Just when I think I've got it under control - life happens. Between illness, activities and school time has certainly gotten away from me. My goal for 2010 - better time management and better organization. Actually, ANY kind of time management and ANY kind of organization would be an improvement over what I have now, which is none of either. :)
We are plugging and chugging away with school. Although it is not necessary, my plan was to be about halfway through the curriculum by Christmas. We are pretty much on target. It really doesn't matter, though, because I think we will be doing school in the summer. We are not bound by an August (September?) through May schedule. We don't have to take certain holidays. I just wanted to make sure we were staying on track and getting the actual curriculum work done while we explored other educational opportunities. This goal also helps me with that pesky organization problem I deal with daily.
Zachary and Ryan are learning about the states in the order that they became states in the U.S. Zachary already knows most of this so part of his lesson is to help Ryan learn. Both are having a great time with their State Sheets and Cards. They get to read, write, color and use a sticker...great fun!! They also color in the state on a photocopy of the map. Zachary has decided to number the states in the order they ratified the Constitution. He knows where each state is located on the map and has already had to correct me. "No, Mom," he said. " That is not Georgia." He was right...I was one state over to the right.
Both boys continually amaze me with what they remember about the lessons. I can see improvement each day, even just with little things such as handwriting or math skills. I love that they ask when we are going to "do school" on the days that I am running behind or moving more slowly because I don't feel well. Ryan has enjoyed learning about Creation and is ready to put more in his Bible Notebook. Zachary is ready to move on in math. I think he'd like to skip straight to geometry but I think we'll start with 4th grade math.
Along with school we have been busy with other activities. Zachary and Ryan are very busy in Cub Scouts. There are den meetings, activities and pack meetings. This past week they wrapped Christmas presents from the Angel Tree the Pack sponsored and went caroling at a local nursing home and retirement center. This Tuesday, 12/15, is the Pack Meeting where they will get their Pinewood Derby cars. They both love Scouts.
Zachary and Ryan are starting basketball, too. They will play with Upward Basketball through our church. Ryan's first practice was last Tuesday and he was so proud when he made his first "hoop." Zachary starts on Monday, 12/14. I am looking forward to seeing them play in their games this spring.
All three boys were involved with the Christmas program through church. Zachary was in the musical "The Mystery of the Manger: The Gospel Truth" while Ryan and Joshua sang with Patch the Pirate Club Kid's Choir. Zachary had a small speaking part and a solo part in one of the songs. The performance was Sunday, 12/13. They all did a wonderful job and I am so proud of them. They can't wait for their next opportunity to perform.
Joshua - I haven't said too much about him, have I? He is doing very well in school. His kindergarten is working on 1st Grade Saxon math. He is reading short books all by himself. Each week he gets a worksheet with sentences and a worksheet with words to read to me (or Daddy) and have signed each night that he has worked on the page. Usually he will read both sheets without mistakes the first day. WOW!! It seems that Joshua is picking up reading as easily as his brothers. I am certainly thankful for that. He is not old enough to be in Scouts (but he hangs out with his brothers during their activities as much as possible) or play basketball but we are going to let him play a soccer this spring. He is already looking forward to being on the field.
Joshua will, more than likely, have to have tubes put in his ears again. He keeps telling me he can't hear. Ugh. Our current insurance plan has a high deductible and paying for appointments out of pocket can be difficult. I am thankful that we have insurance, though. I tried to make an appointment with an ENT last week but was not successful with that particular practice. They were not willing to work with us with what we would owe (payment plan) and would not allow me to make an appointment for this week after payday. We have had several medical bills in the past couple of months for Ryan's asthma and Zachary's fire ant allergy. Plus Christmas. So, I will call another ENT and make an appointment for after the first of the year when our insurance will be different. I plan to take him to the pediatrician to make sure there is no infection even though he says his ears do not hurt. With him you never know.
Well, I hope that has caught you up with the happenings of the Parrott family. We are knee-deep in preparations for Christmas. We are trying to teach our boys that it is not about the gifts, not about the tree, not about the food - it is about Jesus's birth so long ago. Thankfully, I am blessed with three beautiful boys who love Jesus and want to live for Him. It's pretty easy to center their hearts when the "greedies" hit.
"Now this is eternal life: that they may know you, the only true God, and Jesus Christ, whom you have sent." John 17:3 (NIV)
Sunday, December 13, 2009
Thursday, November 5, 2009
Fall Break
The Learners' School has been on Fall Break for the last week. It wasn't really a planned break but it happened. Last Thursday I was not feeling well, probably because of allergies. Friday, after what seemed like weeks and weeks of rain and gloom, I decided just to get out of the house. We didn't do much outside because it was wet but we had lunch out and did a little shopping. This past Monday I started out by wanting to get the house cleaned - too much rain and 3 boys makes for lots of clutter and mess - while the boys played outside. Well, my body had other plans for me and I spent most of the day in bed with cramps. Tuesday Ryan was sick and he went to the allergist. I felt sure that Wednesday would be the day to get going again - until I remembered the field trip with Joshua's school. I had signed up to be a parent volunteer. So, here we are on Thursday of this week - and I am achy again. I am hopeful it is just allergies.
Tomorrow - we are getting back to work!!
Again, I am thankful for the freedom and flexibility of homeschooling. We are not behind, even though we have missed a week of school. We live our life as a family in a way that learning is all around us, all the time. Books and music are important to us everyday, not just on school days, and that didn't stop this week. The boys were able to play outside and use their imaginations (both inside and out). We went to the Heard Museum in McKinney where they had an exhibit that talked about the make-up of the earth, which was the last science lesson we read. Learning did not stop.
That being said, I plan on catching up next week by doing two weeks in one, especially with the history and science. That way we are able to do the lessons referencing Christmas at the right time. I am thankful that the curriculum is easy to adjust. I am thankful for the curriculum, in general.
I think there is something to be said for "mental health" days, for adults and children. Everyone needs a time to rest and recharge. I believe my boys need time to be boys, too. They love to be outside and with the rain that has been practically impossible. Zachary is practicing for the Christmas musical at church and spent the better part of today singing the songs. Please don't get me wrong: Education (math, history, spelling, etc) is EXTREMELY important and we don't make light of it or take it for granted - the boys are learning what they need to learn on track with their peers (or somewhat ahead). I just think that the learning that happens on its own, without a book or lesson plans, is just as important. Letting the boys have time to explore is necessary for them...and for me. Letting the boys have time to play and be boys is important, too. (and it is also important for my sanity to have some time off)
1 John 1:9 "If we confess our sins, He is faithful and just and will forgive us our sins and purify us from all unrighteousness."
Tomorrow - we are getting back to work!!
Again, I am thankful for the freedom and flexibility of homeschooling. We are not behind, even though we have missed a week of school. We live our life as a family in a way that learning is all around us, all the time. Books and music are important to us everyday, not just on school days, and that didn't stop this week. The boys were able to play outside and use their imaginations (both inside and out). We went to the Heard Museum in McKinney where they had an exhibit that talked about the make-up of the earth, which was the last science lesson we read. Learning did not stop.
That being said, I plan on catching up next week by doing two weeks in one, especially with the history and science. That way we are able to do the lessons referencing Christmas at the right time. I am thankful that the curriculum is easy to adjust. I am thankful for the curriculum, in general.
I think there is something to be said for "mental health" days, for adults and children. Everyone needs a time to rest and recharge. I believe my boys need time to be boys, too. They love to be outside and with the rain that has been practically impossible. Zachary is practicing for the Christmas musical at church and spent the better part of today singing the songs. Please don't get me wrong: Education (math, history, spelling, etc) is EXTREMELY important and we don't make light of it or take it for granted - the boys are learning what they need to learn on track with their peers (or somewhat ahead). I just think that the learning that happens on its own, without a book or lesson plans, is just as important. Letting the boys have time to explore is necessary for them...and for me. Letting the boys have time to play and be boys is important, too. (and it is also important for my sanity to have some time off)
1 John 1:9 "If we confess our sins, He is faithful and just and will forgive us our sins and purify us from all unrighteousness."
Thursday, October 29, 2009
Fall and Festivals
Is it the end of October already?!? Wow!! Where has the time gone? Just yesterday it was May and we were making our move back to Texas. Now we are getting ready for Thanksgiving and Christmas. One day I'll blink and Zachary will be leaving for college!!
Fall is my most favorite time of year. I love the cool weather, the wonderful colors and the yummy smells. It is harder to enjoy fall in Texas - it doesn't get as cool and brown just isn't the same as yellow and read on the trees! I do my best. I like Saturday afternoon college football (lately I can watch all week in the evenings, too). I look forward to sweater weather and wearing sweat pants. I love fall.
One of the things that comes with fall is Halloween. What is a Christian to do with October 31? I grew up with a "Halloween" carnival at church, complete with a haunted house (haunted boiler room?) that had cold spaghetti and peeled grapes to touch. It was great. I never thought of it as evil or bad - just lots of fun. Things have changed since then. Now there are people who believe that the very day, October 31, is evil. "Satan's High Holy Day," I heard someone say. I've heard many people say that Halloween represents everything that God is against. I've heard people say that is the history behind Halloween. Maybe...
I won't get in to the history of the day here, but The History Channel has a great article on the Real history and beginnings of Halloween. Actually, the references to Satan have come about more recently, as people have perverted the day. I'm sure a person could find a website to support whatever they believe about Halloween. I respect that.
I have a BIG problem with people judging me and my Christianity (and my family) on what we do on October 31, or the days around 10/31. Our family does not "celebrate" Halloween like we would another holiday but we do participate in some of the activities. Our children wear costumes and get candy. We attend Fall Festivals/Trunk or Treats. We go to the pumpkin patch and we decorate pumpkins. We emphasize fun, family and friends.
Here is what we don't do: we don't play tricks on people, we don't worship satan, we don't talk about evil (or do any evil), we don't take part in any activity that would imply that evil is going on. What else don't we do: WE DON'T JUDGE OTHERS IF THEY CHOOSE NOT TO DO ANY OF THESE ACTIVITIES. I just wish we were extended the same courtesy.
My boys know right from wrong, good from evil. They know and love God and want to live for Jesus. In fact, each of them proudly proclaimed who they were upon entering the Fall Festival at church on 10/25 - "I am a (ninja, swamp monster, race car driver) who LOVES JESUS! They know.
On the school front: we made bread. It was bad. We'll have to try again. Oh, well.
Zachary has been very excited about history this week. We are learning about Benjamin Franklin. Yesterday before we made our own version of "Poor Richard's Almanac" Zachary ran upstairs and got a book he had about Benjamin Franklin. He read it out loud to me and Ryan. He was excited to get to share something he knew.
And finally - Ryan's Tiger Den in Pack 344 sold the most popcorn and won the pack pizza party.
Ephesians 2:8-9 "For it is by grace you have been saved, through faith - and this is not from yourselves, it is the gift of God - not by works, so that no one can boast." (NIV)
Fall is my most favorite time of year. I love the cool weather, the wonderful colors and the yummy smells. It is harder to enjoy fall in Texas - it doesn't get as cool and brown just isn't the same as yellow and read on the trees! I do my best. I like Saturday afternoon college football (lately I can watch all week in the evenings, too). I look forward to sweater weather and wearing sweat pants. I love fall.
One of the things that comes with fall is Halloween. What is a Christian to do with October 31? I grew up with a "Halloween" carnival at church, complete with a haunted house (haunted boiler room?) that had cold spaghetti and peeled grapes to touch. It was great. I never thought of it as evil or bad - just lots of fun. Things have changed since then. Now there are people who believe that the very day, October 31, is evil. "Satan's High Holy Day," I heard someone say. I've heard many people say that Halloween represents everything that God is against. I've heard people say that is the history behind Halloween. Maybe...
I won't get in to the history of the day here, but The History Channel has a great article on the Real history and beginnings of Halloween. Actually, the references to Satan have come about more recently, as people have perverted the day. I'm sure a person could find a website to support whatever they believe about Halloween. I respect that.
I have a BIG problem with people judging me and my Christianity (and my family) on what we do on October 31, or the days around 10/31. Our family does not "celebrate" Halloween like we would another holiday but we do participate in some of the activities. Our children wear costumes and get candy. We attend Fall Festivals/Trunk or Treats. We go to the pumpkin patch and we decorate pumpkins. We emphasize fun, family and friends.
Here is what we don't do: we don't play tricks on people, we don't worship satan, we don't talk about evil (or do any evil), we don't take part in any activity that would imply that evil is going on. What else don't we do: WE DON'T JUDGE OTHERS IF THEY CHOOSE NOT TO DO ANY OF THESE ACTIVITIES. I just wish we were extended the same courtesy.
My boys know right from wrong, good from evil. They know and love God and want to live for Jesus. In fact, each of them proudly proclaimed who they were upon entering the Fall Festival at church on 10/25 - "I am a (ninja, swamp monster, race car driver) who LOVES JESUS! They know.
On the school front: we made bread. It was bad. We'll have to try again. Oh, well.
Zachary has been very excited about history this week. We are learning about Benjamin Franklin. Yesterday before we made our own version of "Poor Richard's Almanac" Zachary ran upstairs and got a book he had about Benjamin Franklin. He read it out loud to me and Ryan. He was excited to get to share something he knew.
And finally - Ryan's Tiger Den in Pack 344 sold the most popcorn and won the pack pizza party.
Ephesians 2:8-9 "For it is by grace you have been saved, through faith - and this is not from yourselves, it is the gift of God - not by works, so that no one can boast." (NIV)
Wednesday, October 21, 2009
I'm Not Sure I Signed Up for This!!!
We are well into our school year now - have I said that before?!? We are finishing up week 7 of our curriculum. I'm don't know about the boys but I am learning a WHOLE lot...mainly that I am probably not the best person to teach this curriculum. Why?! Because God did not gift me with the artsy-craftsy gene, the baking gene or the Susie Homemaker gene. Just today Ryan's Bible lesson required drawing a map of the various bodies of water in the Holy Land, so they are familiar when the Bible history teaching begins. Drawing a map - by hand - with a tiny picture as a guide. At least I will be able to tell where the bodies of water are in relation to one another but I am fairly certain they don't actually look like my map in real life!! Tomorrow we make "play dough" and Friday we are making bread. I am going to make the bread by hand and not in the bread machine. I'll let you know how it turns out.
One of the aspects I like most about the curriculum - the hands-on activities - is also the one that is giving me the most difficulty. I often wonder if they tried some of these things (paper wigwams come to mind) with 8 and 9 year old children before they are put into the lesson. I am not looking for perfection but I am wanting the directions to work. Some of the projects are not suited for people like me; you know, with no artistic ability whatsoever. Maybe they need a "dumbed down" version of the projects for people like me. I do the projects - to the best of my ability - and, honestly, Ryan's turn out better. Oh, well. At least I can say I am giving my children a well-rounded education.
Zachary is busily finishing up some math basics we skimmed over last year. He will complete the Fractions 1 book in the "Key To" series tomorrow, after having started it at the beginning of the month. I am thankful that he learns math quickly but that is also the reason we are going back to some of the "basics" like fractions, multiplication and division. I even re-taught addition and subtraction with multiple digits and "carrying" because he didn't quite grasp the concept. He is in such a hurry to move on that he doesn't pay much attention to the "easy" stuff that the "harder" stuff is built on. I am going to spend some time making sure his multiplication and division facts are solid before moving on to another curriculum...probably 4th grade.
Ryan is another story. He is so much like me. Math does not come easily to him. He is smart but math just gives him fits. He has been working on addition and subtraction facts since the beginning of the school year. He does well with the smaller numbers but the larger ones are a struggle to him. I chose a workbook for him for these first few weeks so I could get an idea of where he needed the work. Now I know. He finishes the workbook next week and I have decided the best course of action is to spend some time on fact families. Also, I will make sure he has access to a lot of manipulatives. He used Hershey's Kisses today and that helped with his work - and his work attitude. I will probably stick with what works. :)
I am fortunate that both boys are good readers and they both like to hear stories, too. I have started assigning silent reading to both, usually a few pages of one or two books. Zachary does better with his reading when he goes into the living room and reads out loud while Ryan can sit at the table and read silently. I am using the assigned history passages from Zachary's curriculum with both boys - these I read out loud to them. I do have to keep their hands occupied while I read, though. I will give them paper so they can draw or something to "fidget" with while I read. This week they have made paper clip snakes. It always amazes me that they can tell me the general idea of the story, if not specific details.
I am still very happy with My Father's World and what the boys are learning. While discussing math texts for Zachary today I told Chris that I would like to try "Teaching Textbooks." He asked if I meant just for math or for everything. I said, "Just for math! I love our MFW curriculum." I hope I feel the same way at the end of the year. I'm thinking I will. :)
RYAN AND THE GLIDER
Changing the subject, I have to brag on Ryan. Wednesday nights is when the church we attend, Arapaho Road Baptist, has Bible studies for adults and activities for children. Zachary attends the ARBC Production Company where he is learning about God while practicing for the Christmas program. Ryan and Joshua attend Patch the Pirate Club, where they do art projects, learn about the Bible and sing. Each night they have the opportunity to earn a "treasure" from the Treasure Chest. Tonight both Ryan and Joshua were able to choose a treat. Ryan chose a glider from the chest. Joshua LOVES airplanes but that was the last one in the chest. Ryan gave the glider to Joshua and chose another treasure for himself. What a sweet boy!! The story could end there and be great but it gets better. Tonight Ryan showed me his treasure and told me it was his "good luck charm" necklace. His treasure? A neon green plastic cross hanging from neon green string. The reason it is his "good luck charm?" "Because," he said, "Jesus died on the cross for my sins."
I Timothy 4:12 says "Don't let anyone look down on you because you are young, but set an example for the believers in speech, in life, in love, in faith and in purity." (NIV)
One of the aspects I like most about the curriculum - the hands-on activities - is also the one that is giving me the most difficulty. I often wonder if they tried some of these things (paper wigwams come to mind) with 8 and 9 year old children before they are put into the lesson. I am not looking for perfection but I am wanting the directions to work. Some of the projects are not suited for people like me; you know, with no artistic ability whatsoever. Maybe they need a "dumbed down" version of the projects for people like me. I do the projects - to the best of my ability - and, honestly, Ryan's turn out better. Oh, well. At least I can say I am giving my children a well-rounded education.
Zachary is busily finishing up some math basics we skimmed over last year. He will complete the Fractions 1 book in the "Key To" series tomorrow, after having started it at the beginning of the month. I am thankful that he learns math quickly but that is also the reason we are going back to some of the "basics" like fractions, multiplication and division. I even re-taught addition and subtraction with multiple digits and "carrying" because he didn't quite grasp the concept. He is in such a hurry to move on that he doesn't pay much attention to the "easy" stuff that the "harder" stuff is built on. I am going to spend some time making sure his multiplication and division facts are solid before moving on to another curriculum...probably 4th grade.
Ryan is another story. He is so much like me. Math does not come easily to him. He is smart but math just gives him fits. He has been working on addition and subtraction facts since the beginning of the school year. He does well with the smaller numbers but the larger ones are a struggle to him. I chose a workbook for him for these first few weeks so I could get an idea of where he needed the work. Now I know. He finishes the workbook next week and I have decided the best course of action is to spend some time on fact families. Also, I will make sure he has access to a lot of manipulatives. He used Hershey's Kisses today and that helped with his work - and his work attitude. I will probably stick with what works. :)
I am fortunate that both boys are good readers and they both like to hear stories, too. I have started assigning silent reading to both, usually a few pages of one or two books. Zachary does better with his reading when he goes into the living room and reads out loud while Ryan can sit at the table and read silently. I am using the assigned history passages from Zachary's curriculum with both boys - these I read out loud to them. I do have to keep their hands occupied while I read, though. I will give them paper so they can draw or something to "fidget" with while I read. This week they have made paper clip snakes. It always amazes me that they can tell me the general idea of the story, if not specific details.
I am still very happy with My Father's World and what the boys are learning. While discussing math texts for Zachary today I told Chris that I would like to try "Teaching Textbooks." He asked if I meant just for math or for everything. I said, "Just for math! I love our MFW curriculum." I hope I feel the same way at the end of the year. I'm thinking I will. :)
RYAN AND THE GLIDER
Changing the subject, I have to brag on Ryan. Wednesday nights is when the church we attend, Arapaho Road Baptist, has Bible studies for adults and activities for children. Zachary attends the ARBC Production Company where he is learning about God while practicing for the Christmas program. Ryan and Joshua attend Patch the Pirate Club, where they do art projects, learn about the Bible and sing. Each night they have the opportunity to earn a "treasure" from the Treasure Chest. Tonight both Ryan and Joshua were able to choose a treat. Ryan chose a glider from the chest. Joshua LOVES airplanes but that was the last one in the chest. Ryan gave the glider to Joshua and chose another treasure for himself. What a sweet boy!! The story could end there and be great but it gets better. Tonight Ryan showed me his treasure and told me it was his "good luck charm" necklace. His treasure? A neon green plastic cross hanging from neon green string. The reason it is his "good luck charm?" "Because," he said, "Jesus died on the cross for my sins."
I Timothy 4:12 says "Don't let anyone look down on you because you are young, but set an example for the believers in speech, in life, in love, in faith and in purity." (NIV)
Friday, October 9, 2009
I'm Not Sure *That* Is From Hebrew!
The Learners' School has been in session for a few weeks now. It is going fairly well. Ryan is liking all of the science lessons and Zachary is going to be ready for advanced math before I know it!!! The curriculum is good - the boys are really learning a LOT! I'm learning a lot!! It is fun to see their faces when they learn something new.
Well, today *I* learned something new. I'm pretty sure the wording is not the correct translation from Hebrew. Zachary's Bible lessons this week have been centered on John 8:12 and how Jesus is the Light of the World. His science lessons have been on space - gravity, constellations, light years. Today we read from the book of Job (one of my favorites). We read from the Bible that came with Zachary's curriculum - the NIrV. In this version, Job 38:32 says that God commands the Big Dipper and the Little Dipper (very paraphrased from me). I found this odd. This evening Chris and I did some reading from other verions of the Bible (NLT, NIV, KJV) and found that each of those translations mentioned specifici constellations. I am not doubting the Bible or God. This is just something I have never noticed before.
Yesterday I met with a good friend who is now translating the Bible. He shared with me a book on Job, Proverbs, Ecclesiastes and Son of Solomon. He translated these scriptures from the Latin Old Testament. He gave me the book because I am struggling with life and my faith right now. The book of Job is a hard read but a good (and necessary) one. How wonderful it was to realize - just a few minutes ago - that I could read in this book Job 38:32 and find the translation from the Latin OT. It really helped to bring some clarity.
I am anxious to see what next week brings in our curriculum. I *know* what we will be studying but what will the boys be learning? It is always amazing what they learn - and sometimes it has absolutely nothing to do with what is written in the book we are reading or the paper we are doing. For those moments, I am truly - TRULY - thankful I have chosen to homeschool.
Well, today *I* learned something new. I'm pretty sure the wording is not the correct translation from Hebrew. Zachary's Bible lessons this week have been centered on John 8:12 and how Jesus is the Light of the World. His science lessons have been on space - gravity, constellations, light years. Today we read from the book of Job (one of my favorites). We read from the Bible that came with Zachary's curriculum - the NIrV. In this version, Job 38:32 says that God commands the Big Dipper and the Little Dipper (very paraphrased from me). I found this odd. This evening Chris and I did some reading from other verions of the Bible (NLT, NIV, KJV) and found that each of those translations mentioned specifici constellations. I am not doubting the Bible or God. This is just something I have never noticed before.
Yesterday I met with a good friend who is now translating the Bible. He shared with me a book on Job, Proverbs, Ecclesiastes and Son of Solomon. He translated these scriptures from the Latin Old Testament. He gave me the book because I am struggling with life and my faith right now. The book of Job is a hard read but a good (and necessary) one. How wonderful it was to realize - just a few minutes ago - that I could read in this book Job 38:32 and find the translation from the Latin OT. It really helped to bring some clarity.
I am anxious to see what next week brings in our curriculum. I *know* what we will be studying but what will the boys be learning? It is always amazing what they learn - and sometimes it has absolutely nothing to do with what is written in the book we are reading or the paper we are doing. For those moments, I am truly - TRULY - thankful I have chosen to homeschool.
Monday, October 5, 2009
HAPPY BIRTHDAY RYAN!!
Ryan turned 7 on September 24. I can't believe it!!! It seems like just yesterday he came into the world, 3 weeks early but still plump. Ryan had the chubbiest baby cheeks and sweetest expressions. He always did things on his own time, in his own way. 7 years later not much has changed. While he isn't plump any more (in fact, he is a thin little thing), he still has the sweetest expressions. He still does things on his own time and in his own way.
Ryan is a sweet boy. He is loving and caring. He has a tender heart. He loves Jesus. Don't get me wrong - he still has his moments. He has a temper. He will fight with his brothers. He will be disobedient. I think *most* boys have those moments. They don't happen very often with Ryan.
Ryan wants to be a paleontologist when he grows up. He loves dinosaurs; he has for a long time. He loves all nature and all animals. He really wants a snake for a pet. He is curious about the human body and will give first aid to anyone in need. He went to his frist Tiger Cub Scout meeting yesterday. He sure is growing up fast.
We celebrated Ryan's birthday twice - a small family celebration and a trip to Sea World in San Antonio. Ryan hasn't had a birthday party since 1997 because we have moved the past two years the summer before. It is hard to make friends in the summer. Anyway, we opened presents at the house - Ryan got a Leapster2, a game, some books and some clothes. We let him choose where to eat (Cracker Barrel) and we had a chocolate frosted brownie for dessert. He had a fun day. The wish he made while blowing out his birhtday candle broke my heart..." I wish I had some friends."
We went to Sea World Sept. 26-28. We stayed at the Alamo KOA in San Antonio. My parents met us there with their RV. We stayed in a Kamping Kabin. The boys loved it. They had fun playing on the playground (until Zachary got a foot full of fire ants), swimming in the pool, chasing the ducks and sleeping on bunk beds. Sea World was a big hit. Ryan and Joshua fed dolphins with their daddy. We saw sharks, jelly fish, penguins and rays. We saw a cute pirate movie with 4D effects, the Cannery Row show and, of course, Shamu. They boys and their dad rode Shamu Express and Journey to Atlantis...well, Ryan didn't ride the last ride but he did get to mee the Spurs Coyote while waiting with me. All of us rode Rio Loco and got totally soaked - even my parents. We had a wonderful day.
Before we left San Antonio on Sunday we made a trip to the Alamo and the Riverwalk. Too bad the boys were still tired from Sea World and it was HOT. It was a short visit downtown. We took a quick tour of the Alamo and walked to the Rivercenter mall on the Riverwalk. We had lunch and decided to call it a day.
Ryan got his first "real" Bible for his birthday from my parents. He *loves* it. It is a Bible for boys. It has devotionals, life applications and little bits of "Grossology," which gives information about some of the less talked about aspects of certain Bible stories. It has his name on it - he could not get over that. He has been reading it in his bed every night and took it to church this past Sunday. I am so thankful he loves that Bible.
Ryan is such a joy. I am so blessed and honored to be able to call him "son." He is loving and caring. He loves the Lord. He wants to live each day to the fullest. He puts a smile on my face each day - in one way or another.
*I am blessed by all of my boys*
Ryan is a sweet boy. He is loving and caring. He has a tender heart. He loves Jesus. Don't get me wrong - he still has his moments. He has a temper. He will fight with his brothers. He will be disobedient. I think *most* boys have those moments. They don't happen very often with Ryan.
Ryan wants to be a paleontologist when he grows up. He loves dinosaurs; he has for a long time. He loves all nature and all animals. He really wants a snake for a pet. He is curious about the human body and will give first aid to anyone in need. He went to his frist Tiger Cub Scout meeting yesterday. He sure is growing up fast.
We celebrated Ryan's birthday twice - a small family celebration and a trip to Sea World in San Antonio. Ryan hasn't had a birthday party since 1997 because we have moved the past two years the summer before. It is hard to make friends in the summer. Anyway, we opened presents at the house - Ryan got a Leapster2, a game, some books and some clothes. We let him choose where to eat (Cracker Barrel) and we had a chocolate frosted brownie for dessert. He had a fun day. The wish he made while blowing out his birhtday candle broke my heart..." I wish I had some friends."
We went to Sea World Sept. 26-28. We stayed at the Alamo KOA in San Antonio. My parents met us there with their RV. We stayed in a Kamping Kabin. The boys loved it. They had fun playing on the playground (until Zachary got a foot full of fire ants), swimming in the pool, chasing the ducks and sleeping on bunk beds. Sea World was a big hit. Ryan and Joshua fed dolphins with their daddy. We saw sharks, jelly fish, penguins and rays. We saw a cute pirate movie with 4D effects, the Cannery Row show and, of course, Shamu. They boys and their dad rode Shamu Express and Journey to Atlantis...well, Ryan didn't ride the last ride but he did get to mee the Spurs Coyote while waiting with me. All of us rode Rio Loco and got totally soaked - even my parents. We had a wonderful day.
Before we left San Antonio on Sunday we made a trip to the Alamo and the Riverwalk. Too bad the boys were still tired from Sea World and it was HOT. It was a short visit downtown. We took a quick tour of the Alamo and walked to the Rivercenter mall on the Riverwalk. We had lunch and decided to call it a day.
Ryan got his first "real" Bible for his birthday from my parents. He *loves* it. It is a Bible for boys. It has devotionals, life applications and little bits of "Grossology," which gives information about some of the less talked about aspects of certain Bible stories. It has his name on it - he could not get over that. He has been reading it in his bed every night and took it to church this past Sunday. I am so thankful he loves that Bible.
Ryan is such a joy. I am so blessed and honored to be able to call him "son." He is loving and caring. He loves the Lord. He wants to live each day to the fullest. He puts a smile on my face each day - in one way or another.
*I am blessed by all of my boys*
Thursday, October 1, 2009
A New School Year
My goodness! I didn't realize it had been so long since my last entry. I guess I should put "blog time" on my schedule to make sure it gets updated regularly.
Well, a new school year began for The Learners' School on August 31. We are using My Father's World Curriculum. It is wonderful. I can see us sticking with this curriculum for a while. It is heavy on Scripture, reading and history. I love the science books that are used...most of them are Usborne Books. From a teaching standpoint, everything is laid out nicely and it is easy to prepare for and follow the lessons. This year we are doing 2 different grade levels for Ryan and Zachary. Next year I will be able to teach one curriculum to them, minus math and grammar. They will do math and grammar on their own level.
Ryan is doing the 1st grade curriculum, which is probably a little easy for him. It is heavy on phonics and beginning reading while Ryan is a wonderful reader. I chose not to move him to another grade or curriculum because I really like the Bible content. Not only is he learning Scripture, he will learn Bible history, as well. The Science is wonderful for him - very hands on! Right now we are using a math workbook with him but he is zooming right through. We'll have to think of something else. I am teaching him the same history and science that Zachary learns. He gets double science but he is OK with that.
Zachary is doing the 2nd/3rd grade curriculum. It is for students who don't have an older sibling and who haven't done any other My Father's World lessons. He loves it. He is having a great time learning how our country was started. He enjoys the science classes. He is learning Scripture, too, and is making a poster with The Names of Jesus. He is finishing up his 2nd grade Singapore Math and Bob Jones English. He should be on to 3rd grade in both of those by January. He just started spelling and thinks it is great. He learns Bible and Science from Ryan's curriculum. I want to make sure both are learning as much as they can.
School has been hard for me this year. I have come close to quitting more than once - and we are only on week 5!! In fact, I got so frustrated that I sorted out all of our homeschool stuff in preparation to sell it or give it away. Some days it just seems as if the boys are working so hard against me that it just isn't worth the heartache. Then I remember why I homeschool and how much I love to see my boys learn. We set our curriculum aside for a couple of days and worked only on our basics. We had a fresh start last week. Things are better.
This leads me to: Why does the Parrott family homeschool? I may have posted about this before but I think it needs repeating. Although the curriculum and the circumstances may change, the real reason does not. It comes down to this: The Parrott family homeschools because we believe God is calling us to homeschool. We believe (we=myself and my husband) the best place to educate children is in the home. We can teach the values we believe. We can weave God into our lessons. We can cater to our boys' different learning styles. We don't have to worry about an agenda that we don't believe in being pushed onto our children.
Homeschooling started for us when Zachary was denied services for his sensory/autism issues in the public school district where we lived when he was 4. We were told to put him into kindergarten and once he *failed* there, steps would be taken to get him the appropriate help. Zachary had barely mastered using the toilet at this time. He could not stand loud noises, changes in routine or socks. He could not dress himeslf without help. He had no coordination, could not use scissors or eating utensils. Although he was a bright and curious child, I knew something was "off" with his development. I went home in tears, vowing not to send my child to public school. Fortunately, God had led our family to a church that was full of homeschooling families. I learned from them what homeschooling could look like and decided to try it for Zachary. We started in kindergarten and haven't had any (many? LOL) regrets.
We have been met with much opposition regarding homeschooling. Zachary has Asperger's Syndrome. I have had doctors, therapists and other parents tell me I am doing him a disservice by educating him at school. Why? Lack of opportunity for SOCIALIZATION. People mistakenly believe that the only place a child can get SOCIALIZATION is at school. People also believe that homeschoolers are locked into their houses, 24/7. No. Our children have plenty of opportunities for social activities with other children - sometimes we have to pick and choose or we would never get school done. And here is something else...google SOCIALIZATION and see what comes up. If you don't want that for your country, why on earth would you want that for your child?
Some people have asked why not private Christian school. Well, two reasons. First of all, we don't feel that God is leading us to place our children in private Christian school. The second, we can't afford private Christian school. Yes, Ryan (and now Joshua) attended a private Christian kindergarten. However, there is a big difference between $300/mo and over $15,000/yr. If we feel we need to put our children into a school setting, we will do what we can to make sure they are in the best environment possible. That may be Christian school. We would do what we needed to do to put them there.
No, I am not anti-public school nor anti-public school teacher. I don't like the limits placed upon teachers in regard to their teaching. I don't like the "requirements" necessary for Zachary to receive help in public school. I don't like the hoops that a parent would have to go through to make sure the school district is providing all of the services they are required to provide BY LAW. I realize that public school is not perfect. Neither is homeschooling. However, for our family it is certainly the better alternative.
I am not sure if we will be able to homeschool forever. I am hoping that all 3 of our boys will graduate from The Learners' School and go on to college. I don't know what the future holds; only God knows that. We will continue to listen to Him and His guidance. We know that He holds us closely and wants good things for us. We know that in ALL things He is there, even when it means we are not comfortable.
Micah 6:8
Jeremaiah 29:11
Well, a new school year began for The Learners' School on August 31. We are using My Father's World Curriculum. It is wonderful. I can see us sticking with this curriculum for a while. It is heavy on Scripture, reading and history. I love the science books that are used...most of them are Usborne Books. From a teaching standpoint, everything is laid out nicely and it is easy to prepare for and follow the lessons. This year we are doing 2 different grade levels for Ryan and Zachary. Next year I will be able to teach one curriculum to them, minus math and grammar. They will do math and grammar on their own level.
Ryan is doing the 1st grade curriculum, which is probably a little easy for him. It is heavy on phonics and beginning reading while Ryan is a wonderful reader. I chose not to move him to another grade or curriculum because I really like the Bible content. Not only is he learning Scripture, he will learn Bible history, as well. The Science is wonderful for him - very hands on! Right now we are using a math workbook with him but he is zooming right through. We'll have to think of something else. I am teaching him the same history and science that Zachary learns. He gets double science but he is OK with that.
Zachary is doing the 2nd/3rd grade curriculum. It is for students who don't have an older sibling and who haven't done any other My Father's World lessons. He loves it. He is having a great time learning how our country was started. He enjoys the science classes. He is learning Scripture, too, and is making a poster with The Names of Jesus. He is finishing up his 2nd grade Singapore Math and Bob Jones English. He should be on to 3rd grade in both of those by January. He just started spelling and thinks it is great. He learns Bible and Science from Ryan's curriculum. I want to make sure both are learning as much as they can.
School has been hard for me this year. I have come close to quitting more than once - and we are only on week 5!! In fact, I got so frustrated that I sorted out all of our homeschool stuff in preparation to sell it or give it away. Some days it just seems as if the boys are working so hard against me that it just isn't worth the heartache. Then I remember why I homeschool and how much I love to see my boys learn. We set our curriculum aside for a couple of days and worked only on our basics. We had a fresh start last week. Things are better.
This leads me to: Why does the Parrott family homeschool? I may have posted about this before but I think it needs repeating. Although the curriculum and the circumstances may change, the real reason does not. It comes down to this: The Parrott family homeschools because we believe God is calling us to homeschool. We believe (we=myself and my husband) the best place to educate children is in the home. We can teach the values we believe. We can weave God into our lessons. We can cater to our boys' different learning styles. We don't have to worry about an agenda that we don't believe in being pushed onto our children.
Homeschooling started for us when Zachary was denied services for his sensory/autism issues in the public school district where we lived when he was 4. We were told to put him into kindergarten and once he *failed* there, steps would be taken to get him the appropriate help. Zachary had barely mastered using the toilet at this time. He could not stand loud noises, changes in routine or socks. He could not dress himeslf without help. He had no coordination, could not use scissors or eating utensils. Although he was a bright and curious child, I knew something was "off" with his development. I went home in tears, vowing not to send my child to public school. Fortunately, God had led our family to a church that was full of homeschooling families. I learned from them what homeschooling could look like and decided to try it for Zachary. We started in kindergarten and haven't had any (many? LOL) regrets.
We have been met with much opposition regarding homeschooling. Zachary has Asperger's Syndrome. I have had doctors, therapists and other parents tell me I am doing him a disservice by educating him at school. Why? Lack of opportunity for SOCIALIZATION. People mistakenly believe that the only place a child can get SOCIALIZATION is at school. People also believe that homeschoolers are locked into their houses, 24/7. No. Our children have plenty of opportunities for social activities with other children - sometimes we have to pick and choose or we would never get school done. And here is something else...google SOCIALIZATION and see what comes up. If you don't want that for your country, why on earth would you want that for your child?
Some people have asked why not private Christian school. Well, two reasons. First of all, we don't feel that God is leading us to place our children in private Christian school. The second, we can't afford private Christian school. Yes, Ryan (and now Joshua) attended a private Christian kindergarten. However, there is a big difference between $300/mo and over $15,000/yr. If we feel we need to put our children into a school setting, we will do what we can to make sure they are in the best environment possible. That may be Christian school. We would do what we needed to do to put them there.
No, I am not anti-public school nor anti-public school teacher. I don't like the limits placed upon teachers in regard to their teaching. I don't like the "requirements" necessary for Zachary to receive help in public school. I don't like the hoops that a parent would have to go through to make sure the school district is providing all of the services they are required to provide BY LAW. I realize that public school is not perfect. Neither is homeschooling. However, for our family it is certainly the better alternative.
I am not sure if we will be able to homeschool forever. I am hoping that all 3 of our boys will graduate from The Learners' School and go on to college. I don't know what the future holds; only God knows that. We will continue to listen to Him and His guidance. We know that He holds us closely and wants good things for us. We know that in ALL things He is there, even when it means we are not comfortable.
Micah 6:8
Jeremaiah 29:11
Tuesday, July 14, 2009
I'm Still Learning, Too
This past weekend I had the privilege of attending a conference for parents and caregivers who have chosen to homeschool their special needs children. It was a wonderful experience. Not only did I learn a lot about adapting curriculum and school rooms, I met parents who were on this journey with me. I know the information I received will help me (and Chris, too) better help Zachary with his education and with his life in general. Just a few of the things I learned:
It is that time of year again in the Parrott household - curriculum choosing time!! It happens about this time every year, although each time I swear I will start earlier. For the 4th time in as many years I think I will change curriculum again. I don't think there were major problems with what we did last year but I wasn't happy with some aspects of certain subjects. Also, I like using one curriculum over bits and pieces. I have also decided that I really like the Charlotte Mason philosophy of education and I feel it meets the needs of my boys. I am leaning toward "My Father's World." I am hoping I wasn't dreaming when I saw it in the Mardel a couple of weeks ago because I'd love to look at it more closely. Plus, they are having a sale on Thursday.
I will keep you all updated on our journey of homeschooling Zachary. If you have a child with special needs and are interested in homeschooling OR if you already homeschool, please get in touch with me. I would love to chat with you about our journey and walk with you on yours.
I think this will be the verse for our school, The Learners' School:
"And all thy children shall be taught of the Lord; and great shall be the peace of thy children." Isaiah 54:13 (KJV)
- Children on the autism spectrum, even those like Zachary who are verbal, communicate better with pictures. Instead of using word lists I should make picture lists.
- Allow extra time for movement and incorporate movement into academics.
- I learned how to evaluate and modify curriculum to meet Zachary's specific needs. That was a HUGE help.
- I learned ways to set up the school room so that Zachary would be able to concentrate and have his sensory needs met.
- and the biggest "Well, duh. I should have known that!" moment was when they said it didn't matter what I liked about certain curriculum - it is all about the child. Yep, should have known that!
- I learned that making time for my marriage and alone time for myself are extremely important.
It is that time of year again in the Parrott household - curriculum choosing time!! It happens about this time every year, although each time I swear I will start earlier. For the 4th time in as many years I think I will change curriculum again. I don't think there were major problems with what we did last year but I wasn't happy with some aspects of certain subjects. Also, I like using one curriculum over bits and pieces. I have also decided that I really like the Charlotte Mason philosophy of education and I feel it meets the needs of my boys. I am leaning toward "My Father's World." I am hoping I wasn't dreaming when I saw it in the Mardel a couple of weeks ago because I'd love to look at it more closely. Plus, they are having a sale on Thursday.
I will keep you all updated on our journey of homeschooling Zachary. If you have a child with special needs and are interested in homeschooling OR if you already homeschool, please get in touch with me. I would love to chat with you about our journey and walk with you on yours.
I think this will be the verse for our school, The Learners' School:
"And all thy children shall be taught of the Lord; and great shall be the peace of thy children." Isaiah 54:13 (KJV)
Sunday, July 5, 2009
Happy Belated 4th of July
HAPPY INDEPENDENCE DAY!! All praise and glory to God for the wonderful country in which I and my family live. I am so thankful for the freedoms I enjoy.
OK, so I am a few days late. Sorry. I've been doing a lot of thinking and praying. I imagine the reason I am not making much progress with anything is because I have those in the wrong order; I should be praying first (and longest and hardest) and thinking after (or not at all). I am trying to figure out why some things are the way they are and what needs to be done to change them. I am trying to figure out what *I* need to do to get to where I think I need to be. Then again, maybe that is the problem. There I go again trying to "think" when I should be listening to where God wants me to be. I just don't think that "here" is where he wants me to be. Here - spiritually and emotionally. There is not a lot I can do about here-physically right now.
Back to the 4th of July: We spent the 4th as a family, doing some great family things. We saw "Monsters vs. Aliens" at the $1 theater in the afternoon. Nothing beats a family trip to the movies for $15 - and that includes the soda and popcorn!! After the movie we had dinner at Fuddrucker's and were entertained by the balloon guy. We didn't want to go home before the fireworks so we drove across town to the Bass Pro Shop. What a cool place for the boys. It is on Lake Ray Hubbard and that just makes it neater. We ended our day in the grass of the FUMC in Plano, watching the boys run around and watching wonderful fireworks. Everyone had a great day.
I was hoping we would get to church today. I am kind of lost and lonely without a church home. However, Chris and I are having a difficult time deciding on which church to attend or which churches to visit. This really hurts me deeply. I have always wanted a Christian home but how can we raise our children in that way without making church a priority? Part of the problem is that my way of thinking about church and my faith has changed since we were married. I really want a more conservative church where the Bible is preached as fact and where I learn what to do with the information in the Bible. I want a church where *faith* in the words of the Bible are more important than *human intellect* in determining the meaning. I want a church that emphasizes that faith is a *relationship* with Christ. I want a church where worship is exciting and brings me into the presence of God. I want a church with a realtional children's ministry, where the boys are in small group settings. I want the boys to learn scripture, share their feelings and grow in their faith with a group of students and adults that share this same goal. Most of all, I want a church that uses the Bible as their guide, that does not try to change or water down the Bible, and knows that God's word is the same yesterday, today and forever. Guess I want a lot, huh? I know I will have to compromise. I will, as long as my boys are getting what they need from the church.
On to other things...
The boys have all decided what they want to be when they grow up. They haven't changed their minds about these things, either. Most kids go throw a stage where they want to be something different every week - not my guys. Zachary wants to be a webmaster or "computer guy like Daddy." Ryan wants to be a paleontologist and discover a new dinosaur. Joshua wants to be an "airplane driver." Not a pilot, mind you, an airplane driver. I want them to be happy in their choices and do their very best at what ever they decide.
I have some more praying and thinking to do and this time I plan to do it in the right order. I know my job right now is to be mom to my boys and wife to my husband. The only person I can change is myself and I feel I have some changing I need to do for the benefit of my family. I believe that there are things I need to change in the life of my family, as well. We are not living as a family grounded in faith and centered on Christ and that HAS TO CHANGE. I WANT and NEED for this to change. All the things on earth shall pass away - only God will remain. How can our family neglect the most important thing? Our eternity.
Off to pray and think...
OK, so I am a few days late. Sorry. I've been doing a lot of thinking and praying. I imagine the reason I am not making much progress with anything is because I have those in the wrong order; I should be praying first (and longest and hardest) and thinking after (or not at all). I am trying to figure out why some things are the way they are and what needs to be done to change them. I am trying to figure out what *I* need to do to get to where I think I need to be. Then again, maybe that is the problem. There I go again trying to "think" when I should be listening to where God wants me to be. I just don't think that "here" is where he wants me to be. Here - spiritually and emotionally. There is not a lot I can do about here-physically right now.
Back to the 4th of July: We spent the 4th as a family, doing some great family things. We saw "Monsters vs. Aliens" at the $1 theater in the afternoon. Nothing beats a family trip to the movies for $15 - and that includes the soda and popcorn!! After the movie we had dinner at Fuddrucker's and were entertained by the balloon guy. We didn't want to go home before the fireworks so we drove across town to the Bass Pro Shop. What a cool place for the boys. It is on Lake Ray Hubbard and that just makes it neater. We ended our day in the grass of the FUMC in Plano, watching the boys run around and watching wonderful fireworks. Everyone had a great day.
I was hoping we would get to church today. I am kind of lost and lonely without a church home. However, Chris and I are having a difficult time deciding on which church to attend or which churches to visit. This really hurts me deeply. I have always wanted a Christian home but how can we raise our children in that way without making church a priority? Part of the problem is that my way of thinking about church and my faith has changed since we were married. I really want a more conservative church where the Bible is preached as fact and where I learn what to do with the information in the Bible. I want a church where *faith* in the words of the Bible are more important than *human intellect* in determining the meaning. I want a church that emphasizes that faith is a *relationship* with Christ. I want a church where worship is exciting and brings me into the presence of God. I want a church with a realtional children's ministry, where the boys are in small group settings. I want the boys to learn scripture, share their feelings and grow in their faith with a group of students and adults that share this same goal. Most of all, I want a church that uses the Bible as their guide, that does not try to change or water down the Bible, and knows that God's word is the same yesterday, today and forever. Guess I want a lot, huh? I know I will have to compromise. I will, as long as my boys are getting what they need from the church.
On to other things...
The boys have all decided what they want to be when they grow up. They haven't changed their minds about these things, either. Most kids go throw a stage where they want to be something different every week - not my guys. Zachary wants to be a webmaster or "computer guy like Daddy." Ryan wants to be a paleontologist and discover a new dinosaur. Joshua wants to be an "airplane driver." Not a pilot, mind you, an airplane driver. I want them to be happy in their choices and do their very best at what ever they decide.
I have some more praying and thinking to do and this time I plan to do it in the right order. I know my job right now is to be mom to my boys and wife to my husband. The only person I can change is myself and I feel I have some changing I need to do for the benefit of my family. I believe that there are things I need to change in the life of my family, as well. We are not living as a family grounded in faith and centered on Christ and that HAS TO CHANGE. I WANT and NEED for this to change. All the things on earth shall pass away - only God will remain. How can our family neglect the most important thing? Our eternity.
Off to pray and think...
Thursday, June 25, 2009
HAPPY 5TH BIRTHDAY, JOSHUA!!
Today is my youngest son's 5th birthday. He is growing up so fast. It seems like just yesterday I was waiting to meet him. Has it really been 5 years since he was born with his cord wrapped around his neck twice? It seems like only a moment has passed since he was whisked away to the nursery because he had turned blue. It blows my mind that it has been 5 years.
He was up early, excited to see his presents in my room. He climbed into bed with me for his morning snuggle and, thankfully, fell asleep for a while longer. When he woke up again he wasn't going to wait any longer to open his gifts. He played with his new toys all day long, especially the Mack Hauler (from the movie Cars) with Lightening McQueen.
This weekend we are taking a trip to Moody Gardens in Galveston to celebrate Joshua's birthday. Because we have just moved again and he doesn't have any friends here we needed a special way to celebrate. Moody Gardens has a wonderful aquarium and Joshua just loves "swimmies." I really like taking the boys to a special place for their birthdays instead of buying big, expensive gifts. I think the memories of fun times together will be remembered long after the latest and greatest toy has been thrown away and forgotten.
Joshua has told me that since he is 5 he won't suck on his fingers anymore. I will be very happy if this is the case but I am not holding my breath. He has sucked on the middle two fingers of his right hand since birth and I am not optimistic that he will be able to give it up cold turkey. I did tell him I was proud of him for making this decision. I certainly won't let him think that I think he won't give up his finger-sucking so easily.
I am so thankful that God has given me the precious gift of Joshua. I am thankful for all three of the gifts which God has given to me. There are days when I have to remind myself that they are gifts and not chores, especially when they "want" this and "need" that every 10 minutes. I love my children very, very much. I feel guilty when I feel frustrated, tired or unhappy with my boys; but I know most moms have similar feelings. I take some quiet time to pray and God gently reminds me that it is OK. The boys are hard work and I am only human with human feelings. I have to remember to trust in God and lean on Him. With His strength, ALL things are possible.
Happy Birthday, my precious Joshua!!
He was up early, excited to see his presents in my room. He climbed into bed with me for his morning snuggle and, thankfully, fell asleep for a while longer. When he woke up again he wasn't going to wait any longer to open his gifts. He played with his new toys all day long, especially the Mack Hauler (from the movie Cars) with Lightening McQueen.
This weekend we are taking a trip to Moody Gardens in Galveston to celebrate Joshua's birthday. Because we have just moved again and he doesn't have any friends here we needed a special way to celebrate. Moody Gardens has a wonderful aquarium and Joshua just loves "swimmies." I really like taking the boys to a special place for their birthdays instead of buying big, expensive gifts. I think the memories of fun times together will be remembered long after the latest and greatest toy has been thrown away and forgotten.
Joshua has told me that since he is 5 he won't suck on his fingers anymore. I will be very happy if this is the case but I am not holding my breath. He has sucked on the middle two fingers of his right hand since birth and I am not optimistic that he will be able to give it up cold turkey. I did tell him I was proud of him for making this decision. I certainly won't let him think that I think he won't give up his finger-sucking so easily.
I am so thankful that God has given me the precious gift of Joshua. I am thankful for all three of the gifts which God has given to me. There are days when I have to remind myself that they are gifts and not chores, especially when they "want" this and "need" that every 10 minutes. I love my children very, very much. I feel guilty when I feel frustrated, tired or unhappy with my boys; but I know most moms have similar feelings. I take some quiet time to pray and God gently reminds me that it is OK. The boys are hard work and I am only human with human feelings. I have to remember to trust in God and lean on Him. With His strength, ALL things are possible.
Happy Birthday, my precious Joshua!!
Saturday, June 13, 2009
Anniversary Trip?
I tend to have better "Mommy Moments" when I have had some time to relax and unwind without my boys. Don't get me wrong - I love them dearly. However, I need time away from them and I believe they need some time away from me. Right now most of my away time consists of short shopping trips and the occasional family trip with my parents (football games, my cousin's wedding last September). Chris and I are trying to change this but it is hard to do.
This year Chris and I will celebrate our 10th anniversary. For the past couple years we have been dreaming of a trip to Hawaii. When we moved to Portland last year we thought our dream vacation was within reach. There are a few airlines with direct flights to Maui, our Hawaiian destination of choice. Most were relatively inexpensive, which would make for a relatively inexpensive trip. Remember: Relatively inexpensive - not inexpensive!! Well, I guess it wasn't meant to be. Our dream of a trip to Hawaii was pushed aside when Chris was laid off in January. We held on to our dream trip until Chris could not find work for 3 months. We visited the trip again, recently, only to discover it is more expensive when flying from Texas. Ah, maybe another time.
Chris and I would like to go somewhere nice - and new - for our anniversary. We have found several trips that are within our reach but probably not in time for our anniversary. We don't use credit cards so we have to have the money up front. It isn't hard to save but it takes a while. So I have put out a plea for frequent flier miles, just to see if anyone can help us.
I would really like to go on a relaxing trip with Chris, especially in August before we start school. I love homeschooling my boys and truly believe it is the way God wants for our children to be educated but it is hard work and draining. A nice trip would help me get revved up for the year. Too bad homeschoolers don't get any kind of education credit. I'm sure a pre-school year trip would count, really!!
I'll keep you updated on our plans. We may have to tone down our plans or put them off for a few months. That's OK. It is not the date that is important but the vows we made on that date. We should celebrate each other and our vows every day, although we don't. We should be excited that, with God's help and strength, we have made it for 10 years. Marriage is very hard work and we are doing it; some days better than others.
I know that a trip for Chris and me would make us better parents - and better spouses. I know the time away from us would be very good for the boys. They need some snuggle and spoil time with the grandparents. We all need a break from the stress of the year.
This year Chris and I will celebrate our 10th anniversary. For the past couple years we have been dreaming of a trip to Hawaii. When we moved to Portland last year we thought our dream vacation was within reach. There are a few airlines with direct flights to Maui, our Hawaiian destination of choice. Most were relatively inexpensive, which would make for a relatively inexpensive trip. Remember: Relatively inexpensive - not inexpensive!! Well, I guess it wasn't meant to be. Our dream of a trip to Hawaii was pushed aside when Chris was laid off in January. We held on to our dream trip until Chris could not find work for 3 months. We visited the trip again, recently, only to discover it is more expensive when flying from Texas. Ah, maybe another time.
Chris and I would like to go somewhere nice - and new - for our anniversary. We have found several trips that are within our reach but probably not in time for our anniversary. We don't use credit cards so we have to have the money up front. It isn't hard to save but it takes a while. So I have put out a plea for frequent flier miles, just to see if anyone can help us.
I would really like to go on a relaxing trip with Chris, especially in August before we start school. I love homeschooling my boys and truly believe it is the way God wants for our children to be educated but it is hard work and draining. A nice trip would help me get revved up for the year. Too bad homeschoolers don't get any kind of education credit. I'm sure a pre-school year trip would count, really!!
I'll keep you updated on our plans. We may have to tone down our plans or put them off for a few months. That's OK. It is not the date that is important but the vows we made on that date. We should celebrate each other and our vows every day, although we don't. We should be excited that, with God's help and strength, we have made it for 10 years. Marriage is very hard work and we are doing it; some days better than others.
I know that a trip for Chris and me would make us better parents - and better spouses. I know the time away from us would be very good for the boys. They need some snuggle and spoil time with the grandparents. We all need a break from the stress of the year.
Tuesday, June 9, 2009
I Didn't Really...
I didn't really...
Zachary has discovered "popular" music. I blame it on the Kidz Bop cds from McDonald's. I don't mind the clean version of the popular songs found on those cds, but the Youtube versions aren't so nice. Zachary has discovered how to find songs on Youtube and he will listen to them while he makes Pokemon fusions. He doesn't watch the videos but just listens to the music. I have to be careful to listen to what he decides to play. Some of the songs are Ok, some are not. Then there are times like today where he asks me to listen to a new song - and I wish I could have that 4 minutes of my life back. Zachary and I don't always agree on music. As long as it is clean and I don't have to hear it, then it is OK. I just didn't think I would have to worry about his music choices at 8.
Our house has a problem. We thought it was the washing machine's problem but it seems to be a problem with the house. Water has been pooling around the washing machine when I would do the wash. Chris pulled it out and tightened the connections. I tried it again yesterday but stopped washing when I noticed the water again. I haven't washed since yesterday but there is still water coming from under the machine. Tonight Chris pointed out a puddle in the garage. Great. He has a note in to the landlord to see what we need to do. I am hopeful for a quick, easy fix but nothing in the Parrott household seems to work that way.
- let my kids wear pajamas all day!
- buy Hotel for Dogs through On Demand to keep Joshua occupied while I worked on the house and then watch most of the movie with him!
- step over the puddle of water coming from under the washing machine more than once!
- waste time at Target tonight (not me, never)!
- keep the channel on iCarly...and watch the show...when the boys left the room!
- let my kids have candy before bed!
Zachary has discovered "popular" music. I blame it on the Kidz Bop cds from McDonald's. I don't mind the clean version of the popular songs found on those cds, but the Youtube versions aren't so nice. Zachary has discovered how to find songs on Youtube and he will listen to them while he makes Pokemon fusions. He doesn't watch the videos but just listens to the music. I have to be careful to listen to what he decides to play. Some of the songs are Ok, some are not. Then there are times like today where he asks me to listen to a new song - and I wish I could have that 4 minutes of my life back. Zachary and I don't always agree on music. As long as it is clean and I don't have to hear it, then it is OK. I just didn't think I would have to worry about his music choices at 8.
Our house has a problem. We thought it was the washing machine's problem but it seems to be a problem with the house. Water has been pooling around the washing machine when I would do the wash. Chris pulled it out and tightened the connections. I tried it again yesterday but stopped washing when I noticed the water again. I haven't washed since yesterday but there is still water coming from under the machine. Tonight Chris pointed out a puddle in the garage. Great. He has a note in to the landlord to see what we need to do. I am hopeful for a quick, easy fix but nothing in the Parrott household seems to work that way.
Saturday, June 6, 2009
Movies
We went to the movie "theatern" today to see Pixar's Up. It was a good movie but probably geared toward the older two. Joshua told me on more than one occasion that he was "freaked out" and climbed into my lap. It was a good movie for grown-ups, as well. Chris seemed to like the film and if I cry in a movie, then it is definitely a winner. The "short" before the feature was OK but I wasn't as impressed as I have been with past Pixar shorts. The kids thought it was hilarious and that is what matters to me.
After the movie we went to Costco. ALL of us went to Costco. I really like to do my shopping by myself but Chris wanted to go so he could sample the goodies. I was pleasantly surprised at the behavior of the boys. Usually they run wild. I guess there is something about the wide aisles, the tall ceilings and the concrete floor that makes them go nuts and lose their ability to listen. Today they did very well. I didn't even get any, "Please, pleeeeeaaaasseeee, can I have that?" or any random items thrown into the cart. They didn't get upset when they asked for something and I said no, either. I guess they are growing up!!
I feel bad for my boys tonight. They are covered in mosquito bites. Why I didn't have any repellent on hand before tonight I'll never know. I guess I just repressed the memory of mosqitoes being most prominent flying animal out this time of year in Texas. I don't remember having been bitten by any mosquitoes in Oregon but in the past two weeks I feel like I have been one walking mosquito chew toy. The boys will still play outside but they are miserable afterwards. I did buy repellent and some anti-itch medicine tonight. Bad, forgetful Mommy!
My wonderful husband made dinner tonight. He grilled steak and corn on the cob. He fixed baked potatoes. Yum. Chris loves to grill and I certainly don't mind eating what he prepares. I think meat always tastes better grilled. My Dad grilled a lot when I was growing up so I know that is why I like grilled food so much. While Chris is a very good griller, I still think my Dad is the "Grill Master."
Mama needs to go to bed. We are meeting my parents and sister for brunch tomorrow morning across town. I am hoping to get a little more unpacking done...no, I'm not done yet...and maybe some laundry. However, the laundry is dependent on whether or not the washing machine will cooperate. It has been leaking water. I am hopeful it is because it is not level and that fixing the short "foot" will fix the problem. If not, I guess I'll find a nice river with some rocks.
My verse for the day: Jeremiah 29:11
After the movie we went to Costco. ALL of us went to Costco. I really like to do my shopping by myself but Chris wanted to go so he could sample the goodies. I was pleasantly surprised at the behavior of the boys. Usually they run wild. I guess there is something about the wide aisles, the tall ceilings and the concrete floor that makes them go nuts and lose their ability to listen. Today they did very well. I didn't even get any, "Please, pleeeeeaaaasseeee, can I have that?" or any random items thrown into the cart. They didn't get upset when they asked for something and I said no, either. I guess they are growing up!!
I feel bad for my boys tonight. They are covered in mosquito bites. Why I didn't have any repellent on hand before tonight I'll never know. I guess I just repressed the memory of mosqitoes being most prominent flying animal out this time of year in Texas. I don't remember having been bitten by any mosquitoes in Oregon but in the past two weeks I feel like I have been one walking mosquito chew toy. The boys will still play outside but they are miserable afterwards. I did buy repellent and some anti-itch medicine tonight. Bad, forgetful Mommy!
My wonderful husband made dinner tonight. He grilled steak and corn on the cob. He fixed baked potatoes. Yum. Chris loves to grill and I certainly don't mind eating what he prepares. I think meat always tastes better grilled. My Dad grilled a lot when I was growing up so I know that is why I like grilled food so much. While Chris is a very good griller, I still think my Dad is the "Grill Master."
Mama needs to go to bed. We are meeting my parents and sister for brunch tomorrow morning across town. I am hoping to get a little more unpacking done...no, I'm not done yet...and maybe some laundry. However, the laundry is dependent on whether or not the washing machine will cooperate. It has been leaking water. I am hopeful it is because it is not level and that fixing the short "foot" will fix the problem. If not, I guess I'll find a nice river with some rocks.
My verse for the day: Jeremiah 29:11
Friday, June 5, 2009
Two in a Row
No one pass out now because I am posting two days in a row. LOL It was such a not-so-rotten day today. Actually, it was pretty good. Chris worked from home this morning so I could rest. I have been feeling kind of queasy in the tummy for a few days so the extra rest was very welcome. I got a couple more boxes unpacked and some more stuff put away. I took a shower, which on some days is about the ONLY thing I feel I get done! I made dinner and NOBODY complained about what I made. WOW!
Chris was so nice today. I was a little frustrated this evening, though. He usually leaves the office by 6 and is home by 6:30 so I try to have dinner done before then. Well, dinner was done at 6:30 but Chris was not home. The boys and I went ahead and ate because they were hungry and I didn't want them to eat anything else. He came home around 7, carrying flowers and propane. He had gone to the store because he wanted to surprise me with steak for dinner. He bought everything for a nice dinner, including Blue Bell and wine. How very thoughtful. Oh, and he brought good news, too. We got our moving expense reimbursement today. Now our pennies are quite so tight.
Today was a difficult day for Zachary. I am not sure why but it could have to do with the state of our house and our lives. He was definitely out of sorts - lots of drama, lower than normal frustration level and several outbursts. I feel inadequate as a parent when he has these days. I am using what I have learned from his various therapists to help him through these days, although it is more challenging when I don't feel well. I also do a LOT more praying. I try to keep the day going as it should as best as I can. I try to "love" him through the hard times. Now, sometimes it is willful disobedience. Other times, it is sensory overload. Somedays I can't tell the difference and end up kicking myself because I got angry when I shouldn't have. Thank God - literally - for grace, mercy and forgiveness.
I am starting to get ideas about our school for the fall. This is the first year that I will have 2 all day long. I am a little nervous. I am trying to figure out how to manage school time better. I am looking into unit studies. Ryan and Zachary read on the same level so I shouldn't have any problem there. Ryan hasn't started basic grammar yet and doesn't pick up math as easily as his brother. I figure I can have Zachary work on reading or math while I teach Ryan math skills and then have Ryan read or work on science while I teach Zachary new language arts/grammar skills. I think unit studies might work better across mulitple grade levels. I'll have to see...
I would like to put Joshua in a half-day or half-week kindergarten program at a church, much like Ryan's program in Oregon. I think he needs it for social growth, especially with Zachary being his older brother. Ryan grew by leaps and bounds and I think Joshua will, too. It is hard to find opportunities for learning and social skills for younger homeschoolers and I want a little more than play-dates. I have a few churches in mind and will start calling them in the next few weeks.
We are fast approaching the first birthday since our move...Joshua's. Once again we are in a new place where he doesn't have any friends. I don't think he has had a birthday party of his peers ever! We have decided to make it special by taking him somewhere he would like to go. His choice? The aquarium. I am not sure if we will go to the Dallas Aquarium or drive to Galveston and go to Moody Gardens. To make it extra special I am going to get in touch with the parents of Joshua's friends in Oregon and ask for them to send Joshua a note for his birthday. I know he misses his friends.
I guess I should go downstairs and help Chris figure out why the washing machine has decided to put the water on the floor instead of in the wash tub. I discovered this bit of goodness today while I was moving the laundry into the dryer. Ugh. This was also about the same time our cable started going wacky. However, the cable righted itself. I didn't really care about the cable and don't really care if we have it or not but it does help me to get things done. The boys love The Discovery Channel, Animal Planet and National Geographic. I can usually find something on those channels that is educational and interesting. If it is a really good show it will have a creepy animal or something gross, too.
Until later...God is good ALL THE TIME!!
Chris was so nice today. I was a little frustrated this evening, though. He usually leaves the office by 6 and is home by 6:30 so I try to have dinner done before then. Well, dinner was done at 6:30 but Chris was not home. The boys and I went ahead and ate because they were hungry and I didn't want them to eat anything else. He came home around 7, carrying flowers and propane. He had gone to the store because he wanted to surprise me with steak for dinner. He bought everything for a nice dinner, including Blue Bell and wine. How very thoughtful. Oh, and he brought good news, too. We got our moving expense reimbursement today. Now our pennies are quite so tight.
Today was a difficult day for Zachary. I am not sure why but it could have to do with the state of our house and our lives. He was definitely out of sorts - lots of drama, lower than normal frustration level and several outbursts. I feel inadequate as a parent when he has these days. I am using what I have learned from his various therapists to help him through these days, although it is more challenging when I don't feel well. I also do a LOT more praying. I try to keep the day going as it should as best as I can. I try to "love" him through the hard times. Now, sometimes it is willful disobedience. Other times, it is sensory overload. Somedays I can't tell the difference and end up kicking myself because I got angry when I shouldn't have. Thank God - literally - for grace, mercy and forgiveness.
I am starting to get ideas about our school for the fall. This is the first year that I will have 2 all day long. I am a little nervous. I am trying to figure out how to manage school time better. I am looking into unit studies. Ryan and Zachary read on the same level so I shouldn't have any problem there. Ryan hasn't started basic grammar yet and doesn't pick up math as easily as his brother. I figure I can have Zachary work on reading or math while I teach Ryan math skills and then have Ryan read or work on science while I teach Zachary new language arts/grammar skills. I think unit studies might work better across mulitple grade levels. I'll have to see...
I would like to put Joshua in a half-day or half-week kindergarten program at a church, much like Ryan's program in Oregon. I think he needs it for social growth, especially with Zachary being his older brother. Ryan grew by leaps and bounds and I think Joshua will, too. It is hard to find opportunities for learning and social skills for younger homeschoolers and I want a little more than play-dates. I have a few churches in mind and will start calling them in the next few weeks.
We are fast approaching the first birthday since our move...Joshua's. Once again we are in a new place where he doesn't have any friends. I don't think he has had a birthday party of his peers ever! We have decided to make it special by taking him somewhere he would like to go. His choice? The aquarium. I am not sure if we will go to the Dallas Aquarium or drive to Galveston and go to Moody Gardens. To make it extra special I am going to get in touch with the parents of Joshua's friends in Oregon and ask for them to send Joshua a note for his birthday. I know he misses his friends.
I guess I should go downstairs and help Chris figure out why the washing machine has decided to put the water on the floor instead of in the wash tub. I discovered this bit of goodness today while I was moving the laundry into the dryer. Ugh. This was also about the same time our cable started going wacky. However, the cable righted itself. I didn't really care about the cable and don't really care if we have it or not but it does help me to get things done. The boys love The Discovery Channel, Animal Planet and National Geographic. I can usually find something on those channels that is educational and interesting. If it is a really good show it will have a creepy animal or something gross, too.
Until later...God is good ALL THE TIME!!
Thursday, June 4, 2009
In Texas...Finally
Wow! I apologize for not writing sooner, even just to say that we are still alive. The past month has been so busy. It has been equal parts happiness, sadness and frustration. I'll catch you up the best I can.
The last couple weeks of school for Ryan and Joshua were quite busy. There were special events and field trips. In one week I attended Ryan's graduation, a field trip to The Children's Museum and the zoo. It was a fun time but now I remember yet another reason I like homeschooling so much - the busy-ness can be spread out!
It was hard to watch Ryan and his friends during his last week of school. I was fortunate that they were able to stay and play after school almost every day and he even worked in a couple of playdates. It broke my heart to hear him say that he was sad to move because he would miss his friends. Thank goodness for e-mail so they can stay in touch.
The actual move was a DISASTER. I won't go in to all of the details now because thinking about it still makes me angry, but let's just say that our full pack and move turned into a "Chris and Heather pack until 4:30 am the night before the truck comes" pack and move. We didn't even know until the day the driver arrived that we had a driver after what happened earlier in the week. Let's just say that the company with which we moved will not get our business in the future...and they are having a special meeting about our move, in particular. The only real bright spot in the actual move part was our driver. He was awesome, a true answer to prayer and a Christian. God is good.
I have definitely made some Mama faux-pas during this process. It was no secret to my husband, my friends and everyone else who came into contact with me that I was not excited about the move. Yes, my family is in Texas. No, I don't particularly want to live in Texas. Well, I guess I said it one to many times in front of Ryan, who *had* been excited about the move. We were at the zoo and a classmate's parent asked if I was exicted. Ryan said, "Yes" while at the same time I said, "No." Then he got a sad look on his face. I asked if he was excited and he said, "not anymore." Ouch!! On the way home from the zoo I told him that Mommy was not excited we had to leave our friends but was excited about the new friends we would make in Texas and the new adventures we would have as a family. I told him it was OK to be excited. I also apologized for not being excited and taking away his excitement.
So, just to make things clear: I am extremely thankful and happy that my husband has a good job that he likes and enjoys doing every day. I am thankful that the company paid for our move and that we are here, safe and sound, with our belongings. I am thankful and take comfort in knowing that my boys are OK with being here and are looking forward to making new friends and going on new adventures. I like my new house and neighborhood and look forward to making new friends. BUT...I am not thrilled that I had to leave Portland. I am not thrilled that we live in Texas again. If you like Texas, great. It is just too hot and buggy for me (among other things!).
I am in the process of trying to find my house amid the boxes. It is no easy thing to do with three boys who want to help. They get very excited to find their things but quickly lose interest when they realize they have to put their things away. They would much rather collect the empty boxes and make neighborhoods in the kitchen. My mom came over today to help me unpack and find some more living space. I was looking forward to her coming because I wanted her to help me put my glassware back into the china cabinet. The cabinet and much of what is in it came from her mother. Well, she did help me unpack a few boxes and get things straightened but not the cabinet. The movers (grrr!) who took out the glass shelves also took out the clips that held the shelves into the sides of the cabinet. We found the shelves but did not find the clips. It was OK, though, because we had fun anyway.
I think that is all for now. I'd love to write more but I have been having nausea lately. Nothing else, just that yucky-gross feeling like I am going to lose my lunch. I will do better about writing more. I have so much more to tell you, too. Here are a few teasers: 2 blown tires during our move, 2000 miles with 3 boys and a van full of stuff, the boys' first trip to the water park.
Until next time know that God is good ALL THE TIME. The Parrott family is proof positive.
The last couple weeks of school for Ryan and Joshua were quite busy. There were special events and field trips. In one week I attended Ryan's graduation, a field trip to The Children's Museum and the zoo. It was a fun time but now I remember yet another reason I like homeschooling so much - the busy-ness can be spread out!
It was hard to watch Ryan and his friends during his last week of school. I was fortunate that they were able to stay and play after school almost every day and he even worked in a couple of playdates. It broke my heart to hear him say that he was sad to move because he would miss his friends. Thank goodness for e-mail so they can stay in touch.
The actual move was a DISASTER. I won't go in to all of the details now because thinking about it still makes me angry, but let's just say that our full pack and move turned into a "Chris and Heather pack until 4:30 am the night before the truck comes" pack and move. We didn't even know until the day the driver arrived that we had a driver after what happened earlier in the week. Let's just say that the company with which we moved will not get our business in the future...and they are having a special meeting about our move, in particular. The only real bright spot in the actual move part was our driver. He was awesome, a true answer to prayer and a Christian. God is good.
I have definitely made some Mama faux-pas during this process. It was no secret to my husband, my friends and everyone else who came into contact with me that I was not excited about the move. Yes, my family is in Texas. No, I don't particularly want to live in Texas. Well, I guess I said it one to many times in front of Ryan, who *had* been excited about the move. We were at the zoo and a classmate's parent asked if I was exicted. Ryan said, "Yes" while at the same time I said, "No." Then he got a sad look on his face. I asked if he was excited and he said, "not anymore." Ouch!! On the way home from the zoo I told him that Mommy was not excited we had to leave our friends but was excited about the new friends we would make in Texas and the new adventures we would have as a family. I told him it was OK to be excited. I also apologized for not being excited and taking away his excitement.
So, just to make things clear: I am extremely thankful and happy that my husband has a good job that he likes and enjoys doing every day. I am thankful that the company paid for our move and that we are here, safe and sound, with our belongings. I am thankful and take comfort in knowing that my boys are OK with being here and are looking forward to making new friends and going on new adventures. I like my new house and neighborhood and look forward to making new friends. BUT...I am not thrilled that I had to leave Portland. I am not thrilled that we live in Texas again. If you like Texas, great. It is just too hot and buggy for me (among other things!).
I am in the process of trying to find my house amid the boxes. It is no easy thing to do with three boys who want to help. They get very excited to find their things but quickly lose interest when they realize they have to put their things away. They would much rather collect the empty boxes and make neighborhoods in the kitchen. My mom came over today to help me unpack and find some more living space. I was looking forward to her coming because I wanted her to help me put my glassware back into the china cabinet. The cabinet and much of what is in it came from her mother. Well, she did help me unpack a few boxes and get things straightened but not the cabinet. The movers (grrr!) who took out the glass shelves also took out the clips that held the shelves into the sides of the cabinet. We found the shelves but did not find the clips. It was OK, though, because we had fun anyway.
I think that is all for now. I'd love to write more but I have been having nausea lately. Nothing else, just that yucky-gross feeling like I am going to lose my lunch. I will do better about writing more. I have so much more to tell you, too. Here are a few teasers: 2 blown tires during our move, 2000 miles with 3 boys and a van full of stuff, the boys' first trip to the water park.
Until next time know that God is good ALL THE TIME. The Parrott family is proof positive.
Monday, May 11, 2009
Moving...Again
The movers have been scheduled. The packers will be here on Wednesday, May 20th and the moving truck will be here on the 21st. Am I ready? Of course not. I keep finding laundry to wash. I have finally found out where all of the boys socks were hiding...underneath every piece of furniture in the house. I'm wondering what else I will find when I finally get to the bottom of closets.
Chris can not get home soon enough. I think the boys have hit their limit of Mama. Most of the time has been OK, although there have been some moments when I called Chris, ready to scream. I'm sure I did scream a time or two. I have a new found respect for single mothers, although I already admired how they managed to run an entire household and work at the same time. I can not even begin to imagine how military spouses handle the year to year and a half long separation so well. I know they do it because that is what they have to do. Chris was just gone for a month and I practically fell apart. I am a weenie.
Tonight has been one of the rougher nights. I guess it didn't help that they stayed up late last night watching a movie. That led to a long afternoon nap for all of us this afternoon. I could not get Ryan and Joshua to settle down for the longest. They were up and down more than a jack-in-the-box on a performance enhancing substance, I swear. Ryan finally told me he had a bad dream so I let him lay on my bed for a while. I am still trying to figure out how he had a nightmare when I don't think he ever fell asleep. His being out of the room for a few minutes did give Joshua time to settle and fall asleep. Ryan was ready to go to sleep when I took him back to bed.
I have seen Zachary more than usual tonight. I expect a nightly visit from him. His covers, all 5 of them, have to be in the correct order and on the bed completely or he cannot sleep. He will wake up if even 1 has fallen off the bed or gone off kilter. Tonight I have seen him because his brothers were up, he had a nightmare, he needed shorts instead of pants and then he needed a new shirt. He told me he was sweaty. Of course, silly boy. With 5 covers on top of you, you will get hot and sweat. I did get him to take one set of covers off and put them next to him on the bed. I guess he feels best when he is snuggled under his blankets, head covered, sweating. It must be a sensory or Asperger's thing.
Well, the sign on my blog post page tells me that there is going to be a scheduled outage at 2 am, which is 14 minutes away. I will post again about Mother's Day and the lovely (and not so lovely) things my boys did for me today.
Chris can not get home soon enough. I think the boys have hit their limit of Mama. Most of the time has been OK, although there have been some moments when I called Chris, ready to scream. I'm sure I did scream a time or two. I have a new found respect for single mothers, although I already admired how they managed to run an entire household and work at the same time. I can not even begin to imagine how military spouses handle the year to year and a half long separation so well. I know they do it because that is what they have to do. Chris was just gone for a month and I practically fell apart. I am a weenie.
Tonight has been one of the rougher nights. I guess it didn't help that they stayed up late last night watching a movie. That led to a long afternoon nap for all of us this afternoon. I could not get Ryan and Joshua to settle down for the longest. They were up and down more than a jack-in-the-box on a performance enhancing substance, I swear. Ryan finally told me he had a bad dream so I let him lay on my bed for a while. I am still trying to figure out how he had a nightmare when I don't think he ever fell asleep. His being out of the room for a few minutes did give Joshua time to settle and fall asleep. Ryan was ready to go to sleep when I took him back to bed.
I have seen Zachary more than usual tonight. I expect a nightly visit from him. His covers, all 5 of them, have to be in the correct order and on the bed completely or he cannot sleep. He will wake up if even 1 has fallen off the bed or gone off kilter. Tonight I have seen him because his brothers were up, he had a nightmare, he needed shorts instead of pants and then he needed a new shirt. He told me he was sweaty. Of course, silly boy. With 5 covers on top of you, you will get hot and sweat. I did get him to take one set of covers off and put them next to him on the bed. I guess he feels best when he is snuggled under his blankets, head covered, sweating. It must be a sensory or Asperger's thing.
Well, the sign on my blog post page tells me that there is going to be a scheduled outage at 2 am, which is 14 minutes away. I will post again about Mother's Day and the lovely (and not so lovely) things my boys did for me today.
Monday, May 4, 2009
We Are Still Here
Wow. What a busy few months around the Parrott household. I'm sure it will take more than one post to get caught up with our recent changes. I'll do my best not to bore anyone. :)
Perhaps our biggest and most exciting news is that Chris got a new job. He is working for Convey, a start-up company based in Richardson, TX. He was offered the job on April 3 and started on April 14. As you can see, Richardson, TX and Portland, OR are not within commuting distance. At the end of May we will be relocating to Texas. Chris has been there for 3 weeks and is really enjoying his new job. He found us a house in Garland and is very excited for us to see our new abode. He takes possession tomorrow. He will come back to Oregon on May 13th to help with end-of-the-school-year stuff for Ryan and Joshua and to help us move. We are ready to see him.
Zachary is doing well. He is making progress toward his Wolf Badge in Cub Scouts. He is making progress with his occupational therapy, as well. His OT has requested an evaluation with a physical therapist for his feet, heels and Achilles tendons. He has walked on his toes for many years and it is having an effect on the muscles in his feet and legs. I am hopeful that some stretching exercises will help with this but if not, he will have to have Botox injections and casting.
Ryan is doing well. He still loves school and is doing quite well. He read a whole chapter book during their reading program. His handwriting is improving weekly. He is learning to add and subtract. He has fun almost every day. His scar line got infected again and he will need to see a dermatologist to have some work done on that area. Poor little thing. It really hasn't slowed him down too much.
Joshua is great, although he can be a stinker at times. He is definitely testing his limits and asserting his independence, especially since Daddy is not around. He played the part of Noah in the preschool Spring Program. He did a great job. His teacher tells me all the time how much he loves to sing and dance. He is learning to read and surprises me daily with this new skill. He has made some great friends at school, too.
I'm not up to much other than mothering and teaching. I was thankful to be able to help with the Kindergarten reading program and Terrific Tuesdays until April. It was so exciting to see how far the children improved from time to time. I bet they are all great readers now. I was able to spend some time in Joshua's classroom, as well. I was in charge of the Easter party but soon learned that my gifts and graces do not lie in the organization area. I am trying to get things ready for the move but have not been very successful. My newest adventure will happen this week when I take on getting the van back into running shape. Something inside the engine is just not happy.
That is just some of what has gone on in our house for the past few weeks. We have been busy but we are hanging on. God is so very good and He has definitely been watching out for us. Our severance package, along with the unemployment benefits, kept us going for 3 months. Yes, we did make changes but we did not go without our necessities.
Another sign of God's goodness made an appearance today. Ashley Rachel Holder made her debut today. Ashley is the daughter of my sister and brother-in-law, Lori and Jerry Holder. She was born just before 8 am central time and weighed 8 lbs, 14 ozs. Her very proud big brother is Matthew.
I will keep you updated on our move as it progresses. Blessings to all.
Perhaps our biggest and most exciting news is that Chris got a new job. He is working for Convey, a start-up company based in Richardson, TX. He was offered the job on April 3 and started on April 14. As you can see, Richardson, TX and Portland, OR are not within commuting distance. At the end of May we will be relocating to Texas. Chris has been there for 3 weeks and is really enjoying his new job. He found us a house in Garland and is very excited for us to see our new abode. He takes possession tomorrow. He will come back to Oregon on May 13th to help with end-of-the-school-year stuff for Ryan and Joshua and to help us move. We are ready to see him.
Zachary is doing well. He is making progress toward his Wolf Badge in Cub Scouts. He is making progress with his occupational therapy, as well. His OT has requested an evaluation with a physical therapist for his feet, heels and Achilles tendons. He has walked on his toes for many years and it is having an effect on the muscles in his feet and legs. I am hopeful that some stretching exercises will help with this but if not, he will have to have Botox injections and casting.
Ryan is doing well. He still loves school and is doing quite well. He read a whole chapter book during their reading program. His handwriting is improving weekly. He is learning to add and subtract. He has fun almost every day. His scar line got infected again and he will need to see a dermatologist to have some work done on that area. Poor little thing. It really hasn't slowed him down too much.
Joshua is great, although he can be a stinker at times. He is definitely testing his limits and asserting his independence, especially since Daddy is not around. He played the part of Noah in the preschool Spring Program. He did a great job. His teacher tells me all the time how much he loves to sing and dance. He is learning to read and surprises me daily with this new skill. He has made some great friends at school, too.
I'm not up to much other than mothering and teaching. I was thankful to be able to help with the Kindergarten reading program and Terrific Tuesdays until April. It was so exciting to see how far the children improved from time to time. I bet they are all great readers now. I was able to spend some time in Joshua's classroom, as well. I was in charge of the Easter party but soon learned that my gifts and graces do not lie in the organization area. I am trying to get things ready for the move but have not been very successful. My newest adventure will happen this week when I take on getting the van back into running shape. Something inside the engine is just not happy.
That is just some of what has gone on in our house for the past few weeks. We have been busy but we are hanging on. God is so very good and He has definitely been watching out for us. Our severance package, along with the unemployment benefits, kept us going for 3 months. Yes, we did make changes but we did not go without our necessities.
Another sign of God's goodness made an appearance today. Ashley Rachel Holder made her debut today. Ashley is the daughter of my sister and brother-in-law, Lori and Jerry Holder. She was born just before 8 am central time and weighed 8 lbs, 14 ozs. Her very proud big brother is Matthew.
I will keep you updated on our move as it progresses. Blessings to all.
Tuesday, March 24, 2009
Bleach
It is only Tuesday and already we are having one of "those" weeks. I guess I really can't say that but the past couple of days have been...interesting. I'm sure the rest of the week will be better.
Sunday brought panic to our house. I'm not sure why they thought it was a good idea, but Zachary and Ryan spent some time wrestling. Ryan comes in screaming, "Zachary tore my stitches. Zachary tore my stitches." Yes, there was a fair amount of blood running down his nose. I wiped the blood and discovered that the stitches were still intact but the scab had come off. This time he did need a band-aid. I told both boys that it would probably be best to do something else besides wrestle.
Monday afternoon Ryan had his stitches removed. Ryan happily brought home an envelope with little stitches inside. The doctor said his nose looked fine and it should heal nicely. The doctor did say if Ryan re-injured his nose we would have to take him back for more stitches. I guess the wound wasn't totally healed but if the stitches weren't taken out skin would start to grow over them. Good to know. So I told Ryan to be careful. He is very anxious to see his scar.
I was not able to take Ryan to the doctor. I was at home with the latest bug to hit our house. This time...the stomach virus. Why is it that my kids can throw up once and be fine but I have to live on the toilet for at least 3 days?!? Joshua got sick last Thursday night at bedtime...and was fine Friday morning. Zachary threw up once Monday evening...and was fine at bedtime. I had a horrible day yesterday - all day. It's not fair, I tell you!! It's just not fair. Well, I can't complain too much because I am better today. Must be the 24 hour virus. That is definitely something to be thankful about!
Zachary started occupational therapy tonight. He did well. His therapist is wonderful. She specializes in sensory issues and that is where Zachary needs the most help. She actually explained WHY she chose certain activities and HOW they affect the brain. Zachary did not like waiting for us to finish talking. I was hoping that this first session would bring some calming to him but it seemed to have the opposite effect. He was very "active" at dinner.
Well, it looks like we are moving back to Texas. Chris learned on Monday that when this particular start-up receives the second round of funding, they will offer him a job. He is excited. He really wants to work with this group of people. He thinks he will be a good fit and enjoy his job. No one really wants to move back to Texas but we believe this is where God wants us right now. We can always visit Oregon. We can move back here, too, if it is what God wants for our family.
I just have a few little boy funnies I want to add:
Joshua, the pirate "Shiver me tenders."
Ryan, about his band-aid "My thumb is wearing a coat."
Zachary, all the time, about me "Mom, stop being such a chatterbox!"
Tomorrow is Zachary's last speech appointment. It is at 8 am so I better get to bed.
Sunday brought panic to our house. I'm not sure why they thought it was a good idea, but Zachary and Ryan spent some time wrestling. Ryan comes in screaming, "Zachary tore my stitches. Zachary tore my stitches." Yes, there was a fair amount of blood running down his nose. I wiped the blood and discovered that the stitches were still intact but the scab had come off. This time he did need a band-aid. I told both boys that it would probably be best to do something else besides wrestle.
Monday afternoon Ryan had his stitches removed. Ryan happily brought home an envelope with little stitches inside. The doctor said his nose looked fine and it should heal nicely. The doctor did say if Ryan re-injured his nose we would have to take him back for more stitches. I guess the wound wasn't totally healed but if the stitches weren't taken out skin would start to grow over them. Good to know. So I told Ryan to be careful. He is very anxious to see his scar.
I was not able to take Ryan to the doctor. I was at home with the latest bug to hit our house. This time...the stomach virus. Why is it that my kids can throw up once and be fine but I have to live on the toilet for at least 3 days?!? Joshua got sick last Thursday night at bedtime...and was fine Friday morning. Zachary threw up once Monday evening...and was fine at bedtime. I had a horrible day yesterday - all day. It's not fair, I tell you!! It's just not fair. Well, I can't complain too much because I am better today. Must be the 24 hour virus. That is definitely something to be thankful about!
Zachary started occupational therapy tonight. He did well. His therapist is wonderful. She specializes in sensory issues and that is where Zachary needs the most help. She actually explained WHY she chose certain activities and HOW they affect the brain. Zachary did not like waiting for us to finish talking. I was hoping that this first session would bring some calming to him but it seemed to have the opposite effect. He was very "active" at dinner.
Well, it looks like we are moving back to Texas. Chris learned on Monday that when this particular start-up receives the second round of funding, they will offer him a job. He is excited. He really wants to work with this group of people. He thinks he will be a good fit and enjoy his job. No one really wants to move back to Texas but we believe this is where God wants us right now. We can always visit Oregon. We can move back here, too, if it is what God wants for our family.
I just have a few little boy funnies I want to add:
Joshua, the pirate "Shiver me tenders."
Ryan, about his band-aid "My thumb is wearing a coat."
Zachary, all the time, about me "Mom, stop being such a chatterbox!"
Tomorrow is Zachary's last speech appointment. It is at 8 am so I better get to bed.
Friday, March 20, 2009
Stitches
What do you get when you add one 6 year old boy and one china cabinet? 10 stitches. Ryan had a run in with the china cabinet on Monday. I'm not sure how it happened because, naturally, I was not in the room at the time. All I know is Ryan and Joshua were playing with toys and being boys. Somehow Ryan's nose met the corner of the cabinet. Ouch. He ran into our room where I was getting ready for the day, screaming "I need a band-aid." All I could see was an eye full of blood. I followed him into the bathroom where I wiped his face. Fortunately, his eye was not involved but he had a pretty nasty cut in his nose. I told him he was going to need a whole lot more than a band-aid this time!! I rushed him off to the hospital where they sedated him and got him sewn up in pretty quick order. What a day!
Of course, that's not all that happened on Monday morning. I woke up to the freezer door open because of a bag of ice and a full freezer from the shopping trip. The popsicles and ice cream never did recover. After that I discovered ants on the counter in the kitchen. Now, we might be cluttered but we are clean. I hate ants. I quickly washed the counter and made sure the dishes were put away, etc. What a day, what a day!
Ryan is back to thinking he is invincible. He missed school on Monday but was up and at 'em on Tuesday. I even found him walking on the back of the couch!!! I know he is just an active little boy but I swear he is bound and determined to give me gray hair before 40! The weather has not really allowed for the boys to be outside so I know Ryan especially has a lot of pent up energy. Fortunately it is starting to warm up.
On another note, Chris has had a week full of interviews with a start-up company located in Richardson, Texas. While moving back to Texas is not our first choice, we do like to eat and have a dry place to live. Chris has had a phone interview each day with prospective co-worker or supervisor. He is very excited about this company and what they are doing. He thinks it would be a good fit for him. We are hopeful it will work out. Did I forget to mention the best part? Most of the people with whom he has been interviewing have worked with him before. They know him and his work - that helps!
Not too much else for now. I'll try to get pics posted of Ryan and his scar soon. Right now I am enjoying the mellow-ness of having had a glass of wine. Somedays, that is nice.
Of course, that's not all that happened on Monday morning. I woke up to the freezer door open because of a bag of ice and a full freezer from the shopping trip. The popsicles and ice cream never did recover. After that I discovered ants on the counter in the kitchen. Now, we might be cluttered but we are clean. I hate ants. I quickly washed the counter and made sure the dishes were put away, etc. What a day, what a day!
Ryan is back to thinking he is invincible. He missed school on Monday but was up and at 'em on Tuesday. I even found him walking on the back of the couch!!! I know he is just an active little boy but I swear he is bound and determined to give me gray hair before 40! The weather has not really allowed for the boys to be outside so I know Ryan especially has a lot of pent up energy. Fortunately it is starting to warm up.
On another note, Chris has had a week full of interviews with a start-up company located in Richardson, Texas. While moving back to Texas is not our first choice, we do like to eat and have a dry place to live. Chris has had a phone interview each day with prospective co-worker or supervisor. He is very excited about this company and what they are doing. He thinks it would be a good fit for him. We are hopeful it will work out. Did I forget to mention the best part? Most of the people with whom he has been interviewing have worked with him before. They know him and his work - that helps!
Not too much else for now. I'll try to get pics posted of Ryan and his scar soon. Right now I am enjoying the mellow-ness of having had a glass of wine. Somedays, that is nice.
Thursday, March 12, 2009
Clarification
I re-read my last two posts and realize I might have contradicted myself a little. In one I talked about how much I spent on books and in the next one I spoke about how much money we didn't have. That is not a good message to send.
Yes, I still order books from the book clubs, although not as many or as much as in the past. I limit my boys to 1 or 2 of the least expensive books, usually the $1 variety. It is hard for me to break this habit. Plus, they have given up so much already. I would rather give up something for myself than deny them a little bit of happiness. Books are so important to each of them. I must admit that I really like it when they bring the new book to me, sit in my lap, and say, "Please read, Mama!"
Chris and I are doing our best to make the right decisions for our family. We are doing our best to budget wisely and make the most of our circumstances. It's not always easy and sometimes we don't make the best choices. It's hard to hear one brother tell another, "We don't have any money for that because Daddy doesn't have a job." Right now, being Mama is hard.
In the future we may have to stop buying event he $1 books for the boys. We may have to rethink our menus, use more generic and give up our soda habit. We may have to move our family back to Texas. But we will still be a family. We will be OK.
Yes, I still order books from the book clubs, although not as many or as much as in the past. I limit my boys to 1 or 2 of the least expensive books, usually the $1 variety. It is hard for me to break this habit. Plus, they have given up so much already. I would rather give up something for myself than deny them a little bit of happiness. Books are so important to each of them. I must admit that I really like it when they bring the new book to me, sit in my lap, and say, "Please read, Mama!"
Chris and I are doing our best to make the right decisions for our family. We are doing our best to budget wisely and make the most of our circumstances. It's not always easy and sometimes we don't make the best choices. It's hard to hear one brother tell another, "We don't have any money for that because Daddy doesn't have a job." Right now, being Mama is hard.
In the future we may have to stop buying event he $1 books for the boys. We may have to rethink our menus, use more generic and give up our soda habit. We may have to move our family back to Texas. But we will still be a family. We will be OK.
Wednesday, March 11, 2009
The Tough Decisions
How do you tell your 8 year old son that he might not have his birthday party after all? How do you explain to your 6 year old that he can't have the $8 book from the book order this time? How do you tell your 4 year old that we just can't afford to eat at McDonald's every Wednesday before school like we did in the past? How do I tell my boys all of these things?
The difficult economic times have not left our house unscathed. In January of this year my husband was laid-off. He was fortunate to receive a severance package of a few weeks salary and insurance coverage through the end of May. He considered it a blessing to be able to access a career management firm for a month. He signed up for his unemployment. He has been applying for jobs since the very day his job was "downsized." While he has enjoyed his time at home to be Dad, reevaluate his career choice and improve his skills, he is ready to work again. If only he could find a job.
It has been almost 2 months since he entered unemployment. Our severance is almost gone. While we have insurance, we are in the "gap" between what our health reimbursement account (through our insurance plan) paid and when our traditional insurance pays everything. We have limited funds in our FSA. He has diligently applied for jobs, finding them through headhunters, job websites and networking. He has had a handful of phone screens. Still, no job. He has some more promising leads this week, although they would take us away from a place we have grown to love. It is a tough decision. One of many we have had to make.
After moving to Oregon last May, Chris and I decided to take the fall "off" from activities for the boys so we could get settled. It was more important to establish relationships with doctors, church, friends and the preschool. We had big plans for the spring for our family. There is a recreation center to join, homeschool enrichment classes, sports activities...the list could continue. We were unable to see any of that happen. All the talk of music lessons and karate turned into talk of how to cover basics. My loving parents graciously stepped in to cover school costs. I had to change from thinking about how our family could make extra activities a reality to how our family can stretch grocery dollars and still be healthy eaters. The discussion about decisions and how sometimes life isn't fair began.
Not all decisions are as simple as cutting out fast food or cutting back on name-brand or organic groceries. Joshua needs tubes in his ears. Actually, one of his ears has a tube and he can hear fine but the other ear has fluid behind the eardrum and his hearing is not very good. In most situations I would have tubes in his ears in a heartbeat, but we just can't afford them right now. Yes, we have insurance but we would have to pay for this out of pocket because of the "gap" we are in right now. His ENT assures me that because he can hear well out of one ear we can wait a while longer. I have decided to discuss the money part of the surgery with the business manager at the clinic to see the cost and explore options. Joshua's speech is already behind (this would be his 3rd set of tubes - the fluid builds up and he can't hear, then he can't make the speech sounds properly) and I know it is starting to effect his social and academic skills.
Another decision is about Zachary's therapy. We will be paying for some of that out of pocket. He has two more speech sessions left and then will start OT. I simply will NOT allow him to go without this therapy - he has a difficult time functioning without this help. Because he has been going since the beginning of the year, he is very close to meeting his out of pocket max for the year. I suspect we will not have to pay for very many therapy sessions before his limit is met. It is hard to "choose" therapy over Joshua's tubes but we have limited money in our FSA and feel it will go best toward Zachary's therapy. This decision is also made with the hope that Chris will have a job soon and both will happen. I don't like that I have to make a choice at all.
I will give my boys a lot of credit. They are taking everything in stride, for the most part. Joshua keeps asking when Daddy's company will get more money so Daddy can go back to work. Zachary has us moving everywhere Chris puts in an application; just this morning telling his speech therapist that Daddy got a job in Tennessee and we would be moving. All three are very observant and know that Mom and Daddy are stressed. This does have an effect on their behavior. Ryan is acting up a little more at school. Zachary is not sleeping well and has had issues with meltdowns. Joshua is extra clingy. Each day we tell them we love them and we will ALWAYS take care of them, regardless of Daddy's work status. I think that is the most important thing we, as parents, can do at this time.
I know we will be fine. We have hope in the Lord. We gather our strength from Him. Our family has offered to help in any way possible. We are surrounded by friends. We are surrounded by prayer. It is difficult to wait. It is difficult to see God's timing. It is hard to want something and discover that He does not want the same things for our family. It is hard to figure out what God wants for us, sometimes. Still, we will wait. We will stay in Oregon, if possible, or move if God says, "Move." Following Him - that's not a tough decision.
The difficult economic times have not left our house unscathed. In January of this year my husband was laid-off. He was fortunate to receive a severance package of a few weeks salary and insurance coverage through the end of May. He considered it a blessing to be able to access a career management firm for a month. He signed up for his unemployment. He has been applying for jobs since the very day his job was "downsized." While he has enjoyed his time at home to be Dad, reevaluate his career choice and improve his skills, he is ready to work again. If only he could find a job.
It has been almost 2 months since he entered unemployment. Our severance is almost gone. While we have insurance, we are in the "gap" between what our health reimbursement account (through our insurance plan) paid and when our traditional insurance pays everything. We have limited funds in our FSA. He has diligently applied for jobs, finding them through headhunters, job websites and networking. He has had a handful of phone screens. Still, no job. He has some more promising leads this week, although they would take us away from a place we have grown to love. It is a tough decision. One of many we have had to make.
After moving to Oregon last May, Chris and I decided to take the fall "off" from activities for the boys so we could get settled. It was more important to establish relationships with doctors, church, friends and the preschool. We had big plans for the spring for our family. There is a recreation center to join, homeschool enrichment classes, sports activities...the list could continue. We were unable to see any of that happen. All the talk of music lessons and karate turned into talk of how to cover basics. My loving parents graciously stepped in to cover school costs. I had to change from thinking about how our family could make extra activities a reality to how our family can stretch grocery dollars and still be healthy eaters. The discussion about decisions and how sometimes life isn't fair began.
Not all decisions are as simple as cutting out fast food or cutting back on name-brand or organic groceries. Joshua needs tubes in his ears. Actually, one of his ears has a tube and he can hear fine but the other ear has fluid behind the eardrum and his hearing is not very good. In most situations I would have tubes in his ears in a heartbeat, but we just can't afford them right now. Yes, we have insurance but we would have to pay for this out of pocket because of the "gap" we are in right now. His ENT assures me that because he can hear well out of one ear we can wait a while longer. I have decided to discuss the money part of the surgery with the business manager at the clinic to see the cost and explore options. Joshua's speech is already behind (this would be his 3rd set of tubes - the fluid builds up and he can't hear, then he can't make the speech sounds properly) and I know it is starting to effect his social and academic skills.
Another decision is about Zachary's therapy. We will be paying for some of that out of pocket. He has two more speech sessions left and then will start OT. I simply will NOT allow him to go without this therapy - he has a difficult time functioning without this help. Because he has been going since the beginning of the year, he is very close to meeting his out of pocket max for the year. I suspect we will not have to pay for very many therapy sessions before his limit is met. It is hard to "choose" therapy over Joshua's tubes but we have limited money in our FSA and feel it will go best toward Zachary's therapy. This decision is also made with the hope that Chris will have a job soon and both will happen. I don't like that I have to make a choice at all.
I will give my boys a lot of credit. They are taking everything in stride, for the most part. Joshua keeps asking when Daddy's company will get more money so Daddy can go back to work. Zachary has us moving everywhere Chris puts in an application; just this morning telling his speech therapist that Daddy got a job in Tennessee and we would be moving. All three are very observant and know that Mom and Daddy are stressed. This does have an effect on their behavior. Ryan is acting up a little more at school. Zachary is not sleeping well and has had issues with meltdowns. Joshua is extra clingy. Each day we tell them we love them and we will ALWAYS take care of them, regardless of Daddy's work status. I think that is the most important thing we, as parents, can do at this time.
I know we will be fine. We have hope in the Lord. We gather our strength from Him. Our family has offered to help in any way possible. We are surrounded by friends. We are surrounded by prayer. It is difficult to wait. It is difficult to see God's timing. It is hard to want something and discover that He does not want the same things for our family. It is hard to figure out what God wants for us, sometimes. Still, we will wait. We will stay in Oregon, if possible, or move if God says, "Move." Following Him - that's not a tough decision.
Monday, March 2, 2009
Books and Reading
My boys love books. They come by it very naturally, though. My mom, sister and I can tune out the world when we are in the middle of a good book. My grandma was the same way. I love seeing my boys carrying on this love of reading. At any time you can find Zachary reading about space or Pokemon, Ryan reading about anything science or Joshua looking at books with dogs. All three prefer to read encyclopedias and non-fiction but will read a good fiction book on their favorite topic on occasion.
Last week was book order week at our house. Ryan and Joshua get Scholastic Book Club order forms once a month. Let me just say that I don't care how much money we don't have I will still order books. I would give up eating - just myself, no one else - for a few days to have enough money to buy books for my boys. Scholastic has some good deals on their forms - $1 books. Most of the time I can find a $1 book to buy for one of my boys or to use with school. I honestly try not to get carried away with the book orders and always have a limit. But sometimes the books are just so good. I've tried to find a 12 step program for this behavior but so many people think reading and books are good things!
Anyway, last week we got the books we ordered at the beginning of February. Ryan had his Reptile True and False book memorized the next day. Joshua was excited to get a book about ducks and hugs - two of his favorite things. I think I ordered 6 or 7 books for about $20. I try to order one or two books for each boy and then I usually find a good book for school. You just can't beat the $1 book on the life cycle of chickens or the transformation of caterpillar to butterfly.
Today Ryan's class had a field trip to the library. We don't go to the library all that often because Mama can't remember to get the books back by the due date. Judging by the look on Ryan's face when he saw all the books he could read without having to ask Mama for money, I think we'll be going more frequently. Ryan got his first library card today - I was so proud. He checked out a book in the Andrew Lost series (by J.C. Greenberg) and an DK discovery book about Epidemics. He thought about a book on Lyme Disease and one on Smallpox but decided a book covering more germs would suit his needs better. He was nice enough to check out a book about the movie Bolt for his brother. If the school would have been just a few more minutes away from the library he would have had the book on germs read from cover to cover. It baffles my mind that he is already so interested in germs.
I totally love the fact that my kids like to read and that 2 of them are already good readers. It makes homeschooling easier, that's for sure. It also opens their minds to so many different things. They get to use their imaginations and "see" the story in their heads. I like that they like to read non-fiction and learn things. Although I love to read and always have I did not like the books that were chosen for me to read when I was in school. I just did not see the point to many of them, especially the "novels" we had to read. I didn't like dry textbooks. Neither do my boys. Being able to allow them to read exciting books about sometimes boring topics is just one more reason I love homeschooling.
We still read to our boys at night. They each get to chose a short story or a few pages from a longer book. If they do not cooperate during the bedtime routine, they lose their story at bedtime. It breaks my heart when I have to take this privelege away. Tonight I got to read from the Bolt book to Joshua and a chapter from Zachary's new Pokemon book. Daddy got to read about bacteria and epidemics to Ryan, who already knew most of what he was hearing. Zachary and Joshua usually fall asleep right away after their story but Ryan will stay up reading. He'll yell facts about whatever topic is in his book to me - "Mom, did you know that an anaconda can be 35 feet long?" More than once I have found him asleep with a book on his chest.
Ryan's school has a one on one reading program in their kindergarten program. Parents volunteer to spend about 1/2 an hour helping the kids learn how to read. There are different levels, starting with letter recognition and ending with early readers. I have enjoyed being able to help with this program. I have worked with different levels and it always excites me to see the look on a child's face when they master a concept, especially reading. All of the kids are so excited to learn how to read or to improve their skills. Because of this I am entertaining the idea of going back to school to become a reading specialist. I would love to learn more about teaching children how to read. Zachary and Ryan picked it up so easily and I really didn't have to "teach" them anything. Joshua is heading on the same path. Some children need the teaching part and I would love to learn effective methods so I can help others learn to read. Just something to think about.
As you can see, reading and books play a big part in our family life. Chris and I spend our date nights perusing bookstores (not all the time!). He holds my hands - not because he is being romantic but because he knows I will buy something if my hands are free. My boys are the same way. I am happy. I am not sure what I would do with a reluctant reader. Reading can always be taught but I believe the love of reading is something that is within a person. Sometimes - it takes a while for that love to be found.
Last week was book order week at our house. Ryan and Joshua get Scholastic Book Club order forms once a month. Let me just say that I don't care how much money we don't have I will still order books. I would give up eating - just myself, no one else - for a few days to have enough money to buy books for my boys. Scholastic has some good deals on their forms - $1 books. Most of the time I can find a $1 book to buy for one of my boys or to use with school. I honestly try not to get carried away with the book orders and always have a limit. But sometimes the books are just so good. I've tried to find a 12 step program for this behavior but so many people think reading and books are good things!
Anyway, last week we got the books we ordered at the beginning of February. Ryan had his Reptile True and False book memorized the next day. Joshua was excited to get a book about ducks and hugs - two of his favorite things. I think I ordered 6 or 7 books for about $20. I try to order one or two books for each boy and then I usually find a good book for school. You just can't beat the $1 book on the life cycle of chickens or the transformation of caterpillar to butterfly.
Today Ryan's class had a field trip to the library. We don't go to the library all that often because Mama can't remember to get the books back by the due date. Judging by the look on Ryan's face when he saw all the books he could read without having to ask Mama for money, I think we'll be going more frequently. Ryan got his first library card today - I was so proud. He checked out a book in the Andrew Lost series (by J.C. Greenberg) and an DK discovery book about Epidemics. He thought about a book on Lyme Disease and one on Smallpox but decided a book covering more germs would suit his needs better. He was nice enough to check out a book about the movie Bolt for his brother. If the school would have been just a few more minutes away from the library he would have had the book on germs read from cover to cover. It baffles my mind that he is already so interested in germs.
I totally love the fact that my kids like to read and that 2 of them are already good readers. It makes homeschooling easier, that's for sure. It also opens their minds to so many different things. They get to use their imaginations and "see" the story in their heads. I like that they like to read non-fiction and learn things. Although I love to read and always have I did not like the books that were chosen for me to read when I was in school. I just did not see the point to many of them, especially the "novels" we had to read. I didn't like dry textbooks. Neither do my boys. Being able to allow them to read exciting books about sometimes boring topics is just one more reason I love homeschooling.
We still read to our boys at night. They each get to chose a short story or a few pages from a longer book. If they do not cooperate during the bedtime routine, they lose their story at bedtime. It breaks my heart when I have to take this privelege away. Tonight I got to read from the Bolt book to Joshua and a chapter from Zachary's new Pokemon book. Daddy got to read about bacteria and epidemics to Ryan, who already knew most of what he was hearing. Zachary and Joshua usually fall asleep right away after their story but Ryan will stay up reading. He'll yell facts about whatever topic is in his book to me - "Mom, did you know that an anaconda can be 35 feet long?" More than once I have found him asleep with a book on his chest.
Ryan's school has a one on one reading program in their kindergarten program. Parents volunteer to spend about 1/2 an hour helping the kids learn how to read. There are different levels, starting with letter recognition and ending with early readers. I have enjoyed being able to help with this program. I have worked with different levels and it always excites me to see the look on a child's face when they master a concept, especially reading. All of the kids are so excited to learn how to read or to improve their skills. Because of this I am entertaining the idea of going back to school to become a reading specialist. I would love to learn more about teaching children how to read. Zachary and Ryan picked it up so easily and I really didn't have to "teach" them anything. Joshua is heading on the same path. Some children need the teaching part and I would love to learn effective methods so I can help others learn to read. Just something to think about.
As you can see, reading and books play a big part in our family life. Chris and I spend our date nights perusing bookstores (not all the time!). He holds my hands - not because he is being romantic but because he knows I will buy something if my hands are free. My boys are the same way. I am happy. I am not sure what I would do with a reluctant reader. Reading can always be taught but I believe the love of reading is something that is within a person. Sometimes - it takes a while for that love to be found.
Tuesday, February 24, 2009
Fun Times with Dinosaurs
I just returned from being a dinosaur keeper for the Dinosaur Safari for all of the 4's classes at Ryan and Joshua's school. It was so much fun. I keep telling my husband that if I wasn't adamant about homeschooling right now I would be a preschool teacher. Most days it is easier for me to relate to 4 year olds than it is adults. Anyway, I sat next to Maiasaura, the Good Mother Lizard, and did a little talk about what she ate and how she took care of her babies. I think the parent volunteers enjoyed it just as much as the children. It made me sad, though, when one of the classes did not have any parent volunteers - not a one. I definitely won't be judgmental because I know how many families have to work, etc. It was just for an hour - I really don't think that is too much to ask from one parent out of a class of 15+ kids.
After the Dinosaur Safari I stayed with Joshua's class to enjoy music, snack and story time. Music time was a blast - and a hoot. The teachers are so good. The kids even learned the Pledge of Allegiance in sign language. Perhaps the most exciting part of music time was the parents swinging around boomerangs while singing a song about God's love - when you give it away it comes back, just like a boomerang. My favorite song of all had to be the "Days of the Week" song sung to the theme of The Adams Family. Good times.
Tonight our family will attend Zachary's Blue and Gold banquet for Cub Scouts. We went last year and it was a good time, although Ryan and Joshua got a little bored. I will be taking crayons and paper to keep them occupied, as usual. Zachary love Cub Scouts and is getting so much out of being a part of his den. I think he really likes doing something with his dad that the others aren't quite old enough for yet.
After the Dinosaur Safari I stayed with Joshua's class to enjoy music, snack and story time. Music time was a blast - and a hoot. The teachers are so good. The kids even learned the Pledge of Allegiance in sign language. Perhaps the most exciting part of music time was the parents swinging around boomerangs while singing a song about God's love - when you give it away it comes back, just like a boomerang. My favorite song of all had to be the "Days of the Week" song sung to the theme of The Adams Family. Good times.
Tonight our family will attend Zachary's Blue and Gold banquet for Cub Scouts. We went last year and it was a good time, although Ryan and Joshua got a little bored. I will be taking crayons and paper to keep them occupied, as usual. Zachary love Cub Scouts and is getting so much out of being a part of his den. I think he really likes doing something with his dad that the others aren't quite old enough for yet.
First Post
I hear the new thing on the internet these days is mama blogs. So, I thought I would start one. I certainly have an entertaining life - to say the least. I am the mom of three boys. That, in and of itself, should say a lot. Life is never dull here.
Zachary is my oldest son. He just turned 8. He is doing work at a 2nd-3rd grade level in our homeschool, The Learners' School. He loves math. He likes computer games and Cub Scouts. His biggest joy right now is Pokemon. Oh, yeah - I should mention that he has an autism spectrum disorder. I suspect Asperger's Syndrome although we haven't gotten an official diagnosis yet. He is in speech therapy and will start occupation therapy soon. He is very high functioning but definitely has his challenges.
Ryan is the "monkey in the middle." He is 6. He attends a half-day kindergarten at our church in addition to being homeschooled. He is an excellent reader and prefers encyclopedias to stories. He loves science - animals, the human body, experiments...he'll do it all. He likes to build with Legos and play outside. We have had more than one slug in our house. He has asthma and allergies which have caused sinus problems. Allergy shots seem to have that under control.
Joshua is still my baby even though he is 4. He likes his preschool class and is making friends. He is truly all boy. He is rough and tumble and will make a good linebacker someday. Nothing slows him down. His spends his time playing with cars, Legos and his two stuffed friends...Fishie and Dalmation. He has problems with his ears and had some hearing loss when he was little. He needs a little help with his speech. I am hoping he will outgrow his ear problems.
I am married to a wonderful man, Chris. He is a great dad and the boys really look up to him. Right now he has a little extra time on his hands as the economy has hit him personally...he was laid off in January. Although he feels he needs to work, the boys have enjoyed having him around a little more.
Me? I am a full-time stay-at-home homeschooling mom. Besides that, I like scrapbooking and stamping. I love to read books with more words than pictures. Shopping is good, too. I really enjoy listening to music and praising God through song. I have a degree in psychology but dream of being a writer. I try to carve out time in my day for me but sometimes that doesn't happen. Somedays I am lucky if I get a shower by myself!! I do consider myself blessed.
That's an intro of my family. I can't wait to share our joys, tears, trials and triumphs with you. Feel free to ask questions or offer advice. Prayers are greatly appreciated, as well. I will do my best to keep this blog updated although sometimes life gets in the way of what I really want to do.
Zachary is my oldest son. He just turned 8. He is doing work at a 2nd-3rd grade level in our homeschool, The Learners' School. He loves math. He likes computer games and Cub Scouts. His biggest joy right now is Pokemon. Oh, yeah - I should mention that he has an autism spectrum disorder. I suspect Asperger's Syndrome although we haven't gotten an official diagnosis yet. He is in speech therapy and will start occupation therapy soon. He is very high functioning but definitely has his challenges.
Ryan is the "monkey in the middle." He is 6. He attends a half-day kindergarten at our church in addition to being homeschooled. He is an excellent reader and prefers encyclopedias to stories. He loves science - animals, the human body, experiments...he'll do it all. He likes to build with Legos and play outside. We have had more than one slug in our house. He has asthma and allergies which have caused sinus problems. Allergy shots seem to have that under control.
Joshua is still my baby even though he is 4. He likes his preschool class and is making friends. He is truly all boy. He is rough and tumble and will make a good linebacker someday. Nothing slows him down. His spends his time playing with cars, Legos and his two stuffed friends...Fishie and Dalmation. He has problems with his ears and had some hearing loss when he was little. He needs a little help with his speech. I am hoping he will outgrow his ear problems.
I am married to a wonderful man, Chris. He is a great dad and the boys really look up to him. Right now he has a little extra time on his hands as the economy has hit him personally...he was laid off in January. Although he feels he needs to work, the boys have enjoyed having him around a little more.
Me? I am a full-time stay-at-home homeschooling mom. Besides that, I like scrapbooking and stamping. I love to read books with more words than pictures. Shopping is good, too. I really enjoy listening to music and praising God through song. I have a degree in psychology but dream of being a writer. I try to carve out time in my day for me but sometimes that doesn't happen. Somedays I am lucky if I get a shower by myself!! I do consider myself blessed.
That's an intro of my family. I can't wait to share our joys, tears, trials and triumphs with you. Feel free to ask questions or offer advice. Prayers are greatly appreciated, as well. I will do my best to keep this blog updated although sometimes life gets in the way of what I really want to do.
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