We all have to find ways to embrace the learning process in our homes, don't we?

This is the latest in my décor: the phonograms for Robin's phonics program.  Some of you may recognize them as a reformatting of the materials from the Teaching America to Read and Spell program.  Paul thinks it looks really cool, but then, he's always liked more geometric, contemporary expressions.

I'll try to post other examples of how we balance our homeschooling needs with the exacting standards implicit in our erudite taste, but I'd love to see what other ladies come up with.

from Deuteronomy 17:

18 “Also it shall be, when he sits on the throne of his kingdom, that he shall write for himself a copy of this law in a book, from the one before the priests, the Levites. 19 And it shall be with him, and he shall read it all the days of his life, that he may learn to fear the LORD his God and be careful to observe all the words of this law and these statutes, 20 that his heart may not be lifted above his brethren, that he may not turn aside from the commandment to the right hand or to the left, and that he may prolong his days in his kingdom, he and his children in the midst of Israel.

Stickers can be such a nuisance, but I've got a trick of my own to get them off more easily.

Just like the old charter members of Busybodies Anonymous when opening someone else's mail,  I apply heat and moisture to losen the glue.  By breathing on it.

*HHHHaaaaaaaahhhh*

This loosens the bond, and removal becomes easier.  There may still be glue strings or detached bits to "pick up" with the sticker, but they are more apt to slip right off.  Also, the pick-up sticker won't leave behind its own residue if there is a thin layer of condensed moisture on the surface.

The key is to get it all off on the first attempt, and this may still require exceeding patience.  If the paper starts to tear, approach it from a different angle, because once it starts to rip, it's all downhill from there.

Of course, stubborn stickers lurk about, and paper tearing may be inevitable.  This is when I bring in my paper towels and lemon oil.  I think any oil would work alright, but lemon smells a whole lot better than canola.

The oil soaks through the remaining  paper and breaks down the glue so you can scrape it off with your fingernail or a razor blade. 

I know there are products sold to make this unpleasant task a lot easier, but my unpatented techinique works pretty well, and it uses what I've already got plenty of on hand:  hot air.

from Colossians 3:

14 But above all these things put on love, which is the bond of perfection. 15 And let the peace of God rule in your hearts, to which also you were called in one body; and be thankful.

Nice, isn't it?

But doesn't it seem that, no matter how much we rinse, swish, and wring, we always end up with mop water that looks like this?  And since we're reluctant to continually refill the bucket (or sink, in this case) with clean, soapy water, we tolerate it until we simply can't stand the thought of smearing even dirtier water all over the already dirty floor.

Or am I all alone in this?  (I suppose everyone else mops so often that the mop water barely turns beige.)

Well, here's a very helpful suggestion I learned when the family was mopping the church hall every week: rather than contaminating a bucket full of cleaner and water solution with a rinsed, but dirty mop, spray the solution directly onto the floor with a spray bottle.

Then mop it up with a damp mop.  Sure, you'll still end up with rinse water that looks like this picture, but at least you're not wasting a bunch of water and cleaner.  Additionally, the introduction of a spray bottle to the task makes it so much more appealing to the little helpers around the house.

from Psalm 19:

 9 The fear of the LORD is clean, enduring forever;
         The judgments of the LORD are true and righteous altogether.
 10 More to be desired are they than gold,
         Yea, than much fine gold;
         Sweeter also than honey and the honeycomb.
 11 Moreover by them Your servant is warned,
         And in keeping them there is great reward.
         
 12 Who can understand his errors?
         Cleanse me from secret faults.
 13 Keep back Your servant also from presumptuous sins;
         Let them not have dominion over me.
         Then I shall be blameless,
         And I shall be innocent of great transgression.

So this is how I'm dealing with the strata: 3-ring view binders.

No more file folders of yesteryear.  I never liked using them in the first place.  No, it's a new year with a new look and a new sense of control.

With 12-inch by 12-inch pieces of thematic scrapbooking paper and a paper cutter I can now easily distinguish the "Sewing Book" from the "Gardening Book" from the "Colonial America Unit Book", except in that case I used a page from a wall calendar on clearance.

It truly is a good thing.

Life often floods over our small world, uprooting all sorts of artifacts and depositing them in multiple piles on our project room counter.

I can usually rely on the strata having been laid down in rapid succession, so when I need something from a month ago, I know I need to excavate more deeply into the strata.

However, seismic events do arise, natural dams do burst, and the existing strata are ripped up, rifled through, and redeposited in randomness.

In either event, I have found that indeed, many strata can be laid down in a very short amount of time.

from 1 Corinthians 14:

 

⁴⁰ Let all things be done decently and in order.