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Musings of a relaxed, identity-directed homeschooling mum in New Zealand.
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Our cat is "Left-Pawed"
So my daughter informs me after intensive observations and testings. I think her research may have been slightly biased though, she is left-handed herself.
Poor creature!! |
Posted: 8:15 PM, Mar. 28, 2008 |
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Educated? Schooled?
Theres a difference. A big difference.
My eldest son is 15. And if he was at school he would be starting to collect the wonderful certificates that say he is "educated".
Several homeschoolers I know put their children in school at this age, so their children can get these certificates, we almost did ourselves, but after prayer and other circumstances realised it wasn't right for our family. Others turn to the correspondence school so their child can remain home and gain these certificates.
I have lately had a bit of a crisis of confidence about all this. My son really wants to pursue building as a career, and would like this year to be his last of homeschooling so he can do this. My main reaction has been fear. Yep, fear, I admit it. Fear that he won't have the certificate he needs, fear that he will have gaps. What about the chemistry I never got round to teaching him? What about the literature he hasn't studied yet?
I was talking it over with him this morning, and it occurred to me that I had once more turned to a 'schooling' attitude. I want all the i's dotted and the t's crossed. I had a list of 'stuff' I wanted him to learn and had this urge to put it all before him and demand it be done by years end.
So I am taking a step back, looking at the big picture. I am feeling challenged to put the emphasis on being educated, not merely being 'schooled'.
Schooling involves getting through the curriculum, taking the test and promptly forgetting what is learned. Education is knowing how to search our information for yourself as you need it, actually having researched, and owning the result yourself.
Schooling is measurable, graded by tests and marks, education is less tangible.
Schooling comes to an end. Education has no end, it is lifelong, there will always be more to learn.
Schooling is comfortable, it would be nice to say my son has a certificate in academics. Education puts more of an emphasis on being able to get along with others in life, of working hard, being a good citizen.
Schooling is about filling in notebooks, answering someone elses questions, being able to interpret what someone else expects of you. Education is knowing how to ask the questions, and dig out the answers yourself. It is also knowing how to apply the knowledge you have gained.
School has an agenda, and it's someone elses. Education gives room for learning what is important to you.
Schooling is about head knowledge. Education is about relating to others in meaningful relationships.
Could he get educated at school? Possibly, in spite of the system. I don't think I was well educated for life, though I had no problems fitting the system.
I need always to be aware of the danger though, of having him at home, and merely aiming to have him "schooled."
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Posted: 7:23 PM, Mar. 18, 2008 |
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Motivations
1 Thessalonians 1:3
"We continually remember before our God and Father
your work produced by faith,
your labour prompted by love,
and your endurance inspired by hope in our Lord Jesus Christ."
Paul wrote this to encourage the new christians in Thessalonica, but it struck me as a verse easily applicable to homeschoolers, an encouragement to 'keep up the good work'. It is also a reminder to keep our motivation right. I find it easy to slip into a teeth-grinding attitude of "this is the right thing, I must keep going at all costs", which is not healthy or good, and doesn't have any sort of stickability if the going gets tough.
Three motivations in this verse:
Work produced by faith - sometimes all we have to lean on is our faith in a Big God, and the knowing that he has called us, and therefore will enable us.
Labour prompted by love - we do what we do because of love. Love for God and our families.
Endurance inspired by hope - our hope is not a vain one, it is in a real person - our Lord Jesus Christ. This is what keeps us going.
Faith, love, hope - the same 'big three' of 1 Corinthians 13, in a different order. Paul says there that the greatest is love.
His love for us, our love for Him, and His love for others through us.
What a wonderful set of motivations. |
Posted: 6:36 PM, Mar. 10, 2008 |
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Settling in to a new routine
Since this is a homeschooling blog I will take a few posts to discuss - surprise, surprise!! - Homeschooling.
We have been back to 'schooling' for a few weeks now, and are starting to get a bit of a feel for a gentle routine that will be manageable and simple and hopefully not to stressful on everyone.
It will basically be:
Get up, morning chores.
9ish, read bible together and discuss, work on memorising bible verse. Then read together, Mondays "the thinking toolbox", other days whatever the current readaloud is - currently "Amos Fortune".
Older children do independent work, handwriting, typing, while I work with the youngest on reading, sight words and phonics.
Morning tea break then maths at the table, hopefully I can keep an eye on everybody at their different levels. Youngest does less maths, a bit of printing then goes and plays.
Older children do some form of writing, copywork, dictation, own choice - I like to mix it up a bit. Then three days a week spelling and two days some language exercises.
After this the children do a bit of research work, read non-fiction library books.
We have lunch and a bit of peace and quiet afterwards. On Mondays we have swimming lessons, Tuesdays and Thursdays I am doing a bit of informal science (chemistry), Wednesdays we have an outing of some sort, often the library. Friday is sports for the older children every second week, or visiting or just staying home.
My oldest son is becoming a bit more independent, he will be working about 20-30 hours at a local hardware store, so has a certain amount of work assigned to him each week he needs to accomplish at his own pace. My second son has different needs as well, he does a bit of economics.
Hopefully we get time for more reading, some puzzles and some board games, and some fun sort of activities outside, but this is a basic framework. Of course, there is always 'incidental' learning going on, just by living life together and talking through out the day.
Now this all sounds nice and orderly and calm and peaceful. But I live in the real world. This is the ideal and it often doesn't go all as planned. Sometimes my home resembles a zoo more than a homeschool. I have squabbles to sort, attitudes to address, laziness to motivate. It is nice though, to have a bit of a pattern to our days, it helps us function a lot better. |
Posted: 7:04 PM, Mar. 2, 2008 |
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150 Healthiest Foods on Earth
Last week at the library I picked up this book: 150 Healthiest Foods on Earth - the surprising, unbiased truth about what you should eat and why by Jonny Bowden.
It is absolutely gorgeous. I have left it lying around on the coffee table and it has been nice to see my children browsing through it.
It is well researched, and talks about the various properties of these 150 foods. Cancer preventing, fat busting, antioxidants, cleansing, heart-disease prevention. At first glance many of the foods were a bit beyond our reach, and some I have never heard of. But many of the foods are those we eat everyday, and have been enjoying for some time.
It has been a great read for me. Admittedly, it is only one persons opinion, but the research is there to back up the various claims.
Some changes I can realistically do:
Eat more nuts - they are a bit expensive but don't need to eat many at all to benefit from them.
Not worry so much about eating frozen foods, like peas and blueberries, they are just about as good.
Add more onions and garlic to our cooking, I already buy bulk onions at the local market and add them to most meals.
Do some more sprouting, I have dabbled with sprouting seeds from time to time, but reading about the incredible health benefits has got me motivated to get a bit more serious.
Eat more beans, we used to eat them more often but I have got a bit slack.
Increase my intake of green tea, and make ginger tea for an alternative.
Eat more fish, canned sardines are a superfood!!
Encourage the kids to eat snacks of seeds, peppers, carrots and other veges.
Hey, there's heaps more. But these are a few of the more realistic changes I can make NOW.
I recommend the book, it seems to be easily available in libraries. And its also on Amazon or Fishpond.
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Posted: 6:09 PM, Feb. 25, 2008 |
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A piece of pi
I had one of those wonderful homeschooling "AHA" moments just the other day. It was one of those moments when the lightbulb just went on and I could see clearly something I had missed for a lot of years.
But I will back-track a bit. I was a reasonably well accomplished student in high-school. I didn't have a great deal of motivation to learn anything for myself, but coped well academically. I was great at maths, until the upper echelons of calculus and trigonometry that seem to trouble most people. But get this - I just did it. I did not have to undestand anything, just followed the formula and did it.
One of these AHA moments happened a few years ago when I taught my son adding and subtracting using re-grouping and borrowing and carrying. I could see why I was doing it. I actually had an understanding. I have also had some of these moments doing history too, I love it now because it is interesting to me, when I had had no appreciation of it in the past.
This weeks AHA moment was this: I got an understanding of pi. You know the formulas for circles, circumference (circumference = diameter x pi) and area (Area = pi x radius squared). I could see how they sort of worked, and could even diagram it out for my son so he could understand too. I love visuals - charts, diagrams - thats how I learn best, so I was really excited.
Skip this if you are a mathematician or you're not interested, I won't be offended. If I could do diagrams on the computer I would do but I will explain as best I can.
Draw a circle, with a square around it, touching on the top and bottom and sides. For circumference, look at the length of the diameter, it is the same as the side of the square. Now the perimeter of the square is four times the diameter. The circumference of the circle comes inside that, so its obviously going to be less than four. Thats where pi comes in - thats the measurement that some clever person figured out we times the diameter by.
Now for area - draw a straight line for the radius, from the middle of the circle straight to the right to the side of the square. Now square it - shade in one fourth of the circle, the square is made up of four of these 'radius squared'. The circle comes in smaller than four times this - so enter our friend pi again!!
Now I think that is so cool. That would have helped me back in the eighties at high school. I don't think my son was as impressed as I was, but it helped him.
I am sure I am learning as much as my children, seeing what I missed first time round. Thats one reason why I love homeschooling!!
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Posted: 6:29 PM, Feb. 19, 2008 |
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That time of year again
Every year, about this time, we try to make the decisions about what extra-curricula activities to get the children involved in. Having five children, the potential for family blow-out is enormous if we try to fit a few activities in for everybody. Yet, conversely, the potential for frustration and 'missing out' feelings if we do nothing.
Even though winter is a few months away, a lot of clubs take registrations now for winter sports. We need to approach schools if there is not a club programme available in their particular sport.
Talking to other parents about this decision making process, I have had a few mums now, talk about how few activities their children do. But in talking to them further, their children do ballet, music lessons, girls brigade, plus their sporting interests, not to mention their church/Sunday school. Aaargh!!
For our own decision making, I tend to err on the side of doing less rather than too much. It is a priority to me to keep the family sane and peaceful. I am convinced that God has placed us in our little cul-de-sac and it is nice to be home here and not forever running around like a headless chicken. Our children have a lot of unscheduled time to 'just be'. Another priority is cooking nutritious meals economically from scratch.
The sheer financial cost of some activities seems prohibitive to me as well. I simply cannot justify spending so much money, when we are trying to live on a budget and cut our mortgage down asap. I am a bit uncomfortable too, about children thinking the world revolves around them as they get driven from place to place. I heard of a bumper sticker that said "If a womans place is in the home why am I always in the car?!!" That sums up how I don't want to be.
We don't do nothing, far from it, we do swimming lessons as part of the homeschool week, and at times have used the homeschool group for other sports, some drama (last year they were involved in a movie of Romeo and Juliet), and outings. My daughter had a year of dancing, but has no desire for more, so thats fine. The children that have wanted to have played soccer for several years. The children attended Sunday School, that may stop this year, we are praying about that involvement (a whole other blog entry!). I encourage them to play music, but use bought curriculum at home instead of expensive lessons. If they show musical aptitude I will reconsider lessons, but my aim is merely to introduce music at this stage. My oldest son is able to bike about the city, so he is involved in a few more activities, such as a boxing gym, some youth group activities, he also has 'adventures' with his friends, like boogie boarding down the river, and camping out on an island.
I have made some errors in the past in involvement. One year I enrolled the oldest three boys in expensive art lessons. At the end I concluded that I should have used some of the same money, invested in a book like 'the Usborne book of art skills', some art supplies, scheduled a bit of time for art, not minding the mess, and we would have been much better off. It would have been working smarter, not harder.
I feel like I am battling feelings of inadequacy, missing out. That is me though, I am not accountable to the mothers of two who are never home, or the mothers whose children are musical, sporting, arty, and community orientated all at once. It is up to our family, before God to decide what is best, and to trust Him that these are His children, and He wants the best for them, they will not be deprived from what they NEED.
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Posted: 7:20 PM, Feb. 10, 2008 |
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Back Home
We have just had a lovely week visiting with family up north. Lots of swimming in the sea and even a dip in the pool at the bottom of some waterfalls. Trying to make the most of this lovely summer while it is still with us.
While we were there we held a family celebration for my husbands "Big 4-OH". Its great to have family, I just love watching the cousins play together enjoying each others company, despite only seeing each other a couple of times a year. We were truly blessed too, we got the most awesome chance to share the gospel with my unbelieving in-laws, spent an evening just talking the things of God. My husband has been reading Watchman Nees 'the Normal Christian Life', and has been really impacted by it, so he had lots to share. As we travelled home he remarked how awesome it had been to share and how he would be surprised if he had such an opportunity again.
After our arrival back we were supposed to start pretty much straight in to the homeschooling. Well, it hasn't quite worked that way. I hadn't got as much planning done before we left as I hoped, and had not even thought about it for the week, so it will take a bit longer. Went to the library this afternoon so that will kick start something hopefully. I must admit it is nice to have the neighbourhood children back at school, its a lot quieter and more settled during the day. |
Posted: 5:29 PM, Feb. 7, 2008 |
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My Garden
It is not very big. But a year ago we looked out our kitchen window onto ugly brown dirt piles. And if it had been raining we looked out onto ugly brown mud puddles.
Now out my kitchen window I can see some trellis my husband put up, to separate the nicer outdoor living area from the back yard. My petunias are absolutely covered in flowers, and my salvias are just starting to show their red blooms. My sons sunflowers are doing ok, they had a rough start to life - we thought they were supposed to be planted 5cm deep, but it was actually 5mm. About half of them finally emerged and they aren't as tall as expected and the first flower looks a bit small for something called a "Russian Giant", but they are taller than my son so thats good. My impatiens are doing great, I love the red and white and pink. The lobelia I have in pots looks good too, as does a pink plant my mum gave me, can't remember its name.
In this 'nice' area there was a spare patch of garden I didn't know what to plant. I am not used to flowers. So I planted some veges here, some tomato plants and courgettes, and dwarf beans. This was a bit of an after-thought, an extra bonus.
Down the back, where the sun is most of the day, I have a variety of tomatoes in pots too. They are the ones that were planted earlier, so I could keep them sheltered by moving them around. These are the ones that I am starting to harvest. The flavour of home grown has no comparison to store bought.
Around the other side, by my clothesline so I can keep an eye on it, is my salad garden. Based on the SFG system, but my adaptation. Lots of lettuces, silverbeet, spring onions, celery and parsley. And my pride and joy - 12 rhubarb plants, in their own patch alongside the house, they started out about 5 cm tall, but are now huge, totally covering over the lettuces I planted in all the space in between, hopefully they will keep us going for a long time. We love rhubarb, especially on our weet-bix.
I can't wait to develop more areas, and plan some winter plantings. But we are taking it slowly, keeping it manageable. I have not been too good in the past at keeping a garden, but then I haven't enjoyed and appreciated it this much before either. I am in awe that these plants, these seeds, actually grow, and grow well. It amazes me to see flowers blooming and showing off their colours, in spite of me, their very inexperienced carer. |
Posted: 12:22 AM, Jan. 20, 2008 |
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Heroes
The news in NZ has this week been dominated by the death of Sir Edmund Hillary, at the age of 88. Along with his achievement of climbing Mt Everest for the first time, and his expeditions to the Poles, he was also a humanitarian, especially helping in Nepal. There has been a lot of talk about how all NZers can take inspiration from him, and aspire to do ‘great things”.
My family was discussing this, and talking about achievement and what we value in life. Everything we do on this earth, if it does not include Jesus Christ, it is empty and has no value in eternity. This is not to diminish in any way the achievements of Sir Ed, but the reality is, that climbing a mountain, helping others, having adventures, they all count for Nothing in the light of the eternal.
This week in the mail I received a magazine from the organization “Voice of the Martyrs”, an organisation that helps the suffering church, which was formed by Richard Wurmbrand. Everyday there are people who lay their lives down to share the good news of the gospel of Christ. We don’t know their names, or their stories, but to my mind they are the true heroes. Their hearts are set on eternity, not on what can merely be accomplished on this earth.
I am challenged to continue placing ‘Heroes’ before my children, to continue sharing their stories. This is a common homeschool theme that I really think is important. Many children know more about Britney Spears or Paris Hilton than they do about Jim Elliot, Mary Jones, Hudson Taylor, Amy Carmichael …. I want my children to be inspired by those who gave their lives to share the gospel, not those who just happen to be famous because they are wealthy or can sing and dance well(?).
But the greater challenge is for me, to live my life in light of the eternal. To not be distracted by the temporal that will soon pass away. To live life well and openly, in the grace of Jesus, the greatest hero of all.
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Posted: 12:09 AM, Jan. 20, 2008 |
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The Stationery Addict
| I think I must be a stationery addict as well. It seems to go nicely with being a curriculum junkie. Its summer holidays here, and about three weeks from schools going back. My favourite shopping time. The shops are filling up with, ahhhh, stationery. Blank pages, writing implements, low prices - dangerous combination. |
Posted: 2:24 PM, Jan. 7, 2008 |
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Mmmmmmm
This probably sounds a bit odd if you happen to be reading this in the northern hemisphere, but ....
I ate my first homegrown tomato of the summer yesterday.
It was a cherry tomato, so it was too small to share, and it wasn't much of a mouthful, but the flavour was amazing, unlike any tomato you can buy in the shops.
Its a few more days until any more are ripe, and my children are hanging out waiting for them as well, so I'm still faithfully training and watering my plants, expectantly watching. |
Posted: 7:35 PM, Jan. 6, 2008 |
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Encouragement from James
I was digging around in the depths of my handbag to find something and discovered these hastily scribbled thoughts on a piece of paper crumpled up in the bottom. I thought I would type it up and put it on here.
James 1:5 (NIV)
If any of you lacks wisdom, he should ask God, who gives generously to all without finding fault, and it will be given to him.
This was a verse that struck me when I was feeling overwhelmed, like life was spinning out of control.
There are so many areas where I feel a lack of wisdom. Here are a few that spring to mind:
Household – managing finances and resources
- general maintenance, like chores, meals, upkeep
Homeschool – organisation
- implementing what I have organised
- record keeping
Parenting – managing a large group of different personalities across a wide age span
- personality issues
- keeping a clear head amongst what can easily become chaos
Marriage – being the wife to my husband that God desires and my husband needs.
What do I usually do when I feel a lack of wisdom and don’t know how to cope with the issues in my life?
- panic
- complain
- get stressed
- run around like a headless chicken
- try to ‘get more organised’
- buy a new self-help book.
What does God encourage us to do in the book of James?
- ASK for the wisdom we lack
- TRUST that he will give it to us, generously
- REST in the fact that he doesn’t find fault with us
- BELIEVE that out of that place of rest he will make our path clear
- DO what he says, in HIS strength.
He is so loving and patient and kind. He is waiting to fill us with every good thing. He is for us, he only wants our good. He is the embodiment of the love picture in 1 Corinthians 13. |
Posted: 10:24 PM, Jan. 2, 2008 |
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Is there such a thing as a "Curriculum Junkies Anonymous" group?
Hi I'm June and I'm a curriculum junkie. It has been three hours since I last browsed an online homeschool supply company. Everytime I open my (name of homeschool company) catalogue to look up one item I find myself drawn to several others, and flicking through the pages in hope of finding that elusive perfect item.
My shelves are laden with curriculum - science, music, art, maths, geography, history, bible, thinking skills - that has never been used. Oh, its been looked at and sometimes started. I have a stack of dvds that have been watched once and are now collecting dust. Yet I keep looking for more.
I have sold as many resources again, and have not missed them one bit. You name it - I have likely tried it, (or at least researched and considered it). If I haven't heard of it I will research whatever you mention.
We have such an abundance of fancy, glitzy, colourful resources. Their presence makes me feel inferior somehow - as if I should be making these work for my family. Having them gives me a sense of guilt, and failure.
The only approach that has worked consistently for us is the basics. Basic maths skills, in a logical progressive order. Books that we read together - then use these to look up the maps and the history books. Simple books for beginner phonics and once the basics are done, piles of library books at the appropriate level. Books that the children read on their own. Games, puzzles, a small amount of computer time.
And the most basic of all - time together, talking, musing, just being.
Yet I still find myself drawn to the ever widening black hole of curriculum choices - you never know, this could be THE ONE!! |
Posted: 6:03 PM, Dec. 18, 2007 |
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Am I odd?
| I went yesterday to our local "Warehouse Stationery", which is as it sounds - a large store full of, well, stationery. One of my favourite stores to shop at - my children and I could spend ages there. And get this, in the midst of a busy Christmas shopping week, when the city was in chaos - no one was there, the store was no busier than usual at all. They don't even have special Christmas hours. Maybe no one else buys their children special notebooks and pens, or art supplies. Compared to the rest of the city it was a ghost town. Now of course I am not complaining because I am happy to avoid the Christmas busyness, but it amazed me. |
Posted: 5:54 PM, Dec. 18, 2007 |
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Blog Entries I meant to write, but didn't
I have had lots going on and fully intended to take a few minutes to blog a bit. I had them all written in my head, just not on here. Here then is my last few weeks of entries in a nutshell.
"Romeo, Romeo" - about the movie my children have been involved in with some fellow homeschoolers.
"My new hobby" - about finally getting a garden growing.
"Don't you just love a bargain" - about getting seven classic books for $8 brand new.
"Life in the neighbourhood" - about goings on around our cul-de-sac, and our children becoming the cat-finders, the first-aiders, the entertainers for a toddler with a broken leg when all her siblings are at school.
"New challenges" - about my oldest sons job and the challenges we face as he transitions from schooling to career choices.
"A tale of two sons" - about the differences I am noticing between my two eldest sons and the different ways they handle the same work.
"Back to basics" - my simplified approach to maths, and everything else actually.
And here's my latest offering - in full, something I am learning to hang onto:
"His Grace is sufficient" - in ALL CIRCUMSTANCES,
HIS grace is sufficient.
His GRACE is sufficient.
His grace IS sufficient.
His grace is SUFFICIENT.
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Posted: 6:59 PM, Nov. 20, 2007 |
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Recent Reading
Me
A lineage of Grace by Francine Rivers
Whats so amazing about grace? by Phillip Yancey (one of my favourite authors)
The four faces of God by John Bickersteth and Timothy Pain
The return of the prodigal son by Henri Nouwen
Homeschooling at the Speed of Life by Marilyn Rockett (I am involved also in an on-line study of this, which is going well)
(all very highly recommended)
Hubby -
The Saving life of Christ by Major Ian Thomas
Son 1 -
Christian History made easy by Timothy Jones
The four faces of God (required reading by me!!)
Son 2 -
Sharp books by Bernard Cornwell
(Also listened to "In Freedoms Cause" by Henty, read by Jim Weiss)
Son 3 -
lots, including Laura books
A long way from Chicago and Fair Weather by Richard Peck
Daughter -
lots, including Laura books, a couple of all-of-a kind-family books, and heaps of 'animal ark' books
Reading aloud -
Life of Jesus section in 'the Chronological Bible', using maps and timelines and charts from "Reproducible Maps, Charts, Timelines and Illustrations"
The Shakespeare Stealer
Kingdoms Dawn, Kingdoms Hope and Kingdoms Edge by Chuck Black
History of the World 2
Mr Poppers Penguins (to those who missed it first time round plus those who don't mind hearing it again!)
Vinegar Boy (beginning soon) |
Posted: 7:43 PM, Oct. 9, 2007 |
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Well, the unthinkable has happened
New Zealand is a proud rugby nation. We are very proud of our national team - the All Blacks. But one thing rankles most people in the country - they haven't won the world cup since 1987. They consistently beat every other nation every other time they play, but the world cup has remained elusive. They have always made it to the top four, but the ultimate just hasn't happened. What especially annoys everyone is that in 1999 France beat us and we came home a dismal fourth.
Well, in case you didn't know, there is a world cup going on at the moment, in France. For the past four years the All Blacks have been 'groomed', and conditioned for this event. There was no doubt that this time we were going to bring the cup home. Many NZers made the trip over to France paying an average of $25,000 each to do so, certain that this time we would be the champions.
Well, yesterday we played France again, this time in a quarter final. And the All Blacks LOST.
You would not believe the disbelief the nation is feeling. Our national sport, our pride and joy, our All Blacks, are coming home in a worse result than ever before. (Our close rivals the Australian Wallabies are in the same boat as well - which is another major upset!)
And now the fall-out on the media has begun. We have had psychologists on the radio, telling us how to cope with this devastation. We have had business people predicting tough times. We have had numerous people blaming the team, the coach, the referee. Others have told us how to treat the team when they get back, and how badly they are feeling. Apparently it is going to take us a long time to 'get over it'.
But, after all, as Anne of Green Gables says 'Gods in his heaven, alls right in his world'. The sun will still come up tomorrow and God will still be on His throne. The patriotic rugby idol might be exposed for the empty being it really is. Maybe we will be the better for it.
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Posted: 7:23 PM, Oct. 7, 2007 |
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Spell checker is American - but I'm not!!
I have always been an excellent speller. As a child I topped the class in spelling consistently. Being a visual learner I am quick to notice typos, and can spot spelling mistakes a mile (should I say a kilometre?) off.
To my consternation though, as I type along I find several words with the dreaded red underlining. I choose to ignore it, and push on regardless, but it is incredibly confusing for my children. Many of the books we read come from the States, more than the British books I read as a child.
To be honest though, I think the Americans have got it right on a lot of spellings. What use is the 'ue' on the end of catalogue/catalog or dialogue/dialog? Why do we need a 'u' in colour/color, or flavour/flavor? There really is no need for the extra 'me' on the end of programme/program, and kilometer is a bit more logical than kilometre. Realize sounds better phonetically than realise does.
I guess with the world being so small and connected these days that eventually the more British spellings will give way, teachers will not fuss so much. And with text messaging and the associated shortcuts everyone seems to use - well it seems the spelling I am so good at is doomed.
It doesn't stop the red lines bugging me though. |
Posted: 7:22 PM, Sep. 27, 2007 |
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Procrastination
I have decided that my habit of procrastinating has got to be dealt with. I am sick of never getting anything achieved because I am waiting for a better time. I have finally realised that I can no longer delay getting on top of this terrible habit. It is crunch time.
I am going to start tomorrow. |
Posted: 7:20 PM, Sep. 27, 2007 |
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