Repartee: Independence Day
July 3, 2009 by Angela
Welcome to this week’s version of Repartee! Freedom is the subject in honor of the 4th of July. I imagine grills nationwide will be smoking all kinds of great stuff tomorrow–I can just smell them now! Isn’t it wonderful when families get a chance to spend quality time together? My husband has both today *and* Monday off so we are super lucky this year.
Here are my questions for you this week:
Leave a comment by Thursday and have a great week!
Welcome our new contributors
July 2, 2009 by AmyS
I am super pleased to introduce you to our new contributors. Each brings their own passion and style to Heart of the Matter Online and we can’t wait to read their articles, which I know will be loaded with encouragement and practical advice.
I also would like to present to you a new page that shows off the beautiful people here who make Heart of the Matter possible. We have a good looking team don’t we!!
Brenda is a classically eclectic mother of 5, who has a wonderful husband that encourages her to be the best woman that God has created her to be. Together they are very intentional about spending time together as a family and she blogs about their homeschool journey and family traditions at Tie That Binds Us.
Heather Woodie is a homeschooling mom of four kids ages 10, 8, 6, 3 and wife to a handsome chemical engineer for 13 years. Before raising a family, she taught middle school science and has a masters degree in curriculum and instruction secondary education. Now teaching at home means the chance to provide the extraordinary for her children. Between family and homeschooling time, she is working as volunteer staff for MOPS International as an Area Coordinator for NY State. She’s been homeschooling four years and you can read about those adventures on her blog, Blog She Wrote.
Kendra Fletcher is the homeschooling mother of eight, ages 16 down to one year. She has never known what it means to homeschool without the presence of preschoolers, and loves to encourage other moms beginning their homeschool journeys with little ones underfoot. Her website and blog can be found at Preschoolers and Peace
Aaron Horton is a Christ-follower, who also happens to be a loving husband and father to three great kids. He works in a finance role for the building products industry, but has a variety of creative interests to keep him busy on nights and weekends. He dreams of one day retiring to the beach with his wife – to minister to beach bums and golfers, of course!
Jolanthe has found that she learns just as much {if not more} as her kids through homeschooling. She has been married for almost eleven years and has four children ages two through eight. Her interests include photography, organizing, re-organizing and blogging. You can visit her at her blogs No Ordinary Moments and Homeschool Creations.
Jimmie is a former public school teacher turned homeschooling stay-at-home-mom. A sense of humor, faith, and creativity keep her “pressing on” in her unique situation — living and traveling abroad with an only child in a bilingual environment. Visit her blog at Jimmie’s Collage.
Contributors
I am pleased to present to you a new page that shows off the beautiful people here who make Heart of the Matter possible. We have a good looking team don’t we!!
Comments of the Week: 6/22 - 28
Here at Heart of the Matter, we love our readers and we love your comments! One of the greatest things about Wordpress is the amazing plugins we can install on the website here. Like the comment thread, which enables all of us to have conversations with each other right in the comments. You can leave your own, or reply directly to someone else. AND (if you so choose) your pretty little face and latest blog entry appears right there in your comment!!
If you are reading Heart of the Matter through RSS or email, we would be so happy if you stopped by every once in a while to say hi and give your input.
Now, read on for a handful of insightful comments from last week! And keep ‘em coming…YOU could be in the spotlight next week!!
“Organized Relaxation?”
Lori, from All You Have to Give, says
Great neurotic minds think alike!! LOVED it and having just returned from a long trip overseas…there IS no other way!! WONDERFUL posting!! I’m a list gal and it just never stops!
“Creative Homeschooling - Week One”
I absolutely love this homeschooling page, its so fantastic, every child loves to be creative, and parents want to do something equally creative with their kids - well its what keeps them happy. I love the animated reading article, kids do love stories, as a published author myself I’ve combined activities for parent and child within my book. Its based around fun educational story telling with an activity.
“11 Tips for Successful Family Trips”
Vicki, from the blog Victorious 1’s, says
Great tips! We like to take a cooler with fresh food along and our tip to save on buying cold ice, is to use complimentary ice while at the hotels to either re-fill or chill down your ice-packs. Saves a ton of money if you don’t have to buy ice each day.
“The Dress”
Jimmie, from the blog Jimmie’s Collage, says
What a powerfully written testimony to the power of a mother’s heart — both your own mom’s and yours! Thanks for sharing this touching anecdote. I have one child — a girl — and I am so blessed.
Beth, from the blog Pages of Our Life, says
What a special gift from your mother. I have tears in my heart after reading this. Somehow, I think you will never want to give that dress away, even after it has been used as it was intended. This was a beautiful story and I’m so glad you could share it with us.
“Creative Homeschooling: Math”
Laura Duksta, NY Times Bestselling author, says
Great Game!!! Sounds like you might enjoy my book-I Love You More–do you have it yet? One of my favorite games to play with my nieces and nephews is the “I AM” Adjective game…I Am Awesome! I Am Brilliant! I Am Courageous! You go through the alphabet using empowering adjectives…it’s amazing the magical space it creates!
“Repartee: Paying it Forward”
Chris Worthy, from ChrisWorthy.com, says
Nikowa, This is such a great reminder for me. I tend to do things like make a meal or bake a treat for someone, but my children are not involved enough in that. I need to plan around what they feel inspired to do to pay it forward. Going to ask them right now.
I love doing things like this. Just in the past week, I put some extra money in the parking meter for the person next to me whose time was about to expire. Last month I brought a couple of chickens I got on sale at the store to a homeschooling friend whose husband was presently out of work. We’ve also given a gas card secretly to church members whose husband was without a job. Last year we paid for someone behind us in line at the fast food restaurant. The kids love helping out and I try to explain to them that we don’t have to let someone know when we do something.
Write at Home: Featuring Christa Parrish
June 29, 2009 by Marybeth
Welcome to Write At Home, a monthly feature here at HOTM. Marybeth Whalen will be introducing you to homeschool moms who write: curriculum authors, novelists, nonfiction writers, and popular bloggers and more. Many of us are deeply inspired by these moms who seem to “do it all.” This feature will provide you with a glimpse into their everyday lives.
This month we are featuring Christa Parrish, author of Home Another Way. I loved Home Another Way and highly recommend this excellent novel. Christa is a single mom who homeschools and writes award winning novels. We can all learn a lot from her!
Christa, you are a single mom who homeschools her son and writes. How do you balance all the demands on your time?
Honestly, my balancing act tends to be a bit wobbly, but I’m learning to be better. My two biggest challenge areas are my tendency to procrastinate, and my habit of taking too much on (i.e., an inability to say, “No!”). This year was particularly difficult, as I didn’t realize how much I would have to do with the release of one book, the deadline to write and edit another, plus the five Jr./Sr. High School-level classes I prepare for and teach outside the home during the week. Having that rather hectic experience, I’ve been able to take on less commitments, as well as focus on the ones I’m most passionate about.
What’s your best time saving tip for a busy mom?
Taking a few moments to plan ahead a little can make life easier. You’re all laughing at me now – of course that’s true! But I tend to be the laid back, “go with the flow” type gal, so things like remembering to take out something for dinner in the morning, or stacking all the things I need to bring with me for the day near the front door, that helps.
How did you get started writing?
I always wrote, though I never imagined myself a writer. It was something I loved, along with acting, about which I was told, “You’ll never be able to make a living doing that!” After college, however, I felt the pull to explore some more creative outlets, working in various capacities at a theater company, and with a newspaper. After my son was born, I left journalism to stay home with him. When Jacob was about three, the idea for Home Another Way came to me. I had done very little writing in the years before
How did you get started homeschooling?
I always intended to homeschool, from before I had children. I had a good public school experience, but knew I wanted to give my children things the public school simply can’t offer – individual attention, an ability to focus on areas of interest, flexibility in moving between skill levels, and a wealth of experiences beyond the classroom.
What advice would you give a homeschool mom who wants to write?
Have realistic expectations. Homeschooling is your primary ministry, and may not leave much time (okay, probably won’t leave much time) for writing, especially if you have younger children. But, if you can carve out for yourself an hour a day, or even three times a week, you will eventually see the fruit of that bit of time.
Also, find a writing time and style that works for you. At the beginning of my writing journey, I read so much about getting up early to write, putting in two or three hours before the kids wake, disciplining myself to write every day. I tried all that advice from seasoned authors – and more! - and only became discouraged as I couldn’t be consistent in any of it. But that’s not me. I’m not a morning person; I write better in the late morning and early afternoon (which rarely happens because of homeschooling or teaching), or late at night (after 10 p.m.). I’m also a streaky writer; it’s stressful for me to write every day, to sit down and pound out words when I’m not sure where the story is going, or things simply aren’t falling onto the page the way I hear them in my head. Once I was able to get into a groove that worked for my natural style, the process became somewhat smoother. You’re unique! Write like it.
Your novel, Home Another Way, was a finalist for the ECPA Book Of The Year. Where were you when you found out and what did you do?
I was home; my editor called to tell me the news. I called my mother and my agent to tell them. And then I scrubbed cat vomit.
Yes, cat vomit.
One of my most fervent prayers since I received my three-book contract with Bethany House is for God to do whatever is necessary to keep me humble. And He has a sense of humor, I tell you. Not five minutes after I hung up with my agent – I’d been on the phone with him for about 35 minutes, all the while him telling me how important this award was, how unusual it was for a first-time novelist to be nominated, how it would make other publishers stand up and notice, and help my career – Jacob yelled, “Mom, there’s cat puke all over the bathroom floor!” And as I wiped up the mess, I laughed and praised the Lord. How could I not be humble on my knees, a foul-smelling blob of vomit in front of me?
Describe your typical day.
I don’t have one! With my teaching schedule, each day is a bit different. But most mornings begin with personal devotional time (for both Jacob and I), chores, answering email, and some school. After that, we go where the Lord blows us.
What is your favorite thing about homeschooling?
Seeing Jacob grow and change every day; hearing him excited about the things he’s learning; watching him become more independent, more compassionate, more like Jesus. Sharing the journey with him. I can’t imagine missing those moments.
Thanks Christa for stopping by today to share with us. We know you are busy working on your second novel and I can’t wait to read it!
Marybeth Whalen is homeschooling mom to six children ranging in age from teen to toddler, as well as a speaker for Proverbs 31 Ministries. In her writings, she addresses things like burnout, dealing with interruptions, and handling homeschooling from a very practical perspective. Be sure to visit her blog, Cheaper by the Half Dozen.
Repartee: Paying it Forward
June 26, 2009 by Angela
Please welcome this week’s Guest Repartee Speaker: Nikowa!!
Join her as she shares a concept that is often neglected in our busy lives but is more important than any core subject we set out to teach our children.
“Share with God’s people who are in need. Practice hospitality.”
-Romans 12:13
Look forward to your responses! As always, you have until Thursday!
Around The Web In 12 Links: Summer Fun
I’ve got some fun for you this month! Everything from studying other cultures to creating your own personal holiday. These 12 weblinks will help you gain new ideas for those long summer days when your children stare you straight in the eye and say “I’m bored“. Bend the rules a bit, Mom… spark some new adventure and have lots of fun! Let’s make this summer memorable while enjoying each other and learning something new.
Visit a farm (4-H Virtual Farms) www.ext.vt.edu/resources/4h/virtualfarm/main.html
Take a boat ride www.boatsafe.com/kids/index.htm
Embrace Other Cultures http://www.ipl.org/div/kidspace/cquest/
Organize a scavenger hunt www.lovetheoutdoors.com/camping/kids/scavengerhunt.htm
Write a fairy Tale http://www.readwritethink.org/materials/fairytales/
Learn how to sew http://cyberseams.com/
Bird Watching www.birdwatching.com/tips/kids_birding.html
Keep your brain going www.brainconnection.com/teasers/
Create your own holiday www.educationworld.com/a_lesson/lesson018.shtml
Plan a Picnic http://www.the-picnic-site.com/
Do-It-Yourself Dinner Party Project (PDF) http://www.reynoldskitchens.com/ReynoldsKitchens/KitchenConnection/special/dinner_party/DinnerParty.pdf
Valerie is a born and raised Southern California girl. On her little corner of the beach, she homeschools her three wonderful blessings. Before marriage, she wrote for public television, taught kindergarten, and was a live-in Nanny. She is the Moderator of an International Yahoo group (Just4homeschoolfamilies), as well as Senior Editor of an e-mail monthly newsletter (Words Of Encouragement). For daily happenings, she has a homeschool blog (Homeschooling With Encouragement) where you can read about her personal ups and downs of homeschooling.
Walking Among Them: Review
June 20, 2009 by Lori
The object of this study is to take some time out of our busy, often chaotic days and spend some time with women who have gone before us. Not just any women, but 26 women of the Bible. We’ll “Walk Among Them” and see how their stories relate to our lives. It’s my hope that we will discover God’s presence and grace in our own lives as the lives and lessons of these women unfold before us this year.
If you have been joining this year long “Walk Among” these amazing women of the Bible then you know that we are halfway through. It seems like the perfect time to reflect on the women we’ve walked with thus far. Each of them has been Old Testament women, the ones that we sometimes think that we wouldn’t have much in common with. We’ve been learning that is simply not true. These women faced the same struggles and same temptations, shared the same sins that we face each day as we look into the mirror. While the culture was certainly different from ours, the fact that women are women, regardless of what time period they are living in.
It’s been a blessing to “Walk Among Them” briefly every other week, and we’ll resume that walk in 2 weeks, but this week, I encourage you to take the opportunity to spend some time with a woman who is perhaps unfamiliar to you, or a woman that you know shares some of your same experiences. A Walk with a Biblical woman is never wasted time.
The women we have “Walked With” thus far are:
The Queen of Sheba: article and pdf
The Widow of Zarephath: article and pdf
The Shunammite Woman: article and pdf
Join me in July when we’ll resume our walk with Elizabeth!
Lori is a 5 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.
Repartee: The Father’s Day Version
June 18, 2009 by Angela
Father’s Day is Sunday! What do you have planned for that Dad in your life? We want to know… let’s brainstorm: news, date plans, and gift ideas! C’mon, girls!
Online Conference 2009
Yeah!!!! It’s almost time for our 2nd annual online home education conference! “Online conference??” you say. Yes, this conference is entirely online. You can even show up looking like this, and we will never know:
Registration for our conference is only $12.95! The ticket includes attendance to the live online event and the audio MP3s of each session, as well as a grab bag currently loaded with over $80 in goodies, AND a chance to win any one of over 30 door prizes.The conference is 2 months away and I guarantee the goody bag will increase in value before then, and you’ll have even more opportunities to win prizes.
There are only 1000 spots available at this online conference, so reserve your ticket soon. Please visit our registration page to purchase.
Speakers for this year include:
Andrew Pudewa
Debbie Strayer
Linda Hobar
Sarita Holzmann
Sheila Wray Gregoire
Carol Topp
Sue Patrick
Debbie Maubach
Evonne Mandella
Lee Binz
Belinda Bullard
Paula Winget
Tiany Davis
Dana Hanley
Graham Scharf
Leah Nieman
Anne Elliot
Debra Bell
Cara Putman
Network with us!! Are you on Facebook or Twitter? We’d love to connect with you! Find Heart of the Matter on Facebook and Twitter. If you are a blogger, please feel free to grab a button and help us promote the conference!
