Please link directly to your “Best Tips For Conquering Clutter“ post. Failure to leave a direct link will result in the removal of your name from Mr. Linky.
The schedule for the theme of the homeschool meme is located in the right column under “Blog With Us”. Please check it out to view upcoming themes.
Let’s face it – Marsha and David have some handsome little boys and Dozer is no exception. That bright eyed “Korean with blonde hair” sure knew how to make his mama’s heart melt whether he was talking about his “two foreheads” or outgrowing his lost blanky. Marsha is such a good mama and boy did she ever dote over this little one. And who could blame her? The little cutie was so musically inclined that he could play a guitar AND an egg slicer. I guarantee that he is making some sweet music up in heaven tonight!
Yes, Jesus has one more sweet little angel to bounce on his knee. Christian, whom Marsha lovingly referred to as Dozer, passed away in a drowning accident on Tuesday evening. He was a three year old boy wonder who was so excited to begin school in the coming weeks. He had only been a spectator to his brother’s lessons so far but he was a quick learner…
“one, two, fwee, foh, fiiive, sixteen, benineteen, fowteen, nineteen. I count fo you mommy!!!”
I know his mama, daddy, and his two brothers miss him deeply. They know he is in God’s loving arms but that doesn’t stop the pain they are feeling. I ask that you please, please pray for our friends. Marsha and David are amazing people and my heart is simply broken because this happened to them. Your prayers are coveted.
Cards or Correspondence can be mailed to:
David and Marsha Drews
c/o Rachel Harris
12830 N. Cypress Lane
Tomball, TX 77377
She will be sure to get them all to Marsha and David.
Father,
I pray that you would bless my dear sweet friend and comfort her and her husband and those little boys as they go through what is certainly the worst time of their lives. God I ask that you would keep your eyes fixed on them and your arms around them. I ask that you send thousands of angels to be there with them in their grief and comfort them. God, give them peace, the kind that surpasses all understanding. Give them joy. I know that only you know why these things happen but it just feels so unfair. Still we trust you. Please help us when we fail. And Father, give Christian a big hug and a kiss from each and every one of us. Thank you, Father. In Jesus’ name. Amen.
And whether one member suffer, all the members suffer with it; or one member be honoured, all the members rejoice with it.1 Corinthians 12:26
Marsha and David we love you and will be here praying with you through this. We can’t even begin to fathom your thoughts or emotions right now but please know that we are here, whatever you may need. We love you.
Dozer, we’ll see you soon, sweetheart!
NOTE: It is Marsha’s request that in lieu of flowers or other monetary gifts, that we donate to her church’s missions ministries. As soon as that is set up we will let everyone know how to proceed. Christian’s wake/viewing will be held on Friday and the burial will be on Saturday. Please keep them in your prayers. In the meantime, if you have written a post to celebrate Christian’s life and you would like to share it then yes, you may link it here:
Please note that all entries on Mr. Linky that do not link to a post or tribute for the Drews family will be deleted.
Sprittibee also has links up at her site. SisterLisa wrote a great post about how to help a friend cope with the loss of a child.
Thank you all for supporting Marsha and her family. She is an amazing woman who loves her boys immensely. She needs our prayers and love right now.
Over the past four years, I’ve read almost all the homeschooling books written by Dr. Ruth Beechick and Dr. Raymond and Dorothy Moore. Though I’ve purchased a few, I obtained most of these resources from our public library using the online reservation system. These books have been a huge encouragement to me as we continue our homeschool journey, providing reassurance and helpful ideas for writing, spelling, and other academic areas. The books have also validated our natural approach to homeschooling, as what we are doing is backed by extensive research in early childhood education and by common sense.
Home-Spun Schools by the Moores was an eye-opener to the struggles faced by the pioneers of the homeschool movement. Many homeschool parents faced criminal prosecution, the threat of having their children taken away, and criticism all around. As part of the homeschool boomer generation, we reap the benefits of the earlier generation of brave homeschool parents seeking the best in education for their children.
The benefits of homeschooling are many, and I’d like to share a few here.
Lisa (aka Morning Rose) has been teaching her two elementary-aged sons for four years and incorporating study, work, service, and play into their homeschooling days. She enjoys reading, writing, and photography and blogs publicly at Pockets of Time and privately at Scooter and B.
**The winner of this giveaway is Leslie of Yes, I Homeschool My Kids.
Classical Academic Press has quickly become one of my favorite homeschooling companies. Along with Song School Latin, my son and I reviewed Bible for Children: The Pathway of God’s Promise – Genesis to Ruth.
The entire book is 238 pages with a glossary and child friendly maps. It consists of 32 chapters grouped into 5 broad-themed units. The units are explained in detail on Classical Academic Press’ website.
Unit I: In the Beginning – God’s Power. God, the mighty Elohim, demonstrated His power by speaking creation into existence. He barred sinful man from the garden and judged the wicked world with a catastrophic flood. At the same time the power of His mercy and His redemptive plan secured man’s future existence.
Unit II: By the Patriarchs – God’s Promises. The Lord God plucked Abram out of the city of Ur and sent him on a journey. Through the covenant the Lord gave Abram (later called Abraham) three promises: to give him a land, to make him the father of many nations, and to bless the world through him. These promises, and God’s faithfulness to keep them, form the foundation for the rest of God’s story.
Unit III: Out of Egypt – God’s Redemption. In God’s mind, rescuing Israel from Egypt was more than saving the Israelites from slavery. The Lord God was redeeming Israel from sin and renewing the covenant He had made with Abraham. Despite their sin the Lord desired to dwell with His people and bless them.
Unit IV: Through the Wilderness – God’s Provision. In the harshness of the Sinai wilderness the Lord God showed His people that His care for them was perfect. Even though they grumbled, complained, and refused to trust Him, God was completely trustworthy.
Unit V: In the Promised Land – God’s Faithfulness. After the glorious conquest of Canaan, Israel entered into the dark years when everyone did “what was right in his own eyes.” Even though Israel repeatedly turned from the Lord, He always heard their cries for mercy and delivered them from the oppression of their enemies.
Each chapter contains a memory page of words, key facts, Bible verses, a story, and then a set of worksheets. The worksheets are mostly fill-in-the-blank with some matching and word searches. The chapter adheres to a more specific theme within the unit and contains a “key event.” For example Chapter one follows the unit theme of God’s Power with the lesson theme “God creates by the power of His words.” Chapter one’s Key Event is “God speaks…and it happens.” You can view the table of contents and all the themes here.
Some of my favorite aspects of this curriculum are:
This curriculum, like everything from Classical Academic Press, is very organized and both teacher AND kid friendly. It is ideal for any elementary aged student.
The student text is $22.95, and the teacher’s manual is $24.95. They can be purchased in a bundle for $42.95. The student text is contained in small print within the teacher’s manual, along with “Catechism for Children” answers, detailed notes, reference verses, and note-taking space.
You can visit these links to view samples:
View Sample Chapters of BFC Book 1 (PDF)
View Sample Chapters of BFC Book 1 Teacher’s Materials (PDF)
BFC Suggested Weekly Schedule (PDF)
Would you like to win a copy of this Bible curriculum?
To enter the giveaway tell us what you and/or your family do for devotions or Bible Studies. Comments will be closed Friday, August 29th at 10pm EST and the winner will be announced on Sunday in our weekly newsletter. You can sign up for the newsletter by entering your email address over in the right sidebar.
As always please make sure you leave your email address or that it is clearly listed on your profile or blog. If we can’t email you, you can’t win.
Amy is a devoted wife, Classical homeschooling mom to a six-year-old Superhero and the co-owner/Director of Operations for Heart of the Matter. She has a passion for genealogy and is aspiring to be a Proverbs 31 lady. Be sure to visit her blog at Milk and Cookies.
While creating my geography unit study lens, I stumbled across a blog post at LaPaz Home Learning telling about the Continent Boxes she had just completed. Finally, I knew what to do with all the “artifacts” we create during our studies of different countries. Continent Boxes are sort of like treasure boxes- one for each continent- which contain maps, books, and artifacts from the countries on that continent. You can buy or create things specifically for your continent boxes, or you can do a “scavenger hunt” around the house to see what objects you can come up with.The boxes can be plain shoe boxes or plastic totes, or you can decorate them with maps, pictures, and flags from each continent. Here are some ideas of what you can include.
Maps
If you’re going to study geography, it is only sensible that your study should include maps. The physical geography of a country is important, not only because it tells us where a country is located, but also because it gives us a glimpse into the cultures of the area. Cultures are influenced in many ways by the physical geography of the place where they live.An example of this is the Inuit people of the Arctic regions. As we were preparing to study them the other day, I asked my children if they knew where the Inuit lived. Two of my children answered “Mexico” and “South America.” If you know anything about the Inuit, you can see how ridiculous these answers are. The cultures of the Arctic peoples are vastly different from those of Central and South America.Each box ought to include a map of the continent and maps of individual countries on that continent. You might also want to include puzzles or games featuring the physical geography of that continent.
Pictures
A picture is worth a thousand words, so make sure you include several in each box. These pictures should include things like people, buildings, food, animals, plants, and landmarks. Photos can be cut from old copies of National Geographic and pasted with a label onto cardstock or made into a collage. Travel brochures would also be a great addition. Or, you could just include a few nice picture books. If you can find some copies of the local art, add those in too.
“Artifacts” and Souvenirs
The best things you can put in your boxes are real items from the countries you want to learn about. If you haven’t been blessed with the ability to travel the world to collect your own souvenirs and don’t know anyone who can do it for you, try looking around your house to see what “foreign” items may be hiding there. Check out the ethnic food shelves at your local grocery store or go shopping at a store which specializes in selling exotic merchandise. There are also many online stores where you can purchase items from overseas.You can also add all the projects your children complete as they study different countries. Or, include craft items and instructions in your continent boxes so your children can complete these projects at another time.
Money
You can learn a lot about a country’s history and what its people value by seeing what they put on their money. Kids especially love to examine foreign coins. Both coins and bank notes are available for sale on Ebay. You might also ask your local bank if they can get them for you or ask friends and relatives to bring some back from their travels.If you can’t get the real thing, you can still print off some pictures of foreign money to add to your continent boxes.
Stamps and Postcards
Stamps and postcards are like tiny windows through which we can glimpse small amounts of a countries culture. These can be collected through exchanges or from aquaintances who like to travel. Sometimes you can find them in shops which sell collectables. If you can’t get them anywhere else, try looking on Ebay.
Miniatures
Your boxes ought to contain as many real “treasures” as possible. But some items are obviously going to be too big to put in a box. This is where miniture replicas fit in. Miniatures can be things like toy animals, tiny models of famous landmarks, or dioramas of native landscapes. Many items which are intended for dollhouses would be perfect for your continent boxes. Or, you could even get some modeling compound and have your children create some minitures of their own.
Costumes
These would be the most fun if your child could wear them. But they coud also be doll-sized. If you are not handy at sewing, search the resale shops for likely items. We have also found lots of great costumes on the clearance racks after Halloween.
Flags
Small flags are another item which is easy to add to your boxes. These can be made using white cloth and fabric markers, or they can be purchased.
Music and Instruments
Your Continent Boxes include more than just things to touch or things to see. Try adding a CD with native music and national anthems or a few native instruments for the kids to play.
Additional Items
Here are a few more things you may want to include:
* samples of writing
* spices, ethnic foods, or recipes
* textiles (such as a piece of silk for China, plaid for Scotland, etc.)
* childrens’ books and folktales from or about each country
* paperdolls
Melissa Telling is a the homeschooling mother of seven: ages 3-12. They love notebooking, lapbooking, unit studies, and hands-on education. She is also the owner of Lilliput Station. Please visit Melissa at her blog.
Please welcome this week’s featured homeschooler – Jennifer of Pigpens, Pencils, and Presbyterians
1. Tell us about your homeschool.
I’m a tweaker at heart, so we follow a very eclectic approach in our homeschool. We began with the neo-classical approach used by The Well Trained Mind, but as I’ve learned more about all the different ways there are to homeschool, my tweaking heart took over. We’ve now planted our classical roots into a Charlotte Masonesque soil and are growing something a little different. I’m sure as we continue, the Spirit will keep on leading me to tweak away. We’re true Presbyterians, “Reformed and always reforming according to the Spirit.” Mostly though, we live an educational life. That’s what we love, so even if we aren’t “doing school” on a given day, there’s always learning going on. My biggest challenge is relaxing and not burying my kids, and myself, beneath my own expectations. Well, that and keeping the toddler from eating all the crayons.
2. Share with us your funniest homeschooling moment.
Hmmm, that’s a tough one. Humor tends to make its way into most of what we do because, well, we’re kind of weird to begin with, but I’d have to say the funniest moment was the day we tried our hand at Sumo Wrestling.
It was early last fall, and sumo wrestling was one of the suggested activities for our 3rd grader’s history curriculum. We’d planned it for Sunday afternoon and talked it up to the boys. They were pumped. Usually we told them NOT to wrestle in the living room. There was no turning back. We only had one problem. That morning at church, a very sweet lady who’d been having a rough few weeks told us that, along with everything else, her refrigerator had died. We couldn’t let her sit at home feeling sad and lonely without anything decent to eat. We had to invite her over, but did we want her seeing us at our very weirdest?
So there we were, the pastoral family, with pillows tied to the boys’ waists and a circle of tape on the floor. They bowed and growled and stomped and pushed. Many of our congregants would have been appalled at such a display. Praise God, Linda, a public school teacher, laughed right along with us. I think it was just what she needed.
3. I bet 3 boys keep you busy! Tell us about them.
I grew up with 3 brothers and went to a military college (Go Navy!), so when it came time to have children, I was ready for a little girl. I wanted soft pink jammies and frilly lace dresses, but God knew better. My boys are a handful, but they’re a heartful too. Rob (8) is the consummate first born. He’s astoundingly intelligent, has an incredible heart for God, and a yearning to save the planet. He longs to be a leader. He’s an auditory learner who’s always talking, and I can’t wait to hear what God gives him to say. Michael (5) is my court jester. Although he’s also incredibly intelligent, his distinguishing feature is an infectious spirit that lights up every room he enters. He was once called “viciously cute”, and it truly fits. Finally, my Tommy (2) breaks hearts wherever he goes. If he sees someone who looks too serious, he will bend over backward, literally, to make them smile. He’s also annoyingly good at opening things that should be closed, reaching things that are high up, and batting his eyelashes when he gets caught. Really, I could brag on my boys all day long, but the truth is, they’re kids. They’re not perfect. Their intellectual giftedness is a much more difficult challenge than most people think, and their energy and noise often clashes with my need for peaceful surroundings. But, on those days when I’ve been flattened by all the testosterone, God points out the love they have for each other and for me. He gives me glimpses of the men they will one day become, and I’m left in awe. God’s perspective helps me to revel in the noise and mud while it lasts.
4. What do you do in your down time?
I’m sorry to say that I tend to waste my downtime thinking about what I should’ve done during my “uptime”, but, on my good days, I love to read, have deep talks with my hubby, and listen to a great podcast while walking with the only other girls in the family, our dogs, Charlotte and Emily.
5. What made you decide to Homeschool?
One day when my oldest was about 6 months old, I was doing one of my favorite things, browsing in Borders, and I came across an interesting looking book called The Well Trained Mind. I’d never considered homeschooling before that, and the only person I’d ever known who’d homeschooled was not terribly bright and got pregnant at 16. As I read the book, those impressions were blown away by the common sense of the idea. God gently reminded me of my own education. I had been an excellent student, but a great deal had been missing from my education. For me, from about 6th grade on, it had been about the grades, about being the best, and by the time I was a senior in high school, I’d forgotten how to enjoy learning. Honestly, I wasn’t learning anything but how to ace the tests. I didn’t want my kids to live that way. I wanted them to ask every question (sometimes I regret that one). I never wanted them to choose between being “cool” and being smart. I wanted them to have a clear path to their God-given potential, and I wanted to know them better than their teachers did. Our homeschool’s not perfect, but I think we are at least on the right track.
6. If you could have anything no matter the cost, what would it be?
The first thing that pops into my head is a mini-van. We’re rather cramped in our old, beaten up Explorer. One more baby would have us taking 2 cars everywhere, but really, when I let my heart speak, I come up with a very different answer. My husband, John, and I have a dream of owning a large property in the country called Shiloh where we can hold training events for church staffs and allow pastoral families to come to retreat. We’ll have a large organic garden, orchards, horses, and comfortable rooms and cabins linked to a central meeting area. Guests will be invited to work the land with us or just relax in nature. This longing is so deep and has lasted so long that I’m certain God has put it in our hearts. I have no doubt that He will make it come to fruition if we discern and follow His directions. We’re still working on that
last bit.
7. You make toys and costumes, how creative! What got you started?
I’ve always enjoyed making things. I even sold crafts at a farmers market for a while, but as money got tighter, it became more and more difficult to justify spending money on supplies. This financial pinch also made it hard to buy nice presents for our kids. When I put the two together, I was able to make the kids a few nice toys for Christmas and fun Halloween costumes every year, and I was able to happily craft away twice a year. I’ve made puppets and tunnels, dog and lion costumes, but my two favorite creations were a play-mat which has a town with roads and train tracks on one side and the solar system on the other (It rolls up for easy storage.) and a lion costume for Michael. Sadly, life has become too busy in the last few years for me to make much of anything. Maybe it’s time to break out the paints again.
8. What’s your favorite curriculum?
Ooh, well, like I said, I’m a tweaker. My favorite curricula have turned out to be the ones I’ve made myself. I enjoy the creative process, and the results always work just right for our family. I’m creating my own history units this year, and I’ve been working on a pre-K/Kindergarten Sunday School curriculum for our small church that’s turning out pretty well. My favorite, though, would be what I’ve put together to teach my boys to read. My two oldest were each reading easy chapter books by their fourth birthdays without any flashcards or boredom. Honestly, most of the phonics books out there made ME cry! If I had to pick a premade curriculum though, I’d say Singapore Math is the thing I’ve had to tweak the least.
Interview by:
Nikowa is a 2nd year homeschooling mom to two boys. (Ages 8 and 5) With her “learning never ends” philosophy, they have an eclectic year-round approach to learning. When she’s not teaching, she enjoys photography, organizing, cooking, reading, and knitting. She is a #1 LOST fan and watches UGA football too! (Go Dawgs!) You can visit Nikowa at Knowledge House Academy.
Here is how a typical day looks at my house…Now that doesn’t look unreasonable does it..it’s the laundry, the vacuuming,bill paying, class scheduling, the cooking of the meals, the grading of papers, the planning of lessons, the ministries..you ALL get the picture, it add up if we aren’t careful to DIAGNOSIS: STRESS.
To any gal getting married, I’d have this advice; “YOU will, according to statistics do most of the cooking, dishes, laundry, floor washing, vacuuming and grocery shopping.” *SMILE really BIG! (This is according to one Arkansas study, as written in Love, Honor and Vacuum, page 22)
It’s also likely that she will pay bills, vacation plan and buy birthday gifts….*ANOTHER BIG SMILE…
If we aren’t careful, we’ll fall head first into the pit that’s hard to emerge from. We’ll be seen falling as we explode at the same time!
Sheila makes the point that,
Husbands are part of that same story, and since we are here on a home school site having this discussion, so is the education of our children.
What we learn in chapter 1 is what we don’t want to hear. EXHAUSTION and STRESS lead us to lots of unhealthy behaviors. Ever heard of “stress eating?” Oh, I hate that! I’m guilty….stress me out and you’d better have that bag of M&M’s, particularly if it’s the XXL party size, chained down! Healthy habit? Not particularly….I’ve learned!
Ladies, let’s face it…stress is a part of this life we’ve chosen. Perhaps if we’d opted for the monastic life, the diagnosis would be different, but here we are…knee deep in laundry and dirty dishes, amidst the piles of paper that we call curriculum.
WE HAVE TO GET A GRIP!
“We NEED to let God shine HIS light on our problems,” Sheila reminds us. There is hope in what so far is a very “bleak” picture!
God did not create us to be exhausted, shells of who we once were….He created us to be inspiring, life loving, giving wives, moms and friends!
and I’m not talking about the 42 cents in your wallet or the David Bowie classic of the 80′s,(IF you are old enough to remember it, and I am) I’m talking about the OTHER change. That word that we tend to “whisper.” Change isn’t a BAD word, but yet we often use it as if it’s an admittance of failure. The fact of the matter is that it’s not about getting EVERYONE else to change, it begins with each of us. Becoming better in Christ…that sounds nice, doesn’t it?
Cliche?
Perhaps, but true. The changes that we are seeking are not going to come from those around US, they have to come FROM us, as we begin to use JESUS as our guide.
There are ways to see if CHANGE is something that needs to be looked at further in our lives. Admittedly, they are tough questions, but change has NEVER been easy, ever heard of PAUL?
Sheila gives us a few questions to think on before we move into Chapter 2, as a way of really examining ourselves.
Do we snap at the people we love?(just hang around Matthew 11:28 – 30 a little longer to hear the promises that Jesus has for us!)
We’ll have to do some real soul searching and open ourselves up to the fact that we indeed may need to do some renovations of the heart.
Are you happy with the role you play in life? (Sheila recommends some time spent in Ephesians 2:10) Pray and ask God to show you in the midst of the daily chaos, that IS your life what HIS plan is for you.
What IS your attitude about change?? Ultimately, it’s our life..noone can MAKE us change our actions, our habits or our attitudes, but if we are willing to look inward, we just may find that a little change could do us good!!
If you are joining us on this walk through “To love, honor and vacuum” please leave a comment linking to your thoughts. We’d love to visit!
JOIN us next time as we look at Chapter 2, “One Step Forward, Two Steps Back.”
Lori is a 4 year homeschool mom to 3. Currently a 8th grader, a 6th grader and a 4th grader. Lori insists that when she was wrestling with the decision to home school, a gentle voice guided her with the words, “you know what you should do.” Never looking back, accepting the challenges and rewards and CONSTANTLY clinging to THE ROCK…”No Storm can shake my inmost calm when to this ROCK I’m clinging.” Lori hopes to impart peace and inspiration amidst the daily chaos. Be sure to visit her blog at All You Have to Give.
Chapters:
Chapter 1
Chapter 2
Chapter 3
Chapter 4
Chapter 5
Chapter 6
Chapter 7
First & Favorite Bible Lessons for Preschoolers is everything I’ve been looking for for my preschoolers, in one convenient book!
Karin Katherine is a proud stay-at-home mother of four who feels blessed to be the mother of 5 year old fraternal twin boys and two daughters, ages three and 4 months. As someone who never changed a diaper until she had children, Karin is surprised by the fact that she has been changing diapers for the past 5 years straight with no end in sight! As the 7th of 8 children, Karin feels blessed by her average size (in her mind anyway) family and wouldn’t mind a few more– God willing and her husband notwithstanding. Her biggest homeschooling dream is to one day homeschool across the United States in an RV. Please visit her new blog Mommy Matters.
Two weeks ago I took my six-year-old to his very first homeschool assessment. The teacher, who is also a Homeschool Gym instructor, asked my son what his favorite part about school was. My son’s answer: Latin.
Latin?!?
A six-year-old boy’s favorite part of school is Latin?
Want to know why? We’re using Song School Latin. We started using this curriculum last month when I was asked to write a review on it. I am very glad I accepted. We love this curriculum. The book is written by Amy Rehn and published by Classical Academic Press, whose motto is “Classical Subjects Taught Creatively.” I cannot recommend this book enough for the family who wants to gently introduce their early elementary student to Latin.
There are 30 lessons of words that grouped by theme. For example, chapter 1 is greeting words such as hello and goodbye; chapter 15 is animals; chapter 19 teaches body parts; and chapter 25 introduces seasons. Each lesson can be done in one day or spaced out over a whole week.
The student text is $22.95, and the teacher’s manual is $22.95. They can be purchased in a bundle for $42.95. The teacher’s manual is identical to the student text but with answers filled in and a few additional hands-on activities. The student text contains the invaluable CD of 30 fun and lively songs. There are actually 60 tracks on the CD, half are sung using the classical pronounciation and the other half using the ecclesiastical pronounciation.
You can visit these links to view or listen to samples:
Song School Latin, Sample Chapters (PDF)
Song School Latin, Sample Songs (MP3)
Song School Latin, Sample Teacher’s Edition (PDF)
This curriculum makes teaching Latin so easy and fun. It is educational, yet far from boring. Want proof? I snuck this video of my son singing one of the songs while doing a workbook page.
Amy is a devoted wife, Classical homeschooling mom to a six-year-old Superhero and the co-owner/Director of Operations for Heart of the Matter. She has a passion for genealogy and is aspiring to be a Proverbs 31 lady. Be sure to visit her blog at Milk and Cookies.
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