My Two Jobs

 If you would have asked me to pick a word for the year for the past few years, it would have been failure. Some of this was due to other situations going on, but a lot was due to homeschooling. I couldn't understand how other homeschoolers got anything done around the house. I was perpetually behind on where I thought I should be regarding laundry, dishes, cooking dinner, and so on. As I am currently only homeschooling one of my kids, I was panicked at the thought that this was going to be my life for the next two decades. I wanted to throw my kid into school. Some days I wanted to run away.
Then I read an article LoraLynn wrote for Simple Homeschool. In it, she equates homeschooling to being the equivalent of holding a job. For some reason, I had never thought of it like this before. I knew she had a point.
In my state, I am required to homeschool my son for 4 hours a day, 180 days a year. That comes to 20 hours a week, aka, a part-time job. Granted, some of the work my son does is on his own, but he still needs a good bit of supervision even with a worksheet. For people with more than one student they are homeschooling, I can easily see the hours spent homeschooling as being equal to a full-time job.
I know that there are a lot of moms out there who stay home full-time and send their kids to school. These moms stay busy too. I know, because I have had the privilege of being a full-time SAHM since my son was born. And I have stayed busy! Why, then, was I surprised when I stayed home full-time, spent 20 hours a week doing school, and then couldn't stay caught up?
When I did work full-time outside the home, I wasn't surprised if I had dishes that had spent the day in the sink, or laundry was undone at dinner. I was gone all day, so of course I wouldn't have had time to do the stuff I would have done had I been at home. I realized that I had been equating homeschooling my son with a regular day at home, with an extra chore thrown in. No chore takes 4 hours, though; at least not any that I have to do!
With my revelation that I wasn't just a full-time mom, I was a full-time mom with a part-time job at home, I began to think differently about how I set up my days. When I worked, I got up early and got ready before my job began. I didn't show up in my pjs and try to shower when my students were at recess. When I worked, I had my lessons planned and the corresponding resources pulled days in advance. I didn't turn to the teacher's guide and read what I needed the day I taught the lesson. When I worked, I did laundry and shopping on the weekend. Now, I will most likely still do a load most days, but if I have to do laundry on the weekend, that's fine. Big projects like cleaning my son's bathroom, or cleaning all the floors, wait until the weekend too, barring a major disaster.
This may not be a major thought revolution for anyone else but me. But just in case someone out there is reading this and was just as surprised as I was, don't give up. Maybe you just need to change how you are viewing your situation. I have no doubt that when my youngest starts being homeschooled, I will be thrown for a loop once again as I try to juggle teaching two kids who are five years apart. :)

Be sure to check out LoraLynn's article that inspired all of this over at Simple Homeschool. Without her words of wisdom, I never would have found what "Works for Me!"

I am also linking up to Edie's Time. On Purpose series. Be sure to check it out!

How to Build a Sandwich

(by BB)
What you need butter bread knife cheeze
Put the bread and plate. then remove the bread. then shake it. so the bugs will crawl off. (out of your house) then put butter on the bread. (on aech side) then put the cheeze on then put another pice of bread on then put the sandwich on the stove for 1/4 munets then you... HAVE IT! go to www.howtomakethangs.com for more manules

(tap, tap)

... is this thing on?
I'm still here, still alive.
The online school turned out just fine for BB last year. Thanks to all who prayed about that situation. I'm still dumbfounded at the lack of Christian charity given by the school, but people are flawed. I do wish I didn't live so darn close to the school though. I don't exactly enjoy the sight of it every time I leave my neighborhood.
 
This year, we are continuing to homeschool, as was our plan all along. We are using Sonlight curriculum for first grade. So far it's been very easy for him. BB tested on a 3rd grade level prior to the beginning of the school year. I probably should have him doing 2nd grade work at least. But his maturity level is lacking behind those of his peers, so I hesitate to move him ahead academically when so many things for children are sorted according to grade.
And Grace.

I have treasured this year with her. I can't believe that in 2 short weeks she will be one. I'm not ready for her baby year to be over. Part of the reason why I haven't blogged is that I've been enjoying my year with her. Instead of worrying about documenting things for future blog posts, I just experienced life. I still took pictures, and I still wrote some things down. But the compulsion to capture and share everything with the world at large just wasn't there. Not to say that I won't be sharing some of this past year with all of you... ;)

I will be honest and say that the past two years have been some of the most difficult for me. For all of my excitement over my pregnancy with Grace and her arrival, there was a lot of disappointment as well. Things that I'm still working through, processing. Things that have caused me to feel the need to simply circle my wagons so to speak.
So if anyone is still out there, thanks for sticking around. I'll try to come back again soon and post.

Back to Square One...

It turns out that my apprehension about posting our schooling choice for the school year was for naught. On day 20 of kindergarten, BB was asked to not return to school. He was not expelled, he could have come back, but the school personnel made it clear that one more infraction and he would be expelled. As DH and I do not want a school expulsion on his record, we withdrew him from the school.
With the exception of hitting a student on the playground, the infractions were things that I considered minor, such as failing to put both feet flat on the floor, drawing on his desk, and making engine noises when lining up. To me, while these behaviors were not appropriate for school, they did not merit such disciplinary action. Especially when the student in question is only five years old and has been in school for less than a month. I know that with my students, it was not uncommon for some students to have a period of adjustment to school.
The school's decision to send BB home with essentially the promise of upcoming expulsion came to us out of the blue. Every day when DH or I picked BB up, we would ask his teacher how he had behaved. His teacher did inform us when he hit another student, and BB was punished for that. She also told us about any issues she may have had regarding his schoolwork that day. But she never once gave us the impression that BB's behavior was a big deal, asked us to come in for a conference, or did anything to signal that BB's enrollment might end. All we got were passing comments delivered in a casual manner that did not convey (at least to us) any hint of what we were blindsided with. According to the school handbook, there is a set procedure to follow if a teacher is having trouble with a student, and the teacher did not follow that procedure.
Initially, part of me wanted a meeting with the teacher to come up with a plan that would enable BB to continue going to school. But after some reflection, I do not think that it would have been beneficial. The teacher clearly did not wish to continue interacting with BB and any attempt to get her to do so would not have been good for BB.
The school's take on BB's behavior was that it was repeated instances of defiant behavior. BB is certainly capable of that, as are all children. If that was the case with BB, however (and honestly, I don't think it was), then the school's response is even more puzzling. Removing the student does make things easier for the teacher, but it does nothing to help the student who has been removed. As BB's school is a private, church-run school, I would have made the assumption that the school would be interested in developing a student's character. But clearly that is not the case. BB has yet to ask any questions about why he no longer goes to school, and the only explanation DH and I have given him was that we did not think that the school was the best place for him. If BB does ask any more questions, I am not sure how I will answer honestly yet in a way that does not negatively affect him.
Starting tomorrow we will begin our new school plan for the year. As I had not planned on homeschooling this year, I had not selected any curriculum. When the school surprised us with their decision, I was thrown into a state of panic (also being 1 week postpartum did not help any). So rather than some thoughtful customized curriculum, BB and I will be participating in our state's online academy. Most of BB's schoolwork will be traditional pencil and paper, but some work will be done online. In addition, we have a supervising teacher that we will periodically submit work and assessments to. My motto for this school year is to just survive. Next year will be better, right?

'Podge Post

Some quirks of this pregnancy that didn't occur with BB:

• I can't stand the smell or thought of coffee
• I hate all things mint (thank God for cinnamon toothpaste!)
• I think cheese tastes like block salt (or what I imagine block salt to taste like)
• I gag every time I open the refrigerator or pantry. There's just something about seeing all of that food together...
  
• I find that all men (DH, my dad, etc.) smell repulsive. Thankfully, this doesn't include BB. I can't really describe the smell other than it's offensive. It's not quite BO, and it's only men. Hopefully this will be a short-lived first trimester thing. Has anyone else ever had this problem, or heard of it?

On the homeschool front, we still haven't resumed our normal school routine. Part of this is due to the fact that DH is still using the schoolroom as a workstation for the kid's bath remodel (which is essentially done except for some touch-up paint). But also because I plan on homeschooling during the summer and taking an extended break once the baby comes in August. DH and I had planned on BB attending a once-weekly co-op class next year, but with the baby due August 26, we're not so sure now. The co-op we are interested in has Open House in March, so we'll find out more about it then.

Art 101

Though the thought makes me cringe, I know good parents let their children paint. With paint, no less. Since we are learning about famous artists and composers this year, I decided it was time to bite the bullet and break out the liquid paint.

Messy, messy paint.

At least he's happy!

BB's Sensory Tub

Tara at Feels Like Home posted about her daughter's sensory tub yesterday. Since BB loves digging, I knew he'd like this activity. I had the idea to make BB's tub into a scavenger hunt.

I put some rice and popcorn kernels in a Rubbermaid container. I then went around the house and found some small toys to bury in the container.

Any good scavenger hunt has a list to check off, so I made one for BB using my printer's scanner. When BB found an item, he matched up the item with the item's picture.

We've played with this 3 times already. After a while, I think I will change up the items hidden and add some more rice to make it a bit more of a challenge.

For a child that can read, the pictures could be omitted, requiring the child to match the item with the description of the item.

Homeschooling Questions

Feel free to pipe up with your opinion, regardless of whether or not you're a homeschooler :)

• What phonics system do you like the best? BB isn't quite old enough to read, but he is interested in how to spell words and I've started to teach him letter sounds. Part of me knows that I could probably manage to teach him to read without a pre-made system, but the teacher in me likes having something to follow.
• While we're on the subject of phonics, is it really necessary to code those words? I learned how to read with ABeka phonics, and I taught my students with Saxon phonics. Both methods involve extensive coding. Now that I'm not required to code words, I'm wondering if it's really that important. My students would get so caught up in trying to remember all of the special symbols that they would forget to read the word. And let's face it - after you've covered the words with half a dozen pencil marks, it can be hard to even see the word you're supposed to read!
• D'Nealian or Zaner Bloser? I learned the traditional way, which is pretty similar to Zaner Bloser. I taught D'Nealian, because that's what my school system required. I like the traditional way of teaching, so Zaner Bloser appeals to me. But I do admit that cursive seems like it would be easier to teach with D'Nealian.

I Survived Day One of Pre-K

... now where's my commemorative t-shirt?
The original plan was for BB to start Pre-K in the Fall. However, due to our move, Pre-K got put off until after the holidays. And, I might add, pretty much forgotten about until Sunday, when it dawned on me that the holidays were now over. Drat.
Fortunately, I had purchased the marerials needed prior to our moving. All that was needed was for me to go over the materials, set up, and plan. Two days is a bit of a short planning period, but BB doesn't know what to expect when it comes to school, and it's only Pre-K.
Our first day went surprisingly well. We're definitely going to have to work on sitting still and listening. I'm a bit unsure as to what level of behavior I should expect from BB during school. There's a whole new level of familiarity with BB that I haven't had with a student before, so I'm not sure if I should treat him like his mom or like his teacher during the school hours.
The plan as of now is to do Pre-K 3 days a week, for a couple hours each day. Since I have already taught BB some of the basics, I will most likely focus on what I'm not inclined to do already with BB - art, music, and science. For the three R's, I plan on assessing what he already knows and building from that.
I've never homeschooled before, and I've never seen it modeled (my homeschool year was correspondence). I don't know how else to teach except for how I taught in the classroom. This will certainly be a learning process for both of us. I might post about what we're doing from time to time, but don't count on schooling becoming a regular feature ;)

My Educational Soapbox

Preface: this post started out as a comment I was leaving on this post by Minnesota Mom. I realized how long my comment was becoming, and I decided to make it into a post. To see the video I am referencing, please click on the above link to view her post.
What is expressed below is my opinion, nothing more. It is not my intent to hurt or offend anyone who believes differently from the view I express below. What you have decided regarding your children is between you and God. I am not saying that anyone is a bad parent, or that their child is doomed. We all know the expression about opinions... I am sure that what I have to say about public school is not true for every school system. I happen to live in a state with a inferior public school system, and I taught in a low-income school. But I do believe that what I have to say concerning morality and the values taught in public school applies to public schools across the board.
The ideas expressed in the video seem very radical when you initially see the video. While I don't agree with the way they phrased some things in the video, I do agree with the overall sentiment behind them. Christianity is not present, welcomed, or allowed in the public school system, but everything contrary to Christianity is. Children are highly impressionable, and I don't think that they should be exposed to all that is present in public school until they are old enough to distinguish what is right and wrong, and WHY.
I attended Christian school, where I received a far better education than my public school contemporaries. I was surrounded by teachers and students who believed the same as I did. Thanks to the close-knit aspect of my school, I made life-long friends. I believe that if parents have the resources, and there is a quality Christian school available, then Christian school can be the best educational situation.
However, Christian schools are often seen by parents as a last-resort measure for their kids. My school had several students enrolled who were sent to our school because they had been kicked out of public school. Believe me when I say that it takes a lot to get permanently kicked out of public school. These students exposed my classmates and I to a lot of things that were contrary to what we believed. The good thing about those situations was that when we encountered a peer who believed contrary to what we believed, we were the majority and the other person was the minority. We had teachers who took a personal interest in the students and tried to teach them what was wrong with their ideas when compared to Christianity.
In a public school situation, the Christian child is the minority, and the teachers are made to explain that there is no one right way. Mommy and Daddy might teach the kid moral absolutes several hours a week, but the kid is hearing that everything is relative 30+ hours a week. It is very hard for a young child to stay strong in his faith when confronted with peer pressure. We all know about the admonition not to be unequally yoked within a marriage (2 Corinthians 6:14). This is because the chances are that the unbeliever will pull the believer down, instead of the other way around. Humans are wired for companionship and nearly everyone has a need to be accepted. When there are 1 or 2 students who try to do the right thing in a class of 25, the students will probably not stay strong in their morals. They will most likely be pulled down.
I taught public school for 3 years before BB was born, and I saw firsthand how the Christian children were treated. Even though I taught in the Bible Belt, the children who tried to always do what was right were ridiculed for being weak and were labeled as goody two-shoes. Sadly, it was other teachers who enlightened the students on what to call the Christian kids. I should explain that when I use the word Christian to describe students, I mean students that behaved as Christians should. If I had surveyed my students as to their religion (which I wouldn't have been allowed to do), I am sure that 80% or more of my students would have called themselves Christian, and probably close to half went to church each Sunday. But like I said before, children (and adults) tend to model what they see the most.
Another important factor to consider is that teachers serve as role models for many of their students. Teachers are not allowed to discuss religion, or allowed to say that something is right or wrong unless it has to do with being intolerant. Yet the same teachers are not prohibited from using bad language or gossiping about adult matters with other teachers in situations where the students can overhear.
My husband was homeschooled from kindergarten through high school. Other than his love for video games, I believe that he was probably the stereotypical homeschooler. As more people are turning to homeschool, there are more opportunities for homeschoolers to interact with others their own age. My husband's kid brother and sister attend weekly classes with other homeschoolers and they have the opportunity to participate in extracurricular activities with their homeschool group.
The public school system is damaged beyond repair. Pouring more money into the system is not going to solve the problems. Parents have a responsibility to God on how they raise their children. I believe that I will one day have to answer to God for how I raised BB (Hebrews 13:17). I do not want to do anything that will cause BB to question his faith, or to make him less likely to stand strong in the face of adversity. Until BB is old enough to know right from wrong and has the ability to use critical thinking skills to determine his stance on moral issues, I don't believe that he should be extensively exposed to the world's point of view.
I am not advocating a bunker mentality; I do not think that Christians should only deal with other Christians. I realize that we are called to be salt and light (Matthew 5:13-16) and that we are to go into the world and preach (Matthew 28:16-20). Yet Jesus was speaking to adults in these situations, not wide-eyed 5 year-olds. We are commanded to not offer our children to idols. I make the argument that it is possible to do this by sending your child to public school. An idol is certainly the graven image that was prevalent in Bible times, but it is also the worship of ideas. There are many ideas offered in public school today that children are expected to embrace. These same ideas are often contrary to the Bible, thus making the ideas false. Children are expected to learn these ideas and implement them into their thinking. Proverbs 23:7 cautions us about what we think, because what we think becomes who we are. As a Christian, I am to uphold God's teachings. I am to love God with all of my heart, soul, mind and strength (Mark 12:30). I cannot do that 100% if part of my mind is given over to false teachings. Christians need to be able to recognize false teachings for what they are and to reject the false teachings when they hear them. If a false idea is encountered before a Christian is able to refute it, there exists the possibility that the idea will be internalized and will influence the person's development. Once an idea becomes ingrained, it is very hard to displace. I do not want to throw up a stumbling block to BB's development.
I pray that BB will come to know Christ personally at an early age and that he will have a meaningful faith; a true thirst for God while he is still a child. I am so far from perfect. I know that I will not do a perfect job teaching BB. But I believe that God does not expect perfection. I do believe that God expects me to do my work to the best of my ability (Ecclesiastes 9:10). For me, that includes how my son is educated.

Homeschool Article

Restoring the Years has a link on her blog to this article. I think both sides of the home school argument will find this article interesting.