A Day in the Life....

A Day in the Life of the Petts ... where we homeschool, golf, work, are potty-training, bake cookies, play soccer and snuggle, but more importantly are all healthy and happy.

That's the summary version so if you're a light reader no need to go any further - but if you want the chronicled, slice of life version continue reading. I did this a year ago for this post and promised myself I'd try to do every so often - apparently at this rate, it's once a year.

~*~*~*~*~*~*~~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~

7:00 – Gabriel wakes and comes in to snuggle with us. It's a little chilly outside so we warm him up under the covers. This is one of my favorite parts of the day. Gabriel tells me he had a dream about the show "MythBusters" - I'm not surprised. So I figured now was a good time to let him know the new series began this week (every Wed at 9 pm) and I recorded it for him.

7:30 – I don't have to go to work today (I'm off every other Friday), but do have to get a proposal done and sent out so I get up and take a hot shower and feel so thankful. I was sick with a virus last week along with the kids - we're all so happy to be feeling better.

7:45 – I'm sitting in front of my computer with a quick check on facebook and my work emails and begin finishing up a proposal for a company who needs branding, identity, naming and a website. Jimmy brings me up some homemade beignets, but I have to send them and the kids (Giselle is now awake) downstairs with him so I can concentrate and get this done.

8:30 – BREAKFAST: I'm finished with the proposal and sent it off to my colleague for a final review and send off to the prospective client. Meanwhile, I hear Gabriel downstairs complaining about his eczema. Jim puts on some Triamcinolone to help clear it up. Jimmy made pancakes too so we all sit down to eat together.

8:45 – All Giselle wants me to do is to hold her. She wants to be held in the mornings for a bit - and Jim and I are chasing Gabriel around saying "Ching" (our version of the Claw if you've seen the movie "Liar, Liar" with Jim Carey). He is so ticklish. We call a truce and I cut Jimmy's hair. This is our way of saving $20 at the barber and I've become quite good at cutting his hair over the years. While I'm cutting, I send Gabriel upstairs to finish his morning routine which is: potty, brush his teeth, make his bed, get dressed and turn off his light and air cleaner. He had *forgotten* to make his bed and turn off the light ;)

9:15 – We normally start our school by 9 am, but due to the haircut we're running fifteen minutes behind. We don't stick to a strict schedule anyway (it's more of a routine). I had Gabriel do a worksheet on reading comprehension about fireflies (he asks me if I did that because we live on Fire Fly Court) and answer questions on the story while I got Giselle dressed and tried to find his helmet. Today was going to be "ride your bike day" with his homeschool group. We're always multi-tasking it seems, and that's exactly what I'm doing as I try to sneak in some one-on-one, quality time with Giselle to introduce her to the potty, and as we read her favorite book. It's pictures of dogs and babies.

10:00 – I created a review test for him with double digit addition and subtraction, multiplication for 2's and 5's, telling time, greater than/less than and a spelling test. He did really well and I'm so proud at how well he is learning. Guess daddy is doing a good job teaching and working with him during the week. Giselle joins us at the table and pretends to be working too.

10:30 – I'm desperately trying to find her shoes, pack snacks, get everything into the car and out the door for our NEACH homeschool group at the park. Why is this so difficult? Regardless, I ultimately always leave something behind that I wish I had?

11:15 – We arrive at Lucky Shoals park and see everyone with their bikes and gear. Gabriel rode for a little bit, but didn't want to ride the trail (I think he wants a bike with training wheels rather than his glider) and ended up playing with Emma.

Giselle is my fearless daughter who went up and down the slides about 20 times and then later fell off the playset. I was standing right there but on the opposite side of where she fell so I couldn't catch her. She's ok, but landed on her face/side. I'm still a little blue over this. I know as a parent your toddler (and children) are bound to have bumps and bruises, but it's so difficult to see them get hurt.

1:00 – LUNCH: Back home, made some macaroni and cheese. This is dad's "world famous" that he has pre-made as part of his way of still taking care of us from the golf course, and all we have to do is warm it up on the stove with a little water on low heat.

1:30 – Giselle is down for her nap. She chatters a bit before falling asleep. I worry a little about her and will keep an extra eye on her today. I notice she has some cuts on her face from her fall that weren't there before so I'm hoping her fall wasn't worse than I thought.

2:00 – It's break time!! Gabriel is down stairs playing his computer games for 30 minutes while I check work emails and call a client who wants to start a new project. The day is only half over and I'm completely exhausted already!!! I really want a nap, but I work instead. I'm thankful I get to take every other Friday off from work so it's the least I can do.

2:30 – Gabriel and I reviewed some old School House Rock videos on YouTube about prepositions, pronouns, and conjunctions, then went to this site to begin typing skills and a fun geographical map, and visited our recently favorite and resourceful Khan Academy math website with thousands of videos.

4:00 – SNACK: Giselle wakes up and appears to be doing just fine. Instead of doing our normal crackers and cheese for snack time, I hustled to get Gabriel in his soccer gear and out the door early so we could swing by Chick-fil-A - my favorite fast food spot. (I seriously should own stock in Target and Chick-fil-A with as often as I frequent those companies).

4:45 – It's already forty-five minutes later by the time I change my second poopy diaper of the day, get her bundled in warm clothing, find his soccer ball, shin guards and water bottle. On the way, Gabriel asks to turn some music on and I opt for my Carrie Underwood CD. It's the second of the three I own. Playing track 7, it's an intense, very grown-up, melancholy song and Gabriel says "I really like this song." I really like it too, but I'm surprised because he normally just likes either rock or pop songs for which he can dance fast.

5:30 – We're munching on some chicken nuggets still - Gabriel is kindly sharing with his sister – as we pull up to the Gwinnett Soccer Association (GSA) fields and realize the gates are closed. All the other soccer moms are pulling up next to me and we're trying to figure out what to do from here. We decide to go to Mountain Park Park (yes, there are two parks in the name, it's not accidentally redundant). We end up only getting in 15 minutes worth of practice since it gets dark so early now after Day Light Savings. There is a playground nearby and Gabriel comes running up to me after they announced they are done to ask if he can play. I say, "sure, for five minutes" and off he runs. Another mom mentions to me, "my son didn't ask me." I feel proud for a moment. Being a parent is hard and he just made me look good at this instance - I'm sure there are plenty of other times exactly the opposite is true.

6:00 – DINNER: Jimmy called and we meet him at Pizza Cafe for a large, pepperoni pizza. This has been our favorite pizza joint this year every since Gabriel's last soccer coach (Coach Adam) introduced us to it. You have to get a pie though, slices aren't anything to write home about. Giselle must have had more nuggets than I thought because she barely eats and just wants to head over to the games to pretend drive.

7:15 – We arrive back home, it's dark, cold and the kids are rambunctious so I let them play for a little bit with their toys in the family room.

7:30 – I announce it's bath time! The kids both love to take baths so they both run to the bottom of the stairs where Gabriel opens the gate for Giselle and I follow them up into the bathroom. I pour some bubbles and baby soap into the tub along with their toys and they excitedly get undressed. Gabriel pretends the bubbles are burger patties which I have to pretend to eat and Giselle just loves playing in the water (pour out, pour in, pour out, pour in, ....).

8:00 – I get Giselle out first to dry her off and get her into warm p.j.'s. I put her on my bed while she plays with daddy while I get the boy out, dried, dressed in his p.j.'s. At this point, I'm really tired myself, and now secretly thankful it's nearing their bedtime. Daddy puts more lotion on Gabriel for his eczema. I have Gabriel read to me one page out of his book, Giselle has some milk and we say time for bed. Sometimes we let Gabriel stay up a half hour later than her, but tonight we say "that's not one of those nights and both to bed."

8:30 – We all go into their room (they share a bedroom), turn out the lights, look at the glow-in-the-dark stars on the ceiling and sing soft worship songs. Gabriel sings with us (this is new) and Giselle is swaying, clapping and snuggling.

9:00 – We're free!! Strangely Gabriel didn't come back out of his room tonight asking to snuggle. He must have been tired and went straight to sleep. Jim and I do a light work out routine. Then I take a shower, then we lay in bed and do a little talking, praying and sailing (yes, that means what you think).

10:15 – Jim is snoring and I'm typing in my blog post for today and thinking how incredibly boring this all must sound. Our lives used to be gymnastics, swing dancing, college...we're parents now and our day proves it. After the day I've had with the kids, schooling, driving around to here and there, I'm thinking Jim is some kind of Super Dad. I'm really unsure how he does this every day and does everything else like pay the bills, grocery shop, cook, dishes, clean, laundry and work on the home? I'm sure he'll get a kick out of me telling him that in the morning ... or... I could just keep it our little secret ;)

11:00 – The kids are sound asleep - and that's where I'm headed now. I bid thee adieu.

Gabriel's Golf Swing

The weather is beautiful and daddy took Gabriel to go play 9 holes of golf at Mystery Valley. It's great - he only has to pay his age, $6!

Gabriel Flashback

Cleaning up the server - found some videos of Gabriel when he was two and three...

October 2010 - Block Party & Halloween

Wow - October blew by in a blink. I guess that's what happens when you are super busy at work, spend a week in Tampa caring for your Mom, organize a neighborhood block party and prep for Halloween.

But first I have an update on Jerry (my homeless friend)...who from what I hear on the street....is no longer. His family came and got him. I'm so thankful my prayers for him were answered, especially since the problem is so much bigger than me - God worked on the hearts of people who could truly help him. I'm so elated! Meanwhile, I met another man without a home who had his three year old son with him. Gabriel, Giselle and I took him some Chinese food, but since they don't want my assistance in the way of finding temporary shelter, I just keep some t-shirts, bottled water and $5 Subway gift cards on hand with me in the car. Everyone needs food and clothing - and water is a necessity so it's the least I can do. The t-shirts are new and donated to me by my marketing agency from old swag we did way back when - they were just sitting in the closet, so really they are brand new "old" shirts that hopefully will be worn someday.

I'm thrilled our first neighborhood block party turned out well. About 40 or so neighbors came, brought food and drinks and spend the afternoon just talking. How wonderful to finally get to know everyone.

Giselle is a little red, lobster and Gabriel is Super Mario - along with Sean - the two Mario Brothers. The neighbors came over to start out trick-or-treating from our home - it's all about the kids, costumes and candy!

A busy, scary month

This month has been quite stressful with my unmanageable workload and my mothers emergency triple bypass surgery. The prospect of losing my Mama was quite scary. It all worked out nicely in the end. She is recuperating well and I was able to take a week to work from her kitchen and help nurse her back to health. I'm undomesticated so being out of my element just a bit with cooking, cleaning, giving meds, taking blood pressure, etc., but loved every minute of it.

We were able to launch three websites and a 28 page magazine the same week our friend Greg Hammer has returned to work. Together, should make my work load feel like a vacation, at least says my boss. I can already see the light at the end of the tunnel and making a concerted effort with my stress level. Nothing is worth the risk its toll such as hypertension, or worse, cancer, stroke or heart attack. This is my own method for stress-reducing:

1. Working more efficiently and smartly
2. Delegating to others
3. Learning how to say the simple word "no" so you don't over commit yourself and spread too thin -- by the way, I'm TERRIBLE at this
4. Make yourself take breaks - get up from your desk for five minute walks/stretches to refresh your brain in order to be productive
5. Learn to relax my muscles at my desk and just breathe. Studies have shown when you are stressed you take shorter breaths, trying to take deliberately longer breaths for much needed oxygen.
6. Don't worry. Worry leads to stress which leads to illness like hypertension, or worse... cancer, heart attack or stroke. Worry generates confusion and leads you down the backwards path.
7. Remembering that it's "not the end of the world" if you ask to push back an interim deadline or maneuver other meetings around to accommodate your stress level and manage your day.
8. Prioritizing my responsibilities. God, family, work, friends, extra curricular activities, etc.
9. Pray - always having a mental attitude of thankfulness and optimism. "You can do all things through Christ who strengthens you."

Finally, realizing that I'm not alone in this world. God is always with me and I have family and friends who love and support me.

Phonics and Reading and Spelling ... Oh My!

We love getting to be the ones to teach Gabriel his phonics, reading and spelling.

Almost every night I have him read to me out of this book (see blue book on right) and then answer the comprehension questions. Next I have him conduct the Explode the Code workbook which breaks down words and sounds. I'll also give him a spelling test about once a week which he loves. We're having a great time doing it and I'm so proud of him.

CNN: Less families homeschool for religious reasons

Less families home schooling primarily for religious reasons.

CNN reports.

Giselle at 18 months

Giselle eating her dinner and talking. She's obsessed right now with her little pink bear blanket she calls her "baby".

Back to School - Gabriel is a First Grader!

First of all, I can't believe I have a first grader. Secondly, I never thought in a million years we would be homeschooling! I've come a long way from a year ago when we were just "trying out this home school thing." We really see the benefits of getting to educate our son and all the perks that come along with it. We're so happy.

Here is his first day of school picture. He is saluting the new year:



At Sandy Springs "Big Trees Forest Preserve" for play in the creek with one of his homeschool groups.

Our Birthday Bashes

Both Gabriel and I had birthdays the month of August which turned out to be very special.

I plan my own birthday every year, which enables me to get exactly what I want. It's brilliant, I think. I take off from work and off from "home". Normally I get a massage and it's my one time a year luxury, but this year I found a place right around the corner which gives discounts with insurance. With the discount in place, I was able to get a two hour massage at the same rate I was accustomed to paying for one hour. It was so relaxing and still went by so fast. I remember her saying, "Ok, Marcy, we're going to begin." And the next thing I know she is telling me we are done.

Then Jimmy and Gabriel took me to Farm Burger in Decatur to get a good cheeseburger. The day ended with a date with my honey to see a movie, "Eat. Pray. Love." with Julia Roberts. Mixed reviews, but still enjoyed an evening out and being taken on a journey to lands I'll probably never get to go. My birthday continued the following day to Tacqueria Del Sol for lunch...one of my favorite restaurants.






Gabriel turned six - and I can still hardly believe. I wanted to package up the five year old age and keep it my pocket forever. We celebrated with a MythBusters themed party. It's his favorite show so in honor of turning six, we conducted six science experiments with his friends. Of course, we had to do the Mentos and Diet Coke Geyser one and we made a bottle rocket shoot off. I think the kids enjoyed it, but afterward, I asked Gabriel what his favorite part of the party was .... the experiments, dancing, opening presents, or the ice cream? None of those. I was secretly hoping he would say, "It's your marvelous organization skills Mommy," but was taken back when he said, "Playing with my friends." Such a sweetie. Ok, I must remember this for next year....Less is More.....maybe just cake and friends and less hoopla? We'll see....six weeks before his party, I may not be able to resist the planning....it's chronic.

Here's his birthday song. He wanted just ice cream this year - no birthday cake!


Here he is performing his birthday breakdance routine with his friend Kevin:

Sir-Marce-A-Lot, MC Mar-c

I recommend you rap at your next staff meeting!

Giselle is 17 months old

Giselle is quite the handful right now and into...EVERYTHING!!! She crawls up to the kitchen table and generally just wants to do everything herself. Here she is saying her latest word: "Up!

We're waiting for her to learn a new word but for now this and "uh-oh" are her favorites.

Our Very Cool, Hot Summer

It's been a blazing hot summer with the temperatures in the upper 90s almost every day. The heat index says 105° in some cases. But does that slow us down? No! We've had a very productive, fun and cool summer so far .... and it's not over ... I'm planning Gabriel's six year old birthday party. I've been bitten by the planning bug, what can I say? Some other planning endeavors are:

– Next will be a welcoming party for baby Callista for our neighbors Tricia and Corey;
– Then, with the creation of a Facebook group page am making an effort to plan our block party for our FireFox Community this October;
– And will try to organize a group trip to tour inside the Hindu Temple around the corner from us. Jim and Gabriel have called it the "Giant Wedding Cake" for years and we're curious to look inside and maybe learn something along the way.

In addition to my community-oriented organizational efforts, I'm happy to report that I'm making an effort for myself finally too. I'm not doing a strict diet, but being a carb-oholic I am trying to reduce my carb intake, eat more vegetables and work out. Jimmy bought us kettle bells and we work out sometimes in the morning and other times we sneak it in at night. No major weight loss yet, but am feeling more energy and tone to my body. The most exciting part is I bought myself a 10 class dance card at Dance 101 and took my first jazz dance class in years last Saturday. And who do I run into? None other than my old dance teacher and friend Leon Von Brown.
Believe it or not, the studio had been trying to get him to teach there for six years and it was his first day teaching there. It felt like a divine appointment to meet up with our firsts. We used to dance together with the Atlanta Ballet adult program probably 9-10 years ago. This is our non-sweaty selves just before class.

Gabriel and I are fans of the show "So You Think You Can Dance" (SYTYCD) and the producer Nigel Lythgoe has helped to begin the first ever National Dance Day. They held the event in Atlantic Station in Atlanta and we went to participate. This year seems to be shaping up to be a year of reunions, firsts and new beginnings.

Speaking of new, we moved Giselle into her brother's room.
They love being roommates and one morning proved it when I overheard giggles and peaked in on them. She was playing "peek-a-boo" and he was laughing and talking with her. It just warmed my heart so much. Jim and I are really enjoying watching them love each other and generally grow up.


We're healthy, happy and feeling really blessed.

The Dynamic Dance Duo

Check out Sean and Gabriel, the two b-boys, crafting their breakdancing skills together...

My Friend Jerry's Birthday

I was so happy all day – I was going to take my friend Jerry out to dinner for his birthday. What's so special you say? Well, he is homeless and I know this gesture will mean a lot to him. I've been talking to him about it for weeks and the day has finally arrived. After spending 30 seconds at the stoplight for two years, you get to know someone. I went to Publix and bought a small cake and the gentleman behind the pastry counter placed "Happy Birthday Jerry" in a really pretty cursive handwriting...I just couldn't wait to see the look on his face when he sees the cake.

I usually see him on the street corner holding his sign at the corner of Mountain Industrial Blvd and Hwy 78, but I didn't see him today. I got nervous. Oh no...he must have forgotten about our date tonight, or worse, didn't think I would follow through on my request to take him out and decided not to endure the pain of rejection. I went home and retrieved the family. Jimmy was surprisingly ready to go and so were the kids. Our friend Shawna came along too...it was a family affair. Jim had to drive separately since there wouldn't be enough room in my car for all of us, and not only that, he preferred it that way as he is a little cautious for his wife's and children's safety....he was leery since he hadn't met Jerry yet. I was hoping I would find him at his motel, The Stone Mountain Inn, but I was nervous that I was dragging everyone out and I wouldn't be able to find him. I drove up to the hotel and for some reason I couldn't get in....the doors were locked to the main lobby doors. It was only 7 pm on a Monday night, why would this be? I peered through the window and saw a little girl probably the age of 7 dancing around and I motioned to the door. She finally got my hint and came to open it. I asked the attendant behind the desk if he could point me to room 303? He told me to go out the lobby door, climb the stairs three flights and turn around and go through another set of doors as it's on the inside. I started my trek up the stairs with my heart beating out of my chest. What was I going to find? I was excited and nervous that I may see things out of the norm and potentially put myself in harm's way. My thoughts went wild and at the same time, I saw three black gentlemen calling for me. What did they want. Just play it cool Marcy and give a nonchalant wave to acknowledge them but to also state you weren't interested. I got to the top of the floor and saw the door the attendant mentioned. It was locked! Oh no, what was I going to do now? I hollered a big, "Heelllloooo??" and no answer and then I noticed one of the window panes was broken. It crossed my mind that maybe it was intentionally broken so they could get in and out...of course, that doesn't make any sense, right? But not much was making sense at this moment, especially the next. I knocked, really hard, on door 303 and a tall African American gentlemen answered. I thought, oh no, I've bothered a motel guest, but I asked anyway....out came of my mouth with thoughts of being shot in a hallway and my husband being really mad at me, "Uh, is Jerry here?" He said, "No, he's not." Oh good, that must mean at least he knows him and I'm in the right place. And also, everything that Jerry had told me up until now has some plausible truth to it. I continued, "Do you know where he went? I'm supposed to meet him." He said he had just left. Right when I was turning around thinking maybe Jerry went to go and find me, he little head popped out from behind the corner. He briskly walked up to me and hugged me the tightest hug I've had in a very long time. He said he was surprised to see me. "Why were you surprised? We've been talking about doing this for a while now." I asked him if he was ready and he said yes, but walked back into the room. I suspected he needed to get on his shoes so I started back toward the stairwell. I wasn't exactly comfortable standing in this dark, mysterious hallway and the faster I could get out of there and let my husband know where I was, the better. We walked down making chit chat and around to my car where the kids and Shawna were. Right at that time, Jimmy drove up in his truck. "Thank goodness", I thought, and perfect timing. Jerry asked me what my husband's name was again and he got in. I told him to buckle up and we were off to the restaurant.

All was seemingly going well. I was still very excited and now even more so with the relief of finding him and being on our way. I was wondering what they were talking about in Jim's truck? What was tonight going to offer? When we got to the pizza place, they were very crowded...so much that we sat on the patio with the risk of never being served because there was no other place to sit. I felt bad because Jerry was sitting in the sun and didn't he have to be in the sun too much as it is? I wanted him to relax in the air conditioning. He told us how he liked to be a vegetarian when he can be so we ordered a half cheese and half pepperoni pizza. It was a bit awkward, but I tried to lighten things up a bit by taking some photos and making conversation. We were more than halfway through our meal when it became stressful. Jerry asked if he could play a game with us. He remarked how he knows it's difficult for us to understand him with his southern accent and missing teeth (he mumbles and I can really only get one word a sentence). But excitedly went on to ask Shawna to think of a home. What kind of home is it? When you are there what kind of key is there? And the questions continued.....it was a psychological examination. I quickly remembered the homeless coordinator I had spoken to months ago telling me he may have a mental illness and was playing some kind of word game with her in the van on the way to housing in downtown Atlanta. Jim and I looked at each other with a knowing of what do we do now? He was locked into this mode. Giselle was spilling water all over me and wanted in my purse. Gabriel was playing with quarters and singing which made it harder to hear and understand Jerry. I decided we needed to wrap up our pizza event and brought out the cake. He seemed appreciative and I was glad for that....but I learned that while I can try to reach out in love those who are in need. I may not be the best person for the job. He needs mental help. The night ended up being very hard to get through. I don't regret it, but it was stressful and hard. It may be a while before we can take Jerry out again. I may need to call professional help to see what they can do for Jerry as a next step. And possibly find his brother to see what he knows and if he can be of any help to him.

Giselle's 16 month stats

Our favorite pediatrician, Dr. Laura Rich, is leaving the practice. Gabriel was her very first patient as I remember meeting her at Northside Hospital and she hadn't even officially came on board with Briarcliff Pediatrics yet. We're not happy with the other remaining doctor there as he is lacking in patience and bedside manner, not to mention his condescending nature. He actually physically slapped my hand once for not taking Gabriel in to see him sooner when he was diagnosed with RSV.

We had to have Giselle's 15 month check-up, but because they were running late, their next availability with the new doctor was when she was 16-1/2 months old. It went ok according to Jimmy, but I think we'll still keep our ears peeled for a new pediatrician.

Here are her stats from that visit:
Height: 31-3/4" (75%)
Weight: 22 lbs and 8 oz (25-50%)
Head circumference: 46.5 cm (50-75%)

She has a little rash near her mouth which could be caused by too much tomato sauce and acidic fruits. We're putting Aquafor by day and Hydrocortizone by night and it's starting to clear up.

She's working hard on her two top teeth. She's got her right one half way in and her left looks like it just broke through the gum. I'm calling her "snaggletooth" right now.

Still sleeping in the pack-n-play although she's gotten too big for it. I want to move her to her crib in Gabriel's room. He'd like the roommate as long as she's not crying. She has a little pink bear blankie lovey that she holds and sucks her thumb when she sleeps. It's adorable.

"Up" is her latest word she has learned after "Mama", "Dada", "Nummy", "Uh-oh" and she can say "Gabriel" too but sounds more like "Gab-eeuh". She understands a lot and wants to do everything she sees Gabriel do. She doesn't understand she can't do it....she's is Miss Independent.

Honesty of Gabriel

We watched Paul Goydos shoot a 59 yesterday and we asked Gabriel if he becomes a pro golfer to buy us a summer home. He asked "how much do you win, a $1,000?" We said "more like a million." Expecting shock and awe, instead he returned with... "and a trophy?"

Another day I took him clothes shopping with me at Ross. In the dressing room I asked him to tell me which pair of pants I was trying on looked the best? He said so sweetly, "You look beautiful Mommy. I like them." I told him that since Daddy wasn't there he needed to let me know which pair didn't make my butt look as fat. Thinking someone in the next stall is listening to me ask my son to look at my butt and that they could call DFCS he retorted with such a painfully honest answer .... "Well, in that case, both of them are out."

Jim says to me one day driving in my red Toyota Prius: "Why did you buy this car [if you aren't going to maximize the mileage out of it]?" Gabriel from the backseat: "Because it's shiny!"

Reunion of Plenty

June was very much about seeing old friends from high school to Busch Gardens dancing days to family friends like Cristal and the Beebes. It was amazing to see everyone, laugh and reminisce.
With my high school best friend, Tricia...

With my lifelong childhood best friend, Kim...

Here with my family for a mini family reunion...

With our close family friends the Beebes...

With my Busch Gardens friends Joilee and Andrew ...

With my high school girlfriends Tricia, Phuong and PK...

Shocking Love

I've recently been told some shocking, life-altering news from a close friend. The kind that makes you take a step back and really examine how you truly feel and think about life. How it should be, but isn't. It's complicated and messy, gray, full of questions, not black & white at all. It was a roller coaster ride of emotions from shock, confusion, followed by a very short bit of anger to intense pain/grief to acceptance. It was just a week ago, and as I write this today I feel hopeful that everything will turn out alright. As my dear friend is facing, I was forced to face the reality of tolerance levels of acceptance in society. We've come a long way with civil rights, equality, but we still have a ways to go. It doesn't mean you have to understand, but you do have to love. Love should be a requirement. It's the most important thing in our household. We aren't perfect, as we are human, in the flesh, and raised with all the moldings of past generational thoughts handed down by our parents, teachers and other influencers.

But love conquers a multitude of wrongs. Love bears all things, hopes all things and endures all things. Love is the answer. Just ask my five year old...he'll tell you it's the most important thing...Love God and Love others. It doesn't mean I have all the answers. I don't. But I for one am glad to hug my friend and say, "we'll get through this together and I love you." Honestly, I just can't fathom doing anything else.

Reunited!

One of my best high school girlfriends, Kelly Simon Crum, and I were reunited at long last. We hugged each other so tight and then stared each other down checking each other out in the first minute of our greeting. Then it was as if no time had passed in between whatsoever, except the extra fluff on both of us was a dead give-away. Here we are in high school and at her house 20 years later:

Memorial Day Weekend Detroit Trip

We took a whirlwind trip to Detroit to see our family. They hadn't yet met baby Giselle and we were way overdue for a visit. We left on a Friday evening with every intention of driving straight through the night. It was 2 am when Jim and I could no longer tackle the wheel so we got a motel room. Seems ridiculous to pay full price to use the room for only five hours, but that was what we did...and it was the right decision. We were all well rested come morning so we hit the road. We got into Detroit around 2 pm and we went straight to Jim's parents new place at the Henry Ford Home. They were so happy to see them. Here are some great photos of their initial meeting:






The next day we enjoyed spending time with Aunt Zosh, Marisha, Aunt Kathlyn, Cousin Andrew and Dave. Andrew was a big hit with Gabriel and he loves all the attention from his Aunts. Giselle was in good form and didn't cry at all on the trip. Yay! We left Monday morning to head back home. It was a long way to go for a short visit, but it was so very worth it.

Kindergarten Comes to a Close

End of Year Homeschool Report
May 18, 2010

Our first year of homeschooling has come to an end. We started this journey almost a year ago with little expectations and almost little to no understanding of what all is involved. I'm thrilled to report that our first homeschooling year in Kindergarten was a success. Our county requires that we begin reporting homeschooling at the start of first grade with a declaration of intent, monthly attendance reports and a yearly progress report that we keep for our own records. While it's not necessary for this year, I thought I would get into the practice of it.

OVERVIEW:
In general, we mainly focused on the three R's (reading, writing, arithmetic) and sprinkled in science, social studies, music, art, sports, computer and other interests around that core foundation. We joined a NEACH homeschool group to do fun activities, projects, field trips, park days, Spanish club, and just make new friends and experiencing children of all ages.

MATH:
He excels in math. He grasps the concept easily and in fact surprises us on occasion with what he knows. For example, the other day we were driving in the car .... it was 1:11 in the afternoon. He asked how long until we'll arrive to where we were going? We said in ten minutes. He says, "So that means we'll get there at 1:21 correct? He has been able to tell time for quite a while now to the minute, but we were surprised at how he added on ten when it wasn't an even number. When asked how he did it he said, "That's easy. I just added ten and then added the one back in."

He also counts to 100 without a problem. Skip counts by 5's to 110 on his own and can count by 2's to 30. We wrapped up a first grade math workbook (adding, subtracting single digits) and started second grade math (addition/subtraction of double digits which begins place value). He is just beginning the concept of carrying over, but can tell he does so because we've told him to and not because he has grasped the concept yet.

For next year, we bought a new curriculum called RightStart which was developed by a Montessori Math PhD. using Japanese philosophies. One example of this philosophy is the way the Asians name their numbers. In English we count ten, eleven, twelve, thirteen, and so on, which doesn’t give the child a clue about tens and ones. But in Asian languages, you counts by saying ten-1, ten-2, ten-3 for the teens, and 2-ten 1, 2-ten 2,and 2-ten 3 for the twenties. Another important difference is the emphasis on non-counting strategies for computation. Japanese children are discouraged from counting; rather they are taught to see quantities in groups of fives and tens. For example, when an American child wants to know 9 + 4, most likely they will start with 9 and count up 4. In contrast, the Asian child will think that if he takes 1 from the 4 and puts it with the 9, then he will have 10 and 3, or 13. They also use math card games and other manipulates including a special double-sided abacus based on five's and ten's. It's structured by levels rather than grade-level. It's completely different than how I was taught, but Jimmy really understands this concept, and he is the one teaching it...and it appears that Gabriel may be ready for something like this so we're hoping it will go wonderfully. Needless to say, we're really excited about beginning first grade with this curriculum.

LANGUAGE ARTS:
Reading: I'm happy to report that since the purchase of the BOB book sets and creating a reward system for reading, he is now reading at a first grade level with ease and confidence. I wouldn't say he is motivated to read on his own, but at least he is reading more and more.

Writing: His penmanship for print is clear. Sometimes needs to be reminded to bring the ascenders up to reach the top line and the descenders down beneath the baseline. When there are lines on the page, his writing is much better as you can imagine. He uses his finger to space out words still, but at least you can read what he is writing. He still sometimes writes his d's and b's backwards as well as s's and 2's. He draws his "o" in the opposite direction then what he is supposed to so hope to correct these mistakes this year.

Comprehension: His comprehension is surprisingly good considering he doesn't act like he is paying attention at all. There are occasions where I'll ask him what I just read when I KNOW he wasn't paying attention and he can't recall, but the other times when I'm unsure he knows exactly. He has been reading comprehension stories for 2nd grade and doing quite well. We will stick with this level for this year as it is challenging him at just the right level, and may even go back to first grade comprehension as remedial.

Spelling and Vocabulary: I give him pop-quiz spelling tests with either sight words, vocabulary words or words we've been working on recently. Anywhere from 8-12 words at a time and he generally gets most of them correct depending on difficulty from easy three letter CVC words or the more difficult four letter words with silent e's. We use the plain old-fashioned dictionary to look up meanings of words. He's not shy about asking what a certain word means that he's never heard before.

Phonics: We have been decoding words in our new Explode the Code workbooks which he seems to like. I can tell this is helping and we'll continue this along with another curriculum with cassette tapes I recently purchased.

Grammar: He understands nouns, verbs, adjectives and pronouns, but that's it. He also understands to capitalize letters of names and places. Sometimes he will begin using all uppercase letters and throw in a lower case letter. We are working on either using all caps or use of initial caps with consistency. He understands basic punctuation such as use of period at end of sentence, exclamation points for excitement and question marks for questions. He can write easy three word sentences, but anything beyond this he finds daunting.

SCIENCE:
He loves science and is glued to the T.V. when MythBusters comes on...or Sid the Science Kid. He is always asking why does something work the way it does so we are trying to nurture that curiosity by doing experiments as things come up in our daily life. We do not have a curriculum per se, but we read science, nature, human body, and physics books to him. We research the weather together and talk about seasons, etc. Currently, we are reading a book on Albert Einstein. We will use Science in the Kitchen to conduct any learning opportunities this coming year. He also loves helping us to cook and bake which allows him to learn how to operate/manipulate the various instruments and learn measurements.

SOCIAL STUDIES:
We plan to begin Story of the World text with it's accompanying workbook, but this year we focused on reading some books on culture and talking to him about people in general near and far. What they do, what they eat, what they wear and what they may believe. In addition, we keep a calendar in his room so he can mark off the days of the week (which he knows) and follow the months of the year (which he knows) while learning the different holidays. He knows the continents and we will begin the study of particular countries this coming year.

PHYSICAL FITNESS:
Jim works with him on golf, soccer, and tennis while I teach him to swim and dance with him in our living room. He is athletic, but not very focused or fast. Perhaps that will come with age....we hope!

OTHER:
Drama/Music/Art: He loves music and to sing. In fact, he recently told me he wants to be a song creator when he grows up. He loves rock or pop songs or anything with a beat. He sang "Jesus Loves Me" in Spanish with his homeschool group. He doesn't really care for drawing, but can color fairly well inside the lines. We hope to begin piano lessons this year. He also loves maps and mazes and we supply him with age-appropriate levels. He likes to tell jokes and act out or say movie line quotes so we'll explore this some more as well.

SUMMARY:
In my opinion, Gabriel is working above grade-level, but we want to be careful not to either push too hard or become complacent and find ourselves struggling in a certain subject. While he is a bright, young boy, he has a hard time focusing on what he is supposed to be doing at times, unless it's the television or computer screen. On that note, I'm watching for any signs of ADD or ADHD or seeing if he just grows out of being a boy. I think it's apparent that he is a kinesthetic learner, but doesn't fail at auditory or visual learning either. Overall, he has a love of learning and doing new things, is quite social and enjoys his friends, telling jokes and having fun.

One Spring Day

One beautiful Spring day we opened up the French doors and enjoyed the sunlight. I'm obsessed with taking photos of the kids and this seemed like a good opportunity. It's nearly impossible to snap a photo before she moves, but here they are of our fun moment.

I got that boom, boom, boom

Here are my kids rockin' out to the Black Eyed Peas. Giselle stops dancing and becomes a Diva as soon as she sees the camera though, but at least I got a partial view of the Pett dancing madness for your viewing pleasure. :)

1.5 million homeschoolers in 2007

The number of home-schooled kids hit 1.5 million in 2007, up 74% from when the Department of Education's National Center for Education Statistics started keeping track in 1999 as stated in this USA Today article a year ago.

I wonder what the statistics are now three years later....I'll keep looking.

Update: I found this:
"There were an estimated 1,700,000 to 2,100,000 children (grades K-12) home educated during 2002-2003 in the United States. Homeschooling appears to still be the fastest-growing form of education."
– Brian D. Ray, Ph.D., Facts on Homeschooling.

That was for 2002 and they say up to 15% increase per year. Haven't found any current data for 2009 as they may not have that ready to publish. If there are approximately 73 million children in the U.S. having over 2 million homeschool doesn't seem like a whole lot, but then again, not all cases are reported since some are categorized as private schooled. So ... I give up since I can't get accurate numbers, but at least I have an idea now of the potential percentage.

The Home School Legal Defense Association study shows higher academic level than public school counterparts.