Daily, weekly writings of our lives and homeschooling in general. http://www.homeschoolblogger.com/Lordleadusandguideus/ en-us Homeschool Blogger Thu, 12 Nov 2009 04:55:00 -0600 Thu, 12 Nov 2009 04:55:00 -0600 It is hard to believe that Thanksgiving is just two weeks away.  I have been so busy on trying to stay focused on getting school work done, that the time has just whizzed by.   I also realized yesterday, that we will be putting up our tree in two weeks also!!!  (The day after Thanksgiving)  Wow.   I know last year, we did wonderful in our studies up til Thanksgiving, then we slacked off for this event, or this meeting, or this date, and we never got real back 'in the swing' of it again til about April.  :(    Well, we can't do that this year.   I am thinking that once we break for Christmas, that will have to be it, because then our main concentration will have to be on packing this house up for our move in April.   There is so much to do and I can't get it done if we are spending our mornings, (the most productive time of the day for me) in school.  http://www.homeschoolblogger.com/Lordleadusandguideus/744088/ Thu, 12 Nov 2009 04:55:00 -0600 http://www.homeschoolblogger.com/Lordleadusandguideus/744088/ Okay, here are a couple of things that I found interesting about our second week of homeschooling :) Day 2 We were reading Luke 2:21-39.  Elizabeth asked, "What is circumcision?"   So I had to explain the best way I knew how.  Then, mainly to Anthony, I asked him if he had ever noticed that he and daddy were different, he said "yeah".   So I explained, as best as I knew how, why he, (Anthony) looks different than his daddy.   The choice that Mike and I made as parents of a son, is a different choice than what Grandma and Grandpa made when Mike was born.     Day 3 In English, Anthony had just learned about verb tenses.  One of the rules is that if a verb ends in "y", change the "y" to "i" before adding "ed".  He understood that part.  Then he had spelling. One of his words today was "stayed".   So how did he spell it?    "staied".  Of course I marked it wrong, and he said, "but it just told me in English, to change the "y" to and "i"!"   So now how do I make him understand this?  His is now totally confused!!  http://www.homeschoolblogger.com/Lordleadusandguideus/720522/ Tue, 25 Aug 2009 11:14:00 -0500 http://www.homeschoolblogger.com/Lordleadusandguideus/720522/ Well, we have just completed our first week of a new school year!  We are using Sonlight Core 3 this year.  (I have used a different curriculum every year lol)  I am doing a 4 day sched.   Day 2  8-12-09 Anthony made the comment that it was really neat the way the Indians lived.  He thought it was really cool that they used animal skins for so many things.  He was reading the book, "North American Indians" pages 12-19. Day 3  8-13-09  We were reading in our One Year Bible for Kids.  The story was about Noah and the Ark (flood).   Elizabeth, (or maybe it was Anthony), made a comment to the effect of , "when God destroyed all the living things on earth with the flood, the fish weren't destroyed."  I had never considered that before.  We know that the flood waters killed all land living, air breathing creatures.  But it makes sense that it would not hurt the fish.  Does that make sense?   It really makes you think doesn't it? Day 4  8-14-09  Elizabeth asked why if Noah was a God fearing man, (Christian, even though the term "Christian" didn't come into play until the time of Christ),  and his family were also God fearing, how did "man" get to be so evil?    I told her that eventually, through the generations of Noah, "man's" free will came into play and people started making decisions for themselves and not seeking the will of God in their lives.   In one of the books we were reading, the term "lifeblood" was written.   (MORE TO ADD TO THIS LATER,) Indians of the NorthWest coast built houses made of planks without using nails.  Some of those houses are still standing today.   Elizabeth wants to see these houses to see how they could stand without nails.  (Can we say experiment???? lol) Anthony, while reading the last of North American Indians, was really getting into trying to imitate the sign language that he saw printed in the pictures on the pages.   I really think I need to follow through on my plan to add sign language to my curriculum.   :) http://www.homeschoolblogger.com/Lordleadusandguideus/717525/ Sat, 15 Aug 2009 06:50:00 -0500 http://www.homeschoolblogger.com/Lordleadusandguideus/717525/ The Dangers of Children Playing with Romance   Kids in love—it’s easy to see it as a simple, picture-perfect state. But there’s another angle we need to notice. Divorce, unwed mothers, abortion—all involve a form of romance gone awry. As Mike Farris shares today on Home School Heartbeat, many of these problems started back in childhood and early adolescence. Mike Farris: A federal trial centered around the circumstances that caused a 13-year-old girl to commit suicide after the break-up of a romantic relationship on MySpace. The national response focused on cyber-bullying and harassment—and of course, that needs some attention. But apparently, nobody worries about the potentially dire consequences of 13-year-olds engaging in romantic relationships. Recent studies have found that teenage pregnancy rates continue to rise in this country. Notably, the highest rates are in traditionally conservative, so-called red states, including the Bible belt. Secular commentators have had a field day discussing the fact that evangelical teens have sex at a younger age and with more partners than non-evangelicals. Researchers focus on sex, but nobody talks about the danger of children playing with romance. Pro-family conservatives have long preached that young people should practice physical abstinence before marriage. Liberals have labeled such advice as unrealistic. It is unrealistic to expect a teenager who’s been pursuing a romantic relationship since age 12 or so to have only a limited physical relationship for many, many years. Children in their early teens are simply too young to handle both the physical and the emotional side of a romantic relationship. I’m Mike Farris. Protecting our Children from Destructive Emotional Entanglements   Yesterday on Home School Heartbeat, host Mike Farris highlighted the dangers of premature romance. Today, he talks about how parents can protect their children from the emotional dangers of engaging in romantic relationships too soon. Mike Farris: Like many homeschooling families, my wife Vickie and I have chosen the courtship model for our children as an alternative to dating. Courtship requires young people to refrain from casual dating and wait until they’re old enough to seriously consider marriage, before entering into any kind of romantic relationship. In order to successfully follow the courtship model, parents need to begin talking to their kids at an early age about the principles involved in courtship. We began talking to our oldest daughters about the subject of marriage when they were very young girls—7, 8, 9 years old. All along, I let them know that their mom and dad would be highly involved in their choice of a mate. And as my daughters grew older, I talked to them about romantic relationships and the principles I expected them to follow in more detail. My daughters understood these principles before they were teenagers and far before they were seriously interested in relationships. They never expected to casually date. If your children are older, it’s not too late to begin following the principles of courtship. However, just as a young child can learn a language more easily than an adult, a young child can also learn a pattern of behavior more easily than a teenager. An early education in courtship principles will help protect your children from the myriad of problems that accompanies premature romance. I’m Mike Farris. Delaying Romantic Relationships until Ready for Marriage    Courtship—as old-fashioned as the term may sound, many homeschool parents have recognized the practical benefits of guiding their children in the pursuit of healthy and godly relationships. Today on Home School Heartbeat, host Mike Farris talks about the first principle of courtship. Mike Farris: In high schools, middle schools, and even in today’s elementary schools, dating is an expected activity. Often kids feel that they must have a boyfriend or girlfriend in order to fit in with their peers. Rather than subject children to the pressures of the dating culture, many homeschooling parents have trained their children in courtship. The first principle of courtship is this: all romantic relationships are reserved until the season of life when a person’s ready to be married. In order for a young man to be ready for marriage in a practical sense, he must be able and willing to support a family. And that normally requires him to delay any kind of romantic pairing off until he’s at least in his early 20s—late teens for young women. When young men and young women reach this age, they’re far more likely to be emotionally and practically prepared for a romantic relationship. By avoiding dating through most of the teenage years and waiting until the season of life when they’re married, young people are free to be friends with members of the opposite sex, without worrying about the pressures of romantic entanglements. Courtship frees young teens to see each other as potential friends, rather than potential dates. I’m Mike Farris. Casual Dating is Out, Friendship is In  Many homeschooling families have adopted courtship for their children, rather than the practice of dating. Host Mike Farris talks about the second principle of courtship, today on Home School Heartbeat. Mike Farris: Many young people begin romantic relationships when they’re just too young. Courtship first of all requires young people to wait until they’re old enough to emotionally and practically consider marriage, before entering into any kind of relationship. The second major operating principle of courtship is that there’s no such thing as casual dating. Any date is undertaken with the mutual understanding between both the young people and both sets of parents that these young people are engaged in checking each other out with a serious belief that their relationship may lead to marriage. Four of my grown daughters have gotten married to the only boyfriends they’ve ever had. They have known dozens of guys, because we encourage all kinds of group activities where there is a mixture of both sexes. But those committed to courtship have been the dominant force in their group activities, and so pairing off has been off limits unless the couple is prepared to declare themselves publicly ready for marriage and headed on that path with each other. Every bride and groom say to each other, at least implicitly, that they love each other with all their heart. Little pieces of one’s heart are given away each time a romance of any magnitude has blossomed. When each of my daughters walked the aisle, her promise to love her husband with all her heart was literally true. I’m Mike Farris Courtship and Parental Involvement This week on Home School Heartbeat, we’ve been talking about courtship. Host Mike Farris has already explained the first two principles of courtship. Today, he shares the third and final principle. Mike Farris: The third principle of courtship is implicit in the first two. Parents must be involved in the courtship process. Parents, particularly fathers, should give their permission before their children enter into any kind of courtship relationship. Likewise, parents oversee the courtship and set guidelines for the relationship with the couple. Before a couple decides to get married, both sets of parents should give their consent. This aspect of courtship is directly related with one of the main reasons families choose to educate their children at home. Both homeschooling and the courtship model allow parents to responsibly direct the lives of their children. The benefits of parental involvement in homeschooling are well-documented. I believe that there are similar benefits for children whose parents are involved in their choice of a mate. First, young adults benefit from the experience their parents possess about marriage and relationships. Second, young adults benefit from having a close relationship between their parents and their future mate. If parents have been approving the relationship all along, the chances for family conflict between in-laws are greatly reduced. Third, God promises to bless children who honor their father and mother. Parental involvement in courtship allows young people to honor their parents and to reap the benefits that this promise brings. I’m Mike Farris. http://www.homeschoolblogger.com/Lordleadusandguideus/672344/ Wed, 25 Mar 2009 05:20:00 -0500 http://www.homeschoolblogger.com/Lordleadusandguideus/672344/ It seems I can't figure out how to log into my account at the old schoolhouse store UGH!!!  I can log in here to my blog easily enough, (praise the Lord) but I can't access my account outside of my blog.  So wierd.   Anyway, the thing that I was speaking on in my post last time that said that we would have to wait and see, fell through.   Dh said that it was God's will.   That is so true, but it still made me a bit sad when I received word that it wasn't going to happen.   :(   But God has shown Himself to me in so many other ways recently, that I have no cause to complain.   Homeschooling has been dragging, I have so dropped the ball on that.  :(   I have no one to blame but myself!!!  I haven't been able to get motivated since Thanksgiving really.   I need to spend time in prayer about all of this.   We are taking a trip in May WOOHOO!!  We are going to MAINE!!  Oh I can't even begin to explain how so very excited I am about this!!!!!  It is my lifelong dream to go to Maine and God has provided a way for us to do it!!!  praise!!!   We will see my brother and his family!!!  I haven't seen him in 10 years!!!  He has children that I have never met, and he has never met my son so it will be a wonderful reunion to say the least!!  Oh and dh is happy because we are going to go Lobstering,   and then eat some!!!  He is of course on cloud 9 for this reason.!! The church is going to renovate the old schoolhouse!!!   Oh I am so excited about this too.  We will have a library and as far as I can see, I will get to head that up!!!  Thank you Lord for Your many many blessings!!!  In Jesus Name Amen!!   http://www.homeschoolblogger.com/Lordleadusandguideus/671364/ Sun, 22 Mar 2009 13:56:00 -0500 http://www.homeschoolblogger.com/Lordleadusandguideus/671364/ Wow, it has been a while since I have been here and updated.  :(  I am so sorry.  I have so much to say.  Well, as you know, I was doing the bulk of the homeschooling since my job played out last summer.  But since then I have become a full time student at the community college and with my dh doing some time helpling a neighbor a few days a week, the poor children just aren't getting a well balanced study schedule.    Prayerfully, that will all change and we can give our two young ones the education that they need to have here at home.   We are still working out the kinks in that area.   I did however apply for a job with the city.  I don't know what the outcome will be since there is such a high unemployment rate here. (not sure of the numbers)  We did have two major plants close last year, I am sure that there were several applicants to put in for that job.  It is all in the Lord's will I know.  So either way.  I will accept my lot that I have been given.   We are still waiting patiently on the outcome of dh's disability, or rather, his SS.   That is a very very slow progress.   The last phyc.  we saw, said that he was a very good candidate and it might take a few months, but he didn't see any reason that dh couldn't get it.  So here we are waiting once again.   There is one other thing that we are waiting on, but it too, requires a wating period.  So if anyone reads this, please be in prayer for us with this.   I don't want to go into detail, but the Lord knows what it is.   We have already said that this was an unexpected thing, and we want the Lord's will to be done in it.  So we won't be disappointed if the Lord tells us no.  It would be nice to be a yes, but it is totally up to the Lord. I will close now.  I pray that everyone had a beautiful Valentine's Day!!!   God Bless each and everyone of you.   http://www.homeschoolblogger.com/Lordleadusandguideus/658385/ Sun, 15 Feb 2009 06:49:00 -0600 http://www.homeschoolblogger.com/Lordleadusandguideus/658385/ Here it is the last day of November.  The kids are so ready for Christmas it isn't even funny!  (Or maybe it's me that is ready   Anyway,  we didn't do any school last week due to it being the week of Thanksgiving.  My plan is to work extra hard this coming week, but there are already so many things filling up the December calendar, with me trying to get some courses lined up to take online, to dh and AuntGranny having doctor's appointments.  I just don't know what God has in store for us in December, but I will do my best to get some schooling done.    I would like to finish the story of George Muller with them for sure.  I would also like to finish their "First Thanksgiving" lapbooks. (our first one ever)   A full week?  I don't see it happening.  We will do our best.  :) I plan on starting an Advent Study with them this afternoon when we return from church today.   This will be new to dh and I both.  I know that E and A will look at me funny and probably think, "school on Sunday?"  But it isn't school work.  It is Christ work!!  Any day is good for learning about Christ!!!  So now I am off to print off the pages that I need for todays advent study.   God Bless everyone!!! http://www.homeschoolblogger.com/Lordleadusandguideus/626021/ Sun, 30 Nov 2008 06:17:00 -0600 http://www.homeschoolblogger.com/Lordleadusandguideus/626021/ We are taking next week off of schooling.   We will start fresh the week after Thanksgiving.   We will be celebrating Thanksgiving with the church this year.  Each member of the congregation volunteered to bring one or more food items.  So we said that we would bring the green bean casserole that Elizabeth will do.   Mike is going to make his mouthwatering chocolate chip and macadamia nut cookies.  And I will supervise Anthony in the making of a red velvet cake.    And me?   I am bringing the cranberries We put up the tree this morning.  We bought a new artificial one that already has lights on it.  Talk about a time saver!!!   It isn't the prettiest tree but it is all our budget could afford this year, and it works just fine for the limited amount of space that we have in our living room.    I will probably let the children put on the ornaments tomorrow after church.  (Then I will wait til after they go to bed and rearange them.  So I would like to wish any and all that may run across this blog, a very Happy Thanksgiving!!!!  May you all be richly blessed by our Lord Jesus Christ!!!!  http://www.homeschoolblogger.com/Lordleadusandguideus/622826/ Sat, 22 Nov 2008 14:01:00 -0600 http://www.homeschoolblogger.com/Lordleadusandguideus/622826/ http://www.homeschoolingonashoestring.com/  http://www.booksamaritan.com/  (I have gotten alot of books from them) http://www.theteacherscafe.com/Teacher-Directory/Free_Homeschool_Resources.php http://www.amblesideonline.org/ http://www.oldfashionededucation.com/ http://homeschooling.gomilpitas.com/materials/Free.htm www.homeschoolfreebieoftheday.com    (this is one of my all time favorites.  I have gotten lots of e-books here) Here is just a few to start with.   This is the third time I have posted this list this morning.  I keep hitting a wrong key on my keyboard, or clicking on something wrong, and I have lost my list twice.  So now I will post this and if I find, which I am sure that I will, some more links, I will come back here and add them.  But for now, this is my start.    http://www.homeschoolblogger.com/Lordleadusandguideus/609332/ Fri, 24 Oct 2008 06:19:00 -0500 http://www.homeschoolblogger.com/Lordleadusandguideus/609332/ I had something all typed out here and I was in the middle of previewing it, and bam!!  It dissapeared.  Oh gosh.   I don't know if I will ever get the hang of this blog site.  :(     http://www.homeschoolblogger.com/Lordleadusandguideus/585183/ Thu, 4 Sep 2008 15:57:00 -0500 http://www.homeschoolblogger.com/Lordleadusandguideus/585183/