Labels. ADHD. On the Spectrum. Autistic. Asperger's. Gifted and Talented. Dyslexic. Anxiety disorder. Psychological labels are not for my boys. That is something that other people's kids get. Certainly not my sons. Medication is handed out far too often, in my opinion. Certainly a proper diet, a good amount of physical activity and structure will help children with these labels. Well, that's what I thought up until last week. Until it was my child with the label.
Recently, I took Porthos and Aramis for sort of a psych evaluation. Porthos had struggled with Epstein Barr Virus, Cytomegalovirus, and Mononucleosis for the past year and a half. Now that his energy level is returning, we are starting to notice how fidgety he is. Aramis tends to be a bit more insecure than other kids his age, and becomes sad easily. What was determined is that Porthos is ADHD and Aramis has Generalized Anxiety Disorder and mild depression. Wow. Both are genetic.
Now, before you read any further, let me say that for those against medication, so was I. Sometimes you don't know what else to do to help your child. For those who are pro medication, we are just starting and haven't decided if we like it or not. In the end, we do what we feel is right for OUR children.
Porthos has been given a prescription, not to alter his personality, but to help him focus on assignments and such. In the mean time, we have signed him up for karate. He really seems to be enjoying it. Not sure how the medication is working yet, as it has only been two days and we haven't even started "school" yet.
Aramis has been put on Zoloft and will be seeking counseling for anxiety. Where Porthos' plan should show near immediate results, Aramis' treatment plan will take time. Months even. But it's not just medication and/or counseling for my boys that is necessary. It is also my approach to their behavior that needs work. I need to be more patient and understanding. I need to pay more attention to what triggers an upset with Aramis. This is a new journey, and certainly not one I expected to take. But here we are, none the less.
Monday, August 22, 2016
Monday, March 14, 2016
Walking Water experiment and Pi
Today has been the first really sunny day in over a week here. We had lots of rain last week, which meant the boys were stuck indoors all week. They finally got to go outside today and run around, climb the tree and ride their bikes. Back inside though, we decided to celebrate Pi day and do an experiment.
First, we made pie. Ok, I made pie. Cherry and strawberry pie. I used the double pastry recipe from the Better Homes and Gardens cook book, 1 can of cherry pie filling, and a handful of frozen strawberries. The result was delicious.
After enjoying the scrumptious pie, repeating to each other the ratio of a circle's circumference to its diameter: 3.14159265, we decided to try a fun experiment called "Walking Water", found on kidspot.com. You can find the directions on the website, but I'd like to share photos and a video of our experiment.
The video is about 2.5 minutes long and too big to load to the blog, so I am adding a link to it on youtube. Walking Water
First, we made pie. Ok, I made pie. Cherry and strawberry pie. I used the double pastry recipe from the Better Homes and Gardens cook book, 1 can of cherry pie filling, and a handful of frozen strawberries. The result was delicious.
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| Pi day= pie |
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| We took 3 bowls. 2 bowls we filled with 1 cup each of water. In one bowl, we added 2-3 drops of blue food color. The other we added yellow food coloring. The 3rd bowl was placed in the middle with no water. |
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| We took a folded paper towel and draped it from the blue bowl to the empty center bowl. We took another paper towel and draped it from the yellow bowl to the empty center bowl. |
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| The boys watched in awe as the water "walked" from their bowls and into the middle bowl. |
Friday, September 11, 2015
Remembering 9/11
Disclaimer: Below is my recount of September 11, 2001. Raw, and full of emotion as I remember that day. This is more for my benefit, I know, than anything else. Though I did not personally lose anyone that day, my heart goes out to all those who did.
This is always such a hard day. Has been for 14 years. Today has been harder than normal, with the exception of that day 14 years ago. Today I am teaching my children what happened on September 11, 2001. I know many of you are doing the same. Some of you may have been kids yourself on that day. I was 25 years old and 7 1/2 months pregnant with my first baby. My husband was in the Navy, and was already on a deployment with the Marines from Camp Pendleton. I remember it was near 6:30 am on the west coast, and I was still in bed asleep when my friend, a fellow military wife whose husband was also deployed, called me and very urgently told me to turn on the TV. As I walked down stairs, my first thought was that there must have been another ship attack like the USS Cole. I turned on the television and found the first news station showing a burning sky scraper in New York.
Honestly, my first thought was relief. It isn't a ship. My husband is safe. Just some sort of plane crash. But as I stood there watching, another plane crashed into the second building, and I slowly realized this couldn't be an accident. As the morning wore on, two more planes. One into the Pentagon and one into an empty field.
The worst wasn't over yet. I sat watching the news, the towers burning, the panic in the reporters' voices. The images will always be in my mind, stronger than anything. Stronger than labor pains. The planes, the billowing smoke, the bodies of desperate people trapped high up in the towers jumping to their deaths rather than burn. Then the towers just seemed to disintegrate where they stood. What was happening? How many more? Was the west coast next? I wish I could talk to my husband, but there was no way of contacting him. Camp Pendleton stretches from Christianitos to Oceanside, CA. Were we safe? Should I drive north to family or stay put? No choice at first, the base was now on full lock-down. Suddenly I felt guilty for being pregnant. What was I thinking, bringing a baby into this world? What sort of legacy would be there for him? Fear is a powerful thing. Maybe that's why even now, I fight back the tears at the thought of what we now call Patriot Day.
So how am I supposed to make it through this lesson with my children without completely breaking down? We watch a video on brainpop, made for children about that horrible day. We watch a news clip from that morning, on youtube. We sit in silence. Cry. Then we hug each other and try to get through the rest of our studies. The day seems so much sadder, and the work less meaningful right now. But we will not forget. My sons will know what happened that day. They will understand why their father had to be deployed to Afghanistan and eventually Iraq. They will understand why freedom isn't free. It is hard fought for. My middle son's response to the idea that the terrorists' goal was to strike fear into Americans was "but it didn't work". I tell him, "but it did. The human response to fear is fight or flight. In 2001 we were faced with a choice to either fight back or hide in fear. We took the fight to them. They pushed, and we pushed back."
Next year, we will go over it again. Each time, more in depth. We will never forget.
This is always such a hard day. Has been for 14 years. Today has been harder than normal, with the exception of that day 14 years ago. Today I am teaching my children what happened on September 11, 2001. I know many of you are doing the same. Some of you may have been kids yourself on that day. I was 25 years old and 7 1/2 months pregnant with my first baby. My husband was in the Navy, and was already on a deployment with the Marines from Camp Pendleton. I remember it was near 6:30 am on the west coast, and I was still in bed asleep when my friend, a fellow military wife whose husband was also deployed, called me and very urgently told me to turn on the TV. As I walked down stairs, my first thought was that there must have been another ship attack like the USS Cole. I turned on the television and found the first news station showing a burning sky scraper in New York.
Honestly, my first thought was relief. It isn't a ship. My husband is safe. Just some sort of plane crash. But as I stood there watching, another plane crashed into the second building, and I slowly realized this couldn't be an accident. As the morning wore on, two more planes. One into the Pentagon and one into an empty field.
The worst wasn't over yet. I sat watching the news, the towers burning, the panic in the reporters' voices. The images will always be in my mind, stronger than anything. Stronger than labor pains. The planes, the billowing smoke, the bodies of desperate people trapped high up in the towers jumping to their deaths rather than burn. Then the towers just seemed to disintegrate where they stood. What was happening? How many more? Was the west coast next? I wish I could talk to my husband, but there was no way of contacting him. Camp Pendleton stretches from Christianitos to Oceanside, CA. Were we safe? Should I drive north to family or stay put? No choice at first, the base was now on full lock-down. Suddenly I felt guilty for being pregnant. What was I thinking, bringing a baby into this world? What sort of legacy would be there for him? Fear is a powerful thing. Maybe that's why even now, I fight back the tears at the thought of what we now call Patriot Day.
So how am I supposed to make it through this lesson with my children without completely breaking down? We watch a video on brainpop, made for children about that horrible day. We watch a news clip from that morning, on youtube. We sit in silence. Cry. Then we hug each other and try to get through the rest of our studies. The day seems so much sadder, and the work less meaningful right now. But we will not forget. My sons will know what happened that day. They will understand why their father had to be deployed to Afghanistan and eventually Iraq. They will understand why freedom isn't free. It is hard fought for. My middle son's response to the idea that the terrorists' goal was to strike fear into Americans was "but it didn't work". I tell him, "but it did. The human response to fear is fight or flight. In 2001 we were faced with a choice to either fight back or hide in fear. We took the fight to them. They pushed, and we pushed back."
Next year, we will go over it again. Each time, more in depth. We will never forget.
Wednesday, September 9, 2015
Beginning homeschool is like...
Starting homeschooling is like getting married. As you get closer to the wedding date, and maybe even as you are walking down the isle, reality sets in. You begin to ask yourself, is this the person I want to spend the rest of my life with? Can I really be a wife? Do I really want to give up the freedom of being single? What if he snores? What if he doesn't like the way I look in the morning and can't bare to face me? What if he stops paying attention to me? Translate that to homeschooling; Is this really the educational I want for my child? Can I really be a teacher? Do I really want to give up the hours from 8am to 3pm? What if he doesn't like the way I teach? What if he sees me as me as Mom and doesn't want to see me as Teacher? What if he stops listening to me? But you felt before this scary moment that this was IT. This was the one. The way it is meant to be. Hold on to that. And to borrow from the "Seven Habits of Highly Successful People", begin with the end in mind.
Thursday, May 21, 2015
Finding our Style and Radical Unschooling
This is something I wrote back in December, but just wasn't ready to post it then. After rereading it and making a few small adjustments, I am ready to post this now. I apologize that this is out of order from everything else. Happy Homeschooling, friends.
Although the boys have been on hiatus for the past few weeks, and may continue until after Christmas, I am constantly doing research and trying to learn more about homeschooling and different learning/teaching styles. I started out thinking we would be more traditional in our style, but in looking into other styles, I considered unschooling.
One of the tools I like to use for information is Facebook groups. I have joined several homeschooling groups of different types, two of them were unschooling groups. I did find them very informative and am glad that I joined them. I learned that although the unschooling philosophy, in regards to academics only, does have its merits, I might still use a curriculum to teach math. I also learned that I would not be a good fit for radical unschooling. I do not want to have to give up who I am as a parent just to fit a philosophy.
I found that radical unschoolers (RU) are very all or nothing with their thinking. Basically, it's not just letting children learn what they want to when and if they want to, it is letting them decide when they want to go to sleep and wake up. What they want to eat and when they want to eat. What they want to watch, for how long, etc. Or what games, internet searches, etc. It is trusting your child to know how to make the best choices for themselves. My problem? Even the best child has a tendency to want to look up porn or watch a show that isn't appropriate for their age. RUs do not tolerate limits or worksheets or anything that looks organized by a parent. Or at least that is the perception I am getting. Here's the thing: I have no problem with anyone who makes this philosophy their family lifestyle. Good on ya mate. Just don't get mad at me for not doing things exactly like you do.
In the end, I left one of those groups and then came to the conclusion that we are more eclectic homeschoolers, integrating different styles and methods that suit us as a whole. Some how, that feels liberating. Like by knowing and accepting this, I can accept that how I do things may not be how someone else does things and that does not make us wrong or them wrong. It just makes us different. That's all right. I will not look down on a fellow homeschooler or unschooler or even a public school family for their preferred style. I hope that I will gain the same respect from others that I choose to give them.
Although the boys have been on hiatus for the past few weeks, and may continue until after Christmas, I am constantly doing research and trying to learn more about homeschooling and different learning/teaching styles. I started out thinking we would be more traditional in our style, but in looking into other styles, I considered unschooling.
One of the tools I like to use for information is Facebook groups. I have joined several homeschooling groups of different types, two of them were unschooling groups. I did find them very informative and am glad that I joined them. I learned that although the unschooling philosophy, in regards to academics only, does have its merits, I might still use a curriculum to teach math. I also learned that I would not be a good fit for radical unschooling. I do not want to have to give up who I am as a parent just to fit a philosophy.
I found that radical unschoolers (RU) are very all or nothing with their thinking. Basically, it's not just letting children learn what they want to when and if they want to, it is letting them decide when they want to go to sleep and wake up. What they want to eat and when they want to eat. What they want to watch, for how long, etc. Or what games, internet searches, etc. It is trusting your child to know how to make the best choices for themselves. My problem? Even the best child has a tendency to want to look up porn or watch a show that isn't appropriate for their age. RUs do not tolerate limits or worksheets or anything that looks organized by a parent. Or at least that is the perception I am getting. Here's the thing: I have no problem with anyone who makes this philosophy their family lifestyle. Good on ya mate. Just don't get mad at me for not doing things exactly like you do.
In the end, I left one of those groups and then came to the conclusion that we are more eclectic homeschoolers, integrating different styles and methods that suit us as a whole. Some how, that feels liberating. Like by knowing and accepting this, I can accept that how I do things may not be how someone else does things and that does not make us wrong or them wrong. It just makes us different. That's all right. I will not look down on a fellow homeschooler or unschooler or even a public school family for their preferred style. I hope that I will gain the same respect from others that I choose to give them.
Tuesday, May 19, 2015
Preparing for Round 2 (pt. 1)
The next few posts are going to be my reviews and experiences of a homeschool convention and what came of it for me. I have included a ton of links this time that I hope you will find helpful.
Two weeks ago my husband and I were fortunate enough to be able to attend the THSC Homeschool Convention and Book Fair in Arlington, TX. While there, we attended a few workshops, checked out the different exhibitors, and perused the numerous vendors for a bit of shopping. By the way, if you are new to homeschooling or even an old pro, and haven't yet attended a homeschool convention, I would highly recommend finding one near you and attending. It is a wealth of information and a great way to meet like-minded families. If you're in the southern portion of Texas, check out the one at The Woodlands, just north of Houston.
The first workshop I attended was titled "Preparing High Schoolers for STEM futures" by Embry-Riddle College's David Hernandez, where the speaker talked about what STEM is, what programs and activities use STEM, and what career fields STEM can lead to. This gentleman was gracious enough to email us the power-point he used in case we missed something in our notes. My oldest is part of a robotics team, which turns out is a great start toward a STEM career, plus he's really great at math. I think we may finally be finding his path. It's funny, neither of us had really considered that until now. It had always been ministry or archeology or something.
The second was "Breathing Life into Language Arts" with Rosie Watson, and highlighted Total Language Plus, a language arts program that is fully literature based. I really liked this one. The way the program is set up is, you pick three to four books for the year, reading one at a time. Instead of rush reading the book, you break it down into six to eight units (weeks) and really break it down. All of your grammar, writing, vocabulary, spelling, critical thinking is based on the book. This curriculum starts at the 3rd grade level and goes up to 12th grade, with books like Charlotte's Web, The Whipping Boy, To Kill a Mocking Bird, The Hiding Place, etc. At one point Rosie talked about an assignment she had given for the book "The Bronze Bow". The assignment was to write a letter to the main character. The response from one of her students was absolutely beautiful and inspiring. One of the things about this program that really appeals to me is that each book covers two to four grade levels, which means that I can use the same book and study guide with more than one child at a time.
The third workshop was one my husband attended, called "Limited Language - Limited Mind" with Jean Burk, author of College Prep Genius. This one focused on preparing students for college SAT. Although it wasn't quite what he thought it would be based on the title of the class, he did say the concept made sense. Sadly, as my husband is not the best at relaying information, I do not have much I can offer on this one.
After attending the desired workshops and parting ways for a bit (he needed to do a little shopping of his own), I went on to explore all the fantastic vendors that were set up. But that adventure will have to wait for another post. So visit again soon to find out what I saw and what I ended up purchasing.
Two weeks ago my husband and I were fortunate enough to be able to attend the THSC Homeschool Convention and Book Fair in Arlington, TX. While there, we attended a few workshops, checked out the different exhibitors, and perused the numerous vendors for a bit of shopping. By the way, if you are new to homeschooling or even an old pro, and haven't yet attended a homeschool convention, I would highly recommend finding one near you and attending. It is a wealth of information and a great way to meet like-minded families. If you're in the southern portion of Texas, check out the one at The Woodlands, just north of Houston.
The first workshop I attended was titled "Preparing High Schoolers for STEM futures" by Embry-Riddle College's David Hernandez, where the speaker talked about what STEM is, what programs and activities use STEM, and what career fields STEM can lead to. This gentleman was gracious enough to email us the power-point he used in case we missed something in our notes. My oldest is part of a robotics team, which turns out is a great start toward a STEM career, plus he's really great at math. I think we may finally be finding his path. It's funny, neither of us had really considered that until now. It had always been ministry or archeology or something.
The second was "Breathing Life into Language Arts" with Rosie Watson, and highlighted Total Language Plus, a language arts program that is fully literature based. I really liked this one. The way the program is set up is, you pick three to four books for the year, reading one at a time. Instead of rush reading the book, you break it down into six to eight units (weeks) and really break it down. All of your grammar, writing, vocabulary, spelling, critical thinking is based on the book. This curriculum starts at the 3rd grade level and goes up to 12th grade, with books like Charlotte's Web, The Whipping Boy, To Kill a Mocking Bird, The Hiding Place, etc. At one point Rosie talked about an assignment she had given for the book "The Bronze Bow". The assignment was to write a letter to the main character. The response from one of her students was absolutely beautiful and inspiring. One of the things about this program that really appeals to me is that each book covers two to four grade levels, which means that I can use the same book and study guide with more than one child at a time.
The third workshop was one my husband attended, called "Limited Language - Limited Mind" with Jean Burk, author of College Prep Genius. This one focused on preparing students for college SAT. Although it wasn't quite what he thought it would be based on the title of the class, he did say the concept made sense. Sadly, as my husband is not the best at relaying information, I do not have much I can offer on this one.
After attending the desired workshops and parting ways for a bit (he needed to do a little shopping of his own), I went on to explore all the fantastic vendors that were set up. But that adventure will have to wait for another post. So visit again soon to find out what I saw and what I ended up purchasing.
Thursday, May 7, 2015
THSC Homeschool Convention & Book Fair
This weekend is the THSC Convention in Arlington, TX. Though it starts today, I will not be there until Saturday. I am looking forward in eager anticipation to this adventure. There will be speakers and topics ranging from Sonya Shafer: The Quiet Schooling of Nature, David Gibbs: The Future of Home schooling in America, to Crystal Payne: Raising Kingdom-Minded Kids, just to name a few. The Duggar family will also be there.
There will be exhibits; Becky Muldrow: How to Earn a Bachelor's Degree During High School, Martin Cothran: The Classical Thinking Skills Program, Erin Karl: The Language Arts Tool belt, and David Hernandez: Preparing High Schoolers for STEM futures, and so on. Wrapping this whole experience up will be the numerous vendors, with their different curricula and materials to view and purchase. A virtual wonderland for home educators.
This will be my first convention to attend. I have taken the tips of The Pioneer Woman on how to prepare for attending a homeschool convention. I have pre-registered and booked my hotel room. I have been studying the schedule, list of speakers and workshops, and have narrowed it down to a number of specific workshops I would like to attend. I am working on my plan how to make the most of my day. All that is left is to attend, look up, smile, and chat with other homeschoolers. I have my backpack loaded and ready to go with a notebook, pens, water bottle, crackers, etc. I thought about a nice open tote, but decided that I want my arms free and no worries of a shoulder bag slipping from my shoulder. I have my list of vendors I want to make sure to check out, as well as a short list of specific items to look for. All that is left is to finish packing my overnight bag.
All right. First time attendee excitement? Absolutely. I wish I could have attended last year. But I think having trudged through the past year as we have I at least have a better idea of what I want to gain from this convention experience. Oh, and a fantastic bit that I just discovered: If I miss a workshop, I can catch an audio recording of it later! Now, I know that there will be things for kids to do. I am not bringing mine with me this year. First time, I just want to go with the hubby and soak it all in. Maybe next year. Thankful for this opportunity. Thankful for family willing to watch kiddos so hubby and I can attend.
There will be exhibits; Becky Muldrow: How to Earn a Bachelor's Degree During High School, Martin Cothran: The Classical Thinking Skills Program, Erin Karl: The Language Arts Tool belt, and David Hernandez: Preparing High Schoolers for STEM futures, and so on. Wrapping this whole experience up will be the numerous vendors, with their different curricula and materials to view and purchase. A virtual wonderland for home educators.
This will be my first convention to attend. I have taken the tips of The Pioneer Woman on how to prepare for attending a homeschool convention. I have pre-registered and booked my hotel room. I have been studying the schedule, list of speakers and workshops, and have narrowed it down to a number of specific workshops I would like to attend. I am working on my plan how to make the most of my day. All that is left is to attend, look up, smile, and chat with other homeschoolers. I have my backpack loaded and ready to go with a notebook, pens, water bottle, crackers, etc. I thought about a nice open tote, but decided that I want my arms free and no worries of a shoulder bag slipping from my shoulder. I have my list of vendors I want to make sure to check out, as well as a short list of specific items to look for. All that is left is to finish packing my overnight bag.
All right. First time attendee excitement? Absolutely. I wish I could have attended last year. But I think having trudged through the past year as we have I at least have a better idea of what I want to gain from this convention experience. Oh, and a fantastic bit that I just discovered: If I miss a workshop, I can catch an audio recording of it later! Now, I know that there will be things for kids to do. I am not bringing mine with me this year. First time, I just want to go with the hubby and soak it all in. Maybe next year. Thankful for this opportunity. Thankful for family willing to watch kiddos so hubby and I can attend.
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