Nov. 2, 2009 - The Simple Woman's Daybook
Posted By momto4beauties
For Today.... November 2, 2009
Outside My Window...beautiful autumn sunshine and not too cold weather as I had first thought this morning. It's perfect outside!
I am thinking...I am frustrated with a lot of things right now and am trying not to be bitter.
I am thankful for...my daughters. They are a daily blessing to me. I get to hear their laughter and giggles, play with them and talk with them. They are my daily companions and joy.
I am wearing...jeans, my Woodchuck t-shirt, ankle socks and my tennis shoes. Comfy!!
I am remembering...things from autumns past..activities with friends and memories made.
In the kitchen...nuttin' right now, but am planning on gf pizza for tonight.
I am reading...several things: college stuff, my TOS magazine, as well as medical stuff for myself to address with my endo in December. Ugh.
I am hoping...for me to cheer up sometime soon.
I am hearing...the dogs barking next door and my girls playing out in the backyard.
Around the house...are many things to be done. More on my 'unfinished' list. lol!
One of my favorite things...sunshine..any time of the year! But I love to see the colors of the trees this time of year and try to hang on to it as long as I can, before the barreness comes for winter.
Plans for the rest of the week...homeschool, continuing with my workouts, Awanas, and possibly homeschool gym.
A picture thought I am sharing.... the picture says it all. Beautiful.
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Oct. 10, 2009 - I have moved
Posted By John8ThirtyTwo
September 3, 2009 - Only 43 Spaces Left For Tonight's Webinar!
As of this morning, only 43 spaces remain for tonight's COMPLIMENTARY
webinar about "Start School Right This Year!"
I've been helping parents develop a love of learning & a firm foundation of Biblical character in their children for years. I want to share these ideas with you so your school year gets off to the right start.
That is why I am hosting a FREE, LIVE WEBINAR called
"Start School Right This Year", TONIGHT at 6pm Pacific
During tonight's webinar, I will reveal how you can use classics to mentor your kids and develop godly leaders for the future . . . strategies that you can take and use IMMEDIATELY after the webinar!
This WEBINAR is absolutely free. You will be able to see and hear me on your computer, but you must register NOW to lock-in your spot!
http://budurl.com/rlnf
Here are just a few secrets I will be revealing...
- How to make this school year different & BETTER from all the years in the past ...
- How to develop a LOVE of LEARNING in your kids ... at all ages!
- 3 ways you can instill leadership characteristics before the age of 10
- A SPECIFIC strategy you can use at home to encourage a LOVE of learning in your own family.
- How you can use classics with your kids and develop critical thinking skills
- How & why a Biblical worldview is imperative to give your own students.
- How to transition from teacher-directed homeschool to a more independent student-directed homeschool
Bottom Line...
On this 70-minute Webinar, you'll discover how to give your kids the tools of learning so they can think Biblically & critically as a leader of tomorrow.
You can get the full story here:
http://budurl.com/rlnf
Warmly,
Kerry Beck
P.S. - I have never taught this updated information to the general public before. I wanted you to be the first to hear one of the biggest education secrets!
P.S.S. - I have something VERY special cooked up for those who attend the webinar LIVE. It will be worth your while to be on.
You can get the full story here:
http://budurl.com/rlnf |
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September 2, 2009 - Free Homeschooling Resources So Your Kids Learn How to Think
 Leadership training and education is one of several instructional strategies that help raise your children to be leaders of the future, entrepreneurs in business, elders/deacons in the church, statesmen in the community - who do the right thing. These are the leaders who will make a change in our society. My plan is to use home schooling curriculum so my own children will be excellent leaders of the future.
You may wonder why one child gets an education to become a leader and someone else receives training to follow. It really depends on the instructional strategies that are used in your home schooling curriculum. A child who learns “how to think” will become the leader of tomorrow. When a young man or woman can think outside the box, when they can think on their own, and apply their knowledge to real life situations, then he or she will become the leaders of tomorrow, rising to do what is right thing.
How do you train children to think? What homeschooling resources can you use. . . for free?
Andrew Kern, of Circe Institute, says the quality of questions you ask determines the quality of your life. Leaders have been brought up learning to ask the right questions. They do not simply think on literal terms; they think beyond the literal, evaluating and analyzing issues.
Asking questions of your students is free and easy, as well as extremely effective instructional strategy. What a terrific homeschooling resource! Questions should allow your children time to think and ponder. Your responsibility is deciding which question are the best ones to ask and leading a discussion with your students.
When questions are asked, decisions must be made. As your students answer questions, they develop the habit of making good decisions. Sometimes good decisions must be made with the mentor’s guidance. Therefore, give your students plenty of practice answering questions with you at their side. Classics are a great place to start your questioning.
Choose a classic book on your students’ reading level. Have them read the book daily and write down their thoughts about the book. Once or twice a week you, as the teacher and mentor, lead a Socratic discussion. Begin by asking simple, literal questions to give your students confidence in participating.
Once you set the stage with simple questions, start asking questions of comparison. Compare two different characters or settings. List the ideas on the board to generate more discussion. Most of all, be careful that you, as the mentor, do not answer your own questions. When there is no answer for your question, rephrase your question and wait for your students to respond. Silence is great at allowing our children to think on their own.
Leadership training is absolutely necessary as one of today’s instructional strategies. Questions and discussions are the beginning point of educating our children to be leaders who can think on their own.
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Copyright Kerry Beck, 2009
You have permission to reprint this article, as long as you don’t make any changes and include the bio below.
Kerry Beck is the author of Raising Leaders, Not Followers and Teach Your Children “How to Think” with Mentoring, which outlines ways you can lead profitable, Socratic discussions and mentor your children to become a leader who rules wisely. She would like to give you a free report & workshop about Home Schooling Curriculum at http://www.raising-leaders.com/.
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September 2, 2009 - How to Homeschool for Life
Education is a life-long activity. To become an excellent leader, your children must always learn new ideas and concepts. These formidable years in your home are a wonderful and exciting time to provide a love of life-long learning. Use these learning strategies as you discover better ways how to homeschool.
Not only does an early love of learning prepare your children for future leadership, it also prepares them for independent studies in their near future. Those students who enjoy learning are one step ahead with studying on their own. Since independent studies are a major goal in leadership education, you must provide the pre-requisite while your children are young. Do you children love to learn?
Providing an environment that encourages education is the first step to building a pattern of lifetime learning. As a way of forming that environment, your home schooling curriculum should include plenty of books, arts & crafts supplies, science kits, and educational games. Of course, these items should be easily accessible to your children so that learning is part of playing.
A learning-friendly environment also includes time to enjoy reading, creating, playing and dreaming. Your schedule should allow time to develop character through work, but also include time for learning. Find a balance in your daily schedule between the development of character and a love of learning.
One of the best ways to develop a strong desire for lifetime education is reading aloud as a family. Choose a quality classic your children will enjoy and read it aloud everyday. In the beginning, simply read for pleasure. Allow your children the opportunity to interact with excellent books. Once your children see pleasure in books, you should discuss the ideas found within the story. Not only will your children start to learn from read alouds, they will also grow in wisdom as they contemplate the questions you pose.
Building a love of learning is essential to prepare your children for life-long learning and to become wise leaders. Your home schooling curriculum should utilize teaching techniques that encourage a love for learning.
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Copyright Kerry Beck, 2009
You have permission to reprint this article, as long as you don’t make any changes and include the bio below.
Kerry Beck helps parents develop a love of learning in their kids as she teaches how to homeschool. She has a free workshop with learning strategies you can use at this link http://www.Raising-Leaders.com. |
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September 1, 2009 - Why Homeschool to Develop Godly Character
Before I can develop leadership in my own children, I needed to evaluate their character. Character is foundational to be a wise leader and that answers the question "why homeschool" in our family. Wisdom and virtue are absolute necessities for leaders who change the world in a positive manner. Perseverance and a healthy work ethic must be in place for your children to think and study on their own. These must be evident in your home schooling curriculum too.
I have always wanted my children to have strong character in the Lord. My desire to raise leaders for the future encouraged me to re-evaluate my children’s strengths and weaknesses.
Take a look at your own children and determine what should be furthered in their character development and what needs to be weeded out. Begin to push your children to persevere in the face of adversity. Taking small steps now with integrity, dignity, and honesty lays a foundation for adult life.
Last, but not certainly not least, is the development of wisdom. One of the best ways to develop wisdom is to ask questions on a regular basis. Questions about your family’s readings are a fantastic place to start. As you ask questions and provide opportunities to think, your children start walking down the road to wisdom. Wisdom must be cultivated and you are the perfect one to do this for your child.
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Copyright Kerry Beck, 2009
You have permission to reprint this article, as long as you don’t make any changes and include the bio below.
Kerry Beck, author of Raising Leaders, Not Followers, has a free workshop about how to homeschool. You can get your workshop at http://www.raising-leaders.com/. |
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August 31, 2009 - How to Start School Right this Year
I love the start of a new school year. It is a great time to really think through
and evaluate how I want this year to be better for my kids than last year.
I also love helping parents to overcome problems homeschoolers face
each year and showing them how to start school on the
right foot...so this year is the best year ever.
I'd like to invite you to a LIVE webinar
I am holding THIS Thusday, September 3...
=================================
Start School Right This Year Webinar
Thusday, September 3, 2009 at 6pm (Pacific Time).
=================================
It's complimentary - especially for you, my customers and
subscribers.
How's that for a deal!
http://budurl.com/rlnf
On this groundbreaking free event, using the latest webinar
technology, I will reveal tips & strategies to give your
kids a superior education where they will learn how to think
critically & Biblically . . . for life.
I will be sharing tips that you can take and use
IMMEDIATELY after the webinar!
BUT, most importantly...I will reveal how you can use
a love of learning, mentoring and classics to train your kids
to become leaders of tomorrow - Godly leaders who will change
the world!
Plus not only will you be able to HEAR me, but you'll also SEE
and WATCH it happening in real time on your computer screen,
complete with real examples! (And it doesn't
matter what connection speed you have or even if you have a PC or
Mac.)
In case you may be wondering what a webinar is or why you
should join me on my " Start School Right "
webinar Thursday night, let me assure you it is simply a complimentary
class that you watch on your computer....at no cost to you!
Your children deserve more, so take it a step further this year and give
them the ability to lead others well and make wise decisions as a
mom/dad, husband/wife, employee, entrepreneur, church member, or
neighbor
I only have 400 spots for this event. So it's a SURE BET this
webinar will FILL completely.
Claim your spot here while you can:
http://budurl.com/rlnf
Don't delay and kick yourself later.
Sincerely,
Kerry Beck
P.S. - I have never taught this updated class before. I am adding
new information from the last 2 years of homeschooling.
P.S.S. - I have something VERY special cooked up for those who
attend the webinar LIVE. It will be worth your while to be on
this webinar, I guarantee it!
http://budurl.com/rlnf |
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Aug. 26, 2009 - High School Courses
I have two in high school this year. There are the courses they are taking.
Zarek 10th Grade
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English II - A Beka
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Spanish II – with FLVS online
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Psychology – with FLVS online
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Life Management – with FLVS online
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World History II - A Beka and Sonlight
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World Literature - A Beka and Sonlight
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Bible - A Beka and Experiencing God Bible Study
- Health - A Beka
- Chemistry - Apologia
- Geometry - Teaching Textbooks
Alexis 9th Grade
- English I - A Beka
- Pre Algebra - Teaching Textbooks
- Bible - A Daughter's Worth, Experiencing God and Precept Isaiah
- Hebrew History (Old Testament) - A Beka
- Physical Science - A Beka
- World History II - A Beka and Sonlight
- World Geography - A Beka
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Aug. 24, 2009 - Soccer Season Has Begun (and other cool weather fun!)
Posted By momto4beauties
My daughters have had soccer practices for the last couple of weeks...always the signaling of the end of summer and beginning of fall. Ugh. Hate that. I want summer to last forever...I LOVE warm weather!!! Anywhooo...my eldest two had their first games this past weekend. One lost the other won. We also had a bonfire...another sign of fall, since my hubby doesn't like to sit around a fire unless it's cool outside. And it was definitely chillin here Saturday night. We had a blast just goofin' and sittin' around talking politics and life. lol! Here is a parade of photos from Saturday's events...soccer games and our bonfire.
My 11 yr old running during her game.
Her going after the ball.
She's taking it down the field.
Celebrating her assist with a goal!
The beautiful clouds moving toward the field.
My eldest sitting with her teamates on the sidelines during one of the quarters (she has the tinted glasses).
She's waiting for the ball to make its way back down to her end of the field. She played fullback.
Running to cut off the play.
Watching as others nearby have the ball.
More waiting for them to approach her end of the field.
A view of the playing field out at The Barn.
Later that evening......our bonfire.
My twin upon her arrival to our festivities.
My hubby hiding from the camera. lol!!
My eldest two daughters opposite the fire from me.
My 11 yr old smiling by firelight.
Her being goofy when the flash is on. rofl!
The men folk around the fire. (L-R, my hubby, my twin's hubby, and our neighbor).
Everyone (except me..ha ha ha) around the fire.
The three stooges. Ha ha ha!!
More goofin' with their aunt.
Cheesin' it! Ahhhh...gotta love bonfire fun!!
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Aug. 15, 2009 - My Summer So Far
Posted By momto4beauties
I haven't blogged in a number of days, so thought I'd sit down and do just that this morning. My youngest is the only one up with me right now. My other girls are still in bed. It's 8:30...I've been up for an hour and a half though I still feel groggy. Ugh. I am soooo not a morning person!! lol!! Anywhoooo...on with my blog post I guess.
This summer hasn't gone exactly as I had planned, as far as continuing with homeschooling. We've only gotten a little done. (sigh) Seems summer is definitely NOT a good time to doing any catching up. So many things have just gotten in the way...camp, the girls wanting to go to the pool (on the days that have been warm enough), their lil girlfriends (who public school and normally aren't home til late in the day during the year and are now home ALL day) wanting to play all day with them, my oldest mowing lawns, running hubby to work each day (while he's been on second shift) so I can have our vehicle if needed and various other interruptions to my plans. lol! I can't justify denying them their summer, but really wanted to make up for all the time we lost this past year with my lack of energy and seemingly constant need for sleep. I felt like a momma bear (hibernating) more than a regular homeschooling mom. Granted, I am much better off now but we lost a lot of time/school over the year. I actually have tossed around throughout this summer the idea of not continuing in my homeschooling of my girls. I really want to continue, but I truly feel so inadequate to the job.
To make it worse, I feel 'alone' in this endeavor. Yes, I know many homeschoolers in the area, but none that I 'talk' to on a regular basis except for the occasional facebook update,etc. I love that I know they are there though (every lil bit helps)...but again...I feel quite alone. My hubby has pretty much left the homeschooling up to me...completely. There is no input, advice, etc. but he is 'on board' with me doing it. I ask for curriculum suggestions,etc and get 'Whatever you think is okay, hon" in response. I also, seemingly, alienated some fellow homeschool friends this year. I still see them, but they don't really talk to me anymore, except for the cordial 'hello/how are you'. I'm unsure as to what exactly I did/said to cause it so I am left to guess what it was. I'm guessing that it was possibly due to two posts on my blog here...one regarding 'church' and the other 'charter schools'. I had no idea how many of the homeschoolers I know are using public charter schools. It's their choice and I'm not condemning anyone for it...I merely stated my views (on my blog) that they are indeed public schools. Public charter schools work for some people, but they just didn't work for my family (yes, we tried a public charter school when first starting 'homeschooling' on our own!). I was told by an old friend (she homeschools too) that there are two things you cannot discuss with homeschool moms...1) parenting styles and ...2) homeschool curriculum choices. She said homeschool moms tend to get overly defensive about both and I have found that to be very true..especially this past year. I stuck my foot in my mouth (unintentionally) on several occasions(with different people) by stating that I dislike public charter schools (not knowing the person I was talking to was in fact using one!). Granted, I was talking about my own personal experience, but it didn't seem to matter. I was shunned afterwards. I have since learned to just shut my mouth about it altogether and let whoever it is talk and not state my opinion on it else lose another homeschool friend.
The other possibility is a post about MY view/experiences on church. It was based solely on things I've experienced at churches. I guess some took offense. Oh well. (sigh) But all of this has played into my thoughts on if I should continue to homeschool or not. It's a hard journey to do on your own, with noone to really talk to..truly talk to, about it. I have one friend that homeschools that I am very close to, but she lives in FL and I have an aversion to telephones. I definitely have to get over that dislike/discomfort with phones I guess. (I'm sorry Christy!!! Love ya chica!!! ) Her and I talk regularly via email though, but it isn't the same is it? I wish she lived next door...that'd be awesome!! Hugs whenever we need it!! lol!
There have been many days this past year I have cried over how bad I feel that I am messing up. All I can do is cry sometimes. It's my childrens' future and I think about it often. With all of it on me, it's a heavy burden and consumes my thoughts (and fears) often. Am I screwing it all up for them? There is noone near me to talk to that KNOWS me AND homeschools. Yes, I have acquaintances and people I see regularly that homeschool...but none truly know me as a person. I have tried, though I am not as extroverted as my twin sis. I have struck up conversations but have struck out and don't seem to fit in. I have kept trying though. At first I kept telling myself it was my own perception that I don't fit in. But it's been two years now and I still don't fit in anywhere. I am convinced I am going to have to make myself at peace with the way things are now. It will take time. It's times like these that I truly, truly wish my FL friend lived close by. She truly knows me and homeschools as well. I need an uplifting hug and know she does a lot of times as well.
I have, after much thinking and considering over the summer (for my girls' situations/conditions) decided to continue homeschooling though. I know it's going to be hard (emotionally)...probably very hard, but it's the best route for my girls. Two of my girls wouldn't do very well in a public school setting at all due to learning difficulties, and all of them have Celiac Disease, which would make it VERY hard (if not impossible) meal-wise in a public school. So, we will continue along at snail-pace it seems, doing our school work. Obviously, I'm not going to catch up this summer...but we'll just keep continuing with our work til we start our next year's curriculum.
I have also decided to continue going to our homeschool co-op, which offers my girls some friendships with other homeschool kids. A lot of things have changed with it, for the better, that will make it a better experience for all of us. I and the girls are looking forward to it.
This morning, I got an email update from TOS like usual. I clicked on the link and I saw a WeE-book they offer. It's called "Why Does My Child Hate To Write?" This immediately caught my attention, since I have one that absolutely hates to write and I struggle with her daily in school. I pretty much chucked writing out the window this year, with her, since it is such a struggle for her. Nothing I do seems to help her and I was in desperate need of ideas. The We-Ebook was only $.99 so I thought I'd purchase it and read it. So, that's what I've done this morning...read through it. It wasn't long at all. It had some terrific ideas that I plan on trying with her. One of them...using a tape recorder, will have to wait til I have the cash to buy one. But it sounds like a great idea! The others require no special equipment, so I'll do those first. I like the idea of her 'telling' me what she wants to write and ME writing it for her. She can already write legibly and knows cursive as well. It just seems to truly be a struggle for her to write anything...even simply answering questions on paper. However, she can answer these same questions when I pose them to her verbally. This isn't good for keeping 'paperwork' proof of work, but at least I know she can answer the questions if asked. She is one of those children that presses very hard on her pencil and writes very slowly. She also struggles with thoughts on paper, in general. (all of these were addressed in the e-book) I have only given her a limited amount of written work this year..period. But you should hear some of the 'make believe' stuff she comes up while playing with her sisters! She's terrific at it! So, I will probably try the verbal story writing and write for her. She can also type...slowly, but accurately. She is improving with this endeavor and may be an asset to her 'writing'. I will try having her type out a story or something to see if that helps her. Like the WeE-book stated, she has a big sister that can do just about any kind of work put in front of her. This is quite intimidating to her, as I have seen her watch her sister with both longing and admiration on her face...probably wishing she could do the same. She usually ends in frustration and comparing herself to her sister. I have on purposely NEVER verbally compared the two to each other. She is unique and different from her sister and know that she doesn't learn the same. I don't want her thinking that I expect her to be the same when she may not be capable of the same because of those differences. That's okay with me too.  Each of my girls are different in personality so why not with learning? lol!
Well, I've got laundry to finish so I'll stop here. I'll hop on here again soon, hopefully. Hope all yours' summer is going great!!
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