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Ignore this thread!

Mommy2BeautifulGirls
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ikslo

ikslo

Posted
Posted

I'm finally home. Finally.

 

My right eyelid keeps twitching. It happened before we went on vacation. Then while on vacation, it stopped. Now it has started again. It is stress, isn't it?

 

I knew I should've stayed in Nashville. Or Birmingham. Or Florida.

 

Thanks for the huge and good wishes. :wub:

Please, take care of you.

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katilac
katilac

You know, saying "ignore this thread" to this group is like saying "don't push the big red button!" 

ErinE
ErinE

Homeschoolers.     They always think the rules don't apply to them.

purpleowl
purpleowl

Ignore this post in this thread.

AMJ

AMJ

Posted
Posted

My eyelids twitch when I need magnesium.

 

 

Sent from my iPhone using Tapatalk

 

 

Hmm, I'll have to look at how much I'm getting.  I had has a small dietary change recently, due to less time spent cooking....

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AMJ

AMJ

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So, since we all know that all kids are the same, at what age did she become better at this?

 

Realistically, I think just experience with this kind of problem will help - I'm sure he'll adjust to the new and different expectations after a little while. 

 

 

 

IME, they don't do much for the noise they most need to block (but, I only tried them out in the store).

 

 

The problem persists, but she has learned some ways of dealing with it and is learning more as she matures.  When she was younger I was the one determining a rest break (momentary or longer) was needed, and how that rest break would be spent.  ("Okay, sunshine break for 10 minutes, then we will try this again.  You can run around, swing, sit, whatever, but be in the sunshine and fresh air until I tell you 10 minutes is up."  Though sometimes I follow my gut and let them stay out a while longer if I thought it was doing them some good.  Or if I wanted more sunshine for myself.)  What worked best break-wise was at least 5 minutes of a complete change of scenery, requirements, and expectations.  Just for those break minutes.  And I didn't allow the break to be spent plugging oneself into a device.  It had to include some physical movement, though that movement didn't have to be strenuous or take up the whole 5 minutes.

 

I had to be the one to determine the need for a break when she was younger because she simply couldn't.  (Sometimes she still needs someone else to suggest she take a short break.)  She might request a break when faced with something she simply didn't want to do, but when she truly needed a break she couldn't think of doing this.  (Sometimes I granted requested breaks before tackling a tough task, but I kept them short so we wouldn't lose focus.)  She also found it especially distressing that her younger sister never seemed to struggle in the same way, which added further to her distress.

 

As she has gotten older and shown more inclination and ability to self-start on various things I have allowed her to drive her study schedule a bit more, with check-ins and some topics still driven by me.  It can still be a struggle for her, and I have to remind myself that she was diagnosed with a very short attention span (among other things), and she and I are working together to find ways for her to learn to eventually self-manage this on her own as an adult.  We take it in stages.  If a step we attempt is too hard to reach at the moment we look for a smaller step and keep going.

 

Exposure to new problems/things to learn and practice with them do help over time, but the trick, especially whenever faced with something new and daunting, is to find ways to get through it without it being so tortuous that she decides it's hopeless, worthless to try, and feels that she is simply stupid in this regard.  When that mindset sets in learning the stuff becomes impossible, and I find we have to step away from it for some weeks, at least, and try returning to it later.

 

One interesting thing I realized as I was reading through Fluent Forever was that the Spaced Repetition System he talks about in the book (not something the author "invented", SRS is widely used in a lot of fields of study) is actually something we have stumbled into in bits and pieces over the past few years.  As we work through this year and DD16 uses this in her French studies we can look at how it might help in other studies, too.  SRS may prove to be a very valuable study tool.  (The Anki Slashie keeps promoting is one digital application of SRS.  DD16 will be using Anki, Slashie!)

 

When we switched to homeschooling I realized I didn't know all of the subjects my kids would need to study, so I determined I would learn alongside them for such topics.  What I didn't realize is that the biggest part of my education is learning how each of my kids in particular learns best, what their strengths and weaknesses are.  I had to drop my expectations of how kids should learn because those were based upon my own memories of when I was a kid, how I learned best.  This simply didn't match DD16 at all, and while DD13 matches my style more closely she also has some distinct differences from me.

 

 

Hang in there.  Pay attention to what does work, and when something doesn't work as expected examine the situation to see if it simply requires a break to freshen brains or if a slight change in approach might help.  Every person is different, and kids' brains mature in stages.  Sometimes the stages of brain maturity don't always follow one set order, so it takes some discovery (largely through observation and trial & error) to figure out which segments of brain function are where maturity-wise.

 

Also remember that allergies and other environmental factors (barometric changes for me has always been a biggie) can affect performance, too, causing the brain either to leap forward on stuff on a particular day, or to seem to regress and forget stuff you thought was cemented.  Roll with it.  Alter the day's plan if needed, and focus on the stuff that is coming more readily.  If the brain can't work at all on studies it could be a good day to tackle physical work, perhaps decluttering clothing, books, toys (removing outgrown things) and generally cleaning up.

 

 

Sorry this is so long.  Every child is different, but there are some similarities at times, and sometimes hearing what someone did for their kid can give one ideas to try, things to think about when trying to help their own.  I hope the above contains something helpful for you, but even if it doesn't please know that I am rooting for you and your sons.  You'll figure it out, so hang in there.   :grouphug:

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KrissiK

KrissiK

Posted
Posted

Good Morning!!!!!

 

COFFEE!!!☕ï¸â˜•ï¸â˜•ï¸â˜•ï¸â˜•ï¸â˜•ï¸â˜•ï¸

 

It's a tad bit chilly this morning!!😋😋. Could it be that there is hope for comfortable weather?? Like, maybe autumn??ðŸ‚ðŸ‚ðŸ

 

We're going on a field trip to the fire station today with our homeschool group. The firemen have a shiny new truck they are very proud of, so that should be fun!!

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AMJ

AMJ

Posted
Posted

Good Morning!!!!!

 

COFFEE!!!☕ï¸â˜•ï¸â˜•ï¸â˜•ï¸â˜•ï¸â˜•ï¸â˜•ï¸

 

It's a tad bit chilly this morning!!😋😋. Could it be that there is hope for comfortable weather?? Like, maybe autumn??ðŸ‚ðŸ‚ðŸ

 

We're going on a field trip to the fire station today with our homeschool group. The firemen have a shiny new truck they are very proud of, so that should be fun!!

 

 

What fun!  Tell your firefighters Hi for us.  We like emergency response people.

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AMJ

AMJ

Posted
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Good morning.

 

I woke up with a terrible headache.  I ate, took some medicine, and went back to bed.

 

I'm up now.  The headache is gone, but it is lurking just at the edge.

 

 

You need down-time.  I assign you to loaf about as much as you can manage today, for your head's sake.

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AMJ

AMJ

Posted
Posted (edited)

Our weeks don't seem to be conducive to much loafing, but I think I can fit in at least a few moments today.  I can multi-task a bit, loafing while "supervising" DD13's room-cleaning efforts later this afternoon.

 

Hmm, instead of doing something productive I COULD loaf around while DD13 is in Aikido today, too.   :laugh:

 

 

Creative loafing Boeja(h)!

Edited by AMJ
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Openhearted

Openhearted

Posted
Posted (edited)

Good Morning!

 

Coffee has been and is being consumed. Dd17 has went back to school this morning. Ds22 is still off work. I think he is still off until Monday, but he will probably go in sometime this weekend. Dh is back to work today. Little dd has fallen asleep on the couch after having breakfast, and little ds8 is having breakfast now.

 

I spoke to my dad on the phone. He is doing well; still going to church. :hurray: He is complaining of some arthritis in his knees, but other than that, seems healthy. Thank goodness.

 

Happy Loafing Day!I

 

Edit: little ds8 is not 21. Stupid autocorrect thingy!

Edited by Openhearted
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Jean in Newcastle

Jean in Newcastle

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Good morning. My cold is progressing. It's now gone into my chest but overall my pain levels (which were magnified at first) have come down.

 

Dd had me up around 5:30 am with a racing heartbeat. Rusty reacted to the unexpected talking in her bedroom by sounding the alarm with big thumps. I had to let him sniff my hand so he would know that it was only his Gram Bunny come to visit.

 

 

Sent from my iPhone using Tapatalk

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AMJ

AMJ

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Good morning. My cold is progressing. It's now gone into my chest but overall my pain levels (which were magnified at first) have come down.

 

Dd had me up around 5:30 am with a racing heartbeat. Rusty reacted to the unexpected talking in her bedroom by sounding the alarm with big thumps. I had to let him sniff my hand so he would know that it was only his Gram Bunny come to visit.

 

 

Sent from my iPhone using Tapatalk

 

 

:grouphug:  :grouphug:

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AMJ

AMJ

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They are advertising the Trans-Siberian Orchestra "Ghosts of Christmas Eve" concert on the radio. I'm not ready for Christmas. But I would love to go to that concert.🎸🎸🎻🎻🎶🎶💕💕

 

 

Buy your tickets now, put it on your calendars, and then relax a while.  By the time the concert comes around you will be ready for Christmas, and you will have gotten tickets before they sold out.

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AMJ

AMJ

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We Zumbad.  Now I'm eating a "grown-up" version of a lunchable, and DD16 is loafing while DD13 makes salad for the two of them.

 

I just realized we need to clean up the fridge contents and shop for groceries either today or tomorrow.  DD16 has a friend sleeping over this weekend, and we need fresh food.

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AMJ

AMJ

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I think it will take some dedicated loafing time today to dwell on our daily and weekly schedules as they are now.  My usual grocery shopping times are taken up, so I have to mindfully consider when I can run that errand.  I prefer twice a week, for fresh produce at the very least.

 

Loafing time is much required today.

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luuknam

luuknam

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Every person is different, and kids' brains mature in stages.  

 

Yeah, I was being silly about kids being all the same. And math really isn't so bad... he just needs to work "check for ways to simplify the problem" into the beginning of his tackle list. I've managed to get him to work "reduce fractions" and stuff like that into the end of his tackle list (he even manages to remember to put units at the end most of the time now), and sometimes he remembers to reduce fractions before multiplying them, so, there's progress. And no tears. And a willingness to spend a fair amount of time working on stuff. It's just disappointing (to me) when he does several problems in a row that should've been simplified first, and he takes the brute force route instead (actually, there were only 5 problems in that set). Now, if by the end of the book (AOPS Pre-Algebra), he still brute forces everything, then I'm going to seriously wonder what's going wrong. But that was only chapter 1.4. And, like I said, if I tell him to simplify stuff, he does tend to spot it. So, I think we're doing okay. 

 

Speaking of doing school and loafing: I handed Celery his LOF Elementary Physics book and told him to do the third bridge, as I walked out of the door to go to the dermatologist's office, and he actually did it (made a mistake in the 4th decimal in trying to figure out 100/77, when he could've just left it as a fraction, and got the question about which pendulum's period is longer wrong, but I decided to give him a pass on the former, so with 9/10 correct he then passed the bridge). Also, apparently now there's a shot for eczema that you can take (self-administer) once every two weeks. It needs to be pre-authorized though, but it looks like I'm going to get to try that. :)

 

We Zumbad. 

 

 

Not to be confused with Zubat:

 

https://www.pokemon.com/us/pokedex/zubat

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luuknam

luuknam

Posted
Posted

I would love to, actually,but don't have >$200 to spend on a pair of tickets.

 

 

I *know*, right? We'd go to so many more concerts if they were $20, rather than $200 (for the family... not many concerts that cost that much per person). Also, super annoyed with our local orchestra, which adds a zillion fees on top of the ticket cost. It's not even terribly expensive, but if you advertise that it's, say, $10/ticket, and then you add an additional $5 in fees per ticket, then I'm ticked off enough to boycott you, even if I would've been willing to pay $15/ticket (okay, I'm not super consistent about that, but it is a major turnoff).

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ikslo

ikslo

Posted
Posted

Good morning. My cold is progressing. It's now gone into my chest but overall my pain levels (which were magnified at first) have come down.

 

Dd had me up around 5:30 am with a racing heartbeat. Rusty reacted to the unexpected talking in her bedroom by sounding the alarm with big thumps. I had to let him sniff my hand so he would know that it was only his Gram Bunny come to visit.

 

 

Sent from my iPhone using Tapatalk

 

:grouphug:

 

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Critterfixer

Critterfixer

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It looks like the boys may get additional art instruction every week for six weeks. :hurray:  Cue more loafing time for me. Because I truly do loaf when I draw or paint--I just go away into my own little world of lines, colors and shapes and get lost.

We are back from painting. I put more yummy pumpkin orange on my pumpkins. I presented my quince picture, got tenderly nit-picked, but also applauded for my choice of red to add to the fruit and for the composition of the painting.  :001_smile:

So now--school, cleaning (very quick) and I plan to kick back with the editing while the oven does most of the work making dinner for me.

 

Oh, the monarchs are migrating through the woods. There is a gorgeous patch of wild sunflowers up my road and it is full of monarchs, swallowtails and bees. I stopped to take pictures, but the darned things kept seeing me and flying off. I need to be sneakier.

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Critterfixer

Critterfixer

Posted
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Hugs. I get loafy when depression increases. I'm getting there now. I can tell in the last few weeks, as usual this time of year.

:grouphug: I've been sleeping more, but sleeping better. I'm always glad to see fall arrive because that's when my seasonal depression leaves...

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Jean in Newcastle

Jean in Newcastle

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Posted

The good news is that I've lost four pounds in four days.  The result of having no appetite.  Even if I gain half of it back, I will still be better off than I started.

 

The bad news is that my kitchen/cooking has gone to pot, my laundry has reached crisis levels, school has gotten out of control and the rest of the house looks like a bomb has gone off. 

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lanalouwho

lanalouwho

Posted
Posted

I was trying to ketchup, but I'm giving up now. Mustard all the way.

 

We took our scheduled break week this week even though we haven't schooled since Harvey. I needed to recover from all the recovery. On Monday, we will be back to our regular scheduled programming. Same bat time, same bat channel.

 

There is a package that I ordered before Harvey that is being held hostage in a water-damaged post office. I guess if I ever do get it, it will be a nice little surprise.

 

I need to schedule a park day for our homeschool group, but I don't know which parks are open and which ones aren't. I guess I have to drive around town and find out.

 

I missed you all, and hopefully I will be around more now that things are calming down.

 

Sent from my HTCD160LVW using Tapatalk

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