Scattered

My brain feels a little scattered these days. It's hard not to spiral downward in my mind when faced with the combination of the corona virus, upcoming election, and racial tensions. This morning, I decided that when those anxieties start rising, I should let them be a trigger to pray. I can bring my uncertainties, questions, confusions, and doubts to Jesus. He's big enough to handle them, and He's not scared of them. I remember someone telling me late one night in my 20s outside an Applebee's restaurant: "God loves the conversation you're in the middle of right now with Him." If I come to Him and dialogue with Him (in the middle of my mess), He meets me there. I need His peace to guard my heart and mind in Christ Jesus (Phil 4:7), which happens as I turn my worries into prayers, telling Him what I need and thanking Him for what He has done (Phil 4:6).

The Everyday

There's a lot of "everyday" lately. Another day. Same ol', same ol'. Setting up the pins for knocking them down. I'm trying to enjoy these moments and not wish them away.

(poem written on 11-23-14)

I seek to be grateful

    for the beauty

        in the everyday

People whose kids have grown

    or whose loved ones are gone

        talk about "giving anything"

            for one more story,

                one more phone call

                    one more goodbye

And I think of the times

    I've hurried through stories at bedtime

        or wished away boring days at home

and I am determined

    to revel in the mundane

        to celebrate the ordinary

            and to enjoy every day

            (and to enjoy the everyday)

(poem written on 12-2-14)

Few things delight me more

    than to hear my boys giggle hysterically

It usually begins with Carter

    being in a goofy, ready-to-laugh mood

        and Calvin

    knocking some object onto the floor

One laughs,

    which makes the other laugh,

        which makes the other laugh more.

Three-year-old giggles are cute,

    but baby giggles on top of that --

        sheer delight

Now I hear 2-year-old and 1-year-old giggles! :-)

Ten Things - children's museums

Ten Things!

1. The 6 of us visited the Cincinnati Children's Museum and became members in February of 2020, a month before COVID would hit America, shut down everything for several months, and then make indoor, high-traffic, high-touch areas like children's museums very unappealing.
2. It's bizarre to look at movies and pictures pre-COVID because now social distancing is so engrained. Now, we're conditioned to see people 6 feet apart and in masks. 
3. A bunch of objects falling down on your head can feel like a negative glimpse into what is happened these days -- worries piling up, the bottom dropping out, the world falling apart... But maybe I should look with the same anticipation and wonder at the GOOD that is happening all around. Just like these balls or balloons or confetti falling, things falling all around doesn't have to be all bad.
4. This is an hour and a half away, but we figured it would be a good day trip or pit stop on our way to Indiana.
5. Lucas and I love children's museums. We've even visited them without kids. One of our favorites was experiencing the Please Touch museum on our honeymoon in Philly.
6. Some of my other favorites are the Magic House and City Museum in St. Louis (although the City Museum is really in a category by itself), Kentucky Science Center in Louisville, Children's Museum of Indianapolis, Children's Museum of Evansville (Ind), the WonderLab (Bloomington, Ind.), Muncie Children's Museum (Ind.), COSI (Columbus, OH), and the Museum of Science and Industry (Chicago).
7. Once you've been to several, they all start to kind of run together with similar exhibits, but it still is such a fun place to be a kid and PLAY!
8. Our children's museum in Lexington is small and limited, so we usually just go there on free or discounted admission days like MLK Day.
9. Part of being a member of the museum means that you have reciprocal privileges for half-off admission at museums across the country. This past summer, my mom and I were planning on hitting up many of these on our cross-country road trip to Colorado and back through Oklahoma. Sigh. Alas...
10. I keep waiting for that magical time "when the coronavirus is over," but I'm wondering if and when things will ever go back to normal. Now that we're homeschooling, I could see us utilizing a membership here even more than before, but I don't think we'll feel comfortable being in a space like this anytime soon.

Homeschooling Approaches

I've always wanted to teach, but over the years, I've explored different avenues of what that might look like. My main plan through college was to teach at an international school in China. (I ended up not teaching at all when I graduated but working in education indirectly by being a program director at a Boys and Girls Club). I remember visiting a Montessori school, thinking that my education background was a good foundation to possibly teach there. I was surprised, though, when they said that they've found that a background in education can actually be a hindrance since "the Montessori way" is so different than the typical way school is done. I remember them saying there would be a lot of "unlearning" if I chose to pursue Montessori education.

And I'm beginning to think the same thing about homeschooling. Of course, it's helpful to have experience as a teacher, but in many ways, I will be doing a lot of unlearning about what school "should" look like. I grew up in traditional schools and have taught in traditional schools. Homeschooling is a whole other animal, and I'm both excited and terrified about the adventure ahead.

I'll admit this book looks a little dated. It was full of good stuff, though! One section talked about the different styles of homeschooling. I wanted to reflect here on the different approaches because I thought it would be interesting to look back and see a bit of my philosophy of homeschooling here at the beginning of this "great experiment."

Traditional School at Home - People often start here because it's the easiest way to transition to homeschooling.  It keeps family on track with grade-level content, same academic level as age peers. As a kid, I always hated workbooks, so that has translated into not liking them as an adult. My last school was very workbook-heavy, and I tried to opt out of using them whenever possible. At the same time, it does make it easier to plan, and it frees up time to plan creative enrichment.

For this first "trial year," we are starting with some traditional workbooks, even though I'm beginning to think that that won't be our best-fit homeschool style, either for me or for the boys. I did think it would be a good way to transition to homeschooling. I'm also "tutoring" another family three mornings a week, so this will make it easier to assign work to them. 

Here are the printed curriculum resources we plan on using this year:

• Bible - We're not using a specific curriculum for Bible, but for this first semester, we're learning the Bible in 50 Words poem (author unknown) and learning the story for each line. We're also memorizing SwordGrip Old Testament Volume 2, which is 1-3 verses per book of the Bible from Proverbs to Malachi.
• Math - Mammoth Math. It's an online curriculum with options to order the printed materials. I like the no-frills approach, focus on problem-solving, and value. I also like that it's directed toward the students and is often self-taught and self-directed. Carter and Calvin are both a grade ahead in math and are doing fine keeping up so far. 
• Language Arts - The Good and the Beautiful. I like that it covers reading, writing, spelling, grammar, geography, and art; I also like that it's non-denominational Christian. I will probably supplement with writing to get them writing more frequently.
• Science - We've started with the free Marine Biology unit from The Good and the Beautiful. I like that it can be used with all 5 kids (1st grade - 7th grade) and that it is one unit at a time. After this, we're doing a Botany unit, and then we'll make a decision about whether to continue with another unit or try a different curriculum.
• History - We're doing Woke Homeschooling, which is American history with a focus on indigenous peoples and Black history. We do this all together, too, but the first text on the book list is difficult to digest. The curriculum mostly consists of reading together and watching documentaries and then discussing them afterwards.

Classical Education - I have some friends who homeschool this way, often through Classical Education co-ops. It's highly structured, and I don't have much desire at this point to look into it further.

Charlotte Mason - Some key points of this approach are "living books" instead of textbooks, narrative summaries instead of written tests, and nature notebooks. I'm intrigued but haven't looked too closely at what this would actually look like. I like the idea of reading stories and nonfiction from authors passionate about the subject material than just textbooks or reading compilations.

Unit Studies - Rather than subjects being addressed individually, unit studies are theme- or topic-based (historical eras, good books, science topics, cultural exploration) and cover multiple subjects. I LOVE this idea, but it also seems like it would take a lot of work. I had the opportunity to experience this as a kid in the public school setting in 4th - 6th grade. We would spend hours a day on various themes, which would tie to all subjects. These were called INTERACT simulations and were purchased with grant money. I remember creating our own countries, gathering items for a time capsule, competing with other city-states in ancient Greece, writing a newspaper during the WWII era, and creating travel brochures as we learned about the Canadian provinces. I can definitely see myself homeschooling this way once I get some experience under my belt.

Eclectic (or relaxed) - I feel like everyone, to some degree, is an eclectic mix of various methods and curricula and ideologies. 

Interest-initiated or Unschooling - This one intrigues me, but I don't know much about it. It seems like it would be too easy, as a mom, to swing into laziness and consider everything learning! In reality, I think this would require a lot of work to be able to guide them in their own interests. It's not just letting them do whatever they want whenever they want.

School-Sponsored Homeschooling Programs - This was a rarity when the book was published in 2001, but it's actually happening all around the world right now during this COVID-19 pandemic. In Kentucky, most public school districts have begun the year with online instruction. Private schools, like the ones where I've taught for the last 7 years, are doing in-person instruction. We made our decision to homeschool this year before our school district had announced their decision, so part of me has wondered if we should have just stayed with the school district to use their curriculum and resources. It definitely would have been easier on me! However, I wanted to be my boys' teacher -- not just connect them to a Zoom call with a teacher they haven't even met yet. I wanted to make the curriculum decisions and have the flexibility with our schedule.

Independent Cooperative Learning Situations - If we continue to homeschool past this year (which, at this point, seems very probable), I anticipate that we would join some type of co-op. There are some locally that meet a couple days a week and are as expensive as the full-time private school where I had taught. I think we'd probably do something more along the lines of a once-a-week enrichment program where the boys get to be around other kids and learn other things beyond my expertise.

Online Learning - This has also become incredibly more popular, especially this year. I know a girl who did mostly online learning as a homeschooled high school student. I would probably lean into this more as the boys get older, but I don't want them sitting in front of screens for too long. I had considered an online curriculum but ended up just sticking with the more traditional printed resources. We do have a subscription to IXL this year, though, to provide individualized practice on skills and to cover any gaps. The boys are really motivated by the rewards they "unlock" as they complete more skills.

 

Thankful Thursday - end of "summer"

God, You delight in the details of our lives. For all things great and small, I thank You. You are the Source of every good and perfect gift, such as...

41,314. seats moved, secured

41,315. vacuuming the van

41,316. extension cord handy

41,317. Colson safe

41,318. Megan - neighborhood watch patrol

41,319. these final lazy days of summer

41,320. that I'm not at school right now

41,321. The Boy on the Wooden Box - such a powerful story

41,322. "date" with Lucas

41,323. time together

41,324. Chuy's take-out

41,325. extra tortillas! Yum!

41,326. finally finishing Hamilton

41,327. the creativity and impressive word choice (and subtitles to be able to follow along)

41,328. the diverse cast

41,329. the interweaving of songs

41,330. learning about his life

41,331. editing and uploading several verse videos

41,332. evening routine getting established

41,333. crust-less cookie pie (or c-o-o-k-i-e  p-i-e)

41,334. sausage egg biscuits

41,335. finished Kamala's memoir

41,336. finished three more songs

41,337. got a ton tidied, rearranged

41,338. Colson walking around like one of the boys

41,339. string cheese and walnuts

41,340. Colson's room now also a school space

41,341. Sushi Go and Sleeping Queens

41,342. the accomplishment of getting everyone's nails clipped

41,343. cleaning out trash bin

41,344. Cooper keeping his undies dry

41,345. Calvin getting Colson up from his nap

41,346. re-imagined spaces

41,347. meeting me in the middle of my mess

41,348. trying out the habit of "reset"

41,349. bath times all around

41,350. Lucas making dinner

41,351. a park walk without the wagon (Colson a walker now!)

41,352. evening walk by myself

41,353. got photos converted

41,354. always challenged by Stacey's blog

41,350. books for science from the library

Colson's room (before)

Colson's room (after)

August 2020 recap

We took a Sunday drive to High Bridge, south of Wilmore. I was surprised that we didn't see any trains.

Chocolate-covered strawberries and pretzels with my two little chefs

Mamaw joined us for a morning hike and picnic at Veterans Park

Exploring the creek

Cutie 1 and Cutie 2 (the second set of 2 cuties to wear these shirts!)

Calvin celebrated his half-birthday (6.5!). With three of the boys' birthdays on the 6th of a month, there are six 6ths that are either a birthday or a half birthday in our family.

Cooper found a big stick!

This was a nice little park with a shaded area for our snack and some reading of a book in the 13-Story Treehouse series, which we devoured this month. I read them all to Calvin. Carter joined us for some and read some on his own.

"Baby sawberry!"

Stopping to check out the little fairy garden on our back neighborhood walk.

Carter was so proud of himself for climbing the hay bale by himself!

This was a neat paved, shaded trail in Jessamine County.

For awhile, Calvin was the "King of Owies," which made Cooper the "Prince of Owies," but I think Cooper has now surpassed him.

Lucas gave me the go-ahead to take the four boys to Mimi and Pa's in Indiana for a week after not seeing them since February. They had both tested negative the week before, so we jumped at the chance! It was a win-win-win-win. Lucas got quiet, introvert time to work on his magazine deadline. The boys and I got a change of scenery and routine. Mimi and Pa got to see how their grandsons are growing up!

Making their own little fairy garden

Oh, Cooper...

We mostly stayed at the house but did venture out to the Arts Park, Memorial Park, and for daily ride-around-till-Cooper-falls-asleep drives.

I was still able to teach my classes. Hooray for a work-from-anywhere job!

So, so good!

Look at this little guy! He adores his big brothers.

Calvin can now make pancakes almost completely by himself. On this day, he worked on pouring onto the griddle and flipping both times.

On our picnics, we eat the now-famous "lemon-juiced apples." I slice the apples and then toss in a bit of lemon juice to keep them from browning. This is Calvin after drinking some of the lemon juice.

We're still heading out to Memaw's pretty much every Sunday evening. We pack a picnic to eat in her backyard, and she usually puts together some type of dessert. Look at that tomato plant! It's just one plant, and it has grown so tall! Carter has one of the first tomatoes of the harvest.

Colson now loves climbing and standing on chairs. This was his first chance to make our family's salsa. You can tell that he often missed the blender.

I had started to take this picture of Colson and Carter sitting together by the wall but then Cooper and Calvin had a sweet moment of Cooper feeding him a bite of what he was eating.

On Lucas' birthday, he surprised us by celebrating our "unbirthdays." Cooper was the first to receive an unbirthday present -- a Mickey. He LOVES the Mickey Mouse Clubhouse TV show.

This was the first time with all the cousins together since Dan's birthday in May. With the girls also schooling at home for now, all three families have been safely social distancing the past several weeks to warrant a small much-needed get-together.

We ate a lot of food and then ate the famous chocolate sheath cake, which has become synonymous with Lucas' birthday. Then he and the big cousins had a sleepover at Mamaw and Papaw's house.

In COVID fashion, he took off the candle before blowing.

:-)