Do Your [Homeschooled] Kids Get Snow Days?

I get that question a lot. That's like asking "Do your [Christian] kids get Santa Claus?" Oh, wait. I get that question a lot too! The answer to both is YES.

Snow days are fun. They're exciting! They're something to look forward to. Snow days are mini vacations--with roaring family room fires and homemade hot cocoa. The night before snow days we get to stay up late watching weather coverage on the news, and we get our gloves and snow pants ready. We sleep like we're waiting, well, for Santa Claus.

Last winter and this have been DUDS. The year before that, we had enough snow for three years...Oh, I see. This year, we never even got enough to make a proper snowball. Don't get me wrong--I'm not a cold weather, snow loving gal. But just one exciting hour watching the magic out the window, one round of dressing my kids (rather, watching them dress themselves now that they're old enough) in their crazy puffy snow clothes, just one of those is all I look forward to.

I probably shouldn't admit this publicly--but we took a snow day today even though there's no snow! We expected to wake up to 12 inches of white fluff. We only have a little rain. No snow.The county cancelled school last night, so there's a neighborhood Wii party in my family room. Right next to the roaring fire.

And as for Santa Claus, well, he's not omniscient or omnipresent, he doesn't know if you're  naughty or nice, he doesn't reward according to behavior. He's the great great great great...grandson of St. Nicholas, who loved to bless folks and threw money into the stockings of three sisters who needed dowries (according to legend). He loves to celebrate God's love for us by surprising us with little gifts in our stockings. And his son will take over when he gets too old to fly with reindeer. 

Food, Fractions and Fun

I've learned a few things recently.

5. No matter how great my idea is, I shouldn't mention it until I'm ready to take it on. I have many more ideas than hours to pursue them. I need to ask God to show me which ones are worthy of my time and attention, and table the rest.

4. I can't eat healthy if I don't shop healthy. Because when I open the frig, if there is nothing there, I will order crap. Then I will eat said crap. Then my jeans won't fit. Truth.

3. The state is not the boss of me. I get so wrapped up in how the state wants me to homeschool, and I miss the whole point of homeschooling--helping my children to pursue learning in active, dynamic ways according to their leanings.

2. Hormones are powerful things. Really. really. powerful. Enough said.

1. Birthdays are fun! We spent two days celebrating family and friends, and I'm still excited for the next party!

Turning IT On Its Head

A little while ago I told you our homeschool days were not going very well. I was tired of arguing all morning to get my kids to get their chores and morning routine done before the start of school. I had begun to dread mornings, which meant we were getting a late start to our day, which meant schooling into the evening, which meant one gradually insane mommy.

So, I decided to capitalize on our energy schedule. The kids are jumping beans after dinner, so I switched their housekeeping chores. Now, instead of tidying the house before school in the mornings, they tidy it after dinner in the evening.

I was also frustrated because I love teaching--and I wasn't getting to do any of it while I was happy. Really, after nagging over chores, and helping all four get through the dreaded math and language arts independent work, I was wiped. So our science and social studies, art and music and p.e. stunk! They were getting the facts, but not the fun.

I decided to turn that upside down, too. Now just after we get up to a clean house, we do yoga together (threw that in for some physical fun), and then Bible and a fun subject together--one where I get to really teach!

We're enjoying our homeschooling days much more! Thank you, GOD. And thank you to a very special friend who helped me to see this new possibility simply by listening to me complain about what WASN'T working for our family.

Happy Monday!

The Week in Meals

Yesterday afternoon I sat down with my Kindle and my pen and paper and planned our meals for the week. I know, exciting, huh? But for me it's such a load off to have that done before we start our school week. So, in case you're needing a few ideas or a little inspiration, I'm sharing my plan:

Breakfasts

GF oatmeal with dried bing cherries
Cereal with almond milk and fresh berries
GF Pancakes with pure maple syrup
Eggs and sausage

Lunches

Egg salad lettuce wrap
Applegate Farms natural lunchmeat ham and salami lettuce wraps
Applegate Farms natural hot dogs with GF mac and cheese
BLT lettuce wrap
Tuna salad lettuce wrap
Hard boiled eggs
Nachos with gf chips, rice cheese, lentil chili, and vegan sour cream

Snacks

Fresh fruit and veggies
Food Should Taste Good chips and hummus
Nuts
Frozen Fruit Smoothies (with chia seeds and ground flaxseed)

Dinners

Chicken and Avacado Soup, garden salad

Almond Crusted Mahi Mahi with Pineapple Salsa over brown rice, roasted garlic broccoli
Almost Alton Brown's GF Meatloaf, Pioneer Woman's Crash Hot Potatoes, Honeyed Carrots
Teriyaki Salmon, roasted balsamic brussells sprouts, salad
Old Bay Chicken, roasted sweet potato fries, salad
Beef roast with roasted root vegetables



I love new ideas! Share yours with me here or on my facebook page.

*For the most part, we are dairy free, gluten free and sugar free. But we break the rules every now and again. I'll never turn my nose up at a good recipe ;)

Turning It on Its Head

It.

Home school.

Sometimes it gets rough and hairy.

Sometimes I can't see my way through the next year,
     let alone the next month...
          or week...
               or day...
                    or hour...
                         if I'm honest.

I spent a season recently belly aching. A friend called to see how things were going. She really, genuinely wanted to know. So I told her. And she listened, and empathized, and shared her stories. I hung up feeling like I'd verbally vomited on her; I felt just terrible. But after our conversation, I realized her letting me just get it all out (with no condemnation or judgement, or even hastily prepared answers on her part) helped me to start pulling out the themes.

It's not that home schooling wasn't working for us. It wasn't even that I was in a rut. It was that I was beating my head up against the same situation over and over again, but expecting different results. Help me out here--isn't that the definition of insanity.

I was not frustrated.
Rather, I was insane.

Yep, that explained a lot.

So I thought of that old Lionel Kiddie City commercial jingle:
     "Let Lionel Kiddie City turn your frown upside down."

I turned insanity on its head.

How did I do that?

You'll have to come tomorrow to find out...

This is My City

Image Source

I'm not much of a football fan.

Gasp!

But I'm proud of my city.

Sometimes we get a bad rap...

But this Superbowl win has brought out the best in people. 

Thanks, Ravens, for the excitement and the example.

Spring Day

I'm deep cleaning right now.

Well, not quite right now, but today. I'm cleaning because it is warm outside and I want to pull the freshness inside my house.

I should be walking or biking or sitting in the sun soaking in Vitamin D. But I'm not. I'm stripping couch cushions and stain spotting the carpet. I'm wiping the fronts of cabinets and the pantry.

And I'm blogging.

Whoopie! I'm BLOGGING!!

I've been missing writing. I have no motivation to write for money right now, or for fame. Not to build up my portfolio or to practice. I have this feeling that I'm not doing what I've been called to do, and that creates a longing deep down in parts of me that lie dormant.

So you might see more of me. Might. Don't want to push it.

Besides, I need to get back to cleaning.