Homeschool Day

In our house, just about everyday is homeschool day. After all, we ARE homeschoolers. It's my goal to add more of what we do every week. I always love seeing what others homeschoolers are doing, so maybe you'll be interested to see how we do things, too.

First, though, I wanted to show you a couple of books that we are really getting a lot out of. The first one is Teach Your Child To Read in 100 Easy Lessons. We LOVE this book! I admit, I was skeptical at first. There's a little bit of preparation on your part, first, but it's not bad. It's worth taking the time, though, to read through all the prep work. It makes a big difference. For me, it's hard to stop to take the time...I want to just rush right through it and get to the bottom line! I'm one of those "just-tell-me-how-to-do-I-don't-want-to-read-the-instruction-manual" type of people. But, I DID take the time, grudgingly, and read it.

We're only on lesson 16, but already I see great progress in Ainsley! She's reading, y'all! With only 16 lessons. I highly recommend this if your child is just starting to read or needs extra help.

Here's another book we love. I've had this one for years and years. We used it a lot when the four older ones were younger. We set aside Fridays as Fun Friday and did art projects all day. The kids loved it. Our favorite was a "stained glass" project made out of colored tissue paper. It was so pretty! The projects take anywhere from an hour to a week to do.

This month we're learning about the body. We found all of these printouts at homeschoolshare.com. They have a fabulous website and you can find a ton of stuff on there for just about any project.

One neat thing we did (I forgot to take a photo of it!) was a tracing of her entire body. I didn't have butcher paper that was big enough so we taped a bunch of printer paper together until it was big enough for her to lay on. Then, I traced all around her. We hung it in our hallway (the only empty wall space!) and as she learns new things about her body, she draws it on her outline. We just finished with her teeth - she drew ALL pointy teeth on the mouth. Kinda scary!

Next week, we'll do eyes.

What are you doing this week?

Happy Homeschooling!

Allermates

Got this idea from Alyssa over at Bloggin 2 Noggin! Thanks, Alyssa.

We have a couple of family members who are allergic to certain foods and pollen. When I read about this on Alyssa's blog, I knew I had to share with you, too.

Allermates is a new company that makes necklaces and wristbands for kids who have allergies. The little characters are fun and colorful. Kids would love to wear these tags. Hey, even adults would love to wear them.

First Day of College

Wow! Two more off to college! I can hardly believe it. It seems like just yesterday that we were starting our homeschool journey. How time flies!

Technically, we're not finished with their high school years though. After the first two jumped the next we decided to go a slightly different route with the next two entering high school. Their ninth grade year was spend in hard study on a semester system. We completed two full years in one school year with this method.

Now, as they complete their college courses they will also earn the rest of their high school credits. By the time they're 18 they will have graduated high school with college level courses AND have an associate degree from a technical college!

They grow up so fast, don't they? I'm pretty sure I was MUCH more excited than they were. Of course, being homeschool most of their school career, I'm certain they were a little unsure of what to expect. But, seeing as how their father works for the college, they've spent lots of time there already and know their way around. Lucky girls to have that advantage!

And now, there's just one left at home. Well, the college girls still live at home, of course, but I'm down to teaching only one. It's only been a couple of days but I'm already finding I have a little more time to spend with her. I'm trying a new approach with this last child - lapbooking. We did a Cinderella lapbook in the fall and she really loved the hands-on experience. So, we're about to embark on a Human Body lapbook. I'll post about that tomorrow.

Happy Homeschooling!

Dana

Resolutions

Like everyone else, I usually make the same resolutions every year. Lose weight, exercise more, eat healthier. While these are definitely goals I would still like to accomplish and ones I will still work towards, I think I'm going to set my sights on something entirely new this year. Actually, three somethings.

1. I'd like to read my bible more. This past year I've taken some bible studies at my church and discovered that I really love them! Like so many others, I'm especially drawn to Beth Moore. I began following her blog several months ago and really enjoy reading it. She is so down-to-earth and chases Jesus with everyday with every fiber of her being. I want to be more like her.

2. The second goal I'd like to concentrate on is my marriage. Don't get me wrong, I have a great marriage to my best friend. But sometimes we get so wrapped up in our everyday routines that we forget to take time just for each other. This year is going to be especially busy for us as four out of our five family members will be in college. The fifth member will be finishing her preK at home. And that doesn't include the outside activities of church and other things.

3. My third resolution is something I've been thinking about for some time. Human trafficking. I became interested in this some months ago when I watched a Lifetime movie, Human Trafficking. I was shocked and utterly outraged after watching that movie that I wanted to do something about it. After months of thinking about, I've started another blog to help raise awareness. So, that's my third goal for the year.

I hope you will visit my blog, The Anti-Slavery Project, and help me raise awareness of human trafficking.

I hope all of you will have your resolutions and wishes fulfilled this year.

Happy New Year!

Dana

New Year's Resolution - New Blog

Dear Readers,

I have had a very nasty seed lurking in my brain for some time now. I have tried to ignore it but it keeps raising its ugly head and poking at me. It is demanding my attention. In fact, I blogged about it sometime last year, I think, but I quickly decided that this blog was definitely not the place for it.

It's not what you might think. It's far worse.

The topic: Human Trafficking.

I've started a new blog that will be dedicated to raising awareness of this terrible evil. I'm not a professional blogger and I have no experience in this field. I am simply an anti-slavery advocate that hopes I can somehow help a little in the fight against human slavery. It's a very real problem and it's happening every day in our own neighborhoods!

If you feel led, you can read my new blog, The Anti-Slavery Project. Feel free to follow if you are interested in learning more.

A Simple Christmas

We're a fairly large family and usually have so much going on that it makes my head spin...for days! With five kids, one of them with children of his own now, our household fills up quickly when we have everyone over. Normally, Christmas at our house is a very noisy production with lots and lots and lots of wrapping paper! And food.

But, this year, four of our five kids were spending Christmas somewhere else. We had only one child at home this year and let me tell you, it was a very strange feeling. Normally, Santa only brings a certain amount of gifts for each child - usually no more than 10 (one big gift and several smaller ones). This year, those 10 gifts for the one child looked rather slim under the tree. So she ended up with 15, I think. We had to remind ourselves that Christmas is not just about getting presents - it's about keeping Christ in it!

So, we decided to keep it simple this year. On Christmas Eve, we made cookies for Santa.

We got up at 8am to open gifts, then did nothing all day long but play with our child's new toys. One of our other children (Zach) and his family came over for dinner. Dinner consisted of Swedish meatballs over pasta, caesar salad (from a bag), Steamer veggies, and french bread. Dessert was a pre-made coconut cake with egg nog. It took me less than 30 minutes to make dinner.

My husband was so pleased that we're doing it again next year! We so enjoyed just being able to slow down and spend some quality time with our family rather than being in the kitchen for hours and hours and then doing piles of dishes and before you know it, the day is gone.

I have to say, there is something very special about having a very simple Christmas.

I hope all of you were able to spend some quality time with your families!

Dana

I received this article from a friend of mine. It comes from Proverbs 31 Ministries. I loved it so much I wanted to share with you!







I Don't Want to Raise Successful Children
19 Nov 2009
Lysa TerKeurst

"Train a child in the way he should go, and when he is old he will not turn from it." Proverbs 22:6 (NIV)

I don't want to raise successful children. That's a shocking thing to read, and a shocking thing for a mother to type. So, let me clarify.

I used to define success according to my child's report card. Good grades and academic achievement would surely equal a good child with great potential in this world. But then several of my children wound up being average students with average grades. Though we carted them off to tutors and spent many a late night at the kitchen table helping them, they remained average. And I remained concerned and frustrated.

One report card day I found myself facedown in the fibers of my carpet crying and wondering, "Where have I gone wrong as a mom?"

I dug into Scriptures. I begged God for wisdom and discernment. I prayed for God's perspective with each of my kids. Finally, one day it dawned on me - what if I simply chose to embrace the natural bent of each of my kids as God's way to protect them and keep them on the path toward His best plans for their lives?

What if my A student needs academic success to prepare her for God's plans while my average to below-average student needs to be steered away from a more academic future? What if my sports star kid needs that athletic excellence for his future assignments by God, but my benchwarmer kid is being protected from getting off course by her lack in this area?

And that's when it finally dawned on me. My job isn't to push success for my kids. My job as a parent is to recognize the unique way God created each child and point them to Jesus at every turn along their journey toward adulthood. Yes, I want my kids to learn and thrive and grow up educated, but it's not a flaw in me or them if they don't have straight A report cards and trophy cases full of sports medals.

Proverbs 22:6 says, "Train a child in the way he should go, and when he is old he will not turn from it" (NIV).

I am challenged to ponder these words, "… in the way he should go." Are we training our kids that the "way he should go" is to chase worldly achievement or to chase God? Whatever they learn to chase as a child, they will chase as adults. Therefore, we must be challenged to honestly assess the way we are pointing them to go.

My daughter, Hope, is one of my average students. She has also warmed many a bench in the sports she's tried, and can always be found hiding on the back row of the stage during school concerts. Using the world's benchmarks for achievement, Hope wouldn't be seen as a child positioned for success. But God…

This past January, my 15 year old Hope, shocked me when she announced she wanted to go to Ethiopia with some missionary friends of ours and live in the remote African bush for the summer. Yes, she may not have trophies and straight A report cards but she does have a heart of gold. And because she's not entrenched in sports and academic pursuits that could have created obligations for her summer, she was free to go to Africa. Free to chase God in a really big way.

One of the first e-mails she sent me from Ethiopia read, "Mom, I've fallen in love with the AIDS orphanage children. They rushed at me when I held my arms out and I tried with all my might to hold all 30 of them at once. I love it here."

Now, don't get me wrong. I do expect Hope to return to her studies this fall, give 100% effort, and finish her high school career having done her very best. She will most likely then go to college. But she probably won't be delivering the valedictorian address or wearing the honors cords and medals. She'll be the one with a vision of a dying AIDS orphan pressing against her heart ready to chase God's plans to the ends of the earth.

So back to my original statement, I don't want to raise successful children. It's true, I don't. Though Hope's sister coming behind her is an A student and can always be found on the front row of school performances - we don't chase after success for her either. I trust God that she needs those things in her life for the plans He's unfolding in her life. We train with that bent in mind. But, we don't chase it. Just like Hope, we point her in the direction of God at every turn and pray like crazy.

I stand by what I said and I'll say it again, I don't want to raise successful children. Because--- raising God-honoring adults who will set the world on fire for Christ is just so much more rewarding.

Dear Lord, being a mom is a really tough job. Please help me, teach me and show me how to define success for my kids. In Jesus' Name, Amen.