Changes

Thanksgiving break, although full of sickness, was good.

Here is a picture of Becky playing hospital with Esther. Esther and the babies are sick and Becky was caring for them. It was so cute!

At the end of Thanksgiving break we went out to ice cream. It was freezing outside, but we did it. 

Reuben also had his first piano lesson this week! He's been asking for a while for lessons and we just haven't been able to add it in. Here we go! This is a pre-lesson photo.

At his lesson they have a nursery and the girls LOVED playing in the little playroom. Bonus points!

We have some big changes coming up. Besides reducing school a bit with the kids, we are quitting our Monday co-op. For the past few months we have been going to a Belle Ame co-op and it's been so fun. The co-op is expanding to an all day thing and I am just not up for that. The kids agreed, and we are happy to stop. It's good be on track as a family on at least one thing!

Reuben will be doing Cognitive Therapy starting next year. I am hoping it can help with his dyslexia and visual processing issues. Becky will be starting the Barton reading program for her dyslexia and will do cognitive therapy this coming May. It's a 12 week program and I am hopeful Reuben can get his done in 12 weeks and then we can start Becky who definitely needs it too--I just couldn't do both kids at once. The program is intense and I wanted to be able to focus on each one's needs individually instead of being pulled two ways at once... 

When will I sleep? I don't know. But I do think these things will help my kids. 

The Barton Reading specialist will come to our house. 

We are also seeing a homeopath for Becky. Here is to growth, healing and abiding in Christ in 2025. 

It was Never About Doing It All

The last 6 months I've been killing it in school. The baby is finally 2.5 and I felt I could ramp it up. We have been getting it all done. For the most part. I have been crossing it all off my list!

And I ruined it for my children. 

The last few months they have said things like "I hate school." They have begun rolling their eyes when I pull out the next subject and tears have been the normal instead of the bright smiling eager faces I am used to seeing. 

And I haven't been able to figure out why until lately. 

I love school. And I love getting Everything Done. I feel successful when I get everything done. But my children need to not be harassed by a to-do list. They need fun moments at the park (that I've cut out recently so we could get through school) and playdates and a fun mom who isn't stressed about getting through her list of things. A mom who at the end of the 2 hours doesn't need a break. 

The screen time in our homeschool has been through the roof lately. I've been handing out screen time so I can de-stress potato style on the couch for an hour because of all the school we have been doing! 

I realized I was ruining my kids school experience and slowly sucking the life out of the educational feast I wanted to feed them. Ugh, I hate being the problem.

But since I am the problem, I can change. We can still do so much and thrive. I don't have to do it all. It's not a competition.

I know now that my family needs to address some educational challenges that we are having, too. That is why we are starting the Barton Reading Program! And Cognitive Brain Development!  There are some missing pieces of the puzzle that need to be slotted in so that they can thrive instead of struggle. This is part of the issue, it wasn't only me. (Thank goodness.) 

But school doesn't have to be rigorous. I can make it fun. I can pare back. We can do math 3 times a week, cramming 5 in there just so I can feel we are on track and fulfilled is dumb if it's frustrating and hindering my children. We can take a break from phonics, we can do 2-3 written narrations a week instead of 5. I can add in all the fun things I cut out like bike rides and hikes, even if it's cold outside. 

It's funny how trying to do the right thing for all the wrong reasons doesn't work... 

I'm so glad I serve an amazing God who is full of mercy and forgiveness and new starts. Monday will look very different around here! 

A Humble Thanksgiving

This is the first Thanksgiving in a long time that I haven't felt stressed and anxious. It was oh so wonderful! Yes, we were sick. That part wasn't fun. We started getting sick last week as a family and it ran through all of us, starting with Esther last Monday, then Reuben, then Becky. I was like good, we will get the illness over this week and have a smooth vacation next week. By the weekend I thought it might be over but, lo and behold, I started to fall ill Wednesday morning (the 26th) cumulating with Husband today, Thanksgiving. Poor husband! It is a sore-throat sinus-fever thing, about 2-3 days duration. For me the first day was the worst. 

Yesterday I rested and threw everything I could at it. Lots of homeopathy, fire cider, garlic and tea.

Today I felt well enough to cook but not well enough for guests. Especially with Brian on day 1, and basically in bed. 

But we made it through and now everyone has had the cold and turkey was also enjoyed.

Early in the week Brian and I went Christmas shopping. We got almost all the gifts and I am so excited. The kids are going to be thrilled. I'm very excited about Christmas. 

Tomorrow I have no plans. I really don't leave my home on Black Friday. I mean, I did once or twice and was underwhelmed. I don't like crowds, I don't like stress and I don't like fake discounts. Really, I checked amazon with some things I had saved and the prices went UP when they announced the sale over there. I think it's a scam. Maybe some things lower in price but everyone is trying to get as much money as possible while making you think you are getting a deal. 

Esther had the best time after Thanksgiving lunch by letting me crochet for an hour while I watched her cute nap on the couch. Doesn't she look so much like Becky here? 

Everyone is still recovering. Becky is the only completely well one. Esther has a cough, Daddy is in the throes of it, I have low energy and a little stuffy nose and I had a cough this morning, I wonder if it will come back tonight. Reuben also has some bronchial stuff going on. Hopefully we can nip this in the bud over the weekend because we have some packed weeks ahead until Christmas! 

God is so good. I felt so much peace and love this Thanksgiving. 

Because we were sick, none of our relatives could visit. My mom and my step dad actually dropped off the food they planned to leave for us on the porch so we got to enjoy their chocolate cake, handmade rolls and cranberry they prepared. It was so good!  I missed them though. They hope to come over this weekend  if they don't catch the sickness from us (we saw them earlier this week before we were sick). 

What a crazy daisy wonderful Thanksgiving. 

I ordered the Barton Reading Program. It was expensive but I think it is what I will try next to address the learning issues we are seeing in our homeschool. I hope it works. I"m excited to try it. I hope it will help Reuben learn spelling and Becky learn to read and spell, and me...me too. I am also dyslexic. Maybe I too can learn how to spell things correctly and read better. I mean, I can read, but sounding out unfamiliar words I do guess, which is a dyslexic trait.

We also decided to do cognitive brain development and are on the waiting list with a local tutor, with a potential start date of May. So much going on! So many good things.