Tamales?

This was a good day today. I went to the gym and did a Zumba class and I didn't totally suck at it. I can see that I am getting a little bit better. Now that I am sitting here thinking about it, I can't believe that I do a Zumba class. I guess you never know where the road will take you, right?

I was also able to be amazingly productive with homeschool work. Eli did a lot of stuff in a very short amount of time. I am realizing the value of doing projects. We are currently working on adding a math resource book. Today it was ordinals. It probably took about 20 minutes to add the information to two pages of the book. I am going to try to be very consistent at adding things so that he can fill up the entire book. He is  my guinea pig. I will be able to see what worked and what didn't and then use it as a model for Harry and Julia in the fall. I am certain that Julia will just love it and Harry is pretty artsy also. Now I need to add a science journal to the mix and then history folders as well. We have been doing history folders and I want to see it through for the rest of the school year.

I am realizing more clearly that the core curriculum only takes about 90 minutes to get through. But I really want to do much more with the kids. I am going to really search out projects we can do throughout the year so that we have something to show for what we have done. It is very rewarding to see things 'published'.

Rinar has been mentoring a business student at the University of Utah and in gratitude, he brought us a huge helping of homemade tamales. His mom made them and I thought they were delicious. However, I was riding solo on that one. I don't think Rinar really cared for them and all the kids weren't good at hiding their dislike of the authentic Mexican meal. So I was left with a ton of tamales that I know for a fact will not getting eaten unless they are eaten by me. I love the tamales but I don't want to eat them for the next two weeks straight. So, I took a bunch over to Melissa and Brad's house. It is nice to share and it is also nice not to waste.

Winter Homeschool Convention

Once again, this week was an absolute whirlwind and it ended with the winter homeschool convention in Ogden today. I am so glad that I could go. The drive up was a bit harrowing as there was a pretty good snowstorm this morning. I went with my one homeschool friend Rebekah. I feel like I got a lot of valuable things from it.

I attended one class where she showed us how to do different kinds of lap books and journals that will really be a wonderful resource for my kids. I know that Eli and Harry will just love it. I am excited to start working on some of it with them. This was a practical class. But I also attended some inspirational classes. 

My first class was taught by a Fijian gentleman and I was surprised with how much I liked it. These are my notes from the class.

Clarity - How to Accomplish Goals

by Aisake Vuikadavu

“Innergy Mentor”

Common knowledge is not common action

1.  Rely on a Higher Power. Trust God. Pick one thing and just go for it. I will choose a path and start walking and if it is the wrong path, trust that God will tell me. God helps me when I am moving! Take any direction and God will give me guidance.

2. Focus on the process, not on the goal. Let the prize be the process, not just the end result. Once I get the reward, then it can all fall apart, but the process can be applied to anything in life. If I don’t have a process, it won’t have a lasting effect on my life. Make a plan, then put my head down and work. Even bigger goals may come up uninvited.

3. Keep the big goals quiet. When I share with others, it can feel like I have accomplished something, and then its over. Share with an accountability partner only. It protects me from negative feedback, apathy, and criticism.

4. Slow down to speed up. Take it nice and slow. Hold my space, be ok that I will mess up and be embarrassed, but be steady and allow myself grace. Be consistent and do it correctly. When I go slow, I go further.

There are ways to breakthrough the road blocks and filters: reputation, intensity, large body movements, and music, which is a back door into my mind.

I also liked what I heard from Gretchen Rubin in one of her podcasts. She said to just act the way you feel. If I want to feel energetic and productive, then just act that way and the feelings will soon follow. I think the simplicity of that statement is beautiful. 

I had circled a class on my schedule that looked pretty good but when I went to get a seat it was super full. I refused to sit on the ground so I went for another option and ended up in one of my favorite classes of the day.

12 Steps to Avoiding Homeschool Burnout

by Glenn Kimber

If you are not trying, you are not learning…

1.Receive a confirmation from the Holy Spirit that it is the right thing for you to home school. Then let the Spirit guide. The Spirit will not direct you to fail. Children were sent to you from Heavenly Father with a specific purpose here on Earth. You were selected to be their guides. YET - if you don’t understand something, just say I don’t understand it yet. The Spirit will not direct you to fail. People tend to behave according to what they believe. You will have confidence in what you are most familiar with. Familiar knowledge is the greatest blessing and the greatest enemy.

2. Do not take counsel from your fears. Know the difference between inspiration and desperation.

3. Avoid duplicating the public education system. If it was working for your family, you wouldn’t be inspired to seek something else. You tutor, but the Spirit teaches. Teach them to stand out, not fit in. Public schools destroy the need of a family.

4. Eliminate the stigma of “homeschooling” which is looked upon with negativity by many, and replace it with the concept of “home tutoring”. School means you look to a pattern that is failing. Tell people they are being privately tutored.

5.  Where to begin? Diagnostic testing! You will gain confidence when you discover the weaknesses and strengths of your children’s current knowledge and abilities. When you use PROPER testing, you will be able to discern their attitude towards life and learning through diagnostic testing. Test kids every 90 days, if not moving academically 1 year every 90 days, you need to change your approach. You are training leadership, not followship.

6. Make sure that ALL the curriculum you choose is based on God, family, and country, and select it according to student interest and level of learning - not age. You don’t have time for anything else. Children looked to mothers for guidance and to fathers for acceptance.

7. Use and encourage creativity and talents in all subjects. They can write it, teach it, perform it, record it, paint it, show it, memorize it. Then they’ll love it, and it will become part of their personality and character - not just their memory. If you want them to remember forever, put it into a poem, a picture, or music. Use it creatively and they will remember.

8. Remember that the greatest learning takes place in the mornings. To enhance better learning, everyone should be dressed and ready for school - not lounging in pjs (which unmotivates). Dress for success every school morning. Studies have shown one hour before noon is equivalent to two hours in the afternoon, and 3 hours after 4pm. Statistically it doesn’t work to do it late.  Get up and eat breakfast and then get to work. Heavenly Father’s favorite number is 3 and 12!

9. Focus on “LOVE of learning”. When frustration or negativity sets in, change the scenery, have a snack, sing a song, go for a walk, say a prayer. Then return to the task when ready. “Solutions never come from a negative frame of mind.” Regain the Spirit when it turns negative. The best way to the heart is through the stomach, but jumping down the throat is no short cut.

10. Create as many opportunities as possible for the children to give their knowledge away. This involves practicing to share their knowledge with others - any group, any individual, any relative. Knowledge is only theirs as they give it away. The more they give it away, the more it becomes theirs. Thank you notes are great.

11. Children look to mother for guidance, and they look to father for acceptance. This teamwork gels as mothers correct and guide, and fathers praise good efforts. Remember that RELATIONSHIP is more important than SCHOLARSHIP.

12. Follow the example the Lord uses to ISOLATE leaders, so they can be INSULATED against the world, and then go into the world as leaders, not followers. They are in the world, but not of it. Instead of our youth trying to “fit in” to the ways of the world, they will have strength and confidence to “stand out” as leaders - when they have been properly isolated and insulated, they will be sent out from the home to be leaders in the world. Keep them home until you have insulated them from the world.

As I was listening to this presentation I came to a realization that I need to reexamine Julia and her school situation. I have never really been super happy with her going to public school, even if it is a charter school. I don't want her to sharpen any of her edges. I know she needs to be around me as much as possible. So I am really going to pray and meditate on it and decide what to do for her next year. Plus, I honestly think it will be better for our family as it will simplify our family and not divide my loyalties at all. I will make the decision and I know that the Lord will provide a way for me to do it.

So, it was a good and productive day for me, a nice reset button, shot in the arm kind of day. Every homeschool mom needs those every so often.

A Little Kid Update

Life keeps marching on in our household. Holidays are done and vacation is done.  I guess now we are just living. I have been consistently doing homeschool with Eli. He is such a bright boy. He astounds me. He reads, computes, and comprehends so well. I am grateful that he is a willing learning who remembers what is taught. Of course, lately he does give me a bit a push back. Eli will get interested in something else in the morning, like Lego creations or a puzzle and doesn't want to stop. It can get a bit dicey, but once I throw down the hammer and he cracks the books open, he does really well. Someday it is going to sink in that school will be done everyday, no matter what. But that realization has not happened to him yet.

Harry is such a neat kid. And he is a puzzle savant. I recently went to the thrift store and picked up a slew of puzzles in the 100-200 piece range. I think I bought 6 or 7. In one morning, he did every single one.  Then I went back to the thrift store and got some more. This time I was looking solely for 300 piece puzzles. I bought 5 of them. Sure enough, he has solved all of them. You can comfortably say that he really, really likes puzzles.

Puzzles have never really been Julia's thing. However, if the puzzle has an interesting subject matter like Barbie or Power Puff Girls, Julia is more than willing to give it a try. Her mind definitely does not work in the same way as Harry's. It is much more of a challenge to complete a puzzle and a year ago she couldn't do it. But I am happy to say that she has made a ton of progress in this area. 

A nice homeschool mom in Draper has graciously started a Lego club at the Draper library. For the longest time, we couldn't make it. But I have been trying to get them there on a more regular basis. The first week, I got a lot of resistance from Harry. But once he put his foot in the door the first time, he was hooked!

Eli loves it, too!

 As for Noelle, she is an unmitigated stinker at this point in her life. She climbs into, onto, over, and under everything. In this instance, she pulled out this drawer in the kitchen and climbed right in. I also found her dancing in the toilet! I put a picture of that on Instagram.  After the toilet incident, I went to Walmart and bought a bunch safety gates to keep her out of stuff.  But really, I wouldn't have it any other way.

A Report on School

The twins have completed one full week of public education. So far, it has lived up to my expectations of being a major disappointment.

The school spent six entire days reviewing rules, policies, procedures, rules, and more rules. In terms of a percentage, I would gather to say this ate up more than 80% of the time for those six days. I actually talked to the principal about it. No, I am not exaggerating...like, at all. I asked him why and he told me that it is a really large school (1500 students) and the rules take time to teach and implement. I am just going to let this fact speak for itself, but it would be an understatement to say that I am more than a little bit ticked off.

And it did not take a week for Zach to get called a name by a punk in one of his classes. Let's just say, he came home this week and asked me what the word F-A-G meant. That's right. This is the wonderful socialization my kids have missed out on for the first seven years of their schooling lives.

Last week the Deseret News had a front page story titled "Back to (Home) School". I eagerly read it and then rolled my eyes a lot. First of all, it is the same tired story the media runs repeatedly. Same facts, same format, just insert a new family into the mix. It is another example of the drive-by media at its best. They have a formula they have already created in their socially-constructed newsroom and then they just fill in the blanks, kind of like Mad-Libs, but dumber and not as funny.

And of course to be a well-balanced, impartial story they include the nay-sayers. This time it was the president of the Utah teacher's union.

Professional educators counter that truly effective teaching is difficult. Utah Education Association President Sharon Gallagher-Fishbaugh even described the profession as being "rocket science."

"Those who feel that they are able to do this job without any training, I think don’t have a big picture or a complete understanding of the complexity of teaching," she said. "There is definitely a science to teaching and there is an art to teaching, and you really can’t have one without the other and be a good teacher."

She said the role of parents, in any form of education, cannot be understated and that any good teacher recognizes that parents know their child's needs better than anyone.

But she added that teachers are trained to look at student learning from pedagogical and developmental viewpoints, which goes beyond simply presenting children with information about a subject.

There is also a benefit to having an objective teacher involved in the education of a child, Gallagher-Fishbaugh said. In her own experience, she believed her children "walked on water" but was often surprised by the insight she gained from parent teacher conferences.

"It was something that I, as a parent, couldn’t see through the fog of my love and my adoration for my angelic child," she said.

This statement is insulting on so many levels.

First of all, teaching is like rocket science?!? Really? She's joking, right? Do you remember all of those "rocket scientist" teachers that taught you when you were in school?  I can't seem to recall any.  I can list a ton of my teachers who were barely average at best. There were a few absolute gems, of course. But to equate teaching to this level of sophistication is beyond hubris, it is down right silly. Yes, she recognizes that parental input is important but then in almost the same breath completely disregards it.

Truly effective teaching is NOT difficult. Ridiculous! Absurd!! When I take the time, sit down with my child in a learning environment, crack open a book, read it, discuss it, research more, do a project, etc, etc, learning prospers and it is amazing. And I have the benefit of doing it one-on-one. I don't have to manage 35 children. And the resources are googol on Google. There is no ending to where we can go with it.

And yes, I think I have a perfect grasp of the big picture. And I have the luxury of not wasting six, count it...1, 2, 3, 4, 5, 6 entire days going over rules. Wouldn't you say that is really missing the BIG picture?

I also understand the complexity of it, as I understand that teaching the facts, presenting accurate information and making sure it is mastered is grasping the 'complexity' of what education is all about. I remember taking an education class in college and being absolutely appalled at the expert 'training' future teachers were receiving. The most absurd moment came when the professor asked what was more important to teach, facts or self-esteem. The most disturbing part was that a lot of these future teachers said self-esteem. How do you teach that, exactly? It seems to me in my untrained, non-rocket scientist mind that self-esteem is a product of hard work, accomplishment, knowledge, and actions. It is not something you attain in and of itself. Kids know when they are not fabulous and know when you are lying to them. Just like you can't feel love for someone just by existing. Love takes work and is a consequence of that work.

Hence, in my simple, backwoods, ignorant way I actually open up books and delve into subjects with my kids and engage their minds in new, unexplored areas.  In the end, I know that the big picture is to teach my kids HOW to think and not what to think. I believe it is exactly the opposite in the public schools.

And news flash, lady. I have met a whole lot of homeschool moms, and I can bet my exposure to different homeschoolers outweighs hers by about a killion. I have never, not once, thought my kids walked on water and I can certainly attest to the fact the majority, minus a few, were the same. We would sit for hours talking about what to do with this problem or that, trying to think of a new way to reach out and engage our children in dynamic learning. This is truth!  This is Realville. Because, and only because, we are on the front-lines of education day after day after day, we know intimately what is going on and where are kids are at physically, mentally, and emotionally. We don't come from a place where we send our kids off 35 hours a week and never see them and have not a clue what is going on. I think that is where a parent can get delusional about how fabulous their kid is. I know my kids are fabulous, absolutely, but they are very flawed, just like every other human being that walks the earth.

And this gets me to my next point that really annoys me. Why is that homeschoolers are held to this ridiculous standard when it comes to socialization?  Why do we even talk about this, like, ever?  Why don't we just turn the finger around and point it at the public schools for a minute? It is as if for some reason society has held this public institution up as the gold standard for a place of perfect socialization training. Seriously? You mean to tell me you never met any weird, awkward, strange, outcast type person who came out of high school? I seem to remember at my high school there being tables and tables of them in the lunchroom. In addition, there were tables and tables of mean, clickish, snobby kids as well. And tables and tables of drug-addicts and bimbos. You were not liked unless you wore the right shoes, had the right haircut, and stylish, over-priced clothes, or owned the latest electronic gadget. You were made fun of if you enjoyed answering the teachers questions in class, ala Hermoine Granger, or did extra to excel and reach your fullest potential or had a desire to actually learn 'information' at school. Has it really changed since I was there? Or maybe, has gotten even worse?

The successfully socialized student ends up like everyone else. Sounds pretty boring to me!

On the flip side, when my kids went to the playground with a horribly matched outfit they put together themselves, dirty face, and ratty, bed head hair, there was a smiling, genuine face there to greet them. There was no name-calling, and if it did happen rarely, punishment was swift and severe. My kids were able to see other kids for the glorious, wonderful, unique individuals that they were. My kids are comfortable speaking to adults and younger kids alike. Are there awkward homeschoolers who live up to the stereotype? Of course, but compared to what comes out of public schools...are you kidding me?

With all of this said, here I am with my twins in public school. Like I mentioned before, I am only human and putting them is school is for me and not them. I need a break to regroup and get my little kids on the homeschooling path.

Eli is now reading on a second-grade level, his math skills are stupendous, his comprehension is top-notch. However, handwriting is more difficult for him and he is going to have to work on improving it. Harry is doing well also, but he does have a hard time pronouncing his R's, L's, and C's clearly. I have thought about speech therapy but I don't want to be hasty. Julia is great with handwriting and drawing but math is going to be a struggle for her. I will just have to take it slowly to make sure she masters each step before she moves on.

See, they are all fabulous, but they certainly do not walk on water.

Public School

Yes, my twins are now in public school, 7th grade to be exact.

It was not a decision I came to lightly. It has been building for a while. This past school year was rather difficult. We had just moved from Reno, I was pregnant and gave birth at the end of September. Then I found myself being stretched thin by the demands of six children of such varying ages. It was not easy. Somehow, I managed to make it through fairly unscathed with Raef and Zach still progressing in their studies. They did a homeschool charter school, which did give them more accountability, especially when it came to science.

However, as the school year progressed I found that I could not be my best for everyone. And in order for this to be successful, Raef and Zach had to do more work independently, which was feasible for both of them. Yet I found myself constantly at war with them, trying to keep them on track. And when I would stick my head into the room to make sure they were working, they rarely ever were. They were always monkeying around. Grrrr....

Something had to give. When I informed them both that I was seriously contemplating putting them in public school, the reaction was polar opposite. Raef was relieved and Zach was fearful. I allayed his fears by pointing out that it was a temporary arrangement and not a life sentence. I needed a break from them to regroup and focus on Eli, Harry, and Julia. I felt it was essential to get the little ones going on a school schedule and create a 'school' mentality for them. With Zach, I assured him that he could always come back home after I got the break I needed.

I took Zach to tour the school in March and we poked our heads around to see this beautiful, state-of-the-art facility that was in its inaugural year. The building was very impressive. Zach seemed to warm to the idea. Raef also did the tour with Rinar, so they could both see what it would be like.

After much prayer and fasting, I felt it would be the right thing for our family. And frankly, in the whole scheme of things, 7th grade does not matter. Last Tuesday was the open house for the school. There were a ton of people there. Wowzers! The school seemed alright. There are some definite pluses to sending them, but the negatives are equally present. For right now, I think I can deal with the negatives. At least I hope I can.

The kids woke up insanely early on Wednesday. They were very anxious to get to school on time. They packed their lunches, took their book bags, and hit the road at about 6:55am. They are fortunate to be able to ride their bikes to school. It is really close. And when they got home, they both seemed positive about it.

The second was not as positive for one of them. Any guesses?  Yep, Zach informed me that he did not want to do this whole public school thing anymore.  Nothing dramatic happened. He is okay. He is just a homeschooler at heart, I think. I told him that he absolutely was staying in school until Christmas, barring any unforeseen disasters. About an hour after our conversation, Zach wanted to know what day Christmas was on. Hmmm...

Raef, on the other hand, absolutely loves it. And he even gets a bit defensive defending his school. I have not been happy with the fact that they have gone for three days and not done a darn thing, besides rules explanations, getting-to-know-you games and paperwork. It is ridiculous. All this wasted time when they could be learning something. But Raef did not want to hear me complain about it.  Sheesh. I have a feeling homeschooling is in the rear view mirror for him. As long as he continues to be a nice person and he progresses academically, I am okay with that. But mostly, as long as he is a nice person. That is the most important thing of all.

This week should start the academics. I hope they do well.  Zach is going to struggle with being organized, but we will work on it together and I think he will learn quickly.

The End of Summer is Near

I was at the store and on a whim bought Noelle and Julia a matching outfit. It is their first one. I found that it was hard to get the right sizes when Noelle was small, but now that she is easing into 12  month stuff, it will be a lot easier. I think I am going to look forward to many more matching clothes. It is just too cute.  

We had Breken stay at our house last week and it was a lot of fun. He is just the best kid and fits right in with the rest of us. By Thursday, the house was so trashed. I finally told everyone, including Breken, that if we cleaned it up really well I would take everyone to Leatherby's for some ice cream. Bingo!  They all pitched in and helped get our place tidy again. And the ice cream wasn't too bad, either.

Right after ice cream, I took the little kids over to Katie C.'s house. Her daughter Molly was having her 4 year-old birthday bash. Katie rented a bouncy water slide and the kids had a blast playing on it for a few hours. It was hard to get them to leave.

Then on Saturday, I dropped Raef and Zach off at the Carolina Hills trailhead to help build a trail for their merit badge. The volunteer coordinator Mike sent me this picture of my boys working hard. He said they did a great job. And like a mentioned before, they now have their merit badge for this one. Thank goodness.

Things are starting to fill up on the calendar for this fall. I guess that is what happens when you have 5 kids doing five different things. Life is about to get crazy for a few months. Raef and Zach will be heading off to Draper Park Middle School this fall. We are going to try out public school this year because I need a break and a chance to really focus on my little kids and get them going academically. I just can't see myself doing it well if Raef and Zach are home and I am pulled in a million different directions. It is just too  much for me right now. I know my limits.

Eli is finishing up the 100 Easy Lessons book and he is becoming quite a good reader. I am very pleased. I would like to have that done before the end of next week. I also ordered his school books and they should be here soon. My plan is to send the boys off to school early every day, then get the little ones up, do a few chores, practice violin, and then head off on an adventure every morning to get all of the wiggles out. Then we will come home and put Noelle down for a nap and do school work. This time I plan on doing most things separate. That means I am going to set up little stations and rotate them through each one. One will be with me and then there will be an electronics station for educational games and then a hands-on puzzle/game type station. I hope that I can keep all three of them intellectually engaged for a few hours every afternoon.

This is totally going to work...right?!?!?

The bottom line is that all of my kids are ready to have some mental stimulation and challenges to help them grow. My school room and play rooms are all cleaned out and I think I am about ready to go. I sure hope it works out even somewhat close to what I am thinking. But I guess the most important thing with homeschooling is the ability to be flexible.

We shall see.

Golden Spike Trip Fail

And here is where I got this "brilliant" idea to take my kids on an educational field trip. My garden was all planted, tests were completed, pretty much all of their schoolwork was done. It was time to get out there in the world. I drove the kids up on Thursday to see the Golden Spike National Monument. It is about a two hour drive from our house. 

Everything was going really well here in these pictures. I took them when we arrived at the place. It was just after this that I began to question my sanity. Insert eye roll and excessively long sigh here...

The little kids acted just the way I expected them to. The problem was that Raef and Zach were not interested in this at all, no matter how I tried to engage them. They were so distracted by everything. I had difficult time getting them to read anything or look at anything. You get the picture. It was pretty darn frustrating. We saw some of the demonstration where they actually drive the train down the track a bit. And then I waved the white flag, put the kids in the car, turned the music up, and drove home. 

We are supposed to go out east this Saturday for an American history trip of epic proportions. It ought to be interesting to see how it goes. But I am not holding my breath.

School School School

This past week was all about education. I did an audit of Raef and Zach's progress and realized that they were lagging behind in a few things. Therefore, I counted everything out and divvied it up based on the number of weeks we have left.  All of their schoolwork must get completed before May 28. And this is the first year these kids have to take an end of year state exam. The pressure is on. They worked hard to complete all of their assignments, plus a little bit more. We were pretty much hermits, working hard to get the momentum rolling.

I also am going to start doing more "school" with my little ones. Harry begs me all the time to do school. He just loves it. He loves workbooks and assignments and attacks it all with gusto.  We did a bunch of different stuff on Wednesday and in this picture, they wrote their names at the top of the sheet they did. I was pretty impressed.

I also broke down and got a tablet with the express intent of using it to supplement their education. Instead of plunking them in front of the television to keep them quiet while I help Raef and Zach, I am going to plunk them in front of the tablet where they can practice letters, sounds, reading, and math. Might as well take advantage of technology, right?

And Eli was very proud of this cargo plane he built. He insisted on the picture.

Rinar had a long week of work again, gone to the nether regions of the western United States. But we were really glad to see him again. Noelle was especially happy to see her daddy.

And man, oh man. Noelle has really entered phase two of babyhood. She is starting to "get" places some way or another. I don't even know how. She is also started to grab things and puts everything in her mouth. Now the pressure is on to keep the floor clear of all potentially deadly items.  

As if I didn't have enough to do...

My Life This Week

It is amazing what happens when you eat a whole bunch of vegetables. Surprisingly enough, I have a lot more energy today. Life has been moving along for our family. I haven't really felt that inspired to blog, but I figure I can just start writing something and then maybe the creative juices will start flowing again.

It is intimidating to move into a new house, especially one with vast and empty wall space.  Where do I hang the pictures? I don't feel like my life is complete until the pictures are hung, but it feels like such a commitment to decide where to put them.  Like the unraveling of a scroll, I am starting to find a place for everything. I just have to keep reminding myself that nothing is permanent. If I don't like it, I can always put it somewhere else.

I am trying to get all of my children involved in learning and some kind of school. They are all getting old enough to do something now. This week, we started some preschool stuff and Eli, Harry, and Julia seemed to enjoy it. Naturally, we had to start with the letter A.

I found a few things online and we did those activities. We made a silly letter A lady and sang some songs and did rhymes. I also checked out "The Letter Factory" from the library. Julia really liked to watch it, Harry was somewhat interested, and Eli really didn't care for it.  I think it is a little below where he is right now.  But I did push on with reading lessons for him.  He is pretty bright, but does have reading tendencies like Raef. I hope that I will be able to deal with that better this time around. I guess I will find out really soon.

I am going to be getting two new callings in church: Primary pianist and Webelos leader.  Piano will be fun and I am grateful for the chance to really develop that skill to another level.  As for Webelos, I thought I was done with Cub Scouts for a while, but I guess I will get to enjoy it from another angle this time around.

My pregnancy is going well, as far as I can tell. I feel good and have lots of energy.  I am trying to remain positive about everything and I do feel that my attitude is changing a bit. I do have a lot of anxiety about the impending c-section, but I guess I am just going to not think about it. It is completely out of my control and I will just have to put my trust in the Lord, and the doctors.

Rinar headed out to St. George today with Raef and Julia. He is competing in the St. George Half Ironman. I hope he survives, as he has not had the luxury of being able to train very much, with all of the craziness we have experienced over the past few months.  But he seems confident that he will manage it just fine, so I can only hope for the best. It will be nice to have a few days with fewer kids. It will be a nice break.

Homeschool Christmas Dinner

I decided to host an adult-only Christmas dinner at my house this past Thursday. I invited many of my homeschool friends to join us.  It was a lot of work, but it was worth it.

 

 I worked on it sporadically for several days and nothing but the dinner on Thursday. In order to accomodate 14 guests, I had to do some rearranging of the furniture. I made a dining room in our front living room and set up three tables. The kitchen dining area was for visiting, appetizers, and the buffet table. I was calm all day, setting things up and really enjoying the process of creating beauty. It is just nice to create beautiful things. I was also fortunate enough to have some help in the afternoon, when my visiting teacher Corrie stopped by to help me. She was such a lifesaver.

 

The only harrowing time was about 6:15pm when the entire house was billowing with smoke, a mere 15 minutes before the guests were supposed to arrive. I freaked out just a wee bit.  I was cooking my bacon-wrapped dates in the oven and used one lipless tray, which was a huge mistake. The grease from the bacon spilled onto the bottom of the oven, causing a horrible smoke invasion. After every door in the house was opened, the smoke cleared out just in time.

 

L to R: Alisa D., Alison C., Kelley R., Maureen F., Pamela L., Gillian D., and Stephanie C.

 

I served beef round tip, salmon, tomato soup, mixed green salad with a balsamic vinagrette, fingerling potatoes, carrot cake cup cakes (made by my totally awesome church friend Rose) and a black tie mousse cake from Costco. Besides the desserts, I made everything myself.  The food turned out really well.

 

None of my guests are members of our church and it was so good to have them in my home, to break down barriers. For example, Josh (a lay minister in his church) was surprised to learn that we worship Jesus Christ and not Joseph Smith. He figured that out from a quote by Ezra Taft Benson I have in my house that says, "When you choose to follow Christ, you choose to be changed." We were able to have a productive discussion about what we do believe as Mormons. I was grateful to be able to share that with him.

 

 


Mark R., Rinar, and T.J.

 

Jason, Josh, and Alison's husband.

 

After dinner, I showed them a clip from the Mormon Tabernacle Christmas concert from a few years ago; a story about Henry Wadsworth Longfellow. Then we sang a few songs and wrapped up the evening.

 

 

I am so grateful to have homeschool friends, women who are so grounded and loving and supportive. I hope I can continue to do this every year.

Ice Skating and Bethlehem

After our regular morning of gymnastics and schoolwork, we headed up to Truckee, California for some ice skating and Christmas celebrating.  We met our homeschool friends Kelley R. and her kids for ice skating at Northstar ski resort. It was actually pretty warm, until it got dark and then I was kind of wishing I brought a warmer coat. But overall, it was okay.

 

I was not that thrilled about ice skating myself, but I really wanted all of my kids to experience it and I couldn't slough it off on Rinar, because he was not there. I strapped on the ice skates and got out there.  It was pretty dicey at the beginning. I really didn't want to fall, and it was compounded by the fact that neither did Harry or Julia. They desperately clung to the railings or me for a while. But they kept going out there and after a while we all got a lot more comfortable, especially with Kelley there to help me.

 

 

 

Later in the afternoon, more homeschool friends started arriving and the skating rink got busy and more enjoyable. It was also nice that we could get warm by the many fires around the rink. Unlike Harry, Zach and Raef did not want to leave.  They really got a lot better skating.  Zach informed me that it was so fun and he rated it an 8.5 out of 10. I think Raef gave it a 9.5 out of 10.

 

Once it was dark and quite cold, we headed over to Sierra Bible Church in Truckee for a night in Bethlehem. The church went all out recreating Bethlehem. The kids were given Bethlehem costumes to wear as they went through the marketplace. The church really thought everything out and it was a blast. None of my little ones wanted to leave.

 

 

It was a fun day.

A Time to Nurture

This is what my morning looked like a few days ago. What can I say? I am a very blessed woman.

Life has been moving forward at a rapid pace. It is like, wow, one day I look at my kids and realize...they are growing up. Each day they make new connections and demonstrate a little bit more independence. And the more independent they become, the more I can start to see who they will be and the kind of personality they are going to have as an adult. It is such a privilege to be able to be a part of it.

We have been doing a lot of nurturing lately and I am grateful for it.  I have recommitted myself to reading the scriptures and the pay off is already becoming evident. Each morning, I have been reading on my own. I finished the Book of Mormon again and am delving into the Pearl of Great Price. The Book of Mormon is my greatest treasure. I just love that book and every time I read it, I rediscover myself to a whole new level. I develop an even stronger relationship with God and things become so clear.  It is a priceless treasure. I wish that everyone in this world would simply read the book. But most importantly, I want my kids to read it. So every night, we have been reading together: Rinar, Raef, Zach, and me. I can't even tell you how many incredible discussions we have been able to have with our kids because of the Book of Mormon.  Their questions are profound and I know they are building their testimonies of what truth really is.

But still, in the world we live in today, I know that this is not going to be enough for them. Therefore, I added the seminary curriculum to our homeschool day. Currently, we are studying the New Testament and I have cherished every lesson. I just love reading the Bible with Raef and Zach. I know that as their spirits are strengthened and their hearts are softened, Bible study is helping them with their academics also. The best part is being able to feel a measure of the Spirit every day. 

Life is so good right now. I know that Heavenly Father can make so much more of me than I ever could. And so I am just going to let Him.

Eagle Co-op Is Done

We wrapped up homeschool co-op on Thursday. It is really nice to be done. I was running out of clever ideas for my class.  Eli took a couple of classes this semester. He has graduated out of the preschool scene.  His first one was a manners class. They did a few skits for their finale and Eli played a rude boy who bumps into a girl and says, "Move it!"  I think this kid has a future on the stage. It was riveting!

I taught a class on Tudor England.  I made up an interactive game I think I will call The Spanish Armada.  It was a lot like Candyland, except a little more violent. Every time they landed on Spanish Armada they would all run around the room and then back to their seats. Many a time someone almost got trampled or did in fact, get trampled.  I was still working out the kinks, okay? Some squares awarded them with candy, a few involved push-ups, jumping jacks, diving under the table. It was VERY educational!

I snuck out the last few minutes of my class to see Eli once again performing with his music class. He was right there in the middle singing a song about Thanksgiving and Jesus. I loved it!

Raef and Zach were in non-performance type classes. Zach learned cooking, textile arts, and earth science. Raef had self-defense, study hall, and then my totally awesome history class. Julia and Harry graduated out of the kiddie room to the preschool room.  It was a great year.  We are looking forward to starting again in February. 

I asked the boys from my class what kind stuff we should do next year. Yes, my class is exclusively for boys about 10 years old.  They want to learn about modern warfare. Oh boy. I am really going to be tapping my dad's prodigious brain cells for good ideas in that arena. It should be interesting.

Six Flags Homeschool Day

We did something wacky on Monday. I took the boys and went to Six Flags in Vallejo, California.  We left early in the morning and caravaned with another homeschool family; Christine, Dan, and their kids Nate and Camryn.  They also brought a few of their public school friends who were off on Monday because of Veteran's Day.

It was a blast. We stopped and ate a big meal before we went to the park at Denny's and then went to have some fun. There were absolutely no lines and the weather was beautiful.  

The boys rode a lot of roller coaster and we did take a look at many of the animals there, like the tigers and walruses and a beautiful butterfly garden.

It was a long day.  I had a hard time keeping my eyes open driving home, but we managed to get back safely. I hope we can go again next year.