Homeschool Fun!

Okay, so for many school just ended. But I am already starting to gear up for our upcoming Kindergarten year. This week, we purchased our main cirriculum and have started collected the stuff that we need to go with it.

Our main cirriculum is called Five in a Row. Essentially, it takes wonderful children's picture books and creates lessons covering science, applied math, language, arts, and social studies from it. Some of the books that I have already collected for our year include Madeline, How to Make an Apple Pie and See the World, and Clown of God. I have already found things and great books I would have otherwise never known about. I am thinking that I might give it a go already in July, after I have collected enough stuff.

Also, I am collecting books for our read-aloud list. Right now, titles include The Hundred Dresses, The Wizard of Oz, The Boxcar Children, and Five True Dog Stories. This list of books is being complied from many different sources. J is also loving the Magic Tree House books, so we just picked up a bunch of them off ebay for a great price. This reading list is so much fun and I can't wait to read all these great books with my kids--It seems like a lot of these books are ones that I never read, so in a way I am reading them for the first time too! (But we love to read lots of books, so willingly take suggestions!)

After that comes math and for that we have found a fantastic and rigourous math program out of singapore called Singapore Math. It gives the kind of learning in math that I want for the kids, but will hold up academically. (Math is sorta important in my family. I want my kids to be well-versed in this area.)

After these basic things there still comes some other stuff--the Handbook for Nature Study and outdoor study, handwriting and dictation, and basics like time, dates, manners, basic characteristics of God and the actions of a good kid.

So we're cruising right along. Can't wait for the fun to start. . .

Uggh!

Today I feel crappy and unmotivated. The kids have been at each other all day (although they are all three coloring together right now) and I haven't gotten a lick of anything done, not that there was anything that I wanted to get done--but a lot of things TO get done.

I guess that I would love to hear from you how you do it--how you force yourself to do that which you don't want to do; how you stay up with all that needs to be done; how you are not bored with the routine that you have. Lately, if I am completely honest, I would say that I am mind-numbingly bored with what I do and am having a hard time finding something that excites me. There is only so much "fun" that can be had cleaning and helping all day. I think I am at a point where I need to accomplish something tangible (I can't get exctied about finishing the dishes or folding the laundry), but can't think of what in the world that could be!

Oh well, I guess its back to the kitchen to finish dinner dishes and then on to the ritual of bedtimes.

Week 2 Recap

Monday--2 miles (19.45)

So I ran at the gym today and ran two sub 10 miles. Perfect. Except for some achy arches, it was pretty great. I think that I like flat running courses. I'm not too good with hills yet! But I do have two challenges for myself. First, after reading last week's recap, I realize that my attitude, for lack of a better description, sucks! If I expect to complete this marathon, I'd better work on changing this. Besides, I want to do this, no one is making me run a marathon, I guess that my attitude should reflect this. Second, I need to work on my song mix. One dear friend sent me a great playlist, but I haven't had time to purchase and download it. So I am going through my playlists and am finding that there are definitly great running songs and not so great running songs. But at this moment, I am not so good at remembering which of the songs were the best to run to! Oh well, I'll get there! (P.S. I'd welcome any song suggestions out there--I'm a pretty ecclectic listener!)

Tuesday--3 miles (0.0)

Oh, was I supposed to run today? Maybe that should have been mentioned to the three kids who all were up in the night--and the two who slept in our room.

On a great positive note, I found myself a new running shirt that I want with the words "see mommy run" That's part of why I do this--becuase I want all of my kids to see the strength that comes from having a goal and the work it takes to complete it and the pride and joy that result from completion. I want them to know that mommy is strong and fit and healthy.

Wednesday--3.2 miles (34.00)

With a passenger--I'm pretty proud of me. I did the same run Eric & I did, but while pushing Olivia in a

stroller. It was hard because I was pushing her, but it was good. I stopped less than I did with Eric and felt good

about my accomplishment AND OG fell asleep halfway through, so I didn't have to try and figure out her

continual narration while running! Sweet!

Friday--.6 miles (7:22 minutes)

Nope, not a typo--but just the reality of this life. I wanted a run, I needed to get in a run, but had three kids and couldn't find 30 minutes worth of childcare (I tried). So after some encouragement from Manda, I decided to push one in the stroller and have the other two ride their bikes. Great Idea! They had both ridden their bikes to Jersey Junction and back with little help, so how bad would a little bike/run with mommy be? Worse! J decided that he had to stop and walk his bike across many of the intersections, K stopped randomly to get a goldfish snack. And everyone needed frequent water breaks! So we got to the church parking lot and I started hearing "Mommy, my legs hurt." I encouraged some push-through. Then 50 feet later, you guessed it, "Mommy my legs hurt."So I gave up and turned around, but still trying earnestly to jog a little. (I had been timing in vain hope against hope). Then K got off her bike and started walking it--becuase her legs hurt.

That ended my attempt at running with my kids. Maybe next time I will push two girls in the jogger and have J bike--he was having a great time and didn't really want to go home. But for now, I will just work a little harder to stick to pre-arranged childcare schedules. It's just easier that way!

Tomorrow--childcare arrives at 8:30 and I take my first 5 miler! The route is set. But I have to do it alone, Eric knows he'll be working, So--off I go!

Saturday--5.2 miles (55.24)

I did it! My longest run ever in my whole life. And I did it on my own, in the rain with a pretty decent time. I am proud of me and now even more determined that I will run this marathon.

Oh sure, 5 miles isn't much compared to 26.2--but in my life, I like a good, serious challenge (someone I know once called the Big hairy goals). I think I can do this and enjoy (most of it) it and be so proud of myself after.

What is also fun is that the kids are in on this too--This morning I was telling K that our babysitter was coming over and she was asking me if this is my long run race or just a practice long run. They are excited to see a new face and that gives me great motivation to get up, get ready and get out the door.

This is exciting for me! I hope you can hear that! And your encouragement along the way is so helpful (hint, hint). Oh and the marathon is on October 18 if anyone wants to mark it on their calendars to see me through to the finish line!

Total Mileage--10.4 miles!

Frustration!

So here it is--the real frustration. I actually want to go on a run, but can't. Why? Well there are three kids in my life and I don'thave childcare for a quick run--and can only take one with me. What do I do? I want to honor the commitment I made and I know that if I don't get in enough little runs I will collapse on the big runs! Today I need three miles--but feel stuck! AHHHHH!

Unexplainable

Thanks Rebecca, all fixed !!!

Week 1 Recap

These little blurbs will be written the day I run them and then posted together at the end of the week--you know, so everything is fresh!

Monday--2 miles (which took way too long 10.33/10.21)

Seriously, is this how my training is going to start--feeling like I have a ton of bricks in my head, a raw nose and legs that don't want to work. The last thing I wanted to do this morning is run--sudden onset of allergies last night really knocked me over. My run felt that way today. Only two miles, but my legs were tight and I was just plodding along. I finally found some sort of rhythym on the last lap, but by then I was mentall done. But I did it. However, If all of this training is going to feel like this, I'm pretty sure I'm not going to make it past three weeks.

Tuesday--3.19 miles (34.00 minutes)

Okay, so today was my first serious outdoor run. And really it started out cold and windy. This is so not what I signed up for--I signed up for ease and fun and . . .I guess that I should then make my reservations for Jamaica! It wasn't too bad. I am learning that it takes me about 1.5 miles to warm up and before that warm-up running feels brutal and hard. Eric is a good encourager, although he tries to be funny when I don't want to hear funny. But that's part of why I love him! We finished with a seriously fast sprint (at least it felt that way!) and I expect that the sprint will get longer and faster as well as our overall pace get faster too!

Tuesday night--I'm tired and really hungry. Could these be related to my running? Hmm, I will ponder this a while with some beer and mozzerella sticks and get back to you.

Thursday--2.18 miles (24.30 minutes)

Yesterday, I seriously considered giving up running for life--I was achy, didn't want to move and generally creeked with every movement. But today, no complaints! Becuase of a change of plans, I ran outside on my own and discovered something. I feel much slower outside than I do on a track--but remarkably, am not as slow as a turtle. I will get faster.

And one thing I figured out--I will never run and then not stretch again! I am still trying to work the stiff & tired out of a couple muscles.

Saturday--4.92 miles (1.00 hour)

Yikes! Today's run was on the beautiful Mackinac Island. However, the run was not beautiful, or even pleasant. It was possibly some of the hardest running that I have ever done, certainly the furthest that I have ever run. The first mile us UPHILL! Did you hear me, UPHILL--through the center of the island--up steep paths that I don't even like to bike up! AHHHHHHH. Eric and I kept comparing how far we thought we had run (we later marked it on bike) I felt sure that we had gone at least five miles--how could it possibly take me so long to complete anything less than five miles? Maybe, I thought optimistically, we almost went 6! Nope, not a chance! not even 5! But I made it--and I am trying to remain positive.

Total Mileage for week--12.92. Not bad for a first week! Only 19 weeks left.

Fun in this Life

So the past few weeks have actually been a lot of fun here. And it culminated this weekend in three major happenings.

1) The garden is completely planted. In our small space we have strawberries, rhubarb, and onions oregano and chives thriving. The peas and potatoes are coming along. The green beans sure are taking a long time to sprout. But the soup beans look fantastic. I am excited about what I can do with those this fall (Thanks, Meika).

We planted 3 types of tomatoes, zucchini, cucumbers, green and red peppers, basil and head lettuce seedlings. And I finished by putting in a bunch of carrots (ha, ha).

I can't wait to see what will work and what won't in this garden. Now, if only I could keep the weeds at bay.

And in another Sammy Homemaker moment, I finished another dress for K--it's super cute and maybe I'll get around to posting a picture of that too, but that would mean that I need to take a picture of it first.

2) J finished his soccer season. The level of improvement we've seen in him has been phenomenal. He went from not knowing where the ball was to actually being able kick the ball, in the direction that he wanted it to go. Anyway, here are some cute pictures of him.

3) K had her very precious ballet recital in which she danced to Wonderful, Beautiful Savior (which is now her favorite song). We got to watch lots of super cute dances by all the preschool classes at Hearts in Step. Really, we have 10,000 (a slight exaggeration) super cute pictures of the little princess, but because I know you don't have quite the emotional attachment I do, I'll just show you two. Her outfit is very, very pink, so I called her cotton candy or pink bubblegum. (She preferred cotton candy!)

And 4) And because I feel bad that I have no pictures of OG up here, because frankly she is only two and not yet into these kinds of things, here are two random shots of the little one.

(What kind of mother lets their kids play in the mud like that?)