Home Spun reprint: Making Time for Mom #3-4

Home Spun reprint: Making Time for Mom #1

This is from a set I made for a magazine article back in April 2008. Enjoy!

Home Spun reprints #68-70: Learning to Read

Home Spun reprint #17- Tree time

Do you have a reading tree? We have a tree that has been the favorite for climbing. Marina first discovered how nice it was to read while sitting on a branch. Chase liked to climb up because Marina was there. As Sierra has gotten older, the tree has become her special reading place in warm weather. The branches are too close together, so the others are now too big for it.

Home Spun reprint #15: Stealth Teaching

I am taking you waaaaaaaayyyyy back to the beginning of my comical endeavors today with this strip from 2006. Ick. I might need to redo the lettering on these older ones. And maybe the artwork. You see? This is why I try not to reprint.

I also discovered that my comics #1-14 have disappeared. It is possible that I did not maintain the old blog and it was shut down. Ah well. I'm not really good at keeping more than one blog running. At some point I will need to redo the first strips anyway, since I am working on a project and I originally scanned them at a low quality resolution. Heh. I feel so tech savvy!

Home Spun reprints #179- Happy New Year!

2010 is drawing to a close. Although it has been a tiring year at times, I am so grateful for the many joys, milestones and celebrations we have had this year. As I focus on our blessings, I also remember the many friends and family who have been through more than their fair share of trials this year. I pray that they may all have better days ahead of them.

And may all of you who take the time to stop and read my little blog find a new year full of hope, prosperity, peace, and especially laughter.

Happy 2011!

Home Spun reprints #203-205: Photography

The nice thing about having a sister who is great at photography is that she has good ideas for teaching the kids how to take pictures. And she also gives great presents. This year, Sierra got a camera tripod with telescopic legs for Christmas, which she excitedly described as "the best present ever!" She and Chase have been putting it to good use. She uses it to take pictures of herself. Chase has been using it as he experiments with animation. Who knew a three legged stand could be such an impressive gift for kids?

If you haven't seen Sierra's photography, check out her blog, Pictureka! (The link is in the sidebar.) I may be a doting mom, but I think her work is pretty good for an eight year old.

Home Spun reprints #35-36: Christmas 2006

Home Spun reprints #158-9: Math Misadventures

Home Spun reprints #287: Don't Forget to Vote!

I'm posting some reprints this week because last week got away from me and I'm still trying to catch it.

Home Spun reprints #74-6: Field Trips with Gramma

Home Spun reprints #373-4: Gardening

Home Spun reprints #242-244: Fireworks

Home Spun reprint: #48-49

I'm feeling better, although not 100% yet. I think the worst of this thing is the cough. It seems to flare up at night, so I haven't slept too well. I'm very glad that this one hasn't turned into something the whole family can "enjoy." Some things are not meant to be shared!

Home Spun reprint: #229

Due to illness, my comic strip will be delayed this week. I dug out this reprint for you to enjoy. I thought it best reflected how sometimes we need to be selfish with our time. If we try too hard to be there for everyone else, sometimes it is to the detriment of our own health. It has been a crazy, busy year for our family. I have one child in dance and preparing for first Communion, another who was completing requirements for his black belt and preparing for Confirmation, and a third who works but doesn't drive and has needed monthly checkups for her braces (the bottom brace is finally off, the top brace is supposed to come off next month). Add to this that we are down to one car and I try to give my husband lifts to and from work when possible, and I think I was primed with a big target for whatever virus decided to settle in last Wednesday.

Why do we do too much? Because we love our family! And I have to say, they have stepped up since I got sick. Chase has made dinner a couple of times. Sierra has been proving I wasn't crazy in letting her try to unschool by moving past the easy reader books and taking on a book with a bigger time commitment: Nancy Drew. Marina is Marina, picking up my slack in straightening and answering her little sister's endless questions. And my husband has helped keep on top of meals, trash, cleaning dishes and passing me my meds. Everyone has been wonderful about bringing me warm drinks and food. I feel like a slacker, but I already took a backslide by not resting when I felt a little better, so I'm trying to behave. I am simply thankful I have my family to take care of me while I'm on the mend.

Anyway, that's why there are no comics this week ... yet. (No, really, I promise not to work on them until I'm really feeling better.) Sometimes we need to be unsocialized.

Reprint #100

I'm taking a little break before September. I thought this reprint illustrates the concept of relaxing best. I hope all of you have a wonderful day!

Home Spun reprints #242-244- Fireworks

Have a Great Fourth of July!

Reprints #104-106: The Homeschooling Father

I wrote this set back in June 2007 as a tribute to homeschooling fathers. Because I have no idea what it's like to be a homeschooling dad, I got ideas from a local homeschooling father and friend, Joe. He is a great guy, and has led many group activities ranging from science classes to directing the earliest summer theater productions the kids have done. The parents now have nothing to do with the summer shows (except for mediating disagreements between the young actors and directors) but Joe still runs a number of group classes and now deals with the new challenge of scheduling activities while his older child attends high school and the younger one homeschools. Mom or dad, the homeschooling parent is always the chauffeur.

Reprints #92-93

I'm wondering if some of my readers will remember these strips. This is the first time I've reprinted them since I wrote them in late April 2007. If anyone remembers and wants some more of these memories, let me know.

I sometimes feel like I never get a break. When you are mom (or dad) and teacher, it can be hard to find down time. There are always things to do in our teaching and caretaking roles. More than once I've conducted lessons from the couch or bed. This is why I repeatedly tell new homeschoolers to make sure you take time for you! Don't feel guilty about reading the latest by your favorite author or spending some time with your hobby. I spent years away from writing and art because I thought I didn't have time for it. There is a reason it's called recreation. Relaxing with our interests allows us to recharge and be of more use to our families. When we don't give ourselves time, we start burning out, which leads to short tempers and illness. We need to take care of ourselves so that we may better take care of our loved ones.

This is an ongoing lesson. I usually burn out after holidays, and this past Easter was no exception. It's easy to get caught up in our activities and suddenly realize a month has gone by and we haven't been eating right or exercising regularly. Yesterday, when the library called to tell me there was low interest in the poetry night I was hosting, I took the choice to cancel it. Usually I would run an event, even if I only had one or two participants. But I need a break. I give myself permission to rest.

Reprints #211, 227 and 261: Reality Checks

It took me a while to figure out what I wanted to reprint today. I decided to go with the theme of "reality checks" because it always seems like life gets in the way of our grand schemes, especially during holidays. Take this Easter, for example. I planned to make chocolates and Easter breads, to attend the Easter vigil with my family, and to have a relaxed Easter morning watching the kids hunt for their eggs and baskets before heading out to visit family on Long Island.

Instead, I ended up feeling rushed. I managed to burn my second batch of bread because I invited my neighbor's grandchildren to color eggs with Sierra. I managed to get to the vigil mass with my parents and Marina, but Sierra only decided to come at the last minute after spending the day insisting (rather vocally and with attitude) that she wouldn't come. Chase didn't come, but that was OK since my husband was going to lector (be the reader) at the noon mass on Easter Sunday. That noon mass ended up taking almost as long as the Easter Vigil, so we ended up getting a late start to my aunt's house. Luckily, we had no traffic going out. Coming home was another story.

And now, this week that I thought would be a relaxing vacation is actually a busy week. Every third week of the month, our storytelling group meets on Wednesday and we have nature class on Thursday. I inadvertently scheduled a children's poetry night on Tuesday. Marina works today (Monday). And did I mention that my husband decided to cut his vacation short because he had to take a day off last month when he was sick?

The fantasy was that I would take a vacation this week. The reality is that life keeps moving forward. I think I missed my stop.