Make a Splash

The summer is coming. In fact, this afternoon is the first truly humid day that I can recall in a long, long time. 

With that being said, it's swimsuit season, and I'm excited! 

For the first time in my whole adult life that I can recall I am excited about wearing a bathing suit. 

Not that I have a 'beach ready' body. Cause I don't. 

I think I may like it so much because I bought it on  a whim. I'd not been planning on buying a swimsuit (although I needed one), so I didn't dread it for days on end. I just thought, "Well, since I'm shopping by myself, I'll just see what's over here." 

What I found is a two piece suit that covers everything quite nicely and is reminiscent of those beautiful women from the 40's and 50's. It's got these shorts that are a little longer and have these sweet ties at the bottom. It's got a razor back tank that doesn't just meet the top of the shorts...It actually goes past the top. It's flattering. I feel covered and cute, and best of all my husband loves it. 

And I'm excited to put it on. 

Now....You may be saying, "Yeah, I'm not excited about putting on a bathing suit," or "I don't own one," or "I'm not putting one on this summer."

That. Is. The. Wrong. Attitude.

Mommas, your kids want you to play with them. In the water. Not just watching them from the sidelines. 

You are the sun of their solar system, and for you to sit on the sidelines while they splash and have fun is acceptable on occasion. But that should be the exception, not the rule. 

I have the most beautiful woman in the world as my mother, and I can only recall half a dozen times when she swam with me. My grandparents had a pool that was an oasis, a pleasure to look forward to come the hot summer months. It was surrounded by a six foot tall fence, so I never understood......Why didn't she get in? 

Sometimes I got answers about her hair getting wet. Other times, I got mumbles about how she looked in a suit. 

I never quite understood that last one. My mom is stunning. 

My only regret about what I wish she'd done more was play, especially taking a dip in the pool with us. 

So, this is my challenge to moms...Get past how you look (or don't look) in a bathing suit. Likely, you'll always be unhappy with some feature. 

What you won't always have is this summer with your kids again. 

New Beginnings: Tackling New Year's Resolutions Whenever

It's been a long time. Two years. Two years? Two years! 

I don't make New Year's resolutions. I make goals. (Who am I kidding? It's semantics, they're resolutions.) 

One was to pick up writing again. 

I started off the year on a hot streak. I submitted two articles within days of the new year. 

And then, life happened. 

Isn't that always the way? "I'm going to start Monday" or "The year's almost over, I'll start January 1" or "School's winding down/ gearing up"...."I'll start then." 

I could wait I guess for a 'better time' to start my New Year "Goals." But April 21 is as good a time as any. 

So, here we are. Two years and a month since the last post when I said, "I'm going to start back writing this blog." 

Only, this time, it's different. 

It's different this time because I've learned a valuable lesson and the absolute necessity in having accountability.

But first of all, I've learned when I try to do things in my own power, I fail miserably and berate myself for ever trying. So, I've learned that if I want to do anything in life, it has to be God-focused, not me-focused. (You'd think I'd learn this by now and it would stick. I'm so thankful that God is long-suffering. Can I get an amen?)

Second, I've learned that now is the perfect time. Now is the perfect time to drink more water after downing two sodas. Now is the perfect time to go for a walk or YouTube a workout video and get moving. Now is the perfect time to call a friend I haven't talked to in six months/years/decades......

Third, not only can I not achieve any goal without God, I also need the accountability of others. So, I've learned to surround myself with folks who won't give me a by when I've been slack or when I want to be slack. They don't accept excuses. They breathe grace over me when I do and lovingly help me get back on track. 

So that's the difference this time- what I do is God-focused and for His glory, now is the perfect time to work on a dream, and He didn't make us to do life alone, He gave us people to love, support, encourage, and sharpen us along the way. 

I, like countless others, have claimed Philippians 4:13, "I can do all things through Christ who gives me strength."

I know it. 

Now I'm going to do it. April 21, 2015, is as good a time as any. 

Living the Mini Van Dream

Wow! It's been 13 months since I've logged on here.

This time last year, we were chest-deep in wedding preparations for my sister.

March last year consisted of a baby shower for a friend, a bridal luncheon for my sister, and a wedding.

Eleven days after the wedding, we discovered God had chosen to bless us with another child.

In May, we heard our sweet baby's heartbeat, and we began the process of selling one vehicle and purchasing a very cool minivan.

In June, we celebrated 10 years of marriage with a trip we affectionately call our 'babymoon' and our odyssey to find the perfect minivan was completed. I learned something about my husband after 10 years of marriage- that man can seriously negotiate!

In July, we said 'See you later' to a dear friend killed by a drunk driver; after visiting the funeral home, our son asked Jesus to be his Saviour. (This friend was also our son's leader for VBS in June.)

August found us moving my parents, celebrating our daughter's 2nd birthday, and our oldest son's baptism.

In September, we did a major overhaul of the house. Flipping the kids' bedrooms, making our dining room into a playroom and part of our living room our dining room.

October, we helped my sister and her family move into their new home. We had a baby shower for Blessing #3.

November, we had a baby. He weighed in at a whopping 9 lbs. 5 oz; however, he was in the NICU for 11 days. The longest 11 days of our lives. Through that I learned......so much- many blogs for other days. Thank God, he is healthy!

December found us adjusting to being a family of 5 and celebrating Jesus' birth.

In January and February, we resumed school at full throttle.

It's been a whirlwind year.

Through all of those major life changes, I have found time and again- God is good. God is faithful. God will never give us more than we can bear. God's love never fails.

This is what we dreamed of so many years ago while we were courting. When I'd ask my then-fiance, "Will all of this be worth it?" as we studied together for hours and hours and hours to get through college. He always said, "I promise. It's going to be way better than we imagine." Then, we'd take a break from our studies and map out our future. (By the way, it's twisted and turned in ways we couldn't fathom then!)

We never imagined our dream would include a minivan. But it does, and it's all the sweeter because of our need for it.

Apples of Gold

"A word fitly spoken is like apples of gold in pictures of silver." Proverbs 25:11

Just under this verse in my Bible is a cross-reference to Proverbs 15:23, "A man hath joy by the answer of his mouth: and a word spoken in due season, how good it is!"

Two years ago, when I was  VERY pregnant with our baby girl, my husband insisted on getting text on our phones. Now, we are by nature frugal people. However, I was very far along and he was working 60+ hours a week between his full-time job and his part-time one. He's not always able to talk (who is?) but he wanted me to be able to get in touch with him "just in case" I went into labor and he couldn't answer his phone. ("I can always flip it open and read," he said.So now we have text.)

I fought it at first. "It's unnecessary. It's a waste. I'll never use it."

The $5 more a month we pay extra for this service holds no comparison to the blessing it has been for him and for me.

At random, one of us will text the other, "Love you. Praying for you." So many times it is just at the right moment- usually, a stressful, testing time during the course of our days. Sometime's it's during the baby's naptime and it's a quick, "Bring home a pizza. It's been a LOOONNNGGG day!" Sometimes it's flirty. (Hey, who doesn't like to flirt with the love of their life?)

One of my favorite texts  is "You rock." I like to send it, and I love to receive it. Just so happens that I just received that message a few minutes ago.

That totally made my whole day.

We all have jobs that at one time or another are thankless. Police officer, teacher, stay-at-home mom, dogcatcher, custodian, computer systems analyst, President- whatever the job- at times they are all thankless.

A random kind, genuine word of encouragement in the middle of the day can make all the difference- to a spouse, to a child, to a stranger, to a friend.

So I encourage you- send an 'apple of gold' to someone today. Send it in an email, a phone call, a text, post it on someone's 'wall', write them a note, or tell them in person.

No matter what way you deliver your 'apple'- it will always arrive right on time.

Here's What We Read Last Week

Amazing Dolphins by Sarah L. Thomson
Amazing Snakes by Sarah. L. Thomson
Amazing Whales by Sarah L. Thomson
Amazing Gorillas by Sarah L. Thomson
Where do Polar Bears Live? by Sarah L. Thomson
(See a trend here? We own Amazing Sharks, which advertised others in the series. Great reads for animal crazy kids!)
Jackal Wants Everything by Jacquelyn Reinach
Octopus Protests by Jacquelyn Reinach
Scaredy Bear by Jacquelyn Reinach
(Again, we own several in the Sweet Pickles series by Jacquelyn Reinach, which prompted a library scouring for more!)
The Post Office Book: Mail and How It Moves by Gail Gibbons
Cooperation: Values to Live By by Janet Riehecky
In a Dark, Dark Room and Other Scary Stories by Alvin Scwartz (not so scary, more goofy than anything)
Boo and Baa Have Company by Lena and Olof Landstrom

How We Do Spelling

I had some truly amazing teachers. My parents sent me to a private, Christian school from daycare through sixth grade, a public school my seventh grade year, then back to a private, Christian school from eighth until graduation.

When I think of my first and second grade teachers, I am especially impressed with the control and ease they managed our class, as well as the level of instruction that they were able to accomplish. Truly astounding, considering our first grade class had approximately 30 and our second roughly the same amount. They had no planning period, no parapro, no computer system. They alone were responsible for instruction from the moment we stepped through their door until we were safely in our cars.

I especially think of my second grade teacher, Miss Hoover, as I embark on this journey. First grade is kind of a blur except those rare moments here and there. But second grade is crystal clear, and I often think, "What did Miss Hoover do to teach us _______?"

I vaguely remember first grade spelling books- thin, bright green paperback books with a frog on the front- spelling lists complete with sight words in the front of the text with poetry in the back. My poor copy was dog-eared by the end of September and beyond pitiful by May.

Second grade's books, though, were thick, yellow and had room to practice the spelling words in various ways, as well as journal entries to write on weekly basis and poetry at the back. By second grade I'd learned to take great pride in caring for my books. It also helped that parents had to put clear contact paper on each book to help keep the consumable books in the nicest shape possible.

Enough of that little trip down memory lane.
Here's the meat of this entry: How do I teach spelling?

I was more than a little bit frazzled trying to get my first grader to spell correctly. I mean, he comes from at least two generations of good spellers. What was the problem?

Me. The teacher. (For obvious reasons at this age, I do not buy the teacher's edition for every subject. Mainly just math. I can teach all the other through reading, but math is it's own language.)

Yes, he could copy the words. Yes, he could complete the activities with ease. Still, how to get him to spell the words correctly when I call them out?

So, I thought back to Miss Hoover and my days as a second grader. What did she do?

And then after a great deal of thought, the solution became so clear:
Monday- Read the words aloud and spell them. Then copy them one time.

Tuesday- Write the words three times.

Wednesday- Do the fun activity pages and do a pretest. Any words that he gets correct on the pretest, I do not retest him on, but on Thursday.....
Thursday- Write the missed word(s) five times.

Friday- Retest only on the words he missed.
Very simple. Very straightforward. No reason to re-write and retest on material he's mastered. And our pre-tests and tests aren't always written on a lined sheet of paper. Sometimes, if there aren't repeat letters, he'll spell them out with his letter puzzle pieces. Other times, we take a big sheet of blue prints my mom gives us from her work, flip them over to the blank side and he'll write them in crayon or marker- something a little different than the standard #2 pencil.

The first week or two, he did a considerable amount of writing on Thursdays. By about the third week since we instituted this practice, he's written no more than five spelling words (out of his fifteen word list per week) five times on Thursdays. Usually, it's much less. Often we're 'done' with spelling for the week on Wednesdays.

Just thought I'd share what works for us.

What, How, Why, When, and Where We Read

Over the past several days, I've had conversations with friends over how to instill a love of reading to children, how to fit in time, what to read, when to read.

I have a degree in English education and a current English/Language Arts teaching certification for grades 6-12. I have no reading endorsement, no master's degree. I do, however, have a love for the written word and an even bigger love for my children. So, combine the two and I could talk for hours.

From my own experience, here's what I have found to instill a love of reading in my children, which, in turn, spurs a love of learning.

1. Read early. When I was pregnant with my babies, I read my favorite novel to them when they were still in utero- To Kill a Mockingbird.  I was teaching full-time with my first pregnancy and read constantly aloud. With my second pregnancy, I was reading to my oldest. I think their love of books started then. And, if the good LORD blesses us with more, I will read TKaM to them, too, as well as all the other read alouds we do.

We tried the read before bed routine the night we brought our son home from the hospital. That was a bust. He was hungry and I was recovering from major surgery, trying to hold a squirming, crying, forgotten-how-to-latch on baby while juggling a book. Instead, I talked to him and I read at different times aloud. Not a constant stream, just when I thought of it while I was nursing him. When his sister came along, I nursed her while reading to them. They both benefited from that. (I also got better at juggling.)

2. Read whatever your child is passionate about. Animals. Airplanes. Rockets. Whatever. Read it! Read it again. And again. And again.

3. Take your kids to the library. Pressed for time? Set a time limit. In and out in 30 minutes. Set a book limit- 10, say. While they're selecting books, keep your eyes opened for books they may enjoy and slip them in your 'library book bag'. This does a few things- you'll get a bit of a say in what you're reading. They'll love the surprise. You can direct them to new topics that they might be interested in. For example if he likes airplanes, a biography one the Wright brothers, might be something he'll enjoy. Young children love reading about other people, and there are SOOOOO many books written at an age appropriate level for them. If you get home with a book that's over their level, paraphrase and look at the pictures. Lots of good discussion and learning happens then, too.

If they have an author they love, check out every book on the shelf written by that author. Put holds on books that your library doesn't have. (Holds are when you want to check out a book that's either not currently on the shelf or that needs to be sent from another library. USE this resource!) If your child sees a book they'd like to read, make a note and put a hold on it from your home computer. This only takes getting a user id and password on your next trip to the library. It takes less than 5 minutes and yields so much literary goodness! Many young readers have pictures advertising other selections in a series. Read every one that piques your child's interest.

4. While you're at the library, peruse the shelves for your own reading. They need to see Momma and Daddy reading for enjoyment.

5. Start the day reading. Seriously. Lately, I've been doing this very thing with my young ones. Sure, you're thinking, you homeschool. You have that luxury of time. Yes and no. Yes, it's true that we may not have to be somewhere at a certain time most days, but there is order and routine to our days. We, too, have schedules to keep, meals to be made, a house to keep tidy, errands to run. A very dear friend who teaches full-time starts the day with her daughter reading to her. It takes 10 minutes. They may read a few pages or a whole chapter. They start the day together, wiping sleep from their eyes. They are relaxed, connected, and ready to take on the day together. Ten minutes or less. What a precious way to start the day!

6. Read at night. Now, I do not 'do' bedtime stories. We read on and off all day; plus, I'm with mine all day. That makes a difference. We do, however, read in the evenings. What time it is, how long, squirreliness level of the children dictate whether we read one, two, or ten. Turn off the television. You're tired. They're tired. The television is a quick fix, but there is nothing so relaxing as reading to your children, snuggled up. They'll be relaxed, and so will you. You're also making memories- for them and you.

7. Make comfy places to read. One thing that's on our list for Christmas this coming year for our children is a bean bag chair for each. Even if all they do is look at the pictures because they're too young to read or if they are just enjoying the beautiful artwork in a picture book, they're still 'reading' and stimulating their brains.

8. Let them listen to books on cd (or if you rock it old school like we do UTRTR- on cassette tape) as they drift off. I loved it as a child. And so does our son. Or let them listen in the car. Or turn one on as they color and you prepare dinner. We love doing this. It's also great fun listening together. We'll be alone in our thoughts listening and out of nowhere something funny in the story happens and we laugh at the same time. Priceless.

9. Don't let the reading aloud stop when they're young. Even teenagers like to be read to.

10. NEVER turn them down to read. Yes, there are times that are better than others. Sometimes it's at a moment, when you think, "Seriously? I'm in the middle of fixing dinner!" What you say is, "I want to read to you, but I can't right now. Put that and one more book by our reading chair and before bed, I'll read them to you." And follow through.

Okay, so those are my top ten ideas/reasons/compelling arguments for reading with your children. There will be more, I am sure.

I'm going to try to start compiling our weekly reading list on here. Perhaps you'll see something that interests you for your own reading or to share with your children. Maybe it'll be an encouragement in your own schooling journey with your children. Maybe it'll even be interesting to see what our family reads.

I do know this- I have not regretted one moment that I've spent reading to our children. I've only regretted the moments that I didn't when asked. I've since learned my lesson. They'll only ask for so long.