One House Schoolroom

Today's Ponderings....

2009-11-10T10:00:00.000-05:00

I'm glad in God, far happier than you would ever guess—happy that you're again showing such strong concern for me. Not that you ever quit praying and thinking about me. You just had no chance to show it. Actually, I don't have a sense of needing anything personally. I've learned by now to be quite content whatever my circumstances. I'm just as happy with little as with much, with much as with little. I've found the recipe for being happy whether full or hungry, hands full or hands empty. Whatever I have, wherever I am, I can make it through anything in the One who makes me who I am. I don't mean that your help didn't mean a lot to me—it did. It was a beautiful thing that you came alongside me in my troubles.

Phillippians 11:10-14 MSG

Homeschool Freebie of the Day- 10/19

2009-10-19T10:00:00.000-04:00

Here is today's freebie of the day:

A Visual History of the United States

Enjoy!!

Super Duper Freebie Giveaway!!

2009-10-15T12:00:00.001-04:00

Those of you who know me know I am a Freebie Junkie!! I am constantly getting really great freebies in the mail, store, anywhere I can find one. BUT- all that freebie getting has gotten me in a bit of trouble with the Mr. He would REALLY like me to clean out some of the freebies, so- I am giving them to one of you!! These are some of my favorite freebies- here's just a partial list of the goodies you will find in this giveaway:

- Grill Power- A Girl's Guide to Grilling
- Diane Burch's New CD- Bible Belt
- Duncan Donuts- Original Blend Coffee
- Sample of Rachel Ray's Nutrish Dog Food
- Sample of Gillette Deep Cleaning Shampoo
- Classic Kong Dog Toy
- Yanni Voices- CD and DVD
- Jergen's Natural Lotions
- Dove Ultimate Clear Deodorant
- Forget Me Not seeds from Glade
- Sample of Root Awakening Shampoo and Conditioner from John Frieda
- Sample of Old Spice High Endurance Body Wash
- Orville Redenbacher's Natural Popcorn sample
- Skin MD Natural Lotion
- Bragg's Liquid Aminos
- Wet Ones Antibacterial Wipes

and so much more....

To enter to win this great freebie prize pack:

-Leave a comment below including your email address

You can get an extra entry by:
-Subscribing to our blog or
-Following us on Twitter and Tweeting this giveaway
Leave a comment for each additional entry.

Giveaway is open to US residents only and will end October 30th at midnight!!

Good Luck!!

The Rest of the Journey...

2009-10-15T11:00:00.001-04:00

So the beginning post of Elijah's journey took us through January of this year. We started January off trying to recover from the difficult few months that proceeded the new year. We took a break from medications and from weekly sessions with Dr. S during this time. I needed to refocus on homeschooling and trying to find new ways to make positive strides with Elijah's behavior.

We eeked through the spring months with the goal of finding some more information about what Elijah was struggling with and why we were constantly dealing with an angry and sad little guy. With encouragement from Dr. S, we took the step to call our local school district to find out what options were available for homeschooled children.

I was so pleased to receive a call from Dr. V, the psychologist for our local school district. I explained to her our concerns and she suggested we request an evaluation with the local public school which would be free and could give us some valuable information. So I quickly did just that- sent in our paperwork and within a few weeks we were headed in for our first evaluation with Dr. M- the psychologist for our local public school.

She was great!! So easy to talk to and Elijah warmed up to her immediately. She put him through a few hours of academic, speech, hearing, and vision testing, most of which he did very well with. She then set up a follow up evaluation for autism spectrum disorder which would be conducted later on in the summer.

Late July the autism spectrum disorder evaluation was given and our very first IEP meeting was scheduled. Two weeks before public school started in our area, my husband and I made the difficult decision to put our two children in public school for this year, rather than homeschooling. The decision was based on the fact that we needed support to find out how best to educate Elijah, the understanding that our little princess desperately wanted to attend kindergarten like her best cousin friend, Lily, and that I was needing to get a job due to our very unstable financial situation.

So we enrolled them and they began August 20th. The first two weeks went relatively smoothly- we were still waiting for our first IEP meeting which was to be held two weeks after school started. At that first meeting we found out that our little guy did very well in most of his testing and evaluations, but that he did fall in the realm of PDD-NOS which is a part of the autism spectrum as well as his previously diagnosed ADHD.

BUT- due to his great teacher in school and his amazingly smooth adaption to the school schedule, it was decided that we would hold off on creating an actual IEP for him at that time. He was showing such progress that the team felt that it was not needed. I was a bit skeptical due to my knowledge of my little guy and his variable emotional state, but I conceded for a time.

Well- since that meeting things have been getting a bit tougher for Elijah- some of his more frustrating attributes have begun to resurface and he has actually spend one day in suspension from school for making a really bad decision. We have since had another IEP which was a great starting point for us, but did not give us enough time to make all the necessary decisions, so we have another meeting scheduled for October 20.

So... it's been a long hard road and we have really just begun. BUT- we have made the decision that we will reconsider homeschooling next year, depending on how the remainder of this year goes and on our ability to move out to Blythewood, which is where we really want to be.

On a really good note, Elijah began taking karate at a new studio at the beginning of August- Samurai Karate Studio- and he is doing fantastically. He loves his Sensai and he is progressing so well.

On another really good note, our little princess, Abryanna, is doing exceptionally well in school- is actually one of the top four learners in her class and has been accepted into a gifted program for kindergartners. She is also continuing to excel at dance which is her passion at 5 years old. It is so enjoyable to watch her do something she enjoys so much!!

So that brings us up to date... for now. We'll keep updating the story of Elijah's journey as we take it step by step.

That's it for now!!

PDD-NOS, ADHD and other fabulous letters....

2009-10-10T10:00:00.002-04:00

This past year has brought about major changes in our family. We have been on a journey to find help for our little guy who we have found has some special needs that were previously undiagnosed. We've know for a while that he was not your "typical" kid- something always seemed a bit different about him. From his extremely outgoing and often overwhelming personality to his very pronounced separation anxiety, he just didn't ever react the way we expected in typical situations and often this found us all dealing with great amounts of stress and worry.

Last fall we started this journey with promptings from my mom- she found an ADHD workshop being held locally by a top of the line child psychiatrist, Dr. S. We went to this workshop knowing that Elijah had ADHD, although never diagnosed, and hoping that Dr. S had some tips on how we could work with him to improve his behavior. The workshop confirmed our suspicions as he has ALL the signs and symptoms of ADHD, however we didn't find the "magic help" we were so desperate for.

Let me back up for a minute and share that we have been struggling with the behaviors our little guy displays mainly because they were affecting him so negatively. He was so upset and discouraged all the time by his inability to cope in normal situations. We really wanted to find a way to help him have a happier and more positive experience as a child. I am not an advocate for medicating children to control them and I also don't' think that every little guy that has lots of energy has ADHD. Our little guy had extreme issues that were much more severe than just being an "active child".

So after the workshop we sat down with Dr. S and shared some of our concerns and frustrations- he was also concerned and agreed to meet with us and Elijah the following week. In that first meeting, Dr. S confirmed that Elijah has ADHD, but he was also concerned that there was an underlying issue that was being masked by the ADHD. Although Chris and I are so very strongly opposed to medicating children, we agreed to try a small dose of ADHD meds for a very short amount of time to try and find out what else we might be dealing with. In effect, to quiet the ADHD to the point where we could journal his other behaviors that might be helpful in finding out how best to help him.

This is a time line of events over the next 9 weeks:

Week 1- started first med (ADHD med)- it had an amazing effect, but caused way to many negative side effects so we stopped this medication.

Week 2- started another med (ADHD med)- again had a strong effect, caused extreme lethargy and aversion to foods- he lost 3 pounds this week so we stopped this medication.

Week 3- started a third med (ADHD med)- this medication actually caused raging outbursts and had to be stopped quickly.

Week 4- Dr. S was as concerned as we were- started yet another med (an anti-depressant) with hopes that this might work better. This med gave our little guy almost a manic high- giving him the idea to climb a ladder to the roof of the house next door. It also caused the raging outbursts to gain strength.

Week 5-6- a very concerned Dr. S still didn't know how best to treat the current conditions and recommended a short break from medication (gladly accepted) and then because the outbursts that started weeks ago were continuing we tried an even stronger medication.

Week 7-8- By this time we were approaching the Christmas holidays and we were desperate for something to help our little guy- the medication he was on actually increased his rages to a dangerous level. We were given the option of hospitalization for him to "detox" off the medications but we declined. We spent a quiet holiday close to home trying to recover from the recent few weeks.

Week 9- With full support from Dr. S we decided to stop all medications at this time. The child we had on medication was so much worse (behavior) than anything we had experienced prior. We were concerned that the outbursts he was experiencing might not stop or might even elevate, but we felt that allowing his system to empty of all medications would be the best thing for him.

Thinking back on that time is really difficult- watching our sweet little guy suffering so greatly when our desire was to help him. It all happened so quickly- going from one medication to another, each one gaining strength and all working together to create a child we didn't even know anymore. The experience has strengthened my resolve that medicating our child was not the path we were to take. (This is not to say that all medications are awful for all children- there are many families we have met that have benefited greatly from medications. We have just decided that this is not an option for our family.)

I also want to say that during this time, Dr. S was a wonderful help and support. He was on call to us 24 hours a day by cell phone and we spent hours and hours with him in his office and at the hospital while he walked us through this. There was no way to know that Elijah would react so badly to all the medications he was given. Dr. S's concern for our family was amazing and he remains a great advocate and help to us even today.

So this brings us to the beginning of this year- I think this post has gotten long enough however, so we'll continue Elijah's journey next time. ** Here is the rest of Elijah's journey!!**

A Long Time....

2009-10-07T10:00:00.000-04:00

This post is a long time coming. I want to first send a huge thank you to all my faithful readers who have supported me with emails and prayers during my recent absence. We have had some major changes around our house recently and I have been a bit reluctant unsure of how much I should share.

After a long discussion with my husband I have decided to blog about the struggles we have been going through- a bit of therapy for me perhaps. I do know we have lots of local friends and family that read our blog and most of you are aware of the current situations we are working through, but our readers from other places far and near have been left in the dark.

I guess the first big change we have undertaken recently is our decision to put both of our children in the local public school this year. Our big guy is in 1st grade and our little princess is spending her days in a kindergarten classroom. This is something that I NEVER thought we would do, but for many reasons it seemed to be the best direction to go for now.

I have recently had to take a job outside of the home to helps supplement our income and that was the main force behind our decision. Tomorrow I will be posting all about Elijah's journey in the 1st grade- giving you a glimpse of the struggles we are working through with him.

My little princess is doing fabulously in school- as I figured she would- with tons of friends (including Mark- her "boyfriend") and great success academically. Her sweet teacher loves her and has placed her in the "Eagle Explorers" program- the advanced gifted program for kindergartners. I tried to explain that she has been "schooling" for the past two years along with her brother, but I am not sure her teacher understands how much work she actually did at home.

My sweet husband has been working so hard and we are slowly gaining ground on our financial situation. We are still in a living situation that is not ideal (another factor in our schooling decision) but we have hope that things are going to change for the positive very soon. I'll be blogging soon about our new possible options for housing, one of which is very exciting.

And- as I stated before I have had to take a job outside the home. I am currently working as a respite care provider through our local Army base. I work for a young family with three small children. The mom had epilepsy and therefore cannot drive- which means that I am able to help her with her appointments and errands as well as helping her around the home. I only work about 40 hours a month, but the pay is so much more than I expected. I am confident that the Lord has hand picked this job for me and I do enjoy being able to be such a help to this family.

So... enough for now. I want to share a few pictures with you of our sweet children.... enjoy!!

our silly boy:

our little school girl:

the karate kid:

birthday princess:

and our newest sweet niece- Elle:

See you soon!!

Recent Reviews and an update

2009-08-31T10:00:00.002-04:00

I know it's been WAY too long since I have blogged here. I have so much to share and I am hoping to get a minute to share very soon. For now- I have been catching up on my blog reviews so go check them out:

Les Mess Card Game for Children

Sleepy Bear

Sense & Sensibility

and our newest giveaway:

ikookie Organic Children's Clothing

I hope you enjoy those and stay tuned for our fabulous Samples giveaway and updates on my little guys recent testing through the school district. There have been some major changes for us lately and I really want to share them all with you.

See you soon!!

Homeschool Freebie of the Day- 7/29

2009-07-29T10:00:00.000-04:00

Here is the Homeschool Freebie of the Day:

Raggedy Ann Stories

Enjoy!!

New Giveaway!!

2009-07-21T17:48:00.002-04:00

Check out my review of Travel with Me Disposable Airline Pillowcases

and enter for your chance to win!!

Homeschool Freebie of the Day- 7/16

2009-07-16T10:00:00.000-04:00

Here is the Homeschool Freebie of the Day:

Being a Boy- A Farm Boy's Life in Old New England

Enjoy!!

SpellQuizzer Review

2009-07-15T21:58:00.001-04:00

Check out my latest review:

SpellQuizzer!!

Homeschool Freebie of the Day- 7/13

2009-07-13T10:00:00.001-04:00

Here is the Homeschool Freebie of the Day:

Getting Kids to Help- PDF

Enjoy!!

New Review and Giveaway!!

2009-07-11T21:48:00.002-04:00

Check out my latest Review and Giveaway!!

My Friend Paris- I'm Having Twins!

Enjoy!!

Homeschool Freebie of the Day- 7/10

2009-07-10T09:11:00.003-04:00

Thanks so much for all the sweet words and prayers yesterday... we have the second round of testing today- so please continue to pray. I'll give an update next week when we have the results.

And now... Here's the Homeschool Freebie of the Day:

American History Resources

Enjoy!!

Prayer Request...

2009-07-09T07:35:00.003-04:00

I usually don't share much about my little guy's struggles on this blog- but he is headed to the school today for some big testing. We would appreciate your prayers.

Thanks!! :-)

Homeschool Freebie of the Day- July 2

2009-07-02T10:00:00.002-04:00

Here is the Homeschool Freebie of the Day:

The Tongue Twister Treasury!!

Enjoy!!

Summer...Summer...Summertime....

2009-06-17T14:53:00.003-04:00

Okay... so I love summer!! I know things have been super busy around here, but we are so enjoying the long days and the POOL!! :-)

I have missed blogging, but I know that I will be getting back into the groove very soon. I have some really amazing new opportunities and I am so proud to share with you all.

First off- I have been chosen by The Old Schoolhouse as one of the 2009 TOS Crew!! I am so excited to be a part of this amazing review community and I look forward to bringing all of you some amazing reviews from some of the best homeschooling companies around. Stay tuned because we will be starting very soon!!

Also- I am a new contributing editor for Parent Reviewers!! Yep- I am so amazed that I was chosen for this position, but I am thrilled!! I will be reviewing some great family friendly products for that position as well.

So- I will be back to regular blogging VERY soon- and hopefully with some amazing pictures (with the new camera I am **hoping** to get for my birthday at the end of the month)!!

Hope you all are enjoying your summer and staying cool!! :-)

See you soon!!

Happy Summer!!

2009-06-09T10:00:00.000-04:00

I love Summer!! The pace doesn't slow down- but somehow the busy-ness doesn't bother me as much. Maybe that's because the busy-ness involves the pool, the zoo, summer camp, the lake, etc. We are fully enjoying the days and that has kept me off the computer a bit more than I would like- but its a willing sacrifice.

I am working on some great new opportunities that I can't wait to share with you all as well as some amazing reviews and giveaways that will be beginning in the next few weeks.

In the meantime- go get some sun!! :-)

Homeschool Freebie of the Day- 5/19

2009-05-19T10:00:00.000-04:00

Here is the Homeschool Freebie of the Day:

Cartoon Lessons for Current Events

Enjoy!!

Homeschool Freebie of the Day- 5/15

2009-05-15T10:00:00.000-04:00

Here is the Homeschool Freebie of the Day:

Great Grandma's Treasury of Fun & Games

Enjoy!!

New Direction...

2009-05-08T12:49:00.003-04:00

I feel I am at a crossroads in so many areas of my life. With my relationships, my children, our living situation, my career (or lack there of)... everything seems to be ch-ch-changing. And I feel like I'm just along for the ride.

This is always a tough place to be, but not a bad place- you see I know that the Lord has my life in His sights and that He is ordering my steps. So as long as I continue to seek Him and His will for me then I can't go wrong.

We recently launched our newest project, our Frugal Jenn blog, and we have had an amazing response. We have only been up and running for a little over three weeks and we already have hundreds of subscribers- and yet I'm feeling like the Lord might be directing me to take a different direction right now. It's tough because of all the time and work that we put into launching the site, but I would gladly sacrifice all of it if the Lord is redirecting my journey.

So... for now it's on hold- until I get firm direction one way or another about it. But- that will give us much more time to post here and on our Review blog- which are truly my passion.

Thanks so much for all of your support!!

Homeschool Freebie of the Day- 5/8

2009-05-08T10:00:00.000-04:00

Here is the Homeschool Freebie of the Day:

Videos from the Christian Filmmakers.org 36 Hour Competiton

Enjoy!!

Wow... what a week!!

2009-05-07T13:49:00.002-04:00

So this has been a very busy week- we had the little guy headed off to Aunt JoJo's house for a few days, but not before he decided to be my little laundry helper!! During nap time on Friday he decided I just have too much work to do, so he would *help*- he went into our room and poured about four large squirt bottle of water in my hamper- to *help* me do the laundry!! How sweet!!

So then he headed off to JoJo's for some time with Cody and my little dancing princess had her dance recital. She did such a good job and just as soon as I can figure out how I will post the videos we took of her dancing- so cute!!

We also had my sweet niece Lily over for a spend the night on Saturday night and then they reciprocated by taking my little one for a night on Monday. The hubb's and I actually had a date night!! It was great!!

So... I am trying to figure out exactly what we are doing with the kiddos next school year- we have some things in the works, but we are waiting to see which direction we should take. We'll let you all know what's going on as soon as we have a clear plan.

Let us know how you all are doing as well- we love to hear from you!! :-)

Homeschool Freebie of the Day- 5/7

2009-05-07T10:00:00.001-04:00

Here is the Homeschool Freebie of the Day:

The Story of Abraham Lincoln's Mother (audio)

Enjoy!!

The ABC's of Me... C, D, E, & F....

2009-05-06T10:00:00.000-04:00

So I've gotten a bit behind in the ABC's of Me posts, but no worries, The Heart of the Matter is a bit behind too- in fact they have moved the daily posts to tri-weekly posts, a little easier to manage. So... here are the next few ABC's of Me:

My C's and D's:

-I crave CHOCOLATE daily- dark, milk, mint, give it all to me!!

-I know I am called to work with CHILDREN- I love watching children learn and grow, and although I only have two of my own currently, I feel God's hand leading me toward adoption. I would love to have a quiver full- now we just have to convince the hubby!!

-CANDY CORN is one of my favorite candies- I can't wait for October when it comes out in force!!

-The hubby and I are planning a DISNEY CRUISE in the very near future... shhhhhh... the kiddos don't know yet!!

-CATS are my very favorite creatures on the earth- my daughter agrees and we are working hard on daddy and bubs to allow us to own one- soon!!

-On the other hand- Daddy and Bubs are voting for a DOG to join our family- my little guy loves them- so maybe one of each is in our future. (I would be remiss if I didn't add that my sister in law has the most adorable little friend- CODY- a wire hair terrier mix)

-I am a trained Labor and Delivery DOULA and I hope to get back to practicing soon!!

-I have three favorite ladies in my life who share the name DONNA- my sweet mom, my sister-in-law (CODY's mom), and my Grandmom-in-law- three wonderful friends.

-I *heart* my DODGE CARAVAN!!

-Another hidden love of mine is DANCING- my daughter and I share this passion as well- she just recently had her recital and she was a DANCING princess for sure!!

-And of course, my DAUGHTER is one of my very favorite D's- she is full of sugar and spice- often more spice than sugar lately!!

My E's & F's:

-My little guy ELIJAH makes my life so full of joy and laughter.

-I have to say I am in love with EMBROIDERY- I wish I could actually make something of it, but it is something I enjoy very much.

-EASTER is my all time favorite holiday- from the love of the Lord that brought us our peace and joy to the little bunnies that bring us candy- I love it all!!

-I am terrified of ELEPHANTS- justifiably so- we were almost trampled by one when we were visiting a game reserve in South Africa!!

-My FRIENDS bring me such happiness and I thank the Lord for each and every one that he has brought into my life

-I got my love of FISHING from my grandpa who used to take us often- I usually never caught anything, but the time spent together was much more rewarding.

-I have a tendency to FALL alot- AKA- I am very CLUMSY!!

-I think this little assignment is so much FUN- and I love getting to know more about all of you as well!!

Please feel free to join us in the ABC's of You!!