Jan. 8, 2008 - "Life" update from Heather Idoni of HomeschoolingBOYS.com

Nov. 27, 2006 - 10 Creative and/or Useful Gift Ideas for Kids for Christmas

  
  10 Gift Ideas for Your Children!

  ---

  If you are like me and DIDN'T camp-out in line for 3 days for
  a Playstation III (not mentioning any names, but I do have some
  crazy friends who did!), you may still be thinking about creative
  and useful things you could give your children for Christmas.

  Here are some ideas I thought of... something for every budget!  :-)

  ---

  1.  LeapFrog Super Saver Teaching Bank - Oh, to be a kid again!
  This would have been on my list.  :-)  From the product info:  "Kids
  set a personal saving goal and with every coin they drop into the
  bank they hear the coin name, value, a fun fact and the total savings
  amount. The goal meter on the animated LCD screen lights up as
  they save their way toward their goal. They learn valuable lessons
  about math, money and even early addition and subtraction."  Here
  is a link to the page where LeapFrog.com has it for sale for $17.99:

  http://www.FamilyClassroom.net/LeapFrogBank.html

  2.  Design your own Lego set! -- If you have a creative and inventive
  child, Lego now offers a customized set based on your OWN design!
  Maybe Dad can design something special to surprise a son... or get
  a 'design your own' gift certificate!  Use this link to find out more:

  http://us.factory.lego.com/

  3.  Letterboxing -- How about putting together a starter kit for
  letterboxing?  All you need is a waterproof container, wood for hand-
  carving a stamp, ink pad, some cardstock paper for making a logbook,
  instructions printed from the internet, and maybe even some local
  clues to get started!  (See the links in this issue's 'Helpful Tip'
  from a reader to learn all about letterboxing!)

  4.  Music! -- Season tickets to the local symphony orchestra make
  GREAT gifts!  My boys and I enjoyed attending the Flint Symphony
  Orchestra all last year.  If you have a group, you can usually get a
  decent discount... and it's fun to sit with friends, so share the idea!

  5.  Knit or Crochet?  Here is what I would include in this kit:
  Lesson coupons from mom, grandma, or a friend, colorful yarns,
  crochet hook or knitting needles, and patterns or instructions
  printed off the internet. 

  6.  Got snow?  How about new sleds!!  Each year our children get
  big, colorful new sleds.  We go for the cheap $10 version and give
  them away to a thrift store or just throw them out in the spring.
  It makes a nice, fairly cheap, BIG present and gets the boys out of
  the house to play faster!

  7.  Feed the Birds -- What about a bird feeder kit?  You can put
  together a big box of peanut butter, seeds, fruit, nuts, popped
  popcorn, etc. and some jars and string.  They can build their own
  birdfeeders!

  8.  Family Recipes -- This would be a delight for an older son or
  daughter.  Type up all your family recipes (invite grandparents and
  other family members to contribute too!) and put them in a laminated
  homemade album.  If possible, include photos of the finished dishes!
  You could have space for future photos and blank pages to add more
  as time goes on, too.

  9.  Do you enjoy writing?  Write and illustrate a story with your child
  as the main character!  This is especially fun for young children and
  much better than the 'canned' type of personalized story you can
  order because YOU created it especially for them.  They will want
  you to read it over and over!  For more inspiration and ideas about
  family writing, visit Jill Novak's wonderful "Gift of Family Writing"
  site.  Her book would make a very THOUGHTFUL gift for your favorite
  homeschooling friend, too!   http://www.giftoffamilywriting.com

  10.  Audio Stories -- When asked by the grandparents what to get
  the kids for Christmas, why not suggest audio stories?  If they want
  to add a personal touch, they could even record stories themselves!

  For some really great audio stories, you can visit BelovedBooks.com!
  Audio books make great gifts because the whole family can listen,
  enjoy, and share the story together... and I've gathered some of the
  best-of-the-best together in my online store. :-)

  Just go to:   http://www.BelovedBooks.com

  Thanks for reading!

homeschooling home education home school

Nov. 20, 2006 - Lego Robotics Competition!

homeschooling home education home school lego robotics science education first lego league

Nov. 12, 2006 - A Charlotte Mason Co-op!

Oct. 31, 2006 - Homeschooler's Notebook - Reader Questions and Answers

Jul. 7, 2006 - Defining Moments (A Mountain Rescue)

My second oldest son turns 14 in 8 days, but he won't be home for his birthday.  He is spending 2 weeks in Jackson, Mississippi studying (read "dancing and discipleship") with Ballet Magnificat.  It is his first big trip away from home and I really miss him!  He's not one to call home, so I just grin and bear it.

By coincidence, my oldest son turns 16 in 3 days, and he also won't be home for his birthday. He's in another Jackson -- Jackson, Wyoming -- in the midst of a 2 week hiking vacation with another family who has invited him for the second year in a row.

A few days ago I got a phone call.  Evidently there had been an accident in the mountains and Ben had acted very heroically to get help for the victim.

He and Bill, my friend Jim's brother, were on a day hike in Hurricane Pass near Jackson Hole (in the Grand Tetons).  Bill is in his 40s and is experienced in mountain climbing.  They had already hiked about 8 miles in, but missed a boat they expected to take back, so they had started back along the trail.

Expecting to hike just to the boat and then eat, Ben hadn't eaten yet that day.  Also, on one climb he had lost some of his drinking water and they knew they were going to run short.

They weren't too concerned, however, because they knew the trail back and they just needed to get back before dark.  But having mostly salty foods (jerky, etc.) they didn't eat so as not to get thirstier than necessary.

As they were crossing a snow field, using their ice axes for stability, Bill suddenly slipped and started falling.  He "self-arrested", using his ice axe to catch himself, but then began to fall again.  A second time he stopped himself, but then he began to fall for a third time.  On the third slip, he toppled and began sliding face first down the mountain.  When he finally stopped his face was smashed into a rock and bleeding.  He had cuts and bruises all over his body.

Ben quickly made his way to Bill, sliding on his stomach down to where he had fallen -- about 30 feet below.  Bill immediately let Ben know he was okay (even though he really wasn't) so that Ben wouldn't panic.  Ben could only see blood all over and didn't realize at the time that most of the injuries were confined to his face.  I think his life flashed before his eyes!

Ben was very glad to have the main first aid kit along -- by Divine Providence alone.  He went to work on Bill, utilizing the training he received over 2 years before through Civil Air Patrol -- so deeply ingrained he recalled it easily.  Once Bill was stabilized, they began the arduous trek back.  Bill was in severe pain, so Ben gave him Tylenol and changed his

bandages several times.

When they were a mile from camp, Bill told Ben he could go no further.  He was just too weak and in pain.  Ben left him on the trail and hurried on alone.  When he reached the base camp, only Jim's wife, Lori, was there.  Ben dropped his pack and jogged back to find Bill.  By this time he had walked and jogged 17 miles that day over rough terrain.  He was at his physical limit, but had to go on and he knew it.

When Ben got to the place where he had left Bill -- he was gone.  He couldn't believe it!  Had he become disoriented and wandered off on his own?  There was only one thing Ben could do -- and that was to walk the mile back to camp again.

Upon arrival, he and Lori borrowed a car to go and find a ranger.  On the road a vehicle approached and Ben said he really prayed it was a ranger.  Not only was it a ranger, but he had Bill with him!  They headed for the hospital.

Bill was treated for a broken nose and fractures to the cheek bone. He received 7 stitches for a deep gash below his eye.  The frame of his sunglasses had cut into his cheek, but the lense was broken and had probably saved his eye by acting as a shield.  He had cuts and bruises all over his body, but he was in good shape otherwise.

Later that night, Ben couldn't eat -- although he was hungry.  He couldn't keep anything down and he was shaking.  All in all, he had walked 18 miles... with no water for the last 4 before reaching camp.  The adrenaline he had been running on finally wore out.  But in the morning he was fine.

There are moments that define for me what education really is.  This is one of those moments!  It was Ben's passion for learning about survival skills, search and rescue, first aid and CPR -- that prepared him for this very important life adventure.  It was true education -- deeply learned, deeply digested.  And the knowledge was there for him when he needed it.  The physical training gave him stamina and confidence to go way beyond his normal physical limits.

Bill is very grateful to have had Ben along on that hike.  He almost had gone alone.  Ben had to guide Bill back on the trail.  The bleeding and pain caused Bill to nearly be walking blind.  Ben kept his cool and went into rescue mode.

I'm very proud of my son.  Thinking about other scenarios for how this could have turned out is pretty scary.  It made Ben think about how much he loves his family and how grateful he is for the life God has given him.  It gave him a good lesson in the fragility of life.  As a young driver-in-training, it will make him think more about safety on the road.  This experience can't be bought in a box... and it doesn't come from a textbook!  He knows now he is not invincible.  Short of a personal life and death experience such as this one, it is hard to convince a teen of that fact.

Oh -- and the next day he spotted a wolverine!  Supposedly they haven't ever been spotted in that area.  A photographer who works for both National Geographic and the New York Times was on hand and confirmed the sighting based on Ben's detailed description of the wolverine's unusual hinged joint in the legs and the way it moves, etc.  His study of field guides and familiarity with North American mammals really paid off!  The park service took a report about it and they will be forwarding it to the appropriate agency.  They took Ben's phone number and said to expect a phone call about it in a few weeks. They were very interested.

And I must mention one other interesting item!  Ben was shopping in town at a t-shirt shop and neatly re-folding t-shirts as he looked for one in the right size. (It really bugs him when people leave a mess -- he didn't get this trait from his mother! Haha!)  Anyway, a lady came up and must have assumed he worked there.  She asked for his help in finding a certain size.  He said "yes, ma'am" and began to look for what she needed while he continued shopping for himself.  She had gone to another area of the store when Ben found what she was looking for.  He brought it to her, near the check-out clerk and a manager who was standing nearby.  The lady thanked him and then complimented the manager on what a fine staff he had working there, especially THAT young man.  The guy said, "Um... thanks... but he doesn't work here!"  Then she said, "Wow... well, he ought to!"  The manager turned to Ben and smiled.  He told him he has a job there if he wants it.  Ben told him he lives in Michigan, so he'd have to pass.  But he had made a sale and was pretty proud of it.

Teachable moments... defining moments... to me these are the elements and evidence of a real life education.  On the days when I'm just not sure we are doing "enough" I will remember this trip and breathe a happy-mom sigh of contented relief.  :-)

  -------

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Jul. 9, 2005 - A Listening Ear

I frequently hear from parents who are concerned that their children should read more.  Their children thoroughly enjoy audio books, dramatized audio and listening to a great read-aloud from mom or dad, but somehow they have been conditioned to believe only in the great idol of learning through the eyes.

What about learning through the ears? 

Yes, I believe that reading is an important life-skill.  But I do not believe it is more important than good listening skills.  I believe they are equally important.  Good listening comprehension fires the imagination!  And listening to a good reader teaches spoken communication skills.  It expands the vocabulary.  Seeing a word and reading it increases spelling skills, but learning pronunciation is equally important.  Seeing is good... but often hearing can be even better.  This is especially true with auditory learners.

My oldest son, who reads at a college level, will often mispronounce a word he has only read and never heard.  It is hilarious when he does this!  But it reminds me of the importance of verbal and auditory learning.

If you have a child who is struggling with reading, don't punish him by disallowing other avenues to learning.  Audio books and dramatized stories, including excellent history and biographies, classic literature, and enjoyable wholesome fiction, should not be relegated only to the pre-reader!  Audio resources should not be limited to long drives in the car or used only for falling asleep at night.  Listening should be encouraged, not demoted to a second class substitute for reading.

Also, audio listening is an excellent answer for the child who is constantly begging for a video.  We only brought videos into our home within the past 4 years and I have many regrets!  For 13 years we lived without television or a VCR of any kind.  Then, thinking we could control the numbers of videos we watched, we purchased a video monitor.  I'd like to go back to the days of non-video because I believe our older children truly benefited by avoiding it.  Video watching dulls the imagination.

A child who learns to quietly listen early in life will grow into an adult who is a pleasure to be with!  They will have learned, among other things, the ability to listen without interrupting, to listen carefully to directions, and to speak in meaningful sentences and complete thoughts.

Jul. 8, 2005 - God's Amazing, Radical, "Prodigal" Grace

Recently the Lord gave me a wonderful opportunity to demonstrate the power of His awesome grace to one of my sons.

This son phoned me at the bookstore one day and said, "Guess what, mom... I found a $20 bill in the pocket of one of my pairs of shorts."

Immediately I discerned that what he was telling me probably wasn't the truth.  But I congratulated him on finding the lost money and we speculated that it was probably some forgotten birthday money.  End of phone call.

When I hung up the phone with him I tried to remind myself to check in a drawer at home to see if a $20 bill was still there.  It is a drawer that the older boys know about... where Jim and I stash extra cash for emergencies.

That night I forgot to check, but a few days later I remembered and saw that it was missing.  Jim hadn't taken any money from it... and money had never been missing before.  I knew I had to talk to my son.

What a flashback to my childhood!!

My son was from my blood, for sure.  But he didn't have the desperate, driving need for money that I thought I had as a child... or did he?  I remembered the guilt and shame... and the loss of trust with my parents as I stole time and again and was caught and disciplined for it.  I remembered how it felt... how I knew I lost their trust so I didn't care after awhile... Oh, no.  I don't want my dear son feeling that way or taking that path!

I brought him into a quiet room away from his brothers and we sat down together.  I told him I wanted to tell him a story... and I proceeded to tell him about when I was a little girl and I had taken a $10 bill from my mother's wallet.  My mother found the money missing very shortly afterward and was distraught.  It was the only money we had for groceries that week!  I felt so terrible... and I really wanted to return the money.  But how?  I decided to make up a story to cover my sin.  I went outside to where the sprinkler was watering the lawn and I pretended to find the money under the sprinkler.  I went in the house, triumphant that I had "found" the (now wet) missing money, eager to hand it over to my distraught mother and make things right again.

Much to my dismay, I was met with an angry parent who vowed that I was lying... that I had stolen the money... and that I could never be trusted.  I sank deeper into my sin, believing that I might as well be what she claimed I was.  It didn't matter anymore.

I knew that I wanted this encounter with my son to be very, very different.  So I told him the story while holding him in my arms and rubbing his back.  Then I let him know that I was missing $20 and I asked if it was possibly the $20 that he had found in his pocket.  He immediately said, "No, mom... I did find that in my pocket."

I was so pleased that God was in control!!!  It was at this point that I got the awesome opportunity to heal a great wrong in my life... simply by treating my son (in his sin) the way that I had only dreamed of being treated.

I said to him, "I BELIEVE you."

I hugged him and sent him on his way.

Later that night I mentioned to him that we needed to put the $20 up on his "chart".  We keep a running account of the younger children's money on a chart on the refrigerator.  Then we keep the cash for them so they don't lose it.  They do this by choice, and he had already given me the $20 bill the day he had called me to say he had found it in his pocket.  They usually keep smaller amounts in their wallets, but the bigger amounts they give back to us and write up on their "account".

I had joyfully written the $20 entry on his account.  I felt such peace... such joy.  Conviction of sin was up to the Holy Spirit alone!!  I had done the only job required of me... I had lavished "prodigal" grace on my son.

I call it prodigal grace because prodigal means "reckless, lavish, wasteful".  The father in the parable of the "prodigal son" was actually the one who was reckless, lavish, and wasteful!!  He "wasted" the fatted calf on his wayward son; he "lavished" an undeserved gift of a robe and a ring.  He recklessly ran down the road to meet him.  He poured out unconditional love.  Yes -- that is what I lacked as a child.  That is what I wanted my son, yet in his unrepentant sin, to experience.

A few hours later I was preparing to read aloud a book to the boys.  My heartbroken son came into the room and burst into tears at my side.  I hugged him.  I asked him if he would like to tell me something.

"Yes...", he stammered, "I.... I did take that money out of your drawer, Mom."

What joy in my heart to see the Holy Spirit bring about the work of repentance totally unhindered by me!!!

I said this to him...

"Oh, my dear son... I LOVE you.  I am so proud of you for telling me the truth.  That took SO much courage.  I believed you when you told me that you didn't take the money because I really trust you.  I'm so glad I can trust you to tell me the truth.  I know that was a hard thing to do.

I do want you to know something.  All that I have is yours.  If you ever feel like you need money you just come and tell me.  I don't ever want you to feel like you have to steal.

And I want you to keep that money... I don't want it back.  I'm just so glad you let the Holy Spirit work in your heart."

Yes... I wanted him to keep the money.  And no one else in our household knows what happened.  I covered over his sin for a very good purpose --- so that he will never forget what that kind of love feels like.

I don't believe I'll ever deal with this issue with him again.  And for that very reason... it was worth it to be a prodigal mom.

God's love is so radical toward us... so incredibly unbelievable!!  We were ungodly, we were sinners, we were enemies.

One will hardly die for a righteous man; though perhaps for the good man someone would dare even to die. But God demonstrates His own love toward us, in that while we were yet sinners, Christ died for us. (Romans 5:7- 8)

Won't you show a little of that "amazing grace" to your undeserving child today?

Jul. 5, 2005 - Boys and REAL work