Monday, January 31, 2011

Mystery of History / Science Co-op

Don't miss out on the links to pictures, information, and videos that give more insight into Week 4 of Mystery of History Vol. 1.

Also, there are some fun pictures of my children doing some hands on activities to do with our lessons!

http://educatinglittlemindscoop.blogspot.com/

Friday, January 28, 2011

ABC songs!

I found some great videos to make the ABCs fun at My Tot Learning Time! These were my two favorites!






This isn't really a song, but really fun to watch!




Consent form for Dr. to sign...

As a woman who has been through LONG labor, 5 cesareans, and a very long, hard attempt at VBAC at home, I thought this was great! The climate in the medical field toward VBAC is horrible in the USA.

Below is a letter I copied from a post at http://flammtastic.blogspot.com/2009/05/repeat-cesarean-consent-form-for-ob-to.html.

Take a look! I did not write the following letter.

A Different Kind of Consent Form
I am so irate at the lack of patient choice and the asinine mentality of doctors here. I am very, very frustrated. So, I thought I would vent some of that frustration by doing something semi-constructive. To that end, I wrote my own consent form. After all, if the doctor wants me to sign theirs, they should sign mine first.

Here 'tis.

I, the undersigned physician, have, in violation of the Consumer Bill of Rights and Responsibilities, the Emergency Medical Treatment and Active Labor Act, the Patient Self Determination Act, the ethical guidelines of the American Medical Association and the American College of Obstetricians and Gynecologists, Constitutional Law (the right to privacy and self determination protected by the 1st and 14th amendments), international tort law, and case law (of particular interest "In re A.C.", 1987, "In re Fetus Brown, 689 N.E.2d 397, 400 (Ill. App. Ct. 1997)", and "In re Baby Boy Doe, 632 N.E.2d 326 (Ill. App. Ct. 1994)") and the Patient Rights as determined by this institution, deprived my client,________________, of her right to self determination and her right to bodily integrity by ignoring her repeated refusal for delivery by repeat cesarean section. I acknowledge that by refusing to honor my client's denial of consent, I have not only violated the above laws, but I also affirm that I have used unwarranted and unethical pressure including emotional threats to my client's and her unborn child's life and safety, in my attempts to obtain such consent. I further affirm that I have stressed the risks of vaginal birth after cesarean, but neglected to inform my patient of the risks of delivery by repeat cesarean section. I further affirm that I understand, that should I resort to physical force, including but not limited to physical or chemical restraints to compel my client's cooperation, I will be guilty of criminal battery, which is defined as "any form of non-consensual touching or treatment that occurs in a medical setting". 

In compensation for the above violations of my client's rights, I hereby guarantee the following:

a healthy baby, born in perfect condition, with no physical, mental or developmental defecits whatsoever, whether arising from surgery or any other cause 

no complications for the infant, including but not limited to: persistent pulmonary hypertension, transient tachypnea of the newborn, respiratory distress syndrome, iatrogenic prematurity, lacerations, or hematoma

a speedy, uncomplicated post-operative recovery for my client. Specifically, I guarantee that my client shall not experience nerve damage, organ damage, hemorrhage (whether sufficient to require transfusion or not), disability or disfigurement, intraoperative or postoperative infection of the wound or surrounding skin and tissues, post partum depression and post partum post traumatic stress disorder (PTSD), and other conditions not listed here. 

Signed,

It is finally real to me...

I didn't want to say anything on the blog about my weight loss because it seems every time I do, I fail and never post again about it. Well, this time is different! I am no longer saying that I am trying to lose weight. I AM losing weight. There is a big difference in doing and trying. Trying is setting yourself up to fail. No more trying here! I have a vision and won't stop until I get there!!!

I have been getting my mind in gear and slowly working on it since Thanksgiving (with a huge set back over the Christmas break). I am much more consistent now.

So, I am going to start giving you my goals, achievements, set backs, and victories here. I have been following a few different blogs that have been doing the same for a long time now. I comment and read their posts, but never post here.

January:
I have lost 7 pounds so far this month and hope to make it a couple of more before weighing in on Tuesday, Feb. 1st. We will see!

I just started journaling all my food intake so that I could count my calories. They were eye opening! I just wrote down the first couple of days without adding them up. Wow! I had no idea how many calories I was putting into my mouth regularly! These days, I was even thinking about it! My daily goal is no more than 1400 calories. Here are my totals so far this week.

Day 1 - 2773.5 YIKES!!!!
Day 2 - 1153
Day 3 - 1437.5

Today is Day 4 of my week, so totals still to be tabulated.

I have the fitness goal of going to the gym at least 4 days a week and getting some activity 6 days out of the week.

I have gotten a fitness buddy from Eclipse, which has been such a wonderful blessing!!! I now have a friend and encourager who I keep up with several times a day via email! This has made all the difference!

I will report back on Tues.!!!! Please join me if you have total health as your goal!!!

Sunday, January 23, 2011

Don't miss out!! Free subscription!!!

You don't want to miss this!! Mightybooksjr.com has a free subscription!! Usually it is $99 per year to access this site. Go to Joyful Creations at Home and learn how you can get a FREE subscription!!! This site has lots of interactive books, and quizzes, worksheets, etc. to go along with a lot of their books. Go check it out!

Friday, January 21, 2011

My baby is walking!!!

Education Cubes!

Well, I have been promising pictures, but couldn't give them to you due to technical difficulties. Here are just a couple to start with. Here in preK, my K threw up one of the snow flake ones and then found the number that matched.


Thursday, January 13, 2011

Education Cubes!!!

Education Cubes


I just wanted to let you know about these fun tools to use in your home school! Are you learning letters, numbers, money, or place value? How about shapes, colors, or seasons? How about ANYTHING you can possibly think of!! If you have a learner who enjoys shaking it up a bit, using their bodies, and breaking away from workbooks, you should really check these out. We are having lots of fun with them! I will post very soon with our own ideas of how we have used them and our pictures!

History and Science Co-op Week 2

This week we studied Noah's Ark (Genesis 6-9), the Ice Age, and Dinosaurs! What a fun week, right!?! We read What Really Happened to the Dinosaurs, played with dinosaurs, watched a video of what it might have possibly been like when the earth started to flood, looked at pictures of reconstructed arks, and made ice cream!!! You don't want to miss our recent blog posts that show pics of us making the ice cream (in plastic bags!), the recipe, and all the links!

Tuesday, January 4, 2011

Mystery of History / Science Co-op

I have joined up with a couple of friends in a history/science co-op! We will be going through the Mystery of History Vol. 1 this year, beginning this week with Lesson 1-3. Each week, we will be posting videos that we find to enhance our lessons, activities that we do, and other resources that we find. I just posted some videos I found for our first lesson here.

You can go and check out the book we are using at this site.

For science, we are just going to be studying an animal, bird, fish, or bug for the week. We will then spend just a few minutes telling each other what we learned. We will be having the children practice speaking clearly in front of a group during this time.

Our co-op is geared toward the younger students (ages 3-7ish). I have two older students (ages 9 and 10) who will be going a little more in depth. For example, this week, my girls are studying evolution and the big bang theory while we read about creation. Then, they will teach the younger ones briefly about these topics and how God's Word lines up (or doesn't) with them.

Monday, January 3, 2011

Mixed emotions

This week I started my period. I know, big deal. The thing was, I had in the back of my head the possibility, slim as it was, that I could be pregnant. I started experiencing some of the symptoms that only occur when I am pregnant. Then, I realized it had been 2-3 months since my last cycle. I knew that this was unlikely though. First, I am still nursing a 13 month old child. So irregularity is very common. Second, after 5 c-sections for various reasons (while desperately desiring vaginal birth at home), my husband and I prayerfully made the decision to have a tubal ligation with my last c-section. So, I should never be pregnant again, although I am aware that it sometimes happens. This is okay. We knew that we had made the right decision for my health and have peace. I want to be around to mother my five children! We have always been open to adoption and may someday grow our family in that way. This doesn't take away the grieving process that must be allowed to happen, though. I am so, sad! It definitely comes and goes, but I am sad. Ever since I was about 2, all I have ever wanted to be was a mommy. I realize that I am a mommy of five beautiful, healthy, wonderful children. I just never saw my body not being able to conceive until menopause. I never saw this as part of my story. I never saw c-sections or failed VBAC as part of my story. I trust God with my story, though, knowing that He is sovereign. I will continue to put my trust in Him every day. I am thankful that He holds me and loves on me in these moments when my heart hurts for the parts of the story I have to give to Him, the parts that might not have gone my way, but that make me who I am.

Sunday, January 2, 2011

New Year = New Beginnings

I am not taking the "New Year's resolution" route this year. I have many things that I am working on right now and I am continuing these goals. Thankfully, God is never through working on me. He never gives up! That is so precious and amazing to me! As many times as I stop and throw my little tantrum, He never tires and leaves me. He is my Father who stays by me always, telling me how He loves me too much to not keep teaching me and guiding me. What a gift it is that He gives us our own children so that we can each glimpse just a portion of the unconditional love that He has for us as we love and teach our own kiddos.

My underlying issue that is the umbrella for all my other issues is self discipline. I almost completely lack self discipline. I have no idea why. I do though, and it is time I grow up and accept that this is hard for me. I need to mature past using this as an excuse to live undisciplined. I need to fall on the grace of my Lord, do the hard work of forming new habits, and get disciplined! MUCH easier said than done. For all you disciplined, A type personalities, you are rolling your eyes saying, "Oh come on, just do it!" Well, for one who is not used to making myself do anything unpleasant, it is very hard to overcome the, "I don't wanna's!" Does anyone relate?

Here are the issues that fall under this umbrella that are affecting my life:
  • going to bed too late
  • waking up too late
  • following through when giving a child a job
  • following our school schedule
  • eating healthily
  • exercising
  • doing my jobs when they need to be done (laundry, starting meals on time, etc., etc., etc.)
I am sure there are plenty more I could come up with, but these are the ones I am going to be tackling right now. I realize that most would say take one from this list and start with that. Then, add another one. I think I am just tired of living this way, though, and tend to be an all or nothing type person, so I will be jumping right in with all of them, TOMORROW!!!

So, pray for my attitude. I am already dreading the week (not a great start, huh?). I am so sick of trying to train my children to be disciplined when I am so obviously not. It is time. So, here goes nothing!