Staying Home and Staying Sane

Back on Track

2007-10-24T12:07:00.000-04:00

Vacationing and the enchantments of fall have kept me from my computer. If you live in an area of the country where the leaves change be sure to take you kids out to enjoy it one last time before the cold moves in. I learned a few things about traveling with kids these last few weeks.
1. Pack more food than you think they could possibly eat, boredom can be staved off by food.
2. Variety: movies, books on tape and magnetic board games can pass time in the car very comfortably.
3. Plan to stop. Little legs and bladders need to get out of the car, plan plenty of time for stopping and stretching. Enjoy the journey!
We now have several leaf presses, sitting under the books on our shelves and the kids anxiously ask me when they can look at them. I try to let them dry for two weeks and I will only pull them out on a rainy day when we have to stay inside. I've all ready found some small pieces of wood and have cut them to coaster size. I'll have the kids paint them brown or grey and then we'll glue the dried leaves on them. Finally we'll cover them with a glassy looking sealant from the craft store. We should have just enough for each of the grandparents to get a set of four. This project will encompass many different skills for my kids, including creativity and will make a one of a kind gift for their grandparents. Stretching the project over several weeks has only added to the excitement.

Fall is in the Air

2007-09-26T11:47:00.000-04:00

Don't miss out on the beauties of the fall season! I checked out a book on birds and butterflies from our library and my son and I have spent several hours on the back porch leafing through the pages. He wants to know all the different names and cries out in delight when we see a live bird or butterfly. Then we hunt through the book to find out what it is called. Yesterday we took a hike near a local lake. My son recognized the Monarch butterflies he saw flitting around and a bluebird in a tree. I found him late in the evening sitting in a chair, with his blankie and stuffed toy pouring over the pages of birds on his own. I am amazed by how much he can learn and how eager he is to absorb knowledge.
Take some time to explore and explain some of the beauties of the fall season with your child

Take Care of Yourself!

2007-09-26T11:29:00.000-04:00

As a busy mom I know how easily we can let our health slide while caring for our children and spouse. This weekend I discovered a solution to this problem. Being healthy is simple. Exercise, Eat right, Supplement where needed. If you find yourself frequently drained of energy, tired and worn out you need to make taking care of yourself a higher priority. The way I see it is you can't take care of anyone else if you are ill. It's harder than it sounds in some ways and easier in others.
Supplements. I didn't use to believe in vitamins but I recently came across something fabulous; Nutrition made simple! As a busy mom I can't have twelve bottles to open six times a day; I need something simple and portable. I found the leading multivitamin company in the world Nutrilite and they have a solution for all us busy moms. All the basic supplements you need in a simple daily foil packet. I tried it and loved it! One box has enough packets for a month and I always keep some in my purse. That way when I forget to take them at breakfast I can open one up whenever I remember! I've been using them for a while now and honestly can say that I feel like I have more energy and stamina and I've avoided all the fall flu bugs so far once I started taking them. You should check them out, they may be just the kick you need to have the energy to be a mom 24 hours a day 7 days a week!
Exercise has always been a tough one for me. Recently I struck a deal with my husband, I would get up at 5:30am and exercise if he would promise to take care of the kids till I was done. This has worked great, i'm always done working out by 7am and my husband has become remarkably able to change and dress our kids and get himself ready for work in that time! I finish exercising and make breakfast and he is out the door to work by 7:30am. Find something that works for you, trade an hours worth of babysitting with a friend twice a week so you can exercise. There are lots of options and you will thank yourself for making it a priority. You will have more energy and feel better about your body.
Eating right is a struggle with small children. Well, mine anyways, they love fruit, and fried food. They run at the sight of anything that resembles a vegetable and I've found it impossible to make them one meal and me another. To overcome this issue somewhat I really try to make sure that all our snacks are healthy so I can eat them too. Apples and pears are great when you are out and about, little mess and enough to kill the sugar urge.

Ahhh Moving

2007-09-18T14:32:00.000-04:00

Wow, I forgot how much time moving can take out of your life. We just moved to a new house this last weekend and I didn't get online at all! But it was worth it! We now have a yard and what a wonderful place full of learning a yard can be! My boys found a bird's nest in the pine tree, tossed wild apples around the apple tree, chased butterfly's and watched the ants march. I couldn't believe how many things they could find to do! I've noticed that if I don't bring out their toys they will play and explore and make-believe much longer than when they do have their toys out. It is fascinating what they can do with a couple of sticks and their imagination. I had so much fun watching them play and run and laugh. I always wonder, why is it that we rush through these years? Why do we rush are kids away from playing and into doing? I decided that I needed to make a little more room in our days for just playing. I've cut out a few play dates and park dates and other activities to just give my kids an extra hour a day to just play. It gives me more time to think, relax and occasionally work too. Even us grown-ups need to take some time to play in our own way.

Another Great Resource

2007-09-12T09:04:00.000-04:00

I came across another great homschool resource site as I was trolling some of my favorite boards. Be sure to check out The Homeschool Mom. This site is full of organizational helps. If you are like me and fall apart without structure of some kind this site has some great ideas. The "New to Homeschooling" articles are very helpful! They cover everything from organization to what to say to the nay-sayers! One of my favorite spots on this site is the dinner planning help! Ha, with two little ones I can use all the help I can get! Check it out and let me know what you think! Is there something on this site you liked?

Fall Activities

2007-09-10T10:04:00.000-04:00

I will readily admit that fall is my FAVORITE time of year! I think it may be my boys favorite time too. I love the cool nights and warm days. I love watching the trees blush from green to red and gold. My boys delight in our woodland rambles where caterpillars are plentiful and so are butterfly's, slugs birds and squirls. I love answering their questions about what the squirl is doing and why the caterpillar is so fat. The changing leaves are like magic to my boys and they scour the ground for the jewl-like specimens. For me the changing weather brings on strong desire to make soup. I love the smell of simmering soup and the comfort that washes over me when the windows are frosting in the cool night air and I am comfy in my warm kitchen with a bowl of soup. Check out your local area for fun things to do, now that school has started there are a lot of festivals, plays and museums that have special programs and often offer a daytime showing for younger children. Most of all, get outside! Don't waste the last warm days! Every fall I take my boys apple picking! They love it and they love apples. We hoist them up so they can reach the perfect apples and they enjoy sampling many different kinds. I always buy 2 or 3 bushels and spend the next week making Apple Butter. It is easy and delicious. I had a friend describe it once as "like spreading apple pie onto toast". I wash the apples, cut them in half and then cut out the core and then place the apple halves in my Crockpot. I fill it right up to the brim and place the lid on. Then I set it on the 10 hour setting and let it cook while I'm in bed. In the morning will be perfectly mushy, juiced apples. Once you strain them you will be left with nearly a gallon of all natural apple juice! The pulp is then mixed with spices and apple cider vinegar and then canned in a hot water bath. I love the way the jars with their rich brown contents look lined up in the cupboard, ready to bring some warm, sweet sunshine to cloudy snowy days.

Books to read with Toddlers

2007-09-10T09:45:00.000-04:00

My boys love books. They like to look at books and hold them and turn the pages, but most of all they love to sit one on either side of me and listen while I read. I discovered their love of reading in a moment of frustration. It was 6pm, that time of day when my nerves are frazzled, the boys were getting tired and in order to keep themselves awake they begin running laps in the house. After 10 or 15 mins I just can't take it anymore! To my surprise they were very willing to cuddle up next to me and listen to books, sometimes for up to an hour! This has worked great for me but it's sent me into a frenzy of finding books appropriate for their age. They actually enjoy short chapter books such as "Stuar Little" and "Spiderwick" which have pictures and are longer than regular picture books. If you are in the Homeschooling loop you've probably heard of Sonlight. If you are a working mom or a stay-at-home mom you should defiantly take advantage of them as a resource. Their curriculum is basically a fabulous collection of classical children's literature! The Read-aloud link on their site has wonderful ideas for books to read to your children. As I've poked around on their website I've fallen in love with the rich selection of literature they have categorized and ready for you to choose from. Many of the books are classics and contain a moral or teaching for young children and all are clean, and child friendly. I loved browsing their book lists and I like how flexible their toddler curriculum is. You can by the package for around $400 which isn't bad for all those books or you could use their lists as a guide as to what to grab at the library. I like that this curriculum is designed to allow you to teach and talk and develop a love of learning without the pressure of higher academic skills such as math, reading alone, or writing which are not appropriate for toddlers anyway. So check out and enjoy Sonlight. Be sure to carve out some time to just sit and read with your toddler. Those quiet moments are like treasure and hopefully it will make you smile when your 3-year-old eagerly whispers "read mommy!" whenever you pause to long.

Homeschooling Toddlers

2007-09-04T15:42:00.001-04:00

I ran across this website in one of the forums I was on and really liked it. Curriculum It's packed full of things to do with toddlers. Even if you don't do the lessons, there are lots of the activities you can use everyday!

Community and Web Forums

2007-09-04T15:20:00.000-04:00

I don't know that you have the same problem as I do, but where I live there is a sad lack of homeschoolers! I realize that the best place to find hope, and advice along this homeschool journey is to link up with people who are doing what you do! If you are new to homeschooling be sure you get connected with the great big community of homeschoolers out there who will welcome you into the group. I enjoy the wealth of knowledge I find in forums and the easy way forums let you connect with others. Be sure to check out,
www.cafemoms.com, they have a bunch of different homeschool groups. Also, crosswalk.com is a fun Christian centered community. It's not hard to find groups that fit your style, I also joined an email group for classical homeschoolers since that is the method that I'm most interested in. I found the email group by doing a search on the web! Good luck and get connected!

Christian Curriculum

2007-09-04T15:14:00.000-04:00

As I've searched the web in anticipation of homeschooling my boys I've been excited to find so many wonderful Christian home school resources! It delights me that so many different branches of Christianity have developed home school material to fit with their way of living their beliefs. The home school movement seems to be propelled primarily by people who are concerned with the moral environment of their children. It is certainly one of the things that motivates me to home school my boys. I want them to learn in a place where their beliefs will not be laughed at or scorned or simply not talked about. I believe that our belief in God should be what all of our learning revolves around and constantly comes back to. Being Christian is a way of life and a way of learning. There are a lot of resources out there, to many to list. I put a few of my favorites in the links.

Homeschool Supplies

2007-08-31T09:21:00.000-04:00

With the end of August unfortunately comes the end of summer. With the more brisk weather of fall and the chill of winter just around the corner most homeschoolers are filling their shelves with books and activities for the hours that will be spent inside soon. Here's a helpful site for gathering materials if you have preschoolers you will need to keep busy. This online homeschool supply store has good prices and tons of categories to choose from even for toddlers.

The site is the Homeschool Estore and you should defiantly check it out. They also have many resources for all other ages.

More Preschool Homeschool Ideas

2007-08-31T09:03:00.000-04:00

Yesterday my toddlers and I spent the day in the car and at the river. It was very hot. sticky day and I figured I could just write off trying to "work on" any homeschooling. However, one of the best things about homeschooling is that it is a lifestyle of learning, not something to "do" for a few hours a day, especially with toddlers. The car ride provided ample opportunities for identifying colors and cars and trucks. Of course I made sure the boys had some new books for the ride to keep the screaming down. They asked all kinds of questions about the pictures in the books and my three-year-old was constantly pointing to the sentences and asking "mommy, what do the words say?" They were able to make up their own story to the pictures since I had never read it to them which gave them a lot of room to be creative. One of my toddlers is very particular that a story be told the right way. He will correct you if you vary from a previous version. Allowing him to make up his own story for the pictures before hearing the "right" version gave him a chance to break out of his mold.
The river was an even richer source of information gathering. There were bugs, birds, leaves feathers and rocks to talk about. We organized rocks by colors, and size and spent a lot of time throwing different rocks into the river. The boys quickly picked up on the fact that the big rocks were harder to throw. This was a great lesson in comparison, opposites and weight. It amazes me how much their young minds have all ready figured out with no, direct teaching.
It was an exhausting day but happily full of learning opportunities, just as every day should be.

Best Start at the Begining

2007-08-29T12:03:00.000-04:00

Following up on the previous post i'll begin by responding to the question I get quite frequently raising two young children. "When are you sending them to preschool?" I always respond enthusiastically that i'm preschooling at home. That's usually the end of the conversation. When I first looked into pre-schooling my toddler and up-coming toddler, I had some trouble finding a coherent list of "things they need to know" by first grade". I was looking for pre-school standards I guess, just to give me a good idea of where my kids were and what areas I might need to spend some more time with them on. After some searching I came across the "Train up a Child" foundation's fairly comprehensive list, organized by categories that allowed me to check off things that my toddler was able to do and keep track of things I needed to be providing opportunities for.
Here's the Link to the List

Pre-schooling at home doesn't take much time or curriculum. Just spending time with your toddler is nearly sufficient. If you involve them in the cleaning, cooking, organizing and shopping activities of your home you will find many opportunities to teach them basic skills. It will also bring them into contact with other adults and children. Even young children can learn to speak politely to their elders if they are given opportunities and help. Coloring, stringing bead and play dough will help with fine motor skills and outdoor play will not only burn off energy but allow them to develop balance and dexterity.

Looking into Homeschooling

2007-08-28T14:26:00.000-04:00

I've been doing a lot of thinking lately in the area of education for my children. There are so many options out there it is hard to decide. In our area there are the public schools, several charter schools and even a few private schools. Of course there is also the option to home school.
After much consideration I am leaning towards homeschooling my boys, primarily based on my personal experiences teaching in a public school and running a before/after school program as well as the work i've done with GED students.
Everyone has to make there own choice about what is right for them and here you can find several articles detailing personal experiences and decisions to home school.

The Decision the home school and things to consider

Trials and Joys

2007-08-24T11:32:00.000-04:00

Check out this article I wrote about one of the hilarious challenges of being a mom:

http://www.helium.com/tm/550097/challenges-parenthood-varied-believe

Hobby#1: Quilting

2007-08-24T10:53:00.001-04:00

I know some of you are thinking, "quilting? isn't that something old ladies do?" Hey, don't worry, I thought the same thing. Actually, I was surprised at what a mommy friendly thing quilting can be. I discovered that sewing the blocks of a quilt by hand is a fabulous past-time for moms. It takes a little practice and certianly develops patience but it solved on of my biggest problems. I get bored. Okay, after sitting at the playground for an hour I get bored. There isn't always someone for me to talk to since I go during the day and even at home there are chunks of time that get swallowed up in sitting, watching, and waiting. Hand quilting is easy and fun. I put the pieces of the block i'm working on in a ziplock baggie with a ruler, pencil, scissors and thread. This baggie stays in my purse and I can pull it out in the Dr.'s office waiting room, at the park or even at home on the back porch. It is an activity that keeps my hands moving and keeps me from going stir crazy especially in our long New England winters. I was pleasantly surprised at how fast my first attempt went. I made a log cabin patterened throw quilt for my sister. I finished all the blocks in about 3 months. Not bad since it took me an average of 2 to 3 days to complete a block. You know how it is, you never get more than ten minuets to work on anything!
If you are interested in trying out hand quilting, there is a great site for getting started by picking out a pattern.
http://www.quilterscache.com/QuiltBlocksGalore.html

This site is full of ideas for patterns and easy to follow directions for putting the quilt together. The actual mechanics of sewing by hand are pretty straight forward. Spend about 15 minuets with an older, experienced quilter and you can lear the technique. Quilting by hand is a lot like motherhood. You can't stress about when you will finish the project, you have to focus on the little bit you can do today and most improtantly enjoy the journey!

Me Time Break

2007-08-24T10:19:00.000-04:00

You know those times, most often rare, when the kids are playing happily with their cars or books and you can sneak a few moments of "me" time? I get those sometimes and I take advantage of a moment or two to myself to unwind, relax and center my mind for the next few hours. These moments are essential for me, I really admire those mom's who spend every waking moment with their children, everyday and never need time alone. I think it's a facade but whatever. I recently found a fun site that I visit during those precious moments when I just want to do something more mentaly stimulating than read "Red Fish Blue Fish" for the millionth time. Check it out!

http://fun.familyeducation.com/famed/coffeebreak/index.html

Welcome to Staying Home and Staying Sane

2007-08-24T10:08:00.000-04:00

As an expierenced mother of two I understand that being home with my children is one of the greatest things I can do for them. I also know first hand how exciting diapers, cleaning, and illness can be. So i'm creating this blog to chronicle my journey through the joys and boredome of motherhood. I hope to make this a resource of ideas and humor to help you other stay at home moms deal with the realities of being home. I hope you will check back often and comment frequently. Any ideas you would like to share would be welcome!