Creating More Space.

I finally figured out that I need more space to put all those centers and assignments. It's been getting too difficult now that Marco and Isabella are doing more and more school work. So today I ordered some hanging wall files for the school room.

I'm hoping this will help me keep all the paperwork organized and I have enough wall space to put up to 3 sets. Lately, I have found that our flip board is just not cutting it. It is constantly getting in our way and I keep having to roll it all over the place. With the new hanging files, I'll have a place for all our centers and I can move the flip board downstairs.

Another awesome addition to our school has been our new all-in-one printer! We just got it over the weekend and I LOVE it! I was getting so tired of making monthly trips to Kinko's or forgetting that I needed an extra copy of something. I also like the ability to scan and fax. I really can't believe that we hadn't gotten one before. It was really more putting it off than anything. We kept thinking that we didn't really need it.

So now it seems like we are just getting better prepared for the long homeschooling journey ahead. If anything, I really thank God that we are able to keep our kids at home and that he has put this in our path.

Having a Helper.

Every Tuesday and Friday I am blessed to have a mother's helper/babysitter for the morning and part of the afternoon. It is the time of the week when I can run errands with no children, make appointments, get some serious housework done, or just sit down one on one with Marco for school. It is such a big help because I am able to do things more quickly without the distractions of kids.

This was my last week having her come bi-weekly. We are making the move to Friday only. It's a bit sad, since knowing I had some backup during the week really helped me relax about the day to day tasks. But now that Isabella is joining the mix with homeschooling, it just doesn't make sense to have her over on Tuesdays anymore. I'm resigning myself to staying indoors until our work is done and I'm shifting my habit of going on errands and appointments twice a week to just Fridays.

Eventually, I'm assuming that we'll outgrow the need for a helper. For the time being, I'm really starting to get into schooling more with the kids. 1st grade has brought so many new subjects and projects that I just can't take any extra days off. I rather save the days for vacations, field trips, and time with Dad.

But having a helper is probably the best thing for a mom with lots of littles running around. Even trading days with friends is worth it (something I'm planning on trying out soon)!! We'll see how the rest of the summer goes with a little less help.

Working on Character.

Lately, I've been working on some character/discipline training with the kids. The first on my list? "No" is not allowed. Instead, the only 2 words to be uttered are "Yes, Mami." So far, it is working really well. This is especially true of my 6 year old. Now he knows that there is no need to argue with me about anything, because the only 2 words I accept are, "Yes, Mami."

As for Anthony? This is really hard for the both of us. He is very strong willed and following through with discipline is very tiring since I have to do it so much! But I'm still going at it. Isabella is doing well and she is never usually a problem with requests.

Here are the main character/discipline traits that I have made a point of creating into good habits.

• Always say "Yes Mami" or "Yes Papi." (BTW, these are the Spanish versions of Mom and Dad...or Mommy and Daddy. It's what the children call us.)
• Use kind words.
• First time obedience.
• Be considerate of others.
• Include siblings.
  
• Clean your space after every meal.
• Pick up after yourself (keep all personal spaces neat).
• Complete all chores without arguing.
• Use manners at all times (respecting others, proper table manners, respect others belongings)
• Be ready for bed and in bed on time.

I'm sure I can come up with a whole lot more, but this is enough to tackle for now. I can honestly say that I am seeing improvements in many of these areas. It just takes time and most of all, consistency.

Zone Cleaning.

This week I am going to be focusing on zone 2 of my home. This includes the laundry room and living room. Since I have purged all the toys from the upper levels (for the most part), the living room always stays pretty neat. So I'll be concentrating my efforts on washing the carpets, dusting, hanging fresh curtains, cleaning under the sofa cushions (I usually forget to do this on my daily vacuum routine), cleaning the furniture, and washing the walls & windows.

Our laundry room is really small, so I don't have too much space to clean. But that doesn't mean it stays clean. We keep the cat's litter box and food in there so it can get messy. For this room I am needing to organize the shelf, vacuum, mop, clean the tops of the washer & dryer, and wash the walls & door. We clean the litter box about every 2 days so that it doesn't get all nasty and full. I really don't know how people with cats clean their litter boxes once a week (or at least that's what I hear the average is). Just knowing that I have a litter box in the house grosses me out. But what can I do? Cats need to go too!

If you are wondering how I am getting the kids involved in this, here is the breakdown of what they need to do.

Marco, 6 years old

• Vacuum
• Wash walls
• Polish furniture
  

Isabella, 4.5 years old

• Wash windows
• Pick up anything on floor and put away
• Clean furniture

Anthony, 2.75 years old

• Pick up anything on floor and put away
• Dust baseboards and chair rail

First Haircut.

I've been meaning to post the pictures of my baby's first haircut. I really didn't want to cut his hair until his first birthday, but I was tired of people asking if he was a girl. DH also didn't appreciate Christian having his hair in his face all the time.

He was certainly a wiggly baby! So I had to entertain him on the floor with toys while I snipped away with some blunt ended scissors. He looks like such a little boy now! It really is sad for me!!

Before his haircut.

Trying to get him to stop moving.

All done!!

My baby is growing up!

Did We Start?

So the big question from this week is, "Did you start your new year?" I guess the answer can be more of a no. I worked on our schedule and put out our materials; but in the end, we all got sidetracked by all the projects that went on. The kitchen counters were redone on Monday, we went to a pool party on Tuesday, on Wednesday we ran errands and had our plumbing fixed, on Thursday we did crafts, and on Friday we celebrated 4th of July. We did, however, manage to do math and phonics all week except yesterday.

So now here I am again. Ready to start...again!! But I do feel greatly motivated and inspired. I always make the realization of how great homeschooling is. We get to decide on our own start date; and if we have to change it...it's not a problem! Maybe later I will post our weekly school schedule, just to get an idea of what we have to tackle!

Happy 4th of July!!!

Happy Independence Day!! Today was great. We were able to go to a 4th of July parade, the first ever attended by my kids and the the first since I was a kid. It was a little disappointing, but the kids had a great time getting all the candy. It seemed like it was a parade of cars (with only a little flag waving) as opposed the the heavily decorated and more animated 4th of July parades of my childhood.

Once we got home, I was lucky enough to have our babysitter over for a couple of hours. This gave me plenty of time to set up our work stations and get some supplies together. It also gave me a little time to myself! After Anthony was down for a nap, the babysitter left and we started on some craft projects. The kids made stars, banners, and puzzles.

I also re-re ad some books to the kids and included these new titles: America Is..., The Story of America's Birthday, and Me on the Map. The last book was a great way to let the
kids have a deeper understanding of what America is and where they stand on it. We located ourselves on a U.S. map and then located the U.S. on a world map.
It was fun to decorate our school room and decide where to hang things up. The kids were excited to see their artwork adorn the walls. They are definitely more aware of the meaning of the holiday now and I feel like I have accomplished something positive. I think for next year, I'll expand the celebration for a whole week in order to accomplish some more projects. I'm thinking along the lines of creating a lapbook.

At the end of the day, we made a cake and celebrated with some fireworks out in the driveway.So now our school room is now officially decked out in American attire. We really got into the 4th of July spirit and it will be fun to have it all up for the rest of the month!

Check out the pictures of the kids and their triptych below. These were made yesterday. We decided to fold them into a triangle and hang them from the ceiling. I was amazed at how wonderfully they colored the images! Dh didn't believe they did it all by themselves. To accomplish the results, however, I did have to sit next to them the whole time and tell them what colors to choose. It was time well spent!!