This afternoon I have the "Children's Miracle Network" on television - it is a telethon to support Children's Hospitals nationwide. Eleven years ago this weekend our Kaylee was in the hospital following open-heart surgery to correct a hole between the upper chambers of her heart - called an Atrial-Septal defect. We actually ended up on local tv that weekend for the telethon, which was kind of fun. Kaylee was SUCH a tough little trooper, we still look back on how well she did with amazement. My dear sister was there with Kyle and I, and when the nurse came to take Kaylee off to surgery, she looked over his shoulder as he carried her off and gave us this sweet little wave and a huge smile - she had NO idea what was coming. We will never forget that moment - her sweet little face looking back at us, and our fear and anxiety. All three of us broke down sobbing as he took her away. Yet we knew God was with her and many people were praying.
I remember being so exhausted. The night before her surgery she was admitted to the hospital so she could have fluids, as up until that point she was strictly breastfed. Thankfully the nurse got her IV in the first time - a miracle in and of itself - as Kaylee has extremely difficult veins to find. She was still nursing every two hours, round the clock, so I anticipated a difficult night of holding her off from nursing from midnight on. But we got another miracle as she actually slept through the night. She was hungry that morning but it was not as difficult to distract her as I thought it would be.
When she went off to surgery, Kyle and I went back to her room and my sister went to the waiting room. Kyle encouraged me to lay down, as I had started to pace, and he finally talked me into it. I fell asleep almost immediately, and the next thing we knew the surgeon was in our room, telling us that everything had gone beautifully and we would get to see her soon. I could not believe I had slept through the whole thing, but God does give rest to the weary.
They put her in the ICU but she only had a couple of tubes. I noticed immediately that her color was better than it had ever been - she had lost the bluish tinge to her skin and was pink and healthy looking for the first time. They took such good care of her, she had very little pain and I could tell the nurses loved her and treated her like she was one of their own.
Throughout that day I had to pump, as she was not able to nurse for at least 24 hours after surgery. I had never had success pumping before (not even with my first two babies) so I feared I would have an uncomfortable day ahead of me. But God provided yet again - and I had success with the pump the hospital provided for me. That first night I thought I would be up at her bedside, unable to sleep, but (almost embarrassingly) I slept through the entire night! (They let me stay at the hospital and even gave me meals.) I flew out of bed that next morning and down the hallway to the ICU. Kaylee did great through the night, however, and the nurse assurred me that she would have summoned me if there were any problems. I certainly needed the rest, so it was good to sleep.
That morning they transferred her to the regular room and she did have a little bit of pain that evening, which they treated right away. The next morning the doctor actually thought he could send her home!! I was shocked and rather scared though, and asked him to please let us stay one more night, for my sake. Initially we thought she would be in the hospital for a week, so I was amazed they wanted to send her home after only a couple days.
That evening we were interviewed on TV, and Kaylee was jabbering and smiling and playing - and kicking her legs! The TV crew could hardly believe she had major surgery the morning before. She was one little good PR person for the telethon, believe me!! The next morning they interviewed us again, as we were being discharged.
On the third morning, they discharged her. She went home with just Tylenol for pain control, which I can still hardly believe. I was so thankful to have my sister (who is an RN) come with us, as I was scared to take her home. Kaylee did so beautifully, though, that all I can say is - what a miracle!
She was discharged from the heart clinic when she was 4 1/2 years old and quite technically her heart is now considered normal. How thankful we have been for her example and good attitude through the medical issues she has had. She truly is our Own Personal Children's Miracle Network!
Saturday, May 31, 2008
Thursday, May 29, 2008
Frustrations
I have a dear friend who recently was diagnosed with a brain aneurysm. She had surgery a few weeks ago and basically suffered the affects of a stroke afterwards. She is finally home, but is having trouble with her speech and has limited use of her right hand. Her and her family have been very much on my mind and in my prayers. I can only imagine her frustration and the anxiety through all of it. I do know she has trust in Christ her Saviour and that He has been with her through this trial. Please pray for her continued recovery.
I thought of my friend this morning, as I was trying to customize this blog and could not figure it out. I'll have to ask Kyle when he comes home, because this computer stuff eludes me. I was very frustrated with the whole thing - but then I realized, I have full use of my hands. It's no problem for me to talk, in fact I talk too much. I don't usually have problems walking (although now that I am 40 I have aches and pains that I never had before!) so what was I getting so frustrated for? My challenges with the computer are nothing compared to what my friend is going through. I too often "sweat the small stuff". When I see the bigger picture, when my experiences in this life expand outside my own little world, that is when I can gain perspective - but often that comes through a trial or suffering. And that is what our human nature does not like!
Now, I shall attempt again to add a video to this post, as I was trying to do this morning. Watch, and enjoy, and I hope it helps you to think outside your box, as it has helped me.
In His Care ~ Beth ~
I thought of my friend this morning, as I was trying to customize this blog and could not figure it out. I'll have to ask Kyle when he comes home, because this computer stuff eludes me. I was very frustrated with the whole thing - but then I realized, I have full use of my hands. It's no problem for me to talk, in fact I talk too much. I don't usually have problems walking (although now that I am 40 I have aches and pains that I never had before!) so what was I getting so frustrated for? My challenges with the computer are nothing compared to what my friend is going through. I too often "sweat the small stuff". When I see the bigger picture, when my experiences in this life expand outside my own little world, that is when I can gain perspective - but often that comes through a trial or suffering. And that is what our human nature does not like!
Now, I shall attempt again to add a video to this post, as I was trying to do this morning. Watch, and enjoy, and I hope it helps you to think outside your box, as it has helped me.
In His Care ~ Beth ~
Tuesday, May 27, 2008
Reflections
I've been thinking this morning about when my older kids were little (Things 1&2) and how busy I always was with them. Waking up most mornings to a crying, hungry, wet baby (Thing 2) nursing him and changing him, all while keeping a toddler busy (Thing 1) and out of trouble, then corralling her and getting her ready for the day. She loved SHOES. Sometimes, in order to give me a few minutes to get myself ready in the mornings, I would give her a box of shoes to play with. She had been given SO MANY - more than I have ever had in my life. She would put them on and off, play with the buckles, take out the laces and put them back in, and sing and chatter happily. It seemed then that I was often going from task to task with little time in between. Then Thing 3 came along and woah, if I thought I was busy before, having one preschooler, one toddler and a newborn with special needs really put things into perspective for me. Our baby girl, Peanut as she was affectionately called from the very beginning by the doctors, nurses and everyone else who saw her, has Down syndrome. Oh how tiny she was, and how weak. She was like a little rag doll with no muscle tone - we called her marshmallow baby. I fought from the very beginning to get her to nurse. It would tire her out so quickly and she would fall asleep. It was frustrating but after a couple of weeks of waking her every two hours, round the clock (doctor's orders!) she finally got the hang of it and her hunger instinct and rooting reflexes kicked in. So I had two very busy and mischevious little people, besides a newborn to contend with. Laundry often piled up, a "clean" house took on a new meaning - and I was tired all the time. Peanut could not take a bottle, and as she grew it took her months before she was able to eat any other foods. She was over a year old before she could eat cereal without gagging - but then she discovered Cheerios. Oh how she loved them! Just the sight of the big yellow box would get her all happy and excited. Funny thing is that Cheerios, straight out of the box, are still her favorite food. I'm amazed at how much of the stuff she can eat!!
For nearly two years I continued to nurse her, round the clock, every two hours. She was like a little timer - she would not cry but would snuffle around and I could tell she was hungry. Two hours would go by, and she'd be hungry again. I was thankful for her little internal clock because in the beginning we had to watch every ounce she gained, and feeding her was such a struggle. She had a heart defect that needed to be surgically corrected at the age of one year, so that slowed her development even more.
It's funny how sometimes I can think I am so busy, but looking back in time my definition of "busy" has changed significantly through the years, as my perspective has changed. Because Things 1&2 are both teenagers now they share a good deal of the housework - so I probably have more "free time" than I ever had. I can run to the store by myself, I can go for lunch or coffee with friends or I can take some time to write a blog like this. I just need to make sure everyone stays on task or stuff piles up quickly around here!
Well, I'm off to babysit for a friend who is coming over today. She used to be a student of mine, and now has babies of her own! Her little guy is staying while she and her husband take their two oldest girls to the dentist. It will be fun to have a baby in the house again.
I gotta admit I don't miss diapers and diaper bags and portable car seats - but I do miss my babies from time to time.
In His Care ~ Beth ~
For nearly two years I continued to nurse her, round the clock, every two hours. She was like a little timer - she would not cry but would snuffle around and I could tell she was hungry. Two hours would go by, and she'd be hungry again. I was thankful for her little internal clock because in the beginning we had to watch every ounce she gained, and feeding her was such a struggle. She had a heart defect that needed to be surgically corrected at the age of one year, so that slowed her development even more.
It's funny how sometimes I can think I am so busy, but looking back in time my definition of "busy" has changed significantly through the years, as my perspective has changed. Because Things 1&2 are both teenagers now they share a good deal of the housework - so I probably have more "free time" than I ever had. I can run to the store by myself, I can go for lunch or coffee with friends or I can take some time to write a blog like this. I just need to make sure everyone stays on task or stuff piles up quickly around here!
Well, I'm off to babysit for a friend who is coming over today. She used to be a student of mine, and now has babies of her own! Her little guy is staying while she and her husband take their two oldest girls to the dentist. It will be fun to have a baby in the house again.
I gotta admit I don't miss diapers and diaper bags and portable car seats - but I do miss my babies from time to time.
In His Care ~ Beth ~
Monday, May 26, 2008
Memorial Day
Today we attended a Memorial Day service, and our Pastor gave the address. He did an excellent job and it was a very poignant and moving service. I saw one man, I think he was a Vietnam Veteran, leaning against a crutch, barely able to limp along. It was very cold outside but I figured compared to him I had nothing to complain about. I'm very thankful to God for those who sacrifice for our country and for the freedoms we have!
Before we left the cemetary I visited the graveside of a friend's tiny baby. Her name is Allyson Hope - and after her death the Hope Foundation was formed at our church. We minister to families who are grieving the death of a child and take the opportunity to send them some encouraging materials, and present the gospel. I saw one young couple there, sobbing over a child's grave. I left with a lump in my throat and the determination to be a little more thankful for my own precious children.
As we were driving out of the cemetary, a man driving in front of us stepped out of his vehicle to hand a tract to another man who was walking among the graves. They chatted for a brief moment, then the man who had received the tract shook his head, and handed the tract back, then walked away. I'll never forget the sight of that - a man, surrounded by the reality of death, rejecting the gospel. How heart-breakingly sad. I wanted to run after him and beg him to change his mind. I pray God will use something in his life to get through to him.
I hope this Memorial Day finds you with a thankful heart, remembering loved ones and those who have served our country and gone on before. I have an Uncle on my Dad's side who died in WW2 just two weeks before the war ended. He was only nineteen years old. I hope and pray that someone in the trenches in Italy presented the Gospel to him and that I will get to meet him in heaven some day.
In His Care ~ Beth ~
Before we left the cemetary I visited the graveside of a friend's tiny baby. Her name is Allyson Hope - and after her death the Hope Foundation was formed at our church. We minister to families who are grieving the death of a child and take the opportunity to send them some encouraging materials, and present the gospel. I saw one young couple there, sobbing over a child's grave. I left with a lump in my throat and the determination to be a little more thankful for my own precious children.
As we were driving out of the cemetary, a man driving in front of us stepped out of his vehicle to hand a tract to another man who was walking among the graves. They chatted for a brief moment, then the man who had received the tract shook his head, and handed the tract back, then walked away. I'll never forget the sight of that - a man, surrounded by the reality of death, rejecting the gospel. How heart-breakingly sad. I wanted to run after him and beg him to change his mind. I pray God will use something in his life to get through to him.
I hope this Memorial Day finds you with a thankful heart, remembering loved ones and those who have served our country and gone on before. I have an Uncle on my Dad's side who died in WW2 just two weeks before the war ended. He was only nineteen years old. I hope and pray that someone in the trenches in Italy presented the Gospel to him and that I will get to meet him in heaven some day.
In His Care ~ Beth ~
Sunday, May 25, 2008
A Beautiful Lord's Day
It's a beautiful, sunny Sunday afternoon here in the Red River Valley. It's probably the nicest day we have had so far this Spring. Church was so good today - we are re-arranging our Sunday School hour to make for smaller class sizes and I am excited to see what is in store. Our church is growing by leaps and bounds and our Pastor is making every effort to ensure that things still remain personalized and people don't "fall through the cracks" with increased growth. We have such a wise Pastor. Our family is so blessed to be a small part of the wonderful church we are in.
All the way to church this morning our family laughed and joked and enjoyed each other's company. I must admit though that Sundays are not always like that, as satan loves to fight. My husband and I do make an effort though to have things pleasant on the way to church, to make an atmosphere of praise and thankfulness before we even drive into the church parking lot. I know the devil hates it though and that is why he fights so hard. He loves nothing more than to drive a wedge between family members and he shouts with glee when they bicker and fight on the way to church. What better way to get our minds off God's word?
I knew on the drive there that somehow this was going to be a special Sunday. We actually got there quite early, and I was able to spend some time in prayer prior to the Sunday School hour. Most times I think the majority of the battle is waged in our hearts long before we take our place in the pew. Our attitudes throughout the day can affect the sowing of the word of God in our hearts prior to a church service. When people enter smiling, with eager anticipation, and sing and pray and enter into the service whole-heartedly, that is when God will really work.
I hope and pray that anyone who might read this blog has a place of worship, and a church family that they love. I really don't know what we would do without ours.
In His Care ~ Beth ~
All the way to church this morning our family laughed and joked and enjoyed each other's company. I must admit though that Sundays are not always like that, as satan loves to fight. My husband and I do make an effort though to have things pleasant on the way to church, to make an atmosphere of praise and thankfulness before we even drive into the church parking lot. I know the devil hates it though and that is why he fights so hard. He loves nothing more than to drive a wedge between family members and he shouts with glee when they bicker and fight on the way to church. What better way to get our minds off God's word?
I knew on the drive there that somehow this was going to be a special Sunday. We actually got there quite early, and I was able to spend some time in prayer prior to the Sunday School hour. Most times I think the majority of the battle is waged in our hearts long before we take our place in the pew. Our attitudes throughout the day can affect the sowing of the word of God in our hearts prior to a church service. When people enter smiling, with eager anticipation, and sing and pray and enter into the service whole-heartedly, that is when God will really work.
I hope and pray that anyone who might read this blog has a place of worship, and a church family that they love. I really don't know what we would do without ours.
In His Care ~ Beth ~
Saturday, May 24, 2008
My 40th Birthday
I celebrated my belated 40th birthday last night with another friend who also turned 40 - and many more friends who joined in the fun. I was a little mortified when the "Happy Birthday Song" people showed up on the scene - I had to shake a maraca - but I made my friend wear the obnoxious sombrero. After all it was her actual 40th - mine was about 3 weeks ago. On that day (April 26th) we had a BLIZZARD and I did not make it into town. I didn't know it, but friends had planned a surprise party for me. Oh well - we made up for it last night. It was a lot of fun and I enjoyed visiting with Godly friends and laughing - and of course eating. I ordered a seafood burrito, much to my husband's dismay. He does not think seafood belongs in Mexican food, but I think it is good. I am happy today because I have the other half of the burrito for lunch, woohoo!!
One of my dear friends gave me a bag with all these candies/sodas that were popular when I was a little girl. Remember Pop Rocks? Those were my favorite. We all got a chuckle out of remembering all the goodies - chicklets gum, slo-pokes, bottle caps, snaps, bit-o-honey, lemonheads, fruit stripe gum, Nesbitt's soda - and much more. I felt like a little kid again on a summer day heading to the little grocery store on main street with money from my piggy bank - and loading my pockets with treats! Now I know why I had so many trips to the dentist as a child...
Even though today is a Saturday we will have school this afternoon as usual. Kyle works a 4-day week, Wednesday through Saturday, and he has Sunday, Monday and Tuesday off. So when Daddy is at work we typically have school...unless we have some other activity or the beautiful weather beckons us to play outside!!
Last Saturday we planted a garden with our neighbor and I think we'll walk over there and see if any plants are daring to poke up out of the ground. It's still been so cold I think perhaps the seeds might be afraid to germinate yet! I'm sure the weeds are making progress though so I'll take the kids and we can pluck weeds. I sure did enjoy planting that garden - I have not done that since I was a little kid. And we'll enjoy the fresh vegetables even more, I am sure!
Yesterday we drove by a house and the garage door was open - and inside it was stuffed to the max with STUFF. I thought it looked a little like the "storage" side of our basement. I need to get through the many boxes and rubbermaid containers we have down there and get it organized. I still have some pictures and decorations I need to put up that are stored too - and we have lived here a year! So this afternoon I think I will put on my favorite movie - Little Women (with Winona Ryder) and sort through some boxes. Once I get going it probably won't take that long. I just hope there are no spiders lurking down there!!
I hope you are having a fantastic weekend!
In His Care ~ Beth ~
One of my dear friends gave me a bag with all these candies/sodas that were popular when I was a little girl. Remember Pop Rocks? Those were my favorite. We all got a chuckle out of remembering all the goodies - chicklets gum, slo-pokes, bottle caps, snaps, bit-o-honey, lemonheads, fruit stripe gum, Nesbitt's soda - and much more. I felt like a little kid again on a summer day heading to the little grocery store on main street with money from my piggy bank - and loading my pockets with treats! Now I know why I had so many trips to the dentist as a child...
Even though today is a Saturday we will have school this afternoon as usual. Kyle works a 4-day week, Wednesday through Saturday, and he has Sunday, Monday and Tuesday off. So when Daddy is at work we typically have school...unless we have some other activity or the beautiful weather beckons us to play outside!!
Last Saturday we planted a garden with our neighbor and I think we'll walk over there and see if any plants are daring to poke up out of the ground. It's still been so cold I think perhaps the seeds might be afraid to germinate yet! I'm sure the weeds are making progress though so I'll take the kids and we can pluck weeds. I sure did enjoy planting that garden - I have not done that since I was a little kid. And we'll enjoy the fresh vegetables even more, I am sure!
Yesterday we drove by a house and the garage door was open - and inside it was stuffed to the max with STUFF. I thought it looked a little like the "storage" side of our basement. I need to get through the many boxes and rubbermaid containers we have down there and get it organized. I still have some pictures and decorations I need to put up that are stored too - and we have lived here a year! So this afternoon I think I will put on my favorite movie - Little Women (with Winona Ryder) and sort through some boxes. Once I get going it probably won't take that long. I just hope there are no spiders lurking down there!!
I hope you are having a fantastic weekend!
In His Care ~ Beth ~
Friday, May 23, 2008
I'm Not a Morning Person
Today I think I shall write about our daily routines. First of all, I am NOT a morning person - I prefer to sleep in until I awaken rather than hear the irritating sound of the alarm in the morning. Actually what I end up doing is getting up when the kids do. Kyle has to be to work by 5:00am and I'm not the Becky-Homecky type that makes him breakfast before he leaves. (Sorry honey. I did have a dream last night though that I made him steak and eggs!) Anyway...when the kids get up (which usually depends on when they go to bed - if it is my typical standard bedtime of 9:00, then they will wake by 7 or 8) my oldest son Pickles (age 13) will make me coffee. He knows exactly how I like the creamer. And in my opinion coffee without some sort of flavoring like creamer is almost sinful. If you don't like that last statement, too bad. It's my blog and I'll write what I want to! So, once I have some coffee in me I will usually sit down at the computer and check my email and the daily news. I like to know what is going on in the world. We have an online devotional that we get, and depending on how much the kids interrupt me, I'll have some quiet time with the Lord. (Why is it that when we bow our heads to pray the first thing we often hear is, "Mom?") The kids are in and out of my room at this point, I'm reminding them to get dressed, brush their teeth and hair, straighten up their rooms - and eat breakfast. Except this morning PeeWee, age 5, told me he was "full" as soon as he woke up. That was because he wanted to go outside, though. Usually our oldest daughter Peaches, age 15, handles breakfast for everyone. After breakfast we work on household chores and I make sure that each one of the kids has their "zone" in shape. Peaches is in charge of the kitchen/dining areas and laundry, Pickles takes care of the family room/living room and bathroom. The little ones pitch in when asked and need to put away their toys and keep their rooms in shape. That sounds better when I write it than in actual real life. The truth is I am Domestically Challenged. When I was a child I didn't even have to keep my own room clean. I must confess that sometimes I find it very difficult to keep up with 5 children, one husband, one dog, four bedrooms and two bathrooms. Some homemakers might find that horrifying but I am a REAL person and won't sugar-coat this blog. It will just make someone out there in cyberspace feel bad anyway! Don't get me wrong - I love being organized, I love a sparkling clean house, I just am not always there. Okay, getting back to our schedule - after lunch, we usually have Bible reading time and prayer together in the living room. Then I will read (usually) some fiction to the kids. Recently we studied the pioneers and I am currently reading a series on the settling of the Dakota territories in the late 1800's. (Lauraine Snelling - Red River of the North series - needs to be edited a bit for the little ones as there is a bit of romance in the content.) After Reading, Things 1 and 2 work on their math, and Things 3, 4 and 5 (Think Dr. Seuss) work in their workbooks and on their reading skills. Then Things 1 & 2 will do Spelling together, and often I will give them a writing assignment for "homework". I typically have Things 1&2 also do science, history, social studies and geography together - and sometimes we even study it all together as a family. If you haven't guessed, we do a lot of reading. Typical trips to the library involve checking out at least 40 or 50 books. I'm a big believer of learning versus teaching. I use a curriculum for Math, Reading, Spelling and Writing/Grammar. I supplement for science, history, social studies and geography and we have a lot of books on hand to help with that. My philosophy is that kids are learning all the time - I just need to fuel their desire to learn and provide them with good resources. I fancy myself to almost lean towards "unschooling" but for my own peace of mind I do "teach" the first four subjects in the list above. I have used some curriculum for the other four subjects but prefer that the kids learn these things from good books and lessons along the way, especially with Daddy. He loves impromptu science experiments. Once he even did a science experiment in the middle of the night with our oldest two children. I woke up to giggling and talking - and found them in the kitchen with a big mess. I can't even remember what they were studying but they sure do!
Now, back to my schedule. Once schoolwork is finished we'll have playtime (which usually means heading outside or in the case of my oldest child, curling up with a good book) and I'll tidy up the house and start planning for supper. This can be tricky for me as Kyle gets home at about 4:00pm and sometimes he has eaten already, other times he comes home famished. Yesterday he had a snack and went to take a nap. The kids and I ran some errands, checked on Pickles, who was fishing at the river (didn't catch anything) and then came home and made cheeseburgers for supper. We woke Daddy up about 7:00pm, ate supper, and he watched a movie with the kids. I was able to have some time to myself - woohoo!! Then the little ones went to bed about 10:00, the oldest two cleaned up from supper, stayed up a little longer (we tend to be night owls!) and by 11:00 we were all asleep in our cozy beds.
So that is a typical day. Some days the schedule is thrown out the window - sick days, errand days, "Daddy" days - we take each day as it comes and most importantly, we try to learn something new every day. Homeschooling for us is a way of life and never stops after the book-learning is done. In my opinion, that is when true learning actually begins!
In His Care ~ Beth ~
Now, back to my schedule. Once schoolwork is finished we'll have playtime (which usually means heading outside or in the case of my oldest child, curling up with a good book) and I'll tidy up the house and start planning for supper. This can be tricky for me as Kyle gets home at about 4:00pm and sometimes he has eaten already, other times he comes home famished. Yesterday he had a snack and went to take a nap. The kids and I ran some errands, checked on Pickles, who was fishing at the river (didn't catch anything) and then came home and made cheeseburgers for supper. We woke Daddy up about 7:00pm, ate supper, and he watched a movie with the kids. I was able to have some time to myself - woohoo!! Then the little ones went to bed about 10:00, the oldest two cleaned up from supper, stayed up a little longer (we tend to be night owls!) and by 11:00 we were all asleep in our cozy beds.
So that is a typical day. Some days the schedule is thrown out the window - sick days, errand days, "Daddy" days - we take each day as it comes and most importantly, we try to learn something new every day. Homeschooling for us is a way of life and never stops after the book-learning is done. In my opinion, that is when true learning actually begins!
In His Care ~ Beth ~
Thursday, May 22, 2008
My First Blog
Hello,
This is my first blog. I love to write and plan to blog on topics about homeschooling, motherhood, my hobbies, and being a wife and Christian. Not necessarily in that order!! Today is May 22nd, 2008 - it is a beautiful, sunshiny day here in West Central Minnesota. There is no snow on the ground, woohoo! That is something to celebrate - considering it snowed on the 10th and that earlier this week it was below freezing one night!! As my Dad used to say, "The cold weather keeps the riff-raff out."
For those of you who don't know me, I have been happily married almost nineteen years, and my husband and I have five children - three girls and two boys. Peaches is 15, Pickles is 13, Peanut is 12, Pumpkin is 7 and PeeWee is 5. We have been homeschooling since the very beginning of our parenthood. Sometimes it is a bit more of a challenge with Peanut, our middle child - because she has Down syndrome. I use a variety of curriculum and try to adapt what we have to fit her needs. I hope this blog can encourage other homeschoolers, especially those who are homeschooling children with special needs. It can be done!
Since we homeschool year-round, we won't be having a long summer break. I don't like to have to review or re-teach things in the fall, and I prefer to keep our schedule basically the same all year long. We have "official" school days 3 to 4 days a week, and we usually take off any days Daddy has off, as well as additional days for holidays, field trips, or necessary breaks in order for me to keep my sanity! I learned a long time ago that what is learned from books is not as important as what we learn from life. Our kids are like sponges and they are learning 24/7 - and the thing that concerns us the most is the molding and shaping of their character.
Now I plan to send this blog out into the world - I hope there is someone out there who can find some encouragement from what I write.
In His Care ~ Beth ~
This is my first blog. I love to write and plan to blog on topics about homeschooling, motherhood, my hobbies, and being a wife and Christian. Not necessarily in that order!! Today is May 22nd, 2008 - it is a beautiful, sunshiny day here in West Central Minnesota. There is no snow on the ground, woohoo! That is something to celebrate - considering it snowed on the 10th and that earlier this week it was below freezing one night!! As my Dad used to say, "The cold weather keeps the riff-raff out."
For those of you who don't know me, I have been happily married almost nineteen years, and my husband and I have five children - three girls and two boys. Peaches is 15, Pickles is 13, Peanut is 12, Pumpkin is 7 and PeeWee is 5. We have been homeschooling since the very beginning of our parenthood. Sometimes it is a bit more of a challenge with Peanut, our middle child - because she has Down syndrome. I use a variety of curriculum and try to adapt what we have to fit her needs. I hope this blog can encourage other homeschoolers, especially those who are homeschooling children with special needs. It can be done!
Since we homeschool year-round, we won't be having a long summer break. I don't like to have to review or re-teach things in the fall, and I prefer to keep our schedule basically the same all year long. We have "official" school days 3 to 4 days a week, and we usually take off any days Daddy has off, as well as additional days for holidays, field trips, or necessary breaks in order for me to keep my sanity! I learned a long time ago that what is learned from books is not as important as what we learn from life. Our kids are like sponges and they are learning 24/7 - and the thing that concerns us the most is the molding and shaping of their character.
Now I plan to send this blog out into the world - I hope there is someone out there who can find some encouragement from what I write.
In His Care ~ Beth ~
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