I've enjoyed reading the Harry Potter series, even though it has sparked controversy among the Christian community. In the series, although he can't exactly explain the reason why, Dumbledore tells Harry that he must return "home" to the house of his aunt and uncle once a year to ensure protection from the enemy.  There's a certain magic of Harry's mother's love there that is found nowhere else.  Now, Harry's parents are dead, and his relatives hate himl  Yet there is a healing balm at Privet Drive, meant just for Harry, made from the memories of a loving past. 

      As an East coast transplant living on the West coast, I too have had a sense of the call to return home.  We go back to visit twice a year.  Home is not a hostile environment as it is in Harry's world.  But, as anyone who has a family knows, there's always something controversial happening.  The need to return home is not to return to peace.  And I catch glimpses of home here on the West coast - the smell of a fall day, the scent of rain, an encounter with a fellow northeasterner... These encounters make me long for home.  I love where I live and am content with God's plan for me.  it's just built into my very being to be linked to the East as a Canada goose is linked to their migration from north to south. 

I think it's God's plan for our souls to long for home.  Because ultimately, we're not home yet here on the earth.  We're waiting for the day to join Jesus in the home He has prepared for us.  My longing for the healing magic of home is just a reflection of my soul's longing to be HOME with HIM!

And that's the world according to Jennifer today...

      I like to think of school as a way to broaden my sons' horizons.  The more experiences I can give them, the more well-rounded they become.  My husband feels the same way when it comes to vacations and fun activities.  With only 5 years left until our oldest explores college options, we both think we need to do everything we can to spend time with our children. 

       I've discovered a problem with this point of view.  No, it's not the budget, although money does prevent us from jetsetting all over the world.  The problem is that the boys' idea of what's fun to do or worthwhile to learn is sometimes very different from our own ideas.  I suddenly realized that I get the most frustrated when I can't have the boys grow up exactly the same way I did.  They do not love theater, music, reading, the outdoors and "doing school" the way I did.  They do not love sports the way my husband did.

          At first, that made me sad and a bit wistful.  But upon closer examination, I realized that our love for a subject has rubbed off on our children.  They have an appreciation for the arts and for sports even if it doesn't translate into the same experiences. On top of that, they have interests that are different from mine.  My youngest loves the computer.  He's learned how to program and to work his way around a computer in a way that I can't do.  My oldest loves video games.  And surprisingly, that has led to an understanding of war, multitasking, and social networking that I'm not so good at. 

       I'm so thankful that we love to do many things together.  But I'm also thankful that I've realized that the boys' future is much more important than my own past.

And that's the world according to me today...

Is it really mid-August?!! 

      I looked at my to-do list for the summer.  Everything we had planned to do as a family and for the boys happened.  And it was a really long list too.  Last week we had root beer floats, which concluded the summer list.  But what about MY to-do list?  Yes, I took a vacation, read a few books for fun, did some lesson planning, attended a home school conference, and took some time to swim and just sit.  So, I did accomplish a well-rounded summer. 

        But I was going to blog and I was going to finish my Special Connections study.  And now, almost 3 months later, I blog for the first time?!!  Yikes!  Oh well.  I guess that means blogging is more of a routine thing after all, and I'm ready for it again with the start of school. 

       I planned out my school year this time by deciding what day I wanted to be the last day of school and working backwards from there.  Because we want time off throughout the year, the first day is going to be tomorrow, August 17.  Fortunately, I also decided to ease into the schedule, only doing 2 subjects and Bible until September. 

         The boys are fine about starting school again.  They're looking forward to having something "to do".  I think they're looking forward to the neighbors going back to school as well. It can be hard to play with the same people every day, all day long, without any boundaries. 

       Well, I guess that's not totally true.  They do have some boundaries.  I have noticed that the best way for the boys to negotiate a deal without fighting is to play "rock-paper-scissors".  1-2-3 shoot, ro-sham-bo, rock-paper-scissors.  Whatever you call it, the boys find it to be fair.  And fairness is what boys are all about.  There's no cheating, whining, or yelling.  The outcome, based on the layout of your fist and fingers, determines who goes first, who takes out the trash, who plays whom, and the list goes on. 

      Can you just  imagine this game going on in the workplace?  Who wins the account?  Let's play rock-paper-scissors.  How about at home?  Who's taking Johnny to soccer practice tonight? 1-2-3- shoot! 

     So funny, yet so simple.  Maybe I need to use that tonight to see who's going to cook dinner?....

And that's the world according to me this summer....

Our friend drove in on a motorcycle for the weekend.  He certainly was an angel this weekend.  My husband recently had surgery, and THEN we found out the recovery time could be almost a year.  We weren't expecting to hear that.  I don't want him to be in pain for so long. 

But our friend came in and had Chris laughing like I haven't seen in years.  It was so refreshing and just what he needed.  Laughter is good medicine for the soul and the body.  Laughter really helps to speed recovery. 

I'm so glad that God is so good and allows us to see His children, even when they live so far away.  This Memorial Day, I'm going to remember the friends God has placed in my life through it's various stages.  Maybe you could do that too.

Have a wonderful day!

I found myself with a free hour this afternoon.  Spring Break is over and school work has been completed for the day.  So I checked in with my friends at Facebook and reviewed my Delicious Account.  Delicious is great- it allows you to "tag" websites and label them so you can find them later.  I decided to check out my "homeschooling" tags and found 35 listings.  The one I looked at today was www.homeschoolforfree.net What a fun site!!! 

I can't wait to use all of the information that I found listed.  I even figured out how to link it to this blog.  No small feat - I should have asked my 9 year old how to do it. 

I even learned how to add the Sonlight banner to my page too.  The computer is so much fun!!! 

Well, less than 2 months of school left to go this year.  At times I felt like nothing was being accomplished and I felt like I kept changing my mind on how to reach our goals.  But when I look back at each month's review, I realize that we have indeed been busy. 

My husband asked me last night if he felt like the boys were getting as in-depth an education as they did at school.  He was asking because we seem to be finished so early in the day.  And as we began talking about it, I realized that while we don't have vocabulary drills, we really are learning things in depth.  For example, my 4th grader (according to state standards), is supposed to learn that volcanoes and earthquakes can change the landscape.  That's really all they have to know about them.  But we googled "earthquakes" and found a wonderful world map that shows earthquake activity that is daily, weekly, and yearly, up to 5 years.  Did you know there was an earthquake in the Pacific near Oregon this morning that registered 4.4?  The site gave latitude and longitudinal coordinates, so we looked them up on our giant map in the hall.  Hey!  Without even planning for it, we went more in depth.  Isn't homeschooling fun?

I'm so glad we've decided on this adventure.  I only wish I'd discovered it earlier. 

And that's the world according to me today...

"To Be or Not to Be".  I was eating breakfast this morning when this quote popped into my head.  Thanks to the wonders of the internet, I could pop up the entire soliloquy in a moment.  Whew!  It's been a long time since I read Shakespeare. But I found I could interpet most of it.  I wanted to write down why I was thinking of this quote, but I thought I'd better read it in context before spouting off silly words of wisdom. 

Some days it's hard to wake up with a cheerful spirit.  Life seems so incredibly routine.  Feed the dog, kids, teach, clean, eat again, etc.  Some days I wonder where the joy is in that.  If I only could do.... or if I only had.... then I would....   What a piteous way to live.  But it brought up the question "to be or not to be".  Now, in Hamlet, the speaker wonders if life is worth living and if it is possible to embrace death and the unknown that lies ahead.  Today, I'm thinking if I can just "be" in the quiet, routine moments, or not "to be".  Can I learn to live in the everyday and find it joyful?  Can I learn how to be still? 

Add these words to the quote and you'll see what I'm getting at...

still  -   to be still or not to be still

content   -  to be content or not to be content

busy  -    to be busy or not to be busy

adventurous      -  to be adventurous or not to be adventurous

patient     -  to be patient or not to be patient

And it all boils down to this:   "to be faithful or not to be faithful".   My role is to have faith that God either wants my life to be routine or He doesn't.  If life was always on the go, I wouldn't have time to sit at His feet.  If life was always routine, I wouldn't need to trust Him in the unknown.  Today I'm gong to throw off all that entangles me to run the race God has set out for me.... even if today that means I'm not going to leave the house....

And that's the world according to Jennifer this morning...

It's the end of February and I've hit the winter blues.  I always thought that moving away from the cold and snowy temperatures would get rid of the blues.  Unfortunately, it didn't happen.  Every year I find myself dissatisfied, mopey, and tired of teaching, cooking, cleaning, etc.  Nothing seems fun and it runs you down. 

This year, I prepared myself in advance for the winter blahs.  I took a week off from school in late January to completely deep clean the house.  The boys were grateful for the break as well.  Then, when the tired feelings crept in, I snuggled up with a book and a time to just sit and accept a quieter day.  But I still woke up feeling yucky yet again today.

So today, we made it summer instead of winter.  I turned on the hot tub during the day, made juice popsicles, and read to the boys while they played in the water.  We even let the dog swim.  And I'm not going to cook tonight either.  It's our afternoon off, just like a summer Friday.  Finally, I took myself on "vacation" away from home by visiting various blogs and looking through past Family Fun magazines.  My creative juices are starting to trickle again....

The winter blues have been vanquished for another day...

We just finished an incredibly busy week.  I'm looking forward to a much slower-paced week this time around.  I was stressed, at this time last week, thinking of all there was to do.  In addition to karate, music lessons, speech, and homeschool events, the boys also participated in a science fair and an art show.  Due to some broken equipment, some of the science fair data wasn't completed until the last day. 

"Traditional school" went out the window last week.  And I have to admit, I yelled once or twice for some math and language arts to be done.  Fortunately, I began reading some past articles during all of my waiting time at each event.  I rediscovered my reasons for homeschooling.  They weren't about math problems and grammar. 

I was a model public school student.  I knew what each teacher wanted and performed for them.  I got my A's and awards.  I thought everybody could be like that if they were only willing to stop fooling around and try harder.  But I never saved any of those papers.  I saved photos, essays, and memories of what?  You guessed it- art shows, science fairs, and music lessons. 

I had to change my focus.  Last week was a PERFECT week of school.  We did an art show!  One of them even got a 1st place ribbon and the other- well, I've never seen a more gracious loser.  It was humbling.  Other people LOVED their science project.  Glow in the dark rocks are pretty cool.  We made cookies for a Valentine's Day widows tea.  The ladies LOVED the cookies.   

Those activities are what the boys will remember.  I need to include the extra activities as part of school, not as an extra thing on the to-do list.  Yes, we'll get our math and language arts completed.  But it will no longer be the sole indicator for a good day.

And that's my world today...

Today I discovered that Laura Ingalls Wilder was a blogger!  I grew up loving her books and I still re-read them from time to time.  I'm sad not to have girls to pass my favorite treasures to.  Anyway, a few years ago I discovered the other series books at the library and read my way through Caroline, Martha, Rose, and the other Laura relatives.  I'm sorry they haven't really caught on - too much like the American Girls, I guess.  Laura also wrote for farm journals.  I have several of the collections and hope to visit her home in Mansfield someday.

My newest read is a 3 part series "Writings to Young Women from Laura Ingalls Wilder", compiled by Stephen W. Hines.  Each writing is only a page or two long, taken from a newspaper column.  As I was reading these, I realized that Laura was a blogger in her day.  She loved to write about her life and what she observed around her.  Blogging may be online, but I too am recording my observations.  There is such treasure that lies in the written word.  I'm so glad that Laura's writings were preserved.  They hold as much truth today as they did in the 1920's.  Here is a quote from Laura, written in May 1922:

"The responsibility for starting the child in the right way is the parents' - it cannot be delegated to the schools or to the state, for the little feet start on life's journey from the home."

And that's the world according to Laura today....

I'm in a musing mood tonight.  I really enjoyed the inauguration today. I made the boys watch, which was like pulling teeth, but I felt it was important.  I was excited to see Rick Warren, to hear the Lord's Prayer recited (although disappointed that Obama didn't even move his lips during that part), and to listen to Arethra sing "God Bless America".  Like it or not, God is still present in this country.  And I'm SOOOOO glad!!  I don't know what the new presidency will bring, but I know God is in control and we, as a nation, publicly asked God for his help in leading our country.  That puts us in pretty good hands. 

It's been awhile since I last blogged.  I know, Christmas keeps anyone busy.  But I realized this morning that I haven't blogged because I've been Facebooking.  I love Facebook.  It has been so fun to reunite with old classmates and friends.  It shows me how normal my life is and how normal everyone else is as well.  It feels good to be "known" by someone.  When I blog, chances are very few people will read this and get to know me better.  But when I Facebook, people instantly get to know me and vice versa. 

Also, Facebook allows me to put my thoughts down in 1 or 2 sentences, not paragraphs.  That can be easier sometime, like eating Fast Food.  And I realized that that's the meat of the issue- Facebook is a fast food diet.  Blogging is a slow, sit down meal that simmered for some time and is then presented to someone on a beautiful plate, not a paper bag. 

I'm still going to do both (eat Fast Food and do Facebook). But I'm also going to continue to blog because the essence of myself will slowly waft its way through my writing. 

And that's the world according to Jennifer today...

          It's the day after Thanksgiving.  I'm enjoying my tradition of NOT shopping today. The house still smells faintly of turkey, stuffing, and pumpkin pie.  My parents left for the airport this morning, but I am so thankful they could come visit us this year. 

         We talked with our relatives from around the country yesterday.  It felt so good to be connected.  I love Thanksgiving because for whatever reason, it has never become commercialized.  And I hope it never does.  Don't get me wrong- I love Christmas, but I love that every year Thanksgiving allows me to pause and enter the holiday season with a feeling of love and abundance. 

        Enjoy your day - however you enjoy spending it.  Tomorrow it will be time to decorate and plan and wonder how we'll manage to cram so many exciting things into one month.  But today- continue to be thankful.

I was challenged today - If you moved to an island or remote area, what would be the 10 homeschooling essentials you would take with you?

Let's see...

1. computer with internet

2. A printer/ copier

3. pens, pencils, and paper (they lumped these together, so I can too)

4. a camera

5. a dry erase board with markers

6. Bible

7. An atlas

8. scissors

9. a ruler

10. Slingbox (so we could watch the science and history shows from TV on our computer)

 That was kinda hard.  I'm sure I'll have different ideas tomorrow.  What are your top ten?

            I was curled up next to the fire tonight, reading yet another homeschooling book, when I stopped to hear the boys' laughter coming from the next room.  They're hanging out with their neighborhood friends.  I think 6 of them were running around playing laser tag earlier tonight. 

              I read a book about dyspraxia today- something both of my boys have.  It's when your brain and your body don't run at 100% efficiency.  Think of having a slower reaction time.  The book showed statistics that when the mother didn't gain weight properly, then some of the baby-to-be's brain wiring may have been compromised.  I was really sick and lost weight until the 6th month of both pregnancies, so that thought made me sad.  Back to the  same question I've had before- did I do this to my children? 

             Of course, my immediate thought was "go back and read your own notes on the subject".  You can too- just go back in my blog and find the Special Connections link.  My premise is that God made me and He made my children- just the way they were to be.  And that's that.  No more questions.  But it's hard to believe that it's that simple sometimes.

             Back to the book.  As a way to help dyspraxia, the author suggests 15-20 minutes of exercise every day.  The boys won't even know they're doing brain work as they crawl through obstacle courses, jump rope, and scoot around on a skateboard.  As a homeschooler, I can try ideas like this and not have to get the school's permission.  And if it doesn't work, then only you'll know!

             Which brings me back to my reverie by the fireplace.  My boys, who would struggle in school, now have friends over and can interact with them!  I think the secret is in slowing down.  We don't do as many activities any more.  We're still busy - but not overscheduled.  There is time to sit and visit with each other and with our friends. 

            I've met people who catch a glimpse of life's brevity and try to pack more in.  I think right now, I'm headed the opposite direction.  I'm learning to slow down and savor the things we're doing.  I still get impatient.  But in the long run, a lot of things are still being accomplished.  And I feel at peace. 

             When I feel stress beginning to build up, I take a deep breath and choose to focus on one thing at a time.  And when my mind starts to wander, I choose to refocus until that one task is done.  It makes me feel better, reduces my stress, and suddenly I'm in the mood to tackle another small project. 

           Slowing down- what a wonderful feeling!

Good morning, World!

My boys were off to a sleepover last night.  After sushi and zin and a wonderful night's sleep, here I am, content.  This morning I took things at my own pace.  I read, visited with friends on Facebook, and did some housecleaning.  Even dusting seems better when you're on your own schedule and no one is right behind you messing things up again. 

The boys will be home soon.  But just a few hours alone with my husband has refreshed me.  AHHHHH!

I made brussel sprouts the other day.  Not the kind my mom made, boiled to death.  They were cute, fresh, and only 16 cents for the whole bag!!!  I steamed them and added lemon, garlic, butter, and salt.  I was surprised at how good they tasted.  My husband and boys still don't like them.  Oh well. 

My son asked us why we were trying something when we had tried it before and didn't like it.  My husband explained that if we never tried anything again, we'd still be stuck eating baby food. 

Isn't life like that?  It's hard to watch my children struggle in soccer or guitar lessons.  But if I don't enrich their experiences, then they'll never grow.  Likewise, I think the coaches and teachers need to experience children like mine, or they'll never grow either.  But they don't know that :)

Homeschooling is like eating brussel sprouts.  I NEVER thought I would try it, but when I did - not bad!  In fact, I like it.  And not all of of the sprouts were perfect- one I tried was a little too cabbagy tasting.  Not all of my homeschooling days are tasty either.  But I'm free to try new things every day and it's a healthy choice for our whole family. 

Go out there and try something new today.  Or try something you didn't like in the past.  That's the world according to me today....

Wow, Is it the 2nd week of school already?!  

Hello cyberspace.  I love this time of year, but it can get hectic.  Being a bit of a perfectionist, I've tried to outline the entire school year.  And this year, I'm doing history and science without any type of textbook.  I know we're going to love it, but I have to find a balance between detailed lesson plans and going with the flow.  Yikes!  Thank goodness the boys seemed to have settled into a routine. 

We've added soccer, puppets, and guitar lessons to our mix of karate, homeschool group, church, and , oh yeah, we have schoolwork to do somewhere in there.  I'm so glad most people have overwhelming days as well.  Did I mention that we're right about to have the entire house re-sided.  LOL

I found the secret to being able to handle all of the stress of new beginnings - Bible Study.  I just signed up for Beth Moore's "Believing God" study online.  I don't have to commit to anything else outside of the house, but I'm in God's word and thinking about it every day.  It does wonders for my sanity.  Chocolate helps too, but that's another story. 

I've been reading some of my friends' blogs, listening to their first day stories, and participating in some list groups.  I'm so impressed by the ways they choose to persevere through hardship.  Life is rough.  It often doesn't seem fair from our vantage point, BUT I am not alone in raising children who don't fit a conventional mold.  And I'm so happy that others have also risen to the challenge to love the often unlovable.  This last issue of TOS has been wonderful, filled with stories of special children. It gives me added hope.

Have a wonderful start to the new year!

hi world,

 Someone broke into our garage and stole my purse, laptop, and some other things.  I always try to stick to the Bible verses about storing treasures in heaven and not on earth, so I was surprised at how much the burglary hurt.  It was more of a nuisance, really.  My husband's company will replace the laptop.  Most cards were sent to me in the mail right away.  The license cost $22 to replace.  But they got our housekeys and possibly the code to our garage door.  So, we now have a new code and new locks on all the doors.  Talk about an unexpected expense!  Kind of makes me wistful for the new world, without crime or pain.  I do realize the $50 in cash taken, while an inconvenience, did not set me back for groceries or anything  else.  And that made me sad too.  Why was I so upset when so may others have less than I do to begin with.  I prayed that they would repent and bring it all back!!!  Sorry to say, that hasn't happened.

But I started to wonder.  What did they steal that would point them to Christ?  Do you think they may listen to the Christian Cd's they stole?  Will they see the Bible verse printed on my business card?  Will they see the pictures of our happy family and want that for themselves?  Maybe someday I'll know.  But for now, I'm trying to convince our boys that no one can break into our house and that the new locks are just the thing.  But I don't feel so secure right now.  Just a continual reminder to seek God first to help me heal.  And that's the world according to me this week....

"Everything but the kitchen sink"  You know that phrase, right?  The TOS planner has it all.  I've never seen such a comprehensive planner before.  And if you have children with special needs, who has time to go looking for all of this information in more than one resource? 

I was amazed to see 247 pages in the TOS planner.  My favorite parts included the extra information sheets.  These include a timeline of inventions, famous composers and artists, lists of countries, capitals,and presidents, as well as kitchen measurements and the 7 wonders of the ancient and modern worlds.  There are calendar pages, spots to fill in goals, and a wealth of housekeeping charts and forms.  The menu planner should help me stay organized this year.  And the garden checklist might improve the outside of my house this year. 

Unfortunately, there are some weaknesses to this planner.  One is the $40 price tag.  While the pages may not have neat colors or designs, I can get almost all of the same forms at www.donnayoung.org .  And I still have to print up everything even after I've paid for it.  If you love having a coordinated look to your life, and I know you're out there!!!!!!, then this planner is the ultimate tool for you.  If you're like me, you rejoice at the freebies on the internet and wish Jamin lived next door. 

But don't take my word for it - look at a sneak peak at www.thehomeschoolmagazine.com   I'm never disappointed by the quality of their products and I think you'll feel the same way.

Do you struggle at the grocery store when the clerk asks if you want paper or plastic? Paper seems like the friendly resource, although it does kill trees, and it costs more to produce.  Plastic can be recycled, but it also fills up the landfills.  What to do?...

 I found myself thinking the same thing as I tested The Old Schoolhouse Magazine digital edition.  Which one is better?  At the moment, the digital edition is slightly ahead, but that's because it's almost the middle of August and I still don't have the summer issue in my hands.  Hopefully it will arrive soon. 

One benefit to the digital magazine is to receive it quickly.  I also enjoyed clicking on the different links throughout.  For example, I got to know the writing staff by reading some of their blogs.  And I checked out several vendors by visiting their web sites as well.  However, I had a lot of trouble even getting the magazine to work in the first place.  I didn't get the link when I first ordered it.  It did show up in my spam box 2 days later, but in the meantime, the Schoolhouse Store staff very quickly sent me a link when I asked for help.  I had to go to the DMV, which takes forever of course, so I downloaded the magazine on my laptop to read while I was there, and off I went.  Unfortunately, even the offline version doesn't work unless you have an internet connection.  At least, not on a laptop with Vista.  Rats!  So much for my plan to take the laptop to my next homeschooler's meeting to share the magazine. 

I did manage to use the magazine on my home computer, although it freezes a lot and I have to exit and start over.  I'm really hoping that some of those glitches will work themselves out, because I haven't had that problem with other downloads before.  The digital magazine is cheaper, so if you're looking to save money and have the ability to instantly click for more information, then this is the way to go. 

But if you're like me, and you love to take your magazine to soccer practice or for laying by the pool, then I say, there's nothing like the real thing in your hands.  I'll be running out to the mailbox tomorrow to see if TOS is there.  If you have a chance to check it out, the special needs articles in the summer issues are always fabulous!!!!!

And that's the world according to Jennifer....