Nov. 24, 2007 - I've been tagged
I"ve been tagged twice now by 2 different friends of mine. The funny thing is that even though I have 3 different blogs, I really don't go to other blogs. Who has the time? I barely have time to write on my own. So, when I get tagged and am to pass these on I have no idea who to pass it on to who hasn't already had it.
Here goes anyway:
1. What is your school name?
That is an easy one. We are Olive Branch Christian Academy. I love the verse in Ps 128 that describes the woman and her many sons around her table like the olive shoots of an olive tree. Olive Shoot didn't sound good to me so I changed it to Olive Branch. OBCA for short.
2. What steals my joy?
I do. When I take my eyes off of my Lord and onto me my joy turns to weakness and frustration. My day never goes the way I want it to or think it should, but I can still find joy in my Jesus anyway. When I let my own pride take over my day is worthless. I lay down at night wondering if I did anything that honored my Lord & showed my children more of Jesus in me.
3. Name 5 blessings you recieved this week.
- I had Thanksgiving with my husband, 10 kids, 2 parents, 2 siblings, 2 In-laws & 1 very old & feeble Grandfather.
- My husband got paid!
- My 3 yr old daughter recovered from the flu in time to go to my parents for thanksgiving...(yeah Thieves Oil!)
- My 14 year old son admitted to lying - Yeah Holy Spirit!!
- There is a christian man in Saudia Arabia who is separated from his family who is praying for me & my ministry & has received my encouragement from my writings. Yeah GOD!!!
4. What is my favorite scripture?
That one is harder because there are so many. I am studying in Psalm 119 right now so I would say that I have received the most encouragement from there.
5. Who in the Bible do you think you are most like?
This is hard for me. Many times I have seen many similarities in me and Mary. Not because she was the mother of Jesus, but because of how she got there. I know that she had plans of how she thought her life would be and then all of that was turned up side down. I too had plans, but God had other plans. Of course his plans were so much better than mine. I'm so glad I said "yes" to God's plans for my life.
6. What is the last passage of scripture you read?
Ephesians 6:10-11, "Be strong in the Lord and in the power of HIs MIght. Put on the whole armor of God, that you may stand against the wiles of the devil."
7. If you were making a greeting card for God, what would you say?
I don't know if I could say anything that I feel would be worthwile. Maybe it would be very simple like; "Thank you for loving me and forgiving me." I don't deserve any of it and honestly don't know how he can love me so deeply, but that is why he is God & I'm not.
8. Have you ever praised God for something weird?
Yes I have...twice lately actually. The first one was when the people across the street moved. The influence that her kids had on mine was cutting deep and I was about at my wits end. Then the Lord made them move. The owner of their house suddenly decided that she wanted to live in her house in 2 months.
The other time I praised God for something weird was when I found a pumpkin on my front porch & found out that my neighbor next door had put it there. We have lived here for about 18 months. She has spoken to me once and that was when I took banana bread to her last Christmas. She said hi through her glass door. I don't know why she gave us the pumpkin, but I saw it as a very nice gesture, something no one on our street has ever experienced. Praising God for a pumpkin!!!
9. What is the best miracle God has performed in your life or what is your favorite answered prayer?
Wow! I have a lot of both. To pick just one is hard. My favorite answered prayer is the latest one. God provided for us in just the nick of time as always.
10. What is today's weather like?
I forgot this one was supposed to be #2. Today's weather was cold & rainy. Perfect for staying in after a hectic weekend with family.
I know I supposed to pass this on, but I have no idea who to send this on to. If I think of someone I will add them in.
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Oct. 20, 2007 - Kicking out the doubts
Just like every other parent I have my days when I am just not sure that I am doing a good job with my kids. I hear them say things that make me cringe. I catch them in behaviour that I know that they know is wrong. But when you add homeschooling on to that it add even more doubt about what I'm doing!
Are they learning what they need for college?
Will they be prepared for college?
Can they survive outside my home?
Will they ever have manners?
Then I pass someone in the hall at church who has worked with one of my kids and they shower me with praise about my child. They tell me how intelligant, mannerly, mature and responsible my child was. They tell me how much they enjoy working with my kids.
I always walk away so thankful for my kids. It helps to take all of my doubt as to whether or not they should be at home with us or not. I am not the one doing the fabulous job. It is truly the Lord working through my husband and I.
We are so thankful that God's grace covers all of the mistakes that we make with our kids.
I am so thankful that God is using me to prepare my kids for their future.
I am so thankful that our home is their school and even when I'm not sure if I am doing a good job, God is there to kick out my doubts and replace it with confidence and joy in HIM!
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Aug. 13, 2007 - This was not on my schedule!!!
O'k, today was our first day of school with almost all of our books. We have been doing school for over a month already, but we were just getting back into the schedule and reviewing basic facts & waiting for the books to come.
So, I planned out what all we would do. I had looked over all of the new stuff & figured out how to do it. I had planned out how much time we should do journaling, math, and our other subjects. I had it all worked out so that we should be all done by 1:00. You would have thought this was my first year to do this!!!
Then we actually started our day. I forgot to plan in two important people. My 2 yr old Gracie & 11 m old Sam. You know what happenes when you try to ignore a crying baby to explain a mth lesson? He only cries louder. Do you know what a 2 year old can do if you don't answer her call of "Mommy"? She can take 50 crayon and break them into pieces & then color all over the wall with them UGHH!!
One time I had Gracie screaming and chunking crayons at Zachary(5yr) and Sam crying and pulling at my shirt(wanting to nurse), Austin asking me about his math, Collin asking me about his Handwriting & Ben telling me that I was maing him do hard stuff too early in the morning.
THIS WAS NOT ON MY SCHEDULE!
The sad part is I think I do this every year. It just takes me a few days to get back into the groove. I think I have a post on here somewhere about what to do with your toddlers. I think I need to go & read it again!
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Aug. 13, 2007 - Blessed again
My last entry was about how we have learned to homeschool with out buying much curriculum if any at all. some of you sent me some great links. Thanks so much!!!
I wanted to share with you how God has blessed our school this year. I sat one morning for my morning devotions. I asked the Lord to show me how to utilize the materials I already had for school. I knew that we would not be able to buy books again so I wanted to make sure I was well planned out. I was a bit nervous though because my daughters are in high school & I really needed some good math & science for them. I was hoping to piece together something from the internet, but wasn't sure if I could do an adequate job.
Well, I was invited to dinner by a sweet friend from church. She is one of my mentors & I looked forward to our dinner together. She didn't know any of our past financial struggles specifically. She knew we had occasional times of hardship though. At the end of our dinner she told me that she & her husband felt hte Holy Spirit prompting them to give us some money to buy our school books. I was totally thrown back. I couldn't believe it. A few weeks later I hel in my hand a check for an amount that was another shock. I didn't expect this much money. I knew though that as much as it was it still wouldn't cover the books that I had researched & chosen. But still we were so thankful for it.
I prayed once again and asked the Lord to help me to use this money wisely. Show me what they really needed for this eyar & what we could do without. I began marking things off of my list and I still needed about $300 more dollars. I began shopping on ebay & amazon and found a few things. Small victories, but still a victory. Then we went to a store with used & new homschool supplies & I thought I had hit the jackpot. I found most of what we were looking for, but still needed the HS math & Science. I didn't know how, but I knew wewould get it somehow. My daughter Sarah really wanted to do Biology this year & after looking many curriculum over we decided to stick with Apologia. She said that she didn't have to do biology she could do Physical Science instead.
Here comes the fun part. I was "catching up" with a friend and telling her about the money we were given & how cool I thought it was. She asked if we had all we needed. I told her no, & told her what we still needed. She replied with "Oh, we have the math you need & we won't need to use it for about 10 years so you can borrow it until then." WOOHOO!!
Then, the next day I stopped by a past homeschool moms house for something & she hands me 2 big boxes with biology & chemistry equipment in it, microscope & all! WOOOHOOO again! So, I was sharing my good news with another email friend. I told her that I guess God wants Sarah to do Biology, now I can't wait to see how he provides the books. She replies with, "I have them, don't need them, send me your address, I'll ship them to you." WOOOHOOO!!
So, we had just enough money left over to order the lab kits for the science.
All of this reminds me of Jesus feeding the 5,000. So little food & so many to share it.
"I will praise You, O Lord, with my whole heart; I will tell of all Your marvelous works. I will be glad and rejoice in You; I will sing praise to Your name, O Most High.
Psalm 9:1-2
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Jul. 15, 2007 - Homeschooling - Not about the curriculum anymore.
We just started our 12th year of homeschooling. I don't feel like we have been at it that long. It has just become a part of the way we live. I have learned a lot over the past 12 years about how to use my materials and about buying curriculum or not buying curriculum. I have learned how to use the internet for free worksheets, unit studies, e-books and games. I have been blessed by others who just give away books that they don't want & it is exactly what we needed but I could never buy.
We have 10 kids and my husband does not make a lot of money. He had a different job when we first started schooling and did make more money, but that job ended and his new occupation has not proven to be a big money maker. So, just about every penny he makes goes to pay our bills (which are not much at all), buy food & the occasional pair of shoes or clothes that are needed. After all of that there usually isn't anything left for school books. At least for the past 2 years anyway. I have learned how to homeschool our kids with out spending much money, if any at all. What surprises me most is that they are still learning even without all the fancy books & programs I thought they needed. Of course there are still areas of study we haven't been able to do yet that I want to do, but God is making it possible in his time for us to learn what HE wants us to learn.
Through this whole journey I have learned how our school is not based on what curriculum we use anymore. And I think that is how God wanted it to begin with, but as long as I had planty of money to spend on books and fancy programs I couldn't get that message. Our school is based on our relationship with the Lord and with each other.
Now instead of depending on a phonics program to teach my little guys to read, the older kids are practicing with them and we are reading together more.
No more early math curriculums, now we play games & drill each other.
For history, we read about the real people, dress up like them, cook their food and recreate important moments in their lives. This year I really want to work on building timelines that can unfold and stretch across the room, then fold back up & fit back into my filing cabinet. I want to try lapbooks!
Our science lessons happen when ever I clean out my refrigerator 
, or the boys find another critter in the yard or the baby swallows a dime and it comes out in his diaper. Have you seen that one? Wow, talk about a great lesson on the chemical reactions in our digestive system.
There are a lot of things I would love to do with my kids, but money just won't allow it, but I am learning that maybe we just don't need to do those things. It would probably take away from our time with each other or maybe it just doesn't fit in with God's purpose for our family.
So, I'll go back to my lesson planning. Planning out how to teach new things to my kids with out spending money, but realizing the huge investment it is in their lives.
I'm always looking for new freebie resources. If you have any, send them to me @ baileytribe@yahoo.com. I'll post the whole list when I get it compiled together.
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May. 31, 2007 - I liked living in a bubble!
I liked living in a bubble & I want it back!!!
Yes, I am having a pity party so bear with me. My bubble was a house on 20 acres with no one with in yelling distance and up until a little over a year ago that is where my family had lived for the past 8 years. The Lord moved us back into town. We thought we had found this really great house. It had more room, smaller monthly payments, quiet neighborhood, park near by. Too good to be true!! Yeap!
We went from country life to city life. We went from dh & I having more control over who my kids hung around with to kids of all kinds hanging out if front of our house ALL THE TIME! Now, it is summer break so they are not in school. The language some of these kids use is amazing! I didn't even know what some of these words meant when I was their age. Then I hear it coming from my boys mouth & I just totally lose it! These kids out here have no respect for adults or for each other. They throw their trash in my yard, cuss out each other & I just don't like them. Our family is in the minority because my kids live with their mom & dad. About 90% of the families out here are either single parent families or blended. Maybe only 10% proclaim to be christian & those people are really stuck up. They are giving christians a bad name for sure!!
O'k, now I'm done. I feel much better now. The bottom line is I just get frustrated because I know God has placed us on this street for a reason. I get frustrated because I don't even feel adequate enough to raise my own kids, much less the rest of the kids on our street. There are so many here that are looking for acceptance, stability & just flat out want to feel loved. On any given day I may have 15 kids in my house. Now, 10 of them are mine so 5 more don't really matter. But, I really think that some of these kids hang out at our house because we accept them for who they are. We do have ground rules. No cussing & no fighting. And then the rules for the visiting kids are... I'm kidding, they aren't supposed to cuss or fight either. If they have to then they just go outside. Several of the kids call my "mom". They eat with us, play with us & I hope they know they are welcome here. Some of these kids I hate to tell them to go home at night because I know that they are sometimes walking into a very wild environment.
One boy walked into the kitchen the other night while I was cooking dinner. He asked what I was doing. When I told him I was cooking he asked if I did that every day. I said, "Well, yeah, pretty much. We do need to eat." "Wow", he said, "I don't know if my mom knows how to cook. I don't think she ever has." Now, I know that this lady must know how to cook something, but she is never home to cook. Her husband is in jail & she works wild hours to keep a house for her boys to live in. The mom across the street called me "June Cleaver". I guess because I cooked dinner for them when her daughter was rushed to ER for a horrible infection. Her kids eat at my house all the time. I don't mind. She isn't there. Her husband died a year ago & now she works at the 7-11 store to make the rent.
There are some stable familes out here somewhere. But they don't "associate" with anyone else. I heard rumor that they don't want to be around those kind of people. I guess she was talking about the couple up the street from me. He is a butcher & she is a Vet's assistant. They have the cutest little boy. The man wears a mohawk, has tatoo's on both legs & rings in his ears & nose. He always has a beer in his hand, but not the one he shakes your hand with. His wife is so sweet. I love talking with her. She is good at not using cuss words when me or my kids are around. So is her husband. She told me one time that she doesn't know how I stay so sane with all these kids. I told her it was all about God. I couldn't any of it with out him. Her response was amazing! "Yeah, I know about him. Someone told me about him once & it made a lot of sense. I pray sometimes, but I've screwed up so many times in my life I don't think he hears me." Wow!!! Talk about an open door to share Jesus. We talked a little more. She still has more questions & is unsure of some stuff, but we still talk. She and her husband are both recovering drug addicts. They are trying really hard to make a good life for themselves & their little boy. They really need Jesus & I am praying that my family can help them find him.
I'm so thankful that my kids are getting a HUGE look at how badly the world needs godly people who will love & accept the ungodly into their life. If I sat in my house not wanting to "associate" with those ungodly people I would miss out on so much! IT has made life really hard. It has really tested our parenting skills & I'm learning to pull my kids closer to me & spend so much more time in the word with them. We are learning to prepare ourselves for the battle that lies ahead of us outside our front door. (Eph. 6) We pray each night together that the Lord would protect our home & place angels all around it. I believe he does. I have learned to pray for these neighbors when I look out at see their house. The lesbian next door doesn't talk to anyone, but I know her name so I say it when I pray for her. I have learned to look in their eyes when they talk to me, not at their tatoos or nose rings. I am learning to say "Hi" to people I probably would never have talked to a year ago.
As Christian homeschoolers it is very important to us that we instill in our children our morals & values. We understand that it isn't all about curriculum & schedules, but about their relationship with God. It is about teaching them to seek his face & search for him as you would search for treasure. It is about understanding that Jesus died for everyone, even the jerk across the street that keeps throwing his coke cans in my yard, It is about learning to love him, pray for him & forgive him. It is about learning to live in this world, but not becoming part of it. Jesus did a lot of walking & talking to people. He didn't tell them their tattoos were ugly or their smoking would kill them, he just talk to them and he loved them. "Lord, help me to be like you!"
Wow, I'm so glad we had this talk. I feel much better now! Thanks so much!
Dana
my branches~ www.danabailey.blogspot.com
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May. 15, 2007 - Need Encouragement?
As a mom I understand the struggles & joys that we all face each day. As a homeschooling mother I am able to relate to a more specific group of moms. We face circumstances each day that moms whose children are gone all day at school cannot imagine. They don't understand how we can do laundry, cook a meal, give a spelling test, nurse a baby & correct a math test all at the same time! I don't do all of that very often, but I have my moments just like you do.
I am writing this just to let you know that I have another blog. I don't try to pretend that I know all the answers or have experienced it all, I haven't. My kids are not raised yet. I pray all the time that I am not messing them up too bad that a good pastor can't straighten them out later. O'K, maybe I don't pray that really, but I do wonder sometimes what kind of adults they will become.
God uses my mistakes to encourage others. He shows me my sin, selfishness and pride and then impresses on my to share my lesson with others. He has done so much for me in my life that I just can't keep it to myself. I used to have thoughts about the whether God is real or not, then he began to work miracles in my life that made me understand that he is not just real but alive and at work all around me all the time. I write about all of this on my blog. I began a ministry for moms over a year ago & this blog was one outlet for me to encourage & reach out. I also have a monthly newsletter that I send out with stories, testimonies & helpful tips on teaching the Bible to your children. There is a link on my blog to sign up for the newsletter. I also speak on different topics pertaining on motherhood & being a wife.
Visit; www.livingstones4moms.com for biblical encouragement & support.
To His Glory!
Dana
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Apr. 25, 2007 - Blessings in My Day
Do you ever sit back and just watch your kids during school time? I get to do that quite often these days since I am nursing our new baby,
I began praying that the Lord would show me the fruit of homeschooling. “Please show me that all of this is not in vain.”, I prayed one morning out of frustration. He is so good to hear our prayers. I was not considering putting them in public school; I was just frustrated with the progress I thought we should be making. So this week I spent a lot of time just watching and listening to my children. I was blessed by what I saw and heard. I had a conversation with one of my daughters when she brought to me a scripture verse that she was memorizing because it helped to comfort her. “Who showed you that verse?” I asked her. “I guess God did. I was reading in Psalms this morning and found it.” We had a great talk about friends that she was praying for. I saw a maturity in her I had not seen before. Another time I watched as my 13 year old son picked up our baby and played with him making him giggle. Upstairs my 2 & 5 year olds were playing kitchen and
I miss all these simple little things going on that are not very spectacular, but things that I miss when I am not looking for them. All I see are the missing pencils, books, & lessons, because that is all I am looking for. When I am instead looking for the light in my child’s’ eyes when his math lesson finally clicks I am blessed. When my kids problem solve with out my intervention I am definitely blessed. When my son brings me a drawing that he has been working very hard on (instead of his spelling) I need to bless him with high praise and compliments.
This homeschooling is hard work and anyone who says it’s not is LYING! It is full of challenges that change from year to year. But just like being a parent, I think it has even more blessings ready for the taking. Are you taking your blessings? They are there. You just have to look for them.
© Dana Bailey, 2007
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Apr. 25, 2007 - Cherishing Our Children
I was told once by a friend that she doesn’t think it is fair to tell homeschooling moms how to prevent getting burned out in their homeschool. She went on to tell me that over the years she has learned that everyone will go through it at some time or another. Rather we should be sharing how to get through it and out of it and maybe even how to lessen the chances of it.
One thing I have found that has helped me to not feel so burned out is to make conscious efforts to cherish my time with my children. By homeschooling, I have been given an opportunity to be with my children in a way that parents whose children attend a school during the day do not have. When you homeschool though, it is very easy to get very wrapped up in the daily schedules and routines of your school and not be as aware of the true needs of your children. My focus can at times be on who has finished their homework or hasn’t. Who needs more help in reading or math & I forget to look into their eyes and listen to their real words.
I looked up the definition of “cherish” in the dictionary. It said “to treat with affection and tenderness; hold dear. 2. to keep fondly in mind”. Then I went to the Greek dictionary and found the Greek word. Thalpo was the Greek for cherish and it meant, “To soften by heat, to keep warm”. That reminded me of a mother bird and how she keeps her eggs warm until they are ready to hatch. Do you remember the documentary movie that came out call, “March of the Penguins”? Do you remember how the newly hatched egg was carefully passed from the mother to the father? Then the father kept the egg buried deep in his fur away from the freezing temperatures for months. His main purpose at that time was to keep that egg safe and warm until the mother came back. He cherished that egg. That is such a wonderful picture that God has given us of how he cherishes us and how we can cherish our children.
In
Do you remember
So how can we cherish our children in a way that will help to keep us renewed in our calling to homeschool? I think one of the most important things we can do for our children is to pray for them. Use scripture in your prayers. God loves to hear his Word spoken back to him. Pray for their hearts and mind to remain pure and have a hunger for the Lord. Pray that they will desire repentance for their sin. Pray for their purity and for their future mates.
Another thing we can do is to journal about our children. Take notes on what they are doing. Make notes about bad attitudes or even better write down when you catch them doing something good. Notes of Excellence; I write down things I see in my children that can only be described as excellent.
When you have a house full of kids it is hard to spend individual time with each one, but when it happens it is always so special. I have a dear friend who has 10 kids and they have that time with their kids each night. They call it “eyeball time”. Each kid has his or her own night and they get to stay up later than the rest & spend it with mom and dad. My friend says it is priceless what she has learned about each child and their relationship is so valuable to them both.
Deuteronomy 14:2 says. “for you are a people holy to the LORD your God. Out of all the peoples on the face of the earth, the Lord has chosen you to be his treasured possession.”
So much of the time I do not feel treasured by my family. I get so caught up in the daily routines and let the relationship go by wayside. When I feel this way, I know my family does not feel treasured by me. But remembering that I am treasured by God often helps keep my feet on the ground & my eyes on him. When I begin feeling overwhelmed by my big long list of “to do’s” I put it away.
I love those two verses.
I have smaller expectations on myself and my family. I do not expect my five year old to wash the dishes nor do I expect my 13 year old son to fix dinner. I do have expectations for them, but when I set those to high, they are dashed & I get upset. I also enter into my quiet time with the Lord hoping for 5 minutes. If I get 10 minutes, I have surpassed my expectations. When I expected to have an hour and only got 5 minutes I was upset rather than refreshed & renewed. A hot bath before bed counts to me as resting in the Lord because many times I pray while in the tub, listen to worship music or read..
We cannot prevent symptoms of burnout, just like we cannot prevent the temptation of sin. But if we recognize the warning signs and seek the Lord for the rest and guidance we need and desire, we won’t experience it so often Don’t forget that Jesus drew away for rest, why shouldn’t we?
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Jan. 13, 2007 - Homeschooling with a Toddler, Is it Possible?
© 2005,
Our first day of school wasn’t the greatest day I had ever had by any means. I was so frustrated with my kids that I could scream. Wait a minute… I did scream! Anyway, my problem was that I had some expectations of what I thought our first day back to school would be like & some of my children did not live up to those expectations. Have you been there?
One of those children who didn’t cooperate was my youngest of five boys, Zachary. He is 3 ½ years old and thinks he is 10. Do you have one of those? My problem with him was that I had spent so much time planning & scheduling for the older kids that I had forgotten about his activities. I had stuff that I had bought, but forgot about it. So we had Zachary going through everyone’s stuff and causing chaos. When I finally realized the problem, I got out his clay and before I knew it I had 6 kids at the table playing with clay…quietly.
We have homeschooled 10 years and I have had at least one toddler or preschooler every year. So I have collected a few ideas that I want to share with you.
What do you have at home? I like to take inventory at home before I start shopping. Here are some things that my little guys can do with homemade items.
Ø Cut up magazine’s, construction paper or old wrapping paper.
Ø Glue what they cut to card stock or more paper. Use glue sticks.
Ø Rice or beans in a bowl. Fill up cups of different sizes & pour back into tub.
Ø Homemade playdough
o Recipe
2 tsp. Cream of Tartar
1 c. flour
½ c. salt
1 tbsp. Oil
1 c. water
Color the dough with Kool-Aid
Cook together for a few minutes until it balls up. Knead. Store in an airtight container.
Ø Draw or scribble on small white board. (watch that markers don’t end up on furniture or walls J)
Ø Play in kitchen sink with water & tear free bubbles or just measuring cups. Lay towels on floor first to reduce mess.
Ø Board books. I like these for my really young ones that still handle books rough.
Ø Duplo blocks ®
Ø Dress up clothes
Plan ahead. I can’t expect Zachary to come up with his own activities on his own. Well, he will but they are usually pretty destructive. J I have found some things on the web. Below are a few website that I have found helpful. It is also helpful to yourself if you know ahead of time what activities you have ready. Place them in a special place. Tubs or baskets are handy. Make a list if that helps so that you can refer to it quickly.
Pre-K websites
http://www.letteroftheweek.com
This is a site where you can find lesson plans for your babies up to 4 yrs. It is free. You just print out what you want, follow her suggestions for books to read & songs to sing & you have a Pre-K curriculum.
http://www.geocities.com/Heartland/Forest/2468/
This had a lot of ideas of what to do with 2 yr olds. Some can be pretty messy though, which is what 2 yr olds love anyway!
http://www.preschooleducation.com/
This is loaded with free stuff to print off.
These are Bible activities for all ages, but have activities for preschoolers also.
Be prepared by keeping safe supplies ready.
Ø Safety scissors
Ø Non-toxic crayons
Ø Paper (card stock, construction and copy paper)
Ø Glue sticks (my kids like the kind that goes on purple, but dries clear)
And anything else you can think of.
Schedule time for your younger ones before you start school. They are still very needy and need your attention. Try reading or playing for 30 minutes or so with your toddler or preschooler before you start lessons with your older kids. If you fill their love tank then they are less likely to disturb you. When you do find them disturbing others pull them into you lap. Sometimes that is all they need. Be sensitive to their needs. It is really easy to get so wrapped up in your older one’s lessons that we forget about the younger ones. They get loud and disruptive & we get frustrated. Take a minute and try to understand why they are being so disruptive. Usually it is time for a break anyway so take one & spend it with your toddler.
I shared about my really bad first day of school. Well, there is a happy ending. The rest of our week was wonderful; I made sure
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Dec. 29, 2006 - Get School Done Today?
"Did you get your school work done?"
How many times have you been asked that question or asked it yourself? It is asked of me more than enough. Usually coming from a non-homeschooling friend or relative. We even have a kid across the street from us that asks my boys all the time if they did school that day.
What is school work in your house? Is it only workbooks, math videos, phonics or drills? Or is school life itself?
A few months ago my family had the pleasure of attending a political rally a few days before election day. We took our 7 older kids and the baby of course since he is still nursing. We had a blast. The kids saw many really important political figures including President Bush. That was the best part. After the rally we were faced with the rudeness of protestors. My kids were totally shocked at the things these people said about their president. It paved the way for some really great conversation. The whole night was great!
Then a few days later the kids & I attended a special Veteran's Day program at our church. My son spoke with two World War 2 veterans. He loved it. He told them about his grandpa who was in the Air Force during Vietnam & his 3 great-grandfathers who served during WW2.
That week, we didn't crack open one book but we learned more than any book could have taught us. We did pick up a pencil & write about what we saw, so that we coul remember it better. Does that count for school? You bet!
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Nov. 20, 2006 - Their Dad, My Husband
Here is Scott having some "father/son" time with Samuel before he went to work one morning.
Tomorrow is his birthday, so I thought I would take a minute to tell you a little about this man that I am madly in love with. He is an only child, his parents wanted more children, but God had other plans. Before we were married we knew that we wanted 5 or 6 kids. Now 16 years later we are having our 10th child! Providing for a family of our size is not an easy thing, but he does a great job at it. It hasn't been easy for him though. A few years ago he made a totally brand new occupation change. We started all over. It has been really hard & money has been real tight, but Scott has always done whatever it took to make sure our needs were met. Of course I give him credit for this, but if you asked him he would tell you it was all God & I totally agree.
Besides being a good provider, he is a good spiritual leader to our kids & me too. He is always up before the rest of us studying the Word ,praying,writing in his journal & reading a book that is supplement to his spiritual growth. He grabs whatever opportunity arises to lead our kids to make godly decisions. He discusses & teached the Word to us whenever he can. Whenever the Lord reveals a truth to him he shares it with me & it is always something I really need at that time. His prayers for us are such a blessing to me.
He is always grabbing a kid on his way out the door to take with him while he runs errands. He plays with them, talks with them and is capturing their heart with each moment he spends with them. They know they are safe with him and protected. A few weeks ago he took off a day from work just to take us to a political rally. We got to see the president. He needed to be at the office, but he was more interested in making memories with his kids.
His sons(all 6) are learning from his example how to treat their future wives. Every morning they watch him hug & kiss me & tell me that he loves me before he leaves for work. Our daughters are learning how they should be treated by their husbands some day. They are respected and honored by their father and they see his love and respect for me.
I could go on & on about this man that I am so blessed to call husband. I thank my God everyday for him. I'm thankful for his leadership in our family. I'm thankful for his heart to serve & his desire to minister. i'm thankful that he is my biggest cheerleader. I'm thankful for his confidance in me to homeschool his children. I pray for him daily that he will continue to grow in his relationship with Christ, because not only does it make him a better man, but he makes me a better wife.
HAPPY BIRTHDAY LOVE!
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Nov. 20, 2006 - Branch Number 10!
September 13, we welcomed our 10th branch,
Samuel Addison
to our family tree. He was 8 lbs & 4 oz, 21" long.
After waiting for 2 weeks past the due date for labor to start & stay, I finally decided it was time to get drastic so I took castor oil. That worked! I have never taken it before & had always said that I never would. Oh well, I ate those words.
Just a tip here if you are going to try to take castor oil. Mix it with a milk shake & you won't taste the castor oil! I just put vanilla ice cream with a touch of milk & dumped in the castor oil & downed it. Didn't take long to start working either.
Once my contractions were every 8-10 min, I called my midwife. She was already at a birth close by. She sent her assistant to check me out & be here until she could get here. I was about 6 cm. I knew I wouldn't be too far along because my contractions were still so mild. I ate dinner & sat around talking to the midwives before my midwife, Renee, came. Scott & I decided to go for a walk to try & get the contractions moving again. They kept slowing down & spacing apart. Ughh! The walk helped, but not enough. I had my midwife check me again & I was at an 8! WooHoo! Making some progress with out a lot of pain. I told her to break my water, lets get this over with! She did, but not much happened. Usually, there is a gush of water, the baby's head comes on down & my contractions get hard.
Finally after 2 hours the contractions got hard enough to breathe with. She checked me again & I was complete. "Finally", I thought. I stayed in bed & rolled over on my left side, that always worked & it did again. The contractions began to get harder & I was ready to be done. Once I reach the stage where I can't take it anymore, I know I'm almost done. I decided that with the next contraction i would push. & I pushed with the contraction after that & before I knew it my baby boy was crying on my chest!
It was 11:45 at night & my oldest 5 kids were still up & waiting in the Family Room. They came in as soon as they could & we all agreed he was a keeper. Too cute for words.
These are my midwives.
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Aug. 22, 2006 - Peeling off the Layers
Philippians 1:6 says
“…being confident of this, that he who began a good work in you will carry it on to completion until the day of
I decided one summer I would redo the boys’ bathroom. The wallpaper was coming off in places so I decided that I would strip the paper off & paint it. My summer was almost over when I finally decided it was time to strip and paint. I got my kids involved and we had a blast making a huge mess. As I was peeling off the layers I thought," this is me". I, like the wall, look really good in certain areas, but there are those places that I hope others don't see.
I hate when people would come over, because the boys’ bathroom was also the guest bathroom and it looked horrible. The paper had come loose in a few places so my little ones took that as an invitation & peeled away. In other areas it was peeling off with no-ones help. It was embarrassing to me for anyone to see it. I don't like for people to see what I am like inside sometimes. I’m prideful, arrogant, selfish, and jealous and many more I'm sure. I want people to see my wallpaper not the real me. We kept peeling the paper and one of my sons said, “Look mom there’s an ugly wall in there! Are we going to paint this?"
As I finished taking all of the paper off the wall this verse came to my mind. "I'm like these walls aren’t I Lord," I prayed. "I have so many layers of filth that you are trying to peel away. You have begun such an amazing work in my life but my "wallpaper" keeps getting in the way of the beautiful picture of me that you are painting." If we truly desire to become the masterpiece that God has intended for us then we welcome the layers of wallpaper to come off, as painful as it may be. My son was right about the wall underneath the paper. It was plain & kind of ugly, so are we without our "wallpaper" until the Lord begins painting His masterpiece do we really begin to look beautiful. I'm not done with that bathroom yet, but I hope that it will look better after I get done, than it did before I started. I’ll finish the bathroom, but the Lord will never be finished with me while I am still on this earth. I pray that while I am living that my life will reflect Christ and people will see the beautiful masterpiece that He is creating in me, but I also look forward to the day when He has completed His work in me.
What a glorious day when I can stand before him with no layers of wallpaper, only as His masterpiece.
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Aug. 22, 2006 - Confessions of a bad year
I am very active in my homeschool community. One of my ministries to moms for the past several years has been to help those who are just starting to homeschool. I have really loved talking to them and guiding them through their first year. I love the excitement in their voices when they tell me about a really good day they had & how surprised they were when their kids actually wanted to "do school".
This past year was hard for me though. I continued to mentor and teach the moms, when deep inside I have felt that I had no business telling them anything. I guess I felt a lot like a hypocrite. I had to try extra hard to get excited about curriculum and why this works for some & that doesn't work for others. Our school year, I felt, was horrible. We weren't getting much of anything done it seemed. It was my 10th year & really felt like I had no idea what I was doing!! My oldest is high school age and yet she was falling between the cracks in a really big way, at least that is how I feel. She is dyslexic and needed a lot of my attention that I did not give her. I needed her to do some of her work on her own and she didn't. She is the oldest of 9 and I am expecting the next one anytime now. Everyone kept telling me, "Wait until they get older then they are more independant." Not her!! I feel guilty for getting frustrated with her, but I still do. "Just do the work!" I want to tell her. I try really hard not to compare her with her younger siblings that are more on target, but I know I still do. I also have a son who is almost 13 & still can't read very well. His younger brothers help him read stuff. This is driving me crazy, because he just really doesn't seem to care. He has missed many opportunities of service at our church because he can't read. I have heard from many moms who have sons who really didn't learn to read until they were close to 14 years old. I didn't want my son to be one of those. He is behind in everything else because he can't read.
I really wish I could just erase this past year. This week is our last week of school. Since I am about to have a baby we just kept going through the summer so that we could take a nice break after I had the baby. I'm afraid to let them stop though. My 2 older ones are going to keep doing math a few times a week so they don't fall to far behind, but will my dyslexic daughter do it with out me reminding her constantly? I don't know. I'm afraid if we stop school then we may never get it started again. Mainly because I don't want to. I need the break. I know that, it is obvious since I am writing like this. If any other mom came to me & told me this stuff I would tell her that she was burned out & needed a break. I know that I am not totally alone in this, I just have never admitted it. I'm the one that helps those who are feeling this a way to pull out of it. The stresses of mommyhood are huge right now and adding teacher to it is just too much. I guess this teacher needs to take her well deserved break & just be mommy. I have noticed in the past that my kids have actully learned a lot during our breaks. Several mastered reading, one began writing stories on her own & still writes without ever being told. Another proudly memorized poetry and scripture. I just had to get out of the way & let the relaxed schooling happen. Another copied the Shakespeare play, "The Tempest" and is now a huge fan of Shakespeare. I guess that is what we are in need of...me to get out of the way.
Thanks, I feel better!! 
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Jul. 4, 2006 - True Freedom
Since today is July 4th and I am a homeschool mom, of course I began thinking days ago of how I could make this holiday come alive for my kids & not just be a day of watermelon & fireworks. I sat on the internet one morning surfing through dozens of websites looking for interesting historical facts & activities that would bring out the words, "Mom! This is so cool!" I of course notices a common theme to the websites...FREEDOM. They all had it there somewhere; whether it was a coloring page or a story of a battle that produced freedom.
As I began to think over this idea of freedom my thoughts turned toward my spirituality. My freedom in Christ. What is that? I have heard that for so long, we are free in Christ.
The freedom we experience in our country is all because of the bloody sacrifices that were made centuries, decades & even just years ago. We can celebrate our freedom in many ways that we don't even think twice about anymore. As we teach our children, worship in our homes & churches, and drive our cars to where ever we want; we are free. Men years ago gave their lives for people they would never know so that they could be free.
I couldn't help to think about another bloody sacrifice was made over 2000 years ago that has brought us a freedom even more important than that of our political freedoms. When Christ hung on that cross & paid the ultimate price, his life, we became free. We became free from the bondage of sin. We became free from the strongholds of our society. Does that mean that we don't experience the attacks from the enemy? Of course not, just like our country still experiences the attacks of the terriorists. The difference is that our country can lose its' freedom and we cannot. No attack from Satan can ever put us in bondage. We may feel trapped and buried by our circumstances, but we are free, it is ours to claim.
My family will celebrate our country's freedom today, but everyday God gives us we will celebrate our freedom in Him. Any battles being waged are already won and we are victorious. Any attack the enemy has planned for our family will fail because we claim our freedom in the Victor, Jesus Christ.
2 Corinthians 3:17 (NIV)
Now the Lord is the Spirit, and where the Spirit of the Lord is, there is freedom."
John 8:36 (NIV)
So if the Son sets you free, you will be free indeed.
Romans 3:24 (NIV)
We are justified freely by his grace through the redemption that came by Christ Jesus.
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Jun. 21, 2006 - The Bailey Tribe
'
Here is our family!
Since my husband is so tall, my children are very quickly passing me up ab=nd it is hard to see me in the midst of my "tribe". I am standing next to my husband holding our baby girl, Gracie. I'm just glad they got his height genes instead of mine. 
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Jun. 21, 2006 - Our Family Story
I was awarded the honor of being named Texas Homeschool Coalition Leader of the Year, 2006. They asked me to write a story about our family. This is what I sent in to be published in the August issue. You can go to www.THSC.org for more info on them.
Dana
Isn’t it funny how many times the plans we make for our lives are so different than the plans that God has for us? When the idea of homeschooling came to us I came up with my fair share of excuses of as to why I could not and would not do it. I can’t homeschool! I hated school. How can I teach my kids when I can’t remember learning anything myself? No, my kids deserve a good education; it wouldn’t be fair to them to keep them away from their friends. They need that socialization. Everyone will think we are weird. People who homeschool live out in the country by themselves, have tons of kids, grow their own food & bake their own bread. That is not me!!
My name is Dana Bailey and my family is a member of the Frisco HIS homeschool group. My husband Scott & I have been married for 16 years and we live in
When Scott & I were first married, we discussed having 5 or 6 kids, but we never discussed homeschooling. That was done by those who were legalist radicals. God had other plans for us & had a lot to teach us about what true homeschooling is. God placed 2 families in our path over the years that would help to spark the idea of educating our kids. One of those was a lady I met at my garage sale back in 1994. We immediately struck up a friendship. Then I found out she home schooled. I couldn’t believe it! She was so normal. Then I met her family & they were normal too! When Scott began talking about us homeschooling I still didn’t think I could do it. I had every excuse in the book for why I couldn’t do that. Then when it was time to put our first child in kindergarten I just couldn’t do it. Something deep in my heart said she was not ready. We later found out that she is gifted with dyslexia and ADD. That first year, while I’m struggling to teach Ashley to read, my second child, Sarah, learned to read. I was hooked at that point. Not only did I enjoy the time spent with my kids, but I loved being the one who saw the light come on in their eyes when they learned something new. It was priceless.
This 05/06 school year marked our 10th year of homeschooling and I can’t tell you how blessed our family has been by it. I have learned that I was right in the beginning; I can’t homeschool, at least not in my own strength. Homeschooling has taught my husband & I what it really means to totally depend on God for strength, wisdom and patience. When I am frustrated & ready to put them all on the school bus (that drives by every morning) Scott is always there to remind me that God has called us into this & he will bring us through. In other words; they are not getting on that bus! Now here we are, 10 years later, and we live in the country, we have tons of kids, we tried to grow our food & I enjoy baking my own bread & milling my own flour. I would not change a thing. I never imagined I could have so many children and love it as much as I do.
I have served in leadership for Frisco HIS (Home Is School) since 2000. I first began as Field Trip Coordinator. Then I helped to lead a Smoothing the Way group. I really loved that. We saw such a great need in our group to minister to the new homeschoolers coming into our area. Kim Neve, Debbie Lindstrom & I decided to write a curriculum that would be more of a custom fit for those homeschooling in our area. We called it “Connections” and it has really blossomed into a mighty ministry. In 2004 I became the New Homeschool Director and Director of Connections. This has been a true delight for me as I not only get to share with other moms why I love to homeschool but I also get to help them with the struggles they face, whether it be unsupportive family members, a child who struggles to learn or just trying to find time for themselves amidst the chaos of motherhood. I don’t think I could have homeschooled as long as I have if I hadn’t have had the unwavering support & encouragement of my husband. His role in our home school is crucial to me. I hear from so many mothers who want and need the support of their husbands but don’t have it. I am so blessed! Being in leadership has really shown me how deep a desire I have to minister to moms. God has placed a burden on my heart for the mom who is struggling to be everything to everyone. Being a mother is hard enough in today’s society and then adding homeschooling on top of that makes life look impossible for some. I love encouraging them and letting them know that you can find joy in sticky floors, dirty diapers, & long school days. Then when I am having a bad day some of those same moms I encouraged are able to encourage me. That is what it is all about! 2 Corinthians 1:3-5, “Praise be to the God and Father of our Lord Jesus Christ, the Father of compassion and the God of all comfort, who comforts us in all our troubles, so that we can comfort those in any trouble with the comfort that we ourselves have received from God.” In February, I had the pleasure if working with several other moms to bring a one day conference to the homeschooling moms in our area. What a blessing it was to know that we were ministering & encouraging the hearts and spirits of these wonderful women in their walk with Christ. It was a great day!
I’m so thankful for the privilege to serve through Frisco HIS. (www.friscohis.com) It is an awesome group that really minister to the whole family in so many ways. I’ve never been a part of another support group so I don’t know how they function, I just know that Frisco HIS has ministered to my family & really helped to encourage me in my role as a homeschooling wife and mother. What an honor it is to be selected as THSC Leader of the Year and be able to represent one of the greatest Homeschool Support Groups in
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Apr. 3, 2006 - A Real Day
My day begins early. I rise at 5:30 feeling refreshed and ready for my day. I head to the kitchen and turn on the coffee pot, then go to my bathroom to get dressed for my morning walk. After I am dressed I sit down for my prayer & devotions and a cup of coffee. By 6:30 I am out the door for my morning walk with my husband. We discuss our goals for the day. After we walk I head to the shower while my husband gets the baby up. She is her usually happy self as Scott gets her dressed for the day. He begins waking up the rest of the kids and gets them started on morning chores. While I get dressed & put on my make-up I practice reciting the book of Leviticus. I go into the kitchen & find my family busy about their chores. They are all dressed and ready for the day. My girls are busy cooking breakfast while the boys are feeding the dogs & cats. Scott hands me Gracie who is ready to nurse and he heads to the shower. By the time Gracie is done breakfast is ready and we all sit down for breakfast. The girls have prepared fresh OJ, fruit salad, muffins and oatmeal. After breakfast we all have Bible and then Scott leaves for work. The kids get all their school work out and without me reminding them, they get busy. All of a sudden I hear a baby crying. I look down at Gracie and it’s not her. The crying gets louder and louder and I can’t figure out where it is coming from. Finally it is so loud that …I wake up!!!
It was all a dream. I can still hear a baby crying and realize that it’s Gracie on the moniter. I roll over & look at the clock..6:30 a.m. I stumble out of bed and through the house to get Gracie who is very hungry. Instead of sitting in the living room to nurse I take her back to bed. Maybe I can get a little more sleep while she nurses. By 7:00 she is done & I have to get up now because she is crawling all over me & is ready for a clean diaper.
By 7:30 I am dressed, had some coffee and done a few morning chores. The kids are waking up by now and making their way into the kitchen for some breakfast. This morning we are having watermelon and blueberry muffins. They are supposed to get dressed, do chores & then come in to breakfast by 8:00, but not today. After breakfast we scramble to get Bible started, but wait until after Dad leaves for work. Dad leaves and I announce that we are starting Bible. A bit of commotion is stirring in the Living Room so I go to check it out. I find my cute little students are conducting an experiment in gravity & aero dynamics. The two oldest boys, Josh & Collin, are swinging the 5 year old, Ben by his arms & legs & throwing him onto the couch. "Wow! He really went high that time!" I hear Josh cry out. "O.k. guys that's enough! Put Ben down." By the time I get everyone in the room for Bible Gracie is ready to nurse. She nurses while we discuss our verses and prayer requests. While I am explaining our scriptures it happened, total chaos finally occurred. Actually I was surprised that it took this long. All of a sudden Ben began screaming! I looked over to find Austin and Ben rolling around on the floor fighting over a truck. "
Believe it or not, everyone got their school work done and chores finished with a smile on their face. It is now time to sit for a moment. I get up ready to start working on dinner & my chores and there stands my husband in the doorway of my room, home early for the first time in weeks. "What have you been doing today?" he asks with a big grin. I answer "Oh, not much, how about you?" "Me either" He answers.
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Apr. 3, 2006 - Connecting with Their Learning Styles
I wanted to share with you a little of my own experience in trying to teach to my children's own styles. It isn't easy, but it really makes a big difference and learning becomes fun and enjoyable.
A few years ago during one of my more challenging days with my kids, the Lord showed me a scripture verse that has stuck with me.
Genesis 1:31 says, "Then the Lord looked over all he had made and he saw that it was excellent in every way."
I wondered, does this mean that my kids are excellent? I have to be honest here, I really had not thought of my kids as excellent. After all, they were making my day very difficult. I looked at the scripture again and knew it was true, my kids were excellent. I just wasn't looking for their excellence; I was focusing on their faults. I soon realized that seeing my kids as excellent also meant accepting their differences, strengths and weaknesses. A big part of my frustration during school was that I was not teaching to their learning styles. I was teaching to my learning style. I taught them the way I learn and since God gave me such unique children that meant that they didn't all learn the same way, especially not like me. We were all a mess! In her book, Cherishing and Challenging your Children, Jodi Capehart said this, “We are able to cherish our children more when we can embrace these differences and acknowledge our Creator's sovereign purpose in making our child the way he did." When I took a step back and saw my kids as God's creation in which he has a specific plan and purpose, I better appreciated their differences.
I soon began digging into books on learning styles to see if I could find the perfect formula to help me teach my children.