Weekly Intentions :: A Practice

Good Morning!  How have you been? How did your week go?

I must say that I accomplished everything and more on my list from last week.  It was simple and sweet--much like today's will be.

Here's a peek into some of what we got into last week together:

Staycation Week One  -- Done!

This week the kids and I will engage in another week of 'staycation' fun. We've already selected the activities we want to do and have invited friends to join in, if they can.

I will focus on:

• daily meditation and quiet time
• daily exercise
• being present with my children (i.e. unplugging)
• laughing
• sharing through talking and listening
• getting out of the house and enjoying life around us
• completing a few of my reading projects (i'm reading books for me and reading some for my kids' book club for next year)

What is one thing that tops your list for this week? Share it below!! Yes, I want to know. :)

Wishing you just what you want/need this week--make it happen.

Be well.

Weekly Intentions :: A Practice

Good Morning!

This week's list is short and sweet!

• meditation & quiet time
• daily exercise
• read from summer reading list
• laugh
• be present & enjoy my children
• say 'yes' to every opportunity to hang out with friends

What's on your intentional list for this week? Are you doing anything special for the summer? I hope that no matter what is on your list this week you'll make time for what matters most in your life--enjoying yourself and the people who make your life sweet.

Be well.

Planning Your Year Anew

It's once again time to begin planning for the new homeschool year, if you haven't started already.  For anyone new to homeschooling and starting at the very beginning of things, I'd like to share with you a series I've done for newbies: How to Plan Series. You'll find seven simply steps to get you on your way. (Anyone looking for a refresher is encouraged to take a look too.)

For many of us who have been doing this for a minute, we may need a few reminders or some pointers on just what we need to focus on as we end a year and start anew.  For those of us in that boat, I'll be sharing some tips and reminders over the next few weeks to help keep us all on track. This will be 'How to Plan 2.0.'

I invite you to join me each Wednesday for a quick tip/reminder and a resource or two.  I'd love to have your feedback and input on how you're already planning; what things you're already doing to put things in place for your children for next term. We all learn from each other and I invite each of you to share as you're able.

Here's the first tip/reminder in this new series: Take time to assess and evaluate where you and your children are at this moment.

Depending upon how old your children are and what levels they are on will determine just how much you'll need to review and reflect upon. I typically pull out the plans and goals I've written at the top of any given year and look to see if we've met them.  I look at our calendar of events to see just what 'impromptu' activities may have helped get us to where we wanted to be and what may have taken us in different directions.  I also review their journals and logs.

As your children grow, I suggest adding conferencing to your assessment and evaluation time.  Yesterday I had meetings with each of my children that focused mainly on their thoughts about this year--what they enjoyed learning, what they didn't; how much they felt they'd learned and what other things they would have liked to cover this year.  After listening to them and asking additional questions based on their answers, I took notes and asked them to start thinking about what they'd like to add to our learning experiences for the coming months. In another day or so, I'll meet with each again for this follow-up conversation--one of many, I must add. Although I did this more formally this year, we speak often about how they believe they're doing and how they'd like to improve.  I have found that they are taking more ownership in their learning since starting this a few years ago.

Depending upon where you live (state) determines just how you're required to do record keeping for this homeschool year ending. In Georgia, we're only required to write a summary on what each child covered in each subject. By reviewing our goals for the year, talking to the children and making my own assessments as to the successes and challenges we've had I can quickly write these summaries in my planning book.  These summaries are the record keeping that is required and are kept with the previous years' summaries. We then will take time to select some of the work we've done to go into our every growing portfolios--many of them have been lap books.

By taking time to assess and evaluate where you are, you set yourself up for figuring out where you need to go from where you are to where you'd like to be.  Don't feel rushed during this step.  Let me say that again--Don't feel rushed during this step. Paying close attention to just what your children know, how well they can complete specific tasks and what their challenges and deficiencies may be will assist you greatly in planning appropriately for next year.

Part of this assessment should include feedback from your partner/spouse and other family/friends whom your children interact with regularly.  If you're part of a co-op, speaking with other parents who teach or have taught your child or interact with them, may be helpful as well. We spend a lot of time with our children and may not always see things objectively.  Allowing other trusted adults to give us feedback on how they see our children is beneficial.  We may be surprised to hear that our children are learning and exhibiting the habits and behaviors we've been working so hard to teach them. Should we hear things that aren't what we expect to hear or would like to hear about our children, we can use this information too in redirecting and reteaching them. Either way, we can use this feedback for the good.

At present, I am seeing that my children are feeling pretty good about where they are right now. Each of them wants to do more and sees the areas in which they are challenged. I'm looking forward to hearing more from them about what interests they have and what subjects they may want to explore further in their learning. Of course I have a list of things I'd like them to learn too (smile), but that will come after I hear from them first.

Where are you with regards to assessing and evaluating? Have you started this process yet? Remember, knowing where each of your children is and how they're doing is key to planning well for next year. Take your time, listen and we'll move forward to the next step next week.

See you next time.

Be well.

Weekly Intentions :: A Practice

Good Afternoon. Happy Sunday to each of you. Thanks for stopping by today to join me in our weekly practice of intention setting.

In thinking about the new week beginning I want to give myself to some personal development. I have been joking with a few friends lately about having 5 streams of income--yet I am very serious about this. Several years ago now, a mommy-friend shared that all women should have 5 streams of income and that she was working on developing doing just that.  At the time, I had never heard of that and questioned her in detail about the particulars. Since then, it's always been part of my thinking and planning for the future. Sure, my husband takes the lead in providing for us financially, yet it is very wise for a woman to always be able to make her own money.  It's easy to become overwhelmed when thinking about this but I am finally finding other women who are also thinking along these lines and we're making plans together to increase our numbers.  To this end, I will continue to develop myself and shore up my cliental base.

The children and I have been reading a few books aloud together. I have been reading aloud for over 12 years now and honestly, it can be tiring. (don't laugh, it's the truth!) The children keep finding other books for us to read but we've got to finish the ones we've started. I will make time this week to complete one of them.

This week, if the rain gives us a break, I hope to do some more clearing and building up of our garden. We visited our community garden this weekend and spoke with the lady overseeing it. She gave me some tips on how to get some herbs started and shared a few more seeds. We have several seeds sprouting on the counter that will need to be planted in soil by week's end.

Bird watching is something I enjoy and so do my children. Just this week a few more birds showed up at our feeders.  We have a pair of cowbirds, three pairs of purple finches and a host of mourning doves now (they're ground eaters, so they've been cleaning up the mess made from the feeder birds on the porch).  I want to make some identification cards so my children can readily identify them on their own. We've already collected the pictures so now I need to print and laminate them.

We again have plans to study at the library. We have been enjoying that new space and all agree that this is something we want to make a regular weekly activity.

Of course meditation and quiet time will be part of my weekly practice. This week I'll be adding a daily workout and yoga class.  I'm excited about getting back to yoga in a group setting. We'll see if the children opt in.

Meal prep is something I've been talking about. I've been planning for and this week I will start making some freezer meals. I'll let you know how that goes.  Wish me well. (smile)

As part of our Georgia Unit Studies we are planning to take some day trips around the state.  I've already made a list of destinations and have done a bit of research on just what to do when we arrive. I've also done some budgeting and mapping. This week I hope to make a schedule of dates. I have invited several other families to join us on these adventures and so I plan to connect with them this week letting them know our intentions (dates, locations, etc.) so that they may join us if their schedules allow them to. April is the month that I'm planning to get a good bit of this traveling in.

I enjoy art. I enjoy creating it and making things with my heart and hands. I have enrolled in a couple online courses to do just that. I have been gathering the needed materials and will pick up a few more items at the beginning of this week so that I can make time to start creating. It's such an important thing for me I intent to make it a priority this week.

I can't forget to mention reading. I need to do an entire post on just what I've been reading and learning. It's amazing to me just how much I am learning and how reading one book leads to reading the next and the next and... You get the picture. Friends and acquaintances have been offering their recommendations as well, so there are several stacks of books on my night stand, on the floor next to my bed and in my back pack.

What plans are you making for this week? How are you scheduling your time and energy? I'd love to hear from you. Please take a moment to comment below.

In all you do, I wish you peace, joy and light.

Be well.

Weekly Intentions

I have been having the most FABULOUS weekend that I am reluctantly here this evening.  I am such a Daddy's Girl and my Daddy surprised me with a visit this weekend. I cleared my schedule and have been thoroughly enjoying some Daddy/Daughter time.

So, I'm going to give a quick list and get back to enjoying him before he leaves. Fair enough?

Here are the promises I'm hoping to give myself to this week:

• meditation; quiet time
• rest
• reading
• creating -- handmade work, primarily
• group learning time -- unit studies
• our history studies -- continuation
• rescheduling meet-ups with friends (that were kind enough to adjust for me--thank you!!)
• business planning 
• working on personal & professional development classes

I hope that you were able to get through your intentions last week and that you're being thoughtful about what you'll give yourself to this week beginning.  I'd love to hear from you.

Be safe this week, keep warm, especially with all the weather changes predicted over the next few day across the country. Enjoy some family time.

Be well.

Weekly Intentions :: A Practice

Good Day. How are you? How did your week go? Did you keep the promises you made to yourself?

I was able to keep my word to myself and even got in a few things I was secretly hoping to do. That is always an added bonus to the week.

This week I'm looking to continue in the following practices as well as get to a few other things:

• Daily silent/quiet/meditative time--whether at home or in nature.
• Being present with the people who are with me.
• Giving myself less time online--a few weeks ago I shared that I hadn't been on social media--specifically FB--for a good stint of time. Over the past two weeks I've been back and already things have become a distraction--even with the time limits I've given myself. I think that I will again scale back and ask for some assistance in keeping group items updated and posted.
• Daily reading time--still have lots of personal reading to do--for learning and for pleasure.
• Weekly writing time--last week I figured out that this is something I will need to spread over the course of the week instead of coming up with a daily schedule.
• Connecting and spending time with each of my children individually--again, another practice that will be spread over the course of the week instead of a daily happening. The kind of time I am looking to have requires more uninterrupted, undivided attention.
• Purging, sorting and organizing--I've completed most of the tasks given in the daily housekeeping challenge and am also doing additional tasks around the house. A personal goal is to get through the rest of our learning materials and books. I need to go on and let them go. Honestly, I've kept them because I was hoping to offer them directly to a family or group of families instead of donating them. I'm not realizing that my space has become more important and need to release these items. (I have offered them and will be taking some with me for our weekly homeschooling community's space to see if anyone is interested before dropping them off at the Goodwill.)
• Fleshing out our plans for gardening this year--we've already been talking about it. I've been making notes and plans. We've cleaned our last year's containers and located some others to get/purchase. Tomorrow I will be speaking specifically with another mother who intends to garden as well about swapping seeds, creating compost containers and discussing what, if anything, we'll go in on to grow and share.  I'm already part of a few networks, so I know that I don't need to grow everything myself. There are three urban farms in my neighborhood alone that offer food boxes and set up at local farmers' markets. But the kids and I really enjoy growing things, so we will continue to do something. (smile)
• Make time to connect and be with my friends--I have some really great friends. Some I've known for years; others we've recently met--but all of them add something special to my life. I need to honor this and so each week I'm attempting to make time to continue to cultivate our relationships. It's great to get a text/email with them but I do better interacting face to face. As I've shared in previous weeks, I have to be intentional about making time to do this. There are too many things that happen over the course of a week that can keep me from doing so (as well as for them). This year I want to make the most of the time I have and enjoy the people who matter most. I have two 'dates' set up for this week and I'm looking to schedule some others for the rest of the month.
• Continue in daily exercise--last week wasn't too bad.  I have a running joke with a friend regarding exercise--you may have it too.  It's not 'official' unless you post it somewhere online. This seems to be true in our lives now--but although I may not post something daily, I want to make it happen. (smile)
• Getting adequate rest--my sleeping pattern may be different than most, but I want to continue to honor my body's rhythms with regards to sleep and rest. The mid-afternoon/early evening nap is really working well for me. 

What practices and tasks do you want to give time to this week?  Why not take a moment to share a couple below? I'd love to be able to encourage you in them and hear the progress that you're making.

I wish you well in this new week. Hope you'll stop by next Sunday and check in.

Be well.

Weekly Intentions

It's later than I'd planned to post for today. It's been a full day--reading, cooking, preparing for the week, talking, laughing, resting....But I'm here now!  Hope that you've already had some quiet time to reflect on the week past and look at how you'd like this new week to shape up.

This week I plan to:

• Meal planning--this is a task I've been working on and have plans to gather with some other mothers to share recipes--get more ideas on simple, wholesome foods to prepare. I'm excited about the possibilities.
• Quiet time--I'm promising to make this time for myself each day this week.
• Exercise--I am gently moving into this. My body has been through a lot over the last several months. 
• Reading time--I have been doing so much of this lately. Thoroughly enjoying it!
• Engaging my children individually--it's easy to group everyone together but I want to be intentional about giving each of them time with me; to talk; to laugh; to be. This is a goal I'm looking to make over the course of the week, rather than each day.
• Connect with friends--although this was not on my list last week, I've reached out to several folk and have things on the calendar for this week. I'm looking to hear back from a few more so that we don't miss out on special time we can have this month.
• Errands--I have a good number of them to do this week, so I'm adding this to my overall list. It's easy to put things off and only deal with what's pressing. However, I need to get them done this week and stop 'making do.' (I also have the upcoming weather this week as an incentive!)
• Mail three hand-written letters--I love getting letters in the mail. Sadly hand-written letters is a lost art. But I do have people in my life that can appreciate them, even if they are unable to return the gesture. I want to write to at least three of these special people this week.

What promises are you making to yourself this week? How will you be intentional about bringing them to life? You're always welcome to comment below. I'd love to be about encourage you as you encourage me.

Have a purposeful week.

Be well.

Weekly Intentions

Good Evening. thought I forgot? (smile) Just getting a moment to write things down and post for today.

This week's list is simple:

• Reaclimate ourselves to 'normal' life--after being away. You know, all those things like unpacking, reordering, getting back on schedule. (fun stuff, right?)
• Create meal plans for rest of the month, along with grocery list.
• Compile and organize recipes (retrieve all the ones I've saved on Pinterest so we can actually use them).
• Make and post daily and weekly schedules for individual and shared learning time, chores and other responsibilities.

I have had such a wonderful time away. I've learned some important things and was reminded of a few I've forgotten. Once we're back into our groove I plan to share some of what I heard while listening.

How did you previous week go? Did you get to the things on your list? I sure hope so. I was able to successfully get through mine.  What intentions are your setting for this week? I'd love to hear/read them--share them below or leave a link to where you've posted them.

Be well.

Weekly Intentions

So as I begin a new week, I will continue on the intentions of last week.  With a change of scenery, I am already enjoying less daily responsibilities (cooking, cleaning, regular routines, etc.) which is and will allow me to give myself more fully to the reading, listening and visioning I would like to do.

[click here to read them]

What are your intentions for this week? How will you use the new energy of the calendar year to push you forward to what you're dreaming up for yourself and your family? Take a moment to comment below. I'd love to hear from you.

Until next week,

Be well.

Weekly Intentions

This week away was just what I needed. At the last minute I wasn't going to go--things got a bit too stressful and I thought it would be easier to just stay put. I'm so glad I didn't listen to those crazy thoughts in my head.

Time away, a change of scenery, quietness, stillness, peacefulness is what my spirit required. I got a bit of that. Rest. Time to read. A bit of laughter. It's what I intended for my week and that's exactly how things went. I was able to recharge surrounded by beautiful views in a mountain lodge. Crisp air, warm sunshine, songs of birds, the rustling of leaves, the view of the moutains--all of these things gave me a bit of calm. As much as I know about nature and how being in it with no real purpose, other than to be, has such a powerful affect on one's well-being, I am always surprised at just how quickly this works. I am thankful for it and intent to do much more of this in the coming weeks and months. This type of healing is what I need on a regular basis.

How did your week go? Were you able to cull out time for the things you most wanted?

This new week starting I have some simple intentions again. (Simple does not necessarily mean easy.)

• Visit with friends (we have several dates planned for this week)
• Make treats to share with neighbors & other community members
• Read
• Organize things in our home learning space
• Rest
• Enjoy my family through laughter, sharing and simply being together

What are your intentions for this week? What things do you want to make priority? I'd love to hear from you and encourage you in it. Why not take a moment to share below?

Be well.

My Plans for 2010

Found image here. 

It's that time of year again.  When I'm making plans, arranging things, sorting through, purging, hoping, investigating, making lists, etc.  I've taken a break from my regular computer usage, reading blogs and writing on my own.  I'm feeling a bit overwhelmed today. As a look around my house I see SO MUCH that needs to be taken care of (loads of laundry need to be folded & put away, books need to be put on the shelf, the classroom is in disarray, Christmas decorations need to be officially packed up, etc.).

But, there is an excitement that I'm feeling right now, too.  It's the excitement that I used to get when I was preparing for the first day of school.  You know that feeling! ;-)  I've decided that we're taking another week off to get things in a bit more order. (Plus I'm preparing for my national cert test on Thursday for Massage Therapy--my side, side gig! lol!)

We are taking little steps. Cleaning here and there. Playing with Legos and making up stories as we dress-up.  Between washing dishes and preparing meals, I'm jotting things down.  While looking through books and reading aloud to the children, I'm thinking, and hoping and planning!

This year we're moving back South (prayers made, fingers-tightly crossed!).  So this mean another major packing up.  I've promised myself that I will NOT be moving back with the same junk I moved up here with.  There are still boxes, if only a few, in the basement that I haven't even opened since moving up here in 2008.  So, they will be the first to go!  Now that I'm really thinking about all of this, there is a lot that I will need to put into place.  Yeah, a list will be good!

Homeschool-wise, I've been looking over the plans that I wrote out in Aug of 2009.  Many of those things I will continue to do.  This year I'm going to implement a theme for each month--actually a monthly virtue that we'll learn about, read stories that reinforce it, memorize a poem related to it and do a few other things as well.  I'll be using the Book of Virtues by William J. Bennett as a guide and will also use other resources as I find them.

Money Monday has been a real hit, thus far.  Each Monday (well, almost every Monday) I've done a short lesson on money.  The children have learned about all the coins (a little history about them) and how to count them.  My oldest, of course, as taken to counting them better than her siblings, but I expected that.  Whenever I get change back at the store I tell her if she can count it, she can have it.  This has been very motivating for her, to say the least.

I am a big fan of geography and have several maps on the walls of our classroom.  It's important to me that my children know where they are and where everyone is.  Moving has really helped them pay attention to states and where things are located.  I want to continue with this.

Our Phonics/Reading lessons, if you will, have been sporadic at best.  I found that there was too much resistance and didn't want it to turn into something ugly so I've backed off.  Jaya asked me the other day if I'd teach her to read, so we'll be doing something in this area again on a more consistent basis.  I think now that she's reading and showing the desire to actually read we'll have a bit more success!

I'm wanting to do some more creative things as well as doing some personal growing and sharing.  I've decided to start a separate blog for this as I see, from my more recent posts of last year, I've been focusing more on "me" then homeschooling here.  Not that the two cannot coincide.  I just think I'd like a different space for that.  I realize that this will take a few weeks of transition, but I'll keep you up to date if you're interested in following me there. (smile)  I also have a creative blog if you'd like to check that out. [Well, the "few days" have turned into a "few hours!"  It's up...check it out here!]

With the move coming up, I also want to take advantage of the time we do have here.  We've done a lot of exploring and site seeing.  But there are a few places I do want to go before we leave.  I also want to make the most of connecting, playing and enjoying the friends we've made since being here.  They have truly made our time away from our homeschool group, Kid Cultivators Homeschool Group, more bearable!  From my 3 yo son's perspective they are our only friends--and they're good friends at that!  (Wow! I'm getting sad.)

Another thing I want to do is to cultivate the relationships I've made here--online.  We took an impromptu trip to Kentucky after Christmas and I was able to meet a few virtual friends in person.  We had a wonderful time and I was thankful to have had that opportunity to spend time with them.  It also showed me that the time I spend reading blogs and getting to know others here isn't wasted.  It isn't fake or phony.  Well, it could be--but I have not found it so and see by your comments left here and on other blogs that you're just as real as I am.

From my meeting with Claudia, Lisa & Will Samson.  I've been inspired to do some writing of my own.  I've always wanted to write a few children's books.  I've even been writing some poetry.  Even if I don't officially publish anything, I do want to explore this more in 2010.  It may only be to keep up my blogs and journal.  But who knows, I may do more!

With reading challenge that I've started and the one I've joined I definitely have plans to read, read, read!  In addition to everything that I'm reading to my kids I've even found time to read a few books for myself.  I'm hoping to finish them and get in some more.

Well, I'm sure as I go through the rest of this week I will think of more things to add to my lists.  There will be more hopes and dreams that I'll have.  And I'll add them.  For now, this seems to be enough!

What plans do you have for the new year?