First Day of Fall

As most people I love the change of seasons from summer to fall. Usually I am not in a rush, but this year the cooler weather can't get here fast enough after the brutally hot summer we had. The hardest thing about Fall in Florida is that IF the leaves change colors and fall off, it usually doesn't happen until winter time. So to fill in the gaps we turn to reading lots of fall books and making crafts.

Last week was the first day of Fall! To recognize the change of seasons, in an otherwise unchanging climate, we took a break from our regular scheduled schooling that morning to discuss this new season. Keeping it simple this year we started off by reading a few books. We read Let It Fall, Fall Mixed Up, Leaf Trouble, and There Was an Old Lady Who Swallowed Some Leaves.

After that we spent some time talking about what happens during Fall and what kind of activities you can expect. And then we created a Fall Bucket List of all the thing we want to do this fall. I wrote it on poster board and hung it up near our calendar.

We concluded our introduction to fall with a fun art project. I painted their arms and hand brown and we used that as our tree trunk and branches. Then I put out red and yellow paint and let them use their fingers to paint fall leaves. The kids enjoyed it and it created some fun fall decorations for my wall!

Let's Be Honest...

Transitioning from two kids to three has rocked my world in a way I never expected. For me it has been the hardest thing I have ever done. I struggle on a daily basis balancing all that needs to be done. I just honestly feel so overwhelmed.

And it doesn't help that my third baby is what can be classified as a "high needs baby". He is the cutest but boy oh boy when he wants something you know it. He demands it. He nurses constantly and has no idea what to do with a pacifier. Feeding him solids is a serious game of target practice while he is trying to take the spoon away because he is more interested in that then his food. He is loud...oh so LOUD. Sleeping through the night is not on his agenda and a schedule means nothing to him.

But he does make me laugh because as demanding as he is, he is sweet and silly. He is strong and determined. He steals my heart while sleeping in my arms. He is intense and aware and honestly I think half the battle is he is smart and knows what is going on and he will let me know when its not to his liking.

It has been a test for me in every area of my life. Never have I ever wanted to sleep more LOL.  Going out in public I can sometimes feel like a spectacle as I am wearing Reid and Mia is breaking down because Tripp got to put the yogurt in the cart or we are bumping into things LOL like seriously we are a show! So many people smile at me and comment, "you got your hands full." Which I reply with, " I sure do! I'm outnumbered! 😂😂😂 " I always wonder what they are really thinking!

Six months into having three kids I would say I'm still adjusting. I have not found my groove quite yet. Some weeks are better than others. Of course with three kids there are many moments of joy that make the chaos worth the struggle. And in those moments a tinge of guilt will hit me and I will silently pray to God.

Always ready for rebukement in these moments He reminds me He is gentle. He holds me in His arms and shows me grace, love, and understanding. He knows I am only human and He asks me to rest in Him. It is not always easy. And many times I fail. But when I reach out He never fails.

 At night now when I am feeling overwhelmed by the night time nursing sessions I turn on a soothing recording of scriptures. Within minutes I'm knocked out.

Its 9:18 pm as I write this. Using the time after the kids go to bed to write and queit my brain...and wouldn't you know my Reid Poo has woken up. He lies here nursing and sleeping in my arms. I'm reminded these moments won't last forever. And for a moment all is peaceful. This is a moment from God. Allowing me this precious gift although today was rough.

Knowing he won't always be a baby I'm going to sit here and enjoy it.

The Farm Life

We are just getting home from a field trip. While the kids play and unwind I am sitting here looking at pictures and reflecting over our morning. We had a fun time this morning visiting Ms. Nancy's Farmhouse. What a blessing it was that she would invite over our home school group to show our kiddos what the farm life is like! Boy did we do a lot in only an hour in and a half.

The kids brushed the horse and got him ready to be ridden. I even took a turn brushing the horse, and for a moment I felt like Amy in Heartland...until the horse moved his head LOL . Then I was done. The kids took turns riding the horse. Even Reid had his moment! (You know Daddy was proud and believes his kids are natural born cowboys)

They fed the chickens. Which was funny because the kids wanted to chase and play with the chickens but when they would run in their direction the kids would run in the opposite direction.

We took a hayride to fish pond and fed the fish. And this was a good opportunity for me to nurse Reid as he was getting fussy and at least I had a seat and everyone was busy. Luckily Reid doesn't take long and I was able to go down to the pond and join in on the fun. The fish were jumping like crazy for the food! The pond was stocked full of huge cat fish.

Then we went and attempted to feed the cows. But it was so muddy from the rain a few days ago that the mosquitoes were huge and seeing that the cows weren't interested in our hay we moved on to collecting eggs.

After that we fed the goats.  

It was a hot and busy morning. But it sure was fun. There is something enjoyable about farm life. Something inside my bones desires to live off the land. This morning has me thinking and feeling thankful for all the farmers here in this country. Farming is hard work, but without it where would we be?  Still wandering the plains searching for food? LOL I am thankful we had the opportunity to go this morning. I don't want my kids to be scared of raising their own animals or growing their own garden. I pray that they learn these basic skills that are necessary for life and apply them to their life when they grow up.

Our Homeschool Room

Growing up I always enjoyed school. I enjoyed learning. I enjoyed looking around a classroom at the posters and decorations on the wall. Truthfully I can still recall what classrooms looked like growing up based on what they looked like. I remember being able to use the information during a math test, feeling encouraged by the poster, "Everything I needed to know I learned in Kindergarten." I am a firm believer in using visual posters and decorations to reinforce learning.

So even before I ever decided to home school I treated my home like my children's own private preschool. I would put up posters and ABC banners from the dollar tree. In their rooms I put up wall decor for numbers, colors and shapes. At one point I even had things labeled (until the labels were removed by curious hands!) like on a chair the word "chair","door" , "table" etc.

As we transitioned into home schooling I felt the urge to create a school room. A place where I could put all of this information in one spot. Getting the school room ready has definitely been one of my favorite parts of preparing for each school year. And no two years has the room been exactly the same, it is constantly evolving and growing in some way.

This year it is the best it has ever been. As I started homeschooling I had a vision of my ideal school room in my head, but  being an adult, I completely understood I had to use what resources were available to me and make it work. It has taken me a few years to get my school room the way I envisioned it.But thanks to God and His blessings, I have the school room I have always dreamed of! 

Our school room is where most people would put their dining room. In our home it's the only extra room and serves well for both a mid point in the home and a school/play area. I divided the space up into smaller spaces. We have a desk for quiet writing and drawing, our art display, the book nook/the library (according to Mia:)) Then I have an easel and our shelves lining the back wall. On the shelves I have toys for both Tripp and Mia. There is cash register and play money, toy clock, magnets, magna doodles, musical instruments, Lincoln logs, blocks, a globe, tools, lacing toy, sorting game, colorful pegs and peg board, I have toys for the Baby on there and Mia's collection of Fisher Price Little People. I have a science section with beakers and a book of 50 Science Things to Do and Make , some seas shells and a star fish, a piece of volcanic rock and a model solar system Tripp built. It is full of stuff that intrigue the kids and engage their imagination and learning.

On the walls I have the Alphabet, a number chart, the pledge of allegiance, months of the year, days of the week, colors, maps, calendar, Parts of speech, punctuation and motivational posters that say things like,"You are treasured" or "Your attitude is your altitude. It determines how high you fly." I have two cork boards that I use for Holiday and Seasonal Posters I have made. And as the school year progresses we will add to our walls with our own seasonal decorations and holiday crafts.

I have created my school room not necissarily to accommodate us as a traditional classroom would, where I stand in the front at a chalk board and teach - but instead as a space to get comfy and explore. I want to encourage free play and discovery. Yes we have structured learning time that I do either at the kitchen table or in the middle of the school room floor. Sometimes I do stand up and teach, others I am sitting on the floor right along with them. But structured teaching only last for so long so when you are home all day you need to get creative to fill the time! The school room was created to help me supplement  this time by creating opportunities for hands on play by taking a Montessori approach.

I have discovered that this approach so far has created two very imaginative, expressive,compassionate, kind and smart children. They are a little hard headed at times and can be very independent, but that is ok! Essentially that is what I want. But honestly they are good kids and don't cause a lot of trouble. They are curious and want to learn,grow and explore! And I am more than happy to be the one to help them do that!

Life Application Days

So three weeks into our new year and I'm already behind! Lol The juggle to balance the household ➕ homeschooling ➕ taking care of yourself, finding time for friends and family etc is REAL! And having my kids with me ALL the time gives makes it quite the challenge. But honestly its the mental stuff that becomes the real challenge. It's the self judgement, comparing yourself to others or even the school system, it's the wondering and worrying if what you are doing is right. I wonder if teachers feel the same way at times? Like worrying about starting a new unit in the middle of the week. I am not sure why I have this definitive idea that a Unit must be studied Monday through Friday... But I do. It is this kind of thinking that can drive me mad! But there is the Bible verse that states we are to please God and not Man, which allows me to ask the Him the question: What do YOU want from me today?

And usually God is pretty graceful and when you ask Him to lead your steps. He gives you the energy and ability to do it.  Although you can never be sure where He will lead you. (That is what is so scary and why it is called faith!) But where ever it is, it is better than where I was going to lead myself and it is usually a peaceful and joyful place.

 So last week with it already being a short week due to Labor day, I started to panic a little bit when my son fell asleep on Thursday afternoon and didn't wake up til the next morning at 7! ( He never does that this boy requires very little sleep!) But we still had some catching up we were going to do that afternoon so my hope to catch up was short lived. With Saturday being his first soccer game I decided to take Friday off to let him rest since he still seemed to have little energy Friday morning. He had no fever, no stuffy nose or cough or sore throat...he must if just needed to rest. So rest he did. But then I realized the kids would be getting a four day weekend, as Monday we had a ton of appointments we had to go to and I already was asking myself how I was going to fit school in.

So Friday we rested. Monday we had to go grocery shopping, Reid had his 6 month well visit, and Tripp had soccer practice. With three children there are days where you just  have to get done what NEEDS to be done that day. Days like these I like to count as school days and call them Life Application Days.

Life Application Days are the days where we are productive, but we didn't necessarily do any specific"school work". The days the house desperately needs to be cleaned after a busy weekend or the days where we are running around taking care of things, the days things need to be done and well we all know we can't be in two places at one time. So instead of freaking out, Which is what I want to do... I have created my own "class".  The kids are not just watching TV while I clean they are part of it learning for themselves how to clean and take care of the home and their things. When we go grocery shopping we talk about the food we are buying and the money we are spending. Taking their baby brother to the Dr. helps them learn about what it takes to take care of a baby, they have to learn to be patient and wait quietly while he gets checked out. ( I don't give them electronics waiting patiently is a skill they need in life) It also teaches them to care for others. Going to my parents in between Dr appointment and soccer practices teaches them time management and how to save gas.There is always something to experience and something to learn.

Today was another Life Application Day...we literally cleaned the whole house. Tripp cleaned his room and the bathroom and helped me with Reid. Mia does her own thing and helps where she wants to LOL...like she likes to hang her dresses on hangers:) But hey I'll take any help I can get!

I didn't do organized school but we did sit down and read together for a little while, we made Rice Krispie Treats. These experiences are rich in learning because the kids are engaged and having fun. They are there measuring and baking. They are right along with you getting things done. They are naturally learning hard work and self satisfaction. Learning to do things when they need to be done not when you want to do. I could choose to beat myself up over the fact that we didn't follow a curriculum two days in a row...but when I pray I hear God telling me to be gentle and graceful with myself.

He comforts me and has faith in me that I will do what needs to be done and encourages me to just follow His voice. Now that our house is clean tomorrow we can wake up and full force take on the day. Today we were led to clean. Tomorrow who really knows? :)  What I do know is I feel satisfied , productive and excited for school tomorrow. With three days left in the week we can finish Unit 2 and review Unit 1 and 2 on Thursday and Friday.(this is what I am hoping for!) I won't beat myself up because if God is leading my steps and he led me to clean then if I beat myself up I am actually knocking what God's plan was for the day. And the truth is my house is really clean and who doesn't feel good about that?! I got the most cleaning done in one day since Reid has been born!!! So it had to be the hand of God on me!! LOL  :)

The truth is when we trust in God, He won't overwhelm us to do more than we can. He will give us the energy to go above and beyond, to get the work done well. But He won't drain us in the process. Homeschooling and trusting God go hand in hand for me. It has taught me how not to be so hard on myself. It has taught to me to not aim to be a perfectionist but to find the perfection within imperfection. And over all the best thing  is through learning and growing with God in front of my children I can teach my children how to follow the voice of God! And this is probably the best life application I could ever teach them!

How I Made a No Sew Quiet Book

I posted this pic on Facebook the other day and got quite the response. Everyone wanted to know how did I make my own Quiet Book?  The truth is it was pretty simple. Time consuming, but simple and so worth it! Mia loves her quiet book and I am so glad I took the time to do it! 

To start I did Google some ideas for pages and got ideas for what kind of quiet book I wanted to create. But once I started creating I just did my own thing! I will share a few links below that I used to help me. And here is the meat and potatoes of this post: a video description of how I made my Own Quiet Book! I hope it is helpful!

Here are some links to a website and a few videos I watched that helped me create my own quiet book. I will probably refer to them again in the near future when I want to make another one for Mia and one for Reid. There are just soo many great ideas!

Enjoy!

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=hhPChglzaso

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=afhvmx5hAYU

http://www.andnextcomesl.com/2013/06/emmas-mini-quiet-book.html

http://www.andnextcomesl.com/2013/03/quiet-books-guide-to-making-one-of-your.html

Gardening 101

One of my favorite things about home schooling is you can incorporate any subject or topic of study into your curriculum. You are not just limited to math and English or even basic science and social studies. You can literally study any thing you want to with your children.

This year I wanted to start my own Fall Garden and decided it would be a great "subject" to add our curriculum. I figured it would get us out of the house on a daily basis, help us learn how to garden and care for plants, and how to harvest. Plus I have always wanted to learn, so why not learn with the kids as we go? There is so much practical information that can be gained from a growing garden.

So during the last few weeks of summer before school started I did some research. I have wanted to start a garden in the past, but it just wasn't the right time. Now it felt like the right time, I could feel it in my bones if that makes sense. And everything started to fall into place.

I decided the  best way to start was to build my garden inside of something and not go for a full out garden in the open yard. At first I was going to use an old tire in the shed, only to come to find out it is a spare tire for my husband's truck! LOL good thing I didn't use that! So I started to look around my yard for what I could find. (I am crafty like that! :)) I found some old deck planks that I thought would be perfect!

I called my husband's Aunt, who used to work at Lowe's and asked her if she would help me. She came over the following Monday with her drill and hand saw and within 20 minutes we had built a garden box!This is the farthest I had ever come to actually starting a garden!!

A few days later I went to the local Nursery to see about starting my fall garden. I was ready to buy soil and plants, but the guy told me to wait till the last week of August to plant my plants. Thankful for the information and a little bummed I wouldn't have my garden planted that night, we left and headed home empty handed.

Finally the last weekend of August arrived!!! The first step was to till the land. Tripp and I got our shovels and began digging up the area we needed for our garden box. We had a lot of roots and weeds to get rid of. But Tripp had fun doing it. He actually said, "Working is fun! I like digging!" I couldn't believe what I was hearing. But he was sincere and enjoyed the digging and picking up roots. He was on a mission to find the biggest root! And he stuck it out till the rain kicked us inside.

Since most of the land was tilled and ready I woke up Sunday morning so excited and as soon as the baby went down for his morning nap I took a --kid free!!!-- trip to Lowe's and got a bunch of soil and seedlings ready to plant our garden!

With a little more work and realizing that we only had enough soil for one side of the garden box (and honestly probably still need more) we planted our seedlings of Romaine, Baby Broccoli and Parsley. We watered our garden and stood back feeling happy and thankful!

Fast forward to a week and a half later and our garden is doing pretty well! Most of it is still alive LOL Tripp and I check on it daily and he waters it on the days it needs it. We found a slug in there today, With some research  we discovered slugs are no good for our vegetable garden. So Tripp  removed the slug and moved him far away. We will have to keep our eye out for more.  We started off with 9 Romaine Seedlings, 9 Baby Broccoli seedlings and a pot of parsley. We did loose some Romaine it seems we have 5 left, But other than that the plants seem to be thriving and growing already!

We are really enjoying caring for our garden and can't wait to see it grow! It has already provided us with an opportunity for hard work, time outside and quality time together! I am glad I added it to our curriuclum this year and look forward to learning and growing more in the future!