• Aug. 18, 2009
The Kids Keep Me Laughing
The kids have kept me laughing in school today. First, I was doing multiplication flashcards with Cael and he was using funny accents for his answers, switching from Southern, to French, to British. At one point, when Cael was in southern accent mode, Ellie walked through the room and exclaimed, "Great now he's speaking Farmer!" She was dead serious too and then wanted to know why my Aunt, who lives on an orchard, doesn't speak farmer.
At another point as Ellie was again walking through the room during flashcard time (Cael and Ian each have about 100 flashcards to go through), I asked Cael what 7 x 6 was to which Ellie (6 yrs old) sighs and says 42- as if the entire world just KNOWS that. Even Cael was laughing at the way she said it. How she knows that- I have NO idea, other than just paying attention during flashcard time for her brothers. If she learns that easily, yikes! I have my work cut out for me! 
Praise the Lord for days when I can see the humor in my Little Blessings!
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• Sep. 4, 2008
Juggling
Well, after officially starting school last month and then taking two weeks and a half weeks off already, We were back at it, just doing basics yesterday... Bible, handwriting, math, grammar, and phonics.
I find myself still struggling with the same problem as every year of homeschooling: how to juggle housework and homeschool. It is actually a little better this year, the kids are older and helping a lot more. Their help does mean lowering my standards a little. Don't get me wrong, I insist on a clean bathroom, bedroom, etc. The rooms just don't get as perfectly clean as I would like them to be.
We have been entertaining more. It seems as if we've been having different families over every Friday night for over a month. I love having people over; I also like to present a perfectly clean house. I'm beginning to realize that while we homeschool that perfectly clean house will only exist in my dreams.
I'm working on putting together a home management binder, which is basically putting everything running through my brain down on paper (freeing up precious and much needed creative brain space). I'm working on one section at a time. As I finish it, I'll have to show you what it looks like. Hopefully, it will help with the juggling act.
I am open to any suggestions anyone might have on this juggling act: homeschool- housework (perfectly clean house).
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• Jul. 31, 2008
"What... are you nuts!?"
This is the half-joking response I normally get from people who find out that I homeschool our three active and very outgoing children. I am used to reading blogs and stories about large homeschooling families, so for me homeschooling three doesn't seem all that outlandish. The response that I got yesterday, at the dentist's office, was even more exuberant as I shared that we are in the process of adopting a baby (and possibly twins). I am never sure how to respond to people when they react like this; I usually just end up shrugging and saying that I love what I do. I really do love what I do, but the excitement bubble kind of deflates when people think that I am absolutely out of my mind for wanting to spend time with my children, and even wanting more children. To state that I love what I do seems to be such an inadequate defense... I guess there really is no adequate defense against people who do not share the same worldview with me. They cannot see the eternal significance of spending every moment I can teaching my children about God and His world. It is at these times; when I am beginning to question my own sanity based on what other say or do, that I need to just get on my knees before my Savior and set my focus on Him again. When my focus is on Him I realize that our lifestyle is not simply a choice that my husband and I made, but what we were called to do by God. I really don't need any more of an adequate defense for our choices to homeschool and increase our family. God called us and my response needs to be to keep my focus on Him, trust, and obey.
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• Mar. 28, 2008
Looking for the positive.
It's been one of those months, nothing has gone as planned. I'm trying to stay positive, and connected to the Lord amidst the stress of it all. So in the spirit of being positive I won't go on and on about what's gone wrong this month, instead I'll focus on the blessings. I homeschool my three children in Oregon; my oldest son is 8 and in 3rd grade, and must take his first standardized test this year. I am so thankful that the day that I remembered to make some phone calls about the test was the day before the registration deadline (I hadn't known this before I called). So he was registered just in time- Praise the LORD!
My second son is now 6 yrs old, and we've been working SLOWLY on learning to read for about 2 yrs now. Though this month has been crazy, we've pressed on,schooling as much as possible, and he's getting it! He's reading, not just with me or what I assign to him, but on his own for fun!!!
My youngest child is a 5 yr old girl, and being the only girl on one side of the family, is the apple of just about everyone's eye. She is starting her journey toward reading, and loving every minute of alone time with me that she can squeeze out of our lessons. She's a joy and a blessing to our family.
My husband has been wonderful this past crazy month, with helping out with the family and I've seen him grow as the spiritual head of our household. He works full-time with the local mentally-ill population, is in the Army reserve as a Chaplain Assistant, and going to Seminary to (eventually) be a full-time military Chaplain. Wow! Writing down what he does makes me even more thankful for his help this past month!
Looking back and focusing on just some of the blessings that have come from this past frustrating and difficult month I am able to be thankful for the trying times. I guess that's what growing in Christ is all about Trusting and Obeying during the difficult times and when you come out on the other side of the trials you can see where you went wrong and where God did everything right in spite of you.
