Picking up Pebbles

What we're currently using...and what may soon change

2011-01-16T17:34:00.002-06:00

Since we began our homeschooling journey, I have pieced together materials for each subject based on a great deal of research and, of course, some trial and error. I prefer this method of forming a curriculum of study rather than purchasing materials from one particular company--what is sometimes referred to as boxed curriculum. I have two main reasons for this choice: 1) Boxed curriculum usually does not fit all children. If a child is advanced or remedial in one or more subjects there is sometimes the necessity to tweak the curriculum anyway. 2) It's fun. I greatly enjoy researching and finding products that fit our needs well.

As Riley has gotten older I have had to do less research...as early research has paid off in the discovery of materials that have worked well for us. Consequently, I can just stick with a series or grade progression, as she moves on. However, she will soon be entering the logic stage which will require more research on my part.

Here is a glimpse into what we're using this year:

Bob Jones Math 4 (2nd edition)

Christian Light Education Language Arts
which includes grammar, spelling and penmanship

Elementary Greek 1

Latina Christiana 1

Writing Tales 1

We have also been using the Michael Clay Thompson Grammar Island series as a language supplement. It includes vocabulary and poetry. For history we have been using Memoria Press' Introduction to Classical Studies which combines readings from The Golden Bible, D'Aulaire's Greek Myths and Famous Men of Rome. We're also using the Sonlight 3 readers which are based on early American history as well as Mara Pratt's American History Stories. Riley is taking a class in science that is being taught by a wonderful retired science teacher. She also reads books on science topics. For art, we have taken advantage of the after school art classes offered by the Southern Cultural Heritage Center in town. She takes gymnastics and is also a girl scout.

I actually am pleased with all of these materials...some more than others, of course. The things that I am contemplating changing or at least tweaking are math and language arts. BJU Math has been the one constant in our four years of schooling. We have both enjoyed it...and yet, I feel the time has come to move to another math program. Why? Mainly because this year is such a crucial year for cementing math facts prior to moving on to higher maths. BJU has always met our needs, but this year I have found the mastery style too chunky for our needs. Though Riley is doing well with her facts, she still needs a lot of practice to build up speed in addition, subtraction, multiplication and division. She has never had difficulties grasping new math concepts, but in order to practice them fully she must increase her recall of these facts. Because of that, I have decided we need to switch to a spiral math. After a lot of research, I have chosen to use Christian Light Education's (CLE) math.

Christian Light Education Math

In addition to CLE we will be using Math Mammoth as a supplement. This is a math that focuses more on a conceptual presentation. I like the mix of the two and think that using both will only heighten our math studies.

Riley has developed into a voracious reader, and it has been a joy to be able to help guide her towards worthy and quality books. Of course, I let her pick books from the library, but I have spent a lot of time filling our own personal library full of books recommended by Sonlight, Ambleside Online, and other great reading lists. My grandmother recently gave us an old Elson Reader that she found at an antique store. We have started using this reader during our school reading time, and she loves it. She actually remarked after one reading, "They don't write books like they used to." :)

Actually, getting this reader propelled me towards looking at other vintage reading and grammar programs. I discovered, thanks to a cyberfriend, the Stepping Stones to Literature series that provides wonderful collections of great authors. The editor of this series, Sarah Louise Arnold, also co-authored a delightful grammar series entitled The Mother Tongue. Upon finding this grammar series, I knew that I wanted to find a way to work it into our studies. It looks like a fantastic way of developing great writing skills. Dan and I both have an affinity for writing, and Riley has been filling notebooks with stories since she learned to write. Consequently, a program that, in book 3, teaches composition by providing not only instruction but excellent writing examples from great authors was very appealing to me. This entire series can be found online at google books or at archive.org; however, being the old-fashioned gal that I am, I decided to track down and purchase a copy of the antique books to hold in my hands. As soon as they arrive, I will figure out how we can use them.

Curriculum/la

2011-01-16T16:19:00.000-06:00

Okay. I'm a fairly bright person, but I must admit, rather embarrassingly, that I cannot for the life of me wrap my mind around the differences between "curriculum" and "curricula." I know that -um is singular and -a is plural...but what exactly does that mean in regards to my set of material choices? All that I piece together for the year is my curriculum, correct? But, if I am referring to a warehouse full of vendors of homeschool products, I would rightly exclaim, "My what an abundance of curricula!" Right? Where I get confused is when I am referring to different materials inside my pieced-together curriculum. Consequently you'll find me referring to said items as "programs" or simply "materials." Whenever I see someone using the word curricula (rightly or not, because how would I know) I always feel a little bit intellectually inferior. So, there...I've revealed my kryptonite. Try not to use your knowledge against me. :)

Bears, Blueberries and Bananas: Letter B Week

2011-01-16T00:36:00.000-06:00

We decided to focus on bears this week while studying the letter B. We read lots of great books, some you can see in the middle picture below. I found some great resources on homeschoolshare's site for the book We're Going on a Bear Hunt. Sawyer loved watching the youtube of the author telling the story.

The pictures above include templates from the lapbook and below are the story cards for Bear Hunt as well as the bear cards from the animal classification cards. As you can see from the pictures his Lego minfig came along for the lesson. He's mysteriously missing his head...must have gotten too close to the bears.

Of course we made Banana Pudding, or Puddy as Sawyer refers to it. I used my grandma's handwritten recipe for the first time and had to tweak it just a little. Grandma put in the good stuff--condensed milk. Yum.

Both children had great fun making it but even more fun eating it.

I am contemplating some changes with Riley's materials, particularly math and language arts, but I'll post more on that later. This week was a hard one for the two of us, but for attitude reasons, not curriculum ones. Just like when Monday sometimes comes later in the week, sometimes the angst of returning to school after a long break shows up not in the first week back, but the week after. We made it through, though. I decided that starting next week I will be giving her a detailed list of everything that is to be completed each day.

I am hoping this will give her some ownership in her day as she checks off items when she completes them. I'm also hoping that seeing all she has to do for the day will help her to move through the subjects a little faster, instead of dawdling. She is doing very well, though, and I was particularly impressed this week with how her writing has improved. We are using Writing Tales 1, and I am very pleased with this material. It is easy to teach, and she really enjoys it. It provides the structure she needs while still allowing for creativity. Her retelling for last week was her longest one yet, but the errors were her fewest yet. She had fun working on her final draft this week and adding in a few personal touches to the story.

Reading my book

2010-02-06T17:30:00.001-06:00

Final plans for the 2009-2010 school year

2009-08-04T13:23:00.005-05:00

I actually managed to attend the huge Homeschool Expo and stay focused and on budget. No major curriculum changes occurred...amazingly. As you can see from this "final" posting of plans, changes have taken place since my original curriculum post from a few months ago. I considered pulling a "1984" and deleting my original curriculum plan posts to keep from appearing too fickle. However, since I have decided that my planning history may be helpful to someone and since our country is skating to0 dangerously close to "1984" tactics, I decided to leave it.

Bible:

Instead of Rod and Staff's Bible Nurture and Reader Series, we will be using Walking with Jesus from the Noah Plan. I love the R&S series, but since Riley is able to (and wants to) read from the Bible on her own, I wanted to find a Bible curriculum that utilized the Bible as the primary reader. Walking with Jesus does just that. It is designed to be used with children a little older than Riley. However, I feel with some simple tweaking, I will not only be able to use it this year with her, but that I will also be able to use it over again in its entirety next year.

Math:

We're still planning to use Bob Jones Math 3. This is the one program that I haven't debated...we are very happy to be continuing it. We will also be doing Calculadder drills.

Language Arts:

Classical Writing Primers--I had originally planned to complete one quarter of this program over the summer to prepare for beginning Writing Tales this Fall. However, I have since decided that I will use this full program this year and put off Writing Tales till next year. CW Primers provide a very gentle introduction into writing and also have nature study and picture study along with some light grammar and spelling instruction. The program also provides memory work passages. It truly is a beautiful product.

Stories with a View: Narrative Inspirations--I will add a lesson each week for some creative writing fun.

Christian Light Education's Language Arts--At Riley's level, I did want to supplement the light grammar and spelling provided in the Primers. I finally decided on using this program to do so after previewing it at the Homeschool Expo. I will also be using How to Teach Spelling and the Spelling Rules cards from Spell to Write and Read to teach the rules of spelling.

History:

This was one of my more difficult decisions....I had originally settled on My Father's World Rome to Reformation. However, after looking through it further, I just wasn't certain it would be the best fit for us at this time. Also, I really wanted to teach American history. So, I researched my options and decided on the Time Traveler's Cds from Home School in the Woods. Each cd provides 25 lessons filled with notebooking ideas and crafts. I have added the readers from Sonlight 3 into the mix so that her assigned reading will also focus on American history. I have purchased many history readalouds to add to the mix: The Story of the Thirteen Colonies by Guerber, A First Book in American History by Eggleston, and the first three books in the American History series by Mara Pratt. I am very excited with this change and eager to start.

Classical Languages:

This was another source of frustration in my planning. I don't think we are quite ready to dive into a very intense Latin program yet, and I am also considering some online options for further down the road. Consequently, I was at a loss for what to do this year. I had thought of starting Greek and also a Latin word study program. Then I found a full Prima Latina set at a price I could not pass up. So, I have decided that we will be doing something rather unconventional...we will be doing both Latin and Greek this year. I don't foresee there being a problem with this since the Greek will be focusing only on learning the alphabet. After this year I will evaluate our choices, and we will decide which language to focus on next year.

Reading:

In addition to her History readers, Riley will be reading other Sonlight suggested readers for independent reading.

Electives:

Logic--MindBenders

HomeEc--Home Economics for Home Schoolers

Music--Themes to Remember

Art--Atelier and picture/artist studies

Back to School Time!

2009-07-23T10:56:00.003-05:00

The season is upon us. It is time to once again gear up for another school year. I had planned to continue schooling through the summer, but we tossed those plans. We needed a break, and, since we had finished all planned work, we gave ourselves that break. Now it is time to begin again.

I haven't decided on an exact start date. We would have started this week except that Riley has two days of Cottonlandia Discovery Summer classes next week. We will also be leaving on Thursday for a mini-vacation. Starting and having to stop so soon would be impractical. So, we will probably begin on Aug. 5th. When we get back in the swing of things I will be posting more. There have been even more changes to our curriculum plans for the upcoming year, but I will hold off on posting them until we actually begin. Until we start, things are open for change--especially since that mini-vacation includes a trip to a huge Homeschool Expo. I am just hoping my head doesn't ex- or implode upon entering so large a space filled with curriculum and books. I am pretty content in my current plan...but there are a couple of subjects I am still researching.

So...stay tuned for the exciting adventures that are sure to follow as we begin this new school year.

What I'm Reading

2009-06-11T17:32:00.005-05:00

Atlas Shrugged glares at me from my living room bookshelf. I really want to finish it, but, to be honest with you, with the direction our country is heading now, I'm afraid it would be far too depressing. I will eventually muster up the strength to continue...but for now I am reading other things.

The two books I'm currently reading have virtually nothing in common...but both are impacting me tremendously. Both books have provided wake-up calls regarding my two most important relationships.

Crazy Love by Francis Chan is causing me to evaluate my relationship with God and make much-needed heart changes. I will share more of this book as I get further into it.

The Proper Care and Feeding of Husbands by Dr. Laura Schlessinger is a book I never envisioned myself picking up. However, a few women that I trusted recommended it very highly, so I was intrigued. This book has been rather paradigm shifting for me. Marriage quickly illuminates one's selfish tendencies. This book has revealed that dark tendency within me to an even greater degree. Wow. But, it's not been a guilt trip. Rather it has been an eye-opener with very practical advice on making positive changes.

Horse Study Field Trip

2009-06-08T15:49:00.002-05:00

Riley and I did a short unit study on horses a while back, and I had difficulty finding a good place to plan a field trip to correlate with the study. A friend was kind enough to put me in touch with her aunt who not only agreed to let us come and see her horses but also offered to give Riley a quick lesson on riding and caring for horses. What a blessing! Riley had a wonderful time and learned a ton. She brushed the horse, watched as the bridle and saddle were put on, rode for quite a while and then led the horse for a walk. At the end of the lesson she fed the horse treats from the palm of her hand. All of these were very new experiences for her, and I was so proud of her bravery throughout.

Sawyer even got in on the action and rode around on the horse. He was deemed a natural, and it is suspected that he will one day ride bulls. This news did not surprise me in the least.

I believe that our camera has officially bitten the dust. I am grateful to at least have captured a few shots from the visit despite the camera's contrary ways. We all had a wonderful time. The lesson was exceptionally thorough as well as kindly taught and created a memory we will treasure.

More Grammar Rumblings Afoot

2009-06-07T15:42:00.004-05:00

So, I am once again rethinking grammar. After deciding against Shurley and Primary Language Lessons, I had settled on Growing with Grammar (GWG)--a program we have used for the past two years. Now, however a couple of other products have caught my eye.

The first is Christian Light Education 's (CLE) Language Arts program. I like that it is still rather independant, as is GWG, but unlike GWG it is spiral in review. In addition to grammar it includes spelling, vocabulary and handwriting which would allow me to cut out excess materials to streamline language arts. The program receives very good reviews among homeschoolers seeking a thorough and rigorous yet child and teacher friendly curriculum.

The second materials I am considering are those of Michael Clay Thompson. These materials consist of grammar, vocabulary, poetry and writing. I am most intrigued by the grammar and vocabulary, though the poetry looks interesting as well. These materials would definitely be more teacher intensive than both CLE and GWG, but they are also intended to be covered over a shorter period of time with review and practice taking place over the remainder of the year. This program also receives rave reviews from parents, such as: "I can not say enough good things about these materials." From the samples on the site, the format seems very kid friendly all the while covering an impressive amount of topics.

And so, the plot thickens on my curriculum crazies. However, I am blessed to be homeschooling in a time when one of my greatest problems is having an abundance of fabulous materials to choose from. As frustrating as it can sometimes be, this hunt for the best materials to fit my family is actually also a lot of fun.

CalcuLadder: Thumbs Up

2009-05-22T11:41:00.004-05:00

I am a flash card failure. I have troubles with consistency when it comes to the superfluous items. But, math drill is a necessity as math requires a cementing of the facts in order to succeed in the next stage. As I searched through reviews and products, my ambition was to find a program that provided adequate review and drills without relying on flashcards.

I found it! CalcuLadder is a math drill program that consists of 16 drills for each level. The workbooks include 12 copies of each of those 16 drills. At the bottom of the page is the amount of time your child needs to be able to complete the worksheet in order to move forward to the next set.

When we first began trying it out, I was a little nervous about setting the timer. Riley has always balked at the idea of completing work in a set amount of time--too much pressure for her. However, she loved the idea this time. I'm really not sure why, unless this time it seemed more like a game than work. I set the timer for a minute longer than the time at the bottom of the sheet and she excitedly began. When finished she was very eager to begin the next sheet, curious to see if she could beat her original time. This continued each day.

We are very happy with this product. Riley even considers it fun, and all the while she is learning and memorizing. So, check it out. You won't be sorry. There is also a MasterPak cd option for families with multiple children.

Zoo: Now and Then

2009-05-20T16:26:00.003-05:00

For our end-of-the-year field trip, our homeschool group went to the zoo. The above pics are of Sawyer this week.

And below:

Riley in the same place four years ago. Ditto with the pictures below.

My how the time does fly!

Just a paintin'

2009-05-13T19:22:00.000-05:00

Homeschool Book Sale

2009-05-13T11:14:00.006-05:00

Heart of the Matter has been hosting a Book Sale. Unfortunately, not many bloggers have participated. I thought I'd go ahead and be a late entry since I do need to clear out a few things. If you are interested in purchasing any of the books below, send me an email. My email address is the title of this blog (altogether, lowercase, no spaces) @ gmail.com. I accept paypal payments only, and I will give you the appropriate address to send payment to. Thanks so much for looking.

Eagle's Wings Considering God's Creation: Science for grades 2-7

These books are both in great condition, no writing, the cd is also included. The copyright dates for the Teacher's guide is 2002 and 2004 for the Student workbook. Asking $18ppd for both books, and cd.

Slow and Steady Get Me Ready

This book is in very good condition, no writing, some smudges on the outside edges. $8.50ppd.

Rod and Staff Science 3: God's Protected World

This set includes the Teacher guide and Student textbook. Both are in great condition. $12ppd.

3 Value Tales

These three Value-Tales books are library discards. The plastic coverings are pretty dingy and dinged, but the books are still in good condition. Typical library markings and smudges from public use, but no other writing and bindings are tight. $6ppd for all.

If You Traveled West in a Covered Wagon

I'd prefer to sell this with another purchase. If you want to add it in with something else, it would be just $1.00 extra. If you want to purchase it individually I would have to charge $3.50ppd to cover the cost of shipping.

Lives of Extraordinary Women

This book is in good used condition, it has a name marked out across the top outside edges. If you add this on it will be $1, if you want it individually $3.50ppd.

Big-Boy Haircut

2009-05-11T22:56:00.001-05:00

Prayer for this child

2009-05-06T14:42:00.003-05:00

This song is written and performed by Sara Groves, one of my favorite singer/songwriters. Since the first time I heard it, this song has traveled with me. I share it with you now in honor of the upcoming Momma's Day.

I do not know how I am to pray for this child
As a mother I don't want my baby denied
But in the waiting, in the waiting
I learned to hold on to the heart of God.

Every instinct in me wants to shield him from pain
Take the arrows of misery, heartache and blame
But in the sorrow, in the sorrow
I learned to hold on to the heart of God.

I only have two eyes - be all seeing
I only have two hands - be everywhere
I do not know enough - be all knowing
I give my baby up into your care

I do not know how I am to pray for this child
I want to guard him from everything wicked and wild
but in the trial, in the trial
I learned to hold on
And in the trial, in the trial
You'll learn to hold on to the heart of God

A different plan

2009-04-29T22:03:00.002-05:00

I know that some of you out there are considering homeschooling. As my friends begin posting their plans for the upcoming school year, I'd like to share them with you here (with their permission of course).

With that, I'll introduce you to Brittney at King Alfred Academy. Her blog is one of my favorite homeschool blogs, and I've followed it for a long time. I love to see the interesting things she and her boys are studying/doing. She does a great job of piecing together her own curriculum, as you'll see in her 2009-2010 school year post. I am not a lapbooker, though I am a wannabe. For some of you who enjoy crafts, lapbooking can be a very fun hands-on way for a child to learn. Brittney has some wonderful resources for creating lapbooks linked in her post.

So, check out her blog and her plans. It is always interesting for me to see what other people are doing in their home schools. I hope you enjoy it as well.

2009-2010 Curriculum Plans: Revised Version

2009-04-28T21:16:00.002-05:00

So, what's that saying about mice and men and their plans?

I didn't even realize that I had posted already about plans for next school year. At this point, my plans are much more solidified, and materials have been purchased...for the most part. I have mulled some things over and made a few changes.

History

I decided on My Father's World Rome to the Reformation (MFW R2R). I have since wavered on this choice, but for now I am holding strong. I considered putting together my own American history program...but I finally made the choice to continue with the next chronological step in our history studies. I still have to study these materials to see just how much of the program we will use (it includes science and Bible also) and how we will use it.

Here are some of the books we will be reading:

Augustus Caesar's World
Galen and the Gateway to Medicine
Trial and Triumph
Dangerous Journey (Illustrated Pilgrim's Progress for Children)
Twice Freed
Bronze Bow
The Door in the Wall

We will be using The Story of the World 2 as a spine. As I study the LCC philosophy more, I may again change my mind about this much history. For now though, I am content.

Language

Grammar was my second hardest decision. I had decided to combine Primary Language Lessons with Shurley 2. There are things about each of those programs that I really like, and things about each that I am not crazy about. At some point I began to reevaluate that choice and started searching through other materials. I finally found one that I really liked--Junior Analytical Grammar. However, it is recommended for 4th or 5th grade. So, I revisited our current choice--Growing with Grammar. Ultimately I decided that GWG is a solid program, and that there was no need to fix what wasn't broken. We will continue with Growing with Grammar 3. Also, we will continue using Spelling Workout.

For writing, I purchased Writing Tales 1 after much deliberation, and I am very pleased. I was worried that it might be too much for Riley, but after seeing it I am convinced it will be a good fit.

Math

This is the one subject that I never wavered on. We have thoroughly enjoyed progressing through Bob Jones Math. Next year we will be covering BJU Math 3.

Bible

My plan at this time is to continue the Rod and Staff Bible Nurture and Reader series. We started this program late in this school year, so Riley would finish level 2 and begin level 3 in the next year. I really like the thoroughness of this program...as I have stated often before. However, Riley has begun to complain about the amount of work it requires. I want to teach her to perservere and be diligent, but at the same time I don't want Bible to be a dreaded subject in the day. Consequently, I will continue to review this material and look further into the one I mentioned here.

Science

We will be evaluating this further after I peruse MFW further. MFW R2R covers the human body and astronomy. It also weaves the lessons in with the history and the Bible...so, this might be the direction we take. I had planned to focus on nature study, but another good thing about the set up of MFW is that it includes a weekly nature study/journal day. For nature study I love following this blog: Handbook of Nature Study. I am also looking at My Nature Journal.

Independent Reading

The Sonlight readers have been a hit...though some of the books were more captivating than others. The biggest plus of using this schedule, though, has been the reading confidence that it has built in Riley. We started these late in this year as well, so, if she doesn't finish them this summer, she will continue reading them into the next school year.

Here are some of the titles she has coming up:

Betsy and Tacy Go Over the Big Hill
Emily's Runaway Imagination
Henry and Ribsy
Encyclopedia Brown
Misty of Chincoteague
Marco Polo
McBroom's Wonderful One-Acre Farm

Latin

I am still planning to purchase Lively Latin for next year. I have heard very positive things about it. I haven't pulled the trigger yet, but I plan to.

Electives

Logic--Mind Benders
Music--Themes To Remember and Classical Kids
Art--Atelier

Great Find: Bible Study with Children

2009-04-27T00:02:00.004-05:00

Through the Bible with My Child

This is a wonderful schedule for studying the Bible with your children. It is set up to go through the Bible in four years with about 30 minutes of study each day. Not only does it have a schedule, but it includes comprehension questions along with other activities. In the introduction, there are also instructions on how to help your child set up and keep a Bible Notebook.

hat tip: Ann at Holy Experience

Coming Up

2009-04-26T17:17:00.003-05:00

We are almost finished with our 2008-2009 school year. Some programs that we are using (Rod and Staff Bible, Sonlight Readers) will continue through next year since I began them later in the school year. We are scheduled to be finished with everything else by May 8th. On May 11th, our home school group has a field trip to the zoo. We plan to take off the rest of that week and possibly the next. We will continue schooling through the summer with a light schedule. I discovered last year that some continued structure is good for all of us. So, I am in the process of planning out materials for that time as well as finalizing next year's schedule.

I had planned to read D'Aulaire's Greek myths this year, but we didn't finish it. So, we will be reading it this summer along with The Children's Homer. At the same time I will be introducing Riley to the Greek alphabet. We will not fully begin Greek instruction until after a year or two more of Latin; however, learning the Greek alphabet can be a lot of fun for a child. She will continue independent reading, and I am currently seeking out a math drill program, possibly Calculadder.

Homeschooling is hard and wonderful all at the same time. It is a journey. Some materials work...some do not. Some programs fit your family...others not so much. So, we carve our way through: whittling off the excess, sculpting the rest. We have had a great year, and, once plans for next year are finalized, I will post them.

More Musings

2009-04-24T11:01:00.005-05:00

In the next couple of weeks as we wind down this year, plan summer studies (which will include GREEK studies...I'm so excited), and gear up for the fall, I will be making more homeschool related posts. For now, I'm just musing.

Last week I attended my first Bible study meeting with a group of ladies from church. I was so blessed by the fellowship and had to ask myself WHY it had taken me so long to join in. Our pastor's wife is leading the study, and I love the way she facilitates the group. Instead of picking a book or passage of scripture to study, she asks each of us to pray for God's guidance in choosing a passage that we feel led to dig deeper into. We share these passages with the group and then set about digging into them together--one passage at a time. I was so confused by the format at first, but so far I really like the concept.

The first passage we looked into was Revelation 3: 14-16--

"And to the angel of the church in Laodicea write: 'The words of the Amen, the faithful and true witness, the beginning of God’s creation."'I know your works: you are neither cold nor hot. Would that you were either cold or hot! So, because you are lukewarm, and neither hot nor cold, I will spit you out of my mouth."

In reading this passage, I had always assumed that "cold" was a bad thing. However, our assignment was to research the water systems of Laodicea and the surrounding areas. In doing so I discovered that Laodicea did not have natural springs and consequently had to shuttle in water from their neighbors. Hierapolis had amazingly hot springs known for their healing qualities. Colossi had naturally cold springs that were prized for purity. Being mineral waters, both hot and cold were very palatable. However, once the waters traveled the course to Laodicea, they were lukewarm and not very clean. Laodicea was well-known for this murky, lukewarm unpalatable water. So, being distant from hot was not the issue, as cold was also a good thing. The problem was the distance from the source, and all the polution and bad consequences that distance brought.

This new knowledge illuminates the passage. Too often my focus gets tangled up in me. This passage now helps me to see, though, that the point is not about me mustering up ways to be "hot." The point is me drawing closer to the Source. In doing so, He will clear the waters of my soul and empower them with healing and purity.

As usual, I was reminded of another song. If you've never listened to Sara Groves, you should. She is a very talented singer/songwriter. Her songs have often resonated in my heart. The words below are from her song, "You Are the Sun," and they emphasize this same point.

You are the sun shining down on everyone
Light of the world giving light to everything I see
Beauty so brilliant I can hardly take it in
And everywhere you are is warmth and light

And I am the moon with no light of my own
Still you have made me to shine
And as I glow in this cold dark night
I know I can't be a light unless I turn my face to you

Shine on me with your light
Without you I'm a cold dark stone
Shine on me I have no light of my own
You are the sun, you are the sun, you are the sun
And I am the moon

And I'll end with a favorite verse, John 15:5:

I am the vine; you are the branches. Whoever abides in me and I in him, he it is that bears much fruit, for apart from me you can do nothing.

So, be encouraged, dear friends, for "nothing is impossible with God." Luke 1:37. Turn your face to Him. Abide in Him. Draw in close to the Source. He's waiting.

Facebook trumps blog...

2009-04-17T21:42:00.003-05:00

I think most of my readers are also my facebook friends, so I have been neglecting to post some things here that I have posted there. However, I know that some of my family that visits are not on facebook (c'mon...join already!) so I want to make sure that they get to share in the fun too.

So, here are some belated snapshots from our trip to California:

I finally got to meet a couple of my wonderful forum buddies on our first day.

The kids had a great time playing together.

All the cousins had a trip to Columbia.

Uncle Gabe, Aunt TT, and Noe.

Uncle Seth and Auntie M

All the cousins

And at Nana's house, there was SNOW!!!

Lots of snow!

Gramma L

Nana and Grampa Ernie

Sawyer in his very favorite place.

O Sacred Head Now Wounded...

2009-04-05T15:08:00.004-05:00

In preparing our hearts for Easter this Palm Sunday, and because we were observing the Lord's Supper, we sang some very moving hymns about the death of Christ this morning, including O Sacred Head Now Wounded. It apparently had been a long time since I had sung this one, as I barely remembered the words of the last verse:

What language shall I borrow to thank thee, dearest Friend,
for this thy dying sorrow, thy pity without end?
O make me thine forever; and should I fainting be,
Lord, let me never, never outlive my love to thee.

The first line captured my often felt inability to express the gratitude felt for such a gift as was given in his sacrifice, but it was the last line that stopped me cold. That line pierced my heart like a sword, my eyes filled with tears as my voice cracked. During the sermon I had been reminded of the lyrics of another song, My Eyes Are Dry, by Keith Green:

My eyes are dry
My faith is old
My heart is hard
My prayers are cold
And I know how I ought to be
Alive to you and dead to me

But what can be done
For an old heart like mine
Soften it up
With oil and wine
The oil is you, your spirit of love
Please wash me anew
With the wine of your blood

On this Holy Week and beyond, my prayer is to remember my first love and all he has done for me. In another sermon I was reminded of this truth: the only thing Jesus was without was us when he chose to leave the splendor of heaven and come to this dry, hard earth to walk the long path to Calvary. Out of his great love, he glorified the Father while making a way for us to be children of God. May I never, never outlive my love for him.

Lessons Learned at the Dentist

2009-03-30T22:23:00.004-05:00

Today I went to the dentist after years (I dare not say how many). Though it was not a pleasant experience, it was much better than I had anticipated. In the hours after the appointment I reflected upon it and came away with a few lessons learned.

1. Bad stuff doesn't go away if you ignore it.

In fact, avoiding it only makes it worse. Eventually you have to deal with the difficult things...so it's better to bite the bullet, rip off the band-aid and get 'er done.

2. Rebelling against things that are good for you is, well, bad for you.

Insightful revelation, huh? Flossing, exercising, eating healthy, reading God's word...all are helpful disciplines that for whatever reason I sometimes avoid like the plague. After my dentist appointment I was reminded again at the absurdity of this rebellion.

3. Our words have the potential to speak life or death...why choose death?

Although my hygienist had every right to chide me for the long absence or the issues that had arisen due to that long absence, she instead chose to speak encouragingly. So, where I might have felt discouraged, I felt hopeful. This little truth is a motto for me. Every time we speak, we have a choice to build people up or to tear them down. My hygienist reminded me of the power of choosing the former.

It's funny how even the most mundane experiences can have much deeper lessons to teach us.

Thoughts on a funeral

2009-03-28T19:15:00.002-05:00

They buried my Uncle Joe today. I ache for my dear aunt grieving the loss of her high-school sweetheart. I ache for my cousins grieving the loss of a stepfather who was a wonderful daddy. And, I also ache for myself the missed opportunity to know this great man better.

I remember going as a child to stay with my Aunt Larraine and Uncle Joe. It was always a blast to stay at their house. They made sure I was comfortable and had fun. They'd set up a tent in the back yard and help us equip it with the essentials for a night stay they knew we wouldn't be quite brave enough to endure.

There are many things I do know about him: He had a ready smile. He enjoyed giving you a good-natured ribbing. He loved Mississippi State just a little less than he loved his family, and that was a big love. (I grew up to attend the rival college, and he only slightly held it against me.) He enjoyed taking care of others and meeting their needs. His love was deep and genuine.

There are many other things I'll have to learn from those he left behind.

"Life is bigger"

2009-03-27T13:43:00.007-05:00

I'm back! :)

I've had trouble getting back into blogging of late. Perhaps it is due in part to spending more time at facebook. I like to think it is mostly because life has gotten a bit bigger 'round here. I am trying to work on my brain a bit, not that homeschooling doesn't do that for you already. But I needed something a little more challenging than second grade math to excite this old brain of mine. Answer? Latin.

Next year our home school Latin studies will ramp up quite a bit, and I had planned to continue learning Latin alongside Riley. However, a wise and intelligent friend who shall remain nameless (*cough* Zelda) encouraged me to get a headstart by studying with Henle. She was even kind enough to offer to join me...others came on board...and now we have our own little Latin study group going. I am just in the beginning stages, but I cannot begin to express how much I am enjoying it. I have always had an affinity for the classics and studied Greek in college. Starting Latin has reminded me of the excitement of my Greek classes. I am not naive enough to forget though, that Greek also had me banging my head against the wall at times...but as long as the Latin honeymoon lasts, I am going to enjoy it.

I'm also reading some great books that have been stretching my heart as well as my mind:

The Prodigal God

The Pursuit of God

Cousins...

2009-03-15T13:25:00.001-05:00

We miss you!

Small world

2009-03-11T10:57:00.004-05:00

Well...today as I was reading Ree's post in my reader, flipping through the pictures of women attending a cooking event at her house, I was shocked to recognize a face. One of the women was a gal I went to college with--Colleen. Crazy enough to discover Colleen on PW's site, but what was even more awesome was to discover that Colleen is part of a company--Wild Olive--that makes the coolest t-shirts ever. She is wearing one of the t-shirts in the above pic. They feature modern graphics on the front and scripture on the back. Not only that, but I love that they are fitted tees.

So, of course, I am now salivating at the chance to purchase one (or more...) of these shirts. While visiting the site, I stumbled upon the blog which listed a giveaway opportunity. You know me, I'm a hopeless optimistic when it comes to giveaways...so I am posting this for two reasons: 1) I want to introduce you to this great company and 2) I want to win some of these shirts.

My favorites so far are these: Rooted, No. Thing., Transform Your Mind (in pink) and Such Things. Too cute.

A Visit to Big Sis's Beauty Salon

2009-02-24T23:03:00.004-06:00

Bird Feeding

2009-02-24T22:54:00.003-06:00

Last week our science lesson was about winter birds. I had seen in my reader some guides for making feeders for birds. We followed a very simple pattern and made some using paper towel rolls, peanut butter and bird seed. After Riley coated each feeder in seeds, I took them all outside to place them on a tree near our home. They turned out beautifully.

Unfortunately, I placed a little too much pressure on the first limb I attempted to hang them on. It is no more.

Memory Work

2009-02-21T22:05:00.003-06:00

After seeing this adorable guy at Dragons in the Flowerbed I decided to make a video of Riley's recent memory work from Living Memory.

I have to agree with Rose that this book is one of my most useful purchases as well as a cherished possession for us both. Riley loves it, and requests to start the day with memory work. I am very grateful to have such a complete compilation of memory work in hand as opposed to having to search individual pieces out on my own.

I used to post at my blog...

2009-02-21T14:47:00.004-06:00

Wow...it is surprising how many of my hobbies have fallen by the wayside. Reading, blogging, writing...Actually since my last post I have been reading a lot more. It has been very enjoyable to slip back into an old familiar pastime. We've had a lot of sickness around here over the last few weeks...months it seems...so I haven't had much energy or creativity for writing, but I will try to do better.

I used to read...

2009-02-07T16:30:00.003-06:00

Once upon a time I was a voracious reader. It was not uncommon for me to be reading four or five books at once. I even finished books...all the way through from the first chapter to the last. It was fulfilling, enriching and, to many degrees, it was a large part of what made me me. I was a reader.

Flash forward to today...my days are a flurry of activity from teaching to changing diapers to making meals. Oh, I waste plenty of time in between surfing forums and facebook, but gone are the days of getting completely lost in a book for hours at a time. For years I never completed a book from start to finish unless it also had pictures.

I am currently trying to reestablish this habit into my life. At the same time, though, I am being gentle with myself...understanding that this is a season of motherhood somewhat more demanding than others. I also remind myself that if we are blessed with a new addition, this season will continue for even more years. My tendency is to want all or nothing, but I am learning to be okay with baby steps. It may take me a lot longer to finish books now, but slow and steady still wins the race, right? And, at this time in my life I am not disappointed that a large part of what makes me me is my children. I am a mother. And, perhaps one day I will join the two passions together to become a mother who reads.

Week in Review--Week 24

2009-02-07T15:21:00.005-06:00

Monday seemed to fall three times in this week. :) We had some attitude battles getting started a few mornings, but nothing too harsh. All in all it was a very good and productive week.

We also added something new this week:

For some time I have been wanting to add a scheduled independent reading program for Riley. This is the one I have had my eye on for a while, and I was finally able to find a set in excellent used condition at a very reasonable price. We actually purchased this for next year, but Riley was so excited about it that we decided to go ahead and begin. She read the first book this week and is eagerly anticipating beginning the second book. This collection was put together by Sonlight and can be viewed here. The accompanying guide has a reading schedule for each of the books as well as corresponding maps, comprehension questions and more. I am very pleased with this addition.

Bible

Riley worked on memorizing the second commandment while studying the first five Egyptian plagues. She completed lessons 6 through 10 of Rod and Staff's Bible Nurture and Reader Series. Each day's work consists of a "before reading" section including new vocabulary, the reading for the lesson, and an "after reading" section that focuses on reading comprehension. However, I am so impressed with the extras that get covered. In one lesson, Riley was coached on how to use a table of contents page. In another she was given an extra few paragraphs to read with new vocabulary and then asked to match the new words to their definitions based on their use in context.

We also completed chapter 3 of Growing Little Women for Younger Girls which was about bravery and trusting God through all circumstances.

Math

She finished the chapter on the hundreds place in BJU Math 2, completing lessons 96 through 100 and workbook pages 191 through 199.

Grammar

Riley continued her study of verbs, this week focusing on helping verbs and linking verbs. She completed lessons 159 through 163.

Spelling

This week's lesson covered words beginning with consonant blends.

Latin

We continued to learn the Latin names for animals, this week learning lion, bird, elephant and bear. I am continually reminded of how important Latin is for gaining deeper understanding into our own language.

Science

Our lesson this week was also about animals as we studied mammals in winter. We read several books from our personal library on the subject as well, and Riley studied the tracks animals leave behind.

History

We continued with Story of the World this week to dig deeper into Egyptian history as we read of the Exodus in Bible. The readings were very interesting and we both enjoyed the chapters. I'm making a guess as I don't have the book near me right now, but I believe we covered chapters 11 through 13.

Independent Reading

Riley completed book one of the Sonlight set I mentioned above: Riding the Pony Express by Clyde Robert Bulla. It brings me such joy to see my girl get lost in a book. The reading assignments were pretty substantial, sometimes up to four chapters. The next book is also by the same author, and she is already excited about beginning it. She did a great job with her comprehension questions as well. We will have to work on narration as she is like her mom at being able to recall the entire story verbatim. I am trying to encourage her to narrate the important parts...I need to read up on narration again myself.

Before bed, she is reading a chapter each night in Pioneer Sisters a chapter book with excerpts from the writings of Laura Ingalls. When she is finished, I will finish reading Pinocchio aloud to her. That Pinocchio...we needed a little break from his foolishness. :)

Memory Work

Riley reviewed Thirty Days Hath September, which she has completely memorized at this point. This week she worked on The Cardinal Directions, the seven continents and the ten plagues. She has her poem memorized so we will review it next week while moving on to another.

Art

This week we studied Edward Hicks, an American folk painter, with the help of materials included in the Hearts and Trees Winter Kit. Riley studied two of his pieces: The Residence of David Twining and The Peaceable Kingdom (one painting of apparently a hundred or so that he painted and named this same name). We also learned about neutral colors and how artists use them to emphasize other colors.

Wordless Wednesday

2009-02-03T23:03:00.000-06:00

Top Five

2009-02-03T12:31:00.003-06:00

Brittney at King Alfred Academy posted this fun little "get-to-know-you quiz" at her blog, and I decided to play along. I changed mine around just a little (made actors and actresses two separate topics) and added a new topic (favorite soundtrack). Feel free to consider yourself tagged if you like to do these things; just post a link in the comments so I can read your list.

Top five places you could own a summer/winter house:

San Luis Obispo, CA
Crete
Prince Edward Island
British Columbia
Park City, Utah

Top five favorite actors:

Christian Bale
Colin Firth
Robert Downey Jr.
Robert Duvall
Topher Grace

Top five favorite actresses:

Nicole Kidman
Julianne Moore
Megan Follows
Julia Ormond
Naomi Watts

Top five favorite musical performers:

Sara Groves
Coldplay
Joanna Miley
Keith Green
Dolly Parton

Top five favorite soundtracks:

One Fine Day
St. Elmo's Fire
Dream a Little Dream
The English Patient
Garden State

Top five favorite books (I don't re-read books as I'm lucky to make it through once):

Evidence Not Seen by Darlene Diebler Rose
Hinds' Feet on High Places by Hannah Hurnard
Holy Sweat by Tim Hansel
Shadow of the Almighty by Elisabeth Elliot
Anne of Green Gables series by L.M. Montgomery

Top five vices:

Messiness
The Soup
Too often choosing the convenient as opposed to the best
Spending too much time on the internet
Oreo cookies

Top five movies I'll watch anytime:

Anne of Green Gables
Anne of Avonlea
Last of the Mohicans
Dirty Dancing
Lonesome Dove

Week in Review--Week 23

2009-02-01T22:45:00.002-06:00

our art project for the week (described below)

I've had a bit of blogophobia of late. Not sure why...but I've just been hesitant to post. So, I am a couple of weeks behind in my week in review posts. Rather than posting them late, I am just going to post one for the past week--week 23.

Although both Riley and Sawyer were sick, we were able to complete a full week. We took things easy and had slow starts, but it was a surprisingly great week, school-wise.

Bible/Reading

We are beginning the exodus story and are studying the life of Moses. This was our first week in Unit 2 of Rod and Staff Bible Nurture and Reader Series 2. I have likes and dislikes about the changes in the two workbooks. I do like that the "before you read" section has gotten shorter. The vocabulary list is shorter, but the words are more difficult. They have also introduced counting how many syllables a word has. The "after you read" section is a little more substantial than before. However, my one qualm is that although there still are memory verses for each week, they no longer require the child to write the verse at the end of each lesson. I have continued to require Riley to write the verse each day because the writing is a great tool for memorizing the verse. She memorized the first commandment this week.

Math

Riley finished the chapter on shapes and began a new chapter in BJU Math 2 studying the hundreds place. I have been very impressed by her firm grasp of place value. She breezed through the week, completing lessons 90 through 95, workbook pages 179-190.

Grammar

In Growing with Grammar, Riley completed lessons 154-158. She has been learning about irregular verbs and how to conjugate their past tense. We discussed the future tense as well.

Spelling

This week's Spelling Workout chapter covered words with the long "u" vowel. This lesson was a bit of a challenge and the first time she missed two words. She had no problem, however, the next day when retested.

History

Riley listened to chapters 4-10 in Story of the World 1. She really enjoyed the chapters and narrated them back to me excitedly. I am rethinking this program, as I initially was not very fond of it. The stories included in the reading were very interesting, and Riley really learned and retained a lot. Story of the World 2 is the spine for our history program next year. After this week, I am much more excited about that.

Science and Latin

I'm combining these two because conveniently we studied pets in both subjects. In science Riley learned about different types of pets and how to care for them. In Latin she learned the words for dog, cat, fish and horse. It was a special little coincidence.

Memory Work

Riley has been memorizing the poem The Cardinal Directions (author unknown).

Art

Riley used a hammer, nail and piece of aluminum to create a Pennsylvania Dutch inspired metal punching square. This project was included in Amanda's Winter Kit at Hearts and Trees. Unfortunately, thanks to the regretful CPSIA law, she will probably no longer be able to provide these wonderful kits for sale. However, she will continue to provide wonderful project ideas at her blog, so be sure to visit. Back to the metal project: I made an agregious miscalculation in just how hard Riley would be hitting the hammer. Though the directions said to place some magazines under the work, I thought that a sturdy piece of cardboard would suffice. Not so. Now I am very grateful that our coffee table cost us all of $5 because it is currently riddled with holes. The metal work turned out beautifully, though.

Looks a bit like a constellation, doesn't it? Don't worry; Sawyer spilled tea all over the coffee table, and the marks are far less noticeable now. :) Suddenly I am less depressed that we don't have "big people" furniture.

Today

2009-01-26T17:06:00.001-06:00

I was inspired by Heidi's post to jot down our schedule today.

Memory Work--10 mins.--We are using Dr. Campbell's Living Memory book. Riley recited her memorized work--Thirty Days Hath September--and began working on memorizing another poem--The Cardinal Directions.

Math--20 mins.--Today in Bob Jones Math 2, Riley learned to read coordinates from a graph and also completed word problems in addition and subtraction.

Grammar--10 mins.--Today's lesson in Growing with Grammar was on past tense verbs.

Reading/Bible--45 mins.--We just began unit 2 of Rod and Staff's Bible Nurture and Reader Series 2. This program has many parts: vocabulary, reading, reading comprehension. The stories are from the Old Testament and scripture memory is also included. Riley is currently studying the beginning of the exodus story, so the scripture memory for the next 10 week section will be the ten commandments.

Science--30 mins.--We are currently studying animals in Rod and Staff's Patterns of Nature. Today's lesson was about pets. It included the largest crossword puzzle Riley has ever attempted, and she did a great job on it.

History--30 mins.--Since we are beginning the exodus story again in Bible, and we're past that part of history in Josephus, I let Riley listen to a few chapters on Egyptian history in Story of the World 1, making use of the cds.

We cover all of these subjects daily Monday through Friday except Science. Science, Art, Spelling and currently Latin are rotated in one day a week for approximately 30 mins. for each lesson. Spelling is covered on one day, reviewed and tested on the next. Latin will play a more integral part of our studies next year when it will be covered at least four days a week.

Some days the times vary depending on the depth or difficulty of lessons. However, I thought I'd give a glimpse of our day. Today Sawyer has a cold and a constant runny nose. Riley got her studies finished without complaint, but she is feeling progressively worse as the day goes on. I'm not sure if we are suffering from another cold or allergies. We are grateful it is not worse and pray for speedy recoveries all around.

Often people ask me what Sawyer does while we school. Well, when he's not eating crayons, writing on the wall with pencils or climbing to great heights, he plays quietly in the room with us. Here is a picture I captured from today. He's in his little cubby corner driving his car up the window.

Inspiration from another journey...

2009-01-25T20:01:00.002-06:00

Another homeschool mom has been sharing her journey with the blogosphere, and I have been very impressed with her materials, scheduling and beautiful photographs. So, I just wanted to take the time to encourage you to use the link below to visit Heidi and get a glimpse of her homeschool day.

Mt. Hope Chronicles: Putting it All Together

Teaching a Child to Read

2009-01-16T15:30:00.005-06:00

I've been hesitant to post a post on teaching reading, because I am by no means an expert in the subject; however, a dear friend reminded me that we read these posts to follow along the journeys of fellow homeschool mothers. So, I am posting another part of my journey, and I hope that in some way it might help and inspire you in your own journey.

Teaching a child to read can seem an intimidating pursuit, but in truth it is a process of building a foundation. One brick at a time...however quickly or slowly the child progresses. Some children will be ready to learn to read at age 3 while others will not be ready until age 7. After one milestone is reached, another can be initiated. If the child shows no progression, there is no need to force them through the stage he is on.

There are many different resources and curricula for teaching beginning reading and phonics. Personally, I don't think it is necessary to spend a lot of money to begin this process. Here is what has worked for me in the past.

1. After a child has learned the ABC Song, begin teaching them to identify the letters by name. This can be done is a variety of ways: using manipulatives such as refrigerator magnets, using flashcards, etc. Just work on this a few minutes each day, and your child will in time learn the letters by name. If using flashcards, try to find some that have the letter only instead of a letter/picture combo so the child is able to identify that you are naming the letter. Start by just going through, showing the letter and naming it.

Montessori utilizes the three-period lesson. In this situation you could employ this method with the letters your child is having most difficulty learning: (you would have placed two flashcards on the table, for instance "A" and "B") 1)Point to the "A" card and say, "This is an 'A.'" Point to the "B" card and say, "This is a 'B.'" 2) Ask the child, "Can you point to the 'B'?" If they are unable, repeat the first stage again. If they point to the "B" proceed by asking, "Can you point to the 'A'?" 3) Point at the "A" and ask, "What is this?" This is a very hard leap to make for the child, so don't be surprised if they can easily point to the proper letter when asked, but cannot name it. Do not belabor the process, move through it and continue with other letters.

2. Teach the child the letter sounds. This can also be achieved in a myriad of ways. I would use the primary tool you chose to teach the letter names. Some people choose to use phonogram cards like those that go with the Spell to Write and Read program. These cards introduce all of the sounds the letters make at once. I have these cards, but what we did was intially introduce only the short vowel sounds instead of both long and short at the same time. I don't know which way is actually best, though.

3. Teach the children that five of the letters of the alphabet are vowels--a, e, i, o, u--and all the other letters are consonants. Explain that "y" will sometimes act as either a vowel or a consonant. All of this is verbiage that will prepare them for future steps in reading.

4. Once the child has learned all of the letter sounds you can begin teaching him to blend three letter words. This again can be done using flashcards or magnetic letters. Place three letters down on the table or floor that spell a word, for instance "cat." Point to the "c" and make the sound, working through the entire word this way. Help the child to point to each letter and make the appropriate sound. The ability to blend the word after making the individual sounds is a challenging next step for the child. Often, children will lead with the last consonant sound they hear, for example saying "tac" instead of "cat." Don't panic if this happens as it is very common. Understand that your child will not be able to progress to this step until they are developmentally ready, so encourage them, but resist pushing. When they are ready, they will make the leap into reading.

5. At this point, if the child is already writing, you can begin a program like Primary Phonics. If they have less writing skills, a program by the same publisher is Explode the Code. If the child is still learning writing skills, utilize the magnetic alphabet to have them form words. You can print picture cards from this Montessori site (pink cards) and encourage the child to pick a matching letter for each letter sound he hears in the word. Montessori has the Moveable Alphabet for this very purpose. You can print your own moveable alphabet here.

These are just the beginning steps of a process that will continue and develop over years.

Here are some teaching reading resources that others have used and enjoyed--and be sure to check out the "Look Inside" feature to see the pages and get a feel for the program:

The Ordinary Parents Guide to Teaching Reading by Jessie Wise and Sara Buffington

Teach Your Child to Read in 100 Easy Lessons by Engelmann, Haddox and Bruner

Wordless Wednesday

2009-01-13T22:19:00.000-06:00

Week in Review--Week 20

2009-01-09T21:51:00.000-06:00

Our official week 20 was the week before Christmas, but since we only schooled for half a week before deciding to break early, I've combined it with this week. We have been battling a cold and passing it back and forth for weeks, so we needed the extra break. This week we gently re-entered our routine. Riley was so ready to get back to school. I was very nervous that she would have attitude issues starting back, but she was so ready that she actually helped my attitude towards getting back to the grind.

Bible

Rod and Staff Bible Nurture and Reader Series 2: Chapters 16-20. We are still studying the life of Joseph. Riley memorized Psalm 50:15a.

Language

Growing with Grammar lessons 145 through 147: action verbs.

Spelling Workout B lesson 8: long "i" words.

Math

Bob Jones Math 2: Workbook pages 147-158. We began subtraction with renaming. I have been purchasing materials for next year and the seller I purchased our BJU Math 3 from also had a beautiful wooden base ten set for sale(part of which you see in the photo above.) This arrived at a very appropriate time, as we made good use of it while learning to "borrow" from the tens when subtracting. Being able to visualize this concept was very helpful, and Riley has done a wonderful job progressing through this chapter.

History

Our Young Folks' Josephus, chapters 46 through 52: we've studied the life of David after being crowned king. Our next chapter will be on the death of David. I have yet to work written narratives into our history, but this week Riley was inspired to write two narratives all on her own with no prompting from me. The chapters were very engrossing, and we have both enjoyed them.

Science

Patterns of Nature, lesson 7: farm animals.

Latin

Song School Latin, chapter 12: This week we learned words that are useful to know when using good manners--please, thank you and excuse me.

Literature

Pinocchio, chapters 1-10. I'm reading this aloud nightly to Riley. It is quite entertaining and so far has been much more comical than I had expected. The chapters are rather short, so we are averaging two a night.

Discipleship

Growing Little Women is a new addition to our week. I purchased this book from Amazon with some of my Christmas money. We did the first lesson this week while Sawyer was at Mother's Day Out. I'm looking forward to this being an opportunity for Riley and me to be able to spend time together learning more about God.

Zoobie Giveaway at I Never Grew Up

2009-01-09T19:57:00.002-06:00

What, you may ask, is a Zoobie? It is a very cool toy that is not only a toy, but can also be a pillow and a blanket. Check out the site here, and then visit I Never Grew Up to enter the giveaway. Simply pick the Zoobie you would like to win and post a comment.

Homeschooling: Where to Start?

2009-01-08T21:19:00.000-06:00

I posted earlier about some of the different philosophies of homeschooling. Here are some great sites for resources and ideas to begin your research if you are considering these different schools of thought:

The Latin Centered Curriculum
If you are interested in learning more about the Latin-centered style of homeschooling, there are many articles as well as sample pages from Dr. Campbell's book on the subject. I am currently enjoying this book because the key principle discussed--multum non multa, or 'quality not quantity. Those who know me well know that I have an affinity for the classics, so the emphasis on Latin is also appealing to me.

The Well-Trained Mind Forum
This is a forum of homeschoolers and afterschoolers some, but not all, of whom espouse to the classical philosophy. The forum was created by Susan Wise Bauer, author of The Well-Trained Mind (this link is for the most recent edition due out in Feb.) as well as other books including the history series, The Story of the World. Before officially beginning to homeschool, I spent many hours on the K-8 Curriculum Board reading reviews of materials. It offers a wealth of information.

Ambleside Online
This is a site with schedules and booklists for those wishing to follow the Charlotte Mason philosophy. If you are interested in the Charlotte Mason philosophy (nature study, short lessons, living books), this is a gem of a site. It lays everything out for you--and best of all the plans are free.

Some great books on the Charlotte Mason philosophy:

For the Children's Sake by Susan Schaeffer Macaulay (daughter of Francis Schaeffer)
A Charlotte Mason Education by Catherine Levison
A Charlotte Mason Companion by Karen Andreola

My Montessori Journey
This blog is written by a Montessori teacher. She is so creative in preparing materials for her class. Montessori believed in igniting the spark for a child and allowing him the opportunity to explore and discover on his own. This method (especially in math) is particularly beneficial for the kinesthetic and visual learner. This blog will give you great ideas for incorporating Montessori ideas into your day.

Some great books about the Montessori method:

Teaching Montessori in the Home: The Preschool Years by Elizabeth Hainstock
Basic Montessori by David Gettman
Montessori Play and Learn by Leslie Britton

Intensiosity...

2009-01-07T23:50:00.004-06:00

thy name is Jillian Michaels.

This little DVD has been kicking my bootay for the past few days. I am pleased to report that progress has been made. The first attempt, I gave up at 5 minutes in. The second night I made it to 9 minutes and 8 seconds--yes, those seconds do count. And tonight, I made it to 19 minutes and 34 seconds. Of course this is in the beginning workout of three, but I am quite proud of the progress made. This workout is quite intense enough to camp out in for a few weeks, if not longer. I'm not going to be racing to the harder ones.

Edited to add: this also provides excellent homeschool PE for my energetic little 6 year old, who gleefully informs me at 18 minutes in that she is kicking her own bottom as she runs. Meanwhile I am gasping for breath.

Wordless Wednesday

2009-01-06T20:40:00.000-06:00

post signature

Logan and his calf

2009-01-05T11:58:00.003-06:00

I assume that most people have already heard this little boy's call into the local Christian radio station as it has been forwarded to me several times. However, I just thought I would share it here. His sweet spirit and wise words make me weep each time I listen. Grab a tissue, and only watch if there is no one around to make fun of you if you cry. :) Riley loves to taunt me when I get all weepy over these things, but one day I'm sure she'll cry over this as well.

Homeschool Philosophies

2009-01-03T21:26:00.003-06:00

I am not a scholar in the field of homeschool philosophies, so I am going to point you in the right direction rather than try to describe them all myself. This is by no means an exhaustive list, but does include some of the major philosophies.

Classical

Charlotte Mason

Latin-Centered Curriculum

Montessori

Which do I practice in my homeschool? Why all four, of course. Seriously, though, I have taken aspects from each of these philosophies when coming up with my own. That is another beauty of homeschooling, developing a style that works for your family.

A Little More Buddy

2009-01-03T21:15:00.002-06:00

I think he's comfy in his new home, don't you?

Introducing Buddy

2009-01-02T21:07:00.002-06:00

Here is our Christmas kitty--Buddy. He is a sweet and gentle cat.

He gets more than his share of attention. His friskiness is matched only by Sawyer's tenacity. I find myself saying "No" twice as often, and I have mistakenly called the cat "Sawyer" more than once.

These guys are still sizing each other up, but are sure to be best buds in no time.

Technical Difficulties

2008-12-30T23:32:00.002-06:00

Sorry for the spotty posting of late...the wonderful holiday season I've been enjoying only partly explains my lack of posts. I am also suffering from laptop withdrawal. A while back the cord for the laptop ceased charging the battery. A few days ago the cord ceased altogether. Yes, the desktop still works, but it is ever-so slow...ugh.

So, hopefully by the end of the week, we should have received our replacement cord, and I can plug back in to regular blogging.

Happy New Year to you all, and may 2009 be filled with many wonderful blessings for your families.

Ten Common Fears about Homeschooling

2008-12-26T12:32:00.010-06:00

I know some of you are intrigued by idea of homeschooling. I am hoping to start creating some posts that will be both informative and encouraging for those of you considering partaking on this grand adventure. Today's post will cover common fears--in random order--that often come up regarding homeschooling.

Fear #1: I cannot homeschool my child because I am not very organized.

I am proof that this is not true. I am a disorganized person generally, but I have found that using the right materials helps me to become organized. Part of my learning curve was acknowledging the fact that I needed to take time each week to plot out our week in a daily lesson plan. Once I had a daily schedule that included everything that needed to be covered in that day I just had to follow my road map.

Fear #2: My child will become a social misfit if I choose to homeschool.

This is in fact one of the greatest misconceptions involving homeschooling. We all know "that" family. The one that homeschooled their kids to sequester them from the world and ended up with children that still live at home even though they are well into their twenties. The truth, as I've discovered it, is that homeschooled children are--for the most part--quite sociable. It requires effort to join homeschool groups, plan playdates, enroll in sports or other extracurricular activities, etc. but there are limitless opportunities for children to receive regular social interaction. I am biased, but I don't believe schools do the best jobs regarding socializing our children. Yes, they are being socialised in the public school system, but socialized into what? I am not trying to isolate my children from the world, but, as their parent, I do want to be the primary one pouring into their character.

Fear #3: I do not have the patience to homeschool my children.

I am not going to lie to you. Homeschooling is hard. Being your child's teacher is a very difficult task. One of the greatest things about homeschooling is that it is an amazing tool of the Father in molding and shaping us to be more like Him. It will definitely remove you from your comfort zone and challenge you to grow. Although growth can be hard, it is exceptionally rewarding to see God develop His fruit in you.

Fear #4: I am not smart enough to homeschool my children.

Another great benefit of homeschooling is self-education. As you prepare to teach your children and as you teach your children, your knowledge increases as does your skill at conveying that knowledge. Again, there are great materials available that basically hold your hand and walk you through the process.

Fear #5: I'll be isolated when I homeschool my children.

This is also a legitimate fear. Isolation is always possible when you are a stay-at-home mom, whether you homeschool or not. You must be diligent in planning play dates, field trips, and mommy time. This can be challenging if you live in a small town but not impossible. Living in a small town myself, I know the difficulties. However, kindred spirits are out there, and you must seek them out. Thankfully we also live in the age of the internet, and I have made many friends and mentors through blogs and forums.

Fear #6: My family and friends will not accept/support my decisions.

They may not. As with most major decisions you make in life, you must pray, have many discussions, research and count the costs. If you feel God leading your family in the direction of homeschooling, trust in that, not in whether or not your family and friends approve. As with most things, the proof is in the pudding. Generally, after the naysayers see how well your children progress and what they are learning, they will begin to back off. However, there will always be people who are simply anti-homeschooling. To those people you can only state that this is the educational choice that you have made for your family. It is not necessary to try to win them over or convince them otherwise.

Fear #7: I wouldn't know where to start.

Well, I can help you with that fear. :) You start by contacting me! I would be delighted to share with you the resources that I've discovered along this journey. There is a wealth of amazing materials out there for each family and each step of learning. Trust me, I've researched them all--or most of them at least.

Fear #8: People will think I'm weird.

We always like to be affirmed in our choices, but that will not always be the case. Homeschooling is an enigma to most of the country. Though it is growing in popularity, it is still a topic that many know little about beyond stereotypes. Being a homeschooler will mean marching to the beat of a different drum, and that doesn't have to be a bad thing.

Fear #9: I will fail my children.

Yes. This is a big, scary fear. First of all, if God is calling you to do this, He will equip you to fulfill that calling. Secondly, find homeschool mentors and peers. You will need to have people in your life that understand the dynamics of homeschooling and that you can call on if you reach an impass. There are so many resources available to homeschoolers. In addition to my real-life friends and mentors, I belong to an online forum of over 3,000 homeschoolers and homeschool veterans. Whenever I encounter a problem or need help picking a curriculum, there is always someone who has been there, done that.

Fear #10: This task is way too big for me.

Ree, the Pioneer Woman, created a t-shirt slogan for homeschool moms: "Homeschooling: There's No Substitute." Both interpretations of this statement are true. And so, the truth is yes, the task is too big for us. However, so is the task of being a parent. But again you must fall back on God's leading. It may seem impossible for you, but nothing is impossible for Him.

Merry Christmas

2008-12-25T10:40:00.003-06:00

May your Christmas be filled with blessed memories as we celebrate the greatest gift ever.

For God so loved the world, that he gave his only Son, that whoever believes in him should not perish but have eternal life.
John 3:16

Wordless Wednesday...Another Blast from Christmas Past

2008-12-24T09:19:00.000-06:00

2009-2010 Curriculum Plans

2008-12-23T10:02:00.005-06:00

Tis the season...for curriculum planning? Well, not really, but since I tend to use some Christmas money towards this expense, it becomes the time for looking forward to the next year.

Here are my plans for the basics:

Grammar/writing: A blend of Primary Language Lessons by Emma Serl and Shurley English.

Spelling: Spelling Workout

Reading: We will continue with the Rod and Staff Bible Nurture and Reader Series which covers vocabulary acquisition as well as reading comprehension. We will move into level 3 after completing level 2, which we began late this year. I plan to add the Sonlight 2 Scheduled Advanced Readers for independent reading time.

Latin: Lively Latin

Math: We will be continuing with Bob Jones University Math, and move into level 3.

Science: Rod and Staff 3: God's Protected World

Bible: This will also be covered in Rod and Staff Bible Nurture and Reader.

My big question is regarding history. I am having great difficulties deciding what to purchase for next year's history. Here are my options and my thoughts on each.

Sonlight Introduction to World History 2--Pros: Inexpensive. Not generally, but for me this would be the inexpensive route because I already have the spines used--A Child's History of the World by Hilyer and Usborne's Encyclopedia of World History. My sister-in-law has the Instructor's Guide, and I could probably borrow it for the year. I also have a few of the extra books, and would only need to purchase a couple more. Sonlight is laid out in a daily schedule, which is very appealing to me. Also, I love the read-alouds that Sonlight schedules out for the year. I'm already planning to use Sonlight for her independent reading. Cons: I really can't wrap my mind around exactly what history this program studies. I have been least excited about this one, but that could change after I see the material and get a better feel for it.

My Father's World Rome to the Reformation--Pros: Using MFW 1st grade for Bible was the highlight of our 2007-2008 year. It was a great program. So, I will always have a fond view of this company. I like that the history emphasis is clear cut. MFW R2R uses Susan Wise Bauer's Story of the World 2 as a spine, and I know many people love her books. I like the way that the author of the MFW curriculum weaves the Bible into all aspects of the curriculum. The Teacher Guide is scheduled on a daily basis, which again appeals to me. The material is very Charlotte Mason inspired. Cons: I do not currently possess any of the required books, so purchasing these books as well as the teacher's guide will be a rather big expense. Also, even if I do choose this route, I will not be using the full curriculum, so I may not be getting my money's worth completely.

Tapestry of Grace--Pros: This is an incredibly rich, full, in-depth history program. It expands out of history to also provide literature study, geography writing and more. This program is a wonderful self-education option. It is complete for all twelve years, in four separate units to be rotated three times. The materials provided are separated into specific age groups, so the same information could be tweaked to be easier for youngers and intensive for olders. Cons: Having tons of material is both a pro and a con for this curriculum. I like it in theory, but in practice it might overwhelm me to have so much choice. Instead of being scheduled daily, it is scheduled weekly which would call for more planning on my part. That is not necessarily a negative, but I'm not certain that it wouldn't be. TOG would be a fantastic option for schooling multiples or if you were certain you would use it for more than one rotation through history. Then there is the cost. This program would be the most expensive of them all. As they say, you get what you pay for. However, I have to really count the cost to see if this option is worth the investment for our family.

Christmas Past

2008-12-22T22:20:00.002-06:00

Today...

and what seems like only yesterday...

Christmas money

2008-12-20T23:35:00.004-06:00

Each year I end up spending a lot of my Christmas money on homeschool materials. This year Dan said that he wanted me to spend it on me, not on school. However, I have convinced him that spending it on school is in fact spending it on me. Homeschooling is a huge part of my life. I greatly enjoy having quality materials to use in our days. It benefits Riley, yes, but it benefits me as well. She is not the only student here. One great benefit to homeschooling is the education I am receiving through it as well.

That being said...here is the first thing on my list: Living Memory. I am salivating over this book. I can't wait to hold a hot copy in my hands. I already purchased Dr. Campbell's other book--The Latin-Centered Curriculum--and am planning to read it over the Christmas break. I have the luxury (and honor) of "knowing" Dr. Campbell as Plaid Dad through a forum I frequent. He is not only a wealth of wisdom, but he is also a very kind and generous sharer of that wisdom.

Want to join me?

2008-12-18T20:05:00.003-06:00

Because I want to know Him more
Because I fail at reading my Bible daily...even with a plan on my reader
Because I am empty, weary, desperate

I am going on an endeavor.
I am going to start Seeking Him.

Want to come along?
I always do better with a little iron-sharpening-iron accountability.

Anyone game? The more the merrier.

Wordless Wednesday

2008-12-17T00:20:00.000-06:00

Christmas Meme

2008-12-16T23:19:00.002-06:00

Here's a little Christmas Meme that I saw over at The Foil Hat and The Story of My World. I cut and pasted questions and combined a little from both. Consider yourself tagged if you read this and like doing these little things.

1. Wrapping paper or gift bags? Depends on the gift...if it is oddly shaped, gift bag. If not, wrapping paper.

2. Real tree or Artificial? I like the idea of real, but my pre-lit artificial version is just so easy and works out just fine.

3. When do you put up the tree? Soon after Thanksgiving.

4. When do you take the tree down? Hopefully by Valentine's Day. :)

5. Do you like eggnog? Nope

6. Favorite gift received as a child? My mom always came up with great "Santa" presents for me. I love my mom.

7. Hardest person to buy for? This year it was actually Riley. She never asked for anything in particular, and so we had to really use our noggins to figure out what would be a nice gift.

8. Easiest person to buy for? Sawyer. How hard can it be to buy for a one and a half year old?

9. Do you have a nativity scene? Now that's a story. I have two, a beautiful new one that my mom gave me and a beautiful old one that my dad gave me. My dad heard me reminiscing about my grandmother's nativity set that she had made. I remembered loving that set, holding it in my hands and imagining the story behind them. For Christmas that year I opened up a box and was completely caught off guard to see my grandmother's nativity set. My dad and stepmother had found them and cleaned them up just for me. I have neither set out this year, though, due to one very destructive little guy.

10. Mail or email Christmas cards? Mail. This was the first Christmas that we got most of the cards out on time. (If you haven't received one yet remember I said "most.")

11. Worst Christmas gift you ever received? One year my grandmother (same one with the nativity) gave me a rather hideously old-lady sweatshirt for Christmas. I never wore it. However, when she died it became rather precious to me, and I still have it in my hope chest.

12. Favorite Christmas Movie? This may seem blasphemous...but the one I am most looking forward to watching this Christmas season is ELF.

13. When do you start shopping for Christmas? November

14. Have you ever recycled a Christmas present? :) I've thought about it, but I've always been too afraid someone would find out.

15. Favorite thing to eat at Christmas? Dressing...along with all the other amazing foods that will fill the table.

16. What decorations are on your tree? Non-glass balls. I say non-glass and not non-breakable because I have discovered, thanks to the little destructive guy I mentioned earlier, that they will in fact break...especially if you hammer them with larger objects. The bottom two feet of the tree are purposely bare, but his reach goes far beyond that.

17. Favorite Christmas song? O Come, O Come Emmanuel

18. Travel at Christmas or stay at home? Typically we try to be home for Christmas Day, but this year my nephews will be at their dad's except for that day. Consequently we will be going to my mom's. It works out though, as that was the only day we could pick up our new feline family member. We will be closer to the shelter leaving from my mom's.

19. Can you name all of Santa's reindeer? Probably not.

20. Angel on top of tree or star? Riley made a beautiful angel for our treetop.

21. Open the presents Christmas Eve or Christmas morning? We open one present each Christmas Eve. This year with all of the busyness on Christmas day we may open more.

22. Most annoying thing about this time of the year? Commercialism, materialism, fear of using the word "Christmas" to name the holiday

23 What theme or color are you using when you decorate? I am actually color coordinating with my rug...crazy. Deep reds, green, dark gold....

24. Favorite for Christmas dinner? Well, I kind of answered this above, but dressing, peas, corn, rolls, asparagus casserole, green bean casserole, ham....

25. What do you want for Christmas Honestly? I honestly want to buy curriculum...but Dan has forbidden me. :) I must get presents exclusively for me. It's hard, because homeschooling is such a huge part of my life. So, I'm still trying to figure this one out.

26. Favorite Christmas tradition? My family does this sneaky game called "Christmas Eve Gift." We call each other on Christmas Eve to try to catch someone off guard by saying the phrase first. I know, it's crazy. Basically it just consists of everyone in my family answering their phones on that day saying, "Christmas Eve Gift," and either hearing a "Darn" on the other end of the phone or a confused "What?" from non-family members.

27. Up early or sleeping in? Oh, I'm sure we'll be up early.

28. Who hands out the gifts? We all work together on that one.

29. Do you tell the Christmas story? Hopefully.

"Even So"

2008-12-14T22:47:00.008-06:00

Do you remember a time in your life when you were surrounded by friends? I'm talking about being smothered in love so thick from friends that you know are the "closer than a brother" type of friends? For me, that time was in college. I was blessed to be surrounded by some of the best people in the world, and, more than that, I was doubly blessed that they loved me as I loved them.

We hardly see each other anymore, as we've grown up, graduated and entered the world of responsibility. But, that love remains.

One of these dear friends is Joanna, fondly referred to as Jo. My friend Jo has a way with words. While reading her blog you can alternately spew drink on the computer screen from laughter and have your eyes fill with tears as your heart fills with hope. But, not only does she use that gift to entertain and inspire us on her blog. She also pairs it with a second gift, the gift of song, and shares beautiful songs that pierce the soul.

One such song is entitled, "Even So" and I will share some of the lyrics here:

Like rain on a tin roof, a sweeter sound I've never heard
than the sound of someone singing while they cry.
Can I be so faithful? Can I pray,“Even so,
my heart will rejoice in the Lord?”

I find myself singing the words to this song often, and as I sing it I wonder: Would I be so faithful? I've known saints who've sung through tears of sorrow, and the sight and sound simultaneously humbles and builds you up. A faith that strong is admirable. I want it.

These words also resonate with me:
But I never knew you then the way I know you now.
Could I have ever learned to pray if you hadn’t let me fall down?

A scripture inspiration for this song is Habakkuk 3:17-19

Though the fig tree should not blossom,
nor fruit be on the vines,
the produce of the olive fail
and the fields yield no food,
the flock be cut off from the fold
and there be no herd in the stalls,
yet I will rejoice in the LORD;

I will take joy in the God of my salvation.
GOD, the Lord, is my strength;
he makes my feet like the deer’s;
he makes me tread on my high places.

This happens to be one of my father-in-law's favorite scriptures and one of mine as well. I've mentioned before that I got the name of my blog from my favorite book, Hinds' Feet on High Places. As you can see, that book also took some inspiration from this passage. God is so mighty, so faithful, and so worthy of praise despite any circumstance. It's so easy to focus on myself and so hard to keep in mind that it is not about me. This song inspires me to remember what I know...more importantly, it inspires me to remember Who I know.

So, check out Jo's blog Little Footsteps and go here to download her music. If you happen to be a facebook friend, you can check it out on my profile under the "boxes" section.

Fingers crossed...

2008-12-13T23:28:00.003-06:00

We may have found our family pet. We have picked a potential cat through a rescue shelter in a nearby town, and, if all things go as planned, we will have a new addition to our family around December 26th. I am sure this little guy will provide both photos and fodder for future blog posts.

Dan and I have continually blurted out comments about the cat right in front of Riley without thinking. I hope that she will be surprised, but we obviously are not very adept at keeping secrets.

I want to give a present as soon as I buy it. It is painful for me to wait until Christmas to do so. Dan on the other hand considers that Christmas morning surprise almost sacred, and doesn't understand why I would defile it.

How are you regarding surprises?

And now, for your viewing pleasure...

2008-12-11T14:15:00.002-06:00

Send your own ElfYourself eCards

Who knew we had it in us?

A Secret

2008-12-10T23:25:00.002-06:00

Shhhh....come here. Lean closer to the screen. We're getting a cat for Christmas. Yes, I know. It's exciting isn't it? This cat will be the first pet--save dear Showvey the amazing goldfish--that we've had in our married life. Riley has wanted a cat since forever, so she will be ecstatic. She even wrote an essay a year ago extolling the virtues of cats over dogs. I'm a dog person myself, but she kind of won me over with this line: "Cats don't poop." I'm not sure where she gets her information, but it sounds good to me. Truthfully, the thing that has pushed us to this decision has been our recent mice visitors. Thanks to God, they seem to be gone, or more adept at hiding, but having a cat around would help to keep them gone.

We haven't actually found the cat yet, and we're hoping to do so quickly. We do have a few leads. We are looking for a very robust, durable, yet gentle teenage cat due to the current smallest member of our family. I've been advised that a male orange tabby is the way to go, but am not sure how much choice we'll have. If you happen to know of a cat who meets the above mentioned requirements, please, by all means, let me know.

Wordless Wednesday

2008-12-09T22:30:00.000-06:00

A New Button

2008-12-09T14:57:00.003-06:00

I am a wannabe when it comes to arts and crafts. I greatly admire people who have a knack for creating cute handmade items. And I especially love it when those who possess that gift share step-by-step instructions, so that those of us not so inclined can pretend we are. This is why I've added a new button. Directly below my profile picture in the right column, you'll find a button for The Crafty Crow. I've mentioned this blog before, but I have been so impressed with the various Christmas crafts she has been collecting. There are many projects that I've saved in my reader to try with Riley over the next couple of weeks. Check it out if you haven't already. You'll be glad you did.

Weeks In Review--18 and 19

2008-12-07T21:15:00.003-06:00

Week 18 fell during Thanksgiving week. We only schooled Monday through Wednesday, so I will combine it with last week. This past week was a full week, but we've all been sick. We didn't take any days off, so we got most of the work accomplished. Sawyer is particularly under the weather, so we might have to miss a day this week so I can take him in to the pediatrician. I hate when the kiddos are sick. My poor little snotty boy is miserable. He's also managed to infect the whole household, but we seem to be handling it a little better than he is.

Math--Riley continued working on addition with renaming. She completed that chapter this past Wednesday, so we did flash card addition reviews Thursday and Friday.

Language--Over the past eight school days we only did grammar on five. I am going to be reevaluating grammar for next year. I have loved Growing With Grammar, but one thing I am not sure I like is that it spends so much time on the parts that you forget what was covered before. I have Shurley English sitting on the shelf, and I'm thinking of adding some of it in after the Christmas break. Shurley starts sentence parsing early, which means the child will be continually working with all parts of the sentence at once. I'm beginning to think this way of learning will be more effective for Riley.

Bible/Reading--Riley completed chapters 11-15 of Rod and Staff's Bible Nurture and Reader Series. The lessons have been about Jacob. She memorized Galatians 6:7. In her Second Reader, she also read a play about the story of Hansel and Gretel and began reading a story about Peter Pan.

Spelling--This was our first week adding Spelling Workout. We are using book B. Riley was excited by the addition, worked well through the lesson and aced her test. The words are definitely not difficult, but I think it is a good start for her.

Latin--This week was the second week of commands. Again, it was challenging, but easier as we continued to review them.

History--We continued reading Thanksgiving related books in week 18. This past week we returned to Our Young Folks' Josephus. Saul has died and David is about to be crowned King.

Science--Week 18, our science lesson (Patterns of Nature) was on trees. We took advantage of a beautiful nature trail near my mom's and took a walk to see the trees after eating a delicious Thanksgiving feast. You can see pictures here. This week our lesson was about the parts of plants that we eat.

Art--Again, I didn't get Atelier together in time. Bummer. The only postitive is that this one level of Atelier will last us well into next year. We read a book about Van Gogh and looked at pictures of some of his work. Riley and I made an adorable door hanger together from a project in an Usborne book. It turned out to be way too complicated for her to do alone, especially with a little brother too interested in the process. She also made an angel for our treetop, using instructions from Things to Make and Do for Christmas, also from Usborne. This project she was able to do almost completely on her own, thankfully. It turned out just beautifully as well. Unfortunately, the camera batteries died after I took pictures of the door hanger, so I'll have to post pictures of the angel later.

I'm sure I'm leaving some things out...my brain has been rather fuzzy with this cold. Hopefully we will all be feeling a lot better tomorrow.

Outrageous Fortune

2008-12-05T21:56:00.004-06:00

When I was pregnant with Riley, we lived within walking distance of one of the best Chinese restaurants. My absolute favorite dish was Honey-Walnut Prawns. Man, I could eat my weight in those prawns. And I would, except I heard somewhere that eating too much shrimp could trigger a shrimp allergy. That momentary indulgence would not be worth a life without shrimp. Maybe...

Another fun thing about eating at a Chinese restaurant is the cute little fortune cookie they bring to you at the end of your meal. Do you ever wonder who writes those little fortunes? I do. Those little tidbits vary in quality about as much as the cookies themselves do. I've gotten a few winners lately, and I'd like to share them with you here.

This one was profound in it's wrongness:

Um, no. However, I'm keeping this one, because this is an area God is working in my life. Maybe one day He will make this true.

I like the timeliness of this one:

Who knows how long this fortune cookie had been sitting in that box, and, yet, I open it here at the eve of winter. Oooh the anticipation...

Unfortunately my daughter and I both had the same thought when reading this one:

What was that thought, you ask? Mice. Yes, we've had little visitors lately. It's to be expected living in an old house out in the country next to a large field. I'm so grateful to God that this is the first time we've experienced this problem. I am quite ready, though, for it to be gone from my home.

I like this one, too:

Thankfully my home is already full of cultured and artistic people. :) However, a few more would be quite welcome.

I found the following one to be truly profound:

I can't decide quite why, though; it's too difficult.

Calling all prayer warriors...

2008-12-05T12:19:00.010-06:00

I love Facebook. Well, let me rephrase that...I love the reconnected relationships that Facebook has provided. It has been fun catching up with high school and college friends, seeing their families and hearing of their day-to-day adventures.

One such blessing that reentered my life via Facebook has been my new blog friend, Melanie. We went to high school together, but, since I mostly had my nose in a book in high school, we didn't get to know each other that well then. Thankfully, God has brought her into my life again. You can find her blog, The Fabulous Hodges Girls, in the "sampling from my reader" list. Her faith in the Father is inspiring.

And now to the point of my post. Melanie's youngest girl needs your prayers.

As you can see in the photo above, Anabelle is a beautiful darling. She was recently diagnosed with cerebral palsy. Melanie did a fantastic job of explaining the particulars of her diagnosis here and listed some specific prayer requests. Together let's lift precious Anabelle up to the Father, and not only her but everyone involved in her care and progress. Thank you so much for taking time to join your hearts together with ours. As Melanie says in her post, "God never fails!!!"

Gratitude and Grace: The journey to 1000 gifts continues

2008-12-03T22:44:00.006-06:00

36. laughter

37. warm towels fresh from the dryer, and someone thoughtful enough to bring them to you

38. music

39. the gift of song

40. absolute truth

41. Mahatma's red beans and rice...if you've eaten it, you know; if you haven't, you should

42. my husband and best friend, the wonderful father of my children

43. kindred spirits

44. the smell of smoke issuing from a chimney and the warming fire that causes it

45. mentors who take the time to love, inspire, encourage and challenge

46. honey graham crackers...both for my boy and for me

47. this blog and the incentive to exercise my writing that it provides

48. my passionate, headstrong, gentle, Jesus-loving girl

49. my sweet, precious, destructive, curious little boy

50. to have been chosen

1000 gifts

Wordless Wednesday

2008-12-02T23:15:00.002-06:00

Another fun giveaway at 30 Days!

2008-12-02T17:00:00.004-06:00

I LOVE baby slings and wraps. Both of my babies wanted to be held a lot, and I greatly appreciated being able to snuggle them close while still being able to accomplish other tasks. Not only are they very practical and functional, but they are quite stylish, too. The slings offered at Modmum are absolutely beautiful!

And, I'm sure you've already guessed, Mique at 30 Days is going to be giving one away--your choice--this week. So, check out the beautiful slings then head over to 30 Days, follow the directions and enter to win your very own--or, like me, one to give to a friend.

Say what?

2008-12-02T00:28:00.004-06:00

Okay...so we finally figured out what we are getting Riley for Christmas. I, like most of us, enjoy being able to rely on the comments and reviews left by the masses at amazon.com. Even if I am not purchasing the item there, I always look it up at Amazon to check the reviews. Most of the time they are extremely helpful. And then there are the times when you read a review and find yourself scratching your head. Such was the case with this:

(click to enlarge)

Makes me wonder who exactly forcefully compelled this person to post a review. And it wouldn't even be that bad if they didn't knock the star rating of the item down a whole star. I can only imagine how an author must feel when someone does this to his/her book.

Mondays...

2008-12-01T13:04:00.003-06:00

No matter what your profession, Mondays are rough. And Mondays after a four day holiday weekend can be excruciating. Last night I wrote out our plans for this week and looked at holiday related ideas for this month's crafts and activities. As I prepared the materials for this morning's school time, I had a momentary shudder at the idea of returning to business as usual after such a wonderful break. To be honest, this is what I imagined it would include:

and perhaps a smidgen of:

Fortunately, the day has gone remarkably well. We encountered a bit of attitude at the beginning of the school day, but it was quickly diffused. We finished all our studies before Sawyer's naptime. Riley did an amazing job at her math, despite the long break. Renaming/regrouping has been a challenging concept, but she seems to be grasping it very well. Three weeks more until we are off for Christmas break. During that holiday I am going to be evaluating our year to date and will probably tweak some materials and add a few others. Overall I have been very satisfied with our materials this year, and look forward to continuing with them.

I Will Change Your Name

2008-11-29T22:29:00.006-06:00

Over to the left you'll see a sampling of the blogs on my reader. This is only a sampling as I have far too many to post here, and some I don't feel as comfortable "outing" even to my small audience without permission first. One you will find listed there is Holy Experience. Ann's blog has been a great inspiration to me, and I encourage you to check it out for yourself. Today she had posted a youtube, and I clicked on it without any expectation of what the lady in the video holding the guitar was going to sing. When the familiar words drifted through the speakers, my eyes misted in remembrance and thanks. She sang the chorus, "I Will Change Your Name." I've copied and pasted the lyrics below:

I will change your name

You shall no longer be called

Wounded, Outcast, Lonely or Afraid

I will change your name

Your new name shall be

Confidence, Joyfulness,

Overcoming one,

Faithfulness, friend of God,

One who seeks my face.

~D.J. Butler

This song was my anthem for a long time. The words seared my heart upon first hearing it. Wounded, Outcast, Lonely and Afraid had all been fitting names for me in my teens. This blog is named from an action of the main character in one of my favorite books--Hinds' Feet on High Places by Hannah Hurnard. That character's name is Much Afraid, and I believe one reason that book resonated with me so is that I too have been Much Afraid. As a young girl, I was painfully shy and had a virtually no self-confidence. I was what you'd describe as a "nervous Nellie."

It never occured to me at the time that although I loved and knew God, I had never fully surrendered my life to Him. I was still trying to be in charge, in control. The idea of giving that control over to Him terrified me. How foolish that seems now, for when I did surrender that death-grip I had on my life, He breathed a freedom into it that I had never experienced before. He changed my name.

Therefore, if anyone is in Christ, he is a new creation.
The old has passed away; behold, the new has come.
~2 Corinthians 5:17

Memories...misty water-colored memories...

2008-11-28T22:18:00.002-06:00

Well, in this case the memories aren't exactly water-colored...whatever that actually means. Instead they are captured in an old photo scanned complete with dust and scratches. This photo contains some of my favorite people, and it is a memento from a very special time in our lives. Dan and I had been married for two years ( I can attest to the fact that his clothing tastes have greatly improved with time), and I was newly pregnant with Riley. Typical of "Dan and Dawn" style, we forgot to take the picture when the whole group was there. We decided to snap this shot of those of us remaining, and I am so glad we did.

This photo reminds me of an amazing time. A time when God was moving in ways we never expected (not unlike most of the time, huh?) But, it was a time when we seemed to have a front-row seat. This group that you see here had just had an impromptu, on-your-knees encounter in prayer with our most holy God. The blessing of His presence that He was kind enough to pour out on us at that time encouraged our weary hearts immensely. Just before this school year started, half of our staff had moved on. Dan and I found ourselves in the position of shepherding this group with the help of one other worker when we had been planning all summer with a staff of five and the backing of a church. It was a very humbling position to be placed in at short notice. We felt completely incapable of the task set before us. God showed us quickly that we were right--we weren't capable, nor would we have been with a full staff. However, He was more than able. He refreshed us during this time and many others to remind us that He was the One working, and we had been invited to come alongside Him. And, as He's shown me time and time again, He equips those He calls.

Over that year, these dear students along with others became family to Dan and me. They crowded into our little postage-stamp apartment to worship and study and fellowship and laugh. They inspired us to grow closer to the Father and probably taught us more than we could ever have taught them. It was an honor to walk with them along the path for that season in which we were blessed to do so.

Grammy and Saw go for a walk

2008-11-28T21:51:00.000-06:00

Thanksgiving and Trees

2008-11-28T20:42:00.005-06:00

After having our fill of a fantastic Thanksgiving feast--Thanks mom!--we walked a beautiful nature trail near her home. On Wednesday we completed our chapter in Patterns of Nature on trees, so it was a timely visit.

Unfortunately, the trail guide brochures were all gone, so we improvised and collected leaves along the way to match with the plaque at the end of the trail.

One of the highlights of the trail was being able to see "inside" a large oak tree that had been destroyed when struck by lightning in 2005. The tree rings were marked with dates to show how old it was and when it had been planted.

Sawyer even got to study his favorite kind of nature. These long-legged spiders were everywhere along the trail.

It was a beautiful day for a walk.

Wordless Wednesday

2008-11-25T21:59:00.001-06:00

(pre-haircut)

A Sneak Peek

2008-11-25T13:22:00.003-06:00

I love this picture. It captures a quiet introspective moment for my usually energetic girl. The reason I entitled this post "A Sneak Peek" is because this picture is included in the collage on our Christmas cards. This year I decided to take a few of my favorite pictures of the kids that we already have instead of going through the agony of trying to get a Christmas photo of the two of them. Remember last year, anyone? More outtakes viewable here. I'm also trying to plan ahead so that I actually get the cards addressed, stamped and mailed BEFORE Christmas. There's a first time for everything, right?

Interesting...

2008-11-25T12:52:00.003-06:00

I stumbled across this passage during my reading the other day, and it has lingered on my mind. It is found in the 11th chapter of John, just after Jesus raises Lazarus from the dead.

Many of the Jews therefore, who had come with Mary and had seen what he did, believed in him, but some of them went to the Pharisees and told them what Jesus had done. So the chief priests and the Pharisees gathered the Council and said, "What are we to do? For this man performs many signs. If we let him go on like this, everyone will believe in him, and the Romans will come and take away both our place and our nation." But one of them, Caiaphas, who was high priest that year, said to them, "You know nothing at all. Nor do you understand that it is better for you that one man should die for the people, not that the whole nation should perish." He did not say this of his own accord, but being high priest that year he prophesied that Jesus would die for the nation, and not for the nation only, but also to gather into one the children of God who are scattered abroad. So from that day on they made plans to put him to death.

I don't remember having read this before. It's funny how you can read an old familiar passage and trip over words that are so unfamiliar. I look forward to ruminating this passage and having it in mind when we get to this time period in our history study using Josephus.

Week in Review--Week 17

2008-11-23T19:00:00.003-06:00

A very fun art project we did found here at Art Projects for Kids.

History: We took a break from Josephus this week to read books on the first Thanksgiving, the Pilgrims and Native Americans.

Math: This week was the beginning of adding with renaming. It is a difficult concept to grasp, but Riley is progressing surprisingly well. As with all math, it will take much practice and repetition to cement this new process.

Language: In Growing with Grammar this week we continued with pronouns.

Bible: We studied about Noah and Abraham. Riley memorized Psalm 117: 2. I am still very impressed with the Rod and Staff materials. Each lesson is rather long, and some days the sight of the workbook coming out is met with sighs. However, the work itself is not difficult, though sometimes challenging.

Latin: This week we learned commands while studying chapter ten of Song School Latin. In the past the vocabulary has come very easy for Riley. She has had little difficulty learning and memorizing it. This week was our first challenging week. She struggled a bit. However, as with math, all that is needed is practice and repetition.

Reading: In addition to her Bible reader, Riley also continued reading from her Second Reader. We have really enjoyed this reader from Yesterday's Classics. It has beautiful selections of poetry from Christina Rossetti and Robert Louis Stevenson, as well as challenging, yet very readable interpretations of Aesop's fables, fairy tales and folk tales.

Science: Using Rod and Staff's Patterns of Nature, we studied Weeds. As with each lesson, there was a rather long descriptive narrative introducing the objects of study. The narrative was followed with some exercises to help her commit the lesson to memory. There were also two coloring pages with realistic renditions of each weed, labeled with the appropriate colors to color each one. We held off on the next lesson--trees--for next week. We are planning on going on a nature walk with labeled trees next week during the holiday.

I have ordered a Spelling Workout book to review and possibly add to our days. I had the best of intentions of tackling and adding Spell to Write and Read, but I do not think I will ever use this program in its entirety. I have used the phonogram cards and will use the spelling rules cards. Maybe this summer I will read through the manual and muster up the courage to begin it. We'll see. I also will begin working in Geography Songs. I have enjoyed looking through this book this weekend and think it will be quite a learning adventure for us both. I don't have any recollection of receiving formal training in geography, and, not surprisingly, my geography skills are quite lacking. Many people love this book and cd combo, so I expect we will enjoy it as well.

So, will the real Thanksgiving please step forward?

2008-11-22T13:46:00.003-06:00

It is that wonderful time of the year again where we gather together with family and fill our bellies with yummy goodies. It is a time to reflect on the many blessings God has given us throughout the year.

As a teacher, it is also the time of the year to teach about the brave Pilgrims who suffered great travail to come to this country in search of religious freedom. It is a time to remember Squanto and his sufferings and the path that eventually led him to help the Pilgrims and make his home with them. It is a time to remember the celebration of endurance and survival that embodied that first Thanksgiving feast.

And, it is also a time to learn more about the truth behind a holiday that we know less about than we think. I started on my own journey towards learning more about that first Thanksgiving when I noticed an ad in facebook. The ad stated something to the effect that the Pilgrims initially wanted to start this land on the foundation of socialism but were forced to abandon that pursuit due to famine and death. It seemed to me the ad was glorifying this noble pursuit of socialism. I could be wrong, because I wasn't about to click on the ad. Instead, I googled "Thanksgiving socialism" and found this enlightening article: The Great Thanksgiving Hoax. It has made me even more aware of the need to find and purchase primary sources--such as the Bradford book mentioned in the article--in order to better interpret and understand history.

The Facts, Sadly, Are These:

2008-11-21T17:48:00.004-06:00

Well, it was expected, yet it's still sad. The kind of sad that makes you want to stay in your pajamas all day eating ice cream with a warm, snuggly golden retriever on your lap. ABC canceled Pushing Daisies, a delightful little series with great writing and a quirky cast. I greatly enjoyed this show--almost as much as another too-short-lived series by the name of Firefly. Why is it that the well written shows have so much more trouble attracting audiences than the fodder that makes up most of primetime?

Seeing the cast look so happy in this photo from TVaddict.com makes me even sadder.

*sigh*

What crazy adventures they had yet to go on.

And the gifts keep coming...

2008-11-21T15:47:00.004-06:00

31. a down comforter on a cold night

32. Mother's Day Out programs and caregivers

33. a mouse-free house...a gift I took for granted for many years

34. memories captured in photographs

35. Grandma's chicken dressing...and learning how to make it

I can't believe it

2008-11-21T09:30:00.001-06:00

but we are just shy of our halfway mark for this school year! I had not numbered last week in the planner and kept assuming it was week 15. In fact it was week 16. Yeeha! I started school in late July with the anticipation that we might be moving this fall. As it stands, we are still here. I'm planning to push through the normal holiday schedule, but it will be nice to be ahead of the game.

I didn't post weekly reviews for weeks 14-16, so here are the highlights. We progressed steadily in math going through counting money and addition reviews. In Growing with Grammar, we studied possessive nouns and pronouns. We read in Our Young Folks' Josephus about David being anointed king, fighting Goliath and running from Saul. We learned Latin words for household items and reviewed all the vocabulary learned to this point. Riley read some fairy tales and folk tales from her reader as well as poetry by Robert Louis Stevenson. Daddy finished reading her The Fantastic Mr. Fox by Roald Dahl. In week 16, Riley began using the Rod and Staff Bible Nurture and Reader series, and it has been a very good addition. It is so much writing, that I let her slack off of her handwriting practice. I will need to figure out how to add that back in. She memorized Psalm 117: 1. In science we learned about the seasons and seeds.

I'm forgetting a lot of the extracurricular and artsy things we did, but it was a full three weeks.

Proverbs People

2008-11-19T22:51:00.002-06:00

If you are looking for a Bible-based character development study for your 8-12 year-old child/ren, check out Proverbs People. If you click on that link, you will be able to see samples from inside the book. It looks great, and I am making a mental note to purchase it when Riley gets a little older.

Thanks again to Deuteronomy 6: 5-9 for introducing me to this resource.

More Gifts

2008-11-17T13:55:00.007-06:00

24. Dear friends who become like family

25. Watching my daughter make dear friends of her own

26. Falling into a good book

27. Sermons that fan the flame

28. Snail mail--email is instant, but nothing beats getting a piece of "real" mail in the box.

29. Electricity and indoor plumbing

30. Hot showers

What's New...

2008-11-12T21:03:00.007-06:00

We are in our 16th week of homeschooling, just three weeks shy of the halfway mark. Things have been going really well, but the last couple of weeks have found me in another slump. We've pressed on, but my focus was a little off. I'd gotten too consumed with the state of our country and with the election. I've since put a few much needed restrictions in place: particularly no internet before school is completely done.

Also, we finished up the Bible study on Psalm 23 and needed a new direction for our Bible time. I did some research and decided upon Rod and Staff's Bible Nurture Reading Series. I also purchased the Science workbook from Rod and Staff, Patterns of Nature, to provide a regular science program. We will be doing it twice weekly.

I love the Bible Nurture Series! It is a great reading program that not only builds her reading skills but also uses Bible stories to do so. The workbook is divided into two parts: Before You Read and After You Read. The first section is vocabulary review and introduction and the second is reading comprehension that cements the story. Good stuff!

I also will be working on vocabulary building and reading comprehension while diving into this:

And, yes, I am very afraid. Once the package arrived and I hoisted out this big beauty, the sheer size of the book caused me much trepidation. See for yourself:

That really big number is found on the final page of this manifesto. Whew. I'm going to give it a valiant effort, though, as many people I admire have recommended it.

In the small stuff and the big stuff...

2008-11-12T09:46:00.000-06:00

God takes care of His own. It's good to be reminded of that fact. Just the other day I received such a reminder while reading a passage from 2 Kings.

Now, someone, who shall remain nameless, actually dared to comment that Kings was boring. C'mon, now. Zechariah, maybe. Numbers, perhaps. I had a dear friend who once exclaimed after reading Exodus, "I can now build a tabernacle! I read God's instructions to Moses on how to build it, Moses' reiteration back to God on how to build it, Moses instructions to the people on how to build it, the people's reiteration back to Moses on how to build it and then about how they built it." I admit the Old Testament has some passages that leave a lot to be desired on the excitement front. But, Kings? Nah...it's one of the most exciting ones, in my opinion.

Back to the point, though: God takes care of His own. I found it interesting that in one chapter in 2 Kings, God illustrated this point mightily, not just in a big thing, but also in a small one. When Elisha took the time to miraculously retrieve a lost ax head, I was reminded that God hears even the "help me" cries about the little things that concern only us. In the second passage, the situation was quite a bit more dire than losing something that belonged to someone else. A massive army had surrounded, and Elisha's servant couldn't see beyond the enemy. God was gracious to open his eyes to see the help that was there all along. So, read for yourself and be blessed in the knowledge that no matter who or what comes against us, "those who are with us are more than those who are with them.”

Now the sons of the prophets said to Elisha, “See, the place where we dwell under your charge is too small for us. Let us go to the Jordan and each of us get there a log, and let us make a place for us to dwell there.” And he answered, “Go.” Then one of them said, “Be pleased to go with your servants.” And he answered, “I will go.” So he went with them. And when they came to the Jordan, they cut down trees. But as one was felling a log, his axe head fell into the water, and he cried out, “Alas, my master! It was borrowed.” Then the man of God said, “Where did it fall?” When he showed him the place, he cut off a stick and threw it in there and made the iron float. And he said, “Take it up.” So he reached out his hand and took it. 2 Kings 6: 1-7

When the servant of the man of God rose early in the morning and went out, behold, an army with horses and chariots was all around the city. And the servant said, “Alas, my master! What shall we do?” He said, “Do not be afraid, for those who are with us are more than those who are with them.” Then Elisha prayed and said, “O LORD, please open his eyes that he may see.” So the LORD opened the eyes of the young man, and he saw, and behold, the mountain was full of horses and chariots of fire all around Elisha. 2 Kings 6: 15-17

Birthday Bash

2008-11-11T23:36:00.001-06:00

Snapshots from my nephew's seventh birthday party.

Daily Bible Reading Tech Style

2008-11-10T22:20:00.003-06:00

I have always struggled with reading the word on a daily basis. For the past two weeks, I have been able to do so with some consistency, thanks to adding a Bible reading plan to my Google Reader. I love it! My daily dose of the word (a psalm, two old testament passages, and one new testament passage) is delivered to my reader each day (at 12am to be exact). It also comes complete with an audio reading of the entire day's reading. Too cool.

If you already have a reader, check out the ESV Bible RSS Feeds. There are plenty of reading plans to choose from.

First Big-boy Haircut

2008-11-09T21:31:00.004-06:00

Sawyer doesn't like to have his hair cut. That, my dears, is actually quite an understatement. Grammy and Auntie Jessi tag teamed to get the job done while I held him as still as I could. So, watch the video below and try to remember that haircuts are painless.

Wordless Wednesday

2008-11-05T10:35:00.000-06:00

A New President

2008-11-04T21:41:00.002-06:00

So, the fat lady has sung, and the election did not go as I had hoped. But, it is done. America has spoken and we have a new President. Being a Conservative, the idea of such a liberal man being elected has been frightening for me. His beliefs are the antithesis of my own. However, my prayer for this election was that its outcome would be one that would bring most glory to my God. And so, with this outcome, I trust that God will be glorified. The road my be hard, but it wasn't promised to be easy. The comfort comes, as always, in the knowledge that God is with His people always and through all things.

The passage that God impressed upon my heart early on in this election process was the following passage in Samuel. David begged the Lord for the life of his child, and he did not receive the outcome he desired. His response--after an intense time of fasting, agonizing, and praying--shocked those around him.

Then David arose from the earth and washed and anointed himself and changed his clothes. And he went into the house of the LORD and worshiped. He then went to his own house. And when he asked, they set food before him, and he ate. Then his servants said to him, "What is this thing that you have done? You fasted and wept for the child while he was alive; but when the child died, you arose and ate food." He said, "While the child was still alive, I fasted and wept, for I said, 'Who knows whether the LORD will be gracious to me, that the child may live?' But now he is dead. Why should I fast? Can I bring him back again? I shall go to him, but he will not return to me." 2 Samuel 12: 20-23

So, I will trust that God has spoken louder than my country. My hope is in Him.

Does this constitute a public apology?

2008-11-01T12:20:00.004-05:00

I am obligated to mention that I was responsible for the following two acts:

Feeding Sawyer Beck a Mint Milky Way candy bar. (Did anyone else know that kids gag at the taste of mint?)
Then shortly thereafter flipping said boy upside-down three or four times.

Of course, I deny all liability for what happened next. But according to the written terms of my agreed settlement with Dawn, I have made this post and I will be cleaning up the floor and some of the walls for the next 30 minutes.

- DAN

Making our Jack-O-Lantern

2008-11-01T11:30:00.003-05:00

Except for the occasional, "My arm is going to fall off" Riley had a blast cleaning out her pumpkin.

Little brother also wanted in on the fun.

Riley drew on the face, and Daddy cut it out (only cutting himself once in the process). For those of you with great observational skills: no, this is not the same pumpkin you see in the last post. We were buying candy when we saw pumpkins were on sale for $1. We found this beaut. Riley wanted to carve both of them, but quickly changed her mind after working so hard on the one.

Picking our Pumpkin

2008-11-01T11:15:00.002-05:00

As you can see, the pumpkins weren't looking so good by the time we made it to the mini-pumpkin patch. After much searching we finally found one that Riley loved.

Halloween

2008-10-31T14:26:00.002-05:00

Wordless Wednesday

2008-10-29T00:07:00.000-05:00

I've been having a lot of nights (and days) like this lately...

2008-10-27T19:56:00.001-05:00