This week's Heart of the Matter topic is: How does your family celebrate? What are your favorite holiday links? Do you teach your kiddos about the other holidays? Do you take December off from schooling? Imagine that this is a unit study–share your past and present holiday ideas with everyone else!

We celebrate CHRISTMAS. 
I don't really have any favorite holiday links (unless you want the places I do online shopping!)
We do not really learn much about other holidays, though my kids do know the names, etc.
We do not take December off from schooling.  Actually, my kids would get bored if we did that.  And, we are planning a Disney trip in January, so we want to get a good bit of schooling done this month.

Boring answers - but at least I found time to participate this week!

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This week's Heart of the Matter Friday Meme topic is record-keeping.  I'm going to copy and paste the questions and fill-in with my answers.

What are some of the best methods of organization that you have found to keep up with all of the school records for the year?  Well....... as co-creator of The Schoolhouse Planner (TOS), I would be remiss if I didn't tell you what a wonderful planner this really is!  We have included forms for both homeschooling and running your household, so it's all together in one place.  And, we have even more great ideas for next year's planner - so if you like this one, you'll definitely want to check out the new, improved version, coming in 2009!

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This week's Heart of the Matter Friday Meme topic is to share about our children's extra- curricular activities and to tell if they are a help or a hindrance in our lives.....

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*Let me just preface this post by saying a few things - first of all, I know I'm late (it's Monday, not Friday) but somehow I managed to miss this meme on my bloglines  - and second, why are all the fun memes on Fridays?!  I may have to change the Destination Disney meme to another day of the week, becuase we've just got to spread out the fun a little, you know?!   Now, onto my post......

Most of what we are planning to use for this year's school is already posted in my sidebar.  We have "lightly" started school this year, having 10 days in so far (7 academic days and 3 field trip days).  Despite my best laid plans, God continues to amaze me by throwing in HIS plans!  Maybe one of these days we'll actually get going with a more "fixed" schedule; but so far, it hasn't worked out.  I keep saying "maybe tomorrow....."

For Ashley, we are using Where the Brook & River Meet unit study.  However, after about the first week, she realized that the history included in this study just wasn't going to be "her thing".  I love the flexibility that is homeschooling!  We decided to continue on with our study through the Mystery of History volume 2.  And, I found that volume 3 is now available, so I went ahead and ordered that as well!  We love the Mystery of History, so she's excited and happy that it worked out this way.  She is also doing Videotext Algebra (starting with module c) and Apologia's Exploring Creation with Biology.  In addition, we're going to add Latin this year (Latina Christiana I) and some electives -  such as Child Development (if all goes as planned.

For Gracie, we are continuing with Abeka for math (Arithmetic 4) and language (God's Gift of Language A).  She is also doing Modern Curriculum Press Spelling D (I just realized there's a misprint in my sidebar!), handwring copywork by Ginny, Christian Kids Explore Biology, Prima Latina, and a mix of things for history and geography.  For reading, we are working through the Little House books this year, and very lightly using The Prairie Primer.

We are really looking forward to this school year and, so far, we're very pleased with the choices that we have made.  I've been known to change mid-year though, so we shall see......I find it interesting to read what everyone else is using - there is just so much available to homeschoolers these days - and I love to hear what people like and dislike. 

 If you would like to read what others are using this year, please check out The Heart of the Matter's Friday meme.

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This week's topic is to share our FAVORITE BOOKS.  Now that's a bit general for someone who is reading all the time (or at least in the little bit of spare time I make for myself each night before bedtime).  I've read some great books lately, so I'd encourage you to read down through my recent blog posts or click on the links in my left-hand sidebar to find out more about some of the books I've  been reading.

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The Heart of the Matter has been having some great topics for their Friday meme.  Unfortunately, I haven't take the time to do them!  I did want to briefly touch on last week's topic~How I Got Started Homeschooling~ before moving onto today's.....

(I think I've shared some of this  before, so I'll be brief)  Not long before Ashley was to enter kindergarten, there were alot of "issues" with the local school district.  The teachers had  been working without contracts and there had already been a strike the year before, with talk of another one for that year.  Ashley was an only child and she was already approaching her 6th birthday (her birthday falls in November and some family members had advised keeping her home with me for another year).  I had no desire to send my baby off to school, but homeschooling had never really crossed my mind.  It was like a "lightbulb moment" one day when the thought occured to me~ hey, I could teach her at home!  For one thing, I love her and I know her better than anyone; and for another, I'm committed to her education (unlike the local teachers who were more concerned with their salaries). 

I had attended a Christian school that used mostly Abeka curriculum, so we started out that first year with a boxed Kindergarten set.  Alot has changed over the years~ we've made a few mistakes, taken a few wrong turns, learned many lessons~ but, God-willing, homeschooling is here to stay!

Now, for this week's topic~ The Things My Child(ren) Taught Me During Homeschool Lessons. I added the (ren) above, because I've learned things from each of my children, and am still learning......

From Ashley, I've learned that I can teach!  She was my guinea pig, and homeschooling worked!  She learned to read, she excelled in math;  and we did all this without me having a college degree in education.  The love, time, and committment were there, and it worked.  Now, nine years later, I'm still learning alot from Ashley and she's still my guinea pig!  She's my first teenager, so I'm learning very interesting things from her these days!  I've learned that teenagers, across the generations, really aren't that much different (though they may have different taste in guys!)  Ashley and I have a great deal in common and really enjoy our one-on-one time.  Our next outing together will be to the CHAP convention in May~ this will be her first trip, and she's really looking forward to it (add to the excitement of the convention the fact that we'll get to see the Suarez baby, and Ashley's on cloud 9!)

From Gracie, I've learned that schooling cannot be a "one size fits all".  She took a very different approach to learning to read~ she didn't have time for phonics!  When she decided she wanted to read (at 4), she wanted to read NOW, and she pretty much did just that.  I've learned that you can't (or maybe "shouldn't) hold a child back with their learning.  I've also learned that I need to tolerate a bit of a mess, so that she can create her "artwork"!

And from Ian (though he's still 2 days shy of his 2nd  birthday), I've learned that my schedule cannot rule me.  He's thrown alot of clinkers into our school days, we've had to learn to work around his naps or times of quiet (which are few and far between).  Oh, and most recently, I've learned that little  boys love to get dirty, and that dirt is ok.    I know I have many more lessons to learn from this little guy over the years. 

Not only have I learned alot from my kids while we've been homeschooling, but i've also learned alot from our learning.  In other words, I'm learning things now that I never learned in school;  or, maybe I learned them, but they didn't sink in because of the difference in teaching methods, etc.  Who knows?  All I know is that I enjoy homeschooling, and that I learn something new each and every day.  As I sit down and read things with the kids, I often catch myself saying "hey, I never knew that!"

What are you learning?

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For this week's Heart of the Matter Friday meme, the topic is to share our favorite homeschool moment.  I added an (s) to the end of my title here, because how can I narrow it down to just one thing?!

First of all, my favorite thing about homeschooling is being at home with my kids.  So, almost every day, there is something that happens that makes me so glad that we chose to follow God's leading and homeschool.  Obviously, we're not "homeschooling" Ian yet~ he's not even 2;  but every time he says a new word or comes off with some new sign or impressive  trick, we're all there to witness it and to cheer him on.  I've often heard parents comment how they love being home  because they don't miss out on these milestones with their little ones.  I think my girls would be glad for the exact same thing~ they are here to witness all these exciting things that Ian is learning each day, and I think they really appreciate that.

One of my all-time favorite homeschool moments is when each of my girls read on their own for the first time.  Thanks to homeschooling, they each learned to read at different times, using very different means, but the result was the same.  Reading is so exciting! 

There have been many other similar "breakthrough" moments~ when you finally "get it" with some math concept, when you get 100% on that science test (especially when you thought that the science chapter made no sense!), when you go on those oh-so-fun field trips. 

Yes, basically I just love homeschooling~ most moments are my favorites! 

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Our topic for this week's Heart of the Matter Friday meme is to share our favorite homeschool product.  To narrow it down to just one thing would be nearly impossible for me!  I love it all!  If you look at my list of curriculum we're using this year (in my left sidebar)~ I love all that stuff!  I'm anxious to make my list for  this year's convention, to try some new things, and find even more to love.  I just love homeschooling and there are SO MANY resources available for us now~ it's wonderful.

Since I've been busy this week trying to "find my way around" my new job, I'm going to share the product that's been on my mind all day, every day, this week (including my dreams!)...........
E-BOOKS!

I love E-Books and I've got a TON of them.  So, to go along with my love of E-Books, I have to share just a few more of my "loves":

• my computer~ without it, I wouldn't have access to all these E-Books
• CD-R and CD-RW discs~ they come is so many great colors and designs now!  LOL  I save alot of my books on them.
• my Fellowes PB55 comb-binding machine~ for those E-Books that you just NEED to print out!  And, let me tell you, this machine has seen ALOT of work this year!

I'm anxious to read about YOUR favorite homeschool product!

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This week's meme topic at The Heart of the Matter is to share about WHERE we do our homeschooling.  Our dining room also serves as our homeschool room~ and, because it's overflowing with school stuff, I tend to shy away from inviting guests over for a meal (as much as I love to cook and entertain!)~ so I long for a little bit larger home and a schoolroom of our own!  Those of you who have your own schoolroom, consider yourselves so very fortunate!

In our dining room, in addition to my locally-made dining room suite (table and china cabinet), we have 3 bookshelves (containing books and other homeschool supplies), 2 desks with computers (one for the family and one just for the kids), and currently, I have an extra table set up with my sewing machine on it (where I've been working on some small sewing projects and also a quilt for my son).  Even our heater (which is an old radiator covered with a nice wood and tin cover) houses homeschool supplies!  It's ridiculous, really! 

Years ago, we tried desks.  But, to us, that was way to "school at home" rather than home-school.  Ashley was always much more comfortable right beside me at the dining room table, and Gracie has followed in that same trend.  So, we do school on the table all day;  then clear it off and eat supper there in the evenings!

I should also mention our "travelling schoolhouse"~ yes, if we can't get it all done at home, we do sometimes take school "on the road" in our van.  Hey, whatever works, right?

I'm enjoying reading about where others do school!  Fun topic! 

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"Education is not the filling of a pail, but the lighting of a fire."- William Butler Yeats

TODAY, the Heart of the Matter wants us to share our thoughts on the above quote.  I read through everyone else's thoughts~ some of them are pretty deep~ to the point that I thought I might just sit this one out.  But, that wouldn't really be right.  So, here are my simple thoughts......

If I take a pail, and start to fill it, it will eventually get to the point where it is full, and any remaining water I try to put in it will just overflow.
However, if I light a fire, and allow it to burn, and am continually feeding that fire with new fuel, it will burn and burn and burn.......

Now, when I think of these analogies in regards to my children and our homeschooling, of course I am going to wish that I am continuing to feed their fires (their desires for knowledge) with more and more fuel, so that they are continuing to learn and to desire to learn~ to the point where that fire is never extinguished~ and maybe they will one day be the ones feeding someone else's fire with fuel~ while their own fire continues to burn and  burn.  Does that make any sense? 

On the other hand, if I'm just doing filling, and we eventually get to a point of being full, what happens?  The learning (and the desire to learn) just stops.  Well, I'm almost 38 and I still have an intense desire to learn!  That's why I sit down with my girls and do history with them each day~ I love history and it's an area of learning where I don't think I'll ever get filled!  Science, on the other hand, I'm not that interested in;  however, I make a conscious effort to be filled, right alongside of Ashley, because I don't want to extinguish her desire to learn (even if science isn't an area of interest for either of us). And you know what?  Some days, as we're reading, I see a light going on~ either for her or for me, and I think "wow!  this is really interesting and exciting!  and so worth it!" 

I've also come to realize that there comes a time when I don't even have to be feeding the fire any longer.  If I've started it, and worked to build it up to an intense heat, then the fire will feed itself.  In other words, if I've given my kids enough of a passion for learning, they're going to take that passion and that desire and run with it.  Then, it becomes my job to simply facilitate that learning~ make it possible for them to have access to whatever they need to learn, but not so much for me to teach.  My desire for my children is that they will continue to learn, long past the time when our homeschooling days have come to an end.  I've come to realize that there is always something new to be learned~ a new skill or whatever~ and if our minds are alert and awake (being used) we can learn anything we so choose.

I'd be interested in reading your thoughts on this quote. 

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