tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-64903075104188560652024-03-14T10:10:01.347-04:00Twinado WarningSunshine, storms, and chasing rainbows while raising and homeschooling our twins; Reagan and Nolan.Unknownnoreply@blogger.comBlogger86125tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-6490307510418856065.post-22926251346512150422014-08-28T10:19:00.000-04:002014-08-28T10:19:03.123-04:00So, When Do You Go Back To School?Yesterday afternoon, we were checking out at Target and the cashier asked my son, "So, when do you go back to school?" He replied, "We are homeschooled. We never stop learning!" She looked at me and then at him and said, "Awwww. I'm sorry you don't get a break!" The more I thought about her comment, the more it bothered me. What do people that don't really know about homeschooling think about what we do all day? All year?<br />
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My kids have always been raised to be curious, to question, to explore, to learn through play. That means 24/7/365, not 8:45-2:45/M-F/180. This mindset that kids only learn during "school hours" is absurd. We don't live in a time where kids are out of school during the summer so they can work in the fields and help out around the farm, well most of us anyway. Kids can, and do, learn anywhere, even if you are not trying to "teach" them. They are observant and soak in knowledge from everywhere. Giving them the right tools is key.<br />
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Sure, most brick and mortar schools have gone back already. Some homeschoolers have started already--or never stopped. We will really dive into our curriculum for the year after Labor Day, but that doesn't mean we didn't learn yesterday or the day before. As a matter of fact, we had a fractions lesson right there in the middle of Target. The twinadoes were discussing the amount of clothes they have and how much space it took up in their closet. They broke it down into fractions and they were correct. They are 7. I didn't chain them to a desk to learn that. You know how we learned it? Playing a game called Pizza Fractions. A game they beg to play. Gasp, a learning game. See, my kids never do get a break!<br />
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So many myths and untruths are out there and when we started homeschooling I never realized just how much it would become a part of our daily life. It has been a learning experience for all of us. We have learned to accept people's comment with grace and kindness and try to educate them with information one bit at a time.<br />
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What is the most absurd thing that has been said to you about your choice to homeschool?<br />
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<br />Unknownnoreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-6490307510418856065.post-57349170051710809382014-02-26T23:41:00.001-05:002014-02-26T23:41:39.605-05:00Homeschooling = The Good, The Bad and The BusyMy husband and I came to the decision to homeschool after I investigated several preschools when our twins were turning 3. I had been at a Montessori preschool and remember calling him from the parking lot and saying, "I'm already doing this. Why should we pay someone else to do it?" He has been supportive from the get-go. Not everyone in our family has been. Some have come around after watching our children flourish and excel at a pace they never could in a brick and mortar school setting. As long as our children are happy and progressing, those negative opinions don't matter to us.<br />
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I enjoy doing the work to pull lessons together. I love watching the A-ha moments when they grasp a new concept for the first time. I enjoy the ease of starting our day and a few extra minutes in the morning for everyone (cat included) to pile in my bed and have a quick cuddle. I love that said cat is a frequent student at the dining room table when we are doing lessons. (His favorite school tool is the abacus.)<br />
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We learn, hands-on, around the country and in our own backyard, any day or time of the year. We dare to "socialize" our homeschoolers by joining a co-op and participating in weekly activities at an open gym where they play with kids ages 0-18. One of my 6 year old sons' favorite people is an 18 year old boy from co-op and open gym that talks to him and answers his questions about Minecraft. He greets him with a hug every time he sees him. He lets my kid hang on him like he is a jungle gym, and when he had the flu last week my son added him to his special prayers list. A litany of friends, family, and extra sick people that he lists out loud each night.<br />
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Some days, I don't know where my energy come from: breakfast and some lessons, sweep the floor, dishes, clean the bathroom, followed by a class at the History Museum (don't forget to pack the lunch), following by swimming (oh, did we remember the gym bags?), and then home for dinner and the nightly reading of a Geronimo Stiliton book (usually by Dad and I crash on the bed for 20 minutes listening and thankful for the break.) After all that, I answer the emails for my photography business, prepare the next days lesson or perhaps research a bigger future lessons, work on the lesson for the class I teach at Co-Op, look at summer camps, and maybe get to talk to my husband about the days events (or not since we've been binge watching shows on Netflix this winter.) There is no 6-7 hour window when the kids are at school and I would be at work to pull my own thoughts together. To run an errand, I mean really RUN an errand without stopping to discuss how much things cost (good math lessons) or what food is better for you (health lesson). I'm not complaining because this is our choice. I just soldier on and try to feel like I've given the best I can. A friend, who is a psychologist, said that if you feel you have given your best 80% then the day was a success. That have saved my mind many times.<br />
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I am one of the lucky homeschool Moms that gets a break one day a week. Generally, my husband works from home on Friday's. I prepare a lesson for him to oversee and I get out of the house to do grocery shopping for us and my aging Mother-In-Law, edit pictures or work on contracts, and maybe get to lunch with a friend. I love that the kids get their father's perspective on our lessons. You just never know what he might say that might make something click for them that I am not bringing to the table.<br />
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Sure there are days that I feel overwhelmed, like I'm not teaching them what they need to know and then they do or say something so profound that I know we are on the right path and I'm raising some really cool human beings that are right where they need to be and we will be committed to this journey for as long as it works for all of us.<br />
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If you ever have any questions about the decision to homeschool or the whole process, please feel free to contact me.<br />
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<br />Unknownnoreply@blogger.com2tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-6490307510418856065.post-5120419991340120122013-12-19T17:00:00.001-05:002013-12-19T17:00:02.012-05:00SB248: WithdrawnOur voices were heard and Senator Cafaro has taken the steps necessary to withdraw SB248--in less than 24 hours!!<br />
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I hope the proper changes are made to the proper services that can have an impact and stop this from happening again.<br />
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From her FB page:<br />
<span style="background-color: white; color: #141823; font-family: 'Helvetica Neue', Helvetica, Arial, 'lucida grande', tahoma, verdana, arial, sans-serif; font-size: 14px; line-height: 18px;"><br /></span>
<span style="background-color: white; color: #141823; font-family: 'Helvetica Neue', Helvetica, Arial, 'lucida grande', tahoma, verdana, arial, sans-serif; font-size: 14px; line-height: 18px;">SB 248 was never meant to be a policy debate about educating children in the home. It was meant to address weaknesses in the law pertaining to child protection. Unfortunately, the true intent of the bill to curtail child abuse has been eclipsed the by the issue of homeschooling.</span><br />
<span style="background-color: white; color: #141823; font-family: 'Helvetica Neue', Helvetica, Arial, 'lucida grande', tahoma, verdana, arial, sans-serif; font-size: 14px; line-height: 18px;">After consultation with Teddy’s family, we have collectively decided the best course of action is for me to withdraw SB 248, and instead pursue a more comprehensive approach to address the current challenges in the state’s social service and criminal justice system.</span><br style="background-color: white; color: #141823; font-family: 'Helvetica Neue', Helvetica, Arial, 'lucida grande', tahoma, verdana, arial, sans-serif; font-size: 14px; line-height: 18px;" /><span style="background-color: white; color: #141823; font-family: 'Helvetica Neue', Helvetica, Arial, 'lucida grande', tahoma, verdana, arial, sans-serif; font-size: 14px; line-height: 18px;">It is our hope that this new focus will bring the discussion back to where it was always intended to be: protecting children. I am requesting field hearings to address the impact of current law, government agencies and nonprofit organizations on child welfare in Ohio. I will not include any content related to education in the home in a new bill, or in any other bill.</span><br style="background-color: white; color: #141823; font-family: 'Helvetica Neue', Helvetica, Arial, 'lucida grande', tahoma, verdana, arial, sans-serif; font-size: 14px; line-height: 18px;" /><span style="background-color: white; color: #141823; font-family: 'Helvetica Neue', Helvetica, Arial, 'lucida grande', tahoma, verdana, arial, sans-serif; font-size: 14px; line-height: 18px;">Through this process, it is our goal to craft a new bill to honor Teddy’s legacy and to protect vulnerable children like him in the future.</span><br style="background-color: white; color: #141823; font-family: 'Helvetica Neue', Helvetica, Arial, 'lucida grande', tahoma, verdana, arial, sans-serif; font-size: 14px; line-height: 18px;" /><br style="background-color: white; color: #141823; font-family: 'Helvetica Neue', Helvetica, Arial, 'lucida grande', tahoma, verdana, arial, sans-serif; font-size: 14px; line-height: 18px;" /><span style="background-color: white; color: #141823; font-family: 'Helvetica Neue', Helvetica, Arial, 'lucida grande', tahoma, verdana, arial, sans-serif; font-size: 14px; line-height: 18px;">For your review, I have included copies of my letter to President Faber indicating my plan to withdraw SB 248 with a motion on the Senate floor, as well as my letter to Medicaid, Health and Human Services Chair Shannon Jones, to request field hearings on the topic of child abuse in the New Year.</span>Unknownnoreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-6490307510418856065.post-38065842282843014882013-12-18T15:55:00.003-05:002013-12-18T15:55:47.952-05:00Homeschooling Parents: Ohio Senate Bill 248<span style="font-family: inherit;">Senator Capri Cafaro has introduced a bill, <span style="background-color: white; color: #4b4f4f; line-height: 25px;"><a href="http://www.hslda.org/hs/state/oh/201312170.asp" target="_blank">Ohio Senate Bill 248</a>, that "r</span><span style="background-color: white;">equires all parents who homeschool to undergo a social services investigation which would ultimately determine if homeschooling would be permitted. Social workers would have to interview parents and children separately, conduct background checks and determine whether homeschooling is recommended or not. If it is not recommended, parents would have to submit to an “intervention” before further consideration of their request to homeschool."</span></span><br />
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<span style="font-family: inherit;"><span style="background-color: white;">If you feel strongly against this, please start by visiting <a href="https://www.change.org/petitions/sen-capri-cafaro-withdraw-ohio-senate-bill-248#" target="_blank">this petition</a> and signing it. Then you can <a href="http://www.senate.gov/general/contact_information/senators_cfm.cfm" target="_blank">contact the offices </a>of </span><span style="background-color: white; color: #4b4f4f; line-height: 25px;">Sen. Capri Cafaro (D-32) and co-sponsors, Sen. Edna Brown (D-11), Sen. Nina Turner (D-25), and Sen. Tony Schiavoni (D-33) and tell them how you feel. </span></span><br />
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<span style="background-color: white; color: #4b4f4f; line-height: 25px;"><span style="font-family: inherit;"> Another outlet for opinions:</span></span><br />
<a href="https://www.facebook.com/pages/Senator-Capri-S-Cafaro/279952678729649" style="line-height: 25px;" target="_blank"><span style="font-family: inherit;">Capri Cafaro's facebook.</span></a><br />
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<br />Unknownnoreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-6490307510418856065.post-29378121266377448422013-08-28T12:31:00.001-04:002013-08-28T12:31:15.038-04:00Another Resource<span style="font-family: Trebuchet MS, sans-serif;">As I wrap up planning for the upcoming homeschool season, I want to share a resource I stumbled upon when trying to find material to create a Flat Stanley unit. </span><br />
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<span style="font-family: Trebuchet MS, sans-serif;"><a href="http://www.teacherspayteachers.com/Browse/PreK-12-Subject-Area/Arts">http://www.teacherspayteachers.com/Browse/PreK-12-Subject-Area/Arts</a><span style="background-color: white; color: #141823; font-size: 14px; line-height: 18px;"> . </span></span><br />
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<span style="background-color: white; color: #141823; font-size: 14px; line-height: 18px;"><span style="font-family: Trebuchet MS, sans-serif;">Teachers share their units/worksheets/etc on all subjects for a small fee.</span></span><br />
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<span style="background-color: white; color: #141823; font-size: 14px; line-height: 18px;"><span style="font-family: Trebuchet MS, sans-serif;">This saved me precious time and only cost a few dollars.<br /><br />Just a reminder that I don't need to recreate the wheel every single time. </span></span><br />
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<span style="background-color: white; color: #141823; font-size: 14px; line-height: 18px;"><span style="font-family: Trebuchet MS, sans-serif;">Hope you find something helpful there (they have freebies, too!)</span></span>Unknownnoreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-6490307510418856065.post-45829636927499182352013-07-28T09:06:00.002-04:002013-07-28T09:06:26.361-04:00Free Summer Fun<span style="background-color: white; color: #333333; font-family: 'lucida grande', tahoma, verdana, arial, sans-serif; font-size: 13px; line-height: 17px;">Free and Fun</span><br />
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<span style="background-color: white; color: #333333; font-family: 'lucida grande', tahoma, verdana, arial, sans-serif; font-size: 13px; line-height: 17px;">If anyone has kids that are excited about the upcoming(Disney) Planes movie, Lowe's is doing 2 build and grow classes featuring two of the planes; Dusty and El Chupacabra. </span><a href="http://www.lowesbuildandgrow.com/pages/default.aspx" rel="nofollow nofollow" style="background-color: white; color: #3b5998; cursor: pointer; font-family: 'lucida grande', tahoma, verdana, arial, sans-serif; font-size: 13px; line-height: 17px; text-decoration: none;" target="_blank">http://<wbr></wbr><span class="word_break" style="display: inline-block;"></span>www.lowesbuildandgrow.com/<wbr></wbr><span class="word_break" style="display: inline-block;"></span>pages/default.aspx</a><br />
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<br />Unknownnoreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-6490307510418856065.post-67323543986854065592013-05-20T13:33:00.003-04:002013-05-20T13:33:44.618-04:00Thinking of Homeschooling?I will be part of a panel of homeschoolers that will take place at the News Herald office's on Wednesday, June 12th at 7p.<br />
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We will discuss why we homeschool, some of the resources we use, and will answer any questions you may have about homeschooling.<br />
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If you are thinking of homeschooling or are currently doing homeschooling, please join us!<br />
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If there are any questions you would like answered and will not be able to attend the session, please post them here and I will gladly have them answered for you.<br />
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<br />Unknownnoreply@blogger.com4tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-6490307510418856065.post-79274289908482179142013-03-03T08:09:00.002-05:002013-03-03T08:09:51.587-05:00Phonics TipMy kids reading has really been helped by an online phonics lesson that involves the Looney Tunes characters. It gives them several areas with multiples choices where a robot says the letter sound or word and they have to pick it. They read sentences along with the robot, and as we are finding out as we go, they have to unscramble words to make complete sentences. It also incorporates the computer keyboard into the lesson, so they have become very proficient at using the keyboard.<br />
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I discovered this program on a living social deal, so when I saw another deal the other day by the same company, ClickN Kids, I grabbed it. It is for spelling and more phonics. It is a lifetime subscription for $17! While it won't have the Looney Tunes characters in it, that is OK. We are 53 lessons into the Looney Tunes one and the kids have asked me to cut out the cartoon content in the middle and only want to do the lessons. They would have never asked me that at the beginning, but their learning style is changing and they want the lessons more than the cartoons. (That program allows you to control the amount of cartoony-stuff in between the lessons.)<br />
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It also gives you a report at the end of the lesson to track progress and if 4 or more errors are made it recommends that the lesson is repeated. I have been printing those reports and saving them for the homeschool portfolio.<br />
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If you are interested in checking out the spelling and phonics programs, you can go <a href="http://www.livingsocial.com/deals/624736" target="_blank">here</a>. I believe the deal is valid for TWO more days.<br />
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<br />Unknownnoreply@blogger.com11tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-6490307510418856065.post-37419001396255026162013-01-31T11:46:00.003-05:002013-01-31T11:46:30.902-05:00Lowe's Build and GrowMy kids and husband have enjoyed the Lowe's Build and Grow events over the last couple of years. They got an apron at the first one they attended and they get patches for each build they do. They have a really cute Valentine's Day one coming up. If your kids happen to be Monster Jam fans, as mine are, the one on 2/23 features the truck Grave Digger. They are FREE, you just need to register <a href="http://www.lowesbuildandgrow.com/pages/default.aspx">here.</a><br />
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It's good hands-on learning at the right price! I just registered my kids and thought I'd pass along the info.Unknownnoreply@blogger.com7tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-6490307510418856065.post-12430522045227452352013-01-23T09:49:00.000-05:002013-02-03T13:04:03.107-05:00Our Goals for 2013<span style="font-family: Verdana, sans-serif;">Well, we are a little over 3 weeks into the New Year and we are chipping away at our goals for 2013 as a family and individually for me.</span><br />
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<span style="font-family: Verdana, sans-serif;">*See 20 movies</span><br />
<span style="color: #333333; font-family: Verdana, sans-serif; line-height: 115%;">* Read 13 books </span><br />
<span style="color: #333333; font-family: Verdana, sans-serif; line-height: 115%;">* Have a weekend brunch/lunch with 20 different
friends</span><br />
<span style="font-family: Verdana, sans-serif;">* 13 date nights with my husband</span><br />
<span style="font-family: Verdana, sans-serif;">* Visit 13 new places/have 13 new experiences</span><br />
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<span style="font-family: Verdana, sans-serif;">I've done some of that already. My husband and I had an impromptu date night last weekend that was so much fun. I also stepped out of my comfort zone and went on a large slide at Kalahari. (I do NOT like being enclosed, in the dark, with rushing water.) I can't say I enjoyed it, but I did have a huge rush when it was over and my friend that went on the raft with me said she thought I was speaking in tongues, so maybe I've discovered something else I can do ;)</span><br />
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<span style="font-family: Verdana, sans-serif;">As far as homeschool goals, one of the things I want to work on is having the kids spelling more words independently. They are reading like champs and have decent penmanship, but they still want me to spell the words they don't know. I want them to get in the habit of trying it first and then after they write it their way, I will tell them the proper way. We are working on that.</span><br />
<span style="color: #333333;"><span style="line-height: 14px;"><br /></span></span><span style="color: #333333; font-family: Verdana, sans-serif; line-height: 14px;">Thanks to friends that will be getting married, we will get to show the twinadoes more of our great county and visit the states of Louisiana, Mississippi, and Alabama later this winter. We will start our lessons about those states in a week or two. I pack an old suitcase (think old school hard sided, powder blue) with books, worksheets, games, puzzles, and various other things related to the states we will be studying. I've made the kids travel "passports" and have state flag stickers so once we study a state they can get their stamp in their passport.</span><br />
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<span style="color: #333333;">I hope to get to this blog more often this year and would appreciate any feedback on topics you'd like me to touch on or information you may need if you are starting your homeschool journey.<br /><span style="font-size: x-small; line-height: 14px;"><br /></span></span><br />
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Nolan padded down the stairs about 90 minutes after being put to bed tonight. He says he is not sick nor did he have a bad dream. He knows nothing of today's tragedy in Newton, CT . He just needed to be by me. Ironic, because tonight more than any other night, I needed him. He climbed onto the couch and stretched out in between my legs and was snoring in 2 minutes flat. As I look down at his lashes so long that they make a shadow on his face, I started to cry. How many of the 20 innocent children murdered today had long lashes? How many parents, grandparents, aunts, uncles, and friends are staring at gifts under the Christmas tree tonight that will never be opened? How can life ever go on when your baby is ripped from this earth in an act of such violence? How many siblings will have to live the rest of their lives wondering what little brother or sister would have grown up to be? Where any of them twins?<br /><br />The pain is unfathomable. I don't want to think about it, but I have to. Just because I homeschool doesn't mean we are 100% safe. This could (and does) happen anywhere. The mall, the movies, hospitals.<br /><br />After hearing the news today, I was in a farmers market. A man walked in, both hands buried in jacket pockets. He was unkempt and muttering to himself, his eyes shifted nervously. Probably totally harmless, but at that moment I had a panic attack. I walked out without buying anything. I can't run away forever, but today I did.<br /><br />We have become an angry society. Someone in front of you is going a mile under the speed limit and the car behind is honking and yelling. The cashier isn't moving as fast as you'd like, so you make some rude comment. So many have no patience or kindness in their hearts. Mentally ill people either have no where to go because there are no beds, they can't pay for it, or no one cares enough to speak up and help them.<br /><br />Violence has become an acceptable way to deal with problems. Rappers sing about it like it is a tea party. Kids play violent video games at such a young age that they know no other way to deal with problems than to hit someone. Or worse, pick up a gun with bad intentions. (I was raised in a home with guns. I learned to shoot. I learned respect for them. No matter what gun laws are made, they will always make it into the hands of those that really want them.)<br /><br />I'm not an ultra religious person. I believe in a higher power, but at times like this I question how <b><i>any</i></b> higher power could let something like this happen. People say things like, "everything happens for a reason" or "God needed more angels." That is bull. There is NO reason why 20 little kids will never ride their bike around the block again, put a tooth under the pillow for the tooth fairy, or kiss their parents good night. Why 7 adults will never see their children get married or bounce their Grand-babies on their knees. NO REASON.<br /><br />This was not a random act of violence. This person knew where he was going and what he was going to do when he got there. He is described as being "off", but was on enough to plot this massacre and get himself some body armor in the process. I'm angry that he had access to guns. Why would there be guns in the house with him? If his mom was afraid of him enough to buy a gun(s) then something else should have been done for everyone's safety.<br /><br /><br />I have no answers tonight. Only tears.<br /><br />Life will go on for us, but not for 27 families in CT.</div>
Unknownnoreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-6490307510418856065.post-64887061995867877372012-11-22T09:07:00.002-05:002012-11-22T09:07:39.791-05:00Give ThanksToday is a day to reflect on what we are thankful for. I am thankful my husband is on-board with homeschooling and is supportive with how I'm doing it. Without his hard work, I wouldn't be able to stay home and do this.<br />
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I'm also thankful that so many institutions are now offering homeschool activities and classes. It is helping the kids establish friendships other than the kids in the neighborhood or in our multiples group.<br />
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Enjoy your day!Unknownnoreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-6490307510418856065.post-29942959992170563552012-11-12T09:37:00.001-05:002012-11-12T09:37:40.035-05:00Homeschool Field TripsI'm excited to have found a very active homeschool "field trip" type group on facebook. It will give my kids a chance to hang out with other kids and see places we have never been or discover something new about a favorite place. Maybe make a lifetime friend. You just never know.<br />
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As my kids are getting older, the trips take on different shapes. Before we used to go to the West Side Market to just be exposed to all the sights and smells. Slowly, they started asking questions about the different foods and the nationalities behind them. Now when we go, they get some money to spend and they have to make choices about how to spend it and keep count of their money. As they get older, I'll give them a recipe to gather ingredients for and then they will have to cook it.<br />
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What about you? What places do you visit and how have those visits changed as your child grows? What was your favorite "field trip" and why?Unknownnoreply@blogger.com1tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-6490307510418856065.post-44440418724333987762012-10-18T10:14:00.002-04:002012-10-18T10:14:42.743-04:00Fall LessonsWell, homeschooling is well under way, but then again it always is at our house. Learning is 24-7 for us.<br />
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We have been focusing on fall stuff and incorporating that into our daily handwriting practices and spelling words. We have done some experiments with apples, which really stuck with the kids. They talk about it all the time. We cut up an apple, left one piece out on a plate, covered one slice with lemon juice, and submerged the other in water. We observed them and noted which one turned brown the fastest and talked about why.<br />
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We wrapped up our lessons with a little field trip to the apple orchards to soak up the fall colors and get some apples.<br />
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We are so lucky to have both Patterson's & Sage's (pictured below) Fruit Farms so close.<br />
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We missed U-Pick season this year, but it is on the agenda for next year.<br />
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Unknownnoreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-6490307510418856065.post-87402119013148695992012-09-04T11:27:00.000-04:002012-09-04T11:27:58.594-04:00Homeschool Information<br />One main point that came out of our homeschool panel is that there is no one place to go to find all the resources you'd need to get started homeschooling or to at least send you in the right path to research. <div>
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The panel pulled together a bunch of great resources and the News-Herald published them<a href="http://nheducationnews.blogspot.com/2012/08/homeschool-panel-discussion-handouts.html"> here.</a></div>
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It is a good place to find the law, find the form to send to the school district each year, find resources for classes, books, etc.<br /><br /><table align="center" cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto; text-align: center;"><tbody>
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<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">The Homeschool Panel Discussion at the News Herald- August 2012<br /><br /></td></tr>
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I just want to get it in this blog, so it is always available.<br /><br /><br /></div>
Unknownnoreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-6490307510418856065.post-47523158388218745712012-08-14T17:30:00.003-04:002012-08-14T17:30:37.148-04:00Homeschool Panel DiscussionI think the panel discussion held at the News-Herald last night (8/13/12) went really well. We'd hope for a higher attendance, but at the end of the night I felt like we helped several people by giving them resources and encouragement to jump into homeschooling and that is all that matters.<br />
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I didn't have too much to say as I am still learning the ins and outs myself, so it was very informative for me as well. I feel lucky to be a part of this community of homeschoolers.<br />
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One thing that has had me thinking all day, was the question about how to get your child disengaged from the TV, computer games, etc. We all responded "just turn it off." In hindsight, I wish I would have thought that response out a little more. Sure, turn it off is the first step, but other thing must happen in order for it work. The parent has to engage the child in another activity. Sure it is easier to turn on the TV while you cook dinner. We all know it gets done faster and there is less mess, but if you turn the TV off and invite the child(ren) to help you, you have an instant math lesson. Fractions, measuring, portioning.<br />
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So yes," turn it off, but turn the child's mind onto something else" would have been a better response.<br />
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I hope those that attended the session, got some good information form it and if you didn't any still have questions, please feel free to ask them here. If I don't know the answer, I can surely find it out.<br />
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<br />Unknownnoreply@blogger.com2tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-6490307510418856065.post-75174911005368248802012-08-08T14:10:00.002-04:002012-08-08T14:10:25.868-04:00Thinking of Homeschooling?Are you thinking of homeschooling? Want to know why others decided to make the choice to homeschool? Have questions about what resources are available to you? Want to know your rights as a homeschooling parent?<br />
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If you answered yes to any of these questions, please join me and several other homeschool moms for a roundtable discussion at the News-Herald's office.<br />
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Monday, August 13th, 7pm.<br />
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Hope to see you there!Unknownnoreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-6490307510418856065.post-2072171754952921222012-08-01T08:47:00.001-04:002012-08-01T08:47:22.788-04:00Homeschool Classes Outside The HomeI just registered my kids for the Zoo homeschool programs. Lake Metroparks has their schedule for the fall out and I'm waiting for The Cleveland Museum of Natural History and Fine Arts. Sure would be easier planning if they all came out around the same time.<br />
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Anyone else doing any of these classes? Found any others that are fabulous?Unknownnoreply@blogger.com11tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-6490307510418856065.post-79411711234536127162012-07-03T09:57:00.000-04:002012-07-10T08:33:38.529-04:00Others View on HomeschoolI don't know about you, but I look at life as a learning experience. Everywhere we go can be made into some sort of teachable moment or segue to a whole weeks worth of learning on a particular topic.<br />
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It seems lately, with school being out for the summer that I'm getting a lot of questions about how I home school and if we are "on vacation" like kids that go to "regular" school.<br />
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A friend recently commented that since her daughter was now done with preschool, we must be too. That is not the case. While we may have backed off the structured book work; we still do a far amount as well as practice writing and reading. We are also always on the go and each place we go, I find something to teach them about and we go to the library and research or hop on-line and find more information about.<br />
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As a parent, I've always felt I was the most important teacher in my kids lives. Even if I had decided on traditional school, I'd still be doing this stuff in the summers with them for retention. It is interesting to see how other parents feel and what they do (or don't do) for time off school.<br />
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What about you? What do you do for school breaks? If you are homeschooling do you take a vacation period or do you just keep on going? If your child goes to traditional school do you work with them in the summer or do you take a hands off approach?Unknownnoreply@blogger.com1tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-6490307510418856065.post-88056108267375315172012-04-23T13:41:00.002-04:002012-04-23T13:41:21.768-04:00Homeschool Mind StruggleI'm moving forward with creating an overview of what I want to teach the twinadoes for their Kindergarten year. I think, no, I know, I was meant to be an elementary school teacher or librarian because I'm having way to much fun planning and creating activities we will do. I worked in a library for 10 years and originally started college with elementary education as the goal, but life took a different road. Little did I know it would merge back up 20 years later. Reminds me of the poem, "The Road Not Taken" by Robert Frost.<br />
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I've struggled a lot with the thought of "will I be teaching the right things they need to know to be successful in life". The bigger question is, Who decides what the right things are? I think I've done a good job teaching them thus far. I think about the things I had to learn in school and how much of it I actually use in real life. The more I think, the more I come to terms with the fact that it is not the subject I am specifically teaching them about, but how they arrived at that learning place. Do they know how to research to find answers? Do they know how to think outside the box to get an answer or try another solution? Are they interested in it? Sure I could sit down and have them memorize facts about the Underground Railroad, but in the end is it more important to know those facts or to have a more general understanding of why an Underground Railroad was necessary.<br />
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I've also found that the Cleveland Metroparks Zoo, The Natural History Museum, and Lake Metroparks have homeschool programs that we'll be incorporating into our days to give the kids an opportunity to socialize with other kids.<br />
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At any rate, we'll go our best to have as much fun learning everything MY two 5 year olds want to know and all the things I feel they need to know.<br />
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The lesson planning continues......Unknownnoreply@blogger.com3tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-6490307510418856065.post-88584390529713434792012-01-20T15:48:00.001-05:002012-01-20T15:48:25.099-05:00Anyone Out ThereI have been very lax in posting, its not that I don't have anything to say, I just can't find the time to say it. My little photography business has taken off nicely and I find myself immersed in photoshop and lightroom in the spare time I was dedicating to blogging (even my personal blog for family and friends has suffered too!) There is a little lull in the action right now and several people have mentioned this News-Herald blog to me so I figured people must still be out there and reading! <br />
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My biggest worry and decision right now is about sending the twinadoes to school in the fall. I am leaning towards homeschooling and on most days I am really happy with that decision. The one day where I'm back to old insecure me keeps nagging that maybe it is not the right call. I enroll them in all sorts of activities so they get the social time. Anyone that spends 5 minutes with them knows they have no problems with their social skills, so I'm not worried about that. It's me worrying that I will not be teaching them all they need to know. When I sit down at the end of the day and think about it, I know that is not the case since they are pretty darn smart and are having no trouble working their way through the preschool/K/1st grade stuff we do at home. They are 4 1/2 and can read, write, and are working on addition and subtraction and telling time. <br />
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I'm exploring options now because the school registration starts soon. So fill me in.....if you homeschool, do you use a curriculm? If so, which one? What programs for home schoolers do you find useful? I know Willoughby Fine Arts and the Metroparks offer homeschool stuff, where else? What websites do you find most helpful? <br />
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Please, help a mother out!<br />
<br />Unknownnoreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-6490307510418856065.post-74478277869144539612011-10-05T17:03:00.000-04:002011-10-05T17:03:14.486-04:00Fall Means Back To EverythingYeah, I suck at keeping this blog up to date. Late spring brought sickness to our house and we spent some time in the hospital with our son. He is all good now, but it was a scary couple of months. <br />
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Then came summer. Spray parks, sandboxes, roadtrips, and late nights catching fireflies. We crammed a lot into our summer. <br />
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I got busy towards the end of summer taking Senior pictures. I was very happy with the amount of business I had this year and hope it keeps on growing. I so enjoy seeing people happy with their portraits. <br />
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We ended our summer, literally, in the OBX. We ushered the first day of fall in by building a fort on the beach in Corolla. We learned so much there about lighthouses, mermaid purses, and the Wright Bros. First hand experiences beat sitting in a classroom anyday. Guess that is why I'm doing a little home-school preschool this year. <br />
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My goal is to get back to blogging a couple of times a week. So what do you want to talk about?Unknownnoreply@blogger.com2tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-6490307510418856065.post-16063393905113618162011-06-06T08:43:00.000-04:002011-06-06T08:43:45.549-04:00ButterfliesFor Easter, Reagan got the butterfly habitat she was so desperately wanting.<br />
About 2 weeks ago, the larva arrived and they set up house. It was amazing how quickly they grew and then after about a week, they climbed to the top of the jar they had come in and turned into chrysalids. <br />
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They have just been hanging around on the side of the habitat for another week and yesterday I noticed one was breaking through. It is an interesting process to watch. I remember doing this in first grade as our final project for the year. However, I do not remember there being blood when the butterfly emerges. <br />
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This morning I noticed another butterfly trying to break free. We took a break from our morning chores (emptying the dishwasher for me; watching Curious George for the twinadoes) to watch. <br />
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Yesterdays butterfly started crawling up the side of the habitat and we watched the other one flap its wing trying to break free. Amazing. <br />
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I know you are surprised, but I had my camera. Nolan went to get his, of course, it was nowhere to be found. (Nolan has trouble putting this back <em>where they belong</em>. Sure, he picks up his mess, but who knows where it goes.) <br />
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Reagan found hers and starting taking pictures and asking me if she "had the right angle". Meanwhile, Nolan starts this radio announcer type voice, saying, "folks, we are watching it as it happens!"<br />
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Just another morning at our house. <br />
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It really is interesting to share this type of thing with your child. It's a learning moment for all of us!Unknownnoreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-6490307510418856065.post-20624205106281992432011-05-23T22:35:00.000-04:002011-05-23T22:35:49.728-04:00The Illness Turned Auto Immune DiseaseSo in my last post I mentioned that my son was super-sick. I never imagined it would lead us down the path it did, but here we are with a diagnosis of ITP- <strong>Idiopathic thrombocytopenic purpura</strong> (<b>ITP</b>) is the condition of having an abnormally low <a href="http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Platelet" title="Platelet"><span style="color: #0645ad;">platelet</span></a> <a class="mw-redirect" href="http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Platelet_count" title="Platelet count"><span style="color: #0645ad;">count</span></a> (<a href="http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Thrombocytopenia" title="Thrombocytopenia"><span style="color: #0645ad;">thrombocytopenia</span></a>) of no known cause (<a href="http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Idiopathic" title="Idiopathic"><span style="color: #0b0080;">idiopathic</span></a>) As most incidents of ITP appear to be related to the production of <a href="http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Antibody" title="Antibody"><span style="color: #0645ad;">antibodies</span></a> against platelets, <b>immune thrombocytopenic purpura</b> or <b>immune thrombocytopenia</b> are terms also used to describe this condition. Often ITP is <a href="http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Asymptomatic" title="Asymptomatic"><span style="color: #0645ad;">asymptomatic</span></a> (devoid of obvious symptoms), however a very low platelet count can lead to visible symptoms, such as <a href="http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Purpura" title="Purpura"><span style="color: #0645ad;">purpura</span></a> (large bruises), or more seriously, <a href="http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Bleeding_diathesis" title="Bleeding diathesis"><span style="color: #0645ad;">bleeding diathesis</span></a>.<br />
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The twinadoes family birthday party was on Sunday, 5/8. That night my husband was dressing our son for bed and gasped when he pulled down his pants to put his jammies on. His lower legs were COVERED in tiny bruises. It bothered me, but I thought maybe he had just been playing especially hard and repeatedly hitting that area while climbing all over the swingset. The next morning, we were getting ready to walk to the library and he came out of the bathroom and showed me the "big purple spot" on his inner elbow. I knew right away this was not normal. Bill had stayed home from work that day because he didn't feel well. While I called our ped he began looking our boy over more closely. They asking me to look for a red pinpoint rash somewhere on his body, which we found under his left arm. They advised me to hang up and take him to the nearest ER. Luckily, I didn't have time to google anything, otherwise I might have self-diagnosed him with something much worse than ITP. <br />
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We headed to Hillcrest since they have a peds ER and after some bloodwork, the ER doc came in and calmly asked Nolan how he'd like to take an ambulance ride downtown to main campus. Luckily, I was sitting down, otherwise I might have passed out. I got a little light-headed when he mentioned his platelet count was extremely low. 11,000. Normal is 150,000-450,000. He quickly pointed out that all other numbers from the blood counts were normal. I had no idea at the time, but he was telling me he was ruling out leukemia. Even typing that just now, I get teary-eyed. <br />
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The lifeflight crew swept into the room, literally 4 people in black jumpsuits plus 2 other hospital personel came into the room and started firing questions about what was going on and explaining what was going to happen. And the most important question, what DVD did the boy want to watch in the rig? Th (He picked Thomas.) They couldn't have been nicer to us and really helped calm my nerves for (what seemed like) the endless ride to Cleveland Clinic Main. <br />
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We walked onto the floor at M20 and I quickly saw the signs "Hemotology/Oncology." Just 24 hours before that we were opening presents and signing Happy Birthday. How was this happening so fast? In hindsight, I've glad it happened that way and not a long drawn out diagnosis which I would have had no patience for. <br />
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Within 4 hours, he was getting his first dose of medicine, IVIG. He slept through it. I did not. <span class="messageBody">IVIG extracted from the plasma of over one thousand blood donors. Thank you to those 1,000 and all the others that donate blood, platlets, and bone marrow daily. Not something you think about until you need it. </span><br />
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The next morning, a Child Life Specialist came into our room to talk to Nolan about how he wanted to celebrate his birthday. Oh yeah, did I mention that it was now Tuesday, May 10? My twins 4th birthday. I hated that I wasn't with my girl when she woke up and that he and I were in the least desirable place to be on your birthday, but you know what? I was wrong. Miss Sarah did everything she could to give my kids a proper birthday. The plan was that we would be in the hospital another night, so my hubby, mom, and daughter were on their way down. The boy's labs came back shortly before they arrived and the doctors were impressed enough with the result to let us check out. No typical boy rough play, no bike, no trampoline. No fun, but we were still going home to be together. <br />
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I figured the party would be cancelled, but I was wrong. They waited for everyone to arrive and then they brought in the cake, complete with candles and three gifts for each kid. I cried. We had only been there 1 day and they did this for us. I'm sure, on that particular floor, there are kids that celebrate a lot of holidays & milestones in the hospital. It made me so thankful that these people are there to do what they do. <br />
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We'd quickly learn that ITP is a roller coaster and as quickly as the platelet count went up, the would go down as well. <br />
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One week later, we were back downtown in the hemotology/oncology outpatient clinic. Nolan's counts were back down to 18,000 after peaking at 67,000. They were going to try a different drug, WINRHO. Getting the IV in was tricky. Hell, it was awful. Three sticks, screaming, and tears by a lot of people and finally it was in. The medication only took 30 minutes and we were on our way. <br />
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Three days later his counts rose to 203,000. Now the trick is keeping them there. <br />
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There will be bloodwork and more bloodwork in his future. We just pray that his numbers stay up and this is an acute case and in 6 months it will be another page in his baby book. He deserves that, the little guy hasn't had the easiest road, but he takes almost all of it with a smile. <br />
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If you take anything away from this, please donate blood. You don't think about it until you need it. I know I've driven by countless Red Cross signs and always say I'll do it next time. Someone needs that blood and its byproducts. Now.Unknownnoreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-6490307510418856065.post-84907519629724279942011-05-04T10:23:00.000-04:002011-05-04T10:23:03.900-04:00Sick KidsNolan got sick on Friday. We made a trip to the doctor on Saturday, but it was determined to be viral and we just had to wait it out.....and wait for the other twin to get it, because let's face it, as twins they do share just about everything. <br />
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To prove my point, Reagan got sick on Tuesday. <br />
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They have missed gymnastics, swimming, and their usual Wednesday lunch with Aunt Deb. I don't take them out when they are like this.<br />
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<em> I wish other parents did the same.</em> <br />
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I can probably tell you the exact moment Nolan got the germ. I dropped them in childwatch at the Y last Wednesday and a little girl promptly sneezed on him. She was coughing into her hands and then playing, just like kids do. She had no business being there and I'm sure the adult that brought her in that day knew that as well. I saw her in the cardio room chatting with her friends about how glad she was for a break from her kids coughing! Sure I'd like to be doing my weekly swimming workouts, but I have not been able to do that this week because I will not take my kids, who are ill, to a public place to infect more people.<br />
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I know germs can't be avoided, but a little common sense from ADULTS goes a long to keep our kids from getting sick. <br />
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Common sense, people. Besides washing hands and coughing into the elbow, KEEP YOUR SICK KIDS HOME!<br />
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At least the weather has been awful. It makes staying the house a little easier. If it were nice and sunny, I'd be thinking about how we were missing a chance to use our Farmpark or Zoo membership. <br />
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What fun indoor things do you with your kids when they are sick?Unknownnoreply@blogger.com1