Weekly Homeschool Wrap-up–August 9, 2009

 

 

 

 If you want to participate in this meme, please visit Carol at ThreeLittleLadies, and be sure to link your post to her Mr. Linky so that we can all see what life has in store for you.   From where I sat this past week,

 

As an individual, I…

am wondering about the limit on showing God’s love when it comes to our neighbors.   We have a new neighbor who plays with our youngest often.   Given our own experiences with some of the neighbors, I suspect that we’re one of the few places that she can come.   She roams the neighborhood all day looking for a friend, and we’ve tried to be the place where she can be safe and happy, but there are some issues.   Her behavior is more like a 2-year-old than her 7 years would indicate.   She’s constantly into things, has to be watched frequently, and she’s sneaky.  To tell the truth, she gets on my last nerve, and I sometimes wonder if we’re doing the right thing by letting her come here.   I don’t want our child to be influenced in the wrong way while trying to be Christ-like.   I can’t put a finger on this little girl’s home life.   She comes by every day, 2-3 times a day, except when she is visiting her dad, so I concluded that her parents are divorced.   There are two other children in the house—one of them a teenager and one close to her age, but they look totally different, so I thought that the man that I’ve seen go in and out might be a stepfather.   Wrong, according to the girl.   None of that is my business, but it had me thinking about what this child comes from, and why she’s so pesky about hanging out here.   The proverbial straw was the several times a couple of days ago that she kept coming here, when she revealed that her mother had gone in the hospital and no one was home with her except her teenage sister and young brother.    We did eventually see an aunt come over, who seemed perfectly okay, even happy, that the little girl was coming to our home.   I suppose it all takes me back to the days when we first moved to this neighborhood.   Our oldest was four and our son was one.    As the kids grew, I always wanted them to be in a safe place, and the safest place in my mind was our place.   As other kids would come over, they always got popsicles, fruit, or even a meal as our kids ate.   What I noticed quickly was that kids would come and stay all day, even telling their parents that they planned to do so.   I can remember one neighbor riding by to tell his daughter that he was headed to the mall and would return soon; he never asked us if she could stay.   The salt in the open wound was that these same parents never reciprocated.   If our kids went to their homes, they generally returned to our home in about an hour—neighbor’s kids in tow.   So we put an end to feeding anyone and reluctantly established some boundaries that made our home not so appealing.   We may have to do the same once again, but I worry about this new little girl’s safety.   I can’t seem to balance, both then and now, between being the safe haven for children and their parents and being taken advantage of.  Overall, my heart just breaks at how so many parents don’t want to be parents, and are content to let their children go wherever, just as long as they’re not bothered in their adult pursuits.

 

As a wife and homemaker, I…

am continuously learning about trust in relationships.   Though he’s a good cook, my superhero has not touched a stove on a regular basis since we married.    In the few times that he has cooked, let’s just say that if you don’t use it, you run the risk of losing it.   Now, when our budget is at its tightest, he’s decided to take up cooking again.   There’s a part of me that questions whether this is about the number of repeats on certain meals that he’s endured over the last few months.   He’s one who’s quick to declare burnout.   However, I take pride in the fact that my careful budgeting, to include meal planning, kept us afloat all those months of temporary unemployment, and we all still ate nutritious meals and never went hungry.   In fact, as the youngest and I read Laura Ingalls Wilder’s The Long Winter, I couldn’t help but draw parallels (although our situation was nowhere near as dire) between the Ingalls’ eating of brown bread for breakfast, lunch, and dinner while they waited for spring to come and trains to be freed from blizzard snowstorms.     I’ve come to realize, through reading and through reflection, that even a simple act of grocery shopping is but one piece of managing a well-run, seamless household, and the balance can be so delicate at times until one seemingly unnoticeable expenditure can turn the whole apple cart upside down.   Oh, boy.   At least we sat down together and planned meals and shopping for the week this week, and I have piece about when and what he’ll prepare.   Now to pray about that use-it-or-lost-it problem.

 

 

As a mom and homeschooling parent, I…

am trying to curb my enthusiasm about our start on Wednesday.  After the HOTM conference, if I were any more full of encouragement, inspiration and ideas, I’d be twins!  (LOL)   My superhero and I had just had a conversation about the way he approaches job interviews.  We fast together and pray, and he is sooooo pumped about the interview.   Then when something doesn’t happen the way he wants, he crashes and burns.    In some cases, like the interview he had last week, he would have been  more sorry if he’d been in a position to have to take that job.   Honestly, it amazes me the way some employers are treating employees right now because so many don’t have choices.   Okay, I’m back from that bunny trail.   Anyway, as easy as it is for me to stand back and criticize him for not managing his emotions and riding the wave a bit more, I have to admit that the same thing happens to me with school.   After months of planning, purchasing, and praying, I am ready to implement.   Come Wednesday or Thursday, when one of the kids doesn’t get downstairs as fast as I think, or one of them in some way belittles all my hard work, I am the one who crashes and burns.   I guess there are areas where each of us needs to learn to manage our emotions.   I remember our post-Christmas holiday start this year.   The kids asked to start back a couple of days earlier than I’d planned.   I rushed around, adjusting this and that in their planners, gathering supplies, only for the oldest to tell me on the morn of the new start day that she didn’t feel well, didn’t get to sleep as she planned, blah, blah, blah, and the original start date would be just fine.   I was livid.   Yet, I learned something from that experience—at least, I like to think that I did.   I’ll know in a few days.

 

During the conference, I learned about an overwhelming number of online tools and then, for a moment, flew into a panic.   Was I prepared enough?   So, before I took a deep breath, I started tearing through all the newfound sites and then jumped on Squidoo (also brand new to me) and prepared my first lesson.   Then I exhaled.   I need to relax.   The lesson was on the Fertile Crescent, and I plan to pull together lessons on ancient China, ancient Egypt, and ancient Rome.   I’ll figure out how to link to them from here soon.

 

Our son’s multiplication facts of higher numbers (7’s, 8’s, and 9’s) are getting slower and slower, and the youngest is now writing the letter “a” backwards.   I think they’ll recuperate in time for college, but I got the message that it’s time to blow the cobwebs off our books.   Besides, my whole plan to not have an agenda and therefore allow them time to blossom creatively is now blowing up in my face.   After a couple of days of watching them spend hours with electronics (television, computer, etc.), I had to have my talk—again—about imagination, using our brains more actively, etc.   So today after church, the younger two pulled together an impromptu fashion show, complete with music, seats, and homemade “tickets” for entry.

 

As a business owner, I…

am wishing that my time and fingers could keep up with the ideas that people ask me about.  “When are you going to do a study on…”   I didn’t complete my editing after participating in the conference.  I didn’t realize how much I needed that time, and it was a pleasant and necessary diversion from the norm.   I still look to finish soon and begin the next project, a study on scientists and inventors of African descent.

 

I just peeked out the window while our son is sweeping the sidewalk of mowed grass, and the superhero chats with passers-by.   Looks like visit #4—for the day–from our own personal Curious George.

May the Lord bless your week as well.

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6 thoughts on “Weekly Homeschool Wrap-up–August 9, 2009

  1. I must say, when I read about neighbor problems, that I often wonder where I'd be if my neighbor friends didn't "take me under their wings". I was the youngest in a family with five kids and a single mom. Mom's idea of parenting was keeping a roof over our heads, food in the refrigerator (we were on our own to make something of it and eat it), and to encourage us to make something of ourselves. Other than that, we were on our own. I learned most of my manners and social skills (which have still never been honed) from the neighbors. Even so, I understand your dilemma. You don't have all the job of raising this child. Put up your limits, and she will find some other person to help her…or the TV… Some people say that "it takes a village to raise a child". Keep praying. The Lord will show you what to do.

    Carol

  2. It is hard dealing with the neighborhood kids/parents at times. We do not have many kids around here but they are a bit rude and really need watching. I go back and fourth with the safe haven vs. influence on my kids as well. I pray you find the a smooth way through this. I hope you have a great start to school too.
    Blessings,
    Dawn

  3. I was raised my many "good neighbors" in my childhood. I was a product of 13 fosterhomes and so very thankful for the good neighbors who looked out for me and gave me safe haven. Set your limits, but continue to give love, support, safety. She will appreciate your family values. She needs to know the boundaries. Pray for her and her family.
    I am still in the planning mode and always wonder each year if I am doing enough for my kids. At some point I relax and give it to the Lord ( its His anyway…) Its gonna be a great year!!!!
    I chuckle at your hubby in the kitchen story. My DH loves to cook. We too are on a budget. He is very creative and has found ways be elaborate. I am always amazed! ( and thankful that he cooks!)

  4. Tickled about the cooking. Reminds me of when I was learning to cook when we were newly married & (more)economically challenged. A burned meal was dire to us & I would feel awful. It'll get better! šŸ™‚
    Hope your school day goes excellent!

  5. Just stopping by to wish you a good week and a great start to your school. May you ooze with patience and enjoy your kids and the process of all this schooling stuff. Believe it or not, it will all be over in a flash and it is only then (unfortunately) that we realize the small stuff wasn't worth sweating about.
    Have a great week!
    Antoinette

  6. I hope you have a great first week of school. Whenever that is! I think it is difficult to manage our emotions with school. We put so much of ourselves into it, that is the same thing that is happening to your husband. Of course we aren't the job we do—but sometimes that feels like the only way to measure our worth.

    I enjoyed looking at your lense. I think you did a great job! You can link to the URL to that particular lense. Works great.

I'd love to hear your two cents!!