The kids and I did some character training this morning on bullying and I learned A LOT about their feelings on this.
Wow, kids can be so mean... mine included! I am praying about being more diligent with responding to these situations. Our kids should feel like they trust us enough to find out who is starting each of these "bullying" situations. Often one bully will create more bullies... and the cycle is never stopped!
My daughter was bullied at school in Kindergarten and first grade (at Edwards). It was indirect (not physical), but still bullying! The monitor on the playground told her just to handle it herself when she "tattled". She's had other situations, too. One where she popped a girl in the nose after "having enough of it".
I could tell something was wrong, but I didn't know the extent of it until this morning. She asked me to never let her go to public school again. Can you blame her?
She still deals with bullying because she has a lot of friends at church, in the neighborhood, from clubs, friends of ours, etc. So she has to learn to deal... but she doesn't have to fear for her life come Jr. high and high school. PRAISE GOD for that! My cousin (on my mom's side) was stabbed in High School in my home town! I dealt with my own issues back then, and you hear about bullying on the news all the time.
Character training with kids is never ending, and it is so easy to miss things like this... or to call it something else.
The 10 commandments deal with the way we treat God and others. And when we read about Jesus' life we learn how to treat others as we want to be treated.
I tried to watch a movie with hubby last week and it showed bullying by "Christians". Christian means "follower of Christ". There are some who call themselves Christians who are not followers of Christ at all. But they take His Word and twist it into whatever they wish, writing their own thoughts and theories or following evil intentions of others.
Even those who try to be true Christians - we are all only HUMAN, living in a sinful world.
I get so upset when Christians are portrayed this way, and Hollywood does the best job of distorting what a Christian is and delivering it to the masses. I can say the same thing about Politicians and the "mostly-stupid-media".
Sunday, October 24, 2010
Tuesday, October 19, 2010
Menu Planning
You may have already seen me post this on Facebook, but if not (or if you weren't sure about trying it out)... this site is just what I needed.
In the past I've had to get out 5 or 6 different cookbooks, look through them and find the recipes I want, and make a shopping list based on those recipes. Then I would reference the recipes on a piece of paper.
It was not effective, and I'd end up frazzled at the end of some days finding out that I'd lost the paper, or didn't get out what I needed for the day, or forgot to purchase some items... etc. Bottom line is... I'm not a good meal planner.
So, if anyone else out there is as disorganized as I am, you might want to use a site that does it all for you. I found one that has a small monthly fee, but ALL the work is done for you, except for shopping.
It works for me because of the place I am in life right now. Maybe after Josiah gets a little bigger, I won't need it anymore. But right now, I am sold! It's a great resource.
I just have to print, shop, then hang the papers on my fridge. Everything is all in one place, and I don't really think about dinner anymore. So far, my family has loved the recipes. :) Yay!
I don't get anything for recommending this site, this is just FYI to help anyone else who's looking for help in this area. And... if you have found another site that doesn't cost anything.. let me know! I wouldn't mind trying something else, especially if it's free!!
Here's the one I'm using now...
http://www.menus4moms.com/
A friend from church sent me the link initially, thanks brother Butch, it has really helped me out!
In the past I've had to get out 5 or 6 different cookbooks, look through them and find the recipes I want, and make a shopping list based on those recipes. Then I would reference the recipes on a piece of paper.
It was not effective, and I'd end up frazzled at the end of some days finding out that I'd lost the paper, or didn't get out what I needed for the day, or forgot to purchase some items... etc. Bottom line is... I'm not a good meal planner.
So, if anyone else out there is as disorganized as I am, you might want to use a site that does it all for you. I found one that has a small monthly fee, but ALL the work is done for you, except for shopping.
It works for me because of the place I am in life right now. Maybe after Josiah gets a little bigger, I won't need it anymore. But right now, I am sold! It's a great resource.
I just have to print, shop, then hang the papers on my fridge. Everything is all in one place, and I don't really think about dinner anymore. So far, my family has loved the recipes. :) Yay!
I don't get anything for recommending this site, this is just FYI to help anyone else who's looking for help in this area. And... if you have found another site that doesn't cost anything.. let me know! I wouldn't mind trying something else, especially if it's free!!
Here's the one I'm using now...
http://www.menus4moms.com/
A friend from church sent me the link initially, thanks brother Butch, it has really helped me out!
Friday, October 15, 2010
Josiah
Well my Josiah has kept us busy this week. This isn't a blog about homeschool today - more like a prayer request. :)
On Tuesday night Josiah didn't sleep well, then all day Wednesday his naps were really short. His breathing kept waking him up.
He didn't have a fever, so we went to church anyways on Wednesday night. The nursery worker said that he didn't do too well, and he looked awful when we picked him up from them... so we took him to UCC. They did some x-rays just to be safe. He was drooling a lot and congested, but lungs were clear. So Mrs. Doctor wanted NECK x-rays, just to be safe.
She was concerned by what she saw, but she's not a radiologist... so we had to wait.
The radiologist in Osan looked at them and said that the x-ray was normal for a baby his age. So we went home around 11 pm - midnight. (Benadryll and Motrin in hand)
THEN Mrs. Doctor called us at 5 in the morning to let us know that another radiologist in Alaska looked at the x-rays and was "very concerned" and found an abscess in Jo's neck.
Of course, I was freaking out a bit at this point.
We had to go back to the UCC and by the time we got there ANOTHER radiologist looked at the x-rays and said he was somewhat concerned, but not as impressed as the other guy.
????
Okay, so a new doctor (Mrs. Doctor was off-shift by now) came in to re-evaluate Jo.
Josiah was doing much better because of the sleep he got from the meds and everything was fine (no fever, good oxygen levels, etc). Doc wanted more x-rays done so that they could get a closer look at everything.
They did two more sets of x-rays (we were there for about 3-4 hours for this), and by that time Jo was done being sweet. Up until then he was charming the UCC staff. :)
Mr. Doctor came in and told us that everything looked "much better" in these new x-rays. He said that if it was indeed an abscess, we'd need to put Jo on antibiotics. From what I've read since then, another option would be to drain the abscess.
To know for sure if it is an abscess, we would have to do an MRI. An awful procedure to put a kid through. By that time we were all exhausted and I was looking to hubby to make the call since he'd been there for the whole thing with me. We didn't do it. We were told to watch him carefully. Oh, and his airways looked all clear, of course, or the situation would have been different.
Jo has already been on antibiotics 2 times since birth. Mr. Doctor said that if it was his kid, he wouldn't do the MRI and he wouldn't give the antibiotics.
I've been checking on him constantly, and his breathing is markedly better after he's had his meds, which they prescribed for his congestion (and comfort).
Praying that God gives us wisdom, especially me, because I'm the one who is prone to worry.
Appreciate your prayers for Josiah!
Have a great night (or day if you're stateside!).
On Tuesday night Josiah didn't sleep well, then all day Wednesday his naps were really short. His breathing kept waking him up.
He didn't have a fever, so we went to church anyways on Wednesday night. The nursery worker said that he didn't do too well, and he looked awful when we picked him up from them... so we took him to UCC. They did some x-rays just to be safe. He was drooling a lot and congested, but lungs were clear. So Mrs. Doctor wanted NECK x-rays, just to be safe.
She was concerned by what she saw, but she's not a radiologist... so we had to wait.
The radiologist in Osan looked at them and said that the x-ray was normal for a baby his age. So we went home around 11 pm - midnight. (Benadryll and Motrin in hand)
THEN Mrs. Doctor called us at 5 in the morning to let us know that another radiologist in Alaska looked at the x-rays and was "very concerned" and found an abscess in Jo's neck.
Of course, I was freaking out a bit at this point.
We had to go back to the UCC and by the time we got there ANOTHER radiologist looked at the x-rays and said he was somewhat concerned, but not as impressed as the other guy.
????
Okay, so a new doctor (Mrs. Doctor was off-shift by now) came in to re-evaluate Jo.
Josiah was doing much better because of the sleep he got from the meds and everything was fine (no fever, good oxygen levels, etc). Doc wanted more x-rays done so that they could get a closer look at everything.
They did two more sets of x-rays (we were there for about 3-4 hours for this), and by that time Jo was done being sweet. Up until then he was charming the UCC staff. :)
Mr. Doctor came in and told us that everything looked "much better" in these new x-rays. He said that if it was indeed an abscess, we'd need to put Jo on antibiotics. From what I've read since then, another option would be to drain the abscess.
To know for sure if it is an abscess, we would have to do an MRI. An awful procedure to put a kid through. By that time we were all exhausted and I was looking to hubby to make the call since he'd been there for the whole thing with me. We didn't do it. We were told to watch him carefully. Oh, and his airways looked all clear, of course, or the situation would have been different.
Jo has already been on antibiotics 2 times since birth. Mr. Doctor said that if it was his kid, he wouldn't do the MRI and he wouldn't give the antibiotics.
I've been checking on him constantly, and his breathing is markedly better after he's had his meds, which they prescribed for his congestion (and comfort).
Praying that God gives us wisdom, especially me, because I'm the one who is prone to worry.
Appreciate your prayers for Josiah!
Have a great night (or day if you're stateside!).
Tuesday, October 12, 2010
Affirmation Day! Part Two
Well, I had a great day yesterday. Saying positive things about myself helped me to keep a great outlook all day long.
My kids didn't quite get it, lol, but they had a good laugh everytime I would say "I'm an excellent _______ (cook, mother, wife, etc)". They laughed when they had to do it, too.
So... today we are turning it around a little and affirming one another. Example: "Camryn, you are an excellent writer!"
Speaking of excellent writing, here is Camryn's Haiku poem that she wrote for Language today, describing a picture in her book:
Rivers running cold.
Leaves on trees singing with joy.
Mountains high with love.
Great job Camryn!
My kids didn't quite get it, lol, but they had a good laugh everytime I would say "I'm an excellent _______ (cook, mother, wife, etc)". They laughed when they had to do it, too.
So... today we are turning it around a little and affirming one another. Example: "Camryn, you are an excellent writer!"
Speaking of excellent writing, here is Camryn's Haiku poem that she wrote for Language today, describing a picture in her book:
Rivers running cold.
Leaves on trees singing with joy.
Mountains high with love.
Great job Camryn!
Monday, October 11, 2010
Affirmation Day!
"I am an excellent mother!"
This should be fun...
We are all adding a comment like this to our day, which we'll state at random times. As Camryn turns in her workbooks, she'll say, "I am an excellent daughter!". As Aden plays with his brother he'll say, "I am an excellent brother!".
lol, if anyone stops by today they will probably think we're a crazy, self-centered family!
But seriously, we all need to realize that God created us perfect! It's that sin and negative thinking that pulls us down into depression and despair! Not to mention the devil that whispers in our ear: "You aren't good enough...", "Nobody cares about you anyways...", and "Why even try, you'll just fail again...".
Not today Mr. Devil!!!! We're going to have a great school day, get lots accomplished, and LOVE each other as we ENCOURAGE one another to do our best!!!!! All because we're trusting in JESUS to help us through!
Have a great day, more later... :)
This should be fun...
We are all adding a comment like this to our day, which we'll state at random times. As Camryn turns in her workbooks, she'll say, "I am an excellent daughter!". As Aden plays with his brother he'll say, "I am an excellent brother!".
lol, if anyone stops by today they will probably think we're a crazy, self-centered family!
But seriously, we all need to realize that God created us perfect! It's that sin and negative thinking that pulls us down into depression and despair! Not to mention the devil that whispers in our ear: "You aren't good enough...", "Nobody cares about you anyways...", and "Why even try, you'll just fail again...".
Not today Mr. Devil!!!! We're going to have a great school day, get lots accomplished, and LOVE each other as we ENCOURAGE one another to do our best!!!!! All because we're trusting in JESUS to help us through!
Have a great day, more later... :)
Sunday, October 3, 2010
Friday Night Fun
Daddy had a surprise day off last Friday - Yay!
We voted on what to do with our special day. Ice Skating? Movies? Day trip? Beach?
Drum roll please........ beach + bonfire was the winner!
I'd love to post photos, but we took them on our "borrowed" cell phone. Our real cell phone had to be sent in for repairs, and this loaner one from Docomo is all in Kanji - can't figure out how to access the photos we took. Grrrr, frustrating.
Maybe I can give you a visual with words:
Drove up onto the beach and parked next to our bonfire site. Kids took off to play on the shore while daddy got the fire started and I set up "camp". The baby was in awe of the mighty roaring ocean.
After the kids got cold and the sky grew dim, we started roasting our hot dogs. Mmmm, they are so much better roasted on an open fire. We tried to bribe Aden to eat a hot dog. We promised him a new Wii game (seriously?? Bribing a child to eat a hot dog is so ridiculous. He is not a fan of meat.) He wouldn't do it!!
We had some Smores for dessert and sat around the bonfire with sticky fingers. Out come the wipes!
Daddy grabbed his mandolin and started to play the songs he's been learning. It was such a beautiful night. We broke down camp and did a little star gazing before heading back home.
I love that we are able to take days off of school whenever we want to seize these great moments. :)
That was Friday... now it's Monday.
Another Monday, yay! God is good, we're doing great, but I've got a case of the "blah's".
Aden finished his work by noon today, he's such a little smarty pants. Camryn isn't feeling well, so she's laying down right now and has only finished two subjects today, Language & Bible. Kid's chores are done and daddy is on day shift. Praise the Lord for that! We all do so much better when our schedule is "normal". :)
School is going well. I'm thinking about getting some more books for Aden. The Lifepacs that came in are wonderful, but Aden is up for more challenging work. I'm going to supplement a few Abeka K5 things to go along with what we are doing. (Blend Ladders, readers, maybe more?). I've found a lot of free stuff online, since I know exactly what to look for. I'm starting to feel a lot more comfortable with homeschooling.
I'm posting our schedule here for two reasons. 1) So that the family back home can see what we're up to. 2) It might help someone else set up a schedule for their own homeschool. :)
I don't post the times, because it changes daily for us. When we have a late night at church, or a day of family fun, we'll get started an hour or so later than normal. On average, book work doesn't start until 9-10 am. The kids' day is started around 7 am everyday, at least that one is constant. :)
Camryn's Days (4th Grade):
Get up, get ready.
Eat breakfast, clean room.
Self care (brush teeth, wash face, etc), chores.
Pledges, Songs, & Prayer (with mom, Aden, & Jo)
Bible
Language
Math
Lunch
Social Studies (History & Geography)
Science
Break
Piano Practice
Art or Health (switch every other day)
Break
Typing
Free time
This changes on days when we have appts, friends over, etc. But it's been going well so far.
Aden's Days (K5):
Get up, get ready.
Eat breakfast, clean room.
Self care (brush teeth, wash face, etc), chores.
Pledges, Songs, & Prayer (with mom, Camryn, & Jo)
Language
Math
Break
Flash Cards (he's loving addition already, and he's only 4! Yes, we're only doing the zero and one addition families, but he still amazes me.)
Japanese (We were doing this with Camryn too, but she already has too much in her schedule.)
Lunch
Reading
Free Time
Guitar
Free Time
Josiah's Day:
Pretty much just eat, sleep, & play. He loves song time and reading time. The rest of the time he plays well on his own. He'll be walking soon! Then I'll really be a busy mom...
Have a great week everyone! ;)
We voted on what to do with our special day. Ice Skating? Movies? Day trip? Beach?
Drum roll please........ beach + bonfire was the winner!
I'd love to post photos, but we took them on our "borrowed" cell phone. Our real cell phone had to be sent in for repairs, and this loaner one from Docomo is all in Kanji - can't figure out how to access the photos we took. Grrrr, frustrating.
Maybe I can give you a visual with words:
Drove up onto the beach and parked next to our bonfire site. Kids took off to play on the shore while daddy got the fire started and I set up "camp". The baby was in awe of the mighty roaring ocean.
After the kids got cold and the sky grew dim, we started roasting our hot dogs. Mmmm, they are so much better roasted on an open fire. We tried to bribe Aden to eat a hot dog. We promised him a new Wii game (seriously?? Bribing a child to eat a hot dog is so ridiculous. He is not a fan of meat.) He wouldn't do it!!
We had some Smores for dessert and sat around the bonfire with sticky fingers. Out come the wipes!
Daddy grabbed his mandolin and started to play the songs he's been learning. It was such a beautiful night. We broke down camp and did a little star gazing before heading back home.
I love that we are able to take days off of school whenever we want to seize these great moments. :)
That was Friday... now it's Monday.
Another Monday, yay! God is good, we're doing great, but I've got a case of the "blah's".
Aden finished his work by noon today, he's such a little smarty pants. Camryn isn't feeling well, so she's laying down right now and has only finished two subjects today, Language & Bible. Kid's chores are done and daddy is on day shift. Praise the Lord for that! We all do so much better when our schedule is "normal". :)
School is going well. I'm thinking about getting some more books for Aden. The Lifepacs that came in are wonderful, but Aden is up for more challenging work. I'm going to supplement a few Abeka K5 things to go along with what we are doing. (Blend Ladders, readers, maybe more?). I've found a lot of free stuff online, since I know exactly what to look for. I'm starting to feel a lot more comfortable with homeschooling.
I'm posting our schedule here for two reasons. 1) So that the family back home can see what we're up to. 2) It might help someone else set up a schedule for their own homeschool. :)
I don't post the times, because it changes daily for us. When we have a late night at church, or a day of family fun, we'll get started an hour or so later than normal. On average, book work doesn't start until 9-10 am. The kids' day is started around 7 am everyday, at least that one is constant. :)
Camryn's Days (4th Grade):
Get up, get ready.
Eat breakfast, clean room.
Self care (brush teeth, wash face, etc), chores.
Pledges, Songs, & Prayer (with mom, Aden, & Jo)
Bible
Language
Math
Lunch
Social Studies (History & Geography)
Science
Break
Piano Practice
Art or Health (switch every other day)
Break
Typing
Free time
This changes on days when we have appts, friends over, etc. But it's been going well so far.
Aden's Days (K5):
Get up, get ready.
Eat breakfast, clean room.
Self care (brush teeth, wash face, etc), chores.
Pledges, Songs, & Prayer (with mom, Camryn, & Jo)
Language
Math
Break
Flash Cards (he's loving addition already, and he's only 4! Yes, we're only doing the zero and one addition families, but he still amazes me.)
Japanese (We were doing this with Camryn too, but she already has too much in her schedule.)
Lunch
Reading
Free Time
Guitar
Free Time
Josiah's Day:
Pretty much just eat, sleep, & play. He loves song time and reading time. The rest of the time he plays well on his own. He'll be walking soon! Then I'll really be a busy mom...
Have a great week everyone! ;)
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