Sorry it's been a while since I wrote.  We have been down for several weeks with the flu and colds.  It was actually a nightmare!  Especially with Baby throwing up!  One thing I have a hard time with is vomit.  Baby isn't so bad, but the older children, uhhh!

Anyway, we are finally all healthy again and I will try to post more regularly.  I would like to talk about some homeschooling subjects, how I teach my children, etc.  We are finally getting into a routine that works for us with curriculum that works, too.  It is such a relief.

I am attending our monthly local homeschool meeting tonight and am looking forward to it.  It is the only time I go out without my children and last month was very educational.  It's so encouraging to listen to experienced homeschool mothers and what has worked for them.  No two families are alike, but it is always helpful to glean ideas from others and use them however they work for your own family.  I learn a lot from them and it is truly a Titus 2 ministry for me, anyway, to have them share with us.

Have a blessed day,

Miss Kris

I get comments on our family size all the time.  I'm sure I mentioned this before, but one day does not go by when I am out when someone does not say to me, "You have your hands full."

Now, why is this starting to sound old?

1. Because I can actually SEE & FEEL the phrase coming!

2.  Because it always comes.

3. Because the entire city has now said that to me.

4.  But, more importantly, because I don't consider four children to really be a large family.

It seems like our culture considers 2-4 children an acceptable amount.  Of course, four is pushing it.  But it is generally considered okay when you are trying for a specific gender.  Imagine their curiosity then, to see me walk by with a girl, and then three boys following.  They're probably thinking I don't know what causes it.  Or even worse, that I do know and it is my source of income!

It makes me so happy when I pull out my checkbook to pay for my groceries and not the expected WIC coupons.  And my children look so much alike that there can not be any doubt, even to a stranger, that they all have the same parentage.

It makes me even happier to see my children behaving as a Christian Homeschooling Family should.  Of course, they have their moments.  But they are learning that we are to be examples to the world around us.  It's important that large families and homeschoolers don't get a bad rap because of our family's behavior in public places.

But what will they say (or think) when I cross over that acceptable threshhold and have my fifth, sixth or eighth baby?

I don't really care what they think.  But sometimes folks can be verbally rude and nosy and that bothers me a lot.

Most days, telling me I have my hands full doesn't really bother me. 

I just tell them our hearts are full, too.

Greetings Faithful Friends!

I apologize for not being faithful myself.  I've been super busy since we started school with lots of things.  But I wanted to write a quick post about Nature Study.

This year, we are using My Father's World curriculum.  I really love it!  Every Friday we are supposed to do nature study.  We haven't been as faithful with it as I wanted to be.  It seems like Fridays are catchup/shopping days for us most of the time.  But I scheduled some days on our homeschool group calendar to keep myself accountable and to involve others.

I bought each of my children nature sketch diaries and lots of pencils.  I have for some time had the best nature study book ever written which I highly recommend.  The Handbook of Nature Study by Anna Botsford Comstock.  It is well worth the investment if you have an interest in the area.  She wrote a section on studying just about any animals, bird, etc., you can think of.  And there is a section about keeping a nature journal.  This is a very thick, comprehensive book.  As we delve further into the study of nature, I will try to post some of our entries for all to see.

Try to get your class outside now to enjoy the changing colors.  We live in the Pacific Northwest and the colors are gorgeous right now.  There are really no words to describe the awesome show the Lord puts on for us this time of year.

Happy studying!

Boy, the addage ,"the older you get the faster it goes," is proving too true for me.  It's hard to believe we're this far into March already.

Daughter had her little party on Saturday and it seemed to go well.  I think the had fun playing together.  We are pretty low key about stuff like that.  We found there is a little more training in the area of etiquette for our daughter.  Nothing like placing them in a situation requiring manners to see where we are failing them in that area of training.  Eeek!

I am making some changes with our daily schedule and today it worked well.  I am all over the board with our schooling and I really need structure to survive and get it all done.  I thrive with structure and most children do, too.  But it's easier when someone else is providing that structure.  I have to make it myself and it is challenging for me to remain disciplined.  I have to set time goals or I am not going to accomplish what I want with my children.

So as of right now, we are all finished with the Three R's and the chores.  They are taking a break and I am getting ready to jump into the shower.  Then we'll have lunch and do a study on Obedience and then they can play outside if they want.  Or they can do a project inside or earn extra money.  Later, daughter will practice her piano while they boys play inside.  Then we'll do some more chores and wrap up the day talking about artists and paintings.  Tomorrow we'll talk about maps/geography.  First thing in the morning, they usually do a Bible study with Daddy which is chronological, which I like for them.  It gives them a framework to organize Biblical events in their minds.  I want them to understand the history nad order of Biblical events now while they're young.  We've gotten away from this Bible study lately, but will be getting back on it ASAP.  It's been hard for us to get up early lately, but I am hoping with the time change it will be easier. 

I really need to get this routine established here, as next year I want to learn Latin with my daughter and I need to be able to add that extra subject without her feeling like all she does is school work.

The house is still clean from the party, so I am just washing sheets and towels and a few loads of clothing today and putting it all away (I hope).  I hope to go out to the store tonight, as I need some fresh things and I need to pick up a little something for daughter's birthday at the end of the week.  She will be eight years old!  Dinner will be sausage and rice with leftover green beans from last night.  Not too exciting but it will do the job.

Hope you all have a great week.  I will check in later to let you know if I have stayed accountable to my goal of being disciplined about school.

Blessings Today, Miss Kris

Hey all!

As I was standing in the kitchen this morning making Beloved's lunch, I had the feeling I might be coming down with something.  Please pray for me, as I am cooking on Thanksgiving and feeling a little bit overwhelmed at this moment in time.  It will probably pass soon enough, but for now I am having a hard time getting focused on what I need to do.

On another note, I received this email from a friend this morning and wanted to pass this information on to as many fellow homeschoolers as I could.

~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~

Hi,

Please excuse this interruption in regular ClickSchooling messages, but I
thought many of you would want to know about this...

Dr. Phil is doing a show on homeschooling that airs this coming Friday. (See
info forwarded from Karen Taylor of the California Homeschool Network via
another list below.) I just watched the trailer at http://drphil.com/. In
it, Dr. Phil interviews an unschooling family.

First, Dr. Phil sets it up by saying (in his punctuated manner), "No
assigned books, no tests, no grades -- as though school doesn't even exist."
(The implication? Learning doesn't exist.)

Next, he becomes exasperated with the mom on the issue of children
"choosing" to go to school.

Finally, he says to the parents, "Your kids don't work against deadlines."
The mom responded, "They have their own deadlines." Dr. Phil's response:
"That's not the way it works. I would be a vegetable if my parents had done
that to me."

This doesn't look good for the homeschooling team. You can read the
background on this particular homeschool show provided by a homeschool parent who was in the audience that day at: http://localhs.com/scuttle/2006/10/great-school-debate.asp

You are welcome to forward this info to others.

As for the show this Friday...if you watch it, you can email Dr. Phil with your feedback here:
http://drphil.com/plugger/respond/?plugID=9164

Diane

Diane Flynn Keith
for ClickSchooling
http://www.homefires.com/
http://www.carschooling.com/
http://www.universalpreschool.com/

1. We get to spend more time with them.
2. We get to teach them from a Biblical Worldview.
3. We get to know them on a deeper level.
4. We spend more time together as a family, promoting family unity.
5. We get to explore each child’s special areas of interest.
6. We waste less time, because we spend less time on “school stuff” than a family that doesn’t homeschool.
7. No homework!
8. We get to protect them from the cruel, cruel world.  At least for a time.
9. We don’t have to buy school clothes.
10. We get to work at our own pace.  No one left behind and no one kept behind.
11.  We have time to learn life skills.
12.  We have more time to disciple them which we are called to do.