Homeschool

It is finally March and Asheville is possibly getting the last snowfall of the year out there today. OK, probably not but whatever. We have felt the effects of the plentiful snow this season considering when Seth (or me which accounts for a little income) can't get out to work, he does not get paid, and the electric and gas bills are through the roof, but whatever, the snow is so pretty and complaining won't help. Besides, the boys have had a blast sledding.





We have really buckled down on the home school front since November. Without going into too much detail, I will say that during the time leading up to the wedding we were really struggling. Both boys, in particularly Caleb, were "behind" for there grade level and many days were a battle with bad attitudes and frustrations for everyone involved....me, the boys, Seth, and even Annabelle. Angie, my sister in law, recommended that we set up an appointment with a Learning Solutions specialist, Ms. Moore, so she could help us out.
So we did. She met with Caleb and then with us a few days later. It was just what we needed at that point to get us set on a better, happier, and more productive track in life.

There were tears, there was laughter, and there many "ah-ha!" moments of realizations in the meeting and days that followed. I won't go into everything but will sum it up with a list of a few things we learned:

1.Most importantly she laid out a system of organization wherein the boys each have 7 or 8 baskets containing their assignments or work for the day. I lay them out and when they are completed the boys take them across the room to the "finished stack." I know it sounds simple but it has had a profound effect on our life. The concreteness of seeing what was to be done and what was finished was so very significant. The baskets have an assortment of things in them from flashcards and a book, to a workbook, or even a puzzle. It was very important that a couple of baskets had a drawing pad or a puzzle which they considered tolerable, if not almost a fun activity.
2. Ms. Moore noticed that Caleb has a hard time hearing some sounds....not that he has hearing problems, just he doesn't hear correctly or something. She recommended a program called Earobics that he plays on the computer everyday. They all three play it everyday. Yep, even Annabelle.
3. We talked a lot about Seth getting involved so that the boys have someone else other than me for accountability.
4. She recommended looking into Mothers Morning Out for Annabelle possibly once a week.
5. I also decided to rethink my aerobics class schedule mainly because we all function so much better in the mornings rather than afternoon.

Things started going better after that. much better. Annabelle goes to a neighbor's house one morning a week and I changed my class schedule so we were home 4 out of 5 mornings of the week. We are using the basket system for better organization. Attitudes have gotten better and skills have improved.


I decided a while back that the only downside to homeschooling (in my opinion) is this: Children tend to behave the worst for their mother. Honestly, I cringe when I write this but I do have to admit the tendency is there for most kids. I am quite sure that at least Adam would not have a meltdown and fall in the floor crying over reading a book if he were in a classroom setting and with a teacher. (not so sure about Caleb) I have considered this and given it a lot of thought. My mom has spent some time with the boys since then doing schoolwork to help with this issue. A friend and I even took turns reading with the other's boys a few times.

HOWEVER, I have come to another conclusion.....of course not on my own. As a parent we do our best to look at an issue and consider what is going on in our child's heart. Shepherding a Child's Heart is a book that explains it all so much better.... you should read it. For example, the unders battle with Annabelle was a major heart issue rather than just a physical thing. It really comes down to what is going on in my boys hearts when they act like jerks and don't want to do their school work. Sure, it is because the work is hard and they would rather be playing, but it is also due to a rebellious spirit toward me. Which needs to be dealt with......... now while they are young.
Should I add that I should do all of this with a compassionate heart toward my children? Again, thank God that his mercies are new every morning and I do not have to rely on myself to take care of their souls.


That may be over-simplifying it all but it is all I can muster up for the blog at this point.

So we push on through and I try to keep things fun and interactive, but they still must do handwriting everyday. And sometimes that means that we just work through a math worksheet. But other days it means that we play monopoly for our math lesson or we draw pictures of the book we are reading as another. By the way, that book is The Education of Little Tree right now which is awesome and another reason I love homeschooling my children. We are laughing. We are crying. We are learning. I remember reading that book as a sixth grader and am ashamed to admit that I hated it then. I think it had more to do with not liking my teacher and that my friends hated it than the book itself. I love it now.

This is a picture Seth took of the boys this past weekend when they drove up to Johnson City, TN to pick up Seth's cousin, DJ, who is a truck driver. The boys were highly impressed with his rig.

We were searching through the hand-me-downs in the basement for cleats and found these size 8 footy pajamas. Adam thought they were hilarious and has taken to wearing them every night.




Annabelle is at that point where she could use a nap, but if she takes one she won't be sleepy until 10pm. Therefore, the nap has been officially dropped. Sometimes she does fall asleep in the late afternoon and this particular time she just happened to be having a snack at the bar!

*It just dawned on me that I should probably go back and add that the boys are "behind" in reading and handwriting. Math is fine and of course they don't test their knowledge on revolutionary and civil war happenings! Plus you should see Caleb chop wood or ride one of those rip-sticks! :)