Liam: MOM! I got a great idea!
Me: Oh? What is it?
Liam: We should build a machine that when a bad guy comes in our house you press the red button and the machine TRAPS THEM! BUT if a good boy or girl comes in you press the green button and the machine says "Hi, you are very sweet".
Then he proceeded to tell me how to build it... he mentioned all sorts of triangles, circles and glue and tools like "hammer and nails".
Tuesday, March 29, 2011
Crocheted This...
little "stroller" toy (or for a car seat or crib) for a friend of mine who I co-hosted a baby shower for a few weeks ago. I got the pattern from a book called: Amigurumi Two!: Crocheted Toys for Me and You and Baby Too. By Ana Paula Rimoli.
I paired it with the book Swish, Fish! Splash, Dash!: Counting Round and Round. By Suse MacDonald. A very nicely designed children's counting book. Isn't that a cute gift? I was pretty proud of myself. ;)
Friday, March 25, 2011
Conversations with David
David: Diana, Violet spilled chocolate milk on the dining room carpet.
Me: Did you clean it up?
David: As best I could...
Me: Sooo you got out the wet vac and cleaned it all up then?
David: No, I got a towel and cleaned it the best I could.
Me: Getting out the wet vac would be the best you could.
David...annoyed: Diana, I said I did the best I could, I will use the wet vac later.
Me more annoyed: Okay... (kind of muttering) but it's not hard to get the wet vac out, it makes it much easier to clean up spills...
Me: Did you clean it up?
David: As best I could...
Me: Sooo you got out the wet vac and cleaned it all up then?
David: No, I got a towel and cleaned it the best I could.
Me: Getting out the wet vac would be the best you could.
David...annoyed: Diana, I said I did the best I could, I will use the wet vac later.
Me more annoyed: Okay... (kind of muttering) but it's not hard to get the wet vac out, it makes it much easier to clean up spills...
Wednesday, March 16, 2011
To Do?
Since Liam started preschool last September I find I've gotten very lazy about making crafts for the kids to do. I used to make projects with them everyday, now it's sad and quickly thrown together projects once or twice a week.
They've gotten really good at helping me in the garden and watering plants... but that doesn't take up much time.
They spend a good part of the day playing games and chasing each other. Which I think is very good for them. I should use the time to clean more or sew or paint. Instead I've been reading or playing games on my phone. I have kept the house much cleaner on a regular basis and I've kept up with the laundry, but I still have lots of time that I waste and I need to change these bad habits.
I'm gonna look up some spring crafts to do right now with them. Here's to hoping I don't get distracted!
They've gotten really good at helping me in the garden and watering plants... but that doesn't take up much time.
They spend a good part of the day playing games and chasing each other. Which I think is very good for them. I should use the time to clean more or sew or paint. Instead I've been reading or playing games on my phone. I have kept the house much cleaner on a regular basis and I've kept up with the laundry, but I still have lots of time that I waste and I need to change these bad habits.
I'm gonna look up some spring crafts to do right now with them. Here's to hoping I don't get distracted!
Monday, March 14, 2011
Want to Help?
Obviously what happened in Japan is a tragedy. It's up to you if you feel like you should help or not. The Humanitarian Aid Fund, which is a part of the Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-day Saints, gives 100% of the donations to helping those in need. NONE of it goes towards paying any administrative costs. It just goes towards helping victims. The Humanitarian Aid Fund helps people "become self-reliant and improve their quality of life through initiatives such as clean water, health, and food production. Latter-day Saint Charities also relieves suffering by providing life sustaining support during emergencies." They ARE helping in Japan right now.
Sunday, March 6, 2011
To Homeschool or Not To Homeschool.
That is the question. And just fyi, I'm not looking for opinions on this, I just want to ponder it "out loud" for a moment.
Sadly, my biggest uncertainty is quite selfish. If I have the kids and teach them all day for 14-15 years (longer if we have more children), how will I make time for my website and paintings? Having this time with my children is very valuable to me, but I've had it on my mind for a while that I would start a website. Then again, I'm not that special an artist. I'm not bad, but not great or unique. A very nice lady was at my home yesterday and she seemed to really like my art. She asked how much to paint her something. I told her the claybord "canvas" is $50 alone (possibly more if I have to pay for shipping). I told her I wouldn't sell it for less than $150. Quite cheap in my opinion. She seemed surprised by the price as in "wow that's expensive" she even said "okay, I can save up for that". Did she think the painting itself would be less than the canvas it is painted on? I wanted to tell her she could find a nice print for less somewhere else. I don't like feeling bad when I give someone a price and I no longer want to give paintings away just because I feel bad they have to pay for it but maybe can't afford it. I mean do people think it takes a few minutes or even a few hours to paint something? Okay, I'm getting off topic here.
I think there are a lot of pros to homeschooling. For one they will probably get a better education with lots less distractions. I can see what they need extra help learning and what they are skilled at first hand. I hear home schooled children grow up and are able to socialize and converse with anyone because they are used to dealing with adults more closely and skip those peer pressure group years that help develop a lack of confidence. Flexible schedules sounds great. Can take family vacations any time of the year.
I would definitely join a homeschool group that would do social activities together and take field trips together. Plus they have church youth groups to make friends. I would enroll the kids in sports, dance and music classes too. If they went to school and I enrolled them in these courses, when would I ever see them? At breakfast and dinner? Weekends?
Technically I could still find time to paint... make it the art class portion. I'd also continue gardening with them. And I could have cooking and sewing classes.
A pro/con is to shelter them from negative influences like pressure to drink or do drugs or have sex before marriage... sounds like a pro BUT they need a chance to learn to stand for their values. Perhaps to even make a mistake to learn from... but sometimes a mistake like underage drinking and doing drugs is a one time mistake that you can die from... and if not die, become addicted to, endanger others etc. Premarital sex can lead to STD's or pregnancy that a teenager wouldn't be ready for. I would push adoption but there would be other people and their opinions involved possibly even abortion which I am morally opposed to... and in the end it wouldn't be up to me.
My sister told me of this friend of hers who was sheltered from all bad things, when he went out in the world, he went to somewhere in South America where he witnessed starvation and other effects of extreme poverty. It was such a shock to him that he ended up in a mental institution for a while.
Not that I would shelter my children in that way. I would still teach them about those things. At least I think I would... maybe it didn't occur to that boys mom to do so?
There is the stigma attached to being home schooled... but there is one attached to being a member of the Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-day Saints too. I got picked on a lot at school out of sheer ignorance and prejudice.
Another option could be to leave them in school until high school. I loved elementary and have lots of fond memories of it. Of course I LOVED summer break and spending more time with my family. Middle school (called Junior High in my day) wasn't easy. High School sucked. But by then they might not be receptive to homeschooling... or maybe they'll flock to it.
With homeschooling I might even be able to get them 'graduated' by 16 or 17 especially if we cut out the whole summer vacation... plus so much time gets wasted in school. Walking to classes, waiting for the class to settle down. I know they do block courses now which allow for better use of time, but there are still time wasters... even the ride to school. I wish I knew if I worked a little harder in school I could have graduated early and moved on to college sooner.
I know in High school I was bored. The advanced classes were a challenge for me and I enjoyed them more... except I was used to doing regular class room work, hardly working and getting easy A's. Advanced classes I worked a little bit harder and got B's and C's. I thought, I'd rather work less and get A's. How terrible is that? I would have gotten a better education if I wasn't so concerned with getting easy A's. Why was there such a difference in how hard you worked in regular classes vs advanced? Advanced had more material to cover but it also had more homework, more research to do, more papers to write and more tests to take.
David is very smart and he hated High School too. Got picked on a lot. Did the minimum work and got A's. In the end he didn't learn too much.
I think another pro/con is how organized a successful home schooling parent needs to be. Pro because it's a skill I would love to learn. Con because I am not very good at it, what if I never am and my children suffer as a result? It would also help ME gain knowledge and patience... hopefully not at the cost of my children.
I could always put them in a Sylvan Learning Center course to evaluate their areas of strength and weaknesses and not rely on my own opinion on how they are doing.
There will no doubt be things I forget to teach (I've learned this after putting Liam in preschool and how much he has learned that I didn't think to teach about) But he is learning to read and write because of what I have taught him based on his own strengths that he wouldn't yet be learning in school despite his abilities. Of course I had a public school education and there is plenty I didn't learn until I was living on my own and in college. Also should point out that I would be following a curriculum.
Another pro is I can teach secular and non-secular together... which I understand for the sake of everyone's different beliefs is very necessary to keep separate in public schools... but it's something I can incorporate in home school. We can even have a family prayer in the mornings and say the Pledge of Allegiance before we get started. We can also have a scripture study portion of the day.
I hear home schoolers adjust to college quite well, most learning in college is done independently outside of class as it is. And it is possible they will be that much more excited to leave home and be on their own after so much one-on-one... though it might be harder for me.
David told me he would support me either way. Homeschooling or public. I know I sound like I am leaning towards homeschooling. Maybe I am. I have a lot of thinking and praying to do. Maybe public school will provide the experiences they need to become the people God knows they can be. Maybe homeschooling will.
Sadly, my biggest uncertainty is quite selfish. If I have the kids and teach them all day for 14-15 years (longer if we have more children), how will I make time for my website and paintings? Having this time with my children is very valuable to me, but I've had it on my mind for a while that I would start a website. Then again, I'm not that special an artist. I'm not bad, but not great or unique. A very nice lady was at my home yesterday and she seemed to really like my art. She asked how much to paint her something. I told her the claybord "canvas" is $50 alone (possibly more if I have to pay for shipping). I told her I wouldn't sell it for less than $150. Quite cheap in my opinion. She seemed surprised by the price as in "wow that's expensive" she even said "okay, I can save up for that". Did she think the painting itself would be less than the canvas it is painted on? I wanted to tell her she could find a nice print for less somewhere else. I don't like feeling bad when I give someone a price and I no longer want to give paintings away just because I feel bad they have to pay for it but maybe can't afford it. I mean do people think it takes a few minutes or even a few hours to paint something? Okay, I'm getting off topic here.
I think there are a lot of pros to homeschooling. For one they will probably get a better education with lots less distractions. I can see what they need extra help learning and what they are skilled at first hand. I hear home schooled children grow up and are able to socialize and converse with anyone because they are used to dealing with adults more closely and skip those peer pressure group years that help develop a lack of confidence. Flexible schedules sounds great. Can take family vacations any time of the year.
I would definitely join a homeschool group that would do social activities together and take field trips together. Plus they have church youth groups to make friends. I would enroll the kids in sports, dance and music classes too. If they went to school and I enrolled them in these courses, when would I ever see them? At breakfast and dinner? Weekends?
Technically I could still find time to paint... make it the art class portion. I'd also continue gardening with them. And I could have cooking and sewing classes.
A pro/con is to shelter them from negative influences like pressure to drink or do drugs or have sex before marriage... sounds like a pro BUT they need a chance to learn to stand for their values. Perhaps to even make a mistake to learn from... but sometimes a mistake like underage drinking and doing drugs is a one time mistake that you can die from... and if not die, become addicted to, endanger others etc. Premarital sex can lead to STD's or pregnancy that a teenager wouldn't be ready for. I would push adoption but there would be other people and their opinions involved possibly even abortion which I am morally opposed to... and in the end it wouldn't be up to me.
My sister told me of this friend of hers who was sheltered from all bad things, when he went out in the world, he went to somewhere in South America where he witnessed starvation and other effects of extreme poverty. It was such a shock to him that he ended up in a mental institution for a while.
Not that I would shelter my children in that way. I would still teach them about those things. At least I think I would... maybe it didn't occur to that boys mom to do so?
There is the stigma attached to being home schooled... but there is one attached to being a member of the Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-day Saints too. I got picked on a lot at school out of sheer ignorance and prejudice.
Another option could be to leave them in school until high school. I loved elementary and have lots of fond memories of it. Of course I LOVED summer break and spending more time with my family. Middle school (called Junior High in my day) wasn't easy. High School sucked. But by then they might not be receptive to homeschooling... or maybe they'll flock to it.
With homeschooling I might even be able to get them 'graduated' by 16 or 17 especially if we cut out the whole summer vacation... plus so much time gets wasted in school. Walking to classes, waiting for the class to settle down. I know they do block courses now which allow for better use of time, but there are still time wasters... even the ride to school. I wish I knew if I worked a little harder in school I could have graduated early and moved on to college sooner.
I know in High school I was bored. The advanced classes were a challenge for me and I enjoyed them more... except I was used to doing regular class room work, hardly working and getting easy A's. Advanced classes I worked a little bit harder and got B's and C's. I thought, I'd rather work less and get A's. How terrible is that? I would have gotten a better education if I wasn't so concerned with getting easy A's. Why was there such a difference in how hard you worked in regular classes vs advanced? Advanced had more material to cover but it also had more homework, more research to do, more papers to write and more tests to take.
David is very smart and he hated High School too. Got picked on a lot. Did the minimum work and got A's. In the end he didn't learn too much.
I think another pro/con is how organized a successful home schooling parent needs to be. Pro because it's a skill I would love to learn. Con because I am not very good at it, what if I never am and my children suffer as a result? It would also help ME gain knowledge and patience... hopefully not at the cost of my children.
I could always put them in a Sylvan Learning Center course to evaluate their areas of strength and weaknesses and not rely on my own opinion on how they are doing.
There will no doubt be things I forget to teach (I've learned this after putting Liam in preschool and how much he has learned that I didn't think to teach about) But he is learning to read and write because of what I have taught him based on his own strengths that he wouldn't yet be learning in school despite his abilities. Of course I had a public school education and there is plenty I didn't learn until I was living on my own and in college. Also should point out that I would be following a curriculum.
Another pro is I can teach secular and non-secular together... which I understand for the sake of everyone's different beliefs is very necessary to keep separate in public schools... but it's something I can incorporate in home school. We can even have a family prayer in the mornings and say the Pledge of Allegiance before we get started. We can also have a scripture study portion of the day.
I hear home schoolers adjust to college quite well, most learning in college is done independently outside of class as it is. And it is possible they will be that much more excited to leave home and be on their own after so much one-on-one... though it might be harder for me.
David told me he would support me either way. Homeschooling or public. I know I sound like I am leaning towards homeschooling. Maybe I am. I have a lot of thinking and praying to do. Maybe public school will provide the experiences they need to become the people God knows they can be. Maybe homeschooling will.
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