complaint. He quickly jumped at the opportunity and took me to Hooters. It was not the most pleasant dining experience for me.The women were dressed more poorly than I had expected. How they stay warm in the winter months is beyond me. Their "shorts"were more like hipster underwear. There was soft porn up, for sale none the less. And the food? Well, even hubby had to admit that it was not great. His wings were undercooked and he left most of his meal on his plate. So yeah, I won't be going there again. EVER!
And just in case you have "SOME ASSEMBLY required" for any of your Christmas gifts this year....don't delay. With kiddos gone overnight on Friday,I decided to assemble little girls gift. It took me THREE AND A HALF HOURS. Three and a half hours people. Oh well at least it is done. And many days later I think my wrist has recovered from all that screwing.
Starting last year, I gave the kids $1 per each person on their list and took them to the Dollar Store to do their own shopping. On Saturday little girl and I went. Then she helped wrap them when we got home. She amazed me when she wrote the names on 5 of the gifts BY HERSELF.
Which leads me to the next thing... DD is learning to read. Last week when she began spelling EVERYTHING she saw. And wanting to know how this word was spelled and then that. Then I noticed she was writing real words as well. When we drove past she read the sign at Sam's, S A M that says Sam's. I knew she wanted to learn to read and after seeing her decode the world around her, DD and I decided it was time. So Monday we started Learning to Read in 100 Easy Lessons. She is loving it. She never ceases to amaze me.
Today at our field trip to Fenner Nature center I learned something new. You know when you shine a light on a deer, it's eyes glow green. Did you know every animal has a distinct color when light hits their eyes? The naturalist had a book with a list of animals and their color. Orangish Red is a skunk,you can thank me later.
Last night at the Mom's Night Out we enjoyed a Christmas celebration. I came home with some sexy underwear and a stocking cap complete with braids. If you were not there you missed out. Good times.
I rarely go to the theater. This month I have been three times. A Bee Movie. The Martian Child. And last night August Rush. As a mom it was hard to swallow at times. There were points where it was slow. But overall it was a good movie. If you love music it is worth seeing. There are still a few movies on my list to see. Especially National Treasure2,it comes out Dec 21st.
In response to Mindy's comment on Reciting the Old Testament... No song. Our church is doing a super duper bonus challenge to memorize so many bible books by a certain date. One of the teachers mentioned adding one book a day and in less than 3 months they can know all 66. So I took her up on it. And it worked. Some days they wanted to add more than one. But the repetition of doing it every day really worked. DS got the remaining 11 today so it won't be long until we record his video of him reciting all 66.
ThiswholetimeI havebeen typingthekeys on my keyboard havebeen sticking. I haveto go through each sentence andseperatethewords.Highly annoying.I think it istimeforanewkeyboard. And timelittlehandskeepfoodand other sticky itemsaway from the computer.
I am sure I could ramble on some more but I will leave you with this.
Have a blessed day!
Hooters. I have always been against the restaurant chain. Scantly dressed women, flaunting their hooters for tips. Don't like it. I have said that I do not want to support such an establishment that makes women into pieces of meat for money. For years hubby has told me it is not that bad and the food is great. Uh huh. Last week,the kids were at my brothers for a sleep over which left us kidless. With hubbies birthday over the weekend I told him he could pick where we ate,without complaint. He quickly jumped at the opportunity and took me to Hooters. It was not the most pleasant dining experience for me.The women were dressed more poorly than I had expected. How they stay warm in the winter months is beyond me. Their "shorts"were more like hipster underwear. There was soft porn up, for sale none the less. And the food? Well, even hubby had to admit that it was not great. His wings were undercooked and he left most of his meal on his plate. So yeah, I won't be going there again. EVER!
And just in case you have "SOME ASSEMBLY required" for any of your Christmas gifts this year....don't delay. With kiddos gone overnight on Friday,I decided to assemble little girls gift. It took me THREE AND A HALF HOURS. Three and a half hours people. Oh well at least it is done. And many days later I think my wrist has recovered from all that screwing.
Starting last year, I gave the kids $1 per each person on their list and took them to the Dollar Store to do their own shopping. On Saturday little girl and I went. Then she helped wrap them when we got home. She amazed me when she wrote the names on 5 of the gifts BY HERSELF.
Which leads me to the next thing... DD is learning to read. Last week when she began spelling EVERYTHING she saw. And wanting to know how this word was spelled and then that. Then I noticed she was writing real words as well. When we drove past she read the sign at Sam's, S A M that says Sam's. I knew she wanted to learn to read and after seeing her decode the world around her, DD and I decided it was time. So Monday we started Learning to Read in 100 Easy Lessons. She is loving it. She never ceases to amaze me.
Today at our field trip to Fenner Nature center I learned something new. You know when you shine a light on a deer, it's eyes glow green. Did you know every animal has a distinct color when light hits their eyes? The naturalist had a book with a list of animals and their color. Orangish Red is a skunk,you can thank me later.
Last night at the Mom's Night Out we enjoyed a Christmas celebration. I came home with some sexy underwear and a stocking cap complete with braids. If you were not there you missed out. Good times.
I rarely go to the theater. This month I have been three times. A Bee Movie. The Martian Child. And last night August Rush. As a mom it was hard to swallow at times. There were points where it was slow. But overall it was a good movie. If you love music it is worth seeing. There are still a few movies on my list to see. Especially National Treasure2,it comes out Dec 21st.
In response to Mindy's comment on Reciting the Old Testament... No song. Our church is doing a super duper bonus challenge to memorize so many bible books by a certain date. One of the teachers mentioned adding one book a day and in less than 3 months they can know all 66. So I took her up on it. And it worked. Some days they wanted to add more than one. But the repetition of doing it every day really worked. DS got the remaining 11 today so it won't be long until we record his video of him reciting all 66.
ThiswholetimeI havebeen typingthekeys on my keyboard havebeen sticking. I haveto go through each sentence andseperatethewords.Highly annoying.I think it istimeforanewkeyboard. And timelittlehandskeepfoodand other sticky itemsaway from the computer.
I am sure I could ramble on some more but I will leave you with this.
Have a blessed day!
Thursday, November 15, 2007
XO Laptop
The mission of One Laptop Per Child (OLPC) is to see children all over the world connected and learning. Their vision is to see each child including those in third world countries to receive laptops. Education is huge and they want to see it become a priority, not a privilege. For 12 more days they have a deal going. For $399 you can send a laptop to a child in a third world country and also receive a laptop for the child in your home. Check out the details at the link below.
http://www.laptopgiving.org/en/index.php
Something to consider anyway.
http://www.laptopgiving.org/en/index.php
Something to consider anyway.
Thursday, October 18, 2007
Dog Whisper Update
Day 2-
The walk.
Today I used the no-pull harness. Hallaluia! This morning I woke up with an extremely sore neck and shoulder blade. I thought to myself, "Wow, we really worked our neck in core class last night." That was until we headed out for our walk. Instantly I knew it was from the pulling straining during yesterday's walk. Goodness. The no-pull harness made the lead a bit longer. To maintain control and keep her behind or at my side, I held the leash with my left hand behind my back as she walked on my right. This worked well. When I needed to correct it was quick and efficiant and I made sure I had her attention.
Other dogs.
She ignored the other dogs today. No barking. Hallaluia! She whimpered as we passed the first one. But no bark, we sat. Commanded quiet. Then continued on.
Cats.
Completely ignored the cat sitting on the porch. Hallaluia!
Time.
Yesterday, we were stopping every other second. Making for an extremely long walk. Today we moved right along with a few corrections. Hallaluia!
The wind chimes.
It is rather windy today. When we came across some wind chimes she went crazy. She was completely anxious. She whimpered and barked. I made her sit, commanded quiet and settled her out before continuing. What is up with that?
Sitting
Before coming in she sat passively on the porch. Before being fed she sat on command. There are times on the walk that I had to force her to sit but by the end she did so willingly at first request. Deep sigh and Hallaluia!
I keep reminding myself consistency.
I may not be the Dog Whisper but I know I learned a few things from him. YEAH!!!
The walk.
Today I used the no-pull harness. Hallaluia! This morning I woke up with an extremely sore neck and shoulder blade. I thought to myself, "Wow, we really worked our neck in core class last night." That was until we headed out for our walk. Instantly I knew it was from the pulling straining during yesterday's walk. Goodness. The no-pull harness made the lead a bit longer. To maintain control and keep her behind or at my side, I held the leash with my left hand behind my back as she walked on my right. This worked well. When I needed to correct it was quick and efficiant and I made sure I had her attention.
Other dogs.
She ignored the other dogs today. No barking. Hallaluia! She whimpered as we passed the first one. But no bark, we sat. Commanded quiet. Then continued on.
Cats.
Completely ignored the cat sitting on the porch. Hallaluia!
Time.
Yesterday, we were stopping every other second. Making for an extremely long walk. Today we moved right along with a few corrections. Hallaluia!
The wind chimes.
It is rather windy today. When we came across some wind chimes she went crazy. She was completely anxious. She whimpered and barked. I made her sit, commanded quiet and settled her out before continuing. What is up with that?
Sitting
Before coming in she sat passively on the porch. Before being fed she sat on command. There are times on the walk that I had to force her to sit but by the end she did so willingly at first request. Deep sigh and Hallaluia!
I keep reminding myself consistency.
I may not be the Dog Whisper but I know I learned a few things from him. YEAH!!!
Touch
Many mornings one or both of my children crawl into my bed and snuggle with me. This usually turns into a time of back scratching. Oh, how I love to have my back scratched. I ooh and ahh as I wiggle around to get the perfect spot. My kids love having their backs scratched too. They make up silly names for different moves they make. Like the lemon squeezer, swirlies and hammer. Something about touch. We need it. I am a much happier person because of it.
My cat, she is needy too. She loves to get her daily rub downs. She hop up in my lap and wiggles around to get each and every spot that craves attention. I scratch behind her ears and under her chin. She purrs in delight. DD has learned the art of getting the cat to stay and snuggle with her. She knows all her favorite spots.
My favorite spot, the shoulder blades, blasted bras.
How about you?
My cat, she is needy too. She loves to get her daily rub downs. She hop up in my lap and wiggles around to get each and every spot that craves attention. I scratch behind her ears and under her chin. She purrs in delight. DD has learned the art of getting the cat to stay and snuggle with her. She knows all her favorite spots.
My favorite spot, the shoulder blades, blasted bras.
How about you?
Wednesday, October 17, 2007
Dog Whisper, I AM NOT
When our friends were here from California they introduced us to the Dog Whisper. I had seen the show title while channel surfing but never taken the time to watch it. I don't know thoughts of Dr. Doolittle and mind reading. This is so NOT what the show is about. The show is amazing!
We ended up watching 2 hours worth of Cesar (show host) correct the behavior of dogs and their human companions. Aggressive fighters, yippers, lethargic dog, fearful of vet and pulling. These were some of the dog behaviors we saw in those two hours.
I think I have mentioned here before that I am less than thrilled about our dog and her irritating behaviors. While I know she is blatenly stubborn with me, she can obey (mostly dad.) My favorite line of the show was "All this time we thought it was the dogs, but it is US!" Through inconsistency, yelling, our own fears, lack of discipline or lack of authority, we allow these behaviors. And I am guilty as charged.
Cesar is amazing in how quickly he establishes authority and corrects these behaviors. So amazing that is appears he has special powers. Really I think he is a highly observant man . He is extremely knowledgeable. He can train a person without condemning and he gets results. He totally and complete expects these dogs to respond. I think he only prays the humans will respond as well.
He has some philosophies that totally make sense. You can check them out here. He also has some great techniques. The one that I have started using is the sshhh. Distracting for the misbehavior and getting her attention. It works. He also advocates walking your dog. Since we have a back yard where she can run and play, we have not been talking walks with our dog. When we go camping we walk all over that place and she loves it. So I decided I was going to try and walk Kasi on a more regular basis. I started today. One of his biggest points is that as the human we are the pack leader. We must assume this role and let the dog follow our lead. Every time I have ever walked my dog she has led the way and pretty much dragged me to where she wanted to go. Today I took on the challenge of getting her to FOLLOW me. Yikes. It was one very slow walk as she would push ahead I put her back behind. I think I may have a sore wrist tomorrow with all the tugging. We practiced sitting. And I expected her to stay quiet when we passed the dogs in our neighbor. Sitting and distracting with the Sshhh, did work.
I have to say that it is going to be A LOT of work in retraining myself and my dog. It is going to require consistency on my part. And the expectation that she can and will obey.
So I may not be the Dog Whisper but I am trying to learn a few things from him to make our pack a happy pack.
Check out his site to learn more, http://www.cesarmillaninc.com/
We ended up watching 2 hours worth of Cesar (show host) correct the behavior of dogs and their human companions. Aggressive fighters, yippers, lethargic dog, fearful of vet and pulling. These were some of the dog behaviors we saw in those two hours.
I think I have mentioned here before that I am less than thrilled about our dog and her irritating behaviors. While I know she is blatenly stubborn with me, she can obey (mostly dad.) My favorite line of the show was "All this time we thought it was the dogs, but it is US!" Through inconsistency, yelling, our own fears, lack of discipline or lack of authority, we allow these behaviors. And I am guilty as charged.
Cesar is amazing in how quickly he establishes authority and corrects these behaviors. So amazing that is appears he has special powers. Really I think he is a highly observant man . He is extremely knowledgeable. He can train a person without condemning and he gets results. He totally and complete expects these dogs to respond. I think he only prays the humans will respond as well.
He has some philosophies that totally make sense. You can check them out here. He also has some great techniques. The one that I have started using is the sshhh. Distracting for the misbehavior and getting her attention. It works. He also advocates walking your dog. Since we have a back yard where she can run and play, we have not been talking walks with our dog. When we go camping we walk all over that place and she loves it. So I decided I was going to try and walk Kasi on a more regular basis. I started today. One of his biggest points is that as the human we are the pack leader. We must assume this role and let the dog follow our lead. Every time I have ever walked my dog she has led the way and pretty much dragged me to where she wanted to go. Today I took on the challenge of getting her to FOLLOW me. Yikes. It was one very slow walk as she would push ahead I put her back behind. I think I may have a sore wrist tomorrow with all the tugging. We practiced sitting. And I expected her to stay quiet when we passed the dogs in our neighbor. Sitting and distracting with the Sshhh, did work.
I have to say that it is going to be A LOT of work in retraining myself and my dog. It is going to require consistency on my part. And the expectation that she can and will obey.
So I may not be the Dog Whisper but I am trying to learn a few things from him to make our pack a happy pack.
Check out his site to learn more, http://www.cesarmillaninc.com/
Monday, September 17, 2007
What I Have a Blog???
Wow! I never intended to be so negligent of this blog. But it does appear that I have done so.
101 Things I could post about if I took the time. Life is still happening. Let's give little tastes here and there. And then I will try harder to post more consistently.
Wonder why you have been seeing less pictures these days?
My camera is pretty much DEAD. I can charge it all day and it turns on for 3 seconds not even long enough to take a picture. Shot battery...do I buy a new battery or a new camera. Still debating so still no camera. Thankfully my parents and sister-in-law have taken pictures of recent events so we are not completely without photo documentation of life.
Wonder what little girl has been up to?
Amazing growth! In a matter of a couple days she absolutely blossomed. My sister had passed along her daughters smaller bike, albeit without training wheels. Well, needless to say, little girl was not dettered by the lack of additional wheels. For a couple days she shooted about with her feet trying to find her center of balance. Then one day she asked my to help her for a second. 10 minutes later she was riding ALL BY HERSELF! Starting and stopping. She really can only do straight aways as she still wobbles but she is riding BY HERSELF and she is still three. Now that is amazing all in itself. But she did not stop there. That same day she climbing the fireman's pole in her brother's room. 6 feet straight up. Amazing. AND THEN, the next day we were at my mom's and she starts swinging and pumping ALL BY HERSELF. Awesome stuff. It is like her body turned on a switch and said, 'hey let's go to the next level here.'
Wonder how school has been going?
It is going pretty well. DS is doing first grade work. So far he seems to be grasping it. Not all that excited about how many times he is expected to write his name (at least 5 times a day.) He has been doing really well with all the new demands of first grade. At times it is hard sitting still for longer periods. We try and mix it up but book work requires table time and that requires sitting. I am SO thankful little girl is to the age of interest and ability to sit at the table. She loves school and wants to be there at the table. A huge blessing for me. Some of my friends have been struggling with younger siblings, balancing demands of little ones with the teaching of the older. So I am very thnkful that both are doing school, although little girl is not expected to participate as much as her brother she seems to bee eating up all that is being taught. She can count to 50 and I believe this is completely because she soaks up everything being taught to her bro.
Wonder what has sucked lately?
Anxiety. The boys
In late July we went to a large family gathering. Sometime during the day he went to the bathroom and could not figure out how to open the antique lock on the door. He was trapped inside crying until someone heard him and talked him through how to get out. Unfortunately he did not tell us of this experience until nearly a week later. We were somewhere and he started freaking out that he might not be able to get out. Which made no sense until he told us what happened at my uncles. A few weeks after that he went ballistic on his dad that he was going to get locked in an unfamiliar car. It came down to the fact that he was scared he would not be able to open the door. The anxiety has been showing up at church, when he moved up to a new room and different environment. He was crying so hard the leader returned him to my husband. When I talked to him later he was afraid that dad would not be able to find him in the new room. Needless to say we had a LONG talk about how we would never leave him and we would search endlessly until he was found. And that we know how to ask for help. Which brought us to our next issue. Enrichment day. Our home school coop has an enrichment program that meets every Friday. I signed out family up back in the spring for this fall semester. A new experience, in a new building, with new people. In light of the new anxiety I was not looking forward to it. He would tense up at the mere mention of enrichment day. So during our long talk we talked about what his concerns were for enrichment day. The unknown. Friday came and we went early to take a tour. I showed him every room he would use. Offered for him to check out the bathroom and explained his schedule. Then I bribed him. No computer for the entire weekend if there were any fits. The bribe worked. The tour and explaining worked. His leader stood up to take him to his first rotation and he gave me a kiss and said see you later. He had a great time. Gym, Art and Michigan History. He was full of excitement as he should me his project and shared facts he learned about Michigan. While this anxiety has had it's sucky moments I think we may be on our way to licking it.
Wonder where we send most of our computer time?
Hmmm. A girlfriend of mine sent us a package recently. In it three stuffed animals. A goose, a lion and a bunny. Not just any stuffed animals but Webkinz. We totally and completely love them. They deserve their own post. Maybe that is what I will write about tomorrow. I really will try and write tomorrow.
Loves to all!
101 Things I could post about if I took the time. Life is still happening. Let's give little tastes here and there. And then I will try harder to post more consistently.
Wonder why you have been seeing less pictures these days?
My camera is pretty much DEAD. I can charge it all day and it turns on for 3 seconds not even long enough to take a picture. Shot battery...do I buy a new battery or a new camera. Still debating so still no camera. Thankfully my parents and sister-in-law have taken pictures of recent events so we are not completely without photo documentation of life.
Wonder what little girl has been up to?
Amazing growth! In a matter of a couple days she absolutely blossomed. My sister had passed along her daughters smaller bike, albeit without training wheels. Well, needless to say, little girl was not dettered by the lack of additional wheels. For a couple days she shooted about with her feet trying to find her center of balance. Then one day she asked my to help her for a second. 10 minutes later she was riding ALL BY HERSELF! Starting and stopping. She really can only do straight aways as she still wobbles but she is riding BY HERSELF and she is still three. Now that is amazing all in itself. But she did not stop there. That same day she climbing the fireman's pole in her brother's room. 6 feet straight up. Amazing. AND THEN, the next day we were at my mom's and she starts swinging and pumping ALL BY HERSELF. Awesome stuff. It is like her body turned on a switch and said, 'hey let's go to the next level here.'
Wonder how school has been going?
It is going pretty well. DS is doing first grade work. So far he seems to be grasping it. Not all that excited about how many times he is expected to write his name (at least 5 times a day.) He has been doing really well with all the new demands of first grade. At times it is hard sitting still for longer periods. We try and mix it up but book work requires table time and that requires sitting. I am SO thankful little girl is to the age of interest and ability to sit at the table. She loves school and wants to be there at the table. A huge blessing for me. Some of my friends have been struggling with younger siblings, balancing demands of little ones with the teaching of the older. So I am very thnkful that both are doing school, although little girl is not expected to participate as much as her brother she seems to bee eating up all that is being taught. She can count to 50 and I believe this is completely because she soaks up everything being taught to her bro.
Wonder what has sucked lately?
Anxiety. The boys
In late July we went to a large family gathering. Sometime during the day he went to the bathroom and could not figure out how to open the antique lock on the door. He was trapped inside crying until someone heard him and talked him through how to get out. Unfortunately he did not tell us of this experience until nearly a week later. We were somewhere and he started freaking out that he might not be able to get out. Which made no sense until he told us what happened at my uncles. A few weeks after that he went ballistic on his dad that he was going to get locked in an unfamiliar car. It came down to the fact that he was scared he would not be able to open the door. The anxiety has been showing up at church, when he moved up to a new room and different environment. He was crying so hard the leader returned him to my husband. When I talked to him later he was afraid that dad would not be able to find him in the new room. Needless to say we had a LONG talk about how we would never leave him and we would search endlessly until he was found. And that we know how to ask for help. Which brought us to our next issue. Enrichment day. Our home school coop has an enrichment program that meets every Friday. I signed out family up back in the spring for this fall semester. A new experience, in a new building, with new people. In light of the new anxiety I was not looking forward to it. He would tense up at the mere mention of enrichment day. So during our long talk we talked about what his concerns were for enrichment day. The unknown. Friday came and we went early to take a tour. I showed him every room he would use. Offered for him to check out the bathroom and explained his schedule. Then I bribed him. No computer for the entire weekend if there were any fits. The bribe worked. The tour and explaining worked. His leader stood up to take him to his first rotation and he gave me a kiss and said see you later. He had a great time. Gym, Art and Michigan History. He was full of excitement as he should me his project and shared facts he learned about Michigan. While this anxiety has had it's sucky moments I think we may be on our way to licking it.
Wonder where we send most of our computer time?
Hmmm. A girlfriend of mine sent us a package recently. In it three stuffed animals. A goose, a lion and a bunny. Not just any stuffed animals but Webkinz. We totally and completely love them. They deserve their own post. Maybe that is what I will write about tomorrow. I really will try and write tomorrow.
Loves to all!
Friday, August 24, 2007
I Tell Ya What
This week has been stressful!
Family camp was nice spending time with fam and playing games. Although the weather was terrible. Crazy rain storms and the like.
Then the tree looming next door. Which is still standing by the way. Thanks for praying. We have been sleeping here, not my desire. Hubby wants to stay put so for now we are. The neighbor has tree removal scheduled for next week Thursday. Still praying it comes down safely with no damage to our home or property.
While considering home stuff we realized our insurance policy had been lapsed. Not intentionally by any means. When policies were transfered a while back the home was completely overlooked. DO NOT ASK ME HOW. All is well now and policy is current. Thank God we discovered this BEFORE we needed it.
Last night I was doing my two week lesson planning as I wanted to start school next week, at least the Literature portion of it. About 45 minutes into my planning I realized that the teachers edition is different from my student work text edition. As in WAY different. Unknowingly I had an edition 1 for teachers and edition 2 for text. So not going to work! I was amazed at how different they were. Stories were not even the same. Looking into it this morning I found that edition 1 was published in 1980. The likelihood of finding new student texts that match my teacher plans are slim. I found one on Ebay but it does not close until Sunday night and other people have already bid on it showing interest. I can not risk waiting until Sunday. I need these materials NOW. As in pronto. I asked my son if he prayed that school would not start next week and he confessed he did. So apparently God is listening to my son's prayers. Edition one has 165 lessons for reading, it looks like edition 3 (which we will probably end up with) has even more. I tell ya.
Oh Yeah ...AND I have been sneezing like crazy from allergies. This has not been a good week for me.
Family camp was nice spending time with fam and playing games. Although the weather was terrible. Crazy rain storms and the like.
Then the tree looming next door. Which is still standing by the way. Thanks for praying. We have been sleeping here, not my desire. Hubby wants to stay put so for now we are. The neighbor has tree removal scheduled for next week Thursday. Still praying it comes down safely with no damage to our home or property.
While considering home stuff we realized our insurance policy had been lapsed. Not intentionally by any means. When policies were transfered a while back the home was completely overlooked. DO NOT ASK ME HOW. All is well now and policy is current. Thank God we discovered this BEFORE we needed it.
Last night I was doing my two week lesson planning as I wanted to start school next week, at least the Literature portion of it. About 45 minutes into my planning I realized that the teachers edition is different from my student work text edition. As in WAY different. Unknowingly I had an edition 1 for teachers and edition 2 for text. So not going to work! I was amazed at how different they were. Stories were not even the same. Looking into it this morning I found that edition 1 was published in 1980. The likelihood of finding new student texts that match my teacher plans are slim. I found one on Ebay but it does not close until Sunday night and other people have already bid on it showing interest. I can not risk waiting until Sunday. I need these materials NOW. As in pronto. I asked my son if he prayed that school would not start next week and he confessed he did. So apparently God is listening to my son's prayers. Edition one has 165 lessons for reading, it looks like edition 3 (which we will probably end up with) has even more. I tell ya.
Oh Yeah ...AND I have been sneezing like crazy from allergies. This has not been a good week for me.
Sunday, July 29, 2007
Shankies Batman
The last week was a whirlwind as I found myself the lead teacher in the Third Grade Boys class at VBS. These kids were awesome. Really and truly a great bunch of kids. I know many people shudder at the thought of 20+ boys together in one room. These kids proved that boys can be boys, have fun and be respectful too. I am so proud of them.
It may have helped that the theme for VBS this year was sports; Game Day Central. It was fun relating to the boys in this way. Being team players, joining God's team, doing their best in EVERYTHING. The boys loved it and I think they made the connections.
This week we celebrated our 150th find for geocaching! We also went on a caching streak going to at least one find for 14 consecutive days. Recent highlights... We found a live salamander IN a cache. We have launched a few geocoins and a couple travel bugs. We have taken more family and friends on their first finds. Seen great parks that we did not know existed, places we will definitely visit again.
Last week the UPS man delivered two boxs of school books! Add that to my INCREDIBLE finds from the used curriculum sale and I think we have what we need for a successful year. Of course, there are still things I would enjoy adding to our supplies but I know I have everything I NEED. I am looking forward to this year of teaching. I think it will be a little less flexible as I have more subject, meaning more table time. It is going to take the first couple of weeks to figure out the time demands and a doable schedule but I think once it is worked out we will need to stick with it rather strictly to make it to the end of the year in time. For those interested our main materials for first grade are:
BJU Press- Reading, Phonics, Spelling and Handwriting
Saxon Math 1
Abeka Science, Our America and Bible
Christian Liberty Press- History for Little Pilgrims and Science Readers
IF- Map Skills 1
Geography will include wherever our travel bugs travel. We sent them out with missions of traveling to all 50 states and asking those who find them to answer 5 simple questions to help us in our learning. I am looking forward to following them as they have already visited 3 states a had some replies to our questions.
Enrichment Day will be every Friday with similar aged children and will include Music, Art and Gym
While it will be MUCH heavier on the books and work texts this year we will sure to stay heavy on the fun as well. Many trips to the YMCA, geocaching, camping, theater(our homeschool group has great discounts to incredible shows,) and other field trips galore. After all learning IS fun and we want to make learning as fun as possible for our kids.
Blogging has been sporadic at best and may continue to be so through the remainder of the summer. Hope all of you are enjoying your days outdoors and with your families.
God bless!
It may have helped that the theme for VBS this year was sports; Game Day Central. It was fun relating to the boys in this way. Being team players, joining God's team, doing their best in EVERYTHING. The boys loved it and I think they made the connections.
This week we celebrated our 150th find for geocaching! We also went on a caching streak going to at least one find for 14 consecutive days. Recent highlights... We found a live salamander IN a cache. We have launched a few geocoins and a couple travel bugs. We have taken more family and friends on their first finds. Seen great parks that we did not know existed, places we will definitely visit again.
Last week the UPS man delivered two boxs of school books! Add that to my INCREDIBLE finds from the used curriculum sale and I think we have what we need for a successful year. Of course, there are still things I would enjoy adding to our supplies but I know I have everything I NEED. I am looking forward to this year of teaching. I think it will be a little less flexible as I have more subject, meaning more table time. It is going to take the first couple of weeks to figure out the time demands and a doable schedule but I think once it is worked out we will need to stick with it rather strictly to make it to the end of the year in time. For those interested our main materials for first grade are:
BJU Press- Reading, Phonics, Spelling and Handwriting
Saxon Math 1
Abeka Science, Our America and Bible
Christian Liberty Press- History for Little Pilgrims and Science Readers
IF- Map Skills 1
Geography will include wherever our travel bugs travel. We sent them out with missions of traveling to all 50 states and asking those who find them to answer 5 simple questions to help us in our learning. I am looking forward to following them as they have already visited 3 states a had some replies to our questions.
Enrichment Day will be every Friday with similar aged children and will include Music, Art and Gym
While it will be MUCH heavier on the books and work texts this year we will sure to stay heavy on the fun as well. Many trips to the YMCA, geocaching, camping, theater(our homeschool group has great discounts to incredible shows,) and other field trips galore. After all learning IS fun and we want to make learning as fun as possible for our kids.
Blogging has been sporadic at best and may continue to be so through the remainder of the summer. Hope all of you are enjoying your days outdoors and with your families.
God bless!
Friday, July 20, 2007
Did You Know...
that if you put baby or mineral oil over a band-aid a few minutes prior to removing it will make it pain-free?
It really works I just tried it. No more ouchy removal.
It really works I just tried it. No more ouchy removal.
Friday, May 11, 2007
Random
Here are a few things that have been happening in our neck of the woods. (Thanks Al Roker)
Hands on learning is always fun. Here are the kids shopping for their toys. We put price tags on each and they have a bag of money. Even little girl was able to count out the change needed to buy everything with her pennies. I did not have anything over 10 cents for her and the boys items were priced up to 20 cents, giving him practice with nickels and dimes.
The blue trucker is gone. DS inflated the tires so that the tow truck could tow it away. Bye bye Blue. Thanks tow truck guy, I really wanted my drive way back.
The more we play outside the better these kids sleep. Here is little girl crashed out late in the afternoon.
Free sale tomorrow. Lots to sort through today.
I am singing again. I joined the choir at church which sings quarterly. Our first practice was last night and it was so nice. A great group of people. Thankful to be a part of a group of singers again. It has been YEARS!!!
The peregrine falcons at Rhodes Tower in Ohio have had a no hatch. Four eggs were laid and none have hatched. Sad. Donna, the biologist, will remove the eggs today. To watch or read, visit the falcon site.
My father-in-law shared with hubby a BRILLIANT idea. He is planning on taking a GPS to the cemetery and plotting the coordinates of family members grave sites. He does quite a bit of work for the family tree and family history. I think it is a great idea because I know how frustrating it can be to get to the cemetery and have no clue on where the grave site is. How nice would it be to put in the mark and go right to it. Or within a few feet anyway. I have encouraged my parents to do the same. (Mom/Dad this if your friendly reminder.) I know that our parents will not always be around, I may not always remember where to look. I really want to add this kind of info to all of our family trees. Perhaps you could do the same for future generations.
Geocaching is my new favorite pass time, more posts to follow on this one.
We are counting down the days until Summer break. It will be 4 weeks from today.
The weather has been so gorgeous this week. I can not wait until we will have endless hours to explore the great outdoors. When I went to the store yesterday I planned for picnics. Lots and lots of picnics. Geocaching has taken us to some beautiful places and parks and we must eat while we play.
Here's to buckling down and finishing strong.
Hands on learning is always fun. Here are the kids shopping for their toys. We put price tags on each and they have a bag of money. Even little girl was able to count out the change needed to buy everything with her pennies. I did not have anything over 10 cents for her and the boys items were priced up to 20 cents, giving him practice with nickels and dimes.
The blue trucker is gone. DS inflated the tires so that the tow truck could tow it away. Bye bye Blue. Thanks tow truck guy, I really wanted my drive way back.
The more we play outside the better these kids sleep. Here is little girl crashed out late in the afternoon.
Free sale tomorrow. Lots to sort through today.
I am singing again. I joined the choir at church which sings quarterly. Our first practice was last night and it was so nice. A great group of people. Thankful to be a part of a group of singers again. It has been YEARS!!!
The peregrine falcons at Rhodes Tower in Ohio have had a no hatch. Four eggs were laid and none have hatched. Sad. Donna, the biologist, will remove the eggs today. To watch or read, visit the falcon site.
My father-in-law shared with hubby a BRILLIANT idea. He is planning on taking a GPS to the cemetery and plotting the coordinates of family members grave sites. He does quite a bit of work for the family tree and family history. I think it is a great idea because I know how frustrating it can be to get to the cemetery and have no clue on where the grave site is. How nice would it be to put in the mark and go right to it. Or within a few feet anyway. I have encouraged my parents to do the same. (Mom/Dad this if your friendly reminder.) I know that our parents will not always be around, I may not always remember where to look. I really want to add this kind of info to all of our family trees. Perhaps you could do the same for future generations.
Geocaching is my new favorite pass time, more posts to follow on this one.
We are counting down the days until Summer break. It will be 4 weeks from today.
The weather has been so gorgeous this week. I can not wait until we will have endless hours to explore the great outdoors. When I went to the store yesterday I planned for picnics. Lots and lots of picnics. Geocaching has taken us to some beautiful places and parks and we must eat while we play.
Here's to buckling down and finishing strong.
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