Internal Motivation

I've lost my internal motivation. Well, I know it's not GONE...just hiding. It happens sometimes, especially on dreary gray mornings like this one. I don't feel like doing a dang thing.

Y'all ever hear the phrase, "Fake it 'til ya make it"? Simply putting forward a positive attitude can make all the difference. Normally, I'm an extremely optimistic individual. (According to my friends and family, sometime's I'm annoyingly upbeat. Who knew being positive could be a character flaw?) I jest now but a little more than a year ago, I really did lose my motivation and positivity.

I don't know how I ended up in a rut but I did. I certainly didn't have any reason to feel so down. We were all happy and healthy, no truama or drama. Everyday, just going through the motions...get schoolwork completed, tend to the household chores, various appointments and kid sporting events, and so on. Life seemed so monotonous. It happens to everyone now and then but when you're slogging through a period like that, if feels pretty crappy. I did check with my doctor and found that there wasn't a physical reason for me to feel the way I did. I ended up complaining to a good friend of mine who suggested the M-Power Audio Series. I totally baulked the idea. I just needed to get over myself, right?

Needless to say, I couldn't "just get over myself" which really ticked me off and didn't help how I was feeling! Well, I sucked it up and started researching at the library and online. After a few weeks I settled on the M-Power series. It was just the kick in the pants I needed. It's been a wonderful program and I've learned so much. Of course, I had to eat some crow and tell my girl friend, "You're right, I'm wrong. You're smart, I'm dumb." :-) I also thanked her profusely for suggesting the audio series.

I've also learned not to be so hard on myself. I want to be Supermom which would require that I not be human. Sometimes being human sucks but I wouldn't trade it for the world. Being human allows me to make mistakes and learn from them. It allows me to appreciate the joy in my life. If you find yourself in a rut, don't beat yourself up. It's totally counterproductive.

Well, it looks like we might get some sunshine today after all. I'm so ready for Spring! Have a wonderful day, y'all.

Be positive and find your joy.

Great place to find ideas

So, I totally enjoy playing around in Farmville on Facebook. It's a great way for me to "veg out" at the end of our school day. Recently, I ran across an ad for Lesson Planet and I absolutely love it! It's geared toward all educators with a wealth of ideas to supplement your current lesson plan our to help you create a curriculum. It's gems like Lesson Planet that are invaluable to enriching my children's education. You can join Lesson Planet's Facebook page or check out their website. You won't be disappointed.

Happy learning!

Taking Care of Yourself

Take care of me...huh?

Get the kids up, fed and ready for school. Get myself dressed, make the bed, unload the dishwasher, take the dog out, encourage the kids (for the fourth time) to get their morning chores completed in a timely manner. Goodness, I need some coffee! Okay, it's time to start school...math, history, language arts and science.

We all know how this goes. Often, I forget to eat until I'm literally faint with hunger and have the shakes because I there's a stout pot of coffee running though my veins. I quickly cram some food down my gullet and press on.

Here's the thing though. What am I "teaching" my kids about how to take care of themselves as adults? A lot of parenting pertains to leading by example. One of the best things I can do for myself and by proxy, my children, is research better way of taking care of myself. Of course, I don't have tons of time during the day to devote my betterment (who does) so I looked up information regarding quick tricks and tips on staying fit and eating well. Not surprisingly, I found a plethora of books and products on the subject. I have many favs but a couple of the best, for me, have been the knowledged I've gleaned form "Simply Eat" and "1 Rep Fitness".

The other good thing I've done has been to incorporate a 20 minute workout with the kids. Since everything we do with our children is educational, I've included human biology, physical education and nutrition into our workouts. Wish I had thought of this a few years ago... Oh, well. It's never to late to learn.

If you'd like more info about my favs, just let me know. Here's to your health.

Homeschool Pride

"We’ve got pride. Yes, we do. We’ve got home school pride. How ‘bout you?”

I know the above “cheer” is a totally corny opening but it’s true. I’ve been home schooling my two children for the last five and a half years. The pride I feel is not only in my kids’ educational growth but in myself as well. The decision to home school was a tough choice for me, as I never envisioned taking on such an endeavor. To be completely honest, I just didn’t want to educate my children aside from the “normal” parent/child learning. However, by the time my oldest was in 2nd grade (after repeating 1st grade), I knew something had to change. She was failing to thrive cognitively, socially and emotionally in the public school system. I began researching (I’m a self educated know-it-all) ways to help my daughter, when I stumbled on home schooling information. I realized that I had to educate her myself…then I sat down and cried.
So, five years later and through many episodes of frustration, elation, insecurities, joy, worry and pride, I’m starting this blog for myself and for anyone looking for a very honest and personal experience of home schooling. I’ll share stories, websites and any other info relating to educating our children that I find interesting or helpful. Any decent parent is interested in their child’s education so I’ll be sure to include stuff for parents whose kids are being educated in a more traditional setting.
Here’s to our children. May we bring out the best in our babies and in ourselves. Here’s to education. And finally, here’s to all the things we do for our kids because we love them so dearly…even though they don’t appreciate it yet.