Motherscholaring

The kids and I all have come down with a cold. 

Luckily, that's all it seems to be...because the past few times we've been sick have been...mighty uncomfortable. This really seems mostly to just be the sniffles.

Still, I had to film a ten minute presentation this evening...on motherscholars...and was sniffling all the way through it (poor everybody who has to listen to my *sniff* presentation *sniff*). 

No sooner had I finished filming...at midnight...when Phoebe ran into the hallway crying, her Chummie alarm blaring. She really doesn't like that thing, which is good because when it goes off she typically wakes up pretty fast (she's only slept through it a couple of times), which means she typically stops peeing to...run into the hallway screaming for help. 

And...I couldn't think of anything more motherscholarly than filming a presentation while sick (probably from kids with no boundaries either sneezing in my face or stealing a drink from my water bottle) at midnight (because that's a good quiet time for that activity in this house) and very nearly having it interrupted by a child needing help going potty.

*****

Side story: last night she was having a hard time falling asleep and staying asleep (because of the sniffles, probably). She woke up around midnight and I helped her go potty and get back to bed. And after she had been in bed for a while, her Chummie went off. 

"Shhhh, shhhh, Chummie-buddy!" she said soothingly, groggily patting her Chummie. "I'm just sweaty. I'm not peeing. You can be quiet!"

Had she been asleep when it went off, she would have been in the hallways screaming in a flash, but since she was only in the act of falling asleep...she tried to soothe it into silence. 

It didn't work.

Instead we got up and changed into some cooler pyjamas.

Reading lessons and other things

Working so much on pronunciation with Phoebe has naturally led to phonics, so we've cracked open Teach Your Child to Read in 100 Easy Lessons again. So far we've done about 10 lessons and then started back at square one. And then we went through about 20 lessons and then started over again at lesson 10. And now we're just past lesson 20 for the second time, and it was perfect timing because the letter we added today was c and what sound does c make? 

/k/...which Phoebe just figured out how to produce! 

The poor thing was struggling so hard with the word "cat" today (she keeps saying "tac" instead). Typically she has substituted /t/ for /k/ so "cat" would be "tat." I suppose "tac" is a step in the right direction. We worked for a while on saying /k/ first and /t/ second, but it was a real challenge for her. 

At first she wasn't a huge fan of reading lessons but now she often asks me for lessons (even over the weekend when we don't "have to" do schoolwork). 

The other day she decided to pull out her reading lesson book so she could give one of her baby dolls (one of my baby dolls) a reading lesson. Here they are skipping way far ahead:

SPCH THRPY: Bat, Back, and Spot

Phoebe doesn't love "blends," so in addition to helping her figure out how to say /k/ we've also begun working on things like /sp/ and /sl/ and /st/ and things like that. I mean, there are several things she can't say properly (although properly is something she can say properly and she will tell you, "I tan't say dat properly), but those are the things we're targeting for now. 

She loves puppies, so I've been using Dick and Jane books to give us plenty of opportunity to say the word "Spot," since that is the name of their puppy. 

When we started on this particular project (just recently—we added it because she figured out /k/), she would always say, "Sot" instead of "spot." So we practiced saying "pot" and then "s" and then sssssss...pot and then put everything together. 

"Sput," Phoebe said. 

And I thought, "You know what? That's great! She's got the /sp/ and we can work on adding the vowel later."

Here and there

Our homeschool "not-back-to-school" party drew a pretty small crowd this year, perhaps in part because of how "chilly" it's been. The little hint of autumn didn't stop us from enjoying the pool, however! It was good to see so many of our friends—and to get to meet a few new families. 

DOI

I submitted our "declaration of intent to homeschool" (DOI) the other day and was surprised—as I was filing it away—to realize there's a long list of DOIs in my DOI folder...

Strangely I seem to have moved from being a homeschooling newbie to being somewhat of a veteran homeschool educator. I'm not quite sure how that happened because I still feel like I have no idea what I'm doing and am just figuring things out one day at a time.

But, I mean, I didn't hesitate or cry or get all queasy when I pushed the submit button (which was not the case in 2019) so I must be making progress (or at least gaining confidence) as a homeschool educator. 

And Rachel graduated and is starting college...so we didn't mess her plans up too badly.

I went from two homeschooled students in 2019 (Benjamin and Miriam) to four homeschooled students in 2020 (Rachel, Miriam, Benjamin, and Zoë). In 2023 we officially had five homeschooled students when Alexander joined everyone as a kindergarten student. Now we're back down to four students and that's the most I'll ever have at one time from here on out, which is probably plenty.

Technically Phoebe is doing pre-K stuff this year, but she's not "on the record" yet (and won't be until after Miriam graduates).

(Submitting an annual DOI is one of few requirements for homeschooling in Georgia, and it is necessary for certain things—like for a child to get a driver's license, and so forth.)

Forced Perspective Photo Shoot

Today on Facebook a memory from five years ago popped up, a memory that I apparently didn't ever get around to blogging about. It must have been near the beginning of the school year, still at the beginning of the pandemic, and we did a little photo shoot playing with forced perspective. 

Here's Zoë holding up Benjamin and Miriam:

First day and last day at home with Rachel

A little over 18 years ago we brought our brand new baby girl home from the hospital. We placed her in her bassinet and...

Say less

The other night I was talking to Andrew as he was brushing his teeth. 

I cannot even remember what I was talking about. But I said something that merited a response so he mumbled through his toothbrush something that sounded like, "Say less."

Now, taken literally, "say less" could be a polite (?) way of telling someone they're talking too much. 

This may have well been the case that evening. 

But, "say less" is also slang for "yes, absolutely, we're on the same page."

This may also have been the case that evening. 

But, "say less" isn't really something Andrew says very often because (1) he doesn't typically tell me to stop talking (he just endures it) and (2) he's a middle-aged man (sorry, but it's true) who doesn't use a lot of today's slang, so it wasn't very probable that he would say "say less" to me in conversation (unironically). 

I decided to wait until he had finished brushing to circle back on whatever it was I had needed a response about. He clarified his response. I cannot remember what it was (but he definitely agreed with me).

I think we were probably (maybe?) talking about swim team tryouts, come to think of it, because those are this week. And because I remember that we were trying to make a somewhat important decision...but I can't remember what decision it was because we successfully made it and got it squared away on the calendar. So I can't remember what it was...only that it was. 

Whatever it was—we handled it. Like the mature adults that we are.

Anyway, once we got his actual response squared away (and I put whatever we decided on the calendar so I could evidently completely block it from my actual brain), I told him, "At first I thought you said, 'Say less,' and I was like, 'Who do you think you are—my editor?'"

Triangles

The other day we were practicing drawing triangles (because Phoebe struggles with triangles and anything triangular...like the letter A, for example). I put three dots on the page for her and she practiced connecting the dots, resting her felt pen between strokes to get a nice angle in there. 

It's a work in progress. 

Sometimes she's really into practicing her writing and sometimes she's not. On this particular day she was a little not into it and I asked her why and she told me that triangles are useless because they aren't people and she just wants to learn how to draw people. 

Fair. 

So I turned one of my triangles into a little girl by adding a circle for a head and little stick arms and legs and...she was very impressed and drew one of her own. 

And then decided giving a hand-drawn person a body and a head felt like too much work and defaulted to her favourite "hody" form where the head is the body and the body is the head: 

Not a real meeting

Yesterday I was in a class zoom meeting about how to identify/develop a theoretical framework when Phoebe wandered in. She was supposed to be otherwise occupied but...you know Phoebe. Would it have worked to lock my door? Perhaps—but she's a "pick-locker," as she says...so perhaps not. 

"Are you in a meeting?" she asked, tip-toeing over to my nightstand to take a drink from the water bottle that I keep there just for her so that she doesn't drink out of my water bottle. 

"I am."

"Is it a real meeting?" she asked. "Because I see puppies...so..."

One of my classmates had put some chihuahuas up as her background picture, so there were indeed puppies. 

"It is a real meeting," I told her. "Do you want to say hello?"

"No," she said...and then walked away to cause chaos elsewhere.

But now I'm pretty sure she thinks that I'm 100% hopping online to talk about puppies behind her back.

Miriam's Music Theory Exam (and other morning chaos)

"Why is sugar water so good?!"

Those are the words I was greeted with when I came down the stairs this morning. Zoë, Alexander, and Phoebe were having a tea party for breakfast, with oatmeal and a little charcuterie board of animal crackers, craisins, and pistachios. They had peppermint tea with sugar. Or, in Phoebe's case, plain ol' sugar water. 

"I just don't understand how it can be this good!" she said. 

"Because it's just...sugar..." I told her. "People tend to like sugar."

We skipped swim practice this morning so we could all just sleep and sleep and sleep. Alexander is feeling better. Phoebe seems to be on the mend. They got up with Zoë early in the morning. Zoë and Rachel have what seem to be lingering head colds. And Benjamin crashed hard last night. 

He was perfectly fine all day. He even said the closing prayer in sacrament meeting. 

And then he just...crashed. He slept in until around 11:30 this morning, as did multiple other people in the house. We are a tired household these days.

We had just been lining up all the awake kids (Rachel, Zoë, Alex, and Phoebe) to take their temperatures (mostly normal today—just Phoebe with a fever still!) when Benjamin came skidding down the hallway, crashing through our little group, to fling himself over the toilet in the bathroom. We all grimaced at each other while he puked. 

"How are you feeling, Benjamin?" I asked when his regurgitation noises had subsided. 

In response he hurled some more.

"Not up for conversation, eh?" I asked. 

More retching.

*****

Now, Phoebe has thrown up a few times with this sickness, but those instances have clearly been linked to uncontrollable coughing fits. Benjamin's stomach issues seem like a whole new set of symptoms. 

While he was in the midst of vomiting, Miriam came running up the stairs screaming.

The basement stairs spit traffic into the hallway right at the bathroom door, but somehow she missed the fact that Benjamin was in there puking and rounded the corner to find our preassembled crew. 

"Uh-oh. What's wrong?" we asked, like...what else could possibly be happening?

"I GOT A 5!!!!" she squealed, jumping up and down.

I don't believe it! I'm on [page 24] of a magazine!

I had a dentist appointment this morning and when I walked into my exam room (following the dental assistant), I was shocked to find the room full of people. My dentist waved a magazine in the air. 

"I didn't know you were famous!!" she squealed.

Everyone clapped...and then dispersed and went about their business.

It was very embarrassing. Our dentist is...a really fun and wonderful person.

"My daughter went to UGA so I get this magazine! And I was reading it and I was like, 'I know her!' I highlighted your name and everything! It's just too bad that you're not showing your beautiful smile..."

Honestly, I'm a little crushed that of all the pictures the photographer took of me that is the one that they decided on...but...you know...whatever...it's fine. 

I had no idea my picture was in there! I saw the online copy that did not have my picture, so I was as surprised as anybody to see my face in a magazine! The copy with my face is also online, but in a different place. I only looked for it after I saw the magazine, which my dentist let me read (but not keep because she's keeping it).

And then tonight one of Andrew's colleagues at BYU (who was previously at UGA) emailed him a picture of that very same spread! So I really am famous now, I guess.

Driving at midnight

Once a minor gets their license in Georgia they gradually earn more driving privileges. For the first six months they have their license they can only have immediate family members in the car. For the next six months they are allowed to have one (1) non-family member in the car. After that they can drive up to and including three (3) non-family members around. Also, they are forbidden from operating a vehicle between the hours of midnight and 5:00 am (with no exceptions—Rachel told me in the driver's education course she took they said they would take your license from you on the spot and cut it up right in front of your eyes). 

Rachel's Graduation

Turns out graduating is pretty low key when you're a homeschooler.  

To be fair, I skipped my high school graduation...so I'm not really clear what all the fuss is about. And Rachel tends to be pretty laidback about these kinds of things. 

Georgia's Museum of Natural History and other campus things

While Andrew was in his meeting on Monday afternoon I walked the kids up the street from my building to the natural history museum (after sending Rachel outside to wait with the other kids while Zoë helped me in the book room for a little while). 

It's a pocket (of a) museum—a tiny little space—but the kids had a good time and learned some things. 

Zoë and Alexander did the little scavenger hunt they have for kids:

Graduation! Graduation!

Seminary graduation was held early this year—May 4th! 

The girls have been attending seminary in the Roswell Stake. We're in Lilburn Stake, but are geographically closer to a lot of buildings within the Roswell Stake than we are to buildings in the Lilburn Stake and when it comes to early morning seminary, commute time matters. Plus, these seminary kids were kids that we met when we first moved here (before we were split off of their ward and then off of their stake), so...anyway...

Last year was the first year Rachel and Miriam attended in-person seminary. Grandpa was their teacher, along with Brother Moser—who is being released at the end of this year after four years of teaching early morning seminary. This year it was Brother Moser and...someone else.

Here's Rachel with Rachael:

Field Day

On Wednesday morning we finished reading our last school novel for the year, and a few of the kids had to finish up some lessons, and I had to do some work on a few projects...but Phoebe also wanted to know if I would read a story to her in her little tent.

"I don't know that I'll fit in there with you," I said. 

"It's okay with me if your legs stick out," she said.

2025 MFECOE Poster Contest

A few weeks ago we/I/my class learned about the poster contest hosted by the MFECOE's Office of Research and Graduate Education, which all graduate students were encouraged to participate in...but which apparently none of us knew about. Dr. Misha encouraged us to use some of our creative ethnography from class as a basis for our paper, so we started looking into it and even though the turnaround time for this project was lightning fast, we managed to pull something together. 

The graduate school will print our posters for us—for free!—which is pretty cool because when Andrew was at BYU and Duke we had to pay to print posters. They want four business days to print a poster, however, so you have to plan at least that far in advance. 

I needed to pick up the poster on Friday, which meant we had to turn it in by Tuesday of last week. That's one week exactly to the day from when we first heard about it! We planned to submit it by Monday, just to give us a cushion. So we met about things on the afternoon of Good Friday and I put the poster together over the weekend and submitted it to be printed last Monday, picked it up on Friday as planned. And then presented today.

Maypole

Me: It's math hour. And I need to finish writing a paper. You guys need to be focused on your work right now so I can focus on mine.

Also me: I wonder if we can fashion a maypole out of items we have in our house...

Math hour is still going. I would say "going strong" but that might be overly optimistic. 

But also we have a functional maypole! 

Phoebe and Alexander on campus!

One of my earliest memories—or perhaps one of my earliest memory of a memory—is attending a horticulture class at BYU with my mom. 

What I remember remembering is that I was sitting under a desk eating Froot Loops from a little cup. The classroom was dark, except for a screen at the front, which was showing slide projections of various plants. 

That's it. That's the memory. 

After verifying this memory with my mom, I learned that I would have been about two years old when that memory occurred. The teacher of the class was Dr. St. Clair (who I would later work for in the Integrative Biology (or "InBio" as it was then called) department shortly after Andrew and I got married). 

I wonder why that memory stuck with me so firmly through all the many years that it did—and the feeling of the memory as well...just of...feeling content and safe. 

And I wonder what memories my children will take with them moving forward. 

Will Phoebe remember getting to come to campus with me today? She was terribly excited to get to come...only to be required to be still and quiet. She played with her felt boards and drew on her drawing pad quite happily through most of the poetry readings.