I had the wonderful opportunity to go hear our legislative liaison speak to a group of homeschoolers this week.  Treon spoke on the situation in CA., and covered our homeschool statute and we had a great question and answer time.  But the most important part of this meeting was that God was glorified.  He was not just mentioned lightly, but He was invoked.  He was lifted up, quoted and was the first and foremost reason that we were all at the meeting.  We have chosen to do what we believe the Lord has told us to do; homeschool our children.  And we have Him as our "superintendent." 

Treon read some things to us out of a book called (I think) "Lies Homeschool Moms and Dads Believe."  I plan to look that up real quick here. It was hilarious!  But oh, so true.  We can get so caught up in those lies, and the what-ifs and the fear factor of homeschooling.  But Fear is the absence of Faith.  We can't run our lives by fearing, we can only live by Faith. 

  We might not be able to see the future, but God knows.

One of the wonderful things Treon said was "Our homeschools take on the personality of our families."  Boy, isn't that the truth? 

 We are unique. 

 We are a one of a kind. 

 We are different than any other family on this earth. 

Each one of us is unique, and all aspects of our homeschool are unique. 

 So why do we try to fit into someone else's idea of what we should be doing?  We have to answer to God, not the neighbor or relative or pastor or whoever, who might be questioning our motives and methods. 

We have to remember that God has a plan and a purpose for our children.  We need to allow God to be God.  We don't have to prove anything to anybody!  We must let God direct our homeschooling.  He promises to never leave us nor forsake us. 

If you are feeling forsaken and discouraged, then you must remember that those feelings are from the enemy.  You must be open to the leading of the Holy Spirit in ALL things, and to some of us, homeschooling IS all things.

Homeschooling parents, get behind those who fight for your rights at the state level.  Join www.parentalrights.org and get behind those who are fighting for you at the national level.  When things all around us seem to be against us, remember this:

 2 Cornithians 5:7.

Have a blessed week!

Nancy

p.s. Tomorrow is the day we are picking winners for Tammy Cardwell's eBook, "The Homeschool That Handles the Hard Times."  Get over to our blogs and comment so you can get in on the contest!

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Hi Friends!

We are in the midst of a great week here!  Let me just give you a quick run-down: Here is what we have been UP to!

We have thoroughly enjoyed listening to a zillion fabulous speakers at the Ultimate Homeschool Conference.

We have been nature journaling, (art, writing and a little bit of science all wrapped up in a neat package!)

We've been planning parties,

We have been planting seeds,

We have been enjoying each other and working on getting along. 

We've been counting our blessings and learning to be content.

We aren't perfect in all those areas, but we are living and that's important, don't you think so?

How about you?  How are things going your way?  Leave me a comment and tell me what YOU have been UP to!

Also, if you have a minute, stop by my personal blog and enter a contest to win a great eBook by Tammy Cardwell!

 (you have to work for it, just a teensy bit, but it's an awesome eBook!)

Blessings,

Nancy

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...and call them school!  Hey, the beauty of homeschooling is that I am not restricted to textbooks, seatwork or workbooks. 

I have to tell you a funny story.  This week as much as possible I've had the Ultimate Homeschool Expo conference going on the computer.  I can't sit and listen all the time, but its great to have it on and listen during computer time. 

I had the laptop on in the living room so I could listen while cleaning and doing other things around the house but the crazy laptop (or is it just me?) is on the fritz...so anyway, my oldest daughter got the benefit of listening to some fabulous speakers while she was working on a project in the office.  (a.k.a. "the cave") 

And here is the funny part:  She was putting together a book of photos/collages/journal pages from last years farm season, AND listening to the conference, AND while her pages were printing, she was knitting a sock.  Am I the only one with a huge grin on my face?  I love homeschooling!

This week has been beautiful, weather-wise and my kids have taken advantage of it.  They have been doing maintenance on their bicycles (all by themselves,) cleaning the yard and animal cages and working on all kinds of projects including paper mache' and painting. 

I am constantly amazed when I realize how capable and smart these kids are!  They literally blow me away.

Happily Unschooling,

Nancy

Be sure to check the link for Cindy Rushton's UHSE.  It is truly ULTIMATE!  Last night I caught part of a session that ministered to me in an amazing way.  If you purchase a ticket you get ALL the sessions available to you by download for-ever.  It is a deal you won't want to miss, and there is something for everyone by way of topics. (Not to mention Mommy Grab Bags and vendors and door prizes etc.)  Don't miss out!

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Hi Friends!

My week went wild and I am a couple days late (and a dollar short) here on the porch!  I hope you will all forgive me.  Thank you!

It  has been very different this week for us.  You see, instead of my usual hustle and bustle with four very energetic kids all around me, it has been deathly quiet.  Now, don't get me wrong; I can use a dose of quiet now and then.  But sometimes it's a bit hard to get used to!

A dear friend of mine "kidnapped" all my kids for most of the week!  She is a wonderful homeschooling mom...I mean former homeschooling mom.  All her kids have flown the nest!  She was feeling a bit lonely and wanted to borrow some kids.  (Actually, she put them to WORK! Can you imagine that??)  Well, she called me the second day they were there and said they were already DONE with several tasks that they set out to do...before 9:00 a.m.  I was flabbergasted! (And proud of them too.)

While they were being well taken care of I had the pleasure of being interviewed Wednesday morning (early!) by Cindy Rushton!  I have the delight of being a vendor in her Ultimate Homeschool Expo!  She invited me to talk about my "Haircuts For Little Men" eBook, and it was so much fun.  (Although I was barely awake and all that.  LOL.  It was quite a fun time though.  Cindy, I'll talk with you anytime!)

Right now her preview chats are FREE!  You can even go in to the conference room and listen to past chats which are amazing!  It is right here:  (CLICK HERE) Be sure to listen to Lynda Coats!  She is a vet homeschooling mom who gets you back to the Biblical basics!  (Teaching them when you sit, stand, walk etc.  ALL the time!)  I was completely blessed by her talk.  Thank you Lynda!

Some other conferences you don't want to miss are coming up. So many people who blog right here on HSB are going to be featured.  Jill Novak AND her son Eric (HSB Tech Support!)

 This is from my friend Jill Novak.  Check this out:

My son Eric and I are speaking again this year at Cindy Rushton's Ultimate Home School Expo - April 28 - May 3^rd. If you aren't familiar with this event please check out the link below. It is the biggest online home school event and the speaker line-up is incredible - and the price for a ticket is unbelievable! It's only $40.00 per family to hear over 60 speakers for the whole week. Plus your membership allows you to access these resources indefinitely. The online conference room is a blast and you get to meet other home schoolers from all over the country. And, you don't even have to get out of your pajamas if you don't want to.      

I will be speaking on the following topics:

Teach Your Kids a Lesson They Won't Forget,
Writing and Drawing from Nature
Tuesday, April 29, 2008 1PM CST
Make the most out of the spring and summer months. Learn how to teach your children the life-long skills of writing and drawing as they record their personal encounters with nature! This workshop will be loaded with practical tips, methods and resources for making even the most reluctant children successful in expressing their thoughts and perceptions about God's creation. Gather around the computer with your kids as I share journal entries and drawings that my kids have recorded while writing and drawing from life. Pre-school through high school

And I am honored to be the last speaker of the conference with this topic:  
What Will They Remember?
Saturday, May 3rd, 2008  5PM CST

What will your children remember about their home school education? Just ask any teen or home school graduate and you will be amazed at the answers. Join us for what is sure to be an inspirational wrap-up to the whole home school expo as I share what home school teens and graduates have to say about their homeschool experiences. Learn practical ways to help your children remember the life-lessons you want them to remember now and for generations to come.  

Blogging with a Purpose
Wednesday, April 30, 2008  3PM CST

Eric Novak (17) will be speaking on a subject near and dear to his heart: blogging with a purpose. If you have any teens who like to write or design their own blogs, or if you and your children want to become published authors someday, you will definitely want to listen to this session together. See what God can do when you commit your writing to Him and you blog with a purpose. 

To order your ticket for the Homeschool Expo and listen to the pre-view chats go to Home School Expo

http://www.cindysaffiliates.com/go.php?offer=2K1XZRL9&pid=1

Blessings,
Jill Novak
www.remembrancepress.com

Thank you So much for stopping by to see me here on the HSB Front Porch. 

 Life is GOOD!  God is GOOD.  Count your blessings :) 

 I hope you can all get in on the conferences.  I have enjoyed just having the computer on and listening to some fantastic encouragement while I work around the house. 

The link above for the Ultimate Homeschool Conference from Jill, IS an affiliate link.  Just so you know that--both Jill and Cindy will benefit from your ticket purchase.  (I don't)  But also, this is an incredible ministry that Cindy is doing for homeschool families.  It's HUGE and from all the bandwidth it takes to do this, I can imagine it takes major $$$, not to mention her time involved, to do this for US!  Go bless Cindy as she blesses you.

Happy Homeschooling, Unschooling, whatever your brand is called.  :)

Nancy

 (And be sure to say hi!  Leave me a comment either here or at Homeschooling Is Life! OK?)

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Hi Friends!  Thanks for faithfully stopping by to check and see what I have been "up to" lately.  Today, I want to toss out a little exercise for you, a sort of "Reality Check."

As I watch the ebb and flow (or flood) of homeschooling trends and information swirling around me I sometimes have to stop and say "stop the world, I want to get off!" 

Too much input from the wrong sources can put a wrinkle in your journey and hence; we all need to smooth out the bumpiness and get back to smooth sailing.

You might laugh at that, thinking; "smooth sailing for unschoolers?"  Yep.  It can be, if you keep your focus.

Let us begin with the reality check:

1.  Are you fearful about what or when your children are "learning?"  First of all, FEAR is the antithesis of trust, and without trust you won't have any peace.  I'm talking about trusting the Lord to guide you, and trusting yourself to do what you know is right. You have to find the balance for each child and trust in that timetable of learning.  Each individual is just that; and individual.

2.  Is your educational philosophy being muddied up with too many options?  Options can be good, but too many can be confusing.  Write down your educational philosophy and put it where you and your whole family can see it every day. 

3.  Are you comparing yourself, your children, and their life experience to others?  This in itself is not necessarily bad, but if the comparing makes you feel unfulfilled or incapable then you need to nix this comparison game right here right now.  Make sure you know what "yardstick" you measure by, and stick to it.

4.  Are you feeling like you are in a rut?  We all can get in that place and have a tough time getting out of it.  But I have found that if I feel like I am in a rut I am probably dealing with the previous three questions and those are the ruts that need to be "filled in."

5.  Do your children's learning styles overwhelm you instead of inspire you?  We Mothers are learning all the time and we need to make our children our research projects!  If you are in a rut of being overwhelmed, pray that the Lord would show you the amazing uniqueness of your child and ask Him the best way to appreciate those traits!  Vive la difference!

6.  Are you worrying about future possibilities like college, marriage, kids leaving home, death etc?  The Bible says we aren't to worry about those things.  Sure, we can pray, talk, plan and dream (or prepare) but worrying will not help anything.  Stop worrying today!

7.  Are you still in the mode of thinking "public school, twelve years, biology 101" when it comes to education?  Break that record.  Throw it out.  Erase those tapes.  Life is rich and meaningful!  To quote somebody famous; "There IS life after high school." (Not sure who said it, but boy is it true!)

[You CAN get out of the habit of thinking of your education in schoolish terms and ideas.  It's hard at first, just try talking about learning without using the words "classroom" "teacher" "curriculum" etc.  Lets see if we can change our vocabulary.  Hmmm.  How about "creation" "relationship" "discovery" "interest.?"  I bet you can come up with some more.]

8.  Do other people's opinions get you all in a tizzy over home education?  If so, maybe it is time to relax a bit.  Go back and read question #3 again.

9.  Are you excited about what your kids are excited about?  Do you light up with glee when your son comes in with a jar of assorted roly-polies and centipedes?  Or do you yell "take that outta here right now!"  Are you a "yes" mom or a "NO" mom?  Do the messes that you see happening in the future keep you from letting the kids do things on their own "right now" keep you in a state of paralysis?  You can't be excited about learning and be paralyzed with dread AND expect your kids to keep there state of "wonder" continually charged up. 

10.  Are your eyes on "perceived failure" constantly?  Or are they on God?  Are they on you, or are they on others?  We need to remember what is important to focus on, and what not to focus on.  Refer back to numbers 1-9 as needed!

Thanks for taking the Reality Check with me!  Let me know if you have anything to add to it.  

Blessings!

Nancy*

*Nancy is an unschooling Mom with a heart for her kids and a love of freedom :)

Stop by my regular blog and say hi!  (And if you find any apostrophe's that need fixing, have some mercy ok?  I hate those things!)

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Hi Friends!  How is your week going?

I am always thinking about "All things Homeschooling" because that is what I am totally immersed in right now.  With a newly "permitted" driver, and three other children at various stages of life I have to keep things in perspective.  I am always trying to think of new ways of doing this "homeschooling" that might work better for each child.  They are all unique, all in different stages of their development, and in reality so am I!

How can I remember all the priorities in my children's lives and how DO I prioritize them? 

 Lets start from the top and work our way down.

Head:    Who is the head of our lives?  The Lord?  Dad?  (Hopefully those two are at the top!)  Are we gaining knowledge, wisdom and spiritual insight?

Eyes:   What are we looking at?  What or who do we set our eyes on?

Ears:   Who or what are we hearing?  Are we listening to the right things; those things that are true?

Mouth:   Out of the heart, the mouth speaks.  Are we speaking words of encouragement?  Are we blessing or cursing with our mouth?

Shoulders :   Where are we getting our strength from?  (The Joy of the Lord?)  Are we bearing one anothers burdens?

Arms:   Are our arms embracing others or being used for evil?  Are we working with our arms or are we playing?  (Play is necessary, but there is a time for work and a time for play.)

Hands:   Are our hands swift to help or swift to commit evil?  Are they loving or hurting others?  Our hands say a lot about who we really are.

Chest (heart!)  Are we prideful or humble?  Are we loving or rebellious?  Do we follow the golden rule?  Do we care about others or are we just puffed up and selfish?

Tummy:    Are we being nourished and do we take care to eat what is good for us?  Are we caring for the needs of others first?  (I think the tummy is a symbol of service to others!)

Loins:   This is another area where we show strength.  Do we have strength of character? Are we learning to be faithful in all areas of our lives?  Are we teaching this to our children? 

Legs:    Do our legs move us to do that which is good and helpful?  Do we go where we need to go or do we wander aimlessly?

Feet:   Do our feet and where they take us show the true Good News?  Do we put our "feet" where our mouth is?  We want our footsteps to be true.

Well, there you have it.  I bet there are a few more things we can add to that list.  If you can come up with some, please let me know!  I would love to see them.  While I type this I am thinking "May the words of my mouth and the meditations of my heart...and the tapping of my fingers on the keyboard, be acceptable in the Lord's sight."  And may the attempts and facilitation and work of my family in this homeschooling endeavor be a blessing unto Him also!

Maybe it's time for a little "surgery?"

Blessings!

Nancy

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Hello Friends! Hope your week is going well! Did anyone play any really good April Fool's tricks on you? (Or vice-versa?)

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Who is she?  She is many different people.

  Let us see:

She is a mom with many children.

She is a mom with only one child. 

 She is teaching her children at home because she had a bad experience at the local school. 

She never even put her kids into a "school." 

 Sometime she and her husband had a conviction about who has the right to teach their kids.

She is a mom who is a military mom.  Her husband is serving in Iraq.  Its hard, but she knows it is the right thing to do. 

She is a former teacher.  She knows what goes on in the classroom. 

She doesn't have any credentials; she's "just a mom."

Her child has a "special need." 

She is a second generation homeschooler!

She is a sports mom.

She is a book worm mom.

She is a single mom.

She has a blended family.

Whoever she is, her life is different than yours.  And different than mine too.  We are ALL very unique.

We have different situations, goals, dreams and methods.

Are we the same?  Nope.  But we can find common ground.

We can still build one another up and encourage each other.

Ahh.  Homeschooling Mom, you know who you are. 

The LORD knows you by name.  He will give you peace in  your decisions, just follow Him.

Moms, enjoy your kids this week! 

And go hug a fellow homeschooling Mom.  It will bless you both!

Blessings,

Nancy

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Oh, where is the sunshine?  I know that it is somewhere out there.  It is between the sleet and the snow and the wind...in a brief window of time that we always manage to miss.  I am dying to get outdoors and enjoy it!  The cozy house has closed in around me.  I'm getting tired of the smell of pine logs crackling at the hearth.  I'd toss my favorite books in the trash heap for a walk in the sunshine, by a pond, hearing the ducks calling one another...

It's not as elusive as all that!  Get up, get out of bed you sleepy heads...Spring is almost here!  The tulips are peaking up out of the grey earth.  The day lillies are poking through also.  The song of the robin that keeps us up all night is beginning again.  Oh, I never thought I would be so thankful that the aspen trees outside my window are dying, leaving no place for the noisy critters to roost and call and twirple all night long.  Sigh.  Such are the sounds and thoughts of Spring!

I'm getting anxious to grab the sketch pads, pencils, binoc's and magnifying glass.  I want to spot those birds, see the trees budding, feel the crisp breeze and get too much sunshine on my face.  I want to watch my kids run on the grass. I want to notice how long the boys legs are getting!  I want to see them hop from rock to rock...and fall into the creek and get their tennies wet.

I want to throw a ball with them, and hopefully catch it.  I want to see them climb the tallest tree and I don't want to get nervous watching them.  I want to see them sprout wings and fly.

Oh, cabin fever.  It's not a bad thing.  It's just a way to show that we have become infected.  We are stuck indoors trying to learn in a box.  Trying hard to live in a box.  We weren't meant to be stuck in here!  We need to kick this thing wide open and find the cure. 

Outdoors, sunshine, laughter and fresh air.  Take a double dose of those and then do it again tomorrow morning!

Homeschooling Is Life!

Nancy

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In the Masterpiece Theater version of "Pollyanna" there is a wonderful discourse between the young niece and her "cold" Aunt Polly, about the planned schedule she intends for the little girl to follow:

"Tomorrow you shall commence a routine," she begins.  "Your day will commence with reading aloud to me for one hour after breakfast, followed by rigid monitored private study.  After lunch, sewing wtih me, cookery instruction with Nancy, then an orderly walk.  Then music, tidying, supper, then bed."

Pollyanna interjects "When do I just live?"

"What?" replies Aunt Polly.

"I know I will be breathing, but thats not living."

"You will be allowed brief intervals in which to play..." her Aunt replies.

As a homeschooling Mom, am I scheduling my childrens day so closely that there isn't any time for purely living?  I believe that most of our true education happens as we live our lives.  Not through forced scheduling and frantic activity.  Education does happen during those times but not the kind I want to see happen in my kids lives.

What about those "divine interruptions" that happen to us?  Some of those are the best learning experiences ever!  And teachable moments?  Let us not schedule so tightly that we don't have time to really learn!

Natural learning, based on the readiness and delight of the child, is true unschooling, and home education at its best.

I think I will just be a "Pollyanna" about it anyway!

I'm so glad we homeschool,

Nancy

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Greetings!

Hope you are all having a great week!  I love writing on here in the middle of the week.  It makes me stop and reflect, and that is always a good thing, Martha!

My kids have been taking a leather working class.  Take a look at this: 

We splurged and bought some leather craft kits for our kids.  BUT we didn't have any idea how to do the craft, even though the instructions were included.  Now, these were a bit pricey, and we didn't want the kids to just tear into them and ruin stuff (that has been known to happen) so we didn't let them touch them. 

That is, until we got them to a good class.

We can't tell you how excited the kids are about learning this stuff!  And the instructor is so kind and patient.  But the point to all this is that they had to start at square one.  Nobody had any prior knowledge of the properties of leather, how to work it, how to get a pattern on it etc.  So they had to start line upon line, and add precept upon precept.

You can't just grab the tools and start poking around, or you will ruin a perfectly good rounder of leather!  You have to begin right, and even if you make a boo-boo or two, you can still end well!

That is the way it is with many things in life.  We are chomping at the bit, so to speak, and don't want to take the time to do the proper steps to get somewhere.  We want instant gratification in all things.  We want fast this and fast that.  It is up to us to teach our children that good things come to those who wait.  Patience is a virtue. 

So how does that translate to what this column is "supposed to" be about?  Unschooling---how on earth could that be anything but haphazard and disjointed?  Well, that is where I become the myth-buster here and tell you about it.  Our brand of unschooling really has a much more concise moniker; we will call it "delight directed" studies.  There really IS a rhyme and a reason, because we choose God's rhymes and His reasons over our own.

We do, however, make mistakes a long the way.  But you have heard the adage "when life give you lemons, make lemonade."  That's the way it is.  All things work for our good....even the mistakes.  Actually, I think MOSTLY the mistakes.  That is what makes us stronger, more resilient!

We can't see the eternal, only the temporary.  Today may seem temporary, but what we do with it lasts forever.  I might never see what my children become, but that doesn't mean that we aren't laying a foundation, line by line, brick by brick, stone by stone.    Sometimes we have to shore up the foundations, and even make repairs along the way.  But that is the way life is.

I think we have counted the cost before we started building.  The cost IS great, but the cost of not trusting the outcome to the Master Builder is even greater!

So the next time you feel a little discouraged, or unsure of how to proceed; ask the Master Teacher.  He will show you.  He has given you everything you need, already.  He will show you how to use what He has given, at the appointed time. 

We must have patience with our children and also with ourselves.  With all those things in place, can you imagine the thing of beauty that will come forth?

Isn't homeschooling exciting?

Until next week,

Nancy

p.s. stop over at Homeschooling Is Life!   There is a surprise over there today.

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Everyone has their own ideas about unschooling.  That isn't a bad thing at all!  We are all different, and we must always remember that. 

I thought it might be a fun "exercise" to just jot down some of my ideas and principles that we adhere to in our little non-school educational adventure.  Here goes:

A.  Answers.  We might not know them all, but we can sure try our best to find them! 

B.  Believe in your God-given talents and abilities. 

C.  Curiousity.  Kids are curious!  Allow them to explore what interests them.

D.  Delight-directed.  Direction.  Remember that you are the parent, you are the disciplinarian, and your kids are being discipled by you!  Keep the proper perspective as you direct them. (And be delighted along the way!)

E.  Encyclopedias.  A set of these is absolutely necessary.  Kid LOVE to look things up in the old set, once they discover how neat they are!

F.  Faith.  Have faith that the Lord will guide you in raising/teaching your kids.

G.  Giving.  Homeschooling is about learning to give.  Parents give time to their kids, kids learn to give to their siblings, families learn to give to others. 

H.  Housework, not homework.  Working with your kids on home up-keep and maintenance is a life skill lesson that will just keep on giving......everyone needs to know these things!  Homekeeping is also a ministry not only to your kids, but to your Husband who is of utmost importance!

I.  Interest led learning.  Grab the bull by the horns as soon as they show an interest!  Help them find out all they can about what they take a shine to.

J.  Jesus!  His words are the foundation of our lives, hence, our education follows suit.

K.  Kitchen.  So much time is spent learning in the kitchen.  Cooking, measuring, baking, sharing, experimenting.  Then there is washing, cleaning, canning......families love and learn in the kitchen!

L.  Life.  We believe that learning happens all the time.  Life is our homeschool.

M.  Messes!  My philosophy of messes?  They are inevitable since we are here living, loving and learning.  (We have to learn to live in the mess, love being here and also learn how to deal with it too. :)

N.  Notebooking.  One of our most "schoolish" ways of learning is filling notebooks with our treasures gleaned online, from magazines, from our own hands.  A great learning tool.

O.  On-line.  There are SO many fabulous resources online that we have found.  Printables, charts, friends, etc!

P.  Priorities.  There are so many things vying for our attention.  Choose the most important, the best, not just the convenient and the good.  Patience.  We don't always know what we should do.  Pray and have Patience that the answer will come.

Q.   Questions.  I have never heard more questions than those that pop out of my 9 year old's mouth!  Questions  keep Mom and Dad very busy.  (Refer back to letter "A")

R.   Reasons.  Always keep a reminder of the reasons you are homeschooling where you can see it!  Make a family mission statement, and have the kids memorize it with you.  It will help in times of insecurity.

S.  Study.  Kids need time and space to study to their hearts content. 

T.  Time.  I have learned that time passes much too quickly to be wasted on worry, trivial things and temporal issues.  Invest your time wisely, and if you haven't, the Lord will help you redeem it!

U.  Understanding.  There are many things we Mom's need to learn, and one is understanding.  It might take a while before we understand who our children are, what their needs are and what their capabilities are.  We must be patient while we learn it.....with ourselves, and with our children!

V.   Vision.  It is important to have a vision for the future and work toward that goal.  But more importantly it is important that the vision is the one the Lord would have for us.

W.   Wonderful!!  Even in the midst of trials, remember that it is a wonderful gift to be able to have children, and to live with them and learn right along with them. 

X.   This is always a hard letter.  :)  I think that "X" is for crossing off all the negative memories and ideas of the public school system and moving on in a new and better direction for me and for my kids.

Y.   Yes!  I want to be a "YES"  Mom.  Not a "No" Mom.  Yes, you my try that experiment, Yes it would be a great day to go for a hike, Yes you may bake a cake all by yourself.....YES!  You can DO it!

Z.   Zealous.  I want to be zealous for life, for learning, for the Lord and for my family.  And I want it to rub off on them.  I want to be contagiously zealous!

Well, there you have it.  Just a quick fun little A-Z excursion into the inner workings of this brain of mine.  Why don't you take a moment or two to think of some of your own?  Try jotting some down for yourself.  Brainstorm with your kids, or your husband.

Once you start thinking about it, you will be surprised at how you really feel about your homeschooling/unschooling mindset. It will freshen your perspective!

Enjoy!

Nancy~a Mom of four, wife of 1, owner of a dog and cat and various other furry critters.....lover of flowers, taker of pictures, writer of many words, working out my faith and salvation each day with fear, trembling and gratitude to the Lord.

Stop by my other blog and say hello!

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Hi Friends,

The following is a re-blog of one from last year about this time.  :)  I know you will enjoy it!

So much going on here and the kids are on a roll with so much baking and creating and learning that I am finding it very hard to catch up on my blogging! Since it is a Valentine Week, and that means it's time to get sentimental and gushy (or mushy, as my kids say,)  I do want to share something from my past with you!

  I grew up in a small town and went to school, K-12 with a group of kids that remained pretty much the same for most of those years.  I think there was a core of about 15 kids or so,  and we got to know each other pretty well as far as school mates go.

Every year in elementary school we had parties to celebrate each holiday that came our way.  I think we did the same thing every time too; read a story, do a craft, have a party of some sort.  One family in particular had a Mom who was an amazing cookie baker (among other things) and every holiday she would send a batch of her wonderful frosted sugar cookies with her daughter to class for us. 

These weren't your ordinary cookies.  These cookies were delicious, soft, melt-in-your-mouth tasty, and the frosting on the cake--I mean, cookie was the fact that she frosted them with equally wonderful frosting and each was decorated with each of our names!  She had a shape for each holiday and the Valentine's day cookies were huge lovely hearts!  She always packed them in a shirt box, with waxed paper between the layers of cookies so they wouldn't get smashed.  These cookies were bigger than your hand, and they were just perfect!

I was lamenting them several years ago and so you know what I did?  I called her up and asked her for her recipe!  She seemed surprised to hear from me and thought it was funny that I wanted her cookie recipe.  But she put her finger right on it (I am pretty sure she had it committed to memory) and we had a lovely visit. 

So she shared her recipe with me and I am posting it here for you.  I have no idea where the original recipe is from.  She called them "Crisp Sugar Cookies" but when you frost them, they become very soft and like I said, they melt in your mouth.  The secret to their wonderful flavor is the vanilla and lemon extract.  :)

Mrs. Roger’s Sugar Cookies

(Crisp Sugar Cookies)

½ C. Sugar

1 C. Shortening

(cream together, then add:)

2 eggs

3 TBSP Evaporated Milk

1 tsp Vanilla

½ tsp Lemon Extract

(mix well then add to:)

3 C. Flour

½ tsp Baking Soda

½ tsp Salt

Make the cookie dough and chill for a little while, roll out and cut out shapes,

Bake at 350 for 8 minutes or so, 'till slightly brown on edges.  Cool and frost.

Frosting:

½  tsp Lemon Extract

1 tsp Vanilla

Add to regular frosting recipe,

(powdered sugar, butter and milk.)

Whip 'till fluffy, add coloring if you want to and VIOLA!

You know, just as this precious Mom wrote our names on cookies, the Lord himself has written your name on His heart!  Is your name written is His book too?

Nancy

Homeschooling Is Life!

© Nancy K. Baetz 2007-08 

 Revelation 21:23-27 And the city has no need of the sun or of the moon to shine on it, for the glory of God has illumined it, and its lamp is the Lamb. The nations will walk by its light, and the kings of the earth will bring their glory into it. In the daytime (for there will be no night there) its gates will never be closed; and they will bring the glory and the honor of the nations into it; and nothing unclean, and no one who practices abomination and lying, shall ever come into it, but only those whose names are written in the Lamb's book of life.

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Hi Everyone,

Thanks for stopping by!

Another day has passed quickly here and I just want to reflect a bit on what we have done.  Today we had to get up really early for a couple of dentist appointments.  (Boring!)  But the funny thing is that my kids LOVE our Dentist!  They even make gifts and cards for several of the people who work there.  You see, in the last year they have had a lot of work done on their teeth, and have become very well acquainted with these people.  The assistants have compliemented my kids on their ability to be calm and sit well for the treatment.  That is cool, don't you think?  They told me that they have many kids who come in and cry, manipulate and are "all over the place" while they are trying to work on their teeth.  I can't say that my kids good behavior is a direct result of homeschooling but it sure makes me happy to hear it!

Lets see, next we had to pick up some "Mapp Gas" for Daddy, since he was fixing our faucet in the bathroom.  The kids got to help him and so they did some real hands-on learning today.  They had to cut a hole in the drywall to get to the plumbing, and well, I didn't stick around but pretty much everyone else had a hand in the repair.  Yeah!  No more leaky faucet.

One of my kids has been very interested in herbs lately, and has started making homemade essential oils.  This is pretty neat too.  She wants to grow her own and learn how to process them and learn all the healing properties.  She is reading everything she can get her hands on, and has already picked out seeds which we will be planting in our "indoor greenhouse" soon. 

The kids have made Valentine decorations and cards this week, and have made "treasure rocks" which you make out of a flower/coffee ground dough, then put a treasure inside and bake them.  Can't wait to see how well those are received by their friends!

We are getting ready to do a drivers permit test soon~ my oldest.  Oh, how I long for the country for a better place to teach her how to drive! 

I guess this doesn't sound like the most exciting time, but then again, you know my motto:  Homeschooling Is Life!

Nancy

Please stop over at my regular blog for a CONTEST!!!  I am featuring my friend Heather from the Patchwork Heart, and she and I both are giving away a treat for a lucky person who comments.

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Oh, I am sure you have heard that joke about the blonde who wondered what happened to the sun after it went down, and then one morning it dawned on her...

Sorry!  I'm kinda blonde, and have three blonde kids so I have a license to tell blonde jokes, ok?

All that silliness just to talk about our day.  What do we DO all day?  What kind of schedule do we have?  I know this has come up before, but new homeschool mom's keep asking this question.  So, let me tell you about today for instance.

Today I got up and took one of my daughters (little Red) to the store with me.  We had been gone a week or more on family business so we were out of everything edible.  Our dear friend who is a grocery clerk asked us over and over why my daughter wasn't in school today and I said it was because of a parent-teacher conference.  That is what I call it when I talk to myself.  :)  Anyway, little Red and I planned out a few meals and got some yummy healthy snacks and even some NEW veggies to try.  (Brussel Sprouts!)

When we got home we had a pow-wow with the rest of the gang and I told everyone my plan for the day.  We still had Christmas decor to take down from outside, and so we worked on that, cleaned the front yard and were THRILLED when it was all done.

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