Knights Becoming and a Lady in Waiting

2008 Year In Review

• I just downloaded this free sled dog lapbook   by Hands of a Child at the Homeschool E-Store, and I plan to use it during the Iditarod sled dog race, which begins March 1st. 
• Morning sickness has hit, and so has first trimester fatigue.

• We were out of church for two weeks due to a head cold working its way through the family.
• I'm sorry I dropped off the face of the earth, so to speak.

• The signs of Spring are starting to appear.
• Our kids seem to start "acting two" before they really turn two.

• Well, we may have found a cure for our homeschool blahs, especially my own. 
• I promise to post a real update on our family soon -- hopefully tomorrow.

• Growing In Grace Online is having a contest to celebrate National Scrapbooking Day, which is today.
• I keep feeling like I should post an update here, but can't think of anything to post. 

• Poison Ivy!  It is driving me crazy.
• We sang this in church on Sunday, and I was so touched by the words.

• Due to our rather long moving break last Fall, we are still finishing up this school year.
• I think many stay-at-home moms, and all homeschooling Moms have heard this before.

• I think this originated on blogs, but I got it from a website I go to.
• I had no intentions of trying to potty train 2 yo L right now, but she is potty training. 

• I just realized it's been over 2 weeks since I last posted.
• If you're wondering what companies will be providing products for the Homeschool Crew to review, you can find a list of vendors in the right sidebar at the Homeschool Crew blog, under "Vendors on Deck".

• I know I've shared before how I feel about The Old Schoolhouse Magazine.
• I just finished reading The Missing Link: FOUND, the first book in the Truth Seekers Mystery Series by Felice Gerwitz and Christina Gerwitz.

• My father-in-law entered hospice care last week, and died.
• I have an e-book to give away.

• The children are slowly recovering from their colds.
• My parents are here visiting us, and 2 of my sisters will arrive this evening.

Featured Blogger ~ joyismystrength

Why does a new year start in the middle of a season? No, I'm not looking for a true scientific or historical answer; it just seems a strange time to make resolutions, start school back up again, and get ourselves excited for something when the weather isn't in tune with our efforts to renew ourselves. It's a good thing that the Joy of the Lord is our strength, and  not the winter doldrums or self-appointed calendar schedules! Joyismystrength is the perfect blogger to introduce you to in such a time as this.

With joy comes peace. This post reflects on where peace isn't and where it comes from. 

One joy robber is racing against the clock and filling our schedules. Putting "Home" Back into Homeschooling asks the question, "Is it possible that in trying to give my kids better experiences, I'm actually robbing them of the best?"

Let's not forget truth. The truth in God's word and the truths we should speak and present. Withtout truth, there is no joy, for all lies are built on the foundation of ruin.

Go read The Joy of the Lord is my Strength; it will bring you joy, and leave a comment, spreading the joy!

Tia Linschied
Senior Editor of HSB

I am Second... Pete Briscoe

Nut Cake

Perhaps I should clarify the title --this a recipe for nut-cake, not a biographical entry. [I'm sure I'll be asked.....]  Here's a nifty little cake that tastes like a peanut butter cookie. Enjoy!

• Don't preheat the oven, but do grease a 12 cup bundt pan and set aside. you can dust it with flour if you like.  
• Cream two sitcks butter and 1 1/2 cups sugar. Be sure you use real butter not margarine.
• Chop in the blender [ on low or you'll have peanut butter] 2 1/2 cups mixed nuts. [about 1 small can].  Add 1/2 cup flour to the nuts and set aside.
• Alternately add 6 eggs and 2 1/2 c. self rising flour to the butter/sugar mixture. Add 1 teaspoon vanilla, then fold in nuts.
• Spoon batter into the pan, bake at 300 degrees for an hour and half. Cool  for an hour in the pand and unmold. YUM!

From Homeschool To Hospital

The two older children have "walking pnuemonia" and the baby has RSV. It's been--shall we say---interesting.  We've been hip deep in Snot, Vomit, and Poop---sounds like a bodily-functioned-themed 60s folk trio, doesn't it?  Now I have pneumonia as well. We are praying that the baby doesn't develop pnuemonia. She's been to the doctor's office every day but one since last Friday because the doctors are very concerned about her little lungs.  We think, though, that the worst is past.

We put off our regular school lessons for another week--maybe more-- to allow the children to recuperate.  We have settled them in the living room rather than their separate bedrooms because it's more convenient for me to care for them all together.

The end of the dining room table resembles a dispensary, complete with dosing schedules, medicines, and nebulizer tubing and masks in a ziploc bag for each child.  Thermometers, hand sanitizer, facial tissues, and cough drops are all on hand. Hubby picked up some disposable plates and cups which has been an enormous help. I made labels with each child's name that we use to keep track of who is drinking from which cup.

The kitchen counter looks like a lab. The nurse at our pediatrician's office said  the nebulizer equipment [ not the tubing] has to be washed after each use with soapy water and then soaked for 30 minutes in a water/vinegar solution to sterilize it. So, we have three large glass bowls labelled with each child's name to soak their stuff in.

We turned the whiteboard into a chore board. Daily chores are listed down the left side and the days of the week across the top. That way hubby and I can just check off what we've done. That's been such a help because by the time he gets home from work and asks what I need help with, I have sometimes forgotten what needs to be done.

We have managed to do some "educational" work. We have some good movies and LOTS of books and kids' magazines. My son read The Three Musketeers yesterday. All of it. I'd intended to assign that book later in the year but he picked it up, began to read, and then would call out, "Hey Mom! listen to this part!"  I guess that qualifies as narration!  Thelma Lou read Mouse Soup.  They both have been reading some Clubhouse magazines, Answers in Genesis for kids, and  My Big Backyard. My daughter is fascinated with numbers. She likes to try to stump me with problems she's made up.

I promised them that I would let them play some stuff on the computer today.  A few years back, I bought Cindy Prechtel's Using the Internet in your Homeschool.  It's going to come in handy over the next little bit. The children are still so tired--even though they are doing better--and some educational games or virtual tours might ease them back into learning and our regular schedule.  Mrs. Prechtel's book has saved me so much time over the years--I highly recommend it.

Well, that's life for now at the Doehill Homeschool,  er, Hospital. At the rate we're going we should have our medical deductible met by around 2 pm this Saturday! All joking aside, though, I am very thankful to the Lord Jesus for not letting this get as bad as it could of been. Once, Charlene Darling stopped breathing and my husband performed first aid. We got her to the emergency room and they were able to help her. It could have been very different, but God saw otherwise!  We thank and praise Him for His goodness.

Fred the Rather Large Cat

Homeschooling Only One ~ A New Year, An Empty Slate

Special Words for Special Needs ~ Super Easy, Super Quick Sensory Fixers!

We have started back to school again. The holidays are past but the sensory buzz is lingering. So I thought that a few super quick and super easy tips were needed.

1. Make your own chalkboard.  The title today was made on my old desk top turned chalk board. It was the best thing I have ever done sensory wise. My little girl R writes on all the walls. She is looking for feedback. Pencil and paper were just too smooth. The home made chalkboard was rough enough she does most of her writing on it now. All it takes is a space on the wall, a smooth surface, or engineering wood. Two coats of paint later you have a chalkboard. 

2. Bubbles! Blowing bubbles works the mouth and lungs. Clapping bubbles works coordination. Sing songs to the bubble clapping to make it a full body learning experience.

3. Use your dryer.  Have a child that won't settle to listening to a book? Run a blanket in your dryer for about ten minutes, until it is warmed. Wrap them in it.  Have a child that is a low tone, low energy child? Sit them on the running dryer while you are right there to supervise. This can stimulate a low sensory child and can even calm a high sensory child!

4. Colors.  Think in colors and how the mind tends to react. Red is more aggressive, blue and green are calmer tones. While yellow is a bright alert color. Use different colors for your print offs.  Consider sizing up your print offs. A larger size will mean less work focusing on the words which leads to less eye strain.

5. Boxes.  Collect boxes for lots of constructive play. Ask at your local grocery store or furniture store for any extras. Use the boxes for sorting, categorizing (by size), creating a kitchen, the options are endless.

6.Let them snack.  Use the "gum flapping" as my grandma use to tell me, to your advantage. Let  your child chew colorless gum, nuts, wedges of lemon, or crisp weggies. Each child will work better with a certain texture and level of sweetness or sourness.

7. Heavy work with tools.  if your child is old enough during break time let them use a hammer and nails on an old stump out back or a piece of secured wood. In order not to lose nails or hit fingers my husband starts the nail in the wood. Shovels, possibly in the garden? Screws and a screwdriver. All these can really feed that heavy work seeker.

8. Let them eat with a straw or chopsticks.  Seems simple but there is alot of oral muscles needed in using a straw. Now try to suck up applesauce! This is a particular favorite of speech therapists.  Chopsticks take a lot of coordination but there is immediate pay off when done right.

9. Change their clothes. Have your sensory seeker wear a swimsuit under her clothes. For a boy try a smaller size t-shirt or the new stretchy work out wear. If your child is defensive about clothing and things touching them try the dryer trick with their clothes for the day. Does your child need a heavy vest? Use on old fishing vest and put bags of rice or bean bags in the pockets.

10.  Try music.  Turn on the local classical music. The steady soothing music tend to calm and organize people. If this works well try other non-vocal forms of music, Celtic, Indian Drums ect. For my son this works wonders well worth the few dollars invested in CDs.

I hope you will be able to use some of these ideas. Chime in with any quick, cheap ideas you have! We don't have to have a shiny new therapy room to be able to adequately address our children's sensory needs. Enjoy and God bless!

Heather lives in West Virginia. She and her husband have been homeschooling their 5 children for 7 years.  Due to a genetic disorder their children have multiple special needs. Living life to the fullest for the glory of God is their goal!  Visit Heather's page at  www.homeschoolblogger.com/gfcfmomofmany/

A New Year...

...therefore, I hope to blog more than once per quarter. I don't know how some people have time to blog and upload a gazillion pictures and still manage to school their children and keep up with everything. Well, no one ever said they were keeping up with everything did they? I guess I'm making assumptions.

I made no resolutions this year, as I have had many things that have been on my heart lately to change and I just need to do them and not relate them to New Years. Though there's nothing wrong with making that "fresh start". I have been wanting to get back to exercising and it just so happened that I started that after all the holiday busy-ness (and the cookies!) settled down. I started doing Beachbody's Power 90 and let's just say that I haven't been walking with much grace this week. Any kind of movement is followed by grunts and groans. Belle keeps saying, "Mom, why are you doing this to yourself!? Just stop already." :)

This year, and from now on, I'm definitely going to learn more of God's Word and teach it to my children. It's so important and God has been putting it on my heart for a long time. I have such a poor ability to retain anything that I've been making excuses, but He's not buying it. So I'm starting out in baby steps and I'm just going to keep doing my verses until I truly know them and not just remember them for a week. I've been reading my verse during my quite time in the morning and really meditating on it. Then when I go to take care of the animals and take the dog for a walk I use that time to pray and then practice repeating the verse over and over. Thankfully we have some land so the neighbors don't see me and think I'm just talking to myself. Then again, they know I'm a homeschool mom of four, so they'd probably expect it. :)

Well, I really just wanted to say Hi. It's been so long.

Jennifer :)

Elmo boy