Homeschooling Mom vs Work From Home

There are so many advantages to working from home. The commute or lack there of is definitely one of them. I always disliked having to get up, get dressed in uncomfortable business attire, and make that journey into an office with other people that may or may not want to be there. Working from home, I get up, shower, typically put on something casual (or stay in my PJ's), grab some coffee with coconut creamer, and walk a few feet to my workstation. I love it. I open my windows, gaze out, take lunch breaks in the neighborhood or on my patio. My "cafeteria" is the best because it's food that's great and free :) Occasionally I order take out. I feel like I'm blessed each time I have to log in for work.

I do have some challenges however, I still home school after hours. I am still required to make lesson plans and be my children's teacher of record. There is no conflict with my work and homeschooling. My children are not in my work environment. The challenge comes when I currently alternate between using a Catholic Curriculum (Our Lady of the Rosary Homeschool) and utilizing free printables online. The written instruction and the side by sides after 8-10 hrs of work can drain one of their energy for a week lol! We often unschool and use our visual resources such as YouTube and Netflix. All in all I'm satisfied with being a home school mom. It's the single mother part that makes these things challenging. There are many times I wish I had a loving partner to be there to supplement the family income, be supportive in the homeschooling venture, as well as be there for me emotionally. God has a plan. Divorce, which I'm going thru currently, is never easy. In the end, the most rewarding part of all is this is I have the pleasure of watching my children learn and grow. I am in control of their values and spirituality. There are stress filled days as well as triumphant "aha" moments! Sometimes I want to pull my hair out because I seemingly never get a break. I'm asking the Lord to continue

 working on me with patience and understanding on those days that I feel overwhelmed and overextended. I hope that if any prospective homeschooling parents or parent are reading this blog, you are encouraged that it can be done, it is rewarding, and your children will have the benefit of the environment that you feel is fit. God bless you all and happy homeschooling!

Bah... humbug!

It's the most wonderful time of the yearrrr! That's the hype they spin during the holiday season. I try each year to put on a brave face. I smile, put up excessive amount of decorations all over my home, make arrangements to spend excessive amounts of money on things that really aren't necessities for my friends, family, and for myself. It puzzles me, there is a real problem with the idea of Christmas. Could it be the absence of Christ? As a child I was taught about the Nativity and the importance of this time of year being about giving, blessings, and the birth of the Messiah. I sang religious Christmas carols and even enjoyed the ones that told of old St. Nick. Now that I have children of my own, there is less and less mentioned about The Nativity and those classic Christmas carols. There are less movies shown that depict the birth of Christ, and less talk about the overall spirit of giving. The primary focus is on the consumerism and capitalism of it all. So much hype and spending above one's means. Ads pointing you to buy that bigger TV, more expensive car, or those designer clothes. To me, it puts entirely too much pressure on those in our society that are unable to keep up with that kind of spending. We need to focus on the more important things in life like love, family, fellowship, and community service.

In my family, we focus on the spirit of Christmas and what Jesus stood for. No matter your religion, I feel that in each of our daily lives there is an opportunity for us to help others. It doesn't always mean spending money or "paying it forward". It can be volunteering your time, donating items you no longer need, helping a friend or family member with household chores, cooking for a new mom, or even babysitting a friend's child or family members child. Consider donating your time in a soup kitchen, homeless shelter, or battered women's facility. The list goes on. There is a saying: the best way to forget your own problems, is to help someone else with theirs. It's true! It feels good to know you've made a difference. It feels even better to know that you are being your best "you".

I love the holidays, I love gift giving and watching the joy on my children's faces when they open their presents on Christmas day. I'm even happier when I know that I have helped others. 

What are your plans this holiday season?

My review of Time4Learning.com

There was a wonderful occurrence in the lives of my 3 children and I called Time4Learning.com! When I made the decision to homeschool my children ages 6, 8, and 9, I felt bombarded with literature about curriculum's that would meet our needs. I initially tried a secular curriculum and ended up paying over $800 for way too many books and not enough time to handle all the lesson planning and grading. When I found out about Time4Learning, I was intrigued at the idea that a homeschool program could be entirely virtual and hold my children's attention simultaneously. When we first signed up what intrigued me was the cost. Under $50 per month for three children to be homeschooled, with lesson planning, testing, grading, transcripts, and support all inclusive and entirely virtual! Time4Learning holds my children's attention with it's bright and amusing interactive characters and colorful visual displays that any child would think was definitely too much fun to be called "school work".

My daughter Alyssa is a kindergartner that hasn't yet mastered reading and was struggling with the alphabet. She is overjoyed when it's time for her to approach her Language Arts assignments. She scores well and is enthusiastic with each passing lesson. She is excited about her math assignments and regularly recaps at the dinner table all the math concepts she has mastered for that day. My 1st grader Diamond had trouble with reading in public school, and the individualized attention that she gets with homeschooling has made a tremendous difference! She thrives now under the direction of the Time4Learning curriculum and learning program. The program engages her, plays music, and provides positive reinforcement each time something is executed correctly. When she struggles, there is incentive to teach the child an alternate way of learning that concept that makes mastering it so much easier. The great thing about Time4Learning is you are able to repeat modules and tests until whatever challenge becomes mastery! My son Terrill is a 2nd grader and has ADD. It is difficult to hold his attention and he was not very successful in public school as a result. With Time4Learning and the animated lessons, he doesn't feel the strain and structure of a traditional classroom environment, he feels like it is the same as playing a favorite video game or watching a much anticipated tv show.

As a single mother on a fixed income, who wants to be more involved and hands on with my children's learning, Time4Learning.com has made an improvement in their grades,

their listening skills, and comprehension. The staff is available to assist with questions and the virtual classroom is easy for children to navigate on their own. They can be independent learners using this amazing homeschool approach. You can use Time4Learning as a full curriculum or as an addendum to public school learning. Your child will receive all the skills they need for a successful school year. Time4Learning is available for PK-12. You won't be disappointed!

Time 4 Learning :):)

I've been invited to try Time4Learning for one month in exchange for a candid review. My opinion will be entirely my own, so be sure to come back and read about my experience. Time4Learning can be used as a homeschool curriculum, forafterschool enrichment and for summer skill sharpening. Find out how to write your own curriculum review for Time4Learning.

Vitacoco coconut water fast day 2

Today was verrrrry different than yesterday. By nightfall I could smell everything within a 20 mile radius. I wanted to eat cardboard if it was in my path. I went to bed moody and frustrated. I felt like opening my fridge and devouring all the hot links I could get my hands on. I saw my children enjoying chips for a snack and felt like my head was going to explode. A very small (I mean minuscule) chip landed next to me on the couch, and I ferociously consumed it with everything I had. Then I realized that I looked and felt like an animal. I continued sipping my coconut water with pineapple flavoring as if I was eating 4 carne asada tacos from the local Mexican Restaurant :) The truth of the matter is I made it! Day 1 was a success!

Day 2 I awakened to UPS delivering a package to me. When I jumped off the couch, I realized that my feet were totally numb! I was running with somebody else's feet! My hands weren't very different. Were these the toxins leaving my body as I read about? Or was it my pre diabetes telling me that no matter what you do, you'll always desire junk. Well.....the day passed uneventfully. I had a lot more mental clarity, energy, and my back wasn't as sore. I went to my follow up dr. appt to discuss my previous lab results. Here goes ya'll:

Cholesterol-241
Vitamin D levels- dangerously low
A1C- 6.9 (full diabetes 7.0)
Hormone levels- I'm in the early stages of menopause
Blood Pressure-elevated

The rest she said was pretty good, Kidneys are fine etc. This is wonderful news since I have hAmlodipine 10 mg once daily and 80 mg of Furosemide for my BP. My reading today was 150/80. I'm representative of all of the terrible things that accompany obesity. So you see, my fasting journey is difficult but I need to live for my children. I plan on doing what's best for my body. Now it's time for shower and bed! Nite all!

BEFORE PICS

Homeschooling mom villian

***post from 2012***
I have always had a problem with "validation" from others. Whether needing it, requesting it, or running away from it. It's crazy, you have to teach people have to treat you. The same is true of the notion of once bitten twice shy. Where am I going with this? As a 42 year old single mother of 4 kids ages 3, 5, 7, and 18, I should know what is best or what is better for them with regard to education and the like. My 7 year old son has been diagnosed with ADHD. He just wasn't doesn't doing well in a rigid setting. His current elementary school has a rule that during lunch time, yes lunch time, you cannot talk to your peers or anyone for that matter when the "music" is on. Now. for an adult that would be torture, can you imagine an ADHD or even a typical child? So, I have given up on the public school system. I will allow God to order my steps and let my children learn from their life experiences and use a biblical based curriculum at home, with yours truly, a teacher that loves and cares about my kids as individuals and not statistics.

Embarking on a fast of only coconut water and coconut meat

I have determined that, a blogger I am not. I have lots of thoughts, but no real consistency in keeping a blog. It takes tenacity, informative information, and tenacity. I feel bad admitting that the only time in my life I have expressed those characteristics, on a regular basis, is with regard to eating. Overeating. I have gained over 100 pounds in 2 years! With my separation from my husband, several major moves from Las Vegas to South Carolina, back to Las Vegas for a month, then finally to California, I am happiest when I am eating something, The greasier the cuisine the better. Isn't that deplorable to admit? They say the road to recovery is admitting you have a problem right? Don't get me wrong, I am a happy mother of 4 great kids: Kejan-19, Terrill-7, Diamond-6, and Alyssa-4. I am a stay at home homeschooling (borderline unschooling) mommy that enjoys discovering and learning from the world with my children. My adult child is a full time employee and college student, helpful and very respectful, I couldn't ask for anything more! They aren't the source of my food obsession, I am.
                                       My decision to use coconut water as a fast and master cleanse came from watching lots of YouTube videos about purifying my body. I knew I needed to start somewhere. I suffer from hypertension, pre diabetes, pseudo tumor cerebri, gallstones, obstructive sleep apnea, narcolepsy, and high cholesterol. God has kept me alive and able to use my good sense to say, enough is enough! I don't look forward to the toxins leaving my body and hunger pangs. What I do look forward to is that weightless feeling of "clean". So.....I decided to blog about my journey, my side effects, my feelings, my triumphs, and my tribulations! I hope you will gain some insight as well and cheer on my new mindset :) It's in black and white so if I fail, I have eyes watching right? I will put a before photo of my weight and an after. Thank you for your support and for subscribing to my blog!