New Blog!

I'm not even sure, to be honest, if I have any readers or followers here...
but that's fine, as this blog was created as an outlet for my expression as a mother -- and all things mothering, natural parenting, etc.

So, that said...

I'm keeping this blog, but may not update as regularly because:

I HAVE A NEW BLOG.  Ta dah.

Yeah.  That was coming.

At this point in my life I am just very focused on the specifics of our home school and how to make the lessons really work for my techie girly (girls).

To keep up with me on a more regular basis, visit my NEW blog:
 
Techie Homeschoolers.com.

Thanks for subscribing/reading!

--Demetria

changing my blog to focus on parenting issues

It's time for a brand new blog revision.

Most of my prior posts (okay, all of them), have been about me, my personal life, my family...and I love to share my family life...

but I want to focus more on issues that affect me regarding children: parenting and mothering, child development issues, kid life, all things baby, natural and alternative parenting methods, homeschooling, stuff like that.

I want to really dig deeper...get more in depth about some core issues on my mind.

I've been freelancing more articles on parenting issues, and it seems only fitting that I should blog these thoughts...
so gear up for a big blog change...

And I hope you enjoy the posts to come!

Disney World, Take 2

Well, I didn’t think we’d get back to Disney World again any time soon, but we did it last week, and just got back in town yesterday.

What a wild and fun trip!

Let’s see…we hit Epcot, Magic Kingdom, Animal Kingdom, Disney Quest and downtown Disney, and Blizzard Beach. The weather was pretty cold at first, and eventually warmed up to the 70’s which was nice.

I’ve got a ton of Disney pics over at my Facebook — look me up: “Demetria Zinga” and add me as a friend to view them.

I’ll admit…I’ve been pretty lazy about blogging this week…but hey, I’ve been on vacation!

Above, you’ll see a picture of BigGirl enjoying a pose with Princess Aurora.

So..what a surprise. Thanks, hubby, for the awesome trip!

Well I guess it’s back to work now.

Back to school in '09

Well, it’s back to school in the Zinga home. Back to homeschool, that is.

This morning, BigGirl and I got started right away with school…starting with science. We were studying forest habitats, when I got the idea that it would be fun to do a lapbook…so here I am mapping out the idea on construction paper, getting it started for BigGirl.

And again…trying to get those lines straight.

So BigGirl finishes it up for me…forest habitats, water habitats, desert habitats, and water habitats…

Fun, Fun.

Next was a piano lesson…she’s doing so well. We’re using Thompson’s this year. Today we learned about tones- pianissimo, piano, forte, mf…that was fun.

Afterward we wind down a bit with Charlotte’s Web. We take turns reading to one another…I make her read out loud so I can hear her rhythm. BigGirl is an avid reader- she’s totally into American Girls series and The Boxcar Children. Almost all day long she’s never without a book at hand, finding an empty corner in the living room to curl up and read.

Later this afternoon we took her to ballet, then came back home to make chocolate chip cookies. YUM! Here is BigGirl helping out with the cooking. She loves to help me bake.

The cookies were a hit. I think we ate them up in less than 3 hours…

And last, but not least…BabyGirl enjoys spaghetti from her booster seat, taking it all in stride…

That’s all for now!

Happy to homeschool

I’ve been re-assessing my life a lot these days…thinking about what really matters to me most, and what doesn’t.

I’ve come to the conclusion that a lot of things just don’t matter. Things that are more materialistic, that is. I’ve never been much of a materialistic person. There are times, though, that I’ve struggled with longing to have the things that others do- mostly close friends. That’s when greed steps in and I have to watch my “daily diet” to make sure that my spiritual food is healthy: good doses of gratefulness and self control.

Lately I’ve been wondering if private school would have been a better option for BigGirl.
Very quickly, though, I was reminded of how blessed BigGirl and I are to have this opportunity to homeschool. All of the nostalgia for “regular” school quickly dissipated and I put aside our plans to visit more private schools (after having toured several a few weeks ago).
At that point I totally and whole heartedly embraced our homeschool with a passion like never before.
Our home has become (and is becoming a daily) a haven of peace and the environment specifically tailored toward the absorption of learning through liberal arts in a Christian atmosphere. I love it. BigGirl loves it.

So this is what works for us today. And we’re happy.

Day in the life of a stay at home mama entrepreneur

So we went to Atlanta last week for about 3 or 4 days and since then my schedule has been completely off beat. That means waking up late, staying up late, and getting the kids to bed an hour later and up an hour later in the mornings.

While I’ve been attempting to get my schedule back in sync, I’ve been realizing just how much of my life has been business-related and how I’ve had to really play the balance ball to make sure things on the home front were taken care of too.

To say the least, I’ve been really juggling the entrepreneur/mom/wife/minister role for a few years now, and at times I wonder if it’s worth it. Then I wake up and smell the coffee! Each brand new morning I conclude that I wouldn’t trade this life for any other. It’s exciting, exhilarating, and for the most part, unpredictable, which gives it an edge of fun I couldn’t get anywhere else.

So I thought I’d record my “doings” for an entire day so you could get a glimpse of a day in my life as a stay at home mom entrepreneur. Here goes…

10:05- I struggle out of bed, late (for the 3rd day in a row this week). I blame it on last week’s Atlanta trip.
10:15- I got the kids up. Took my 10 month old into the bathroom with me so I can watch her while I shower.
10:20- after 5 minute shower, get my 6 year old plugged in to educational t.v. show on PBS. Stick 10 month old into stroller seat beside her big sister while I run to cook breakfast. Scrambled eggs, grits, oatmeal. Why grits AND oatmeal? Nyomi (6 y.o.) doesn’t eat oatmeal and I’d rather have it than grits. So there ya go.

10:55- breakfast is nearly done. Baby Zoe is crying to get out of the stroller. I fix her oatmeal cereal during a lapse in cries.
11:00-pick up Zoe after she says “up”. Now holding her and trying to type,– difficult. Set the table with one hand.
1:30- I send Nyomi outside to play. Try to feed Zoe again. This time she eats.
1:40- nurse Zoe to sleep for her 1st afternoon nap
1:45- I call a colleague to discuss partnering a joint venture with our two work at home sites.
3:05- My hour long conversation ends. I check email, wash dishes, and think about snacks and dinner before this afternoon’s small group meeting. I continue designing ministry website, Christian Ladies Connect.
3:00- Zoe wakes up. I let her play while I design the website.
4:10-Zoe gets too frisky. I throw her on my back in the sling while I begin cooking pizza for dinner, pick out clothing for tonight’s small group meeting.
4:30- I put Zoe down. She gets into kitchen cabinets. I finish another round of dishes and sweep floors. I iron clothing washed 2 days ago.
4:50- give Zoe a pot to play with from the cabinet. work on website. Phone rings.
5:00- empty trash, grab a coin from Zoe and immediately delve into child proofing the floor for the umpteenth time (hard to do with an older child around too)
5:05- clear off the table, feed the kids, eat dinner, change clothes, prepare diaper bag
6:02- husband called; we’re not going to the meeting after all. Change back into casual clothes, send Nyomi outside to play
6:50-watched t.v., relaxed, spent time with kids
7:30- work on website, check email, watch kids play

Whew! What a long day…

Down with a cold

Little Nyomi has a head cold and won’t be going to her co-op tomorrow
We didn’t get around to homeschooling either today or yesterday.

She’s been running a fever off and on since last night. We got her meds today (antibiotics — how I hate that stuff, and yet it’s what doctors prescribe “just in case” it’s bacterial). At any rate, she’ll be getting better soon. meanwhile, I’m thinking of dosing her on lots of yogurt to replenish the good bacteria in her intestines. She’s over the humidifier and being sponge bathed every so often, along with tylenol to control the fever. And can’t forget…prayer is the biggest tool…

No fun, I tell ya.

Earlier today I coached my first phone client since Zoe was born. Until today all of my work has been done via email. It was quite interesting to see how well (or not so well) this would turn out. Surprisingly, Zoe (now at 3 months) stayed quiet nearly the whole time. I slipped into her my sling and rocked her while talking on the phone, and it worked out quite well.

Well…time to go check on the little lady…