Nature Walks

We have always used a Charlotte Mason based curriculum but not until recently have i studied and learned what it really means to use the Charlotte Mason Method. We are a very outdoorsy family but i am now incorporating our love of being outside with our schooling. Weekly we go outside to stretch and do calistenthics together. Then we go on our nature walk to draw and write in nature journals about whatever each person is interested in that day. These journals are so neat to save and look back at.
Whatever method you use or whether or not you homeschool, get outside more. Let your children run, explore, dig, study, play and just enjoy the wonderful world God has blessed us with!
*********************************************************************

The Love and the Lure of Nature Walking
by Jane Claire Lambert

Did you know that in the days of your great-grandparents the inclusion of nature instruction in school was a serious concern? Many of you have read a bit of Charlotte Mason's books or A Girl of the Limberlost or Freckles. Some of you even own Anna Comstock's Handbook of Nature Study, though for many of us it is collecting dust daily. Did you know that in days gone by, students routinely went on nature walks at all times of the year? They learned about the animals, trees, insects, stars, rocks, and weather, and they learned about them in great detail through daily observation, daily lessons, and daily application. What has happened in the years since? Has nature grown less amazing? Is it less magnificent and less important these days to notice colors, sounds, smells, designs, and all the beauty that is free just for the taking? Is it less important to one's well-being to have times of quiet solitude in beautiful surroundings? Is it less interesting now to be swept away with the beauty of the night sky or go owl watching together? What has happened?

In the classroom it could be that the topic itself is slowly escaping from many school curricula. In our present culture, the Creator has been removed from the traditional classroom. With His departure, much of the wonder and amazement with which teachers eagerly tied Him to what has been made left as well. Take, for example, the simple adventure of walking outdoors and collecting a few specimens of tree leaves. Careful observation could disclose that there are those with beautiful red stems and others with the palest of greenish-brown ones. For many young students, finding that each of these different, beautiful leaves belong to a particular kind of tree might be an awesome discovery. Yet, in many traditional classrooms, the entire process has been reduced to "memorize twenty leaf formations and the test is Friday." The students are left wondering, "Why? Why should we study this?" Because appreciation of the beauty and carefulness with which the Creator has made each and every natural thing is left out of the teaching, there no longer seems to be a good reason to learn about such things. Wonder and amazement have just evaporated from most nature lessons. And all this while everything out there--from the stars in the sky to the minute worlds inside a single drop of pond water to the cells in a blade of grass--shouts the praises of the One who spoke it all into being.

Yes, perhaps we should break away a while from our televisions, video games, soccer games, and central heating and air-conditioning to once again acquaint ourselves with the great outdoors! We have become more and more an indoor-dwelling people, and we've not noticed that so much of what speaks of the greatness of our God has therefore been closed out of our lives and out of the lives of our children. The very topics that used to be taught enthusiastically to both the tiniest child and the student of higher education are no longer on the agenda or are taught only from textbooks, rarely through personal adventures.

Even in our homeschooling we are hesitant these days to get outside and find safe places to examine what has been made. We just don't take the time, because we've forgotten how vitally important this activity really is! Many of us don't live on acreage with ponds and meadows to scout out, and it is more difficult for some to find safe parks and places to explore. Yet, if we truly believed that taking time to get out into nature was critically important, wouldn't we have a new desire to pray for and seek out special spots to view the natural wonders that are close at hand? Even in the heart of city life, one can find so many great examples of natural phenomenon, and nature is always as close as our own backyard. We even know one family who strolled through cemeteries, enjoying lovely trees of all kinds, ponds, flowers, birds, insects, and more with their children.

If you believe in the need, you will find a way, so here are seven extra special reasons to get up and get out!

Seven Special Reasons to Get Up and Get Out!

1.Nature walks will teach your child to watch everything around him. These outings will greatly increase his observational skills and his outdoor life skills. Take your children walking often, and watch your science lessons become more relevant year after year as your students are able to apply experientially, through this time outside, the concepts you have presented. You see, it is one thing to teach the life cycle of a frog and quite another to find egg masses and tadpoles in a nearby pond! Children are filled with wonder as they use a net to collect specimens or turn over rocks on a lakeshore and find crawdads escaping every which way! This is life! This is the making of memories! This is real learning, not book learning!

2.Take your children out often, and they will find that one thing in nature always leads to another. If they are interested in a frog they see one day, the next day they will wonder and want to find out about the crickets and worms that the frogs eat. Then they may get interested in the condition of the pond water, and so it goes. This is experience-directed learning that is so exciting to your children. By walking outdoors with them on a regular basis, you will set off a chain reaction of learning experiences for your children that will continue for a lifetime, as they find that each discovery is connected to many other parts of nature.

3.Camaraderie--that special intimacy that comes from adventuring and making discoveries together--is another benefit of a good nature walk. Whether a mother or father walks with all their children or they take their journeys with just one child at a time or they use different combinations over the months, the time spent will reap intimacy as well as nature knowledge. Yes, you all will see and learn together, and that is wonderful. The times of quiet togetherness and the times of deep conversations along the way are special features of nature outings. It is as if the Lord has provided a miraculous setting for you to "be" with your children. Planned nature walks will provide years of the type of environment that enhances rich family ties.

4.At certain times when viewing nature, some quietness, solitude, and patience are necessary. Of course a small child doesn't understand this at first, and the lessons that a parent uses to teach a little one to walk more quietly, sit for a bit, and watch what is around him must be gentle and full of patience. If you model (especially fun when acted out over-dramatically) walking softly and being as quiet as possible for part of your walks, your child will begin to see that it is often in times of quietness that the greatest marvels are seen. Then you will have done your job well. The desire to be quiet in order to see something special will be catching, and in time your child will begin to value quietness and solitude. Nature walks, begun simply and continued over the years--time spent watching and thinking--will develop a "deepness of heart" in a student who learns to quiet himself in these journeys together. Couldn't our world use a few more inhabitants with "deepness of heart"?

5.As your child grows in his awareness of the magnificence of creation, he will grow to love it. What he grows to love, he will want to take care of. Nature walks, begun early and continued throughout your teaching days, will lead your child to an awareness of the necessity of stewardship of our natural resources. We are all called to be the "gentle tenders" of our world. But if we don't even know anything about it, it is difficult to want to preserve it and use our resources wisely.

6.Taking time to walk outdoors will create a lifetime appreciation for what the Lord has made, and that deep love of nature will become a rich field for worship. The earth is the Lord's and the fullness thereof, and those who spend time in the out of doors discovering the wonders and learning that it comes from Him will have a vast and limitless resource for worshiping the One who created it all! Modeling a grateful heart for the beauty of nature all around us will flow out onto our children. Every leaf, each bug, every cell under a microscope is a marvel worthy of all our praise. If we display a heart of praise and worship for such a magnificent Creator, then wonder and worship will come to our children as well.

7.Something else will grow from enjoyable nature walks and seeing the magnificence of nature on a regular basis. A new understanding in the heart of your student will develop: nothing in nature is "common." In the book Snowflake Bentley by Jacqueline Briggs Martin, we read that the people in Bentley's day thought snowflakes were "as common as dirt." But Mr. Bentley knew, because he had seen them under a microscope, that each snowflake was utterly and beautifully unique. All of nature is like that! Each stone has its own loveliness; each drop of water has an entire world of creatures swimming in it; each bit of moss or lichen-extraordinary! Everything that the Lord has made is amazing--nothing is common! How wonderful to begin at a young age to teach our children about the amazing natural world around them and the One who made it all.

So, if we took a quick quiz, what are the seven important reasons to get up and get out?

Gaining observational and life skills, as well as actually experiencing school lessons so that they become relevant.
Understanding the connectedness of life.
Experiencing camaraderie, intimacy, and the joy of making rich family ties.
Developing a quiet heart . . . one that can actually be still now and then, and one that can find benefits from moments of solitude.
Becoming aware of stewardship and conservation.
Creating a rich avenue for worship.
Learning that nothing in nature is "common." Perhaps nature walks truly are more important than we first imagined!
************************************************

Jane Claire Lambert and her husband Steve operate Five in a Row Publishing and are busy speaking at homeschool conferences and creating new products in the Five in a Row tradition. Visit their website at www.fiveinarow.com for more information, including details about their new four-part nature series: Spring, Summer, Fall, and Winter.

Flu Prevention & Treatment

This is the best article i have read as far as giving you real treatment and prevention ideas for the flu posted on beeyoutiful.com We have most of the items they suggest and are going to begin taking them all now. The flu is spreading rapidly in our area and many others so don't wait to start taking supplements to hopefully prevent the flu or treat it if you already have it.
*****************************************
Swine Flu: Prevention and Treatment

Wednesday, September 2nd, 2009

By Jessica Carter and Stephanie Walker Tallent

Armed and Ready:
In the past few years we have been bombarded with news of some dangerous viral outbreak or another. Seeing images from around the world, images of civilians wearing masks to protect themselves and holding masks over the faces of the young, have become more common place. Perhaps you remember SARS and Avian Flu. Now the most recent strain of influenza A is H1N1, otherwise known as Swine Flu. There is some alarm among experts that H1N1 could be “the one” that causes a pandemic in our generation. Regardless of whether it is Swine Flu or some media proclaimed super-scary flu of the future, the best defense is a good offense. We at Beeyoutiful firmly believe that it is the responsibility of individuals to educate themselves on how to best protect the health of their families. With that belief and goal in mind, we have researched extensively what tools are the very best to use to protect and defend against viral invaders.

How can a virus kill someone anyways?
Autopsies of victims of Avian Flu, SARS and the deadly Spanish Flu of 1918, which killed an estimated fifty million people, revealed evidence of destroyed respiratory tracts. This suggested that the flu victims had been killed by their own immune systems, not from the flu itself.
The immune system response suspected of being responsible for killing the victims is something called a cytokine storm. Cytokines are a type of white blood cell, and are a normal and essential part of a healthy immune system. T1 cytokines are a particularly aggressive part of this segment of immune system super-heroes and typically are very crucial. Some viruses, such as Swine Flu, can cause these cells to over respond and the T1 cells actually become deadly to the body. Just as insulin is normally released in proportion to the amount of sugar intake, so cytokines normally respond in proportion to the assault on our bodies. However, just as the release of too much insulin in the body can result in death, so an overwhelming assault by T1 cytokines can cause the lungs to fill with fluid causing a person to drown.

What does this mean for me?
For those of us who are accustomed to reaching for the nearest available immune boosting super power when we come down with an illness, I have bad news. A lot of our traditional favorite supplements and herbs can potentially cause more harm than good when dealing with the risk of a cytokine storm. Little attention is given to the balance necessary between the T1 and other cytokine cells in order for our immune systems to operate safely. Since the T1 cells are more aggressive front runners than other T cells, supplements that directly support their production are among the most popular for quick recoveries.
Champion among these treasured products is elderberry syrup, otherwise known as BerryWell for the Beeyoutiful fans. Several studies show a clearly documented connection between elderberry extract and rapid T1 cytokine production. This is part of what makes it so very effective as an immune boosting preventative measure against viruses – it can stop the virus in its tracks before it takes hold. However, because of the concern of a cytokine storm, if one becomes ill with one of these dangerous viruses I do not personally recommend treating with BerryWell. My personal guideline for usage right now is two-fold. 1. Take BerryWell liberally as a preventative every time myself or family members go out in public. 2. Discontinue giving to any individual that exhibits symptoms and switch to other broader and safer immune boosting treatments.

Is anything safe to take or do we just take our chances?
The good news is that there are several powerful and effective products out there that are known for their support of balanced immune system production. This makes them not only safe to take, but also ideal aids for the body to prevent and even treat Swine Flu as well as other variants of flu. Below is a list of products I will personally be using as both a preventative and treatment should it be necessary.

The often overlooked anti-viral powerhouse: Vitamin D
Although most of us realize that our bodies need this essential vitamin, it is one of the most under acknowledged resources for combating viruses. There is an amazing body of documentation to prove its effectiveness not only in boosting the body’s ability to resist the flu, but also in powerfully treating it. It might just be the single most important supplement you can take to equip your body to face off with Swine Flu and walk away the victor.
If exposure to sunlight is limited, like during wintertime for example, 4,000-5,000 IU’s per day would be appropriate for most adults. If you weigh significantly more than the typical person, you may need to double that dose. For children the dose can be halved. For supplemental purposes, I would highly recommend using the D3 vs. the D2 form. D2 is the more common and readily available version but is not as easily activated within the body as D3 is. Vitamin D can be used therapeutically to treat the flu but it is also important to understand that, if you are taking the above doses of vitamin D, the chances of you getting the flu to being with are very remote. The old saying “An ounce of prevention is worth a pound of cure” could not be more accurate regarding this treasure of a vitamin. The daily dose of vitamin D you would use to treat the flu would be 1,000 IU per pound of body weight (round down, not up). The dose would be taken once a day for no longer than three days. (Note: This could be a very large dose if you are a large person.) This is the dose that Dr. John Cannell, the founder of the vitamin D Council, has been using very successfully for a number of years.
Dr. John Cannell documented his remarkable experiences with vitamin D and the Flu. He shares the story of how his patients — who were in the hospital ward of a maximum security prison for the criminally insane — were being supplemented with vitamin D, and how they were able to avoid influenza when an epidemic broke out in the prison. Fascinated and intrigued, he subsequently put the vitamin to even more rigorous trials in the years to follow. His very lengthy but highly worthwhile article can be found here: http://www.medicalnewstoday.com/articles/51913.php
Vitamin D is especially valuable as a preventative and treatment for potentially deadly viruses because it supports a balanced immune system reaction and actually works to keep the cytokine T cells in balance with each other. This makes it particularly helpful when there is a risk of the T1 cytokine cells triggering a “storm.”

The indispensable foundation to a balanced immune system: Probiotics
Rapidly gaining recognition for their multi-faceted and universally beneficial properties, probiotics are considered absolutely essential in any immune system alliance. Most of us are familiar with these beneficial bacteria because they are found in yogurt. Cultures around the world have used these amazing “good” bacteria to culture, safely preserve and leaven a variety of foods and beverages like kefir, kimchee, kombucha, sourdough bread and sauerkraut. Probiotics are the cornerstone of a healthy gut and, subsequently, of a healthy immune system.
Although one can find a limited amount of this bacteria in commercially manufactured yogurt, it does not contain enough strains or enough live bacteria to patrol the yards and yards of digestive tract and war with any offensive bacteria found there. Since most of us have not grown up with a lifetime of eating live cultured foods, we need a more powerful and immediate source. Probiotics are readily available these days in wider varieties than ever before. They come in tabs, chews, loose powder, regular capsules and enteric-coated capsules (a special protective coating on the capsule to get it through the damaging stomach acids and into the gut, safe and sound). They can be found in single strains, like Acidophilus, and multiple strains from a variety of sources. When taking a pro-biotic supplement, always determine the minimum guaranteed bacteria count, as well as the recommended storage instructions.
Tummy Tuneup is an enteric coated 8 strain probiotic available through Beeyoutiful. It has proven itself again and again to our staff and customers. Tummy Tuneup is an ideal choice for delivering the maximum benefit to the gut. Another Beeyoutiful product, Ultimate Defense, has a larger variety of bacteria and is very beneficial to take on a daily basis, or specifically as a preventative gut-based immune booster.
Here is a quote from a study illustrating how probiotics aid in inflammation control and a balanced, healthy immune response. .
From the Study:
Probiotics are dietary supplements known to reduce or alter inflammation and inflammatory cytokines. Histological analyses revealed that edema, inflammation, and vacuolization as well as polymorphonuclear leukocyte infiltration in the lung tissue was significantly reduced in the probiotic treated group. Bacterial translocation was significantly reduced in the probiotic treated group compared with the other groups. As a result of this, reduced proinflammatory cytokines and systemic inflammatory response was observed.
The full report available at the following link:
http://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/pubmed/19375719?ordinalpos=3&itool=EntrezSystem2.PEntrez.Pubmed.Pubmed_ResultsPanel.Pubmed_DefaultReportPanel.Pubmed_RVDocSum

Vital life force: Colostrum
Colostrum is the super nutrient-dense, pre-milk substance that mammals produce for their young before a normal milk supply sets in. Few things in nature are known to have such amazing life sustaining properties and seemingly magical immune building properties as colostrum.
When dealing with these potentially deadly flus, it is important to insure that the balance of T2 cells will be produced in proportion to, if not in excess of, the T1 cells while the immune system is attacking the offending virus. Studies show that nothing does this better than colostrum. Researchers in Australia set out to learn if dried bovine colostrum protein (a popular supplement with athletes) had the same ability to stimulate cytokine white blood cells in humans that the fresh colostrum does in cows. In the study, researchers saw that the T2 “retreat” cytokines were activated and the T1 “attack” cytokines were suppressed when measured 6 hours after administration.
Multiple studies show colostrum to be an incredibly vital product to have on hand if there is any danger of a cytokine storm related illness. It has no known side effects and is very safe for even small children (capsules of the dried powder can be opened into food or drinks).

Healer from the inside out: Aloe vera
Many of us know of aloe’s healing properties having used it by slapping a fresh cut of aloe leaf on sunburns and feeling the instant relief. Aloe is also an amazing miracle worker and support for the body from the inside out. Aloe vera is chock full of vitamins, minerals, enzymes, amino acids and micronutrients that can help the immune system to be strong and resilient against infection.
Consuming Aloe vera on a regular basis provides your immune system with the extra boost of nutrients it needs in order to perform at a superior level. It also provides you with antiviral, antifungal and antibacterial protection. Aloe vera is known for its synergistic properties, meaning all of the nutrients it contains work together to bring about the desired result of a strong and balanced immune system response. What makes aloe particularly good to take in an antiviral regimen is that it, like colostrum, directly supports a balanced and therefore safer immune system response.
Beeyoutiful carries Aloe in concentrated form in gel capsules. Aloe is safe for children to take and the capsules can be cut open and squeezed into yogurt or a smoothie. Excess Aloe vera can cause diarrhea, so if this occurs simply reduce the quantity or frequency.

The all powerful: Garlic
Perhaps no plant has been more treasured throughout history for its incredible flavor and culinary contributions than garlic. As anybody who has eaten a clove of raw garlic will tell you, there are few things that come close to the incredibly powerful and pungent flavor of garlic. This little powerhouse has also been documented to have antiviral, antibacterial and antifungal properties and has been used medicinally for thousands of years in many countries around the world.
Several studies have shown that high doses of garlic help to regulate cytokine response. What constitutes a high dose is difficult to define because garlic potency varies from one variety to another, from one region of the country to another, and from one harvest to another.
If your stomach and taste buds can tolerate it, the most beneficial way to utilize garlic is to eat it raw, ideally from an organic or all-natural, pesticide-free source. For those of us that prefer a supplement to a burning tongue and watering eyes, there is good news. Allicin is a component of crushed/raw garlic that is considered incredibly beneficial but is also highly unstable. For years the only way to get it was by eating fresh, crushed garlic. However, a couple of years ago they figured out a way to stabilize allicin so that it could finally be offered in a supplemental form. Although garlic in just about any form will be beneficial in some way to your body, if you can find a stabilized allicin source I highly recommend it. Beeyoutiful carries an aged 100:1 potency odorless garlic product that has been used with great success by our customers and staff. An added bonus to odorless garlic is that you don’t have people crinkling their noses as you walk by or spouses refusing to share bed space with you due to the aromatic fumes wafting from your pores.
Fresh garlic can be a challenge to get into small children orally and the gel capsules are not much better. For babies or small children I highly recommend a garlic poultice as an effective way to get the benefits of garlic into small peoples bodies. (See sidebars for instructions.)
A note of caution before consuming gigantic quantities of garlic: There is risk that, if you have a bleeding or clotting disorder, very, VERY large amounts of garlic could exacerbate the problem or cause some drug interactions. Individuals on blood thinners should be especially aware of this concern.

My Personal Dosage Guide
Click above to see a great chart for exactly what to take, how much, and when depending on age and weight. I tried to post it here but the format does not come out right. It is a great resource to print and start doing now, we are!~G

One Stop Resource
In response to the concerned questions the staff at Beeyoutiful have received, we have put together a convenient and significantly discounted Anti-Flu package. Included in this package are what we believe to be our most effective and beneficial products to arm and protect you and your family from any potentially dangerous flu. It contains BerryWell, Vitamin D3, Odorless Garlic, Tummy Tuneup, Ultimate Defense and Colostrum Transfer Factor.
Please remember that the information shared in this article is our personal opinion based upon hours of personal research. We do not in any way intend for this to take the place of your personal research or the advice and counsel of your doctor. We hope instead that it is an encouragement and a starting point for you to educate yourself on the best ways to protect your family.
For deeper research on the subject of viruses, cytokine immune system response and more practical information on how to protect the health of your family we highly recommend the book “Your Immune System and the Flu” by Jessica Carter. To learn more information and to purchase the book, please visit purchase the book, go to www.protect-against-swine-flu.com/beeyoutiful.html

Filled With Joy

I will thank you, Lord, with all of my heart; I will tell of all the marvelous things you have done. I will be filled with joy because of you. I will sing praises to your name, O Most High. Psalm 9:1-2

I read these words last night and they spoke to my heart.



I am so thankful for all the marvelous things the Lord has done in our family lately and felt i needed to "tell" everyone as the verse says. I can't even express the joy that i feel in my heart. I will spare you the specifics because we all have many blessings to be thankful for. We just tend to overlook them and forget how good God is to those who love Him until He reminds us of them. Thank you Lord for reminding me!





Sometimes it's hard to act joyful when you don't feel joyful but these words say "I will be filled with joy because of you." Not because of our great circumstances or lack of them but because of God; that's it! That's all we need to know to have joy. Nothing can fill that place in our hearts but Him. It's amazing how even when things aren't always working out quite right we can still find joy if we will just look for it.





It also says that we will "sing praises to your name" but most of the time we don't do that when we don't feel joyful. If we would remember to sing His praises even when we don't want to we will be filled joy in the midst of our problems. I've said before that the Lord really uses music to speak and teach me many things. So sometimes when i'm not feeling so joyful or a little overwhelmed, i turn on a christian cd and it always calms and soothes me.



While I am at that place (above) often, right now i am enjoying being joyful. Today was a great day and I hope to keep my focus on that joy for as long as i remember.

So tell others of the Lord's goodness. We are told in 1 Corinthians 1:31, "...to boast only of what the Lord has done." He is good to us and takes care of us, don't be shy to share with others whatever God is doing in your life . God is Good!

Easy Now, You've Got A Whole Childhood

(Posted by Diane Hopkins of http://www.lovetolearn.com/. A great read for new homeschoolers and not so new homeschoolers!)

Easy Now, You've Got A Whole Childhood
Posted: 07 Sep 2009 07:55 AM PDT

I talk to homeschoolers a lot. New homeschoolers seem to get into a flurry. They are so excited at the prospect of being able to teach their children, and perhaps so overwhelmed at all the wonderful things they want their children to know, that they can slip into hyper-speed mode which makes them tense. And homeschooling becomes rushed and stressful rather than the fun, easy, loving-learning, being together, happy experience it should be.

Over the years, homeschooling has ceased to mean schooling to me. It is a lifestyle, a way of living that draws your children into your world to share all things, not just academics. You have their whole childhood in which to transfer your values, teach your beliefs, explore God's beautiful world together, do the art projects and the science experiments, listen to great music, and read the classic children's literature. You don't have to do it all this week!

If I could give new homeschoolers some advice it would be this: relax and live with your kids. Most of what we teach our kids is caught, not taught. Our attitude, our religion, our worldview . . . these things are transferred by our expressions, the gestures we make, the look on our faces. Children are so perceptive!

When thunder roars and lightening strikes, I love to turn off all the lights, open the windows to let the noise and wind in, and enjoy the majesty of the storm, feeling awestruck at God's power. My children, of course, "caught" this attitude. My daughter was babysitting during a thunderstorm and the children all ran to her crying and hid their heads under pillows. She was so amazed that they didn't enjoy it! Later, while visiting their mother, I learned she was terrified of thunderstorms. Caught, not taught.

So, spending time with your children, drawing them into your life— your chores, your acts of service, the thoughts you think, the books you read, your music, your friends . . . your world—will teach them how to live and what to value and seek after. And there is a place for academics and study too. Just not first place!

While I had my 7 in homeschool, I rotated from child to child to help them, and I could get overwhelmed with the things they each needed work on. I could get boggled easily. So I started carrying a spiral notebook with me. I divided the notebook approximately into the number of children I was schooling and made a makeshift tab with a colored paperclip for each. As I helped them correct their writing, or do their math, or other schoolwork, I would privately jot down the glaring problems: Emily is making her "j's" backwards, Nathan doesn't have his 7x mastered, Julianna is repeating misspelling "because". . . and so forth for each child. Recording the teaching needs helped me remember, and feel assured that I could focus on it in days to come, without interrupting the flow of learning at that moment. This is especially important with teaching a child to write. Mechanics can bog them down and take the joy out of writing if too much correction is done at one time.

There is a lot of good food to eat in this life, but piling it all in a huge heap to force feed in one meal is overload and not enjoyable or even nourishing. There are wonderful things to learn, much more than one lifetime, or one childhood, can hold. But trying to cram it all in results in little really being absorbed. Choose carefully what you feel is important to teach, write out a reasonably-paced plan, and then teach your child according to your plan year-by-year in a relaxed, playful manner. Don't panic. Don't move into hyper-speed mode and try to stuff it all in. Kids don't need grammar in first grade. They don't need academic pressure. There is next year and next year and next year. You can make course corrections along the way. You'll get better at teaching your children as you go, as you learn. Get close to your children and get to know them and, you will know their talents and aptitudes and be able to fine tune your plan and offer just what they need. Enjoy. Don't get stressed.

Easy now. You've got a whole childhood.

The Old Schoolhouse Magazine-$7.95!!

Just wanted to pass this on to my fellow homeschoolers or those thinking about it. The Old Schoolhouse is a terrific magazine that offers lots of encouragement, support and ideas for homeschooling. This is one magazine that is worth paying for and right now it is extremely cheap-$7.95 for 1 year. I paid $35 for a 2 year subscription. You can't beat this price and they only do it once a year. So repond quickly if you are interested (website at end).

******************************************************************

In these difficult economic times, a deal like this is truly a blessing to many of you. It was an overwhelming response to our offer, and we appreciate your confidence in TOS to bring the best in homeschooling information and encouragement to you and your family.

$7.95 subscription offer extended to 1000 more subscriptions! Our Fall Issue is being printed now, but we have arranged for an additional 1000 copies, just so 1000 more of you can be blessed with this great price. This brings the total up to 3,000. This time, once we sell these additional 1000 subscriptions at $7.95, the price will go back to $25.

Our one-year digital subscription is also on sale for $7.95!

New and renewing subscriptions get the $7.95!

Already a subscriber? Add onto your existing subscription NOW. Lock into this unbelievable price. We'll add onto the end of your current subscription. Just put the word "renewal" in the comments at checkout.If you missed the details . . . You can receive a one-year print subscription (US only) or a one-year digital subscription to The Old Schoolhouse® Magazine for only $7.95.

We sold out of our original 2000 available subscriptions. But we're offering 1000 more!

Makes the perfect gift that lasts all year!NOW is the time to purchase a gift subscription for a friend or family member. For just $7.95 you can send a birthday, early Christmas, or an "I'm thinking of you!" gift to someone special. A year of TOS would be especially encouraging to someone new to homeschooling or a family who might be struggling with their homeschooling efforts. None of us likes to feel we are alone in our homeschooling--with TOS you'll be encouraged, inspired, and reminded that you are not alone! It's easy to purchase a gift subscription by following these easy steps:
Go to the one-year print subscription (US only) page in the Schoolhouse Store.
Scroll down to the bottom of the page.
Complete the name, address, email, and phone information for each gift recipient.
Click the Add to Cart link.
Each of the recipients will then appear in your cart as a subscription.
Continue shopping or simply move on to the checkout process.

Don't wait too long, though. The first 2000 went quickly!

Order online here or by phone at 1-888-718-HOME (4663)

Summer 2009 Highlights

We have had a very fun and relaxing summer this year. The kids have grown and so have the chickens, puppies, and lambs. We celebrated 3 birthdays, went to McAllen twice, spent 4th of July on the Guadalupe River at my parents, went to South Padre Island, went to a wedding, moved furniture in the kids room twice, got the loft/storage cleaned up and moved all of the boys toys up there, among everyday things. Our biggest accomplishment of the summer, though, was that Kate is now sleeping in a big bed with Claire (since she figured out how to climb out of the crib), doesn't use a pacifier anymore, is semi potty training, gave up her high chair and sleeps all night, yahoo! The girls literally sleep with body parts strung out all over the top of each other (pic above) which eventually would wake one of them. We finally figured out that a big pillow down the middle of their full size bed eliminates all of the night wakings. Now we hear a soft pitter patter of little foot steps at 7:30am instead of "she woke me up" at all hours of the night. Kate also injured her elbow 2 weeks ago rolling off of a friend's child's bed while she was playing on it. Two sets of x-rays have shown no visible fractures but we go to see an orthopedist tomorrow because there is still something wrong with it. The ortho said he could tell what it was on the x-ray and we'll find out tomorrow what has to be done. She has handled the whole thing very well! That's it in nutshell. Now it's time for Fall,homeschooling, apples, leaves, pumpkins, and hs co-ops. I love that God created the change of seasons. Keeps life interesting!

It's (Home)School Time!

The long lazy days of summer are finally at an end. We just started noticing a nip in the air at night and in the morning, no more triple digits days! So around here that means it's time to move on to the next phase, the Fall School Semester. I absolutely love Fall so I can't wait for it to really feel like Fall, but until then, we pretend and get going on our schooling.

We just completed our 1st day of school this morning. I now have a 3rd grader (yikes!), a 1st grader, a pre-schooler, and a "do whatever I wanter" (20 months). Everything went great! Cody even said he was so glad to be back doing school again because the mornings go by so fast and he doesn't have to think about what to do each day (he loves the schedules like me!).

We are using My Father's World again this year (http://www.mfwbooks.com/). We are doing Exploring Countries and Cultures which uses a Charlotte Mason Unit Study approach. It is the first year of their 5 year cycle where all children in your family (grades 2nd-8th) are taught the same stuff but at their own level. Younger siblings can jump in too wherever their interest falls. I will also be doing MFW's 1st grade with Owen. I was very pleased with how well Cody learned to read so I plan to use it again. Claire is just doing basic pre-school activities in a workbook and participating wherever she likes with MFW's ECC.

I love the way My Father's World curriculum is set up. Everything you need to teach is laid out for you in the teacher's manual, but it's not so much information that you get overwhelmed. You just pick and choose what works for your family at their ages and abilities. It includes all subjects except math and language arts (we use Math-U-See and Queen Homeschool's Language Lessons for the Very Young).

Since this curriculum runs in a 5 year cycle, i will use it again in 5 years as we cycle through the program. This way all of my children will get the same information at some point throughout the cycle. Then they will go on to MFW's high school program.

MFW also has pre-school, Kinder, 1st, and 2nd grade (an overview of U.S. History if your oldest child is 2nd grade, but not ready to start the cycle yet). We have used the Kinder, 1st, and 2nd grade curriculums so far and absolutely love them, some more than others. All of their curriculum is Bible based and I am always amazed at how well they explain and incorporate bible topics that I would have never thought to explain.

In addition to getting all of our school stuff ready I have finished our daily schedule, school schedule, and chore chart which are below, for those who like that stuff!

(All of the margins are messed up in the schedules. I don't know why I tried to line it all up because Blogger just throws it all over to the left side-sorry. The times are all to the left and the other stuff should be tabbed in a bit.)

Davis Daily Schedule (Fall 2009)
7:30am-Wake-Up/Breakfast Prep
Outside Chores
8:00am-Breakfast
Take Vitamins-Claire pass out
Clear Spot at Table
Breakfast Chores
Get Dressed
Make Bed
Brush Hair
Brush Teeth
Start 1st Laundry Load
Play Outside (if time)
9:00am Morning School (see chart)
11:30am-Lunch Prep/Put Clothes in Dryer
12:00pm Lunch
Clear Spot at Table
Lunch Chores
Start 2nd Laundry Load
1:00pm-Rest Time/Kate Nap
2:00pm-Phonics-Owen w/Mama
Monday- Claire Dance
Tuesday- Cody Computer
Wednesday- Claire Computer
Thursday- Owen Computer
Friday- Wii (pizza/movie night)
3:30pm-Free Time
5:00pm-Dinner Prep
5:30 pm-Room Clean Up
6:00pm-Dinner
Clear Spot at Table
Dinner Chores
6:30pm-Animal Chores/Outside Time
7:30pm-Bedtime Routine
Showers/Baths
Put on Pajama’s
Brush Teeth
Brush Hair
Read Books-if time
8:30pm-Bed-Claire,Kate,Cody,Owen
************************************
School Schedule Fall 2009
Morning:
9:00am-Pledge
Songs
Catechism
Prayer
9:15am-Bible Stories to Read/Coloring Page
9:30am-My Father’s World
10:30am-Snack/Break
10:45am-Finish MFW

Monday: Math
Tuesday: Art/Theme Crafts
Wednesday: Nature Walk/Notebook
Thursday: Read Aloud from scheduled reading/Spanish
Friday: Children’s Sake Co-op/PE Co-op
2:00pm-Owen MFW Phonics w/Mama
***********************************************
The boxes that were at the end of the chore lines below did not show up. I laminated this and put it up on the fridge for the kids to color in the box as they complete the chore each day.

Davis Daily Chores (Fall 2009)

Outside Chores:
am- Feed Puppies____________________
Let Out Chickens_________________
Feed Cat________________________
Water: Chickens (2)_______________
Puppies (2)______________
Lambs Tub_______________
Extra Tub (garden)__________
Trees__________________
pm- Feed Puppies____________________
Take Scraps to Chickens ___________
Put Up Chickens _________________
Kitchen Chores: B L D
Meal Helper_____________________
Clear/Wipe Table_________________
Sweep Under Table_______________
Empty Dishwasher (when needed):
Bottom Rack/Silver ware_______
Top Rack____________________
Laundry:
Monday - Cody Owen
Tuesday- Claire Kate
Wednesday- Mama Daddy
Thursday- Daddy Misc
Friday- Misc Misc
Room Clean Up:
Living Room_____________________
Kid’s Bedroom___________________
Mama’s Bedroom________________

Well there you have it. Now you know how we do things around here.

Happy Homeschooling!