Dwelling in the Land

Learning Phun

2011-10-24T11:34:00.001-07:00

I used to love Mad Libs as a kid! Me and my sister would , on rare occasion, obtain a pad of the fill in the blank stories and would set feverishly about filling them all in, cackling with one another over the silliness that ensued. We never really gave a thought to the fact that we were learning while doing so....hmmmm.
Anyway, found this site with Crazy Tales on it and the kids each filled out one, we printed them and read them together, then I had the kids look up words they didn't know the meaning of and then they drew pictures of their stories. Lillie Anna's story was about a knight named Stephanie who saves the kingdom from a mushy dragon while riding her trusty bluebird, Bob.
Jack's story was of a super hero called Milk Carton Baby who fights crime with a filing cabinet until his nemesis Mushy Toenail steals his golden filing cabinet. Chloe's was about a princess from Mars who rides a fish to Sweden and fought in the Civil War....it was....the most interesting.
They were learning and didn't even suspect it! The best learning is done in a sneaky fashion...

Geometry Can Be Phun...and Yummy

2011-08-24T13:18:00.000-07:00

In typical Tyler fashion....he came by to destroy all our hard work! The kids were all yelling at him to "STOP LITTLE BUBBY!"

Victory is SWEET....

Have a Blessed Day!

It Don't Get Much Cheaper than Free....

2011-08-18T05:32:00.000-07:00

This time of year, homeschoolers are busy doing one thing (or have been busy)...planning. And nothing makes you feel quite so organized as a good printable planner. There are tons out there too, but I've yet to find one I really like or one that was affordable yet good quality...until today! How's FREE sound to you right now?
Homeschool Freebie posted this link a couple days ago, but the freebie is availiable through the month of August, so hop on over and check out this planner. (By the way, if you haven't signed up for the freebie of the day, check it out.) So pretty, and well organized and provides you a ton of options to customize. If you can't print or don't want to, make sure you right click all her files and save them so you can go through them later. Have fun!

New Beginnings Curriculum Planner

2011-08-17T14:28:00.000-07:00

I know...I know...I'm smothering you with articles...but I find articles very encouraging and helpful...and it's my blog and I'll post if I want to LOL...so there. Seriously though, I hope you find this one encouraging all you moms of multiple children out there... whenever an article touches me or helps me I like to share it.

Good Things Come In Squishy Packages by Passionate Homemaker

A Must Read....

2011-08-17T14:20:00.000-07:00

I came across this excellent article today off the Learning in Freedom site....this is one of those secular articles that is well researched and documented and sings the praises of the homeschooling movement. It was super interesting to read an article like this proclaiming what I already know but that , without articles like this one, are merely my opinion and nothing more...this article lends validity to what I'm trying to do with my children. Read it when you have time to let it sink in...it's lengthy and it's got alot to digest.

An A for Homeschooling by Brian C. Anderson

Homeschool with a Purpose (aka Read These When You're Worried You May Make Your Kids Stupid.)

2011-08-16T04:23:00.000-07:00

Every once in awhile, I get a little overwhelmed with all the things I got goin' on. Especially when insecurities about school crop up. And when I'm feeling a little down in the dumps, I am always glad to have blog sites I can go to to read some encouraging words. And Large Family Mothering is one of those sites. She amazes and inspires me and she's humble to boot. I can take what she says with confidence cause she's been there. So, I'm showing some linky love for her! Check out these articles...

Don't Forget Your Purpose

Know the Why's of What You're Doing

Have a blessed day!

Our Week in Pictures

2011-08-12T13:04:00.001-07:00

Tyler LOVES the Cozy Coupe...now I am very glad I didn't get rid of it...it allows him to be out on the porch with us and I don't worry about him squeezing through the rails.

It was so nice outside this week...we had a painting free for all on the porch which ended with me having to bleach and wash the porch off where the paint leaked. These are salt paintings. You draw your picture with school glue and instead of glitter, you shake salt over it, shake off the excess and let it dry. Then take water and a drop or two of food coloring and drop a bit onto the salt and it spreads through the design. Very cool to watch....

It is Lillie's style to make her art as wet and messy as possible...but the colors on this blended so pretty! Dad, I figured you'd appreciate this...LOL. Speaking of Dad...Jackson said he wanted to make a living making art...I told him to come talk to you!

Unknown to me...Jack had tied Ty's car to a chair to "keep him safe"...
This week's Bible was about Elijah (Lillie Picked)...here's the kids drawings.

Chloe's

(She said it was Elijah and Baby Jesus and a bunny or something)

Jack's: Elijah and the bullock and some short person....

Lillie's Jezebel and Ahab

Tyler spent most of Tuesday morning trying to figure out how to sit in his toy basket....

Victory at last...and a lap around the living room.A Snail the kids captured and, with all their creativity named "Snaily"...I know...it boggles the mind where they came up with such a name.If you would like to try the art project we did...go here...

For a good recipe for fingerpaints (and a way to use those pesky baby food jars), go here.

Have a blessed Weekend!

Friday Fun Day: Working at the Carwash.

2011-08-12T12:19:00.000-07:00

My kids have an incredible knack for turning the most innocent of activities into criminal activity. Who'd have thunk that a bucket of soapy water and rags and the clear, explicit instructions to "ONLY WASH THE VEHICLES...NOT ONE ANOTHER" would have turned into a shameful water fight. But they were having fun and weren't destroying anything so...ah, whatever. Who am I to stand in the way of good clean fun.... I think his shirt expresses Tyler's sentiments EXACTLY during the whole ordeal!

Tyler trying desparately to appear invisible...

2011-08-10T03:51:00.000-07:00

I find myself unhappy alot. Sometimes I feel a little "unblessed". And I think, "God wants me to be happy." And he does, he loves us like a father loves his children and a good father wants to see his children happy. And then I think, "Well, if God wants me happy, and I'm not happy, then God needs to change the circumstances that are making me unhappy." Don't be shocked...if you'd be honest, you like to help God run the show every once in awhile to. I liken our bossiness of the Almighty to a man and wife in the car (probably on the way to church). The man runs up a little close on a stopped car and the wife makes mention in a not so polite way that he needs to keep his eyes on the road. The man turns and snaps at his wife "I don't need a side seat driver." We've all been in that situation, on both sides of the car. Doesn't it make you mad when your husband or wife tells you how to drive? Well, I'm going to say that I think it rather aggravates God as well, except he doesn't handle it like we do.
But, oh yeah, back to happiness. A friend and I were discussing this the other day and we agreed that we have formed in our minds what God's kind of happiness looks like. We can see the perfect home (inside and out), the perfect marriage, the perfect kids, the perfect church, the all-important perfect bank account in our minds and we think that that's God's best for us. And if our homes, marriages, churches, kids and financial portfolio don't fit into that mold we've created, then we think we can't possible be happy. That God skipped over us in the blessing department. What we don't realize is that God's idea of happiness is COMPLETELY different from ours. What we think a blessed person looks like isn't at all what God sees a blessed person to be. In fact, happiness (as we tend to see it) is a fleeing emotion that comes and goes. Have you actually ever studied out who God says should be happy? Ever searched the scriptures for the "circumstances" that facilitate true happiness. I'm telling you...by the world's standards they don't make sense. In fact, some of them seem pretty unappealing even to a Christian.
Read the Beautitudes in Jesus Sermon on the Mount sometime, and you'll see what I mean by that.
Blessed are the poor in spirit, blessed are they that mourn,blessed are the peace makers? Read them all and you'll find yourself re-examining your view of blessed-ness and lining it up more with God's.
You know what that one magical ingredient that fosters a Godly "happiness" is? It's God...just God....plain and simple. We have put ourselves into bondage thinking that we "deserve" the things that WE think will make us happy. We don't even know what's going to happen in the next minute of our life...how can we possibly say we know what's best for us? In truth, we don't deserve anything...not even salvation, and certainly not the love that brought it about. In a time where the world in general is self-serving and only out to get what is "rightfully there's", this is a foreign concept. God made the world and he made us, his hand is over and in it all, he doesn't owe us anything...but he gives us every good thing (even if those things don't seem "good" in our eyes).
If it takes a perfect marriage with a perfect husband who cooks breakfast on Sundays AND puts his dirty clothes in the hamper for you to be happy...truth is, you never will be happy. If you can't be happy with anything less than obedient sweet children, an on-fire all the time church, and a healthy checking account...then , you won't ever be happy...never have peace, never have joy. The truth is that our world is imperfect and so are the people in it. Including you and I, by the way.
But God does want us to experience happiness, even in the darkest times...in the times you feel like quitting, when you feel like everyone and everything is fighting against you, when the bill collectors are calling and you recieve the final final notice on a light bill and don't have a clue where the money is going to come from.
And you know, all it takes is a shift in focus? Get your focus back on God...back to Jesus and what he did for you. If in all his pain and suffering he could find peace enough to endure what he did, then how much more can we find peace seeing as how we have him living inside us...with us all the time to help us. He had no help...he had to endure it all alone, so we wouldn't have to go through anything alone.... When circumstances have got you down and you pray and pray and it seems like you can't hear GOd, you don't know what to do, you can't see anyway out except a change in those circumstances , remember that GOd is not a genie in a bottle we can rub anytime we want and get our way. There are times I have asked God for things and found out later I am very thankful he didn't let me have my way.
Am I saying we should just throw up our hands and let our lives run amuck, stop working on our marriages and stop discipling our children and working in our churches and quit paying our bills? No...a little common sense would tell us that's ridiculous. What I'm saying is that if God doesn't see fit to change your circumstances (for whatever reason...He knows best) you can have joy and peace if you focus on the one who never changes and never fails...who CAN'T break a promise.
I'm learning this more and more lately, it seems. So I'll leave you with this song which I absolutely love...Have a blessed day!

My Ridiculously Long List of Go To Links....

2011-08-09T11:57:00.000-07:00

Anyone who knows anything about me will tell you that I have a knack for finding things on the internet. In fact, my close friends sometimes make fun of me because they can tell me they need something and they say I find it in a flash. I guess it's my super power (LOL) and I'm cool with that. However, I have a problem. When I find something, I put it in my favorites and then forget I found them...so I am going to keep a running list of my favorite sites here. Now, on my sidebar I have a ton of links for you on everything from crafts to cooking to homeschooling. But in this post I'd like to list my GO TO's...those sites I shoot off to first thing when I need something for school. I hope you find it useful.

GENERAL SITES

(These have a little bit of everything from lesson plans to subject specific materials and printables.)

Lesson Pathways

Super Teacher Worksheets

Homeschool A to Z (A MUST READ)

The Homeschool Mom (A MUST READ)

Enchanted Learning

DLTK Kids

Kidzone

KID CRAFTS AND FUN ACTIVITIES

STORYTIME/PLAYTIME

Storyline Online

Barnes and Noble Online Story Hour

(Just Found this one the other day and my kids LOVE it)

Speakaboos

(A Pay Site, but has alot of FREE stories and things)

Story Nory (Download to MP3)

Kiddie Records Weekly (Download to MP3)
Primary Games

Gamequarium
Readquarium

SqoolTube (Videos)

This is it for now...surely it's plenty to look at! I'll add more as I come across them. I love to share links with other homeschoolers because sometimes you just don't want to hunt something up...and when I find something that is helpful to me, I figure it's bound to be helpful to someone else.

This Is How We Do It: Spelling

2011-08-09T04:47:00.000-07:00

Spelling is something I've always had a knack for and I'm very thankful that it appears Lillie also has a knack for it and likes it. And though I think that it's important to make those subjects your kids DON"T like fun...it is equally important to stoke the fires of the subjects they LIKE to do. So, in the spirit of making schoolwork fun...here's how we keep spelling interesting.

First off, I felt like I needed a solid base from which to start. I didn't want to buy an expensive curriculum and I knew I wanted something that not only embraced the learning style I love so dear, but that also could be used over and over and over again. So that is why I'm plugging Kathryn Stouts Natural Speller. It's affordable (I got mine on amazon.com used for less than $5).

It has grade appropriate word lists that are grouped by sound patterns and sight patterns (which is how I spell..by visualizing the shape of the word. If I can write it down, I can spell it.) which is a real plus with visual learners.

*Short Lessons

*Plenty of activities to reinforce the words being learned and also tying in dictionary, grammar and handwriting skills.
*Super flexible..take it at your child's pace.

Okay, in short ...I like it and give it two thumbs up and if I had more than two thumbs I'd stick them up as well.

Now...here's how I work spelling. It's a daily thing. On Monday, I choose 10 words from the list that she doesn't already know (when we started out, most of the words on the first list were too easy for her.) Then we pre-test. The words she misses, she writes 5 times each. I was giving the test verbally and may still do that from time to time, but was SO EXCITED to find this website that I can type in the words and it generates an online test with a lovely lady who calls out the words and uses them in a sentence for me. SPELLING CITY is very cool, Lillie likes the format and it's FREE. Ahhh, free...I just love that word!

In addition, Lillie goes through her picture dictionary and picks a word for the day. She copies the definition and draws a picture of the word if she can and we put it in her spelling notebook.
Now, Tuesday through Thursday, she does what I call spelling challenges. The Natural Speller has alot of grade appropriate activities and then I add some I make up myself. I write them on slips of paper and she draws one out. The activities include finding the words in the dictionary, busting the words into syllables, crosswords, word searches, word scrambles, all sorts of things.

BY THE WAY....here are two sites where you can make your own puzzles to print...the uses for these are unlimited and it's FREE.
Discovery Education Puzzle maker
Armored Penguin Word Scrambler

On Friday we test again. All written work is put in a folder in the filing cabinet. I have found if I have a separate routine for each subject I do alot better and it keeps me from flying off into all different directions.
Okay, so there it is...nothing fancy and nothing expensive. Which just goes to show with a little tad of gumption and high speed internet, it is possible to homeschool on less than a shoestring.

So don't sweat it if you find yourself low on funding...the internet has a wealth of information and support and free stuff to help you through the lean times. Your child's education doesn't hinge on if your globe talks to them or how big your school area is or anything like that. Your child's education hinges on you, the parent, investing your time and your excitement into what can be one of the most rewarding times in life...no pressure or anything. LOL

Have a blessed day!

Friday Fun Day

2011-08-08T03:06:00.001-07:00

This concoction is great fun! When you mix it and pour it into the pan, it LOOKS like water, but then you touch it and it's a solid...scoop it up in your hands (as a solid) and it turns back to liquid
,dripping off your fingers. Add food coloring and it ups the fun level. The kids squealed and screeched everytime they touched it and, well, I think you can see from the pictures that this Friday Fun Day Activity was a big hit. Easy to clean up too, except the food coloring stains their hands...but nothing a little diluted bleach mixed in with some hand soap and a healthy dose of scrubbing won't cure. Small price to pay for a little fun time with the kids.Here's the link to the goop recipe if you too want to have some fun today!

Have a blessed day!

Some Great Bible Resources I Love...

2011-08-04T09:00:00.000-07:00

Since I've been saved , I've been very interested in the science of the Bible, specifically what scientific evidence for Biblical Creation that can be proven aside from taking the Bible at it's word, which is easy for me, but not so easy for someone who doesn't really believe the Bible.

When Jack was so obsessed with Dinosaurs, I was leary of letting him watch anything that didn't have a biblical worldview of creation and found that there was nothing really out there. Not many books on his level either and I didn't know enough to counteract the questions he was asking. I mean "Momma said so." works in some things, but not in these sorts of things. I wanted to be able to give him adequate answers. I also wanted to be able to give others adequate answers should the need arise. So, here are a few of my favorite Bible resources, mostly about creation, but the Building on the Rock series is really good for devotional times. They are collections of real life stories from history that show the absolute control and soverignty of God and how he cares for us when we don't even realize it. The Bible Learn Series are older and might be hard to find. Your library might have them, mine has some. I was fortunate to find a bunch at a used bookstore.
Answers For Kids by Ken Ham
Did Adam Have a BellyButton? by Ken Ham
Did Eve Have An Extra Rib? by Ken Ham
The Great Dinosaur Mystery by Ken Ham
The Building on the Rock Series by Joel Beeke
Bible Learn Series
Jonathan Park Audio Stories

This is How We Do It: Bible

2011-08-04T04:41:00.000-07:00

This will be the first installment in the series This Is How We Do It. And I hope it will help someone out there. There are times I've been talking to other homeschoolers and they'll ask how I use notebooking or how we do a certain subject, so this series will answer those questions.

BIBLE

*We basically use our King James Bible and Catherine Voss' Story Bible for Reading.

*Memory Verses

*Lillie is working her way chapter by chapter through the Bible and I print each selection from the BLue Letter Bible site and choose the KJV translation. That way she doesn't have to try and squint at the tiny print in our Bibles and we can highlight trouble words and make notes.

*We also have started a Bible Notebook.

How I Teach Memory Verses

Jack and Chloe pretty much learn by repetition, but since Lillie has started reading , I do a couple fun things aside from daily repetition of the verse and copying the verse.

I write each word of the verse on a Post It Note and scatter them on the wall, then Lillie comes and re-arranges them in the order they go. She really likes doing this and even wrote her verse on Post IT's herself yesterday ...guess mine weren't good enough.

The second thing we've tried and it's really effective and not boring at all is something I call Bible Verse Wipeout. I write the verse on the dry erase board, then Lillie reads it, then I erase one random word from the verse and she has to fill it in the next time she reads it...we continue on until only one word is left standing.

A Note on Notebooking

Since my kids love to draw, I thought I'd incorporate that into our Bible study as well.

For Lillie, I type up the bible stories using my Catherine Voss Story Bible and leave spaces here and there to draw the story. Lillie did Creation the other day and did very well and I really like this activity because not only does it reinforce the story but allows me to see how she sees the story in her mind. I can also see how neat this will be for her when shes older.

I usually print off coloring pages for Chloe and a blank notebooking page like this one from First School for Jack which has a space to draw and an area to write a short sentence. He can write a verse or a sentence from the story and illustrate a part of the story.

What I like about Notebooking is it is simpler than lapbooking and the outcome is the same, not to mention it can be adapted for any age group.

All Fun and Games?

The Bible ought not be boring, especially to kids. I believe you ought to respect the word and handle it properly, but I think our tendency as adults is to be too serious in our pursuit of Bible knowledge. When we adopt such a rigid approach, we ourselves tend to give off the idea that the Bible is this boring , unexciting book that we HAVE to read. THis is the wrong attitude for us and squelches the excitement of the scriptures for our kids. So I say make it fun...do object lessons, Bible Science Experiments, Get a Good Story Bible (I think you know the one I like), but don't neglect reading directly from the Bible. We don't want our kids to think there is any absolute substitute for God's Holy Word. And invest in or buy board games and Bible trivia games. Many games are adaptable to Bible. In my Sunday School Class we play Bible Jeopardy and they really like it. We also play a game called Who Am I? in which one child comes up and turns her back to the others. I show the crowd a card with a name and the chosen person has to guess what person they are by the clues the class gives. It's a great way to judge as a group how much the kids know.

So, this is how we do Bible in our Home, but I would add that Bible shouldn't be something we do for 30 minutes during school, we shouldn't see it as "just another subject to cover"...we should be living the Bible and the truths in it in front of our children every day. This is where I fail the most...trying to shove God into a scheduled out time slot and expecting a blessing in return. Yeah, not happening.

Have a blessed day!

Lotso Linkage...

2011-07-29T13:33:00.000-07:00

Berenstein Bears Curriculum for a Year
This is really a nice resource and FREE if you're looking for a character developing curriculum for young children. I really like the usage of classic books from back in the day (at least in my day)that have very good messages. Check this one out for sure!

File Folder Fun

Free File Folder Games for all kinds of subjects and topics! I love file folder games, by the way , and so do my kids

Ideas for Spelling Practice

Certainly going to use these with Lillie's Natural Spelling Program.

Write Start: Nurturing Writing at any Stage

I really would like to get this book to add to my growing collection of "grown folk" books.

Friday Fun-Day...Flyin' High

2011-07-29T09:13:00.000-07:00

So , to give the kiddos and myself a bit of a break from school work, Fridays will be kinda a free day. Short review of what we've covered the past week and then a special fun project or activity for that day.

This Friday, we read this book....

The Story of Flying

And to go along with the book we made paper airplanes. And by WE , I mean, me of course because they couldn't get the folds . Here's the plane we made...anything more complicated than this one and my one endangered brain cell would be offically extinct.

THE GREATEST PAPER AIRPLANE

Here are some pictures of the festivities. The kids had a blast and I came close to losing an eye several times.

What Would I Do Without the Internet?

2011-07-29T05:08:00.001-07:00

Shudder to think! LOL . I posted just the other day about Jack's career aspriations (at least this month) I think I've finally convinced him being a wild west gunslinger PROBABLY isn't the most realistic job fields.
But he's always loved animals and would rather watch a National Geographic Documentary than eat bologna and that's serious passion people! No one loves bologna more than Jack, nuff said. The girls aren't AS animal crazy, so I would really like to do some special things with Jack to prepare him for his monthly career choice, a vet or zoologist.
Found this this morning and it's FREE! Have I mentioned lately how I LOVE that word? Oh, I have? Sorry...I just want to scream it from the rooftop of my doublewide, but my neighbors probably already think we're a bit strange.

Check out all the other curriculum Erica has developed and it's SO VERY AFFORDABLE and looks to be of great quality. Explore around her site and get your bucket full of encouragement and ideas. Show her some love!

Discovering God's Animals

Just Some Reminders....

2011-07-29T04:58:00.001-07:00

I found this on a blog awhile back and can't for the life of me remember who the wise momma was that wrote this...if any of you know, leave me a comment so I can give credit where credit is due. I have this typed up and framed under a picture of my kids and it hangs above my desk where I see it. It helps me stay focused on the BIG picture instead of freaking out over the small stuff. I hope it helps and encourages you homeschool mommas out there today, cause Lord knows we need to lift one another up! We've got alot on our plates, especially this time of year.

*Prepare them first for eternity, then for life...in that order.
*Don't try to cover everything-no school could ever do that!
*Grade levels are not as important as allowing each child to learn at his own pace.
*Grades are irrelevant to children who understand the benefits of becoming a lifelong learner.
*Don't forget they are people, not educational products.
*No curriculum or method can "guarantee" success.
*Your own prayer and devotional life are vital to hearing God's aid and guidance.
*Don't let pride or fear lead you...let peace be your decision maker.

Have a blessed day!

Tyler's Birthday and 4th of July

2011-07-27T10:01:00.001-07:00

Yeah, yeah, I know...it's old news, but my camera takes so long to load to blogger that it's pure torture to find enough time to post a picture heavy item. But, finally, here's the few pics I got from the holiday weekend.

I think it's obvious how he feels about cake....Two of my SweetiesDa Man!He looks as if he might have some sinister plot rolling around in his head...either that or he knows something we don't.You know you're the parent of many children when you catch your baby doing something very dangerous but instead of flipping out you run to find the camera because you think "That would make such a great picture." LOLI'm not sure what this look was for...but he's cute no matter what face he has on.Sweet Girl....

Doesn't this game look fabulously dangerous and totally age IN appropriate LOL I want to build one for myself.

Have a blessed day!

2011-2012: Tyler

2011-07-26T16:20:00.001-07:00

Isn't this pose HILARIOUS!

Before you think I've lost my rocker...I am not schooling Tyler LOL...just needed an excuse to post some pics and I don't want to leave him out. However, that being said...Tyler's educational plan consists of teaching him to NOT do things...For instance...

1. Fish in the toilets

2. Bite into Food Coloring

3. Sticking his Fingers into electrical outlets

4. Use his teeth for evil instead of good.

2011-2012: Chloe

2011-07-26T16:01:00.000-07:00

I can't leave Chloe out of the mix. She's only 4 so forget doing anything formal with her. I haven't worked much with her, but she already knows most of the Kindergarten skills. My focus will be on Math and Reading with her...no copywork, but pre-writing skills. She'll do phonics but I'm only going to work with her a couple days a week...lots of learning at her age takes place in the course of daily life and also by sitting in with Jack and Lillie Anna as they do their work. But here's a couple of things I am going to do with her for sure....

Starfall (Which she can do herself)

Letter of the Week from No Time For Flashcards (This is a great resource and we'll do one letter a week + a related book. There are activites for upper and lower case.) I will pre-cut the shapes and assemble the pieces in ziploc bags and make kits so we can just pull one down whenever she wants to do one.

Letter mini books in which we'll hunt through magazines to find words that begin with each letter of the alphabet and then put them in a binder in pockets.

The key for Chloe's age is flexible , fun, easy going learning. Let her join in with the older ones whenever she wants, let her work when she wants. I do want to spend 20 minutes just me and her before starting with the others so that she doesn't get lost in the mix. From all the books I've been reading lately my mind is at ease with this approach. I think the tendency is to rush kids at this age (girls more so than boys it seems) to try to get them hitting milestones early for whatever reason. But I've lived and learn and agree whole heart with such great minds and pioneers in changing the way we see children as far as development and learning go as Dr. Raymond and Dorothy Moore and Ruth Beechick. Better Late Than Early! Their wisdom and research and documented studies have made such a difference in the way I will take on the task of educating my kids...I am so thankful.

2011-2012: Jack

2011-07-26T15:37:00.001-07:00

Jack just turned 6 and is very excited about being in the first grade. This year, instead of going super involved , my main focus will be on math , reading , and writing. I will combine science, history , and Geography with Lillie and Chloe. It would just be far too complicated to try and personalize these subjects, especially as they can be adapted easily to fit any target age.

BIBLE: Drawing the Bible, Memory Verse (Bi-Weekly), Copywork from Scripture

READING: Phonics: Explode the Code 1 , 1/2, and 2

Sight Words: The School Bell Dolch Word Kit (FREE)

Word Families: 1+1+1=1 Word Family Folders (Not Going to Follow Exactly, but it inspired me to try and use lapbooking to help Jack learn the word families.

Word Way Activities

Apples4Teacher Word Family Activities (Free and Excellent Variety

of activities and resources.)

Construct a Word Game

Here's some more GO TO sites for Early Reading and Phonics:

Starfall

Word Blender

Kid Zone Phonics

MATH: Working Through a List of Skills (Read Lillie's Schedule Below for Links)

COPYWORK

HISTORY, SCIENCE, GEOGRAPHY: The Same as Lillie Anna, except I want to do something a little extra with Jack. He loves animals and has already said he wants to be a vet or a zoologist or biologist, so I'm going to use this free animal report form and we're going to do 2 animals a week and make a sort of field guide. I also will incorporate more biology in our science this year to cater to his desire to learn about animals.

2011-2012: Lillie Anna

2011-07-26T08:29:00.000-07:00

Lillie Anna is going to be 8 years old in September and she is at that age where fostering that love of learning is critical. That window of opportunity is going to close in a few years and there is so much I have missed that I want to give her...so many things I wish I could do over now that I'm slightly older and wiser. But God's able to turn our mistakes around, I truly believe that. After searching high and low, list after list, comparing prices (and finally deciding I can get by with not buying things LOL) here's the general plan. Keep in mind this is going to be scattered as I just tend to jot things down throughout the day as they come to me so it's not uncustomary to see little slips of paper laying all over the place with ideas. This will also be lengthy with lots of links and things because she is also at the age where formal lessons really begin to come into play.

BIBLE

I will read Catherine Voss's Story Bible. In addition, I am going to use my Ed Emberley Make a World Drawing Book and have her make her own little book about each story where she illustrates it and writes it herself. Here is the article that gave me the idea. We will discuss the key issues of the story.

Here's a sample of Ed Emberley's books (I love his focus on simple shapes...my kids LOVE his books and I hope to be able to invest in them all) He takes simple shapes and step by step shows how to build up to the finished product. I love the Make a World because it has a little of everything in it and it's like heaven for the artistically challenged, such as myself.

Bible Verse Memorization : 1 verse bi monthly. Any time shorter than this I don't think she commits it to long term memory and verse memorization needs to be a life long habit and retention should be the key, not the number of stickers on the verse chart.

She will copy the verse every other day for some handwriting practice. This will help her spelling also, I think.

She will be assigned a passage of scripture to read...probably one a week.

READING: Explode the Code Book 4, Amelia Bedilia books for readers. I also started a reading incentive program for Lillie to encourage more independent reading. For every book she reads by herself I give her 25 cents. Another thing I've been doing is using a tape recorder for her to record herself reading. Lillie Anna tends to get embarassed easily if she makes a mistake and so she doesn't like to read to other people and that includes me. So when she's ready to read a book, I let her record herself in her room all by herself. Then later I go back and listen to it and follow along with the book to see if there's anything I need to address. Early on in her education I was so very stupid as to push her with reading because I fell prey to that whole "She needs to be reading by the first grade" spill everyone thinks is correct. I pushed her when she was not ready and now I will do anything I can to help her reclaim a love for reading, even bribing her with money. I'm not above it . LOL

MATH: This area is where I tend to freak out the most because I myself am not very good at math, or at least never felt like I was. The apple doesn't fall far from the tree obviously because I can see alot of the same issues I had with math in school cropping up with Lillie and I don't want her to hate math or think she can't do it. So I looked through my Home Learning Year by Year by Rebecca Rupp (this is a great book and I've plum worn it out) and started in the first grade math section (yes, Lillie is in 3rd, but when you don't go by a packaged curriculum , gaps can be a real issue if you don't stay on top of the list of skills commonly suggested for the grade your child is in.) and made a list of math skills and topics we needed to cover and ones we needed to review through the 3rd grade...I was pleased there weren't more gaps to say the least.

So I will take that list and we will knock those out one by one the goal being mastery of those skills as opposed to finishing the whole list by the end of the year.

Lots of hands-on games and activities, online computer games, worksheets and real life experience.

Here are some of my favorite resources for math worksheets and activities

Lesson Pathways I strongly suggest this site for all subjects. It covers all subjects grade K-5. You can assign pathways to each child and it's TOTALLY FREE. Music to my ears!

Super Teacher Worksheets BEST WORKSHEET SITE EVER!!!!!!!!!! And I only use all caps when I'm really really really pleased with something.

COPYWORK: Daily/ Bible verses, poetry etc....

SCIENCE: Nature Study at least twice a month (it's kinda hard to take walks with all the kids right now on a weekly basis)

Weekly Science Experiments pulled from the books I have here at the house and the internet.(FREE)

Human Body (yes...still)

Beakmans World and Magic Schoolbus from NETFLIX (Check out the all caps)

HISTORY: (Weekly) Topics I want to cover are the Presidents, Vikings, Explorers, Ancient Rome, Ancient China, Maya and Incan Civilizations.

We will use our Book of Centuries Timeline (This is FREE and it's Simply Charlotte Mason how can you go wrong?), books from the library, projects pulled off Lesson Pathways, Notebooking and some Lapbooking though I don't see alot of that going on right now as it's very time consuming and hard to get all the kids involved and you can't leave the others out, you know. :)

The History Channel has a This Day In History on their website...I thought it would be good to add these events to our book of centuries and if the kids showed an interest in learning more about an event, then we'd stray off the beaten path and explore a little. This way they're getting a lot of snip-its of history they can go back to.

Tennessee State History and hopefully some cheap field trips around the state throughout the year. This site is great if you're interested in Tennessee History.

GEOGRAPHY: World and United States ( Including the 50 States) Bi-Weekly

Notebooking will be or primary learning mode here. I have the GeoScribe (see previous post) set and the 50 states Copywork and Notebooking pages. Basically we will be using dry erase atlases (Basically a notebook of printed maps put into sheet protectors so that they can use dry erase markers on it and reuse the maps) to find the place we'll be learning about. I want the kids to make a Physical Geography (Landforms) picture atlas of their own. I was going to purchase the Geography Challenge Books by Arnold Cheyney, but the cheapskate in me who needs ink cartridges more than books right now decided to search out a FREE alternative...Enter National Geographic GEO BEE!

So funny how things change! LOL. Just this morning I was lamenting over what books to buy and now I don't have to buy any! I've found a reasonable and quality alternative to every single book I wanted to purchase. Now I can buy office supplies! LOL I'm like Meg Ryan in that movie You've Got Mail ( I too love a bouquet of freshly sharpened pencils.) And call me simple minded, but is it weird that I am super stoked that now I can justify buying myself a THREE HOLE PUNCH?!!!! I want a pink one! I have never had one and I am so very sick of using a single...oh yeah and a stapler! Not one of those dollar mini ones either...I mean one that holds a WHOLE ENTIRE ROW OF STAPLES!!!! Oh man, life is GOOD!

SPELLING: Lillie likes spelling like I do and she's very good at it, so I bought Kathryn Stouts Natural Speller to use. Kathryn Stout is one smart lady and her articles have helped me out alot lately.

WORD OF THE WEEK: Pretty self explanatory. Starting at Page One of our Childcraft Dictionary (a salvaged copy from my childhood...brings back good memories ..YES I read the the dictionary for fun.) one word a week. Copy the dictionary entry for it, work on it's spelling, use it in sentences, whatever.

I had purchased Karen Andreaola's Simply Grammar, but she doesn't suggest starting it until 9 and since this is my first year really covering a whole slew of subjects, I will gladly leave off one.

So, that's the plan for Lillie. I know it was lengthy and possibly very boring, but maybe the links will be helpful. I always like to see how other people schedule things and such and this will be a reminder for myself that I can go back to to stay on track.

Well, that time of year has rolled around for alot of homeschoolers and I wish you God's blessings on your journey!

Have a blessed day!

School Planning....AARGH

2011-07-26T05:18:00.000-07:00

I am truly excited about this school year...finally feel like I've gotten some kinks worked out and my research has really helped me focus on what's important and not stress about what isn't. That being said...can I mention that I hate being broke this time of year? Seriously, I've spent a week working out my amazon and half.com orders with some really great quality books and then this morning as I was working the budget, alas, the list has dwindled. I still might be able to pull off my full list once I see what this weeks payday looks like...but all this got me to pondering. Yes, I'm going to launch into a ramble...
Why is my excitement conditional on the material things? If I don't get the books on my list is that going to kill my enthusiasm? Because if I don't have some enthusiasm right out of the gate, then this year is going to not go as I want it to.
I have prided myself on the fact that I spend little to nothing on books and things for school...not because I necessarily like to have to do all the leg work it takes to school the way I do, but because I HAVE to. When you don't have a set curriculum and make up your own as you go, there's alot of work and hunting the internet for projects and free resources. But you know what? I kinda like the challenge. I'll see a product or curriculum component I like and if I can't buy it, I find a substitution that's either cheaper or free, or in many cases, just try to replicate it on my own. But necessity truly is the HOMESCHOOL mother of invention LOL. The challenge is to cover what you need to WHILE keeping it exciting AND within a reasonable price range.
So, here's my list of things I know I must buy:
INK for the printer
Paper for the printer
Index Cards
Folders (for Notebooking)
File Folders (for Lapbooks)
Notebook paper
Comp books for Nature Journals
Glue
(All of which is on a great sale this week at Walgreens, so that's where I'll spend quite a bit of my alloted money) THose are the musthaves for my school.

For now, I will order two books that I know I will use the most and use very early on in the year ;(the link is below, but I got mine alot cheaper on half.com)...and keep a list of the other books and resources so that I can buy them one or two at a time as the money becomes availiable:
Geography Challenge Levels 1 and 2 by Arnold Cheyney

Upon sorting through my vast cd roms of curriculum downloads, I realized that I had the Whole set of History Scribe and Geo Scribe! Also a 50 states copywork curriculum. I must've ordered these when they were dirt cheap on Currclick or something. But that's enough to pair with some library books (interlibrary loan here I come!) and videos from Netflix and you Tube to tide me over for the whole year if I want it to. Some lapbooks and a LOT of notebooking, plenty of science experiments (online for free) and fun hands on projects. Hopefully, while we study Tennessee History we can take a few nearly free field trips around the state!

School Registration Fees

I have to keep telling myself that money does not equal a good education. That God gave me the privilage and made a way for me to teach my children at home. It's his job to provide and my job to handle wisely what he provides and not complain or get all bummed out when I don't get to buy every book or item I'd like. What he gives me is GOOD and it is sufficient. And he has given me a healthy does of creativity and a knack for finding things on the internet and so I must be a good steward. I have a library card, now I just need grace to take all the kids into it LOL.

Am I bummed? Discouraged? NOPE...I'm still excited because I've finally gotten some answers and some confidence (Finally) that I can , in fact, do this afterall. I've asked God for help and he has been faithful to give it to me whether I liked it or not...like any Good Father would.

I want to encourage all you homeschoolers who are in the midst of planning or are done and ready for a new , fresh year to be content and confident with what you have. God can make the little things HUGE if we'll let him.

Soon I hope to post some of my many lists I've made while planning and some of my go to sites. Alot of them you can find on my sidebar.

Have a blessed day!

Random Acts of Education...

2011-07-25T06:01:00.000-07:00

Although I believe structure needs to exist in my "home" school, I'm a big fan of child led learning. While I've been working out school kinks and planning and such, the kids have been "educating" themselves and it's been a rather productive time learning wise for them with and without me. Chloe loves to count dots on dominoes.... And I know I just posted pictures of my school "corner", but I redid some things...so here it is and I rather like it....

The new school table is actually our former living room endtable. It is huge and it's one of those pieces of furniture that stayed when the couch went and it's been shuffled from one end of the living room to the other and served no real function and never fit in anywhere you put it. Now it has a function again.

Okay, so she's not really mad at me...she just wanted me to take her picture "wearing her mad face"...she is really cute when she's angry.

That's her again with, I think, playdoh stuck up her nose...I can't be sure...not really sure I want to be sure....
We were making letters from playdoh...

Okay and so, playdoh is really awesome especially when you make your own because it always comes out a really good level of solidness and squishiness... Now, the objective was for Jack and I to form his sight words out of playdoh...he, as usual, had other things in mind....like...

Making an anatomically accurate (at least for a 6 year old) human cadavor LOL....look at this guys ribs...LOL...his little pencil legs and his Mick Jagger-esque lips and bulging eyes...wow...

All kidding aside, I was quite impressed that Jack not only initiated this on his own, but that it was really quite good. He was telling me the names of bones and organs as he did it and...well, that just goes to show that children not only learn alot on their own but that a relaxed environment really fosters learning and creativity. Learning takes place anytime a child is awake...whether you want them to learn or not...they crave it. And when they find their passion, whether it be zoology or cooking or writing or making playdoh anatomical figures, we as parents should just go with it .

Have a blessed day!

Happy First Birthday!

2011-07-01T10:43:00.001-07:00

One Year ago today...Tyler Edward made it safely into the big world a happy , healthy little boy! Been thinking today on those months I carried him facing uncertain and , truthfully, scary moments. Getting through 7 months of a grim prognosis, the daily threat on his little life that my body placed on him, the weekly 8 hour treatments to give him a fighting chance, the moments of panic, the testing...all a testimony to the Bigness of my God and his provision and love and grace and strength! Those days are a fading memory as they have been replaced with daily life with my kiddos. But as Jack is my reminder of God's foreknowledge and his inclination towards performing miracles...Tyler will always be a reminder of how much God cares for me and how even in dark, troubled times he's behind the scenes working things out. Looking back at where I was a year ago today I can see some of what God wanted to accomplish through my situation. I was able to share HIS grace and what HE had done for me with countless doctors and nurses and people in waiting rooms and maybe God has used those times to touch someone's life for the better...I like to think so. See, God can use the good, but when things are good we don't see things clearly. God does his best work in the dark times...when all self reliance is stripped away and aside from God there seems to be no hope, nothing to look toward. It's been my experience that those times are the closest I have been to God. So Happy Birthday to Tyler and lots of thanks and praise to God for what he did for me and my family during that rough time.

These Feet Were Made for Walking...

2011-06-30T07:47:00.000-07:00

After burning up the floor the other night, TyGuy has decided that walking's not all it's cracked up to be...LOL Little Stinker won't walk now to save his life! LOL....But in case you think I made this whole thing up, here's further photographic proof that he can walk if he wants to...

Getting lots of encouragement from his Big Bub-O...all the kids were so proud of him!

In the process of falling...

Off and Walking...

2011-06-28T17:54:00.000-07:00

After only two weeks of crawling and getting into everything...Tyler just stood up about 30 minutes ago and took off down the hallway! We are all so excited...for now...give me a week and I'll be wishing he was crawling again...

Some Random School Stuff...

2011-06-27T05:15:00.000-07:00

Good morning! It's a muggy day already here and I am in bad need of some coffee! Woke up this morning to find everyone in the living room with me. They all, at some point, had gotten up and made their own pallets in the floor. The blissfull quiet interupted by the girlish screams of Jackson who had gotten a chair kicked over on his head. LOL Chloe was sleeping in the recliner and she stretched out and her leg knocked a wooden chair over and it nailed him right in the noggin. Boy was he mad, even after I tried to tell him that sweet, sweet little Chloe didn't do it on purpose...I don't think he believed me.

Anyway, lookin' at a house that's a disaster from the weekend, even though I spent all day Saturday cleaning it. So gonna probably set aside the whole day to getting it back in working order so I can maintain the rest of the week. But I wanted to share some of the things we've had going on on the learning side of things here.

First, I am going to brag. Yes, that's right. Not really brag, persay, but share , what I consider to be, exciting stuff concerning Lillie. After years of being uptight about her reading (thanks to my best bud, Joy and alot of really good books) I had relaxed quite a bit...trusting that when she was ready things would click and they have. Now she's not where she's reading everything she can get her hands on, but when she sits down to read to me, she has to have very little help and her decoding is SO MUCH better. And I suspiscion that when she is sitting there quietly looking at a book, she is reading to herself, practicing. She used to get so frustrated having to sound words out and would rather just make them up, but I think the Explode the Code has given her the confidence she needed. Lillie is the type that shys away from doing things she doesn't think she can succeed at right away, which makes teaching the basics a little challenging, to say it nicely. But I've gotten alot better at hiding any frustration that she might pick up on that would cause her to doubt herself. Every child has weaknesses and strengths. She's a whole lot like me...isn't really into math (doesn't get it) , not real interested in science, but LOVES history and writing and actually asks to do grammar every once in a while. An excellent speller and has a photographic memory that's astounding. So the plan now is to promote those strengths, allow her the freedom and the materials to develop her loves and work on improving her weaknesses. Even though she'll probably not overcome her weaknesses, with the confidence from her strengths she can at least maybe learn not to run from the challenges, but face them head on.

Now, math is what I'm really excited over. This may not seem like much to anyone reading this, but it's huge for this momma who tends to fret over alot of things. After reading Ruth Beechick's small booklet on beginning arithmetic, I found out that there are three modes of thinking when it comes to math.

1.Manipulative Mode: The stage where kids begin using objects to work math problems. Kids stay in this mode until about six or seven, in alot of cases they aren't ready to move onto the next mode until later than seven (each child is different).

"The difference between young children and us it that we can switch freely from the manipulative mode of thinking to other modes we have learned to use. But very young children can't switch. They are tied to the manipulative mode. They must become proficient in this mode as a preparation for the modes to follow...thus we must teach young children in the manipulative mode. Failure to do this is probably the greatest single cause of children's arithmetic difficulties."

Ruth Beechick

2. Mental Image Mode: The transition stage where kids are able to make the objects in their heads and no longer need to physically see the objects. They can think of four peices of candy, add one and get five all in their head.

"When we say a child doesn't understand something, we usually mean that he is not able to image it in his head. The cure for that is to provide more manipulative experience."

3. Abstract Mode: Children cand think about four and they don't have to imagine four dots or four plates.

"You may often think abstractly yourself, but you must guard agianst trying to push children into this mode before they are ready. Pushing does not work. It only leads to problems you wish to avoid: anxiety, frustration , dislike of arithmetic, and more."
Now, after reading all of this I realize that I have majorly messed up with Lillie in a number of ways....

1. I push. If I think she ought to get it and she doesn't I get frustrated. I can't tell you how WRONG this is of me. I ought to remember that she struggles in math the same as I did and I ought to sympathize , not get frustrated.
2. Where math is concerned, Lillie still needs to be in manipulative mode. For example, we were working on her memorizing her addition facts and she just wasn't getting it and I was beating my head against the wall. I finally stopped and switched to some other skills on my list of things I wanted to work on. A little advice from someone with experience in messing up: Don't be afraid to quit. If something is not working, try something different. Don't let anything tie you down and keep you from switching gears. When Lillie was telling time to the hours and half hours, I decided to reintroduce the facts. The site I found with a neat Number Familie Program suggested before starting that we needed to teach "touch math". I found this very interesting because I use that even today to add up my checkbook and I can add faster that way than in my head and I didn't learn that in school...They drilled facts and I never was very good at them. So, to cope, I developed my own system of touching the numbers and visualizing points on the number in my head. Like three points on the number "3" and so forth. Now let me be clear , I believe memorizing facts is important, but some kids won't be ready at grade 2 or 3 like the experts say they ought to be. Lillie is one of these.

Lillie LOVES the touch math and even asks to do math first thing in the morning and writes her own problems to solve and does it in her spare time. I have seen such a sudden change in her confidence level. She turned to me the other day and she said "Momma, math is fun." And I about bawled. LOL So I say forget the experts, they don't know my Lillie. They say not to let her rely on this method...I agree, but as long as it gives her the confidence she needs to, maybe not LOVE math, but at least not be scared of it, then I'll do it as long as I have to. She's a child, a special unique child that God has given talents , a child who has a purpose in God's eyes.

We're gonna move onto doing a little money since we haven't done hardly any. But using manipulatives and real life experience. I figure we'll revisit the facts in a couple of months and test the waters.

Okay, so some pictures real quick. We made skeletons the other day and read a book on bones.

The Skeleton Inside You

Here's a neat video about the skeleton if you're looking into studying the human body anytime in the future. It's got every organ and system and it's packed with multimedia and activities.

More posts coming with some crafts I've done and some more school related things.

Have a blessed day!!!!

Another Fabulous Article for All the Full Time Homemakers Out There...

2011-06-23T09:27:00.001-07:00

Hannah from Cultivating Home has a blog post up this morning over at Raising Homemakers that is well worth the time-out to read!

Homemaking Myths

2011-06-23T05:09:00.000-07:00

Boy was I thankful to have found this article by Kathryn Stout this morning! Just yesterday morning I was having one of "those" homeschool mom moments...I was sitting with Lillie working on copywork and I came to a crossroad...ever been there?
At a spot where you're forced to make an immediate decision on the best course of action? Homeschooling and Parenting , in general, provide a boatload of those kinds of moments, don't they?
Lillie turns to me and says "I'm done."
Me: "Ummmm, you've only written two words, come on girly...you've GOT to finish the selection."
Lillie : (sighs in angst)
Well, she piddled and she scratched on through for the most part but she wasn't taking her time and wasn't really paying attention...her heart, obviously wasn't in this. So here was my "crossroads".
Let her do something else in hopes she'll come around to having a better lookout on the copywork assignment later...or make her go on and do it even if she's not "into" it?
Well, if I let her quit it and go onto something else, what if she doesn't want to do it later on? Am I not being counterproductive "forcing" her to "learn"? But if I let her have her way, isn't that spoiling her? How will she ever learn the important life lesson that life isn't always fun and that we don't always get to do what we want to all the time and that sometimes we HAVE to do things we don't like (like schoolwork)? What a massive tug -o-war in a matter of seconds...what did I choose?
I let her move onto math and secretly questioned whether that was the right call or not...it really bugged me. This isn't the first time this issue has come up and I almost always try to follow her interest, but I struggle so much with whether I'm doing right by her by allowing her to dictate more of her workload. In things like history and science...I'm totally for flying by the seat of my skirt. But the basics are that gray area that give me the most grief. It has always been my policy that we HAVE to at least do some reading , writing, and math everyday whether we like it or not. If all you have the energy to do are the basics then I'm fine with that. Afterall, I don't remember much history and science I learned in school as much as the facts I got from independent reading and studying. But the basics, well, they're those "HAVE TO's" we love so much.
But after reading this great article, I want to find Kathryn Stout and give her a big ole hug (except she'd probably have me arrested)...if you have EVER struggled with this same inner conflict...READ THE ARTICLE! DO IT WHETHER YOU WANT TO OR NOT! LOL...

"Is It Bribery?" by Kathryn Stout

Have a Blessed Day!

2011-06-22T12:10:00.000-07:00

"There is something about the outside of a horse that's good for the inside of a man. "

Winston Churchill

2011-06-22T11:34:00.000-07:00

Before your sight,

Mount on the breeze the butterly, and

soars,

Small creature as she is, from earth's bright

flowers

Into the dewy clouds.

Wordsworth

Fun Fun Fun Til Your Momma takes the Paintbrush Away...

2011-06-21T04:31:00.000-07:00

I'm a sucker for finding things I can make at home cheaper (and better quality) than I can buy it at the store. And this watercolor paint is no exception! It was awesome to be able to make watercolor paint that lasted a whole lot longer than those sets you buy at the store with a dab of paint in them. The colors were vibrant and we got a lot of use out of one batch and all the ingredients we have on hand. Can't beat that...the kids loved painting. It's kinda something special because I'm more of a crayon type of person...less messy. So every once in awhile I like to bust out something different for the kids to mix things up a bit...

I don't know how many pictures I have of Chloe asleep in her plate...

Have a Blessed Day!

Happy Father's Day!

2011-06-17T07:27:00.000-07:00

4 Man Band...

2011-06-17T07:12:00.001-07:00

They like to practice EARLY....They are loud and proud....a glimpse of my dream...to birth a gospel bluegrass band...

Even Tyler-rachi likes to tickle them ivories....

You know, the thought occurs to me that I don't have many pictures of him without a nasty face...hmmmm. Have a Blessed Day!

Green is SO Not His Color...

2011-06-17T07:07:00.000-07:00

A New (Used) Schoolroom....

2011-06-14T12:06:00.000-07:00

I have ALWAYS wanted a schoolroom. Nothing fancy, just a space that was neat and tidy that I could set aside solely for the purpose of educating my kids. However...space has always been an issue...we live in a three bedroom double wide and with all the beds and the clothes and the toys...well, there just never has been the room.
But we figured Tyler doesn't need a bed for awhile so we broke down one of the beds and so Jack's room is half schoolroom.
Now, ideally, my dream schoolroom would be large and fairly sparse and would have tables and little sofas and books galore and a killer paint job and etc. etc...etc...
But I also have come to realize recently that God is pleased when we do with what we have and when we are satisfied with HIS provisions. I don't have alot of money to just buy whatever whenever and it IS easy for me to get my eyes on what God has given others and not focus on making something with what HE's given.

I HAVE to thank my momma who brought over some things from her house that she didn't need. Some nice chest of drawers, filing cabinets, table and stools for the kids. And she spent all day yesterday helping me clean and get organized...so here's the final outcome of my room...now I would like to get more posters and the Dollar Tree here has a ton of them, so I will pick some up...but it's mostly done and we REALLY enjoyed using it this morning.

Do you see the filing cabinets...they are actually organized LOL...For anyone who knows me that will be a shocker ,cause I ain't an organizer by nature....

I love the view from my new desk....

It may not be fancy, but I am thankful for the little space I have to devote to school...it really helped out this morning with my attitude.

Okay, I had to throw this one in...THIS is what happens when you fall asleep at my house...

Have a Blessed Day!

It Has Begun....

2011-06-10T11:29:00.000-07:00

Let's Eat!

2011-06-10T08:15:00.000-07:00

Every day with this little guy is sunshine! He is my daily reminder that God has plans and that there's nothing HE can't do. Tyler's best shots are in early morning sunlight...
MMMMMMM....Baked Oatmeal....

Those eyes!!!!!

Have a blessed day!

It's Rainin' Babies!

2011-06-09T05:50:00.000-07:00

Thought I'd post a few pictures from Shanna's baby shower. Little Mattie Jo Oakes is due in late July and we can't wait to hold her and spoil her...the last three Davis babies have been boys!
I thought Cassie did a super job on the diaper cake (and the real cake too!)

Lillie Anna getting tickled during the bottle drinking game!

Olivia and Chloe (Partners in Crime) going head to head...

Olivia is victorious!

Shanna and Judy...isn't Shanna so pretty! She's definitely got that "glow" about her!

Last but not least...Tyler checking to see if Nannie swept anything under the rug.

Some Odds and Ends...

2011-06-02T05:44:00.001-07:00

Gotta get my camera cleaned up before the weekend, so here's the random pictures taken over the last month....

This picture cracks me up...I think it's clear how Tyler feels about Chloe getting up in his face...Not sure why, but this seems to be his favorite pose..Tyler needing hair...Jack needing a hair cut...It's a forced smile, but I'll take it...Not a forced smile...Chloe plain and simple...Lillie Anna is fascinated with Annie Oakley right now and , as such, is becoming more of a gun lover than I ever imagined...Words just can't describe...My kids have the wildest imaginations....I blame reading to them....LOL Hangin' out the laundry...

Doin' my dirty work for me...

Have a Blessed Day!

Spiritual Help from Dr. Seuss...

2011-06-02T04:58:00.000-07:00

"Oh The Places You'll Go". First off, not only is this my favorite Seuss book, but I had never thought about how deep it actually is...it's easy to get lost in the pictures and rhyme schemes of it and miss the profound thoughts, but they're there. Been going through a rough patch as of late and so when I read "Oh The Places You'll Go" again yesterday...I payed more attention.

"You'll be on your way up!

You'll be seeing great sights!

You'll join the high fliers

who soar to high heights.

You won't lag behind, because you'll have the speed.

You'll pass the whole gang and you'll soon take the lead.

Wherever you fly, you'll be best of teh best.

Wherever you go, you will top all the rest

Except when you don't

Because sometimes you won't..."

Isn't that just like life! Flying high, having great expectations, perhaps getting so used to our comfort that we let down our guard , stop praying and seeking God's guidance cause things are going so good...and we're not ready for the times when we "DON'T"...because life is full of ups and downs.

"I'm sorry to say so

but, sadly, it's true

that Bang-ups and Hang-ups

can happen to you.

You can get all hung up

in a prickle-ly perch.

And your gang will fly on

You'll be left in the Lurch.

You'll come down from the Lurch

with an unpleasant bump.
And the chances are, then

that you'll be in a Slump.

And when you're in a Slump

you're not in for much fun

Un-slumping yourself

is not easily done."

Ever been there? In a slump...where you feel alone, even when you're in a room full of people? When you're so sick of the times you mess up and lament how you just can't seem to get it all together? The truth is life is messy...to expect to go through life in this world (especially not having knowledge and faith in the God of the Bible) and not hit bumps and snags is simply un-realistic. Dr. Seuss is right...Unslumping yourself is not easily done. I've found when I try to unslump myself, I make things alot worse...there's no real peace...maybe a little ease, but no real peace because that kind of peace that, the bible says "Passeth all understanding" only comes when we turn to God. People either go two ways when faced with trouble, towards God or away from Him. So, when you find yourself in a Slump (as you often will), remember this little piece of advice from Psalms...

"I will lift up mine eyes unto the hills from whence cometh my help. My help cometh from the LORD which made heaven and earth."

Psalms 121:1-2

Have a Blessed Day!

A Rite of Passage...

2011-06-01T05:52:00.000-07:00

Yep...that's my big BUBBO with his very first frog! He was having trouble catching it, so it seemed until Jody told him it WOULDN'T bite him...as soon as Jack heard that, he scooped the little feller right up. We put him in mom's kiddie pool and he had the best time swimming around and hopping up on the floating stump we put in...frankly all the kids enjoyed watching him. Sniff...my little boy is growing up! Have a blessed day!

Party!

2011-05-31T03:57:00.000-07:00

Boy...it just doesn't seem like Jack and Chloe ought to be as old as they are! And as much as I love birthdays...I'm glad this one is over...I've said before we like to drag birthdays out...a couple of parties stretched out over a week...Jack nearly worried me to death about his presents...and now he's already planning what he wants for his NEXT birthday...he's got me plum tired out...Chloe let the week pass without even acknowledging she had a birthday.

Sunday birthday party at Nannie and Poppy's! We always have a blast!Shanna did a great job on the cakes, even if the clothes about melted off the doll cake on the way over! :)Went to Mom and Dad's the next Saturday and had a party with family in mom's garden. It was so pleasant outside. We roasted hot dogs in a washing machine basin ...LOL. Spare me the "You Might Be A Redneck" Jokes..okay? It worked didn't it? Enjoyed a bit of guitar playing with dad...but my fingers are paying for it this week!Was so glad my grandmother got to be with us! Here she is with 2 of her Great grandchildren and as fiesty as ever!Notice the dainty way in which she attempts to blow out her candles...it took her a while but she finally did get them extinguished.Jackson got his in one shot...Lord help us!Mimi and TylerWho says a tub of water can't entertain three of the cutest girls on the planet?Momma did a great job with the decorations...Thanks to Hannah and Kasey for the colored water! :)The kids (and some of us adults) had a blast with this toy! Thanks Jean!Kinda Creepy...The inevitable fallout! THanks to Shanna for making the cakes on Sunday! Thanks to Mom for letting us turn her garden into a romper room. Thanks to all the family and friends that came out and made these birthday celebrations so much fun!

Have a Blessed Day!

Some Food for Thought...

2011-05-30T05:11:00.000-07:00

This was my devotional reading this morning....

"It came to pass . . . that God tested Abraham, and said to him, “Abraham!” And he said, “Here I am.” Genesis 22:1"

I can hardly imagine inviting special friends over for dinner and then throwing a few leftovers into the microwave to serve up to them. But if I were to do that, it would speak volumes about how I really feel about them.

Giving God the leftovers of our lives speaks volumes about His true worth to us. When God asked Abraham to give Isaac back to Him as an act of worship, Genesis 22:1 calls it a test. A test to see if there was anything in his life that he treasured more than God.

It’s no different for us. There are times when God requires something really important to get His work done. He’ll ask us to give up our natural instincts to seek revenge so that we can communicate His forgiving love by forgiving our enemies. He may call us to sacrifice portions of our time or money or comforts to advance His cause. Or He may require us to allow our sons and daughters to go to a far-off land to tell others about His saving love. The way we respond to what He requires says volumes about how we really feel about Him.

Anyone can offer the leftovers. Only those who love God more than anything else will serve up the very best for Him.

“Take up thy cross and follow Me,”
I hear the blessed Savior call;
How can I make a lesser sacrifice
When Jesus gave His all? —Ackley

No sacrifice we make is too great for the One who sacrificed His all.

Happy Birthday Jack and Chloe!

2011-05-24T03:38:00.000-07:00

Six and four years ago today, I was given Jackson Cole and Chloe Madeline. I am so very thankful for them! They keep me on my toes and , though there are days I could easily pinch their heads off, I really must admit they're good kids.

Jackson is growing up so fast, it seems. His physical size one day is going to be something to behold. He loves to wear a suit and tie and carry his Bible and "preach" before church. Loves to draw and to sing. Loves his BB gun to the point of idol worship and is scary smart. He's my miracle boy (one of them).

Chloe is the funniest kid I've got, hands down. Her mouth gets her into more trouble , but it often gets her out of it just as quick. She has a gift for saying something really cute in the thick of me being angry and just ruins my bad mood. She eats Ranch dressing all the time...dips almost everything in it. Her hair is hopeless most days but she's got the best smile.
I'm such a sucker for old pictures so I am forcing my obsession onto you...my apologies up front for the barrage of cuteness about to hit you... and yes, they are out of order but you'll hardly notice.

I LOVE this picture of Jack...he looks like he's plotting the takeover of the world.

Chloe eating chalk...without Ranch dressing...My Favorite Ultrasound picture out of all I've ever had...Chloe's little hand. Go on...AWWWWW, you know you want to.

So happy 6th birthday to Jack and 4th birthday to Chlo-Chlo! Momma loves ya'll!

Have a blessed day!

Happy Mother's Day , Momma!

2011-05-08T09:31:00.000-07:00

I just wanted to take the time to wish my Mom a Happy Mother's Day! I am so blessed with a great momma! She's invested the last 30 years sacrficing for me and loving me and being someone I could come to no matter what! She loves her family fiercely and never was a Mimi so devoted to her 9 grandkids. As a mother, I can truly understand the hardships and sacrifice and times of heartache she's endured, yet I believe she could look back and say it's been worth it. I love you mom, thanks for the mackarel cakes as a kid (best ever), the weekend movie marathons, the tons of costume jewlery you used to buy me at Claire's, the support and help you've given me and the advice and laughter. Have a Happy Mother's Day!

Easter...

2011-05-03T21:47:00.001-07:00

My Quest to Be Convience (Food) Free...

2011-04-22T08:29:00.000-07:00

When my husband lost his job, I began delving into ways to cut our grocery budget, that was already slim. When we had two children, we made it on $50 to $70 weekly including household goods and diapers. Now we have added two children to that mix, one in diapers and groceries have gone through the roof.
Since convience , packaged items wre mainly where our money went, I began searching for recipes on how to make some of those items from scratch. Which has since snowballed into almost complete scratch cooking. It started with homemade cream soup mixes, homemade baby wipe spray (though I still use disposable diapers)buying a bread machine and a yogurt maker and many others. I plan on sitting down and making a list of all the condiments, breads, convience items, cake mixes, pudding mixes, etc and finding a good recipe for all those items. The grocery budget has increased a bit, but the quest is still alive. I made my own hamburger buns the other night and they turned out great tasting even though they didn't "look" all that great...that's gonna take some work.
I'm on the prowl today for some good beverage recipes. My kiddos love cokes, and since I buy them for my husband to take to work with him, the kids sneak plenty. They aren't huge water drinkers and Kool Aid doesn't do it for them most days, but I want them to consume more juice and water. So that's my mission this week.
If you're at all interested in making stuff you use often from scratch,this morning I stumbled upon the motherload! This link takes you to a page full of Make it Yourself recipes.

Have a blessed day!

A River Runs Through It...

2011-03-24T22:10:00.000-07:00

Little Mr. Sure Shot...

2011-03-24T21:44:00.000-07:00

How do you know your little boy is growing up WAY too fast?

Give him a gun (and the proper instruction)Jack got a BB gun last month and Papa and Jody have been teaching him how to shoot...How to load it, how to carry it, how to sight it in...All the stuff that keeps you from putting your eye (and the eye of others) out...It's a Red Rider and every mother that's ever watched "A Christmas Story" can relate...So how did he do? Pretty good...hit a small coffee can from 25 ft ...11 times. I am so proud of how mature and responsible Jack was.

What a good boy God gave me...Have a blessed day!

If Walls Could Talk...

2011-03-24T21:22:00.000-07:00

My favorite kids story is Virginia Lee Burton's "The Little House". It's about a house, with human feelings, telling what she's seen in her lifetime. My favorite things to take pictures of are old houses, rundown and abandoned preferably. See, the creative writer in me imagines who lived in them, what was their life like...things like that. Imagine if these walls could talk...what would they say they've seen?

Looking Back...

2011-03-23T10:15:00.000-07:00

Dog...Gone

2011-03-23T06:02:00.001-07:00

Very sad around here today. Lots of tears and lots of me trying to figure out how to make the kids, particulary Jack feel a little better. He's taking this very hard. After 3 years, we finally had to give our dog Tucker away. Never was there a better dog. Jackson and Tucker have been like two peas in a pod since day one and I knew when this day would come it would be rough. I know he feels like he's lost his best friend. He went with Jody last nite to hand him over to a wonderful elderly woman who was needing a good watch dog as well as a companion. She has lots of room for him to run , a grandson who just lost his dog , and he wont' have to stay penned up like he did here in our neighborhood. This does not console us, however. Jody said that last nite was the roughest, hardest thing he's ever been through. Jack said his goodbyes, which was good, but Jody said it took everything in him not to tell the lady we'd changed our mind. But we know, we hope, Tucker will be better off. Gosh, this is a dog and it shouldn't be this hard. Jack wanted to know if when he got grown if he could go back and get him...boy this is rough. He has spent the morning on the couch crying and looking at a picture of him and Tucker, saying how he'll never see him again. I hate to see him hurt like this. My heart is heavy this morning. I know it may sound strange to pray about this but I have prayed that God will ease this pain...yes, I think God cares even about our dog troubles.
I'm reminded that loss is as much a part of life as gain and that loving something (especially for a kid) is important even if the loss of that loved thing brings us pain. Hard life lesson...

Olivia's BDAY

2011-03-07T05:34:00.001-08:00

Tyler...Plain and Simple.

2011-03-07T05:28:00.000-08:00

Friday...

2011-03-07T04:59:00.000-08:00

What We're Into...

2011-03-03T09:07:00.000-08:00

So glad that nicer weather has been popping up. Makes me want to actually do something! In school, the kids are still studying the Human Body...it's gonna take awhile at the pace I'm going. We're studying the five senses right now.

Here's the books we've used since the last post...

Used these printables for our dry erase human body notebook... Just scroll and click to the body part you're studying and you can find label diagrams plus videos and quizzes and activities.

http://kidshealth.org/kid/htbw/htbw_main_page.html

How the Body Works Eye

How the Body Works Nose

How the Body Works Ears
How the Body Works Skin

Here are the websites I came across that we've used...

University of Manchester Brain and Senses Site: Has neat videos and quizzes about the eyes, ears, tongue etc...

Neuroscience for Kids : Senses Experiments So many easy good experiments and activities...

Here's our finished Beaded Neuron Projects...the link to it is in THIS POST

For History, we're doing Ancient Civilizations. The kids have done Ancient Egypt and , I'll tell you, it's captured their imaginations and interest like nothing I've ever seen. They are just fascinated with it and, to tell you the truth, I have learned so much I never knew. We recently subscribed to NetFlix and it's been awesome not to have to run to the library for a history or science documentary. My kids are visual learners and have never been prone to sitting around quietly while I read to them, so if I can find a quality dvd then I use that. I wish my kiddos liked to be read to, but right now they have the attention spans of a gnat.

I found a great book on Answers in Genesis that I am going to begin reading since it's free online. It's called Unwrapping the Pharoahs and I have the utmost confidence in the material and resources Ken Ham and his ministry put out there. Other than Genesis and Creation and Noah, the account of the Exodus and the timeline is probably scrutinized and attacked more than any other biblical account of history. And people, if you can't defend Genesis and the time of the Exodus then you can't expect people to believe John 3 : 16. I have always been hungry to find a biblical view of the history of the Exodus that used secular evidence...always wondered if there was any proof outside of God's word (which is enough for me, but sadly not for the majority) to support the account of the Children of Israel and their time in Egypt.

But leaving Egypt, we've turned our attentions to Ancient Greece, but it doesn't seem to be captivating them as much, so I'm gonna not overload them and do a few more necessary things with it and then move onto Ancient China, which I think will be more appealing to them. No sense in beatin a dead horse.

If you're interested in an indepth unit of Ancient Greece and, well, most anything, my friend turned me onto Lesson Pathways. This is a great site that takes all the planning out of unit studies and lesson plans. And for those with multiple students on different levels, it allows you to track and assign pathways to each individual student...pretty neato! It's truly awesome and I highly recommend it!

In closing here's some more pics of the kids taken with the "good"camera...

Have a blessed day!

One Year Older...

2011-02-28T09:50:00.000-08:00

Saturday , we celebrated Hannah and Sophia's birthdays. Hannah is now a very tall, very pretty young lady and it's hard for me to believe that only yesterday she looked like this...

Now she's 12! And if I'm feelin' old, I know my sis Leila is a bit more emotional over this than I.Sophia turned 6...and just yesterday she looked like this...

Time sure flies! Had a great time...as we usually do. So blessed to have a great family that knows how to have a good time and so many kids running around all healthy and happy and jumped up on sugar. Here's the pics I snapped with my new Camera Jody got me. It's an SLR, but I shot automatic cause until I learn how to work it, it's a bit daunting. I'm still in awe of how great 12 Mega Pixels is compared to the 5 MP I have currently been shooting for 5 years now. Yeah, I know....I don't have a cell phone either. It's not that I don't dig technology, I do, I just don't dig how much you have to pay to get it.

Notice how reserved and "grown up" Hannah blows out her candles...

I love Kasey, she totally cracks me up...

Have a blessed day!

We've Got Batter Control Issues...

2011-01-28T19:39:00.000-08:00

No comments about this being unbelievably dangerous, please. I ate batter when I was a kid and look how....oh, wait...nevermind.My dad says every picture he takes of Lillie is magical. It's true. She can be doing the most mundane things and there's just something beautiful about her...

My boy's growing up! This is his first loan agreement! Kid cannot wait to make enough allowance to buy a lego plane set (about 3 months of work, IF he doesn't get money taken away for bad behavior.) So, Jody decided that he would offer him a loan. We buy the plane now and he's our slave til he works off the debt. When Lillie was asked if she wanted us to front her some money for something, she said "Ummm, no. I'll just save up my money." Smart girl. Doesn't Jack look thrilled though. He's probably wondering what he's gotten himself into.
There is no shortage of love around here for Ty GUy.

Human Body Unit Week One

2011-01-28T18:34:00.000-08:00

Actually, we've managed to turn one week into two somehow. We've still had some sickness off and on and it's been hard to accomplish anything more than the basics. But I would like to share what we are doing as far as a current unit study and what we're using right now in school. So, this is another one of those catch-up posts filled with randomness.

If you decide to do a human body unit, you must purchase this resource by Teacher Created Materials.

My sister gave me hers. But even if you aren't that fortunate, it's only 7.99 .It's very neat and very affordable. It's 100 percent reproducible so you can use it over and over

again, which I'm sure you will do. It's well worth the money.

I love Let's Read and Find Out Books and the ones we are using for the first two weeks are:

Use Your Brain by Paul Showers (this can be a hard one to find, for some reason)

Why I Sneeze,Shiver,Hiccup and Shake by Melvin Berger

I faced a dilemna. I would've liked to have done a lapbook, but felt it was too much work placed on me, and more planning than I have time for. So, I decided to make them a dry erase anatomy folder. Basically, it contains pictures and blank label me type diagrams for all parts and systems of the body that we'll be studying. I put them in sheet protectors and then they can use their dry erase markers to label the worksheets over and over. It's been a really nice compromise: Something they can practice with over and over and also something they can hang onto that will help them later on.

Here's the sites I used to get the diagrams:

Crayola Human Body Worksheets

Label Me Body Enchanted Learning

How The Body Works by Kids Health (this site is awesome and has so many resources we will be using. Just click on the system or body part you want and it will list some movies, worksheets and activities.)

We made paper mache Thinking caps to remind us of the lobes of the brain...

Oh, gosh! I think I misspelled Occipital????? I wish God had given me built in Spell Check...

Oh, if only they really worked...

Played this game

Used these diagrams for our body books...

Label the Neuron

The Brain

Will be making a beaded neutron...

Lots of different nervous system activities

Watch This

Well, as we cover more, I'll link up more resources.

I have said on here before how much I love Nancy Hall's Explode the Code. It really turned Lillie onto reading after I about destroyed any love for it she might have had. So, I bought Nancy Hall's SpellWell for Lillie and so far, it's just as much a hit. Like, ETC, it's super affordable, nothing too complicated or fancy. I'm supplementing with worksheets off Super Teacher Worksheets.com.

Lillie is still working on her addition facts, she's up to the 3's. These two games have been highly effective.

She's currently finishing up ETC 2 1/2 and has aced both the spelling tests I have given her, so I'm convinced more than ever that she is going to be just like me and love history, english, writing, reading and be really good at spelling, but is going to despise math. But God made her that way for some reason, so who am I to change her? I don't know much advanced math, but the basics have served me well.

One neat thing I've been doing with Lillie is using a tape recorder for her reading practice. See, if I'm sitting with her then she feels like she doesn't have to work at sounding out unfamiliar words, she just asks me and knows I'll help her. So, the other day I found my grandpa's old tape recorder and told her to pick a book, go to her room and record herself reading the book. Then I go in and listen to the tape and correct any mistakes she made and helped her with any words she was unsure of. It has worked great.

Jack has started ETC 1, is working on adding and subtracting on a numberline, and is practicing writing his numbers and letters. He can use both his hands, always going first for his left when he writes. He is still reversing some of his letters, but I'm hoping that will iron itself out.

Have a Blessed Day!

Oh Brother!

2011-01-28T18:20:00.000-08:00

I can't tell you how blessed I am to have two boys and two girls. I worried for awhile about Jack feeling left out or lonely with just him and the two girls, but the LORD knew what we needed. Jackson is gonna be a great big brother, I can just tell. There's enough age difference between them that he sees himself as Tyler's protector. And Tyler really loves Jack, you can see it when they wrestle. Tyler looks at Jack like he's the King of the World. Took these pictures while the two of them were cuddlin' on the bed.

Looking Back...

2011-01-02T18:48:00.000-08:00

Well, another year has slipped by and I feel like I've done less with this one than the previous one. I realize that upon the dawn of a new year, people focus on the future, putting the old year behind them...out of sight and out of mind. And it's probably better to do that in actuality. However that is also easier said than done.

I was reading a blog post and the author was writing about all the false notions and mistakes she had made in the past, when she was much younger and not as seasoned in the trenches. I can totally relate. How much time and money and resources have I wasted in my life. Sometimes I look back on all the mistakes I've made and it literally hurts...am I the only one that feels this way. How life would have been different and better if I had been smarter...

But I am also keenly aware that God is great...and for every mistake I have made, HE has taught me a lesson. For every wrong turn, HIS mercy has been there to guide me back. So the Bible is true when it talks about all things working for good to them that Love GOD. There have been times when I couldn't see the good until much later and there are still things I'm waiting to see the good that will come from the struggle and I am also very much aware that I may never see the good in some trials until I come to HIM face to face. So New Year's are always bitter sweet... an odd mix of regret and hope. If God sees fit, I'll have one more year to Love HIM more, love Jody and the kids more, be above and beyond in ALL my relationships God has so blessed me with.

I've never been much on New Year's Resolutions. I've never found myself able to accomplish any that I set for myself. Not to say I don't want to accomplish some things this next year if God lets me have another year, it's just that listing them doesn't help me DO any of them. But what do I really want to do this next year?

I want to draw closer to GOD...to get back some of the fire I had when I first was saved...to read more (because I want to and not out of duty) to pray and actually feel that I got through when I get up. To be more loving and forgiving of Jody and my children. To teach my children, not just how to read and write or do word problems, but to teach them through my words and my example that Jesus is the answer to every problem, the way out of every temptation, the best friend you'll ever have, the only person you won't be able to get rid of no matter how hard you try, the water when you're thirsty and the hope when there seems to be none lying around. To help them see their purpose and guard over their souls till the time I have to step away and let Jesus take over.

I want to get rid of more me and give it away to others...letting God use me as HE wants.

So here's bidding farewell to 2010 and looking forward to 2011!

"Be always at war with your vices, at peace with your neighbors, and let each new year find you a better man."'

Benjamin Franklin

Have a Blessed New Year!

Christmas Pictures and Camera Clean-Up...

2010-12-28T11:17:00.000-08:00

Well, Christmas is over and the kids are not sure how to conduct themselves after all the excitement is over with and things return to "normal". School work starts back up this week and housework looms over me daily and the laundry....well, it never sleeps.

The children got more than they needed again this year, mostly from Jody and I. Pondering on whether to do the gifts like we did this year or just splurge on one big one or maybe a trip...hmm

Well, this post is going to be one of those plagued with pictures of the going's on of the last couple months. I finally got my camera to load to my computer again, which has made blogging easier and more enjoyable. Anyone who knows me knows I love pictures. So, my camera was clogged with files that now can be poste

Lillie and Taylor's Birthday
Such a pretty girl!

This cake was so fun to make.

School has been relaxed to say the least lately. I got a great book by Peggy Kaye called Games For Reading. Here's one of the games in it and the kids had a blast while learning some sight words.

With my mom and dad's help we got our whole big front porch painted, the door a fresh coat of bright red paint and shutters to match before it got really cold Had several activities with our small little church congregation. The church is getting closer to be finished and we are all very eager to get into the building and not be in a house. There's just something about a beautiful little churchouse on a Sunday morning...a house just doesn't come close. But the Lord has been good and faithful in his provisions, as he always is. These are some of the best ladies in the world and my buddies and a barrel of fun!

Christmas at Our Place...

I didn't have a nativity scene, so I just made one...silhouette style and I loved it! The wreath was made from scrapbook paper and later was flanked by paper trees...it really turned out nice.

We bought Jack some building sets with tools and he was all business putting this dump truck together...that boy sure knows how to handle a screwdriver and a wrench!

Poor Jody can't enjoy the holidays cause he's point man on batteries and twist ties....

Yay! Paper!

They just never seem to learn...

I can almost guarantee that 3 seconds prior to this picture being taken that I said to Chloe "Honey...I wouldn't lean down there if I were you."

Christmas in J-Town...

Christmas at Mom and Dad's...

Leila made this cute hat for Jack...
Well, that's finally over...whew! Well, I hope you all had a great Christmas this year with your families and friends. God sure has blessed up this year and I look forward to what He's gonna do in the coming year!

Have a blessed day!

Merry Christmas!

2010-12-23T04:52:00.000-08:00

Well, that time of year has come again...gosh time is flying by. Seems just like I was stressing out about gifts a few minutes ago...oh, wait., I was. All I'm saying is that again this year Christmas snuck up on me. Not the gift buying...no that jumped me several months ago...but every year I intend to do more with the kids. Bake some cookies, go through the nativity story with them, do some projects...especially bring the focus back to Jesus. Well, no cookies, the best we got was me reading hit and miss and a cartoon and no fun projects. I feel like I've totally missed the purpose of Christmas this year. It's become about the gift giving...not the giving of myself...my time and my love. Less Jesus, more balancing of the checkbook. I've made more lists than is humanly possible, ordered more off Amazon than I ever intended and been plagued with stress the whole month. Something tells me this is not how Christmas is supposed to be!

But, what is done is done and it doesn't change the fact that Christmas is here. And with Christmas comes some funny stuff. Firstly, Jack does not do Christmas well...I know that now. For weeks he confiscated every circular ad that had toys in it and changed his mind on a daily basis as to what he wanted. Yesterday he carried one of his gifts around all day and says his favorite part of Christmas is "opening presents". Okay, so I've failed this year as a mother to cultivate humbleness and contentment. That boy has toys on the brain, no doubt about that!

Lillie gets it however, constantly bringing him back down to earth by reminding him that it's not about getting, it's about Jesus and how he was born to give eternal life to us and it's about giving of ourselves to those around us. She may have the attitude of a 13 year old girl, think she's 30, but sometimes she's got the wisdom of a 100 year old!

THe kids have gone Narnia nuts and I must admit that as a kid I loved it too, though I didn't get the symbolism at all. The disney versions of the books have been very good and true to the story and I found myself watching them with the kids the other day a quoting scriptures left and right. At the end of Prince Caspian in the final battle the kids were cheering "GOd's gonna win it! God's gonna win it!" It was incredibly cute. Well, here's some recent pictures...

I'm not quite sure how Jody and I could have produced a beautiful child as this...it transcends reason!
The poster child for contentment himself...

Oh how my heart swells! Despite her quick temper I can't help but laugh at Chloe...her antics and extensive vocabulary are her salvation most days.

And here is my little man. Gosh, I can't put into words how much this little guy means to me. All my kids are special to me in some small way and Tyler daily reminds me of how much God loves me and how much HE blesses.

Praise the Lord for a Bumbo is all I have to say! It came yesterday and Tyler LOVES it! My back and arms are saved at last! THis kid has proven that he WILL NOT be like the others. He hates what they loved and loves what they hated. I mean, the kids hates a swing and mashed taters...so weird. Thank you to Mom and Dad who went in halfers, to Amazon for free expedited shipping, and for UPS who would've been hugged had I been at home when they delivered it.

Merry Christmas and a Blessed and Happy New Year to come!

I'm Thankful...

2010-11-24T04:54:00.000-08:00

For Salvation and for Jesus my advocate who loves me when I mess up which is more often than not....
For a warm baby on my lap chewing on my finger...
For three noisy, obnoxious children trashing my living room...
For an email from a precious friend...
For a hard-working husband who, though not a morning person, gets up every morning to go to a job he used to not have...
For my health and my family...
For a warm house even though the sheet rock is falling apart and my laundry is everywhere...
For a homemade bagel and cinnamon cream cheese spread and Gingerbread Latte coffee in a blue insulated mug so it doesn't get all cold...
For many many more things that escape me...
All from God, my loving Savior and Creator....

Praise God from whom all blessings flow
Praise Him all creatures here below
Praise Him above ye heavenly host...
Praise Father , Son and Holy Ghost.

2010-09-16T04:30:00.000-07:00

I am a very disorganized person by nature but I have always loved the idea of doing unit studies, but lack the organizational want to to pull one off. I tend to have lots of different ideas, but never seem to implement them. I knew this year I wanted to start some Geography with Lillie, I also knew I wanted to do some lapbooking, just not on the big scale I have in times past. Lapbooking is great when your kids do the work...that was not the case with mine. Perhaps when they're older and learn how to control the amount of glue coming off the stick... I also thought it would be nifty to lump history and geography in one sitting...so my idea of a unit study is not traditional. I don't tie every subject into what we're studying, but just compile a bunch of books, multimedia, projects etc...make a big ole list and then just start checking them off.

I initially got the idea for our Globetrotters Journal here. This site has many neat ideas so I encourage you to check it out. Our journals contain just the right amount of lapbook components as not to be overwhelming, but highly educational as well when looking back over them. I will post pictures of them some time in the future as I have to fill up my memory card before I can load any pics onto my computer. I bought each child a composition book. Inside the cover there is a pocket that contains a pretend passport (you can get one here). When we study a place, we glue a few lapbook components or make my own if I can't find one online. Just the basics...include a map of where the place is, index cards with key attractions or interesting facts as well as any other information you might find helpful.

This year my goal is to cover the major ancient civilizations and all 50 states. For these studies I will combine geography with the history of the region or area being studied. Using our Book of Centuries helps us keep a timeline of the events so we don't get confused about what came when.

My kids became interested in Ancient Egypt while we were studying Moses and Joseph in our Bible time. So this post is choc full of links and general helpfulness for those of you who might want to do a unit study, or need ideas, or just want to learn more for yourself. I know I learned alot and that's what I've said so many times before about Homeschooling...I love that I get to learn right alongside the kids. You don't have to be an expert on everything to teach your children...all you need is an excitement about the material and a love of learning yourself that bubbles over where your kids can see it.

Books Used

Usborne Beginners Egyptians Tutankamen by Gill Harvey

These books are always a hoot to read...
And unbeknownst to me until I found it this morning...this one is online for FREE.

About the French dude that broke Hieroglyphics...

These are books we did not use, but would have if they had been at the library...I'm cheap like that. They are all Usborne, because Usborne books are the BOMB! Excuse my slang from the old days.

Videos/Multimedia
For some reason, my children can sit through an hour and a half program on Nova about the Sphinx but they have trouble sitting still for 10 minutes while I read aloud, so I am thankful for PBS and You Tube who provide me with videos on any subject we seem to study. We watched three videos and so I'll embed them here. Remember to turn off the music player on my right sidebar if you watch the You Tube ones here...if you like full screen on the You Tube ones, just double click them and it will take you to the You Tube site page. I learned heaps and really enjoyed watching these, especially the one on King Tut.
My kids really love Prince of Egypt and Joseph King of Dreams. I would caution that you watch these with your kids and also that you first read and discuss the BIBLICAL account so that you can point out differences in the story. Nothing is a substitute for the Bible! These videos can be found on You Tube by searching for them. I found them to be educational on the life style of ancient egypt.

Nova Riddle of the Sphinx This also has alot of other video clips and features that are great!

Nova Building Pharoah's Boat

Online Activities:

Homeschool Share Lapbook This is what I chose the few templates from for our journals. Also has projects and a unit study to go with it so you could mix and match or glean some additional ideas to taylor make this for your homeschool setting.

Another Ancient Egypt Lapbook Would be great to combine this with the former plus this one has a booklist and activities as well.

Interactive Tomb Exploration

Interactive Make a Mummy

Online Hieroglyphics Translator

Online Pyramid Explorer from Nova

Other Activities

Mummify a Barbie Really super neat, didn't do it as it's hard to get all three kiddos involved and it's hard to keep all three from wanting to be right in the center of attention.

Design a Sarcophogus

Paper Pyramid Would be great to pair with a diorama!

Additional Online Resources

Mr. Donn's Ancient Egypt I love Mr. Donn's History sites...they are full of stuff...show Mr. Donn some love, would you?

Ancient Egypt Lesson Plans, Videos, Games etc.

I'm really diggin this laid back approach and school has been coming along so nicely this year so far. I'll share next time what we've been using and what we're into this year.

Have a Blessed Day!

We're Workin' On a Building...

2010-09-08T03:50:00.000-07:00

The last 6 months or so has seen a real test of faith to my church family. I'll take a moment to say that the there are a couple of things that make a good church. 1:Solid biblical preachin' by a man of God who lives out what he believes delivered to a group of believers that , though not perfect, desire to serve the Lord even through the times they fall flat on their faces and blow it. Just clinging to the hope they have no matter what. I think it helps to have a congregation where everyone loves one another like family. I am blessed to be apart of just such a church.

But we have been a church family without a permanent home, as of now having church services at my father-in-laws's house who is also the pastor of our tiny congregation. We lost our old church building a while back and we just decided we wanted to stay together no matter what. And it's been difficult at times and we've all suffered from discouragement, but we've kept on praying and we have stuck by one another, assured that God is going to do great things.

But several weeks ago, a man gave us land and building materials and his expertise and we are into building mode. Labor Day the church got together and worked on the church. It was a great day, though the sun was beatin' down all day and it was hot. The ladies cooked breakfast and dinner for the crew and sat around and "supervised". Even the kids got in on the action. We've got some great young people , I must say. They impress me, they really do. But here's some pictures of the day. I was so excited to see the walls go up and couldn't help but just look up and Thank God for his goodness to us.

Wall #1...YAY!!!!!!!!!

Jack doin Man Stuff....

Wall #2...

By the time we left they had almost all the exterior and interior walls up! They worked like dogs...

If you've been considering dropping a ton of money on a swingset...just don't. Get you a big ole pile of dirt...kept the kids busy for hours.

Have a Blessed Day!

I Love a Good Ole Fashioned Dunkin' !

2010-09-07T15:16:00.000-07:00

Sunday proved to be a beautiful day for a river baptism. I had been looking forward to the Sunday all week, the Lord was just so good to me! So after morning service and lunch, we joined our church family and a crowd of others down to Wolf River in Pall Mall. I love the Grist Mill area there and the water wasn't as cold as the dunkees were expecting. I remember my own baptism there almost 7 years ago. I was 8 months pregnant with Lillie Anna and I remember gettin down in that cold water and she seized up in my belly. I have a picture from that day and Lillie always asks who was in my belly when I got dunked. We had 5 get baptized, one being my lovely sister-in-law and three of the best young ladies I know. So here's the pics, excuse the horrid quality...my old camera doesn't zoom well and I couldn't get any closer or I'd been in the water...not something I want to do again.

Some Before Shots...
Here They GO!
One....
Two...
Three... Next....

And the littlest dunkee of the day...

Waterlogged... My father-in-law was telling us that night at service that a couple from Ohio commented that they really enjoyed watching the baptism...said that where they were from they had outlawed river baptism...what a shame. Other than seeing someone get saved it's one of the biggest blessings to be a part of.

Have a blessed day!

Tyler Edward: 2 Months

2010-09-07T15:06:00.000-07:00

My little man is growing up fast! Don't think I'm not trying to spoil him as fast as he is growing up, cause I am. The trials and times of worry and stress those 9 months are but a fading memory. I hope I never completely forget how many prayers God answered for me in those months or how He helped me everyday. How I love Him! And I love my little man-baby. Here's some recent pics of Ty-Guy...

Okay, does anyone else have trouble not laughing when a baby does this face?

Have a Blessed Day!

Finally...Pics of Tyler...

2010-07-26T10:31:00.000-07:00

The kids have torn up my camera, so now I have to fill up the memory stick and then go to Wal-Mart and order a CD to get my pics...so until I get a new camera, pics will be posted in mass quantities, sorry. But the cuteness should well make up for it, okay?

When we first brought him home...poor kid...This first one is a great shot of his scrawny legs that aren't so scrawny anymore...

Okay, and in the spirit of keepin' it real...Final shot...

Though my hair looks awful...I just thought that this shot was so hilarious!!!!

Have a blessed day!

Seeing Things Through Different Eyes...

2010-07-26T10:10:00.000-07:00

What a morning! Loaded all 4 kiddos up and was at the Health Dept. at 8 am. Chloe was being very difficult, but we made it through without too much incident. Then went to Wal-Mart and a nice elderly man, as I was swiftly passing by, said "My look at all those children..." Uh-oh, here it comes, I thought...I waited..."What a blessing." he said and smiled real big at me. I breathed both a sigh of relief and a breath of satisfaction. See, when I go out with all the kids, which isn't very often , I'm used to hearing lots of things. If you have more than two, possibly even more than one, child, you've heard them. The snide, often times rude comments people make. Even worse are "the looks". Anyone out there know what I'm talking about?

Well, I had to go to Kroger as well and that experience was quite different. The kids were all in meltdown mode and Lillie pitched the biggest Diva fit ever in the frozen food isle because I made her get off the bottom of the cart and let Jack ride because that little goober couldn't keep his shoes on his feet and Chloe was...well, Chloe...getting her little hand slapped repeatedly. THe only one that was good was Tyler, but he was asleep somewhere under the frozen food, I think. LOL. (Note to Anyone pondering having lots of kids real close together: Think about buggy/shopping cart logistics LOL) Well, so we're in the checkout and the meltdown is well into it's 2nd round. I'm writing checks, scanning cards, smacking hands, you name it, I'm multitasking. And then I catch it: The lady behind me. With "that look" on her face. That look of disdain and disbelief and near disgusted, the one that shouts "You ought to be ashamed of yourself for having that many kids , let alone bringing them out in public." . ANd I'm gonna get real here...for a moment, the enemy made me ashamed. He used that one look to shake me up , real good. I was, honestly, for a minute, ashamed of myself and almost cried right there in the checkout...but I couldn't let that happen. I rushed out and loaded the kids into the car and just sat in my seat and ate half a pack of two bite cupcakes (which, by the way, I can eat in one bite when I'm stressed) and fought back tears.

Della, you ought to be ashamed..but not of the size of your crew, but of your attitude towards what God has blessed you with.

I'm so glad GOd loves me, even when I mess up and let things go through my thoughts that shouldn't. That he forgives my moments of ingratitude. That lady behind me wasn't looking at my situation through the right eyes. I turned around and looked at my crew...really tried to see them as the One who created them and gave them breath sees them. Much like he sees you and me. Cranky, rebellious children with our selfish acts and tendencies, our inability to obey simple commands. Yet He loves us with a love that is not measureable by man's standards. So I challenge you that interact with children, to see them like God sees them...like He sees you.

Have a blessed day!

What My Children Have Taught Me...

2010-07-20T11:00:00.000-07:00

"While we try to teach our children all about life, our children teach us what life is all about."

As a mama to 4 (still can't get used to writing that) small children, my aspiration is to teach them everyday. Some days I teach them good things. Other days, to my shame, I'm afraid they're not learning to much good.

But every mama , I would imagine, could say that her children have taught her far more...things about herself, about life, and about God. I was pondering this thought the other morning and tried to think what my children have taught me about God, in particular.

Lillie, for instance, has taught me that God can completely transform a person's life, their attitudes, their point of view when they fully surrender and let him. I was saved by God's grace two days before I found out Lillie was on her way. Before that day, children were the furtherest thing from my mind. Children tied you down, made you give up things, were harder work than they were worth. I'm being honest. But I have maintained that God knew I would not be the best mother I could be aside from His hand on my life, the change salvation brings. So, he worked on me for a long time and when I finally accepted Him I had no idea that change was immediately on the horizon. I was scared sick when I found out I was pregnant. I am so not cut out for this, Lord was my thinking. But God knew otherwise and worked on changing my attitude and my heart and my nasty little ways from square one. Am I the best mother I can be? Nope, not by a longshot. But I am thankful that my attitude was changed and that God's hand has been so apparent in my life as I've tried and am still trying to learn how to be a mom.

Jack is my little miracle boy. Jack taught me that God's hand protects and that he's in control even when we don't see it and when we have no clue that there is anything we need protecting from. Had things not gone the way they did when he was born, he might not have been here today.

Chloe teaches me about God's patience and his mercy. She hit her terrible threes about a year early and with Tyler's arrival, man oh man, has she ever stepped it up. But then I look at the way she acts and I see, very clearly, that I act much the same way and God still loves me enough to have mercy.

And Tyler....well, he's taught me that God answers prayers and that He's able to do all things. I know God answers prayer...sometimes He does it and we miss it, or He does and , because it's not how we would have done it, we dismiss it. But I can't remember a time in my life since I've been saved that He's blatantly answered so many prayers. God has been with me every step of this journey and He will continue to be...of this I am certain.

So, what have your children taught you?

Have a blessed day.

And Tyler Makes 4....

2010-07-17T07:55:00.001-07:00

So, it's been two weeks since we brought Tyler home and it's a madhouse around here! Nothing new, though. The first week I was left wondering when we would feel like a "family". I think there's always that brief time when a new baby is born that everyone is out of sorts, trying to figure out where they'll fit in in this new arrangement. Lillie is faced with more responsibility, something she's done okay with and has been very helpful. Jack is no longer the lone boy and Chloe....well, she's no longer the "baby" of the family. I am no longer the mother of three, but the mother of four and questioning on a daily basis to some extent if I'm qualified. Blessed, yes, qualified...not so sure about that one. But we are becoming a family and for that I am thankful. Having 4 is not much different from 3 in alot of ways. In some ways, like when I took all 4 to the store (crazy, I know), it's very different. But now that I'm in the thick of it, I wouldn't trade it for anything.

Have a Blessed day!

Musings of a Last Time Baby Momma...

2010-07-09T07:33:00.000-07:00

After the first two days back home, things have fallen easily into place (which by the way makes me nervous). The new has worn off and the kids have resumed their normal mode of craziness, the house is staying relatively clean and tidy, and last night Ty woke up at 1 and 5 and sleeps most of the day which is cool with me cause I can get things done.

But this morning Jack asked me if I was ever gonna stop holding Tyler. I had to smile as I explained that I don't hold him ALL the time, but that he's a baby and can't do much for himself right now.

Then the thought came to me...this is the last baby I will have (as far as flesh and blood babies go). And though I have no qualms about the decision, this realization has changed the way I think and deal with things.

With the other three, there was never that thought of this is the final chapter of babies...there was always that chance. So I remember bits and pieces of when they were babies, mostly cause I was so busy trying to figure motherhood out and finding my niche and keeping it all together as best I could, that babyhood flew right past me before I could blink an eye. Three seasons passed by and I didn't make the best of that time.

So I resolved this morning that I will enjoy this season. All the dirty diapers, the late nights up, the fussiness in the morning, the sweet little kisses and smiles and squeaks and grunts. It is a season afterall, and a short one at that. And when that last diaper goes into the trash , the last bottle emptied, the baby clothes given away, I will be able to look back and say that I didn't endure this time, but enjoyed it to the fullest.

Have a Blessed Day!

Okay, I'm Back...

2010-07-05T10:21:00.000-07:00

Have been incredibly busy the last couple of days and not felt much like being on the computer. Tyler Edward was born on July 1st at Erlanger in Chattanooga and a whopping 7 lbs. 5 oz and 20 inches of scrawny goodness. I'm not kidding, he's SKINNY!!!!! Bad thing is my kids have torn up my digital camera so I only have a few pics Dad took while in the hospital. He was healthy and his platelet count though a little low, grew over the next two days so we, thankfully didn't have to stay long. I am glad to be back home, but yesterday was my "What In the World Am I Going to Do " Day. I blame it on the amount of pain and the fact that I can't move like I want to. Today, the pain is much better , so I'm praying for improvement everyday and the Lord has really been with me. I won't write much today, just enough to update everyone and show him off, hopefully I'll get some good pictures with his eyes open. He looks alot like Chloe did when she was born, but he's built like Lillie was. He's pretty mellow it seems for now, though he eats pretty regularly, but so far he also sleeps mostly in the day and wakes up a little at night, but I'm used to being up at night, so I'd rather have the time to get things done during the day. I'll write more when time allows. Thanks so much to everyone who prayed and helped...my parents and inlaws and sister and Shanna for keeping the kids during my appointments and treatments. To Dr. Gernt and Dr. Sunny and Natalie my nurse for doing their jobs right and giving me a laugh while doing it. Thanks mostly to the Lord for he has been so very good to me and answered more prayers than I remember having outright answered in awhile, he's really made his prescence and love known.

Update

2010-06-07T12:08:00.000-07:00

Still doing the weekly treatments and doing well on them. Here's a couple of updated ultrasound pictures taken recently.

May 2010

June 2010

Easter 2010 and Some Other Randomness...

2010-04-07T05:29:00.000-07:00

Had a really nice Easter, enjoyed getting the girls all gussied up and my little man was so handsome. Jody was sick on the downside, but feeling much better. Before I get into the pictures, just to update everyone. THe home treatments are going well, lovin' my nurse, she brings me food to fatten me up, though it's not really working as I haven't gained but 5 pounds. Have a new specialist in Cookeville from Erlanger, Dr. Sunny, love her. Hoping to still be able to deliver in Cookeville and be close to home. Pray for that, okay? Ultrasound looks good, so far no signs of any kind of cranial bleed, praise the Lord!

Now, onto pictures...

I am reminded why I like to take pictures of barns and things that sit still....

Jackson dancing with Chloe...He thought his sisters "Were Sooooooooo Beautiful." He's a sweetie.

Walked out onto the porch the other day to see this gruesome sight. Perhaps my kids watch too many National Geographic Animal Video clips online???????Have a blessed day!

Walking Reminder...

2010-03-02T03:37:00.000-08:00

"Only fear the Lord, and serve him in truth with all your heart; for consider what great things he hath done for you." 1 Samuel 12:24

Started revival last night at church. Crowd was down, but that didn't worry the Lord one bit...he sure did meet with us. Brother Kevin Melton , under the leadership of the Lord , preached just exactly the message I needed to hear: Some things we need to consider.

So many times we dwell on the negative,on the bad, on the uncertainty of a future that God already has hold on...when we'd be a whole lot better off to consider a few things.

How Jesus suffered for us when he didn't have to, how he's been right there and helped us when we thought we could go no further, how he's coming back to give eyes to our faith.

That got me to considering almost 5 years back...

I was going in for my weekly ob appointment. I was at 36 weeks with Jackson and it was to be routine. But sometimes God shakes up routine, doesn't he? He was still transverse and my belly looked a sight...let me assure you. The doctor wanted to turn him so she did an ultrasound only to discover the little guy was swimming around in a dry pool. I had been leaking amniotic fluid and had no idea. So what started out as any other doctor's appointment turned into an emergency c section. Well, the surgery went fine, but upon circumsising him, he began to bleed a whole lot and they couldn't stop it. So, he ended up taking a ride to Knoxville to the NICU at Children's Hospital.

Turned out he had a condition called fetal alloimmune thrombo cytopenia, which is just fancy medical talk for "Start freaking out, his blood won't clot causing all sorts of nastiness and bad stuff."
At the time I was just in a panic survivial mode, didn't really pay attention to all the jargon being slung...just knew I wanted it to be done with and get the little guy home.

Well, now I'm faced head on with the same scenario, only this time I know about it and can not use ignorance to comfort myself. Our new little guy is an unwanted guest in my body, sorry to say. As we speak antibodies are attacking the little guy's platelets bent on destroying every last one of them. But we caught it early and it can be treated. The biggest threat to little guy is an intercranial hemmorage in utero. Most babies that have complications or die from this condition do so hours after delivery because of the stress on the head going through the birth canal. I was going to have a c section anyway, so that's probably a non-issue. But still the thought of what could happen while he's yet inside plagues me with worry every once in a while.

Now we're back full circle to the message last night...to considering the great things God has done for me...and you if you'd think on it a bit.

Jackson was born a month early because of low amniotic fluid and not being turned right...a c section was the only means of getting him out. Had that not been the scenario (which at the time and until recently looking back on it) he'd have been born regular and possibly have died from the thrombo cytopenia. So once again, God worked it all out. I don't understand why he does things the way He does sometimes, but He always seems to work it out.

I also don't claim to know what plan and purpose he has for my children in the future. But I do believe this...without a doubt, God looked down through time and saw that I would be faced with this situation. He'd knew I'd freak and be scared and worry and not consider HIM and what He's able to do...so he gave me a walking , talking, eating, dino-wannabe, reminder everyday that He took care of it once and He can take care of it again. Jackson is my reminder that God doesn't dabble in randomness, though at times His working seems random. It's all connected. It would do us all good to CONSIDER HIM.
Pray for us, as I know, more so today than ever, that it works. HE hears and HE answers and HE can be trusted to take the wheel.

Have a blessed (and consider-it) day!

Ramblings of a Homeschool Mom

2010-02-25T08:28:00.000-08:00

I would love to read a book entirely devoted to the things people say to homeschool moms in the checkout line, I really would. I'm sure it would be a hoot.

Ever had a friend, family member, complete and total stranger in the checkout line at Wal-Mart ,upon finding out that you homeschool, quiz your children in hopes of proving that they can't possibly know anything with you as their teacher?

I don't go around quizzing public school children on their knowledge and no one else seems to be doing that either. There's several reasons I don't do it and think others ought not to do it to homeschoolers either...

1. It's extremely rude.

2. I think it's extremely ignorant to assume that any child isn't smart because of where they go to get their education.

3. It's really NONE OF MY BUSINESS! Last time I checked no one died and made me chief of the intelligence police.

I mean, I am math dumb when it comes to throwing letters in with numbers. I never "got" algebra until my second year of college. Does that mean I was dumb? That the public school system failed me, my parents made a mistake? NO, of course not...all it means is that I never liked math and thus never applied myself to doing any more than just surviving until I was old enough to choose to use a calculator whenever I wanted.

I don't voluntarily offer my opinion to a mother or father who chooses to public school, however , everywhere I go I am attacked and criticized by people over my choice to homeschool my children...doesn't seem fair, really. I actually had a cashier at Wal-Mart tell me that I was a bad parent to be homeschooling and that she thought it ought to be illegal...yet she could offer no good reason why she held that opinion...I however, have plenty to say on the matter.

Public school as we know it today hasn't always been around and has never been the only option allowed to educate children. As long as parents followed the laws governing homeschool throughout the years, homeschool has been a viable option, though not without it's bumps in the road. I'm for options and for the parent's right to choose the option they feel is best for their families. I am not a public school basher! I want to say that again. I AM NOT A PUBLIC SCHOOL BASHER! I am a product of public school and I'm fine...my dad was a school teacher for over 30 years and it helped pay the bills for quite some time. So, I don't down public schools or the teachers. I think the huge majority (aside from a few bad seeds we hear about in the news)of public school teachers do a great job and I commend and respect them. Do I see things I'd like to change? Sure...you do to if you'd be honest regardless of your lean toward in educational matters. That being said, I also see things here in our little homeschool on a daily basis that require change...curriculum, approach, routine, attitudes, diapers etc... No means of educating our kids is without it's mistakes and messiness, okay?

Do I think they ought to shut the doors on the public schools? NO! NO! NO!

Do I think everyone on the planet ought to homeschool? No. I've said it many times before , to be a successful and effective homeschooler, you have to feel a certain call to do it. Just as any public school teacher or private school teacher has to feel a call and have a passion for educating young minds to be truly effective. I had teachers during my school career that loved what they did, had a passion for the material and thus were the best teachers in my eyes. I also had some that just seemed to be...there, for whatever reason...I never learned much from them.

A good friend of mine and I were talking the other night about attitudes we've encountered. She told me of a time at the drink dispenser at McDonald's when a woman made the comment upon discovering that school had not been called off for the day but that the gaggle of kids were homeschoolers, that her daughter never could have been a successful doctor if she had been homeschooled. And she was right to a certain point, I'm sure. If she had tried to homeschool and not been successful, her daughter might have gone a different road. But her meaning was to say that she didn't think homeschoolers could be successful, well-rounded individuals. This is one of those arguments I both love and dread to hear. So, let me throw some names out there for you...

Leonardo DaVinci, Mozart, Stonewall Jackson, Douglas McArthur, Alexander Graham Bell, Thomas Edison, Wilbur and Orville Wright, 10 US presidents including Lincoln, Washington, Thomas Jefferson, Franklin Roosevelt and Teddy Roosevelt, Dwight Moody, John Newton, George Washington Carver, EINSTEIN, Booker T. Washington, Pierre Curie, Blaise Pascal, Winston Churchill, Patrick Henry, Ben Franklin, Supreme Court Judge John Marshall, Hans Christian Anderson, Charles Dickens, Mark Twain, C.S. Lewis, Ansel Adams, Clara Barton, Sandra Day O'Conner, Father of the US Navy John Paul Jones, Sally Ride (1st female astronaut), Florence Nightingale, Andrew Carnegie, and my personal favorite being a baptist and all...Colonel Sanders. Pretty sorry bunch, wouldn't you say? So the argument that homeschoolers are somehow inferior in intelligence to others doesn't really hold water with me. I mean EINSTEIN, for heaven's sake!!!!!!

But, skeptics and critics will be around every bend when you go off the mainstream path. Is it fair, no , not really. I will not apologize for my choice to homeschool, will not retract my praise for it when it's done right...I will not lay down and quit because other's make fun or make comments that are ignorant. If anything it will fuel my passion and pave in concrete my position, renew my resolve. The road of homeschooling is narrow and weedy, sometimes muddy and can be very lonely sometimes. But I always quote the last stanza of Robert Frost's Poem "The Road Not Taken" when I find myself getting discouraged:

I shall be telling this with a sigh

Somewhere ages and ages since

Two roads diverged in a wood-and I

I took the one less traveled by

And that has made all the difference.

Have a blessed day!

WHew...What a Relief !

2010-02-19T09:02:00.000-08:00

Feeling very blessed and excited this morning! Just paid off credit cards and the only car we owed anything on. Today is a day of reflection on just how blessed we have been. Several years ago, when I first started to stay home, we ran into some financial trouble. Like many young immature couples, my husband and I thought our combined credit scores and incomes would be best used acquiring "things". New vehicles, when the ones we had still ran, had plenty of room in them and were a year within being paid for. A four wheeler that was fun, but costs us too much a month. In short, we wasted our money. When we should have been living frugally like we do now (not by choice as much as necessity) and buying a piece of property and building us a little house, our eyes were full of materialism. Well, when Lillie came along, we decided that my place was at home. A decision neither JOdy or I regret (except when money stresses us out). So the new vehicles went, the four wheeler gone...yet still things were so tight. I'll not bore with endless details, but three kids later, we were saddled with a huge car payment (another dumb, impulsive move we thought we had to make at the time) a mortgage, small credit card debt along with the basics needed to survive...and...no job. Jody losing his job was the BEST thing that has ever happened to us. We've had lots of wake up calls in our 8 year marriage, but this one has really shaped us more so than any other. We have grown up (though we still have alot of that to do) and we made it through the Lord's help and others to make it through the unemployment, Jody's schooling and job hunting. The Lord blessed him with a job right out of the gate that is wonderful and though has it's daily challenges is something he enjoys which makes me very happy. And today...I feel, for the first time in a long time, FREE of the financial burdens we have gotten ourselves into. We have learned that priorities are everything. The stuff of this world doesn't hold the same appeal. Now we want some land and a small modest house to call our own, our kids to be provided for but not spoiled and we are TIRED of debt.
Things will still be tight sometimes, but we're armed with the knowledge of our past mistakes and are capable of adjusting our perspectives. God has blessed, for sure and has seen us through a long dark valley that we are finally seeing an end to. Advice to new couples...and really any couples...debt stinks...stay away from any of it that's not necessary. Realize that what your parents have after 30 years is from 30 years of hard work and sacrifice...most can't obtain 30 years of financial blessing in 2 months of marriage! Learn to live frugally, below your means, and be content with what GOd blesses you with. It is when we become discontent that we make dumb money choices and get into such messes.
So, happy independence day to me! God has done so much and is working even now and I can't wait to see what he does in every aspect of my life.
Have a blessed day!