SAHMs . . . we rock.

I was just reading this article by Matt Walsh, here: http://themattwalshblog.com/2014/01/26/stay-at-home-moms-you-dont-owe-the-world-an-explanation/comment-page-1/#comment-118038.

I have to say, this guy has it spot on. For anyone who "looks down" on stay-at-home-moms, well, I really only have one thing to say to you: You're an idiot. I'm sorry. There's really not a cure for it, in your case. You have chosen to degrade the only "job" which actually means something. If your parents thought as much of parenting as you do, where would you be now?

Just sayin'.

How could ANYONE possibly think of us as the weaker sex?

So I was listening to the radio while doing dishes (not barefoot, or pregnant, thank you very much), and I heard this song, by Jason Aldean, on the radio:

"When She Says Baby"

Some days it's tough just gettin' up
Throwin' on these boots and makin' that climb
Some days I'd rather be a no-show lay-low
Before I go outta my mind.

But when she says baby,
Oh no matter what comes ain't goin' nowhere she runs her fingers through my hair and saves me.
Yeah that look in her eyes got me comin' alive and drivin' me a good kinda crazy
When she says baby.
Oh when she says baby.

Some nights I come home fightin' mad
Feel like runnin' my fist through the wall.
Is it even worth it what I'm fightin' for anymore feelin'
Torn all the hell with it all.

But when she's says baby,
Oh no matter what comes ain't goin' nowhere she runs her fingers through my hair and saves me.
Yeah that look in her eyes got me comin' alive and drivin' me a good kinda crazy
When she says baby

Everything gonna be alright.
Just lay down by my side.
Let me love you through this life.

Yeah she's the perfect shot of faith.
When every bit of mine is gone.
Somethin' I can believe in a best friend
A heaven sent love to lean on.

But when she says baby,
Oh no matter what comes ain't goin' nowhere she runs her fingers through my hair and saves me.
Yeah that look in her eyes got me comin' alive and drivin' me a good kinda crazy
When she says baby.
Oh when she says baby.
Yeah that look in her eyes got me comin' alive and drivin' me a good kinda crazy.

When you read the lyrics to that song - about what effect a good wife and woman can have on a man - how can we possibly have any idea that we are truly thought of as the weaker sex by any but the most sexist of men? Most men feel like the lyrics in this song - they just want to know their wives are impressed by them, think they are intelligent, and love them, no matter what. And really, why would you marry him if you didn't feel that way? I definitely know my husband is intelligent, loyal, strong, full of integrity, and willing to do anything to keep our family safe, happy, fed, and sheltered. In that light, how could I feel anything less than gratitude and appreciation for him? Why would I treat him in a way that would give him even the slightest doubt as to how much I do appreciate him? 

Just sayin' ladies. Just sayin'. 

Determination, and knowing when to quit.

Thinking this morning about how determined I was at the beginning of the year. Not to imply I'm not now, but definitely in a different way. I've learned my daughter is the kind of child whom when pushed, will dig in her heels and stop. I'm also this kind of person, which makes it hard to "give in" and not push her.

Home schooling has taught me a lot about my daughter, and also myself. I'm learning that setting a time limit for our lessons is probably the single best thing I could have done to increase her chances of success. About half the time, she'll want to finish what she's working on anyway, and will continue working into the 10-minute break we've instated between each subject. But the nice thing is, she does this of her own choice. Not me pushing. :)

Of course, if it's her idea, it goes more smoothly. Not a real surprise. :) Last week we had fun, we did some science experiments, which are her favorite, because we got done with our work early. Here is what we did:

Milk Experiment: This one is awesome and so easy. Pour some milk onto a plate (one with high enough edges it's not going to go everywhere lol). Drop a few drops of any (or multiple) colors liquid food coloring into it in random places. Take a q-tip and get some dish soap on it, then touch it to the milk. It's a surfactant, so when it breaks the surface tension, the colors go everywhere! So much fun!

We also did some playing with food coloring in water, but that was just for fun. :)

Reflections, and staying with my convictions

Well, today I just wanted to mention how happy I am Stevi is being home schooled again. No, I don't think all public schools are bad. However, I think whenever possible, home schooling benefits the children more than being in a large classroom.

We've just spent the day going to the Library for story time, picking out SIXTEEN books for Stevi (5 of which she's already read lol), coming home and enjoying lunch and reading the books (Stevi found some really cute Dirk Bones books - adorable mysteries for early readers), and then finishing up our school time. We've had really good lessons, talking about the pioneers and early America, we learned the National Anthem (that one's going to take time, I can tell).

We also just had fun comparing double-jointedness on our fingers. :) Not all the lessons are profound, I assure you. It's been a great day. Not remarkable, nothing impressive, just the kind of day I was looking for when I pulled her from school again. I just read a wonderful blog from Homeschool Diaries. I love this lady's blog. She's so down-to-earth and reassuring.

So, the main point of this whole thing was to say how happy I am we decided to stick with our convictions and return to home schooling. I know Stevi was enjoy the more social aspects of public school, but we are more than capable of interacting with others daily. Plus, we just joined a home school co-op, and our first group get together is Thursday. We're taking the kids to the Fire Station! How cool is that?!

How can I tell which nutrient my plant is lacking?

So, you’ve heard about nutrient deficiencies. You might even be able to diagnose them, somewhat. But how do you know what your plant is lacking? Or what your plant has too much of? Well, I’ve looked and found some resources with quite a bit of information. It occurs to me, however, that it would be nice to just get a concise, consolidated answer to the most common nutrient problems. So, here we go:

Nitrogen: Obviously, Nitrogen is important. It’s in the NPK rating (it’s the N), so you want to make sure your plant is getting the right amount. The signs of a Nitrogen deficiency are yellowing of the leaves, which you’ll tend to see begin at the bottom of the plant, and also will start at the tips of the plant and work its’ way inward. Generally, you’ll also see the deficiency when the plant is young, since Nitrogen is primarily responsible for growth. This is nice, because you can correct the problem early. Also, you may not see much growth, or may see spindly stalks or weak root systems.

Now, if you happen to see an abundance of Nitrogen, it will be evidenced by the color of the leaves. They’ll be very dark green – almost black.

Magnesium: A deficiency of Magnesium is very easy to spot. You’ll see yellow leaves, but green veins. You may also see purple, red, or brown spots on the leaves. Magnesium is primarily responsible for supporting healthy veins and leaf production, as well as giving leaves their green color. You’ll notice symptoms first in the older leaves. Leaf tips can also turn upward as they discolor, and may fall off without wilting.

An abundance of magnesium leaves a salt residue, and will kill your leaves. Magnesium abundance can also lock out calcium. There are not otherwise visible signs of a toxicity of magnesium.

Iron: A deficiency of iron looks a lot like a deficiency of magnesium, only you’ll see it on the younger leaves, not the older ones.

An abundance is very rare, but you may see some bronzing, or even spots on the leaf surface.

So what do you do to correct it? Well, for your deficiencies, go ahead and add those nutrients! For a Nitrogen deficiency, I’d recommend our Extreme Blend.

For a Magnesium deficiency, I’d recommend our Organic Cal Mag.

For an Iron deficiency, the best bet would probably be our Micro Nutrient Pack.

EXTREME BLENDORGANIC CAL MAG MICRO NUTRIENT PACK

Ahhhhhhhhhhhhh, sweet relief

We're back to homeschooling. Soooooooooooooo relieved! DH and I decided, due to Stevi's attitude and snarkiness (which hasn't been displayed in our home before - we are thinking this is due to the influences of the kids in her school), that we are done with public school.

So today has gone really well. We've been working for half an hour on each subject, taking a 10-minute break between each subject, and took a nice lunch break. Now, she's sad, we just talked about her missing her friends, which I do feel bad about. I've messaged our old Homeschool Co-op, and I'm hoping to hear back from them in the next day or two. Also, we went to story time at the library this morning.

Anyway, just thought I'd update! I'm one happy mama!

The faces we wear . . .

Watching an episode of "Face off", the makeup artist competition, has gotten me thinking. As a mother, we wear many faces. Housekeeper, first aid medic, snuggle administrator, audiobook, TV operator, educator, and, yes, window cleaner.

These many faces we wear and roles we play can lead us down many differing paths, some good, some difficult. Looking back over the choices I've made in my life, and the choices I've made for my girls, I can see where I've felt the need to fulfill a certain "role" or wear a certain "face" to satisfy others. Even putting Stevi (oldest DD) in public school was a need to fill a role. The role of a "NORMAL PARENT"(emphasis totally intentional). Now that I've done so, I'm severely feeling the absence of my role as Homeschooling Mom.

I'm feeling the need to examine my motives, and decide which role is more important. NORMAL PARENT, or Homeschooling Mom. And, honestly, it's something I have to consider. I've always hated the fact that my parents were "weird". And, trust me, they were. They didn't believe everything on the news, I wasn't vaccinated, I didn't have a social security number until I was 14 and had to get my driver's license, and, oh yeah, my mom went to jail for 4 years because she fought the IRS and, yeah, the law won. No surprise there.

It's kind of crazy to think of all the ways my childhood has affected me in my adult life. What saddens me is how it's affecting my children. I'm not really cool with that. I have to discern my reasons for what I'm doing, and whether or not they're good enough reasons. I enjoy my break while Stevi is at school. Not gonna lie. I like having quiet time while the baby naps. I didn't realize how much I needed it. I also miss that my daughter is learning things from someone else. And, let's be honest here, she's not really learning much. We started working on place values the first week of first grade. Now she's in public school, first grade, and they just start place values this week. Sooooooooo, I'm struggling with that. I told Stevi she could stay until Christmas . . . but honestly, I don't think she's going back after that.

Well, sorry about the rambling, but this was a post I felt needed written. I don't know how many other homeschool moms are out there struggling with this decision, but for me, I think the face I need to wear is Homeschool Mom. I think it's the best thing for Stevi.