Small Conversations

Marley came to me today with her new American Girl Doll and said she was going to put her hair into a poni tail. I told her not to do it. She did it anyway. Then she brought Julie (the doll) to me and said, "See? Doesn't she look good this way?" I said she looks like a girl who's mom isn't following the rules of don't put her hair up in a pony tail. As she walked away, I added, "And she does look really good."

Marley came back a little while later and showed me Julie again. "Doesn't she look good?" So I told her again, "she looks like the same girl who's mom doesn't want to follow the rules." And shrugged and told me, as she was walking down the hall, "There are no rules for being beautiful, Mom."

There sure aren't.

The other Julie conversation happened a few days ago. The day after Christmas, actually. (A little background: Dad was supposed to take her to Chicago in October to buy Julie, but it didn't happen.) Marley jumped up onto our bed and told us, since Santa Claus (yes, we let our kids believe...) gave her Julie for free, we could take her to Chicago to buy her a different AGD for her. Doh!

Have you seen this on FB yet?

It has been going around. Circulating. I talked to Bree, my 13 yo, when I saw it pop up on her facebook that she had left up. Is this a real post? Is it made up? I know Bree and her friends used to make up touching chain letters and txt them to friends to see if they would catch on. This could be a case of people making things up to get noticed, or to see what the comments will be, or just to get a rise out of people. Or it could be real. This is the second post of this sort, featuring this boy and his sister...



Anyway, here was my post to the topic. Is is ok? Is is brilliant parenting? Or are the parents forgetting that their children are people? With feelings? You decide.

I replied to this on another webpage. I like to imagine when I am helping my kids learn, how might I feel if my husband was displeased by something I did and treated me that way. After all not too long ago, wives were regarded as similar to how we regard children. The man's job was believed to keep her in line. to make sure she behaved. How would this parent feel if his/her spouse used this parenting "technique" for him/her. Infuriated, hopeless, betrayed? Probably not the best place to start the learning process.

I don't always do the "right thing" as a parent. Guilty. I am not the judge of any parenting. I try to use these kinds of things to remind me of my goals and whether or not what I am doing is bringing me closer to them.

More on the topic? http://www.ourmuddyboots.com/our-get-along-shirt-guest-post-by-dr-laura-markham/ These views are in line with mine for the most part. Only she outlined them out more clearly than I would typically do. :-)

News Flash UPDATE

(The things people say when they find out I homeschool... and what I think about those things....)

I just don't think I could handle being with my kids all day. I don't think they could handle being around me all day. We would drive eachother crazy!

Sometimes my kids drive me up the wall. Probably sometimes I do the same for them. But we play and sing and giggle and talk and smile, cook, yell, explain, argue, break things, fix things, and so much more TOGETHER. When they are loving to eachother I get to peek in on it like a fly on the wall. When they are fighting, I get to be there to redirect. (well sometimes I am unsuccessful at this but I try.) I am often reminded to be thankful that if tomorrow my kids were all taken away from me, I had this amazing time with these amazing people who like being around me for the most part too.

I wish I had thought of this forever ago!

This summer, I had an opportunity to go to Chicago with my son who is 18 and will be graduating high school soon. We were really close once. Then I got married and (I am not blaming my marriage for this) we grew apart. There are so many reasons for this. Anywho, this summer we went to Chicago together for a trip, just to take a trip to Chicago, no other reason. We took a river tour of Chicago, checked out the Willis Tower, at at a bunch of local eats, shopped at a bunch of local shops, we even got tattoos together (I know that sounds corny...) We saw a Bears game, we sat on the pier and watched the fireworks. How did I not do these things with him before this year? How did I not go out to eat, just us? How did we not go on small trips together in so long? How did I miss doing all that with him? Sure we did things together sometimes, but not the way I wish now we had. I wish I had some of those days to do over again so I could spend that time just me and him.

The girls and I, we have lots of one on one. We also have lots of together time. And it is mostly good. We shop together, go out to eat together, we vacation together (just me and my girls), when my husband leaves, the girls snuggle in my bed and we have sleep overs. I would not give these days up for a trillion bucks. Because a trillion bucks can't replace this.

Yes my girls drive me crazy. And yes I drive them crazy. And I would keep being crazy every day for every second more I have. And to not wish for do-overs with them.

There are many reasons for not homeschooling your kids. But don't let them driving you crazy be one of those reasons! Most likely you are already crazy. We all are. The most wonderful moments happen when we slow down. And they stay with you forever. They are worth it.

The Tea (birthday) Party

Have I plugged my favorite coffee shop here yet?? (lol. of course I have.)
 The Witch's Brew Coffee Shoppe

Do you facebook? Here is their facebook page.
http://www.facebook.com/#!/WitchsBrewCoffeeShoppe?fref=ts

My girls and I head there once a week for frappe's, tea, and games. Witch's Brew has drinks, eats, a set of game of their own for you to choose from, a chalk board the color on, free WIFI (we bring our ipod touch), and something new each time we go there.

The other day we were invited to a Birthday (tea) party there. It was so much fun! Everyone was given witch's hats to wear, there was soup/salad, fruit and muffins, then finger sandwiches, and cake. A bottomless glass of tea choices, presents, games.

I am so glad that Witch's Brew is in my neighborhood. Check it out.

The Party

The vampire panda (present) modeled on Marley's head.

Coop Break

Our Coop breaks for the months of December and January. I cannot imagine keeping up with that schedule through the holidays and am very thankful for the break.

Brenda however, in her cake decorating class, cannot get her head out of the frosting. She is designing a cake she would like to take to Grandpa's house for the Christmas Eve party. I know it will be crazy, most likely it will draw up a ton of tears, and in the end we will all love it. So is the way with Brenda...

Here are some cookies her class designed on their last day, before break. Then they all brought in cookies to share. Brenda insisted on making Gramma by Ollie's (Gramma Kosowski's) potato chip cookies. Boy how we still love those things. Even with me as a grownup.

And Bret and I still have anatomy to work on even though the holiday goes strong. Since we are working anyway I offered her (my child scarred for life from math due to her 8 days in school :-o) my 21 day program. 21 days of painelss math and then a dinner together when it is over. She accepted... BIG SHOCKER. Now to figure out where to start...

Service Project for Girl Scouts

So Bret's troop has gone from 9 girls to 18 girls. While Brenda's troop has gone from 11girls (two years ago) to 5 girls (last year) to just Brenda working as a Juliette without a troop.

One of the leaders has a husband doctor going to Belise for a few months to do some service work. He does this every few years. Our local troops are pitching in to put together school packs for the kids. I said I would be in charge of making 100 drawstring bags to put all the glue, paper, pencils, sharpeners, etc. into. Well I said my troop would be. And I would teach them to sew the bags. That was before I knew our troop would be 18 kids!! There is no way we have enough time for this project in this troop.

So Brenda asked if she could do it as her service project to earn her silver award. Her troop earned their Bronze award a few years ago setting up a book drive for a local church reading program. This project she would have to earn all on her own (so to speak). She has washed, ironed, and cut yards and yards of fabric. Tomorrow she begins the sewing process. The total project from beginning to end should take at least 40 hours to be considered for the Silver Award. She insisted she would like to try to focus on it and complete it in a week's time. Since it is due in January, I say let's do it in the first week, not the last...

 

UPDATE:

 

And now it is time to sew...