AWESOME NEWS!!!

The Why?? 

When I decided that homeschooling was the best thing for my child, she way below level academically. She was in her first month of 2nd grade, and reading at 1rst grader that just started (1.1). Meaning a Kindergartner that just graduated. I was amazed that all this time passed by and no one told me that, especially when I was the mom that was always asking the teachers for meetings, to speak about my child's progress and all they could concentrate on was "Gabi, is too social, disrupts class with her constant talking, could you talk to her about not being that way?"

The difference was made when one teacher, early in the year sat with me and finally told me: at what level she was, what was going on, suggested test to be taken to dig further into what was making her be this way.  When it was all said and done, the doctor (after much deliberation and testing) decided that it was a mix of ADD & ADHD.

That was the start of our homeschooling journey. I realized that teachers just have too many children to be able to really give the attention she needed to succeed academically. I wasn't blaming the system, the teachers, or anyone else. I knew that if I wanted the best I needed to take into my hands, and put her in God's.

Who said it would be easy??

We stumbled a lot! I started getting to know her once again, from her thought process to her emotional character. It all made a difference, it all had to go together to be able to make it work. I can't say I completely know her because everyday she shows me more of her, but I can say that I know a lot more than I did.  

I found myself many times, on my knees praying to God to give me divine word because I just didn't know what to do, how to do it, or where to get the answers.  We had our really bad days, then our semi- bad days then I started appreciating the good days, which soon became great, awesome, & amazing days to me because they were so rare.

Throughout this time I kept thinking, am I doing correct by her? Did I make this decision to hastily? Is she really making process or am I so desperate for progress that I'm just seeing it. 

So, what happened next??

6 months have passed by. I decided to take her to get tested, to see at what grade level she was at. I was scared, nervous, but trying to be calm for her because test cause her a lot of anxiety. That morning she cried saying she was tired, she didn't want to go in, she would ask me if anyone would be there to help, and other concerning things for her. Me and my husband prayed for her and just told her to do her best, not to worry if she couldn't figure it out with every thing she knew then it was ok to leave it.

The next day I went in by myself for the results. I sit at the Director of the Learning Center's desk, she brings out these papers, with bar graphs, and numbers. I look at the numbers and don't understand what they mean. When she starts speaking she asks what brought me there, so I told her the story. When I am doing she says: "Wow, well then I have really good news for you Mom."

That is when she starts telling me that my daughter is now at a 2.7 level in reading & vocabulary, that she scored so high she would go in to the higher reading program. My heart jumped with joy, and I wanted to jump with it!! But, I had to hold my composure. After an hour of discussing all the test that were done and the scores, we shook hands and I went on my way. 

On the car ride home I cried and laughed all at once. I was amazed at what God had done for Gabriela. How prayer really was working, that He was giving her and me wisdom, and guidance through out this process. How we were really NOT ALONE in this. The journey continues, but now we are secure in that this was what God wanted for her, and that we're in the right path. 

If you're in a bind, don't know what to do , where to go, or who to ask. Ask God, ask Him that He will guide you to the correct path. You might feel as if you are blindly doing things, but that's just part of the  fun in the journey, at the end you will see all He did for you. 

Days go and appreciation grows.

Sometimes we get so inundated with daily life, that we believe our life is so difficult and drown in our own cup of water. Well, one good thing the internet has is that if it's used properly it can actually lift someone spirit. That is actually the reason I wanted to write this blog. To try to reach out to people, let them know they are not alone, and that maybe we can help eachother.

Our strength as mothers (or just parents) is amazing at times. We believe to be so weak and incapable, but yet we are actually pretty strong.  I find my strength in God, that I can rely on to guide me through out life.

When our children get sick, this is when we most feel helpless. We wish we could have that touch to take it all away. Sometimes it's so bad that we wish that we had the sickness instead of them so they can find some relief.

I found this video, of a mother singing to her daughter that is in bed with Leukemia. I cried my eyes out, if I was her if  don't know if I would be able to finish the song. But in her weakness she shows her strength and finishes her song.

Please watch, enjoy, and have a blessed week!

Highly Recommended:
http://www.godvine.com/Mother-Sings-a-Precious-Song-to-Her-Dying-Daughter-3102.html

Day ???: I lost count- But it has been the best!!

We woke up this morning to a beautiful day, ate breakfast, then I had the usual conversation with my homeschooler. Goes like this:

Mom: "Alright, we have to start school now."

Child: "Awwww, why?"

Mom: "Because you have to learn everyday."

Child: Makes face. "Fine."

But when we started, for some reason she gained interest as we kept going. It became the best Homeschool Day!

This is her version of the Tree with the forbidden fruit, Adam & Eve. And the snake around the tree!

BUT!!! There are days that are not this easy going, they were hard. She fought every step of the way, cried in the middle of transitions from one subject to another. She even got to the point of not moving at all, and just pouting and crying because she just did not want to do it. We got through the classes, but me and her ended up exhausted, then I had to leave to a meeting and she stayed with Daddy at home.

When I get home late, I sit on the couch to rest and I find this:

That's a picture of me and her in a heart.

This gesture just melted my heart and motivated me to keep moving and not give up. I mean she's my daughter I was never going to stop from trying to teach her and find new ways to do it, but on what I considered the worse day God inspired her to give me a glimpse of hope.

That's how our God is. In midst of our worse storm He gives us a glimpse of the eternal hope, mercy & grace that He has for us. Through out this "Homeschool Journey" I'm learning more of her, but also more of how God looks at us, feels for us, and cares for us eternally and unconditionally.

Day 3, 4, & 5: An organized chaos?!?

Monday, Tuesday, Wednesday (Today)... Well, progress - yes, we have made some. On daily routines we all get an 'A'! In Homeschool routine maybe a C- ... :)

Life truly does get in the way, attitudes, sleepy heads, & etc! Still haven't figured how push through the simple hiccups of the life and jump into organization. Is there such a thing as organized chaos?

For my homeschooler there are days when she wakes up and is the best student ever, then she has her days where she melts down in every subject and mommy has mental melt down with her! LoL. It's not always predictable nor preventable. She is like Forrest Gump once, "like a box of chocolates, you never know what'cha gonna get!"

Either way I still make it happen, probably not at the exact hour I planned it to be, or to the extent I planned it to be. Is that still considered organized? Maybe I should just call the list "Goals for the Day" and as I go through the list I can check the milestones we accomplished.

Sounds good to me, makes it sound like I accomplished important things. The real deal is that with ADD/ADHD most things planned to be are goals. Because to get "the list" accomplished we do have many hurdles to jump over.  But when it's all done, it's great to see her face when she sees that she went through it and it didn't hurt as much as she thought. I just keep hoping she remembers that feeling the next day.

I hope many things, that one day she will look back and think 'wow! i did that i can do a lot more'. That she notices how intelligent she is and how much potential I see in her. That God's plans for her are great and that's why He made her the way He did. That behind every difficulty there's a great victory if we only perservere through (or above) the big & little hiccups of life.

Day 2: Flexibility is key.

Today the girls did great with their "Morning" list. In which consist of 1. Brushing their teeth, 2. Pick up their beds, 3. Get dressed, 4. Get breakfast.

We did our morning Bible class, as always is an awesome time where they get to do a Q & A about Jesus at the end of it. We ate breakfast after Papa came home from the supermarket. We had one more thing to do, in the must-do list, but we were having so much fun talking on the dinner table the next thing we knew we had to take Leymarie (the youngest goes to Pre-K) to school.

The thing is that the "must-do" was something that could be done later. Flexibility! If I would of interrupted this precious time I probably would of broken up a special memory. We laughed and discussed things as a family, it was one of those Kodak moments we should hold near and dear to our hearts.

So!! What did I learn? Always make room for special moments. Always keep in mind the why you are trying to get organization in your family, to have enough time for peace to have moments that you will remember forever; and will edify, and fortify our little people's mind in our family.

Day 1: Organization Mommy Mission

I heard once that running a household was like running a company. Well I've never ran either. But I thought I give it a try. We made mission statements, rules, regulations, etc! But then there was still chaos. They did work, and continue to do so in some situations (will mention how & what later).

So I actually had to research "How to organize an ADHD Adult?". Yes, hahaha... Well it's not too funny when you start seeing signs and symptoms very similar to what you deal with in daily life. But, either way I know I have a great God, and He will help me.

He did!! I developed a to-do list for everything. I must admit they are list we put up almost everywhere, but I really think they are working (Let me not get ahead of myself).

This is my 1rst day in this and I must admit, it almost calms me to know what I'm going to do throughout the day. On top of being a mother of two (& one on the way), I homeschool my oldest daughter. Why? Because she was diagnosed with ADD/ADHD, her academics were declining fast and I although I believe school is great, they did not have what my daughter needed.

Real Quick on the why I homeschool:

• It is widely known that ADD/ADHD students do better in an one-on-one basis for learning.
• Why make her suffer for 8 hours in school where they cannot teach her in a way she's able to optimally learn and then come home and suffer with homework?
• If I can be her teacher, then why not? who better than me? I care about her and want the best for her and also am able to take my time with her.

There are many more, but for right now those are the only ones I want to touch.

So when I started homeschooling, I was a little lost. But! I found a curriculum we loved for her, BUT! it cost money... ALOT. So I decided for an online curriculum. She loved it, because everything was learned through cartoons. But I wanted more for her and I also wanted to be more involved in the process. So we gathered up the funds (throughout some months), and we got the one we loved! (My Father's World), it was missing two parts, which was Math & Spelling, but they do recommend one and include it in their schedule. 

I use it differently, and add some other things according to my daughter's needs. We love it!

So, in review... I got the curriculum, added what I needed, now i needed a way to teach it. So I had to sit and actually organize myself.

I didn't know how or where to start. Then... I went to one of our Wednesday talks at a friend's house and we spoke about obedience, obedience to God. So, I applied it to being organized. God loves order, so I started listing things we needed to do. I couldn't rely on my 7-year old or my 5-year old to keep up with my schedule, so I had to buckle down and do it. But I forget almost everything I plan in a day, so I wrote it down in the order that I should do it.

I made a schedule for each one of us, except for my husband, his would be "go to work." :)

I reviewed it with the girls before we went to sleep, then set my alarm clock, and went to sleep. Then the next day (today), just started following what it said to do. We followed it with some minor adjustments, we were able to do some things before its time and then had the rest of the day to do whatever we needed to do. WOW! Time!!! I was amazed... it was time without guilt of knowing that I had missed a class with Gabi (my homeschooler). 

Now I just to find what to do with this new found time. Hmmmm....

*Let's hope it continues to work... Look out for the next day*