Just another day in paradise ;)

Nothing exciting today. We are learning about the way plants make seeds and are structured. We decided to do our art on that today. We learned to draw a daisy. This page taught us how: http://www.homeschooling-ideas.com/draw-a-daisy.html 

We did our best to attempt the same. 

We are also learning greater than and less than, proper and common nouns which I had to take a lesson on myself since its been awhile.

Oh yea! 

No one threw up or ran a fever today! 

Hopefully the germs will go away and stay away.

When you least expect greatness... Let there be greatness!

Last week I wrote Alexander's name on the dry erase board just wanting him to attempt to try to copy what I wrote while I was busy with the older two kiddos. He goes "Look Mommy, I'm spelling my name." I was so surprised and was wondering why I didn't think of that. He was matching the magnet letters up with what I wrote. 

I got Lexie and Alexander to do a little work today. 

They got bored laying around with sick tummies.

Feeling Blessed

As I am cleaning up our school room for the night in order for us to start fresh Monday morning... I set back and realized how blessed our family has been. In starting this journey we had almost nothing to get us ready for homeschooling. It all came together rather quickly with the collecting of items. Some items I collected over the months before even knowing we would be a homeschooling family. A neighbor asked me one day, "Hey do you want all this furniture? We don't want it and are just gonna throw it out." Umm... YEAH! It sat in my garage for months with no idea what to do with it. I can tell you now every single piece is being put to use now. A friend from Church was giving away TONS of books while cleaning out her garage. She was just gonna donate them and I kinda felt bad asking if I could just have them thinking we love books and collect them and are needing some new ones as we keep reading the same ones over and over. Now those books are our curriculum! They are books about Science, Reading, The Book of Mormon, Geography, History, Animals and so on. Then we were given by another church friend vhs tapes of  The Living Scriptures. Those cost tons of money!! I didn't have a vcr but expressed to those I was close to that I needed one and got one within a couple of weeks completely free. That same friend also gave me some books for 5th grade curriculum. And now we were given an extra computer! Two computers in our household is going to help our school days go alot faster with half of our curriculum being online! This room would not have been this filled if it wasn't for those who felt so generous! <3 So THANK YOU!!!

Here are a few photos:

You Never Know

Remember this Don't forget your prayers blog post I did two nights ago? I knew when publishing it that I shouldn't have made a big deal about saying my prayer. That you should pray when you don't want to the most. I know this! I just saw this video on my facebook feed and watched it. Here I am exhausted doing school with the children. They are working on a word search together beside me and I'm checking in on the life going on outside my home. This video completely spoke to me. This is me almost EVERYDAY! With being the Compassionate Service Coordinator Assistant in our church I do alot of things that aren't always brought up to the Relief Society. That is just my nature. I think of things and just do them and don't feel the need to go report it. That is why I was called to this calling. There has been a couple nights I completely forgot about dinner I was suppose to bring to someone. And I promise you this happened. I went to grab the phone search through my email to find the cheapest deal to order pizza for a huge family to feed last minute that I forgot I was responsible for and happened to have called to let them know pizza is on the way and was told "We don't need dinner tonight someone already dropped it off for us." I looked at the schedule of people I set up and wrote down to
make sure I wasn't mistaking that it was my night and there was no
mistake about it. I don't know who that person was that mysteriously dropped off that dinner to the family but no one will ever know how grateful I was in that moment for them! As I sighed relief that I didn't have to spend $50 bucks on pizza because of my absent minded to remember to make a dinner that would be half that price and that a family didn't have to eat dinner late because of my forgetfulness. Everyone knows how much I am randomly watching everyone else's children just because that's how I roll ;) My house is always busy and crazy with other people. At the end of the day I feel so unaccomplished but really I need to take the time to look at the things that I did accomplish that I didn't even plan to that were so much bigger than that list in my head. I admit I shed some tears watching this video!!!

The bonds

Looking back on our time the other night. Monday I believe. Adam got home right before bedtime for the children. He had decided to stay at work to catch up on things and get more organized since this is his last week in the Coppell location. When he got home he mentioned on his ride home from work he realized what little time he was going to get with our children once he got home and he was sad about it. Usually on any other night the kids would play video games with Daddy since they had lots "more" (only by a couple hours) time with him. I felt that video game time wasn't in their cards tonight with Daddy so we headed to the school room. I showed him what they did that day while they were in the room with us and let them talk on to him about their work and show off stuff to him. Then we all sat down together to play a game of Matching the Colored Apples (a game of Alexander's for preschool time). Yes the game was very easy for all of us but it allowed Alexander to show off his skills to Daddy while we all bonded and spent time together. I sat back and watch how organically our bonding time grew in that room over the hour. I felt relieved, proud and happy! I realized not just within that night but a little each day how much I'm enjoying spending more time with my children each day. When I mentioned in previous posts that homeschooling was right for our family and came to us at the perfect time I didn't mention the more personal reasons I felt that way. I feel like yes I do complain about being tired in my blog and about needing a break away from my children and all to myself. But I want everyone to realize this is all very new to me. I was living what I felt was a very selfish life. I would spend hours watching shows, playing on facebook, just doing what I wanted to during the day. I would let my children be entertained by video games and Netflix. Those were their "babysitters" all while their mom was in the other room. Yes if you visit my house on weekends recently this is still the norm. But its their free time to do what they please! But do I feel guilty for allowing them to do these things? Heck no! I feel like I can allow them to do as they please because I spent almost every waking hour with them during the days of the week. While that does sound very exhausting when I see it written out I cant help but to remember how many times daily I randomly have a flash of realizing how much I am enjoying spending this time with them. I am enjoying seeing them grow. Seeing them learn. Seeing what they see through their eyes. I was watching a movie just now on Netflix (today is our off day) and watching in the movie how parents are at a school watching their children in a talent show. I remembered how I would go to their school to do these type of events and how proud I felt in the moments of them showing off what they have learned. Well I now get to see this daily and feel these proud moments daily. It makes me feel so warm inside and confirms that I am doing the right thing for my family. 

Over the last few weeks I would just randomly catch myself staring at my children while I am talking to friends or family and they would look at me weird trying to figure out where my head is and I would say "Look!!! Their getting so big and growing so much and their so beautiful!" I just cant get over how much my children are growing into these young adults. I am so proud of them!

I am admitting something that not many people know. I have only told my husband. But I think a few family members might have sensed it. Over the years I have lost my bond for Dakota and Lexie. I just couldn't relate much to them. I'm more of a baby person. I absolutely love the baby years! Its my favorite. Adam on the other hand loves the age when they can play and joke around. I just dont know what to do with that. I never knew how to play with my children. I just loved to hold and cuddle them and be the one they needed when they were so helpless. Now I find myself loving both stages. I CAN relate now. They still need me just as much but just in different ways. I am creating those bonds with them again. This is just one of the things I have hope for in my homeschooling.

I now get to the end of the day and realized I haven't watched one show. I yes periodically check my facebook through out the day but I don't at all spend even a fourth of the time I use to on there.

Dont forget your prayers ;)

Tonight I told Adam nicely, "I gave them all kisses and they are in their beds waiting on YOU to pray with them." He replies, "Why aren't you going to pray with us?" "I have prayed with them all day! I would think its ok to skip out of this one time while you put them to bed. I prayed with them for Morning Prayer, for Breakfast, for Lunch and Dinner. I think its your turn to pray alone with them." He replies, "But its family prayer!" 

FACE PALM!!!! 

Then Dakota walks in and the whole conversation starts over again. "Umm... why aren't you coming to pray with us?!" 

WHY IS EVERYONE SO CONCERNED WITH ME PRAYING TONIGHT?!?!!!! AHHH!

Seriously though! Can I not skip one prayer?! haha! I just want a break from the children and take joy in not having to do this one last thing for them tonight. Ya feel me?! ;) Gotta love being a parent!

... It just keeps getting better and better....

Last week I had some weak moments! I just couldn't stop crying over multiple things! But one mostly was, 

"WHAT THE HECK AM I DOING???!!!!"  

Fears and scared thoughts kept popping in my head.  

Why am I homeschooling them? 

Quick hurry up and put them back in public school while its still not too late 

for them to catch up for the new school year!  

I wanted to call up everyone and tell them I made a horrible mistake but I didn't. I also wondered if I just started homeschooling my children to prove to myself that I could? All those thoughts were being put in my head by yours truly, Satan! I kept going through the week and doing nothing about my thoughts just marching on the best I could. I talked to Adam about my feelings and he assured me I AM doing the right thing for our family. He pointed out why he felt that way and instantly my heart became alot lighter. I just needed to quit listening to those voices in my head that were doubting me and pray and listen to the light! So if I happened to run into you last week and you asked me with a big smile "How is homeschooling going?" And I just shook my head the best I could "yes" and shrugged my shoulders with big alligator tears building up, there ya go! ;)

We have added alot more studies to our daily routine to try out for this week. I worried about having enough studies to keep them busy. We were finishing up at Noon most days and that just seemed to good to be true. So I set out on a look of what I could add more that wouldn't be too much but felt complete.

Yesterday was a LONG day. They were just taking way too long to get each task done. We did school until 6:30ish pm. BLAH! But I stuck to it as much as I wanted to say "Ok, we will just do the rest tomorrow and be further behind another day with my planned activities for the week." We did skip out on one new subject lesson of Science but completed that today. We were doing just Zoology for Science before but I felt we needed to add more to our "science" so we are doing Book Study as well! 

Today we got finished with school by 4pm. Chores and all! YAY! I know that doesn't sound like an accomplishment but it looks like each day is getting better and better. We also got a little late start today. Lexie has realized or for today at least that when she finishes one task to look to her schedule to see what she can do on her own to move her day faster so she can have friend and technology time faster. Dakota on the other hand... not so much. I am hoping and praying and crossing every finger he figures this out soon because I'm tired lol! 

This is Alexander's photo of our family ;) 

Cute huh?

I love the independence he is wanting. 

He likes to do things all by himself and his way!

Look how good he is doing with his tracing. 

Still a little shaky but getting there!

A week of no blogging & some experiments

During last week we did an experiment. I have been excited to show people that you CAN regrow your romaine lettuce and green onions. I tried basil from some I had leftover in the fridge but it started molding so I threw that out. Check it out!!! This is just a week. Pretty awesome, right?!

OH! For any of you who know about Adam's job. He is FINALLY getting switched over to the Dallas location that is closer to home. Which means he will be home more often thank goodness!!! This getting home at 7pm every night is a bit ridiculous. So this is his last week at the Coppell location. We are sad a bit because he has gotten so close to everyone there but we are hoping this will be a great opportunity for him!


Today we did a chalk paint maze. It was fun but definitely got invaded by ants. We left for 15 minutes to let it dry while running an errand and came back to ants everywhere. I guess they like the flour??? We got the idea from this link: Big Chalk Maze

Anywhoo.... last week we learned a little about Amelia Earhart and Forest Animals and of course the rest of Math, Reading, OH! And we learned how to write a ABAB Poem that was fun wink wink!

Today we learned more about Amelia Earhart, Thomas Edison, cave animals, Limerick Poems and other boring stuff :) For art we sketched a light bulb in honor of Thomas Edison. Lexie's Limerick Poem was pretty funny! Dakota isn't on those yet. 

Her poem says:

I like to sing.
I have a ring.
I have pony's,
Their not phony's!
Did you see that thing?

I say funny because once her brain got to clicking she wrote it really fast and it was nothing of what I was expecting.

Here is one of the photos. All of ours were different and unique :)

This darn blog is driving me crazy right now and not letting me post the rest. So until then you just get one!