Home+Learning+Cupcakes= Intelligence... It Makes Sense To Me

Hello. My name is Kailan. I make cute babies, sing and play ukulele, am slowly becoming a book hoarder, sometimes laugh at inappropriate times, (of course, in my head, it's totally appropriate) will confidently eat cookie dough that has raw egg in it, and I homeschool my children.

I love having my kids at home. I love being able to be the one to teach them. It's not all cupcakes and cool science projects... of course... God knows I'd love to have cupcakes everyday but more importantly I, as an adult, still fail science. yikes. ~my failure at science really hurts my nerd rank too :(

 Josh teaches it... moving on!

Disclaimer: Someone once asked me, in amazement looking at my situation with having all these babies AND homeschooling, "How do you get all of it done?" I honestly said, "I don't. I try my best, but I know not all of "it" gets done." But I've learned that our best is all that's truly asked of us by our King, no matter what society thinks of it.

I went to a conference a few months ago for homeschooling families. (www.homeschoolingiowa.org) I love it because it's Christian based and puts the focus right where it needs to be. Not only teaching academics but teaching character, raising them up to show God's love.

So, at this conference, there are workshops for us parents that basically instruct us how to better our skills to teach our children. They are so encouraging and practical, making me feel this big weight of society off of me and back into the true reality that I am built to teach my own children. There are so many misconceptions of what homeschooling looks like and the biggest misconception I've heard from various parents is, "I wouldn't be able to teach them."  Obviously, there are circumstances that make a parent unable to homeschool their children. I do respect parents for their own decisions, so don't hear this as judgement. It's when people own the false discouragement that stops them from doing something they'd be really good at.

Something interesting that I learned at the conference, in particularly, is the 8 intelligences. Now some of you may know about these, but I didn't, sitting their listening to the speaker, I was amazed at the concept of this truth. There are 8.

1. Intrapersonal- self-aware, self-smart. These people can stand against the crowd and make great entrepreneurs.      *energy fact- they energize by being alone*

2. Interpersonal- people smart. These people make great counselors and pastors.   *energy fact- they energize by being around people*

3. Naturalist- outdoors smart. nature and animal smart. These people are very observant of their surroundings outside.  *energy fact- they energize by being ... hm.. outdoors? ;) *

4. Musical- um... this one is pretty self explanatory. These people love music, are good at making music, they know music.   *energy fact- they energize by music. period. *

5. Spatial- this one was a little trickier for me because the spectrum is so broad. Space. Color. Images. Finding lost things. Design. The "packers" (meaning they are the ones that can pack anything into a suitcase and make it fit). So.. these people are artists, architects, designers, and also good with legos..... anywho. *energy fact- they energize by getting their minds busy with such activities.*

6. Kinesthetic- motor skills. hands on. These people are your athletes, dancers, laborers, cake decorators, and yes, even your brain surgeons. Another broad spectrum, I suppose. *energy fact- they also are energized by partaking in such activities*

And the last 2, but not least, but also equally, not "better" (as society has put the weight of the importance of these 2 intelligences, on our heads as superior) are:

7. Linguistic- words. reading, writing. These are our poets.  *energy fact- they energize by reading and/or writing*

8. Mathematics- logic. numbers. These people have all those boring, er I mean, exciting professions like accounting... and what .. not...  *energy fact- these people literally energize by playing number games.. it's sad, but true.*


So... I'm looking at all 8 of these and the speaker is encouraging us of the truth that we have smart kids. All of us do! Each and every one of them has a few or more of these intelligences that we can already see in even these young ages.

Factoid: We actually own all 8 within our brains, but some are strengths and some are weaknesses, that always leave room for improvement in either spectrum. If you are good- you can get better.
If you are bad- you can get better.

As my mind was open to the fact that even though my kids do have certain struggles, I was seeing the truth in the fact that these other intelligences even existed. Society has put this huge weight on if you are literary or wicked with numbers, that you are a genius. But what about the person that makes beautiful music, or the aspiring botanist, or the person that is perfect with his sport, or the person that paints, or the dog whisperer, or the really annoying business man, and let's not forget the blessed cooks? What of those? They are geniuses too!

As this was supposed to be a workshop to encourage my outlook on our children, I was realizing it was making me look at myself different too. It was making me realize that I am intelligent, just in my own unique way. (ugh... can't tell you how many times I've had to spell check the very word intelligent in this post.. anywho.. moving on)

All my growing up, I've been told, not directly, (and certainly NOT by my parents) by the school system and society that I am not smart. I believed it all these years. It was like a veil was lifted over my face. Kailan, sweet child of God, you are smart and He made you smart because He wants you to make music and to sing, and paint, and stand against the crowd. It wasn't until these last few years of my life that I started writing and really reading a lot and understanding what these books are saying.

All this to say that homeschooling isn't just for my kids. I teach them what they need to know as best as I can, and in so doing, I learn so much more about myself.

What are your intelligences? :)

It's fun, isn't it?  ok.. maybe your fun isn't my fun, but hey... who doesn't like to find out how ridiculously smart they are? ;)

6th Baby Update: Cheaper by the Half Dozen?

Alright... for those of you who care to know how I'm doing with the pregnancy.....

I am 23 weeks this week. Gosh! Time flies!! Especially when it's your 6th apparently...

We had an ultrasound done a few weeks ago and found out it's another girl! Oh. My. Lord Jesus. How? Can. We. Do. This?

I'm actually ok with it. I have my "little women". (I'm already getting the jokes and chuckles out of people about how hormonal my house is gonna be once they all reach puberty) But my poor Isaiah. Both him and Eve were crying in the ultrasound room when we saw the news. And this is exactly why I wanted to find out while we can, to prepare these little hearts for what God has given us...... a 5th girl....

We haven't decided on any names yet. Still tossing some around.

I've tried getting off some meds for my nausea and it ain't happen'in.... I went 2 days without it, and then all the heart burn and nausea and "I hate food" attitude came back. And that is just blasphemous for me! I LOVE food!

Anywho. So even though I'm into my second trimester, and my third is right around the corner... on the meds I go. :/

I've also been experiencing LOTS of braxton hicks (false labor contractions) already. I'm not just talking about one every few days... I'm talking several. every. day. It's annoying, and sometimes, when they are strong enough, a little scary. Starting the craziness this early on (usually it waits to get this bad a couple months before due) makes me a little nervous, but I'm trusting that my body just has a hyper uterus and just likes to contract. (which is actually true for my case, I just hate living with it, I guess it could be a lot worse)

To complain a little bit, my hip is already out most the time, which forces me to waddle making me look fabulous!, and it feels like everything is going to fall out of me. :/ yikes.

I am so done. My poor hubby went to the doc to get that taken care of... poor baby. He did good. I watched the whole thing. I know I know... but it was way too interesting to me. I have a right to know what exactly is done to that thing! It's mine!!

Anywho. Back to baby.

Baby is healthy looking. I saw cracks in her skull, which means her sutures are NOT fused :) Yay! I got a 3rd different due date... so I just start telling people that I'm gonna have a baby in November... just to take care of any confusion... I WILL EAT THANKSGIVING FOOD!!! LOTS OF IT!!

ehem.  Baby moves more and more and Eve is the only child of mine that kisses her goodnight almost every night. She's determined to make herself the baby's favorite sibling, I think.

I'm getting things prepared and ordered and planned for another home birth. I'm actually quite excited about that part. It felt so great, invigorating, and much more stress-free doing it at home. My family cared so well for me, and I'm in love with the birthing pool. I'm nesting like crazy, (de-cluttering the house) but have to take it easy as these contractions come. They slow me down, but that's ok. Slow is good. heh... The hubby is doing an awesome job at taking orders per my nesting. :) Love you Yesh.

Beloved, Blood, and Lazer Glasses

I have had so much to write about and haven't been writing.....  :/

.... that's a problem for this momma's 5 month pregnant brain..... let me start with the freshest for today.

I wake up today and my windows are already open because it's been so incredibly nice outside. Temps are so low (in July) that I haven't had to turn my air on in days and my house is sitting at a nice 72-74 degrees.

What is it about cooler weather that makes my heart swell? I literally feel "happier". That fresh cool breeze coming through the window, touching my skin as I sit on my couch, relaxing. Listening to the outside noises, feeling the reality that there's a whole world out there. It's not just me.

Because of the beautiful nesting I'm already doing, my house is fairly clean with little effort.... (the point of gutting one's house of clutter..aahhhh.... but. can't relax too much because there are more of them out there... I just have to use my super awesome lazer glasses that detect such clutter that I continue to ignore until it turns into a big green monster, and I'm not talking about a nice color of green, I'm talking about the pukey green mixed with some yellow that almost looks like baby poo....... wait. What was I talking about? oh yeah, I think a parenthesis is supposed to go here ---> )

anywho.

So... I'm sitting in my fresh smelling, somewhat clean house and I get on facebook. oh Facebook. Love/hate relationship right there. I see all these posts about the pain of a family that suffers through their sons death to suicide. He was a teen, who apparently was bullied.

It's amazing how bullying has been made the cause of death, especially recently throughout our teens. Bullying is horrible, don't get me wrong. To feel that people hate you, that you are "unlikable" is a horrible feeling. I think a lot of us nerds have felt that at some point in our lives. Gosh, I remember the days in school, I was the nerd. The girl that people actually called "the Jesus Girl". Certain boys would pick on me in a sexual way because of my disposition. I never had the mouth or the boobs for popularity .....or the fashion sense.... I got made fun of all the time for all those various things. But I'd come home to a father that thought I was beautiful, a mother that wouldn't let me get away with anything, and the few friends that I did have were pretty much like me. We nerds have to stick together. I had few close friends, and that was ok with me.

It is sad that bullying has gotten so bad, apparently, that kids are feeling the need to "get out" because of it. Bullying is always a problem, not matter the time, no matter the circumstance, bullying is never a good thing. It's basically the absence of showing love to someone. You are either neglecting them, making fun of them, or physically/verbally/emotionally abusing them. Those are never good things. It does need to stop.

But when I see the words of some people say that  "I hope those bullying kids feel bad for what they did." It stings because isn't that bullying them back? What a weight to carry. "A kid killed himself and I wasn't nice to him at all. In fact, I was mean to him."  I doubt these bullies are believing they were successful in some way. Guilt is what they will carry, always wondering if things could be different.

Guilt should never be someone's name.

I do feel so incredibly bad for his family and friends that have to ask the never ending questions of "why?"

You may want to look into that last statement again. Yes, this teen had family that loved him and friends that loved him. He wasn't alone. But it was his failure to see those people that did love him that lead him to his own decision of taking his own life by his own hand in that moment. He was being oppressed, not only by human beings bullying him, but more so, by his own spiritual warfare of lies swarming through his head and gave into it. That is the sadder truth about suicide in general.

I don't know his specific situation, but I don't have to. I have suffered through witnessing many suicides within my own family and friends. And their situations, in general, are all the same. They felt alone. They owned the illusion of shame. The illusion of guilt. They made a selfish decision to think only about themselves and their own despair. They did not look outside of themselves at the people that do see them as precious. They believed lies.  My uncle also once told me that when they do get to that point of feeling suicidal, it is already a mental illness.

Is their hope? Yes. God keeps those who belong to Him, no matter the decisions that they stumble upon. Is their hope for us? Yes. We learn and continue to learn what that love looks like, being a part of embracing and bringing heaven to people.

How many of your decisions, decisions you make every day, really reflect bringing heaven to people?

or do they bring hell to people?

But most importantly, the root of those decisions usually is based on the answer to this following questions:

Do you know that your name is beloved?

Do you know that shame is not your name? Guilt is not your name?

Do you know, your name is beloved?