One of my favorite things to do with the kids is to encourage them to free paint, color, draw.. whatever. We are slowly getting them into the concepts of realism like with a shoe or fruit. We have watched a few youtube videos for inspiration and have gone from there. As much as I would love to get them in a real art class, this is as close to it as I can get for the moment. I was so lucky to be handed a small folder of blank drawing paper the other day.. medium poster size, thick quality and immediately I thought water colors and markers. I was not the only one to have these thoughts.. and sure enough the stash is now empty. The artist in me wept a tear not even having had the chance to use the paper myself. The mother and teacher in me lept for joy because not only did I get the chance to sleep in one morning and awake to quiet painters, I have some new lovely art for my wall.
A few days ago the movie "Surf's Up" was on... you know the cute surfing penguin movie... well this movie apparently hit a high note in the inspiration department. For 3 days that is all they talked about and drew and painted. Rarely do I find something that both of the girls really get into like this. I was able to actually distinguish in their paintings the penguins and families and surfers... and if you have seen the movie then when you heard the stories they told with the pictures you could clearly identify which scenes they were recreating.
The reason I am so excited about this, is mainly that we have graduated from the blobs on paper that only a dear mother can truly distinguish, to the point where flowers are coming to life, shapes actually represent their shapes and colors have a whole new meaning.
My oldest for some time has been able to draw fairly clearly, but she has not always been struck with the idea department. My youngest is the story teller and the idea creator and the leader in the fairy-princess-dragonslayer-flying robotic- dream creations... Yeah whatever they are into at that point in time becomes their world and no one can tell them otherwise. One comes up with the plot and the other helps carry it through.
Now they are both merging into fun stress free artist and are having a blast doing so. I cannot wait until they get to the point where they actually want to write down the stories they are creating. Art is coming alive... I am so thankful so for the opportunity to experience new mediums with them every day.
Wednesday, February 23, 2011
Monday, February 21, 2011
Awareness
Over the past week I have struggled with some issues that have really been brought to light in recent international news. How aware of our world are we? I remember clear as day when Desert Storm started... when the Berlin wall came down, when Princess Diana was killed... yes I know these are a weird string of thoughts and not really connected. The link is international news... When I was in maybe 4th grade, it was very important that we learned about world issues and that connected to geography and having a basic knowledge of what was going on in the NEWS. As the years went by, my concern with international events changed depending on where I was in my life. A preteen not really concerned with the outer world.. just getting out of my house. As a teen wanting to go far and how to get far... physically away from my home life. As an adult living in the moment and being somewhat aware of events. As a pregnant mother not mentally stable enough to pay attention to more that my own daily life. And now living internationally and seeing hands on news events that I otherwise would not have been made aware of.
I skidded through government classes sort of understanding what things meant. Now I am seeing why governments are they way they are... why laws are set up the way they are... and I am seeing how much the government can really hide from people. Being in an age of a virtual society can be both a blessing and a curse. In the case of the current events that I am seeing unfold it has helped those who were cut off from the outside world to get help. But I can also see how some news may put undue fear in those who need not panic.
Case in point... with all the revolts and protests going on around the Middle East and North Africa.. it was only a matter of time before it came here. With that a planned protest around the country was sparked through the internet and fueled with jobless, homeless and bored youth. Seeing how other countries reacted to their governments and to mass amounts of people in one spot.. and seeing how fast simple peaceful intentions turned violent, the only thing I could do was to mentally prepare for the worst and hope for the best.
Now some of my family and friends are connected to the global virtual world and others are not. This is also the case of current events. Knowing that something was planned gave us the heads up we needed to just give a warning out. Now I cannot say I am sorry that I called my family and let them know what was going to happen.. but I can say I understand how it could have been seen as over reacting. Knowing how my mom panics when she hears anything remotely near where I live happening.. I could only assume that if she just heard the name of our country and unrest at the same time she would have freaked out. So calling her was the only thing I could do... and she may never had known anything was going on if I had not called.
This not only put extra stress on my family, it put mental stress on myself. They continued to call nonstop and seek information. Seek news that in no way was part of their daily life and may have only caused extra stress.
Thank God the protest here were mild, peaceful, and basically over as fast as they started. But I can only imagine what could have happened.. how bad it could have been, and at what point we would have had to decide to stay or leave.
I am saddened more and more each day with the unrest that is going on because it leads to thoughts of the future. The what ifs are swirling... and in my previous state of mind, I may have been just fine not worrying about the what ifs....
All this is to say.. how aware of issues in you city are you, your state, your country, your world??? We all have a voice and we all have at least some way to make a difference in our lives and in those of others. We need to take our talents and our strengths and make a difference somewhere. Now we may not end world hunger or bring peace to all the nations.. but we can at least have the intention of doing so and have more concern for the lives of others than our own daily stresses.
I skidded through government classes sort of understanding what things meant. Now I am seeing why governments are they way they are... why laws are set up the way they are... and I am seeing how much the government can really hide from people. Being in an age of a virtual society can be both a blessing and a curse. In the case of the current events that I am seeing unfold it has helped those who were cut off from the outside world to get help. But I can also see how some news may put undue fear in those who need not panic.
Case in point... with all the revolts and protests going on around the Middle East and North Africa.. it was only a matter of time before it came here. With that a planned protest around the country was sparked through the internet and fueled with jobless, homeless and bored youth. Seeing how other countries reacted to their governments and to mass amounts of people in one spot.. and seeing how fast simple peaceful intentions turned violent, the only thing I could do was to mentally prepare for the worst and hope for the best.
Now some of my family and friends are connected to the global virtual world and others are not. This is also the case of current events. Knowing that something was planned gave us the heads up we needed to just give a warning out. Now I cannot say I am sorry that I called my family and let them know what was going to happen.. but I can say I understand how it could have been seen as over reacting. Knowing how my mom panics when she hears anything remotely near where I live happening.. I could only assume that if she just heard the name of our country and unrest at the same time she would have freaked out. So calling her was the only thing I could do... and she may never had known anything was going on if I had not called.
This not only put extra stress on my family, it put mental stress on myself. They continued to call nonstop and seek information. Seek news that in no way was part of their daily life and may have only caused extra stress.
Thank God the protest here were mild, peaceful, and basically over as fast as they started. But I can only imagine what could have happened.. how bad it could have been, and at what point we would have had to decide to stay or leave.
I am saddened more and more each day with the unrest that is going on because it leads to thoughts of the future. The what ifs are swirling... and in my previous state of mind, I may have been just fine not worrying about the what ifs....
All this is to say.. how aware of issues in you city are you, your state, your country, your world??? We all have a voice and we all have at least some way to make a difference in our lives and in those of others. We need to take our talents and our strengths and make a difference somewhere. Now we may not end world hunger or bring peace to all the nations.. but we can at least have the intention of doing so and have more concern for the lives of others than our own daily stresses.
Friday, February 18, 2011
Change of Methods again...
Over the last week or so we have been adjusting our study schedules and learning methods. My youngest really was losing focus on the computer and kept asking for a change. So secretly I went ahead and cancelled that bit of schooling for the moment. Past experience has shown me that when one method is not working don't force it to tears. My oldest has cycled through methods over the years and at some point each year we do computer work and at another point we do paper. Now that does not mean when one method is being used the other is not.. it just means for example: sometimes the main curriculum will be Time4learning and they love it while on the side we do writing projects, reading projects, science and so on. Other times the kids decide they would rather work with a workbook for the main curriculum and I get those giant all in one curriculum books from SAMS or Walmart and use the computer for substitution. Math games online, reading games online.. etc etc.
Where are we now with learning.... Well the oldest zoomed through all of the second grade work online but when she started 3rd she lost interest. So we pulled out the math workbook, curriculum workbook all for 2nd grade and even though parts of it are boring, it is really good exercise to really solidify what she learned online. Sometimes she whips through her packets and other times it takes a few days. But with all that she understands that this is so when she is ready for 3rd grade material it will not be so hard for her to advance.
My youngest did the same thing back in prek1 and 2.. she wizzed through the computer stuff and then for like 4 mths did not want to look at a single thing online. Now she has whizzed through all of the kindergarten material, and almost through all of the first grade and is fading out. So she is switching to cursive workbooks, more focus on reading, 1st grade math workbook and online games to increase and improve basic math skills of adding and subtracting. After the summer I hope to get them both back onto the computer curriculum and will start 1st and 3rd again.
No tears, no fuss and everyone is excelling. Thank God!!!
Where are we now with learning.... Well the oldest zoomed through all of the second grade work online but when she started 3rd she lost interest. So we pulled out the math workbook, curriculum workbook all for 2nd grade and even though parts of it are boring, it is really good exercise to really solidify what she learned online. Sometimes she whips through her packets and other times it takes a few days. But with all that she understands that this is so when she is ready for 3rd grade material it will not be so hard for her to advance.
My youngest did the same thing back in prek1 and 2.. she wizzed through the computer stuff and then for like 4 mths did not want to look at a single thing online. Now she has whizzed through all of the kindergarten material, and almost through all of the first grade and is fading out. So she is switching to cursive workbooks, more focus on reading, 1st grade math workbook and online games to increase and improve basic math skills of adding and subtracting. After the summer I hope to get them both back onto the computer curriculum and will start 1st and 3rd again.
No tears, no fuss and everyone is excelling. Thank God!!!
Monday, February 14, 2011
Change of view
Both of my children have different learning styles and different needs. Sometimes they are super independent and eager to learn and other times they need to be held by the hand each step of the way. Today was no exception. As Monday normally rolls around and routines get back into some kind of rhythm... my youngest declared she was not getting out of bed today. When I asked why, her only response was "because I am not doing school. " So that was the first battle of the day... eventually she got out of bed and asked what was on the plan.
I have a mental picture of where I want them to be with their work by the end of the day... and I usually guide them toward my goal. This was not one of those days. Neither of the kids were in a mood to "study" under the terms I suggested, and both wanted to do what the other was doing. Thus we changed the flow of learning, we had a switch up day. The paperwork kid decided today was computer learning, and the computer learning wanted paperwork. With all the kinks in the how to get to the goal out of the system we spent a majority of the day on Math.. math of all sorts.
Multiplication and large place value concepts for one child, and addition and subtraction concepts for the other. I will be very thankful when the basics are out of the way, I no longer like having to sit and go through all of this every 2 years. (The personal excitement of teaching is dwindling.. like the air out of an old balloon. Yes I still will always love learning, but this is why I steered clear from the large classroom setting.)
I want to be at the point in learning where they are ready to just get the topic and go from there... to rely on me only for key points.. not for all the steps.
So as rolls usually dictate, by the end of the afternoon. They had gone back to what works for them. The paperwork child went back to paperwork, and the computer learner went back to computer. Both in the end got the basics and had two methods by which to learn them.
When the kids are at the point in their "homework" as they term anything school related that is not fun... and are about to give up... I try to give them breaks and get them to look at the problem with a new light. Literally change rooms, open windows... change the atmosphere in order to change the approach.
Life is like that... sometimes you have to step out on the patio in order to enjoy the freshness of the clean living room.
I have a mental picture of where I want them to be with their work by the end of the day... and I usually guide them toward my goal. This was not one of those days. Neither of the kids were in a mood to "study" under the terms I suggested, and both wanted to do what the other was doing. Thus we changed the flow of learning, we had a switch up day. The paperwork kid decided today was computer learning, and the computer learning wanted paperwork. With all the kinks in the how to get to the goal out of the system we spent a majority of the day on Math.. math of all sorts.
Multiplication and large place value concepts for one child, and addition and subtraction concepts for the other. I will be very thankful when the basics are out of the way, I no longer like having to sit and go through all of this every 2 years. (The personal excitement of teaching is dwindling.. like the air out of an old balloon. Yes I still will always love learning, but this is why I steered clear from the large classroom setting.)
I want to be at the point in learning where they are ready to just get the topic and go from there... to rely on me only for key points.. not for all the steps.
So as rolls usually dictate, by the end of the afternoon. They had gone back to what works for them. The paperwork child went back to paperwork, and the computer learner went back to computer. Both in the end got the basics and had two methods by which to learn them.
When the kids are at the point in their "homework" as they term anything school related that is not fun... and are about to give up... I try to give them breaks and get them to look at the problem with a new light. Literally change rooms, open windows... change the atmosphere in order to change the approach.
Life is like that... sometimes you have to step out on the patio in order to enjoy the freshness of the clean living room.
Thursday, February 10, 2011
The Start of something new
Sleep lost and thoughts unwound... this is today's theme.
Having got deep into a subject of research and completely sidetracked with thoughts as the internet tends to grip my mind and wheel me around in circles... I once again lost track of the time last night and before I knew what was going on it was 4 in the morning. Was I tired... no far from it. Was I ready to stop... nope not even close. Did I stop.. yes, because at some point in the night my clicks and bookmarks overwhelmed me. My windows were overflowing with connections that became circular thoughts and I had to stop. I had to step back and look at the big picture. What did I search for, what was the purpose of my original thought.
I stepped back and logged off. Laid in bed and having not been ready to sleep, I got engrossed in the next chapter in my book. Eventually the sun rose, I prayed, then went to bed. At some point during this time my thoughts turned off and I did not dream anything memorable. I did however awaken to noises in the house, to light in my eyes.. and a million thoughts in my head. I was given permission by my kids, my spouse, and my mother in law.. to get some rest and just sleep. This in of itself was what many a mom and wife would call a miraculous gift. I however was unable to benefit from this gift. I felt like I was in a weird dream, I tossed and turned and could not stop thinking. Thinking of all the things I wanted to write about.. not the things I had been researching but of topics that just needed to be told. Lists of ideas, smells, tastes, colors, histories.... it is just endless.
I eventually got up, showered and dress and roamed into the kitchen. I ate some soup staring at the vast ocean view.. and dazed again my thoughts spun around and around and around. Here it is another night passing away and I realize.. that foods were cooked, meals eaten, kitchen cleaned and re cleaned..yet I feel like I did nothing all day but think think and think some more. I know at some point in the day I conversed with my kids and spouse and mother in law... chatted with friends, had deep meaningful connections... but was I fully there today?
This makes me wonder how many days in our life are we not connected. Thinking of the next thing to make us happy, to bring us closure, to fulfill a need. Do we ever stop thinking? Is this what real writers do... wander through time until they just let the juices out????
I am finding that with wanting share my inner thoughts, I am also being dragged in an addicting sort of way into a new world. Just like the excitement before meeting a blind date, or taking a test, stepping foot onto new land in life and in thought... the butterflies are turning, the skin clammy and I have the jitters that just will not stop. Over the next few days I hope to sit and spew some of my past, some of my thoughts.. and parts of the story that make me who I am today. It may not be in a working order and may come out like a list of things that will need further explanation.... but because I refuse to turn back to paper and pencil lists I will just type it all out and see where the end result brings us.
Welcome to my journey.!
Having got deep into a subject of research and completely sidetracked with thoughts as the internet tends to grip my mind and wheel me around in circles... I once again lost track of the time last night and before I knew what was going on it was 4 in the morning. Was I tired... no far from it. Was I ready to stop... nope not even close. Did I stop.. yes, because at some point in the night my clicks and bookmarks overwhelmed me. My windows were overflowing with connections that became circular thoughts and I had to stop. I had to step back and look at the big picture. What did I search for, what was the purpose of my original thought.
I stepped back and logged off. Laid in bed and having not been ready to sleep, I got engrossed in the next chapter in my book. Eventually the sun rose, I prayed, then went to bed. At some point during this time my thoughts turned off and I did not dream anything memorable. I did however awaken to noises in the house, to light in my eyes.. and a million thoughts in my head. I was given permission by my kids, my spouse, and my mother in law.. to get some rest and just sleep. This in of itself was what many a mom and wife would call a miraculous gift. I however was unable to benefit from this gift. I felt like I was in a weird dream, I tossed and turned and could not stop thinking. Thinking of all the things I wanted to write about.. not the things I had been researching but of topics that just needed to be told. Lists of ideas, smells, tastes, colors, histories.... it is just endless.
I eventually got up, showered and dress and roamed into the kitchen. I ate some soup staring at the vast ocean view.. and dazed again my thoughts spun around and around and around. Here it is another night passing away and I realize.. that foods were cooked, meals eaten, kitchen cleaned and re cleaned..yet I feel like I did nothing all day but think think and think some more. I know at some point in the day I conversed with my kids and spouse and mother in law... chatted with friends, had deep meaningful connections... but was I fully there today?
This makes me wonder how many days in our life are we not connected. Thinking of the next thing to make us happy, to bring us closure, to fulfill a need. Do we ever stop thinking? Is this what real writers do... wander through time until they just let the juices out????
I am finding that with wanting share my inner thoughts, I am also being dragged in an addicting sort of way into a new world. Just like the excitement before meeting a blind date, or taking a test, stepping foot onto new land in life and in thought... the butterflies are turning, the skin clammy and I have the jitters that just will not stop. Over the next few days I hope to sit and spew some of my past, some of my thoughts.. and parts of the story that make me who I am today. It may not be in a working order and may come out like a list of things that will need further explanation.... but because I refuse to turn back to paper and pencil lists I will just type it all out and see where the end result brings us.
Welcome to my journey.!
Monday, February 7, 2011
Digging inside
I now know why it has taken me so long to get back into writing. It really takes a toll on your mind, blogging or thinking of blogs that is. All the time I am thinking of weird things to write about, and how to formulate my concepts so that it won't seem so jumbled to my readers. I fold laundry and think about old teachers, I stir soup and think about good meals from friends, I look at my kids and think of all the lessons in life that we go through that are sooo worth mentioning. Then when the time comes and I sit to actually write, nothing comes to mind or so many thoughts flood me at once that it becomes so much easier to walk away. And thus a full week into February and as much as I would have like to sit and just spit something out, it has even been a task to put an update on facebook. A simple one line sentence that really may or may not mean much to someone else. And in the time so many thoughts have come to my head...
So as time has gone on this has been my routine... because it has been so cold at nights here, I cannot stand being in my room much so therefore I found a new hole to hide out in... The office, well not my office.. my husbands computer area that has a couch and blanket and a new spot for my book. I guess I could relocate my laptop and charger in there.. but then that would be my computer and his computer in the same space.. and that has always bugged me. My time on the pc, is just that.. my time. So I have found myself holing up with a cup of coffee and a good book. It has been so long since I have done this that it seemed foreign to me.
What take time to sit and read??? Take time to not talk or think or type or search? Is this possible. Well it did take a whole hour for me to settle in, and then when I did that... the emotions flowed, I became one with my book and the rest of the world was set to the side. I remember all the times I have been stressed in life, and this has been my form of coping. The time has come to share this bliss with my kids. After a day or two, they caught on that mom wanted quiet time to read and do nothing else.. and they also brought a book or crayons and snuggled up on the couch. We all just did our own thing, no words needed.. just a time to breath and let the mind be at peace.
This is my special place. Reading soothes my soul!!!
So as time has gone on this has been my routine... because it has been so cold at nights here, I cannot stand being in my room much so therefore I found a new hole to hide out in... The office, well not my office.. my husbands computer area that has a couch and blanket and a new spot for my book. I guess I could relocate my laptop and charger in there.. but then that would be my computer and his computer in the same space.. and that has always bugged me. My time on the pc, is just that.. my time. So I have found myself holing up with a cup of coffee and a good book. It has been so long since I have done this that it seemed foreign to me.
What take time to sit and read??? Take time to not talk or think or type or search? Is this possible. Well it did take a whole hour for me to settle in, and then when I did that... the emotions flowed, I became one with my book and the rest of the world was set to the side. I remember all the times I have been stressed in life, and this has been my form of coping. The time has come to share this bliss with my kids. After a day or two, they caught on that mom wanted quiet time to read and do nothing else.. and they also brought a book or crayons and snuggled up on the couch. We all just did our own thing, no words needed.. just a time to breath and let the mind be at peace.
This is my special place. Reading soothes my soul!!!
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