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What I Crave
When I saw this word prompt this morning you know what popped into my head?
Yup. Tootsie rolls.
The local dollarama sells 2, 2 packs for $1. This is not a good thing.
When I am ill, or tired, or grumpy, or just generally out of sorts, this is what I crave.
I also crave other things like doritos, Mr. Big chocolate bars, and hickory sticks. But mostly… Tootsie rolls.
I’ve been sick a lot these past two months. Cold, flu, pneumonia, generalized exhaustion, and persistent cough.j
ALL that weight I lost (to help with my overall health)…. well…it’s kinda crept back because… As much as I love tootsie rolls…they certainly like to stick around.
I will have work to do again eh?
I really really need to learn how to get my comfort in other ways.
From reading scripture, to talking with friends, to just relaxing with my family…. but what do I do?
I want a tootsie roll.
How does one break that cycle?
Especially when one doesn’t feel well and the whole world feels like ick because well “I” feel like ick?
I know it doesn’t help that my hubby is the same way… he loves his pastries when he’s ill/tired/out of sorts just like I love my tootsie rolls…
It does sometimes confound me though. God calls me to be BEYOND my temptations. But this one… this one I don’t know how to beat.
Thoughts?
This has been a five minute Friday post, word prompt provided by Miss Kate.
It’s a quick five minute free write. No editing or fussing about. Just writing on a given prompt.
Then linking up and encouraging those who have gone on before.
Join us won’t you?
Stuck in Learning?
Today I was working on the Canadian Online Homeschool Conference. It’s on from Feb 3-9, 2021. Anyways, my topic is on Developing independence in your students. I was putting together my worksheet and thought hey! I’ve never done a post on what to do when your student is stuck in learning.
I see it over and over on the homeschooling facebook groups. The posts often read something like “help, my _________ can’t figure out ________. How do I help them grasp this concept so we can move forward?”  Let’s talk today about some of the steps you can take to help your students move forward when they are stuck in learning something new or difficult.s

The Scenario
Much of the things we learn in life are linear. You learn how to do this, before you learn to do this next thing. Ergo, when you are stuck on a concept it’s difficult to imagine moving forward until that key concept in learned. Â
I know that with my lad we ran into a few roadblocks along the way. Different steps that we took let us move through difficult learning moments. That’s part of the beauty of homeschooling isn’t it? We can take the steps we need to help our children achieve their long-term goals through short-term adjustments in our learning strategies. 🙂Â

Seven steps to Take when Stuck in Learning
Power through.
It’s an option right? To simply keep doing what you are doing until finally it clicks. It’s a method a lot of people use quite successfully. It’s not a method that works for everyone, but it does work. My son has used this with the odd math problem, working it and reworking it until he finally figures out how to get to the answer. Through that process he cements the mathematical formula and totally owns it.Â
Take a step back
Sometimes you just need to take a step back. To put away the books and do something different.  When you do that a couple of things happen. You take off the pressure and you allow your brain to work it out. Not a fool-proof thing, and sometimes it requires the next action, but often if you remove the pressure and just let the brain work, marvellous things happen.Â
Look at the concept from a different perspective
We often find this is the best way for my son when a concept is difficult, especially if he combines it with the action above. There are SO many ways to learn concepts. Look at all the ways to learn to read. Or how to learn scientific concepts. So if one method doesn’t work, why not check out a different method? It might click right away, such as when my lad was trying to figure out long-division, or it might require you to sleep on it.Â

Doing the stages out of order
Sometimes, just sometimes, learning things out of order works. Kids do it all the time. Little ones listening in on lessons for their siblings. Learning about archaeology before Youngsters listening in on church sermons and learning big concepts they don’t hear in Sunday School. Hearing big words read (and explained) during story time increasing their vocabulary. So many ways that we can learn things outside of our age/study range.
So your daughter doesn’t get fractions, but she can figure out how to build a birdhouse and understands how to put the ratios together to make that all happen. It might not be book work, but she’s had to understand the fractions on the measuring tape. She’s had to double-check that her math is all good. Perhaps that’s all your daughter needs RIGHT NOW. Later on, when she’s mastered some other concepts, or relooked at how puzzles and pizzas are put together, or discovered all the measurements she’s done add up to inches, feet, and yards, it will all click for her.Â
Not ready yet
You know there are grade and age level things we’re expected to know? These are arbitrary decisions made by generalities. So MOST of the population at that age/grade is able to learn that concept.  Occasionally you get children who can learn that concepts quicker, and sometimes you meet children who just aren’t ready for it. AND THAT’S OKAY. It really is.  Just because Johnny isn’t ready to read at age 7 doesn’t mean he won’t ever read. Just because Sally can’t figure out nouns and adjective by grade 10 doesn’t mean she never will. Some concepts are just harder for different people to master. So give it time. It’ll come, or that knowledge will simply become something that person needs help with. Â
For instance, I am directionally challenged. I think I always will be. BUT I have a hubby AND a son who generally know what direction we going in. So I don’t have to fret about one bit! Amazing isn’t it? Could I be deemed a failure in map reading? Probably…but it doesn’t really affect me much as an adult.  I manage just fine. If you don’t learn something, there’s always a way to work around it.Â

Back up when you are Stuck in Learning
When running into new material that is too hard to learn, the best decision to make simply might be backing up. Figuring out what it was that you missed that was a needed precursor.  If you don’t understand place value before doing multi-digit addition and subtraction it makes the learning more difficult. If you don’t know how to draw a straight line or haven’t learned how to draw perspective, doing good art is harder to do.Â
Time
Sometimes that’s all people need. Time. Time to step away, time to consider other options, time to come back and revisit an old problem. As I frequently tell my son,” it doesn’t matter if there are things we missed in your education, it’s not like you can’t learn them later!” Once you know how to learn, the world of knowledge is waiting for you.Â
The more you help your students figure out what to do when they are stuck in learning a new or difficult concept, the more you help them on the road to independence. Help your students cultivate these skills so necessary to living an independent life.Â
Active Days
Today was a rather active day, busy from sun up to sun down. It’s not a bad thing to be busy. Don’t you find that active days keeps a person on their toes and sometimes even learning new things?
Like today… I learned how to make roasted Sunflower seeds. I’m a bit concerned that I might have missed some insect damaged ones. (Not that insects will kill yah.. more for the taste factor). They don’t taste quite the same as store bought so I’m like…hmm…. Just not sure about this one.Â

I also went to a bible study this morning. It’s been a while since I’ve attended a women’s bible study. Time factors have been a biggest reason. Anyways, it was a good meeting. I think I’ll go again. We’re doing a study called No Other Gods by Kelly Minter. I wasn’t able to do the homework this week, but the study looks interesting enough, and is divided over five days, that it looks doable. Should be good I think.Â
Other work today had me taking pictures of baby bunnies and updating my website. I always like taking pics of my babies. Teaching them to set still for just five seconds! Handling them, doing a good health check, watching their development. A good part of my week. 🙂

My Active Day Continued…
My active day ended with my answering student questions, writing a blog post, and finding out my remedial care of the washing machine that my helpful lad over stuffed probably didn’t work. I can’t get it working again and something seems rather wrong with it.  I’m not happy with myself. Â
Active Days are like that filled with learning, discovery, the same old same old, and disappointments. What sort of active days have you had lately?
OH!  This is part of the write 31 days challenge AND Kate’s weekly link up!
Who
Who
Dr. Who my son would say
What other Who would come to play?
But Dr. Who is now a gal!
The question is, will this be a fail?
Who is a word
Stumbling said
A Brazilian lad
A quest in his head.
Who, not me!
The phrase denied
My role in this
Event aside.
Who I questioned,
My bush did kill?
The foreman shrugged
Replace it, I will.
Can I help,
The who it asked
My heart it leapt
Love at last!
Who’s live in life
A name, a place,
A heart, a word
Rarely a disgrace
The greatest WHO that
Ever lived
Reminds me love
As he once did.
A new commandment I give to you. Love one another as I first loved you.
Yah I know.. not the greatest poem I’ve ever written, but I did…. find it fun to do! 🙂
Come on join us won’t you? Miss Kate has put up a new word for us to freewrite with this week. Write for five minutes, edit it not, (well okay, edit what you really can’t live with).  Then come, be an encouragement to kith and kin!
Motivate
I’m tired with a rather nasty cold beating me into submission so this Five Minute Friday post will be short and sweet.
Motivate
Means
Opportunity
Truth
Inspire
Victory
Activate
Trigger
Excite
Join with the people of Crete, be motivated, be zealous in doing good works. See the truth of the Lord, the one who never lies, the one who always has your back, who intimately knows your every true need. Trust him. Be motivated by his love for you.  Be changed by him. He’s got your good at heart.Â
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Kate, the proprietor of the Five Minute Friday community, invites us weekly to come join her for a Five Minute Word Prompt. We gather the world over to share our thoughts over one word. Encouraging each other along the way.  Won’t you come join us?
Haven, a Five Minute Friday inspired Post
Kate over at Heading Home hosts Five Minute Friday, a weekly word prompt. A group of folks gather once a week to give their thoughts, in about five minutes, on a given word prompt that changes weekly. Everyone comes up with something different it seems.
I have to admit, I’ve been pondering this word prompt for a couple of days now…Trying to think what the word haven means to me. It’s not an easy word.
And then…I thought of my front garden.
How it’s an overgrown mess….but of how a wee child stopped and saw my cat hiding in the tulips.
And then she saw my chicken, and my bunny and….
She talked and pointed it out to her mama, and her mama pointed out the flowers, and bugs that I have hidden there as well.
My heart smiled.
I got to thinking about how my front garden is a haven for young mom’s. I put tons of things in there to make children look and see, I give mom’s permission to come and close and take a moment or three with their littles and just see and smile and look, and if needed, pick a flower or two. It’s all good, and it brings a smile to many a face. 🙂
It may not be a haven of rest, but I do hope it a haven of connectivity. We need to connect with each other, to bring a smile or two to the face and hearts of others, don’t you think?
So, the linky closes up in another couple of days. What’y’say… want to join in the party and write on the word haven yourself? If you, let me know, and in the spirit of the party, I’ll come over and visit you too! 🙂
Cheerio!