1st Place

Ben entered a picture he drew into a the art category of a local 1914 era fall fair at the pioneer village. When we arrived that afternoon with Grammie to see how the judging went we were excited to see that Ben's picture (in the 5-9 year old category...) won first place! His squash won second prize. He was the proud recipient of a first place certificate and a shiny looney (which Grammie miraculously turned into ten at the gift store...)

Gramma's Harvest

Cousins!

Ben and Jake got to meet their new baby cousin Onnika last weekend. Jake was smitten immediately and after getting the go ahead to get his pudgy little arms around this real live dolly he wouldn't let her go! He was so gentle and sweet with her.

Ben.... ignored her. (He would have us think, though I saw the sideways glances he kept giving her...unsure of what exactly she meant for him). After about an hour he privately asked me if baby Onnika would be going home with Grammie and Grandad. Reassured that his relationship remains intact and unchanged with his grandparents he no longer felt threatened and she quickly got number two wrapped around her other finger. He draws pictures incessantly...mostly for her.

I am excited to see their relationship develop. I have so so many wonderful memories...my very favorite even, of the summers spent in Nova Scotia with cousins. I am happy that my children have one a little closer. It is a unique relationship...a little less than sibling, a little more than friend.

Kids are Funny

An oldie, but a goodie!

REALITY

Okay. So week one of "Home Schooling" is under my belt.

And it will be the last.

Yes. That is right, not a typo.

I have dreamed of what life would be like as a home schooling family. Children sitting at the table eagerly hanging off my every, fascinating word; doodles turning into beautiful caligraphal penmanship as they blossom into bright young pre med students under my excellent, patient, brilliant tutorship.
We would picnic, bike ride, fly kites and read the classics. We would bake and learn piano...and violin. We would paint and wood sculpt (yes at 4!) all the while birds are chirping happily outside out window and a light floral fragrance drifts lazily in our kitchen window as the days of summer wind up.


NOT.

More accurately as I begrudgingly admit, the image resembles more...well, real life.
Toddlers who decide to grow very painful molars during commencement week.
Tantrums upon tantrums over the smallest injustice from the usually easy going boy.
Clinging to Mommy and sobbing if I move so slightly as to even pass the school boy a pencil.

Our first formal home schooling week in review was as follows;

Paint on the wall, more tears and stress then I have seen in a year. Laundry piles to the ceiling, mastering the art of projectile urination off the deck,extra strength Tylenol? I will take 6 please. Take out for dinner, burnt baking, bribing a very busy and curious boy with more than I can make good on to "PUH-LEASE sit still and LISTEN TO MOMMY!!!" at the table each day, books spread open in such good intention on days that felt ever so...long.

I was tired. I was Frustrated. I was sad. Where was the picnic?

So I went back to the drawing board.

Maybe a classical approach is more appropriate? Thomas Jefferson Education, Montessori? I poured over websites, educational theories, articles, studies. What was the BEST way to school my children?

While I was busy researching my next move I decided we would take the week off. We went blueberry picking, walked in the woods while it rained, threw rocks in the pond, swung on swings and ate the garden leftovers...thrilled to eat ANYTHING we grew ourselves.

The tantrums stopped. Dinner made an appearance on the table once more. Friends came over to play. More pee went off the deck.

It was a great week. It felt good...but now, back to school.

However. Like walking into a brick wall, I have realized it is SCHOOL that is the problem. Well not school school... there is a lovely brick building down the street with cute kids and doting teachers. If I wanted him to go there I would send him. But if we have chosen something a little different, why am I trying so hard then to recreate it at home? I was missing the point!

The point from the beginning is that we want them to explore and follow their interests and develop at their own pace...you know, all that good stuff. And here I was shoving numbers down the throat of a boy who just wants to go dig in the dirt.

So we quit kindergarten!

But we did and learned more this week as a result then the book had laid out for us (It is very difficult to teach anyone the letter A when they are only interested in E.)

Yes the life planning, type A, control freak is going a little crazy right now trying to accept this seemingly haphazard approach. But I am reassured at the sight of Ben literally teaching himself to read, asking 100000 questions a day, and his enthusiasm for...everything! He is four after all... and a bright one at that...I am glad he told me where to shove my curriculum book and cutouts...okay maybe not quite yet I am not... It is ever so darling. Maybe Jake will be into the sit down and gaze adoringly at Mommy while I teach him pearls of knowledge. Or not.


Now we are going to do life... and watch the learning to happen.

(Not) Back to School

We had our (Not) back to school dinner tonight! ...and I forgot to take pictures.
It was just that much fun.
There was Shepard's pie, corn on the cob, Sweet potato fries, an unveiling of our school curriculum (Heart of Dakota's Little Hands to Heaven) apple spice cake and a new tradition...

Annual Family Theme

On new year's I choose a personal theme. Last year was service and this year was gratitude. I always find, maybe until I have been out of school longer than I have been in that September feels like a new beginning as well. We are following the traditional school calender with "formal" home schooling and so I thought it would be fun to have a family theme we concentrate on for our school year. I am having a custom plaque being made for the wall with our family initial, year and theme. When we get a new one next year I will retire it to the upstairs hallway where we will have a gallery one day of family themes that we have (hopefully) mastered.

I am so excited to begin this adventure with our family. I am privileged and blessed beyond words to be in a position to get to fully engage in the daily learning, training, guiding and nurturing of my children. I absolutely love being with them and the thought of sending one of my little boys (who still seems so very little!) to school tomorrow is so foreign. This is the confirmation I need to know this decision is so right for our family.

There is nothing I love more than watching one of the boys master a new skill, delight in a new experience or display pride over something earned over hard work.

I was feeling overwhelmed at times a year ago when we decided absolutely that we were going to guide our children's education. In that year however my confidence has grown tremendously as I watched what they both achieved in that time. With support, nurturing and patience they are grasping more on their own that I could ever sit down and "teach" them. I can model, share, encourage and facilitate but the path is theirs. I want them to be comfortable there and sure one day of their direction.

Sure enough Ben fuels his recent interests in space and maps with questions, videos, books and additional information supplied by us. His new found interest in drawing has him hunched over a pad with crayons and pencils in hand decorating our fridge with his art, with details I am truly impressed with. Within the last week Ben has shared his interest in reading. He is now willing to go over numbers and letters like never before. He will play any literacy game on the computer as long as I will let him and devours books like the library is shutting down. I am astounded at his enthusiasm for learning. I never want him to loose this.

Watching Ben has taught me such patience. Children come at their own speed and develop at a pace unique to themselves. I got caught up in the expectations early on beginning with their due date. Ben came at 42 weeks and Jake not much sooner. Only now do I not refer to them as "late". They come when they come. They learn when they do and to push and rush and move them to a different schedule does them no favors. Jacob didn't walk "early" and talk "late" he is just doing what Jacob does, ready when he is. I am just thankful that I get to be apart of it all. He is picking up so much every week and I am truly in awe of the perseverance he shows when he is determined to do something. Don't get in his way! Both of the boys are so different but their most basic needs are identical. More than anything I want them to be confident in their authentic selves and find the unwavering support and love they need from those who are most invested in their success- right here at home.
Not to say we will be home much...oh no! This week we have our home school group at the local farm, home school soccer and a special home school day at the pioneer village. We have lots to keep us busy and I love that I get to do it along side them!

My goals and hopes for this 2011 year are that we can grow, learn, laugh and experience... together.


2011 Family Theme-"Cheerfully do all things that lie in your power".

Little Things

I am not perfect. I can't do it all.

That is the problem.

I want to be able to wake up at dawn and prepare the day for my family, I would like to wear peals and bake and cook food successfully. I would like to keep my sing song voice at all time because I have unwavering patience. I would like to keep up with current events and actually read all the books I take out of the library. I would like to have the energy to go dutifully to the gym when the children are in bed and home school in the method most suited for each of their learning styles, certain that they will have the confidence and skills they need to be successful in whatever it is they choose to pursue. I want to do my hair and makeup everyday...never leave the house in pants that have no intention of seeing a yoga studio. I want to craft and bake with my children and cram so many magical moments in their short childhoods that when grown they can scarcely think of anything else but the awe they have of their perfect, Mother.

Whew. I am exhausted just thinking about it. Which is how I resolved that I can feasibly pick only a few from the list everyday to conquer. Some things of course are non negotiable and some have not once made the top ten (pearls??) but the guilt for my constant inadequacy always remains.

Until I had this experience that lifted the Mother Guilt and gave me new insight into shaping my priority list. I made a note to share it here as well...with my future self who surely will need to be reminded of this again when expectations rise too high.

While Jon was out a few weeks ago I had put the kids to bed and went outside to cut back some of the bushes in our side walkway that were growing over the walk. Since I couldn't find proper scissors I was hacking away with children's safety scissors (yes yes, I know.) and obviously my thoughts turned to Ben. I thought about how much he loves to help me and feel valued and useful with any sort of purposeful work I can give him. On a whim, and without any thought I went up and woke him up.

Now. As a side...I do not mess with my children's sleep. There is NOTHING that comes between us and bedtime. Nothing. Keeping them on a very structured sleep schedule is the only area that I am absolutely firm with and it works. Well rested children are happy children. To wake up Ben this particular night is simply unheard of. I really was just was overcome with impulse.

Ben helped me hack away with his scissors and was delighted when our neighbor caught us and admired his pruning skills and willingness to help me. Ben beamed until we were finished and then happily started back up to bed, satisfied with his little taste out of the ordinary.

Until the unthinkable happened.

I am certain that the universe had been on course since the beginning of existence so that this very moment could occur just as our backs were turning.

A firetruck came down our street.
Said Firetruck parked in front of our house (which was NOT on fire.)

As a second side... Benjamin Alexander is obsessed with fire fighting. He will often only answer to "Fire-Fighter Ben".

The firefighters (yes, the calender variety!) were making their way around neighborhoods giving out information and stickers about fire safety and reminding us to check our smoke detectors. They found Ben's star struck-ness adorable and humored him for a good while.

That boy went to bed happy all right. Clutching his fire safety pamphlets and sticker on his forehead.

When he woke the next morning I coaxed him to tell Daddy what special thing happened the night before.

"Mommy woke me up and had a special job for me! We cut all the bushes and I helped!"

I looked at him. Surely he must have thought the firefighters had been a dream.

"Aaaaand Ben, what else happened? Did someone come to see you in a special truck?"

"Oh yes, firefighters came to our house" he dismissed. And went on "I used my green scissors and we cut all the pieces that were too long and then we put them in bags...."

I was stunned. Such a tiny moment. Surely not comparable to real live firefighters pulling up in front of our house! I didn't think he would even remember the reason for getting up in the first place. How could I compete?

What I learned is that Firefighters don't compare to Mommy.

I also learned that I don't need to TRY so hard to make every single moment memorable. When the pressure is off and I am just being plain old me (with or without peals) the memories just happen. I just have to love them.

I just have to love them!

And the rest just happens.

...And THAT I can do perfectly.