Dove Chocolate Lessons...

Don't you just LOVE the sweet little messages that adorn each yummy little piece of chocolate???
I sure do!
It's like a two for one...chocolate and a smile!

"Linger over chocolate longer"
This first one has me convinced...
I really SHOULD linger over this chocolate a little longer...
and with an invitation like that,
who I am to turn it down???

Okay...don't mind if I do...
lingering, savoring, indulging, and loving every single moment of it!

I think I shall have another
and another, but then that's it.

No more...
Okay, if you insist...
but just this last one!

As I unwrap the next tasty little morsel,
these words appear:

"Believe in those you love"

SMAAAAAAACK!!!

I have to say that this is the very first time I recall Chocolate ever slapping me right in the face!!!

And I'm down for the count,
speechless
and feeling quite like a heel!

I've never been stopped in my tracks by a piece of dark chocolate in quite such a way.
It has never caused me to have one of those "Oh Crap!" kind of moments...
honestly never thought a Lesson could be learned by eating chocolates.
And I don't think I would have expected it to be anything less than a tasty lesson, had I ever considered the possibility of such an occurrence!
Yes, I've learned the lesson that IF I eat too much of a good thing
not such good things will come as I try to sneak those jeans over my hips...
BUT
I'm willing to deal with such tragedies...
A girl has got to have her chocolates!

But this...
well,
I had to walk out to my sweet son, whom I had been
gently raking over the coals
and offer a true heart-felt apology to him.

He deserves for me to Believe in him
and I was too busy
questioning
and worrying
and, and, and
to really listen
and believe...

Fear was winning and the relationship we have was losing...

Thank you Dove Chocolate for the Smack and
for following it up with a bit of sweetness!

Walk with me...

What would it be like to walk a mile or two with the Savior? 
What would you say to him? 
What do think He would say to you? 
I suspect that He would want you to come away feeling better about yourself, 
more positive about your future 
and more love towards yourself and others. 
That's a pretty great way to feel!
 I really think that the invitation is always there to "take a walk by his side".  
Greg Olson

I love Greg Olson's work...
this was the perfect piece for my heart today.

As I have pondered these questions...
I don't know that I'd say anything, 
I don't know that I'd ask a single question...
I imagine that I would just listen 
and be still
and soak in the peace that I know would be present...
just as it is now while looking at this painting.

I am grateful for "the walk" I've shared with Him today...

The world is our classroom!

If I didn't already homeschool my kiddos,

this photo just might push me right over 

that teetering edge of "Should I - Shouldn't I"!

My heart smiles as I look at this ~

WHY?

Well,

this is what I can offer to my children 

EVERY SINGLE DAY!!!

No I can't take them EVERYWHERE 

in the world...

BUT

I can help them to FEEL LIKE THEY ARE THERE!

I can help to bring things to life for them...

I can help them to dream and to believe...

I can help them see 

the beauty, majesty and wonder of the vast creations of this world...

Yes, 

we have a FABULOUS

classroom

in our home...

filled with all the "Things" 

you would expect to find in a classroom.

But 

it is NEVER

limited to just that room!

If we feel like 

digging in to all that the study of ocean life holds

we can!

AND THEN

if we really wish to,

we'll just climb in the car

and head to the nearest ocean 

to soak it up first hand;

and if that seems out of our reach ~ 

well we'll settle for a trip to an aquarium.

Same goes with anything put before us...

Lewis and Clark Expedition???

You bet...

let's hit the road 

with a cooler in hand filled with all the sandwich fixin's necessary 

and go check it out...

WHEN we go out and see and touch and visit these places

my kids feel it,

they know it,

it becomes REAL to them...

It's FANTASTIC to read about it

or to see it on a screen.

BUT 

to REALLY see it...

THAT is using the world as your classroom!

To take the time to learn the ins and outs of Spelunking is great!

But let me tell you when I pose the question to my kids,

"How would you all like to try your hand at being a speleologist?" 

I have them!!!

Their interest is piqued...

It becomes an adventure in the making!

Memories are made when we 

go out and explore those caves...

when, with flashlights in hand,

we journey inside to check out the vastness 

or get down on all fours to crawl through the tiniest of places...

The lessons learned are innumerable...

Why are there puddles in this part of the cave and rocks in another part?

Why is it so cold?

Do bats live in here?

Did people ever live here?

Who found this cave?

How long has it been here?

Are there other caves that haven't been found?

Why do some caves have those hangy-down things and others don't?

Why are some filled with ice?

Can we explore a water cave?

How many different kinds of caves are there?

Just HOW did these caves become caves?

What made it happen and when did it happen?

Are new caves being formed or is this it, are we done with cave making?

Just by taking our kids on these mini-adventures,

we've opened a whole new world for them...

They are filled with questions and thoughts.

They have the opportunity to learn all that they may desire

and I will help to feed and fuel that desire in any way possible.

 I love that I have this room to educate our children in!  

I am grateful for our tables and chairs and white boards and screens

and the many, many items that make homeschooling

a snap to do each day...

But the moments I am 

most grateful for

are the times that we

use the world as our classroom and leave all else behind!

Stay Strong Momma...

Wow...

Life is just full of refining moments!

I am breathing deeply and calmly and trying to give myself a gentle pat on the back for standing for what I know I must do as the Mom of this family.

It is sooooo hard to be strong and to stand firm on the issues that are just worth standing up for, especially when kids just cannot seem to understand or see why certain things matter.

I have a son, actually three of them,
that are amazing motorcycle and downhill bike riders...
this is a wonderful blessing to them
while at the same time being a horrid curse.

WHY???

Well, for the simple reason that most all of the "RACES" that really mean anything are held on Sundays.
Sunday is a sacred day for our family...
and it is being CHALLENGED
in a very ugly manner.

I am staying strong,
because I believe with all of my heart that our Sundays need to be a day for our family,
a day for attending church,
a day of reprieve from the rest of the week...
It's the one day of the week that I get all of 'em to myself!
Life is so busy and so full and they are all running this way and that way and I can't keep up.  Sunday is our day to catch up with one another and to enjoy our time together, it's my day to just have all my little chicks safely under my wing.
It's my happy place
and by darn it...
they (whomever "they" are)
have the need to put all of this exciting stuff on this special day.

My boys,
especially one of them at this point,
who is way too good for his own good,
is fighting us in a big way...he is still respectful, but just does not get why we have to limit him...why our beliefs have to limit his choices.

He just wants to be racing,
he believes that if we would let him do the whole "circuit" he could be top in his class or next to...and without doing the entire circuit he doesn't stand a chance...
he feels like our choices are ruining his life!

aauugghhhhhhhhhhhhhh!!!

He doesn't feel that I am listening to him
or hearing him
or that I care about what he wants.

And
my dear hubby
is away for work...
so it's just me
here
trying to hold it all together.
Trying to reach this sweet boy of mine
who is so frustrated with me.
Right now this is the ONLY thing in the world that he really loves or dreams of doing...

am I dashing his dreams?
am I holding him back?
am I doing the right thing?

How would you explain to your son that Sunday is just a different day and you really wish to keep it special?
Would you give in?
Would you Stand Strong?
Would you go and be the Momma on the side of the track rooting for your boys?
Or would you just tell them how much you love them and for that reason you must not give in?
 How do you explain to teenagers that you, their Mom, know what is best for them?
They think they know it all
and you just don't get it...

Oh my gosh!!!
I would LOVE your help, your ideas, your suggestions...
Please take a moment and share your thoughts with this mom who just doesn't know all the answers right now!
If you can solve all my problems, I promise I'll bake you a delicious batch of cookies...

“THIS MOM IS ON OVERLOAD!!!”

Have you ever uttered these words . . . or screamed them out loud???

If you are a homeschooling mother, this may feel quite familiar -- rest assured, you are not alone!

Burnout, or Mother Overload, may be the one downside to homeschooling.  

Does it happen to everyone?  

Does it happen every year?  

Does it only happen to those who are new to the homeschooling lifestyle?  

How can you cope and how can you prevent it?

Nearly every homeschooling mom has experienced burnout to some degree.  Many of us feel as though we’ve reached the end of our rope, we wonder if our homes will ever run smoothly, and if we’ll ever really be able to keep our schedule while keeping the house clean and keeping kids somewhat happy.  

The job of homeschooling is NOT for wimps!

We’ve been at this homeschooling business for as long as I can remember.  

I don’t believe that every year has to hold a burnout period, or that we need to feel overloaded, BUT, it does happen, and when it does, it feels BIG and UGLY!  

So, what can you do to overcome this little phase?  

How can you cope?  

More importantly, how can you prevent it?

I think it is imperative to first identify the causes. 

We all have stressful situations to deal with; some are non-negotiable and out of our control, while others are within our ability to control and change if need be.  Take a look at your life . . . are you enjoying your job?  Do you enjoy your time with your kiddos?  Do you look forward to the day ahead of you?  Are you excited about what is on your plate of learning and teaching?  Do you feel like you’ve got it under control?  Are you satisfied with the balance in your home, family and school? 

If you answered NO to any or all of these, you probably need to take a deep look and see what needs a little mending.

If you feel as though you have no sense of priority, if everything feels out of control, if you agonize over what to teach your children each day, if you just want it to all go away, if you dream of waving goodbye to your darling children as they board that big yellow bus . . . now is the time to kick burnout and take your life back!!!

Burnout feels horrible, BUT I’d like you to look at it as a GOOD thing; while it is unpleasant and difficult, it is also a beautiful flashing red signal begging you to pay attention and consider making a few minor changes.  It’s your wake up call, if you will; it is a second chance just waiting to be taken.

Often times, the answer is quite simple . . . if you are feeling stressed and overloaded, you may just be doing too much.   

Are you overscheduling yourself and your kids?  

Do you have unrealistic expectations, again of yourself and your kids?  

Too many commitments, perhaps?  

Is your curriculum too rigid and time consuming?  

Do you feel more like crying than laughing?

My suggestions would be to consider adjusting your expectations of yourself and your kids, if necessary.  I would also suggest that being a little more flexible, adding in a game here and there, throwing out a school day and replacing it with a play day, a cooking day, or a day outside enjoying all that nature has to share with us--might just do the trick.  I am a firm believer that we, the moms of our families, must LOVE what we are doing . . . we really should love our job!  If we aren’t, we need to change our teaching style, our routine, our curriculum . . . don’t limit yourself!  Dream big and make amazing things happen with your kiddos!

You can be successful at knocking burnout by just taking a little time for you.  Plan some fun activities outside of your home with your kids . . . do ANYTHING that will make you laugh!  Laughter opens up your brain and fills your heart and rekindles that fire that has felt burned out.  It reminds you of why you started homeschooling in the first place, and gives you a great reason to not give up!  Because we all need to remember that one thing that’s so easy to forget when we’re feeling overwhelmed with it all—that we’re here to have JOY in the JOURNEY.  

Those Greeks knew how to do it!!!

After a very joyous month of learning about the Ancient Greeks, the geography of Greece, the Greek Gods and Goddesses, the architecture, and the customs and cultures of the various city-states...

it was time to have a PARTY!!!!

~ Greek Style ~ 

Togas?  
Well, Of COURSE!!!

Pictured here are my four youngest kiddos...
the only ones I could actually get into a toga...
the other ones couldn't believe I would PROMOTE wearing togas...
hehehehe...
it's all good and innocent and fun!
If you are wondering what my little guy is doing ~
 he is depicting "The Thinker"

~ we all laughed because he decided to go with a little clothing instead of doing it in the buff!!!










Food?
What would a party be without food?

This amazing layout of Greek foods included:
Chicken Souvlaki
Greek Festival Lemon Rice Pilaf
Greek Potatoes
Greek Salad
Pitas and Hummus
Falafels and Tzatziki
Dolmades
Figs and Dates and Grapes
and to top it all off ~ Baklava!

I'm tellin' ya...THIS was some fabulous food!!!!!
The Greeks know how to eat!



Music and Dance?
YOU know it!!!  Again, what good would a party be without music and dancing???

We threw in a little learning time ~

We had a Greek Herb Identification Station...

We had several dried herbs for them to see and 5 bottles of oils (also herbs) for them to smell.  The task before them was to do their best to identify what they saw or smelled.






Little noses were turned up here and there as they sniffed,
many were surprised by the contents.
It was fun to see how many of the herbs were familiar to the kids...great exercise!!!
I, for one, might never tire of such savory sniffs...yum, yum, yum!!!



All parties need a little creating ~
Each of the kids tried their hand at decorating Greek Pottery...













The pottery of the Greeks was painted showing significant historical events,
it often included paintings of their gods or goddesses,
and was full of geometric designs.
We decided to use Paint Pens, rather than messy paint and brushes.
Clean up was a cinch!!!
Paint pens and small terra cotta pots ~ PERFECT combination!

Their designs were so varied and so fun...
it was fantastic to see the work that they put into these!!! Kids LOVE to be creative!

They also had the opportunity to make Greek Theater Masks ~
one for comedy and one for tragedy...
again ~ they came up with some great designs!

I have to admit, I am feeling just a little sad to move on...
the study of the Ancient Greeks was fascinating, to say the least!

We enjoyed our time with all our co-op friends who meet with us twice a week ~
these days make learning a BLAST!!!

I think Zeus and Apollo will be favorites here for years to come...
And we'll probably always reflect back to what we've learned about the architecture of the Greeks...it surrounds us!

The influence that the Ancient Greek Civilization has had on the Western Civilization abounds ~
so many gifts were handed down to us:
to name just a few...
The OLYMPICS
Theatre ~ Comedy, Tragedy, Satire
Greek Columns and Architecture
Fables, legends and myths ~ we had a great time reading through many of Aesop's Fables ~ the best part of spending time in these fables was the opportunity to dig into the "moral of the story" and how significant they can be!
Trial by Jury
Roots of Democracy
and ancient inventions such as the ice house -- the first being built by Alexander the Great!

Time to switch gears a little and dig into CHINA...
What would February be without a little China New Year Celebration???

I really do have the BEST JOB EVER!!!

I am not teaching reading, writing and arithmetic...

I came across this story today and had to share it...
mostly for me...
at times, I will go back to the posts I have written and I will find the answers I am searching for.
I have no doubt that the day will come when I will NEED to re-read this story...
when I will need to remember that 
I am not teaching reading, writing and arithmetic...

I am teaching children.




Touching hearts

As she stood in front of her 5th grade class on the very first day of school, she told the children an untruth. Like most teachers, she looked at her students and said that she loved them all the same. However, that was impossible, because there in the front row, slumped in his seat, was a little boy named Teddy Stoddard.

Mrs. Thompson had watched Teddy the year before and noticed that he did not play well with the other children, that his clothes were messy and that he constantly needed a bath. In addition, Teddy could be unpleasant.

It got to the point where Mrs. Thompson would actually take delight in marking his papers with a broad red pen, making bold X's and then putting a big "F" at the top of his papers.

At the school where Mrs. Thompson taught, she was required to review each child's past records and she put Teddy's off until last. However, when she reviewed his file, she was in for a surprise.

Teddy's first grade teacher wrote, "Teddy is a bright child with a ready laugh. He does his work neatly and has good manners... he is a joy to be around.."

His second grade teacher wrote, "Teddy is an excellent student, well liked by his classmates, but he is troubled because his mother has a terminal illness and life at home must be a struggle."

His third grade teacher wrote, "His mother's death has been hard on him. He tries to do his best, but his father doesn't show much interest and his home life will soon affect him if some steps aren't taken."

Teddy's fourth grade teacher wrote, "Teddy is withdrawn and doesn't show much interest in school. He doesn't have many friends and he sometimes sleeps in class."

By now, Mrs. Thompson realized the problem and she was ashamed of herself. She felt even worse when her students brought her Christmas presents, wrapped in beautiful ribbons and bright paper, except for Teddy's. His present was clumsily wrapped in the heavy, brown paper That he got from a grocery bag Mrs. Thompson took pains to open it in the middle of the other presents. Some of the children started to laugh when she found a rhinestone bracelet with some of the stones missing, and a bottle that was one-quarter full of perfume.. But she stifled the children's laughter when she exclaimed how pretty the bracelet was, putting it on, and dabbing some of the perfume on her wrist. Teddy Stoddard stayed after school that day just long enough to say, "Mrs. Thompson, today you smelled just like my Mom used to." After the children left, she cried for at least an hour.

On that very day, she quit teaching reading, writing and arithmetic. Instead, she began to teach children. Mrs. Thompson paid particular attention to Teddy. As she worked with him, his mind seemed to come alive. The more she encouraged him, the faster he responded. By the end of the year, Teddy had become one of the smartest children in the class and, despite her lie that she would love all the children the same, Teddy became one of her "teacher's pets.."

A year later, she found a note under her door, from Teddy, telling* her that she was still the best teacher he ever had in his whole life.

Six years went by before she got another note from Teddy. He then wrote that he had finished high school, third in his class, and she was still the best teacher he ever had in life.

Four years after that, she got another letter, saying that while things had been tough at times, he'd stayed in school, had stuck with it, and would soon graduate from college with the highest of honors. He assured Mrs. Thompson that she was still the best and favorite teacher he had ever had in his whole life.

Then four more years passed and yet another letter came. This time he explained that after he got his bachelor's degree, he decided to go a little further. The letter explained that she was still the best and favorite teacher he ever had. But now his name was a little longer.... The letter was signed, Theodore F. Stoddard, MD.

The story does not end there. You see, there was yet another letter that spring. Teddy said he had met this girl and was going to be married. He explained that his father had died a couple of years ago and he was wondering if Mrs. Thompson might agree to sit at the wedding in the place that was usually reserved for the mother of the groom.

Of course, Mrs. Thompson did. And guess what? She wore that bracelet, the one with several rhinestones missing. Moreover, she made sure she was wearing the perfume that Teddy remembered his mother wearing on their last Christmas together.

They hugged each other, and Dr. Stoddard whispered in Mrs. Thompson's ear, "Thank you Mrs. Thompson for* believing in me. Thank you so much for making me feel important and showing me that I could make a difference."

Mrs. Thompson, with tears in her eyes, whispered back. She said, "Teddy, you have it all wrong. You were the one who taught me that I could make a difference. I didn't know how to teach until I met you."

(For you that don't know, Teddy Stoddard is the Dr. at Iowa Methodist Hospital in Des Moines that has the Stoddard Cancer Wing.)