Homeschooling...think outside the box!

Encouragement to keep trying new things, if what you're doing is not working with one of your kids...

Hannah has a math problem.  And possibly an attention/focus problem.  She seems to not be able to memorize math facts at all.  Totally foreign to me, as I never have to teach  my boys math...they are always a step ahead of their curriculum.  It's okay...not everyone is good at the same things, and everyone struggles with something, right?

So...I held her back a year, just in math (3rd instead of 4th).  She just finished the second time through 3rd grade math.  She is currently working through three different 4th grade math programs simultaneously:  Kitchen Math (found online, free, no longer available), Mammoth Math 4, and Bob Jones Math 4 Review Sheets (I already had these).  She does 2 days of KM, 2 days of MM, and 1 day of BJU.  All have totally different teaching methods and goals.  In Kitchen Math, she can use a calculator.  In Mammoth Math, she is learning new concepts (this is rough...) and we are moving very slowly and using lots of manipulatives.  In BJU, often the concepts are ahead of MM, so we do it totally together.  There is also a lot of drill review.  She uses Unifix cubes for these drills and it does seem to be increasing her speed.

Ten years ago, when we started homeschooling, using three different curricula in this way would have never occurred to me.  But it's working for her!  The constant change in methods and levels seems to actually help her.

If what you're doing is not working...try something new!  Mix it up!  Think outside the box to do what each individual child needs.  Isn't that why we homeschool?

Baby Bottle Drive

January and February are usually the months we put all our change into baby bottles.  The contents of these bottles go to support the local crisis pregnancy center, Carenet.  Our whole family has fun finding change in the cracks and crevices of the van and the couch, and we love watching the bottles fill up!

This year, though, we have a dilemma.  We are about to head out on a 4 month RV trip.  What does that have to do with spare change?  Well, when we are at campgrounds, the kids buy treats at the camp store with change we have saved up for that purpose.  We will also be in need of rolls of quarters for laundry.  We've been saving our change since our last camping trip, last July.

Think, think, think...what could we do, to make our usual donation AND have change for our trip?

Solution:  Count and roll all the change (hello, real life homeschooling!).  Keep the change and write a check for that same amount!

We ended up with $78.50 in rolled coins, plus some more partial rolls!  Multiply our gift, God, and bless the ministry of Carenet, please!

Save me from myself

Dear Lord,
Save me from the insanity that is my life this week. 
When I look at what needs to get done, there is no way to do it all and do it well!

We're going to be out of the house every darn day this week.
Monday...music/art, Noah has an appointment, and AWANA.
Tuesday...Hannah and Esther have dentist appointments and then we'll go to the zoo for a bit.
Wednesday...Levi has OT, then someone is coming out to evaluate the boys for services.
Thursday...swim and gym, free community skating, Hannah starts skating lessons (birthday present), home group.
Friday...family fun day, probably Chuck E. Cheese and somewhere without cardboard pizza for dinner.  Celebrating our birthday month before we officially go GF on Saturday!
Saturday...HOME.  I'm not leaving for any reason.  So there.

Of course, semester #7 has also started, with Advanced Accounting, Business Ethics, and Human Resources Management on the queue until May.  Only 3 discussions (and replies), 2 written assignments, 2 accounting problems (doesn't sound like much...but they take hours each!), podcasts to listen to, articles to read, and 300+ pages of not always exciting reading.

Whose brilliant idea was this anyway, to go back to school?  Oh yeah...mine...

Here we go!  Going to try to knock out 100 or so pages before Brian gets home in 3 hours!  Go, me!

Homeschool conference

The last time I went to the upstate NY homeschool conference, I didn't know I had two kiddos with special needs.  I didn't have a broken husband either.  A whole lot of "life" has happened since then.

This year, Brian, Noah, and I went.  I wanted Noah's input on his curriculum, and the conference has a Teen Track, with workshops for the 12 and up crowd.

Some things I learned...
* There are a LOT of parents taking charge over their special need's kid's schooling!
* My "little" boy does pretty well in a crowd of people he doesn't know.  I don't think he talked to his peers much, and there was no talk of emails or addresses exchanged.  But he sat through each session, near the front, and even took notes so he could tell me what they were about later on!  For a momma with a "tough kid"...this was all amazing.  Very proud of my boy!
* My husband is not the man I married.  This is a good thing. ;)  He is amazing and his near constant high spirits humble me.  He's always been one to agree with whatever I chose, but this time, when I asked for his input on what math curriculum to get and which literature packets to get...he gave me well thought out input!  I went with his ideas there, of course! 
* God sets up some really cool meetings.  I met a lady with a son with very similar issues to Noah...same age, too!  We picked out spelling curriculum together and exchanged email addresses.  Brian met several people who had  been in car accidents or who had knee replacements.  Nearly everyone asked Brian what happened to him, since he was on crutches.  What an encouragement so many people were to us, and what FAITH so many have!  God is good...
* We need to go at least every other year, if not every year.  It's not about finding curriculum, though that is why we went this year.  It's about knowing that we're not alone.  Realizing that there are others who have very real struggles, just like us.  Being encouraged and convinced that each of us has the power, in Christ, to keep moving forward in whatever journey God has called us to.

ADHD musings

Levi has two official diagnoses...ADHD and SPD (Sensory Processing Disorder).  We are close to an Asperger's diagnosis for him, but that may take a bit to sort out because he is only 5.  I think it's just a matter of time before that official diagnosis.

But...I find myself questioning the ADHD for the past couple of weeks.  I decided to not give him his meds while we were camping two weekends ago, and he did so well that I haven't given them since.  Is he still a wild man?  Yep.  But what I am seeing makes me think this has more to do with the SPD and his near constant state of sensory overload than it does with ADHD.  I think ADHD is just so common and "understood", that it's an easier diagnosis to give than any version of ASD (autism spectrum disorder).

The biggest change?  Very little crying and whining in the evenings.  This is the second ADHD medication that I was able to link to that in Levi.  No more.  We're done.  I will learn to deal with Levi as Levi needs.  We will work on his diet.  We will pay close attention to his sensory needs and try to head off problems before they begin. 

We will love and train up our child with the understanding that God has created him as an amazing individual.  If he needs to jump 14,389 times a day...that's perfectly okay. :)