Gets me through the homeschooling day

- Big cup of raspberry mocha from the neighborhood cafe for the cold fall mornings that Liam has gym, art lessons, or Spanish.

- M&Ms which I SHAMELESSLY use to shut the toddler up during Liam's tests or speed drills.

- Felt. Ridiculous creatures cut from felt make equation stories much more understandable and hysterical. For instance, learning addition and subtraction via Five Little Monkeys in felt is more entertaining when it's Five Little Zarbonians (a green alien race inspired by Gary Larson which subsist on potato chips and the noxious gas emitted in farts - Liam's idea) jumping on the bed.

- Pumpkin oil.

- The St. Louis Symphony Orchestra. They are so warm and welcoming and it's evident that those who participate in the Kinderkonzerts care deeply about elementary music education.

- Prayer. During last week's onslaught of deadlines and stress my mantra was "Oh God. Put a hand over my mouth do it right now right now right now because I'm going to gnaw someone's head off."

- Our friends. They're all so encouraging towards how we educate the boys even if they themselves do it differently.

- Liam's "brag folder." In keeping with the state requirements to compile physical evidence of his progress, Liam has a special folder where we keep all of his assignments. He shows it to Chris every night and they go over it together - a review of material without Liam realizing that it's a review.

- A shower. Chris does not leave the house for work, nothing is done unless I'm alloted a shower in the morning. Chris usually dresses the boys; they brush their teeth, comb their hair and make their beds. It means that he cannot meet for business early early in the mornings, but when I work 30 hours a week from home plus homeschool, it's a point I refuse to either argue or compromise.

- A good mood. One of the reasons I started blogging was because I felt isolated, both personally and professionally, as a print journalist. Young, broke motherhood is hard. Blogging provided a way for me to continue writing while maintaining my perspective by writing about (and looking at) my life in a humorous tone. When mama ain't happy no one is happy, clothes don't get washed and all the joy in the world DIES. Maybe not, but you know the feeling isn't far from the truth. When I'm in a good mood my kids mirror my emotional state, Chris does the same. The mother sets the tone in a household. It's easier to rule with a smile than an iron fist (I can't believe I just said that. It sounds so ... veteran, so grandmotherly, so ... AWESOME).

- Music. Mostly the 90s metal, grunge-rock variety, lately plus Regina Spektor, Muse, Jesca Hoop, and Susan Tedeschi.

- Abeka curriculum. Love it love it love it.

- COFFEE. Did I already say that once? Because COFFEE.

- This guy:

Comments

[Sprittibee]

Can you pass some of that Pumpkin oil this way? Where do you get it? Need details.

My favorite Bath and Body works is a discontinued Pumpkin flavor they had a while back. It was like CRACK, man.

I'll have to try the classical music thing again. I burned them out after we did our Classical Composers unit study. They were like, "Mom, can we please stop listening to Mozart now, and maybe listen to some other station on the radio?" No respect for the classics. Umph.

Glad to see you are still homeschooling and loving it. I haven't been in here in a while. Shame on me.

My big thing to work on lately is a "good mood". Thanks for the reminder. :) I was really grumpy yesterday. The sore throaties have been working their way around my house lately... fevers and snott do NOT mix with homeschooling. I hate getting behind, though... I need to just relax and let us all take sick days when we need them.

[Dana]

Bath and Body Works. They have pear oil too I seriously have to stop myself from tasting it.

I found another pumpkin oil variation at a Yankee candle store ... was a bit cinnamon-ier.

I am totally hungry again now. Hope everyone feels better at your homestead.