Eat Your Cake

April 15, 2011 by 2 Comments

wearingcake2

and WEAR it, too!

We recently celebrated the first birthday of our fifth little one.  We have given each of our children a ‘smash’ cake on their first birthday.  They do more playing than eating and it is always fun to watch, especially when they reach out their sweet, caked hands to share some with you =)  When our fifth little guy was presented with his cake, the older kids started calling it his ‘pound’ cake – and rightly so.  He dug in with both hands and had cake smeared along both of his arms before we whisked him away for a bath! 

And, since a mother has a right to some reminiscing, here are our other kids with their ‘smash’ cakes for a comparison of messiness…

1stChild Our first child daintily pecked away at bits of her cake.

 

 

 

 

2ndChild Our second child held the record for messiest and best demolition of her cake (until her 2nd baby brother came along)!

 

 

3rdChild Surprisingly, our first boy didn’t dig in as we thought he might.

 

 

 

 

 

4thChild And, our fourth little one was fairly neat as well – but she had fun!

 

 

 

 

Cake, anyone?sharingcake

Filed Under: The Joy of Children, The Joy of Family

We’ve Been Exploring Countries and Cultures

April 5, 2011 by 6 Comments

…from the comfort of our own home!

Passports
(Our 3rd grader, 1st grader, 3 year old, and preK kids with their
‘passports’ and ‘airline tickets’ – ready to travel!)

In my post about our curriculum choices for the 2010-2011 school year, I mentioned that it was difficult for us to set aside My Father’s World Exploring Countries and Cultures until our family was more ready.  My husband and I purchased MFW ECC at the homeschool conference last year (a month or so before I gave birth to our 5th little one).  In August, at the start of our school year, our infant was still not sleeping through the night and his daytime schedule was off (compared to the predictable pattern our other children got into at the same age).  So, I held off on starting ECC.  We began our school year with math, language arts, daily Proverbs reading, chores, a simple introduction to the orchestra, and review of previous memory verses.  It was just the right amount most days and too much on other days, depending on how the toddler and baby were doing (and how much sleep I had been able to get the night before =)  )

By October, I became impatient and forced myself to start ECC.  I spread out the first two weeks over the entire month (about 5 total weeks).  Those first two scheduled weeks have SOOO much to cover anyway and I KNEW that I would need a slower pace with a preschooler, toddler, and baby in tow!  The kids LOVED the curriculum and I knew that ECC was a good choice for us.  However, I was in tears and overwhelmed.  I tearfully shelved MFW ECC through November and December, returning to what we had started the year doing – in addition to a few Thanksgiving and Christmas activities. 

Map Cake1Map Cake2
I am pleased to say, that at the start of second semester, we finally began using this wonderful curriculum!  By January, our baby was still not sleeping through the night, but at least his daytime routine was on track.  Giving our family some additional time with the baby was exactly what we needed.  Things are going much more smoothly now, but I have to admit that we still don’t complete all of the science and art activities each week.  This is difficult for a ‘box-checker’ like myself.  So, I can either stress over it OR…

  1. realize that this is a short season of having several precious little ones around.
  2. remember that ECC is the start of a 5 year cycle and that we will, most likely, repeat this.  We don’t have to do everything the first time around!
  3. tell myself over and over that curriculum is only a tool – I am not to be a slave to the curriculum!  I need to pray about what is listed in the curriculum and choose carefully what pieces to use or exclude from week to week for our family.
  4. remind myself that Christ has gone before me.  He created each child in our family and knows exactly what each one needs –and when.  I can do my best to train them spiritually and teach them academically, but I have to leave the results up to God.

ECC Suitcase of Books As for the actual ECC curriculum – We are enjoying every minute of it.  Our family is especially loving the missionary focus – Hero Tales, Window on the World, YWAM missionary biographies, etc. –all excellent materials.  The Matthew Bible study and memory verses are going well also.  

Flag StickersMy 3rd and 1st grader are also having fun learning geography with the game that is included in the student sheets.  They also both look forward to locating the countries within each continent and placing the flag stickers in their Flags of the World sticker booklets.  The geography readings are, honestly, not MY favorite, but the kids like to hear them and my oldest is starting to want to read them aloud to the younger kids.

Egg ExperimentFor each science reading, the older two children are to narrate to me what they learned and then they copy it into their science journals.  This has proved more difficult for my 1st grader, but my 3rd grader is doing well with it.  For any hands on experiments, everyone likes to participate!

Also, to save time during the actual school day, and since my kids like to set up airport security and an ‘airplane’ each time we travel to a new country, we have been traveling to our new destinations on Sunday evenings.  That just seems to work better for us =)  We also have been able to view the Schlesinger videos that are available for each country for when they ‘arrive’ to the new country.

Here are some of the ECC activities that we have been able to do with our family (and the ones for which I actually remembered to grab the camera =) ).

Navajo sand artSand Paintingsour homemade pinataPinata sugar cube igloosigloos our backyard iglooigloo experimenting with ImpressionismMonetour Lego Eiffel Towerlego eiffel tower

We are only about half way through the curriculum at this point, but plan to either continue our exploration through the summer or pick it up in the fall.  Either way, we’re off to explore more of God’s wonderful world!

Filed Under: Curriculum We Use, The Joy of Homeschool

Homeschool Books for Mom

April 3, 2011 by Leave a Comment

Typically, around this time of year, it helps to pause and take time to refocus or refine the vision for our homeschool journey.  The following are books that I like to revisit from time to time for encouragement, to remember why we do things the way we do, to regain focus for ending the year well, and for assistance in the upcoming contemplation of curriculum choices  for the start of the next year… 

Encouragement
Help For the Harried Homeschooler by Christine Field
Homeschooling with a Meek and Quiet Spirit by Teri Maxwell
Lies Homeschooling Moms Believe by Todd Wilson
Beyond Survival: A Guide to Abundant Life Homeschooling by Diana Waring
The Mission of Motherhood by Sally Clarkson

How To’s
Educating the Whole Hearted Child by Clay and Sally Clarkson
The Three R’s / You Can Teach Your Child Successfully by Ruth Beechick

Obviously, I don’t have time to reread all of these books – LOL!  As a busy mom, I barely had time to read through each one the first time.  I usually scan my underlines and any notes that I might have originally made in the margins.  This is done in an attempt to jar my memory to reapply some things that I might have let gradually slip by the wayside over the course of the craziness of our school year.

Here are some quotes from the above resources that stuck out to me during this last perusal…

May we never choose to turn back from the path the Lord has set us upon simply because it isn’t easy.  (Homeschooling with a Meek and Quiet Spirit, p. 44)

On being a servant to the needs of your students….  This concept of being the servant means that if your best laid plans are not giving your children what they need, scrap them and find something that better fits their learning style.  When what is most important to you is the fact that your children truly learn something, the method of that learning becomes secondary. (Beyond Survival, p. 112)

God uses ordinary people, calling and equipping us to do a job we sometimes feel is beyond our ability.  We rest in the faith that he never calls us to do more than we are able.  (Help for the Harried Homeschooler, p. 222)

Conviction comes from the Lord.  It comes with the power and promise of the Holy Spirit to help us repent and take appropriate action.  Condemnation comes from the Enemy, whose goal is our discouragement and defeat.  The irony is that the more we seek to walk with God and desire to know him, the greater our self condemnation when we think we have blown it. We set such high expectations of ourselves that our world comes crashing down around us when we fall short.  Yet Romans 8:1 tells us, ‘There is now no condemnation for those who are in Christ Jesus.’   God does not want to condemn us, especially when we are so eager to condemn ourselves.  Instead, he longs to embrace us, to welcome us back to his heart, which is our source of strength, refuge, refreshment, and encouragement.  God’s grace is never used up, even when our human grace runs dry.   (Help for the Harried Homeschooler, p. 252-253)

Don’t set unrealistic expectations for you, your children, and those around you. Since you can’t realistically do it all, you need to determine what you can do and then be secure in that.  (Lies Homeschooling Moms Believe, p. 95)

All that God requires from any of us is a desire to serve him and a trust that he can make up the differences for the things we lack.  The Lord would have us know that he is the one ultimately in charge of our children.  He will use our willingness and our efforts, then fill in the gaps of our inadequacies , to prepare their hearts for what he has in mind.  (Mission of Motherhood, p. 84-85)

What homeschool books do you like to revisit for encouragement, for vision, or for additional ideas for how to make your homeschool run more smoothly?

Filed Under: The Joy of Homeschool

A Love For Reading!

February 1, 2011 by 2 Comments

We now have three young readers in our house! 
Scenes, like the one below, are becoming more common.3readers 

So, how did we get here?

Lots of listening to stories being read – by mom, dad, grandmas, and especially older siblings…
listeningtooldersiblingsread

Playing ABC games, doing letter sorts, and making letter art for upper and lowercase letter recognition and matching…
lettermatchgame

Playing sound games for matching letters to sounds, finding the same sounds, etc.
lettersoundgames

Enjoying rhyming/word family mini books and games and practice at building words…
phonicsgames    

Reading sight words in the context of predictable readers…predictabletext

Practicing and reading sight words out of context in a fun way…flyswatterreading

Beginning workbooks for letters, sounds, rhyming, word reading, and writing out of context…
workbook

Lots of easy reading practice…with leveled phonics readers…
phonicsreaders   

Now, our son is excitedly reading anything he can- from leveled readers at the library, more challenging books from our bookshelves, or even reading aloud a few verses from Scripture with the family!

  choosingmoredifficultbooks readingbible

He has a sense of pride and success!
reading

Our three readers have all made this progression, just at their own pace.  I love the excitement as the world of books and the joy of reading are opened up for each child!

Filed Under: Curriculum We Use, The Joy of Children, The Joy of Homeschool

What Would You Do Differently?

January 24, 2011 by 1 Comment

On Sunday mornings, we have been doing a verse by verse study through the book of Matthew.  We recently came to a section (chapters 24-25) in which our pastor has titled ‘The End is Near’.  This was the topic at our small group one evening as well.  One question that I am still pondering from that evening is, ‘What would you do differently if you truly believed that the end was near?’

My first response was ‘Nothing.’  I am already home with our children, keeping them close, and training them.  I am already working with the children to hide God’s Word in their hearts.  I’m not trying to say that I have it all together and am doing things perfectly – I know that I am not!  However, I would need to continue to prepare food, wash dishes, and tend to the daily physical needs of our family.    I couldn’t stop being a mom and being faithful in the role and tasks He has given me to do.   What more could I do?

Then, another mom mentioned that she wouldn’t teach American history because it wouldn’t matter.  Now, that may sound strange, but that one small statement is something that struck me.   Right then and there, it hit me – the tension, the burden, the feeling of being bound each day to the academics…

If Christ were to return in a month (which, yes, I know the Bible specifically states no one will know the day or time of His return) or the doctors were to tell me that I had only one month to live (which, no, I am feeling quite well  and this is not the case mom), the academics would, without guilt, quickly and easily be set aside. Oh, the freedom!  There would be no more concern over how fluently my children read, whether they had all of their math facts solidly memorized, whether they could spell words correctly, nor any concern regarding whether they could form a well thought out and grammatically correct paragraph.

So, where would my focus lie?  I would like to think my focus would turn more toward worshipping Christ as a family through praise, thanksgiving, and song.  I would hope that we would be delving deep into His Word, fervently praying together, encouraging each other to stand strong in the Truth of His Word, and seeking ways to actively serve others.  I think we would gain a renewed sense of urgency to share the Gospel –our hope in Christ with others.  Even with a baby, toddler, and preschooler in tow, I think we would make a much more concerted effort to step out in faith.

(As a side note, if the situation was knowing that just I would die soon, I would seek out more one on one time with each of my children, play more games, sing and laugh more, and take time to write letters to them in order to encourage them to continue their walk of faith and to trust fully in our sovereign God.)

Although we accomplish a very small fraction of this while currently homeschooling, it is not at the forefront.  Sadly, the academics take precedence.  For example, if we are running behind or pressed for time, what is the first part of our day to be squeezed out?  Answer: our Bible reading and memorization time.  Another example is when our small group has a service project.  I often think what a great opportunity it would be to serve as a family.  Shortly after though, almost within the next breath, I experience difficulty figuring out the logistics and get frustrated.  I think ‘How do we make this work with a baby and his needs?’ (instead of just strapping him to my back and saying ‘Let’s go!’.)

How, as a homeschooling mom of young children, can I strike a balance between instilling a spiritual watchfulness and a life of faith in action with meeting the expectations for raising children who are more than competent to be an integral part of society, to work, and to lead the next generation?   There is a responsibility to educate our children to the standards and expectations of the society that we live in – to be in the world.  However, there is also a need to train them in our Lord’s ways – to not be of the world and focused solely on things in this present age.  There is a definite tension.  I have felt it for quite some time, but I couldn’t pinpoint what it was until now.

I don’t have any answers….still praying and pondering…

So, what would you do differently in the day to day if you truly believed Christ’s return was eminent?   How does this affect what you do now, specifically in regards to your family and homeschooling?

The end of all things is near. Therefore be alert and of sober mind so that you may pray. Above all, love each other deeply, because love covers over a multitude of sins. Offer hospitality to one another without grumbling. Each of you should use whatever gift you have received to serve others, as faithful stewards of God’s grace in its various forms.  If anyone speaks, they should do so as one who speaks the very words of God. If anyone serves, they should do so with the strength God provides, so that in all things God may be praised through Jesus Christ. To him be the glory and the power for ever and ever. Amen.  (1 Peter 4:7-11)

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Filed Under: Mom's Heart, The Joy of God's Word, The Joy of Homeschool
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