Archives for life category
Well, I stole these ideas straight from Jack Card’s email to me. They ideas were so good that I just had to share. And there are many more on their Facebook Fan page. Be sure to share these articles with husbands (and others) who just can’t seem to think of a Mother’s Day gift that goes beyond candy and flowers. (If you’re wondering what I’d like, just check for “YES!”)
“Moms love… Read more… »
Okay, Denise at Got Chai? has inspired me to take my fitness goals public so every Friday from this day forward I will be confessing my eating sins, exercise triumphs and whatever else pops into my little mind. My ultimate goal is to lose about 50 pounds since that will get me well out of the danger range for Type II diabetes which does run in my family.
Since my three children assisted in adding the extra 50 pounds they are also part of my fitness plan. I got Wii Fit back in December and we’ve been using it on an almost daily basis. I, however was taking the easy way out until a couple of weeks ago. What’s the easy way out? Well, with Wii Fit your time goal is just 30 minutes and you can set how many calories you want to burn. So being lazy economical with my time and energy I did the bare minimum. I did a couple of yoga exercises and then played games like Snowball Fight (I am the Champion thank you very much) and other calorie burning, but very easy exercises.
But three weeks ago I stopped fooling around and added boxing, step aerobics, hula hooping, as well as a full 30 minutes of yoga. And low and behold I’ve lost a pound a week (so I’m down 3 pounds!) I am now working out for at least an hour a day which is challenging, not from a physical standpoint, but from a mental one. You see I live with saboteurs — one short one and two furry ones. They’re all cute, but dangerous.
Saboteur #1 is my three year old son Michael who you see in the corner is determined to either have me trip over him or his toys while I work out. If I’m doing step, he finds it necessary to circle me in ever shrinking circles until I step on him. At which point he goes into his death throes and other theatrics.
Now, once he’s tired of that he leaves and sends in his henchmen, my golden retriever named Candy and our resident panther, Diamond. Saboteur #2 (also known as Diamond) wants to rub my legs, walk in between my feet and plop down on the floor to be petted as he swishes his long tail back and forth daring me to step on it. After about 5 minutes of this I call his “mama” Alaya and have her remove the fickle feline. Of course he comes back until I threaten to shoot him with my water pistol. (He hates water … lucky me!)
Once Candy (Saboteur #3) sees that the cat is out of the way she decides to do her rolling over, puppy dog sad eyed look of “rub my belly” act. So I give her a dirty look and she looks all sad like I kicked her. Then she’ll go directly behind where I’m working out at to lie down and lick her wounded feelings. And for the rest of my exercising time she’ll make sure she’s somewhere inconvenient for whatever exercise I’m attempting. But now Spring is here and I kick the lot of them out of the house. (hee hee evil laugh)
The good thing is that the girls want me to succeed in my goals and will take the little trio outside and away from me for my 30 minute yoga exercises. Now my question is, with all the shooing and fussing and moving people and animals around, don’t you think I should get some extra calorie points? I mean it’s only fair … why all mothers aren’t size 0 is beyond me with all the running around we do all day, but I’ll save that rant for another week.
Fit Mommy Friday here I come!
Have you heard the phrase, “I am a man of my word”? Or heard people say, “I give my word …” ? Now, we understand that the giving of one’s word means that you’re making a promise to do something. However, I think that in today’s world the phrase has lost much of it’s original meaning. You know, it’s like saying, “Bless you” when someone sneezes. Most people don’t really mean “May God bless you and protect you ” when they utter those words.
So, what does it mean when you say, “I give you my word”? As I spend more time reading history and the personal writings of people in history this phrase has taken on new meaning for me. When we say, “I give my word” that is more than a half empty promise. Actually it’s more serious than a promise. It is a binding and unbreakable contract between people. When you give your word you are binding yourself morally to a course of action. It is a matter of honor and not convenience.
How far we, as a society, have fallen from that original meaning. As a matter of fact we have even coined phrases that cover the way people treat their spoken word. If someone promises to do something, we’ve become so skeptical of people carrying through that we say things like “talk is cheap” and “put up or shut up.”
And that’s what a promise has become — something of no consequence. Basically, as a society, we are teaching our children that “promises are made to be broken”. Through the media and sometimes our own example we are teaching them that honor is a nice concept, but not practical in today’s world. I mean, “You meant well…” or “You tried…” and that excuses us from any responsibility.
In our training and educating of our children, this matter of “Keeping Your Word” is one of the most important lessons that we can impart. And here’s why:
Our bodies are designed to tell the truth, so why don’t we? It’ takes far less energy to tell the truth and follow through than making a myriad of excuses, lies and half-truths (and remembering them!) does. Being a person of your word means displaying moral courage. If someone asks you to do something that you don’t want to do just say so. At times people will be disappointed with your decisions, maybe even angry.
But at the end of the day, even your bitterest enemies will have respect for the fact that you stood your ground. They may never come to like you, but they will always respect you. Keeping our word is the best lesson that we can teach our children if we want them (and us) to have lead happy and (relatively) stress-free lives.
By demonstrating this type of moral courage we will be helping to shape our children (and hopefully others who observe us) to be leaders and not to be afraid to be honest about their thoughts and feelings. This honesty will create strong relationships that will spill over into all aspects of their lives and ultimately lead them to the level of success that they wish to obtain. Isn’t that a goal worth working towards?
Disclosure: http://cmp.ly/0/gn07l3
3 Feb
I just got this in my email and I wanted to make sure that I get the word out about a convention that highlights the necessity and rewards of saying what you mean. If you have a chance, check it out. It’s Virtual & Free! Thanks Teri for letting me know about it! And Teri is also one of the many homeschooling business sponsors.
The Say What You Mean Convention is being hosted by JoJo Tabares and it’s happening on Wednesday, February 3. It’s absolutely free and completely virtual so you can attend even in your PJs! This year’s theme is The Three Flavors of Communication: Writing, Speech and Conversation. Tune into the live events on Wednesday, February 3rd. There will be a total of six live events, seminars and workshops throughout the day teaching various aspects of communication beginning at 8am PST/9am MST/10 am CST/11 am EST.
Be sure to check out the freebies and sponsor page, too! Enter the convention site here: http://www.SayWhatYouMeanConvention.com
P.S. Teri has a brand new re-designed newsletter a little bit. Check it out at: http://www.knowledgehouse.info/KHnews/02-2010.html. You will find a biography of a famous homeschooled photographer, lots of downloadable freebies and interesting links! 
4 Jan
Do you consider your home education to be a success if all the check boxes of “what a child should know by 12th grade” are completed or do you have another concept of what would make your homeschooling journey a success? When it comes to educating the children what is your goal?
I have been homeschooling for a number of years and have never really thought past the academics of it all. However, in October 2009 I went to my first homeschooling retreat down in Destin, FL. And one of the speakers, Rhea Perry of Educating for Success, talked about the importance of “Success Education.” It was great! This lecture made a huge impression on me because I don’t feel this gets discussed in the homeschooling community let alone the world at large. And it should.
Living in one of the more highly regulated homeschooling states it is very easy to get caught up in making sure that your children hit all of the artificial benchmarks set by the educational system. You know, “Let’s study for that PSSA so that you can get promoted to the next grade!” or “Let’s get that portfolio ready for the evaluator to tell us what a good job we’re doing this year.”
That’s all fine and dandy, but what about the benchmarks of life? What about knowing how to be financially self-sufficient? What about having an understanding of how economics works and using that knowledge to create a financially sound lifestyle? What about developing the skills and experience your children need to fulfill their passions and interest in the secular world? How about not just getting by but prospering so that you can freely devote time to helping others? Isn’t that even more important?
The form of education that is dispensed in schools (and unfortunately in many homeschooling curricula) is designed to create workers for the workforce, not to inspire or encourage original thinking and experimentation. It trains people to get the right answers, do what you’re told and keep your head down or you might standout. The goals today are a world apart from the way people were educated in early America. John Taylor Gatto, author of “Underground History of American Education” states:
“In early America young people in America were expected to make something of themselves, not to prepare themselves to fit into an established hierarchy. Young Americans were allowed close to the mechanisms of things. This rough and tumble practice kept social class elastic and American achievement in every practical field superb.”
As discussed at the seminar, a parent’s purpose is to:
So what does all of this mean to us as parents? Our children are NOT too young to begin their life’s work. We need to stop and think about what our goal of home education is. Is it just to complete the “boxed curriculum” that generates worker drones who watch TV and complain about their lot in life? Or is it to train our children to have lives that make a difference in the world?
When we limit them by saying things like, “Oh let them have fun because they’ll be working for the rest of their lives” aren’t we condemning them to the lifestyle of financial struggles that we’ve experienced. Why not encourage them to take what they’re learning and find ways to use it to make their adult lives a balanced journey to be enjoyed and shared with others?
Children have the capacity, and indeed the desire, to contribute to the family’s well-being. Nowadays we think it’s “cute” when they say they want to open up a lemonade stand to help earn money, but in the past they were expected to be an asset to the family. Looking back on history we’ll see:
These children had not only the knowledge that comes from books, but real life experience and application of the information that they learned. And those that can apply knowledge become wise and prosper. For my part, my goal is to provide my children not only with the academics that they need, but to help them find their life’s path through real life experiences. I don’t want them to have to learn about finances through trial and error like I did, but have that education at a young age so that they can begin making wise decisions right now. So what would you choose?
Please feel free to comment on what you think about this type of “success” focus. And if you’ve already been using this as your goal post, what types of things are you doing with your kids to help reach it.
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Hilarious skit performed for our Homeschool Support Group Kick Off meeting
Duration : 0:5:41
Me and Rach sit down to discuss some common myths about homeschoolers.
Duration : 0:4:43
Ron Paul is a strong proponent for homeschooling and has consistently voted to remove government jurisdiction from public schools, knowing that control should be put back into the hands of the parents. His viewpoints on homeschooling are encouraging. BTW, this isn’t meant to be a political statement, just more homeschooling info.
Duration : 0:3:25
I work as a virtual assistant for some really cool people. One of those people is Dr. Rory Stern. He specializes in coaching families who have ADHD. This is an article from his latest newsletter that I thought might be of interest for this holiday season.
*****
Yes! You Can Enjoy The Holidays This Year…
By, Rory F. Stern, PsyDFor most people, the holidays are a time of year with a certain
level of conflict or inner turmoil. On the one hand, there is
great joy and pleasure in celebrating and being with family. And
yet on the other hand, there are a lot of people I talk with who
are fearful of what the holiday brings with it (because of family
expectations and history).No matter how you approach the holidays this year, I want you to
know that there are steps you can take right now to ensure that
the holidays meet your expectations. There are things you can
prepare for today to make sure the holidays don’t let you down
and don’t get built up to a point where you can’t even enjoy
yourself.For some, the holidays are about religion, and for others the
holidays merely represent a time to reflect… A time to be
thankful, and a time to be with family (where we hopefully can
put aside our differences and enjoy each other’s company).Having lived both sides of the equation, there tends to be a lot
of build up around this time of year.Here are six steps you can take today to set the tone and enjoy the
holidays in whatever manner they mean to you and yours.Step 1
Be very clear on what you want for the holidays this year.
Is it about a religious experience? Is it about being with family?
Is it about presents? Forgiveness? Or being thankful?There is no right answer, and often times, there will be overlap.
But I think it’s important to step back and think about what the
holidays mean to you.Step 2
Communicate with your spouse or immediate family members
ahead of time instead of the day of or day before (especially if
travel is involved). Different families come from different
backgrounds and upbringings which leads to different wants, needs,
and expecations for each individual.Step 3
Make a decision together about how you will spend the
holidays. Compromise is key, and listening is even more important.
Take a moment to hear what your loved ones have to say, and remove
the emotional component (if there is anonymisty or arguing over
whose family you will spend time with and for how long).Step 4
Go in with a game plan for how your family gathering will
go, and have an agreed upon exit strategy. For those of you with
young kids in particular, there can be additional pressure and
stress from balancing your own time with managing how your children
are holding up and experiencing the family.Step 5
Be aware of family roles. I am often amazed at how we
take for granted the various roles we play in life, and how they
change based upon who we are with. For many couples (and even
individuals visiting their own families), there is a tendency to
fall back into the roles we play with our own families versus how
we are with our spouse and children.Don’t overlook or take for granted the power of history and roots.
You must consider and be aware of birth order, family role, and the
stories that go with it.Step 6
Last but not least, I want you to have a strategy for how
you will handle specific conversations. With children and family
roles, I often hear from my clients about how one particular family
member, cousin, or relative starts the same-old song and dance
conversation about how you are as a parent of your child.My advice here would be to shut that conversation down as soon as
possible. Respond with respect and authority that closes the
conversation and does not put you on the defensive or invite
additional comments.These six steps are of course NOT the end all be all of your
experience. And for everyone here, I truly hope that you don’t
need these steps. It is my hope for you that you get to enjoy the
holidays and see them as a positive time in your life.These steps can be plugged into to any day of your life, and I
share them with you now because I know first-hand the pressures we
often place on ourselves (along with the expecation) of how
wonderful the holidays “should be.”This holiday season, as we approach special times, I wish you and
yours only the best.=======================================================
WANT TO REPRINT THIS ARTICLE OR SHARE IT WITH OTHERS? You can, as long as you include this complete blurb with it: ADHD advocate and coach Rory F. Stern, PsyD publishes the weekly [Symptom Free] newsletter for families living with ADHD. If you are looking for practical advice and strategies that will help cut down the constant stress, frustration, and overwhelm in your life, be sure to download your complimentary ADHD Essentials Audio Kit from the premiere online resource for families with ADHD. http://www.adhdfamilyonline.com
========================================================
*watch in high quality…..or not*
These are the usual questions people bombard me with when I tell them that I’m homeschooled.
1. Do you have any friends?
2. How do you meet people?
3 Are you socially challenged?
4. Do you get to eat whenever and wherever you want?
5. Do you get to sleep late?
6. Do you do school in your pajamas?
7. Do you have homework, grades, and tests?
8. Do you have prom?
9. How do you graduate?
10. Do you get to go to college?
11. Who teaches you?
Song in background: Light My Fire
Artist: The Doors
Duration : 0:4:47
CurrclickI'm a homeschooling mom with seven children: 3 human, 2 feline and 2 canine. I'm also the wife of one very patient husband who seems to like the role of ringmaster to our circus. I am a virtual assistant who enjoys writing, crafts, music and laughter. I hope you'll visit often. Please be aware that this blog is supported by affiliate links, although every link isn't necessarily an affiliate program.
