Thankful Thursday - Attitude Adjustment

I've been in a bit of a tizzy with all of this school stuff up in the air. Will Motor Mouth go to public, private or virtual school? I have all these scenarios of if this happens, then that but if that happens, then this, floating in my head.

I get so this or that in my head and then I am reminded of Matthew 6:34 where it says: "So do not worry or be anxious about tomorrow, for tomorrow will have worries and anxieties of its own. Sufficient for each day is its own trouble."

Alright. I won't be anxious. Instead, I'm going to give THANKS!! We have been blessed with so much. I really should not dwell on the one thing that is working itself out.

A Thankful Heart

1. Mini Me was accepted into a great Montessori school.

2. We do not have to pay for Mini Me's Montessori preschool education. This is major because many of the Chicago Public School preschools have become tuition based this year.

3. J has a job. In this economy, that is to be thankful for. Moreover, J loves his job (most of the time) and works with a team of incredible staffers at our church.

4. This past year, the number of people in J's industry who have become aware of his work has increased dramatically and that is a good thing.

5. Chicago's Park District and Public Library systems are incredible assets to the city and have enhanced our lives, enabling us to experience the city and participate in activities that would have been difficult to get into, or extremely costly.

I know I say this all the time, but we really love Chicago. I LOVE this city. Thank you, God, for bringing us here.

School Is Over - Kind Of

Miss A and Motor Mouth

Motor Mouth went to the very last in-class session for this school year. I am very grateful to Miss A, the incredible teacher who was able to connect with my son and get to know him at his very core. Miss A was able to restore my son's love for school. That, combined with being taught at his pace and therefore, not having to wait for other kids to 'get it', made this school year a success.

In Tulsa, there was a K4 teacher at our private school we absolutely thought the world of, and had heard such good things about. We could hardly wait for Motor Mouth to be in her class. Sadly, it was the worst year I hope Motor Mouth ever has in school.

Which is why finding the best school for Motor Mouth has been such a journey for me. I knew that if he didn't fall in love with school this year, we could potentially lose him for years to come - and he's a smart kid!

I still don't know for sure what will be happening with Motor Mouth's education in the fall. I am confident each of the 3 options will enable his love of learning to grow and he will be in an environment where he can excel at his own pace.

Be Anxious for Nothing

Philippians 4:6 (NIV)

⁶Do not be anxious about anything, but in everything, by prayer and petition, with thanksgiving, present your requests to God.

I keep repeating this scripture over and over and over. It needs to really sink in. Right now, I am anxious to learn if my kids were accepted at any of the schools I applied to for them. For MotorMouth, I applied to over 25 schools. For Mini Me, I applied to about 13 preschools. 

The acceptance letters were to go out, to hit homes late last week, early this week. The decline letters go out the following week, is my understanding. So far, I have not received even 1 piece of mail from the schools for either child.  

38 schools. Have they all rejected my kids? Sight unseen? Surely not. 

I just keep telling myself I am being anxious for nothing and I need to chill out!! 

Rushing Ahead

Motor Mouth is doing well in school. For the most part. And the part he's not doing well on is because of me. I was so busy in December, he barely got an education. Not good. Especially considering I set a goal of completing math, language arts and phonics by April so he could move ahead faster. The curriculum is already at a grade 1 level, when he is only in kindergarten. 

Why finish early? You know, I started asking myself that this week. Why? Why does a Kindergartener need to start on double digit addition? Or division? Does he really need to be able to count to 1,000? Or is 100 enough? Like, seriously, when is my son going to be using the extra 900 numbers between now and September when school starts back again?

We were moseying along at our pace. Hitting the 'Exceeds Expectations' milestones. Then I talked to another mother in the school, who said that if he grasped the work in 2 hours, we should do the 5 hours the program requires so he can finish early and start on the next grade level. I didn't want to be holding him back. He is so smart, I wanted him to be challenged.

The competitive side of me decided to take up the challenge. I created a spreadsheet and figured out exactly what percentage MotorMouth mouth needed to hit each month to finish early. And we were headed there. We would be there right now, if it weren't for that 1 insane month before Christmas. 

More and more, I'm thinking we don't need to do 5 hours of hard core schooling every day. If he exceeds expectations, with 2 hours, that is what we should be doing. The other time should be spent hanging out with the kids. Reintroducing our family fun nights and family fridays. Spending time building relationships with friends the kids' ages. That's my goal! Not fast-tracking through the curriculum.

Homeschool Update

Today, I started our school day by hugging Motor Mouth like a baby. I held him and rocked him and kissed him. Then I asked if his teacher in Tulsa ever held him like that. He laughed and said 'No!'  A little more rocking, holding, kissing and I asked if his teacher in Chicago (1 day/wk) ever held him like that. He got a great big laugh out of that, too!

Motor Mouth is doing great in school. He is just so smart. I plan to have him complete kindergarten math, language arts and phonics by April. At that point, he will start working on grade 1 work. To ensure this happens, I created a spreadsheet to determine what percentage of coursework needs to be completed each month to achieve the goals.

That said, Motor Mouth has been frustrating me with school. He feels like he should know everything before he even learns it! And, I don't think he likes the fact his 'mother' is teaching him new things.

Also, he doesn't want to sit for the time it takes to do his work. He is good for 10 minutes or so and then he wants to be done and to go play. My son can do 2-3 math lessons OR 3-4 language arts lessons in 1 hour. When the suggested time for EACH lesson is 45 - 60 minutes, you can see he zips through this stuff. 

I'm really working on being patient with him on this.  It is important to get him ready for a traditional school next year. I am always saying, "Sit up!", "Sit down like a normal human being!" "Stop. Sit up and focus." "Focus." "Get zen." 

I am grateful to Motor Mouth's karate instructor for telling the kids to get 'zen'. I wasn't so sure about that term at first, so I looked it up. 

 

ZEN

meditation and mindfulness

Meditation

turning attention to a single point of reference

Mindfulness

concentrated awareness of one's thoughts, actions or motivations. 

Perfect. And, he has great respect for his sensei, which is bonus. Now, when I need to pull out the big guns, I tell Motor Mouth to 'get zen'.  

It works!!

In Motor Mouth's school, we were working on patterns. 

I created this pattern. Below my pattern sequence is 

Motor Mouth copying the same pattern. 

Then he got creative on his own and spelled his name!

You Asked. I'm Answering, Pt 3

Oooooooo, this is FUN!!!

I blog so much of our lives, who knew there were still 

unanswered questions?

How We Eloped is short 1 comment - Come on, you can do it!!

Go HERE and comment. I'll post tomorrow, if you do.

FAMILY ASIDE, WHAT DO YOU MISS MOST ABOUT CANADA?

When I lived in Tulsa, I would have said MacIntosh apples, summer temps below 100 degrees, and the smell of a crisp, winter morning. But Chicago brought this back to me.

Hmmm....

The drive from Guelph to Hamilton on Hwy 6, livable basements, driving or running past places that have deep significance and great memories - my history.

DO YOU THINK YOU WILL EVER MOVE BACK TO TULSA?

J's family lives there, so I can't say I never.  We love living in the city. I can't imagine going back there. While there are wonderful people in Tulsa, whom I love dearly, I just never felt comfortable in my own skin there.

HOW DID YOU COME TO YOUR DECISION TO HOMESCHOOL?

I did NOT want to homeschool. In Chicago, there is a school hierarchy with lots of technical school terms and lotteries and applications (due in December) to get into any age range - even kindergarten. When we moved to Chicago in April, parents were finding out what school their child was accepted to - we were too late to even apply.

We were going to send Motor Mouth to our neighborhood school - they HAVE to accept him. But he had a year of K4 last year that covered what they were doing this year in K5. Which meant he would be extremely bored, and, most likely get in trouble all the time. We needed school to be a positive experience for him this year. Plus, we got several bad reviews on the school - one from a woman whose mother taught there.

My new best friend in Chicago is homeschooling her daughter. I was going to do the same program she did, but thought it was too expensive. I asked around and searched the web. A friend in Tulsa, told me about the K12 curriculum. It made the first curriculum seem cheap. Fortunately, I found the same K12 curriculum offered by Chicago Public Schools for FREE! Motor Mouth was accepted and that is how I came to do homeschooling.

Homeschool - Christian or Public?

I was talking to my mother on the phone. Mom was telling me about an interview she saw with homeschooled children who are now in college. They loved being homeschooled and loved that their mom started their homeschool day with prayer. My mom asked if that is how I open our homeschool days with my son this year. 

Laughing (maybe scoffing?), I said, "No, Mom, my son attends a public homeschool, not a Christian homeschool."

Seriously, Chantico Prep is a public school. I made our homeschool a public school on purpose. What? But you're a Christian! Why aren't you teaching a Christian curriculum?

Unlike many Christian homeschoolers, I am homeschooling for practical, educational reasons. Not because of religious ones. This is not a mission for me. It is a means to an end.  And, based upon my personal experiences, I am not big on religion classes in schools. 

Growing up, I attended a Catholic school with religion classes. When I transferred to a public school, I was behind on science, health, and math. I was a smart kid, so I was able to catch up quickly. But I felt the time spent on religion would have been better spent on math and science.

As a Christian parent, I see it as our responsibility to teach our children our beliefs through conversations, actions, prayer, music, and family Bible teaching.  The Christian education our children receive in our home is supplemented by children's church and any other organized religious training we send our kids to. 

If school is a 5-hr day, I would rather my kids learn 5 hours of core subjects. Which is one of the big reasons I love the K12 curriculum we use. Core subjects. No religion. Sorry Mom.

Homeschool - Week 2

Chantico Prep - Week 2

Motor Mouth breezed through this week. He did have 2 areas we needed to work on. As he mastered one of the areas, I put stickers on his face for each correct answer. By the time we were done, his face, hands, and pencil box were covered!

High Point

I am finding ways in our everyday life to incorporate Motor Mouth's lessons. And I am more active in seeking out learning experiences. For example: Motor Mouth found a ladybug in our vehicle. I was able to teach the kids what ladybugs eat and how to tell if it is a male or female. The kids watched as J released the ladybug onto a plant. The next day is when I put the ladybug stickers on Motor Mouth's face.

Low Point

I had such a good time alone with Mini Me while Motor Mouth was at his onsite class. It made me a bit wistful for that one-on-one time with Motor Mouth I had looked forward to having when Motor Mouth went to a traditional school. Oh well, next year!

Challenge

One of the reasons I am homeschooling Motor Mouth, is to figure out what his strengths are and to find the schools that will give Motor Mouth the best educational experience next year. I need to figure this out in the next 60 days so I can get the school applications in on time. Motor Mouth picks things up so quickly. I might need some professional assistance to test him or to figure out where his true strengths are.

Bottom Line

I'm loving it. Motor Mouth is loving it. 

This really was the right thing for us.

Homeschool - The Curriculum

This year, I am homeschooling Motor Mouth. Some have asked:

WHY?

- We moved here too late to apply to a good school

- Our neighborhood school isn't very good

- The curriculum in our neighborhood school is a repeat of K4

- Motor Mouth learns fast and gets bored with the repetition

- Motor Mouth had a horrible school experience last year

- I've been a trainer, a teacher, and a tutor = I'm qualified

First Day at Homeschool

No shoes required

We are using the K12 curriculum as part of the Chicago Public School's (CPS) Virtual Charter School. 

Benefits of partnering with CPS:

- Motor Mouth goes to a physical school building one day each week

- Motor Mouth gets all the testing he would get in a traditional school

- I have a 'real' teacher monitoring our progress

- Motor Mouth can do 1st grade material this year, instead of waiting

- We get a loaner PC and printer

- Internet costs are reimbursed

- The $1,500 curriculum is FREE

First Day at On-site school

White shirt is only 'uniform' requirement

K12 is a combination online curriculum with textbooks and hands-on, plus, the in-class with CPS. I love the material as it doesn't look homeschooled. Religion is not included in the curriculum. Based on my childhood experiences, I believe school and religion should be separate. We have enrolled Motor Mouth in a program that will give him religious education, in addition to church and what we share with him at home.

This is John, our UPS man, who delivers our school supplies

Here are some of the supplies we've received:

Art

Phonics and Science

Printer - brand new!

Language Arts & History

- See that yellow ticket at screen bottom?

It's a parking receipt! Clearly Motor Mouth was nearby!

Math

Day 3 is under our belt. Motor Mouth loves it! 

I enjoy seeing how smart my son is and watching him learn and grow. 

Motor Mouth's 1st Day of Kindergarten

First Day of Kindergarten at Chantico Prep!!

Motor Mouth decided he wanted to give me a teacher name. 

I am Miss Widney. Motor Mouth picked that name all on his own.

I am doing the K12 curriculum. I like it because it has on-line teaching mixed with book work and hands on exercises. As well, we will be going in to the classroom one morning each week. I was concerned about the Chicago Public School requirement for 5 hours/day. Each unit is 45 - 60 minutes. We breezed through 5 units today by 2:30 pm. We can do this.

What I loved most about today's schooling was sitting on my couch with my 2 children, reading them a poem and a story. Then, we did cutting and coloring. It was fun and relaxed. When we did many of the exercises, Motor Mouth was sitting on my lap. 

Whenever possible, Mini Me was included but her nap provided focused teaching time!

Motor Mouth is a great student. He picks up so quickly and retains it. And, we don't waste time going over and over and over the same thing. That's when Motor Mouth gets disinterested and loses focus.

"Great! I'm homescooled, don't wear shoes to school, and my baby sister shows up at my first day in my Mickey Mouse costume!!"

To my surprise this morning, Motor Mouth expected to have Lunchables in his lunch box. In the most enthusiastic voice I could muster, I asked if he remembered how excited he was about getting 'hot lunches' last year. I told him Mommy would be making hot lunches this year. He was thrilled. I said, 'So you'll be getting mac & cheese with green beans today!' His face fell as he said, 'What about pizza?!!' My heart sank. I said, 'no pizza'.

Motor Mouth got pizza for dinner for being such a great student!

And a special treat for surviving his first day at Chantico Prep!

"I LOVE homeschool!"

The Bedroom Rules

I am going to be a 'Learning Coach' this fall - a.k.a. homeschooling fool. I am required to log a minimum of 5 hours of teaching time every day, Monday through Friday.  

I'm going to have to let some things go.

A few weeks ago, I saw where Whittaker Woman posted 'The Rules' for her daughters' bedroom. Basically, she let the kids mess up the room all week and then they cleaned it. I thought it was a great idea to keep me a sane and pleasant mommy and for Motor Mouth and Mini Me to have fun without feeling like they live in a showroom. 

Here is my version of the rules.

The Rules

No toys allowed out of your room

Have fun

No food allowed in your room

No complaining when it is time to clean up

Clean room 1x/wk and/or when people come over

Motor Mouth picks up the toys, Mommy does the rest

It doesn't matter if the toys are in the 'right' bins

Motor Mouth did this ALL by himself

No help from anyone

Motor Mouth even made his bed himself!!!

It's not perfect, but no one is coming over and it's almost bed time.

I'm also VERY proud of him - the bed is my job.

I am Scared

J's parents were in for the weekend. Thursday through Monday. I have stuff to post on that, but I want to be more self centered right now.

I'm feeling scared and apprehensive. This homeschooling thing seemed so clear cut and wonderful two weeks ago. It gave me peace of mind for 1 week. Then I started to happen. The part of me that drives J insane happened. The part of me that had us impulsively shop for all new living room furniture years back. Then, when they approved us for the payment plan, freaked out, wondering how it was all going to work out. The part of me that had us purchase a home and then freak out when they approved us for the mortgage. The part that needs to go away.

I know you were shocked I wanted to homeschool. I was too. I thought it was the right thing to do. I felt at peace with it. But as it quickly approaches, I'm getting in my way. Right now, I feel like the little girl that was too shy to take swimming lessons so she never learned. I get gripped by fear sometimes and right now, I am scared.

I'm not scared that I won't be a good teacher. I've done lots of teaching and instructing and tutoring since I was 7 and helped my next door neighbor re-learn how to read English after 6 months in Italy. 

I'm scared that we are going to be chained to schoolwork. That our Adventures of the 3 M's is over. That our Widney Wednesdays are going to be monthly and not weekly. That Family Friday is not going to happen anymore. That maybe I bit off more than I can chew. 

He is IN!!!

Motor Mouth is set for school for this fall. It worked. All I have to do now, is sit back and wait for the curriculum, computer and printer to arrive on my doorstep. Whew! I feel at peace about this. Feel free to remind me of this when I am up to my ears in homeschooling and ferrying kids around to socialization activities!!

Public School or Home School??

I have been debating for months on what to do about Motor Mouth and school. Chicago's school system is very complicated. There are neighborhood schools, magnet schools, cluster schools, magnet cluster schools, montessori, private, and Catholic schools. For all except for your neighborhood school, you have to APPLY in the fall for the following school year. Some schools require testing to get in. We got here too late for any options other than our neighborhood school.

I have been debating as to whether I should send Motor Mouth to our neighborhood school or homeschool. 

Motor Mouth had such a horrible school experience in Tulsa last year at his private school, after a couple of months, we tried to get him into a public school but it was too late and there were no more spaces.  I don't want Motor Mouth to have another year like that, or he might hate school forever.

In Chicago, our neighborhood school gets mixed reviews. Some people say they would send their child there, others say they would keep him home for the year, or homeschool. Last evening, I was at Motor Mouth's karate class. One mother said she would not send her son to our school. She said her mother-in-law taught at the school - I'm thinking she would know. One father said he would send his son there for kindergarten but not grade 1. 

We met with the principal, vice principal and the 3 kindergarten teachers. The school seems fine. The kids seemed fine. The school gets okay/mediocre grades from the 50% of parents reporting. It's literally right in our backyard, so it is convenient. Our main concern is that the curriculum covers exactly what Motor Mouth learned in K4.

I've been talking to homeschool moms in Chicago and Tulsa. My friend from Tulsa told me about the K12 Virtual Learning program. I checked it out online. It's $1400 for the year!! Ha! And I thought $800 was pricey for the program my friend from Chicago wants me to do with her. 

After some more research, I found the exact same program offered through Chicago Public Schools. For FREE! AND they GIVE us a computer AND a printer AND the books for FREE!! No uniform required. All we pay for is print cartridges and paper.

The program is a 3-fold combination of virtual lessons, textbooks, and in-class. Motor Mouth would be required to go to a classroom one day each week. They have a few more Kindergarten spaces open. Motor Mouth is practically accepted. 

And, the facility where the in-class will be held is a newer facility (5 yrs-ish) and only about 2 miles from our home!

I am so excited about this!!