In need of an intervention

Somebody needs to stop me!! G has asked for a birthday party this year!! As a little back story, G has asked for something simple the last 2 years. So, we have had a sleepover with a couple of friends, gone to the movies and McDonald's those years!!! Very low key and it's driving me crazy!!

I am a party planner at heart but I think I ruined him early on. Growing up, we didn't have a lot of money and my mom didn't have a lot of time so elaborate birthday parties were not an option! But I do remember my 13th birthday party sleepover with great fondness. I digress!!

Anyway, G's history of birthday parties started with his first birthday party -- complete with Clifford the Big Red Dog theming all the way down to his clothes and 50 of his closest friends and family. His 2nd birthday, not so much an affair but I did find a cute pattern on a napkin and had a cake crafted to match. It was a small affair with just his cousins!  His 3rd birthday was a Pump-It-Up blow out with all his pre-school friends! His 4th Birthday was a pirate party in which costumes were the rage!! Hubby even dressed up as Captain Jack Sparrow. We had lots of party games including cannon ball toss and wow what a cake crafted by my friend Scarlett. Check out the link to her gallery and G's cake is near the bottom!  The 5th birthday party was a Super Hero bonanza with all his friends in their Super Hero finest!! I made the cake this time!! (I was taking cake decorating at the time). His 6th and final birthday was at a mini-golf experience. Not sure it was a  great idea to give a bunch of 5 and 6 years old clubs and cake!! Oh well!!

So, 2 years of birthday hiatus and I am trying to contain myself. But, I am so excited!! I told myself that by planning at the bowling alley that would make it easy and leave very little for me to do!! HAHA!
Scarlett has been commissioned to make a masterpiece. I have found lots of cool ideas on the web for decorations and favors!! Good thing the bowling alley limits what I can and can't do or I am afraid of what I might do. LOL

Anyway, I am going to force myself away from the computer and stop short of a Lego themed bowling shirts for guests!! AAAHHHHHH-- what a great idea!! No, stop!! That's a little overboard --- or is it???

Yes! This is how we learn!

I am happy to report our life has been relatively quiet and non-eventful, meaning our homeschool process is going well. We've gone on a couple of field trips, tweaked our schedule and accommodated last minute changes. My stress level with the kiddo has decreased but I think that has more to do with my expectations. Many times throughout the day, I remind myself that there is no 'right' or 'wrong' way to teach my kiddo. Furthermore, as long as he is exposed to knowledge, albeit non-traditional at times, he is learning.

I was talking with a friend who shared that her mother-in-law was concerned that her children weren't learning anything by being homeschooled. Later at dinner with several extended family members including the 'concerned' mil, one of the 'uneducated' children was able to enlighten a family member of the merits of the Mona Lisa complete with information about Leonardo DaVinci. That's pretty impressive for a 4th grader. With smug satisfaction my friend was able to give her mother-in-law a knowing smile to say 'case closed'!! Her kids may not seem to be learning 'traditional' classroom elements everyday but are learning those skills in other ways!! All in all, the kids are growing and learning. 

Just as there are different parenting styles, coping styles, learning styles, and so on. There are different teaching styles -- traditional, Charlotte Mason, unschooling, classroom, experience driven and many many more. The great thing about it is that there is nothing wrong with any of them as long as our kiddos grow! 

Sleeping in

This morning our routine was thrown out simply because I flipped off a little switch. Since Hubs made his suggestions last week to motivate G, I have been setting my alarm for 730am. For those non-homeschool families -- I know that is sleeping in!!--  But to those of us who have slightly older children and the dubious honor of schooling at home, we're on 'homeschool time.'

Anyway, I went to bed early the night before like I had hoped only to have a little visitor climb into the empty spot next me that is normally filled by Hubs. As Hubs is out of town, G said he was just there to keep me company. In any event, we slept well through the night until around 4am when a nice little tree frog started a moonlight serenade. It was cute at first but then it just became annoying. I had visions of locating said nuisance and conducting my very own science experiment.

G on the other hand, woke momentarily to inquire about the sound but then promptly dozed back off to meet the Sandman and continue their adventures. Me, however was wide awake because of  the nauseating sounds of Mr Tree Frog looking for love and by my estimates -- in all the wrong places! Since I was awake I figured it was a good of a time a time as any to take care of some things I had been putting off.  You know -- mark some things off my lists!! -- AAAAHHHHHHH!!!

So, I logged onto my PC and updated a few blog posts, researched some stuff for work and sent off needed emails. All this by 6am, at which time Mr. Armor had gone to sleep or crept off into the bushes as he may have felt my ire from the other side of the wall.  I made a decision on my way back to bed to flip off the alarm and just wake up on my own, or whenever G got me -- whichever came first.

Ironically, I still woke before G and it was 830am. Glorious Sleep - 830am!! I hadn't slept the day away but we were 1 hour behind schedule for school.  Oh well, figured I was this late so I woke G and we snuggled and giggled about our day. We did get out of bed around 845am and proceeded to start our normal routine.

G had speech at 1030am and I am proud to say that he got a lot done in the 1 hour before we had to leave!! Wednesdays are turning out to not be as stressful as they were in the first couple of weeks. I have tweaked our schedule to be a little lighter on Monday and Wednesday due to commitments. But Tuesday and Thursday are pretty heavy with Friday being the make-up, FUN day in which we do the extras and stuff we just didn't get to during the week.

I am glad I took a little extra time to sleep in this morning. It's really better for everyone because I get a little sleep deprived when Hubs is out of town so I needed it and the 'Grouchy Picker' didn't have to visit our house. (More on the 'Grouchy Picker' in another post down the road.)

But spending a little extra time in my PJs cuddled up in my comfy bed was just what I needed.  I make a better mommy and teacher when I am not sleep-deprived!!