Okay...keeping up with a blog  is just not my strong suit.  I do want to update more often...and you'd think with as often as I'm on the computer that would be simple.  LOL.  But I did want to tell you about a fun giveaway at my favorite blog of all time! 

Jamin is giving away a FREE copy of Vision of Sugarplums A Collection of Christmas Cookery on her blog.  Click HERE for more information

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Well, almost a year since my last post.  Life seems to get so busy and it is harder and harder to find the time to keep up with a blog.  We just returned from a week long campout with other Christian homeschooling families.  What a blessing it was to be surrounded by others focused on getting to heaven and bringing their families with them.  I do hope to do better with keeping up with the blog, but in the meantime, be sure to check out this link and enter to win!

Enter to win the complete set of
Terrestria Chronicles
on the HSB Company Porch!

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We enjoyed a chinese dinner last night and I thought I'd share Sarah's "fortune" with you.

"Learning is less about filling a bucket

and more about lighting a fire."

That could easily be our homeschool motto!  It is more important to me to teach my children HOW to learn than what to learn.  I hope that they will enjoy learning and not just commit things to memory in order to regurgitate it on a test.

Kristina

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I haven't had a lot of time to post, but wanted to share an "aha" moment with you.  For math this year, one of the things Sarah can choose is the math box.  In the box are several dice, and a bunch of game chips.  She rolls one die, counts out the number of chips and then rolls another die and again counts out the number of chips.  She then says out loud....the first number, "PLUS", the second number "EQUALS" and the combined number. Yesterday, she said 6 plus 3 equals 9.  A few minutes later, she asked if we were going to do school today.  I told her that she WAS doing school.  To which she replied, "But this is fun!" 

Later, when Mike came home, she said, "Daddy, 6 plus 3 equals 9.  Did you know that Daddy?  Do you want me to teach you?  Mommy, Can you get the box out?"

And some wonder WHY we homeschool. 

Warmly,

Kristina

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We are  having the MOST fun.  I love the flexibility of homeschooling without the rigid structure of a textbook type curriculum.  What began as my plan for our year has evolved and changed into something that Sarah can claim as her own.

Sarah has enjoyed a co-op art class that awakened the artist within her.  She seems to look at things with a fresh perspective.  She notices shadows on walls and the designs they create.  She sees shapes in the rooms of our home and the way the rain falls on the windshield of our new mini-van.  She has discovered the differing ways that watercolor and poster paint react on paper.  She enjoys color mixing and the thickness of poster and acryclic paints. 

A trip to the Frist Museum of Art in Nashville furthered her interest in art.  We spent only an hour at the Egyptian exhibit but several hours in the Martin Art Quest, a hands on exhibit with every imaginable art form to experience.  We enjoyed sculpting on styrofoam and then using the design to explore printmaking, paper sculpture, self portraits, block building, watercolor painting with rich, wonderful watercolors...so much nicer than the crayola watercolors we have at home.  We learned that there is a monthly free art class and Sarah is excited to be a part of that soon. 

We've been blessed to join a Christian homeschool group called HEIRs (Home Edcuators Instructing Righteousness).  We enjoyed an overnight camp experience and learned a lot about the Pilgrims and Wamapanoag natives.  Sarah enjoyed participating in the "Olympics".  The team spirit was shadowed only by the Christian spirit. 

On a more traditional note, Sarah has learned to do simple math with manipulatives and her printing is improving each day.  She has a composition notebook that she has turned into a spelling book.  On each page, she wrote one letter of the alphabet.  Then she asks me for words that start with any given letter and practices writing them on the correct page.  We read every day and have been so blessed with a wonderful library at home (as well as a great library in town). 

For the most part, we are enjoying the fall weather and exploring God's creation.  One need not look far during this season to see the glory of God's handiwork.  What inspiration for our little budding artist.

Kristina

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I've spent the last few weeks on bedrest as I recover from an MS relapse.  The time has been a true blessing.   I've organized paperwork, written out our lesson plan for the year and made lots of games.  Not to mention hours surfing to find the best, most stimulating (for both Teaching Mama and child) activities and games.    I've always known that I wanted to homeschool, but it is a daunting thought as the first day of Kindergarten looms on the horizon in just one short year.  This year, we will be doing a preschool curriculum.  My main goal is to get the children used to my dictating their time.  We've always been very relaxed with bedtimes and mealtimes etc.   I expect we will always be more relaxed than most. but the lure of freshly sharpened pencils, the smell of fresh notebooks and the colorful bottles of unopened paints will go far to getting us motivated each morning!   I'm far more organized as a result of this flare up than I would have been otherwise.  God's gifts are always good.  They are always what we need WHEN we need them.  He makes all things wonderful in His time.  Are there simple blessings that you aren't seeing....for lack of looking for the good in times of trial?

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