It is going to be a busy year! Over the last three years I have played around with curriculum a little and have found that having the big kids do work independently is what works best for us. I have tried to use things that incoporate multiple grades, but I just can't make myself stay consistent. Our 1st year we did 2 co-ops, then we went down to one, then back to 2... this year we are doing FOUR!
We are going back to the big kids doing the majority of their work on Switched on Schoolhouse, including: Language Arts, Math, and Bible for all three, Science and Spanish for Jacob and Summer, Business Computer Information Systems for Joshua, and Health for Jacob. Jacob and Summer are still doing Story of the World for history and Joshua is using a combination of Cartoon History of the Universe and a youtube channel called Crash Course in History. He is continuing his Chemistry(he did a Chemistry 101 DVD and a lab last year) with A Cartoon Guide to Chemistry along with another chem lab 1st semester. 2nd semester he'll still have his chem lab, but I'm throwing in a short Astronomy course as well. He found a website that teaches Japanese through Anime that he wants to do and he is doing guitar lessons with Rocksmith on his xbox. Summer and Ronan are taking piano lessons. Ronan is going to be using Horizons for math, Sylvan workbooks for LA and I am going to start reading through the SOTW history books with him. Raiden is Kindergarten age this year, but I don't start mine at all until age 6 and we just do the minimum until 7. At age 8 they will start SOS and have a full course load. I want them to have plenty of time to develop physically and mentally through play, and nurture their curiosity and creativity during the primary years.
Mondays all three of the littles will have co-op at The Learning Zone. Raiden and Sierra will be in a PreK/K class. Ronan will be taking an Art class, World Geography, Pirate Math, and Gym.
Tuesdays everybody will actually be having homeschool at home(imagine that).
Wednesdays a new co-op is being started by one of our good friends, Lexington Independent Academy. Summer will have to be there at 10 for a drama class, they will be doing The Wizard of Oz. Ronan will take art and Joshua and Jacob will have gym at 11. After lunch Ronan will have gym, then at 1:30 Summer will. While not in classes they will have their laptops with them to do their regular work.
Thursdays(after piano lessons at 11) at BRICC: Ronan is taking Kids Chemistry Jr, The 50 States, and Books Alive!, Summer and Jacob are taking Wacky Chemistry and Jacob is taking Creative Writing. Joshua is taking Famous Art and Artists and PE.
Fridays will be a new co-op for us as well, CHC. It starts at 9 am so that will be an adjustment! Raiden will be in Kindergarten. They haven't released the elementary rotation yet, but it will consist of 4, 45 minute classes the 1st semester and 4 classes the second. Summer is taking Creative Writing, Photography, and Empowering Girls in God’s Word. Jacob is taking Did You Know?(America), Sign language, and Discipleship. Joshua is also taking the Did you know? class, Civics, and The Bill of Rights. After lunch I have to take Joshua to his (3 hour)chem lab while Ronan and Raiden take ZOOM!(like the PBS show) and Jacob and Summer take PE.
We are starting back Monday(7/28), although "Motivate Summer" started back 4 weeks ago. She is also doing a 6 day week and only breaking for a 2 week Christmas break. If she stays on track she will be done with this school year mid February. Then she plans on taking a couple of weeks off then diving right back in!
To help insure that the big kids stay on top of their SOS and reading this year, on Monday through Thursday we are going to have breakfast at 8am and then at 9 the internet is going to be turned off and portables confiscated until 5.
I am very excited to start this new year. I pray that it is a blessed one for our family and yours!
Sunday, July 27, 2014
Sunday, February 9, 2014
CHANGE YOUR MINDSET AND YOU'LL CHANGE YOUR WORLD
Okay... I am going on a rant... I am so tired of logging onto Facebook everytime the weather is bad to see people complaining about being forced into close quarters with the children that God has blessed them with, and that I know they love dearly. It feeds into the societal perspective that children are a burden and are to be avoided. I believe that most of it is a mob mentality... Once everybody starts saying it... You start believing it... And YOU make it a reality. One person complains, then another and another... Then it becomes something to dread. Not because you really don't love your kids or enjoy spending time with them, but because this is the mind set you've chosen to have. The REAL inconvenience may be lost wages or... Well.... I can't think of another... But you project these things on to your kids. What about all the mothers out there who have lost children or have been unable to have them at all? What they wouldn't give to be snowed in with the ones that they mourn. Your words affect other people's hearts. Some of you have children that read your words. How are they to feel? Or they see and hear your reaction to yet another snow day. Of course they are beginning to actually WANT to go to school... Would you want to spend an entire day in a house where you are made to feel you are not wanted? CHANGE YOUR MINDSET AND YOU'LL CHANGE YOUR WORLD. Get excited about every unexpected moment and you'll learn to enjoy them.
Monday, January 6, 2014
2013 Part 3- Sleeping at our House
This is my 4th post about sleeping arrangements... my last one bragged that we had our bed all to ourselves...ha! I like to blame Scott because he like co-sleeping with toddlers better than I do, but I have to take some blame too.
In May we added to our family again... this time a rescue cat the kids named Ms. Kitty or as Sierra liked to call her... Kiki. Also back in March we had bought a new leather couch. So... I was going to sleep on the couch for the 1st few nights/weeks to protect it from said kitty. Scott being the lonely sleeper decided he would invite the little boys to sleep with him in the mean time. Raiden had grown used to sleeping with Jacob. They would end up crashing in the living room because I had taken the TV out of their room so they didn't disturb Sierra with it, who was right across the hall. But Ronan loved having that one on one time with his daddy.
Sierra was still nursing at 5 or 6 in the am and going back to sleep until 8 or 9, so being in the front livingroom closer to her was easier anyway. Summer joined me in there but on a palate on the floor because Sierra was such a light sleeper until school started back and bed times went into effect. Sierra weaned by the end of July at 27 months and became an early bird. Sometime around Halloween she learned how to climb out of her crib. I took the rail off and side-carred it with Summers bed. For about a month I would lay down with her until she fell asleep and then Summer would go in there and sleep. Then she started making me feel bad because she would keep asking if I was still mama or was I Summer. Plus, it would sometime take 45 minutes for her to fall asleep.
I then kicked all the boys back to their bedrooms and for a week or so, put an air mattress next to out bed, and she slept there. Bonus...she has started staying up later and sleeping later. After Christmas was over and my in-laws left I decided to get Raidens crib back out of the attic and side-car it with our bed once again... she loves it. The boys still end up sleeping in the family room next to our bedroom most nights...but that's okay. Technically we are back to having our bed to ourselves, just not our room.
In May we added to our family again... this time a rescue cat the kids named Ms. Kitty or as Sierra liked to call her... Kiki. Also back in March we had bought a new leather couch. So... I was going to sleep on the couch for the 1st few nights/weeks to protect it from said kitty. Scott being the lonely sleeper decided he would invite the little boys to sleep with him in the mean time. Raiden had grown used to sleeping with Jacob. They would end up crashing in the living room because I had taken the TV out of their room so they didn't disturb Sierra with it, who was right across the hall. But Ronan loved having that one on one time with his daddy.
Sierra was still nursing at 5 or 6 in the am and going back to sleep until 8 or 9, so being in the front livingroom closer to her was easier anyway. Summer joined me in there but on a palate on the floor because Sierra was such a light sleeper until school started back and bed times went into effect. Sierra weaned by the end of July at 27 months and became an early bird. Sometime around Halloween she learned how to climb out of her crib. I took the rail off and side-carred it with Summers bed. For about a month I would lay down with her until she fell asleep and then Summer would go in there and sleep. Then she started making me feel bad because she would keep asking if I was still mama or was I Summer. Plus, it would sometime take 45 minutes for her to fall asleep.
I then kicked all the boys back to their bedrooms and for a week or so, put an air mattress next to out bed, and she slept there. Bonus...she has started staying up later and sleeping later. After Christmas was over and my in-laws left I decided to get Raidens crib back out of the attic and side-car it with our bed once again... she loves it. The boys still end up sleeping in the family room next to our bedroom most nights...but that's okay. Technically we are back to having our bed to ourselves, just not our room.
Friday, January 3, 2014
2013 (Part 2-Diet) Should we eat meat?
During the summer of 2012 Scott and I watched a Christian Documentary about Vegetarianism. I know that there is nothing unbiblical about eating meat. We are no longer under the law. But why did God give laws about food in the 1st place? Did you know the the Israelites are, and have always been among the healthiest people in the WORLD? God gave them rules the same reason we give our kids rules. Because we love them and we want to help them make the best choices.
Before sin entered the world God said in Genesis 1:29... “I give you every seed-bearing plant on the face of the whole earth and every tree that has fruit with seed in it. They will be yours for food. 30 And to all the beasts of the earth and all the birds in the sky and all the creatures that move along the ground—everything that has the breath of life in it—I give every green plant for food.” And it was so." No one ate meat. There were no carnivores or omnivores. In fact, God did not command us to eat meat until after the flood. Sure Abel raised sheep, but that doesn't mean he ate them. His offering was more pleasing to God because of what it represented and the things to come. Genesis 3:21 describes the 1st sacrifice, "21 The Lord God made garments of skin for Adam and his wife and clothed them." This was to cover their sin... but ultimately a greater blood sacrifice would be needed to to atone for us. Part of Abel's sacrifice was also fat, which later God specifically says not to eat even though the meat is okay.
So then why the change of heart after the flood? One word... necessity. The land was pretty much slug and it was no surprise to God that an ice age was coming. He had Noah make all the preparations by having him bring more of the clean animals. Later he sends quail to Moses and his followers... but only after they complained that what the Lord had provided for them wasn't enough. Meat is a yummy, nutrient dense food. It is great in a pinch. Settlers to our country and in cold climate areas would not survive without it, but it is not the perfect food that God designed for us when the world was perfect.
There is plenty of scientific proof that eating a diet high in animal protein is carcinogenic. Red meat is particularly is bad for our hearts. Pork is still full of nastiness. All of this information was like a mustard seed to us. On our cross country trip we drove through Texas, some major cattle country cities. That whole trip was pretty spiritual for me and the meat thing really started to tug. We drove pass Tyson plants in other states. We talked about it, cut out the worst offenders for a while, but eventually reverted. At some point we watched Food Inc. and Forks over knives. Finally in February we decided to try to go vegetarian.
All of the kids did pretty well but Joshua. He is not a big fruit and vegetable eater so it was hard for him. At first we didn't get any of the meat substitutes but started buying them for his sake. They like the morning star chik'n nuggets, hot dogs,, sausage patties, and facon... the ribletts are AMAZING. They are the only ones Scott and I eat. I know all of these are super processed and not the healthiest choices, but one thing at a time. They have all started eating so much better and all the big kids now will eat pretty much everything I cook. We've got our staples down. I try to be creative with beans and just substitute them for meat in everything. We do cheat sometimes. We try no to eat out very much,but if we do I let the kids eat whatever. At Taco Bell everyone but Joshua will still eat vegetarian so that's where we go mostly. Other places Summer and I may have chicken or fish if there isn't a better option and we don't want salad, but it's not often.
I've tried to go more vegan, but its hard... I love cheese. We do get Almond milk to avoid too much animal protein. Processed foods is what I'm trying to limit the most now. I watched Fat, Sick,and Nearly Dead a few weeks ago. Summer has psoriasis and is starting the have thyroid problems. Both are autoimmune related and it says(and I have read) that these types of problems can be alleviated through a natural diet. After doing more research, I'm not buying the whole detox thing. Our bodies will detox themselves if we would just stop pouring garbage into them.
An article I read called "Lord, Please Bless this Poison", really put thing into perspective for me. People want to eat what they want to eat. and do what they want to do, and then complain when they are sick. We want to pour money into cancer and heart disease research for "cures", instead of trying to prevent them in the 1st place. It reminds me of modern childbirth. Lets fill her and her baby with all kinds of thing that we know can harm them, just because they think they can save them when something goes wrong. Hey...could you please give me some poison to get rid of the other poison you just gave me.
Before sin entered the world God said in Genesis 1:29... “I give you every seed-bearing plant on the face of the whole earth and every tree that has fruit with seed in it. They will be yours for food. 30 And to all the beasts of the earth and all the birds in the sky and all the creatures that move along the ground—everything that has the breath of life in it—I give every green plant for food.” And it was so." No one ate meat. There were no carnivores or omnivores. In fact, God did not command us to eat meat until after the flood. Sure Abel raised sheep, but that doesn't mean he ate them. His offering was more pleasing to God because of what it represented and the things to come. Genesis 3:21 describes the 1st sacrifice, "21 The Lord God made garments of skin for Adam and his wife and clothed them." This was to cover their sin... but ultimately a greater blood sacrifice would be needed to to atone for us. Part of Abel's sacrifice was also fat, which later God specifically says not to eat even though the meat is okay.
So then why the change of heart after the flood? One word... necessity. The land was pretty much slug and it was no surprise to God that an ice age was coming. He had Noah make all the preparations by having him bring more of the clean animals. Later he sends quail to Moses and his followers... but only after they complained that what the Lord had provided for them wasn't enough. Meat is a yummy, nutrient dense food. It is great in a pinch. Settlers to our country and in cold climate areas would not survive without it, but it is not the perfect food that God designed for us when the world was perfect.
There is plenty of scientific proof that eating a diet high in animal protein is carcinogenic. Red meat is particularly is bad for our hearts. Pork is still full of nastiness. All of this information was like a mustard seed to us. On our cross country trip we drove through Texas, some major cattle country cities. That whole trip was pretty spiritual for me and the meat thing really started to tug. We drove pass Tyson plants in other states. We talked about it, cut out the worst offenders for a while, but eventually reverted. At some point we watched Food Inc. and Forks over knives. Finally in February we decided to try to go vegetarian.
All of the kids did pretty well but Joshua. He is not a big fruit and vegetable eater so it was hard for him. At first we didn't get any of the meat substitutes but started buying them for his sake. They like the morning star chik'n nuggets, hot dogs,, sausage patties, and facon... the ribletts are AMAZING. They are the only ones Scott and I eat. I know all of these are super processed and not the healthiest choices, but one thing at a time. They have all started eating so much better and all the big kids now will eat pretty much everything I cook. We've got our staples down. I try to be creative with beans and just substitute them for meat in everything. We do cheat sometimes. We try no to eat out very much,but if we do I let the kids eat whatever. At Taco Bell everyone but Joshua will still eat vegetarian so that's where we go mostly. Other places Summer and I may have chicken or fish if there isn't a better option and we don't want salad, but it's not often.
I've tried to go more vegan, but its hard... I love cheese. We do get Almond milk to avoid too much animal protein. Processed foods is what I'm trying to limit the most now. I watched Fat, Sick,and Nearly Dead a few weeks ago. Summer has psoriasis and is starting the have thyroid problems. Both are autoimmune related and it says(and I have read) that these types of problems can be alleviated through a natural diet. After doing more research, I'm not buying the whole detox thing. Our bodies will detox themselves if we would just stop pouring garbage into them.
An article I read called "Lord, Please Bless this Poison", really put thing into perspective for me. People want to eat what they want to eat. and do what they want to do, and then complain when they are sick. We want to pour money into cancer and heart disease research for "cures", instead of trying to prevent them in the 1st place. It reminds me of modern childbirth. Lets fill her and her baby with all kinds of thing that we know can harm them, just because they think they can save them when something goes wrong. Hey...could you please give me some poison to get rid of the other poison you just gave me.
Thursday, January 2, 2014
A Look Back at 2013 (Part 1)
All in all 2013 was a good year even if it had a bumpy start. In January, through a menagerie of symptoms we figured out that I have postural orthostatic tachycardia syndrome(POTS) most likely due to Ehlers Danlos Syndrome(EDS) Type III(aka hypermobility syndrome).
I have had weird joint pain my whole life. Then of course, the more kids a had the more tired and achy I became. I would joke with Scott that I had Chronic Fatigue Syndrome. Then I started having palpitations mostly when I would lay down after having to get up at night, or when I would 1st sit down. What I didn't realize was that when I am upright my heart rate jumps to 120+ beats per minute. Sometimes this happens in response to a drop in blood pressure, but in my case my normally low BP(avg 90s/60s) elevates slightly(100-110/80's). It took a while to figure out what was going on because the bp cuff would error, so at 1st we thought it was dipping. What was actually happening though is that the pulse pressure(difference between top and bottom number) was narrowing when I was standing. Sometimes I could only feel a beat or two while taking a reading. Then when I would sit or lay back down the diastolic(or bottom number would drop suddenly widening the pulse pressure, causing palpitations... sometimes the systolic even goes up slightly more when I first sit down. This is all caused by blood pooling in my legs when I am standing because I don't have good elasticity in my arteries. The reason my blood pressure doesn't tank is because my body kicks in a back up plan... release epinephrine and norepinephrine(stress hormones)... lovely huh? So I really have been more tired and stressed than the average person... for good reason...other than having 6 kids, but it compounded it.
During pregnancy your blood volume increases, stretching your vessels. Each time I got pregnant they had a harder time bouncing back. Which is why even though this is something that I probably have always had... it has gotten worse. EDS is a connective tissue disorder that can effect any connective tissue in the body. The good part is that it is probably why I have has short relatively painless labors.
The best treatment for the POTS is to increase salt and water intake to increase my blood volume and exercise. Some people do take medicine to help regulate their HR and BP, but they have even higher numbers than I do, or the back up plan fails and their BP crashes and they pass out. Exercise is a double edge sword and fine balancing act. If you don't do it you become deconditioned, decreasing blood volume, but if you do... it is exhausting. I started out by getting a recumbent exercise bike. People with POTS are advised against any type of resistance training and I figured out why the hard way. When I put any resistance on the bike my thighs would burn with lactic acid and my diastolic bp would go up. Even without resistance, if I let my heart rate go above 120, the same thing would happen... this is called exercise intolerance. I have always complained that the reason I could never stick with an exercise program is because I could never get that "high" everyone talks about. Well, that's because instead of endorphins, I get stress hormones coursing through my veins. I got some old lady compression hoses, but the summer hit and I gave up. To be honest when I quit pushing myself, emotionally I felt sooo much better. Did I mention that I am Heat Intolerant as well? Everyone's heart rate increases somewhat when its hot... but I can just be sitting around and get tachycardic. The upside is that my heart is very strong... after all it runs like I'm running a marathon when I'm doing the dishes. Exercising would also be beneficial because it would increase my leg muscles which helps with circulation, I just don't know how to get over the hump. Jacob is starting another running program Saturday. I'm contemplating trying to walk more. I walked about 2 miles with him about a month ago. It took me 40 minutes. I used 2 different calorie counters to compare. One used age, duration, and type of exercise; the other used age, gender and average heart rate(which was about 135) and duration. So the average person would have burned 145 calories in the time that I burned around 350. The bad thing is that I really don't feel bad when I'm taking it easy so It's hard to motivate myself...how much is enough? I think the key is slow and steady. I don't do to bad at the grocery store as long as I take my time(until I get in line). Next up... a new diet.
I have had weird joint pain my whole life. Then of course, the more kids a had the more tired and achy I became. I would joke with Scott that I had Chronic Fatigue Syndrome. Then I started having palpitations mostly when I would lay down after having to get up at night, or when I would 1st sit down. What I didn't realize was that when I am upright my heart rate jumps to 120+ beats per minute. Sometimes this happens in response to a drop in blood pressure, but in my case my normally low BP(avg 90s/60s) elevates slightly(100-110/80's). It took a while to figure out what was going on because the bp cuff would error, so at 1st we thought it was dipping. What was actually happening though is that the pulse pressure(difference between top and bottom number) was narrowing when I was standing. Sometimes I could only feel a beat or two while taking a reading. Then when I would sit or lay back down the diastolic(or bottom number would drop suddenly widening the pulse pressure, causing palpitations... sometimes the systolic even goes up slightly more when I first sit down. This is all caused by blood pooling in my legs when I am standing because I don't have good elasticity in my arteries. The reason my blood pressure doesn't tank is because my body kicks in a back up plan... release epinephrine and norepinephrine(stress hormones)... lovely huh? So I really have been more tired and stressed than the average person... for good reason...other than having 6 kids, but it compounded it.
During pregnancy your blood volume increases, stretching your vessels. Each time I got pregnant they had a harder time bouncing back. Which is why even though this is something that I probably have always had... it has gotten worse. EDS is a connective tissue disorder that can effect any connective tissue in the body. The good part is that it is probably why I have has short relatively painless labors.
The best treatment for the POTS is to increase salt and water intake to increase my blood volume and exercise. Some people do take medicine to help regulate their HR and BP, but they have even higher numbers than I do, or the back up plan fails and their BP crashes and they pass out. Exercise is a double edge sword and fine balancing act. If you don't do it you become deconditioned, decreasing blood volume, but if you do... it is exhausting. I started out by getting a recumbent exercise bike. People with POTS are advised against any type of resistance training and I figured out why the hard way. When I put any resistance on the bike my thighs would burn with lactic acid and my diastolic bp would go up. Even without resistance, if I let my heart rate go above 120, the same thing would happen... this is called exercise intolerance. I have always complained that the reason I could never stick with an exercise program is because I could never get that "high" everyone talks about. Well, that's because instead of endorphins, I get stress hormones coursing through my veins. I got some old lady compression hoses, but the summer hit and I gave up. To be honest when I quit pushing myself, emotionally I felt sooo much better. Did I mention that I am Heat Intolerant as well? Everyone's heart rate increases somewhat when its hot... but I can just be sitting around and get tachycardic. The upside is that my heart is very strong... after all it runs like I'm running a marathon when I'm doing the dishes. Exercising would also be beneficial because it would increase my leg muscles which helps with circulation, I just don't know how to get over the hump. Jacob is starting another running program Saturday. I'm contemplating trying to walk more. I walked about 2 miles with him about a month ago. It took me 40 minutes. I used 2 different calorie counters to compare. One used age, duration, and type of exercise; the other used age, gender and average heart rate(which was about 135) and duration. So the average person would have burned 145 calories in the time that I burned around 350. The bad thing is that I really don't feel bad when I'm taking it easy so It's hard to motivate myself...how much is enough? I think the key is slow and steady. I don't do to bad at the grocery store as long as I take my time(until I get in line). Next up... a new diet.
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