October 2013 Newsletter

Happy Fall, Y’all!

Upcoming Events:

Field Trip: Farmstead Corn Maze and Pumpkin Patch!

Friday, October 11, at 10 AM. (Please RSVP to sosiouxmeto@msn.com  by Oct. 4.)

(1020 South Rackham Way...just south of the freeway at the Eagle Rd exit) $4 per person, babies under one year are free. Money will be collected at the entrance the day of the field trip. Admission includes an educational hay ride, entry into the maze, a visit to Animal Alley, and picking pumpkins from the patch. Plan to spend about 2 hours.The Farmstead is staffing this field trip specifically for us, so please RSVP to sosiouxmeto@msn.com by October 4th, so they can schedule their staff accordingly. If you RSVP, please make it a priority to attend, as “no-shows” reflect badly on our organization and others like ours.

Aviation Field Trip: Nampa Airport, Wednesday, Oct. 9th and Thursday, Oct. 10th

• From Tina Williams:

• We will be having an aviation field trip at the Nampa airport on Wednesday October 9th and Thursday October 10th. There will be 3 separate groups: younger kids (roughly 2nd grade level), older kids (roughly 8th grade level) and flyers (those of all ages interested in a flight lesson...parents are welcome too). Flyers will meet on 9 Oct. Non-flyers will meet on 10 Oct (younger kids from 1:00-2:00, older kids from 2 until all questions answered). Both non-flying groups will receive age-appropriate theory of flight/intro to aviation lessons and get to sit in the airplane. Flyers will be divided into time groups (so that you’re not waiting around while the airplane is in flight) and receive age-specific ground lessons prior to their flight lesson. The aircraft cost is $101 per hour. The regular rate for aircraft and instructor is $146 per hour but my husband is volunteering for those 2 days so there is no instructor cost. Cost is pro-rated meaning you only pay for the time you use and not necessarily the whole hour. At this time I need a head count for the flyers, those who are planning on paying for a flight lesson on 9 Oct. so that I know how long to schedule the airplane for. My husband (Jason) recommends at least a 20 minute flight. Please e-mail me at tinawilliams02@yahoo.com or send me a text at (402)320-7799. I will ask for a head count from non-flyers shortly. If you or your older child have an interest in aviation beyond a general curiosity and 9 Oct will not work for you, please contact me to see if we can accommodate you another time. My husband is in the process of renewing his aviation merit badge counselor certification for those interested.

Mothers’ Meeting: Finding Balance

Saturday, October 12, 9 AM

11293 West Radcliff Street Nampa, Id  83651  

Hey, the “new” of the school year has worn off, life is busy, sometimes it’s hard not to feel overwhelmed by all our duties and responsibilities as moms, wives, teachers, and in our church callings and work.  Come spend some time with other homeschool Mommas and talk about the ways we find and maintain balance in our lives. This will be an amazing, supportive meeting. Come share your ideas, comments, questions, concerns, and victories!

Homeschool Family Dance Co-hosted by DHSA and TEACH Co-op Saturday October 12th, 6:00PM-8:30PM

828 W Cherry Lane Meridian, ID 83642 (Holy Nativity Church)

Come join us for some family fun and dancing! Casual dress. This is a free event. Please bring a finger food or dessert to share. No peanuts or tree nuts please!

We play a wide variety of music, including old favorites and new!

Teen Classic Book Club Thursday October 17th 10am-11:30am

Join us for a discussion of Cheaper by the Dozen. We meet at the Wolfe household. Contact Melissa (mom) or Corinne (teen) at 208-968-3998 for address. We usually have about 20 teens come to the book club, and we always love to have new people join us.

Ladies’ Afternoon Out: Temple Trip for Moms

Friday, October 18th, 1:00 PM. 

Let’s get together for an endowment session at the Boise temple! Contact Dayna Baldwin on the DHSA Facebook page for more information!

 

Mothers’ Retreat: Oct 24-26 in the Donnelly/McCall area. 

Take a break from kids (nursing babies are welcome) to visit, laugh, work on projects, laugh, stay up late, and build amazing friendships in a luxury cabin! We usually have a good dose of silly fun and sometimes a little craziness. The memories are priceless treasures, and the  moms go from being acquaintances to friends. Anyone is welcome, homeschool mom or not, just no men or kids.  We always have a blast!!!! Cost will be around $75. This includes both nights (two people sharing a queen bed, or bring your own air mattress) and food Friday and Sat through lunch. Arrival is Thurs. night, with dinner on your own, bring a snack to share.  Email Janetcox123@gmail.com with questions or to RSVP. 

DHSA Halloween Party!

Come join us for fun games, crafts and more!

Where: Lake Hazel Library
10489 Lake Hazel Rd.

Boise

When: Wednesday October 30^th 1:00-2:30 Wear your costumes!

Cost: $1.00 per child over 3 years of age (to cover costs)

Please prepay through the DHSA Paypal account (click on the link on the left sidebar to “donate”) as we cannot accept money at the Library.

How you can help: We need your help to make the party a success!
Moms and Teens can help!

Please sign up at http://is.gd/dhsahalloweenpartysignup to run an activity, game, or bring food.

(Or contact Kami Hymas to volunteer at kami@hymasfamily.org or 957-7048).

Happy October and we’ll see you on Halloween!

Rhythm Dancers

 

is a dance class/performance group for girls between the ages of 10 and 18. We currently have class on Tuesdays from 4:30pm to 5:30pm. You can try your first class free! Please contact Melissa Wolfe at 208-968-3998 or rdjazzer@yahoo.com for more information.

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President’s Message:

In Search of a Well-Balanced Life

Sustaining a comfortable balance while homeschooling is NOT easy, but it is possible! I’ve had friends comment that they wish they could be more efficient . . . my reply to that is, “Being a mother isn’t always efficient! There will be good days, there will be not-so-good days; life will get in the way! So, relax, hold on and keep smiling--you will make it!”

There is a lot required at our hands, and it can feel overwhelming and unconquerable at times. We wonder how to keep it all together, how to make sure the kids are getting all they need (and deserve from us), how to balance the school work and the house work, how to keep the mountains of laundry to manageable small piles, how to put healthy, nutritious meals on the table THREE. Times. A. Day! Also, how to be a great wife, a great mother, a great visiting teacher, a great friend . . . and how to have any time at all for ourselves and for our sanity!

I want to share a couple of thoughts with you to help you achieve this balanced life we all desire.

As mothers, we spend our days running from the child most urgently in need to the next most-urgent event, and on to the next and the next and the next . . . In the midst of all the craziness, we tend to lose sight of the big picture. It’s hard to maintain your balance when you have tunnel vision. Widen your focus; keep your eyes and heart open to what is most precious, and you will be living that Well-Balanced, Intentional Life that we all want, but that looks different for each of us!

~Mothering must come before Math and LOVE will always be more important than Language Arts.

~In the end, what will matter most, will be the relationships you have with your children . . . their secular education will not be your first concern.

~ No child ever died because they couldn’t find clean socks or underwear!

We wish only the best for our kids; because of that we add in various activities and obligations to our daily routine. While this is not a negative necessarily, if we choose to add too many things to our plate, the load begins to feel burdensome and our attitudes may wind up reflecting a touch of negativity. We start feeling a little out of whack and long for a day away or a week away from the challenges of an overwhelming routine. This feeling of “needing a vacation” is a red flag for me; it is my first “a-ha moment” indicating that I am hitting critical mass and need time to reassess and restructure to find balance.

When planning all those amazing and educational activities for your kids, don’t forget about leaving time to take care of you and your relationships. We have the tendency to get so caught up in wanting to provide the very best for our kids that we suffer personally.

How do we create change? How do we find and maintain balance in our lives?

Grab a piece of paper, get a cup of tea, and sit for a spell . . . we’ve got some work to do.

If you could make your life look any way you want it to, what would it look like? What things would you want to include? Start at the end by writing your goals, and then figure out what you can do right now to start on the path that will end with you achieving them. Imagine it, dream it; then write it and even draw it! It is all part of the process to help you live it!

Start that “Wish List” for your life . . .

Do you wish for more time (real, enjoyable time, hanging-out-time) with your kids?

Do you wish for more time with your spouse? With your friends? With yourself?

Do you wish for time to do a project or two? What would those projects be?

Do you wish to read a certain book? Do you wish to go explore and uncover the wonders that surround you? Do you wish to start a new business? Do you wish for time to read your scriptures each day? Do you wish to take a yoga class? Do you wish to teach classes? Jot it all down . . .

By jotting down our wishes, we create a list we can prioritize and from that--make a plan. Intentional Planning time is a fabulous thing to do . . . as you look at your wish list, you can dictate what you do each day, so go for it . . . make it amazing!

Use this list of priorities over and over—change it, add to it, but never give up on it. It is part of what restores peace and balance to your mind and your heart.

We all have our “Own Way” of how this will look . . . here’s a suggestion for you if you are struggling with creating your own:

Consider breaking your day into blocks of time ~

Early mornings /Late Morning to early afternoons /Afternoons / Evenings

Consider plugging in one or two priorities from the wish list you created into each space . . . STOP . . . I said to plug in ONE or TWO, only! Be good to yourself!

Early morning might be a nice time for you to fill your own cup; it might be time for a little relationship building one-on-one with a certain child who needs your undivided attention, or it might be time for planning and preparing for the day.

Late mornings to early afternoons will likely include schooling your kiddos; remember to be gentle on yourself and don’t add in 5 other things during this time. Be PRESENT IN HEART AND MIND with your kids during their time. I promise the time will be well spent, and you will all walk away feeling pleasantly happy.

Your Afternoons might include a few household chores and dinner prep, maybe some time for playing with your kids; it may be the time for running kids to lessons or activities, or a brisk walk in the fresh air.

Evenings might be the perfect time for relationship building, time to work on things your heart needs, and maybe a little blogging time or reading time.

These blocks of time DO NOT have to stay the same each day . . . and these are just ideas for how to create a little balance in your life.

I think you’ll find that if you take the steps to set some priorities and intentionally make room for them in your life, you will be more peaceful and less frazzled in this ever-busy life we are all living. Be willing to let things go, and trust yourself. Part of creating a balance, is not trying to keep everything in the air at once.

Blessings,

Stacey Lytle