Mar. 30, 2008 - Home Education Week - Profiling Home Educators

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Jan. 8, 2008 - Wordless Wednesday

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Jan. 4, 2008 - Show and Tell - A special present!

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Aug. 13, 2007 -

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May. 12, 2007 - Please pray for my nephew

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I have mentioned before that my sweet nephew is autistic. He has made some great strides over the past year and we are all really proud of him.  His name is Aidan.

He recently went to see a great doctor who specializes in Autism. They ran lots of tests and found some interesting results: He has serious yeast overgrowth, he cannot absorb vitamin B, and his immune system is attacking his brain in some way which is causing swelling on the brain. He also has high levels of lead, arsenic and mercury in his system.  He just turned 5 years old.

This last week they started some medication to get rid of the yeast and also take the swelling in his brain down. He may become quite ill while this is going on. So far he is doing fine.

Please pray that all this will help him and not harm him. His family is doing all they can to help him. He has a dedicated mommy and daddy and also very involved grandparents. He is a bright little boy and we are hoping that all this will benefit him greatly.

Thanks so much.

Stacy

Apr. 4, 2007 - I have the best in-laws in the world!!!

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Feb. 19, 2007 - Autism Every Day

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Feb. 11, 2007 - How to Preserve a Husband

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I recently saw this little piece.  It is really cute.  I'm not sure who the author is.  It is all over the internet and is said to have come from a 1966 cookbook.

How to Preserve a Husband

Be careful in your selection.  Do not choose too young.  When once selected give your entire thoughts to preparation for domestic use.  Some insist on keeping them in a pickle, others are constantly getting them in hot water.  This may make them sour, hard and sometimes bitter.  Even poor varieties may be made sweet and tender and good by garnishing them with patience, well sweetened with love and seasoned with kisses.  Wrap them in a mantle of charity.  Keep warm with a steady fire of domestic devotion and serve with peaches and cream.  Thus prepared they will keep for years.

Jan. 18, 2007 - My Little Guy

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So far I have not written much about my little guy because he is not yet "school" age. He is 2 years old and an absolute sweetheart. He is a real "ham" and constantly making us laugh.

A few times this week he has napped later than usual and been able to stay up later at night. I have really enjoyed this. It is nice to have some one on one time with him.

He is so cute. He wanted to say the prayer at dinner tonight, it was short and very sweet:

"Thank you God for this food and for loving us. Amen"

Earlier this evening he came running at me with a crumpled up piece of paper, handing it to me he said, "Card for you".  I opened it up to find a big blue scribble that I think I may have to keep forever.

I know I sound sappy, but I know you understand. I just love these kids!! I grew up with a sister and no brothers so I don’t know a whole lot about boys. It is an adventure raising one...and a lot of fun.

One more little tidbit:

A few days ago he came and told me he wanted something to eat. I said, "What do you want?" He replied, "Strawberries". I was sad to say, "I don’t have any strawberries". He then said, "How about ice cream?" Well, I didn’t have any ice cream either, but I thought it was pretty funny that when asked what he wanted he went for the good stuff!

Have a good day everyone.  Love those munchkins!
Stacy

Jan. 9, 2007 - Friend wanted....

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Jan. 4, 2007 - Look back and looking forward

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This is going to be a bit of a "journal-ish" entry.

I have been thinking about last year and how quickly it flew by. It was so fast I can hardly believe it. It went much quicker than I expected and I really accomplished little of what I had planned. However, the best lesson I learned in 2006 was to cherish my children. For some reason it has really been drilled into me over the last year. So many books, blogs, and websites explained the need for enjoying your children and spending time with them. A number of wise women also expressed this thought. On top of that I have seen children lose their mothers to cancer and mothers lose their children because of a pot of boiling water. Death or a debilitating illness can come to us at any time. There are no guarantees when it comes to that. However, if we obey God, then we are guaranteed heaven. If we teach our children to love God and obey Him then we can all live together for eternity.

My highest priority is to teach my children about God. I know that many of you have that same priority. Keeping them home creates such a wonderful opportunity to really teach them and show them all they need to know.

There are a number of things I want to work on this year, one of the most important is writing letters to my children. I want to write to them on special occasions and also for future special occasions. Writing down my hopes, dreams and memories for my children is one gift I can leave for them should something happen to me. It is also a wonderful gift to give a son or daughter once they leave home.

I also plan to write down more of the funny things they say and do. At the time I think there is no way I could forget such a thing - but it happens. I am keeping pen and paper handy for recording these special moments.

The best thing I did last year was develop my ability to be in the moment with my children. I still have to work on it but I think I have improved. I have learned to really watch them, to hear them, to enjoy them. To feel their little hands around my neck as they give me a hug, to see the excitement in their eyes as they tell me about something new.

I love them and I already miss them, even though they are still here with me. I know my son will grow up and his cute little voice will be replaced with a deeper more manly one. One day my little girl will move out and my home will be quiet :) I do want these things for them. I want them to grow and mature - but I will miss them - you know what I mean don’t you?

Time is fleeting; I will not miss my babies growing up by sending them to school. I am so grateful that home schooling is possible. I know you are too.

Dec. 22, 2006 - Stabbed by an icicle

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Icicles can be deadly!  My title, "Stabbed by an icicle" is a little over the top..however, it descibes the events fairly well.

See the icicles below? 

Well, my mum, from Australia and not very experinced with such things, opened the door to come inside the house and knocked the snow and icicles on top of herself!

The picture below is a little blurry,  hopefully you can see that the icicle actually cut through the skin and made her bleed in about 4 different places!!  Can you believe it?!

Dec. 16, 2006 - Fun and Crazy Day!

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Dec. 7, 2006 - Celebration Dinner

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Last night we had a celebration dinner in honor of SugarBean finishing Hooked on Phonics Level One! Since reading Lorrie Flem’s book, Welcome Home Daddy, I plan on having more celebration dinners. It made my little girl feel so special and we all had fun. I highly recommend Lorrie’s book - it is very encouraging and full of practical ideas.

We ate a turkey roast, mashed potatoes and carrots. The highlight of the meal was jello cups. We NEVER eat jello, so it was a real thrill! I’m not joking, she was jumping up and down.

Her place was set with a place mat and some flowers tied with raffia. She helped me make a nice center piece with some pine cones and we lit a candle for atmosphere. We even broke open the sparkling apple cider - but it tasted terrible so that was not the delicious drink we hoped it would be. No one cared though (no one drank it either!)

She has worked very hard learning to read and it has been wonderful to watch her grow. I can’t believe my baby can read! There is still a lot to learn but she knows so much more than she did a year ago. We went to Wal-Mart yesterday and she told me the sign said, "We sell for less"

My mother-in-law is going to make a special "celebration plate" (she is an awesome potter) for occasions such as this. I thought it could be fun to have a special place mat too.

We presented the guest of honor with a certificate that we can put in her scrapbook. I made it on http://www.dltk-cards.com/award/ . You can also find lots of printable awards on http://www.billybear4kids.com/show/awards/certificates.html

It was not much trouble to do this special dinner and it was worth any effort - she felt special and important and knew that she had really achieved something by working hard.

If you have any special traditions for celebrating your children’s achievements, I would love to hear about them.

Have a great day,

Stacy

Dec. 3, 2006 - Thanksgiving in the Garage

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Nov. 17, 2006 - Appreciate what you have while you have it!

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My first blogging stop of the day was my friend Java Mama. In her post she told me about Lorrie Gnos and also Jacob and Will. Click here to read what she said.

Lorrie has breast cancer and is looking at one to two months left to live. Jacob and Will also went through cancer and have already gone to be with the Lord. My heart aches for these families and I wish I could help in some way.

I now sit and look at my own family. Do they know I love them? Am I too busy to show them I care? I can’t help but evaluate my own life. I am grateful to these families for sharing their stories, it helps the rest of us gain a sharper focus on what is truly important. In the light of that focus it is easier to make decisions and to hug those little ones tighter!

We don’t know what is ahead of us - we must appreciate what we have now. I will look into the sweet faces of my darling children and smile at them. I will be thankful for the opportunity to homeschool them so that I can teach them and delight in watching them grow. I will also be prepared to die. That is something that is guaranteed for all of us!

There are a few ways to prepare for that day. If you have not written a Letter to your loved ones, I encourage you to that today. A note expressing your love for them and your hopes and dreams for their future.

And what about God. We will all face Him one day. We can prepare for that by reading His word and obeying it.

I can’t write much else....I think I will go and tell my kids that I love them!!

Stacy

Also, I have just purchased Lorrie Flem’s book Beautiful Words - it is a book for mothers about writing letters of love to your daughters. It is a great tool if you feel you need a little help with what to write to your girls. Here is the description from www.teachmagazine.com:

What a wonderful gift to leave for your daughters!

Nov. 4, 2006 - Missing Out

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Even though I keep my children home with me, there are times when I am still missing out on them. I wonder if you know what I mean?

Some days I might get caught up in cleaning, or take too many phone calls...or dare I say, too much time blogging!

A few days ago I spent too much time researching something interesting to me. It was useful research...but I could have saved it for after the kids were in bed. By the end of that day I felt yucky! I really had ignored my children.

It is not necessary for me to entertain them 24 hours a day or even have them at my side ALL the time. But having them by my side much of the time is best.

I recently listened to a Cindy Rushton seminar in which she spoke othe time she realized that she was "missing out". It was in the middle of a read aloud and the phone rang for the 30^th time that day. As she went to answer, her daughter let out a huge SIGH. At that moment she realized something was wrong. I have seen this happen in my home too.

Many people think that because we are stay-at-home moms we have time to talk on the phone, or go out on a whim, or run an errand as a favor, or babysit at a moments notice, etc, etc. If you are a stay-at-home, home schooling mom, you know this is not true. I find that any time I talk on the phone in the morning , the day turns sour. It is easy to get distracted. It can also be hard to get off the phone. I have decided not to answer the phone in the morning anymore. I am letting my friends and family know that this is our most productive "school" time and we won’t be taking calls then (exceptions will be made for emergencies). A new answering machine message is now in place. It states that "we may be in class right now and will call you back as soon as we can".

I have my children home so I can love them, teach them, raise them, protect them, know them and enjoy them. I don’t want to look back and regret the way I chose to spend my time. This is a good formula to use when making decisions: think to the future and ponder as to whether or not this will be of great importance and value or something that will be regretted in time. Who looks back on their life and wishes they had spent a little more time on the phone? Or washing dishes? Or watching television? Very few. But many wish to have spent more time with their family.

By keeping our children home we are creating a wonderful opportunity to love and nurture our family. Lets make sure we are availing ourselves of that opportunity and not letting the business of life and our to-do list stand in the way.

Lately I have tried to REALLY look at my children with open eyes. To see them as real people with hopes, dreams, feelings and thoughts. When I allow myself to slow down and see my children in this way I am able to enjoy them so much more. It also helps me see their struggles more clearly and deal with those in a more tender and effective way.

I have a lot to learn and a lot of growing to do. I hope you are able to understand my jumbled words and be encouraged to weed out whatever may hinder you from spending time with your children.

After all, quantity time = quality time.

With all sincerity,

Stacy

Jul. 20, 2006 - Back from Camp!

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We are back from camp!  What a week we had.  It was great fun to spend so much time outside.  There was a river right behind our cabin and a big field in front of it.  I was brought to tears a few times watching my children "growing up".  I know - I need to get it together - this is just the begining. 

This camp session was for 9-12 year olds so there were a number of kids who were more than happy to help my little ones out.  My daughter spent a good portion of her time in the field with 4 or 5 other girls hunting grasshoppers.  This is the first time my kids have had bug catchers of their own and I must say they are great fun!  Worth every penny!  They spent so much time catching bugs that  my son was even saying, "Hopper!  Hopper!" in his sleep.

My little SugarBean (DD) even got up in front of the whole camp on one of the skit nights and recited "Roses are Red".  This was one of my teary moments.  She was scared as can be, but she did it!  I am so proud of her.  She wanted to get up and try and she did it.  The whole camp was so sweet by clapping quietly as she had informed them that the loud clapping and cheering hurt her ears and she did not like it.

I am so proud of my husband too.  He worked very hard and did a great job.

Well, that is enough for now.  I am presently trying to figure out our daily schedule for this school year.  This is very hard for me.  I'll post it once I get it done.

Jul. 3, 2006 - Autism

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As I have mentioned, we are on vacation visiting family. Our trip is coming to a close and we will be driving for a few days to get home. Once we do get home we will be packing up and going with my husband to the Bible camp he directs - Yay..more digging in the dirt!! So...my posts will continue to be infrequent for a while.

While on vacation we have spent some time with my nephew. He is a darling boy and very intelligent - but he is suffering with Autism. It breaks all of our hearts to watch him struggle so. He is only 4 years old. Within the past year his speech has improved a lot. We are all so proud of him. He is still riddled with frustration and his Mother and Grandmother are working so hard to help him. I see the sheer exhaustion on my sister-in-laws face and I wish I could help her in some way. She so greatly desires to be able to home school him and help him overcome this, yet is at a loss as to what to try next. We have not found much information on home schooling children with Autism. If you have experience in this area I would love to hear from you. I will pass all the information on to her.

I did find a website with some good information. If you are interested it is:

http://www.intentionalparents.com/

You will need to scroll down the page a little and look for the "Dealing with Special Needs" section.

Stay posted...I have plans to share lots of ideas and information after our travels.

Stacy

Jul. 1, 2006 - Our Family

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I realized that I had not shared much information about our family, so here is a little....

My husband is from the USA and I am from Australia. We met while he was living in Australia and working with the church there. When his visa was about to expire he returned to the US and left me there! Before long he asked me to marry him and I came over here and did just that! He is an excellent Bible teacher and preacher, which is what drew me to him in the first place. This July we will celebrate our 8^th wedding anniversary.

Not long after being married we went through Bible school. Shortly after that our first baby was born - a girl - I’ll call her SugarBean. She will be five soon and is living through being the first child home schooled by me! She is doing quite well  SugarBean’s little brother came along a few years later - I’ll call him Little Mister. He is now 21 months old and roaring toward 2. He is experiencing the trials and triumphs of being SugarBean’s first baby brother! He is also doing quite well.

My husband and I discussed the possibility of home schooling before our children were born and quickly made the decision after they arrived. We don’t want to give them to someone else to raise - they belong to us! We want to raise them to know and love God - and most importantly - to obey Him. Our desire is for them to always seek for truth.

Before now I have had very little to do with home schooling, but I am fast becoming the local home schooling advocate - at least in my circle of friends and acquaintances. Many of you here have really encouraged me and taught me so much through your thoughtful and informative blogs. Thank you.

I am happy to live here in America and love the principles it was founded on. However, I do miss home.  How I would love to live down the street from my sister, watch the "footy"(Australian football) with my Dad, and cook with mum. Thankfully we have the internet and the phone which is a help. I also have wonderful in-laws. They don’t live near us but do visit often. I am so grateful to them for helping a scared little girl feel at home 8 years ago (and ever since). Leaving all I knew behind to come over here and marry the man I love, knowing no one but him, was both scary and exciting. I am so glad I had loving in-laws and a church family to surround me.

Well, that is enough for now. Another time I will tell you some tales about the adventures of SugarBean and Little Mister. Here is a taste...the other day when Great Grandma rubbed some tiger balm on her hurt knee, SugarBean was heard to say, "That smells so bad, I wish I didn’t have a nose!"

Until next time..

Have a wonderful day,

Stacy