PARENTING FREEDOM

Carol | January 30, 2012

Amazing. We went snowshoeing and had art lessons two days in a row.

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Carol | December 25, 2011

The Best Toys $5 Can Buy
http://www.hereinthelovelywoods.com/2011/12/best-toys-5-can-buy.html

We added almost all of these things to the children’s Christmas gifts. Typically, it is a challenge to keep them supplied in tape and paper. Once they get all their Lego built, it will be interesting to see what messes creations they will make with the crafty stuff.

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Carol | December 5, 2011

I think two of the biggest shames of schooling-outside-the-home are the separation of siblings and the extreme reduction of playtime.

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Carol | November 30, 2011

This year, we started decorating for Christmas earlier than ever (not last weekend, but the weekend before). Even though we don’t decorate that much, I knew it would take a while to get it done. I still don’t have the garland on the stair railing. As you can imagine, C1 was pretty excited with all the “new” things all over the living room. Usually we listen to Christmas music or watch a Christmas movie while decorating, but who can miss “Cheaper By the Dozen” when it is on TV?

C1 concentrating on adding the lights to the ceramic tree

L7 and C10 setting up the manger

C1 examining the Baby Jesus

C1 looking at the Jesse Tree ornaments and Christmas books

C1 enjoying the Fisher-Price nativity scene

Baby Jesus

Here are some old pictures and comments regarding some of our Christmas traditions.
http://parentingfreedom.com/2008/12/04/christmas-decorating-and-family-christmas-traditions/
http://parentingfreedom.com/2009/12/28/decorating-for-christmas-2009/

We are on the third Jesse tree devotion as we started early in hopes that we won’t have to double up or skip as many as usual. I haven’t done it “right” since the first year we tried it, and we even skipped last year completely. So far so good this year.

Here is our Jesse Tree from 2008:
http://parentingfreedom.com/2008/12/04/family-christmas-tradition-jesse-tree/

Here are a couple links to free Jesse Tree Devotions:
http://www.aholyexperience.com/2010/11/free-jesse-tree-advent-devotional-book/
http://www.scribd.com/doc/73429505/Jesse-Tree-Guide

Although there is no problem fitting in the treat from the advent calendar house, we started that early, too, just because we were so excited. Beforehand, I had the kids sign a contract – no fighting, no jealousy, no complaining, etc. Greed, selfishness, and lack of appreciation can get out of hand if you aren’t prepared.

The kids guessed ahead of time that the theme this year was Lego, and although there are two different Lego advent calendars available this year, I decided to buy the Lego figures/items of my choosing. The doors of our advent house are so small that hardly anything fits in, never mind enough things for FOUR children, so I put only C1′s treat behind the door. (I only fill one day at a time for her, because I would never tempt a one-year-old by filling all the little boxes and expecting her to not open them all, especially since I want to keep it at her level.) C1 doesn’t get Lego, but she does get something special behind each door each day. I hide the Lego baggies for the three older kids in three different rooms, so they can hunt like crazy and will only find their own treat. I was very tricky the first day and C10 and B13 had a very hard time finding their Lego. So much so, that I had to play “Hot” or “Cold” with one of them.

Here is our advent calendar house from last year:
http://parentingfreedom.com/2010/12/31/christmas-2010-adventures-with-our-first-advent-calendar-house/

Cara gave me a link to Cinnamon Bear audio stories recorded in 1937! That was when Grampie S. was only six years old! We’ve been listening to the stories during lunch and clean-up and have finished four already. It keeps C10 in the kitchen to clean out the dishwasher, too. She is the biggest fan of audio books although L7 seems to like them, too. C10 thought the children in the stories had whiny voices, but she agreed when I pointed out that the little girl sounded like Shirley Temple.

Here are the Cinnamon Bear audio stories (24 Counting Down to Christmas):
http://www.getrichslowly.org/blog/2011/11/28/the-cinnamon-bear-an-old-time-radio-christmas-tradition-4/

I bought the Michael Bublé Christmas album on iTunes, and although it is nice, I realize I much prefer to listen to conservative talk radio.

I remembered to buy the pre-built gingerbread house this year! Maybe I will buy some more candy decorations at the Bulk Barn if I think of it. The kids could always use more gumballs!

I added the following new things to our Christmas decorations this year: a new ribbon (although I might be sorry because the sparkles seem to fall off too much) for the tree (which we don’t put up until closer to Christmas since we always get a real one), a pink decoration for C10′s pink tree, some blue trim for L7′s blue tree, and for the five Sundays of Advent, I bought new purple and white candles, a stand and greenery. We used our white candle for our Jack’o'Lantern on Hallowe’en.

As I mentioned before, I cut down on gifts this year. I did most of our Christmas shopping online and have purchased everything already. As a Canadian, I had my first experience with Black Friday where I got a few great deals at Amazon.ca and .com.

That’s all folks. Anything else you want to know? Have you come across any nice Christmas ideas that you want to share with me?

If you rarely or have never commented on my blog, I would love to hear from you. Especially any real life friends who found my website through Facebook. I love to know who reads my posts. Hundreds of people visit my websites every day, but most land here looking for articles on specific subjects. I write personal posts like this for the special people who visit here on purpose, and it’s fun to know who you are! I hope you are enjoying your Christmas preparations, too!

Edited to add:

I started our annual reading aloud of “The Best Christmas Pageant Ever” tonight.

I am thinking I will get a puzzle with about 1000 pieces for the children to work on during the next few weeks.

Category: Holidays, Homeschooling Activities, Journal 2011 | 3 Comments »
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Carol | November 10, 2011

My ten-year-old daughter just did something I have never done in 41 years. She made homemade icing! Well, I did try one time to make boiled icing, but my mother had to rescue me after two failed pots. C10 made a cookies and cream cake with Oreos. We are waiting for it to cool. I would have taken pictures, but the kitchen is too messy from the supper dishes not done. Contrary to the stereotype, I am NOT one of those homeschooling mothers who teaches her daughter to cook (tonight was rare), nor am I the cook-from-scratch type, and I certainly can’t take step-by-step pictures to record the experience.

Category: Food, Homemaking, Homeschooling Activities, Status Updates | 3 Comments »
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Carol | November 1, 2011

Homeschooling rocks for a 13 year-old boy who finished the 3 R’s mid-morning, and then we went to town to pick up his LONG-AWAITED Uncharted 3 PS3 video game. B13 got to spend the rest of the day (and evening) playing his new video game. He has lots of empty Halloween candy wrappers around him. Also, the Littles are now watching CARS 2 out on DVD/Blu-ray (ignoring the environmentalist propanda). L7 is wearing his CARS 2 shirt. Tomorrow will hold more schoolwork.

I have so many things I could be doing right now. I guess clicking Publish, correcting Math, switching laundry, and folding some clothes are next (and probably a little nursing session and watching CARS 2.) Multi-tasking.

(Update: Did all those chores and more…)

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Carol | February 22, 2011

I took these video clips of my children this afternoon.

Sliding in the yard

Igloo in the yard

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Carol | February 15, 2011

Killing the soul of children
http://www.itakejoy.com/killing-the-soul-of-children/

“Research of every kind has suggested that media, constantly being indoors, over-entertainment, trying to manage children into little adults, too much exposure to sexual material and immoral values at an early age, is destroying the soul of children…”

“Children need lots of time to have alone time imagination–to synthesize all that they are learning and thinking about in their worlds…”

Category: Health, Homeschooling Academics, Homeschooling Activities, Homeschooling Controversy, Inspiration, Parenting Attachment, Parenting General, Parenting Stay-at-Home, Sex Education, Video Games | 1 Comment »
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Carol | February 6, 2011

The guilt trap: How over half of mothers feel they don’t spend enough quality time with their children
http://www.dailymail.co.uk/femail/article-1351011/The-guilt-trap-How-half-mothers-feel-dont-spend-quality-time-children.html#ixzz1DCPDbLQn

“Just over 50 per cent of mothers struggle to find quality time to amuse the children due to busy lives and hectic work schedules.”

“The majority admitted that they could do better at a string of other everyday parental tasks too, blaming themselves for a lack of patience and not cooking more meals from scratch.”

Who cares about cooking from scratch? That can easily be a waste of time.

“24 per cent believe they should be putting more effort into helping children with their schoolwork.”

Uh, what are they paying the teachers to do?

“Three quarters of the mothers polled said that they often leave the children to entertain themselves [children] so they can get a bit of work or chores done.”

Sounds like one quarter are lying.

Say good night to bedtime stories: How reading to children is being hit by busy lives
http://www.dailymail.co.uk/news/article-1352045/Say-good-night-bedtime-stories-How-reading-children-hit-busy-lives.html#ixzz1DCYNTWPr

Since my husband started working away, I noticed a drastic drop in my reading to the children. It’s a shame, but it’s the way it’s been.

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Carol | December 31, 2010

The children, Nana, and me

Beautiful Scenery

The pictures don’t do it justice.

Baby GC sleeping in the sling in the crisp air

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Carol | December 31, 2010

I miss personal blogging. I miss the old way I used to blog. I am so behind that it almost seems hopeless. I stopped posting regular family pictures around July and never picked it up again. I haven’t even written Baby GC’s birth story. I want to get back into it, so for now, I think I will skip the summer and fall and only go back as far as the beginning of Advent 2010.

We had a very slow, low-key month of December. I made the choice not to do many of our annual traditions. I wanted peace without commotion. I was tired of feeling tired, so we did very little. It still felt very much like Christmas.

One new idea that proved to be quite fun was our new Advent calendar house. After Christmas last year, I ordered it on EBay. It sat in its box all year, so it was rather amusing when we opened it. Do you notice anything unusual about it? I didn’t until the children mentioned it.

Our Advent Calendar House

I bought some secret things. (The treats were often things we would do anyway, or candy from the Bulk Barn, or things we could have saved for Christmas presents. I had lots of ideas we didn’t even use.)

And I made a list of hiding places. (Examples: Look in the organ… Look in the drawer under the sock monkey… Look in the doll house… Look by the doll on the stairs… Look behind the ceramic Christmas tree… Look in the front bench… Look in the fridge… Look by the Cascade… Look on the computer desk… Look in the bathtub… Look in the black cabinet in the bathroom… Look on the dryer…)

Each day of December, I would either stuff a small treat or a “Look under/in/behind” note behind one of the doors. Instead of getting it ready all at once, I would do it one day at a time, so the most appropriate treat would go on the most convenient day.

Day 1: pack of crackling candy to share (funny)

Day 2: four lollipops and four Double Bubble gum (to divide among four children)

Day 3: four chocolate loonies

Day 4: Decorated wooden Christmas tree ornament crafts with marker and glitter

Day 5: Made T.V. advertisments with video camera – Sham Wow, Goldline

This was fun. We spent additional time watching home videos. (It makes me feel bad that I didn’t take more during the past few years. I have hardly ANY of Baby GC, but I guess it doesn’t matter.)

Day 6: bag of peanut M&Ms to share

Day 7: four chocolate peanut butter balls and four mints

Day 8: four mints and four rockets

Day 9: four pieces Hubba Bubba gum

Day 10: chocolate rocks (It took them a while to figure out you could eat them. It looked like a bag of real stones.)

Day 11: Ice Cream Moon Sand

The three middles really enjoyed this project.

Playing Moon Sand
See Baby and cat and lights?
I was getting ready to put the lights on the real tree.

Day 12: Decorated Gingerbread houses with Daddy

Derek is always responsible for the construction of the gingerbread houses.

Our Gingerbread Houses 2010

Day 13: Gum that tastes like SOAP. I can’t let them get TOO spoiled. It was hilarious, but they were mad and thought it was a dud. ROFLOL After, I told them if they had reacted like good sports, they would have got something else, but… FAIL… ?! (To clarify, for the biblically minded, it was a joke, not a character test… and they read the label before they tried it.)

Day 14: foam sticker wreath craft with glitter glue, one KitKat to share

Christmas wreath foam craft

Day 15: watched Ramona and Beezus on PayPerVu

I knew C9 would like this especially. I think she has read all the Beverly Cleary books by now. It will be a sad day when something happens to our cat. I LOVED all the baby wearing in the movie! Even Ramona was carrying around her baby sister in a forward facing carrier.

Day 16: four candy canes

Day 17: four lollipops and four Double Bubble gum

Day 18: Three oldest went to Voyage of the Dawn Treader in 3D with Daddy… L6 watched Cats and Dogs 2 on PayPerVu

I didn’t want to take Baby GC to Voyage of the Dawn Treader because it was only available in 3D. There is nothing worse than a seeing a 3D movie without the glasses, and I knew I wouldn’t be able to keep them on the baby, and she LOVES to watch the big screen, so I chose to skip the movie.

Day 19: The middles painted plaster tree ornaments with me, Derek, and his brother who happened to stop by.

Painting Christmas Tree Ornaments

Decorating chocolate cupcakes with icing
and Christmas sprinkles (with Derek’s brother)

Day 20: I forget what it was.

Day 21: two Kit Kats and two O’Henrys

Day 22: four pieces of Hubba Bubba gum

Day 23: four kinds of juice cans

Day 24: made things out of clay

Making things out of clay on Christmas Eve

Some of our clay creations

We had a nice, relaxing Christmas Eve.

Day 25: four mints

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Carol | December 1, 2010

Paper Toys
http://papertoys.com/

C9 and L6 are enjoying making some of these paper toys. They made several nativity scenes for gifts and also cars for Daddy.

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Carol | August 16, 2010

The Joy of Watercolors
http://ponderedinmyheart.typepad.com/pondered_in_my_heart/2010/06/watercolor-year.html

We have all the watercolor supplies and recommended DVD ready to go.

Mila’s Daydreams
http://milasdaydreams.blogspot.com/

We bought some new colored blankets and are planning to do this during the next few months. This is the hat tip for the idea, but I hope I will be creative in coming up with my own baby landscapes. (Most pictures will likely be for registered readers.)

Water Ballet
http://www.elizabethesther.com/threes_a_crowd/2010/08/water-ballet.html

And pretty much every post by http://www.kellehampton.com/

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Carol | June 29, 2010

Mrs. M. was most definitely greeted by our Lord with,

“Well done, thou good and faithful servant.”
Matthew 25:21

We knew Mrs. M. and her family since my parents first began homeschooling my sister in the early eighties. She was a professional teacher who homeschooled her own three children, and then she began to educate other children who needed her until she had a full-fledged private Christian school. When running her school, she continued to be very supportive of homeschoolers and even offered her school for art/music/sports, etc. every Friday. My children and I visited there on Fridays for almost three years. We have many memories of those years.

Mrs. M.’s school was home to a variety of children from various circumstances and backgrounds. There were Christian children, doctors’ children, poor children, children too smart for the system, challenged children, previously bullied children, children given up on by the public schools, etc. There were even children of other religions (like Muslim) whose parents wanted something better for their children than the public school system. Mrs. M. was a loving servant to each one.

“Whatever you did for one of the least of these brothers of mine, you did for me.”
Matthew 25:40

When I think of how Mrs. M. loved, helped, and encouraged the many children who went to her school over the years, she reminds me of Lady Liberty.

“Give me your tired, your poor,
Your huddled masses yearning to breathe free,
The wretched refuse of your teeming shore.
Send these, the homeless, tempest-tost to me,
I lift my lamp beside the golden door!”
Emma Lazarus (1849-1887)

And this was the way it was at Mrs. M.’s school,

“Even the people that you reject can make it here.”
Glenn Beck

Mrs. M. passed away at the age of 63. She has three grown children (late 20′s, early 30′s) and a little grandson. Their father also died just a few years ago. May God bless them.

Category: Christianity, Homeschooling Activities, Homeschooling Controversy, Inspiration, Public School | 2 Comments »
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Carol | May 11, 2010

Here are some of our spring pictures that I am willing to share publicly. Go here for the private pictures: http://parentingfreedom.com/2010/05/11/spring-pictures/ (Send me information about yourself if you want access.)

First backyard soccer of the season – April 6, 2010
B11, L5, C8

C8 enjoys listening to audio books on her MP3 player
April 12, 2010

Inspired by a library book

Paint – April 23, 2010

Brushes

Backyard soccer with Daddy
April 25, 2010

We got our trampoline last year, and I am surprised that it continues to be greatly enjoyed by all of them – especially when they use nerf swords and have jumping battles.

The day the trampoline was put together again
May 1, 2010

Father and Daughter
May 2, 2010

Derek and the children at the beach

Note the American Girl doll in the doll back carrier
with foam rollers in her hair while her mother plays soccer.
May 8, 2010

Fiddlehead picking on Saturday (Not so pretty, eh?)

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