Opportunities are endless

The kids were so fortunate enough to participate in a ski program put together by a good friend of ours for home school kids. The public school are offered the same program and our friend was able to get it offered to homeschoolers. So every Friday in January they have gotten to get two hours of ski instruction and then have the rest of the day to ski on their own. The opportunity has given them and me the chance to grow.

One of the big reasons we decided to Home School our 3 children was so they could have more opportunities. We are so blessed to have so many choices. I only wish more parents realized what is out there and believed in themselves as parents that they are capable of providing it to their children. One more step to being self sufficient.

If you are looking for a great High School choice for your kids Open High School of Utah is accepting registration for next year for 9th and 10th graders. Shelby has really enjoyed it.

Sports programs are teaching our kids to be mediocre

I coach my son's 4th grade basketball team. We have great boys on our team. They all have different levels of ability, yet they all have the same desire to improve and learn the game. I think that is the big reason I drafted them on my team. One thing I really have problems with is society teaching our children to be mediocre.

An example of that is not enforcing all the rules in a game. I really hate to hear people say "they are only 10". Well when do you expect them to learn to actually play the real game?

In 4th grade basketball in our town the coaches are on the court coaching and they officiate. I call fouls both ways. I call for traveling, ups and downs, double dribble, shooting fouls, etc. Today a coach for the opposing team actually said "Oh come on they are only 10, let them play", after I called his player for jumping up and down with the ball more than one time. "Really" I said to him. "When do you suggest we have the boys learn the rules to the game?" I got an eye roll.

Later in the game my son was defending the person throwing the ball in. He was doing just what I had taught him to do. He was jumping up and down and waving his arms to impede the view of the offensive boy throwing it in. Simple really. The other coach proceeds to tell my son he needs to step back 3 feet so his player can throw the ball in. I told him that isn't a rule.

So my team learns how to properly defend the ball and we are told because the other guy can't get it in that we need to step back. Whatever!

Oh and get this. They don't keep score. No winner or loser. What is the point. In life we need to learn how to win and how to lose. Life isn't all warm and fussy. I know everyone wants a chance, but when do we expect our children to work hard for what they want. It seems having everything "equal" and "fair" all the time breeds mediocrity.

It isn't just with city sports for our kids. It IS where it starts however. We don't let the players who actually have skills play to their potential.

One big reason I pulled my oldest daughter out of kindergarten was because she was told she couldn't read at school because the other children weren't reading yet and she needed to do what they were doing, which was learning letters. Rediculous! It's the same thing not playing by the rules in sports.

Next colleges won't be able to refuse admission because "it isn't fair that everyone can't go".

Great quotes to keep motivating you in your childs education

"In many places it is literally not safe physically for youngsters to go to school. And in many schools - and its becoming almost generally true - it is spiritually unsafe to attend public schools." Boyd K. Packer (BYU Symposium, Oct. 1996)

Why I homeschool: "there is a big difference between sending fully trained disciples into enemy territory and sending recruits to our enemy's training camp. If we do the latter, we shouldn't be surprised when they come home wearing the enemy's uniform and charging the hill of our home waving an enemy flag." Voddie Baucham, Jr.

“…you cannot give people of any age license to do whatever they feel like doing, even though it is right and good for them to make free choices. The constraints of what a person ought to do and should do may not be removed. Also knowledge fits into a hierarchy according to what is most worthwhile to know. It is reckless to destroy the distinction between the worthwhile and the trivial, to lose what is of enduring quality…” Susan Shafer Macaulay

"I am willing that every man shall believe what he wishes, print what he wishes, and say what he wishes within his Constitutional rights, but I am not willing that he shall exploit all his idiosyncrasies in teaching my flesh and blood, while I pay the bill! I insist that he shall have all the personal freedom he can carry, but I am not willing to extend that full and complete freedom into a gross license and then pay him to abuse that license to distort and debase the minds and hearts and bodies of those who belong to me and are dearer to me than life itself. " --- J. Reuben Clark

"Let us never lose sight of the fact that education is a preparation for life -- and that preparing for life is far more than knowing how to make a living or how to land on the moon. Preparing for life means building personal integrity, developing a sound sense of values, increasing the capacity and willingness to serve. Education must have its roots in moral principles. If we lose sight of that fact in our attempt to match our educational system against that of the materialists *, we shall have lost far more than we could possibly gain."

--Teachings of Ezra Taft Benson, p. 297

"If children are to be brought up in the way they should go, to be good citizens here and happy hereafter, they must be taught. It is idle to suppose that children will grow up good, while surrounded with wickedness, without cultivation. It is folly to suppose that they can become learned without education." (Joseph Smith, Discourses of the Prophet Joseph Smith, p. 273)

"A primary object should be the education of our youth in the science of government. In a republic, what species of knowledge can be equally important? And what duty can be more pressing ... than ... communicating it to those who are to be the future guardians of the liberties of the country?" -- George Washington

Let us not be weary in well doing: for in due season we shall reap, if we faint not. Galatians 6:9

Her children arise up, and call her blessed...Proverbs 31:28

Daily Plan

I have often been asked "what do you do during the day". I guess because it is "home" school, and most people play games and lay around at home, there is the misconception that not much gets done during the day. And new home schooling moms ask that question to see if they are doing enough or if what they are doing is what others are doing.

I thought about the road to where we are now and our routines have changed every year to meet learning styles and schedules.

We have always gotten up early and done chores before our school day has started. Every child has made their own bed since they were 4 or 5 (not beautifully mind you..but it was done). They also have a list of chores that they are responsible for that needs to be done in the morning. Laundry, bathrooms, etc. Music practice is also done before we start our school day. Each child takes a turn on the piano for 20-30. Now the house is fresh and there seems to be a nice atmosphere to start our day.

We do start our school day off with family prayer and we check our schedules for the day. Dad likes to keep up with what is going on. wink.

Every kid has a list of subjects that needs to be completed that day, whether I have one written out for them or the curriculum program we are using provides one for them. This has helped out with my reluctant son. This also coincides with counsel to set goals. Each kid has a "goal" for the day. After they meet that goal their time is theirs, so to speak. This has really worked well for us. The kids work harder, and have a since of accomplishment when they are done.

All my kids are active in sports. My daughters are swimmers and practice every afternoon. My son plays football, baseball, and right now he is playing basketball (I coach his team ). So we are busy until dinner most nights.

I feel incredibly blessed to stay home with my children. They are wonderful human beings that enrich my life every day.

Notebooking Pages

I have a great website for you if you like Notebooking. Notebooking is a way to get your kids to write and have fun.

http://www.notebookingpages.com

This site has so many things to choose from. Some things are free to print off while others have a fee. Usually the fee is under $5.

My kids love these pages.

It's the most wonderful time of the year!

Christmas time is my favorite time of the year. I love the excitement in the air. I love the music. I love hiding presents. (Although everyone in the house knows where I hide stuff). This year I took the girls shopping with me. It was so nice to see them so interested in finding gifts for each other. Taylor had a gift in mind for me but didn't have enough money. Well dear Shelby didn't want her to not be able to get it so she gave her some of her babysitting money to buy it. When I found out I almost cried. Love.

Rick got a kit for the kids to make a ginger bread house this year. Ricky and Taylor decided they were going to do it all on their own. It turned out awesome. Ricky also got to make one at scouts so he figured he knew what he was doing.

It snowed just after Thanksgiving and the kids couldn't wait to go out and play. Snow angels and forts are their favorite things to make. The snow didn't last long though. And we weren't lucky enough to have fresh snow for Christmas. Last year we had over a foot.

Christmas Eve came and the kids asked all day if they could open a present. Grandma Susie usually calls to tell us to let them open one of her presents. But this year they had to wait until after dinner. We opened presents from my side of the family and from each other on Christmas Eve this year.

We played our new favorite game "Qwirkle". Rick asks everyday if we can play. I have to admit it is a lot of fun.
We also played new games we got. Shelby and Taylor got dad Mario Kart for Wii.

There is always one person who seems to get all the presents they were hoping for. We say "it's so and so's year". We this year it was Rick's year! (it is always the kids year). We said we weren't getting each other big presents this year. We put a porch on the house and got new cell phones. Well I knew he wanted a new leather jacket, sooo...
He got me a very nice pair of earrings.

Christmas morning came and everyone wanted to see what 'Santa' had left them.
We had so much fun together just us this year. We played games together, watched movies, laughed and hugged. Rick played a joke on Ricky and kept his Santa present in the garage. After the girls opened their gift, we waited to see what Ricky's expressions would be with no gift for him. He was so wonderful. He didn't say a thing, and was excited for Taylor to finally get the phone she had been asking for. Rick then asked Ricky to help him get something in the garage, and took him out to see his gift. He was pleasantly surprised to see a Trampoline.
Christmas morning we had the kids pack up their favorite toys and we headed over to Rick's parents house for the day. Al had made a big breakfast, and we watched a movie and played games. Around 2 the other family members started showing up and we had dinner with everyone.Thanks to everyone who gave us treats and sent us their family Christmas Cards. You helped make us feel special and loved this Christmas Season!

That's not fair

How many times a day do we hear from our kids "that's not fair", or "sister/brother got to do it, why can't I"? At our house...more times than I'd like.

My response every time is life isn't fair. You wouldn't want to live your brother's life and he wouldn't want to live yours. (They love that response.)

One of the benefits of homeschooling is we get to teach our children that life isn't fair, and they shouldn't expect it to be. Along with learning styles being different in each child, they have different talents and interests. One child is great at story telling, another is great at cooking, and another is a great athlete. They'll all probably chase after different interests in their lives. They'll have different friends, different types of spouses, different income levels, etc. So getting the same thing all the time wouldn't be satisfying at all.

I'm glad we get to discuss this frequently and often at our house. No one will be getting the same gifts for Christmas this year. They are different people with different interests and wants. I didn't spend the same amount of money. A teenager often needs and wants more expensive things than a 9 year old. But they won't care, because we don't keep score.

Unwrapping gifts is an event at our house. We unwrap one at a time. We want to see what the other person got. We want to see their excitement. It is loud and there are a lot of 'uhhh's and Ahhs and Cool!'s". We hope the other person really got what they hoped for. We really love to see the smiles and hear the laughter.

May this year we understand that things aren't and shouldn't be fair, and we Bloom where we are planted and love the garden we are in.