Lately...

Lately i've been spending most of my free ; ) time at night organizing and listing lots of homeschool items to sell. As we homeschoolers know, the more curriculum we buy the more space it takes up on our shelves. So, it's time to make some more space...just so we can fill it up again! If you're interested in seeing what we're selling, check it out here.



Those who know me well, know that i love change. So it goes with homeschooling. We have changed our homeschooling curriculum, again. My ultimate goal is to get to a place where we find certain things that we like in each subject, and stick with it for all of our children (i did say that i love change, right...we'll see how it goes!).



I love My Father's World and still highly recommend it to others, however, we are at a place in our family where it doesn't work for us anymore. I found that i was spending so much time focusing on teaching history,etc. geared towards Cody's age (who technically can learn independently) and lacking time to teach Owen who really needed one-on-one time in learning to read. So, my goal now is to let the reading well, independent learners (around grade 3 or 4)branch out on their own more with textbook type curriculum and help from me as needed so that i can focus my schooling time and energy on my learning to read children.



A wise, veteran homeschool mom reminded me recently that reading, writing, and arithmetic are what we need to focus our homeschooling time and energy on. These are the subjects our children need to learn well to be successful in life. History and science, while important, but not necessary in life, can and will get picked up over the years. Of course, ultimately, schooling aside, i feel that a relationship with the Lord and teaching our children to live and love from the bible is far more important than any earthly school subject ; ) You can read more about this in other posts.



Look for a future post about what specific curriculums we are using these days.



Have a blessed day!

Found My Blog!

You might have thought i lost my blog by the lack of posts, but of course, you all know how busy life can get and things get pushed aside. I just downloaded over 600 pictures from my camera, so i thought i would share what's going on in our lives. Some of them are from before Nathan was born; how the time flies! We had a terrific summer and look forward to a cool, pleasant fall.

We are 2 weeks into our new school year and all is great. I decided to go ahead with My Father's World again this year. We are using Creation to the Greeks, the 2nd year of the 5 year cycle. I am also doing their kindergarten program with Claire and still finishing up the 1st grade phonics with Owen. I am so glad we stuck with MFW. The Bible and history are phenominal (big word!). We have already learned so much in 2 weeks and the conversations we have based on the info are so great. Last weekend, we got to have a Shabbat Dinner Celebration, including homemade Challah bread, and had so much fun. It was the 1st time we've ever used our china, if you can believe it. The kids felt so special! MFW takes all of the thinking and planning out of homeschooling.

Some of the other curriculums we are using right now are:
*Math U See
*Multiplication in Minutes-Rapid Recall System (Little Giant Steps)
*Language Lessons for Little Ones (Queen Homeschool)-Charlotte Mason style but in a writable, workbook format that can be done independently if reading well.
*Italics Handwriting (Getty Dubai)-uses a one stroke method, where possible, which makes transitioning into cursive more natural.
*Various other workbooks for spelling and spanish
*Draw Write Now and God and the History of Art

We also started our new chore system a few weeks ago called Managers of Their Chores by www.titus2.com I can't tell you how amazing it is. It does take a lot of planning and preparation ahead of implementing it, but it is so worth it. The things that used to keep me running all day and overwhelmed at times, are not issues anymore. Everything is scheduled and dished out between everyone in the family. There is little thinking and trying to figure out what is next, because each child has a chore pack that they wear around the house as they do their chores. They just slide out the front card once they complete the job, slip it in the back, and then go on to the next card, until all chores are completed. Big time saver! It has given me more time to focus on school during the day, which takes up a lot of our day now.

Nathan is almost 4 months old now and doing great. He makes having another baby so easy. Or maybe it's that i have so many excellent helpers this time. Either way, we are loving being a family of seven! He is a stout little guy weighing over 15 pounds (at 3 months). He loves all of the faces he sees throughout the day as someone comes by to say hello or pick him up or play with him. He just blends right in with daily life and always blesses with his sweet smiles and unconditional love. Babies are wonderful!

That's all for this update-it's after 1am and i have to sleep sometime! Enjoy all of the pictures below.

The Very First Lesson...

The email I received is titled, "The Very First Lesson in Homeschool" but it really applies to any parent, homeschooling or not. So if you don't homeschool, still read this. At first it seems to only apply to those with little ones, but keep reading. I so enjoyed the reminder to be faithful in training at any age! Posted by Diane from www.lovetolearn.com
Happy Parenting!
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The very first lesson in homeschool is not how to write your name or recognize your ABC’s. The very first lesson is obedience, because without it, no other lesson works very well. A child must learn to listen and obey. First time. Without reminders, without excuses, without mom counting to 3!
Most of us still feel like teenagers when our first child is suddenly ready for school! We’re trying very hard to keep the crown of authority in parenthood from slipping right off our head and crashing to the ground. It doesn’t fit very well—we don’t feel adequate for the job. But like it or not, we are in charge of our precious children! God has given us that responsibility and, ready or not, we must grown into the position. Mom, you’re in charge!
Children are in tune to family dynamics. They notice when there is some hesitancy in taking charge of the children. If you don’t feel ready to rule the roost, a child is eager and willing to bump you off your throne and climb up there himself! And that is a very scary home to live in, where family life can be run by a 5-year-old. When Daddy leaves for work, Mom is the sole person in charge, and the children need to feel it. It makes life so much more secure for kids to have very distinct expectations! “For if the trumpet give an uncertain sound, who shall prepare himself to the battle?” (1 Corinthians 14:8)
So, the first lesson of homeschool is the lesson of whose word is law, and who must obey. Teach it well!
I want to assure you that I completely believe in being a benevolent, kind, loving, and compassionate director. But ruler Mom must be, if there is to be peace, order, and learning going on in the home. Mom has to set out the expectations, and teach her children to obey her. If you are a tender mother, this doesn’t come easy. It is more natural to be easy-going, to overlook mild disobedience, and to make excuses for our children (she’s shy, he forgets his manners, he’s a “real boy”, etc.) But just as the little sapling tree grows into a rigid, immovable giant oak, so will your little ones develop habits that are nearly unbreakable by the pre-teen and teenage years. A gentle, insistent and constant nudge in the right direction now will make the man later.
Of course, we want our children to learn academics, but the most important lessons have to do with character training and habits, and learning to control oneself. Be constant in the way you act, Mom. You are modeling what you want your children to act like. Be happy, smile, be a friend—but be in control. Be ultra dependable. Make sure they know that you are not to be meddled with, and that if you say it, it will surely come to pass. Don’t break promises. Better yet, don’t make promises. If you can’t absolutely be certain you are taking them swimming today, don’t promise it. Breaking your word makes your rules less easy to obey (perhaps you’ll change your mind on the rules, too). Create a home environment of trust, security, clear cut rules and consequences. Don’t let the child who whines get their way. Never never let crying, fighting, meanness, impatience or coaxing pay off. Enjoy your children and laugh with them and be their favorite person. Don’t accidentally reward any smidgen of negative behavior (with either your attention, or letting them getting their way). Children sense what is right and fair and they will respect you for not overlooking or brushing off infractions. You must convince them by your lessons and by your own behavior, that good things come to those who behave, and obey Mom and the family rules. When you have done this, not only will they be great students, but they will be good family members that you enjoy being around, and eventually good citizens and emissaries for Christ!
I watched the elephants when I was a young mother, and they influenced me greatly. The elephant mother is quite peaceful and even-tempered. She moves slowly and doesn’t get easily agitated. All goes perfectly well until her baby misbehaves! I watched a movie about elephants walking across the savannah in Africa. They were moving steadily along, in line, with other elephants, when a baby elephant stepped out of the line, wandering the other direction. He only got a couple of steps away, when suddenly, Mother Elephant powerfully reached out with her trunk and slapped the baby back into line. The baby was stunned, but by the time he recovered and looked up, the mother was back to her peaceful steady self. No hard feelings. No lectures. No grudges. No frowns. Just immediate consequences that a baby could easily learn to avoid. I was impressed.
This kind of discipline seemed so healthy to me, that I tried to be that mother elephant for my kids. Mom is happy, smiling, playful, and easy to be with. No nagging. No lectures. No frowning especially! Then when the child moves out of line, she acts swiftly to correct it, never raising her voice, but making perfectly sure that her child knows exactly what is expected and that what he did was not okay. Then immediately, it is back to sunshine, acceptance, love, and a happy mood. No good is done by being in a bad mood, harboring ill feelings, drawing out punishment, or repeating lectures. Children are learning, they are practicing, and we should expect them to push the limits and try out breaking the rules. To see if they really are rules and if the consequences really will happen. That is how they learn. If it never, ever pays to disobey, they will learn more quickly. The children will stop fighting—because you have engineered it so the consequences are just not worth it. They won’t have to be told twice, because they know after you say it once, if they don’t move to action, you’ll be right there, making sure they do just what you asked them to, and there will be consequences. Eventually, all you have to do is just “look” like you are going to get up and they’ll run to obey. My kids laugh about that at my house. If I made a sudden move, the children all would hop to. This has been a very effective way to parent, and to get cooperation in the home.
Every child needs to feel that Mom is their best friend, and always on their side. Wouldn’t life be lonely and frightening without that? I tried to never put enmity between us—it was important for me that my child knew I was always on his side, commiserating with him that he had to live with the consequence of breaking the law. I wanted my children to know that I had to keep the rules too, and that we were hand-in-hand in life, trying to learn to live the rules and not suffer the consequences. I felt bad when he didn’t obey, not mad at him, but sad that he had to live with the consequence, because I truly felt that way. I cried with him. I wanted my child to know that my love extended to compassion for him suffering the consequence of disobedience. I often set the timer, and used the timer as the enemy, rather than me being at odds with my child: “Oh no! Hurry and get ready, it is going to ring and then we won’t be able to play a game before bed! Hurry, hurry–I want to play with you!”
As children learn to obey you, things will run so much more smoothly and more happily. Homeschool will be a pleasure—time you share with your best friends, to learn and do and enjoy together. It will cease to be so much effort or fight to make kids do what they are supposed to. Cooperation turns a job into joy.
Obedience. The most important lesson God wants us to learn here on earth is to obey Him. The very first lesson that children need to learn in the home is to obey you, who God has placed at their head. It makes for a very happy family life.

Dispelling Gloom

Just what I needed to hear. It seems that most of our days are like this lately. I have entered the very tired phase of pregnancy (gettin' older!) and my attitude has rubbed off on my children. It seems like all that goes on at our house is fighting, complaining, and whining. Thanks to this post by Diane of www.lovetolearn.com I am reminded that my attitude, whether gloomy or happy, affects my whole family! What conviction.~g

It was one of those days. The sun never came out. It was cloudy, cold and gray, with the foreboding of a storm. The baby was pulling at her ears and crying—sick again. The little ones squabbled over every imaginable injustice. Homeschool was far from “homey”. I was without a car, but with a long list of errands that had to be done. My scripture study and planning time had to be set aside, as the baby wouldn’t nap but wanted to be held. Laundry was backing up so badly that everyone was wondering if they’d have clean clothes tomorrow. I could go on, telling you my woes. Bleak, very bleak.
Things could have gone from bad to worse, but I had one of those rare experiences in which I saw in glaring reality that we create our own happiness by our attitude. As dinner time approached, I had even more to gripe about, but I put on some fun, lively music and involved the children in work. We cleaned up the living room, set the table, and did chores that had never been finished in the morning’s awful gloom. No one was smiling or eager, yet. But I sang along to the music and rallied the children to make a super dinner. We peeled apples and made an apple crisp. Then we dove into making casseroles. We set the table with fancy goblets. The children took turns rocking the baby in the midst of the busy preparations with the upbeat music playing.
By the time Daddy and my teenage boys came home from work late (of course, it always happens on those days!), the dining room was bright and full of delicious smells. Immediately they picked up on the happy spirit and willingly helped with the final meal preparations. We enjoyed being together and no one even complained that the dinner was over an hour late.
A small thing. How different it could have been. I felt I had plenty of reason to complain.

Most wives and mothers come to learn before too long that their attitude is contagious. I have often wanted to moan, “Can’t I just have a bad day without everyone else borrowing it?”. It seems that the family members pick up on mother’s attitude and transfer it into their own personal feelings about the day. If I am overworked, my husband feels he has worked far too hard too. If I am too tired to make dinner, every other member of my family seems to be exhausted! I can’t even sit down during chore time without finding myself surrounded by others who just need to “sit down a minute!”. And so it is with having a happy countenance. It passes on to each child and to our husbands like wildfire. Even a conscious effort can’t prevent it from transferring!
The woman is the center of the home, just as the hub of a wheel. She cannot have a bad day without influencing the whole family. And just the same, her cheerfulness or enthusiasm spreads quickly through the family.
How long and how much effort does it take to turn and look your loved ones in the eye and smile when they come home? Such a little thing. How much energy does it take to for a moment look at their sweet faces and say something positive to your little ones? What a pittance of a price. What keeps us from doing these things? Preoccupation? Laziness? What?
Victor Hugo, in his novel, Toilers of the Sea, speaks of the heroine Deruchette: “Her presence lights the home; her approach is like a cheerful warmth; she passes by, and we are content; she stays awhile and we are happy. Is it not a thing of divine, to have a smile which, none know how, has the power to lighten the weight of that enormous chain that all the living in common drag behind them? Deruchette possessed this smile; we may say that this smile was Deruchette herself.”
Later, he philosophizes: “There is in this world no function more important than that of being charming—to shed joy around, to cast light upon dark days, to be the golden thread of our destiny and the very spirit of grace and harmony. Is not this to render a service?”I believe there can be no more important job than to cast cheer on dark days, spreading sunshine, and lifting those who live with you, and who work with you. It seems a small thing, but those moments add to make up a lifetime, and an eternity. A happy attitude draws others like a magnet. They enjoy the feeling. They long to be around it. Mothers, we have so much influence and power to dispel gloom!
(Written years ago, when my children were younger. It still works the same way!)

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!
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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!
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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.

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).

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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
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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
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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!

Little Ones vs. Homeschooling

This is an article by Diane Hopkins from Love to Learn (http://www.lovetolearn.com/). As lots of us are starting or preparing to start our homeschools, here are some great ideas for occupying your little ones!

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How's it going teaching homeschool with a little one to distract and occupy you? Can be pretty crazy!

I used to struggle with trying to teach the big ones while the little one seemed to carry on a constant disruption. It took a change of attitude, plus some planning to change that in my homeschool.

The change of attitude came unexpectedly as I was searching and praying for a way to keep my toddler or preschooler from messing up my homeschool. Sometimes a change of perspective is all that is needed. Have you read my article, "The Baby is the Lesson"? It has been the most popular thing I've ever written, and I hope it will help you see your little one from a different perspective! (article can be found at http://www.lovetolearn.com/)

Now, to the planning: if you plan ahead, your little one will be lots happier and busier while you are trying to get in some teaching time. Of course, you will involve your preschooler as much as possible in your homeschool: singing, pledge of allegiance, story time, checking the weather, etc. I began school with all my children together, and with an activity waiting nearby on the floor of our schoolroom, such as big legos, a sorting toy, coloring and crayons, or something else to pique my little one's interest when the teaching went over his head. Little ones want to be in the middle of everything, and having something to do close to us would give us time to get going in the morning.

As the morning wore on, my preschooler would get restless and need attention. Time for "Baby Duty"—my term for a 20 minute shift of interacting with the little one in your family. I would assign one child to take the little one outside or into another room and get out a special pre-packed box of delights reserved just for this time, and filled with educational games, puzzles, books to read, an educational toy, perhaps even a healthy snack for two.

"Baby Duty" blessed us in two ways. First, it gave our little one some much needed attention and focused time. But it was also very good for the child assigned to "Baby Duty". It gave him a playful break from study, enabled him to be the teacher for a little while, helped him practice his reading skills while enjoying a story, and created a wonderful bond of friendship and love between siblings. That was the bountiful and unexpected bonus! Both child and little one would come back from "Baby Duty" happy and refreshed!

Why Homeschool?

8 Reasons We Homeschool
By Camille Kendall, Troy, Tennessee

Reason 1: If you stop homeschooling and enroll your children at the school down the road, you will have to have them all up, dressed, fed, and outside waiting for the bus by 6:45 every weekday morning with their books and school supplies in tow. Personally, with seven school-aged children living under one roof, I don't think that is humanly possible.

Reason 2: If you stop homeschooling, you will have to graciously endure comments such as, "I knew that homeschooling thing was a totally hare-brained idea. It's good to see you finally came to your senses and decided to do the rational thing." Of course, such comments will come repeatedly and enthusiastically from those unsympathetic relatives who have offered so little help and encouragement all along

Reason 3: Those same dear relatives will also offer the following words of comfort: "Now your kids can finally be normal." Gack! Now there's one compelling reason to not give up! Visit your local shopping mall on a Saturday night, take a long look around, and ask yourself if you really want your kids to become "normal."

Reason 4: At our house, homeschooling means our children have a diverse people group influencing and shaping their lives--70-year-old grandparents, 90-year-old WWII veterans, middle-aged farmers, college professors, trapping buddies, young cousins, and children of family friends. Giving up and going the more "normal" route would mean limiting their peer group primarily to a knot of same-aged friends with little life experience, diversity, or wisdom.

Reason 5: Babies are beautiful; toddlers are terrific; preschoolers are precious; elementaries are exciting; pre-teens are precocious; high schoolers are absolutely fantastically amazing. Do you really want to miss even one single stage of this incredible journey?

Reason 6: I can't think of anything more intensely sanctifying than living together in the crucible of shared family experiences. In this context, none of us can escape the reality of our own sinfulness, and none of us has the opportunity to go too long without the correction, compassion, and/or encouragement of a brother or sister or parent or child. Each of us is challenged by those around us-those who observe us constantly and who see us without a facade-to align our practice with our faith, to love our Lord and our neighbor "not in word or in tongue, but in deed and truth." Call it Extreme Sanctification: Homeschool Edition. Where else will you find so many daily opportunities to run to the Cross, to repent, and to rest in the sufficiency of the work of Christ, if you give up homeschooling?

Reason 7: Homeschooling is an investment not only in your children, but also in their children, and in their grandchildren after them. It is an investment in your church and your community and in the churches and communities and countries where your descendants will live and have influence as adults. Imagine the long-term "returns" of continued investment over a lifetime-and don't give up!

Reason 8: What would you give this homeschool labor up for-what would you have instead? A clean, quiet, orderly house? A career and a sense of relevance in the broader culture? Another income for your financially strapped family? Time to develop under-used talents and pursue suppressed dreams? I would have given up homeschooling for all of these and more, at different points in the journey, but God in His good providence thwarted me.

Now, with two adult children and more on the very brink of manhood and womanhood, what encouragement can I offer to not give up? Persevere, for the rewards truly will far, far outweigh the costs. Words cannot express the joy and the humble amazement that are mine when I look at the children God has given me and consider the men and women they are becoming-nor can words convey the depth of gratitude I feel for God's allowing me, even constraining me, to participate in His purposes for them.

Life Purpose?

One time I was asked "What do you want your children to accomplish in their life, higher eduction, a great job, money...?" My response was not any of the listed ideas, instead I responded with, "That my children know God and serve him!" To a non-christian or even a non-homeschooler that sounds like a sad and pitiful answer because our culture teaches us that fame, fortune and friends make us happy and successful in this life. But my purpose is not for what I (or my children) can achieve in this life, it's what comes after that I am more interested in. If I give my children the best clothes, house, toys, gadgets, elite education (by society's standards) in this life but they do not know Jesus Christ and serve him, they may have temporary happiness on this earth, but will spend eternity in Hell. To me, it is too high a price to pay! Hell is real and I am not going to waste these precious few years I have training and teaching my children on material things. I do not know when they will leave this earth so I have to make the most of every minute I have with them preparing them for eternity, not this temporary life on earth.

So how does this work as far as academics in our family? While I do believe that education is necessary in this life, I feel that it comes second to nurturing an intimate relationship with the Lord. Most of our education system from private or public school to higher education is a product of our culture. It is man's desire to climb up the ladder of education the way we do today, not God's. Does that mean it's bad or wrong, no. I do believe that God gives man knowledge and wisdom to pass on to others. However, when your child's life only becomes about doing well in school so he can go on to a university which in turn helps him to get a job that pays lots of money...then your focus is not in the right place. That is a worldly view based on what our culture and society have deemed important and successful in this life. The bible does not tell us that we have to receive an education to get to heaven. Our education system including college is man-made. The bible does tell parents that they are to "train up a child in the way he should go, and when he is old he will not depart from it(Proverbs 22:6)" and to teach his commands, decrees and statutes to our children. Train a child in the way he should go means training them to serve the Lord and live a productive life on this earth for His glory, not ours. This is what the Lord has for our family, it may not be the same for yours and that's ok!

In our home, we have what I like to call "Life School" every minute of every day. They begin their schooling from the moment they are born. Now i don't mean they know how to read and write from an early age or do algebra equations at 8, but they are educated through every day life happenings. Cooking or baking provides lots of math and reading practice and making homemade laundry soap is a great science experiment. Letter recognition and counting can be done in the car or bath tub and learning colors is fun while doing the laundry. Just try finding a caterpillar and letting it spin a cocoon, then watching it emerge as a new creation, a butterfly. That is the most amazing science lesson and I don't even have to "teach" it to them. God provides everything we need! If we take advantage of every day teachable moments, our children are receiving the best education we can offer them, although maybe not according to our cultures standard.

I ran across this passage while reading Educating the Whole-Hearted Child by Clay and Sally Clarkson. It sums it all up!

"Christian home education is the shaping of a life, not just the preparation for a living. Your child needs to see that home education is preparing them for a higher purpose in life, and that their real hope is heaven, not the riches of this world. They need to know that their purpose in life is to serve God, not to make money and buy things. If you set their hearts and minds on things above, not on earthly things, then they will find fulfillment in whatever they do in this life because it is a means of serving God."

I pray that we all will not bow down at the altar of this material world, but place our eyes upon the Heavens and find purpose in this life!

Socialization???

This picture is from a month ago during the height of dewberry (blackberry) season. We love to hunt all over our property eating as much as we can a saving a few. One day the boys came to me with a 3/4 full small cup of berries and informed me that they cost $1. After the shock wore off, considering all the years of pricked and stained fingers i endured to share berries with them, I settled on $.75 (since it wasn't full) and applauded their entrepreneurial skills. Small businesses have to start somewhere! Just a side note.

on to my real post....


This is part of an email from Heart-to-Heart with Diane who owns http://www.lovetolearn.com/ -a great homeschool resource. I subscribe to her blog and always enjoy what wisdom she has to share!





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I read in the news that a new study has proven that the mother* in a family has enormous power to socialize the children. It's not the school, it's not the parents' education or income level, it's not the opportunities that child has for extra classes or summer camps that matters. It is the way the mother interacts with the children that makes a difference—a difference that lasts a lifetime. The results of the study show that mothers who point out to their children, from as young as 2 years old, the way other people are feeling in any circumstance helps that child to think of others, become more compassionate, more sensitive, and more "socialized". A child who has been taught to say "you go first", who has been taught to think about how his actions affect others, grows into a caring and compassionate adult. By age 12, children who have been trained by their mother to perceive the needs of others are already exemplifying adult levels of socialization! This confirms that experience that I have had in my homeschool. It seems by about the age of 12 years, homeschooled children are socially capable, able to handle themselves confidently around adults, able to befriend the lonely and watch out for the needs of other people.





When I was a girl on a family vacation, while driving through the forest I saw a billboard that had been put up by a Christian camp. The word "J-O-Y" appeared most visible, but as we drove closer, the message became clear: J for Jesus, O for others, Y for yourself. In that order. It made an impression on me. I realized that was the formula for joy! That stuck with me through the years and right into mothering. I had never been taught that directly, and it was like a revelation to me!





"Socialization" is usually the main concern others express when we tell them we are homeschooling. I know my mother still worries about it. I think as homeschooling moms, we innately understand that the socialization of our children really lies within us, and how we approach life, and how much the "J-O-Y" formula is a part of our daily living.





On Sunday at church, my 19 yr. old daughter and I were walking alongside an elderly lady with a cane when a teenage girl rushed hurriedly past. My daughter quietly remarked to me that if she herself had done that, even at age 3, she knows I would have pulled her out of the way and told her to think how frightening it must feel to the elderly lady to have someone rush by, threatening her stability. I am sure that teenage girl didn't even have a clue. If your children are at school all day around children their own age, you have less time and opportunity to teach them to think of how others feel. If you don't talk to them about caring for others, the result is that they are less socialized.





Academics are one part of homeschooling, and we rejoice when that goes well. But socializing our children to be caring, sensitive and wonderful people is far more important. Thank goodness homeschooling gives us the time, and the mindset to do so.





Hurrah for homeschooling!





*Note: unfortunately the study could not research the effect of a father on the socialization of his children, because they could not find a sufficient number of fathers who spent enough time with their children to make a significant difference.

I love my job!

I am so overwhemled right now with how much I LOVE MY JOB! If you don't know me, that sounds weird, because my "job" is being a wife and mother! I am so thankful the Lord has burned a desire deep in my heart to be a homemaker. There is no place i'd rather be than in the heart of my home. I have not always cared for cooking, cleaning, and washing clothes, but lately, I feel so blessed and thankful to have a family to do these things for and it bring me such joy. I am busy from the moment i wake up to the second I lay down, and during most nights too. It's a satisfying busy though. Not the kind of busy that makes you frustrated and crazy (i've been there too!) but a fulfilling and peaceful busy. I've noticed recently too that because our days are pretty structured and full, there is so much less disciplining needed for my children. And i also don't mean the kind of busy where we are away from home a lot. Monday thru Thursday we are home all day doing our homeschooling, chores, and life stuff. Occasionally, we run errands in the afternoon if it works out. We have Cub Scouts and church certain evenings, but otherwise, we are home so that we can stay on our schedule. Fridays are our homeschool co-op and handbells classes and then the other Friday is our free day.

For some of you, you may think that you would go crazy staying home all day, there have been times that I have even thought that. However, i have found that crazy days are days where there is no structure. I seem to wander around from one thing to the next, always busy, but never seeming to get much done. Then the kids are fine for a while, but then the bickering and fussing begins when they don't know what else to do or need some attention or guidance. So a general plan for the day with round about times gives us a guideline to go by. Even when we miss things or something else comes up, we can easily get back on track by jumping back into the schedule at any time.

Here is our daily schedule (i re-evaluate this frequently and change as needed):

7:15-Wake up

7:30-breakfast/clean-up/feed lambs

8:00-get dressed, make beds, brush teeth/hair, complete morning chores

9:00-Bible Study

9:30-Kate nap

begin School;M-Owen & Claire-letter of the week,Cody-Independent work

T-Math Day

W-Science Day

Th-Skittle School (if all work is completed this is their treat-they love it!Small candies are earned for answering questions and completing tasks/activities i give them based on their abitities; their favorite game is Alphabet Bingo! Since we don't eat a lot of sugar, this is a huge treat! Picture above is of Skittle School)

10:15-Snack/break

10:30-My Father's World (packaged curriculum)

11:15-outside playtime

12:00-lunch

12:30-clean up/misc

1:30-Kate nap

others-read books/play quietly/occasionally watch a video

3:00-Free time (T/Th-computer/Wii)

5:00-dinner prep

6:00-dinner

6:30-clean-up/girls bath

7:00-girls in bed/boys feed lambs/shower

7:30-boys in bed/read books

8:00/8:30-boys lights out

I plan out our dinner menu 1 month at a time. Since I am now cooking dinner everynight (very little leftovers anymore) we have some meals that are always the same. Friday night is Mama's Homemade Pizza Night and everyone's favorite meal of the week. I make a batch of homemade dough and get out all of the toppings like sauce, cheese, canadian bacon, italian sausage, pepperoni, olives, mushrooms, etc. Each person gets a chunk of dough and they roll it out in what ever shape they want and then top it to their liking. Sometime we watch a movie while we eat our pizza. I try to stick with the same type of meat each night, then vary the meal: Monday-chicken, Tuesday-ground beef, Wed.-eat at church, Th-misc, Friday-homemade pizza, Sat-crock pot meal; Sun-light meal (sandwiches,soup,etc)(we eat out usually after church for lunch so we're not as hungry for dinner).

We also have a weekly menu for breakfast and lunch. These do not change except when we get tired of eating the same things after a while.

Here is our laundry schedule:

M-Cody-am

Owen-noon

T-Claire-am

Kate-noon

Me-pm

W-Kenneth-am & noon

Th-linens-am & noon

F & S-misc-whatever didn't get done

I also alternate running the dishwasher and washing cloth diapers late at night. We have a septic system and since I am married to a septic installer I have to follow the "spread your laundry out" rule so our system doesn't get overloaded. Also, my children are trained to do their own laundry. They each have their own dirty clothes basket in the laundry room (they are responsible for putting all of their dirty clothes straight into their basket every day). At their designated time/day, they have to put their clothes in the washer and add our homemade(see my recipe in the Natural Cleaning tab on the right) laundry detergent(with help for younger ones). I usually move the load to the dryer since it is hard for them to reach way down in it. Then they have to put their dry clothes into their drawer (which is 1 huge drawer that is built into their beds). We do not fold, only hang special dresses or shirts! This is a stress saver for me at this point in life!!

Ahhh-It all sounds like so much, but really a little bit of planning goes a long way. I plan out our dinner meals at the beginning of each month and write it on my calendar so I see it every day. I also plan out 6 weeks of school at a time then take off one or two weeks so I can reevaluate our studies and adjust where needed. We are homeschooling year round so these are needed breaks to the kids as much as me. I found that taking the summer off led to lots of problems due to a lack of schedule, so we go year round with many breaks for resting and holidays. I then prepare for each week on sunday nights and get all of the materials needed for the week ready.

So...Staying home can be great! Just find what works best for your family and go with it. If you find yourself having a hard time, maybe you need to focus more time on your children. Play a game with them before you clean the kitchen or read a book to your little ones before starting school. Fill their cup first, before getting all of your housework done, and they will be content.

Also, one other thing I have found that makes our day go so much more peacefully is to not get on the phone or computer. It never fails, that when i do either of these, things get wild! I try to do these things after the kids are in bed.

Happy Homemaking!

Homeschooling Help

Ten Ways to Simplify Homeschooling

Colette Longo

August 2001

1) Keep everything as simple as you can. Jesus wrote with a stick in thedirt, and He was the greatest teacher that ever lived. He used no curriculumor flannel graphs or lesson plans. Homeschooling can be made far morecomplicated than it should be. A simpler approach is much more effective.

2) Stick to the 3 R's. They form the foundation of life-long learning inevery field because they are the tools of study. There will be no need toformalize any other subject if the children are doing their best in these 3,because people who are well grounded in reading, writing and math willapproach other subjects boldly, independently and confidently.

3) Let the children teach themselves as much as they are able to. Thisteaches them responsibility, intellectual independence, and buildsconfidence. It's also better for the parent/child relationship because youcan focus on parenting instead of playing schoolteacher.

4) Use the most direct method available. For reading, read. For writing,write, for math, do it, and for Bible, read it. Don't fall for catchycurriculums or methods that are really just something else for you and yourchild to learn.

5) Don't worry about your child's age or grade. Just let him do the best hecan each day. Children grow intellectually like they do physically: inspurts. Although we may have an audience of skeptical relatives,homeschooling is not a circus, and we refuse to train our children to dotricks for people.

6) Minimize distractions in the home. Watch for excessiveness inentertainments, snacking, outings, phone conversations and the like. Thesesorts of things can easily get out of hand and compete with theeffectiveness of a homeschool and sap the family of time and energy.

7) Seek quality over quantity. A few tapes of great music, a small case ofcarefully chosen books, a few special play mates, and an occasional outingis better than a large, but poor quality collection.

8) If you must document your school activities, do it after the fact. Thisway you will not make promises you cannot keep. If you are required to makelesson plans, be as vague as permissible. Don't let transcripts, diplomas,records and tests determine your academic plans. Focus on learning and therest will follow.

9) Put the needs of your youngest, most vulnerable children first. If anolder child gets a little behind in school, I'm sure you can forgiveyourself. But if something happened to the toddler while you were busyhomeschooling, I don't think you would be able to say the same.

10) Love the Lord your God with all your heart, mind and soul and don'tneglect to seek him early...giving him the first fruits of your day andteach your children to do the same. I know that you are tired and that therearen't enough hours in your day, but we serve a God who can make the sunstand still.

ClickN' READ Phonics

The price right now is $29.99 through Homeschool Buyer's Co-op plus a $2.50 processing fee. This is a lifetime membership and can be used with every child you have, but only one at a time.

We have looked at this program before and done several lessons. My boys loved it, however, i couldn't justify spending another $60 on a phonics program. When i ran across this deal we signed up. Owen is very excited to get started on this soon.

Just thought i'd share my deal of the day with anyone interested!

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The Homeschool Buyers Co-op has launched a special offer for an online animated phonics program.
Go to http://www.homeschoolbuyersco-op.org/32973400/ for more information.

The Homeschool Buyers Co-op is pleased to present a special offer for a LIFETIME subscription for ClickN' READ Phonics, an award-winning, online, animated phonics program from ClickN' KIDS, Inc.!
Used by 1500+ schools & 1000's of homes in over 60 countries, ClickN Read Phonics starts kids learning to read immediately. This online beginning reading program, designed by nationally recognized research professor Dr. J. Ron Nelson, contains precisely sequenced, research based lessons that play like an animated computer game. Simple enough for children as young as 4 years old, but teaching the complete K-3rd grade standards based phonics curriculum; this program is for EVERYONE learning to read!
ClickN' READ Phonics's on-screen instructor speaks to your child exactly like an expert reading teacher would. ClickN' READ Phonics is for children who are learning to read English for the first time, those who are struggling with reading, children with learning disabilities, and even adults who are learning English as a second language. Best of all - it's designed for independent use!
ClickN' READ Phonics retails for $59.85 but by purchasing through the Co-op you save a bundle (scroll down for our current savings - the best price anywhere!). But hold on to your hat - this product is a LIFETIME Subscription AND it is fully transferable when you are done using it - with no extra fees!

Advent Activities for Families

I just ran across a great website that has something called Advent for the Family which includes "Daily Bible readings, craft, activity and recipe suggestions to enhance your holiday season!" It is amazing and right up my alley since I need something in my hands explaining exactly how to celebrate Advent.

I know it's late to start it this year, but we are just going to skip all of the crafty stuff and recipes up to todays lesson. Even if you don't do it this year, bookmark it and try it next year. What a great way to keep Christ the center of Christmas!

There is also another way to celebrate the Advent season by creating a Jesse Tree. "It is a small, leafless tree decorated with symbols portraying Jesus' spiritual heritage." It's kind of like a study of Jesus' Family Tree which you make as you go. We made our tree out of long sticks and hung it from a light fixture above our table. Each day you read a passage and hang the symbol for it. We have sort of made a game out of figuring out which symbol goes with the day's reading and then guessing what it represents. Here is a similar picture of how our's looks.Here is another website with Jesse Tree directions and a little different pictures. Let me know if any of you decide to try these out!

Only at a Homeschool Conference!

A couple of weekends ago, I was blessed to be able to attend a Homeschool Conference in the Woodlands. My friend Kim kept my children one night and Kenneth the next. Of course I had the baby with me. It was so nice to be encouraged by all of the great speakers and I learned lots of great tips on HSing. I also loved getting to go through the vendor hall with lots and lots of neat and fun curriculum, books, etc. I was able to get everything I needed for this school year except one item.


One thing that struck me as I spent these two days trekking up and down escalators, elevators, and through mazes of people, was how kind and helpful everyone was to me and the baby. So here is my list of things you will most likely find or experience only at a homeschool conference:

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*Complete strangers you don't know at all will offer to hold your baby while you go to the bathroom just because they remember those days of having a little one and only 2 hands, and you let them!


*Vendors notice your struggle with choosing between curriculums and let you just take anything you want over night so you can sift through them and choose. He didn't even want my name and number, just said to bring it back the next day!



*People offer to hold your baby during a speaking session just so you can take notes without a squirmy baby in your arms! They will get the notes from a friend.


*You are not the only one walking around with a baby in an Ergo and most people actually know what an Ergo is!


*You attempt to go up the escalator with a baby in your arms and a stroller loaded down with everything but a baby and stuff starts to slide out the back of the stroller basket all over the escalator and people run up to grab it all and help you get off-yikes!



*Everywhere you look you see other mothers nursing their babies under a nursing cover and no one looks at them funny or gets mad that they are nursing in public!

For my fellow homeschooling mama's out there, if you ever get the opportunity to go to one of these conferences, do it! You won't regret it.

Happy Homeschooling!!!