The two year old has won! It is a headline that could be read if our home had a newspaper. The article that would follow might look something like this....
Last night around 10:15 the strong willed 2 year old of the Baker household won a major victory over her mother. Yes the repercussions of this loss to Mama Baker will be felt for days, weeks and possibly months to come. Mama Baker faced with another night of broken sleep by a yelling, crying, kicking, singing two year old was just more than she could bear.
The night began easy enough with all the children heading up to bed after watching the "Charlie Brown Thanksgiving" special. But the rumble of war began as Daddy fell asleep with Miss Callie next to him. Only she was not sleeping. She was just lying in wait for him to not notice she when she was leaving the bed. First skirmish as Mama Baker firmly told her to get back to bed. One for Mama. Second skirmish as the little girl was sent back to bed again a few minutes later. Two for Mama. Then Mama joins them all in bed just to be kicked as little girl fights sleep. Mama again firmly informs the little girl it is time for bed be quiet and go to sleep. Silence....three for mama. Then the singing begins....."twinkle, twinkle, little star"..."the bunny song"....another firm shhhhsh from Mama's side of the bed. Ladies and gentlemen I think the tide is beginning to turn as the two year old puts all her effort into winning this battle for bed. Little girl is no longer under the blankets and mama is beginning to drift off. But wait what do we have here! Mama is getting up, picking up little girl and taking her to her own bed! Ah the wailing begins. Followed by the cough that is traveling around the Baker household. More wailing, more coughing. Begging to sleep with Daddy...Mama replies with a firm "No"...wailing, coughing....now mama's coughing and she's looking like she's wavering from her resolve for a good nights sleep. By now it's 10:00 and all the lights come on. Mama's enlisted the help of two of her big boys and my oh my she's come up with an upset to the two years old plans! She's moving the little girl's bed into her parents room!! What is she thinking? Does she really think this will work? Yes, ladies and gentlemen I think she does. With the bed moved into Mama's room, the Mama places her coughing little girl in her own bed in Mama and Daddy's room. The house resumes it's quiet. The lights are turned off and all are back in bed.
Well I'm not sure who this is a victory for? The Mama who gets to sleep the whole night without being kicked or the Little Girl who has moved in to her parents room. It's going to be a bigger battle to move her out again. So if I'd have to chose I'd say the Mama has won the skirmish but the little one has won the battle, tonight.
You might be asking why she was in our bed to start out.....with but that is another story for another time :-)
Friday, November 19, 2010
Thursday, November 18, 2010
Need to write revisited
I feel the need to write.... So much has happened since deciding to bring Ethan home, since realizing that Home Schooling is more than a necessity but a high calling.
It has been amazing to me in the last few weeks as I came to the conclusion of being called to home school, how much our schooling has changed. It has a better flow now. I'd like to say that it's just because my kids are back in the rhythm of things with Ethan home. But the truth is that I've been changed. My attitude, heart and trust has changed. I now genuinely see the opportunity to home school as a blessing, not a burden. My heart has turned toward my children in love and compassion to teach them new and wonderful things while seeing the blessings in the tedious. And my trust in God is growing day by day. Our home is running smoother and I have found success and encouragement in a new business, Advocare. Because things are flowing smoothly I have time to invest in my children, husband and home. School has become not a burden but a blessing for all of us. We are learning and growing together and it's awesome as a parent to see that my children love each other.
If you had told me a few weeks ago that I would be running a healthier home, new home business, losing 10+ lbs, running and exercising 5 times a week, spending daily time in God's word and blessing my children and husband. I would have called you crazy. I've always felt I was running a little behind. You know what I mean....behind the pile of laundry, my children, finances and so on. There is always so much to do and it seems so little time.
Business: Our family has begun taking fantastic supplements that have radically changed my energy level and ability to focus. I've lost 10+ lbs and 12 inches on them, Jason's energy has improved and he's lost 7lbs. That has lead me to a distributorship with Advocare the makers of these great products. If you want to see what is rocking our health world take a look at our web site www.doitwithspark.com we've just been amazed. With the extra energy I've been able to keep up not only with my kids, but with my house! To me that's revolutionary and worth being a part of.
But one best parts of the extra energy are that I get up with Jason every morning, make him breakfast and then send him off to work. Then the best part is the quiet time I get with the Lord every morning. I can't believe how much I've been learning. My mind has so many questions each time I study the Bible and I love having the time to seek the answers!! There is nothing better than time with God! My whole day looks different when I view it as a gift from God for me to discover.
Usual Disclaimer.....lol...I'm not perfect! I'm not everyday consistent....and I still do the things I don't want to do, even when I know what I should do. I've still got so much to learn. Not every school day is heaven, not every quiet time is quiet, my house is not Martha Stewart perfect and not every Advocare product is for every person.....
So how about you? What are you involved in? What have you been learning?
Are you learning as you go? I hope I always will be....
It has been amazing to me in the last few weeks as I came to the conclusion of being called to home school, how much our schooling has changed. It has a better flow now. I'd like to say that it's just because my kids are back in the rhythm of things with Ethan home. But the truth is that I've been changed. My attitude, heart and trust has changed. I now genuinely see the opportunity to home school as a blessing, not a burden. My heart has turned toward my children in love and compassion to teach them new and wonderful things while seeing the blessings in the tedious. And my trust in God is growing day by day. Our home is running smoother and I have found success and encouragement in a new business, Advocare. Because things are flowing smoothly I have time to invest in my children, husband and home. School has become not a burden but a blessing for all of us. We are learning and growing together and it's awesome as a parent to see that my children love each other.
If you had told me a few weeks ago that I would be running a healthier home, new home business, losing 10+ lbs, running and exercising 5 times a week, spending daily time in God's word and blessing my children and husband. I would have called you crazy. I've always felt I was running a little behind. You know what I mean....behind the pile of laundry, my children, finances and so on. There is always so much to do and it seems so little time.
Business: Our family has begun taking fantastic supplements that have radically changed my energy level and ability to focus. I've lost 10+ lbs and 12 inches on them, Jason's energy has improved and he's lost 7lbs. That has lead me to a distributorship with Advocare the makers of these great products. If you want to see what is rocking our health world take a look at our web site www.doitwithspark.com we've just been amazed. With the extra energy I've been able to keep up not only with my kids, but with my house! To me that's revolutionary and worth being a part of.
But one best parts of the extra energy are that I get up with Jason every morning, make him breakfast and then send him off to work. Then the best part is the quiet time I get with the Lord every morning. I can't believe how much I've been learning. My mind has so many questions each time I study the Bible and I love having the time to seek the answers!! There is nothing better than time with God! My whole day looks different when I view it as a gift from God for me to discover.
Usual Disclaimer.....lol...I'm not perfect! I'm not everyday consistent....and I still do the things I don't want to do, even when I know what I should do. I've still got so much to learn. Not every school day is heaven, not every quiet time is quiet, my house is not Martha Stewart perfect and not every Advocare product is for every person.....
So how about you? What are you involved in? What have you been learning?
Are you learning as you go? I hope I always will be....
Monday, November 1, 2010
Home School Revelation
As a home school Mom for the last 6 years I have learned so much! But this year has exceeded all the rest. Why you ask? Why after 6 years of working with my children teaching, training, shaping, learning and growing is this year so different?
Well this year I discovered it really is a calling to home school my children. It's not just second best because we couldn't afford to send 4 children to private school. It's because we have been called to raise our children up in the way they should go. And for our family that translates into home school. How did I learn that this year? Let me take you back to the beginning.....
Six years ago we pulled our children out of private school for a few reasons....financially it was so expensive to send 3 kids to school and both my husband and I were working full time, we were struggling with Ethan falling behind in math and reading, Austin as a kindergartner was in the principals office for bad behavior and Issac was getting lost in the mix. At that time our kids we're in daycare, then to school, back to daycare, then we would pick them up, feed them dinner, do homework, go to sylvan for tutoring, then off to bed. Just to repeat the next day. The cycle was driving us all apart. We had no clue how our kids were doing and we had no time to help them. Life tends to fall apart when your fighting God's plan for your family. And that's what it was doing to our family, we were falling apart at the seams. About 9 months into this cycle we hit a wall and I quit my job and removed our kids from daycare, private school and sylvan.
Going back to being a stay at home, home school mom. It was incredibly intimidating and scary at first. Then I realized that I had taken my kids out of the "school" system and now we could work on what they were struggling in until they got it. We could study things that they loved to learn about. School could be what we made of it. Now that first year was rough! (understatement) many days I wondered if I'd gone crazy. I wasn't a teacher! I didn't go to college for this! You name it...any doubt and I considered it's validity. Looking back I can see how looking at my viewed inadequacies was in the wrong light. It's good to know things your not great at because then you can look outside your home for help. But to focus on those things really undermines what your good at.
We survived that first year with the attitude that for us pubic school was not an option, so home schooling was second best to private school. I have believed that for 6 years now.
Each year I would review our finances to see if we could begin sending our children back to school for a more structured learning environment with teachers. What a small view I've had.
Well this year 2010 that year came. We decided to send Ethan, our oldest, back to school for 8th grade. We found a great school just around the corner from our home. Excellent teachers, school programs, and they used most of the same curriculum I was already using. It seemed a perfect fit. He's been in school since September 1st and we will be bringing him home this month (November). Back to home schooling. Now I need to add that we really love the school. The families are great, as are the teachers. We are not removing him because of any inadequacies of the school.
We have created a culture in our family of mastery. And I've discovered that in a school environment mastery is difficult to achieve as each child learns at their own rate. But I also discovered that I can and have been doing what the classroom teachers do everyday. I've been teaching my children! Now they may not finish all their books (what school does?) but by the end of the year my children have mastered what we've been working on. They are able to learn about what interest them and what they feel God is calling them to be as they grow up. We are able to work on character and heart issues as they arise. They are growing to be men that know and love their Creator and God. Our lives are enriched by living, working and playing together.
It's been interesting to Jason and I that Ethan's biggest complaint about school is not the work, it's that he doesn't get to spend more time with the family. He genuinely misses spending time with his siblings and Jason and I. It's pretty special to us that our kids are all friends. Even thought we have such a large age span they love to be together and I think that is a testimony to the last 6 years of learn and growing together.
We have been called to home school and the rewards of obeying that call can never be measured here on earth. Our time of being a part of a traditional school has taught us that. Ethan has been praised over and over during the last few months in school of how mature, respectful and articulate he is. He has been chosen as student of the month of September for compassion. He has had full weeks of school, crew, and homework with a good attitude. Now it's time to have him return home to master math and to dive back into the subjects he loves. While having good family time. He'll be able to be well rested for crew so he can do his best.
I'm so thankful for the things I have learned from his school. They have opened my eyes to the truth. Am I a perfect teacher? No. Are my weaknesses in subjects gone? No. Am I called to train up my children at home? Yes. Will God direct me to people and programs that can fill my deficiencies? Yes. Will my children get a good education? You bet they will! And it will happen at home.
Well this year I discovered it really is a calling to home school my children. It's not just second best because we couldn't afford to send 4 children to private school. It's because we have been called to raise our children up in the way they should go. And for our family that translates into home school. How did I learn that this year? Let me take you back to the beginning.....
Six years ago we pulled our children out of private school for a few reasons....financially it was so expensive to send 3 kids to school and both my husband and I were working full time, we were struggling with Ethan falling behind in math and reading, Austin as a kindergartner was in the principals office for bad behavior and Issac was getting lost in the mix. At that time our kids we're in daycare, then to school, back to daycare, then we would pick them up, feed them dinner, do homework, go to sylvan for tutoring, then off to bed. Just to repeat the next day. The cycle was driving us all apart. We had no clue how our kids were doing and we had no time to help them. Life tends to fall apart when your fighting God's plan for your family. And that's what it was doing to our family, we were falling apart at the seams. About 9 months into this cycle we hit a wall and I quit my job and removed our kids from daycare, private school and sylvan.
Going back to being a stay at home, home school mom. It was incredibly intimidating and scary at first. Then I realized that I had taken my kids out of the "school" system and now we could work on what they were struggling in until they got it. We could study things that they loved to learn about. School could be what we made of it. Now that first year was rough! (understatement) many days I wondered if I'd gone crazy. I wasn't a teacher! I didn't go to college for this! You name it...any doubt and I considered it's validity. Looking back I can see how looking at my viewed inadequacies was in the wrong light. It's good to know things your not great at because then you can look outside your home for help. But to focus on those things really undermines what your good at.
We survived that first year with the attitude that for us pubic school was not an option, so home schooling was second best to private school. I have believed that for 6 years now.
Each year I would review our finances to see if we could begin sending our children back to school for a more structured learning environment with teachers. What a small view I've had.
Well this year 2010 that year came. We decided to send Ethan, our oldest, back to school for 8th grade. We found a great school just around the corner from our home. Excellent teachers, school programs, and they used most of the same curriculum I was already using. It seemed a perfect fit. He's been in school since September 1st and we will be bringing him home this month (November). Back to home schooling. Now I need to add that we really love the school. The families are great, as are the teachers. We are not removing him because of any inadequacies of the school.
We have created a culture in our family of mastery. And I've discovered that in a school environment mastery is difficult to achieve as each child learns at their own rate. But I also discovered that I can and have been doing what the classroom teachers do everyday. I've been teaching my children! Now they may not finish all their books (what school does?) but by the end of the year my children have mastered what we've been working on. They are able to learn about what interest them and what they feel God is calling them to be as they grow up. We are able to work on character and heart issues as they arise. They are growing to be men that know and love their Creator and God. Our lives are enriched by living, working and playing together.
It's been interesting to Jason and I that Ethan's biggest complaint about school is not the work, it's that he doesn't get to spend more time with the family. He genuinely misses spending time with his siblings and Jason and I. It's pretty special to us that our kids are all friends. Even thought we have such a large age span they love to be together and I think that is a testimony to the last 6 years of learn and growing together.
We have been called to home school and the rewards of obeying that call can never be measured here on earth. Our time of being a part of a traditional school has taught us that. Ethan has been praised over and over during the last few months in school of how mature, respectful and articulate he is. He has been chosen as student of the month of September for compassion. He has had full weeks of school, crew, and homework with a good attitude. Now it's time to have him return home to master math and to dive back into the subjects he loves. While having good family time. He'll be able to be well rested for crew so he can do his best.
I'm so thankful for the things I have learned from his school. They have opened my eyes to the truth. Am I a perfect teacher? No. Are my weaknesses in subjects gone? No. Am I called to train up my children at home? Yes. Will God direct me to people and programs that can fill my deficiencies? Yes. Will my children get a good education? You bet they will! And it will happen at home.
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