........that homeschooling my children has to be the best and smartest decision I have ever made. I have been thinking about this a lot today. Here in Houston we woke up to cold rainy weather this morning. I have a bit of a cold so we slept in. We had breakfast together, cleaned house together, did lesson together and all the while we never took our pjs off! I decided due to the weather and the fact that we were all kind of dragging we would have Pajama Day! (Okay well I took a shower and then put clean pjs on) We began our lessons about 10:30, broke for lunch around 1:00 and Samantha finished around 4:30. My hubby came home around noon. We had a very lazy but fulfilling family school day today and it was wonderful. I am so thankful I didn't have to get up at 6am with a cold to put Samantha on the bus in cold rainy weather. I am so thankful that I was the one who got to see that lightbulb go off in Samantha's head today when she finally got fractions! I am so thankful that I got to play Barbies on my livingroom floor with Grace while watching The Wiggles. I was so thankful that my husband got to lay on the couch snuggled up with the dog while Grace pretended he was a customer at her restaurant. I was so thankful that later this afternoon when my girls went to play outside across the street and the other kids asked why they were still in their pajamas (with jacket of course) they got to say "Because we had pajama day at school"! I LOVE HOMESCHOOLING!!!!!!!! And I wouldn't change a thing.
Yay for you guys! That is great! A couple of my favorites--though I guess these could just be SAHM moments since ds is still young... Making cookies while there was this storybook-looking snowstorm going on outside. Ds playing on the floor and the Christmas music going. No one having to worry about getting out of the house! Getting ds ready to go grocery shopping and then deciding to go to the zoo instead since the weather was so nice. This is just a great way of life!
I second that emotion! When the winds blew through our neighborhood, about an hour after you, the temps dropped 20 degrees here as well... I WAS BESIDE MYSELF! ALl the windows flew open! The babies were tossed into sweat pants and sweat shirts, and we had a FABulous time doing basic school work, while munching on snacks at the tables. Then we finished and played games, while I finished some "Fall Cleaning". AAHHH! The fresh air! That with the sounds of my critters arguing over what to do with a number that you carry in double digit addition... too funny....
I third that emotion! LOL. I just love those lazy days. If we are in a funk we spend the afternoon playing board games or video games or making cookies or something. lol. I also love not having to put my kids on a bus or drive them in a blizzard. Thanks for mentioning this, Tiffany, if we don't stop and reflect and take joy from these moments we will take them for granted.
What a beautiful day we had today. It was sunny, breezy and 71 degrees. We did school this morning and they drove to Lynne's house, gathered them in the car and drove to a corn maze, for $8.00 we got the corn maze, and animals to pet. On to McDonalds for ice cream and play time. We ended up back at Lynne's house and her son gave Elijah a great big pumpkin that he grew himself and a small one for Gianna. I love being able to have those kind of days, too. Right now it is raining outside and the temps are suppose to drop.
I am glad that we can have flexible days as well. Tommorow I will have to work, and we have a house showing. And the elderly man who lives with us has a dr. appt. I will take the opp. to work since dh is not working tommorow. We will get a little school done between, but will likely do alot tommorow evening.
I enjoyed your post, Tif! I agree one hundred percent with it all and am glad you gave us an opportunity to rejoice with you!!!! *high-five*
I also had the same thought today as the cold front blew past. We had a lazy day. We read a ton of books snuggled up in the bed. We did reading lessons snuggled on the couch. We worked on math by baking some bread. We learned about the rainbow by reading noah when we saw the one outside. Thanks for the reminder to see the good days.
It's great all of you are finding such joy I just wish all of us could. I would love to have hanging out with my oldest to be a bowl of cherries at least once in a while instead of the constant fight that it is.
I am glad to homeschool. We are having revival at church. We didn't get home till 9:45. Vicki woke up around 7:09. She went to the couch and is still asleep. We can work around her sleeping. I know children get tired during revival. The being still all day at school and then at church. It is nice to be able to let them go outside and get energy off before church. It is also raining here today. I am thankful I don't have to get her out. God is good.
Maybe you can all help me find that kind of joy. For some reason, we don't have it hear. My son has been awful and just hates to try. I haven't figured out what I am doing wrong but I am almost ready to chuck it all. Hopefully its just a bad month and we'll get through it. Send some of that joy my way though, please? Rhonda
I will pray for you and your ds Rhonda! I hope things go better for you! There ARE times that it is NOT a joy! So you're not alone there! But usually there are ups as well as downs. I pray for some good ups for you soon!
The rain has passed and today is a beautiful sunny day!! Cold and sunny! We get to pull out the jeans and long sleve shirts. Not everyday is fantastic. We have some rough days but honestly we never really have a bad day. My kids are generally pretty amazing kids and I feel so blessed to be with them all the time! Friday we are leaving at noon to go camping! I am so glad that we can just go and do what we want when we want to without having to worry about which classes at ps they will miss and what time we should pick them up. During Christmas time we plan on doing a whole "old fashioned Christmas" theme around here with decorations and cooking and we just couldn't do what I have planned if it were not for homeschooling! I'm just gushing here because I feel so blessed to be able to spend this time and make these memories with my kids. I am able to instill things in them that they can pass down to their kids and they enjoy hs'ing so much that it is very possible they will hs theirs when they are grown. Samantha said last night that she loves hs'ing and never wants to go back to ps! Then she gave me a hug and said I love you. What more can I ask for?
NOTHING! My dd and ds14 were talking a couple of days ago. ds wants to go to the same school his brother is going to when he is in 11th grade (he's in 9th now). DD looked at me and said, "Do I have to go to school when I'm in 11th grade? I'd MUCH rather just stay with you, mommy, and be homeschooled!" (Of COURSE I said she NEVER had to leave!) :love: :love: :love:
Thank you for sharing that! It gave me a warm feeling and a renewed strength! You've reminded me why homeschooling is so great! Thanks!
Okay another reason to be happy to homeschool. Last night I went in Samantha's room to tell her to brush her teeth for bed and she handed me a spiral notebook and told me to look through it and see what she had been doing. I opened the noteboook up and there were math problems she made up, drawings and a creative writing piece!! I never told her to do that. She did it for fun while she watched a movie in her room. Now you tell me - do you know any ps kids who would have done that?!?!? Totally shocked me!
Wow, Tiffany, your dd sounds like a total joy! What a wonderful mommy you must be to have raised such a great dd.
