It's That Time Again!

It’s that time again. Biannually we ask for help with co-op.  To make it a success we all need to pitch in.  There are classes to teach, baby room to assist in, and clean up to do.  To keep our fees low we all need to pitch in and help.  Kristie, our Co-Op Coordinator, will have her hands full with a new location, so the more we can do to help her, the bigger our success.  

I know it is daunting, the thought of teaching a class, but really it’s not as scary as you think.  Come up with an idea or ask around.  I know we need classes for the younger age groups right now, so feel free to step up.  Every class has an assistant so you are not alone and there are some moms with some great ideas.   

I am always amazed with the wonderful class selection, as well as the hard working families that help with all aspects of this event.  Set up, break down, clean up and teaching.  There is a lot of work to go around and plenty of members to share in the tasks.  

I myself will be teaching a life skills class for the older kids, sort of a fun take on manners and etiquette. This is something that was requested by my last class of kids so I am looking forward to seeing how it goes.  I have also taught a class in how to get a job and money management.

It is hard for me to believe that this will be my third co-op teaching and the 4th one I have attended. Seeing it grow and watching the new families add their own touch is an exciting adventure to me.  With Kristie’s organizational skills and everyone pitching in we can make this the best co-op yet.

Have questions, need help?  Send a message to Kristie.

Thanks in advance for all your hard work

Posted by Heather Garcia

Be an Ambassador

 

Even with the growing homeschool community, there are still some very negative connotations that go along with our choice to homeschool our kids.  We hear: “unsocialized”, “uneducated” and “unambitious”. We’ve heard we are “lazy parents” or we are “super religious” and  we certainly  “are not teaching real science”. Or combinations of all of these statements- I am sure we have heard them all.  Even the assumptions of helicopter parenting or being that “Tiger Mom”.

Now, I am sure there is a little of this going on among the homeschoolers, but most of us are just normal people who have made what we think is the best decision for our kids.  A lot of times, we have had to homeschool our children despite an unsupportive spouse or family, or even community ridicule.

I’d like to think I am an ambassador of sorts. I don’t mind most questions; well, maybe not “what do you do all day?” But as a general rule, I say, ask away! I am an open book or as open as I can be, anyway.  I have had the whole range of questions asked of me, and mostly I just answer as honestly as I can. Sometimes I ask the same question in reverse to a parent of a public school child. Maybe this can be seen as not being very nice, but one can only answer “are you doing your child a disservice?” so often before you lose it.

Today, I was in a group that has nothing to do with homeschooling and a conversation started. I dispelled a few myths and gave some good information. Information, this wonderful woman said, she has never heard before from other homeschoolers. I don’t hide what I am nor do I shy away from what I do.  Also, I share information I have, willingly and freely. Not only did I make a new friend, but helped someone who felt lost and put them at ease.

We are blessed in our group to have some wonderful ambassadors- not only on the Board but in the membership. I have seen members giving information and sharing experiences. They help new homeschoolers and even the frustrated old timers.  The community is what matters. What we are building here matters.  

Posted by

Heather Garcia

Family Togetherness

 

Here in NC we saw ice fall from the sky and then a nice layer of snow fell too just to make it interesting.  That means the state closed up shop.  Time to embark in some fun family times: board games, fireside chats (because the power was out) and dinner at the table by candle light.  There has been a lot of time to spend together.  

Now for some this is a blessing, for others, not so much. For me, it’s not so bad.  We generally are stuck home when there is a weather event due to my location in the “sticks”.  Homeschooling goes on, housework happens and we all go about our day.  Though, even with my extreme homebodiness, there comes that moment when you just can’t stay inside anymore.  

I watched the news, kept an eye on the weather and decided I would try to enjoy this storm and wait it out.  But, by Saturday when my husband suggested we brave the outdoors, I was dressed and ready before he got up! I guess I do have my limits of being at home!  So we went to the store to pick up a few things- mostly to get out of the house.  

My driveway road had trees downed by ice which made the drive out a bit of an adventure. The main roads were clear so getting to the store not so bad. It started to snow again; just lightly enough to send us home.  On the way back to the house, we decided to go ahead and cut down trees to make the road easier to traverse.  It was a good outing.

All in all we survived the storm and managed to not be overcome by cabin fever. And, the good news is that it looks like we are going to warm up this week! That will make all the crystal trees coated with ice disappear, and the snow will melt, but so will the ice.

Back to your regularly scheduled homeschool activites.

Posted By

Heather Garcia

Finding Friends

Definition of friend according to Merriam-Webster:

friend, n.

• a person who you like and enjoy being with
• a person who helps or supports someone or something (such as a cause or charity)

Being a stay at home, and a homeschooling mom, has made friendships both easier and more challenging.  What do you do if you really like someone but your kids do not mesh, or what happens if the problem is just the opposite? I have been blessed with an amazing group of friends, and a fantastic peer group. That said, there are times when I feel like a fish out of water. I have friends with kids in school who work and I find it hard to spend time with, or even common topics, but we still care about each other.  We support each other to the best of our abilities.  

Still, in any group (kids or adults) you will have differences of personality or opinion. So what do you do? Here is what I do: I try to be polite to everyone. I am acutely aware that some people do not like me.  I feel it, and have even had to hear it.  Mostly I try to smile and do my thing.  If you like me, great!  If not, we are grown people and we can be nice to each other, especially if our kids are playmates.  Yet, it is much harder than it sounds. Having a party with “all” my friends, means a diverse crowd.  People from all walks of life-both ends of the political and financial spectrum-with so many varied backgrounds. We make the term “melting pot” look boring.  I see it more like a stew.  Not everyone likes lima beans, or peas, but mostly we can all agree on a rich broth.

There are people I consider friends who I know don’t reciprocate and I have chosen to be okay with that.  With some people I interact, I am cordial to, but we are not friends.  Sometimes, the differences can be chalked up to just life; other times, it’s not enough shared common ground, still I am friendly.  The diversity in any given group, and especially a secular homeschool group, often has the unfortunate problem of having someone who does not like someone else, or there is an issue and a divide where people pick sides. To me it seems like we are all grown up enough to find a way to get through any issues- to be polite and to move on.  

That said, I have been in a circumstance where I have had to leave a group because of a personality clash, where I was not part of the “clique”. As a result I am acutely aware of feeling like an outsider. One that does not “belong”.  To this end, I try to reach out and embrace anyone new in our circles.  Even if we do not end up being the best of friends, it is my hope that we can be friendly, and that they felt welcomed by someone.  We are all human and all deserve respect and common courtesy.

Posted By

Heather Garcia

Welcome 2016

As we wrap up all our holiday celebrations and get back on our regular schedules, now is a good time to take a moment and evaluate how things are going with your homeschool plan. Let’s ask: What is working? What is not?  How is it being received by your child(ren)? Are there things that need to be changed up or dumped all together?

I know I personally need to make some changes. However, deciding what to change has been a quandary.

Our family was overcommitted in the Fall and it was a drain on all of us. So, I decided that I am going to watch my commitments. We spent a lot of time out of the house and it made for a cranky household. My family is made up of homebodies and I try to make sure we get out once in awhile, but perhaps I have overdone it a bit?  HA! I overdid it in fantastic fashion (as I do everything).

Now, other than being home more, what can I change? Spending more time outside.That is a big one. We need sunshine and fresh air to survive- just like plants.  Being cooped up in a building, be it home or co-op, is not a good thing.  Of course, the season will help with that.  We are out a lot in the Spring due to our huge garden and the family task of caring for it.

Another change we will be implementing is that a more positive attitude will be expected from everyone in our house. Misery indeed loves company and, while we can’t avoid all unpleasantness and unhappy situations, keeping a positive outlook will help all of us enjoy our lives more. This mandate, of course, is not a resolution; it is a realization that we were heading down a path that was gloomy and in need of a course correction.

In the end, these small changes will make our home a happier and more productive place.  Maybe, even a more welcoming place for friends and family.

Posted by

Heather Garcia

I'll Have A Cup Of Quiet, Please

Have you ever just sat in a quiet dark room and sipped a cup of coffee? No kids, no TV, not even your phone on? Have you taken the time to just sit and be?  It’s harder than you think.  We are programed to go go go.  So taking the time to just sit and be still and quiet is hard, but very necessary. I think it is one of the most necessary things that is overlooked in our crazy busy world.

In this quiet time, we can let our minds wander at their leisure. The first step is the quiet.  I often have this time in the morning after my first cup of coffee.  Just me and the cats, alone and I am awake anyway.  I sit in my comfy chair and let my mind go.  No input from my phone or tablet, no computer screen or TV, it’s just me and my thoughts.  In our crazy world we just don’t do this any more.  It may be the most important thing in my day.

Silence is the universal refuge, the sequel to all dull discourses and all foolish acts, a balm to our every chagrin, as welcome after satiety as after disappointment.

~Henry David Thoreau

Can you remember the last time you just sat and were in the quiet? We have come to crave constant input. How many times a day do you check your phone, or log on to facebook? I am almost always connected.  The time I spend in the morning disconnected and quiet has become a respite for my brain and my soul.

Dawn is breaking and another crazy day is on tap and I have recharged my batteries with my few minutes of silence. However, I think I may have one more cup of coffee.

 

Posted by,

Heather Garcia

The Holiday Meal

Christmas is coming.  I feel like I am at the start of the hunger games.  Line up and go.  People pushing and shoving and rushing all around.  Why do we do this to ourselves.  Why do we get caught up in the race to make this one bigger or better than the last.

The holidays have lost a little luster for me now that my kids are older.  Now with only one at home, who is 14, everything seems to be a trial. I go on.  Getting the house decorated, and the tree up and making sure I plan dinner for the family.

Really this holiday for me is all about my family time.   I enjoy cooking and planning for our dinner.   I could do without the shopping and running around.  I enjoy a well done ham, some mash potatoes, and gravy.  I usually make a cheesecake for dessert.

So as I plan my menu I wonder what other people have on their holiday table.  

Leaf Bread (Laufabrauð)

Made of a thin, waferlike dough, this crisp flatbread is a holiday tradition in Iceland. Many families make it together a few days before Christmas; some Icelanders joke that it's the only time of year the men will help in the kitchen. It's first cut into intricate geometric patterns, then deep-fried and saved to be eaten as an accompaniment to Christmas dinner. Traditionally, a special tool called a leaf bread iron is used to cut the patterns, but we found a paring knife works just as well.

Sauerbraten (German Pot Roast)

The addition of sugar to the einbrenne (roux) gilds the gravy even as its sweetness balances the sour lemon note and the zing of pickling spices.

Buche de Noel (Yule Log Cake with Coffee Buttercream and Ganache)

This version of the traditional French Christmas cake is filled with coffee buttercream and covered in chocolate ganache.

Doro Wat

In Ethiopia, no holiday meal is complete without Doro Wat, a long-stewed dish of chicken flavored with chile, garlic, berbere, cardamom, and ginger, served with boiled eggs.

Tourtiere (Quebecois Meat Pie)

Apple cider and warming spices make this Canadian rustic meat pie a perfect holiday dish.

Here are just a few things I found while researching.  While I am not doing it this year.  In years past I have made tamales and stuffed cabbage a real mix of our families heritage.  This might be fun to do with the kids to research and add a food to your menu from another country.  

Whatever you do remember to take time to enjoy this season.

Posted by

Heather Garcia