So long, farewell, Au Wiedersehen, goodbye. I leave and heave a sigh ...

Well, it has been a wonderful time writing. I have shared this blog with great friends, and we have had some great readers!
Thank you all so much for sticking with us through this blogs ups and downs.
However, we have come to a point where this blog is at a stop.
For me personally I just don't have the time to dedicate to update regularly. I will still be blogging when I can on my own personal blog, as well as writing book/product reviews. If you would like to visit my blog it's: http://the-edge-of-the-sky.blogspot.com.
So sorry for any inconvenience this may have caused anyone, we just aren't at the right place right now to commit to this with everything else we all have going on.
I'm wishing you all the best, and keep being wonderful parents. 

Goodbye.

~Tori

Farewell

Bad news bears, everyone:  our blog has reached a stopping point.  I've had a great time sharing and blogging, but I don't have the commitment to keep it up like I once did.  I'm still going to be blogging, but not here on The Case of the Missing Cheerios.  If you'd like to check out my new blog, which is up and running, scope it out at http://reasonsforwaking.blogspot.com/

I'm also going to be spending a lot more time on my novel.  Hopefully you can look forward to that getting published eventually, but I have to finish it first!

Again, thanks for your support and thanks for reading!  Keep on being rocking parents and people, and I hope to hear from you all on my new blog.  Toodles! 

Mom hobbies~priddymomma

Me as McGonagall

Hey guys!  I’m getting totally excited about Halloween coming up.  We’re having a Harry Potter and the Chamber of Secrets Halloween party on Halloween this year.  I have BIG PLANS, DUDES!!  I’ll share a picture or two afterwards.  My husband and I also got the chance to begin putting in some trails on our property.  I’m crazy excited to get to work on them.  Now we can enjoy so much more of our place!  Aahhh!  I’m crazy.  You can say it.

The Great Hall at the Halloween feast, complete with "live" bats

This week, I’m discussing mom hobbies.  Actually, I really want to cross off the mom and just call it “hobbies”.  The issue is that you won’t have the same kind of hobbies as a mom that you did when you were not a mom, so I guess the mom stays.  And at this point, I’m sure you can tell I am completely hyped up on caffeine while typing like a psycho.  IT’S TRUE!!  YAY!  (I’m running in circles only a little)

So…what was I talking about?  Oh.  Hobbies.  You need hobbies.  Going through life not excited about doing anything is super lame.  I’m excited about this party, for instance.  It is sort of a hobby of mine to throw elaborate parties.  Weird, but it makes me happy to see people surprised at the steps I took to set something up (and on a budget too!). 

I also like to sew.  I don’t make time for it often, but I always make time around Halloween.  I make my kiddos’ costumes (they want to be Elsa and Superman this year).  Not only do they turn out better than anything you can pick up in the store, but they are often times much cheaper.  And again, I have the excuse of sewing, which is great.  I sometimes make time before Christmas as well if one of the gifts is hand made. 

 

Confession:  No sew!  Princess Cheerio was 1, and I procrastinated.  Still not purchased costumes though (except the wings, because ain't nobody got time for that).

Singing is the hobby I make the most time for, but mostly because I can multi task as I sing.  I can sing while washing dishes, cooking, cleaning, and of course the old stand-by of singing in the shower.  I love to dance, so I try to make time for Zumba once a week. 

I love working in the yard, so I make sure I have time to do outside chores on nice days.  I like to read, so I plan my day around my book if it happens to be really good.  More than once I have turned down invites or activities because a book I have been itching to get my hands on is released that day or the day before.  IF THEY ARE TRULY YOUR FRIEND, THEY WILL UNDERSTAND!  I have no idea why I’m shouting.  Must be the coffee. 

OH NO!  My coffee is gone!  The horror!  Time for a refill. 

Drat!  Hubby turned off the coffee maker.  He will pay for this!  (I won’t remember by the time he gets home)

Crap.  Microwaved old coffee and burned my tongue.  Why doesn’t spell check recognize “microwaved”.  That’s a term, right?  Or maybe we can just call it “nuked”?  It recognizes that, but only because it is morbid.  Is there another term you use?  WHAT IS THE PROPER TERM??!

Anyway…um…I have no idea where I was.  Have a hobby!  Right.  I don’t even know where I was going with this whole concept.  That’s a lot like life.  Stop.  Breathe.  Okay.  New paragraph.  Maybe just ignore this one.  Of course, now you can’t because you read the whole thing.  Ha ha!  Sucks to be you.

If you don’t make time for your favorite activities, you will end up hating everyone and being bored out of your mind.  That is an opinion, obviously.  When you were a kid, you were probably pretty happy most of the time.  I believe kids are happy, because they spend large amounts of time doing exactly what interests them and not worrying about what they should be doing most of the time.  If they want to spend hours building legos, by gum they will!  And should something like hygiene or chores get in their way, a meltdown will occur.  Grumpy adults are just the grown up versions of these kids, meltdown included (hence the grumpy).  We would all feel a lot better if we took time to play our legos. 

See ya next week, Cheerios Parents!  Peace!

P.S.  Please take a moment of silence for 9/11.  Take a moment to appreciate the magnitude of what happened that day.  God bless.

Life update for Sept 2014~priddymomma

Hey guys!  Welcome back to yet another fantastic post about me!  Life update time.  You must be so thrilled. 

I have exciting news:   

I’M PREGNANT!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!

Just kidding.  But now I have your attention.  Bwahaha!

I’m still in the process of getting Cheerio Champ evaluated for Asperger’s/autism.  We have another appointment on October 2^nd, so we should know more then.  Princess Cheerio is as smart and adorable as ever.  My husband has been really interested in conspiracy theories lately (IT'S A CONSPIRACY!), and I’ve been writing a novel.  Yes, a novel.  How novel!

The biggest thing going on this week for us is the start of school.  We home school and love it.  I will share with you what we covered our first couple of days (Tuesday, Wednesday, and Thursday).  If you have any questions, feel free to ask.  We are eclectic homeschoolers and quite proud of that.  :)

 

Curriculum 

Cheerio Champ (6) has a curriculum (created by me) based entirely on volcanoes.  There are so many subjects related to or concerning volcanoes that I can’t even list them all.  It is plenty for one school year!  He’s in “first grade”, though he is participating in some of Princess Cheerio’s projects and can do some 2^nd grade work.  He also reads at a 6^th grade level.

Princess Cheerio (2) has her curriculum based on a book called, “We’re Going on a Bear Hunt” by Michael Rosen.  She really adores the book.  In case you aren’t familiar, the book tells the story of a family going on a bear hunt to catch a big bear.  On their journey, they find obstacles that they can not go over or under.  They realize to their dismay that they must go through them.  They include such things as caves, snowstorms, and grasses.  The book allows us to talk about weather, bears, environments, etc.  I'm even planning to set up a bear hunt obstacle course.  I haven’t figured out how I want to replicate “snowstorm” yet, but I’ll figure it out!  Princess Cheerio will also participate in some of the experiments and such with Cheerio Champ’s studies.

Structure

Our school week is not Monday to Friday.  Instead, it is Tuesday to Saturday.  My husband is off on Sundays and Mondays, so our "weekend" is different.  Also, if there is a sick day or what not, we are able to flex the school week into the weekend or wrap into the next week.  We don't take time off for holidays.  We usually complete more than 180 days of school in a year.

Here is a "typical" school day schedule:

7:30 a.m.-wake kids, hygiene, writing practice (vocab words for Cheerio Champ, drawing for Princess Cheerio), chores

breakfast

9 a.m.-reading and discussion; any brief lectures on topics we're covering that day

9:30 a.m.-yoga and meditation

10:00 a.m.-short educational video for the day and brief recap

10:30 a.m. -quiet time/nap time (provides chill time, nap time, and play time)

12:30 p.m.- worksheets, playing, chores, lunch

after lunch until 2:30 p.m. - buckle down learning/projects (For example:  Wednesday we baked GF apple crisp and drew an orca)

2:30 p.m.- dad gets home; go outside (sometimes outdoor learning for no more than 10 minutes); play and explore

3:30 p.m. -school day over

Only about 3 hours of material taught over the course of 8 hours.  They learn plenty, don't get frustrated, burnt out, or bored, and sleep hard each night. 

Princess Cheerio drawing a picture of a volcano and a rainbow in the clouds.

Reading and discussion with Harry Potter

Yoga

Meditation

Letter of the day for Princess Cheerio

Unit books

Labeling parts of a volcano

Explaining "cone" volcanoes

Mentos-diet soda experiment

Mentos-diet soda experiment

Exploring

Watching "Magic School Bus Blows Its Top"

Baking GF apple crisp (Washington State apple).  We Covered some of Washington while talking about Mount St. Helens.

Drawing an orca (Washington State mammal)

Hanging a thistle sock for goldfinches (Washington State bird)

Painting like Michelangelo did in the Sistine Chapel (Italy).  We covered a bit of Italy with Pompeii.

Cheerio Champ insisted I take this picture of him completing a worksheet.

Princess Cheerio is very outside-the-box.

They got a bit freaked out by a Pompeii animation.  I also had the volume cranked.  It was awesome.

Italian flag

Italian flag. 

Waving arrivederci (learning a few words in Italian)

Meditation

Alrighty!  That's about it for me!  I hope you guys have a great weekend, and I'll see ya next week! 

Being more than just a mom~priddymomma

Hey guys!  Hope you all are having a fine week.  I'm late posting again!  Sorry!  I’ve put in long hours catching up on some long neglected yard work.  I also found some poison ivy.  Happily, I didn’t discover it with my limbs.

This post is for the ladies.  I’ll be discussing being more than just a mom.  Sorry to all our male readers.  I would love to give you some advice on being more than just a dad, but unfortunately I’m not qualified, gender-wise.  Hopefully you will find that some information in this post pertains to you as well. 

Parenting is one of the most rewarding experiences in the world, arguably the MOST enjoyable.  It is also one of the hardest.  Just like any activity in life, you can overdo it and burn out.  You must take breaks to recharge if you expect to perform at your maximum potential.  It is a very important job, and you do your best if you are relaxed, recharged, and refreshed. 

The trouble is that modern parents are often so busy that they struggle to find time to spend with their kids, let alone finding time for a break.  It just isn’t a priority.  My number one piece of advice is to MAKE time.  Jot it down in your appointment book and keep it as faithfully as you would for one of your kids’ appointments. 

My second tip is to get enough sleep.  Being tired adds to frustration and chaos, and your body needs time to repair itself and to fight off illness.  Yes, moms notoriously have little sleep, but what I’m telling you is that if you have the opportunity to sleep, seize it.  Being well rested will make a huge difference in your life, and in your kids’ lives.

 

SO not a mom...

“But Heather!  This is great advice and all, but I thought this post was about being MORE than just a mom!  You are just giving me parenting tips!”  Am I?  If you have a spare moment to yourself and you are exhausted, what are you going to do?  Uh-huh.  You bet your booty you will be napping.  “Me time” does not equal “sleep time.”  And new mothers, it doesn’t equal “shower time” or “pee time” either.  You need real legit “me time”. 

After you have cleared room for yourself in your schedule (and even an hour a week will do wonders), do something that makes your soul sing.  Taking a fitness class might be your idea of joy or maybe your idea of hell.  Don’t force yourself to do something you won’t enjoy.  That is a crappy way of giving yourself love.  Take the opportunity to do something worth it for you. 

Here are some suggestions:  bake, cook, garden, read, take a long hot bath, sing, swim, bike, run, play with your dog, go for a walk, hike, draw, play a video game, dance, sew, craft, meditate, go bird watching, try a new food, shop, hang out with a friend, play a sport, scrapbook, grab a coffee, watch a movie, catch up on your favorite tv series, plan your dream vacation, paint, check out an art exhibit, visit the fair, assemble a puzzle, etc.

In order to be more than just a mom, you have to learn to know yourself outside of being a mom.  It is perfectly okay if you have no idea what you enjoy anymore.  Great!  It means more experimenting and intrigue as you take yourself on dates to get to the bottom of who you are when you aren’t surrounded by children.  Yes, your kids may be everything to you, but that doesn’t mean they are everything you are.

Home-school vs. public school~priddymomma

Hey guys!  I’m a little late posting this due to the weather.  Yesterday, it was marvelous!  My family spent as much time as possible outside; running around with the dog, roasting marshmallows on the fire, and playing badminton.  I didn’t get to do much writing during that time, as you can imagine.  Today, the weather further complicated things by being horrible.  Thunderstorms are passing through the area, and my satellite internet is finicky when it comes to storms.  Excuses excuses.  (Also, I forgot until today.  Shh!)

The topic this week is home school vs. public school.  I know, I know!  We’ve done this before.  (If you’d like to read what I had to say however long ago, look here http://thecaseofthemissingcheerios.blogspot.com/2013/03/fanatics-and-superhumanspriddymomma.html  and ignore the typo that I only just caught -_-)  It’s a hot topic though, and I promise not to bore you with the same things (mostly).

Homeschooling isn’t for everyone, but anyone can do it.  Different states (or

countries for you international readers) have different rules and regulations for the homeschooling parent.  Fortunately for us, we live in Indiana.  Indiana is probably the most lenient state in regards to requirements for home-schools.  We are required to keep attendance records and to attend at least 180 days each year.  It is also compulsory for kids to attend from the ages of seven to eighteen.  That’s it.  The superintendent can theoretically request to see attendance records, but I don’t see that actually happening often.  We aren’t required to do any type of testing, nor are we required to learn any specific subjects or file any forms. 

Here are my reasons for homeschooling my kids:

• No one knows my kids like I do.  I understand them and their learning styles better than anyone else, because I have been around them more than anyone else.
• They don't fall behind if they are sick.  In fact, they can't fall behind ever as everything is adjusted to their learning pace.
• My son has ADHD as well as having mild autism.  He is really advanced in some subjects (like reading and math), but struggles with other things (social skills, listening).  I don’t believe he would have reached his full potential in public school.
• My kids can wear whatever (even pajamas).
• I love homeschooling my kids.  They learn, I learn, we bond.
• We aren’t in love with our school system.  The local district isn’t the best, and we don’t think any public school is terrific.
• Curriculum- We always have the final say in what our kids learn.  We can change it, we can cut it, or we can add to it.
• Bullying-We are a four-person household.  Any bullying is always noticed and never tolerated.
• Threats- There have been awful things in the news in the past ten years concerning schools.  Our kids don’t have to ride the bus or walk the hallways in fear.
• Diet-Our kids ate good foods when we started homeschooling, but now they are on a more selective diet (gluten free).  I would consider homeschooling also if your child has something like a life-threatening peanut allergy.
• We can travel and continue to learn without being tied to a school schedule.  Any time of the year can be vacation time.

There are more reasons, but these are the biggies.  If you do send your kids to public (or private or charter) school, that’s great as long as you are pleased with the education they are receiving.  Your ultimate decision should take your family’s individual needs into consideration.  

As always, thanks for reading and feel free to comment or make topic requests below.  :)

Childhood hobbies~priddymomma

Hey guys!  Hope you have had a lovely week.  My family had the opportunity to visit the State Fair on Monday.  Fair season is definitely one of my absolute favorite things about summer.  My husband and I met during high school marching band, and every time we visit the fair, it takes me back to a time when we were first falling in love... 

 

Our band uniforms were sexy.  You can say it.

Enough of that mushy stuff!  You didn’t come here for that, I’m sure.  You came instead to read about what hobbies I encourage in my kiddos!  (Sure you did.  No arguing.)

I home school my kids, and I don’t currently have them enrolled in anything like dance or karate (though I’d like to enroll them in both eventually). 

 

 

My son loves to read and learn facts.  One of his more recent interests centered around pumpkins.  I thought it was kind of strange and out of season, but go for it!  We ended up working together to plant a pumpkin patch, which is doing really well and should yield 24 or so pumpkins eventually.  He can tell you all about the life cycle of a pumpkin, and all without me teaching him a thing.  I love the library.  

My daughter is interested in bugs and being outside.  When she isn’t looking at plants and insects through a magnifying glass, she’s trying to convince me to take her outside so that she can do just that.  She’s very observant (and argumentative).  She also loves to draw. 

 

I believe that kids will pick up on what their parents really love to do as well as going on to develop their own interests.  Cheerio Champ has lately developed a keen interest in the music of Andrew Lloyd Webber.  He can blame me for that, and my latest interest in “Jesus Christ Superstar”.  Both of my kids enjoy yoga (blame me) and tai chi (all hubby’s fault).  They have music and reading in their blood.

 

exercising with dad in our home gym

I guess to summarize:  I encourage my kids to follow their hearts.  That’s a great hobby/life goal.  If they get it into their heads they want to be acrobats, while I’ll probably have a heart attack, I will encourage their dream and do the best I can to support them as they pursue it. 

To be fair, they DO often fight over our hula hoop...

What hobbies do you encourage in your kids?  What hobbies have they picked up that they can blame you for?

See ya next week! 

Teaching your children to read... ~Tori~

Sorry for the long absence. You guys are probably wondering what happened to me on here, and whether or not I ditched the blog! Just to clarify, I didn't. There's been a lot going on lately, not just for me, but for all of us on The Case of The Missing Cheerios.
My own personal thing has been I recently found out I'm pregnant! Hubby and I have also had side business things going on, and we've been crazy busy with getting back into the school routine (and all that comes with it). But hopefully I'm back for good now.
Anyway, now it's on to the actual post for this week. LOL

First on to reading success is of course learning letters.

The alphabet is important and you can start working with your children on the alphabet early on. For my kids they both started learning at the age of two. With books, flash cards, games, etc. My oldest son learned all his capital letters with ease. The lowercase were a bit more difficult for him as he did (and sometimes still does) gets his b's and d's mixed up. But we've been told that's pretty normal. For him reading doesn't come as naturally. He has speech trouble and so pronunciation of words comes pretty hard. For this reason we got him a reading tutor, his school works on reading, and we work on reading at LEAST 30 minutes a night at home. I can't even tell you how greatly he has improved in just a year's time by doing this. And he's only been in tutoring for a few months. But working closely and constantly with your children is the key to success. Read them a book and give them the option to read it for you. Don't always expect your children to pick up a chapter book and read it to you right away. Every child is different and it's important to pick what level your child is at and not try to go way over-board. That will lead often to frustration and hate for reading. Lucky both my children love to read, and look forward to it.

My youngest son can already read some of the more basic words. He is 3 and knows words like: it, and, the, he, she, is, etc. He also knows all his capital letters, and most of his lowercase. He also needs some help with speech but mostly it hasn't affected his reading in a bad way. He just has trouble with his lower i's and l's getting them confused sometimes. But we are working on it, and just like his older brother he loves reading regardless.
We all spend about 20 minutes a day as a family taking quiet time to read also. It's not always easy to fit that in to our schedules. Sometimes we don't get around to all of us getting to read, but for the most of the week we try to fit that time in daily. We believe it's important for the kids to see us turn off the televisions, radios, computers, etc, and sit down with a book. In a technology filled world books can often go unseen these days. It's pretty shocking if you ask me but sadly true.
So after all my prattling my best advice is to work with your children daily on reading. After all we are our child's most important teacher. Start with the alphabet, go to sight words, beginner books, progress from those to your child's level as you go. Have your children help you read the books, let them read to you, have them express their thoughts on books. Let them identify with characters, explain the setting, tell their favorite parts, etc. Play word, letter, and even book games. (Pinterest is filled with ideas for these if you need some).
And eventually it will come. Be patient, make it fun, and your children will learn to love books. Even though my boys have some trouble they LOVE books. They love reading time, and they get really into it. It's wonderful.