Well, we are just about to head to the last Active Neighborhood Kids' Club for the year. I'm so relieved. I know, I know, it's awful. Stevi has loved it, and honestly I have too! I'm just ready to have that commitment off the table. I'm ready to start focusing on my crochet business again. I'm ready to have a little more time to keep the house halfway decent.
I think it will be nice to be back to a normal schedule. We've got Story Times lined up at the library, so that will be fun. The last one was super-awesome, Stevi loved it. I'm sure the whole "fairy" theme helped lol. But it will still be awesome. I'm going to make sure we go to as many of those as possible. I love it, she loves it, and best of all! It's FREE. Free wins. Every time.
So we are about to transition into our Winter Mode. Hopefully Ryan's work doesn't slow too much, and hopefully mine picks up enough. We'll be alright, but I hate uncertainty.
On a slightly redundant note - http://roadkillgoldfish.com/2013/08/26/dear-daughter-let-miley-cyrus-be-a-lesson-to-you/#comments. I love the way this mom wrote this. I know, I ranted about Miley yesterday, but I really am disturbed. And the worst is, I don't believe this girl even has a clue how awful she just appeared. She'll take the criticisms that have come as "haters" and not realize that most (if not all, from what I've seen) of the adults criticizing are actually concerned for her. This girl is, literally, screaming for attention. So sad.
Makes me happy my girl is home, safe, with me, where at least if I can't prevent her from seeing everything, I'm there to explain it and why it's wrong.
Tuesday, August 27, 2013
Monday, August 26, 2013
Really???
I'm kinda stunned. I was browsing my Facebook this morning while enjoying my morning coffee when I came across this: http://www.theblaze.com/stories/2013/08/26/there-is-really-nothing-theblaze-can-say-about-the-miley-cyrus-performance-on-mtv-last-night-that-will-smiths-family-didnt-already-say/.
Really, the Smith's faces say it all, but if you do watch this performance, like I did, please PLEASE keep your kids in the other room. This girl was a Disney star literally like 3 years ago!!! This - THIS - is why my daughter is not and will never be in public school as long as there is a breath in my body.
Folks - I don't have an issue with Miley Cyrus personally. I think she is a sad, mixed up little twit who grew up in Billy Ray's shadow and long ago surpassed his 15 minutes. Sadly, all she's done since then is objectify herself and make herself little more than something for boys to look at while they . . . well. You know. Sorry to be crude. But she seems hell-bent on making her image more "adult" . . . and doesn't realize she's making it "adult" in the porn sense of the word.
One day she will most likely look back on this performance with embarrassment. Sadly, no one told her that a girl "humping" looks freakin' ridiculous. She's completely un-feminine in this performance . . . it's just sad. I don't know, I hate the thought that these are the "role models" a lot of our young women are growing up looking at. Why can't there be someone who is just confident because she has something to be confident about? Not because she can take off her clothes and airhump a foam finger?
Seems to be too much to ask. I wish there was someone little girls could look at and say . . . "Wow, she's really amazing! She's smart, takes care of her family, has a husband she loves and treats well, and she's so happy". Instead of "oh, she's so pretty! I want to dance just like her!". I guess that's what moms are for. Hopefully enough of them have moms who care more about them and their husbands than do their careers.
Sorry. Ranted a bit. I just feel sad for the upcoming generations of girls who are out in the dark for positive role models. Hell, half the women/girls today can't even spell "role model".
Here's hoping we're not halfway there in a handbasket.
Bye!
Really, the Smith's faces say it all, but if you do watch this performance, like I did, please PLEASE keep your kids in the other room. This girl was a Disney star literally like 3 years ago!!! This - THIS - is why my daughter is not and will never be in public school as long as there is a breath in my body.
Folks - I don't have an issue with Miley Cyrus personally. I think she is a sad, mixed up little twit who grew up in Billy Ray's shadow and long ago surpassed his 15 minutes. Sadly, all she's done since then is objectify herself and make herself little more than something for boys to look at while they . . . well. You know. Sorry to be crude. But she seems hell-bent on making her image more "adult" . . . and doesn't realize she's making it "adult" in the porn sense of the word.
One day she will most likely look back on this performance with embarrassment. Sadly, no one told her that a girl "humping" looks freakin' ridiculous. She's completely un-feminine in this performance . . . it's just sad. I don't know, I hate the thought that these are the "role models" a lot of our young women are growing up looking at. Why can't there be someone who is just confident because she has something to be confident about? Not because she can take off her clothes and airhump a foam finger?
Seems to be too much to ask. I wish there was someone little girls could look at and say . . . "Wow, she's really amazing! She's smart, takes care of her family, has a husband she loves and treats well, and she's so happy". Instead of "oh, she's so pretty! I want to dance just like her!". I guess that's what moms are for. Hopefully enough of them have moms who care more about them and their husbands than do their careers.
Sorry. Ranted a bit. I just feel sad for the upcoming generations of girls who are out in the dark for positive role models. Hell, half the women/girls today can't even spell "role model".
Here's hoping we're not halfway there in a handbasket.
Bye!
Thursday, August 22, 2013
Today's adventures . . .
Today has been pretty awesome, I have to say. We had Stevi's Active Neighborhood Kids' Club this morning. It's this seriously awesome activity our Parks and Rec department had going this summer. The kids get to go play in the park with a big group of other kids for about 90 minutes, and they are doing awesome games. Games we used to play, like Red Rover (my wrists still ache when I think about that one lol!), Duck Duck Goose (awesome), Bubblegum Bubblegum in a Dish, etc.
She loves it. I love it. While she does it, I take the baby in the Moby Wrap and we walk around the park (it's about 3 miles if you go around 3 times). Baby falls asleep, Mom gets Me Time. Then I crochet while we wait for Stevi to get done. I'm working on a blanket right now, since Lando (our pit) loves to demolish ours. Jerk. Lol.
Then we got home, made and ate lunch together, and put the baby down. She isn't feeling very well today, I don't think. She's been asleep now for about 2 hours. Not usual for her. We have done Stevi's math today (we're working on currency), and I'm just about to sit down with her to read Chapter 5 in Charlotte's Web. We are then going to discuss Tenses (past, present, and future), and which one C.W. is written in. Then we'll talk about Author Point of View, and we'll discuss whether C.W. is fact or fiction. I'm so excited to be going through this journey with Stevi.
I met another homeschooling mom at the park today. It feels so nice to be meeting like-minded mamas who know how important it is to be integral in their child's education. I am so happy we made this choice, and while there are definitely days which are harder than others, I can't imagine sending her off to be without me all day long . . . Just can't do it.
On that note, have a wonderful day! I'm off to read with my baby! Oh, and then we're going to the library for a Fairy-themed story hour. Yep. Love this.
She loves it. I love it. While she does it, I take the baby in the Moby Wrap and we walk around the park (it's about 3 miles if you go around 3 times). Baby falls asleep, Mom gets Me Time. Then I crochet while we wait for Stevi to get done. I'm working on a blanket right now, since Lando (our pit) loves to demolish ours. Jerk. Lol.
Then we got home, made and ate lunch together, and put the baby down. She isn't feeling very well today, I don't think. She's been asleep now for about 2 hours. Not usual for her. We have done Stevi's math today (we're working on currency), and I'm just about to sit down with her to read Chapter 5 in Charlotte's Web. We are then going to discuss Tenses (past, present, and future), and which one C.W. is written in. Then we'll talk about Author Point of View, and we'll discuss whether C.W. is fact or fiction. I'm so excited to be going through this journey with Stevi.
I met another homeschooling mom at the park today. It feels so nice to be meeting like-minded mamas who know how important it is to be integral in their child's education. I am so happy we made this choice, and while there are definitely days which are harder than others, I can't imagine sending her off to be without me all day long . . . Just can't do it.
On that note, have a wonderful day! I'm off to read with my baby! Oh, and then we're going to the library for a Fairy-themed story hour. Yep. Love this.
Wednesday, August 21, 2013
Mom time
Can I just say how happy I am that my 6-year-old (7 next month!!!) is such a great kid? I've been feeling for awhile that I needed to get back into working out. Not just walking, or doing my 20-30 minute workouts (which I've stubbornly clung to even when I'm not eating right), but my full-on P90X workouts. I loved how strong I was getting when I was doing P90X before, and I just decided to start up again. So today, I scheduled a P90X/TurboFire hybrid (I love TurboFire because most of the workouts are only 30 minutes, which fits great because of the 17-month-old lol).
Enter Stevi (6yo). She is awesome. As I type this, my fingers are a-trembling because I actually got to finish P90X Chest and Back for the first time in probably a year. She has been playing with Sister, entertaining her the whole hour-long workout. I feel AWESOME.
On a less self-centered note - School is going great this year. I looked up the core standards for 1st grade, and Stevi is well on her way to more than half of them being met already. So we're just sort of moving forward in a natural progression. :) She's great. She has already learned the Pledge of Allegiance (took her a day lol). We are learning about Colonial America, math is going great although I think she is bored, so I think we're going to move on to money today. She has addition and subtraction down pat.
Anyway, I am loving our independent study model. I think, for us anyway, it's well worth not having a curriculum outlined. It's definitely taking more of my time than the online public did, but that's alright. I didn't homeschool so as not to spend time with her - hah!
Also, we are reading Charlotte's Web, and I'm so excited to watch Stevi get into it. She's loving the book, and even wanting to read me the story instead of sit and have me read it to her. I've got a keeper!!!
Later folks! Hope you all have a wonderful day!
Britt
Enter Stevi (6yo). She is awesome. As I type this, my fingers are a-trembling because I actually got to finish P90X Chest and Back for the first time in probably a year. She has been playing with Sister, entertaining her the whole hour-long workout. I feel AWESOME.
On a less self-centered note - School is going great this year. I looked up the core standards for 1st grade, and Stevi is well on her way to more than half of them being met already. So we're just sort of moving forward in a natural progression. :) She's great. She has already learned the Pledge of Allegiance (took her a day lol). We are learning about Colonial America, math is going great although I think she is bored, so I think we're going to move on to money today. She has addition and subtraction down pat.
Anyway, I am loving our independent study model. I think, for us anyway, it's well worth not having a curriculum outlined. It's definitely taking more of my time than the online public did, but that's alright. I didn't homeschool so as not to spend time with her - hah!
Also, we are reading Charlotte's Web, and I'm so excited to watch Stevi get into it. She's loving the book, and even wanting to read me the story instead of sit and have me read it to her. I've got a keeper!!!
Later folks! Hope you all have a wonderful day!
Britt
Tuesday, August 13, 2013
Day one of first grade . . . duhn duhn duuuuuuuuuuuuuuuuuun
Well, it's day one. We did homeschool last year, but it was through the K12 program. This is a public school you do from home, which I consider very different from homeschooling. This year, we are doing an independent study program for 1st grade.
"We" is the Oplingers - Ryan, Brittani, Stevi, and Olivia. Stevi is our 1st grader, Olivia is 17 months old and very likely to be a challenge to the process lol. Stevi is a very smart little girl, very verbal, and very independent. She is going to be fun to teach, and fun to watch learn. As I speak, she is "pretending" to play store with Olivia.
Today is going to consist of our "Back to School" routine. We are going to the park for an Activity Day first (free neighborhood Kid's club here in our community) from 10:30-11:45. We will walk for some exercise first. Then, when we get home, we'll do lunch and get started after the baby lays down for her afternoon nap. This is one of the best things about homeschool. We have the ability to be flexible and do things in the order we want to.
We'll go over some math, spelling, reading, and history just to recap where we left off last year. Then I think we'll watch Lady and the Tramp. Not sure how/if I can tie that in to school, lol, but who knows. It's a classic, right? Call it culture. Lol. We'll see how this first day goes! I'm excited and nervous to be doing independent study with no formal "curriculum". But it's okay, I looked online at our State Standards for the year, outlined it all, and set goals by trimester so we know what benchmarks we have to hit and when. Next I'll look online and see what standard tests there are and what it takes to enroll her in them.
For the record, I don't particularly care what she scores on these tests, I just want an official record in case State requirements for homeschool ever change. Here in Idaho, we aren't required to notify anyone of our intent to homeschool or to keep up with any kind of standard tests. I just believe it's better safe than sorry. I want my girls to be able to go to school in a college if they want.
Well, this was a bit of a rambling post, I'm sorry! Just felt like there was a bit to get off my mind. Wish us luck!!!
"We" is the Oplingers - Ryan, Brittani, Stevi, and Olivia. Stevi is our 1st grader, Olivia is 17 months old and very likely to be a challenge to the process lol. Stevi is a very smart little girl, very verbal, and very independent. She is going to be fun to teach, and fun to watch learn. As I speak, she is "pretending" to play store with Olivia.
Today is going to consist of our "Back to School" routine. We are going to the park for an Activity Day first (free neighborhood Kid's club here in our community) from 10:30-11:45. We will walk for some exercise first. Then, when we get home, we'll do lunch and get started after the baby lays down for her afternoon nap. This is one of the best things about homeschool. We have the ability to be flexible and do things in the order we want to.
We'll go over some math, spelling, reading, and history just to recap where we left off last year. Then I think we'll watch Lady and the Tramp. Not sure how/if I can tie that in to school, lol, but who knows. It's a classic, right? Call it culture. Lol. We'll see how this first day goes! I'm excited and nervous to be doing independent study with no formal "curriculum". But it's okay, I looked online at our State Standards for the year, outlined it all, and set goals by trimester so we know what benchmarks we have to hit and when. Next I'll look online and see what standard tests there are and what it takes to enroll her in them.
For the record, I don't particularly care what she scores on these tests, I just want an official record in case State requirements for homeschool ever change. Here in Idaho, we aren't required to notify anyone of our intent to homeschool or to keep up with any kind of standard tests. I just believe it's better safe than sorry. I want my girls to be able to go to school in a college if they want.
Well, this was a bit of a rambling post, I'm sorry! Just felt like there was a bit to get off my mind. Wish us luck!!!
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