Homeschool Mother's Journal Archives

A Nose full of Spring

May 10, 2013Tracy

The sun finally broke through the clouds this week after a long rainy spell. Rainy days are hard; lots of rainy days are really hard. Lots of rainy days and a teething baby are the hardest. Everyone has been out of sorts. So when the sun showed up this week, I could hear the “hallelujah chorus.”

And of course, I sent the kids outside immediately. Even if we did have math and history to finish up, there would have been no point in forcing learning with all of the pent up energy in our house. I felt like kids were pouring out of every door and window to get into that sunshine, but it was just my two and all the noise that comes with them.

And Littlest pounded on the door, peaking out at their joy. Of course, we had to go for a walk and let him breathe in that fresh goodness. Except that with all of the freshness came our next mortal enemy—allergies. I’m only slightly exaggerating. Allergies at my house are extreme, and they start young. While Oldest takes after me and only ever shows the slightest symptoms, Middlest was put on Zyrtec at 6 months and each spring we revisit the same misery. My husband, even after taking regular doses of allergy medicine for months now, is swollen, stuffy, and nearly incapacitated. And Littlest looks like he’s going to join the club, too. He rode along in his stroller with tears and snot just streaming down his face, as happy as a lark.

They are all happy, snotty but very happy.

So when Middlest asked me why she was “sick,” I told her she’s just got spring up her nose. She seems okay with that. For right now, I am too, especially when the alternative is bringing all that exuberance back inside.

Anyone else have the problem of nature lovers with allergies? Any advice for easing the symptoms without forgoing the outdoors? I’d love your comments!

Linking up with the Homeschool Mother’s Journal.

Journaling the Journey

April 5, 2013Tracy2 Comments

I’m picking up where I left off nearly a year ago, journaling our journey. And I’m back for more than one reason. Of course, it’s nice to have these little journals, brief summaries of where we’ve been and what we’ve accomplished. But another reason is that I’ve missed having the opportunity to become vulnerable before you, to throw back the curtains and let you behind the scenes of our lives.

It’s easy as a blogger, as I go through my photo archives, to only present you with our triumphs and successes. After all, how many of us remember to grab the camera when the art project flops or our child is throwing a temper-tantrum.

The other side of the coin is that these journaling posts are hard for me to keep up with. I can’t schedule them ahead of time, and I don’t like to force myself into an appointment with my blog every Friday. So here’s the trade-off: I’ll journal our ups and downs as often as I can. Please don’t hate me if I miss a week, just kiss your babies and understand that I had to spend a little extra time that week doing the same.

So without further ado…

In my life this week~

This week has been jam-packed! From wrapping up Easter festivities to preparing for a Ladies Fellowship at our church, it’s been hopping around here. Not to mention that prepping lesson plans for the next nine weeks happened to fall this week as well. And throw in making curriculum decisions for next year while the sales are on.

But one delightful thing that I have been reveling in is the timing of our last unit of Tapestry of Grace ancient history. We’re studying the Roman Empire, the life of Christ, and the early church and martyrs. And in God’s perfect timing, Easter is kicking off our unit. We’ll be looking at “growing up where Jesus lived” and reading about those who gave their lives to share the gospel message.

Though it might not have been the timing I would have chosen, it is great timing.

I’ve also been reviewing a product with the kids that has really been helping Middlest with her phonics. I can’t wait to share with you.

The last thing on my agenda has been overhauling the school room. It’s been making me extremely claustrophobic. Hanging pockets are falling off walls; I’m drowning in kids’ artwork and work pages; and it seems like we have flash cards everywhere. So here’s what I’m asking help for this week.

Please give me ideas on how to organize the flash cards. We have all sizes, and everything on Pinterest assumes that my flashcards are all one size. These are what I have to work with.