I am a Warrior for the Glory of Christ in my calling as a woman of God. I am a mother of two boys and a little girl, a wife of my beloved, a home manager, and a women who daily battles many hinderances that try to cloud my vision and mission of being Joyful in my many duties and that try to take my eyes off of glorifying my awesome Rock and Redeemer, Jesus Christ, through them. My hope for this blog is to just encourage other mothers and wives in there calling through the Word of God, His revelations to me, and just really my own personal walk through this journey of being a mother, helpmeet, home manager, and woman of God. http://www.homeschoolblogger.com/JavaMama/ en-us Homeschool Blogger Sat, 9 Feb 2008 19:44:00 -0600 Sat, 9 Feb 2008 19:44:00 -0600 I have come to the realization that I just can not keep up with this blog and this blog, the long distance is to difficult to maintain. Homeschoolblogger and Blogger are just to far apart when it comes to different domains and I can't find the time to go back and forth. I think it will be easier to be a homekeeper to Growing Minds of Wisdom if I move it over to Blogger, that way they are just clicks away, neighbors. I could combine them but the purpose of my other blog would interfer with the purpose of this blog, so they will stay seperate. Please, my friends who have stayed with me or found me recently... follow me over to my New Home! Don't forget to leave me a comment so that I can put you in my friends list. http://www.homeschoolblogger.com/JavaMama/477802/ Sat, 9 Feb 2008 19:44:00 -0600 http://www.homeschoolblogger.com/JavaMama/477802/ I sat down this morning with m teacher book and calendar to evaluate where we are at or how far behind we are and found this: With 42 weeks scheduled out in our 2007-2008 School Year we are currently in week 11 which is 11 weeks behind where we are scheduled to be on January 9. I know... 11 weeks, I am not even sure how we fell so far behind. A day here, a day there, a week over there, a month here... sigh. Here is my plan: By January 29 we will be ending week 19 which will have us caught up to 9 weeks leaving us only 2 weeks behind.  If we are diligent  and catch up to week 20 by the 29 and then stay on course till the end we will finish up by Jun 27 but that is with NO breaks and honestly I don't see that happening because of Easter break which we always travel. We could double up that week before we leave so that we can stay on course. I will have to think about that. June 27 is a okay date to finish up though I would prefer earlier because that only gives us 1 month off before we begin the next year. Here is what our next 3 weeks look like in each subject: Bible Truths: We are going to do 1 of 2 things, either just continue as we are in it combining some of the easier lessons together until the end of the year with out stressing it out, just enjoying God’s word where we are or we will substitute this with a more causal bible study and wait until next year to start this again. It was actually a little above Superman’s grade level. FLL:  Simply combining 3 lessons each day until the 25 of Jan and then continue as usual a lesson a day until June 27. Spelling Workout: We are actually not behind in our spelling lessons but we will be combining so that we will finish them by the 27th because on my schedule I had us finishing 9 weeks after… ? So we will double up on each lesson until the 12 of May where we will then be able to just do 1 lesson a week. Horizons: In order to catch up in our math we will be doubling x 2 for 2 weeks and then doubling for 1 week and then by the 28 of Jan we will be exactly where we should be. We have already begun to to do this and it is working just fine, he enjoys math and is very quick at it. SOTW: Read 3 chapters a week with good discussion and lots of books from library until the 4th of February and then we will be caught up. Science: We are just having fun with space right now, we are not on any schedule. Where ever we are lead until the 27 of June! Nature Walks: resume as usual Amazingly we will be able to do this with a lot of prayer and diligence! May God walk with us through the next 6 months of our homeschool year! http://www.homeschoolblogger.com/JavaMama/458132/ Wed, 9 Jan 2008 09:26:00 -0600 http://www.homeschoolblogger.com/JavaMama/458132/ With homeschooling it is easy for others to casually think that we can take off at any time since we are home and all. The idea is that we can simply put school on hold for a few hours or even a few days to comply with new plans and this is acceptable in some cases but not always. I have taken school on the road before and in Walmart but when the whole day is going to be sabotaged what do you do? We live out of town and so I want to try and allow both visitors and school to co-exist. Trying to compile all of our subjects into a very small amount of time can be to stressful on all of us and can take away from the in "depth" learning of each subject when we have to do this but it is do-able. I sometimes wish we had our own building that we could run out to and that way we are not "home". This would help with a lot of things such as daily distractions such as phone, cleaning, computers, toys, and cooking and it would take away the casual idea of school because you must actually "go" to school which gives the illusion somehow that it is more important and can't be interrupted. Maybe not but it seems like that is the way it would work. When considering the daily distractions I am realizing these things: 1. That I need to commit a designated amount s of time strictly to homeschooling.  During that time if the phone rings then it will just have to ring, it is not vital that I answer every call in case of an emergency. There is such thing as a message that I can check just for that reason. 2. Cleaning must take a back row seat in our classroom even though the classroom is it's domain. In order to help relieve the temptation of picking up the broom or vacuum I must have a cleaning routine that allows me to have a clean house before we begin school. And then if I allow it to slip and not follow it then I must be disciplined in putting homeschooling as an absolute first.  3. Cooking again needs to have a specific time of its own so that it does not call me away from my priority of teaching my children. 4. The computer and tv. These 2 distractions need to be highly supervised and restricted during any and all school hours.  The computer can become a major distraction for me personally and the tv can play a big hindrance in the obtaining of and enjoyment of learning. I hope to give myself an open pass to "play" on the computer or blog at a specific time in the morning only with absolutely no exceptions can my time run over, a bodyguard would be nice to escort me out if I do decide to resist. The tv is restricted until Friday in which they are given 2 hours of time to watch either individual cartoons or 1 select movie. 5. Always start directly on time otherwise the clock can cause havoc.   6. Self can really get in the way to if she is aloud to rein the emotional pool. Let's face it we don't always "feel" like enforcing school on our children because it drains a lot from us and causes us to pour all of the energy that we have out just to get through it all.  She is always with you and she is hard to silence sometimes but there is another that is gently guiding you… But I say, walk by the Spirit, and you will not gratify the desires of the flesh. Galatians 5:16   Homeschooling is a major responsibility that we have taken on, the education of our children is in our hands and we will be held accountable for what they know and what they do not know. I don’t know about you but I need to take this a little more seriously and be more disciplined at times, there is NO room for a any relaxed learning. http://www.homeschoolblogger.com/JavaMama/457751/ Tue, 8 Jan 2008 15:56:00 -0600 http://www.homeschoolblogger.com/JavaMama/457751/ We took the whole month of December off, which was not in our plans. On Monday we will jump into another ring of homeschooling. I am ready to get back into the groove. I was encouraged over the break by a friend/family member to be more organized and disciplined in our daily school. I am the type that is lead by my emotions and so if I don't "feel" like doing something... I usually if possible don't. I have tried to be more orderly before but always gradually go back to my old ways. I picked up a little gem of a book yesterday while at Halfprice called Talks to Boys by Eleanor Hunt. It sounds like it is going to be a great read aloud, full of values and virtues to discuss and think about. We are still reading Mouse and the Motorcycle, well actually we are picking it back up after I found it under a stack of Christmas papers yesterday. For Christmas the boys were delighted to get a Silverstein of their very own! A Light in the Attic which will become a nightly poetry book I am sure. Silverstein is popular around here, as you know, but there is a new name that we have recently grown very fond of. He is only a few steps right behind ol' Silver. Jack Prelutsky is his name and It's Raining Pigs and Noodles is his game or book. We have really been enjoying it! Silly and fun. What book are you reading aloud? http://www.homeschoolblogger.com/JavaMama/452084/ Sat, 29 Dec 2007 16:18:00 -0600 http://www.homeschoolblogger.com/JavaMama/452084/ Thanksgiving has passed and Christmas is approaching quickly, a little more quickly than I would like it too. We jumped back into our school week rather easily. You know there are so many days that I doubt my ability to do this sufficiently. The truth is that I am NOT capable to do this sufficiently... not with out Christ and there are so many days that I try to do it with out Him present. It is evitable, I fail. Homeschooling is not easy and I often struggle. I struggle with mastering the ability to do it "all" and come out sane in the end. Is it just me I wonder? I know it isn't but some times it feels like it is. I enjoy being a homeschooling mother and enjoy watching my children learn new things, it is very rewarding and worth all of the agony that I go through on a weekly basis. Today we were forced to take school along with us on our grocery shopping venture. It was interesting. Superman when told to bring it in Walmart asked wouldn't that be weird? Nobody brings their work in Walmart. True but sometimes you just gotta do what you gotta do to get it done :0). It went well until he dropped his pencil along the way and it got lost, hmmm accident? I think not. We are dealing with a lot of whining and brotherly antagonizing with Superman who is 7. I have decided to do 2 things. 1. write lines when he can not control his voice and 2. silence when he feels the need to stir up trouble with T-Rex. After his punishment we discuss the verses that apply to his behavior and then encourage the opposite behavior. He is a good kid and I love him so much. Have a great day and visit me at Embracing the Journey. JOYfully in Him, Kelli http://www.homeschoolblogger.com/JavaMama/434594/ Tue, 27 Nov 2007 11:01:00 -0600 http://www.homeschoolblogger.com/JavaMama/434594/ Plymoth Plantation's You are the Historian, Investigating the First Thanksgiving. Enjoy... it is for older kids. http://www.homeschoolblogger.com/JavaMama/426671/ Wed, 14 Nov 2007 07:04:00 -0600 http://www.homeschoolblogger.com/JavaMama/426671/ It is the begining of a new week, fresh with the crispness of His mercies! I am excited about this week... not sure why just am! God is good and I am encouraged to know that He is with us today and everyday and no matter what is going on or how much we have to do He has not left us. I thank him who has given me strength, Christ Jesus our Lord, because he judged me faithful, appointing me to his service, though formerly I was a blasphemer, persecutor, and insolent opponent. But I recieved mercy because I  had acted ignorantly in unbelief, and the grace of our Lord overflowed for me with the faith and love that are in Christ Jesus. 1 Timothy 1:12-14 The steadfast love of the Lord never ceases; his mercies never come to an end; they are new every morning; great is your faithfulness. " The Lord is my portion," says my soul, "therefore I will hope in him." Lamentations 3:22-24 I pray that my children will beable to "see" through me that His mercies are in fact new every morning. I pray that it soaks into my heart and becomes a reality to my thoughts. I pray that this week will be a powerful testimony to the graces of God as we humbly venture through the moments given to us. Memory Verse for the week: A man with out self control is like a city broken into and left with out walls. Proverbs 25:28 Others to reflect daily on: 1 Corinthians 9:25 Every athlete exercises self-control in all things. They do it to receive a perishable wreath, but we an imperishable. Galatians 5:23 But the fruit of the Spirit is love, joy, peace, patience, kindness, goodness, faithfulness,  gentleness, self-control; against such things there is no law. 2 Peter 1:6 For this very reason, make every effort to supplement your faith with virtue, and virtue with knowledge, 6and knowledge with self-control, and self-control with steadfastness, and steadfastness with godliness, 1 Peter 4:7 The end of all things is at hand; therefore be self-controlled and sober-minded for the sake of your prayers. We are focusing on self-control this week, could you tell? Whining, fits of anger, pouting and other ungodly behaviors being displayed is just not acceptable. God talks a lot about being able to conrol ourselves and I have just got to stop these! :0) It is funny, though I was joking there is some truth to that. No, I don't fall to the ground and roll around on the floor, I don't throw a toy across the room, and I don't cross my arms and stick out my bottom lip when things don't go my way but in my heart it is all the same. So the word of God will not just be applied to my children's sin but mine as well, for we are all children of the King and we all desperately need His guidance. Have a great day! JOYfully in Him, Kelli http://www.homeschoolblogger.com/JavaMama/425394/ Mon, 12 Nov 2007 08:14:00 -0600 http://www.homeschoolblogger.com/JavaMama/425394/ This is my first post for a Friday Show and Tell, I have been seeing this around and have wanted to join, thanks Canada Girl for hosting this. I really want to implement nature walks more into our learning adventure. They are in our schedule but life always seems to swoop in and overtake our plans. A few weeks ago we were able to grab out nature journals and enjoy some time out at a park in the vastness of nature. Superman and T-Rex both really enjoyed themselves as we walked around the park examining His creation and discussing all of the wonderful things that we saw. I was so pleased at how much they enjoyed not playing but just learning. I just loved to be outside in His presence exploring His truly amazing creation together as a family. It always leaves me standing in awe of His works and when I am in the midst of it all I am reminded of how great He is and I can see how everything around me praises it's maker, the Almighty God.   JOYfully in Him,Kelli http://www.homeschoolblogger.com/JavaMama/423904/ Fri, 9 Nov 2007 08:12:00 -0600 http://www.homeschoolblogger.com/JavaMama/423904/ Read Alouds: The Mouse and the Motorcycle by Beverly Clearly. I picked this up at a library book sale and we started it yesterday. So cute and addicting! I am really enjoying reading the book and both of my boys including T-Rex are really enjoying it also. T-Rex actually asked me to read it yesterday. The version I have is an old one from 1965 which I prefer, the illustrations by Louis Darling are much cuter in my opion to the newer revised editions. Leave more to the imagination. The Childrens Book of Virtues edited by William J. Bennet. This is a really cute book full of beautiful illustrations and enjoyable stories, fables, poems and other stories that secretly reveal little life lessons/morals/virtues for little ones to ponder. We are all enjoying these lessons together through many little characters and stories. Falling Up by Shel Silverstein.  So fun! I have always since a little girl been captivated by Silverstein's imagination and word play. I love being tickled through each poem, some are just silly while others are rather grosteq which is good for boys! (not so much for mommies and baby Butterflies) It is a given that begging will appear at the reach of bedtime for a little Silverstein. Devotional: Training Hearts and Teaching Minds by Star Meade. This is a wonderful little family devotional! We are actually a little behind in this but have started up with it again. It is our nightly devotional based on the shorter catechism. We come together each evening before bed and together grow in our knowledge of God, there is much discussion that comes with each devotion. Superman's Books: On the Halfpipe with... Tony Hawk by Matt Christopher.This is a biography on Tony Hawk the professional skateboarder. Superman picked this book out on his own since his recent obsession with the sport was taken here in the last couple of months. I am a bit suprised at this new sport obsession and wasn't sure about his sudden interest in the icon Tony Hawk but I do not want to squash any enthusiasm he has for reading. Magic Tree House Research Guide to Mummies and Pyramids. He has gotten lost in this book several times and it is my personal pick over the Tony Hawk bio. After he finds his way back to reality he is always excited to tell us what he found while traveling to Egypt. :0) T-Rex's Books: Who Wants a Dragon by James Mayhew. Me! Is his reply each time this question is read... it is so cute. He has become very interested in dragons lately. The Best Pet of All by David LaRochelle. So cute! I enjoy reading this little book about a boy who wants a dog but winds up with a dragon, of all things. My Favorites: Butterfly Eyes and other Secrets of the Meadow by Joyce Sidman. I just adore the illustrations and the rythym of this book. It teaches about the hidden world of the meadow through poems and riddles. Glory by Nancy White Carlstrom. Praising God is the overall theme of this book. Each page is glorious in color and splendid in wording, I enjoy its uniqueness.     http://www.homeschoolblogger.com/JavaMama/422177/ Tue, 6 Nov 2007 14:07:01 -0600 http://www.homeschoolblogger.com/JavaMama/422177/ http://www.homeschoolblogger.com/JavaMama/422168/ Tue, 6 Nov 2007 14:07:00 -0600 http://www.homeschoolblogger.com/JavaMama/422168/