Small but mighty . . .

So as a homeschooling mom I am always looking for ideas to inspire and teach my children. Last year as part of our homeschooling endeavor we watched the movies Food Inc. and Food Matters. They were powerful. We have been interested in nutrition because my boys are both dealing with food allergies and they wanted to understand more about them.

Today I came across this little video which is powerful by an 11 year old homeschool boy who has an amazing message and does it with such eloquence and calm you forget he is 11 years old. I hope you find this as much as I did. It is about our food system and how we can make a difference. It is called Monsanto Corporation Gets Owned by 11 year old boy!

Remember we can make a difference with every purchase we make.

Time Flies When . . .

Oh my, I was talking with two friends yesterday (we were working on a plan to save the world-more on that in another post) when I realized that we are going into our 3rd year of homeschooling. I am feeling very grateful so so many things. Words cannot describe just how amazing our lives are and how we have all changed because of our decision to homeschool. Yes, there have been some bumpy spots, I will not lie. In fact there have been times when I wished the bus would stop in front of our home. The good news is that "feeling" passes and we continue, we persevere. Why, because we are committed to this life, this lifestyle and our boys. There really is no one who can love my boys, encourage them and help them grow any more than I do. So we press on with much joy and yes some trepidation.

So stay tuned as we embark on year three (3)! There will be lots of stories and new adventures. I hope you enjoy the ride.

Stop the train, I want to get off

Okay, we don't live in a big city with trains; I am speaking metaphorically. But sometimes you have to stop and regroup. Today was one of those days. The boys are busy with baseball. We are literally at the park every day. I have also been trying to get them their PE during the day as they need time to burn off some steam. On top of that we have school work and other schedules to keep. Today, I could see we hit the wall. I took a deep breath and made an executive, mommy decision - "stop the train!" I let David's coach know we could not make the game tonight, they did not go to their other activities. I fed them dinner early and sent them off to bed with books in hand. It is now 7:30 and they are quietly reading and almost asleep.

“Sometimes the most urgent thing you can possibly do is take a complete rest” Ashleigh Brilliant

Some might think this is an over reaction to a day filled with emotional outbursts. I see it as a day for my boys to just take a night off and rest. They are tired and need the rest. I can see it in their faces and in their behavior. I truly think we as parents need to be careful to not over schedule our guys and give them breathing room. We were doing fine until this week when between the two boys we had 6 games and two practices and no break. I am so glad that God has given me the wisdom to know when enough is enough. The truth is I really am appreciating a night off and with that I have time to update my blogs and do some other activities that have fallen to the sidelines.

All in a Days Joy

It was an emotional day. Tornadoes swept across the country including two in our area. The boys and I watched and waited to see if we should head to the basement. Praise the Lord, we did not have to. Finally, I could get my shower and then we headed out for our day's activities. After a false start, we ended up at my sister's house. We had such a wonderful time of fellowship with her and she seemed to really enjoy the goofiness of my guys. We finally headed back home for a lovely evening. While I was busy creating a yummy dinner, the boys were busy creating a game with their legos and dice. It sounded pretty complicated and they were having a blast. So nice that they can create fun without screen time.

Now I am enjoying a quiet night and reflecting on how great it is to be a homeschooling mom who can change plans on a dime and enjoy each and every moment with my boys. Yes there are times when I feel overwhelmed by the responsibility and yet even in those times, I am amazed at the joy that comes out of even a simple day.

Homeschooling is a Lifestyle

I was sitting here thinking about how different my life is now that I chose to homeschool. As I think about how my days flow and my relationship with my boys, I realized that homeschooling is a lifestyle. We take our time through the day, we have our devotions, we homeschool, we go to the library, we go to the park, we enjoy each other and all the time I am able to build a business. My boys still have time for boy scouts, church youth group, sports activities and play dates. Their only gripe is how sad they feel for all the kids who have to be in school all day and then do homework. They have so little time for play.

I am grateful all the time for our new life and wish we started it sooner. When I find myself regretting ever putting the kids in school, I am reminded how I would not appreciate our life now had I not known what it was like before. When the boys were in school, the stress in our home was unbelievable. Homework was a nightmare. Getting to any after school activity was a daunting task if I wanted to feed my family and get it all done.

Would I go back? I don't plan on it. My hope is to homeschool them through high school. In fact my youngest son, who still is a snuggle bunny, wants to be homeschooled through college. Okay I am a realist, that is not part of my plan, but I love that it is part of his. My point, I am enjoying where I am, being present is the most important part. My boys have a better mom and hence we are a better family.

New Look and New Year

Shame on me, it has been over a year since I posted. What happened? Well I have no excuse, just got busy and did not make my blog a priority. That is changing today! This year I am focusing on how to not only homeschool my boys, build my business and keep up with my blogs. The truth is it is all related it makes sense to do it all. I hope you enjoy the new look. Come back often to check on me, keep me accountable and add your insights. And if you like what you see, sign up as a follower. I would love to get to know you.

Parental Sayings by Andy Andrews - Just for Fun

Most of the time I try to be profound and insightful on my blog. Quite honestly I don't know whether I accomplish that. I don't even know if anyone reads my blogs. The truth is that I love to write, strive to improve and want to express myself.

Today I just wanted to share with you a smile. This video is one of the things that makes me smile. In fact anything that Andy Andrews does makes me smile. I hope you enjoy it as much as I have. It maybe something you bookmark and keep handy when you need to have a "discussion" with your children. You may just want to play it for them each morning just to get it out of the way. I hope you enjoy it -- parental sayings by Andy Andrews!

Great Call . . . Thank You Audrey Cupo

There are times when you just know that you have go with the flow or roll with the punches as they say. Tonight was one of those nights. I had an interview scheduled with Audrey Cupo, a professional organizer from Bucks County, PA. My goal in the interview was to hopefully get a few tips about how to get organized specifically geared toward busy moms. We had all the details taken care of and then came the call. Guess what? No one could hear us, in fact they were in a magical holding space while we were happily doing the call. Only after we completed the call did I find out there were people waiting for us. So we then got back on the line and held the call again. Not a problem, it was our pleasure to do that for the listeners who hung in there.

Many lessons have been learned, and we are clearly not throwing the baby out with the bath water. The one thing that did work was the recording. So if you are interested in the recording of our call here it is: Audrey Cupo.

Also, in case you are looking for a way to get organized and stay organized check out Audrey's site in which she discusses her new program. Imagine being able to have an accountability partner, mentor and trainer all in one package. The best part of the program is that it does not require a lot of time. Further I cannot believe the price. It is great! Here is the information on her coaching program. Keep in mind she only has 40 spots left and spots are filling up fast, so if this is your year to Live an Organized Life check it out.

Thank you again Audrey for a great call. And thank you all for your patience as we worked through this whole process.