Getting Ready For Christmas

It's less than 50 days before Christmas and I haven't done ANY shopping yet. The LOOOONG Christmas list has been ready since midyear but I haven't gotten around to getting some retail therapy.

Every year I say to Hubby that I will start my Christmas shopping in June. And every year I start shopping just in time for the long lines at the cashier and the when the Christmas shopping frenzy is at its peak--just like a New Year resolution gone bad.

However, seeing all that clutter disappear during the garage sale inspired us to decorate for Christmas. I brought out my Nativity set, collection of Santa Claus, and started to put them around the house. Upon careful examination, the house still needs a few more Christmas-y items like wreaths and candy cane. Hmmm, we'll see.

I also bought a book called, "The First Christmas" to let the kids know about (ahem) the First Christmas. I read this to them last night and they loved it. They even rearranged the Nativity set and look to it often for reference. I can't wait to read "A Night Before Christmas" to the kids tonight. Hopefully, they won't rearrange my Santa Claus collection after that!

Proud To Be A SAHM

I met up with a few ex-co workers recently. It has been a few months since we last saw each other. As usual, everyone updated each other on what has been happening these past months. When it was my turn to tell them that I'm still staying at home and starting to homeschool Kowi, well, let's say there were a few nods and odd responses. And none of them were enthusiastic.

Most of them asked when I plan on going back to work. One even said I was so lucky to "do nothing all day." As I was explaining my reasons for staying home, I could see it in their eyes, pity, sadness, disbelief. Oh, I see this reaction from a few family members as well.

It's shocking to learn that most people don't know how tough it is to stay at home. Managing a household, homeschooling Kowi, afterschooling Kuya and working at home is a lot on the plate. The dishes do not clean themselves while I watch Oprah and drink iced tea. It takes a certain amount of effort, ability and love to juggle all these and still find a reason to smile at the end of the day.

While some may think that I am unsuccessful in landing a job or wasting my education by staying home, I beg to disagree. I do have a double degree from one of the top three schools in the country, have been a consistent dean's lister and have been given a national award for academic achievement. I stay home because my children will benefit the most from my skills. Isn't that a better use for it?

Although my "career" is put on the backburner, my children are only young once. I figure I can always be CEO in a few years.

Now, if somebody asks me again when I plan to get work...arrrrgh!!!

Really Cool Online Math Website

As I was doing Kuya's Math worksheets for his exam tomorrow, I stumbled upon Dr. Math. It's a cool website that has a variety of Math questions ranging from Elementary through High School.

I was looking Math exercises for Kuya and saw Mad Math where he can practice addition, subtraction and multiplication online. Actually, it's a way to practice all basic Math skills so there are also problems in division.

The site is great because you can customize how many problems you can give and what problem types. you can also choose subtraction with negative difference and division with remainders.

I added it to my favorites. Kuya and I will be checking this site out frequently. This just saved me printer ink and paper. =)

One Happy Stamper

For our activity today, Kowi and I decided to try our hand at stamping. I just bought a small, inexpensive stamp kit with red ink from the bookstore.

First thing we did was to dress her in her "art" shirt. Kuya and Kowi have specific shirts they use for art and for eating spaghetti. It takes the stress out of washing the stains from their clothes since these special shirts are allowed to be stained. Next, I sat her on the table, opened the kit, gave her several pieces of paper and she was stamping away. I think that this is really good to develop her fine motor skills.

Mommy and baby letters

Kowi and I are currently doing the alphabet. She already knows the capital letters by sight, she calls them "mommy" letters. I am now introducing her to the small "baby" letters.

I started her with LeapFrog Fridge Phonics that I used with Kuya when he was 3 years old. It shows the 26 magnetic upper case letters that talk and sing. It even has the alphabet song. Good thing I coerced my brother to buy the expansion pack. Now I have both mommy and baby letters in the set.

Our activity the other day was to pair up the upper case with the lower case. Of course, she's still having trouble with letters B, D, P, Q and L. But the rest she did well. More practice, practice, practice.

On homeschooling and compromise

Homeschooling. It's sort of becoming the buzz among the egroups of which I am a member. This started an interest to read articles about the benefits of homeschooling. I even joined a Philippine homeschool egroup to learn more about it. By the end of the 10th article, I crossed over to the other side. With the benefits totally outweighing the disadvantages, who wouldn't?

So, armed with my newfound knowledge I became an advocate for homeschooling Kowi, my three-year-old daughter. I started a battle with the enemy. And the enemy was her dad. Not that he was an advocate for the traditional school. It's just that he doesn't like change (sorry, honey--get your own blog =P).

The battle lasted for days. In the car, at the dining table, in SM, in bed. There were days when I started to waiver, but I'd look at my armory of homeschooling articles. It gave strength and resolve to continue the fight.

Finally, we agreed to compromise. His offer: Since I am currently a stay-at-home mom, I get to homeschool Kowi for her preschool. But elementary, it has to be in a traditional school like Kuya. I gladly took it. We shook hands (and a bunch of other bleep-bleep stuff) and he slept like a baby.

I didn't get to sleep right away. My mind was awake from the flurry of activites I was cooking up for Kowi. And I was also secretly thinking that I'd have time to convince him to defect to my side. I win. Bwahahaha.

http://pinoyhomeschool@yahoogroups.com