Mom vs. the Dot: Making it COUNT!

<Pant pant pant> Whew!  How long has it been since I've posted?  Let's see... Was it before or after Halloween costume shopping, 3 Halloween parties, and trick or treat?  No.  That wasn't it. Was it before or after Hulk Boy threw up in the (new to us) van?  No - that was trick-or-treat night last week.  I think it was a combination of a belly full of candy and big sister's tickle fest that ended up on the big, stinky voms. Pee-Eww - I had to drive the vomit mobile for a few days because I had no time to clean it.  My good husband cleaned it as well as he could in the dark that night.  I just installed "caution" tape (not really), condemning the seat until it could be cleaned properly...and we kept going.  Windows down, of course.  Girls gagging and holding their noses during every trip.  Thankfully, I remembered vinegar's splendid odor-removing powers.   As soon as I had a "free" half hour, I attacked that s...

My previous post may have seemed a little grim in its perspective, but like everything else in life, we have good days and bad days. Some of the most wonderful homeschool days are when I come home from work and my husband has just finished teaching them for the day.  He's so excited to show me what they covered and how well each child did.  One day last week, he brought out his photo album from his trip to Israel.  The biggest takeaway was that the kids got to hold a real, actual rock from the valley where David defeated Goliath.  Hulk Boy was seriously impressed, and my husband took the time to share a passion of his with the kids. When I came home from work today, they had just finished an exciting lesson in entomology.  My hubby had found a really different looking bug while at work one day.  It was dead, so he put it in an envelope and brought it home.  This morning, he dumped the little bugger out of the envelope.  After the girls...

Every year we homeschool, I struggle.  I mentally fight for and against educating our children at home.  Whenever someone asks about why we homeschool, my default answer is that my husband decided we are going to homeschool, so we do.  He has always been fully convinced that this is the right educational choice for our family.  And I waffle back and forth.  I can't seem to make up my mind.  Most of the time, I'm glad we homeschool.  I struggle because I was trained as an educator.  I love teaching - it is one of my passions, and it brings me joy in whatever format I teach.  Almost any age, any subject.  Bring it on! Because I am an educator, I want to know I am "doing it right," and there is no "right way" in homeschooling.  I have nothing to measure our progress against.  No comparisons.  No benchmarks. No previous students.  Last spring, I told a new homeschooling mama, "Don't worry - your homeschool won't l...

Well, I did it. I just spent a half hour outside doing nothing. I have laundry that needs folded and dishes that need washed and dinner to make. You know the drill.  The routine.  The lifestyle of the stay-at-home parent. So what did I do? I sat outside for 30 minutes, my dog happily chewing a stick beneath my porch swing. The kids were inside watching Netflix. Mom guilt flickered momentarily, but I laid it to rest. The candy apple red couch on wheels had been going nonstop all week, and this was my first moment to breathe. I knew I needed to head inside and get my work done, but I couldn't bring myself to do it. I sat on my swing and breathed in the last warm autumn air. Watched the leaves scuttle along the sidewalk and and flutter through the grass. Listened to the breeze... Let my brain just relax. No thinking about homeschool or groceries or bills. No thinking about church or planning or anything. And you know what? ...

Hi Friends! I decided to share our goings-on today because this is just how it goes when homeschooling. Some days, I wake up early and make a plan.  I was very pleased with my plan this morning. And then kittens showed up on our porch.  5 puffy, cute, mewing kittens. It was then that I realized my plans were flying out the window. Gone with the wind. Down the drain. It became an all-out nature viewing spectacle.  It began with this little guy last week, then we had another kitten show up yesterday.  When we peeked out the window this morning, we spotted 3 more kittens and the mama.  We were hooked. National Geographic on our front porch. Okay...I could either give up on homeschooling for the day (very tempting)   --or--   Switch gears and turn this into a learning experience that still counts as a homeschool day. That sounded like more work for me, but then I wouldn't have the homeschool mom guilt of missing anot...

Just in time for Halloween, we have a new addition!! Here are some clues: He is plastic, 2 1/2 feet high, and came from the library.  And he has to go back in two weeks. Any guesses?  Our very own borrowed plastic take-apart human, of course!   We are going to study human anatomy, so I spotted this guy in the resource room and knew we had to take him home with us.  A homeschool mom's dream!   I mentally patted myself on the back for being so ingenious and thrifty. Little did I know the vehement and terrified reactions his presence would bring! When my kids saw me carrying the model to the checkout desk, Shop Girl was terrified. Art Girl turned pale and looked like she was going to lose her lunch. Hulk Boy said with only what I can describe as glee, "Cool!  Can we take him apart? Can we take him home?  I want to see his insides!!"   I have to add that the librarian said, "That's the difference between ...

Following the purchase of our new (to us) van, my husband and I realized we needed to be able to pay for it .  As fun as it has been coasting along doing nothing all these years while my hubby worked full time, we decided it was time for me to pick up some (paying) work. I say that tongue-in-cheek because, as you probably know, being a stay-at-home mom is one of the most demanding jobs in the planet. Mentally, I began reviewing my job skills.  I have a degree in teaching, and an expired Ohio teacher's license.  I never finished transferring my license when we were newly married because I discovered teaching jobs are very hard to come by for a fresh-out-of-college 20-something in Pennsylvania.  No sweat.  I found several office jobs, then I landed one at a law office.  With absolutely no legal experience.  Woot woot for me!  I think they relied on me for my (then) cutting edge computer skills and nice phone voice.  That was pretty m...

When do you know? When do you decide? The last time you rearrange your furniture and never move it again? The last time you paint or wallpaper? The last time you buy new clothes? You know your grandparents have had the same furniture arrangement for 20 or more years.  They refuse to buy new clothes when the old ones will do.  When food is brought, it is just enough. Our current church population is made up of mostly World War II retirees.  Some also experienced the Great Depression.  Those periods of their lives shaped who they are as older adults.  And how they spend.  And how they think.  Use it up, wear it out, make it do or do without. My husband and I were discussing recently how some members of the church have been concerned about spending and the church's budget.  Sometimes, to renew a place, you have to put some money into it.  For 25 years, they have been coasting.  Carpet is over 40 years old, all the interi...

( Here is as "from scratch" as we get.  Pre-made pizza crusts, open  sauce bag then squirt on crust, add cheese and toppings, bake. ) Have you ever made a meal based not on ingredients, trendy new recipes or international genre, but on the amount of dishes it will dirty? I had to laugh when a friend posted something similar on Facebook the other day: "I find myself planning meals based on which pots and pans I don't feel like washing that day. I should really write a cookbook based on this method. The Dish Washing Avoidance Cookbook, or Meals for Those Who Hate to Scrub. Something like that." I guess I never thought about it before, but this is what I do, too. When I see Pinterest posts about how to make a month's worth of dinners in a day, I think, "Good for her.  She's so organized - and look at the variety of foods their family will eat!" Crock pot divas, I salute you!  (This one comes from www.eatingonadime.com ) ...

In preparation for this school year, I revamped our book nook.  We hardly used it last year.  I think it's a very cute space, but it is often the drop-off place for odds and ends we bring from trips in the van (note the bench covered with stuff). Here is what I did: First, I took a survey of the area.  What a dump!  After hitting several thrift stores and a Half-Price Books sale this summer, we had a ton of extra books.  They filled the bench and were avalanching across the floor.  Something had to be done!  I brought in an extra box to remove books we've read a million times, to pack them up and put them in storage.   After sorting through all these books, I decided to give each child a box of their own, filled with books they could read themselves or books we could read together that interested them.  This really helped organize and give a "home" to all the little first reader books. I started with 3 shoe boxes.  Aft...

Ahh...the family car.  So many memories! Here's our old van - it served us well for many years.  I still remember when one of the 6th grade youth asked why we had a van when we only had one child.  My hubby had plans to fill it up with a bigger brood.  I had hopes for that, too! And so, after 9ish years of stalwart service, we traded you in, old friend.  The rust was getting so bad on the doors, you could actually see through it in one place.  The inside of the vehicle was permanently scented with a banana-dirty diaper-sweaty feet combo.  Even years after our kids are out of diapers, it left a lingering smell.  Ahh memories! We were reeally enjoying life without car payments - 4 years without a car payment on 2 vehicles is pretty good.  We were happy with our rusty vehicles.  They got us from point A to point B with no monthly payment.  I was totally OK with that. But alas, our car repair shop said it would not pass inspe...

                                      (Hubby and I are having fun seeing South Pacific in                                        Pittsburgh this summer.  Neither of us are terribly                                        photogenic, but we know how to have fun!)  Hi Friends! I have been considering changing the name of my blog to "Mom vs. Homeschooling."  Or maybe I will start a new blog under that name. ...

Every year, I start out with high hopes for our homeschool year.  You may recall this pic from my school supply bargain-shopping post . I order curriculum, wait for it in the mail, and with bated breath, open the orange bubble mailers that arrive at my house one at a time.  I organize each child's workbooks and school supplies, then stack them on the homeschool shelves and wait. While counting down the days 'til school, I hop on the internet to find more resources.  I find a couple new websites to use to further learning without mom's help.  www.abcya.com, www.pbskids.com, and www.starfall.com are our three favorites. After that, I sashay over to YouTube, saving interesting videos and subscribing to new channels I think the kids will like.  Music, science videos, How Things Are Made, history videos - you name it!  YouTube may be my favorite free homeschool resource.  Netflix also has some great videos - my girls like to watch the Bob Ross vid...