Y'all good!? Well I have new hormones now.... I got the pellets!! Hence the bunny meme, which I adore ! If you don't know about hormone pellets, well then you still have a uterus. Congratulations on that.
It's early.
Got a lot going on as usshhh. Just like e'errbody.
School of the Home...
I'm almost done fashioning my eldest her bonnet for her to hang in her prayer closet! In a few weeks, our homeschool will start. I'm trying to make sure I just call it "school" instead of "homeschool." Right?
IDK.
Really excited about it, but also am a little nervous. Kind of like every day of my life. But the pellets will help with that....
I am not educated in educating. I have a marketing degree that hangs on our wall in our "Room of Requirement- study, craft, guest, exchange student which are guests, shove things in there sometimes, room."
So I've never even seen a lesson plan, but guess what!?!?! In the weeks of staring at the pages of books praying for them to osmosis themselves into my brain dutifully preparing- I had a huge block of what to do.
And then yesterday our precious speech therapist and friend (Annie has the BEST therapists ever end of story) - said she made lesson plans and so I interviewed her about it as she was trying to leave even jokingly but not jokingly saying-- "Ha ha I'm trapping you here!"
It was profoundly simple and I know her OT (whom we also adore) does it too:
"I just think of the goals and then I plan for them."
AHHH yes. Goals. That word is something I've read about in many self help books, because if I have a problem I buy a book for it. Right?
So I sat down again last night at our dining room table (I recovered the faux leather with a split in it bench with a tablecloth from Walmart so I'm practically Joanna Gaines now. It looks amazing(ly better than with a rip in it!) and bet you didn't know this was a home reno blog!?!?!) and prayed again for God to give me wisdom on what the flip flop to do for these kids up in here.
I got an incoming fifth grader that could work for Animal Planet RIGHT NOW. I'm not bragging. I'm explaining that this kid is obsessed - like God has made her to do this and we are excited-- but she also scares me because I have to really know things and teach her math. MATH PEOPLE. No longer can I say, "Oh dad will be home soon and everything will make sense..." EVERYTHING.
And I got Sharknado Annie. I'm coining it first=
Toddlernado.
Annie is how do I put this.
Wonderfully made and the cutest kid this side of heaven.
Annie is Annie.
Annie requires a lot of supervision and work. Just like every toddler I know. I feel like I should sign a waiver giving my life away every morning before I go and get her up. 'Nuff said. She cute tho.
So I have Gorillas in the Mist (replace Gorillas with Lions- seriously she watches lion surgery on youtube) kid.
And Toddlernado.
So last night God prompted me out of my fog (or is it the hormone pellets??) to just write down everything I know to be true- i.e. appointments, commitments, etc.
ON COMMITMENTS
I'm an overscheduler. For reals.
But here's another thing - I have quit everything. EVeRYTHIng.
Selling books with Usborne. (Which I really really enjoyed) Quit that.
A major leadership commitment of a beautiful cause-- all God-- but still required loads of time and mental thought. Let that go- letting it go. But also, God showed me it is no longer my time.
Why can't you give Elsa a balloon?? __________
It was beyond hard by the way, but I have such a peace because God is in charge of that group and of me and of everything in my life. He will not let it fail!!
I am focusing on being present and guys I will be homes- wait- schooling myself. Because it sure feels like I have lost everything I learned in school. Except what Mr. Tracy taught us the first day of economics:
"There's no such thing as a free lunch."
I love lunch.
I have digressed from my digression.
But with all that stuff gone- I have filled it up with worry and not relied upon the Lord. SO I've been praying to get back on track and chill out.
So once I put everything down on paper - Annie has average 5 therapy sessions a week - that is a lot. Hats off to you moms with kids with special needs. I know there are children out there that require a lot more help. Can we all just pray for those families? It is so hard.
It is so so so hard.
CAN I TALK ABOUT THERAPIES FOR A SECOND.
We want to go or be invited on a playdate, but we got therapy. Which we are SO THANKFUL for, but we look forward to days when we can just go and play. And I get sad thinking about it, but then I think that to my little one she IS playing at her therapies. It IS a playdate!
Thank you Lord. A helpful playdate with her angel therapists.
Writing things down really helps and I know that is a duh, but it is where I am at right now.
So seeing the schedule in action helped so much.
Since I am customizing her curriculum which I am not saying as a self-righteous thing, but as a necessary thing- it is so hard to figure out what and how much.
So I have been reading this book with 5 other books (I'm not joking see above in regards to book idol struggle) -- The Ultimate Guide to Homeschooling -- and she talks about how to set things up and it's been helpful but I still have had to just pray. Whenever I googled how to schedule things I fell into a deep depression of overwhelment sort of.
I read somewhere- an hour a subject and to do the skills subjects- math-- daily, but the content subjects- history, science, every other day or something.
With the writing down- I saw that we need 4.5 hrs daily to do school for L. So I carved out that time from what we had left after taking A to her preschool and Tae Kwon Do and Classical Conversations.
Phew!
Then I started with Bible time. I love the curriculum (it's just one book) that we got for her. I'm jazzed she and I will be learning about Old Testament History together. It's a lot simpler than it sounds.
With all of her subjects I wrote down how many lessons there are in the books and a GOAL for when we want to finish. We need summer here so our bodies can die in the heat and then be regenerated in the fall to learn. 31 weeks. With holidays. Is what I am shooting for.
Singapore Math is looking great, but golly willikers it was hard to nail down what to do on what day. Maybe it's because I bought her 6 books.
6 books.
For one semester.
ONE.
3B. This is going to be a semester of pummeling her with review so we can nail down the essentials. Oh public school. No, Jillian do not get off on that tangent....
I know I am a total newb to all of this. And I know that diarrhea life will happen and the day will have to excuse herself from school.
Here are some truths I'm clinging to so I don't get tripped up, but I know I will anyway:
I will not over craft. Most days will just be using a pen and paper.
I will try to bring it back to her first love: science- God's creation. God is THE scientist. Y'all better recognize.
I will pray throughout the day. If something ain't gellin' we will just try again the next day.
I will have a mini lesson for Annie. ..... It may be 5 minutes, but that is okay. That lesson may also be eating goldfish.
I won't try to make a day a fun day because I know that on the "fun day" life will hit hard and then my kids will be traumatized and I will have to have a mom-meltdown call to John, my dearest.
It's going to be okay. This post is too long. I need to shower. Love y'all. Why do I feel like this is my last blog ever?
Oh and also. Annie is gearing up for her PPCD- Preschool Programs for Children with Disabilities.
Did you know the application process (she would begin in November) has started back in May? Yes.
I go to these meetings/interviews/evals that last 2 - 3 hrs all to see if she qualifies and for what. It's a lot. BUT good.
But also, if she does not qualify then that is God's will for her life. I am not getting my hopes in that or trusting in that.
So phew.
But I'm also secretly imagining her graduating from PPCD one day (if she gets in) and how amazing that day will be.
And hey, now I go to yearly visits at the ophthalmologist!!! Isn't that awesome!?!?!
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