Lose Yourself To Dance!

November 26, 2013

1:02 PM

Y'all better be busy studying!

NOPE! We're taking a break right now! Take one with us!

KEEP CALM 

AND

LOSE YOURSELF!!!

60 Days In...

November 25, 2013

10:11am

It's been a little while since you last posted. How are things going? 

Let me begin by apologizing to my readers. I haven't posted for about two weeks. I'm in the middle of typing up a big post about the financial opportunities (or inopportunities) for homeschoolers; ya know: tax breaks, scholarships, etc. Little did I realize, my research would be extensive. I have to go back to grade-school and recall MLA and APA formats and stuff just to ensure I cite all of my sources. Sheesh! Prayfully, I'll have that up within the next week. It's a LOT of information to share, but I think it'll be worth it.

So, Jay and I have been at this homeschooling stuff for nearly three months. We're at the point where we've fully integrated lessons into our everyday home lives. We're learning to utilize our time wisely and how to turn everything into a learning experience. Now that Jay is attending speech therapy on Tuesdays and Thursdays, we are able to get out more and interact with others. Speaking of speech therapy, Jay is doing very well. His speech language teacher is a very nice young lady (I say that like I'm 20 years older than her. Lol She's young, though.) She seems to have a passion for helping children. Jay has learned so much and we can already detect a difference in his speech already! That's more than I can say about the two years of in-school therapy that Jay received during pre-k and kindergarten! The center is privately-run, independent of the local school district. They offer all kinds of services to special-needs children. One aspect that I really enjoy is how all the children interact so well together. No child is above another. Everyone interacts with each other, regardless of race, creed, color, or disability. It's refreshing for me, because Jay was always a friendly boy. Because of his speech impediment, lots of children would tease him whenever he'd try to have a conversation with them. Witnessing these special needs children is such an incredibly blessing, because I get to see love and kindness in its purest form. I tell ya, if you struggle with the second Commandment, just look at children. Children, though are born sinners that you don't have to teach them to misbehave, understand love without all of the complicated mess adults tend to bring in. There's so much to learn from those little people if adults would just shut up for once and stop acting like we know everything.

More and more, Jay is becoming an incredibly verbose child. He is very opinionated and has a lot to contribute to a conversation. We also noticed that he will not tolerate yelling or arguing. Stephan and I, like any other married couple, have our disagreements and heated debates. We try our hardest not to have these discussions in front of the children. But, typical of a child, Jay's ears perk up and zero in on adult business. If he doesn't like the tone of voice that we are using, he'll interject and say something like "God doesn't like arguing!" or "Mommy/Daddy, be nice to Daddy/Mommy!" As "cute" as that may be, the boy needs to understand his place as a child. We'll let him know that we are having an adult conversation that does not include him, but we'll also tell him that we love each other very much and only want the best for the household. I'm very big on children remaining in their place. Any adult contented topics are off-limits in the Berry house when it comes to the kids. We don't mind having intellectual conversations with Jay (and, trust me, the boy displays a keener intellect than most adults I know.) But, there are boundaries. Too many adults allow for their children to cross those boundaries. I was not raised that way, nor are my children being raised that way.

We do assert of level of frankness with Jay. For example, body parts. There's no "wee wee" or "pee pee" or whatever childish name adults come up with to try to shield their children from whatever. We identify genitalia as they should be. We teach them about sexual abuse (in a way a six-year-old can understand). If a situation ever occur where they were abused by an adult (Lord forbid!) or witnessed another child being abused, they will know that it is a bad thing, it's not their fault, and they must tell Mommy and Daddy immediately! We talk about bullying, cheating, lying, stealing, you name it. We talk about how all of these things are dishonoring to God and how important it is to be honest and to do the right thing in accordance to what the Word of God says. We can't afford to shield our kids from what this world is about. But, don't worry. We are not just teaching them about all the bad stuff. We teach them about how hard work pays off, the fruit of the Holy Spirit, and so many other wonderful things about God's blessings. Jay seems to be picking it up really well. Stephan and I are learning a lot, too, along the way. Sometimes, I get ahead of myself and try to deliver too much information to Jay, which leads to him becoming overwhelmed. Sometimes, I don't tell him enough, which frustrates me when my expectations are not met. Sometimes, what I do tell him is not appropriate, and my dear husband is always there to hold me accountable.

As this journey continues, God is revealing so much to me about this role He has me in. It gets scary at times, because I think I'm failing. Yet, He always has a way of reassuring me. He forgives me for my mistakes and places me back on the path He has designed for me. What a wonderful God. :-)

Dad teaching Jay about the components of a standard desktop PC,

Homemade snickerdoodle cookies. Just because I felt like it.

Turkey Jerky and Mommy.

The Rights and Entitlements of a Homeschooled Child

November 4, 2013

2:14pm

What kinds of special services are available for homeschooled children?

Anyone who knows my eldest child knows that he likes to talk. The kid can and will carry a conversation on with anyone given the opportunity. The problem is that Jay has a very prominent lisp that makes it very difficult to understand what he is saying. He comes by it honestly. Yeth, I had a lipth when I wath younger, thoo. If you listen to me speak long enough, you'll hear it come out. 

Turk had speech therapy lessons he attended in Pre-K and in kindergarten. Stephan and I would have bi-quarterly meetings with the special education staff at his school to discuss his progress and plans/goals to reach by the next meeting. When we made the decision to homeschool, we informed the staff at the very last meeting we had with them. Of course, some of them seemed uncomfortable with the idea (or even offended) of withdrawing Jay to teach him at home. When I asked about continuing services, I received all kinds of ambiguous responses from the staff. One side said that the state of Texas only gives services to students enrolled under the local public school district, and the other side said that the homeschoolers are still entitled to receive those services. Needless to say, nobody knew what they were talking about, let alone the laws regarding home-education. 

I received a phone call from the special education coordinator at the very beginning of the summer saying that Jay was still eligible to receive speech services and that she would contact me at the end of the summer to make those arrangements. Well, that phone call never came. I suppose I shouldn't have been upset, considering all of the students enrolled in the Killeen Independent School District who needs those services. They get first dibs, right? Through my research, I've seen many parents struggle with having the local school system provide services to their homeschooled children. Much of the time, the school system will say that there is "no educational need". What a cop-out. Laziness and attitudes over the fact that...OK. Calm down, Nesh. Most parents on these forums I've been reading have to go through private therapy centers and duke it out with their insurance to cover the fees. It's a crazy hassle, but it's worth it.

As of today, Stephan and I were successful in getting Jay back into receiving speech services on a regular basis. We had to get a referral through his pediatrician and wait for a phone call from the therapy center, but it's all done! Jay will be resuming speech therapy every Tuesday and Thursday for a half-hour session, and we were successful in doing this with no complications! Praise God! 

As much as I may think it, I can't do everything. I'm not a licensed speech pathologist, nor am I good at particular subjects. But, as long as there is someone who is, I will seek them out and solicit their services on behalf of my children. One day, I'd like to bring this to the attention of the state (whichever one we're living in) board of education. All students, whether public, private, or home-educated, should have equal rights to all special services, as well as resources and tutoring options. I don't believe in preferential treatment, because all of these kids are apart of the same future America. There are enough issues facing kids and their education today. 

Dude...

We have got to do better.

Need To Vent? Take A Spelling Test!

November 1, 2012

9:53am

Excuse me, but did you say a spelling...er...test?

Yes. I. Did. Jay took a spelling test today. He gets one every Friday for the words of the week. Well, the kid was driving me nuts, as usual. So, as I was reading the words out loud for him to write, I used them in sentences that formed a story, of sorts. I'll type it exactly how I said it.

"You. You. You and your sister are driving me insane! You. You.

Tube. Tube. I want to stuff the two of you in a tube, and ship you off to Abu Dhabi. Tube. Tube.

Cute. Cute. You think you're cute, but you're really not. Cute. Cute.

Use. Use. You two just use me up, Bill Withers style. Use. Use.

Blue. Blue. It's no wonder why I scream and shout until I am  blue in the face. Blue. Blue.

Box. Box. I might just stuff myself in a box, and mail myself off to Abu Dhabi. Box. Box.

Fox. Fox. Sometimes, I just want to run, run, run away from you two like a fox. Fox. Fox.

Ax. Ax. I need to grab an ax and chop some wood out back to relieve some of this stress. Ax. Ax.

X-ray. X-ray. You two need an X-ray, because I think you both lost your minds. X-ray. X-ray.

Fix. Fix. I really wish I could fix you, but I think it's my attitude that needs fixing. Fix. Fix.

Love. Love. Because after all is said and done, I really do love you guys. Love. Love.

Your. Your. You're my babies, and I'm your mommy. Your. Your."

By the time I reached the tenth word, I began to feel better. Please feel free to use this method. Not only is it a reliever, your kids will learn some words at the same time. *Lol*

I'm a sick person. You don't have to tell me...

Homeschooling Is My State-Regulated Right? Wait...What?!

October 30, 2013

1:32pm

How do the homeschooling laws differ across state lines? 

Living in Texas is not as bad as it may seem. Then again, I don't consider where I live to be "real" Texas. I live in a melting pot of a town, mixed with people from as far away as the Philippines. Texas homeschooling laws are very simple and straightforward. It has three basic rules: Instruct your child(ren) in whichever manner you desire. Use physical books (none of this e-business). Teach them reading, spelling, grammar, math, and good citizenship. (http://thsc.org/homeschooling-in-texas/state-requirements/) Pretty straightforward, right? I think so! We really hit the homeschooling jackpot when we moved down here and we didn't even know it! There aren't any formal record-keeping agencies or requirements for record-keeping, at least not until high-school level. Basically, if your child reaches 17 years old and he/she is on a sixth grade level, that's on YOU. 

Homeschooling down here is a BIG deal (makes sense. Everything down here is BIG). They have their own homeschooling coalition down here (www.thsc.org). There's also a Christian homeschooling group based in Austin (https://www.homeschool-life.com/tx/cheact/‎ ). We haven't joined with either group, because official membership cost money. Besides, the plan is to move back to Maryland when Stephan is done with his contract. That being said...

I looked up the laws regarding homeschooling in the state of Maryland. I must say, for it to be such a progressive state, I am less than impressed. Observe:

"A parent/guardian may instruct a child at home under the supervision of the local school system or through correspondence courses under the supervision of a nonpublic school.  A nonpublic school may be a school/institution that offers an educational program operated by a bona fide church organization or a school/institution that has a certificate of approval from the Maryland State Board of Education."

Under the supervision of the local school system? Are you kidding me?! For all that, I might as well re-enroll Jay into public school! The whole purpose of taking him out was to pull him from underneath the oppressive (yeah, I said it) and misguided government-regulated teachings of public school! I suppose some states have laws like this to ensure that all children receive the educational curriculum and resources they are entitled to, but c'mon. My child is MY responsibility and how I choose to educate him is MY right. Some people may not agree and think those laws are helping. To each his own. As for THIS mom, I will teach Jay and Madison what I want them to learn. No. I will teach them what the Lord COMMANDS me to teach. 

Maryland, my sweet Old Line State-

I grew up in you. I attended your schools. I still hace your state license. But, right now you're killing me. Your high taxes, progressive stance in "modern day marriage", and rules about homeschooling are turning me off. You have the bomb crabs though. And four seasons. And cities, suburbs, and country backwoods within a 10 mile radius. So, I'll be back. But, I won't be happy about it!

My Sore Spot

October 29, 2013
4:27pm

What sore spot? Are you hurt?

Here are some fun pictures from today.

My First Vlog!

October 25, 2013

11:43pm

Your first video log! Whatchu got to say?