Apr. 5, 2008 - Home Education Week - Looking Forward
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Looking Forward
What are your goals for home education? What do you hope to instill in your children? Are you planning any changes to how you educate your children?
This is the last installment for Home Education Week 2008. Before I begin, I wanted to say how grateful I am to all of you who have visited my blog this week and left a comment. It has been very encouraging.
Many thanks to Dana for hosting this event. I thoroughly enjoyed reading the posts of other participants and getting to know other homeschooling mothers. It was a real treat!
Now on to today’s post....
Our Goals of Home Education (and what we want to instill in our children):
My husband and I want our children to be truth seekers. We want them to know how to think critically, how to figure things out. Our hope is that they will not swallow the lies of the world, but look at life through God’s lense.
To help achieve this we want to give them a strong Biblical foundation rather than the unbiblical one they would receive in public school.
We hope to instill in them a love of learning. If a child desires to learn and knows how...they have most of what they need right there.
We want to prepare them for real life. Many who are misinformed about homeschooling think this is not possible with homeschooling. But I beg to differ...
When I moved out of my parents home, at 18 years old, I didn’t know how to balance a checkbook, clean, cook, or run a home. I learned (and am still learning) through trial and error, reading and asking questions. I hope to prepare my daughter in such a way that when she leaves home she will know these things.
All I could cook was scrambled eggs in the microwave and shortbread biscuits (cookies) - she already knows quite a bit more than that and she is 6 years old. My hope is that she will be a God-fearing, confident young women who knows how to do things necessary for every day life and beyond. Because she is home with me all day, we have the time to do such things, and that right there is one of the greatest blessings of homeschooling.
We want to develop a strong family bond.
I heard someone ( I think it was Lorrie Flem) say that parents have the opportunity to raise their future best friends. How we train our children shapes who they will be. For example, if we don’t teach them how to work hard, they will most likely have a weak work ethic as an adult. If we allow them to be disrespectful, they will probably be a disrespectful adult who has a had time keeping a job or a friend.
We are striving to train our children to be good citizens, loving people, helpful people, people we would want to know. Please note that I say “striving”. We are not experts, and get things wrong OFTEN! I don’t want to come across as a know-it-all, because I most certainly do not know it all.
There are many other goals, but I think many of them can fit into the above categories (if they don’t, this post is going to get very long).
Future Changes in how we Home Educate:
Right now we are trying to implement a Charlotte Mason style education. I think we will always have some of this method in our home. But they may be some changes....
I don’t know what the changes will be yet...I am leaning toward doing more unit studies. Spriitbee certainly peaked my interest in Konos curriculum.
Perhaps as my confidence grows as a mother and home educator, I will feel less like I need help from curriculum. Time will tell.
One of the greatest changes I need to make is to set aside a chunk of planning and preparation time each week. I can only imagine what a great benefit this would be to our home and school.
That’s all from me today ( I think I’m coming down with something and my brain is a little foggy...)
Visit Principled Discovery to see what others are looking forward to. |
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Apr. 2, 2008 - Home Education Week - Recipe for Success
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Recipe for Success
It is also National Peanut Butter and Jelly Day! So share a recipe…figuratively, as in two parts love, one part creativity, or literally, as in a super quick, nutritious meal your kids scarf up. Think about what you do in the day, what helps keep it organized and you sane (or how you got past that need for organization and saneness!), and curriculum materials you find effective.
My career as a homeschool mother has only just begun. This is what I have learned so far:
1. Keep lessons short.
2. Don’t let any curriculum be your master. Use it as a tool. It’s OK to get rid of it, even if it cost you $50.
3. A mother with a good attitude helps more than words can say!
(Don’t go thinking I am that mother - I am working on it every day, just like you)
4. Remember, you know your child better than anyone. Even better than the “experts”. Tailor lessons to develop their strengths and weaknesses.
5. Make sure kids get lots of time to play outside - no matter how old they are (that includes you mom).
That’s all I can think of for now.
One thing I am not doing very well and need to improve on is to have lesson planning time set aside.
Plans and preparedness help ease chaos and confusion!
Since it is National Peanut Butter and Jelly Day. Here is an easy recipe for PB & J cookies (kind of weird - but not too bad)
3/4 cup Peanut Butter
1 can sweetened condensed milk
2 cups bisquick (I like to have homemade bisquick on hand - click here for a recipe)
1 tsp Vanilla
Mix all ingredients in a bowl and eat! No, just kidding...mind you, I actually do think this dough is rather tasty.
Shape into balls and place on cookie sheet. Press lightly to shape into a circle. Make a thumb print in the middle and fill with jelly (jam). You can also fill with jam after baking - that is good too.
Bake at 375 degrees for 8 minutes
This cookie dough can also be baked without the jam for 6-8 minutes, then press a Hershey’s kiss into the hot cookie after removing for the oven. Don’t make these if you are on a diet 
Thanks for visiting.
Be sure to check out other Recipes for success by visiting PrincipledDiscovery.com |
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Mar. 29, 2008 - Home Education Week - Looking Back
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Dana at Principled Discovery is hosting Home Education week. She has posted a list of writing prompts which are meant to give those participating a starting point for sharing about their experience with home education.
Each day this week I hope to write about our family’s thoughts and experiences in regard to home education. If you would like to see what others have shared, click here. Don’t forget to visit Dana and join in the fun.
Today we will be looking back.......
Share your personal history…before you were a home educator. What was life like? Think about things you miss and things you and your family have gained.
As a little girl, I didn’t think much about having a family one day. When I grew up I wanted to be in musicals, 42nd Street to be exact!
I did pursue this goal; attending a one year, full-time, performing arts course after high school, followed by another year of intensive acting training. By the end of the acting course I was burned out, my conscience was growing and I couldn't do many of the things being asked of me and keep it clean.
These teenager years were somewhat tumultuous. After a time I began to look toward God and with that came the desire for a family. Shortly after I married my husband (10 years ago this July), I began to wish for a baby. Three years later, our daughter was born.
Long before my daughter came into the world, we discussed the possibility of homeschooling. We saw what was happening to the school system and we freshly remembered our experience in it. A dear friend and mentor of mine, in Australia, homeschooled her three children - it looked wonderful to me. Even with all this, we still thought of it as a possibility, nothing was set in stone. We would see....
After our daughter was born there was really no question. I knew I would not be sending her to school. I could hardly bear the thought of only getting 18 years with her as it was.
The first few years of my daughter’s life are a blur: she slept little and screamed lots! Now she is 6 and she sleeps and talks and even reads (no comment on the screaming).
So much was taught and learned in those first few years; way before we “officially” started schooling.
I am grateful for the opportunity to have my children home with me. It is a blessing to have them for the best hours of their day. A blessing to see each new skill learn and develop. A blessing to have them home to teach me patience and selflessness. A blessing I would not trade for anything.
There were times in the early days that I missed going out for coffee with my friends. I missed my musicals, and I missed doing what I wanted when I wanted. But, to be honest, I don’t feel that way very often anymore. I have been learning so many fascinating things alongside my daughter. I treasure the moments we have together, for one never knows how many moments we have left.
Our family is gaining closeness through homescooling. I think many homeschoolers will say the same thing. Spending a lot of time together is helping us form a strong family bond. It is also allowing us the time necessary to teach our children the truth, to teach them useful skills, and train them in righteousness. I am not saying that we are doing a wonderful job in all these areas, we are lacking in many ways. My hope and prayer is that our children will grow into decent, God-loving human beings, who love their parents, even with all our flaws, and desire to serve the One who made them.
We love homeschooling and highly recommend it to anyone who is willing to give it a try.. |
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Sep. 24, 2007 - Update!
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Well...I was blogging regularly...but life has been busy lately! In this post I hope to give you a general update and let you know what we have been doing. I'm afraid it is going to get a little long.
First, I have been getting up early! Yes, you read that right. I have set my alarm for 5:30 am and crawled out of bed to exercise. It lasted for a few days, then a late night threw me off. My husband is a night owl so it is a little difficult to go to bed early. I did fall asleep while he was talking to me a few nights ago.
Anyway, it is something I am working on.
Second, we made pear butter and applesauce! Yum!
A friend came over and we tried canning. It is very scary in a "get this wrong and you could die" kind of way! All the books warn of bacteria and then there is the whole thing about having a HUGE pot of boiling water on your stove top. We managed to can 12 jars without harming ourselves. Twelve seems like such a small number considering we spent two days on it.
Here is a pic of the Pear Butter (I'll share the recipe later):
And one of the Applesauce:
We also made Apple pie filling to store in the freezer. We also made an apple pie to eat - it was delicious. The recipe we used can be found here (We had to increase the apple to about 24 cups)
The weather has been turning cold so we decided to dig up the remainder of our vegetables. Here is a picture of some of our produce:
They are quite small, but very tasty.
The squash did well too.
The vegetable garden has been a lot of fun. It was such a great learning experience for me and the kids. We will definitely do it again next year and are already planning what vegetables to plant.
On Saturday we had a work day at the church building. I really wanted to take the kids and help but worried that we would get in the way (mine would be the only kids there). After some thought we decided to go. The day started at 8 am when we met at the building for breakfast. We enjoyed some yummy yoghurt and scrumptious scones! Next we ventured into the auditorium and began to wipe down all the pews. The kids did a great job.
After cleaning the pews we de-cluttered and cleaned the classrooms. The kids did so well! I couldn't have been happier. We stayed for lunch and then they made pictures with a bunch of stickers and I organized the scrap booking closet. We didn't leave until 3pm. My son missed his nap and still behaved nicely. This, of course, it not always the case. But for that day it was...and I was so pleased!
Last of all, awoke on Sunday morning at 3 am to the sound of screeching tires. My husband said he heard a sound like a truck crashing. We looked out the window, but nothing looked out of the ordinary. The next morning as we backed out of our garage we saw that a car had crashed into our neighbor's garage. I took a picture (Am I weird? Don't answer that!):
It is terrible isn't it!
A car crashed into their fence last year too. The sad thing is that both times the culprits just drove away without taking any responsibility. This is a small town though...they might get caught.
So now you know what we have been up to.
Hopefully I will be able to blog a little more this week. I have a few more things to share and will do so as time permits.
Have a great day!
Stacy |
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Jun. 15, 2007 - Thomas Recall
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I have been wondering which Thomas toys were actually recalled. My son has a few Thomas trains as do many young boys. After a little searching I found a list of the specific trains and accessories that were painted with lead paint. To see the list click here
The train my son has was not on the list but I still feel nervous about it and am not sure if I should let him have it. |
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Jun. 5, 2007 - Garage Sale Tales
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I have been meaning to tell you a little about our garage sale.
First of all let me say..I’d rather not have a garage sale! They really do take a lot of time and effort to put together. Many, many hours were spent pricing, sorting and setting up. If you want it to be successful, I believe those things are necessary.
I thought it was very funny that a number of people commented on just how organized my garage sale was!! The kids clothing was all arranged by size and everything had it’s own tag with size and price written on it. Maybe that is going overboard.. I’m not sure! Maybe the organizational challenge changed me!
A few things I learned:
1. When you are setting up wear and apron with a pocket so you can keep the tape and pen handy while pricing items. I don’t know how much time I lost looking for the tape or pen because I had set it down amongst a pile of clothing!
2. Price things cheap!
I noticed myself putting higher prices on certain things because they held memories or were special in some way. But when I looked at it though the eyes of a "garage saler" I could see that they really were not worth that. No one really cares that it was the dress your daughter wore to the hospital when her little brother was born. Especially if it has a stain on it! If it is that special, keep it, if not then sell it cheap.
Remember you want to get rid of these things...they are taking up time and space. If they don’t go you will have to store them or take them to the thrift store yourself. We had one huge exercise machine that we gave away for free. It wasn’t in great condition. It would have been a huge ordeal for us to take it to the thrift store. It was worth it to me to give it away and not have to deal with that hassle!
One man said, "I really appreciate your prices". That made me feel good because it seemed that maybe I was helping people as well as making a little money. I also heard a lady calling a friend on her cell phone to tell her about the kids clothing - most was in great condition and under $1.00 (a lot for 25c)
3. Advertise - The die hard garage salers will be there!
I could go on but Tawra Kellem has a great list on her site. Go check out her article:
How to have a Garage Sale
We did make a little over $200 and we got rained out at 1 pm - Not bad for a days work (actually it was a lot more than a days work...but we still made some extra cash that we would not have made). |
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Jun. 2, 2007 - 7 Things About Me
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Keri tagged me a LONG time ago. Sorry for the delay in responding! My brain has been on vacation!
So here we go...7 things about me...
1. If there is a lot of noise I have a hard time concentrating.
2. Our family has one car. A Jeep. I think we have the only Jeep without 4WD. Most people don’t believe me when I tell them.
3. I want to learn how to: make soap, knit, bind books, make yogurt, kefir and kombucha..
4. Favorite snack of the moment: plain yogurt with walnuts and dried blueberries.
5. My hubby and I are both very sensitive to smells...no perfume around here!
6. I never intended to live in the USA. In fact, I never even planned to visit this country....but then I met my husband.
7. It has been 2 years since I visited Australia. |
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May. 20, 2007 - Update
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Hello friends!
I think this was my longest blogging break ever. It was not that I wanted to be away....I have been E-X-A-U-S-T-E-D! Purging and organizing the garage, having a garage sale, being sick, having sick kids, having a dinner party for 11 friends, teaching the co-op, starting a new exercise routine with hubby that takes an hour 6 days a week, and all the general things mommies do has made me one tired girl. I know that many people do more than this on a regular basis - but I am not good at it  .
Please forgive me for not responding to your comments or emails. I hope to get to those soon. Now if I can just figure out how to have and easy week this week.
Between all of the above we had a birthday - my husband's. The cake was delicious. Chocolate Mud Cake. That involves dark chocolate and coffee - he loves it. I know I said I would post the recipe but I want to wait until next week. I am going to make it again for the potluck and adjust the recipe a little. Although it tasted good I did have a few problems. The batter is very moist and it actually bubbled over while in the oven. I want to try it again and see if that can be avoided. For now here is a picture:
Yum!
We also planted a vegetable garden. My first try at it all on my own! We bought a tomato plant, two pepper (capsicum) plants, and some onion bulbs. The onions are doing great. They can survive a frost so we got them in early. From seed we have: zucchini, swiss chard, squash, carrots, sugar snap peas, garden peas, lettuce, and pumpkins. What will actually live remains to be seen. I told my daughter that we would not be too upset if things die because I am learning about gardening just as she is!
SugarBean(my daughter in code) had a good time helping with the garden. We made it a nature lesson...and a handwriting one! She had a piece of paper on her clipboard and taped seeds onto it. She then wrote the name of the seed next to each:
It will be fun for her to take photographs and draw pictures of each plant as it grows.
We also bought some tags to identify our plants and she was allowed to write on those. I think that was her favorite part:
One last thing...look what I found for my peas to climb:
It is a nylon net and only cost $5.95 from Wal-mart. A lot less expensive than the metal things I was going to buy (Sorry - I can't remember what they are really called).
Hopefully there will be more garden pictures in the future. We shall see.
Hope you are all well.
Stacy
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Apr. 22, 2007 - Sweet Spirit Award
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My sweet friends Appleleaf, Aligirl, and Kinley honored me with the Thinking Blogger Award. Since I don’t feel my brain is even working at the moment, I consider this a high honor!!! Thank you for thinking of me.
I am unsure of some things included in the website where this award originated so.....Kristy had a good idea and I am going to go with it. The award is hereby changed to the Sweet Spirit Award - at least from my blog it is. I'm not saying I have a sweet spirit - I just want to honor those who do.
So here we go.....
1. I'm an Organizing Junkie is full of organizing tips and encouragement. She also hosts Menu Plan Monday, which I love. She is responsible for me becoming a crazy organizer!
2. Around the World with Ken Ham gives some insight into what is going on at Answers In Genesis. Many great things are being done through AIG. Be sure to check out their home page: Answersingenesis.org . Two awesome features can be found every Friday and Saturday. Friday is Friday Feedback in which a member of AIG responds to feedback they have received. It is wonderful to see how each answer is carefully thought out. My husband says everyone should read it every Friday. It is a great way to learn how to defend what you believe. On Saturdays the featured article is in the category, "News to Note". News from the past week is discussed in light of God's Word. Great Stuff.
3. Higher Up and Further In - It is no secret that LindaFay's blog is my all time favorite! She has already received the award but I can't give out awards and leave her out. It was her blog that inspired me to start my own. I am extremely grateful for the time and effort she puts into helping homeschooling moms learn how to implement Charlotte Mason's methods
4. Cup Half Full - I always enjoy visiting Amy's blog. She is a sweet mommy! The love she has for her children is obvious and I am always encouraged by the effort she puts into being a great wife and mom.
5. Embracing the Journey: Experiencing the Joy - Java Mama is a woman after God's own heart. I always see her striving for goodness and a close relationship with God and her family - how can you not love that!?
There are many other bloggers who have touched my life and made me a better wife and mother. I thank you for taking the time to share you lives with the world.
Stacy |
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Apr. 14, 2007 - Categories
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I have been playing around with the categories on my side bar. The plan was to make them more user friendly. I am still in the process of changing things around - so if you see something strange you'll know why.
So far the categories have been divided into three main groups:
Homeschooling Categories
Homemaking Categories
Australia Categories
Those are the three main areas on this blog yet everything doesn't fit neatly into those groups and some things overlap. It's OK for now. I am thinking about changing the homemaking category into "My Home Journal". That way I could easily include anything that was of interest to me  .
I think I'll go to bed and "sleep on it" - it really doesn't matter does it? |
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Oct. 24, 2006 - Having a little trouble
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I was going to say that I have a bit of "bloggers block", but that is not really it. While there is a list a mile long of things I want to write about, there is only one that keeps coming to my mind. That is to tell you that I am have a little trouble.
I hate to admit it because I dont like to put fodder out there for those who wish to tear down homeschooling. It is not BIG trouble, mainly my own doubts and trying to keep up with everything.
In the past I have worked as a waitress. I remember the feeling that would come over me when 10 tables would fill up at once and I was responsible for them all. They all wanted menus, they all wanted their order taken...and they wanted it NOW. Lately I have experienced that feeling again. I think it is because there is so much to do. My daughter is learning to help in many areas, but there is still much for me to do on my own. Im sure you all know what I am talking about. When your kids are young it takes time to show them how to do things - although it is well worth the effort, it is time consuming. Keeping the home running smoothly, cleaning, cooking, preparing for homeschool, and "doing" schooling... is a lot. I want to do all of this...I am just not that good at it yet. Sometimes I am....but only for a little while.
Physical tiredness and illness are not helping . Recently I have not felt well and this is making all of the above more difficult.
My doubts and fears are also playing their part. Are you teaching her the right things? Will she know what she needs to know? Be careful not to squelch her love of learning, Etc... It is a good thing I am starting when she is in kindergarten!
Now.....how much of a "whiner" (or "whinger" in Aussie) am I? There are many people who deal with a lot more than I do!! I am well aware of that. Not only do they have more to deal with, but they deal with it much more efficiently! I want to be better than I am.
Here is what I am working on:
More time in the word.
More time in prayer.
Saying "no" to more outside stuff.
Keeping scheduled chore time.
Exercise
Getting enough sleep.
This is a strange post for me to write. I dont like everyone knowing all this. But maybe it will help someone else who is struggling know they are not alone.
I would not consider giving up homeschooling for a minute. I cant imagine how much more stress I would feel if my children were in school. The elementary school here is only a block from our house. A few days ago I heard the principal come over the loudspeaker and say, "The school is on lock down". I looked out the window to see if anything was going on. My husband was home and I said, "Can you imagine how scared we would be if our daughter was at school and we heard that!". He said, "You would be running down there" Thankfully, I dont have to. I believe it is the best thing I can do to keep my children home with me. It requires strength, faith and diligence. All of which I am striving to attain.
Now thats off my chest maybe I can write something else! I feel better already!
Have a good day.
Stacy |
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Oct. 1, 2006 - Veggie Tales censored
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I received this email today and thought you might be interested in it. We watch very little tv, and I did not know that Veggie tales was being shown on NBC, but I am still appalled by the way God and His word are treated by the media. I guess I am not really surprised, just sad at the thought that this country, founded on God, is turning so far away from Him.
Stacy
NBC: Bible Verses In Veggie Tales Offensive, But Not Madonna's Mockery Of The Crucifixion Of Christ
NBC anti-Christian bigotry continues. This time NBC censored Bible verses and expressions of Christian love from the children's cartoon Veggie Tales being shown Saturday mornings on NBC.
NBC says comments such as "God made you special and He loves you very much" were offensive and censored them from the show.
In response to the outrage over the allegations that NBC was ordering the removal of any references to God and the Bible from the animated series, the network first issued a flat denial. As reported in Broadcasting & Cable, NBC said they had to "clip off the beginning and ending tags, which are Bible verses, but they were also arguably the easiest cut to make."
The creator of Veggie Tales, Phil Vischer, said NBC's excuse for censoring the Bible verses was not true. Vischer said, "Well, that's kinda funny, because as the guy required to do all the editing, I know that statement is false...The show wasn't too long, it was too Christian. The show was already cut down to the proper length, so timing had nothing to do with it."
NBC then backpeddled: "NBC is committed to the positive messages and universal values of Veggie Tales. Our goal is to reach as broad an audience as possible with these positive messages while being careful not to advocate any one religious point of view." Evidently NBC considers not being truthful as one of their "universal values."
Vischer said had he known how much censorship NBC would exercise, he would not have signed on for the network deal.
Censored were comments such as: "Calm down. The Bible says we should love our enemies." And "the Bible says Samson got his strength from God. And God can give us strength, too."
NBC says using Bible verses or referring to God is offensive to some non-Christians. But NBC doesn't hesitate to offend Christians by showing Madonna mocking the crucifixion of Christ. Neither do not mind offending Christians in their new program Studio 60 with a segment called Crazy Christians. (Please read the review.)
This will seem a strong statement, and it is: The real reason the religious content is being censored is that the networks are run by people who have an anti-Christian bias. I noticed this anti-Christian bigotry and spoke out against it over 25 years ago. I'm sorry if someone thinks that is too harsh, but I must speak the truth as God leads me to see the truth. (Please click here to read excerpts from a speech I gave to a group of TV officials in September, 198125 years ago.)
Take Action |
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1. Send an email to NBC asking them to end their bias against Christians and stop censoring the references to God's love in Veggie Tales.
2. Forward this to friends and family so they will know of NBC's anti-Christian bias. NBC is owned by General Electric.
3. Print out the AFA Pass Along sheet and distribute at your Sunday School class and church. Ask your preacher to encourage members to send an email. |
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If you think our efforts are worthy, would you please support us with a small gift? Thank you for caring enough to get involved.
Sincerely,
Donald E. Wildmon, Founder and Chairman
American Family Association
P.S. Please forward this e-mail message to your family and friends! |
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Sep. 28, 2006 - I've been tagged
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I was tagged a long time ago by a very sweet lady - timbuck2mom For various reasons I did not get to answer (even today my computer froze when I tried to post my answers!) I have been thinking about it but not gettng to it. So finally, here are my answers.
1). ONE HOMESCHOOLING BOOK YOU HAVE ENJOYED
Charlotte Mason's Homeschooling Series - have not read it all yet - but LOVE what I have read so far. Every page is full of much to ponder.
2). ONE RESOURCE YOU WOULDN'T BE WITHOUT
The Internet
3). ONE RESOURCE YOU WISH YOU HAD NEVER BOUGHT
Nothing yet.
4). ONE RESOURCE YOU ENJOYED LAST YEAR.
Last year we only used a preschool workbook
5). ONE RESOURCE YOU WILL BE USING NEXT YEAR
David Quine's Music Curriculum Level 1 - Cornerstone Curriculum
6). ONE RESOURCE YOU WOULD LIKE TO BUY
Sorry, couldn't keep it to one:
The Nature Study Handbook
Johanna Bluedorn's Little Bitty Baby Learns Greek and Little Bitty Baby Learns Hebrew
7). ONE RESOURCE YOU WISH EXISTED
A way to get to Australia instantly - and really inexpensively!
8). ONE HOMESCHOOLING CATALOGUE YOU ENJOY READING
All of them!
9). ONE HOMESCHOOLING WEBSITE YOU USE REGULARLY
Lindafay's blog and www.Amblsideonline.org |
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Sep. 7, 2006 - Home Management Binder
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Do you have a Home Managemnet Binder that works for you?
I have spent some time putting together a binder that includes my schedules, cleaning routines, calender, homeschool stuff, emergency information etc, etc. The problem is -I never open it. The only time I do open it is to file something in there!
So what to do.....one thing I know that works for me is posting things where I can see them. Putting my schedule on the wall, my menu plan on the fridge. I also read at Preschoolers and Peace that she uses a clipboard. That sounds like a great idea too.
If you have something that works for you, leave me a note.
I'll post more on this subject once I find a good plan for our home.
Have a great day.
Stacy |
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Aug. 29, 2006 - Best Toys for a 2 year old boy
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My son will be two next month! So far he really doesn't have many toys of his own...he plays with his sister stuff most of the time. While I don't want to overload him on toys it would be nice for him to have some good quality ones. Especially since we are doing Kindergarten with SugarBean and they may keep him occupied for a time.
Here is a list of toys I like:
Wooden Blocks
Shovel and Pail
Musical instruments
Playdoh
Books
Crayons and paper
Cardboard box to climb in
Cars, Trains
What are your favorites? Please leave me a comment and let meknow what toys your 2 year old boys have enjoyed.
Thanks,
Stacy
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Aug. 25, 2006 - Is Homeschooling turning my brain to mush?!
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 Last night I spent two hours grocery shopping at Walmart - once I got to the check out I realized my wallet was at home! (O.K..the 2 hour part is Walmart's fault - they are remodeling and I can't find anything)
My house is a wreck! Not just a little wreck - a really BIG one.
I think I threw my new credit card in the trash - and it's not even signed!!
I can't find my checkbook!
I am out of control!!! Is anyone else like this?
I really don't mean to imply that homeschooling will turn your brain to mush - it should be the opposite. I told my husband, "In a few years I am going to know a lot!". I think much of this comes from the kids being little and I am trying to do a lot on my own without any help. SugarBean is learning how to do laundry at the moment - so once she gets the hang of it that will be one thing less for me to do!!
Sincerely,
Stacy
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Aug. 18, 2006 - Abortion link updated
Posted in General
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In my post on abortion I had the incorrect link. I have now fixed it. To read the interview with Norma McCorvey (Jane Roe) click here Be aware there are some graphic descriptions |
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Aug. 18, 2006 - Three kids - good or bad?
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I have a question to all you folks with 3 or more kids. If you grew up in a family with 3 or more kids this is for you too.
I would like to have another child, adopt actually. At the moment my two are 5 and almost 2. People keep telling me that it is hard with three because one is always left out. I have no experience, so please tell me...is this the case? I think with any number above two kids one can always be left out. With four kids, three could still leave out one.
I'd really love your feedback...
Stacy |
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About Me
I am an Australian married to an American, currently living in the U.S.A.
As a new homeschooling mum, I am learning how to follow God's words in Deut. 6:6-7:
"These words, which I am commanding you today, shall be on your heart. You shall teach them diligently to your sons and shall talk of them when you sit in your house and when you walk by the way and when you lie down and when you rise up."
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For anyone who cares to answer...I would like to know if you start your homeschool day with the Pledge of Allegiance. Please leave me a comment. It would be even better if you could tell me why or why not.
