Hen and Chicks

* sometimes, it all really works *

The day started early for me, which is how all of the really good days begin. 

I read in Hebrews a bit, checked my e-mail, and then woke up my youngest son, H, who wanted to get up early and look around at the on-line Scout Shop.  While he was waking I went and got honest-to-goodness dressed!  I got H set up at the computer and then figured that since he's up I might as well wake up his older brother, J, too.  I started the never-ending-vortex blessed chore of laundry for the day, and then made up a new school schedule for the baby girl, only daughter R, by which time her radar had gone off and she, too, was awake for the day.

Breakfast, consisting of  incredibly not healthy left-over pizza, was finished by 8:15 am and our school day was started.  They all automatically started on their math without me even saying anything, so I let them have at it!  Who am I to interrupt the flow?  Well, I did interrupt to show the boys the new style assignment sheet that I made for R and asked if they would like one.  J said sure but H said that he'd rather have the old kind.  Yep.  He's my traditionalist!  We're all happily sitting at the table, busily engaged in our own endeavors - me especially happy because they are working without me asking =-O and because I get to do assignment sheets!!  If I had to pick a very favorite part of homeschooling, it would hands down be planning!  I could spend days mapping out the whole year, and even if only half of it ever came to fruition, I'd still be good.

While assigning, I notice that H hasn't been assigned any specific reading (he's just had free reading for the last month) and so I give him the next Pathways Reader -- with the bad news that since I don't have the workbook for this, he'll just have to settle for reading the book alone without any workbook pages.  Visibly ecstatic, delighted, Trying his hardest to control his emotions, he tells me "That's all right, Mom."  (I really don't have the workbook but I was also having a little bit of summertime pity on this younger son who does not enjoy workbooks - not all workbooks, mind you, just the ones that ask him really hard questions like "What do YOU think?")  He quickly finishes his math and settles on the couch almost gleefully to enjoy his new workbook-free reader. 

By  the time I finish with the assignment sheets, they are done with their math and reading, respectively, so we gather on the couch for our time together.  We read Proverbs 31, sung Saviour Like a Shepherd (chosen by R) and A Mighty Fortress (chosen by J), then they each played their favorite song that they're currently practicing on the piano.  Afterwards, we had a discussion about what schoolwork will be brought along when we vacation at the beach in October.  If you're interested, J will bring Biology, Math, and the books he is reading for US History and History of Classical Music;  H will bring Math, Science and his reading; R said right off "Math!" followed by her piano books, which they all will take since the house we are renting has a piano.  We'll also bring the books that she and I are reading and projects we're working on as part of Training Our Daughters To Be Keepers At Home.

Now that that's all settled, for the time being anyhow, Onward Ho!  H sits down to do his science and J settles in to start a biography on J.S.Bach.  I'm on the laptop at the table deciding if I should purchase the workbooks H will need now, or wait a few weeks, and then trying to guage how quickly R will finish Beta (Math) and will need the student books for Gamma.  Meanwhile, R is next to me and has done the Before stuff in her workbook and is now reading the story.  When she's finished reading, we go through the questions together and she is delighted to be able to tell me all the things that happened in the story.  By the way, I decided that I can wait on all the curriculum -- but I really do need to get busy and order Biology for J so that he's ready to go when the class starts in September.  During this time, J and I also have a discussion of his next, last (sob!) four years of school and the pace he wants to set for himself as far as his math and science books go.  (These are really good to have every now and then because they get him motivated to focus and see his goal.)

11:45 am means an early lunch for us.  They have 45 minutes before we sit down to read again.

After lunch, we settle on the couch again, this time to read our Eastern Hemisphere history/social studies together.  Two chapters of Born in the Year of Courage, then we watch a DVD on Japanese history.  Because of a discussion we get into, we re-watch part of yesterday's DVD about the Samurai Swords and how they are made in order to verify a point.   R takes her turn of practicing the piano, H heads to the bedroom to do Spanish, and J sits down to write in his journal.  I crochet while R practices, and fold laundry, offering tips and a soothing voice when needed. 

The day goes by and soon it's time for dinner.  R and I put on our aprons and head to the kitchen.  I've already started some Foccacia bread, on the dough cycle in the bread machine, so she starts cooking the onions and sausage while I go to the pantry for the rest of our ingredients.  She unloads  the dishwasher while I cut tomatoes into our sauce and start the water for the pasta.  Simmer, boil, stir, test, grate cheese, drain, mix, bake, and bake again.  Dinner is on the table and is delicious.  Husband says it is the best batch of Foccacia we've had yet!  I always use the same recipe, so maybe his tastebuds were just really hungry for it!

Dinner is all cleaned up - the boys pitched in and helped R, who is currently on dinner duty.  We decide to go for a walk.  Even Husband comes!  On the way back, J gathers some newspapers from the recycling bins that have been set out for our pick-up tomorrow.  He shreds them for worm bedding.  Yes, he's a Vermiculturist!  After doing a last load of laundry for the day, I settle on the couch to crochet some more.  R settles in next to me and builds with the Klutz Castle cards.  J & H are busy at the table sorting the papers, then shredding them in preparation for his worms.

The call for "Bed!" is made, finally.  Everyone cleans up what they were doing, including me, and the house looks great and ready for a new day tomorrow!

Now I have to add one thing: neither of the boys practiced the piano today, which means they will each have to put $1.50 into our Evangelizing Can tomorrow.   Since Daddy works hard and pays for their lessons, it is their responsibility to practice.  If they don't then they have to pay for the time they missed.  Also, our can used to just be for mad money, but now we've all agreed that we're going to use the money we collect in it to buy tracts to hand out to people, to share with those in need, and to help support national pastors through Gospel Link.

Everyone went to bed happily, after a full day of work and plans and purpose.

What more can I ask?

He hath done all things well.  Mark 7:37

* homeschool: journaling *

I got up early this morning - What a blessing!!  I'm dressed and ready for the day, the laundry is started, breakfast is in the oven, I've had a chance to go over our plans for the day, and it's almost time to wake up the children!

I wanted to recommend a great little creative writing booklet -

From Heart to Page:  Journaling Through The Year For Young Writers   by Michelle Van Loon

It is filled with suggestions for 180 days of journaling ideas, broken up into four seasons.  A few of the ones for summer are:

*Draw your family tree.  Use 3 adjectives to describe each person on there that you know.  For example, Grandpa Harry: funny, giving, roly-poly.

*Now, pick one of those people and tell about them in more detail.  What do they look like?  What do they like doing?  How old are they?  What makes him or her special to you?

*Study your face in the mirror for a couple of minutes.  Then come back to your journal and describe what you saw.

*Plan a menu for a special meal.  What sort of event will your meal celebrate?  Make a list of the foods you'd like to serve at this meal.  Decorate your journal page to go along with your menu if you wish. 

*What do you wonder most about God?  What would you like to know about Him?  Write your thoughts in the form of a prayer to him today.

*Make a list of what you did yesterday.  Be as detailed as you can!

*Close your eyes for three minutes and listen.  Then open them and write about all of the different sounds that you heard.

*Sketch a picture of your house from outside.

*Which room do you like best in your house?  Why?

*Can you draw a comic strip or a cartoon today?  Try to feature at least 2 different characters having a conversation or sharing a joke.

*Have you tried anything new lately?  New food, new experience, new friend?  What made it new?

* ode to the hippo *

Written by DS2 during our time of working at the County Fair and recently discovered while cleaning the bedroom.  Posted for your enjoyment  ;-)

O, Proud and Majestic Hippo

How handsome and honorable is he

As he stomps about his kingdom of grass

How great and noble is he

*

O, Proud and Majestic Hippo

As he swims in his sparkling pool

And chases the little fishes bright

Over all that he sees does he rule

*

O, Proud and Majestic Hippo

With muscles so powerful and strong

His bones as hard as iron bars

And his teeth so great and long

*

O, Proud and Majestic Hippo

Will thy noble deeds ever end?

O, Proud and Majestic Hippo

I will sing of thy deeds – again

*

O, Proud and Majestic Hippo

How handsome and honorable is he

As he stomps about his kingdom of grass

How great and noble is he

*

Please see also DS3's Hippo Acrostic, and the reason why we have so much Hippo love happening in our home.

* homeschooling vote *

Found this information at the Welcome Home Blog :

Go HERE to read and to Vote on whether parents should have teaching credentials in order to homeschool their own children.

* lifestyle of learning *

Today we went to a Homeschool Used Curriculum sale and found some great things!

One of my treasures is a set of books by Marilyn Howshall, her series on Wisdom's Way of Learning which I've read about for a few years from Barb Shelton, but have never come across.  Well, I'm 24 pages into the first book, The Science, Art, and Tools of Learning; Understanding the Biblical S.A.T.'s, of a four book set and I can tell that great things are in store.

I don't know if I have shared these before, but here are a few links for you to read on your own, if you are interested in a more natural, biblical way of learning for yourself and your children:

Barb Shelton's main site - Homeschool Oasis

Information about Lifestyle of Learning

A review of Marilyn's Wisdom's Way of Learning

And another one: Homeschooling with a Lifestyle of Learning

Introduction to Barb's Homeschool Course

Season of Re-Education & Renewing of the Mind

A long but excellent and very thought-provoking article that every Christian homeschooling parent should read - Obeying the Law, Testing & "Qualifying" to Homeschool

I would love to hear your thoughts on any of these subjects.

"The Lifestyle of Learning message is not about how to homeschool, even though it gives many practical guidelines to help you facilitate the education of your family.  More than that, it is about learning how to live a principle-based life, where parents seek God for wisdom, and commit to upgrading their own education so that in turn they will be able to implement a self-diciplined education into their children's lives, and train their children in every area of need which will include academic disciplines.  If your beginning premise is to develop a rich lifestyle of purpose to which you add good things as the Lord leads, you will never overdo it with curriculums and programs.  Rather, you will keep any such aid in its proper place and use it instead of it using you.  The Lifestyle of Learning message has been lovingly prepared to equip homeschooling parents to provide a distinctively Christian education for their families - one uniquely suited to their individual circumstances and needs - a way that is not burdensome."    Marilyn Howshall

* working at the fair again *

We are back to work this year for our second round of volunterring at our local County Fair, which is why things have been rather sparse around here.

We've all been busy getting tables set up, accepting entries and organizing them, proofing the judging sheets to make sure all is in order, clerking for the various judges (guiding them through the entries and keeping track of their decisions), then making sure that everything in the judging books are in order before the judge (and me!) signs the bottom of every sheet so that it's official, getting a place sticker on the appropriate items and Best Of ribbons on the appropriate items, "decorating" and getting the judged entries off the tables and out into the room so that we are ready for the next round of entries, which will all get repeated three times total before the Fair opens later this week.

Today will be busy but it will mostly be paperwork.  Finish proofing the judging sheets in readiness for judging Monday, and then make sure that everything else is in readiness for our back to back days of Horticulture/Food entries Tuesday with judging Wednesday and the opening of the Fair on Thursday.  Not a whole lot of time to breathe between now and then.

It has been great this year.  A few new people working, but really capable and willing to do whatever needs doing, which is so great.  Since the children volunteered with me last year, this year we have many more young people helping out, which really is a help.  (Workers bringing their own children or another mom who drops off  her older son and daughter to help.)  There are so many little things to do - fetch and carry items from one place or building to another, pick-ups, attaching tags, sorting entries by entry number, help carry larger items (for our young men), and a particularly appreciated benefit is helping teacher's bring in their entries from the car to the building especially when that teacher has a whole school worth of entries!!  And what a testimony that is, too.  Several of the teachers have asked, of course, where the children go to school.   Most of the time they ask the children, who always readily answer "HomeSchool."   "Do you like it?" always seems to be the next question, which is answered with a smiling, "Yes!"  By the time the children have helped sort, tag, and carry off the entries to their proper place, the teacher will usually say something very nice to me about how helpful, well-behaved, courteous, etc. the children are and how nice it is that they are homeschooled.  One teacher, in particular, this year asked me right off the bat if my children were hoomeschooled.  Now this was after the children had made almost a dozen trips to and from her car bringing in all of that schools' entries!  I answered "Yes," and she smiled.  "I knew it!"  She said there are several homeschoolers in their church and she can usually tell them apart from the other children because the homeschoolers talk to everyone - all age groups - whereas the public school children (and this is interesting because she herself was with a private Christian School) only talk to their own age group.  She then said she was at the gas station a few days ago and while pumping gas another car pulled in and all the children got out of the car and started to either pump the gas or help with washing the windows of their car.  The thought that came into her head was "They must be homeschoolers!"  ;-)

On a practical note, being gone from home for 8-10 hours a day has forced me to really plan and focus my energies.  Obviously we are not able to do all of our regular chores, so in the few hours I have in the morning (so thankful that the Holy Spirit is still waking me at 6:00 a.m. each morning!) I do what is necessary, and not much more.  A few loads of laundry, general pick-up, and get dinner started before we are out the door.  I have been relying on my Crock-Pot and bread machine for fresh, hot dinners and it has been a blessing.   We've had a Posole (Mexican Soup), and a big batch of Saucy Sausage Sandwiches, with Crock-Pot Lasagna and Chicken Ole' coming up this week.  (I've been doubling or making a recipe and a half so that we have leftovers either for dinner or lunch the next day.)  On those days where my husband will be home, then casseroles are the answer.  Tonight we'll be having Taco Casserole which husband will put into the oven about an hour before we get home.  I made a huge bowl of Taco Salad last week for our lunch one day, and it was GONE!  Will definitely have to make that again!  When life gets back to normal - about the second week of June - then I'll post my recipes and add outside links for others recipes.

From I Thessalonians chapter 5:

16Rejoice evermore.

17Pray without ceasing.

18In every thing give thanks: for this is the will of God in Christ Jesus concerning you.

19Quench not the Spirit.

20Despise not prophesyings.

21Prove all things; hold fast that which is good.

22Abstain from all appearance of evil.

23And the very God of peace sanctify you wholly; and I pray God your whole spirit and soul and body be preserved blameless unto the coming of our Lord Jesus Christ.   

24Faithful is he that calleth you, who also will do it.

* hippo *

An acrostic by DS3:

Hiding beneath the gunky water

In the rivers of Africa

Plunging into the water they like

Poop and eat and fight all day

Only the fish and the birds make friends with them

* field trip to the rocks *

We travelled to Oregon recently to go visiting and while there we took a chance to see some neat local sites.  One that we found by a very happy accident was the Crater Rock Museum in Central Point.  Now this isn't just a little room with some interesting rocks -- this has some World-Class exhibits in glasswork, incredible and incredibly large seashells and corals, an amazing variety of pertrified wood, as well as a truly dazzling array of rocks and gems.

DS3 was TOTALLY thrilled with this place and what made it even more interesting was that they didn't just have labels with the name of the rocks, but the chemical composition of the rocks.  VERY cool.

So here is a very small sampling of some of the things we enjoyed and learned:

   Here's a link to an interactive Periodic Table of Elements - Just click on the chemical abbreviation and you can see the name and information about it including who discovered it and when, its history, its properties, AND a picture of its atomic structure. 

* new season, new books, new ideas *

We've just kind of been going along with schoolwork for this year, with the ever-present nagging thought that we aren't quite getting enough done.  Does ANY homeschooler ever feel like they are doing enough?  So there have been those thoughts running through my head, along with the knowledge that I really don't spend enough time with each of the children - individually helping and supporting them in their schoolwork.

Thank the LORD for friends!  It is always wonderful to talk to someone else, see what someone else is doing, or just watch for a while.  The things you pick up may surprise you.

To detour here for a minute - I found this same situation to be true for cooking recently.  I had the opportunity to visit with an uncle and aunt and my father and step-mother a few weeks ago.  It is so interesting to watch someone else cook, isn't it?  Well, my aunt and I got to talking about dumplings, I shared how I've made them but hadn't had success with them lately.  So she gave me her recipe which is her mother's never-fail-the children-love-them.  She even called me after Thanksgiving to see if I had made them with my turkey leftovers.  ;-)  Watching my step-mother cook was even more informative.  She didn't do anything fancy, it was just a few little ways she did things.  Like how her corn - in the frozen bag, just like I get - tasted JUST like corn on the cob!  What did she do?  She added plenty of butter as well as some salt and pepper.  See?  Not fancy but I had never thought of adding anything but butter.   Then one night she cooked her meat in a certain way - seared it on both sides, added some broth, and covered the skillet to finish cooking.  Then she made a gravy from the juices in the pan.   Simple but really good.  So this past week, it was approaching dinner and there was a chuck roast in the refrigerator.   I really didn't have time for it to sit in the oven slowly roasting and then I remembered -- why not cook it in the pan?  So I seared the meat, added plenty of onions and garlic and covered it.  I even cut up a head of cabbage and added that on top, too.  It was like a roast in a skillet.  Then when it was done I made a gravy from the juices to go on our potatoes.   So - we're at the dinner table - dinner is almost over - and DH said "That was good.  You can make that again."  WOW!  I don't want to say that he's a picky eater, but it isn't often that I hear those words.  Visiting has its' rewards!

Okay - so my detour was more than a minute.   Anyway -- Last week while visiting with a homeschooling friend, we of course were talking about children, schoolwork, curriculum, things that are good, things that need to change, and how can we do more.  Just the usual.  ;-)  She made a little comment how she had been thinking of doing this one thing with her youngest - He's a good reader and really needs more to do but she doesn't necessarily have the extra time, so she had thought about giving him a study to do for himself, without big brothers.  The best part is that it was something she already had - had bought years ago and it was just sitting, waiting for the proper time.   Well, when she said this the little gears in my head started working overtime!!  It just clicked with some non-connected thoughts I had been having for a few weeks now:

• I need to do more with each child
• I'm only one Mom
• DS3 would like to really get into Scouting
• DS2 isn't reading enough and has too much free time
• DD is NOT where her brothers were at her age
• I haven't spent the time with DD that I spent with her brothers, but I really need to

All of these thoughts gelled into the one thought that, while it is important for us to do things together, it is just as important that they each have their own interests and studies apart from brothers & sister.  So, that very night, I sat down and had a talk with each of them separately.    Here's the deal:

• DS2 has chosen a Beautiful Feet History Guide (link to Beautiful Feet is in my right-hand column under "Homeschool Stuff") which will give him plenty of reading material as well as the opportunity to be on his own, study-wise, with support from me as needed.
• I have committed to assisting DS3 with his Lone Scouting and checking regularly with him to see what he currently needs as far as help and guidance are concerned.
• DD and I will be working in the Prairie Primer (A unit study based upon the Little House on the Prairie books) together, which she is very excited about -- AND we are starting the Keepers At Home handbook, which she is even MORE excited about.  (see the Keepers of the Faith link under "Homeschool Stuff. ")

Now I have three pleased and focused children and the lure of new books and new adventures in learning.  And all of this heading into December - usually a no-man's-land of deserted school books and empty spaces on our school-year calendar.

Oh - we went to the library yesterday to get the needed books for Prairie Primer, and as I was going over the list, searching the shelves, gathering books, and watching my pile grow higher and higher there was just a little joy in my heart.   Then I remembered why I love homeschooling so much and that I am a Unit-Study Mom at heart!!

* school days *

In case you didn't know - we homeschool.   I love it; somedays the children aren't too sure.  But it does give us some freedoms that wouldn't be found in your average classroom.  For example: 

• Daughter can do her math and handwriting on the floor surrounded by dogs, in her pajamas of course. (Like HERE)
• Son #2 surprised me the other day by pulling out some finger puppets while we were in the midst of his Spelling lesson.

• Son #3, who recently finished his old math books (and thank goodness, too, because they were totally worn out - I don't know exactly what that boy does to them but they were barely hanging together by their very tired comb binding!) has been whizzing through the new ones!  The first several lessons in any textbook are generally review and so he has been able to go through seven lessons in about two weeks time instead of the standard one lesson per week.
• We don't have to get up at the break of dawn in order to eat, dress and pack a backpack along with fighting morning traffic to get to school on time.
• We can take time out or do school for half-days as we need to in order to work on special projects - like painting, cleaning out the garage, working in the backyard, or visiting with friends. 

AND - I get the beauty of things like this:

This is from Son #3 journal, dated two years ago.  They keep a journal mostly for handwriting purposes (in order to practice) and as a way for us/them to keep track of general things that go on.  This one is just a classic!    For those who might be bothered by his lack of spelling skills, may I just say that he's much better now and that this is also the child who didn't read until he was 9 years old.   It just didn't "click" before that.

Which brings me to another reason, one of the biggest, of why I love homeschooling.  In the younger years, we don't HAVE to keep track of "What grade are you in?"   They work at their own level, whatever that may be, without being compared to Johnny or Suzie.  They simply move from one book to the next one however fast or slow they need to go.  If we need to do some extra lessons to help them along, then we can do that; if they are excelling and can reasonably skip a book, then we can do that, too, all without special funding or a special classroom that separates them from the group and says "You're better" or "You're a little slower".

There is so much more I could say about homeschooling but the best thing of all about homeschooling is that I get to spend each day with the best children in the world!