An Amazing milestone in homeschool

It was a normal day of homeschool. We did our Bible time, devotion, math, spelling, and reading. His reading yesterday was amazing, which was a major improvement since September.
He first impressed me with reading his 20 words without a complaint or fear, then wrote his words I dictated to him. We finished out school with math worksheets that was fun.
We played til his daddy got home, did our normal evening routines. But this is where it all changed. I told him to pick a book for HIM to read. He of course picked the book he memorized, and I told him no. Without whining he picked another book, and this book he had never read before and it repeated the simple words.
He then sat with his dad, the first excitement was when he read "The"! This word has been the main cause of frustration. I don't know why but he struggled with it. Then he continued to read without crying or whining. He took time to sound things out and listen to instructions when it came to bigger words.
I sat by watching in amazement. To see him reading and to know we taught that to him. It's an unexplainable feeling of pride and amazement. Honestly I wouldn't trade it for the world.
I really can't wait to see what is next in our homeschool journey!

The Woman Behind the Curtain

You open your Facebook and the first picture you see is that mom who's post are about her perfect children, her goals she's accomplished by 8am, which is everything you have on your to-do list from yesterday. And you think "must be nice" as you step over toys and laundry you haven't picked up yet to get to your coffee maker.
I am here to tell you if you look behind the curtain, that perfect mom is only a front for a normal mom. Just like the Wizard of Oz, you won't see the reality of her struggles til you pull back the curtains and see she is a normal mom. Motherhood is not the cleanest or easiest job there is. I think some have the illusion of TV mom's who's house is spotless, kids playing in the perfect yard, and she's making dinner from scratch in heels. Well ladies that it is NOT reality.
And I feel like moms are afraid to show real motherhood in the fear of judgement from "The Perfect Mother's" groups. But at the same time we are setting up failure for future mother's who thinks they are failing because their homes and Children are not perfect 100%.
We need to take a stand and show them reality. We all have Mondays on Wednesday and some times Thursday too, and our children have melt downs, and some times we have cheerios on our floors. Life isn't perfect, but that's ok.
As long as we have a fed, healthy, some what clean (insert a laugh) children you've done an amazing job today mom! And just know that for today, you are an amazing person who brought life into this world and you work hard to sustain that life. And if you don't hear these words from anyone today "you are amazing and wonderful and Thank you for choosing motherhood".
"Her children rise up and call her blessed;
    her husband also, and he praises her:
“Many women have done excellently,
    but you surpass them all.”
Charm is deceitful, and beauty is vain,
    but a woman who fears the Lord is to be praised."  Proverbs 31:28-30

Back on The Wagon to a Simple Life

Now that I am finally feeling some what "normal" after having little Miss. I have started to notice that my children are overly stimulated and high energy. And for the longest time thought it was because I wasn't getting all their energy out.
Then today during quiet time while I was trying to get baby girl to nap, I read a couple blogs. One I read about "Becoming more Amish" and the second one was "The images we watch effect our hearts and minds".
The first one I read, I felt like God was speaking to me. Like he was telling me the plan he had for me and my family. So I laid out a plan in my head and prayed about it. I prayed for God to show me the path we should be one for a simple life.
Then this evening I called a family meeting after dinner and rooms where cleaned. And I laid out some small goals to start out our reattempt to a simple life.
Goal #1 -  When we rise, we get up and get dressed for the day (that includes teeth and hair). Then play using imagination and or arts and crafts.
I know part of this goal will be up to me to accomplish it. I pray to start becoming more functional, because since she came, I get up at 5am to nurse then fall back asleep, in the chair. And I am in the living room and just flip Mickey on and sleep while they watch cartoons once they get up. This has caused laziness on my part and for our day to be wasted.
Goal #2 - Limit TV and Nabi (tablet) to 1-2hrs a day. Every day when I say imagination time I hear "but I have NOTHING to do"... Well that's a lie, bc they have several toys in their room. I explained we are going to use more of our brain and more hand play. My son is really good at imagination time. He would play for hours, my daughter however is not because she plays for 20mins and comes out to ask is she done. I am going to work on them using their imagination and JUST play, and make stuff from simple things. Using their imagination full time!
Goal #3 - Calmer evenings and more family time. That really us goal #1 but I know it will be a couple grumpy nights bc they didn't get a lot of TV or Nabi.
I do understand that my goals seem simple, but at the end of my pregnancy and postpartum stage I formed really bad habits of TV and Nabi of unlimited. Yes it is easier to just sit them there so I can sleep, and do what I want. But the more I sat and watched my children slowly become the TV and technology obsess children. And it made me feel guilty and awful that it became this way. And I want to get our family to a simple life style. To erase the I wants, and the need for US to entertain them.

"A pretentious, showy life is an empty life; a plain and simple life is a full life." Proverbs 13:7

I know God will guide our plans to his will. And I look forward to achieving our goals together as a family.