The more I've thought and prayed about this, the more I feel this is the right decision.  It is nearly impossible to divorce my homeschooling from the rest of my life...they are one in the same.  Because of that, I find that I have no need for a separate homeschooling blog.  Feel free to join me at the main blog:

http://raising-arrows.blogspot.com

Until then...

Blessings,

Last minute last week I decided to attend a homeschooling conference in Kansas City, MO.  I must admit a lot of my reasoning behind attending was the opportunity to see my friend Sarah.  But, I also love conventions.  I love how you leave them recharged and refocused.

I am currently at this homeschooling convention and thoroughly enjoying it.  One speaker that I would like to share with you is Todd Wilson from Familyman Ministires.  Most of his energy is focused on the homeschooling dad, but he has a lot to say to the women as well.  I would highly encourage you to check out his material and if you are ever afforded the opportunity to hear him speak, GO!

Another thing that has thrilled my soul about this particular conference is that all of the speakers I have heard have been encouraging families to keep the Lord as the focus and not be distracted by academics.  AMEN!

Tomorrow is my final day here and then I head home to my family (I'm missing them).  Then it will time to put into practice all I've gleaned from the sessions here!

I know I am a bit late here, but as I was plodding through emails, I found this link from The Urban Homemaker (Marilyn Moll).  It comes from The Teaching Home. 

 5 Day Easter Unit Study

Since I am late in finding this, we won't be attempting to do all the activities mentioned, but many of them are well worth the time.  I must say this is the best Holy Week unit study I've seen this year!

One thing we did today that the children loved was acting out a passage of Scripture.  I have been reading through John and thought it would be fun to do the section in John 10 about Jesus as the Good Shepherd.  This was a subject that all the children could understand and participate in.

Blake was the Good Shepherd and the wolf, Megan was the "hireling" and the "other sheep", Melia and Keian (the toddlers) were the sheep, mama is the narrator.  We are working on it to present at a celebration we will be attending on Sunday with several other families we are in Boy Scouts with.

Speaking of that Resurrection Sunday celebration...this is the first time we have not spent Easter with family.  I was skeptical at first about doing this, but as it pans out we will be celebrating with family over the weekend and then coming back home for church and this particular celebration on Sunday.  I think it will be a wonderful time of fellowship, something my family has felt lacking for quite some time.

Have a Blessed Holy Week!

Can you believe it is April already?!  That means homeschool conference season is just around the corner! 

I thought I'd share a bit about where we are headed curriculum-wise as we turn the corner into the next school year.  There are a lot of links within this post, so feel free to take a gander at them.  You can also take a look at what we are currently doing by going to the sidebar under the heading Heritage Arrows Homeschool and clicking on the links there.

Next year, (which will start sometime between June and September since we homeschool year round.) I'll have a Kindergartner, 3rd grader, and a 6th grader. 

To prep my new schooler, I'll be doing the Rod & Staff ABC Series.  I did it with my firstborn and was quite pleased with it.  Not intensive by any means, but definitely fun learning.  I'll also be doing 100 Easy Lessons.  This will be the first time I've used it w/ a non-reader.  I know that sounds crazy, but I used it w/ my oldest two children after they could read to reinforce phonics.  We only lasted about 30 lessons before I realized they really didn't need it.  Isn't that about like a homeschool mom...force something down my child's throat that he or she already knows simply because it's part of the almighty scope and sequence!  ACK!  Eventually, I will ease into Horizons Kindergarten math.  I am a big fan of Horizons for the early grades.  I'll also do Leading Little Ones to God with her, her younger brother, and her older sister.  And then she'll join us for tidbits of history and science and art..more on that in a moment.

My 3rd grader just began Rod & Staff Grammar and is loving it!  It is very independent and that is right up her alley.  She is finishing up her Horizons 2nd grade math and will move from there to Saxon 54 (yes, it is an easy transition).  She'll be finished with A Reason for Handwriting C soon and that will end handwriting for her.  She'll have enough every day stuff to keep her handwriting in fine form.

My oldest child is finishing up Saxon 76.  I think we'll be going to Saxon 1/2 unless he breezes through the pre-test for Teaching Textbooks Algebra.  Eventually, that is where I would like for him to end up, but I think he needs the pre-algebra first.  He is also going to finish Shurley English 4 sometime this summer and move to Shurley English 6.  According to Veritas Press, this is an acceptable jump.  (We use a lot of the guidelines set forth in Veritas Press, especially for our oldest.  It has proved to be a great resource!)  Our oldest will continue with Phonetic Zoo from IEW.  This program has taken our poor speller of a son and turned him into a very good speller and all with very little help from me.  It is totally audio and he corrects his own papers.  I am quite impressed.  Well worth the high price tag in my opinion.  He also doing a lot of logic puzzles and lateral thinking puzzles.  If you've never tried any of these, I'd highly recommend them!  We do them for fun as a family.  Beware, though...they can be terrible frustrating and terribly addictive!

Now, for Science...  We've tried a lot of things and just haven't been real satisfied with any of them.  However, I borrowed an Apologia Elementary Science book from another homeschooling mom and the kids and I were quite pleased with it.  Everything tied back to the Bible and our Creator.  The chapters were fun and captivating.  I'm excited to delve into our own copy!

We will be continuing Discoveries in Art.  It was a pricey program suggested by Veritas Press, but the children have enjoyed it and really learned a lot.  It came with all its own art supplies which was nice for a busy homeschool mom.  It has not been hard at all to make those supplies last for 2 children, so I am pleased about that!  

For History, we are finishing up The History of US by Joy Hakim and will start over in time with Tapestry of Grace some time this summer.  Eventually, I'd like to own all 4 volumes of TOG, but currently, I only own the first 2 years.  My son misses TOG, so we'll haul it back out this year and hopefully, mama will stay on top of the game with it! ;)

I'm also hoping to add a worldview curriculum for my oldest child.  I feel he needs to be challenged.  We are currently reading Hurlbut's Story of the Bible  (you can actually read this online for free!  It is an awesome chronological version that keeps even little ones engaged!) and he reads the corresponding section in Victor's Journey Through the Bible.  This has given him a great basis of knowledge, but he is a thinking and needs more.  We are looking into what Summit Ministries has to offer.  This kid is going to be one serious warrior for Christ!  We just need to work on equipping him!

So, there you have it...a whirlwind tour of what's in store for us for next year!  Feel free to do your own tour on your blog and link from here in the comments section!

Tuesday night I attended my local homeschooling support group meeting.  I attend a rather unconventional homeschool support group called Visionary Christian Home Educators.  The group is comprised of moms of all ages coming together for the purpose of exhorting one another in the Word of God in order to catch a "vision" for homeschooling for God's glory.

The mom who leads the group put together a "course" on homeschooling with a vision.  A lesson is provided each month that guides us along the path of discerning what the Lord would have for our homeschool experience.  This course is not for the faint of heart!

I come home from VCHE with my brain on overload and my heart on fire.  I never fail to be refreshed and challenged by these monthly meetings.  Tuesday night was no exception.

Something I gleaned from that meeting I wanted to share here.  It is something that weighed heavy on my heart from the moment I heard the words.  It is something that made me really examine myself and my day; how my time is spent, how I interact with my children, how I interact with my God.

These are the words that cut me to the quick:
"Can your children tell that their right relationship with the Lord is important?"

Do my children know that everything I teach, every disciplinary action I take, every moment I spend is done to the glory of our Lord and Savior?  Do they know that it is more important to learn the ways of God than to learn their times tables?  Do they know that my heart is more burdened that they obey the Lord's commandments than that they act "just so" in public?  As Denise Sproul says in her book, Tending Your Garden, "our goal is to raise godly seed, not well-ordered heathen."

In addition to this, do my children see me obeying the Lord?  Do they hear me speak of the Lord?  Do they know that He is real in my life?  Do they know that He is not just a "part" of my life, but that He IS my life?

In short, DO THEY SEE GOD?

Every single day, in every single thing...DO THEY SEE GOD?

I have to intentionally disciple (the name of Tuesday's session by the way) my children.  They will no doubtedly be discipled by my actions and words, but what will they be discipled in?  Will they learn to hurry through life flitting from one menial task to another?  Will they think life here on earth is only about getting the grunge work out of the way so we can have fun?  Will they think the world is all about them and what they can get out of it?  Am I discipling them in the ways of the Lord or in the ways of the world?  Am I leading them down the narrow path or the wide path?  DO THEY SEE GOD? 

I need to examine my actions and see if they line up with my words...my children are doing just this every moment of every day.  My children are watching me and one day they will be able to fully reason and realize if Mommy is a hypocrite.  Children are very forgiving, but there will come a day when they will know for certain if Mommy is talking out both sides of her mouth.  They will not be able to ignore if Mommy is saying one thing and doing another.  And if I am saying one thing and doing another, why?  Is it because my day isn't ordered properly?  Is it because I am too afraid of what others may think of me?  Is it because I have gotten too comfortable?

My children cannot possibly see God in my life if I am not constantly looking toward my Lord.  Like Moses on the mount, my countenance should reflect my Savior.  And it has nothing to do with forcing myself to spend time in the Word so I can be a better parent.  I should hunger and thirst for God for my own soul's sake.  If I am following after my Lord, desiring more, wanting to know Him more, then my children cannot help but see Him.  I should be so saturated with His Word that I am dripping gospel.  What is in my heart will be on my lips. (Mt 12:34)

I am hungry...I am thirsty...I am hanging on His words.  Lord, fill me and let them see You!

Life was simple when I didn't know but one homeschooling curriculum existed.  I somehow received a single solitary homeschooling catalog in those early days and ordered everything from there.  Ignorance is bliss.

Now, I now "better."  There are a million and one curriculums out there and I own half of them and want to try the other half. 

I am a homeschooling curriculum website/catalog junkie.  I will spend long hours perusing page after page of my latest homeschool curriculum temptation.  For a moment in time I am lured in, believing my current fancy is the perfect solution, the magic bullet, the be-all-end-all of homeschooling curriculums.  But, the longer I am there, the lesser becomes the luster, and eventually I move on to find another curriculum fix elsewhere.

And apparently, I am not alone.

Many homeschooling moms are just like me; searching for something that does not exist.  But, why do I search?  Am I convinced that somewhere out there a curriculum was written that perfectly meshes with my worldview, my philosophy on education, my teaching style, AND my children's learning styles?  Yeah right.  The only way that is going to happen is if I write the curriculum myself, and who has time for that?  I'm way too busy staring at homeschooling websites.

Maybe I am falling into the influence of my peers.  I can thank my public education for that.  I want to do what Susie Homeschool-Mom down the street does because they always look like they are having fun, or her kids got into med school, or she seems to have it all together. 

However, as I sit here thinking "out loud" about my quest, the words "striving after the wind" come to mind.  I took a moment to jump over to a Bible site I use to look up verses and came across Ecclesiastes 1.  The entire chapter would be a beneficial read, but let me just give you a few verses that jumped out at me:

All things are wearisome;
Man is not able to tell it.
The eye is not satisfied with seeing,
Nor is the ear filled with hearing.
That which has been is that which will be,
And that which has been done is that which will be done.
So there is nothing new under the sun.

Ecc 1:8,9

And I set my mind to seek and explore by wisdom concerning all that has been done under heaven. It is a grievous task which God has given to the sons of men to be afflicted with.  I have seen all the works which have been done under the sun, and behold, all is vanity and striving after wind.  What is crooked cannot be straightened and what is lacking cannot be counted.

Ecc 1:14, 15

My search isn't anything new.  Granted, King Solomon was not searching for the perfect homeschooling curriculum, but he was searching for wisdom.  Essentially, that is what I am doing.  And I do feel "afflicted".  Pefection does not exist.  All curriculums will be slightly "crooked" and "lacking".  I am wasting my time chasing after this wind.  I need to stop this vain pursuit.

But how?  I really don't have an answer to that at this point.  What I do know is that the only way to seek wisdom is to seek the Lord.  So, that is what I will be committing my heart to doing as I try to plan out the end of this year and on into the following year.  May the Lord guide my steps and yours.

When I began writing for public consumption many years ago, I asked the Lord what He would have me write.  I realized that I can only successfully write what I know.   I do my best writing about the things I am going through and what the Lord is teaching me through those things.  I made it a policy to write candidly and prayerfully about my life and let the reader glean from it what the Lord would have them glean from it..

In fact, it was this approach that lead me to write "The Me Time Myth".  That article was about me.  It was my life spread wide-open for all to see my inconsistancies and bad habits.  The reader could take the journey with me as I went from seeking self to finding contentment in my role as wife and mother.  I didn't pretend to be someone I was not.  I was just honest and real.

Since the publication of the article in The Old Schoolhouse, I got into my head that I had to somehow be a bit better than the real me.  People were going to read that article, come to the blog, and find a whishy-washy homeschool mom who was anything but the motivational superwoman they were expecting.  Instead of writing about my struggles and my successes and the Lord's teachings, I started coming up with subjects on my own and unfortunately, found myself "pretending" I was more of an expert than I actually was. 

When we homeschooling moms go to conferences and workshops, we sit under the teaching of men and women who are deemed "experts" in some area.   What we forget is that they are human beings too.  They are not nearly as perfect as we believe them to be because we are only seeing a fraction of them.  Not that any of the speakers actually believe themselves to be perfect, but we as their audience want them to be perfect.  We want to believe that someone out there has it all right and that if we follow their formula or work extra hard or find just the right curriculum, we too, will "arrive".

So, when I found myself  in a similar position as the teachers at the workshops, I felt I had to reinvent myself, lest anyone find out I wasn't perfect.  Rather than be real and honest, I decided I must offer something "more".  I was afraid if I didn't sound like I had it all together I would terribly disappoint a whole bunch of people. 

So, it is with shame and humbleness, I ask for forgiveness from those of you who read this blog.  I have known in my heart for quite some time that the reason the Lord seems to use the other blog for His glory so much more than He uses this one is because the other blog has remained a story of His working in my life.  It is the real me, flaws and all, with the Lord shining through.  Here, I pretended to have it all together, which is a big fat lie.  I can't sugar-coat it and make it prettier than it is.  The truth in this case is just plain ugly.  I was trying to be someone I am not rather than let the Lord work through my imperfections.  I can do all things through Christ...I can do nothing apart from Him.

So, a fresh start is needed.  I still want this blog to be about my homeschooing journey; however, it will no longer be what I think the reader expects from someone who has written some article in some national magazine.  It's just going to be me...the REAL me...the imperfect, constantly-changing-curriculum, falls-asleep-while-reading-out-loud, never-gets-it-all-done, desperately-leaning-on-the-Lord me.

So, you'll please excuse me while I throw out these filthy rags.

It was a year ago today we buried our precious daughter.  She was born on a holiday (July 4th) and her daddy felt it was fitting to bury her on a holiday.  I remember thinking I would forever think of this day as Emmy's day. 

I don't know St. Valentine, but I do know Emily.  She showed us what true love is all about.  She brought us closer to understanding the love our Lord has for us.  We now know a self-sacrificing love that transcends any card and candy holiday.  And even though it hurt my mama heart to let my daughter's tiny body be lowered into that grave, I know it was only her body.  My Emily does not reside in the cold ground.  She rests in the arms of Jesus.

We love you, Emily!  Happy Emily Day!

I hadn't intended to take a break.  It just happened.  Thanksgiving Break quietly turned into December Break which became New Baby Break, and next thing I knew 2 months had passed by with very little schoolwork getting accomplished. 

Since I refuse to parent, nor homeschool, by guilt, I knew we would eventually redeem our time.  After all, isn't that Why I Homeschool Year Round?  However, I was not prepared for the amazing difference that came from taking this break.

It was most noticeable in my newly turned 8 year old daughter.  In November, her handwriting had been mediocre.  Suddenly, it was well-formed and beautiful.  Prior to our break, she had found grammar to be utterly aggravating.  Today, she beamed as she finished yet another lesson in record time.  She was better able to concentrate and she has begun to produce outstanding work.  All this from a 2 month break that should have caused a setback.

Oftentimes, we homeschool moms find ourselves in a period of time that forces us to take a break we never intended to take.  Perhaps we must spend our hours packing to move our household.  Maybe it is a pregnancy that has us holding down the couch.  Or it could be a sick child who needs round the clock care.  Whatever it may be, no matter how big or how small, you can almost guarantee a forced break will come to you at some point in your homeschooling career. 

In fact, you may be there now wondering how you will ever catch up or if you will ever catch up.  You feel guilty, but you also feel helpless.  You consider sending the children away to school because you are just sure they will never recover from this lapse in their studies.  You feel like a failure.

But, you aren't.

Many homeschoolers cling to the verses in Deuteronomy that command parents to diligently teach their children the Lord's words and ways. (see Deut. 6)  Yet somehow when they find themselves in a position where they cannot teach what the institutionalized schools teach they forget all about these verses, or they unconsciously twist them to suggest parents should be more concerned with teaching their children the world's ways and what the world deems important. 

During those times when we are forced to take a break, we still have the power to teach the Lord's ways to our children.  In fact, breaks may be much more conducive to this sort of teaching simply because academics no longer stand in the way. 

In addition to this, you may find yourself, as I was, pleasantly surprised by your children's academic progress following a break.  Perhaps she needed a couple of months maturity on her to appreciate her grammar lessons.  Maybe all those letters she wrote to friends and family during our break created a more controlled and lovely handwriting.  Whatever the true reason for her progress was, the break was the vehicle for bringing about this marvelous change.  

So, rather than seeing a break as an obstacle or a guilt-trip, consider it a blessing, a chance to focus on character, an opportunity to allow for a bit of growth and maturity in you and your children.  Enjoy the break and come back to the academics (when you can) a refreshed and renewed mama!

Several months back I read of a homeschooling mama who took a couple of hours every Sunday evening at a local coffee shop to plan her week.  This concept sounded like something that would be ever so helpful, but alas, where would I find the time to sit at a coffee shop and organize my life? 

You are probably thinking the same thing.  There just are not enough hours in the day for me to take time out to leave the house, let alone by myself!  But what if I stayed home?  What if I asked my husband to sit with the children and watch a movie downstairs while I stayed upstairs at the dining room table planning the coming week?  Couldn't that work just as well as sitting at a coffee shop?  In fact, for me, it would work even better since I am forever running to the homeschooling closet to see what resources I might need.

So, I asked my dear husband to do just that this past Sunday.  He herded all the cats downstairs to watch a Western (not my favorite anyway!) and I gathered up a mountain of books, some notebook paper, and a cup of coffee (so I could pretend I was at a coffee shop!) 

Another thing I gleaned from this woman's weekly planning session was that she also planned other things like what to blog about, people to call, items to buy, things to do.  So, I decided to make 5 separate divisions for my plans:  Meals, School, Homekeeping, Activities, Miscellaneous. 

Next, I took a piece of scratch paper and I wrote down every single thing I wanted to accomplish this coming week.  I wrote down people I needed to email, I wrote down websites I needed to visit, I wrote down all I wanted to accomplish school-wise, I wrote down places we had to be and people who were coming to visit.  Both front and back of the page were covered in frantic scribbles.  It was wonderful to see my week pouring out in front of me.  I felt as though I might manage to remember all my to do's, I might manage to get a full day of school accomplished, I might even manage to scrapbook a bit!

Then, I transferred everything to their correct section.  Lest you think I had some fancy scheduling template, let me reassure you, my pages were notebook paper--nothing fancy there! 

On the Meals page I wrote out only a couple of days worth of meals since life is rather unpredictable here.  I'll fill in the rest as I go.  For School, I wrote down all the things I would like to accomplish each day.  I also added to this section books I'd like to buy, books I'd like to sell, and projects I've been meaning to have the children work on.  On the Homekeeping page, I wrote down our daily cleaning routine and added things to be decluttered and reorganized.  On the Activities page I wrote a day by day listing of any places we had to be or things we would be doing.  The Miscellaneous page I left for those to-do's that didn't fit anywhere else.  This included things to blog about, thank yous to write, people to call, etc.

This morning, I opened the notebook I had put these pages in and laid it out on the counter where I could readily reference it throughout the day.  I could also add to it or subtract from it as needed.  It worked wonderfully!  I felt better prepared than I have in months..maybe even  years!  And you know what, that little cup of coffee and my dining room table worked just swell!  I'm looking forward to enjoying this time again next week!

Micah Emmanuel

born New Year's Day 2009

12:18 am

10# 6oz

22.5"

For the full blown birth story, CLICK HERE 

The local newspaper came out and did a story on us because Micah was the first New Year's baby in the area.  This was such a blessing because it gave us an opportunity to talk about Emily and talk about our faith and share once again our story.  The reporter did a wonderful job portraying our family without biased against Christianity. 

We are so very blessed to finally be holding our sweet little boy!

Blogging is one of those things I tend to do for me.  My blogs have become places where I can get what is in my head out on "paper."  It is a cathartic environment.  It is a place where I can think "out loud."  I am always thrilled when others join in the conversation I am  having with myself...even when they disagree...and they do disagree from time to time.  

Occasionally, I run across a blog out there that really makes me think.  (Those who know me well know that thinking is a favorite pasttime of mine.  I can overanalyze with the best of them.)  One such blog run by two very lovely, very intelligent young women is the Pearls & Diamonds blog.  You could literally get lost in their blog and end up coming out of this labyrinth of intellectually, theologically stimulating topics with tons to mull over.  All this from two women who are in their early twenties.

They recently awarded me 3 Awards; however, lest you think I am only singing their praises because they so graciously gifted these awards, let me tell you a little bit about these two ladies...

First is Lauren.  The very little time I have spent with her has been such a blessing to me.  Her heart is on her sleeve and her eagerness for all things spiritual is apparent.  She doesn't mind getting her hands dirty or simply sitting and chatting while her hostess goes through endless tubs of children's clothes.  (I was soooo grateful for the distraction!)  She is an amazing woman and a joy to be around.

And then Abigail.  I met Abigail at a homechurch we attended for 2 1/2 years before moving in August of 2007.  She is the woman I pray my daughters become.  She is talented, but not prideful.  She is beautiful, but not arrogant.  She is her father's daughter in training to someday take the reigns of her own household under the headship of her own husband.  We could talk, sing, and laugh for hours despite the age and circumstances-of-life differences between us.  I cannot help but smile when I think of her.

I am not one to give out idle compliments, so these ladies are well-deserving.  I am also not one to give out awards.  However, I did want to hand off one of these awards. 

The Marie Antoinette Award is for people who write about real stuff.  I was recently gifted this award on my other Blog as well by Regina of Skeeter Creek Farm.  Now, lots of people write about real stuff, but not a lot of people take that real stuff and and sculpt it and mold it into something that is going to make me think, make me a better person, really encourage or motivate me to do something, ask me to dig deeper.  That's REAL STUFF to me.  So, with that in mind, I would like to give this award to:

Lynnette at Dancing Barefoot on Weathered Ground

and

Rachel at Finding Joy 

And please, take a moment to check out the fine blogs I've mentioned here.  You will not be disappointed!

I had never heard of a Jesse Tree until this year.  I had some vague understanding that it was kind of like an Advent devotional and you used some sort of ornaments with it, but it wasn't until I ran across Sheri Graham's 12 Holiday Planner that I gained a better understanding of just what a Jesse Tree is.

This Holiday Planner caught my eye in an email from Marilyn Moll (knows as the Urban Homemaker).  I listened to her interview with Sheri Graham and perused some of the sample pages of this ebook and decided it would be a tremendous help to me since I had a baby coming at Christmastime and would need all the extra planning I could get.

As I was listening and looking, I realized that included was a Jesse Tree Devotional from Ann Voskamp.  I was able to gain a better understanding of just what a Jesse Tree was all about.  It sounded like a wonderful way to celebrate the coming of Christ.

Basically, a Jesse Tree follows the lineage of Christ and God's plan of salvation from Adam to Christ's birth, starting on November 30 and ending on Christmas Day.  There is Scripture reading that starts in Genesis and culminates with the Christmas story found in Luke.  To help solidify the pieces of this grand plan in our little ones' heads, there are colorful ornaments for each reading that are placed on a tree...a Jesse Tree.  For us, this tree is our Christmas Tree.  I would like to someday have a separate tree to represent our Jesse Tree, but for now, the ornaments are a nice addition to our family tree.

Another thing I would like to do someday is make our own ornaments rather than using the paper ones that we've put on cardstock and laminated with contact paper.  For instance, the reading on Jacob's Ladder makes me think of a little ladder made out of twigs that have been glued together...simple, but nicer than paper.  I'd like to be able to put together enough of these as part of the holiday season that eventually as each of my children leave our home to start their own families, they would have a shoebox full of their own Jesse Tree ornaments.

Something else I've learned about recently is something called a Jesse Tree exchange where each family chooses a day in the devotional and makes ornaments for themselves and the rest of the group pertaining to their particular day.  Then they exchange their ornaments and receive the other days from other members of the exchange.  This is a fun and crafty idea, but not one I felt I could tackle this year.  (Did I mention I am *still* working on Christmas gifts! *sigh*)

Anyway, I thought there were probably others out there like me who had either never heard of a Jesse Tree or who had heard of one, but had not a clue what they were. 

If any of you have actually made your own Jesse Tree ornaments I would love to see pictures!

You'll notice on the sidebar, that there is a link to another Raising Arrows Blog.    For those of you new to this blog, I thought I would clarify the difference between the two blogs and what you can find here as opposed to what you will find on the other one.

Oringinally, this was the only blog I had.  I started this blog as a place to write and nothing more.  I never intended it to be widely read.  I love to write.  I love the way words sound and feel in my mouth.  I like knowing the etymology of words.  I like how they look on the page.  I like the pictures they create in the mind.  This was a place for me to think through things and then write them out.

As more and more people began reading the blog, I felt I needed things to look nicer here...better presentation would maybe be the correct term.  However, all I know of HTML, I taught myself, and honestly, I know very little.  I decided to leave Homeschoolblogger and move to eBlogger where the templates were a little easier to work with and my limited knowledge of HTML was enough to create a blog that felt more like me.  And then, Emily died.

I knew the blogging community here would have no way of knowing if I didn't post.  After all the love and support through her hospital stays, I could not just ignore my homeschoolblogger readers.  However, eventually I was no longer able to keep up with both blogs and I decided to let this blog go.

God had other plans.

About a month after announcing I was leaving this blog behind, I began to realize that God was placing a distinct desire within me to step outside my grief and begin thinking and talking about other things.  That was a hard thought for me to grasp and accept.  Wouldn't I be dishonoring my daughter by not grieving for her every second of the day?  However, what I realized was that I was actually honoring her memory by stepping back into life, caring for her siblings, and doing many of the things God had called me to...even if they were on a much smaller scale.  So, I stepped back into this blog with this post: http://www.homeschoolblogger.com/Raisingarrows/508195/

From there, this blog became a strictly homeschooling blog.  I had already established a "life" at eBlogger.  My deepest, darkest moments as a grieving mother were happening there.  So, I separated the two as best I could; although, you really cannot completely separate the grief side of me from the homeschooling mom side of me...they are one in the same and both shine through in nearly every conversation I have.  But, I wanted this blog to be a place where I talked more homeschooling than anything.  And with that, my other blog naturally became a place where I talked more about every other aspect of my life (because believe it or not, I do like to write about things other than homeschooling on occasion  )

So, here, you will hopefully find encouragement and a place to flesh out new homeschooling ideas while gaining a few giggles and the knowledge that someone else is in the trenches with you. 

The Raising Arrows site on eBlogger is more about the rest of who I am.  There, you will find more of my family, more of my grief, more of my other passions, with only a smattering of homeschooling mixed in (because once again, you just can't separate the two worlds).

So, please, nose around here all you want and come visit the other site as well.  And...

Let the words of my mouth and the meditation of my heart be acceptable in Your sight, O LORD, my rock and my Redeemer.

Psalm 19:14

In the 6 years I've been homeschooling and the 3 different areas of the state I have homeschooled in, I have found that no two homeschooling groups are alike.  However, each one I have been a part of has served a purpose in my life and the lives of my children at that particular time. 

If you are in a large city, your choices may be so numerous you find yourself overwhelmed.  Likewise, you may be in such a rural area that your choices are limited at best and quite possibly non-existant.

So, what's a homeschool mom to do when it comes to discerning which homeschool group is right for her and her family or if she decides to venture out and start one of her own?

First of all, pray about it.  Specifically, pray as to how God would have you order your homeschooling life.  Ask Him to reveal to you what is truly important THIS homeschooling year and during this SEASON.  When we first moved here, I prayed for guidance and direction.  What specifically did God have in store for us?  While He did not reveal all that would happen to us in the year that followed (the death of a child and the impending birth of another, a job promotion for my husband and several freelance writing opportunities for myself), I did find that the path He was clearly leading us to was one that involved a VISION.  I knew the Lord wanted me in a serious homeschool group that was less about academics and more about a long-term goal.  Isn't it wonderful the Lord knows exactly what is in store for you and knows exactly what you need when!

Secondly, you need to ask yourself some serious (and tough) questions pertaining to what kind of group the Lord would have you be a part of. 

• Are you looking for support for yourself?  Does that mean regular Mom's Only nights or does it mean something more along the lines of mentoring?  Will you be edified during these times and come back refreshed or will you need more "support" than these groups can offer.  Are you suffering from Me-Time mania?

• Are you looking for a playgroup atmosphere for your children?  If so, is it truly a healthy atmosphere or will you find yourself buying into the whole "socialism" thing that seems so prevalent these days in order to stick with a playgroup that is eating into your time and not offering positive influences?

• Are you looking for a group that offers classes/tutoring, etc?  Are you unable to teach certain subjects?  Are they truly important?  Are you feeling inadequate and need to deal with that feeling?

• Are you looking for all of these rolled up into one group?  If so, how much time are you willing to commit to these outside-the-home activities?  How can you refrain from spending all day every day away from home in order to be involved in every single activity the group offers?  Do you know the art of saying, "NO"?

Next, I would encourage you to take these questions and your thoughts about these questions (and others) to your husband.  I suggest bringing them to your husband at this stage in the game rather than earlier because oftentimes we as homeschool moms unintentionally clutter our lives and thoughts.  If we work toward clearing some of that clutter ahead of time and then presenting our thoughts to our husbands, he won't have to wade through all that clutter to get to the meat of the matter.  Spare the guy...he has enough to worry about. 

When you go to your husband, be prepared for him to suggest a completely different direction.  Be open to his leading.  Men are often very good at seeing the big picture while we women dwell on the little things that make up the big picture.  Remember, he is the head of your household and may have definite ideas about the direction he would like for the family to head.  The two of you can brainstorm from there.  A common goal is a wonderful thing.  Make sure you and your husband share a common goal in homeschooling...they are his children too!

NOW, research your options.  It is very difficult to change gears when you already have your heart set on a certain thing.  Narrow your homeschooling vision and THEN look for a homeschooling group that works to further this vision.  Does the type of homeschooling group you believe the Lord would have you be a part of not exist?  Consider the possibility that He is leading you to start a group that serves that purpose.  That is exactly how the homeschooling group I am a part of started.  One woman who caught a vision, prayed about it, brainstormed with her husband about it and eventually compiled an awesome amount of material to share with other moms.  I come away from each monthly meeting refreshed and rejuvenated!

One quick word of caution...do not lock yourself into a particular group until you have been a few times and are sure this is where the Lord would have you.  No group should require immediate upfront committment.  You should "try before you buy."

There are days when I feel like Superwoman.  I get everything on my list accomplished, school goes without a hitch (or without any hitches I'm not able to handle in record time), the laundry is done up, the dishes are done up, the house is relatively clean, and I even manage to find the time to read a book...to myself!  These are the days when I feel I have arrived and I nearly break my arm patting myself on the back.

However, these days are few and far between.  More often than not my superwoman cape hangs dirty and wrinkled at the back of the closet. 

As this pregnancy progresses (only 6 weeks to go!), I am finding that my Superwoman days may be all but over for a time.  My hips are now loosey-goosey and just getting off the couch or standing to cook dinner pose serious threats to my well-being.  I have to do things in jerks and stops, bits and pieces, half baby steps at a time.

Lately, I've been contemplating how I feel about this way of doing things.  I first noticed I was slowing down at about 31 weeks.  I was upset that it was happening so soon.  However, when looking back through my pregnancy journals, I realized that this particular time frame seems to be normal for me...how easily I forget from one pregnancy to the next. 

Now, as I sit here at nearly 34 weeks, I've begun to accept this slowing.  But, there is one tiny glich...the holidays are upon us!  How can I waddle through the holidays like this?  How will I ever get anything accomplished?  Where is that Superwoman cape???

And that's when it hit me...

I am slowing during a season when I *should* be slowing, not speeding up.  The house, the homeschooling, the desire to be Superwoman all need to take a backseat to what (or rather WHO) is number one.  In fact, this doesn't just apply to the next couple of months...this is TRUTH ALL YEAR LONG.

I think the Lord only allows so many Superwoman Days because otherwise we would never find ourselves in a place where our lives nearly come to a halt because we just can't keep going and the only thing we can do is surrender.  Wouldn't it be wonderful if we just surrendered from the get-go?

Lord, even if today is a Superwoman Day, make my heart hear YOU.  Lead me to understand that YOU are my strength.  And if today is not a Superwoman Day, I praise You for that as well because it keeps me humble, teaches me to fully surrender to You, shows me the important things.  Amen.

The older I get and the older my children get, the more I find myself thinking about how I perceived the world when I was their age.  My oldest child is a 10 year old 5th grader, and I can clearly remember much of what I felt and thought as a 5th grader.  In many ways, it does not seem all that long ago.

As I continue down this meandering thought path, I begin to age my children and consider how I viewed my parents and my peers and the events of my life as I went from middle school to high school to college.  And then, suddenly, I am petrified!

What will my children remember of me? 

They are getting old enough to begin forming their own opinions of who their mama is.  They will soon be able to put words to their feelings.  Granted, their opinions will be immature at best, but children do have an uncanny knack for spotting hypocrisy a mile away. 

A year or two ago, I did an online Bible/book study on Homeschooling with a Meek & Quiet Spirit by Teri Maxwell.  As I thumbed back through this book recently, I found in the margins where I had scrawled, "I want my children to remember me as a gentle mother."

That thought brings tears to my eyes.  Have I gained any ground in my quest to be gentle toward my children?  Do they see how hard I try?  Do the gentle tones outweigh the irritated ones?  Will they say I was gentle?

Emily's death 8 months ago drastically changed our family.  I felt I owed it to her and God to parent my remaining children with love and gentleness beyond measure.  While working through the emotions of losing a child has not exactly lent itself to being gentle, I am able to look from this side of things back to the mother I was over a year ago and see that who I was and who I am are very different...a good different...a growing different.


In fact, I can look a year beyond that and see a different mama.  I can look all the way back to the mama of one little boy age 18 months.  That mama was stressed and tired.  She cried herself to sleep many nights because of how she had treated her son during the course of the day.  She did not want the Lord to bless her with any more children because she didn't feel she was any good at parenting the one He had already blessed her with.

But the Lord grew her up.  Little by little, piece by piece, moment by moment.  She's not perfect by any means as she stands here 9 years and almost 5 children later, but she's closer to being that gentle mama she hopes her children remember her being.

I have to admit, I would LOVE to win this!  But, here are the details so everyone else has a chance as well.  

designer G's is giving away a free blog design in conjunction with the Homeschool Blog Awards (see the link in the sidebar to nominate your favorite homeschooling blogs!)

What fun it would be to have a real live blog designer make this blog look beautiful rather than my html-by-accident way of doing things!

The Basics

Part 3 of Homeschooling Daughters 

So, where do we begin with the teaching of our daughters?  Same place we should start with our sons...the basics.  But, what are the basics?  What the basics are will depend greatly on your worldview, so I would encourage you at this juncture to really examine who/what you want to glorify. 

Is it man?  All that man can learn and accomplish.  How "smart" he can be?  Are you hoping to be able to some day "show off" your child as a showcase of the human race?  Might wanna rethink that one.

As Christians, we are to glorify GOD.  Our children should reflect HIM.  Everything we do should be God-honoring.  What I am about to say is controversial, but I do believe it to be the absolute truth...

If you NEVER teach a day's worth of math, science, history, etc., yet you teach your child to honor and love the Lord, you will have done well.

It is here, I want to take a moment to give you something to chew on:

 

HAVE I BEEN EDUCATED?
by Carolyn Caines  

If I learn my ABCs, can read 600 words per minute, and can write with perfect penmanship, but have not been shown how to communicate with the Designer of all language .... I HAVE NOT BEEN EDUCATED. 

If I can deliver an eloquent speech and persuade you with my stunning logic, but have not been instructed in God's wisdom.... I HAVE NOT BEEN EDUCATED.

If I read Shakespeare and John Locke and can discuss their writings with keen insight, but have not read the greatest of all books -- the Bible -- and have no knowledge of its personal importance... I HAVE NOT BEEN EDUCATED.

If I have memorized addition facts, multiplication tables, and chemical formulas, but have never been disciplined to hide God's Word in my heart .... I HAVE NOT BEEN EDUCATED.

  If I can explain the law of gravity and Einstein's theory of relativity, but have never been instructed in the unchangeable laws of the One Who orders our universe .... I HAVE NOT BEEN EDUCATED.

If I can classify animals by their family, genus and species, and can write a lengthy scientific paper that wins an award, but have not been introduced to the Maker's purpose for all creation, .... I HAVE NOT BEEN EDUCATED.

If I can recite the Gettyburg Address and the Preamble to the Constitution, but have not been informed of the hand of God in the history of our country .... I HAVE NOT BEEN EDUCATED.

If I can play the piano, the violin, six other instruments, and can write music that moves men to tears, but have not been taught to listen to the Director of the universe and worship Him, ... I HAVE NOT BEEN EDUCATED.

If I can run cross-country races, star in basketball and do 100 push-ups without stopping, but have never been shown how to bend my spirit to do God's will, .... I HAVE NOT BEEN EDUCATED.

If I can identify a Picasso, describe the style of da Vinci, and even paint a portrait that earns an A+, but have not learned that all harmony and beauty comes from a relationship with God, .... I HAVE NOT BEEN EDUCATED.

If I were to graduate with a perfect 4.0 and am accepted at the best university with a full scholarship, but have not been guided into a career of God's choosing for me, .... I HAVE NOT BEEN EDUCATED.

 If I become a good citizen, voting at each election and fighting for what is moral and right, but have not been told of (or believe) the sinfulness of man and his hopelessness without Christ,... I HAVE NOT BEEN EDUCATED.

However, if one day I see the world as God sees it, and come to know Him, Whom to know is life eternal, and glorify God by fulfilling His purpose for me, THEN I HAVE BEEN EDUCATED!  

~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~

 So, back to the basics.  The list I am about to give you is MY list.  It is what I believe to be the basics according to a Biblical worldview.  Your list may look much different, but truly consider why you put certain things on your list as basics before you move forward with calling them basics.

So, here is my list:

BASICS FOR MY DAUGHTERS

1)  TEACH HER TO FEAR THE LORD.

The fear of the Lord is the beginning of wisdom. Prov 9:10a

Doesn't get much clearer than that.  THIS is the beginning point.  Teach your daughters about our Lord.  Immerse them in the Word.  Show them just how important the Scriptures are to you and your family.  Everything you do and say should start here.  Disciple, disciple, disciple.

2)  TEACH A LOVE FOR LEARNING

Learn to take advantage of those sparks of interest you see in her.  Help her figure out how to glean the information she needs to move forward with projects.  Teach her to use her Bible to understand how the things she is interested in can glorify Him.  Have lots of good books, encyclopedias, concordances, etc. available to her and make sure she knows how to use them.  Also, let her see you digging deeper for information.

3)  TEACH HER TO READ

She has to be able to read God's Word for herself.  A good grasp of vocabulary and the English language are important to understanding and expressing ideas.  A good way to show the importance of this is, as with everything, to model it yourself.  If you are reading and talking about books and Scripture, then she will more than likely follow suit.

4)  TEACH HER THE FUNDAMENTALS OF OTHER SUBJECTS

Math, Spelling, History, Science, etc.  All of it; however, should be done in a manner that brings it full circle back to God...remember #1!  Much of this type of learning can be done in every day life as well.  You don't necessarily have to drill textbooks to instill this kind of information...see #2 and #3!

All of these build off each other with the foundation being the ONE TRUE GOD.  Once again, if you do nothing else, teach your daughters to fear the Lord, to honor Him, to glorify Him with all their being.  You can't get any more basic than this.