Giddy Moments

We're finishing our school work for the day, and I find myself giddy!  School is good!  We only let our books rest till the New Year before picking up where we'd left off.  I did manage to cram in some 2nd semester planning between Christmas and New Year's, and while I wish I'd had more, we needed to get busy.

So the reason I'm giddy is not because everything is perfect in our school day.  Far from it!  It's just that we are doing some new things that we love, love, LOVE!  And because I'm a big mouth who doesn't do well in the area of restrained enthusiasm.  I'll just tell ya, I'm happy to share!

First off, in December boy finished off Analytical Grammar (great curriculum!), and his literature guide from Progeny Press, "The Indian in the Cupboard".  We also all but finished our worldview book, "Who Is God? And Can I Really Know Him?"  So, we had a bit of wiggle room in our schedule.  Thinking ahead to cold, dark winter days, I felt the heavier schedule would work more to our advantage, than not, so I plotted it all.  Little did I realize we'd have a January between 45-60 degrees!  Oh well.  Totally NOT complaining! :)

During Christmas, the Lord totally answered a long time prayer about a writing curriculum.  I have purchased no less than four full curriculum for writing over the years, and we've systematically rejected every single one.  It's a LONG story.  Anyway, out of desperation I cried out to the Lord--seriously--and I ended up at The Write Foundation.  With only six lessons in, I can tell you there is light and writing joy at the end of our tunnel!  Such a weight lifted.

Next, I bit the bullet; threw aside the bad memories of two absolutely horrible experiences using two well known Latin programs (that I won't mention) and what do you know?!  Third time's a charm!  Visual Latin has sparked a fire under both my kids!  And me!  And I am--you guessed it--giddy!

So what else.  Typing for both, which they love.  That's new.  Oh!  And boy is also tackling his first full, on his own Bible Study, "Life in the Word", by Sonya Shafer (Simply Charlotte Mason).  This, for me, falls under the category of discipleship, and Biblical Manhood studies, as it is teaching him how to study the Bible for himself.

I see peace in my kids with all that we are doing.  Even adding these things to our anatomy, math, Bible, history, poetry memorization, language arts, music & art studies!  Whew!  Charlotte Mason short lessons.  Such a blessing.  


Okay.  I've gotten it off my chest.  I feel better.  Time for a mini violin recital from daughter and a bit of crochet for fun.

Have you added anything new and exciting to your year?

About That Jonah Fella

As I told you recently, the kids and I are going through "Wrong Way, Jonah!" for our Bible time together.  Oh Jonah!  I've read your story many times over the years, but I think I finally get it.  Oh you selfish, gotta have your own way, bitter, angry, head full of knowledge, heart filled with blech, ________(insert name)! 


The reason we don't know what happened to Jonah, is because we don't yet know the full end of our own stories.  Isn't that just like our mighty God to show us our hearts, our human ways, and His much better way and nudge us toward He Who Is Greater?!

(Bicker with your kids much lately?  She asks herself with much sarcasm!)

In His story of Jonah, we see God:  "...for I knew that you are a gracious God and merciful, slow to anger and abounding in steadfast love, and relenting from disaster." Jonah 4:2b (ESV)  Yet Jonah chooses to suffer.  He KNOWS God.  He KNOWS what is right.  He KNOWS the very nature of his suffering.  And yet.  Yet he chooses to sin, and to suffer for it.  The exact opposite of Job, I might add.  Two pictures God shows us of responding to circumstances. 

Has God shown you what's really in your heart lately?  Is He nudging you to choose better?  Choose wiser?  If He is, it's because He is "a gracious God and merciful, slow to anger and abounding in steadfast love, and relenting from disaster." because He loves you.  He loves me.  He keeps showing me His way is better.

Jonah had the answer all along:

"When my life was fainting away, 
I remembered the LORD, 
and my prayer came to you into your holy temple.  

Those who pay regard to vain idols 
forsake their hope of steadfast love.  
But I with the voice of thanksgiving 

will sacrifice to you; 
what I have vowed I will pay. 

Salvation belongs to the LORD!"  Jonah 2:7-9

It can't just be about getting out of the belly of a whale, but about choosing this day whom you will serve.  Lord!  Help me to choose You every moment!

Two Learning Styles and Bible

We use a few different resources for our Bible study (which you can read about on my Homeschool page), switching back and forth depending on the topic.  Right now we are going through "Wrong Way, Jonah!" Discover 4 Yourself Kids book from Kay Arthur.  I love her books because the Biblical foundations are sound.  Period.

What I haven't enjoyed so much is some of her particular nitty-gritty such as marking words a certain way, or using a lot of fill in the blank.  With my oldest, my son, we struck right at the meat of the matter, passing over the fluff, but now little daughter is on board, with her very individual learning style, and I'm realizing some of that fluffy goodness is just the thing for her!

Now here is where I really saw my own personal growth:  I let boy skip the markings, while girly got busy.  He read the passage to her (because he learns well from reading) and she totally mastered the word breakdown.  I sat back and realized this was one of those ah-ha moments, and tried not to grin like a silly Mama who just snuck a cookie.

Then, as if that wasn't fabo enough, I realized that I, too, write like a fiend in my Bible.  All my sermons notes are crammed in the margins and I MARK STUFF UP!  I don't color code or have a marking key, but I do have a special "won't bleed through the pages or fade" pen!  Maybe I'm more like my daughter, than my son.  Or she's more like me.  You know what I mean!  Ah-ha!

When Mom's Too Sick to Teach

There's always a moment of dread when it's apparent someone in the house is getting sick.  After the well-being of everyone, the loss of productive time is usually what is foremost in my mind.  But even when it's me, mommy, teacher, who is down and out, sick days don't need to be a total loss.  Here's what I've learned (Now, we're talking short-term sick here.):

Care Giving
When it comes to teaching handicrafts, and including character building in a home, no better opportunity arises than loving and caring for a sicky.  Patience, compassion, servant-hood, and more, all become necessary during an illness. Whether it's fetching warm socks, or being sure all the remedies are at hand, this is not an opportunity to be wasted.  Don't forget prayer!  It provides the perfect chance for a family to lift each other up.  Often small children don't know what to make of mom being sick, but sometimes by needing them, you are giving them a gift!

Lesson Adaptation
Forget that schedule!  I know you're a read aloud family and your throat and voice, and energy level,  are currently toast.  But now is when you break out the audios you haven't had time for.  Check into radio broadcasts from sites like Lamplighter Publishing, Classics For Kids, Answers in Genesis, etc.

Remember that craft kit you bought eons ago?  The one sitting there collecting dust?  Having the kids sit quietly while working on a project is just what the Doctor ordered.  If you've chosen wisely, the end result will be something beautiful and useful (Thank you, Charlotte Mason).  If you're anything like me the "quiet" part of that is of great benefit.


I'd be remiss if I didn't add that if mom is sick, now is the perfect time for the kids to try furthering their list of "on their own" learning. Sometimes this can become a great boon for your homeschool!  We don't always want to let go of our control over certain aspects of schooling.  Be thankful!  You've just been given a gift!

Changing Perspective
When you're sick, it's okay for your kids to watch "How It's Made" for Science.  It's okay for them to play "Equate" for Math, and it's okay if they do nothing more than entertain one another.  This too (Lord willing!) shall pass, and when it's time to get back to your normal daily routine, you may actually find that someone has grown and actually learned something!  Then you can realize that keeping pace from day to day, ain't all that!

What about you?  Do you have a sick-day plan?

Respect for the Flag

One of my earliest memories of my public school days was saying the Pledge of Allegiance in elementary school.  And yes.  The one that says "one nation under God."  Between that weekly happening, Brownies and then Girl Scouts, I learned flag respect.  I couldn't wait to teach these things to my children!

That's why when my son recently asked if he could take our flag off the house and play some flag-flying, boy running, Nerf-gun wielding game with it, I said, "Uh....NO!" And then when the flag pole broke in a wind storm, he got a lesson in flag etiquette for throwing it in the floor of the garage!  I guess we'll be a little refresher course, and soon!

So what do you teach your family in the way of flag etiquette?  Tell me!

The World of Two Learning Styles

Is she listening?  She looks like she's listening.  She says she's listening.  Maybe she's not hearing?  Maybe she's not understanding.  How could a child of mine not like to be read to?  How will I teach her? 

These are the questions that have had me in total panic for weeks since I realized that all the narration tips in the world were not going to change what was going on with my daughter.  It didn't take too long before I realized this wasn't a issue of being read to, or an attention issue.  This was a learning style revelation!  My child, surrounded by thousands of books which we constantly read aloud, is a (gasp!!) visual learner.  Exhale.  

I guess it was too much to hope that both my children would have the same learning style.  My son can listen to me read while writing, drawing, playing legos and whistling, and tell me what I read word for word.  He hears conversations from three rooms away, while having one of his own, with an audio book playing.  I'm so excited I figured it out!

My light bulb moment?  When she picked up a little science reader, proceeded to devour it (figuratively speaking) and then came bounding into the room with a huge smile on her face to tell me everything she just learned!  If that did cinch it, her narration of an entire episode of "Beakman's World" did. 

So I've got some adjusting to do! 

What about you?  Any learning style stories to share?