HS #258 Homeschool Organization, Kindergarten, Special Needs Families  with Jessica Smartt

HS #258 Homeschool Organization, Kindergarten, Special Needs Families with Jessica Smartt

Links and Resources:

Show Notes:

Elizabeth is a former elementary teacher who fell in love with homeschooling and never looked back! She is a mom of four who is passionate about encouraging families to live and learn together!

Abeka Kindergarten

ABC See Hear Do

Touch and Learn Picture Cards

Read to Self Phones

Jack Hartmann YouTube Reading Channel

Desperate

Mission of Motherhood

“When you pass through the waters, I will be with you; and when you pass through the rivers, they will not sweep over you. When you walk through the fire, you will not be burned; the flames will not set you ablaze.” Isaiah 43:2

Show Transcript:

HS EP 258


Wendy -

Hello and welcome back to another installment of the Homeschool Solutions Show. My name is Wendy Speake, and I am one of the many hosts we have here on the podcast. Each week, you'll hear from one of us, inviting one of our friends to join for a conversation about this busy, blessed season as we educate our children at home.

Now the title of the show is Homeschool Solutions. While we don't have the answer to every question, we know that all the solutions to every stress and every struggle can be found in the person and presence of Jesus Christ and His living and active and applicable Word. We are so glad that you're here for today's conversation. But before we start the show, I'm like to thank our sponsors.

Medi-Share. An affordable and Biblical healthcare alternative. Find out more at mychristiancare.org for their ongoing support of homeschooling families just like ours.

And Operation Christmas Child. Now, more than ever, children need hope. As the world struggles with the coronavirus pandemic, we want to let them know that God loves them and has not forgotten them. The best way to get involved is to pack a shoebox yourself. As you specially select each item, packing a shoebox becomes a blessing to you as well as the child who receives it. Be sure to include a note and a photo. If packing a traditional shoebox just isn't an option for you this year, we can do it for you. Build a shoebox online. You can find out more at SamaritansPurse.org/occ. And now, on to today's show.




Jessica -

Hi. This is Jessica Smartt. I'm one of the new hosts of the Homeschool Solutions podcast. I'm so glad to be here with you today. You can find me on my blog, SmartterEachDay.com. That's with two T's. And on Instagram, I'm Jessica.Smartt. I am the author of Memory Making Mom, and available now, my new book, Let Them Be Kids, Adventure, Innocence, Boredom, and Other Gifts Kids Need.

Guys, I'm so excited to welcome to the show, Elizabeth Kidd. Elizabeth is a former elementary classroom teacher who fell in love with homeschooling and has never looked back. She's a mom of four, who's passionate about encouraging other families to embrace a lifestyle of living and learning together. She blogs at This Little Home of Mine. Elizabeth, welcome to the program.

Elizabeth -

Hey, Jessica. Thank you for having me.

J -

Yeah, I'm excited. So, introduce yourself first, to our listeners. Tell us about yourself and your family.

E -

Okay, my name is Elizabeth, and I have four little ones. I have a two-year-old, a four-year-old, a six-year-old, and an eight-year-old. And my husband, David, and I, we live in the Charlotte, NC area. And I was a classroom teacher until I had my oldest, and then, as he started getting older, and we started having fun learning together, I just fell in love with the idea of homeschooling him, and that is our life now. We are lifestyle homeschoolers, and I don't know if I will ever go back to the classroom, now, girl.

J -

Do you miss it at all? People always ask me that.

E -

There are times. I loved my students. They were my first babies. I loved the families that I got to know. I loved the people that I worked with. And so sometimes I miss it. For some reason, I feel like I miss it most around the holidays when I would have done special things with my students. I have sweet memories of that. But for the most part, I am loving every second of learning with my kiddos. I love being the one who's able to experience all of that with them.

J -

Yes. Same. Yeah, that's what I say, like, I do miss the people. I think I miss the community. But, as far as, like, teaching? I think I prefer my own kids. Does that make me mean?

E -

I don't...you know, I was always terrified to be a full-time teacher of little bitty preschoolers. I taught, like, middle elementary years. That was my sweet spot. And, yeah, I don't know if I could go back and teach little bitty ones.

J -

Right. That weren't yours. Right. Well, that was my first question. You taught, like, your ideal age is kind of like second to third. Is that right?

E -

Oh, I loved it. I loved it.

J -

Okay. Okay, so... yeah, go ahead.

E -

I was just gonna say, I think if I went back, I would even love fourth grade. But, as they get a little bit older, that always scared me. I always admired you, Jessica, teaching those older kids.

J -

So, I taught them the middle, junior high, but listen, here's...they're, like, the best-kept secret, because they get your jokes, but they also aren't mean. And, like, well, that's probably changed. So, that was ten years ago. So many things have changed.

E -

Oh, I feel like so much has changed. Yes.

J -

That's a whole nother conversation, but, I do love that age. I think they're just so, like, awkwardly special. And just wonderful. And fun.

E -

Maybe I missed out?

J -

I think you did. Yeah. But, so, from following your...I love following you on Instagram and I love...I feel like you have some awesome tips for those early ages. Preschool, kindergarten. You may not think, like, toddler, preschool, is your jam, but it seems like you do such a good job of introducing, like, letter learning and, you know, just all that play stuff. So...

E -

Yes.

J -

...okay, so my question is if there's a mom out there, which there may be. I know a lot of people hashtag COVID are now, like, really considering homeschool, but haven't. So, what would you say to somebody who was just wanting to get started and wondering how do they incorporate some of the academic elements, you know, in those early years? Like, how do they actually dip their toe in the water to start homeschooling in, let's say, Pre-K?

E -

Okay, so, when I was first home with my oldest, it was about when he was two. Two-ish, I would say. When just out of a desire of former teacher mommy wanting to have a little bit of structure to the day, I started wanting to do little learning activities with him. But everything from the start was play-based. I didn't pull out the worksheets when he was two and say let's get busy, you know? We just kind of had a little bit of structure to our day, where we would read books together at this certain time. And then we would, when we would play together, it would be things that had us talking about colors and shapes and things like that. And then, I think the most fantastic way for those little ones to learn is to involve them in just your everyday life, so our big outings, when he was that age, was, we would go to the library. We would talk to the grocery store. And all of that kind of stuff.

And that just kind of continued, and built upon itself, each year, as he walked through those preschool years. And it's like, when it got time for him to start school, I was like, wow, you know, reading together, playing together, involving him in everyday life, really is the best way for these little bitties to learn. And I think sometimes we overestimate, maybe, what they're doing in an official preschool setting, when we have everything at home right there, you know, for them, and that's a way for them to learn kind of in a way that works best for them, I think.

J -

I love that. And I totally agree. At the same time, you know, I have want...my youngest is now gonna start kindergarten next year, and so it's like, okay, you can play with them, you can take them on the outings, but eventually, you do have to start to teach them to read. And some kids learn that more fluidly than others. So, when you get to the point where you're like, okay, we need to start introducing some letters. We need to start some reading. Like, what would you say if a mom had, and I'm totally putting you on the spot with this question, so, just do your best? But let's say, a mom had like, alright, I'm gonna spend, you know, one hun...two hundred dollars for the year of kindergarten. What would be, like, on your list, in your Amazon cart, of, like, you must have?

E -

That is a hard question. Okay. This is what I would tell every mama. This is what I have to tell myself with my four very different little babies that I have. I would definitely start with thinking about your child's learning style. And as you spend time with them, I feel like you're kinda gonna see what they respond to. And the curriculum world is so overwhelming and scary, especially to someone new. I feel like, I've been doing this awhile. I taught in the classroom. But I can still walk in some of these stores or get on some of these websites and feel like I can't breathe. There are too many options here.

So, I would encourage people to think about how their child learns. And then try to find something that kind of fits that best. For my boys, we use Abeka phonics when we were learning to read. And they kinda have you start in those preschool years and they build from there. Working through their phonics til about second grade is when they stopped focusing so much on the phonics pieces in the program.

J -

So, would you say, you would recommend, to start with Abeka in kindergarten level? I'm not really familiar with that. I've seen you promote it.

E -

Okay, well, at the risk of sounding like I'm forcing little preschoolers to learn how to read, that's not what I'm saying. I'm will...

J -

Well, I asked you the question.

E -

Right. I will say this. In their preschool program, you know, they have them learning their letters and things like that. And it's in the K4 year when they start to blend some of those letters together. And so, some children are comfortable with doing that, and it works for them and they go into kindergarten already reading a little bit. But I don't think I have to tell everyone that that's not going to be every child and that's okay if it's not every child.

J -

Yes.

E -

So, for my daughter, Aubrey, Aubrey's getting ready to turn five. Aubrey has developmental delays that give her a totally different situation than her brothers. Aubrey has Down Syndrome, so I'm looking at Abeka thinking, there is no way. And so, there is a program called ABC See, Hear, Do, and it's a very inexpensive program. The author actually designed it as part of her master's thesis, I believe.

J -

Oh, interesting.

E -

And it is a very different type of program, where your child has, not just the sounds of each letter going on, but they're also making movements and matching those movements to a picture. It's kind of hard to explain without showing it to you, but I'm looking at that, and I'm thinking that looks like a better fit for my Aubrey, because, she has such a need to learn through her senses the way her brother does...brothers, you know, maybe could handle a different curriculum.

J -

That's a great answer.

E -

And then there are children that are gonna fall everywhere in between, you know? So. I think the important thing is being flexible about your kids, how they learn, and then within your family, each child may need something a little different, too, so.

J -

Yeah. Totally. And I'm gonna link that program...everything you've mentioned, in the show notes, so people can go look that up. So, are there other, just little resources, manipulatives, that you just really love for those early years?

E -

I love anything that is sensory for them. Just because Aubrey needs sensory activities doesn't mean I don't do them with my boys, even for my oldest, who's moving into fourth grade, I still am attracted to anything that has them touching, feeling, I mean, well, that's the same thing. Touching...ideas, seeing, hearing, smelling, tasting. You know, I know, in the Lakeshore Learning magazine, there are these little cards that start with the most basic sensory words and allow the child to feel something across each card, as they're sounding out a word, and they have cards that go up multiple levels. There's ABC see here and do books. They have books that go up to multiple levels. And those are only, like, I don't know. They're less than ten dollars apiece on Amazon.

Have you ever seen the little...they're almost...they almost look like PVC pipes, little telephones made out of PVC pipe, where the child reads into it and then they can hear it out of the other end...

J -

No.

E -

I use that with my boys, but I'm also seeing the benefits of using that with my daughter, as not just a learning to read tool, but also a speech type tool for her. And so, I just love anything that has them moving or uses senses other than just staring at words and pointing to words on a page.

J -

I'm just not very creative, I think, with those early years, and so, everything you're saying, I'm like, yes. Oh, that sounds amazing. But, like, I don't know that I would even know where to start, with, like, learning and moving around the room. I mean, are there, like, YouTube accounts, or, you know, certain, like, I know music can be amazing for learning. Reading.

E -

Oh. Yes. Okay. Have you ever heard of Jack Harmon?

J -

No.

E -

That's his name, right? He's on YouTube. And he has dance moves, girl. Oh.

J -

Oh. Okay.

E -

Hey, am I saying the wrong...okay, so, he has videos for little bitties, for kids who are learning to read, but he, you know, he takes...yeah, I'm sorry, not Harmon. Jack Hartmann. H-A-R-T-M-A-N-N. And he sings and he dances his heart out, and you watch those videos and you think, aww, these are so goofy. And then you realize, he is your child's new favorite guy on YouTube.

J -

Oh, okay.

E -

But he has a lot of great language videos. Also math videos as well. And my kids all love him, but especially Aubrey, who loves music. She's all about him. Jack Hartmann. Oh. Tell me what you think of him when you find him.

J -

Okay. Yeah. Those are some great tips that you have given. That's awesome. And then, you know, for math, now obviously, there's so much everyday stuff, and just, like, okay, let's...how many pine cones and count and all that. But do you...when do you start to kind of introduce, you know, actual, official math, and do you use Abeka's or do you kinda do your own thing?

E -

I do love Abeka and I start using that around the same time, you know, those four and five-year-old years. And Abeka sometimes gets a bad rap for being too traditional or too intense, you know? But I do kind of pick and choose what I use from them. I do think doing everything they ask you to do can be a little bit overwhelming, but I do use a consumable for my kids and I like their math. I think it's very colorful. I think it reviews really well. And then, their program doesn't come with a ton of manipulatives, but I try to use stuff that I have around my house to bring stuff up off the page. So, we will count with anything I can find. Pasta noodles. Beans. Little animals from our animal basket. Megablocks. We will grab anything we can find. And that also helps when you're concerned about budget. You know you don't have to spend a million dollars. There's so much, probably, around your house that you can find a way to use, to bring things up off the page for your kids. Little ones and big ones.

J -

So, that kinda leads into another thing I wanted to you about. I think it was maybe a year ago, you did...you walked us through your decluttering series. Is that what you thought I was gonna say?

E -

Oh, I wasn't sure what you were gonna say.

J -

Oh. No! It was good! I just remember, you know, you'd show, like, the cabinet and then here's your "after"...

E -

Oh, my kitchen cleanout. Yeah.

J -

So, here's my thing. I...when you talk about manipulatives and using things around the house and...homeschooling can get very heavy on the extra stuff. And also, someone told me, this was almost the best advice I ever got about homeschooling before I started. A mom said, just know your house is never gonna be clean. That was her advice. And I'm like, HA-HA on you...she doesn't know me. Which, whoever that was, I'm so sorry, and I repent, and you were right.

E -

She was on to something.

J -

She knew it. It's true because there are so many people and they're just playing and they're using stuff. So, you are someone, it seems like, do you, like, get order out of, you know, you can't look at chaos for too long before you sorta start going bonkers? Is that...

E -

I wish, I wish that you could see the room I'm sitting in right now. Okay.

J -

But, does it bother you?

E -

Yes! Yes.

J -

Okay.

E -

So, yesterday, my friend Tara came over...I have her come over, like, maybe once a year and I have her take pictures of the kids and I doing our homeschool thing, okay?

J -

Oh, that's such a great idea.

E -

I love doing that with her, and I'm like, okay, kids, we're just gonna, like, pose, doing things that we usually do for our schooling because I don't wanna have the camera in their face all the time, but I do like to have pictures.

J -

That's such a great idea.

E -

Yeah, so that way, I can put my phone away when we're doing school because Tara has taken some nice pictures for us.

J -

Yes.

E -

So, I use those...I put those in our family Shutterfly album that I spend too much time on every year. And then, I also will drip them out on my social media, just to show things that we're doing and resources that we're using. But anyway, I knew which room she was gonna be coming to yesterday. And I had to put piles of stuff in laundry baskets and shove them in my laundry room.

J -

Well, of course.

E -

And I just thought you know what? As much as I try to declutter and simplify, we still do school in the kitchen sometimes. And this homeschool room has curriculum from last year still sitting here and the new stuff that's just come in. And, you know. So, that's just kind of part of life when you're home most day, every day. And...

J -

Well, let's...yes, it is, and you can't ever escape it, but have you learned some tips or tricks that you would say, if somebody's like, okay, I'm nervous, I'm wanting to homeschool, but I'm really nervous about organizing all my stuff. Like, do you have some go-to systems for keeping things kind of under control a little bit?

E -

Okay, so as much as I tell people every room in your home can be a classroom, I also...I try to keep our art supplies in a cabinet in our kitchen because I know we're gonna do that stuff at the table. We're not gonna have paint in the other rooms. We're not gonna have Play-Doh in the other rooms. We're not gonna have Play-Doh very often. We're never gonna have glitter, you know. But I try to keep that stuff in the kitchen, and I use those little plastic bins from Ikea.

J -

With the lids or without the lids?

E -

They're plastic with the lids, yes, that. Just stack them in there. And if it doesn't fit in my cabinet because my bins are full, I don't buy it. We don't need more of the...we don't need more markers, we don't need new...more Play-Doh. We...our cabinet is full. So I kind of limit myself. And then, in the kid's rooms, it's mostly just their books and stuff. Quiet stuff. And then they have a play space and most of the toys kinda stay in there and I try to keep our toys very minimal. And I beg the grandparents to help me with that, but they don't. So, if someone is overwhelmed with stuff, I tell them to get rid of half of it and then hide half of what's left. And only give the kids access to a very small amount of things if at all possible.

J -

That's a great tip. Yeah. We did that and then it's like, Christmas when you get the other stuff out.

E -

Yes, and that helps me so much. My boys are at the age where they mostly just want their Legos, and so they're a little bit easier. And then, it's almost like, with the girls, I've learned, okay, less is more here. We don't need so much stuff. So, the piles that I'm telling you are sitting around me. The piles that needed to go in the laundry baskets, those were more my piles of half-finished projects that I need to take care of. So.

J -

Wow. Yeah, there's that.

E -

But I just read the best book.

J -

Oh, what's that?

E -

Have you read Minimalist Homeschooling?

J -

No. I've never heard of it.

E -

I hadn't heard of it either, and I saw it on Thrift Books, which is my...that's a very dangerous app for someone like me.

J -

Okay.

E -

And it's called Minimalist Homeschooling and I thought, this could be weird. Okay, what is she gonna tell me to do? I might not like this because I like my Lakeshore stuff and I like to, you know, I like some of that stuff around. And it was so good. It was so encouraging, and I've recommended it on my Instagram and other people have said they really loved it. But she was all about finding a version of simplifying that works for your family. It doesn't have to be the same for everyone.

J -

Well, that's awesome.

E -

And I just...

J -

Yeah. I'm gonna link that, also, for everybody. I have not heard of that.

E -

Yeah, it was so encouraging because she did encourage you to simply and pare down and not just horde things for the future and all that, but also, I don't know. I just loved it. It was great.

J -

But you do...don't you... aren't you the one that I've seen that does buy ahead for your kid's clothes?

E -

See that's the thing. I do buy ahead a little bit and I do keep some things ahead of time for school when I come across them, but I try to keep it all kind of in one place. Like I have a closet where I keep all our homeschooling stuff. And if it's not being used, if I've gone through, you know, a few years with it and we're just not getting to it, or I realize it doesn't fit somebody, I do try to get rid of it. But, yes.

J -

So, side question, because we're just getting ready to move, as we talked about before we started recording, and so I'm going through every single item and basically throwing it away, pretty much, 90% of the time, realizing it was junk. But a lot of these homeschooling resources that I love are when you are done with part of curriculum or a resource, where's a good place to give that? Cause I hate to just, like, plop it at, like, a Goodwill, you know, that I'm, like, no one's gonna use this for what it is. Do you...have you had luck with, like, local consignment stores? Or...

E -

I have sent some stuff to The Homeschool Room, and here in the Carolina's, they have two stores. There's one in Huntersville, one in Matthews. And I have sold some things to them and then turned around and used the money to buy things in there that I want. But, I also love passing it on to someone who would actually use it. And I've been blessed that way when someone has passed things down to me. So, I love asking around other homeschool mom's to see if they would be able to use it. Or, my daughter's therapy clinics oftentimes say yes to things that I offer them. So, if you have anything like that in your area, where kids could benefit from something, a speech therapist, and OT...

J -

Oh, that's a great idea.

E -

Especially if they're, like, a play-based type therapist, they would probably love any resource like that, to come their way.

J -

That's a great idea. Well, so you've mentioned your daughter, Aubrey. It's been such a blessing for me to watch, kind of, that... you said she's five?

E -

She will be five at the end of August and I cannot believe that. Aw!

J -

Well, so, tell us a little bit about Aubrey and about your journey with her. I know it had kind of an interesting beginning...and unusual beginning, for having a child with Down Syndrome. So tell us a little bit about that journey and what I just have loved...I did a series, probably three years ago, about women that...well, I can't remember even what I called it. Thirty Women to Love or something, and you were one of them because I...

E -

I was the number one woman to love. I know that.

J -

Well, I don't know if it was number...I didn't really order them. But, yeah, basically.

E -

I'm the one to love.

J -

Yes. I think I'm slaughtering how I said that, but it was like, an influence...inspirational women. And you immediately came to mind, because I have loved seeing how your family has chosen joy in something that...I mean, certainly, she's a gift and she's so stinkin' cute and adorable...

E -

Thank you.

J -

...but I know there have been moments she is...but there have been moments, I'm sure, that are like, not what you expected. And so, talk a little bit about, you know, that beginning, and then, how you've chosen to have joy in...

E -

That's so sweet. You know, I love talking about her. So Aubrey is our third child, and we did not find out she had Down Syndrome until she was about four and a half months old. So, no ultrasound showed anything. You know, no one at the hospital noticed anything. She went through a few pediatric appointments without anything coming up. And...

J -

Is that unusual, Elizabeth, now that you know more people? Is that unusual?

E -

I was blown away by the people who contacted me afterwards and said things like, my child was sixteen months old before we knew. Things like that. Now, I will say, now they do blood work that will oftentimes show that type of thing, but we had never had that done. Had we had that done, our story would probably be different. And so, sometimes it's caught that way. But, we were, needless to say, very surprised. So, and at the onset, it was very scary news. My experience with Down Syndrome was very limited. I had worked with a handful of children who had Down Syndrome when I was doing, like, clinical hours when I was in college, studying to be a teacher, and that was pretty much it.

J -

And basically, you're sitting in the doctor's office and was it the doctor or the nurse that said, we think...

E -

I'm...

J -

Did you know right away, or they did tests, or...?

E -

I'm sitting there, four-month checkup, and he looks at me and says, I think Aubrey may have an extra chromosome. As if we were just discussing someone having a cold, you know?

J -

Wow.

E -

And I knew what that meant, and I about passed out when he said that. But he was so calm and he was so kind to me. And I, of course, also knew that the Lord, the Lord was not surprised. He was there with me in that moment, I felt it instantly. And he said that we had some blood work that we would need to do to confirm, and we had to wait about a week to find out for sure on that.

J -

That week must have been very difficult.

E -

Oh. That was the longest week of my life. So, but, we got the news that she did have it and at that point, we were almost just relieved to have an answer after waiting for what felt like years, even though it was just a week. And, they handed me a checklist that day, of things that we would need to take care of. She was gonna need this, she was gonna need that. She was gonna need this checked, she was gonna need us to make sure she did this for her and this. And so, my personality loves lists. So, I left, ready to tackle that list. And jumping into that list was probably the best thing for me at that time. You know. So, I just started trying to learn as much as I could about Down Syndrome, and then, as we began a life of therapies and things like that, I got to know her. And, oh...now, this, you know, now that she's almost five years old, I would not change her if you let me. There is no way. She is amazing, and I would hope that everyone had someone like her in their life.

The beginning was very scary, and I thought I'd never stop crying. But now, she is just the best gift. She's such a gift to my husband, and myself. We didn't know what life with Down Syndrome was like. We would never have thought we would sign up for something like that. But now, we love it. And then the kids, she is gifting them with things that we would never be able to give them otherwise. And so, life with her is very sweet. And watching her learn is amazing. And homeschooling her, every so often I wonder, can I do this? Can I really do this? But then I'm like, I know her! I know how she learns. And our lifestyle of learning is a great fit for her and her learning style and the things that she needs. And our homeschooling life gives us the flexibility, sometimes, to give her what she needs. And so, thank you for saying such sweet things about her. I would love for you to meet her. She's very, very special to us.

J -

I would love that too. But, yes, your story's so encouraging. And I hope that if anyone is listening and in any stage of that journey, that they would be encouraged. But what would you say to somebody who is...that's a fear of theirs? Whether it's, you know, a concrete possibility, or that's just something that they would fear. What would you say to a mom who may be facing that journey?

E -

I had people tell me at the beginning, you have just been given membership to a club you never realized you wanted to be in.

J -

Oh, my goodness.

E -

And I remember thinking, what in the world are they talking about? But now I understand. I would have never signed up for that if I had had a choice before. But now, I get what they're saying, and I see how my very deep grief and very real fears at the beginning have been turned to the deepest joy. And I can tell them that those moments are coming for them. As scared as they might feel. No matter what, I do believe that each child has been intentionally woven together with purpose and design. And I do not believe that any child is a mistake. And I can promise them that they can trust that they will never be left alone, in whatever path they're asked to walk.

J -

Well, that's so beautiful. You...I just think you are such an inspiration and I love your...what day...is it the day that you discovered that she had Down Syndrome that you...do you call it, choose joy day?

E -

Yes. January 15 is the day that we were given her final results. And we just decided that day, that we were going to choose joy in this situation. We were gonna celebrate her. We were gonna celebrate the way that she was designed. We were gonna celebrate our story. And so, that day, we went out for cookies at Chic-Fil-A.

J -

Obviously.

E -

And I didn't know where else to turn, so that's where I went.

J -

How many times have we found ourselves at Chic-Fil-A when we don't know where to turn?

E -

Just go. Just go. And that very deliberate choice really helped us set the tone for our perspective. And, so, every year on that day, we use that day as an opportunity to gorge on chocolate chip cookies, and we look forward to it every year.

J -

Yeah. And you've gotten other people buying Chic-Fil-A cookies because everybody posts their pictures. My...one of my kids has allergies and so we can't buy the Chic-Fil-A cookies, which is such a big bummer, right? That's just not fair.

E -

We have lots of allergy families that join us, and they make their own something...

J -

Oh, there you go.

E -

Yes, so Jessica, you can be part of our celebration.

J -

Okay.

E -

Yes, just eat your favorite treat. But...

J -

Okay. There we go.

E -

That has been amazing. And I will speak to the mom, too, who maybe is afraid of what other people are going to say and do or how they're going to treat their family, and I will tell you that, we have been blown away by the kindness of other people.

J -

That's wonderful.

E -

And people have just been very kind. And, unfortunately, I can...I didn't really expect that, actually. I expected for hurtful things to be said, you know? And I know we have a long road ahead, and we can't avoid all of that. But I will say, I do think you'll be encouraged by how kind and supportive and loving people are going to be toward your child and your family. Sometimes when you least expect it.

J -

Well, that's so wonderful. I...as I'm listening to you...I mean, not that we know, but, I can...it seems to me like, well, yeah, God chose just the right Mom. Like, you're just so well equipped, and what a blessing you must be to Aubrey. He just...you guys are a match made in heaven and not that...

E -

That's very sweet!

J -

...and sure it's still very difficult sometimes. But...

E -

I will tell you, she has taught me more than I think we will ever be able to teach her. And I...things we never knew we needed to learn.

J -

Well, I hope that I do get a chance to meet her, and I did wanna ask you...

E -

She's a hugger, Jessica. She's a hugger.

J -

Aw.

E -

Be prepared.

J -

Well, does she know that we're in a global pandemic? I mean...

E -

The social distancing is not working for her.

J -

Yeah.

E -

She, you know, we really have to hold her back. But she gets that from me, so I can't wait till the day we can just all hug again.

J -

Yeah. That's another story.

E -

My husband's not a hugger. He is just fine if that never happens again.

J -

That's funny. Just like, this is okay.

E -

Yes. He's like, this is how I wanna live my life.

J -

Oh, what a hoot. Well, real quick, at the end, one thing I wanted you to talk about...I had the privilege of reading your lifestyle homeschooling book. And I love that concept. I love that idea in, like, thirty seconds. Summarize what lifestyle homeschooling is.

E -

Okay, so lifestyle homeschooling is just the name that I've given to kind of overall lifestyle of living and learning together as a family. And so, instead of us just always trying to fit school into a certain time or a certain number of months, I really do try to approach, just, our whole lifestyle with a spirit of, where can we find learning opportunities. So, what kinds of things can we do on the weekend or in the evenings together as a family. Or where can I slip something into even our vacations that will have us learning in ways that, maybe, we don't even realize that we're learning? And so, I've watched my kids really flourish with that. And learn more in some of those opportunities than they could ever learn from a textbook. So, that book was like my heart just poured out.

J -

Yeah.

E -

In, I don't know, twelve chapters or something like that. That was a fun one to put together.

J -

Yeah, I'll link that, also, in the notes. And it really is such a wonderful idea, because, you know, I'm the memory-making...I'm not the memory-making mom. But I did write that one.

E -

Oh, yes you are the memory-making mom!

J -

But there's so much overlap because I think we can give our children an education or we can give them close ties to our family and memories. And I think, in some ways, that's a better gift. Not that education isn't important. But, they're going to remember the experiences that they've had and they're gonna remember their relationships far after, you know, completing physics, or whatever thing we're worried about. So, I just love the model that you set of that, and special days and activities and all. And it's also, I think, more fun, just to have that outlook.

E -

Yes. So much fun for everyone and definitely takes the pressure off of mom sometimes. But, yes, another chance for even those older kids to have those sensory experiences that they remember for sure.

J -

Yeah. Well, Elizabeth, this has been so fun. You are...

E -

Yes!

J -

...really, an incredible resource and so encouraging and I always like to end, real quick with four questions and I didn't give these to you ahead of time, so...

E -

I can do it.

J -

So, first of all, are you an extrovert or introvert?

E -

Oh, I'm a weird mix of both, which they say is not possible, but I would probably lean more towards extrovert.

J -

Okay. Alright, so the next one is if you and your husband are going to watch a show or movie when the kids are in bed, what would you be watching?

E -

Oh. Dateline. Every time.

J -

Are you serious?

E -

I love it. I have seen almost every single one.

J -

So...why? I don't think I've even seen one episode. I don't even know what it is.

E -

Okay so...

J -

I mean, I've heard of it but...

E -

I have a tendency to struggle with anxiety.

J -

Yeah.

E -

Okay? And I thought it was because I watched that show every week.

J -

Right!

E -

And so, I gave it up for three months. It wasn't that. I don't know what it is, but I've slowly brought Dateline back into my life, and I think it's here to stay.

J -

That's so funny. That would be my concern too. It just...you're so funny. Okay, so, a next question is, if someone were to walk in the door and say, I've brought you your favorite meal, or something you really love, I've brought you one of your favorite foods, what would they be holding?

E -

Tacos, every time.

J -

Tacos. Okay.

E -

Tacos...everytime...

J -

Like, not homemade kind? Like an authentic Mexican version?

E -

Listen, they can be any kind.

J -

Okay.

E -

They can be any kind. Yes.

J -

So, I really love...I don't know if you've had the crab cake tacos at Tacos For Life.

E -

Tacos For Life is literally one of the most beautiful places on this planet.

J -

It is. It's so expensive. I think I could eat fifty dollar's worth in one night...

E -

I could.

J -

...if I was really hungry.

E -

And their queso and the guacamole, bring it all on. Did you know you could get, like a frequent eater card and you could earn...

J -

I did not. But I will be getting that when we hang up.

E -

Get it. You earn sombreros and then you can get, like, a bowl of queso.

J -

Okay! Well, that's perfect.

E -

Let's go this weekend.

J -

Let's do it. We'll be there. Alright, last question. What is one book, besides the Bible, you think everyone should read?

E -

Oh. Oh, so many come to mind! I read constantly. Okay. I loved Redeeming Love, by Francine Rivers, that will always be...

J -

Yeah, gotta read that.

E -

...up there. Yeah. I just, you can't really top that for what it is. But, the most impactful book, for me, as a mom, would be The Mission of Motherhood, by Sally Clarkson.

J -

I love that one too.

E -

Honestly, anything Sally Clarkson. The one she wrote with Sarah May, Desperate...

J -

Yeah.

E -

I read that at a point in my life where it just literally...I mean, so much of what I walk out to this day is a result of reading Desperate.

J -

Aw. That's so wonderful. Yes, I love her too.

E -

Oh, I love her.

J -

Yep.

E -

If she could move in with me for a couple of weeks and just help me...

J -

All your problems would probably go away.

E -

Oh, I think the world of her. I do. I really do.

J -

Well, Elizabeth, this has been so fun, and thank you, just for offering your inspiration and your resources. I'm gonna...people can find you on Instagram at This Little Home of Mine, and Facebook too, right?

E -

Yes, and Instagram, I think the handle is This Little Home of Mine Blog, and then I just opened a separate Instagram that's going to be all homeschooling related and it's Lifestyle Homeschooling. Yes.

J -

Okay. Well...

E -

And then we're on Facebook too, yep.

J -

Yep. Well, thanks for joining us today.

E -

Thank you so much! Yes!





Wendy -

Thank you for joining us this week on the Homeschool Solutions Show. As always, you can find show notes and links to all the resources mentioned at Homeschooling.mom. I hope you'll take a moment to subscribe to the podcast, and, if it was especially meaningful to you, share it with your friends via email or social media. This is just another way we can all encourage and love and support one another.

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