The Start of Bend Bunny Barn

Notice the hat that got for entering votes. 

We're entering our fourth week of school and it's right on time that I start to question my methods with the girls.

Their friends are settling into their public school experiences, photos of homecoming celebrations are flooding fb and this little voice starts to say, "Are you sure this is the right way?"

But then, I witness this happen in my kitchen before breakfast... the girls working together, in a fair, systematic way to develop a large project together. This time it's Bend Bunny Barn - the culmination of their 4h bunny breeding endeavor.

I was completely engrossed in reading and didn't even know what they were working on until I started hearing words like, "That's one vote for..."; "Now we will need..."; "What do you think about..."

No different from any other kids, now that they are 13, 11 and 7 their opinions are strong and largely inflexible (especially where sisters are concerned). So the current conversation definitely caught my ear.

It can be so challenging to forge an independent path for your kids especially in this day & age of social media where opinions aren't as carefully delivered as they would be face-to-face. Few parents would disagree that the public education system is broken and yet they are the same who are first to fire question after question at you about the choice to homeschool. 

The fact that, without my interference, my kids are working on a project in a kind, fair, creative way leads me to believe The Smithgirls are doing just fine. 

(Please excuse the backgrounds in my photos but these are real, not staged photos. Also, Q bought the face masks at Dollar Tree for Lilly as a joke because our house is small and Lil & her germs just won't stay still. It was hysterical that they made her wear one this morning so she could participate.)

Slowly Getting Organized

Sometimes, I'm a bit too busy and moving a little too fast to realize very obvious facts. 

Signing up for Thirty-One would help me get organized! I've been focused on paring down our possessions but now to organize what's left.

Do you see that cute bit of red plaid? That is the solution to Lilly's math manipulative problem. 

My kids love anything tactile to help them learn. We have the base ten cubes that click together, the tiny blue cubes that come in singles, 10 rods and 100 flats and more. 

This sweet little bag was part of the consultant kit (so I consider it free 😊) and it's perfect. Just the right size and is the perfect length to fit in our hutch. 

It's called the All-In Organizer & sells for $20 (or it comes as 1 of the 10 bags in the consultant kit for $99).

I have visions of time saved when I tell Lil to get her math materials out and also look forward to the missing sound of plastic bouncing on the floor. Fingers crossed.

Here's a link if you'd like one for yourself. Here's the link if you want to check out the consultant kit.

Routine

After waking up super early and having everything ready for the first day of homeschool, the kids had to wake ME on the second. Oops. I guess it's good that they know their mom isn't perfect.

I don't want to jinx things, but our past 2 days of school have been organized, productive and fun. Maybe it's because my youngest is now in first grade and is a bit more independent? All summer she said over and over again that she didn't want to do schoolwork. But the minute she realized that she was doing similar work to her older sisters, she was in 100%.

My goal is to make time for some of the very imortant subjects that were falling by the wayside when we run short on time. I've had quite a journey in my health these past two years and I want to impart some of that knowledge to the kids from the get-go so they don't require a health scare to get it right.

One of those is meditation. Scientific studies now prove what I experienced myself. Tremendous, identifiable benefits from even the quickest meditation routine. I found some great books on meditation and yoga that honor the perspective of a young child who is going to find deep breathing through your diaphragm hysterical.

My favorite is Breathe, Chill - A Handy Book of Games and Techniques Introducing Breathing, Meditation and Relaxation to Kids and Teens by Lisa Roberts. It was very inexpensive on Amazon and well worth it. All my kids love it (ages 6-12).

The other topic is faith. I was raised from birth as a Catholic. My mom was Catholic; my dad a non practicing Episcopalian. We went to church every week and holidays but that was about it. We didn't have family prayer despite the fact that I know my mom had a tremendous faith. It just was not talked about much in our home.

That "holy on Sundays only" was one of the reasons that I left the church from my college years through my 30's. I felt like I should either be Catholic all the time or none. And I also didn't have enough opportunity to develop my own meaningful relationship with God.

Funny how the threat of a severe illness crystalizes your beliefs in a matter of moments. Needless to say, we've been back to the church since 2014 and as my younger self would have wished, we're practicing catholicism all week long.

That being said, we are also starting every day with a quick bit of cathecism. Another good book I found, Totally Catholic by Mary Glavich.

Each chapter touches on a topic: What is faith?, What is the Sacrament of Penance? What is Involved in Honesty?, etc. They also include a scripture link, a couple of quick "Did you know?" facts and a very brief biography of a saint.  It's a great opportunity for the kids to ask questions and discuss and only took about 15 minutes to go through the chapter.

This morning, I got up early enough to have plenty of time to myself prepping for the day. That included some work on Purlsmith (my Etsy shop that sells freshwater pearl and silver stitch markers). I can't tell you how much fun I had playing with pearls and acorn caps. Just enough to make my creative side feel satisfied before I devote the day to the kids.

Time to go work on the schedule in Excel and see if I can find the perfect blend of planned with room for going off on tangents, our specialty.

Have fun
-Becky

Fresh Start to a New Year

I've been up since 3:30am - could not sleep with anticipation about today - the first day of the new school year. I'm not sure if it's the fact that my youngest starts first grade or if it's my worries about being able to manage it all this year. Either way, I'm up. And as tradition has it in our household, I'm making homemade cinnamon rolls for our first morning's breakfast. They are gluten, dairy & corn free and still somehow taste delicious.

I'm intrigued to see what happens this school year. This summer was unlike any other. I broke my foot in mid-May, ended up having surgery and remained flat on my back for 2 weeks followed by about 10 weeks of very limited movement. So the plans of backyard parties, hiking, biking, swimming, etc all went away quickly. I still have a month of recovery to go. I can walk only short distances, can't walk on uneven ground and have limited foot mobility... but I'm getting there and am extremely grateful for every tiny advance I make.

Our summer was very quiet. At first, it seemed completely awful and made me so mad at myself for tripping and breaking my foot in the first place. Convinced that I had ruined my kids' summer, I'm sure I was a difficult patient. Sorry, Lled. But then, we settled into the quiet pace and ended up loving it. I mean, I couldn't drive - it was my driving foot that was hurt - so going too many places was not an option. The schedule was cut to the girls' favorite events - tennis lessons every day for the whole summer, trips to the pool & local concerts were our entertainment. Otherwise, there was a lot of time at home.

You would think I'd have used that time very wisely and be prepared at an unprecedented level for the new school year. Um, no. Quite the opposite. Turns out that when you are in constant pain, researching curriculum isn't top of the list. The funny thing was, I was as busy as ever with the kids; the only difference was I was lying on the couch. Lilly and I read a lot and colored together. The older girls did craft projects alongside me and snuck into the space next to me for endless cuddles.

Of course, there were times when they were arguing and there was nothing I could do about it but sit and listen. But when they were getting along and I got used to sitting down for long periods of time, it was actually kind of nice. I mean, I'm always saying we're too busy and that we need a time-out from our busy-ness. I guess God was listening because I sure did get a break.

But the take-away of the summer is that I truly appreciated the quiet time with my family. I honestly refuse to continue with these insane, busy schedules because it's become the status quo. Sure, my kids would benefit from the 200 options available to fill their afterschool, evening and weekend hours. But we actually got to relax this summer and I have to tell you, I like that family a lot more than I like the stressed, busy one racing here and there.

Do I think we can have a completely relaxed school year? No, it's doubtful. 

But I sure think that we can select in which activities to participate and decline others, no matter how wonderful they are. Am I worried about taking my kids out of some of these when so many of their peers will continue with them? Sure. But like this summer. They will survive, develop and thrive just as well.

So my goal for this year is to foster each child to pursue what they love; to enable them to deeply learn valuable information of importance while encouraging an atmosphere of mindfulness and to continue to develop our "village." We'll see how it goes.

Cheers
-Becky

The little greenhouse that could

I think it's very funny that in all the years we lived in an agricultural valley, we barely used the greenhouse. And now, the greenhouse is the epicenter of our universe or so it seems. 

We are having so much fun with it! And it's tiny but that's half the fun. Engineering new shelving configurations to maximize capacity is a constant conversation. Sounds like a more fun way of learning math than a worksheet. 

We need to actualize one of those plans because we are out of space.

The girls were thrilled to discover the carrots, beets & scallions have emerged.

The sunflowers are exploding & needed to be potted up. With no pots around,Quincey reminded me about newspaper pots. You use a soup can for a form, roll, tape and voila. I'm not sure how much strength they'll have when wet but if we keep them in the tray, they should work out great.

My goal for the backyard this year is "private sanctuary." As in, I can garden in my pjs without the world seeing; I can sip a cup of coffee on the backporch looking at the mountains without watching cars drive by. My plan relies on filling in the borders with Indian corn, mammoth sunflowers and hops vines. If I can get the irrigation right, it should work much more cheaply than fencing the whole 1/2 acre. Now, I just have to figure out how to keep the dogs from stepping on them. 

This weekend was wonderful but exhausting. Quin had great games with her traveling soccer team. Harper competed on her first 4h dog match and placed 1st in showmanship and 3rd in obedience. And Lilly was thrilled to get 2 goals in her soccer game. And that was just Saturday. Sunday was more soccer games and 4h meetings- the girls went to their 4h sewing while I led a cloverbud meeting about bees. I'll try to write a post about that cloverbud meeting so I have the resources for another day. Fun! 

It's been nice to spend the past 2 days relaxing, planting and making. 

 

Fresh Start

(I love this picture. I found it by chance doing yard cleanup today. It says "L heart Q"; my 6 year old heart my 9 year old).

Last summer, we did almost nothing for a garden. We'd just moved, we had some scary medical issues hanging over our heads and it just wasn't doable.

But this is our year. Funny thing is, I'm starting from scratch on a property I stated from scratch 15 years ago. 

Except for the birch trees in the front yard, a few ornamental trees and our ornamental pond that my sweet husband dug for me way back when we were newlyweds with a pick axe because of all the lavarock, it's a blank canvas.

We live in the high desert which means scorching temps during the day, cold frosts well into July and little rain.

I'm hoping if we take it 20 minutes at a time, everyday, and make it part of our homeschool, we'll be well on our way in no time. 

So these pictures are day 1. We have 3 trays of seeds in the greenhouse. But the greenhouse is still packed with gardening tools, etc that need to find a home elsewhere. 

The main garden needs raised beds; a deer-proof fence and new soil. 

Just imagine lots of healthy, organic veggies, berries, herbs, a cut flower garden and a pumpkin patch. Don't worry. It will happen. Just squint a little and I know you'll see the vision.

Wish us luck. 

Comparing & Contrasting: Art Materials

 Art is really important in our house. Not that any of us are dedicated artists but we all like to experiment and play.

The most important lesson I've learned related to kids and art is that the results of their projects is directly related to the quality of their supplies. In other words, mediocre supplies = mediocre results.

Why does this matter? In our house, and probably in most, when my kids feel successful in a project of any subject matter, they ask to do more. When they finish an art project and can't believe they created it, their confidence & self esteem go through the roof and they are just so happy.  

So, this year, I decided that fewer supplies of better quality was the way to go.  I love to shop locally but I confess, for art supplies, I don't. Instead, Amazon had just what I needed.


A good set of oil pastels with a range of colors and good blendability for great results. My kids have enjoyed this set. Even my 5 year old hasn't snapped any while using. The color selection is beautiful and so exciting for the kids. They feel like true artists when they use them. And don't forget the paper. Copy paper is great for a lot of kids art, but not this. Nothing is more discouraging then when a child wears a hole into the middle of their picture.



Watercolors - We do have a set of liquid watercolors which give a nice vibrant color. But I like the pans so they can easily blend the colors. These are not expensive by any means. So instead, I chose to buy the real watercolor paper. Wow - does this make a difference. The kids can actually use the paints as they are intended: mixing right on the paper, blotting, etc. without tears or holes. And you can cut up the paper into small pieces and tell the kids to make miniature pictures. My kids loved that.

Colored Pencils. Again, the sets that crayola sells are probably fine. But I chose to get each child a small tin of Prismacolor pencils. They wear well and blend nicely. The tins make them easy to transport with their nature journals.

Comparing the New Supplies
I wanted to highlight the different results each one would create. So, I had the kids sketch a big glass jar of multi-sized sunflowers. We copied the image using charcoal pencils over the outline, laying it flat a blank piece and rubbing the back of the paper with the image on it to make the transfer. This worked pretty slickly and the kids loved it.

During our read alouds, I asked them to color their pictures - each time with a different medium. So one was colored pencil, watercolor and the last was oil pastel.



8 year old's:(l to r) colored pencil, watercolor, oil pastel
 

We held them up and talked about their likenesses & differences; moods they created; "energy" they had and where they would be most appropriate (ie. book illustration, framed art, etc.)



10 year olds: (l to r): Colored Pencil; Watercolor; Oil Pastel

This turned out to be a great exercise. If I did it again, I'd probably ask them to use the same colors for each of the pictures for a true comparison. But I couldn't bring myself to do that. They were so excited about the new supplies that I didn't want to crush that enthusiasm. As you can see my 10 year old did do them all the same which is so in keeping with her personality.

5 year old's: Colored Pencil; Watercolor;  Oil Pastel

We might continue this idea using these same base images for contrast of the elements of art (line, texture, etc).

Nature Walks: Slow Starts = Better Days

Sometimes, well, most of the time, the list of what we need to accomplish in a day is so long and jam packed that my first tendency is to get the kids some breakfast and get to it.

Those are without question always our worst days. They are guaranteed to end with the girls in tears or frustration and bickering and me wondering what on Earth I am doing.

Slowly, slowly, I am learning that taking 45 minutes - yes, a whole 45 slow minutes - to go find a little corner of nature where we can quietly and peacefully observe and investigate- is the best way to start our day.

My kids, and probably all kids, need that time to just relax, find something interesting and get themselves ready for the day.

 At the start of the year, I bought the kids really nice art-style journals to be used for nature journals, as well as artist quality colored pencils. I bought my 4 year old an artist flip pad because she'd fill up the book by the third day. She loves it and she can draw away to her heart's content.

 

We looked at examples of art and science journals emphasizing that they could choose to draw one tiny portion of what they are seeing in detail rather than the whole thing in a generic way. It's been another way of working vocabulary into our day. I ask that they write down descriptive words to represent what they observe. My 4 asked me to spell "turning leaves" for this day.

It's working. The kids are loving it and I am cherishing these oh-so-rare-and-precious unrushed times together. This is more of the "good stuff" that comes with all the work of homeschooling.- Becky

Book Reviews They're Excited to Do

Getting into character for the video review.



My girls read all the time. Getting them to read has never been the problem. Getting them to document it with a book review is another story entirely.

Enter my iPhone and the iMovie app.

Many teacher friends share wonderful videos they've compiled with their children. Still images, videos, interviews and music combined to present a compelling message. We haven't done any of this and it's been on my to-do list for too long.

So, I though I'd look to see if there was an iMovie app for my phone and of course, there's an app for that.

For $4.99, I purchased the Apple iMovie app and within an hour, our first video was made.

I presented the idea to the girls, how they'd need to come up with props, a background and to do a write-up to prep for their talk. They LOVED the project and got straight to work, even the four year old. It was a relief to cross this battle off our weekly list and a great reminder that if they are putting up a fuss, thinking of a new angle is the way to go.

Here are the results of week one. These were all completed within the first afternoon of presenting the project and as you can see, the videography can use some work. But they were rushing as we only had one phone and they were eager to push the others along and get to their turn (to do a book review!)

They are pretty sweet.
Enjoy
Becky

The 4 year old's review of LaRue Across America: http://youtu.be/fWp3JNXV31c

The 8 year old's review of a Magic Tree House book: http://youtu.be/AZpcQW3C-CU

100%

The 10 year old's review of Nancy Drew's Mystery of the Fire Dragon: http://youtu.be/3tELl7eCG5s

100%

 

So Much Better the Second Time Around

Well, I was supposed to be blogging every night as a means of keeping record of what we are doing... hmm... that doesn't seem like it will work.

 

 

I'm going to give myself a break right now and say that posts, as I can get them done, are just fine.

That being said, it's been two weeks since we started school. They have been truly the best two weeks of homeschooling ever! If you are new to homeschooling and are feeling overwhelmed, hang in there!

 

 It gets so much easier!!

 

Starting off the year with curriculum that I was able to pick based on each child's learning style has made a tremedous difference. Beside the actual learning of the information, which is obviously the important part, what I am finding equally as important is how their self-esteems seem to be through the roof... and we're only at the end of week 2.

 

 One daughter, who has really worked to develop reading fluency and previously wouldn't read if anyone was in earshot, asked if she could volunteer to help read to younger children. She has been through periods of being painfully shy and asked if we could invite neighbors to come watch their weekly presentations.

 

My four year old adores having her older sisters home. I've been incredibly impressed with her ability to play independently when needed. On the flip side, she loves working on school work too. I had bought a book at a yardsale that requires the child to cut out templates, trace, cut pieces and ultimately assemble a picture of an object that begins with a certain letter. She loves it and I have to say, I'm impressed. Sometimes, it's a lot of cutting and assembling but she just plugs along and gets it done. Go Sweetie!

 

 

 

But nothing makes her happier when I send them all outside for a break. Her eight year old sister has always had an enormous imagination. That was one of the changes that came over her when she attended public school for 2 years that I didn't like. Somewhere along the line, she either had gotten the message at school that she was "too old" to play like that anymore or was just not being her true self. I honestly thought that she had outgrown it because she never played like this anymore. Maybe it was a "fitting in with the other kids" thing or maybe just a lack of free time after school & homework - yes, homework in first grade.

 

 

 

 

She's spent the past 2 weeks with her little sister creating various restaurants for pet bunnies. Here they are above hard at work creating today's menu. 

 

The Weeks' Highlights

 

:: Weekly Investigations. Last year, I asked the kids to pick small, focused topics about which to do a small report to be presented each Friday. Each week was a new topic of their choice with the goal of a different "alternative style" of reporting each Friday. Well, that got forgotten pretty quickly. Chosen topics were too big; weekly deadlines weren't met and a whole lack of follow-through on my part left these "Investigations" on the "To Do" list.

 

This year, we're trying again. This time, I have been firm about only one aspect: it has got to be a topic focused enough to be completed in a week. This is challenging for my oldest, very detail oriented girl. There honestly were tears when I told her that the subject of Amazing Structures of the World was too wide a topic. Eventually, she picked The Eiffel Tower. She almost didn't make the "friday night after dinner presentation time" but did.

 

The "Investigations exceeded my hopes. One girl did hers on bunny behaviors and the other on The Eiffel Tower. Both were wonderful! Here's my bunny lover. Look at that smile!

 

The Bunny Behaviors was a powerpoint presentation. I loved it! I loved her enthusiasm; the fact that she didn't just read off the screen and how proud of herself she was.

 

The Eiffel Tower report was a combination one-page written report - you don't know how much restraint this took for my girl (so proud of her!) and a beautiful digital collage created in Adobe Photoshop of different images and funfacts related to the project. So great!

 

:: Public School Schedule Abandoned. I was shocked when my older girls, both individually and at seperate times, expressed that they think we should not try to keep the same schedule as their friends in public school. Last year, this was a must for them. Otherwise, it just wasn't fair. I love that sometimes they start working on a project before breakfast because they just can't wait or on the weekend! To me, that's it. The mission is complete. Learning is no longer an activity that they associate with a building from 8am-3pm; its returning to a lifestyle and a joy. Why wouldn't they want to do it anytime when it is so much for for them?

 



 

 

This girl struggles with sensory overload. Being able to work on a project in a quiet room with her cat laying next to her makes her happy. Me too.

 

 

:: Reading Together. I have read to my children while they eat lunch since they were babies. This turned out to be a very bad thing when they attended public school as they are very slow eaters and in no way, shape or form could begin to finish their lunches in the fifteen minutes alloted for lunchtime. 

 

I love that we can return to that tradition. They love to have a book read to them; even the ten year old. What a lucky mom am I. We've slowly been working our way through the Newberry Award winners or through great books recommended by teachers on Pinterest and blogs. We're still reading The Penderwicks by Jane Birdsall and they always beg for another chapter. It's just such a tremendous teaching opportunity and family bonding, as well.

 

 

:: Whole vs. Parts.  Attitudes and behaviors have changed noticeably in these first two weeks. I love that many aspects of life are all rolled up in our homeschooling. Learning is a lifestyle; really great family time is guaranteed every day; there's the time for kids to explore their interests for hours every day; information is conveyed in the most meaningful, comprehensive way for them and in a whole lot shorter time too which means more time to spend with their friends and pursue interests outside of the house. They're even doing their "share" of the housekeeping (aka chores) mixed into their days. In other words, they're learning to be independent, productive, well-balanced and inquisitive. This I love.

 

I'm sure we have some really bad days ahead. But as a woman who lost her dad at age 17 and her mom at 35, I count my blessings every day that I am able to have all of this time with my girls. I truly hope that we can continue as long as it is the right decision for them because it has been so much better this second time around.... I just can't imagine how wonderful next year could be.

 

Becky

Staying True to the Spirit of the Plan

Days one and two are done. I wasn't as prepared as I wanted to be. All of the curriculum hadn't arrived on time. And yet, we had two wonderful days of gently rolling back into the school cycle.

It's difficult to do things differently than everyone else. Not until this summer was I confident enough in our decision to homeschool that I finally gave up the need to explain what and why we were doing this to anyone who had a comment about it - and believe me, some of the comments are incredibly judgemental. The changes for the positive in our children is reason enough for me. Not that they had problems to begin with, it's just that they are so much more their "true" selves after a year of learning at home. They are happy, so we are happy.

Our plan is eclectic. Not unschooling, but not traditional either. I have borrowed ideas and methods from: Classical, Waldorf, Montessori and Charlotte Mason models of education. And each child seems to need a different mix. That's the beauty of homeschool.

We read endlessly, aloud together and independently; study poetry; go on nature walks every morning; write in all different formats and for all different reasons - from postcards that will be read internationally to stories and plays, perhaps for our eyes only; make art, art and more art; experiment with messy science projects and grow gardens. And then there's language, both Spanish and Latin. Spanish, for obvious reasons, and latin because it will help so much with vocabulary & comprehension throughout their lives. Math is interactive, kinesthetic and full of manipulatives and games. The history curriculum is called, "Story of the World." And that's what it is, chronologically from beginning to present. Weekly piano classes with an amazing teacher is a favorite of theirs.

Our plan also involves connecting our children to others and their "passions". I am not particularly passionate about science, but there are volunteers at OMSI throughout the exhibits and labs who are! I can stand quietly aside while the kids get plugged into their passion. We are fortunate to have access to 2 science museums and will attempt to get to one each week.
Through the incredible organization of an area homeschool group, we'll be on field trips several times a month to an incredible variety of venues.

Every week includes a trip to the library for independent study about a topic of their choice with a presentation at the end of the week to share their discoveries.

We want to teach our children that they have a responsibility to help in their communities and so volunteering will be a regular activity as well.

They'll be continuing on their soccer teams; starting 4H and attending a weekly knitting group.

The above is the goal. Will we make it? Not sure. I'm sure it will need to be tweaked quite often.

Mainly, we need to just keep reminding ourselves that we aren't trying to recreate a classroom at home and stay true to the spirit of the plan.

I started off the school year by giving each child a basket filled with goodies needed for the year. To each item, I attached a sticky note with an explanation as to why it was included. Markers said "To keep things colorful"; a box of tea "To keep things calm"; several skeins of yarn for an ongoing blanket project said "To create something to keep you warm." There was a cute monogrammed ovenight bag for my oldest that read "To stay in touch with your friends" - this was difficult for us last year and we're hoping to do better this year. They really loved this whole idea and I will do it again in the future. Sorry the pictures are so dark. They were taken in the middle of the night when the kids were asleep.

Favorite happening today: The burrito bar for bunnies that 2 of my daughters set up in the backyard for their pets. I love watching my 8 year old play like this and connect with her 4 year old sister. They are a sweet duo.

Grateful for today.