Friday, September 24, 2010

Home School - The beginning.

So, I got my kids' homeschooling materials a few days ago. I put off unpacking them because I had work to do. But today, Friday, I finally got a chance to unpack it all and sort through it, finding a safe and organized place to put it, and sort of wrap my head around what lies ahead.

BOY, did I underestimate the amount of work I have ahead of me. I wanted to be a teacher growing up, and would love to do it now but don't have time to attend college classes on top of everything else. Also, I wanted to be able to have my kids for the school year and don't trust the neighborhood in which they would have to go to school. SO, homeschooling it is. But as I unpacked all of the materials, workbooks, study guides, lesson books, arts and crafts, science materials, reading, math worksheets, I realized how much is involved with it.

I am, however, SUPER EXCITED! I am so looking forward to spending the extra time with the kids, and being able to have a hands on part in their schooling. I think my biggest concern for me is how much I don't know, and how will that affect my ability to teach them. BUT, I have ample resources online, and the school I went through, Calvert Homeschooling, has EVERYTHING I could possibly need and then some I think. LOL. They have so much stuff and send you so many materials that I would be hard pressed to screw this up. However, I am fully capable of such a blunder. LOL

So on that note, I will be starting their "classes" on Monday. Luckily for me, they are all very excited to start, so at least I won't have to convince them that they want to do it. I think it may end up being the other way around. LOL. Kindergarten will probably be the easiest, but there are SO many books that he has. I think it's good, and he is a terrific learner, but I also have to juggle third grade and fifth grade to boot. Again, I am very excited though :)

Wish me luck! LOL

Monday, September 20, 2010

Ex's

My ex husband is insufferable. He has been stringing me along for about six years, trying to get me to cheat on my husband with him, using the kids against me, implying I am a bad mother, etc. Now granted, I know he is the ex, there are bitter feelings towards me and the situation. However, bringing the kids into the fight is completely immature.

He has FINALLY started to date someone else. Well, let me back up a bit.
He has been waiting for me to come back this entire time that we have been separated, and then divorced, always implying I would be back, and making his comments to the kids and I, always trying to rock the boat. The entire time I have been with my husband, previously boyfriend then fiance, he has been making comments from "He is gonna hit you over the head with a brick and beat you." to "He's a communist because he knows Arabic." You get the idea.

The other day I told him that Erik was going to teach the kids French, and they had already learned a couple phrases. Instead of being happy for them and supportive, he says he doesn't know what to say to that, and that, as mentioned above, Erik is a communist. He said French is a girlie language and that he will teach them the "manly" stuff when they are with him since they are not learning anything worth knowing here.

Back to the beginning, he FINALLY started dating someone new, and ever since then he says that he hasn't loved me for years, blah blah blah. I really don't care about that. What I do care about is that now he feels the need to make comments about Erik to school to languages, to just about everything that I am trying to do with the kids because now, apparently, he is superior to everyone with his new "girlfriend". I am fine with comments towards me, I can deal with that. But he is bringing the kids in constantly, telling them things constantly, being unsupportive of just about everything they do here, and I have about reached my limit. It is neither fair to them nor appropriate for them to have to deal with his mental immaturity. It completely sucks for them.

I just had to get that off my chest, it's been pissing me off for several days now. LOL.

Friday, September 10, 2010

Where were you on 9/11?

I am curious where people were, what they were doing, when they heard about and followed 9/11. Please feel free to share stories, thoughts, and prayers here.

Where was I:
I was in Montana, pregnant with my second kid, getting ready to go to a Welfare appointment, LOL. My best friend at the time was listening to the radio quite intently but I was so caught up in what I was doing, I didn't hear what they were saying on the radio. Then when I came out of my appointment he was like, listen to this, and he turned up the radio. The radio voice was describing exactly what was going on, the plane hit, the people, everything. It was so creepy, like War of the Worlds.

We went straight to his parents house where I frantically started calling my Aunt every five minutes for hours. Of course I couldn't get through, the phone lines were jammed, which only made me worry more since she lived in Manhattan. We watched it play out on TV and it was so surreal. I felt horrible for all of the people who were there, in it, around it, watching it, anyone who was involved. It was so scary to think of how they felt. I finally reached my aunt and she was okay. She was, of course, shaken up by the whole thing, since she has been in NY for over 30 years, it's all her home to her.

I had been at the top of the WTC three years prior to the attack having lunch with my aunt and my foster sister. It was crazy to think that only three years separated the events. I am forever thankful for the people who got out, and saddened for the ones who didn't. God Bless everyone who was involved.

Thursday, September 9, 2010

Jerbear

My poor baby fell on the stairs today, not down them thankfully. But he fell down and hurt his nose, I thought he broke it at first. But it seems better now.

Last night I put a new picture up as my wallpaper on the computer. He walked up and asked me why it was an inner view of the picture. LOL. What three year old uses words like THAT?? It was pretty awesome actually, that he was so smart to use that word. But still, I was surprised. Just like my five year old when he was younger, he used to use big words all the time, and it always surprised me whenever he would. The younger two have a knack for shock value. LOL

Wednesday, September 8, 2010

Fibromyalgia Tip of the Day

According to the Fibromyalgia and Fatigue Center a vital problem to our pain is proper, or should I say, improper body mechanics. They say that we should focus on how we sit, and how we stand to align our bodies, even if it is "painful", it will relieve pain long term.

As a Fibro sufferer I can understand why they would say that. Just the simple task of sitting up straight kills my back. But it is important that we focus on our posture to improve our future pain management.

These are some of their tips for proper posture etiquette:

Standing for Long Periods

* Correct Feet Apart
* Align Ears, Shoulders, Hips
* Slight Bend to your Knees

Sitting for Long Periods

* Correct Shoulders Back & Aligned with Hips
* Hips level with knees
* Upper arms close to the body
* Items within close reach
* Television/Monitor at eye level
* Keyboard at or slightly lower than elbow height
* Lower back support
* Reposition/stand frequently

Proper lifting is to lift with your arms, your back straight, and not bending at the waist.

* Always Remember Do NOT bend at the waist
* Arms close to your body
* Back Straight
* Avoid twisting motions
* Use your abdominal muscles
* Use the power of your leg muscles to lift


If anyone wants to know about Fibromyalgia, or how I deal with it, or things I have learned, please feel free to write to me. If I know the answer I will share, and if I don't I am always open to learning something new in the process of helping you find the answer. :)

Labor Day Promises - President Obama

President Obama over the Labor Day weekend promised that he is going to pull the troops from Iraq by the end of next year. I can only hope, since I am married to a military man, that this is true. He said he is pulling troops out now, and it will continue until next summer. And that all of the troops, whether there for defense, or support, whatever their job, will be coming home by the end of 2011. I do hope this is true, not only for our economy and the fact that our country needs it's people right now here at home, but also because I have had a hard time wrapping my head around this war. I sit back and listen to how many people have been shot and killed, bombed, etc., and every time I just ask myself why? I know that we are trying to help the Iraqi people to get on their own two feet, I have no problem with that. I just don't understand how we can be worried about them right now when our own country is going under. And I also wonder how we are even ABLE to help them with the limited resources we have for our own people to live on.

That being said, I will be glad when it's over so we can fix our own country, without having to worry about more of our young future being gunned down for another country's problems. I hope that Iraq can succeed once we leave, I don't wish them any harm, or failure, I will just be glad when everyone is home and I can stop worrying about my husband being shipped off for a reason I don't understand fully.

Let's keep our fingers crossed that this is one promise the United States Government keeps. And God Bless all of our Men and Women fighting over there, and let's hope that a year and a half from now is not too late for them.

Friday, September 3, 2010

Parenting

So, I was talking with my husband the other day and realized something. We were talking about my kids, and how when I am scolding them for something I inevitably say "I never used to do that when I was a kid". Well, as we were sitting there talking I realized that when I looked back to when I was eight, or ten, it was never even an option to do some of the things they do. I had to grow up faster than most, so when I try to relate to how they behave sometimes it is nearly impossible.

I already kind of knew that, but it never really occurred to me. I have always tried to do things with them differently than things were done with me. Not necessarily because my parents were bad parents, but because I have learned a lot over the years and some of the things, mostly by my mother, that were done when we were kids were not the most productive treatments in the world. LOL But once I actually said it out loud, it made sense why I can't relate to them sometimes.

It's hard to parent when you have nothing to compare it to. Some of the things they do just blow my mind, but I can't relate to them on their level because I have had no experience in that department. I just hope that I don't screw it up. LOL. I think I am doing okay though, but sometimes I just want to scream, or lock myself in the bedroom and never come out. But at least now that it occurs to me that I can't relate to them it is easier for me to take a step back and not get as frustrated with their behavior.

In all honesty though, I have four of the greatest kids ever.

Thursday, September 2, 2010

Hurricane Earl along the North Carolina Coast


NASA Photo

Hurricane Earl along the North Carolina Coast

It is so beautiful and yet so destructive. I love shots like this from space. I do hope that no one gets hurt and that the damage is minimal. Some of the most dangerous things are so beautiful in the world.