Gleaming the Cube

Thrashers.  Konner doesn't even care that he has on pink Barbie knee pads.  And he's rocking them.  He just wants to be like big brother - who told him as they walked outside "come on Konner!  You're my best bud!"


Check out the new MrEdie.com post on a cool, easy, fast science lesson on states of matter

http://misteredie1.wordpress.com/2012/04/25/melting-chocolate/

Best Spring EVER

And it can only get better from here!  Prep for hikes, bikes, fun, sun, barbeques and a bunch of kids running around driving me crazy.  LOVE IT!
Check out the new blog about the spring break of our lives at http://www.mredie.com/!

http://misteredie1.wordpress.com/2012/04/17/spring-break/

Breakdown!

Keith is in little guy wrestling, and I love it!  He loves it too, of course.  But I may be a little bit more vocal in my enthusiasm.

He's doing great, but right now it's just about developing disipline, getting a little knowledge about how the sport is played, and learning to love it.  So I'm trying to not be too pushy.

But I have a habit to quizzing him about what moves he should use, or screaming BREAKDOWN! as we're walking in the mall. (this is when he has to get down into his wrestlers stance)

He loves it.

http://misteredie1.wordpress.com/2012/03/28/assessment/

Guitars are blazing!

Kassy is learning guitar, and (if I say so myself) is doing really well.  I've tried to keep up with her, but she's already faster on those chords than I am.  She plays a mean twinkle twinkle little star.

Cheers for our creative outlets!

http://misteredie1.wordpress.com/2012/03/15/creativity/

Father Daughter Ball

Had a great time last month at the father/daughter ball.  It's rare that I get some one on one time with the girls.  It seems there's always something going on, and we don't get to just sit and talk.  So it was a great night, and I could tell that they had a wonderful time.  I was grateful for the opportunity, and memories were made (especially teaching the girls the chicken dance.  That was hilarious).

http://misteredie1.wordpress.com/2012/03/13/pride/

Just Smile

When I can get my kids to smile, it’s the end. The awesome. It’s pretty much almost the best thing in the world. When they’re crying, it’s not so great. But I love the smiles. And I like to give them back as much as possible. I can tell they live for my smiles just as much as I live for theirs.


http://misteredie1.wordpress.com/2012/03/08/345/

Winter is going...

Winter is on the way out, and we've had a great time.  Now we look toward the great times of spring.

Winter gave us:

Movie nights in front of the fake fireplace

The girls excelling at skiiing

The sledding day where Bubba went too many times

Bubba learning snowboarding for the first time

Christmas in the cabin

Getting stuck in the truck

Snowboarding lessons with Loni

Everyday memories that fade into one

Thanks winter!  See you next year!

check out mr edie dot com for lesson plan and teaching ideas!

http://misteredie1.wordpress.com/instant-lesson-plans/lessons-26-50-new-classics/

When dad is sick, no one is happy.

http://misteredie1.wordpress.com/2012/03/06/sickness/

A little free verse poetry

Free verse poetry.  Why not?


Energy


Machines

Our bodies run on the fuel of our dinners

And lunches

And linners we have after lunch but early

And I want my kids to be lean

And seen

And my hunches

Tell me they are going to be okay

And have that mad energy


http://tinyurl.com/ediew1energy

Sick Days

Keith was sick this weekend. That always makes for a fun time with the family! But the funny thing was – on Friday he was adamant about going to school. He couldn’t hardly keep his eyes open, but he wanted to go to school. And when I told him no, that he was too sick and couldn’t go, he started crying.


At least he was crying about wanting to do something good, and not about the newest LEGO toy or something! So I took ten minutes talking to him about it, and what he can do at home, and how I’d bring him his work and all of those things. I don’t think he was 100% convinced, but at least he wasn’t as upset.

All in a days work!

http://wp.me/pKRIJ-59

Home School Public School

I have a wonderfully unique situation where I have been fortunate enough to teach my own kids for the last 6 years, while at the same time they were allowed a semi "normal" public school experience too.  This has left me with a knowledge and confidence in where my children's education is at, and where it's going, that most parents don't have the luxury of.

It's because of this that I understand the importance of parental education.  I think public school is a great thing, and I also trust and respect the choice to eduate your children at home if you so choose.  But I really think it's important to have MULTIPLE points of education in your child's life.

The kids who aren't home schooled still need to be SCHOOLED at HOME when they come back at the end of the day.  Those are some of the best times to educate, just by talking to them about the world and explaining WHY or WHO or WHAT or WHEN.

Home school is great for that, but don't underestimate the importance of other people in your kids' lives.  Since I know I still have a lot to learn from other people, I can't expect that I alone will be able to fill the entirety of my children's knowledge.

So, as if you didn't have enough to do already, make sure you Talk to your kids, and give them experiences with different people.  It'll be worth it in the long run.

http://www.misteredie1.wordpress.com/2012/02/16/Education-is-important

Candy Hearts

My kindergarten age son brought home a bag of skittles from his Valentines Day celebration.  It was pretty much all he would talk about from the moment he got home until we finally allowed him to share with his brother.  The two of them ate the bag of candy together.

Literally 5 minutes later the younger one was jumping up and down in place, doing jumping jacks, running back and forth in the living room at a frantic pace...Candy is bad.  That much is clear.

http://www.mredie.com/

@MisterEdie on Twitter

Change the Brain

My kids must be my wife's.  People say they look like me, but their personalities are all from her I swear.  Especially when they are doing something I don't like. :)

I think kids are a blessing in that they force us to see things from different angles.  When we get married, we often butt heads (unless you married a clone of yourself) on certain things, because we are so different.  Cleaning the kitchen is a good example.  I feel you shouldn't do it.  She feels we should.  And so we butt heads.

But as the kids get older, and I see that they are on her side on some things, I see that people are just created different.  She's not just thinking wrong.  It's that they (and her) are thinking DIFFERENTLY from me.  Not right, not wrong.  Different.

And different can be very good.

http://misteredie1.wordpress.com/02/09/2012/we-all-don't-think-the-same/

New Thinking is in

Old thinking tells us that we should always eat our vegetables first, and dessert last.  That we should always wear sunscreen, and that more family time is better than less.

One of those statements is still true.  The others need new thinking.  You decide what is what.

http://misteredie1.wordpress.com/02/08/2012/new-thinking/

Challenges? Bring it.

Navigate the videogame of your life.  Even if it's sideways.

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http://misteredie1.wordpress.com/02/07/2012/life-is-a-video-game/

Just a bike ride

It didn't take very long.  Maybe 25 minutes at the most.  We got all bundled up and ready to brave the cold.  He was extremely excited.  I wasn't so much.

He wanted to take his bike (of course).  It was a little flat from the winter (of course).

It would have been so easy to have just said - no.  We're staying inside.  Go play.  (not that I haven't said those words before) :)

But I was glad I said yes this time.  Best 25 minutes ever.

It wasn't just a bike ride.

Quality Time

I gotta have my quality time.

I've heard other specialists and various books say that "quality time" is not what you need.  You need "TIME" period.  You need to spend a LOT of time with them, quality or not.  Maybe it's just sitting around shooting the breeze, or clipping their fingernails.  And I agree.  The more time spent talking to your kids the better.

But I LOVE the special, quality times when you can get them.

I remember going to the store and getting a frozen treat to share with Kassy and Kitty.  Taking a walk in the little park and watching the squirrels with just Konner.  Running with Keith. It's quality time because it's special one on one time.

One thing I remember as a kid is making cupcakes with my mom.  It's fun to recreate that magic with my own kids.

And I like eating cupcakes.

http://misteredie1.wordpress.com/2012/02/02/make-your-time-count/ for more fun!

Kids - No Fear

When we went sledding the other day, it was pretty icy.  I was picturing us bombing down the hill like Clark Griswold in "Christmas Vacation", with smoke trailing behind us.  It was like a sheet of ice.  It was hard enough just getting to the top.

As we crested the hill, I started to say "okay, now when we go, we need to be careful..." and at that moment, with a loud war whoop, my eldest son was already at the bottom of the hill, laughing with a skinned up nose from when the ice scraped him in his fall.

He was back up and going again before the rest of us had a chance to get our sleds arranged.

No Fear.  I guess as parents we have fear enough for them all.  Lucky us.

http://www.mredie.com

@MisterEdie on twitter

They're getting so big

Wait a second?  When did my kids get old enough to get ready in the morning by themselves?
When did they stop needing me every second of the day?
When did they start going farther down the hill
away from the house
without looking back?

When did they get so big?
And strong?
And smart?

These kids are magicians I tell you!

In the house day - don't go cra-zay

I had the supreme honor of being alone in the house with the boys all day this weekend.  The girls were all gone, and it was just us guys.  Only one problem - raining downpour kept us inside for most of the time.  So what do you do when you can't send them outside, and they're too young to play by themselves downstairs?

They played in their room for awhile, but that only goes so far.  Then you suddenly have drag races up and down the kitchen floor, or sledding on a blanket down the stairs.  That can only go so far until you have visions in your head of bloody noses and cracked skulls.  So what do you do?  Get them engaged in an activity of course!

Cookies are always great, because the batter isn't as messy as cupcakes, and they are ALWAYS interested in the prospect of a sugary snack (we do oatmeal to make me feel better - the fiber takes away the calories).

That took up a good 30 to 45 minutes.  Then we played in a make-shift fort of blankets and chairs.  That took us another half an hour.  But I needed to get some work done too, so I shifted gears and tried to get them into a game WITHOUT me.

I tried three things, and only one worked.  If you have any other rainy day suggestions, let me know!  Here was my scientific observations.

1 - Drawing was okay for awhile, but then they wanted help making things they didn't know how to make.  A good learning experience for them - but I didn't get any free time.

2- The Harry Potter diorama was a failure to launch.  My own fault I'm sure.

3- The hide and go seek scavenger hunt was a winner.  Hide a bunch of stuff around the house, and set them to find it.  They lose points if they ask me for help.  Bought me a good 30 minutes.  And who could ask for more than that? :)

Top 4 ways to get the kids ready in the morning

I know my kids are the only ones who are slow movers in the morning, but maybe a few people will get a little info out of this. :)

When my kids get up, I've got a whiner, a slugger, a sneaker, and a mover. 

1 - The whiner complains about everything.  "Do we HAVE to take a shower again?"  - like the answer is going to be different this time, when it's been "yes" every time for the last 4 years.  My way to motivate them is to give them EXTRA activites whenever they whine about it.  This has proven effective 50% of the time, most of the time.

2 - The slugger moves at a snails pace (ala a slug).  When one is already dressed, ate, and ready to go, they've barely started wiping the sleep from their eyes.  The strategy for them is simple - leave them one day.  If they're not ready for school, leave without them (of course, mom is still home.  And mom has to give them LOTS of chores on that day).  This was pretty effective.  Repeat about every few months.

3- The Sneaker tries to get away with things.  They'll try and slink off and hide somewhere and lay down, or cut corners by not taking a shower when they should.  I give praise and extra sugar on the cereal to the others, who are still visible, when this happens.  Surefire way for them to stick around more next time, just waiting for the praise.  And the sugar.

4 - The mover is great.  They move all around, getting ready and not complaining, and always doing what they're supposed to.  The funny thing is - not every kid keeps the same role each day.  Sometimes one is the mover, sometimes they're the sneaker.  It's a revolving door.  So with the mover, I just tell them they're doing a great job.  This always makes them smile.  And gives them a reason to try to stay "the mover" the next day as well.

Here's to mornings!

go to http://www.mredie.com/ for teaching tips and tricks, and follow @misteredie on twitter

My little Heroes

My kids are blowing me away in the "living life" category.  I think they've done more in 10 years than I did in 30.

We went skiing last week, and I was blown away by how well the girls are skiing now.  I was zipping down the mountain fast as I could, and still could barely keep up with them.  We both learned at the same time, about 4 years ago, and now they are smoking me on the slopes.

That makes me more proud than when I accomplish something.  I used to think it terrible when parents lived vicariously through their kids, but I can see why.  Your kids ARE an accomplishment, and when they succeed, you have too.  (of course, the caveot is when people ONLY experience life through their kids - big no no in my book).

I have a lot of personal heroes - My parents, Abe Lincoln, Paul Bunyan.... but my kids are all top of the list.

check out http://www.mredie.com/ for a post about the heroes that are everywhere in our lives.

Art is life

We have a sculpture in town that was commissioned around a year or so ago, that is of a train conductor waiting for the train.  He's looking at his watch and he's got a little dog beside him, waiting patiently.  It's really great, and a wonderful addition to an already colorful and artistic town.

I gave the kids a challenge to try and draw the sculpure.  I gave them some pictures I took, and tried to get them to caputre the essence of the sculpture in a 2D format.  They did a really great job, and Kassy in particular took a real effort at getting the lines and shading right.

I know I couldn't have done that when I was a kid.  I had no idea what good art was, and how in the world you could produce it if I wanted to.  I think the kids have more talent than me!  But I also think it comes from talking to them about it.  We'll walk by the sculpure, and I'll point out a few details, or "wow, look at how detailed the lines are on his jacket" or things of that nature.  It's all about the talking I think.  It's all about conversing with them at their level, but at the same time raising their level on a daily basis.

Who knew that running your mouth was a good parenting technique?

Check out http://www.mredie.com/ for more on drawing techniques, and how to incorporate them into your homeschool or away school class!