Londyn LaRae Says Okay

My older girls and I attended the TJED Forum in Salt Lake City this past weekend. It was a great experience and we all learned so much and came home inspired to become . . . better.

From previous experience attending this Forum and other homeschooling conferences I tend to come home, unwind, regroup, and never look at my notes again. This time, I have a plan. My sister challenged me to a blog post a day for the month of May, and so far I’ve only missed 1 day (which I hope to make up for by doing 2 sometime). I realized that I could accomplish 2 tasks at the same time, I can blog about the things that I learned, the neat products I discovered, and the journey that I am taking to improve. So, expect to hear a lot about the TJED Forum and exciting new programs and products that I have discovered.

I love to buy books, for myself, and for others. So I came home with books as presents for my kids. This book is a brand new book, just published in March 2012. I got this for MaryAnn, but my goal is to have all of the kids read it to her – so they can all learn right along with her. I read it to her last night and I loved it. The pictures are beautiful and it rhymes. I love rhyming books.

Even better, it teaches kids how to important it is to obey, and provided steps for them to follow. MaryAnn had a really rough day today. It seemed she was yelling or upset all day long. This evening I remembered this book, and we started talking about the steps, and it was amazing. She managed to say, “OKAY” and obey.

This book is written by Nicholeen Peck, and she is amazing. I have heard her several times over the years, and each time I’ve taken away a new little thing that I’ve tried to implement, unfortunately as I’ve mentioned before, I haven’t managed to really learn the techniques and teach them to my kids in any lasting way. Reading the book over and over is going to be a great help.

Nicholeen Peck has so much more to offer than just this one book. Check out her website Teaching Self Government, and remember, I highly recommend this book. I will be revisiting the Teaching Self Government website in the future.

Indexing–A worthwhile Addiction

A few months ago I was called as a ward indexer. I had done a little indexing in the past – about 2 years ago, and I am very computer literate, and I really enjoy family history, and I was pregnant and not really wanting another primary calling so this seemed like a great fit for me.

I started indexing a little bit on Sunday’s and talking to my family about helping to index the 1940 Census that was going to begin soon. Both of my older daughters had been indexing occasionally as well, but this Census project really inspired Emily, she has really been procrastinating learning cursive. She realized that she would be able to do a much better job indexing the census if she studied her cursive, and over the next month her handwriting greatly improved.

At the beginning of April Emily set a goal to index 1000 names that month, and she challenged her sister to a contest.  I was impressed but not sure that I would have time to index so many names. However, indexing the census was so easy, and so fun, I found myself doing 2 or 3 batches a day, and every couple of days I would increase my goal, from 200 a month, to 300, then 400 hundred, and then 500. I loved being close to my goal, but was a little nervous about really challenging my myself. However, I am happy to say that by the end of April I had indexed 1200 names! Emily still beat me to 1000, by about 12 hours.

Towards the end of the month we were are my parents house for Sunday dinner. I was visiting with my Mom and we were talking about indexing. I was telling her about some of the little tricks I had discovered that helped me to finish the batch faster. After a little while I walked into the room where my Dad was and he asked me, “What is your arbitration rate?”

It turns out that my Dad has been a closet indexer for 3 weeks. Not even my Mom knew that he was indexing. In those 3 weeks he had indexed over 5000 names, and had a system down. He took us amateur indexers into the office and gave us a tutorial on how to quickly index a census batch.

It was even more fascinating when he came to visit a few days later and told us about the things he had observed while indexing. He would download 10 batches from 1 state at a time, and as he switched from state to state he noticed which names were popular in one state, and virtually non-existent in another. Which states people had settled in for a long time, and which states people moved to from other states.

We really enjoyed listening to the tidbits he had discovered, just from indexing, it would actually be really fascinating to study the census when it is completely indexed.I don’t know if I’ll get to a 1000 names this month, but I still want to do my part to index so that researchers can study the generalities of people in history, and that genealogists can find their family members and connect the generations together.

Check out the map that shows how the Census Indexing Project is progressing.

My Co-Op Community

My kids and I joined TEACH Co-op last fall. I need to admit I’ve known about the Teach Co-op for several years. At the time I first heard about them I chose not to join because I thought it cost to much money, and I was already organizing low cost (almost free) co-ops in my home. I also didn’t want to give up a whole day of my week, and get up and be somewhere on someone else’s schedule and what about naptime, my babies needed to be home for naptime.

Last summer I was in the midst on Mom Meltdown. I knew I couldn’t do it all, I didn’t even want to try to do it all any more. I wasn’t sure what to do, putting them in school wasn’t an option, my daughters have no desire to go to school, even though my son occasionally asked to attend school, I know that he would hate life very quickly, and I believed that even though I wasn’t handling life very well they would still be better off at home, then any where else.

I ended up at a meeting with the chairman of teach co-op, and since we had known each other for a few years I felt confortable sharing my experiences with her, and the struggles that I was going through at the time. The time that we spend standing outside by our cars talking and crying was very healing for me. She invited me to join the co-op and even when I explained that I didn’t think that I had it in me to actually teach a class she said that it was ok, she would find something that I would be comfortable doing. As I thought about it I decided that I needed to do something for my kids and at least this way they would get something out of this school year and it would give me some more time to work through the healing process.

Right from the very beginning my kids loved co-op. They were all in age appropriate classes and were able to quickly make friends and learn from teachers that weren’t Mom. I however, was very withdrawn. While the other Mom’s gathered into the nursery to sit and visit with each other, I kept to myself and my computer.  The Mom’s were welcoming to me, and I felt that there was one Mom in particular who always seemed to have a special smile for me, and I never could figure out why. I never felt excluded, instead I was afraid to join the group for other reasons.

I was going through a period of time where I needed to find myself. One thing that I know about myself is that even when I am miserable, depressed, and in the depths of despair I can find some peace by serving others. I’m not saying that serving other’s is a bad thing, or that it isn’t a great way to change your mood, but I tend to go overboard. I tend to spend so much time worrying about others that I don’t give my family the time and energy that is there right, I don’t give my husband the care and concern that he deserves, and I especially don’t take care of myself. Instead I tend to serve others to the point of sheer exhaustion.

So – to solve this problem, I was avoiding people. I already had a network of friends, friends that needed me in one way or another, and I was afraid to make more friends. I was afraid to take on my responsibility in building and maintaining relationships. So, I kept to myself, I was polite, and courteous, but didn’t reach out, and didn’t really want anyone to reach out to me.

Eight months have come and gone now since we have joined the co-op. My kids have thrived in this environment. My scholar aged girls have gained several friends, both peers and adults. My younger kids have enjoyed some fun activities that I haven’t had the mental energy to provide for them in the home this year. Most importantly, I have started to come out of my self imposed shell, and open up to those that are around me. This weekend had been an eye opener to me as to how important this co-op has been in our life. I am so glad that I have a community of fellow homeschoolers that are working together to educate our kids. I am so glad my my kids are meeting teachers that are inspiring to them and are motivating them to learn in ways that I can’t because they are so much more knowledgeable and passionate about subjects that I don’t know much about, and wouldn’t be very inspiring teaching.

I hope that all the ladies that I have had the privilege of sharing a learning environment with this past year can forgive me for my sullenness and aloofness. I hope that they understand that I appreciate all the hard work and dedication that they have given to teach my kids, when I couldn’t and in ways that I don’t know how. I am thankful that they have accepted me the way for who I am and in the place that I was at the time, and that as I have come out of my shell they have continued to make me feel included, but have allowed me the space that I need to be myself, without making me me inferior for who I am.

I am proud to be part of this community, and hope that we can continue to grow our relationships and interdependence over the years to come.

Becoming . . . the Light

I am completely exhausted. I am not used to sitting in a chair listening to a speaker all day long. It has been a long time since high school for me. Being pregnant only adds to the difficulty. Luckily the girls let me come back to the hotel and take a nap while they watched a movie . . . but it is only 9ish and I am ready to call it a night.

I wish I could say that I was totally inspired by the messages that I head today, but in reality, I think am, more scared now than anything. Rebecca is ready for a scholar phase, and Emily is close behind, and i still haven't gotten myself a scholar phase, i'm just not prepared to be the mentor that they need from me.

I don't know that I want to be a leader. I don't want to be a mentor. Currently I don't feel like I have the energy to just be a wife and mother, let alone homeschool my kids.


I've had this quote on my desktop for a while now. I don't know where I found it, but it has seemed to define my life this last year.

"It is during our darkest moments that we must focus to see the light."

I've been struggling to see the light for the last year, I came to this conference hoping that I would recieve the inspiration that I needed to find the light, and not only to find it - but to really walk out into the light and bask in the light again.

I knew this weekend would be hard. I knew that physically it would be draining. I knew that mentally I would be overloaded. I also expected to come away inspired. I didn't expect to come away being challenged to do the hard things. Right now I just want to curl up in bed and sleep. Next week, I expect to sleep a lot to recover from this trip.

After that, I am going to have to dig deep, and find the strength I need to become a statewoman, a mentor, and a leader, I need to to become part of the light.

On the Road Again

I wonder if my kids have ever even heard this song by Willie Nelson. I grew up listening to him and often think of the refrain to this song as we head out on a trip.




Rebecca, Emily, and I took off this afternoon and headed to SLC. We had a pleasant trip and enjoyed listening to C.S. Lewis' A Horse and His Boy. It rained off and on for the first couple of hours our our trip – but as it began to clear up we were treated to a faint rainbow. I took this picture while driving down the freeway – and the rainbows was very faint, but it looked just like we were driving to the end of the rainbow.

This picture is for Brad, when he rented a car we got a KIA, but when I rent cars I get the really nice ones, like the Gold Malibu!

We are excited to attend the TJED Forum for the next two days!

ps. MaryAnn always tells me no ponytails when I’m combing her hair, so I usually give in, but since Isaac brought me ponytail holders this morning I put them in her hair anyway. About 10 minutes later she came to me and said, “I like Ponytails!”

Sunday Morning Antics

Sitting in Sacrament Meeting with little kids can be a real challenge. Mother’s were never promised the opportunity to be able to relax and soak in the spirit that is present at sacrament meeting. However, with patience, perseverance and a lot diligence squirmy and entertaining children can grow up to be well behaved young adults who enjoy sacrament meeting.

Before then . . .

Sitting in a new ward in sacrament meeting  about 10 years ago Rebecca (age 4) and Emily (age 3), enjoyed taking the barrettes out of their hair and quietly decorating, a very patient Daddy, with them. I sat holding Isaac (18months) and watching the Bishop enjoy the spectacle. When the Bishop got up to conclude to the meeting he mentioned how much he enjoyed watching  Br. Brad Barrette patiently endure his daughter’s hair styling attempts. For the rest of the time we were in that ward he always greeted Brad as Br. Barrette.

 

 

Kevin has always enjoyed being handsome. He enjoys wearing his church clothes, especially his ties, so much so that he has been know to wear one tie to church, and pack another one in his scripture bag so he could change after sacrament meeting. Lately, he has taken to wearing multiple ties at one time, and can often be spotted sporting at least 2 ties at a time. I’ve had primary teachers comment to me about Kevin having forgotten his ties on morning that are particularly hectic and we get to church without any ties on at all. He informed me this year, the day before Easter, that he needed a new tie for Easter, preferably with Easter Eggs on it. How can you deny a request like that – I didn’t find a tie with Easter Eggs, but he did get a new CTR tie for Easter Sunday!

My darling MaryAnn is a lucky little girl and has been able to wear her sisters homemade hand-me-down Easter dresses this year. This last Sunday we were sitting in church and she “tooted” and it surprised her. She started to get all excited and I was terrified that she was going to say something very loud and inappropriate, so I quickly hushed her and pulled her close to me in a loving hug. As soon as she escaped my embrace she whispered, “Mom, by bum burped!” It was so funny, but I was relieved that she said it very quietly.

Someday I know I will be able to sit quietly and soak up the Spirit of an entire Sacrament meeting without little ones sitting on me, leaning on me, whispering to me, or kicking me from the inside, like I could in my singles ward full of young adult where you could hear a pin drop during the sacrament. What a sad day that will be. I’ll hope by then I will have grandkids!

I Love Homeschooling!

I love homeschooling for many reasons. I love being outside in the spring and enjoying the warm weather. I love snuggling in bed with my kids without worrying about the clock. I love teaching Kevin, my 6 year old, to read in bed before breakfast and then watching him practice reading with grandma and grandpa when we go visit. I love not worrying about getting home for bedtime. I love that MaryAnn, my 4 year old, wants to learn to read along with her brother and that when they enjoy it we do it and when it becomes to much we put reading aside for a day or a week or a month or more.

I am glad that Emily, my preteen, has the time and motivation to study the features of Kindles and Color Nooks and tablets as she tries to decide which one she wants to save her money for. I love that she works extra hard around the house doing my chores so she can earn money to save for whatever gadget she decides on. I love that she wakes up early so that she has time for indexing, and that she silently challenges me through her great example to index as well.

I am proud of Rebecca, my young woman, who gets herself up each morning to study python (a programming language), and the scriptures, with her best friend, over skype, hours before the rest of the family gets moving. I’m thrilled that she is motivated to learn about the constitution and our national government. I’m happy that she understands that she will need to take over some of MY jobs when our new baby joins our family in 2 months. I love that she is socially connected and that she uses her Facebook account to write down cute things her sibliings do and say, to communicate with her teachers and fellow students at co-op about homework assignments.

I love homeschooling, even on the days when I don’t, when my 11 year old son Isaac has asked me for the millionth time if he can do a science experiment, or build something, or, or, or, or . . . I love that kid. I love that he is home, with the freedom to explore the world his way, and not tied down to a desk, doing paper and pencil exercises and having his naturally inquisitive personality taken from him little by little each day. I love the way that Isaac cares for his Great Grandma, who lives with us. He disappears into her room as soon as we get home from anywhere to share with her our latest adventures. He always thinks about bringing her some treat home from an activity. I love that he is sensitive and has such a precious relationship that could be developed no other way than spending lots of time together.

I love that we are a family! I love that my husband works hard to support our family so that I can be home with my kids each day. I love homeschooling! I love our life!