Plotting and Planning

Our lesson of the week is to think big...but plan ahead. I think I mentioned we are planting our first garden this year. Apparently, in the Northeast where we are, the rocks are the most abundant things in the soil. Our first step for our garden and baby orchard was to order the trees and plants. Okay, it's been 6 weeks and they still haven't arrived. Next year we'll order them earlier(as we were told). Lesson One. Check.

Next, we had someone plow the area that we marked off. Since we are out of town during the week, we expected to come home and see an area set for some topsoil and planting. Oops. This stage just turns over the sod. Now comes the rock picking and rototilling. I finally understand why there are these gorgeous rock walls separating the property lines. With so many rocks, where could you possibly put them all? So begins another project. A fire pit.

After spending the weekend picking rocks and rototilling, we will be ready to plant this weekend. That is, of course, if my plants arrive. If not, then we'll be running to the nursery to buy some other things.

The kids have helped with as much as possible. We have started some seedlings and are keeping note of their progress. My son is documenting our successes and failures and comparing cost of seeds, plants, and equipment needed. He's starting to realize the cost of fruits and veggies in the store and how much we should expect to save. The real success is running outside and picking a snack right from the yard. I love our optimism. Weekend Garden Warriors. That's what we are.

My daughter is preschool age so she gets involved in the planting, identifying what we are growing, making markers for the different items we plant, etc. I bought a bundle of shims and wrote the different fruits and veg's on them. She painted and colored the sticks to use as plant markers. Now we won't forget where things are planted and our garden will have some pizzazz. "Pizzazz" is her favorite word at the moment.

So, wish us happy gardening, as I realize the hard work is just beginning. We'll post pics as soon as we actually have something growing other than the rocks!

Earth Day!

We have been down and out with the flu, but we are feeling better and ready to move on. Another bonus of homeschooling is the ability to take a couple days off and not have to worry about making up the school work. We do school a couple of days a week throughout summer to make sure we don't forget anything. My son actually prefers this, believe it or not.

The kids are excited about Earth Day and can't wait to turn off the power for a minute. Nickelodean has asked its viewers to participate in this activity. I think we'll turn everything off for longer than that. It's nice for the kids to see the bigger picture of the little differences that they can make.

We have made a list of ways we can help the Earth and ourselves at the same time. Since we grocery shop a lot, we have purchased reusable bags. If you are crafty, you can make them yourself. My sewing abilities are laughable and my groceries would be sure to land on the pavement if I made my own. Home Depot sells big orange ones that are very sturdy and great for bigger items. This is one simple way to make a change.

I'd like feedback on changing to the eco-friendly lightbulbs. I know they save energy and last longer, but I am very concerned with the mercury content. Lots of people don't even know that they contain mercury and must be disposed of in a specific facility. You can return them to Home Depot and they will do it for you. In a recent trip to their store (we are building a house, so I live at Home Depot), they had a salesperson handing out a lightbulb to each customer. I asked her about the mercury and she was totally clueless. She left her station in search for answers and found us elsewhere in the store. She informed me that they have a disposal site, but as she was selling and handing out these to customers, I was quite disappointed that they were not informing the public about the hazards. I would think environmentalists would be more involved in the pros and cons of these lightbulbs. Again, I welcome your thoughts.

So, we'll have one more day of recovery and then go out to save the planet! Happy Homeschooling!

spring

Spring is officially here and it has revitalized our spirit and put us in a great mood. We will begin planting our garden and landscaping our yard. I am excited to have my kids involved in the process of growing their own food and seeing their hard work turn into yummy food and vibrant flowers. That is my plan, but as this will be our first garden, I hope all goes as expected.

My sister lives very close and has just gotten chicks so that they will have fresh eggs. We had a chance to see them this weekend and the kids were thrilled to hold them in their hands. This is another new experience for all of us. Shame on me for not bringing my camera; I will have it next time we visit.

This is the time of year to take a deep breath, clean out the old, and bring in the new. Make positive changes in your life and you will feel the benefits for years to come.

Happy Homeschooling! Welcome Spring!

Back In Action!

We did it and actually came out unscathed. Yes, we had no cable, phone, or internet for one whole week. The kids met some new friends and got their daily allowance of Vitamin D. I admit, we did occasionally stop outside of the local diner and use their Wi-Fi. My husband has to e-mail reports every night... so what if I happened to have my I-Touch with me? Purely accidental, of course.

I heard less whining than anticipated and we had a dance party in the living room instead of watching American Idol. It seems some of you are inspired to try it for yourselves. I hope you do because our family really enjoyed each other.

It is a good reminder of why we homeschool and choose to be so involved with our kids. Sometimes we forget the importance and value of the decisions we have made and get sidetracked with all of the day to day activities. This was a nice opportunity to reconnect with ourselves and re-evaluate our priorities. Yeah for us!

Wireless...Literally.

Next week a strange phenomenon will overtake our household. Lives will be forever altered. Okay, it's not the end of the world, but my son is full of angst. We will be without TV and internet for at least four days. Oh! The Horror!

As for me, I'm giggling inside. I little twisted and demented laugh is ready to burst. We have been housebound all winter and have spent way too much time in front of the computer. It's time to do some nature walks and remember why we love Spring. The birds are chirping and the leaves are starting to bud. We feel just like all the animals scurrying around us. You can feel it and smell it in the air.

So go wireless, get unplugged! I dare you! Your family might revolt, but the world will not stop spinning. Walk the neighborhood and pick up trash. Clean out the kids' toys. Have a picnic. Bring out the

Procrastination

Of all the traits I want to pass on to my kids, my gift of procrastination is NOT one them. I swear I work better under pressure, but what if something comes up in the last minute? While I got through college on Big Gulps and M & M's (nothing like a sugar high to get you through an all night cram session), I would like to teach planning and organization as a better way to function.

We all have our different styles of teaching and planning. Even in unstructured schooling, there is a level of organization that must be involved. With different types of learners in the home, we might need several ways to keep them engaged. Many new homeschoolers are so overwhelmed because they think they need to run a tight ship and keep their kids on a plan like a regular school. The whole point of being at home is so that the parent can decide what works best.

For us, we need a schedule and a plan. We need some guidelines and dates to keep us on track. This is because, as I mentioned earlier, I am the Queen of Procrastination. If we followed my natural instinct, we would be up at 3:00 in the morning doing vocabulary.

So my advice to new homeschoolers is this, find out what works for you and your kids. Ask a lot of questions. We like to laugh at ourselves and some mistakes we have made. Make homeschooling an "experience". Relax! Be excited! If you are stressed about it, then your kids will feel like something is wrong. Pinpoint your strengths and weaknesses. Since I know I tend to do things at the last minute, I force myself to use a schedule. This is the only way to get things done on time without panic.

As time goes on, I will posts links to some of my favorite sites and make copies of my organizational materials. That is of course, if I don't procrastinate!

Happy Homeschooling!

Dogs In Elevators

What does that have to do with homeschooling? Well, one question make you think of another. As we are still hotel hopping, I have to walk the dog through the hotel to the appropriate doggie spot in the back. We have a very friendly, but nervous black lab. She is not understanding the concept of traveling on elevators. She enters quite eagerly but has the constant look of confusion when the door closes and then opens to another world. I just haven't figured out how to explain this to her. Anyway, we had to share the elevator with another person and as the magic door closed, my dog shrank away from him with her tail behind her legs. The man in the elevator said, "Your dog's not used to being around people is she?"
Now to my point. I got defensive and found myself explaining that she is socialized. It's just the elevator, and all the strange suitcases, and smells, and noises.

Wait! Am I still talking about my dog? As a homeschooler, how many times to I have to explain that my kids are getting "socialized"? Just because my daughter won't talk to the lady in line at the grocery store, it doesn't mean my kids are stuck in some world where they have no friends or playtime. It means that she's shy and has been told not to talk to strangers. Safety 101. Please don't take it personally, I'm sure you are a nice grandma, you're just not her grandma.
My kids are surrounded my people of all ages, backgrounds, genders, and religions. I do not believe that they need to be surrounded by their own age groups all day long. When they move into society, they will need to deal with all types of people. This is socialization.

So, next time I will not ramble on and defend my dog or my right to homeschool. I will just smile and keep my mouth shut.