Thursday, January 31, 2008 Wednesday Art Class
We had Art Class yesterday afternoon. This week, I did two lessons from Artistic Pursuits, K-3, Book 1 for the boys' class. Now, these boys are 4th -5th graders, but the K-3 book has fun projects that introduce art concepts, so as in many situations when you homeschool - just disregard the grade designation on the book if it fits your purposes!!! We talked about FORM as opposed to SHAPE, and created 3-D paper sculptures of animals. Note to self - make a sample of such projects before class! We started out using construction paper, but it was too flimsy for this project, so we had to discard the creations halfway through and start over with colored card stock, which worked much better. We did use construction paper for the details, though. For the second project, we talked about IMAGINATION, and they drew a place they would like to go. They sketched first with pencil, then colored with watercolor crayons, which dissolve into paint when a wet paintbrush is stroked over the colors on the paper.
For the girls, I did a lesson on LINE from the Artistic Pursuits Senior High Book. I am going to move down to the Junior High Book, again because I think it gives more foundation in technique, but I had to order that book and it only just arrived. But the girls learned a bit about line and practiced making different kinds of lines with their HB and 4B drawing pencils. They did 10 min. sketches of interesting objects, and then tried their hand at self-portrait line drawings from a photograph. This was a little more difficult for them, I think because they want themselves to lood good! And they couldn't quite get it to look the way they wanted. But overall, they did a really good job and hopefully will see lots of improvement in their drawing skills over time. It will be interesting to compare drawings done now with ones done a year from now. ( hopefully they'll like the changes they see! )
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Monday, September 3, 2007 Week 3
This was our 3rd week of school. We had to squeeze work into 3 days, since Thursday was our field trip and Friday was TOG Co-op. But things went pretty well. We started working on a papier mache mummy case, and it is coming out great. I'll have pictures once we finish. We read more about ancient Egypt and the pharaohs and pyramids this week, labeled maps of ancient Egypt with the names of cities, and watched a video from National Geographic. To review the vocabulary words from TOG this week, I typed out the list of words with definitions to read over together. Then I made a Word Search and Crossword puzzle, using http://www.puzzlemaker.com/. Next week I'll probably make a BINGO game to review all 3 weeks of our Ancient Egypt study.
Co-op was a lot of fun again yesterday. Both Amanda's 8th/9th grade group (which I co-teach) and Jason's 4th/5th grade group do a Jeopardy game as review each week, and the kids are loving that! My group did presentations this week ( just to our small group) on the Seven Wonders of the Ancient World, and I was so pleased at the great job they all did! Then we discussed the history and literature reading for the week, read the Pageant of Philosophy dialogue that is included in the Tapestry of Grace curriculum, and started work on our tomb paintings ~ Ancient Egyptian designs from a coloring book, which we traced onto newsprint using an overhead projector, and will then paint and display at our Unit Celebration in October.
Next week we'll be adding a couple of more things to our weekly schedule. Amanda's Biology class starts Tuesday morning. It is held once a week and is taught by a homeschool dad who is a professor in the Botany dept. at NC State. The are using Apologia's Exploring Creation With Biology , which is the same book my older kids all used. The Apologia books are great for high school science ~ they are written for homeschoolers and come from a Biblical worldview. Tuesday is also the first day of Eric's American Literature class, which is being taught by a former homeschool mom who used to teach English at a local Christian school. She and her husband also happen to be Eric's Sunday School teachers this year, so that should be interesting! Jason will be starting his science class this week as well. Last year, he met with his best friend, Nathan, and Nathan's mom, Tammy, for science two afternoons a week, and they worked through Considering God's Creation. This year they are using Jeannie Fulbright's Exploring Creation With Botany , part of Apologia's Young Learner's Series.
We still haven't started Latin or Write Shop, but it is coming. Easing in is the way to go, at least for me.
Amanda's volleyball team had 2 games this week. We played against Cary Christian's lower middle school team on Tuesday, and won very easily. It was not a good match-up, as the Cary girls were apparently all first-year players with barely a week or two of practice under their belts. Our coach and girls on the bench all started cheering for them to hit the ball! Yesterday we played against Franklin Academy, and it was an excellent contest!! Our teams are very evenly matched, and both teams played hard, with our girls pulling out the win! Hooray for the Eagles! |
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Saturday, August 25, 2007 God's Provision
Our 2nd week of school went well ~ we are still not up to full throttle, but are easing in. This week we added Tapestry of Grace ~ history, geography, bible, and literature ~ to the math and chores we started the week before. Next week we add writing and science. Yesterday was the first meeting of our TOG Yr. 1 Co-op, and it went really well! We have 13 families in the group, and we meet every Friday from 9:30 AM - 1:30 PM. The kids are divided into 5 age groups ~ Babies/ PreK , K-3rd, 4th-5th, 6th-7th, and 8th -9th. Each group works separately with 2-3 moms, doing crafts, discussing the week's history & literature assignments, playing games, etc. We have a 1 hour lunch and recreation break from 11:30-12:30 so everyone gets to play and talk together during that time. My group ( 8th-9th ) played Jeopardy, using a game board and question cards I had prepared. They played in partners, with each one earning the points for their question. My teaching partner kept track of the score while I read the questions. We used this as a review of the facts from the week's reading in history, geography, and Bible. I think the girls ( there are 6 girls in the group, and 1 boy who was on vacation this week) realized that they need to pay closer attention to the details when they read, because they stumbled on coming up the answers to questions that they knew were fairly easy. So hopefully next week we'll see an improvement in their readiness!
I really view this group as one of God's provisions for our homeschool. It gives me some needed accountability and the kids something to look forward to and prepare for each week.
I have been without a car all week, since Mark's Honda had to go in the shop to have the transmission replaced. ugh I don't know if there is ever a "good" time for a big financial hit like that, but this comes on top of still paying for our family trip this spring, as well as school books and supplies, clothes & shoes ( these things just keep wearing out!), college tuition bills, a son needing wisdom teeth pulled..... Last night Mark compared our financial crunch to the story of Gideon found in the Bible in Judges 6 & 7. Gideon raised an army of 32,000 Israelites to fight the Midianites. But God said that there were too many, and told Gideon to send home all but 300 men. God wanted them to know that their own strength wouldn't bring them victory, but trust in Him alone. So maybe God is showing us that we cannot trust in our own resources, but in His provision?
I love the story of George Mueller, the 19th century English evangelist and orphanage director. He cared for over 100,000 orphans in 5 different homes, but never solicited financial support. Rather, he relied on God to provide through His people, as the Holy Spirit prompted them. One morning, the story goes, there was no food left in the home to feed the orphans. George led morning prayers as usual, thanking the Lord for his wonderful provision for them. A knock on the door came shortly afterwards, from a local baker who told them that he had felt compelled to bake bread for the orphans that morning. Then a milkman came to the door, saying that his cart had broken down in the street in front of the orphanage, and would they take the milk he had, since it would have to be spilled in the street otherwise.
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Thursday, August 16, 2007 Anniversary Quilt
 It's here! My mother, an extremely creative and talented lady, made a quilt for my 25th wedding anniversary, which Mark and I will be celebrating on the 28th of this month. The quilt was actually created by several members of mom's quilt guild. This is a very special gift, as the fabrics and patterns were carefully chosen to represent parts of our life together, and I have discovered all kinds of little surprises that were skillfully and lovingly incorporated into the design. Now I'm going to repaint my bedroom and do some redecorating, in order to adequately showcase this treasure. Mom, I can never thank you enough.
 The center is a Ohio Star, which is the pattern I used on the first ( and only) quilt I ever made, back in my college days. It is surrounded by blocks of Log Cabin, which represent our home.
The corners are appliqued with dogwood blossoms, which are the state flower of North Carolina. I don't know if you can see it here, but the there is a cross quilted in the middle of the dark green area. The strip of colored triangles above and below the center block is called Flying Geese, and represents the state of Minnesota, where we lived for four years before moving to NC. The strip of rectangles on the side is called Piano Keys.
I learned to play the piano as a child and have always loved music, and my children also have learned to play the piano as well as other instruments.
This arrangement of Log Cabin blocks, with the dark colors meeting on the sides to form a triangle, is called Mountain Peaks ( or something like that ) and represents are love for camping and our trips to the Smokey Mountains and Rocky Mountains.
As we admired the new quilt on the bed, we started noticing some things that weren't obvious at first. There are words quilted in some of the borders! If you look below, you might be able to make out the word "literature"! There is a strip of quilting near the bottom that says "A B C, Biology, History, 1 2 3, Literature, E=mc 2 ". That represents our Homeschooling! How cool is that?!!
There is also a pink strip going around the quilt with the words "Faith, Hope, Love, Charity" quilted into it. This echoes one of the fabrics used in the quilt, and reflects our Christian faith.
 Even the back of the quilt is meaningful, because mom found fabrics of the state flowers from the states we have lived in ~ Mountain laurel from CT where I was born; Mayflower from MA where we both grew up, went to school, met and got married; Cherokee rose from GA where we lived for one year while Mark was in grad school; orange blossom from FL where we lived for 6 years; pink & while ladyslipper from MN where we lived for 4 years; and American dogwood from NC, where we have lived now for 14 years!
Mom always told us growing up that homemade was the best kind of gift, and gifts should be from the heart. This quilt truly reflects mom's heart. I love you, Mom.
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Wednesday, August 1, 2007 NO TV MONTH
I have been posting on my other blog about things to do instead of watch tv or play video games during TV-Free Month, which we are doing for the month of August. You can read them at www.nclighthousekeeper.blogspot.com
I have been trying to decide what to do with this blog. I started blogging on blogspot when homeschoolblogger was having such server problems last spring and I couldn't access this blog. But now that the problems are fixed, I hate to give this one up. There are things I like about both sites. And I have over 2 years worth of entries here.
I thought about dedicating this one to homeschooling and the other to family life ~ but how do I divide those two? They are intertwined! Any other ideas?
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Friday, July 27, 2007 Time4Learning
I have found a really neat website that you can use for homeschooling or for enrichment for elementary and middle school age kids. It is called Time4Learning. My sister uses this site as her main homeschool curriculum for her 2 girls. I just signed up my 8-yr-old for the purpose of giving him some practice in language arts skills over the summer. He LOVES it! You sign up for the grade level you want for you child in language arts and math. Science and social studies are included too. When you log in, the child can see what he has already finished and what lesson is next. The presentation is very engaging, with fun animation, humor, interesting characters, and lots of positive reinforcement. The child works on lessons for a certain amount of time ( can be adjusted by parent ), and then earns "playground time", which allows him to play for a set amount of time in the game area ( dozens, including pacman, tetris, asteroids, bubble blaster, etc ) You sign up for one month at a time. We've only been using it for about a week, but I'm impressed.
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Friday, July 27, 2007 Walking 10,000 Steps
I have started walking 2 miles every morning ( have done it for 4 whole days now!) , and wearing a pedometer with the goal of walking at least 10,000 steps a day. That works out to approximately 5 miles, give or take some depending on the length of your stride. I have been reaching about 8,000 steps a day this week.... so I need to look for some additional opportunities to MOVE! Mark's employer has a "10,000 steps" program, offering workers a monetary incentive for walking 10,000 steps a day (5 days a week) for 8 weeks. I don't get a monetary reward, but I hope to lose pounds, which is just as good!
There is a website that outlines a walking program and explains the benefits of exercise ~ as if you didn't know. ;-)
http://www.thewalkingsite.com/10000steps.html |
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Friday, July 27, 2007 Sarah at Camp Tuesday, July 3, 2007 My Quest for Organization!
I'm reading/rereading a couple of books this week in my seemingly endless quest to better organize my home and my life!
Organizing from the Inside Out by Julie Morgenstern
Organizing Plain and Simple by Donna Smallin
Currently there is far too much stuff in my home that does not have an "address" ~ that is, a place where it permanently resides and can be returned to after use. Big problem with 7 people living in 2000 sq. ft. I don't have a natural affinity for organization, but I do have a very strong desire to BE organized. I get very cranky when things are too cluttered and untidy. I spend hours trying to come up with a better system!
One tip that I read today is to look at whatever room you are trying to organize and think of it in zones, based on the activities that take place there. This is like a Kindergarten Classroom, which has the Book Corner, Painting Center, Block Center, Housekeeping Corner, etc. So my bedroom has a Sleeping Zone, Dressing Zone, Reading/Rest Zone, Home Office Zone, etc. The things I need for each of these activities should be stored and arranged close to the area where that activity takes place. In other words, don't store linens/ blankets for the bed in another part of the house. Or have everything needed for dressing in the morning conveniently located close together in or near the closet. This also made me think of some of the things I currently have in my bedroom that really shouldn't be there. For instance, I have a table full of photos and scrapbooking materials, which is a jumbled mess and which I haven't touched in months ( okay, years?) I also have my sewing machine and sewing kit in my bedroom, but fabric and boxes of other sewing supplies ( buttons, thread, etc ) in the closet in the family room. hmmmm
I don't do those activities in my bedroom because I'm away from the family, and because my husband tends to go to bed early, which is the time when I'm most likely to scrapbook or sew anyway!!! SO, I need to rethink the location of those items! I'm learning some useful things that I just need to APPLY!
I recently learned that there are quite a few others like me ~ those who make detailed plans and schedules and lists and systems.... but can't quite implement them. Part of the problem is that we are always looking for something better. We are great at coming up with ideas, but not so great at utilizing those ideas. Anyway, somebody started a Yahoogroups called "Schedulizers" just for people like that, and within 2 days there were over 100 people signed up.
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Monday, June 25, 2007 Free Kids Movies
Check your local movie theater for free or greatly reduced Kids Summer Movies. The theaters in this area all have a summer series on Tues. and Wed. mornings at 10:00 AM, showing movies from earlier this year. They are free at some theaters, but others in the area charge $1 - $2. If you go to the theater's main website, look for something like Kids Movies or Summer Series.
The Marquee Cinemas at Wakefield have free admission, with two movies to choose from. They make money off the Kid's Snack Special, which is a 12 oz. drink and box of popcorn for $3.25. Still a good deal! And it is air conditioned!!! Here's what is playing there this summer:
July 10-11 Ant Bully ( PG ) or Over the Hedge ( PG)
July 17-18 Charlotte's Web (G) or Unaccompanied Minors (PG)
July 24-25 Barnyard (PG) or Flushed Away (PG)
July 31-Aug.1 Happy Feet (PG) or TMNT (PG)
Aug. 7-8 Open Season (PG) or Are We Done Yet? (PG)
Aug. 14-15 Monster House (PG) or Zoom (PG)
Aug. 21-22 Everyone's Hero (G) or Night at the Museum (PG)
http://www.marqueecinemas.com/Default.aspx?tabid=570
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Saturday, June 23, 2007 Where Do Four Year Olds Belong?
"More 4-year-olds in North Carolina will soon spend an extra year in preschool, in day care or, some fear, sitting in front of the television watching cartoons.
That's because, beginning in 2009, a new state law will require most children to wait until they are 5 before they start kindergarten in public schools. The proposal won final legislative approval Thursday, and Gov. Mike Easley said he will sign the measure into law."
This was the lead into an article in today's Raleigh News & Observer on a new NC law moving the school cut-off age from Oct. 16 to Aug. 31. Now if I was writing this article, I would have started it like this. "More 4-year-olds in North Carolina will soon spend an extra year safely at home with their mother, playing dress up, building blanket forts, learning to do chores, and singing silly songs..."
The article cited education experts who talked of the disadvantage of mixing 4 year olds with 6 year olds in the same kindergarten classroom, saying that the new law should result in higher test scores and lower teacher frustration. Oh my goodness! No mention of the fact that four year olds need moms, not schools! They need time to play and explore, to rest and take a nap, to snuggle in loving arms for a story, to watch birds and bugs and flowers in the yard. But the article went on to quote a parent bemoaning the fact that the new law will burden families with increased child-care costs.
Patrice Thompson thinks the new law is a bad idea. The Raleigh mother, whose 6-year-old daughter finished kindergarten this year, said the earlier birthday cutoff will cause more families such as hers to spend money on an additional year of child care.
"Paying child care is no joke," Thompson said.
I find it sad that schools are viewed as free day care centers; wouldn't it be just so much more convenient if schools would take kids from birth, so parents wouldn't have to make all these other arrangements for their care? How is it that the very notion of parents as caretakers, nurturers, and teachers of our children seems to be lost on our society? Perhaps there should be more workshops and education programs aimed at helping parents understand their God-given role as moms and dads.
The article ended with another disturbing statement:
Bryant said the law would do the most harm to children from low-income families who have not had proper health care or had limited access to books and other educational tools in their early years. Bryant said school systems need to work with these children as soon as possible. Although more affluent parents will be able to work with their children during the extra year, she said, many other students will be out of luck.
Since when is money required to nurture a child? This is just a bunch of baloney! I realize that there are adults out there who , for whatever reason, do not embrace their role as parents and leave their kids to fend for themselves. However, to suggest that "more affluent parents will be able to work with their children", and therefore that less affluent parents will not, is highly insulting! There are plenty of parents living in very humble circumstances who read to their kids, take them to the park, teach them their ABCs, kneel with them to say their prayers, teach them to be polite and kind to others. Being wealthy doesn't equate to being a good parent!
It is time that society started expecting more of parents! Expecting them to take care of their children, to teach their children, to be there for their children. We can start by sending the message that home - a good, loving, nurturing home - is the best place for children to be.
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Friday, June 22, 2007 Heart for the Orphan
My favorite book when I was young ( okay, one of my favorites - I was a big reader ) was The Family Nobody Wanted by Helen Doss, the autobiographical story of a young couple who adopted 12 children, most considered "unadoptable" because they were of mixed-race. As a young teen, I must have read this little dog-eared paperback dozens of times, and I still have it. I always thought I would someday adopt children, just like the Dosses.
Well, I got married fresh out of college, and having babies wasn't a problem for us. We struggled a bit ( mostly he ) with how big our family should be, but ended up with 5 precious children, spread over 13 years. They are a joy and a pleasure and a gift - and costly and frustrating and time consuming. But I can't think of a better way to spend my life than in pouring myself into raising and teaching and loving these unique gifts from God. I hadn't given adoption much thought until this past year, when I started to spend a lot of time with friends who have felt God's call to enlarge their family through adoption. http://www.jobsdaughters.blogspot.com/. Suddenly it seems that God is doing some serious shaking up of the Christian community in regards to the plight of orphans. Family Life and Focus on the Family have recently joined together with Shaohannah's Hope ( started by Christian recording star Steven Curtis Chapman ) to form Voice of the Orphan, to raise awareness of the orphan crisis worldwide and to spur Christians to action. Family Life also has their own Hope for the Orphans, to provide information and assistance for individuals and churches interested in adoption and adoption ministry. Oprah Winfrey has featured orphans and adoption stories on her TV show. Of course, celebrities Madonna and Angelina Jolie have also gotten lots of media attention for their international adoptions.
Most amazing to me is the subtle work going on the hearts of everyday people like you and me ~ people with busy families and full lives, who are feeling their hearts being pulled toward the orphan. Several people in my own circle of friends have been surprised to learn that each was feeling similar stirrings in their hearts. The need is huge, gigantic, overwhelming. But one family can totally transform the life of one child ~ giving them hope and a future that they otherwise would not have. Many families can rescue many children. Hundreds of families, hundreds of kids....
God doesn't ask us to save the world. But he might be calling us to stretch out of our comfort zone and share our abundance with one desperately needy child, and give them a FAMILY. Or to come alongside and help others in that task.
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Wednesday, June 20, 2007 Favorite Christian Family Resources
Family Life and Focus on the Family are two organizations that have provided much information, wisdom, and encouragement to me as a Christian woman, wife, and mother over the years. I used to listen to their radio broadcasts almost daily when my kids were little, but just don't have that time in the afternoon anymore. However, the ability to listen to broadcasts online still allows me to tune in occasionally. Mostly, I now benefit from articles and email newsletters. One that I receive now is called "Moments Together for Couples". It is short but pertinent, challenging me to work on my marriage and bless my husband and walk my talk!
http://www.familylife.com/
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Monday, June 18, 2007 Ten Things I'm Thankful for Today
I'm going to take a page here from another blog I read, Our Quiverfull, www.homeschoolblogger.com/ourquiverfull . Kate and Jeff Estes, homeschool parents of 7 from Greenwood, SC and owners of a homeschool business called Hands and Hearts, http://www.handsnhearts.com/, are going through some severe trials right now, including a seriously ill baby, but they still faithfully and regularly list things they are thankful for on their blog.
Do read their blog and then add them to your prayer list.
Ten Things I Am Thankful for Today
1. My Dad - since today is Fathers Day ( well, officially yesterday since it is now past midnight ); I am thankful for a Dad who loves his family and placed a high priority on family time, gave me a secure and happy childhood, and has encouraged and supported me on into adulthood
2. My husband - an awesome Daddy to our 5 children; he has a job which requires long hours and occasional travel, but still manages to place a high priority on family time, and the people he works with know it; he also loves me and lets me know it! There's a saying : "The most important thing a man can do for his children is to love their mother". Well, I'm sure there's no doubt in our kids' minds that Daddy loves Mama!
3. Air conditioning - it was in the mid-90's today, and I don't do well in the heat and humidity
4. Young Adult Sons - sometimes the cause of gray hair, but yesterday I was proud of my 2 boys who came to the rescue of Sarah's friend, Bekah, whose car was sitting in our driveway with a dead battery
5. Flowers - I'm not a great gardener, but I planted some colorful impatience, verbena, and petunias by my front door this week, and they look so pretty ~ I like to just walk out the door and look at them; they make me smile...
6. Telephones - I live 700 miles away from my parents, but can pick up the phone and talk to them just about any time I want; pretty neat
7. My Washer & Dryer - as I sit and fold yet another load of clean laundry, I'm thankful for the convenience of an electric washer and dryer; my mother remembers Wash Day and the old wringer washer when she was young
8. Summer Vacation - I just love having my college age kids home for the summer, and the break in our busy schedule that summer brings
9. Fat Free Fudgsicles - I'm trying to lose weight, and chocolate is one of my weaknesses; fudgsicles satisfy that craving and the fat free ones are only 70 calories or 1 Point on Weight Watchers
10. Sunday naps - it was a busy week, and the whole family zonked out for a while this afternoon; I don't feel guilty about a nap on Sunday afternoon like I do on other days
Have a blessed week.
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Saturday, June 16, 2007 Best Dad in the World
I happen to have the best dad in the world. Now I'm sure you all had really nice dads. But mine is the best, well, because he's my Dad! Daddy was a high school physical education teacher and football coach. He loved his school and his students, but his family was his number one priority. Daddy was stern and tough at times, but we always knew he loved us and wanted only the best for his family. My dad is the most loyal man I know. He is a man of integrity and compassion, loved by everyone who knows him. After retiring from teaching, he still remained very involved in the athletic program at his high school, and they even named the high school football field after him for his dedication. He served the community through leadership in the local Lions Club. He is a part-time bakery chef at Victoria Station Cafe ( owned by my sister and brother-in-law). And he is an awesome Grampa!
I want to honor my Dad this Fathers Day, and tell you all how thankful I am to God for the wonderful man he gave me for a Daddy. He has taught me many things, but especially the importance of family.
HAPPY FATHERS DAY, DAD!
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