Golden Acorn Homeschool

So, the kids and I were so enamored with skating, that I stopped by Kmart on the way home from our Black Friday exploits and bought a pair of rollerblades (which were cheaper than an hour long session of ice skating!).  I wanted regular skates, but none of the stores seem to carry them in adult sizes.  Well, Kmart and Target don’t, anyway.  I still don’t like rollerblades, but they will do for now.

Anyway, we made a date to go rollerskating all together this afternoon.  First, we went to the top level of the Target parking garage.  No one ever parks there, and it seemed like the perfect place to have a little skate fest.  Wrong.  Although it was empty and essentially debris-free, they were very lazy in the way they poured the concrete and it was just too rough.  We skated for about 45 minutes before deciding to try a different location.

So, we headed to Rockville High School.  The parking lot was empty and since it’s fairly new construction, it was really smooth.  However, there is a big sign hanging on the building that says no skating is allowed, and we were there all of 10 minutes before a police cruiser pulled in.  *sigh*

Our third attempt was the black top behind Cole’s old elementary school.  It was nice and smooth (other than some dangerous wood chips), so we ended up skating there for about an hour.  The girls got tired, but they just took off their skates and played on the playground.  We all agreed that skating would be a regular weekend activity.  It was so nice to spend the day out of the house and being active.  The kids were also very confident on their skates after ice skating on Friday.  :-)

I think next weekend, in addition to some skating, we will head down for a hike at Great Falls park.  It’s another “must see” place on my DC list.

No, I did not go shopping on Black Friday, and I never do.  This means you won’t be hearing about my amazing deals.  LOL!

I do have a lot of time to fill with NOT thinking about my husband who has started his new job 2000+ miles away.  (He totally loves it, by the way.)

Yesterday, I just knew we had to get out of the house, so I looked up events and activities in the area and decided on a tree lighting ceremony down at the National Harbour.  It’s one place we have never been, and there were fireworks and an ice skating rink.  The Gaylord Hotel is A-MAZING!  I have never seen anything like it, so the trip was worth it for that alone.

We went ice skating (of course) and ended up having a fantastic time!  It was the first time any of us had been ice skating.  I used to be an avid roller skater back in the day (which means about 18 years ago, of course), but I was surprised that I was able to skate without falling on my butt.  The kids also did really well, and in spite of many falls, they continued to get right back up and keep going.  I was a proud mama!

Zoey was really brave.  She stayed pretty close to the wall, but she was definitely going for it on her own and wouldn’t even hold my hand.  She decided to strike a pose for me here.

Sydni always tries for a model pose…LOL!  She fell more than anyone, but continued to get up over and over and over again.  By the time our session was up, she was going around the circle with the experienced skaters and doing so well!

Cole skated about half a lap before he decided to try and skate with the big dogs.  He fell a lot too, but he was doing fantastic by half-way through the session.  My kids rock!

After skating we went down for the tree lighting ceremony, but it was so windy we ended up seeking hot chocolate at Mayorga Coffee.

TWENTY minutes later, we had hot beverages and walked back down by the marina again.

I would say this is a new Black Friday tradition, but we will have to find something similar in Las Vegas for next year.  Woo hoo!

I have a confession to make: Today I feel a little like Joan Crawford, a.k.a. “Mommie Dearest.”

No, I didn’t beat any of my kids with wire hangars and I didn’t even scream at them (today, LOL!).  But I did make my girls stay in their room this morning until it was cleaned up.  No breakfast, no juice, nothing.  The only thing they could do was use the bathroom.

It sounds harsh to my own ears, but this is a LONG brewing battle between the girls and me.  We have run the gamut of disciplinary actions and methods.  They have lost toys, lost privileges, had their room stripped to beds & dressers only, been spanked, been separated while cleaning, and the list will go on and on and on.

On Monday, I was hosting book club and the girls had managed to clean their room up pretty early in the day.  They also kept it pretty clean on Tuesday.  Last night I went in to say goodnight to them and found a nightmare – they had trashed it in a matter of hours.  I was furious, and completely battle-weary.  I am tired of yelling, scolding, begging, & pleading with them to keep it cleaned up.  I threw down the ultimatum before bed: either clean the room up, or don’t bother coming down stairs in the morning.

I should also add that they have bins, buckets, drawers, & shelves for everything in their possession.  And, after the last time I took all their stuff away temporarily, I only gave back 1/2 of it and donated the rest.  There really is no excuse.

They woke up this morning around 9:00 and crept downstairs.  I think they must have thought I was kidding; surely mommy wouldn’t be so cruel as to deny food?  Wrong!

I sent them back upstairs.  I heard a lot of noise that sounded like cleaning, but I had my doubts, and I was right. They were playing.  This was at 10:34.  I made it very clear that they would not get anything beyond a cup of tap water from the bathroom sink until they got serious.  I think I finally managed to get the message into their hard little heads.  By 11:00, the room was clean enough to warrant breakfast.

When they are sufficiently motivated, they can (and do) clean up the worst messes in 15-30 minutes.  They’ve done it before.  So I ask you, am I just dealing with two of the most stubborn little girls on the planet, or am I a candidate for the lead role in a remake of “Mommie Dearest”?

Erg.

I was reading my news feed today when I came across this article.  Apparently, some homeschoolers in Delaware feel left out because their children cannot receive the H1N1 vaccine through the program intended for the local public schools.

Really?

I have lots of interesting thoughts about what public school districts could (and maybe should) offer to homeschooling families.  However, a vaccine is not one of those things.  I am sorry, but kids in public school are exposed to hundreds of other children, teachers, and employees.  Schools are a breeding ground for the flu.  While it’s true that many homeschoolers are quite active in the community and socialize with many groups of people, they are not in that germ-filled breeding ground every day, all day.

Homeschoolers make a choice to educate outside of the societal norm and that means making certain sacrifices.  We take on the entire responsibility for the education of our children, including the financial burden.  And yes, we *do* pay taxes for the school system, but so do single people, elderly people, couples with no children…wait, everyone pays taxes, don’t they?

If you are a homeschooler who wants the H1N1 vaccine for your child, make an appointment with your child’s doctor, or attend a public clinic.  Your child is not a student in the public school system, get over it.  You are not entitled to benefits of that nature, and you made that choice when you opted not to use public education.

*stepping off soap box now*

This post got delayed and delayed while I dawdled getting the photos downloaded to my beloved lap top.  Still, I keep wondering how in the world it’s possible that my baby girl is five??  *sniffs*

I am officially the mother of three “big” kids as I was reminded by a friend the other day.  Thanks, Beth!  :-P

I look at all of my munchkins and I wonder where the time has gone, and if I am doing a good enough job.  Does every parent wonder about that?

Anyway, Miss Zoey had her party on Saturday, October 24th.  It was raining, so all my plans for outdoor party activities were shot.  There were FIFTEEN loud and hyper kids in my house for 90 or so minutes.  I was really happy when it was over.  ;-)

It was a Halloween Costume Birthday Party.  :-)

She requested that her cake match her invitations.  Mommy was on the job!

The whole gang!

Here, she is wondering why we gave her “diapers” for her birthday…too funny!

Ahhh!  It’s for the Baby Alive doll!

Monday the 26th was her actual birthday, and we celebrated all day.  First with donuts, then a short trip to Chuck-E-Cheese, and finally a family dinner at Clyde’s Tower Oaks Lodge.

Don’t they look EXCITED?!?!

It was all a good time, but I am always SO happy that the birthday festivities are officially over.  WHEW!

This is a conversation I had with Cole this morning, mid-mathematics.

Cole: School feels different this year.  Like, it’s much better.

Me: Really?  And why do you suppose that is?

Cole: Um, because I like doing it more?

Me: Ok.  So, are you saying you have a better attitude about doing what you need to do?

Cole: Yeah, I think that’s it.  I have a better attitude, and I like it now.  It goes by faster when you like it.

It’s amazing what a good attitude can get you.  *gasp*  ENJOYMENT!

This is the eve of our third year of homeschooling and one would think that I would be completely comfortable getting started up again.  So why am I so nervous tonight?  My husband and kids are in bed and sleeping peacefully.  I have planned and printed and organized as much as I can in order to be prepared for tomorrow.  I know I can handle tomorrow, but I keep hearing that little voice in the back of my head saying, “but this is fourth grade, Becky.”

I admit it…fourth grade DOES seem like a big, spankin’ deal.  Teaching the lower elementary grades feels like a cake walk to me, but I can sense that I am just a breath away from having a middle schooler.  It goes fast.  It’s a blink of an eye.

I know all I can do is be prepared.  I have to keep studying, researching, and implementing the best possible plan for my son.  I have no idea what the future will hold for him.  I don’t know if he will continue to homeschool, or if he will choose to go back to public school.  I don’t know what colleges he might look at, or how we will pay for it.  All I can do is give him my best and then let go.

At the end of the day, it’s not in my hands anyway.  Thankfully, I fully trust the One who holds it all in His hands.  :-)

I have been trying to vaccum the family room floor since 8:30 AM.  It’s now 1:40 PM and I *still* have not accomplished this task.  How is this possible?  How can the #1 item on my “to do” list still be unfinished at this hour?  Allow me to ’splain it to you.

At 8:30, I pulled out the vacuum cleaner with every intention on starting that very second.  But, the canister was full and needed to be emptied.  I take it to the kitchen, and notice the trash is full.  As I call Cole into the kitchen to empty the trash can, he informs me that he has a headache and stomachache, and makes that lurching/vomiting noise, so I send him upstairs, post haste.

I follow behind him with Tylenol for his headache and Gatorade for fluids.  He gets settled into bed, and I check out the bathroom.  Ew.  I will spare you the details, but now I have to clean the bathroom.  I get out all the supplies and go to town on the toilet, the sink, the floor.  I empty that trash can and bring the bag downstairs, and remember that I still need to empty the kitchen trash, but…

There is a knock on the door.  The landscaper is here to give me an estimate on trimming the shrubs.  The girls run outside in pajamas and start riding bikes and scooters.  He asks me 101 questions….things like, “Do you want me to trim all the shrubs?”

No genius, just do two of them and leave the others looking like native plants from the amazon.  OY!

He leaves, I threaten the girls with bodily harm if they do not stop scooting down the street and come inside and get dressed.

I go back to the bathroom to put a new bag in the wastebasket and put a new bath mat down.  I look in the shower, hide my disgust and leave that battle for another day.

Back downstairs, I find the girls pajamas on the floor of the entry way, and covered with grass stains from their scootering adventures.  I grab up the pile and take it to the laundry room.  I see the load I started last night and forgot to dry, so I grab the cold wrinkled load from the dryer and add it to the pile on the sofa waiting to be folded, throw the wet load in to be dried, and start a new load.  I look at the pile on the couch and decide to fold them now and get them put away.  I just can’t stand it anymore, and besides, it’s crowding my fave spot for sitting with my laptop and blogging.

I start “Forrest Gump” and fold 1,000 loads of laundry, while switching more loads over in the laundry room, and boo-hooing over what a hag Jenny is.

“You’re my best friend Forrest, run Forrest, go away Forrest, let me break your heart Forrest, I’m dying Forrest, please marry me and raise our child that I hid from you for several years Forrest.”  AGH!

Anyway, I finish washing, drying and folding just as the movie ends.  It’s lunch time and I realize I haven’t even made coffee yet, and mention that I need some.  Sydni volunteers to make me some coffee.  Sweet!  She can do that while I vacuum the stinkin’ family room!

First, a potty break, and I am still sniffling for Forrest, so I grab some tissues too.  Finally, finally, I make my way back to the vacuum cleaner.  Darn!  I still need to empty the canister.  Which reminds me that the kitchen trash is *still* full and waiting to be taken out.  Erg.  I start walking to the kitchen when I hear, “Mommy, the coffee fell out of the coffee thing.”

Hmmm.

I discover that Sydni tied to pull the old coffee filter out of the basket and ended up with a broken filter and old coffee grounds all over the counter.  I help her clean that up and then finally tie up the trash bag and start walking out with it.  I slip on some water that is oozing out in front of the refrigerator.  Sydni says, “Oh I forgot to clean that up.”  Apparently she spilled it while filling the coffee carafe.

I get the trash outside (FINALLY!) and come in to clean up the water.  The girls are hungry.  I help them make sandwiches, and notice that Sydni’s spot at the table has a coating of milk and sugar that I missed earlier.  Nice.  Clean that up too.  Ew, the dish cloth is smelly.  Open the drawer for a new one and realize all the clean ones are nicely folded on the sofa waiting to be put in the drawer.  Walk down and grab the dish cloths and kitchen towels and put those away.  The kitchen trash needs a new bag…oops!  I get that done, and empty the vacuum canister, at last!

Now, I can vacuum the family room!  So I decided to blog about my morning instead – HA!  I know I am not the only one who has days like this (or I hope!).  I really am going to vacuum RIGHT NOW!  And as a bonus, 80% of the bathroom is clean.  We’ll pretend that shower doesn’t exist today…mmmkay?

Welcome Back!

Morning Walk.

Artist Study

Math

History

Woo hoo! Day 1 of, how many?? :-D

I missed pictures of a lot of other things we did yesterday. I was busy teaching! Oh well, maybe another day?

PS – DO NOT go to bed at night with wet hair. Eee Gad! :-P