Homeschool Conference In Your PJs-August 3-7 2009

Last year I was blessed to have won a free ticket to attend the Heart of The Matter Online Homeschool Conference. It made the first year of homeschooling a lot easier because I had a "real view" of homeschooling. I did it all from the comfort of home.

Come on by to learn, laugh and share the Homeschool LOVE!

Now what to wear hmmmmmmmmmmmmmmmmmmmmm

The Super Student’s first Lapbook

After the conference, I asked the TS what did he want to do that week. The expression on his face was comical because normally I have our week planned out and present it calendar form after Monday breakfast. (I know…I know anal but I am a recovering engineering manager.) He recovered quickly to list all of his favorite things:

“After breakfast let’s do Slip N Slide, then the park and lunch date. Ohhhh call SK( aka Sidekick who is TS’s brother from another mother) so we can go to Pump N Jump, then The Big Park, then Putt Putt Golf, then a playdate with all my forever friends (I will explain his hierarchy later.), the library music show, pick up my summer reading prize with my friends and then the have my friends over for Slip N Slide. Hey, Mommmie can I please learn about Pandas? I know Kung Fu Panda’s not real but I want know about real Pandas.”

Okay first I was tired just mapping out his week of activities, not to mention getting queasy at the thought of gas prices. Then I was a little embarrassed because he has been asking about Pandas since seeing KFP but I brushed it off as movie related commercialism.

Bad Mommie. We negotiated on some of the activities and hit the Slip N Slide. Okay why do adults stop playing these games? Can you say easy fun?

So while we ate lunch I did a little Google research and found a free Panda Lapbook at Homeschool Share. I had planned to introduce the concept of lapbooking and notebooking in the Fall, but here it was free and in his interest area. We watched the video on lapbooking and he was so excited to start. So, we headed to the library for what he was calling Pandamania.

We found the book they recommended along with four other Panda related titles and spent the week learning about Pandas. We had a blast! He said he like the lapbook because all his things was in one place and he could touch what he learned and share it.

Fun Fine Motor Skills

One of our summer projects was to work on TS’s fine motor skills. He does not like to color and has some difficulty cutting. This all can be traced back to an over critical and zealous Montessori teacher. Most of last year I incorporated clay, finger-paints, clothes pins and tweezers into our weekly schedule. This summer the goal was to focus on these skills daily. However, after attending the HOTM conference session entitled Teaching Boys and Other Children Who Would Rather be Making Forts All Day by Andrew Pudewa, those plans have been put on the shelf.

I learned that:

• Typical boys develop fine motor skills later than girls do. Most of the experienced homeschoolers in that session shared stories of young boys who were seven, eight and even nine before their fine motor skills matched that of girls their same age.If a boy is criticized about these skills, it takes years to build that confidence back.

• The only way to build that skill is to make it fun and not focus on the outcome but on the adventure of the process.

• As a homeschooler of a tactile learner, I need to embrace TS’s need for movement while learning. I have always fought this because I thought, “He needs to learn how to sit still, because all children sit still in school.” Yet again, I was reminded he is not “in school” and we have the freedom to educate him our way. Sure, he has limits but if he needs a break every 15 minutes to move, we break. If he needs to do math using a Twister mat, we use a Twister mat.

To that end, we have learned so much in the last ten days.

We found these great bumpy seat cushions at IKEA. He uses it at the dinner table and says it makes him feel "planted".

Then he learned how to snap his fingers. We are so excited because that is a fine motor skill and motor planning milestone for a six year old. He was so happy he snapped his way to his first blister on his thumb.

In honor of the Olympics and his love of everything Kung Fu Panda, we learned how to eat with chopsticks. YEAH! We got this little starter kit from a local Chinese restaurant and he has eaten almost all of his meals as well as snacks with chopsticks.

Nothing says "Yum-Oh" like cranraisins, pretzels and grapes.

Oh, we also made our first lapbook. Yippy! I will have to share that later I have to run and finish organizing our office for homeschooling fun.

Energized

The conference last weekend was powerful and life altering. There were too many “Ahh” moments to put in one post. I cannot thank the team from Heart of the Matter enough for their time, incredible talents and openness during this conference. The speakers were AWESOME. Here were experienced homeschooling parents who have followed their callings while educating their children. They spoke as both parents and professionals answering questions and even supplied their email for follow-up questions. The recurring theme was “You are not alone in this adventure. We are more than capable of educating our children. Homeschooling is a great adventure, relax and enjoy the adventure with your children. And remember to be Flexible.”

To that vain I have been reading suggested material, praying, planning and enjoying my child. I will post more later this week as when I complete my 2008 planning.

I leave you with this new fixture in my son’s room.

I am Loved.

I am wonderfully creative

I am safe

I learn and discover new things every day

I love to learn new things!

I am powerful

I have a place of stillness within me

I am whole and perfect just the way I am

“God within me is my power.” We are always loved and safe if we

only turn our awareness to the Almighty in prayer.

I am willing to forgive

God is always with us, surrounding us.

I am living a life of beauty, purpose and promise.

I am made in the image of the Most High

I Believe in Me

It's Conference Time and planning time

I am so excited it is time for the 2008 First Annual Heart of the Matter Online Homeschool Virtual Conference. I am excited because the topics look amazing and I get to actually discuss issues with fellow homeschooling moms.

Which I really need right now, because we are under attack. It is a long story but the short version is I am planning our school year and this year we decided to pray as we plan. Because last year we were so excited about homeschooling we signed up for just about everything and were constantly running around. Which left the house was in shambles, a lot of junk food consumed, no real homeschool budget and meeting some groups that did not add to our family value system. Therefore, this year we are seeking a simple God lead plan for our life and school. It is remarkably liberating.

Additionally our family did and does not support our decision to homeschool but have become more vocal this year. In the last week alone I have received, several phone calls and emails (apparently we were the topic of a group discussion) pleading for me not to homeschool. New homeschoolers this will happen but I have found that my energy is best spent on doing what I know I need to do, rather than spending time justifying others fears.

As homeschooler must remember that you are on a mission, a calling to take part of a wonderful journey. You set the tone, your attitude sets the stage for learning.

I will not fill my life or blog with negativity, because that's not how I want to live my life.

To borrow a phrase from Randy Pausch, a computer science professor whose "Last Lecture" has inspired millions. “You just have to decide if you’re going to be a Tigger or an Eeyore.”

Woohooo! I am off to a the conference.

So many conferences so little time or money

This weekend there is the big homeschool conference down in Austin. I really was looking forward to going, but after much prayer, it is not feasible at this time. I have decided on my curriculum for next year and have all my material so I am set in that department. The speakers look interesting but not vital for us. I was looking forward to fellowship with some of the other homeschoolers I have met online but many are not attending due to gas prices.

But I am really excited about the 2008 First Annual Heart of the Matter Online Homeschool Virtual Conference.

The topics are very interesting, such as:

• Learning and Having Fun with Your Children
• Finding Quiet Time
• Setting Goals for your Homeschool
• Homeschooling with Joy