Mar. 20, 2008 - Time for an update!
Let's see....What's new? I've been slowly switching over to the Charlotte Mason method. I've been checking out Ambleside online. I ordered Latina Christiana and am very excited to start that next week. I've also started using Natural Speller. I've had it for awhile, but was just using vocabulary words as spelling words, which wasn't much fun.
Things are going smoothly even though I feel very busy lately. We want to buy a house by the end of the year and I have no idea how to do that. With my husband away it all falls on my shoulders and I'm a tad bit overwhelmed. I had to send away for another copy of his DD 214 because I can't find it here. Once I get that I have to apply for an eligibility certificate from the VA so we can apply for a VA loan. I've also sent for the kids passports as we plan to go to Germany in August. We've been using Rosetta Stone German to prepare. I'm not sure if I'm using the program correctly, though. I feel like there should be more to it. Or maybe I'm just used to the traditional way of learning a language. Whatever it may be, I do enjoy it very much. I also need to find a place to board our pets while we are gone, which will mean a vet appointment to get updated on shots. We all need to see the dentist and my oldest needs braces. Hmmmmm.....after writing it down, it doesn't seem like all that much. Oh well, I guess I'm just easily overwhelmed. Got to remember....I can do ALL things through Christ who strengthens me.
Kristina
Feb. 23, 2008 - As the snail goes
February is a short month - well, one day longer this year. Typically, February is over before I know it, and I'm left feeling that I've lost an opportunity to do whatever important thing I was supposed to do. Not so this Feb.! It's slowly crawling by. All the snow and icy cold this winter has kept us in the house making all the days seemingly run on like one, giving us time to laugh together, grow closer, work on our relationships with each other, and to simply be. I've sat and thought about why time is my side for once, and I believe ( perhaps this is just wishful thinking.) that God is simply stretching time for me to get organized and rested so I'm ready to go come March and, the much anticipated, spring thaw. With this season's change, we are also going into a new season in our school, taking a much more relaxed approach with more relevant reading, and I had been fretting about how to put it all together. It's amazing that I can actually worry about how to be more relaxed!
Well, whatever the case may be, I'm exceedingly grateful that God has granted me the opportunity to be a homeschooling mom. I love being with my kids, and I found out recently that my oldest is very happy to be out of public school and home with me. She said she likes the coziness of our home. That was a nice affirmation! My thoughts are now a bit more calm knowing that my kids want to be home with me and don't feel like they are missing out anything the "normal" kids are doing.
Thank you, Father, for reminding me that you're in every aspect of my life and that my cares are your cares, as well. Thank you for showing me that I will have time to get "all these things" done. And last, but most definitely not least, thank you for such an amazing husband who gives me unwavering support and different ways of looking at new or frightening things.
Feb. 14, 2008 - Happy Valentine's Day
I hope everybody has a Happy Valentine's Day! 
May God bathe you in His love today and everyday!
Kristina
Feb. 13, 2008 - Are you Over-Sheltering your children?
A lady from one of my Yahoo Groups posted this, and I thought I would pass it on here because it made me feel like I'm not an odd-ball. I hope you enjoy it.
(I'm sorry, she only mentioned the source as being a digital homeschool magazine.)
Do you "shelter" your children?
We're finding that's a bad word in some circles. Something is creeping into the church (and even the homeschooling community), and it isn't biblical. It is an "anti-sheltering campaign" of sorts, and it's full of holes. Think about it. What does it mean to shelter? Protect. Defend. Guard. Preserve. Watch over. Shield. Safeguard. Hmmmm, so far so good, right? Sure, until "pop psychology" comes in and tells us we should allow our children to taste a little of the world in order to understand it or pray for it - that we should not "over-shelter" them. Nonsense.
What's the opposite of shelter? Expose. Endanger. We parents are called to be like our Father in Heaven. He is the greatest "Shelterer" there ever was, and it is us He shelters - or watches over; protecting us, preserving us, shielding us. Praise Him for this! Glory to God who knows how to parent (shelter) us perfectly. May we as parents follow this model - His model. Let's continue to shelter (love) our children as He loves us. Dismiss the garbage that crawls in; don't buy it. We're promised there will be false teachers, liars in the church (and there are many). I want to keep my eyes focused on Christ, come what may.
Parents: Keep sheltering them. You are bringing them up in the love and admonition of the Lord, not in the latest "homeschool philosophy." God's word trumps any speaker! It dwarfs any author! May you be blessed as you continue to walk in obedience of His word.
Lord, thank you for sheltering me. Please never stop. "Over-shelter" if You will (if there is such a thing). Fine with me!
Over-protect, over-defend, over-guard me; please do! I'll take it all, Lord. Keep me tight to Your side. I'm safe in that place. There, I can breathe and thrive. It's where I live.
For thou hast been a shelter for me, and a strong tower from the enemy. - Psalms 61:3
Action point: Do you need to repent to someone today for looking down on (judging) them? Have you been a thorn in another parent's side over this issue? Who have you scolded or cryptically "spoken to" about their "overbearance" in regards to their own children? It might be time to humbly pick up the phone or shoot off an email.
Parents who strongly shelter their children are to be praised, not made to feel inadequate or odd. That's the world lying to us, there. And this world is not our home. - Paul & Gena
Feb. 13, 2008 - Back into the swing of things?
We took a week off of school after my husband left for Iraq. Now we are slowly getting back to the norm. I'm having a very hard time getting back into the swing of things....not that I'm having any sort of difficulty. I just think I'm a bit disenchanted with the style of homeschooling we chose. It's definitely going to take some tweaking. When we first began homeschooling, before we sent the girls back to public school, we were taking the classical approach. It was very comfortable and everything fell right into place. When we took the girls out of public school I thought about going back to the classical approach but I felt that the Lord was leading me to unit studies. I still believe this, however I think I'm being led to incorporate the classical approach into our days. I think this is my answer to prayer. I asked God to show me how to tweak our approach to make our curriculum work better for us. Looks like this is the way to go.
Now about the snow.........
When we moved to Wisconsin I was so excited to get back to a state that actually had a winter -- cold and snow. I asked God for snow and boy, did he deliver! It is so beautiful!!! We got more snow yesterday and we are expecting more tomorrow. There is about 3-4 feet of snow on our balcony. The branches of the pine trees are drooping on the ground from the weight of the snow. I am loving it! My girls, on the other hand, are not so enthused. See, it's their job to take the dogs out to go potty. Our Elkhound is built for snow. He loves it! He bounds and pounces, rolls around in and eats the snow. He's pulled my oldest daughter down in the snow several times, which of course makes her sister laugh. Our other dog likes the snow a little less, choosing to chomp mouthfuls of snow between less than vigorous leaps and bounds. Nevertheless, he's pulled down my youngest a couple times. I guess that is payback for laughing at her sister.
I hope our winter lasts for a good bit more. I know my girls may complain and all I can tell them is, "Wait for summer to get here and you'll be wishing for winter." LOL
I hope this post is somewhat cohesive as my attention is divided between posting, Joyce Meyer, the cockatiel on my keyboard attacking my fingers and the keys, and getting my girls started with their day.
God bless all of you!
Kristina
Feb. 6, 2008 - I've been absent....
It's been a while since I've posted, but I have a good excuse. My husband was home on leave for 30 days, so I took some time off from the internet. I am back, now. We sent my husband off yesterday. He called after his first layover last night, and I'm just waiting to hear that he is back in Iraq safely.
We had a lot of fun while he was home. We only went out a couple of times - dinner, shopping, to his parents house. His best friend came over to visit us for a day, which I enjoyed very much. The day was spent looking at pictures and playing Boxing on the PS3. The two are so goofy when they get together. I think the last time they saw each other was close to 10 years ago. It was so nice to see them laughing and carrying on like they haven't missed a beat.
My girls seem to be doing ok with Daddy being gone again. It was a lot harder for me this time to see him go, but I have him and us on lots of prayer lists and I know God is faithful and mighty to take care of us and him in his absence. I gave all of us the rest of the week off of school to adjust. I have several errands and a bit of running around to do this week, which is nice because I have anxiety about being alone and having no adults to talk to. We moved to Wisconsin in December. We lived here 6 years ago and I'm going to be going back to my old church starting tomorrow, but I've never been one who has a lot of friends or acquaintances. My best friends are out in California where I grew up. So ,I'm pretty lonely right now. I pray that my Father in heaven will give me some Godly friendships soon.
Now, onto my goals......
I have about 50 pounds to lose and I plan on cultivating a healthier lifestyle for me and my girls. I know this only happens one step at a time, so I'm praying that God will help me work on my attitude and my heart first. Then, I'll move on from there.
Another goal is to work with my girls and help them build their relationship with God. To do that, it all comes down to me getting closer to God, so I'm excited about this year to come and all the things God will accomplish with us if we remember to yield to His perfect will.
Well, I'm off to lunch. I pray for the inspiration and discipling to update this blog often. If anybody is reading this, have a blessed day in the Lord!
Kristina
Jan. 1, 2008 - !!HAPPY NEW YEAR!!
Happy New Year Everyone!
May God bless your school, kids, marriage, business, and everything you do!
Kristina
Dec. 28, 2007 - Vote for me!
Here's a link to a photo contest. It is a picture my husband took while we were in Germany. You can vote on it here. Vote Here!!
Dec. 28, 2007 - A mountain
Please tell me I am not the only one with a mountain of laundry that never seems to get any smaller.
Please??
So, that's about it for the day. Laundry and snow. I love the snow, not the laundry. We are expected to get about 6 inches of snow. It's so lovely! I'm sitting here, reclined on my couch with my candles lit, my hot cocoa, and my blanket, watching the fat flakes of snow blowing diagonally from the sky. I'd be perfectly content if it weren't for the looming pile of clothes on my laundry room floor awaiting a bath. Oh well! I will have a 30 day reprieve from laundry when my husband comes home. For some reason, he loves it, and vowed to relieve me of that duty while he was home. Works for me!
I'm very much looking forward to having my husband home. It's been 6 months since I'm seen him in Germany, and the kids haven't seen him for a year. He'll be here for a month and then be off again for another 6-8 months. :( After that, I'm hoping whatever contract he takes will allow all of us to be together. Until then, I am exceedingly glad to be spending some time with him. The girls and I are planning a menu, as he specifically requested "real" food. All our new furniture has been delivered and I've got just about all the finishing touches done on the apartment. I'm proud of it, actually. It feels so much more homey and cozy than our old house. It's just what I want for him to come home to after he's been living in a trailer with a roommate for a year. I'm leaving all our Christmas decorations up for him and plan to have a couple gifts under the tree for him and his stocking hanging and filled with goodies. ..............I'm so excited!
The dryer just buzzed at me, so I'm off to switch loads.
Have a blessed day everyone, and if you think of it, please pray for safe travels for my husband on his return, and he specifically requested prayer that he have snow while he was home...lol! Will you agree with me? Thanks!
Dec. 27, 2007 - Beginnings
Hello! I'm Kristina and I homeschool my 2 daughters, ages 10 and 14. There is more about me in my profile. Our curriculum consists of The Weaver, Five in a Row, Singapore Math, Latin's Not So Tough, Rosetta Stone German, American Sign Language Software, Apologia Science, and whatever else I decide to throw in on any given day.
I've attempted to blog before, however I became busy with life. We moved to Wisconsin in the beginning of December and my husband is contracted in Iraq. Needless to say we've taken the month of December off to get settled. We will be resuming in January and getting the girls involved in some activities. As you can see, I've decided to start blogging again. My blog will be about homeschooling, life, or anything else on my mind. My hope here is to meet and learn from other's homeschooling journeys and to just know I'm not alone on those days when I want to pull my hair out.
Well, there's my first post. More to come - hopefully with some regularity!
Kristina
