Throughout high school, students learn the importance of taking notes, developing study techniques, asking questions, and preparing for exams. College is nothing different, unless you consider the fact that you are learning at an increased rate. What would normally take an entire academic year to learn is streamlined into a 16 week semester. Lectures are swift, concepts are added and new terminology is expected to be understood. All seems well... Until the grade drops.
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Hello everyone! It’s Monday and if your Monday is anything like mine, you got up with the roosters and haven’t slowed since! What I wouldn’t give for a 30-minute slow-down just to breathe, but as a homeschool momma, that doesn’t always happen, and when it does, seldom do I realize it, until it has already passed.
Today’s topic is one that seems to pop into my head, just as we are about to begin the homeschool season. We aren’t scheduled to begin our classes until next Monday, but I wanted to get a jump on this blog because our first week back is always a hit and miss of tantrums, pouting, and a little frustration. The kids aren’t particularly fond of that type of behavior – after all – I am the mom! After a little thought, I posed the question to our children, wanting to know if there is anything that keeps them awake at night. Naturally, we all want our children to be worry free, and if we thought homeschooling would take the edge off, we might have been slightly mistaken. Kids will worry about all sorts of stuff. Christmas, birthday presents, that new video game that was just released. They even worry about what snacks they’ll have (because some are just picky eaters). But I wanted to know more about their thoughts on homeschool. The Question: “Thinking about homeschool, tell me what keeps you awake at night”. And just like the little talkers they are, they each had their response ready in a matter of minutes. This is good because it tells me they are being honest. It’s bad, because they think about it so much, they already had their answer prepared. Their response was typical, but nevertheless, some were not what I wanted to hear. Then I asked myself the question. Of course, they were typical homeschool mom questions. So, sit down and hold on as I prepare to answer the 10 questions about homeschooling that will keep you up at night! Hello all,
The last month has been a difficult one. Not because of any tragedy, nor was it because of any specific 'fault' or "person". It's just been difficult. After acknowledging this, I started wondering about how things used to be. When time was abundant. When worries were small. When I could put on a pair of heels, a little red lipstick, and take on the world. But this past month, try as I might, I couldn't seem to find my "Get up and Go" that I was used to. No, I'm not ill. And I don't think the allergies made me lose that extra pep in my step. It could be age, but I'm still pretty young, seeing as how I've not reached the 40-year mark and I know 50-year-old's that are still going at top speed. No, it was something else. It had to be. And that made me think more about who I had become. To do that, I had to remember who I used to be. A season was changing for me and I was not ready! Dear Readers,
I hope you have had some time to read over and digest my previous post "13 Reasons Why You Should Watch 13 Reasons Why". I hope that my words did not fall on blind eyes (because you couldn't hear them, you could only read them). Nevertheless, I told you I would be following up with second post and I had to take some time to digest how I wanted to approach it. Please keep in mind, I love my children with all of my heart and I've always told them to be a beacon of light for others. It is my hope that this story, while extremely personal, will be a light for others who have been in or are currently in situations similar to these. This is a true story. My apologies dear readers,
It has been a little bit since I've posted, but I do not want you to think it is because of you! You are GREAT! This has been one heck of a year and I need a time out! For instance, on January 9th, after a great day of homeschool and babysitting for a neighbor who just started to work the week before, I managed to break my fibula in two places, requiring a week-long hospital stay, a 2 and a half hour surgery, a steel plate and some bolts. Then, as if that weren't enough, my daughter calls me in frantic mode saying her husband of three months wants a divorce and has kicked her out (boy, he had us snowed!). Then, two days after she moves home, she has a sore throat and swollen glands. I initially thought it was her ear acting up again, and possibly strep... But that would be too easy. Dear Readers and Passers-by,
There is nothing, this side of it simply 'not happening' that can prepare you for the feelings you experience when your child leaves home. As a homeschool parent, that feeling is multiplied because you consider the circumstances: Did I prepare them well enough? Are they going to be OK? Am I going to be OK? How are their younger siblings going to respond? These are but a few of the questions that raced through my brain when she began to reach for the door. True, she had been showing signs of wanting to be on her own for some time, but I pushed those notions away because she just wasn't ready. But in truth, I wasn't ready. I was not willing to accept the fact that my 18 year old daughter was a grown woman. Hello Readers,
As a homeschool mom, I find pleasure in some of the most simple things. From a 10 minute shower to a five minute foot rub, those little things keep us going. But since the holidsays are upon us, I thought I'd share some of my greater enjoyments. Hello Readers,
As we begin preparing for our homeschool year, I started thinking about how, as parents, we strive to help our children. Whether we are working on lesson plans that will give them the best opportunity to learn, all the way to coping with everyday stressors that arise. As parent’s we want nothing but the best for our children. As a former public school family, I knew right away that my younger boys were struggling. Not just in school, but with bullying. I fought their fight. I pulled them from public school because I didn’t want them to be afraid. I wanted them to have the ability to learn in a stress-free environment. I wanted them to know that they are loved and appreciated. That their opinions are just as important as the next persons and to be equally responsible for their actions. As I sat down this month to meditate on things, a notion popped into my mind. I couldn’t help but wonder… was my help actually hurting them? When days turn into weeks, and months into years, we seldom remember the important moments in life that matter. Friendship is certainly one of those important moments that must be nurtured, encouraged and appreciated. Over the years, I've lost touch with so many of the people I once knew. More recently, a friendship that developed was treated wrongly by me because life happens. But that is still no excuse for the way I disrespected my friend, however unintentional.
When life happens, we forget. When kids begin fighting, we forget. When things happen that are beyond the norm, we forget. And as difficult as it is for me to carry those issues with me and discuss them with my friends, I have realized that what is going on in my life at that particular moment may be easier understood by taking a moment and just putting them on the back burner to recognize that friendship and birthdays are just as important. My dear friend Rena, whom I have come to know and love, had a birthday recently. And because I was so consumed with my ordeals, I failed to even walk across the yard and wish her a happy birthday, ask how her day was going, or even make her a birthday card. I feel like a failure at friendship. In the past, I would often equate ending friendships as being "their fault", not mine. But I have began to recognize that I am the reason why some of those friendships failed. To Rena, may you know that you have been a beacon of light in helping me to realize that I am just as responsible for nurturing a friendship as the other person. You've also helped me to become a better person by acknowledging my faults. It was your birthday, and I missed the opportunity to share it with you because of my own problems. But, above all else, know that I am sincerely apologetic and hope that this small blemish can be erased in time and that you will still cherish our friendship in the light that you always have, and know that I will as well! I like to think I have a good grasp on things. A well-planned agenda, a weekly lesson planner, and enough web links to drive a sane person mad! A little coffee, a good prayer, and a heavenly song on my lips. And as fast as I had it, I lost it. If anyone tells you homeschooling is easy, they've never done it. And if they tell you it's a waste, they've never experienced it. But to tell you the day is hard, the nights can get long (especially if you build your own curriculum), and the trials and tribulations of everyday life is anything but organized...
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HELLOWelcome! My name is LaVonda. I am the wife of Rodney, the mom of 5 remarkable kids (well, 2 are adults now), an avid homeschooler, blogger, and sociologist. I am blessed with the ability to spend my time sharing our homeschool and life experiences with you. It is my hope to provide you with motivation, ideas, and some candid stress-relief through my blog - Mom's Scribe! Grab a cup of coffee, sit on down, and make yourself at home! Past Scribes
August 2020
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