But I really wish I had one to share our explorations this month. Our school experience has done a near 180. Doran is now asking to do extra math puzzles, creating his own art projects, reading by his choice, and paying attention to his writing without my nagging. I let up to just requiring some level of math, reading, and writing and he has blossomed. Counterintuitive but effective.
I love homeschooling so much. It's harder than I thought it would be but I love it. I hope we can keep it up for years to come!
Friday, January 24, 2014
Wednesday, December 18, 2013
Where were we?
Sorry for the lack of updates. My laptop died a few weeks ago and blogging from my phone can be quite tedious.
It has been a rough couple of months but I think things are looking up. Hope all is well with you and yours and that I'll be able to posy a real update, complete with pictures, very soon!
It has been a rough couple of months but I think things are looking up. Hope all is well with you and yours and that I'll be able to posy a real update, complete with pictures, very soon!
Tuesday, October 29, 2013
'Tis the season
For me to become totally obsessed with knitting/crocheting a gift for every single person whom I love in my life. It starts around October and just keeps increasing in intensity until Christmas Eve, sometimes New Year's. I'm aware of my desire to gift give for the entire year, but somehow, playing in the hot sun seems more appealing than knitting scarves in the summer. Every year I say it will be different and every year it's more of the same.
I want to be the type of knitter who is rarely seen without a project in tow. I want to be the crocheter who plans her gifts well in advance and actually finishes them by Thanksgiving, leaving time for last-minute pop-ups (like the sweet new moms you met in a playgroup or a friend's new significant other). I wonder what it will take to actually arrive in this place of needlecrafting zen.
Who knows? For now I'll just dive into all those projects I left half-finished and hope two months is enough time to wrap it all up!
I want to be the type of knitter who is rarely seen without a project in tow. I want to be the crocheter who plans her gifts well in advance and actually finishes them by Thanksgiving, leaving time for last-minute pop-ups (like the sweet new moms you met in a playgroup or a friend's new significant other). I wonder what it will take to actually arrive in this place of needlecrafting zen.
Who knows? For now I'll just dive into all those projects I left half-finished and hope two months is enough time to wrap it all up!
Thursday, October 24, 2013
Lessons from Smurfs
I took Doran and a friend to see The Smurfs 2 yesterday as a pre-birthday celebration. I expected to tolerate it at best, especially considering the reviews. I had no idea I'd be moved by one simple but powerful statement:
" We rise to the amount of love we're shown and sink only when that love stops."
These words by Papa Smurf really got me to thinking about unconditional love and its qualities. I say I love my son unconditionally, but I often lose patience with his growing process or take out my bad mood on him. I can admit I sometimes treat him differently when he misbehaves (and I'm not talking about enforcing natural consequences). I sometimes forget that I want love to motivate my actions, not ego.
After crying a few minutes over the ways I feel I've failed my son and other loved ones, I arrived at a state of gratitude. I can keep trying to show my son (and all people for that matter) the love they need to rise high.
Thanks, Papa Smurf, for the timely reminder.
Tuesday, October 15, 2013
Nostalgia
In 10 short days my boy will turn 7. In the grand scheme of things that's not very old, but for me it feels like time is moving much too quickly.
I went through the TV channels tonight and saw that Dinosaur Train and Bob the Builder were playing on some PBS channel that shows preschool shows 24/7. I honestly teared up because I remember when Doran watched those shows along with Thomas the Tank Engine, Handy Manny, Mickey Mouse Clubhouse, and Clifford. I remember watching Nick Jr. with him, seeing Moose and Zee and learning colors in Spanish with him. Now it's all Power Rangers and Pokemon and Ninja Turtles and the charm of those early years has worn away. Those are such precious years and while I definitely enjoyed them to their fullest, they passed too quickly for me.
Perhaps it's because today is designated as Pregnancy and Infant Loss and Remembrance Day. Four years ago at this time I was hoping with all my heart that I would be pregnant again. On his birthday that same year I tested positive on a pregnancy test and two weeks later I lost that pregnancy. No wonder October is filled with so much emotion for me.
I am so blessed with the most amazing son I could ever have imagined, and yet I still mourn for the babies that could have been. Every time he mentions not having a sibling like his friends, it hurts my heart and I feel guilty as if I am somehow responsible for that turn of events. I mention the times we tried for a sibling for him, let him know I wanted another baby very much, but it somehow feels inadequate.
I have been blessed with one very beautiful, clever, funny, amazing boy to guide and nurture. He has shown me so much beauty that my heart aches in the very best of ways with the weight of it all. I just sometimes wish that I could have had another opportunity to experience motherhood. And I wish his childhood wasn't passing so quickly.
But such is life...
I went through the TV channels tonight and saw that Dinosaur Train and Bob the Builder were playing on some PBS channel that shows preschool shows 24/7. I honestly teared up because I remember when Doran watched those shows along with Thomas the Tank Engine, Handy Manny, Mickey Mouse Clubhouse, and Clifford. I remember watching Nick Jr. with him, seeing Moose and Zee and learning colors in Spanish with him. Now it's all Power Rangers and Pokemon and Ninja Turtles and the charm of those early years has worn away. Those are such precious years and while I definitely enjoyed them to their fullest, they passed too quickly for me.
Perhaps it's because today is designated as Pregnancy and Infant Loss and Remembrance Day. Four years ago at this time I was hoping with all my heart that I would be pregnant again. On his birthday that same year I tested positive on a pregnancy test and two weeks later I lost that pregnancy. No wonder October is filled with so much emotion for me.
I am so blessed with the most amazing son I could ever have imagined, and yet I still mourn for the babies that could have been. Every time he mentions not having a sibling like his friends, it hurts my heart and I feel guilty as if I am somehow responsible for that turn of events. I mention the times we tried for a sibling for him, let him know I wanted another baby very much, but it somehow feels inadequate.
I have been blessed with one very beautiful, clever, funny, amazing boy to guide and nurture. He has shown me so much beauty that my heart aches in the very best of ways with the weight of it all. I just sometimes wish that I could have had another opportunity to experience motherhood. And I wish his childhood wasn't passing so quickly.
But such is life...
Tuesday, October 8, 2013
Gluten Update
In my last update I forgot to mention my progress with going gluten-free and its effects on my health.
Short recap: I had routine thyroid labs drawn in August which showed a significantly elevated TSH level. I went gluten-free a day after receiving those test results and have stuck with it for over 6 weeks now. My endocrinologist wanted labs repeated within 4 weeks of my appointment with him, so I had repeat labs drawn a week and a half ago.
Within 5 weeks of being gluten-free, my TSH levels have returned to normal range. I find that pretty impressive. Should I totally credit the gluten-free diet for this? Maybe, maybe not. But it's certainly enough for me to feel motivated to continue. Some days it's challenging to stay gluten-free when all I want to do is order pizza with my son, but feeling better is more important that a one-time fix, so I stay the course.
Here's to continually improving health!
Short recap: I had routine thyroid labs drawn in August which showed a significantly elevated TSH level. I went gluten-free a day after receiving those test results and have stuck with it for over 6 weeks now. My endocrinologist wanted labs repeated within 4 weeks of my appointment with him, so I had repeat labs drawn a week and a half ago.
Within 5 weeks of being gluten-free, my TSH levels have returned to normal range. I find that pretty impressive. Should I totally credit the gluten-free diet for this? Maybe, maybe not. But it's certainly enough for me to feel motivated to continue. Some days it's challenging to stay gluten-free when all I want to do is order pizza with my son, but feeling better is more important that a one-time fix, so I stay the course.
Here's to continually improving health!
Wednesday, October 2, 2013
Trial and Error
Last month just flew right on by and I have a feeling this month will follow a similar pattern. I love this time of year so very much but it passes much too quickly!
Homeschooling is still going well, but I've adopted a trial and error approach to what works and what doesn't. When I started the year, I didn't have a schedule as much as a task list. It wasn't a matter of when we did something, just that we did it. This worked for about 2-3 weeks and then Doran started to show signs of disinterest and resistance. I had resorted to what I know best, which is books and worksheets. I was the type of person who loved the rote memorization, enjoyed timed math drills, eagerly awaited the summer reading lists.
This is not Doran's style.
So we took a week off. I won't say we completely abandoned education, but we relaxed. We played games. We played outside. We played on the computer and watched TV. We talked. We read (because I just couldn't give that part up). We laughed. We cried. We were together and we were happy. And then I realized we may be more suited to unschooling than I originally thought we might.
That's not an easy path to take, but it's so much fun. We have no agenda. We just live in the world and allow it to teach us accordingly. We observe nature and its cycles. We play games that encourage us to use strategy, reading and math skills. We look at maps, I share my short travel history with him, and we plan future trips. He asks why and together we find answers. We read and read and read some more. And most of all, I have stopped placing so many judgments on the activities he finds entertaining and fascinating. When he wants to spend half an hour telling me the nuances of Minecraft, you better believe I'm all ears. And when he says to me, "Mom, it would mean so much to me if you would just try playing and see what it's like," then you better believe I'm giving it my best shot.
In the past month I've seen my son reemerge. He's more considerate, compassionate, attentive. He argues less at helping with chores and even volunteers to lend a hand when I least expect it. Don't misunderstand me, he's still sassy and impolite and disrespectful at times, but it's not the struggle it used to be. I chalk it up to normal growing pains and instead of feeling intensely irritated, I try to view those moments as more opportunities to model the behavior I wish I see. And you know what? I find myself growing as a person in the process too. It's not easy, but man is it beautiful to reflect upon.
I sometimes doubt myself and wish I had a more reliable measuring stick for how he's doing. But when I really look at the situation and see the kind of boy he is, I know we're doing the right thing.
His birthday is coming up soon, and I'm currently in the throes of creating a lovely but simple Minecraft party. So far he's excited about the ideas I've presented, so I trust it will be a success. Pictures will definitely follow!
Homeschooling is still going well, but I've adopted a trial and error approach to what works and what doesn't. When I started the year, I didn't have a schedule as much as a task list. It wasn't a matter of when we did something, just that we did it. This worked for about 2-3 weeks and then Doran started to show signs of disinterest and resistance. I had resorted to what I know best, which is books and worksheets. I was the type of person who loved the rote memorization, enjoyed timed math drills, eagerly awaited the summer reading lists.
This is not Doran's style.
So we took a week off. I won't say we completely abandoned education, but we relaxed. We played games. We played outside. We played on the computer and watched TV. We talked. We read (because I just couldn't give that part up). We laughed. We cried. We were together and we were happy. And then I realized we may be more suited to unschooling than I originally thought we might.
That's not an easy path to take, but it's so much fun. We have no agenda. We just live in the world and allow it to teach us accordingly. We observe nature and its cycles. We play games that encourage us to use strategy, reading and math skills. We look at maps, I share my short travel history with him, and we plan future trips. He asks why and together we find answers. We read and read and read some more. And most of all, I have stopped placing so many judgments on the activities he finds entertaining and fascinating. When he wants to spend half an hour telling me the nuances of Minecraft, you better believe I'm all ears. And when he says to me, "Mom, it would mean so much to me if you would just try playing and see what it's like," then you better believe I'm giving it my best shot.
In the past month I've seen my son reemerge. He's more considerate, compassionate, attentive. He argues less at helping with chores and even volunteers to lend a hand when I least expect it. Don't misunderstand me, he's still sassy and impolite and disrespectful at times, but it's not the struggle it used to be. I chalk it up to normal growing pains and instead of feeling intensely irritated, I try to view those moments as more opportunities to model the behavior I wish I see. And you know what? I find myself growing as a person in the process too. It's not easy, but man is it beautiful to reflect upon.
I sometimes doubt myself and wish I had a more reliable measuring stick for how he's doing. But when I really look at the situation and see the kind of boy he is, I know we're doing the right thing.
His birthday is coming up soon, and I'm currently in the throes of creating a lovely but simple Minecraft party. So far he's excited about the ideas I've presented, so I trust it will be a success. Pictures will definitely follow!
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