When life happens...

We have been running around like crazy people! I assume almost everyone else is too around this time of year. We had a swim meet for B this weekend and while it is hard for most people to hang out all day at these events, sometimes I feel it's even harder when you can't just garb a quick bite to eat. We are really trying to focus on our health right now and so junk food and eating out is not even an option. We find in our family that we have issues and troubles regulating our intake of junk even when we let ourselves have just a little. This includes "kid foods" like hot dogs, mac and cheese, etc. We have also found that the kids keep breaking out in rashes and hives when they have wheat, B gets a bit of ADHD type symptoms when he has ANY kind of sugar (I'm talking running around, unable to focus on anything, moody, yelling, uncontrollable behavior), and the baby cries and cries when she has dairy.

Thus, I pack a cooler fuuuulll of everything. Lunches, homemade healthy snacks, etc. It's like two darn days of prep just to feed these crazy kids for a day like that. I keep hoping that over  time will get easier. It hasn't yet... However, Elana over at Elana's Pantry is helping so much lately because she posts her oh-so-wonderful and crazy simple recipes on her blog. This past Saturday we enjoyed these brownies and they saved me from having to buy crap from machines or concession stands because kids have a hard time when they watch others walking around with sugar, sugar and more sugar. Just a note about the brownies, I cut them small, like super small, 64 to a square pan small. Just because it's dates and maple syrup instead of sugar doesn't make a difference. Sugar is sugar. 

Also happening now...we hit a deer with my new van! It's not even a year old so it is sad, BUT no one was hurt, the van is repairable, and so I'm choosing to walk away thankful of our good fortune. However, that means this whole week has been wonky trying to figure out how to schedule everything around one vehicle! We finally gave up this evening a rented an SUV that I can fit the kiddos in. 

Tomorrow is the start of our Christmas baking. I should have started today but was busy sewing this instead. It turned out alright and just in time because our negative windchill today would have been hard on Nova. 

Unschooling Hybrid

Even though we are all happy to be homeschooling around here, it seems we have quite a few days that just end up being more of a fight than they need to be. Z is usually pretty content. She enjoys her curricula, likes structure and knowing what she needs to do, loves seeing progress on paper in regards to what she learns. She likes me to make sure to write how many problems or spelling words she got wrong on the top of her paper, she likes writing her name at the top, etc.

Then we have B. It seems as though he constantly feels I'm forcing him to do things. He whines that I force him to do math, that I force him to do reading (although when left to his own devices he will go through 6 chapter books in a week). We have tried switching curriculum. I have tried letting him do more math online, manipulatives for subjects, board games, etc. And yet, there is still this 8 year old boy slinking around like a slug when the day begins. He slides from place to place slowly leaving a trail of whine slime behind him.

Last week I decided to just let both kids be. We've done this experiment before and truthfully it didn't go that well. I know many people unschool and their kids flourish in the environment and the magic happens. We didn't have that response. I had two whiny people complaining that they were bored and fighting all day long. Either way, I decided it was time for another go.

The week was interesting. It is so hard for me to let go and let them just do whatever they want all day and call it school. I came from public school. I am very type A and I do what I'm told. I have always been that way. During our week there were a lot of Lego and Kinex projects that were built, a lot of super hero fights, lots of coloring and art projects and many, many puzzles. B read 8 chapter books, smaller ones like Geronimo Stilton and Captain Underpants. What did surprise me is that the kids asked to go out and play in the snow. It snowed toward the end of the week and it was sticky, heavy and beautiful. The kids usually whine and moan when I tell them to go out and get some fresh air. I assume they inherited their dislike of being cold from me. While we all love the beauty of winter, we just don't fully enjoy the temperature.

Can you see B in the woods? 

The cool part about our house is that we live in a large loop. Not a cul de sac, but we are out in the woods in a neighborhood and in between all the houses is a large circle of woods. So if the kids want to explore part of the woods they can and I feel safe and confident as no one can hunt in there, and no matter what direction they go they can always find the road and just walk home. They can hear me if I call for them and I can regularly give a holler and they always call back with where they are.

 

Usually our days are so full and we are so busy we don't have time to step back much. Since we were looser this week, I was able to do a bit more cooking with Z. We decided to make a batch of pancakes for lunch one day and realized we were out of the almond flour that we needed to make them. After some internet searching with Z we found out that we could try sunflower seed flour. So, off we ran to grind the seeds and make the flour. Halfway through cooking our pancakes we realized that they were all turning green as they cooled! Scared to eat them, we ran back to the computer to research was was happening. That turned into a short lesson on acids and bases and chemical reactions, namely what happens to sunflower products and the chlorogenic acid in them when they meet up with baking soda. (Our pancakes are covered in mashed up strawberries)

 

Our week included a few more things that, while we do them every week, we simply had more time to stop and explore our world. We stopped off at the organic grocery store in the next town while shopping and had great discussions on organic vs non organic. What pesticides are, what their purpose is and why we try not to consume them. While we've had abbreviated conversations about this topic before, we were able to delve into it further and the kids asked to do a quick internet search about what items have the most pesticides and such. Since B adores apples he picked the biggest he could find, I think he did a good job. Oh, and see how Z is wearing an odd dress? That's her vampire costume from Halloween 2 years ago. It seems lately she has very specific ideas on fashion and how certain things need to be worn certain days. You would NOT believe how many older ladies came up to her and told her that her dress was beautiful. She shyly commented "thank you" and made sure to give me a look that seemed to say, "See Mom, this dress really is for every occasion."

Last week was also when I decided to finally get Nova's birthday photos done. The kids helped me make a few of the items that I used in the shoot, and while I was working on the harder projects they both decided to start writing books! Um, for real?!? I can't EVER get them to do their typing and they don't ever want to write. This was probably one of the coolest parts of this week. The other was B started to explore stop animation and made a few really cool videos.

Lastly, B is feeling very into planets lately and decided he wanted to finally do his planet model that he's had sitting around. To be perfectly honest, it's hard to fit all the cool stuff we have sitting around here in the day, especially since we aren't learning about planets in science right now. We are currently on life science, not astronomy. B took it upon himself to look up information on which planet was which, organize them by their size, paint them based upon the real pictures and set up his model. In the end his project looked much different than on the box and so I'm glad he took the time to research it and do it right. Funny though, would he have taken that much time if he had already had a full day of school behind him?

 So after this week was over how do I feel now? Well, I feel it was one experiment that was a slight success. The kids worked on a lot of art, B & Z built a lot of projects, we had many impromptu learning lessons about various topics, and the kids voluntarily did seek out information and learn things that otherwise they would have complained about.

On the other hand, at the end of the week, neither one of them wanted to check out a lick of math, Z regressed in her reading by a lesson or two, and the actual amount of "learning time" was way less than I would have liked.

For now the kids and I have talked and we have agreed to try a hybrid. I will schedule less of their day and we will make sure to cover the basics. Reading, math, handwriting, spelling, grammar. The other subjects we have great curricula and at any time the kids can ask and we can pick it up and do it. So I fill their work towers with things I feel they must do and things that they can choose to do. If they don't like those choices and something else is pulling them in that direction, they are free to go do it. We decided to give this a go for a bit, and if it seems like their free time is frittered away we will reassess. The kids are excited about this option. So far this week B is excelling and Z is lost. I foresee the future looking like more direction for her and a continuing light touch with B. I will always continue to be amazed at how different every person learns and the differing needs of the individual. Prior to this homeschool journey I just never knew how important individualized learning was.

Natural Makeup.

We have been in the midst of switching to a more natural lifestyle around here lately. While that's not homeschool related it is important to me for the health of my family and myself. Allergies, health issues, auto immune disorders, genetic mutations and hyper-emotional children has made us aware that things need to change. We were actually doing pretty well a couple years ago with our food and products but since natural living is not the norm it's hard to stick with it when life gets crazy.

Thankfully we have seen that it is very important for the health of us and our little ones and are once again making natural, holistic living a priority. While this is not necessarily a makeup review blog, it is a family oriented place for me to offer our experiences in family living. So I hope this helps someone out there.

This month I have been trying to switch out my makeup and body products for things that are a bit better. Z is a incredibly obsessed with makeup, so if I let her play around with it at all I would like it to be ok for her body. I am prone to acne, even at age 32, and thus far the only makeup I was able to use without many problems was MAC. However, those ingredients don't exactly have me feeling all wonderful inside. This past week I have been trying samples of Alima Pure and Araza and hope to also try RMS Beaulty and Red Apple Lipstick products. This is just me talking about switching products in my life to align with a better and healtheir lifestyle. So please don't think this is marketing or anything. I researched and bought all this stuff. I just really want to show others what I think about certain items so that the online makeup hunt can be easier.

Araza
https://arazabeauty.com/

I love how this stuff feels. Super creamy and soft. The color I ended up going with was 8, a neutral toned light, in the 7 in 1 Foundation and the Green Tea Concealer in golden light. I didn't feel the concealer helped too much with slight red blemishes but did alright under my eyes. I also tried the contouring bronzer, finishing powder and lip gloss. Even though I liked how this went on I did notice small breakouts forming along my jawline and chin. I think perhaps the coconut oil is just too much for my skin. If you can do coconut oil on your face (I can't usually) then you should check them out. They have samples to purchase and so there's no risk in buying a huge pot and hating it! Plus, it feels nice on. 

Alima Pure
https://www.alimapure.com/

NOTICE: I only received 3 1/2 hours of sleep the night before this photo!! See how I didn't even care that my selfie sucked and my husband and clutter was in the background? I'll do better on more sleep. I promise! The baby had a rough night. But wow, really, look at those undereye bags!!!!

UPDATE: Not so tired in this one, but having the original shows another aspect to my life. I'm tired with huge undereye circles too! This photo also shows the eyeliner.

The Alima Pure foundation is good. I got the Find Your Match kit and think I have found a good match. I love that they offer that option because buying makeup online is soooo hard! The foundation goes on smooth, doesn't seem cakey or flakey. However, I do not like the powder concealer. It does not seem to conceal my under eye circles all that well and does seem to make the whole overall look a bit "powdery". I think I'll be trying something else for that. I've got my eye on trying their cream concealer.

The Satin Finishing Powder is also great. Nice, silky and a great matte finish. I gave the Contour Powder and the Satin Matte Eyeliner a whirl also. The eyeliner is good as it seems super pigmented and stays on well through the day. I haven't found a great way to apply it though. The brush I have doesn't work the best. I did not at all enjoy the contour powder though. It seemed a bit to ashy on me and was tough to blend like I wanted. So far I'm giving Alima a chance and we'll see how it goes! The website is nice, the sample foundation sizes are nice and they have a reasonable return policy.

I've got a whole bunch more products coming and my daughter is ecstatic to try them out! Maybe she can model lip glosses on her adorable pout since she won't stay out of them!!

We are off to gymnastics!

Examples of why I'm a multipotentialite...and look my baby is one!

Actually, my baby has been one for a month now. But I just finally got around to doing her first birthday pictures. After making all the items for the shoot, taking the photos, editing the photos, and including my children in all aspects of the process, I really see my multipotentialite traits in action. I am kind of on hiatus at the moment, but most of the items in these photos were made by me. The tutu, tutu dress, all headpieces (fox ears, headbands, flower crown), and banners. I'm sure a professional photographer could have certainly done better. However, it's a hobby I enjoy tinkering with and so I do. We couldn't decide on a favorite so we decided to put them in a collage for now and decide later.

 

So why is this important? What does it mean for the kids, for our homeschool, for me as a teacher? It means that I can see these traits in my children. These traits might be seen in other venues as undedicated, flaky, hopping from one hobby to another. However, after all this time I don't see it that way. What I see, is potential. The term encompasses it all. These days, when my son wants to spend all day researching superheroes and writing a book on it, I can see what he is doing, and how absorbed he is in the process, and how he wants to learn every aspect of that topic that he can. Then the next week it's dinosaurs or cars. Really, aren't most children just like this? 

What can we do to help children like this? We can show them that having multiple interests is OK. We can also help them manage how they feel once they have "mastered" a concept and would like to move on to the next. How can past learnings help in their new endeavors? How can they make sure to finish one thing before the next catches their eye? How do they make sure they don't stretch themselves too thin? 

For me as a home educator I also need to keep my interests in check a bit. I tend to take on too much, and when it's all overwhelming me I take a step back and reassess how important all these interests are.

How about you? Have you ever heard the term Multipotentialite?  It has recently given me comfort to know that I don't just devour and hop from one thing to another because I'm a lazy, unmotivated person but rather my interest pool is large, and I prefer it that way. I used to say that I wanted to be a professional student. To devour subjects one by one, wholly and completely. When I grow up I want to teach, write books, take photos, sew dresses, own a store where I make and sell all sorts of pretties for little girls, teach yoga, be a philosopher, be a midwife, teach English at a university, plan weddings, decorate houses, own a restaurant, be a graphic designer...the list goes on and on. And oddly enough, Homeschool encompasses so many of those interests!

For more info on being a multipotentialite look here.

Here we are...

Annnnnddd here we are. Our third year into homeschooling and I'm finally starting that blog! Why the final push? Why now? Well, because life never seems to slow down and so, why not now?

Here's a small snippet of our homeschool life. From what it seems we might be a bit of a different breed, or even species, from the regular homeschool blogger troupe. We aren't super organized. We don't really have great days. We have good days. We have smoother-than-yesterday days. We have the baby didn't scream and yell aaaaallllll during reading days. It's a toss up as far as who will be the noisiest member of the group and if we are able to find the table by supper time it's a definite plus!

Our style switches between a bit of classical, a bit of unschooling, a bit of Charlotte Mason, a bit of everything! We haven't really found a style that resonates with us well, so we keep changing it up when we need to in hopes of finding the right fit for us. Worksheets, scheduled days, curriculum, and random play, free reading, dictation, are all found in this home.

But for real, for really real, we love this. I love this and I can't imagine a place I'd rather be.

So, are you ready to meet the ones that simultaneously steal my heart and carve deep wrinkles into my brow?

Bman. Ahhh B. My first born. B really takes that first child thing to heart. He's only 8 but it's as if he read the manual on being the first born and decided he would do all that he can to uphold the legacy. Bman is highly intelligent yet hates structure. He excels in math but would like to wipe all numbers off the Earth and burn any abacus he meets. He's incredibly sensitive, highly emotional, and hyper. He takes on too much responsibility and the problems of the world weigh on him heavily. He's into Minecraft, loves to read and adores creativity. He loves art but cannot draw and has just joined the swim team. If you start talking to him about solar energy, politics, bees, oil consumption, peace, world hunger, cars, movies, superheroes, or how annoying his sisters are, be ready for the long haul.

Z. I did not know that Z was meant to be a middle child until after the birth of my smallest. Z is incredibly goofy, tries to please all, switches between incredibly shy and incredibly outgoing, and is all around sweet. She takes a bit longer getting to understand new concepts but is excelling at reading lately and has talents that are much, much different than her brother's but just as amazing. She loves gymnastics, princesses, Barbies, clothing, high heels (much to my dismay), makeup, fashion, bling, and cooking. She is a natural model, a fast runner, and a crazy contortionist. It's impossible to get a bad photo of Z. She's interested in castles, games, and cats.

Nova. Nova is the smallest of the bunch. She is one and full of personality. I thought I had met my match with B but I might end up ripping my hair out with this one. She's incredibly opinionated, she's stubborn, is the most picky eater I've ever encountered, and she loves her momma. Nova doesn't seem to share her sister's love of dresses, hairbows, and headbands. She gets frustrated when life interferes with her intentions. She's very shy around strangers, she gets into every cupboard and drawer in the house, and eats any scrap of food off the floor despite the fact that she threw it down refusing to eat it for lunch. She prefers to spend her time being held by mommy, nursing with mommy, rummaging through belongings, messing with the remotes, and ripping pages out of homeschool books. She also makes the most adorable vrrrrmmmm while driving her little people cars.

 Till the next time! Adios!