Introspective Reflection by a Homeschooling Mom Who Never Sits

Poor Little Guy
Here I am at 3:00 in the afternoon and through some not very thrilling, but out of the ordinary circumstances, I find myself with an hour and a half of unexpected free time. What will I do with it? Blog and then read a book of course!

Avery woke up this morning with a pretty high fever. We stayed home from the gym and he played enough that I was able to get some much needed cleaning done that I had planned for the morning. By 10am he was done; poor guy. I decided to put him down for a nap and you never saw a 2 yr old more willing to get in his bed. He pulled the covers on himself before I got to it. While I felt sorry for him, it made morning school quite simple. By noon, he was up again and more pitiful than ever. This posed an interesting delimna. We run a pretty tight ship during the day and I had so much time to get lunch done, kitchen cleaned, have storytime, and put Ave down for his normally only nap, only to have 30 minutes of free time and then start afternoon school. I popped in a video until I got the kids' lunch done and then set Avery in his chair. He didn't touch his food and just sat there staring. After a few minutes of sitting, he wanted out and thus began, "I just want you to hold me."

Before I started homeschooling, I remember many times when Alton or Alayna were sick, just being content holding them and rocking them for hours. Today I realized that Avery has never had that! For one, he doesn't get really sick very often which is a blessing, but if he does, he gets plopped on the couch with a video and some green juice or EmergenC and a blanket. I go on with my schedule and he has never complained about this.

Today was different. After battling with a guilty conscience over whether or not to cancel afternoon school and all the chores I try to squeeze in between subjects, I plopped myself down in the recliner with my little boy and the family's favorite, huge, fluffy Steelers blanket and settled in for the afternoon. Thirty minutes into this and I realized that I had lost some perspective on what it is to be a Mom. Alton and Alayna were immediately all over me full of giggles as they pretended to be sick and begged to sit on my lap. Avery was not willing to share and I jokingly told them that they had had their days when they were younger and it was Avery's turn. In my mind however, a sadness crept over me as I realized....

I NEVER SIT DOWN!

I don't mean sitting down in front of the computer, or in front of the TV. I mean sitting down in the main room of your house, just for a few minutes. My kids flocked to me as Mommy was suddenly open for attention. It was some what of a horrible revelation as I watched them. Soon Alton settled onto the couch nearby with a book while Alayna realized I hadn't eaten lunch and proceeded to fix me an awesome sandwhich and a salad! As she brought me my plate, she said, "This is so nice. Alton's reading, Avery's sitting on your lap...and it's just quiet."

I'm going to look back and realize how short my time was with them and I'm going to regret that I took all that time to clean the kitchen when I could've just sat down for awhile, stopped being busy and just relished being a Mom and enjoying my children; listening to them and holding them on my lap (yes even my 8yr old son), and just being. I can't help but relate it to the state of being verbs that I've been teaching Alton about, "Mommy is." Period. End of sentence, no other verbs at the end for 15 minutes a day from now on. And get this: I'm not even going to schedule a time for it! It's just going to happen.

I'll Buy It!

"There's something you need to know before we start. There is no way you will be able to win this game. I am the best Monopoly player in this family and you don't have a chance so just enjoy playing and no crying when I win."

Alton and Alayna were staring at me with their mouths wide open, not believing what they had just heard me say. I didn't say it because I am a boastful, arrogant person, who derives great pleasure from "talking trash" to her children. My comment served a much greater purpose. It was part of a new strategy to get through playing a game with them without Alayna crying or Alton stomping off to his room everytime Rob and I win a game. You see Rob and I believe that when you play someone better than yourselves, you get better yourself and so basically, we don't just "let" them win any games we play.

The game that evening was Monopoly. Having many pleasant memories of logging endless hours playing this game with my siblings, and thinking it would be a great supplement to their Math work, I ushered them into the world of paying rents, managing money, and snatching up Boardwalk as quick as possible. I schooled them on many tricks early on in the game...buy everything you land on, acquire a monopoly as soon as possible, and be shrewd in your trades.

Thirty minutes into the game, I started to have an uncomfortable feeling and so I made an assessment of the situation and slowly began to realize that my children had learned well from me as they both had monopolies and I had none. When developing these properties, Alayna in particular, saw no need to have houses, but to just go ahead and buy hotels on Mediterranean and Baltic. Alton was enjoying buying houses piece by piece on his New York etc..monopoly. Having bought everything I landed on and still being unable to acquire one, and the children being less than reasonable with me when it came to selling me some of their properties, and my dollars dwindling, I found myself very close to eating some serious crow.

There was one concept they were not catching on to, and this has been an issue in real life when they spend their money. Alton kept paying me way over what the rent cost so that he could get change. Alayna commented several times when the bank gave her change, that she was "really making some money now." I kept trying to explain over and over that they were not making in money by me giving them change; that is was left over from what they paid me, but it just doesn't seem to be taking. Alton landed on one of my properties that was $20 rent and proceeded to try and pay me with a $50! This I didn't allow as I was running a little low on small bills and once again launched into my explanation about receiving change.

Fortunately, the other thing I told them at the beginning of the game, was that we would not finish that night. We set it up on the Dining Room table so it could sit out and we have played it about 3 nights with no end in sight (unless I land on New York my next turn), so I am it appears, just delaying the inevitable and I will very soon be losing one of the first games of Monopoly I have lost in a very, very, long time and that to one of my inexperienced children!

The Tooth is Out!

It fell out of her mouth while she played on the computer today. She was so excited. She became a little annoyed later in the day when she began to sense that other people were not as thrilled over the event as she was. In particular was the dull look she got from her friend at co-op who had already started losing teeth at age five. Over the last few weeks we would try to get it out with floss, but her teeth are so small, we couldn't get the floss to stay on. The poor tooth had been through so much, I think it just threw itself out of her mouth in frustration.

She went to bed quite willingly tonight. She informed me late in the evening that sometimes the Tooth Fairy brings a prize along with the money. I told her I hadn't heard anything about that hoping to prepare her for the fact that the Tooth Fairy would not be delivering a prize unless the Tooth Fairy comes up with some inspiration for one that doesn't involve running to Wal-Mart.

Amusing Quotes and not so Amusing Arguements from the Day

There have been many things over the last couple of days that my children have done that were not amusing. I don't know if I can blame it on the snow or what, but they have been at each others throats on more than one occasion lately. This coming from kids that usually get along really well, and so I have no patience for this "phase." With the fighting though, there has also been an unusual amount of funny conversations and comments. The first of which I'll share is Alayna after having gotten into it with Avery who is just learning to disagree with her.

Me: Alayna, remember he is just learning about sharing, you have to be patient.
Alayna: Mom, you don't understand. Avery has grown up into a big kid that cannot handle his problems.

When asked if she was able to handle her problems at age two she responded, "Yes! Yes I could!"

When we got home from the store the other day and the kids were putting away the groceries, Alton came across the organic cookies which I buy sometimes. Rob often helps himself to more than the allotted portion of these which leads to great protest from Alton and Alayna. They are not buying the excuse that worked for so many years, that "Daddy has a bigger body." Anyway while unpacking them Alton said to Alayna, "We've got to make sure Dad doesn't see these." I scolded and said, "Alton we need to share them with everyone." Alton replied, "Yeah, and you know how Dad shares...with himself." I had to laugh.

Lastly, the biggest fight of the day between Alton and Alayna was very dramatic with both of them crying and stomping around. This is not unusual behavior for Alayna, but when Alton does it, you know he has been offended. It seems that Alayna told Alton that he cares more about his comics than he does about her. Alton some how interpreted this to mean that Alayna thinks his comics are stupid. For those that aren't aware, Alton is determined to be a comic strip writer. He has been writing them from before he learned how to write words and could only print letters. He would just ask us how to spell things. Once, I asked him if he ever got tired of writing comics and he told me, "Mom, it's kind of like my kid job." So whatever it truly was that Alayna said to him today to shame him for not playing with her, it upset him.

As I tried to moderate their argument with both of them crying Alton said, "Alayna thinks my comics are stupid and she doesn't understand it's my job!" Alayna said, "Well, Alton never plays with me he's always doing comics." Granted, our schedules are a little tight with school and chores. There really isn't a whole lot of free time during the weekdays, so I honestly haven't found a good solution for them both to be happy. We used the rest of Science time praying together in the homeschool room that they would get along better and work on putting each other before themselves. As far as I know there weren't any more fights for the rest of the day. I'm not sure about the evening because despite Rob's paper deadline tomorrow at 5pm, I was able to sneak out to a night of much needed Bunko with my military spouse friends.

Avery's Birthday Party

Last night we celebrated two new two year olds birthdays; Avery and his friend Kate. They are a day apart and so cute! Kate can already speak in full sentences and was very aware of the birthday festivities that were to take place. She knew it was her birthday, that she was getting cake, and that she would get to open presents. Avery on the other hand, didn't seem to care it was his birthday, but was pleasantly surprised to be presented with some new toys (almost all with wheels), and had he understood that I made that truck cake just for him, he probably wouldn't have shared. Ahhh the differences between boys and girls. If I had not experienced a two year old little girl in our own family, I might be worried. They just know more sooner.

By the way, Avery's favorite gift was a garage that our friends were getting ready to give to Goodwill, until he found it during his party.

Happy Birthday Avery!

It's Avery's official 2 year old birthday today. We woke him up with "Happy Birthday" to which he responded with a big smile but probably didn't have a clue what it was about. His party isn't until Saturday so there hasn't been a lot of fanfare, but it did snow for the first time since we've been here; a big beautiful snow actually. They cancelled the schools after about an hour and a half which I thought was a little ridiculous all these kids walking in the snow and buses everywhere on our way home from the gym. I didn't realize it at the time, but once home, I was home for good for the day. I couldn't back my car out of my parking space in our long sloping driveway. Choir and Praise Team practice were cancelled and Rob's school closed, so we're all home now cosy together in our house! I'd like to have a birthday like that!

By the way, if you haven't been over to my all-natural blog in awhile, then you might want to check it. I've been posting short blogs with some raw and healthy recipe ideas for kids. I never have time to write everything I want to say about something, so to keep things moving, I'm opting for some shorter entries for awhile. http://www.allnaturalarmymom.blogspot.com/

A Two Year Old in the House

It is the eve before the littlest member of the house turns 2. Does he suspect anything? I don't think so. He's heard the word birthday a lot around the house lately, but has no idea what that entails.

Saturday night we will celebrate with his little friend Kate who is turning two the day after him. I'm going to do the cake and somehow make it half princess half train/truck/heavy equipment or some such. I'll post a picture. It's been I'm not sure how long since I've decorated a cake, and in fact, Alayna is quite sore that she did not have any cake this year. It just kind of happened that way, so 2008 is the year Mommy makes a cake for your birthday!

This is writing week for Rob. His first submission of his 40 page paper is due on Monday. I've basically insisted he work on the thing at school. He gets too distracted at home so he's been up there for at least 8 hours a day. Last I heard he was on pg 18....I just can't worry about it. He'll write a bang up paper, but there will be an all-nighter involved next Sunday night.