A Minecraft Birthday

I've been fighting the idea of this party for years now. I didn't want to completely encourage Builder Boy's obsession with a video game. But it's been almost three years now; it was time.

$5 Baby/Toddler Safe Nature Discovery Basket

I really wasn't quite sure what to call this. I'm labeling it Montessori even though it's not from my Montessori activity book. Based purely what I've read on Pinterest, I don't think it counts as an Invitation To Play. Maybe this is more Wardorf-y? I went to the dollar store looking for things to make a sensory box with, and this is what I walked out of the store with. I decided to start a bit smaller than a whole box.

Open Letter

To the woman in the Walmart parking lot:

You don't know me, and I don't know you. You seem to passionately care about children's well being, so we have that in common. And I agree with you that children should be talked to gently and kindly. But I disagree that yelling at children is child abuse that should be reported to CPS, like you said you were going to do to me.

You couldn't have known that I know what real child abuse is from personal experience, and you don't know how intentional I have been to make sure that is a cycle that is never passed on to my children. You don't know about the day I had had that day, and all the contributing factors that had me at such a breaking point that I acted so uncharacteristically. You weren't walking alongside me in the store and watching how my children acted while my baby cried and grabbed at me. You had no idea, and I didn't try to tell you, because your demeanor told me that you weren't interested in "excuses."

I don't know you, but your attitude suggested a history of your own. You claimed to see fear on my child's face, though I'm not sure how you could have from where you were when you came up to me. I have abuse caused PTSD, and I have been triggered by things, so I can understand where your reaction could have come from. There's another thing we might have in common.

But, ma'am, chastising me, accusing me of abusing my children, and saying you were calling people to take my children away from me was not helpful. If I had been a real abuser, that could have put me over the edge and caused much more harm than yelling. Instead you turned a really bad day in to one of the worst days I've had in a very long time. You could have been a light to me, madam. Had you come to me gently, asked if I needed help or if there was anything you could have done to help, I would have been so grateful. You would have been my hero, and helped salvage my day. Instead you tore me down even lower.

I'd like you to know that when I got home I apologized to my children and asked for their forgiveness, which they gave me. I'm pretty sure they were much more upset by the sobbing on my knees I did on and off the rest of that day than by the loud, frustrated vent you heard.

I've never been in the situation that you were in that day; and with my own PTSD, I don't know how I would react if I witnessed what you did. But I really hope that after what I experienced with you that if I am ever in that position I will choose to be a light and a help to another mother, rather than add another load onto her back. I hope I remember my own bad days, and offer her the benefit of the doubt. And I hope that she would let me help her.

Signed, the young mother in the bright pink skirt.

Baby Sensory Bottles

Last week I wrote about Lady Bug's first Montessori station. But a over a month before I set that up I had made and tested out some sensory bottles that I made, inspired by Pinterest.

Supplementing FLL2: Lessons 1-10

 
Once again I am supplementing First Language Lessons to make it more kinetic learner friendly. Not every child will need stuff added to this book; it is considered a complete program by itself. But to help things "click" my hands on learner needs things he can move or see, rather than just hearing what I say and talking to me about it. I know from reading on the Well Trained Mind Forum that I'm not the only one with a kid like that trying to use this curriculum, so instead of letting them give up or have to think up stuff themselves, I posted what we added every ten lessons for FLL1, and I'm doing it again for First Language Lessons Level 2.

Toddler Montessori Station

 

I've been inspired by many awesome pins on Pinterest to try some Montessori activities and ideas. I've also been frustrated with an almost eight year old who still sometimes needs help with his jacket. That is my own fault; I chose the fasted way to get them dressed and out of the house over teaching them to do things for themselves. So I purchased Teach Me to Do It Myself: Montessori Activities for You and Your Child to give me some better ideas to teach them. It didn't actually give me any ideas for the boys, but plenty for making sure I don't make the same mistakes with Lady Bug.

Screen Time at Sceleratus Classical Academy

Limit media! Reduce screen time! Computers and TV are rotting our children's brains!

Kids are so incredibly drawn to those moving pictures that I see parents on online forums, facebook groups, and blogs asking other parents for efficient reducing/limiting strategies to get their kids off screens and doing other, more worthwhile things. While I wholeheartedly agree that proper balance in life is important for everyone, and children need to be physical and not constantly stagnate, I also allow quite a bit of screen time in our home. And that's something most parents who do are unwilling to admit in public or online. But I'm going to tell you why I allow it and why I'm not going to feel shame about it.

When Gifted Overexcitiblities and an Introverted Personality Collide

Perhaps you've seen this meme before? It's a great visual representation of what it's like to have intellectual overexcitabilities. ALL things are interesting, all activities should be tried. (Except dentistry stuff; that stuff's gross and icky.)

Halloween Post Round-Up

This October we're supposed to be moving (yes, we've been supposed to be moving for several months now. It's complicated and really annoying.) So I'm not decorating. And it's been another one of those months, so I really don't have much to add to Halloween ideas. I'm so glad I got the family's costumes made in September! I'm the kind of person that if a project doesn't get done in one go, it is usually left unfinished. So all of my projects are simple, easy, and take only a reasonable amount of time. And don't cost a lot of money. So, for your convenience, here are all my Halloween posts, organized.

Fall Skirts

I'm going to do this Seasonal Skirts blog hop post a little differently because, well, you're already seen almost all the skirts I own already. I wear the same skirts all year round. Some people might wonder if that doesn't get boring, or don't other people notice? After all, you could wear the same pair of jeans every day of the week and as long as they were clean, no one would notice. But with skirts, people notice. Or do they? I have a denim skirt (shown in the summer post) and a khaki skirt (shown in the spring post) that are as close to nondescript jeans as skirts get. As long as I wear a more colorful, eye-catching top, I doubt people are looking at me and trying to remember if that's the same skirt I was wearing the last time they saw me. I mean, are you tracking what people around you wear?

Quick Update

"Hi" from Lady Bug

Argh, I was afraid of this. We started our full, outside of the house activities and regular school has not been so regular. I really need to go back on my vitamins and extra iron because despite going to bed at 10pm most nights and not getting out of bed until 8:30am (waking to move Lady Bug to our bed sometime in the middle of the night) I am exhausted. Thankfully the kids never caught the cold Principal Daddy and I got in week 4, but week 5 since the start of our school year was more like a half week with the amount of work we got done. Only one history lesson and no science, no handwriting, only grammar review and nothing new, well, you get the idea. And we're still trying to find a place to move to, so this week's afternoon subjects are still not going to happen. At least we've gotten all morning subjects done! I have pictures and ideas piling up in my head, and no energy to type them all out. And now I feel like I'm making excuses and complaining, which I hate doing.

Awwwwww; I just looked over and saw Lady Bug turning pages in a baby book and laughing at the pictures. These kids sure are worth it.

Homemade Halloween Costumes (2014)

Every year since Builder Boy was one year old I have been making his Halloween costumes. For the past five Halloweens I have gone the much easier route of painting on bought t-shirts. Because that's what they are used to, thankfully the boys have never requested more elaborate (or expensive) costumes. So for as long as they're happy with it, I'm going to do it the easy way!

This year the boys decided they wanted to be Angry Birds from the App Game (and web videos based on the game.) They also thought it would be fun for all of our family to be various Angry Birds. Since it's mostly just painting on t-shirts with inexpensive acrylic paints, I agreed. My costume required an additional element, and we went a bit more elaborate with Lady Bug's, but on the whole it did not take too much work or money, and we are all pleased with the results.

Are You an Advocate for the Gifted?

Are you a parent of a gifted child? If you are, then you are a giftedness advocate. Because whether or not you are homeschooling or public schooling, asking for accommodation or going with the flow, chances are there are times where you have to explain your child to someone else. When you do that, you're being an advocate.

Weekly Wrap-Up: Week 4

I am not sure why Skedtrack added those three exclamation marks after the sick days. I know I was not thrilled about taking this week off just because it was too painful to talk. I did manage to teach co-op on Thursday, and the boys did half a math lesson every day to earn their screen time (half a lesson each was all I could manage to talk through.) Hey, we made it through three weeks of school before having to take a break for sickness. That may be a record.

No tea party means no tea party post on Monday, but I do intend to do a write up of what we have been doing for our geography co-op. Also have a blog hop coming up on the 29th, and this year's Halloween costumes will be posted on the 30th for those who might be interested in trying what we're doing this year.

Biscuits and Butter Knife Etiquette

For last week's Art Appreciation Tea Party (which now has it's own tag!) I had several things I wanted to teach the boys. I also was really hoping to try watercress, but alas, it was not to be. At least my other plans worked out.

Weekly Wrap-Up: Week 3

Good News: this expressive introvert survived leaving the house for activities three days in a row this week!

Bad News: we were all so tired and grumpy from the new schedule that we got even less done this week than we did last week.

Story of the World: Ancient Times: Chapter 9

Last week we finished reviewing all the chapters of Story of the World Vol. 1 that we did two years ago. This week we started on new material; sort of. See, when we last did ancient India, we only did about half of the chapter. We did the brick experiment the first time around, which was cool, but not something I wanted to repeat at this time. There wasn't much else in the activity guide, so inspired by the memory of Colonel Brandon whispering in Margret Dashwood's ear, "the air is filled with SPICES!" I did some quick Googling and then went off schedule.

German Pancakes: Take Two

For last week's Art Appreciation Tea Party I tried again to do the pancake fruit cups/German Pancakes that facebook used perfect pictures of to taunt me. I found the original recipe: check! No cheap shortcuts. I followed the instructions: check! Well, at least, I thought I had, but apparently using Pam on the muffin tins wasn't the same as "grease well." And the result?

Weekly Wrap-Up: Week 2

Last week I gave a review of our week by subject. This time I'm going to do it by day. Because it has been A Week. *Warning!* This got really long. And involves what kind of looks like complaining. Feel free to skip this one. BUT, there is also a learning progression that happened for me, that might help others if they're in a similar situation with their homeschooling. So maybe it's worth reading.

Architecture School: Day 8

It's another Thursday and co-op doesn't start until next week. So that means another Architecture School Day! The big activity from the next lesson in Architecture: It's Elementary! was to draw their bedroom from memory. The perspective that they wanted the kids to draw from, however, is completely different from what they are used to. If I had just told Builder Boy to draw a picture of his bedroom, thanks to Beginning Geography, he probably would have drawn a pretty good top-looking-down view map. But that's not what the lesson had in mind, and I thought it would be good to stretch their minds and get them to think about it from a different angle. But how was I going to accomplish getting them to change their mind's eye?