Annual Valentine's Day Parties - Special Homeschool Days - A Homeschooling Post

Our Valentine's Parties Journey...

I have mentioned before how much more meaningful life is when the special things happen organically and are not manufactured.  Holiday parties are clearly more on the manufactured side, but as I did not set out to have some yearly homeschool party traditions, these parties also feel to me that they have happened naturally.

Noelle & Micah used to go to school at Penobscot Christian School & they have some pretty awesome 'special' days.  Parties & celebrations & school spirit week plus all the cool dress-up days in Kindergarten.  Noelle went there for K-2 & Micah went for K.  Then came the decision to homeschool.  Noelle was excited to try homeschooling but she mentioned that she was going to miss having the 'special days' with friends.  So I promised her that we would have some special days at home.  And we have tried to celebrate as many things as possible:  100 days of school, Leap Year, Olympics, all holidays, etc.  This year we celebrate landmarks reached in math!  My friend Susan also started homeschooling the same year we did.  Noelle & Evan are in the same grade and have also grown up in teh same church together, so they were the first addition to our circle of homeschooling friends.  

That first year, we decided to have a Valentine's Day party for some homeschool friends.  I did not remember until we looked back at pictures, but I believe it was also the day we celebrated 100 days of school and it was also a day Kevin & I had volunteered to go to D's school & do something special with her class!  Anyway...

...it was the beginning of something good.  

The next year we had lots of wonderful snow, so not only did we eat yummy food & exchange Valentines, but we played in the snow together.

This may have also been the year that the snowball fight tradition began!  We have a water balloon fight each year for our field day.  Both things have a tremendous potential for 'violence', but most of the kids really like them!

Also this 2nd year, those who wanted to come prepared with something to share, could.  Not at all a talent show, but more of a showing of talents, if that makes sense at all!  One guest brought some great artwork which I really enjoyed.  We were in the middle of studying Abraham Lincoln, so Noelle & Micah recited the Gettysburg Address.

By this time, my kids really looked forward to this yearly Valentine's Day party!  By our third year our circle of homeschooling friends had grown.  Field Day was a 'bigger' event and Valentine's Day was a smaller circle of people.  This is mostly because Field Day is outside & the Valentine's Day party is not!

Our 3rd year was also the first year that we added some party games to the mix.  I hope these pictures don't embarrass these now-more-'grown-up' kids, but they were all great sports!  One of the challenges of homeschool parties is the wide variety of ages.  I don't want the oldest kids to feel that it's all 'little kid' stuff & I want the littlest ones to feel valued & included.  However, the age span is also one of the HUGE benefits to homeschooling, in my opinion.  In school, you often associate with kids that are just your own age.  That's not anything like real life!  I am thankful for the age range.

This was also the year that Micah was babysitting a blue-tongued skink, so that was an added attraction!  

I guess I must have tried packing a lot in that year, (no way, right!?), because we had a President's Day themed party & the students who wanted to shared about a president.  We even watched a video about presidents.  Noelle & Micah were learning about George Washington & shared a bit about that.

That brings us to last year.  Without a doubt the kids really get into making their Valentines each year.  

(This picture makes me laugh.  The magazine picture shows neatly rolled madlibs.  At the top of the picture you can see Micah's effort!)

Last year our attendance really bloomed.  The more kids you have the more scheduled it needs to be, in my opinion.  5 kids running around shooting nerf guns, (kinda like today), doesn't bother me at all.  20 kids running around is too much!  So we try to plan accordingly.  We had a super party last year, in my opinion.  My friend Jill was an enormous help, as she provided the craft for the kids.  We split them up into 'olders' and 'youngers' and geared things that way.  Also, for the first time, (not sure why I didn't think of it earlier), we invited my southern-Maine, homeschooling cousins to come stay with us & join the fun!

Last year Kevin gave me 2 ducks for Valentine's Day, (how perfect is that?), so they were an attraction at the party as well.

For our 'educational portion' last year, we offered a muskrat/taxidermy/animal lesson at the end, for those who wished to stay.

This year, our fifth year of homeschooling, is the first year that winter weather has put a wrench in the works.  We planned a Winter Olympics-themed Valentine's Day party.  We ended up postponing it for nearly two weeks and I will probably re-work the plan some.  The kids were super disappointed, but that is a lesson in itself.  In the end, two close friends came anyway and we snowshoed & watched an episode of Duck Dynasty & ate oodles of popcorn, (cheapest party food ever).  Nerf gun fights & a card game and some much-needed but never-enough chat time for the moms!

I believe, whole heartedly, in finding the extraordinary in the ordinary & that the best things in life aren't the parties but the everyday moments.  However, these Valentine's Day parties are treasures for us.  I will never, ever regret doing them and I will miss them when they are gone.  I love helping to provide JOY for my kids, (as we all do!).  

I imagine that when the kids are in school & these homeschool parties are a thing of the past that Kevin & I, not exhausted from party-planning & party-doing, will enjoy a lovely evening out together, celebrating our love.  And that will be sweet too.

Favorite Shortbread Jam Cookies - A Kitchen Post

*Please note:  This recipe is from www.joyofbaking.com  

 "Shortbreads with White Chocolate & Raspberries Wild Maine Strawberry Jam"

I found this recipe with an internet search in 2009.  I was preparing for a big tea party for the girls and I'm guessing that I searched 'shortbread cookies.'  

When I find a great recipe, I tend to stick to it, and this is one of our great ones.  I make them once or twice a year.  They are one of the few cookies that I could gobble one after another, so it's a good thing I don't make them often! 

Shortbreads:

2 c. flour

1/4 t salt

1 c. unsalted butter, room temperature

1/2 c. powdered sugar

1 t vanilla extract

Filling:

1/4-1/2 c. raspberry jam

2 oz. white chocolate, grated

(I will include here the recipe, as given, for 'homemade raspberry preserves'.  My favorite jam to use with these cookies is my homemade wild strawberry jam.  When I haven't had that, I have purchased seedless raspberry jam.)

[2 c. raspberries, unsweetened

1/4 c. sugar

a few drops of lemon juice:

Place the frozen unsweetened raspberries & the sugar in a small saucepan and bring to a boil over medium heat.  Reduce the heat & simmer, stirring occasionally, for about 20 minutes or until most of the liquid has evaporated.  Do not let it burn.  Remove from heat & pour into a heatproof measuring cup.  Add a drop or two of lemon juice.  Cover & place in the refrigerator for a few days before using.]

In a separate bowl whisk the flour with the salt.  Set aside.

In the bowl of electric mixer, cream butter until smooth, about 1 minute.  Add the sugar & beat until smooth, about 2 minutes.  Beat in the vanilla extract.  Gently stir in the flour mixture just until incorporated.  Flatten the dough into a disk shape, wrap in plastic wrap, and chill the dough for at least an hour.  

Preheat oven to 350 with the rack in the middle of the oven.  Line two baking sheets with parchment paper.

On a lightly floured surface roll out the dough until it is about 1/4 inch thick.  Using a 2-3 inch cookie cutter, (round, square, heart, etc.), cut out the dough.  Place the cookies about 1" apart on the prepared cookie sheets.  Use a smaller cookie cutter, (3/4-1") to cut out the centers of half of the cookies on the baking sheet.  (You will be sandwiching two cookies together and there will be a small 'window' or 'cut out' in the top cookie so you can see the jam underneath.)  Place the unbaked cookies, on the baking sheet, in the refrigerator for about 15 minutes.  This will firm up the dough so the cookies will maintain their shape when baked.  Bake for about 10 minutes, or until cookies are lightly browned.  Cool on a wire rack.

Place the cookies with the cut-out tops on a wire rack & dust with powdered sugar.  

On the bottom surface of the cookie, (top of cookie will face out), spread with about 1/4-1/2 t jam.  Sprinkle with a little grated white chocolate.  

Place the cut-out cookie on top & gently sandwich them together, making sure not to smudge the powdered sugar.  Using a small spoon, fill the cut-out with a little more jam.  

End of recipe.

The cut outs make very pretty cookies.

Tonight I made these shortbread cookies, but instead of doing cut outs, I made tiny hearts.  More cookies for more people, as, weather permitting, we are having a Valentine's Day party this week.

Enjoy!

Bedtime Blessings - A Parenting Post

I pray the Lord will hold you close and keep you through the night

that you will wake up smiling in the early morning light

I pray that He will comfort you & make you brave and strong

I pray that you will follow Him your whole life long.

I pray that you will grow up, to be wise and good and true

I pray that you will please the Lord in everything you do

I pray that you will hear His voice & learn to sing His song

I pray that you will follow Him your whole life long.

I pray the Lord will bless you with His presence everyday

I pray He will protect you every step along the way

Help you know what's right & lead you far away from wrong

I pray that you will follow Him your whole life long. -Twila Paris

He gives to His Beloved even in their sleep
He pours his hope and wisdom from streams that run so deep
He promises to help them His promise He will keep
He gives to His Beloved even in their sleep

He sings to His Beloved songs of peace and rest
He loves His little children and gives them all the best
And those who learn to trust Him forever will be blessed
He sings to His Beloved songs of peace and rest
He sings to His Beloved songs of peace and rest  -Twila Paris

"The Lord bless you & keep you.The Lord make His face shine on you & be gracious to you.  The Lord lift up His countenance on you and give you peace."  -Numbers 6:24-26

'My Heritage is Beautiful to Me' -Psalm 16:6

Something kind-of struck me today, not unlike thoughts I've had before.

Today I met someone new & through some conversation it turns out that we are from the same town.  He told me exactly in the town where he is from and I responded with, "Well, you must have known my grandparents then:  Wally & Ruby Sjoberg?"  He responded yes & it turns out that he & my mom were in the same grade together in school.  The conversation didn't go a lot further than that & he certainly didn't say that my grandparents were wonderful people, or anything like that.

However.. it made me think & once again give thanks for my godly, goodly heritage.
I have never had the experience where I have named my grandparents & anything bad has been said.  Quite the opposite.  (That is - obviously - not to say that there is any form of perfection in our family!  Goodness no!  But I think about the children who only know that this parent isn't speaking to this aunt & this grandparent sued this grandchild & that this person is only known for having bad character.)

I am so thankful that I don't know what it's like to have a bad reputation passed down to me.  I reference this in an old post found here:

http://carmelhillbillies.blogspot.com/2013/05/east-hodgdon-bible-church.html

and I talk about my wonderful aunts & uncles in a post found here:

http://carmelhillbillies.blogspot.com/2013/06/aunts-uncles.html

You know, we get what we get, (and we don't get upset - or at least that's what we tell kiddos!)  As I've mentioned before, I am reaping positive benefits sown by those who came before me.  Oh, I am so very thankful.  

A couple of weeks ago I asked my dad a few questions about his childhood & his parents.  My dad is from Michigan & he is the baby of the family & having grown up in Maine, I don't know his side of the family as well as I know my mom's side.  (I wish I could post a pic here of my Foster grandparents, but I don't have a digital one!)  

Anyway, I had some vague ideas about some things, but I wanted to ask Dad some more specific questions & hear the answers straight from him.  

One of the things I asked about was Grandpa, pre-conversion & post-conversion.  My Grandpa was about my age when he accepted Christ as Savior.  Neither he nor my Grandma came from a Christian background.  At the time of his salvation, my dad was a young boy.  I had understood that my Grandpa was a drinker.  (But as people in my cultural upbringing circle just aren't drinkers, that could almost mean anything.  Was he an alcoholic?  I wanted specifics.)  In short, my dad spoke of how it was common for railroad men to have nicknames & pre-conversion my Grandpa's nickname was The Sponge.  My dad was young and doesn't remember a whole lot of that.  What he does remember is railroad men calling and asking for my Grandpa by the name of The Rock.  

There you go.

In fact, he even moved his whole family to help ensure a new & different life.

I don't deserve it & it's through no 'good' on my part, but my parents & my grandparents & my great-grandparents made some very good choices that have helped make my life so much richer and so much easier and very blessed.  It cannot really be put into words the heartache I have missed and the good things I have gained.  It's an earthly picture of the heritage we have, being joint-heirs with Jesus!  

My favorite story my mom tells of her childhood is that at night, when she was in bed, she could hear her parents talking & laughing.  Oh, the security that comes from that!  It's immeasureable!     

It begs the question:  What kind of legacy am I leaving my children?  What kind of heritage?  

My hope is built on nothing less
Than Jesus’ blood and righteousness.
I dare not trust the sweetest frame,
But wholly trust in Jesus’ Name.

On Christ the solid Rock I stand,
All other ground is sinking sand;
All other ground is sinking sand.

When darkness seems to hide His face,
I rest on His unchanging grace.
In every high and stormy gale,
My anchor holds within the veil.

His oath, His covenant, His blood,
Support me in the whelming flood.
When all around my soul gives way,
He then is all my Hope and Stay.

When He shall come with trumpet sound,
Oh may I then in Him be found.
Dressed in His righteousness alone,
Faultless to stand before the throne.  -Edward Mote

Saturday Morning: Ballet or Play? - A Parenting Post

I began this post a little over 3 months ago, and then tabled it.  It's even more appropriate now, (which I will explain), so I came back to it.  Plus, it is Saturday morning & Micah did wake up, anxious to watch Saturday morning cartoons!  

My 10 year old son, Micah is a beginner dancer.  He has been doing dance for over a year and 1/2.  He has done a little bit of hip hop, a little bit of ballet & a little bit of tap.  (added - also a little of Irish step dancing.)

Our dance studio has been very generous, partially because they are looking for more boys.  Dance is expensive.  Period.  This year Micah is taking a ballet class which is one hour/week & he is taking a boys class which is primarily tap, one hour/week.  He would also love to be doing Irish step dancing & I am looking into that.  The Boys Class is ending in a few weeks because the teacher is being deployed and they don't have a replacement.  He loves tap dancing & would like to find another tap class to join.  

You know, he has tried as many things as I think are possible, being in the income bracket we are in.  Even if only on a peewee or rec level, he has tried:

~Wrestling

~Soccer

~T-ball

~Skiing

~Piano lessons

(This is not to mention all his hobbies, such as muskrat trapping & weapon-making & carving & hunting & skinning & tanning animals, etc!)

He did skiing & piano lessons for 2 years and liked both.  Both are expensive.  When it comes down to it, there is only so much money & there is only so much time.  Choices need to be made & the decision to say "yes" to one thing is always a decision to say "no" to something else.  

Here is the thing:  A delicate, delicate balance needs to be reached regarding extracurricular activities, sports, the fine arts, etc.  

As parents, we don't even mean to usually, but, we rush in and our brains start taking these kids to the next level!  We start thinking that since our child wants to ski that maybe they can go to Carrabassett Valley Academy!  And hey, other dance students have gone to Joffrey in the summer!  Wouldn't that be great!  Perhaps my child can play in the youth orchestra, now that he/she is playing violin!  We just need to practice a little harder!  A little longer!  Push a little more!  

It is a slippery slope!  And truly - I think it is in each & every one of us!  Maybe some parents are living their lives through their children & maybe some parents feel that their child is the best & most parents do want what is best for their children & certainly some children are gifted & some are driven on their own.

Exposure is good.  And frankly, those with money can expose their kids to more than those without money.  That is just true.  Many times I have wished I had more funding available so that my kids could enjoy art classes or travel or ski passes & lessons, etc.  

Pushing children isn't bad either.  I have made my kids practice & practice & practice their musical instruments.  Guess what?  None of them play one anymore!  There comes a point in time when I as a mom am tired of pushing & the desire to be good at an instrument has to come from within.  Internal motivation vs. external motivation.  

I had to push Micah each time his Kindergarten class had a special dress-up day.  And there were a lot of them!  100 year old day & favorite character day & all of that!  He didn't want to do any of them and would sit & cry in the van.  Guess what?  It was part of school and he had to get over it!  I'm not opposed to pushing kids, but I think in today's society we all run the risk of erring on the side of too many activites and not enough free time.  (Although as someone commented to me recently, of course I don't want lazy kids.)  There is also something to be said, particularly for older children, in keeping them busy in order to keep them out of trouble.  Perhaps an 'idle hands are the devil's workshop' sort of thing.  I think the level & intensity & time spent for and in activities needs to vary based on the age of the child.

I read this quote the other day & it really resonates with me:

"Parents worry about kids' boredom, so they schedule their lives to keep them busy...but empty hours teach children how to create their own happiness."  -from the book The Over Scheduled Child

There is a girl at dance who is a really great dancer.  I think it's less because she is innately talented & more because she goes to the studio every day after school for several hours and dances, (in other words - hard work.)  Sometimes she has shared with Noelle how she doesn't get to do any other activities or hang out with friends after school.  She does her homework at the studio & she eats her supper there and she goes home and goes to bed.  And you know what?  I will bet she has a future in dance.  I am sure she gains self confidence by being good at several different types of dance.  And maybe because I either can't afford to or we choose to not choose one activity & spend all our time doing it, maybe my children will never have the chance to be the best at something.  I don't know.  And I'm sure that I'm not getting it all right, but I'm also sure that there is such, such value in play & time to be creative & especially learning who we are and what we like based on our time table & desires & not what others have placed on us.

I can't find the source but I once read about an award-winning scientist.  In an interview he was asked about his childhood.  The writer assumed that he must have had a lot of special science programs as a child.  His answer was great!  Actually, he did a lot of theater with his family and free play.  

So, back to Saturday morning and ballet or play:

Back when I began this post, in mid-October, Micah was offered an additional ballet class, for free.  Micah likes dance.  He likes it enough to be 'okay' with being the only boy in some classes.  He likes it enough to take risks, (he's not a natural risk taker with many things), and be vulnerable. This class was the same level class as his Tuesday ballet class, but it was with the studio's best teacher.  And.. the class meets on a Saturday morning.  I was very excited!  It's a 1.5 hour class, so this would mean 3.5 hours/week of dance instruction for Micah.  GREAT!  However, when I told Micah he was less than thrilled.  For sure.

"But I like to watch cartoons on Saturday morning."

What?  You're homeschooled.  We can watch cartoons another time.

"But I like to sleep in on Saturday morning."

"Saturdays are my free days and I don't want to have any activities on them."

I tried all my persuasion skills.  I certainly could have made him take the class.  I did make him go one time to see what it was like.  He stuck with his story.  He absolutely did not want to take a Saturday ballet class.  Now, if the class had been any weekday, he would have done it.  No question.  He wanted to keep Saturdays for home & for play & for the occassional Home Depot project & family outing.  

Saturdays.  Ballet or Play?

And even though I believe all of the things I've written about kids having some kind of control over their own lives & parents not pushing too much & the value of play~ this was rather hard for me.  It was SUCH a good opportunity!  And at only the price of gas!  He likes dance!  But I had to relent and listen to my own advice.  There needs to be some kind of balance between pushing a child and allowing them control/say/time to play.  

(As an aside, recently Noelle & Micah visited my parents for a few days.  Before they went I found out that some mornings my dad picks up the milk at an Amish farm.  He then delivers it to the cheese factory.  This would be something Micah could 'get in on'.  I told him about it & he didn't want to go.  He didn't want to be ready at 7:00 a.m. & maybe because it's winter he wasn't as motivated.  I don't know.  However, I told him I expected him to go & that it would be quite interesting & a great opportunity.  I called Mom and told her that I wanted Micah to go.  She later told me that when she mentioned it to him, he was very respectful & told her that he was going to go because 'Mommy wanted him to.'  So, although not a scheduled & regular thing, such as an activity, he submitted to my wishes & enjoyed it greatly & learned something.  I don't want my children to feel that I make them do loads of things they don't want to do.  But I do want them to submit to my wishes, when I do push it, and recognize that Mommy doesn't 'push' for everything, so she must really want this to happen.)  

So, we decided to not choose ballet, and therefore to choose play.

This decision came up again recently.  We were very sad to find out that they were cancelling Micah's Tuesday ballet class.  The numbers had dwindled to a point where they were no longer going to offer it.  Man!  His Boys Class was done, (due to the aforementioned deployment of the teacher).  He had picked up an Irish Step Dancing class, which he LOVES.  But ballet is important & he jumps around here without even thinking about it, in a very ballet-like way & frankly, he needs more training.  ahhhh.... the very small Tiger Mom , no- Kitten Mom in me is screaming, 'We need to do this'!  Micah was very sad and upset to hear that his ballet class was cancelled.  However, not enough to want to do dance on a Saturday!  

So, maybe he won't be the next 'Tommy McCarthy' and maybe he will.  Maybe there is an unforeseen & not-yet-discovered thing that will rise out of this Saturday free time.  Mabye it's measurable and maybe it's not.  Maybe it's self-regulation & self-discovery & the satisfaction of knowing he had hours of his childhood to play with Legos & to look out the window and see the snow fall.  

I am learning lessons as I go...