Tuesday, August 28, 2012

We started early...and now taking an early break

Two members of our family have strep throat....Booger and I. Needless to say our third week of school already has us taking a break. Hoping the antibiotics kick in soon and we can get back on track. However.....

I think that God might be telling me to slow down and let him work. 'My' plan was to get ahead and take a long break in December, at this rate we aren't going to be doing that. I think God may have a different plan, and I think I might need to let his plan play out and stop trying so hard to push my own. Here goes nothing.....

Monday, August 20, 2012

I bet your ready to send those kids back to school....

Those are the words that I heard from 2 different people within 10 minutes at Petsmart today...(and my kids were being good)

This is NOT going to be a rant on how we homeschool and it's better than private school or public school, because that is NOT my belief. We homeschool because it's right for our family.

That being said, I was hurt as a parent that someone would say that.... I know, I know, everyone says it, everyone says, "Oh I bet your ready for THOSE kids to be back in school." I will admit somedays I think it would be easier, it would be less stressful to send them to school. However I don't really know anyone who doesn't miss their kids when they are gone, whether it be at school, with friends, with a grandparent. I need breaks just like every other mom, and I take them. But I still MISS my kids.

So here is my rant, those people know nothing about me. What if I was military and just returned from a tour? I would want my kids by my side every day. What if I was a school teacher, and I was getting ready to head into a classroom of 25+ kids and their parents were hoping and praying I was excited as their children? What if I was a homeschooling mom who teaches her kids and loves it because she believes with her whole heart that God has placed that calling on her family? What if?

This may not upset everyone, but it breaks my heart that parts of society look at school as a drop off daycare for kids, that's not what it is. It's meant to be an extension of the learning that was started and should be continued in the home.

Sorry for the rant. just had to get it off my chest.

Tuesday, August 14, 2012

2nd Day of School....Hopefully better than the first

Went swimming with a friend yesterday. She knew we were starting school and so she asked Peanut how school went. Peanut's response, "terrible." Wow, I thought it went better than that. To be fair to Peanut, she got yelled at 3 times during a 2 hour lesson....not a great start to the school year....hoping for a better day today and so far, it has been.

These are the things Peanut was yelled at corrected for yesterday and also the ways she improved...

1. As I was reading from one of the textbooks, she got up and left the room. (she had to go to the bathroom). I yelled for her to return and didn't get an answer. I had to leave the school table and find her. She was yelled at, not for going to the bathroom but for walking off without permission. Fast forward to today...We were finishing up lessons and moving on to quiet work, Peanut said, "excuse me mom, Can I go to the bathroom." My answer, "Of Course."

2. Peanut didn't want to copy her memory verse. Fast forward to this morning....Peanut was the first at the table and reciting the verse before I even asked.

3. Peanut didn't like the Poem I assigned her to learn and started crying....really crying about it. Fast forward to today, She recited her poem beautifully.

If you would've asked me yesterday about the school year and how I felt, I might've run out of the room crying. If yesterday was going to be the norm, I might've shipped her off to school in a few weeks. Sunday I was excited, Monday I was defeated, Today I am relieved and thankful. Right now the kids are doing their spelling work quietly and we will soon be off to get our FREE haircuts at JCPenney.

Change in title....2nd Day of School....Definitely Better than the First!!!!

Sunday, August 12, 2012

English from the Roots Up

GREEK, LATIN!! I am so excited we are going to be learning root words this year! I love words!

As I was reading the forward of our textbook one paragraph stood out to me.....
        A good vocabulary is a strong element in a child's self esteem. The more words children know, the less people can talk over their heads and the taller they stand in their own eyes. Moreover, they can choose, among many words, the exact ones which express their thoughts and visions.

How many times have you told your child to use their words? I think I have said those exact words to my children atleast once a day since they began talking. I am excited to help my children have a better vocabulary and a better understanding of that vocabulary.

Friday, August 10, 2012

A new school year....a some other *new* things

Holy Moly....another school year is about to start. We now have a 4th grader, a 2nd grader, and dare I say a preschooler!! (Beanie wanted her OWN school books this year). So this marks our 5th year of Homeschooling. I NEVER thought we would make it this far, and I am more excited than ever to start teaching!!! I am more organized and I feel far more prepared...maybe it's because I finally feel like I know what I am doing. Check out our school area!!!
AND this year I have EVERYTHING organized in to 1 binder for each kid. That way there is no way that they can leave papers laying around. *sidenote*- When I started homeschooling, I thought, "this will be awesome, no lost papers, no trying to find homework, or permission slips, or anything. I will know right where everything is because I am the only one who needs to see it." Fast forward 4 years...Last year the week before our review I was going through 5 stacks of papers and getting them organized. *end sidenote* So this year is different, I am ready. I spent 2 weeks cleaning out the school area, and organizing everything needed for this school year. Here is a look at Peanuts binder!!!


I am ready, the kids are ready. We are ALL excited. This school year is gearing up to be great!!

Now for the other new things, We are trying out a new product in the Criswell Household. It's called a TV timer. The way it works is, the kids have to earn token in order to have TV time. 1 token per 30 minutes of TV time, 4 tokens max per day. The tokens are actually inserted into the timer and the time begins as soon as the token drops. I am super excited for the kiddos to stop channel surfing when they are bored, and also super excited that I won't have to yell about the TV anymore. We only have 1 TV in the house but it seems to get turned on constantly with 3 kids in the house.

I am also slowly starting to redecorate our house....just little things, rearranging, painting...etc. Looking forward to posting those on here as well, since the kids and I will be doing most of the projects together.

Alright, bedtime for this momma, I will be getting up early and serving coffee to the world :)