The Mindful Homeschool

So here was the quickly devised plan for today:

• Make pink heart-shaped pancakes for lunch or supper. 
• Make Valentine’s card for Dad.
• Give out v day cards to neighbors.
• Hand out Spanish “corazones dulces” sweet hearts to kids and try to translate into English.  Might need help from internet.
• Math work and copy work.
• Kids get half-hour on Webkinz.
• Shovel snow on driveway and pond.  Go ice skating.
• Possibly head to store for fresh flowers and more strawberries.
• Eat really good chocolate.
• Pick up house and decorate table with Valentine candles and red and white table gems for dinner before heading to pond.
• Dress in red clothes.
• Laundry.
• Focus on what I am grateful for and write in my blog.
• Focus on being in the moment with my kids.
• Yoga and me time.

We didn’t get out to the pond for some ice skating today.  It was much too cold and we were busy inside until Papa came home.  And as you can see, I did get a lot done but not everything.  And I even managed to “trim” the boys’ hair.  When I give them haircuts, it’s a three day process.  They don’t sit still long enough and the next few days after the initial “trim” are spent neatening everything up.  So that and dealing with a 3 yo who wouldn’t nap took time away from the plan.  And of course, I still have a bit of time left to do yoga, have me time and concentrate on what I feel grateful for. 

It’s a good thing I put “focus on what I am grateful for” on my to-do list.  I was losing sight of all that this afternoon.  H-man wasn’t napping and that meant no time for mommy to sit and have a cup of tea all alone.  Thankfully, the older kids stepped in and watched/entertained my little guy for me.  By 4:00 in the afternoon, I get cranky if I don’t get a break and take time for myself.  Unfortunately, the break I took only fueled my frustrations with my lot in life.  

Here’s what happened.  I got on the internet and checked my emails.  Big mistake.  Looking back, I should have made a cup of tea, asked the kids to watch H-man and read from my book, Meditations from the Mat.  That would have put me in the right frame of mind and I might have even made time to do a little yoga.  But no, I checked my crazy, ever prolific emails.  There were so many posts and I tried to weed through them but it was no easy task.  There was a particular thread about hubbies and Valentine’s day that caught my attention and I started to read everyone’s, becoming gloomier and gloomier as I went on.  Sigh.  Stories about doting husbands giving jewelry, roses and other expensive gifts; husbands surprising wives and children with reservations at restaurants; all sorts of lovely gestures.  But it made me feel a bit down.   

Don’t get me wrong.  My dh is a great guy but Valentine’s day has never been an occasion for diamonds, lavish gifts, surprise dinner reservations and extravagant showers of affection.  We are what some might call “simple” people.  We rarely put money into those kinds of luxuries anymore.  Not since we had kids and took our “vows of poverty”.  lol.  Tulips and daisies, yes.  Dark chocolate, yes.  Diamonds, no.  (Well, except for our engagement).  And these emails were detailing all these thoughtful but somewhat lavish gifts of affection and attention.  Meanwhile, I am at home with the children having spent a day of doing laundry, cooking, cleaning, feeding, toilet training, nursing, teaching, and I am getting crankier by the minute.

And then I thought about my plan for the day.  My plan to focus on what I am grateful for and my mood started to lighten, little by little. 

I am so grateful for my dh, my children, my family, and our health, among other things.  I am grateful for my brother’s return to health and for caring family members (sisters-in-law included).  For the warmth of our home and for all of our modern day comforts.  For good food, access to health care and public libraries.  For a healthy mind and body.  For yoga and its unlimited potential.  For the love of my children, their smiles, their giggles, their sweetness and the joy they bring into my life.  For my dear husband and all that he does for me and our children.  Every day.  Without fail.  For every moment I have been given.

Happy Valentine’s Day!

I guess it’s all how you look at it sometimes.   

I just spent the past two days working on a “family project” which has left me exhausted.  There has not been much time for me or my kids or my hubby.  So it was interesting to see in my latest Yoga Journal magazine an article about the very thing I was doing, helping others and feeling exhausted. 

The question posed was, “How can I give and still take care of myself?”  The answer was:  “You can contribute to your own and others’ happiness by choosing a way to give that feeds you.  Spend quiet moments reflecting on what you might offer; identify your strengths, talents, and abilities.  Then find a venue where they can be put to good use.” 

The article ends by saying, “Whatever you choose, practice Savasana every day to restore your energy.”  Good advice, indeed!  I think this advice could be useful to me in my HS journey as well. 

Today was another day of Harry Potter’s The Goblet of Fire, art, hanging out with friends and playing games.  A typical unschool day.

The older kids spent the morning hanging out in the bedroom listening to and reading the fourth book in the Harry Potter series.  H-man spent some quality time in the bathtub preparing himself for swimming himself silly at his cousin T’s birthday pool party tomorrow.

After lunch we drove C to her art class where she learned all about Alexander Calder, an artist who was known for his mobiles and stabiles.  C and the other children in the class made sculptures out of wire and colorful shapes.  C’s finished work was a bird perched under a wired arch.  (Note to self:  Must take photos.)  The teacher complimented C on her work and said that she worked well independently.  This art class has been a lot of fun for C, not only because she gets to hang out with one of her best friends, but because she is loving all the art she is doing. 

Two weeks ago, when she took her first art class with our homeschool group, she came home with wonderful, creative pictures that were similar to the type of paintings Marc Chagall is famous for.  For that class they used an oil pastel/mixed media drawing to achieve the right effect.  Each week the children study a particular artist and then do art in that particular artist’s style.  It has been a great way to end the week and learn something more about art.

After class, we went with our HS friends to a local coffee shop where we had something to drink and saw…more art!  The coffee shop was opening a store that specialized in earthy, local art.  It was a beautiful gallery and we were all oohing and ahhing and saying at the same time, “I love this place!”

When we got home the older kids went back to their Harry Potter reading.  W is determined to read/listen to the fourth book and not be outread by his sister.  She finished reading the book yesterday, the same day we picked it up from the library, but is now attempting a second read.

Papa John picked up a new tent for H-man which he enjoyed immensely.  It is now set up in our living room and is a cozy place for the kids and adults (although not all at the same time, silly!)  It fits about 2 people comfortably but you could fit more in if you really wanted to!

Later this evening the children and Papa watched a PBS special about parrots in Austrailia and then watched a show on the Parthenon in Greece.  Even W didn’t want to step away from the TV and miss the show.  The night ended with C, W and Papa playing an exciting game of concentration with Le Petit Prince cards, a gift from Aunt L.  C won, narrowly beating her brother.  She hadn’t played this game in such a long time and it was nice to see everyone having so much fun with it.