Little Red Riding Hood Turns 8!

My littlest one is 8 years old today!  She is very excited about having a night time party on Friday.  She will have her three best friends over for a princess pink party, complete with girly crafts, manicures, pajamas and donuts.  Little Red Riding Hood really wanted an overnight but none of the kids will be able to spend the night for a variety of reasons.  I am getting around this dilemma by having a Mock Sleepover.  The kids will have a party and then get into their pajamas and watch a movie until it is time to go.  Then they will get up and have a donut (breakfast) before heading home at  9:30 pm.

Today we had a mostly normal day.  However, Little Red Riding Hood did not have to do any chores.  She also got to pick our lunch.  She picked pizza.  We haven't had pizza in about 7 months due to Tom Sawyer's food allergies.  We just recently got back some forms of dairy on a limited basis.  I went to our local health food store and to my amazement found a pizza (grain free) that was almost perfect.  Even more amazingly, it tasted so good that all the kids asked for seconds and thirds.  It is called Against the Grain Gourmet Pizza, and it has no gluten, wheat, corn, soy, rice, sugar, yeast, peanuts or tree nuts.  You can see the website here.  It is cost prohibitive as a regular food item in our house but will be a great addition for special occasions.

Now for our tradition of listing off a special thing about our birthday child for each year they have lived.

1. Very Frugal ~ Little Red Riding Hood has saved $101 to date.  She only gets a $1 a week allowance and has an uncanny ability to find coins on the ground.
2. Easy Going ~ A really great skill to have in this special needs family.
3. Dancer ~ This girl loves to dance.  She is so excited about being in the Nutcracker again.
4. Obedient ~ I rarely have to tell her twice how to behave.
5. Happy ~ She often has a smile on her face and loves the camera.
6. Mommy's Buddy ~ This girly loves to be with me and go wherever I go.
7. Quiet and Peaceful ~ Little Red Riding Hood likes to be quiet and play by herself.  She likes to cuddle and just listen to everyone else.
8. Little Cook ~ She loves to help prepare meals and is almost ready to cook her own first dinner.

We love you, sweet girl.  You are growing so quickly.  I am so glad to be your Mother.

Blessings,

Dawn



First Quarter Report Cards

We are done with the first 9 weeks of school!  It all goes by so fast!  In last year's end of year interview with the kids, they requested grades and report cards.  I thought this was a good idea to help them see how they were really doing.  As this year kicked off, I told them that we would be having report cards.  They asked what they got for their A's ~ ahhh ~ I should have known.  Their public school friends get treats for good grades.  I didn't want to be locked into anything, so I told them it was a surprise.  Fast forward 9 weeks and here we are.

I found these cute report cards at the homeschool store in our state's capital.

I love the character building side of the report card.

The above pictures are of Little Red Riding Hood's report card.  She is struggling most in handwriting, which seems to be a theme among all my kids.  I left out music because my brain forgot all about that subject at 11:00 pm, and I didn't have any written grades for that subject.  So far, we have mostly been doing music appreciation, which in my opinion is not a graded activity.  I also left out Sign Language because that is done mostly as a fun and infrequent activity around here.

I found out that Chuckie Cheese will give 15 free tokens to any child who produces a report card with at least one A on it.  My kids rarely get to go to our local Chuckie Cheese, which is small and non-crazy during the day.  They were delighted with the surprise and I was delighted that it was free.

I am glad we decided to do report cards this year.  It gives me a real look at where we are and what we need to refocus/change every nine weeks.  Do any of you do report cards?

Blessings,

Dawn

Ode to Ronald McDonald House

Ok, it isn't a real ode, but you won't hold that against me, will you?  I like the sound of the word "ode", but lack the time and energy to actually write one.

Ronald McDonald House has provided a soft place for my family to land since 1999.  We started going to Duke for Timothy's pulmonary and cardiac care when my husband was stationed at Fort Bragg.  At the time, I was a new highway driver, and the drive up there about did me in.  It helped so much to stay overnight at RMH after a long day of appointments and then get up in the morning and take that highway trip back home.  We soon moved across the state and much farther away from Duke but remained Duke patients.  Thankfully, I am now a comfortable highway driver.  However, the 8+ hour round trip on top of a 6 hour visit with four kids would be nearly impossible to accomplish in one day.  I am so thankful for the years of restful nights at RMH.  Our time is coming to a close with them.  Although Timothy will remain a Duke patient for as long as we live in North Carolina, he is aging out of the Ronald McDonald House program.  He will be allowed to stay with them long enough to get through his next cardiac surgery (in about a year).

Each room has a theme and we got a cute princess room this time.  It was perfect inspiration for Little Red Riding Hood's upcoming party.  This room is a pretty good size by RMH standards.  A few years ago, we had to squeeze our family into a room so small that we had kids sleeping on pillows in the closet! You had to crawl over the sea of beds from the doorway.  The size of the room doesn't matter for those of us who are only staying a few days.  You spend most of your time at the hospital or in the common areas anyway.  

One of the things that is so special about RMH is the fully stocked kitchen.  Everyone gets their own space in one of the refrigerators.  There is also a house refrigerator and house stocked pantry from which you are welcome to take food.  In addition, dinner is served most nights.  Volunteers from the community come in and cook lovely meals.  They also have volunteers that come in and hold game nights, bingo night (with prizes), craft nights, and therapy dog visits.  What a relief for exhausted families to not have to worry about dinner or how to entertain their children after a long day at the hospital.

A fish fry and Shrimp Boil!

We are so grateful for the many helping hands that have welcomed us over the years!  Sometimes we have arrived with screaming babies in our arms and other times with worried hearts for a child who could not handle the transitions of RMH and needed to stay at home in respite.  That time the staff provided extra phone cards so I could keep calling home and checking on her.  They really do their best to provide for your every need.

We will be leaving a piece of ourselves with RMH.  Here is a ceiling panel that Tim made in 2003.  It is a work of art from Tim's very own Jackson Pollock period.  It hangs next to dozens of other ceiling panels in the kitchen.  All of this extra care costs the families a tiny $10 a night (less for those who stay a very long time).

This trip was extra special, because we got to visit with my homeschool bloggy friend, Leslie.  Our families have met once before and we had a great time visiting them again.  THANK YOU, Leslie, for hosting our family again.  You really must come our way some day.

Update on Tim ~

The appointment went well.  The doctors decided to do some extra tests since they can see we will be facing more pacemaker surgery in the next year.  Our entire family spent the day wandering from appointment to appointment all over that huge hospital.  I think we walked a few miles.  So far the test results are good and Tim looks healthy.  His heart rate under the pacemaker was 41 beats per minute, finally making him not fully pacemaker dependent.  In other words, if he was in a terrible accident that damaged his pacemaker, we would have time to get to the hospital.  What a nice change after years of being told that damage to his pacemaker would mean doing CPR until we got to the hospital and much less chance of survival than present circumstances.  Earlier in his life, wherever we lived, a rescue helicopter was always informed to be ready to whisk him to emergency care, as he would have less than 5 minutes to live.  This time, the doctors were overall very pleased.  The most important test results will be in later this week.  We are praying that there are no surprises in them.  Also, they changed the activity setting on his pacemaker so he should have more energy to walk Boomer farther.  

Lastly, my kids are so good at waiting room waiting.  I was so pleased with their ability to get through the super long day.  We packed a lunch and took games, coloring books, the Kindle and the laptop with DVDs.  Sometimes they just played imaginary games like the picture above.  They sat in that window sill during one of our longer stops for 2 whole hours.

Blessings,

Dawn

What Tools Do You Need to Homeschool?

Disclaimer ~  I am in no way an expert on this matter, outside of being a homeschool mom for 13 years now.  These are simply my opinions and reactions to discovering that I am an old timer when it comes to homeschooling.  In that sense, I feel that my answer to the question of what does it take to homeschool is well thought out and honest, and I try to impart this when talking to a parent or grandparent that is brand new to or considering homeschooling. While at Duke and Ronald McDonald house this past week I had the opportunity to talk to two brand new homeschool moms and others who were curious about what it really takes to homeschool.  I also feel it is so important to remember that homeschooling is not for every family or child.  It is an option, but not the only good way.
              
When I tell people that I homeschool, they usually reply that I must be patient and or very organized.  I am not sure I am excellent in either respect.  I do like to be organized and I am always trying to be patient.  Truthfully, I am not sure either one of the above is important to being a homeschool mom.  I also hear some people say that all you need is a library card and the Bible to homeschool.  In some respects that is true, but it is really a pat answer.  There really is more to being a successful homeschool mom than a library card.

Earthquake Simulator

So what are the tools, you ask?

A thirst for knowledge ~  I think this is one of the most important tools to homeschooling.  If the teacher hates learning or at the very least lacks the desire to learn, how is the student to acquire an unquenchable thirst for knowledge.  Both teacher and child should seek to know more and ask questions.

Building a dam

Exposure to new things ~  Whether that be new books, new places, new thoughts, new people, new toys or new life skills.  We are always learning. Giving a child a saturated environment sure does help the mind keep growing.

A pulley ride ... which pulley works the best?

Exploration ~ This one takes time, but is so important.  When you are learning with your child about something, it is so vital to really dig in and explore the topic.  There is so much to learn about everything and it is extra fun to explore the world together.

Beautiful Minerals

Wonder ~ To have wonder in the world around you with all that there is to explore and learn.  Kids are naturally filled with wonder.  However, wonder can be messy, time consuming and inconvenient at times.  Grown-ups are filled with wonder, too; it just gets buried under the To Do List at times.  Sometimes we have to schedule wonder in this busy world.  So be it!  Keep the wonder alive in yourself and your children.

How do you separate the water from the plastic pellets?

Willingness ~ You need a willingness to spend huge quantities of time with your children.  In fact, you need to be willing to spend almost all of your time with your children!  This is not to say that you will never have Me Time again.  But for now, the majority of your days and nights will be spent with your children and/or preparing activities for your children.

Exploring Sound

Sacrifice and Perseverance ~ Many things in life take sacrifice and homeschooling in no exception.  It also take perseverance.  Homeschooling is not always easy.  In the last 13 years of homeschooling, we have dealt with unemployment, under-employment,  hospital stays, hundreds of doctor appointments, illnesses, and being foster parents.  However, it is all worth it.  I would not trade homeschooling for a minute more of Me Time or a larger paycheck. 

Sharks and stingrays, oh my!

There is no perfect homeschool ~ Most importantly, I think homeschool moms (and dads) need to have fun and know that homeschooling is a journey and not a race.  Everyday we have dozens of opportunities to impart our love of learning and guide our children on the path of learning.  Even on the poor days/weeks when all of our plans go up in smoke, our children are still learning. We have homeschooled through many crises, and the kids have learned so much during those difficult times.  Sometimes the life lessons are more important than the academic ones.  I love a saying I read recently ~ Don't wait for the storm to pass ... Learn to dance in the rain.  That phrase rings so true for our family.  If we sat and waited for the storms in our life to pass we would miss everything.

Digging for fossils.

All of the photos were taken at the Catawba Science Center.  What a fun place!

Blessings,

Dawn

Wordless Wednesday

What happens when a dog gets his head caught in the dishwasher?  Your dishes go flying!!

You can see that Boomer knows he is in trouble again!

Good thing we love you so much, Boomer!!!

Blessings,

Dawn

Our Monet Study

We just completed a study on Claude Monet.  He is one of my favorite artists.  The kids did Monet Puzzles, listened to several stories and books about Monet, did picture studies and watched Linnea in Monet's Garden DVD (one of their all-time favorite DVDs).

To finish off our study of Monet, we painted outside like Monet did. It was a misty day and there was not much morning light.  We talked about light and shadows.  Then we searched for the perfect spot and set up our watercolors and canvas boards.  We all tried our hand at Impressionist art.

We had a nice view of  trees on the edge of some wetlands. 

We then took a nature walk and climbed trees.  My kids love to climb trees and are often above my head. They weren't very high off the ground this time.

This next picture from the park reminds me a little bit of one of Monet's famous pictures.   Of course, this one is not a Japanesse bridge.

We fininshed our morning by sitting on our blanket and reading a picture book about Monet. I feel so blessed to be able to school my children this way.

Blessings,
Dawn

Linville Cavern

For the past two months, we have really enjoyed learning more about rocks and minerals. We grew crystals, made cave drawings, made a lapbook, read lots of books on the different types of rocks and began the process of polishing our own gemstones. We also watched several videos on fossils, caves, and panning for gold. To finish off our study, we went to a cavern in the region. The three younger kids were too young to remember the last time we visited a cave with visiting guests, so were very excited.  Linville cavern is a pretty small tour, but it is one that we could travel to for a day trip. We set off to see it on a very rainy day. This particular cave had a lot of water flowing through it. We also saw a fault line going straight through the middle of it! We knew there was a fault line, as we've experienced a few small earthquakes in the last decade, but to see the actual fault line under the earth was truly exciting. Apparently, being in a cavern during an earthquake is a safe place to be. Who would have thought it? In fact, the guide was in the cavern at the time of the recent East Coast earthquake and didn't feel a thing or know it was happening. Yet the store above the cave had several things knocked off the shelves and broken. Yikes!

This is supposed to resemble an alligator.

The kids especially liked seeing the fish and hearing the story of the two boys who got lost in the cavern many years ago and crawled their way out following the water.  They were not so impressed with the guide turning all the lights off, however. True darkness!

Do you see the man's face?

The kids also liked hearing the stories about all the people who have hidden in this cavern over the years...everyone from outlaws, to run away slaves, to Confederate and Yankee soldier deserters. They even found a natural fireplace with a chimney. 

A giant cucumber?

It is amazing seeing all of these natural formations. I look forward to taking our kids to other caverns in the next few years, just as my Mom took me to many when I was a child.

Blessings,

Dawn